The world as we know it today… has never been the same before. The land that was once washed in blood is now filled with man's hatred and domination.
Distorted images… enigmatic visions… screens dyed with crimson blood… like a painting… This is the world we live in, a world… where those who have lost everything, join forces to achieve a justification for their questions.
Power..? Money..? Castles and pleasures? That's not what it's about... that's what I thought after the countless brushstrokes I gave to say it roughly...
A place where blood and brutality now reside… where dreams and hopes have been trampled and spat upon by the carnage of man.
This is Thalassia, a canvas stained by aged paint… and by the malicious intentions of those who composed it…
The distant echoes of war drums rang through the air as brave knights stood at the front lines of the military camp on the borders of Quinervalle[1] in Aleonia dèl Renoa[2]. The anticipation of an imminent invasion hung thick in the atmosphere, and the soldiers prepared for the imminent clash with the neighboring nation of Galèsia di Vasquiòz[3]. Explosions thundered, and the chaos of battle took over the surroundings, marking the beginning of a relentless war.
"Keep advancing! We have to hold back the advances of the Galèsian cavalry—!", exclaimed the infantry sergeant, when he was interrupted by a surprise attack of arrows coming from the sky.
"Your shields–!"
Countless arrows fell from the sky and struck the soldiers of the lands of Aleonia.
"Arghhh–!", Shouted one of the soldiers hit by the aerial arrows.
The soldier remained motionless on the ground as knights from the Galèsian front emerged and prepared to obliterate Aleonia's front line. However, Aleonia's elite reinforcements had arrived in time to assist the front line.
There, a young and skilled knight fought bravely, with light brown hair, vibrant eyes under the pseudonym "Rudra" amidst the turmoil.
"Elite Knights… you've returned..!", said the Sergeant, relieved by the arrival of reinforcements. The sergeant of the Elite reinforcement group dismounts from his mount to join the other allies, "[Frontline], what is our current situation?"
"We must all make a strategic retreat. It seems they are plotting something bigger than that. The civilians in the inner regions of Balterlutt will be at high risk if we do not suppress—!", The frontline Sergeant said, informing the Sergeant of the Elite reinforcement group, who quickly interrupted the [Frontline] Sergeant.
"Don't worry about it," said the Sergeant [Elite Reinforcements], in a dry and somber tone. Soon, the Sergeant [Front Line] replied, "But… They're lives! You—!", upon seeing the heartless expression on the Sergeant's face, his fellow officer of the same rank fell silent, recognizing the hierarchy that existed there.
"Let us advance as quickly and efficiently as possible. We must obliterate the remaining barbarians who are preventing us from advancing," ordered the Sergeant [Elite Reinforcements].
Rudra and Aleonia's elite reinforcement group advanced triumphantly, dealing with the Galèsia front. Aleonia's soldiers had regained the upper hand. The barbarians were making disorderly movements due to the unexpected movements of the front line and the reinforcements.
Rudra, who had an expressionless and lifeless expression, obliterated the enemies from the neighboring country without much effort, while providing cover for the others, and thus the advance of the Elite reinforcement group continued. "This is… pure insanity…", said the Sergeant [Frontline], as he watched the Elite knights decimating the battlefield in a brutal manner and without difficulty in taking down the enemy.
However, the scenario changed when the ashen sorcerers joined the catapults, mixing flame spells with the rocks, creating colossal Fireballs that detonated the battlefield, unleashing a devastating shockwave. Overwhelmed, Rudra succumbed to unconsciousness, leaving the battlefield momentarily.
In the hazy realm between consciousness and oblivion, fragments of Rudra's past danced before his mind. Hazy memories of a war-torn childhood, the flames that had ravaged his life, and the day he had been drafted into the army played like haunting visions.
…
Upon awakening, disoriented and surrounded by the aftermath of battle, Rudra found himself among gravely wounded comrades—some missing, others with vacant looks of fear.
"I—I—don't want to die... I don't want to die! I tried so hard to be an Elite knight!" repeated one of the knights, scarred by the brutality of war and the disappointment in the outcome.
Rudra stood up with the help of a comrade and asked about the current situation on the battlefield. One of his companions replied that at the time of the great collision, ashen mages had bombarded them with incineration spells. Left with no choice, Rudra declared that they had to retreat as quickly as possible before the Galèsian infantry took the main positions.
"The Ash-Blooded Ones… how could I not have thought of that? Those branded sorcerers, treated like slaves… those cowards!" Rudra remains inert in his thoughts.
"Staying here is certainly not a good option. We must leave as soon as possible," Rudra announces, suggesting a strategic but risky retreat for his team.
And so, all the remaining knights on the front line, each carrying a portion of their supplies, retreated. The region had been surrounded by Galesian knights, making it nearly impossible to pass through the vast battlefield unseen. It was then that, in a misstep, one of Rudra's comrades drew the attention of the surrounding knights.
"No…!"
Rudra and his group were surrounded, weak and debilitated, easily decimated, leaving only the knight who led the group. Wielding his sword, barely conscious, he had no choice but to fight.
His vision remained blurry and confused until mysterious figures approached the battlefield and annihilated the knights. Rudra lost consciousness due to excessive blood loss.
"It's going to be okay, son," said the mysterious voice that spoke to the nearly unconscious Rudra.
…
Waking up in a dimly lit room that resembled a hospital ward, Rudra was being cared for by a maiden with dark purple hair. Still confused and alert, Rudra raised his sword defensively, feeling the weight of his wounds. The maiden, a little frightened, asked him not to make any effort so as not to reopen the wounds.
"Where–… am I?"
"P-please don't move, or your wounds might open again."
Soon, a man with intimidating behavior and posture entered the room and went towards Rudra.
"Finally. You're awake."
"What happened on the battlefield? My comrades–!", still confused, Rudra asked about the recent events.
"Unfortunately, everyone was decimated by the Galèsian infantry. You are the only one left, Rudra, Elite Knight.", said the man who was talking to Rudra.
Rudra sighed in frustration, mourning the loss of his fallen comrades. Surprised that the man knew his codename, Rudra questioned him.
"How do you know my name? And who are you?"
The man who introduced himself as Magnusson threw a DogTag in his direction, bearing his codename and his rank in the war. Magnusson asked for some time alone with the Knight.
"Can you stand up?" Magnusson asked.
Rudra nodded subtly, even though he was slightly unable to move due to the injuries on his body caused by the fire explosions.
"Put on your clothes. I would like to talk to you in a certain place. I will be waiting outside."
Magnusson turns to the Maiden, and she also acknowledges that she needs to leave the room, giving Rudra privacy to change his clothes.
They both left the infirmary, and started a conversation outside while Aleonia's knight changed.
"We need him… no matter the cost." Magnusson said, convinced that he would need Rudra for something big.
"But.. Sir Magnusson, he has not recovered yet."
"Besides, he is… a knight of Aleonia…", the Maiden replied, worried about Rudra's current state.
"That's why I need you to treat him, Lonia."
"Because he is an influential knight of Aleonia, it is all the more reason why I need to recruit him." – Magnusson asks Lonia, the nurse, for a favor to help Rudra recover.
After Rudra changed and left the infirmary, Magnusson asked Rudra to follow him, and Lonia returned to the infirmary. They walked through dimly lit corridors to a room that Magnusson introduced as his office. There, he revealed himself as the leader of the bunker they were in and shared his thoughts.
"I am the representative of this bunker. Here, I welcome the lives that lost their purpose in war and those who cannot defend themselves against the tyranny of our rotten country," Magnusson said, looking down at his desk as he organized scattered papers.
Rudra approached a window in the room, observing the people living in that bunker from above. He was fascinated by their carefree actions in the midst of the great war.
"This war between nations has been raging for years, taking innocent lives and destroying the homes of those who have no relation to the interests of the crown."
"To reverse this, I shaped this place, which was once a large excavation mine," Magnusson explained, expressing his reasons.
Turning to Rudra, Magnusson presented his purpose. The enigmatic man introduced himself as the leader of a resistance determined to end the relentless war.
"For a long time, I have been gathering strong men and women to join me in this place."
"Many have perished to keep this place standing, for the sake of civilians."
"..." – Rudra remains silent at Magnusson's words.
"And why do you say this to me, a knight of Aleonia?"
Magnusson shared his vision of peace, proposing the formation of an underground group called "FIDELIUS". The dialogue continued, with Magnusson's persuasive rhetoric intertwining with Rudra's skepticism.
"You know… for a long time I have been gathering brave men to join me…"
"For a purpose. I call him FIDELIUS."
"A clandestine group that operates secretly and imperceptibly in the shadows."
Magnusson slowly walks around his room as he explains to the golden-eyed knight.
"Rudra, war has claimed many lives and the suffering continues unabated. With FIDELIUS, we can change the course of this conflict, ushering in an era of peace."
"Think with me. Why has this colossal war been going on for more than 15 years in Thalassia?"
"..." Rudra expresses silence, showing that he does not know the answer to Magnusson's enigmatic question.
"Exactly. We don't know why this is still happening."
"Power, land, wealth and slavery are not options here."
Magnusson sits in his chair, and continues the dialogue:
"For many years, I have been unraveling the mysteries behind this enigmatic war, joining many nobles from our region."
Rudra, torn between loyalty and doubt, examined the bleak reality that surrounded him.
"You know who I am, don't you? So why do you tell me your ideals without any concern–"
"–and Peace, you say? Can such a thing really exist in the midst of all this chaos?" Rudra exclaimed, outraged by Magnusson's statement.
Magnusson sighed and reintroduced his thoughts on this risky move. He walked to the window, observing with Rudra the simple lives of the people amidst the backdrop of great war.
"Knight, look here, I'm not forcing you to join us. I want you to observe this scene carefully and think calmly."
"The happy children playing carelessly, men and women working diligently for a purpose," Magnusson expressed in a calm tone, looking intently at the view.
Rudra remained silent for a few seconds, his eyes fixed on the crowd in the bunker. Soon, he took out his DogTag and looked closely at the rosary attached to it.
"Tell me, why did you save only me and not my companions? Rudra questioned Magnusson about his choice of rescue in that unlikely survival scenario.
Magnusson turned his eyes to the window and explained his point of view to Rudra.
"I can't give an exact explanation of what was going on in my mind, but what I can say is that in this current scenario, there was never any reason to stop saving someone." Magnusson explained himself, even if that didn't satisfy Rudra's real question.
The knight remained silent for a while as Magnusson looked into his eyes, making sure his words were firm.
"... Give me some time to think about it," Rudra replied.
After some time, Rudra was directed to an empty dormitory, with only a bed, a desk, and a dusty shelf, where he could rest and contemplate Magnusson's proposal. There, he picked up his rosary again and sat on the floor, staring at it.
"What would you do, if you were in my shoes... Lavigne?"
Soon, intense pains began to disturb Rudra's head, causing him to have hazy memories of an uncertain past.
"Urghh–! These pains..!"
After the pain subsided, he picked up his sword, rusty and bathed in the blood of his enemies.
"Forgive me for not saving you all…-" Rudra mourned the loss of his comrades as he held his blade.
Rudra realizes that he forgot his sword's sheath, which was left in the infirmary, so he decides to go out and get it.
Leaving his room, he decided to walk through the vast and crowded corridors, remaining confused. Rudra wondered how long this place had remained intact without being discovered by patrols.
The knight could hear the whispers of the civilians, criticizing his presence in that place, being a knight of Aleonia.
"...Is that him…?"
"...What does Magnusson have in his head, leaving him here with us…"
"...He will definitely report us after he recovers…"
"Mommy… he has a huge scar on his face!"
"Speak softly! He will hear us! And don't look at him…"
Feeling pressured, Rudra decided to quicken his pace to reach the infirmary, even though he didn't know the exact route to the place.
As he walked, he discovered the simplicity of those who lived there. Merchants' stalls, wooden houses, and other leisure spots were in that immense bunker. After hours of walking and discovering the place, Rudra had arrived in a large courtyard.
There, he witnessed a large audience living carefree in the midst of the great war that was echoing around the world.
"That is-"
"Amazing, isn't it?" The response came from a woman dressed as a nun, who had also assisted in his treatment when he was unconscious.
She introduced herself as Tienne and mentioned that she had arrived at Magnusson's bunker not long ago.
"You… don't have–" Rudra was soon interrupted by the nun.
"Afraid of your presence, you say? I helped treat your wounds, young man."
"Y–Yes… thank you very much."
"It has!"
Tienne told Rudra that seeing this vivid scene was enough to bring a feeling of peace to his heart.
"I understand a little… people being afraid of you, knight."
"After all, it's not every day that we have Elite Knights from Aleonia's army in our habitat."
"..." Rudra frowns in frustration.
"Hey-! Don't worry so much about it…!" – Tienne tries to revive Rudra.
Tienne takes her hand off Rudra's shoulder, and resumes speaking.
"This place… it is peaceful…"
"War cries, sounds of projectiles, clashing swords… there's none of that in this place–"
"Just men and women of good reputation trying to survive another day of their lives."
"The children… oh, the children, who play carefree, untroubled by the whispers of war."
Tienne's words entered Rudra's thoughts, causing him to reconsider his purpose as he watched the children playing happily.
"Many men and women fought in this war, in this place to keep it hidden from the police stations and protected."
"..." Without expressing words, Rudra already had his new purpose in mind.
While Tienne spoke, Rudra remained thoughtful about all his deeds, which never had a purpose other than to annihilate the enemy.
"Oh yes, of course. And our chapel–" Tienne is interrupted by Rudra, who awakens from his moments of reflection.
"Thank you for your company, Sister Tienne, but I need to go deal with something." Rudra decided to resume his path to the infirmary.
"May the peace of Our Lady Al'lethia be with you, young man," Tienne said goodbye.
With the help of some civilians in the region, he managed to reach the infirmary.
"Excuse me-"
Rudra canceled his words, seeing that one of his companions was on a stretcher, bleeding incessantly.
"Elio!" exclaimed Rudra, heading towards his battle companion.
The golden-eyed knight witnessed the pitiful state of Elio, his companion.
"Sir… Ru-" as he tries to pronounce Rudra's name, Elio starts coughing up blood.
"Noble knight, please refrain from speaking." One of the nuns caring for Elio asked him to remain still.
Rudra turns to Elio, asking him about the events on the battlefield. Elio answers with difficulty about the explosions that shook the vast Quinervalle field.
"Fire… lots of fire– *Cough!* *Cough!* and lots of horses…"
"I was hit by the flames… the others were incinerated in front of me…"
"Ernett… Callisto… Uriel… Martinez… Minos… and the sergeant…"
Rudra was perplexed by the colossal magnitude that great battle had taken.
"Everyone… is gone." Rudra accepted Elio's bitter statements.
Elio uses his remaining strength and holds Rudra's hand, hands him his DogTag, and asks him to keep it. Rudra looks deeply into Elio's eyes, and ends up accepting his request.
"Fight… Fight, and avenge our comrades… to the last man standing–"
"For our beloved Aleonia", completes Rudra.
Elio lets go of Rudra's hand, and turns his eyes upward.
"Annette… my beloved… I…"
And there, Elio took his last breath. The nuns said a prayer for Elio's soul to ascend to heaven, a common prayer rite in the country of Aleonia.
"..." A brief moment of silence fell, and Rudra looked at Elio's DogTag, which had attached to it a caricature of his beloved, made by the talented artist Emeritto from the Balterlutt region. Elio's words came to mind.
"(...Fight… Fight, and avenge our comrades… to the last man standing…)"
Rudra, close your fist and decide your next step, to do everything to end this great war once and for all, whatever the cost.
Rudra picks up his scabbard and bids farewell to his late companion. Walking through the tunnels, he reached Magnusson's office and knocked on his door, to which Magnusson responded to come in.
Rudra and Magnusson came face to face again, and soon, the young knight decided to consider the proposal of the leader of that bunker.
"Show me."
"Show me this future that you fight so hard to build..!"
Magnusson Bonnofal, with a subtle smile, says:
"Wise words…"
"Welcome to our next step in freeing the nations from this great war."
Rudra embraced the uncertain fate that awaited him, shaking Magnusson's hand. Upon joining the clandestine group FIDELIUS, he was met with skeptical looks from his new companions, 10 knights in a room.
"Very well, Sir's! You are all here."
"It is time for us to begin this ambitious undertaking."
"I must remind you that this mission contains its risks and dilemmas."
"However, I believe in the potential of each of you."
Magnusson returns to his desk and places both his hands on it:
"However, I must tell you that–"
"You are forbidden from going back."
The surprised and astonished looks on the knights' faces revealed their anxiety and uneasiness at Magnusson Bonnofal's bold statements.
Your mission: to send a crucial letter from Magnusson to Lisithea, guided by an informant in foreign lands.
1st Mvt. — Fidelity, Honour & Bravery
GLOSSARY:
"Aleonia" dèl Renoa: Aleonia is the country west of Central Thalassia. With the capital of the same name, Aleonia provides the most capable and strongest armies of all feudal regions.
Quinervalle (region):A region bordering Galèsia, the neighbouring country. It is currently embroiled in a fierce war that will determine the advances or reprisals of Galèsia di Vasquiòz.
"Galèsia" di Vasquiòz: Galèsia is a country located in the northwest of central Thalassia, and main conflict with Aleonia. His lineage comes from a people called "Enèsio" who practiced maritime extortion and had idealistic and egocentric thoughts. The country is strongly known for having one of the greatest records of nautical knowledge and naval strength in all regions.
[1] A region bordering Galèsia, the neighbouring country. It is currently embroiled in a fierce war that will determine the advances or reprisals of Galèsia di Vasquiòz.
[2] Aleonia is the country west of Central Thalassia. With the capital of the same name, Aleonia provides the most capable and strongest armies of all feudal regions.
[3] Galèsia is a country located in the northwest of central Thalassia, and main conflict with Aleonia. His lineage comes from a people called "Enèsio" who practiced maritime extortion and had idealistic and egocentric thoughts. The country is strongly known for having one of the greatest records of nautical knowledge and naval strength in all regions.