Suikoden: War of the Runes. Prologue.

I will place someplace where u can post your thoughts and such.

Twilight……. The passing of a new day or the death of ones dreams and hopes? Fate is a cruel thing. It takes us, wraps us around in it's matrix of random designs to which we are powerless to do anything about it. Why are we humans such feeble creatures? No, not just us humans, all things must bend to the wheels of fate. Even those strong souls have carried insurmountable burdens on their shoulders and have sought to change the course of the world, was it really……of their own will? Not long has passed since the wheels of fate have slowed to a slow plodding pace. However, something disturbing is in the air. Like a stone that has been thrown into a lake that seems only to make ripples at first but will in the end become a violent tidal wave that will devour everything in its path. Is this the circle of life? Why must I stand by and watch, not able to do anything while everyone else is swept up in it? Is this my duty? Is this the reason why I have this power? Is it? If it is………then why?

Vinay del Zexay

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND HIM!"

The Head of Military Assignment bellowed. The meek sergeant instantly jump and hid behind one of the big leather chairs that were placed in front of his desk. The Military Assignment office was not too shabby of an office. It was on the second floor of the newly establish Vinay del Zexay Military Headquarters that was conveniently located on the far east end of the port town. Ever since the Merchants Guild was found out how they abused their military power, it was decided that the military be located in order to clear its name in the minds of the towns people. With Salome Harras taken over as head of the Zexen Knights, the knights have become famous for their duty and heroics throughout the land. Chris Lightfellow, field leader of the knights has more the done enough to cement her place in the hall of legacy. Everything has changed since the Second Firebringer War, even though it was only a mere 15 years pasted. Many people wonder in awe of how Chris was still able to lead men in battle without aging, but only a few new the secret of the rune that she still held in her possession. The Six Mighty Zexen Knights where still the talk of the military, however there had been a change in their ranks. Leo Gallen had given up his position two years ago, and that vacancy has just now been occupied

"S-i-i-i-r-r, please calm down," the sergeant stuttered.

Sergeant Collins had just been reassigned from Brass Castle to HQ, and she was still getting used to the loud and hot-headed Captain. The Captain full name was Mark Louis Weatherton, and he hated his job as the Head of Military Assignment. He always wanted to get promoted, but he wanted to be promoted in the field, not stuck behind some desk pushing paperwork. Because of this, he usually took it out on his subordinates.

"HOW HARD IS TO FIND ONE KNIGHT! IT'T NOT EVEN AS THOUGH HE IS HARD TO FIND! HE IS THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE SIX KNIGHTS OF ZEXEN!"

The Captain was visibly anger and his mustache was twitching underneath his nose. Collins stuck her head out from around the chair,

"Si-i-r, you vein is showing on your forehead again."

"FIND HIMMMMMM!"

The sergeant bolted from the room leaving Weatherton steaming at his desk. He was like that for a few more minutes before he plopped back down into his chair.

"Youths these days." He muttered under his breath. "You would think that being given the honor of being name to the Six Mighty Zexen Knights would be an honor, but yet you can't even find him to fill out the paper work!" He shook his head. "I wonder what Salome and Chris see in this young man."

He reached down and pulled out a file. It read "Garrison Kevth." It read that he was born in Iksay village which was not far from the city, but other then that much of the history had been left out. He closed the folder and put it back in the stack.

"Must have been recommended by Percival. Iksay is his birthplace as well."

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes…….

Elsewhere in the city………………………………………

"Hmmmmmm, which one do I like? I think you should let me try again!"

The young man, dressed in full armor, was standing in front of a fruit stand down in front of the port. The young boy behind the stand, who couldn't be any older then ten, let a huge bead of sweat appear on his head.

"Sir you have tried all three of our specials four times a piece." He sighed and put his head in his hand. "Do you really even intend on buying anything?"

The young solider laughed.

"I might, I might. You can't rush good taste you know. It is something that you get with age."

The boy sighed again.

"You aren't even old enough to drink yet are you?" the boy said to no one in particular.

The solider wasn't even paying attention to him, as he was already picking out which one of the specials that he was going to try next. He was so absorbed in that activity that he wasn't even paying attention to the sergeant calling his name.

"Sir Garrison! Sir Garrison!" Sergeant Collins was calling as she was running down the middle of the sidewalk. She had at first attempted to wave at him from afar, but alas and alack that didn't get his attention. Now that she saw the activity that had preoccupied him from filling out his paper work, all of saddened she sympathized with her captain. She walked up to the unsuspecting solider, took a deep breath and……………………………………..

"SIR GARRISON!"

"Oh?"

Garrison turned around wide-eyed and stared blankly at Collins for a couple of seconds. The all of a sudden he smiled and laughed.

"Sergeant, if you wanted my attention all you had to do was tap me. Don't you think all of that yelling was uncalled?"

Both the Sergeant and the young boy face-dropped. The young lad pulled himself back up to his fruit stand. "Who is this guy and where did they find him?" he muttered. He looked up and saw the sergeant's eye start to twitch. All of a sudden she reached up and grabbed the soldier's ear.

"Listen, I know that you just got promoted to the Six Knights, but I am not going to have the Captain yelling at me because instead of you filling out your paperwork, you are down HERE EATING FRUIT SAMPLES!"

"Without paying for them at that…" the little boy meekly pointed out.

Garrison looked surprised for a second then let out a hearty laughed, both to the boy's and the sergeant's surprise. Suddenly and again to his surprise the young boy found himself hanging onto Collin's legs holding her back from trying to wring Garrison's neck.

"You are right sergeant. I am sorry about neglecting my duties. It's just hard to concentrate when you have all this good and fresh food to eat.

He reached into his hip sack and produced a small bag of coins and handed them over to the boy.

"Here's pay for the samples that I took and a little extra for being such a good little salesman."

The boy looked at the sack in amazement and with even more after he opened it and saw that it was double the price of fruit that Garrison took. Seeing this, Collin's faces soften up a bit. Nodding to the young man she started walking away from the booth with Garrison.

"Thank you, Sir!" The young boy exclaimed happily.

Garrison waved back to the lad as he and Collins vanished into the crowd of customers. It was a little after midday in Vinay del Zexay, so the streets were cluttered with people just getting off their lunch break and shopping for the materials to make dinner later on. The sun was just over head and was shining down on the city as it was nearing the end of the fall season and winter would be coming in shortly. The two had been walking for a short while when the sergeant broke the silence.

"Garrison sir, please don't tell the Captain about what happened back there. I-I- stepped out of line and…….

"Don't worry about it sergeant!" Garrison responded with a laugh.

"But-but, I was out of line. Even though I am older then you, you are the newest member of the Six Knights. I shouldn't have…."

She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder and she tensed up. She looked at the young man and he was smiling gently back at her.

"You were just doing your job. And if I do say so myself, you were doing it a lot better of it then I was doing mine." He paused. "Besides, that's the reason that you were assigned here in the first place. You were always good at staying on task and we need people like you to help keep people focused around here."

"Thank you, sir." Collins said.

They continued walking for a minute and eventually they ended up back at HQ. They proceeded up the stairs without incident and soon were standing in front of the Captains office door. It was still open from when Collins ran out before. Garrison chuckled.

"Didn't have enough time to close it I see."

"It was your fault. He was yelling at me."

"Sorry, sorry."

Garrison stuck his head through the door and saw the Captain in his chair with his face to the ceiling. He sweat dropped.

"What is the Captain doing?" he asked Collins

She poked her head in as well. She took a huge breath and let out a surrendering sigh.

"He's sleep again."

Her and Garrison left there places and entered the room. Garrison took a seat in chair in front of the desk and put on his happy face. Collins went over to the sleeping captain and looked back at Garrison for the ok. Saying his facial reaction she shook her head and took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing," she muttered as she nudged the captain ever so slightly.

That nudge was all it took. Weatherton was out of his seat and was pointing at the wide open door.

"COLLINS! WHERE IS THAT KNIG—"

He was interrupted when his vision caught a hand raised in the air. His eyes followed the hand to the arm and the arm to the body and the body to a smiling face. The mustache twitched. He fell back into his seat.

"I am glad that you finally decided to take a break from your busy schedule to come to little old HQ, Garrison." The Captain sneered.

"Oh no problem" Garrison said with a wave of his hand. "I always try to make time for you Captain Weatherton." He smiled. The Captain's face was now a visible red. Collins started to inch away from her captain ever so slightly. Weatherton started to rise from his seat very, very slowly.

"Ah, temper, temper now Captain. That's why you were assigned here in the first place." Came a nonchalant force from the hall. Garrison turned around to see who was speaking. Standing in the doorway were two of the Mighty Zexen Knights, Borus Redrum and Percival Fraulein. "Any angrier and you might challenge Borus here for most hot-headed person in the knights."

The captain in the midst of two of the legendary Knights quickly regained his composure and sat back down.

"Ah, yes you are right. I am sorry that I lost my temper. What can I do for you?"

Perival laughed. "Oh nothing much. We just came to see if we could take Garrison off your hands for a little bit if that's ok with you."

Weatherton had to force himself not to yell with joy and thank them for taking the knight away from him.

"As much as I would like to grant you that which, Sir, Sir Garrison still has some paperwork that he needs to fill out."

"It has already been taken care of" Borus responded as he approached the desk and handed Weatherton a wrapped up scroll of paper.

"Weatherton took it and looked at it in surprised. "This is…"

"Yes," Borus continued for him. "It is the official documentation of promotion into the Six Mighty Knights of Zexen for our dear friend Garrison here. He was one in name, but now he is officially one. And since that has happened, please learn how to respect your superiors or else you will never get out of this job." Borus said the last part with a smirk, leaving Weatherton flustered and embarrassed.

"Now, that that is taken care of, Garrison, would you come with us?" Borus asked as he walked back to Perival.

"Yes," Garrison replied as he got out of his seat. Smiling, he turned to Weatherton. "Sorry my visit couldn't be longer. I heard that you really wanted to see me." Weatherton just looked at him with a hard look of hatred on his face.

That made Garrison smile even bigger. "Anyway, see you around Captain. Try not to be so hard of the sergeant. She is one of the best." Collins started to blush at the compliment. The three knights left the office as the captain's head hit the desk with a thud and he started crying.

The three knights walked up another flight of stairs to the third floor. Garrison walked slightly behind Perival and Borus.

"So this is your first time meeting Chris isn't it?" Perival asked without turning around.

"Umm…yeah." Garrison replied.

"She's not that bad." Perival laughed. "No need to be that nervous. I am sure she won't bite you head off this soon. She will at least give you a full day." Borus chuckled along with him.

They approached two large wooded doors that had the symbol of the Knights on them. Perival knocked on them.

"Come in." A light feminine voice came from with it.

Perival pushed open both of the doors and the three night walked in. The office was huge. It seemed as though it could be anything floor itself. It was carpeted and had paintings and other artifacts all through out. Garrison let his eyes wonder around the room for a bit until his eyes landed directly in front of him. There was a huge desk in the middle of the floor. Leaning in front of that desk was a young woman that looked to be no older then in her mid-twenties. She had long silver hair and crystal blue eyes. Her skin had no blemishes on it what so ever. She smiled at them.

"Greetings Garrison Kevth. In case you are wondering. I am Chris Lightfellow."

Outside the gates of the city…..

So this is VinayDel Zexay. The man thought. Not bad though I am a little disappointed. However this is the biggest city in this region and it is the best place to look for some answers.

As he walked towards the gates, the guards looked at him suspiciously.

"Welcome to Vinay Del Zexay. All are welcome, however, do not cause any trouble."

The man nodded his head and entered the city. The guards eyied him as he left their view.

"This might be trouble." One of them said.

"Yeah," the other one nodded. "Did you see the looked?"

"Did you see the way he dressed? All black with a red hat and cape."

"And his skin." The guard shuddered. "Was that even human?"

"I don't know, but don't worry. Chris Lightfellow is here in the city. We don't have anything to worry about."

"Yeah"

End of prologue