Why? Because it's saying that we're Caught in the Middle
◊ of something...
So far, Roy and company are traveling west along the coastline to meet the resistance forces, and come across a village caught in the crossfire between the resistance forces and the landowner who is trying to remove them.
For preparations, I left all non-party units out of this save Lilina, since I heard that this is the chapter where you meet a fairly unique unit who you need to recruit with her. Means I'm going to need to cover her until that happens, which doesn't sound like fun.
Now with the enemy commander, we hear about their search for the resistance coming up empty. He says that he cares not what happens to the village so long as the resistance is found, and then turns to Miledy and apologizes for making her wait. They discuss her coming, as she continues her search for Guinevere, and he mentions that she should visit the bishop Oro, since he knows the region best. We then go over to Roy, as he discusses how he will find the group despite their apparent destruction by the Etruria military. Roy laments that while bandits run wild, a group trying to protect the people is eradicated. Roy wonders if he can help despite the circumstances, and Merlinus deems it a rather tricky task, prompting Roy to write to general Cecilia and see what she thinks about the situation. After Roy is informed of Zinc's attack on the villagers so that he can find the resistance, Roy decides to try to stop them, consequences be damned.
The enemy forces are pretty varied, mostly consisting of shamans, archers, and fighters, with a few mercenaries and a couple priests (who have physic staves, so I'll need to make all attacks count if I don't want to get stalled by one foe or another) joining them, but I see no pirates or brigands yet, so hopefully the homes are safe for now. Sue runs forward and plants an arrow between a fighters eyes with a critical, and the rest of the group advance and cover each other, so that no one is put in any unnecessary danger. Miledy suddenly flies out, talking with a fairly intimidating looking dragonlord on the mountains. She mentions the possible lead in Oro for finding Guinevere, and apologizes to the dragonlord, who is named Gale. He works under Murdock, and she feels bad for dragging him into the previously secret mission. After assuring her that Murdock is fine with his joining the search, the two fly off to the north. After the enemies move (doing nothing in particular), we see Elphin in one of the village homes, as he was nursed back to health when he was found wounded at the town entrance. He leaves to prevent the townsfolk from being involved in the battle as much as he can.
Back with the main group, I advance most of the units towards the town entrance, as they begin to face the enemies in there, who appear to plan to use the walls to their advantage and shoot us from afar. Sue takes the ranged battle to them, sniping them herself and heading towards the eastern path, with Lugh and Ellen following in tow, while the others push forward into the village. Lot makes good use of his hand axe to counter the people behind the walls, while the others face incoming ranged opposition. As the party pushes forward in their two groups, Zinc receives word that we are working with the bandits, and that Arcard has provided them with reinforcements, only for him to worry about credit, and asking a bandit for assistance in dealing with us. the party advances further, although Sue's group is stalled by a mercenary and a fighter in the thin pathway. Lance turns down the western path, to go visit a pair of villages, while the rest of the group heads north to cover the rest of the village. Sue's group deals with their problem quickly, and continue onwards, clearing away enemies as they go. Lance gets a Dragonshield from the first home he visits, Lot and Dieck prepare to tear down the northernmost cracked wall, and Rutger goes to deal with any northwestern foes who show up. Roy acts as Lilina's guard in case of emergency, and sticks near Lot, Dieck, and Clarine. Suddenly, a group of bandits (including the one Lilina needs to recruit) appears to the northwest, as expected. Gonzales is insulted and told to burn down the village, and then insulted again for being ugly yet not wanting to burn down the village. Lilina is joined by Lot as they head towards the oncoming bandits, joining Rutger. Dieck continues smashing the wall, and Roy sticks with him while Lugh and Sue await their incoming foes with Ellen behind them in case they get hurt.
Lance visits the southwestern-most village and receives a barrier staff, while Sue's group advances (Lugh dodge-tanking like a champ against the incoming foes), and pushes through into the open area up north. Rutger's group awaits the bandits, Lot acting as the main target since he is the burliest and least likely to kill Gonzales should he accidentally attack one of them. Come next turn, a group of archers, led by a blond sniper appear to the south,, behind Sue's group, where Ellen and Lugh are trailing. This could get ugly if Dieck doesn't break that wall soon and get Clarine over to her misinformed brother. The pegasus knight he is talking to is also told t attack with her troops from the north, so I'm very likely to get bottlenecked here if I'm not careful. Klein begins tailing Sue's group, as expected, and Gonzales begins heading towards them as well, while the rest of Rutger's group deals with the bandits. Lance goes to assist Dieck, though he is still far from the others, and Lugh and Ellen haul ass out of the soon to be arrow filled pathway. Another turn passes, and Lugh takes down the final priest, while Sue goes after the archer that is annoying Dieck (who has finally shattered the wall), and Rutger's group tries to recruit Dieck. Lot visits the nearby houses in the meantime, saying hello to Mary, and receives a swordreaver.
Suddenly, Tate and her pegasi appear at the worst time, while Rutger and pals try to reach Gonzales. Tate flies over and narrowly misses Lilina with a javelin, and another one of her troops stabs her for a near kill (gonna kill this swarm of idiots if they keep this up, I swear to god...). Lilina recruits Gonzales, who rescues her for her kindness, and then Lot, Roy and Rutger get to trying to deal with their enormous problems, while Sue's group runs from Klein and Clarine goes to recruit her brother. Sue downs one of the pegasi (I've already got an Elysian whip, and the less of them, the better), while Clarine runs off to find Klein. Meanwhile, a horde of cavaliers are also coming from the south, which Dieck goes to deal with. Gonzales somehow survives the horde of foes assaulting him with 3 health, and runs off to get healed by someone, while the Roy, Lance, Lot, and Rutger form a wall to prevent them from reaching Gonzales as he runs, and Clarine recruits her brother, who is now going to recruit Tate, assuming I don't kill her first. Now to keep Klein's archers alive to get my Orions Bolt.
Gonzales reaches Ellen, and she fixes him up while Rutger and the others hold the pegasus twits back. Lugh goes for Zinc so that Klein's archers don't suicide onto him, and Dieck faces a horde of foes all on his lonesome, as they draw near Ellen and Gonzales. Klein helps Dieck stem the flow of foes, while Lugh and Sue start heading their way as well, and Gonzales and Ellen try to escape someplace safe. Sue, Klein, and Dieck diffuse the cavalier problem, but it was a close thing, and now Klein can go and get Tate and what's left of her platoon out of my hair. Rutger's group begins taking down the remaining bandits in the meantime. Klein's archers run off (smart guys, I must say), and Klein heads off towards Tate, while the rest of the battlefield has calmed down, and Lot visits the second house, saying hello to Myu and receiving a speedwing. Klein talks some sense into Tate, and she joins us, alongside the one soldier left in her platoon. Lugh visits the rest of the villages on the eastern side, and Roy heads for the gate while Clarine and Ellen get to tending the wounded. Lugh receives a sleep staff, and Orion's Bolt, and a second swordreaver (as well as a nice tale about Gonzales from that house), and Roy conquers the castle.
Roy meets with Elphin, who discusses the circumstances of Roy's assault on Etrurian forces. He feels that if he reveals the islands corrupt leaders, that he could tip Etruria into his favor, but Elphin reveals his belief that Arcard and Roartz are allied with Bern. After Roy decides to stay despite the danger, Elphin congratulates him on keeping his cool and thinking through the situation, and decides to join us, telling us the next best place to deal with is in Caledonia, and he also gives us a Wyrmslayer.
There's a bunch of congratulations and thanks from numerous groups, and I receive two of the three rewards, a Hero Crest (for protecting the village) and an Orion's bolt (for keeping Klein's units alive). I didn't get the Elysian Whip, but I already have one, and Tate's unit can go be target practice for all I care. I'll be giving Tate, Gonzales and Klein their review next chapter, since this chapter was crazy busy and I forgot to do it before capturing the gate.
Damn, that was a hell of a chapter, but I was able to pull through. I find that it's just as much luck as skill that saves my hide in some of the tougher parts of these chapters. For posterities sake, the Reset Counter up to this point is 5, and I'm hoping to keep it that way. I never want a repeat of Erik's chapter again.
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