A Tale of the Sun Rune War
Who: Kyle and Geddoe
What: A chat about the events of Suikoden V, from Kyle's point of view
Where: Walking around Budehuc's grounds
Warnings: A bit of language on Kyle's part and a foreshadowing of a fight to come
Kyle: *knowing Geddoe is probably esconced with Sigurd, is actually quite surprised to see him patrolling about the castle grounds. The Falenan idly twirls his glaive around, having finished some pattern dancing* Geddoe!
Geddoe: *looks sharply to see who is calling him, but his scowl eases when he spots Kyle* Oh, hey Kyle. *goes over to him instead of prowling*
Kyle: Hey, old man. *softer* Is he all right?
Geddoe: *nods slowly* He'll be fine. It looked worse than it is. *glances toward the castle and the ship* He's asleep, so I thought I'd get some air.
Kyle: I hear ya. Mind if I walk with you? Or are you thinkin' things out?
Geddoe: Please. I need something to drown out my thoughts, they're too loud. *turns and continues walking at a slower pace across the courtyard*
Kyle: *mock hurt* Oh, so you'll hang out with me because I'm loudER? Why Geddoe, my feelings are crushed!
Geddoe: *eyebrow* Do you deny it? *smacks him on the back* Come on.
Kyle: I admit NOTHING! Do you hear me! *dramatic posing* Anyways, you up for one at the tavern? I'm buying.~
Geddoe: *sigh* Tempting. But I don't know if I should be drinking right now. I need my head clear.
Kyle: Ahh, good point, good point. *sage nod* Well, c'mon man, let's take a stroll here.
Geddoe: *nods and follows along* Something on your mind, or you just feel like keeping an old mercenary company when he's moody?
Kyle: Some from Column A, some from Column B.
Kyle: Everyone around here knows about the Firebringer War. Both of 'em. I was so effin' bored in the infirmary, you can call me a historian now.
Kyle: *grins* You get around. That's neat.
Geddoe: *chuckles* So you know a bit more about my sordid past, do you?
Kyle: Oh yes. Diiiiirty. *laugh* But you know what? They don't have jack on the Sun Rune war in the library. I guess Falena doesn't rank here.
Geddoe: That wouldn't surprise me. Half the collection is older than you, the other half was compiled when Zexen claimed this territory and they don't consider it essential to understand the politics of nations that far away from their own borders.
Kyle: You know, I worked the math out and I was born the year you wrapped up the First Firebringer war!
Geddoe: Is that so? *grins slightly* Maybe I should be calling YOU an old man.
Kyle: Shut your alehole, man. I think I just turned 27 the other week. I...my guardian picked a birthdate for me in the summer, but I never felt like it was my day. *shrug* Oh well.
Geddoe: You too? Damn, if I'd known that I'd have picked you up something a little more interesting than a bottle of Chishan wine while I was away. Which I've been meaning to give to you, but...well, you know.
Kyle: Save it for something special. Like...well...*stops walking for a moment but continues* I'm getting ahead of myself. Lemme explain some things to you. Like why Alenia is a Grade A bitch.
Geddoe: Yes, please do. I was going to ask you about it if you hadn't brought it up sooner or later.
Kyle: It's screwy, so I'll try to keep it simple.
Kyle: Ferid, who I think isn't around anymore around here, used to command the Queen's Knights. The way it works in Falena is, there's a huge tournament to see who will be the husband of the future queen. Ferid won the tournment and got the nobles in a shit fit because he fought himself.
Kyle: The husband of the Queen commands the Queen's Knights.
Geddoe: *nods* Belcoot explained it to me.
Kyle: Okay, I'll skip ahead.
Kyle: Nine years before the Sun Rune war, one of Falena's enemies jumped the border and tried to take over the country.
Geddoe: ...ah.
Kyle: So Ferid got his guys together and fought on the front lines. I was about 17 at the time and was in the volunteer army, doin' my thing.
Geddoe: That young? I see.
Kyle: Yeah. That's when I lost control for the second time. *glosses that over quickly* Anyway, after the war, only two Queen's Knights were fit for duty. Everybody else died or was too badly hurt.
Geddoe: Damn. *frowns a little*
Kyle: It was...messed up. *soft* Galleon and Zahak are their names. Galleon's old. Like almost 60 I think. Zahak is...not that old, but he ain't young either. (fun fact: Zahak is actually only 5 years older than Kyle, but looks much older)
Kyle: So Ferid had to start getting new people. For whatever reason, he heard about what -I- did and...I was the first. The first person to help rebuild the knights.
Geddoe: *smiles knowingly* He does seem to be a pretty good judge of character.
Kyle: Whatever. *kinda blushes a little bit* I don't think I did anything that special. I'll have to tell you that story sometime. But then the next person he recruited after that was Alenia. Her dad was a Queen's Knight back in the day and trained her for the same thing.
Geddoe: Ah. So...where you were just some kid off the farm who impressed Ferid personally, she was essentially groomed for the position.
Kyle: Not off the farm, off the Feitas, old man! *laugh* Yeah, her family's all nobles and stuff and me...well...not so much.
Geddoe: You know what I meant. *smirk*
Kyle: Yeah, yeah. So we never really got along, although we did work well together. Then the war happened. Did Belcoot tell you about the coup in Sol-Falena?
Geddoe: *head-shake* No, nothing about that. Only about the Sacred Games he fought in.
Kyle: Well, after the Godwins won the Sacred Games, there was an engagement ceremony. Everything went straight to hell in one night. The Godwins hired assassins and tried to take out the royal family, save Lym.
Geddoe: *wide-eye, but doesn't interrupt*
Kyle: My Queen...my Commander...gone...just like that. And I couldn't...*his breathing hitches, but he doesn't stop walking*
Geddoe: But you survived...with the Prince, Lyon, Georg? And I gather a number of the Knights as well...
Kyle: Right...right...*takes a bracing breath* I didn't see it happen. There was so much going on. All I could do was my duty and protect the royal family that I could find. Prince Frey, Lyon and Sialeeds were trying to escape. Me and a gladiator, a big fellow named Zegai, we found them and saved them from some assassins. Then I went ahead to clear the way for them so they could escape.
Kyle: Then Godwin came in and started giving orders. Georg managed to escape so the Knights that remained were me, Miakis, Galleon, Zahak and Alenia.
Geddoe: I see. Took his position by force. Like all the world's great despots.
Kyle: Yup. Lym was still there and by rights, he was her man and with Ferid gone, he was the new commander. I never felt so lost and confused. Miakis HAD to stay because guarding Lym is her ultimate duty. All of us other ones, we followed the will of the commander.
Kyle: I know what Galleon thought of it, but he's so professional, he didn't let it show. I told them what I thought of it until he told me to shut my trap before I lost my life. Zahak and Alenia, however...
Geddoe: *dark look* They were his all along, I take it?
Kyle: Nnnnn...not like they were his from forever and ago. Just that they both liked his style of governance and what he had to offer. Although when I think about it, Alenia's family were Godwin supporters and Zahak had been appointed to his post under a previous queen by the Godwins.
Geddoe: Either way. They supported him openly, whereas the rest of you weren't so happy with the development.
Kyle: To put it lightly, no.
Kyle: Honestly, I really didn't know what to do. I wavered around a lot. I tried to steal the Sun Rune, but that didn't work.
Geddoe: Good god, you didn't...you got lucky. How do you think I ended up with this? *raises his right hand slightly - he's not wearing his gloves, either*
Kyle: ....YOU STOLE THAT?!
Geddoe: It didn't just fall out of the sky and land on my hand.
Kyle: *jaw agape*
Geddoe: I stole it to get back at Harmonia, not to wield it. That part was a circumstance I don't really feel like getting into.
Kyle: You owe me a story. Someday. Maybe. If I'm real good.
Kyle: ANYWAY
Kyle: I wasn't going to wear the damn thing. When the Queen died, the Sun Rune went back on this pedestal thing it usually sits on. I was trying to steal that, but I think I nearly gave myself a hernia.
Geddoe: *slight smirk* I see. But if you couldn't take it, no one else could, I hope.
Kyle: Right. So about that time, we got news that the prince was starting up his own little group to take back the country. I know it gave Lym and everybody a lot of hope.
Geddoe: So that's why everybody talks about him being the one they all rallied around.
Kyle: Mmhmm. But even still, it was a hell of a task. How was he going to do it? He only had a few people, you know? He probably didn't even have a Water mage on his side. Then I realized. Even if I wasn't on the side of the Godwins, by being there, it's like I said it was okay what they did.
Kyle: I really had to wrestle with it, but then one night I finally just said, "Oh screw it," and I ran away.
Kyle: Tearing across the countryside to get to the prince and dodging soldiers out for my arrest wasn't my idea of a fun time. But I made it. And I was there at the beginning for him.
Geddoe: *listening quietly, staring at the ground as they walk step by step through the grass and scattered flagstones*
Kyle: But because of that, I got a lot of crap from Alenia, saying that I'm a traitor and not holding up to the ideals of the country. So that's where that disagreement comes in. Although it's weird, I don't think she even realized her and Zahak died.
Geddoe: *looks up* Is that so? She was killed at some point in the war?
Kyle: Once we got the forces up enough, we took back Sol-Falena. Alenia and Zahak were in the palace, guarding the way for Godwin. They weren't any match for us. Then they took this...this drug. I think it was called Raging Nostrum. They went crazy with power. But because they took it, they both died.
Geddoe: *quietly filing all of this away* ...I see. She threw everything away to try to guard this Godwin guy, and in the end he still lost the country. And his life, I assume.
Kyle: Yeah. That was actually...really sad. It wasn't necessary. But he was willing to go down with all his beliefs.
Geddoe: Dying for what one believes...there's a real fine line between nobility and stupidity. It's hard to tell sometimes which side you ought to be on.
Kyle: *nods* But you know what?
Geddoe: Hm?
Kyle: I almost died being on your side. But that was the right side to be on.
Geddoe: *claps a hand to his back* I'm glad you didn't die, though. I'd rather have my friends alive to fight another day, no matter how right the cause is.
Kyle: Hell yeah, Captain!
Kyle: I'm sorry I called Sigurd a dumbass, but he totally took me off guard.
Geddoe: Don't be. He'd probably be the first to admit that he was. I'm not the kind of man to get bent out of shape over something like that, so you're all right. *kind smile* I was pretty glad to see you show up beside me, even though it was Luca. That's a good sign.
Kyle: *silent then for a long time and it's obvious he's thinking about something*
Geddoe: ...I'm not wrong, am I?
Kyle: *one really long exhale* .....when and where.
Geddoe: *stares at the ground again* Give me a day or two, to make sure Sigurd doesn't need me. Other than that, I'm ready anytime. *glances at Kyle* Do you want to take it away from the castle, so no one can watch?
Kyle: No. Let's have it here. It's the least I can do for the many many people who saved me. Bit by bit. If I fail or if I soar, I guess I'll find out. Honestly, I don't know if I can face you like that. But I can't hide from it anymore.
Geddoe: All right. The field by the dojo is my favorite spot, there's nothing to run into or trip on. *soft sigh* If you can't face me, a swordbrother, you can't face a mortal enemy. It's that simple. I wouldn't let you do something stupid like brandish a weapon at Alenia if you can't face me without shaking.
Kyle: I...I hope I won't let you down.
Geddoe: I have faith in you. I'm not going to let you leave that field in defeat. Well... *grins roughly* ...I'm not going to let you just beat me. It's not about who wins the fight.
Kyle: It's whether I can hack it?
Geddoe: *silent, serious nod*
Kyle: And I won't know that until I try. Well good, nothing like NO PRESSURE AT ALL. *chuckles nervously* Ahhhhh....s'right. I've leapt into dark waters before and somehow pulled myself out. Whatever happens from this, at least I'll know.
Geddoe: And you need to know, before you can move on and make any choices about what to do with yourself. At least, at Budehuc, you can choose anything you want. Even to curl up in a dark room somewhere and wallow in self-pity, if that's your thing.
Kyle: *looks at him evenly and then offers his hand to shake on it*
Geddoe: *takes his hand firmly* I won't let you down, either.
Kyle: Thanks, swordbrother.
Geddoe: *quiet smile*
What: A chat about the events of Suikoden V, from Kyle's point of view
Where: Walking around Budehuc's grounds
Warnings: A bit of language on Kyle's part and a foreshadowing of a fight to come
Kyle: *knowing Geddoe is probably esconced with Sigurd, is actually quite surprised to see him patrolling about the castle grounds. The Falenan idly twirls his glaive around, having finished some pattern dancing* Geddoe!
Geddoe: *looks sharply to see who is calling him, but his scowl eases when he spots Kyle* Oh, hey Kyle. *goes over to him instead of prowling*
Kyle: Hey, old man. *softer* Is he all right?
Geddoe: *nods slowly* He'll be fine. It looked worse than it is. *glances toward the castle and the ship* He's asleep, so I thought I'd get some air.
Kyle: I hear ya. Mind if I walk with you? Or are you thinkin' things out?
Geddoe: Please. I need something to drown out my thoughts, they're too loud. *turns and continues walking at a slower pace across the courtyard*
Kyle: *mock hurt* Oh, so you'll hang out with me because I'm loudER? Why Geddoe, my feelings are crushed!
Geddoe: *eyebrow* Do you deny it? *smacks him on the back* Come on.
Kyle: I admit NOTHING! Do you hear me! *dramatic posing* Anyways, you up for one at the tavern? I'm buying.~
Geddoe: *sigh* Tempting. But I don't know if I should be drinking right now. I need my head clear.
Kyle: Ahh, good point, good point. *sage nod* Well, c'mon man, let's take a stroll here.
Geddoe: *nods and follows along* Something on your mind, or you just feel like keeping an old mercenary company when he's moody?
Kyle: Some from Column A, some from Column B.
Kyle: Everyone around here knows about the Firebringer War. Both of 'em. I was so effin' bored in the infirmary, you can call me a historian now.
Kyle: *grins* You get around. That's neat.
Geddoe: *chuckles* So you know a bit more about my sordid past, do you?
Kyle: Oh yes. Diiiiirty. *laugh* But you know what? They don't have jack on the Sun Rune war in the library. I guess Falena doesn't rank here.
Geddoe: That wouldn't surprise me. Half the collection is older than you, the other half was compiled when Zexen claimed this territory and they don't consider it essential to understand the politics of nations that far away from their own borders.
Kyle: You know, I worked the math out and I was born the year you wrapped up the First Firebringer war!
Geddoe: Is that so? *grins slightly* Maybe I should be calling YOU an old man.
Kyle: Shut your alehole, man. I think I just turned 27 the other week. I...my guardian picked a birthdate for me in the summer, but I never felt like it was my day. *shrug* Oh well.
Geddoe: You too? Damn, if I'd known that I'd have picked you up something a little more interesting than a bottle of Chishan wine while I was away. Which I've been meaning to give to you, but...well, you know.
Kyle: Save it for something special. Like...well...*stops walking for a moment but continues* I'm getting ahead of myself. Lemme explain some things to you. Like why Alenia is a Grade A bitch.
Geddoe: Yes, please do. I was going to ask you about it if you hadn't brought it up sooner or later.
Kyle: It's screwy, so I'll try to keep it simple.
Kyle: Ferid, who I think isn't around anymore around here, used to command the Queen's Knights. The way it works in Falena is, there's a huge tournament to see who will be the husband of the future queen. Ferid won the tournment and got the nobles in a shit fit because he fought himself.
Kyle: The husband of the Queen commands the Queen's Knights.
Geddoe: *nods* Belcoot explained it to me.
Kyle: Okay, I'll skip ahead.
Kyle: Nine years before the Sun Rune war, one of Falena's enemies jumped the border and tried to take over the country.
Geddoe: ...ah.
Kyle: So Ferid got his guys together and fought on the front lines. I was about 17 at the time and was in the volunteer army, doin' my thing.
Geddoe: That young? I see.
Kyle: Yeah. That's when I lost control for the second time. *glosses that over quickly* Anyway, after the war, only two Queen's Knights were fit for duty. Everybody else died or was too badly hurt.
Geddoe: Damn. *frowns a little*
Kyle: It was...messed up. *soft* Galleon and Zahak are their names. Galleon's old. Like almost 60 I think. Zahak is...not that old, but he ain't young either. (fun fact: Zahak is actually only 5 years older than Kyle, but looks much older)
Kyle: So Ferid had to start getting new people. For whatever reason, he heard about what -I- did and...I was the first. The first person to help rebuild the knights.
Geddoe: *smiles knowingly* He does seem to be a pretty good judge of character.
Kyle: Whatever. *kinda blushes a little bit* I don't think I did anything that special. I'll have to tell you that story sometime. But then the next person he recruited after that was Alenia. Her dad was a Queen's Knight back in the day and trained her for the same thing.
Geddoe: Ah. So...where you were just some kid off the farm who impressed Ferid personally, she was essentially groomed for the position.
Kyle: Not off the farm, off the Feitas, old man! *laugh* Yeah, her family's all nobles and stuff and me...well...not so much.
Geddoe: You know what I meant. *smirk*
Kyle: Yeah, yeah. So we never really got along, although we did work well together. Then the war happened. Did Belcoot tell you about the coup in Sol-Falena?
Geddoe: *head-shake* No, nothing about that. Only about the Sacred Games he fought in.
Kyle: Well, after the Godwins won the Sacred Games, there was an engagement ceremony. Everything went straight to hell in one night. The Godwins hired assassins and tried to take out the royal family, save Lym.
Geddoe: *wide-eye, but doesn't interrupt*
Kyle: My Queen...my Commander...gone...just like that. And I couldn't...*his breathing hitches, but he doesn't stop walking*
Geddoe: But you survived...with the Prince, Lyon, Georg? And I gather a number of the Knights as well...
Kyle: Right...right...*takes a bracing breath* I didn't see it happen. There was so much going on. All I could do was my duty and protect the royal family that I could find. Prince Frey, Lyon and Sialeeds were trying to escape. Me and a gladiator, a big fellow named Zegai, we found them and saved them from some assassins. Then I went ahead to clear the way for them so they could escape.
Kyle: Then Godwin came in and started giving orders. Georg managed to escape so the Knights that remained were me, Miakis, Galleon, Zahak and Alenia.
Geddoe: I see. Took his position by force. Like all the world's great despots.
Kyle: Yup. Lym was still there and by rights, he was her man and with Ferid gone, he was the new commander. I never felt so lost and confused. Miakis HAD to stay because guarding Lym is her ultimate duty. All of us other ones, we followed the will of the commander.
Kyle: I know what Galleon thought of it, but he's so professional, he didn't let it show. I told them what I thought of it until he told me to shut my trap before I lost my life. Zahak and Alenia, however...
Geddoe: *dark look* They were his all along, I take it?
Kyle: Nnnnn...not like they were his from forever and ago. Just that they both liked his style of governance and what he had to offer. Although when I think about it, Alenia's family were Godwin supporters and Zahak had been appointed to his post under a previous queen by the Godwins.
Geddoe: Either way. They supported him openly, whereas the rest of you weren't so happy with the development.
Kyle: To put it lightly, no.
Kyle: Honestly, I really didn't know what to do. I wavered around a lot. I tried to steal the Sun Rune, but that didn't work.
Geddoe: Good god, you didn't...you got lucky. How do you think I ended up with this? *raises his right hand slightly - he's not wearing his gloves, either*
Kyle: ....YOU STOLE THAT?!
Geddoe: It didn't just fall out of the sky and land on my hand.
Kyle: *jaw agape*
Geddoe: I stole it to get back at Harmonia, not to wield it. That part was a circumstance I don't really feel like getting into.
Kyle: You owe me a story. Someday. Maybe. If I'm real good.
Kyle: ANYWAY
Kyle: I wasn't going to wear the damn thing. When the Queen died, the Sun Rune went back on this pedestal thing it usually sits on. I was trying to steal that, but I think I nearly gave myself a hernia.
Geddoe: *slight smirk* I see. But if you couldn't take it, no one else could, I hope.
Kyle: Right. So about that time, we got news that the prince was starting up his own little group to take back the country. I know it gave Lym and everybody a lot of hope.
Geddoe: So that's why everybody talks about him being the one they all rallied around.
Kyle: Mmhmm. But even still, it was a hell of a task. How was he going to do it? He only had a few people, you know? He probably didn't even have a Water mage on his side. Then I realized. Even if I wasn't on the side of the Godwins, by being there, it's like I said it was okay what they did.
Kyle: I really had to wrestle with it, but then one night I finally just said, "Oh screw it," and I ran away.
Kyle: Tearing across the countryside to get to the prince and dodging soldiers out for my arrest wasn't my idea of a fun time. But I made it. And I was there at the beginning for him.
Geddoe: *listening quietly, staring at the ground as they walk step by step through the grass and scattered flagstones*
Kyle: But because of that, I got a lot of crap from Alenia, saying that I'm a traitor and not holding up to the ideals of the country. So that's where that disagreement comes in. Although it's weird, I don't think she even realized her and Zahak died.
Geddoe: *looks up* Is that so? She was killed at some point in the war?
Kyle: Once we got the forces up enough, we took back Sol-Falena. Alenia and Zahak were in the palace, guarding the way for Godwin. They weren't any match for us. Then they took this...this drug. I think it was called Raging Nostrum. They went crazy with power. But because they took it, they both died.
Geddoe: *quietly filing all of this away* ...I see. She threw everything away to try to guard this Godwin guy, and in the end he still lost the country. And his life, I assume.
Kyle: Yeah. That was actually...really sad. It wasn't necessary. But he was willing to go down with all his beliefs.
Geddoe: Dying for what one believes...there's a real fine line between nobility and stupidity. It's hard to tell sometimes which side you ought to be on.
Kyle: *nods* But you know what?
Geddoe: Hm?
Kyle: I almost died being on your side. But that was the right side to be on.
Geddoe: *claps a hand to his back* I'm glad you didn't die, though. I'd rather have my friends alive to fight another day, no matter how right the cause is.
Kyle: Hell yeah, Captain!
Kyle: I'm sorry I called Sigurd a dumbass, but he totally took me off guard.
Geddoe: Don't be. He'd probably be the first to admit that he was. I'm not the kind of man to get bent out of shape over something like that, so you're all right. *kind smile* I was pretty glad to see you show up beside me, even though it was Luca. That's a good sign.
Kyle: *silent then for a long time and it's obvious he's thinking about something*
Geddoe: ...I'm not wrong, am I?
Kyle: *one really long exhale* .....when and where.
Geddoe: *stares at the ground again* Give me a day or two, to make sure Sigurd doesn't need me. Other than that, I'm ready anytime. *glances at Kyle* Do you want to take it away from the castle, so no one can watch?
Kyle: No. Let's have it here. It's the least I can do for the many many people who saved me. Bit by bit. If I fail or if I soar, I guess I'll find out. Honestly, I don't know if I can face you like that. But I can't hide from it anymore.
Geddoe: All right. The field by the dojo is my favorite spot, there's nothing to run into or trip on. *soft sigh* If you can't face me, a swordbrother, you can't face a mortal enemy. It's that simple. I wouldn't let you do something stupid like brandish a weapon at Alenia if you can't face me without shaking.
Kyle: I...I hope I won't let you down.
Geddoe: I have faith in you. I'm not going to let you leave that field in defeat. Well... *grins roughly* ...I'm not going to let you just beat me. It's not about who wins the fight.
Kyle: It's whether I can hack it?
Geddoe: *silent, serious nod*
Kyle: And I won't know that until I try. Well good, nothing like NO PRESSURE AT ALL. *chuckles nervously* Ahhhhh....s'right. I've leapt into dark waters before and somehow pulled myself out. Whatever happens from this, at least I'll know.
Geddoe: And you need to know, before you can move on and make any choices about what to do with yourself. At least, at Budehuc, you can choose anything you want. Even to curl up in a dark room somewhere and wallow in self-pity, if that's your thing.
Kyle: *looks at him evenly and then offers his hand to shake on it*
Geddoe: *takes his hand firmly* I won't let you down, either.
Kyle: Thanks, swordbrother.
Geddoe: *quiet smile*