Flames of the Faint

......

The effects of the Oripathy inhibitor will take a while to show. But for now, you should be feeling a lot less pain.

Take the medicine back to the others. There isn't much, probably only enough for one dose, but it will help with acute symptoms.

Did you really come to help us?

I'm sorry, but we can't help you much more than this.

We have to defeat the leader of Reunion before we can do anything else.

Also... if Reunion breaks into a full-scale riot again, I think we won't be able to handle them.

All those things I said to you... I... I wasn't like this before.

I used to hate you people. But now, I'm like you. Everyone hates me too.

I very nearly killed him. But without his help... we might already be dead.

But every time he let us go find supplies, someone died. I thought for sure that was proof he was working with Reunion, to toy with us.

Even though we're already Infected? Does Reunion... really hate the Ursus so much?

People don't need much to indulge in the ugliest side of their nature. Just giving them free rein can contaminate every part of a city.

Dr. Kal'tsit... you scared me!

Amiya, you shouldn't be letting these games get the better of you.

Just once or twice is enough...!

You'll spoil our plans if you waste so much time talking.

So... Dr. Kal'tsit, if she lied, were you really going to kill me?

I... I didn't lie though!

Just hypothetically. Not every Infected is so honest after they've been hurt. I've acted on impulse before myself.

Um... *sigh*...

Of course not.

You're a Rhodes Island operator. I trust you over all others.

Let's call it a form of psychological treatment for her. Naturally, the way you and she responded to it proved your innocence.

But I...

That look on your face was so dark and terrifying. I really thought you were going to do it... your act was way too convincing.

Sounds fine to me. I wouldn't do it, but I'd like to make people think that I would.

Dr. Kal'tsit, you really pushed it... no more terrorizing Guard.

Fine.

Don't worry, Guard. If she did go too far, I would've stepped in to stop her.

Did all that spike your emotional state? Should I help you recuperate?

Oh, no need. I'd be awful weak if I needed the Amiya treatment after just that.

After all... The one I really worry about is the little one standing by the door.

......

But even that's looking better. She and I sorted things out, and I think I get it... but I still can't let go of the time she split a person clean in half with the sweep of a claymore.

That's gonna be with me my whole life.

Oh... I know the incident you're talking about.

Guard... did you know she saved four civilian lives during that operation? That the military was testing weapons on them?

She killed an abandoned weapons-grade experimental caster they'd bought from a Sargon slaver. The entire batch of casters had their pituitary glands surgically removed.

The glands were replaced with an Originium device that kept them moving without input from their own nervous systems. They were already dead.

Only Rosmontis, with her unique fighting style, could destroy the experimental infected organs. She did nothing wrong.

...So that's what happened?

Guard, I think you misjudged Rosmontis the same way that young lady misjudged you.

What you look like, and any rumors going around about you, are anyone's first window into your personality. No matter what you did, they'd be looking at you as Reunion first.

But if we never got past the surface... we'd never know anything, let alone learn to trust.

If no one tries to find the truth, then no matter how hard we work to sow its seeds, they won't germinate.

And anyway, Rosmontis is right in front of you. Why don't you just... ask her?

A-Ask her?

What do you want to ask?

(Um, not like that... she won't know what to say...)

......

...Rosmontis, what are you here for?

My mission.

...And, like I said, getting revenge. For my family.

I'm done asking.

But... I don't even know what I asked.

I was angry at Azazel before, and now I was rude to Rosmontis. Hah, what a mess I am.

But you trust Patriot. Tell us about Patriot and his guerrillas, and about Reunion.

I'm pretty sure Dr. Kal'tsit and Doctor here can make sense of it.

The only reason there's anyone still left alive, why so many Ursus were able to make it through Chernobog...

Is because Patriot and his guerrillas. And the people who respect them.

When the guerrilla fighters were around, there was peace. Nobody dared to raise a hand against anybody else.

Not only did they hand out supplies and resources, but they even worked to make the locals' lives a little better.

...Patriot was going to let me leave the city. But I decided to stay... to see how things turned out.

I overheard him talking to the leader of Azazel. I think even if it's all an act, he's at least working hard to keep up the act.

Also... Mr. Scout died there to protect me. Patriot respected Mr. Scout. I...

Scout!

What happened to Scout?

I... why can't I remember? He died? He...

This emptiness... is that him? Scout... I forgot again?

But I just... the terminal... how could I forget again?

......

*sobs*...

Rosmontis...

Give me your hand. Close your eyes, Rosmontis...

......

Turns out elite operators... aren't that different... from my teammates.

Doctor, I've got something to say.

On your rescue operation, Scout led the recon team. He never knew you like you are now... But he said he knew you before, like Ace.

He held back the Sarkaz mercenaries to save my life.

Knowing Scout, he could've easily gotten out if he wanted to.

He told me to tell you something... Right, I remember it.

He said he would never forget fighting by your side.

Huh...

He also wanted you to stop being a commander. But things being what they are, I think you probably can't just sit by and watch.

Boss sacrificed himself to save me too. That means I've got two elite operators' lives on my shoulders.

But Mr. Scout said they didn't die for any one person. They died for an idea.

His team did, and so did mine.

So I decided to look into Reunion. I had to see where things were going, and how I could help Rhodes Island.

—I saw the guerrillas had their own idea. A firm, pure conviction that they were fighting for.

They were a little more savage, of course, but they never found joy in violence. That's what I saw in them.

If Reunion was supposed to be about liberating the Infected, then the guerrillas... they were there to exterminate their oppressors.

They'd exterminate those who enslave the Infected, and those who threaten the common folk. All of them. To a man.

That's because of Patriot. Patriot taught them, led them, and protected them.

Before Patriot set out from Chernobog on a mission, I had a... talk with him.

*Sigh*. Just how old is that warrior? But he still shared some of his booze with me. It was the first time... anybody treated me like that.

He may indeed be much older than you think.

Have you heard the legend? About him leaving Ursus?

I have. He led an entire elite division out of Ursus. The Great Rebellion proved to be fertile ground for all sorts of things that otherwise would've been absurd.

The truth is, there aren't many of those soldiers he led out of Ursus left.

Their clashes with the Ursus regulars must've cost them a lot of men.

Most of his guerrillas are fresh recruits, people who volunteered to join when they fought in the northwest tundra.

Their battles, their prestige, and their ideals all won them recruits.

They used to work well with the leader of Reunion. But for some reason, maybe related to the burning hate the Infected have for the people of Ursus... things turned out like this.

It is what it is. Everyone alive today suffers Catastrophes, madness, and death. All kinds of suffering that this world heaps upon them.

Tatiana... I remember your name is Tatiana.

...That's right.

Does your knee hurt?

What's that?

Three days ago, you tripped trying to run away.

It got better a while ago...! I'm Ursus! I'm not like... whatever your race is. Us Ursus are much sturdier.

I'm glad... it looked pretty nasty.

Hah, here I am, doing a medic operator's job without any training.

I've got a lot on my plate, Dr. Kal'tsit.

I understand.

Hm...

Medic didn't come with you?

Why bring her up?

Don't worry about it. I can tell by the look on Rosmontis's face what happened. We've lost a lot of people, but Rhodes Island fights on.

I'm getting the impression that you don't know the core city is on a collision course with Lungmen.

......

What?

Oh, are you talking about helping the Reunion forces at the battle of Lungmen? Moving the core city is Reunion's only play. I heard about that.

The core city is broadcasting an Ursus identification code.

Huh?

...What?!

Hold up!

...No way... That doesn't make any sense!

Now you know why we're here.

What's the problem?

(Makes the Rhodes Island hand gesture for 'quiet.')

Nothing...

...You've been talking so long. If Patriot and his men are as good as you say, why is Reunion still running amok here in Ursus?

Because Reunion 'shouldn't' be doing this.

...Huh?

Guard...

I think you would be a great help to our operation, since you're familiar with both the local Infected and Reunion. Would you be willing to rejoin our team?

......

Oh, but you can't leave yet, can you?

...Right. I'm sure you can tell just by looking at me. Right, Amiya?

Sorry, I know I'm about a decade older than you, but sometimes you make me feel like a kid.

No need to blame yourself. I could even say Rhodes Island will honor your work.

...But you're in a very dangerous position.

Guard, if Reunion falls here, your work to save the Infected and maintain their basic living conditions will become much more difficult.

Are you at all worried that could come to pass?

No, I'm not.

Because Reunion has Patriot.

As long as he's here, Reunion won't fall.

A lot of guerrilla fighters left camp and gathered up. I'm thinking that's because he may be back already.

And if he's here, I believe Reunion can still change.

But Reunion lacks the impetus to change. Looking at the evidence, Talulah has certainly not devoted herself to the cause.

Chernobog's core city, the ruins of Chernobog back there, and the Ursus Infected...

We can't forget that the Ursus Third Army is still out there waiting to act. That will make everything drastically worse.

But I know Reunion is relatively strong.

And there are a few things... Rhodes Island can't handle. This is one of those things!

Rhodes Island is a corporation. Dr. Kal'tsit has been very clear about that, time and again.

I believe in Boss, and Mr. Scout...

And I believe in Patriot.

...I know.

...Aren't you mad, Amiya?

Why should I be mad at you... over things we can't do, and things we haven't done?

So much happened these past two weeks. We've all changed a lot.

But we're not about to turn on each other because of the Infected. I think all that happened in Chernobog, and what Guard and I saw, were the same.

Correct. I still can't stand hurting people like that. No matter who's doing it to who, I won't stand for it.

If Patriot wants to clean house in Reunion, I have to stand with him, with his men, and with all the Reunion members who believe in Patriot.

We do not consider your new way of thinking to be a threat to our interests.

In fact, we encourage all our operators to learn more about the outside world, seek out their own goals, and build their self-confidence.

Our ideas are constantly changing.

...Thank you, Dr. Kal'tsit, Amiya.

Oh, yes.

You can also contact the Doctor later.

As for my responsibilities at Rhodes Island... Amiya, Dr. Kal'tsit... Will they be more important?

...I wouldn't put it that way, Guard. It's more important to decide for yourself what you want to do.

And, personally, I think that any of us would have done the same in your position.

Different people make different choices. If something's important to you, it's important.

I hope you find a place for yourself among these Ursus, like you wanted. I hope you can protect those deserving of protection.

......

...W-why are you looking at me...?

...I'm not. No reason. Just thinking.

Oh yes.

Regarding your pay, I'm afraid your work here doesn't support a salary. Sorry.

Also, Guard, please do tell me—

If Patriot betrays Talulah, what happens then?

...That won't happen. Patriot trusts Talulah deeply.

Now what about the other way around?

...Dr. Kal'tsit?!

What if Talulah betrays Patriot?

Or, what if I told you we encountered the Reunion commander, FrostNova, and by any objective measure, are responsible for her death?

Dr. Kal'tsit?! What are you saying?!

That... th-that's Patriot's daughter...!

If we fight Patriot...

That would be the worst case scenario. And it's what the puppetmasters would want.

If Talulah really is turning a blind eye to, or even allowing the Infected to harm innocent civilians in spite of Patriot's stance... I believe that's no longer just turning a blind eye.

A lot of Infected will make Patriot into a target. Those who don't know the truth, and those who let their hatred get the better of them.

And those who want to.

......

I... I have to go.

I have to tell Patriot!

But... Rhodes Island...

Will he be... your enemy?

It's not the obvious step for Reunion to take.

Whether Misha or FrostNova...

Us, Reunion, and Lungmen too... We can't let anyone else slip through the cracks.

Doctor, we still have a lot to do... just thinking of what comes next is making me tired.

But before that... we have to find Madame Ch'en.

And, most importantly...

The leader of Reunion. She's the cause of all of this.

Right. Team Mantra-2, come in.

The captain has determined Reunion's communication method. It's primitive, even artificial-looking. As for personnel, she's just about done clearing the area.

Not the guerrillas though. They're tough.

Should we eliminate them?

No need for that. We're not here to eliminate them, or have them butcher each other.

We're not here to stir up internal conflict. They should oppose those who misled them.

Now?

That's her question. I'm good.

Naturally... not now.

Their spirit is rotten, but their fabrication of a backbone still remains.

Take it away or break it, and watch them crumble. That's what we might have done at first.

Talulah was a step ahead of us. She stirred the conflict and fanned its flames.

I originally thought that she had gone mad. But this is poison, not madness.

The Infected and the people of the city will surely rise up.

Talulah gave them the chance to intermingle and build bridges.

She must still have a queen on the board, or she wouldn't be so bold.

I firmly believe that she wants to destroy Reunion, in the most dishonorable possible way.

...And this is a poison that we must neutrallize.

But all this hinges on what Buldrokkas'tee decides to do...

Because what we do next can hardly be called an infiltration, Doctor.

As I said when we started, infiltration is only about twenty percent of our plan here.

To get to the core command tower and the generator area to halt Chernobog's movement, we will have to go through the central district.

Now, the enemies in our path are not your run-of-the-mill Reunion, nor are they brutish Sarkaz sellswords.

Let's put W aside for now.

As a tactician, you should be more concerned about this than about Talulah, Reunion's tyrant.

The Infected Guerrillas of the Northern Plains, a thorn in the hinterland of Ursus's Fourth Army to the northwest... Since its formation, it has only ever had one leader.

Ordinary resistance fighters get slaughtered, but these guerrillas were able to turn the tables on the butchers.

Local stakeholders could request the mobilization of a division or two to knock them out, but it would be taken as an admission of incompetence to the generals and the State Council.

The war raged for so long that the Infected hiding out in the snow came to call the guerrillas their 'Aegis.'

The Aegis of the Infected.

The Yeti Squad was one of its subsets, and its members did not solely consist of Infected.

The exiles, the fanatics, the maimed, Elves, Durin, and Sarkaz. The guerrillas did not fight for the Infected alone.

Oh?

Just like Rhodes Island, yes?

Just as before, Rhodes Island will benefit from your intuition, Doctor.

Why do you look into my eyes when you say that?

There's nothing to see in these eyes.

There's no point in staying silent at a time like this.

It's your choice whether or not you hold an opinion.

Would you rather I didn't?

You want me to reprimand you, Doctor?

Not now. I don't think you do, and I don't think there's anything wrong with what you said.

In an unexpectedly apt analogy, the guerrilla fighters also trust only one commander, and embrace only that one commander.

Yes, Doctor, this guerrilla force is another sort of 'Rhodes Island.'

But their leader? No.

Doctor, prepare yourself well. Or you'll regret it.

Even though one of our objectives is to clear a path through the central district to the bridge and the generator area...

For your own safety, I still hope you and Amiya will not face him.

But if this is all inevitable, then I can only repeat what I just said.

...Prepare yourself well, Doctor. And before you face him, you must prepare to face his guerrillas.

I rarely offer my advice to others, Doctor.

But that is 'Patriot,' Buldrokkas'tee.

*Pant*... *pant*...

Still... another... block?

No... No! I have to... I have to tell Patriot...

If Talulah... if Talulah lets these people... strike at the guerrillas...

Then... then... the guerrillas will... they will...

Be killed by their own...!

Patriot... Patriot is the only level-headed one left in Reunion...!

Where do you think you're going?

You...

Sarkaz.

What brigade are you with? And what business do you have in the central district?

Explain it to me.

Oh, or maybe you're with the old Wendigo.

You—

The prey ran right up to me on his own.

What did you learn, weak little Infected outlander?