Reunion of Soul
Chapter 3
By
Ted Atreides
Recap: In the last chapter, we found out that Ted was not the only survivor of the City of the Hidden Rune.
And McDohl's new acquaintance is not just anybody from this forgotten town, but Ted's first true friend! This boy
seems to hold a key to the past, events that took place over 300 years ago. The new adventure starts now, a new
beginning in the Suikoden world.
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Dusk approaches in the busy city of Gregminster, the shops begin to close there doors, pick their carts up and
scour away to the four corners of the town for the night. But in a darkened alleyway, McDohl and his new
acquaintance begin planning their route to the other side of the world, beyond boundaries previously set by the
Imperials.
"Now, before we can begin our trek, we will need to buy vast quantities of supplies to aid us on our quest" The refugee
of the Old City of the Hidden Rune spoke.
"Wait just a minute, before we go delving into this, I have a question!" McDohl stopped the boy.
"Yes, but hurry we have much planning to do!" The boy announced somewhat impatiently.
"Well, I need a name to call you here! It helps to know the name of your allies who you'll be with for the next several
months." McDohl answered.
"Well now, I guess my introduction is in order since I obviously know who you are." The boy spoke.
"Very well then, you may call me Kilik" he said.
"Kilik? Isn't that an odd name?" McDohl scratched his head.
"NO MORE ODD THAN MCDOHL!" Kilik barked. "My mistake, OK then Kilik, what is our first move in this
then?"
McDohl questioned.
"Yes, of course..." Kilik paused and reached for a knapsack he carries over his shoulder. "Here we are" he said
unlatching his bag and reach for it's inner contents.
"What have you got there?" McDohl asked.
"It's just my bag of supplies. Compass, maps, food, water, you know the usual, you should know of things to pack
along on a journey such as this." Kilik said half humored half sarcastically.
Reaching into his bag, Kilik produced the items of which he spoke. He unrolled his crinkled map and put the compass
around his neck using a thread attached to it. He then pointed to the icon representing Gregminster on the map, which
McDohl quickly looked at and observed from where the traveler had been trekking.
"You're quite a ways from your starting point aren't you?" McDohl asked in an attempt to make conversation.
"Perhaps, but when you've lived as long as I have distance has very little meaning, you just have push forward day by
day and at some point you arrive where you wish to be." Kilik responded.
The two gave the map and once over and proceeded to predict the best course of action that would ensure the safest and
fasted route to their destination which seemed to extend farther than the map could give detailed directions for.
"Yes this spot is Gregminster." Kilik pointed out. "It is about 10% of the way to where we want to be." He added.
"What!? You have to be joking! Your starting point is at least seven hundred miles south of here!" McDohl acted very
surprised.
"I never said this journey would take merely days, you may want to say a good-long farewell to anyone you know
around here because we may not be back for a very long time. Are you sure you still want to pursue this?" Kilik asked.
McDohl paused as if thinking about a life or death situation here, which this very well could be described as. "....Yes, I
think I could never be more sure of anything!" McDohl paused and ended confidently.
"Very well then, there is no more time for regrets, we will leave at first light tomorrow, until then you should return to
your home and get some rest, this could very well be one of the hardest roads you will have to walk." Kilik seemed to
assure McDohl.
"Alright then, I'll meet you back here tomorrow morning! So don't be late!" Kilik finished.
McDohl looked down at him. "So this is really going to happen, hmm? We're really bringing Ted home?" McDohl
seemed hopeful.
"Of course it's the whole reason I have traveled this far" Kilik assured him. "Now off to bed with you McDohl, we
have a busy day ahead of us" Kilik said as he turned and walked away and out of the alley.
McDohl ran after him but upon reaching the main street, Kilik was nowhere to be found; baffled McDohl began his
short walk home. At first daylight, McDohl awoke and looked over at his nightstand and saw the dim candlelight
nearly out of his burned down candle that he had forgotten to extinguish before falling asleep. "Today is the first day
of my journey" McDohl thought to himself as if in disbelief of what he was really about to do. He slowly sat up from
his bed, as if enjoying it one last time; He walked over to his closet, pulled out a decent sized shoulder strap bag and
began loading some changes of clothes into it. McDohl proceeded to walk back to his nightstand and opened a drawer
containing a picture of Ted and him taken 1 year before enlisting in Kraze's brigade.
"Don't worry Ted, I'm not abandoning you this time!" McDohl slipped the picture into his bag tied a knot in it after
grabbing all the essentials and walked out of his room. He walked down the stairs and looked to see if Gremio was
around. Creeping into the kitchen he looked over at the table and saw that Gremio was nowhere to be found; when
McDohl turned around to see Gremio, Pahn and Cleo standing in the entry way to the household. "Leaving without us
Young Master?" Gremio asked as if happy.
"Well...I..." was all McDohl could say.
"Wherever you go, we follow Master McDohl" Pahn gruffly stated.
"That's right we are like family we four, we help each other and do what we can for better or for worse." Cleo stated.
"You guys....thanks" McDohl paused and then proceeded to agree. McDohl clued them in as to where he was to
rendezvous with his new partner and told everyone that this could be a pretty long journey.
"You think distance will scare me away? I think not!" Pahn bolted.
"While it seems we have quite a ways to go, if what you say is true, young Master, then I had better take the first aid kit
along, just in case you get hurt, and maybe I should take my dishes and utensils, and maybe..." Gremio was cut off.
"Cool it Gremio we don't have room for all that, we will buy what we need while we're out." Cleo stopped him. After
gathering all the final amenities, the four walked out the door and Gremio turned locked it, and they walked away
towards the dark alleyway where the future of an eternal friendship beckoned them to.
Upon arriving in the deserted alleyway, McDohl realized that Kilik was not in the vacinity. "That's very strange, here I
thought I was going to be late and he hasn't even shown up yet." McDohl thought to himself.
"Here I am!" A voice shouted from atop a roof.
"HUH!?" was all any of them could say as the figure swooped down and landed on two feet.
"Hey it's me! Kilik." He announced. Pahn, Cleo and Gremio stared stunned and puzzled.
"Q..quite the entrance, little one." Gremio stuttered out.
"Ahh, it's just a little something I do" Kilik said cheerfully.
"I guess everyone from the old village was just like Ted, even under the darkest circumstances they can still maintain a
positive attitude on life and the people they know" McDohl thought to himself and smiled. "Heh, I haven't felt this
good since before Ted...." McDohl stopped and was cut off by Kilik.
"OK is everyone ready to go? Once we walk out of these gates we cannot turn around." Kilik proceeded to ready their
newly formed alliance. "If there are no more delays, then it's time to set out and get back a friend for life." he stated
and turned to exit the alley.
"Well this is it, are you all sure you want to be put through this?" McDohl asked. "I know it will be dangerous Young
Master, but what is more dangerous is if we did not come with you and fight along side you." Gremio assured McDohl.
"Gremio's right, alone we are weak, but together we are a force to be reckoned with!" Cleo told McDohl positively.
"Alright then." McDohl got a look of happy determination on his face. "It's time to go!" He shouted.
~With some old allies back for action, it seems that the adventure will be one of reunion as well as the birth of a new
beginning for the old Liberation Army. To be continued....~