Author's Note: I realised I messed up on Rapha's age in the previous chapter but I'm not going to change it and just adjust her and Marach's ages to suit the story. Besides, they weren't massively important characters in the game. I am using the names from the re-release of FFT: War of the Lions even though the original will always be my favourite. No, I will not be using old English dialogue as I don't speak that way and it would be too much of a headache to try and do so.

Chapter Two: The Thunder God Comes Rolling In

True to his word, Harry taken him to see his friends the morning after he first woke and it stunned him how lifeless they seemed. Had it not been for the gentle, steady rise and fall of their chests, he would've believed Harry lied to him and they were truly gone from this world. When he asked why they sleeping so soundly, Harry explained that it was what his people called a healing coma. A person was enchanted to sleep until their wounds healed. It was also so a healing patient wouldn't wake and try to move about too much and reinjure themselves.

Ramza also visited Argath about a wek later, much to the boy's horror. As soon as he entered Argath's room the young man nearly screamed and tried to leap from the open window until Ramza grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him to the floor. He could understand why Argath thought he would murder him but he had time to think about everything that happened. Having Harry explain things from an outsider's perspective helped him come to terms with the events from Fort Ziekden. Despite his views and comments about commoners he was simply following orders set forth by Ramza's own brother. He'd seen it while speaking with the snooty blonde that the boy wasn't one to kill in cold blood. He was so focused on restoring honour to his family name that he forgot people, be them noble or commoner, was still people.

And Harry thought him redeemable and Ramza trusted his judgment despite not knowing him long. In the end, Ramza opted to give Argath the chance to redeem himself. He made it clear to Argath that he had one chance, and if even so much as thought of betraying them again Ramza would end his life.

Currently walking through the small village surrounding Harry's manor, Ramza wondered if anyone realised he was missing or did everyone presume him dead. The explosion of Fort Zeikden was a mighty inferno that engulfed everything close to it. It's possible his brothers and sister thought he perished along with all the soldiers left behind to dead with the Corpse Bridage stragglers. 'Bah…! Stop thinking this nonsense,' the blonde chided himself as he entered the small bread shop.

Ramza browsed through the shelves of freshly baked bread and sweets almost drooling at the wonderful smells when a booming voice greeted him from the door of the bakery.

"Ramza Beoulve! I heard you dead, boy!"

Turning around swiftly, Ramza caught sight of a tall, older swordsman wearing full body armour and a deep brown traveling cloak. Glancing at the man's waist he recognised a sword he'd not soon forget. It was one he nearly injured himself with many years ago trying to lift it. His father had scolded him harshly while the man the blade belonged to laughed so hard he nearly toppled out of his chair.

"Count Orlandeau,"Ramza greeted jovily, "it's good to see you."

Said man nodded with a huge smile and moved forward to clap him across the shoulder. "It does my old heart great pleasure to see you amongst the living, boy! We received word that the youngest son of House Beoulve died in the explosion at that old fort."

"From what I hear, I almost met that fate but was rescued by the lord of this region."

The count grinned, "Lord Harry saved you then?" he asked although he seemed to already know the answer.

Ramza nodded and replied, "Me along with Tiertra, Delita and Argath a squire from Limberry. I am already healed as is Argath but Tietra and Delita are in some kind of healing sleep."

Orlandeau scratched at his beard in thought. "Tietra and Delita are the young ones your father took in when their parents passed away? What in Ajora's name were they doing at Fort Zeikden?"

"Delita was training at the Akademy with me and the knight trainees were being used to bolster the Order's numbers. Tietra was kidnapped from Beoulve manor during an assassination attempt against my brother Dycedarg." Ramza explained. He would've said more but was interrupted as a man a few years older than him approached the duo. He had dark hair that was pulled back into a pony tail, was wearing a brown coat and britches and carrying a thick tome.

"Father," the man greeted Orlandeau with a nod and looked in Ramza's direction. "Whom are you speaking with, father?"

"Ah, this here is young Ramza Beoulve. It seems the tales of his untimely demise were exaggerated." The count grinned widely as he spoke, obviously amused at the situation. "Ramza, this is my son Orran."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Orran," Ramza greeted him.

Orran grimaced but bowed his head his greeting. "Please, just Orran is fine. With whom my father is I receive enough of that whenever I am home."

"I was about to head back to the manor. Would you two care to join me since it seems you know Lord Harry?"

"Sure I haven't annoyed Lord Harry in some time."

The old man grinned at the prospect of what was to come while Ramza had a feeling a dread overcome him. This old man sure was something else.

… … …

Back at the manor, Harry was busy attending to his two final and most injured patients. The boy was mostly healed since the majority of his wounds were burns that the potions and a bit of overpowered healing magic had taken care of. Harry was just letting him rest to regain his strength. The girl, however, he was having to monitor closely as deep puncture wounds were a bit more complex than just having them swallow a potion. He had to knit the wound together layer by layer and he couldn't do it all at once. Healing magic was tiring.

Standing up from his crouched position, Harry winced as his back crack and loudly protested his sudden movement. Stretching his arms out and yawning, he figured it was a time as any to get some food and something warm to drink to help replenish his spent energy. He was about to go in search of some food when he heard a loud, thundering voice he knew all too well. There was only one man alive that could make more noise than a braying donkey.

'Great,' he thought grumpily. Cid was a dear friend to him but the man always came to visit at the most inopportune times. Resigning himself to his fate, Harry quickly left the room leaving to two teens sleeping and going in search of his friend to try and head off the old man's tendency to snoop out of boredom and just plain being a nosy old man.

"You talk too damn much old man," Harry scolded his friend as he descended the stairs.

"You're one to talk you trash talking whippersnapper," Orlandeau snapped back with a grin.

Behind the Count Ramza stood wearing a shocked expression on his face. He didn't think there was another man alive other than his father with the gall to speak to Count Orlandeau the way Harry did.

Beside him Orran sighed in a resigned manner. "They always do this," he said to Ramza.

"Children should be seen not heard," Orlandeau snapped at his son.

"And old man shouldn't carry around swords bigger than they are but some idiots still do it," Harry said sarcastically to the Count before Orran could think of a witty comeback to his father.

"At least I have the strength to carry a sword," Orlandeau said to Harry with a condescending grin.

Harry rolled his eyes, ignoring the old man and simply pushed passed him towards Ramza. Standing in front of the young man, he grabbed his face in his hands and gave him a once over before nodding and removing his hands from his face. Ramza was shocked, however, when Harry grabbed the end of his tunic and pulled it up exposing his stomach and the heavy bruising on it to everyone in the room.

"You see this?" Harry asked the Count and his son ignoring the way Ramza turned red at their staring. "This was caused by the accident at Fort Zeikden. Fort Zeikden was caused by the actions of Dycedarg and Zalbagg Beoulve." Harry continued practically hissing his brother's name. "I have two people upstairs that came to me nearly dead because Dycedarg and Zalbaag thought a girl under the protection of House Beoulve was okay to make into collateral damage."

Orlandeau frowned at Harry's words not quite understanding what he meant, so Harry explained to him all he knew. Tietra Heiral was kidnapped by the Corpse Brigade during the assassination attempt of Dycedarg Beoulve. They had mistaken her as Dycedarg's younger sister and taken her hostage. He had Zalbaag track them down and corner them at Fort Zeikden and when one of their members used Tietra as a human shield, Zalbaag gave the order to shoot her with a crossbow. She was collateral so they could wipe out the Corpse Brigade. Ramza and Delita engaged Argath in battle since he was the one that fired the bolt and in the aftermath of the battle, a surviving member of the Corpse Brigade ignited all of the powder in the fort causing the massive inferno that engulfed everything.

"Not only that," Harry hissed, "the Heirals were wards of House Beoulve and as such under their protection. Almost killing them is the same as attacking a member of their own house!"

"I knew the eldest Beoulve didn't really care much or anything but he, but I never imagined he'd do something like this." Orlandeau shook his head sadly at the thought of his dear friend Barbaneth's eldest child.

Harry breathed deeply to calm himself before beginning to speak again. "I've always been suspicious about Lord Barbaneth Beoulve's death," he began getting everyone's attention. "but after seeing all that has happened, I am more convinced now more than ever that his death wasn't simply illness. I visited him a few times after he became ill and that wasn't normal illness."

"What are you saying, Lord Harry?" Orran asked speaking up after remaining silent for so long.

Harry sighed heavily and looked at Ramza with a sorrowful expression. He knew what he was about to reveal would rattle the young man's world once again.

"I believe Lord Barbaneth was poisoned." He stated and waited for the explosion.

"What?!" three voices yelled in unison.

"When I visited him I noticed that his illness would quickly progress in a short amount of time. If his illness was caused from fatigue as the Beoulve family chemists claimed, then he would've recovered given time." Harry explained before continuing with his theory. "But he became more and more ill as time passed. And I know of several poisons that work over time slowly killing a person." Harry looked directly at Ramza for what he said next. "Your brother would do this. You know that."

"I… I… You're right," he said finally. "Dycedarg gained complete control over House Beoulve when my father died and it is almost as influential as the royal family." Ramza look completely stunned as he said this but sounded resigned almost as if he already knew but hadn't wanted to admit it. "He would kill to gain the power he thinks he deserves."

"Then, we have a naughty child that needs a good spanking!" Count Orlandeau nearly shouted as he realised all Harry said was probably the truth.

'Lovely,' Harry thought.

A/N: I am not completely happy with this chapter but I needed to introduce Cid and Orran and the plot that Dycedarg killed Barbaneth. I want what he did to be revealed earlier so that Zalbaag doesn't find out too late and ends up dying trying to confront his brother on his own. I'm not saying Dycedarg will be brought to justice but it will change some things that will happen later.