Haha, oh another late chapter that's probably kinda crappy. Truly sorry about that. And I have more bad news: I'm taking the next month or two off from posting on this story. That doesn't mean I won't be working on the chapters, oh no. I'll try to get some of the initial drafts for the first few chapters of Arc 2 written, and when they're revised I'll post them...but please be patient. My drive to work on this fic has suffered recently as well as the fact that one of my other projects is demanding my attention if I will get it out on schedule. Other than that, thanks for reading, and have a great day!
Review Responses:
Connor the speling pro: Thanks for the compliment on characterization. Though, honestly I can't really say how to write a character like that. It just...came to me. And there are specific characters who I indeed have a hard time writing like, say, your version of Lloyd in Ceres. Have problems with creepy/nice characters myself. ...And I did it again. Yep, probably gonna notice that a lot, lol. Yeah, it does sound a bit contradictory, but I think I get what you're saying. Essentially build up one part to paint a picture for the image or to be suspenseful, but then go back and allow the fast-paced part of the battle to take over, right? And yeah, I find that quite often I don't have a lot to say, and then I go and rant. Happens more with reviews and PMs than anything, haha. Anyway, see you too!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than the fic and...it's essentially copy/paste from the previous chapters.
"Even with the initial attacks, the Pigmasks were never trying to decisively smash your forces," Kumatora said, looking each of them in the eye as she began her spiel. "We tried to maintain that appearance, yes, but that was merely to acquire a defensive perimeter where we could defend our holdings and stall your forces. We officers thought that we were merely trying to stall you into accepting a temporary Pigmask nation, and then when we were ready we'd finish the job. But it turns out; it was not that but rather to buy time."
"Time for what?" Paula asked, frowning.
"Time to secure the Eight Sanctuaries."
"The Eight Sanctuaries?" the princess gasped, turning to Ninten (who wasn't surprised at all with the revelation). "They're real?"
"The Pigmasks seem to think so," Ninten said with a shrug. "They even have a number of classified documents regarding that."
"To be honest, I had a tough time believing it at first, until I accumulated so much proof I couldn't deny their existence," Kumatora admitted. "Well, short of visiting them myself, but it would've aroused too much suspicion if I did."
"It does provide some insight on what the Pigmasks hope to achieve," Ninten mused.
"What do you mean?" Lucas asked.
"The Pigmasks want to harness that power to use it for some kind of superweapon, I think," Kumatora explained. "I could find no information on what their intents are, but why would they want to use it for anything other than military might when a war is going on?"
"Awe us into surrender?" Ninten sarcastically suggested.
"Regardless, the information is so secret that Fassad himself might not know, and he's second-in-command...though he probably does given his reaction to me announcing that I found out the info," Kumatora chuckled. "But it's no joke on what they might achieve with such power."
"The power of the Eight Sanctuaries?" Lucas questioned. "What exactly are these 'Sanctuaries' and how are they supposed to be all-powerful?"
Ninten smacked his head, remembering something. "That's right. The legend isn't well-known outside of the archives, are they?" he muttered, frustrated at forgetting that detail.
"I would bet that the legend don't end well though," Teddy stated.
"If the legends were indeed true, then the Eight Sanctuaries have quite a bloody history," Ninten said, taking a deep breath. "According to the legend, anyone who manages to reach all eight said that their psychic powers will drastically increase. Note that I said 'psychic powers'. You don't have to be a PSI user to harness this power, whatever it is. It is said that whoever harnesses that power will vastly increase their own, to the point of being able to control nature." The veteran coughed at how ridiculous that sounded before continuing. "It probably is exaggerated, but we can't take chances. It cannot fall into Pigmask hands."
"And because of that power, wars were fought over it," Kumatora continued, a far-off look in her eye for whatever reason. "Long, bloody campaigns for all eight continued for years, until one day, a man finally succeeded in claiming the power. He only intended to use it to end the war; but instead, he went mad and betrayed his own ideals. He aggressively moved against the other leaders, declaring that true peace will only come when the enemy was totally destroyed. Under this threat, the other leaders put aside their differences out of sheer desperation.
"No one knows exactly what happened to him. Some accounts claim he was sealed away with the very power he claimed, and others say he was killed. But all of them said that he was defeated."
"And this wasn't even a PSI user," Ninten added. "PSI didn't exist on Earth until eight years ago and it's a well-known fact that PSI is far superior to any other psychic power that we know of. Now imagine that kind of power in the hands of today's PSI users." Ninten gave a humorless chuckle at the mental image of one PSI user raining unspeakable destruction on a city. "Point is; if they are truly all-powerful and the Pigmasks manage to harness that power...we're screwed. If they manage to control it."
"If they don't?" Paula inquired.
"I don't know what will happen then," Kumatora confessed. "It would likely cause a catastrophic failure that would backfire spectacularly."
"How bad?"
"I don't know!" Kumatora shouted as she threw her hands up. "We can't know until we find out how much power it provides. But at worst, it could destroy the whole planet...but it probably isn't anywhere near that powerful."
"And what about this?" Ninten asked, holding out a perfectly spherical stone.
"Where did you get that?" Kumatora demanded, her eyes narrowing.
"Remember when I helped carry the documents regarding the Sanctuaries away?" Ninten questioned. "I found this in a container hidden in a secret compartment. I figured it was important if you bothered to keep this hidden."
"That is the item that supposedly allows a psychic to harness the power of the Eight Sanctuaries," Kumatora explain. "Don't ask me how they're using the power without it, but I found it on a mission before the war," she said. "I realized what it was and played dumb, not letting them know I actually found what they sent me to find. It's apparently called a 'Sound Stone'...don't ask me why, but that's what it is."
"We should destroy it then. It's too dangerous," Ninten said.
"Why throw away this chance to crush these Pigsnots?" Teddy questioned, pumping a fist. "It'll save lives."
"Did you not listen to what the legends said?" Ninten asked in disbelief. "It corrupted the person who tried to use it. It'll only happen again if we use it."
"We'll be more careful then," Teddy protested. "Besides, you didn't address those lives I said would be saved."
"If we were more careful, we wouldn't even be fighting this war to begin with!" Ninten yelled, Lucas stepping back and Ana visibly flinching from his outburst.
"And how would you even know it'll corrupt someone before they gained that power?" Teddy growled, standing up to his full height to tower over the smaller veteran.
"Even without the Eight Sanctuaries, I've seen people start to grow arrogant once their PSI begins to develop rapidly," Ninten said in a little over a whisper, knowing that any louder could have him begin to shout. "They became drunk on that power, and it cost them in many of their spars, and some didn't learn before they were sent out into the battlefield, and..."
"But if it saves lives with none in return, wouldn't it be worth it?"
"All it takes is that seed of temptation," Paula stated. "That's all it takes for whoever holds that power to turn on us and begin to slaughter us and the Pigmasks. That's what we're worried about."
"Ahem."
Ninten didn't even pay that a second thought as he continued to debate with the stubborn Teddy over this.
"HEY!" Everyone in the room jumped as they turned to meet Kumatora's glare. "Aren't you guys supposed to be asking me questions?" Kumatora butted in, folding her arms. "Do you have any more questions, or should I just go to bed now?"
He and Teddy shared a glance. "We'll have this discussion later," he stated before turning back to Kumatora, already feeling a question come to his mind. "Why didn't you surrender immediately if you were going rogue, therefore saving lives?" Ninten asked.
"Because Fassad was eavesdropping on me," Kumatora replied. "He wants to make sure his orders are carried out to the letter, and it was only because it was recently installed that I was even able to find out about the Eight Sanctuaries without detection, as well as the fact of doing my research outside my office."
"And you couldn't disable it?"
"If it went down, it would have to be believable," Kumatora explained. "If he figured out that I was giving away the secret of the Sanctuaries, he would have them heavily fortified and alerted, completely ruining the element of surprise."
"Even with a battalion guarding each?" Ninten questioned.
"At most. Others have only a small brigade, and they're typically rather spread out as opposed to concentrated. That'll make things a lot easier for you."
With all his questions directly regarding the Sanctuaries answered, he proceeded to a few new topics. "I take it troop dispositions along this front are in the documents?" Ninten inquired.
"Yes," Kumatora answered.
Ninten nodded before he settled on a question that had been bugging him for a while now. "Well, this one might be a bit difficult to answer, but how come Pigmask technology is so advanced yet they can't squeak out a victory?"
"We sent small forces beyond the border into the Badlands," Kumatora answered. "They took everything they could find, whether human or alien, and we reverse-engineered them, especially since we had to use different materials and whole different processes to make them. Without our ability to sustain 'modern' technology, it was kind of expected. The trouble came in the field. Due to those factors, we experienced all sorts of equipment failures commonly and most soldiers don't know how to really use them outside of the basics. That is why the war has tipped in your favor, along with your numerous PSI users compared to our...what? Dozen or so?"
Ninten nodded in affirmation. "I guess we should disband those experimental units then until we can fix them," he commented to no one in particular.
"Is that everything? I'm getting sick of having questions shot at me," the rogue grumbled.
"Yeah, that was the last of mine," Ninten said. "Anyone else have questions?" Everyone else shook their heads. "Well, we'll be leaving you alone now." With that he turned around and left the room behind the other occupants.
It was exactly the place (well, one of the places on Mt. Itoi) they needed to go to in order to have a discussion like this privately. Lucas glanced around at the trees surrounding the clearing and at Ninten, who currently was back to arguing with Teddy over the Eight Sanctuaries. Paula was trying to play mediator, but Lucas knew that she supported Ninten's position. Thing was, Lucas couldn't decide who to throw his support behind. Teddy's reasoning on the war being quicker and maintaining the peace with the power was very tempting and would take out wars before they started. On the other hand, the 'corruption of power' rhetoric Ninten was using was enough to make Lucas doubt the power's usability, even though he didn't fully agree with Ninten's stance. If they got someone wise to wield that power, there would be so much more to gain, but...
"What about Lucas and Ana?" Teddy asked, turning to the undecided duo. "They haven't said anything yet."
Lucas and Ana glanced at each other, Lucas seeing his indecisiveness reflected in Ana's eyes. And it appeared that they would have to take sides now...
"Don't drag them into this," Ninten growled. "They probably haven't decided."
"No... Its fine," Lucas calmly said, despite Ninten being spot on with his inner conflict. "We need a minute to think this over."
He quietly scooted closer to Ana, whispering, "What do you think?"
"I-I think that the power could be used, but with Ninten's concerns we'd probably have to be...careful."
"That makes sense," Lucas nodded. "Any way we can get them to compromise?"
"Well, I'm not sure but how about we get the melodies but then decide what to do with the Sound Stone afterward," Ana suggested.
"Brilliant!" Lucas grinned. "That won't decide the issue, but then maybe we'd have a clearer picture later on what needs to be done."
"O-Only problem is...it might be stolen or maybe we can't store it," Ana murmured, breaking eye contact. "If that happened..."
"We'll probably make up our minds by the time we get the eighth melody, so all we need to do is to make sure it's secure."
Ana nodded, and Lucas had no doubt about throwing her support behind this. He turned to the other three and asked, "Is it possible that we can store the melodies on there and then put it somewhere safely?"
"What are you saying?" Teddy asked.
Paula and Ninten's eyes seemed to light up though. "Are you saying that we could use the Sound Stone to acquire each melody, but then not use it if we don't have to?" Paula asked.
"Yep."
"What if someone stole it or it was activated by accident?" Ninten asked.
"It's worthless without all eight melodies and I doubt that anyone other than the Pigmasks or us would actually get to the last Sanctuary, wherever it is," Lucas added. "And if we didn't want the eighth melody, we wouldn't have to get it. We could just leave it at seven and then destroy the stone or something."
"It'll at least buy us more time to think this over and the fog of war wouldn't be as thick," Paula reasoned. "If we need to use it, then at least we'll have that option open. If not, we can easily destroy it."
Ninten and Teddy glanced at each other and nodded. "Alright, we'll use that idea for now," Ninten said. "We'll, uh...hopefully not fight like we did when we next try to debate it. I'll go talk with the colonels and see if we can go after them."
"Are you actually going to tell them about the Sanctuaries?" Teddy demanded.
"No of course not," Ninten scoffed. "I'm just saying we're going after eight strongpoints vital to the Pigmasks, at least from reports recovered from the raid."
"You sure that'll work?" Lucas asked.
"It's the best idea we have," Ninten reasoned. "Anyway, get some rest and stock up on equipment. If we go, we probably won't be coming back anytime soon, so take advantage of this."
He strolled up to the front of his cell, examining the faces of those in nearby cells of their own. On two faces, he saw hopelessness, which was the general mood from what he saw in the brief periods he was allowed out, albeit, only for slave labor. Honestly, he couldn't blame them for that. There seemed to be no hope for them anytime soon, but he could not stop from being bothered by their willingness to just...roll over and give up, not actually resist.
His gaze turned to the cell across from his, making eye contact with the sole occupant of that room. He often wondered what it would be like to see the king himself, but he never expected to meet him like this. The Queen was one cell to his right, and even though he could not make out her features in the dim lighting of that area, he could still make out her silhouette. As far as he could tell from their posture and the king's face, they had not lost hope entirely yet, even though that they themselves were forced to participate in the construction of defenses that would surely kill a number of their own soldiers.
The teen snapped out from his musing as a group of Pigmasks, accompanied by one that looked more like a sumo wrestler than anything, came into the room. He knew what was about to happen, and he stepped back as two Pigmasks undid the lock and opened his cell door, entering his quarters.
"Come on," one of them growled, seizing and yanking the teen's arm, causing him to stumble forward, but he quickly regained his balance and followed despite the crushing grip of the guard. Seriously, if they were supposed to be fighting for the equality of PSI users, why was he being abused like this when they knew that he was one of them?
He was dragged up the stairs, the teen occupying himself by staring at the walls. They were murky, damp, and dirty. Not exactly the picture of pristine that he always envisioned the castle to be, but given that it was a different faction who apparently could care less about royalty as opposed to power and science, upkeeping of the symbol of the Royal Family wasn't very important.
The Pigmasks shoved open the door in front of them, and the teen had to squint in order to allow his eyes to begin adjusting to the light. At least the upstairs was more visually appealing, though signs of neglect were beginning to show from the same lack of upkeep as the dungeons had. He was escorted through several of the hallways, at more than one point forced to step over leftover debris from the battle (it was beyond him why they neglected to clean it up) until they reached the outside.
"Today, you'll be working on helping to build barricades here," one of the Pigmasks growled. "Use your fancy powers to help, but remember: run and we'll kill you. Understand?"
"Clear," the teen replied.
"Then get to work," the Pigmask ordered, shoving him roughly forward. The teen stumbled forward and barely prevented himself from going face-first in the dirt. Resisting the urge to glare, he walked over to the pile of bricks and began to set them using telekinesis in one of the pre-marked areas. It was hard work even with PSI, not to mention miserable. He tried to picture that he was somewhere else, but with the necessity of his focus he couldn't bring himself to. He grunted as he moved a stack of bricks nearby so that he could arrange them. They just required their walls to be built to a minimum standard; they never demanded absolute perfection, meaning that he could make the walls strong enough so that they could serve as cover, but weak in several areas which would undermine the whole thing. That was something taught by fellow prisoners when he first arrived.
It wasn't long before the Pigmasks shoved another prisoner over, the one right across from the cell: King Polestar.
That was how they first met, because they were forced to participate in the slave labor the Pigmasks demanded, though why now he did not know. Despite their social status, they quickly began to talk, with them regularly discussing facts every time they got the opportunity to. It was possibly one of the few reasons both had endured as well as they did so far. At least the Pigmasks didn't bother to shut people up unless they knew they were talking about overthrow, but considering that was considered treason against them...
"How are you holding up Ness?" the king asked.
The teen shrugged. "I've seen better days, but it could've been worse," he replied. "Thank goodness I'm not homesick today. Those days are the worst."
"Considering your usual optimism, it is disturbing when that happens," the king remarked, grunting as he lifted up a brick of his own. "But I can't blame you for missing your family like that."
Ness nodded, trying to block out the memories. If they were too strong, he could very much dissolve into a wreck again, and that was the last thing he wanted right now. "So you hear anything else?" the teen asked, referring to the war.
"From what the guards have been talking about, there have been defeats for them around Ellay," the king answered. "Not to mention that their offensive has pretty much ran its course. Hopefully, their defense won't hold out and you'll be free soon."
"You too," Ness nodded. "The sooner we get out, the better."
"But that's only the best case scenario," the king sighed. "Much can happen, and this could very well turn into a drawn-out conflict."
Ness glumly accepted this, his new hope crushed. He knew the king didn't intend to make him feel worse, but it was still disheartening to hear that it wasn't anywhere close to ending. Maybe he could've helped if he volunteered and not cause his mom and sister the pain of not knowing where he could be...
"I wish I could help your forces," Ness whispered. "PSI users are supposed to be relatively rare."
"Be careful what you wish for," the king replied. "I've seen what war does to soldiers. It's not pretty, and I hope you don't ever understand why I say this."
"But-"
"Listen, I only allow kids on the front lines because I can't stop the military from doing that," the king grumbled, dropping more stones onto the stack. "If I could, I wouldn't allow it, but they insist that they learn how to become proper warriors and commanders in their youth in order to better serve the people. As if most of them had a choice..."
They fell silent with that, Ness simply brooding in his thoughts. He disagreed with the king's opinion on him going into the army. Surely if he fought with the Confederation's forces he could save lives and eventually reform would be brought without it, right? These Pigmasks were nothing more than extremists who sought violence to get their way.
"Hurry up!" one of the Pigmasks snapped. "We don't have all day to get this built! Move!"
Ness grumbled to himself as he continued to pick up the blocks and set them down, vowing that when he would get free he would make sure they would regret their hypocrisy.
"Mount Itoi has fallen? Already?"
Ninten gave an affirmative nod. "Me and Holland brought back some prisoners with us, though most are still awaiting transit. And we also have one...defector from them who's talking," Ninten said, figuring that it would be better to imply she was joining their side as opposed to going rogue. "Not sure what exactly her intentions are, but we're watching her carefully."
"Who is this 'defector'?" Lee asked.
"The commander of their base."
"You're kidding me," Livingston deadpanned. "You don't honestly believe we can trust her, do you?"
"She has provided valuable intelligence in all branches of the Pigmasks," Ninten argued. "We have their general dispositions around the area...as well as an abnormality."
"What do you mean?"
Ninten walked over to the nearby table, which displayed a map of Eagleland on it. "She told us that there are groups of Pigmasks gathering in eight different areas across Eagleland, some behind our line and the rest in non-important locations."
"Why weren't we able to notice them?" Lee asked. "Many of them are behind our lines and despite that..."
"These Pigmasks are covert," Ninten explained. "The units they allocated to their defense are among the best units they have remaining, though none are more than a battalion. But the fact that they are gathering in such strategically unimportant or risky locations for no apparent reason would be suspicious enough, and indeed there is a method to their madness." He took a deep breath, getting ready to drop the bomb and not spill the beans about the Eight Sanctuaries. "They are preparing special weapons at those locations and are getting ready to unleash them as soon as they are ready."
"What kind of weapons? And why in those locations?"
"She didn't have the clearance to know what, but as for 'why' it is likely because we wouldn't expect them there or they're out of the way."
"This is disturbing," Livingston muttered, leaning back in his chair. "Even if this front continues its successes, it'll be at least another month or two before we can hit them all."
"Aren't their overall headquarters at the castle?" Lee asked. "If they're building a superweapon, it'll likely be assembled there or at another important location. Regardless, it's our best place to look."
"No doubt it'll be heavily fortified though," Livingston replied grimly. "And we'd have to get there first."
"What if a small strike team hit all eight?" Ninten proposed. "A small team of PSI users should do the trick given proper equipment."
"General Xavier has been pointed direct commander of all PSI users along this front," Livingston answered. "You'll have to request permission from him first."
Ninten scowled in irritation. While he understood the purpose of the chain of command and why it was necessary, it was such a burden to deal with sometimes. The general wasn't even here yet, and the veteran didn't know how reasonable he would be. He might be an egomaniac and refuse to listen to Ninten...which in that case they might have to risk going rogue along with Kumatora. It'd be a desperate gamble though.
"Thank you sirs," Ninten saluted. "May I be dismissed?"
"Certainly," Lee replied. "We'll tell the general about your plan once he arrives."
"Thank you sirs," Ninten said as he left the tent, his thoughts directed at the future.
Lucas tapped his foot, awaiting the news. It had been well over 30 minutes since Ninten left for the command tent to meet with the general (who had arrived an hour before), and no news had come back. Lucas was tempted to start pacing but instead sighed, leaning more against the tree. He would've expected news already; worry nipping at him the longer he went without any such news.
"Hey."
Lucas's eyes drifted up to see Captain Holland stopping right next to him, kneeling down on one knee. "You okay kid?" she asked.
"I'm fine, just... Just a little concerned, that's all," Lucas replied.
"This is about Fubiki talking to the general, correct?"
"How did you know that?" the blonde questioned, eyes narrowing. If she knew anything...
"I happened to be walking past the command tent when he was talking to the colonels. Caught some of the tail end of their conversation, though it was enough to deduce some things."
"I'm just anxious for news, that's all," Lucas admitted, realizing that she couldn't have known exactly what they were after.
"Frankly, to not hear from him for this long probably is a good sign," Holland said. Lucas raised an eyebrow. "A lot of commanders can be quite...egotistical to say the least. Sometimes, even I find it difficult to realize that my plan might not be the best one," Holland explained. "I know nothing about General Xavier aside from the fact that he's a four star, but if he's taking the time to listen to the lieutenant's case, it probably is a good sign. Not certain, but a good sign."
"I guess I was just expecting him to be able to convince the general faster," Lucas mused. "I think I overestimated Ninten's influence."
"Fubiki certainly is a good warrior and leader," Holland remarked. "I can see why you've befriended him."
"He's also loyal and he's taught me a lot," Lucas said.
Just then, he felt someone behind him and he whipped around to see a smirking Ninten standing right there. "Couldn't you announce your presence instead of standing there mysteriously like that?" he asked.
"Eh, I just wanted to hear you pat my ego," Ninten joked. "But seriously, it was amusing to see your reaction," he added before his face shifted to serious. "The general's approved. We're moving out tomorrow morning, so be sure to take care of anything, like stocking up on equipment before we go, okay?"
"Got it," Lucas nodded.
"It was an honor serving with you two," Holland said, giving a salute.
"Likewise," Ninten replied as he and Lucas gave a similar salute before walking off.
"By the way, when you salute a superior officer you're supposed to use your other hand," Ninten said.
"Uh... My bad?"
Lucas bolted straight up, eyes wide open as he took deep breaths to calm down from his brief panic. He glanced left and right before he realized that they were safe. They were spending the night in Ninten's tent and the other four occupants were looking at him...
Oh. He must've caused quite a ruckus.
"Sorry," he sheepishly apologized. "Just a nightmare."
"What about?" Paula asked.
"It was nothing," Lucas replied, lying back down.
He heard someone sigh. "Well, just know that if you want to talk about it, you can," Paula said. He heard the shuffling of movement as everyone readjusted themselves back under their covers, and it wasn't long before Teddy's snores began to echo through the tent.
He heard Ninten curse. "Would be better if I slept outside," his friend grumbled. "What does he do? Drink himself silly every night?"
"Ninten, that was just mean," Paula rebuked.
"Sorry," Ninten grumbled. "Just...wish he wouldn't snore so loud."
"I think we all do," Paula sighed. "Let's just...try to get some rest."
It was silent again apart from Teddy's snored and the occasional shuffle. However, no matter how hard he tried, Lucas's mind refused to drift off even after a while of nothing other than the wildlife. With a deep sigh he sat up, throwing the covers off, putting his shoes on as he stood up. The blonde quietly snuck out of the tent, being careful not to wake anyone up as he headed out into the night.
The camp was deserted, no one sitting at the fireplaces. However, Lucas knew there would be night guards around the perimeter and maybe patrolling around the tents. Lucas sympathized with them a little: he would hate to do their job with how much he could sleep, though that wouldn't help much if they spotted him. Thankfully, no one spotted him as he sat down by a nearby fire pit, the embers of a fire still glowing ever-so faintly. Just hours before soldiers were sitting around similar ones, talking and laughing, but he could not will himself to share their carefree sentiment. This was war. Lives were lost by the dozens, the hundreds, perhaps even the thousands each day. It seemed wrong for him to go ahead and laugh after seeing people like James die.
Of course, this was not the only concern on his mind. His thoughts also dwelled upon the Eight Sanctuaries, particularly the power they were said to wield. Kumatora had made it quite clear that the Pigmask leadership would see no problem in using it no matter the consequences, but if he, Ninten, and their forces used it, who knows what could happen. He was beginning to doubt his decision in the midst of the night, feeling himself being torn into two.
"Hey."
Lucas nearly jumped out of his skin as he whipped around, but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Paula there. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Just the nightmare," Lucas said. "As well as Teddy's snoring."
Paula laughed. "Yeah. Ninten really hated it too, didn't he?" But as soon as Lucas felt relief at the fact that she wasn't prying, her face hardened. "But there's something else, isn't there?"
Lucas sighed as he looked down. "...I guess it also has to do with the Eight Sanctuaries." When Paula didn't reply, he continued. "I wonder if I made the right decision. I mean, pursuing a power that could potentially corrupt us and deal even greater carnage than before? And this will be a battle we'll rage for the rest of our lives?"
"There are two sides to every story," Paula said. "I can see why you and Ana agreed to this. Teddy just, frankly, seems to be more stubborn on winning the war than anything, but I guess in the fog of war it's difficult to look ahead. Heck, none of us can predict how this'll end and what'll come after. It's easy to lose sight of the future in the midst of battle."
"Maybe, but...what if we can't control it?" Lucas muttered. "What would I have done...?"
"Lucas, we agreed to think about it some more and see the situation before using the Melodies," Paula reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It could be that we might not need it after all, and therefore we can destroy it."
"But what if it were stolen despite my reassurances that it wouldn't? I'm really thinking I should've taken Ninten's side now..."
"Ninten is a good leader and very smart, but he does tend to be timid regarding power," Paula explained. "He does admit that sometimes more power is necessary, but not beyond what is agreed on, and there have been times he's been wrong in the past. Don't worry; he's not mad at you or anything for not supporting him. He's more open-minded than that."
"It's not that I'm worried about," Lucas said. "If it does indeed corrupt people, then it's...frightening to think of Ninten turning into a bloodthirsty monster. He's one of the strongest people I know, and he...he's afraid of it."
"Strong can mean many things, but it doesn't mean extinguishing fear completely," Paula reassured him. "I know that sounds strange, but please bear with me. When he started out, he was...well, he was far more shy and timid than he is now."
"What?"
"He just learned how to adapt to his environment and job, making him who you see him to be, though he does have similar nightmares."
"He does?"
Paula sighed. "In war, it's easy to become traumatized, and Ninten had some experiences years ago when he was new." She met his eyes. "You'll learn that it's better to feel than to be numb in war, even if detachment makes things easier."
"But how? If detachment is such an easy thing to fall into..."
"Detachment on the battlefield is one thing," Paula explained. "It's kill or be killed there. If it affects your everyday interactions, then you're likely traumatized."
"I see."
Several moments of silence passed with neither really knowing how to resume the conversation. The silence was broken when the former princess yawned standing back up. "I'm heading back to the tent. Whenever you want to turn in, feel free, though I suggest you do it soon. You'll need the rest."
"Thank you," Lucas said, turning his attention back to the coals.
"No problem," Paula replied as he listened to her footsteps heading back to the tent. "Just don't stay up too late."
"I won't." And he was alone again, back to his thoughts. Only that they seemed to be settled, though he did not want to head back just yet.
Well, what harm did a little bit of stargazing ever do? Being a pleasant night only helped things.
His patience running short, Ninten paced back and forth, occasionally glancing up at the sky and tapping his foot. It was nearly time for them to leave, yet they were still getting ready. Granted, Ninten had to get not a whole lot; just some light armor (chainmail, breastplate and gauntlets), but still. 'What is taking them?' he growled mentally.
He sighed with relief when he heard someone walking up to him, raising an eyebrow in confusion when he saw Kumatora, decked out in similar clothing except brass knuckles instead of gauntlets and her hammer on her back. "I'm coming with you," she declared.
"What?"
"I said I'm coming with you," she repeated with an irritated sigh.
"I know, but why?" Ninten asked. "And how did you get out?"
"Because I cannot trust anyone with that power," Kumatora answered, clenching her fist. "I will make sure that no one will use it, even if I must strike you all down myself. And the general sent me to join you because of my expertise on Pigmask tactics and strategies...though it's also probably to keep me in check since I'd be surrounded by four other PSI users at all times and to prevent me from acting as a spy in the event I was one since I'd be away from the main forces."
"Very reassuring."
"Are you saying that you're after the power yourself?" Kumatora questioned incredulously.
"Yes and no," Ninten replied. "We will use the Sound Stone to get access to the Sanctuaries, but if we don't need it, then I will personally be all too happy to plant my foot through it."
Kumatora looked like she was about to snap, but instead took a deep breath and looked around. "Still, looks like everyone's taking their sweet time getting here," she deadpanned. Ironically, a few seconds later footsteps began to echo in the near distance. "...Shut up," Kumatora grumbled, even though Ninten wasn't even doing so much as looking at her when she said it. Then again, there was a bit of an amused smirk on his face and she probably knew him well enough to know it was there without even looking.
Lucas was the first to reach the clearing, but any greetings he would've uttered stalled as he caught sight of Kumatora and demanded, "What is she doing here?"
"I'm coming along for the ride. Why else would I be here?" She rolled her eyes as she continued, tone absolutely dripping with sarcasm. "It's like the question of the year is 'what in the world is Kumatora up to?' God."
"Expect anything less?" Ninten muttered under his breath as he shook his head out of exasperation.
"I heard that!" Kumatora snapped, glaring at her old friend.
As much as Ninten wanted to believe there was still some of the friend he knew in her, he refused to get his hopes up. She was at best a rogue who was a reluctant teammate while he was a loyal soldier. He doubted they would get along the way they used to.
"Well, I hope you realize that if you try anything, you'll have to deal with five of us against one of you, even though you managed to escape," Paula pointed out, taking a threatening step forward.
"Humph." With that, Kumatora folded her arms and looked away, evidently her patience running short given that she did not even provide an explanation.
Ninten looked everyone over, noting their changes in weapon and equipment, like how Paula acquired a new rapier that was more her size with and boots, Lucas taking a small hammer and leather gauntlets, and Ana with a bow and arrows.
'We're ready,' he nodded to himself, but he knew that he had to at least make sure that everyone was ready. "I know you probably realize this, but we'll be on our own for a while," he began. "We have eight targets, and we are vastly outnumbered. But what we can balance this out with is our PSI. One PSI user alone cannot do this. But with the combined firepower of five, we are more than a match for any small force as long as we aren't careless. That involves being sure that we have enough weaponry and supplies to last and sticking together, so I'll ask you all this: are you sure you have everything you need?"
A chorus of affirmatives rang out to Ninten's satisfaction. "Then we head to Onett first," he declared, pointing dramatically into the distance, determined to make sure this group emerged intact.
"Move out!"
This was almost too easy. 'Those fools have no idea what we're up to,' the man chuckled to himself as he examined the progress of the device. Assembly had been finished mere days ago, but they still required a power source: Something that could equivocate to nuclear power. However, nuclear power itself would not work because it would not only take too long to build them, but it would be too hard to hide especially with how a few spies have already been detected. However, there was no way that even the best spies could find out what their ultimate goal was, since that was something only he and Fassad knew.
And how ironic that their weapon would be unleashed right from the throne room: the very seat of power in which the so-called monarchs sat on, the symbol of their leadership. But in a way it was fitting, since it would signify the dawn of a new age... The age of the strong ruler. If that pathetic Confederation had more power, there wouldn't be so much instability and corruption in the individual city-states.
His thoughts continued to wander as he admired the work on the device, the Pigmask soldiers working hard on maintaining it. These were the smart ones; the ones who realized what a terrible society they were growing up in. It was only a pity that they would have to throw their lives away only to buy time...but he vowed that they would not be lost in vain. As soon as the weapon was ready, he would be unleashed upon the world and those ignorant Eaglelanders who only knew how to be herded by the wolves.
It baffled him to no end how the average Eaglelander could tolerate such a backwards society, and it astounded him that they would rise up against the ones who were looking ahead and wanted to save the world. If they could see the big picture like he could, there wouldn't be this much bloodshed and this war wouldn't even be necessary. But no. Eagleland propaganda had corrupted their minds, swayed them against those seeking to liberate them from their oppression. 'If humanity goes extinct because of the weapon, it's their fault,' the man growled to himself, clenching his fists as his blood boiled. Honestly, he would rather die as opposed to being captured. Better to end his life free as opposed to suffering through more of that corruption.
'But that won't be necessary. With his help, there's no way we can lose,' Porky chuckled, but broke out into a fit of coughs. A few Pigmasks looked over at him in concern, but he brushed them off. A leader needed to be strong, not break down after every small cough. It wasn't long until his breathing returned to normal, and then a sudden thought hit him: He was the only one who was still alive that existed prior to the PSI Wars. Maybe that was the reason that he could see it. The governments of old held themselves together despite the threat of extinction, and this government couldn't fight the inequality and the corruption!
'Now why didn't I realize that before?' the man wondered to himself, but he chuckled. 'I guess realizations work in...unique ways. Besides, there won't be any of that wrong for much longer. Soon, we'll make things the way they should be, and we'll finally see peace. No revolts, no dissent; nothing.' He would just have to be patient for a little longer... Yes, that will do.
He just needed a little more time to make everything ready, and then they'd win the war.
Eagleland Interrogation Policy: In any case, there is at least one PSI user present to determine whether or not they are being honest. There are a number of methods Eagleland soldiers employ to get information from any enemy, but torture is one of the more common. Granted, with the Pigmasks not behaving very kindly to even the civilians in their territory, it is natural for the average Eagleland soldier to begin to resent the Pigmasks, as well as the fact that without training, the rebels easily crack, but still.
Badlands: Due to the massive destruction that took place during the wars, there have been...a lot of changes to the ecosystem outside of Eagleland. These are referred to as the Badlands because of all the death that can take place there. For example, various alien 'pets' and 'lesser minions' were left behind in their evacuation, meaning that they only serve to roam around in there and attack anyone who dares venture into the Badlands. In short, most sane people wouldn't go in there.
Pigmask Prisoner Policy: They are just as cruel as the Eaglelanders, despite their arguments of 'moral superiority', though this is due to lack of proper facilities, the same thing Eagleland was suffering from. But in terms of maintenance they are even worse, not even bothering to give them sanitary plates to eat from and letting disease spread through their prisons. They also don't allow talk, a direct order from their top commanders. These were intended to break enemy troops, and as a result enemy morale, letting them know the consequences of resisting the Pigmasks. Once news of this leaked out, it backfired spectacularly, some of the neutral populace joining the Confederation while those already sided with Eagleland saw their resolve stiffen.