Suikoden Fan Fiction ❯ Suikoden - The Dunan Wars ❯ Life and Death ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2 - Life and Death

Makoto had been fighting for his life ever since he hit the water. At this time of late spring, the three nations river so named since it flowed through Highland, Jowston and the Toran Republic was a raging rapid. It wasn't safe in other seasons either Makoto remembered as he caught a brief handhold in the canyon wall Some of the other recruits used swimming three nations as a catchphrase for suicide. The current surged, Makoto lost his grip and he went down the canyon again. Swimming hard to guide his path down the less violent watercourses, Makoto managed to breathe air most of the time. He came up from a vicious undertow to see a large boulder rearing before him in the centre of the river. Noticing that the rock was large enough that the water couldn't flow over it, Makoto angled for it and managed to catch hold of a crack in the side. The boulder was much less steep than the canyon sides, and Makoto managed to use the boost from the current behind him to scramble atop it. What a relief he thought after a few minutes panting and spitting up water At least I'm not going to drown now, and so far I'm downriver so that Ruka's White Wolf guard will never catch me. So now what do I do?

A moment of thought brought the image of Daniel dying to his mind, and his anger decided him. I have to get back to Highland and tell them what happened… so Daniel and the others can have justice he resolved Whatever happens, whatever it takes, I will see justice done for the Unicorn Brigade.

As the adrenaline faded he lay back on the boulder and tried to plan. If I can get to Kyaro, Jowy's family is my best bet he thought He'll believe me, and the Atreides clan is influential enough to get me a hearing in L'Renouille. King Agares and Princess Jillia worked so hard for this peace; I know they'd listen to me if they got the chance. He paused for a moment, breathing more easily now. It sure is lucky Jowy got out two days early or I might have no allies at all. Suddenly Makoto sat up and frowned Or was it luck? He wondered. Oh True Runes help me, could Jowy or his father have KNOWN about this? Was that why Jowy was sent home? Damn, I don't dare ask them for help unless I know! Unheard over the roar of the water, he sighed. I guess there's no help for it - I'll have go cross-country to L'Renouille and ask for an audience with Princess Jillia on some pretext.

Nodding to himself, he looked around Now never mind plans for the future, what do I do now? He wondered. I'm sitting on a rock in the middle of one of the deadliest rapids in three countries, and I sure as the Beginning Rune don't want to leap into that water again - I'd probably drown and then there would never be justice for the slaughter. Makoto pondered as he looked around, his eyes finally lighting on a clearing beside the canyon, with a tree on the riverbank and a path leading out of the clearing. Hey, I know this place! My squad camped here during one of the war games Makoto thought excitedly. If I can just get to the shore, I can be on the L'Renouille side of Tenzan pass by morning! He grinned… then frowned at himself. But getting to shore is a big if he acknowledged I can't fight that current is there any way I can get there? Once again, his face lit up. The Tree! He thought excitedly. I can jump from here to the tree and climb down to the bank scrambling to his feet, he braced himself to leap and fell right back down as the slime and moss on the rock made itself felt, nearly sending Makoto right back into the water. I have to be more careful, I can't die here I just can't.

Cautiously getting out one tonfa, he scraped away the muck as best he could and stood again.

This time, his footing was secure. Praying to all 27 True Runes, he backed up as far as he could, took two running steps forward and leaped. To his despair he fell inches short of his goal. Acting on desperation, he flipped the tonfa around in his hand and hooked its handle across the branch, scrabbling wildly for a few seconds before he caught a grip with his other hand. Stowing the tonfa back on his belt, Makoto grinned as wildly as any Kobold. And just then the branch broke and Makoto was swept into the three nations river. As it turned the branch was no bad thing he was swept narrowly making it past boulders, eddies that flipped the branch over several times a near miss with a whirlpool and past two waterfalls - drops of ten or fifteen feet with horrifying undertows at the bottom. Battered and gasping for air, Makoto took the next calm the same as he had the last one - as a chance to gulp down oxygen and brace himself for the next wild ride. It never and the exhausted boy barely sixteen finally gave in to unconsciousness.

`Jeez! Stupid kids!' Amada cursed as he stuck his oar out, snagging the branch with harebrained boy on it and tugging them to shore before they could foul in the Radat dam. Hauling the boy up by the back of his red shirt, Amada prepared to bawl out the brat until he noticed that the boy wasn't moving, conscious, or very warm at all. `Shit! Quick get a doctor or Miss Yoshino, she uses a Water Rune sometimes!!' Amada howled at the nearest dockworkers. `This kid's barely breathin'!!'

Makoto slowly pried his eyes open - they felt gummy and crusty, as if he'd been asleep for days. When he saw a ceiling overhead and felt the sheets covering him, for a moment he wondered if he was home in Kyaro and the whole Unicorn calamity had been just a bad nightmare.

A beautiful woman walked into the room, which was fairly well decorated and clean. `Are you well young man?' the woman asked. Her voice was soft and kind, and her hair was long and black, and her face was very pretty the only incongruity being the pair of glasses she wore. To his embarrassment, Makoto blurted out the first thing that came to his mind `Am I dead? Is this heaven' The woman smiled kindly but didn't laugh that classed her far above any other girl Makoto knew if he'd babbled like that in Kyaro, not only would he not have heard the end of it for days, but whoever he said it to would have laughed in his face. `No young man' the woman corrected still smiling `you are alive, and this is town of Radat, in South Window, and my name is Yoshino Yamamoto.'

Makoto struggled to hide his panic. I'm deep in City-State territory!! He panicked for a moment then calmed himself We're at peace now, unless something happened `Uh… I'm Makoto Genkaku' he introduced himself `Pleased to meet you!'

`I am pleased to meet you as well' Yoshino replied formally, bowing. ` I am also glad you have recovered. It has been two days since you were pulled from the river. Whatever ordeal you must have suffered, it must have been horrible.'

Thoughts of his massacred friends flitted through his mind. "That's an understatement" he muttered "Are my belongings here?" he asked swinging his legs over the bedside and settling his weight on them slowly to make sure he could stand up. "Yes" Yoshino replied, pointing to a neatly folded pile of clothes and gear in the corner. Recognising both his shirt and trousers among them, Makoto looked down in panic to ensure that he wasn't naked in front of this vision, and sighed in relief as he saw the robe covering him.

"Thank you" he said as he went over to the pile. "I'd like to repay you somehow, but I can't stay. I-" he paused for a moment. "- I have to get back home, everyone will be worried about me." Yoshino thoughtfully withdrew as Makoto got changed. Once back in his old clothes, he went out to the main room of the house, where Yoshino was waiting.

"Are you sure you should be going so soon?" she asked in a concerned voice. "You may not be fully recovered yet." Makoto nodded to her "Yes I have to hurry - there's something very important I have to do." For a moment he considered warming her of the possible resumption of war, then he shook his head She's far too kind to burden with something like that he thought, then his jaw firmed Besides there's not going to be another war if I have anything to say about it "Thank you for taking care of me Miss Yamamoto" he began, but she held up a hand to stop him "Mrs Yamamoto, Makoto" she corrected and he blushed "Um, yes…but after I've done what I have to do, I'd like to come back and repay you somehow for taking care of me" he offered lamely "Oh it wasn't just me" Yoshino demurred "That nice sailor Amada pulled you out of the river, and the merchant Shu got a doctor here for you. I just watched over you afterward." Amada the sailor and Shu the merchant Makoto thought burning those names into his memory. Aloud he replied, "I owe a debt of gratitude to all three of you, then, and I'll do my best to repay it somehow when I can back there. But for now I have to go" Bowing formally, he strode out of the house, stopping only at the inn to buy some vegetables for to eat as he walked. If I remember City-State geography, I can cross the dam here and go north past Ryube and … oh yeah Toto villages to reach North Swallow Pass. Once through there, I'm in Highland and I can get to L'Renouille.

Jillia sat attentively at her seat in the council chamber sitting beside her cousin Durimal Blight who wore his ceremonial garb for this stately function instead of his usual black armour as befitted him as commander of the elite Black Lion Guard. She generally didn't like being involved in these talks in the `politicians room', but today it was different. Today the topic was actually something relevant. Today the only survivor of the Unicorn Brigade massacre had been brought back by Ruka and Durimal. From what the man, Rowd or Loud or something to that effect said, Jowston had attacked and violently murdered every soldier who lived there. Even worse, the Unicorn Brigade was composed of young men from the south of Highland, a training ground before they would have joined the army. In a short time, the children who'd been training there would have been able to return home, because of the treaty. But how could any treaty stand against this? Jillia didn't want to think that Mayor Anabelle of Muse had planned this, but others were not so charitable. She knew she wouldn't want to be present when the war leaders discussed this, instead of just the politicians. "We cannot allow this direct insult to the honour of Highland go ignored!" shouted one angry alderman. Another, on the same side but for different reasons, shot back "What of honour? It is the children slain in this ambush that must be avenged! The people will demand no less!"

The shouting had gone on for quite some time, but how long Jillia could not tell. The people who were silent were Durimal and herself. Jillia didn't even have any voting abilities that would come in a few years, when the old men running the country noticed she was no longer eight. Durimal seemed to have voting ability, he was about 14 years older than Jillia, and he was the King's nephew.

"If I may gentlemen," she said quietly. It was a different tone than she had taken after just returning with the treaty, but they quieted to her none the less. "Perhaps someone should go to the Unicorn camp and see the damage personally. It seems a little impulsive to declare war when the only people who have seen the damage are a hysterical general just rescued and Prince Ruka who, if you'll pardon my saying so, has a great fondness for war"

A few of the men glared at her, but many nodded their heads in silent agreement. No one wanted to bring up the possibility that Prince Ruka might have…tilted the story to suit his own wishes. It was an idea none of his supporters would consider, but those more neutral did. Durimal had been silent throughout the debate and his expression was unreadable. "And who do you propose go to investigate this camp of the dead?" a middle aged man, too fond of his comforts at the castle, said "This council can't afford to waste a few days visiting the graves of young boys just because some foolish girl doesn't want to believe what she's been told happened."

Jillia's eyes narrowed. This was the worst sort of politician, she decided, the kind that wasn't willing to accept the intelligence of a `mere girl'. "The entire council need not go," she said keeping outward calm "A scouting party including healers, an investigator and a number of guards to protect them is all that is necessary. They could visit the site, learn what they can and return here with any information they gather. I would also like to visit Kyaro and speak to the citizens. They must know the truth of the matter before rumours spread like wildfire." Some were still looking disagreeable, but those unprejudiced enough to see her logic considered it. She sat quietly to see watch them end the argument themselves. If necessary she would add additional input but that seemed unlikely.

"I will go with the scouting party" Durimal offered As far as they are concerned I wasn't there I asked my officers to cover for my absence and verify my whereabouts "At least one of us should go, I agree going to war now would be too hasty" Jillia nodded her thanks to him "I will also go" Gregore simply smiled and nodded SHE won't be able to prove a thing.

Jillia surveyed the destroyed camp on horseback, the height letting her see all of it at once. The destruction was absolute. Burnt circles where tents once stood, the smell of smoke still hung in the air. Hearing a report of the massacre was only numbers. Seeing it for herself was entirely different. She could visualise young men in their blue and white youth brigade uniforms, sitting around campfires talking with their friends. Sleeping peacefully in their tents, knowing that in the morning they would return home to their families, thanks to the peace treaty just signed. But it was not to be so. She'd failed them and the people of Highland by losing that peace. Jillia drew in a slow breath and turned to her entourage. "Search the camp! Deacon, look for signs of survivors! I want the truth of what happened." They all went about their tasks, leaving Jillia and Durimal alone with nothing to do. Jillia dismounted and walked to the nearest of the destroyed tents. Something at her feet caught the light. Jillia knelt to pick it up. It was a gold ring, nearly covered with soot. She wiped it clean with the hem of her skirt and examined it again. No she nearly dropped it He wouldn't go this far, he just wouldn't! Jillia blinked several times trying to make sure what she was seeing was really what it appeared. But it was. The golden ring bore the crest of the Blight family. "Lady Jillia, Lord Durimal" the investigator Deacon called to them from the north end of the camp "There's something you should both see." Jillia stood up, brushed off her skirt, she saw that Durimal also dismounted as they both went to see what it was he'd found. Deacon indicated a set of footprints on the ground. "Most of the boys fled east, where enemy archers lay in wait, but I found a set of backtracks and goes up this way" he was walking in that direction as he spoke. They neared a waterfall. "Here is where the tracks. Either the boy learned how to fly or he was taken downstream by the water" Durimal added "I can assure you Jillia there has never been a Winger in the Highland army" Jillia looked at the tracks herself had to admit Deacon's theory seemed likely. "Do you think he could have survived the fall?" she asked. "If he didn't hit any rocks on the way down or get knocked unconscious when he hit the water, its possible. It's also equally possible that he drowned" Deacon replied frankly Jillia and Durimal both nodded "Where would the river take him?" Jillia asked, Deacon frowned "Out of the mountains into the south, Princess. Into Jowston territory." Jillia's eyes widened. They either had a loose soldier in Jowston after revenge or a source of information in the City-State's hands. He was also the only person who the whole of what happened, other than two men she wouldn't truth further than she could throw them. "I have to go, I have to report our findings, see you back at L'Renouille" said Durimal with a smile as he mounted his horse and he and a few escorts from his Black Lion Guard promptly rode away, perhaps one other…Jillia thought to herself. "Tell everyone to gather in the middle of the camp immediately. We'll leave for Kyaro in one hour." The investigator was gone in a moment. Jillia looked at the footprint and the ring in her hand. "Damn you Ruka," she whispered fiercely "Why did you have to murder more children?"

She can't prove a thing Durimal grinned as he rode towards L'Renouille Even with that ring with the Blight family crest on it, we can easily defend and we have destroyed most of the evidence and there are no witnesses save myself, Ruka, Rowd, Ruka's White Wolves and one other, the boy that got away but he can be dealt with as will Jillia eventually.