"Things weren't always this way. Once, long ago, Warlord Andross was General Andross, serving under out king. He was a brilliant strategist, still is in all honesty. There was only one problem: his brilliant tactics were also very brutal. The lack of morality eventually became too much for the king to abide. He asked Andross to either alter his tactics, or to step down as general. He refused on both counts, then instigated an uprising. Those loyal to him attacked those loyal to the king. My father and Reverend Peppy were amongst those who rallied to the king. This was before either I or my brother were born. Both sides were relatively even, until Andross revealed his secret weapon: Somehow, he'd found a way to cast Dark Magics, the Forbidden Spells. It was almost our undoing.
"Then a trio of warriors managed to reach the now Warlord. The three were the Reverend, my father, and the king himself. Together they smashed the staff that was the focus of his power, and send him and those of his followers that remained fleeing into the mountains, where he seemed to vanish. And they stayed gone for many, many years."
"It was a peaceful, wonderful age," continued the Reverend, "and it was during this time that my younger comrades here were born. Everything around us flourished." He smiled. "I watched young Skye become a squire, then attain his knighthood. Fox, too, was following in his father's footsteps, in fact was only two short years from becoming a knight himself, when word reached us that a small village on the edges of the mountains had been brutally attacked. No, more than attacked. It had been utterly decimated. The handful of survivors spoke of brutal, monstrous warriors, akin to dragons but lacking wings, walking upright on two legs, who fought like organized savages. They weren't content just to kill. They ripped their victims apart, even - even ate then, tearing out mouthfuls of flesh at a whim. They were led by two, one of their own race, and the other a black-armored knight. The armies of the king were called to defend the kingdom, and Sir James, Sir Skye, Squire Fox, and I went willingly.
"The armies met in a great open plain. Never have I seem such warriors before. They wielded weaponry, but licked their lips upon the sight of us, as if imagining what we would taste like. But still we charged to meet them. The instant I spotted the leaders, near the middle of the fray, the king, and us four charged in. The beasts didn't challenge us, and perhaps that should have been a warning, but we heeded it not. Five on two we fought, though it seemed as if it were five on twenty. No hits seemed to hurt them. Then Fox got in a lucky blow, knocking off the knight's helm. It was Andross, as if arisen from the dead! I remember indeed there was a hellish light in his eyes. He laughed, amused at our surprise, and with a wave of his hand sent Fox and Skye tumbling. A second, and James and I were sprawled on the ground. He then held out a large gem, one that filled his grasp, and cast a dark spell. A bolt of black light struck the king, and we all saw his soul ripped from his body, dragged towards the gem."
"I don't know how my father knew, but he threw the Archwing, his sword - this sword - in the path of the light. The king's soul entered it, rather than the Warlord's gem, and was trapped in the ruby on the pommel before the blade hit the ground. This threw Andross into a rage, and he ordered my father captured. Normally, none could have done so, but my father was unarmed. With weaponry and fists they beat him into unconsciousness. I was stunned, horrified, but Skye flew into a rage and charged at those dragging out father away. He did slay three before he too was captured. Then Reverend Peppy was at my side." Sir Fox chuckled. "He'd sense enough to grab the Archwing, to keep the king's soul out of the Warlord's hands. He had the sense, too, to retreat. We ran and hid. Warlord Andross won the day, and so his reign began."
"It was soon after that I - as the bard's say - entered the story," picked up Alchemist Slippy. "Andross began to claim every corner of the realm. Eventually he reached the area where I and my father lived. He's an inventor, like me, and in 'exchange' for keeping our home and lives, we were 'given the honor' or becoming Andross' personal crafters. Weaponry, siege engines, torture devices, all these he expected us to create. Of course, he didn't expect me to rig one to backfire on its wielder. that put my father in Andross' fortress, and me on the run. I met Fox and the Reverend in the abandoned chapel in the east woods. Our families were good friends, so I was glad and eager to join up in their cause: to free the king and vanquish Andross."
"I joined up a couple of months later," Archer Falco continued. "Like Slippy, Andross pushed his way onto land my family owned, only we didn't even put up a pretense of submission. We fought back, all of us. I was the only survivor, and that was due to my receiving a viscous head wound and knocked unconscious. Andross' minions thought I was dead and left me, along with all the corpses of my family, to rot. Once I awoke, and healed, I set about harassing his men, snipering from the trees, damaging supply shipments, and the like. Eventually I made my way to the south woods, where they were now hiding out. And I was more than ready to join up with anyone who could promise me one clear shot at Andross and his scum."
"My tale is not so tragic," Lady Krystal spoke up. "I am the lone survivor of a kingdom beyond the ocean, destroyed my some powerful magic force. Quite simply, I wanted to know who did such a thing, and why everyone I loved had to die. Soon after my ship brought me to these shores, Andross' men captured me for reasons I'd rather not think about. Fox and his friends rescued me, and I've been with them ever since. This was about five years ago."
"All this time, my brother was imprisoned. I would have never left him there so long, but by all accounts from the sky network he'd been executed. Then we received word about a year ago that the execution had been staged, all done to make us believe Skye was dead. Instantly we set about finding his whereabouts." Here Sir Skye growled. "That bastard Andross had my brother captive in his 'fortress,' in realize my family's keep! He was being held prisoner, tortured, in my own birthplace. Seems Andross took it over soon after Skye and my father were captured. I know not what happened to my mother. None of our spies found find any trace of her. It took some daring, but we rescued Skye. By then, however, his mind was damaged by his body's hurts. We had to render him unconscious to get him out, then confine him in a room in our hideaway to keep us safe. He was like a wild beast, striking out at any who drew too near, growling as if he'd forgotten how to speak. He - he didn't even know who we were, who I saw, his own brother. It was a few months before he became convinced we were no threat to him, and then several more before he would speak. Then, about three months ago, I entered to see him sitting in a chair, staring out the window. He looked at me, and knew me, and called me by name. I am not ashamed to say I wept for joy. I made as if to embrace my brother, but he held up a hand, asking me to stand where I saw, that he was fighting the urge to attack me. He had a message to deliver, you see. It was the reason he'd endured so long.
"He knew how to free the king.
"He told me that the stone, if shattered upon a holy alter of blue marble on a certain holy day, would release the king's soul to return to his body. This alter is in my family's chapel, on the grounds of our keep. This was why the Warlord took it over. The fiend taunted my brother with the knowledge day after day, feeling it would never get out. But now I knew.
"Then Skye told me upon the dawn we would not find him there anymore. He had gained enough of his mind to realize he was a threat to us in his present state of mind, and desired to leave. I pleaded with him, but to no avail. I left after a fond farewell, and upon awakening he was indeed gone. Where I know not, I pray somewhere safe and secure.
"But now I knew my mission, and hence why we are here: the day my brother spoke of is in five day's time. At noon I must stand in the chapel of my family, and smash the ruby pommel of the Archwing upon the marble alter to free the king's soul. I have made a sacred vow to do so, even if it be my dying action.
"However... now... it seemed I may fail, and Warlord Andross gain ultimate victory."