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Chapter 12x: The Thunder Axe

Opening

narrator
Following Galle's guidance, Zephiel heads for a cave near Juteaux to obtain a legendary weapon.

But Zephiel and company aren't the only ones who know of the cave.
Yet another battle awaits them...

bartre
...Hmph...
Urgh! Hey, you!
soldier
Y-Yeah, Sir Bartre?
(Bartre approaches the soldier.)
bartre
Tell me Armads is in our hands already!
soldier
I'm afraid not, Sir...
It's well hidden. We'll need more time to find it.
bartre
Blast... Can we truly afford to waste so much time?
That army from Bern was almost upon Juteaux when we left...
Maybe I should've stayed!
soldier
Sir Bartre, with all due respect, Dame Echidna is at Juteaux.
They won't get through her easily!
She is the hero of the Western Isles!
bartre
You're right there, lad. She's a monster on the battlefield.
I'm sure everything will be--
messenger
H-Hey! All of you! Listen up!
Juteaux... has fallen! They're coming here next!
(Bartre starts.)
bartre
N-No! No way...!

(Bartre shakes with rage.)

Graaaaaaaaaah...! Well, let them come!
They will know the fury of Bartre the Brave!
Armads, or no Armads!

(The soldier starts.)
soldier
Ah! S-Sir Bartre! It's ours at last!
bartre
Ahh... Look at this beauty. Magnificent...
Good work! They're going to be sorry now!
With this axe, not even the king himself will stop me!
You stay here. I'm gonna go give them a piece of my mind!
soldier
Good luck, Sir Bartre!
zephiel
It is quite dark in here...
murdock
According to a scholar in Juteaux that Galle interrogated, the legendary weapon in this cave is most likely the Thunder Axe, Armads.
zephiel
How about the resistance forces? What could you glean of them?
murdock
Most remained to defend Juteaux alongside their leader.
The detachment here shouldn't be too fearsome.
Still, they know this cave better than we do, and in this darkness...
We should tread lightly, Your Majesty.
zephiel
Agreed. Let us begin.

Conversations

Dory & Mieu

mieu
Sniff... Sniff...
I-I can't see... anything...
H-Help... Someone help me...!
(Dory approaches.)
dory
Huh? A kid?!
(Mieu cowers.)
mieu
A-Ah!
dory
Hey, hey! Don't run off on yer own!
This cave's dangerous. Stick with me, and--
mieu
N-No! Please, don't hurt me! I-I beg you...!
dory
Hurt you?
(smiles) Hah, well, unless these moves hurt, that ain't it, girlie!
Watch! Hmph, hmph!

(Dory dances.)

...Hop! So, how was that?

mieu
I... I-I...
(smiles) Pfft... Hehehe...
dory
Ahah, I made you laugh!
I guess I do look kinda stupid when I do this, don't I...
mieu
(frowns) You're... not mad I laughed...?
dory
I wanna put smiles in people's faces with my dancin'.
Laugh's just a bigger smile when ya really think about it!
mieu
......

(Mieu moves closer and relaxes.)

S-Sorry I was scared...

dory
(serious) Hey, don't sweat it. I know I look pretty scary.
Used to be mighty scary, too... But I've changed.

Listen, I know your story. It's all wrong, lass.
No kid like you should be made to fight in a war.
So just stick close, okay? I'll keep ya safe.

mieu
...I almost...
dory
Eh?
mieu
When my brother and my uncle... l-left...
I thought I'd never meet anyone nice again...
(smiles) But you're nice. Thank you, mister.
dory
(smiles) Aww, y-you're gonna make me all red in the face.
I'm only doin' what any decent person would do!
All right, let's concentrate! Don't go too far, little girl!
mieu
U-Uh huh...

Scollan & Scott

scollan
(grins) Heeeeeeeeey, fellow brigand!
How long have you been with us, man?
scott
...Since before you joined?
scollan
'Course, 'course! Awesome.
So... Burned down any villages lately?
(frowns) It's such a drag the bossman won't let us burn down villages.
I tried again and again to tell 'im just how much fun it is...
He won't listen, tho. Says "who is this loud mongrel?"
My mama didn't name me Loud Mongrel! I am Scollan!
I have a right to burn down villages! Nay, a duty!
Burning down villages is a... a way of LIFE for me!
He's tryin' to take my reason to live! He's tryin' to kill me, man!
You agree, don't you? Since you are a brigand like me'n all.
scott
...I'm not a brigand, I'm a pirate.
I only raid ships. Out at sea, y'know?
I don't burn 'em, either. Most of the time.
That's just wasteful and contaminates the waters.
(Scollan balks.)
scollan
WHAT!?
That's... that's just... It can't be true!
You're lying!

You're LYYYYYYYYING!!

scott
I'm starting to think you're not a brigand either.
You're just an arsonist.
scollan
Boohoohoo! I'm so misunderstood!
No one in this army gets me!
Everyone's so mean to me! Boohoohoo...
All I want is to burn down some villages!
Is that so much to ask?
scott
Sure is.
People live in villages. One doesn't mess with the houses.
Without homes, how are people gonna earn money, grow crops...
Just, make more stuff for you to steal?
A burned village is a worthless heap of ash and debris.
scollan
That's awful. You have no eye for art.
scott
...The art of a... burned down village?
scollan
It's beautiful, I tell you. You're just blind to it.
Society has told you it's wrong and you believed them.
You're like sheeps. I am the one who's smart.
scott
The plural of sheep isn't sheeps, it's just sheep.
...Not that I get why that is, this language is weird.
scollan
Ooo, yeah, bring up the minor spelling error, won't you.
I may be illiterate, but you're a sheeple.
Which is worse, pirate man? Well, which is it?
scott
I think I will leave now, thank you.
(He does so.)
scollan
Yeah, run! You know you can't win against me!
...This don't fix my problem, though.
Ooh, I can feel the withdrawal kickin' in... Uugh...
Must... burn... vill...age...
(Scollan twitches.)

Legance & Debias

legance
(offscreen)
Debias! Debias! Debias!!
debias
Oof... Unnh... A-All right... Here goes nothing!
(Legance approaches.)
legance
Debias! There you are!
I've been looking everywhere for you, you unsightly buffoon!
debias
Ergh... S-Sorry, General Legance, sir... I-I mean...
legance
Debias, you must stop with the nonsense!
We have been casted aside by Bern!
I expected a high position, but nothing further from the truth!
I am ordered around like a mere rank-and-file soldier!
This cannot stand, Debias. We must redouble our efforts!
debias
Redouble them how...?
legance
This cave seems like a good place to start.
Go and kill every enemy in sight, then get the legendary weapon.
Bring it to me so I may present it to King Zephiel!
debias
What?! I can't win against them all...!
(Legance looms menacingly and Debias shrinks back.)
legance
Pitiful wretch! We must gain Bern's favor, and soon!
I will not be made to suffer this indignity further!
Certainly not because YOU are a lazy oaf, Debias!
Go, go, go! Do as you are told--
debias
NO!!
(Debias advances, causing Legance to flinch back.)
legance
W-What in the world, Debias?!
debias
D-D-Do it yourself, you... You tyrant!
legance
Tyrant?! How dare you!
After all I've done for you... After all the times I helped--
debias
I-I'm not your lapdog, Gen-- Legance!
You want that weapon? Get it yourself!
I-I'm not following your orders anymore!
Y-Y-You don't intimidate me...!
legance
......
Hmph!

(Legance turns away.)

How disappointing, Debias...
You will come to regret this. Just you wait!

(Legance leaves.)
debias
...O-Oooof... Phew...!
I-I actually did it! I stood up to him...!

If Heddwyn is alive

heddwyn
(grins) Yes!! Way to go, Deb!
debias
(smiles) Y-You were watching, Hedd...?
heddwyn
I didn't want to miss your finest moment, so I hid behind this boulder.
That was fantastic, Deb! He'll never mess with you again!
debias
(frowns) I-I didn't know if I could do it... B-But...
After how hard you tried to encourage me to do this...
I-I didn't wanna let you down!
heddwyn
Let me down? Quite the opposite, my brother!
I am SO proud of you, Deb! You're the coolest little brother!
debias
(smiles) Y-You don't mean that, Hedd...
I'm the one who's lucky to have such an awesome big brother!
heddwyn
High five!
(They high five.)
legance
(offscreen)
...Debias! Debias!
C-Come back!
I'm sorry! I want to apologize! Debias...!
heddwyn
(frowns) ...Do you think he could mean that?
debias
(frowns) Nope. Let's go!
(Heddwyn and Debias run off.)

Bartre

Combat

bartre
I am Bartre the Brave, warrior extraordinaire!
Tremble in fear of my mighty arms! Ha ha ha!

Death

bartre
No! No, I can't... die like this...
If I do... Fir will be... all alone... in the world...!

Ending

murdock
Here it is, Your Majesty. Armads, the Axe of Thunder.
The enemy leader had it. He is no more.
If I do say so myself, it is a beautiful weapon.
zephiel
What matters is its power.
Its hellish power, undeserving of existence...
...But as long as we can use it for our purposes, exist it shall.
murdock
Uh... Yes, Your Majesty.

[From here, the default ending of Chapter 12 plays out.]

Character Descriptions

Bartre
A warrior who cares deeply for his daughter.

Resistance
Citizens who have taken up arms to fight for the people.