Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones: Ephraim’s Story
Chapter 1: Unbroken Heart
I am Ephraim. I am the Prince of Renais, son of King Fado and brother to my twin sister Eirika. I have jade green hair and eyes. The lance I wield is called the Reginleif. I like the lance.
If you want a description of the way I dress, too, I wear a light blue tunic, white pants, black boots, brown gloves, over which I wear a bracelet my father gave to me – not a girly bracelet, thank goodness – leather armour to protect my hips while fighting on horseback, a dark blue cloak with red lining, and dark blue chest, shoulder, and leg armour. On the chest plate is the Crest of Renais.
Now, I may be the Prince of Renais, but I’m far more interested in being a warrior than a king when my father passes away.
Which was why, on a certain day in the year 803, I was with the last three of my knights – Kyle, Forde, and Orson – and a small girl named Myrrh, who had joined us recently after we rescued her from bandits, and we were camping in a deep thicket somewhere in the north of Grado, which had always been Renais’ friend, but had now attacked us. I was horribly confused, but I had to protect Renais, so I did what I could. I led suprise attacks and ambushes against Grado’s armies for as long as I could, but now we were four, and I couldn’t quite do that anymore. We’d been fighting useless mercenaries, anyway. We’d always been vastly outnumbered, but I used my wits and education in tactics to come out victor every time.
“Forde, how are we on supplies and equipment?” I asked one of my two ‘social knights’, the one with blonde hair and blue-grey eyes.
“It’s not looking good,” he replied glumly. “Our weapons are in bad shape, and we’re running low on food. We can probably restock at a nearby village, but-”
“No, that’s not an option. We’re in enemy territory. I will not involve innocents if I can avoid it.”
Myrrh looked back and forth between us both, but offered no comment. She had indigo hair in two big bunched pigtails and dark red eyes, and dressed in simple short reddish robes with a large, loose brown cloak and leather sandals. I sometimes wondered if it was either safer, or a whole lot more dangerous, that she stayed with us. She looked so fragile, about eight years old, but she had an incredible secret that meant I absolutely had to guard her. She kept close by my side, and rode on Kyle’s horse when we were not in battle.
“Yeah, I knew you’d say that,” said Forde, a hint of his usual smirk on his face. “I mean, it’s because of stuff like that that we’ve stuck with you so far. But eventually, we do need to face reality. What are we going to do?”
“Word of mouth has it that the invasion of Renais has progressed quite far,” reported Kyle from where he lay on a pile of leaves, healing a recent injury, a lance wound to his shin. “I’ve heard that the capital has fallen.” He was Forde’s best friend, rival, and complete opposite. His curly grass green hair hinted at mischieviousness, but nothing could be further from the truth.
My heart flew into my mouth. My father and sister… “Hm… So soon…” I said instead. Myrrh patted my shoulder and I gave her a quick smile. “Still my father is in the capital, and he won’t surrender easily.” I hoped my sister was safe, too. “Forde, Kyle. Our mission here is to harry the troops, to distract their eye. Hopefully, we’ll be able to give my father and Eirika time to escape.” I hoped my father wouldn’t be such a stubborn hero that he would stay behind. “Kyle, have you heard anything from Orson? I sent him ahead to scout.”
“No word yet, and it’s about time he returned…”
“Reporting in, Prince Ephraim,” called Orson, an older knight with long brown hair tied back and pale green armour, giving plenty of warning by crunching leaves and pushing branches. He saluted me and continued. “I can confirm Grado presence at several points around our camp. Also, a large battalion of soldiers has been dispatched from Renvall. We shouldn’t tarry here any longer than necessary…”
“I see.” A plan began to form in my mind.
“Seems as though we’ve certainly caught Grado’s eye this time,” said Forde amiably. “Should we retreat back towards the capital, Prince Ephraim?”
“No. We press onward.” I smiled. “We’re going to capture Renvall.”
My knights reacted with the shock I knew they would. “Wh-what?!?” Forde stuttered. But they started strapping on their armour, red for Forde, green for Kyle.
Quickly I led them out of the den and through the enemy formations. Orson pointed out what he had seen around, so I picked my route. My knights may have been on horseback and my own horse lost, but I could still run pretty fast. Myrrh rode behind Kyle.
“So this is Renvall, is it?” I asked casually, looking at the impregnable-seeming fortress perched on a cliffy peninsula jutting out into a cold lake. “All right, let’s go.”
“Um… Are you… sure you’re quite sane, Prince Ephraim?” Forde asked cautiously. “We’ve an entire army after us and you want to charge their stronghold?”
“Forde! Watch your tongue! This is our prince you’re addressing!” Kyle scolded him.
I laughed at Forde’s earlier statement. The cavalier had yet to learn that the worst mistake an enemy could make was setting off with most of his force to capture a guerrilla’s stronghold – we would simply walk in and batter down the last, inadequate defences. Yes, I was certain I was sane. “Kyle, please, it’s all right. We’ve heard nothing from home,” I went on more seriously, “so what harm could a little reckless besieging cause?”
“Prince Ephraim…” Kyle answered, apparently not understanding my facetiousness.
“Don’t worry. I haven’t lost all sense of self-preservation,” I finally assured them. “Renvall holds an important place in Grado’s national defence. If we can get the upper hand and take control of it, then Grado will waste many valuable soldiers trying to take it back. I hope proves useful to my father and Eirika,” I muttered. Even if they won’t learn about it for weeks…
“I understand what you’re saying, but… can we do it with our current strength?” Forde was still doubtful.
I sighed, suddenly tired of arguing and wanting to chuck my lance at someone. Still, I gave him a confident grin. “Every soldier in this area is trying to find us. The enemy has us vastly outnumbered. Attacking the castle is a ridiculous idea. If the enemy thinks the same… then we may have our opening.”
“You have a point,” Forde conceded. “I’m sure Renvall won’t expect us to attack with these numbers. Either way, we can’t run forever. And we’re running out of supplies. What’ve we got to lose?”
“Trust me. I don’t pick fights I cannot win.”
“Yes, sir!”
Kyle set Myrrh down in a clump of trees near the castle gate.
“We’ll be back for you soon,” I said. “Try to stay out of sight, okay?”
“Yes, Ephraim,” she said softly. Her big crimson eyes stared up at me with concern.
Forde knelt next to her. “Hey, kid,” he said kindly, “don’t worry. We’ll be just fine. Right, Kyle?”
Kyle nodded gravely. “Indeed we will. Have confidence, Miss Myrrh.”
Myrrh nodded and trotted into the trees, her loose cloak flopping around her back, until we could no longer see her.
“All right,” I said determinedly, “back up you get, Forde. We must fulfill our word!”
We ran into the castle. “Orson,” I called him once we were inside the main ward.
“Yes…”
“Your wounds still haven’t healed from that last battle, have they? Don’t push yourself trying to follow my orders exactly. If we’re defeated, you must return to Frelia. Understood?”
“Understood…”
“Let’s go! Kyle! Forde!” I charged ahead. ‘Practical’ Forde spent much of his time looting, as I wasn’t planning to stay too long in Renvall after we’d taken it. Orson took it easy, as I asked, and Kyle claimed his injuries had vanished. I kept an eye on him – his stubborn loyalty meant he’d fight to the death without even realizing it. I twirled my lance expertly as I cut through dozens of weak opponents. I was a little unhappy, because Grado had long been one of our closest allies – actually, with Renais being geographically in the centre of Magvel, all countries were our closest allies. But I had more personal connections with Grado.
As I reached the centre chamber of the keep, several enemies flung themselves on me at once. I ducked the spear of one, took the other with my leather hip armour, and cursed as my hastily flung javelin missed the enemy shaman who cast Flux on me and sapped my strength. Grabbing my Reginleif again, I winded, cracked skulls, and stabbed. The one survivor of that attack I let lie – he had been knocked out. I didn’t like taking prisoners, but I liked killing prisoners even less. There were dungeons. We’d stick him in there.
The mercenary leader waited on the castle throne. “You think you can take a castle with those numbers?”
“Sure,” I flung back, my chest heaving. “We just did.”
“Imbicile!” the guy taunted. ” You’ll learn the error of your ways!”
“I don’t think so,” I said, sidestepping his sword and plunging my lance into his chest.
“That was too easy,” I said to myself as I wiped my lance on his shirt. “I wonder…”
“Oh, sire, sit in your throne and let your humble servants adore you!” Forde declared theatrically. I snorted at him as he knelt to me. Kyle was about to give him a lecture, but I held up my hand.
“Forde, you mustn’t be quite so goofy. There are times and places, even in war-time, but this isn’t one of them. What if I didn’t kill this guy and he was only pretending to be dead?” I looked around. “What if… say, Orson – he’s standing right behind you – took it into his head that you were too annoying and decided to swipe off your head?”
Forde straightened up. “I understand, sir. I apologize.”
Orson was looking at me strangely. “Don’t take it personally, Orson. I wasn’t questioning your friendship and loyalty. Forde, I’ll tell you when you can relax like that. Yes, Kyle?”
“We’ve secured the entire castle. You were brilliant, Prince Ephraim! What a plan! What a battle!” he exclaimed fervently.
“I estimate at least half of the enemy troops are in the field. We took the castle, but we don’t have the manpower to hold it in a siege,” I said thoughtfully.
“No kidding,” I heard Forde mutter.
“There’s no point in lingering here. Let’s continue on to Grado Keep.”
Forde turned away from the window abruptly. “Prince Ephraim, things have taken a turn for the worse.” He tugged on his ponytail nervously. “We’re surrounded.”
“What?” asked Kyle.
“Grado’s sent reinforcements? So quickly…?” I wondered how they could have gotten word we had attacked so soon.
“What should we do?” Kyle asked me.
I thought in silence for a moment, turning away and studying the flagstones. “We must escape,” I said grimly. “Let’s get Myrrh and get out of here.”
We ran out of the castle – at least, I did. The knights, of course, rode. It was as Forde had said – the castle was entirely surrounded with better soldiers than had been inside.
We had no sooner cleared the third bridge and were heading for Myrrh’s copse when a Wyvern Master bore down on us. It was Valter, the most feared, infamous, and cruel member of Grado’s forces. He always had a look of dementia about him.
“So, you’ve captured Renvall, have you? And with such a small force! Impressive!” he praised me, sounding like an insane older uncle. He purred, “You’ve earned your reputation. I must say, I quite admire your work. I take it you’re the leader of this pack – the misguided Prince Ephraim.”
“I am.” I acknowledged him coldly.
“I’m General Valter, the Moonstone of Grado’s Imperial Arm-”
“I know that,” I interrupted. “If you’ve something to say, Valter, get on with it.”
A flicker of anger crossed his face. “Catching up to you has caused me no small amount of trouble. We’ve reduced your wretched home of Renais to ruin, and yet… you and your little band of bravos continue to be a thorn in our side.” Good, I thought. He’s revealed what I wanted to know. “But that all ends here…”
“We’ll see… You claim you’ve taken the capital of Renais… Tell me, how did you know I would attack Renvall?” I asked coolly.
Valter laughed. “Patience. You’ll have your answer soon enough. Now, be good lads, and drop your weapons, will you?”
“Prince Ephraim, let us attack!” Kyle urged us. I didn’t answer either of them. Either we would be killed, or captured. I wondered which would spend our lives better – or serve my father and sister.
“Listen to me, Ephraim,” Valter continued persuasively. “You’re a smart man. You know it’s futile to fight me. You cannot win. You cannot escape. Accept the reality of your situation, and surrender to me.”
“Surrender?” I asked curiously. The word had a bad taste in my mouth, but I was seriously considering it, nonetheless. I returned to silence and stood with my head bowed, thinking furiously.
Valter chuckled most unpleasantly. “That’s right. If you do, I’ll let you live. I hold your life in the palm of my hand. Do not test my good humour. Now come over here, bend your knee, and beg for your life. Show me how Renais dogs grovel!”
My head came up, and my eyes were like green fires as they burned with my hatred and contempt. “I think not.” My voice was little above a deadly cold whisper.
“What?” Valter asked, rather confused. He had thought he was leading me along, thought he had me right where he wanted me, thought I was going along.
“I’m sorry, Valter,” I said, changing my tone to sarcastic and taunting, “but I don’t have time to waste playing games with you. So, we’re going to knock you louts about a bit and then make our way out of here.”
“Fool…” Valter hissed. “Have you gone mad? Do you truly believe you can fight your way past my wyvern knights?”
“Watch and see,” I dared him. “I don’t pick fights I can’t win. Kyle, Forde, Orson, are you ready?”
“My life has been yours since the moment I took my chivalric vows,” Kyle said staunchly.
“It’s moments like these that keep me by your side, my prince,” Forde chimed in cheerfully.
“What idiotic wretches you are…” Valter sneered. “Prepare yourselves to be destroyed utterly!”
I shouted to my knights: “We break to the east. GO!” I kept my eyes on Valter, knowing him to be the most dangerous of the pack of rabble we faced. I ducked his spear and twirled my own. He brought it down in a chop that I parried with my haft. My cloak swirled as I retreated several metres. In truth, I wondered how we would give the enemy the slip fighting every step of the way, but I had a plan… again…
I twisted and dodged more of the Wyverns Master’s blows, fighting for my life against other underlings at the same time. I heard two loud dull thwacks behind me, and I began looking for a tree to get my back to.
Then a lance connected with the back of my head and I fell. My vision cleared enough to see Orson standing over me – it was his lance! I bared my teeth in an impotent snarl of rage and betrayal; then blackness swallowed my sight.