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Chapter 18: Sacred Twins

Opening

narrator
Jehanna, home of dancing white sands.
This largely barren desert nation is infamous for its mercenary forces.
Their might sought by all nations, these people live for and by the blade.
With the memory of Caer Pelyn's destruction still burning in their minds, Lyon's soldiers infiltrate Jehanna's territory at last.
The path was supposed to be secure. However...
soldier
They're here! They've been sighted!
Grado's coming down from the mountains!
gerik
Thanks. Go get everyone ready, will you?
(The soldier salutes and leaves.)
gerik
You really oughta go, Queen Ismaire.
This is no place for a queen.
ismaire
My commander is missing. I must stand at the helm of my armies.
I trust in my sword arm. I will not be a liability.
gerik
I'm not saying you'd be, but if you die here, Jehanna's finished.
Can't risk it, sorry. Let us disposable goons risk our necks.
ismaire
I suppose... You are well known among the soldiery.
I am certain they'd be just as willing to take orders from you.
gerik
I'm just the leader of a little mercenary band.
Didn't think my humble name reached as far as that.
ismaire
Oh, please, Gerik. Monarchs call on you personally.
Your name cannot be so humble if entire countries vie for your loyalty.
gerik
(smiles) Hah, good point.
(serious) ...Well, it's all set now. Saleh left two days ago.
With his knowledge of the peaks, he should've been able to avoid them.
He'll get some extra help and hit them where they least expect it.
Beyond that, it's all up to our strength and our guile.
ismaire
I have no doubt that you will be successful. Even so...
I already bestowed a gift upon your comrade. It is your turn now.
If I am to hurry away from the field of battle like a helpless maiden, allow me to at least grant you this, that I may fight with you in spirit.
(Ismaire presents Gerik with something that takes him aback.)
gerik
What?! That's a joke, right?
You do know what this is, don't you, Queen Ismaire?
ismaire
I can think of no better warrior to wield this in my stead.
Save, perhaps, Carlyle...
I shall begin investigating his disappearance when I return.
gerik
I'm honored beyond words, Your Majesty.
Yeah, we're probably going to win now.
Go back to the palace and expect good news.
ismaire
Best of luck to you.
(Ismaire leaves.)
gerik
Incredible. Just incredible.
The queen just gave me the best sword in the entire world.
And with it, I will lose myself to my pressing need for vengeance.

(smiles) Heh... Tethys would scold me for it. And Marisa wouldn't even get it...
But then, maybe they would've surprised me.
(frowns) It's not like I'll ever know. They're both gone...
And it's your fault, Lyon of Grado!

(Ismaire leaves the battlefield while Gerik takes his position.)
(Glen and Caellach enter the valley.)
caellach
...So Josh and I were playing cards. I was losing.
Damn bastard cheated. I know he did.
The innkeeper comes up and says, "all right, time to pay up."
I look Josh in the eye, and I can tell he wants me to do it.
I'd had enough, so I yelled, "fire!" and jolted from my seat.
Entire room empties in seconds. Just Josh and me left.
He gives me a slow clap and says, "well played, Caellach."
I nod at him, then leave before the innkeeper realizes.
glen
So you scammed a hardworking man out of a few dozen gold.
Impressive. A riveting tale of glory earned on the battlefield.
Maybe I should regale you with some of my own war stories.
caellach
Oh, I don't know why I even bother.
You're made of stone, man.
It's impossible to get along with you.
Have you even had a friend in your entire life?
Or are friends just a distraction in the way of duty?
glen
...I have my brother.
Cormag. He's also a soldier in the army of Grado.
I am the eldest, but he is my better by far.
Stronger on the battlefield, and gentler out of it.
The only reason I am general and he is not is our ages.
I have no doubt one day he'll surpass me.
caellach
Now we're getting somewhere.
And you don't resent him for that?
I know I hated letting Josh get one over me when we worked together.
Not that that happened often...
glen
Resent him? My own brother? A jest in poor taste.
I care not if it's in his shadow, as long as I can stand by his side.
caellach
Is that right... How very noble of you.
But you're not by his side now, are you? How odd is that?
Where does this brother of yours stand in this, Glen?
glen
I have no idea. Maybe he is still fighting in Grado.
I cannot believe he'd be killed by the defectors...
caellach
...Or maybe he's joined them.
glen
I think that's enough talk for now.
We must conserve our energy for the road ahead.
caellach
You're a tedious bore, you know that, Glenny-boy?
glen
And that's another thing-- Will you stop calling me that?
That's General Glen to you. General Sunstone if you prefer.
caellach
I can give you Glen. Deal, or no deal?
glen
You... Urgh!

If Carlyle is alive

carlyle
......
(Caellach startles.)
caellach
Gah! Carlyle, you cad!
Why'd you sneak up on me like that? Say something!
glen
(smirks) Hah. Now that is amusing.
caellach
Oh, get smart with me, will you, O Your Sunstoneness?
carlyle
Look at the troops arrayed before us. This is exactly what I feared.
The queen noticed my prolonged absence and reinforced security.
Why, we wasted so much time in the mountains, your whereabouts have probably reached them by now!
They'll be ready for us. The plan is ruined!
caellach
Stop yelling, you pitiful sod. And what are you so worried about?
We're not going to be stopped. Remember what we did back there!
We're the army that brought down a dragon! We're unstoppable!
Jehanna's starving hyenas will be easily crushed by comparison!
carlyle
I am the leader of their army. I know them well.
You sorely underestimate them. They--
caellach
Shut your mouth, Carlyle.
You say the plan's ruined? Fine! Consider where that leaves you.
I've got no use for you any longer, if that is the case.
carlyle
I said to hurry to Jehanna! You're the ones who refused!
How is it my fault you decided to lay waste to some mountain village?!
caellach
It isn't, but life is unfair sometimes, isn't it?
Now... I'm a kind guy, even if I don't look like it.
You're no longer useful, but I'm going to let you MAKE yourself useful.
I suggest you quit complaining and start fighting your damnedest.
carlyle
Grrrrr... Fine! But I'm only doing this for my queen.
Keep it well in mind, Caellach. I will save her, no matter the cost...
(Carlyle leaves.)
glen
(frowns) ...An ally worth having, that one.
caellach
Give it a rest, will you, Glen?
(Lyon warps in.)
caellach
Ah! Prince Lyon! Timely entrance as always...
We're just about to have a big fight in our hands.
Not nearly as big as the one before, of course, but...
lyon
Give me a moment to catch my breath.

...All right. Let's go.
We have to get to Jehanna Hall, and fast.

(Lyon leaves.)
caellach
And off he goes...
You know what, Glen? I apologize. You're all right.
You may be a tedious bore, but at least you don't terrify me.
glen
Did you just admit to being scared of someone? You?
My ears must be playing tricks on me.
caellach
After what we've witnessed? Heck yeah I'm scared!
Damn bookworm's a fiend. Something's very wrong with him.
glen
All right, that's enough! We're generals of Grado.
We are His Majesty the emperor's loyal servants, and that man is his sole heir.
Cease this disrespectful prattling at once. It is not your place to speak in this way!
caellach
His loyal servants, huh... Yeah. That's right.
Let's go, then. Hope the good prince doesn't go berserk this time...
(Caellach leaves.)
glen
......

Chapter Tips

Lyon and the twins

The legendary sacred twins of Magvel seem to deal effective damage against Lyon.

Enemy bishops, too. Isn't that odd? Why would that be, I wonder?

Turn 7 (or when Gerik is killed)

(Saleh descends from the mountains with a squad of Caer Pelyn mages.)
saleh
It has already started...
Faster, everyone! We must go to Gerik's aid!
This is our only chance to avenge our brethren...
The brave heroes of Caer Pelyn that the Demon King has murdered!
With this tome, I will rend his body to shreds, and end this once and for all!

I will avenge you, Grandmother, Ewan... Rest assured of that.

If Gerik is still alive

gerik
Finally! Thought you'd never show up, friend...
All right, that's it, then. Time to get a move on...
Charge, everyone! Take them by storm!

Conversations

Hayden & Dara

dara
......
hayden
You... Are you not the woman we fought before?
Alongside the dragon...
dara
That was I, yes...
hayden
You realized which was the correct side to stand on.
I congratulate you on your wisdom, my lady.
dara
Pfah... Given the choice between serving alive and serving dead...
Perhaps I made the wrong call. This is even worse than I thought...
hayden
What do you mean?
dara
The Demon King... He is not alone.
His suit of flesh and bone is not deprived of his will entirely.
...And he may be an even worse sort than the Demon King.
For he fancies himself righteous. I can see it in his eyes...
hayden
(smirks) ...Hah...
dara
What is so funny to you? Who is he to you?
Are you one of these Grado fools blind to his true nature?
hayden
Hardly. Mayhap I know more than you do.
I was once a king, you know. But I sacrificed crown and title...
For I found a greater calling than the petty games of mortals.
Now, I am a faithful acolyte of the one you speak of.
A position far more glorious than the one I held before.
dara
Hmph... Yes, keep telling yourself that.
We'll see how your faith is rewarded at the end.
The Demon King seeks nothing but the destruction of mankind...
You are killing yourself, and everyone else with you.
hayden
(serious) ...So be it.
(Dara starts.)
dara
...!
hayden
(smirks) That took you by surprise, did it not?
No, I've had plenty of time and reason to resent humanity.
If the lord desires the end of our era, who am I to object?
I shall hand our heads to him on a silver platter...
And beg only to be taken last, that I may witness our fall.
dara
You are insane...
hayden
Hah! Perhaps. Or perhaps I am the sanest man alive.
We shall see, shan't we?
(Hayden leaves.)
dara
......
So this is the manner of person he's roped into following him.
Sigh... Fools...
[Dara gains 3 HP.]

Saaga & Glen

glen
...Urgh...
saaga
That's a dangerous look you have in your eyes.
I recognize it. I saw it often in the mirror.
And you know what I ended up doing...
glen
...You deserted Rausten.
saaga
Mmhmm...
Don't worry, though. I won't tattle.
But you should try to hide it better.
glen
Aye... That is wise advice. Thank you.
saaga
......
We can talk about it, if you like.
I may have left, but I'm still an ordained cleric.
Guiding people is what we're good at.
glen
Hmm...
I just... don't understand. Why did we fight that battle?
Those people were just living their lives up in the mountains...
saaga
Yes, I'll admit, I am... rather shaken, myself.
For what it's worth, I think it applies to most of us.
But it won't last. That, I can tell as well.
We'll come around, tell ourselves excuses.
I'm already well on my way to it, myself.
After all... They did attack us first, did they not?
glen
Hmph...
saaga
You're the one who's being stubborn.
Conscience can be a costly thing to have.
glen
And yet, it is a part of my self.
I cannot simply let it go. My brother never would...
saaga
You truly dote on this brother of yours, don't you?
glen
...I do. He's very important to me.
saaga
I had a sister, once. Sickness took her.
glen
My condolences...
saaga
That heartless dastard Mansel told me it was all the plan of the gods.
Yeah, right. He just didn't want to hear me sulk at his court.
How that man was allowed to ascend to pontifex, I'll never know.
Never met a less talented priest in my entire life.
glen
Er...
saaga
And the way he spoils his rotten little niece, L'Brat!
Not that her actual parents were much better, mind.
That entire family was always filled with wackos.
They claim ancestry with Saint Latona himself!
Can you believe that? That should count as heresy!
glen
......
saaga
Ah, but I'm boring you. So sorry, General Glen.
Thank you for humoring me. Feels nice to have someone to talk to.
All right, the moment has passed. Let's get back to the business at hand!
(Saaga leaves.)
glen
I... I thought we were going to talk about MY problems...

(closes eyes) Sigh...

[Glen and Saaga's support rank increases.]

Tiffani & Lyon

tiffani
Mister Lion! Mister Liooooon!
lyon
......
(Tiffani jumps to get his attention.)
tiffani
Mister LIOOOOOOOON!!
lyon
I can hear you. You don't need to yell.
tiffani
Sorry...
It's actually you now, right?
(Lyon starts.)
lyon
W-What?
...I don't understand what you mean...
tiffani
Don't lie, Mister Lion...
I saw the bad Mister Lion before!
He was really scary, but now you're back.
lyon
......
Do you... Do you earnestly believe there's a "bad" me?
tiffani
Well, yeah! I saw him!
lyon
...Unbelievable.
Everyone saw it, but only you have accepted it for what it is...
But then, I suppose it does seem impossible, doesn't it?
It would take a child's imagination to simply accept the impossible.
tiffani
How did the bad Mister Lion get inside you?
lyon
He didn't get inside me. I invited him into me.
tiffani
...Why?
lyon
For power.
tiffani
...He said... you stole his power to save me...
lyon
I did.
I am a worthless weakling. I am completely useless...
I could never have saved you by my own merits.
So... I employed someone else's power.
But it has come at a cost...
tiffani
......
lyon
You shouldn't try to be friends with me. I'm a horrible person.
If it suits my designs, I will not hesitate to hurt you.
tiffani
......
(Tiffani runs up to Lyon and tackles him into a hug, startling Lyon.)
lyon
Whoa! W-What are you doing, Tiffani?!
tiffani
(closes eyes) Whenever I feel sad, my mom gives me a hug and I feel better.
lyon
But I'm not sad, I'm...
tiffani
You're sad. I can tell.
lyon
......
(Tiffani opens her eyes and lets go.)
tiffani
Do you feel better now, Mister Lion?
lyon
You... You do know I'm not called Lion, right?
tiffani
(smiles) Yeah... But I like lions. They're big and strong, like you!
lyon
(smiles) Big and-- Oh, please...
tiffani
If you feel sad again, tell me, okay?
I don't want you to be sad, because...
You're wrong! You're a nice guy and we're friends!
lyon
...All right, Tiffani...
Thank you. I feel a lot better now.
Run along now, okay?
(Tiffani bounces excitedly and runs off.)
lyon
(serious) She's like the little sister I never had...
...It's for people like her that I cannot stop.
I have to save everyone... Everyone like her...
[Tiffani renews her support with Lyon and upgrades it to rank A.]

Gerik

Combat

gerik
All right, then. Time for you to die.

Combat w/ Zabba

gerik
Zabba... It's you.
zabba
What's wrong, Gerik? Do I have something on my face?
No... I am missing something.
And you know who to thank for that...
gerik
You know, when I discovered you had survived...
I was so happy I thought I'd explode.
I visited you as often as I could.
Talked to you... I don't think you could hear me, though.
All that time, I only dreamed of seeing you awake again.
Then one day I visited, and they told me you just left.
zabba
Yeah, how unlucky for you, right?
That way, you couldn't keep me in the dark.
You couldn't stop me from finding out...
That you'd replaced me with my own killer!
gerik
Replaced you? You said that, not me.
And I did tell you not to go after him.
The job reeked to high heaven of something rotten.
And what do you know? It was rotten.
I looked into your employer. He was a noble of Carcino.
He claimed Caer Pelyn's land was in his territory.
He tried to tax them, but Saleh sent him packing.
So he sent you to kill him.
zabba
So it was my fault, was it? I was the bad guy.
And since I was, you could just replace me with him!
gerik
I'm not saying that. But Saleh is a good man.
This awful rage, it is completely unjustified--
zabba
Completely unjustified?! How can you say that?!
He took my eye! He tried to kill me!
And you... You left me for dead!

(Zabba fumes.)

You betrayed me! You... You traitor!

gerik
Zabba, no! Please, stop! I... I don't want to fight you!

Zabba!!

Death

gerik
If you live on the battlefield, you know this day will come...
Hope you have a welcome party ready for me...
(closes eyes) Marisa... Tethys...

Saleh

Combat

saleh
The souls of your victims empower my magic!

Combat w/ Morva

saleh
Lord Morva... You truly were defeated.
When a survivor told me, I could scarcely believe it...
But I cannot deny the horrible truth before my eyes.
morva
......
saleh
I shan't let them toy with you any longer.

Combat w/ Dara

(Saleh starts.)
saleh
G...Grandmother?!
No... They turned you into an undead puppet...
The same as Lord Morva... Damn you, Demon King!
dara
......
What happened wasn't too far removed from that.
I suppose this puppet shall fight...

Combat w/ Zabba

zabba
You...
saleh
......
zabba
This time, it's going to end differently.
You took my eye... And in return...
I will take both yours, and your life!
saleh
And you would join the Demon King to have your revenge?
Gerik spoke so highly of you...
Perhaps his heart was merely clouded by remembrance.

Death

saleh
My duty... Shall it go... unfulfilled...?

Ending

lyon
These... These weapons...
caellach
Hoowee! Look at that!
It's the Sacred Twins of Jehanna!
glen
Such power emanating from these arms...
lyon
It's... It's... It hurts...
Keep them away from me, please.
glen
My prince? What ails you now...?
lyon
Nothing! Just keep those things well away from me.
caellach
...You know, these weapons were designed to vanquish the Demon King.
The same Demon King that summoned legions of monsters to his side...
Or, so the bards sing, at least.
lyon
...Your point being, Caellach?
caellach
Nothing, nothing. Just idle chatter.
You should know better than to take me too seriously by now.
lyon
......
Keep going to Jehanna. I want it taken when I return.
Our other division should be very near Grado Keep by now...
We're so close to turning this whole thing around.
So close... And then... Then I can...
Urgh... Guu...aaah...

(Lyon stumbles.)

Then I can save Grado...

(Lyon warps away.)
caellach
......
glen
......
caellach
C'mon, Glen. You're thinking it too, aren't you?
It lines up a bit too well.
glen
It's a profoundly stupid flight of fancy, that's what it is.
Get your head out of the clouds, Caellach.
caellach
Who's being disrespectful now, huh?
Fine. It's none of my business anyway.
All I want is to climb the ranks. Get closer to that crown...
(Caellach leaves.)
glen
...He has gone...
(Glen stamps his foot.)
glen
Blast! Dammit... Dammit all!
What is happening?! What is going on with the prince?!
Ahhh... Curses! This is all wrong...

(Glen flounders.)

Confound that mercenary, making me entertain these silly ideas!
All I have to do is keep following the path I have chosen.
Yes... Just as I have always done.
Just as we have always done... You and I, Cormag...

If Zabba fought Gerik

zabba
...Gerik?
Are you still breathing, Gerik?
gerik
......
(eyes flutter open) Just about... Cough...
What, were you worried... you wouldn't be able to gloat?
zabba
...I... I'm not sure...

Hey, what is this? Isn't this...?

gerik
Your favorite sword...
Kept it... all this time...
zabba
It's in pristine condition, too. I never kept it this clean!

(Zabba starts.)

Whoa! Wait, what's wrong with this thing?!
I feel a... strong magic coursing through it...

gerik
Saleh asked to borrow it one day...
He enchanted it with some kind of... protective spell...
We were going to give it to you... when you woke up...

It was going to be... our apology, Zabba...

zabba
What...?
gerik
(smiles, closes eyes) Heh... Better late... than never, I guess...
zabba
...This... This is...
(Zabba rushes to Gerik's side.)
zabba
Gerik-- Hold on! I'm gonna try to patch up your wounds...

...Gerik?

(Gerik dies.)
zabba
Gerik?! Gerik, no!
Gerik!!
(Zabba receives a Frigid Blade.)

Character Descriptions

Gerik
A mercenary leader from Jehanna. He's better known as the Desert Tiger.

Saleh
A sage from the village Caer Pelyn. He's Ewan's solemn, but kind, teacher.

Caer Pelyn
Youths of the mysterious village of Caer Pelyn, deep in the mountains.

Jehannan
A soldier serving Jehanna, the desert nation to the east.