Chapter 3: The Bleeding Fortress
• • • • •
Drath, Lord Jardan's mysterious master of intelligence, has gathered a number of informants from within Lord Dale's forces. The men sent by Dale to hunt down Prince Antonio become the hunted. Using Drath's information, Antonio leads a surprise strike against the troops lead by General Trey and wins an easy victory. General Trey escapes, however, and returns to Fort Gigan. The fort becomes Antonio's next target, as he and Lady Violet construct a plan to breach its thick stone walls…
###
Fort Gigan
Dale: General Trey, you may enter.
Trey: My Lord.
Dale: General… that title is self-styled, is it not?
Trey: …My Lord?
Dale: Would any true general allow his army to suffer such a pathetic defeat? And yet you managed to survive.
Trey: My Lord, they had more men this time. I… I recognized one of them.
Dale: And who was it?
Trey: The man's name is Oberan. He is one of Lord Jardan's. There was a girl with him, too. I think… I think also that his daughter, Lady Violet, fought alongside Prince Antonio.
Dale: Oh?
Trey: …
Dale: I believe you must have been seeing things, General. Why would Lord Jardan send his precious daughter to join forces with the dead prince of Dalrson? He is already in a precarious position with Lord Kelly. He cannot afford to make an enemy of me as well.
Trey: But, My Lord, I saw—
Dale: Do not try my patience. Up until your recent failure, you've managed to serve me well. I am needed in Rymin, so I'm leaving you in charge here until I return.
Trey: Yes, My Lord.
Dale: …Oh, and General? Soldiers are rarely lucky enough to stumble across enemy camps in the dead of night. Dalrson may have a way of tracing our movements; perhaps Prince Antonio is receiving inside information? I would suggest looking into it. It may very well prolong your tenure as commander here at Fort Gigan.
Trey: I'll… see to it.
Dale: Good. Now farewell, General Trey.
[Dale leaves.]
Trey: …I must hold this fort. If I lose it, that accursed man will have my head.
###
Eastern Dalrson, Outside of Fort Gigan
Antonio: So we've arrived.
Violet: Fort Gigan. It does look formidable, I'll admit.
Antonio: But there is a way in.
Violet: Besides the main gate? Of course. According to Master Drath, there is a cavern below the fort. It was hollowed out in order to access the underground streams that flow down from the mountains.
Asyrm: It's also a dungeon. With any luck, we may free some of the garrison who held the fort before Lord Dale's men overran it—those who weren't killed in the battle.
Antonio: Excellent.
Violet: We need only wait for Master Drath at the rendezvous point. His man will lead us through the cavern, then into the fort itself.
Antonio: Will we attack by nightfall again?
Violent: We may as well. We don't want the entire garrison awake and ready to swarm us the moment we arrive.
Antonio: That we don't. Let's make our way to the rendezvous point.
###
Fort Gigan
Trey: …And just what are you doing, soldier?
Mercenary: N-nothing, sir.
Trey: On water duty? That cavern down there is certainly a fright, isn't it? Why, you could slip, break your neck or fall to your death and your chums up here would be none the wiser.
Mercenary: Ah…
Trey: Is something wrong?
Mercenary: …No, sir.
Trey: Well, then there's something I'd like to know. I've heard a few reports that you left the walls this morning to go spend about ten minutes out in woods. And one of the watchmen at the gate told me that yesterday that you were speaking with a man no one here could identify. Does that seem at all strange to you?
Mercenary: I… don't think so, sir.
Trey: Then what were you doing while you were out in the forest? And just who was that man you were with?
Mercenary: I—aaaugh!
[Trey stabs him.]
Trey: Answer me truthfully, or these breaths you take will be your last. How were you going to let them in? Through here? Through the caves?
Mercenary: Aaaa… aauugh…
[The Mercenary dies.]
Trey: Hmph. That wasn't meant to kill him. No matter. It's an obvious enough ploy. Guards!
[Two men appear.]
Mercenary: Sir.
Trey: Clear out the dungeons. I want every prisoner out in the courtyard.
Mercenary: Yes, sir.
###
Fort Gigan Courtyard
Celyn: …What's going on out there?
Harold: I believe the commander has assembled the prisoners.
Celyn: Why?
Harold: I'm not sure. Shall we listen?
Trey: Lord Dale has charged us with defending Fort Gigan, and we cannot betray his trust by losing it to Prince Antonio and his Dalrson curs. Tonight, the prince will lead his men into the caverns below, thinking to release these prisoners and retake this fort. Instead, he will be stumbling into a trap. And in the mean, his countrymen will be dead.
Celyn: He can't mean to—
Harold: Dear girl, please. You can't—!
Celyn: Ah!
[The prisoners are killed.]
Celyn: No!
[Harold takes Celyn away from courtyard.]
Celyn: Let go of me! You… you would have me stand idly by and watch as those defenseless men are butchered?
Harold: And would again.
Celyn: Why? If my brothers… if Carlos and Edgar were here, they would not abide this!
Harold: Lords Carlos and Edgar could cut through this entire garrison and hardly break a sweat while doing so. You, on the other hand…
Celyn: I will not lend my sword to the commander here. Harold, we're leaving.
Harold: No, we're not. You're a new recruit, but this General Trey knows your character. At this juncture, he'd sooner kill you than let you leave. Your hasty departure would send every signal that you were planning to warn the enemy commander.
Celyn: Then what do we do?
Harold: We survive this fight. If the Prince of Dalrson is defeated, General Trey will have no reason to fear our departure.
Celyn: And if General Trey is defeated?
Harold: Then we may escape at our leisure. We must fight to stave off suspicion, but we have no reason to throw ourselves into the fray.
###
Outside the Fort
Drath: …Milady.
Violet: Master Drath, that you're here now means…
Drath: Our plan was uncovered. My informant is dead, and the acting commander saw fit to slay each and every Dalrson prisoner in retaliation.
Antonio: …What did you say?
Violet: That blackhearted—
Drath: Milady, I take full responsibility for this inexcusable blunder. If you see fit to relieve me of my position, I will gladly accept—
Violet: I don't think so. This simply requires another method of attack.
Antonio: …What will we do?
Violet: Listen. I'll explain it quickly…
###
Fort Gigan
Mercenary: It's too quiet. Have the Dalrson forces arrived yet?
Mercenary: If they did, we'd hear, wouldn't we? Now keep your eyes open. We're supposed to be watching for—uhff!
Mercenary: Hey! How did you—? Nrgh…!
[Violet and Drath appear behind the guards and kill them.]
Drath: It's just as you thought, Milady.
Violet: Yes. The commander expects us to be coming in through the cavern, so he left only a scant number of men to guard the wall. None of them even saw us scaling it.
Drath: Now, to the gates. This way, Milady.
###
Asyrm: My prince, the gates are opening. They've done it.
Antoio: …Good. Men of Dalrson, hear me! The cowards waiting for us inside those walls slaughtered your comrades and countryman while they stood unarmed and defenseless! Make them rue the day they chose to serve their lord and step foot on Dalrson soil! Now, move!
###
Fort Gigan
Mercenary: C-commander! Er, I mean… g-general!
Trey: What is it, you blithering wretch?
Mercenary: It's the Dalrson forces! They've breached the gate! I don't know how, but—
Trey: What? To the gate! To the gate now, you idiots!
• • • • •
1st Player Turn
Celyn: So they didn't come up through the caves after all…
Harold: I chose this place to avoid most of the fighting, but alas, it appears that the battle is coming to us. Be ready.
###
[Antonio speaks with Celyn.]
Antonio: …
Celyn: What? What is it?
Antonio: Do you fight alongside these men?
Celyn: Yes.
Antonio: Then stand down. Surrender. Lord Dale may have no qualms with handing steel to a little girl and asking her to fight for him, but I do not need to oblige him by killing you.
Celyn: You conceited…! Who do you think you're talking to? I am Celyn of House Gandos, and I will someday be the finest swordsman in all of Hallenae.
Antonio: Not if you die here. Look around, will you? The spineless dastards scrabbling to defend this place are being cut down one by one. Would you so eagerly throw away that ambition of yours and join them in the grave?
Celyn: I am not like them.
Antonio: I know. That's why I'd have you fight for me, instead of dooming yourself to die here.
Celyn: A… a mercenary should not turn on her employer.
Antonio: And a commander should not slaughter unarmed prisoners. Which do you think is the worse crime?
Celyn: …
Antonio: Well?
Celyn: I will join you on two conditions. First, you must also allow my steward, Harold, to join your company. Second, you must never again call me "little girl." I am Celyn of House Gandos, and you are hardly older than me besides.
Antonio: Done and done. Go speak with your steward, then come find me after the battle.
Celyn: …All right.
###
[Violet speaks with Celyn.]
Violet: Who are you?
Celyn: Celyn of House Gandos. And you are my enemy!
Violet: House Gandos… the silver blood of the empire?
Celyn: …Yes.
Violet: You're a long way from home.
Celyn: That… that is irrelevant! Draw your sword and fight me!
Violet: Hmm. The warrior lords and ladies of House Gandos value honor, do they not?
Celyn: Of course! We hold honor in the highest esteem.
Violet: Then what honor is there in fighting for a commander who would murder defenseless prisoners?
Celyn: A… a mercenary must honor her contract.
Violet: True. But are you a mercenary first, or are you a knight of Gandos?
Celyn: You… you would use my own name and heritage against me!
Violet: No. I would ask you to join us. Personally, I think you would be happier amongst our people then with this dying band of dishonorable louts.
Celyn: …
Violet: The choice is yours, Celyn of House Gandos.
Celyn: …Fine, but on one condition. I would have my steward, Harold, accompany me.
Violet: Then go speak with him. We'll have time to sort out the particulars later.
Celyn: Yes, very well.
###
[Celyn speaks with Harold.]
Celyn: Harold.
Harold: What is it?
Celyn: We've been hired by the enemy commander. At least, I believe who I spoke to was the enemy commander…
Harold: You never found out for certain?
Celyn: That…
Harold: Spare it no more thought. What has Lord Dale done to deserve our loyalty, apart from offering us a paltry mercenary's pay? I'm pleased with your decision, assuming whoever sought you out has the authority you claim they do.
Celyn: …How did you know it was they who sought me out?
Harold: Your pride. It could not have happened the other way around.
Celyn: Yes, well, I am… proud of my pride.
Harold: Ha ha… indeed.
###
[Antonio, fighting Trey.]
Trey: Now, to take the prince's head with my own blade…
Antonio: I don't think so. The farthest you'll get is to the underside of my boots.
Trey: Ha! What chance does a pampered prince think he has? This will be a real fight to the death, boy, not some gamely spar.
Antonio: This pampered prince must avenge the dead men who once served his country. A fight to the death is exactly what I'm looking for.
Trey: F-fine! Then you'll have it!
###
[Asyrm, fighting Trey.]
Trey: And you're…
Asyrm: Asyrm, General of Dalrson.
Trey: We'll see just how much that title is worth soon enough.
Asyrm: Yes. Soon enough.
###
[Oberan, fighting Trey.]
Trey: Oberan…
Oberan: Ah, Trey. I thought you might be destined to throw your lot in with one of the petty lords. No one else would have you, is that it? And stooping so low as to murder unarmed prisoners…
Trey: Silence! I will close that contemptible mouth of yours for good!
Oberan: You're welcome to try.
###
[Violet, fighting Trey.]
Violet: Whew… I've had some exercise today, commander, climbing your wall and slaying your men.
Trey: Do not patronize me, whelp! Another word and you'll be a corpse! I'll have your pretty head shipped back to your lord father.
Violet: Even a corpse would have little trouble slipping by your defenses. If your vigilance is on par with your skill at arms, then I doubt I have much reason to fret.
Trey: Enough! You'll soon wish you minded your tongue!
###
[Celyn, fighting Trey.]
Trey: You would betray Lord Dale?
Celyn: Why not, if only for making a commander of despicable men like you?
Trey: Pah. You are nothing but a little girl pretending to be a knight.
Celyn: And you are nothing but a vile, murderous villain!
Trey: Die, turncoat!
###
[Fighting Trey.]
Trey: Come at me, any of you! You'll wish you had died a quick, clean death after I'm through with you!
###
[Trey dies.]
Trey: W-wait, please! Mercy! M-mercy…!
[The battle ends.]
• • • • •
Antonio: My countrymen… we've avenged you here. May your souls rest knowing those responsible have been brought to justice.
Asyrm: Prince, the last of the enemy soldiers have surrendered. The battle is won.
Antonio: Good.
[Violet appears.]
Violet: Exceptional work, everyone. We took the fort, and suffered so few losses in the process.
Antonio: Lady Violet, you did excellent work yourself. But… where is Master Drath?
Violet: I've given him another task. Once we leave for Rymin, there will be no men to hold the fort. I've sent Master Drath to search of surviving Dalrson troops and any local militia willing to volunteer. You'll oversee the stationing process, of course. Master Drath is only trying to track down able-bodied men. I haven't overstepped my bounds, I hope?
Antonio: No, I thank you for taking the initiative. I've no desire to stay here long.
Asyrm: Prince Antonio, if I may.
Antonio: Yes, Asyrm?
Asyrm: At this juncture, what reasons have we to leave Fort GIgan? To reach Milno, the capital, or any of Lord Jardan's hold, we'll need to pass through the heart of Lord Dale's lands. He wouldn't have exhausted his entire military strength here. If we try to cross his land, he will likely harry us at every turn.
Antonio: Hm…
Violet: Prince, you wish to acquire the strength to take back Dalrson Keep, do you not?
Antonio: Yes.
Violet: Then we must join with my father's forces. They will not come here; we must go to them.
Antonio: Your lord father has his own troubles, doesn't he?
Violet: He does. Master Drath informed me that my father has all but declared war against Senator Kelly. For once, Prime Minister Isaiah was not able to temper the two of them. My father will have most of his strength invested in the north, warring with Lord Kelly. Still, he will provide whatever men he can spare to help us deal with Lord Dale.
Antonio: That is most gracious.
Violet: Yes. I expect we shall receive mercenary support sometime very soon.
Antonio: Good. Then as soon as we can leave behind a proper garrison here, we depart.