Before we get into this chapter, there is something I want to bring up... the FE Heroes popularity poll. If you haven't been paying attention to that, Nintendo did a poll involving 791 characters from across the franchise, and listed the results for EVERYONE. They even listed the number of votes each individual got. I went onto the result list and wrote down the placement of every Jugdral character. Of note, Glade was at the very bottom of the list, with only 17 votes to his name... I know he is a fictional character, but I feel sorry for him. Thus, I'm going to try and give him more appearances in C.R. (though not necessarily starting immediately)
A bit more relevant to C.R. is the fact that the poll made me consider asking you guys to vote for who you'd like to make more appearances, but I'm not going to. I have three reason for that, so let me explain my reasoning. First of all, I've asked before, and have barely if at all, gotten a response to that kind of question, so it would probably be kind of a waste. Secondly, I can already guess who the top four are going to be: Eyvel, Sara, Mareeta, and Linoan. I'm basing those guesses based on character requests that I actually HAVE received in the past, so I'm going to take some time to address each.
I kept getting asked to use Eyvel and I refused to use her for the very reason people wanted to see more of her, namely that she is really Brigid, and she eventually remembers her kids who are in the army. The thing is, I try to keep this story as close to the source material as I can when it comes to the non O.C's and the ending of Thracia 776 says that she isn't reunited with her children until 7 years after the war ended. For the record, since Finn was putting the pieces together on her identity at the end of the game, I don't think it would make sense for it to take that long for her to be reunited, thus I'm willing to alter the amount of time it takes for the reunion, but not change it to during the war. That is why I wrote her out. Plus, if she were a regular part of the army, she'd have to interact with her biological family, and if Faval and Patty don't recognize her, Lester and Lana certainly would. I think them not putting two and two together would be stupid, so I'm not doing that. For the record, the only reason I haven't altered the Julia twist, is because that is mandated by the game. I personally think that it's stupid that she wasn't recognized.
As for Sara, I know she has an interesting concept behind her, but I had difficulty figuring out how to utilize her and give her a story arc... until recently. I finally came up with a solid plan for her, and I do intend to start using her more often from now on. Mareeta, on the other hand... I am still having trouble with. I did write that she was staying with the liberation army for a while longer, but I haven't really figured out how long that would be and how to utilize her. The best I can come up with is befriend Larcei, but not in a meaningful character arc sort of way. If someone could give me an idea for a solid character arc for her, then I WILL give Mareeta more appearances. As for Linoan... she's always been low on my radar, and I could barely remember anything about her. I have since reminded myself of her significance, but I basically have the same problem with her as I do Mareeta.
Thirdly, I'm having enough difficulty managing the character I already have. Seriously, when was the last time that Amid, Linda, Aesaello, Daisy, Patty, Oifey or Shannan have done anything of significance? While I do have plans for one or two of those characters for later, the others have kind of fallen off of the map. Give everyone equal representation and varying personalities is hard, and I tend to stick with certain characters. Patty did originally have a character arc, but it was rather poorly planned and I basically forgot about it/ couldn't figure out how to use it properly. So doing a poll... wouldn't help things. Alright, that's all for my ramblings for now. As usual please enjoy the chapter and leave a review!
P.S. I'm getting kind of tired of having a photo as my profile pic. I'd like it to be a piece of Jugdral fanart. Problem is, this is the only public website (besides Facebook) that I'm actively a part of, so I can't ask for permission on say... Deviantart. I know it may seem hypocritical to ask for that when I freely emulate older video games, but... anyways, if any of you have put out or make Jugdral fanart, could I download and use a pic or make a request?
Corpul had not been with the Liberation army for very long, but he had noticed that a couple of the members seemed... uneasy, around him. This was especially true about the lavender-haired girl that he kept seeing. She would just stare at him and walk the other way whenever she spotted him. The only bit of dialogue that he'd had with her was when he asked her who she was. All she said was "Sara, we're opposites." and walked away.
Well, now Corpul's interest was piqued and he was determined to get to the bottom of what her problem was. Corpul had noticed that she liked to hang out around the other two guys that seemed nervous around him, but Corpul decided to talk to them anyways, as he expected, due to their age, for them to have a more mature reaction to him. He waited a few days for an opportunity, and just after Leif left with Lester and Delmund, he found his opportunity.
"Excuse me, but I cannot help but notice that you both seem to be very uncomfortable when I'm around, and the same goes for the lavender haired girl... Sara? Could you please tell me why? Did I do something to make you uncomfortable?"
Cumha and Salem looked at one another for a moment, then Cumha said "It's not so much about anything that you've done, but what we have done. You see... we're defectors."
"Well, if you defected from the imperial army, then I don't see what I-"
"No, it's more than that." said Salem. "We defected from the sect, the Loptyr sect."
"Oh? ... OHHHH.
"You're obviously a devout follower of the gods of Jugdral, and although we no longer worship Loptyr... we cannot bring ourselves to become followers of Naga, and thus, your presence making us uneasy." said Cumha
"Why not?" asked Corpul "If this is about redemption, Naga is very kind and forgiving."
"Naga may be forgiving, but her followers are not." said Salem.
"They despise anyone who was so much as born a member of the sect, that's how it even rose to prominence again. All the hate and fear leveled towards us of the years, all the unwarranted executions, we reacted in kind. In the minds of those who follow Loptyr, the people of Jugdral are getting what they deserve. The princes have offered us amnesty, but I doubt that a number of their subjects will be willing to honor it. They'll probably try to hunt us down and slaughter us in Naga's name, just as they always have." said Cumha.
"Even Sara?" asked Corpul, shocked.
"ESPECIALLY, Sara. Do you realize who she is?" asked Salem. Corpul shook his head "Her grandfather is the archbishop of the Loptyr sect."
"And yet she fights for the Liberation army?!" asked Corpul
"She despises her grandfather. Manfroy's daughter fell in love with a man born outside of the sect, one who was willing to look past her origins, they ran away together and had Sara. But Manfroy hunted them down and murdered him, his wife went insane and died of grief, and Sara was brought into the fold and wasn't allowed to grow up properly, causing her... unusual behavior. She is extremely aloof, and she doesn't speak to you because she doesn't know how to respond to your presence." explained Cumha.
"...I wish that I could let her know that things are alright between us, that I don't blame her for her origins." said Corpul.
"Maybe you can if you can answer her this question 'what is her life worth?'" said Cumha.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Corpul
"She's come from a terrible background, one from which a number of people, including her, wish wasn't how things were. She can no longer be of importance to the sect, and they'd kill her as soon as the followers of Naga would. So what is her life worth now? What purpose does her continued existence serve? Help her find an answer, and she could maybe become your friend." said Cumha.
"Are you nervous about it, milady?" asked the servant.
"About the upcoming ball? No, I'm not nervous about that, Shamash." said Ishtar
"Not about what people will say about your losses?" asked Shamash.
Ishtar looked at her servant sadly "Yes, I suppose they will be somewhat harsh. They won't understand that they are greatly underestimating the enemy. They'll refuse to understand." Ishtar closed her eyes and sighed. Opening them, she said "but my lord Julius will ensure that I enjoy myself. His love will help me live past the pain."
"Does that really exist?" asked Shamash
"What?!"
"His love, does it truly exist? Does he truly love you?"
"How... how can you ask me that?" cried Ishtar
"I'm sorry if I'm being insensitive milady, but whenever I see you with the prince I feel... uneasy for you. I once had a friend who was trapped in an abusive relationship, an all take, no give relationship for him. It ended disastrously, and the thing is, I've noticed some of the early warning signs in the prince.
"...So you don't think that he actually loves me? Are you saying that he is just using me for his own ends?" asked Ishtar
"I... I can't say for certain. The prince's treatment of you in general seems a bit... better than my friend's husband to my friend. I think that there might be some general attachment on his side, although I fear that it is more of an obsession. You COULD end up better off than my friend, but I'm not convinced that your true relationship, whatever it may be, is entirely healthy." explained Shamash
"So... what do you suggest that I do?" asked Ishtar.
"Find out exactly what you are worth to him." said Shamash "Discover if it's truly love that he holds for you."
"How do you recommend that I do that?" asked Ishtar "Do I ask him directly?"
Shamash cringed "I don't believe that that would be wise. Of course he isn't going to outright say what he really thinks, and if he finds out that I'm the reason that you began to question him... I may find myself meeting a gruesome fate."
"Do you believe that he would?" asked Ishtar
"Do you believe that he wouldn't?"
"... What do you recommend that I do instead?" asked Ishtar after a brief hesitation.
"Get an outside perspective. I don't know what you think of fortune tellers or the like, I never put to much stock in them myself, but there is a teller in town that specializes in love and comes highly recommended. I suggest that you discreetly pay a visit. Even if her powers and fortune telling skills are fake, her reputation by itself convinces me that she will, at the very least, give you some sound advice." said Shamash.
"I... I'll consider it." said Ishtar.
"So, here we are. What do we do now?" asked Delmund
"We go inside." said Leif "We go inside, take out the medallion and summon Firinne."
"Are you sure that's it?" asked Delmund
"What else would we need to do?" asked Lester "Let's just go inside and get this over with."
They entered the cave and and as soon as they pulled out the medallion, it began to glow and light shone down three separate passageways. "Separate" echoed Firinne's voice.
"We'd rather stick together, thank you very much." said Delmund "Separating kinda defeats the purpose of coming together."
"My trials are personalized. Unless you want to fail as well as have your personal... embarrassments coming to the forefront in front of the others, you will separate. said Firinne
"Then we aren't interested. Let's go you guys." said Delmund
"No, let's just do what he says. We've come this far." said Leif and he entered the middle passageway.
"...No wonder that he got half his army wiped out." said Delmund "Alright Lester, I guess-" he saw Lester disappearing down the right passageway. "Dammit Lester! We-" Delmund ran after him but was stopped by an invisible force. He growled "No, I'm not playing this game. I'll just wait for you guys-" he turned around to see that the entryway had vanished. The room felt like it was shrinking as well. "...FINE! I'LL PLAY YOUR GAME!" he shouted, storming down the leftmost passage.
"Hello, Prince. You seem more self-assured than you were when we last met." said Firinne "Are you still sure that you need to take my trial?"
"I still have some lingering doubts about my capabilities as a leader. Lingering doubts and regrets. I'd like some closure on them. This trial is more mentally focused than skill focused, right? So it could help me with that?" No response. Firinne disappeared in a cloud of smoke, which spread out and changed the appearance of the room and covered it in fog. Leif thought that he could hear armor clanking in the distance.
Leif drew his light sword with his dominant hand and let it glow to light his way, in the meantime kept his other hand on the hilt of another sword, in case he needed it, and stalked through the room. He heard armor clanking ahead of him, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw motion. Realizing that he was being misdirected, he spun about and drew another sword, blocking a swordmaster. Leif stabbed him with the other sword, and the swordmaster disintegrated.
An arrow whizzed by his head, and Leif spun about to see an archer standing by a charging armor knight. He kept his distance and used his light sword to dispatch both of them. But then he found himself surrounded. No letting his fear overtake him, he dispatched each soldier one by one, only taking one minor scratch from a cavalier on his non-dominant arm. He heard more coming, but instead of charging headlong in to the enemy, he hid in an alcove so as to ascertain his enemy better.
When he did this, a familiar voice uttered "Not underestimating your enemy. Good for you, but why couldn't you do that earlier?" Leif's blood ran cold and he slowly turned his head towards the ghostly figure that had spoken to him. His old mentor, Dorias. "A number of your followers would still have families if you did."
Leif backed away slowly "No... no, you're dead. You're dead because I made a mistake. I... I've been trying to console myself over that for over half a year. I've tried to be better."
"Try consoling them with that information." said Dorias, pointing to a new group of soldiers that were now approaching. They wore the armor of Leif's men, and they wore the faces of the men that Leif knew had been killed alongside Dorias. Collectively, they moaned "You... owe... us..."
Leif's eyes were now closed and his sword arm was shaking. Then he clenched his arm and opened his eyes. "Yes. I owe you, I owe you all. I owe you all an apology for leading you to your deaths. I owe your families for your loss. I owe it to you that your sacrifices for my sake will not be in vain. I cannot afford to fall apart out of remorse here and now. You may be bitter for my mistake and see what the man you died for is made of. I will oblige. I will put you all to rest, knowing that you did not die in vain! Now come at me!" he declared, charging in. Leif's speech, however, had mostly quelled their anger, and thus it was an easy fight. Eventually, only Dorias remained.
"...I am glad that you are able to move past me, prince. Grant me one last wish. Keep my daughter in mind. My daughter, her husband, and her newborn daughter, when you are king, remember their family, and if they need help, please provide for them." he said
Leif froze in astonishment. Then he stammered "I... I will!" and Dorias disappeared. A light appeared on the horizon, and Leif ran towards it. On arriving in a massive ruin, he shouted "Is that it? Have I won the trial already?" as he ran to the center. Suddenly, an explosion threw him back several feet. When Leif came to, he suddenly found that he was surrounded by the dead. The freshly dead. He walked slowly forward. At first, it was only common soldiers that he saw, but then he came across the faces of his companions. Here lay Faval, the Yewfelle shattered along with his arm. Here lay Shanan next to a corpse with a splatter pattern for a head. By the iron cutter he had in his belt, Leif assumed it to be Oifey. The Balmung lay snapped in half between them.
Here lay Ares, Leen's body pinned beneath his, as if they had been impaled simultaneously by a massive object. His sword lay in fragments, as if that had been what had been impaled first. Now here lay Altena, the Gae Bolg's point jutting from her stomach. Leif looked closer, and she grabbed his ankle, gasping out "Run... you don't stand... a chance... if not even... Sel..." and she collapsed.
Leif ran forward, straight past what could only be the remains of the rest of his companions towards the wall at the end where a lone body lay, decayed beyond all recognition. Leif could only assume that it was Seliph. "How... how did this happen?" he asked
"They thought that they could vanquish me." echoed a sinister voice. That's when Leif realized that it wasn't a wall, but rather a massive, scaly body. A giant red eye opened and looked down upon him. "Hello, Leif. Has anyone told you how appropriate a name that is?" asked the creature. Loptyr. "You are nought but a leaf in the wind, falling, burning, crumbling before me. You seek to fight me, but you have no chance of overcoming me. I am beyond men such as you. I have smote kinds, and emperors and GODS. They week are annihilated by my very presence. Tell me, Leif, what can you do? What can you hope in succeeding by fighting a GOD?!" bellowed Loptyr, crushing Seliph's remains with his talons and looming over Leif.
Taking a moment to steel his nerves, Leif declared "The best I can. While it is true that I cannot stop you directly... who says that I have to? I can be satisfied in merely being an instrument of your destruction." said Leif, using his light sword to momentarily blind Loptyr as he broke out into a run towards the nearest columns. Loptyr bellowed, smashing columns in his way as he bore down on Leif, and as he twisted away from Loptyr's gaping maw, he stabbed him in the eye with the Blaggi sword.
Loptyr shook his head violently, flinging Leif from him his body, sans the sword. Recovering unnaturally quickly, Leif ran to the next set of columns. "Well look at that, I CAN stand against you. You know, for a dark god, you're really quite pathetic!" Loptyr lashed out again and again at Leif, who leaped away just in time every time so that Loptyr would only hit the columns. Or let us call them what they are, support pillars. An entire segment of the ruins collapsed on top of Loptyr, pinning all but his head beneath. "Now see who is the real falling leaf." declared the prince, who stabbed Loptyr's other eye with the light sword.
The illusion was shattered. Leif now found himself in a much smaller room. Firinne was slow clapping. "Congratulations. Not since Manfroy was tested has a man completed my trial so quickly and effortlessly while still needing it. Well done."
"Thank you, Firinne. I think that was the last push I needed before I could move forward with my life." said Leif
"And what a life it shall be. You and your wife shall be remembered fondly for generations." said Firinne "And now, for a special reward. You'll find that you will no longer need to train hard in other forms of combat. I will grant you the power to be a master of arms almost instantaneously, albeit, you'll won't be as good as your future mother-in-law is." said Firinne.
"Really? I always considered becoming a master of arms, and I did put in some practice in but... wait, did you just mention Raquesis in the present tense?" asked Leif.
"I did. Her soul yet remains in this world, albeit imprisoned and sealed away. The same fate that two of her former companions share, parents to some of yours. Do not ask me who or where. That is for you to discover, and for me to tell those concerned. But... on another subject, to supplement the new skills I have granted you, another gift, but I need your permission first. Your mother's slim sword, would you like to have more use for it? I can reshape it into something of much better use" said Firinne.
Leif was taken by surprise "I... I suppose so. Yes, do it." he said, handing Firinne the sword Leif noticed that there was blood on the hilt. Leif looked and saw that the cut from the cavalier had gotten I small flow of blood dripping down his arm and onto his hand. He wondered how he hadn't noticed before.
"Worry not. Your blood is required for it to remain your weapon alone, and the wound shall be cleansed soon enough" said Firinne. The slim sword seemed to liquefy in his hands, then it flowed outwards, like a coiling serpent, it struck Leif's wound and coiled around it. It flowed down his arm until it formed a bracelet. Leif noticed that the wound was gone. The bracelet flowed down again into his hand, and once more took the form of a sword. "This is your new prize, a blade of shifting steel. Linked to your blood, it can form any weapon that you desire at any moment." The blade liquefied and elongated into a lance. Leif examined it, and then the top side of the lance flattened out and spread out into an axe head. "If you are holding a tome, you can channel the spells through the weapon, in the same fashion as an elemental blade. Is it to your liking, prince?" asked Firinne.
"I love it." said Leif.
