"What goes up, must come down. Usually this involves lots of damage, flames, and explosions, but sometimes you get lucky." -- C. Cole, self-proclaimed Master Engineer of Lierstam ----------- Ravenspire Studios presents a Rocketarian Pictures production in association with Improfanfic Suikoden: Distant Shores created by Todd Harper and Illyria Part Nineteen: Burning in the Darkness by Scott Schimmel ---------- "General Nevenheim...?" Tavia paced slowly across the balcony, turning the thought over in her mind. She didn't doubt the general's skill, but... "Isn't she loyal to Heresha?" "To a fault, in the past," Lierni agreed. "But if they imprisoned her as a traitor, perhaps she will reconsider." "And actually become a traitor?" Tavia turned back toward the others, frowning. "I'm not sure I like this plan. Isn't there anyone else we could ask?" Kyrina nodded. "Renard. Of course, that would mean admitting he was right." "Out of the question," stated Lierni. "As for any others... I can think of none in Heresha who would be both willing and competent enough." Alaric stirred from his post against the wall of the keep. "I can think of one or two in Lierstam who might be good enough. The problem is, we'd have to cross the whole country to get to them." "Then we probably don't have the time," Tavia decided. She was silent for a moment, then nodded firmly. "We can't just wait here until that army attacks. We'll have to risk it. Kyrina, are you sure Alaric and Daniel will be enough?" "No." The part-elf woman grinned wryly. "But they'll have to do. We need to travel fast and try to avoid fights. If we're in a situation where we'd need more help, we've already lost." "Thanks so much for the vote of confidence," Alaric murmured. "All right. In the meantime, I'm going to see if we can help our supply problem." Lierni frowned, mistrusting the gleam in Tavia's eyes. "What, might I ask, do you mean by that?" "I'm going to Lierstam to look into this 'elevator' device. Its inventor supposedly lives not far from the border--" "Tavia... leaving aside the fact that you still haven't fully recovered, in order to reach Lierstam you would have to walk out into the midst of a large band of mercenaries who appear to be planning to attack us soon. This is not one of your best ideas." "Probably not," she cheerfully agreed, "but it needs to be done, and we can't afford to delay it. With Kaleen's help, I should be able to slip past that army." Lierni scowled. "You are not going alone, Tavia. If I have to--" "Fine," Tavia interrupted. "I'll take Alyssa with me; she knows Lierstam, and she's got healing magic if anything does go wrong. And Reid, he's one of the strongest fighters we've got, and he doesn't stand out like Baren or Kaleen would." Lierni folded her arms. "That was entirely too quick," she accused. "I hope you don't think you can fool me that easily." Tavia only smiled, spreading her hands. "Mhm. And I suppose you're going to leave this... mess... to me, again?" "Thanks, Li. I knew I could count on you." Tavia grinned and ducked back inside the castle. She was quickly followed by Lierni. "Now see here..." Lierni began, before the door closed, muffling the sound of her voice. Alaric and Kyrina exchanged a long glance. "I'm not the only one who finds this troubling, am I?" he asked. Kyrina shook her head. "I don't know which is worse, your ideas or her acceptance of them." "...Why don't we just go find Daniel and pack?" ---------- The way north turned out to be more grueling than Tavia had expected. In order to avoid the mercenary army and its outlying scouts, Kaleen informed them, they would need to travel through the mountains for some distance. That meant a long afternoon of steep climbs and careful descents, where a slip in the wrong place could mean a fall from dizzying heights. Before an hour had passed, Tavia started to feel the effects of her fatigue. She forced herself to push on regardless, but soon it became clear that the others were restraining their own pace for her benefit. Only two things kept her from snapping at them about it: first, that she knew she couldn't travel any faster, and second, that Reid seemed to be having almost as much trouble as she was. Although, a part of her mind noted, that was mostly because he was carrying much more weight in the form of armor, weapons, and even supplies. At least the encroachment of the mercenaries seemed to have driven away most of the dangerous wildlife and monsters that normally made their homes in the mountains. The path Kaleen set was difficult enough without having to worry about defending themselves from a hungry pack of wolves. Or worse. By the time they stopped for a meal, Tavia felt ready to collapse. That even Kaleen seemed winded was scant comfort, and the hard bread, cheese, and dried meat that made up their traveling rations were not the most appetizing fare. Still, she had recovered enough by the end to clamber ponderously back to her feet and push on for another few hours. Mercifully, they made camp early; when a likely- looking defensible site provided itself, Kaleen deemed it better to stop than to press on into the twilight. A fire would have been too risky, with enemy scouts nearby, so after a second cold meal, they wrapped themselves in thick blankets against the chill mountain air. Tavia fell asleep within minutes. The next morning, she expressed her annoyance over the fact that they hadn't awakened her to take a turn on watch. It didn't help that they only smiled or changed the subject. Eventually, she gave up, conserving her energy for the trip; the worst stretches were behind them, but it remained an unpleasant journey. In the early afternoon, Kaleen brought them to a halt as the faint trail they had been following emerged into a valley between peaks. "This is the limit of my knowledge," he stated plainly. "The army is behind us now. If you keep northward, you should avoid them, O One Who Charges Into Danger." "Thank you, Kaleen." Tavia thought that was a compliment, at least. As the cat-man bowed and walked back in the direction the group had come, Tavia turned toward Alyssa. "Are you familiar with the area?" Alyssa nodded distractedly. "We didn't travel this far west along the border, but there's a small village nearby... it was used as a military fortress in one of the wars a hundred years ago, but the fortress burned, and only a few people stayed after the fighting was done." "Then we'll stay there for tonight, and see about that inventor tomorrow." "I'm still not sure I like being a test subject for some weirdo's crazy designs," Reid argued. "The alternative would be climbing the stairs all the time." "Still," Reid added judiciously, "Progress is good." ---------- The journey to Lindael was almost devoid of incident. Kyrina's wilderness knowledge enabled her group to skirt around many of the wild animals that were known to be aggressive. One enraged giant boar was quickly dispatched, and on another occasion, Alaric's Fire Rune proved effective in warding off a carnivorous plant, but the rest of the journey was quiet. Conversation was limited; Kyrina was distracted by thoughts of the impending mission, and Alaric's attempts to draw her out soon stopped. Daniel Hightien marched in better spirits, but the solemn military bearing the former cadet attempted to imitate didn't allow for much in the way of casual talk. Privately, Alaric felt some doubts of his own; dangerous crypts and caverns were not unknown to him, but those were usually abandoned by their creators, inhabited only by monsters of questionable intelligence. This dungeon was built by men, and those men still used it. "We're here," said Daniel, breaking the silence for the first time in over an hour. Lindael was a large city, home to some of the most glorious architecture of Heresha, as befitting of a nation's capital. It was a walled fortress city -- this close to the border, it had to be -- and its multiple gates stood forty feet tall, towering over even the walls. Beyond, the higher, grander lines of Saints Castle loomed over the city. The guards at the eastern gate waved them through easily enough, although to Alaric's slightly paranoid eye they seemed more intent on Kyrina than would normally be warranted. The trio hurried past, striving to lose themselves in the throngs that filled the late-afternoon streets. "You were right about one thing," Kyrina conceded once they'd found a private niche to stop for a time. "Tavia would never have gotten past those gates." "Not now that they know who she is," Alaric agreed. "Do you think they know about the Rune, and the Stars, and all of it?" He frowned. "I hope not. Right now, we need every advantage we can get. If we don't bring Nevenheim back..." "We'll bring her back," Daniel insisted. "The commander trusted us with this mission. Even if it means my death, I won't let it fail." That comment made Alaric chuckle. "Got a crush on our fearless leader, have you?" The young man turned red, his facade of discipline crumbling beneath the weight of embarrassment. "That's... no. I only... The commander is..." "Relax." Kyrina smirked at Alaric, adding, "He isn't exactly one to talk." "Anyway... why don't we walk by the prison?" the twin quickly suggested. "Casually. Just to get some idea how well it's defended." "Nice plan," Kyrina answered with a knowing smile. "This way, then." ---------- "Are you sure?" Daniel asked, a disturbing intensity in his gaze. The table in the small room they'd rented shifted beneath the weight he was resting on his hands as he leaned over it. Kyrina nodded. "Look, I'm not bad at sneaking around, even if I prefer to do it outdoors. But there's no way I can sneak past that entrance, much less get the two of you in. And that's the only way in, short of trying to blow a hole in the wall with magic... which, even if it worked, would have every guard in the city on top of us in seconds." "The Fire Rune isn't the best choice for subtlety," Alaric cheerfully agreed. "Even if I am better with it than most. Starting a fire as a distraction isn't a good idea, either... if it's close enough to work, it'll draw attention." Kyrina nodded again. "We can't just attack the guards and walk past, either. They'll be noticed, and it'll draw attention." "But there must be something we can do!" Daniel howled, slamming one hand against the table for emphasis. "We can't fail now... we can't!" "Calm down." "Don't be so eager to get yourself killed," Alaric said simultaneously. "You won't be any good to Tavia if you're dead." Daniel held his angry glare for a moment longer. Then suddenly, he looked away, collapsing into his chair. "...I'm sorry." "It's all right. Let's think rationally about this. There might be a way we're overlooking..." Alaric stood. "I might be able to help there... you two should eat something. I'll be back in an hour or two." Frowning, Kyrina asked, "Where are you going?" "Just to visit... well, not a friend, exactly. A man I know who might be able to help us out." "Why do I not like the sound of this?" "Trust me. We can't end up in any worse a position than we're in now, right?" With a jaunty wave, he slipped out the door. "We could end up in the cell next to General Nevenheim, waiting for our execution date to be set," Kyrina muttered. ---------- "Alaric Mytelene... I didn't think you'd be back here for a few years." The man seated behind the opulent desk was short, rotund, and balding, yet he managed to remain imposing. Perhaps it was the icy calm he exuded, or the careful poise with which each gesture was made, or the vaguely predatory intelligence in his gleaming dark eyes. He was studiously polite, but those who came to visit his office rarely felt entirely at ease. Alaric, however, made it a point not to show any such feelings. Crossing one leg over the other, he leaned back in the hard chair and lazily nodded. "We took a little side trip. Then we decided we might stay around here for a little longer." "And where is your sister?" "Running another errand." "Such trust. It gladdens the heart." Not a word sounded sincere. "Very well, then. What have you brought me this time?" "Nothing, this time. The last trip didn't turn out as well as we'd hoped." The small man's eyes narrowed. "Is that so?" "It happens." Alaric forced himself to meet the man's gaze, and slowly, he nodded. "But that's not why I came here tonight. This is about the next trip." "Go on." The rune hunter unfolded his limbs, leaning forward in his chair. "I need some help. Someone reliable, with... unusual skills. And I need him tonight. I was hoping you could recommend someone." The balding man clasped his hands on the desk. "Surely you could do better than to ask a merchant such as myself--" "I really haven't got time, Rodrik. I'd bet you didn't become one of the biggest antiques dealers in Heresha by paying the kinds of 'taxes' the officials like to charge on that sort of thing..." The merchant's face darkened at the mention of that. "Extortion, I call it. Cultural relics, must be protected, pah. Sixty percent! Outrageous." "And I -know- you don't always ask a lot of questions about where your goods came from in the first place. So can you help me or can't you?" Alaric concluded. Rodrik stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Such accusations, my friend, are quite rude. But let us say that I know of such a man. He might not be willing to accompany you on such a dangerous-sounding venture without knowing what treasure he is risking his life for." "General Nevenheim." Alaric had the satisfaction of seeing Rodrik's carefully-cultivated neutral expression fall into a mask of astonishment. "The prison?" Alaric nodded in response. "...Why?" "There's someone who needs her help and can't afford to wait around for a trial, even if by some miracle it isn't a sham." The calculation was back in Rodrik's gaze. "I'd heard something of White Cloud... so you've joined their cause. You've changed, my friend." "Everyone does. Do you know anyone who could do it?" "I do not think that there is any man who could do what you wish. Get in, perhaps, but out again...? No, I do not think so." He fell silent for a moment. "But... perhaps there is a woman." Alaric pounced on that. "Who?" "A moment, my hasty friend." Rodrik shook his head disapprovingly. "There is one matter more... normally I am more delicate about this matter, but since you are in a hurry, I will ask plainly: Why should I help you?" The rune hunter sighed. "I suppose doing a friend a favor isn't good enough?" "I would like to, truly, but even favors have their cost. If this were found out... I might even be hanged as a traitor myself! This is no simple thing you ask." As if Rodrik would allow the thief he provided to be traced back to him, Alaric thought glumly. "Even though my sister and I have brought you a few nice pieces in the past." It wasn't really a question. Rodrik spread his hands before him. "I am grateful, but surely the appreciation I showed then was recompense enough?" He nodded; the money had helped, during a particularly dry spell of rune hunting. But there was one thing that might work... "Once we're done, you can come with us to White Cloud. If you prove yourself and we succeed, you could easily end up as Minister of Finance, or Lord Exchequer, or whatever they decide to call it." The rotund man barked a laugh. "Yes, if. And if you fail, which is much more likely, poor Rodrik will be lucky to simply be hanged as a traitor." "Oh?" Alaric made as if to stand up. "Sorry to hear it. You never struck me as the sort of man who's averse to risk, as long as there's a big enough profit to be made... and it doesn't get any bigger than a whole country." Rodrik lifted one hand, motioning Alaric to wait. "I did not say no. But can you do this thing?" "Not right away," he admitted. "There won't be a new government unless... until we win. But I can promise you one thing. You'll be the only antiques dealer allowed to open shop at White Cloud." Tavia was going to kill him for this, if Lierni didn't beat her to it. But desperate times call for desperate measures. "It is out of the way," Rodrik complained. Alaric could see the spark of interest in his eyes, though. "No competition remotely near it. The merchants in Bristow mostly fled in the last attack, and Lindael is the next closest large city." "It will be difficult to carry my wares to the top of the mountain." "Our leader is in Lierstam now, arranging for a device to make that easier." He hoped. "Truly? How intriguing." Rodrik frowned in silence for a few minutes, then nodded. "Very well, I shall take this risk... if you manage to escape safely with the general, of course." That had been faster than expected. Alaric had given too much away. He couldn't quite see how, but Rodrik had an uncanny sense for profit. "Of course." "Go back to your inn. I will send her to you tonight." Alaric nodded. "We're staying at--" "The Silver Chrysanthemum, yes. Not the best quarters, but the master of the house is fairly discreet. A good choice. Go, go, I have business to conclude. I must be ready for tonight..." A few seconds later, Alaric stopped gaping and departed. ---------- "...So that's the story." Kyrina frowned. "I don't like this. How can we trust two people we've never seen with something this delicate?" "Not to mention," Daniel added, "That you had no right to promise this man anything of the sort." "We can trust Rodrik... I'm pretty sure," Alaric protested. "Pretty sure?" "Well, I don't think there's any way he can profit from selling us out..." Kyrina buried her face in her hands. "You are insane. It's the only possible explanation." "Look on the bright side. There's nowhere to go but up." Daniel's head turned toward the window. "Did anyone else hear...?" "Sounds like a knock," the Lierstam martial artist affirmed. "Care to get that, Kyrina?" Still shaking her head in disbelief, Kyrina stepped up to the window, unlatching it and throwing it open. She found herself looking into a human face. An upside-down human face, which regarded her morosely. "I guess you're the ones who're all going to die tonight," she said by way of greeting. Grasping the top frame of the window, she flipped down into the room. "I'm going to lead you in, so I guess I'll be the first to go." Beside her, Kyrina shot a glare at Alaric. "I thought Rodrik said you were the best," the beleaguered young man protested. The woman was small, lithe in the manner of most sneak-thieves, but no one would call her delicate. Her hair was a short but wild reddish- brown mass, her right eye a pale jade color. Her left eye was covered by a patch; a scar running from forehead to cheek on that side of her face suggested that this was no minor damage. She slouched apathetically, a habitual frown on her face. "Sure, they say that," the young woman sighed despondently. "Shayera Thal is the best. But you know what being the best gets you? More jobs, and they're more dangerous ones, and sometimes hot-blooded kids who want to stab you in the back and make a name for themselves as the one who killed the best." "Um... excuse me," Daniel finally managed to articulate. "But our mission tonight is very important, and we really need your help..." "I know," she sighed. "It's always very important. Well, there's nothing to be done about it. You might as well come on." "Er... thanks," Kyrina managed. "I wouldn't thank me if I were you," she stated. "I wouldn't even thank me if I were me." "This is depressing," Daniel murmured to Alaric, a little bit too loud. Shayera cast a long-suffering look at Daniel. "You don't know the half of it." ---------- New Stars introduced in this chapter: Rodrik Justarian (Chisei Star - "Earthly Correctness") Shayera Thal (Chizoku Star - "Earthbound Bandit") Author's notes: Being sick is unwai. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter; I had a lot more planned, but the scenes I initially wrote had a major continuity problem that I didn't notice until later, and I didn't have enough time to rewrite them... so I didn't get to do a couple of things I wanted to. But I think I got the important parts in the Nevenheim plot done, at least.