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Chapter 3: The Bandits of Borgo

Opening

narrator
Ephraim, the missing prince of Renais, has been found.
He is in Renvall, a Grado province near the border with Renais.
Stationed there is Tirado, Valter's trusted aide, who requests reinforcements.
The way there is long and perilous, however, and soon Lyon finds his first roadblock:
An old fort in Borgo Ridge, once used as a hideout by a band of brigands.
It now houses a group of survivors from the Renais army...
colm
Psst! Hey, mate!
commander
What is it, lad?
colm
(smiles) Just wanted to thank you again.
When Bazba's Bandits got their sweaty paws on me, I thought I was a goner for sure. You lot saved my hide!
commander
(smiles) Don't mention it. It was our pleasure.
(serious) Renais has fallen, the royal family has disappeared...
These are harrowing days for all of us, and we soldiers are to blame.
It felt good to deliver some justice to those cutthroats.
Do our jobs right, for a change.
colm
(serious) Don't beat yourselves up. Nobody expected Grado's attack.
You all did the best you could, I'm sure.

Well... I think I'd best get going now. I found my friend's mirror, you see.

commander
I see. Good luck out there, lad. You and your friend stay safe--
(A soldier approaches.)
soldier
S-Sir! Bad news! It's Grado!
They're... They're coming here!
(The commander starts.)
commander
Here?! What?! Why?!
They can't have come just to kill a few stragglers like us!
soldier
Well, fact is, they're fast approaching. What do we do?
commander
What CAN we do? We defend as best we can.
The barricades should buy us some time, and...
colm
Let me help. I found this fancy sword in the keep.
None of your guys know much swordsmanship.
I'm great with a blade, though. I could hit 'em hard with this!
commander
Are you crazy, lad? You've got to get back to your friend!
colm
...Neimi'll be fine on her own for a bit longer.
Not like I have much of a chance to sneak past them, anyway.
'Sides, I owe you all my life. This is the least I can do.
commander
...Godspeed, lad.
Let's win the day so this brave boy can return to his friend safely!
soldier
Aye aye, sir!
lyon
So this is the fort you told me about...
valter
It may look rather derelict, but make no mistake.
It is crawling with gormless Renais knightlings.
If we wipe them out, we can use the fort to rest for the night.
That, and of course, we can't just leave our enemies to roam free.
glen
In other words, Valter wants to start yet another pointless fight.
Needless to say, I object. We should just keep going.
lyon
No, I agree with Valter. What if they strike us from behind?
Or what if they regroup and rise up against Father? We can't risk it.
valter
Excellent. Without further ado, then?
lyon
Yes. Let's go.
glen
......

Enemy Turn 1 (if hard mode)

monk w/ Purge
My goodness... What a predicament this is.
I must remain calm. Victory may depend on my tome...
I can put them to rout before they can even get close.
Gods grant me strength...

NPC Turn 1

(Bone paces around the cell.)
bazba
Dammit all, Bone!
Will you stop jittering about?! It's driving me nuts!
bone
Ack! Sorry, boss!
bazba
Make yourself useful, you fool! Get this door open!
(Bone steps closer.)
bone
What?
bazba
You gonna play dumb with me?
They took my tools, but I saw you slip a lockpick into your trousers.
bone
Er, yeah, I could probably get the door open, but...
bazba
But what?!
bone
T-They'll just beat us silly and lock us in here again!
We gotta be, y'know... Ascetic about this!
bazba
As... Ascetic, Bone?
bone
Yeah, you know! Think 'bout our actions carefully, and--
(Bazba huffs.)
bazba
Strategic, you moron! Strategic! Ascetic's not even close!
And I don't need no strategies! I'm the mighty Bazba!
I'll chop 'em all in half without even breakin' a sweat!
bone
...That's what you said when they showed up, and look at us now...
bazba
Bah! They got me by surprise! Things'll be different this time!
bone
Yes they will, boss!
'Cause I'm not opening the door.
bazba
...Incredible. How can you stand upright without a spine, boy?
Guess we'll just sit here and twiddle our thumbs, then.
bone
Fine by me.
bazba
...Unnnhh...

Turn 3

(Brigands approach from the south.)
brigand
Chop chop, boys! We ain't got all day!
Now that we're free from Bazba and his almighty delusions, we can create a new, improved gang and get filthy rich!
All we gotta do is take the keep back from those idiot knights!
The guy I sent in must've gotten the doors open by now.
Let's go, lads! Time to get rich!

Freeing Bazba

bazba
Wha... The heck's going on?! Who are you people?

Grado soldiers, eh...


(grins) Hah, oh I almost feel bad for the poor wretches!
(serious) Well then, kind sirs. Hope you don't mind if we skedaddle now!
bone
...They're not moving from the door, boss...
bazba
Grrr... Whaddya want with us?! We ain't got a thing!

These axes? They were lying around in this room when they locked us in.

bone
I forgot 'em here the other day when I was on cleaning duty.
Boss was so mad at me... Turned out to be a lucky break, huh.
bazba
Shut up, Bone.
...Oohh, I see now... Ya want us to fight for ya!
(grins) Hah hah hah... Good choice, friend!
I am the mighty Bazba! None can withstand my axe!
bone
I'm Bone.
bazba
(frowns) ......
Outstandin', Bone. You really sold yourself there, man.
Sigh... Well, keep in mind, we're both good with locks and pockets.
You want somethin' stolen? Let us know. (smirks) Hah hah hah...
Otherwise, we'll be happy to crack some heads for ya! Startin' right now!
bone
...I have a bad feeling about this...

Conversations

Colm

Combat

colm
Drat... No, no! Get away from me!

Neimi!

Death

colm
To think of it... Me... In this place... Neimi...

Ending

duessel
...That's it. The fort has fallen.
glen
You do not look so pleased, Duessel.
...Sigh... Be that I could claim not to understand, but I very much do.
selena
You as well, Glen?
We are His Majesty's Imperial Three. We--
glen
Imperial SIX, now.
Come now, Selena. Don't tell me you're comfortable with it.
Reinstating Valter, after what he did all those years ago?
It is madness-- And believe me, he has not changed at all.
duessel
And that priest...
I am not the superstitious kind, but there is something about him.
Something... wrong. Evil, even.

And naming a mere mercenary general? He has no true loyalty to Grado!
He could turn on us the moment it suits his designs!

selena
I must admit, they wouldn't have been my first choices.
But even so! His Majesty named them himself.
I, for one, trust in His Majesty's judgment.
glen
...Yes... I do as well.
Emperor Vigarde has always been a kind and just man.
duessel
...And yet, his decisions of late... I pray they haven't been influenced by...
selena
What's that, Duessel?
duessel
...Never mind. Just pointless ruminations of mine.
selena
Hmm. Well, in any case, we should conduct a full sweep of the building.
glen
Yes... Let us do that.
(Glen and Selena leave.)
duessel
......
lyon
......

1 1/5 years ago

lyon
When tomorrow comes... You have to go home, don't you?
eirika
Yes... Thank you for everything, Lyon.
I'll never forget the time I spent here.
ephraim
Don't make that face.
We'll see each other again. All three of us--you, me, and Eirika.
lyon
(smiles) Yeah... I know.
But when we get older, when we each take the reigns of our nations,
we probably won't meet again... Not like this, I mean. Not as friends.
ephraim
(smiles) What's that got to do with anything?
Kings are humans, too. Emperors need not be friendless, you know.
lyon
I suppose you're right. You have a knack for cutting to the heart of things.
But becoming a king or an emperor is not something you can take lightly.
I really don't think we'll be the same people we are right now...

What if Renais and Grado went to war? What if we were forced to fight?

eirika
(smiles) Don't be ridiculous! That would never happen!
lyon
If... If it did...
We'd still be friends, wouldn't we?
ephraim
Even if that happens, yes.
We're friends forever. Nothing can change that. You'll see.
lyon
Hm...
All right, Ephraim. Then I will see you again.
eirika
I hope your study of the Sacred Stones is fruitful.
I know you'll use the wisdom you glean to make your people happy.
lyon
Thank you, Eirika.
You know, there were times when I wanted to give up, to admit failure.
But you were always there. You were always encouraging me to succeed.
That's what kept me going. I just thought of you.
eirika
Lyon...
lyon
...I guess this is it, Eirika. Hope to see you again someday.
I'm going to focus on my work and do my best until that day.
My research will progress, and my discoveries will benefit us all.
One day, I will be a prince worthy of you, and I will see you again.
eirika
...It's a promise.
ephraim
Well, we still need to fare the Emperor well.
Goodbye, Lyon. Till next we meet!
eirika
Please, don't forget to write!
lyon
Of course...
(Eirika and Ephraim leave.)
lyon
......
(Fomortiis appears before Lyon.)
(Lyon starts.)
lyon
Gah...!
riev
(smirks) Heh heh heh... Is everything all right, Prince?
You look as if you've seen some manner of ghoul...
lyon
I-I'm okay, Riev... Thanks for your concern.
...U-Urgh...
riev
(serious) Oh no, don't tell me your head's giving you trouble again!
lyon
...Just a faint headache. It'll pass, like always...
riev
You know I'm here to serve you, my dear prince.
(smirks) Heh heh heh...
lyon
Y-Yeah...

Ide

garcia
W...What happened here...?!

(Garcia runs through the village.)

Ross! Ross, where are you?! Ross!

Ross--!

......

(Garcia crouches down.)

...N-No...

Character Descriptions

Bone
One of Bazba's henchmen. He's a docile simpleton.

Bazba
The leader of Bazba's Bandits. He's a ruthless pillager.

Colm
A childhood friend of Neimi who hails from Renais. He can be snide.

Renais
The army of Renais, the bountiful central kingdom.

Cutthroat
A former member of Bazba's Bandits, a recently disbanded bandit gang.