Fire Emblem: Children of Light

Chapter 3: A Dark Encounter

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  "You know, I've been meaning to ask Sister, why don't you ever wear shoes?" Aurelio asks the two were walking down a small dirt road. "I wouldn't have been so curious if I hadn't heard your feet annoyingly squelch through the mud for the past couple of miles..."
  "I don't like 'em." Callista bluntly replies. "Simple as that."
  "But doesn't wallowing about like that disgust you?"
  "Nope."
  "Ugh," Aurelio grimaces. "Between your bare feet and long hair, it's almost as if I'm kin to an animal."
  "At least I go outside." Callista replies, offended. "All you ever do is hole up in your room with those dumb tomes of yours! Why don't you get dirty for once, like how you used to? I mean, how do you not get tired reading the works of some old dead guys?"
  "I suppose it's for the same reason your feet don't get calloused." Aurelio retorts. "We both have things we enjoy, things that we're good at and can seemingly do endlessly."
  "Well, it's a wonder your brain hasn't gotten all mushy yet, reading all that dreck."
  "And it's a wonder you don't have some kind of disease."
  "Oi, that's enough sibling squabbling for one day!" A voice calls out. Aurelio and Callista had reached the gate to the thieving town and we're greeted by a tall, scrawny man. He had unruly blond hair and a scraggy goatee. It was Ewan. He looks at the two with a smile. "Are you two gonna help us our not?"
  "Mm." Aurelio nods. "You're Ewan, correct? Ian's father?"
  "That's right." Ewan says, bringing the two into town. "How's he doing anyway?"
  "Fine," Callista says with a chuckle. "But now I can see where he got his curly hair from."
  "Yeah, big rats' nests like ours run in the family." Ewan laughs. "If he ever has kids himself, their hair will likely be just as messy."

  The three were now standing in the town square. Tema had received several renovations since Arturo had become king; the streets were now lined with cobblestones as opposed to loose soil and several of the buildings and homes had been fixed up and cleaned. In the square, a group of townspeople could be seen yelling back and forth at each other. The group seemed to be divided down the middle, with exactly half arguing over something and the other half another.

  "What seems to be the problem here?" Aurelio asks, stepping towards the group.
  "Those low down dastards have been stealing from us!" One of the townspeople says. "My cattle numbers have been dwindling, and it's all their fault!"
  "We've done no such thing!" Another townsperson says, one from the other half. "Thieves don't steal from thieves, we all know that! Something else has been going after our livestock!"
  "Hm... May I see your cattle pens?" Aurelio asks.
  "Yeah, right this way."

  The first townsperson leads Aurelio over to his small cattle pen. The gates had been gnarled and twisted, almost as if something had forced them open. Claws marks could be seen in the mud and on the gates. Aurelio bends down, examining the scratches. He sighs and looks at the townsperson.

  "Now, I don't know much about thieves," Aurelio says. "But I find it highly improbable that one of you all did this. Thieves are silent, correct? Whatever did this had to have made some kind of noise. Not to mention they would've had to have had the strength of at least twenty men to tear apart your gate like this."
  "So you're thinking it was some kind of animal?" The townsperson asks.
  Aurelio nods. "That's right, though just what kind of animal I'm not sure. These claw marks are unlike any I've ever studied. When did this start happening?"
  "A few nights back I believe."
  "And did you hear anything out of the ordinary?"
  "Hm... Yeah, but I just figured it was the cows being ornery."
  "Is that so?" Aurelio sighs. "Ewan, do you think you can break up the argument in the square? I'm going to look for whatever did this."
  "Right, I'll see what I can do." Ewan heads back down towards the square.