Highland Rebellion

Disclaimer: I don't own Suikoden, Suikoden II, or any of their characters, period.

Futch crept along quietly. He jumped at every shadow and cringed at every noise. Futch didn't like this place. He definitely didn't like this place. If Koyu or Yuzu didn't like this place, they certainly weren't showing it. Millie however hated this place, and was complaining at every other turn, namely for Bonaparte's sake.

"Why did you bring the thing in? It ain't helpin' us, and it ain't going to," Koyu exclaimed.

"Bonaparte wanted to come in. Maybe you should leave," Millie retorted.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Yuzu shrieked.

Futch grimaced as an Abomination landed. Cave mud landed all over and doused everyone.

"Oh yeah! This is what we're talkin' about!" Koyu leapt forward and sank his axe into the Abomination's leg. With a crunch it crumpled. The Abomination reared up and landed on Koyu. He fell over with a grunt. Futch rushed in, spinning Sigurd. The blade repeatedly cut into the Abomination's leg. It fell forward. Sigurd bashed the first skull. Then the second Abomination landed.

"Help!" Yuzu screamed.

Millie's forehead glowed. She floated up an inch or two off the ground. The multi-pointed star of the Blue Gate Rune spun up around her head. Suddenly, a massive ship flew overhead, and its cannons released a barrage of destruction. Koyu yelled and covered his head as the fire rained down on them. Yuzu scrambled behind a rock, as an Abomination's massive hand/foot slammed down on the area where she was. All around, Abominations were coming out. Futch ran an Abomination through. Yanking Sigurd free, he spun around and slashed off its front legs. Koyu scrambled out. Using the speed his Gale Rune supplied, he sped past Futch, leapt on a rock, did a somersault, and crashed down on the Abomination cornering Yuzu. Millie's High Boomerang flew past and hit off one of the skulls on an Abomination.

"It's too much! We have to retreat!" Futch yelled.

The Abomination next to Futch let out a roar. He turned, only to see it up in the air, and watched as it was torn apart by powerful tentacles. Abizboah swung around and its tentacles connected with a few more Abominations. It was Nature's fury, focused through this octopus.

Behind Abizboah, a rain of lightning fell on whatever Abizboah hadn't taken care of. Apparently Mazus was there too. The Abominations turned to this new threat. Bonaparte dove into the ground. "Can we attack now?" Koyu asked, grinning at Futch.

"Be my guest," Futch ran forward and hamstrung an Abomination.

Bonaparte came up and grabbed an Abomination's leg in its powerful jaws. Shaking it back and forth, Bonaparte finally let go, and what was left of the mutation hit the ground.

Millie turned and screamed.

Zombies were pouring into the opening, except for one problem, they were riding Unicombies.

"Shoot!" Koyu exclaimed. He ran forward to face them.

Millie summoned a Protect Mist, and the first few Zombies and Unicombies crashed into a large icy barrier.

As the Protect Mist faded, the undead continued to charge. Even with Abizboah's strength and Mazus' magic, they were horribly outnumbered and their strength was nowhere near that of the undead's numbers.

Yuzu voiced it perfectly; "We're doomed."

* * * * * * * * *

"We're doomed."

"No we're not!"

Hix drew his sword. "We're doomed."

"No we are not doomed, Hix," Tengaar said.

Just the evening after their marriage, and now Highland attacked. Tengaar had hoped that Scarleticia and Antei would have held longer, but they had fallen in the same fashion as Kirov, Moravia, and Rokkaku. Even the Ninjas of Rokkaku were no match. But this was totally different. They would be attacking the Warriors' Village. For the time being, the Village and Qlon Temple had signed a truce to oust the Highland threat. The Warriors had fled from Lorimar, with remnants of the Imperial Army from Moravia and Scarleticia. Now, the Warriors' Village had bolstered its defenses and waited for the attack.

"We're doomed."

"We are not doomed!"

* * * * * * * *

"We're doomed."

"Don't say that, Fitcher," Teresa Wisemail said.

"But it's true. With half of Toran captured, including the capital, and a massive army gathering in Highland, and with Harmonia at our borders, what can we do? I say we make a treaty, and hope we don't come out too badly," Fitcher suggested.

"If Jess were still mayor, he wouldn't have suggested that," Gustav Pendragon said.

"Well Jess isn't Mayor, is he?" Plenipotentiary Makai of Two Rivers sneered.

"This is no time for fighting," Teresa said.

"It's the perfect time for fighting! We need to dispatch some nice solid Heavy Infantry from Tinto, backed up with Light Infantry from Two River, and plow through'em. Use Cavalry from Muse and South Window to hit'em hard on the side, and kill the stragglers with Greenhill's archers, it's that easy!" Gustav leaned back, satisfied with his statement.

"Thanks Shu," Fitcher said. "That would work, if we had the people to supply it. Most of the residents of Muse are either too old or too young to fight, people in Greenhill aren't prepared for another war. Only your Tinto and South Window truly can handle it. The old Matilda Knightdom could assist, but we can't even draft an army without a leader. We've got plenty of strategy to tap into, with Shu and Klaus, and brilliant generals, like Ridley. But without someone to inspire the people, we'll have a half-hearted militia against these well-trained infantry units that so far, haven't been beat."

"Thanks for the worst outlook," Camus muttered. He was representing the Matilda Knightdom, because nobody else could, and he was the best for the job. "Now Teresa, how can we see it in the most positive fashion?"

"What are you implying?" Teresa hissed.

"That was very 'unknightly' of you, Camus," Gustav said.

"Are we just going to argue?" a voice asked from behind.

Everyone whipped around. They knew that voice, perhaps too well. It was Shu, the leader in Riou's place, that is, until he came back.

"Well, better late than never," Gustav said.

Camus smiled. "We were just busy arguing, want to join?"

"You're not helping, Camus," Shu said.

"We're getting nowhere," Makai said.

"If only Riou were here," Fitcher said.

"If only…" Teresa sighed wistfully.

A soldier ran in. "Highland is coming up through Banner Village. Radat won't stop an attack, and everyone has fled from there. We need to dispatch an army, but South Window is too unwilling. We need somebody to do it, before it's too late!"

Fitcher held his head in his hands, "Were doomed!" me moaned.