Chapter 25: War
Rose made sure she was the last one to leave Marlind as she watched all the other townsfolk leave. They headed to the Griflet Bridge where everyone was stopped. She pushed through the crowd to the front where Lucas was and the crowd was stopped by some of Hyland's soldiers.
"What's going on?" Rose asked.
"Well we got stopped because these guys were looking for you." Said Lucas. A man decked out in medals with his hair slicked back and a scar down one eye keeping it permanently closed rode up on a black horse similarly decorated.
"I am General Landon of the Hyland army is the Shepherd with you?" He demanded. Rose stepped forward.
"What do you want?" She asked.
"Hm. You huh?" He said.
"Does your audience with the Shepherd require so many troops Landon?" Lucas asked.
"You're that sell-sword Lucas of the … Shrub boys-?" Landon started.
"Yo they're fucking men." Interrupted Rose.
"Whatever." Said Landon. "In any case I have word on Captain Sergei." He signaled a soldier to come forward. The soldier took out a paper and read from it,
"On suspicion of drug allegations and for the mass prison break taking place about a week ago as well as being involved with the attempted assassination on Lord Bartlow conducted by his brother, Boris, Captain Sergei Strelka has been detained until further notice."
"Well this stinks to high heaven." Said Edna.
"Yeah, no kidding." Said Dezel.
"How the fu-?" Rose started before catching herself. "That's bullshit! There are eye witnesses in the chamber, Boris attacked on his own accord with Sergei not being involved! He tried to stop Boris but he pushed him aside and I ended up blocking his blade!" The soldier jumped back out of shock.
"That still leaves for the prison break and his possible drug allegations." Said Landon. "This isn't an arrest but an interrogation to see if he's been hiding any powder."
"Which is also stupid he's a soldier, I don't think it's allowed for soldier to be doped up on powder plus where the fuck would he hide that anyway?" Rose argued. "The barracks are full of people constantly watching. Plus if he tried to perform a prison break I don't think any of the prisoners would comply as he arrested half of them!"
"Will you stop being so argumentative for two seconds?" Landon snapped. "Regardless on how innocent you feel he is, charges are charges. We'll be willing to let him go if you use your power to lend victory to our troops."
"Wouldn't you be more efficient if you just stripped Sergei, throw him into the middle of the battlefield and release Boris on your enemy? I bet with his rage and the fact that the guys just lost their father would have him you would win very easily just through Boris's sheer anger about his brother being in trouble!" Rose argued.
"Oh my god …" Landon groaned. "Shepherd. This doesn't just apply to Sergei but it applies to you as well. About a week ago you were seen acting rather suspiciously around the time of the major prison break. Plus in town you were seen with a known local powder synthesizer and dealer. Bring her forward." Two soldiers walked up with a struggling Mary Jane both of them holding her hands behind her back.
"Let go of me!" She hissed glaring at both of the soldiers.
"Shit." Rose muttered.
"Here's the deal. The arrest doesn't just apply to Sergei but it also applies to you as well." Said Landon. "If you were to come with us, and fight with us, all of your allegations will be dropped and she goes free."
"What happens if I refuse?" Rose asked.
"She'll die, Sergei will likely be asked to leave the military, and you'll be branded as an enemy of the state." Stated Landon.
"That son of a bitch." Growled Dezel.
"We're gonna have to do as he says." Said Edna. "Even if you end up unaffected by Sergei losing his job if Mary Jane ends up dying because of your prison stunt and merely being associated with you …"
"Then she'll end up likely either blaming herself or lashing out in revenge against Hyland. And a Shepherd like Rose will succumb to malevolence … or will just get killed." Said Mikleo.
"That's correct Meebo. If she is corrupted by Malevolence the world will go to ruin faster than any war can accomplish. Or we're gonna be stuck looking for another Shepherd which is a different problem because there are very few people with resonance on par with her creating a different set of problems." Said Edna closing her umbrella.
"Fuck …" Dezel muttered. "Let's get this over with."
"If I fight with you will you let Mary Jane go, and release any and all suspicion Sergei and I have concerning about the prison break and other drug related charges?" Rose asked.
"If we have victory then yes." Said Landon.
"No strings attached?"
"No strings attached."
"And I'll be allowed to travel outside of Hyland?"
"Your death wish but be my guest."
"And they come too?" Rose asked pointing over to Lucas, he gave her a smirk.
"Sure." He scoffed.
"Hey don't give us that! We sell swords do this for a fucking living and have built up too much pride in the sheer amount of battles we've been in to just turn tail it and run." Said Lucas.
"But keep in mind that I'm in charge here." He said he turned his horse around. "I look forward to seeing you on the battle field Shepherd." He then rode away. The other soldiers walked away too. Rose gritted her teeth and gives the leaving soldiers a double duce.
"Hey cheer up, with the woodsmen around you wouldn't have to lift a finger." Said Lucas.
"Too late. I'm already lifting two." Said Rose.
"Besides those." Said Lucas. While close by Muse turns to Sorey just as Lucas was ordering his men to prepare for battle.
"Keep an eye on her, interfere if necessary." She said.
"Yes mam." Sorey replied then blending back into the crowd. Rose then walked up to her.
"Lady Rose!" She heard Neif nearby say. "We heard about Captain Sergei."
"Don't worry it'll be okay … probably." Said Rose.
"Oh don't be so gung ho about it!" Said a civilian. "They'll probably use you for all you're worth and still fire Sergei."
"Not to mention that they'll likely kill your … friend." Said Muse. "Due to very strict drug policies."
"Any suggestions besides sitting the war out as I'll be branded as an enemy of the state if I do that?" Rose asked.
"Well we can't do anything for you but Sergei and Boris on the other hand, we can petition for their release and request Sergei to not be fired." Said Eguille.
"That's right." Said Neif. "The council can't ignore so many people's voices, so please don't give up hope Gentle Shepherd."
"And as for your … friend, I know someone that might be able to pull some strings to get her free." Said Muse.
"Thanks." Said Rose.
"Come back safely you hear?" She heard another civilian say.
"We'll be waiting for return!" Said another civilian as Rose walked ahead with Lucas towards the battle field.
"Don't go all gung ho about this, like they said." Said Edna.
"She won't." Said Dezel. "She has us to keep her in check."
It takes a day to get to Glaivend Basin and once there she headed towards the war camp. She entered General Landon's camp.
"Sir we are getting reports that Rolance has developed a new weapon." She hears a soldier say.
"You can't be serious." Said Landon.
"Unfortunately I am sir." The soldier replied. "The people who have seen it say it's long and thin, runs on explosive powder and shoots small pellets farther than any arrow can."
"Hm … strange what they're talking about sound like modified versions of Lailah's Sigfreid." Said Mikleo.
"You think Lailah is distributing weapons?" Rose muttered.
"Are you nuts? Lailah hates Sigfreid and wants it destroyed! I've been with her for a while and she certainly didn't spend that time making modified versions of a weapon that mind you she doesn't like." Said Dezel. "Plus where the hell would she get the resources for something like Sigfreid, and how the hell would she know how to build it?"
"All right fine, I'll back off about Lailah." Said Rose.
"Whether or not Lailah has anything to do with this it's still strange that someone has figured out enough about Sigfreid to develop something similar." Said Mikleo. "We're gonna have to get behind enemy lines, take one of those weapons and investigate it for ourselves." Rose coughed to get their attention.
"Ah Shepherd." Said Landon. "You came."
"Not like I had much of a choice." Said Rose. "What about Lucas?"
"He's leading an ambush on the right flank." Said Landon. "I'm expecting you to lead a charge on the front line."
"You know I overheard you talking about a specific weapon Rolance has, I think I would be more effective dealing with those than the front lines." Said Rose.
"And what, pray tell, makes you say that?" Landon asked.
"I've been around something similar and I know how to take them out." Said Rose, half lying.
"And how do you do that?" Landon asked.
"Well it requires the Shepherd's power." Said Rose.
"You're pulling my leg." Said Landon. "You're just saying that so you don't have to go to the front lines."
"I'm dead serious general. These are ancient powerful weapons said to be made by the gods themselves. If any ordinary man tries to go up against these weapons its instant death." She lied.
"General she's telling the truth about the deaths. Our men that have been hit by these pellets they died just like that." Said the soldier snapping to emphasize her point.
"Tch. If you can stop these weapons then fine, go, take care of them!" He ordered.
"Thank you." Said Rose leaving the tent.
"Nice, I was worried when you were describing the weapon but you managed to pull through." Said Dezel as they then walked out of the camp.
"Right now we need a good vantage point to try to find these weapons and the people using them." Said Rose. "I think one of these bluffs would look good."
"Need my help getting up there?" Dezel asked.
"That would be nice." Said Rose.
"Sure just fly on up there. Subtle." Said Edna. Rose looked around for a corner where she could hide in then armatize.
"Lukein Yurlin." She muttered to herself. And in her armatized form she jumped into the air with Dezel's help with boosting her to get to the top of the bluff. She then crouched down to make sure no one saw her. The seraphim but Dezel got out of her body. "You guys, except Dezel, notice anything out of the orninary?"
"You knew he was going to say something like 'no' or be totally sarcastic if you didn't exclude him didn't you?" Edna asked.
"He did that frequently when we were kids." Said Rose.
"And I can hear you." Said Dezel.
"Okay that aside I'm seeing little specs that are on higher ground and a little bit out of the way on the battle field." Said Mikleo. Rose squinted and scanned the area.
"Yeah I see them." She then saw a flicker from one of them. "Oh that must be them all right."
"My question is why hasn't anyone tried going up to them. No archers or anyone has tried to shoot in their general direction." Edna pointed out.
"I suspect that it has something to do with the ground forces being distracted by the chaos of the battle field." Said Mikleo.
"Let's go. We're heading down to them." Said Rose. The seraphim went back into her body and in her armatized form she jumped off the bluff and glided towards the nearest speck with the wind behind her speeding up her descent. As she got closer she could see more and more details of the spec until she saw a Rolance soldier in their normal uniform but they lacked the armor as well as a helmet. She could see the soldier's chin length dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. In fact he was dressed in lighter attire convenient for moving around and she got a closer look at the weapon. It was more or less a larger version of Sigfreid except was composed of a long metal barrel with a rod attached to the bottom and didn't look quite as boxy as Sigfreid did.
"What the fu-!" The soldier started when Rose landed in front of him and proceeded to knock the weapon out of his hands. He fell back. He then scrambled for the weapon, Rose saw this and transformed into the Earth Armatus and ran over to it. She took the gun barrel and crushed it with her gauntlet, which to the soldier she just crushed it with her bare hands. "Fuck." He said. "Fuck! … Fuck!" He then scrambled up and booked it saying "Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck" as he ran. Rose just awkwardly stood there as he left.
"Rose …" Said Dezel.
"You sure you're just gonna let him go?" Edna asked.
"I'm hoping that they don't have spares and the ones they have are what they have." Said Rose. "C'mon we have more of them to stop." She and the seraphim ran to the closest one to the one destroyed a man that caught sight of her rather early on and shot the first bullet at her but she turned on the Earth armatus and raised a pillar of rock blocking it then lowered it just as quickly and rushed towards the man just as he was scrambling to reload his weapon she then had another pillar of pop up right under the weapon causing it to bend upwards and when the soldier pulled the trigger it exploded on him blowing off an arm as well as part of his torso he spat up several pints of blood then died collapsing and bleeding out at Rose's feet. Rose froze and gritted her teeth. "Shit!" She muttered. She shook her head to the one that was the next closest and she did something similar causing the weapon to kill the wielder. She went to the next one and used the wind armatus this time. The original plan was to just use the force of the wind to knock the weapon out of the soldier's hands but instead she forced him off a cliff which ended in him cracking his skull open on a rock below. And with the next one she caused a similar blowback as bending back the barrel did killing the soldier. After that she dearmatized. "God what am I doing?" She said to herself.
"Those were accidents Rose, they sometimes happen." Said Dezel.
"Well that but what the hell am I honestly contributing to all this?" Rose asked. "Cuz right now I'm acting as a disposable pawn in this stupid war! All for trying to collect a stupid weapon on my end!"
"Well this place is a malevolence breeding pit." Said Edna rather bluntly. "Even if you think this is all pointless, remember you're not here by choice. You're here because you broke a bunch of people out of jail and made friends with an old drug dealer."
"She's right. We can't see it now but we can feel it." Said Mikleo. "With each passing moment it's getting harder to breathe.
"Yeah I know…" Said Rose through her teeth. "I just feel like … just ass for those accidents. I just wanted to grab one of those weapons so we can investigate it and get this over with."
"I know." Said Dezel, "We know, please just hold out a little longer, okay?" Rose inhaled.
"Fine. I'll try not to let those accidents affect me." She said. She then continued with the next one who was a woman with very short black hair grey eyes and nasty scars over her right eye more prepared than the other five as she immediately shot at Rose who blocked the bullet using the earth armatus.
"Well shit." The woman muttered as Rose ran towards her with a knife in hand. The woman tried to take a stab at her with the weapon.
"Ack! Shit! She has a knife tied to that!" She muttered as she got out of the way. The woman tried to stab Rose again but she dodged it. "Hey can you stop trying to stab me and give me your weapon?"
"Why should I do that Shepherd?" The woman asked.
"I honestly just need to investigate it and I'd appreciate one that I didn't accidentally break." Said Rose.
"Why didn't you ask with the other snipers?" She asks.
"I was hoping to just grab it and force it away from them. I didn't intend to kill most of them!" Rose replied.
"Uh huh." Said the woman. Then a white paper packet and small metal ball. "You have thirty seconds to tell me why I shouldn't shoot your brains out for killing my comrades. Go."
"Uh. Uh… I didn't kill that one guy or you yet that's gotta count for something right? Fuck! I'm only doing this to save a friend's life!" Rose panicked as she dumped black powder down the barrel followed by the ball then jammed it in with the rod.
"Time's up." She said taking aim at Rose's head.
"Mikleo! Stop it!" Dezel shouted.
"Isn't it strange that we've been relying on Meebo a lot lately?" Edna asked.
"Twin flow!" Mikleo shouted. Shooting a small water stream straight into the barrel. The woman pulled the trigger and … "Click."
"What the …" She muttered. As she tried pulling the trigger again, and another click came. She did it a few more times before looking up to Rose. "What did you do?"
"I …" Rose started looking back to Mikleo then back to the woman "I'm not quite sure myself." She replied. "Look I'm dead serious I'm not killing people because I want to."
"Welcome to war sweetheart. No one want to kill people here they just have to." Said the woman untying the rag that held the knife to her weapon.
"No I mean I'm technically not supposed to be here and I was blacked mailed into joining Hyland's army." Said Rose. The woman gave her a confused look. "I broke people out of jail and made friends with a powder dealer. And a friend of mine in the army got hauled in for questioning because of it and will lose his job and that mentioned drug dealer will die if I don't comply. Also I'll be branded as an enemy of the state if I don't do as they say." She shook her head.
"You are either noble or just really stupid." The woman said.
"I'm not gonna argue with that mostly because no one else has told me that I'm either blank or stupid. They just say I'm stupid." Said Rose. The woman stared at her for a while then gave a very, very, long sigh. She took up the weapon and looked through the spy glass also tied to it.
"How about this. You stop the sniper that's going to help slaughter the just failed ambush on the right flank, without killing him, I'll give you my rifle, kill him and I'll kill you." She said.
"What? The ambush failed?" Rose exclaimed. She untied the spyglass and gave it to Rose. She looked through and saw a group of mercenaries and Hyland soldiers fighting off a small part of Rolance's army. She then looked over to see a sniper perched on a nearby cliff. "Shit. Fine I'll do it!" She snapped giving the spyglass back to the woman then running towards the sniper. When she got closer she started moving quietly and drew out one of her knives. She smacked him in the back of the head with the handle. However the sniper turned around in which she punched him square in the jaw causing him to pass out. She then went to check for a pulse or something. Much to her relief she heard some breathing from the unconscious sniper. She turned to the general area to where the female sniper was and gave her a thumbs up. Then she looked to where Lucas was.
"You going?" Edna asked.
"Yeah I am and I'm counting on you guys!" She said before jumping off. "Lukeim Yurlin!" She landed in her armatized form and knocked over some soldiers by forcing them down with the wind.
"What the fuck's going on?" One of the soldiers, presumably one of higher rank due to a variation in the armor from the rest of the soldiers.
"That's what I wanna know." Said Lucas. Meanwhile Rose drew her knives.
"Oh don't worry fellas I'll go easy on you." She said through her teeth. Some of the soldiers charged at her and tried to attack she in turned charged at them knocking them over the head with her knife handles then kicking another one back. "Move it!" She shouted then armatizing with Mikleo she then shot an energy arrow knocking back some soldiers and even making some fall flat on their faces.
"How the hell is she doing so much with just knives?" A soldier wondered as Rose stepped forward.
"Move." She said in a low voice.
"Archers!" The probable captain, general, whatever, figure shouted. A bunch of archers on a cliff across from them shot at her but to the average person she magically deflected them when in all actuality she fused with Dezel and blew them away. A few soldiers charged at her from behind and Dezel separated from her then threw out a pendulum at a soldier's legs and has it wrap around them he pulled the pendulum causing him to fall and his fellow soldiers to trip over him.
"Ugh … what the fuck?" Cursed a soldier.
"I don't know! I felt like something was dragging me!" Exclaimed the first soldier that fell. Two more soldiers in front of her charged but she ducked out of the way of their sword swings then slipped through the space between them and drew a knife to the captain guy's throat.
"The fuck?" Lucas muttered to himself he then caught a glimpse of Rose threatening the highest ranking guy in the area. "Wait? The Shepherd?"
"Sir...? Is she supposed to do that?" The mercenary asked.
"I don't know. I've never met a shepherd before." Said Lucas, "Not even a member of the S.H.I.T.S."
"Order your men to retreat." She said in a low voice. The commander guy froze and tried to speak. "Order. Them. To. Retreat." She repeated. The commander guy shivered and likely wet his pants and swallowed.
"M … men … we're retreating." He said. "Men. Retreat." He ordered again. "Lower your weapons we're leaving!" The soldiers looked at each other, then to their captain guy, then to Rose who still had a knife to his throat. The looked back to their captain guy then put away their weapons and left. Rose, the seraphim, Lucas, and his men stood there awkwardly, quiet for god knows how long.
"So … Glad you're safe." Said Rose.
"Yeah …" Said Lucas. "Should we you know get back to the rest of the army?"
"Yeah …" Said Rose. She then quickly turned around and started walking back. The Seraphim soon followed.
"Rose don't you think that was a little … forceful?" Dezel asked. "I mean holding up a deal with, technically, and enemy sniper is one thing but that … we thought that you were just gonna kill him."
"Yeah … even though I would normally encourage whatever to get the job done. That was concerning." Said Edna.
"How? I didn't kill the sniper and I saved Lucas' life how is that concerning?" Rose asked.
"It's flat out more aggressive than what you've been doing so far when it comes to other humans, those accidental murders aside." Said Mikleo. "We're worried about you and we think that malevolence is starting to take effect."
"It's not." Said Rose. "If it was you would be feeling it right?"
"I guess." Edna shrugged.
"Besides we still have work to do." Said Rose. "We need to stop this war as fast as we can." She walked ahead and the seraphim went back into her. She walks straight into Rolance's side of the battle field as they were getting in the mess of catapulting shit at each other, well not literal shit but big flaming rocks, large pointy sticks (through it's more like they were put on a huge ass crossbow), and regular huge ass rocks. She searched the back line for the woman that had the weapon. She eventually found her further back. "Well. I didn't kill him." She said.
"No you didn't." She said handing over the weapon, "A deal's a deal, here you go."
"Thank you. But what are you going to do?" Rose asked.
"I can still use my knife, and I can steal a crossbow off a corpse. I'll manage." She said leaving. "Try not to get yourself killed on this side of the battle field."
"Kay." Said Rose. As soon as the soldier left her face changed from the usual laidback cheery calm to grim.
"Rose… What are you thinking?" Dezel asked as she approached closer to the rest of the army. She stopped for a moment and took off the bandana tied around her leg and tied a knife to the barrel of the rifle. She then snuck her way to the back row of soldiers went up to a soldier and slashed him in the back. Then knocked him in the back of the head before he could swear out his reaction. She then went to another soldier and did the same thing, and another and then another and so on and so forth. "What the flying hell are you doing?!"
"I'm not killing anyone." She said.
"True but this is a bit much." Said Mikleo. "I mean you could get up in front of the army and say 'Hey look! I have the weapon that you were planning on using to turn the tide of war!' That would've caused them to surrender instead of … whatever this is."
"I don't know how to work it." Said Rose.
"You don't need that! All you need is to do is look like you're competent with that weapon and get their attention!" Mikleo snapped. Everyone was quiet for the moment. "You're not gonna do a damn thing I just said are you?"
"Hephsin Yulind." She said armatizing with Edna.
"What are you doing?" Mikleo questioned. She then jumped up into the air and slammed her fist into the ground creating a crater causing many Rolance soldiers to fall in. She did the same thing a second time, and a third, and at the fourth the Rolance generals started calling for retreats and they all ran leaving their banners behind. All the while Hyland's soldiers cheered for their victory.
"What was that?" Dezel asked.
"A quick way to end this." Said Rose.
"Still think it would be quicker to just use that weapon to intimidate them into surrendering." Said Mikleo.
"What's done is done. But we need to purify any hellions and get out of here." Said Rose.
"Good so you noticed them." Said Enda. "You seemed so focused on the sniper garbage that I was starting to think you didn't have the periphery vision to see them right next to you."
"Yeah … yeah. I guess I'll stick with you." Said Dezel. So Rose ran off into the battlefield to purify the hellions that were created by the battle.
So yeah the war chapter but with added guns that will be pretty relevant in later chapters and a small part of Muse ordering Sorey to spy on Rose to help with a part that personally drove me crazy in the game which was, what the hell was Rose doing there? Wasn't she and the Sparrow feathers working on releasing Alisha? Doesn't this seem a little too convenient? Okay it was pretty small but it still drove me crazy.