DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fire Emblem or any of its elements. I only own the OC in this story.
REVIEW FEEDBACK
Gunlord500: Yeah, I kinda think the Akaneian Saga needs more love. LOL. I'll do my best to make my character as balanced as I can. Although, not much info is given on Malledus canonically and I just wanted to have a little fun with the aspect of 'My Unit' at the time, so sometime in the future, I may end up rewriting some parts in some way (at least as far as his name is concerned anyways). In any case, thank you for the advice! :D
Mark of the Asphodel: Not a problem. I'll try and work your suggestions into the stories…
Nanospeed: Heh, actually I should be thanking you and many others! The stories I've seen are what's getting me going on this project! XD
Besides, if we were to compete, you'd win for sure. =P
END REVIEW FEEDBACK
Thank you all for your reviews, everyone. I'll do my best and see where this story goes…
Alright everyone, it's time for another chapter…
CHAPTER 1
Pirate Invasion
While Marth might have lost his kingdom and nearly all of his sworn men to Doluna, he was at least fortunate enough to hold onto his life.
After a long voyage of 13 days, we finally made it to the eastern island kingdom of Talys. Located off in the frontier, this small nation was fairly recent in its creation and had no notable order of knights to call her own.
Nonetheless, King Mostyn selflessly allowed us to use the fortress off to the east, so that one day we would rise up to take back Altea from Doluna's tyrannical grip.
I did notice that Marth was still feeling broken up from all the circumstances that he had to go through, and I shared his sentiments wholeheartedly, but thankfully the king was there to give him some sage advice…
XXXXXXXXXX
"Prince Marth…" the king began, "I have no doubts that you fear for your sister's well-being…"
Marth, still shaken from all that he had gone through, stayed silent as King Mostyn continued on…
"…but you're not yet ready to face the empire. The time will come when you can rise up again and do battle with Doluna's forces, but until then, you must take the time to train yourself so that you will be ready for the challenges that lie ahead…"
"I understand… Your Majesty." Marth replied, "I will do as you say, and hone my skills. Then… when the time comes, I will be prepared to face them all."
Having nothing else to say, the king nodded and we took our leave from the castle.
However, on the way out, I noticed a girl who looked to be about the same age as Marth. She approached the prince slowly…
"Lord Marth…" she spoke softly, "Did you just finish meeting with father?"
Ah… this must be Sheeda. I did recall hearing that King Mostyn had a daughter. I guess this must be her…
Marth's only response to her question was a short nod…
"I see…" she replied.
As we made our way out of the castle foyer, I still couldn't help but overhear the rest of the conversation…
"Marth… I am sorry for all that has happened to you and your home. Just know that if you need anything at all, the citizens of Talys will be here for you… as will I." she told him.
"I… Thank you, Sheeda." The prince answered back.
Well… at least we'll be protected here while we hide out in this area.
Along the way to the fort to the east, I stopped by the local village and decided to have a look around. Maybe I could get a few things since I'll be staying here for a while…
I checked my wallet… huh, 1200 gold. Guess now is as good a time as any to see what I can afford with my savings…
Aside from learning military strategies from grandpa, I also remembered what commander Jeigan told me on the way here…
*FLASHBACK STARTS NOW*
"Okay, so… if a cavalier were to come under attack from a ridersbane, then they should retreat immediately. Is that about right?" I asked as I moved a knight piece on a chess board.
"That is correct, Christopher. The same holds true for armorslayers and armored knights. Never send a unit into situations where they could come under attack from weapons designed for slaying horses, slicing through armor, or other unfavorable conditions." My grandfather told me. His next move involved taking his queen and placing it right where it could attack my king… and it effectively left it with no escape.
"Checkmate."
I sighed and shook my head. Geez, this is a lot to remember.
"You're getting slightly better, grandson. Don't get discouraged now…" he chuckled as he ruffled my hair…
Putting away the game, I decided to go back to my cabin and go to sleep, but along the way I was stopped by Jeigan, commander of the knights.
"Ah, Christopher… I've been looking for you for some time now…"
"Sorry…" I scratched my head, "I was busy discussing tactics with grandpa, so…"
"That's quite alright, lad. Now come… I must tell you something." He motioned for me to follow him, and so I did. He led me to his cabin, and motioned for me to sit down in one of the chairs.
"Now then…" he began, "Since you'll be joining us on our quest, you will need to learn how to fight if you're going to battle by our side. That dagger you hold may be useful for infiltrating and stealth, but this is a war we'll eventually have to fight in, so you're going to need a proper weapon to use in battle…"
"I understand, sir."
"Do you have any preferences as far as armaments are concerned?" he questioned.
I thought carefully about this question. Hm…
*FLASHBACK ENDS NOW*
Right then… I need a good sword.
Fortunately, there was an armory a little to the west of the gates. I went inside…
"Whatcha lookin' for, kid?" The clerk spoke.
I looked up and asked him, "Uh… do you have any swords?"
The clerk stopped for a moment… then stifled a laugh.
"Heh heh! What's a boy like you need a weapon for anyhow?"
Alright, this is getting annoying…
"That's none of your business. Do you have any or not?" I spoke through grit teeth…
He calmed down, but only a little… "Ha ha… easy there, kid. I got what you're lookin' for right 'ere!"
He directed me to where the blades were, and allowed me to test and see which one I would work best with.
Hm… I need a sword that's sturdy enough, but not too heavy for me to lift…
Hey! This one might work…
Heading outside to a small training area, I decided to test this sword out against a training dummy he had outside…
I swung right, then down, then finished with a thrust…
"Hey! Watch where you swing that thing, boy!" the shop keeper shouted as he barely dodged my wild swings…
"Eh heh… sorry, sir."
"Yeah sure, kid… that'll be 400 gold." He said as I went back inside made my purchase.
"Thanks for the sword, sir…" I said as I made my exit.
After using the rest of my money to buy other supplies, such as rations and other outdoor essentials, I made my way back to the fort. The others were waiting for me…
"Hey there, Chris! We were wondering if you'd gotten lost out there!" Norne told me.
"Sorry, guys. I had to get myself a weapon before I could report back here."
I showed them the sword I bought.
"I guess you're going to be fighting by our side now, huh?"
"Yeah, Cain." I answered, "Of course, I'll need to learn how to fight first…"
"Don't let that trouble you, lad." Jeigan told me, "Leave your training to us."
XXXXXXXXXX
Man, two years can certainly go by in a flash. I can't believe I've already turned 15 now…
These past couple of years, I've spent my time training both body and mind under the tutelage of both my grandfather and Commander Jeigan. While I was no slouch in my swordplay (or at least I hope I wasn't), it felt more like my skills were geared more towards strategic thinking…
It's a little odd, but being able to think as well as fight DOES have its advantages…
"Christopher! Pay attention!"
Huh? Yow!
I snapped back into reality just in time to see Prince Marth coming towards me with his sword. I barely raised my own blade just in time to block, but he then sent me staggering with a kick to the mid-section. I ended up flat on my back, with Marth's rapier pointed right at my throat. Once I got to my feet again, Jeigan came over…
"You need to focus, Christopher. The moment you become lax on the field, your foes will jump at that opportunity to finish you!" he reprimanded.
"Sorry, commander…" I replied, disappointed. I wasn't sure I was cut out for fighting on the field, even though I've trained for two years already…
"Just learn from your mistakes, lad. Now, reset for the next bout…" Jeigan gestured both of us back to the center of the battlefield.
That was the situation. Both Marth and I were having a light sparring session just outside the fort, to see if we were ready to be out on the field. Thankfully Wrys, the local village curate, was nearby to heal us if either of us ended up getting seriously injured.
Right now, the score was 2-0 in Marth's favor. I hoped I could at least get a hit off him when this spar was over…
"Now… begin!" the paladin called.
I started off the fight by swinging to the left, but the prince hopped backward and avoided my attack. Not to be deterred, I quickly swung down and to the right this time, but he had blocked my strike and swatted away my weapon. I moved left quickly to evade Marth's own thrust, then ducked down and swiped at his legs, but he quickly jumped over my attack and brought his weapon down onto my right arm…
"Gah!"
At least it didn't cut deep; otherwise I wouldn't be able to attack…
Gritting through the pain, I attempted to counter again, but then… the sounds of cannons firing filled the air. I stopped swinging my sword, wondering where it was coming from. Wrys came over and healed my injury while I looked around.
Marth must've heard this too, as he also stopped his attack and looked around…
Soon our eyes fell upon what might've been the source of that noise. It was a ship… and the flag it's flying looks like a…
Oh no… that ship is holding pirates!
Within minutes, the inhabitants of the ship had made themselves known. Looking through my grandfather's telescope, I witnessed the pirates lay waste to what little guards were around the area. These cutthroats were even heading into the villages to ransack them!
As I put away the spyglass, I heard the sound of a pegasus flying in…
"Someone! Please help!" I heard its rider, Sheeda, call out.
"We're coming, Lady Sheeda!" I replied, and we hurried to where she was…
"Sheeda? What's going on? Did something happen…?" asked Marth. Alarmed by all the commotion, the rest of the knights came by.
"Thank goodness you're all here…" she said, "Pirates from the port of Galder appeared out of nowhere. I barely escaped before the castle was captured… but my father, he's still in danger!"
Marth calmed the princess down as he responded, "You've nothing to fear, Sheeda. Those sea fowl are no match for Altea's finest!"
With that, he turned towards us…
"Knights! We make for the castle at once! Let's go!"
"Understood!" I answered back. Everyone else also acknowledged his command as we spread out around the fort and readied ourselves for battle.
"Wrys…" Jeigan called the curate, "Are you coming with us?"
He nodded, "Yes. You all look like you're going to need a healer for this journey. I will come with you and assist."
"Very well. We'll keep an eye out for you…"
Alright Chris… you've trained hard for times like this. Now let's put those two years of swordplay to good use…
A quick scan of my surroundings told me that I should secure any unprotected villages in the area, so I hurried to the one northeast of our temporary fort.
"Everyone! The island is under attack! Get to safety immediately!" I shouted out to all who could hear. My method seemed to work, as they got the hint immediately and hurried inside to barricade their homes…
Then, one of the elders came up to me, "Thank you for warning us, young man. Are you not one of Prince Marth's warriors?"
"Er, yes I am… sort of." I replied. He then handed me a large bag of gold…
"Then, if it please you, take these 10,000 gold pieces and tell your prince to use them as he sees fit. Please, do what you can to defeat these pirates…"
"Leave it to us, good sir."
Coming back to the battlefield, I quickly made my way to where Marth was. The prince was busy crossing blades with a pirate, and he looked to be winning against him. Marth sidestepped his slow vertical chop and ran him through with his rapier.
"Ha! You're mine now, scallywag!"
…!
I quickly turned around to find another pirate coming at me with his axe raised…
Alright, don't panic. Remember what grandpa said… always have the right weapons for the corresponding tasks.
If he's using an axe, then a sword should be used to counter it!
With that in mind, I brought my sword into a battle stance, and jumped away from the pirate's slow axe chop. As he struggled to raise his weapon again, I slashed at his chest twice before stabbing him. Pulling my sword from his body, I flicked away the blood as the pirate stumbled to the ground dead.
"Hey Chris! Behind you!"
Turning quickly, my eyes witnessed yet another pirate looking to take me down. Unfortunately, I wasn't ready to face him…
Suddenly, he froze up as pain flashed through his face. He could only take a couple of steps before he collapsed dead. Looking down, I saw that a couple of arrows (one in his back and another in his skull) were the reason he stopped moving.
I nodded to Gordin and Norne to thank them both, and continued west with everyone else…
As we trekked to the castle however, I quickly spotted a hunter in the trees… and he was aiming at…
No! Sheeda!
"Sheeda!" I called out, "Get back quickly! There's a hunter nearby!"
"Understood, Chris!" she called as she fell back. The hunter, meanwhile, was on the receiving end of a javelin from Abel. I highly doubted he'd be getting back up, considering that the javelin got him right in his heart.
We're almost there…
Only a couple of pirates were left now, and Draug was already attempting to face one of them. Despite not having the proper weapon, the pirate's axe wasn't powerful enough to smash through his thick armor. Draug's lance eventually made an exit out of the pirate's back, and he was no more.
"Now… time to face their leader." I mumbled to myself.
Once we got to the castle gates, a slightly bigger pirate wielding a massive axe came out from the gates… and upon laying eyes on me, snickered.
"Ha ha! Is this really what Altea has to offer now? No wonder Doluna kicked all your asses!"
"Why don't you come over here and say that to our faces, you worm!" I called him out.
"Don't get reckless, Christopher! He looks much stronger than the ones we already defeated!" grandpa warned. This caught the pirate leader's attention…
"What? You already beat all me mateys? Grr… I'm not lettin' y'all make a fool of us Galder pirates!"
I readied my sword as he hefted his axe… and behind me, grandpa muttered some words to Marth, Sheeda, Cain, and Abel. They'll probably try to back me up if I start losing or something…
"Come and get some!" I challenged.
The pirate leader rushed in and attempted a swing, hoping to lop my head off with one blow, but I was fast enough to back away and cut at his left arm. Unfortunately, it wasn't deep enough to render it useless, and I ended up with a fist slamming into my chin, knocking me for a loop. It took a few seconds to regain my sense and I lashed back at him by swinging upward and following up with a kick to his chest, knocking him back a couple of feet.
"Gah… for a little urchin, ye do put up a good fight… but not fer long!"
Huh? What's he going on abou- Oof!
Before I realized what happened, I was bowled over when that pirate rammed me to the floor with his shoulder. I barely rolled aside when he slammed the sharp end of his axe into the ground…
"Chris! Hold on, I'll help you…" Marth started, but I stopped him.
"No… sire. I can take him…" I panted, standing back up.
Though… he's a lot tougher than he looks.
"Ha! Ye still think ye can take me? Ye really must have a deathwish!" the pirate sneered.
Grr… he's starting to tick me off now.
I rushed forward and slashed down and left, but he had his axe up and he blocked the strike. The pirate lashed out with his leg to kick me, but I sidestepped and sliced his left arm again, this time cutting deep enough to immobilize it.
"Argh… now you've made me mad!" he shouted.
Now he was swinging his axe wildly, but because he was doing it with only one hand, I was able to dodge it easily enough and counter when needed. After one more swing from his axe, I finished him off with a kick to stun him, then I thrusted my sword into his chest, right where his heart was located.
"Rrrgh… ye'll pay, ye dog…" he sputtered, blood falling from his mouth…
That was all he said as he fell over, dead to the world.
"Hah… who's the urchin… now?" I gasped out, still aching a bit from the bruising he laid on me.
Cain grinned as he came over to me and slapped me on the back, "That was well done, Chris! You've certainly improved these past few years."
"Thanks Cain… ow." I replied, wincing slightly from the pain…
"Come, everyone. We need to see if His Majesty still lives…" Marth beckoned us to the gates.
XXXXXXXXXX
It seems we made it just in time, as King Mostyn remained unharmed throughout this attack.
"Prince Marth, my kingdom and I are in your debt. This battle has shown me that you and your men are indeed ready to face the empire of Doluna. Now, if you are to seek allies in Aurelis, then I shall send what vassals I can spare for your mission. Ogma!"
When the king called out that name, I witnessed a tall, scarred-looking man step into the throne room. He was flanked by two brown haired axe fighters, while a blue haired axe fighter followed behind them.
"You called for us, my liege?" the swordsman inquired.
"Yes I have, Captain Ogma. You are to travel with Prince Marth and his companions on his mission to reclaim Altea and defeat Doluna's empire. I trust you and your subordinates will serve him well, yes?"
"Doluna? Boy, this'll be a hell of a task." One of the brown-haired axe fighters said.
"Come on, Bord. Didn't you yourself say you wanted a challenge?" The other one told his comrade.
"Well yeah, Cord, but not like-"
"Bord, Cord, stop bickering! We're in the presence of nobility here!" The blue haired axe man silenced them both.
Guess he's more serious than the other two or something…
"Sorry Barst…"
Once all the commotion was silent, their leader Ogma spoke again…
"We'll do everything in our power to serve Prince Marth in this endeavor."
"Your service is greatly appreciated, Captain Ogma." Marth told the mercenary. He only nodded back in acknowledgement.
"Now then, before you depart for your journey, you must remember what I'm about to tell you. On your mission, you will more than likely find some people that despise Doluna. It is absolutely vital that you recruit these individuals to your cause. To put it simply, if there's someone that looks like they're not looking to fight for the empire, then try to reason with them before you resort to the sword."
All of us nodded as he continued on.
"Well, the time has come, Prince Marth! Take courage and have faith! We will be praying for your success!"
"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty." Marth replied, "We'll give it our all!"
As we all made our way outside, I noticed something was off…
Where was the prince? Wasn't he with us just a moment ago?
Our question was soon answered when he came outside just a minute after we did.
"Sire? What happened?" I asked.
"Nothing to be concerned about, Chris." He answered. "It was just that His Majesty beseeched that I keep Sheeda safe throughout this journey. I accepted, of course."
"Ah, I see…" I replied, "Makes sense, seeing as how he's her father and whatnot…"
"Sire!" grandpa called out, "The boat is here! Let us make haste at once!"
Guess that's our cue to go then…
Soon, we were on board the ship and we were on our way to Galder Harbor to begin our long, arduous quest.
XXXXXXXXXX
It had been a couple of days since we departed from Talys by ship. By our estimations, we should be at Galder Harbor by tomorrow morning…
I was busy conversing with grandpa while playing another round of chess with him. The score was currently 4 to 1 in his favor…
"Something wrong, grandpa?" I asked as I sent one of my bishops out.
"It's about that battle we had, Christopher. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm getting the feeling that Doluna might've been alerted to our presence since we routed those pirates…" he replied.
Huh, that's odd. Why would he put his knight in a position to be attacked?
"Well, I figured it was only a matter of time before they figure out where we were hiding. Frankly, I'm surprised we were able to stay underground for as long as we did."
I moved in my pawn to capture his knight.
"And honestly, it's a good thing we left when we did. Talys doesn't really have any military to speak of, so if Doluna decided to attack us while we were still in hiding… the kingdom would be doomed." I continued as grandpa thought of his next move.
Blast it. I lost my bishop to that rook. Guess it's time to send the queen out…
"Yes, that much is true… but as dangerous as they were, those pirates don't hold a candle to the empire's might."
Argh… damn! Now my queen's gone and my king is in check!
"So you're saying that we may very well be going into battle unprepared at this point, despite training for this opportunity to arise?" I asked.
Alright, better get the king out of the way.
"Much as I don't want to admit that, yes…" he said solemnly.
Okay, this next move should do it…
"Well, that's a risk we're just going to have to take." I said as I sent my knight to attack one of his rooks, "There's no turning back now that we've departed from the kingdom."
Grandpa could only nod as he brought out his own queen and…
Oh, you've GOT to be kidding me. He got me again!
"Checkmate." He said. A trace of amusement was present in his voice.
*sigh*
"I think that's enough for today." Grandpa told me, "It'd be best if we got some sleep. Tomorrow we should arrive in Galder Harbor in the morning…"
"Right then… Goodnight, grandpa." I said, and I left the cabin…
On the way back, however, I ran into Ogma… literally.
"Oof! Oh… sorry, Sir Ogma. I didn't see you there…"
He just shook his head, "Don't trouble yourself over it, boy. It was only an accident."
I nodded and was about to continue on my way, but then…
"By the way, uh…"
"Chris." I finished for him.
"Right… Chris, you've got a pretty decent sword-arm. How did you learn your skills?" he inquired.
"Um… well, I sort of taught myself how to do it, though I did receive some pointers from Cain, Abel, and Jeigan." I answered, "Though, I still think my technique still needs a little work…"
Ogma nodded at this answer, and then replied, "In that case, let me make you an offer. If you want to, I can tutor you on how to fight and refine your style so that you can fight more effectively against multiple opponents."
"Sounds good to me. Thanks…"
He simply nodded and went to do his own business.
*yawn*
Yeah, it's getting late… I need to get some sleep.
I made my way back to my room and wrote down my current records into my logbook. Grandpa always said to keep track of battles so that they could be reviewed at a later time. This was important if one was to search for any flaws in their tactics.
With all that said and done, I blew the candle out in my room and lay down in the bed provided for me…
Tomorrow was another day, and another step.
Another step towards taking back Altea and destroying Doluna's empire for good.
END OF CHAPTER
Well, that's another chapter down…
Like usual, if you have any reviews, suggestions, or anything else like that, I'll be listening.
Until next time, farewell.