Chapter 1
(AN: This won't totally be canon, and I won't get every detail right, but I hope you like it! Feel free to leave a review or follow, I hope to update this regularly, but the scope of it may change by the end. This story is told from the POV of Rennac, the recruitable rogue from Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones)
Somehow, I always found myself embroiled in something far bigger than a merchant boy should be involved with. I left home, intent on thieving and making my fortune, but now I bear the weight of the world on me. None of it made any sense. Sacred Stones? The emperor of Grado has been dead for months already? Councilman Pablo performed an insurrection in my very home state, why was the world in chaos? What of my family, are they doing well? Will they survive the impending doom?
I must focus on my own path; it will do me no good to worry about home, I haven't before, so why would I start now? How did I end up on this path of righteousness? Will the princess of Renais actually pay me, unlike some royalty? All the questions I had, pounded my head mercilessly, I was left irritated, frustrated by my helplessness.
It was all her doing. That princess of Rausten, L'arachel. Ever since she hired me, I haven't known true freedom. I am forever shackled until the day she finally pays me for my hard work. She dragged me across the land, on some fruitless mission of justice. I am a thief, I do not purge monsters! Yes, they are abominations, they must go down, but not by me! How could a princess not be able to pay me? I know of Rausten, they make plenty with their taxing tithe and their dimwit citizens, trade with them always made my father giddy with joy and gold. Was I cursed? Was I traveling with the real monsters?
"Gwahahaha, Rennac, if you scowl any harder, you'll scare Lady L'arachel!" Muttered the big oaf in front of me. Dozla, a man who could not be any more different than I. L'arachel commands, Dozla obeys. He never questioned any inane task that the Egotistical princess conjured up.
"Mind your business old man! Any normal person would worry about the coming days! Who knows what is next? If Jehenna was anything to go by, what lies await in Renais will be equally disturbing" I said, intending to end the conversation.
"Hmm, that may well be true Rennac. If that is the case, we must be on alert at all times, as Lady L'arachels' guardians! I know I can trust you laddy." Dozla said. He then proceeded to give me a smack on my back so forceful the rest of my body felt the aftershock.
"Stupid old dolt! You don't have a worry at all, do you? Listen, when it comes down to it, Princess Eirika and Prince Ephraim are the ones leading this army. They are the ones providing me food, shelter, and pay. For all intents and purposes, they are my current bosses. I no longer serve the self-proclaimed harbinger of light.
"Did you say my name, lowly thief?" Uttered an arrogant, yet all too familiar voice from behind me.
"L'arachel! Did you finally come to pay off the rest of my paycheck? It is quite shameful for royalty to be in debt." I said, not expecting anything to come of it of course.
"I have told you countless times Rennac, bringing justice to the land is payment in itself, why, you of course understand that! Why else would you join this army and come back to me? You know I am right! We must restore order to this land and wipe out these wretched abominations!" L'arachel said.
"Gwahahahaha, right you are lady L'arachel! We shall smite these demons in your name!" Dozla said.
"Ugh, do you two never change? I leave you alone for months and yet you have gone through no character development nor have you become any less cheap! The only injustice near and dear to me is the injustice of not being paid for one's hard work!" I said.
"And you are a broken record, hypocrite, much? Admit it, you could not deny serving me any longer! Your heart and soul yearned for a purpose as pure as being by my side and doing my bidding! Oh, I weep at wondering how you wandered this land, like a lost dog without a master!" L'arachel cried as she buried her face in Dozla's arm to hide her crocodile tears.
"It's just so sad to think about…..Rennac I am glad you are home." Dozla said, not even trying to hide his very real tears.
"I asked for my payment, not a circus show! Fine, I have nowhere else to go, and the princess of Renais is a lot more promising than you. She will actually honor her agreements, and fits the description of nobility far more than you could dream of." I said.
This seemed to strike a nerve. What was once the forever smug smile she had on her face, now descended into a scowl, filled with vitriol. Why was this the one statement that finally hurt her? Oh well, now I know how to get under her skin whenever I need to.
"How dare you insinuate I am not just as much a noble as my beautiful friend, Eirika is? I am Princess L'arachel! I am the bringer of light, and the successor to the holy theocracy of Rausten! I am a princess no matter how you carve it. I am not a princess by looking like one, even though I am beautiful, I am a princess by blood and by the sacrifices I make for my people." L'arachel said, planting her feet on the ground as she fiercely pointed at my direction, emphasizing her desire to lecture me.
"You know exactly my problem with you, got it? No matter how much you fuel your ego, it does not to me, a mercenary. I took the job with you BECAUSE you were clearly a princess. Your beauty was radiant and you held a regal aura to yourself, I knew you had to have loads of money! I-... Are you even listening to me?" I asked her.
For some reason, her commanding aura had faded. She was standing straight anymore, and she was even covering her face. Was she trying to hold in a sneeze? Was the very sight of me making her that ill? If that is the case, why was she so insistent I traveled with her since day one? Sigh, still, it is a shame to see a lady sick, maybe I will hand her this.
"Here, this is my handkerchief, if you need to sneeze or cough, do it into this," I said, extending my hand out with my offering to her.
"Oh, um, No, I am feeling fine, I do not need such a thing, thank you anyways," L'arachel said, now refusing to make eye contact with me. She insisted she was not sick, but she was still red in the face.
"Well, I definitely do! Thank you Rennac!" Dozla said, proceeding to violently grab the handkerchief from my hand and blew so loud into it, it created a hole inside it, as well as awakening, multiple families of birds, nearby. I was sure Dozla had even alerted the enemy forces of Renais of our march with such a sneeze.
"Thank you laddy, here ye go," Dozla said, gleefully handing the sullied handkerchief back to me.
"Keep it, I insist." I said.
I am surrounded by idiots.