Disclaimer: Fire Emblem - The Sacred Stones is a belonging to his respective corporation and creator: Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. The following characters belong to the author.
Adrion: A recruit from Renais in training to become just like Seth.
Adam: A journeyman from Frelia in training to become Frelia's first hero.
Nicole: A young maiden from Rausten. The uptight best friend of L'Arachel.
Author's Note:
Signed-in reviewers will receive immediate reply from the review board. A big thank you to the website people for this new feature. Replies will still be seen for the anonymous reviewers only.
Back to the story
Ephraim and Eirika – The Sacred Twin Life
—The One with the Forbidden Castle—
"Hey Ephraim, does this skirt make my butt look big?" Eirika showed off her newly indigo blouse and skirt, reaching her knees, to her brother, seating at a large chesterfield while reading a textbook.
Ephraim blinked at her skirt without saying a word. Eirika, feeling a little upset at the result of his silence grunted, "Ephraim brother. Are you paying attention?"
"I wish I wasn't." he replied.
Suddenly, an uninvited Lyon busted inside the room panicking. At the sight of the twins, he sighed in relief, "Oh thank goodness you guys are all right!"
Alarmed, the twins immediately stopped their task, "Lyon! What's wrong?" Ephraim asked.
"Look out the window!" Lyon told them.
The twins looked through the window outside and saw a multitude of wyvern flying at Grado's borders. The streets were swarmed with Grado and Renais' official knights and soldiers watching almost the entire empire and half of Renais.
"What's happening outside?" Eirika asked, worried that a certain war was to materialize soon.
"You guys know Valter?" Lyon's lips trembled at that name.
"Valter?" Ephraim asked, "Who's he?"
"He used to be one of our generals in Grado." Lyon explained, "he's a criminal at heart."
"A criminal? In Grado?" Eirika was now shivering with fear.
"He kills innocent people for his own training pleasure. Because of such atrocity, Father had ordered his imprisonment and demoted him from the Imperial General status."
"If he's in jail, why the panic?" Ephraim said.
"HE ESCAPED!"
Eirika fainted on cue, just in time for Ephraim to grab her.
-Castle Renais Hallway-
Eirika, Lyon, and Ephraim walked down the hallway, now swarmed with Grado and Renais' best enforcers.
"I cannot believe this! Doesn't the government or the Imperial Supreme Court be in charge of increasing security and diminishing crime rate at Grado?" Eirika complained, "I mean a dangerous lethal criminal, out for blood, could be walking in our street by now."
"I wish Father and I could have done something different." Lyon said, "It's seems like we've taken peace for granted."
Fado and Vigarde were also seen walking down the hallway, crossing path with Lyon and the twins. Lyon approached his father, "Father. How are things so far?"
Vigarde sighed, "Still no progress Lyon. But do not worry, we'll find that fiend in no time."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Gee son, this could be dangerous for you," Vigarde told him, "I don't want you involved."
Fado, at the same time, scolded the twins, "Same thing with you two."
Eirika nodded, but Ephraim had a different opinion and began arguing, "But why not Father? Let me hunt this guy!" he said, "I'm good with my lance."
"You're barely good with the lance." Fado countered, "And there's no way I'm letting you guys outside."
"And for your utmost safety," Vigarde added, "do not approach Grado's border."
"You mean Renvall River?" Eirika asked.
"That's right." Fado said, "There's a dark abandoned water castle there and Valter might capture it and make it his base as we speak. We'll need more units to defend that territory before he gets the chance."
"So we've requested Frelia for reinforcement. Hayden will certainly approve of it." Vigarde said, "But until then, keep out of that castle."
"Understood." Lyon said, "I will stay with Eirika and Ephraim until things calm down."
"I do not understand why Father is refusing my aid." Lyon was pacing back and forth inside the Renais library's second floor. "Is it because I'm too young? Is it because I'm too weak?" he then gasped, "Am I failing him?"
The twins were also at the library, sitting at a large study room. Eirika flipped through a random book she pulled from a shelf while Ephraim watched Lyon as he drank a cup of coco, showing no worries.
"You're not failing anyone Lyon. You're just…scared. That's all." Eirika bit her nails.
"Like you." Ephraim noticed Eirika's tension.
The princess glared at her brother, "have you ever heard of a criminal?"
"No! No!" Lyon disagreed to Eirika's statement, "It's not really that I'm scared. It's just that I'm worried for him. If something is to happen to him, I don't know how I will watch over the entire Grado Empire in his place, by myself."
Innes and Tana entered the library and joined in the gang. Tana rushed towards her friend, "Eirika. I came as soon as I heard."
"Tana…" Eirika immediately cried on her friend's shoulder, "I'm s-scared."
"It's all right." Tana patted her back.
"Yeah. We're here for you. Besides, ain't no way such criminal should be walking freely in this continent."
Ephraim jerked his head towards Innes, "So King Hayden received your message?"
"Darn straight." Innes smiled, "and he is sending reinforcement as we speak."
Eirika and Lyon sighed with relief, but Innes was not finished, "but that isn't going to stop us from going on a quick exploration."
The idea of exploring brought smiles in everyone's faces, "Exploration?"
"Of course." Innes smiled, "There's a dark abandoned water castle at Renvall we've never visited. According to the 'History of Magvel - Book VI' it used to be a base for our ancestors during the past. Who knows, we might find a lot of treasures and artifacts there."
"That's great! We should go there!" Eirika proposed, but at one point, she stopped short, "Hey wait a minute. It's at Renvall?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh my word!" Lyon gasped, "We can't go there! King Fado and Father restricted that area."
"Do you honestly believe their words?" Innes said, "Just because Valter is running loose, doesn't mean all exploring areas should be restricted. Besides, the Frelia reinforcement will indeed provide civil protection."
To those words, he left the library. Tana ran after him, "Innes, come back this instant! You're NOT going to be running about at a time like this!"
-Renvall-
As they are approaching Renvall, Ephraim, Eirika, Lyon, Innes, and Tana were by a river bridge near the water castle Innes and the monarchs spoke of. Lyon looked at his surroundings and angrily scolded, "you said that there will be Frelian reinforcements in this area!"
"Perhaps they're late." Tana stated
Innes scoffed, "pathetic infantries. Their feet are as dragged as those of a slowpoke. Let just go inside."
Ephraim stopped Innes, "wait! Are you sure?"
Innes lay a hand on Ephraim's shoulder and formed a mopey face, "Are you scared?" he spoke as if addressing to a child.
"No." Ephraim spoke sincerely, yet his voice shook.
"Well, I'm not scared." Eirika said, "now matter how you look at it in another perspective."
"Great! So you wanna explore with us?" Innes grabbed the twins and dragged them inside the dark water castle. Tana followed, but Lyon stayed outside.
"You guys go ahead!" Lyon cried, his arms crossed while looking away, "I'm staying here. Following you inside is bad omen enough to get me in trouble."
A wyvern cry rented the sky. Lyon flinched, "Hey wait for me! I don't wanna die here!" the imperial prince ran inside on cue.
-Renvall Castle-
"Any new reports from outside?" An eerie strained voice spoke to a wyvern rider who approached him.
"Yes Sir Valter!" the wyvern rider said, "The Grado Empire spread the news of your escape throughout all the town and even outside the border. And now Grado and Renais are all secure. The monarchs, Emperor Vigarde and King Fado, are now waiting for Frelian reinforcements they have requested."
"Frelia huh?" Valter chuckled. He was sitting on a dusty throne and carried a glass of dark red wine which he swirled around. "So they're so desperate to find me that they're actually going to bring reinforcement from the venerable sage king Hayden's land. Before you know it, Rausten and Jehanna will be involved."
Valter gulped down his wine. A soldier ran inside the building and whispered words to the wyvern rider. The rider's eyes showed panic and immediately glanced at Valter, "Huh, Sir Valter," he said, "We've received new reports. We got company."
Valter spewed out his wine, "WHAT?"
"It's King Hayden's children, and Vigarde's son!"
"Are they alone?" He hissed, "Tell me!"
"No there not." the wyvern rider said, "however it seems that they are also accompanied by Renais' heirs: Prince Ephraim and Princess Eirika."
Valter smiled, "Really? Renais' heirs huh? So the mini-monarchs came to play hide-n-seek on their own huh?"
"What shall we do?" the wyvern ran around, all panicky. "If we're found, we'll be send back to prison!"
Valter stepped off his dusty throne, approached the wyvern rider, grabbed him by the colon, and nailed him on the wall, "First of all, stop that." Valter released the wyvern rider, took his Spear and licked its blade to shine, "second, I have a plan."
The interiors of the castle were gloomy and dark. Because it was a water castle, streams was heard rushing in thin gaps at every corners of the castle. The five friends wandered through the castle's dark corridor.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Ephraim muttered.
"I thought you were excited to travel around this castle." Eirika said.
"Did I looked excited?" he argued, "Did I think it straight beforehand? NO?"
"Relax, chicken" Innes chuckled as his arm wrapped around Ephraim's shoulder, "It's not like Valter is dwelling in this castle."
"But what are the possibilities!" Ephraim grabbed Innes by the colon and shook him.
"Ephraim's right." Lyon said, "Maybe we shouldn't wander around this castle. Maybe we should bail."
Innes sighed, "All right. Maybe we should."
Innes turned around and there he saw something that took his breath away. The foursome turned around as well and questioned Innes's silence.
"What's wrong brother?" Tana's voice shook.
"Guys?" Innes asked, "Do you remember where we came from?"
Everyone stared at four narrow pathways. Neither of those tunnels were brightly lit nor pitch darken.
"Great." Lyon huffed, "Now we're lost. And it's all thanks to you!"
"No, no! Let's not fight." Eirika eased the tension, "We'll just have to take the exact direction we…took earlier."
"Which is…?" Ephraim asked.
There was an uneasy silence among the group, until they all pointed towards different directions, shouting "That way!" and penetrated through. Ephraim and Tana went in the first far west pathway, Innes and Eirika through the Far East pathway, and Lyon went through the eastern one alone.
-Castle Renais-
"Still no word on the reinforcements?" Fado asked. He and Vigarde were at the castle's balcony, looking at the horizon.
"Not a single one Your Majesty." An elite soldier responded.
At the same time, Hayden came in the scene, "I came as soon as I heard."
"You may be dismissed." Vigarde nodded at the soldier who took his leave. Fado glared at Hayden, "Hayden! Where are the reinforcements?"
"They still haven't arrived?" Hayden was surprised at Fado's questions.
"No!"
"They should have come as soon as Innes and Tana came in the castle as well."
"Innes and Tana did come not long ago." Vigarde exclaimed, "but the reinforcements… they have not been seen."
Immediately, a soldier barged in the room in panic, "Your Majesty! I bear bad news!"
The kings turned around, "What is it?" Fado asked.
"It's Prince Ephraim and Princess Eirika! They're…missing!"
Fado's heart skipped a beat and Hayden and Vigarde drew a shallow breath in horror, "WHAT?" they yelled.
"What do you mean they're missing?" Fado cried.
"They're gone! Not here! Vanished! Without a—"
"Okay, Okay! I get you now!"
The soldier stammered, "It's not just them, Your Majesty! Prince Lyon is gone too. With Prince Innes and Princess Tana as well!"
--- --- ---
-Castle Renvall-
Lyon dawdled through the castle's corridors, looking around the walls, ceilings, and dimmed chandeliers.
"Is anyone here?" he shuddered, "Hello?"
A creak was heard nearby. Lyon turned around as he sweat up like a storm, "It's not funny Innes! Stop playing!"
No one was seen or heard. Lyon sighed. As he turned around, his face went white, his breath went sharp, and his heart skipped a beat. Valter's grim face, looking as if it was above a flashlight, was right in front of Lyon.
"Why hello there, Your Highness." He spoke eerily.
"I don't think this is the exit Innes." Tana looked around, "It keeps getting darker and darker."
Ephraim turned around and saw no one but Tana and himself, "erm… Tana?"
"What is it?" Tana turned around and she too saw no one but Ephraim and herself. At this sight, her face ashen. "I—Innes? Eirika?" she cried.
"Eirika? Lyon?" Ephraim cried.
"Ephraim? Lyon?" Eirika cried through the dark hollow castle walls.
"Tana! Where are you!" Innes cried as well.
Eirika grabbed Innes by the colon and shook him, "This is all your fault! If you haven't persuaded us to get inside this castle in the first place—"
Innes pulled himself off Eirika's clutches, "relax woman! It's not like the end of the world. We'll find Tana, Ephraim, and Lyon before you know…iiiiiiiiiiiit!"
Innes prolonged his last phrase as he fell down a large hole. Eirika gasped in horror, "INNES!" She screamed.
Lyon was tied up in a cold concrete table, surrounded by soldiers and wyvern riders, lined up in odd and even numbers. Lyon silently wept, thinking he won't be able to leave the castle alive.
Valter walked around the imprisoned Lyon, his Spear at his grasp, "Nice day today isn't it?" he muttered, "the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and the blood…"
Lyon gulped just as Valter approached his face to his, "…keeps given."
"You're not going to kill me, are you not?" Lyon asked.
Valter snorted, "Kill you? No! I'm not going to kill you."
Lyon sighed, but Valter was not finished, "I'm going to feed you to those."
The soldiers opened a certain jail gates and enchained inside were rabid wyverns. Lyon's eyes were twice their sizes at this sight. "These are…?"
"Oh yeah," Valter smiled, "Before I left Grado, I used some of the Fire Emblem's power for evil. Those wyverns once belonged to some of my fellow wyvern soldiers who were, well, worthless to worship my title."
"You…You have the Sacred Stone of Grado!"
"Of course." Valter said, flipping a shiny bright red stone in the air, "What? Did you forget I was once among the Imperial Three and knew the entire structure of Grado Keep?" he then grumbled, "Thanks to your father, my title was stripped off and given to that wimp Glen."
"My father and my friends will take you down!" Lyon cried, "You'll see!"
"We'll see."
"We've searched everywhere, and there's no sign of Innes, Eirika, or Lyon." Tana cried a river on Ephraim's shoulder, "Where are they?"
"Don't worry Tana." Ephraim spoke calmly, "We'll find them."
"Ephraim please." Her tearful eyes met Ephraim's sharp ones, "don't leave my side. Please!"
"I won't."
A wyvern cry rented the air again, giving shudder to the duo.
"Another wyvern's cry!" Tana looked around, "That one's s-scarier."
"Yeah, and abnormal."
"How can you be so calm at a time like this Ephraim?" Tana cried at the prince, after noticing his calm nerve.
"I'm not calm. I'm more scared than you are." Ephraim protested, "But for some reason, I feel that we're getting close."
"To what?"
"To find our criminal friend." Ephraim said, "Tana, I suggest that you stay behind me."
"Innes!" Eirika cried down the hole, "Innes! Can you hear me?"
A groan was heard from the depth of the hole. Eirika cried once more, "Innes? Can you hear me? Are you all right?"
"Y-Yeah. I'm okay."
"You don't sound okay."
"I am okay! Stop worrying!"
Innes's arrogant remark calmed Eirika's worried nerves. Innes continued, "But I did found a secret passageway. I think it might lead us to the throne area of the castle. Who knows, we might run into our friends once we're there."
"Really?" She squealed, but her smile faded away, "but the hole is profound."
"Try to hang on when you get down there. Think of it as a rock climbing trip."
"Rock climbing?"
"What are you, chicken?" he cried, "Just do it!"
Eirika rolled her eyes, "Okay! Okay!" She slowly entered down the hole, hanged on the rocks, and slowly climbed down, "Sheesh! I wish you were a goner." She thought.
"So it's true. The Fire Emblem can be used for… both good and evil?" Lyon asked Valter.
"Of course!" Valter hissed, "What did you think it was used for? For imprisoning the Demon King's spirit?"
Lyon slowly nodded. Valter continued, "The Fire Emblem, here, can be used for good and evil. And guess what? I used it for evil. Hence…" he pointed towards the enraged animals, "…the rabid wyverns."
Lyon nodded in understanding, "Well, here's something you learn everyday."
Valter noticed Lyon's slight smile, "What are you smiling at? You know your end is coming."
"Oh let's assume that I have a plan."
"How can you have a plan?" a soldier argued, "you're glued in this cold concrete surface."
"Not anymore!" A voice bellowed from behind Valter and the soldiers. The gang turned around and saw standing there Ephraim and Tana. Ephraim had his Slim Lance at his grasp while Tana concealed behind him. Valter, at the sight of Ephraim, smiled.
Valter faced the duo as he placed one hand on his hip, "You must be Prince Ephraim." He smirked.
"And you must be…" Ephraim paused for a second, "What's your name again?"
Valter rolled his eyes, Lyon closed his eyes, and Tana smacked her face in embarrassment. The soldiers of Valter all took a stance, "It doesn't matter whose name you've forgotten. You're going down! Attack!"
The soldiers all ran towards Ephraim. Ephraim shoved Tana out of combat range and entered in the brawl. Using his lance, he simultaneously tripped several soldiers, smacked their backs, and managed to block their damaging blows. The wyvern riders followed and at this point, he changed strategy.
"Ephraim, be careful!" Tana warned the prince.
Ephraim ran towards the wyvern riders, used his lance as a jumping pole and landed kicks on the riders. At the landing, he stabbed the wyverns but inflicted little to no damages. The wyvern riders separated, leaving only three of them surrounding Ephraim. All three performed a triangle attack on Ephraim, inflicting heavy blow on the prince and hurling him to a wall.
"EPHRAIM NO!" Both Tana and Lyon screamed.
Ephraim dropped his lance and held on his chest. Valter approached him, "He! He! He! For a prince, you're quite weak."
"F-Father was right." Ephraim groaned, "I'm barely good with the lance."
"Amen to that." Valter replied, "Now let us finish this."
Valter raised his Spear in the air, when suddenly the crazy criminal let out a painful yelp and dropped his weapon. He stared at an arrow, stuck in his backhand. Valter turned around and saw Innes and Eirika. Innes had his bow pointing towards Valter, figuring it was him who fired the arrow.
"Leave them alone Valter." Innes huffed.
Eirika runs towards Ephraim and helped him out, "Ephraim, are you all right?"
"Y-Yeah." Ephraim groaned, "I hate to say this but I think my body has been dislocated."
"Ew!" Eirika shuddered.
Valter removed the arrow from his hand. Although the arrow did hurt, no blood seemed to dish out of his hand. "So, the entire party is here huh? Well, I think it's time to take you all out." He faced the soldiers who were restraining the rabid wyverns, "Release the boys!"
The soldiers released the wyverns and the beasts took a dash for the five friends.
"Oh no!" Ephraim softly huffed.
"This is the end!" Eirika gasped.
"We're gonna die!" Tana gasped.
"Look out!" Innes cried.
Lyon simply closed his eyes. Just as everyone thought it was their end, three shadows jumped in front and restrained the rabid wyverns. The five friends opened their eyes and saw Fado, Hayden, and Vigarde using their might.
"Scrap!" Valter hissed at their sights.
"Father!" the five friends simultaneously exclaimed in joy.
"Get that stone in his hand, quick!" Vigarde ordered them. Innes and Ephraim jumped in to grab Grado's Sacred Stone before Valter had the chance. Eirika and Tana released Lyon. Lyon ran towards Ephraim and Innes, took the Fire Emblem, and threw it at his father. Vigarde caught the stone and exposed it on the wyvern. A blinding fiery light enveloped the scene and in a second, the wyverns fell unconscious and their state returned to normal.
Valter bellowed, "Scrap! The kings! You screwed my plan! YOU SCREWED MY PLAN!"
"Valter," Vigarde approached the wyvern lord, the Fire Emblem safely slipped in his pocket.
"Emperor Vigarde!" Valter's piercing eyes glared angrily at Vigarde's, "You're always screwing up my plan! Well, this ain't over yet!" the wyvern lord pulled his Spear.
"ATTACK!" A voice echoed from outside and rushing in the setting are the Frelian reinforcements composed of Falco knights, Rangers, Paladins, and Mage Knights. The reinforcements took down Valter like a stomping feet running into an army of ants. Valter was captured, and no one was severely hurt or killed.
Everyone took leave of the water castle, with Valter in custody. The three monarchs were with the twins, Tana, Innes, and Lyon. Ephraim was getting medical treatment from Moulder, and Lyon sat on the Grado convoy with few more soldiers.
"I cannot believe this." Fado scolded, "Vigarde and I, we specifically told you not to enter Renvall."
"Yeah, and what did you do? You run in Renvall." Vigarde finished.
"We're sorry." The five friends apologized in unison.
"You could have hurt yourself, and Princess Tana." Moulder added, "And yeah, you hurt yourself pretty bad."
"What about me Father Moulder?" Innes argued, "I could have hurt myself too?"
"Yeah, but you're a different story." Moulder replied.
"Father?" Lyon moped, "are we going to be punished?"
"Why of course you're going to be punished." Vigarde said, "You're grounded for a month."
"That goes with the rest of you." Hayden pointed at the twins, Tana, and Innes.
"King Hayden. I appreciate the chastising, but…we don't live in Frelia." Ephraim commented. Eirika elbowed Ephraim, "Ow!" the prince screamed in pain, "that's my sensitive side Eirika."
"You may not live in Frelia, but we've all discussed your punishment." He pointed at Vigarde and Fado at that saying.
"Yes, and in addition," he turned towards the twins, "you'll be giving kitchen duty."
"Kitchen duty?" the twins gasped.
"This is worst than being grounded." Eirika groaned.
The search for Valter came to an ending. No one was hurt and civilization at both Renais and Grado is thriving once again. The twins, Tana, Innes, and Lyon were chastised for their disobedience. The twins were giving kitchen duty but the entire party was grounded for a month.
Meanwhile, thanks to the sudden appearance of Frelia's reinforcements, Valter and his crew were captured, thrown back in prison, and the Sacred Stone of Grado was recovered. At Eirika and Lyon's request, security at both Renais and Grado had been increased, and Valter and his treacheries were to be lock down for a good eternity…
-Grado Prison-
One of Valter's soldiers was playing the banjo, "I got the blues!"
BA-BAA-BA-BA!
"For being locked up."
BA-BAA-BA-BA!
"I got the blues!"
BA-BAA-BA-BA!
"For being locked down."
BA-BAA-BA-BA!
"I got tha blues!"
BA-BAA-BA-BA!
"For being—"
Valter snatched the banjo from the soldier, smashed it on the floor, and flung it on the jail bars. The soldier, seeing this, wept in silence and Valter remained quiet.
END OF CHAPTER
