Kaela: Hello, my readers! Here is my first venture into the realm of Fire Emblem for a fanfic! YAY! (hears crickets chirping) Um, right. Be gentle in your reviews...this is my first, after all. So, on with the story!
Disclaimer: I never owned Fire Emblem or any of its characters, and I never will. I do own Xiana, my tactician, and all the characters in the story she tells.
Prologue
There was great feasting in Castle Pherae that night, in celebration of the reunion of the lords' victory over Nergal. All the mercenaries were present, eating, drinking, talking and laughing. They were having the time of their lives.
Except for one person. Lyn looked at Xiana, who seemed to be upset about something. "Xiana, are you okay?"
The tactician looked up, startled. Then she forced herself to smile. "Yes, Lyn, I'm fine." She looked back down at her food, trying not to cry.
Ninian had noticed her distress too. "Xiana, are you feeling all right?"
Xiana didn't even look up this time. "I'm fine, Ninian. Just a little tired."
Ninian bit her lip. Then she went over to the bard, her brother Nils, and whispered something in his ear. He listened for a moment, then nodded. He blew one clear, sharp note on his flute. Everyone covered their ears, and turned to look at him.
Satisfied that he had gotten their attention, Nils stood up, stretched, and said, "I'm tired of playing this flute while you guys eat. How about someone else plays minstrel for a while?"
"But, Nils," protested Nino, "no one else can play an instrument!"
"Then one of you get up here and tell stories or something," Nils retorted. "I gotta eat too, you know."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," said Eliwood thoughtfully. "Any volunteers?"
No one moved. Ninian gave Lyn a sideways glance, then turned to Eliwood. "My lord, maybe Xiana should take over for Nils." Xiana looked up at the sound of her name, eyes wide.
"Good idea, Ninian," Lyn put in quickly. "Well, Xiana? What are you waiting for?"
The tactician flushed red. "But, Lyn, I…"
"Please, Xiana?" It was Florina, who had also noticed the tactician's foul mood. "I would love to hear one of your stories."
Xiana sighed. She had never been able to refuse the shy Pegasus Knight. "Oh, all right."
She stood up and walked to the chair, everyone applauding. The tactician rarely spoke off the battlefield, but her storytelling was the stuff of legend. She made herself comfortable and fell quickly into her natural storytelling stride.
"Not long ago, in our land of Elibe, the Lycians Lord Eliwood of Pherae, Lord Hector of Ostia, and Lady Lyndis of Sacae and Caelin, fought against an evil organization called the Black Fang, whose leader, the dark druid Nergal, sought to return the dragons to Elibe." The mercenaries looked at each other, smiling.
Xiana continued. "These three young lords fought many battles, faced many trials, and overcame many obstacles to become heroes of legend. That story has been told many times before, and will be told many times again.
"But that is not this tale." Everyone in the audience gave her a confused look. "That tale is wonderful, yes, and worth telling. And the two are connected, or I would not have bothered to mention it. But this is a tale of two sisters.
"Hearken, o my warriors. This is the tale of Siren and Kaelari."
Kaela: Alright! The beginning is up! From here on out, the rest of the fic (until the last chapter) will just be the story Xiana tells. It will be told with a third-person narrator, and until the end none of you will see any of the Fire Emblem characters.
Review, please! No flames, but I like constructive criticism.
Disclaimer: I never owned Fire Emblem or any of its characters, and I never will. I do own Xiana, my tactician, and all the characters in the story she tells.
Prologue
There was great feasting in Castle Pherae that night, in celebration of the reunion of the lords' victory over Nergal. All the mercenaries were present, eating, drinking, talking and laughing. They were having the time of their lives.
Except for one person. Lyn looked at Xiana, who seemed to be upset about something. "Xiana, are you okay?"
The tactician looked up, startled. Then she forced herself to smile. "Yes, Lyn, I'm fine." She looked back down at her food, trying not to cry.
Ninian had noticed her distress too. "Xiana, are you feeling all right?"
Xiana didn't even look up this time. "I'm fine, Ninian. Just a little tired."
Ninian bit her lip. Then she went over to the bard, her brother Nils, and whispered something in his ear. He listened for a moment, then nodded. He blew one clear, sharp note on his flute. Everyone covered their ears, and turned to look at him.
Satisfied that he had gotten their attention, Nils stood up, stretched, and said, "I'm tired of playing this flute while you guys eat. How about someone else plays minstrel for a while?"
"But, Nils," protested Nino, "no one else can play an instrument!"
"Then one of you get up here and tell stories or something," Nils retorted. "I gotta eat too, you know."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," said Eliwood thoughtfully. "Any volunteers?"
No one moved. Ninian gave Lyn a sideways glance, then turned to Eliwood. "My lord, maybe Xiana should take over for Nils." Xiana looked up at the sound of her name, eyes wide.
"Good idea, Ninian," Lyn put in quickly. "Well, Xiana? What are you waiting for?"
The tactician flushed red. "But, Lyn, I…"
"Please, Xiana?" It was Florina, who had also noticed the tactician's foul mood. "I would love to hear one of your stories."
Xiana sighed. She had never been able to refuse the shy Pegasus Knight. "Oh, all right."
She stood up and walked to the chair, everyone applauding. The tactician rarely spoke off the battlefield, but her storytelling was the stuff of legend. She made herself comfortable and fell quickly into her natural storytelling stride.
"Not long ago, in our land of Elibe, the Lycians Lord Eliwood of Pherae, Lord Hector of Ostia, and Lady Lyndis of Sacae and Caelin, fought against an evil organization called the Black Fang, whose leader, the dark druid Nergal, sought to return the dragons to Elibe." The mercenaries looked at each other, smiling.
Xiana continued. "These three young lords fought many battles, faced many trials, and overcame many obstacles to become heroes of legend. That story has been told many times before, and will be told many times again.
"But that is not this tale." Everyone in the audience gave her a confused look. "That tale is wonderful, yes, and worth telling. And the two are connected, or I would not have bothered to mention it. But this is a tale of two sisters.
"Hearken, o my warriors. This is the tale of Siren and Kaelari."
Kaela: Alright! The beginning is up! From here on out, the rest of the fic (until the last chapter) will just be the story Xiana tells. It will be told with a third-person narrator, and until the end none of you will see any of the Fire Emblem characters.
Review, please! No flames, but I like constructive criticism.