Fire Emblem Fan Fiction / Fire Emblem Fan Fiction ❯ My Sword Is My Reason ❯ A Demon is Born ( Chapter 1 )

My Sword is My Reason

 

 

The Plains of Sacae…

“Brother, why do you learn the sword?” a girl no more then seven asked, tugging on the sleeve of her brother's shirt,

“I learn because I must, and because I wish to protect the people I love, Karla,” her brother, Karel, answered his voice so kind and so gentle,

“Am I one of those people, brother” she looked at him and he smiled,

“Yes, dear Karla, you are,” Karel picked up his sister and carried her on his back, “I would give my life for you, my dear sister,”

“Karel…brother, could you teach me how to use the sword…” Karla hung tightly to her brother's back,

“Why do you want to learn it for? It is ever so dangerous?”

“I want to learn so I can and protect the one…I love…” she fell asleep on her brother's back, clinging on she felt she could stay like that for an eternity…

 

4 Years later…

Karla woke up in her bed; she had just had a most frightening nightmare, in her nightmare she was a bird and looking towards and old tree she could see red, everything was bloody, and on a branch was a raven, a raven whose beak and wings were stained crimson. The raven looked at her, and it took flight, higher and higher until it came bearing down on her rearing its sharpened talons….That's where the dream ended, and she thanked Elimine's grace she had woke when she did.

 

After a moments pause, she started to feel the bright light of the sun shining through her window. After finally clearing her head she got up, dressed in her blue robe which had golden lace on the edges and combed her hair. Afterwards she walked out of her room and into the halls of the manor. Karla felt uncomfortable as she always did when she walked the hallowed halls of her family, there were always swords of many kinds hanging from the walls; most of them with dried blood still on the blade.

 

Hers was a warrior clan; they lived solely to master the sword to perfection, even the blood that flows through their veins held a secret hunger lust for death and battle. The very thought of killing made Karla shudder and she hurried along walking down the aisle as quickly as possible. She came to the Sanctuary, the place where the family kept there most precious possession, the Wo Dao, and held their most important duels. Her brothers and sister were there, the oldest brother Karst, her older sister Karleene and then her favourite brother Karel.

 

They were sparring each other with real swords, of course, but they avoided hurting each other, at least as much as possible. Karel was always a gentle person he never liked swordplay but surprisingly though younger then Karst and Karleene he was every bit superior to them with the blade. His movements flowed he was like a river, dancing his blade twirling like the wind on course, so fluent was his motion that neither of his elder brother and sister could touch him.

 

After a series of clashes Karel's two older siblings lay on the floor unarmed and vulnerable, Karel still with his sword in hand forced them to yield.

“Yield brother,”

“Yield to the likes of you? I would rather die,” Karst said defiantly, though his robes were torn and tattered.

“Please Karst, Karel has won, we are no match for him, please do not push this any further,” Karleene was much more sensible then Karst, more mature too.

“Next time Karel, next time…” Karst eyed Karel fiercely but all Karel offered in return was a friendly smile. The ensuing silence was broken by a booming voice coming from the entrance of the Sanctuary.

 

“Excellent, excellent Karel, your mastery of the blade has greatly improved over the years, you are a worthy son indeed,” it was their father and the master of the clan. Karst lowered his head and Karleene smiled in pride. Karla stood there and a warm feeling swept over her, Karla had some amount of skill since her brother started teaching her some years ago, but she was no where near his level and she didn't care, as long as she could be close to him she was happy.

 

“Indeed you are quite the swordsmen, Karel,” their mother smiled at them, stepping out from behind her husband. Karla heard rumours from the servants say that their father was once and probably still is a great swordmaster who was feared for his cold and ruthless nature; and that their mother fell in love with him for that, it was a strange love story that Karla chose not to remember since it involved much blood shed.

“All you others are a disappointment, especially you Karla, what are you now? Eleven? Ten? And still you are so afraid of blood?!” Her father's words hurt Karla,

“Now father, please, Karla is her own person, she is allowed to choose what she will be and what she wants,” Karel spoke up, he was always defending her against other people, he was so kind, she loved him for that.

 

“Its matters not what she wants, sooner or later she will go through the blood lust that all of our clan go through, so will Karst, Karleene and you also, my dear son,” their mother was right, it was a primal urge that took control of those who have the blood of their clan, and unsatisfiable hunger for death that only very few can control and fewer still can escape from.

 

Karla remained silent and looked at her brother, his face was calm yet she could feel his sadness, whatever she did she would not allow the blood of her clan to claim Karel, even if she must lose her own soul to do so...

 

5 years later…

“What?!” Karla barely muttered the worlds, “He's gone?! When?! Where?!”

“He left this morning, he didn't say where, just took his sword and left the manor, he didn't speak to anyone or even made eye contact, he just left…” Karleene looked at her younger sister, “Don't worry I'm sure he will be back…I'm sure,”

“Forget it, he probably gone left us, the traitor!” Karst said, he had always despised Karel for being the better swordsman and receiving all the attention and praise from their parents that Karst believed should have been his.

 

“Don't you dare say that! Or I'll…” Karla began, she could remember the first time she killed a man, it was a petty bandit who sought her ill, but that didn't make right, she still didn't like killing but now she knew it was sometimes necessary.

 

The three siblings went silent, it was an eerie silence the type of silence you would not have expect from family but from total strangers, in truth Karel was an important part in all their lives, but now that he was gone…

 

A month passed and no sign of Karel, their mother and father didn't seem to care in fact they were happy, when she thought they weren't listening Karla could hear them say things like, “its begun” or “at last”. It disturbed her, but she chose not to inquire into it.

 

After the fifth week Karla had made up her mind, she was going to go look for her lost brother, she did not know where he was or where to go, merely that she wanted to see him and that was enough,

“You a fool you know that Karla,” Karst had not approved of her going, mostly because he didn't want her to find Karel and bring him back but partially, a small part he was concerned about his little sister,

“I think its sweet that you care so much for him,” Karleene smiled softly and helped her pack supplies and such, “You must love him ever so much,”

Karla said nothing, she merely nodded.

 

“If you must go look for him, we will tell you now, it is unlikely you will find him, he has gone somewhere that you will never reach him,” her father chuckled then said, “Our clan has lived by the sword for so long, but there is a destiny our family must face,”

Their mother pulled out their family sword, the sword of red rain, the Wo Dao, she began to speak, “My dearest, only one may wield this sword, as it always had been as it always will be,”

With those words, they handed her a silver sword and some vulneries,

“If events occur like I have predicted it is best you leave, because your brother will come looking for you…” Her father's words confused her, so she chose not to heed it,

With that Karla left, stepping into the scarlet plains its crimson grass waving as she passes.

 

1 week later…

It was a cold, rainy night, not long after Karla's journey, the manor was a quiet place this night until a the sound of a dying guard echoed through the halls, the leaders of the clan woke and they knew immediately the situation,

“He has come dearest Sylvia, like we anticipated, he has come for the sword, and our blood,” turning to his wife he said, “Go wake Karst and Karleene, I want to give them a fighting chance when he comes here,”

“Of course, darling” hurrying down the hall and into each of her two remaining children's rooms, she woke them and told them to be ready for a battle in the manor's Sanctuary where the sword Wo Dao, sword of red rain, was kept.

 

All four of the remaining family members assembled in the Sanctuary, each with a sword in hand, two of them expecting to fight bandits or robbers the other two knowing full well the truth. More screams could be heard from outside from the guards and servants, then for a moment they stopped, and eerie silence ensued, then suddenly the doors swung open and there standing in the door way, covered in blood and smiling hungrily was Karel.

 

“What it's you! It can't be!” Karst nearly fell back in astonishment, Karleene wasn't much better,

“No…How…Why…” she muttered,

“So you've come at last, son, I told you our blood was strong, you couldn't resist the urge forever could you,” seeing the surprised faces of Karst and Karleene, their father decided to explain, “Karel here had begun to feel the ancient urge of our blood tugging at him, no doubt it grew stronger over time until he could barely contain it, that's why he left, and now having succumbed to the urge he has come back for our blood, like I came for my father and sister so many years ago,”

 

Turing to face his wife the once great swordmaster said, “You could leave you know, Sylvia he does not want your blood you are not from our family directly, go now and save yourself possible death”

“I married you did I not, Karnen, I promised to stay by your side, and I will,” her reply was certain, it had no regrets.

Karleene was the next to speak,

“I still do not see why this must happen, but if what you say is true father either he must die or us this night…”

“I too don't fully understand this but I understand you want to kill us, I won't let you brother, I've been waiting a long time for this,” Karst too was hungering for blood, his brother's blood, “Well speak little brother, or do you fear me already,

 

“…You are the weakest of all Karst I will give you a swift death,” Karel smiled, happy, so very happy, he flexed his shoulders then raised his sword,” All of you are my family…so I will not shame you by giving you mercy…come…it is time”

 

Karst was the first to rush into battle swinging his sword eagerly at Karel, his brother dodged the attacks easily and with one swift stroke he separated Karst's head from his body.

“Karst!!” Karleene leapt at Karel, her mother by her side, together they both slashed at Karel, he stepped back and evaded their attacks with ease, then struck back, Karleene managed to block it and their mother, his mother, stabbed him. Karel felt the cold steel pierce through his arm, he didn't care. Spinning around he performed a downward slash and only Karleene was left standing. His sister was mortified, she could barely move,

“Mother…Why brother…Why?”

“Dear, sweat Karleene, this is our fate, we live by the sword, we die by the sword…”

And then there was one. Karel turned, his face was unmoved, he had killed his mother, brother and sister and yet he was still calm, he was a demon.

 

“It has come to this…father…”

“Yes my son, yes it has; only one may wield the sword, it is either you or I…but I regret that the …others got involved in this…” his father unsheathed his sword and steeled himself,

“Do you miss them already? Then let me be the one to reunite you,”

Their swords clashed, fluent movements performed by both father and son, they were masters, artists, such speed and flow could not be believed, like the wind rushing through the forest, like the hawk diving for prey. The sound of metal making contact one moment after another, it was flawless. But old age and grief caught up with Karel's father and he tired, taking advantage of his weariness Karel hacked off his sword arm.

“I win,” there was no sadness or regret in his voice, none at all, just satisfaction, cold grim satisfaction.

 

“It seems so, but not completely…urrggghhh…your hunger has blinded you, there is one of us who will survive and until you kill her, you will never own the Wo Dao…”

“Who?….Karla….” Karel uttered those words and he flinched,

“Indeed…she will live…and who knows maybe someday in turn she will kill you…farewell my son…my sword…demon…”

It was over.

 

Walking to the mantle, Karel picked up the blade Wo Dao, he felt it, it was a seducing weapon, his family's weapon and with it his family would always be with him, always.

Karel collapsed down on the tiled floor, the blood of his family smeared everywhere. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, he was tired so very tired; it had been a long night.