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Fire Emblem: Gaiden - As Told in the History Books of Valentia


Julius Nepos
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Hello all. Recently I started wondering about how some major components in the plot of FE2 are based on pretty shaky evidence. So I started wondering what an alternative history of Valentia could be like. I decided to try my hand at writing and share my alternative history with SF. Since a lot of people aren't familiar with Gaiden's story, I'll start by retelling the story first. We're talking about an NES game here (with all its plot limitations), so along the way I'll be using some creative liberty to add extra detail to the story. Once I'm done with this history, I'll write my alternative history: Fire Emblem: Gaiden - What Really Happened.

Please post any feedback in the appropriate feedback thread. Enjoy.

Prologue: The History of Valentia
On this remote island continent known as Valentia were two sibling gods: the dark god Duma and his younger sister, the earth goddess Mila. Initially They set out to guide Valentia's destiny together. They taught mankind much, and through Their divine guidance mankind became a mighty race. But as mankind grew stronger, its ambitions waned. Once, long ago, it needed to toil with all its strength just to survive in the cruel world, but now they were safe and they had everything to their hearts' desire... why should they continue to strive for more if they were already content with what they had?
Duma was bitter. This was not the destiny He had set for mankind. Believing that power is everything, He could not forgive mankind for its growing decadence. He started urging humans to work harder and strive for power once more. Only through hard toil and absolute control over the world, so Duma believed, could they build themselves a paradise.
Mila, on the other hand, was overjoyed. Through luxury, mankind was starting to enjoy the fruits of ages of hard work. She believed that in peace and luxury mankind could find harmony with the world, and thus create a paradise where all living beings could frolic in freedom. Naturally She was angry when Duma started his attempts at breaking this harmony with His cries for ambition and power.
She rebuked Duma, but Duma would not change His mind; instead, He rebuked Mila, but She would not listen to Him. Duma became furious, and the difference of opinion between the gods escalated into a violent dispute.
Valentia was plunged into darkness. Mankind was deserted by their gods. They were no longer among them; instead, Their violent dispute caused humans great horror and sorrow. Mila's absence caused the earth to grow fallow and sickly; mankind could no longer rely on it for food, which caused a great setback in population. Duma's wrath caused great horror. Disasters were a far too common occurrence. But that was not all. Both gods created minions of Their own devising to serve Them and lead the fight against the other god - this is how monsters came to be. The monsters not only fought each other, but they also caused terror among humans, whom they attacked without warning. In fear, humans fled before them, deserting their cities, and went to live in small nomadic communities in the forests, living off hunting, struggling to survive, as they had done in their earliest days, before the gods came among them to guide them... And so, the once great Valentian civilization collapsed.
A long, long period of darkness passed...
At last, the two gods sealed a pact: the Pact of the Gods. The continent of Valentia was divided in two: the north ruled by Duma, the south ruled by Mila. Mankind cowered in fear as the gods who had deserted them and had fought a violent war over Valentia suddenly came back amongst them. But the gods mended their fears. They need no longer fear the monsters, for the gods had destroyed them.
With promises of paradise, Mila greeted the southern Valentians with kindness. Under Her guidance, these Valentians built a new civilization, which was based on peace. Thus the Kingdom of Zofia was founded. Through peace and charity, Zofia grew into a prosperous nation.
With promises of paradise, Duma greeted the northern Valentians with an iron fist. Under His guidance, these Valentians built a new civilization, which was based on power. Thus the Kingdom of Rigel was founded. Through hard work and strict discipline, Rigel grew into a prosperous nation.
Mankind rejoiced in their newfound prosperity, but the gods were frustrated. Each had hoped that their own ideals would have proven the better, and so would have given rise to a stronger kingdom, which could subdue the other and so subdue the other god's ideals. But both domains turned into prosperous nations. The gods allowed a peaceful coexistence of Zofia and Rigel, feigning to be happy with the results of the Pact of the Gods. Believing that the gods wished for peaceful coexistence, Zofia and Rigel decided to extend the Pact of the Gods to include an alliance between them.
And so thousands of years passed...
The golden age of prosperity was now a memory of the distant past. Zofia had become decadent in its prosperity, and Rigel had forgotten kindness in its might. All the while, the gods grew more hostile towards each other. Thus did these times filled with contradiction flow on. Although the Pact of the Gods guaranteed alliance between the two kingdoms, with the ever-growing differences between them and the ever-growing hostility between the gods, one could only wonder how long the pact could remain intact...
Edited by Hattusili I
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  • 2 weeks later...
Chapter 1: The Man Named Mycen


Zofia has reached a critical point. Its decadency will be its demise. The utter lack of ambition that rules in this country will make it crumble. The royal family and their ministers dedicate their attention to parties and other luxury, spending only so much time on ruling as is absolutely necessary. Zofia's generals dedicate as much attention to leading the army as their government does to leading the country. Moreover, there is a severe shortage of soldiers; why would any of these decadent, lazy Zofians want to exercise such a dangerous profession? The result is disastrous for public order. Organized crime is commonplace. Many areas in Zofia now fall under the unchallenged authority of local bandit clans; royal authority no longer has any meaning there. Only in the capital, where the king resides, and around the Temple of Mila, where Mila resides, is there still order and safety. The rest of the country... is chaos. In the past, conscription was a point of discussion in the royal court. But the king would not allow it, believing it would be a violation of every Zofian's right to their own free life. Since his angry outburst that closed this discussion, the topic of conscription has become taboo; any minister or general who dares bring it up is immdediately fired by the king and replaced by someone who is more fun at parties.

Meanwhile, Rigel is growing ever more powerful. Military service is seen as a moral obligation, which almost every citizen answers duly (and the few that don't, still have to sit out their compulsory minimal time in the military). The country is ruled with an iron fist and the military is controlled with strict discipline. One might wonder why Rigel hasn't attacked Zofia yet. The simple answer is that Rigel's ambitions are never satisfied. Although their army is already so powerful, they strive to make it ever more powerful. They are never satisfied with their current strength, always postponing invasion of Zofia. And there is another factor at play, one that no Rigelian would admit: fear of Mila.


It was under these circumstances that a young man named Mycen grew up. Mycen was a Zofian, but his personality was more like that of a Rigelian. He could not accept the disarray his country was in. He had the ambition to restore order. At a young age already, Mycen stood up against the local bandits in his area. When he came of age, he didn't hesitate to join the army. He soon became known for his bravery. He quickly climbed the army ranks. His heroic acts served as an inspiration to other Zofians, and more people joined the army. Mycen became the hero of Zofia. King Rima IV was overjoyed and appointed him general. As a general, Mycen successfully wiped out the last remnants of bandit authority. All of Zofia recognized the king's rule again.

Mycen was then appointed prime minister. Being the only person in a position of power who had the ambition to rule Zofia, he became the de facto ruler of the kingdom. Still, he recognized that his position was that of prime minister, and he never crossed the boundaries of his service to the king. On important matters, he would always consult with the king, even if the king would rather not have it.

Thanks to Mycen's efforts, relations with Rigel improved. As prime minister, Mycen often went on diplomatic missions to Rigel and official visits to the Rigelian king, a custom that had ceased under Mycen's lazy predecessors. Owing to his Rigelian-like personality, he became good friends with Rigel's royal family. The young crown prince Rudolf saw Mycen as a great inspiration.


Thus the ever worsening tide was slowed down, thanks to Mycen's efforts. Back in Zofia, the younger generation of generals (most of whom had joined the army inspired by Mycen's heroism) was replacing the older generation (most of whom were just good buds with the king). Most ambitious of the newer generation was a young man named Dozer. He was ambitious, like Mycen. However, he wasn't ambitious like Mycen. Mycen strove for the well-being of Zofia. Dozer, in that aspect a true Zofian, strove only for his own well-being, his own power, his own luxury. He coveted the throne. And so, he always tried to gain the king's favor, while secretly preparing to oust him. On Dozer's orders, the king's children were all killed. His crimes were covered up and the deaths blamed on the whims of nature, but Mycen was suspicious and rumors of Dozer's guilt spread across Zofia. These rumors came to Rima's ears too, but he dismissed them and set up no investigation, for he trusted Dozer, and lacked the ambition to pursue the ultimate truth.


Due to Dozer's crimes, the Zofian royal family was now dying out. The widowed king was left without children or other relatives. Nothing stood in Dozer's way… nothing, except Mycen. So Dozer bided his time. He did not foresee that Rima would marry again. But when Rima left the capital (as he rarely did) one day to visit the Temple of Mila, he met there a priestess by the name of Liprica. At once the king was enamored of her beauty. Against her wishes, he brought her back with him to the capital, where he forcibly made her his wife. All those sudden changes took a toll on Liprica's health. Furthermore, she could not get accustomed to the decadent life at the royal court, having always lived a devout and sober life at the Temple of Mila. Due to all these circumstances, she fell gravely ill. Eventually she passed away. But she did not leave the king childless. Shortly before her death, she gave birth to a princess, who was given the name Anteze.


Mycen was fearful of what Dozer might do to the young princess.

"Your Majesty?"

"Oh, Sir Mycen... Come in. Is there... something you want to discuss with me?"

"Yes, Your Majesty..." Mycen hesitated.

"...What is it, Sir Mycen?"

"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, I fear for the life of the young Anteze."

"Excuse me, Sir Mycen?" the king replied slowly in suspicion. "Why do you fear?"

"Well, so far all your children have died - for which, once again, my condolences. I suspect Sir Dozer's involvement in their deaths. I would like to see princess Anteze be spared that fate."

"Mycen! Of all the people at my court, you would have been the last I would have expected to listen to the rabble’s rumors!"

"Your Majesty, I understand your frustration. Indeed I would be the first to dismiss false rumors. But I do not base my suspicions on those rumors. Your Majesty, I know Sir Dozer. He is greedy and ambitious. I do not know if he can be trusted."

"Stop it, Mycen!" the king exclaimed in anger. "General Dozer is a hard-working man who has never done a thing to harm me! I will not allow you to insult his good name! Do I make myself clear?"

"My apologies, Your Majesty. I meant no offense. But I see that I have crossed the boundaries of proper conduct. I am deeply sorry." Mycen recognized the onset of Rima's outbursts only too well. "But surely you could not object to being extra careful in protecting the only heir to Zofia's throne? Whether Sir Dozer is involved in this thing or not is irrelevant. As of now, princess Anteze is the only successor, and after the recent death of your wife – Mila keep her soul – we can't take any risks. Please think about the future of your kingdom, the future of your royal line! Please allow me to set my personal bodyguards to guard Her Royal Highness. It couldn't hurt to play it safe."

"Hmm…" The king was pondering Mycen's words. His anger had subsided. Now he indeed felt fear for the continuation of his line creeping up his back. "Sir Mycen, you’re right. We can't take any risks. Set your personal bodyguards around princess Anteze. Her life must be protected at all costs. I’m counting on you, general."

"Your Majesty, I will not disappoint you."

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Chapter 2: Dozer's Plans


And so, Dozer's plans were frustrated. But Dozer wouldn't give up that easily. He was already making up a new plan. Soon he thought of a way to kill the princess and frame Mycen for the crime. Removing both Anteze and Mycen at the same time... the way to power would be open. He needed to be patient. If much time passed without any incidents with the princess, suspicion would move away from Dozer, Mycen's guards would start being less alert and the king would be easier to manipulate. Dozer had always considered the king a weak man. He had no ambition and no competence at ruling. He was quick to give in to his whims and he was naïve. This made him an easy target for Dozer's manipulations. And so, a long time passed, as Dozer prepared for the removal of Mycen and Anteze. In secrecy, he told the king many lies about Mycen, and the king's trust in his prime minister started to wane. Finally, he deemed the time was ripe.

"Your Majesty, I have grave news."

"Sir Dozer? What is it?"

"It's about Mycen... Your Majesty, I'm afraid he's plotting against you. Over the past days, worried officers - both from my regiments and Mycen's - and other confidants of Mycen's have come to me with reports of him plotting to take or kill princess Anteze. That's why he insisted on having his personal bodyguards stationed to watch over Her Royal Highness. He plans to have them take or kill her."

"But Mycen's men have been guarding the princess for a long time already... If he was planning to kill her, then why would he have waited so long?"

Dozer could read the doubt in the king's voice. "Don't you see it, Your Majesty?" he exclaimed, his voice shaking with faked worry. "What did he tell you? That he suspected me of killing your children? You know how he has been trying to slander my name since the beginning! By having the princess guarded for so long without any incidents, he's trying to remove all suspicion from himself! So that when he finally strikes, no one will suspect him and Your Majesty will believe him when he frames me for the crime! He's trying to gain your trust, so he can remove me!"

"But... why would he do that?"

"Because he only cares about power. Once he became general, he was blinded by his ambition. Look at him, Your Majesty... he's a general, he's the prime minister, he's revered as a hero throughout the kingdom... He is becoming more and more powerful. And by abducting the princess... there would be nothing to stop him from seizing power."

"But... But... How could anyone... Why would anyone do such a thing?"

"Your Majesty, we in Zofia are used to peace. We're unfamiliar with dark ambitions. But Mycen... He is ambitious far beyond your comprehension. He's very alike to a Rigelian in that respect." Dozer knew how much the king disliked the ambitious Rigelians. He knew exactly how to play him. "Speaking of Rigel, don't you think Mycen has been paying the young king Rudolf a few too many visits lately? Sure, he may call them state visits, but who knows what they really discuss there..."

"Sir Dozer, what are you implying?" The shock on the king's face was visible. Dozer had him now.

"Of course, the kingdoms of Zofia and Rigel are united in alliance, but you and I both know that tensions have been rising lately. What do you think the military buildup in Rigel is for, crushing bandits? ...Listen, Your Majesty. I don't think they'd go and break the Pact of the Gods. But with how tensions have been lately, I can only wonder if Rudolf is involved in Mycen's plots. The two always got along too well, don't you think?"

"Sir Dozer, we must get Mycen's guards away from my daughter, before it's too late!"

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. With your blessing, I'll go remove Mycen's guards at once."

"Gather as many men as you can muster, general."

Dozer could hardly repress a smile. He thought to himself: "Yes, let's go remove Mycen's guards. I'll kill Anteze in the process and put the blame on him..."


Although there had been no trouble with Anteze since Mycen's guards had been ordered to guard her, Mycen did not let his guard down. As general and prime minister, he was too busy to keep watch himself, but if he was in the royal palace, he would march over to the princess's room at regular intervals to see to it that she was safe and the guards were alert.

It was late, but Mycen was still working. He was reading petitions to the king, selecting which to answer personally and which to bring to the king's attention (he had been ordered to keep these to a minimum, as the king hated dealing with these formal affairs). Suddenly it went dark in his office.

"Blast, is the candle burnt up already?" the general thought to himself. "Time really flies... Well then, that means it's my time for a little stroll to Anteze's bedroom to inspect her safety."

As Mycen started approaching the princess's bedroom from one side, a large force was gathering on the other side of the bedroom. At its head was none other than King Rima IV.

"Alright, general, it's time to put a stop to this."

"Your Majesty, wait," Dozer interrupted. "There's no telling what Mycen's guards will do. They probably won't give in without a fight. And we may outnumber them, but they're still a force to be reckoned with. It would be risky for Your Majesty to go inside. Please let me handle this. I'll call you when we've got the situation under control."

"Thank you, general," the king replied. "I'll leave this to you."

Dozer smiled. Then, his face becoming grim, he turned to his men: "All right, men, Move! You know what to do!"

They burst open the door and ran inside, weapons drawn. Mycen's guards reacted immediately and heavy fighting ensued. In the hallway on the other side of the bedroom, slow footsteps turned into sprint as Mycen heard the clamor and realized what was going on. As he ran through the door with drawn sword, he saw one of Dozer's soldiers beside the princess's bed, lance in the air, ready to kill her. Mycen rushed forward, thrust aside the soldier's lance and struck him down with swiftness that only he could display. His priority was to get the princess to safety; he lifted her out of her bed, but at that very moment, as he was on the verge of rushing out of here, a voice ran loudly through the room, drowning out all other noise: "General Mycen!" That loud, commanding voice rang with such rage... the fighting stopped and all turned their heads in awe towards that voice. There on the doorstep stood the king, trembling with anger. He had grown impatient; finally, hearing the fighting and his crying daughter, he could no longer take it and entered the room. It was so that he saw Mycen with Anteze in one hand and his sword in the other.

"I... I can't believe it!" the king exclaimed. "So it is true! You want to kill Anteze!"

Mycen tried to find words. "Y-your Majesty, this is... I-I realize what this looks like, but I was trying to protect..."

"Mycen, I have heard enough from you!" The king's face was quickly turning from red to purple with anger. "Don't try to fool me any longer! I know you're out for power! I know you wanted to abduct Anteze! So now that we're onto you, you think the best way out if it is to kill her?!"

"I was trying to protect the princess from Dozer..." a perplexed Mycen replied, but the king interrupted him again.

"And now you're trying to blame Dozer again?! That is enough! You have slandered his name far too often! It is clear that you are the culprit! Do you hold me for a fool?! Do you think you can play me, bend me to your will with your lies?! It's over, Mycen! Hand over the princess!"

"M-my king..."

"Now, Mycen!"

Mycen saw no way out of this. Defeated, he handed the princess to one of the soldiers, who brought her into the king's arms. The king gave his daughter a tender pitiful look. Then, full of now frozen anger, he turned his gaze to Mycen again. "Your trial shall be tomorrow. You will be dead before the night falls. Sir Dozer, escort Mycen to his cell."


Mycen was tried the next day. As this was a case of high treason, the king judged the case personally. Before opening the case, the king held an emergency council with his council of ministers (in absence of the prime minister, of course). The ministers advised him not to opt for the death penalty; however cruel Mycen's crime may have been, he had been revered as the hero of Zofia for decades. Sentencing him to death now, which some of the ministers considered unfair because of Mycen's past deeds for the good of the kingdom, could anger many people - if Mycen proved to have too much support, it might even mean the start of rebellion. They therefore advised exile instead. Exile to Rigel was proposed, but remembering Dozer's words the king would not allow Mycen to ever set foot in Rigel again. He ordered a map of Zofia to be brought before him so he could find the most remote little village in the country.

The council was dismissed. Mycen was brought out of his cell. The trial was opened. Of course, Rima disregarded Mycen's defense, already being convinced of his guilt. Before the eyes and ears of the great mass of people that had come to witness the trial, the king read the verdict: "Mycen, for the crimes of attempted murder and high treason, I, King Rima IV, give you dishonorable discharge from your positions as prime minister and general, and sentence you to exile in the village of Ram. You must leave the capital before the sun sets. If you are ever seen outside the village limits of Ram again, you will be arrested, forcibly brought back there and fined a large sum, the exact size to the king's discretion. Failure to comply with the terms of this arrest will result in a permanent watch being put on you. If you ever set foot in the capital again, you will be executed."


And so, Dozer's plans came to fruition. Mycen was removed, and Anteze was an easy target now.

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Chapter 3: Of Celica

Mycen's exile was met with very mixed reactions. Some people completely turned on their old hero, whom they now considered a power-hungry traitor. Others still respected him for his past deeds, but abhorred his acts of treason. Yet there were many people who believed in Mycen's innocence, and their suspicion of Dozer only grew after Mycen's trial.

But Mycen was sent into exile, to the remote village of Ram. Ram was a very small village (no more than a few houses) in the utmost southwest of Zofia. Here Mycen got a house for himself and started what looked to be a quiet life. But Mycen was not one for a quiet life. Before his departure from the capital, he had given his most trusted confidants instructions, so as to keep the king and the princess safe.

Several weeks passed since Mycen went into exile. Then the appointed night came. He strayed into the woods to the east of Ram, to the appointed place of meeting. There he waited for a while, until he heard people approach.

"Who goes there?" he shouted. It could be his men, but it could also be anybody else; townsfolk, brigands, Dozer's people.

"The night owl has left his nest and caught a mouse," he heard call in response. That was the code word.

"Let the night owl drop his prey and return to his nest," Mycen called back. That was the second code word. Now Mycen's men drew near.

One of them stepped forward and spoke in a low voice: "Sir, it does us all great good to see you. How is life in Ram?"

"Even duller than I expected," Mycen replied. "Now how are things in the capital? This village is so remote and unimportant that no news ever comes here."

"Things are not the same. Dozer has been 'rewarded for his virtuous acts' by being appointed prime minister. We dread what is to become of the kingdom now, with Dozer in power. We will do our best to ensure the king's safety, of course."

"And how is the princess?"

"She's asleep right now, sir." Then turning around to the others, he called to them in a low voice: "Bring her here!"

One of them, a sister in the service of Mila, stepped forward, carrying the little Anteze in her arms. Mycen inspected the princess.

"She looks healthy," he said. "That's good. All right, you know what to do. Get out of here and go into hiding. Keep her hidden, keep her safe. I'm sure Dozer's men will show up in Ram all too soon, suspecting that I have something to do with the princess's disappearance. Well, they'd be right, but we can't let them know that. But if they can't find a trace of the princess here, then that must lift their suspicions of me eventually. Once their watch on me is down, you must bring Celica to me. Yes, remember, she is no longer Anteze now. This girl you hold in your arms is a little girl that you found in the woods, left there as an orphan. You took her into your care and gave her the name Celica. That is all that is known of her history."

"Yes, sir," the sister answered. "You can rely on us."

"We'll keep her safe, don't worry," the soldier added. "Now then, Sir Mycen... I'm afraid we must depart again. We can't stay here, as you know. The sooner we're gone, the better. Stay safe, sir."

"I wish the same for all of you," Mycen answered, and he sighed. "Especially for Celica. Now go."

Of course, all fingers were pointed at Mycen, once the princess's disappearance became known in the capital. It therefore didn't take Dozer long to convince the king to allow him to go with a sizable force of soldiers to Ram. They arrived in Ram only a day after Mycen's nightly meet-up with his confidants. Dozer had Mycen apprehended and his house searched, but when no trace of the princess could be found, Mycen was taken into arrest and interrogated while the soldiers searched all of Ram and its surroundings. After a week without any results whatsoever, Dozer decided to release Mycen and stop the search. Could the princess's disappearance truly have nothing to do with any interference from Mycen? It would be very good for Dozer if it were true, because it meant the removal of the princess after all - and he didn't even need to get his hands dirty! Still, he was suspicious of Mycen, so he ordered a watch to be set around Ram.

Meanwhile, Mycen's folk stayed hidden. Disguising themselves as ordinary citizens, they took up abode in (relatively) nearby villages and towns, never staying in the same place for too long, sometimes staying hidden altogether in the woods. The most skillful among them served as spies, sneaking around Ram and spying on Dozer's men, keeping Mycen's men informed of everything that happened. At the same time, spies and informants in the royal palace kept them informed of the actions and councils of Dozer and the king.

After a long time, Dozer's watch was called back, and returned to Zofia Castle. Several days later, informants from the royal palace informed Mycen's men that Dozer and the king had resolved to give up their suspicions of Mycen and look for the princess elsewhere. After hearing that news, they still kept Celica hidden for a few weeks, then, as they were sure that Dozer's men wouldn't return, they went to Ram and gave her into Mycen's care, before returning to Zofia Castle. There, they continued to act as informants for Mycen, and he was kept up to date about the happenings in the kingdom, Dozer's actions and the king's councils.

Meanwhile, Mycen took Celica, the orphaned girl he had found in one of his wanderings through the woods of Ram, into his care and raised her.

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Chapter 4: Rudolf, King of Rigel


The news of Mycen's exile did not only disturb Zofia, but stirred up strong reactions in Rigel as well. Rigel's many ambitious generals were overjoyed with the news, as Zofia had lost its worthiest general, and under Dozer's uninspiring and corrupt command, Zofia's already below par military would surely suffer.

But Rigel would not go to war with its neighbor. Though some generals and politicians advocated war, many were so consumed by ambition that they still wished to postpone an invasion until their own military was even stronger. But most importantly, King Rudolf would not allow it.

Truth be told, Rudolf wasn't much like most Rigelians. Like all members of the royal family (or anyone in Rigel, really), he had been brought up with the strict teachings of the faith of Duma, which was based on strict discipline, ambition and power. As a young boy, he had had great admiration for General Mycen, whom he saw as the embodiment of these virtues. As Mycen's political power grew, he would often visit Rigel's court on diplomatic missions. Prince Rudolf was always eager to listen to Mycen's wisdom, and the Zofian general became as a mentor to the crown prince. It was from Mycen that Rudolf learned more about Zofia.

In Rigel, Zofia was despised as the land of decadence and laziness, left to rot by Duma's rebellious sister. This had always perplexed the prince, who was very smart even as a child. He always wondered how the Zofians could live like that. How could they stand for this decadence? Why would anyone want to live in such a terrible place? Why did no one try to make it better? But through his conversations with general Mycen, prince Rudolf learned about the value of peace, comfort and luxury. He started to understand Zofia and appreciate the good things about it. At the same time, this made him more critical of Rigel, and he started to see the bad things about it: that lack of peace, comfort and luxury.


One day, he asked Mycen: "General Mycen, why are Zofia and Rigel divided? Why can't we have both the peace and luxury of Mila and the power and discipline of Duma? Wouldn't that be better for all of us?"

"Your Royal Highness..." Mycen began, but he did not know how to answer. At length, he said: "I do believe that would be better for all of us. But you must realize the following. We can say: 'This is the best system, we should implement it,' but it's impossible to actually implement it. There's a lot of history and culture working against us. Duma and Mila, and in their following Rigel and Zofia, have been divided for ages uncountable. Most Rigelians despise Zofia, and most Zofians despise Rigel. It's impossible to force Zofians to be more like Rigelians, or Rigelians to be more like Zofians; no general, no prince, no king could do such a thing. No one would listen. It would be political suicide. The truth is, and has been for ages, that Zofia and Rigel are growing ever more apart. Something really radical would have to happen to bring Valentia closer together. And even if something so radical were to happen, the gods would still oppose it. They're both stubborn about Their own right, and They're becoming ever more hostile toward each other... and They're dragging our kingdoms down with Them."

"Why do the gods do such a thing, Sir Mycen? I've always been taught that Duma was the most just being on our planet, and logically They should be wise - They're gods, after all!"

"I think," Mycen started, "that They are wise, each in Their own right... but that They've let Their ancient quarrel over whether power or peace is better for mankind escalate far too much. But don't put any stock in what I'm saying... The ways of the gods are far beyond my comprehension, or the comprehension of any human. But perhaps the gods have become too involved in the affairs of humans."


This conversation with Mycen had a big impact on the maturing prince. "Something really radical would have to happen to bring Valentia closer together," "Perhaps the gods have become too involved in the affairs of humans." These words stayed with Rudolf and he never stopped pondering them. He also never stopped believing in the dream of a closer Rigel and Zofia, uniting both Duma's power and Mila's peace - but this is a thought he never expressed. He would find no willing audience for it; not in Rigel, and not in Zofia. Only with Mycen did he discuss it, but the opportunities became ever fewer (Mycen became busier in Zofia, and Rudolf became busier in Rigel, as his ascension to the throne drew nearer - and when they did meet, they often had too many affairs of state to discuss to get around to philosophy).

The years passed. The King of Rigel died, and Rudolf took his place. The people considered him a fair and just king, a devout follower of Lord Duma. They were unaware of his deeper thoughts. And indeed Rudolf did behave much like his predecessors, all convinced of Duma's teachings. And he did not act with any less strictness or with any less conviction - that is to say, not outwardly, for he no longer believed in Rigel's one-sided traditional values. But he didn't dare to express criticism or opposition, not even as king. He wondered what would happen if he did. He was the King of Rigel, and with the strict hierarchy and obedience that ruled the country, one would say that people would have to listen, right? Maybe... But he would have to be very careful, so that only very slight changes were made. If he pushed it just a little too far (and that critical point would be reached quickly), opposition would overwhelm him. Duma would turn against him, and Rigel's ambitious military commanders and its strict soldiers and its devout people. He would be removed from power and replaced by some power-hungry general, a puppet of Duma.

No... As long as he acted in accordance with Rigel's traditions and Duma's teachings, all Rigelians would follow his every command without question or hesitation. But as soon as he acted against them, he would be removed in favor of mindless militarism. So Rudolf thought. And he thought that it would be best for Rigel (and for Zofia too - indeed, for all Valentia) if that was prevented. He needed to remain in power. And so, his reign was marked by policies and actions that he did not really believe in. But he did try, in implicit, hidden, slight ways (implications hidden in speeches or minor changes in policy, reluctance about war with Zofia, and so on), to pursue that dream of a more unified Valentia, although he knew that this dream was vain. But as long as he remained King of Rigel and Mycen remained Prime Minister of Zofia, things would stay fine. They could keep the situation under control, and prevent escalation.


Years passed. Mycen expressed his distrust of Dozer to Rudolf, and Rudolf began to share that distrust. Finally, Mycen was removed from power and exiled. This shocked the king. He was afraid of what would happen to Zofia, now that the man who had been holding it under control was gone and had been replaced by a corrupt power-hungry fool. And with the news of Princess Anteze going missing... Though deep down, Rudolf hoped, or maybe even felt, that this was Mycen's doing, and that the princess was safe.

Rudolf wanted to visit Mycen and discuss the new state of affairs with him, but for a while he was unable to leave his palace. Not too long ago, his wife had given birth to a son, Albine (his full name was Albine Alm Rudolf), but she had fallen very ill. Rudolf could not leave his wife alone in her illness or leave his son uncared for. As the weeks went by, the queen's situation showed no signs of improvement. Eventually, she died. The entire nation mourned her death. In grief, Rudolf locked himself up with his son in the royal chambers, and for a long time he was not seen.

After his grief had settled, Rudolf would still not open his chambers or appear in public. He was still thinking about Mycen's exile and his latest ideas about bringing Valentia closer together. What an absurd idea it was... but it was all he had.

He disguised himself and secretly left the palace with Albine. He crossed the Rigelian-Zofian border. As the Rigelian people still believed Rudolf was locked up in the royal chambers in grief, he was actually nearing the village of Ram.

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Chapter 5: Of Alm


"Sir Mycen, you look very tired. Please sit down and unwind, I'll get you something to drink."

Mycen nodded and quietly sat down. Once properly seated, he leaned back, closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. Taking care of a small child was no easy task for him; he had never had any children of his own, and he was not the youngest anymore. Fortunately, the villagers would help him out sometimes.

When Mycen first came to Ram, the villagers had looked very surprised. No one ever came to Ram. And even if someone came to the village, they didn't settle there. In spite of their amazement, they had welcomed him with open arms. The villagers treated him with much kindness, but also with some distance. No one knew who he was (no military or political news ever reached this village, and no one who lived here cared about the movements in the kingdom either), but they still called him "Sir" - he had a knightly air about him.


"Here you go, sir, I made you a nice cup of tea."

Mycen opened his eyes. "Thank you, Lenna," he smiled at her. Lenna was a caring old lady who lived next door to Mycen and was always looking out for him. "A single man his age can't take care of a young child alone," she always thought to herself. "Besides, he looks like he was born into the knighthood - I doubt he's ever had any family." Lenna visited her neighbor every day, and helped him take care of Celica when needed.

"Ah, Sir Mycen, I baked some cookies for my grandchildren yesterday, would you like some?"

"That would be lovely, Lenna, thank you."

Lenna gave Mycen a smiling nod. "I'll be right back, sir."

Mycen watched her walk out the door, then looked down at his cup of tea. He picked it up and had a sip. Ah, Lenna always made the best tea.


The door opened. Lenna came in, but without any cookies.

"S-sir Mycen, someone is here to see you," she said.

She stepped aside, and coming in after her appeared none other than King Rudolf.

Mycen's instinct was to shout a surprised "Your Majesty!" and kneel before the king, but then he realized Rudolf probably came here in secrecy and his identity should be kept a secret, so he restrained himself and simply sat in his chair looking at the king in surprise.

Rudolf laughed at Mycen's obvious surprised look. Then he turned to Lenna. "Thank you, lady. Mycen and I are old friends; I thought it would be nice to come visit him for once. I hope I didn't disturb you?"

"No, no," Lenna said apologetically. "We just got finished with our little meet-up. You probably haven't seen each other in ages, I'll leave you two alone."

She made a hasty nervous bow, and walked out the door. Outside, she let out a sigh of relief. She felt intimidated by that man. If Mycen had the air of a knight about him, this man certainly had the air of a... of a... what was nobler than a knight? She didn't know. And was that a baby he was carrying with him? She couldn't tell, she didn't really dare to look at him.

… A king! A king was nobler than a knight, right? No, but surely Mycen wouldn't receive a visit from the king... That was an absurd thought.


As soon as Lenna closed the door behind her, Mycen got out of his chair and kneeled before the king. "Your Majesty, what an honor to receive you here."

"Stand up, Mycen," Rudolf replied. "I've come to discuss some things with you. Shall we sit down?"

"But of course," Mycen said and gestured at the table. "Would you like some tea?"

"Sure," Rudolf replied curtly.

"Then I'll make you some," Mycen said as he turned around to get Rudolf a cup of tea. "But it won't be as good as Lenna's," he thought.

Rudolf sat down at the table and looked down at the bundle of clothes he was carrying. Covered in these was his young son, sleeping peacefully for now. Usually he would have smiled at this sight, but his mind was too occupied with grave thoughts now.

A long silence followed, as Mycen was making tea and Rudolf was pondering the things he wanted to discuss with Mycen. At last, Mycen turned around and put Rudolf's cup of tea in front of him on the table.

"Here you go, Your Majesty," he said, and sat down opposite him.

"Thank you, Mycen." Had Mycen noticed the bundle on his lap yet? Rudolf couldn't tell.


"What brings you to Ram, Your Majesty?" Mycen asked.

Rudolf looked up, with a stern expression on his face. "The news of your exile disturbed me," he answered. "Not only because you are an honorable man and a trusted friend, but also because I fear that this will greatly disturb the balance of power in Valentia, now that you have been replaced by that corrupt Dozer."

"Yes," Mycen replied. "I too fear what will become of Zofia now that Dozer is in power. He is a corrupt and clever man, and he will stop at nothing to enrich himself. And the worst part is, the king trusts him. He has appointed him prime minister - and we both know that that position is far more powerful than the kingship in this country."

Rudolf nodded, but did not answer. Should he make mention of princess Anteze's disappearance too? He was quite certain that she was safely with Mycen, but perhaps the time wasn't yet right to bring it up.


"But..." Mycen continued, as Rudolf didn't reply. "Why did you come here? Surely you have a kingdom to rule, and your departure cannot have gone unnoticed?"

Rudolf frowned. "The kingdom is currently being administered by the ministers and generals in my absence. It already was before I left. You see, Mycen, not too long ago, my wife passed away. In grief, I locked myself up in the royal chambers. But when the grief settled, I realized this would be my only opportunity to leave unnoticed and visit you. As far as Rigel knows, I'm still locked up in my chambers in grief."

"I, I'm sorry for your loss," Mycen stumbled, shocked at hearing this news. "My condolences, Your Majesty."

"Thank you, Mycen. It certainly was hard to bear."

"I understand. But aren't you afraid people will try to enter your chambers to look for you if you're out of the public so long?"

"I have given strict orders to the Royal Guard not to let anyone near my chambers. Commander Massena is the most loyal man the world has ever known. No one will come near."

"I understand. But your wife, Your Majesty... didn't she leave behind a newborn child?"

"Yes..." Rudolf nodded. "Heh, at least Rigel's royal line will live on. I hope I can say the same of Zofia's. I've heard that Princess Anteze has gone missing."

"That is true," Mycen replied. Should he tell Rudolf?

"So what do you think, Mycen?" Rudolf quickly continued. "Do you think this could be Dozer's doing?" He gave Mycen an inquisitive look.

"It may very well be. It wouldn't be the first time he's suspected of killing the king's children." Mycen looked into Rudolf's eyes. Did he know?

"Are you sure, Mycen? Are you sure that he killed her? Or is the princess with you?"

"... You know me too well, Rudolf," Mycen laughed.

Rudolf's eyes glistened with relief and he burst out in laughter as well. "Mycen, you old devil! I knew you wouldn't just retire to this old hole and become a farmer. But aren't you afraid Dozer suspects you of taking her?"

"I am," Mycen answered. "His henchmen have already come to search the village for her - fortunately, I was expecting that, and made sure she was somewhere else in safety when it happened. Even now, I have soldiers still loyal to me patrolling the area, just in case. And I have other loyal agents at the capital, who are keeping me informed of the latest developments. I am aware of Dozer's every move."

"So is she here in this house right now?"

"Yes. She's sleeping at the moment, but I could bring you to her."

"Let's do that later. We have a lot to discuss first."


Rudolf and Mycen discussed many things that day. The new state of affairs in Zofia, the new balance of power in Valentia, the threat of war from Rigel, the hostility between the gods. At last Rudolf revealed his plans.

"We have to put a stop to this, Mycen. The gods have become too deeply involved in the affairs of mankind, and they're dragging our kingdoms down with them. We need to unite Valentia and put an end to Their madness."

"But how could we possibly do that? You know just as well as I do that Zofia and Rigel cannot be unified."

"There is a way, Mycen. But we will need true heroes to arise. Heroes who will stir Zofia from its decadent slumber and who will crush Rigel's proud military might. Heroes who will pacify the kingdoms and make Mila and Duma end their meddling in our affairs. There is a way, there is a chance. When Anteze and Albine are older, fit to lead and to rule, I will pose as a destroyer. I will invade Zofia and my policies of oppression and destruction shall be so terrible that heroes from Zofia and Rigel alike will unite against me. I will seal Mila within the royal blade Falchion, the heirloom of Rigel's royal family, and with that very blade a hero shall strike down Duma at last. Then Valentia will be at peace once more.

To this end, Mycen, I am leaving him in your care."

He picked up Albine from his lap and laid him on the table.

Mycen stared at the prince in bewilderment. "Is... Is that..." he stuttered.

"Yes," Rudolf answered. "This is Albine Alm Rudolf, Prince of Rigel. When the war comes, it would be disastrous if Anteze and Albine ended up fighting each other. It would cause greater disunity between Rigel and Zofia, not bring them closer together. No, Albine and Anteze must fight together when that time comes. But before that time, they must grow up together, as siblings. The Queen of Zofia and the King of Rigel, siblings... there will be unity at last."

Mycen looked at Rudolf in awe. The king was now standing upright, a fire in his eyes, his fists clenched. There was unfaltering determination in his voice as he spoke.

"But, but... Your Majesty... you will be killed!"

"To meet the hero who will bring about my defeat," Rudolf said with determination, "I could not be happier."


Rudolf picked up Albine and laid him in Mycen's arms. "Please take care of Albine, Mycen. Please do as I ask. It is Valentia's only hope."

Mycen still had many doubts about Rudolf's plans. But he spoke with such determination, and that awe-inspiring determined expression on his face... there was no way he could change his mind. "This man would consign himself to the fires of hell!" Mycen thought. He knew that he could not possibly refuse him.

"Very well," he said at last. "I will take care of the prince, as you ask, and I will raise Albine and Anteze as siblings."

"Thank you, Mycen." A satisfied smile appeared on the king's face.

"Of course His Royal Highness's identity must remain a secret," Mycen said. "He will need a cover name. Anteze's cover name is Celica. Do you have any suggestions for the prince?"

Rudolf looked out the window, thinking, and then said: "Let's just call him Alm."

Mycen nodded. "Alm it is, then."


Mycen then showed Rudolf Celica, and introduced Alm to his new sister.

Rudolf and Mycen spent some more time talking, devising a backstory for Alm and Celica and why these siblings had come into Mycen's care. They spent more time talking, and the conversation eventually turned to other, more lighthearted topics, and the two ended the night laughing.

At last, Rudolf got up and told Mycen that he needed to return to Rigel.

"I bid you farewell, Mycen," Rudolf said as he left. "We may very well never meet again."


After Rudolf left, Mycen sat down next to the bed where Alm and Celica lay sleeping. He pondered all that had happened that day, and what would happen in the future.

There was a knock on the door. Lenna entered. She had noticed Rudolf leaving and could not restrain herself from curiously going over to Mycen to ask who that man was.

"Sir Mycen? Sir?"

Mycen didn't reply, but Lenna saw him sitting in the bedroom, and she approached him. Then she noticed a second child lying next to Celica.

"Sir Mycen," she said in amazement, "who is that child next to Celica?"

Mycen sighed. "I'm sorry... I haven't been honest with you. Celica is not an abandoned child I found in the woods. Celica is... my granddaughter. And this other child is her younger brother, Alm.

My daughter's husband passed away shortly before Alm was born, killed by bandits. My daughter found herself unable to take care of both children by herself. That's why she entrusted Celica to my care. I felt so ashamed. That's why I made up that story about finding her in the woods."

"But then why are you being honest now?" Lenna asked, having become curious over Mycen's story.

"That man who came by here," Mycen said, "was an old friend. He lived near my daughter, and looked out for her in my stead. Today, he came over to tell me that my daughter had died of an illness, and he delivered Alm into my hands. I'm the only family they've got left. I feel absolutely devastated. I don't want to lie anymore."


Lenna stayed for a while, speaking words of comfort to Mycen. When he seemed to have cheered up, she decided to go home.

"Mycen had a child," she thought to herself as she walked home. "I never would have imagined."

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Chapter 6: Separation


In Rigel, the people were beginning to grow unquiet about Rudolf’s long seclusion. However, general Massena would allow no one into Rudolf’s chambers in the royal palace. Finally Rudolf appeared from his chambers. He explained that now, so shortly after the death of the queen, prince Albine had passed away as well. A new time of grief covered the entire nation.


In Zofia, months passed as soldiers and agents continued to search the country for the missing princess Anteze, on Dozer's orders. As the chances of ever finding her alive grew smaller with each passing moment, the search was eventually called off and Anteze was officially declared dead, much to Dozer's secret delight. Over the years that followed, he grew increasingly powerful. He had already been appointed Prime Minister of Zofia shortly after Mycen's removal, and he now effectively ran the kingdom, only involving the king in state affairs when absolutely necessary.

Under Dozer's tyrannical rule, many commoners looked back on the times of Mycen's administration with great longing. They started forming fairytales that Mycen would one day break the bonds of his exile and overthrow the tyrant Dozer, freeing the people from his despotism. As time passed, variants of these tales started entering circulation: some said that Mycen was secretly the head of a resistance that was fighting Dozer from within until the time was ripe for open warfare; others said that Celica was really the missing princess Anteze and that she and Mycen would overthrow Dozer together and start a joint rule - Celica as the angelic queen, Mycen as the heroic prime minister; yet other variants told that Alm was really the son of King Rudolf of Rigel, and that Mycen's predicted war against Dozer would lead not only to the downfall of Dozer's tyranny, but also to increasing peace between Zofia and Rigel.

But these were only fairytales, based on the imagination of dissatisfied commoners and the creativity of bards hoping to captivate their audiences. For the most part, they remained underground, and many people dismissed these stories as the preposterous fairytales they were. And although Dozer would rather discard them as such too, he couldn't help but feel afraid - what if princess Anteze was really with Mycen?


In Ram, Celica and Alm grew up as siblings. Their real identity was kept secret, even to them. They always played together, either with those few other children that lived in Ram or just the two of them. Mycen was very pleased to see the great bond that grew between them.

When Celica was nine years old, Mycen received news from his agents in the capital that Dozer was secretly preparing an expedition to Ram, to find and kill Celica, out of fear that she might be the missing princess Anteze. Shocked by this news, Mycen quickly executed a back-up plan. He thanked the messenger for bringing him this news and dispatched him with the instructions to prepare a vessel for Celica's journey to the island of Novis, in the far east of Zofia. As the messenger hastened away to fulfill Mycen's instructions, Mycen himself left his house right behind the messenger, looking for Celica.

At that time, Celica and Alm were playing outside with two other children, Cliff and Grey, enjoying a warm and clear Spring day.

"Celica!" Mycen called. The four children, who had all been running around the village in whatever game they were playing, suddenly all stopped and turned towards Mycen.

"Celica, come inside please," Mycen said to his granddaughter. "I need to talk about some things with you."

"Aww, gramps," sounded Alm's reluctant voice, quick to stand up for his sister. "Can't it wait a little bit longer? We were just in the middle of something."

"I'm sorry, Alm," Mycen answered, "but I need to see Celica right now."

Then, turning back to Celica, he said: "Come on, Celica."

"O-okay," Celica replied and, after casting an apologetic look at Alm, took Mycen's hand and went inside with him.

A short silence followed among the children. "What do we do now?" Cliff asked.

"It probably won't take long," Alm answered. "We could wait until she's back."

"No way I'm waiting!" was Grey's response. "She left, that means she quit! And if she comes back later, she loses all her points!"

"Hey, that's not fair!" Alm snapped at Grey.

"Yeah it is! She quit!"


So the two bickered for a while. Between Mycen and Celica, the tone was a lot more serious. They sat down at the table in the living room. Celica looked up at Mycen; his stern look intimidated her. She had never seen his face so serious before.

"Celica, I need to tell you the truth," Mycen said. "You know I used to be a general, right?"

"Yes," Celica answered shyly.

"Good," Mycen said. "At that time, I was a very important man in the king's court. But there was another general, Dozer, a very power-hungry man. He secretly had all the king's children killed. At last, the king only had one daughter left, Anteze. I suspected Dozer of his crimes, so I made sure to give her extra protection. Dozer tried to have her killed, but I managed to protect her. Still, he charged me with the crime, and the king believed him. I was discharged from my duties and sent in exile to Ram. But I would not allow Dozer to kill the princess. I had her brought to me in Ram in secrecy."

Celica gazed at Mycen with a look of disbelief. "Grandfather, y-you don't mean that..."

Mycen nodded. "Your name is not really Celica, and you are not really my granddaughter. You are Her Royal Highness Anteze, Princess of Zofia."

He could see the shock on Celica’s face. They were silent for a moment.

"And... And Alm?" Celica whispered.

"Alm is my grandson," Mycen replied. "He is not your real brother." Telling Celica about her real identity was inevitable now, but he would still keep Alm's identity hidden as long as he could.

A short moment of silence followed, as Celica sat staring into the void in shock. But Mycen could not afford any long silences. The sooner Celica was away from here, the better.

"Celica, I know all this information must shock you. I'm sorry. I wish I could have waited for a better time. And I wish I could have given you more time to process all of it. But now, this is my only option. Celica, I've received word that Dozer has begun an expedition to Ram, to find you and kill you. I don't know how word or rumor of your identity could have gotten to him, but it has. You need to get away from here, as soon as possible."

"A-away?" Celica answered timidly. "But... but to where?"

Mycen gave her a reassuring nod. "I've always had a back-up plan in case this situation were to occur. I have faithful agents around here who will lead you to a ship that I have ordered to be prepared. You will be taken to Novis, a remote island far out to the east. There bishop Nomah will take you under his care."

"And what about my bro- What about Alm?"

Mycen bowed his head. He knew that his answer would break her. "Alm must stay with me."

Mycen looked at Celica. Her motionless figure now began to stir - first her lip started shaking, then she closed her eyes as tears welled up, bowed her head and put her hands over her face.

Mycen stood up out of his chair, then crouched down next to Celica as he embraced her. Oh, how often he had done this when she had cried, a gesture of grandfatherly love, over the past nine years. To think that this would be the last time...

"Celica," he said at last, "I know the pain you are feeling now. I'm feeling it too. But this is our only recourse now. For your own safety - and for mine and for Alm's - we have to do this. That Dozer is such a cruel man, I wish I could have taken him out a long time ago, so you would have been spared this grief. And I will take him out - no, we will take him out. When you and Alm are old enough to fight and when the time is ripe, then we shall fight Dozer together and make him pay for his misdeeds. And then we shall be reunited. Celica, I promise that we'll see each other again."


Outside, there was quite a stir. People were gathering around to inspect and inquire about the sudden appearance of twenty-five fully-armed men in their little village. They'd never seen such a peculiar sight! They tried to figure out what these armed men were doing here, but whenever they tried to ask them anything, they only replied with: "We're here on a mission."

The door of Mycen's house opened. Mycen appeared with Celica. They stopped before the armed men, and Mycen exchanged a few whispered words with one of them. Then that man took Celica's hand, and all twenty-five left as swiftly as they had come, with Celica.

Celica looked over her shoulder as she followed her companion's step obediently. "Alm, Alm!" she called out. "Farewell, Alm! May Mila bless you!"

"Celica?" Alm shouted back in bewilderment. "Celica! What's going on? Gramps, where are they taking her? Celica? Celica! Stop!"

He tried to run after them, but Mycen held him back. "Alm... Let it be."

The twenty-six had already disappeared into the thick forests of Ram now. It had all been over in a matter of mere seconds. The entire village stood silent in awe. Only Alm's weeping could be heard.


Mycen explained the situation to the villagers. Soon, more armed men would appear in Ram. These were the brigands who were responsible for the death of Mycen’s son-in-law. The reason that they had killed him was that he refused to pay them 'protection money.' It was not known to these brigands that he had any family. However, Mycen had now received word that the brigands found out about Celica’s existence and her whereabouts, and they were coming to take her away. The armed men who had come to take Celica away were old friends of Mycen’s – they were taking Celica someplace safe, where the brigands would never find her. Mycen asked the villagers not to tell the brigands anything about Celica – not even that they had heard her name, not even that she had lived here.

Not all the villagers believed Mycen’s story. To some, it sounded very incredulous. But their opinions didn’t matter. But they didn’t question Mycen. And when Dozer came, they told him nothing.

"A red-haired girl, you say? I’ve been living here since I was born, but in all my lifetime no red-haired girl has lived in this village."

"Celica? I’ve never heard the name."

In the tiny community that was the village of Ram, solidarity was extremely high. Everyone would always help out their neighbor. And outsiders had no business here. It didn’t matter if the villagers believed Mycen’s story or not. It mattered that Mycen was one of them. Of course they helped him out against those outsiders.


And so, Mycen’s plan was a success. Dozer and his soldiers could not find Celica nor any information about her; in fact, everyone they interrogated denied her very existence. At last, Dozer returned to the capital, reassured that the fairytales were indeed no more than fairytales. Ram returned to normal.

Celica came at last to Novis Abbey, where bishop Nomah took care of her, and educated her to be a priestess. She made new friends and found new happiness, but she would always continue to miss Alm and Mycen.

And Alm… He wouldn’t speak to his grandfather for days. He bore a grudge against him for sending Celica away so suddenly. It took a long time before he would finally forgive him. Little did he know that Mycen’s actions had averted a crisis.

Edited by Hattusili I
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Chapter 7: Plans for War


With the search for Anteze once again ending up fruitless, Dozer returned from Ram to the capital, reassured that his position of power was secure. Taking advantage of his influence over the king and the latter's unwillingness to rule the country, he grew only stronger over the next years. The king even granted Dozer a personal castle in the northwest of the kingdom. Eventually, the king even agreed to Dozer autonomously ruling the entire kingdom north of the capital.

This north of the kingdom was quite noticeably divided into a western half and an eastern half. In the west, the land was very fertile and there were many forests. Many farmers lived here, spread out over all the land; the only place where many people lived together was Grove Town, a town located on the edge of the greatest forest in Zofia. Grove Town had once started out as a conglomeration of lumberjacks, but it was now also home to many traders, who managed the trade between the lumberjacks in Grove Town, the soldiers and government officials in Dozer's Fort and the farmers spread out all over the land. The Forest Temple was the primary place of worship for the people in the locality.

Farther to the east, a big mountain range running from north to south marked the divide of the western and eastern halves. The eastern half was quite the opposite of its western counterpart. It was a barren desert, totally unfit for agriculture. As a result, the few people that lived in this area were all massed together in the only town these lands knew: Mountain Town. Mountain Town was a town located on the hills bordering the dividing mountain range, and so benefited from an easily defensible position.

In the northeast of these lands, the desert came to an end at last, and there was a forest near the shore. Bordering this forest was the grand Temple of Mila. This is where the goddess Mila resided with many priests, guards and other servants who attended Her.


Dozer used his position of power primarily to enrich himself. He enforced public order very strictly, but only there where it benefited him - that is to say, in the areas of Zofia where high tax income could be collected. Places that he considered useless were simply abandoned by all military presence and police force. The barren desert that covered the entire northeast of Zofia was therefore soon deprived of any enforcers of public order, save a few guards at the Temple of Mila. Brigands began to run wild in that area. The brigands slowly started forming groups, taking land into their possession and fighting opposing bandit groups. Years of warfare between the rivaling brigand factions followed, until at last the the bandits of Geyse defeated all their rivals and became the unchallenged authority in the Zofian desert. And so, what had once started as organized crime had now grown into a de facto regime - for indeed, people were already referring to the Zofian desert as the 'Kingdom of Geyse.' Geyse's bandits ruled the desert from the centrally-positioned Desert Fort and the old Coastal Fort - which was now renamed Geyse's Fort, because this is where he had his seat. Only the Temple of Mila was left untouched, as even the mighty Geyse feared the wrath of the gods, should he defile Their sanctuaries.


All this turned Zofia into a very divided kingdom. What little influence the king still had was now limited to the capital and the lands south of it, as far south as the fortress known as the South Fort. The region south of this fort, known as the region of Ram, was very scarcely populated; the small, remote village of Ram was, in fact, the biggest center of population. It was therefore of no interest to Dozer, and the only protection it received was the occasional expedition from the South Fort. Bands of thieves and brigands sprang up in this region, turning an old shrine into their hideout. Ram Village remained quite safe though; the name Mycen still struck fear into the thieves' heart, and his sword even more.

The islands in the sea east of mainlaind Zofia were likewise deserted, and pirates took over. The island of Novis remained relatelively safe, thanks to the protection offered by the mages and bishops of Novis Abbey and the mercenaries of Novis Port.

'Dozer's Lands' and the 'Kingdom of Geyse' were de facto autonomous regions, buffers between Zofia and Rigel.


King Rudolf listened attentively as general Magnum explained the state of Zofia in detail. It was another war council; Rudolf had been participating in these from a very young age, but they became increasingly frequent now that the inevitable invasion of Zofia was drawing ever closer.

"What do you think, Your Majesty? Zofia is up for grabs now, isn't it?" Magnum concluded his story. Magnum was a proud man, and had quite the reputation as a general. A well-deserved one, by the way; he was a briliant strategist and a strong fighter. He was the head of Rigel's generals and a born leader. In this, he was very different from general Massena, the captain of the royal guard. Massena was a follower; in war councils, he always preferred to stand guard at the door, only speaking when explicitly asked to.

"I think," Rudolf replied, "that the time is not quite ripe yet. Our army is still growing stronger; we are not yet at our pique. And while I do agree that Zofia is now very divided and an easy target, it is still growing ever more divided as we speak. Zofia is not yet at its weakest." This was always Rudolf's answer. It was this answer that had been postponing Rigel's invasion of Zofia for decades. He knew he'd have to invade eventually. But for now, he wanted to put it off a little longer... Not only for his official reasons, but also for his own reasons. Albine and Anteze were surely growing stronger day by day, but they were still only teenagers. The time was not yet ripe.

"Besides," Rudolf continued, "that Dozer fellow is very clearly out for the throne of Zofia. Zofia's king is old and has no heirs; I don't doubt that Dozer will commit a coup once that old man kicks the bucket. Imagine the chaos that would cause... There will be no better time for invasion."

Rudolf looked around. Many generals nodded in approval. "A very sound plan, Your Majesty," Magnum said.


Rudolf continued: "We've already received many emissaries from Dozer - from Dozer personally, not from Dozer as Prime Minister of Zofia - with offers to strengthen our bonds. It's quite obvious that he's trying to get us on his side, so that we'll support him once he seizes power. I've always taken up these offers and I will continue to do so. Let him believe that we will be his allies.

It will be in our favor too. In the chaos following Dozer's coup, there's bound to be problems with public order, maybe even rebellion. Remember that this is the Kingdom of Zofia: don't expect an efficient and organized anti-coup army, but small unorganized rebel groups sprouting up in every corner of the kingdom. Dozer's army isn't big enough to respond to all those problems everywhere at once. As his allies, it would only be our duty to move our troops into Zofia to help him deal with that, right? And once our troops are in... They far outnumber and outmatch Zofia's army. Once we get our troops into Zofia, Dozer will be powerless. Either he'll continue to rule as nominal king - this will allow us to take actual control of Zofia, with him being only a puppet - or he'll turn against us - which will allow us to officially invade and conquer Zofia."


Many generals nodded in approval. "You're as brilliant a strategist as ever, Your Majesty," Magnum said. "You've thought this through very well. If we follow your plans, we cannot lose.

May I also suggest that, once the time of invasion draws near, we use the Floodgate? We all know that the Gorge of Valentia marks the border between Rigel and Zofia. To control border traffic and prevent trespassing, the Gorge is usually arbitrarily kept filled with water. This is accomplished by the two Floodgates, one on either side of the Gorge: as long as they are closed, water levels in the Gorge rise. Because they keep rising, they need to be opened every now and then to prevent a flood. Mind you that Rigel lies higher than Zofia; Rigel would be little affected by a flood, while it could have disastrous consequences for Zofia.

Operating the Floodgates is quite a complicated task. The Western Floodgate belongs to Rigel, while the Eastern Floodgate is Zofian work. It will therefore come as no surprise that the Western Floodgate is much better built and therefore has a stronger regulating power. This is necessary too, as the current is far stronger in the west than it is in the east. It is for this reason that the Eastern Floodgate always needs to be opened first; if only the Western Floodgate is opened, the pressure from the strong current will cause a flood."

"Pardon my interruption," one of the generals said, "You're suggesting that once Dozer commits his coup, we open the Western Floodgate to cause a flood?"

"No," Magnum replied. "Opening the Western Floodgate will cause a temporary flood - initially due to the pressure of the current, and it may happen again later in stormy weather - but it a flood caused this way will not last as long or create as much damage as a flood caused by keeping the Floodgates closed. Besides, if we opened the Western Floodgate, Zofia could react by opening the Eastern Floodgate, thus far lessening the damage done. It is safer and more effective to keep both Floodgates closed."


"A very sound plan," Rudolf said. "This will certain be of use to use. However, we will need more preparations. While Zofia may be divided and weak, it still has the protection of its goddess. We need to get rid of Mila first."

Concerned murmuring broke out in the council. While no Rigelian feared Zofia, the gods were treated with great awe and fear. Rudolf looked around. Only Massena seemed completely unmoved, still standing still and alert by the door. Even the great general Magnum looked worried.

"Your Majesty," he said, "how do you intend to do that? She is only Duma's rebellious sister, but she is a goddess nonetheless."

Rudolf stood up, unsheated his sword and held it out before him for all to see. Silence fell.

"Gentlemen, we all know what this is," Rudolf said. "This is the holy blade Falchion, the heirloom of the Kings of Rigel, given to them by Lord Duma long ago. I have been to the Tower of Duma, where I have consulted with Him and His high priest. They tell me that this blade has the power to seal even a god.

The Temple of Mila is cut off from all protection. It is surrounded by hostile forces on all sides; Rigel in the north, bandits in the south. Surely, there are guards defending the temple, but they could not possibly withstand the Rigelian army. We shall attack the temple, and I shall seal Mila with the Falchion.

Mila is the earth goddess. Her sealing is sure to impact Zofia's agriculture, maybe in a few years there will be food shortages. And with Mila's protection gone, Duma will be able to bring His monsters into Zofia. The sooner we attack the Temple of Mila and seal Her, the better."


Some discussion ensued in the council. For the majority, this was enough to ease their fears - no Rigelian would doubt his king, let alone Duma Himself. But some still voiced their doubts.

After some discussion, the council reached a conclusion. Rudolf's plan was to be followed. Orders were given out for the mobilization of the army. Soon, Rudolf rode out at the head of the Rigelian army, destined for the Temple of Mila.

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Chapter 8: Departure at Last


Two years passed since Rigel's attack on the Temple of Mila. But word of the attack never reached the Kingdom of Zofia. No man at the Temple would dare to cross the desert Kingdom of Geyse.

So Zofia was left with the false belief that Mila was still watching over them. But Zofia did not remain the same. First, crops started failing. And now, there were rumors of monsters lurking in caves and abandoned shrines.

Public order was at an all time low now. The food shortages turned many people against the king, who still lived in luxury in his palace. It was the perfect time for Dozer to set his plans in motion.


"Hyaaa!" The sound of swords clashing echoed all over the place. The warrior had put all his strength into this blow, but his opponent parried it with relative ease. Before he could think of a next move, his opponent's sword was at his neck.

"I've got you," he said. "I could see you put great force into your blow - I'm sure you hadn't expected me to parry it. When I did parry, that threw you off-guard. That caused your reaction to be too slow. It gave me the chance to strike you off-guard. Your problem is that you relied on that single blow. You must never rely on any of your attacks, no matter how powerful or cunning they are. You must always be prepared to react at once. If you're not prepared, it may cost you your life. Now then, let's try again."

The warrior stepped back and prepared to strike again. They had another duel, and this time, there was no clear winner. After a while of dueling, the old man decided to call it a draw.

"Alm, take a rest," he said. "Your sword training is over. Run off and play now. However, don't go outside the village. Bandits have been loitering around this area recently."

Mycen sheathed his sword. He turned around and let out a little laugh. "'Run off and play now...'" he muttered to himself as he walked back to his house. "He's not a little kid anymore. And his sword fighting shows that. I'm sure he's already strong enough to face a bandit or two. However, he's not strong enough to fight Dozer just yet." Mycen's agents had already informed him of Dozer's coup. He had had the king assasinated, then proclaimed to the people that the king had died of old age and that it was the king's last will that "in the absence of heirs by blood to the Zofian throne, the kingship should pass to prime minister Dozer" and that he, in accordance with the king's will, would now take up the position of King of Zofia.


Of course, there were people who saw right through his façade. He had a reputation for being power-hungry and cruel, after all. Rebellion was already breaking out - some fought for justice against Dozer's coup, others simply feared his tyranny. However, this is still Zofia: many people simply couldn't be bothered to break their peaceful lives and take up arms for a just cause. Therefore, the so-called liberation forces were small in number and were forced to hide and avoid open battle, using guerrilla tactics to fight Dozer's troops. Mycen didn't pay them any heed.

He shut the door behind him as he stepped inside his house; Alm would probably stay outside for a while. Instinctively, he walked up to the food cabinet, but then he halted as he realized that all they had left was some very old bread. "I need to get out of this habit," he thought. "I know we have nothing more than that old lump of bread. It's probably too old to still be edible. But I can't allow us to eat from it either. Our harvests have been utter failures for the past two years now. Somehow, this has become the only memory of more plentiful times... Ha, to think that some old bread would be a symbol of hope.

Alm and I should go hunting tonight. We need to have proper dinner."

He took a map of the forests around Ram out of one of the cabinets, sat down at the table in the living room and started contemplating where they had best go hunting that night.


As Mycen sat at the table thinking about where they'd be most likely to find prey and how they'd best ensnare them, the door suddenly opened as Alm came in.

Mycen looked up. "Alm, you're back early."

"Gramps, there's commotion in the village," Alm said.

"Commotion? What's going on?"

"There's a soldier here, gramps. He's talking about some general Dozer. He says that this general has killed the king and taken over the kingdom. But already, people are fighting back against Dozer's coup. That soldier who's here, Luka, he's a member of the liberation forces that are fighting him. They intend to free Zofia from his tyrannical rule."

"So why is a soldier from the liberation forces here?" Mycen asked, even though he could already predict the answer. "There's nothing to gain in this little village, and politics don't concern us."

"He's here because they want you to join them," Alm continued enthusiastically. "You used to be a great general, right? I'm sure you'll be able to take down that Dozer! I'll join too. I'll fight alongside you, gramps!"

Mycen stood up. "What? Join the liberation forces?! Absolutely not. I won't allow it! You must not go to war. All you'll get from it is sorrow."

Alm looked at his grandfather. He knew him well enough to realize that he wouldn't change his mind about this, no matter what.


So, Alm left without a word. Mycen sighed. Perhaps he shouldn't have declined so strongly. After all, Alm was not a little kid anymore... But he couldn't allow him to fight Dozer, could he? Not yet. He wasn't strong enough yet. ... Or was he? But, regardless of his current strength, the time was still not right. What about Celica? The three of them should fight this battle together. Should he tell Alm about that?

Mycen marched through the house, contemplating. Then he heard a ticking sound against the window in the back of the house. He opened the window and looked outside. A minuscule red flag had been put in the ground directly beneath the right end of the window. That was the sign.

Mycen hastened outside and into the Ram Woods. He never trusted to meet his agents inside the village, so they had a specially appointed spot in the vast Ram Woods to meet. At the same time every day, Mycen would come to this place and whistle a certain tune that functioned as a password. This was the sign for his agents to appear for the meeting.

However, there was a special procedure in the case of urgent reports. An agent with an urgent report would - after making sure no one could see him - sneak up to the back of Mycen's house, plant a little red flag directly below the right end of the window at the back of the house, tick on the window four times, then disappear into the woods again.


Mycen came to the appointed meeting place in the woods and whistled the code tune. At once (or rather, after he had made sure it really was Mycen whistling) a man dressed in a black and dark green camouflage uniform appeared out of nowhere.

"Well met... Diovis," Mycen said.

"Sir Mycen, you wound me," the man answered. "Is my disguise that bad?"

Mycen laughed. "It isn't, but I've gotten better at telling you apart over the many years that we've been doing this now. And still, it was not much more than a guess."

"Still," Diovis answered, "a well-disguised spy should be recognized by no one, not even his trusted master. But let's get to business. Are you aware that Alm has left the village?"

"I was not," Mycen replied. So he went with the liberation forces after all...

Diovis continued: "He has joined the liberation forces. He's with one of their soldiers, Luka. They're joined by three young men from Ram. Their names are Gray, Cliff and... I couldn't make out the last one's name. I could tell you my gut feeling, but that would be nothing more than a guess. He's a purple-haired fellow."

"Hmm, that must have been Robin..." Mycen said. "Good, then Alm is not alone. Do you know what exactly their plans are?"

"They wish to join forces with the rest of the liberation army," Diovis replied. "That's all I could pick up."

"Join forces with the rest of the liberation army, huh?" Mycen repeated slowly.

"Yes, but I don't know what exactly that means," Diovis continued. "I don't know how big this liberation army is or if it has some central form of command and a headquarters or if it's just a loose alliance of rebelling factions."


Mycen didn't answer. He was lost in his thoughts. Should he go after Alm and stop him? Or should he let him be? No, he couldn't just let him be. Alm was still young and inexperienced in battle. Besides, he was the only heir to Rigel's throne. He could not be allowed to die. And hadn't Mycen promised Rudolf to protect Alm?

With that thought, Mycen was dragged back into the memories of that night in Ram, when Rudolf left Alm with him. What would Rudolf want him to do now? ... No, he couldn't allow Alm to put his life at risk. But perhaps... what if now was the right time?

Mycen was stirred from his thoughts by Diovis's voice: "Sir? Sir, Alm is still very young. Ought we bring him back to Ram?"

"... No," Mycen answered, "but we are going to follow him closely. I want to see how he fares first. If he proves himself as a valuable fighter who can hold his own, then there is no reason to intervene and bring him back. But we must be ready to intervene if he is in danger."

"Very well," Diovis said. "Although it's still too early to say, I don't expect we'll have to intervene. I was witness to Alm's little group of fighters encountering a band of brigands; not a single one of those thugs survived, while Alm's men suffered barely a scratch. He is not only a gifted fighter, but a good leader as well."

"That runs in the family," Mycen replied. "Now, let's go! We need to hurry back to Ram, where I can disguise myself, then we need to catch up to them!"

"Yes, sir!"


And so, Mycen and Diovis set off in pursuit of Alm's party. Mycen could hardly grasp his own words. Did he really want to let Alm be? Should he really not bring him back? Or was this, perhaps, fate? Alm was, after all, destined for great things.

From other agents, Mycen and Diovis heard of more successes against the thieves, and they were informed that Alm's party was making a slight detour into an old shrine that had come to function as the thieves' headquarters, in order to defeat these thieves at their base. When Mycen and Diovis arrived at the shrine, they decided to lay in wait nearby for Alm and his companions to appear. When Alm emerged from the cave, Mycen and Diovis counted not only Luka, Cliff, Robin and Gray among his party, but a young lady as well. As they continued to follow Alm's party closely, they learned that this young lady was Silk, a priestess of Mila who had been abducted by the thieves and brought to their headquarters. After being freed by Alm, she joined him. In battle, she proved skilled with white magic.

After a while, the party came to the South Fort. The South Fort was in Dozer's hands, but boasted no great garrison, as Dozer expected no threat to the fort bigger than a band of brigands from the south. Still, Mycen now took extra precautions, as this would be Alm's first encounter with real soldiers and his first assault on a fort. Mycen alerted other agents stationed nearby to be ready to intervene at his signal; he and Diovis snuck into the fort, ready to attack the enemy from within if necessary. But there was no need. Alm captured the South Fort with ease - he was indeed as good a fighter and a strategist as Diovis had speculated, and his companions were no longer the weak and inexperienced villagers that they had been when they started this journey.


After taking the fort, Alm searched it for supplies and survivors. He found a woman in one of the prison cells and freed her. Mycen and Diovis overheard their conversation. The woman was apparently called Clair, a pegasus knight of the Zofian army. Being the younger sister to Clive, the leader of the liberation army, Dozer's men had arrested and imprisoned her. She promised Alm to show him the way to the liberation forces' secret headquarters.

Alm's party continued its journey northwards. They fought several more battles with Dozer's soldiers. Then they abruptly turned westwards, towards the coast, rather than farther northwards, towards the capital.

"They must be heading towards the liberation forces' headquarters," Mycen muttered, more to himself than to his companion. "It can't be far from here now. I wonder what their next move will be once they're there...

Diovis. I'm staying here. I want you to follow them. Once they've met up with the rest of the liberation army, they'll have to make new plans. When they've done so, they may start moving very quickly. If I stay here, I can reach the capital quickly - should that be their next destination. Once they've made their new plans, you must inform me immediately. Make sure you have one or multiple messengers at your disposal for that purpose."

"Sir Mycen, do you really expect them to attack the capital?" Diovis asked in surprise.

"I don't know," Mycen answered, "but I must be ready for it. I know it is within Alm's power to take the capital."

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Chapter 9: An Eventful Expedition


From the moment Dozer seized power in Zofia, Rigel's political and military top held their breath. Now was the time. Would things really go as King Rudolf predicted? Soon enough, word of a liberation army springing up stirred Rigel from its suspenseful waiting. Military drills were intensified, civilians were conscripted, taxes were raised, food supplies were confiscated - all for the sake of preparing the Rigelian army for the inevitable invasion of Zofia. When the generals weren't out in the field leading and inspecting the drills, they were in the royal palace discussing war strategies, the positioning and movements of their troops and the supplies they needed.


Sorcerers and necromancers, largely driven by religious fanaticism, became increasingly common among the ranks of Rigel's soldiers. Judah, the new High Priest of Duma, called upon all followers of Duma who could use magic to join the army. The former High Priest of Duma, the Great Sage Hark, was a wise and composed man. He had always advised caution about an invasion of Zofia. Judah disagreed with him and got into a dispute with him. Judah won this dispute and tried to kill Hark, who fled. Hark sent letters to the king, pleading to bring Judah to justice, but Rudolf ignored them, with pain in his heart. He knew that Hark's moderate views would work against his own plans. He needed to be a destroyer... Hark was in the way. Hark was never heard from again - he was presumed dead, though rumor had it that he fled to a hidden village in the Lost Woods. At any rate, Rudolf inaugurated Judah as the new High Priest of Duma.


Due to the large number of conscripts, sorcerers and necromancers joining the army, the army grew greatly. It grew so big in such a short time that Rudolf saw himself with no other choice but to create an entire new legion. This new legion now needed a general, but Rudolf knew no one whom he would trust with this position. Judah named the names of many necromancers in recommendation to him, and although he did give many of them commanding positions in the army, he could not entrust any of these religious fanatics with the position of general. He decided to postpone the decision for a while.


Rudolf would often ride out to inspect the military affairs of his kingdom. So also he one day came to the southeast of Rigel to inspect the troops there. The new commander of these troops was the necromancer Dolk, who had been appointed to this position on Judah's recommendation. King Rudolf spent his time well there, getting to know Dolk and his strategical insights, inspecting the fort where the troops were stationed and the troops themselves, their equipment and supplies, as well as the entire surrounding region, discussing its strong and weak defensive points with Dolk. It was a very swampy region, bordered by the sea in the east, the Gorge of Valentia in the south, a bay in the west and the Lost Woods in the north. When all the hard work was done, Dolk returned to the fort, asking the king if he would be coming with him and staying another night. Rudolf politely declined, answering that he'd rather take a walk on the beach nearby and watch the sunset, then return to the capital. It would give him some much-needed rest.


"Isn't the sea beautiful, Your Majesty?" Massena asked, as the king was strolling along the beach with his bodyguards. Rudolf didn't answer; his gaze was in the other direction, watching the sun set.

"The great sea..." Massena continued. "I wonder if anything lies beyond it. That question intrigues me. It gives the sea something very mysterious. Especially now do I find it at its most beautiful. The darkness of night that covers the sea emphasizes the mysteries that it holds."

Rudolf laughed. "Those are nice words, Massena. I thought all you could talk about was swords and bows."

"Your Majesty..." Massena began, hardly able to repress a laugh, but he was interrupted by one of the king's guards.

"Your Majesty, do you see that over there?" the guard shouted, pointing at some point in the sea ahead, not far from the shore. "That looks like a person, there in the water!"

"Hmm," King Rudolf answered, "it's probably just a swimmer. This is a good place for swimming, after all."

"I don't know, Your Majesty," the guard replied. "Most people don't have time for swimming. And it's a bit undeep for swimming around here anyway; it looks more like he's floating. And he doesn't look very alive... I'll go check on the situation."

The guard spurted ahead into the water, Rudolf and the others followed him along the shoreline.

"Your Majesty!" the guard shouted from the water, "He's not conscious! I'm bringing him ashore."

The guard returned ashore, dragging the man with him. He laid him down on the sand. Before Rudolf's feet now lay a golden-haired man, pale from hypothermia, dressed in torn garments, with severe wounds all over his body.

The sight shocked Rudolf. He checked the man's pulse. "He's still alive," he called out, "but he won't be for long if we leave him in this state. Massena, get the horses, quick! We need to bring this man to the nearest hospital as fast as we can!"


Rudolf and his men hastened and mounted their horses. Rudolf took the wounded man with him. They rode with great haste to Dolk's fort, where there was an army hospital. It was past midnight when they arrived.

"Your Majesty, now this is a surprise," Dolk greeted the king as he entered the fort, "I thought you would head back to the capital at once."

"We've found a gravely injured man on the way," Rudolf answered. "He won't make it if we don't act quick. Show me to the fort's hospital at once, Dolk."

"But of course, Your Majesty, it's right this way. Don't worry, we have very fine doctors working in our hospital, and they're aided by army mages who know healing magic. Your wounded fellow is in good hands with us."


Rudolf stayed in the fort for several days. He told Dolk that he would not return home until he had received assurance that this man would make it. And even when the doctors informed him that he was recovering, Rudolf still stayed. He wished to wait for the man to awaken, so he could talk to him. Who was this man? How had he ended up in the water, with all those wounds? When Rudolf found him, he thought he could see shreds of armor between those torn clothes of his. Was this a soldier? What had happened to him?

All these questions made Rudolf stay in the fort, hoping to find an answer. But there was more... There was something about this man that made Rudolf stay. He had a certain air about him... even when Rudolf beheld him, pale and wounded, he could sense something. It felt as if some lost grandeur shone through that pale face and those gashes.

Several days after Rudolf had delivered the man to the hospital, the doctors came to inform him that their patient had opened his eyes. The doctors allowed King Rudolf to speak with him.


The king sat down on a chair next to the man's bed. "Hello," he said. "I'm Rudolf, King of Rigel. I found you unconscious, floating around in the sea east of here. Do not worry, you're in good hands here."

"H-hello," the man answered. Silence followed.

"Now then," Rudolf continued, as it became clear to him that this man wouldn't say more, "what is your name? Where are you from? Don't worry, it doesn't matter to me if you're from Rigel or Zofia. You have the right to live, regardless of your nationality. I will treat a Zofian no worse than a Rigelian."

The man didn't answer. He just lay in his bed, staring into the distance.

"I'm sorry," Rudolf said, "if talking is still hard for you, you don't have to answer."

"No," the man responded instantly, "I can talk just fine. But I cannot answer your questions."

"Excuse me? What do you mean?" Rudolf asked, surprised.

The man replied: "You ask what my name is. I do not know what my name is. You ask where I am from. I do not know where I am from. I don't know anything about myself, about my identity, about my past. I do seem to have a memory though, but it needs to be brought out. When I first awoke, I could not speak. But as I heard the doctors talk, I recognized speach, and it slowly came back to me. At first, I did not even know that these people were doctors. But as I saw them doing their work, it somehow brought back memories, and I remembered what doctors were. They informed me that the king would come visit me. When they told me, I initially had no idea what a king was. But then my memory slowly returned: a king is a man who rules a country. But I cannot recall how I know these things or where I have these memories from. I know nothing of myself or my life prior to waking up in this hospital. I'd love to tell you whether I'm Zofian or Rigelian, but neither the name Rigel nor the name Zofia rings any bells for me."

"Do you know how you got here?" Rudolf asked. He couldn't help but notice that this man spoke with a strange accent he had never heard before.

"Yes. The doctors told me. You found me, washed up on the shores of your country, unconscious and gravely wounded. You brought me here to be healed."

"That is correct..." Rudolf said. He spent a moment thinking. "Well, by doing what I did, I took you into the care of the King of Rigel. So I'll stay here with you until you've recovered. Once you're ready, I'd like you to return to the capital with me. There I will give you food and shelter, as befits a guest of the royal palace. How about that?"

"It would be a great honor, king!" the man answered.

"It's agreed, then," Rudolf answered. "Now, since you can't remember your name... Would you mind if I gave you one?"

"Not at all. It would be a great honor to receive a name from the King of Rigel himself."

"Hmm... Then I shall call you Zeke."

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Chapter 10: To Zofia!


In the midst of Zofia lay the city of Zofia, which served as the kingdom's capital. The capital, with the imposing Zofia Castle at its heart, was without a doubt the most crowded city in the kingdom. Guards were stationed at every road leading into and out of the city. For the purpose of the city's defense and watch duty, this guard was hardly necessary, as Zofia - lying in the heart of the kingdom - faced no threat of attack. The primary purpose of this guard was to regulate the traffic that went into and out of the city. While merchants were more than welcome to the capital, their identity and wares had to be registered at the city gates for tax purposes. Homeless people and beggars were to be kept out of the city; criminal suspects were to be arrested.


Though the roads leading into and out of the capital were always busier with traffic than anywhere else in Zofia, traffic was at an all-time high now. Hundreds of farmers from around the city, inhabitants of nearby villages and inhabitants of the lower settlement of Zofia (that lay outside the protection of the castle gates) were flocking into the city in hopes of avoiding the onset of the liberation army. Although there were many among these people who supported the liberation army, they were afraid of what might befall if they stayed behind - they might just get caught up in a battle between Dozer's forces and Alm's forces.


Alm... The name gave many of these refugees hope. "Who is that?" had been most of their reactions when a friend, relative or messenger told them that Alm was among the liberation army, but hearing that it was the great general Mycen's grandson lifted their spirits. And not long after they had heard that Alm was among the liberation army did news reach their ears that Alm had been appointed its very leader. The grandson of the hero of Zofia was coming to save them from Dozer's tyranny at last... This is what many people murmured to each other, secretly and silently. But they never voiced this hope aloud. Dozer still had many henchmen, spies and supporters, and even calling the rebels (as Dozer's regime called them) "liberation army" could lead to conviction for treason and a swift execution.


Mycen surveyed Zofia from afar. The roads were crowded, but still heavily guarded. He somehow had to get in unnoticed... but how? If the guards caught him trying to get into Zofia, he would be arrested and executed for transgressing the terms of his exile.


After he had spent some time surveying several guards, it became clear to him that their controls were far less rigid than usual. Families were let in without checking the identity of each individual family member, and most carts of goods (which were usually thoroughly checked for merchandise, weapons and illegal goods) were let through without any controls. The guards were obviously in a hurry to get everyone into the city quickly, so the gates could be closed and the city's defenses prepared before the liberation army arrived.


Mycen judged his options. He had hoped to be able to sneak into the city somehow before Alm would arrive. But the guard was still too strong. Dozer wasn't about to just give up the capital and retreat to his own castle, it seemed. No, it would be too risky to try to sneak in now. And since the penalty for such a violation of the terms of his exile was death, Mycen decided that it would be better to lay hidden nearby until the battle was done... until Alm had won.


Alm was now on his way to the capital, at the head of the liberation forces. As Mycen had predicted, Alm had indeed visited the liberation army's headquarters. Here he had met up with Clive, their leader. Clive had wished for Mycen to lead the liberation war, but now that Mycen had refused and Alm had come in his stead, Clive passed his leadership over the liberation army on to Alm. As the grandson of the hero of Zofia, he was indeed a symbol of hope to all.


By this time, the liberation army had been much reduced in numbers. Many had died fighting Dozer's forces. Even more died when monsters decided to take up residence in the cave that functioned as the liberation army's headquarters. When Alm reached the headquarters, he found only three people still there: the knight Clive, the soldier Force and the archer Python. So Alm now led a force of eight soldiers: Cliff, Robin, Gray, Silk, Clair, Clive, Force and Python. Small though their numbers might be, they were determined to see Zofia liberated. They fought with determination and conviction that their enemy lacked. Moreover, Alm was proving himself to be every bit the tactician Mycen had once been.


They were now on the march. They didn't have any mounts, other than Clive's horse and Clair's pegasus, so their movement was mostly foot-based and therefore rather slow. Alm for a while marched at the head of his men, alone and in silence, until Cliff came up to him.

"Commander Alm, sir..."

"Cut that out, Cliff," Alm interrupted Cliff, "we've been friends since we were little. You don't have to address me as 'commander' and please don't call me 'sir'."

"Oh..." Cliff said. "Sorry, sir-- uhh, I mean, Alm."

"Don't worry about it," Alm replied. "Now, what was it you wanted to say?"

"Well, uhh, you see, I've been talking to Gray, and he says that Rigel's coming to aid Dozer. That's not right, is it, command-- uhh, Alm?"

"I'm not sure," Alm answered. "Force told me about it. He says that Dozer has requested Rigel's aid. At first, I couldn't believe him. Have you ever heard of the Pact of the Gods, Cliff?"

"The Pact of the Gods?" Cliff spent a moment thinking. "Sorry, the name doesn't ring a bell."

"Ah," Alm continued, "but you know of the conflict of Mila and Duma long ago, right? To end that conflict, they sealed a pact to divide Zofia into two spheres of influence: Duma would get the north, Mila would get the south. These spheres of influence are what gave rise to the nations of Rigel and Zofia. Initially, both nations were friendly to each other and lived in peace. In these ancient times they extended the Pact of the Gods: Zofia and Rigel shall be allies and shall never come to war with each other. Zofia shall send no troops into Rigelian territory, and Rigel shall send no troops into Zofian territory. These were the new clauses of the pact."

"But then, the Pact of the Gods would prevent Rigel from interfering in Zofia's affairs, right?" Cliff asked.

"It would," said Alm. "Or, well, it should. But times have changed. It's been a long time since Zofia and Rigel were friendly to each other. And I don't think the hostility between the gods is much of a secret anymore either. And Rigel is always out for more power. Now that Zofia is so divided after Dozer's coup... What better time to strike?"

"But, but..." Cliff stuttered, "but... that can't happen! It-it's... You said this was a pact of the gods, right? Then surely the gods won't allow any violations of their own pact!"

"That's what you'd think," Alm answered, "but rumor has it that Lady Mila has disappeared."

"Disappeared?! Y-you're joking!"

"I'm not."


Alm looked at Cliff; his face was turning pale as he looked at Alm with great disbelief. "Look, Cliff, I don't want to believe it either. But we can't close our eyes to what's happening around us. There's been nothing but terrible harvests for the past two years and these monsters popping up in caves and abandoned shrines can't be a good indication either. The rumors may just be true. And if they are, that doesn't bode well for Zofia. Duma is always out for power. If Rigel invades Zofia, He won't stop it."

"How terrible..." Cliff replied. "What is there to gain from power? How could anyone worship such a cruel thing as their god?"

"I don't know," Alm answered. "I have a hard time figuring that out as well. I don't understand Rigelians at all. How could they believe that power and toil are the right ways to live? Perhaps they've been brainwashed by Duma and his priests. Or maybe the nobility and the clergy are forcing them to carry out their bidding, exploiting them only to enrich themselves. I have no idea. Rigelians are simply inhumane."

Cliff stared blankly into the distance for a moment. His pace didn't slow down - his legs kept moving mechanically. This was all hard to process for him.

"How do you know about this?" he said at last.

"I heard it from Force," Alm answered.

"And how does Force know about this?"

"... Good point." Alm hadn't expected that question. "I hadn't even thought about that myself. To be honest, I just took it at face value. You should ask Force about it."

"Ask Force?" Cliff let out a nervous laugh. "No, thanks. I don't talk to Force - or to Clive or to Python."

"Why not?" Alm asked.

"Well, because they're soldiers and I'm a villager," Cliff replied. "They're way above me. I wouldn't dare to initiate conversation with them."

"You should," Alm said. "They're good people, and whatever difference in social status you might think there is, it doesn't matter... Besides, you've grown a lot, you know? When we left Ram, you had no idea how to swing a sword. Now you're already well on your way to becoming one of our best."

"R-really?"

"Really."

"Wow..." Cliff's face was beaming with delight. "Thanks a lot, Alm. Heh, I-I guess this means I gotta talk to Force, then."

"You do that."


As Cliff ran off to talk to Force, Alm resumed his silent loneliness. He was wondering what was waiting for him up ahead. This would be the hardest battle he had ever fought. He was going over everything he had learned about strategy in his head. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes now. But it occurred to him that he lacked knowledge of the enemy and terrain he was facing. As they drew ever closer to Zofia, the need for a scouting party rose.

He beckoned to Clive. "Clive, come over here! Clair, you too! I need you two to scout ahead. I need to know a bit more about the enemy and terrain we'll be up against. A quick round-up will be fine. As long as it's enough for me to think up some core tactics."

"Commander Alm," Clive answered, "that is a good plan. I was about to suggest the same. However... might I suggest Clair stay behind? She doesn't have much combat experience and I'm afraid an enemy archer might just pluck her out of the sky."

"Clive!" Clair got ready to protest, but Alm raised his hand to command silence.

"Clive, I understand that you would rather keep your sister out of harm's way," he said. "And I know that she is rather new to the battlefield. However, someone who can survey the battlefield from above makes a very valuable scout - experienced in combat or not. If Clair promises to be careful, I will send her out to scout with you."

"I promise I'll be careful," Clair replied immediately. "I can do this, Alm!"

"... Alright," Clive said. "Commander, we'll scout ahead. We'll be back shortly. Come, Clair!"

He had barely finished speaking when he sped away. Clair followed right after him.


It didn't take long for them to return.

"Commander Alm," Clive said as he rejoined the group, "Zofia Castle is not far ahead now. In order to get to the castle, we'll first need to cross a river, then break through a wall. There's two bridges leading over the river; the western one leads to a closed gate, but the eastern one leads to a gate that seems to have been torn down or fallen apart quite some time ago. Dozer's men have to tried to cover the breach with some rocks and tree branches, but I doubt they'll hinder our movement."

"I see," Alm replied. "What of the enemy forces?"

"Well, there's no troops defending the bridges or the wall directly," Clive answered. "But right behind that wall lies the castle. There's a central entrance, surrounded by towers on either side. The eastern tower is crawling with archers. They'll be firing at us while we try to get in. The entrance leads to a central courtyard. I couldn't see what's in there, but the enemy's presence there is probably strong. Their forces must be commanded by either Slayder, the captain of Dozer's bodyguard, or by Dozer himself. I wouldn't be surprised if both showed up to this battle. Needless to say, they're formidable opponents. They won't be easy to bring down."

"Thank you, Clive," Alm said. "Clair, do you have anything to add?"

"I do, yes!" Clair answered. "There are no soldiers on the western tower. There's plenty of cavalry in the courtyard and several strong-looking soldiers that I haven't seen before. A few armored ones and one that seemed to be wearing a sorcerer's robe... One of the cavaliers had more armor and decorations on him than the others. Then there was a dismounted knight that had even more abundant armor and decorations. I suppose these are the enemy's commanders."

"I know that Slayder is a paladin," Clive said. "So he'll probably be fighting from horseback. That must be the cavalier my sister saw. The knight she spoke of... that must be Dozer."

"So they're both here?" Alm said. "Thank you for all this information. I'll be sure to take it into account."

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  • 4 weeks later...
Chapter 11: The Plans Are Set in Motion


King Rudolf got up out of his chair and left his working cabinet. The guards saluted him as he came out of the room, and then locked the door behind him. He had to get to the conference room, for yet another war council. But he'd make a little detour first.


Rudolf began to descend the long winding stairs. His working cabinet was a small room at the top of one of the many towers of Rigel Castle. The entrance to the tower and to his working cabinet were guarded, but not heavily. Rudolf would often come here to work; he far preferred the quiet of this little room over the noise of the throne room - he already got more than his daily fill of noise from the many meetings he had to attend. He also liked the solitude of this little room and the view from its windows. He would often stare outside, lost in his thoughts. He had always been a thinker and a dreamer, but nowadays his thoughts were more and more turned to the details of his elaborate plans than to the dreams they originally stemmed from.


He finally reached the end of the stairs and opened the tower door. The guards on the other side saluted him as he passed through. This tower had been constructed specifically on Rudolf's request; its entrance was located in the great hall that led to the throne room. The throne room was just to his left now, the conference room was straight ahead (into a different hall, then a few turns and he would be there); but he went right instead, took a few turns, climbed a level of stairs, walked down a hallway and finally stopped at a door to his left.

As soon as he put his hand to the door to knock, Zeke's voice sounded from the other side: "Your Majesty, it is an honor to see you," as he opened the door. "I have been waiting for you."

"You're quick as ever, Zeke."

"Naturally, Your Majesty." Zeke left his room and shut the door behind him. "I wouldn't want to be late to my first war council, would I?"

"Hmm, of course not," Rudolf said. "Come, I'll show you to the conference room."


As Rudolf and Zeke approached the conference room together, most of the generals were already waiting in front of the conference room door. It was a symbol of strict Rigelian hierarchy: no one should enter before the king commanded to do so; then the Captain of the Royal Guard would be the first to go in, immediately followed by the King of Rigel - this symbolized the Captain's dedication to the King's safety - only then could the others enter.

"All hail His Majesty the King!" Massena shouted. The murmuring of the talking generals stopped instantly as they all turned towards the approaching king and kneeled.

"Arise, brave generals of Rigel," Rudolf said. "Let us assemble to discuss the military affairs of the kingdom."

Massena opened the doors to the conference room and went ahead before Rudolf. Rudolf followed him, and following him was Zeke. Several generals raised their eyebrows or whispered to each other asking what a mere commoner like Zeke was doing here.


Zeke had been seen increasingly often around King Rudolf recently. It was clear to all who visited court regularly that Rudolf trusted this man, and all had accepted his position as a personal adviser to the king without questioning - but bringing a commoner to a war council? That was unheard of.

The generals took their seats around the conference table. Shizas, Saizor, Jerome, Meular and Magnum; they were all here. Massena's seat remained empty as he took to standing by the doors as always - but this time there was another empty seat. Some generals still murmured to each other what the meaning of all this unusual business could be.

Only generals were allowed a seat at the conference table in a war council. Judah, as High Priest of Duma, was allowed to be present at meetings, but he was not allowed to sit at the conference table; he sat down on a chair in a corner of the room. Zeke stood behind King Rudolf.

With a simple hand gesture, Rudolf ordered the generals to be silent. Then he raised his voice: "I hereby declare the war council opened.


"Gentlemen, we have much to discuss today. Dozer's coup in Zofia, after seeming initial success, now appears to be fast approaching failure. Organized rebellion - a self-declared liberation army - has taken control over most of southern Zofia and is now approaching the very capital of the kingdom, according to our latest reports. Their leader, Alm, the grandson of the famous General Mycen, appears to be a leader of great talent. Dozer has requested our aid in dealing with him. I have already dispatched a small force into Zofia. This here will be our final meeting. We must now finalize our plans and then execute them. But first, there is another matter I would like to address.

As you may have noticed, Mr. Zeke - who is standing behind me here - has been living here at court lately as my adviser. I sense something about this man. Dignity, intelligence, strength. I brought him back with me to court in order to test if he indeed possessed these traits. He has far exceeded my expectations. He is smart and honorable, and he has proven both his strategic insight and his fighting strength to me. I have therefore decided to appoint him to the rank of General of Rigel."


Some of the generals looked shocked - this was beyond uncommon.

"Your Majesty, hold, please," Shizas said. "I... I beg your forgiveness, but please, don't you think this a very sudden decision? I don't doubt the quality of your judgement, but these decisions require due deliberation and thought, especially when we're on the brink of total war. And please remember that this is not a long-serving army commander you're giving this position to - this is a stranger who claims to have no memories of his past. Don't you think it would be better to discuss this first and give it some more time?"

This was a bold move - it was highly unusual for a general to speak up to the king without being asked. Meular gave Shizas a destructive look. Saizor on the other hand nodded in approval. Jerome smiled; he found this incident rather amusing. Only Magnum showed no reaction.

"General Shizas," Rudolf said, "I understand your concerns. This is indeed rather sudden. It is at least rather sudden to you, as I myself have been contemplating this for a longer time now. However, Zeke has shown himself to possess all the talents needed to be a good general (if not more), not to mention that he has sufficiently shown loyalty to me and to this country. This decision is neither rash nor is it bad."

Shizas looked at Magnum, but his ever-stern facial expression showed no signs of intending to back Shizas up.

"F-forgive me, Your Majesty." Shizas turned his gaze back to Rudolf. "I did not intend to question your decision. Please proceed with the appointment of Sir Zeke as planned."


Rudolf nodded at Shizas, then he arose and drew his sword; Zeke kneeled. Rudolf lightly touched Zeke's shoulder with his sword, then lightly touched his other shoulder with the sword, as was custom for the act.

"Sir Zeke," he said, "I hereby appoint you General of Rigel. You shall serve me and the Kingdom of Rigel, and you shall perform all those duties and enjoy all those privileges that a General of Rigel has. I now bid you swear an oath of fealty."

"I pledge," Zeke answered, "to be loyal and faithful to the Kingdom of Rigel and to the King of Rigel, to never act contrarily to their wishes or their interests, and to perform my duties as a general to the best of my abilities."

Rudolf sheathed his sword. "Then I welcome you, General Zeke, and invite you to take your seat at the conference table."

Zeke arose, only to bow before the king. "I thank you humbly, Your Majesty."

Rudolf gestured towards the empty seat (the one that was not Massena's) and Zeke sat down there.

"Now then," the king began anew, "let us discuss the war.


"As I have already said, Dozer has finally requested our aid. I have already sent captain Gazel into Zofia with a small force, but I'm not sure if we should send more troops into Zofia. Our plans remain unchanged: keep the Floodgates closed, so that Zofia will be flooded. Let the water do its work, so that no Rigelian blood will be spilled needlessly. Afterwards, we can move in unopposed. It would of course not be wise to have troops in Zofia at the time of its flooding, but we must also make sure that Alm's rebels don't take control of our Floodgate and open it again.

I would therefore suggest to position one general at the Floodgate. I propose to spread out the other generals over Rigel in such a way that most will be close to the border, should they need to strike, and that our most experienced generals are further behind to oversee vital defensive points on the way to the capital. I do not intend to place troops in the east; the Zofian desert is a lawless territory of bandits and should therefore pose no threat - moreover, Judah has assured me that these parts are guarded by Dolk, one of his trusted shamans.

I propose troop placements at the following locations: the Floodgate, the Border Post, Rigel Forest, Rigel Plains, Rigel Falls, the Northern Fort. I want Magnum and Meular at Rigel Falls and at the Northern Fort. Who will take which positions?"


Meular answered immediately. "Let me take the Northern Fort, please. My bow knights and I will be able to turn the lay-out of the fortress to good use, should we be attacked. I believe general Magnum's impregnable strength would be better positioned at the narrow passages at Rigel Falls."

Magnum nodded. "Excellent thinking, general Meular. Do we have your consent, Your Majesty?"

"You do," Rudolf replied. "Now then... how shall we divide our strength over the other positions?"

Shizas was the first to speak: "Let me take the Border Post, Your Majesty. I want to be ready to strike the enemy, should they try to take over the Floodgate or trespass on Rigelian soil."

"Very well," Rudolf said. "What about the others?"

Saizor instantly spoke up: "I'll take Rigel Forest, then. My men are mostly infantry - they fight well in the woods. General Jerome's cavalry would fare better on the plains."

"I agree wholeheartedly," Jerome added.

"So..." Rudolf said, "that's decided, then? Then it seems general Zeke will take the Floodgate."


Saizor and Shizas looked uncomfortable. They were apparently not alone in their concerns, as a voice rose from the corner of the room. "Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking, but I have an alternative plan." Although Judah was often present at these councils, hearing him speak was a rare occurrence. "If I may?"

"You may." Rudolf gestured for Judah to stand up and come closer.

"I think the defense of the Floodgate would be better left to sorcerers than to soldiers," Judah said as he approached the table. "Their magic will pose a more frightening threat to the enemy. Fear might just keep them away. Furthermore, with sorcerers stationed at the very border, they could spread their magic into Zofia, which will greatly benefit both the defense of the Floodgate and the subjugation of Zofia. Should it come to blows, they can always call on reinforcements from the soldiers at the Border Post."

"Very well," Rudolf said. "Judah, I will leave the Floodgate to your sorcerers."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Judah answered. "I will send Lord Tatara to the Floodgate with a regiment of sorcerers. Now, by your leave..." Judah returned to his chair in the corner.

Rudolf turned his attention back to Zeke. "Now then, general Zeke, your position shall be on the Rigel Plains, together with general Jerome."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," Zeke replied instantly. Jerome looked mildly uncomfortable, but didn't protest.


After that had been settled, the council soon came to an end. Each of the generals went his own way, to make ready for departure to their assigned posts. Rudolf and Zeke walked back to Zeke's room together.

"Your Majesty," Zeke said, "I still do not understand it. Why do we have to go to war against Zofia? Aren't our kingdoms allies?"

"Yes..." Rudolf answered. "However, there are forces at work that cannot be reversed. There is no Rigelian alive who doesn't wish to see Zofia conquered. And... a chain of events has been set in motion that cannot be made undone."

"My apologies, Your Majesty, but you're sounding very vague. Are you not the King of Rigel? And weren't Rigel and Zofia close friends in the past? Why do you not work towards restoring that friendship? Why do you not educate the people on Zofia? Why do you not show them the good things about Zofia? Why don't you try to pacify them? Instead, you're only leading them and spurring them on. Yet I know you as a peace-loving man. It just doesn't make any sense to me."

Rudolf sighed. "Zeke, there are forces at work here that are beyond my control and beyond your understanding. The flow of the times cannot be reversed."

"Vague words do not answer my questions, milord. Why are you doing this? You don't truly believe in this yourself, do you?"


The pair reached Zeke's room and halted in front of the door.

"It doesn't matter what I do or do not believe in," Rudolf answered. "This is fate."

"So you're really going through with this war? And there is no way I will be able to stop it?"

Rudolf looked down at his feet and sighed. Then he put his hands on Zeke's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Zeke, if there is one who bears a cross-shaped birthmark on his right arm, you must dedicate everything to that person. That person will certainly, for Rigel… and then, for this continent of Valentia as well, if he could become the savior…"

Rudolf was staring blankly at Zeke now, lost in deep thought.

"... Your Majesty?" Zeke asked carefully.

Rudolf snapped out of his thinking, let go of Zeke's shoulders and smiled. "Come now, Sir Zeke. Go pack your things; you must be ready to depart soon. Everything is about to begin now."

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  • 3 weeks later...
Chapter 12: Zofia Castle


"The tyrant has fled!"

"The battle is won!"

"We're free at last!"

"Long live the hero Alm!"


The capital of Zofia was bursting with joy as hundreds of people came out of their places of hiding and ran across the streets, flocking into the castle courtyard. Every one of them hoped to catch a glimpse of the liberation army and of Alm the hero.


In the midst of the tumult, one man went against the tide of the endless stream of people; his destination was the castle interior. There were people there that he wanted to see. People who had stayed loyal to him, even after his exile. People who had formed the core of his network of espionage that had kept him up to date all these years. People who knew about Dozer's plans and his next move.


The reunion of Mycen and his old retainers was a joyous one, but there was no time for celebration. They had much to discuss, and they wanted to get it out of the way as soon as possible - Mycen wished to meet Alm, preferably before he could settle in the castle.


Mycen learned a few things from his agents. For all the importance Dozer had seemed to put on the defense of the capital, it had been mostly a sham. While he had certainly not left the capital ill-defended, he had moved most of his forces into his own lands in the north, and everything had been made ready for his quick retreat. Slayder had been stuck out here in the battle to die, to inflict as many casualties on the rebels as possible before Dozer needed to wet his hands, and to buy time for his retreat. Dozer was now regrouping in his own lands in the north. There he was waiting - waiting for aid from Rigel. The rumors were indeed true.


After a long celebration in the courtyard, the soldiers of the liberation army entered Zofia Castle. The large and abundantly decorated halls of the castle, its thick stone walls, its high towers; they amazed Alm, who until recently had only ever seen the small village of Ram and the woods surrounding it.


Alm came into the throne room. He had asked for peace in the throne room, so a group of improvised guards restrained the crowd of people from following the young leader. The liberation army itself followed its leader inside. Alm now finally set foot in the throne room of Zofia Castle. The room was impressively high, the two thrones (one for the king, one for the queen) themselves were higher than man-sized and the throne area was richly decorated. Several people were inside; lackeys, chamberlains, ministers and other servants and important people.

Alm found himself completely lost in the sheer splendor of the chamber. He had only set a few steps into the throne room, but his pace was already slowing to a halt. Now he just stood still, looking around in amazement. The room's majesty seemed to have a similar impact on Silk and the villagers from Ram. Python, Clive and Clair on the other hand seemed completely unfazed.


Alm barely had any time to let the splendor of the throne room sink in before he was startled by a loud scream. "By Mila, it really is you!"

From near the throne, a woman came running towards Alm.

"It really is you!" she exclaimed again, "It really is the hero Alm!" She stopped before Alm and bowed quickly several times.

"Thank you, thank you. You have my gratitude. Thanks to you all, Dozer's rebel army abandoned the castle and left. They've probably fled to their own fortress in the forest to the west. We're finally free! Thank you, thank you!"

She made several more quick bows as she stepped back; then she turned around and ran into a room adjoining the throne room.

"Free indeed!" A man approached Alm before he had any time to grasp what was going on.

"But Dozer still holds his own lands. And what's worse, it seems that he's requested aid from the Kingdom of Rigel. If that guy's fortress doesn't fall before the Rigelian army comes attacking, there'll be trouble afoot."

Alm felt overwhelmed; he was not used to people just coming up to him and talking to him like that.

Clive sensed Alm's feelings and intervened: "Thank you, Sir Aurel. Alm and I will soon discuss the further course of the war against Dozer. But for now, please leave us be. Alm has never been to the capital before, and all the impressions are a bit much for him."

"Ah, of course." Aurel smiled at Alm. "Sir Alm, you've done great things already. I'm sure you will continue to make this country proud."


Aurel turned around and walked away. Alm was dumbfounded.

"That was Sir Aurel, the Captain of the Royal Guard. The woman you saw before him was the chief of King Rima's household servants." Clive stepped forward and put his hand on Alm's shoulder.

"You... know these people?" Alm asked slowly.

"Sure I do," Clive replied. "I used to be a royal guard here at the palace. I knew a lot of people here. At least while Rima was still around. When Dozer took over, we were all scared.

Of course, I was opposed to Dozer's coup, but I didn't instantly leave the royal guard. No... but slowly, people started disappearing from the throne room. That's when I knew that this had to stop. That's when I founded the liberation army."

Alm nodded. "So why did those people disappear?"

"Dozer didn't like them." Clive frowned. "No one ever expressed their dislike for Dozer or their opposition to his claim to the title of king. But he suspected things. And he suspected people. The people whom he suspected, they disappeared. We were never given any explanation as to why they disappeared. We were never even told that they were gone. But people who used to be always present in the throne room were suddenly no longer there. Ever. Exiled, imprisoned, assassinated, forced to flee... no one knows. But it was obvious enough what was going on."

"I see..." Alm replied. "I knew Dozer was cruel, but I had no idea he did all these things."

"Dozer is a cruel man, Alm. Don't underestimate that." Clive gazed intently at Alm for a moment, then he stepped forth. "But enough of that. Come, Alm, let me introduce you!"


Alm told his companions to make themselves at home in the castle, then followed Clive around as he introduced them to some important people.

"Alm, this is Faustina. She served as a wetnurse under King Rima."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Alm shook Faustina's hand.

"Likewise, Lord Alm," she said, "I have always dreamed of the day we would be rid of that tyrant. But that our liberation would be wrought by the very hands of Sir Mycen's grandson himself... that I could have never imagined. Thank you!"

"Uhm... You're welcome." For the past few hours, Alm had been overwhelmed by expressions of gratitude, but he still had no idea how to react.

Alm's awkwardness amused Faustina, who smiled kindly at him. "Sir Alm, I am at your service," she said. "If there is ever anything I can do to help you, please don't hesitate to call on me."

"Thank you," Alm replied. "... Actually, there is something that I would like to ask you."

"Of course, go ahead." Faustina kept up her smile. It seemed almost exaggerated.

"How did Dozer even become king? I've heard that he hid his coup behind an excuse of being the legitimate king. But he wasn't related to Rima at all, was he? Shouldn't the kingship have passed to a relative of Rima's?"

"Well, yes, that would usually be the case..." It was clear that Alm's questions stirred some uncomfortable memories in Faustina, but she kept smiling mechanically. "But, you see, King Rima had no living children. Dozer manipulated the king into naming him in his will as his successor in the event that he should die childless. Shortly after he got that accomplished, Dozer had him assassinated, so that he could never have any children."

"But didn't the king have any brothers or sisters? Is there no one left in the royal family?"

"Dozer is a blackheart!" Alm and Faustina's conversation had apparently caught the attention of a man standing nearby. He seemed all too eager to chime in.

"He secretly had all the children born to the royal family killed. Sir Mycen, who tried to stop him, was instead charged with the crime and driven from the castle. He's rotten to the core, that Dozer!"

"I'm afraid that's true..." Faustina no longer smiled. "All the members of the royal family were murdered by Dozer. Assuming she still lives, there remains only the princess of whom it is said that Lord Mycen took her away with him immediately after her birth. At least that girl... If only Princess Anteze were still alive..."

Faustina was staring at her feet now; all traces of a smile had been wiped from her face. Alm felt as if she could burst into tears any moment now.

"I'm sorry if my questions made you uncomfortable," he said. "Really."

Faustina looked up and once again faked a smile. "Oh no, don't worry about it. I was only reminiscing."


After some kind words, Alm and Faustina said goodbye. Clive then introduced Alm to several more people. He also showed him to the royal armory. He took a ridersbane for himself and looked around for a sword for Alm.

"This is odd..." he mumbled. "It's got to be here. Where is it?"

"Ha, Sir Clive!" Alm heard a harsh voice behind him. "Long time no see! What brings you here?"

Clive looked up and greeted the man who had come in behind them. "Ha, Agorn, good to see you! You're still working at the armory? I was looking for a sword for Sir Alm here."

"Sir Alm?!" Agorn looked at Alm and bowed. "What an honor to meet you, sir. If it's a sword you want, I'm afraid to say we're running low on those. Dozer took most of them before the last battle. But I can look around and see if I can still get ya a good one."

"Actually..." Clive stepped closer to Agorn. "I was looking for a... special sword for him."

"A special sword?" Agorn looked confused for a moment. Then his eyes lit up. "Ah, but you can't possibly mean..."

"Yes," Clive answered curtly.

"So do you think that he..." Agorn glanced at Alm inquisitively.

"I don't know. But it's worth a shot. He's got real talent with the sword."

"What's this all about?" Alm asked.

"Well..." Agorn began hesitantly. "Dozer escaped with the valuable Royal Sword." He gave Clive an apologetic look before continuing his explanation. "That was a gift sent by the Kingdom of Rigel as a sign of friendship in the past. No normal person can use it. It's a special sword."

"And why would I be able to use it?" Alm asked.

"Listen, Alm." Clive's tone was more serious than Alm had ever heard him. "You've led the liberation army to victory many times. You've freed the capital. You've gotten Dozer on the run. Now, it is your duty to finish him off and free Zofia. And then, you've got Rigel's enormous military knocking on our doors. You're not just some boy from a farmers' village anymore. You're a hero. You're the destined liberator of Zofia. You need to realize that. That sword belongs in your hands."

"But... Dozer has it," Alm replied, avoiding Clive's point.

"Yes, so we're going to get it back," Clive said decisively.

"Well... Yes. We are going to beat Dozer, anyway." Alm would rather not think about all the fame and responsibility that his position had put on him. But he was determined to defeat Dozer. He was determined to see Zofia restored. Whether he could personally use it or not, the restoration of Zofia required the return of the Royal Sword. So he needed to be determined to get it back too.


After some more chattering in the armory and some failed attempts at finding Alm a better sword than the one that was currently at his side, Clive and Alm returned to the throne room. Clive told Alm that he had shown him around enough; it was time for them to go to the conference room and discuss the further course of the war.

The conference room was a lone room located at the top of a low tower of the castle. But as the pair came before the stairs leading into the tower, they were interrupted.

"Is that sir Alm?!" an old man shouted as he tottered in their direction. "Is it true what they say about you? That you're Sir Mycen's grandson?"

"That's right," Alm replied. "Mycen is my grandfather."

The old man looked puzzled. "But the general shouldn't have had any kin... N-no way, that rumor was for real?! N-no, sorry. I don't know anything..." As soon as he had spoken those words, he ran away.

"H-hey, wait!" Alm called, but Clive restrained him from going after him.

"Don't worry about him, Alm," he said. "That was King Rima's old Minister of Culture. A very bright intelligent man back in his days. But he's become old and senile. The king kept him around because he was fun to be around at parties and fun to laugh at on other occasions. Don't take him seriously. Now come. Let's go to the conference room."


Alm tried to shake off the weird feeling which that odd exchange had given him and stepped forward to follow Clive up the tower's stairs - he halted suddenly, when he realized that the stairs were blocked.

"Alm, so you came..."

That voice! Alm knew that voice! Could it be...

Alm looked up and saw his grandfather standing before him. "Ah, gramps! What are you doing in Zofia Castle?"

"Fate is a cruel mistress," Mycen replied. "No matter how I struggle, destiny cannot be reversed. That being the case, Alm, it's best if you follow the path that you believe in. Release this land of Valentia from its cursed fate. That is, you... as well as the red-haired girl who will soon visit this castle... Perhaps that is the fate alotted to the two of you..."

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  • 3 weeks later...
Chapter 13: Two Heroes, Two Goals


A sense of calm and a sense of haste simultaneously made themselves masters of the city of Zofia. The citizens were relieved that Dozer's reign had come to an end, while the liberation army now finally had the opportunity to regroup, resupply and rest. At the same time, the prospect of Dozer regrouping his forces and being reinforced by Rigel's massive armies made the citizens uneasy, and the liberation army knew that it had to act quickly, before Dozer's and Rigel's armies could unite.


Alm took part in many deliberations regarding the further course of the war. Always present at these meetings was Clive, who, being the former commander of the liberation army, had become Alm's de facto second-in-command. Force would sometimes join as well, but Alm's other soldiers had little interest in strategy and tactics.

These war councils were for the most part filled with people from outside the liberation army. Aurel was often there; others present varied from ministers to military commanders to members of the royal guard to noblemen who considered themselves important.

Mycen never participated in any such council; he insisted that he wanted nothing to do with this war. He would, however, sometimes give Alm some personal advice - more as a grandfather than as a former general.


That's not to say that Mycen really didn't want anything to do with this war. Spies from northern Zofia kept him updated on Dozer's movements and he was eager to hear about the latest discussions in the war councils from Alm. But he didn't want to involve himself in this war. This was Alm's war. This is how Rudolf wanted it... wasn't it?


A week passed. Preparations were about ready. The liberation army was set to move out the next day.

Mycen aimlessly wandered through the throne room. Alm was up in the conference room, bringing the last war council to a close. The plans were clear now. Move out and defeat Dozer. Reclaim the Royal Sword. Start a search for Princess Anteze. Drive all Rigelian troops out of Zofia and defend the border from further aggression. Counterinvade Rigel until its aggression is brought to an end. Officially, trying to negotiate a peace with Rigel was part of the plan, before counterinvading Rigel - but no one really believed that this would work. Everything was set for war with Rigel.

Mycen wondered how this all would go. Was Alm really up to the task? And what about Celica? She knew of her real identity, but now that there was an official search for the princess, would she come out and claim the throne at once?


The old man was so lost in his thoughts that even the noise from a large group of people barging into the throne room couldn't stir him. It took him a few minutes to realize that there were suddenly more people around.

He looked around. How could all these people have come in without him noticing? They were armed too... but they didn't look like professional soldiers. Were they new volunteers for the liberation army?

He inspected them from a distance, one by one. There was one with a sword at his side; another was wearing typical mage dress; then there was another with a sword; a woman with a cleric's staff; a woman with... Wait, that was Celica!

There she was, just talking to some chambermaid. How she had grown... So she must be the leader of this band of fighters. Knowing Celica, she was probably on her way to the Temple of Mila. She must have heard the rumors about the goddess's disappearance. Why did she come to the capital? Could she be here to claim the throne?


Mycen saw the chambermaid taking a quick bow before stepping back. Celica was alone now.

"Celica, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Mycen said as he approached her.

Celica turned around startled to see who was greeting her. "Gr-grandfather! Why are you here?!"

"Hmm. Well, for various reasons..." Mycen answered avoidingly. "You've made it here safely as well, I see."

"Yes," Celica replied. "I received help from all sorts of people. I'm planning to go with them to the Temple of Mila. While we're at the temple, I'd like to ask Lady Mila about the matter of the crops."

"I see... I expected as much..." Ask Lady Mila about the matter of the crops? That means that she hasn't heard the rumors yet...


"Well, how was your journey?" Mycen asked. "You must have come here by ship. Were the seas safe?" Mycen knew very well that they weren't, but he wanted to find out more about Celica's journey and her companions.

"No, the seas weren't safe," Celica replied. "The land wasn't safe either. The fact that we haven't grown crops in two years is already alarming enough, but then those zombies started appearing in the cemetery at Novis... I knew then that I had to go out and ask Lady Mila about all this. At first I hoped it was just Novis... but we encountered more monsters on our journey."

Mycen nodded. "Yes, they have been appearing all around Zofia. They're confined to deep caves and abandoned shrines, as far as I know. But they're here."

"I see..." Celica paused for a moment. "Well, once I decided to set out, I informed bishop Nomah of my decision. He tried to get me to reconsider, but I had already made up my mind. He reluctantly gave in and allowed me to go. Some of my friends decided to go with me: Jenny, Mae and Boey. Jenny is a cleric. Mae and Boey are mages. I felt more at ease with them around.


We all went to Novis Port. We got on a ship that would that would take us to Zofia Port. It was the only ship that was headed for the mainland. It was one of the few ships still in use, even. Everyone was telling us that it was too dangerous of a journey. Dahha's pirates controlled the seas, raided every island, took over every ship that passed by. But I had to go. I hired a mercenary to accompany us. His name is Saber. He came with us all the way here to the castle. He says that for the money we paid him, he'll go all the way to the Temple of Mila with us.

So, we set sail. Our ship was attacked by pirates soon. And then again. But we fought them off with ease. The captain was impressed with our fighting skills. He knew where the pirates had their base. He told us that a few people had sailed there recently to exact revenge on the pirates for killing their families. They were led by a former knight of the Zofian army. Captain asked if we felt up to the task to help them out and defeat those pirates once and for all."


"He sounds like a reckless man, that captain of yours," Mycen interrupted.

"He is," Celica said. "Everyone at Novis declared him a madman for daring to sail the seas with all those pirates around. But we complied with his request. He changed course to the pirates' island immediately. We landed there, fought the pirates, met up with the people he told us about and then together we defeated Dahha and took over his fort. It was amazing.

The people we met up with, they were really grateful for helping us out. The old knight is called Valbar; his companions are Leo and Kamui. They agreed to come with us to the Temple of Mila. Our captain was thrilled. He asked if we were willing to take on some more risk. He said a dragon zombie had taken up residence in the old Sea Shrine on an island nearby... Honestly, I was expecting him to ask about this. Rumors of the dragon zombie had reached as far as Novis. So I had been preparing the--"


"It can't be!"

A loud voice interrupted Celica mid-sentence; a somewhat aged man with dark blonde hair approached the two.

"Is it really you?" he asked, his gaze fixed on Mycen. "Is it really Sir Mycen, the hero of Zofia?"

Mycen smiled kindly in response. "Yes, that is me."

"What an honor!" the man exclaimed and bowed. "My name is Valbar. I see that you've already met Miss Celica. I'm one of her companions. I used to be a knight in the Zofian army."

"How interesting. Why did you quit the army?" Mycen asked.

"I didn't quit the army - the army quit me!" Valbar let out a loud laugh. "I originally joined the army because of you, Sir. You were an inspiration to us all. I wanted to be just like you. And I worked hard for it. Before I knew it, I was permitted into the knighthood. But everything changed after you were exiled. The army went back to the understaffed mess it used to be. The soldiers left Novis - no one wanted to serve on some godforsaken island far away from mainland Valentia. Eventually, I was the only one left."


"I see, I see." Mycen inspected Valbar. A sturdily built man, muscular, not very athletic in appearance. He must be an armor knight. "Why didn't you leave Novis as well?"

"Oh, I couldn't!" Valbar shook his head exaggeratedly. "My heart is in Novis. I was born and raised there. I could never leave it. I only left it now because I owe Miss Celica for saving us out there on the pirates' island - did she tell you about that?"

He glanced at Celica for a short moment, who nodded in response. He continued: "Well, as I was saying, I'm only here now because I owe Miss Celica. It's kind of exciting, visiting the mainland for the first time."

"Sir Valbar!" a voice rang from a distance. "Requesting your presence, sir!"

Valbar laughed again. "That's Leo. Seems like I'm needed. It was nice meeting you, Sir Mycen."

Then, turning around, he shouted "Coming!" and took off.


"He seems to be quite energetic," Mycen said to Celica. "But I've got the feeling that he's a reliable companion."

"He is," she replied. "I'm grateful to all my companions for coming with me, him not the least."

"Hmm..." Mycen nodded slowly. "Ah, but we were discussing your journey. You were talking about... the Sea Shrine?"

"Right," Celica said. "I had a feeling that we'd be going there. So I prepared myself. I studied the angel spell. It was still a difficult battle, but this spell at least made it easier."

"That's right," Mycen replied. "Angel is a very powerful spell, and it is especially effective against monsters. It will probably still be of use to you on the journey that lies ahead."

"I suppose..." Celica looked down uneasily. "Oh, and then there's this!" She drew her sword. "I found this in the Sea Shrine. It's a special sword. A holy sword."

Mycen raised his eyebrows. "A holy sword..." He reached out for the sword. "May I?"

"Of course." Celica handed the blade to Mycen. He inspected it thoroughly. Both were silent for a moment.


"There's no doubt about it," he said as he gave the sword back to Celica. "This is indeed a holy sword. Hold on to it well. It's very valuable and very powerful."

"I will." Celica put her sword back in its sheath. "The rest of the journey was rather uneventful. We fought a few more battles at sea. They were mercenaries and sorcerers. I figured they were Dozer's men. Word of his tyranny and the civil war has spread as far as Novis, even."

"Mercenaries and sorcerers, huh?" Sorcerers and shamans were typically servants of Duma, among Rigel's ranks. Zofia had always favored mages and priests. Mycen wondered if they had been hired by Dozer or sent by Rudolf.

"They probably were Dozer's forces," he told Celica.

"Right," Celica replied. "I want nothing to do with this civil war. In fact... Grandfather, it's been great to meet you again, but I must go on. We only dropped by here for some supplies. I promised my companions that we'd only be here for a moment. We must go on to the Temple of Mila now."

"Naturally..." Mycen said. "Well, before that, you might want to head upstairs. There you should find the one you've been most desiring to meet."

Celica's eyes opened wide in amazement. "It... it can't be! ... Alm? The young hero who liberated Zofia that everyone's been talking about couldn't possibly be Alm, could it, grandfather?"

Mycen chuckled. "Well, why don't you go see?"


Celica hastened upstairs, into the conference room. There were no people there, except for a young man staring out one of the windows.

Celica approached him and put her hand on his shoulder. He turned around, startled. "... You are... C-Celica? It is you, isn't it!"

She smiled. "Alm... So it realy was you, Alm. That's great."

She embraced Alm. "I wanted to meet you... I haven't seen you at all since I left the village..."

"That's right." Alm let go of her embrace, but he held on to Celica's arms. "When we were little, we grew up together like siblings. Always playing together, just the two of us. Celica, when all of a sudden, you were no longer there - at that time, I... I held a serious grudge against gramps."

Celica nodded. "I was sad too, but it couldn't be helped. Grandfather told me so. 'At this rate, if you stay in Ram, Dozer will come attack the village.' After that, I would be captured and killed..."

Alm looked puzzled. "But why? Why would Dozer want to kill you, Celica?"


Celica stepped back; Alm let go of her arms. "That..." Celica started, but she hesitated. "I'm sorry. I'd rather not say right now. Leaving that aside, Alm, I have a request for you. Is there no way war against the Kingdom of Rigel can be avoided?"

Alm shook his head. "That's impossible. King Rudolf of Rigel has seized the opportunity to attack while Zofia's still weakened by civil war. He's already started an invasion. At this rate, the Kingdom of Zofia is going to be destroyed."

Celica hesitated before answering. She didn't like that determination in Alm's voice. "But when it comes down to it, both Rigelians and Zofians are the same, aren't they? We are all people of Valentia. Even if these divisions of country no longer existed, we should all still be able to live together in happiness."

Alm frowned. "That's no good. You can't just tell the people of Zofia to go live under the barbarous rule of Rigel. Seeing as how Rigel aided Dozer in ravaging the lands of Zofia, we've got no choice but to fight." He gestured wildly with his hands as he spoke.


Celica stared at her feet. "That's a sad thing, isn't it... As for me, I don't think King Rudolf is as evil of a man as everyone says. If we meet with him and talk, we'll definitely be able to come to an understanding... Unless, Alm, now that everyone's holding you up as a hero, you want to become the king of the country as well?"

"What?! That's mean, Celica. I don't have those kinds of ambitions." Alm sounded somewhat upset. "I just want to protect the people of Zofia, that's all. Besides, it seems that the royal family of Zofia's only remaining princess is still alive, so I'm planning to search for her. As soon as I find that princess, I'm returning to the village."

"There's no such thing as any princess of Zofia!" Celica suddenly shouted. "The royal family has already been wiped out!" Alm froze, astonished at this sudden outburst.

"All right, that's enough," Celica said, her tone a bit calmer now. "I get it, Alm. You go ahead to Rigel. I'm going to go with my companions to the Temple of Mila."

She stormed out the room. "Celica?" Alm called after her.

Celica didn't look back. "Goodbye, Alm..." she muttered to herself as she ran down the stairs back into the throne room. Valbar had already assembled all their companions; they were standing ready to go. Alm was left dumbstruck in the conference room.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Chapter 14: The Fall of the Tyrant


"How are our forces?"

"I regret to say that they're not in good state, Your Majesty. We've lost many men at Zofia Castle and I'm afraid to say that Commander Zaxon's forces have been completely obliterated. We cannot deduce any casualties on the rebels' side from our reports. I regret to say this, but it seems that Commander Zaxon has completely failed in slowing the rebels' advance or hurting their numbers."

"Zaxon, you stupid pig!" Dozer clenched his fists. His face started to turn red with anger. He was discussing the course of the civil war with his senior staff officer, Anton, but everything he had heard so far had been nothing but failures and troop shortages. Anton took a slow step back. There was no telling what Dozer would do if he was angry.

"My King," Anton said carefully, "our cause is not yet lost. Yes, a sizable portion of our force has gone down with Zaxon, but we still have the advantage. Remember that the terrain works in our favor. Commander Zaxon was stupid enough to charge the rebels head-on instead of using the river as his shield, but I have given out explicit orders to our sorceres to stay concealed in the forest. The road leads through the woods, so the rebels must head that way. It's the perfect place for an ambush. An ambush of magic... The rebels are sure to suffer heavy casualties there. Now, I'll have to admit that our sorcerers' number is rather small, so I don't think it's likely that they'll manage to defeat the rebels, but... rest assured, your castle is impregnable, Your Majesty. Zofia Castle's walls are thick, yes, but it's built on level ground. Your castle has been built with much greater strategical insight. If the rebels want to get through these walls, they'll have to climb this hill first. We have enough archers at the ready to prevent that from happening."


Dozer nodded. Hearing these reassuring words had calmed him down a little. However, he was not yet satisfied.

"What of Grove Town?" he asked. "How are our defenses there?"

"I regret to say that it's not great, Your Majesty," Anton replied. "We have some paladins patrolling the town, but that's all. The majority of our forces is here, in your castle; they are needed for its defense."

"You mean the majority of our forces is either here or out on the plains, lying dead with Zaxon!" Dozer clenched his fists again.

"I regret to say that you're not wrong about that, Your Majesty," Anton answered cautiously, taking another slow step back. "Zaxon's defeat has not been a light blow to our army."

Dozer grunted. Anton's infinite euphemisms and humbleness were beginning to work on his nerves.

"What about Rigel?" he asked. "Can't we send Gazel's troops to meet the enemy or protect Grove Town?"

Anton frowned and wrung his hands awkwardly. "I'm afraid to say that that won't be possible. Captain Gazel says that he is under orders not to act until Commander Loso arrives. B-but according to all reports, Rigel's army is on the move. All their generals are heading out. Rest assured, we will receive reinforcements of great strength before long."

"Hmph." Dozer didn't say anything in response. He wasn't sure whether to be reassured or alarmed by this news. He had never trusted Rigel, and had only called on its aid because he stood no chance against the rebel army otherwise. But he knew of Rigel's bid for power in Valentia. He needed reinforcements from Rigel, not an army to occupy Zofia. If reinforcements would show up at all. Gazel's refusal to move might be a bad indication. What if Rigel betrayed him? What if they were merely using him as a pawn? What if they used the civil war to weaken Zofia's fighting strength before their ultimate invasion? What was that Rudolf planning...


Whatever the case, it seemed clear to him that he should not count on any aid from Rigel. His strategies had to be based solely on his own and Alm's fighting strength. He couldn't rely on Rigel. But he did need help.

"Stay in touch with Rigel," he said at last. "They promised us reinforcements; now make sure we get them. But at the same time, I don't want any big Rigelian armies marching through our lands. Nor any high-ranking generals. We're in charge here, not them. You got that, Anton? Can you arrange that?"

"I'll try my best, Your Majesty," Anton answered.

"How's the intel on the rebels?" Dozer asked.

"Not good, my lord," Anton replied. "Our scouts can keep track of their movements to some extent, but our spies have not succeeded in infiltrating their ranks."

"Hmm... What about the prisoner? Is she talking yet?"

"No, sir." Anton shook his head. "We have been... intensifying our interrogations, but she refuses to speak a word of the rebel army."

"Well, get her to talk," Dozer said. "I don't care how. But we need information. Got that?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"If she doesn't start talking soon, I'll schedule a date for her execution. Maybe that will get her to talk. And if it doesn't, then it's over. It's no use keeping someone alive who won't talk."

Anton nodded and made sounds of approval.

"Alright then, you're dismissed."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Anton bowed and left. Dozer stared into the distance. Rigel's actions still occupied his mind. What were they doing? Could he trust them? He had heard the rumors about that Alm, who led the rebels. If they were true, then... What was that Rudolf planning... Or was this Mycen's work?


The days passed by. Gazel's response to Dozer's emmissaries remained unchanged: "We have been ordered to hold our position until Commander Loso arrives." The situation with the prisoner didn't change either. This prisoner was Matilda. She was a knight of old, and had joined the liberation forces after Dozer's coup. However, her company of soldiers had been ambushed by Dozer's men and suffered a crushing defeat - her men were all killed, while she herself was taken captive and brought to Dozer's castle. Though the interrogations and torture she was submitted to were intensified every day, she didn't say a word to her captors. Even when Dozer came to announce that her execution would take place in a few days' time, she kept silent.

Dozer's military intelligence was also unsuccessful. The few spies and scouts he was able to send out didn't dare to approach the liberation army too closely - the name Alm alone was enough to strike fear into their hearts. After several days, all messages from Dozer's force of sorcerers stationed in the woods ceased. Dozer feared the worst. Morale reached a new low when scouts came reporting that they had seen the rebels' flag being rased in Grove Town from afar.


The mood in Dozer's castle was grim. The soldiers were preparing for battle - Grove Town was the last stage of defense before the castle. They were weary and afraid of the liberation army's strength. Some soldiers had deserted, but most of them stayed - they would never run away like cowards or surrender like weaklings. They would fight until the bitter end. This was the kind of soldiers that was still left with Dozer.

Dozer was walking around nervously through his castle. He was inspecting his men, inspecting the defenses, but mostly he was thinking of the battle to come. He knew that this would be his final battle, if no aid came from Rigel. He knew Loso had arrived not long ago. Anton had had contact with him. The fact that Anton hadn't told him anything about that disquieted him. But aid from Rigel was the only hope for victory. He had to find Anton and get a definitive answer.


Anton was out, by the fortress's walls, staring into the distance through an arrow slit. Did he see moving banners in between the treetops? Could he descry the shapes of marching men below that thick roof of leaves? Could he hear the sounds of men marching, of horses galloping? Or was it all in his head?

The prospect of the upcoming battle frightened him. As Dozer's staff officer, most of his activities had been in communications and financial accounting. Now, for the first time in ages, he was once again dressed in armor; a sword hung at his side; a shield was flung around his back. It all felt very uncomfortable. The unease of this outfit was magnified by the dreadful prospect of that battle to come.

He knew that he should find Dozer and report to him about his contact with Commander Loso. He dreaded it. He knew Dozer wouldn't be pleased at all with the results... No, he would rather stand here forever, until the liberation army's arrows took his life - before he had to face Dozer; before he had to draw his sword.


"Anton," he heard a voice behind him say. That was Dozer's voice. Anton didn't answer. He didn't turn around. He didn't move. How he wished to avoid this...

"Anton, come over here," Dozer said.

Anton turned around, faked a smile and bowed. "What a delight to see you, Your Majesty. What is it that you desire of me?"

Dozer stepped closer. "You made sure to contact Loso, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Anton answered.

"Good." Dozer gave him a short nod in approval. "What did he say?"

Anton resisted the urge to let out a deep sigh. "He said that he has come a long way from Rigel. His men are tired from the march and need to resupply. He said that he will need some time to resupply and prepare for combat; he will come to our aid as soon as possible. He'll be here before the rebel army, he said."

"That... bastard..." That's it. Loso wasn't coming. Rigel had betrayed him. Dozer wanted to get angry, grasp Anton by his collar, shake him, yell at him, punch him... But he couldn't do it. The news didn't anger him. It hardened him.

He looked at Anton. He had made no response to Dozer's words. No "Rest assured", no "I regret to say". There was no trace of Anton's fake smile that always met Dozer's gaze. There was only a dead look in his eyes, staring at the ground. Anton, too, knew what was going on.

Without saying another word, Dozer turned around and left. This was the end.


"The rebel army! The rebels are here!"

Finally. Dozer grabbed his lance and hastened back to the walls. He found his soldiers already there.

"Your Majesty, the rebel army is here!" they said.

"What, those bastards from the rebel forces have come to attack this fortress?" Dozer shouted in response. "Blast! In that case, have the prisoner executed as a warning. Archers! Execute that little missy in her cell!"

"Yes, sir!" The archers swiftly left to comply with Dozer's orders. Dozer was left near the walls with a few armored knights. The gates were open. ... Where was Anton?

Dozer looked out through the gateway, then immediately stepped back as a sword slashed at him from outside. In a quick glimpse, he had seen the corpses of several of his soldiers on the hillside. The rebels were already climbing the stairs!

Before him now appeared the wielder of the sword he had only barely managed to avoid. It was none other than Alm. His green-blue hair waved in the wind as he strode forward.


Dozer laughed at him. "Is this really all you've got? I, Dozer, won't be defeated so easily!"

He rushed forward, charging at Alm. Alm held out his sword, ready to strike. Then he shouted: "Now, Luthier!"

A fireball appeared in the air behind Alm, then it came down and hit Dozer hard. His armor was very thick, but that mattered little against magic. He could feel the fire burning his armor and scorching his skin. He was blinded by all the fire and smoke. He thrust his lance forward, hoping to hit Alm - but he hit only the air.

He felt a slight pain as Alm hit his side with his sword - but his armor was still thick. He thrust his lance again, but again to no avail. He could feel Alm's sword again, on his thigh this time. He thrust his lance again, hitting something this time. Was it Alm?

The smoke cleared - he could see again! - only to see the next fireball hit him. Then he felt Alm's sword piercing through a weak spot in his armor. He made ready to thrust again, but the grip on his lance was faltering. His knees were shaking; he fell forward. Everything went vague before his eyes.

"Grr..." he grunted. "Mycen, the bastard! Is he planning to sell out Zofia to Rudolf's - the little brat? That damn traitor!"

Alm's sword hitting him hard on the head was the last thing he felt - it was a fatal stroke. Every soldier of the liberation army that rushed into the castle behind Alm cheered as they trampled his corpse in the entrance. The tyrant's reign had finally come to an end.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Chapter 15: Into the Desert


As Alm was fighting his way to Dozer's Fort, Celica and her companions headed to the Temple of Mila.

The road would not be easy. The road from Zofia City to the Temple of Mila (called the Sacred Road) went northward for miles upon miles, over steppe-like terrain - surrounded by the Mountains of Zofia to the west and the Zofian Desert to the east. Its northward course was an almost completely straight line, only slightly curving at some points to avoid having to run through the desert or over the mountains.

The Mountains of Zofia were a great mountain range that ran from the Gorge of Valentia in the north down to the south, almost (but not quite) as far south as Zofia City. In the north, where the mountain range bordered the gorge, its precipices ran farther eastward along the Gorge of Valentia. Here the Sacred Road bent sharply east, running along these precipices. In the east, the mountain range came to an end and the terrain once again became flat, and this is where the Temple of Mila was built. The land around the temple was flat and fertile, lying just east of the edge of the mountains and just north of the edge of the desert. No roads led from the Temple of Mila into the desert; the only road that led into the desert was much farther southwest, leading from Mountain Town (a town on the edge of the Mountains of Zofia) into the desert, crossing the Sacred Road on the way.


Mountain Town was not a very populous town, but it was the only town in the northeast of Zofia. Due to its position on high ground on the edge of the mountains, it was quite well defensible - not that that mattered, since the last soldiers had left the northeast of Zofia long ago; the region wasn't interesting enough to Dozer to maintain any military or administrative presence. No, the northeast of Zofia had not been under the Kingdom's real control for a long time; a bandit named Geyse had managed to take control over the desert and was now the de facto king there.

Geyse's bandits often attacked Mountain Town. Despite its easily defensible location, it was left defenseless, as the local militias could pose no real threat to the bandit king's armies. After every raid, the bandits would take away anything and anyone of value. Slaveholding was common practice among the higher officials of Geyse's kingdom.

However, the Temple of Mila was still safe from the bandits. They feared the wrath of the gods, should they defile that place. Moreover, since Rudolf's attack on the temple two years ago, Rigelian troops had been stationed at the temple, which served to deter the bandits all the more from attacking that holy place.


All things considered, Celica's journey wouldn't be easy. She and her companions were now going ever northward along the Sacred Road. Already they had had to fight pirates near the shore.

Here they had met up with the sisters Palla and Catria, two pegasus knights from Archanea, a continent to the east. Their little sister Est had been captured by pirates and brought to Valentia. Palla and Catria pursued them, but lost track of them. Meeting Celica, they decided to join her on her journey, hoping to find traces of Est on the way.

Catria and Palla proved to be helpful companions. They could quickly and safely scout ahead on their pegasi, so that Celica was always aware of what was ahead. Not that there was much to report (or at least, not yet). After leaving the shore behind, they could soon see the desert appearing to their east and started fearing a new encounter with bandits, but there had been no enemies on the road since the pirates on the shore.

And so, Celica's company marched steadily northward along the Sacred Road. Occasionally, Palla and Catria went ahead to scout, only to return with nothing to report.


So they marched for a few days, until suddenly Palla and Catria did return with news to report.

"Celica!" they said, landing their pegasi next to her, "some way ahead the road runs through a cemetery. There's... some kind of living things in that cemetery. But we have never seen creatures like these in Archanea. They looked humanoid, but... they aren't human, that's for sure."

"Those must be monsters," Celica answered. "I have no idea where they come from. They just started appearing one day. According to ancient legends, they are (or were) servants of the dark god Duma. We believe that the appearance of these monsters and the consistent failing of crops throughout Zofia has to be the work of the gods."

"I see..." Catria shivered at the thought of these monsters.

The two pegasus riders brought their pegasi into a steady walking pace, so that they now marched besides Celica.

"Mila is the earth goddess, right?" Palla asked. "So that's why you believe that the failing of the crops must have something to do with Her?"

"Yes, that's right," Celica replied.

Palla frowned. "Do you think something could have happened to Her?"

"I don't know," Celica said. "Perhaps. But something is not quite right, that's certain. That's why we're going to the Temple of Mila. We have to ask Her about all of this."

Palla nodded. The group was quiet for a moment. The only sounds that could be heard were their own footsteps, and in the back of the group Mae and Boey's muffled bickering over who would kill more monsters at the cemetery.


Then suddenly Catria gave a cry. "Ah! Celica, there was something that we forgot to tell you! At the cemetery, this road intersects with another, one that leads from west to east. We haven't been able to make out where it goes to yet, but if it's heading east, then it must be going into the desert; and if it's heading west, it must be going into the mountains, right?"

"Actually..." Jenny stepped forward to make her response. "Actually, that road doesn't lead into the mountains. It leads into the hills on the edge of the mountains, but goes no further. On one of those hills lies a town called Mountain Town. That's where the road leads to."

"Wow, Jenny, I'm impressed," Celica laughed. "I didn't know you were familiar with this region."

"I've always had an interest in topography," Jenny answered. "I remember these roads from the time I spent studying maps of Zofia with bishop Nomah."

"Begging your pardon, Miss Celica," Valbar chimed in, putting his hand on Celica's shoulder and quickening his pace so as to walk next to her. "We should probably head to that town. I don't know if our supplies will last us long enough to get all the way to the Temple of Mila. This may be a good chance to stock up on supplies. It might be our only chance, even."

"And I wouldn't mind having an actual roof over my head for the night, even if it's only for one night!" Saber called from behind. Kamui laughed.

"Well, it would be good to resupply," Celica said. "And maybe the townsmen have useful information about the road ahead. Alright, let's go there."


They soon reached the cemetery, where they battled the monsters who had mate it their home. They didn't pose much of a threat and were defeated quickly.

After their victory, Celica's company took the road to Mountain Town. They soon left the rather even terrain surrounding the Sacred Road behind and came into hilly country. The road now winded over many hills, each higher than the last. Eventually, it reached the top of a high hill, and there ended in the center of a town: Mountain Town.

It couldn't really be called a town anymore though. It had suffered visibly from bandit attacks: the old palisade walls where breached in several places, many houses were ruined or at least abandoned and streets were overgrown with weeds. Only the old town square and the surrounding buildings were still in use.

Celica's arrival in the town caused quite a stir. Visitors hadn't come to Mountain Town in ages, and they were a very welcome change from the bandits. The villagers all flocked to the town square and asked the visitors many questions, and told them even more stories. They expressed great respect upon hearing that Celica's company was traveling to the Temple of Mila and they showed much sympathy towards Palla and Catria over their sister's abduction by bandits. This stirred the villagers' emotions, whose lives were so deeply affected by Geyse's tyranny. They told their visitors many tales of Geyse's cruelties, of his bandit kingdom, of the frequent attacks on this town, of the town's decline and of the abduction of many of the villagers to serve as the bandits' slaves.


Celica was deeply moved by the villagers' plight and wanted to help them. After some discussion with her comrades, she announced that they would go into the desert and defeat Geyse. The villagers were overjoyed. They gave Celica's company all the supplies they needed and all the information they could give.

"Don't worry about supplies when you're out in the desert. Yes, if you run out of food and water there, you won't soon find more, but we're giving you more than enough to last you until the Desert Fort. If you just follow the road east into the desert, you'll come to the Desert Fort soon enough. The bandits keep plenty of supplies there, so that's where you can restock. But the fort is guarded, of course. I don't know how strong its defenses are, but I will tell you this: don't underestimate them. These are the warriors of the bandit king Geyse, not some petty thieves."

One of the villagers, Atlas, decided to join Celica on her quest. Geyse had abducted his siblings, and he was out for revenge. Celica gladly accepted his help.

They were given lodging in the town hall, where they slept in comfortable beds for the first time in many days. The villagers' hopeful joy and helpfulness had put them all in a good mood (except for Boey, who was still upset that Mae had killed more monsters at the cemetery than he had).


After a good night's rest, they departed. They followed the road back to the cemetery, then further on into the desert.

The desert proved harder than they had expected. In their high spirits, they had failed to take due note of the desert's climate. To be fair, desert was something that they only knew from books and stories - none of them had ever been there, save Atlas on occasion, but he had never gone far. They did not know what to expect, and were quite overwhelmed by the extreme temperatures and the endless seas of sand. It slowed their pace considerably, as they found it difficult to move through the sands. The quality of the road deteriotated ever more as they progressed, but they had to follow it in order to reach the Desert Fort. If they left the road, no doubt they would get lost in these endless seas of sand.

Mae and Boey, being mages, found that the desert hindered them relatively little. Palla and Catria could fly their pegasi over the desert, and so not be hindered at all. But for the others the journey through the desert was very hard. Only Valbar seemed unfazed. "A knight must be prepared for everything, and not complain," he said.

After several days' marching, Palla and Catria returned from scouting ahead with reports of the Desert Fort up ahead. It was guarded by a bandit commander named Wolf. He was a sniper and relied mostly on archers to defend the fort. His strategy was quite effective: rain arrows down on approaching enemies, who, being hindered in their movement by the desert terrain, would fall before they could enter. The only foes who could bypass this defense were pegasus knights - but flying horses fall quickly to arrows.


But Wolf and his soldiers hadn't fought stronger foes than untrained and lightly-armed (or unarmed) villagers for a long time. Celica's company, though not a professional army, was certainly stronger. Mae and Boey were hindered little in their movement by the desert, and could attack the archers from a distance with their spells, as could Celica; Palla and Catria dodged most of the enemies' arrows with ease, and when they did get hit, Jenny stood ready with her physic spell to heal them from afar. Jenny also knew the illusion spell: a spell that summons phantom soldiers - ideal for drawing the archers' fire.

The battle wasn't easy, but Celica's company won without suffering any casualties. They then searched the fort and stocked up on supplies they found (which there were indeed plenty). But they found more than what they sought; there was a prisoner locked up in the dungeons.

They broke his cell open. It wasn't sealed particularly well.

"Can you move? Are you hurt?" Celica asked the prisoner.

"I'm fine, thanks," the prisoner laughed. "But my hands are stuck in these here chains" - he stepped to one side and shook his arms to show his liberators the chains which tied his hands to the wall - "I'd greatly appreciate it if you could break them."

Valbar stepped forward and inspected chains. "It's quite light material, and it's starting to show signs of rust at that," he said after a while. "Shouldn't be too hard to break. Get me a saw and a sword, then I'll be done in a moment."

"Right away, sir," Leo said and spurted off to bring the materials requested. The others were silent for a moment - and a moment is all it took for Leo to come back with a saw and a sword.

Valbar started sawing the chains. The material proved to be even lighter than he had expected, as the chains snapped within moments. "Heh, I didn't even need the sword," Valbar muttered under his breath.

Jesse was overjoyed. "Aww, thanks, man," he said. "You saved me."


Then he turned to Celica. "You seem to be in charge here? Name's Jesse. Just some cheap merc. I got caught trying to help out a girl being held in Geyse's fortress. Cute kid from some foreign land. Geyse probably intends to make her a slave."

"That's got to be Est..." Celica answered slowly. "Hey, Jesse. Is there no way for us to save her?"

Jesse laughed. "Nope. Geyse's got a bunch of amazing guys working under him. There's no way we can do anything with just the few of us."

"But there must be some way..." Celica replied.

Jesse looked up at the roof and scratched his head. "Hmm, yeah, I guess..." he said after a moment of thinking. "Okay, listen. Geyse has these two subordinates named Sonia and Deen. Sonia's a witch; Deen's a myrmidon. The troops under their respective commands guard the southern and northern regions of the desert. That said, it seems like the two of them both hate Geyse. However, because they're holding each other in check, betrayal's out of the question. So if you're careful about which one of 'em you defeat, the other one may well decide to become your ally. Ahh, and of course I'll lend you a hand too."


There was some discussion in Celica's company about the further course of the journey. They soon all agreed that they had to press on and defeat Geyse. But it took a while before they reached a consensus on which route to take.

Eventually, they agreed to go through the north, to fight Deen. Witches were rumored to have the ability to teleport over short distances - a deadly power in the desert. Fighting a normal swordsman seemed less risky.

And so, they began to make ready to set out for the northern desert - and for Geyse's Fort.

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  • 1 month later...

Chapter 16: The Last Step

The halls of Dozer's castle were eerily silent. After Dozer's death, his soldiers were defeated quickly and the castle was overrun by the forces of the liberation army. The civil servants in the castle surrendered without putting up any resistance. On Clive's insistence, Alm had ordered them all to be rounded up and subjected to interrogation. They were hoping to learn more from their captives about Rigel's involvement in the war and about the location of the Royal Sword. Clive, Force and Gray were currently interrogating them.
Robin, Python and Luthier were busy searching the fort. Supplies, survivors in hiding, documents (especially correspondence between Dozer and Rigel), weapons (perhaps even the Royal Sword?) were the objects of their search. Cliff, Clair and Matilda were taking care of the liberation army's steeds (their horses and Clair's pegasus). Luka was lying in a bed in one of the rooms of the castle; he had sustained severe injuries in the last battle. Silk was with him, treating his injuries. 
Alm was alone. After rushing Luka into a bed and giving Silk what she needed to treat his wounds, he had freed Matilda from her cell and gathered everyone (save Luka and Silk, of course) in the central hall of the castle. After delegating to each their tasks, he was now left alone in the hall and he realized that he had no idea what to do himself.

Dozer's castle was much smaller and less splendorous than Zofia Castle. One could say that it was more practical. It was built on top of a manmade hill and had double walls. The hill itself was barren, but there was thick forest all around it. Had Dozer had more manpower, it would have been the perfect place for an ambush to wear the liberation army down before they could assault the castle - or as they were assaulting the castle. However, lack of troop numbers had forced Dozer to gather all his forces inside the castle, and so the forest had worked rather to his disadvantage, as it had concealed the approaching liberation army until it stood at his doorstep.
The castle's interor was also less splendorous than Zofia Castle. There were no large and richly-decorated halls and chambers; the castle was arranged into a neatly organized system of evenly-sized rooms and connecting hallways. The one exception seemed to be the central hall, which was larger and had decorations reminiscent of (but falling far short of) those in the throne room in Zofia Castle. 
This puzzled Alm. For all the stories he had heard of Dozer's greed and brutality, how he had bled the people dry with high taxes and confiscations, there was little to be seen of it. Where were Dozer's riches? Perhaps Robin, Python and Luthier would find out where he had hidden them. 

Ha... How Robin had grown since they had left Ram. That could not have been more than a few months ago, but it felt like it had been years. Robin, Cliff, Gray; they had all grown. Back in Ram, it was always up to Mycen and Alm to defend the village from bandits. Gray would often join them; he had some fighting experience. Alm had expected him to hold his own in this war, but Cliff and Robin... Robin was determined to fight for Zofia, but went into this with no training or experience. Cliff had lacked even that determination. But now Cliff, the frailest kid from Ram, was one of the leading fighters in the liberation army! He was still as unconfident as ever, but Alm relied heavily on his strength now. 
Then there were the soldiers from the original liberation army: Luka, Python, Clive, Force, Matilda, all fine warriors in their own right. And then Luthier. A simple villager from Grove Town - well, not simple; he was a mage. He had joined them in order to save his little sister, Dyute. Dyute, so Luthier had told Alm, had been captured by the Rigelian sorcerer Tatara and taken to the Floodgate. He had put a mind-controlling spell on her and he now used her to protect the Floodgate.
Alm found this very alarming. That Rigelian sorcerers were making their way this far into Zofia and abducting Zofian citizens for whatever cruelties they were planning... The further this civil war progressed, the more unavoidable war with Rigel seemed to become. And now that Dozer's castle had fallen, there was no time for rest. Rigelian troops were trespassing on Zofian soil to the north and kept their Floodgate permanently closed. Alm feared that they were trying to flood Zofia. 

He shivered. The air in the castle was cold, and a cool breeze flowed through all the open doors and windows. 
"Right, I've been idling here long enough," he thought. "It's about time I go make myself useful."
He walked out the central hall, turned right; the improvized interrogation room was only a few doors away. He opened the door and came in.
Clive and Force were sitting around a small table not far from the entrance, talking to each other. Gray was sitting at the table next to theirs, interrogating one of the castle's civil servants. The other civil servants were sitting at other tables dispersed throughout the room - or standing around (a quick glance told Alm that there weren't enough chairs for everyone).
"Clive!" Alm said. "How are the interrogations coming along?"
Clive looked up. "Alm! Did you come in just now? You should have made some more noise, then I would have heard you!" he laughed.
He stood up and came closer to Alm. "But to answer your question, we're nearly done. Gray is just busy with the last one over there, while I was just discussing our findings with Force."
"Right," Alm said, "and what are those findings?"
"Ah, they're not very newsworthy," Clive replied. "These people here seem to be alright. No bad apples among them, so to speak. 
We haven't found out much else. There's Rigelians up north, as we already knew. But there seems to have been little contact between them and Dozer. I think they wanted to be rid of Dozer just as much we did. I wager that they used his call for help only as an excuse to tighten their grip on Zofia. And if my wager's correct, then we'll need to act fast. We need to beat up those Rigelians, get to the Floodgate and open that thing or else our country'll be in serious trouble."

"You're right," Alm said. "And what about Tatara? Do these people know anything about him?"
Clive shook his head. "We explicitly asked about him, like you told us to, but most of them didn't even recognize the name. And the ones that did know basically nothing about him. 'He's some sorcerer from Rigel.' That's what their knowledge boils down to. Well, we knew that already."
"I see..." Alm said slowly. "That's unfortunate. I was hoping to learn more about him. He seems quite powerful. And we have to save Dyute."
Clive laughed. "Don't you worry about that. We've beaten stronger foes. We'll kick that guy's ass and save the girl, don't worry."
"I don't think it will be that simple," Alm replied, a bit irritated with Clive's casual attitude. "Tatara has Dyute under a mind-controlling spell. He'll probably use her as a human shield. This might prove very difficult."
"It'll be fine, don't worry," Clive reiterated. "Remember how Luthier said that the spell will be broken once Tatara's dead? Right. So all we gotta do is kill him before Dyute does anything stupid and gets herself or one of our guys killed. Silk knows her magic. She can warp our guys around. And if that isn't enough, my sister can fly right up to the bastard and stick a lance in between his eyes." 
Alm didn't feel very reassured by Clive's words. Clive put his hand on Alm's shoulder. "Alm, look at me. I'm not trying to trivialize this. This will be a challenge. Every new battle is a new challenge. And Rigel is a tough opponent. But you've proven yourself to be a marvelous commander, and our soldiers have proven themselves to be excellent fighters. We managed to liberate more than half of Zofia with just the few soldiers we have. Zofia Castle and Dozer's castle fell before us. We can do this. Believe in yourself."
"... Alright then," Alm said hesitatingly. 
"Good," Clive replied. Then he turned around and walked back to his table. "Now then, I'd like to discuss some tactics with you. Please have a seat." He tapped the seat next to him as an invitation. "You'll find that Rigel's forces will be of a different kind than the Zofians we've fought so far, and I want to tell you about their..."

Clive was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. "Commander Alm!" Python's voice sounded from the other side of the door. "We found something important!"
"Come in!" Alm said.
The door opened, and Python entered the room, followed by Luthier and Robin. Python held out a sword. 
"Look what we just found, commander!" he said. "Looks fancy, doesn't it? Hilt's nicely decorated with gems, and if you look closely, you'll notice some fine writing going up the blade. We think this is the Royal Sword you've been looking for."
Clive beckoned. "Let me see."
Python handed the sword over to Clive, who inspected it closely. Especially the fine writing drew his attention.
"There's no doubt about it," he said after a while. "This is the Royal Sword. The writing on the blade seems to be some archaic form of our language (as one should expect from a sword this old), but I can decipher it. You don't become a member of the royal guard without duly studying our nation's finest weapons first. The writing reads: 'From Rigel to Zofia: under Duma and Mila, eternal friendship.' The message has lost its meaning, but the sword will serve us just as well as ever. That is, if you, Alm, can wield it."
Clive held out the sword to Alm. Alm took the sword and stared at it for a few seconds. "What... What am I supposed to do?" he asked.
Clive smiled. "Try and swing it around. It's said that no common folk can wield this sword. The magic that Duma placed on this sword when it was forged forbids it. All those who've tried can't manage to give it a good swing. Either it's too heavy for them to use or the grip is so bad that the sword falls out of their hands when they try to swing it around. No, this sword is only for a select few. That's why it's always been an heirloom of the royal family. They were always able to wield it, when they still wielded weapons. Come on now, Alm. Give it a try."

Alm tightened his grip on the sword and lifted it up in the air. The grip felt good - that was a good sign. Clive, Python, Luthier and Robin stepped back to give Alm some space. The room was filled with complete silence. All eyes were on Alm, filled with suspense. Then Alm swung the sword. It was surprisingly light. He swung it again. And again. Left, right, left, forward thrust, downward slash. It was no problem.
"Amazing," Clive said in astonishment. "How does it feel, Alm?"
"It feels light and the grip is comfortable," Alm answered. "I can handle this sword just as well as my own, if not even better."
"Alm..." Clive said slowly. "Since the day I first laid eyes on you in the liberation army's headquarters, I've always felt that you were destined for great things. And the further we get in this war, the more that feeling gets confirmed. You keep outdoing yourself. But this... This is a record, my friend."
An awkward silence fell; Alm didn't know what to say. Then one of the civil servants suddenly bursted out: "Long live the hero Alm!" 
"Long live the hero Alm!" the entire room repeated. "Long live the hero Alm!"

The liberation army spent the night in the castle. After a good night's rest, they set out for the Floodgate.
They defeated Loso's forces and then Gazel's. The Rigelians were indeed stronger than the Zofians they had fought so far, but it was clear that Rigel was still holding back its real power. At last, they came to the Floodgate.
The Floodgate was quite an impressive structure. The floodgate itself spanned the Gorge of Valentia from north to south. It doubled as a bridge connecting Rigel and Zofia. A short while east of the floodgate stood some further flood-protective structures, as well as the building from which the floodgate was operated. This is where Tatara had stationed his troops. The building itself was built on a manmade platform in the middle of the gorge. A bridge connected this platform to another manmade platform further down south in the gorge. This was a wide-stretched platform that ran east from the actual floodgate to a point just beyond the operating building. Its function was to serve as further protection against floods, as the tides were strongest in this part of the gorge. On this platform were built many high tower-like structures, which could hold some of the water back in case of a flood. This platform was only a few feet away from the mainland, and was connected to it by means of a small bridge.
According to Clair's scouting reports, Tatara was inside the operating building, but most of his sorcerers were on the wide-stretched platform in front.

As soon as the battle at the Floodgate begun, Silk warped Alm behind enemy lines. As the rest of the liberation army charged into the sorcerers' line of defense, Alm duelled with Tatara. Tatara was an adept sorcerer who knew powerful spells, but he was no match for Alm with the Royal Sword. Their duel was over in an instant. As soon as life left Tatara's body, Dyute came to her senses and fled from the battlefield. Alm's sudden appearance behind their lines, Tatara's death and Dyute's flight caused great chaos and dismay among Tatara's underlings. They posed little further threat and the Floodgate was soon taken over by the liberation army. 
As soon as the battle was over, Clive came galloping up to Alm. "We did it, Alm!" he shouted as he approached. "We've expelled every last Rigelian from our soil! We've taken the last step in the liberation of our homeland. Zofia is now free once more!"
The liberation army cheered, but Alm did not yet consider the time for celebration come. Zofia would not be safe, not truly free from Rigel's grip, until the floodgate was open.

The actual machines that operated the floodgate and the floodgate warden's office were in the basement of the operating building. Alm and his companions descended into the basement, where they found Dyute and the floodgate warden. 
Luthier and Dyute's reunion was a joyous one. Luthier then introduced his sister to Alm. She was a mage, like her brother. Both of them promised to accompany Alm on the rest of his journey. Alm was very grateful to them.
Alm then talked to the floodgate warden. Apparently, Tatara had done no harm to him; he had indeed mostly left him alone. But when Alm asked the warden to open the floodgate, he got loud protest for an aswer.
"What, you want me to open the floodgate?! I can't do that! If I open this floodgate, the water will overflow all at once and cause a flood. It'll be dangerous if you don't open the reserve floodgate at the Temple of Mila first. Sorry, but I can't do it."
Alm desperately turned towards Clive, hoping that he'd have an answer; but Clive was just as dismayed as Alm. How were they ever going to get the floodgate at the Temple of Mila opened?

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