I suppose this is necessary for the formation of a new, united nation, but I wish to go on record as stating my opposition to the new council's plan for assuring stability within our land. That said, here is my report. The al'Kezzin have been contained inside the desert around Ghali. We estimate their numbers have fallen by two-fifths, and Kesshin and Sararek have had troops sent to create watching posts, lest they try to rebel once more. The Elves have scattered, and all those who were resisted were killed. It is likely that most of the survivors fled to other islands, save for those who have attempted to disguise themselves. The Kobolds fled into the Erisan, and are likely to die of starvation within a year's time. The Dwarves have been relocated to an empty, barren island approximately one week's sail to our east. Starvation is likely for them, as well. The Werewolves have been eradicated. As our new council has ordered, so has our new land of Heresha been "purged" and "cleansed", so that our new nation may take hold more securely. May we all find forgiveness. -- From General Garou la Lanterne's reports to Lindael in the aftermath of the Crownbreaker War, shortly before his death Sugar High Productions presents a Rocketarian Pictures production in association with Improfanfic Suikoden: Distant Shores started by Illyria and Todd Harper Part 22: Wildfire by Illyria "Might I speak with you for a moment, Ms. Totorika?" Tavia looked curiously at Nereida as she stepped to one side of the room with Lierni; the strategist's lips simply curled up in a humorless smile as a response. She watched the two, trying and failing to read their conversation through the movement of their lips. Li looked surprised, though, and Nereida looked apologetic... odd. Surely she couldn't be telling Li not to fight. "They'll be ready," she heard Li say as the two finally broke apart. Nereida gave her a nod and a smile, then walked over to the leader. "Things are coming along well, Lady Tavia. Our elite units are all prepared, and your infantry are better-trained than I'd expected. I wish you had a real cavalry unit, but... all in due course." Nereida looked to the side and frowned infinitesimally. "The soldiers themselves are trained, but what about him? Is he ready?" Tavia looked over her shoulder to the figure Nereida was indicating. She smiled a bit despite herself, then nodded. "I'm sure he is... he just didn't expect to be commanding any troops, I'd bet." "La Lanterne!" Nereida called out, waving to him. Alouette looked up from his pacing with a start, then hurried over, wringing his hands when he arrived. "Ou... oui, mademoiselle?" She rested her hand on the nervous swordsman's shoulder, steadying him as she met his eyes. "I need to know if you're ready for this. I know you've never commanded troops before, but I have no doubt that you'll fill your role admirably. After all, you're brave enough to lead them, right?" He nodded once, still twisting the hem of his jacket in his hands. "Well, naturally, it's not that that concerns me. I just do not have the experience, and there must be others who could command with more skill than myself-" "You're the grandson of one great general, and the son of another. Granted, those of the la Lanterne name were cursed inside Lierstam more often than they were praised, but that's because they had too many victories against us." She smiled lightly. "Surely you heard some talk of command at the dinner table? I bet you remember more than you think." "I suppose..." Alouette replied, his voice and face more than a bit dubious. "You'll do marvelously," she assured him one last time before she bustled off to verify more of her plans. Tavia walked up to Alouette and squeezed his arm. "You're gonna do great, you'll see. I bet you do know more about all this than you think!" "My grandfather always said I would never be fit for command," he quietly replied, looking after Nereida. Tavia pondered that for a moment, then replied in a voice just as soft, "Well, then you can prove him wrong for when he comes back. And Alouette... with Reid and Kyrina not back yet, we really need all the leaders we can get." "Besides, you'll be as safe and secure as you are in your bedroom!" a voice cried out behind them. "We'll be watching you!" Alouette jumped. "What? You can't be serious... why would you be on the front lines?" He turned back to Tavia and looked at her with more than a bit of desperation. "Please, mon capitan." "Ah, well..." Tavia coughed. "Nalia, I'm so glad you showed up... we need someone to plan a victory celebration for us! You can have it all ready by the end of the fight, can't you?" "...Sure I can," the dancer smirked after a short pause. "Fine, fine. Come along, Jasin, help your mother. And don't make that face again, or it'll stay that way." Tavia smiled in return to Alouette's murmured thanks, then turned to watch the turmoil of preparation that filled their castle. She sighed. Three more days was all that they could expect before the entire mercenary army made it up the steep passes. Reid and Kyrina's mission, whatever it was, had better succeed. And soon. * * * * * "Are you sure you know where we're going?" Kyrina held up a hand to still Reid's constant questions, then knelt onto the forest floor to inspect the ground more closely. "Right... there, okay. This is where I missed the turnoff before. The path's getting harder to read... we must be getting closer." "Or we could be going further away," Reid suggested as he leaned against a massive oak. "I can't even see the trails you're supposedly pointing out." "Hey, that's your problem, not mine," she replied with a grin. "Besides, it's not harder to read because we're getting further away... they're hiding it better." She rose to her feet and motioned into the woods. "Come on, Reid. People are counting on us." With a faintly distrustful look towards the dense woods around, Reid followed Kyrina. He made it almost fifty paces before he tripped over an exposed root. * * * * * "Are you saying you don't think you can handle it?" Adele cleared her throat, forcing her expression to remain even as she replied, "Not at all, Counselor Serre. In fact, I am so certain of our victory that I feel perfectly safe in asking for this." The council conferred among themselves for a moment, then looked back up at her. Professor Serre continued her line of questions by adding, "Captain Malespoir, you've done very well representing our nation's military. Enough to garner that new title you're bearing. But bringing the general with you, whether she's free or in shackles, seems like a needless risk. How do you justify it?" Adele thought through the arguments she'd prepared before entering the room, and began to run through them in turn. "As our spies on the border have discovered, they'll be facing the Viper Fang corps. The battle is likely to be extremely heated, and if she did attempt an escape, she'd be as good as dead the second she set foot outside our ranks. But I don't think she will try to escape. And she's faced them before, so she has invaluable knowledge on how to face them." "You won't be fighting them, I thought," Harfeld added, looking confused. "At first," Adele explained. "We're going to hold back until both they and the rebels are weakened... ideally, until one side or the other is wiped out entirely. We can then sweep forward, defeat the remaining army, and have wiped out one recurring annoyance and one growing threat." She waited a moment for that to sink in, then continued, "It will be a great victory for Heresha, and if it's said that General Nevenheim was there..." She trailed off, finally finishing, "The people still love her. Hearing about a victory from a popular figure like her, whether she's suspected of anything or not, is sure to remind them of how great Heresha's might is. That will certainly convince some people to think twice about running off to join the rebels." And it will put the pressure on you to let her go, she mentally added to herself. The council members eyed each other for a moment longer, then Shaendra finally nodded. "You sound like you have this all planned out, Captain Malespoir. So long as we choose her guards, you may take General Nevenheim to this battle." Adele exhaled a breath she'd been straining to maintain for quite some time. "Oh, thank you. I'll give her every ounce of credit she deserves, and the people will know about every bit of it." Bowing sharply, she quickly rose and spun to exit the room, Davon trailing behind her. There was a short pause before any of the council members said anything. "Aisha really was a nice woman," Harfeld said, sighing. "I'm glad she'll get to go on one last campaign." "I suppose we can delay the 'assassins' for a week," Evenweir grumbled. "Really, I was looking forward to making the announcement that those filthy Lierstamians had not only framed our general -- who'll have a great victory behind her, as luck seems to have it -- but assassinated her before her name could be cleared!" He let the mock drama fall from his voice and wistfully finished, "There's nothing for the treasury like a good war." "And no better way to get rid of those rebels in the mountains that to crush them like a nut between us and Lierstam," Shaendra nodded. "The general would certainly approve. It's a very effective way to find a blameless way to start the war." Harfeld sighed again. "Such a nice lady. Such a shame." * * * * * It was early in the morning when the mercenaries arrived, and the sun had just risen. A biting wind blew across the far end of the plateau, the shelter provided by the mountains at White Cloud's end not enough to compensate for the approaching winter. As the respective armies faced each other across the lake, an eerie stillness fell across them both. Despite being a mercenary group, the Viper Fangs looked much more unified and polished than the Crescent Freedom Army. Ragtag or not, the latter faced their enemies with level expressions on every face. The number of infantry at the shore looked anemic compared to Venomspear's army, but they stood tall. With a great chorus of roars, the mercenaries suddenly set into motion, rushing at the lake. Tavia's army instinctually grabbed for their swords, no matter that it would take them at least ten minutes to circle around through the side passages. When the lancers stopped at the opposite shore of the lake instead of progressing around it, confusion replaced apprehension, only to fade into something else. "They're building boats," Tavia murmured, a growing sense of hopelessness overcoming her. That the enemy would have to approach them on either side of the lake, funneled into those small corridors, had been the key to their strategy. Archers were perched in the mountains along the paths, waiting to rain down arrows upon their enemies as they approached... but if they simply crossed the lake... She glanced to the side, towards Nereida. The woman's arms were folded sharply across her chest, but her face belied no hint of apprehension. "We don't have enough soldiers to take them in a full frontal wave," Tavia said to her, under her breath so none of her troops could hear. "They could cover the entire beach on the castle side of the lake, and we'd be stuck running back and forth to try and stop them. With our numbers, our only hope is to force them around the sides." "I've planned for this," Nereida answered simply, her gaze still resting on the opposite shore of the lake. "Trust me." * * * * * "Excellent work, men!" Garnof bellowed as he watched the first wave of his mercenaries set out onto their unsteady crafts. A satisfied sneer appeared as he watched them row towards those weaklings, cowering in their pristine castle that seemed to be made of nothing more than towers and archways. "They're doing sloppy work, Garnof," one of his lieutenants said from his side. "Water's splashing up between the planks." "Are they floating?" "Yes..." "Will they take them to the opposite shore?" "Well, yes..." Venomspear laughed a deep, rumbling roar. "Then I think they did excellent work. And maybe you should be less concerned with whether things look pretty, unless you want to go hide with that girl in her castle." He turned his attention back across the lake, grinning. "White Cloud is supposed to be filled with treasures. The looting after this battle should be well worth our while." * * * * * "Nereida..." Tavia muttered with growing panic. The boats of the first wave had grown close enough for her to begin to make out some of the mercenaries' features, and her strategist hadn't given any signal to the troops. "Perfect," Nereida quietly said, a grin appearing. "Just like I thought might happen. Now, Totorika!" Tavia blinked as Lierni filed past her, followed by a good four dozen soldiers. She blinked again as she got a better look at the soldiers... some were in their old Heimdall uniforms, some were young enough that she knew them as former cadets despite their new clothes. When they raised their right hands in unison with Lierni, Tavia realized something else about the group: she'd seen every single one of them practicing with Lightning Runes. "Now!" Lierni shouted. The small balls of light in each rune user's hand grew, merging with the ones around until a solid sheet of crackling electricity formed above the squad. It held there a moment, then arced towards the water with a roar. There was a moment of silence, then the energy exploded back above the surface. It threw the squad off their feet with the power, then spread outwards, towards the center of the lake... and between the planks of the jury-rigged boats, and up the legs of the mercenaries standing on them. Those who weren't instantly killed by the shock toppled into the water; those who shook off their stun quickly enough to keep from drowning had arrows find their heads, or more lightning bolts target the tips of their lances as they attempted to save their weapons. Lierni looked back over her shoulder, satisfaction plain. Around her, her troops looked somewhat drained by the strong attack, but they had no reason to worry. None of the floundering troops managed to reach the shore. "Excellent," Nereida said to herself. "And that should be that." * * * * * The mood on the opposite side of the lake was somewhat less than jubilant. Venomspear's right eye twitched once. "How many men were in the first wave?" "Five hundred, sir." He snarled. That was a loss of nearly a tenth of his army, and to what? A bunch of children chanting spells? "Move all but my unit around the sides of the lake. They'll have archers waiting for us, no doubt, but tell them to march close and hold their shields above them. That should block all but a few arrows. Then plow through whatever soldiers they have waiting for us, take care of those spellcasters, and take the castle." His lieutenant smiled as the more familiar, straight-forward tactics were laid out. "As good as done." The instructions spread quickly through the well-trained squadron, and they were ready to march as soon as Venomspear sounded the call. Silence fell across the plateau as they set into motion, the anticipation of full-on battle coming across all present. Two thousand men split to the left side of the lake, two thousand to the right. No sooner had one side approached than they were showered with a hail of arrows. In the cliffs above, Werner and Kaleem directed their archers, but the ammunition bounced harmlessly off the raised shields of the mercenaries. The lancers on the other side of the lake had raised their shields as well, but they soon realized that no arrows were raining down on them. Slowly and with much caution, they lowered them. They inspected the cliffs above, then progressed at a faster clip when they were sure no surprise attacks waited for them. Some figures could be seen from the girl's army, but they were hard to make out, not in small part because they were unarmored and hardly the stalwart fighters that Venomspear's army was. Laughing amongst themselves, they moved towards the waiting figures, not slowing when they raised their right hands in unison. A slow breeze began to push against them, and they shared a common snort. When it grew to a buffeting wind, they stopped their laughing and concentrated on walking against it. When it doubled in intensity yet again but moved away for them, they relaxed for only a moment... until it became apparent that it was now directed to the cliff faces above them. There was a pause, followed by a low rumbling. Finally halting in their tracks, the mercenaries looked above their heads. A few pebbles shook loose to bounce off them, quickly followed by a rain of boulders and dirt that was dislodged from the mountains by the targeted wind. They barely had time to panic before they were buried. A few at the tail end of the squadron were able to turn tail and run back to their general. Most weren't so lucky. * * * * * At the other side of the lake, the infantry division watched the success of Luc's unit with a group sigh of relief. No one looked more relieved than their leader. "For the la Lanterne name," Alouette murmured to himself from atop his steed. "Troops!" he cried. "We will soon face the enemy, and we will prevail!" They rattled their swords at him, and he swallowed. Yes, he told himself. You can most certainly do this. The mercenaries they would be fighting had been distracted by the rockslide on the other side of the lake, and a few arrows had begun to find their mark. A cascading effect developed, and soon the toppling bodies of felled soldiers caused others to trip over them, revealing themselves for targeting. When they broke up a bit to find steadier footing, the arrows went between even those shields that were properly raised. They were still a fierce fighting engine, but as Alouette raised his rapier and motioned his troops forward to face them, they were one considerably less invincible than they'd feared. When the troops met, a growing panic was building among the lancers. Although they had the reach advantage, they found themselves pushing against the regular infantry to get away from arrows at their now-exposed backs. This effectively ruined any advantage they'd had but skill, and the greater number of the castle army - who'd known to concentrate all their soldiers at this point - made up for that. For a good ten minutes of frenzied battle, it looked to be an even match. As the lancers were more focused on getting away from the arrows than killing their opponents, they were, if not on the defensive, not taking a purely offensive tactic. Nor were Alouette's troops, as they still needed to fear the lances and their reach. It was the lightning bolts that turned the tide. Whenever a lancer strayed from the core of the fighting to try and find a better position, one of Lierni's mages launched a lightning bolt at them. Their steel lance tips assured that no bolt missed its mark. Even as one mage after another collapsed from exhaustion, the stronger of them kept going, pushing themselves past what any magic user should expect to cast. By the time the bolts finally trailed off, both armies looked exhausted. The battle, however, was clearly White Cloud's. Some of the archers had come down from the cliffs, and those lancers who were still standing found themselves with sword points at their throats and arrows at their backs. Slowly, they raised their hands in surrender, matching dark looks on every face as they did so. Tavia breathed a sigh of relief, placing a hand on her chest to feel her heart as it threatened to burst from her chest. "Thank you, Nereida. I didn't realize just how defensible our castle wa-" "There're troops approaching from the other side," Alyssa said in shock. "No one said anything about us fighting off a push from Heresha, too." Tavia risked a glance over to Nereida; the strategist looked confident on the surface, but her eyes... her eyes kept flickering over to another pass that lead through the mountains. Whatever she was expecting to see there, it wasn't materializing. "You... you prepared for this, right?" she asked the almost-ruler in a low tone. "I... I did, but it's too soon..." Nereida answered, now moving her entire head to sweep across the plateau in mounting desperation. "They should be coming through that far pass..." "But we're going to be okay, right?" Tavia demanded. "Right? We can handle that army just like we dealt with the mercenaries, and it'll be fine, right?" At Nereida's expression, hers fell. "RIGHT?" "Lady Tavia!" came Pane's voice from the arrow slits above. "The last group of mercenaries is coming across the lake!" "Li..." Tavia turned to look at her friend; the mage was leaning against a boulder, her usually-dark skin paled from exhaustion. Daniel was kneeling but conscious; most of the other mages had simply collapsed. It took a moment for the girl to realize she was being inspected; when she did, Lierni tiredly lifted her head and gave Tavia one nod. She pushed herself away from the rocks and stood at the edge of the lake, with only Daniel remaining of her original unit for support. She spared a glance to the toppled mages at her feet, then looked back up, mouth tight. Alaric ran over to support her when her knees began to buckle, but she waved him off. "You've done enough," came a crisp voice from behind Tavia. She blinked in surprise as Luc brushed past her, taking a spot beside Lierni. The wind mage glanced over to her and raised one eyebrow. "...Not bad." "Thank you," Lierni replied shortly before her knees finally gave out and she toppled to the ground, unconscious. Luc glanced down to Lierni for a moment, smiling thinly. His gaze then turned back across the lake, towards the approaching mercenaries. He sighed almost imperceptibly, then murmured, "Wind Rune, lend me your power." A slowly quickening whirlpool formed in the center of the lake, growing as the funnel of air increased in power. It took the mercenaries a moment to realize what was going on; when they did, they promptly attempted to paddle backwards to escape the pull. Luc peered out across the lake, nodding when the rafts finally began to fall into the whirlpool. One flick of his wrist inverted the flow of the wind, sending the soldiers high into the air as the water exploded under them. There was a short pause as people waited to see the results of his actions, followed by a series of simultaneous winces and cheers as a series of huge splashes popped up all across the lake. "They're defeated!" Alaric crowed, hugging Tavia and Alyssa in turn. "Now, let's go take care of those Hereshans, and we'll be celebrating by sundown!" "Right!" Tavia cheered, pointing forward. She closed her eyes and focused on the soldiers before her, who looked exhausted after their short but fierce battle, despite Alouette's attempts to rally them. She wasn't entirely sure what she expected, but when the power began to flow, she was able to more easily control it now than she ever had before. The Victory Rune on her hand let out a blinding flash, and the image of a laurel wreath appeared above the lake like the midday summer sun come to earth. It hung there for a moment, then exploded in a scattering of light. One speck of light found every soldier anywhere close to Tavia, bathing them in a golden glow when it touched them. When the light faded, their wounds remained, but their fatigue had vanished. Tavia smiled, sparing a quick glance down to her rune. "Troops advance! Don't let them reach the lake! We'll send them back to Lindael, won't w-" She broke off as the whistling of steel next to her ear startled her, and she rolled away from it, looking up to see who'd launched the attack from behind her. Garnof held his lance steady despite his injuries, eying her with no small amount of disdain. "If you want to kill me," he smirked, "you'll have to do more than toss me against a wall. Wind's to fill sails, not attack with." Tavia slowly rose to her feet, twirling her sai on her fingertips after drawing them from her sash. Rocks and pebbles shifted behind her under approaching feet, but she shook her head. "I'll handle this, guys." The twins took one more step, then slowly backed off, looking at each other. "If you need us, just call-" "Help her!" Nereida barked. "Guard your leade-" "I said," Tavia repeated, her voice steady, "that I could handle this." The nagging sense of her own growing fatigue tugged at the back of her mind, but she ignored it. Her strength was with her army; what was left would have to serve to beat this beast of a man. He looked at her for a moment longer, then laughed. "You're a child. You barely come up to my chest, girl. Surrender, and I'll let you live. My men might like you after you have a year or two to grow." "You'd have to kill me first," she replied levelly. Garnof shrugged, spun his lance into a better position, then nodded. "All right, then. Let's see just what kind of person they put in command of this army." He roared, then ran at her, thrusting the curved blade of his lance towards her chest. She spun away, trying to turn the lance with her sai, but wasn't entirely successful; a thin trickle of blood wound down her arm from where he'd landed a hit. Tavia gritted her teeth and attempted to adjust her footing. That done, she waited for him to make the next move. "Defending never got anyone victories," he sneered. "It just gives cowards another day to live. If you don't show me what you have, I'll kill you without giving you a chance to use what little skill is behind those puny arms." As he set into motion again, Tavia nodded to herself and ran to meet him. He slid his lance along her arm once more, drawing another bloody gash, but she returned the favor this time. They danced around each other as they looked for opening, Garnof much lighter on his feet than a man his size had any right to be. "Better than I expected, but I don't have time to play around with little girls any more. Time to end this!" He roared again, then rushed towards her, leaving his sides unguarded as he threw all his weight into the attack. Attacking again had crossed Tavia's mind, but only for an instant. Instead, she did what any sane person would do when a trained warrior two or three times their size rushed at them with a deadly weapon: she got into the fastest defensible position she could. As Garnof rushed her, she dropped to her feet. Before he could halt his attack, she slid past him, stood, and drove her elbow into the small of his back. He turned to face her, but it was too late; his attack had been too wild to maintain his balance after anything but a successful hit. She drove her palm up into his chin, then spun to draw his legs out from under him. As he toppled to the ground, she clocked him across the side of the head to make sure he'd be at least a little disoriented. With someone like him, she wasn't going to take any chances. She was right; he hadn't been knocked out. But he had been knocked down and made more than a little dizzy, and that was enough for her. She leveled her sai at his throat, letting Garnof know for certain just what the outcome of this fight had been. He looked at at her arm, considered the situation, then swore. Profusely. Tavia panted, adrenaline barely compensating for the energy her rune had drained from her. "I think that," she slowly said, "that is that." * * * * * "We have them," Adele said with a fierce grin. "They're running scared, like the traitorous dogs they are. Whatever trick Tavia is trying to pull with that magic, it won't work. Her troops are tired, they're untrained..." She glanced over to the rider on the horse next to her. "Don't you agree that the battle is ours, General?" "Very impressive, Adele," Aisha said flatly. She looked down at the cuffs around her wrists, then gave them another experimental rattle. Adele winced a bit. "I'm sorry, General. The Council wouldn't let me bring you otherwise. It was hard to convince them to let you step out of your... of your cell at all." "Until you pointed out that... what? That traitors trying to kill me surely speaks of my innocence? That I'm the most experienced general they have, and I'd have wasted everything I could offer down in the cell?" She turned away and finished in a voice dripping with even more bitterness, "Surely you just didn't tell them I was innocent. They seem to be tiring of hearing that, even though it's true. After all, ten years of loyal service doesn't seem to count for anything." "...I'm sorry," Adele repeated, looking away herself. "But this will only help matters... when they see you were at a successful battle, and I tell them that your guidance helped me the whole way through... well, that will certainly remind them of what a good, honest person you are." "Captain!" Adele turned after a moment, still not used to her new rank. "Yes? What is it?" "We're being attacked from the rear! An entire division has come up the pass behind us!" "...WHAT?" Confusion filled the soldiers as the rush of oncoming troops began to echo through the valley. The Hereshans were well-trained, but what they saw when they turned their horses was enough to push their surprise at being ambushed over the edge into unadulterated shock. "What... what are they?" one young private cried as his horse reared under him. "I don't believe it..." Aisha said as she stared at the horde. "I thought they'd all died." Adele snarled as she spun her horse, drawing her sabre in the same fluid motion. "My father told me they'd all been killed, all of those beasts. I suppose the people in command a decade ago weren't strong enough to wipe out a village of Kobolds, but we won't have that problem. Troops, attack!" Her horse reared under her, and she had to cut short her cries as she steadied it. "You heard me, attack!" Her orders came to little avail, as horses bucked out from under nearly every member of her army. They ran towards the lake and the castle beyond, away from the non-human foes they'd never been trained to face. Even if the Hereshans hadn't been at a disadvantage from their sudden falls, even if they'd not been surprised from behind, they still would have found it a difficult battle. Troops trained only to fight humans found themselves confused by the quick motions of the canine attacks, with the smaller height of the Kobolds coupled with their greater strength giving them a leverage advantage the soldiers couldn't hope to compensate for. Within five minutes, the Kobolds had plowed through the Hereshans. At their head, Kyrina grinned like a fool as she lead them towards White Cloud. * * * * * "We've won!" came the shout from one soldier, a cry that was quickly taken up by the rest of the army around White Cloud. "Gather the horses!" Nereida shouted to anyone within earshot. "Catch all you can!" "You people are pathetic." Tavia glanced up to see Luc looking at the people who were hoisting an unconscious Lierni up from the sand, disgust plain on his fine features. "Don't you have any real stretchers, or do you just save them for the people who fight with swords?" He rolled his eyes, waved them away, and cast a cushion of air into existence with a wave of his hand. With another look of annoyance for all the physical fighters milling around, he opened a portal which he and Lierni disappeared into. Tavia smiled to herself and shook her head. She looked over to the now-bound Garnof, then slowly pushed herself away from the wall and walked over to meet him. She considered for a moment, then said, "Your army's defeated. And nearly gone." He looked to the side. His jaw moved as he ground his teeth together, then he nodded brusquely. "Yes, it is. I didn't think you would win. And I certainly didn't think you could beat me in a straight fight." Tavia chuckled weakly, looking more unsteady by the moment. "Surprising how things work out. So... what do you say about joining us?" He looked back at her with a sharp gaze, then narrowed his eyes. "Why would I do that?" "You're down to... what, five hundred men? Six? No one will hire you for a while with those kind of numbers, and besides, that's the only reason why you attacked us in the first place." She took a step closer to him, aware of Nereida's wary gaze at her back. "People are streaming in here by the day, and we need people to train them. When this is all over, I bet a lot of those people will go with you if you want them. You can rebuild your army in safety, so long as you agree to fight with us so long as we need you." Venomspear eyed her for another moment, then slowly extended his hand as a soldier loosed his bonds. "You make a good offer, girl. You understand my business. Bring the men, bring the spears, and I'll train them. So long as you agree never to fight me again." Tavia nodded. "Oh, thank you! You won't regret this, I promise. You'll-" She found herself wobbling again, and then collapsed before she could stop herself into the waiting arms of the twins. "Is she okay?" she heard Alaric ask as her eyes fell closed. "Just tired. You try beating a guy like that." Alyssa and her brother hoisted her into their arms, and the girl finished, "Come on, let's get her to her room. She'll want to catch at least part of the celebration." * * * * * It was a long moment before Adele said anything. Slowly, very slowly, she turned in a full circle to survey the carnage around her. Her horse whickered softly, but she paid it no heed. Her attention was drawn by all the dead bodies around; hers, not theirs. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, she cried to herself. It should have been an easy battle. She couldn't have such a crushing defeat on her name, she just couldn't. Malespoirs did not lose like this, Malespoirs did not make stupid mistakes. This had not happened. She couldn't take the blame for this, for she had done everything right! Her expression grew neutral. She couldn't, and she wouldn't. After all, she'd done everything right. It was obvious what had happened. The remaining soldiers were silent as Adele slid off her horse, walking steadily across the thin mountain grass to a nearby figure. Her face was still, a carefully schooled mask. When she arrived at Aisha's horse, she looked up to the general. "We should have won that battle, Nevenheim." "The Kobolds..." Aisha breathed, looking over towards them. "I didn't know that there were any left. And they said they were untrained when they lived here..." "Are you listening to me?" Adele finally snapped, reaching up to grab Aisha's arm in a vise-like grip. "We should have won. That... stupidity of letting someone sneak up behind us should not have happened. That's not something a Malespoir would allow!" "Their strategies have changed, it seems," Aisha replied, looking down with some apprehension at the suddenly furious girl below her. "They have some." Adele's eyes narrowed. "If everyone had been behind me, we would have won. Someone must have made us lose. A traitor. There's a traitor in our midst. And I think I know where to find her." "What are you saying, Adele? You of all people can't possibly think that I-" Aisha trailed off in shock. Very slowly, she looked down to see Adele's sabre sliding out of her abdomen. The sword was quickly cleaned and sheathed by the redhead, who looked at Aisha through hate-filled eyes. "Adele..." Aisha cried again as she slumped over in her saddle. "Troops, move out!" Adele yelled as she turned away from Nevenheim. She took a few steps away before she turned back to the dying general. "It will be a slow death for you. Slow and painful, and it's more than you deserve. Now... if you'll excuse me, I need to give the Council my report. At least I can say it's all your fault we lost. I don't need to have your treachery dirtying my family's name." Her eye twitched once as she looked at Aisha, but she quickly turned away before another moment of hesitation could be seen. She set back into motion without a further word. When she reached her horse, she took the proffered reins and swung herself easily up into the saddle. "Let's go," she said to her commanders as she kicked her horse into a gallop, leaving Aisha to die. * * * * * "That's obscene," Alaric blinked, his mouth hanging open slightly. Alyssa tilted her head to the side a bit, inspecting Nalia as she cavorted on the newly-finished stage. "She's awfully... spry for her age." "Hey, I said it's obscene, but I'm not complaining," Alaric added as he continued to stare. Alyssa shook her head, then turned it to face a figure leaning against the wall. "Hey, ninja! Come and talk to us!" There was a short pause, then Kojiro pushed himself away from the wall and proceeded to sit with the twins. He looked between them with poorly concealed suspicion, then relaxed. Slightly. "...Yes?" "We all heard the reasons given before the fight, but why are you really here? We're not hurting for soldiers any more, and after this fight, more are sure to come." "You're saying you don't need me?" Kojiro asked, his eyebrows raised in question. "I'm saying that I wonder why you thought you needed to join us," she clarified. "You did a really good job infiltrating the mercs, and we were able to plan how to beat them because of it. But you were trying to kill our leader, and then we captured you. So you're not joining because you like us. And like I said, we don't have a shortage of soldiers, so you don't need to be worried about getting killed along with everyone else in the castle if we got successfully invaded. So... why?" He mulled that over for a moment, then shrugged in a fluid motion. "We were taught about the horrors that have befallen nations when Tenkai Stars gather the rest of their ranks. The Old One made the stories sound very horrifying: a much-beloved emperor commits suicide after an upstart child turns his generals against him, a strong and cultured nation sees three kings in a row fall to an unwashed youth and his motley band of city-states." Alyssa shrugged as well. "I'm a student of some history, but not that kind. I'll take your word for it. I don't see how that ties into your reason, though." He glared at her. "I wasn't finished." He folded his arms and pressed himself against the backrest of his chair, as if trying to scoot away from the girl without actually moving. "So, we were all taught to think that chaos is all that Tenkai Stars bring. I talked with that leader of yours, though... she... hmm. No matter how much I tried, my arguments just weren't coming out, and hers were. It must be some magic surrounding the Tenkai Star that I wasn't warned about. There could still be chaos, but there's... something else." "Tavia convinced you to join, huh?" Alyssa grinned. "She's good at that. Granted, she gives trust more easily than I ever would, but it's worked for her. And us." "I'm not foolish enough to fight things I can't possibly hope to beat. Ideally, I'd never had met her at all. But since I did, I don't have much of a choice besides fighting for her. For her, not all you. Just so that's clear. I can't beat her, but I could beat you if it came to that." "Nice to meet you too," Alyssa snorted. "Problems in the ranks?" came a voice from behind her. Alyssa twisted in her chair to see a familiar face there. Kojiro stole away as soon as she turned her attention from him, but the blonde didn't notice. She just smiled thinly at the newcomer. "Nothing I can't handle. And Ansuro... you didn't do as poorly as I'd feared. Okay, poorly at all." Nereida paused for a moment, then bowed her head in unspoken thanks. "I cringed when I heard the death estimate, but all of those mercenaries were prepared for what happened." "I suppose." Alyssa glanced over to Alaric, who'd looked away from the stage to focus his attention on the two women. "So... uh... that it, then?" "I'm waiting for... her, actually." Nereida smiled widely and waved, drawing Kyrina's attention as she entered the hall. The archer nodded and began to weave her way through the jubilant troops, arriving at their table in short order. "Kyrina," Alaric slowly said, shaking his head in disbelief. "How on earth did you get a bunch of Kobolds to come pull our chestnuts out of the fire? Where did you find them? How did you even know to look?" The black-haired woman picked a stein of ale off a passing tray, then settled herself at the table. "Well, Nereida here told me where to go. Said she'd heard rumors years ago, and had listened for any bits of information that came." She motioned to Nereida with a tilt of her head, drew at her ale, and finished, "as for getting them to join us, I had to pull a Tavia." "Pull a Tavia?" Nereida repeated as she settled herself next to Kyrina. "Okay, we know where this is going," Alaric chuckled as he and Alyssa leaned back in their chairs. "But tell it anyways." "Well," Kyrina began. "Reid was complaining quite a lot by this point. I'd told him to take his armor off before we left the castle, but no, he insisted on tromping all the way down there in it. So, we get to the village, and after the shock passed of actually seeing Kobolds, we realized there was one running up to us. She's a cute girl, sort of looks like a golden retriever. Don't tell her I said that, though. Anyways, Kelsea -- that's her -- heard what we had to say, and said we'd better go talk to the chief. Well, when we got there, he was... less than open to discussion." * * * * * "You're out of your mind." "The Elves tried to leave the humans alone, chief," Kyrina said forcefully, stepping away from Reid and their Kobold escort. "They still hunted down any who looked to be threats. If my parents hadn't been the type to send me to a human city for schooling, I'd probably have fled or be killed. Instead, I got to see the results of the current government from the inside." The chief folded his arms across his chest. "Exactly. Thank you for proving my point. I don't see why you'd bring it up, though." "Because that's what's going on now, but that's not what these people believe! Look... I have every reason to hate the current government, and anyone who believes as they do. If the Crescent Freedom Army was anything like them, I'd have no part of it. But look... my best friend is a human." Reid smiled back at her as she rested a hand on his shoulder and continued, "We have Hereshans and Lierstamians fighting side by side." "Good. The humans are getting along. How nice." "And they sent an Elf as an ambassador! We have an al'Kezzin in our ranks, fighting next to a Child of the Winds! Surely, you can't believe a place where all that could happen could share the same sentiments as Lindael!" He said nothing in response, and Kyrina gave a short, irritated sigh. She paced a bit, then looked back up to him. "We have a fort. It's right at the edge of the forest. It's decent for humans, but not spectacular... they just don't know how to move in the woods well enough. Join our cause, and it's yours." The chief blinked. "And just why would you give away a perfectly defensible fort?" "Do you want to stay here, cowering in a ramshackle village cobbled together after you realized all you could do was flee?" The chief's expression darkened, but Kyrina raised her hand before he could respond. "Believe me, I know all about running. At least your people didn't try to assimilate themselves out of fear, those who didn't just flee the island. But... if you join with us, you could fight back! Everyone but a few politicians is suffering under the current rule, whether they realize it or not. Humans as well as the rest of the residents they tried to chase away." She eyed him more seriously. "Those humans that are realizing it are joining us, more each day. A fire's been lit under them. You could do the same with your people. If we get enough fighters willing to strike back against a government that only claims to be different from the previous one, we could really make a difference." The chief eyed her for a long moment, a thoughtful look on his face. "Fighting back..." He shook his head, making Kyrina's heart skip a beat, but then motioned his advisors to gather around him. Kyrina, realizing she and Reid were just waiting for an answer now, took a step back. Reid glanced over at her. "Where'd that speech come from?" "Tavia's right... they come when you need them." She grinned. "Or maybe they just come when you ask her for luck before you leave." She glanced over to the two figures standing on either side of the makeshift throne. "I can't say I ever expected to see any non-humans besides Elves. I only barely remember what it was like before they chased most of them off." Reid looked up to the dais as well. "I know nothing about Kobolds, but these fellows definitely seem like fighters. Look at that one... looks like a wolf, but he's got arms like a bear. And that one... well... uh..." He trailed off as he looked at the other honor guard, waving his hand at nothing in particular. Kelsea looked to the second figure, then smiled. "Isn't he marvelous?" she asked, a faintly wistful sigh following her question. "Captain Brennon's very brave, everyone in our squad looks up to him. And he's so strong. Oh, you wouldn't believe how strong he is. And..." she trailed off, an embarrassed expression crossing her face. "And he's so handsome. Don't you think he's handsome?" "Very handsome," Kyrina agreed with a nod. "Right, Reid?" She glanced sharply over at Reid. "Right?" "He's... a basset hound," the blonde weakly replied. Kyrina flashed him a furious look; luckily, their Kobold companion hadn't seemed to have heard Reid's answer. "Private Kelsea!" the chief barked, motioning before him. The girl practically leapt out of her boots, then scurried forward, taking her place before the chief with a crisp salute. He looked her over appraisingly. "You've often talked about wanting to see the world outside our village, haven't you?" "Sir, yes sir!" "Then you'll accompany these fine people back to their castle... along with a contingent of troops." Smiles broke out across Kyrina, Reid, and Kelsea's faces, and an excited squeal came from the last. "Really, sir? That's wonderful! These people all seem so nice and I'll do a really good job and I'll make our village proud! I'll make all of the Kobolds proud, you'll see!" A low chuckle came from the chief as he nodded. "I don't doubt you will. You'll do very nicely as an ambassador to these folks, Kelsea... you did always tend to make friends with people rather than fight them. But we will need someone to command the troops..." He glanced over to Kyrina and Reid. "No offense to you two, but I'd prefer not to put my troops under a stranger's command." Kyrina nodded. "Of course, sir. We thank you for lending both troops and a skilled commander to our cause. Both are sure to bring about the end of this war sooner." He chuckled again, shaking his head in faint disbelief at the turn of events. "You've got a smooth tongue on you, Elf. Well, then, I know just the fellow for the job. Captain Brennon!" The named Kobold started a bit (which made his jowls wobble, much to Reid's amusement), then looked over to the chief. "Sir?" "You're a promising commander, Brennon, but you're wasting your talents here in this town. Go out and claim back what rightfully belongs to the Kobolds!" Brennon's chest puffed out a bit. "Of course, sir! Under my command, our troops will be invincible!" He turned sharply on his heel, then saluted the duo from White Cloud with his sword. "I will lend you my military genius, it appears. Now, girl, give the command for my troops to gather, and we will journey to this castle of yours!" "Did he just call me 'girl'?" Kyrina asked, one eyebrow raised. "Of course, Captain Brennon, sir!" Kelsea exclaimed, running out the door. The people inside the room could hear her rapidly departing but very loud voice yelling orders, with barks and yips in return as they were acknowledged. The chief laughed again, then reached over to give Brennon a hearty slap on his shoulder. "Well, captain, you've got your chance to shine. Make the most of it." "Of course!" He practically swaggered forward, then eyed Kyrina and Reid up and down. "Which one of you will be carrying my things? I must bring along all my uniforms, and my books of tactical maneuvers, and, of course, my swords." "Reid'll handle it," Kyrina quickly said, turning to smirk at her friend. "Excellent! I'll give the order for my troops to meet at one of the gathering points outside the woods, and we'll be able to set off as a unit by sunset. Now, don't fall behind, we've got a long way to go and I don't know if you two will be able to keep up!" He motioned grandly towards the door. "To victory!" he cried as he strode forward and out of the chief's hut. "Let's go, Reid," Kyrina said in a light voice as she moved to follow Brennon. "You've gotta go pick up some luggage." "He's a basset hound!" Reid insisted as they walked out. "Hush." * * * * * "I hadn't planned for you to hand over the fort, you know," Nereida chided as Kyrina finished her story, though a smile was on her face as she did. "But that was some quick thinking on your part, and Kobolds would be better suited to make use of it than humans. Good job." Kyrina leaned back. "Thanks. Now, I'm looking forward to a vacation. You guys have had me running all over this island, it feels like." She looked over to where some of the Kobold troops were settling in to the hall, sitting between the White Cloud residents and the mercenary newcomers. After watching long enough to verify that they were indeed getting along, she smiled. Nereida smiled, as well. "I'm looking forward to what this castle of yours feels like when you're not busy fighting for your lives. You've done a good job restoring it, at least the parts in use." "And it's feeling more like a real home by the day," Kyrina confirmed. "Is that the shopkeeper I heard word of? It'll be nice to have a supply post here." "Eh?" Alaric looked around, then located the figure in question. "What do you have there, Rodrik?" he asked, glancing back over his shoulder. The shopkeeper looked up from his stack of notes and invoices. "Well, this castle is entirely unsuitable for conducting any real business out of. Barbarians like those mercenaries might like to be inside bare stone, but those of us with taste need more civilized surroundings. I've ordered carpets from the north of Lierstam, colored glass for that Pane boy to work with, and... oh." He smiled proudly, puffing up a bit. "My sources have heard of a trader all the way up in Radat who will be able to supply us with some simply magnificent objects d'art." Alaric slowly asked, "And have you cleared all this with Li?" "Lierni? The girl?" Rodrik snorted. "Why would I ask her? Now, I've spent quite enough time talking to you. There are profits to be made." The blonde watched the trader bustle off, then shook his head. "Oh, this is going to be real fun." A sudden hush fell across the hall as a new figure entered. The twins ran over to support Tavia as she unsteadily stepped forward, but she brushed them away with a weak smile. "No thanks," she said. "I'm just tired." Kyrina and Nereida walked up as well, and her smile grew. "We did well." Nereida smiled back. "We did very well. Casualties were minimal, and the new troops... the Kobolds have added a thousand swords to our ranks, and it looks as if around five hundred members of the Viper Fangs are around to follow Venomspear." "Fifteen hundred trained troops in a day..." Tavia shook her head in disbelief. "That puts us at around fifty-five hundred in the castle?" Nereida nodded. "And four thousand of those are trained troops, not newcomers wielding whatever we can find for them. It might be wise to put some of those civilians to work farming and ranching - there appear to be sheltered areas, even during winter - or train some of them to work the boats. After all, we'll need a solid infrastructure if... is something wrong?" Tavia brushed past her, walking with surprising speed to the far end of the hall. She looked down at the figure in Reid's arms, her eyes wide. "Is... is that..." He nodded, shifting his grip a bit. "General Aisha Nevenheim. I thought I saw something odd in what the Hereshans left, and..." He glanced behind him, an anxious look growing. "I told them to fetch the doctor, what's keeping him..." Tavia started as she processed that, comparing it against the blood-soaked uniform of the general. "She's alive?" "She's alive." Reid let out a sigh of relief as he saw Dr. Koris approach, and held out Aisha for his inspection. The doctor's lips pursued as he gently examined Aisha's torso, then he raised his hand to motion Alyssa over. "She is alive, and she's going to stay that way." After waiting for the girl to lay her hand on the general for a quick bout of healing, he examined her wounds again. "I'll be busy stitching her up for the next few hours, but with some bed rest and a lot of visits by those rune users of yours, she'll be just fine... if a bit scarred-up." A soft blue glow surrounded the general once more, and Alyssa removed her hand. "There," she murmured. "You got her here just in time, Reid." "Th... thank you." The four jumped in their boots at the barely-audible words from Aisha, though Reid quickly steadied himself. Tavia leaned in close and rested her hand lightly on Aisha's forehead. "You're safe, General. We'll get you healed up." "Reinschild... didn't know..." She coughed wetly. "They said... Kobolds... Elves... left... and... innocent... framed..." Tavia winced. "Please don't talk until the doctor's been able to attend to you. You're still very hurt." "All... lies..." Her eyes opened long enough to meet Tavia's, then fell closed once more. "If I... live, I'll help..." Dr. Koris nodded to her, smiling gently. "Then welcome to White Cloud, because you're most certainly going to live. Reid, would you please carry her to my office? And... ah..." Alyssa offered her name, and he snapped his fingers. "Right, right. Would you mind accompanying us? I hate to pull you away from the celebration, but..." "Of course." Alyssa fingered her Water Rune as she looked at Nevenheim. "I'll be interested to hear her version of everything that's gone on..." Tavia started to go with them as they turned to leave, only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to Nereida with a curious expression. "We should plan our next move," the strategist quietly said, looking after Nevenheim with a faint look of disbelief. "Our next move?" Tavia repeated. "Well, we've handled everything that's been thrown at us so far, and I think we're on track to keep doing so..." "But we're strong enough now to do more than react," Nereida explained. "And if power struggles in Lierstam are going to be as bad as I fear, Heresha will take the chance to invade it. That will spread their forces thin, and we'll be able to make some real offensives." Tavia blinked. "I hadn't thought of that. You're right... I just wouldn't know where to start." A faint hum filled the air next to them, and they both took a step back as a portal opened, deposited Luc, and closed with little pretense. The wind mage sighed and said, "Totorika is awake and should be on her feet tomorrow. Don't expect me to relay any messages back to her." "Aw, you've been up there with her?" Tavia smiled at him. "That's so sweet." Luc's expression could freeze mercury. "She is the best mage you have besides me, and if she isn't there, I'll have to keep stepping in to save you. And I have more important things to be doing." "More important things," Tavia repeated to herself. She nodded. "You're absolutely right. Nereida! I know what we're going to do first!" "You... you do?" Tavia nodded, a grin appearing despite her recent exhaustion. "If we're turning into a real army, we're going to get those tablets back to prove it. If you say we're ready to take the battles to our enemies... let's do so." The strategist considered that. "Not what I would have suggested, but if they'd raise morale... it can't hurt for the troops to have something to rally around, even when you're not in the castle." She smiled and nodded. "I'll start making plans." Tavia smiled. "Thanks. I'll look forward to hearing them." * * * * * "I will not tolerate this any longer," Adele said, her voice tight. "Treachery, lies, cowardice. Reinschild and her army are a blight on this land which must be eradicated if our nation is to remain intact. She draws good, honest people from their rightful places and turns them into traitors to all they hold dear. She forces me to punish people that should have stayed pure and loyal." Davon had remained motionless while Adele choked out her words, his hands folded loosely at the small of his back. When she finally broke off, staring at him with a gaze of burning intensity, he raised his eyebrows in query. "What do you want me to do?" There was a short pause before Adele responded, in which she slowly strode to the flap of the tent and opened it against the back of one hand. "She's from the farms around Bristow. The student records were burnt, but she showed me once when we were in the fields for training. I know where her home is." She turned, no emotion present in her expression save that same self-righteous anger. "Have her parents killed." A surprised blink was her response; Davon quickly steeled his expression, but still looked as if he'd expected a different answer. "Captain?" "They raised a traitor, who's surrounded herself too well for us to reach. She needs to be reminded of the damage she's doing to this nation she professes to love." Adele's voice began to falter slightly, and she looked to the side. "They don't need to be hanged like traitors. Just... cut off their heads. Quickly. Send one of our best men, with a sharp sword." "As you wish, Captain Malespoir." As Davon walked out, Adele looked down at her shaking hands. The dull, nagging sense that Aisha couldn't have possibly been the reason for her failure hadn't been fully squelched. But there was no other option. Adele had never done anything but be the model soldier. It was everyone else who showed weakness, she reminded herself. Tavia and Lierni had abandoned her, after all, and things had grown from there. She blinked, then cast back in her memory. Yes, that was right. They'd left her to die when they'd fled the bandits, and luck led the soldiers to finding her. She shook her head. How odd that she'd had to think hard about that. How very, very odd. * * * * * Stars added: Tenmou Star - Aisha Nevenheim Tenyu Star - Garnof Venomspear Chitan Star - Brennon Chikaku Star - Kelsea Notes: Whee. @_@ Nothing like the end of an arc to make you realize that you're going to be writing a big chapter. When I sat down to work, I noticed that I was dealing as much if not more with the aftermath of the battle as the actual fighting. I think it works better this way -- especially as this point in the story, which reminds me of the Luca battle pseudo-climax in 2 and the long pseudo-denoument following it -- but it wasn't what I expected. It also reminds me of that point in the story in another way: after that, even though it wasn't said until a later battle, they began to guide events rather than strictly reacting to them. In other words, this is when the fun starts for Tavia and co. This is a really cool point at the story, I think, and I'm looking forward to how it goes. Refugees streaming into White Cloud as Heresha manages to start a war? Adele going after the ministers and seizing power for herself, because she's the only true Hereshan? Finally exploring Lierstam when they go after the Old One? Sure, why not! And a million other possibilities that could happen. This does sort of feel like two chapters in one, but when I considered leaving stuff out, I found it hard to draw a line on what could be left for the next chapter. Besides, that would be leaving my mess for others to clean up, and I'd rather hand them shiny toys to play with, instead. And I love love LOVE this series and where it's gone, so it was hardly a chore to write all the stuff. I hope it wasn't a chore to read it. ^_^;; Anyways. My notes are becoming as long as the chapter. Redshirts.net! It's what's for dinner! Just ask #improfanfic! Thanks for reading, and good luck to all the other authors in the queue! And thanks to Todd, as always, for letting me bounce ideas off him as I planned and scenes off him as I wrote. -Illyria illyria@redshirts.net P.S. Luc has finally met someone with as big a stick up their butt as he has. It's so sweet when kindred souls meet, isn't it?