Highland Rebellion

Disclaimer: I don't own Suikoden, Suikoden II, or any of their characters, period.

Author Note: This takes place 5 years after the war with Highland. If Suikoden III presents any inaccuracies with my story, please don't nag me. This is the updated version, instead of being two huge paragraphs. (I still don't know how that happened…)

Futch had given up. He sat down with a thump, his spear clattering down next to him. He unloaded his pack and opened it. He pulled out some hard biscuits and some jerky and began to eat.

"Futch, what are you doing?" An irritated female voice asked.

"Eating," Futch replied briskly.

"Well Bonaparte doesn't like this place, it's way too hot." Millie flopped down next to Futch.

Futch sighed in an exasperated fashion. "Millie, it's almost evening, and we haven't stopped for lunch, because Bonaparte didn't like any of the locations. First the small cave was too dark, the stream had too many bugs, the village looked too suspicious, and now this place is too hot. I'm hungry and tired. Just let me eat.

"Plus, I think you're the one that doesn't like these things. Bonaparte hasn't made a squeak, and I don't think he cares. He's all grown up now, but you aren't, so just leave off with Bonaparte and eat."

Millie put on her best pout and began to eat sulkily.

"Yuzu happy we found a place to stay," said an all-too familiar voice.

"Oh, Yuzu, you finally got your sheep back," Millie said, smiling again.

"Yep, Yuzu happy now," beamed the girl.

"Why do you still insist on referring to yourself in the third person?" Futch asked.

"Yuzu doesn't know," she replied and began to giggle.

"I think this heat got to her," Futch moaned.

"I think it's cute," Millie said, her eyes narrowed at Futch.

"You think Bonaparte's cute too," Futch retorted.

Millie scowled at Futch and tossed a piece of jerky to Bonaparte. Bonaparte had grown a lot since the war with Highland and no longer rode on Millie's shoulder. He probably would have squished her if he did ride there. He was only about three feet long, but almost as wide. It seemed he got another pair of eyes every other day, and he was always hungry. It was just a good thing that Bonaparte ate anything, which left him grazing most of the time.

A familiar cry made Futch smile, despite his sour mood. Bright landed a few feet away, kicking up dust. Bright, unlike Bonaparte, fended for himself usually and would go hunting. Bright was still small for a dragon and only three people could fit comfortably on his back, but he was a good dragon nonetheless. Of course Bright and Futch should have been at the Dragon Knight Fortress, but Futch couldn't go back. The night before he and Humphrey would have arrived, Futch ran away. The place had too many memories for him, and most of them had to do with Black. It was against Dragon Knight protocol to run away, but Futch technically wasn't a Dragon Knight. He winced uncomfortably as he thought about what the Knights would do to him if they found someone with a dragon outside of their fortress. It was too horrifying to think about.

"You hungry?" Millie asked, leaning in. She looked at Futch's untouched biscuit as her stomach growled rather loudly.

"Take it," Futch gave her the rest of his jerky and biscuit.

She ate and stood up. "Well, we have to get to Tinto, so let's go."
"Yuzu liked the Grasslands, but let's go," said Yuzu.

Futch reluctantly followed.

The place was aptly named, without a tree in sight. It was only endless waves of grass, not even a shrub, maybe an occasional weed, but no shrubs. Futch was walking along a small path that led southeast, toward the even hotter lands of barren Tinto. Futch began sweating again just thinking about it. Futch had spent about half of his life in the cool mountainous regions of the Dragon Knight Fortress. Then three years were spent basically in the slightly warmer Jowston and Highland. Then he arrived in the Grasslands. It was hot, dry, and barren, save for grass. And he had spent five years here.

"Futch? Is Futch okay?" Yuzu asked.

"Don't start the third person thing on me," Futch growled.

"Yuzu was getting worried. Millie went ahead," Yuzu said. Somehow, even at fifteen, she managed to climb on a sheep's back, without killing the poor thing. Futch didn't want to know how she did that.

Futch looked and saw Millie trotting downhill, with the oversized Bonaparte waddling beside her. He took off at a brisk jog and soon had caught up to Millie.

"Hey slowpoke!" said Millie cheerfully. She wasn't even showing any sign of anger now. "Glad to see you back in Jowston."

"It's not Jowston any more, you know that. It's DuWaine Country," Futch said.

"Riou had eccentric tastes," Millie giggled.

Futch had no idea what was so funny and so he left it at that.

The sun moved in the sky. Soon their shadows stretched to the east, back toward DuWaine Country. Futch was about to suggest they set up a camping spot when Millie squealed, "Hey, there's the Border Post! We made it!"

"Yay," Futch said thoroughly not amused.

Millie began to walk faster, and Yuzu wasn't far behind.

Futch shrugged and followed them down back into a place he hadn't seen in five years. He hoped nothing too bad would happen. Too bad he was wrong…