Fire Emblem Legion

Chapter 4

Sakura looked through the bars of her cage and saw Saul writing and drawing something. "What are you doing?"

He finished a sketch with a label. "None of your business unless you know something about military strategy."

She sighed. "How could you be s-so heartless?"

Saul put his quill down. "..."

"W-what made you the way you a-are? You are s-such a monster!"

He slammed his hands on the table. "You think I am a monster?! I will tell you who the real monsters are." He began the story

14 years ago, my parents were wealthy politicians during the rise of our emperor, Caesar. My mother had just given birth to me and they worked on their efforts to maintain good relationships with Caesar so I would not be enslaved in the future.

Unfortunately from what they overheard from a servant, Caesar was planning on poisoning my parents because he feared they would try to assassinate him. Out of fear, my parents resigned from their positions and took me to a small village in the country we resided in.

Things were fine, for a month. It turned out, the village they were in was not in the control of the Legion. It was somehow independent until that day when an army invaded. Things were set on fire, anyone who resisted was rounded up and they hosted a lottery where only one would walk out alive.

I was only a month old. My mother was hiding under the kitchen table and my father was ready with a sword to strike anyone who came in, in the hopes of buying time for my mother to escape with me.

When the soldiers bursted in, my mother made a break for the back door. My father was rounded up with the resistance people. From what I was told, he lost the lottery. My mother was grabbed and our birthdates and names were documented. We were taken to a place I am not sure about.

You are probably wondering, princess, how I know this. Well, I am going to get to it.

While everyone was rounded up, my mother was purchased by a noble. That's right, some people were turned into slaves and others were free so there could be a documented population.

I was obviously too young to work, so I was given to an old woman in the group who could not do laborious work. She told me all of this when I got a bit older.

A few years later, when I was four, my life changed forever. It was my birthday. The old woman who take care of me woke up up at the crack of dawn. I got dressed and went into the kitchen.

'Happy Birthday!' She gave me a small cupcake from what extra money she had.

'Why are you giving me this so early? I am sleepy.' I ate the cupcake.

Before she could say a word, there was a banging on the door. 'Open up in the name of Caesar!'

Before I knew it, I was taken in a wagon with other people my age and adults to the mines. Our job was to mine precious metals, diamonds, stones, you name it. The adults handled machines and the kids went to the places where adults could not reach and pull out anything blocking the machines from functioning. We had a quota to meet every day. One full kart must be filled or else we would all get severely whipped.

They started collecting children when they were four so that they could keep them uneducated and not think for themselves; therefore never being able to rebel. They also started indoctrinating the kids into Caesar's religion but that backfired as me and others just turned to Atheism. Oh, and at lunch we were fed slop and went home at the end of the day. Having a day off for rest was never a thing.

I did that for two years before I was purchased by a middle-class man. He taught me how to place chess because it was a large town and in the town center on a small wooden stage, slaves would play chess and people would bet on the victor.

I got really good at chess. I could beat everyone in less than eight turns. That was, until one day when Caesar caught whim of my intelligence at my age and sent a centurion to challenge me when I was ten.

I had just finished defeating my opponent in three turns when the centurion appeared. I could tell by his smirk he believed he could take me down in three turns maximum.

We spent at least an hour on one chess game. I managed to defeat him. He was angry and grabbed me. 'So the rumors of your strategy ability are true. You're coming with me to be part of Caesar's army.'

My slave owner was angry but killed for his insubordination. I was taken to meet Caesar and I was taught to read, write, fight, and before I knew it, I was a general at age fourteen. That is a feat that hardly anyone can achieve. I was proud, happy that I no longer had to do slave work."

Saul sighed. "That is why I do what I do. I don't want to go back to the life I had if that was an option. If I fail Caesar... it's none of your business."

Sakura nodded and went to sleep.

Hana and Subaki made it back to the castle. They delivered the news to Ryoma and Hinoka, who were relieved to know Sakura was alive. They started planning a rescue mission to get her back.

"We are coming for you." Hinoka got on her pegasus.