Chapter 24: Turning Point
Oliver's massive frame bounced as he jogged as fast as he could for the rear entrance to his mansion.
The Coalition was hot in pursuit, cutting down any of Oliver's guards who had enough honor to stay by their employer.
Somehow, Oscar's lance failed to penetrate Duke Tanas' mountain of blubber enough to kill the man, and he survived to continue his gruesome hobby of collecting laguz specimens.
Yet there was something called 'bad karma,' and Oliver had a monopoly on it.
The Gallian army was bound to conduct raids on Tanas sooner or later, and if they wouldn't then the Laguz Emancipation Army would certainly come after his head. As he considered the circumstances that led him to this point, Oliver realized that he should really have upgraded his defenses accordingly. Remodeling his mansion definitely wasn't enough to stop intruders from getting to him.
But why was beauty fated to be lost? Were those years of gathering specimens all spent in vain? Was he a fool who appreciated beauty in an ugly world?
The walking vat of blubber could not accept this as his fate. He was the champion of beauty, a man who understood its glory when all these idiots spent their lives destroying it. Men like Ike killed lovely ladies left and right in the name of "protecting a nation." Were those ladies of the Begnion Confederate Pegasus Knights not beautiful in their own right? Since Ike killed them, did that not make Ike a destroyer of beauty? Was standing against him so wrong, then?
So why was Ashera punishing him now, when his defense of beauty was such a magnanimous cause? This made absolutely no sense.
Dalia shook her head at the shameful sight before her.
A lone Halberdier in her trusted company took out three of Oliver's Sentinel guards. Even with their higher ranks, fancier armor, and sharper spears, those tried warriors were inferior to one who would have been their subordinate had they been in the same army. Dalia's men might have lower ranks and relatively weaker equipment, but they were of a far greater caliber than their foes. She sighed at the fact that the rank of Sentinel was tarnished by these idiots who dared to carry it.
The Coalition had finished off most of Oliver's guard, yet the fat man was escaping. Somehow he fled towards the Grann Desert, though Stefan knew full well why he'd run there.
The Confederacy had sent several companies of its warriors to the Grann Desert in the hope of annihilating both the Laguz Emancipation Army and the Branded forces hidden there. If they were able to take down all naysayers, they'd be able to uphold their so-called honor and dignity.
With allies in the desert, Oliver clearly hoped to regroup with them.
But none of the Coalition's leaders would let him have his solace.
The Crimean strategy tent had a few new faces as the Coalition gathered to concoct a plan to hunt Oliver.
"He got away... But we're not finished. If we could use the hawk laguz to intercept his position..." Stefan clenched his fists. Oliver would not get away!
"Stefan, you're forgetting that we have few options at this point. We were unable to track his movements, so we'll have to scan every acre from here to the desert if we hope to catch that pig." Titania sighed. Things just had to get so complicated.
"I guess I have no choice." Micaiah spoke up. She hadn't spoken much since the campaign, what with Soren, Lucia, and Titania serving as their main brains behind their operations. "I found an old staff in a Confederate storage facility, but I feared that none of us would be skilled enough to use it."
"That's a warp staff!" Lucia and Rhys spoke at the same time. The priest blushed in embarrassment and decided to let the girl continue. "They're quite rare, and only used by the church on specific occasions. I saw a picture of one in an old book in Melior's library."
From outside the tent they heard a scoff. "To think that Lekain would steal so many of them from Sienne's church. He has no shame, that wretched man."
"Empress..." Lucia muttered, surprised that Sanaki would join in on the conversation for once. Normally she'd remain in her tent, accepting only Sigrun and Tanith as visitors.
"I will help you use the Staff, and it can take any one of us to a particular point. With my current skill, I can transport someone about 10000 paces from here. The thing is, we have no idea where our target currently is, so warping them is pointless."
At that declaration of her abilities, Rhys and some of the others froze. 10000 paces was a considerable distance, but considering the might of Cymbeline it didn't seem so unlikely.
"We can call Janaff. He can help use his great eyes to see Oliver from the sky. Afterwards the Empress can warp some allies to Oliver's position and from there we can take him down." Muarim pointed out.
"Ulki might be able to hear him move about. It's not like he's a nimble target at all. If we use both the King's ears and eyes, we can track him and take him out." Titania added.
"I'll volunteer to bring his crimes to an end. From what I hear from Sothe and the rest of you, he deserves a just punishment." Micaiah nodded.
"Micaiah, I'd appreciate it if you only served as fire support this time. I will personally gut that pig, if Muarim or Tormod won't first." Stefan grit his teeth.
"Little one and I will also go..." Muarim spoke.
"Wherever Micaiah goes, I will too." Sothe spoke from beside Micaiah. Wherever she was, he would always be by her side.
"That makes a squad. I can teleport that many as a maximum, but I will be unable to fight for a few days afterwards. Soren, if you can spare me for that long, we can proceed with this plan." Sanaki turned to the strategist.
"I'd hate to not have Cymbeline available for that whole period of time, but if we can get rid of Oliver now, I won't have to worry about him later. I'll manage. Proceed, but be safe, all of you. If any one of you falls, victory will take that much longer to manage, and its sweetness will be bitter instead."
Sanaki eyed him strangely, while Lucia just smiled.
"My lord, our attempts to strike the enemy's flank at Nebula from Nox have only been met with equal force. Apparently Count Bastian will not let the region be retaken, and our knights have met death time and time again. With Fiona having been left in Marado as part of the Coalition, we have an enemy on our northern doorstep. If Nevassa falls, we will be struck from both the north and the west! Our glorious nation will be finished! Begnion will..."
"Dame Catalena, it would be wise for you to look back on this situation. Do you not realize how I am luring our foolish foes into an even deeper trap? They believe their eastern flank is secure, so they've decided to strike into Begnion's blessed heartland. With the fall of Tanas, I've lured them into the very depths of my trap. Once they've been terrified enough, the warriors of Telgam will deploy themselves towards the enemy for a final gambit, and because there are so few troops left in Melior they will succeed in taking the city, crushing Coalition morale and allowing me to finish them off. Fear is the greatest weapon man has even known, yet there are simply too many cowards too meek of heart to use it. Our victory is assured."
"But our country, our countrymen... The Goddess blessed us with such power, so should we not all be allowed to bask in that glory? Why... Why are you sacrificing so many of our countrymen with such appalling tactics? Master Lekain, I do not understand how a champion of Begnion would use his people like... Like pawns..."
"You've said so much. Would you like to speak any further? I have a crossbow that would be glad to meet your acquaintance. It can respond quite fiercely as well."
"By the Goddess... How could you be her champion?"
Lekain began to mumble a spell, and a ball of light energy began to form in his hand.
"I am this close to personally executing you for heresy, Catalena of Ashera's Holy Guard. If you wish to retain the rank that the traitor Sigrun forfeited, or if you wish to breathe tonight, I suggest that you leave these premises immediately. If the death of some peasants is so appalling to you, you can engage the enemy yourself and get rid of them for me. I'd appreciate that a lot more than these disgusting words of yours."
"... Very well..." Catalena turned and darted away as fast as she could.
Lekain summoned a Sentinel to his side. "Gather several Marksman and keep many eyes on her. If she falters for one moment, kill her. I would be very pleased if you executed her in front of her troops, for that would be a most humiliating end for such a proud commander, wouldn't it?"
The Sentinel gulped. "Yes, my lord..." And he departed.
Lekain laughed. These fools believed in him because he promised that Begnion would find glory in reestablishing her former hegemony, and as long as they kept believing in him he could finally achieve his dream. With Tellius in his hands, nothing else could stand in his way!
"That fat lug has almost reached the desert. Empress, you can warp our comrades to the edge of the Pelazor field. From there they can overtake Oliver before he reaches his allies in Grann." Ulki spoke, listening intently to what Janaff was trying to tell him.
"Your laguz abilities amaze me, Ulki. At any rate, are you all prepared?" Sanaki turned to the five warriors standing before her.
"We'll fry his arse and send his guards running for their lives!" Tormod clenched his fist.
The others merely nodded in unison.
"Very well... Bringing you back will be irritating, but good luck all the same." And with that, Sanaki raised her staff...
Oliver lurched forward with what remained of his personal guard, hoping to regroup with the Confederate army and thus escape his pursuers.
Before him, however, Stefan and the others materialized.
"A warp stave? But how...? Lekain told me that he'd acquired them all..." Oliver gulped. "My death would be an insult to beauty... Move aside, ye of ugly hearts! I am needed to spread beauty when the Confederacy prevails!"
"Oliver, you gluttonous bastard. Bask in whatever fantasy of beauty you may have, for you're going to be turned to mincemeat in a few moments." Stefan raised the Vague Katti, while the others readied themselves.
From behind Duke Tanas, the survivors of the Tanas Guard hurled themselves at the squad of Coalition veterans.
"Arcfire!' Tormod yelled, sending a wreath of flames to engulf and fry his foes. Unfortunately, only three members of the Tanas guard were caught in his flames.
Muarim sprang forth, tackling another two with his momentum, but that left three more soldiers for them to handle.
Tormod was busy readying another spell, and Muarim was taking out the soldiers he had tackled, so neither could react quickly enough.
Sothe dashed forward, and with a swish of his wrist an enemy went down. His training under Volke had surely paid off.
Micaiah raised her hand. "Thani!" A ball of light came crashing into an enemy soldier's helmet, wiping him out.
For the last man, Stefan dashed forward and with one cut split his "opponent" in half. Charging forward, he rushed towards Oliver with the ferocity of an eagle diving at a rabbit.
Oliver shielded his eyes and yelled "Rexaura," and a stream of light came raining down from the heavens upon poor Stefan.
"Physic!" Micaiah yelled as she raised a stave in Stefan's direction.
"Arcfire!" Tormod yelled again, stunning Oliver as a wreath of flames descended upon him.
With Tormod's fire support, and Micaiah's healing touch, Stefan stood once more. "A pity you stand alone, Beast of Tanas, for now you are no more."
"No... What a loss... To beauty..." Oliver groaned as Stefan rammed his sword into the Duke's gut.
Stefan and Tormod glanced at Micaiah strangely as they waited for their allies to take them back. "I never knew you had a Physic stave with you." Tormod remarked.
"Ha ha, I found one in a storehouse too." Micaiah chuckled embarrassingly.
"Long story short, we took whatever we could use. I figured that if these were stolen from innocents, then they should be retaken and used against the guilty." Sothe scratched his head.
"Thievery in the name of good is thievery nonetheless, but butchery and oppression must be stopped at all costs... We should return these items to their owners if we can identify who those owners are." Muarim remarked with a sigh.
"Yeah, um, that's what we plan to do... Uh, as long as we can find those owners." Sothe stammered.
Muarim shook his head. No point trying to be too patriarchal around here.
Marcia and the others carried them back to base camp, where Soren planned for an assault on Telgam.
"Thankfully, from where we are now it would take at least four days to reach the enemy citadel. Empress, you would have rested well since then." Soren smirked.
Sanaki rolled her eyes.
"But, at any rate, if we take Telgam now, we destroy any chance for a Confederate counterattack. However, it's clear that this will not be an easy task. We'll have to move fast if we want to take the fortress with the fewest amount of reinforcements." Soren proposed.
Without many options, Empress Sanaki, the technical commander in chief, decided to move forth in kind. Only with Telgam's fall could the Confederacy truly meet defeat.
Unfortunately for the Coalition, Telgam was a legendary citadel.
With its massive walls and giant moat, it was thought to be impenetrable.
But the most crucial aspect of Telgam was its gigantic watchtower, a spire that could rival the Tower of Guidance in its sheer height and width. From this tower, Falcoknights and Dragonlords could emerge to strike any advancing foe, and this watchtower was well known as a sort of landing pad for various Begnion fliers to land or lift off from.
Because of this, Telgam had to be taken as soon as possible, otherwise any invading force would be overwhelmed by a swarm of aerial units quickly and mercilessly.
With the fall of Tanas and the Coalition approaching Telgam, Lekain knew that he had failed.
He should have struck when he had the chance, he reckoned. By hesitating for that month, he allowed Soren to arrive in Gallia and move over the mountains. Perhaps history would say that he lost because he was slow, not because he was incompetent.
No, he could not let that be his epitaph! He was Lekain, Ruler of Tellius. Nevassa, Sienne, Goldoa, their strength was his. Izuka, Naesala (to a degree), and Deshingea were his pawns. How could anyone hope to wrestle his Empire from him? Crimea and Phoenicis were just lucky, and their strength could save Gallia and the Apostle from death, but one could not cheat death forever. He would prevail over these Coalition fools, and Tellius would stand under one order once again.
The Coalition's main force encamped itself less than two kilometers from the outskirts of the fortress. Knowing that the Confederate army did not dare send its soldiers out too readily, Soren knew that his camp, though insultingly close to the enemy lines, would be relatively safe.
Lethe hissed. If an enemy tactician did the same to her regiment, no, she would not let him do so without suffering extreme pain. Placing his camp so close to their base would only show the Confederacy how little Soren thought of them. Any simpleton could conduct a night raid and do significant damage to the camp because it was so close, and Soren's army would be unable to do the same because they would be resting, and any fortress would be far more defensible than an ordinary army camp... So either Soren was the most arrogant pedant she had ever seen or, or he was ingenious enough to provoke his opponents into becoming angry and thus not keeping level heads.
But, in actuality, Soren was Soren, and Soren liked to taunt those whom he felt deserved those taunts.
Back in the fortress, the Confederate soldiers mashed their teeth together as they watched the Coalition set up their camp.
Who did they think they are, acting as though the Confederacy were a bunch of cowards?
Yet this was probably a trap. Soren was trying to lure them into a weak position, and when they'd enter he'd ambush them, just like Lucia when she caught Ludveck in her snare. They saw how Ludveck died, so they knew that they could not hope to fall for the same trick.
So, in their moment of indecision, the Confederates received a welcome visitor.
"All units, report your status immediately."
"Lord Valtome!" The soldiers were shocked. Why would the Senator show his face at this time.
Valtome tried to keep a straight face. This wasn't a time to laugh, and it wasn't a time to cry. Tanas had fallen, and because they failed to hold that fortress, the enemy was closing in on Telgam. The fall of Telgam would destroy any chance of theirs to quickly conquer Crimea, as the Daein front was not going well and there were no other Begnion positions that close to Crimea's heartland. Telgam would be a turning point in this battle, and if his men weren't prepared, he would lose everything.
"So, are you men going to sit and let Soren push you around? You're not a bunch of walking dominoes, are you?" Valtome scoffed, throwing his head back and letting his hair fall on his shoulders.
Strangely enough, it seemed rather feminine, and some of Valtome's soldiers began to feel uncomfortable, so to speak.
"But commander, Ludveck died because the enemy feigned weakness to lure him in. We shouldn't..."
"Ludveck died because he was an idiot." Valtome scraped his nails, cutting off the protesting Sentinel. "Ludveck did not realize that a seemingly empty castle is the best kind of trap there is. Your soldiers will be cut off and ensnared from within. He was smart enough not to fully enter Lucia's trap, but the problem is that Lucia had the upper hand in that particular battle because she had a whole wall behind her with enough archers to gun down any support Ludveck could have mustered. With that, Lucia was able to terrify him and cut him down."
The Confederate soldiers stared in awe. So even Valtome could become serious in the face of this foe. Did that mean that they were really doomed?
"But..." And with that Valtome began to grin. "You're forgetting our current situation. We are the ones who have the benefit of a citadel in our hands. The enemy is in a camp. This time, Soren is not Lucia. His troops are in a camp, a place where soldiers mostly rest, where there is an open area all around his position. From this open area our cavalry can outflank him, and if they strike hard and fast they can break his soldier's morale. From there our main company of knights will plow through his encampment and destroy him! With our mages casting flames and arrows filling the skies above him, Soren's army will be destroyed and he will finally be defeated. We'll win for sure!" Consumed with the thought of victory, Valtome began to giggle.
The protesting Sentinel shook his head. Why was it that his comrades were so simple minded? Rushing your opponent like a pack of rabid dogs was not the strategy that prevailed against Soren or Lucia. They witnessed the deaths of Ludveck and countless others who used those strategies, and yet Valtome was about to do something similar... Would they ever learn?
Then again, he was the one who enlisted in this army, so fate dictated that he would die along with it.
"Lucia, if I may, why have you ordered so many soldiers to pull back? Aren't Soren and the others still at camp?"
"Muarim, don't trouble yourself with them. That only shows how stubborn or unobservant they are."
"... Don't tell me... You aren't going to sacrifice them, are you?"
She scoffed. "Hmph! You think I'm that heartless? No, the enemy needs some convincing motivation to get them to strike, and when they do we have to be ready for them. If this is what it takes to wake Soren out of his stupor, then so be it."
"... You really are one bold Beorc. Never have I seen someone like you... Not even Lethe would pull such a stunt."
"Hey! I'm right here, you know!"
Lethe, Lucia, and Muarim stood quite a distance from Soren's encampment. Knowing full well that Soren's extremely close position would infuriate the enemy enough to strike, Crimea's Royal Tactician decided that the best way to break an enemy attack would be to strike at their moment of glory. That kind of ambush was the best kind, for not only would it immediately crack their morale, it would also have them fleeing with few casualties on either side (as they'd be running very, very soon.) Those kinds of victories left room for lots of negotiations, and she hoped that she could convince these fools to lay down their arms.
It was strange how the Confederacy lost so much yet insisted on fighting to the end. Their gambit in Crimea's heartland failed. Their hold of Daein had weakened dramatically, and now the Coalition was liberating Begnion, having already taken Tanas. With the full might of Gallia at her side, Lucia knew that this ambush would come out quite nicely as the enemy would scream at the sight of so many fierce tigers and cats.
"Still..." Lethe hissed. "If you don't mind me saying so, these beorc are truly stupid."
"No offense taken." Lucia nodded.
"... I was referring to both our foes and our friends still in that deathtrap of a camp."
"Well, I guess Soren needs to realize that he can't pull these kinds of stunts and expect a quick victory."
"Exactly! You'd think that he'd learn from his own victories, at least, but it looks like he's only slightly more intelligent than that rabble. If only Gallia wasn't caught off guard, and if only we hadn't undergone that civil war, we could have crushed this Confederacy long ago!"
"I find it strange how you continue to clamor about Gallia's might when that hardly matters at this hour, Lethe. It's obvious that Gallia's strength has already been deployed." Muarim mumbled.
"Where's your pride as a laguz? I'm telling you that we could have won earlier, Muarim! Stop contradicting me!"
Muarim sighed. If they bickered any further, the camp could fall before they could spring their trap.
"I still don't get why Lucia made us all wake up at 5 in the morning to pull this stunt. Those idiots in that castle have heard about what happened in Tanas, I'm sure. Is she really paranoid enough to think that they'll strike us now?" Ranulf yawned.
"You're just bitter because she made us wake up. If you ask me, now I finally feel safe enough to spread my wings." Janaff sighed. "We were so close to those beorc's bows... I could almost smell their stench, and I'm not a beast laguz like you!"
"It's troubling to know that there are enough straggles for the enemy to get lucky." Tibarn grumbled.
"Your majesty, please don't use such negative words! I'm sure Lucia'll strike before they can actually do anything." Janaff squawked.
"Janaff, you're getting worried now? Hah! That'll be the day." Ranulf purred. He might have been half asleep, but seeing Janaff get worked up over Tibarn saying something slightly disheartening? Priceless.
"Shut up." Janaff ruffled his feathers with a smirk.
"I hear clapping in the distance. It appears that the enemy has begun to move." Ulki spoke grimly, surprising the other three laguz.
"We should inform Lucia quickly. Wait... I'm the quickest one here... By your leave, King Tibarn." Ranulf nodded as he shifted into cat form.
"Go on, Ranulf. Janaff, Ulki, are you two ready to dive in and give them hell?"
"Of course." Ulki nodded.
"I'm always ready to teach these foolish beorc a lesson." Janaff grinned.
"Falling back to strike later is an acceptable strategy, but I only wish that we could liberate Telgam sooner." Tanith groaned as she eyed the massive tower ahead.
"I hear you. It is heartbreaking to see so many of our old classmates arrayed against us when everyone knows what Lekain or Izuka's true intentions are... They are our old friends, and yet their blind obedience forces us to cross blades. I knew that this could happen, but even so I cannot move forth with my usual resolve..."
Sigrun shivered at the thought of skewering an old friend.
"Stop your whining, Sigrun. Do not forget that these "old friends" have chosen to serve a man who would eagerly sacrifice so many of the souls who would lay down their lives for him in the name of conquest and destruction. If these "old friends" choose the path of death and ruin, then we must correct them by any means necessary. I do not have friends who would cause destruction for its own sake! They are our foes, and by defeating them we will save Begnion. Don't let anything stand in the way of what is just and honorable, Sigrun. Now you must raise your spear for our country."
Sigrun blinked. Tanith seemed rather eager to fight in this battle.
Still, Sigrun could not correct her deputy. It was true that these former comrades were fighting for a man who would stop at nothing to break the peace that so many had enjoyed, and as a holy guard she could not stand by and let that happen. Her heart was not to be trusted in this battle, no, instead she would have to set it aside for what really mattered.
He heard a few shouts outside of his tent, and soon those shouts became the screams of panic and anguish.
Soren rubbed his eyes. What could be going on this early in the morning? He did not recall ordering a general charge. Could they have already breached the enemy gate?
Sticking his head out of the tent, Soren suddenly dived back into his shelter. An arrow whizzed past the space that his head once occupied, and the tactician realized what was really going on:
The enemy had not been intimidated by his bold move. Rather, they reacted to it and had begun to lay siege to, or perhaps even penetrate, his camp.
He could hear the growls of laguz as the Gallian troops stationed within their camp lunged out and attacked their aggressors.
He could hear the frantic whizzing of arrows. Perhaps Rolf or Astrid had awoken and were providing those laguz with cover fire. Soren knew that Shinon was too proud to ever be panicked, and Shinon would be cursing him out at this moment, anyhow.
Gripping tightly onto his various tomes, Soren emerged from his tent, ready to cut down these attackers and rescue his men!
Lucia looked uneasily as the camp burst into flames.
She wanted to teach both the enemy and Soren a lesson, but if everything went wrong, then Soren would...
No, Soren would not go down so easily. He had fought countless battles and had come out in one piece each time. This skirmish would be no different.
She had to believe that... She had to believe that for if anything happened she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.
As enemies closed in from all sides of the camp, Soren and the other veterans within it scrambled to find a way to repel their aggressors. From without, Lucia and the warriors who went with her waited patiently for the right time to strike. Yet, as with many of their strategist's tactics, it was all a gamble. If they waited too long, Soren would fall and the Coalition might very well fail without him. If they moved too swiftly, the enemy would be able to reinforce their numbers and the rescue attempt would become a group suicide mission. With this dilema, Lucia found herself barely holding together under this pressure.
Even though they had reached the turning point of their campaign, the warriors of the Coalition could easily lose everything if they hesitated now. Life or death hung in the balance. In a matter of moments, they could either win it all or lose everything.