Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. Suikoden belongs to
Konami. I don't own anything. Contains some spoilers for Suikoden 3 on the
Playstation 2. Read at your own risk, but read anyway :D.
Harry Potter and The Fire Bringer by Ridman
Prologue
The sun shone on the grounds of Budehuc Castle as its residents were preparing for the arrival of a hero. The castle itself was old, but surrounding it were vast grounds where people had built several new buildings. All of it was enclosed by high stonewalls, except for its entrance. The castle had no front gate to speak of. Among the walls there was an ugly gap that served as entrance to the castle grounds from the grasslands.
Near the entrance, there was a large stone fountain in the center of the area. Behind it, there were stone steps leading to the forecourt that led to the castle doors, on one side of the stairs were an inn, a lottery booth and a teepee and a rune shop, an item shop and an appraisal shop on the other side. Farther left, there were stone steps that led to the other facilities of Budehuc castle.
All around the fountain, the residents had crowded in anticipation of the arrival of the hero and her companions. Curiously, clans from all over the world had come to Budehuc castle, and under the hero's leadership, all lived harmoniously together. Under any other circumstance they would have rather fought each other for the heck of it; each clan had different beliefs and traditions. As it were, the circumstances required the combined might of the North and South Tribes, the Six Great Grassland clans, Zexen, and Holy Harmonia.
After months of struggle, today, the day of days, all their efforts had paid off! They had just gotten word that the Flame Champion defeated Luc and ultimately thwarted his plans of destroying the world as they knew it.
Chris Lightfellow was not an ordinary woman, by any stretch of the imagination. Firstly, being so young, she managed to rise up to become the Captain of the mighty Zexen Knights. Battle after battle, she proved invaluable to the defense of Zexen against the Grasslanders, or, as Zexens like to call them, Grassies. Her swordfighting skills were second to none in the Zexen army and she fought like a demon possessed in the midst of battle. Her fame earned her the title "The Silver Maiden" not as much because of the silver armor she always wore to battle, than because of the silver hair that she always kept in a bun.
But today was different. She let down her hair for the journey home to Budehuc. She noticed a lot of her male companions held their breaths as she did this, which slightly amused her. The rest of the Six Zexen Knights were traveling with her, as well as Fred Maximillian and Rico, Louis, Geddoe and his friends, Hugo and Sergeant Joe, Lucia and Beecham, Ceasar and Apple, Bishop Sasarai and Dios. These were some of the people surrounding her as they made their way through the Yaza plains. The mood was very light- hearted now that Luc had been defeated. The rest were talking animatedly with each other.
But one particular blond-haired man in the group had her undivided attention, as she now was staring right at him. She adored the man's green eyes. More so did she adore his blond eyebrows, which she thought was the best part of his face. The man gazed back at her and gave her a big grin.
Nash Latkje was his name. Ever since she met him in Iksay village a few months back, her life had changed drastically. Without him, she couldn't have found out the truth about her father, nor would she have found and then succeeded the Flame Champion. She had doubted herself many times in the past when she had to live up to her "hero" image. And he always managed to lift her up. Gods, she knew he was everything to her now. But I won't let him know that... He's constantly been telling me that he's got a wife...I wonder if it's true? I mean he's been flirting with me, but how can he do that if he's married? Wouldn't that be tantamount to cheating? He must be lying, though. Not once have I seen him wearing a wedding ring. I can't just ask him, he might find out about my feelings. She pondered this and more, as the convoy of horses pushed forward.
'What's the matter, milady?' said a young voice who she recognized as Louis', her squire.
'Oh nothing.' said Chris as she snapped out of her reverie. 'Louis, do you remember when you asked me what I fight for when I go to battle?'
'Yes, milady. You told me that you fight for the people. You don't really like your status as a "Hero" but if that's what it takes to save the people then you shall live up to the title "Hero". I always thought you fought for fame and glory. But I was wrong, milady.' said Louis surely 'You're very different on and off the battlefield.' He added.
'Yes, Louis. You've hit the nail on the head. But that's not all I fought for. I – There's someone that I love... Only he doesn't know it yet. And I want to ask you, as a friend to another friend, if you were me -'said Chris in a whisper inaudible to everyone but Louis. 'Would you tell him you love him as soon as possible? Now that the war is all over...' Louis looked startled at this question and a healthy blush had crept up his young face.
'Uh, ah, I – I'm not much good at matters of the h-heart, m-milady...' stammered Louis, who looked surprised that the Silver Maiden would ask such a personal question.
'It's okay, Louis.' said Chris. 'Just tell me honestly what you would do now that the war is over. If you had a secret love, and you had the burden of being the Flame Champion... You do know what being successor to the Flame Champion means, right?'
'You are charged with leading the people against any evil that might threaten the lands, aren't you, milady?' said Louis uncertainly.
'That's not all, Louis... When one bears any of the 27 True Runes, He or she becomes immortal. Meaning I can't die of old age, or any natural death. I'd watch my loved ones die around me while I lived on.' said Chris. 'I can't live on like that... It's just too much of an empty life'
'So... my question stands. What would you do, Louis?' She added.
Louis paused a while. Chris thought he was thinking very hard about this. She was glad she had Louis as a friend.
His eyes lit up and he said 'Yes, milady, I would tell him that I loved him straight away.'
'And if he does feel the same way, I'd get rid of the rune quickly. Milady.' said Louis. 'but that's just me.'
'You're absolutely right, Louis. Thank you. ' said Chris.
'My pleasure, Lady Chris' said Louis.
Chris smiled at him. Now I know what to do, but I still don't know what Nash will say. I once said to Luc before we engaged in the final battle 'A human's will can change his destiny'. He seemed to have the same idea. But he was twisting it to suit his whims. He said 'So if you understand me, give me the True Fire Rune so I can change our destiny!'. You were wrong, Luc, we, the Fire Bringer and I, changed your so-called destiny! The empty world that you so crave didn't become reality, did it? And in the same way why should my life become empty? I've made up my mind. I'm going to tell Nash tonight and then I will do what must be done for the sake of our future together.
'Milady! I see Budehuc!' said Louis excitedly. 'It feels like it's been a year since we set out of Budehuc to face Luc's forces... but it's only been what?'
'Five days.' Chris replied.
Chris could hear cheers erupting from the castle as well as from her own group as she neared the castle entrance. She knew the others felt as homesick as she. Although Budehuc had become their second home for a few months now, her heart still lay in Vinay del Zexay.
She marveled at the vastness of the range of people who gathered for them. In the crowd she saw what many Zexens would call barbarians, but she knew better. They are a noble clan, in my mind. They were the among the first clans to answer to the Flame Champion's call, and for that I am grateful, she thought.
Then there were the Lizard and Duck clans, and some of the Zexen knights. Harmonian soldiers were there too. Tinto had sent a small force to her aid, but they had been a valuable addition, nonetheless.
As she and her men entered the castle grounds, everyone clapped their loudest and shouts of 'Hail! Chris the Flame Champion! Savior of Humanity!' could be heard. Others went 'The Silver Maiden never fails us! A Legend she is, now and for ever!'. Still others simply shouted 'Chris!' over and over while punching the air with their fists.
The mass of people then parted to make way for Chris and her entourage.
Chris rode her horse mid-way in the crowd and then stopped abruptly. She looked around at all the smiling faces, then raised her right hand, the hand that bore the True Fire Rune and the hand that commanded all these people to trust her and follow her against Luc. At this signal, the crowd grew silent.
'Thank you, people of Budehuc. But it is not I alone who saved the day. It is you! Those of you who trust me with your lives to follow me into battle. You who sharpen our swords and axes. You who care for the sick and wounded. You all made a difference in this war. Thank you.' said Chris firmly. 'The first Flame Champion once said that he didn't care about titles and being labeled as the "Flame Champion" didn't matter. As long as he could protect what was important to him, he would fit the role of "Flame Champion".'
'This is how I feel, too. So I'd like to ask you to stop calling me that. I'll be reinstated as Captain of the Zexen Knights again soon to protect what matters to me most. I don't want to be known as anything other than Chris Lightfellow.' She continued. 'Also, you are free to leave this castle to wherever 'home' is. I know we all lost something in this war and we should start rebuilding.'
This was met by shouts of approval from Karayan people, whose village was burned to the ground by Luc.
'Okay, that is all I've got to say. My men and I are tired. Good day.' said Chris.
As soon as her speech finished, cheers of 'Chris!' erupted yet again with the same punching motion. She then unmounted her horse, and her men followed suit. Kathy, the resident cowgirl, stepped forward and led the horses through the crowd to the stables.
Nash leaned close to her and with a wink said, 'Nice speech.' Chris grinned at his comment and led the way up the stone steps and into the forecourt. There, she traded goodbyes with the Karayans, Harmonians, and Ducks who were with her in the fight against Luc. Ceasar Silverburg, her military strategist, also bid her goodbye as he set off to look for 'other battles to win'. Nash was supposedly the last to say goodbye, but to her great surprise, he didn't.
'Chris, I'll just be down at the main court. People will be celebrating our victory all night and I'd like to stay for the, ahem, fun' said Nash casually. 'I reckon you should go too you know? Come with me?'
Chris mouthed a no and then thanks.
'Alright Chris, you must be dead tired. So why don't you just rest and relax up in your room?' said Nash. 'I'll be up there to say, uh, goodbye... tonight.'
Chris nodded her understanding.
With that, Nash turned and walked into the crowd back in the main court.
Chris sighed heavily. She had wanted to scream Don't say goodbye to me! earlier. She then entered the double doors of the castle manor. The floor was checkered black and white, and there was a huge staircase right in front of her. She heavily trod up the stairs in front of the door. At the first intersection, she turned left into a short corridor and turned right to a longer one.
She entered the last door to the left. This room looked really old, yet it was comfortable. There was a wooden table on the left where many pieces of paper lay. Many of her battle plans were still written on pieces of parchment. To the left there was a cabinet for her clothes and further up, was a queen-sized four-poster bed with hangings.
Chris practically ripped her armor off herself. She felt a little cooler after doing this. The bed looks very inviting right about now, she thought. She unhooked her bra under her shirt, leaving only her knickers and shirt on, and fell straight into bed. The last thing she felt was her achingly tired muscles as she fell into slumber.
Chris dreamt she was out on an open field, looking up at the night sky. There are few stars tonight, she thought, so she decided to count them. She was on the one hundred eighth and last star when her eyes darted to the ground.
A familiar sight awaited her for she was now staring at the Ceremonial Site where the final battle with Luc had happened only hours ago. The building suddenly burst into flames. It burned to the ground at an unnatural speed in front of her until all that was left was a black scorch-mark on the bare ground.
As quickly as it burned, another building was rising at unnerving speed. Only this wasn't a building, it was a castle, a very magnificent castle, with towers here and there and an occasional window that was lit on the inside.
Peculiar was that at the entrance were a couple of winged boars. She could see a boy in robes in the distance running down the front steps of the castle and then waving and running toward her. Chris could see he was shouting something, but she was just too far to hear. She noted that the boy had spectacles on and had messy raven-black hair that made him look like he had just woken up. Just a little bit more and she thought she would hear what the boy had to say –
A loud knock brought Chris out of her dream state. She focused her eyes and saw that it was night already by the moonlight that filtered through her bedroom window.
'Who is it?' asked Chris.
'It's me. Nash.'
'Oh, wait a minute.' said Chris as she slipped out of bed and wrapped herself in a nightgown before going over to the door. 'Come in.' she said.
Nash complied and stepped into the room as Chris closed the door behind him.
There was an awkward silence between them at first. They gazed at each other for the longest time. Nash was first to break the silence.
'Well, I guess this is... goodbye. Thanks for everything, Chris. I gotta get back to my Missus, you know. She'd beat me to a pulp if she found out I was in another girl's room.' said Nash with a smirk. Nash's face fell as he saw Chris's face in the moonlight.
Chris didn't care at all if she looked weak right now after all, even heroes cry. She let her tears fall freely in front of the man she loved.
'You – can't – go! I – love – you.' sobbed Chris.
Nash edged closer to her and put both of his hand on her shoulders. He pulled her closer to him and in one instant, he had both his lips pressed against hers. Chris thought that it felt so right and so good to be having his lips against hers. When the kiss had ended, they both pulled away, and Chris' eyes fluttered open dreamily.
'Does that mean –' Chris started.
'Yes, I do too.'
'But then what about your-' Chris eyed him shrewdly.
Nash shook his head.
'Then you're not –'
'Nope, I'm not married.' Nash said.
At first, Chris felt immensely happy at these words and thought she must've looked very happy to Nash too, because he smiled. Then she felt hurt that he lied to her. Nash must have sensed this too, because he was now apologizing.
'Chris. I'm so sorry. I didn't know this would happen – I never dreamt that I would fall in love with you but I did. But when I learned what the True Fire Rune does to its bearer, I tried my best to keep you from falling for me.' Nash said carefully.
'Nash... Why?' said Chris.
'Chris you bear the True Fire Rune now... You'll live forever. I thought if we fell in love and lived together, you'd have to watch me grow old and die, while you stay beautiful in all your years. I don't want to see you hurt after my death, Chris.' said Nash, waiting her response.
'Nash, isn't that my choice to make? And I only have one more choice to make.' replied Chris.
'And what is that, Chris?'
'I will seal the True Fire Rune in the Ceremonial Site of Cyndar. Until another Flame Champion is needed to fight evil, it shall sit there, waiting' I think I saw the successor just now in my dream... she thought. She decided to tell him about his dream later.
'But that means you will grow old and die like the rest of us...'
'Yes. I've been thinking my job here is over. The people will find peace now that the threat is gone. And I did my job well, don't you think?' Nash nodded. 'And now, I want to spend all my time with you. We'll have children who have your hair and... my eyes. We'll grow old together and die old.'
'All while saving Zexen from evil, right?' Chris laughed at his comment. 'You're really quite the hero, Chris.' added Nash. 'When will we go to seal the Rune?'
'I was thinking maybe we should do it right now. I want to get rid of this thing as soon as possible. You're aging by the minute, Nash.' Chris said jokingly.
Nash gave her a grin and then nodded. He kissed her briefly then headed out to ready the horses for the trip.
Chris started to dress, remembering to dress only in her traveling clothes and not in her armor. She didn't want to attract any attention while traveling. Her traveling attire consisted of a collared green button-up shirt, black pants and knee-high leather boots. After she was done she quietly made her way out of the castle and into the main court.
She saw Nash standing near the entrance with two horses saddled and ready. He was wearing his usual green sweater and green scarf that matched the color of his eyes. She mounted her horse as she saw Nash do the same beside her. They went off together before anyone noticed they had gone.
The trip had been uneventful. They passed through Yaza Plains, then Mt. Hei- Tou, until they passed just north of the Great Hollow. Finally they had arrived at the ruins of the Ceremonial Site.
A huge building was in the middle of the site. A few broken pillars littered the front of the building's dark entrance. It looks the same as it did two days ago, Chris thought, as she unmounted her horse. Nash unmounted too and looked around for any signs of danger.
Carefully, they made their way through the pillars and Chris unsheathed her sword. They reached the entrance without event. Inside, it was dark and Chris could only see thanks to a few torches around.
Directly in front of her was a doorway that leads to God knows where, she thought. The doorway was flanked on either side by two sets of stairs which both led onto a platform on top of the first doorway.
They climbed the steps and directly in front of the stairs were three doorways exactly identical to the first one they saw. This time, Chris was sure she knew where to go.
She took the middle path and entered into a long corridor with a high ceiling, with pillars on both sides. The walls had some sort of hieroglyphs on them. Nash followed closely behind.
They wended their way through bends and zigzags. They finally arrived in a large circular room with an altar of sorts to the north of the room. The source of light was torches on each of the eight pillars inside.
Chris eyed the altar before turning to Nash with an inquiring look that said now what? Nash gave her hand an affectionate squeeze and then told her to go up to the altar and place her hand upon it. He also told her to will the True Fire Rune to leave her right hand. She had to keep clearly in her mind why she was doing it.
Chris slowly walked toward the altar and stopped just in front of it. She looked one last time at the rune in her right hand and placed it on the altar. It glowed crimson in her hand in the shape of a flame. Closing her eyes, she thought of Nash, her hopes to have his child and grow old with him was clearly imbedded in her head.
As if hearing her pleas, the rune responded almost immediately. A bright red glow emanated from right under her hand, her whole body was engulfed with a flame that seemed harmless to her. After a few moments the True Fire Rune lifted out of Chris' hand and floated a few feet off the altar, surrounded by a reddish-transparent orb of unseen magic.
When Chris tried to touch the orb again, her hand got mildly burned. Seemingly satisfied with the results, she turned to Nash and gave him a huge smile of relief.
'Well then, until the rune chooses for itself who will succeed as its bearer, it shouldn't give us any cause to worry.' said Nash.
'Oh, I think I saw the successor myself. In my dream the other night.' said Chris.
She then told Nash all about her dream. Nash looked deep in thought by the time Chris had finished her re-telling.
'Did you get a name? Who is it?'
'You woke me up before I could ask him that, in my dream.'
'So it's a guy is it?'
'Yes, but he looked fifteen-ish or sixteen-ish to me. Still in puberty.' Nash laughed.
'So the next Flame Champion will be the youngest yet. Hmm.'
'I need to write about this, Nash. Maybe someone will find out who is the Flame Champion with what I write.' said Chris.
'That'd be a good idea. But I would hope that the successor is never found.'
'Why's that?'
'It could only mean trouble... for everyone.'
Chris knew Nash was right for every time the Flame Champion was needed, something large was at stake, and everyone was in danger. She also knew that the successor will be found someday and evil will be plaguing the world. Until then she would be with Nash, wherever he was. She silently took Nash's hand and both silently walked out of the ruins and into broad daylight.
A/N: Well that was the intro.. How was it? Good? Bad? Ugly? Tell me what you think. From chapter one onwards it'll be Harry's story. I'll have that up soon.
Harry Potter and The Fire Bringer by Ridman
Prologue
The sun shone on the grounds of Budehuc Castle as its residents were preparing for the arrival of a hero. The castle itself was old, but surrounding it were vast grounds where people had built several new buildings. All of it was enclosed by high stonewalls, except for its entrance. The castle had no front gate to speak of. Among the walls there was an ugly gap that served as entrance to the castle grounds from the grasslands.
Near the entrance, there was a large stone fountain in the center of the area. Behind it, there were stone steps leading to the forecourt that led to the castle doors, on one side of the stairs were an inn, a lottery booth and a teepee and a rune shop, an item shop and an appraisal shop on the other side. Farther left, there were stone steps that led to the other facilities of Budehuc castle.
All around the fountain, the residents had crowded in anticipation of the arrival of the hero and her companions. Curiously, clans from all over the world had come to Budehuc castle, and under the hero's leadership, all lived harmoniously together. Under any other circumstance they would have rather fought each other for the heck of it; each clan had different beliefs and traditions. As it were, the circumstances required the combined might of the North and South Tribes, the Six Great Grassland clans, Zexen, and Holy Harmonia.
After months of struggle, today, the day of days, all their efforts had paid off! They had just gotten word that the Flame Champion defeated Luc and ultimately thwarted his plans of destroying the world as they knew it.
Chris Lightfellow was not an ordinary woman, by any stretch of the imagination. Firstly, being so young, she managed to rise up to become the Captain of the mighty Zexen Knights. Battle after battle, she proved invaluable to the defense of Zexen against the Grasslanders, or, as Zexens like to call them, Grassies. Her swordfighting skills were second to none in the Zexen army and she fought like a demon possessed in the midst of battle. Her fame earned her the title "The Silver Maiden" not as much because of the silver armor she always wore to battle, than because of the silver hair that she always kept in a bun.
But today was different. She let down her hair for the journey home to Budehuc. She noticed a lot of her male companions held their breaths as she did this, which slightly amused her. The rest of the Six Zexen Knights were traveling with her, as well as Fred Maximillian and Rico, Louis, Geddoe and his friends, Hugo and Sergeant Joe, Lucia and Beecham, Ceasar and Apple, Bishop Sasarai and Dios. These were some of the people surrounding her as they made their way through the Yaza plains. The mood was very light- hearted now that Luc had been defeated. The rest were talking animatedly with each other.
But one particular blond-haired man in the group had her undivided attention, as she now was staring right at him. She adored the man's green eyes. More so did she adore his blond eyebrows, which she thought was the best part of his face. The man gazed back at her and gave her a big grin.
Nash Latkje was his name. Ever since she met him in Iksay village a few months back, her life had changed drastically. Without him, she couldn't have found out the truth about her father, nor would she have found and then succeeded the Flame Champion. She had doubted herself many times in the past when she had to live up to her "hero" image. And he always managed to lift her up. Gods, she knew he was everything to her now. But I won't let him know that... He's constantly been telling me that he's got a wife...I wonder if it's true? I mean he's been flirting with me, but how can he do that if he's married? Wouldn't that be tantamount to cheating? He must be lying, though. Not once have I seen him wearing a wedding ring. I can't just ask him, he might find out about my feelings. She pondered this and more, as the convoy of horses pushed forward.
'What's the matter, milady?' said a young voice who she recognized as Louis', her squire.
'Oh nothing.' said Chris as she snapped out of her reverie. 'Louis, do you remember when you asked me what I fight for when I go to battle?'
'Yes, milady. You told me that you fight for the people. You don't really like your status as a "Hero" but if that's what it takes to save the people then you shall live up to the title "Hero". I always thought you fought for fame and glory. But I was wrong, milady.' said Louis surely 'You're very different on and off the battlefield.' He added.
'Yes, Louis. You've hit the nail on the head. But that's not all I fought for. I – There's someone that I love... Only he doesn't know it yet. And I want to ask you, as a friend to another friend, if you were me -'said Chris in a whisper inaudible to everyone but Louis. 'Would you tell him you love him as soon as possible? Now that the war is all over...' Louis looked startled at this question and a healthy blush had crept up his young face.
'Uh, ah, I – I'm not much good at matters of the h-heart, m-milady...' stammered Louis, who looked surprised that the Silver Maiden would ask such a personal question.
'It's okay, Louis.' said Chris. 'Just tell me honestly what you would do now that the war is over. If you had a secret love, and you had the burden of being the Flame Champion... You do know what being successor to the Flame Champion means, right?'
'You are charged with leading the people against any evil that might threaten the lands, aren't you, milady?' said Louis uncertainly.
'That's not all, Louis... When one bears any of the 27 True Runes, He or she becomes immortal. Meaning I can't die of old age, or any natural death. I'd watch my loved ones die around me while I lived on.' said Chris. 'I can't live on like that... It's just too much of an empty life'
'So... my question stands. What would you do, Louis?' She added.
Louis paused a while. Chris thought he was thinking very hard about this. She was glad she had Louis as a friend.
His eyes lit up and he said 'Yes, milady, I would tell him that I loved him straight away.'
'And if he does feel the same way, I'd get rid of the rune quickly. Milady.' said Louis. 'but that's just me.'
'You're absolutely right, Louis. Thank you. ' said Chris.
'My pleasure, Lady Chris' said Louis.
Chris smiled at him. Now I know what to do, but I still don't know what Nash will say. I once said to Luc before we engaged in the final battle 'A human's will can change his destiny'. He seemed to have the same idea. But he was twisting it to suit his whims. He said 'So if you understand me, give me the True Fire Rune so I can change our destiny!'. You were wrong, Luc, we, the Fire Bringer and I, changed your so-called destiny! The empty world that you so crave didn't become reality, did it? And in the same way why should my life become empty? I've made up my mind. I'm going to tell Nash tonight and then I will do what must be done for the sake of our future together.
'Milady! I see Budehuc!' said Louis excitedly. 'It feels like it's been a year since we set out of Budehuc to face Luc's forces... but it's only been what?'
'Five days.' Chris replied.
Chris could hear cheers erupting from the castle as well as from her own group as she neared the castle entrance. She knew the others felt as homesick as she. Although Budehuc had become their second home for a few months now, her heart still lay in Vinay del Zexay.
She marveled at the vastness of the range of people who gathered for them. In the crowd she saw what many Zexens would call barbarians, but she knew better. They are a noble clan, in my mind. They were the among the first clans to answer to the Flame Champion's call, and for that I am grateful, she thought.
Then there were the Lizard and Duck clans, and some of the Zexen knights. Harmonian soldiers were there too. Tinto had sent a small force to her aid, but they had been a valuable addition, nonetheless.
As she and her men entered the castle grounds, everyone clapped their loudest and shouts of 'Hail! Chris the Flame Champion! Savior of Humanity!' could be heard. Others went 'The Silver Maiden never fails us! A Legend she is, now and for ever!'. Still others simply shouted 'Chris!' over and over while punching the air with their fists.
The mass of people then parted to make way for Chris and her entourage.
Chris rode her horse mid-way in the crowd and then stopped abruptly. She looked around at all the smiling faces, then raised her right hand, the hand that bore the True Fire Rune and the hand that commanded all these people to trust her and follow her against Luc. At this signal, the crowd grew silent.
'Thank you, people of Budehuc. But it is not I alone who saved the day. It is you! Those of you who trust me with your lives to follow me into battle. You who sharpen our swords and axes. You who care for the sick and wounded. You all made a difference in this war. Thank you.' said Chris firmly. 'The first Flame Champion once said that he didn't care about titles and being labeled as the "Flame Champion" didn't matter. As long as he could protect what was important to him, he would fit the role of "Flame Champion".'
'This is how I feel, too. So I'd like to ask you to stop calling me that. I'll be reinstated as Captain of the Zexen Knights again soon to protect what matters to me most. I don't want to be known as anything other than Chris Lightfellow.' She continued. 'Also, you are free to leave this castle to wherever 'home' is. I know we all lost something in this war and we should start rebuilding.'
This was met by shouts of approval from Karayan people, whose village was burned to the ground by Luc.
'Okay, that is all I've got to say. My men and I are tired. Good day.' said Chris.
As soon as her speech finished, cheers of 'Chris!' erupted yet again with the same punching motion. She then unmounted her horse, and her men followed suit. Kathy, the resident cowgirl, stepped forward and led the horses through the crowd to the stables.
Nash leaned close to her and with a wink said, 'Nice speech.' Chris grinned at his comment and led the way up the stone steps and into the forecourt. There, she traded goodbyes with the Karayans, Harmonians, and Ducks who were with her in the fight against Luc. Ceasar Silverburg, her military strategist, also bid her goodbye as he set off to look for 'other battles to win'. Nash was supposedly the last to say goodbye, but to her great surprise, he didn't.
'Chris, I'll just be down at the main court. People will be celebrating our victory all night and I'd like to stay for the, ahem, fun' said Nash casually. 'I reckon you should go too you know? Come with me?'
Chris mouthed a no and then thanks.
'Alright Chris, you must be dead tired. So why don't you just rest and relax up in your room?' said Nash. 'I'll be up there to say, uh, goodbye... tonight.'
Chris nodded her understanding.
With that, Nash turned and walked into the crowd back in the main court.
Chris sighed heavily. She had wanted to scream Don't say goodbye to me! earlier. She then entered the double doors of the castle manor. The floor was checkered black and white, and there was a huge staircase right in front of her. She heavily trod up the stairs in front of the door. At the first intersection, she turned left into a short corridor and turned right to a longer one.
She entered the last door to the left. This room looked really old, yet it was comfortable. There was a wooden table on the left where many pieces of paper lay. Many of her battle plans were still written on pieces of parchment. To the left there was a cabinet for her clothes and further up, was a queen-sized four-poster bed with hangings.
Chris practically ripped her armor off herself. She felt a little cooler after doing this. The bed looks very inviting right about now, she thought. She unhooked her bra under her shirt, leaving only her knickers and shirt on, and fell straight into bed. The last thing she felt was her achingly tired muscles as she fell into slumber.
Chris dreamt she was out on an open field, looking up at the night sky. There are few stars tonight, she thought, so she decided to count them. She was on the one hundred eighth and last star when her eyes darted to the ground.
A familiar sight awaited her for she was now staring at the Ceremonial Site where the final battle with Luc had happened only hours ago. The building suddenly burst into flames. It burned to the ground at an unnatural speed in front of her until all that was left was a black scorch-mark on the bare ground.
As quickly as it burned, another building was rising at unnerving speed. Only this wasn't a building, it was a castle, a very magnificent castle, with towers here and there and an occasional window that was lit on the inside.
Peculiar was that at the entrance were a couple of winged boars. She could see a boy in robes in the distance running down the front steps of the castle and then waving and running toward her. Chris could see he was shouting something, but she was just too far to hear. She noted that the boy had spectacles on and had messy raven-black hair that made him look like he had just woken up. Just a little bit more and she thought she would hear what the boy had to say –
A loud knock brought Chris out of her dream state. She focused her eyes and saw that it was night already by the moonlight that filtered through her bedroom window.
'Who is it?' asked Chris.
'It's me. Nash.'
'Oh, wait a minute.' said Chris as she slipped out of bed and wrapped herself in a nightgown before going over to the door. 'Come in.' she said.
Nash complied and stepped into the room as Chris closed the door behind him.
There was an awkward silence between them at first. They gazed at each other for the longest time. Nash was first to break the silence.
'Well, I guess this is... goodbye. Thanks for everything, Chris. I gotta get back to my Missus, you know. She'd beat me to a pulp if she found out I was in another girl's room.' said Nash with a smirk. Nash's face fell as he saw Chris's face in the moonlight.
Chris didn't care at all if she looked weak right now after all, even heroes cry. She let her tears fall freely in front of the man she loved.
'You – can't – go! I – love – you.' sobbed Chris.
Nash edged closer to her and put both of his hand on her shoulders. He pulled her closer to him and in one instant, he had both his lips pressed against hers. Chris thought that it felt so right and so good to be having his lips against hers. When the kiss had ended, they both pulled away, and Chris' eyes fluttered open dreamily.
'Does that mean –' Chris started.
'Yes, I do too.'
'But then what about your-' Chris eyed him shrewdly.
Nash shook his head.
'Then you're not –'
'Nope, I'm not married.' Nash said.
At first, Chris felt immensely happy at these words and thought she must've looked very happy to Nash too, because he smiled. Then she felt hurt that he lied to her. Nash must have sensed this too, because he was now apologizing.
'Chris. I'm so sorry. I didn't know this would happen – I never dreamt that I would fall in love with you but I did. But when I learned what the True Fire Rune does to its bearer, I tried my best to keep you from falling for me.' Nash said carefully.
'Nash... Why?' said Chris.
'Chris you bear the True Fire Rune now... You'll live forever. I thought if we fell in love and lived together, you'd have to watch me grow old and die, while you stay beautiful in all your years. I don't want to see you hurt after my death, Chris.' said Nash, waiting her response.
'Nash, isn't that my choice to make? And I only have one more choice to make.' replied Chris.
'And what is that, Chris?'
'I will seal the True Fire Rune in the Ceremonial Site of Cyndar. Until another Flame Champion is needed to fight evil, it shall sit there, waiting' I think I saw the successor just now in my dream... she thought. She decided to tell him about his dream later.
'But that means you will grow old and die like the rest of us...'
'Yes. I've been thinking my job here is over. The people will find peace now that the threat is gone. And I did my job well, don't you think?' Nash nodded. 'And now, I want to spend all my time with you. We'll have children who have your hair and... my eyes. We'll grow old together and die old.'
'All while saving Zexen from evil, right?' Chris laughed at his comment. 'You're really quite the hero, Chris.' added Nash. 'When will we go to seal the Rune?'
'I was thinking maybe we should do it right now. I want to get rid of this thing as soon as possible. You're aging by the minute, Nash.' Chris said jokingly.
Nash gave her a grin and then nodded. He kissed her briefly then headed out to ready the horses for the trip.
Chris started to dress, remembering to dress only in her traveling clothes and not in her armor. She didn't want to attract any attention while traveling. Her traveling attire consisted of a collared green button-up shirt, black pants and knee-high leather boots. After she was done she quietly made her way out of the castle and into the main court.
She saw Nash standing near the entrance with two horses saddled and ready. He was wearing his usual green sweater and green scarf that matched the color of his eyes. She mounted her horse as she saw Nash do the same beside her. They went off together before anyone noticed they had gone.
The trip had been uneventful. They passed through Yaza Plains, then Mt. Hei- Tou, until they passed just north of the Great Hollow. Finally they had arrived at the ruins of the Ceremonial Site.
A huge building was in the middle of the site. A few broken pillars littered the front of the building's dark entrance. It looks the same as it did two days ago, Chris thought, as she unmounted her horse. Nash unmounted too and looked around for any signs of danger.
Carefully, they made their way through the pillars and Chris unsheathed her sword. They reached the entrance without event. Inside, it was dark and Chris could only see thanks to a few torches around.
Directly in front of her was a doorway that leads to God knows where, she thought. The doorway was flanked on either side by two sets of stairs which both led onto a platform on top of the first doorway.
They climbed the steps and directly in front of the stairs were three doorways exactly identical to the first one they saw. This time, Chris was sure she knew where to go.
She took the middle path and entered into a long corridor with a high ceiling, with pillars on both sides. The walls had some sort of hieroglyphs on them. Nash followed closely behind.
They wended their way through bends and zigzags. They finally arrived in a large circular room with an altar of sorts to the north of the room. The source of light was torches on each of the eight pillars inside.
Chris eyed the altar before turning to Nash with an inquiring look that said now what? Nash gave her hand an affectionate squeeze and then told her to go up to the altar and place her hand upon it. He also told her to will the True Fire Rune to leave her right hand. She had to keep clearly in her mind why she was doing it.
Chris slowly walked toward the altar and stopped just in front of it. She looked one last time at the rune in her right hand and placed it on the altar. It glowed crimson in her hand in the shape of a flame. Closing her eyes, she thought of Nash, her hopes to have his child and grow old with him was clearly imbedded in her head.
As if hearing her pleas, the rune responded almost immediately. A bright red glow emanated from right under her hand, her whole body was engulfed with a flame that seemed harmless to her. After a few moments the True Fire Rune lifted out of Chris' hand and floated a few feet off the altar, surrounded by a reddish-transparent orb of unseen magic.
When Chris tried to touch the orb again, her hand got mildly burned. Seemingly satisfied with the results, she turned to Nash and gave him a huge smile of relief.
'Well then, until the rune chooses for itself who will succeed as its bearer, it shouldn't give us any cause to worry.' said Nash.
'Oh, I think I saw the successor myself. In my dream the other night.' said Chris.
She then told Nash all about her dream. Nash looked deep in thought by the time Chris had finished her re-telling.
'Did you get a name? Who is it?'
'You woke me up before I could ask him that, in my dream.'
'So it's a guy is it?'
'Yes, but he looked fifteen-ish or sixteen-ish to me. Still in puberty.' Nash laughed.
'So the next Flame Champion will be the youngest yet. Hmm.'
'I need to write about this, Nash. Maybe someone will find out who is the Flame Champion with what I write.' said Chris.
'That'd be a good idea. But I would hope that the successor is never found.'
'Why's that?'
'It could only mean trouble... for everyone.'
Chris knew Nash was right for every time the Flame Champion was needed, something large was at stake, and everyone was in danger. She also knew that the successor will be found someday and evil will be plaguing the world. Until then she would be with Nash, wherever he was. She silently took Nash's hand and both silently walked out of the ruins and into broad daylight.
A/N: Well that was the intro.. How was it? Good? Bad? Ugly? Tell me what you think. From chapter one onwards it'll be Harry's story. I'll have that up soon.