Overwhelming Firepower

Lucen was in front of his father in the study, the atmosphere was rather heavy. Vardon was the first one to speak.

”So you’re telling me that you wish to be given a mission?”

”Yes, Father. You said my men need to prove themselves if they’re to be knighted. So how can they prove their worth without doing anything?”

”Hm, as usual, you’re very direct.”

”What’s the point of going around when you’ll just return to the same place?” Lucen asked. Vardon leaned back slightly in his chair, his fingers drumming on the armrest as he studied his son.

”Very well, I will give you a mission. There’s a village located south of here, near the southern border of Stellhart. They have requested aid due to bandit attacks, and they reported building a base in the nearby forest. Your mission would be to eliminate any threat to the people of Stellhart. If you have anything to report, use this.”

Vardon took out something from within one of his drawers, and it was a communication orb. He handed the item to Lucen.

”Surely you know how to use this, right?”

”Of course,” Lucen replied without hesitation.

”Very well, Vahn will give a more detailed report of the intelligence regarding the incident. If you need anything for this mission, ask Vahn. Once you’re ready, leave at once.”

”Are you assigning a knight to supervise?”

Vardon looked at his son for a few seconds and answered. ”You seem confident that Thornefang alone can handle it. Are you not?”

”I am confident we shall succeed and annihilate all who disrupt Stellhart’s peace.” Lucen did a knight’s salute.

”You may leave now.” Vardon gestured toward the door, signaling Lucen to leave. Lucen bowed slightly and left.

***

Lucen told the members of Thornefang of their first mission, so the group quickly started preparing. Lucen instructed Harlik to request that Vahn give them horses and a wagon to bring the Thunderspear.

While his members were busy preparing, Lucen visited the five temples to see if he could get a blessing. Unfortunately, for some reason, the three deities who had blessed him before, and he thought would bless him again, did not.

’Is there some sort of cooldown for blessings?’

Of course, even though he had such a question, no one could answer him. Lucen continued to pray for a deity’s blessing, and finally got one in the Temple of Thalara, the Goddess of Justice and Judgment.

The temple of Thalara was located in the center of the city. Unlike the other temples, this one had many people coming and going. This was normal since the Temple of Thalara helps solve disputes among the people, especially those who have made an agreement with one another.

’This feels less like a temple of deity or more like a courthouse.’ Lucen thought to himself.

Lucen entered the temple, and as expected, there were many rooms where you could hear people arguing, while priests and priestesses were trying to calm them down. While he was walking, a priest came and told him the way to the prayer room.

Unlike all the other rooms, the prayer room was empty. It had a very solemn feel to it, like all the other temples. In the middle of the room was a bronze scale. Lucen then prayed like he did in all the other temples, but this time he once again felt like someone was gazing upon him from high above.

[Thalara, the Goddess of Justice and Judgment, she who sees all evil, has heard your prayer.]

[You who stand to protect the weak, the one who will judge evil, Thalara has acknowledged you.]

[Blessing: Eye of Judgment - Duration: 15 days.]

• Upon activation, you may discern a target’s moral intent toward you (Good, Neutral, or Evil).

• Target must be within line of sight.

• Uses per Day: 5

***

After getting his blessing, Lucen headed to the meeting point in the Southern Gate, and the members of Thornehart were already there waiting for him.

Each member was now wearing similar armor to Lucen’s armor. They no longer look like a shabby group of mercenaries but a proper unit. Their armor bore the newly forged insignia of Thornefang, a silver thorn curling around the fang of a dragon.

Harlik spotted Lucen and approached him.

”All preparations are complete, little leader. The Thunderspear has been loaded onto the wagon. We have supplies for a week, and morale, as usual, is high.”

Lucen nodded with approval. His gaze swept across his men. It was a sight he had seen many times now, but it was still quite a sight to behold, his very own unit. As Lucen was about to depart, he saw Vahn alongside his younger brother Cael coming towards them.

The last time he saw his younger brother was when he departed for his first outing. Cael was looking at him with his icy blue eyes.

Cael’s icy blue eyes were as clear and unreadable as ever, framed by his silvery hair that hadn’t yet grown past his ears

”Young master Lucen, I apologize for delaying your departure, but young master Cael wanted to see you.”

Lucen blinked in surprise. Cael had actually come to see him off. This younger brother of his, whom Lucen once treated like he didn’t exist, came to see him.

”Is that so...” Lucen, who was taller than Cael, needed to kneel to be at the same eye level as Cael. ”You wanted to see me, Cael?”

Cael did not respond and simply looked at Lucen’s eyes. Looking at him now, Lucen couldn’t help but sigh in his mind. This cute little brother of his was originally meant to bear a lot.

In-game, he was one of the strongest allies of the protagonist Alexander, and one who had lost a lot. His family, his home, everything was taken from him. One of Lucen’s most unforgettable moments from the game came from the lonely swordsman Cael.

”I have lost many things... Taken from me while I stood powerless. I have no family to give me assurance, no love to give me warmth, nor a home to return to... Only my blade, my honor, and my name remain. Will you deny me the glory to die as a Thornehart?! Will you take from me my chosen place to die?! Will you take that from me too?!”

That was what Cael shouted at Alexander when the protagonist stopped him from sacrificing himself for the group. The lonely stoic swordsman who had few words suddenly spoke with such passion that the part became very memorable for Lucen.

Depending on the choices the player made, Cael’s demeanor changes in that scene, and he says another great line, similar but different, reflecting the choices you made in the game.

”There is nothing left for me but my sword, my pride, and my name. Let me die as a Thornehart... Let me die in the way I choose.”

While Lucen was deep in thought, recalling the different paths Cael could take depending on the player’s choices, the real Cael, still young and unaware of what awaited him, suddenly spoke.

”... Are you leaving?”

”Yeah, your big brother is going on another trip.”

Cael lowered his head. Seeing him act like that made Lucen smile a bit, and he patted his little brother’s head. ”See you later, little bro.”

”It’s time to depart!” Lucen rode one of the horses, and Thornefang left through the southern gate.

With the Thunderspear in tow and steel glinting in the sun, Thornefang rode out to meet their first battlefield.