[Arm Thyself: Parts 1 & 2]
Title: "Arm Thyself"
Parts 1 & 2
Author: Trevor X (shining_valor)
Game: Fire Emblem 8
Characters: Ephraim, Innes
~o0o~
The Spear
Ephraim could never recall consciously choosing the weapon that he would wield for a lifetime. Any thought that he put into the matter would have been moot in any case; all of his heroes wielded the spear - Fado and Duessel - and the desire to follow in the footsteps of such great men would countenance no deviation from their path. There were obstacles in his path; varied instructors tried time and again to teach him the intricacies of other weapons, but for the prince there would be no other.
He would sweep aside the foe with a length of wood tipped with steel.
His instructors finally bowed to the stubborn determination of the young prince and began to teach him the one thing that he desired to learn. And with single-minded focus, Ephraim began the long road to mastery of his weapon.
A sweeping blow to clear the area around him from crowding foes...
Pointed strikes to take down the enemy in their vulnerabilities...
And with the addition of a mere scrap of cloth, his weapon could become the rallying point for the troops. As he swung his practice weapon clumsily through the first few forms, Ephraim daydreamed of battles yet to come.
In all of them, he was leading the way.
~o~
The Bow
The heir to Frelia's throne sat ensconced in his tent, absently tracing the curved limbs of his favored partner. The smooth wood beneath his fingers betrayed no hint of strain or abuse from constant use of the past few weeks; Innes was primarily an archer and took the utmost care of his weapon. Unstrung, it lacked the tension that spoke of a readiness for battle and as such did nothing to distract the prince from his thoughts.
He had always been proud of his accomplishments with the bow. While Ephraim of Renais had chosen what some might consider a more martial path and Lyon of Grado had turned to sorcery to limit the stress that would be placed upon his body, Innes had mastered the one art that could defeat them both.
Time.
It would always take them time to attack him - Ephraim would always need to close the distance and Lyon would always have the pressure of his chants - and in that intervening space, Innes could fill the distance with a hail of arrows. In every dream that he encountered his rivals, he reigned over the battlefield with precise tokens of death.
Things changed when he encountered Eirika during the war; cut off from his army, his ranks bolstered only by a band of stubborn mercenaries who refused to listen to his orders and with his quiver half empty, he'd been rescued by the timely arrival of Eirika's column. It had been a time of great confusion overall and there had been no space for him to display the skills that he prided himself on.
He'd comforted himself with the thought that the war would not end before he had time to display his prowess before the Princess of Renais.
Alas, it was not to be.
Time and again, while he stayed behind to rain death upon the foe, Eirika rushed in to confront them directly, guarded constantly by a handful of her retainers. For the first time he braved the proximity of his foes in order to speak with the unruly woman. He'd requested that she remain by his side so that he could protect her.
In response, she'd slain an enemy who drew too near for comfort and attempted to reassure him that he would not be harmed. His protests had gone unnoticed as she plunged back into the battle, her guardians quickly assembling themselves around her as the melee swallowed her up.
When he scolded her on her behavior later, she shrugged and dismissed his concern. "If I stand behind you, then what use am I?"
Innes had no answer for that question.
He had been forced to watch her walk away from him when he'd only wanted her to admire him for his prowess. She refused to understand, her view of the world tainted by her choice of a weapon.
Why couldn't she have chosen the bow?
He was certain that things would have been better that way.
~o~
AN: Because it was easier to just post the first two portions together here. Comments welcome.
:)