Highland Rebellion
Author's note: No Futch, Millie, Koyu, Yuzu etc this time around, but next chapter will be all about their adventures in Tinto!
Disclaimer: I don't own Suikoden, Suikoden II, or any of their characters, period.
Even if you kill me and defeat Highland,
you won't have peace!!!! You'll have a
defeated country screaming for our vengeance!!
It had all been so long ago… so very long ago. That annoying Riou kid, and that spineless Atreides. Those two had plotted against him. They dared to try to match the great Luca Blight…
And they thought they had succeeded.
"Ha ha ha!" Luca laughed.
Faking a death wasn't too hard. After his dramatic speech, they all believed him dead… the fools.
After the Atreides boy's betrayal, he left to the south. Those loyal to him, truly loyal would go south eventually. Harmonia would shun the Highland losers, for Highland would lose without his guidance. That fool, Jowy Atreides, believing himself better than the great Luca Blight! Luca would have finished off the Jowston resistance once and for all, that very night, except for those boys' plan. Luca could almost laugh except for the blood boiling in his veins, with anger at what happened.
He had found Rowd in the Southlands of Kanakan, and that Leon Silverburg, but he was easily taken care of. Luca didn't really kill the old man, but left him with enough of a warning to keep him from doing anything against Luca again. But there was always those other two traitors. Kiba and Klaus Windamier were always more loyal to Agares than himself, and they were easily taken care of. Recently, Luca had heard that the senior Windamier was dead, but Kiba wasn't that easily done away with. Then there was that Shu. Mathiu's pupil was a genius, and if he had taken that Klaus under his wing, Luca would have no strategist, and Jowston, two. However, who needed a strategist with Luca Blight?
Luca was the genius who hired the Blink Mages in the south. It was a cinch to use the magical energies being channeled from Magicians' Island to teleport there. Then it was a quick teleport to the south into Gregminster. After his remaining White Wolves had thoroughly captured Gregminster, Lenankamp, the Fortress of Kwaba, and surrounding villages, Luca left Rowd in charge of Gregminster. Sure, it wasn't the best decision, but Rowd was loyal, if only because Luca was stronger than he was. After Gregminster's conquest, Luca moved to northern Moravia, Scarleticia to the south of that, Lorimar fell after that, but Luca went east across Garan and the area around Pannu Yakuta fell, mainly due to uneasy alliances between Elves, Dwarves, and Kobolds. That part was almost like the city-state, turning allies on each other. All that remained was the Warriors' Village, Qlon Temple, Pannu Yakuta itself, and the Dragon Knight Fortress.
He had also conquered the ninja hamlet, Rokkaku. That had been accidental more than anything. Some scouts that strayed from Moravia had found the small hamlet in a hidden part of the forest. It was only a simple matter of using some fire and rage runes, before the forest went up in flames, along with quite a few ninjas. That caused them to surrender.
Luca had conquered Toran in a week, it taken Barbarossa a year. Luca truly was the best.
* * * * * * * *
"I don't know about this," Kanak said.
"Relax," Anji said. "Compared to fighting in the Gate Rune Wars, this'll be a cinch!"
"My sentiments fall with Kanak," Leonardo said.
"Are you pirates or landlubbers?" Anji asked.
"Technically, we're no longer pirates," Leonardo said.
"Plus, Gregminster got those really big walls, and its got a huge garrison," Kanak said. "How do we three sneak in?"
"Easy", said Anji. "We're still tough, even if we aren't pirates!" He pointed his Demon Army Spear at Gregminster's walls. "Tonight, me hearties, the Golden Capital be our target! Harharhar!"
"Talk normally, that's just freaky," Kanak said, sullenly following Anji.
And with that, the three tried to penetrate the Highland defenses.
* * * * * * *
"Umm… may I come in?" Fitcher asked. He knocked on the door again.
"Come in," a feminine voice called out.
"Why me," Fitcher moaned as he walked in.
"So what business do you have… Fitcher?"
"Ah… Hi Yoshino," Fitcher said.
"You must be here to see Freed," Yoshino hurried off.
Fitcher began to whistle idly while waiting. He could still remember what had happened at the meeting…
"We need somebody to unite South Window," Shu said.
"Yes, but not many heroes remain in South Window, most were killed along with Granmeyer in its capture by Highland," Teresa said.
"Who needs South Window, they turned their tails and ran anyway," Gustav said.
"And you hid away from Highland instead of helping out Jowston," Camus said.
"Like you were much better, with Gorudo practically siding with Highland!" Gustav said.
"People, may we stop arguing," Shu asked, rather irritated.
"Yes, let's please work together," Fitcher said.
"There is one person left: Freed Yamamoto," Shu said.
"Yeah but he's retired," Teresa said.
"I think that we can convince him otherwise- with the right words of course," Shu said.
Fitcher gulped as Shu's eyes landed on him.
And that's how he wound up here, in Radat.
"Greetings," Freed said.
Fitcher jumped. "Oh… ur, hi."
"What brings you here?" Freed asked.
"Well, you see, South Window is about to be attacked by Highland and we need somebody to lead them and-"
"No!" Freed interrupted. "When I said I was retiring, I meant it! I want to live out the rest of my days with Yoshino, and never worry about war again."
"Live out your days under Highland rule, eh?" Fitcher said.
"You can find someone else to do it," Freed snapped.
"Quite the contrary," Fitcher said. "In fact, you're the only one left. No one we could find could inspire the people of South Window as much as you, Freed. With no mayor of South Window, the people have followed Muse more than anything, instead of having their own voice. However, what Muse needs, and what South Window needs are two different things entirely. You can give them their voice back and allow South Window to become the great state it once was. If you don't, you will see bloodshed and murder, war and occupation, all by Highland. South Window will go meekly and live forever as a holding of Highland. If you don't unite the people, Highland will, with bloodshed and war as their tamers. The people of South Window would be beaten and bloodied under the harsh iron rod of Highland Rule. No longer would they live freely, but under the whip of Highland, eternally scourged for their mere existence. Do you want that Freed? Is your peaceful life now that important for later? Would you like to raise children who know only the yoke of Highland oppression? Is that what you truly want?"
Freed sat there, in silence.
"But Yoshino and I…"
"Freed," Yoshino said. "Do you really think I am that stupid? I know that you are more important to South Window than to me right now. I do not mind if you leave, you are doing it for our country, and our future children, and other's children, and everyone in South Window. Fitcher is right; if you don't do it, nobody will. Good luck my husband, and return safely to me… again."
Fitcher quietly got up and left, as the two embraced. Freed may not have liked it, but he was now being pulled back into a new war with Highland, whether he liked it or not. But now Freed would have a big job ahead of him: inspiring South Window.
Fitcher was just glad he was mayor of Muse, and not South Window.