This is the latest entry at Improfanfic, http://www.improfanfic.com .
It's loosely based on the Suikoden series of videogames....
"A true weaponsmith does not merely sharpen swords. He must be
knowledgeable about all forms of weaponry, from bow to sling, from
spear to scarf. He must be able to bring out the hidden strengths of
each, knowing just the right improvements to make. It is said that
even a pointed stick can slay a dragon, if it has been in the hands
of a master smith."
--From "The Lesser Magics and Why You Should Respect Them," by
N. DuNord
--------
SKJAM!, Inc. Presents
A Rocketarian Pictures production
in association with Improfanfic
(*)
Suikoden: Distant Shores
Created by Kristen Smirnov and Todd Harper
Part Three: Into the Woods
by Scott K. Jamison
---------
"Berry picking? I thought you said you didn't believe in
treating soldiers like servants." Lierni looked cross, which had
been her usual expression since being captured.
"I don't," replied Kyrina. "Foraging is a part of any soldier's
duty. And looting will only carry us so far. As it happens, the
prickle berries in the nearby forest are now in season. Thus, berry
picking duty."
Tavia cast her mind back to her childhood, not that long gone.
"Prickle berries? They make a nice jam, but they're not so good for
eating raw."
Lierni managed a moment of wistfulness. "Jam would be nice..."
she murmured. Her face turned sour again as she looked down at the
hard bread that passed for breakfast.
"Fine then." Kyrina brushed an errant strand of hair behind her
ear. "Hurry up then, we'll want to catch the most of the morning
light."
------
Despite Kyrina's words about duty, there weren't any other
"soldiers" visible in the party assembled just inside the keep's
gate. Tavia and Lierni had been joined by half-a-dozen older women,
all obviously used to working the soil. There was also a boy about
the same age as Reid, in a craftsman's tunic, who wore thick canvas
gloves. He stared at the girls with obvious curiosity. A pile of
baskets lay nearby.
One of the women clucked over the sorry state of Tavia's
uniform, and promised to mend it later. "Can't have you looking a
fright, dearie!" Her cronies cackled in appreciation of what was
obviously an old joke.
Kyrina and Reid approached, the latter carrying something in his
arms. He was talking to the woodswoman.
"Really sorry about this, but Commander Senrou said I had to do
it today. I guess you're on your own in the forest." He stopped
just short of the berry pickers. "Good morning, Tavia, Lierni."
"Good morning, Reid." Tavia looked at Li, but the other girl
was pointedly ignoring the squire.
"You'll probably need this," said Reid as he handed over Tavia's
sai.
"B-but...you're giving it back?"
Kyrina nodded. "The local woods is no Erisan Forest, but there
are wild animals and the odd monster or two. I'm good, but I can't
protect everyone at one time. You're on your honor not to turn that
on me, of course."
"Of course," Tavia replied. "What honor I have."
"And your glove, Miss Totorika."
Lierni actually gave a smile as she donned the leather gauntlet.
Her familiar blurred into visibility as she chucked it under the
beak. "I've missed you too, Arrano."
The bird disappeared to the non-physical realm, and the gates
opened to let the party out.
------
Kyrina took point, and the older women followed, leaving the
three young people bringing up the rear.
Tavia took a better look at the boy. He was about average in
height, with a ruddy face and squinty eyes suggesting he spent a lot
of time near a fire. But he didn't have the build of a smith, and
she wondered what his craft was.
Whatever it might be, it apparently paid well, as a faint
jingle came from the full large canvas pouch at his belt.
Lierni had heard it too. "I'm surprised you carry such a heavy
purse. Rebels can't pay too well."
The boy grinned, showing a gap where an upper incisor should
have been. "It isn't money, Miss." He had a slight accent that
Tavia placed as coming from the far north of the archipelago. "My
name's Pane Panschild, and I'm a glassmaker."
Waiting a moment for Li to introduce herself and not having it
happen, Tavia said, "I'm Tavia Reinschild, and she's--"
"Lierni Totorika, I heard. Any relation to the Lindael
Totorikas? My old master, Respo, trades with them."
Lierni gave a curt nod. "Yes. His work is good. Or so my
mother says."
They all ducked to avoid a low-hanging branch.
"Do rebels need a glassmaker? It's rather a luxury, isn't it?"
asked Tavia.
"Yah, that it is," admitted Pane. "And there's no room in the
keep for me to ply my trade. But I owe Commander Senrou a debt, and
until I can find a Window crystal, I can't be a master anyway."
------
They had arrived at a berry patch, and the group spread out to
cover more ground. Tavia started on a bush, then noted that Li
hadn't moved.
"What's the matter?"
The mage frowned. "How are you supposed to pick these things?
There's all those little thorns in the way."
Indeed, the reddish-purple berries grew very close to their
defense.
Tavia chuckled a bit. "That's why they're called prickle
berries. You just have to be careful, like this." She slid her hand
in gently, and plucked a berry, then drew it out, only to catch the
fleshy part of her thumb on a thorn. "Ow!"
"Careful, eh?"
"It's been a few years since I did this last. My hands must
have become bigger while I was at the Academy."
The Academy...Tavia had almost forgotten about it for a moment.
The pang in her heart was nearly as painful as her thumb. She
sucked on the wound for a moment.
She steeled herself. Time enough for sorrow later. "Let's try
that again."
This time she was more successful, and the girls soon got into
the proper rhythm for picking, despite a few scratches.
-----
The sun hung high at noon, and the group took a break. One of
the older women had a balm for scratches, and Tavia flexed her hands
to keep them from cramping.
"Mind if I join you?" asked Pane.
The boy's gloves, now hanging at his side, were stained with
berry juice. Then again, he wasn't scratched.
"I don't mind," said Tavia. Li didn't contradict her, and the
boy sat down beside them.
They started gnawing the midday meal, more hard bread with a
few of the berries. "A bit bitter, but not bad," commented Li.
"Probably quite nutritious."
Pane looked a bit nervous as he asked, "Is it true that you
attacked the foraging party, and crippled a man?"
"They attacked our school first!" Tavia snapped.
Li had her mouth open, but failed to say anything. Evidently,
Tavia had stolen her line.
"Sorry, sorry. Just curious." Pane rubbed his short hair
anxiously.
"I've heard a bit of high-minded talk," said Li, "But I've seen
nothing yet that convinces me you `rebels' are anything but robbers
with delusions of grandeur."
"Couldn't tell you, I don't follow all that political talk too
well. But I know Commander Senrou's a good man, and if he believes
this cause is just, then it's okay by me." Pane punctuated his
statement with a wide-armed gesture.
"Right. I have a question for you then. Why do you need a
Window crystal to be a master?" Tavia took a swallow of water.
Pane sat up straighter. "Without a Window crystal, it's a lot
harder to purify glass and shape it just so. And there's colors you
can only get with the aid of Window magic. So I have to get one if I
want to open my own glass-making business. And that's why I'm out
wandering the land instead of in a cozy little shop."
"Couldn't you just buy one? I know Rune crystals are
expensive, but you could pay in trade, right?"
"I'm afraid not. No one knows how to make Window crystals any
more. Not sure why."
Li seemed glad to finally have a chance to show her knowledge.
"It's because only three runemasters ever did, Dylan Windsong and his
two apprentices. Master Windsong figured out how to make them by
accident, and got rich selling Window crystals to all the glassmakers
of his time. That's why there's so much famous glassware from about
three hundred years ago.
"But none of them ever wrote down the formula, and the two
apprentices died before they took apprentices of their own."
Pane nodded. "Figured it was something like that. Anyhow, the
only ways to get a Window crystal are to have someone give it to you,
and Master Respo isn't ready to retire for a long time. That, or
find one of the ones that were stolen and hidden away."
"So you're treasure hunting?" asked Tavia.
"More or less."
Li got up and started walking towards the woods, and Pane
started to follow her.
Tavia caught his arm. "You don't want to do that."
"What? Oh." Pane's face turned a little redder.
"Aah! Spider!"
Lierni's scream roused the entire group, and both Kyrina and
Tavia ran towards the sound, with Pane and the older women close
behind.
When they found the mage, only a short distance into the woods,
her Rune was glowing.
Tavia looked around for the spider, but didn't see it. But
maybe that dark patch on the ground?
Kyrina shouted, "Wait, don--"
But it was too late, and the blinding flash of lightning arced
from Lierni's hand into the underbrush.
"Ha! Got it!" said Lierni, a little wobbly.
The woodswoman knelt over the impact crater. "Your aim is
commendable, Miss Totorika. However, this was a non-aggressive breed
of large spider. And I'm afraid we won't even be able to salvage the
venom sacs."
"Oh. Well, it shouldn't have sneaked up on me like that." Li
brushed herself off and tried to look dignified.
Kyrina was equally dignified. "In future, don't go wandering
off like that. And please verify your targets. I'd hate to lose one
of our group to friendly fire."
Li rolled her eyes. "As you wish."
-----
It was a much wearier group that headed back through the woods
at dusk, carrying full baskets of berries, and several rabbits Kyrina
had managed to shoot.
Tavia had asked the closest of the old women why she was with
these rebels.
"Because my husband is, dearie. An army marches on its
stomach, you know. Someone has to make the food, and patch the
uniforms, and mend the tents and all. That, and we had nowhere else
to go after Lord Venall stole our farm."
"Oh. But--"
Lierni cleared her throat. "Oh, Mistress of Forest Beast
Identification?" she asked in a tone of false honey.
Kyrina turned. "What?"
"Is *that* an aggressive species of large spider?" Lierni
pointed up towards the treetops, where a spider the size of a war
horse was scuttling down towards the party.
"Yes." Kyrina readied her bow, while Tavia and Lierni moved in
front of the women. Just as the spider arrived, Pane stepped in
front as well.
"You're going to fight that thing with your fists?" asked
Tavia.
"No, I have a weapon." Pane dug into his pouch.
Conversation took a break as the spider leaped. Kyrina's arrow
lodged itself in one of the beast's eyes, and Tavia got in a solid
hit with her sai. Lierni maneuvered to get a clear shot with her
lightning, but Pane stepped in front of her.
"Take that!" he shouted as he threw a glittering multi-colored
substance at the creature.
It didn't seem to have any effect, and the spider spat a
greenish fluid at Kyrina.
"Poison!" she gasped, stumbling as the venom took effect.
Tavia moved to the side to distract the creature from attacking
Kyrina while she was down. Close in, she could see a glittering in
the joints of its exoskeleton, where at least some of Pane's weapon
had stuck. She aimed for a leg, and succeeded in getting the
spider's attention.
Lierni shoved Pane out of the way and released a bolt from her
Rune. That shook it.
Kyrina had uncorked a bottle and was swigging the contents,
presumably an antidote for the poison.
Tavia continued to harry the spider, which was beginning to
slow. Then she slipped on some ichor, and it connected with a leg.
The spider closed in on her, its jaws dripping with venom.
Then Tavia heard a "No!" and saw another glittering spray hit the
creature's eyes. This time she could see that it was bits of glass,
and several of them had struck home, blinding the spider.
Tavia thrust her sai into the beast's thorax, just as another
arrow sank deep into its head, and Arrano buzzed its left side.
The spider shuddered and died. Tavia rolled to the right,
narrowly avoiding being pinned.
There was a brief moment of silence as everyone checked
themselves over, and then a whoop from Pane.
"Yah! We did it!"
"Right." Lierni had her hands on her hips. "I could have taken
that thing out in half the time if you hadn't gotten in the way. And
what kind of weapon is broken glass anyway?"
"Uhh, the one I use?" Pane backed away a bit. "For such a
pretty girl, you sure get angry a lot."
"Don't try flattering me, you bumpkin! Just stay out of my
path from now on!"
Kyrina straightened her hair. "If you children are quite done
squabbling, we need to get back to the keep by nightfall."
Tavia took another look at the spider. "You said you wanted
the poison sacs?"
The woodswoman nodded. "For making antidote, right."
Tavia bent over and cut out the sacs. While she was there, she
noticed something stuck to one side in the spider's mouth. It was a
small waterproof pouch.
"Wonder what's in here?" Tavia opened it to find an assortment
of coins, obviously the property of some traveler who'd fallen prey
to the spider before.
"You keep those," said Kyrina, suddenly at her elbow. "Right
of salvage."
"Can we go now?" asked Li.
"Yes." And so they did.
-----
A bit of meat with the evening meal made it a slightly livelier
affair, and afterwards, some of the soldiers set up drums for dancing
in the mustering area of the keep.
Tavia enjoyed watching the old-style country dances, as the
soldiers competed to see who could leap the highest.
Li grumbled at her side. "We should be getting some sleep.
There will be hangovers in the morning, mark my word."
The music switched to a couples dance, and the men and women
present paired off.
Pane came over and asked, "Will you dance with me, Miss
Totorika?"
Li looked at him scathingly. "Not in a thousand years."
Tavia sighed. "I'll dance with you, Pane." It was a
no-touching dance, and one she knew the steps to, so she didn't mind.
"Er, thank you."
They went out to an open area and began to dance. As they
whirled, Pane asked, "Is it something wrong with me?"
"How do you mean?"
Back to back now. "Lierni. I get the impression she doesn't
like me."
"I think she's just upset," Tavia said. "She's never been one
to calmly accept things. And we aren't in the best of positions."
Spin to a different partner and back again. Pane frowned.
"It's just, she's so pretty, and I don't want her to be angry at me."
He looked at Tavia. "Uh, I'm not saying you're not pretty. You've
got nice eyes. Clear, and trustworthy."
"You are a flatterer." Tavia smiled. "But we're still
prisoners here, and we'll probably be your enemies someday."
The music stopped, and the dancers sat down.
Li grabbed Tavia's arm. "How could you smile at him? He just
wants to take advantage of any girl he can."
"I don't think he's that bad. Hmm. Have you seen Reid at all
since we got back?"
"No. Why, are you going to dance with him too?"
Tavia laughed. "No, just wondering. I wonder, too, what
Senrou had him doing today...." Anything, she thought, to keep from
wondering what Adele was doing....
TO BE CONTINUED
New Star this Chapter: Pane, the Chisou (Earthbound Grandness) Star.
Author's Notes: In each game of Suikoden, there are the characters
you tend to use a lot, the characters you only use when the game
forces you to, and the characters that don't get much use at all.
An example of the latter is the "Window" character, whose sole
purpose in the game is to change the color and shapes of the message
window. Since this is a text medium, that job is, well, pointless.
So instead, I've given him a minor combat use.
That said, Pane may never be in the main party again. Heck,
depending on the plot needs, he might not even be seen until the
Window crystal is found and Tavia recruits him permanently. But a
fellow can always hope he's useful.
Thanks to my prereaders, and here's hoping I haven't ruined all
of DiPiCarat's plans....
peace,
SKJAM!
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