Heyo everyone, how's it going!
I've been reading a few Fire Emblem self-inserts and have really liked them so far, so I wanted to try my own hand at it.
I'll admit right away that I have yet to even finish my first play through of Three Houses, so I apologize in advance if anyone seems outta character or if there are pieces of history-be it Fódlan's or the characters'-missing.
Regardless of that, I'm elated to present this to all of you, and am hoping for the best as I go. Read and enjoy!
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"Speech"
"Thoughts"
"Demonic beast speech"
"Demonic beast telepathy"
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I wake up to find myself in the same room that I've grown accustomed to over the course of my undesired stay here-how ever long that might be at this point. It's not too big, but I could still pace around if I wanted to, were it not for the shackles that keep my feet to the wall. Not too far away there's the chair I get strapped to on occasion and injected with serums that make me spasm in agony until I pass out. I'm not even able to see anything unless my abductor comes in to inject me once more, at which point light from the candles in the next room come into my cell.
In the time that they aren't here, I have nothing to do and no one to be with. There used to be a few others in here, but they all died long ago. The first of us died from disease not too long after I was brought in. The next, from an injection that their body couldn't handle. And as for the last one, they took their own life long after they and I were the only ones remaining.
I thought of doing the same as I heard them choking on their blood. It would be such a quick way to end all of the pain and suffering. I wouldn't need to be scared of the next time I saw my captors. I wouldn't need to be strapped to the chair and injected. I wouldn't need to fall asleep on a cold stone floor. I wouldn't need to cry over the people and life I had before, back where I lived. And I wouldn't need to be haunted at night as I slumbered. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.
It's been a good while since I became the last person here, but I'm not sure how much since I have no accurate way to tell time here. The best I have is the length of my facial hair, which I almost always shaved back home. Running my fingers down the hair on my chin, I'd say it's been around seven to ten months.
I'm brought out of my thoughts as I hear the door creak open, causing me to cover my ears and assume a fetal position. They're back.
They give me a few words that I can't understand since I don't even have a clue what language it is they're speaking. I look up, and begin to wish I hadn't. That smile, they have it on today.
In all the time that I've been stuck here, I've grown accustomed to the appearance of my captor. Their snow-white skin and matching eyes no longer unsettle me. Nor do the odd markings they have near their eyes. But that wide, deranged smile has never failed to make me wish I had the guts to bite through my tongue all that time ago.
They start speaking again, but I still don't understand a word. What I do understand though, is that whenever they begin to approach me, it isn't with my best interest in mind. I close my eyes and begin to hope that it'll just finish quickly-whatever it is that they're going to do to me right now.
I hear the sound of the shackles being undone, but then, instead of being forced to sit on the chair, they place a hand on one of my shoulders. Looking up, their smile widens even further. They mutter a few words to me, and then, with a flash of light, I find myself elsewhere.
I completely ignore the fact that my captor is still with me, in favor of letting the nausea wear down. The last time I felt this kind of feeling was when I would read in the car during the winding turns of a trip.
With the last of the nausea wearing off, I can start to get a read on where it is I am. I'm outside, in a foggy forest where the trees seem to go up endlessly. I can make out the figures of the trees up to about four meters in front of me before the rest becomes hazy. It's cold, but I'm finally not imprisoned. I'm free!
My joy is cut off when I hear something land at my feet. Looking towards my captor for the first time since they brought us here, they say some more of their gibberish, then leave me with another flash of light. I would say that it's teleportation, but that just can't be it, right? After all, technology hasn't advanced that far yet.
I turn my gaze downward to see what it was that made the sound near my feet, and am overjoyed to find that it's the clothing and bag I had with me when I was abducted. Black sneakers and socks, check. Underwear, check. Cargo pants, check. Black tee-shirt, check. Green sweater, check. Comfy, brown scarf, check. Backpack and all of its contents, check. Ooh sweet, I still have my phone and camera too!
I instantly pull my phone out, only to find that its battery died. Go figure, after all this time. A cold wind passes through, and I remember that I now have my clothes back.
Changing out of the thin robes I had been forced to wear in captivity, and back into my own clothing after all this time feels absolutely incredible. I might still want a warm blanket, but at least now I feel more comfortable. Looking in my bag again, I find that what I have isn't going to help me get out of this forest-my newest goal as of a moment ago-any sooner. All I have are: my bottle of water, a hairbrush, a corkscrew, a whistle, a small flashlight, some breath mints, some hand sanitizer, a tiny bottle of cologne, my face mask, and the book I read on the train home from work. In short, it's gonna be a rough night, I guess. But maybe there are people around here.
"Hello! Is there anyone out there!" I choose to call out in the distance like an idiot. This is my best shot right now. If anyone could hear me, then it won't be long before I get a reply, and if not, then it never hurt to try.
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I've patiently waited for a while, but I have yet to hear any sort of response. Guess help won't be coming. Maybe I'm far away from the nearest city, which isn't too big a surprise. I mean, how often are forests like this even near a city back home? Besides, even if this one were near a city, I'm sure there wouldn't be people out here this late-there isn't a speck of light to be found, though part of it is probably because of how dense the forest's canopy is.
Or perhaps there are people, but they can't hear me? I fumble through my bag and grab my whistle. I bring it to my lips, take a deep breath in, and put as much air as I can into it. The sound hurts my ears, but it's all worth it as long as someone else could hear it.
The response is instantaneous. Off in several directions I hear the roars and wails of animals, only they sound off. They're louder than any animal I've ever heard before, and their cries fill me with a sense of unfathomable dread. I think I might have pissed off every major predator in the area, and I have no intention of becoming something's dinner right after I got my freedom back.
So, I run. I run with every ounce of strength and fear-induced adrenaline that I can muster. It isn't much though, since I was only fed enough to stay alive while I was imprisoned and my muscles have atrophied. But nevertheless, I need to get as far away as I can from where I was before any of those things find me. I weave my way through the trees, running through undergrowth that pricks and stings my face-no doubt scratching it. Thankfully, I can see well enough in the dark and don't run into anything-one of the few perks that I can give to my time in captivity.
I hear a howl from some ways behind me and dart under a fallen tree, begging to whatever deity that will hear me out for the animal not to find me. All is quiet for a few minutes, and all I can hear is the blood rushing through my body, and the chirping of crickets. Suddenly, I hear a twig snap and my head turns to face the direction from which I heard the noise.
I'm too scared to even be happy about the fact that I didn't piss myself. What I took for a mere twig being stepped on, was actually a large branch having snapped under the weight of a giant foreleg. Turning my eyes up, I gaze at the single largest wolf I will likely see in my life-assuming I make it through tonight.
It stands nearly three meters tall at its shoulders, making me feel tiny at only one-hundred-sixty-five centimeters. The giant wolf is covered with a pelt of grey fur, but also has something resembling a lion's mane of oily, black hair. It's legs, I alarmingly notice, look like a bodybuilder's aspirations-decked out with well developed muscles. If that alone wasn't enough, each leg ends with a paw that sports claws that could pass for swords-they're simply too long to be called knives!
It seems to be looking for something-probably me, but I want to keep hoping otherwise-if its raised nose and sniffing of the air mean anything. Assuming I'm lucky, then it won't be able to smell me under all of this wood. My ears are ringing, my own pulse going so quickly that I'm surprised the wolf can't hear me. In fact, it actually seems to be moving away-I might just make it out of this!
I let out a sigh as I watch it begin to move away. My body relaxes as the adrenaline wears off and the fatigue catches up to me. In fact, sleeping under this tree doesn't sound like a bad idea. I'm out of sight, I'm slightly protected from the wind, and the scent of the decaying leaves will hopefully mask mine out.
I slip my backpack off, and place it on the dirt to act as a pillow. I then reposition my scarf so that it's under my sweater and-hopefully-less likely to get dirty. Placing my head down, I close my eyes and hope for this nightmare of a night to end already.
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I don't know how long it's been since I laid my head, but I can't sleep. I don't feel safe. I can still hear the creatures that reside within this forest. I still feel as though the wolf is nearby, waiting for a chance to sink its teeth into me. But worst of all, I feel that I'm being watched. By what, I have no idea, but so long as it has no intention of attacking me, I'm fine with it.
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In the who-knows-how-long that's gone by, I've pulled out my corkscrew and sharpened one of the branches to create a primitive spear. It probably wouldn't be much against something like the gigantic wolf, but I already feel a little better.
Do I have any experience with a spear? Nope, I definitely don't, I was a total bookworm! All I know is: If something approaches, extend the spear with the tip facing my target in case I need to jab it.
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The sky is starting to brighten as my mind begins to wander off and think about everything that's happened since I was abducted. I was imprisoned and injected with body-burning serums by the most pale person I've ever seen. I've watched other people die before my eyes. There's a way to instantly move around. And there's a wolf that grows up to be twice my height. I've had enough of a bad time, so can I just go home already?
My yearning to be back in the Bay Area is put on hold as I hear the roar of another creature.
I used to be a really big fan of the Cretaceous Park series back home, but right now, I feel like the guy that was hiding from the tyrannosaurus in the bathroom stall. I can only hide in my refuge and hope that whatever made that sound won't find me.
"Where are you?" A warbled, distorted voice questions. Any chance I had at being brave just died, as I'm sure I will in the following few.
"I smell your rising fear, hear the frantic beating of your heart. But where are-I see. Your time hiding is over!"
The ground trembles as this new creature rushes in my direction, but I'm too frozen to react. This thing-it's capable of speech. What's more, it's intelligent enough to know that I have the capacity to respond.
My mind reboots, and I remember that I'm about to be on the run again, however it's already too late. A giant, clawed hand grabs my refuge and throws it to the side, forcing me to look at the face of the monster, for calling it a mere creature or animal does no justice to how terrifying it is.
"Tell me boy:" It said, bringing its face up to mine, filling my vision with the array of teeth it has. "Do you fear death?"
I instantly raise my crude spear and attempt to stab the monster in the neck, but it snaps in two. The monster gazes at me, before a sound that resembles laughter comes out from it as it moves back a little.
"If that was all you had, you had better pray for your goddess to receive you with open arms. You have not enough meat for me to enjoy eating you, but I shall not let you go!"
It rears one of its arms back, and this is it. This is my death.
Life is cruel. I was taken away one night, to be tortured for many after that. Then, I was released, only to now be killed.
But, I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die! I don't wanna die!
"I don't wanna die!" As I scream out this thought, a flash of light consumes my vision, followed shortly by total darkness.
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And cut!
Was this short? Yes.
Was it an abrupt end? Also yes, but I think it works well enough.
I don't write in the first perspective-present tense, so tell me what you thought of it. Was it good, or was it written oddly? I want to make it work since I feel that writing it this way will convey a sense of tension and urgency of sorts with what occurs that wouldn't be the same if I told it from the past perspective.
I'm just writing this for fun for the most part, so keep reading and join me for the ride, or feel free to get off if it doesn't fancy ya. Regardless, I'll keep writing, so until next time!
-T.I.S.