Chapter 11: Advance!

"We move to join our new allies, the Meridians!" Horatio announces when the army has been formed into a marching column. A cheer erupts as Horatio, the crimson-armored knight from before next to him, turns and begins the march.

Do you want your team to march at the head, center, or rear of the column?

(A) Head
(B) Center
(C) Rear

You decide to march in the front of the column. Before you set out, Charon comes your way. "Hey, June! I've decided to come with you! I mean, you totally saved my town, so think of it as a thank-you."

You can't help but worry for a moment. "You know how dangerous this is, right? And besides, I can't ask you to fight your own countrymen."

"I've heard the rumors that King Paen's responsible for the Risen, and I want to know the truth for myself. Besides, I won't be fighting so much as cheering you guys on. And I'm a traveling dancer, this won't be any more dangerous than performing for a group of rowdy young ladies." You decide to acquiesce and allow him to join.

As you march, you notice Charon weaving in and out of the marching soldiers, twirling, smiling, and occasionally stopping to say a few words to a soldier. Soldiers are grinning even as they march, nudging each other and pointing at Charon. You notice that you're feeling a bit more energetic as well.

Eventually, the red-clad knight drops back from Horatio's side, and you seize the opportunity to speak with him. "Excuse me... You're an... ambassador, I suppose, from Meridia, are you not?"

"Yes. My name is Cynbel," he says flatly, keeping his eyes on the path ahead.

"So... I know little of Meridia. Would you tell me a bit about it?"

You think you spy a hint of a smile on his lips. "It's not a large place, but beautiful. The hills, especially, are lovely, even more so right before a storm as the wind howls."

"It sounds lovely, but... Well, why is Meridia siding with us against Carcina?"

"We have only been a country for a few years, after seceding from Carcina. There was relatively little bloodshed, but we were forced to accept several... unfair treaties in return. Many of my countrymen see this conflict as an opportunity for revenge."

"Is that why you fight, Cynbel? For revenge?"

"No. I fight because defeating Carcina will allow us an opportunity to absolve our treaties and replace them with more ones more favorable to Meridia. I've no interest in reven-" He suddenly stops talking, staring up. A single wyvern circles overhead after emerging from the clouds. Your column is marching in a large, open plain, but the wyvern turns about and heads toward a forest about half a mile down the path. You hear Horatio curse.

(A) Send riders after him, attempt to take him alive
(B) Order archers to fire
(C) Let him go, continue marching forward on high alert
(D) Let him go, take defensive positions even if it makes you late to rendezvous with Meridia's force

You draw your bow. "Bud, Syrene! Take him down!" You fire an arrow as Bud and Syrene ready theirs. In the darkness, it's hard to track the dark beast, and all three of you shoot wide. He's getting away, but you think you have a chance for one last shot. You volley again, but Bud and Syrene miss. Your arrow strikes the wyvern but misses the rider; still, the wyvern loses control and begins spiraling toward the ground. Unfortunately, it crashes right on the edge of the forest. After a few seconds, a pair of soldiers in Carcina's black armor dash out and drag the injured rider into the trees.

"Blast..." Horatio mutters. "I had hoped leaving a night early would let us avoid any Carcinan ambushes..." He turns to address the troops. "We can not allow these dastards to slow us! We must hook up with Meridia immediately, and between us their capital shall fall!" His speech over, he turns to you. "We need to find out what's in there. The main force will advance to a few hundred feet from the treeline. Meanwhile, I want you to take a small team an scout the forest."

(A) Take your main group
(B) Take your main group, but go around the side
(C) Send the fliers to sweep overhead
(D) Send the cavalry charging through
(E) Send a small stealthy team (choose who, need not include June - if June does go, she'll be down to her leather underarmor: -3 def, +1 spd/skill)

"Alright. See if you can create a bit of a distraction, General, we'll see if we can sneak in from the side."

Horatio gives you a nod. "Get it done, Lady June. If anything goes wrong, we'll be standing by to attack."

You lead your team to the side while Horatio moves the rest of the army into a defensive formation and begins advancing towards the forest. When you've moved a good distance from the main group, you begin advancing towards the woods. You have your mounted units dismount to try to give some modicum of stealth to the action, but some of your larger and more heavily armored soldiers are making quite a bit of noise.

You manage to make it to the treeline without incident. You carefully scan the brush for any signs of movement, but you see none. Vine snorts softly. "I do not like this... There is no sound of wildlife, and the air reeks of iron..."

Alyssa agrees with him. "It's really dark in there, June, and we'll have trouble seeing Carcinan armor in the shadows..."

You hesitate for a moment, then look back to the main army. They've taken up position in front of the woods, forming a blockade across the road. You swallow a gulp, then hesitantly take a step into the trees. The others trickle in behind you. You move further into the trees, until the field is no longer visible, then begin slowly making your way in the direction of the trail.

You aren't surprised to see Wendy cautiously threading her way around twigs, nor Ferris weaving among branches. Walt and Holland surprise you with their stealth - for men in giant suits of brightly-colored armor, they move almost silently. Most of your group makes it through without too much noise, but others are clanking in their armor, stumbling over roots, and stepping on dried leaves.

Alyssa sees it first. "Watch out!" she yells. It looks like the stealthy approach has gone out the window... You duck as an arrow whizzes close enough that you can feel the wind as it passes. In the gloom, you can see several shapes moving toward you, but not very well.

"O holy one, light my way!" Suddenly, the area is filled with a blast of bright light. John stands at its center as several Carcinans shield their eyes and stagger backwards. You take the moment of surprise to take stock of their force. Much smaller than your invasion force of 800 men, they number at most 50. It seems they weren't expecting to win so much as to slow you down and bleed your numbers. It seems their ambush plan worked - several of your troops received slight injuries in their opening volley.

Rain, Jessup, Syrene, Dan, Jayce, and Vine are now exhausted!
(They'll start this fight with full HP, but a penalty to strength, magic, skill, and speed)

(A) Try to catch them off-guard by counterattacking
(B) Try to reform into a defensive formation and wait for reinforcements
(C) Retreat
(D) Retreat, but have [select characters] buy some time before following

"Attack!" you call, not hesitating to pull out your hatchet and bury it in the nearest skull. You hear various sounds behind you signalling your friends are following your example. The enemy is caught off-guard by the viciousness of your counterattack, and several fall to your opening attacks. It's not long before they recover from John's flare. He remains in the back keeping the area illuminated to rob Carcina of their advantage. You wonder how long it will take Horatio to reach you as you swing your axe at an enemy general, sending a resounding clang through his shield.

A warrior takes a swing at Dan; Dan jumps back, barely avoiding the swing. He dives back toward the enemy, refusing to give give the enemy any reprieve. A soldier charges at Jayce. He sidesteps easily, letting the force of the soldier's charge drive his sword through the fool's chest. Mary stands near John, sending shadows spiraling at anyone foolish enough to threaten him. A berserker charges through a flux orb, raising his axe to her. She sees him, and twirls nimbly out of the way. As she spins out of the way, a shadow lunges from her shadow; the Berserker's eyes widen as Fumiko leaps up and digs her claws into his face. A warrior sees his friend screaming in pain, and runs to his aid. Fumiko completely ignores him as he raises his axe. As he swings, a ball of darkness obliterates him. John is clearly uncomfortable with his guardians.

Syrene fires her bow in rapid succession, her arrows leaving several enemies wounded for your front-runners to pick off. A swordmaster manages to slip in past your frontline, and slashes at her. She manages to draw her sword, and deflects the blunt of the blow. She falls to her back, a deep gash appearing on her chest where she failed to completely avoid the slash. "No!" Jessup shouts, launching dozens of tiny balls of light at the swordmaster when he goes for the killing blow. Jessup runs over, staff in hand, and begins healing Syrene.

A glow emanates from his staff, mirrored on Syrene's wound. She begins to struggle to her feet, sword in hand, just in time to see the swordmaster rising. "No... Jessup, mo-" She is silenced as his blade pierces Jessup's stomach, stopping just in front of her face and splattering her with blood. Alyssa digs her short sword out of a mage just in time to turn and see Jessup falling to the ground. She begins shaking violently, and unleashes an unholy roar as she charges at the swordmaster. At the same time, Syrene catches Jessup, and thrusts her sword out. The swordmaster is simultaneously impaled by both blades.

Alyssa slams the swordmaster's corpse out of the way as Syrene falls to the ground, struggling to support Jessup. Alyssa turns, a desperate, enraged look in her eye. A pair of Carcinan generals make the mistake of getting too close, hoping to score some easy kills. Three seconds later, Alyssa stands with her sword through one's heart while the other desperately tries to rip a knife out of his throat. You struggle to fight your way over to them, but several Carcinans stand in your way. Everything seems to stand still as you finally reach them. Alyssa barely acknowledges you. Syrene merely looks up at you, tears welling in her eyes, cradling Jessup in her arms. He struggles to speak...

Use Elixer?
Current Stock: 1

(A) Yes
(B) No

"Syrene, give him this elixer. I've got to get that sword out..." You hand your elixer to Syrene, who hesitantly uncaps it and starts pouring it into Jessup's mouth. You gingerly grasp the sword hilt. You hesitate until a second hand appears beside yours. Alyssa gives you a small nod, and the two of you start pulling it out. Jessup groans in protest, but the blade slides out easily. You help Syrene lay Jessup on the ground as he finishes the elixer. The gaping hole in his midriff glows blue for a moment, then disappears completely. He coughs, and struggles to sit up. "Easy, Jessup, just rest. We'll handle things here." Syrene gently lays him down, then pulls out her bow. Alyssa stands in front of her. They both have a look of grim determination on their faces. You leave Jessup in their hands and rejoin the fray.

It seems to take hours before Horatio joins his strength to yours. By the time he arrives, less than a dozen enemies remain. He apologizes to you afterward; he was hesitant to bring his force in without knowing the enemy's strength.

You resume your march. Horatio is unhappy with how much time you lost in the forest, and insists on speeding up the march to meet Meridia's troops, keeping you going straight through the night. By the time you see Meridia's red-and-gold banners it is mid-morning. Their force pales in comparison to your 800, having maybe 200 mixed infantry and 50 cavaliers. They are escorting an impressive convoy of wagons, laden with all sorts of provisions - weapons, food, supplies of all kinds. Horatio and Cynbel go to meet the leader of Meridia's force, and share some friendly words. After a few moments, he returns and orders camp to be set up.

"My friends, countrymen. We are but a day's march from the capital. Take the rest of the day to rest after your long hike, but know we will be arising early to finish this tomorrow morning. Please, go and share your meals and stories with our Meridian allies!" After addressing the main army, he brings Cynbel to speak with you personally. "Lady June. Cynbel was quite impressed with your strength last night. He wishes to join your team, under your command, of course."

(A) Accept
(B) Decline

Choose 7.

June/Rain A
June/Jessup C
June/Syrene C
June/Agni C
June/Jayce C
June/Holland C
Rain/Agni C
Bud/Taika C
Bud/Vine C
Bud/Syrene B
Haley/John C
Haley/Walt C
Haley/Holland C
Wendy/Jayce C
Wendy/Vine C
Ferris/Walt C
Ferris/Alyssa B
Alyssa/Jessup A
Alyssa/Syrene B
Alyssa/Walt C
Alyssa/Holland C
Jessup/Agni C
Syrene/Charon C
Agni/Dan C
Agni/Jayce C
Agni/Taika C
Walt/Jayce B
Walt/Holland C
Holland/Vine C
John/Taika C
John/Mary C
Taika/Charon C
Mary/Vine B

After setting up your campsite, you immediately seek out Jessup. You don't have to look hard, you find him with Syrene and Alyssa, the three of them sharing lunch. As you approach, Alyssa looks your way. She smiles and waves you over. "June! Great timing. We've got to thank you again for that elixer."

"Yes..." Jessup begins. "Thank you..."

You notice the distance in his voice. "Are you... alright, Jessup?"

"I'm... I'm a bit shaken still. I mean... I got killed last night. Not many people can say they've had a sword in their stomach. It's... kind of terrifying to think about."

"And all because you were protecting me..." Syrene adds softly. I'm sorry, Jessup, so sorry... If I were stron-"

Alyssa cuts her off. "Then get stronger, Syrene. Let this serve as a warning." When Syrene bows her head dejectedly, she sighs and continues. "I'm not mad at you. I just... I almost lost both my brother and my sis- you, Syrene. Don't forget Jessup's not the only one who almost died." She wraps an arm around Jessup and pulls him in close. "Which reminds me. I'm so proud of my little brother, risking his life to protect his big sister like that!"

Jessup turns red and tries to squirm away - he's too weak, but he makes the effort. Alyssa turns to him with surprise, but he doesn't let her begin. "Ali, please stop calling me your little brother..." When he sees the look on Alyssa's face, he tries to recover. "I mean..."

Alyssa lets him go and lowers her head. "No, I get it. Syrene doesn't want me calling her sister, and you don't want me calling you brother. I guess it reminds you of our time back in Voluth..."

Syrene and Jessup exchange a glance. Syrene begins. "Well, yes, but... I mean, it was nice p-pretending we were all one big family when we were kids... but now... I don't know, it just seems... um... silly, I suppose, when people are dying all around us..."

Jessup looks like he has something to say, but he hesitates, looking back and forth between the two girls. You decide to step in. "I think of you all as my family." All three turn to you. "I mean... I don't really have any family, but you three... Well, everyone here, you're the people I care about most. So I guess that makes you my family, right?"

The three of them sit in silence for a moment, then Alyssa chuckles. Jessup and Syrene smile as well. Alyssa claps and jumps up. "Well then, I guess I'll have to train even harder to protect all of my family!"

Suddenly, a sword appears on her shoulder, its blade grazing her neck. "I can help with that..." a voice behind her says menacingly. Ferris removes his sword as Alyssa turns around. "You. Me. Training ground." He tosses her a blunted training sword, then turns and strolls away.

Alyssa sighs. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. I'll catch up with you two later... I hope."

Jessup watches her leave with a look of worry. "Do you think we should go with her?"

Syrene shakes her head. "No, she'll be... well, not fine, but she'll recover eventually."

You speak with Jessup and Alyssa a bit more, then excuse yourself to go find Horatio. You want to speak with him about the invasion plans. You only make it a few feet, however, before bumping into Rain. She smiles warmly as she pulls you into a hug. "Oh, June! I heard what you said earlier, about how we're all your family. It was so sweet!"

You feel increasingly embarrassed. "Uh... Thanks? I mean, you guys took me in after Hearthstone was destroyed. You especially, you've been looking after me since day one. You helped my pa, too."

"Oh, June, you must miss Rowan terribly..." When you don't respond, she embraces you even tighter. "Oh, I miss him, too. I only knew him a few days, but I could tell he was such a good man. Loyal and protective."

"...Yeah, Pa was a good man. He was always teaching me to fight for what mattered, stand up for the little guys..."

"Well, June, I bet he'd be proud of you."

"You... think so?"

"I'm sure he would." She releases you to wipe a tear from your eye. "Now, I'm guessing you were on your way to Ho- the general's tent, right? I almost forgot; he gets so irritated when people don't use fancy titles around him. Well, shall we?" She locks arms with you, and you set off for Horatio's tent together. On the way, you happen to see John standing hesitantly in front of a tent.

John gathers his courage, then pulls open the tent flap. He finds it empty. He sighs, and begins to turn around, only to crash into Mary. "Oh! Ow..."

"Looking for someone?" Mary begins.

John takes a step back, pushing partially into Mary's tent. "Y-Yes. You. Dark mage."

Mary shrugs. "Well, technically, I'm a druid now, but-"

"It doesn't matter what you are. My mentor taught me that all users of dark magic are swayed to evil by its power."

Mary suddenly seems to grow several inches, now standing over John. He takes another step back as Mary begins her tirade. "Now listen here, priest, just because I use dark magic, and you use light-" she takes another step forward, shoving her tent's flap out of the way "-that does not make me evil, nor does it make you good, no more than holding a sword would make you a swordmaster."

John finally ends his retreat, now coming forward to meet Mary head-on. "Light magic is fueled by faith! Of course its wielders are good! Have you ever seen an evil man of the cloth?"

Mary counters, slamming her forehead against his, and the two remain locked in that position. "Of course men of the cloth can be corrupted! Just because it happens less often, it doesn't mean it never happens!"

John scoffs. "Faith doesn't tempt people the same way dark magic does!"

"If dark magic's so evil, why was I protecting you last night, instead of killing you!?"

"Look..." John steps back. "I came by to thank you for protecting me. And I'm willing to bite my tongue about your heretical magic, so long as you stay away from me. You and your sub-human par-"

You hear a loud slap coming from Mary's tent, and turn just in time to see Mary sprinting out wiping her eyes. A moment later, John comes out, rubbing his cheek. For a moment, he looks like he wants to run after Mary to apologize, but then he turns and walks away. I'll need to look into this later...

Mary runs through the field towards the nearest patch of trees. She sits down against a tree to collect herself. A moment later, a shape materializes beside her. "Why have you come so far from camp, my daughter?" Vine asks.

Mary jumps a bit. "Oh! Father... I didn't know you were here."

"If you wish to become guardian of the forest, you must always be aware of your surroundings. A bear should not escape your notice."

"Yes, Father. I was just... distracted."

Vine sits down next to her. "What is wrong, Daughter?" He scowls. "Have the beorc harmed you?"

"N-No, not... Not like that. It's just... One of them, that bishop. He... insulted me. He said dark magic users are evil, and then he called you... he called you a sub-human."

Vine sighs and closes his eyes. "I warned you, Daughter, of these outsiders. They fear us, fear the darkness. Mostly, they fear what they do not understand. Tell me what you did after he said these things."

"I... tried to reason with him, but I... ended up slapping him."

Vine shakes his head. "You must control your temper, Mary. Go and apologize to this beorc bishop."

"But, Father, he's the one who's wrong!"

"No, you were both wrong. You must learn to maintain you composure, to stay true to the path of goodness, even when others do not. Now go, and help this bishop to re-find the path of light."

"...Yes, Father."

"Ah, Lady June!" Horatio begins. "I was just about to send for you. Captain Rain, I needed you as well. Our strategy meeting is tonight. We'll have dinner in my tent, and I'd like you both there."

Rain gives a salute, which you mirror. "Er... General? You were going to send for me? Was there something else you needed?"

"Ah, yes." He motions to a man tied up and propped against one of the posts. "We captured this man last night, and he's just regained consciousness a few minutes ago. He was the wyvern rider you shot down. We spoke about Tartan's defenses, and now I need to decide what to do with him. He kept talking about a young Valerian knight he met in Yuna. I don't suppose you know who he's talking about?"

You look in his face. Even through the bruising, you recognize him as the rider from Yuna, the one that let you go after you finished fighting the Risen. "Yes," you begin. "He helped us fight the Risen, then he told me to leave. Told me that the attack was our fault, but that he couldn't kill someone who rode to the town's aid."

"I see. It sounds like you may owe him your life. Very well then, I'll leave the decision of what to do with him to you."

(A) Kill him, that's one less soldier for the enemy
(B) Let him go, even though he knows your position and numbers
(C) Tactician: Blindfold him, disorient him, and release him a few miles away
(D) Tactician: Send him as an envoy to request Tartan's surrender

"I say we send him to Tartarus as an envoy, to request their surrender."

"I doubt they'll take our offer, but I have no problems with this. We'll be back on the march before they have time to rally their forces in response, and at least this means we won't have to give them several hours to think about it later." He motions to the prisoner. "He's all yours. I'd advise you only take him halfway or so - we're a half-day's march from the capital, so that should have him arriving about the time we set out in the morning, and get you back in time for our strategy meeting."

You salute, then help the Carcinan rider to his feet. You saddle Marth, but don't bother with his armor. He has a hard ride ahead of him, and you don't want to tire him out. Even if you come upon any Carcinan soldiers, you reason they won't harm an official envoy. You unbind the prisoner's hands and help him up behind you.

"You... Would untie a prisoner? And put him on your horse?" he asks as he climbs up. "Do you not fear I may throw you and steal your mount?"

"I would not trust most prisoners this way, but I've seen you are a knight of honor," you answer simply. After you set out, the two of you ride in silence for what feels like hours.

Finally, he breaks the silence. "This is far enough. I know this place, and can make it to the capital by morning from here. I... thank you." You give him a nod and a slight smile as you help him down. "I don't... What is your name?"

"I am June, of Hearthside. And you?"

"Ovid, of Yuna." With that, he turns and walks away. You watch him for a few minutes, then turn and ride back to camp. As you reach the edge of camp, the sun is setting. Looks like you've still got a few minutes before the meeting...

After putting Marth out in the makeshift field, you notice Alyssa laying on her back in the middle of the training field. You go to check on her, but Walt gets there first. "Are you alright, milady? What happened to you"

"Unnnngh..." she replies. "Ferris... Ferris happened..."

Walt winces. "I remember the thrashing he gave me a few days ago. His speed is... remarkable. He seems to strike on all sides at once."

Alyssa sits up. "I was able to match his speed, but he overpowered me. I usually just dodge the enemy's attacks, but... Ugh, he decided I needed to learn to defend myself against faster enemies, so he spent the whole day running me through defensive drills. I'm going to be nursing so many bruises tomorrow..."

Walt sighs. "Yes, Ferris tends to leave people quite sore, but he knows what he's doing." He helps her to her feet. "Very well. I'll stick with you in the next battle, just in case you pushed yourself a bit to hard."

"Hm... Well, if you can keep up."

You can't help but smile as you continue on to Horatio's tent.

The meeting starts off simply enough. You, Rain, and several other ranking officers gather in Horatio's tent to find a table set with a pleasant spread of fresh vegetables, and even some meat. You feel a bit guilty, until a man bearing Meridia's crest assures you you aren't the only ones eating well tonight. Horatio begins the meeting with a toast to your Meridian allies, and a thanks for their contributions to the war effort.

Horatio suggests you hold off on the discussion of strategy until after the meal is over, so as not to be distracted. The meal is eaten with idle pleasantries among those present, though you learn a bit more about Meridia's history. For years, the inhabitants of the hills complained the Carcinan government was repressing their religion, punishing their unwillingness to convert to Grimlealism. Meridia's claim to fame has always been its fruit, wine, and livestock; the popularity of their products was Meridia's only leverage against Carcina. Thanks to several clever politcal dealings, Meridia was able to use this leverage to win their independence, though they had to agree to sale large portions of their harvests to Carcina at reduced prices.

Before you can learn much more, Horatio announces the meal to be finished, and the strategy meeting to be underway. You begin by discussion your scout's findings. No Carcinans were found, though a handful of Risen were seen in the woods. The scouts managed to take several down with only mild injuries. Your army currently has just over 1,100 troops, and plenty of supplies.

Horatio informs you that several troops from Carcina's invasion force came from Tartarus, leaving it grossly undefended. They certainly weren't expecting Valeria to launch this strong of a counterattack this quickly, and certainly not with Meridia at their side. Horatio estimates they have only 300 troops, though they still have the advantage of the walls. Horatio assures you they will need at least a week to rally enough reinforcements to be a threat. "And we will be inside Tartarus well before then, so long as we keep this momentum. We will have no trouble piercing their walls; I already have a plan in place." His grin widens.

End of Chapter 11

Aside: There had been some debate about the possibility of June ending up with multiple partners, so I decided to put it to a vote.

So, let's make an official vote for June's... sexuality.

(1) She's a one-man/woman kind of gal!
(2) Her love is too great for just one partner!