Chapter 4: Knight's Duty

Your return to Trine is uneventful, and you arrive exhausted as the sun rises. Rain dismisses you to the barracks, and you decide to sneak in a quick nap before breakfast. Rain herself heads to Doran's office to deliver her report.

You wake up in time for breakfast, and bump into Rain in the mess hall. She has a concerned look on her face. "Something wrong, Captain?"

"No, not... Maybe. There was an attack on a mining town, Volmuth. The commander dispatched a team of knights, but... Ah, I'm sure they'll be fine. I'm more worried about Wendy... We sent a dispatch to the capital, asking them to prepare another pegasus for her, but it'll be a few days, at least. Ah, Doran wanted to see you after you finish breakfast."

After breakfast, you head to Doran's office. Ferris is just coming out, a small bag in his hand and a grin on his face. "Sweet, sweet coin." He pats you on the shoulder as he passes.

You enter Doran's office. "Ah, there you are." He opens his coat, revealing dozes of pockets. He reaches into one, seemingly at random, and pulls out a small sack. "Your first payment." He tosses it to you. "We don't have any missions pending, so you've got the day off. By the way, I've asked Rain to give you a bit of special training, if you're so inclined." You thank him, and head out. How are you going to spend the day, and how are you going to spend your gold?

Choose 6 letters, and one number:
(A) June/Rowan C
(B) June/Bud B
(C) June/Wendy C
(D) June/Lane C
(E) Rowan/Bud C
(F) Rain/Haley C
(G) Rain/Wendy C
(H) Lane/Ferris C
(I) Special training (Requires June/Wendy C)

1: Buy elixer
2: Upgrade June's axe
3: Upgrade armor
4: Save money

Stepping out of Doran's office, you bump into Rowan. "Pa! I guess Rain sent you, too?"

"Yeah. We ain't in trouble, are we?"

"Nah," you show him your bag. "He's just passing out our first payment."

"Payment? Ah, right... we're mercenaries now. I gotta say, I still have trouble wrapping my head around it. Never thought I'd be killing people... for money..."

You shake your head. "Nah, Pa. We ain't doing this for the money. We're here because it means we can fight to protect people. We can't let what happened to us..." You trail off.

"That's right, June. Remember what we're fighting for." He smiles and steps into Doran's office. You stand at the door for a moment, smiling, before heading off into town.

As Rowan steps out of Bud's office, he finds Bud waiting. "Ah, hey Bud. You here to see Doran, too?"

Bud nods. "Yeah, something about payment... Well, they're feeding us and providing weapons for us, so I don't know what they expect to do with it..."

Rowan shrugs. "I dunno. Normally I'd use it to buy some livestock or new tools, but I guess I've left that life behind now..."

"Heh... I guess June kind of drug us into this. Still, I don't have anywhere else to go." Rowan opens his mouth to speak, but closes it without saying anything. Bud shrugs. "I know she did all she could when the village was attacked. I'm not going to dwell on the past. Gotta keep moving forward, right?"

"That's right, Bud. And don't worry, June and I'll be here for ya."

"Thanks." Bud smiles, and steps into Doran's office.

You step into the smith's shop. "I carry only the fine- June? What're ya doin' back here so soon? Something wrong with that axe I sold you?"

"No, sir. I've actually started working for the Holy Knights. As a mercenary."

"I sell you an axe, and two days later, you're a mercenary?"

"A lot has happened. A lot... bad. But this axe you sold me's saved a lot of lives. Speaking of which, I was hoping you could take a look at my armor, see if you can improve it." You hand him your armor and your bag of gold.

"Let's see... Just a simple leather plate, huh? I can stick some studs in it, harden it a bit. It'll make it a bit more difficult to move in, but the added defense should make up for it. Come back and pick it up this evening."

"Thank you, sir." You head back to the barracks.

You seek out Rain, but bump into Wendy instead. She gives you a weak smile. "Oh, hi Fa- June. Looking for the captain?"

"Yes, I was told she had some special training for me or something?"

"Ah... Well, she's out at the stables. I might have to come and watch this." You give her a questioning glance, and she stifles a giggle. "Ah... excuse me. Um... By the way, I want to thank you for the other day..."

"You lost one of your closest friends, I thought you could use a new one"

"You think of me as a friend...?"

"Of course."

Wendy smiles again, a bit stronger than before. "Thanks, June. That means a lot."

You arrive at the stables. Rain steps out of a stall and greets you. "Ah, June, I was wondering when you'd show up. Here for your special training, I assume. Just give me a few minutes to finish up with Haley, OK?"

Haley sticks her head out. "We're making a few changes to Fare's armor! We're moving the saddle a bit to make it easier for me to get on and off. That fight in the fort showed us how important it is for us to be able to dismount in a second, and I do like getting off to stretch my legs a bit every now and then. I think Fare enjoys the breaks, as well."

Rain steps back into the stall and you watch them as they make a few subtle changes, tightening and loosening straps. Haley suddenly stops. "Hey, Rain, you think Wendy's OK?"

"She needs some time. Imagine if Fare got killed."

"When he got hurt the other day, I was so scared. I kind of understand what she's going through. It must be like losing your best friend."

Rain nods. "Our mounts are more than tools. They're partners. Family. We can't just replace them."

Haley grows uncharacteristically quiet. A few minutes later, she speaks up. "Well, I'm sure Wendy and her new mount will become fast friends."

Rain nods. "Yeah. And until then, we'll be there for her." They finish their adjustments, though you can't tell any difference from before. Haley saddles up and takes Fare off to break in her new armor. "Now then, June. Let's get started."

"You still haven't told me what this 'special training' is." As an answer, she leads you to a stall further down. She opens the door, and your horse trots out, covered in armor and a new saddle. "M-Marth? What are you wearing?" He snorts in response.

Rain provides a more useful answer. "It's time you learnt how to fight from horseback!"

June gained the skill Mount!

After a few hours, you figure out how to throw an axe without falling from your saddle, but then you move on to charging. You work straight through lunch; despite all her usual kindness, you begin to believe Rain is secretly some sadistic devil. By the time Rain lets you go, the sun is low in the sky, but at least she gave you passing marks.

You set out for the smith to collect your armor. You walk in the door and are greeted by a now-familiar "What're ya buy- oh, June! I just finished up with your armor. Come and try it on." You slip into your new studded leather armor. You can tell it's heavier and sturdier, but it seems to be as easy to move in as before. You thank the smith and turn to leave, when the door opens and a familiar face steps in. "What can I fix you wi- ah, Lane. Yer sword's all set."

Lane approaches the counter, and the smith hands her a broadsword. You recognize it as the same sword you've seen her wielding in the past, but it seems... different, somehow more dangerous. She thanks the smith, complimenting his handiwork. She turns to leave, and only just then seems to notice you. "Ah, June, how long have you been there?"

"The whole time, Lane..." The two of you walk out of the store, and head back to the barracks together. "I can't wait to get my hands on whatever we're having for dinner..." you mutter as you walk.

"I didn't see you at lunch. Or in the training yard."

"Rain had me all day, teaching me to fight from horseback. She's... pretty brutal when she wants to be."

"Hm? Improving yourself by learning a completely new skill, huh? Maybe I should look into learning to ride..."

"Well, if you do, don't learn from Rain." Lane chuckles slightly at that.

You reach the barracks, and Lane leaves, saying she wants to get in a bit more training before dinner.

You're awoken in the middle of the night. Wendy bursts into your room. "Get up! Head to Commander Doran's office. We've got a big problem."

You arrive at the commander's office to find Haley and Lane waiting. Doran stands behind his desk with a nervous looking boy, dressed in white robes. Wendy arrives a bit after you, and Bud and Rowan shamble in just behind her. Doran looks you over. "Ferris... Oh, whatever. We don't have time to waste. You guys can fill him on the way." He digs out a map. "The town of Volmus has fallen under attack by bandits. It's a few hour's march north of here. I already sent a team of knights up there, but only two returned, both badly wounded. They say they ran into Risen along the way, and never even made it to the town."

"So, we're going to head up there and drive the bandits out," Rain says as she walks into the office, dragging Ferris be the ear.

"How nice of you to join us, Ferris," Doran says.

Ferris yawns. "Man, do you even realize what time it is? Even the chickens are still sleeping..."

The boy beside Doran speaks up. "My town's under siege by bandits, and you're busy sleeping!?"

Ferris looks him in the eye and blinks. "Well, yes, that is traditionally what people do at night..."

Doran pats the boy on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Jessup. These guys will take care of it. Now, let's go over the plan. You'll be proceeding up the same route the first team took. There is another route to Volmus, about the same length, but we don't know if the Risen have any other ambushes in place. We do know the Risen in that area are destroyed. After you arrive at the town, Captain Rain will analyze the situation and form a plan to retake the town."

(A) Suggest taking the alternate route
(B) No objections

"Sir, with all due respect, I'd feel a bit more comfortable taking the other route..."

Doran looks at you for a moment. He closes his eyes, stroking his chin. "Very well, then. Unless anyone has an objection, take the alternate route. Depart immediately. Happy hunting."

The young boy, Jessup, steps forward. "W-wait... I'm coming with you! It's my village, and my sister..."

Doran stops him with a hand on his shoulder. "That won't be necessary."

Bud steps forwad. "Commander, I understand how he feels. You should let him come, we'll keep him safe." Doran looks concerned for a second, then sighs and pats Jessup on the back.

Jessup takes a staff from beside the desk. "I... I can't fight, but I know a bit about the healing arts!"

Your group sets out, taking a right at a fork in the road. This is the first time you're riding Marth into battle, and you notice he seems a bit anxious. You all keep your guard up, but the moon is low in the sky before anything interesting happens. You spy a figure in the road, and you struggle to make it out in the darkness. You realize it is a cloak, and come to realize there's a man underneath it. Everyone else seems to have come to the same conclusion, and Rain call the group to a halt. A groan comes from the figure in the road as it seems to struggle to crawl forward.

"Oh, gods...! We've got to help him..." Jessup mutters, as he grabs his staff and runs toward the collapsed figure.

(A) Call for Jessup to stop
(B) Let him go
(C) Ride forward and grab Jessup
(D) Attack the figure

Alarm bells are going off in your head. "Jessup!" you call, as you spur your horse into action. You grab Jessup and throw him on Marth behind you as you charge past the man on the ground. An arrow whistles past your head, and you hear someone behind you yelling. You keep charging for a distance, before turning Marth to face the threat. A handful of Risen pour out of the woods, and your group fans out to engage them. You notice one Risen stop and smash his axe into the cloaked figure, who screams in pain before falling silent.

A pair of soldiers charge at you, but you turn one's lunge away before burying your axe in his shoulder, while Marth leaps out of the way of the second. Jessup hits it with his staff in passing, to no noticeable effect. You wheel about and sever its head from its body with a powerful charging slash. With the immediate threat dispatched, you turn to attack the Risen archers in the woods.

As the last of the archers fall, you rejoin your group. Jessup jumps down, and starts patching up the few minor wounds your teammates sustained. Rain is examining the figure in the path. She calls everyone over. "Guys... This man, he wasn't a Risen. He was wounded, and it looks like his legs were broken..."

Jessup is in utter shock. "Wait, so, they kept him alive as bait or something!? That's... horrible!" A murmur of consent flows through your group.

Rain speaks up. "This is... concerning. The Risen seem to be even smarter and crueler than we thought. But, it doesn't change our mission. We need to get to Voluth as soon as possible." With that, everyone slowly turns and continues along. Wendy stops, turns around, and stabs the corpse in the head before rejoining you.

As the sun rises, you arrive on the outskirts of town. Your group peer through the bushes and see a few bandits shambling tiredly out of various houses. Jessup is noticeably upset, and you hear him muttering. "Where is she... Ali..."

"Who's Ali?" you ask him.

He jumps a bit. "She's... my sister. She's down there somewhere..."

"What does she look like?"

"She's always wearing a pink sleeveless smock, and she's got long black hair that she wraps around her neck like a ponytail."

"If I see her, I'll make saving her a priority."

Rain looks to the two of you. "Well, it seems the bandits are just getting up. It could be a good chance to attack them, but I'm worried about the villagers... Jessup, do you have any idea where they are?"

Jessup shakes his head. "Well, I know a handful escaped towards the mines, but I don't know where most of them are."

Rain looks thoughtful for a moment. "June, what do you think?"

Why does she keep asking you...?

(A) Charge in and catch them off guard
(B) Send in a small scouting team (Choose up to 3)
(C) Have most people charge in while a few sneak in through the town's rear (Choose up to 3)

"I agree that we need to attack while the bandits are still waking up, but maybe we should split up and send a second group towards the mines?"

Rain nods. "Yes, that would be the most sensible solution... All right, I'll lead the rear team and you take charge here, just like last time. I guess I'll take Wendy and Haley..."

You shake your head. "I'd like Haley with me, in case we need to send a flier your way. How about Bud?"

"All right. Wendy, Bud, with me! We're going to make sure none of these dastards escape towards the mines."

You wait a few minutes for Rain to get into position. As you watch, the town seems to become a bit more active; the bandits are waking up and shaking off their hangovers. You finally decide you'll lose the element of surprise if you wait any longer. You point your axe to the sky, and charge forth with a roar. Lane, Ferris, and Rowan fall behind, while Haley soars over you. You're surprised to see that Jessup is riding alongside her.

The bandits are taken completely by surprise. A few simply cover their ears and look toward you with annoyance, while a few of the more aware reach for their weapons. Some of these are dismayed to realize they've forgotten their weapons inside, and several bandits dive into various houses.

As you charge through the town, you take down several bandits before they can mount a decent defense, Haley leaping from bandit to bandit right alongside you. Rowan, Lane, and Ferris go house to house, cutting down bandits who are just preparing to fight. All in all, you kill approximately two dozen bandits before the survivors begin to rally, forming a defensive line on the far side of town.

Suddenly, a pegasus barrels through them, its rider lashing out with her lance, while arrows pick off any bandit that tries to escape. You see Wendy standing beside Bud, sword in hand, as if daring any bandit to attack him. "Come on, then! Now's our chance!" You lead your team in a charge straight into the heart of the bandit's formation, and the fight quickly devolves into several small battles.

You see Lane facing off with another mercenary, their swords ringing as they cross. Ferris stands nearby, and lops the head off an axe wielder who's foolish enough to interfere. You see Rowan leap back from an axe wielder, and counter with a lunge with his spear. He catches the fighter in the shoulder, and Haley drops down, her mount finishing him with a kick to the face. You find yourself face-to-face with a brigand and a young girl wielding a short sword. She's hidden in a dark green cloak, but as she moves toward you, it flairs out, revealing a pink shirt and dark hair.

(A) Attack the brigand first (Choose a second option as well)
(B) Attempt to disarm the girl
(C) Knock the girl out
(D) Talk to the girl
(E) Who cares about Jessup? Kill them both

You decide that you'll be able to deal with this girl much easier without some brigand swinging an axe at you. You attempt to split the two up by having Marth between them. You take a swing at the bandit as you pass, but he manages to avoid it and counters with a swing of his own. You pass by before he can hit, but the girl lunges at your other side with her short sword. You can feel the blow hit your armor, drive through, and nick your floating rib. You grunt in pain, reflexively jerking to the side. You fall from the saddle, landing in the mud.

Your armor definitely took the worst of the blow, and you manage to reclaim your feet in time to avoid the brigand's killing blow, though the girl leaps in front of him before you can counter. She strikes furiously with her sword, a flurry of blows driving you backwards. You finally spot an opening in her ferocious attack, and dive towards her. She jumps to the side, attempting to avoid a blow that never comes. You sprint past her, catching the brigand squarely in the chest. You hear a cry of surprise from the girl, and whirl around in time to catch her sword swing with your axe. With your blades locked, you decide now's as good a time to chat as any. "Enough, Ali!"

The girl slides her blade along your axe, jumping back, but maintaining a defensive stance. "...Where did you hear that name?"

"Jessup told me! He's worried about you!"

"Jessup's here!? But... they told me they locked him in the mine with the others! These dastards promised to let him out, but only if I helped them..."

"Don't worry, he's safe. You don't have to fight for them anymore."

"Great. Now, I think it's time for a bit of revenge..." With that, she unceremoniously turns and plants her sword in an archer's back.

The bandits can tell the fight is lost, and several break off and run for the hills. Your forces pick off several as they flee, but many more get away. Haley flies over to you, and Jessup runs up to Ali, embracing her with tears in his eye. Rain joins you. "And who's our new friend?"

She answers for you. "Alyssa. But my friends call me Ali." Her smile quickly turns to a look of concern. "The other villagers...! They've been locked in the mine since last night..."

Rain smiles calmly. "Don't worry, we made sure that no bandits made it to the mine during the fight. They won't be able to use them as hostages." A shadow of concern is still visible on Alyssa's face, and Jessup looks downright terrified.

(A) Ride down the surviving bandits (6, mix of brigands and mercenaries)
(B) Head to the mine
(C) Destroy the corpses (30)
(D) Divide and conquer (choose who goes where)

"Come on, captain, those villagers have been waiting long enough," you say. "Let's go let them out. Ali, I trust you can help us with the locks?" She nods. "Lane and Ferris should have no trouble mopping up the rest of the bandits, and everyone else can take care of these corpses. Oh... I mean, whatever you think is best, captain."

Rain shakes her head. "That sounds just about perfect." She calls out tasks to everyone, and the group splits up. "Shall we?" she asks, helping Ali onto her pegasus.

As you arrive at the mine, you see a large gate over what you presume to be the entrance. "To keep out would-be thieves," Alyssa explains. "I suppose it's ironic a bunch of thieves turned it into a prison."

You open your mouth to reply, but you're cut off by a piercing scream coming from inside the mine.

(A) No time to waste, get in there
(B) Send someone to gather the others while you enter (choose Rain or Alyssa)
(C) Ignore the cry for help and leave the mine sealed