Scars of the Punishment Rune (Suikoden FanFic)

ACT 4- Secession and Collection

The Harmonian Palace was, elegant to say the least. Its main shrine hall, which housed a circular seal, was elliptical in nature. The circular seal represented their faith for it was Hikusaak's own Circle Rune, which was a True Rune.

Hikusaak has not been heard from since -2 IS. he was in fact declared to be deceased, but at the same time, the influence of the Circle Rune has not yet depleted and it continues to be vibrant in power as ever.

Two mysterious figures then made their way towards the shrine of the Circle Rune. One was a hooded figure whose footsteps were not heard as he walked. While the other was a female who sported black hair. She wore a knight's armor in Harmonian Colors which were blue and silver. The woman likewise had a bow sheathed on her back and she also sported a blue bandana across her forehead.

"It has been two years since Highland has fallen to the Jowston states." the hooded figure said to her.

"The correct term is the Dunan Republic." she replied to him.

The hooded man walked towards the shrine of the Circle Rune. The female warrior heard him inhale and exhale.

"Lord Hikusaak has still remained dormant." he said to her. "The Circle Rune's power is still as vibrant as ever." he added.

"Dormant?" She asked him.

"Most Harmonian citizens think that our leader is deceased." he began to explain. "When in fact he is not. His goal still lives and we as part of the Harmonian Kingdom must play our role in fulfilling it." he added.

She looked at the Circle Rune. It shone a bright purple light. She then felt her forehead ache a little.

The hooded man felt this within his instincts.

"It was the Harmonian 3rd Brigade who conducted the inspection of L'Renouille palace wasn't it?" he asked her.

She did not reply to him.

"High Priest Hikusaak seeks explanation towards the existence of the Beast Rune." he continued to say. "General Alaris, what did you see in the fallen palace? Was the Beast Rune still there?" he continued to bombard her with questions.

Alaris turned her back from him.

"It was only Ruins when my unit inspected the aftermath of the attack of the Dunan Army. We did not see any Runes sealed in the palace. It was as if it disappeared." she replied to him. She was a bit uneasy though.

The hooded man let it slide.

"Hikusaak needs those 27 True Runes." he replied. "We still have time and hope." he said to her.

Alaris had skepticisms about his statement. He was implying something.

"I have been reading reports dating back IS 309." he said to her.

"The fall of the Kooluk Empire." she replied. "The Island Liberation War." she said to him.

"The same war which was started by one thing. A True Rune." he said to her. "It was not an ordinary True Rune though. It was one of the deadliest True Runes." he continued to explain to her.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked him.

The hooded man sighed and he continued to look at the seal of the Circle Rune.

"The Circle Rune picks up any True Rune's presence quickly. It is one of those Runes that can sense its equal brothers." he explained. "It's foreshadowing to me, that the said bearer of the True Rune that ended the Island Liberation war has now made its way to the Dunan Region." he further explained to her.

"That's not possible. The Island Liberation war ended over a hundred years ago." Alaris replied to him.

"Then you clearly have no idea how True Runes work." he replied to her. "Anyhow I need no pleasantries from you General Alaris. What I need is that you mobilize your forces back to the Dunan Region. Search for this True Rune and bring it to this palace." he commanded her.

Alaris was a bit uneasy with his command.

"As easy as you say, your command is something I cannot follow." she reasoned with him.

"You dare resist Hikusaak's will?!" he then exclaimed to her.

"I don't but given the political situation between Harmonia and Dunan, in my opinion your order would be detrimental to the state of current affairs. Harmonia has been seen to be closely affiliated with the Highland Kingdom and if we mobilize our soldiers to the region of Dunan it would be seen as a retaliatory strike." she explained to the hooded man.

The latter took her opinion well.

"I have a suggestion though." another voice said. This time it was a man wearing a blue garb with a chest plate and white pants with brown boots. His weapon was holstered on his belt which was a sword. He had red hair and pale colored eyes.

"What is it, Cassius?" the hooded man asked.

Cassius served as the adviser to Alaris and he was her personal strategist in war affairs as well.

"Why don't we personally hunt for this True Rune which you speak?" Cassius explained. "It would be less alarming in that way. We will report back to the kingdom through messengers and our intel networks placed in Dunan." he explained to the hooded man once again.

"Indeed it would be a rational strategy." Alaris explained. "Because if we mobilize now alongside Sasarai's 2nd Brigade, we would be seen as attempting a huge scale invasion of the Grasslands and the Dunan territories." she added.

"And take note, the First Fire Bringer rebellion ended badly with no clear winners." Cassius said. "This resulted into the 50-year ceasefire agreement between the Grasslands and Harmonia." he further reiterated.

The hooded man sighed. When he was reminded of the Fire Bringer he remembered that the True Fire and the True Water Runes have been stolen by such revolutionaries.

"Indeed it would be a backlash if you mobilize with Sasarai's 2nd Brigade, who is mobilizing around Caleria now as we speak, it would be an obvious situation. The Kingdom of Harmonia has always been discrete in its political affairs." he explained to them. "Fine then go forth. Melissa can take charge of your brigade while you are in your special mission." the hooded man said to them as Alaris and Cassius exited the shrine of the Circle Rune.

...

...

...

Cassius walked with Alaris in the hallways of the Harmonian Castle. He noticed though that she was uneasy.

"Milady, is there something wrong?" he asked her.

"Is it true?" she asked him. The two of them stopped walking. "Is it true that the Circle Rune can sense its fellow True Runes?" she asked him.

"Records show that it can. That is why our Kingdom has housed the Runes of True Fire and True Water." he explained to her in response.

"Damn it." she said as she punched the wall beside her.

"What is wrong milady?" he asked once again.

"Then that bastard knows." Alaris commented. She put a hand on the knot of her bandana and removed it.

Cassius was shocked at what he saw. For it was the seal of the Beast Rune which was engraved on Alaris's forehead. It was one of the 27 True Runes.

"Milady... I didn't know..." Cassius said to her as he tried to console her.

"No one did and no one needs to..." Alaris said.

And the two of them were left alone in the hallway of the Kingdom of Harmonia.