Chapter 19: A Tellius Coalition

With a heavy heart, Soren ended up dragging Lucia back to their allies in their primary citadel at Delbray. Leaving several soldiers at The Great Bridge in case of an enemy raid, Tauroneo and the others decided that they had to make some final preparations before moving out.

The enemy had finally been destroyed, and with Ludveck gone the revolution collapsed almost overnight. The aristocrats and renegade ministers who had dared to consider joining Ludveck were captured by Crimean Royal troops when they attempted to sabotage Lucia's plan and breach the north gate. Those who supported Ludveck were forced to either reconsider their loyalties or remain silent altogether. Crimea was united now, and she would stand beside her allies in the face of this continental crisis.

Lucia remained gloomy and uncertain of herself. She'd killed several enemy troops on the field, why was Ludveck's particularly gruesome end any different? What made slashing down an enemy halberdier 'normally' right compared to impaling Ludveck with that armorslayer? She couldn't answer that question, so she remained depressed and silent as their comrades gathered in the war room.

Tauroneo was the first to speak. "Though the Confederacy's assault on Crimea has finally been thwarted, the fact remains that Daein, Begnion, Kilvas, and Goldoa remain under its yoke. We might not have seen many dragons in our last few campaigns, but that does not mean that we are safe by any means. There is clearly something going on within Begnion's chain of command that is giving us a current advantage, but we cannot depend on that advantage if we want to destroy the Confederacy once and for all. General Geoffrey, as commanding officer of the Crimean army, I ask you: how many resources do we actually have? Phoenicis is probably the only nation that can truly fund our war effort, for both Crimea and Gallia have faced the stinging agony of civil war..."

Geoffrey shared an uneasy glance with Elincia and Titania, but he answered the question nonetheless: "Ludveck's men have surrendered many of their resources, and most of them have been incorporated into our army in this short time. Their resources are ours, now, but this war has drained much of Crimea, as you can tell, General Tauroneo. Even so, Crimea will not capitulate once again. We are still more than capable of producing the weapons we need to strike the Confederate armies, and with Begnion comrades within our ranks the liberation of Begnion proper will be much easier."

At that, Bastian began to speak. "Aye, and Sir Tauroneo, our men hath foundeth many weapons of war within the Confederate lines. I'm sure they'd be very useful for thy plans."

"What kind of weapons?" Tauroneo raised an eyebrow.

Bastian lifted a crossbow and showed it to the entire group. "'Tis a crossbow. It fires a quick bolt, as one can see." With that he pointed his crossbow at Boyd and pulled the trigger.

"Gah!" The warrior ducked as a bolt flew over his head and nailed itself into the wall behind him.

As Bastian chuckled, everyone stared uneasily at him, except for Tanith, who calmly strolled forward, grabbed Bastian by the throat, and began to choke him.

"That was what a traitor would have done. Do you want to be executed for sedition, Count Bastian?" She snarled. She had had enough of these renegade ministers. Personally, the knight wouldn't mind cutting them all down, and if none of her comrades would make a move, she'd finish this personally.

Elincia began to step forward. "General Tanith, he was merely being foolish. For the sake of our alliance, I ask that you release him immediately."

"Tanith, stand down." Sigrun called.

"Yes, commander." She sighed as she dropped Bastian, who began to wheeze.

Lucia slowly got a hold of herself. Calmly stepping over the gagging Bastian, she picked up the crossbow and examined it.

"This would be quite a useful weapon. We should spend some time examining it and training our soldiers to use it. This could definitely help some of our soldiers in a bind."

"Since our forces don't have the resources to move forward, we should fortify our current defenses and spend some time researching this 'crossbow.' It's the end of summer by now, and the fall harvest will come in a few months. If we can ensure that the Confederacy cannot invade us in the meantime, we could gather the resources from that harvest to move forward and strike the enemy." Zelgius nodded.

"Phoenicis is still engaging in border skirmishes with Kilvas. If you aren't going to strike the Begnion heartland just yet, then I shall take several of my hawk brothers and we will go defend our homeland directly. If you need us, don't be afraid to give us a call. I'll leave Janaff here to help serve as the head of your scouts. Ulki and I shall return to Phoenicis." Tibarn added.

"Then we shall regroup here in a month or so. I pray that Ashera will bless us in the battles ahead." Sanaki ended the discussion, and our heroes quickly separated.

The crossbow was not a difficult weapon to learn. Snipers and Marksman, having spent their lives studying the bow, found it easy to use a crossbow. It allowed for a swift bolt to take out an enemy soldier without forcing the user to tire herself by drawing a bowstring.

Lucia herself had taken up a crossbow of her own, and along with Rolf and Shinon had begun training herself in its use.

Bastian and Calill, having chosen the knife instead of the staff, found it smarter for them to take up the crossbow, too. A mage who could not defend herself in battle was a dead one. It took a while to utilize the proper incantations for some of the stronger spells, like Arcthunder, which made it critical that one learn how to use a non-magical weapon in combat. If knives were the ideal melee weapon for sages, than crossbows would be their ideal ranged weapon. One hit was all it took to split the enemy's helmet in half, for a well-placed shot by a crossbow bolt was very devastating.

The shooting range was empty that particular summer morning as Lucia pointed her crossbow at one of the targets. Closing one eye, she fired and struck the bull's eye with a single shot. She had spent weeks training with this weapon, and they had finally paid off.

As she went to retrieve her bolt, she spent a few moments staring at the bolt-head. This particular head was serrated at the edges, perfect for ripping through armor and flesh.

How much agony would such a weapon cause? She stared at the weapon in wonder as she walked out of the shooting range. She continued to stare at the projectile, with the memory of Ludveck's death coming back to her. The swordsmaster did not notice the large hulk of armor that stood at the nearby armory, and slammed headfirst into it.

Laughably enough, that hulk of armor was General Tauroneo. He felt it more realistic for him to train with his armor on, for keeping his armor on him would best mimic battlefield conditions. He'd be slow, so he would have to act accordingly. To train without his armor would make him unused to wearing it as he fought.

Lucia gasped as she stepped back. "Apologies, General. I should have watched where I was going."

Tauroneo stared at the crossbow bolt, and looked back at her. Was Lucia deep in thought? Why was she still carrying that particular bolt instead of keeping it in her quiver?

The girl avoided the older general's eyes. "If you'd excuse me, General, I must get going."

"Lady Lucia, pray wait a moment. Is something bothering you?"

"Er…" She hesitated. Now was not the time to talk about such pointless things.

"You seem tense… And ill at ease… As a fellow comrade I cannot let that stand. Pray tell, what's bothering you?"

"Well, I…" She continued to avoid his eyes.

Tauroneo sighed. "Very well, if you are unwilling to tell me, that's your decision. But know that you have a willing ear."

Lucia gulped. With a sigh, she finally gave in.

"Thank you, General… As a veteran of many battles, I'm sure you'll find this question ridiculous, but, may I ask, what do you feel when you kill a man?"

Tauroneo's eyes widened. "I'm sorry."

"What?"

"The battlefield is not a place for humanism. If you still feel such agony after killing enemy soldiers, then you should probably leave… War can only destroy the human spirit at best. Keep your humanity and lower your sword, Lady Lucia, or it might consume you."

Lucia looked honestly surprised. "But it hasn't consumed you."

"Oh, I assure you that it has, but I try to keep what remains."

Lucia gave him a confused smile.

"But let me tell you this: You have chosen to defend Crimea with your blade. Thus, you have chosen a path of blood. If you insist on feeling for every person you kill, you will make yourself unable to continue walking that path. Eventually the combined weight of all their souls will crush you, and you will collapse. Mark my words, Lady Lucia…

"Thus, that is why you have to set those feelings aside if you intend to defend Crimea with your life. Mourn for the dead when the war is finished. You have shouldered the burden of battle. To throw that burden off because you cannot handle it's weight would make you betray the duties you have acquired. Why take up duties that you cannot fulfill? Crimea needs you, now, and it needs you more than ever before because Crimea is at war.

"Yes, war is terrible. Yes, too many people have died and will die in order for this war to end, but that is why we fight. We are not like Ashnard or Ludveck, men who spread the chaos and who ensure that war will continue. We are not consumed by bloodlust, but at the same time we shed blood. But we'll have to continue shedding blood as long as this war continues. If you still feel pain for those you kill, then you've proven yourself to have kept parts of your humanity. But those parts will have to remain silent if you want to maintain the resolve you need to end this war. Fight for the battle's end, and consider all our enemies who fell sacrifices for that end. It's horrible, yes, but you chose this path. Now walk it until you see victory! Then, and only after the war is over, can you lower your sword and fulfill your duty. Once the war is over, peace will finally return, and peace is what we all want."

Lucia's eyes widened. "But men are tortured before death. Ludveck… I saw his eyes… He hated me, but at the same time he was suffering…"

"War is suffering, Lady Lucia. There's no denying that. That is why you must fight to make peace come as soon as it can."

"But General, what I did at Melior…"

"I've torn a woman's torso in half when I attacked a Sniper who was cutting down my unit's wyvern air support. She held her bow and continued to fire at my comrades as I approached, as though she knew I was coming but wanted to cut down just a few more fliers before death finally claimed her.

"I stabbed her through the side with my spear, yet she did not die and struggled to break free. It was horrible. All I could hear was the sound of cracking bone. I had to finally end her pain by tearing my spear through and cutting her in twain… That sight would likely force most men to go insane…"

"General…"

"Those who choose the path of blood will be haunted for a lifetime by what they did, yet we do what we must in order to make peace come. War happens when people are too stupid to communicate properly, and so too many people die horribly. Ludveck died a horrible death, that much is true, and no one can justify such deeds, yet because he died tens of thousands of Crimean lives were saved. What say you to that?"

Lucia could not answer him. She only stared at him wide-eyed.

"Do not trouble yourself with such things, Lady Lucia. Hold that sword of yours with pride in spite of these circumstances. We fight for something greater than mere conquest or self-gratification. We fight to liberate Daein and Begnion from the Confederacy. We fight to protect Gallia, Crimea, and Phoenicis. We fight for something greater than ourselves. Never forget that, no matter what."

Lucia nodded. "Understood, General. Thank you…"

Tauroneo saluted her. "I'm glad to be of service, Madam."

"Madam?"

Tauroneo smiled. "As commanding officer of the Daein Loyalist Army, I had met with your sworn sister, as well as the Apostle and His Majesty Tibarn. In accordance with their decisions, you'll find yourself a new rank once our army regroups after we gather our resources from Crimea's harvest."

Lucia sighed. "To think that Crimea has to sacrifice even more to ensure our victory."

Tauroneo nodded: "Sacrifices are made every day. Men sacrifice their energy to bring food into the house. Women sacrifice energy to ensure that the house is safe and that gardens bring fruit. Everyone makes sacrifices for some greater gain. But now whole nations must make sacrifices for peace…"

Lucia nodded. "Then I guess all we can hope for is that this cycle of sacrifice can end." With that, she bowed and turned away from the older warrior. "And thank you for your council, General. You've put my mind at ease." She spoke as she walked away.

Tauroneo sighed. That girl was rather stubborn…

The Holy Guard were fine warriors, but with Janaff guiding them they became even better scouts.

Any Confederate commander stupid enough to try to infiltrate Crimean or even Gallian territory quickly found themselves torn to pieces by either laguz claws or beorc steel.

Thousands of bushels of grain found themselves in the hands of the Crimean army. Lucia, among others had shown the farmers sincere kindness in not wanting to take much of their yields, but Crimea was at war, and if Crimea were to cease its military affairs she would be crushed in moments.

And because of this, because their leaders actually cared about them, the people felt it necessary to do what they could to keep Crimea alive. They had witnessed Ashnard's tyranny firsthand, and they knew that men like Lekain would be no better. Even those under Ludveck, who had originally joined Elincia because she had not done enough for more rural areas, soon found themselves in full support of their Queen. Crimea's people would not let Crimea fall again, and hundreds of young farmhands joined the Crimean army's ranks.

With supplies, reinforcements, and a revived resolve, the Crimean Royal Army, Begnion Imperial and Holy Guard, Daein Loyalist Army, Gallian Royal Army, and Phoenicis Royal Knights gathered together. Though most of the hawk's strength remained in the direct defense of their homeland, Tibarn, Ulki, Janaff, and thousands of hawks gathered with their comrades, ready to help assault and gut the Confederacy itself.

His eyes scanned their formations, and he smiled. Raising his silver sword, he spoke.

"Warriors of Tellius, finally, we stand united after having to take care of that pest Ludveck. Finally, we can move forth and liberate our homelands from this Confederate curse. Through Crimea, Gallia, and Phoenicis are still nations of Tellius, they will fall if we fail in this endeavor. We must stand united. Our swords must be raised as one. We are a Coalition of Nations dedicated to tear the Confederacy to pieces and in freeing our siblings from its iron grasp. Rise and stand as one, my comrades, and we shall prevail!" Zelgius yelled.

Elincia stepped forth. "Henceforth our forces shall be known as the Tellius Coalition. Each national army within the Coalition will be considered a separate Wing. The following layout shall be in effect in order to maximize our force's efficiency:

"Head (Royal) Wing:

Grand General: His Majesty King Tibarn of Phoenicis

Master Strategist: Archsage Master Soren

Head Medic: The Apostle Sanaki of Begnion

Formation Overseer: Vanguard Ike

Within the Crimean Wing:

Wing Commander: Silver Knight Geoffrey

Field Strategist: Duchess (Trueblade) Lucia

Head Medic: Saint Rhys

Formation Overseer: Crisis Knight Kieran

Within the Daein Wing:

Wing Commander: Field Marshal Tauroneo

Field Strategist: Field Marshal Tauroneo

Head Medic: None (1.)

Formation Overseer: Trueblade Zihark

Wyvern General: Dragonmaster Jill

Within the Gallian Wing:

Wing Commander: Prince Skrimir of Gallia

Field Strategist: General Ranulf

Head Medic: Sage Knight Calill of Crimea (2.)

Formation Overseer: General Lethe

Within the Begnion Wing:

Wing Commander: Field Marshal Zelgius

Field Strategist: Field Marshal Zelgius

Head Medic: None (3.)

Formation Overseer: Seraph Knight Tanith

Pegasus General: Seraph Knight Sigrun

Within the Phoenicis Wing:

Wing Commander: General Ulki

Field Strategist: General Ulki (4.)

Head Medic: Sage Knight Bastian of Crimea (5.)

Formation Overseer: General Janaff"

"Sage Knight?" Geoffrey mouthed as he turned to Elincia. "I've never heard of such a rank."

Elincia smiled. "Considering our new crossbow weapon, and the fact that many sages have chosen the knife out of personal prudence, we've created a new rank for them, with Sir Bastian and Lady Calill as their highest ranking members." (6.)

Apostle Sanaki nodded and brushed past the two as she addressed the troops. "You veterans of the Mad King's War have proven yourself once again. Now we shall give you ranks that would fit your usefulness to the might of Tellius. General Geoffrey, you shall be inducted into the honored order of the Silver Knights. It's about time."

Geoffrey gasped. "You're kidding me… But, milady, doesn't each nation have its own order?"

Sanaki laughed. "Yes, but I was given the right to give each of you your ranks. But I don't hold a direct authority over you of course, General Geoffrey. Now, for the rest of you…"

(All protagonists that have currently been introduced, except for the Dawn Brigade and Bob, are now at third tier. Tauroneo and Zelgius are both Field Marshals as is appropriate with their third tier status. Future characters will appear at third tier unless otherwise stated. As for Lucia, her class is Duchess, which is basically a Trueblade who can use crossbows, sorta like Lyn.)

Tauroneo glanced at his new shield. "And so we begin our campaign anew… We shall march through Daein and Begnion. If this is what Fate dictates, then we won't disappoint her! Everyone, today we begin the liberation of our continental siblings from the Confederacy's jaws! Finally, we shall achieve the dreams we once muttered foolishly."

Lucia raised her blade. "All units, prepare to mobilize immediately. Once Master Soren has given each Wing Commander their main campaign plans, we shall move out. Marshal Tauroneo is right. Now we are no longer speaking of liberation; we are moving forth to fulfill it. Show the people of Tellius why you are knights of their Coalition!"

Gathered together on the west end of The Great Bridge, the warriors who pledged their lives to Tellius as a whole prepared to face their great enemy. Even if the future path would be horribly bloody and painful, they were ready to feel that pain. Death meant nothing as long as Tellius was freed.

1. Slot will naturally be filled by Micaiah. Daein's warriors tend to have a greater sense of martial duty and honor, and this Resolve tends to save them more often than not.

2. Because Calill, being Crimean and a first class sage, would love to help her Gallian allies who don't have healers of any sort in their army. She has quite a few Bishops of Crimea and Begnion to help her in this task, too. She's a Sage Knight and thus cannot use staves personally, but that does not mean that she can't oversee their healing operations as a sage.

3. Will eventually be filled by an enemy turncoat. Begnion has enough healers in its ranks to not worry about this rank yet.

4. In all three cases, Tauroneo, Zelgius, and Ulki are the most capable people to fulfill both roles.

5. Phoenicis has Gallia's dilemma, so Bastian will help. Since he's a Crimean Lord, he has several Bishops under his command as well. But healers are less useful for Phoenicis because hawks tend to be impatient and will not have the stave's magic reach them easily. Bastian may have the same dilemna as Calill, but he also has her credentials too.

6. Sage Knight: Tier three Sage that chose knives instead of staves. Can use knives for melee combat and crossbows for ranged/melee. They have chosen to wield non magical weapons in the event that their magical reservoir has been depleted or when they're under heavy fire and are unable to cast spells due to that battlefield state. Because they did not choose the stave, they go by the philosophy: "A good offense is the best defense." As long as they can provide wounded allies with cover no matter what, they can also serve their comrades quite well even if they can't heal them.