The Fey Conquest— Introduction

[Short stories. Images generated by hotpot.ai]

In the land of Ivalice, it was not possible to live for long as an able-bodied male and not complete training as a warrior.

Those who had the strength to serve in combat were inevitably taken, Swain earlier than most. Cowards were either despised, killed in battle, or killed by the military police for desertion. Long ago, Ivalice had weeded out its cowards, and Swain had once thought himself invincible on the battlefield.

However, the warring houses of Ivalice had indeed believed themselves to be a higher echelon of Human, and used their levies as chess pieces. Little consideration was made for their lives or compensation, and their lords employed ruthless tactics. After long enough, even Swain, a career fighter, had been broken. But his instincts and experience served him well, and even though he had been broken months ago, he waited patiently for the right opportunity to lead his battalion to desertion.

His battalion was to be sent to wade across a river and serve as a diversion for a stronger force to gather and take the enemy in the flank. However, unfortunately for Lord Wylgas Banner, his schemes didn’t factor in Swain’s screaming. In the mud of the floodplain on which their forces gathered, Swain detected his only chance.

“Cross a river and die like dogs!” said Swain, interrupting the sullen quiet before they were sent to most assuredly suffer high casualties, “Our blood will turn the water red for another meaningless victory! Is that why our God put us here!? To die like dogs!?”

The men were awakened and roused.

“We are food for them. Just pieces of cheddar! We’ll die in that river with arrows in our throats! For this endless war!!! Follow me, men! We’ll live free in the lands to the West!”

The few foolhardy loyalists to Lord Wylgas who opened their mouths were cut down by the battalion now belonging to Swain, the officer who had seen them through many battles, and they hastily struck West to lands unknown to them, separated by mountains. However, the weather being forgiving, and their troop having pillaged a supply depot, they were able to cross the hills with no casualties.

Ivalice safely behind them, even their military police unable to confront them, the Separatists entered a land quite unlike their own.

The Fey Realm, it was called.

Swain’s control over his battalion was secure as long as their bellies were full and they were victorious. As such, Swain could not be seen as weak, under any circumstances.

They exacted tolls from the villagers of these lands, though in truth the hard-bitten officer had a beating heart, and his cool head spared the villagers from being ravaged entirely by the desperate soldiers. As Swain had led his men to safety, his battalion for the nonce was under his control.

Eventually, they encountered a village more prosperous than the hamlets they had already taxed, and they readied to exact another toll. Here, it was revealed that the Fey Realm was inhabited by celestial beings, called Espers. The townsfolk rallied around their Patron Esper, believing it to have the power to defend the village.

However, Swain feared mutiny more than their deity, and with lion-like boldness, led the deserters against the Esper. To the astonishment of the Fey Folk, the Esper was slain, and its body left behind some kind of mineral. The Separatists tarried in the village for some time, confiscating the supplies and treasure of the townsfolk who resisted them. Swain knew it was no use to order them not to do so.

In the meantime, as they tarried, one of the company wizards, Krest, studied the mineral left behind by the Esper. He bestowed the name, ‘magicite’.

“You can fuse it to your body,” he said, “It’s painful, but after you endure it, it leaves a rune on the flesh. Watch this,” he touched the rune on his arm, activating it. A blast of wind knocked over a nearby empty cart, which had been pillaged of its contents. “You gain a measure of the esper’s power.” his eyes darted, “But it keeps speaking to you.”

With that, knowledge of the discovery was spread quickly throughout the company, the soldiers clamoring for a share in the magicite and searching for more of the entities. A small number of the beings were also found in this village, and the soldiery eagerly killed them and harvested the mineral.

“Show us how to do it,” said Morris, who was feared enough to override Swain, though Swain pretended he didn’t know.

Krest demonstrated. “Concentrate on the entity, and let your mind, or your spirit, reach out to it to make a deal. If you promise it new life, it will fill you with pain, but then it will merge with your flesh. You will have the Esper’s power.”

Morris greedily took magicite in hand. Having a legendary tolerance for pain, Morris’s eyes blazed, almost as if enjoying the struggle. He roared with adrenaline, then picked up a stone. He shimmered with energy, then crushed the stone in his hand. The company shivered with excitement.

Morris smiled. “Find more!”

Swain asked Krest, “Have you created a monster?”

Krest said, “It’s not unlimited. He can’t do that all day.”

Swain replied, “I’ll need to find my own, or Morris will devour everything we worked for.”

Krest swallowed; “Ah. I hadn’t thought of that.”

The company was now eager for more magicite, and were getting a taste for pillage. Divisions were already taking shape, and those loyal to Swain were endangered of being the fewest in number.

The Fey Conquest had begun.

*-------------------------------------------*

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