Fire Emblem Heroes Head Canons And Hypotheticall Scenarios

[Toncka]

If You Have Any Feh Fan Theories Post Them Here 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Toncka
Make The Name Make Sense

[Mercakete]

Is this meant to be like, headcanons, or like "this looks like where the story is going" and stuff like that? If the former, I don't think we have a thread for that, but if the latter, then that usually goes under Book X Discussion threads (where X = the current book number.)

[Toncka]

On 8/2/2021 at 10:48 AM, Mercakete said:

Is this meant to be like, headcanons, or like "this looks like where the story is going" and stuff like that? If the former, I don't think we have a thread for that, but if the latter, then that usually goes under Book X Discussion threads (where X = the current book number.)

Both

[Mercakete]

Hmm... Well, I have a lot of those, but I don't particularly feel like re-explaining what I've already said, so for now, I'll just post new stuff here, and leave serious predictions and theorizing in the Book 5 discussion thread.

For now, here's a hypothetical scenario that may be fun to think about: what if none of the female characters in Heroes existed? I'm talking, in the game's main story. For the sake of argument, Kiran will be treated as male here.

Book 1. (No Anna, Sharena, or Veronika.)

Being the sole heir to the Emblian Empire, Prince Bruno remained at home, only stealing away every now and again. On one of these trips, he met and befriended Alfonse, the prince of the rival kingdom of Askr. Not wanting to put his friendship at risk, he kept his identity a secret from Alfonse, instead calling himself Zacharias, and claiming to have come from a different world. Alfonse believed the story. The two continued to meet as often as they could, but Bruno had to return home every time. One day, Zacharias stopped showing up. Alfonse became worried for his friend, but didn't know where to look for him. And so he closed his heart to heroes from other worlds, not wanting to go through that pain again.

Some time later, Embla declared war on Askr, and Alfonse took up the mantle of commander of the Order of Heroes in order to repel this threat. However, there were many foes. Being a student of history, Alfonse had an idea, remembering a tale of a legendary summoner. He went to the legendary weapon that was said to summon this summoner, and performed the rite used to call for the legendary hero. And so, the summoner, Kiran, appeared, wielding the legendary weapon Briedalblik (which I probably misspelt) and summoned heroes from other worlds to aid in the defense of Askr.

As they fought side by side, Alfonse struggled with his feelings. He felt a bond growing between himself and Kiran, but he was afraid of it. Each time, he remembered the pain from when Zacharias disappeared. The same would undoubtedly happen with this summoner, too. One day, he would have to return to his home, and they would never see each other again.

Finally, the time came when the leader of the Emblian army himself appeared on the battlefield. Alfonse could hardly believe it. He recognized Zacharias instantly. Full of incredulation, he asked why he was attacking Askr on the side of the Emblians. Possessed by his vengeful blood, the Emblian prince revealed his true identity to Alfonse. In the end, Alfonse was so filled with shock and dismay that he couldn't bring himself to even raise his sword in self-defense. Commanding the heroes he had summoned, Kiran took over to defend Alfonse, and the Emblians were forced to retreat. Hurt and confused, Alfonse took some time to himself to process the revelation. Kiran took over command of the Order of Heroes during this time.

As he spent some time to himself, Alfonse began to realize that Zacharias -- or rather, Bruno -- was acting very strangely. At first, he questioned whether this was Bruno's true aim during their time as friends, but that didn't make any sense. There had been numerous times when Bruno could have struck him down during their time together. He realized that something was influencing his friend. With renewed vigor, Alfonse scoured the royal library for what could have caused all this, and discovered information about a curse which was on the Emblian royalty, which compelled them to kill the Askran royalty. It was the influence of a great, dark power.

Knowing that once Bruno came to his senses the fighting would cease, Alfonse shifted his focus from fighting Embla to saving Bruno, and asked Kiran to continue defending Askr in his place. Kiran agreed, and Alfonse set out to find a way to remove the curse from Bruno, saving his friend and ending the war.

Book 2. (No Gunnthra, Fjorm, Leavateinn, Laegjarn, Helbindi's sister, Ylgr, or Loki. Nifl doesn't exist, but her power does.)

First, Alfonse planned to visit the lands of Nifl and Muspell in search of answers. These two countries were founded by those blessed by the dragons of the same names, just as Askr and Embla were. However, as he traveled through Nifl, he saw destruction everywhere. Pristine snow was melted and old trees were charred. It didn't take long to realize that Nifl was losing in its own war, and it was easy to figure out who was making it its conquest. Alfonse confirmed his theory with a group of Niflian refugees he met. After much searching, Alfonse finally found a Niflian war camp hidden in the snowy woodland. The soldiers there took him to their commander: Prince Hrid.

The Niflian prince was clearly worse for wear, tolerating old and fresh burn scars, but maintaining an air of strength and composure. He eyed Alfonse with distrust, however, and demanded to know who he was. Alfonse answered truthfully, and expressed his sympathy for the state of things in Nifl, comparing it with his own country's ongoing defense against Embla's conquest. He also admitted that their state was a better one than Nifl's. Hrid didn't believe Alfonse, however. "If Askr is under siege, then what would its prince be doing here?" Alfonse then explained the situation, including Bruno's curse and that he was seeking answers while someone capable and trusted handled the defense of Askr. Alfonse offered to help Hrid in his defense of Nifl, but Hrid didn't see how that would do much for them. He said that if he could find information on the Emblian curse, then he was free to it, but he should not put himself in jeopardy for the sake of another kingdom. Hrid claimed that Alfonse's duty was to Askr, as its prince, just as his own duty was to Nilf, as its prince...and only remaining royal.

As it turned out, the Niflian army was in shambles. They were forced to use guerilla tactics even within their own homeland, there were so few of them left. They had located and clashed against Surtr, the King of Muspell, on several occasions, but each time only a handful of their forces escaped. Time and again, Hrid himself had barely escaped the Fires of Muspell. Hrid warned Alfonse not to become Surtr's enemy if he could help it, especially with Askr already under attack from Embla. The cost would be many Askran lives, if not the destruction of the country. As for Hrid and his soldiers, they would continue to fight with the aim of winning their own war, no matter how bleak it looked. Hrid also mentioned possibly seeking out a temple of ice in order to imbue his sword with the power of the dragon Nifl, in order to be on more even footing against Surtr, who undoubtedly had imbued his own weapon with power from the dragon Muspell. Movement was difficult, however, and he wanted to avoid performing the rite if he could, as it would take his life in the end and someone still had to rule Nifl once they had peace again.

Alfonse admitted that Hrid's words held wisdom, but he still wanted to help. As Hrid had said, he was a neutral party, and so movement would be easier for him. And, in all honesty, his own goal was apart from the Nifl-Muspell war, and so he could reasonably seek answers from the Muspellians as well. In fact, he planned on doing that. Alfonse told Hrid that if he could find any advantage to Nifl that he would return with it. Hrid agreed to the terms, albeit uneasily, and thanked Alfonse for what he was willing to do. Then, Alfonse left in search of a Muspellian camp.

Unfortunately for Alfonse, he was found and captured by Muspellian soldiers before he could properly approach one of their camps as a traveler. The soldiers took him to their commander in the area: a man named Helbindi. Helbindi was harsh and unrefined, but he heard Alfonse out. Though Alfonse didn't reveal his identity this time, he did say that he was a traveler from Askr, and that he was concerned about the Emblian prince's condition. He expressed his belief that if he could find a cure for the Emblian prince's curse, that the warring in Askr and Embla would come to a peaceful end without the need for any more bloodshed, and that that was why he was here. Of course, Helbindi didn't know anything about any Emblian curses, but he did find the story curious. He admitted that he didn't like their king's choices, either. Though his subordinates fearfully warned Helbindi about speaking against the king, Helbindi shouted them down, claiming that he didn't care about what the man thought anymore. Helbindi told Alfonse that he was against this war, and that he didn't like the orders they were being given. He didn't like how the Niflians were being treated, and that even people who couldn't defend themselves were attacked and killed. He even admitted that Surtr ruled the people of Muspell itself with cruelty.

Incredulous, Alfonse asked why Helbindi was fighting for such a cruel king. Helbindi's answer was simple: he didn't want to die. In Muspell, poverty was rampant. Being a soldier was one of the few ways folk could support themselves and their families. Aloud, Alfonse wondered if that was by design -- if Surtr had arranged things so that his people would willingly join his army in order to invade Nifl. Helbindi agreed that was likely the case, now that he thought about it. Alfonse expressed his distaste for such tactics, and suggested that the Muspellians would be better off without such a king. Frustrated, Helbindi agreed. He declared that he'd had enough and wasn't going to tolerate Surtr's rule anymore. He didn't like all the suffering it caused, whether to Niflians or to Muspellians. Alfonse quickly warned Helbindi against being heard by loyalists, then suggested a plan.

In the end, the plan worked. Helbindi found like-minded Muspellians in the army and formed a secret group of dissenters. Alfonse found Hrid again and told him of the plot. Over time, Helbindi and his growing, secret group would filter into the unit King Surtr himself led until they had replaced all of the soldiers assigned to that unit. Then, after that was complete, Hrid and his soldiers would ambush Surtr, beginning their assault as usual. However, this time, Surtr would be surrounded by those who sympathized with Nifl or were at least against Surtr. At that moment, they would turn against Surtr, and with their combined forces, the King of Flame would be killed.

Hrid admitted that Alfonse had helped them far more than he ever would have dreamed, but that there was still the problem of Surtr being guarded by the power of the Fire Dragon Muspell. If no one could damage him, then no matter how many people they threw at Surtr, they could not win. Nifl guarded her realm, but she died long ago. That was why she, who loved tranquility, did not defend the land which bore her name against the Muspellian invaders. Her power still remained at the temple of ice, however, and could imbue a weapon to pierce the blessing of flames. However, it was a potent, frosty power and could not be fully controlled by a mere human. Over time, it would overcome the human who wielded it, costing that human his or her life. That said, it was the only way to save Nifl from the tyranny of King Surtr. Hrid would not allow his people to suffer as the Muspellians did if they were conquered. It was a grim thing to decide, but Hrid chose to travel to the temple of ice. There, he performed the Rite of Frost, taking Nifl's power into his sword. Even immediately after the rite, Hrid felt his body become much colder than what it used to be. He had an unshakable chill...but he would not allow that to overcome him. Everything was finally set. As soon as the Muspellian dissenters were ready, they would strike.

The day came. King Surtr was walking through Nifl in search of refugees to offer to Muspell in order to renew the Rite of Flames. His group met with an ambush, and Prince Hrid announced himself. Surtr was giddy at the thought of offering a son of Nifl as a sacrifice to Muspell. He declared how he looked forward to watching Hrid writhe as his flesh burnt away, along with the last of Nifl's hope. But then, Surtr's own soldiers turned against him. Niflian and Muspellian alike attacked King Surtr. He lashed out with his scythe, laughing, claiming to be invincible as he scattered his foes like ash. But then, something cold and sharp pierced through his heat-radiating form. A deadly chill began to spread within him, cooling the flames of his power until they were burnt out. Hrid's sword, which held the power of Nifl, had pierced straight through him. Muspell's power left Surtr, and Nifl's froze the impaled man from the inside out. Hrid removed his sword, and Surtr's body thudded to the ground. First, there was a sense of surrealism. And then, it began to settle in among the soldiers that they had won. The war was over, Surtr was no more, and both kingdoms could begin the rebuild.

As the soldiers celebrated, Alfonse went to check on Hrid. Hrid admitted that he was cold and tired, but he was otherwise fine. He thanked Alfonse for his help in securing freedom for Nifl and Muspell, and told him that he was welcome to the libraries in both countries' palaces and anywhere else he may find information on the Emblain curse. Still concerned since Hrid had been living with the side effects of the Rite of Frost for about a week now, Alfonse asked Hrid how long he thought he had until he was taken by Nifl's power. Hrid admitted that he did not know, but that he intended to work hard to get things settled in Muspell and Nifl both with what time he had left. Because Muspell had no more royalty in place, and because soon Nifl would likewise lose its last royal, he wanted to establish a cooperative relationship between the two countries' peoples, and find new leaders to rule when he succumbed to the frosty power. Alfonse expressed that he hoped that new leaders would not be necessary for a long time, and thanked him for leave to search for a solution to the Emblian curse.

And so, Alfonse took up temporary residence in Nifl's castle, and attendants from both Nifl and Muspell helped him with his research to speed up the process.

Book 3. (No Eir, Hel, Henriette, or Thrasir.)

Meanwhile, back in Askr, Kiran continued to bolster the forces of the Order of Heroes and lead them while King Gustav himself led the Askran army in the defense of his people. Gustav, the King of Askr, would question Kiran at times as to where his son was, but Kiran himself did not know. Gustav could not help but worry, and that led to frustration at Alfonse's impetuousness. Alfonse was the future King of Askr, and yet he was treating his life so trivially? Indeed, for Gustav, the worries of a parent were mingled with worry for his people after his own time had passed. Would his son even be alive to lead them when that time came?

The defense against Embla was a defensive one. Kiran had already explained the situation of the Prince of Embla to the King of Askr, and Gustav reluctantly agreed that if the Emblian curse could be broken that that would be the ideal solution. And so he trusted in the legendary summoner and in Alfonse, though something inside of him warned of some unseen threat.

One day, while he was studying, a Niflian messenger came to Alfonse with urgent news. Something had changed in the Emblian soldiers, and they were succeeding in pushing back Askr's forces. The messenger also relayed that King Hrid's suggestion was for Alfonse to return to Askr while his researchers continued to see if they couldn't find information on the Emblian curse. Alfonse agreed with this assessment, told the messenger to relay his thanks to Hrid, and then was on his way back to Askr.

When he got there, Alfonse was appraised of the situation, or as much of it as the Askrans knew. Their defenses had held up very well while Alfonse was away, but then, one day, there was a sudden change in the Emblians who came to attack them. The ones who came to fight seemed to have lost all emotion, fighting mechanically. And even when struck a fatal blow, they would not die. In addition, there was a new, powerful commander who fought ruthlessly.

It was like something out of a nightmare. How could anyone win against such an army? What had happened to the army of Embla to have drained them of their emotions and given them immortality? Alfonse couldn't help but remember Hrid's fight against Surtr. No one else could scratch the King of Muspell. It was only with a weapon imbued with the same kind of power as Surtr wielded that he could be harmed. Did Bruno enact a rite of some sort similar to the Rite of Flames? Such rites always came with a price. Just what had happened? It was vital that he find out, not only for Bruno's sake, but for the sake of both Askr and Embla.

There was only one place where Alfonse could find answers: Embla. Or, at the very least, he needed to extract information from someone with knowledge of what had happened. This new Emblian commander had appeared at the same time as the change in the Emblian army took place. The odds were high that he knew something of what happened.

And so, conspiring with Kiran and King Gustav, Alfonse proposed that they move onto the offensive. They would push forward under the guise of desperation, seeking to push to Embla's castle itself. However, their true aim would be simply to capture the enemy commander. They would attack on three fronts, with each of them heading a unit. The odds were good that the commander would attack one of them. Then, the other two would switch to defense, and keeping reinforcements away from the commander. They would isolate him and immobilize him, then bring him in for questioning.

Gustav objected to the idea, surprising Alfonse with how impassioned the man was. The Askran king then went on to express his disapproval with how cavalier Alfonse had been these past months, and how important it was that he start valuing his own life more. Humbly, Alfonse apologized, but argued that it couldn't be helped, given the circumstances. As Askr's prince, he had a duty to protecting Askr, and to doing his utmost to promote peace with other nations. He claimed that if there was a way to do that, then he would try to achieve it, no matter what. Gustav returned by questioning what Alfonse thought would happen if he died. His mother, Henriette, was no longer with them, and Alfonse was Gustav's only heir. Even if Gustav had another child if Alfonse died, that child would not be ready to rule anytime soon. Gustav himself was getting on in years, and would one day die, and he did not want to leave behind an empty throne. Alfonse insisted that he needed to work to protect Askr, but promised to take better care of himself. That was good enough for the time being for Gustav, though he wished Alfonse would remove himself from combat entirely. With that settled, he agreed to Alfonse's plan.

The three groups set out the next day. As Alfonse led his troops, approaching the enemy, he saw one singular individual step out from among the dead-faced soldiers. Alfonse could hardly believe it, but there stood Surtr. A red light blazed off of the man, and poured out of a hole in his breastplate and the back of his armor that was exactly where Hrid's sword had pieced him. His new armor looked worn and dented, and was completely black. Parts of him, including parts of his face, looked like it was made from an orangey-red gel, and within it, Alfonse could see the man's skeleton.

That man's wild grin chilled Alfonse as he looked directly at him. There was recognition in his eyes. Shakily, Alfonse asked, "How can you be here? Hrid killed you." Surtr laughed at that, agreed that, indeed, the Prince of Nifl did kill him. Then, he explained that it was, in fact, because of that that he was here now. When he'd died, he'd gone to the Real of the Dead: a place called Hel. There was no ruler there -- only the lifeless masses. And so, since he had lost Muspell, he had decided to conquer the realm of Hel and become its king. In so doing, he became the god of the dead, and acquired new powers which came with the station. He also met a man there: one who explained exactly how it was that Hrid of Nifl had gained his opportunity to kill him: Alfonse of Askr had interfered. It had been he who had turned the dissenters against him, and who had suggested the plan for them to infiltrate his unit. It had been he who had coordinated between them and the Niflians, and it had been he who had given Hrid enough hope and resolve to perform the Rite of Frost. And now, he was here to exact vengeance upon him and claim him as one of his soldiers before going to destroy those of Muspell and Nifl, and bring them into his new realm.

This explanation had come as Surtr had cut down all who tried to protect the prince, and advanced toward him. Alfonse was terrified, and though sometimes he managed to attempt a strike against Surtr, his attacks did nothing. It was all he could do to retreat as he blocked or parried, and somehow, he had wound up alone with this blazing god of death. Surtr knocked the prince down, and raised his scythe for the killing swing, but as the blade came down, it collided with something else before it could hit its intended target. King Gustav had thrown himself in between his son and Surtr's weapon, and had attempted to block the attack, but instead it buried itself deeply into him.

Alfonse's shock was all-consuming. All he could do was stare at the scene in refusal of this reality. Surtr steadily began to laugh as he realized what had just happened. "Very well, then! Die for your son! Extend his life for a short while longer, but I will claim him as well!" Then, Surtr pulled back his forces, Returning to Hel, and promising to return for Alfonse at a later time.

The entire country grieved for the loss of King Gustav -- and none more so than Alfonse, who had lost his only remaining family member -- but there was no time for proper mourning. Not with this attack from Hel, which seemed to have taken the place of the Emblian onslaught. Kiran was there to comfort and encourage Alfonse, and Alfonse was deeply grateful to him for it. So long as he had this good friend of his, he was not alone. Alfonse determined to stop doing nothing but defending. He would go to Hel itself and destroy Surtr there, in order to prevent any more harm from coming to Askr as a result of Surtr's vendetta against him. But for that to work, he needed a weapon that could kill the dead.

Alfonse researched all night, and eventually found a record of such a weapon. It was a dangerous rite, but it would give one the power to slay the dead. The rite, however, took many lives as compensation for this act. Alfonse wasn't sure if he should use it, even if it meant killing Surtr. For know the knowledge was good enough. After getting what sleep he could, the following day, he set out to the gate which led to Hel, along with some forces and Kiran. When Alfonse got there, however, his heart sank.

There, guarding the gate to the realm of the dead, was King Gustav. The dead king pleaded with Alfonse, warning him that having died, he was no longer in control of his actions. But rather, that he was subject to the god of the dead. Alfonse was filled with both grief and rage that Surtr would employ such underhanded tactics, using the marred form of his father against him like this. Alfonse and his troops surged against the forces of the dead, battling them until there was an opening through which Alfonse and Kiran managed to enter the gate. The remaining Askran forces retreated after this mission of getting thos two through was accomplished.

The pair wandered the eerie land of the dead for a long time. Though it felt like several days, time didn't shift in this place. Occasionally, they would run across Surtr's troops, and have to fight their way away from them as they headed for the castle in this place to fight Surtr directly. As they travelled, they came across a swordsman Kiran claimed was a general of the army of the dead. Several times, the swordsman came close to defeating Alfonse and Kiran, but when he looked at Kiran, something always seemed to drive him away.

The terrain eventually became eerily familiar to Alfonse. He had found an entirely other Askr here in this world. Inside the Askr Castle of this world, he confronted the swordsman who called himself Lif, which was the name of the first Askran king. He claimed to know the man's true name...and that it was the same as his own. Lif confirmed this. He was Alfonse, but an Alfonse from a different Askr: the one they currently stood in. Alfonse asked what happened. Lif promised to explain, but first, he admitted to being the one to tell Surtr about the actions of Alfonse in Nifl.

In Lif's version of the world, Surtr did not go to Embla and broker a deal with Bruno first, as he did this time. Instead, Surtr came directly to Nifl to exact his revenge. During that time, Alfonse was still researching the Emblian curse. Surtr's goals were simple: to destroy Nifl and Muspell, and bring them all to Hel to rule over them. When he began his attack, Lif, the Alfonse of that world, had tried to work with the Hrid of that world to stop him. He failed, but managed to return to Askr to prepare for Surtr's conquest against them and sent a warning to Embla. However, Embla ignored this warning, and refused to help Askr in any way. Lif searched for a way to kill those who were already dead, and came up with a solution: a dangerous rite. He enacted the rite...and one by one, people throughout Askr began dying. It was far too much to handle: seeing person after person of those you were to lead and protect die because of you. And it was simply too much to bear when Kiran's turn finally came... Lif was driven into agony and anguish. He lost himself.

There was only one way to undo that rite's curse. Undoing it was all that mattered anymore. The balance of the dead had to be kept. For every life taken in another version of the world, a life would be regained in Lif's. And so he came to the other world and spoke with Surtr to broker a deal, and to reclaim his own world by destroying this one.

For this reason, Lif explained, he could not let Alfonse or Kiran live. Indeed, his resolve was now strong enough to slay the Kiran right in front of him in order to regain his own, dear friend. "Throw away everything to bring a dead world back to life. Sacrifice another self."

The fight which ensued was intense, but Alfonse and Kiran's teamwork led them to victory. Alfonse told Lif that he does indeed pity him...but that this could not be the right answer. Then, Alfonse swore that they would kill Surtr and free Lif.

The castle in Hel was not much further from there. Kiran and Alfonse confronted Surtr there with new resolve. Surtr was practically giddy to be able to go all out against them. It was a difficult and intense battle, and Surtr was going after Alfonse like a shark attacking his prey. Finally, Surtr was knocked back, giving Alfonse an opening. In that moment, Kiran could have sworn that he saw the image of Lif over the image of Alfonse as he ran the death god through. Though it would never be explained to Kiran, at least not in the near future, Lif transferred the power to kill the dead to Alfonse: his other self. He had finally been broken of his determination to kill Alfonse's Askr for his own, instead wishing for at least one Askr to flourish.

And so, Surtr finally died, and the land of Hel became devoid of a ruler once more.

Book 4. (No Thorr, Peony, Mirabilis, Triandra, Plumeria, or Freyja.)

About a week passed, as Askr began to recover from Hel's assault, and the attacks from Embla resumed again. Alfonse's coronation was postponed, as the situation was still too dangerous for an official ceremony like that to be held. And, truthfully, Alfonse was not yet ready to don the crown. He confided in Kiran that all of these recent tragedies were weighing heavily on him. The revelation of Zacharias to be Bruno, and the stark contrast in their behavior, Surtr's two conquests and being personally hunted down by him, Lif's tragic tale which could easily have become his own, the death of his father, the sheer length of this war, and tragedy after tragedy relentlessly befalling the kingdom... No, it was more personal than that. Tragedy after tragedy befalling him. It was all too much, and Alfonse was so tired by now. Tired from sorrows and fears constantly wearing on him... And Kiran agreed that Alfonse needed to rest. So, Kiran again was given command of the Order of Heroes and command of the Askran army in order to protect the kingdom and stave off the Emblian assault while Alfonse took a much-needed break.

During the second day or so of this reprieve from handling states of crisis, Alfonse decided to take a walk through the woods near the castle. He'd hoped to find some peace in the solitude and in the calming sounds of nature. Unfortunately, he hardly noticed his beautiful surroundings, distracted as he was by dark thoughts of recent events. If he had been more aware, perhaps he would have noticed the shift in the woods around him. How the golden sunlight faded, and the bright green foliage silently turned grey and disappeared... He was only snapped out of his thoughts by a voice: a harsh and ferocious voice, promising Alfonse death.

The prince of Askr quickly spun around, eyes wide with terror and disbelief. It was impossible, but there stood Surtr of Hel, his blazing red scythe raised and ready to strike, while his eyes gleamed in wicket delight. Hastily, Alfonse parried the attack, but it was so powerful that it knocked him over, and his sword arm was sprained with the attempt. As he scrambled to his feet, Alfonse's mind raced. This couldn't be happening. Surtr was dead -- he'd killed him himself! The King of Hel swung at Alfonse again. The prince barely escaped being cut in two by its blade, but his arm, the one opposite his sword arm, did receive a cut from the weapon. It burned more than a normal blade should, provoking a cry of pained surprise from Alfonse. The sound seemed to make Surtr gleeful, and the hulking man began to quicken his attacks as he described all manner of ways in which he would make Alfonse suffer. Though he managed to avoid or parry strike after strike, each blow which he deflected made his sword arm ache, and it felt like Surtr's scythe was even heating the air with each pass.

"Askr needs you."

Alfonse knew better than to take his eyes off of his persistent enemy, but the voice he heard drew his attention. Off to the side, he saw his marred father standing there, with a look of deep disappointment on his face. "You are the only one remaining of the royal line. The fate of our people was placed in your hands. I told you not to treat your life so lightly... You had a duty to them. And now, because you will die here...they are also doomed. You failed Askr... You failed me."

Suddenly, the air became hot. It was like he was right next to a fire. Alfonse turned his head to look at the source of the heat. A new horror filled his vision as the image of his father burned away, along with the landscape of Hel. The trees were now sharp, charred sticks pointing straight into the sky, once having been proud and volumous evergreen trees. Red embers tinted them, and the blackened ground from which they protruded.

Alfonse hardly noticed these, however. His entire attention was on the man who stood just in front of him, holding up a sword which had been cloven in two. The other per of its blade was a short distance away. The heat that Alfonse felt came from Sinmara, Surtr's blazing scythe, which was currently lodged within this man's body. It had nearly cleaved the man in two completely. Alfonse's mind rejected what his eyes could not. Dry and hoarse, the man's voice managed to utter an apology to Alfonse, claiming that he couldn't protect him. And then, Hrid, King of Nifl, burned up completely from the weapon lodged in his torso, revealing a completely revived Surtr of Muspell, grinning menacingly.

"Nifl, Askr, Muspell... Looks like they're all going to be subject to him... What a filthy future..." Behind Surtr, Alfonse saw Helbindi on his knees with a searing, horrible gash spreading across his body until he was completely burned up. Then, he suddenly noticed all of the charred bodies littering the ground. When had they gotten there? He couldn't remember, his mind somewhere between the present and his worst fears of what could happen in Nifl if Hrid failed to kill Surtr.

"I should have killed you... I should have killed everyone!" The anguished, furious cry came from somewhere behind him, but Alfonse didn't have to look to recognize that voice. It was so similar to his own... Lif. "Now another Askr will be destroyed... Why did I ever trust you?! I did not need this world -- I should have used it to revive my own! You're WEAK, Alfonse! You're far too weak to save this world!"

"But you are still subject to me," Surtr growled with that terrible grin on his face, pointing past Alfonse to Lif. Alfonse could hear his other self let out a pained, frustrated, resigned grunt. Alfonse got the feeling that even though Lif wanted to, there was nothing he could do to rebel against his hated master.

It sounded like Lif was in tears, his voice tight in frustration as he harshly told Alfonse, "You said you would free me...but now you will become me."

"No, Lif." Alfonse turned to look to the owner of this new voice, startled to hear him, and fresh alarm washing over him when he saw its owner. Prince Bruno of Embla was walking toward the collection of men, dragging along a limping and battered Kiran by the back of his hooded neck. "You are already dead, so you are no concern of mine...however, I am the heir of Embla. It is my right to kill the children of Askr...and once he is dead, then no more Askran royalty will remain." Then, Bruno looked down to the one he held, a grimace of distaste coming onto his face. "But first, his troublesome summoner."

Bruno threw the battered Kiran to the ground, followed closely by a blast of magic. Alfonse could hardly get Kiran's name out before the spell collided with his dear and trusted friend, who laid perfectly still afterward. It was too much. It was like every fear and sorrow that had been haunting him had manifested right there and were all assaulting him at once. Alfonse hardly paid attention to the argument which ensued between Bruno and Surtr regarding who truly had the right to kill him. Listlessly, the prince fell to his knees, staring at Kiran's corpse. He couldn't take it anymore. Askr's armies had clearly failed to keep the Emblian forces out of Askr. Kiran as dead. Surtr was alive again. Lif was subject to everlasting service to this wicked and cruel man. Muspell and Nifl, at the least, would assuredly come under Surtr's tyrannical rule. Nifl's las ruler, Hrid, had fallen to Surtr in an attempt to save him from the King of Flames. And he...he had failed everyone...and now he was going to die for it.

It was strange. Alfonse was so overcome with the weight of his sorrows that he didn't even notice the voices and images fade away into a heavy and quiet darkness. As he was, Alfonse didn't mind succumbing to it, either. There was nothing else he deserved...at least, so he felt. Oddly, like something barely on the edges of his perception, Alfonse felt a sort of soothing warmth. The darkness seemed to flow away like smoke in the wind, and revealed around him was an unfamiliar forest. It was dark, but brightly glowing flora and dark, thorny, twisting vines were all around. A sort of drowsiness began to steadily fade away from the prince, and the landscape began to change once more. Now, Alfonse found himself in a grassy, flowery meadow with bright blue skies above and white, wispy clouds lazily drifting by, reflected in clear ponds which dotted the landscape. Alfonse found himself looking around in awe of the place from where he knelt. It was so peaceful, and had an innate sense of happiness about it. It was so different from...

The prince suddenly remembered the situation he had just been in. His attention snapped back to where Kiran should have been. There was nothing but gently-waving grasses and flowers, however. As though responding to the questions in his mind, a nearby voice spoke. "There is nothing to fear. The nightmare has been chased away."

Alfonse jumped, only just then realizing that he was not alone. A tall man with twisting horns extending from his head stood next to him, eyes closed.

"W-what?"

"You are dreaming," the man answered. "I am Freyr, the Dream King. I stand a continuous vigil against a darkness which has encroached upon my dominion for countless years. However, I do so alone. At times, the darkness makes it past me, and forms nightmares in the minds of those who dream. It particularly enjoys preying upon those with troubled hearts...such as yourself. I managed to send it away for now...but if you do not wish to be its prey again, I suggest that you resolve the fears and pain you harbor. After all...darkness calls to darkness."

Alfonse was still trying to wrap his head around it. At his asking, Freyr confirmed that what Alfonse saw -- Surtr, Hrid, Bruno, Kiran, Lif, King Gustav... -- all of it had only been a nightmare: fears and traumas augmented into a nightmare by the darkness. At his questioning, Freyr also explained that though he did not know where the darkness came from, it has taken over a good part of the dream world and turned it into the nightmare world. When Alfonse asked if the darkness could be defeated, Freyr admitted that he did not know. Long ago, he had considered bringing mortal children to the dream world and giving them special powers would could be used to combat it, but no matter what that child's past or situation was like, he would be taking away their futures in the mortal world by doing so. Thus, he had decided against it. Instead, he stood vigil alone.

"But don't you ever get tired or hopeless? From what you say, the darkness may never go away. Why do you keep standing against it?" Alfonse asked, partially thinking of his own situation and discouragement.

"If I were to give up...the darkness would consume me," Freyr answered, "My loss would be assured, instead of a mere possibility. However, I do have the power to resist it. My power wards against it... This is why it has not completely destroyed my domain. But beyond that...it is because if I and this place gets swallowed by it...then there would never be a good dream again. There are too many who rely on me not to fall...so whether I can or cannot is not the question. Rather, I ward the darkness because I must. I am relied upon to shield the dreams of mortals. Thinking about that... Thinking about the consequence to others, should I fail...it strengthens my resolve."

Then, Freyr turned his face to Alfonse, and his eyes slid open just enough that he could look at the prince. "Are there those whom you refuse to fail?"

Instantly, faces flashed through Alfonse's mind. Kiran, Hrid, Helbindi, King Gustav, Lif, the people of Askr...and Bruno. They were all relying on him...and instead of filling him with fear of failure, suddenly, Alfonse felt strengthened by their trust. A smile began to form on Alfonse's face. "Yes... They are all very dear to me. I will not let them down."

Freyr smiled at the prince. Then, he closed his eyes, and set his attention straight ahead. "Mortals rarely remember their time here... However, even if you forget your encounter with me, I hope that you take with you this new strength you have found. Be well, Prince of Askr."

The landscape faded away in a warm light, and the next thing Alfonse knew, he was waking up in his bed. The dream was already beginning to fade from his mind, but for some reason, he felt like there was something important about it. He met with Kiran a bit later. As it turned out, Kiran had also had a strange dream, though in his, he had actually been Alfonse himself, and had had to kill Alfonse, who had looked like the summoner, but who had been possessed by evil butterflies and a goat overlord. Suddenly, Alfonse didn't feel like forgetting the details of his dream was so bad if it was half as crazy as Kiran's had been. However, it was strange... For some reason, Alfonse found that he was filled with more courage to face the future than he had in a long time. People were relying on him...and he felt completely resolved not to let them down.

Book 5. -- TO BE CONTINUED (MAYBE) SOMEDAY! (No Reginn, Eitri, Dagr, or Nott.)

 

I'll stop here for now, but this is fun. Book 3 is really going to be a challenge since only Lif and Gustav are new characters here. I mean, the whole thing was driven by that heartbeat rite and Hel trying to kill everyone, so we'll see how things progress. That said, the events are already so different that it shouldn't be too much trouble to work on. (I'm also not doing Book 5 since that book isn't done yet.)

So, enjoy what I have so far of Alternative Male-Only FEH! 😄 I'll at least do books 3 and 4 later. 4 Should be short.

IS DONE (for now?).

Edited August 8, 2021 by Mercakete

[Toncka]

Okay I Like The Sound Of Just Doing Headcanons And Hypothetical Scenarios So We'll Stick To Those From Now On.

[Mercakete]

11 hours ago, Toncka said:

Okay I Like The Sound Of Just Doing Headcanons And Hypothetical Scenarios So We'll Stick To Those From Now On.

Heh, okay. X3 You may want to alter the title of the thread, then, to reflect that. It may draw more people in here, too.

[Toncka]

How Do You Change The Title?

[GrandeRampel]

@Mercakete That was a very interesting read. I gotta say that it's plain to see book 3 marked a definitive change in the number of male characters compared to female ones, and in their relevance to the plot. For book 1 and 2 you have enough characters to work with to tell pretty much the same story as canon, you just need to give Fjorm's role to Hrid and you have Helbindi to show the goodness of Muspellians. There are barely enough male characters to work with in book 2, if one of Helbindi, Surtr or Hrid was a woman instead of a man it would have made this experiment impossible. Book 1 has less male characters but the barebone story allows for it to work with just two characters.

The real problem starts with book 3. From then onwards it's impossible to tell the same story with only male characters. You need Hel to make the story work, and you can't give her role to Gustav or Lif because they need to stay as they are. You had to cheat and use Surtr but at that point you might as well use genderbent Hel. Nevermind that Eir's part of the story is also important and there is no Hrid-like character to take her place. 

With Book 5 it's worse because no matter how you use Otr, you are boned. You need both Reginn and Eitri in order for the plot to not break apart and Otr can take the role of only one of them.

And then there's book 4 lmao.

One idea I have to solve it is to give Freyja's role to the dark half of Freyr's soul which he casted aside a long time ago to be perfectly good, and is now seeking to reunite with him. But much like with Hel=Surtr, at that point you might as well genderbend the sibling and it would result in a way better story than "one dude try to escape from his own shadow for an entire irl year".

 Nevermind that this is the one book in which you need Sharena or you can't tell the story. Either Sharena or genderbent Peony as the real Alfonse. But at least the people who hate OCs taking mythic slots would be happy. They would take only 2 slots for Freyr and Shadow Freyr.

But the real real problem is that you can't tell the overarching story without Loki. In your version, thanks to no Loki you don't get to foreshadow Alfador's existence at all, which is bad. Without building him up for years the eventual arrival of Alfador would feel anticlimactic "yup, another bad guy like Surtr, Shadow Freyr and Fafnir, how is he any different?".

You just can't tell Feh's story without the female cast. 

It's funny that you could spin this in two different ways:

1: IS gives the female characters so much care and plot importance that they are vital to the story. Most feminist game in the series, 10/10.

2: IS just creates waifu after waifu to fall in love with the self-insert who always saves the day in the most sexist FE game to date 0/10

 

 

Anyway, your experiment was a good read and now I want to see if you can do the opposit and only use the female characters.

Book 1: Kiran is female, Sharena takes Alfonse's place and Veronica was her friend with a fake name for a time. Easy.

Book 2: Laegjarn takes the role of Surtr, Laevateinn absorbs a bit of Helbindi (such as saving Ylgr) and Gunnthra fills in for Hrid. Easy.

Book 3: Henriette=Gustav and as for and I guess we can give all the Lif/Alfonse drama to Veronica, out new best ally. Kind of difficult.

Book 4: Uh... well, I'll be damned you would think this would be the easiest book of all what with only character to replace, but... much like Freyja he is pretty much impossible to replace or the story becomes stupid and bad. I give up.

Book 5: Much like the previous book, this is quite a problem. You need Fafnir for this story and the possible substitutes like the currently useless giants have some problems. Very difficult.

 

What do you know, turns out you need the male characters in feh. Things aren't that bad after all.

[Mercakete]

@GrandeRampel

I'm glad you enjoyed what I have so far, and you have an interesting take here! But I need to clarify something: I'm not quite replacing characters. Really, I'm just being all "what if the gals weren't around?" and following what's in-character for the dudes, what sort of world events were happening at the time (unless said events would be changed by events which take place in this all-male version, such as Embla's assault on Askr continuing into Book 2), and the world's canon rules (like, Surtr couldn't be killed except by a power similar to the one that was shielding him.) For example, Alfonse taking on Bruno's mission and having that be his driving force came as a surprise to me as I was writing, but it made so much sense that it fell naturally into place.

As for Hrid, it was less that he took on Fjorm's role and more that this is what he would do under those circumstances. His own driving force was to save Nifl, and his sense of duty to his home. When the player meets him for the first time in the canon Book 2, he's already clashed with Surtr a couple times, and was recovering from a battle with him, so we know he was already working to get him out of Nifl. I didn't see why he wouldn't act the same here.

As for Surtr taking over Hel (location) I took a cue from that paralogue where he spoke with the lady herself. Dude's a conqueror, so if there was no sovereign wherever he wound up, why wouldn't he take over? And, since I had the power of Nifl lying around in her absence, I didn't see why the same wouldn't be the case if another realm's deity had gone missing or what have you. That is, it was up for grabs. Granted, this is me slipping a bit of my own reasoning in here, but otherwise, wouldn't that world collapse? I mean, you can see evidences of the various powers in their respective realms, even with their rightful wielders missing, such as when Hel died. I mean, people are still able to die, so the power of death is still around, even if Hel bit the dust at the end of Book 3, and people can still dream, even though Freyr died at the end of Book 4. Speaking of dudes dying, in this male-only version, Helbindi got to live, so it's not like I'm forcing things to go exactly like how they did in the canon story. 😄

Speaking of Book 4, I do plan on writing something up for it, but I suspect it'll be short. I can say, however, that I do not plan on putting in a "shadow Freyr" since it doesn't make sense for one to exist. I don't remember him ever having anything like that, anyway. That said, this is probably where we'll see the first major divergence from the official FEH plotline.

Oh, and regarding Loki's importance to the overarching plot, it's not actually possible to say yet just how much of a role she has. That can only truly be determined once the whole story has ended and we can look back on all of the events. For now, we can only speculate.

@Toncka

Edit your opening post and adjust the title there.

Edited August 5, 2021 by Mercakete

[GrandeRampel]

@Mercakete I gotta say I am mighty curious about how you are going to tackle book 4 if you aren't going to use Shadow Freyr or introduce a brand new OC. Even if it's shorter a whopping ONE character to tell a story seems too little.

And about Loki, I wasn't talking about her importance as a character, but her importance as a tool. If Alfador isn't foreshadowed in any way we lose all the build-up. Upon his introduction we would have no reason to believe he is the big bad, heck we would think he is another Surtr and the character who was actually foreshadowed (Embla) will be the big bad. 

[Mercakete]

@GrandeRampel

The story will go where it goes on its own, but I can at least promise that I'll be using what the lore's already given me to work with. It may not be all that epic, but it will flow naturally with what events in this alternate timeline have already established. Anyway, want me to let you know when I write it in? (If I don't get an answer to this before inspiration strikes, I'll just let you scroll up and check on your own.)

[GrandeRampel]

If it's not too much of a bother, then yes. PM when you post it.

Edited August 6, 2021 by GrandeRampel

[Mercakete]

Okay, I usually try to keep it short and descriptive but in some ways I kind of couldn't avoid dialogue this time. It also turned out to not be quite as short as I thought it'd be. Well, I hope everyone enjoys Male-Only Book 4! ^_^

@GrandeRampel 

[Morgan--Grandmaster]

All characters who share a voice actor have monthly luncheons, and for the most part, are close friends.

Edited August 8, 2021 by Morgan--Grandmaster

[GrandeRampel]

@Mercakete Oh you clever little sneak, I see what you did there. But I have to call it cheating anyway. You didn't rewrite Book IV, it just happened exactly the same with Kiran dreaming of being Alfonse fighting the Evil Goat Lady. You simply chose to show what Alfonse has been dreaming about in the meantime. 

Since we don't know what Alfonse dreamt your little story might just become canon by sheer coincidence in the future. I will accept it as headcanon in the meantime. Good read.

It sucks we will have to wait months for your rewriting of book 5. 

[Mercakete]

@GrandeRampel

*probably more humored about being called a "clever little sneak" than is reasonable* Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! Though, I want to clarify in all seriousness that I did not cheat. Kiran's dream in this version was just an easter egg. Honestly, I think that (in the canon Book 4) Alfonse was actually with Kiran for most of it, and Kiran started being Alfonse only when they left the awake world for the 2nd time. Alfonse may have been in a dreamless sleep at that point, or just never fell asleep. Either way, we know Kiran woke up last (as I recall.) Anyway, all I said was that there were evil butterflies and a goat overlord of unspecified gender in the easter egg dream. So I'm okay. 😉 But of course, you can think what you want to. I'll just note for the record that I've been sticking to my own rules. (For example, canon Alfonse doesn't have all the same specific traumas as Male-Only Alfonse, nor the same exact doubts, even if they were somewhat similar. He also didn't develop as close a relationship to Hrid and Helbindi as Male-Only Alfonse did. Both are afraid of Surtr, though, as evidenced by canon Alfonse being attacked by a nightmare version of him in Book 4, which was part of the basis for my including him in Male-Only Alfonse's nightmare.)

Huh. Y'know, it seems like dudes have a lower death rate in my Male-Only version than in the canon version... Okay, I want to take a look at this.

Canon ded: Helbindi, Surtr, Gustav, Freyr

Male-Only ded: Surtr (twice), Gustav

Technically...

- In the male-only version, Hrid lived, but he was also cursed with no hope for a cure and will be overcome with Nifl's ice power eventually.

- Lif was dead to begin with in both versions, but he's still not inactive, so....?

Anyway, yeah, it looks like more men survive when there aren't any women. (TOTALLY A LEGIT CONCLUSION TO COME TO BASED ON THIS.) That said, I find that my version of a male-only FEH is indeed more serious in tone, and I believe that I may have traumatized Alfonse a lot more than IS did. Whoops.

[GrandeRampel]

On 8/11/2021 at 3:36 AM, Mercakete said:

That said, I find that my version of a male-only FEH is indeed more serious in tone, and I believe that I may have traumatized Alfonse a lot more than IS did. Whoops.

That tends to happen when you don't have an optimistic little sister with you to distract from all the trauma. Nevermind that canon Alfonse has at least a parent alive, while Male-Only Alfonse is orphan of both parents. Jeez, you are cruel, Mercakete. You could have saved Gustav's life in some way.

[carlstensfer102]

On 8/4/2021 at 12:51 PM, Mercakete said:

Hmm... Well, I have a lot of those, but I don't particularly feel like re-explaining what I've already said, so for now, I'll just post new stuff here, and leave serious predictions and theorizing in the Book 5 discussion thread.

For now, here's a hypothetical scenario that may be fun to think about: what if none of the female characters in Heroes existed? I'm talking, in the game's main story. For the sake of argument, Kiran will be treated as male here.

Book 1. (No Anna, Sharena, or Veronika.)

Being the sole heir to the Emblian Empire, Prince Bruno remained at home, only stealing away every now and again. On one of these trips, he met and befriended Alfonse, the prince of the rival kingdom of Askr. Not wanting to put his friendship at risk, he kept his identity a secret from Alfonse, instead calling himself Zacharias, and claiming to have come from a different world. Alfonse believed the story. The two continued to meet as often as they could, but Bruno had to return home every time. One day, Zacharias stopped showing up. Alfonse became worried for his friend, but didn't know where to look for him. And so he closed his heart to heroes from other worlds, not wanting to go through that pain again.

Some time later, Embla declared war on Askr, and Alfonse took up the mantle of commander of the Order of Heroes in order to repel this threat. However, there were many foes. Being a student of history, Alfonse had an idea, remembering a tale of a legendary summoner. He went to the legendary weapon that was said to summon this summoner, and performed the rite used to call for the legendary hero. And so, the summoner, Kiran, appeared, wielding the legendary weapon Briedalblik (which I probably misspelt) and summoned heroes from other worlds to aid in the defense of Askr.

As they fought side by side, Alfonse struggled with his feelings. He felt a bond growing between himself and Kiran, but he was afraid of it. Each time, he remembered the pain from when Zacharias disappeared. The same would undoubtedly happen with this summoner, too. One day, he would have to return to his home, and they would never see each other again.

Finally, the time came when the leader of the Emblian army himself appeared on the battlefield. Alfonse could hardly believe it. He recognized Zacharias instantly. Full of incredulation, he asked why he was attacking Askr on the side of the Emblians. Possessed by his vengeful blood, the Emblian prince revealed his true identity to Alfonse. In the end, Alfonse was so filled with shock and dismay that he couldn't bring himself to even raise his sword in self-defense. Commanding the heroes he had summoned, Kiran took over to defend Alfonse, and the Emblians were forced to retreat. Hurt and confused, Alfonse took some time to himself to process the revelation. Kiran took over command of the Order of Heroes during this time.

As he spent some time to himself, Alfonse began to realize that Zacharias -- or rather, Bruno -- was acting very strangely. At first, he questioned whether this was Bruno's true aim during their time as friends, but that didn't make any sense. There had been numerous times when Bruno could have struck him down during their time together. He realized that something was influencing his friend. With renewed vigor, Alfonse scoured the royal library for what could have caused all this, and discovered information about a curse which was on the Emblian royalty, which compelled them to kill the Askran royalty. It was the influence of a great, dark power.

Knowing that once Bruno came to his senses the fighting would cease, Alfonse shifted his focus from fighting Embla to saving Bruno, and asked Kiran to continue defending Askr in his place. Kiran agreed, and Alfonse set out to find a way to remove the curse from Bruno, saving his friend and ending the war.

Book 2. (No Gunnthra, Fjorm, Leavateinn, Laegjarn, Helbindi's sister, Ylgr, or Loki. Nifl doesn't exist, but her power does.)

First, Alfonse planned to visit the lands of Nifl and Muspell in search of answers. These two countries were founded by those blessed by the dragons of the same names, just as Askr and Embla were. However, as he traveled through Nifl, he saw destruction everywhere. Pristine snow was melted and old trees were charred. It didn't take long to realize that Nifl was losing in its own war, and it was easy to figure out who was making it its conquest. Alfonse confirmed his theory with a group of Niflian refugees he met. After much searching, Alfonse finally found a Niflian war camp hidden in the snowy woodland. The soldiers there took him to their commander: Prince Hrid.

The Niflian prince was clearly worse for wear, tolerating old and fresh burn scars, but maintaining an air of strength and composure. He eyed Alfonse with distrust, however, and demanded to know who he was. Alfonse answered truthfully, and expressed his sympathy for the state of things in Nifl, comparing it with his own country's ongoing defense against Embla's conquest. He also admitted that their state was a better one than Nifl's. Hrid didn't believe Alfonse, however. "If Askr is under siege, then what would its prince be doing here?" Alfonse then explained the situation, including Bruno's curse and that he was seeking answers while someone capable and trusted handled the defense of Askr. Alfonse offered to help Hrid in his defense of Nifl, but Hrid didn't see how that would do much for them. He said that if he could find information on the Emblian curse, then he was free to it, but he should not put himself in jeopardy for the sake of another kingdom. Hrid claimed that Alfonse's duty was to Askr, as its prince, just as his own duty was to Nilf, as its prince...and only remaining royal.

As it turned out, the Niflian army was in shambles. They were forced to use guerilla tactics even within their own homeland, there were so few of them left. They had located and clashed against Surtr, the King of Muspell, on several occasions, but each time only a handful of their forces escaped. Time and again, Hrid himself had barely escaped the Fires of Muspell. Hrid warned Alfonse not to become Surtr's enemy if he could help it, especially with Askr already under attack from Embla. The cost would be many Askran lives, if not the destruction of the country. As for Hrid and his soldiers, they would continue to fight with the aim of winning their own war, no matter how bleak it looked. Hrid also mentioned possibly seeking out a temple of ice in order to imbue his sword with the power of the dragon Nifl, in order to be on more even footing against Surtr, who undoubtedly had imbued his own weapon with power from the dragon Muspell. Movement was difficult, however, and he wanted to avoid performing the rite if he could, as it would take his life in the end and someone still had to rule Nifl once they had peace again.

Alfonse admitted that Hrid's words held wisdom, but he still wanted to help. As Hrid had said, he was a neutral party, and so movement would be easier for him. And, in all honesty, his own goal was apart from the Nifl-Muspell war, and so he could reasonably seek answers from the Muspellians as well. In fact, he planned on doing that. Alfonse told Hrid that if he could find any advantage to Nifl that he would return with it. Hrid agreed to the terms, albeit uneasily, and thanked Alfonse for what he was willing to do. Then, Alfonse left in search of a Muspellian camp.

Unfortunately for Alfonse, he was found and captured by Muspellian soldiers before he could properly approach one of their camps as a traveler. The soldiers took him to their commander in the area: a man named Helbindi. Helbindi was harsh and unrefined, but he heard Alfonse out. Though Alfonse didn't reveal his identity this time, he did say that he was a traveler from Askr, and that he was concerned about the Emblian prince's condition. He expressed his belief that if he could find a cure for the Emblian prince's curse, that the warring in Askr and Embla would come to a peaceful end without the need for any more bloodshed, and that that was why he was here. Of course, Helbindi didn't know anything about any Emblian curses, but he did find the story curious. He admitted that he didn't like their king's choices, either. Though his subordinates fearfully warned Helbindi about speaking against the king, Helbindi shouted them down, claiming that he didn't care about what the man thought anymore. Helbindi told Alfonse that he was against this war, and that he didn't like the orders they were being given. He didn't like how the Niflians were being treated, and that even people who couldn't defend themselves were attacked and killed. He even admitted that Surtr ruled the people of Muspell itself with cruelty.

Incredulous, Alfonse asked why Helbindi was fighting for such a cruel king. Helbindi's answer was simple: he didn't want to die. In Muspell, poverty was rampant. Being a soldier was one of the few ways folk could support themselves and their families. Aloud, Alfonse wondered if that was by design -- if Surtr had arranged things so that his people would willingly join his army in order to invade Nifl. Helbindi agreed that was likely the case, now that he thought about it. Alfonse expressed his distaste for such tactics, and suggested that the Muspellians would be better off without such a king. Frustrated, Helbindi agreed. He declared that he'd had enough and wasn't going to tolerate Surtr's rule anymore. He didn't like all the suffering it caused, whether to Niflians or to Muspellians. Alfonse quickly warned Helbindi against being heard by loyalists, then suggested a plan.

In the end, the plan worked. Helbindi found like-minded Muspellians in the army and formed a secret group of dissenters. Alfonse found Hrid again and told him of the plot. Over time, Helbindi and his growing, secret group would filter into the unit King Surtr himself led until they had replaced all of the soldiers assigned to that unit. Then, after that was complete, Hrid and his soldiers would ambush Surtr, beginning their assault as usual. However, this time, Surtr would be surrounded by those who sympathized with Nifl or were at least against Surtr. At that moment, they would turn against Surtr, and with their combined forces, the King of Flame would be killed.

Hrid admitted that Alfonse had helped them far more than he ever would have dreamed, but that there was still the problem of Surtr being guarded by the power of the Fire Dragon Muspell. If no one could damage him, then no matter how many people they threw at Surtr, they could not win. Nifl guarded her realm, but she died long ago. That was why she, who loved tranquility, did not defend the land which bore her name against the Muspellian invaders. Her power still remained at the temple of ice, however, and could imbue a weapon to pierce the blessing of flames. However, it was a potent, frosty power and could not be fully controlled by a mere human. Over time, it would overcome the human who wielded it, costing that human his or her life. That said, it was the only way to save Nifl from the tyranny of King Surtr. Hrid would not allow his people to suffer as the Muspellians did if they were conquered. It was a grim thing to decide, but Hrid chose to travel to the temple of ice. There, he performed the Rite of Frost, taking Nifl's power into his sword. Even immediately after the rite, Hrid felt his body become much colder than what it used to be. He had an unshakable chill...but he would not allow that to overcome him. Everything was finally set. As soon as the Muspellian dissenters were ready, they would strike.

The day came. King Surtr was walking through Nifl in search of refugees to offer to Muspell in order to renew the Rite of Flames. His group met with an ambush, and Prince Hrid announced himself. Surtr was giddy at the thought of offering a son of Nifl as a sacrifice to Muspell. He declared how he looked forward to watching Hrid writhe as his flesh burnt away, along with the last of Nifl's hope. But then, Surtr's own soldiers turned against him. Niflian and Muspellian alike attacked King Surtr. He lashed out with his scythe, laughing, claiming to be invincible as he scattered his foes like ash. But then, something cold and sharp pierced through his heat-radiating form. A deadly chill began to spread within him, cooling the flames of his power until they were burnt out. Hrid's sword, which held the power of Nifl, had pierced straight through him. Muspell's power left Surtr, and Nifl's froze the impaled man from the inside out. Hrid removed his sword, and Surtr's body thudded to the ground. First, there was a sense of surrealism. And then, it began to settle in among the soldiers that they had won. The war was over, Surtr was no more, and both kingdoms could begin the rebuild.

As the soldiers celebrated, Alfonse went to check on Hrid. Hrid admitted that he was cold and tired, but he was otherwise fine. He thanked Alfonse for his help in securing freedom for Nifl and Muspell, and told him that he was welcome to the libraries in both countries' palaces and anywhere else he may find information on the Emblain curse. Still concerned since Hrid had been living with the side effects of the Rite of Frost for about a week now, Alfonse asked Hrid how long he thought he had until he was taken by Nifl's power. Hrid admitted that he did not know, but that he intended to work hard to get things settled in Muspell and Nifl both with what time he had left. Because Muspell had no more royalty in place, and because soon Nifl would likewise lose its last royal, he wanted to establish a cooperative relationship between the two countries' peoples, and find new leaders to rule when he succumbed to the frosty power. Alfonse expressed that he hoped that new leaders would not be necessary for a long time, and thanked him for leave to search for a solution to the Emblian curse.

And so, Alfonse took up temporary residence in Nifl's castle, and attendants from both Nifl and Muspell helped him with his research to speed up the process.

Book 3. (No Eir, Hel, Henriette, or Thrasir.)

Meanwhile, back in Askr, Kiran continued to bolster the forces of the Order of Heroes and lead them while King Gustav himself led the Askran army in the defense of his people. Gustav, the King of Askr, would question Kiran at times as to where his son was, but Kiran himself did not know. Gustav could not help but worry, and that led to frustration at Alfonse's impetuousness. Alfonse was the future King of Askr, and yet he was treating his life so trivially? Indeed, for Gustav, the worries of a parent were mingled with worry for his people after his own time had passed. Would his son even be alive to lead them when that time came?

The defense against Embla was a defensive one. Kiran had already explained the situation of the Prince of Embla to the King of Askr, and Gustav reluctantly agreed that if the Emblian curse could be broken that that would be the ideal solution. And so he trusted in the legendary summoner and in Alfonse, though something inside of him warned of some unseen threat.

One day, while he was studying, a Niflian messenger came to Alfonse with urgent news. Something had changed in the Emblian soldiers, and they were succeeding in pushing back Askr's forces. The messenger also relayed that King Hrid's suggestion was for Alfonse to return to Askr while his researchers continued to see if they couldn't find information on the Emblian curse. Alfonse agreed with this assessment, told the messenger to relay his thanks to Hrid, and then was on his way back to Askr.

When he got there, Alfonse was appraised of the situation, or as much of it as the Askrans knew. Their defenses had held up very well while Alfonse was away, but then, one day, there was a sudden change in the Emblians who came to attack them. The ones who came to fight seemed to have lost all emotion, fighting mechanically. And even when struck a fatal blow, they would not die. In addition, there was a new, powerful commander who fought ruthlessly.

It was like something out of a nightmare. How could anyone win against such an army? What had happened to the army of Embla to have drained them of their emotions and given them immortality? Alfonse couldn't help but remember Hrid's fight against Surtr. No one else could scratch the King of Muspell. It was only with a weapon imbued with the same kind of power as Surtr wielded that he could be harmed. Did Bruno enact a rite of some sort similar to the Rite of Flames? Such rites always came with a price. Just what had happened? It was vital that he find out, not only for Bruno's sake, but for the sake of both Askr and Embla.

There was only one place where Alfonse could find answers: Embla. Or, at the very least, he needed to extract information from someone with knowledge of what had happened. This new Emblian commander had appeared at the same time as the change in the Emblian army took place. The odds were high that he knew something of what happened.

And so, conspiring with Kiran and King Gustav, Alfonse proposed that they move onto the offensive. They would push forward under the guise of desperation, seeking to push to Embla's castle itself. However, their true aim would be simply to capture the enemy commander. They would attack on three fronts, with each of them heading a unit. The odds were good that the commander would attack one of them. Then, the other two would switch to defense, and keeping reinforcements away from the commander. They would isolate him and immobilize him, then bring him in for questioning.

Gustav objected to the idea, surprising Alfonse with how impassioned the man was. The Askran king then went on to express his disapproval with how cavalier Alfonse had been these past months, and how important it was that he start valuing his own life more. Humbly, Alfonse apologized, but argued that it couldn't be helped, given the circumstances. As Askr's prince, he had a duty to protecting Askr, and to doing his utmost to promote peace with other nations. He claimed that if there was a way to do that, then he would try to achieve it, no matter what. Gustav returned by questioning what Alfonse thought would happen if he died. His mother, Henriette, was no longer with them, and Alfonse was Gustav's only heir. Even if Gustav had another child if Alfonse died, that child would not be ready to rule anytime soon. Gustav himself was getting on in years, and would one day die, and he did not want to leave behind an empty throne. Alfonse insisted that he needed to work to protect Askr, but promised to take better care of himself. That was good enough for the time being for Gustav, though he wished Alfonse would remove himself from combat entirely. With that settled, he agreed to Alfonse's plan.

The three groups set out the next day. As Alfonse led his troops, approaching the enemy, he saw one singular individual step out from among the dead-faced soldiers. Alfonse could hardly believe it, but there stood Surtr. A red light blazed off of the man, and poured out of a hole in his breastplate and the back of his armor that was exactly where Hrid's sword had pieced him. His new armor looked worn and dented, and was completely black. Parts of him, including parts of his face, looked like it was made from an orangey-red gel, and within it, Alfonse could see the man's skeleton.

That man's wild grin chilled Alfonse as he looked directly at him. There was recognition in his eyes. Shakily, Alfonse asked, "How can you be here? Hrid killed you." Surtr laughed at that, agreed that, indeed, the Prince of Nifl did kill him. Then, he explained that it was, in fact, because of that that he was here now. When he'd died, he'd gone to the Real of the Dead: a place called Hel. There was no ruler there -- only the lifeless masses. And so, since he had lost Muspell, he had decided to conquer the realm of Hel and become its king. In so doing, he became the god of the dead, and acquired new powers which came with the station. He also met a man there: one who explained exactly how it was that Hrid of Nifl had gained his opportunity to kill him: Alfonse of Askr had interfered. It had been he who had turned the dissenters against him, and who had suggested the plan for them to infiltrate his unit. It had been he who had coordinated between them and the Niflians, and it had been he who had given Hrid enough hope and resolve to perform the Rite of Frost. And now, he was here to exact vengeance upon him and claim him as one of his soldiers before going to destroy those of Muspell and Nifl, and bring them into his new realm.

This explanation had come as Surtr had cut down all who tried to protect the prince, and advanced toward him. Alfonse was terrified, and though sometimes he managed to attempt a strike against Surtr, his attacks did nothing. It was all he could do to retreat as he blocked or parried, and somehow, he had wound up alone with this blazing god of death. Surtr knocked the prince down, and raised his scythe for the killing swing, but as the blade came down, it collided with something else before it could hit its intended target. King Gustav had thrown himself in between his son and Surtr's weapon, and had attempted to block the attack, but instead it buried itself deeply into him.

Alfonse's shock was all-consuming. All he could do was stare at the scene in refusal of this reality. Surtr steadily began to laugh as he realized what had just happened. "Very well, then! Die for your son! Extend his life for a short while longer, but I will claim him as well!" Then, Surtr pulled back his forces, Returning to Hel, and promising to return for Alfonse at a later time.

The entire country grieved for the loss of King Gustav -- and none more so than Alfonse, who had lost his only remaining family member -- but there was no time for proper mourning. Not with this attack from Hel, which seemed to have taken the place of the Emblian onslaught. Kiran was there to comfort and encourage Alfonse, and Alfonse was deeply grateful to him for it. So long as he had this good friend of his, he was not alone. Alfonse determined to stop doing nothing but defending. He would go to Hel itself and destroy Surtr there, in order to prevent any more harm from coming to Askr as a result of Surtr's vendetta against him. But for that to work, he needed a weapon that could kill the dead.

Alfonse researched all night, and eventually found a record of such a weapon. It was a dangerous rite, but it would give one the power to slay the dead. The rite, however, took many lives as compensation for this act. Alfonse wasn't sure if he should use it, even if it meant killing Surtr. For know the knowledge was good enough. After getting what sleep he could, the following day, he set out to the gate which led to Hel, along with some forces and Kiran. When Alfonse got there, however, his heart sank.

There, guarding the gate to the realm of the dead, was King Gustav. The dead king pleaded with Alfonse, warning him that having died, he was no longer in control of his actions. But rather, that he was subject to the god of the dead. Alfonse was filled with both grief and rage that Surtr would employ such underhanded tactics, using the marred form of his father against him like this. Alfonse and his troops surged against the forces of the dead, battling them until there was an opening through which Alfonse and Kiran managed to enter the gate. The remaining Askran forces retreated after this mission of getting thos two through was accomplished.

The pair wandered the eerie land of the dead for a long time. Though it felt like several days, time didn't shift in this place. Occasionally, they would run across Surtr's troops, and have to fight their way away from them as they headed for the castle in this place to fight Surtr directly. As they travelled, they came across a swordsman Kiran claimed was a general of the army of the dead. Several times, the swordsman came close to defeating Alfonse and Kiran, but when he looked at Kiran, something always seemed to drive him away.

The terrain eventually became eerily familiar to Alfonse. He had found an entirely other Askr here in this world. Inside the Askr Castle of this world, he confronted the swordsman who called himself Lif, which was the name of the first Askran king. He claimed to know the man's true name...and that it was the same as his own. Lif confirmed this. He was Alfonse, but an Alfonse from a different Askr: the one they currently stood in. Alfonse asked what happened. Lif promised to explain, but first, he admitted to being the one to tell Surtr about the actions of Alfonse in Nifl.

In Lif's version of the world, Surtr did not go to Embla and broker a deal with Bruno first, as he did this time. Instead, Surtr came directly to Nifl to exact his revenge. During that time, Alfonse was still researching the Emblian curse. Surtr's goals were simple: to destroy Nifl and Muspell, and bring them all to Hel to rule over them. When he began his attack, Lif, the Alfonse of that world, had tried to work with the Hrid of that world to stop him. He failed, but managed to return to Askr to prepare for Surtr's conquest against them and sent a warning to Embla. However, Embla ignored this warning, and refused to help Askr in any way. Lif searched for a way to kill those who were already dead, and came up with a solution: a dangerous rite. He enacted the rite...and one by one, people throughout Askr began dying. It was far too much to handle: seeing person after person of those you were to lead and protect die because of you. And it was simply too much to bear when Kiran's turn finally came... Lif was driven into agony and anguish. He lost himself.

There was only one way to undo that rite's curse. Undoing it was all that mattered anymore. The balance of the dead had to be kept. For every life taken in another version of the world, a life would be regained in Lif's. And so he came to the other world and spoke with Surtr to broker a deal, and to reclaim his own world by destroying this one.

For this reason, Lif explained, he could not let Alfonse or Kiran live. Indeed, his resolve was now strong enough to slay the Kiran right in front of him in order to regain his own, dear friend. "Throw away everything to bring a dead world back to life. Sacrifice another self."

The fight which ensued was intense, but Alfonse and Kiran's teamwork led them to victory. Alfonse told Lif that he does indeed pity him...but that this could not be the right answer. Then, Alfonse swore that they would kill Surtr and free Lif.

The castle in Hel was not much further from there. Kiran and Alfonse confronted Surtr there with new resolve. Surtr was practically giddy to be able to go all out against them. It was a difficult and intense battle, and Surtr was going after Alfonse like a shark attacking his prey. Finally, Surtr was knocked back, giving Alfonse an opening. In that moment, Kiran could have sworn that he saw the image of Lif over the image of Alfonse as he ran the death god through. Though it would never be explained to Kiran, at least not in the near future, Lif transferred the power to kill the dead to Alfonse: his other self. He had finally been broken of his determination to kill Alfonse's Askr for his own, instead wishing for at least one Askr to flourish.

And so, Surtr finally died, and the land of Hel became devoid of a ruler once more.

Book 4. (No Thorr, Peony, Mirabilis, Triandra, Plumeria, or Freyja.)

About a week passed, as Askr began to recover from Hel's assault, and the attacks from Embla resumed again. Alfonse's coronation was postponed, as the situation was still too dangerous for an official ceremony like that to be held. And, truthfully, Alfonse was not yet ready to don the crown. He confided in Kiran that all of these recent tragedies were weighing heavily on him. The revelation of Zacharias to be Bruno, and the stark contrast in their behavior, Surtr's two conquests and being personally hunted down by him, Lif's tragic tale which could easily have become his own, the death of his father, the sheer length of this war, and tragedy after tragedy relentlessly befalling the kingdom... No, it was more personal than that. Tragedy after tragedy befalling him. It was all too much, and Alfonse was so tired by now. Tired from sorrows and fears constantly wearing on him... And Kiran agreed that Alfonse needed to rest. So, Kiran again was given command of the Order of Heroes and command of the Askran army in order to protect the kingdom and stave off the Emblian assault while Alfonse took a much-needed break.

During the second day or so of this reprieve from handling states of crisis, Alfonse decided to take a walk through the woods near the castle. He'd hoped to find some peace in the solitude and in the calming sounds of nature. Unfortunately, he hardly noticed his beautiful surroundings, distracted as he was by dark thoughts of recent events. If he had been more aware, perhaps he would have noticed the shift in the woods around him. How the golden sunlight faded, and the bright green foliage silently turned grey and disappeared... He was only snapped out of his thoughts by a voice: a harsh and ferocious voice, promising Alfonse death.

The prince of Askr quickly spun around, eyes wide with terror and disbelief. It was impossible, but there stood Surtr of Hel, his blazing red scythe raised and ready to strike, while his eyes gleamed in wicket delight. Hastily, Alfonse parried the attack, but it was so powerful that it knocked him over, and his sword arm was sprained with the attempt. As he scrambled to his feet, Alfonse's mind raced. This couldn't be happening. Surtr was dead -- he'd killed him himself! The King of Hel swung at Alfonse again. The prince barely escaped being cut in two by its blade, but his arm, the one opposite his sword arm, did receive a cut from the weapon. It burned more than a normal blade should, provoking a cry of pained surprise from Alfonse. The sound seemed to make Surtr gleeful, and the hulking man began to quicken his attacks as he described all manner of ways in which he would make Alfonse suffer. Though he managed to avoid or parry strike after strike, each blow which he deflected made his sword arm ache, and it felt like Surtr's scythe was even heating the air with each pass.

"Askr needs you."

Alfonse knew better than to take his eyes off of his persistent enemy, but the voice he heard drew his attention. Off to the side, he saw his marred father standing there, with a look of deep disappointment on his face. "You are the only one remaining of the royal line. The fate of our people was placed in your hands. I told you not to treat your life so lightly... You had a duty to them. And now, because you will die here...they are also doomed. You failed Askr... You failed me."

Suddenly, the air became hot. It was like he was right next to a fire. Alfonse turned his head to look at the source of the heat. A new horror filled his vision as the image of his father burned away, along with the landscape of Hel. The trees were now sharp, charred sticks pointing straight into the sky, once having been proud and volumous evergreen trees. Red embers tinted them, and the blackened ground from which they protruded.

Alfonse hardly noticed these, however. His entire attention was on the man who stood just in front of him, holding up a sword which had been cloven in two. The other per of its blade was a short distance away. The heat that Alfonse felt came from Sinmara, Surtr's blazing scythe, which was currently lodged within this man's body. It had nearly cleaved the man in two completely. Alfonse's mind rejected what his eyes could not. Dry and hoarse, the man's voice managed to utter an apology to Alfonse, claiming that he couldn't protect him. And then, Hrid, King of Nifl, burned up completely from the weapon lodged in his torso, revealing a completely revived Surtr of Muspell, grinning menacingly.

"Nifl, Askr, Muspell... Looks like they're all going to be subject to him... What a filthy future..." Behind Surtr, Alfonse saw Helbindi on his knees with a searing, horrible gash spreading across his body until he was completely burned up. Then, he suddenly noticed all of the charred bodies littering the ground. When had they gotten there? He couldn't remember, his mind somewhere between the present and his worst fears of what could happen in Nifl if Hrid failed to kill Surtr.

"I should have killed you... I should have killed everyone!" The anguished, furious cry came from somewhere behind him, but Alfonse didn't have to look to recognize that voice. It was so similar to his own... Lif. "Now another Askr will be destroyed... Why did I ever trust you?! I did not need this world -- I should have used it to revive my own! You're WEAK, Alfonse! You're far too weak to save this world!"

"But you are still subject to me," Surtr growled with that terrible grin on his face, pointing past Alfonse to Lif. Alfonse could hear his other self let out a pained, frustrated, resigned grunt. Alfonse got the feeling that even though Lif wanted to, there was nothing he could do to rebel against his hated master.

It sounded like Lif was in tears, his voice tight in frustration as he harshly told Alfonse, "You said you would free me...but now you will become me."

"No, Lif." Alfonse turned to look to the owner of this new voice, startled to hear him, and fresh alarm washing over him when he saw its owner. Prince Bruno of Embla was walking toward the collection of men, dragging along a limping and battered Kiran by the back of his hooded neck. "You are already dead, so you are no concern of mine...however, I am the heir of Embla. It is my right to kill the children of Askr...and once he is dead, then no more Askran royalty will remain." Then, Bruno looked down to the one he held, a grimace of distaste coming onto his face. "But first, his troublesome summoner."

Bruno threw the battered Kiran to the ground, followed closely by a blast of magic. Alfonse could hardly get Kiran's name out before the spell collided with his dear and trusted friend, who laid perfectly still afterward. It was too much. It was like every fear and sorrow that had been haunting him had manifested right there and were all assaulting him at once. Alfonse hardly paid attention to the argument which ensued between Bruno and Surtr regarding who truly had the right to kill him. Listlessly, the prince fell to his knees, staring at Kiran's corpse. He couldn't take it anymore. Askr's armies had clearly failed to keep the Emblian forces out of Askr. Kiran as dead. Surtr was alive again. Lif was subject to everlasting service to this wicked and cruel man. Muspell and Nifl, at the least, would assuredly come under Surtr's tyrannical rule. Nifl's las ruler, Hrid, had fallen to Surtr in an attempt to save him from the King of Flames. And he...he had failed everyone...and now he was going to die for it.

It was strange. Alfonse was so overcome with the weight of his sorrows that he didn't even notice the voices and images fade away into a heavy and quiet darkness. As he was, Alfonse didn't mind succumbing to it, either. There was nothing else he deserved...at least, so he felt. Oddly, like something barely on the edges of his perception, Alfonse felt a sort of soothing warmth. The darkness seemed to flow away like smoke in the wind, and revealed around him was an unfamiliar forest. It was dark, but brightly glowing flora and dark, thorny, twisting vines were all around. A sort of drowsiness began to steadily fade away from the prince, and the landscape began to change once more. Now, Alfonse found himself in a grassy, flowery meadow with bright blue skies above and white, wispy clouds lazily drifting by, reflected in clear ponds which dotted the landscape. Alfonse found himself looking around in awe of the place from where he knelt. It was so peaceful, and had an innate sense of happiness about it. It was so different from...

The prince suddenly remembered the situation he had just been in. His attention snapped back to where Kiran should have been. There was nothing but gently-waving grasses and flowers, however. As though responding to the questions in his mind, a nearby voice spoke. "There is nothing to fear. The nightmare has been chased away."

Alfonse jumped, only just then realizing that he was not alone. A tall man with twisting horns extending from his head stood next to him, eyes closed.

"W-what?"

"You are dreaming," the man answered. "I am Freyr, the Dream King. I stand a continuous vigil against a darkness which has encroached upon my dominion for countless years. However, I do so alone. At times, the darkness makes it past me, and forms nightmares in the minds of those who dream. It particularly enjoys preying upon those with troubled hearts...such as yourself. I managed to send it away for now...but if you do not wish to be its prey again, I suggest that you resolve the fears and pain you harbor. After all...darkness calls to darkness."

Alfonse was still trying to wrap his head around it. At his asking, Freyr confirmed that what Alfonse saw -- Surtr, Hrid, Bruno, Kiran, Lif, King Gustav... -- all of it had only been a nightmare: fears and traumas augmented into a nightmare by the darkness. At his questioning, Freyr also explained that though he did not know where the darkness came from, it has taken over a good part of the dream world and turned it into the nightmare world. When Alfonse asked if the darkness could be defeated, Freyr admitted that he did not know. Long ago, he had considered bringing mortal children to the dream world and giving them special powers would could be used to combat it, but no matter what that child's past or situation was like, he would be taking away their futures in the mortal world by doing so. Thus, he had decided against it. Instead, he stood vigil alone.

"But don't you ever get tired or hopeless? From what you say, the darkness may never go away. Why do you keep standing against it?" Alfonse asked, partially thinking of his own situation and discouragement.

"If I were to give up...the darkness would consume me," Freyr answered, "My loss would be assured, instead of a mere possibility. However, I do have the power to resist it. My power wards against it... This is why it has not completely destroyed my domain. But beyond that...it is because if I and this place gets swallowed by it...then there would never be a good dream again. There are too many who rely on me not to fall...so whether I can or cannot is not the question. Rather, I ward the darkness because I must. I am relied upon to shield the dreams of mortals. Thinking about that... Thinking about the consequence to others, should I fail...it strengthens my resolve."

Then, Freyr turned his face to Alfonse, and his eyes slid open just enough that he could look at the prince. "Are there those whom you refuse to fail?"

Instantly, faces flashed through Alfonse's mind. Kiran, Hrid, Helbindi, King Gustav, Lif, the people of Askr...and Bruno. They were all relying on him...and instead of filling him with fear of failure, suddenly, Alfonse felt strengthened by their trust. A smile began to form on Alfonse's face. "Yes... They are all very dear to me. I will not let them down."

Freyr smiled at the prince. Then, he closed his eyes, and set his attention straight ahead. "Mortals rarely remember their time here... However, even if you forget your encounter with me, I hope that you take with you this new strength you have found. Be well, Prince of Askr."

The landscape faded away in a warm light, and the next thing Alfonse knew, he was waking up in his bed. The dream was already beginning to fade from his mind, but for some reason, he felt like there was something important about it. He met with Kiran a bit later. As it turned out, Kiran had also had a strange dream, though in his, he had actually been Alfonse himself, and had had to kill Alfonse, who had looked like the summoner, but who had been possessed by evil butterflies and a goat overlord. Suddenly, Alfonse didn't feel like forgetting the details of his dream was so bad if it was half as crazy as Kiran's had been. However, it was strange... For some reason, Alfonse found that he was filled with more courage to face the future than he had in a long time. People were relying on him...and he felt completely resolved not to let them down.

Book 5. -- TO BE CONTINUED (MAYBE) SOMEDAY! (No Reginn, Eitri, Dagr, or Nott.)

 

I'll stop here for now, but this is fun. Book 3 is really going to be a challenge since only Lif and Gustav are new characters here. I mean, the whole thing was driven by that heartbeat rite and Hel trying to kill everyone, so we'll see how things progress. That said, the events are already so different that it shouldn't be too much trouble to work on. (I'm also not doing Book 5 since that book isn't done yet.)

So, enjoy what I have so far of Alternative Male-Only FEH! 😄 I'll at least do books 3 and 4 later. 4 Should be short.

IS DONE (for now?).

That was a very interesting read! You have a very cool hypothetical scenario about what if none of the female characters in Heroes existed. And is it possible to read a similar scenario somewhere, where all the male characters would disappear. What were your ideas about this?

I also want to say that I really like reading, but it takes a lot of time and I'm also infuriated by the fact that college has compulsory literature, which I rarely like and we are always given some literature assignments, such as writing a review or essay. I really don't like to do this, so I often write my literature review using https://paperell.com/write-my-literature-review because there are professional writers who can quickly understand your topic and write a good paperwork. I am very glad that I found this site, it has never let me down and now I have much more time for my hobbies and self-development. I recommend all students to try it!

 

Edited November 30, 2021 by carlstensfer102

[Mercakete]

18 hours ago, carlstensfer102 said:

That was a very interesting read! You have a very cool hypothetical scenario about what if none of the female characters in Heroes existed. And is it possible to read a similar scenario somewhere, where all the male characters would disappear. What were your ideas about this?

Thank you! Hmm yeah, since Book 5 ended, I guess I'll have to continue that story sometime and include the Male-Only Book 5. I've been thinking about how to go about that. Already, the story's beginning to veer away from the canon Heroes story (I knew it had to at some point) so it has its own timeline now, but I do still heavily reference the main story's events in order to see how things would work out. That said, the established alternate timeline's events take precedence, of course. Though, I think I may be rambling at this point. Anyway, glad you've enjoyed it so far!

As for the inverse scenario, I haven't written that up, and I don't know of anyone else who has. Male-Only was something I came up with, and I don't think the piece is well-known enough to have inspired spin-offs like that. I don't think I have the time to write up that version, either, and even if I did, I don't know if I'm the right writer for it since, under my guidance, it may become satire. Hard to say without actually trying, but I don't have that much interest in writing such a piece. I may stick with the male-only version to the end, though. We'll see.

[Acacia Sgt]

For a fun exercise, you could just un-genderbent Reginn, Dagr, and Eitri, leaving Nott the only casualty. But I guess then that can remove much need to tweak much and only accomodate for the previous changed-books.

[Mercakete]

18 hours ago, Acacia Sgt said:

For a fun exercise, you could just un-genderbent Reginn, Dagr, and Eitri, leaving Nott the only casualty. But I guess then that can remove much need to tweak much and only accomodate for the previous changed-books.

I think this was aimed at me, so I'm replying just in case it is. Sorry if it was just a scenario you thought of as per the thread topic.

While a good idea, it doesn't really fit with the challenge I gave myself for this male-only version of Heroes, which is to remove those characters entirely. Of course, the longer I run somewhat parallel to the actual story's events, the more the story's going to change, especially if we get to a point where "whoops, previously-established things couldn't have happened without these female characters." Then again, I've already run into some things like that (like, almost all of Book 4) and I find the challenge to piece together the story with what world canon is still intact to be pretty fun. Likewise, I look forward to tackling Book 5. I hope you'll enjoy it when I get around to writing it. 🙂 It'd be interesting to see what you come up with yourself, too, if you'd like to give a challenge like this a shot.

[Acacia Sgt]

Nah, not really interested in participating myself. Just thought to point that out as a suggestion you could make.

Edited November 20, 2021 by Acacia Sgt

[Mercakete]

20 hours ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Nah, not really interested in participating myself. Just thought to point that out as a suggestion you could make.

Ok. Thanks for the support/suggestion and clarification then! I'll do my best when I have the energy and time to add another installation (without double posting since I don't think I'll edit the next part into that massive post with all the other books on it.) I hope you and the others will enjoy it once I get it out there! ^_^

[Mercakete]

-snip-

Edited November 28, 2021 by Mercakete

[Mercakete]

It said I couldn't edit my last post (but it let me snip it?) so, here's this here.

 

Well, guess I'm double posting for now. (Sorry!) Enough people are waiting on the continuation, I think, that I'd rather make it easy for people to know that the next installment is here with a new post than to just edit it into my last one. Anyway, here I go. I just reread my male-only iteration (and cringed at all the typos that I don't want to go back and edit since editing big posts is a pain) to refresh where I left off, and I hope I can continue the story okay. This one's going to be kind of tricky, I think. Oh well! Here we go! (Also, I adjusted the quote below since I have more context now than I did when I initially wrote the stuff for Book 5's restrictions.)

On 8/4/2021 at 2:51 AM, Mercakete said:

Book 5. (No Reginn, Eitri (kind of), Dagr, or Nott. In the source material, Eitri was specifically recognized by Fafnir as the MAN who summoned him. So, at least her previous incarnation was male. That's the version of Eitri (previously known as "Yellow Kiran") I'll be going with, and since I don't know what the name of that incarnation's was, I'll be referring to him as Eitri if I need to use a name.)

The time had finally come. Despite the continued defense against Embla and the rebuilding from the invasion of Hel -- or, perhaps, because of these events -- it had been decided that Alfonse would officially take up the throne and be crowned as Askr's king. Now more than ever, the country needed stability in order to press onward. After all the chaos that had ravaged it, an empty throne would only cause the country to unravel even faster. And as the heir, it was Alfonse's duty to ascend, and to provide Askr with that much-needed stability. It was a nerve-wracking and melancholy thing, but one thought steadied the prince more than anything else: his determination to prove to those who trusted in him that their belief in him was well-founded. He would ascend not because it was easy, but because he must. Too many people relied upon him for him to ignore this responsibility.

It was the day before the coronation. Commanders in the Askran army and in the Order of Heroes continued their defense against the Emblian army while Kiran had returned to Askr Castle for the event. Alfonse confided in Kiran about his uncertainties, the immense pressure he felt, bearing Askr's future, and about his resolve in the defense of Askr and the restoration of Bruno's true mind. Kiran's support was an immense relief and source of strength for the to-be king, and he was just telling him as much when a messenger came bursting into the room the two occupied. The messenger was out of breath and clearly very troubled, putting the prince and the summoner instantly on alert. He told them that he had just come from Askr's defensive line with an urgent message: a new foe had emerged and was hitting the deployed soldiers and heroes hard. They had done their best to send forces to this new front in order to solidify their defenses, but they could not spread themselves too thin or the Emblian army would surge and break through their weakened formation. More forces were needed immediately, and the new threat needed to be properly assessed.

Alfonse told the messenger to tell the royal coordinators to postpone the coronation immediately, as an emergency had just arisen that required his immediate attention. He also instructed him to, after he'd delivered the previous message, return to the front and tell the commanders that he and Kiran were on their way with reinforcements. The messenger was dismissed, and he hurried about his assignment. Alfonse then turned to Kiran and ordered that he go to the barracks and pull as many heroes as he could muster to reinforce their new defensive front. If he could, Alfonse reasoned that it would be good to summon more reinforcements, too. As soon as they were ready, Kiran, Alfonse, and the heroes they were taking with them would go to those on the defensive line to learn more about these new attackers.

As promised, Alfonse, Kiran, and the heroes they brought with them arrived at the new front as soon as they were able to. What they saw there was shocking. The landscape was filled with blackened streaks on every surface, grooves gouging the trees and the earth, and craters blown into the ground. This level of destruction went beyond mere fire magic, and looked nothing like the flames of Muspell Alfonse witnessed in Nifl. As Alfonse tried to think of what could have possibly marred the landscape like this, Kiran began looking for the commander in charge of this front, sending the heroes out in a search for Askran forces. That was another disturbing thing about the area: the signs of struggle were apparent, not only in the landscape, but by the bodies in the area, most of them with pieces missing...and found quite the distance away. Whatever had attacked had explosive force -- that was certain. Alfonse and the others hadn't encountered any enemy forces on their way over, and none could be seen around now. However, no living allies were visible either... Had the battle moved further away? Were the Askran forces in hiding Thankfully, there were in fact some Askran soldiers who had been hiding nearby, and their reports were quite illuminating.

These destructive foes bore the symbol of Nidavellir, and some of them rode in metallic machines that moved like horses, but shielded like plate mail. These machines could fire entire volleys of explosive projectiles, and would often employ hit-and-run tactics. Alfonse had read about these machines before. They were created from seidjarn: a deep study of magic performed by the industrious Dvergar machinists of Nidavellir. The country had been violently dealing with internal struggles for many years now. However, it seemed that those had been resolved if they were attacking Askr. But why? Was this a conquest? Was the fighting simply getting out of hand? Whatever the case, this was not an ideal situation for Askr by any stretch. They were already defending against assaults from Embla, recovering from the onslaught of Hel, and trying to get a new king on the throne. Being invaded by Nidavellir now... Was it a strategic move on their part? Askr was spread thin and weakened, so tactically speaking, it was ripe for invasion... This had to be investigated immediately, and if possible, this threat had to be stopped before it progressed any further.

The heroes who could heal were assigned to helping the injured soldiers, and then those soldiers were to return to Askr Castle in order to inform their allies of the events, and to continue to rest until their recovery was complete. As some were missing limbs, eyesight, or other such injuries, some were likely to retire after this... They'd more than earned it. Kiran was in charge of summoning whatever heroes he was able to in order to densify their defensive line. He also sent scouts and messengers out to try to find and bring back more injured or hiding allies, and anyone from Nidavellir that they could. Especially, Alfonse wanted to have a meeting with whoever of rank he could from Nidavellir in order to ask why they were assaulting them. Everyone else was in charge of repairing and reinforcing the barricades. According to reports, the Dvergar appeared seemingly out of nowhere. They had to be ready for another attack.

The scouts returned with a little information from Dvergar survivors they had captured. The civil war in Nidavellir had been the result of a coup d'etat many years ago which had taken the lives of every living member of Nidavellir's royal line, including an infant princess. Through fighting prowess, their current king, Fafnir, ended the warring and became their king. He was a strong and kind man, until he took the throne. In the end, peace did not come to Nidavellir. The fighting continued, but now it was directed outward in a grand conquest of other countries. Some of the more patriotic of the captured Dvergar talked about how Nidavellir would soon have extended its borders to encompass the entire world. Whether this was actually King Fafnir's design or not, however, was impossible to confirm just yet. Others seemed to think that nothing had changed since Fafnir took over, as the scarcity of necessities persisted, and people were taken from their families in order to fuel the conquest of neighboring kingdoms. Already, several had fallen to Nidavellir.

Just in case, Alfonse had messengers travel to Nifl to warn King Hrid about the potential threat to the two countries he oversaw. If it hadn't been for the current Embla-Askr war, he would have sent messengers to Embla as well, but he knew that such messengers would likely not be well-received. Besides that, he did not want to cause his troops to begin to lose faith in him. They put their lives on the line to protect Askr, so giving a warning to Embla would undoubtedly confuse and anger them. No, Alfonse was certain that Bruno was more than capable of defending his own country. The Askran prince would have to trust him to continue to wait for him to find a cure for the Emblian curse.

With that settled, Alfonse pondered his next move. The consistent reports of the sudden change in King Fafnir after he took the throne was disturbing, and he couldn't help but liken them to his own experience with the shift in Bruno's disposition. Alfonse wondered if there was some sort of curse at work within the Dvergar king to cause such a drastic change in his goals and behavior. If he could be reverted to his kinder self, then it would be all the better for Nidavellir and Askr both. Further, perhaps Alfonse could glean some insight into the curse with which Bruno contended.

So, Alfonse put together a team. Though he wanted to leave Kiran behind to summon more forces if needed, and to put his strategic mind to use overseeing the Dverger front and the Emblian front, there was another factor to consider. In addition to the other information the Askrans were able to gather form the captured Dverger, the subject of their orders proved to be the most curious and unsettling: they were not only to capture Askr, but specifically to bring into custody the summoner as well. Alfonse was not about to lose his trusted friend and confidant. Besides, he had a feeling that if he was going to successfully confront the mystery of King Fafnir, he would need Kiran by his side.

Thus, Alfonse, Kiran, and their small ensemble of heroes set out into Nidavellir, leaving the majority to defend Askr. A smaller group was preferable to Alfonse anyway -- this way he could move about more freely and attract less attention, but could still put up more resistance than if he and Kiran had set out alone. They were in enemy territory, after all, and without a guide.

Alfonse's group did all they could to avoid detection from the Dvergar was they passed through Nidavellir. The deeper they could get into the country, the better their chances at discovering the truth about Fafnir's condition. Besides, if Askr and Kiran were Fafnir's primary targets, then keeping Alfonse and the summoner secret was their best bet.

As they went, they discovered a forest through which they might cross. There didn't seem to be any Dverger activity here, and so the group took advantage of this route. As they reached deeper into the forest, they began to discover traps built into the ground, presumably to halt -- and kill, or at least injure -- trespassers. In particular were pitfall traps with sharp spikes within. At first, the company thought that these were perhaps merely hunting traps, but the increased frequency began to make them doubt that guess.

Finally, the Askran unit came across a house in the woods. Perhaps this was what all those traps had been protecting. A scout was sent into the house, and returned reporting that, at present it was empty, apart from many books and inventions, which he guessed were resultant from seidjarn research. Figuring that this was a golden opportunity to learn more about the Dvergar, Alfonse's group moved in. Sure enough, many strange machines littered the house, as well as many books. Alfonse took to reading, as did a few others, while the rest began to investigate the inventions.

Alfonse found books on particular machines, but he could not understand all of the complex formulae and technical language. Thankfully, however, that was not all that was on the shelves. He also found some books containing Nidavellir's history, and read up on as much of it as he was able to. In the past, the Dvergar were ruled by the Jotnar of Jotunheimr, but one of the Dvergar used seidjarn to even the odds against their subjugators. He won the freedom of the Dvergar and founded Nidavellir as the first king of that country. It was said that the Crown of Nidavellir granted him immense strength as well, along with a sword called Gramr. Relations between Nidavellir and Jotunheimr were understandably shaky, and after the royal family of Nidavellir was killed, relations plummeted. Alfonse was surprised to see some recent history penned into the pages as well: there was a threat of the Jotnar becoming violent against the Dvergar after King Fafnir rose to power. The king's brother, Otr, however, offered Gramr as a gift to the Jotnar in order to preserve the peace. It was delivered to Barnstokkr, the royal castle of Jotunheimr...but Nidavellir took this opportunity to launch an attack, and brought the royal line of Jotunheimr to an end, reversing history and now subjugating the Jotnar.

After thinking about this new information, Alfonse began to reflect on Hrid's conflict with Surtr, and how a sword imbued with Nifl's power was necessary to penetrate the protection Muspell's flames provided. He wondered if, perhaps, the sword Gramr was necessary in order to bypass the power of the Crown of Nidavellir, which was in King Fafnir's possession. It was better to be armed with a seidjarn weapon of equal might to the crown if it came down to battle, though there had been a note about Gramr's full potential only being unlocked if wielded by someone of the Dvergar's true royal bloodline. All descendants of this bloodline had been eradicated, but it was still worth the gamble to come into possession of the sword if it was possible. Doubtless, however, it would be in Nidavellir Castle. That was fine. Alfonse was on his way to meet with King Fafnir anyway to confront him about his ruthlessness anyway. This note about Fafnir's brother, however... Perhaps it would be prudent to seek him out first and glean what he could from him...not that he sounded trustworthy, if giving Gramr to the Jotnar was a ruse he'd thought up. It was entirely possible that Fafnir was acting on his own in that instance, but it was impossible to tell simply from the brief mention Alfonse found in that book. It was worth investigating, albeit with due caution.

After gathering this information, Alfonse held a meeting to learn what the others had found, and to share his own findings. There wasn't much more of use that was found in the house, however. It was clearly a seidjarn inventor's workshop, and one of no small skill, based on the sheer volume of research and depth of scientific vernacular found on the notes. Various names were found on these notes, but the most recent one was "Eitri." This Eitri was likely the head researcher at the very least, and either led a team of scientists by the other names, or simply referenced the works of older, successful inventors. Whatever the case, this Eitri was very likely a genius in his field, and undoubtedly served King Fafnir. 

And so, Alfonse saw two paths before him. He could either lie in wait for Eitri to show up and question him when he arrived, or set out and seek Otr right away. Considering that Eitri could lead them to Otr and save them on time, Alfonse chose the former plan. Thus, Alfonse's team waited for the inventor to return.

As the team waited for Eitri to return, they investigated the inventor's notes as well as they could. There, they discovered something they had previously passed over. Disturbingly, some of the notes mentioned Askr and Breidablik. These notes were always tied to an invention called Jarngreipr. This weapon was apparently intended to destroy gates. Alfonse recalled the information they had gathered from the injured Dvergar soldiers left behind at Askr's border. They had been told to capture the summoner as well as take over Askr. If there had been any doubt, this cleared it away: Eitri worked for King Fafnir, and was actively trying to stop Askr from calling heroes from other worlds to help defend against outside threats. This was a conquest, and very likely, one intended to span all known kingdoms.

There was something else eerie about the designs and drafts found around the room, at least those focused on the summoning of persons from other worlds. Kiran hurried over to Alfonse as the prince was looking at a note written by Eitri about "incomplete" heroes summoned to this world. Kiran had only recently been summoned, so what was all this about? Then, Kiran hurried over to Alfonse with a scroll in hand, opened it up and showed it to the prince. On it was a technical drawing of Breidablik, but Kiran urgently pointed out a note written on the bottom of the page. It said that the divine weapon...which Eitri had made had been destroyed...by "yet another failure?"

Alfonse looked to another sheet of paper he had recently put down and urgently scanned it again. Failure... Eitri had referred to those in his notes before. It had never made sense, though...not until now. The term had always been applied to people in these notes concerning summoning. Now he understood: Eitri had been trying to summon heroes with an invention which copied Breidablik. Each time, however, the summoned hero wasn't brought all the way into their world. Most often, the subject would be insane, but in accounts from about five years ago -- accordidng to the note on the Breidablik copy designs, at the same time as the previous weapon was broken by one such summoned hero -- the heroes would not have their own will. And now, Alfonse saw a note he had missed previously: the heroes' souls were destroyed in the summoning. And Eitri always so calmly wrote about it as a minor thing that only indicated that further adjustments to the copy Breidablik needed. He, Kiran, and his team... They were in the den of a monster.

All attention snapped to the door as stirrings could be heard on the other side of it. There were voices -- two men were talking as they approached. Alfonse hurriedly signaled to everyone in the team to drop what they were doing and hide. Perhaps, once the ones outside entered, they could surprise and capture them. Even if one of them wasn't Eitri, they were likely to gain valuable information from the two of them.

The door opened, and the pair's conversation came washing into the room. The duo consisted of a young man and an old one, based on the sound of their voices.

"He keeps talking about searching for something," the younger was saying. He spoke urgently, and sounded either vexed or greatly distressed. "I'm doing everything I can, but he's going to realize-!"

Suddenly, all sound ceased. Then, Alfonse heard the younger voice whisper something. Doubtless, the older man had seen that his things were not as he had theft them. He would have preferred to eavesdrop for longer, but if they wanted to spring their trap, now was the time. Alfonse rushed toward where he had last heard the young man's voice from, and Kiran and the heroes followed suit. Indeed, standing there was an older, robed man, and a startled-looking young man. Alfonse and his team had just about reached them when, in a flash of light, they were gone. Momentarily, the Askran prince was confused.

"You must be Prince Alfonse of Askr."

Hearing the old man's voice behind him, Alfonse and his forces spun around to face the Dvergar men. To his horror, Alfonse saw the robed man gripping Kiran and holding a sword to the summoner's neck. Kiran, himself, was only just beginning to adjust to his new predicament, and even the younger Dvergar looked like he was just getting reoriented. The sword the older man held... Alfonse had seen a drawing of it in the myriad notes he and his team had gone through. It was Grammr. Then, the man thanked Alfonse for delivering "the final component" of his research to him. On guard and fearful for Kiran, he asked if the older man was Eitri. The robed man smiled sinisterly at the question, then complimented Alfonse on figuring that out so quickly. Alfonse then asked for confirmation on his other guess: that the young man with him was Otr, the brother of King Fafnir. The older man was even more impressed with that, and confirmed that one, too, before asking how he knew that. Alfonse answered that Eitri was holding Gramr, which was last known to be in the possession of Otr. The older man chuckled and commended Alfonse on his research. Then, he added, "But then, with my home in such disarray, I suppose it was my own research that you looked through."

Alfonse didn't try to hide it. Then he asked what "component" Eitri had referred to earlier. The older man chuckled and said that he didn't see the harm in telling him. "If you've looked through my notes on summoning, then you'll know the conclusion I came to. There is only one person who was chosen by Breidablik, and that is the only person who may use its divine power. If I may humbly say so, I have unparalleled knowledge about seidjarn, yet even I cannot quite grasp the power of this summoner. But why him? What makes him so special? The whims of the gods? Beidablik itself? Whatever the case, only he may use it. Or, at least, only one the power recognizes as he. As such, it is no difficult thing to realize that he is the missing component. With his soul as the final piece, my own divine summoning weapon will be complete. There is no reason for it to reject me once that is in place."

Whatever fear Alfonse held for Kiran's sake tripled in volume upon hearing that. It was entirely possible that Eitri could do it, too, given what notes of his Alfonse had read. Alfonse demanded to know why Eitri would go to such lengths to be able to summon heroes himself. Eitri replied as nonchalantly as ever that it was because he loved his country. Why should Askr have such a potent weapon? Why shouldn't Nidavellir? Alfonse questioned further. "What about all those heroes you summoned before? Don't you care about what you did to them?"

The researcher gave Alfonse an uncaring shrug. "Why should I be upset about every little thing that goes wrong? As a researcher, you learn from your failures, and use them to improve. It is the process of trial and error."

Alfonse's voice shook. "You're insane..." As the researcher's face twisted into a menacing smile, Alfonse demanded that he release Kiran. In response, the researcher merely turned to Otr and told him to "clean up this mess." Otr consented, but also sharply reminded Eitri to finish Jarngreipr. Eitri dismissively agreed, then disappeared in another flash of light, taking Kiran with him. Otr suddenly rushed past Alfonse and the remaining heroes and dashed out the door. Alfonse called after Otr to wait as he hurried in pursuit. There was nothing more he could learn from that horrible place. Otr was the key to finding Kiran again, and hopefully rescuing him before it was too late.

Alfonse and his company of heroes found Otr hurrying away in his seidjarn machine. They gave chase following Otr's trail even well after they had lost sight of him. Then, they finally found him again. He had mustered his forces as a leader in Nidavellir's army, and both sides clashed. Alfonse got his first taste of the terrifying and destructive capabilities of the siedjarn machines. Even after defeating Otr's forces, however, Alfonse was unable to capture him. He fled deeper into Nidavellir. Alfonse and his forces had no choice but to rest from their exertion, but they continued their pursuit the next day.

Alfonse's group again managed to catch up to Otr. This time, they managed to corner him. Alfonse demanded to know where Eitri had taken Kiran, and in response, Otr only gave Askr's prince an unpleasant smile. Then, he asked why he should tell the Askrans. Eitri had the summoner, and he had Gramr. Nothing could stop him from completing Jarngreipr now. Alfonse then asked what was so important about the gate-destroying weapon. Why did Otr want so badly for it to be made? Otr didn't reply at first. Desperate, Alfonse struck Otr across the face with Folkvangr's pommel with such force that it knocked the prince of Nidavellir to the ground. Then, falling into a stance ready to strike with his blade, Alfonse roared, "ANSWER ME!"

Otr shook his head from the blow he'd received and, softly chuckling, steadily shifted into a sitting position. "I suppose there's no harm in telling you." Otr then went on to explain how he came to be Fafnir's brother. He had once been an orphan, scrounging what he could in order to survive in his destitute, war-torn country. It was a hard life for a child, and really, it had been a miracle he had survived at all. One day, violence broke out in the town he had been living in. That was when Fafnir stepped in and settled things. He then took Otr in as his own brother. He gave him a home, and he became more than just family to him. He was his hero. Otr could not imagine living without his brother by his side, now. That was why he needed the power to destroy gates. Fafnir was already beginning to realize that he did not originate in Nidavellir.

Alfonse's eyes widened as he began to piece together what must have happened. Hardening his gaze and repositioning his sword to be ready to strike if needed, Alfonse asked Otr, "Fafnir was summoned here in one of Eitri's experiments, wasn't he?"

Otr responded by saying that it didn't matter where Fafnir came from. He could not allow him to leave him alone again. The Crown of Nidavellir was doing its job of destroying Fafnir's body and mind. That way, in time, he wouldn't be compelled to return to the world he came from, and then he would stay with Otr forever. If the gates were destroyed and the summoner was killed, then there would be no way for him to return, either. For Otr, that was all the better.

Incredulous at Otr's selfishness and possessiveness, and panicked about the dire straits his own dear friend was in, Alfonse struck Otr with the flat of his blade with all of his might, knocking out the Dvergar prince. Alfonse took a moment to calm down and clear his head. Then, he set to work on a plan.

Alfonse had Otr bound and he and his company made all haste to Nidavellir Castle. By chance, Alfonse's forces happened upon Fafnir leading his own in the direction of Askr. Alfonse jumped on this opportunity, calling to Fafnir, declaring himself, and demanding an audience with him. He was ready to use Otr as a hostage, though presently, he was being guarded out of sight by the heroes Alfonse had brought with him. However, that was unnecessary, as miraculously, Fafnir decided to speak with the prince. Alfonse went alone. Though Fafnir was surrounded by his own soldiers, Alfonse was confident that he was armed with all he needed to speak with Fafnir in safety.

Though Fafnir seemed distracted at first, his attention became riveted as soon as Alfonse began speaking. This is because the first thing Alfonse said after Fafnir asked him why he would expose himself like this, was that Fafnir was not from Nidavellir. Fafnir himself began acting like he was trying to shake off some sort of haze in his mind, and eagerly agreed that that sounded right. The pieces were slowly coming together. He told Alfonse that he was going to Askr just now because he felt drawn there. Alfonse told Fafnir that that was probably because he was actually seeking to return to his own world: the world he came from before being summoned to Nidavellir by Eitri. That seemed to fully awaken Fafnir's old memories. Almost desperately, he agreed that that was exactly what was happening. Alfonse then told Fafnir that he needed to take the crown off, warning the incomplete hero about what it was doing to him. Fafnir immediately complied. Instantly, Fafnir's eyes widened. Then, his expression softened, and his stance wavered as though he'd lost the strength in his legs. His soldiers were quick to support him. It took him a moment, but Fafnir carefully began to stand again on his own again. Nearly all the strain he had clearly been bearing before was gone now. Then, he apologized for all the trouble he'd caused up to that point. Alfonse reassured Fafnir that it wasn't his fault, but rather that the man himself had been a victim of the plotting of others. Alfonse then proceeded to tell him everything he knew about Eitri and Otr's scheming, including where his adoptive brother was in that very moment.

After hearing the story, Fafnir hung his head in shame and slowly shook it from side to side, heartbrokenly and quietly asking "Oh, Otr... What have you done?" Then, he returned his attention to Alfonse. "I may not have all of my memories from before I was brought here...but please allow me to assist you in rescuing the summoner and stopping Eitri from his schemes. As for Otr...I will speak with him, too."

Alfonse nodded in agreement. "And we will make sure you return to your world. You cannot stay here... Who knows what would happen to you if you remained incomplete?"

Fafnir looked uncomfortable with that. He clearly still had a lot on his mind. Alfonse decided to let him sort that out on his own. For now, however, they needed to come up with a plan to rescue Kiran.

Fafnir sent a fair number of his troops back to Eitri's sanctum in case he returned there in order to conduct his experiments on the summoner. Then, Fafnir went to confront Otr. When Otr saw Fafnir's clear expression and the crown missing from his head, he stared at him in horror. Then, he began struggling against his bonds, shouting in outrage at Alfonse for "taking his brother from him." Fafnir gently but firmly confronted his adoptive brother, reminding him that he was still there. "But you're going to leave me now." When Otr said this, Fafnir looked away uncomfortably, not sure how to address that statement. Otr then lashed out again, screaming "You see?! I knew it! I knew it! It was the only way to keep him here with me!" Then, in his despair, he began weeping bitterly. Fafnir wasn't sure how to console his brother -- that was clear from the lost and pitying look in his eyes. He took a deep breath and confronted Otr again. This time, he told Otr that they needed to find the summoner before Eitri could harm him, and that they needed Otr's cooperation. Otr's sobs turned into laughter. Then, he asked what any of it mattered anymore since Fafnir would leave him. That was when Otr's eyes turned from despairing to wild. He began talking half to himself, saying that perhaps there was still hope. If Eitri could finish Jarngreipr and kill the summoner, then there would be no way for Fafnir to return to the other world. He would still be able to keep his brother.

Alfonse harshly asked Otr how he could still want that, knowing how harmful that would be for Fafnir. Otr returned even more harshly that nothing else mattered except that he not lose Fafnir. Fafnir only looked on Otr with sorrow and pity in his eyes. Then, he turned to Alfonse. "There are only so many places where Eitri could be. I will help however I can. I am sorry, but it is clear that my brother will not help us."

As Fafnir began walking away, Alfonse turned angrily toward Otr again. "You say you do not want to lose Fafnir...but you are pushing him away yourself." Those words said, he followed after Fafnir to discuss how to go about finding where Eitri was hiding.

Some of Fafnir's soldiers returned to Castle Nidavellir some days later, where Fafnir, Alfonse, and their respective troops had pulled back to. Otr was locked away in a cell, and the Crown of Nidavellir had been destroyed. They had managed to get a little more information out of Otr in that time. He told them that the crown was unable to be removed from its wearer except by the wearer him or herself, or if the wearer died. That may not have mattered much now, but it did make them glad that Alfonse had been able to convince Fafnir to remove it himself. In addition, as it turned out, he'd been there when the previous monarchs of Nidavellir had been slain, and recanted the tale in vivid detail, including how he'd run away alone, leaving the crying, royal infant behind in his panicked escape. Seeing Fafnir's sorrow on Otr's behalf only angered Alfonse. How could Otr treat his brother like that, not even thinking about what was best for him? He spent as little time thinking about Otr as he could as a result. Fafnir's people had been searching the whole country for Eitri and Kiran, and unlike what the two monarchs had been seeing thus far from the scouts, these messengers looked eager to share the news they brought. Eitri had reappeared at her home in the woods, and he had the summoner with him. Alfonse and Fafnir immediately mustered their forces and set out to meet Eitri once more.

Fafnir's forces surrounded Eitri's home, and Fafnir, Alfonse, and the heroes from Askr stormed the place. Inside, Kiran was strapped to an upright restraining table, and Eitri looked to be using a seidjarn technique. Eitri didn't even turn toward them initially, and instead mildly noted that he was disappointed in Otr for failing in his task. Then, he looked to Fafnir, noting the missing crown and wistfully saying that it was too bad that he wasn't wearing it anymore, but that in the end it didn't matter. When his research was complete, he wouldn't need Fafnir's might anymore; he could make Nidavellir the most powerful country in all the worlds himself. With the power of the seidjarn, of Jarngreipr, and of summoning, nothing could stop him from finally making this kingdom the greatest in existence, finally realizing the dream that started at the founding of Nidavellir. The royal line was gone, but the country they cherished together remained, and he would ensure it flourished.

Naturally, these words brought on a bit of confusion. "The founding of Nidavellir?" Eitri chuckled at that, saying that he didn't mind explaining it now that he was so close to realizing the dream. He had actually been around since the very founding of the country, having gained a way to transfer his soul into a new form when the previous body died. He listed several names -- all of which Alfonse remembered seeing on the various notes and technical drawings scattered around the house they were in -- and claimed that all of them had been he. He spoke of the Tower of Nidavellir, and explained to Fafnir why the doors would not open for him when he went to perform the ascension rite, and why the crown caused him such grief: these things had been designed by Eitri himself to only accept those of the first king's bloodline. In fact, all of the seidjarn advancements in technology could be traced back to him. And now, he would finally complete the dream he and his good friend, the first king of Nidavellir, had begun together.

Alfonse asked if Eitri really thought that this was what the first king would have wanted: his people to be used and destroyed for the sake of subjugating yet more people, and causing everyone to suffer. Eitri dismissed Alfonse's words, however. Then, Fafnir stepped forward. He told Eitri that he had had enough. He had lived here in Nidavellir for some time now, and still, it was the only home he could yet clearly remember. He accused Eitri of twisting Otr's mind and using him, and as his brother, he would not stand for it. Further, as the new king of Nidavellir, he would not stand for the abuse of his people. That drew an angry scowl from the ancient inventor.

"How dare you claim kingship? I only allowed you to assume the role in order to advance Nidavellir for his sake!" Eitri challenged. "You were only permitted to pretend to be king because I allowed it!"

"It was through my own efforts that I became king," Fafnir replied, "And though I will not remain on the throne...I will at least free Nidavellir from you!"

Fafnir surged forward, entering combat with Eitri while Alfonse took the opportunity to hurry to Kiran's side. Quickly explaining what had happened, he began to cut Kiran free of his bonds. Kiran, likewise, told Alfonse that they had returned to this place because of certain materials Eitri had needed. He also had gained some information on Eitri that they could use against him. It was a good thing, too, since Kiran was quite visibly weakened from his time in captivity.

After Kiran explained his plan to Alfonse, the Askran prince interrupted Fafnir's fight with Eitri, claiming that Eitri was the cause of Askr's suffering as well, and that he, too, would combat him. Eitri laughed at this, claiming that even if the two of them worked together, that they could never defeat him. Kiran, meanwhile, caught Fafnir's attention from behind Eitri, signaling to him. Fafnir continued the charade, pretending to tag team with Alfonse against the undying inventor. He and Alfonse fought as a team for a little while, then Alfonse took over in a coordinated maneuver, so that Fafnir could hurry to Kiran and hear the plan in more detail. Alfonse was able to keep Eitri occupied, but the fight became significantly harder, and Eitri managed to knock him to the ground.

With a wild delight in his eye, he was about to deliver a blow Alfonse realized he couldn't escape. But then, he stopped, a look of shock on his face. Slowly, he turned his head to look behind himself. Gramr had pierced Eitri. A wicked smile twisted onto Eitri's face. With a laugh, he called them fools, and reminded them that Gramr's true power could only be wielded by one with the blood of the first king of Nidavellir. He would only move his soul into a new body, and begin his plans anew. Then, confusion and fear began to cross his face. Afraid, he asked what they had done to Gramr. How was it that the sword's seidjarn was resonating? Kiran was the one who replied. It was a gamble...and maybe it was a miracle, and may never be able to be repeated...but he had used Gramr's strong connection with the first king of Nidavellir, and used its resonation to augment Breidablik, and summon the first king himself.

Disbelief filled Eitri's face. He dislodged himself from Gramer and turned around to see his old friend standing there, blood-stained sword in hand, and tears forming at the corners of his eyes. After hearing Fafnir and Kiran's explanations, and seeing the Askran prince in danger, he had acted. But Eitri's own words are what convinced him that it was true. He was heartbroken at what his old friend had become...and what he had done to Nidavellir, to all those people he had summoned, and to the surrounding countries. For a moment, the two only stared at each other. Finally, Eitri said, "I...did it for you." In response, the first king looked away, unable to bear the sight of what Eitri had become any longer. And then, Eitri dissolved into dust.

With Kiran's help, the first king of Nidavellir returned to his own world. Eitri's residence was razed to the ground, and all of his inventions therein were destroyed. Alfonse, Kiran, and the heroes from Askr returned with Fafnir and his forces to Nidavellir Castle. Fafnir, Alfonse and Kiran then went to tell Otr about what happened. Hearing that Eitri ultimately could not succeed in creating Jarngreipr, and that now that it was all over, Fafnir would soon return to his world, Otr was consumed first with disbelief, and then with despair. Weakly, he asked to be killed. Fafnir was adamantly opposed to it, but Otr still insisted on it, saying that he could not live without Fafnir at his side. He had no one else, and there was no point to life if his brother was gone. All he wanted was to always be beside Fafnir. Fafnir, however, gave Otr an alternative.

Fafnir remained in Nidavellir for a little while yet, carefully seeking out someone new to rule the country. Once that task was handled, he went to Askr with Alfonse and Kiran. He still didn't have anything more than a foggy sense that he had another life somewhere else, but he was able to tell by instinct which gate led back to his home. After giving his sincere thanks to both Alfonse and Kiran, he and Otr went through the gate. Fafnir's memories, including his true name, returned to him, and he introduced his wife and daughter to the brother he had met somewhere along his travels.

 

Aaaand actually, I'm out of time right now, so I'll have to come back to this post later. (And then Howling Gears jumped in my head and I began working on this anyway. Let's just hope I spell everything right -- oh my gooooooosh) I've at least put the beginnings here. I'll continue it later. This is turning out to be kind of difficult for unexpected reasons. I keep putting too much detail in here. The style of the previous ones was descriptive and as short as I could make them, axing dialogue wherever I could. I'm trying for this one, too, but it's just becoming a little too novel-esque for what I'm trying to do. I'll continue to try to keep things short and simple, but that's easier said than done for me.

This is the post I'll be editing for Male-Only Book 5. I hope you guys will look forward to it!

IT'S FINALLY DONE! Man, this took so long! I'm sorry about how long it turned out to be, but uh...yeah, this is closer to my typical writing style (actually, I still abbreviated it as much as I could, so it's still shorter than I typically write.) Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it and it's not too daunting... Uh, yeah! There. Done. ... Now to wait for Book 6, eh? 😅

@GrandeRampel Pretty sure at least you wanted to see this when it was completed and now it is so...there you go.