Following the dread fighter's lead, the Sokols slip past the Royal Army's blockade through a series of hidden pathways in the forests surrounding the mines.
After hours of trekking, the rebels reach a clearing and are greeted by the vast sands of Mamorthod Desert. Tired, the rebels decide to set up camp and rest before going any farther.
"Now that we are safe" Brine said approaching the dread fighter "Care to enlighten us as to who you are?"
"My name is Klaus" the dread fighter answered "There is an encampment inside this desert. My master wishes to speak with you"
"And who is this master of yours? Also, you have yet to reveal your face to us. Would you be so kind as to remove that mask?"
"Firstly, it is not my place to tell you any further than the fact that my master wishes to speak with you. Secondly, you have no power to compel me to remove my equipment, only my master has that power"
"Oh how loyal of you. But do you seriously expect us to blindly follow-"
"That's enough, Brine" Roan interjected "We will follow you for now since we owe you our lives however, I expect answers once we meet your master"
"Of course" the dread fighter answered "That I can guarantee"
"You're too trusting, Roan" Brine said
"We at least owe him enough to allow his master to talk to us. Besides, had Klaus not come when he did, we would have been in a lot of trouble"
Midday:
"Are you alright, Athena?" Yongho said checking on his wyvern who seems to be a bit rowdier than usual "I know you don't like the heat but it looks like we're going to cross this desert so you're going to have to endure it. Here, your favorite apples"
"Hey Yongho!" Chris called approaching the wyvern rider
"Chris? What brings you here?"
"Nothing really… You've seen Carol anywhere?"
"Carol? No. Why are you looking for her?"
"Just wanted to have some small talk. Nothing too big"
"Well… She's not here so…"
"Yeah… So how's your wyvern? It seems to be roaring and jumping around more than usual"
"Athena doesn't like hot environments that much"
"That's new… This is the first time I heard a wyvern hating the heat"
"All wyverns are unique individuals in their own way. Most people won't know unless they take care of one"
"Oh? Well I guess you're right. Anything I help with to calm your wyvern down?"
"No. I got this. Athena doesn't really open up much to other people"
As Yongho pats Athena's head, the wyvern turns to Chris and slowly walks towards him.
Chris is taken aback as the wyvern lets out a shriek.
"Uh… Yongho?" Chris said, worried "Did I do something wrong?"
"Well this is rare" Yongho replied as Athena continues shrieking "Athena doesn't usually warm up to people"
"Sh-She warmed up to me?"
"Seems so"
"But I didn't do anything"
"Athena has some kind of sixth sense for people. Think of it like she can sense you're a good person and I guess that helped her warm up to you"
"Oh? That's nice" Chris said as he pats and strokes the wyvern's head "Huh… A wyvern's skin isn't as rough as I thought… Must be nice to have a companion like this"
"You got that right. Athena's been a constant companion of mine since I was a child"
"How'd you meet her?"
"Well… I was just a child living in the Macedon city of Thessaloniki. The city is near the mountain where many wyverns and pegasus nest and breed. That's where most of the kingdom's pegasus and wyverns come from. So one day, I was just walking in the forests near the city when I chanced upon Athena when she was just a hatchling. She was injured in both her wings and there was no sign of any other wyvern so I decided to nurse her back to health. Luckily, my family was supportive of me taking care of Athena and she eventually joined the family. That was how it all started for us"
"Wait. You said you had family in Macedon. But now you're with Alma's bandits and in Northern Archanea nonetheless. How did you end up going all the way up north?"
"Haha… That's a very long and tragic story…"
"Oh… Sorry… If you're not comfortable talking about it, it's alright"
"No. It's ok. For background, my parents were merchants. We weren't rich but we had more than the usual commoner. Inevitably, a group of commoners grew jealous of our successes and accused my family of collaborating with the Yellow Turban rebels by supplying them with weapons and money."
"Is that true?"
"No. We never wanted anything to do with the insurrection. Though these people were able to fabricate proof and managed to frame us for a crime that we did not commit"
"We were all found guilty and sentenced to death and all the wealth we worked so hard to earn was taken by those 'commoners'… We tried to escape and… only I managed to survive in the end… I found Alma shortly after that and the rest is history"
"Oh… That's rough…"
"It is… But I've mostly moved on from it. I now live my life for the memory of my family"
"Quite an admirable mindset… Anyhow, I have to continue looking for Carol. Thanks for sharing this with me, Yongho"
"No problem. Good luck finding Carol"
"Yeah!" Chris said as we walks away and continues looking around the camp
As he disappears from Yongho's sight, the wyvern rider lets out a sigh.
"Athena!" he said with a hint of annoyance "You weren't supposed to approach him like that!"
The wyvern let's out a disappointed shriek.
"I know you can sense that he means no harm but this is different!"
Yongho then walks towards a nearby barrel. "He's gone now"
"I shall remain here a bit longer" Carol whispered from inside "He could return at any moment. Thank you"
"No problem but can you at least tell me why you're hiding from Chris?"
"Isn't it obvious? I don't want to talk to that oaf"
"Oaf? That's a bit harsh. Chris may be a tad bit talkative but he seems to mean well. I mean Athena almost gave away where you were because she could sense he meant well"
"He constantly annoys me. I cannot research in peace"
"Research? How are you able to conduct research?"
"I have plenty of books about dark magic. I have yet to test all the theories in the texts"
"How are you able to do research in camp?"
"A secluded location near the camp and the books' texts is more than enough to test the theories"
"Why research about dark magic? Isn't it dangerous?"
"If you haven't noticed, I have a stunning lack of emotions"
"Lack of emotions huh… In what way? You don't feel emotion?"
"Obviously. They are suppressed due to an old experiment gone wrong. Now I am incapable of feeling emotion"
"Ok… But are you sure about that?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean. Yeah your expressions and tone are always blank and devoid of any emotion but I think that's as far as it goes"
"You're not making sense"
"I mean isn't annoyance connected to emotion? The fact that you feel the need to hide from Chris because he annoys you. Doesn't that mean you're feeling something? Maybe it has less to do with you not being able to feel emotions but more to do with you not being able to express emotions"
"Hmm… I never thought of it that way…"
"You never thought about this before?"
"No. It seems I was too fixated on complex terms and patterns to notice"
"Huh… Well now you know"
"Nonetheless. Whether or not you are correct will have little to no impact until I put this theory to the test. Though I do appreciate your observation"
"Um… Thanks, I guess?"
"It's a compliment"
"Thank you as well. Now if you would be so kind as to cover my escape. I need to return to my research"
"Uh ok"
"Carol? Carol?" Chris continued calling as he walks around the camp "Carol? Come on! I just want to talk!"
"Chris" Lissette said approaching him "You know if you continue doing that, she'll just keep hiding from you"
Chris groans. "I know… I just… I just want to talk to her, you know"
"Why do you want to talk to her so constantly?"
"I don't know… I just feel that I want to get to know her better"
"Ok… Maybe she doesn't want to talk to you at the moment. Did you ever think about that?"
"What? Really?"
"How isolated were you as a monk? No. How isolated were you as a child?"
"I never really got to know many people during my childhood, let alone girls. I was inside that monastery for most of my life. I barely talked to anyone my age until just a few years ago"
"You're kidding, right? How can you not have talked to anyone your age?"
"Don't know. Most of the monks in the monastery were way older than me"
"Well that kind of excuses your behavior… I guess…"
"What?"
"Listen Chris. I don't know what stuff you learned in that mountain but you have to take it easy about talking to her"
"What do you mean?"
"You're essentially choking her. All girls, even someone like her, need space"
"Space huh… So what should I do?"
"Hmm… Normally I'd say to just be able to tell if she doesn't want to talk but given this is Carol and you we're talking about, well I suggest you talk occasionally rather than constantly"
"Will that make her not run away from me?"
"Maybe. It really depends on her"
"O-Ok. So should I stop looking for her?"
"Yes. That much is obvious"
"Oh… Ok. Thanks for the advice, Lissette"
"No problem. And if you need more advice, come talk to me"
"Ok. I'll keep you to that. Thanks again"
"Make sure this reaches the main bureau in Archanea" Gilberto said, handing a letter to a subordinate thief "Then spread the news to the other bureaus. I want everybody to be ready"
"Yes sir" the thief said as he goes south towards the Khaiden-Aurelis border
As his subordinate disappears from his view, Gilberto notices Fauna walking into the forest.
Curious, the trickster trails the Taguel as she stops near a small pond and sits down on a tree stump before closing her eyes seemingly meditating.
"Fauna" the trickster called "What are you doing here?"
"I am resting, Gilberto" Fauna replied "Leave me alone"
"Why here? Why alone? The other Taguel should be in camp, correct?"
"Yes they are"
"Do you still not trust Roan and his men?"
"That man promised me that the Taguel will be treated better and yet, what happened to us? That was the 2nd time an Archanean promised us something only to leave it unfulfilled"
"Ah… When you put it that way, I can empathize"
"Good"
"Though you and the Taguel are now stuck with him now. Sooner or later, you must trust him eventually if you and your Taguel are to survive"
"I will be the judge of that. I will see if this man-spawn will be able to redeem himself. Should he fail, I will not hesitate to leave him and his group. We, Taguel, are resilient and resourceful. We will find a way to survive in this continent with or without him"
"Quite the strong resolve you have. I guess that explains why you're the leader of these Taguel"
"Leaders do not exist in our culture. All are equal"
"Huh… That's surprisingly impressive. I never heard of a group that doesn't have a leader before"
"I take pride in our culture. A culture that the Archaneans stepped on"
Gilberto sighs. "Yeah well that's on the nobility. I think Roan is going the right way with this. I have faith in that kid after hearing about what he did to Lorelei"
"Lorelei?"
"She was a former subordinate of mine. A gifted assassin but for some reason, she was captured while on a mission to assassinate a noble. She was to be executed but somehow ended up working for Roan. I don't know how that happened but given her loyalty to him, I say he had a hand in her survival"
"You think he will be able to fulfill his promise to us?"
"Frankly, yes though I don't know how he'll do that since the kingdom, itself, is an obstacle to that goal"
"We shall see. For now, we will follow him"
"Right…"
"Now if this conversation is over, leave me"
"Ok… Don't get lost in the forest now"
"Don't underestimate my senses. They are far better than you, man-spawn"
Mamorthod Desert
As the sun set and the cold wind blew through the harsh desert, the rebels continue their march to the encampment Klaus mentioned.
Their progress was slowed by the desert sands and a few barbarians but eventually, they reach an encampment built next to an ancient ruin.
"We are here" Klaus said
"So" Roan responded "Where's this benefactor of yours?"
"He should be in the tent nearest to the tower"
"Ok. Lissette. Set up camp nearby. Me and Brine will be having a chat with this benefactor"
"I got it" Lissette replied complying Roan's order
"Follow me" Klaus said as Roan and Brine follow
Looking around the camp, Roan notices that the weapons and equipment of these people were not of Archanean design.
"Brine" Roan whispered "These people…"
"Yes" the tactician replied "There's no mistaking it. These are Valentian designs"
"There's something off putting about this…"
"This way" Klaus said as he opens a tent's flap
With caution, the two rebel leaders enter the large tent. Inside was a green-haired young man, clad in blue armor and a seemingly tattered cape, looking at a map of Archanean continent.
"You are Klaus' master, I presume" Roan said as the young man turns around
"Yes" he replied "My name is Albein Leon Rudolf XV, crown prince of the One Kingdom of Valentia"
"Crown prince!" Brine exclaimed
"What's a Valentian royal doing in an Archanean desert?" Roan asked
"Let's just say that I have a vested interest in the fate of the kingdom"
"What do you mean?"
"I think you both know how the kingdom has strayed from its roots and has begun to subjugate its populace"
"We know that and that is supposed to be our concern only so why is a Valentian concerned?"
"Because your queen has been building up the Archanean navy recently. Why would she need a navy to quell rebellions inside her own land?"
"What?! Are you certain?"
"My scouts never lie"
"Where exactly did your scouts see those ships?" Brine asked
"Port Warren"
"That's on the other side of the continent. Why would they build up a navy on the east to invade the west?"
"I don't know what is going through the mind of your queen but her actions are endangering my country and as the crown prince of Valentia, I cannot allow her to have her way"
"So what are you planning?" Roan asked
"Prince Leon" Klaus said bursting into the tent before kneeling before his master "Our scouts have spotted a group of Archanean soldiers moving towards this camp!"
"What?!" Leon exclaimed "Are you certain?"
"Yes. They seem to have become aware of our presence"
"What are we dealing with?"
"Myrmidons, mages, and riflemen, sire. Many riflemen"
"That's either General Mathis or General Kyle" Roan remarked
"To arms then!" Leon said picking up his sword "Alert the troops! Prepare to evacuate the camp"
"Yes, sire!" Klaus replied as he quickly exits the tent
"Brine" Roan said "Get the Sokols ready"
"Right" Brine replied
Minutes later:
Leon, Roan, and the other rebels take position just on the outskirts of the camp. The moon is barely peeking through the clouds and only the lights from the torches of both sides, standing are visible in the dark desert.
"Captain Roan!" a familiar voice echoed "After all this time, I think you already know what I am about to say"
"General Kyle" Roan shouted back "Since we both have already been through this before, you should know my answer"
"Think this through! You and I both know we have at least one pair of siblings in our respective armies! Do you really want them to fight each other?"
Roan then turns to Marian, who clutches her spear tightly before giving a stern nod. "I'm sorry, general! But I must see this through!"
"Have it your way. Just know that your actions have consequences!"
Immediately after Kyle's voice dies down, his soldiers all snuff the flames on their torches, darkening their side of the desert.
"What is the general, planning?" Maya wondered "No one can aim under this much darkness"
"Snuff our torches too!" Roan commanded "Flora. Are your Taguel equipped for night combat?"
"We can smell them, manspawn" Flora replied "We can traverse this desert without your help"
"Good to know. Prince Leon. Are your forces trained in night battles?"
"My dread fighters are quite familiar with these kinds of situations"
"Lead on then. General Kyle has no idea you're all here"
"With pleasure. Klaus! You know what to do!"
Klaus nods. "Place your hands on my shoulder and do the same for the one behind you. I will lead us through the desert"
"You heard him" Roan said as he places his right hand over Klaus' right shoulder "We don't have time to waste. Shara, Marian. You two stay back and once you hear swords clashing, that's your signal to charge"
The rebels slowly walk through the dark desert. Their movement was slow due to a mix of terrain and strategy.
"Hey" Oscar whispered "What's going on with the Royal Army?"
"What do you mean?" Lissette responded
"Isn't it weird that they're quiet?"
"Now that you mention it… Flora. Can you people smell where the Royal army is at?"
"They have not moved" Flora replied
"Shh" Brine whispered "Your voices will give us awa-"
Brine was cut off by a loud bang echoing through the dark desert before a bright flare illuminates the darkness, exposing the rebels.
"Damn!" Klaus shouted as he sees the enemy riflemen are already taking aim "GET DOWN!"
The rebels quickly dive to the ground as the riflemen unleashes several volleys, gunning down the rebels that were too slow in reacting.
As the riflemen reload, Maya and Lorelei quickly take aim but the flare disappears, darkening the desert once more.
"So that's his plan…" Roan said as the rebels get back on their feet
"What do we do?" Oscar asked
"Walking closer will be risky" Brine asked
"Manspawn" Flora said "I have an idea"
"What is it?" Roan replied
"The enemy is not moving from their position. It seems they have a group behind their formation that is responsible for that light"
"What is that group doing now?"
"They seem to be loading something into a cannon"
"Maya, Lorelei, Brine. Be ready!"
"Ok!" the three replied as they ready themselves to attack
Seconds later, another flare flies through the sky. The second the desert was illuminated, the three rebels each fired their own shots at the riflemen, taking a few down before they can fire.
Though this did not stop the rest from firing another volley before the light fades once more.
"They are moving now" Flora said
"Let's go!" Roan said as the rebels cautiously move forward
The Captain hears the familiar sound of unsheathing swords before another flare illuminates the field once more.
This time, all the riflemen had their swords and spears drawn. The rebels respond in kind as their weapons clash, with some soldiers lighting their respective torches.
Roan ignores the other soldiers and focuses on Kyle but his attention is quickly drawn to Aiken charging at him with his bayonet.
The captain parries the attack as Aiken tries to swing the rifle to his left, prompting Roan to block with his sword.
"You…!" Roan uttered
"Aiken!" Maya shouted as tackles the rifleman to the ground
Without hesitation, Roan leaves the two soldiers, continuing towards Kyle.
"Maya!" Aiken shouted he pushes her away "Why?! Why do you continue to follow him?"
"Aiken…" Maya replied sorrowfully "I'm sorry… But I've seen what the kingdom is capable of"
"Enough of this madness! You of all people should know the implications of what you are doing!"
"I know… But you have to understand. Captain Roan has a good reason!"
"I'm sorry too, Maya… Sorry that I have to do this!"
Aiken then thrusts his bayonet towards the rebel rifleman.
Maya instinctively parries it with her own bayonet. She retaliates with a swing from the same bayonet but is parried.
"Aiken please!" she shouted as Aiken jumps back
Both riflemen quickly raise their rifles and take aim, staring down at one another.
Maya could feel her legs and trigger finger shaking.
"Can't hesitate now…" she thought as her body does the complete opposite "Marian…"
For Aiken, there was no hesitation. The Royal rifleman fires, hitting Maya's left leg.
Maya falls to the ground as Aiken gets closer and points his steel sword at her face.
"I'm sorry, Maya" he said as he raises his right hand, ready to end his old friend
"Aiken…!"
Before the final blow was struck, Marian blocks Aiken's sword with her steel spear.
"Marian!" the Royal rifleman said as he jumps back
"Aiken…" the Pegasus knight uttered
"You too? You'll also blindly follow your captain?"
"If only you've seen what we've seen… Maybe you'll understand"
"That's enough! You're just as blind as the rest of the rebels!"
Aiken then charges towards his sister, sword drawn, with Marian easily dodging and parrying each and every strike.
"Give it up, Aiken" she said "You know, I have the advantage"
"Shut up!"
The Royal rifleman intensifies his attacks but Marian still manages to evade or parry each strike.
"That's enough, Aiken…" Marian said as she quickly spins her spear and hits her younger brother's face with the spear's other end, knocking him down to the ground.
Meanwhile, Roan quickly makes his way towards Kyle, who unsheathes his steel katana while still on horseback.
The captain leaps forward, attempting a slash.
The Archanean general parries the strike and redirects Roan's trajectory to the right.
"Captain" he said sheathing his katana "You are aware of all the blood you and your mean have spilled and will spill, correct?"
"Yes"
"And yet, you choose to continue rebelling"
"Yes"
"You're certain?"
"Yes, general. I and the rest of the Sokols are determined to see this through"
"Well… Who am I to judge someone with such conviction"
As the general said this, Roan notices him reaching for something on the left.
"But" the general continued "I also have my own set of convictions!"
He quickly raises his rifle but the captain quickly jumps to the side, avoiding the general's shot. "Quite the reaction speed you have"
"Well I have to be always on my feet, general"
"I find it funny that you continue to call me general despite being a rebel"
"I have no qualms with you or your soldiers. I only have qualms with certain nobles and the queen herself"
"Is that so? Tell me, why resort to rebellion then. You had direct communications with the queen, did you not?"
"The attack on Galder… Word had not spread of what had happened there but many top officials were already informed even though me and my unit were the only ones in that town shortly after it was burned! I tried warning the queen but as soon as I left the palace, I was attacked by assassins"
"And you believe that the queen sent those assassins"
"I'm not sure to be honest… But she and the prime minister were acting strange the entire time I was reporting the incident to them. They were not surprised and were even adamant in keeping me and my unit away from the town"
"So you rebel based on mere suspicion?"
"It looks that way but believe me, general, it's more than that"
"Well let's agree to disagree then"
Kyle quickly fires his rifle at the captain once more.
Surprised, Roan dives to the side but the bullet grazes his left arm. Roan quickly tries to get back up but the first thing he sees is the sharp pointed end of Kyle's bayonet directly in front of his forehead.
"I'm surprised you didn't notice me reloading" the general said "I thought you were nimble"
"You kept me distracted with a conversation" the captain replied "I never thought you'd fight dirty like that"
"Dirty? All is fair in war, my friend. That and I never really planned to catch you off-guard like that. I guess there is such a thing as overestimating your opponent"
"Is that so? I guess you're right… Distractions like that are fair"
"What?!"
Kyle quickly looks behind him and sees Klaus charging towards him, sword drawn.
The general quickly draws his katana and parries the attack though he is holding the blade in a reverse grip with his left hand and still holding the rifle with his right.
Roan quickly slashes Kyle's horse, causing it to drop the general to the ground. Klaus attempts to help but his attention is drawn to an enemy myrmidon charging towards him.
Kyle recovers as Roan was about to put him in a deadlock.
The general sheaths his katana and firmly holds his rifle as Roan charges towards him. He blocks the captain's sword with his rifle and pushes his adversary before doing a bayonet charge.
Roan dodges each thrust while attempting a counterattack but every attempt he makes is either dodges or parried by the general.
"Very clever" Kyle said as he swings his bayonet, prompting Roan to parry "With those skills, you could have been useful in the Royal Army"
"I would have" Roan replied "Had it not been for what the kingdom did"
"You really are adamant in your conviction that the kingdom has done so much wrong"
"This is a waste of our breath. You don't even believe a single word I say"
"Well what else do you expect me to do?"
"I think you noticed that there are Taguel warriors in my ranks"
"You mean the ones that can turn into animals? Yeah… I've noticed them. What of it?"
"These are the same rebels we fought and defeated almost a year ago"
"Oh? What are they doing with you? Did you not promise them their freedom? Or is this your definition of 'freedom'?"
"No! I just found out some days ago. I trusted them to the kingdom and all the kingdom did was enslave them once more. They were forced to work near Antioch! The northern part of the kingdom where we hardly go! They lied to us, general! Instead of freeing them or at least giving them better work conditions, the kingdom chose to worsen their enslavement and even went so far as to hide it from us!"
"That's quite the accusation. Do you have proof?"
"No… Other than their own word"
"That is quite troubling… Who's to say that they weren't fed lies?"
"What?! Why would I do such a thing?!"
"Just a playful thought, 'captain'!"
Kyle then aims his rifle again.
"WHAT?!" Roan shouted as he dives to the side
"Fell for it!" Kyle said as he drops his rifle and unsheathes his katana
Roan quickly blocks Kyle's attack, ending in a deadlock.
"You have much to learn, Roan" Kyle said as he places more pressure to his blade, causing Roan to slowly lose strength
"I don't really care if you believe me or not" Roan replied as he musters as much strength as he could "But I have a promise to keep and years of inaction to payback! I will not lose here!"
Roan uses all his strength to push Kyle away before charging towards him, with both of their blades constantly clashing.
"You really stand by what you are saying, 'captain'?" Kyle said as the two warriors pause for a moment
"How many times must I say it?" Roan replied "Yes! I don't care if you'll believe me or not. All I care is seeing this through!"
"Haha… Well… You have your 'duty', I have mine. Let's see who's 'duty' prevails!"
The general then firmly grasps his katana with both hands, preparing to do one last charge. Roan responds in kind.
After a few seconds of staring at one another, the two warriors charge forward, their blades clashing once more.
Kyle swings his blade to the right, prompting Roan to parry the strike before countering with an upward slash, which the general dodges. Roan then thrusts his sword forward but Kyle parries and redirects his blade away from the general, causing the captain to lose his footing a bit.
Kyle then punches Roan in the face. The captain staggers as Kyle tries to finish him with a downward strike but Roan suddenly grabs Kyle's right arm and throws him to the ground. The captain quickly points his sword at the general's throat as he remains lying on the ground.
"I win" Roan said as he grabs the general and holds him hostage
Seeing their general defeated, the fighting quickly died down as the Royal Army soldiers all stopped fighting after Roan threatened to kill their leader.
This allowed the rebels to regroup and escape deeper into the desert while Roan, Brine, Lissette, Marian, and Maya stayed behind.
"Seems I underestimated you" Kyle said as Roan and the others slowly back away from the general's army "Aren't you going to let me go?"
"You'll just chase us again" Roan replied "It's better that I have you as leverage"
"Really now? Most of your men are already far away so… I suggest thinking again"
"What?"
Roan looks at the Royal Army soldiers once again and sees all riflemen taking position and aiming their rifles at Roan and the others.
"Are they serious?!" Lissette said
"Maya" Kyle said "You of all people should know how I work"
"What does he mean?" Roan asked
"There's so few of us now" Maya answered "They know you can't risk letting the general go and they can shoot you the second you do anything to him"
"Damn…"
"Didn't quite think that strategy through, huh?" Kyle said "You allowed your allies to escape but you're now trapped with me"
"Damn it!"
"Here. Since I'm feeling generous, I'll make you a deal. You let me go now and I'll let you escape. Fail to do so, well… I can't guarantee your safety"
"Why should I believe you?"
"You don't, actually. You're going to have to make this decision based on what's happening now instead of your beliefs. What will it be?"
Roan looks at his allies and the Royal Army for a moment before finally letting Kyle go.
"A wise decision" the general said as he turns to the captain
"And this is the part where you turn your blade on us" Roan responded
"No. I am a man of my word. If you want to go, then go unless you had a change of heart and want to surrender"
"Huh?"
"Didn't you hear me? I said you can go. This is your chance to escape before I change my mind"
Without any further words, the remaining rebels all escape into the dark desert as the rest of the Royal Army catch up to their general.
"General Kyle!" a rifleman said "Are you alright?"
"Yes" the general answered "Aiken"
"Yes, sir?" Aiken responded
"Prepare a messenger. I have a letter to send back to the capital"