(Disclaimer- Suikoden belongs to Konamiluckily most of the characters belong to methat will have to do for now.)
Kiisan and Falina stood together on the edge, looking out over the rolling lands below. A warm glow of light rose from the city below. The sky was gradually darkening around them. Falina turned her face away from the landscape to smile pleasantly at Kiisan. The young priest raised a hand and pointed at the glowing city. "See, that's the Golden Capital. We finally made it, Falina." Bells. Clanging bells in the distance that tolled mournfully, making the land shudder.
Kiisan awakened and sat up stiffly. Most of his fellow rebels were assembled on the floor of the small house eating breakfast. Mitsu was still asleep beside him, his breath rasping and crackling like someone walking on dead leaves. Yuzumi waved him over to the fire. "Where are there bells up here in the mountains?" he inquired.
"There's a little shrine to the northwest of here. No one takes care of it anymore, but when the wind picks up it blows through the shingles and rings the bells," the housewife explained. Yuzumi had pretty brown hair that fell out from under a green kerchief she wore on her head. The house Mio and Falina had approached belonged to the homely woman and her husband, Nolan, who worked as a guide in the mountains. They had turned out to be very friendly and had opened their home to the rebels to shelter them from the stormy weather without a second thought.
"It really surprised me..." Kiisan mused.
"Excuse me," mumbled Carlos, "But I could not help but overhear...I would like to see this shrine..."
"I can take you there later when the weather clears up," Yuzumi offered pleasantly.
"Okay, Kiisan, you'll come too, won't you?" Carlos asked.
"Uh, sure..." the rebel leader mumbled in response. He shuffled over and sat down beside Sasshalai and Han Li.
"You were really tired..." the boy observed. The corners of Han Li's mouth turned up into a smug smile. Kiisan could not think of anything to say. He nodded vaguely in response.
"We thought it'd be okay to let you sleep late today," Louis Abdul informed Kiisan was a laugh.
Kiisan shook his head and sighed, "Everyone but Mitsu was up before me."
The captain's countenance darkened slightly and he grew serious, "Well, actually, Mitsu's doing a lot worse. It's rough for him out here. I thought it would be cruel to wake him up...he seems better when he's sleeping...the snow's stopped falling out there, but when Yuki and Hai-Yong ventured out to take a look they could tell we won't be making it much further up the path unless you want to shovel snow the whole way up..."
"What about the way back down?" Kiisan inquired anxiously.
"It's worse. Yuki says he could barely figure out what was the path."
"You mean we're cut off?!" the hazel-eyed priest exclaimed.
His eyes downcast, Louis Abdul murmured, "I think so."
Murasaki Fuji no Shita ni Kuni
"The Country Under the Purple Wisteria"
Chapter 43- Snow
Stepping outside to assess the situation, Kiisan could tell that the captain had been entirely serious. All of the trails, the shrubbery, and every other part of the mountainside were frosted with a layer of fresh snow. He could see Sasshalai's warm breath wafting like a thin fog before he could actually see his young friend come to join him.
"Mr. Han says that there's a plant out here that could help Sir Mitsu a little," Sasshalai stated, mimicking Kiisan's action of staring at the snow. Kiisan's eyes, however, had focused on the snow itself, while the boy from Klikk observed each blade of grass, trembling branch, or exposed root protruding from the snow. "I don't see it," he noted, "It must be somewhere else out there."
Kiisan stood silently, feeling the cold seeping into his feet through his boots. A warm breeze blew past from the south, but quickly dissipated. He thought he might have seen something moving out on the snowy path.
"What is it that makes you so strong?"
Startled, the rebel leader turned to look at Sasshalai. The boy straightened the garland of dandelions on his head. They appeared to be less effected by the cold than Kiisan would have expected. "Why are you asking me that, Sassha?"
"Because..." he began strongly, but trailed off somewhat, looking at his cold feet, "...I was contacted by my father...and he asked me that...why do you think that you're strong?"
"I don't think I'm that strong..." Kiisan responded awkwardly, "I mean, it was everyone else that brought me this far. Everyone else always thought that I could do it. Even if in the beginning it was a setup, Turan Magno, Louis Abdul, Han Li, your father...everyone was always telling me that it was my destiny and that I could do it. ...So, I suppose my companions...my friends are my strength."
"Uh, Big Brother, I'm getting r-really c-cold," Sasshalai mumbled, his teeth chattering, "C-can we go inside?"
************
"Fourth day with Nolan and Yuzumi," Mio scribbled in his notebook, "Snow has thinned out somewhat up ahead (not back the way we came), but we don't know how long that will last. Mitsu's condition is bad, but this might be our last chance to make it through. No word from Sanada."
"Are you still writing in that thing?" Hai-Yong asked. He leaned down over the strategist and pulled the notebook from his hands, flipping the pages.
"Stop it! That's private!" Mio squeaked, jumping up and trying to take his notebook back from Hai-Yong. The former Imperial soldier, read some of the passages Mio had written quickly and allowed the smaller man to snatch back the green notebook. Hai-Yong grinned at Mio, whose face was red like a strawberry. The cold itself was enough to make him a little pink, but this injustice was too much. "You are absolutely terrible!" he said, berating Hai-Yong. This did not upset the wavy-haired man in the least.
Falina watched the scene without a word, shaking her head. "I think we're going to have to leave soon or someone will die of boredom," Carlos laughed.
"Who'd think you could be bored in the middle of a revolution?" Louis Abdul muttered with a sigh.
"...And I feel sorry for your nice host and hostess. They've been so accommodating..." Carlos added, "We must be a pain."
"Nothing of the sort," replied a firm voice. Carlos and Falina turned around to see Nolan standing behind them, a fur cap on his head, and his homemade scarf secured tightly around his neck. "I'm going out trailblazing. You wanted to look for a plant, right? This would be the best time."
Falina remembered what Kiisan had mentioned about finding something to make Mitsu feel better; she got up and hurried off to get Kiisan, "Thank you! I'll get Kiisan, that would be a good idea, Mr. Nolan!"
"Come on, Kiisan! Put on your jacket and we can go look for some of that...was it agrimony...?" Falina called, pulling on Kiisan's arm.
"Slow down, Falina, I'm coming, I'm coming..." he responded, pulling on his jacket over his robes.
Nolan smiled at the young revolutionaries as he waited beside the door, "That reminds me of Yuzumi and myself a few years back," he told Louis Abdul and Carlos. The captain threw back his head and laughed while Carlos stifled a giggle.
"Okay then! We're ready to go!" Falina informed Nolan, who picked up his walking stick out of the umbrella stand and headed outside. The dark-haired girl followed with a skip in her step, and Kiisan trailed a few feet behind, glancing over his shoulder back at the house.
While he was distracted a snowball hit him on the side of the head, knocking off his large blue hat, "Hey Kiddo! It'll still be here when you get back!" Hai-Yong, his attacker, called. "Have fun! Be careful, Falina!"
She waved her hand over her head in an exaggerated farewell and Hai-Yong waved back enthusiastically. Kiisan brushed the snow off of his hair and retrieved his hat, running up the slick side trail to catch up with Falina and Nolan.
**********
Juran was not a happy man. He had been doing just fine in the Northern Campaign serving under General Keiichi T'Rumour, but after their force had been sent south to crush the uprising in the state of Serif his luck had taken a sharp turn downward. The combined force of a black-clad demon and two True Runes had decimated his troops, and without the guidance of General T'Rumour he had been at a loss for what to do. The best idea seemed to be going back south to Rupanda to join up with the rest of the military and report what he had seen. After searching for a few days he discovered that his fellow captain, Hai-Yong Pavlen, had been captured by the rebels and he decided that there was nothing more he could do in Serif.
He directed his few remaining soldiers to head south with him. For a few weeks he had proceeded south, but one day the troops observed that their captain's path had taken an eastern turn. When it was pointed out to him, Juran was adamant that he was going the right way. If you did not follow his lead you would be branded a traitor. His troops grudgingly followed his lead. No one could complain to him, but each of the Imperial soldiers knew that Captain Juran had no sense of direction.
He had finally managed to make it into the mountains, hoping that once in the Dunan Lake States the remaining Imperial leaders there would be able to give him some aid, and perhaps some aid for such good work at bringing the troops back. It had taken him months to get here, and the truth of the matter was that, having heard nothing of him since the siege of Serif City, Captain Juran had been assumed dead by his superiors.
"Onward men!" Juran commanded, pointing forward towards some tall rocks rising out of the snow. "We're headed downhill now! Not much longer until we'll be received by our waiting comrades!" His words stirred little enthusiasm. That was not the first time his men had heard that speech.
**********
The cold made Kiisan somewhat less than thrilled to be walking around outside, but Falina's enjoyment of the outdoors seemed untouched by the low temperature. Nolan had continued off on the right fork with his shovel to clear some snow from the path and hack down a few troublesome branches. There was more greenery on this part of the trail. It appeared to have been sheltered somewhat from the snow by some tall rocks that jutted up out of the snow like the Cyndar ruins they had seen in the fields. Falina knelt down to examine some leaves, "Kiisan, look at this!" She pulled Han Li's smudged sketch out of her pocket and compared it to the plant; "I think this is it! How much do you think we need?"
"I don't know...we didn't get very specific instructions..."
**********
Juran was struck dumb by what he saw. The leader of the rebels and one of his companions, crouched down to examine a plant. His men stopped and looked at him strangely. "It's them..."
"Captain, what are you talking about?"
He rubbed his eyes to make sure it wasn't just a dream. The priest and brightly-clad girl were still in front of him. "It-it's them. Comrades, they are the reason that we've been lost out here all these months..."
His soldiers crowded quietly around the rocks, to get a better look. A crow passing overhead cawed loudly. The sudden call made Juran nearly jump. He was growing tense. What should be their next action? A surge of patriotism spurred him on. Juran drew his rapier and waved it over his head, "Fire!"
**********
A volley of arrows. They flashed by like deadly wasps. Kiisan could not think for a moment. One had gone through the corner of his hat, frightening him, but leaving him unharmed. He started to breathe a sigh of relief. And then something came to his mind: Falina! There was a green-fletched arrow protruding from her chest. Her face was pale, her emerald eyes wide. His eyes focused on the blood. "Kiisan..." she murmured weakly.
It was as if he was taken over by an uncontrollable force. The Circle Rune shone on his hand. Its shape seemed to twist and bend. It was gold, yellow, purple, blue, white, constantly changing. He had never seen this before. The words of a spell came to him in a language he did not understand. The rune flashed a blinding light, piercing his attackers. Captain Juran cowered behind the rocks as his men fell around him.
The light subsided. Kiisan felt strange. He dropped to his knees beside Falina. She smiled through clenched teeth. Juran stood up slowly and looked at the two revolutionaries. Kiisan could feel tears welling up in his eyes. "Don't just stand there!" he yelled at Juran, "Go down the trail! Get Nolan! Get Han Li! Get us help!" Juran's trance was broken, the Imperial soldier did not know what force compelled him to follow the rebel's order, but he did not question it. He stumbled off running through the snow in the direction Kiisan had gestured to.
Once again it was quiet. Kiisan took Falina's hands in his. "Don't worry Falina! It'll be okay!" he told her, feeling not assured, but desperate. She had to live. If Falina died... He could not even begin to imagine it.
A tear ran down his cheek. After he started crying it was impossible to stop, and Kiisan began to sob. His hands were shaking. Falina's chest trembled with each breath. The blood had not stopped.
"Hey, Kiisan," she began, "I have some wisteria seeds Hai-Yong gave me back in my bag. Do you think you could make sure they get planted back home?"
"Yes! Of course, Falina! We can go back together!"
She smiled again, this time more peacefully, slowly closing her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek, "It would be nice to go home with you Kiisan...back to our village...to peaceful times..."
He nodded hard and squeezed Falina's hands.
"It has been fun, you know, to go places with you...and meet so many people, but it scares me...to see you change...and to go to battle...I never really wanted to...I just wanted to be happy...with you, Kiisan..."
"Yeah, me too, Falina..." he replied earnestly.
He closed his eyes tight for a moment, blinking away tears. "You know, Falina, I always really l-"
Kiisan could not longer see Falina's breath shake her small frame. Her hands were limp in his.