I do not own Valkyria Chronicles. If I did, Selvaria would not have died. At least, not in such a miserable way.


I swallowed hard as the manacles were unclamped from my arms. I spent several days riding along in a transport with a tiny cell, with the only things to do being eat and sleep. Not that I got much food or rest, anyways.

"Wait here," said the guard who unclamped my manacles, "His Grace will see you shortly."

As the guard walked away, the soldier I'd met who gave me my headband made a face, "I can't stand how they call him that. It's obvious he's a monster. Why do they follow him?"

"Don't ask me," I rubbed at my sore wrists.

There was a short silence. Then, he extended his hand, "Leo."

"Huh?" I asked.

"My name is Leo Marksworth. And yours?"

I hesitated, then took his hand, "Draco. My name is Draco, but most people call me Drake. I don't remember my last name, due to the fact that it's been so long since I've tried to think of it."

Leo smiled, "alright, Drake. I guess I'll be seeing you again if you make it out of there, huh?"

I grimaced as I looked ahead. A pair of massive red doors stood before me, something that would lead to the throne room of the Prince Maximilian. I can't say I was too excited to be meeting royalty.

"I guess so," I responded slowly.

Just then, a guard came to us from the side. He inspected me slowly, as if I were some kind of time bomb. Then he spoke "His Grace will see you, now. Watch your step, and your tongue, boy. One wrong move may well be the last thing you do."

As the great doors before us opened, Leo nodded, "good luck."

I walked cautiously through the doors as Leo and the other guard turned tail and left, and then the doors swung shut. The entire room had dark red walls, eerily reminding me of the colour of blood. In the center of the room, an ornately carved table sat with a large map spread out over it – a map of Gallia, I realized, with markers telling off which places were taken, which places belonged to the enemy, and which places were potential targets. The floor was made up of black marble, and a total of four people were gathered in the room. The first, sitting down at the table was an old man, with sharp facial features, clean shaven with short blond hair and pale blue eyes that were aided by glasses, and the hat and uniform of an Imperial General. He glanced up at me from the map, and though he seemed to want to turn back to the map again, he kept his gaze on me, and despite that he never even said anything to me, his attitude made me want to punch him out. Break his glasses and kick his ass into next week. The second, who sat across from the old man, was far different from the first, as his face was rougher in its features. He had long brown hair pulled into a spiked pony tail, with neatly trimmed sideburns that never went past his ears, and a neat, recently trimmed beard that he obviously put a lot of work into. His dark brown eyes danced with amusement as looked at me, and then folded his hands behind his head, smirking and never taking his eyes off me. His uniform being a long brown coat with black armour on his right arm, and what appeared to be an ox skull adorning his shoulder. Dark red adorned the front of his coat, and the black pants he wore became apparent as he leaned back in his chair, putting his black leather boots up on the table. I don't really know why, but I decided that I liked this guy. The third, standing off to the side nowhere near the table I immediately recognised to be the lady who knocked me out in that fight back home. The smooth features of her face, the reflective silver hair, the red eyes that trained on me like a hawk the instant they locked onto me, the black uniform over her luscious body... no mistake, she was definitely the one who knocked me unconscious. I remembered how Leo talked about how a General was the one who beat me that day, and her name... Selvaria Bles. Yeah, that was it. I held back my temptation to spit in her direction as I turned my gaze to the fourth figure. This one, sitting on a white marble throne beyond the table upon a set of steps, had a bit of a balance between Selvaria's smooth facial features, and the second guy's rougher ones. He had short, curly blond hair that almost seemed to be bleached, blue eyes that seemed to pierce into my very being as he studied me with that same regal expression he'd had when I first looked at him, a set of pure white plated armour with gold trimming on the edges and a gold crown shaped to look like a wreath of laurels that adorned his head – judging from his flashy appearance, I assumed this guy to be Maximilian.

For a while, no one moved or spoke. Finally, the first guy broke the silence, his voice sharp and clear, "this is the boy you sent for, Your Grace?" he stood, taking a gold-tipped cane and striding towards me with a brisk swagger. He stood much taller than Selvaria, looking me over, "he is nothing more than a child. Surely he couldn't have killed so many of our soldiers. Unless he were a fully trained Valkyrur, there would have been no way he could have done so."

I was about to make a smartass comment of my own when Selvaria intervened, her voice beautiful, regal, commanding, "I saw it with my own eyes, Gregor. The boy is far stronger and tenacious than his appearance would make it seem. And he will surely only get stronger from here on out."

Gregor shot a look of venom at the silver-haired woman, but moved back to the table to sit back down nonetheless.

"So, I hear that you took a fully-fledged punch from Selvaria and managed to stay alive. How'd you manage something like that?" the second guy looked at me questioningly, his voice like a waterfall, clear, yet thunderous. He stood up and made his way over to me the same way Gregor had, but without the swagger; he was clearly the most easygoing of them all. He wasn't quite as tall as Gregor was, but he still towered over me even more than Selvaria did.

I shrugged, "no idea. I'm just glad that I'm alive. Although," I smirked, "I could do without the constant, nagging reminder that I've been taken prisoner by the enemy. I've been chained up multiple times over the last week, and it's getting on my nerves. Makes me want to say 'if you're going to lock someone up, then lock them up. Don't just lock them up, then let the chains go just to do it all over again. It makes you look like an indecisive idiot. Or, makes your boss look that way, at least.' I mean, come on! What kind of guard does that?"

He stood for a moment, then began laughing, "I like this kid," he ruffled my hair like I was a child.

"Stop patronizing him, Jaeger. I called him in to examine him, and to make him an offer accordingly, not to give him congratulations or allow him to make mockeries of our soldiers," a regal, commanding voice rang throughout the room.

Jaeger turned, and Maximilian rose from his throne, and began walking towards us, Selvaria joining his side.

"Jaeger?" I thought aloud, and something clicked in my head, "does that mean that you know Leo Marksworth?"

Jaeger looked down at me with surprise, and his expression turned to one of slight sadness, "yeah. I know Leo, alright. Is he okay?"

"So far as I can tell. He doesn't think too highly of him though," I tilted my head towards Maximilian, and Jaeger nodded.

"Stand aside, Jaeger," Maximilian commanded.

Jaeger obeyed, going back to his seat, his face still holding the note of sadness from my bringing up Leo. Maximilian, only slightly shorter than Jaeger, began to look me over, Selvaria beginning to do the same in turn. After the both of them had circled me multiple times, looking me over as if they were hyenas checking to see if their prey was dead, Maximilian put his hand to his face in thought.

"I require a moment of thought," he decided, striding towards the door behind me, but this time Selvaria stayed behind, her towering form a little too close for comfort, especially considering that I could barely resist the urge to try and punch her out.

"Take your time. No hurry here," I called after him, sarcasm tinged in my voice. Jaeger smirked again, and Selvaria's hand twitched, inching towards the sword she wore at her waist. Gregor's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Impudent brat," Gregor snarled, "I should-"

"Ah, calm down, Gregor. If His Grace really took offense to that, the kid would already be getting hauled off towards the prison cells for torture," Jaeger met my eyes, and though it looked like he was simply trying to calm Gregor down, it was obviously a warning of what would happen if I didn't cut the crap.

I swallowed again, thinking about Leo. Did he really have to go through all this too?

Before long Maximilian returned, his face unchanged from when I first saw him, "I have decided," he stated.

"Why do I have a really bad feeling about this?" I wondered aloud as Maximilian took his seat back at his throne.

"I am going to make you an offer, boy," he stated.

"What kind of offer?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"I am going to give you the chance to become a soldier in the Imperial Army in the war against Gallia," he confirmed my suspicions, "and allow you a chance to increase your power once a little... project that I'm working on is completed-"

"No thanks," I snarled, cutting him off. I felt the tension in the air as Selvaria clenched her fists, and Gregor clicked something on his cane. Jaeger shook his head; this was not going to end well.

There was a short silence, and then Maximilian cocked his head slightly, "I will offer you once again. If you join me in the war, I will make you stronger. Far stronger than what you are now."

"Forget it. I'm not going to work with you, so get that through your head. And for another thing," I reached into my back pocket, pulling out my Darcsen headband, clenched tightly in my hand so they couldn't see it for what it was, "I don't like the sound of this project of yours. Whatever it is, I want no part in it."

Another silence. Selvaria's hand hovered over her sword as she stared at my tightly clenched hand. She knew I had something in my hand.

"So, I take it that you won't listen to reason?" Maximilian asked.

I said nothing. Instead, I raised my hands to my head, letting the headband loose as I tied it around my head. When I finished tying it, I shot a smirk towards Maximilian, proof of my pride in wearing the headband and using it as a form of defiance, and spat on the ground before him. Jaeger flinched, and Gregor stood up with such speed that his legs gave out from under him, sending him sprawling on the marble floor. The next thing I knew, Selvaria had me pinned against the ground, ready to stab me in the back for my insolence to the Imperial Prince.

"Enough!"

Maximilian's voice rang throughout the room again. He stood, "Selvaria, release him. There's something I wish to show him that may be of some... leverage."

Selvaria slowly but surely got off of me, but never took her sword away from my back as Maximilian approached.

"Come," he spoke, gesturing for me to follow. Reluctantly, I obeyed, Selvaria close behind in case I tried to pull anything. I was sorely tempted to ask if he kept her around because he couldn't fight his own battles, but ultimately decided to keep my mouth shut.

We walked out the red doors and through the darkened hallways. I kept trying to think of ways out of this, but it was no use. I'd be caught, in all likelihood killed, either just stabbed or executed, and that would just mean a really bad day. A really bad day that was the last day of my life.

Soon we came to another set of doors, smaller and a simple oak shade of brown. Upon opening them, Maximilian led the way out onto a balcony, gesturing for me to follow but requesting that Selvaria wait outside the door. Taking a long good look at my surroundings on the balcony, I not only found that we were way too high up for me to try and jump for it, but we were also looking over a sort of prison yard. Red brick made up its fifty foot walls, and barbed wire decorated its top and base, effectively keeping visitors out and – more importantly – would-be-escapees in. I swallowed hard as a squad marched out onto the grounds, all of them clutching rifles.

"Feast your eyes, boy," Maximilian commented, "you are about to see what happens to those who stand in my way."

As the squad took their places, some guards came out, hauling prisoners along with them – Darcsens. Their black hair caught the sunlight as they were dragged across the yard to face the squad, a look of defeat upon each of their faces and reflected in their coal-coloured eyes, their Darcsen cloth in shambles as each wore them a different way. Ten in all, they were lined up before the firing squad, all of them giving looks of sheer collapse.

The squad leader looked up at Maximilian. The Prince raised his hand, and flicked it down, giving the squad the order they needed.

What happened next was a form of absolute torture. Instead of simply ending it with a bullet, the squad aimed for the painful, non-lethal parts of the body as they struck each target, making the prisoners writhe and scream in agony. Repeating their pattern, they shot again and again until all of the Darcsens were dead, and they brought out another ten to face the firing squad.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I shouted, getting Maximilian's attention.

"You are to witness this so that you know who you are dealing with, boy," his voice was icy with cruelty and indifference, "thus far you have refused my offer twice, and openly defied me by accepting the Darcsen heritage as your own. Thus, for each offense, ten Darcsens must die," he raised his hand again, and brought it down, making more screams echo upwards as I was forced to watch. Again and again the bullets sounded until there were thirty dead bodies on the ground, lifeless. I stared in sheer horror at the atrocity, and another squad was brought out.

My eyes widened. They were kids – anywhere between the age of six and fifteen, they were dragged out to face the firing squad. Whenever one cried out, they were struck hard, knocked to the ground to be forced to their feet again and struck again for falling. I began to tremble, almost unable to process what was happening.

"The price for your offenses to me has been paid. Now, I shall offer you once more. Will you join me in the battle against Gallia, and allow the strength of the Empire to flow through your veins?" Maximilian asked, "or shall I give the order to fire?"

I said nothing, unable to speak, or even move. The only sound I made was the sound of my trembling body as I tried to come to terms to what just happened.

Maximilian slowly raised his hand, causing the soldiers to ready their guns in anticipation.

Right as he was about to bring his hand down, I grabbed onto his arm, "DON'T DO IT!"

He stopped, looking down at me with cold, emotionless eyes, "do you accept my offer?"

I swallowed, choking back sobs of defeat and hate, "yes..."

"Then you will fight with me against Gallia?"

"I'll do what you say," I fell to my knees at his feet, trying to force my tears of anger back, "just... don't kill any more innocent people. Please. No more," I begged, "no more..."

He hesitated, and then slowly, oh so slowly lowered his hand, which caused the firing squad to scatter in disappointment, releasing the Darcsen children, "in which case your training will begin within the next week, after you've proven your worth on your first mission. I will give you a moment, and then we will return to the war room."

With that, he promptly left, leaving me there on the balcony. I smashed my fist into the ground, now making no attempt to hide my tears of defeat, making no attempt to smother my sobs of hate, rage and humiliation, "damn it... damn it... Damn it..." with each swear I pounded my bleeding knuckles harder and harder into the marble balcony. Pain shot through my hands with each strike, but I barely noticed; the emotional and mental pain blocked it out with ease, "Damn it!... Damn it! DAMN IT! DAMN IT ALL! DAMN IIIIT!"

I breathed hard, slowly, choking on my own sobs as my words of rage echoed all around me. I kneeled there for a long time, until I felt a hand clap down on my shoulder. I looked up to see Jaeger, his eyes full of compassion, as if he understood what I experiencing.

"There isn't much I can say to help, huh?" he asked.

"What do you think?" I asked, smiling bitterly.

"That's what I thought," he knelt down beside me, staring off into space as he continued talking, "there isn't going to be much I can do for you, but I can try to get you into either my regiment, or Selvaria's. I won't have the final say, that goes to Maximilian. But I can influence his decision."

"Selvaria? Why her?" I grumbled, no longer sobbing but still containing the bitter note in my voice.

"I know you two didn't have the best introduction, but she might be even better for you than I would. She is one of the few generals who actually considers her men's feelings and back history, and won't allow them to go to pointless deaths. She fights on the front lines with her men, no matter how dangerous it is. Even if she does have the power to do so without fear, that is a brave action."

"Which is why she was at my hometown during the attack," I growled.

"Exactly. She and her regiment were on the way to attack Fortress Ghirlandio. Your home just happened to be in the way," Jaeger stood, stretching out his arms. Then he offered his hand to me, "you ready to head back, Draco?"

I stiffened in shock, but took his hand anyways, "how do you know my name?"

"Leo told me on the way here. Ran into him in the halls," he helped me up, "now, are you ready to head back?"

I thought a moment at the second time he asked, then nodded. He smiled, opening the balcony doors. Maximilian and Selvaria still stood there, and then they all began moving back through the halls towards the war room, me following close behind Jaeger.

Once we reached the massive red doors, Jaeger put his hand on my shoulder, "wait here," then they all went inside, leaving me to mull over my fate before the shut doors. I paced back and forth for over an hour, wondering what I could do and arguing with myself.

"Could I try to assassinate Maximilian? Nah, that would just get me and a bunch of other people killed. Maybe I could bide my time, and make a run for it? No, I'd get caught eventually, these people know what they're doing. Maybe I could gather tons of explosives and blow this entire place sky-high. But the war would already be over by the time I gathered enough explosives, ending with Gallia losing," I groaned under my breath, smacking myself in the forehead, "ugh... why me?"

The massive red doors opened, and I instinctively tensed, ready for a fight. Instead, Maximilian motioned for me to come forwards, "come forth, boy."

I moved with caution, making no attempt to hide the loathing in my gaze. The three Generals simply stared at me, and Maximilian stated "we have decided where we shall put you in the military. You have been assigned to General Selvaria Bles' regiment under lancer duty. You will do as your superiors tell you without question, and without complaint. Is this understood?"

"Sir, yes sir," I growled through gritted teeth.

He glared at me, and gave me a dismissive wave of his hand, "your first assignment will be to accompany Selvaria's squad to Ghirlandio and to take it for the Empire. Selvaria will decide the rest of your orders and the specifics of the mission."

"Your Grace, I want you to reconsider," Jaeger suddenly urged, "I don't care how strong Selvaria says he is, the fact is that the boy isn't ready for this. If you send him to Ghirlandio, then he is going to die."

"It is not your place to question me, Jaeger," Maximilian eyed him coldly, "or do you want Fhirald to have its freedom?"

Jaeger grated his teeth, and Maximilian turned to Selvaria, "you set out for Ghirlandio tonight. Get the supplies you need, and leave immediately."

"Understood," she responded, walking past me through the gigantic doors, "come along."

"And one more thing, boy."

I stopped, turning to face Maximilian, "if you show even the slightest sign that I cannot trust you, then I will have every single Darcsen in that prison killed. Understood?"

I grated my teeth at his threat – no, his promise as he dismissed me from the war room. I clenched my fists, my body shaking. I was barely able to contain my rage as I struggled to catch up to Selvaria, each of her long strides worth two of my own, forcing me to go nearly three times as fast as what I would normally walk at to keep up.

I followed her through the halls as she went to gather her remaining squad members to leave. My eyes narrowed as I forced myself not to try and kill any of them. When we found Leo, he immediately took notice of my Darcsen headband. He shook his head and added a face palm for effect, asking himself why I was such an idiot before asking me "so, how'd they 'convince' you?"

I didn't answer. All I could think about was how I was going to butcher Maximilian the first chance I had. But for now, I had to bide my time. I would focus on vengeance later. Right now, I had to be a good soldier for the Empire. Otherwise, more innocent people would die pointless deaths.

I gave a silent curse, and followed the squad to the vehicles that would take us to the rest of the regiment outside Ghirlandio.


All right. That's all I've got for now. But one thing, guys: I need to know how I'm doing here. Please, I need you to review and give me your thoughts if I'm going to continue this story. Seriously. I'll continue because I want to write this, but I need a little help here.

Jarl of the North