Author's Notes:
Hello everyone! This is my very first attempt at writing fanfiction (and fiction in general...) and this will be based around my favorite Fire Emblem game: Thracia 776. This game features a massive cast of 54 characters, and with no Support Conversation system, you can imagine that most of the cast received very little development at all. This story will try to expand on Lara, a young Thief accompanied by Brighton and Machyua, a married couple of Knights. Lara's under-explored backstory is revealed to us if she's the one to recruit Perne later in the game, after which she regains confidence to become a Dancer again. This is my take on trying to expand Lara's origin as a character and giving some development to a few other criminally underdeveloped characters in the game as well. Those will come in future chapters (I have 4 more Chapters planned as of now).
Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
it was the Gran Year 776, as the continent on Jugdral was submerged in crisis due to the Grannvale Empire. The only place not completely dominated by the fierce Emperor Arvis was the Thracian Peninsula, which was divided between the Kingdom of Thracia to the south and the Manster District to the north.
Dark clouds reigned over the evening sky, and a storm soon fell down upon the Thracian Peninsula that night. The rain went particularly hard onto the city of Mease, where the outskirts of town were always filled with life during the coldness of the night.
The area was particularly known for its canteens and motels, which were preferred over the downtown's due to the lesser amount of Knights guarding the streets at night. This meant much more things happened at these places, and a lot of them were used for pleasures that the law just wouldn't have…
"Hey there! Kid! Get over here and wait for someone to fetch ya!" were the words uttered by a tall yet disgusting man, as his words could be heard at the back of a slightly famous canteen. The sound of crickets being missing due to the rain.
"My name is not Kid… I'm Lara! You should know it since I've been with you my entire life!", was the reply from whom the man was referring to. A shockingly young, slender girl with her jet-black hair being held up by a single ponytail. She was crying, but with the rain soaking her entire self, it was barely noticeable.
"Why can't you just call me by my true name!?" she screamed as her frustration grew.
"Hahaha… You think we are playing, huh!? HUH!?" the man walked out the door exposing himself to the intense rain. His anger grew as he stood right in front of the broken girl. He gave her a devilish smirk and proceeded to pull her up by her hair. Screams of pain came as expected. He pulled her back to the tavern without ever looking at the girl until they were inside. He pulled her hair up one more time to remind her who the authority was, and then threw her to the ground as she could barely move. Whether it was out of pure fear and shock or she was truly physically injured, the poor girl could not tell.
"Listen, you insolent brat! You have no right to complain or start your little dramas. I will only address you how I actually should! A girl, my property! Your parents sold you for quite a nice bag of gold, so if there's someone you should be yelling at it's them! I don't keep you to raise you, I keep you to dance for as many men and bring me as much money as you possibly can!"
Lara began standing up, as she heard everything the man shouted at her. She then began having a little confidence, and decided to speak her mind.
"... Liar… LIAR!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. The man was seriously getting angry now, but decided to hold back and amuse himself with what the little 'stupid' girl had to say.
"No matter what… I refuse to believe that any parent would give up their child to a heartless, inhuman bastard such as you!"
The man only saw her with a stoic expression, and then a smile slowly formed on his face as he began laughing out loud.
"WHAT IS SO FUNNY!?" is everything Lara could say in her desperate situation. Her eyes were more filled with tears than ever, and she could barely speak properly due to how hard she was crying.
"Alright, you wretch. I tried being gentle with you as far as I've had you making me money. But now… I will tell you the truth." he said in a tone full of evil and hatred, as if he himself was never shown what 'love' and 'care' are.
"We saw your pretty little baby face while raiding a village, and tried to deal diplomatically with the two idiots that spawned you. All they did was yell in horror and refused giving you up. So I did what any business man would've done, and I slashed both of them to pieces as we burned to whole village to the ground!"
Lara stood there. Looking at this monster in human flesh. She saw her short yet miserable life flash before her eyes. All those times she danced for disgusting men at taverns around the countryside. All those times where she uttered her young age of 12 to them but they never really cared. All those times many of said men approached her and proposed more gold in exchange of something more than mere dancing. All the times she had to run away in such occasions and accepted the beatings she received for getting off her work without her pay.
After all those years, she finally broke. She curled up in the floor, her eyes being like waterfalls and her mouth making loud, incomprehensible sounds that drew the line between a scream and a sob.
It was then that the man grabbed her by the neck, looking at her dead in the eye.
"Listen, kid. For once I'll do you a favor and assign you with the most decent client I've ever had in my life. No idea why he's here, I've never seen him around, but he sure seems to have his pockets full of gold! I will entrust this one to you, to see if I can at least keep milking you for another couple of years." he said this as he let her go and walked away, not making eye contact with her as he vanished into the crowds of people within the tavern. They were in a separate room, and the music as well as the cheers from the absolutely male audience made sure no one even noticed the events that just happened to the young girl.
She suddenly stopped crying, took very deep breaths and drove her barefoot legs towards the door. She then opened the door and went into the main room of the tavern, starting to look for the upper-class man her boss (she hated to think of him as her owner) was talking about.
The girl walked around and saw nothing but the usual. Ugly, disgusting brutes who had probably all killed someone in their lives, and maybe even killed for a living.
She kept looking around between the brown robes and muscular arms as she kept trying her best to look for someone who stood out. She had received a bunch of offers by many of the people she effortlessly ignored, until she finally spotted a diamond in the rough.
She saw a blue-haired young lad, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and a brown leather vest accompanied by leather pants. He was at the canteen taking a small portion of liquor, obviously waiting for someone to make an appearance.
Lara looked at him from afar, but even then she could tell that this guy was unlike any man she had ever seen in her life. She didn't have a crush, far from it, she'd never fall in love with someone who dared to come to these places. But… She felt something weird emanating from him. A positive aura that every other presence in that cursed pleasure house lacked. She gulped as she remembered how important this particular job was, and she slowly made her way towards him.
She became increasingly nervous, but found enough courage within her broken heart to approach this wonder of a man.
"U-Uhm… Excuse me…" she said from behind the man. He was barely able to hear her due to the commotion that is a trademark of places like this, but he turned around as Lara analyzed his face rather closely.
"Hm? Oh, you're whom that old dastard sent out for me? You seem rather short, but you're pretty enough. The name's Perne."
She couldn't help but notice how handsome he actually was. She seemed like one of those guys she could only get a glimpse of, back when she and the other dancers were held inside a carriage whenever the boss needed to restock at the town square for some supplies. She found herself at a loss of words until she remembered who she even was in the first place.
"Oh! Uhm… I'm… I'm Lara. Nice to meet you Perne…" is what she was barely able to say. Again, she hadn't fallen for him, but she just could not believe a man with such honest and kind airs to him was among that horde of pigs. The young man merely chuckled at her response.
"You're the shy type, eh? I like that… Unlike many of those sluts who act almost with pride of what they do…" Lara gulped at his statement, knowing by experience that there were many dancers like that, which she also found extremely disgusting.
"Same here… I also hate that kind of woman… I only do this because it's all I've ever known… Or been able to do…". Perne simply looked at her in amazement, curious to know such a pure,special and self-conscious girl around these places. He almost felt pity for her… Knowing that being an adult (though certainly not looking like one) her destiny was all but reduced to ashes. He thought she meant that she was not good at anything but dancing, which is why she resorted to work as a dancer. This only made him feel worse, but he then snapped remembering he went there to have fun, not to get depressed.
"Well… I guess we have something in common, then... heheh…" he said in a teasing tone. Lara looked at him almost as if he wasn't human.
"I… I also despise all of the pigs who would ever accept such a horrible way of living, let alone enjoy them for their own pleasure!" Lara said almost as if she was complaining to him, though not with the desperation and built-up rage she yelled at her boss with.
Perne looked at her and now laughed, phased by the fact that she found a female with morals in that cage of filth.
"I think the same, so let me give you a little treat by dancing personally for a humble young man like me." he said with a smirk, standing up while resting his hand on Lara's bare shoulder.
The young girl could do nothing but smile at his behavior. There was something weird… Something that made her feel good that she had never experienced before. She kept pondering as she followed Perne until she realized it: He was the first living human who treated her with respect.
Her boss treated her less than a dog, her co-workers all but ignored her as they had been brainwashed to enjoy living such gross lowly lives, and her clients were no different than when seeing a cat trying to do a flip.
Upon realizing that she was actually being treated like a human being, Perne talked with a muscular man who was guarding a separate section of the tavern. They both walked in as they made their way through several locked doors, until Perne found one that was open.
"This should do it." he said before entering the dark room. He then grabbed the oil lamp besides the door and placed it inside the pitch-black room, revealing a chair and some sort of improvised little stage.
"Well, I hope you don't leave me waiting anymore." is what Perne could say before Lara made her way towards her little stage. It was just then that the band back at the main stage started playing quite the upbeat music, and Lara quickly picked up the pace and started dancing with all she had.
This wasn't another pig, Perne was a legitimately charismatic young man who had so far given the little girl a humane treatment she subconsciously yearned for. This gave her the more reason to do her best as Perne was dashed by Lara's swift and beautiful choreography.
"By the gods… She truly is beautiful…" is the only thing Perne could think before he got lost in Lara's almost hypnotic dance moves.
"Here figure is so small I might as well call her adorable, too…"
Both Perne and Lara got lost within the endless flow of time, until Lara's legs told her that it was a bit too much work for now. She finally stopped after three or four pieces of music had been performed, as Perne quickly came back to reality and could do nothing but cheer at the small girl.
"Hehe… You truly liked it?" she said as she felt something odd and new within her face. She was blushing. No other word of flattery had truly impacted her as much as Perne's.
"Absolutely! You are by far the most talented dancer I've ever seen! And that's coming from a man who hires all kinds of dancers as often as he gets the chance! Your skill and grace are something from another world, you truly have a great future as a dancer!"
Lara sat down at the edge of the little stage as she looked at Perne. She was truly beginning to feel there was a slight chance she might be falling for him. For the first time in her short existence, her heart had started to show signs that she might finally have found her true love.
"Now, strip off your clothes."
"... What?"
She went from feeling warmth in her heart to have all of her expectations thrown at the window of a three-story building. She looked at him in the eye as his positive aura stayed, although it now felt a bit twisted, even his eyes seemed to be a little different from before.
"What you heard, beautiful. Don't worry, I will overpay you for your incredible performance from just now, as well as a nice bonus for this request."
Lara couldn't believe this man. After everything he had done for her, he now suddenly seemed no different from the rest. However… For some reason, her feeling of trust and closeness to him stayed, although they were hidden among her initial shock.
She then remembered that he was indeed just a man looking for some relaxation. She thought that he was far better than any client she ever served to, and for the first and maybe only time in her life, she thought, she was going to act like a mature lady and perform this deplorable act for him without ever hesitating.
Without even frowning or showing the slightest sign of opposition, the young girl let out a deep sigh and prepared herself.
She began removing her red and yellow top as Perne started to have a good look at her physique. He started seeing that she barely had any curves at all, her height complementing that look which only started to make him feel slightly uneasy. He did like any kind of figure on a woman, except being fat of course, but there was something about the short girl which triggered several alarms on his head.
He kept staring at her, much to Lara's extreme embarrassment as he could now fully appreciate her completely undeveloped chest, as the girl had a few tears rolling down her eyes and her arms trying to cover her torso.
It was then that Perne gave a loud gasp, in realization of what he had just done, as his mind entered a state of panic, regret and embarrassment.
Lara got her hands off her chest and started removing her skirt with more tears in her eyes and her face as red as her now removed top, before she heard his gasp and stopped immediately.
Perne then stood up from the chair, looking at Lara's eyes. He saw that they were filled with innocence, a desire to love and a desire to be loved, a purity which could only correspond to a seriously young girl.
He backed off a bit and covered his eyes, now being his own turn to blush.
"STOP! ...You can put all back on..." is everything that managed to come out of his mouth. "I… I am so sorry…"
Lara now had an extremely confused face, though she put all her clothes on without hesitation. It was then that she approached him and tried to analyze what could've possibly happened.
"... You can look now… Hehe…" She didn't know why she started giggling, and was in fact now extremely confused about herself. She had just given up her dignity, and her purity was probably next, but Perne's sudden change of attitude made her laugh in both relief and in severe confusion.
"What's wrong? W-Why did you… asked me to stop?"
Perne opened his eyes and saw the dumbfounded girl in front of him. He was still the one blushing as he lowered his head.
"I… I apologize from every part of my heart… To confirm my fearful question… Could you tell me your age, lil' one?"
Lara then opened her eyes wide, realized that she for once in her life forgot to mention her age to her client. She told it to everyone in hopes they might help her or at least not make her do stuff like what just happened… But she was so trusting of this individual that she forgot everything and did it. For some reason she desired to impress him, and acting like she was a mature woman was part of her plan to do so.
"... Twelve… I'm twelve years old…" she said, now flustered but not nearly as embarrassed as Perne was.
"I knew it… You are just a child… Again, my apologies… I will do or pay anything to you in compensation for this shameful and vile act… I'm so sorry if I hurt you emotionally…"
Lara looked at him. This man, who had just recently treated her humanely and suddenly seemed no better than the rest, was now returning to be the man she initially met. Her face now showed a warm smile.
"It's alright… No need to be embarrassed. You've cared for me despite me being an enslaved dancer in the slums… I thank you for that…" she said as tears started flooding her cheeks once again.
"Don't get that emotional on me! I'm the legendary Perne, and I've got a reputation to keep… That… and I truly despise to see children suffer." as he finished that sentence, his mind also finished processing everything Lara just said.
"... Wait a moment… Did you say enslaved!?"
Lara looked at him in surprise, as he now held her shoulders as he looked her dead in the eye.
"Lara… Are you being forced to do these disgusting things against your will!?"
Lara could only nod in nervousness. On one hand she felt like Gods truly did exist, as maybe he could help her escape, but on the other, she had grown to fear her owner as some demon who always kept her close to his grasp.
"... Yes…" was everything she could utter under her breath.
Perne was shocked. He knew such practices were commonplace among the lowest areas of the continent, but he never imagined he could ever get so close to saving a poor soul like her. He stood up and took her hand, getting both of them standing on the door that lead out of the room.
"W-What will you do, Perne?"
"Get you out of this place. Whether that old bastard likes it or not."
She looked at him in realization of what he wanted. She was willing to help her be free. To get out of the clutches of that evil scoundrel and finally be able to make her own path. She prayed for the best to happen as she still was confused about something he said.
They were walking towards the back of the tavern as Lara tried to ask him if she was on the right tracks.
"... 'The legendary Perne' … No… You're the-"
Perne quickly covered her mouth as he signaled her to keep quiet. He quickly got close to her ear and with a faint whisper confirmed her wild theory.
"Yep. It's me."
Lara was about to pinch her cheek or her arm in desperate hopes that she was not dreaming.
"Perne...the Dandelion Thief..."
To Be Continued...
And that's it for my very first fanfiction. If you managed to read it all, a review would be sincerely appreciated.
