Pales, Archanea:
Roan and Lorelei, wearing hooded cloaks, jump across rooftops under the light of the moon.
Eventually, they end up near the prison tower.
Numerous guards patrol the wall and courtyard the surround the tower…
The two Sokols had run out of roofs to jump on.
"What now?" Roan asked
Lorelei brings out a telescope and scans the area.
She then points to a blind spot on the western side of the wall.
The two nod as they head towards their new destination.
They covertly reach the wall, barely out of sight from the guards.
Lorelei throws a grappling hook at the wall.
After checking its stability, Lorelei begins climbing the wall with Roan following close behind.
Nearing the top, she signals her captain to stop.
The outlaw peeks over as two guards walk by.
Lorelei sneaks behind the two guards, grabs both their heads, and rams them towards each other.
She then brings out a blowpipe, loads a dart, and fires it at a guard.
After knocking out all the guards in the vicinity, the outlaw signals her captain to climb up.
"Thorough" Roan remarked as Lorelei strips the guards' armor.
"Wear these" she said giving Roan the armor
Roan nods and puts on the chestplate, shoulder pads, and the helmet.
"Follow my lead" Lorelei said as the two descend, pretending to be guards as they slip by.
Eventually, the duo enters the prison through a door on the side of the tower.
The duo split up, with Lorelei heading towards the guards' quarters and Roan towards the prison cells.
The captain walks through the dark torch lit halls of the prison tower.
His mind filled with questions.
Each cell, filled with the rebels he and his unit helped capture.
Dirty, injured, and hopeless.
Each cell radiates despair as the captain continues to press forward, all the while getting menacing stares from some of the occupants.
He soon ends up at the end of the hall.
In front of him is an iron door.
He opens the small slit on the door.
He calls to the occupant inside. "Sir Robert?"
His old mentor approaches the door.
It had only been a few days since his defeat but the once proud paladin now stands before Roan, bruised and scarred.
The captain is taken aback. There was no denying it. His mentor had been tortured.
But torture has been outlawed for centuries. The great hero-king himself outlawed the practice.
His mentor may have been a rebel but he did so under a sense of justice… misguided as t may have been.
Noone deserves this…
"Roan?" Robert said coughing
The captain was at a loss. The words couldn't come out of his mouth.
"Surprised to see me like this?"
"Is this why I wasn't allowed to see you?"
Roan stares at his mentor in sorrow.
"Did you check on Galder as I told you days ago?" his mentor asked
"Not yet. But I've been assured that the refugees will be taken cared of"
Robert sighs. "Still refusing to see the truth, I see…"
The former paladin then walks towards a corner in his cell.
He grabs a loose brick and reaches into the hole.
He brings out a small letter, places the brick back, and returns to Roan.
"Read" the paladin said handing it to the captain.
Roan opens the letter. His eyes widen.
The letter was a warning with only one sentence. An Archanean unit, disguised as bandits, will attack Galder.
"What is this?!" Roan exclaimed, trying to contain his voice "Where did you get this?! How did you get this?!"
Robert doesn't respond.
"Tell me Sir Robert!"
"Does it matter?"
"What?"
"It is up to you to decide whether to act on my information or not"
Roan wanted to ask more but he hears voices coming from the hallway.
He quickly closes the slit and walks away. His mind still filled with uncertainty.
He soon meets up with Lorelei and escapes as the knocked out guards are discovered.
Dawn
The next day:
Roan and Lorelei walk through the dark alleys of the capital.
They meet a hooded man.
Lorelei approaches him.
She hands over a small letter to him. The man then goes to a nearby bird cage.
He grabs a pigeon, places the letter on it, and releases it.
The pigeon flies off into the distance with Roan string at it with worried eyes.
"How long?" he asked
"At least a day" the man answered
Roan's eyes stare downward. "Thank you"
The two soldiers then leave the alley.
"What do we do, captain?" Lorelei asked
Roan didn't respond.
"Captain" Lorelei called again.
"L-Lorelei" Roan responded "S-Sorry. What was that?"
Lorelei squints her eyes. "You're the captain of our unit. There is no time for you to be troubled"
"What?"
"That weakness will creep onto your fellow soldiers. Keep your head up and strong"
"Y-Yeah… Thanks. How well can you vouch for the skill of your comrades?"
"They are quite skilled. But 2 mercenaries and a myrmidon are not enough to take on an entire army unit"
"Damn it… Tell the others to prepare to depart. Be ready to mobilize at a moment's notice"
"Yes Captain. I will go ahead"
Lorelei then climbs a building and travels across the rooftops.
"I hope your information is wrong Sir Robert…"
Army Barracks; courtyard:
"Ha!" Lissette shouted, practicing some forms and combat stances with her lance.
The lancer skillfully swings her lance around but soon stops as someone calls her.
"Hey Lissette!"
It was Maya.
"Wanna spar?" she asked
"Uh sure" Lissette answered "But what's your weapon?"
"This!" Maya answered brandishing her flintlock rifle like a lance
"Um… Isn't that rifle for ranged combat?"
"Hehe! Don't underestimate this new form of equipment! Have at thee!"
Lissette smiles as the two get into position.
Maya strikes first. Thrusting her rifle's bayonet forward.
Lissette swats the bayonet with her lance.
She counters, swinging her lance back to the right.
Maya ducks before quickly blocking another strike.
Lissette connects with several more strikes.
Maya struggles to parry each one, eventually tripping.
"I guess riflemen aren't that good at melee combat" Lissette said pointing her lance at Maya.
"Heh" Maya replied with a smug "One more round!"
"Same weapon?"
"No" Maya answered putting her rifle down and unsheathing her iron sword.
Lissette smiles but finds it odd that Maya had one hand behind her back.
The two get into position.
Maya attacks first, swinging her sword.
Lissette blocks the attack.
The two exchange blows.
"Whoah" Lissette said as Maya skillfully parries each strike with one hand still behind her back "You're good with a sword"
"Of course!" Maya answered parrying another strike "So anyway. I'd like to ask you something"
"Ask away"
"What's your… relationship with… the captain?"
"Huh?!" Lissette uttered in surprise, fumbling her attack.
Maya easily parries the strike, takes several steps forward, and thrusted her sword.
Lissette rolls to the side.
"That was a cheap shot, Maya!" the lancer protested
"Hey. All's fair in love and war" Maya replied "Besides, we didn't specify any rules"
"Fair enough"
Lissette gets back to position.
"So" Maya said putting her hand behind her back "What's your relationship with the captain?"
"You really don't mess around" Lissette replied, spinning her lance against Maya, who keeps stepping back "If you really want to know, he's a dear friend of mine"
Lissette then thrusts her lance forward.
"Just a dear friend?" Maya responded, parrying the attack "Is that really all? I can sense something… more"
The rifleman does several sweeps against her opponent.
"You talk as if you know a lot more than me" Lissette responded with a mighty swing "You have experience on this before?"
"Don't dodge the question" Maya replied going on the offensive once more "I won't fall for that"
"Smart girl. Fine. I'll admit it. I have feelings for him"
The lancer then does a combo of thrusts and swings as Maya parries each strike.
"Wow. You said that nonchalantly too"
Maya responds with a flurry of slashes.
Lissette then spins her lance once more while moving back, parrying Maya's attacks.
"So more details!" Maya said "I need more details!"
"Like what?"
"How you met him? What got you to fall in love? All those details! They are important!"
Lissette sighs. "Fine. I first met the captain during our time at the academy"
"Ooooh" Maya said targeting Lissette's legs "The typical start to a romance novel!"
"Anyway" Lissette continued spinning her lance around "I met him during combat training. The captain approached me and challenged me to a duel"
"Wow! Why'd he do that?"
"I was one of the best trainees in class… in terms of combat, at least"
"And? What happened next?"
"Well…" Lissette replied as she uses her lance's momentum to quickly sweep Maya's feet.
Maya jumps but as the lance's other end faced the rifleman, Lissette thrusts it towards Maya's stomach.
Caught off-guard and unable to parry, Maya takes the hit and falls to the ground.
"He lost in a similar way you did" Lissette continued pointing her lance at Maya
"Wow…" Maya replied as Lissette helps her up "… You distracted me"
"All's fair in love and war"
"Heh. Fine. You win. So what happened after that? I want to know more!"
"Maybe next time… I'm kind of tired right now"
"Aw… Maybe we can discuss this over at the bathhouse!"
"Um… no. Maybe on our next sparring session"
"Aw…"
The next day
Early Morning:
The members of Sokols silently walk through the dark empty streets of the capital.
They moved quietly and covertly, as if trying to evade suspicion.
The others soon reach the city's port.
Lorelei walks ahead, meeting up with a middle-aged man.
The two chat for a bit before Lorelei signals her comrades to come closer.
The Sokols quickly board a ship and set sail.
With their departure successful, the Sokols relax.
"I never thought we'd sneak around like this" Maya said with a sigh "Is that information really true?"
"Yeah" Chris replied "Mentor or no, I can't believe we're acting on information from a rebel"
"I'm sure the captain knows what he's doing" Lissette responded
"Either way" Brine added "This would be the perfect opportunity to assess the real situation at large"
"What do you mean?" Marian asked
"Think about it. The recent increase of bandit and rebel activity, the Valentian dread fighters that attacked the Aurelis Magic Academy, and the dragon tribes that supported the Yellow Turbans. I feel that there is more to this war than just a couple of unhappy peasants.
"You have a point"
"Let's hope that the information is false then" Carol added
"Wow" Chris said "You took part in a conversation!"
Carol leers at him before walking away
"What? I was complimenting you! Carol! Come on!"
"Welp" Maya uttered as Chris chases after Carol "I guess some things never change"
Meanwhile, Roan was at the front of the ship staring at the horizon.
Anxiety fills his mind.
"Worried?" Lorelei asked
The captain turns around. "Yeah… The letter they sent back didn't sound good"
"The letter only mentions suspicious activity near the refugee camp. That is not a clear indicator of what your mentor wrote"
"I know… But… I can't shake this feeling… I want to believe in Sir Robert…"
"Stand strong, captain. You are our leader. You crumble, we crumble with you"
"Yes… I know"
Noon:
After hours of trekking, the Sokols finally see the town of Galder in the distance.
They are not greeted by the sights of a regular port town however.
Rather they are greeted by the sight of a port town consumed by smoke and fire.
Mortified, the Sokols quickly move towards the town.
It was a ruin. Buildings not reduced to rubble are either on fire or about to collapse.
Arrows, blood, steel, and bodies littered the streets.
"Search for survivors!" Roan commanded
The Sokols fan out, searching every pile of rubble, every body.
Hoping that at least some of these bodies are still warm…
Minutes go by but no luck…
Meanwhile, Chris heard faint cries, sounding like someone struggling to escape.
He goes towards the direction of the sound, finding another pile of rubble.
Certain there was someone alive, Chris digs through the rubble.
"Hey!" he cried "Is anyone alive in there?"
No response. And the sound stops.
"Someone's definitely alive!" he thought, digging through the rubble.
"I'm not a bandit!" he called again "I'm here to help!"
Chris continues to dig, eventually finding a young woman.
She was crying. "P-Please! Don't hurt me!"
Chris pulls her out of the rubble.
"Relax" he said "I'm not going to hurt you"
Chris then uses his staff to heal the woman's injuries.
Despite being healed, the woman was still shaking.
"Hey" Chris said extending his hand
The woman moves back a bit.
"It's ok" Chris said "I'm not going to hurt you"
The war monk then helps the woman up.
"Th-Thank you" she said
"No problem"
Minutes later, the Sokols gather by the town's plaza.
"Only one survivor?" Roan asked
The other members nodded.
"Damn it…"
The captain turns to the lone survivor.
"Are you ok?"
"Y-Yes…"
"I know it's painful but I want to know what happened here… Can you help us?"
The woman hangs her head low. "… Ok…"
It all started at around the early morning…
We were promised that we'd be able to return home today.
The soldiers protecting the town suddenly left. They said they were going to prepare our ships.
The bandits attacked not long after they left.
Some men held off the bandits while the rest of us tried to escape the town…
I don't know what happened to the others but my group was not fast enough to escape…
The Sokols were speechless as the young woman describes the massacre that followed…
Hundreds of people cut down without a fight as these bandits set the once prosperous town on fire.
"Gods…" Maya uttered
"That's enough" Roan said "Thank you for sharing"
Shaken by the story, Roan turns to Lorelei. "Can you send a message to the capital?"
"Not right here" she replied "When we return to the port, I can"
"Alright then. We move to the port. We're going back to the capital!"
"Huh?" Chris said "What about the town?"
"What about it? There's nothing left"
"But… There were a few groups that fled to the mountains and-"
"And what? We look for them? We don't even know where to start"
"But…"
"We're heading back to the capital"
"What about the woman?"
"She'll come with us until we reach the port. From there, she's on her own"
"That's it?"
"What else can we do? The town is gone. Chasing after those 'bandits' won't bring justice to this town. We'll give this woman some gold to cover whatever expenses she'll need but we can't do anymore. My orders are final. Am I clear?"
"… Alright"
"We will bring justice to the people of this town. That I swear. Now let's move!"
Hours later:
Pales, Archanea; Ministry of Justice:
"Minister Leyla!" Roan said barging into the minister's room.
"What?!" the minister said, surprised "What is the meaning of this?!"
"Apologies madam but this is urgent. I am Captain Roan of the Sokols unit. I bring grim news about the town of Galder"
"I will sweep aside this disrespectful gesture but your information is not needed"
"But madam!"
"We have already acquired information about the attack! Our informants came here earlier so you are giving me information that we already know"
"How did they know about it so quickly…?" Roan thought
"Is there anything else, Captain?"
"No… Nothing"
"Very well. Now leave"
"I apologize for the intrusion. I shall take my leave"
Upon exiting the building, Roan meets up with Lissette and Lorelei in a nearby pub.
"Was the message received?" Roan asked
"Yes" Lorelei replied "And the minister?"
"Something odd is going on… The minister already knew about the attack…"
"That's suspicious" Lissette said "So what now?"
"I'll go to the queen" Roan replied "There's no question that we have a conspiracy in our hands but I need to make sure that the queen is not involved"
"The queen huh…"
Palace of the Hero King:
Roan quickly walks through the glamorous halls, eager to meet the queen.
He opens the door to the audience hall but finds Prime Minister Antonio alongside the queen.
"What's the Prime Minister doing here?" Roan thought "I requested an audience with the queen alone"
Despite the surprise, Roan maintained his composure.
"Your highness" he said bowing to the queen
"Rise" the queen responded "What is this urgent news you need to tell me?"
"It's Galder, your highness. Bandits burned it down"
"Yes… I've been informed of the attack. Is that all?"
"Your highness, I request that the Sokols be sent to apprehend the bandits"
"That won't be necessary"
"What?"
"Bandits are not the concern of your unit. I will assign this matter to another unit"
"But your highness. I don't think these are ordinary bandits. Please allow my unit to give justice to the fallen town as well as the Talysian refugees"
Roan notices the queen's eyes twitch as he mentioned the refugees.
"Please your highness" Roan pleaded
"That is enough, Captain!" the Prime Minister interjected "You heard the queen's order! You will not be involved with this incident!"
"My word is final" the queen added "You WILL obey my orders"
"Yes…"
"Very good. Now off with you"
"At once your highness"
As Roan leaves the hall, the queen looks at the Prime Minister.
He moves his thumb across his neck, asking the queen for her approval.
She nods.
The Prime Minister gives a sinister smile as the double doors close.
The captain stares at the sky as he exits the palace.
It's a cloudy darkening sky as the sun sets in front of him.
He looks down, dejected and deep in thought, before exiting the premises, headed back to the barracks.
While walking through the dark streets of the capital, Roan notices that the street was empty. Not a single soul was around the area…
He slowly draws his sword as he hears the sound of running footsteps behind him.
The captain reacts quickly. He turns around and parries a strike from an assassin.
The assassin jumps back as more surround the captain.
"So this is their response…" he muttered as one of the assassins fires an arrow.
Roan jumps out of the way as another swings his blade.
The captain reacts quickly, parrying the attack as another arrow grazes his left arm.
Roan kicks the assassin in front of him and parrying several more strikes as the assailants all attack at once.
Minutes go by as fatigue slowly overcomes the captain.
"Damn bastards!" the captain said as the assassins resume their onslaught.
Eventually, the captain ends up in a deadlock with 2 assassins slowly pushing their blades towards him as he uses his sword to block the attacks.
The two assassins slowly push the captain to a wall as another was aiming his bow towards the captain.
"Damn it!" Roan said struggling to get the upper hand.
The assassin fires his arrow.
With few options, Roan moves his neck to the right. The arrow almost hit its mark.
The assassin draws another arrow, ready to fire once again.
But before he can release his arrow, Lorelei jumps from the nearby rooftop and lands on the assassin.
She quickly eliminates the threat as the other assassins redirect their attention to her.
The outlaw quickly draws her bow and eliminates one assassin as another engages her in melee combat.
Lorelei dodges every strike as a rifle round pierces the assailant's skull.
"Captain!" Lissette said charging towards the two assassins.
The two assassins jumps out of the way, freeing Roan of the deadlock.
Roan retaliates and works closely with Lissette in fighting the two assassins.
They successfully neutralize one as the other is surrounded by the Sokols.
He throws a smoke bomb below him, obscuring the Sokols' view.
The assassin attempts to escape but Carol quickly casts mire upon the assailant, neutralizing him.
"Captain!" Lissette said approaching Roan "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine…" he responded "How did you know where I was?"
"Another group of assailants attacked the barracks" Lorelei answered "We knew something was wrong. So we came looking for you"
"What do we do now, Captain?" Lissette asked
Roan ponders for a moment.
"The prison tower" he said
"What?" Chris wondered
"It's clear that there is something wrong with the kingdom… The fact that someone tried to have us all killed after I met up with the queen. Not to mention the strange expressions I noticed from the queen and ministers when I talked with them. Sir Robert was right… The kingdom is sullied…"
"So what? We'll rebel?"
"Not yet. But I want answers and Sir Robert has them"
"So we'll be breaking him out of prison? You do know that's tantamount to declaring open rebellion"
"Yes I know… We'll be branded as traitors to the kingdom. But we'll focus on finding answers first before deciding whether to fight the kingdom or not. So I will not force any of you to come with me. You are free to do whatever you want"
"Are you kidding?" Maya replied "Someone just tried to have us killed. You really think we'll be separating now?"
"It is safer to stay with you, Roan" Brine added "Even if we don't follow you, there's no guarantee that tonight won't happen again"
"You're the reason why I wasn't executed" Lorelei said "So I will follow you to hell"
"I have faith in you, Captain" Marian said
Chris sighs. "Fine… I'll come with. It would go against my nature if I ignore tonight's incident"
Carol stays quiet, staring at Roan.
"Carol?" Chris asked
"I don't really care" she replied in a monotone voice "But it's not like any of us can leave now. We've all been identified as threats already. Its obvious none of us will leave even if we want to"
"We'll follow you captain" Lissette said "Wherever you go"
"Everyone" Roan said "Thank you. Lorelei. Send word to our 'friends'"
"Gladly" she replied as the Sokols head towards the prison tower.
Prison Tower:
The Sokols gather near the vicinity of the tower as the sound of battle permeates throughout the area.
"A battle?" Chris wondered
"Marian" Roan said
Marian nodded before scouting the prison.
"Lorelei!" a hooded thief said, approaching the outlaw from the roof
"What's happening?" Lorelei asked
"It's bad! A prison riot!"
"A riot?" Maya wondered "That's a first"
"No" the thief continued "This riot is nothing more than an excuse for the prison guards to execute all the rebels you captured"
"What?!" Roan exclaimed
"We just received information about this. But yes. This riot is nothing more than an elaborate execution!"
"Executing the thorns on your side without the need for due process" Brine remarked "Looks like the kingdom does have secrets to hide"
"Damn it!" Roan said "Are your men ready to move?"
"Yes" the thief answered
"Then give the order to mobilize! We have to rescue those rebels!"
"Yes sir!"
The thief then whistles as mercenaries, myrmidons, and thieves emerge from the shadows.
"Sokols!" Roan commanded leading the charge "Let's move!"
Prison Tower; interior:
The Sokols break through the front doors of the prison, leaving the soldiers outside to their allies.
"The 3rd floor!" Roan commanded "We have to reach the 3rd floor!"
"Right!" everyone responded
"Intruders?!" a prison guard said as Maya and Marian each neutralize one guard
Brine casts several spells against the guards blocking the stairs as the other Sokols move to the next floor, leaving Maya, Marian, Brine on the first floor.
On the 2nd floor, the Sokols run alongside the escape prisoners as they move towards the armory.
"Take cover!" Lissette said, noticing a squad of enemy riflemen in formation
The Sokols hide behind cover as the riflemen cut down the escaped prisoners.
Carol casts mire on the formation, causing the riflemen to scatter.
Taking the opportunity, the Sokols break from cover and breach the enemy line.
They eventually break through to the staircase but Roan notices more enemy guards headed in their direction.
"Go!" Lorelei said as she, Chris, and Carol take positions to engage the enemy reinforcements "We'll hold them off!"
"Ok" Roan replied as he and Lissette ascend the stairs.
3rd floor:
The duo quickly make their way to the prison cells, engaging several prison guards.
Roan and Lissette easily defeats the guards, grabs their keys, and opens every prison cell.
Opening one cell, Roan recognizes Oscar and Shara among the prisoners.
The two leer at the captain.
Roan felt the collective anger of the prisoners as if their stares were like blades stabbing at his psyche.
"I'm breaking you out" Roan announced "Grab a weapon and escape!"
The rebel prisoners were reluctant to trust the captain.
Roan sighs. "Lissette. Do what you can to convince them. I'll get Sir Robert"
"Ok!" Lissette responded as Roan grabs a dropped iron lance and moves towards Robert's cell.
"Sir Robert!" Roan shouted as he opens the prison door.
"Roan?" the former paladin responded "So you have made your decision"
"Not exactly. I still have questions but I must get you and your people out! The kingdom wants you dead, Sir. I must get you out of the country!"
"Very well"
Roan then hand over the lance to his mentor and the two return to Lissette who was struggling to convince the rebel prisoners to escape.
"Lord Robert!" Oscar said as the prisoners recognize the former paladin "What are you doing?"
"We're getting out boy. The kingdom is using this riot to kill us all! I will not force any of you but stay here and you are surely dead. Do you want to stay here and rot? Or do you want to continue the fight for a better Archanea!"
The prisoners look at one another before finally deciding to take up arms and escape.
Reaching the 1st floor, the rebels meet up with the other members of Sokols and their allies.
"Huh?" Roan wondered noticing more enemy soldiers in the prison's courtyard than before "What's going on here?"
"Enemy reinforcements!" Brine answered "Iron Cross is among them!"
"General Mathis?! Oh gods…"
"We have to find a way to break through! Or our struggle for the truth will be over before we even start!"
"Organize everyone into battle formations. I'll see if I can negotiate with General Mathis"
Both sides quickly take positions in and around the prison as Roan meets up with Mathis in the middle.
"Never thought you'd do something as big as this" Mathis said "You know the drill. Surrender and no more unnecessary deaths will occur"
"I can't do that, General" Roan replied "I'm looking for answers. I just need some time. My unit did not cause this riot. This was the result of a conspiracy to murder these prisoners"
"A likely story. Do you have proof?"
"Testimony"
"From your own men? You are aware that those testimonies will not hold strong in a court of law"
"Yes… That's why I need time. Time to find answers behind these questions"
"I'm sorry, captain. But I can't abide by that. I've been commanded by the queen herself to arrest you or put you down. I'd rather do the former than the latter"
"General. Please. I do not want further bloodshed either but-"
"Then it should be easy for you. I'll give you half an hour"
The general then walks away, prompting Roan to return to his men.
"How'd it go?" Lissette asked
"No good" Roan replied "We may have to fight our way through…"
Roan looks at the gathered army, contemplating his choices.
"Lorelei" he said "Do we have a means to escape?"
"My network has prepared enough ships for us to escape" the outlaw replied
"And the Archanean navy?"
"We have prepared countermeasures for them as well"
Roan looks at the royal army before looking at his men, all waiting for his command.
"We acquire first blood" Roan commanded as Lorelei commands the rebel archers to release a hail of arrows upon the enemy.
"TO THE PORT!" Roan shouted with a battle cry "Fight for your freedom!"
With Roan at the front, the rest of the rebels charge upon the enemy as arrows rain upon the royal army.
"So that's your choice…" Mathis uttered as he turns to his officers "… send them our reply"
The royal army retaliates with rifle fire, bringing down several rebels.
Seeing this, Carol casts mire and ruin upon the riflemen formations, scattering them.
The rebels breach the line and engages the royal army in melee combat.
"Focus on moving to the port!" Roan commanded "Do not stay in one place for too long!"
Brine and Carol cast area effect spells, neutralizing groups of enemy soldiers as the rebels push to the port.
After a few minutes, the rebels push through the enemy line and continue advancing to the port, unimpeded.
They orderly but quickly board the prepared ships and set sail as the Royal navy attempts a blockade.
But small squads of myrmidons, mercenaries, archers, and thieves board these vessels, sowing enough chaos to prevent a blockade.
Within minutes, hundreds of escaped prisoners and rebels reach the safety of the ships and set sail towards the ocean beyond Talys.
Former Yellow Turban rebels then board the last ship while the Sokols holds off the Royal army.
"We're all on board!" Oscar said as Robert relays the message to Roan
"Got it!" Roan responded "Brine!"
"Right!" the tactician said as he and Carol cast arcfire on the bridges, destroying them.
With the Royal army temporarily halted, the Sokols begin to board the ship with Roan and Robert opting to board last.
But as the two begin to board the ship, Robert notices an enemy rifleman.
His target, Roan.
The rifle was ready to fire and the captain had not noticed the danger.
Acting fast, Robert pushes the captain onto the deck of the ship as the rifleman fires.
The bullet hits the former paladin in the chest.
"Sir Robert!" Roan shouted as Maya aims her rifle at the assailant but hesitates to pull the trigger.
Lorelei attempts to take a shot with her bow.
"No!" Maya said grabbing the outlaw's arm
"What are you doing?!" she responded
"Don't kill him! That's Aiken!"
The ship begins to set sail with Lorelei no longer able to hit her target.
"You can't hesitate in these moments!" the outlaw shouted as Maya lets go of her arm "If you don't get over this, you will eventually get yourself and others killed"
She then walks away but this momentary drama was hardly noticed as everyone else was busy checking on Robert's injury.
"Aiken…" Maya muttered in sorrow
As the distance between them grows, she sees her friend's disappointed expression as General Kyle and his unit arrive at the scene.
Maya could not help but stare at the port, uncertain about the future… her future.
"Sir Robert! No!" Roan cried "Someone! Heal him!"
"… His injuries are too severe…" Chris responded "There's nothing we can do"
"Bollocks! Just heal him damn it!"
Chris complies but his staff does very little to heal the former paladin's injury. "I'm sorry, captain…"
"No. No. No. NO!" Roan cried as Robert hands him a letter.
"You have made your decision" Robert said in his dying breath "Push through with conviction and with no regret. I leave the legacy of the Yellow Turbans and King Marth… to you"
Upon saying his last statement, the former paladin dies in his student's arms.
"Sir Robert?! Sir Robert?!" Roan said shaking his mentor "No! No! No! Please! Gods please!"
Roan broke down shortly after…
And that was the beginning of a series of unfortunate events that changed this continent…
Tell me… Is it wrong to search for answers? Is it wrong to know beyond what is told to us?