Seasons of Sorrow - A Fire Emblem CYOA

by CDM6

SoS is a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style story. It is set in the world of Awakening, hundreds of years in the future. Voting is taking place on another site - as the story advances, chapters will be added here as well. The story follows the life of a young farm girl. After her village is attacked, she finds herself working as a mercenary for the Holy Knights.

31. Chapter 22 - Setting Sun

Chapter 22: Setting Sun

---

At first light, obscured by a thick fog, you gather your forces. After a small breakfast, you split company with Jake and Anna and head west. A few villagers wave from windows, but none seem willing to venture out into the open. Almost immediately, the town disappears into the haze as you begin wandering along a trail twisting between hills.

Cynbel and Alyssa lead the way. You entire army is on edge, utterly silent. Frequently, shadowy monsters appear on the periphery of your vision, only to reveal as old, twisted trees as you get closer. You keep expecting the enemy to ambush you, but no attack ever comes. Throughout the morning, the fog becomes lighter and lighter, though it never seems to quite disappear completely. The result is a grey, muted world.

You march for the better part of the day. It's well into the afternoon when Doran signals for a halt. He gathers everyone close. "We're almost there. Everyone take up defensive positions and be on the lookout for enemy scouts. Alyssa, Cynbel, June, and I are going to go get a look at the enemy's force." Before you can object to being volunteered, Doran takes you by the arm and starts leading you off the trail and up a hill. Another two hills, and Cynbel stops you. Crouching low, your team peers over the top of the final hill.

At the base of the hill is a flat, barren plain ringed by hills on three sides. The final side simply stops, ending in a cliff. The ocean is visible well off into the distance. Several roads pass through this valley, ending in a small semi-circular village backed up against the cliff. From this distance, you can make out what appears to be several small houses, and a few larger buildings. One stands out in particular: the building ringed by the rest is massive, built of a white stone. Doran points to it and whispers. "That's our objective. The council building." It's nearly a mile from the edges of the hills to the council building in all directions, with several hundred feet of open space followed by collections of buildings and alleys.

Guards are posted at regular intervals around the periphery of the towns. Each group contains a dozen troops - two snipers, two sages, and the rest divided among warriors, heroes, and halberdiers. You count six of these groups, each close enough to move to reinforce another. "There," Alyssa points in between two groups. You follow her finger, but don't see anything at first. After a few second of careful scanning, you notice a rogue tucked into an alley. "They've got spotters out. I doubt even I'd be able to sneak up on them, especially with such an empty approach."

You go back to scanning the town. Past the outermost bands of troops are three large clusters of heavy units, blocking the three main roads. Doran counts twenty generals in each. "Probably there to stall while the other troops move in to surround us," Cynbel suggests.

Finally, the council building itself, far, far behind the line of generals. Twenty entombed are milling about, seemingly at random. "They have Risen mixed into their ranks?" you ask. "If there was any doubt they were behind this..." A pair of massive Risen chiefs stand on either side of the entrance, flanking a monstrous blob of a Risen. It takes a minute to determine its form, but you recognize it as a dragon. Standing on all fours, with glowing purple eyes, its flesh seems to be sloughing off at random, a purple ooze seeping out from beneath. Faint purple wisps can be seen pouring from its nostrils even from this distance.

"Anyone see any calvalry?" Doran asks.

"No," Alyssa mutters.

"Strange," Cynbel adds.

Doran shakes his head. "I think we've seen enough. Let's head back."

---

Reuniting with your allies, you share the information you gained. You notice Drake snap to attention when you mention the dracozombie. His face twists into a snarl and he reaches for his dragonstone, but Harrow puts a hand on his shoulder. He glares at her, but slowly puts his stone down.

"The enemy force isn't too big," Doran explains. "They probably had the majority of their troops on their borders. What worries me is the fact we can't find the enemy's calvalry."

"Any chance they were hiding in the town?" Paen asks.

Doran shakes his head. "Not likely. We had a pretty good view."

"Then they're probably hiding in the hills somewhere. Waiting to attack us from behind while we cross the field," Cecil says.

"Or, they could have gone to call for reinforcements," Saul suggests. "Did the enemy seem to know we're coming?"

"They had lookouts posted, and troops at the ready. So, it's quite possible," Doran admits.

"OK. So, what's the plan, then?" Rain asks.

Doran looks over at you. "This is going to be a tough fight. I've got several ideas, but I think it'd be best to decide as a group."

You nod. "Let's hear them."

Doran stands a bit taller. "First thing's first. Establishing our objective. We don't need to wipe out the enemy this time. Our only goal is the get a force inside the enemy's headquarters. Mary, does the Goetia tell you how to harm this Bune creature?"

Mary pulls the tome out and flips to a well-marked page. "Yes, it has a few counter-measures. Advanced magic circles. I've studied them quite a bit, I think I can emulate them."

"Good. June? Is Armads...?"

You shake your head. "It's strong, but I don't think it's going to be particularly effective against a demon."

Doran nods. "Right then. That means Paen, Mary, and Rain can fight this thing. Our ob-"

"U-um..." You turn, surprised to see Charlotte stepping forward. "I can do it. I-I can kill it."

Doran looks at Saul. He nods in confirmation. Doran rubs his chin, then continues. "Our objective is not to rout the enemy force. Our objective is to seize the front gate, then hold it while a team clears enters.

"Option one. We attack as a group, try to break through the enemy's lines, then dig in. This is putting all our eggs in one basket, I know, but we may have the best chance fighting the enemy as a group, even if we're heavily outnumbered. The biggest concern is if enemy re-positions to surround us. I'm not sure we can protect our healers and ranged units if we're attacked from all sides.

"Option two. A diversionary attack. One group moves in from the north, draws as many enemies as possible, and tries to hold them there. Meanwhile, a second group moves in from the south and tries to break through to the council building. The second group will be at risk, especially if the enemy doesn't take the bait.

"Option three. Same as option two, but we utilize our fliers to drop our second group right in front of the council building. This puts the second group at even greater risk, but it may catch the enemy completely off-guard.

"Option four. We launch a series of probing attacks with small groups. Hit and run, pick off a few enemies at a time. The risk is the enemy cavalry. Whether they're waiting to ambush us and attack our rear, or they're off calling reinforcements, they could allow the enemy to trap us."

No one speaks. People are scratching their heads, rubbing their chins, and thinking.

Paen breaks the silence. "I'm all for that first plan. We're much tougher than them. So long as you guys are all behind me, I could defeat a hundred of those weaklings."

"You may have to, with that plan," Rain protests. "Like Doran said, our objective isn't to rout the enemy. The third plan's risky, but generals are slow." Holland clears his throat, but Rain ignores him. "We just have to beat those Risen before they reinforce the enemy."

Dan pats his griffon. "Even counting Drake, there's only five of us. So we could bring nine or ten of us. Seems pretty risky, but I like the other version of that plan better. Option two, wasn't it? Makes it a bit safer."

Cynebl steps up. "Like Paen said, we're tougher than the enemy, just outnumbered. Plan four means we can keep chipping away at them until we find a vulnerability to exploit."

Wendy raises her hand. "The problem with that plan is the enemy cavalry. If they're hiding in the hills, our fliers can find them. And if we can't find them, that means they're riding for reinforcements."

Doran nods. "True, but it would give away our position. And if the enemy is out bringing reinforcements, we'd be wasting valuable time. Anyway, it looks like we've got people in favor of each plan. June, what do you think?"

(A) Support option one
(B) Support option two
(C) Support option three
(D) Support option four
(E) Support sending fliers to scout for the enemy cavalry
(F) Custom plan: Send fliers to scout while ground units dig in; cavalry begin picking off enemy units on the outskirts of the town

"I don't see any reason we can't combine some of these plans," you suggest.

"Which ones?" Doran asks.

"The enemy cavalry's the big problem here. If they've gone for reinforcements, we're on a strict time limit. If they're waiting to ambush us, we need to be slow and careful. What they're doing completely determines the smart course of action here, right?"

Paen nods. "If we knew where they were, we could go ahead and start already."

"But in case they are going for help, we don't have time to sit around doing nothing. So, I think we should split into three teams. Some fliers to hunt for the enemy, and one team to prepare for either possibility. We'll have our cavalry take advantage of the enemy being spread out to pick a few of them off, which will help if we need to rush the city." You point at a nearby hilltop. "And we'll have our infantry setting up a fall-back point, just in case our cavalry is ambushed or needs to retreat."

Everyone falls silent, each clearly lost in thought. Doran is the one to break the silence. "Well, then. I have no objections. Anyone?" Silence. "Right. No time to lose. June, take command of the cavalry. I'll take charge of the infantry here. If anything goes wrong, have Saul signal us with some fire magic. Claudia, Dan. You're in charge of finding the enemy. Make a quick sweep of the hills surrounding the city; if you don't find anything relatively close, assume they've gone for reinforcements and report back."

"Send Zephyr with them," you add. "He's been a big help before."

"That's one less for our team," Rain points out. "You sure about that?"

You nod. "Everything depends on finding or not finding their riders. We can't afford to miss them and have them sneak up behind us."

Harrow nudges Cynbel forward. "Cynbel. You know this area best. Assuming the enemy's bringing help, how soon would they get here?"

Cynbel shakes his head. "It's not like I know every inch of this country inside and out. But given the terrain and distance... Assuming the enemy riders we let escape the other day headed straight here to announce our arrival, probably not long after sunset."

You glance towards the horizon. The sun's sunk enough to frame the town itself. A few hours. Not a harsh deadline, but one that could sneak up far faster than you expect. You also notice you'll be charging straight into the sun if you attack the town head-on, and make a quick decision to attack from southeast.

---

You form ranks at the south end of the plains. Haley and Walt flank you, while Saul and Cecil lag a bit further behind. Wendy and Rain perch at the top of a nearby hill, waiting for your signal to charge. Fumiko sits calmly behind you, while Harrow rides double with Saul. Drake clings to Rain, clearly unhappy with the arrangement. You give one last glance around. Haley gives you a reassuring wave. Walt adjusts the grip on his poleaxe, then gives a nod.

You urge Marth forward. He begins a slow walk while you call over your shoulder. "Stay together, and watch each others' backs." The others start to follow you.

You push Marth into a trot. "We hit them, we bleed them, then we move to the next group. Don't let them box you in." Everyone starts to pick up speed.

You give one final order as you shift to a gallop. "If you even think you need help, call for it." A call of acknowledgement rings out from the group behind you.

The enemy forces are quick to notice your approach. By the time you're halfway across the field, an alarm has been raised. The small, southernmost group takes up a defensive position. Four heroes raise their shields, while a trio of halberdiers brace behind them. Their sages and snipers stay well to the back, along with a bow-wielding warrior. From the corner of your eye, you see the nearest group starting to move your way - but, if all goes according to plan, you'll be gone before they can link up.

With less than twenty feet to go, Fumiko leaps from Marth's back, hurling a fireball at the heart of the enemy formation. A hero yells in surprise and staggers backwards. You correct your charge slightly, aiming for the gap in the enemy's rank. As you rush through, one of the halberdiers takes a swing at you. It barely grazes your arm, easily deflected by your gloves' hidden plating. You answer with a swing of Armads, with the full weight of Marth's charge behind it. You catch the halberdier high in the chest, just below the neck, and he falls limp instantly. With a deft swing, you yank Armads free while continuing your charge.

Beside you, you hear the crash of steel-on-steel as Walt slams into the wounded hero, bowling him over. Haley stops short, driven back as the remaining lancers and a hero turn on her together. Cecil looses an arrow as he passes wide, catching the hero in the side and giving Haley the opportunity she needs. Saul launches a bolt of lightning at one of the snipers, stopping him before he can fire at Rain. Wendy lands beside the warrior, her Delphi shield glowing bright. The warrior fires an arrow, only to have it bounce harmlessly off. Wendy's manticore answers by slashing him with his tail, while Wendy thrusts with her lance. The warrior staggers back, badly wounded, but still alive. One of the sages raises a heal staff, only to have Harrow latch on to his arm with her jaws.

You take a quick stock of the situation. Two of the heroes lie dead, and one of the halberdiers. They've lost a sniper, a sage, and their warrior is badly wounded. Half their team, gone in a heartbeat - your group is responding to each other's needs almost instinctively. The next enemy patrol team will be on you in a matter of seconds - another dozen troops to your nine. They're following a smaller road that seems to connect the major roads, forming a ring around the city outskirts. You look down the main road, and you see one of the heavy armor teams already in position. Twenty generals, all slowly lumbering your way. Maybe a minute, if they keep their pace. We can't stay any longer. We need to-

Your thoughts are interrupted by an ear-splitting roar. The dracozombie perched on the stairs to the enemy headquarters is staring in your direction, jaws wide open, smoke billowing from its maw. Drake leaps from behind Rain, transforming in mid-air and roaring a response. "ABOMINATION!" Before you can react, the dracozombie lunges from its position, leaping into the air with more agility than a creature of its bulk should be capable of. Drake answers the challenge, charging headlong at the enemy. The pair slam into each other right above the enemy generals. Drake is knocked back, grabbing his opponent even as he's hurled away. The pair tumble in the air before disengaging. You call to Drake, but he ignores you. "This is my fight!" he roars in your direction before shooting straight up towards the clouds. The dracozombie responds in kind, rocketing up with a trail of purple smoke trailing it.

Rain makes a move to follow, but the arrival of the second enemy group prevents her as a pair of arrows barely whiz past her head.

"Have faith!" Harrow calls out. "Leave him!"

You notice the enemy Risen don't shift to fill the hole in their ranks, or even react at all.

(A) Retreat back to the open plains and hook around to the north
(B) Charge through the second enemy patrol to escape
(C) Stand and fight in the open road
(D) Rush the enemy generals

"Pull back!" you order, turning Marth around. Everyone responds quickly, breaking for the relative safety of the open plain. A halberdier tries to block Walt, but he charges right past. A hero grabs at Harrow, but only manages to pull out a fistful of fur. You take it slow, making sure everyone else is clear before pushing Marth into a canter.

The enemy reinforcements make no move to pursue, instead shifting back to help the first group lick their wounds. The generals halt their advance, moving back to the middle of the road. You bring your troops wide around the city, cutting away to the north. As you pass the center road, you see two more of the six outer groups joining together and taking a defensive position. The enemy is reacting shockingly quickly to counter your strategy, combining its forces to make them harder to pick off. As you swing around back to the northwest, you notice a rogue ducked down an alley. You hurl your hatchet, but he slips behind a box. Before your allies can follow up, he's disappeared.

Walt sloppily applies a vulnerary to patch himself up while you travel. Haley's got a few shallow cuts - Hallow hops up behind her and starts the healing process. By the time the last two groups of enemies are in sight, everyone's ready for the next round.

The northeast group is moving to join the northern group, who are taking positions on the northernmost road. If you break into a charge, you should be able to hit the closer of the two before they link up, but you may struggle to stop before plowing into the heart of the other group. It's risky, but the enemy's ranged units are exposed. Alternatively, you could try to swing wide drive a wedge between the two groups, aiming to cut across the sides of each - maybe score a few hits and end up behind them.

With the enemy groups consolidated, there's a lot more of the town unguarded. It would take some time, but the layout of the town's fairly simple. It would take some time, but you think you can slip down some of the smaller roads to slip behind one of the enemy formations. Or, you could drop back for now and call in the infantry for backup.

If your estimate is correct, Zephyr's team should be reporting back soon.

(A) Attack the moving group
(B) Cut between the groups
(C) Try to get behind the enemy formation (choose center, north, or south groups)
(D) Signal the infantry
(E) Wait (short, medium, or long)

"Cut between them!" you shout. You push Marth harder, tracing a wide arc. You rush down the north road, hugging the buildings on the left. You can hear the others following close behind. Just as the first member of the reinforcing group comes around the corner, you're in position to swing Armads. He reacts much too slowly, and is sent sprawling from the force of the impact alone.

You slow Marth as you clear the enemies, considering your next move - you'll likely need to duck down a small street, or turn around. One after the other, your troops fly through the gap between the two groups. The soldiers leading the reinforcements respond much too slowly, being struck time and again. The group they were attempting to join tries to reposition, but the warrior on its flank is struck down. One of their halberdiers lashes out, raking across Wendy's arm, but not doing any serious damage. Cecil swings his blade at an archer, but his attack falls just short. The archer retaliates, but the arrow deflects off Cecil's plate.

Saul and Harrow bring up the rear. The enemy reinforcements, finally realizing what's going on, surge forward. Harrow is able to weave through them, but a hero lands a solid hit on Saul. You can see some blood across the hero's sword as it's pulled back. Saul winces, but manages to keep his seat and force his way through the rest of the enemies. "I'm fine!" he calls as he slows to join the rest of your group. Rain swoops down, a healing staff in her hand.

You slow to a stop, huddling together while you think for a moment. The two groups have joined together, and are repositioning their warriors and halberdiers in front, moving their sages and snipers to the new rear. Two warriors, three heros, and a sage lie dead, and a pair of halberdiers are wounded. Eighteen remain, taking a defensive position, waiting for you to make your next move.

(A) Charge back the way you came, passing to the plain
(B) Attempt to rout the outer north enemy group
(C) Head through the side roads back to the plain
(D) Go for another group's rear (choose center or south)
(E) Attack the enemy generals

---

You are now Zephyr, a few minutes earlier

---

You really can't decide if you like this whole flying thing or not. On the one hand, you can see for miles - and you don't really have to worry about predators up here anyway. On the other hand, there's nothing quite like stretching your own legs, and the monster you're riding would eat you given half a chance. You try not to think about it too much. Dan seems to have a good handle on the beast. It wouldn't mess with you while he's around. Plus, it'd be hard for it to eat you off its back. You keep telling yourself that, anyway. Really, it could just roll over and over. You could hold on for a while, sure, but eventually it'd be able to throw you, and then you-

Right, looking for horses. Enemy cavalry. Scanning the horizon's almost a waste of time with all the hills, even from this height. But you figure you'd be able to glimpse at least a few troops on the edges of the formation, unless the enemy knew you were looking for them. As you soar high above hill after hill, the landscape blending into one giant mesh, you start to become convinced that the enemy's not around. Guess they went for help after all.

You let yourself look away from the ground for a minute, partially to keep from getting sick. You search the clouds for for any sign of those two dragons from before - that would be all you need, one of them suddenly coming out of nowhere. There hasn't been any sign of them since they disappeared several minutes ago.

You finish looping around the outskirts of the plain, and Claudia looks at you expectantly. You shake your head, and she seems satisfied. She banks back towards your infantry's base came, and Dan follows suit. You're excited to see the ground slowly coming closer. You're tempted to leap off as Shard glides the last couple of yards, landing with a thud on the edge of the hill. You force yourself to wait patiently, jumping off when Dan gives you the go-ahead. You make a beeline for Doran, not wanting to spend any more time with these Wyverns than necessary.

You don't have far to go, much to your dismay. Doran saw you coming, and eagerly awaits your report. You start before he can speak. "Nothing," you answer the unasked question. "There's nothing out there for a few miles, at least."

"Reinforcements are coming, then. Cynbel said we'd have until sometime around sunset, so we've got about two hours, by my reckoning..."

"We're ready to march!" Paen announces. "The only question is where?"

"June's group looked like they were about to attack the north," Claudia announces. "But would she want us to link up with her and push in together, or attack from the south to prevent the enemy from joining together?"

"If we're trying to pin the enemy down, it's not like we need a full commitment. A few troops at each entrance will make them think twice about making a move," Doran suggests. "Though we'd be stretching ourselves a bit thin."

You sit back and let them debate. This was never really your strong suit.

"Let's just let her tell us, then," Paen says. "She has a better handle on the situation than us. In the meantime, we'll advance to the edge of the plain, far enough to respond a bit quicker."

Doran nods. "Dan and Claudia can join her group and deliver the message at the same time."

"There were a lot of archers still around," Dan informs him. "If June's pushed into the city, we may not be able to reach her safely."

You step forward to volunteer. "I'll go!" you say, before realizing a second voice was echoing your own. Sherry.

Doran whirls around, noticing Sherry for the first time. She crosses her arms. "I would have joined the cavalry team earlier, but my mount was busy."

You sigh. Mount? I have a name, you know. Really, carting her around wouldn't be so bad - she's light enough, even with that armor, that it just adds a bit of a challenge. You just wish she'd show a bit more gratitude about it. Too late to un-volunteer now, though.

Doran whips a pen, ink, and parchment from compartments tucked into his outfit. He quickly jots down a few lines. Glancing at the paper, you realize it's a list of potential plans, signals, and alternatives. He writes almost faster than you can track. After a few seconds, Doran produces a small essay, rolls it, and hands it to you. You start to slip it into your belt, then notice the subtle look of envy on Sherry's face. With a shrug, you toss it to her. In her surprise, she barely manages to catch it. She looks at you, confused for a second. With a small smile and a nod, she slides the message into her armor.

You stretch a bit while the rest of the infantry makes preparations to move up. Sherry stands by, patiently waiting for you to finish. "Race you to the bottom of the hill!" you blurt out.

"Wha-?" she starts to ask, but you're already gone. You observe in amusement as she stumbles down after you, more concerned with speed than balance, even though you outpace her by several yards. "Not... fair," she accuses once she catches up to you.

"Just a bit of harmless fun," you tell her. With that, you clutch your beaststone. A familiar heat flows from it through your hand. You let it build until it permeates your entire body, then hunch over. The heat explodes out of you in a brilliant flash of light, and you feel yourself changed. You feel more agile, your senses are sharper, you feel stronger. Your entire body feels more response, sharper, more... right. If it weren't so tiring, you'd stay like this all the time. Or, maybe not - a lot of people don't react so well to a giant, talking rabbit. Well, the kids seem to love it but their parents aren't usually so enthusiastic. Sometimes people give you carrots, though.

Your internal debate's cut off by Sherry climbing onto your back. You can tell she's being careful, but she still pulls out a bit of fur. You try not to react, but she seems to notice you tense a bit. "Sorry," she mutters. She grabs onto the makeshift harness you threw together, and you wait for her to signal you. You watch out of the corner of your eye as she breathes deep, tests the weight of her lance, then pumps her fist to psych herself up. "Alright," she starts. "Let's g-"

You take off, cutting her off mid-word. The plains looked a lot smaller from the sky. Making a direct line for the northeast corner it still takes you several minutes. A group of enemies watch you from the center road, but they don't move to stop you. A few loose arrows in your general direction, but you're far enough away that you easily weave through them.

You see Rain dive down between two buildings, somewhere along the northern road. A small alleyway between the center and north roads looks promising - if you follow it, you should have no problem finding a way to June's group. You steer towards it. A stretching sound catches your ear, and you realize what it is just as the follow-up twang echoes from the alley. You have just enough time to lunge to one side, nearly throwing Sherry, as an arrow flies past.

Subtle movement gives the shooter's position away as he reaches for another arrow. A rogue, tucked into the alleyway behind some barrels. Sherry notices him as well, and hurls a javelin in his direction. He ducks and it sails over his head. Sherry quickly readies another javelin as the rogue, his cover blown, drops any pretense of stealth. You quickly look for another way into the town, but realize there's no guarantee that all the alleys aren't being watched. Probably better to fight through a seen enemy than deal with an unseen foe, you reason to yourself.

You size up your opponent - that seems to be where your leaders always seem to start, gathering information. His armor's not much, you and Sherry could both easily shred it. But he's pretty agile for a beorc, though not quite to your level. The barrels he's using for cover offer him a pretty good advantage on that front, though. His weapons... The bow looks pretty un-exciting. Smells silver-y. The sword on his hip, on the other hand, is unfamiliar to you. It's long, with a vicious-looking curved edge. Something tells you that if he manages to land a hit, it's going to hurt.

(X) Stay back, have Sherry keep throwing javelins while you dodge
(Y) Charge in together from the front
(Z) Have Sherry dismount and distract him while you maneuver to get behind him

---

You are now June.

---

You order your troops to turn back to the north. It's time to strike a strong blow. You're outnumbered 2-to-1, but you're confident in your group's skills. "Take them out!" you order, charging into the enemy formation. They've turned to face you, but haven't yet managed to enter an effective formation.

As your team crashes into the enemy again, you easily pick off a few of the troops you wounded in the first charge. Rain nearly loses her seat as she dodges out of the way of an arrow. Another sniper hits Wendy, but her Delphi shield deflects his shot. Harrow tries to tackle one of the heroes, but he raises his shield and manages to stand his ground. Harrow's sent sprawling backwards from the force of the collision. Fumiko charges in after Harrow, but the hero manages to sidestep and counterattack, raking his blade along Fumiko's flank. She falls to the ground, and a warrior raises his axe to follow-up. You start to rush over, but you can't make it in time. Fumiko's injuries aren't as bad as they appear - she waits until the last second before rolling to one side and counterattacking her surprised opponent with a wall of flame. A sage targets Walt, but Walt clips him in the head with his poleaxe and the sage staggers back, his concentration broken.

The battle quickly devolves into utter chaos. Your side quickly gains the upper hand as the enemy formation shatters. Each enemy troop starts fending for himself, while yours continue to work together. A sniper targets Saul, but Rain dives down from behind him, slashing with Falchion. Wendy follows behind Rain, eliminating the last of the snipers. Fumiko manages to work her through to your fliers; she tries to help by attacking a sage with her fire magic, but the attack doesn't do much damage. Haley charges over one of the warriors, attacking mercilessly. Walt takes on a pair of heroes, holding his own and even landing a few hits before you manage to come to his aid. Cecil continues to stand hold back, supporting you team with arrows. A hero and a halberdier split off and target him. They manage to land a few hits before he draws his blade and drives them back.

One of the enemy heroes retreats, ducking down an alley. A halberdier tries to follow him, only to be cut off by Wendy. The enemy commander, a warrior, raises his bow and seems to debate between shooting the hero and aiming at your group. Finally he settles on shooting at Harrow's back. You yell out a warning, and Harrow whirls around. The arrow barely scratches her as she moves out of the way. She throws her head back and releases an earsplitting howl. The warrior staggers backwards, dropping his bow. Harrow charges; the warrior raises his arms to guard against a leap, but Harrow stays low, tearing at his leg. The warrior cries out in pain as he falls to the ground. Before he hits, Harrow seizes his throat and ends the fight.

In all, three enemies managed to escape, while the rest litter the ground at your feet. You send Rain up to search for enemy reinforcements, but none seem to be coming. You can see the generals still holding position down the road. Rain calls something down, and points towards one of the alleys. You turn Marth to face it, ready for a fight.

"June!" Sherry calls. She leaps off of Zephyr's back, running the last few steps. Zephyr shifts out of his beast form, stretching.

You notice a sizable bloodstain on Sherry's armor around a large slash mark. "Whoa. Are you OK?" Walt asks.

"I'm fine," she boasts. "Nothing a little medicine couldn't fix."

Zephyr scratches his head, looking a bit guilty. "I should've moved faster. I didn't expect him to be that quick."

"Let Harrow take a look at it, just to be sure," you warn her. "Zephyr, you're back from scouting?"

"Oh, right!" he answers, suddenly remembering why he's here. "The enemy cavalry's nowhere to be seen."

You whirl around to look at the sun. Still a while before the enemy should be arriving. "I take it you already told the infantry?"

"Yeah, that's why we're here," Sherry says. "Here." She slips a folded piece of parchment out of her armor. A few specks of blood dot one end of it. "Doran wrote up a list of possibilities and ways to signal them. They're standing by at the base of the hills."

"No more subtlety, huh?" Cecil mutters. "Well, not like we have time to pussyfoot around."

"So, what's the plan?" Haley asks. "Things seem to be going pretty well."

You look over the message. Most of the plans are variations of two plans: have one team act as a diversion while the other tries to break through the enemy lines, or to attack one of the enemy groups from both sides, link up, and move in as a unit.

(A) Keep pressing in through the north while Doran attacks the outer west team
(B) Attack the west team from behind while Doran attacks their front
(C) Loop around to attack the outer south team while Doran attacks the center
(D) Stop to heal (consumes time; choose another option as well)
(E) Custom plan

You settle on catching the enemy's center group in a pincer strike. You glance over Doran's note and find it as the first option - it looks like Doran was expecting you to go with that. You ask Rain and Saul to both shoot up a fireball to signal, then you start to lead your troops from the north road. With Rain guiding you from above, you weave through a few smaller roads and easily find it.

You wait for a few moments until Rain signals that the infantry has arrived. Your cavalry pours out onto the western street and charges at the enemy's rear. Your timing is perfect. Their front is just charging to meet your infantry when your calvalry appears from nowhere. A few enemies raise warning alarms, but there's nothing they can do. You cut through the enemy's rear lines with no resistance, their healers and archers falling before your onslaught. The enemy front line soon finds itself surrounded. They put up a hard fight, out of spite if nothing else, but they are routed with no serious injuries on your end. A few troops took some hits, but nothing life-threatening.

"Looks like you've been busy, Girly," Paen announces. "Routed an enemy team and no one hurt? Nice work."

You cross your arms and smirk. "That's two down, and one injured."

Doran nods, then orders a few troops to watch the alleys for rogues. "What's our next move? Hit the last enemy patrol, or move in on the generals?"

You glance at the sun, just now dipping below the roof of the enemy headquarters. "We need to move in. Fresh troops at the front, support in the middle. My group'll bring up the rear, watch for enemies and take a few minutes to breath."

"Right, then," Doran agrees, calling the troops to order and establishing a simple square. "Let's move!"

The enemy generals hold position as you approach, forming a solid wall in front of you. As you approach, a chill runs down your spine. You aren't sure why. You tell yourself it's just a case of the nerves and shrug it off. Your fliers patrol the south end of your group, waiting for the last enemy outer group to make their move.

(A) Stop to heal
(B) Press the attack
(C) "Something's wrong..." (Defeated enemy units will become Risen)

You call your group to a half. You point to a nearby sidestreet to the north. "With me!" you shout. "Paen, we're front guard. Walt, Doran, take the rear. Rain, give them a hand!"

Doran runs to your side as your group hesitates. "Something wrong?" he asks.

"Yeah, we never considered that there may be reinforcements in the citadel. We need to drop back to a defensive position and see what the enemy's next move is, now that we've kicked the hornet's nest."

Doran looks hesitantly towards the western sky. "Alright, but we can't spare too much time. If the enemy doesn't make a move soon, we won't have a choice but to dive in."

You nod, slipping into the side street. Paen catches up, falling in pace beside you. Doran stirs the rest of your team into action. "You heard her, we're falling back! Down the street, go!"

The first road you come to is wider than you expected, and seems to arc to the northern main street. But you want to head for the eastern town exit where you'll have a clear view of the council chambers, so you slip down a smaller road heading that way. While the first street seems to have been built to allow carts to pass, this one seems like it was made for people on foot only, barely more than a gap between buildings. Two abreast is the most most of your troops can walk, and it takes a moment to start to funnel your way down the path.

A few small alleys branch from the path you're on. You peer around each corner, expecting to slam straight into an enemy ambush. Ahead, you can see another road, another of the medium-sized paths crossing between the main roads.

Suddenly, a call of alarm comes from the rear. "The enemy's south team's closing in!" Rain calls from above. "They're moving straight for our rear!"

You were worried they might attack. Still, so long as your way forward is clear, they shouldn't be able to do much as your group retreats.

Rain yells something you can't make out, some expression of surprise or anger. She collects herself, then announces "They have Risen with them! Six! I think... it's the same six we killed earlier!"

"What!?" you call back. It's impossible. They can't have revived that fast.

You lose focus, more concerned about your rear than watching the front. A menacing "hissssssss..." snaps you back to attention. A Risen warrior and a pair of heroes appear ahead of you, blocking the point where the small alley you're in empties onto the larger road.

"June... The northern group... The corpses are gone!" Wendy shouts from above, not yet aware of the danger.

"I know! Wendy, get down!" you shout. An arrow whizzes from a small alley, and Wendy plummets just in time to avoid it. "The east group... are they...?"

Claudia, perched on a nearby roof, answers. "There's some kind of mist forming over them...! I think they'll be up soon!"

"Defensive positions!" several people shout at the same time.

Your troops are trapped in a small alley. You don't have much room to maneuver, your troops are packed in tight. Larger roads are ahead and behind, but a group of Risen stand in front, and a collection of humans and Risen are blocking you in from behind. Several other small alleys connect to this one - several of your bigger troops position themselves at the connection points. Holland announces that Risen are waiting to cut you off down those alleys, as well. You wait for the Risen to charge, but they hold a defensive posture that matches your own. With no immediate threat, you start looking around. A few of the buildings have doors leading to this alley, and you expect the other sides of the buildings open out onto the eastern main street.

(A) Attempt to break through the front
(B) Attempt to break through the rear
(C) Scatter your troops down the other alleys
(D) Head into a building
(E) Stand your ground

You turn your back on the Risen just long enough to give an order. "Get inside one of the buildings!"

"Which one?" Rosalin shouts back.

You aren't willing to turn again to survey the buildings. "The middle! The biggest! I don't know, pick one!"

Rosalin shrugs, then charges at one of the buildings' doors with her axe. Alyssa practically tackles her to the ground. "Let me handle it," she suggests, slipping a thin strip of metal from her sleeve.

A few seconds later, the door to the center building is open.

Your forces start to filter inside. You and Paen slowly back away from the wall of Risen together as the space behind you clears. The Risen slowly advance, keeping their distance. You risk turning to give another order. "Fliers, get some height and stay clear of their arrows! Be ready to give us some help once we figure out our plan!" The sound of wingbeats signals Rain's immediate departure, and your other fliers quickly follow. "And be on the lookout for Drake or that other one," you call after them.

You soon find yourself back-to-back with your rearguard. Walt reaches up and gives you a hand dismounting Marth while Doran and Paen eye the slowly-approaching wearily. You hop down quickly, and Marth starts to trot off. The Risen part to let him pass, not bothering with a horse. Paen stubbornly refuses to go inside until everyone else goes first. You let him take up the rear, closing and locking the door as he steps in.

Rosalin and Cecil are already standing by the front door with a large dresser off to one side. "Are we staying in or heading out?" Cecil asks.

"Holding our ground for now," you answer.

"Told ya she'd say that," Rosalin responds, sliding the dresser in front of the entrance. They head off to find more furniture for the rear entrance.

You take a moment to look around. To your left is a large counter with a several drawers built in. To the right is a small kitchen and beyond that a set of stairs lead to a second floor; some of your troops have already gone up. The rest of your group is standing around in what appears to be an inn common room, stocked with small tables and simple chairs.

"This is an inn?" you ask no one in particular.

"Looks that way," Doran answers.

"It is," Bud tells you. "They've got rooms upstairs an' everything. Saul went an' took the guys that're banged up and some healers, they're working up there now."

"I see," you respond, already back to thinking of a way out. Two small windows on the front wall, none on the back. Less vulnerabilities, but you have no clue what's going on behind the locked door. Glancing out the front windows, you can see the Risen forming a semi-circle in front of the door.

Paen takes a seat on the counter. "I hope they attack soon. I'm getting tired of all this running."

You walk up the stairs to see if you can help the healers, and to get a better idea of the situation. You count five rooms, three on the back and two on the front, with another small room on the far end. Alyssa pokes her head out and calls down the hall to you. "Store room. Nothing useful." She disappears back into the room, apparently not satisfied with her first search.

One of the room's doors swings open and Ferris steps out, stretching. He pats a small bandage on his arm. He smiles when he sees you, but says nothing. He lightly pats your back as he steps past you and down the stairs.

You step into the room he emerged from and find Charlotte with a heal staff. "J-June... Are you hurt?" she asks.

With all the excitement, you hadn't even checked. You give yourself a quick once-over and don't find any wounds. Plenty of blood, but none of it yours. "I'm fine," you tell Charlotte.

"Good," she answers simply. You both stand there, unsure of anything to say.

You notice a small window behind Charlotte, and you point. "Do all the rooms have those?" you ask.

"I... think so," Charlotte answers. You slip past her and glance out, back down into the alley you escaped from. The Risen are packed in tight, all staring at the inn door with their weapons in hand. One looks up and sees you. Its mouth slowly twists into what you assume to be a smile, and you step back from the window.

You head back downstairs, surprised there's still no sign of a Risen attack. You look out the front window again, out onto the main road. One of the groups of generals has arrived, and the already large horde of Risen and soldiers adds them to their numbers. The number almost 70 troops now, 30 of them undead. And another 24 are densely packed into the alley behind you.

You realize why they aren't making a move. Your estimate time is just over one-forth gone before the enemy reinforcements arrive. A protracted siege is in their favor.

You could keep sitting in the inn - wait for the enemy to try something, though they might just sit there and wait as well. Setting archers and mages up in the windows on the second floor would chip away at the enemy numbers slowly, but you aren't sure how the enemy will react. They may become aggressive and rush the doors, or they may drop back out of your range and keep waiting. You could try to force your way out of the front or back. A head-on fight is risky, but may be the best option in terms of time...

While you weigh your options, you lean against the inn's west wall. It's stone up to your waist, then it turns into wood. You suddenly remember the buildings were slammed against each other, and you whirl around to face the wall. A few members of your group turn to stare at you as you probe the wall, tapping at certain points with your hatchet. You're almost certain that smashing this wall would lead into the building next door - and through that one, you could smash through to the next, and then into the street... It would leave another point you'd need to defend if the enemy attacks, but it would let you slip past their blockade and slip behind them. Then you could either attack their force from the rear or just send a small, quick team straight for the enemy headquarters...

Doran looks at you thoughtfully, and he seems to be trying not to smile.

(A) Wait
(B) Whittle down the enemy forces with ranged attacks
(C) Open the door (front or back) and send out melee units
(D) Tactician: Start breaking through the wall

"We can smash our way into the next building, then out onto the street," you announce.

"Now thatsounds like a fun plan," Paen answers with a smile.

Doran walks over and pats the wall beside you. "It's risky, but it may let us get behind them."

"Or send a team to the enemy base while the rest of use act as bait," Cecil suggests.

"It leaves another entry point for anyone who stays behind to worry about, though..." Walt points out.

"There's always upstairs," Saul points out. "We may even be able to head up and break the stairs behind us."

"And then we're trapped," Jessup argues. "Um... sir," he quickly adds.

"Not necessarily," Alyssa says, patting Jessup on the shoulder. "We could smash our way out and onto the neighboring roof, if we need to, and into the next building. Go down those stairs."

Doran nods. "Alright. It's risky, but we'll give it a try."

You pick a weak spot on the wall and raise Armads. Paen's hand on your shoulder stops you. "Just a moment. Rose, Cecil, Walt, go smash some chairs or something. Make as much noise as you can. Ferris, Jayce, give me a hand covering the windows. Bring that table over."

Doran grabs Bud and Alyssa. The pair pull out their bows and head upstairs.

Within a few seconds, there's enough noise in the inn that your smashing against the wall is hardly noticeable. With each swing, the wood cracks more and more. As you break through each piece of wood, you shift to another target. Slowly, the gap in the wall widens until you you can hit the wall of the other building. The two are pressed so closely, your attacks have been damaging both. After a few minutes, you manage to make a hole big enough for anyone to pass through. Thanks to the stone built into the base of the wall, you have to crawl over as you slip into the next building.

You start exploring, taking care to avoid windows. The building seems to be a small house - you quickly find the front door, and slide its bolt shut as quietly as possible. You start looking for the back door, but you don't find one. Instead, it has a small door built into the side, heading straight out onto the side street. Out that door, take a left, and you're on the main street.

You make your way back to the main group, crawling through the hole. Doran signals for everyone to stop whatever they were doing and assemble in the inn's common room, now a graveyard of shattered wood. Everyone quietly stares at him, waiting for him to start giving orders. He raises his hands. "Don't look at me, this is June's plan. Oh, June. Good news. The last two general groups arrived and are joining the blockade outside. The only enemy troops left are the Risen right in front of the council chambers."

Everyone turns to look at you. Most of them look nervous. You wonder if the others are putting on an show, and force yourself to act much more confident then you really are.

(A) Send troops out to outflank the enemy, launch a pincer strike
(B) Send a group to rush the enemy headquarters: June, John, Mary, Doran, Paen, Charlotte, Saul, Rain, Claudia, Dan, Wendy – Holland left in charge at the inn

"We're going to charge through the enemy lines. King Paen, are you ready to get into the fray?"

Paen stretches and fakes a yawn. "Oh, I suppose I can spare a few minutes from my busy, busy schedule."

You scan the room. "Bune should be there, so we'll take Mary, as well."

She clutches the Goetia. "I'm ready to go."

John glances at Fumiko, who returns a nod. "I'm going, too!" he announces.

"I was hoping you'd say that," you answer. "We'll meet up with Rain outside. Charlotte, do you still think you can fight?"

"I... I can do it!" she yells.

You glance at Saul. He nods. "I'll stick with her. Another healer won't hurt, I'm sure."

"I'll take command here, then," Doran concludes.

"Actually, I want you with us," you explain. "In case something happens."

Doran looks confused for a second, then shrugs. "Fine with me. We've got plenty of capable leaders around here."

"Holland, can you take command?"

His mustache bristles. "Me? Are you sure? I do training more than actual leading..."

"You're an instructor of Valeria's Holy Knights. You would never have reached that rank if you didn't know what you were doing."

Holland strokes his beard. "Alright. You can leave this to me. But you take care of my wife, you hear me?"

Doran pats him on the back. "Charlotte and I'll be there. Rain's going to be fine."

Fumiko grabs Mary and wraps around her. She glares at John. "Don't make me regret sending her with you." John takes a half-step back and Fumiko grins at him. She lets Mary go and steps back. She looks over at you, still grinning. As her gaze passes over Doran, you notice her tail swish a bit. Judging from his expression, he noticed as well.

"Is everyone ready?" you call out. No objections. "Let's move out, then!"

Holland orders archers and mages upstairs, then positions lancers by the front windows. You slip through the wall into the house, helping the others behind you. Carefully avoiding the windows, you mass at the side door.

"Out the door, take a left, then a right. Then we just keep running until we reach the enemy headquarters. Don't fight anyone you don't have to." Nods all around.

You yank open the door, half expecting a wall of Risen to meet you. Instead, you find a lone figure waiting for you. Marth snorts as you stare in surprise. Saul's mount steps out from an alley and heads your way. "How...?" you hear John start to ask.

You ignore his question, running out to mount up. Saul leaps onto the back of his horse, as well, then pulls Charlotte up with him. You offer Paen your hand, but he shakes his head and starts running. The rest of your infantry follows behind him, and you spur Marth forward. As you turn the corner to the main street, you see the horde of Risen and soldiers still surrounding the inn. You expect one to whirl around and notice you, but their attention is elsewhere. Through the crowd, you can just make out Cecil and Rose standing just outside the inn, challenging anyone to get close. Meanwhile, Alyssa and Syrene lob arrows from the second floor.

With Paen and Doran bringing up the rear, your team charges towards the council chambers. You've put plenty of distance between yourselves and the enemy when a general finally happens to notice you. He calls out to the rest, and a few units start chasing you. Realizing how far behind you are, they change their minds and break off, moving to block the door you'd escaped from.

With just a few buildings between your group and your target, Rain, Dan, Claudia, and Wendy swoop down and land beside you. "This is our big plan?" Rain asks.

"It's a gamble," Doran responds. "But it's better than sitting in that inn until their friends show up!"

From this distance, you get a better look at the enemy's headquarters. The building itself is larger than it looked from the town outskirts - as wide and long as several other buildings put together and made of solid stone, it could serve as a small fort. A short staircase up to a large set of doors are the only visible entrance on the front, and the back seems to vanish over a sheer cliff. Far below, you can hear the sound of waves crashing.

The three main roads meet in a large half-circle just in front of the chambers. Thirty Risen, revenants, fill the plaza, while a pair of legionnaires flank the doors. Looking back, it doesn't seem any enemies followed you. You can still see the crowd laying siege to the inn.

(A) Clear the Risen out slowly and carefully
(B) Clear the Risen as quick as possible
(C) Try to lure the Risen away and double back

As you approach the revenants gathered in front of the council chambers, you lift your axe without breaking stride. "Don't let these weaklings slow us down! Break through!"

As you pass one revenant, you swing Armads in a wide arc, letting your momentum do most of the work. The revenant staggers backward, chunks of its gooey flesh sent flying from the impact. Dan swoops in and finishes it off, lifting it from the ground on the tip of his spear. It dissolves in mid-air, leaving nothing more than a small puddle and a puff of purple smoke. Wendy, Rain, and Claudia keep pace with you, driving through the horde.

You don't concern yourself with finishing any of the revenants, nor do you go out of your way to even attack the ones not in your way. By the time they respond, you're already well past them. The infantry seem to be picking them off as they expose their backs while chasing you and the rest of the cavalry.

A revenant suddenly springs from a pool you hadn't noticed, directly in front of you. Marth leaps back, barely avoiding his slashing claws. You release the reins for a second, gripping Armads with both hands. As you drive it through the revenant's skull, you realize just how easy this is. Suddenly, you're back in Hearthstone, the first night you encountered the Risen. You remember driving back a horde of revenants by the windmill, your mother...

A roar brings you back to the battle at hand. One of the legionnaires leaps forward, screaming as it hurls its spear at you. It catches you in the chest, barely penetrating your armor. You can feel a thin trickle of blood running underneath your armor. Another flashed memory. Your father, impaled by one of these hulking monstrosities. You shove the thoughts away and rip the spear loose, throwing it to the ground. You keep charging forward. Later, you promise yourself. There'll be time to mourn after this is over.

Claudia tackles the last revenant standing between you and the legionnaires. A now-familiar feeling washes over you as your wounds stitch shut under the glow of a heal staff. Rain falls in behind you, trading her staff for Falchion. "Let's take them," she urges, with a reassuring smile. The legionnaires retreat to the staircase. Unsure what to expect, you dismount Marth. Rain follows suit, her pegasus remaining just overhead. As the pair of you move in on the legionnaires, Dan, Claudia, and Wendy circle around, driving back any revenant that comes close.

You strike first, charging forward with Armads. You attack the forward-most legionnaire with an overhead chop. Between its size and the height advantage from the stairs, you expect your axe to embed itself in its stomach. At the last second, the second legionnaire lunges out from behind the first, deflecting your blow with its spear. The first doesn't even react to the sudden intrusion as it swings its spear in a wide arc. You recover just in time to step in closer, catching the spear's shaft Armads' handle. The force of the blow surprises you and nearly knocks you off your feet; you manage to keep your balance, sliding back several steps.

Rain dashes past you, raising Falchion for a thrust. The lead legionnaire tries to catch her by surprise, whipping the butt of the spear around in a sharp arc. Rain anticipates the attack, sliding beneath it. She leaps up, thrusting Falchion into the lead's thigh. It starts to drop to one knee, but the second legionnaire drives Rain back before she can follow up. The lead reclaims its feet, roaring at you.

You look back for the rest of your group. Doran and Paen have put themselves at the rear, between the rest of your troops and a small pack of six rogues and a whisper. Charlotte and Saul are protecting the flanks, while John and Mary drive back the few remaining revenants. The rogues seem hesitant to attack - not that you can blame them, with Paen's armor standing between them and anyone they could hope to injure. Still, they manage to avoid most of the spells Doran hurls their way, creating a sort of standoff.

After your initial charge, sixteen of the original thirty lay dead, and a few of the survivors are wounded. Nine are trying to interrupt your fight with the legionnaires, while your air units keep them back. The last five are attacking your infantry, while the rogues and their leader attack from the other side.

---

June/Rain:
(A) Keep fighting the legionnaires - aim low
(B) Keep fighting the legionnaires - try to split them apart and fight one-on-one
(C) Drop back deal with the group of 9
(D) Drop back to your infantry

Air units:
(X) Keep holding the revenants away from June/Rain's fight
(Y) Ignore the revenants, attack the legionnaires
(Z) Leave the revenants, assist the infantry

Infantry:
(1) Hold in a defensive position
(2) Rush the rogues
(3) Move towards the rest of your group - and the legionnaires - as quickly as possible

Everyone seems fine where they are. You decide to press the attack on the legionnaires and trust your teammates to hold their own.

"We need to split them up," you tell Rain. "Any ideas?"

"Attack from both sides," she suggests. "Unless you want to try getting between them..."

"Pass," you tell her, starting to move to the left. Rain mirrors you, circling to the right.

The legionnaires slowly turn, eventually standing back-to-back. You're cut off from Rain, but they won't be able to team up, either.

You don't let the legionnaire make the first move. You take a swing at its leg. It tries to step back, but is stopped by the other legionnaire. Your blow doesn't cleave through, and your find Armads trapped in the Risen's thigh. You shift your grip to tear it free, watching the legionnaire's spear. He catches you off-guard with a sudden backhanded blow from his free hand. You manage to hold onto Armads, ripping it free. You stagger back, you face stinging and feeling a bit dazed by the blow. You're suddenly painfully aware of how exposed your head is with this armored dress.

The legionnaire tries a lunging thrust. You sidestep, but too slowly to avoid the blow completely. You feel an intense pain on the side of your head as the spearhead cuts through your ear. You can feel blood already running down your neck, but you're just thankful you avoided a killing blow. You take the chance to counter, swinging up towards the legionnaire's arm. You're rewarded with a hit, leaving a large gash in the monster's arm. You step forward with an overhand swing. The legionnaire deflects the blow, then swings his spear horizontally. The blow catches you in the side and you gasp for breath.

You and the legionnaire both take several steps back. The legionnaire takes a moment to adjust his grip on the spear, accounting for his injury. You take the chance to feel your injury. Your ear's still attached, but cut badly. The injury itself doesn't seem that bad, despite the large amount of blood.

Behind your opponent, you get a glimpse of Rain. She doesn't seem to be faring as well. While you've been meeting the legionnaire head-on, she's being pushed back. She reacts too slowly to a lunge, and the Risen's spear tears through the side of her armor, just above the hip. She twists, avoiding the worst of the blow. She falls to one knee. You don't have any chance to react before the legionnaire steps in for a killing blow.

As the Risen stabs, Rain rolls backward. As she rises, she slaps the spear to the side with Falchion. "You're wide open!" she yells. She dashes in before the Risen can react, slashing the legionnaire's leg fiercely. The wound on her side shrinks noticeably. She takes a step back, before suddenly lunging again. This time, she leaps and thrusts straight for the legionnaire's chest. She pierces through, and the legionnaire slumps to the ground. With a hiss, it starts to dissolve.

Your enemy watches as its partner falls. It turns to you, roaring in rage. Before Rain can help, it rushes you. Forgetting its spear, it grabs you in its massive hands. It lifts you from the ground and brings you inches from its face, roaring again. Its grip left you with an arm free, and you pull the knife hidden in your sleeve. You stab at its eyes. It drops you, recoiling in pain. It covers its face, not able to see as Claudia's wyvern slams into it. The legionnaire is thrown to the ground, and you stagger to your feet. Reclaiming Armads, you step forward and unceremoniously finish the monster.

Claudia, Dan, and Wendy have finished with their Risen. Paen's group, on the other hand, is not faring so well. Paen and Doran are separated from the others, fighting three of the rogues and their leader. Paen is clearly frustrated with his enemies' constant dodging, but seems fine. Doran's robe has a few scratches, but he doesn't seem to be bleeding. Charlotte is taking on two of the rogues, trying to stop them from getting past to John and Mary. She has a gash across her chestplate, but John's already stopped the bleeding. Saul is dealing with the other two, driving them back with magic. John and Mary don't seem to be injured at all.

You realize there are more than before - enemy reinforcements are arriving. Four more cloaked figures are breaking out of the alleys on the far side of the plaza. "Assassins!" Rain warns you. Paen and Doran are closest, but the rogues and whisper prevent them from intercepting the new threat. You aren't sure where they're going just yet.

You check your last few members. Rain is clutching her side and seems to be in a lot of pain. Wendy seems unharmed, but Claudia's arm has a massive cut. She'd rush to help Paen in an instant - and probably will, even if you try to stop her - but you aren't sure she should be fighting as she is. Dan's got a few scratches, but seems ready to fight. You hate to admit it, but you're not doing so well, yourself. Your ear's still bleeding, and the wound on your chest still stings; being picked up and dropped didn't do you any good, either. You have a mend staff, but you're still learning - Rain's still much better than you.

(A) Heal first, then engage
(B) Prioritize eliminating the enemies that are already there
(C) Intercept the assassins
(D) Try to pull your units back to take a defensive position at the stairs

You're already reaching for your mend staff as you make for Rain. "Rain, patch up Claudia. Claudia, Dan, Wendy, be ready to move."

"What's the plan?" Dan asks, ready to charge. "Kill them?"

"See how Paen and Doran are surrounded? You guys need to fix that. Then cover their retreat. Pull back to the stairs," you explain. You repeat yourself, yelling so the rest of your force can hear. "Pull back to the stairs!" Paen glances your way, and you half expect him to argue. Instead, he turns his attention to the rogue standing between him and the council chambers.

While Claudia regains her seating, Rain concentrates on her physic staff. Dan and Wendy move first, and Claudia takes off right behind them. By the time Claudia's halfway to the fight, her wound's healed. One of the assassins pulls out a bow and quickly looses at Dan. Wendy dives in the way, blocking the arrow with her Delphi shield. The assassin stops in his tracks, surprised.

Claudia takes the opportunity to drive a lance into a rogue's back, freeing Paen. With no hesitation, she reaches down to grab Paen's arm and haul him onto her wyvern. Wendy's manticore wraps its tail around Doran, throwing him onto its back. An assassin takes a swing at her, but she leaps into the air and starts to retreat.

While this goes on, you take a look at Rain. The spear pierced her armor, leaving a large hole - nothing you'll be able to fix. Underneath it is a large wound. The skin has been torn horribly. You hesitate, worried about doing more harm that good. Rain snaps her fingers right in front of your face. "Don't panic. It looks worse than it is. Just do what you can." Rain's words give you some encouragement. Using a hand to close the wound as best you can, you trace the incision with your staff. "Never hesitate to heal someone, no matter how bad it looks..." Rain mutters, clearly uncomfortable. "Odds are you won't make things worse."

Without Paen and Doran, the whisper's group turns on John and Mary. Darting forward, one rogue slashes at Mary's throat. She twirls out of the way, summoning a ball of darkness mid-spin. The rogue rolls to avoid the attack. John follows up with a shine tome. The attack is short, but the intensity of the lights seems to surprise the whisper. Mary grabs John's arm and starts running, ignoring the possibility of being stabbed in the back.

You loose an arrow over their heads to give the charging rogues something to think about. It hits the whisper, and for a second you think you've wounded him. Instead, your arrow merely tore a hole in his cloak. You suddenly realize their outfits make these rogues look like much bigger targets than they actually are, and adjust your aim accordingly.

Saul and Charlotte are the last to retreat. Two rogues try to cut Saul off, but he steers his horse wide around them, easily outpacing them. Charlotte isn't as quick, and she finds herself under attack by a pair of rogues and one of the assassins. She parries the assassin's lunge, only to have a rogue slash her side. As the third circles in on her other flank, Dan drops between them. Shard lowers his head and screeches at the rogue, who takes several steps back. Between her injury and her inexperience with wyverns, Charlotte struggles to pull herself up. The extra seconds Dan takes pulling her up gives the assassin plenty of time to switch to his bow. As Shard leaps to the stairs, the assassin levels a shot and fires.

The arrow brushes past Charlotte and strikes Dan in the back. He reels forward from the impact, but stays on course. By the time Shard slams down near the top of the stairs, Charlotte's already got her staff out, working on the injury. Saul dismounts and runs to help. Dan's clearly in pain, but his injuries aren't life-threatening.

Your troops form a line on the stairs. With your team no longer in disarray, the rogues and assassins seems at a loss for what to do. No one's vulnerable, and they can't outflank you. Not only that, but your healers are also already at work patching up the damage they've managed to do. As one of the assassins raises his knife and prepares to charge, the whisper raises a hand to his mouth. A whistle cuts the air, and the assassin stops in his tracks. They enemies turn to stare at the whisper, who throws out a quick series of hand gestures. The rogues and assassins withdraw from the plaza almost as suddenly as they appeared. Two scoop up the rogue Claudia stabbed, who seems to still be alive, barely. The group scatters down various alleys and disappear.

"Should we go after them...?" you wonder aloud.

"No," Doran answers authoritatively. "That's a trap. They can't take us in a fair fight, so they're resorting to tricks. They want to split us up, lure us into an ambush, something. Maybe just lead us on a wild goose chase, stall us." He's staring back towards the inn.

"But-" Paen begins.

Rain reprimands him. "We're finally here. We can't let them distract us. Focus on the mission."

Paen casts a worried glance at the now-empty plaza. "Fair enough."

"Don't worry," Mary interjects. "Once we're inside, I'll seal the entrance. They won't be able to sneak in reinforcements. Not from the front door, anyway."

"That also means we won't be able to retreat," John points out. "Then again, I don't suppose we were planning to."

"Right," Doran says. "Everyone, heal up. Check your gear. Claudia, Mary, take lookout. John, June's wounded..."

---

Cynbel ducks below the windowsill as a handaxe flies overhead. He jumps up, launching a fireball. Holland stands in the center of the room, barking orders. The Risen have all but destroyed the doors, only to find a barricade of furniture right inside the threshold. Anyone that can use a spear tries to drive the enemy advance back, while arrows and magic fly from the second floor.

The enemy keeps cycling out its wounded and weary troops, pulling them well out of range to rest and recover. Managing to actually kill one, rather than letting him escape, is becoming a rarity. The defenders are growing tired, with no chance to rest and no end of enemies in sight. Cynbel chances a glance to the west. The sun's dropped behind the council chambers and has started to disappear over the cliff-side. Just over an hour left.

---

Choose 6 supports.

Praven/Taika X
Saul/Paen X
Harrow/Cynbel A
Zephyr/Sherry A
Dan/Paen B
Ferris/Alyssa A

---

Holland has sent the healers to a room on the second floor of the inn. With the window covered, they've set up a relatively safe haven to treat anyone seriously injured. Walt steps in with a burn from one of the enemy's sages.

"Walt! Are you OK?" Taika exclaims.

"Had worse," he grunts in response.

"It doesn't look so bad," Praven assures them. "Certainly nothing we can't fix."

"Right," Taika nods. "Master Praven, I'll follow your lead."

"Oh, no, give this poor old man a break." Praven hunches over, feigning fatigue. "He's all yours."

"Er... Yes, sir."

Praven walks over to the bed and sits down. "Oof... Truth be told, I'm really not as young as I used to be." Taika doesn't respond, focused on her mend staff. "There's something I've been meaning to speak with you about, Taika."

She pauses, glancing in his direction. "Master Praven...?"

"You know I've yet to name a successor, child. Our group must have a leader. Our work is too important to be jeopardized."

Taika struggles to find her voice. "Master Praven, it sounds like... I mean, you're not suggesting you want me to..."

Praven leans on his staff as he rises from his seat. "Why not? You're gifted in languages, you've a mind for finances and negotiation, and you're a talented young sage."

Taika shakes her head. "But... surely there's someone better... someone more experienced...?"

Praven nods. "Yes, however, there is one more thing. The Einharjar." He points to the tome bound around Taika's waist. "Not many of our school can speak with them, much less receive gifts from them."

"But... I..."

"I know I ask a lot of you in this, Taika." Praven places a hand on her shoulder. "I've seen the way you look at this young knight here..." He places his other hand on Walt's head. "Which is why I wanted to make sure he was involved in the decision. But finding time where they two of you were alone and not, hrm, otherwise engaged has proven quite difficult."

Walt turns bright red. "Er, that's... Um..."

Taika mutters under her breath. "I didn't realize it was that obvious..."

Praven laughs. "Taika, do not mistake this for some form of honor. This is a heavy burden to bear, but it is yours, should you accept it."

Taika falls silent. Walt finally breaks the silence, turning to face her. "It's your duty, isn't it? ...Were it not for me, would you accept?" Taika looks away and slowly nods. "Well, then, it's my duty to support you, in whatever you choose to do."

"Walt..." Taika begins. A loud crash from below cuts them off.

"This isn't the best time to discuss it, I suppose," Walt says, leaping to his feet. He lifts Taika's chin and gives her a kiss. "Just know that whatever you choose, thing's will work out. Somehow." With that, he grabs his lance and heads to rejoin the fight.

Praven chuckles while Taika stares after him in silence. "Well? Are your fears allayed? Will you become the next leader of our school?"

Slowly, Taika turns back to Praven, a smile on her face. "Yes, Master Praven."

---

Alyssa and Ferris move to the rear lines, taking a seat on the reception desk to catch their breath.

"So, this look as bad to you as it does to me?" Ferris asks.

Alyssa shakes her head. "Doesn't matter how bad it looks. We're buying time for June's team. However long it takes, however much it costs us."

"Ha... That's a cold answer. You're supposed to say something about how everything's fine, and tell me that Holland's working on some grand master plan."

Alyssa shakes her head. "Careful, rational analysis is always better than mindless optimism. If you don't know how bad off you are, you can't hope to fix the problem, right?"

Ferris sighs. "That reminds me. I noticed you stopped trying to kill me. Not that I'm complaining, but why?"

"Kill you?" Alyssa asks, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Sneaking up on me, ambushing me, all that."

"I was never trying to kill you," Alyssa explains. "Just motivate you to stop slacking off. Plus, it was good practice for me."

"Slacking off?" Ferris feigns indignation. "I don't slack off. I observe. You should know better than anyone the value of just stepping back and observing from a distance."

"With both eyes closed?" Alyssa asks.

"Well, maybe I fell asleep a few times," Ferris admits. "But we've been too busy marching these last few days for me to get any rest."

"I hadn't noticed," Alyssa replies sarcastically.

"Ugh. Talking to you's just making me more tired than ever. As soon as we're done with this fighting, I'm going to sleep and not waking up for a month."

"Well, just make sure you don't lose focus during this battle, or you'll be sleeping a lot longer than that."

"You're so, so cheery..." Ferris sighs.

---

Harrow finishes healing Cynbel's flank for the third time. He grunts in annoyance as the wound closes again. "I owe you one," he tells her.

"You owe me more than one at this point," she corrects him. "I wish you'd stop tearing the same wound open over and over. I can only heal it so well, and it's getting less and less effective every time..."

"I can't really help it, seeing as these guys aren't letting up. I'd love a chance to rest a bit."

Harrow puts her staff back in its sling. She pulls out her beast stone. "Very well, then. You take support for a bit, and let me take point. You know some basic spells, do you not?"

"Yes, but no healing spells. And don't you have other people to tend to?"

Harrow's voice is distorted as she changes forms. "I'm not our only healer. Besides, I've spent so much time healing you, I've hardly been getting to anyone else. It's better to give you some time to rest. Then maybe I won't have to worry about you so much."

Cynbel sighs, switching to a tome. "Very well, then. And... don't be mistaken. I really do appreciate all your support."

Harrow grins, somewhat disturbing in her beast form. "I freely lend my aid to any who ask for it. We all fight together; there's strength in our pack. There's noneed to become so sentimental."

"You misunderstand," Cynbel explains. "It's more than just having someone at my side, it's having you at my side in particular."

Harrow turns her head away. "You flatter me."

"Sorry, was that an odd thing to say? You needn't pay me any mind."

"N-no, it's nice to hear, if a bit... sudden, coming from you. Anyway, we need focus on the task at hand."

"Right!" Cynbel agrees, readying himself.

---

Sherry sits in the corner of the room, applying a concoction. "Hey, Zephyr?" she whispers quietly. "Can you hear me?"

Zephyr jumps from the barricade onto a Risen stepping through the front door. He rakes the Risen across the face before leaping off and back to safety. He doesn't react to Sherry's question.

Sherry sighs. "That's probably for the best." She glances around to make sure no one else could overhear her. "I'm sorry I'm such a burden... I know I'm not as strong as you, or as fast. Hell, I can't keep up with anyone in this group..."

In the distance, a halberdier thrusts his lance through the a window. Harrow dodge, then latches onto his arm. Cynbel hurls a fireball at the trapped soldier.

"Ha... Even our healers are better fighters than me," Sherry muses. "I try as hard as I can to keep up, but it's no use. Everyone's constantly babying me. No matter how I try to prove myself, I can't..." She sighs, focusing on her concoction. "Well, I'll just keep doing the best I can, I guess. And I'll keep getting stronger. So, um... Thanks for being around to support me. And... I hope you'll stay with me a bit longer..."

Zephyr steps back, reverting to human form. He turns and smiles at Sherry, then starts walking over. Sherry starts to turn red. "You didn't hear any of that, did you?" she asks, loud enough that she knows he heard.

"Hm?" Zephyr cocks his head. "Heard what?"

"N-nothing..." Shery lies, calming down. "I'm patched up. I'm ready to get back in the fight, so take a break."

"OK," Zephyr says. "I wouldn't mind a chance to catch my breath. This is... quite a workout. I'll be over here, so just yell if you need me."

Sherry hefts her lance and starts toward the front door. "And don't push yourself to hard!" Zephyr calls after her.

---

Rain is finishing tending to your ear. Once she's finished with you, only Doran and Saul need to be treated before you're ready to enter the enemy stronghold. Down the stairs, Dan and Paen are chatting while watching for any
signs of an enemy attack.

Paen stretches. "So, Dan, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"My liege?" Dan answers.

"No need for that sort of formality. Not outside of court, at least. Around friends, in private, you can just drop it."

"Er... sir?" Dan asks, confused.

"You're being promoted to my private guard. I can't very well reassign you to your old fort after all this is over. Who knows, some people may even still consider you a traitor. Besides, I'm not so cruel as to break up..." He tilts his head towards Claudia. "Well, you know."

"Th-thank you, sir!" Dan salutes.

"Now, as I was saying..." Paen continues, nonchalantly. "If I remember right, you had family in Valeria?"

"Yes, sir. My mother." Dan pauses. "Well, she moved to Carcina after meeting my father, but it was... hard on her."

"How so? And speak up a bit," Paen insists.

"It's not exactly easy to visit Valeria if you aren't some trader or merchant. She pretty much had to sever all contact with her friends and family when she married Father," Dan explains.

"I see. I bet things would be easier on you if our countries weren't constantly at each others' throats."

"It is rather hard to have any family gatherings," Dan admits.

As you finish healing the few scraps Saul received, Paen calls up to him. "Are you hearing this, Archbishop?"

"It's not that I intend to eavesdrop," Saul answers. "But you are speaking rather loudly. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to be overheard."

"What? You overestimate me. I'm hurt." Paen raises a hand to his heart.

"And I'm sure you'll start crying big crocodile tears any second now," Saul answers. "But I'll admit you have a point. We probably should have more than just traders going between our borders. Some dignitaries on a regular basis, at least."

"Now that just sounds reasonable," Paen answers.

"But it's not like our countries can undo 200 years of hatred just because the two of us decide we shouldn't fight anymore."

"I wonder," Paen suggests. "There's a lot of bad blood, sure, but this disaster hides quite an opportunity."

"I... think I see where you're going with this," Saul admits.

"If we had better communication, maybe none of this would have happened. We wouldn't have been fighting a war with each other while these Risen were sweeping across the land," Paen explains.

"We'd have found the true enemy sooner," Saul suggests. "And we would have had many more troops to fight..." Saul sighs. "So many unnecessary casualties..."

Paen crosses his arms. "So, what do you say? We've got a lot of rebuilding to do, anyway. If we keep singing that same song, people might start buying it."

Saul nods slightly. "If nothing else, we'll be able to strengthen our economic ties here. We'll need to import more food than normal this winter, and I'm sure you'll be needing plenty of ores in the next few weeks."

Paen smiles as he begins to climb the stairs. "Exactly. Even if it's not much, if we can get our countries talking to each other, that's a major start." Paen extends his hand.

"To a brighter future," Saul says, taking Paen's hand.

Paen laughs. "Damn straight! Now, there's just one or two more little things standing in our way..." He turns to face the massive double doors to the council chambers.

"Is everyone ready?" Doran asks.

"No problems here," Rain answers. "I'm ready."

Wendy dismounts her manticore. "Sorry, buddy, I don't think you'll fit inside... Be safe out here. We'll be back soon."

"We're going to end this..." Dan answers.

John nods. "These heretics, violating the laws of nature... They must be stopped!"

Mary clutches the Goettia. "...I'm ready." she mutters.

Paen slams his fists together. "I've been waiting for this. It's about time!"

"I won't let anyone lay a hand on my king!" Claudia adds.

Saul runs a hand over his staff. "If we win here, we'll have peace... right?"

"He's here, I can feel it... I have to... Kill him...!" Charlotte's breathing heavily.

You feel for your hatchet, making sure it's still on your belt. You lift Armads, feeling your heart pounding. "This really is the end, isn't it? We can't afford to back down now!"

Doran nods. "It looks like everyone's ready. Well, then. Be safe, everyone!"

With that, Doran starts shoving one of the two doors. You join him, pressing against the other. With a groan, the doors start to swing open...

---

END OF CHAPTER 22