And now, I finally wash my hands of the prequel series to Crusaders Reborn: Retcons By The Seat of My Pants, I mean the Fall of Our Fathers. It only took me what, three years to write nine chapters. What a nice consistent pace! So... I keep coming up with new ideas and dropping them at the drop of a hat. Is there anything that you guys particularly want to see me write in the near future? Anything that I've mentioned that sound good to you? I'm totally open to doing alt-universe fics now. Ones that aren't high school or real world based, I mean. Right now what I want to do is 1: Go back to my TF fic and give it one more shot, one or two people actually liked it, so maybe a revision and reordering is in order there. 2: Tell a story about Kliff and Linde becoming a couple. 3: Finally write that inter-game Tournament story idea I threw out as a possibility about a year ago. 4: Tell a story about the Awakening Trio in Fates where they actually came from the bad timeline. 5: Briggid/Azel story that I threw the idea out for in the anniversary story. and 6: Possibly write a sequel/follow up to one of my one-shots.
Let's see if any of that actually come to fruition. In other news, I'm now excited for Three Houses, even though I don't have a Switch. I've decided I'm going to buy the Switch Lite when it comes out. (That was exactly the kind of announcement I've actually been holding out for, among other things.) I saw that dancers are a thing in that game, and I read a report that any female could potentially become one under certain conditions. If that is true, I'm going to make Bernadetta one. Why? I justify it as a way of making her to learn to be more social and outgoing. So basically, an Olivia. So it's legitimately for character/story reasons.
For years, his daughter had wished that he would drop dead. When she finally got her wish, it happened via him doing what he always had.
Dew... wasn't aware of his true origins. His first lasting moments of awareness occurred somewhere in the forests of Verdanne, the country being what he considered home. Though, he was fairly certain that he wasn't truly a native. The predominant hair color in the country was brown, and the general population had a general rough physical appearance, which contributed to their reputation as a nation of barbarians.
By taking one look in Dew's general direction, you could tell that he didn't have an ounce of Verdanese blood in him. What, with his blonde hair, smooth features, and eyes that practically glowed in the dim like like those of a cat.
His best guesses was that he was either Agustrian or from the Jungby region of Grannvale. He favored the latter theory, due to his exceptional eyesight, an inherent trait in many natives of Jungby that was frequently boasted of. Dew could see quite well, even in the dark, and he grew quite adept at seeing things that others didn't intend to be visible. Such as a selfish and greedy nature that led to hoarding habits and ill intent towards the neighbors.
He learned to spot these things when he was six. He was begging on the street and had the misfortune of requesting one of prince Gandolf's friends for alms. The response he got was to be booted across the street.
Literally, the man kicked Dew once and sent him flying several meters. It was amazing that Dew didn't rupture anything due to the power behind that kick. Naturally, he wanted revenge.
Dew was clever for a young child. Instead of acting on his desire immediately, he instead was capable of waiting and observing his enemy. He quickly figured out that this friend served as a corrupt "tax collector". So, Dew figured out where he kept the extra cash that he overcharged, then arranged for a chunk of it to be spirited away and put back into circulation. And scrawled a note calling him out.
Gandolf and his friend went ballistic over the loss, claiming that it was their rightly earned "private funds" that had been stolen. So immediate and desperate was their reaction to the theft, that they somehow managed to miss the obviously placed note. Thus they missed their chance to hide it, and thus Jamke was the first one to see it. Realizing the implications of the note, he incited a brief investigation, and reported the findings to the king.
After that, Gandolf was banned from getting involved in tax collection ever again. Enraged, they silently swore that one day, they would find new means of enriching themselves.
Overjoyed by his success, Dew decided to make this sort of thing his primary means of survival. He was well meaning at first, but there was actually a limit to the amount of greedy people in Verdanne, and so within two years, his habits caused him to develop a minor case of... full on kleptomania. That was why, when later in life he was constantly scolded for continuing his thieving habits, it did little to actually change his actions and attitude. He couldn't very well give up on the lifestyle that he'd maintained for as long as he had been sentient.
The most that the scolding he received under Sigurd's care did was remind him of his roots and predispose him to act more like Robin Hood than a common criminal.
Still, it was somewhat ironic that the event that eventually caused him to fall into Sigurd's company was initiated by him failing to repeat the feat that had started his career. It was kinda embarrassing too. He climbed through an outer window, into a narrow passage, and dropped down into a trap.
Gandolf wanted to draw and quarter him. That isn't a metaphor or exaggeration. He literally wanted to subjugate Dew to such a fate. Putting him in prison for an extended period of time would just be the icing on the cake for him.
Of course, soon thereafter, he had some lady trouble. He hinted to Dew that he might be willing to grant him some leniency if he aided him with a certain troublesome lock...
Dew didn't even consider it. He was young, but he was streetsmart enough to grasp Gandolf's intent, and that he probably wouldn't keep his promise. He may have been an incorrigible thief, but there was no way in the 7 rings of Hell he was helping a wannabe rapist.
This sense of morality is what lead to his freedom. Now, Dew was no fool. He knew that his thievery would be tolerated at best, thus he decided that he should make it as useful as possible and space his thefts out if it were to be somewhat palatable. Thus... staves, swords, enemy coin, and magic rings, that's what he used his skills to obtain.
But there was one thing that was fairly obvious that he could not steal. The hearts of any of the ladies. It was somewhat disappointing to know. He had several crushes, but he knew quite well that he couldn't compete with any of the "real men".
He like Adean, but he could tell, so did Jamke. Then Midir showed up alive and it became blindingly obvious that her heart was utterly owned by him. Out of respect, he refused to even try anything with her. Then the other ladies began to show up. Ayra, Lachesis, and Brigid, he had a fondness for all of them. Heck, he even kinda admired Sylvia for her fortitude.A thief and a dancer, wouldn't that make one heck of a combination?
But he refused to try to pursue any of them. Sylvia was after Lewyn, and the others all had proper suitors. He knew full well that he couldn't hold a candle to any of them. The men or the women. Brigid was an Amazon and he probably had the best chance with her, due to their shared history in thievery, but he didn't feel like pushing his luck or Adean's goodwill.
Lachesis was a proper lady with high standards. She was way out of his league.
And Ayra was a noble Amazon without the thievery connection with a kid to look after. And had even more suitors than Briggid. So trying anything with her would be a problem. Until... it wasn't a problem anymore. The suitor thing anyways.
Dew came to notice that Ayra seemed uncomfortable around her suitors. Thus, he would come around routinely and offer her ways away from them. This especially irritated Lex, who developed a grudge against the little thief.
Dew didn't think much of the whole thing. When Shanan suspiciously asked him whether he was attempting to seduce his aunt, Dew had honestly told him no. So imagine their surprise when, as they were departing for Silesse, she gave him a big kiss.
Of course, Shanan was belligerently angry. He accused Dew of lying to and using him. It took one look at Dew's dumbstruck expression to realize that he was just as shocked as he was, but still, Shanan never let the manner go.
It only got stranger for Dew from thereon out. Ayra began to make outright advances on him. Some part of him probably knew what she was doing. But the desperate teenager in him didn't care. Whatever her motives, this was the best chance that he would ever get... so he should enjoy it while he could.
This attitude quickly found him becoming a teenaged father. He got a LOT of sideways glances over that one, but he was beyond caring over that. He should've been terrified by the prospect, but in all honesty, he was actually quite happy.
He knew that he was viewed as a child with criminal tendencies, and so he saw this as an opportunity to prove himself. He had an uphill battle. Lex never forgave him for this, and while Shanan was overjoyed over the prospect of having cousins, his view on their father was forever tainted. Thus, he never gave Dew the credit that he truly deserved (A reaction that would only cause everyone pain in the future).
However, not everyone was against Dew. Adean, Midir, Jamke, and Briggid all noticed how seriously he took the matter, and how hard he tried to be a good parent despite his many glaring faults, so they all banded together and tried to help him in various ways (Briggid roping Holyn into the process along the way).
Aiding in the care of Uster and Larcei, as well as the care of her sister's spawn, helped to influence Briggid's decisions regarding her own offspring in the future.
To Dew, the kids were beautiful, like little dew drops glistening on flower petals in the early morning sun. Over time, Dew noticed that Ayra seemed to be softening up around... well, everyone. This could almost be described as a perfect scenario. So, of course that meant that it could not last. Being a thief meant that Dew was required to have at least some level of foresight. Considering that he had dealt with nobles who had refused to see reason before, he figured that the Grannvale lords would not hold off forever.
Thus, he began to make... preparations... for the worst case scenario. Gathering and hoarding anything and everything that could be used to warp people long distances in a hurry. This foresight led him to become the hero of the disadvantaged side at the "battle" of Belhalla.
Unfortunately, he couldn't prepare for everything. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't prevent Ayra's death at the hands of Dannan. It took him until around two and a half years after Belhalla to locate the kids.
He told them that their mother was dead, but he couldn't bring himself to tell them how she had died. Naturally, Shanan didn't take it well. He caught on to his wording and the implication that she had died after Belhalla, and subconsciously blamed Dew for her death. Ulster didn't catch this, and simply accepted the news, believing that she had died at Belhalla. Larcei, however, stubbornly refused to believe her father's report.
Larcei... never had a good relationship with her father. In raising her, Shanan had unintentionally crafted two very different images in her mind regarding her parents. Her mother, a perfect angel of death of the battlefield. Her father, a scavenging fox that had somehow managed to weasel his way into her mother's bed. Due to this misconception, she never truly accepted Dew. Which was a shame, as Dew really would have done anything for her sake.
He routinely stayed with the kids, then would disappear for long periods of time, gathering resources and intel from around Jugdral. Ulster would at least be friendly with him and welcome him back upon his return, but he wasn't as warm as he could have been. The family prejudice had finally even gotten to him to a degree. Meanwhile, Larcei generally pretended that he didn't even exist or that he was long dead.
The last time that Dew left them was about three months before they were located by Dannan's forces. When that happened, he was causing trouble, as usual, in the heart of Grannvale. When the news broke of the fighting in Isaac, Dew was very glad that he had found a second wind sword to replace the one he had given Ulster.
Now, he had a choice. He could go back to Isaac and help the kids, but he doubted that they'd appreciate his help. So, he decided that he'd help them in another way. He'd go to the royal capital and cause as much trouble as he possibly could.
Over the course of a month and a half, he survived in the Belhalla area, stealing from important figures and causing disturbances wherever he could. Then a heist went wrong and he wound up killing one of the territorial governors assigned to overseeing Agustria. It wasn't what he had planned, but it wound up working with his plan.
The imperial authorities tried to keep the assassination of the governor quiet initially, but when they found out... that was the last thing that they needed to inspire their own revolt. Following the Silessian's example by a couple of weeks. Combined with the siege of Leonster, this meant that the empire now had four full scale rebellions to contend with at once, and thus, they could not focus all their efforts on a single one.
Unfortunately, Dew spent to long in enemy territory. They caught onto him, and were eventually able to take him down. And so, on the day of his deepest penetration into the palace yet, he found himself backed into a corner.
The armor knights that initially cornered him, however, were slow, and he was nimble, so he braced his legs against the wall, and used the wind sword to launch himself off the wall and bounce off of their bodies and weave through them. Then he used it to destroy a stained glass window and make an opening for his escape. He leaped out of the building and onto the grounds of the palace.
But the imperial guard did not want to let him go so easily. Thus, they decided to attempt to reenact the Massacre from almost a score ago. They started throwing meteors at him. And missed every time. Dew wasn't the lead survivor for nothing. He actually knew how to dodge.
[if that were only true in the game... I swear, I sound like TFS Piccolo whenever I play an FE game. 90% of the time it's the last freaking enemy to move that kills me after everyone else misses.]
He was almost home free when, out of nowhere, a purple explosion erupted from the ground and flung him into the air. The last thing that he saw before he passed out was a robed figure walking towards him. He could almost make out the hideous scars.
When he came to, he was chained by all four limbs and held aloft and taut. The scarred Loptyr priest was looming up at him. (Can you loom up at someone?) He immediately tried to interrogate him. Regarding his motives, methods, and asked him about the location of other Belhalla survivors and relations.
Dew just looked at him and said "Yea, I'm the reason that so many survived the massacre, initially. I don't know how well it stuck, but do you really think I'm about to undo my hard work? Plus, I've got kids at stake here. They're fully grown and hate my guts, but do you really think that I would do anything that could possibly hurt them? Like, ever? Believe me, you're going to get diddly squat from me."
The scarred priest seemed to study him for a few moments, then he said "I believe you."
Dew smiled "so why don't you go run along and tell your master that he won't be getting anything out of me, and that you're better off trying to kill me."
He was bluffing, of course. Trying to buy enough time to formulate an escape plan. Unfortunately, his words appeared to have set the scarred priest off.
"MASTER?! I AM MY OWN MASTER!" he proclaimed, before rushing forward and stabbing Dew in the gut with a glowing purple blade that had suddenly materialized in his hand.
At first, Dew stared in shock, then, tears welled up in his eyes. He'd always wanted to find a way to reconcile with Larcei, someway, somehow. Now, he'd never get that chance.
The priest drove his blade deeper, and the tears now poured down Dew's cheeks. Then he released the chains and did nothing to stop him from falling flat on his face. Thus, Dew dropped... dead on the floor.
Skaro let him lie for a minute, then he examined the body once more, then summoned a lackey and told him "Contact Archbishop Manfroy. Tell him that I believe that I have a new Deadlord candidate.