Town of Abila; Northern Archanea
In the town's market district, Shara and Maya, wearing brown cloaks, walk through the merchant stalls.
The place was lively but the two were awkwardly silent.
Every other step Shara could hear Maya sigh.
The rifleman's eyes staring straight ahead.
Shara ponders whether to speak to her but is unable to find the words.
They soon stop by a small store.
Entering the store, Shara notices Maya smile.
"Oh my" the elderly shopkeeper said "If it isn't Maya. How are you?"
"Hello" Maya said enthusiastically "I'm here again"
"Good to see you again, deary. What would you have?"
"Just the usual produce"
"You have been buying a lot of food lately… Are you preparing for something?"
"Something like that. My group's going to start travelling soon"
"South… That means you won't be coming back to my store any time soon"
"Ahahaha. Don't worry. I'll come visit when the time comes. I promise I'll come back. Besides, I'll start to miss your tea and cakes if I'm gone for too long"
"Oh you're too kind, deary"
The elderly lady then walks to the back of the building for a while.
Minutes later, she emerges with some tarts.
"What's this?" Maya asked
"It's a good thing I decided to bake some of these then. Here. Have some"
"What? No. I can't possibly-"
"Nonsense, deary. You have been a kind customer to me these past few weeks. Besides, didn't you say you'll miss my baking?"
"Well… If you insist…"
Maya and Shara then take some of the tart along with the supplies they bought.
After spending a few more minutes chatting, the two soldiers then wave their goodbyes to the shopkeeper.
As they leave town, Shara approaches the rifleman.
"Um…" she said awkwardly
"Hmm?" Maya replied with a neutral tone
"That shopkeeper…"
"I met her when we first came here. She was really nice and helped me process what happened actually"
"Wait. Did you...?"
"I didn't tell her anything. I just gave her a vague overview of how I was feeling"
"Oh ok… Is that why you always volunteer to gather supplies from town?"
"Yeah. And also because the camp kinda makes me feel a bit gloomy…"
Shara hangs her head low. "Is it because of what happened?"
"That? Well yeah… But don't get me wrong. I'm not blaming anyone… It's just that… I still haven't fully accepted that I'm going against the kingdom now…"
"And against Aiken too…" Maya mumbled
"What?" Shara asked
"N-Nothing…"
Shara then looks down, thinking about what Maya said.
She then inhales before turning to the rifleman.
"Hey" she said "I understand how you feel… I had the same feeling too when I first joined the Yellow Turbans… I was going against not just the entire kingdom but I had friends who are part of the army and it hurts me a bit that I need to fight them but…"
"Don't get me wrong here, Shara" Maya interrupted "I won't deny that I'm feeling a bit gloomy because of everything that happened in the last few weeks but I don't regret it. We saw how the kingdom really treated people like you and we had to do something. I don't regret that one bit but that doesn't mean that I won't feel a bit worried especially since the future is so uncertain…"
"Do you have a loved one inside the kingdom?"
Maya looks up. "… Yes. He's a really good friend of mine. I still think of him like that but… I don't know if he feels the same…"
"Oh…"
"I know I'll have to face him one day… But don't worry… I won't let this feeling affect me in battle"
"Ok… And Maya?"
"Yeah?"
"I know you're trying to be strong but… Please don't hesitate to talk to me if you're feeling down, ok?"
Maya smiles. "Sure"
Outskirts of town; Sokols base camp:
Brine, Roan, and Lissette look over a map of the area.
"So where are we headed?" Lissette asked
"I'm thinking west" Roan answered "Through the mountains"
"The mountains?" Brine wondered "I've heard reports of heavy bandit activity there. If we go there, it won't be an easy trek"
"I know. But wasn't there a group vigilantes operating in these mountains as well? They were the reason why the northern territories hardly have any military garrisons"
"There was but they seemed to have disappeared recently and bandits are starting to roam those mountains again"
"That's sad… Anyway, we don't really have any choice. The southern plains are too wide open and we can't rule out Kingdom scouts from spotting us. Even if the northern territories are hardly touched by the Kingdom, it pays to be careful"
"That's true… I guess we don't have any choice"
"It's decided then. Tell the others. We move by dawn tomorrow"
Brine and Lissette nod as they comply.
Roan then exhales as he stretches is arms.
"Roan! Roan!"
"Huh? Oscar? What do you need?"
"Another round!"
"Another sparring match? Didn't we have one yesterday and the day before that?"
"Yeah! I'm all healed up and ready for another round!"
"You're persistent, you know that? You do know you have little to no chance against me"
"I know but still! I won't improve if I just give up so…"
Roan chuckles. "Very well. Show me how much you improved in a day"
The two then move to a nearby open field.
Both fighters draw their swords.
"Are you ready?" Roan asked
"Yes"
"I'll let you do the first move then"
Clenching the sword, with both hands, in front of him, Oscar stares at his opponent.
Roan was standing straight, holding his steel sword with only his right hand, placing it opposite to his sheath.
With a deep breath, Oscar charges with both hands near the side of his face.
He swings his steel sword downward.
Roan steps to the side.
Oscar quickly corrects by swinging his sword to the side.
Roan blocks the attack.
"You're still a bit too rash" he commented "I can easily read your moves"
Oscar grunts as he jumps back.
He then resumes his assault as Roan parries each strike.
"You're letting your anxiety get the better of you in this battle" Roan remarked "Stay calm and concentrate"
The captain then parries another strike before going on the offensive, aggressively attacking the villager
Oscar struggles to block each strike as he anxiously thinks about his next move.
He then trips on a branch and barely blocks another attack, causing him to fall to the ground.
Roan attempts to point his sword at Oscar but the villager quickly gets back to his feet.
"Well" the captain said "You're persistent"
"Heh" Oscar responded with a smile "I told you I'm learning"
With a smirk, Roan resumes his assault.
Oscar, once again, struggles to parry every strike.
"Huh?" Oscar thought "He's only swinging left and right"
The villager then ducks as Roan goes for another swing.
He misses his attack and the villager quickly charges towards him.
Oscar grabs the captain with his left hand but he wasn't strong enough to tackle him.
Roan chuckles. "Impressive. I think we should end our sparring match here"
"What?! But…"
"If this was a real battle, I could have stabbed you while you're trying to tackle me"
Oscar sighs and let's go of the captain.
"But" Roan added "I must say I am impressed you saw the pattern. You really have improved but there you still have more to improve on"
"Right…" Oscar replied with a disappointed tone
"Next thing is for you to consider your own strength when fighting because it may be good that you can read your opponent's moves but it is useless if you can't follow up with a proper counter"
"So I have to be stronger?"
"You can do that. Or you can also find another way with what you have"
"Ok… Thank you… Captain"
Roan looks up in the sky. "I'm no captain, Oscar…"
"What? But-"
"I'm no longer part of the army. There's no need for any formal titles"
Meanwhile, on a small hill overlooking the open field, Marian and Lissette sit down as they watch the two men.
"Oscar's really persistent with these sparring sessions" Marian said
"Yep" Lissette replied "So… Are you still paranoid that Oscar's planning something?"
"Huh?! Oh come on! Didn't you have the same level of suspicion too?"
"Not really… I don't think Roan would easily fall for a trap like that"
"Well… someone's got a lot of faith in the captain…"
"Oh? Is that jealousy I feel?"
"What?!"
"Hit the mark, didn't I?"
"N-No! I-I'm just being cautious!"
"Hahaha! Look at you blush! You gotta loosen up a bit"
"Huh?"
"You've been stiff for the past few weeks now. How are you holding up?"
"I-I'm fine"
"Really? Even with Aiken being part of the army?"
Marian's eyes widen but she doesn't respond.
"You know, feigning strength isn't going to make things better"
"What?"
"If you keep turning away from your pain, it'll just keep growing inside of you until you can't take it anymore"
"I'm ok, Lissette"
"If you say so. Just know that you're not alone and there are people in camp who are willing to listen to you"
Marian doesn't respond.
"I'm heading back to camp. Still got a lot of stuff to do before we're ready to move. Keep an eye on those two, will you?"
With a wink, Lissette walks back to camp as Marian continues to observe the two.
"Someone to talk to huh…" she muttered looking at her right palm "… Aiken…"
The next day:
The Sokols march in formation through the mountain pass.
"No bandits…" Brine said "This is odd"
"I'm not sensing any traps either" Lorelei added
"Maybe someone took care of the bandit problem?" Chris said
"Unlikely" Carol coldly responded
"Still" Roan said "This is strange… Marian. Shara. Scout the area"
The two Pegasus knights nod as they fly ahead of the group as they continued marching.
After another few minutes of marching, the group comes across a gruesome sight.
"A camp" Lorelei remarked
"Looks like someone came and messed the place up" Chris added
Bodies, weapons, and equipment litter the wide area.
"A battle…?" Brine wondered "From the looks of this, it wasn't too long ago either"
"They're all bandits" Lorelei said inspecting the bodies
"Bandits?" Chris wondered "Makes me wonder what happened here then…"
"From the looks of this. The bandits seem to be fighting each other"
"Fighting each other? Why would bandits fight each other?"
As the Sokols continue to inspect the camp, the two Pegasus knights return.
"Marian. Shara" Roan said "What'd you find?"
"Something weird" Shara answered
"A battle" Marian added "Not too far from here. But they're all bandits"
"Isn't this an interesting development" Lissette said
"So our path is blocked by a battle?" Roan asked
"Not really" Shara answered "We can easily sneak past them"
"Heh" Brine said "I guess we can cross these mountains without any problems"
The tactician then turns to the captain, who was deep in thought.
"Oh no" he said "You're not thinking about intervening, are you?"
"I'm a bit curious" Roan responded "Why are these bandits attacking each other?"
"Who cares?" Chris responded "They're bandits!"
"Still. I can't help but feel that there may be an opportunity we can exploit here"
"Opportunity?"
"So we're headed to battle, then?" Lissette asked
"For now, we're just going to observe. Let's move!"
Reaching the edge of the battlefield, the soldiers all prepare their weapons and equipment as Roan, Lissette, and Lorelei scout the vicinity with a telescope.
"Not that many combatants" Lorelei said
"Yeah" Lissette added "Looks like 2 groups are fighting"
"There's a bandit that look different…"
"What?" Roan wondered
"The group on the left. The middle warrior. His clothing… They seem to be from another continent"
"Clothing…?" Roan muttered as he turns towards the area Lorelei was pointing at
He sees a tall young man wearing what appears to be a robe with some steel plates on the chest and shoulders.
His face had a long scar moving downward from his forehead down to his closed right eye.
"He looks like someone from the Eastern continent" Roan said "Most likely he's the leader…"
"What do we do, Captain?" Lissette asked
"Please don't call me captain. Anyway, we're mobilizing. I want to talk to that man"
"We might need to move fast" Lorelei said as groups of bandits suddenly surround the other group
"Looks like they're in trouble" Chris remarked as the Sokols reach the vicinity of the battlefield
"Enough talk" Roan said "Marian. Shara, provide support. The rest, we'll push through the enemy horde!"
The Sokols comply with Roan leading the charge.
Maya fires her rifle at an enemy myrmidon, drawing first blood.
With a loud battle cry, Roan engages another myrmidon.
Chris jumps and lands on top of an enemy fighter.
The fighter blocks his axe strike but the war monk proves to be stronger as he easily overpowers the bandit.
Carol quickly casts ruin on a group of archers before they could react.
But an enemy cavalier manages to get behind the dark mage.
Carol attempts to cast another spell but the cavalier swings his iron lance, hitting her arms.
The dark mage steps back and trips as the bandit turns around and charges once more.
She quickly tries to cast a spell but Chris jumps in front of her and parries the enemy's attack.
He then brings out a hand axe and throws it, hitting the horse.
Meanwhile, Brine casts a Mjolnir spell on an enemy wyvern rider as several fighters surround him.
The tactician draws his steel sword and engages the bandits in melee combat.
He easily dispatches a few of the bandits but soon finds himself slowly getting overwhelmed.
But Maya quickly enters the fray as she charges towards the bandits with her bayonet.
She pierces one bandit and parries another strike with her steel sword.
She pulls the bayonet out of the dead bandit and gets behind Brine.
Lissette then charges towards several myrmidons as Roan runs past them.
The bandits try to chase him but Lisette quickly throws her javelin, stopping their advance.
She then brings out her steel lance and engages the remaining myrmidons.
Roan then approaches the young man he saw.
"Who are you?" he asked in a foreign tone
"Roan" the captain replied "We noticed you needed some help"
"Heh… I never thought I'd see Archaneans actually helping strangers. My name is Taichi. I thank you"
Roan then turns around and blocks a mercenary's attack as an enemy archer takes aim at the captain.
He fires an arrow but Taichi beaks the arrow with his steel katana.
"The enemy is weak!" he shouts "We have the advantage of reinforcements! Do not falter!"
With a loud battle cry, Taichi's men were invigorated enough to fight back against the bandits.
4 mercenaries then charge towards him.
Taichi gets into position and closes his eyes.
Seconds later, he opens his eyes and quickly charges forward, swinging his sword exactly 4 times.
He stops just behind the last mercenary and all 4 drop to ground at the same time.
"Wow…" Roan said with eyes wide open
The battle raged for another 10 minutes before the bandits decided to retreat further into the mountains.
With the area clear, the combatants gather together.
"I would like to thank you again for your help" Taichi said shaking Roan's hand
"Think nothing of it. But I am curious why you were fighting in the first place"
"I was once a bandit operating in this area. I know what you are thinking but we were once a noble group"
"Wait. Are you the vigilante group that used to be in this area?"
"Yes. We stole only from the corrupt and those that deserved it and provided protection and care to the rest, including the towns. But as of recent, our leader strayed from that path after the Kingdom… changed"
"What do you mean 'strayed'?"
"A few months ago, some people from Lochfield Port reported the location of one of our camps. The Kingdom sent their executioners and butchered everyone there. Up until that point, we did nothing but protect these townsfolk and just because of some reward money, they decide to betray us"
"Lochfield Port… Wait. We were there when a bandit group was burning the place"
"That would be us. Angry over this betrayal, our leader led an assault on the town. I did not participate as it went against everything we believed in but she didn't care. The betrayal she felt was too great to not go against the code that she herself established. We followed her because of that code. Because we were supposed to be protectors of the weak. After burning the town, she turned her back on the code and we degenerated into banditry"
"So that's why you're fighting her now?"
"Yes. I couldn't stomach such dishonorable acts. Justified as she may be for her anger, it does not excuse what she has been doing"
"A bandit civil war…" Chris intersected "Never thought I'd see the day"
Roan then turned to the other members of Sokols.
"You want us to help him, don't you?" Lissette said
Roan nods.
"Do we even have a choice?" Brine responded "But I guess they may help bolster our ranks once we end this civil war"
Roan then turns to Taichi. "Will you allow us to help you?"
"You want to help us?" Taichi wondered
"Yes. But of course, I have ulterior motives. Once your group is reunited, I want you and your men to join us in our rebellion against the Kingdom"
"Ah. So that is your angle… Well I guess this will help us acquire the justice we deserve. But that would mean we must limit the deaths that we will incur"
"Of course"
"Well then I would be honored to receive your help. Let us be off. They may be regrouping as we speak! I know the way to the main camp where our leader is!"
"Lead the way!"
Minutes later:
Deeper into the mountain trail, the group comes across a makeshift fortress.
Taichi orders his men to force open the gate.
As the gates are forced open, the samurai is the first to walk inside.
"ALMA!" he shouts as the bandits draw their weapons
Just then, a female berserker emerges from the crowd.
"Wait" Marian said "Isn't that…?"
"The bandit we fought…" Roan added
The berserker laughs as she slowly walks towards the Sokols while brandishing her tomahawk.
"Well. Well" she said in taunting tone "So the traitor brought some friends… And oh. The royals… Not only did you turn traitor, you became a weasel. Just like those ingrates at Lochfield"
"Alma!" Taichi said "I have come to stop you!"
"Yeah. Yeah. Let's just cut the chitchat and go straight to the fight! If you really think you can lead this group better than me then go ahead and take it from me!"
"Very well"
The samurai then draws his katana as Alma orders her men to attack.
"Focus on injuring them!" Roan commanded "Only kill if it's necessary!"
"Right!" everyone responded
Several fighters and myrmidons jump down from the nearby platform towards them.
Brine and Carol both cast wind spells, throwing the attackers off course.
Shara evades a hand axe and charges towards a wyvern rider.
She parries another attack from the bandit's iron axe.
She counters with a swing from her steel lance but the bandit evades the attack.
Meanwhile, Marian swoops down and rams several bandits with her Pegasus while Roan, Lissette, and Taichi push through the crowd.
Enemy lancers and myrmidons quickly regroup and block their path.
Lissette rushes ahead, swinging her lance.
The bandits evade the attack but Roan and Taichi run past the enemy combatants.
A myrmidon tries to chase after them but a bullet pierces his leg.
Maya and Lorelei run to Lissette's side.
The bandits charge towards them.
Maya blocks a lance with her rifle as Lorelei fires an arrow at his arm.
A myrmidon charges towards them but Lissette intercepts the attacker.
She swings her lance around, parrying each strike.
Suddenly, a thief appears and uses his Levin sword to cast a lightning spell.
Lissette barely evades the attack as the myrmidon begins his counter attack.
The lancer quickly blocks the attack but finds herself in a deadlock with the myrmidon as the thief prepares another attack.
But before the thief could use his Levin sword, Marian sweeps down and stabs him with her steel lance.
Invigorated, Lissette gains enough strength to gain the upper hand.
She slowly pushes the bandit back and eventually slashes his legs, incapacitating him.
"Thanks" she said
Marian nods as Lissette quickly brings out her javelin and throws it past the Pegasus knight.
A wyvern rider swings his steel axe, breaking the javelin.
Marian turns to the bandit as the two fly back and forth towards one another, parrying one another's attacks.
The Pegasus knight struggled to land a hit as the bandit was nimble and expertly evaded many of her attacks.
He then flies above her and swoops down as Marian prepares herself.
The Pegasus reacts to the force of his attack as Marian blocks it.
He then slowly pushes his axe down as Marian struggles to maintain her strength.
But he quickly desists as Maya and Lorelei fire projectiles upon him.
Marian recovers and charges towards the wyvern rider.
Meanwhile, Roan and Taichi confront the bandit leader.
"So" Alma said pointing her tomahawk at the two "You're both going to fight me? Where's the honor in that?"
"You've strayed from your sense of honor, Alma" Taichi replied
"Strayed? Ha! I'm just punishing the ungrateful bastards who deserve it. You were there, weren't you? When those ungrateful bastards betrayed us for money!"
"I know! But I do not think condemning everyone else is justice!"
"How do you know? You only joined us a year ago. You don't know how long we've been protecting those ingrates! And how much each and every man, woman and child meant to me! Hell. The people you killed just today should be enough reason for me to kill you where you stand! Let's not even start with you coming here with the Kingdom's dogs!"
"It is true that unnecessary bloodshed arose from this… But I had little choice. You would not listen to reason! I had to force your hand"
"Well… You succeeded in forcing my hand, at least. Now then…"
Alma then beats a war drum behind her.
The bandits stop fighting.
"ENOUGH BLOODSHED!" she shouted as she points her tomahawk at Taichi "You. You want me to listen? Make me. By yourself"
"Taichi?" Roan uttered
"I accept your challenge" the samurai answered
The soldiers and bandits clear the area around the two combatants as they stare at one another.
Fury consumed Alma's eyes while Taichi was calm.
For a few minutes, the two simply stared at one another, probably waiting for one to make the first move.
As the samurai inhales, he begins his charge.
Alma swings her tomahawk to the side.
Taichi parries the attack as Alam follows up with another attack from above.
He rolls to the left as the tomahawk creates a crack on the ground.
She quickly pulls out her weapon and blocks Taichi's attack.
She pushes the samurai back and tackles him.
The two fall to the ground but Taichi hits her forehead with the katana's handle.
He quickly releases himself from her grip and stands back up.
Alma recovers as well and the two continue their assault.
She swings her axe around, Taichi dodges the attack.
The samurai did not attack. He either kept on blocking or dodging her attacks.
Frustrated, Alma makes a hard swing.
As the samurai parries the attack, the berserker grabs his neck with her left hand.
She then lifts the samurai up. "Playtime is over"
Undeterred, Taichi began kicking the berserker but she endured every kick all the while tightening her grip on his neck.
Taichi realized his kicks were ineffective and decided to take a chance.
He raised his katana and thrust it towards Alma's left shoulder.
The blade's tip pierces her shoulder but the berserker still refuses to let go.
The pain only served to tighten the berserker's grip further.
Desperate, Taichi attempts one last swing.
With his vision failing, he blindly swings his katana downward.
The samurai drops to the floor, coughing.
When his vision returned, he sees Alma's left arm in front of him.
He then turns to the berserker, who had dropped her tomahawk and is holding her injured arm.
The two stare at one another.
"Impressive" Alma said in a pained tone "… Fine I concede"
Alma then collapses to one knee.
"Ah!" Taichi uttered as he ran to the berserker's side
"Haha" Alma said in a pained tone "Why are you showing concern for me?"
The samurai ignores her and turns to the crowd. "Is there a healer?"
"Chris!" Roan called
"On it!" the war monk responded as he uses a mend staff on the berserker "This should stop the bleeding but your arm isn't coming back"
"Heh" Alma responded "I don't care. Better question is why are you healing me? You can finish me off. Why aren't you finishing me off?"
"My objective is not to usurp you" Taichi replied "I only wish for you to listen to reason"
"Heh… I misjudged you and your merry band… I hear you loud and clear"
"So" Roan interjected "Does that mean…?"
"Yes. My men will stand down"
Later that night:
While the leaders were inside the fortress, checking on Alma's wound, a small group of her men bury the dead just outside the fortress.
Coming along with them are Chris, Carol, Maya, Oscar, and Shara.
It was a solemn event.
Everyone was silent as Alma's men either hug one another or cried on the spot.
Maya sighs.
"So much death…" Shara uttered
"Yeah…" Oscar solemnly responded
"Death is normal in the battlefield" Carol said with a monotone voice
"What?" Maya responded
"This shouldn't be a surprise. People die everyday"
"Are you hearing yourself?" Maya replied turning to Carol "Do you even realize how much it hurts to see a dead person?"
"I understand the sentimentality. However, we shouldn't think too much of it or else we may waver in the battlefield"
"Maybe someone whose heart is as stone cold as yours will that shit apply but not to me. Soldier, bandit, thief… At the end of the day, they're all living beings! They're not just pieces of meat that would one day stop moving. I refuse to devalue their worth as living beings"
Still with an emotionless face, Carol turns around and walks away.
Chris looks at the dark mage with concern before turning towards Maya who turns back towards the graves.
After a few minutes of pondering, Chris decides to go after Carol.
"Carol!" he called
The dark mage ignores his call and continues walking.
"Carol! Hey!" he called again grabbing the dark mage's right arm
"Let go of me" she responded with a monotone voice
"Look, Carol. I hope you understand where Maya is coming from and-"
"I know" Carol interrupted turning to Chris "My heart is stone cold. My inability to feel emotions has made me into an uncaring person"
"That's not true. You do your best to protect us during battle"
"That is to be expected of soldiers. I was merely performing my duties"
"Still. That duty needs a certain level of concern for your allies. You're not uncaring. You just… um… different"
"Different? I'm beyond different. I'm not normal. Look at what just happened. A normal person would be hurt and start crying after that. But look at me. Look at my face. Not a single tear. My voice isn't even trembling. I feel nothing…"
"You feel nothing?"
"Don't you get it, oaf? I'm unable to feel emotions"
"Really?"
"What?"
"If you're really not feeling anything, why are you walking away? Why do you seem so concerned with yourself after Maya said all those things?"
"That's because I… I… I was just reminded of my inhumanity…"
"Inhumanity? Damn. You throw a lot of big words around. But I don't think that's the reason. Maya's words bothered you, didn't they? Doesn't that mean that you're feeling bothered? Doesn't that mean that you still feel emotions?"
"Impossible. Do I look like someone who's feeling emotions, right now?"
"Not on the outside but I know on the inside, there's still a part of you that can feel emotions. If you really can't feel anything, then why did you attack me after we first met at the academy?"
"Because you were an idiot and destroyed several Bonewalkers protecting the academy"
"Doesn't that mean you got annoyed with me? Isn't that an emotion?"
Carol then looks down.
"I'm right, aren't I?" Chris asked
Carol doesn't respond.
"Carol?"
The dark mage sighs. "Maybe. I'm tired. Let me go. I want to sleep"
"Oh… Ok"
Chris lets go of Carol's arm as she walks away.
She stops for a moment and turns to Chris. "I guess you're not a complete oaf after all"
Chris chuckles as the dark mage continues to walk away.
Inside the fortress, Roan, Brine, Taichi, and Alma gather inside her quarters.
"So what's this proposition?" Alma asked as she drinks some beer
"I'm surprised you're already adjusting to your current situation quite well" Roan remarked
"Heh! Unlike you royals, people like me are used to life's ups and downs! We learned to adjust to the shit life throws at us!"
"Right… Anyway, I would like you and your men to join the Sokols in our rebellion against the Kingdom"
Alma spits out her beer and laughs. "Are you serious? You're all outlaws now?"
"Yes"
"Hahaha! Ah… Life is a bitch, huh?"
"Sometimes"
"So… Is that why you agreed to help Taichi?"
"Yes"
"Heh… Well… Joining your little rebellion may help me and my men atone for the things we've done in the past few months"
"So you'll join?"
"I got no reason to say 'no'. Besides, I never really had the resources to take on the Kingdom. Helping you will make sure me and my men can get the payback we deserve"
"That's wonderful. I look forward to working with you. My name is Roan. I lead a group called the Sokols"
"Alma. A pleasure"
The two then shake hands.
"What about you, Taichi?" Brine asked "What will you do?"
"I shall follow Alma to war" the samurai answered