Hero of Blue Flames

     Another expedition to plan out, this time with the other mercenary he’s become familiar with. ... It’d a little odd— he has a nagging feeling those two seem to know each other, and yet it doesn’t seem to be that simple... Well, perhaps he can bring it up later on. They all still have plenty of stories to share, after all. At the moment, Ike arrived earlier than planned to sort through his weapons. Ragnell is always a reliable choice for slaying monsters, however...

⠀⠀⠀ This expedition is certainly going well so far. Mercenaries should always be capable of navigating unfamiliar territory as needed. Granted, some are certainly better at this than others— another reason why having a group with diverse skills always comes in handy. Regardless, a two-man expedition hasn't lead to any disastrous situation today. It certainly helps that both warriors are fully-equipped with their limits temporarily shaken off for this... However—

   “ If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it is that people are capable of more than they think they are.” though she supposes that is a given for almost everyone but it was a lesson learned in her years in this city. where once before she would have tried to handle this herself, she opts not to. it requires a more practiced hand and, well, the last thing Olga wants to do is end up injuring herself. she’ll use her magecraft first, as always, but mana is not infinite in her and should the time call for it, she’d like to be able to fight back in a more offensive manner.

   “ But yes, that’s fine with me. I’m not asking you to show me how to rival the most skilled. Just the basics for now.”

     That’s a very good sign to take note of. It could teeter towards arrogance blinding oneself towards reckless acts... or, it could alleviate the all-too-common issue of self-doubt hindering ones progress. Only time and practice will reveal which is the truth— but the look in her eyes give Ike reason to be a bit optimistic in this instance.

          “I’m sorry— I can’t say I’m familiar with any of those gods or goddesses... and I’ve never heard of a tribe or nation about ‘Amazons’ like that.” The armored warrior before him must have been curious about the man’s background, given how they both choose to dress and arm themselves with “outdated” items by this modern standard that surrounds them. At the very least, Ike would have also assumed they may have come from a similar era— but an entire pantheon of gods...? He could only shake his head at every name, a hand coming up to rub at his chin and cheek in thought.

         ❛   You sure ?   ❜   SHE   extends the offer, but only for a matter of seconds. She can be plenty generous, but when it comes to food, that generosity is definitely time-sensitive.  ❛   Well, suit yourself,   ❜  she quickly amends with a shrug, resuming without further ado. Still, she isn’t one to turn down conversation with a complete stranger — especially if they seem to have similar tastebuds. 

        ❛   Y’know, this kinda reminds me of this one recipe I really liked back home. You roast a pheasant, right ? And then you simmer this berry sauce and drizzle it over the meat. I didn’t think sweet stuff would go well with meat, but the berry’s kinda… a noncommittal sweet. It tiptoes around the sweet, so it just works !    ❜

         “— Berry sauce? Hm... I’m not sure if I’ve had pheasant served like that before.” Still, it pokes around his curiosity as he mulls over the potential taste. He has some fleeting familiarity with berry sauce... But he may have to try and see for himself before he can fully judge the outcome. She seems to be rather fond of the idea, so that’s at least one good sign.

⚔️ //  byleth  nodded  ,  understanding  completely.  there  was  a  certain  level  of  uncaniness  to  it  ,  though  ,  realizing  exactly  how  similar  their  circumstances  were.  two  paths.  two  different  worlds.  yet  perhaps  they  ran  more  parallel  than  one  could  first  surmise.

          “wielding  it  in  a  time  of  crisis  sounds  a  great  honor.  though  i  must  also  admit  that  it  sounds  as  though  the  circumstances  must  have  been  DIRE.”  then  ,  she  paused  ,  and  a  small  ,  wry  grin  fleetingly  tugged  at  the  corners  of  her  lips.  an  empress  giving  a  mercenary  a  sacred  blade.  (  she  still  could  not  fathom  why  it  was  archbishop  rhea  had  gifted  her  the  sword  of  the  creator.  )  “that  ,  or   an  empress’  pay  is  more  than  likely  to  be  handsome.” 

         but  that  was  the  question  ,  was  it  not?  was  he  the  sort  to  follow  the  coin  to  the  highest  bidder?  or  did  this  blade  CHOOSE  HIM  for  a  higher  purpose?

          “— The pay, hm? ... I suppose it was an impressive takeaway— a mercenary group still has to make ends meet, right? Playing hero every now and then is fine... but I couldn’t let my people risk their lives without some guarantee of reward. Still... I think we were more focused on resolving the matter at hand as soon as possible.”

     Perhaps it would make for a more gallant tale if people thought the Greil Mercenaries took part of all those battles for the mere sake of honor and “doing the right thing.” There is still plenty of truth to the sentiment— but taking such big risks and putting their lives on the line for no pay or reward? None of them were that saintly. Ike and his group would never let their morals waver over coin or titles, but neither would they be taken advantage of so foolishly. It’s a fine line to walk... Perhaps this woman can understand the sentiment.

⚔️ //  “…understandable.”  she  looked  over  the  blade  with  a  sharp  eye.  how  fascinating. a  very  rare  few  she  had  met  here  were  fellow  swordsmen.  even  fewer  possessed  a  relic  blessed  by  the  divine.  she  listened  to  the  precious  few  words  he  was  keen  to  share  about  it.  she  was  not  especially  hard  pressed  to  find  out  more  about  it  …  what  she  did  not  know  (in  this  case)  would  not kill  her.  but  she  was  compelled  to  share  story  of  her  own.  it  was  only  fair.

         “in  my  world  we  have  a  series  of  weapons  called  hero’s  relics.  they  were  crafted  in  ancient  history  to  help  ward  off  evil.”  or  so  the  stories  told.  something  about  the  history  of  the  ten  elites  didn’t quite  add  up.  “your  blade  reminds  me  of  one  such  relic  called  ‘the  sword  of  the  creator.’  it  too  ,  possesses  a  unique  power.”  beat.  “were  you  gifted  your  ragnell?”

          “— Heroes’ Relics...? Hm.” He mulls over the notion with a slight nod of the head. A self-explanatory name, though he wonders how many there could be of such weapons— and of what sort of conflicted required such weapons to be crafted. The other name mentioned catches his attention as well: Sword of the Creator. Perhaps a bit plain, but such a title’s weight is pretty straightforward. He can only imagine what sort of “creator” it refers to...

     However, the mild speculation comes to a halt by the question. A frown slightly tugs at his lips, if only by a small amount. His mind briefly dwells back on that dark night, with only the moon to shine light on the duel that took place...

          “— Hm? My blade?” It seems the golden sword resting on Ike’s shoulder has caught the attention of a fellow swordsman. He had just finished a round of training today, one of the only times he carries around the holy sword. Ike was uncharacteristically lucky to be permitted to keep this weapon, however... there is little need to be carrying it around every day. No threat of monsters, or bandits, or... any dangers, really— so long as he doesn’t venture into the wilderness beyond the city, of course.

     But every now and then, someone is interested in the sword... beyond mere curiosity at such an oddity. Today, a woman of bright green hair is the one to get the mercenary’s attention.

          ❛   Mmph—?   ❜   PROBABLY   not the best first impression, her turning to face him with cheeks puffed to the max. His expression seems to reflect this, as if he’s briefly lost his train of thought. Oops. Shez focuses on swallowing, which requires a bit more effort than usual considering the sheer mass— she really needs to learn to slow down… 

          ❛   Oh, you wanna know ?   ❜  The subject matter has her brightening immediately, jerking her thumb behind her.  ❛   Few stalls back. This is the Star Trail, it’s the best place to get a bite ! You might be outta luck at that one, though… I sorta cleaned it out.   ❜  Even from here, one can see the vendor scrambling to get new batches out and ready to go. … Yeah, she definitely needs to learn to slow down.  ❛   Want some of mine ?  I was just gonna hit another stall anyway, so I don’t mind splitting it.   ❜

     Ah, so that’s how it is... Ike had already noticed many stalls up until this point, but the only food spotted was firmly in the sweets variety. Given the tumultuous amount of changes he’s needed to take and adapt to... sweet food just wouldn’t cut it. But it seems the stranger is willing to share some of her bounty, though Ike is rather hesitant to take the offer.

          “— A sword of lightning...? Interesting, but it wouldn’t be the first elemental weapon I’ve seen.“ Ike’s training managed to get the attention of a stranger, a woman who claimed to be a mage. It seems she recently acquired the blade in question... so she needs to know some basics. The mercenary is pondering the matter quietly for a short while— not necessarily in a manner to dismiss her request... he’s just wondering how to offer help to a beginner without pushing them too far.

          “Excuse me—” He wanted to hold off on asking for help as long as he could, but... This wasn’t even a result of giving in to defeat, just the fact that this woman somehow managed to get some sizeable portions for her plates... He just needs to know where one can get that much at once. But once she turns to face him, Ike hesitates for a moment. The face isn’t the same, but... weirdly familiar colors with her hair and clothes tricked him briefly. With that shaken off, he presses on to the original point.

A young swordsman of the land of Tellius, who once lead a legendary mercenary group started by his father. His actions have lead to sweeping changes across the continent multiple times, from saving a princess from an invading army all the way to overthrowing a Goddess of Order.

His track record is certainly impressive, but Ike himself won’t brag much about it of his own volition. He doesn’t downplay the importance of those battles nor his own growth, simply remaining humble through it all.

He’s a strong and caring man, but also the type to “stick to what you know.” A sharp-minded warrior, but not one for areas such as magic. He’ll be at a loss trying to understand technology for quite a while, feel free to help or hinder as you see fit.

He’s likely to stick to workouts, training, eating and sometimes exploring. Simple man with simple plans, very routine-driven while he’s stuck in a strange land.

Is said to be one of, if not the strongest hero in the Fire Emblem realms, despite not having an ounce of divine or royal blood in his veins. This is what peak mercenary performance looks like.