(Upon reaching Lenankamp, Viktor goes ahead.) Viktor: Here we are in Lenankamp, Tir. Not much of a place, but they do make fine tea here. ha ha ha ha ha! Well then, it's about time I got to work. Let me go make some arrangements. I may be late, so take a look around. (He leaves.) Gremio: Who is this fellow that Viktor wants us to meet? You know, I can't quite trust that man. Cleo: I have no idea. So, what shall we do now? I'd love to take a shower... *****NPCs***** Man: If you're spending the night, I recommend the Keyaki Inn. It's just down the street. Gentleman: Is it true that General Teo went north? War is bad for business. Man by inn: They say some traitors are on the run. It's not you guys, is it? Man by blacksmith: Occasionally you see a suspicious bunch of people go into the Keyaki Inn and never come out. When do you suppose they leave? (Inside house) Woman: You're not from hereabouts, are you? We have a daughter named Meg. If you ever run into her, please tell her to come home once in a while. Man: Darn that tomboy Meg. "Adventure calls" indeed. Making her folks wory like this. (Inside house...) Krin: I've got something to tell you, hee hee. You know how monsters sometimes leave behind those urns? Well, sometimes you find valuable things in them, hee hee. If you take these things to an appraiser, hee hee... (Inside inn...) Man: Now that I've got plenty of stuff, where shall I take it? East to Rockland? Or maybe west, past Mt. Tigerwolf, to Sarady? Oh well, wherever I go, I'll be making a bundle. Gentleman: Damn, I was out for just a bit, and someone broke into my room. I've lost my life's savings.. Innkeeper: Welcome to the Keyaki Inn. A bed is 70 bits per person. I'll throw in breakfast. *****PLOT***** (If you choose to stay...) Innkeeper: So you are a friend of Viktor's. Well then, I will prepare the best rooms we have. (Later, in their room...) Gremio: I guess what's-his-name, Viktor... never returned. Cleo: But we didn't make any other plans. Let's wait a bit longer, and if he still doesn't show up, we'll head north. Perhaps Master Teo can help us. Gremio: ............. ...Cleo. Why... did Pahn... (She turns away.) Cleo: Don't... Gremio... (There is a silence, broken suddenly by a commotion elsewhere in the inn.) Gremio: What's going on? At such a late hour. (At the front of the inn, several Imperial soldiers have entered, and are facing off with the innkeeper.) Soldier: We've heard that some fugitives are staying here. We'll look around. Innkeeper: But sir, our guests are sleeping. Soldier: Shut up! Do you plan to harbor Rebels? (Back in the room, Gremio faces Tir.) Gremio: Young Master, they're coming for us! Viktor! He must have ratted on us! I knew we shouldn't have trusted him! Cleo: This doesn't look good. They'll find us for sure. (Gremio rushes around nervously.) Gremio: Wh-what should we do, Young Master? Tir: *Let's fight. *I'm scared. Let's run. /----- Tir: Let's fight. Gremio: Y-yes, Young Master. I, Gremio, will protect you with my life... Cleo: Oh, stop it, Gremio. He was kidding. There's too many of them. Calm down. ----- Tir: I'm scared. Let's run. Gremio: G-good idea. From this window... (He rushes to a window.) Gremio: Here we go... huh? It's jammed. Won't... open. Cleo: Hurry. They're coming nearer. /----- (In the front of the inn, the guards have surrounded the innkeeper. Others are heading for the room.) Gremio: We're in big trouble now. Cleo: Gremio, maybe we can get Young Master out before... (Someone appears behind the clock in the corner of the room.) Person: This way! Hurry! (Gremio looks around in alarm.) Gremio: Who was that? (If you talk to him...) Gremio: W-what should we do, Young Master? (If you talk to Cleo...) Cleo: That voice... from that clock, I think. (A woman pushes it aside, revealing a staircase.) Odessa: What are you waiting for? Hurry! Do you want to get caught? Gremio: Wh-who are you? Cleo: Whoever it is, thank god! (Gremio, Cleo, and Tir follow her down into the sewers below Lenankamp.) Odessa: So you're the "new friends" that Viktor told me about. Everyone's waiting. Follow me. (Further in they find a table with several people gathered around it, one of whom is Viktor.) Viktor: Sorry Tir, you must have had a rough time. But it was exciting, wasn't it? Gremio: What's going on here? Viktor: I didn't think I'd give myself away so soon. Oh well, now that you've met Odessa... Cleo: Odessa? The name rings a bell... Gremio: You don't mean... the Rebel Army... Odessa: Rebel Army? We prefer to call ourselves the Liberation Army. But who cares about names. Let me introduce myself. I'm Odessa Silverberg, leader of the Liberation Army. How do you do? (Another man looks around, then across the table at Viktor.) Flik: Viktor. Are these the people you wanted us to meet? Viktor: That's right. Prepare yourselves for a surprise. This here is the son of General Teo McDohl. And a fugitive to boot. Don't you think he'll be a great asset to the Liberation Army? Gremio: You've got to be kidding! Why should Young Master join the Rebels? Right, Young Master? Tir: *Who says I'll join? *Maybe I should join the Liberation Army. /----- Tir: Who says I'll join? Flik: So he says. Viktor: Well, perhaps... umm... we can convince him, right? He has nowhere to go, anyway. ----- Tir: Maybe I should join the Liberation Army. Viktor: So he says. He's interested. Flik: No way. Recently many of our hideouts have been discovered. There must be a spy among us. With all the problems we already have, we can't afford to recruit complete strangers. /----- Odessa: I guess you've all been fooled by Viktor as well. Whenever he takes a liking to someone, he just drags them in. But they do appear to be hunted by the Imperials, and the town's still full of soldiers... You may stay until things blow over. Whatever decision you make afterwards is up to yourselves. Gremio: Y-you've got to be kidding, Young Master. Join the Rebels? No way. Cleo: Rebels... Liberation Army... well why not? Maybe we should become true Rebels. On the other hand, what will Master Teo think? *****NPCs***** Viktor: You don't really think the Empire will take you back, do you? They'll kill you for sure. Humphrey: ......... Flik: If Odessa greets you as a guest, so will I. My name is Flik. Lightning Flik of the Liberation Army. You've never heard of me? Well then, remember the name. The quiet one there's Humphrey the Swordsman. And that's Sanchez. We three are pretty famous in the Liberation Army, you know. Sanchez: My name is Sanchez. How do you do? Odessa: I'm so sorry. You must have had a fright. Viktor's got bad habits. I guess we're enemies. Too bad. *****PLOT***** (Tir, Gremio, and Cleo start to leave the rebel hideout, but find a man fallen on the stairs.) Gremio: Ah-are you all right? Man: I-I must tell... Lady Odessa. Cleo: Let's take him inside. (The man is later standing in the midst of them.) Man: Where are we? Odessa: Don't worry. This is the Liberation Army hideout. Have you a message for me? Man: You must be Odessa. Thank goodness. I'm one of the Mt. Seifu bandits. But we only attack those rotten Imperials. Anyway, the other day, the Imperial Guard came over and captured our bosses... Varkas and Sydonia. Gremio: Varkas and Sydonia? Could they be... Cleo: Shhh.... Be quiet. Man: Lady Odessa, please. Help Varkas and Sydonia. That rotten Grady of Rockland has strung them up to starve to death. Cleo: Outrageous! Execution without trial! Even by Imperial Law, that's illegal. Odessa: How awful... Flik: But Odessa... Imperial surveillance has been intense lately. We have to keep a low profile. Odessa: I'm aware that we're understaffed. But the bandits have asked for our help. We can't let them down. Tir: *It's our fault. *This has nothing to do with us. /----- Tir: This has nothing to do with us. Cleo: Young Master. Varkas and Sydonia are those bandits we captured. Tir: This has nothing to do with us. Gremio: Young Master, don't you care? Tir: This has nothing to do with us. Cleo: Young Master, you must be willing to admit to your mistakes. /----- Tir: It's our fault. Odessa: What do you mean, it's your fault? Gremio: We... (They tell the story.) Viktor: I see. Well, even if you didn't know what you were doing, you still have to claim responsibility, right, Tir? You must rescue Varkas and Sydonia. I'll help you too. Cleo: I agree. I don't plan to betray the Empire, but Grady is unforgivable. Gremio: You're right. Undoing Grady's wrongs would be good for the Empire... Besides, if Young Master gives the orders, I will follow. Man: Thank you. Varkas and Sydonia are strung up at the home of Rockland's military commander. If you don't hurry, they'll dry up. Please help them. Odessa: Tir, I beg of you too. Viktor, you go too. Viktor: Leave it to Viktor. Let's get going, Tir. Rockland, here we come! [Viktor joins party!] *****NPCs***** Man: Varkas and Sydonia, please help them right away. Sanchez: Rockland is east of the capital. From Lenankamp it's northeast. Humphrey: ......... Flik: Don't for a moment think that I trust you. Viktor, that goes for you too. Odessa: Please, Tir. Help them. *****PLOT***** (They return to Rockland, and head for Grady's house. His servant is blocking the door.) Servant: Who are you? You've no business here. Get out, or you'll be strung up like those bandits there. Ha ha ha ha! (In a fenced side yard, Varkas and Sydonia are tied to posts. The party steps away to discuss the situation.) Gremio: Security's pretty tight. It'll be tough sneaking in. Viktor: Leave it to me. I'm used to things like this. (He leaves them. Shortly afterwards, the roar of a fire is heard, and a man rushes up to Grady's servant.) Man: Help! Help! The Grady mansion is on fire! Fire! Fire! Man: What?! (The two men rush off to the side of the house. Viktor returns to the party.) Gremio: Viktor! What have you done? You didn't...? Viktor: Heh, heh. I didn't do anything. It must be the dry weather. Gremio: My goodness! Young Master, don't you dare take after someone like this! (Despite Gremio's indignance, they make use of Viktor's distraction, and enter the (burning) house. Armored guards attack at intervals, but they make their way through to the side yard.) Sydonia: Ha. Varkas: Uhhh, what's going on?... I can't see... My god! It's you Imperials! Why are you here? Have you come to laugh at me? Gremio: Of course not. If we'd known what sort of fellow Grady was, we never would have helped him. Cleo: A few things happened, and now we're wanted by the Imperials, just like you. We'll help you out. (Cleo frees Varkas.) Varkas: Thanks. Get my buddy too, will you? (Before she can do so, Sydonia vanishes, and reappears behind them.) Sydonia: Ha. Not necessary. Varkas: Sydonia! Why you... If you've got tricks like that, why didn't you escape sooner? (Sydonia turns away.) Sydonia: Ha. Can't very well escape alone. Varkas: Sydonia? You... Viktor: Hey, let's get out of here. (They head back through the mansion, but as they approach the front door, Grady stands in their way.) Grady: You... you dare to turn against the Emperor, free the bandits, and even... even set my house on fire! You'll be sorry! (Varkas steps forward.) Varkas: So you want a fight? Don't think you're the only one with a grudge. Why I'll cut out your eyeballs... (Grady steps away.) Grady: What? Oh, well... (Sydonia steps forward too.) Sydonia: Ha. I'd rather tear him to pieces. (Grady backs up again.) Grady: Um, please... Well, you see... You'll regret this! I'll tell Master Kraze about this. You'll get yours! (He runs away. Gremio turns to Cleo.) Gremio: Cleo, do you think the Empire will take us back? Cleo: I don't know. Gremio: Y-young Master. Viktor: Ha ha ha! Don't worry. There's all kinds of ways to make a living. (They exit Grady's mansion, and head out of town. Just on the edge, they pause.) Varkas: I guess we owe the Liberation Army our lives. Tell Lady Odessa that if she ever needs help, Varkas and Sydonia will be there in a flash. Well, we're off! Perhaps we'll meet again. (Varkas and Sydonia leave.) Viktor: It sure is great to be done! Let's go back to Lenankamp. Tir, why don't you spend a bit more time with the Liberation Army? Come on! Cleo: Young Master, when we return to Lenankamp, let's decide what to do. At this rate... *****NPCs***** Man: What? That's right, this is Rockland. It's called Rockland because except for the rocks it's a barren land. (If you try to enter Kwaba, two guards stop you.) Guard: The Fortress of Kwaba is presently closed. Those who have no business here may not pass.