"A big fish in a small pond makes for some mighty fine eatin'." --Zeb --------- SKJAM! Inc. presents A Rocketarian Pictures production in association with Improfanfic SUIKODEN: DISTANT SHORES Created by Illyria and Todd Harper Part Twenty-Six: Hot Pursuit by Scott K. Jamison --------- "A thousand more men? Do the Governors think I have an infinite supply of soldiers down here?" High Councilman Rosh Arondight slapped the messenger standing in front of him with the parchment orders. The soldier wisely did not reply. He'd suffered through this sort of display before. Arondight turned angrily and stared at the fire on his study's hearth. "They asked me to make the south secure, and I have. Kesshin is clean, safe, and above all profitable. But all that depends on a proper level of manpower. If they keep draining away my men for their campaign against the so-called rebels in the north, we'll be vulnerable to the barbarians. Or even our friends from Lierstam!" "Yes, High Councilman. And your reply, sir?" "It will take some rearranging of the garrisons, and there will have to be another impressment, but as the Governors order, so shall it be." Arondight sighed. "Go down to the kitchen and get something to eat. I'll write a for--" There was a commotion in the hallway, and a gnarled hand parted the bead curtain that served as a door. "Rosh! She's gone! My Ilena is gone!" "What are you talking about, Harald?" Arondight replied. "Dead? Or missing?" Lord Fehron tried to compose himself, clutching at his chest and wheezing mightily. "Ilena...she...traveling clothes...half the gems in my strongbox...do something, Rosh!" "You spoiled the girl too much, child of your old age or not," growled Arondight. "And your son?" shot back Fehron. "You hardly spoiled him." "He'll return. Once he's had a little of that idealism knocked out of him by the real world. But your daughter is quite another matter, that's true. Do you have any notion of where she might have gone?" Fehron leaned on a chair. "One of your guards thought he saw her going east with some strangers. One of them was a barbarian." "Humph. You there!" Arondight shouted at the messenger. "Tell the groom to saddle my grey! Summon my huntsmen! We ride!" "Li's dying out there," whispered Melusine to Jasin. "We have to do something!" The young dancer shrugged. "It's almost over. There's no saving her now." The subject of their conversation stood in the middle of the village square, clad in a multi-colored calf-length dress. Lierni was gamely attempting to finish the final verse of "My Boyfriend is a Soldier," a song that was gaining popularity in Lierstam. It wasn't that her voice was unpleasant, or off-key; it simply lacked any trace of warmth for the supposed boyfriend. The audience was thinning rapidly, and no coins had hit Alaric's hat since the song began. Lierni hit the final few notes with genuine emotion--relief. As two people politely clapped, and the remainder of the audience drifted off, the others in her party cleaned the area of stray coins and feathers. "We did pretty well, even with a poor final act," reported Shayera, tallying the collected funds. "Eighty-five Lierstam pennies, thirteen Hereshan, six from various other lands, and a handful of birdseed. We can eat tonight." After the addition of an acrobat to the party, it had been decided (over Li's objections) that they should pose as a troupe of wandering entertainers. Melusine and Jasin were already known in Lierstam for their talents, though the knife-dancer had never appeared without his mother before. Shayera had contributed a sleight-of-hand act, and an unexpected talent for birdcalls. Alaric knew a number of interesting tricks with fire, and was an adequate drummer. Only Lierni had as yet been unable to find a good niche. As they found a table at the village's only inn, the mage sighed a bit, and fiddled with her dress. "Loathe as I am to admit any shortcomings, I fear I am not suited for show business." "You could try to like the audience just a bit more," suggested Alaric. Lierni turned away, and signaled for food. "We really could use a good musician," mused Jasin. "What happened to that fellow you were seeing last we met, Melusine? Vazzlu, wasn't it?" "Vasily. We broke up three months ago when he decided to try his luck on the mainland. You know I get seasick." Melusine smiled. "He wasn't that great a lyre player, anyway. And how about you, Jasin? Any good prospects in that Crescent Army?" The dancer made a face. "Melusine, you *know* I've vowed never to court a woman until I have a nest egg. I won't let my wife and children starve. Not like some people." "You must get very frustrated," said Shayera. "I know I couldn't live without a little good loving once in a while. Come to think of it, I haven't had any since my last boyfriend got hung. But such is the life of a treasure hunter." "*I'm* a treasure hunter," protested Alaric. "You're--" "Available." Shayera batted her eyelashes at him, making Alaric pull back a little. "Why not enjoy myself before my inevitable demise?" "Erm, I'm interested in someone already. And no, I don't want to talk about it." Alaric dug into the freshly-arrived bread to emphasize his point. Shayera pouted a moment, then turned to Lierni. "What about you, Li? Oh, you're involved with Pane, aren't you?" Lierni's head snapped around. "I am not involved with that provincial buffoon. Nothing could be further from the truth. And for the sixth time, call me Lierni." "Well, if not Pane, who then? That stuck-up mage Luc? Or perhaps you fancy Alouette? He's a smooth talker, he is." Shayera had a large grin on her face, while at the mention of the last name, Jasin scowled. Lierni stood up, setting her mug down sharply. "I do not 'fancy' *any* man!" There was a dead silence in the inn, and Lierni became aware that every face in the room was turned towards her. She coughed into her fist. "Ahem. I mean, of course, that I do not fancy any *one*." More quietly, she continued, "Could we please stop speculating on people's love lives and concentrate on the reason we're actually here?" Alaric nodded, and swallowed. "It's like we've seen elsewhere. Close to the Hereshan border, the troops are thin on the ground. The bulk of Lierstam's army is further north and east. Maybe they don't think they can defend the border areas with the troops they have." "Or it could be a feint," said Lierni thoughtfully. "We've seen a few terrain corridors troops could be marched down quickly." "I know the Lierstam generals weren't too thrilled by how easily Heresha smashed that last attack of opportunity during the Crownbreaker War." Alaric picked up another piece of bread and dipped it in the meat sauce. "By the way, we should be meeting up with Peridon tomorrow." "Finally!" Lierni looked disdainfully at her clothes. "I'll have to change into something more sensible, of course." Nalia was sure she'd made a wrong turn somewhere. This part of White Cloud Castle was still not completely refurbished, and all the empty corridors looked alike to her. Ah, there were voices in that direction.... The voices proved to be coming from a large room serving as a warehouse. A small gaggle of soldiers was attempting to either put it in order, or take it apart. Nalia couldn't tell from her vantage point. A soldier wearing an armband marking him as squad leader was trying to coordinate his fellows. "No, no! Not so high! If it falls over, the boxes of salt will be smashed, and the castellan will rip us a new hole with her tongue!" "Castellan?" asked Nalia, confused. The squad leader started. "Oh, ah, Miz Nalia, didn't see you there. I meant Miz Totorika. She might not have the formal title, but it's what she does, right?" "I suppose Lierni *is* the castellan, for all practical purposes. And she certainly does have a sharp tongue. Oh, I almost forgot, could you direct me to the glassworker's shop?" "Out that door, left for two crossings, then a right. Can't miss it, ma'am, there's a red lintel on the entry." The soldier made appropriate hand gestures to explain the directions. "Thank you. You're quite polite." Nalia sashayed out of the room, to appreciative noises from the work crew. It was a bit odd, being called "Ms." and "ma'am." Evidently, being a Star of Destiny got you a modicum of respect from the troops, no matter your actual rank. "I don't think I like being respectable," murmured Nalia. "Ties a woman down." As promised, the red lintel led to the glass shop. Stacks of carefully-wrapped windowpanes nearly filled one wall, and the tools of the trade took up the remainder of the room. Nalia wound her way into the back, where the furnace for the actual glassblowing was. Pane was at a nearby table, staring disconsolately at a vaguely bird-shaped hunk of yellow glass. "Good afternoon, Pane. That's an interesting-looking, er, canary?" The glassmaker looked up. "Hi, Miss Nalia. Actually, it's supposed to be a statue of Arrano. You know, Miss Totorika's familiar? But I haven't got the color quite right yet, and this batch is too fragile to work properly anyway." He sighed, and tapped the glass with a chisel. It shattered instantly, and Pane swept it into his leather bag. "You've got it bad for her, don't you, sweet boy?" "Yah, I guess the whole castle knows by now." Pane scratched the back of his head. "Probably think I'm really silly, pining after a girl who won't give me the time of day." Nalia chuckled. "All lovers look silly, except to other lovers. And I don't think it's as hopeless as you think." "Really?" Pane's face lit up. Then it fell again. "But I'm not smart, or a good fighter, or handsome. All I have to offer is my glass, and I'm only a journeyman at that." "Pah! None of those is really important. What counts is a sincerely loving heart. That's what wins over a maiden!" "You really think so?" Nalia nodded emphatically. "Absolutely! Of course, pretty presents will help smooth the way. But try to relax about it. You should enjoy young love while you can. Of course, I may have enjoyed it a bit too much, too young--La! No regrets! Trust me, and follow your dreams!" "Well, okay..." Pane said, a little confused by that last speech. "By the way, why are you here?" "Oh!" Nalia pulled out a scrap of parchment. "Some of the men have been complaining that the lighting of the stage is poor at night. Then I remembered that when I was a little girl I danced for the Lierstam king, and they used these curved pieces of reflective glass behind the candles to make the light stronger...you see, like this." Pane studied the rough diagram. "Yah, I see. This shouldn't be too hard to make." There was a rather more serious meeting taking place upstairs in the castle. Kyrina, Reid, Aisha and Charlotte were meeting with Nereida in informal session. "...And we should see another jump in qualified soldiers joining our forces once General Nevenheim is known to be with the Crescent Freedom Army," continued the strategist. "Couldn't we just tell everyone now?" asked Reid. "No, my survival is a secret for now, and could be the ace we need for the next battle. However," said Aisha, "the recruitment of more soldiers leads to a new problem." "We are finally beginning to run out of sufficient armor and weapons." Nereida pointed to a table of mathematical figures. "Even though the trained recruits mostly bring their own, we don't have a skilled weaponsmith to keep them in repair, and we need to outfit the new volunteers as well." Kyrina looked over the figures and nodded. "I presume you have a plan to get a weaponsmith and armorer?" Nereida nodded. "Yes. General?" Aisha shifted a bit uncomfortably. "As you'll remember, Kyrina, at the end of the Crownbreaker War, the then-Council decided that in order to ensure peace, they'd have to get rid of 'disruptive elements.'" "Meaning, anyone who wasn't human, right?" snarled the half-elf. "Quite. There'd been a lot of nonsense bandied about how the 'un-men' were somehow turning the humans against each other. As if we couldn't do that all on our own." Aisha straightened a bit. "It's worth saying here that even General La Lanterne had misgivings about the campaign, however efficiently he carried it out." "*Our* General La Lanterne?" asked Reid, appalled. Aisha shook her head. "No, his son Garou, Alouette's father. Rumor had it that Garou died of remorse, and that's part of why Renard retired rather than take a post in the government." "So what does this have to do with our armaments problem?" asked Kyrina. "You yourself found living kobolds, despite the belief in Heresha that they'd all perished. I know I was surprised! And you managed to draw them to your, *our* cause." "And we want you to repeat that with the dwarves," explained Nereida. "Charlotte?" The cartographer, who'd been silent up until then, sprang into action, unrolling a nautical chart on the table. "On the ship to these islands, I talked to the sailors about the area. Over here, to the east, is where the dwarves were deported to by the Hereshan government." Aisha pointed to it. "It's a barren rock, mostly. The plan was to let the dwarves starve to death slowly. But it seems the late General La Lanterne underestimated dwarven ingenuity." Charlotte traced an imaginary line to the south. "They managed to build a couple of boats, and sent out exploring parties. One found this island, two days to the south. It's well off the regular trade routes, and highly volcanic, but it does support life, and that's where the dwarves moved." Reid smacked one hand into the other. "So that's what Lord Fehron meant!" When the others looked at him expectantly, he went on. "He's my father's friend, head of the merchant's guild down in Kesshin. He once said he had a secret source of metalwork, and that must be it." "So you want me to somehow get to this island and convince the dwarves to support us?" Kyrina frowned. "Not until one of our two current expeditions comes back," amended Nereida. "But I want you to be ready to go as soon as possible after that. Ideally, to show our force's inclusiveness, Kaleen and one of the kobolds should go along too." Reid tallied on his fingers. "That seems a bit too calculated. But if you're going in that direction, you should include one of our craftsmen as well. From the stories I've heard, they respect humans that know how to make things." "Point noted. Anything else we should consider?" Further discussion was cut off by pounding on the door. Reid opened it to find a white-faced Daniel. The boy looked feverish. "What is it, Daniel, is the castle under attack again?" "No, sir, it's Lady Tavia! Her family--her family has been murdered!" Tavia's party had halted again, as Janna's mule had balked at a difficult slope. Baren rolled his eye. "Was it truly necessary to bring this ill-tempered beast?" "It's no more ill-tempered than you," retorted Janna. "And it can carry more of my inventory than you can. It takes months to craft a rune crystal, you know, especially if you want something more advanced than a simple elemental." "Feh. The Children of the Wind find their strength without the crutch of Runes. And the beasts we raise are trained to be obedient." Baren demonstrated by taking the mule's head in a painful-looking hold and pulling it up the hill. Tavia averted her eyes. "By the way, Janna, do you have a Window crystal in your inventory? We have a member who's looking for one." "I'm afraid not. Those things are rarer than cockatrice teeth! If I knew how to craft a Window Rune, I could retire a rich woman." Janna rubbed her hands in mock greed. Ilena clucked teasingly. "And here I thought you were concerned solely with 'the true purpose of the Runes.' How much further are we going today? My feet hurt." "City-dweller," scoffed Baren as he and the mule traded evil glares. "I hate to admit it, but I'm footsore as well," said Janna. "A Runemaster's life is normally sedentary." Tavia looked at the shadows. They were growing longer. "Catherwood, how long until we're out of Kesshin-controlled territory?" The butler consulted his map and the nearby landmarks. "I make it that we're still at least three miles within the border, Lady Tavia." "Not that that means too much," added Ilena. "High Councilman Arondight's control is near-absolute in the city, but it fades rapidly out in the countryside." Baren nodded. "My people have never been believers in borders. Lines on paper mean little compared to mountain and stream." Tavia looked at Catherwood's map. "All right. It looks like there's a good place to camp about a mile ahead." The mule seemed more tractable now, and they were able to get nearly to the planned campsite before both Baren and Kojiro stiffened. "Horses," whispered the ninja. "Six horses," replied Baren. "Bearing armed men." The party prepared for battle. Shortly, the pursuers rode into view. There were three swordsmen, two archers, and one man who made Tavia's breath catch in her throat. High Councilman Arondight looked very much like his son, despite the obvious difference in age. But there was a cruelty in his expression Tavia had never seen in Reid. "Ho the travelers!" he cried. "We wish to parley." Tavia signaled her people to hold their positions. "What do you want, sir?" "I come seeking a runaway child, girl. Ilena, your father yearns for your return." Arondight beckoned with his hand. Ilena half-turned from him. "Let him yearn then. I am no songbird, to be kept in a gilded cage." "No, my sweet. You are a hothouse flower, who will soon wilt in the harsh climate outside. Do you not realize how dangerous it is to trust a barbarian as your guide?" "I have a Rune now, and can protect myself," replied Ilena, raising her hand. "So I see, and our renegade Runemistress is with you as well. Was it you, Janna, who put such foolish thoughts into Ilena's head?" Janna's reply was cut off by a sharp retort from her friend. "I have my own thoughts, my own feelings and I will choose my own way, no matter what you or my father say!" Arondight's face darkened. "You have no choice in this matter, child, save one! Come with me now, and your friends will be spared. Refuse, and they die!" Ilena seemed to shrink a bit. "You promise? My friends will go free?" "Of course. You have my word." "As Mateek Twoknives had your word?" protested Baren. "I know little of this girl, but your pledge is as false as a hollow spear." "For that insult, barbarian, you will die. Men, take Lady Fehron alive. Do as you will with the others." Before the last words were out of Arondight's mouth, Baren and Kojiro were already engaging the front line of swordsman, with Tavia only a moment behind. Ilena gestured, and a golden glow rose from the ground to surround her with a protective aura. One of the enemy bowmen raised his own hand, and fire washed over the defenders, burning for a moment. Fortunately, it seemed to be a weak flame, and the pain was manageable. "All right, you'll have to go," said Janna, invoking her Darkness Rune. Black coldness surrounded the bowman, draining his energy, and he collapsed. Arondight gave out a short, barking laugh. "Rabble and children! Well, I have a Rune too!" He raised a fist and it glowed an angry red. Then he *leaped* over the fighters, smashed the flat of his sword into Catherwood, and leaped back to his previous position. Catherwood went down. "Uhoh," said Janna. "That's new. Tavia, he's got a Clone Rune!" As Tavia struggled against her current opponent, she tried to remember what the Clone Rune did. It was a combat enhancer, giving the wielder immense strength and speed for short bursts. But it had a weakness; between each use of the power, the user had to catch her breath. Janna now was also glowing with the protection of Ilena's Earth Rune. Darkness again swirled, this time seeking out Arondight. "So...cold. Abun, fix me!" The second archer lowered his bow, and revealed a Water Rune, which he used to replace his master's lost energy. Arondight then smashed his sword into the Runemistress. Even with her protection, the blow left Janna barely conscious. Seeming to be out of magic power, Ilena resorted to throwing darts. They scattered off a swordsman's shield. Baren and Kojiro finished off their opponents, rather the worse for wear. The ninja moved on to the Water Rune-wielding bowman, while Baren helped Tavia with her opponent. "I have an idea," breathed Tavia. "On my signal, turn around and aim low." Baren nodded. Then he gave an ululating shout that seemed familiar to Tavia, though she couldn't quite place it. As Tavia had expected, Arondight again leapt forth to attack Janna. "Now!" She and Baren struck at the High Councilman's legs, knocking him off-balance and preventing him from retreating to safety. With the help of Janna's staff, they soon had Arondight reeling. Unfortunately, the second bowman managed to get a healing spell off for his master before Kojiro put paid to him. Worse, as Arondight broke free, a dozen more horsemen in the Kesshin livery rode up. "It seems I win, Lady Fehron. I'll be sure to charge your father dearly for this favor." Tavia saw no choice but to invoke her own Victory Rune. A golden glow settled over her group; Catherwood awoke, and the others rallied. Unfortunately, they were still outnumbered. Kojiro asked, "Do you see any way out of this, Lady Tavia?" "Not really." "Then the only question left is, 'How many of them can we make die?'" With that, the battle began anew. The defenders fought as well as they ever had, but as each attacker fell, more moved in. It seemed hopeless, and Tavia tried to invoke the Victory Rune again, but there didn't seem to be any power left in her. The attackers parted ranks for a moment, and Rosh Arondight strode up to Tavia. "It's time to end this, girl." She held her sai at the ready. "It's a pity you aren't more like your son." "Eh?" Arondight paused. "A nice distraction, but it won't save you." Baren broke into his ululation again. "Perhaps this distraction will?" There was an answering call from all around them. "What?" Arondight looked around. Out of the forest stepped men and women in furs and feathers, each holding a simple but effective weapon. "The Children of the Wind!" cried Ilena, a little fear in her voice. The Kesshin soldiers looked about nervously. "Sir," said one, "they've got us surrounded, and they're fresh. What do we do?" Arondight managed to look commanding even as he leapt for his horse. "We concede the field, of course. Lord Fehron will just have to live without his daughter for the time being. You, girl!" "Yes?" asked Tavia, feeling more confident. "Tell my son he can come home just as soon as he admits that he was wrong to defy me." With that, he rode off, his soldiers trying to stay dignified in retreat. Tavia let out a breath, and her shoulders sagged. "Don't relax just yet," suggested Baren. "What do you mean?" "It is time, as you city-dwellers put it, to pay the piper." Baren gestured towards a near-giant of a man, aging, but carrying a huge club with ease. "Greetings to you, Gundik. May your path ever be open." "Baren One-Eye. We missed you at your brother's pyre. Indeed, I do not recall seeing you at all during the northern campaign. I think it is time you explained...." TO BE CONTINUED Stars added: None, but we're about a third of the way there! Author's Notes: Note that Rosh Arondight is a "local encounter". He'll be a factor if any of the heroes come to Kesshin again, but won't show up elsewhere. Janna might be able to work on more than one rune crystal at once, but it will still be many chapters before new ones come from her workshop, so treasure-hunting is a more viable way of getting good Runes. Thanks to my pre-readers, to Carl Macek and Heather Alexander, and to my very patient parents. Looking forward to future chapters, and the comments of you readers. SKJAM!