"What is the purpose of a rune, you ask? I will tell you, when you answer me this: What is the purpose of a man?" -- From "A Practical Study of the Runes", by N. DuNord ----------- Ravenspire Studios presents a Rocketarian Pictures production in association with Improfanfic Suikoden: Distant Shores created by Todd Harper and Illyria Part Twenty-Four: Purpose by Scott Schimmel ---------- The door to what had become the infirmary squealed softly as its hinge briefly stuck. It was one of the multitude of minor repairs to White Cloud that had not yet been made. More important matters, such as readying the upper levels to accommodate the influx of rebel soldiers, took priority. Besides, Dr. Koris had never been one to complain. The room was large enough, and lit well enough, to serve his needs, and Lierni and Rodrik saw to it that it was well-stocked with the essential herbs and extracts of the healing art. Rodrik didn't even overcharge him -- you never could tell when you might need a doctor's services. "Hello, young man," the doctor said as he stepped into the room. "Dr. Koris." Alaric rose to his feet. "How--?" Herold held up one hand, forestalling the question, and frowned slightly. "Have you been here all night? Not to belittle your devotion, but if you don't get proper rest yourself, you might end up in one of these beds." "That's what I told him last night, Doc," Alyssa commented, propping herself up on one elbow. "There's no point in trying to get him to listen to reason." "I got some sleep," Alaric protested quietly. Herold walked to the opposite side of the bed, looking down at Alyssa. "I presume you're feeling better, then," he said, humor tingeing his voice. "Yeah. I've taken worse hits than that, you know." The doctor smiled indulgently. "It's difficult to tell, with head wounds. Sometimes there are... complications. But yes, you seem well enough." Alaric shook his head. "How'd you let that happen, anyway, 'Lys? You must be slipping." "I was distracted." "Right, right. I believe you." "When I get out of this bed..." Turning back toward the doctor, Alaric said, "Looks like she'll be fine. How about the others?" Nodding, Herold moved to the next bed. "Mr. Arondight will be fine. I've given him an infusion that will ensure he sleeps through today, so he can recover his strength properly before volunteering for any more danger. But it is only a precaution. He is a strong young man, and the poison did not spread far before he was treated." Alaric nodded and turned toward the other occupied bed. "And... Kyrina?" "Yes." Dr. Koris frowned. "Her injuries are quite serious, and it seems that the poison reacted to her slightly altered physiology in an abnormal manner..." He trailed off, noticing the blank looks on the twins' faces. "Ah, that is, she is stable, but weak. The runes could close her physical wounds, but she still requires some time to recover. Perhaps in a few days, if all goes well..." "I should have gone instead." Alaric shook his head. "Fighting with a sword... what was she thinking?" "She did pretty well, brother dear. Don't underestimate her." "I wasn't. Believe me." He turned away. "I guess I'd better tell Tavia... thanks, Doctor." Herold looked up from the mixture he was preparing. "No thanks are necessary, young man. Just don't rush off and get yourself killed, and I'll consider that payment enough." "Don't worry," Alaric said as he was departing. "I'm not the one who's going to die." On the back of his hand, the Fire Rune flickered. ---------- "I've done it!" Cerus Cole cackled, geaturing grandly at the blocky wood and steel contraption that took up most of the top of the northwest tower. A cable stretched downward toward the lake far below. "At last! My greatest triumph is complete!" "It's very nice..." Tavia began uncertainly. "Oh, don't pay any mind to this old coot," Celia Ansuro chuckled. "At his age, he celebrates having breakfast." Cerus puffed up in mock indignation. "What? Don't you know when you're looking at a work of engineering genius?" "Genius, indeed," she sniffed. "Dragging an old woman like me up all those stairs to listen to you crow like a lovestruck teenager. I think you've simply gone senile." "I really don't think--" Tavia attempted to interject. "Senile? Who's senile?" Cerus roared. The grin on his face somewhat spoiled the effect. "Thanks to me, you'll never have to complain about those stairs again. Marionette!" The wooden doll stood at attention at one side of the contraption. It bowed stiffly toward them before straightening once more. "Throw the switch!" Cerus continued enthusiastically. "We'll show them the fruits of my genius!" The construct obeyed. There was a soft clank as a mechanism somewhere engaged. Then the rope began to slide, and with it, the wooden platform that had replaced the floor of the tower. Surprised, Tavia pitched to one side, and might have fallen if not for the railing Cerus had thoughtfully constructed. The platform dropped diagonally downward, picking up some speed, but it plainly was not an uncontrolled fall, and Tavia began to relax. It seemed only a moment later that the three -- four, if Marionette counted -- of them stood near the shore of the lake. Tavia stared up at the castle high above. It was a distance of hundreds of steps, yet the descent had only taken a minute or two. Cerus was dancing gleefully in the sand. "Hah! What do you have to say about that?" he chortled. "Hmpf. It's nice to see you can still do something useful, you old fool." "Um, excuse me," Tavia interrupted, before the play- argument could begin in earnest. "This does go up, too, doesn't it?" "Of course it does." Cerus looked slightly insulted. "It's a bit slower, mind, but it'll get there just fine. All you need to do is throw that lever the other direction." "Amazing..." she murmured. It had been Lierni's idea, she remembered: use the machine to retrieve the fishermen's catch. It would certainly make the lake a much more useful resource. Cerus was very pleased with himself. "Isn't it? I've got to say, it was an interesting challenge. Oh! I nearly forgot. You wanted a regular elevator for inside the castle, right?" "Well, if it wouldn't be too much trouble..." That would certainly be useful once they'd finished restoring the top floors, Tavia reflected. "Trouble? How could it be any trouble? I developed the plans for that, oh, a long time ago. Months." "I'm surprised you haven't forgotten, then," Celia shot. "Throw the switch, Marionette," Cerus grumbled good- naturedly as he climbed back onto the platform. "We've got some more work to do at the castle." ---------- Nereida Ansuro paced back and forth across the length of the chamber, eyes closed in concentration. "What about Brennon?" she asked without pausing. Glancing over the copious notes spread on the desk, Daniel Hightein shrugged. "He said something about requiring a new dress uniform in the Crescent Army's colors. We think he and Alouette went to Bristow... shopping." "Hmm. Those two certainly are getting along." Daniel nodded. "They're practically the same. If Brennon weren't a kobold... well, never mind. Nalia probably went with them, unless Brennon's learned to be more discreet than I think." "Very well. Kaleen?" "Sparring with Baren, probably. If not, he'll be in the library, such as it is." Nereida nodded. "Yes, we should look into obtaining some more books. What we have is useful, but there are gaps, and you never know when a solid knowledge of history may help. Kojiro?" "He's taken to lurking on the roof of the castle, it seems. Doesn't talk much to anyone, but I'm sure if you sent him, he'd listen." "Perhaps. Is there any word of Luc yet?" Daniel shuffled through the papers. "He's apparently healed himself. He'll be with the Tablets, then. I think he even sleeps there now. If he sleeps at all, that is. But I don't know if he'd agree to go, even if you wanted to send him." "He would. He may not think much of us, but he follows Leknaat's wishes to the letter. Still, I am not convinced that he would be the best choice..." She came to a stop, opening her eyes, and called, "Come in. The door is unlocked." Alaric pushed open the door and stepped in. "Aware as ever, I see. Where's Tavia?" "Probably by the lake, by this time," Nereida replied. "How are they?" Alaric hesitated for a moment, but answered. "My sister's fine. Reid will be up and about tomorrow, probably; Tavia should be glad to hear that." He sighed. "Kyrina... isn't well." Nereida nodded. "I see. I'll keep that in mind. Will Kyrina recover?" "In time, yes." The twin grimaced slightly. "Sorry if it ruins your precious plans." She met his gaze unflinchingly. "You know better than that." Daniel nervously stood. "Er... I'll just leave now, shall I...?" "Stay," Nereida said. "You'll be needed soon." The young man obediently sat back down, very quietly, and Nereida continued. "Alaric... I will say this bluntly. If you can't trust me, leave. The odds against us are too great to permit any divisions within our ranks." The young treasure hunter shrugged. "I know you're a good strategist. And I trust Tavia. As long as she believes in you, I'll follow your plans. Just don't expect me to be who I was ten years ago." "Your sister told me..." Nereida shook her head, almost pleading. "There was nothing I could have done, you know." Alaric nodded. "I know. That's my sister's hang-up. We may look almost the same, but we're not the same person, you know." "Then, why?" "Because of afterward." Alaric turned away, toward the door. "You could have at least said something then. Even privately. I thought we might have meant that much, at least." "I'm sorry." "So am I. If you see Tavia before I do, let her know about Reid and Kyrina." The blond took a step toward the door, but was brought short by Nereida's voice. "Alaric." He waited, wordlessly. "We need some intelligence on Lierstam. I'm sure they plan to attack soon. Will you go?" "Of course." He glanced backward. "You'll be sending Kojiro or Shayera with me, I suppose?" Nereida nodded. "Shayera. She may stand out more, but Kojiro is known to some of our enemies." "I thought you'd changed, Nereida," Alaric remarked. "But I was wrong, wasn't I? You haven't changed a bit." The door closed quietly behind him as he departed, but it sounded loud in the stillness of the room. Nereida stared at the door for a long moment, then turned toward Daniel, who sat up straight under her intense gaze. "Make a note," she said quietly, perfectly businesslike. "Alaric and Shayera will gather information in Lierstam. Catherwood and Kojiro can concentrate on Heresha." Hastily scribbling down the command, Daniel asked, "What about everyone else?" "I suspect they'll be needed soon," Nereida said. "I hope I'm wrong... but Bristow seems too tempting a target. If Lierstam does invade, we might find ourselves pinched between their armies and the Hereshan soldiers." Wide-eyed, the young man asked, "What could we do about that?" "I'm working on a plan. But I will need to speak to Tavia, General Nevenheim, and Werner Ritterschwert..." Nereida sighed to herself. It looked as though it might be another sleepless night... ---------- The elevator had finally climbed back to the top of the tower. It was a journey of roughly five minutes -- slower than the descent, as Cerus had warned, but still much faster than climbing all those stairs. The mechanism worked smoothly and flawlessly, and Cerus assured Tavia that it could bear hundreds of pounds of weight with no trouble. It looked as if something had finally gone according to plan at White Cloud. So of course Lierni and Nereida were waiting for her when she stepped off of the platform. Cerus quickly excused himself, saying something about getting right to work on the castle elevator, and after a brief greeting, Celia followed. Tavia thought she heard a faint crash from the stairwell -- possibly Marionette had missed a step again, and would require repairs. Again. Glancing at Nereida and Lierni, Tavia thought she might willingly switch places with the puppet. "What went wrong?" she asked. "Hello to you, too." Lierni smirked. "Nothing is wrong, exactly... but there are things you should know." Tavia dutifully listened as Nereida summarized the reports. "So Reid will be okay... and Alyssa is back," she quickly added, as Lierni quirked an eyebrow at her. "That's good. Isn't there anything more we could do for Kyrina?" Nereida shook her head. "Dr. Koris appears to have everything under control. It will just take time." "Do we have time?" Lierni and Nereida exchanged glances before the strategist spoke. "That's what we wished to discuss. I'm anticipating another attack soon, in any case, but if there's open war between the two countries, there's a fair chance we'll get caught in the middle." Tavia nodded. "Is there anything we can do about that? Keeping in mind that abandoning White Cloud isn't an option at this point, of course." "Possibly," Lierni said. "If the two sides are as intent on fighting each other as on us, then we should have sufficient forces and sufficient supplies to hold them off. But it could be very costly." Nereida nodded. "And if they don't battle right at our doorstep, we could run into a lot of trouble against whichever army attacks us first. Our army is still tiny in comparison to theirs, *if* they choose to commit in force." "Ah... and they haven't been able to do that yet because each side was afraid the other would see an attack on White Cloud as a threat to them," Tavia realized. "But if there's a state of war between them..." "Then that is no longer a consideration, and our best defense is the hope that it would require a greater number of soldiers to take White Cloud than either side could spare from the front," Nereida confirmed. "So that's why you're sending those four as spies..." Lierni nodded. "We need to know what movements Lierstam and Heresha are making. Here in the mountains, we are too isolated. Werner is of some help, but he is also distracted by governing." "How far are they going?" "They should be traveling within the respective countries for at least several days..." Lierni's eyes narrowed. "Why? You wouldn't ask unless you have something in mind." "You know me too well, Li. One more thing first, though. How are we, magically?" A frown crossed Lierni's features; she thought little of the capabilities of most of the Crescent Army, where runes were concerned. "We've got enough people with runes for one decent magic unit... or two weak ones, if we're desperate. The problem is, we have so few skilled magicians. As arrogant as he may be, at least Luc is competent." Tavia thought it best not to say anything to that. "He is the only other person I would trust to lead a magic unit. That new girl, Viki, has great power but limited control. Kyrina is just the opposite: great skill, but limited power. Alaric shows some promise, though naturally he is not as strong as I am, but his sister is weaker magically, and neither is used to channeling combined power." "So we need both more people with runes, to provide energy, and more people experiences with runes, to channel it," Tavia summarized. "Exactly." "A runemaster, in other words." "You don't mean--" "Like the one who's supposed to live in Kesshin." "Tavia, that's only an idle tale. There's never been any record of a Nemesis Rune, lost or not. It's just a Heimdall story, like the one about the common soldier who fought a hundred men alone and emerged unscathed. Nobody takes it seriously!" "It might be worth a try," Nereida mused. "What?" "Legends are legends, but even an ordinary runemaster would be a valuable addition to our army. And I have heard that there are those in Kesshin who are not content with the current order. Perhaps we could recruit other allies there." "Right!" Tavia agreed. "So as long as we're sending people into Heresha to spy..." "I am not certain this is a good idea," Lierni grumbled. "Kesshin is far to the south. If something were to happen, you would have no retreat..." "We would if Kaleen or Baren went along," Tavia pointed out. "And while I'm doing that, you and Jasin or Daniel could go north with Alaric and Shayera, to talk to that General Peridon..." "Quite ambitious," Nereida remarked. Lierni argued, "And dangerous." "What have I done that hasn't been dangerous?" Tavia asked. "There's a difference between taking reasonable risks and inviting disaster, Tavia. But," she stated, forestalling further argument, "I will agree that it may be a worthwhile risk." "You're kidding. You agree?" Lierni sighed ruefully. "Well, we could use a runemaster..." ---------- Author's notes: Mostly a "regrouping" chapter, partly by necessity -- I think it's too early for another major battle -- and partly due to the demands of school and real life. No new characters, just tying up a few loose ends and bringing up a few new possibilities. Thanks to Todd, Illyria, and Kate for prereading.