The Song of Dalmasca
Third Movement: Bolero
Rasler sat at the round-table with both King Raminas B'nargin Dalmasca and the head military strategist, a middle-aged man by the name of Alinas. The King was old and wizened and a look of distress was embedded in his features. The ever-looming shadow of Archadia had been careful to take its toll on all that opposed it.
"Given what we we've been made aware of, Lord Rasler, how do you propose we look upon the current developments?" asked the King.
Rasler shook his head as he looked at the table. It had a built-in display of the map of Ivalice and all the continents and countries therein. Floating above it were magical icons indicating the various known fleet locations between the kingdoms involved; blue being those of Rozarria, Nabradia, and Dalmasca – red standing for the encroaching Archadians.
No matter which way he looked at it, Archadia seemed to have the entire continent of Valendia in checkmate. Many nations had fallen over the last year, and now his nation, Nabradia, struggled in the crossfire. After all of Valendia was secure, Archadia would continue its westward march towards its enemy nation of Rozarria, and all that stood in its way then was Dalmasca.
"There isn't much of a choice. Nabudis is under attack by Archadia, which leaves little else to do other than lend aid to them."
Alinas nodded. "If the capital city falls, then Nabradia is finished, which would leave Dalmasca ripe for taking. However, there's no guarantee that we can save your country. Pardon my selfishness, Lord Rasler, but we should focus more on strengthening defenses here by sending aid to Nalbina Fortress."
Rasler's face flushed red with anger, but he could not argue. Nabradia was not their home.
It was his.
Basch quickly made his way down the castle corridors. While the King had been deciding his next course of action, Nabudis was defeated, and with it the last line of defense in Nabradia. The continent, Valendia, was completely under the jurisdiction of the Archadian Empire.
When the news had reached Basch, it felt like a dagger had been plunged into his heart. First, Landis had fallen, and now, years later, the new nation he had learned to call home was on the verge of a similar fate.
He would not lose everything. Not again.
When he reached the conference room, he burst through the doors. "My Lord, Nabudis has fallen."
The look of desperation that exploded from the Rasler's face would stay with him for the rest of his life. "No. That's impossible."
"If only it were, Lord Rasler. A messenger has sent word to Rabanastre. He spoke of an explosion."
"An explosion?"
Alinas raised his hand, stemming the conversation. "Process does not concern us right now. If Nabudis has indeed been lost, then it is only a matter of time before they reach our border. We have nothing to halt their advance."
"Then we send our forces to Nalbina Fortress," the King said.
Basch brought his right fist to his heart. "I will go."
Rasler stood up. "And I will go at your side."
He looked at Rasler, the prince of his princess. After several moments and a myriad of conflicting thoughts, he nodded. "Very well. We make haste."
After all, they were both men who fought for the same ideals.
For their honor.
For their home.
For their love.
-
Alright, the next movement is complete. This one was noticeably longer, yet it still wasn't long. It was somewhat hard to map this. I found myself wanting to throw in details here, but as short one-shot, I don't want to drown the reader in extraneous wording. I just don't find details to fit as easily right here, not as how they flow so freely with me in my larger works. I think it just conflicts with the ultimate vision of a simple song.
I'm trying to understand the political and physical geography of Ivalice and find a way to detail it without going into lengthy exposition. The history and setting of this game is pretty well crafted, but to understand it is to sift through a lot of hidden details within unlockable passages obtained by filling out the bestiary and details within the verbose dialogue itself. Having played Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story before helps, too. For those of you still confused by the game and this political one-shot, and for those of you not familiar with the setting at all, here's a rundown of the terms.
Valendia is a continent to the northeast of Dalmasca. Landis was a small republic in Valendia that Basch was born and raised in which was assimilated into the Archadian Empire. Archadia is also in Valendia, as is Nabradia. The Rozarrian Empire covers the western continent of Ordalia, and they are the enemies that Archadia is at war with. Dalmasca is a small kingdom that served as a "neutral buffer" between the two aforementioned continents and the southern continent, Kerwon, as it is located in between all of them.
Hope that helped a bit.
Until the next movement.
