"The arrogant man attacks when he thinks his enemies are afraid of
him. The wise man attacks when he knows they are not."
	-Mathiu Silverberg, Toran Liberation Army strategist

   			       ----------
	    Sooper Sekrit Vulcan Mindlink pictures presents...
		    a Rocketarian Pictures production
                     in association with Improfanfic
                                  [*]
                         Suikoden: Distant Shores
                    started by Illyria and Todd Harper

			   Part 8: Coming Home
		   by Todd Harper (lina@sandwich.net)
			       ----------

	The General's farm was, to Tavia's weary feet, thankfully close to
the city of Bristow proper.  It was with great relief that she sat in the
room she and Lierni were sharing at the Crystal Flagon Inn, a hostelry close
to the former Academy grounds that she often frequented on leave days. The
nostalgia of being so close to home was a stinging pain at her heart, but
she resolved to bear it with grace until the city was safe.

	Lierni was not faring quite so casually. Her demeanor had only
worsened after the meeting with General la Lanterne and had stayed a uniform
cranky all the way to the town, although she was curiously silent. Reid had
been watching her carefully the entire trip in a somewhat clumsy manner, and
it surprised Tavia that Li hadn't bitten his head off, choosing instead to
brood.

	Sighing, Tavia sat down heavily on the comfortable bed of the room
and leaned back, spreading her arms and looking at the ceiling distractedly.
They had arrived in late afternoon, and thus Kyrina had suggested that the
six part ways briefly and tend to their own needs a while. Reid and Alaric
had opted to spend time judging the city's natural defenses, but the four
women had decided to stay at the inn and recover. Although she felt tense
and restless, Tavia was forced to admit that the mattress was comfortable
and inviting after weeks of sleeping in less cozy quarters.

	The events of the past week or so passed through her mind as Tavia
leaned back, letting the warmth of the orange afternoon sun wash over her
tired body. She'd met such a strange collage of people; disaffected
revolutionaries like Senrou and Reid, practical fighters like Kyrina, and
free-spirited adventurers like Pane and the twins. It occurred to her that
perhaps she was burying herself in Senrou's movement to keep herself from
feeling the pain of Heimdall's loss and the disappearance of Adele.

	Sitting up, the youth realized she was as yet still in her grimy
cadet's uniform. Noting a bowl of toiletries sitting on the dresser, she
sighed and stretched, seeming to remember Lierni mumbling something upset-
sounding about the need to take a day-long bath to wash the stench of
banditry from her, and chuckled, standing and taking the bowl. Perhaps a hot
bath was in order.

	Humming to herself, Tavia stripped off her dirty uniform and wrapped
herself in the freshly-dried towel. Feeling oddly secure and at peace in the
warmth of the fabric, she set off down the hall and out into the courtyard,
where separate bathing houses had been constructed for both genders.

	As she stepped inside, Tavia was met with the sounds of familiar
laughter; she recognized the voices as belonging to Kyrina and Alyssa as she
opened the door, noting to herself with some amusement that she wasn't sure
she'd ever heard Lierni laugh in her lifetime.

	Inside the bathhouse, the owners had carved and polished a large
basin out of the local stone around the hot springs, thus making a waist-
deep bathing pool large enough to handle five or six guests. In the steamy
water were Lierni, Kyrina, and Alyssa, as Tavia had expected. All three had
abandoned their towels to soak; Lierni was lying back against the side with
her eyes closed, black hair drifting about her and Kyrina and Alyssa had
occupied the opposite side of the pool, content to chat amiably.

	Tavia turned to go, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about her
looks and intending to come back later, when she heard Kyrina's voice. "So,
finally got out of your room, Tavia? Why not join us?"

	Gritting her teeth and fighting down a blush, Tavia turned around to
find the two older women looking straight at her, albeit with friendly
gazes, and even Li had opened a corner of her eye in curiosity.

	"...If you're sure it's not too crowded?" she asked in a deliberate
tone, intimidated by the much more 'feminine' women in her company so freely
displaying their bodies.

	"Nah," Alyssa commented, waving a hand dismissively and looking at
Lierni. "Since the goodwill ambassador over there doesn't feel like
socializing, I'd love to hear more about the city."

	Lierni's open eye developed an accompanying raised eyebrow, and her
voice was languid. "I don't happen to be a native, sorry. Everything I knew
about this city happens to be a smoldering ruin at the moment."

	Sighing, Kyrina smoothed her wet hair back with one hand, the points
of her elven ears suddenly obscured by her locks as she did so. "It's not
too crowded, Tavia. Truth be told you'll want all the relaxation you can get
tomorrow when we start in earnest."

	Grimacing faintly, Tavia nodded. She knew deep down that Kyrina was
right, and she moved to sit down at the edge of the pool, in between Lierni
and the other two women. "I suppose you're right." Letting her feet dangle
into the steamy water, she mmmed in relaxation, and finally her weariness
overcame her self-consciousness. Tavia slipped off her towel and sank into
the pool, closing her eyes.

	"So, Tav... do you mind if I call you Tav?" Alyssa began, grinning
faintly. She didn't wait for a response before continuing. "What's Bristow
like? This inn is nice and all but it doesn't seem like much of a thrilling
place otherwise..."

	Frowning, Lierni responded before Tavia could even blink her eyes
open. "Do you have any tact at all? Or is that not a skill Lierstamians pick
up in life?" she snapped, trying her best to look imperious.

	Alyssa's jaw tightened. "Now what is that supposed to--"

	"Please, Li." Tavia sighed and ran her hands through her hair as
Kyrina just had, and turned to Alyssa. "Bristow is... *was*... centered
around the Academy. Before Heimdall was renovated into the Academy after the
war, this was basically a fortified trading post... Bristow owes its
existence to the school."

	"Errr... yeah. I didn't mean to dredge up bad memories, Tav..."

	Kyrina looked at Alyssa with a wearied smile. "I think you've said
enough, don't you?" Stretching, the elf stood up, water dripped off her
lithe form as she grabbed her towel and wrapped it about her. She looked at
Tavia. "I know you're feeling hurt and upset, both of you. But if you truly
believe what you just said, Tavia, then I think your best bet is to help us
defend it now, and deal with how you feel later."

	Alyssa watched Kyrina curiously for a moment as the archer made her
exit, then shrugged and stood up as well, drying herself a bit and wrapping
her own towel about her. "Real fun chatting with you both. Ta." And with
that, she too left the baths.

	Long moments of silence passed before Lierni sighed, sitting up and
taking a brush from her own bathing items, running it through her raven
hair. "Tell me something, Tavia."

	Tavia blinked. "Hmmm?"

	Without looking back at her classmate, Lierni continued to brush her
hair out. "Why are we really here? It's not because we're afraid of Senrou's
little band, I'm guessing."

	Sighing, Tavia leaned back and stared at the wooden beams of the
ceiling. "I... don't really know. Doesn't it feel like duty, somehow? We
were supposed to protect Bristow as cadets. Just because Heimdall's gone
doesn't mean we're free from that obligation." She paused. "Right?" Li
suddenly seemed quite a bit more conversational than she had been at all the
last few days, and Tavia was secretly glad to have the chance to talk with
her.

	"Mmm," Lierni responded slowly. "If you're asking me why I haven't
left..." She opened her eyes and stopped brushing, also looking at the
ceiling. "I'm not certain why either. Perhaps now I do, after something the
General said to me..." She trailed off, and Tavia knew this was Lierni's
personal code for "But I'm not going to tell you."

	Knitting her brow a bit, Tavia nodded and sank back into the water.
"I suppose for now it's like Kyrina said; better to focus on protecting the
city than to wonder why we're doing it at all." She waited a while for Li to
respond, and when she heard nothing Tavia knew the brief conversation was
over. Closing her eyes once again, she attempted to relax and to think about
what to do next.

                                [*]

	The purple velvet of early evening was already setting in by the
time Tavia emerged from her room again, having abandoned her cadet's uniform
for a simple green tunic-skirt and some leather breeches, though she
retained the black travelling boots and her weapons belt.

	As she passed through the inn's common room, she was surprised to
see it so empty until she realized that the lion's share of the Crystal
Flagon's patronage used to be students and instructors from Heimdall. Now a
scattered handful of farm workers dotted the tables, and not much else.
Alaric and Alyssa, however, were talking at a table by the door as she
walked past.

	It was Alyssa who spoke up. "Hey, Tavia... where you headed?" she
asked, Alaric's gaze turning to the former cadet as well as his sister
addressed her.

	Tavia sighed, rubbing the side of her neck with one hand. "Just...
out for a while. There's some things I need to settle before I can really
feel at ease around here."

	Alaric nodded, turning his chair toward her slightly. "I can
understand that. And hey, I'm sorry if my sister was rude to you before. I
got all the charm in the family, see... Ow!"

	Removing her fist from Alaric's shoulder, Alyssa hmphed and looked
away. "I already told her I was sorry, Alaric. You don't have to get all-- "

	Tavia waved her arms in front of her in embarrassment, praying the
twins would stop arguing and just let her be. "No, honestly, it's fine. She
didn't say anything wrong. Lierni's just easy to upset, if you hadn't
noticed."

	Chuckling, both of the siblings nodded. "Alright. Come back soon,
Tav. Alaric will tell you all about seeing Reid naked in the baths." She
winked conspiratorially, while Alaric blanched and rubbed a hand over his
face.

	A fiery red blush started up Tavia's cheeks. "I'll have you know
I've already see..." She paused, and the blush intensified as she realized
what she'd been about to say. Alyssa and Alaric were both looking at her
expectantly.

	A long, tense moment passed before Tavia shook her head and hmphed.
"I've no interest in seeing Reid, naked or otherwise!" she snapped, and left
the common room in a huff.

	Grinning, Alyssa took a sip of her wine. "Heehee. Kid's got a cru--
OW!"

	Gritting his teeth, Alaric removed his fist from his sister's
shoulder and hmphed. "Just hand me the flagon and shut up."

                                [*]

	The walk up the Hill was just as grueling as Tavia remembered, and
her travel-weary body, eased though it was by her long bath, protested the
whole way.

	When she reached the top, she had a physical respite, but not an
emotional one. In only a week, most of the Academy buildings had collapsed;
all that remained were skeletons of stone buildings and scattered pieces of
stonework and wooden beams.

	The weather was rather balmy for the season, and Tavia stood a good
long while, simply drinking in the reality of Heimdall's destruction, and
though she had told herself she wouldn't cry until everything was handled
and the city was safe, she could still feel the saline sting of teardrops
running down her cheek, and after a while did nothing to stop them. Sinking
to the ground, she pressed her hands to the dirt and sobbed, wishing her
tears would make the Academy rise from the soil again, like a tree.

	The last bit of dusk half-light was fading when Tavia finally
recovered, standing and drying her eyes on her sleeve. The city... the whole
world seemed quieter to her now, still. She reflected that soon Bristow
would be a battlefield again, and wondered if the ragtag 'army' Senrou was
assembling would be enough to beat back the Wind Children.

	Tavia walked slowly toward the ruins of the main keep, oddly
compelled to stand 'inside' it once again, even if it was nothing more than
rubble. Her steps were slow and somewhat aimless, her path zigzagging as she
continued to mull over her situation. It was almost certain that Senrou
would be unable to keep track of the two cadets in a pitched battle; more to
the point, he was likely to simply let them go once Bristow was defended.
Tavia knew that Lierni would leave in a heartbeat, but found herself
questioning if she would do the same.

	Her steps began to take on a particular cadence to match the
thoughts in her head as Tavia reviewed what she knew. True, the bandits...
*revolutionaries*, she corrected mentally... had destroyed Heimdall. But the
city and the cadets were left untouched, and Senrou was willing to put his
own plans on hold to defend these people. The Nation of Heresha, on the
other hand, hadn't even sent out so much as a search party or punitive
force. For all they cared, Tavia mentally filled in with Senrou's voice,
Bristow could be a smoking crater.

	Tavia's wandering soon had more consequences than simple nostalgia,
however. Before she could take a step into the keep proper, what she had
assumed was a secure step turned out to be quite the opposite; her foot
snapped a board in half, which then opened up a rather large hole. Grabbing
outward for some kind of purchase, all Tavia managed to do was scrape her
hands and drag more gravel down with her as she plunged into the darkness
below, blacking out as she hit bottom.

	When she awoke, it was to the feeling of being prodded and poked
gently, a sensation she was dimly aware of as having her body checked for
internal injury. Moaning at the wave of pain running through her body as
sense returned to her, Tavia tried to sit up and was gently but firmly
pushed back to the ground.

	"Please, mademoiselle. You are hurt, and we are not going anywhere
for the moment, non?" The voice was obviously male but had an almost
adolescent pitch to it, and the accent was reminiscent of the old Tir Eselyn
nobility.

	"Mmmm... I'll be oka-- gah!" Tavia's response became a hurt gasp as
she tried to sit back up and felt a sharp stab of agonizing pain in her
lower back. "Alright... maybe not..."

	The voice chuckled. "It is good that you're agreeable, then. Rest
again for now, we shall talk more when you awaken."

	Although her mind protested, her body gave in, and soon Tavia felt
herself slipping into the restful blackness again.

	Consciousness returned to her again soon, and Tavia blinked her eyes
open, hoping to get a glimpse of who it was that had presumedly saved her
and was caring for her. It was fully night outside, though from her vantage
point looking straight up she could see stars and a bright moon overhead
through another hole in the ground. The silver radiance of the moon limned
her current position slightly, clashing with the orange glow of lanterns
roughly ten feet away. In their glow, Tavia could see that she was in a room
of some kind, as the stone walls and floor were smooth and worked.

	Her companion was reclining on the ground against a stack of crates
that lay against a wall. He was a fairly tall man, perhaps six feet, with a
slim build. His clothing was almost military in style, though a little too
ornate to be cadet issue. He wore long cream-colored slacks which tapered
over a pair of black travelling boots, though the color of the pants was
smudged with dirt and grime. Above that was a jacket not unlike Tavia and
Lierni's uniform jackets, though the button clasps and jacket flaps made
more of a Z-pattern across his chest and the gold trim and epaulets were
replaced with a silver half-cuirass that covered the man's shoulders and
upper torso. His collar was embroidered with green leaves, and a green half-
cape reached down to the small of his back, clasped to his collar. A
swordbelt for a rapier lay at his side.

	"Th... thank you for helping me..." she managed, coughing.
Thankfully the taste of blood was absent; this meant she wasn't likely hurt
badly, or at least not internally, and no bones felt fractured.

	The man turned to face her, and smiled. He had the same fine,
chiseled features as Adele, and his shoulder length, dark strawberry blonde
locks only emphasized that similarity. "Ah, I see you are awake again.
Feeling better?"

	Tavia managed to nod, and though she ached, her body no longer
protested loudly at the thought of movement, and she struggled to sit up,
placing her back to the wall so that she could face her rescuer. "It's still
fairly uncomfortable, but I've had worse..."

	Nodding, the man stood up and dusted off his clothing, walking over
to lean down next to her. "I'm not sure how you came to be here, but we are
both stuck here for a while, non? So we might as well get to know each
other. I..." he said, suddenly standing and bowing with a flourish, "...am
Alouette the White Falcon, a swordsman and knight errant!"

	Tavia blinked, taken aback by the sudden display, and her surprise
suddenly degenerated into a coughing fit as her breath had caught at
Alouette's dramatics. When the fit subsided, she looked at him and smiled
weakly. "My name is Tavia Reinschild... a pleasure to meet you, Alouette."

	Smiling, her companion held out a hand. "Come... I didn't want to
disturb vous from where you fell, but there is a spring in a room up
ahead... you can wash your scrapes and drink a bit, mmm?"

	"Alright..." Tavia grasped the man's hand and was surprised at the
strength; though he was not any stronger than an average man, it was quite a
shock coming from someone with a frame obviously built for speed rather than
strength. Although her aches made her groan, she found she was able to take
wobbly steps with Alouette's support through the underground rooms, a few of
which were lit with small orange globes... lightseeds, she remembered Li
calling them, a simple trick that rune-users learned in their training and
one of a very small handful of magics that could be focused without the use
of a Rune.

	"Perhaps you would like to tell me how you came to be here, oui?"
Alouette said as he led Tavia through a pair of rooms into a smaller side
room from which came the sound of running water; inside was a plainly carved
fountain which focused the flow of an underground spring. "But first, tend
to yourself, mademoiselle. I will be outside."

	Smiling, Tavia nodded, hobbling her way over to the fountain. When
he knew she would be alright on her own, the swordsman walked out, closing
the door behind him.

	The water was cool and refreshing, and Tavia's sporadic coughing
fits were eased once she had washed the dirt and dust from her mouth.
Thankfully she had only a few minor cuts in terms of open wounds, though she
took care to wash the scrapes on her palms and to dab at the larger cuts.
However, she did know that she would find plenty of bruises when she next
had the chance to inspect herself, and was suddenly wishing for the company
of Alyssa and her Water Rune.

	After a brief period, Tavia exited the room to find Alouette shadow-
fencing in the middle of the cellar room outside the spring. Despite his
foppish demeanor, he seemed focused and skillful as his silver rapier
flashed through the air gracefully. His technique was startlingly similar to
Adele's, though it was clear Alouette had more training, though it was
unclear if it was combat training or simply fencing lessons.

	He finished off his imaginary opponent with a lunge, before bringing
the blade up in salute and sheathing it. "Ah, you are feeling better,
mademoiselle?"

	Tavia nodded, finding a stack of barrels and sitting on them
heavily, not realizing how sore she still was. "Quite a bit, thank you...
and please, just Tavia is fine, sir."

	Chuckling, the man bowed quickly, brushing a lock of hair out of his
eyes as he stood, and Tavia repressed a giggle at the archaic gesture. "The
please, Tavia, you must call me Alouette, non?"

	Tavia gave in and laughed, nodding. "Alouette, then... well met."
She looked around, finally having the chance to take in some detail of her
surroundings and finding there was none; the walls were blank, smooth stone
and each square room seemed identical to the last, the only real difference
being the different crates and barrels in each one. "This is obviously a
cellar, but I don't remember this building having one..."

	Tilting his head a little, Alouette mmmed at her curiously. "Do you
know anything about this place?"

	Tavia nodded, standing up and walking from wall to wall, brushing
her fingers along the cool stone. "I was a cadet here before it was
taken..." she said distractedly.

	"Ah!" the swordsman said in surprise, suddenly striding to Tavia and
taking her hand. "At last, I have found a survivor of this horrid tragedy!
But lo, only one survivor... how horrible! Allow me to protect you, Miss
Tavia!" he begged, lip trembling.

	Tavia's eyebrow twitched, and she withdrew her hands from Alouette's
grip nervously, then coughed into the back of her hand. "There were no cadet
casualties, Sir Alouette," she said with a sheepish smile. "Except for a
friend and myself, they are all staying with General la Lanterne at Falling-
Star Farm outside Bristow."

	Alouette blinked, and almost seemed to freeze up for a moment.
"...Falling-Star, you say?" he said meekly, wringing his hands.

	Tavia nodded. "Yes. I was there myself, they're all fine... are you
okay? You look sort of pale."

	"What? Oh, fine, fine! Please excuse my momentary slip of manners,
mademoiselle," Alouette responded, collecting himself. "The news, you see, I
was a little shocked by it..."

	"Ah," Tavia responded non-comittally, then resumed looking at the
walls and ceiling. "Yes, I can see how learning that scores of military
cadets are alive would unnerve one..."

	Knitting his brow briefly, Alouette shrugged and glanced at Tavia.
"I am guessing you are looking for a way out, oui? I have been searching
since I fell here myself yesterday... whatever claimed the building placed
piles of debris in the stairwells leading out, and they cannot be moved
without sending the pile hurtling downward..."

	Tavia frowned and looked back at him. "So what you're saying is, the
only way out is back through the hole we fell in through?" Alouette nodded,
and Tavia hmmmed. "How did you come to be here, anyway?"

	With a cough, Alouette closed his eyes and swept out his arm. "Well,
you see, I was engaged in swordplay with bandits, those very same bandits
who destroyed this very keep! I was handling myself well..." he boasted,
waving his arms in intricate slashing motions, "...but they tricked me and I
fell into this fiendish trap of theirs..."

	"I've met their leader, and he's never been within a mile of the
Academy," Tavia said dryly, continuing to examine the room and taking stock
of which doors seemed to lead where.

	There was a hefty pause, before Alouette coughed. "Yes, well. Truth
be told, I was enjoying the company of a most rare and beautiful flower of
this fine city, when her husband happened upon us..." He trailed off, and
when Tavia turned to look at him the swordsman was unnaturally involved in
cleaning his jacket of dust.

	"Mmmhmmm," Tavia responded, too distracted with trying to find a way
out to really be paying attention to the swordsman's tale's veracity. "In
any event, my friends will come looking for me come morning, I'm sure. One
of them is a former cadet and another is an elven huntress... as long as we
can wait it out until morning, we'll be fine."

	"Ah!" Alouette exclaimed, smiling at Tavia. "Truly a most
resourceful and intelligent cadet you are, Miss Reinschild!" He hmmmed and
looked around as well with a sigh. "For now it seems as if we will have to
endure the boredom of staring at these dull walls until morning..."

	Tavia shook her head, indicating a door set in a recess on the far
side of the room. Unlike the other doors in the cellar rooms so far, it was
slightly more ornate, with a gold filigree mosaic of ivy decorating it. "I'm
guessing you've not explored that particular room yet?"

	Alouette nodded. "Correct. I really had no need to, once I found the
spring..."

	Sighing, the cadet looked at the door. "I'm going to see what's on
the other side, then," she said, straightening her tunic. "We've got plenty
of hours before daylight, and I'm curious as to what could have been hidden
for so long under the Academy..."

	The swordsman swallowed, then coughed and saluted. "Then naturally,
I will accompany you as your guardian!" he said stoutly, placing his other
hand on the pommel of his rapier. "Lead on, mademoiselle, and the White
Falcon shall follow!"

	Chuckling, Tavia nodded, checking her belt and reassuring herself
that her sai weren't damaged in the fall. "Alright, then... let's have a
look inside."

	With Alouette standing guard close behind, Tavia retrieved a
lightseed from one of the wall sconces and pushed open the gilded door, both
she and her 'guardian' tensed as it slowly creaked open, only to relax as
the other side revealed only a long, dark hallway.

	The pair proceeded with caution, Tavia nervously fingering her right
sai and Alouette's hand firmly on the scabbard of his rapier. However, the
trip down the hallway was, for the most part, uneventful, almost to the
point that the lack of activity was worse than if a swarm of monsters had
taken up residence.

	"It's too quiet," Tavia mumbled, shining the lightseed's brilliance
in all directions, hoping to find something of interest and being
disappointed with a continuous result of nothing.

	"Oui..." Alouette said in agreement, looking around. "Perhaps this
is a dead end, non? We should head back..."

	Tavia shook her head. "No... something's tugging at my mind about
this. I need to see where it ends..."

	After what could have been at most a hundred feet but which felt
like a mile, the hallway began to open up, the worked stone becoming the
craggy unevenness of a natural cave. Both companions shivered in a sudden
chill and slowed their pace, walking more carefully over the rough stone
floor.

	"Mon dieu... this cavern, it goes much farther under the school that
I'd thought. We must be tunneling inside the hill."

	"Yeah..." Tavia said distractedly, looking ahead and squinting to
make out what she discovered was a faint blue glow at what could only be the
tunnel's end. "I think the end is in sight, though."

	Alouette let out a sigh of relief. "Très bon... my feet are killing
me," he said wearily, looking ahead. "Although I cannot say I am entirely
looking forward to seeing what the light at the end of the tunnel portends."

	It didn't take long for the pair to reach the tunnel's end, a wide
natural cavern that seemed to be lit from above by a faintly shimmering blue
light. Although the cave was obviously not worked, it had a curiously
symmetrical feel to it, as though someone had coaxed the stone to grow and
erode into a particular shape. In the very center of the room was a dark
black obelisk, obviously shaped by human hands.

	Tavia heard Alouette suck in a breath, and turned to look at him,
finding his eyebrows raised in curiosity and awe. "Truly a place of
beauty... however..."

	"What was it doing buried under Heimdall Academy?" Tavia said,
finishing his thought. Alouette nodded, and she turned to look at the room
again. "Yeah, that's worrying me too."

	The swordsman stepped out from behind Tavia and began to wander
around the circular cavern, examining the stone. "Usually, one buries
something when one is trying to forget about it, non? Or seal it away." He
looked at the obelisk and took a step toward it. "And if this did not seem
like such a grave marker..."

	As Alouette reached out to touch the dark black stone, he suddenly
yelped. Tavia whirled, sai at the ready, but her companion was merely
standing a step or two back, waving his hand in the air as if burned.

	"Sacré bleu!" he muttered, looking at his hand. "The stone is
possessed somehow! When I went to touch it, a shock ran through my whole
arm..."

	Frowning, Tavia looked at the obelisk carefully. "That's odd..." She
took a step toward the black stone pillar, and Alouette turned his head,
afraid to watch. However, when nothing happened for a long moment, he turned
back and found Tavia running her fingers across the stone.

	"Miss Tavia! Please be careful! We don't know what kind of demon
might be inside that stone..."

	"There's words..." she said quietly, tracing her fingers over the
black stone, as if following the lines of a book. "'We who come before
welcome the First Star of Heaven...'" Tavia read aloud. "'Touch thou this
stone with a pure desire and you shall have Victory awakened within thee'."

	Shaking his head, Alouette took a cautious step closer, peering at
the stone. "Are you feeling well, mademoiselle?" he asked, turning his
glance to Tavia, who did not return the gesture. "I don't see anything but a
carved black stone, Miss Tavia..."

	"You can't see it?" Tavia knit her brow, then glanced back at
Alouette for confirmation. He shook his head, and Tavia frowned, looking
back at the stone. "I suppose you can't feel it either, then..."

	"Please forgive my rude words, my lady, but I see nothing on the
stone, nor feel whatever it is you are feeling. Perhaps if you described it
to me?"

	Tavia shook her head and stood up, turning to Alouette for a moment
and then looking back at the stone. "It's not... I can't put it into words.
But I get a feeling of... maybe not peace, but confidence? Something..."

	"It is a resonance..." said an unseen voice, one which seemed to
come from every part of the cave at once.

	Alouette immediately drew his rapier and held it with both hands,
assuming a fighting stance and shifting around on the balls of his feet.
Tavia was, despite her uneasiness at the unseen voice, was taken off guard
by how easily Alouette's foppish demeanor melted away when he felt
threatened. "Show yourself, fiend!"

	The voice chuckled, and Tavia fell back a step or two as the air
before her rippled, becoming a shimmering gate of blue from which stepped a
coldly beautiful woman dressed in blue robes, whose eyes were shut and
obscured by long blue-black tresses. "I come in peace, Chimei Star... you
may sheathe your blade."

	Blinking, Tavia searched her memory for where she had seen this
unusual woman before, and finally opened her mouth wide in recognition.
"You're... Leknaat, the seer..." she mumbled, confused.

	"You know this woman?" Alouette asked, still on guard. When Tavia
numbly nodded her assent, the swordsman stood down his stance, bowing
faintly to the robed woman. "My apologies, madame."

	Smiling, her blind eyes closed, Leknaat nodded, taking a step toward
Tavia, who was near-frozen in fear and fascination. "I am Leknaat, yes...
Tavia, in so short a time you've grown so much and experienced many
different things... but soon, you will need more power than you have, more
than even your friends, stalwart though they may be, can provide."

	Reaching out with one hand, the seeress drew out from Tavia's tunic
the rune crystal necklace, holding it in her hand. "Tavia Reinschild, the
swirling stars of destiny awaken... let your power guide them to victory.
True Rune, awaken and serve thy destined master!"

	Both Tavia and Alouette were frozen, watching as the rune crystal
began to glow, the golden laurel crown inside spinning slightly until the
cord keeping it in place around Tavia's neck snapped, the crystal sphere
floating in midair a moment before shattering. At that moment, golden light
traced the outline of the laurel crown in the air, and soon that light
swirled downward, tracing that same pattern on Tavia's right hand.

	"There..." Leknaat said gently, stepping backward. "Your destiny is
awakened, Tavia. Enter it with eyes open." As she spoke these last words,
the blue gate of light opened about her, swallowing her up slowly.

	"Wait!" Tavia shouted, taking a step forward and reaching for the
robe-clad figure only to find her hand passing through Leknaat's
insubstantial image. She sighed, sinking to her knees before the obelisk.
"Come back... I don't understand this 'destiny'..."

	Surprisingly, she once again felt Alouette's surprisingly strong
grip on her shoulders, and the expression on his feminine, jovial face was
rather somber, though he smiled weakly. "Please, mademoiselle... I do not
understand, but I believe there is little more for us to do here, and it's
cold and damp..." He helped her up, and bowed faintly. "It is my duty to
protect you after all, non? Let us retire to somewhere safer."

	Smiling in spite of herself, Tavia nodded. "You're right, of
course... let's go..." Making use of the swordsman's offered shoulder for
the time being, Tavia left the stone chamber behind, but in her heart, she
couldn't erase the word which Leknaat had charged her with, a word she
wasn't sure she wanted to think about...

	Destiny...

                                [*]

	After the incident with Leknaat, both Alouette and Tavia agreed that
enough was enough, and after moving more crates into the room where they had
fallen in, they slept atop the wooden boxes and waited until morning.

	The first thing Tavia heard when she awoke was the sounds of distant
shouting, and then a much closer and more recognizable voice: Reid's. "Hey!
I think I found her!" he yelled, and the echo of his voice reverberating in
the cellar chambers woke both Tavia and Alouette.

	"Aaaah, mon dieu, my back is *killing* me," Alouette complained,
stretching. He blinked a few times and then pointed upward at the hole.
"Your friends, oui?"

	Tavia nodded vigorously, the hope of rescue dispelling her fatigue
in moments. "Reid! REID!" she shouted, cupping her hands to her mouth.
"We're down here! Throw a rope!"

	"Tavia? Are you okay? Who's 'we'?" Reid asked, and before she could
answer, he yelled down again. "Anyhow, just stay there. Kyrina's got some
rope."

	It didn't take long before a braid of thick rope fell through the
hole, and the weary and anxious duo climbed their way out, both laying
backwards on the grass of the hill and staring at the sky in relief.

	"Ah, I never thought the sky would look as beautiful as it does
now..." Alouette said dreamily, his eyes following the clouds as they
drifted through the sea of blue.

	The majority of the expeditionary party, however, was focusing on
Tavia, who waved off their attentions wearily. "I'm fine, the lot of you,
really. Thank you for coming to look."

	"Yeah, well," Alyssa said, looking at her twin. "Alaric mentioned
that I may have gone too far, saying what I said about Reid and all, so we
suggested this morning that we go make sure you hadn't done something
stupid."

	Reid blinked. "What about me?"

	Alaric groaned, rubbing his face with his hand. "What my oh-so-
tactful sister is trying to say is that we're both sorry about what
happened."

	Tavia laughed, shaking her head. "You just caught me off guard, is
all."

	"Hold on. What was said about me?"

	Chuckling, Kyrina pointed over at the swordsman, who had risen from
the grass and was watching the group while trying to appear inconspicuous,
and failing miserably. "Who's your friend?" she asked. "Not a Heimdall
cadet?"

	"No... his name is Alouette the White Falcon," Tavia responded,
unable to resist a chuckle of her own at saying the name again. "He's a
swordsman who helped me when I fell..."

	"Tavia, are you listening to me? Alaric? What was said?"

	"Well, then, thank him and let's be off," Lierni interjected as she
stepped out of the ruins to join the group, and despite herself Tavia felt a
wave of relief at hearing her classmate's dry, harsh tone. "We've already
wasted enough time and the General's grandson isn't going to just drop in
our laps..."

	"Please forgive my interruption, mademoiselle," Alouette
interjected, glancing around the group. "But if you are looking for the
grandson of Renard la Lanterne, then you have found him." With a flourish,
he bowed to Tavia. "I feel I owe you a debt of protection yet, Mademoiselle
Tavia, and thus I reveal my identity to you."

	"Well, hey, how about that?" Alyssa said, nudging Lierni and
receiving a glare of utter death for her trouble. "Dunno about your lap, but
mine feels pretty full of grandsons at the moment."

	"Alouette, is that true? Are you really the General's grandson?"
Kyrina asked, raising an eyebrow.

	The swordsman nodded. "Oui, elven beauty. I am not exactly my
grandfather's favorite son... but if what the seeress said was true, then I
have a feeling that Miss Tavia will be needing the White Falcon's blade, and
thus I offer it to her."

	Lierni raised an eyebrow. "Seeress?" Her sharp eyes drifted to
Tavia's hand, and her gaze widened in surprise. "A rune! A *powerful*
rune..." she whispered, trailing off.

	Laughing, Alaric glanced at Tavia. "Looks like you've got quite a
story to tell. But we've found Alouette, so we might as well head back to
the inn for breakfast, right?"

	The rest of the party seemed to find this agreeable, and made off
down the hill to sort out the evening's tale over breakfast.

	Only the wind was left to hear Reid shouting, desperate, from the
top of the hill: "Will someone PLEASE tell me what was said about me?!"

                                [*]

	Adele had been in Lindael only a week, and yet to her it felt as if
she were returning home after a long absence spent wandering a wilderness of
poverty and shame. From her room in a west tower of the Saints Palace, the
towering castle of white marble that sat in the direct center of Lindael,
and thus every window above the third floor allowed a panoramic view of the
city and countryside in all directions. The orange glow of streetlights and
lamplit homes seemed far away as the girl looked out her window at the city
below, awakening in the purple haze of dusk.

	Her fingers drifted to her collar, which now held insignia of
rank... a Lieutenant, and the youngest one in the Hereshan military. General
Nevenheim had taken such a liking to Adele that the girl had been moved to
the General's wing in the Saints Palace from her temporary home in the
barracks far below, and both the General and her aide-de-camp Davon had
taken it upon themselves to continue Adele's military education. Once again,
Adele mused, her life was back on track.

	A knock at the door snapped Adele out of her reverie. "Enter," she
said, loudly and clearly, and turned as the door opened to reveal her newly-
assigned "handmaiden", Kaja, bowing in respect.

	"Excuse me for interrupting, Mistress Adele, but Lord Davon and Lady
Aisha request your presence in the meeting room."

	Smiling, Adele walked over toward the door and nodded, the soles of
her military boots making a satisfyingly precise *clack* tone on the floor
with each step. "Thank you, Kaja."

	Nodding without standing, the servant girl remade her obeisance. "Of
course, my mistress."

	Adele chuckled and reached out for the girl's arm, drawing her
upright. "Miss Adele is fine, if you must, Kaja," she said, smiling warmly.
"We should be friends, should we not?"

	The servant girl, a slim and pallid girl who could be no older than
16, tried a smile, which seemed to appease Adele for the time being. "O--of
course, Miss. Friends."

	Nodding, Adele took a step into the hallway and looked backwards. It
was a pleasant feeling, once again being among the love and friendship of a
family staff. Memories of her childhood, of being adored by her family's
many attendants, floated through her consciousness as she looked on the
demure and frail-looking servant. "I'm glad. Please have a bath ready for me
when I return."

	Kaja nodded, bowing. "Of course, my m... Miss Adele," the servant
corrected.

	The meeting room was not far down the hallway, and when Adele
entered she found Aisha and Davon standing over a table upon which a map and
some miniatures had been spread, pointing out locations. "Lieutenant
Malespoir reporting, sir!" she said crisply, saluting.

	Although Davon was wearing his ever present, crisp and perfect,
black and blue-trimmed uniform, the General had chosen a much more casual
look that evening, with black breeches and a simple white cotton shirt
replacing her usual military regalia. "Ah, Adele. Please, come in and have a
seat," Aisha said languidly, turning her eyes up to glance at the new
recruit.

	"Sir," Adele responded, walking briskly across the room to the table
and placing herself at the seat farthest from the two higher-ranking
officers. Although she struggled to remain outwardly composed, inside
Adele's stomach turned. Had she been found out? What could possibly have
warranted this meeting?

	Chuckling, the general waved a hand at Adele, motioning for her to
come closer. "Please, Lieutenant. I don't stand on overformality in my own
home. This is of concern to you as well, so please listen closely."

	"Y... yes, sir," the girl replied, rising from her distant chair and
sitting to the general's right, next to the map. Looking at it, she
recognized the area as the farmland surrounding Bristow. Some of the
miniatures were placed on the map from varying directions, with three
colors. Three separate troops?

	"Ah, good. Well, then... I see from the look on your face that you
recognize this place?" Aisha commented, glancing at Adele, who blushed. The
general laughed. "No, don't be embarrassed. I'm glad you do, and you'll see
why in a moment. Davon, if you please?"

	Nodding, the general's aide stood up and coughed, straightening his
jacket. "Yes, General." He swept a hand out to encompass the map on the
table, fixing his gaze on Adele. "This, as you likely know, is a map of
Bristow and the surrounding area. What you may not know is that it is
currently a military hot spot."

	The aide's fingers drifted over the three colors of miniature:
green, blue, and red. "The Wind Children, barbarian tribes from the
southeast in the Heresha/Lierstam borderlands, are planning to raid the
city. With Heimdall gone, the city is practically defenseless and the Wind
Children will likely overrun Bristow with no trouble at all."

	Adele blinked, looking between Davon and Aisha in confusion. "But
the Wind Children never raid this early in the year!" she protested, looking
at the map.

	"Nevertheless," Davon said dryly, "they are."

	Adele coughed, clenching her hand into a fist. "Their comeuppance is
long in coming. We can't allow barbarian scum to simply think they can walk
all over the Nation of Heresha, can we?" she asked, addressing her question
to Aisha.

	The general shook her head, pointing at the map. "We cannot abandon
the people of Bristow, no," she responded quietly and slightly
reproachfully. "However, the early attack of the Wind Children is, in fact,
of my own design," she said.

	"...What?"

	"The general sent spies and instigators into the barbarian tribes,
convincing them to unite under Chieftain Malek and that the time was right
to attack the border towns, including Bristow," Davon explained in a level
voice.

	Adele shook her head, looking up at General Nevenheim. "But why?"

	Aisha smiled faintly, pointing at the map. "The 'bandits' who took
down Heimdall... from your report and from my military intelligence, I've
come to the conclusion that they are likely not bandits at all, but instead
subversive revolutionaries."

	Devon's hand drifted from the green pieces situated in the southeast
to the red pieces centered around Bristow. "We've received reports that a
few groups have been gathering local soldiers to Bristow to defend it from
the Wind Children."

	"...They feel guilty about destroying Heimdall," Adele whispered
quietly. "And so they're gathering there to defend the city..."

	Adele was rewarded with a smile from Aisha, and felt the general's
hand on her shoulder. "Exactly. I'm impressed... just as would be expected
of a Malespoir." The lieutenant blushed as Aisha pointed at the map. "We're
going to eliminate two threats in one blow. We'll let the revolutionaries
and the barbarians battle over the city, and when one has defeated the
other, a company of our own soldiers will sweep in from the west and finish
the remaining faction."

	There was a long pause, before Adele took some slow breaths and
managed to find her voice. "It's... a plan worthy of your abilities, my
liege," Adele said quietly, afraid to ask the question she knew must be
voiced. "But how do I figure into this plan?"

	Aisha laughed and leaned down next to Adele, looking at her. "I'm
glad you asked. Adele, you know the Bristow area. You trained there and you
have the right and the privilege to avenge the fall of Heimdall. I want you
to lead the company I'll be sending to this battle."

	Her eyes widened, and Adele struggled to respond coherently. "My
lord, I am honored... but should I really...?"

	Standing, the general nodded. "You're a natural, Adele. Already my
men respect your intelligence and skill, and the Malespoir name is famous.
It commands respect. I want you to do this."

	"I will be there to support and aide you in whatever way possible,"
Davon said, smiling at Adele as well. "Please, Adele. Accept the general's
proposal."

	Emotions raced through Adele's mind powerfully, almost making her
physically dizzy with their pull. A chance... a chance to be a hero and a
leader once again, to avenge herself on the men who had dared to take it
from her, from Adele Malespoir, in the first place.

	"...Please, General Nevenheim, allow me to be your hand in this
matter. I swear by my name Malespoir that I will bring victory to this great
nation of Heresha!"

                                [*]

	It didn't take long to get word back to Falling-Star Farm that the
group had located the General's grandson; Reid offered to escort Alouette to
the farm and back as proof, but only after prying the details of the twins'
conversation with Tavia out of the three and leaving in an embarrassed huff.

	The swordsmen returned two days later, the General (with Daniel as
his lieutenant) and the cadets travelling with them, and Senrou's force of
revolutionaries and the local militia arrived a scant five hours later.
Although tensions were high between the revolutionaries and the Heimdall
cadets at first, the soothing words of Tavia, the leadership of Renard la
Lanterne, and the pressing threat to Bristow itself served to provide a
unified, if not brotherly, front.

	The groups set up camp on the Hill and prepared their defense of the
city, working with the residents of Bristow who chose to help defend their
home. However, time was of the essence, and only a day passed before a
portent of terrible news appeared on the horizon.

	The Wind Children were near. Rising in the distance, visible from
the tall hill of the once-proud Academy, was smoke from a very particular
type of flame...

	...The fires of war.

<---->

Recruited Stars: General Renard la Lanterne, the Tengou (Four Heavenly
Truths) Star Alouette la Lanterne, the Chimei (Earthly Brightness) Star
Daniel Hightien, the Chisatsu (Earthly Observation) Star

Author's Notes: ...Bloody Hell. c.c; I was not looking to write a 48k part.
But I realized I had all these story parts I wanted to tell and explore,
and... there you go. This is the second 'real' Impro part I've written on my
own after a long hiatus, and although it was grueling work, I'm rather glad
with the results.

As for Alouette? Yes, he was named that on purpose; Alouette the SEXY BITCH
swordsman (a sort of combination of Pierre from Chrono Cross and Vincent de
Boule from the Suikoden series) was a running joke between Illyria and I and
I wanted to include someone who might have a reason to be on the run from
the General. I rather like him, and I hope he won't get shuffled off to the
sidelines, but that's the way of things. ^_^

Thank you to Kate and Scott for prereading and suggestions, to Mechalink for
just being there, and especially to my other mental half, Illyria, for
ideas, jokes, prereading, running commentary, and for being half of the
SOOPER SEKRIT VULCAN MINDLINK. \\//

...Not much more to say. Hope you enjoyed this. And Mervyn, I'm sorry.
Really. ^_^; -Todd Harper (lina@sandwich.net), 2/21/00