VICTORIA NG
RESEARCH
Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones is a video game in the Fire Emblem series. It is a standalone from many of the other more well-known games in the game series (set in Magvel), and remains the only game that I managed to finish in its entirety. The thing that initially drew me into it was the protagonists being twins, as I have a twin sister (a superficial thing to some, but for me it was how I initially connected to the game), and what kept me was the tactics and many characters you encountered along the way (and both their personalities and how they functioned in gameplay). The game to me had an uncommon feature to do with providing bonuses to characters. If you placed any two characters next to eachother for a long enough period of time, they would build up a bond, which gave stat bonuses to both when they were adjacent to eachother. Building this bond up high enough also could give different character endings for each character at the end of the game. It was, perhaps, the first example of shipping I had seen that I could manipulate myself. What attracted me about that feature of the game was that I was in control of it.
Other themes of the game I learned of was war, grief, friendship, and more. Having been introduced to a number of characters, each with different features and personalities, meant that I in turn was introduced to people from all walks of that game, from royalty to mercenaries. The game itself spawned a reasonable pool of fanfiction to browse, and the themes mentioned above (along with others) are ones I hope to explore.
Dutybound is about the relationship between Eirika (one of the two protagonists) and Seth, her vassal and knight. It follows the pair, from Seth's point of view, throughout their time together from when Eirika is a child up until Chapter 19 of the game, called Last Hope. Major themes to follow include the coming of age (of both Eirika and Seth), war and loss, and Eirika and Seth's relationship.
Throughout the story, both Eirika and Seth come of age in similar ways - if at different times - and struggle through the challenges of war. With Seth as her vassal, Eirika grows up - first as a young nobleborn girl learning to fight, then as a princess fleeing her own home as a fugitive in war. Likewise, her knight goes from his devoted and naive ideals in knighthood and duty, to having to face the knowledge of his friend's and mentor's betrayal - both in him, and the crown they served under. The author explores both characters as they stumble through self-doubt and fear - and then each helps the other through those times. These struggles are coupled with the ravages of war, and how each person comes to the grisly understanding that some people (such as Orson) can fall into a grey area if the right thing can be found to persuade them. This grey area makes it difficult for both Seth and Eirika's ideals and naivete.
As the story continues on, it's clear that the relationship between them is one that Seth wishes to remain platonic, bound as he is by his duty to the crown. The author here paints Seth as a true knight, loyal to his duty and his liege, making that his first priority over his own. Whether or not Eirika is aware of the social situation she is in is not made clear, but in the final moments of her seeking only comfort, it's shown that, she was still very much a young woman and person, trying to be strong and do her best in her dire situation.
Lazy Morning is about a moment in the lives of two knights, Kyle and Forde. Set post-canon (after the ending of the game), it details a quiet and romantic moment in their lives as Forde wakes up before his partner.
It should be noted that Kyle and Forde fit the 'Cain and Abel' archetype in the Fire Emblem universe. This is typically a pair of cavaliers recruited together. One is green and one red, with the red one being more serious about work and life, and the green being more laidback. (In this instance this is reversed, as Forde is in red and more laidback, with Kyle as the green unit and being more serious.) The two do have an option for a support boost and paired character ending, listing them as 'dearest friends and toughest rivals', but in this case the author has painted them as partners and lovers.
Unlike Dutybound, which follows more of a timeline, Lazy Morning is more of a snapshot of one single moment. Having woken before Kyle, Forde (having a secret hobby of painting), savours the moment and watches his partner, thinking - among other things - about how this is the only time Kyle looks relaxed. Forde manages to convince Kyle into staying in (although Kyle says he should check in on the new trainees). There are a few small mentions of the war (Forde knowing the reason that Kyle is so serious about training is that he wants to be prepared because he doesn't want history to repeat itself with the war). Forde as a character is known for being an incredibly laid back and lazy knight, whereas Kyle often works too hard and too long without having a regard for a break. In this way the author puts both together under the age-old adage of 'opposites attract'.
A Just War is a poem. It is told from the viewpoint of a Grado soldier before, during, and after the orders to invade Renais were given. As the poem continues, the soldier finds themselves questioning the reasons and jusitifcation behind the invasion. The poem is a simple, grisly description of war and its costs: Death, grief, and bloodshed, to name a few. In terms of the poem itself, some of the rhythm was off and affected my connection with it. Nonetheless, I found myself empathising with the unnamed soldier. They had no idea what they were getting into, and in the end found themselves questioning 'Why' without an answer. In addition, both Renais and Frelia (the latter being mentioned at the end of the poem) were at peace with Grado, each of the rulers/royal families being friends. The soldier considers that 'Are we to invade Renais, I wonder / Our brothers and sisters to slay?' and talks about how everyone gathers around the fire at night 'Gripped by a simmering fear'.
While this particular war was to invade and conquer in triumph, the soldier's view paints the truth - instead of triumph, there is only a feeling of tiredness and senseless death, and the knowledge, in the end, of 'More of us fated, to perish, to die / And none of us knowing what for'.