Book 3: Eastern Sun

Chapter 14: On the High Seas

You awaken on the outskirts of the town of Mala. Saul seems only mildly dazed, but Claudia and Wendy are unconscious. Paen supports himself against a tree. "Guess you shouldn't use warp powders... back-to-back like that..." he mutters.

"This... may be a blessing. I need to set her arm before I can start healing it..." He stands beside Wendy. "Lady June, a hand, please? Just hold her arm here while I... well, snap it in place. If she were awake, this would really hurt."

A few days pass. Every day seems to drag on, made longer without knowing if your friends are still alive, if they managed to escape from Tartarus. You are especially worried about Haley - you can't stop remembering holding her while blood gushed from the hole in her chest. You also spend some time thinking about her and Ferris... You knew Ferris was interested, but you had no idea she felt that way about you. It's strange, finding out one of your most trusted friends is interested in you, especially one you never even considered as... Well, she is really cute...

Finally, you hear a familiar screech. Running outside to the inn's balcony, you see a wyvern circling the town, with another following close behind it. Claudia, standing beside you, literally vaults from the balcony with a cheer. The second wyvern seems to see her, and swoops down, slamming into the road outside of the inn. He playful nips at Claudia as she wraps her arms around his neck. Several townspeople are gathering and looking out of windows, but she ignores them. The second wyvern lands, and Dan dismounts. You call down to him.

"June! So, you made it after all... Is the archbishop safe as well?"

"Yes, I'm just fine." You hadn't heard Saul join you. His voice startles you.

"Excellent. I'll ride back and tell Doran the good news. The main group should be here by sundown, why don't you warn the innkeeper?"

As he starts to takeoff, you call back to him. "Dan! Is everyone... Is everyone alright?"

He gives you a thumbs-up as he takes off.

True to his word, Dan arrives again just before sundown, this time with the rest of your friends in tow. You run to greet them, only to be intercepted. Marth dashes ahead of the others, not slowing until he nearly slams into you. He refuses to let you pass until you've stroked his head several times, then he steps to the side to let you pass - though he still follows you.

It's a reunion party! 10 supports.

June/Wendy B
June/Syrene C
June/Agni C
June/Jayce C
June/Holland C
June/Paen C
June/Doran C
Rain/Haley A
Rain/Wendy A
Rain/Dan B
Rain/Doran B
Rain/Walt B
Bud/Taika C
Bud/Syrene B
Haley/Wendy B
Haley/Agni B
Haley/Walt C
Haley/Holland C
Haley/John C
Wendy/Jayce C
Wendy/Agni B
Wendy/Dan B
Ferris/Taika C
Ferris/Mary C
Alyssa/Holland C
Alyssa/Charon C
Alyssa/Jessup S (Proposal voted against)
Jessup/Agni C
Jessup/Syrene A
Jessup/Mary C
Syrene/Charon C
Agni/Dan C
Agni/Jayce C
Agni/Taika C
Dan/Taika C
Dan/Paen C
Dan/Claudia C
Walt/Holland C
Walt/Taika C
Jayce/Cynbel C
Holland/Doran B
John/Taika C
John/Fumiko C
Taika/Charon C
Mary/Charon B
Mary/Cynbel C
Fumiko/John C
Fumiko/Doran C
Charon/Cynbel C
Charon/Claudia C
Cynbel/Jayce C
Cynbel/Dan C
Paen/Claudia C
Paen/Saul C

Before you can greet anyone, a blur comes flying towards you. Haley tackles you so hard, you actually fly back several feet. "Oh my gods, June, I've missed you so much! I was so worried!" She pulls you in close.

You return her embrace with a slight laugh. "I've been worried about you, too, Haley. You certainly seem to be much better."

"Yeah, I was really dizzy at first, but now I only get lightheaded if I fly for too long. Actually, I passed out the first time I tried to fly again; I'm really lucky Rain was there to grab me, I guess."

You can hear footsteps approaching, but Haley's hair blocks your sight. "Well, well." You recognize the voice as Ferris' instantly. "I wouldn't mind getting in on this."

It's a good thing your face is hidden in Haley's hair, you can feel it burning. You hear Haley turn and blow a raspberry at Ferris, and you take the opportunity to slip out from under her.

"I hate to interrupt," Doran begins. "But we've got a lot to discuss. The reunion will have to wait."

Before anyone can respond, someone begins yelling. "W-Wendy!? Oh, gods, your arm! What happened!?" Sounds like Bud noticed the sling.

"I'm fine, Bud, just a little break. The archbishop himself's been tending to it, so it should be fine in a day or two."

"J...June! I thought you were going to watch her!?"

You feel a stab of guilt, but Wendy leaps to your defense first. "It's fine, Bud. It's not her fault, I was careless. We had to split up, and I got myself into a fight I could have avoided."

Bud is clearly distressed, but Wendy pulls him into a close embrace with her good arm, though she's barely able to reach around his large frame. He calms down considerably, settling into her embrace and returning it. "I'm just glad you're safe..." he begins.

"You, too..." she replies. You decide to give them their privacy, and head on to the inn, where Doran is gathering everyone.

At dinner, you all sit at one table. Doran sits at the head, with Saul and Paen. Everyone is enjoying to inn's spread of well-seasoned meat and vegetable soup, sharing lively conversation, until Doran stands. Everyone falls silent, until Rain finally asks. "So, Doran, we've rescued the archbishop, and the king of Carcina. Where do we go from here?"

Doran smiles. "Why, to Terranus, of course. Why else would we have met at a port?" A din erupts as people begin discussing the announcement. Doran waits for it to die down, then continues. "Horatio, Filo... No, whoever's behind all this arranged for the leadership of both countries to be killed within the span of a few hours... I'm not sure what their game is, but I'm sure it's not something we'll like. Well, even if their influence extends to Terranus, since they don't have a centralized government, they wouldn't have had much luck, I'm sure."

"That is true, Terranus is less of a country, and more a collection of... what is the word in your language? City-states, I believe," Agni agrees.

"So, what, we're just supposed to abandon our people?" Paen asks.

"Unfortunately so. Right now, the enemy's plan seems to be to kill you, and anything we can do to hinder their plan helps us. Plus, the two jailors Alyssa killed seemed to be Filo's men, and they mentioned a few things about... Well, Terranus' libraries have a vast store of arcane knowledge we could tap."

Claudia looks thoughtful for a minute. "Yeah, come to think of it, they occasionally said something about some dragon..."

Doran nods. "And, there's one more thing Terranus has... The Fire Emblem."

"Yes, well," Saul begins. "There's not much point in retrieving the Fire Emblem without Falchion."

Doran stops for a moment. "You... didn't bring Falchion?"

Saul shakes his head. "There was no time to retrieve it from below the temple."

Doran sighs. "This changes nothing for now. Either the enemy knows about the secret vault, and they already have the sword, or they don't. Either way, we're better off going for the Fire Emblem than challenging an entire Risen army."

"You're forgetting one thing," Paen begins. "Even if you've both the Fire Emblem and the Falchion, you'd need a descendant of the hero-king Marth to wield it."

Doran wags his finger. "Way ahead of you. We've already got one." Everyone falls silent, looking around the room. "Well, that's not important now. We'll head to Terranus, do some research and borrow the Emblem, come back, grab Falchion, then head to Merridia."

"Merridia?" Cybel asks. "Why would we...?"

"It's very simple," Doran begins. "I figured it out thanks to our friend here." He motions towards Cynbel. "Tell me. How did Horatio manage to convince Merridia to join Valeria against Carcina? Well, the motivation was there, but your forces linked up, what, three days after the decision to invade Carcina? They managed to negotiate an agreement, rally their forces, gather supplies, and arrange a rally point? No, this was planned in advance..."

For several seconds, no one speaks. Then, Holland's laugh booms out. "Well, there's out Doran for you. Spends a week in a dungeon, and comes out with a plan to save the world! Not only that, he makes it sound easy as pie!" Several others join in the laughter.

Doran raises his mug. "We've got a long road ahead of us, so rest easy tonight. I'll find us a ship, and we'll set said as soon as possible."

Doran steps off the ship's deck. A new moon tonight, and clear skies... It took a few hours, but he finally found a ship bound for Terranus with enough room to load a pair of wyverns, three pegasi, and several horses, two carts and all your various equipment... not to mention your small army itself. He's not particularly surprised to find a familiar figure waiting for him at the base of the ramp. "Ah, Rain. I was expecting you."

Her usual cheerful personality is gone. "How long have you known?"

"About what? Oh. Right. That. I figured it out back when we were training together."

"How?"

"One day, I was looking for some spears, and I happened to walk in on you changing. Your back was to the door, and I guess you didn't hear me, but I... noticed you brand."

Rain stands incredulous for several seconds. Finally, she asks the first question she can hold in her mind. "Why were you looking for spears in the women's quarters?"

Doran shrugs. "I got lost."

Rain has unlocked the lord class!

Reclass to great lord now?
(1) Yes
(2) No

"So, Saul. Still upset, are you?"

"Hm? Oh, King Paen... Is it that obvious?"

"Yes. Though, I can certainly emphasize. If something were to happen to Claudia..."

"Ah, that dark-haired... She's the captain of your guard, right? Ha... She actually reminds me a bit of Charlotte."

"I'm not one for false hope, bishop. But she is strong, and she had the passage. There is a thin chance she yet lives, and if she does not, I am sure she died happy to have protected you."

"Thank you, Paen. I'm sure Charlotte and I will meet again, on the other side."

Paen smiles, and pats Saul on the shoulder. "I suppose it's time."

You weren't sure what to expect when Saul and Paen asked you to meet them in private. As you enter, Paen stands cross-armed, staring at you. Saul smiles warmly, and offers you a seat. "Lady June," he begins. "...I hereby strip you of your rank of Holy Knight."

You can't form a coherent question, and several syllables escape your lips, but no words. Paen laughs at your expense. "Looks like you broke her, Saul. Told you to let me break it to her!"

Saul frowns worriedly. "No, June, you're... Ah, how do I explain this? Doran suggested this. He said we'd need someone who could serve as a... symbol. A leader, if necessary. Someone not tied to either Carcina or Valeria - or tied to both, rather."

"Just take a knee, girly! You'll understand soon enough."

You shakily drop to one knee. Saul begins. "June of Hearthstone, do you swear to defend the innocent, be they Carcinan or Valerian, young or old, man or woman?"

"I do."

"Will you deliver justice where it is needed?" Paen asks.

"I will."

Saul continues. "Will you forsake all ties to your country, instead dedicating your life to humanity?"

"Yes."

"Well then, girly, rise as Lady June, Free Knight!"

June has been promoted to Free Knight!
Skills: Justice (level 1) - Deal bonus damage while countering or defending an ally
Scale Armor (level 10) - Reduce crit damage to 2x
HP: *********
Str: **********
Mag: ****
Skill: ******
Speed: **********
Def: **********
Res: ********
Luck: ********
Weapons: Axe, Bow, Lance

Rain is now a Great Lord!
HP: ********
Str: ********
Mag: *********
Skill: *******
Speed: ********
Def: ********
Res: ********
Luck: *******
Weapons: Sword, Lance

Paen grabs you by the shoulder. "Well, enough pomp and circumstance. I'll take it from here, Saul. Let's go, girly. Your new equipment's over here."

"New equipment?"

Paen brings you into another room. A set of armor sits on a mannequin. The helmet is solid white, with a green plume. The chainmail is solid black iron, and your chest plate has been replaced with a white half-plate. The shoulder guards are black, shaped like dragons, the edges of a thick green cape clutched in their jaws. The leggings are replaced with a plate skirt, white with black trimming forming an intricate floral pattern. The dark boots, made of thick black leather, stop just short of your knees. The gauntlets are thick and black, with open palms.

"So... How do you like it?" Paen asks.

"It's... incredible. When did you…?"

"Doran had Jake working on it the whole way down. Not many smiths are skilled enough to work in a moving wagon, I'll give him that! We also enchanted that little hatchet of yours. I hear you're rather attached to it, so we had fixed it up to return to you when you throw it."

"When did you...?"

"That pink-shirted thief grabbed it while you were eating."

Paen gives you a few moments alone to change. When you get into your new armor, you find it to be even lighter than your previous armor, but it seems to be every bit as protective, if not more-so. He gives you a smile. "So, want to break it in?"

You meet Paen in front of the in a few minutes later. You test the weight of your axes; they feel foreign with your new open-palmed gauntlets, but you feel as if your grip is improved. Paen notices your discomfort, and walks over, clanking in his heavy armor. "What's the problem? Ah, I see give me your hand." You place a hand in his, and notice he wears similar gloves. He fiddles with your hand for a minute, before sliding a leather strap into from deeper in the glove across your palm. "There you go. I designed these gloves myself - great grip without sacrificing dexterity. See if that suits you a bit better, Girly."

You flip your axe into the air. It feels much better with the adjustment. He adjusts your other gauntlet quickly. "Now then, let's get started!" He twirls a lance over his head, then points it at you.

You don't let him make the first move. Deciding to test your new and improved hatchet, you hurl it at him. It rebounds off his armor, producing an echoing gong. Paen laughs. "You'll have to hit harder than that!" he yells, as he charges into the opening. To your surprise, your hatchet does return to your hand, but you barely manage to grab it in time to fend off Paen's lunge. You raise your axe to attack, but he sweeps his lance sideways, pushing you to the side. He hits you hard enough to knock you several steps sideways, though you barely feel the impact.

You shake off the blow, and charge at him. He charges back. You let his lance graze you and slip far inside its reach, then slam your axe across his helmet. He leaps back, dazed, then grins at you. "Not bad, Girly. That's enough sparring for now. Tell you what, how about I give you a crash course in lancing?"

Claudia glares at you from the inn's balcony - she obviously doesn't appreciate anyone taking an axe to the man under her protection, even in training. She turns and heads back inside. She nearly slams into Dan.

"Oh... Sorry. Captain Claudia, correct?"

"Hm, do I know you?"

"No, we've never met, but I know you by reputation. The Raven - a dark-haired woman who rides a wyvern. They say once your axe tastes blood, you can't be stopped until everyone standing before you is dead. I also hear you're absolutely loyal to our king."

"'Our' king? Ah, so you're... Tell me, why exactly was a Carcinan knight traveling with the Valerian invasion force? It sounds a bit treasonous, don't you think?"

"When the order to invade came down, it seemed... I couldn't follow it. King Paen's always been such a just ruler, I couldn't believe he would just attack Valeria unprovoked. And even if he had, I couldn't bring myself to..."

"Peace. What is your name, knight?"

"Dan."

"Well, Dan. I trust we can count on your loyalty?"

"I fight for what is right, not for my country - but I trust King Paen. I know he would rather die than sacrifice his morality."

Claudia smiles. "An excellent answer."

"Rain?" Walt asks as she strolls into the inn. "It's so late, what were you doing out?"

"Oh... I was just helping Doran search for a ship."

"I see. I wish you had asked me, I would have been glad to help."

"No, no, Walt. You already do so much, you need to take some time for yourself. To unwind, relax?"

"I'm most relaxed when I'm busy. Polishing armor, maintaining weapons; it all helps me clear my mind. I'm not sure how to explain it, there's just something... therapeutic about it. Or with doing drills. The rhythm is... soothing, somehow. The cadence of a march... I just love the predictability."

"Predictability, hmm? Well, stay away from Haley, then..."

As if by cue, Haley descends to the common rooms. "Oh dear..." Walt mutters.

Rain giggles, starting to return to her cheerful self. "I'll see you in the morning, Walt. I think you'll quite like sailing."

"Oh, are we talking about sailing?" Haley asks. Walt excuses himself quickly. "Huh? Where's he... Oh well. I can't wait for our trip in the morning! I was too excited to sleep. I've been trying for the last hour!"

"Oh, my, Haley. Are you really that excited?"

"Well, that's not... everything. I'm... Well..." She looks around the room, then, satisfied no one is listening, continues. "June is... well, we're... I like her."

"...What?"

Haley starts to turn red. "I know, she and Ferris are... I mean, he likes her at least, but so do I, and it's not fair for him to be the only one to get a chance with her, right? Or should I back off? Is it weird? Do you think she doesn't like me? Oh gods, I'm not going to make her hate me, am I?"

"Oh, Haley, calm down. I'm sure she doesn't hate you. And of course you should take a shot at it. But, I don't know if June... well... likes women."

"Oh... Well, do you have any advice?"

"I... Just be yourself, Haley. A relationship can't be built on falsehoods or deceptions."

"Hm... That's true. Either she'll choose me, or she won't! Thanks, Captain!" Haley runs back up the stairs, two at a time.

Rain stands dumbstruck for a moment. I can't even get to my room to think without- "Rain." Now what...?

"Yes? Oh, good evening, Dan. Is something wrong?"

"I was just a bit concerned about Shard. I'm not sure he'll do well trapped on a ship for days on end."

"Ah, that's... I'm afraid I don't know much about wyverns. I know pegasi and normal horses can stand the journey, but wyverns...? Are you worried about his food? Or exercise?"

"Either could become a problem. A hungry wyvern is worse than a cooped-up wyvern, but if he starts to get stir-crazy... Well, Shard's normally rather calm, but it's still worth considering."

"Doran's got some sheep for feed, so we don't need to worry about feeding. I believe your wyvern can take-off nearly vertically, correct?"

"More or less."

"Well, if you're confident you can land on a moving, swaying target, you should be able to take Shard out for some exercise."

"I see. Thank you, Captain." Dan excuses himself with a polite nod.

Rain sighs with relief, and hastily retreats to her room before anyone else can seek her counsel. She flops down on her bed, but sleep eludes her. A relationship can't be built on falsehoods or deceptions, huh...

"We're heading back to Terranus tomorrow, huh?" Taika wraps her arms around Agni's neck.

"Yes, it would appearing so."

"It feels like just yesterday we were on a ship setting out on our journeys... We've learned so much since then. I have, at least," she adds playfully, letting Agni go. "So, do you think the archsage will approve you?"

"I... am hoping so. Being with these people for so long, I have seen quite much, and I am feeling they are rubbing off on me. They are... good people. How to describe it?"

"They're good for the soul. Just being around them is cleansing. Their dedication is refreshing, y'know?"

"Dedication, hm? That is a good word. I like it."

"Hey, Agni. I just realized, we haven't really spoken since we met up."

"Well... part of the point of the journey is the separation from what is known. If we spent all our time together, would this not be defeating the point?"

"Huh. I suppose you're right, Agni. Well then, I suppose this is the end of our journey, so we're free to spend some more time together, right?"

"All of life is a journey, Taika."

You spot Wendy in the common room of the inn, and decide to speak with her for a bit. "Hello, Wendy. How's your arm?"

"Much better, thanks. I should be able to fight again in a day or two."

"Well, just make sure you don't try to do too much too fast and hurt it worse."

"You're right, June. Don't worry about me. If worse comes to worst, I'm sure Bud will take care of me."

"Oh, I never congratulated you! Bud's a great guy, I've known him all my life. He'll be good to you."

"I'm sure! He's such a sweet man. We still haven't decided what we'll do after all this is over, but I'm sure we'll work it out."

"He really loves you, Wendy. I'm sure he'll be happy, so long as he's with you."

Wendy tries to hide her smile. "Thank you, June."

Syrene tends to her mount, brushing his coat. "We've really been pushing ourselves to get here, haven't we...? Well, you'll have a nice, long rest once we set out tomorrow. In fact, you'll probably get a little sick of resting..."

"Syrene?"

"J-Jessup? How long... when did you come in?"

"Oh, I was just looking for you. I noticed you didn't eat much during dinner."

"O-Oh. Just... worried... concerned... anxious. Anxious. About the trip."

"You're having trouble with words again? You were fine talking to your horse."

"It's not the... It's different. With animals. They aren't expecting you to... use the right words. So, I don't have to... think so carefully about what to say."

"So, you think your stutter is something about... panicking?"

"W-well... Maybe?"

"I see... Though, I noticed you don't normally stutter this bad around me. Not since we were children."

"Oh, really? I... I don't think anything has... changed... Has it?"

"Maybe I'm imagining it." Jessup excuses himself. "Oh, and make sure you eat a good breakfast tomorrow, alright?"

"Okay."

Jessup bumps into Alyssa patrolling the inn's perimeter. "Oh... Alyssa. I... want to ask you. Do you think love can bloom, even on the battlefield?"

Alyssa looks thoughtful for a second. "Yeah. I do. I think at any time, any place, people can fall in love with each other. But if you love someone, you have to be able to protect them."

"Oh... Thanks, Ali..."

Alyssa waits until Jessup is out of earshot. "I'll always protect you, Jessup..."

John notices a white tail bobbing behind the inn's counter. He walks over. "...Fumiko?"

The tail goes straight up for a moment, then Fumiko stands up. "Oh, hello. You're Mary's friend, aren't you? John, was it?"

"Yes. Um... What are you doing?"

"Cleaning up behind the counter. It's a bit of a mess. Don't worry, I got the innkeeper's permission. He's taking the night off."

"Oh, that's quite nice of you."

"Well," Fumiko says, scratching the back of her head. "I'll admit I have selfish reasons. I couldn't sleep knowing how filthy it was down here." She grins sheepishly.

"I see... Still, I'm sure the innkeeper appreciates it."

"Ah, I suppose. Would you like to help? I mean, some people think of cleaning as a chore, but I enjoy it, so don't feel obligated."

"Ah... Cleaning keeps the soul humble. I... very well, then."

Sproing, sproing, sproing, sproing...
Oh, that infernal squeaking... Walt forces himself out of bed. Jayce sleeps soundly next to him, somehow able to ignore the irritating noise coming from the adjacent room. Walt makes himself decent, then goes to knock on his neighbor's door. To his dismay, the short red-head answers the door. "Yes?" she asks.

"Oh... Haley. You're in this room... Of course."

"Is something wrong, Walt? You seem upset."

"No, I just... Could you stop bouncing, please?"

"Bouncing? Oh! Sorry. I'm just really excited about tomorrow. I'm practicing for sailing by imitating what a boat's going to feel like."

"Imitating...? You mean you're bouncing to imitate the rocking of waves?"

"Yep! Though it's not quite right. The bed's too hard. I'm going to have to wait, I guess."

"Yeah, I guess so. So, you'll stop?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry!"

"Thank you. Well, good night. I'll see you in the morning."

"Later, Walt!"

Walt returns to his room, returns to bed. Practicing for sailing... Walt lies in silence for a few moments, before bouncing on his bed a few times. He hears a giggle through the wall. Walt quickly stops, his face flushing.

Mary stands on the inn's balcony, watching Charon dance. Charon twirls one last time, marking the end of his routine. "So..." he says begin pants. "Do you understand now?"

"...No, not really..." Mary says.

"What? But... I put my heart into that dance! My soul! How did that not touch you?"

"I said I don't understand. Not that I don't feel touched. How can simple rhythmic movements inspire such emotions?"

"How should I know? I just do the dancing! You're better off asking a philosopher. Like that Agni guy!"

"Hm... Maybe I will."

"...So... About our deal?"

"Our deal?"

"Remember? You said if I could prove dancing inspired people, you would wear a dancer's outfit?"

"Did I? I don't recall."

"Aw, that's no fair! I worked so hard on that dance, too. Choreographed it just for you!"

"It would be a bit silly for me to just wear a dancer's outfit, don't you think? Just strolling around, casting magic while half-naked? The outfit's just to help accentuate your movements. Tell you what... Teach me to dance, and there would be a reason, wouldn't there?"

"Ah... Fine! We start right now. Copy my movements. Ready?"

Aside: There were many, many posts debating the Haley/June/Ferris love triangle

Alright, this has gone on just about long enough. At this rate, we'll hit 500 posts way before Eastern Sun's over. This ends here.

(A) June/Haley S
(B) June/Ferris S
(C) Ferris/Haley S

The morning sun rises over the water, giving it a golden glow. The salty spray being blown across the sea feels warm. Doran stands with a list, marking everything as it's loaded onto the ship. A mountain of a woman stands next to him, dressed in a red-striped shirt with matching bandana. A large axe is strapped to her waist, and she wears several pieces of gaudy jewelry. You stand, transfixed by the beautiful sunrise, the bustle of the crew loading the ship, the lapping of the waves, until the sound of someone walking up behind you draws your attention. You turn to see Haley.

"Um... June. I wanted to talk about... What I said, back in Tartarus. I... um... Well..."

You can't do this anymore. "Look, Haley, you're a dear friend. But I just don't... think of other girls that way."

"O-Oh... Right. Of course. I'm... sorry. Um... Excuse me." You can see tears welling in her eyes.

"Haley, wait..." It's too late. She's already gone, and you think she'll probably want to be alone for a bit. You decide to track her down later tonight.

It's finally time to board the galley. Doran calls everyone to the base of the gangplank. The large woman scans the crowd, until you notice her fixated on your hip. You realize she's looking at your pair of axes - you returned your hand axes after your hatchet was upgraded. When she meets your graze, she gives you a slight smile, revealing blackened, crooked teeth. You resist the urge to shudder.

"Everyone..." Doran begins. "This is where it begins. I warn you, if you board this ship, you are going to be risking life and limb. If you have any doubts, turn back now."

No one speaks. Finally, Holland speaks up. "Like we'd back out after coming this far!" Several others echo their assent. Doran smiles warmly, and the woman throws her head back in a deep belly laugh.

"Very well then. Everyone, meet the captain of our ship, Rosalin. She'll be in charge while we're on the ship, so make sure you listen to her. She knows her stuff. One last thing before we set out: Rain has an announcement to make."

Rain strides forward, and you notice she wears a new outfit. Her armor seems more polished, thicker. She also wears a large, deep blue cape. A pointed rapier is attached to one hip, and a javelin slung across her back. As she strides forward, the wind catches it, and it billows out behind her, revealing a deep V cut into the back of her platemail. Just below the base of her neck, you make out a strange mark. She takes her place next to Doran. You notice her take a deep breath before turning. "Everyone... I want you all to know, I am a descendant of Marth. Please forgive me if you feel I've deceived you, but I prefer not to reveal my identity. I want people to respect me for my talents, not my bloodline." No one speaks.

Doran breaks the silence. "Well, then. Let's set out, shall we?"

Rosalin works your group like dogs, having you tie lines and hoist sails. Her crew spends most of the time standing around and laughing at you. By evening, Rosalin calls to everyone. "All right, ya landlubbers, ye've earned yer keep for the day. My crew'll be handling the night, so go'an' get yer supper!" Your exhausted friends all shamble towards the ship's galley, though some are definitely holding up better than others. Walt seems to be in particularly good spirits. Jessup, on the other hand, is still green from all the time he's spent leaning over the side.

You notice Haley is absent from dinner. Ferris asks you where she is, but you have to admit you don't know. He strokes his chin thoughtfully, then excuses himself without eating.

Haley sits atop the crow's nest. Her boots rest behind her as she dangles her legs in the breeze. She doesn't seem to notice the slight tugging on the rigging until Ferris hoists himself up and onto the platform beside her. "Here you are, Haley. I thought you'd be belowdecks with the horses."

"Oh... Ferris. No, I... Well, I was, but I needed some air."

"Air, huh? Well, there's certainly plenty of that around here. Mind if I join you?"

"No, go ahead. I'm just watching the sunset."

Ferris sits beside her. "Wow..." The sun sinks below the horizon, turning the water into an array of golds, pinks, and oranges. "It almost looks like the water's on fire..."

"Yeah... It's pretty, isn't it?" Ferris nods in agreement.

The two sit in silence for a few seconds, before Haley leans against Ferris, resting her head on his shoulder. Ferris stiffens suddenly, then slowly relaxes. Eventually, he drapes his arm around Haley's shoulder. As the last bit of sunlight fades under the horizon, the two still sit atop the ship. "It's getting kind of cold..." Ferris begins. "You want to head back in?"

"...Not yet," Haley replies. Ferris sighs, and pulls her in closer. The pair sit in silence for several minutes, watching the stars appear.

You begin your search for Haley in the makeshift stables set up belowdecks. After that, you tried her room. Eventually, the captain noticed you searching, and slapped you on the shoulder. "The wee little red-head? Har, she be on the crow's nest with that steely-eyed swordsman!" When you look up, you notice two pairs of legs hanging over the side. You decide to leave them be.

The next morning, Haley seems back to her normal chipper self. She greets you when you come in for breakfast. "Hey, June! I heard you were looking for me last night."

"Oh, yes, we-"

A cry from the decks cuts you off. "Sail ho! Coming from the west!" You head out to the decks, along with several others curious about this new ship."

A pirate stands beside the captain, peering through a small telescope. "Black sails, and gaining on us. I ne'er seen them colors a-fore... They're gaining on us somethin' quick, though. We should be even a-fore high noon."

Rosalin snorts. "All this extra cargo's slowing us down." You notice her looking at your group. "Well, naught to be done about it. We'll know their intentions once they catch us."

(A) Suggest turning to face the ship head on
(B) Decide what to do later, once they get close enough to see more clearly
(C) Swing wide and see if the the ship will pass by
(D) Stop and see how they react

"Maybe they're friendly?" you suggest.

"Yeah, and I'm the bloody queen of Carcina. Ain't no ship flying black sails friendly."

"Well, maybe they at least don't care about us. Why don't we just move to one side and see if they'll pass us?"

"Aye, I'm sure they'll just sail on by. Hard to starboard!" Rosalin hurls the ship's wheel to one side, and the resulting shock sends you off your feet. You hear a shriek of rage from one of the wyverns below, though you aren't sure which one. Rosalin lets the ship move off-course for a bit, before readjusting back towards the east. "Anything?" she asks her spotter.

"They're maintaining heading, cap'n!"

"Herm... Maybe they're not after us after all..." You continue to sail east, keeping a close watch on the black-sailed ship. Eventually, it is almost even with you. They have few crew, though you can see them eyeing you suspiciously. You notice a few archers taking positions on their starboard bow and point them out to the captain. She nods. "Aye, I noticed. But so long as they ain't actually aiming at us, I'm inclined to let them pass."

(A) Try to hail the ship
(B) Order archers and mages into defensive positions
(C) Attack!
(D) Do nothing

"Defensive positions!" you call. It snaps your teammates out of their quiet observation, and they grab anything they can throw, shoot, or launch at the opposing ship, and form up on the port side. You see a flurry of activity from the other ship, see them scrambling into better positions. They nock arrows, and their few mages open their tomes. For several tense seconds, both crews stand stock-still, pointing their weapons at each other. A sudden gust of winds causes the sails to billow out with a loud "snap!" One of their archers, startled by the noise, loses his grip, and sends an arrow flying. It flies straight towards Mary...

But she steps to the side, and it clatters harmlessly to the deck. "STOW IT!" a voice bellows. You turn to see Rosalin glaring angrily at you. "I'm in charge here, whippersnapper! Now, all of you, back up and put yer bloody weapons down!" The members of the other ship, seeing your group backing down, respond in kind. The ship slowly pulls ahead of yours, until it's gone beyond the range of your weapons. Rosalin waves you over to her side.

"Why did they just let us go? I thought they were-"

"Those were probably smugglers, girl. A small crew on a fast ship? Probably had their whole crew on the rails, even them what don't know nothing 'bout fightin'. Just wanted to scare us into not attacking, I wager."

"Smugglers? Well, then, shouldn't we have stopped them? We had more than enough manpower..."

"And what? Loot their corpses, load up on their contraband? Bah, t'ain't my job to patrol the seas and clean out smugglers, and I don't want no marked goods on this ship! No point startin' a fight with no payout! You may know about bein' a knight, girl, but I know about the high s-"

"Sail ho! Fore!"

"Now what?" Rosalin calls back.

"Two more ships! Black sails, no mar- wait, skull-and-crossbones! They're on an intercept course!"

"Bah..." Rosalin growls. The smuggler ship begins making a hard turn to port. "Looks like our little friends don't want to play..."

"Wyverns inbound!" the spotter cries.

(A) Dispatch a single flier under a peace banner to the smugglers, suggest an alliance (choose who goes, and another option as well) (Claudia)
(B) Send fliers to intercept the wyverns (choose another option as well)
(C) Follow the smugglers
(D) Turn to starboard, split away from the smugglers
(E) Maintain heading and meet the attack head on
(F) Hold position and wait

Fliers available: Wendy, Haley, Dan, Claudia - if you send them to intercept, they'll ferry another person with them; if you don't specify who, I'll pick from your archers and mages. Yes, you can pick A and B and a third choice.

"Captain, I'd like to meet them head-on."

"What!?"

"We may not be well-versed in the ways of ship-to-ship combat, but if you can turn this into a boarding fight, we can take care of the rest."

Rosalin looks you up and down, sizing you up. "Well, ya'll do see pretty tough, I'll give you that... Bah, fine! Not like we can outrun them anyway! Full speed ahead!"

You notice one of Rosalin's crew members staring at the pirate ships. "Gods, they're fast... I don't think I've seen such a large ship going at that pace before." When you look at the incoming ships, you realize their sails are billowed out. But the wind's blowing from the west... "I reckon we've only got about 20 minutes before we're on top of them."

You think for a moment. "I'd also like to send someone over to that smuggler ship and let them know what we're doing."

"That's fine, so long as you don't provoke them! It's already two-on-one, we don't need a third enemy!"

Within a matter of seconds, Claudia has her mount ready to go. "Dan and I were about to go on a quick flight anyway," she says with a wink. Her wyvern flaps a few times, then climbs almost straight vertically.

"And try not to scare them!" Paen calls to her as she flies off.

"Everyone else, prepare to intercept those wyverns!"

The wyverns split into two groups. Most of them turn your way, but a dozen move towards the smuggler ship. You watch Claudia circle low around the other ship, then hover into a gentle landing. Five minutes later, she takes off again, charging at the enemy wyverns as they bear down on the ship. Before you can send anyone to help her, she shoots upward, and a stream of arrows flies from the smuggler's ship, striking several of the enemy riders as they attempt to follow Claudia. The second group of wyverns prevents you from watching the rest of the fight, as you ready your bow and begin firing.

Your group fells five wyverns before they get near enough the ship to do anything. One flies towards your mainsail, and attempts to slash across it. Your arrow strikes his mount in the throat, and it falls from the sky, grazing your ship before rolling over into the sea. Your ship's railing shatters under the impact, and you realize falling wyverns could become a serious threat. Fortunately, the remaining dozen break off their attack and pull back out of your range, trailing behind your ship. They're waiting to attack our backs once we're busy with the other ships...

You see a wyvern coming your way, and quickly recognize it as Claudia. The entirety of the smaller wyvern force is nowhere to be seen, though a few of the smuggler ship's sails have been damaged. It now seems to be moving at the same pace as your ship. A pair of the wyverns following you attempt to intercept Claudia, but the rest of your fliers have prepared. They take off to escort her, catching the pair off-guard and dropping them into the ocean.

Claudia lands, and immediately makes her way to you. "They aren't happy about it, but with their sails damaged, they can't make a break for it. They aren't going to be much help in a fight, but they'll keep those wyverns off our backs. The captain did tell me to make it clear that he's running at the first sign that we're losing."

"I like the cut of his jib... Alright, looks like they're moving into position." Sure enough, the smuggler ship is turning back towards you. Rosalin maneuvers her ship to meet them, and soon your makeshift fleet is charging at the two enemy ships.

The two enemy ships are coming in side-by-side, trying to catch your ship between them. The smuggler ship follows almost directly behind you. You can see they only have about 20 crew members, though some look like they've never held a weapon in their life. You actually spot one wearing no armor save for a tin pot on his head and carrying a ladle.

Rosalin's crew is much larger, forty well-trained axe fighters and archers. Including your group, the ship is near capacity. The enemy ships are both about the same size as yours, so you estimate them at fifty troops apiece, not counting their wyverns. Ten still remain, flying behind you, but out of your range.

At their current rate, the enemy ships will be on top of you within ten minutes.

(A) Tactician: Send fliers to target one ship's sails and try to split them up (choose an additional option)
(B) Send fliers to attack the wyverns (choose an additional option)
(C) Try to cut in front of one ship and put it between yours and the other
(D) Let them attack from either side - Rosalin's crew will fight with one ship while you deal with the other
(E) Tell the smuggler ship to distract one ship while you deal with one, then go help them
(F) Custom

You'll also need to decide how to deal with the ships after you get in range.
(1) Fire. Then get away before your ship catches.
(2) Board the ship. Kill everyone.
(3) Take a defensive stance and let them come to you.
(4) Custom.

New Character!
Rosalin
Class: Berserker
Skills: Pillage (chance to recover a dead enemy's weapons), sea legs (reduced cost of moving on water), wrath, axefaire
HP: **********
Str: **********
Mag: *
Skill: ********
Speed: *********
Def: ***
Res: **
Luck: ********
Items: Killer axe, hand axe, concoction

"Let's see if we can split those ships up... Fliers, move out! Hit the port ship's sails, and Captain Rosalin can cut starboard. That should give us a chance to at least do some damage to one ship before the other can aid it... If the captain approves, of course."

"If they've got the balls to attack that thing, by all means. But know we won't be able to back you up!"

"She has a point... Agni, Taika, Mary. Go with them, use your fire; you too, Wendy. Stay as far back as you can."

"Oh! I want Agni to ride with me," Haley entreats. "Our hair's the same color!" Agni shrugs, and climbs up behind her.

"Oh, awesome! I get to ride one of these dragons!" Taika exclaims, clapping her hands together. "I pick... This one!" She takes a running start, and hurls herself atop Claudia's wyvern. He hisses in protest, but Claudia calms him with a quick pat.

I suppose you're with me, milady," Dan says calmly, offering Mary a hand to help her up.

"You sure you're alright, Wendy?" Bud asks. "Want me to go with you?"

"I'll be fine casting magic, Bud. I'd rather ride single this time, so that I can grab someone if anything happens." Bud bites his lip, nods, and gives her a quick hug. She climbs on her pegasus with a grin on her face. "All right, everyone, follow me!"

Nothing you can do but watch them and hope... But your faith pays off. The enemy sees them coming, and several men rush to the rails to defend the ships. A few throw axes, but very few have bows. A trio of mages reveal themselves, and start hurling blasts of wind at your team. So that's how they were sailing against the wind...

Claudia sweeps low across the pirates' deck, sending two spiraling into the water as she crosses, while Taika sets a sail on fire with her magic. Taken aback by her bold move, the enemy doesn't have time to counterattack before she clears their range. Dan and Haley take advantage of the confusion. Haley goes for the mainsail, while Dan targets some of the aft sails. Wendy hangs back, ready to move in if either needs help. Dan gets in and out with no problems, with Mary hitting two sails with fireballs.

As Haley passes, Agni hurls a pillar of flame towards the mainsail. It connects, but peters out. Haley slows enough for him to fire again, and one of the wind mages slashes at her with blades of air. Agni's flame strikes the sail, which erupts into a massive fireball. At the same time, the wind connects with Haley, and her pegasus gets knocked to one side. It plummets towards the ocean, and for a moment your heart seems to stop. At the last second, Fare pumps his wings powerfully, grazing the ocean as he recovers. Their mission accomplished, your fliers don't linger. Their flight back is significantly shorter, with your ship now only a few lengths outside their firing range.

Rosalin cuts hard to starboard. "Prepare to board!" she calls, and her crew respond with a roar. Massive planks seem to appear from thin air, and her crew lines them up to port as you close in on the intact ship. "Har, lookit that junk, dead in the water! Not so tough without yer sails, are ya!?" she yells mockingly.

As you come alongside the intact pirate ship, planks begin launching from both your and their ships. In a matter of seconds, several wide bridges span the small gap between your ships.

Over the enemy ship, you can see the second ship's burning sails falling to the deck, the crew running about in panic. You realize their deck has caught fire from the falling debris. The maneuver with the few small sails they have left, pulling up alongside their partner ship.

The wyverns announce their attack with several loud screeches coming from behind you. True to his word, the smuggler ship's captain brings his small ship to intercept them, and their barrage of arrows downs a few, and forces the others to fall back.

Your troops establish defensive positions on the planks, with Jayce, Walt, Holland, and Cynbel bearing the brunt of the assault. Ferris and Fumiko occasionally step in to pick off other targets, but your mages and archers are able to handle the majority of them.

One of the wind mages gives Holland some trouble. A gust of wind knocks him back, and he clutches at his stomach as if the magic went right through his armor. You drop your bow and charge to take his position, bringing your new lance to bear. "You should have just surrendered!" You skewer the wind mage, then hurl him into the sea below.

On the far side of the enemy ship, several planks have been shoved over from the now-burning one. The crew evacuates from the flaming ship, straight into the fray on the other ship. As the last of the crew leap off, the surviving wind mages blast the flaming wreckage as far away as they can.

The smuggler ship, having driven the wyverns back, now continues towards the east as fast as it can manage - looks like they're taking advantage of the confusion to slip away.

"Blasted layabouts! Let me show you how a real man does things!" The captain of the enemy ship relinquishes the wheel to one of his subordinates. He brings out a massive axe - almost as large as you, though he seems to have no trouble holding it in his equally large hands.

"You!" Rosalin cries. She grabs her axe, leaving the helm to her first mate. She descends the stairs to the deck, and starts advancing towards the planks. "Clean the wax from yer ears an' listen well! That blackguard's mine!"

Current status

Enemy - Pirates: 70
Boss - Daren - Berserker
Partner - Rosalin's crew: 40 (current orders: defend)
Neutral - Rosalin - Berserker (currently advancing towards Daren)

Allied injuries: Holland (moderate), Haley (moderate), Agni (minor)

(A) Try to stop Rosalin and maintain your defenses
(B) Maintain your defense, but send a small group along to support Rosalin (Rain, Holland, June, Paen, Claudia)
(C) All-out attack
(D) That fool's on her own

As Saul heals Holland, you leave the planks under Fumiko's protection and grab him. You also wave over Rain and Paen as you intercept Rosalin. "We're going with you."

Rosalin glares at you for a moment. "Bah, fine! But if ya lay a hand on that bilge rate, I'll gut ya!"

"Deal. Holland, watch Rain's back."

"No arguments here!" Holland grins, leaning back to glance at- Rain smacks him.

"Paen, think you can keep up with me?"

"Oh, I imagine so," he says, hefting a steel axe in one hand, and an elwind tome in the other.

With Rosalin taking point, you charge across one of the planks to the enemy ship. Claudia, seeing Paen crossing, charges at the plank from the side, sending several pirates careening into the water. The force of the wind she generates almost knocks you off with them, but you manage to keep your balance. Rosalin takes advantage of the gap to leap onto the enemy ship's deck, where she is quickly surrounded. "I've no interest in you small fry!" she yells, as she rips a man's arm off with her axe.

The remainder of your strike team forces its way in behind her, but her reckless charge soon allows a wall of pirates to separate you. Pirates are still crossing the other planks, being held off by your men.

"You!" a voice bellows from the enemy deck. You realize it belongs to the enemy captain. The pirates spread. "She's mine..." the pirates spread out, forming a small arena for Rosalin and Daren to fight in. She approaches him, and the two begin circling. After you finish off the handful foolish enough to challenge you, you move to aid Rosalin.

"Don't interefere!" she calls to you. When you lower your weapons, a few of the pirates part enough to let you watch alongside them; the others stop crossing the planks, more interested in the fight than charging to their deaths. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this..." Rosalin mutters, raising her axe. "You'll pay, you son-of-a-wench..."

"Har! You think you can take me, Harpy? With that likkle axe?" He throws his head back and laughs. "Tell ya what, wench, if ya can beat me, I'll let yer little boat go free."

Deran's skills: Swordbreaker, HP+, Wrath

(A) Accept
(B) Refuse
(C) Tactician: Demand a two-on-two (choose who fights alongside Rosalin) (Paen)

"Hold!" you yell, forcing your way into the ring. "Surely the captain of your other ship would like to weigh in? Or does he want to let you fight all his battles for him?"

"Lass-" Rosalin begins.

"Are ya callin' me a coward?" a sage steps forward from the rest of the pirates. "I hide behind no man - but I'll let Deran have his fun."

"Well, what if we made it two-on-two?"

"And who'll be fightin' beside the she-bear? You?" Deran taunts.

You step aside, and Paen steps through the crowd. "Do I look like a worthy opponent?"

"That armor won't protect you from my magic..." the sage begins. "But if you really have such an urge to die, then I'll accept!"

Deran shrugs. "Fine by me."

Rosalin glares at you, then spits. "Fine."

Paen rolls his neck, eyeing the pair expectantly. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this..." he says, He raises his tome. "Make the first move..."

For a moment, everything is still. No one moves, even the crowd is silent. Suddenly, the sage raises his hand, pointing at Paen. Everything suddenly bursts to life. The crowd starts shoving and yelling like a throng of school children watching a playground scuffle. Wind launches from the sage's hands, forming a tornado that completely envelops Paen. For a moment, he is hidden from view behind a light-green vertex. When it clears, he stands motionless. "Is that all you've got?" he finally asks, raising his hand.

Rosalin hurls a hand axe at Daren, following close behind it with her killer axe in hand. Daren ducks the hand axe, running in with his oversized axe. The two lock axes as Paen sidesteps and hurls a gust of wind past the pair. The sage dodges to the side, and a pirate who had been standing behind him goes flying. He counters by hurling a gust of wind back at Paen. Paen answers by charging forward, taking cover behind Deran.

The spell misses, and Deran leaps back in surprise. Paen takes advantage of the gap to charge between the dueling berserkers. He readies his lance at as he charges. The sage, caught off guard, tries to sidestep, but is too late. The short spear penetrates his shoulder, and he yells in pain. Paen rips his lance free, only to be struck by a second tornado. "You should know when to give up..." he mutters, as he swings his lance in a wide arc. The shaft connects with the sage's neck; the sage falls to the deck and doesn't rise. Daren looks over in surprise, but Paen merely rubs his shoulder. "He's all yours, Rosalin," he says.

Rosalin smiles wickedly as she charges in towards Daren. He meets her head on, cutting sideways with his axe. Rosalin breaks her charge just in time, then slams into him with her shoulder. He gasps and stumbles back, but recovers in time to block her follow-up blow. He kicks her backwards, then swings his axe downward. She takes only a short sidestep, allowing the blow to strike her on her shoulder guard. It penetrates her armor, and a small stream of blood squirts from the wound; however, Daren immediately realizes his axe is stuck, and Rosalin is within striking range.

"No quarter!" she yells, as she drives her axe directly between his eyes.

Every pirate falls silent. "You... scrumpet..." Daren manages to mumble as he falls to the deck.

Rosalin stands tall over her fallen foe, ripping his axe from her shoulder. "You don't deserve such a clean death, scum..." As she raises her new axe, she calls out to all the pirates surround her. "Yer captain is dead. Those of you what don't wish to follow him, I recommend tossin' yer weapons overboard."

Slowly, the pirates begin to comply, tossing their weapons over the railings. A cheer goes up from your ship, and Rosalin proudly turns and marches to the planks, her new axe slung across her shoulder. As she steps onto the planks, she turns for one last comment. "And don't let me catch any of you wagtails in this stretch o' sea again." You follow her back to your ship as she orders the planks withdrawn. Within minutes, your sails are unfurled and you are back on your way. There is no sign of the smuggler ship, and the pirate ship remains stationary until it's out of sight.

Rosalin seems to be in an exceptional mood, loudly singing - if you can call it that - shanties from her place at the helm. Eventually, you can restrain your curiosity no more. "Captain... Why did you... Who was he?"

"Er... I may o' been a... well, a pirate, a-fore I took to legitimate sea business. And I may o' left the pirate bus'ness after me crew mutinied. And he may o' been the leader o' that mutiny. O' course, that's all jus' idle speculatin' on my part." She gives you a smirk. "But it certainly feel good to have me ol' axe back. I missed it somethin' awful. A weapon like this is like a lover's kiss, Lass!" She leaves you to ponder her meaning as she returns to her caterwauling.

Rosalin is exhausted!
Rosalin received a unique weapon: Garm!

Choose a character. No, you don't get to know why.

(A) Taika
(B) Jayce
(C) Fumiko
(D) Charon

End of Chapter 14