The year was 1935 EC,
Two powers controlled the continent,
In the East, the sun rose over the Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance, otherwise known as The Empire,
In the West, a network of loosely allied democracies formed the Atlantic Federation,
Both powers depended on a precious mineral, ragnite, for their survival,
And its growing scarcity led to the inevitable war.
They attacked fast and strong, amidst the burning flames, fully armored soldiers emerged carrying the latest technological lances. The red armor wrapped around their bodies completely, making them appear like medieval knights. They weren't human; they were nothing but mindless drones working for a single colony. Like ants, they attacked with precision, in numbers, organized, and fast. Behind those helmets I imagined not a human face, but a face of a monster, Frankenstein- that's how we, soldiers of the Federation saw the Imperials when they began invading our border cities en masse. The anonymity of the Imperials had a strange demoralizing effect on us. We saw their forces as an endless wave of death. No matter how many we killed, we imagined more and more of the same soldiers continuing the attack. They were not an army fighting for freedom, but a machine pushing forward to conquer and divide Europa.
The city of Lendin has long since fallen. Even as we stand in this hellish world, choking on the fumes of smoke from exhausted tank shells, and promising to hold the line, there is no point in it anymore. The battle is lost, and the war just might follow. My vision is painted red with my own blood flowing down my eyes. It's impossible to shoot anything now. My breathing is unsteady, my muscles are aching, and my skin is seared. I can't move my body, much less stand up, so the only thing I can do for now is sit behind this pile of rubble, awaiting my death. As the red Imperial army approaches through a cloud of smoke, I could feel desperation welling up inside me. They were truly monsters, there's no way they'll take me as a prisoner and let me live. There's just no way…
"Hey, this one's still alive." A soldier, a lancer, looks over my body and speaks with a shallow, echoing voice.
He waves for his comrades to come, much to my horror. I had a feeling that they were going to make fun of death. They were probably going to publicly execute me slowly, painfully. Three more Imperials approach me, rifles slung over their shoulders. I let out a painful groan as they come, were they laughing, smiling, or were they frowning of sympathy behind those metal helms? It doesn't matter now, all hope is lost... In a few seconds, one of these monsters is going to raise his hand, a bundle of bills in his hand, inviting his comrades for a bet.
'How long is this lowly Federal soldier going to last? Place your bets, boys!'
Yeah, something like that. The harsh reality strikes my failing heart and I feel even more depressed. I'm afraid, scared, terrified. What a nightmare, sitting battered and bleeding in a ruined city I once called my home. I close my eyes and wait for the inevitable end to come. Hopefully they take pity upon my soul and just shoot me in the head. That way, I can reunite with my parents in heaven, or god-knows-where…
"Tend to his wounds."
"What?"
"You know how General Bles works. We annihilate and overwhelm the enemy, then if we find any of them alive, we take them into our care as prisoners of war. She doesn't have the spine to live up to the more brutal tactics employed by the other generals, but hey, she's our boss."
What…
"That's a waste of time and resources. Why don't we just kill him here?"
"Because if you do that, I'm going straight to our mom and tell her what you did."
"Hah."
"Anyway, get him up and bring him to our medics. Place him at the back of the line; tend to his wounds if he survives the wait."
My bones creak painfully as two cold hands lift me up by the arms. I can't even plant my legs firmly on the ground, so I'm merely forced to be dragged on my feet. This feeling of powerlessness makes me feel uncomfortable and humiliated. My mind races, imagining what horrors I would receive from my Imperial captors. But my mind begins to fade from exhaustion and sadness. The world descends into an uninviting darkness around me, as my breathing slows down from the numerous wounds I've received. How… sad… despite being saved… by the people I once thought monsters… I'm still… going… to…
Hostilities began in the east when the Empire aggressively crossed their western border,
The Atlantic Federation responded and the Second Europan War (EWII) was on,
The Empire, with its vast military superiority, struck hard,
Gaining ground in early victories and putting The Federation on the defensive,
Emboldened by their progress and momentum,
The Empire set their sights beyond the borders of The Federation…
: Prologue:
Ever since I was a little boy, I always preferred staying in the countryside than being at the heart of a capital city. It's not like there's anything wrong with being surrounded by modern architecture, but I'm not as comfortable as I usually am when I'm in the city. Everything feels a little too artificial for me. But I had to go to the capital to continue my studies. Very few colleges offered a degree in Animal Sociology, so I had no choice but to move there. But it still took quite some time before I got used to the atmosphere. There were very few trees, and only a few brave birds dared nested in the high buildings. Interesting specimens were hard to find except for the laboratories inside Randgriz University.
Back in the capital, I would see a tall building every few meters, the largest of which was Castle Randgriz. As a child, I loved watching the sun set over the distant horizon. But in Randgriz it was completely different. It was more like, 'watching the sun set in the distant nearby rooftop'. I'm not complaining anymore though, because I'm finally back home.
"I haven't been down this road in ages."
Fields of green as far as the eye could see, small stone walls lining the dirt roads, and distant windmills… Bruhl hasn't changed even after all these years. The smell of nature, the fresh breath of the vastness of the green lands, invades my nostrils. My eyes are greeted with the sunlight bearing down on me, it's not too hot, and it's not too cold. The weather is a bit humid though, but it's the start of spring so it's not that much of a surprise. However, despite the beauty of the countryside all around me, the look on people's faces reflects a completely different mood.
As I look far into the horizon, I spot a small crowd of people walking out of the city, heading inland towards the capital. It looks like the evacuation's already begun. Ever since news of the Empire's intentions reached the ears of Castle Randgriz, the family has been calling out to its citizens in the border towns to head inland for their own safety. Juno and Faldio thought that I was crazy when I told them my intention of doing just the opposite, namely, leaving the capital and heading outland toward a border town such as Bruhl. Though, they understood after a while when I explained to them that my reason for coming was to pick up my sist-
"Whoa, already?"
My eyes chance upon a small stream, or rather, to three small trout swimming in the stream. I quickly reach into my bag and pull out my handy notebook. I get on my knees and examine the little creatures, the fins, the body shape, the size, yep, they're light trout alright! After pulling out my pen from my shirt pocket, everything just falls into place. My pen moves rhythmically up and down, left and right, sketching the fish in detail even though they're moving slightly about. I check my wristwatch for the time and lick my thumb to check the wind direction, though after a few seconds, I realize that doing the latter was pointless.
Ah well, it's still amazing how these guys are already showing up at this early time of the month. Bruhl's location in the northern hemisphere, and its locations within the rolling hills of Gallia, is really influencing the migratory patterns of these fish.
"Hold it right there!" a female voice speaks to me commandingly.
"…eh?"
"Drop the pen, stand up, and put your hands behind your head."
But… the fish…
Oh, they can stay right there. I better listen to what she's saying. I fold my notebook and slowly get up, taking care not to do any sudden movements. As I turn around, I'm greeted with the sight of a girl wearing a blue dress uniform with a single white stripe running down its center. Her brown hair tied in a pair of pigtails, divided by what appears to be a red scarf. She doesn't seem all that happy to see me though, maybe it has something to do with the gun she has precariously aimed at my chest.
"I haven't seen you before and there's been rumor of imperial spies appearing around town lately." she speaks to me in a no-nonsense tone. "So what's your name?"
"I'm Welkin, pardon me for asking, but… you are?"
"I'm the one with the gun."
Oh, well I got burned right there. Her brown orbs remain fixed on me as her hand grips the gun, her eyes glinting with conviction. Behind her stands two men dressed in roughly the same uniform, they too are holding their rifles stiffly. I'm really surprised; I didn't expect the welcoming committee to be like this.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, 'the one with the gun'." Maybe humoring her will do me some good?
"Very funny." she frowns and pokes me in the chest with her rifle. Well that didn't work.
"I'm Alicia, Alicia Melchiott. I'm a captain of Bruhl's town watch, what's your business here?"
Humoring her will get me nowhere. It's better if I just tell her everything, maybe she'll understand and let me be. If I end up giving excuses, she might doubt me and hold me here longer.
"I'm… actually here to pick up my little sister." I scratch the back of my head. "But as you can see, I got distracted a bit…"
"What's in that notebook?" she really doesn't sound all that convinced.
"I told you, fish." I lean forward and slowly hand her the leatherback notebook. "Well, it'd be ridiculous if I was able to fit an entire fish inside, so I sketch them in detail, writing down their migratory pattern, their eating habits, and…"
"Okay, okay, explain the rest of your story down the station." she pockets my notebook (that skirt has a pocket?) before looking at the two men beside her. "Take him away."
Though they appeared older than her, the two watchmen follow her command without question. They grab me from either side, one of which picks up my bag, and pulls me away. I lower my head in defeat, sighing aloud.
"Thank you, fish."
Alicia Melchiott, hmm… I'll have to take note of this name.
This isn't how I imagined myself walking down the countryside, but it's enjoyable in its own right. There aren't many trees around and it's mostly an open field, but it's still such a beautiful place. Even though I've been bullied by a girl younger than me by a few years, and even though I'm being restrained by her two lackeys, Bruhl's open lands remain to be serene and peaceful. It's unworldly to think that war will inevitably reach these grounds…
"Wow… you weren't kidding. Sketches, notes, diagrams and charts, these are really detailed…" she walks ahead of me and the two watchmen, while marveling at my sketches and writings.
"See? Can you let me go now?" I plead.
"No." she turns on her heel and raises a finger. "There's a fair chance that these are all secret imperial codes. We're going to have to decipher your writing with the proper processing before we can let you go."
"You have to be kidding me."
"I'm not~"
She turns back on her heel and continues moving forward. However, just then, a voice calls out my name, causing all of us to stop in our tracks. I'd be lying if I said my heart didn't jump when I saw that familiar face standing just beyond a small walking bridge. It's kinda funny, how she doesn't look that much different over these years.
"Welks?" she shouts my name worriedly as she runs to me with her hands cupped. She runs straight past a slightly stunned Alicia. "What did you get yourself into this time?"
"Oh hey, Isara, it's been a while, hasn't it?" I try my best to greet her, but my movement's a little restricted right now, you see.
She scowls like a duck as she looks at my captors, assessing the situation. Thinking about it, I get it now why so many people act surprised whenever Isara and I claim to be siblings. Our appearances are completely far apart. In contrast to the rather tall Alicia, Isara's a bit small, even for her age; some might even call her frail. Sadly, that's one of the few reasons why some people discriminate against her. The main reason stems from her heritage and appearance. Short blue hair and big blue eyes, and a brown cape tied around her shoulders, Isara has never been shy of her lineage. She's proud that she's a Darcsen.
That's something that I admire about her.
"I'm sorry miss, but do you need anything with my brother?" Isara asks Alicia, probably after realizing that she's the leader of this trio.
"Uhm…" I notice Alicia staring at Isara's patterned cape, worrying me slightly. "Hold on, don't you live in the General's old home?"
"I sure do, miss." Isara answers in a formal, humble voice. "I'm the general's daughter, Isara."
Alicia blinks twice and tilts her head, seemingly confused. She then slowly turns her head, looking at me quizzically.
"…and you're saying that this guy is your brother?"
Isara nods. "Yes, he's here to help me evacuate."
Alicia continues to tilt her head, before she glances at Isara. She then looks at me. Then back to Isara. The process repeats itself a few more times before she stops and look at the sky, puffing her cheeks like a confused child. Come to think about it, those pigtails make her look youthful, while at the same time her actions express maturity.
"If it helps, let me tell you that he's fond of getting distracted by nature."
The pigtailed girl looks at me and narrows her eyes.
"Guilty as charged." I say with a half-shrug.
Isara's words are enough to convince Alicia, apparently.
"Ah, I see, I see…" Alicia says, content with my sister's words. She snaps her fingers like a magician commanding her assistants, and her watchmen follow her order almost instantly.
My shoulders are relieved of the watchmen's grip, which is a fairly good feeling. Isara makes her way toward with her hands held together. I'm glad negotiations went well, I felt like a caged cockatoo back there.
"You know, if I hadn't come, you'd probably be sitting in the slammer by now." Isara says jokingly as she fixes my ruffled collar.
"Heh, that's true."
"Hey!" Alicia drops her hand down between the two of us. "You really can't blame me, you know. I was only doing my job."
I raise my hands defensively, it's better to remain on good terms with her. "I'm not, I'm not, well, if you think about it, I guess you could say that I really did look a bit suspicious back there."
Alicia finally seems to understand what I'm getting at. She smiles at me kindly, softly, her small lips curving upward. A small gust of wind blows, and I guess you could say that it helps me see how interestingly cute she is.
"…"
This is all getting a bit weird.
Ratta! Ratta!
The distant sound of rifles going off catches everybody's attention instantly.
"Gunfire!" Alicia quickly faces the direction of the noise while Isara and I fall to the ground, protecting our heads with our hands from any possible stray bullets.
I look ahead while covering Isara with my body. Not too far away from us are three Imperial soldiers, fully armored and armed with low caliber rifles. The three men run down a green hill, firing their rifles at the nearest civilians they could find- three helpless people hiding behind a truck. The atmosphere has completely changed now. The air of a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, has disappeared giving way to the dreadfulness of the attack.
"Jean! Miguro-!" Alicia's voice booms with urgency.
"We're on it, Miss Melchiott." one of the men nods in compliance, seemingly understanding what Alicia wants them to do.
Without hesitation, the two watchmen run bravely toward the Imperial enemies.
A scene plays out before my eyes.
Two town watchmen run bravely into battle, hoping to save three unarmed civilians. Are they farmers, are they teachers, are they authors, bakers, even? Even if the Imperials are just scouting units, they're better armed, better armored, and probably better trained. No matter what angle you use to assess the situation, the odds aren't on their favor. There are different sandbags scattered in the area which can be used for soft cover. Every person in Gallia is issued basic weapons training at a certain age, in case a war comes up. Those watchmen seemed to be diligent students in their time. That's good. They play smart and run behind the sandbags for cover.
Ratta! Ratta! Rattattat! Rattat!
The watchmen open fire at the Imperials, successfully hitting one through a gap in his armor. The armored man falls to the ground with a loud crash, he rolls down the hill but he doesn't seem to dead just yet. The two other Imperials ignore their fallen comrade and immediately divert their attention to the watchmen. They fire rounds into the soft cover and into the soil, missing the watchmen by inches.
"Get up! Come on!" one of the watchmen shouts to the civilians while returning fire.
My heart skips a beat once I realize that the civilians look like a small family. A young teenager with a brown cap, and a woman and her husband… there's no mistaking it; they're a family, like me and Isara. Imperial and Gallian-made bullets whiz over their heads, crisscrossing and cutting the air. They're scared, not for their own lives, but for the lives of their loved ones.
"We have to help them…" I mutter beneath my breath.
"What was that, Welkin?" Alicia's eyes open wide after hearing my words.
"Isara, can you hide for a while?" I look down at my sister, pleading her to stay safe. She understands the emotion behind my glare, and nods in accordance.
"W—Welkin?"
There's no time to hesitate. I let go of my sister and she scuttles over to a nearby stone wall. She lies on her back, the low wall hiding her body from view of the Imperials. I don't waste time; I get on my feet and begin walking to my right, making sure that I stay low to the ground. Alicia stays behind, almost looking like she's confused with what's going on, but I know that I have something I must do. After finding decent cover behind a flourishing tree, I signal for Alicia to come with a hand signal.
She finally gets a grip of what she's supposed to do. She nods before sprinting with all her strength.
"GALLIAN SCUM!"
The voice is gruff and rough. I lean out to see just what's going on. One of the Imperial soldiers, the one who was just shot, pulls out a small blue sphere. Is that some medicine? Or could it be… no, it's something else. He digs his finger into the soft membrane triggering the countdown. The soldier clumsily arcs his back, gaining momentum before he throws the ragnite grenade into the air. Having performing his last desperate act, his body falls unmoving on the ground.
As the grenade arcs in the air, time slows down around me. The grenade lands on the green grass, just short of a few inches from the parked truck. But I know that's close enough. With time suspended around me, I'm given the opportunity to absorb my surroundings.
The two Gallian watchmen grip their rifles, their faces twisting with an unworldly anger.
Alicia runs to me, her long locks flying in the wind, dust on her clothes and hair.
Small red explosions exit from the Imperial's weapons as they continue to fire.
Then finally, the grenade… slowly expands into a sphere of blue.
The flow of time returns, and the explosion goes off in full blast. The volatile mix of ragnite explodes and ignites the ragnite in the truck, engulfing the vehicle and the grass around it in blue and red flames. In the span of not even a second, the three civilians who have used the truck as their protective refuge become consumed by the flame and the splintered debris. The explosion is large enough to reach us, even at this distance. Bits and pieces of metal fly off in every direction.
"Alicia!"
I leave the cover of the tree and run forward. Alicia skids to a halt as I run to her with my outstretched arms. I crash into her, ungracefully throwing her to the ground. My body shields her from any of the debris flying over us. The explosion brings with it a small heat wave that rolls over my back.
"Are you alright?"
"I…" she stares at me, unsure of how to answer.
I'm not that surprised, really. Despite belonging in the town watch, I'm sure that this is her first time experiencing any real combat. It's natural for her to react this way, I'm sure I was a bit traumatized during the first weeks of advanced training back in the University.
"Can you get off me, please?" confidence replaces the confusion in her stare.
Oh… maybe she just feels awkward in our precarious position. Respecting her request, I roll my body off her and crawl back behind the tree. I lean back out and see the lifeless bodies of those three civilians. My heart sinks upon seeing them. I can't believe… I just let that happen. I hear the moving of dirt as Alicia makes her way beside me, peering over the same corner.
"No…"
She whispers in a low voice, cupping her mouth. I can feel her trying to hold back her tears, and her anger. She stands up in force, her dirt-covered hands gripping her dirty rifle.
"We have to get back at them! They're only a scouting team; the four of us should be able to-" I stand up beside her but hold back her arm.
"We're better off approaching this situation carefully." I speak to her slowly, she watches me with her eyes nearly tearing up. "Even if they're just a scouting team, we should do this carefully, concisely. Trust me." I don't want any more lives to be lost.
Alicia's breathing steadies as she closes her eyes. She opens her eyes a moment later after seemingly catching her breath. I can see the strength in her eyes, but they are no longer fueled blindly by anger, behind that strength is a degree of concentration.
"Alright, I don't have anything with me, right now, so we're going to have to do this together."
"Okay, I understand." she nods as she holds her rifle close to her.
Ratta! Ratta! Ratta!
They're still going at it, neither side is giving in. But that stalemate is going to end soon, even though the Imperials are better than the watchmen in every way possible, they're standing out in the open, dodging bullets only because of the watchmen's shaky aim. The same can be said about the watchmen, they're safe thanks to their cover. Their attention is focused on each other, so Alicia and I should find a way to flank them.
Let's see. The ground isn't level here; there are hills and bumps on the dirt road, with broken stone walls going in the same direction. Trees, an extension of that stream from before flowing into a shallow pond… can we use those?
"Alicia. We should find a way to flank them. They don't know we're here right now, and I intend to keep it that way."
She nods, her attention remains focused on the Imperials. She raises the rifle close to her face and aligns the crosshairs.
"Listen, even if your aim is good, that rifle can only shoot accurately so far. You won't be able to take them all out at the same time. But I guess you know that already from your friends over there."
Alicia lowers her rifle and smiles at me with a glance. "Just practicing."
I sigh and drop my shoulders. "Anyway, do you see those shrubs, and those trees?"
"Yeah."
"We can leapfrog our way through them, if we're careful enough." I explain to her while pointing at the flora in question.
Alicia lowers her stance and prepares to run, understanding my plan of action.
"Okay, on three…" I lower myself beside her.
"THREE!" She shouts before running in a straight line toward the nearest bush.
I watch her run ahead of me, surprised as heck, before running after her. I don't know how, but she seems to understand the path I've mapped out in my head. Her boots dig into the earth following the invisible lines I imagined. After running about, we reach a sunken area behind the Imperial scouts. Just as we catch sight of their vulnerable backs turned against us however, a pained shriek echoes in the air.
"Ughh!"
One of the watchmen was just shot, I don't know where, but he falls on his back in a pool of blood. The Imperial soldiers continue their relentless attacks while crouching. That was the last draw, Alicia and I can no longer hold ourselves. We slowly stand up and walk toward them, taking care to pace ourselves, moving not too fast, and not too slow. Then, a mistake…
I'm not sure which one us was moving too fast, but someone notices. One of the standing scouts quickly turns his rifle intending to fire at us. But before he could move the rifle halfway, Alicia fires.
Ratta!
A hot bullet escapes the barrel of her gun, hitting the Imperial's headpiece. The bullet ricochets off but the force of the impact is strong enough to send him off balance. Alicia fires again…
Ratta!
…and again…
Ratta!
…and again…
Ratta!
It doesn't matter how tough a beetle's armor is, a hundred bees' stings will eventually bring it down.
"Shit! Shit!"
The other Imperial soldier notices his friend's body flopping down beside him, so his instincts dictate him to return fire. But Alicia is one step ahead of him. Her reflexes are fast, sharp, and accurate. She empties the second half of her magazine on the second target, with the bullets hitting his face and center mass. A few lucky shots make their way through gaps in his armor downing him with a pained moan.
The second Imperial falls beside his friend's body, unmoving and dead. Alicia's shoulders move up and down as she catches her breath… I walk and stand next to her, watching the changing emotions on her face… from anger, to pain, to bravery, to focus, to relief, then to happiness…
I can't help but feel fascinated.
"We did it." a lone teardrop rolls down her face.
The windmill's fans spin slowly from the eastern wind.
I stand beside Isara, holding my bag.
The breeze lifts Alicia's hair as she stares at a single Lion's Paw.
"I'll do whatever it takes to protect the people of this town." she speaks modestly but with different emotions building up inside her. "I'll do it. Even going to war, I'll do it."
The girl opens her palm releasing white seeds that take flight in the wind.
"What are those?" Isara asks.
"Seeds from the Lion's Paw." I answer. "It blooms white. Small, simple, and strong."
"I want to be able to remember, once the war is over… That it wasn't all just people killing people. That even in war, there was also new life."
On the 15th Day of the third month of the year 1935,
the Empire began its assault in earnest,
A formal declaration of war was made upon Gallia,
Though it was only a small front in a massive continental assault,
what followed would prove that a tiny nation could best a military giant.
These events would tell a story of tragedy hidden in the mists of time.
A story of courage and of trust, of persecution and hate…
And of love blooming, even through the flames of war.
What follows is a record of this conflict,
and of those who fought, lived, and died.
Valkyria Chronicles
The Cascading Emotions of Warfare
: End Prologue :
Author's Notes: Well, after continually revising my novel from a light novel, to a regular novel, to a visual novel, I've decided... SCREW THIS I'M WRITING VALKYRIA CHRONICLES! :|
The initial inspiration for writing this fic comes from my discontent with the anime series. It just tries to be so overly dramatic, leaving it to ignore the more awesome scenes in the game. Like what the hell is up with Faldio's interest in Alicia? And Alicia being a tsundere? And Welkin doubting his feelings with everybody's favorite baddass scout? There were so many things wrong with the portrayal of the anime, the only thing good I can say about it is how awesome Hans remains to be. But then again, Hans is always awesome.
The manga stays truer to the franchise, but I still wanted to do something that involved telling the story of Valkyria Chronicles.
So, I decided to novelize it, or at least try to. With this, I won't be changing anything from the game, I won't be introducing pointless half-assed love triangles like in the anime, and I won't introduce half a dozen characters who'll end up dying anyway. I can't make any promises, but I'll try my best to stay straight and true to this game that remains to be one of my primary sources of inspiration.
So here's a day's work of editing and proofreading, hoping I can please. There's actually an older version of this, but I wrote it during writer's block, so it's... crap. The writing is dry, and all that.
Well, please read and review. Even if you don't review, it just pleases me that you've read my work.