Ramza Beoulve rode on his Chocobo through the hills of the grassy, beautiful lands of Ivalice. It was exhilarating. Ramza, at the age of eighteen was a fine-looking young man. He was tall, well built; he had blonde hair and blue eyes. He was the youngest son of a well-distinguished family, pillars of knighthood and justice. His father was none other than the legendary Balbanes Beoulve. However, he often found himself hating everything about himself, his brothers had long ago stopped respecting and caring for him.
Now, he was just a mercenary for hire. He offered his sword for Gil or for a just cause. He wanted no part in war. He had finished taking sides in the war that was in progress. It was now called, and well named in his opinion, the Lion War.
The previous king of Ivalice had passed away from a terminal illness. The people of Ivalice didn't want the queen ruling anymore, or her teenage daughter. The rightful heir to the throne was Orinas, the only son left. Orinas however was only two years old when the king passed away. Even at four now, he of course, couldn't rule. When such a case occurs, it is custom in Ivalice that the people elect a guardian to rule until the heir is able to do it on his own. A lot of people voted for Larg, the queen's elder brother. He would rule the land justly and fairly. Some, however, didn't think so. Feeling that Larg would give more power to the queen and or rule in her footsteps, many others elected Goltana, the king's older cousin to rule. This created civil war in the land of Ivalice.
The strong, rich nobles supported Goltana but the disfranchised knights and nobles of the Fifty Year War clearly supported Larg. Larg's troops, the Hokuten, wore a white lion crest on their shields and uniforms. Goltana's troops, the Nanten, wore a black lion. The black lion represents Goltana, the white, Larg. This is how the war became known as the Lion War.
Ramza's job was to defend Ovelia, princess of Ivalice, from capture of the Nanten knights. He didn't much mind that he would have done this job in the past, from the respected position of a Hokuten knight had he not been such a disappointment to his brothers. He was just glad that he would have money and something to do. There was only three of them riding that was hired. Aside from himself, a Dark Knight named Gafgarion was hired, along with a simple Squire named Rad.
"Are you sure you're ready for this, rookie?" Gafgarion yelled from ahead on his Chocobo, large birds used for riding, cheaper than horses.
"Sure! And, don't call me rookie, because I'm not. I was once in the Hokuten you know!" Ramza replied. Gafgarion laughed at this. He thought that the Hokuten and the Nanten were little more than jokes. He no respect for just about anything.
"We're here!" Rad, who'd been silent the whole way, had suddenly spoken up.
They'd arrived at the Orbonne Monastery. The princess and her guards were in there praying for peace. Ramza believed in God and, unlike Gafgarion, didn't think it was a waste.
Gafgarion went it, and then, came out.
"We'll just wait out here until they're done praying, unless you want to join them?" He said.
"I'll pass." Said Rad.
"That's okay." Ramza said and dismounted his Chocobo. And so, they waited…
"God, please help us sinful children of Ivalice…" Ovelia prayed quietly aloud. Agrias was getting impatient and she could only imagine what the bodyguards were thinking.
"Princess Ovelia, let's go." Agrias was a Holy Knight, a high-ranking knight respected by the church and the crown. Her skill and fighting ability were top notch.
"Just a moment, Agrias." Ovelia replied. Simon was getting impatient too. He was the priest in charge of that monastery.
"Princess, don't give Agrias trouble. Please hurry…" Simon said. Just as he had begun to plead with her, Gafgarion threw the door open. He had anger in his eyes.
"What's going on? It's been nearly an hour!" He sounded more aggravated than he looked.
"Don't be rude to the Princess, Gafgarion." Agrias corrected.
"Is this going to be alright Agrias? This is an urgent issue for us." He shot back. During his speech, the other two mercenaries had come in, and they, out of respect, bowed in Ovelia's presence.
"So, there are rude knaves even among the Hokuten?" Agrias had meant to offend him.
"I'm being more than kind to the guard captains here. Besides, we're mercenaries hired by the Hokuten. I'm not obliged to show respect to you." Now he had her mad.
"What? How dare you?" She was shocked. She looked like she was mad enough to remove his head. Ovelia hated rude people.
"Enough. Let's go." Ovelia ended their argument. She stepped down from the altar and came to say goodbye to Simon.
"Go with God." He said to her and embraced her.
"You too, Simon." She replied embracing him. At that moment the door flew open again and a wounded female knight under Agrias's authority hobbled in.
"Lady Agrias…the enemy!" She said falling to her knees. Simon caught her.
"Prince Goltana's men?!" Simon said shocked.
"What one must do to make money…what, Ramza? You have a problem?" Gafgarion said. He must have noticed Ramza's look of disappointment.
"I'm no longer a knight. Just a mercenary like you…I don't have a problem with fighting the Nanten." Ramza replied.
"…That's right. Well then, let's go!" Gafgarion hooted. He walked out just after Agrias. Ramza and Rad followed.
"Oh God…" Ovelia said. She knew that war was brewing in Ivalice, and there was nothing she could do to protect her land.
Outside of the monastery, several Nanten knights stood wielding the swords, bows and daggers. She was disgusted.
"The crest of the Black Lion?! What's wrong with Prince Goltana?! He's such an idiot! Does he want to start war?!" She asked herself aloud.
"Knave! There's no point in resisting! Just give us the princess, or that beautiful face of yours will be scarred forever!" One of the knights screamed.
"Fool! Only idiots attack head on!" Gafgarion shouted.
"Leave this to us!" Agrias said wished with every fiber in her Gafgarion wasn't there.
"We can't make money that way! Ramza! Rad! Follow me!" He said. "Kill them all! Don't leave any survivors!"
"Nonsense! There's no need to kill them! That's just what Goltana wants us to do! Just let them go!" She objected.
"That's impossible!" Gafgarion shouted.
So, the battle began. Standing to defend the princess was Gafgarion, Agrias, Ramza, Rad and two female Knights under Agrias's authority. Against them was a Knight, two Archers and two Chemists, skilled fighters with knowledge of medicine.
Ramza, withdrew his sword and ran for an Archer. The archer fired a crossbow bolt at him. It missed his face by inches. With all his might he thrust his sword at the archer's body. The archer held up an Escutcheon. Ramza's blade impacted with the shield. The Archer slammed his crossbow across Ramza's face. With his free hand, Ramza punched the Archer in the stomach with all of his might. Doubled over and undefended Ramza thrust his sword into the Archer's chest piercing his light armor. The man soon died.
He felt a strange energy as he looked over at the battle. Agrias was using all of her skill to use a well-known attack known as Statis Sword. With magical energy drawn from one's skill of the sword, from the sky came blades of ice the pierced its target's flesh. The Knight of the Nanten survived and kept fighting. As the magical blades disappeared icy wounds took their place. Gafgarion, a Dark Knight did an attack similar to Agrias's yet different. His attack was known as Night Sword, the master of all sword skill attacks. A magical cauldron appeared above a Chemist's head. The molten steel poured out on the Chemist. He writhed in pain. His life force was taken as a sword formed from the molten steel and pierced his very soul. He screamed and fell to the ground as his life force went into Gafgarion. If Gafgarion were to have any wounds, they would instantly be healed.
The battle was over quicker than it began. They were weaklings. The others managed to kill what was left of them. Ramza and Agrias exchanged nods of encouragement and respect. It seemed the princess was safe. Then the scream was heard. It came from the rear entrance of the Monastery.
"Let go of me!" Ovelia's voice could be heard.
"Damn!" Agrias cried out when she realized she wouldn't be able to cut him off. There were deep ponds on either side of the monastery and there was a bridge on the back that led to the land behind them. Agrias would have to run through the monastery to get the princess. She ran in.
Ramza didn't follow. He walked to the side were he could see across. When he saw the princess's attacker his mouth dropped.
"Come here!! Be quiet!!" A man screamed to her.
"Why should I listen to you?!" Ovelia screamed clawing at him.
"What an annoying princess." He said giving her a hard punch in the stomach. She folded like a rag doll in his hands. He put the princess on his shoulder and onto his Chocobo. He was about to mount the Chocobo when Agrias came on the bridge.
"Wait!!" She screamed knowing there was nothing that she could do.
"Tough…don't blame us. Blame yourself or God!" The attacker said as he mounted the Chocobo and took off. Agrias tried to chase him but he easily outran her.
"Oh, God…" She said without realizing it.
Ramza was so out if it he began to speak to himself.
"…Delita? You're alive, Delita? But why are you in Goltana's troops? Why?…" He was puzzled.
After the others minus Agrias, Ramza and Gafgarion had gone in the monastery to get of out the now pouring rain, Ramza began to tell his story.
"You know that man?" Agrias asked.
"Yes, he is…was my best friend…" And so he told the story. Beginning with his father's death.