Oliver O'Dara

Oliver was born on a clear and cool spring morning in the orphanage that his loving parents had built. He was given a different name at birth, but as he grew, he outgrew the name like an old shirt and his parents were of the mindset that you could make yourself whatever made you feel happiest. And so he did and he was one of the happiest kids in Ylisse. Growing up with many children around him, he never felt like an only child, especially when his parents would treat anyone that came through their door as their own. He learned with them, played with them, and was taught many important lessons from each of their unique backgrounds that would make him a kinder and more understanding person. 

The only thing that he would not share with the other children is his war monk training. His parents, both priests of the church from a young age, taught him the teachings of Naga, healing magics, and how to use an axe in battle. They told him that even though the world around him seemed peaceful, it might not always be that way, and it was better for him to be prepared just in case something did happen. Thinking of his parents, and all the kids that lived in the orphanage with him, he gained the need to protect what he felt to be near and dear to him. 

Oliver completed his training at 22 years old, receiving beautiful robes, gold armor, and extravagant weapons that were crafted by those who worked directly under the Exalt himself. With his training, his new equipment, his horse Willow and his parents’ blessings, he set off to see where his mother had come from for the first time in his life. Plegia had always been so close, since they lived on the coast near the Ylisse-Plegian border, but Oliver had only heard stories from his mother. Despite the horrid things she had to say about it from her childhood, she told her child that it has since become a nicer place thanks to the Exalt Chrom. 

Peace is what he had been expecting, but peace is not what he would find when he arrived at the Plegian capital. Buildings were falling apart, families were living on the street, and the children running around looked like skin and bone. 

Due to the heat of the desert sun, Oliver had already stripped down to his basic clothes beneath his robes, but he could still feel all eyes on him as he passe through. Being shy, he was naturally nervous about all the eyes on him, but he was more upset that he didn’t have the means to help all of these people. 

After asking questions around to anyone who would let him near them, he discovered that after the King Gangrel was killed by the current Exalt the country was left in shambles. There was a successor to the throne, but he disappeared after his father’s death and is assumed to be dead. Some even said that the Exalt still send military to harass innocents that live in the capital.

The Exalt being a cruel man that left a country in shambles and harassing innocent people was not a narrative that Oliver had ever heard before. His parents, who had both worked directly with Chrom when he lead the Shepherds, always said that he was nothing but a kind and honorable man. Was that the whole truth?

While he was lost in thought about this new information he felt a tug at his belt. It only took him seconds to recognize that his coin purse was missing and a shadow had dashed around the corner. He gave chase, luckily in good enough shape to keep up. The thief must have taken a wrong turn, because he soon found himself between Oliver and a dead end. 

“If you asked I would have given you some of it.” The blonde’s voice was soft and free from any anger. “May I have some of it back? I need it to get back home.”

“Huh? No way! You’re not getting anything back!”

The thief drew a dagger and charged. In one swift motion he was caught at the wrist and flipped hard on his back. As he tried recovering, the war monk was kneeling above his chest, pinning both of his hands with one of his and retrieving his stolen goods with the other. He took three coins from the bag before putting the rest of it in the thief’s pocket. 

“That’s all I needed. Sorry if I hurt you! Are you okay?” 

The redhead was flabbergasted by all of this. “Wh-hng”

As he tried to sit up he clutched his head in pain. Oliver immediately knelt down, placing a gentle hand on his head before casting healing magic. 

“I stole from you, called you an idiot, and tried stabbing you, and you heal me? Why?”

“Hmm… Well you needed help.”

“Wow. You really are an idiot.”

This upset Oliver a little bit which only elicited a chuckle from the other.He seemed to at least be in a less stabby mood do to the clinking coins in his pocket.

The two actually talked for a while which is a funny follow up to a first encounter like they had. Oliver learned more about the state of the city, but he also learned that the rugged street thief was actually quite charming. Charming? What was he thinking? Was he even thinking or was he just blissfully listening to what the other had to say? Before he knew it, it was already nearing night time.

“I should go...Why don’t you come with me?”

“What did you say?”

“Why don’t you come with me? I’m sure my parents would be-”

The redhead shook his head. “No I don’t think so. This is where trash like me are meant to be.” 

Oliver’s green eyes softened. “I don’t believe that but...Can I visit you?”

“You want to visit me? Don’t you have better things to do with your time?” 

He shook his head, giving him a smile. “Not really. Besides, you’re pretty nice to talk to.”

“Okay I guess. Meet me here just before noon.”

“Okay! It’s a date!”

“Wh-”

Oliver and the redheaded stranger continued to meet for several week. As each week passed, he felt a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't place but he didn’t hate the feeling. 

One day when Oliver came to visit the weather had became stormy and dangerous. The two of them found shelter and began to wait out the storm. As they were waiting, a figure in a robe with the hood pulled up approached them. 

“It’s you! I can’t believe it! After all these years it’s really you!”

“Who? What do you want lady?”

“I could recognize that hair anywhere! You’re my son!” 

The figure pulled down their hood and the boy’s eyes widened.

“Mom??”

The woman embraced him. “You’re just who I needed to see. Finally after all this time. You were the last one I needed.” 

Before he could pull away to ask what she meant, the woman had a knife in his back, eyes as red as the warm blood that flowed down her hands.

Oliver was stunned, not able to move for several moments before snapping out of it. By the time he was able to move again the woman was gone and the boy was slumped over on the ground, coughing up blood. 

He took his now bloody hand with one hand and his staff with the other. 

“Don’t worry i-it’s okay I can help you!” he choked, tears streaming down his face. He casted the most powerful healing he knew, barely noticing the sky above them growing pitch black and the sound of cracking stone. 

All the other did was cough and gag in response, the light flickering in and out of his eyes. Just as it seemed the sun had been turned off, the light left the other boys eyes. 

“No no no!” Oliver cried out burying his head in his hands

Just then there was the deafening sound of cracking stone and then suddenly silence. 

When Oliver looked up from his hands, he was almost blinded by the bright light of a cloudless afternoon sky. 

What?

He was surrounded by nothing but tall green grass for as far as he could see.

Where was he? Was he dead? 

As if to say no, he heard a familiar whinny and turned to see his beloved horse trotting over to greet him. That’s when he realized where he was. He was right where the orphanage was supposed to be. Not only was it not there but the plants that were normally tall and healthy were now smaller, like they hadn’t grown to their full height yet. Was he in a different time?

He took the time to collect himself from everything that just happened, eventually getting onto the saddle. There was something inside him that told him that he really was in the past and that he could prevent what just happened to him from ever happening. 

He looked up, wiping the tears from his face and smiling at the sun.  

“Thank you Naga. I won’t let this chance go to waste.”