Disclaimer: I've already finished "The Power of Wii" And I still don't own the Fire Emblem property. Don't count on me owning part of it for a while, even when I have devised an original scenario with all new characters developed. Chances are that I'll have to start an all new strategy game franchise based on these ideas.
The Grann Dessert stretches out for countless miles as a desolate wasteland of sand and heat. Various ruins are scattered across, perhaps from an old time when the land onced flourished. Rarely does life ever manage to thrive in such a place.
Making his way towards a rumored colony, a Sage garbed in black robes wanders through the humidity. His long, raven black hair swayed in the occasional winds, and his blood-red eyes gazed indifferently through the endless sands.
After traveling around for what felt like forever to him, he finally decided to pause for a brief break to prevent from fatigue.
"Stefan... what exactly is it that you intended to show me in your isolated home, anyway? Is it your idea of paradise? Is this truly a place where the abandoned are meant to be happy? Or are they simply cowering in fear... hoping that their promised land will never be found by outsiders? How often is it that these people have met a particular being with my heritage, anyway?"
As he rested, he found himself being reminded of the purpose of this trek.
"I'm only here to satisfy my curiosity... welcomed or not, I still have unfinished business at Crimea Castle."
The sage sighed. He recalled how much a green-haired young man, the one he called Stefan, insisted that he should take up residence.
A weak part of his heart found it comforting to know such a place existed, but he rejected weaker sentiments like that after his childhood. Instead, his priorities relied with what he knows is most important. People have seen him as cold and distant due to his heartless way of thinking, but he knows very well that he is just acting and calculating in the best interests of the party and people he serves. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he has learned how the cruelest of choices have ended up preserving lives more often than naive choices. It was his unconventional method of compassion.
A few more minutes of rest, and he recalled a conversation he had with a good friend shortly before making the journey to the dessert.
-----
"Soren, if you honestly think this will be a significant experience for you, then go on! I won't mind!" a young man with blue hair insisted.
"Ike, are you sure? I may be gone for weeks, even months. And rebuilding Crimea is an important duty to undertake!" Soren argued.
"I know, but... Soren, I still remember how you nearly broke down in telling me about your life. You've actually become more distant lately since I've been busy taking charge of this project. Maybe it would do you some good to take some time off, and... maybe even get to know those who understand your pain. I'm sorry I could never understand what it's like to be isolated and an abandoned like you... you must feel lonely" Ike said.
"N-no... Ike, you're one of the most understanding people I've ever met. What... ever made you think I'd be lonely under your service, anyway?" Soren asked.
"Soren, I think you misunderstand. Did you get some idea in your head that I wanted you out of my sight for good?" Ike laughed.
Soren couldn't find a proper answer to give his friend.
"Go. I would prefer that you at least satisfy your curiosity instead of living the rest of your life without answers. If you're so stubborn to staying, then I'll just have to make it an order." Ike insisted.
"But Ike---"
"Soren, as Commander of the Griel Mercenaries, I order you to perform an intelligence operation in the Grann Dessert Colony. Find out whatever you can about their way of life, and report back as soon as possible. You may keep whatever information you feel must be classified to yourself. That is all." Ike commanded.
"...understood" Soren said flatly.
"Just be careful out there, okay? I still remember the dangers we faced back then. Who knows what other dangers may be lurking in the sand dunes." Ike warned.
"...I'll keep that in mind" Soren responded.
------
The black sage still found comfort in how much his old companion cared for him. Out of everyone he had ever known, especially out of those who showed him compassion, the first one person that Soren had ever shown sympathy for was Ike. Such emotions ran so deep in meaning for him, it developed into love. Whether it was brotherly, or an unspeakable kind, Soren knew understood most that he valued Ike over any one else.
Still, Soren had a journey to make. He decided that he had enough resting time and that it was important to continue. He let out a big sigh due to his numerous frustrations.
"That Stefan... he could've at least given me directions, but all he told me was to rely on my innate senses. The forces I'm feeling or so vague, it's hard to accurately determine the right direction. For all I know, I could've been traveling in circles without realizing it. This is bad."
Deciding that further complaining would just be a further waste of time and energy, Soren once more focused on the vague feeling that lead him to the dessert. He at least hope that the mysterious Swordmaster's words would later prove to be of greater help. Further into the dessert, the sage paused and looked around with a slight look of unease.
"I sense... something dangerous ... bloodthirsty. Could bandits be trying to seek a bounty in this lifeless place? No, the bloodlust... it feels rabid..."
Soren continued onward with hopes that he would not have to deal with the threatening prescience, but it was not so. The black Sage prepared magical energy as blood-seeped blurred speeded towards him all fours.
Six deadly, wolf-like beasts encircled him in a wide radius, ready to strike the outnumbered Sage at a moments notice.
"These aren't beast laguz... not even Feral ones... but the only creatures I know that match their appearance is the mythical Mauth Doog, but the last time those monsters have appeared was the time of the great demon. But... that was far too long ago. Could it be possible that these ruins were left over from the time that Lehran and the Black Dragon King had fought that thing? Well, now's not the time to be thinking about such things..."
An aura of fire surrounded Soren as the Mauth Doogs slowly closed in on him. After a long moment of silence, the sage made a first move by striking the monster in front of him with an Elfire spell. The Mauth Doog withered in fiery pain as Sothe made a break for the opening he created. Soren then found himself being chased by the remaining five beasts. After managing to gain a good distance on his pursuers, Soren stood firm and ready to unleash another spell of flame. Just before he could release his magical power once again, another crimson streak appeared on the scene, rushing at the other dog beasts. The wolf beasts stood little chance against its speed, as they all ended up being dissected before finding a decent chance to retaliated.
Soren was still quite cautious, and prepared his devastating flame to incinerate the newcomer until the crimson streak ceased.
Standing before him, with a curved sword raised by his left hand, was a lone boy. He appeared to be twelve years old at most, although somewhat shorter than Soren in comparison. The bangs of his short, light crimson red hair partially covered his thin eyebrows. He was clothed in an equal crimson tunic and matching red shorts held up by an indigo sash that held a black sword sheathe. Most noticeable of all was his deep-red eyes, which appeared so similar to Soren's, but widened with greater expression than the vague-hearted sage. These same wild eyes, along with his disturbing smile, revealed the satiation from his recent kill.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Red Eyes
After enjoying his recent kill, the young swordsman in red sheathed his sword and switched his violent expression into an engaging, innocent smile. He then approached Soren with a cheerful skip.
Soren was a somewhat startled by this sudden transformation, but still felt it would be corteous to thank one who saved his life. Or at least a waste of energy.
The young boy cheerfully extended his right hand as a sign of friendship.
"Good day, fellow Brother! I welcome you to the wonders of Grann Dessert!" he grinned.
Hesitantly, Soren extended his own right hand and shook hands with the cheerful individual. "Uh... thank you for your assistance."
"Not a problem! I haven't had the thrill of slaying a whole back for quite awhile now!" he smiled innocently. "Stefan had told us awhile back you would be coming home. To be honest, I wasn't sure how much longer I could wait, personally!" the young boy exclaimed.
Soren gave an unusual glance at the boy's excitement. "I noticed that you were... thrilled with that kill back there. You're certainly more enthusiastic than the Swordmaster with your art."
The young boy gave a bashful laugh as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, Master always did say I was the wilder one of the two of us! Stefan and I trained under the same Swordsman, you know! He was a little strange, though. He told us both that we'll be able to surpass him one day, but then he takes me aside and tells me in secret that I actually have the greater potential! I'm still trying to figure out whether or not he's just trying to flatter me. To this day, all I've ever done was tie with ol' Green-hair in are sparring, and he's always been the more controlled fighter! Sure, I've actually hold my own against Master once, but can I really ever hope to beat someone like Stefan? He... really knows how to make swordsmanship look so beautiful! All I can accomplish is my own crazed dance! I'm nothing but an inelegant demon!"
Soren's gaze narrowed. The passion in the young boy's voice bothered him greatly.
The young boy continued, "Our training came under really strange circumstances, to be honest. Master happened to be a beorc from a while ago wandering the dessert to test his skill and endurance, and he just happened to wander into our colony. Sure, most of us were afraid of him at first, but he easily became a welcome member of our home when he promised to teach some of us self-defense with the sword. Stefan and I easily jumped on board with the lessons he promised, and I guess we've become attached to swordsmanship ever since. Still, we were both well aware that he was way more attached to seeking heirs to this sword style than actually offering a means to protect us, but I guess you would understand that motive, huh? You ARE the famous Senerio Alvaugn, aren't you?"
Soren paused at the name he was called. "... Senerio Alvaugn? But that was the name that old sage gave me! How could you have possibly known that?"
The young boy looked at Soren curiously. "Oh, right! You simply go by "Soren" now, right? Well, anyway, you're a pretty well-known name in the Colony! It's really rare for any half-laguz to learn the magical arts; especially in the time of life you were educated! Most of us in the colony were afraid of learning the magical arts so much; we would think our lowered resistance would make backfires more likely with us! We became quite interested on how you managed to master magic so quickly, until we realized your heritage... which made us even more curious."
Soren felt even more uncomfortable with the apparent "reputation" he had in the colony. "My... heritage?"
"Yeah! None of us have ever actually seen you before, so it was hard to tell what sort of laguz blood you inherited, but seeing you up close, it's pretty obvious now! I mean, you bear a striking resemblance to Prince Kurthnaga!" he exclaimed.
Soren wasn't sure why, but he felt a deep pain in his chest. "You... you don't say?"
The young boy laughed. "Oh, sure! The only things that discredit you as a direct relative is your darker hair and the sort of mark that we all bear! This actually reminds me of a story I heard from some time ago. It mentioned something about the Dragon Queen fleeing Goldoa, an encounter with a beorc, and their execution... the rest of it is little vague in my head, to be honest," he smiled casually.
"Those little tidbits seemed rather specific for it all to be a vague memory..." Soren groaned.
"Perhaps," the boy answered back "But I'm not the kind of person that's good at remembering entire legends. That's why you should just come over to hear it for yourself! I'm sure the storytellers would be more than happy to explain the rest themselves!" he exclaimed.
Soren let out a sigh. "You're taunting me into finding out the whole story, aren't you?"
The young boy exhaled a long breath. "Yes, I suppose I am. It wouldn't be satisfying to receive a half-assed explanation from a crazed sword boy, would it?"
He then wore a more serious, somber expression in his eyes, although he still kept the friendly tone in his voice. "To be honest, I'm quite relieved to finally meet someone who had quite a bit in common with me..."
Soren took even closer notice at the young boy's red eyes that strongly. resembled his own. "So then, you're not just any half-laguz, are you?"
The young boy nodded. "That's right. The blood of Goldoan Dragons flows through my veins... just like it does yours, although I suspect you possess a greater lineage than I do, my friend. It's... shameful one as important as yourself was quickly reduced to the life of an orphaned urchin, isn't it?"
"If what you said is true, than my disgraceful existence would make even more sense." Soren scoffed.
"You're... not a disgrace. At least, that's what I believe. We're an especially rare kind... especially among the half-laguz. Our kind has been greatly feared by the others, and yet the colony accepted one such as me. Soren, your old "family" may have treated you cruely, but at least you were lucky. I spent so much time being alone before, and it was hard. No one would bother get near me in the outside world. Even the few fellow Branded I came across despised me, and were more than welcome to betray me..." the young boy explained as his eyes started tearing.
Soren looked blankly at him, trying to contain his own emotions. "He met other Branded... and they have forsaken him?" he thought.
"I guess the constant rejection affected me so much, that I started hating everyone around me on the inside. Yes, my bitterness from being lonely grew so much, it just grew into this lust for violence. And yet, part of me was so ludicrously kind-hearted, as I felt that all of their hatred was only my fault. The violence urged me into rather unsavory thoughts at times. I actually contemplated taking my own life... with my insanity's curiosity of seeing what it would be like to see my own blood. I even came so close once, with a stolen knife in hand... until Stefan saved me. He was a fellow Branded, whom I suspected was part of the Beast heritage, but he told me of sanctuary in the Dessert. I wasn't really sure what to think first. I still hated everyone around me, especially the Branded, but ol' Green-hair had the most sincere expression on his face, that I was too busy being thankful for a friendly face to reject his offer." He further explained.
The black Sage was puzzled by the young swordsman's story. "So then... finding your new home just made you instantly feel better?" he asked.
The little boy turned to face Soren with a very serious expression on his face. "Just because I found a new home, it doesn't mean necessarily I can simply slip into my comfort zone. You've developed a very composed demeanor to help you adjust to the outside world, right? I'm not exactly the most straightforward person in the world myself, in case you haven't noticed" he sighed.
"What I've done is take my life more seriously with what I've found. What I've seen from you is that you've turned your way of life into a game" Soren answered.
The young boy nodded. "True, but I felt that's how fate viewed our lives, anyway. Still, I haven't reduced myself into being totally naive. I've figured that if those around me were convinced I am but a simple-minded child, they become so much easier to manipulate. After all, it's easier to trust in someone you have some influence over, right? To be brutally honest, a heart so obviously guarded lacks the complexity that befits an intellect such as yourself, don't you think?"
"...you're quite crude," Soren scoffed.
"Yes I am, but I've managed to enjoy a whole lot more out of life because of it" the young boy sharply responded with a sly grin.
The air grew silent as the red-haired boy continued leading Soren through the vast dessert. There was an air of unease between the two of them, and somehow, an air of camaraderie at the same time.
Suddenly, the red-haired boy decided to break the silence once more. "Say Soren, how has Crimea been since the restoration efforts, anyway? I've heard that the commoners have been still been so distrusting, even with the Late King's decree" he announced.
"It's been better, I suppose. The tensions between laguz and beorc have decreased greatly after King Ashanrd's defeat, since they've earned a welcome reputation for defeating their oppressors. Ironically, I suppose we owe Daein a lot for being even crueler oppressors than what Crimea would assume the laguz would do" he admitted.
"I guess that's a start, " the young swordsman said. "Relations between beorc and laguz is a sign of hope for the rest of us, I mean."
"That's a fairly optimistic assumption" Soren interjected. "The taboo of our birth... is still a grave concern to society."
"That is true, but I would still prefer to have hope over anything else. I..."
Tears suddenly swell in the young boy's eyes.
"I really want to see a peaceful world someday. I... don't want to hold on to this bitterness. In fact, I would rather not see this sword used to take more lives. Part of be is sick of the feeling of blood, and yet... it's grown so tempting to me. I... I don't want to be taken over by the thirst... I... I don't ever want to murder again... if I can help it... but I've dreampt of it... a world stained completly in blood... beorc... laguz... the Branded... all drenched in blood... all by my hands, with me living off their luscious blood. I don't want that to happen! I don't want the bastard humans to drive me to that! I don't even want the bastard laguz to let loose the power of my Goldoan blood! Oh Godess, I can't stand it! I---"
The young boy found himself caught off-guard by Soren's unexpected embrace.
"You won't ever have to worry about finding yourself in that position. You have my word" Soren coolly assured.
Familiar thoughts ran through Soren's mind as he went over the boy's sudden outburst of insanity. He recalled a memory of the first time he had killed a beorc with the magic he was rigorously trained for so long, and remembered how thrilling it was to finally put his abilities into practical use, while at the same time, how frightening it felt to take another's life. He remembered the exact same fears that the young boy just went through, and for the first time in his lonely existence, he finally came across one who truly understood his pain.
The young boy found himself unable to tear away from Soren's sympathy.
"I am holding you responsible to those words then," the young boy sternly stated.
Soren nodded. "Very well then..."
After the young boy regained his composure, Soren finally let go.
"Soren, after you come see the Colony, are you considering staying over? Or do you intend to return to Crimea when you've thoroughly explored my home?" the young boy asked.
Soren hesitated. He wasn't quite sure of the answer the boy wanted to here, but he was certain of the answer that he had. "I will be returning, of course. As a member of Crimea's Liberation Army, and as a sworn duty of the Griel Mercenaries, I have a responsibility to carry out" he clearly stated.
The young boy grinned. "Good, because I agree! Returning to Crimea is your priority concern, after all! How else are we going to see the outside world improve?"
Soren looked at the young boy curiously again. He wasn't quite sure what to make of his reaction, but it seemed that he was exceptionally understanding.
The young boy laughed again. "Oh, right! I haven't even introduced myself, have I? My original name is Galen, but you can just call me Gale!"
Soren nodded slowly. "It's... a pleasure to meet you, Gale" he answered calmly.
Shortly afterwards, Soren felt a strong presence overwhelm him. Gale grinned upon experiencing this sensation.
"Oh, this is great! I can sense my fellow townsmen up ahead! They shouldn't be too far now!" Gale exclaimed.
Soren squinted his eyes and barely made out a far away oasis. "So... I'm finally close to my destination" he uttered aloud.
"Yep! And it'll take even less time if he rush over there! Sure, it'll use up more energy that way, but the sooner we make it there, the sooner we refresh ourselves with water!" Gale grinned.
"That's okay, you go on ahead. Even with my magical ability, I'm not so mobile in this sand" Soren answered.
Gale let out a disappointed moan. "Ah, whatever. I'll go on, then! Just leave it to me if we run into any more threats up ahead! I'll simply cut em' in two!" he grinned.
After Gale rushed forward, Soren watched from behind with a curious expression on his face.
"I'm not sure if a spirited boy like that could ever get rid of the smell of blood so easily. I suppose if it comes down to it, he could always try to will it away. He does seem to have a good head on his shoulders, I must admit..." he remarked to himself.