Chapter 3: New Beginnings

After your battle, you continue on your way to Trine. All of the remaining villagers have survived, and no one was badly wounded, though your father will need some time to rest. As you finally approach Trine, the sun is just beginning to rise. The view evokes a strange emotion, some odd combination of hope and despair. A pair of cavaliers ride out to meet you. They pull Rain aside, and she returns a few moments later.

"Listen up, everyone! Haley will be taking you to the Holy Knights' barracks, you can rest there until we can find somewhere for you to stay; Holland and Walt here will help you unpack. Wendy, tend to the horses. I have to report to Command Doran. June, Rowan, Bud. Would you three please accompany me?"

You look to your father, and he notices the concern on your face. "I'm fine, Junebug," Rowan says with a smile. "Besides, we're just going to be havin' a little chat, right?"

Rain leads your convoy into the city, escorted by the two cavaliers. As you pass a large stone building, the Haley signals the others to follow her, as Rain guides you to the front door. As you begin to enter, you feel a tug at your sleeve. Turning around, you see one of the village children. "I wanted to thank you for saving me," he says, as he hands you...

(A) A small dagger
(B) A book
(C) A half-helm

The child hands you a small helmet with an open top. You doubt it would actually be capable of blocking even a weak attack, but you appreciate the gesture. "Thank you. I'm sure it will keep me safe." You place the helmet on your head... but it doesn't quite fit. Still, the child smiles and returns to the rest of the villagers. As soon as he's out of sight, you struggle out of the helmet. Rowan smiles and pats you on the back.

"We lost a lot of friends, but you did good, Junebug." Your father's praise lifts your spirits considerably.

Inside, you follow Rain down a series of twisting corridors, finally coming to a halt in front of a non-discrepant wooden door. She knocks, and a gruff voice responds. "Enter." Rain opens the door, revealing a small man with close-cut brown hair sitting behind a massive desk covered in maps, scrolls, parchment, quills, tomes... "Ah. Captain Rain." The man's small stature houses a surprisingly commanding voice.

"Commander. I'm here to give my report about Hearthside."

"Excellent," the man says, grabbing a quill and beginning to scribble on a blank sheet of parchment, all without breaking eye contact with your group. "I take it these people with you are from the village?" He pauses, then sighs. "If you brought the villagers here, then I'm sure this will be a rather unhappy report..."

"I'm... afraid so, Commander. This is June, Bud, and Rowan. Without them, things would have been much worse. June, Bud, Rowan, meet Commander Doran." You aren't quite sure how to appropriately greet a commander of the Holy Knights, so you settle on an awkward curtsy.

Doran nods in response. "Very well. Let me begin with what I do know. Young Bud here rode into Trine a bit after noon, warning us of a bandit attack on Heathside. Unfortunately, all our knights were dispatched on other assignments. Early evening, as soon as you returned from your scouting mission - you still need to deliver your report, by the way - you and your team were dispatched. And now you're returning with the surviving villagers. So. Fill me in on the rest."

He looks from you to Rowan expectantly. You hesitate, then the two of you begin telling the story of the battle with the bandits. Doran's pill is a blur as he transcribes your speech, occasionally asking you to clarify some minor detail. As you reach the part of the story where you investigated the windmill, you pause to collect yourself. You notice Rowan take your hand, and you continue, holding your emotions in check as best as possible. After you reach the point where you blacked out, your father takes over. You learn that the villagers went to bury the dead, and as they were digging the graves, the corpses seemed to melt before their eyes. They rose from their puddles deformed, inhuman, and began attacking anyone in sight.

Doran cuts him off. He looks to Rain. "Risen?"

"Yes, Commander. And that's not all." Rain takes over, describing her timely arrival, preparing the villagers to leave, and Haley's scouting fiasco. Rowan sighs audibly, a grimace on his face. You can barely hear him mutter something about 'that girl,' but Rain continues undeterred. When she gets to the point that giant Risen burst from the thicket, he cuts her off again.

"A new type?"

"Yes, Commander. June can probably tell you more about him than I, she spent more... quality time with him." Doran looks at you, and begins firing off all sorts of questions about the beast. It's coloration, height, weight, strength, endurance. He scribbles furiously on the pad, even managing to construct a crude drawing of the creature.

"Many faces, huh... Very well. For now, we shall refer to them as legionnaires. That's all I need to know for my report... Now, let's talk about you three."

"I will be frank. Bandit attacks are on the rise, and these creatures you've encountered, the Risen, are just making things worse. We simply don't have the manpower we need, and we aren't the only ones calling for help. The capital has denied our request for reinforcements, but they have authorized regional commanders to hire mercenaries; we've already picked up two talented swordsmen. So, Captain Rain, what do you think?"

"Well, Commander, I think that June here... is willing to fight, but has no love for combat, has a strong desire to protect those she loves, and has a good head on her shoulders.
Rowan is also a capable soldier, if a bit reckless when it comes to defending his daughter. Bud here has the makings of a great marksman if he receives the proper training."

Doran gives a nod of approval. "There you have it. We could really use three more fighters, especially three who've faced these Risen monstrosities and lived. I don't have the authority to make you into official knights, but we can hire you as soldiers of fortune. What do you say?"

You're quite taken aback by the Doran's blunt request. You certainly weren't expecting to be hired to fight alongside the Holy Knights when you walked in, but you realize this is a chance to protect those in need, to make sure no one else knows the pain of watching their mother be cut down.

(A) Accept
(B) Bargain for better weapons
(C) Bargain for better armor
(D) Bargain for land for the villagers


While we're at it, let's knock out picking the next round of support conversations. Pick 4.

June/Rowan C
June/Haley C
Rowan/Rain C
Rain/Wendy C
Haley/Wendy C
Visit training grounds
Rest
? (Locked, requires June/Rain C, June/Haley C, and June/Wendy C)

You know you can't pass up this opportunity. "Very well. I'll do what I can."

Bud steps forward. "Well, if she's joining, I can't very well say no, can I?"

Rowan sighs. "I know my daughter, and once she makes up her mind about something like this, I just have to accept it. The least I can do is be there for her. Sign me up, I reckon."

Doran gives a friendly smile. "That's the best news I've gotten in a while. Hopefully, now we can strike back against some of the bandit gangs. In fact... well. I need some time to draw up some plans. You three probably need a day or two to rest, anyway."

"Yes, si- er, Commander," you correct yourself. "About the other villagers... You aren't planning to make them fight, right?"

"Not unless they want to."

"Good. But... Their land was taken from them, and when you're a farmer, land is about all of value you have. Is there anything you can do to help them?"

"There's quite a bit of land around that I bet would be fine for farming. They'll probably need some help rebuilding, as well... But I've got some pull with the local nobles. I'll see what I can do."

A sense of relief washes over you. "Thank you, Commander!"

"A knight's duty is to serve the people. Always remember that, June. The three of you are dismissed, you're free to rest until tomorrow morning. Captain Rain, let's discuss the results of your scouting mission."

You throw up a hasty salute, and step out of the office. Bud and Rowan follow you. Bud closes the door, and immediately lets out a yawn and starts stretching. "I'm beat." You notice just how exhausted he appears. "I think I'm going to hit the hay for a bit."

"That sounds like a good plan," Rowan agrees. "Just as soon as we can figure out where the dang barracks are..."

"I think I'm going to stay up a while, get to know the area. And it's about time to put M- Oh gods, Bud, where is my horse!?"

Bud's eyes widen. "I plum forgot! Don't worry. The knights put him in their stables. I think they were... Er... That way? Or maybe that way..."

The Commander's door opens, and Doran steps out. "Could you quiet down, or at least move your discussion elsewhere? Here, take this map. Now, run along..." As he closes the door, you can hear Rain stifling a giggle.

Armed with a map, you drop Rowan and Bud off in the barracks, then head towards the stables. You find the door, and are about to enter when you hear two voices speaking. You recognize them as Haley and Wendy.

"Well? How is he?"

"Fare's going to be just fine, Haley. But you've got to be more careful with him. You're just lucky that farm girl had that elixer, otherwise he'd be dead.Seriously, that hack job she did removing the arrows..." Wendy takes a deep breath. You think she's finished and reach for the door, ready to show her what a 'hack job' looks like, but she continues her tirade. "Remember, pegasi's resistance to magic may be useful for combat, but it also means our healing spells and potions aren't as effective."

"Yes, you've told me several times-"

"That's because it's important! How do you expect to become a great pegasus knight if you don't know even the basics of equine field medicine? Seriously, sometimes I wonder if you care about Fare at all!"

"Of course I care! How could you say something like that?"

"You're right, Haley. I'm sorry. You know I just get... emotional over animals."

"It's just because you care, Wendy. I forgive you. Why don't you give me a crash course on wing slings later?"

You decide now seems like a fine time to interrupt. As you enter the stall, you see Haley's mount wrapped in enough bandages to supply a small army for a month. Hearing the door open, the trio all turn to face you. Fare snorts a greeting and bobs his head. Haley looks relieved. Wendy clears her throat. "Ah, Farm Gi- er, June. I wanted to thank you for taking care of Fare here earlier. But, please, next time, get Rain or I instead of treating him yourself. If you'll excuse me..." She slips out the door behind you before you can object.

As soon as she's out of earshot, you turn to Haley. "Wow, she seemed... upset."

"Yeah, well, she's not wrong. I really do need to learn to take better care of Fare here."

"I'm glad to see he's OK. By the way, my horse, the horse Bud rode here yesterday, where is he?"

"Oh, you mean our new arrival? I was wonder who he belonged to. Don't worry, I already checked in on him this morning. He's a great big sweetheart, isn't he? How old is he? Does he know any tricks? What's his name?"

Haley's barrage of questions leaves you off balance. You decide to choose your battles. "His name? Marth."

"Marth? As in, the legendary hero-king Marth? You named your horse after that Marth?"

You feel a bit embarrassed. "H-hey... I named him when I was still a little girl... It seemed like a good name..."

"Oh no, I like it! It's a proud name. A good name. I mean, I named Fare after a legendary mercenary pegasus knight! And... well, you should ask Wendy what her pegasus' name is sometime. I won't spoil it for you. Anyway, King Marth's down in the third stall on the right. I'll give you two some alone time." Haley winks, and goes back to dressing Fare's wounds. "You think I've used enough bandages?" you hear her ask Fare as you walk away.

You find Marth in a stall, and he lets out a happy neigh as you approach. You spend a few minutes brushing him, tidying up his stall, and you take him for a quick run around the outskirts of town. When you return, you find it's already mid-afternoon. You realize you're feeling a bit hungry, so you look for ways to distract yourself until dinner. As you scan your nap, you notice a spot marked "training grounds." You decide swinging your axe a few times might clear your head and let you blow off some steam, so you head that way.

The sound of metal striking wood greets you as you step out into the yard. The yard is empty save for a lone woman, hacking away at a large log with a steel sword. The woman seems to be around your age, but much more muscular. As you look on, she hacks chunks from the log, interspersing kicks and punches among her slashes to rotate the log, exposing its most vulnerable sides. Her frenzied assault sends her long, pale hair whipping around, giving her the appearance of some crazed banshee.

You approach, and she grants you a quick glance before returning to her work. You approach a log near hers, reminded of your days as a woodcutter. You realize with a laugh that your new job's not all that different. Farmer's daughter to mercenary in less than 24 hours? You laugh, and strike the log. Saved your village, killed some bandits, killed the same bandits again after they got back up... You laugh more, lashing out at the log. Watched your mother get slaughtered before your very eyes, then turned around and killed her yourself...

You can't control yourself anymore. All the emotions you've been holding in come rushing out at once: your love, your hate, and all of your sorrow. You alternate between laughing and sobbing as you tear into the log with your axe, as if this dastardly chunk of wood was the source of all your misfortune.

ou stand, panting, before a mangled chunk of wood. You can still feel tears flowing down your cheek, but you feel a bit better. A voice over your shoulder brings you back to reality. "I've never seen someone get so emotional over a log before."

You turn to see the mercenary staring at you. "Ah... I just had some problems I needed to work out..."

"Feel better now?"

"Yeah, actually, I do..."

"Great. The name's Lane. I'll be joining you knights as a mercenary."

You don't feel like explaining that you aren't a knight, and you're embarrassed about her watching your outburst. "I'm June. Er... I'll see you around." You leave quickly. You take one last look back, and Lane shrugs, then moves on to another log.

Rowan is resting in his room, not quite asleep, when he hears a knock on the door. Before he can respond, Rain walks in, balancing two bowls on a tray. As Rowan sits up, she slips the tray onto his lap. "I didn't see you at dinner, so I brought you some soup. And some water. You should probably wash up a bit, I'd hate for our unstoppable shield to be felled by a festering arrow wound."

"Thanks for the concern, but I'll be fine."

"How's the rib?"

"It's fine."

Rain takes a seat on the bed, being careful not to upset the tray. "And how are you?" Rowan's only response is to stare blankly into space. Rain sighs. "It's tough, losing a loved one, isn't it?"

"...Yeah. But I'll get through it. I have to be tough, for June's sake. Bud's, too." The sound of an opening door breaks the ensuing silence. You walk in, carrying a bowl of soup.

"Hey, Pa, brought you some... oh. Looks like the Captain beat me to it."

Rain flashes you a smile. "A good captain keeps her soldiers fed and healthy."

"Well, I guess I'll take this down to Bud, then. I already brought him a bowl, but the way he was going at it, I bet he'll want seconds. Night, Pa."

"Night, Junebug," Rowan says with a smile.

The next morning, you gather with Bud, Rowan, Rain, Haley, and Wendy in the Commander's office. You are surprised to find the mercenary from yesterday already there. A few minutes later, a blue-haired swordsman enters the room, looking like he just woke up. From his clothes and curved sword, you assume he's a myrmidon. A booming voice silences the chatter. "Well, now that we're all here, we can begin the strategy meeting. Here's the short version: Captain Rain and her team found a bandit camp yesterday, and your job's to head in and take it out. About 2 dozen total, mostly axe fighters, but with a handful or swordsmen and archers mixed in. Their base is a small abandoned fortress. Fortunately, the roof is mostly caved in, so our flies should have no trouble maneuvering. Captain?"

Rain picks up a map. "Our fliers will circle around behind the fort, while the rest of you will attack the front gate and create a distraction. As soon as the bandits make a move to defend the gate, we'll drive our lances into their backs."

(A) No objections
(B) Suggest the fliers carry others in with them (choose up to 3)
(C) Suggest the fliers attack the front gate with the rest of the team

"Any objections?" Doran asks. No one steps forward. He nods. "Very well, then. Stop by the armory, then set out immediately."

Rowan received javelin!
June received hand axe!
Weapons repaired!

Your party marches for the better part of the day. Along the way, the myrmidon introduces himself as Ferris. You expect him to strike up a conversation, but he just yawns and drops to the rear of the column.

The sun is just beginning to set when Rain signals a halt. "The bandit's camp is just on the other side of this hill. Haley, Wendy, and I will split off here, and circle around back. We'll use the setting sun to our advantage to mask our approach. Give us about 15 minutes before you attack the gate. As soon as we hear your charge, we'll make our move." The pegasi begin to fly off, but Rain stops herself. "One last thing. June, you're in command."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You may be green, but you've still got more leadership experience than the rest of your group." With that, she takes to the sky.

"Well, then," you say to the group as soon as she has left. "all we have to do is stick to the plan. I'm counting on all of you." You look around the group, gauging their response. Bud just looks at you, a determined scowl on his face. Rowan gives you a big smile, and Lane gives you a a curt nod. Ferris just shrugs, yawns, walks over to a patch of grass, and lays down.

"Wake me up when it's time to move," he says as he pulls his headband over his eyes. You wonder how well you'll be able to depend on him.

15 minutes pass, and you order your group into position at the top of the hill. Ferris leaps up from the ground with a surprising amount of grace, a smile forming on his face. "Time to earn my keep, eh?"

As you reach the crest of the hill, you see the fort. It's much older than you imagined, in quite a state of disrepair. The walls, however, have no obvious breaches, and the door looks solid and imposing. You raise your axe, and let forth your loudest yell. "CHARGE!"

An unlucky trio of bandits are caught outside. Lane and Ferris lead the charge, cutting down a brigand and an archer in a flash. Bud looses an arrow at a mercenary; he leaps to avoid it, but it strikes him in the knee. You cleave his skull before he can recover. More bandits start appearing on the roof of the fort, and in the windows. You order Bud and Rowan to attack from a distance, while Ferris and Lane attack the gate. You begin hurling hand axes at any bandit you see. Several archers pop up to attack Lane and Ferris, but all are wounded, killed, or forced to retreat before they can fire.

You hear screams of pain from inside, and a pair of white wings briefly flash past a window. "It's working," you think, but then you hear a loud crash, accompanied by a loud whinney and a girl's scream. You realize you need to get inside as quickly as possible. You stop attacking for a moment to observe the gate. You can hear it splintering under your swordsmen's assault, but the gate is stubbornly refusing to open.

(A) Continue as is
(B) Search for another entrance
(C) Attack the gate yourself

"We need to get in there, now! Lane, Ferris, stay on the gate! Bud, cover them! Pa, we're going to look for another door!" You sprint to the side of the fort, hoping to find a smaller, weaker back door or a breach in the wall. You find a point where part of the roof fell outward, leaving a pile of rubble near an high window. "Pa, give me a boost!"

Fortunately, the bandits seem to be a bit preoccupied between the pegasus knights on the inside, and the swordsmen hacking at their gate. No one seems to notice the soldier awkwardly trying to lift the axe fighter into the window. With Rowan's help, you manage to swing your steel axe and catch on the inside of the window, and use it to hoist yourself in. You quickly take stock of the situation.

You are on a raised platform, the 2nd of three stories, overlooking the ground floor. Several bandits lie dead, and many more wounded. Two pegasus knights dance through the skies, stabbing at bandits and relocating before the bandits can counterattack. The bandits themselves are in utter disarray,some chasing the pair of knights, some defending the ramparts over the gate, a few bracing the door, with no semblance of leadership nor organization. You see a group of 5 bandits encircling the ground beneath you. You peer over the edge...

Wendy's pegasus is down, slammed into the wall beneath you, it's neck twisted at an odd angle. Wendy stands over it, her sword drawn and shaking. The bandits close in in slowly. Wendy lunges at one, but he jumps back, and another swings his axe at her, grazing her arm. She jumps back, adopting a defensive stance.

20 bandits remain

(A) Jump down and help Wendy (10 foot fall)
(B) Start throwing hand axes
(C) Prioritize getting the main gate open

You switch to your handaxes, and start raining death from the heavens. Your first throw embeds an axe in a mercenary's skull. The other bandits approaching Wendy look up in surprise, and Wendy takes the opportunity to run her sword through a brigand's throat. Another brigand reacts by swinging his axe toward her, but you plant one of your axes into his shoulder. He falls to the ground, screaming in pain. The other two bandits dash under the walkway before you can dispatch them, and you hear their axes ringing as they clash with Wendy. You can no longer hit them.

An arrow thuds into your shoulder, but you shake off the pain. You spy the archer who shot it standing on the ramparts, and you hurl an axe at him. He falls outside the fort, and you hear Bud shout in surprise. You look to the gate, and begin hurling axes at the bandits holding it shut. Two fall under your onslaught, and the rest scatter. You take careful aim, and hurl an axe at the bar holding the gate shot. It strikes home, leaving a large crack. It suddenly shatters as Ferris and Lane stumble through the door. Rowan and Bud follow them through.

Bud rains down arrows, Rowan fending off any bandits who come close to him Lane is screaming in rage, her broadsword cleaving through bandit's limbs. Ferris dances around her, a terrible smile on his face, nimbly avoiding blows from both bandits and Ferris, as he picks off any bandits which stagger away from Lane's assault alive. Haley has dismounted, and seems to be fighting alongside Wendy below you. Rain hovers in the center of the fort, her staff aglow, nimbly dodging the few axes brigands throw her way. One mercenary comes down from the ramparts, charging along the ledge toward you. You nimbly sidestep, gently shoving him with your shoulder. He falls to the ground, landing on a brigand that was moving to attack Haley.

The fort fall silent, and your party collects in the center of the fort. Ferris stretches with a smile. "That was a nice workout." Lane wipes the blood from her sword, returning it to her sheath. Rowan looks you over, grimacing when he notices the wound in your shoulder, but Bud claps you on the back. Rain is smiling and stroking her pegasus' neck, while Haley checks Fare for wounds. You notice Wendy kneeling over her pegasus, her shoulders rising and falling sporadically; you think you hear her sobbing.

(A) Check on Wendy
(B) Check the fort and surroundings for survivors
(C) Bury the bandits in case they become Risen
(D) Congratulate everyone on a job well done

Everyone besides Wendy seems to be in high spirits, until they notice you staring at her. As they realize what has happened, their smiles fade. You approach Wendy, and hear Haley following close behind. You hear Rain beginning to give orders, but you can only hear Wendy's sobs. She sits with her fallen mount's head in her lap, holding it tight. Tears stream freely down her face. You take a seat next to her, and Haley sits on her other side. There is a deep gash in one of the pegasus' wings, almost completely severing it. His neck is very clearly snapped.

Haley wraps an arm around Wendy's shoulders. You struggle to find words to say. You remember what Haley said the other day. "...What was his name?"

Wendy attempts to regain her composure. "...Caed..." With a sniff, she wipes away a tear. "He's been with me since I began my training... He was... one of my oldest friends..." You sit with her a few minutes, until she stands. "I... need to bury him properly..." You give her a nod, and leave her to her work.

You find Bud and Rowan digging a large pit, while Rain and Ferris drag corpses into a pile. When she sees you, Rain walks over. "How is she?"

"Upset. She needs some time."

"I see. Well, go help Lane. She's outside, chopping wood for the firepit. We're burning these corpses, Commander Doran thinks it will prevent them from becoming Risen. Ferris has already been removing their heads, but I want to be sure. We've seen the transformation take anywhere from minutes to days, so we need to hurry."

You nod, and join Lane in chopping wood. You're surprised to find two brigands laying dead behind her as she calmly hacks away at a tree. When she hears you approaching, she simply states "We missed a few. They thought they could ambush me." You drive your axe into their heads. "Why is the captain so obsessed with destroying these corpses? What is a... Risen, was it?"

"You... don't know? The dead have been rising, as something... inhuman. Pale skin, glowing red eyes..." You expect her to laugh at you or call you crazy, but Lane merely gives a disinterested shrug and returns to her task.

As the moon rises, you stand on the hillside. Flames billow from the fort behind you, putrid black smoke rising to the sky. A rancid smell is on the breeze, the smell of burning flesh. You turn, and your party begins the long march back to Trine.

End of chapter 3

New character!

Lane
Class: Mercenary
Skills: Focus, vantage
HP: **
Str: ***
Mag: *
Skill: **
Spd: ***
Def: **
Res: *
Luck: **
Items: Iron blade

New character!
Ferris
Class: Myrmidon
Skills: Luck+, relief
HP: **
Str: **
Mag: *
Skill: ***
Spd: ***
Def: *
Res: *
Luck: ***
Items: Killing edge, Slim sword

What should be done with Wendy?

(A) Keep her as an unmounted pegasus knight (swords only)
(B) Soldier
(C) Archer