Chapter 19AX: Cave Story
Mihal leads your group towards the capital for several hours. You and Paen ride close beside him, and you notice Paen stalwartly refusing to glance sideways. Finally, Mihal calls a halt near a large patch of wood, and your now-sizable host slows to a stop. He motions to the brush. "Through there is a hidden trail. Near the end of it, a cave hidden behind some shrubs. They should be in there - I doubt they have any idea we're coming since you did such a thorough job routing them before, but we should be on guard."
"How many are there?" you ask.
"I've done my best to avoid these degenerates, but the few times I've been here, I only saw a few. I'm fairly sure there's more of them, though - they never let me very far into their den."
"No mercy," Paen announces. "We go in and kill them all."
"Perhaps I should go in. If I tell them I came to let them know you've left..."
Paen shoots him a glare and he falls silent. "June. We let none escape. Your plan?"
(A) Send Mihal to bluff his way in (choose up to two "servants" to send with him - they'll have no armor and simple weapons)
(B) Send a small team to sneak through the woods and scout (choose up to four)
(C) Full-out assault
(D) Tactician: Send your main group in, while the NPC's watch the rear
As a reminder, the Carcina team is: Paen, Mary, Claudia, Bud, Haley, Wendy, Ferris, Alyssa, Jessup, Dan, John, Charon, Rosalin, Cecil, June, Mihal (NPC), and 50 elite troops (NPC - mix of wyverns riders, knights, mages, and cavaliers).
You signal the captain of the reinforcement team. "Watch the rear," you tell him. He glances to Paen, who gives him a small nod. He salutes you, then steps back to pass along the order. "Everyone else, we're going in en masse. Watch each other's backs."
You take point, while the rest fall in behind you. You push your way through some thick brush, finding a poorly-worn trail hidden behind it. You quickly follow it, hoping to keep the element of surprise. You notice a glint of steel in a bush in the distance, and hurl your hatchet before stopping to think. You hear a muffled cry as a figure falls forward - a brigand. Your party rushes forward to check for others, but you find none. It seems you caught him while he was out... relieving himself. While you stopped him from raising an alarm, you need to hurry before anyone becomes suspicious of his absence.
The path makes a sharp curve ahead, with a small cave mouth tucked into a short hill. Peering into the darkness, you can see nothing save for a small chamber. Alyssa creeps in, before motioning silently to a large boulder. Looking more closely, you can see a small passage tucked behind it - but it's much too small to allow your mounts in.
(A) Leave the riders/fliers (excluding June) behind to guard the entrance
(B) Bring the riders/fliers in, unmounted
(C) Leave all riders/fliers (including June) behind (choose a leader for the infantry team)
"The mounts aren't going to fit," Alyssa whispers.
"Wendy, Haley, Claudia, Dan. Cover the rear, make sure nothing sneaks in behind us," you command, dismounting. Everyone else starts filing quietly into the cave... except Paen. He dismounts his horse and begins stomping quickly past the others before you can stop him.
From behind the boulder, you suddenly hear a strange voice. "Hey, who are y-"
Paen yells in rage and you make it through the hidden entrance in time to see his lance pierce clean through an unfortunate bandit. He struggles to pull his lance free, to no avail. He leaves it and unsheathes his sword, instead.
"Kill them all!" he bellows, storming ahead.
The others behind you hesitate, and you know you have to give your orders quickly. Scanning the room, you find a large cavern with a couple of bandits - you count 5 assassins, 3 warriors, and a wanderer, not counting the man-sicle Paen had just created. The edges of the cave are lined with a few small alcoves turned into barred cells - you can see 3 laguz hidden in some, many empty, and a few being used to store crates. There may be a few bandits tucked where you can't see them, but the others seem to be surprised. Some are unarmored, while others are just now fumbling for weapons.
Choose your objective:
(A) Kill all enemies
(B) All laguz escape
Choose your strategy:
(1) Press your advantage and strike while they're surprised
(2) Try to drag Paen back and advance steadily
(3) Let Paen kill everyone while you rescue the prisoners
"Kill them all!" you echo. "Charge!"
The bandits are in utter disarray. Several scatter towards the rear of the cave, but a few attempt to stand their ground. One bandit manages to ready his bow, but Bud's arrows find him first. Another readies an axe, only to find himself face-to-face with an enraged Paen. Another pair of bandits step out of cells, a confused look on their faces. One is killed almost instantly by John, and the other jumps back into the cell. The wanderer stands in the rear, readying his weaponry and barking orders at the other, killing one of his own men as he attempts to flee, before he seems to realize just how dire the situation is.
The wanderer turns and starts to run through a tunnel with the few bandits who reacted fast enough to escape the slaughter. Paen bears down on the half-dozen that are fleeing down a distant tunnel. You move to follow him, but a voice stops you. "W-wait! Don't leave us!" You whirl around to see a taguel reaching towards you through the bars.
A) "Wait here!" (follow Paen)
B) Leave Alyssa to start freeing everyone, continue the pursuit (Ferris, Cecil)
C) Stop Paen, let the bandits escape
D) Go after Paen by yourself, leave the others with the prisoners
You quickly assign Alyssa to door-opening duty, and tell Ferris and Cecil to watch over her. As your host pursues the enemy down the twisting caves, a few enemies manage to loose arrows toward you, which Paen deftly swats away as he rushes forward. Two are unfortunate enough to lose their footing in the darkness and are easily taken down by your surge. The pursuit lasts only a few moments, the enemy flashing in and out of your sight, before you can see a light at the end of the tunnel. The enemy breaches the exit well ahead of you.
As you burst out of the exit, you're surprised to find the bandits standing in place. As your eyes adjust to the light, several figures come into view. Half a dozen halberdiers, their lances trained on the slavers, flying the colors of Carcina. It takes you a moment to recognize them as members of your reinforcement unit. A single wyvern flaps overhead before coming to land amongst you.
"Captain! Excellent work," Paen smirks.
"How did you...?" you begin.
"Sir! When you ordered us to watch your backs in case of reinforcements, I thought it prudent to scout for other entrances to the caves and deploy troops," he answers.
"We'll take them to the nearest fort before continuing to the capital," Paen announces. "They can stay there a few days until this is all said and done - I want to take my time asking them all about their little organization."
"Yes, si-" the captain begins. One of the bandits, a desperate expression on his face, suddenly raises his bow and takes aim. The captain barely manages to avoid the arrow, falling from his wyvern in the process.
Before anyone can react, Paen's blade is at the man's neck. "Drop it." The clatter of his bow hitting the ground, echoed by his compatriots. "You alright, Captain?" Paen asks, still staring the
bandit in the eye.
"Yes, sir," he groans as he picks himself up.
"Get this trash out of my sight," Paen growls as he sheathes his blade. "Reform ranks at the main entrance and prepare to march. June, Mary, I need you with me," he commands, turning back into the cave. The two of you follow as the rest of your group helps to lead the prisoners away.
The return trip through the cave gives you a bit more time to appreciate it. While chasing the bandits, you failed to notice all the small alcoves containing supplies and... gold? Noticing a few coins beside a small sack, you pick it up. The weight and the clinking give away its contents - and you notice several other small bags on the way. "Blood money..." you hear Paen muttering under his breath. "When we drop those traitors off, I'll order a team to recover all this coin. I'll be damned if I let any of their friends come get it later."
You'd noticed all the slavers were using bows before, so you aren't surprised to find a large cache of them. You are surprised to find a beautiful bow among them, ornate wings carved around the grip. You decide to take it - Anna can tell you more about it later.
Between the dim cave and the grim atmosphere, the march back to the entrance seems to take hours. Finally, the path opens into the large chamber, where Alyssa fiddles with the last of the locked gates. A group of laguz, many more than you expected, stand in the center of the chamber. As they begin to notice your arrival, their chatter quiets to a few whispers.
"You're free," Paen begins. "And your captors are slain or captured. I offer you each escort as far as you wish. If you prefer to fend for yourself, you have my blessing to take anything those dastards stored in these caverns and leave - we'll make sure you've as much food as we can spare."
You can hear a mixed reaction from the group of laguz. Though many seem grateful, some are clearly upset. You suddenly realize how dangerous they could be. They may not have weapons, but laguz are always armed - and there are several of them.
"I know some of you may have no home to return to. For those of you who wish it - no, who will accept it - I offer full citizenship and a home Carcina. For those of you wishing to avoid beorc, I plan to establish a sanctuary in Sefa forest. In return, I ask only one thing: any information which will help me rid this land of these vile slavers."
The murmuring of the crowd becomes a dull roar. You hear Mary as she whispers to Paen. "A sanctuary in Sefa?"
Paen nods. "Yes. I'll begin negotiations with Saul as soon as I can, but I feel it would be an ideal escape for laguz running from one thing or another."
Over the next few minutes, you begin organizing the group of laguz. A few dart off quickly, rummaging through the bandits' stores before disappearing. Paen, true to his word, lets them leave unhindered. A few huddle around until you lead them outside to the convoy. Upon seeing their former captors in custody, some laguz start to react violently. Paen lets them vent some of their frustrations before stepping in and separating them, putting them on opposite ends of the column.
It takes until sundown to make it to the next fort, the final stop on your journey to Tartan. Paen sees to the prisoners, leaving careful instructions with the garrison's commander, while leaving you to sort out your laguz refugees. You spend hours huddled over maps, troop rosters, and supply ledgers, trying to organize escorts for all the laguz in turn. Finally, the last refugee steps forward. "Where do you want to go?" you ask, exhausted, still writing a letter for a group passing into Valeria.
"Think I'm just going to join up with you guys," he announces cheerfully. "Name's Zephyr," he adds with a bow.
You stop writing and look up. A scrawny laguz looks up at you. You can't quite tell whether he's young or just small. You try to determine what kind of animal he transforms into - his long, floppy ears, hidden behind braided brown hair, remind you of a rabbit's. Clearly uncomfortable with the silence, he looks at you questioningly. "We-e-e-e-ell?" he asks. "Where do you want me, Boss? You are the boss, right?"
By now, you know not to be surprised about new recruits. "Are you sure you want to join?" you ask.
"Yeah!" he says, bouncing back and forth. Definitely a rabbit. "That ol' man got me really fired up! Let's kick some tail!"
"Do you..." you aren't quite sure where to begin, but decide on a direct approach. "You realize we're fighting to reclaim the capital, and then to defeat the Risen, right?"
He stops bouncing. "Risen?" he asks, cocking his head.
For the first time, you realize just how long some of these laguz may have been held prisoner. You think for a minute, then quickly summarize the last few weeks. The laguz hangs on your every word, occasionally interjecting with a question, or an exclamation of how awesome you are. "So, I'm sorry to admit it, but it'll be quite a while before we start hunting down slavers."
"Huh?" he asks, dumbfounded. "Oh, right, them! Who can think about them at a time like this!? The whole world's at stake! Now I definitely gotta join you guys!"
New Character!
Zephyr
Class: Taguel Rex
Skills: Prevail, Fast Burn, Even Rhythm, Beastbane, Evasion (reduces accuracy of non-melee weapons)
HP: **********
Str: ********
Mag: **
Skill: *******
Speed: **********
Def: ********
Res: ******
Luck: *******
"Well, if you're so set on joining us, we're glad to have you," you tell him.
Zephyr pumps his fist in the air. "Great! I'm gonna go find somewhere to sleep. Don't even think of trying to leave me behind! You can't outrun a taguel, y'know."
"Taguel?" you try to ask, but he runs off before the words are even out of your mouth. With a shrug, you decide it's time to turn in for the night, and head off for the garrison's barracks.
Choose 4 supports.
June/Wendy A
June/Dan B
June/Rosalin C
June/Zephyr C
Bud/Ferris C
Bud/Paen C
Bun/Cecil C
Haley/John C
Haley/Mary B
Haley/Zephyr C
Wendy/Claudia C
Ferris/Mary C
Ferris/Claudia C
Alyssa/Charon C
Alyssa/Rosalin C
Alyssa/Zephyr C
Jessup/Mary C
Jessup/Rosalin C
Dan/Paen B
Dan/Claudia S
Dan/Rosalin C
John/Paen C
Mary/Paen X: Guardian of Sefa
Mary/Cecil C
Mary/Zephyr C
Charon/Claudia C
Charon/Rosalin C
Charon/Zephyr C
Paen/Rosalin C
Paen/Zephyr C
You decide it's best to try to learn a bit about your new recruit before sending him into battle, so you try to follow him. You manage to find him talking to one of the fort's guards, who points him towards an armory which had been hastily converted into sleeping quarters for your group.
"Zephyr!" you call out.
He turns and waves, before running over to you. "Hey! Just trying to find out where we're all sleeping tonight. Oh... Right. I don't have a bedroll or anything. I should probably go take care of that..."
You grab him by the collar of jerkin before he can sprint off. You can't help but notice the soft fur underneath as he snaps back into place under your grip. "I'll go with you," you tell him, setting a pace as you guide him towards Anna. "I need to speak with Anna anyway. Pretty sure she's set up shop over this way."
"Anna?" he asks.
"Yes, she's a travelling merchant who makes sure we have everything we need. Wait... If you didn't know who to talk to, about getting a bedroll, where were you about to run off to?"
"I dunno," Zephyr announces cheerfully. "I was just gonna run around until I bumped into someone important-looking. And then I ran into you. See how well that worked out?"
"That's... er..."
"No point planning too far ahead, y'know? I find that things tend to work out better when I just let them happen, instead of spending a bunch of time trying to control them," he explains.
"Well, I grew up on a farm," you explain. "We always had to be thinking ahead. Planning when and where to plant crops, what to buy, what to sell..."
"So you used to be a farmer? But now you're a soldier. That's a bit of a jump," he says, bouncing a bit for emphasis.
"It's a long story," you explain, as you round a building. You can see Anna's wagon nearby. "And it's late. Maybe I'll tell you more later, but for now, we need to get some sleep. We've got a long fight ahead of us tomorrow."
"Alright," Zephyr says. "And you need to introduce me to everyone. Like her," he says, pointing behind you.
You turn and look, but only see shadows in the half-moon's light. "Her?" you ask.
"Yeah," Zephyr announces, suddenly crouching down on all fours before springing into the gloom. You hear a surprised yelp as he impacts... something, rolling with it until the pair come to rest. "Hi!" he says, as you realize he has Alyssa pinned.
"...Hi," she responds, clearly surprised. "I didn't think you saw me."
"I didn't," Zephyr announces. "But I could hear you."
"How?" she asks.
"You're pretty good, but your breathing isn't perfect. And I heard your cloak flapping a few times."
"Thanks for the advice," Alyssa answers. "By the way, could you, y'know, get off of me?"
"OK," Zephyr says, bouncing up then offering Alyssa a hand. "Better luck next time."
"Alyssa?" you ask. "Why were you-"
"I was just out for a walk and saw you with him," she answers as she dusts herself off. "I was curious, so I followed you two for a bit. Plus, it's good practice."
"Hehe... I'll help you anytime you want," Zephyr tells her. "I've always loved hide-and-seek."
"June!" you hear a voice in the distance. You turn to see Anna waving at you. You leave Zephyr and Alyssa to see what she needs.
"Something wrong, Anna?"
"Nope! Quite the opposite. I had some of my contacts look at that bow you found earlier - I don't deal with them very often, so I had to be sure."
"Sure about what?"
"This bow's pretty famous," she answers matter-of-factly. "It's a sacred weapon once used by a prince to fight against a bunch of monsters. They weren't all undead, but I bet it'll work just as well against the Risen."
"That's... great news," you tell her. "But why would those slavers have it?"
"If they were willing to sell living beings, I'm not really surprised they'd have some stuff like this. Maybe they took it as a payment, maybe they bought it and planned to resell it... It's ours now, regardless. And I've asked some of my contacts to go through the rest of the stuff in that cave, but I wouldn't get my hopes up about finding anything else too nice. I'll give you the report after the battle tomorrow."
"I'll leave it to you," you say. "By the way, we've got a new recruit, and-"
"Say no more!" Anna announces, glancing over your shoulder and breaking out a tape measure. "I'll have him armored up and ready by tomorrow morning."
You obtained Nidhogg!
Dan finds Paen and Claudia setting up in the officers quarters. Claudia turns, ready to drive off another star-struck soldier, before realizing who it is. "Dan? Do you need something from the king?"
"I, er... was hoping to speak with you. Alone. If that's alright."
"Take all the time you need. Hell, take the night off if you need." Paen gives her a subtle wink.
"Well then, I guess it's fine. What do you need to talk about?" Claudia asks as the pair head out.
"Well..." Dan hesitates, trying to decide. "Claudia, will you... Um..."
"Yes?" she asks.
Dan clenches his fist for a moment. "Come with me," he suddenly says, taking her hand.
"Where are we..." she asks, stumbling after him.
Dan whistles as they approach an open area, and a wingbeat announces Shard's arrival. Dan deftly springs onto his partner's back, then offers Claudia a hand. She takes takes it hesitantly, climbing up behind Dan. Dan spurs Shard into the air, and a moment later, the trio are in the air.
"Well," Claudia says, leaning over close to Dan's ear to be heard over the rushing wind. "When you said you wanted to be alone..."
"Well, I like being alone with you. The time we spent together... I mean, I'm grateful for all those etiquitte lessions, but the best part was just getting to be alone with you."
"Looks like you've become a real charmer. The ladies better watch out."
"Actually, I'm not sure that'll be a problem. I've only got eyes for one lady."
"Oh? I may be a bit jealous," Claudia says, pulling tighter to Dan. "Who is she?"
"I... I meant you," Dan says, confused.
"I know. I just wanted to hear you say it. I'll admit, you've grown on me quite a bit. And you picked a great way to proclaim your love. Very original, and well-suited for a proposal between knights. And a beautiful night, as well. Bonus points for it being the eve of a climactic battle." She rests her head on Dan's shoulder. "You're off to a great start, but there's a bit more to romance than just that..."
Mary steps into the officers quarters. She can't help but notice Claudia's abscence - normally, she'd be somewhere near the door. Paen sits in gloom, hunched over a desk and writing something under the candlelight. The sound of furious scratching fills the room. "King Paen?" she calls.
He doesn't look up, but he does stop writing for a second, creating a sudden silence. "Yes, Mary?" he asks.
"I owe you an apology," Mary begins. "I thought you'd be just like every other noble I've spoken to - either turning a blind eye to-"
"You've spoken to others about this?" Paen asks.
"Well, yes," Mary says. "My parents, at least. But none of them were willing to listen to a pair of laguz."
"I see," Paen mutters. "I'll want some names later..."
Mary smiles. "I don't understand why you care so much, but... thank you. So much."
Paen puts down his quill. "I should not be thanked for dispensing justice. This is... only what is right. It is my duty, both as a king and as a..."
Mary hesitates for a moment. "You're part laguz, correct?"
"A very small part, yes. I have no powers, but... Well, this I would like to think I'd feel this strongly about the issue even if I were full-blooded beorc."
Mary shakes her head. "I don't think it matters. I just wanted to let you know that... well, I know I said I couldn't acknowledge you as a king before, but I want to tell you that I can. That I believe in you."
Paen smiles as he places wax on the document. "That's good, because I have an order for you." He places a seal in the wax. "I need someone who understands laguz, who they can trust, but who can also deal with beorc. I know you can fill this role."
"What do you mean?" Mary asks.
"Your father called himself the Guardian of Sefa Forest, correct?" Paen stands.
"Well, yes, though it was just a meaningless title..."
"No more," Paen announces, handing the document to Mary. "By the order of King Paen of Carcina, Sefa Forest shall become a sanctuary for laguz, and from there shall laguz and beorc begin a march towards unity. Furthermore, I bestow upon you, Mary, the rank of lady, and charge you with the protection of the territory."
End of Chapter 19AX
So, you're left with 2 decisions. First, who gets Nidhogg. Your current archers:
1) June
2) Bud
3) Rosalin
4) Cecil
No point saving it for someone on the other team, you'll have a chance to re-do items and classes shortly after re-uniting. The more important question is... which path to follow next?
A) Valeria
B) Carcina