Why did it have to be Kyaro...?

Still, duty was duty. There was still a good hour and a half before the Second Royal Highland Army would be on their way towards the border. Solon allowed his fully-armored form to slump down upon one of the few heavy wooden crates that dotted the city square turned makeshift "camp", giving himself a brief reprieve from the constant walking he had been doing since he woke up. Just a few more units needed to be rounded up and they'd be ready to go. For a morning that had been flying by so quickly, his own world seemed to suddenly squelch into a trudge as if thrust full-tilt through a vat of tar. Another trickling hour and a half of waiting and nothing to do...what a terrible bore.

Solon laughed blandly, ignoring the wayward glances from the soldiers that passed by him. That almost sounded like something Seed would say.

Idle waiting soon gave way to idle thinking as armored soldiers continued to mill by like ants. What of the other Highland generals? Solon stared up at the cloudy sky overhead, his steely eyes strangely matching their somber, dreary hue. Other than himself, Krugan was the only other general that he currently knew of that had been sent off on some sort of mission on Lord Ruka's orders. However, their orders differed greatly that Krugan was acting as royal courier to an important contact within Harmonia. He knew not of Kiba's possible orders, if he had received any, nor Seed's, whom he strangely hadn't seen hide nor hair of since returning to L'Renouille.

And Rowd...well, he wasn't going to dirty his thoughts by wondering about THAT nauseous snake in the grass...

Once more, Lord Ruka's succinct orders drifted into Solon's mind. "You and your troops will journey south in the morning. Go to the southern border by Kyaro and await further orders there." Despite the bluntly obvious fact that the prince wasn't going to speak of his full intentions, his own years as a general made short work of the riddle. No honest commander of a whole nation's military force would order a full-sized, fully-geared army to head to a tiny border town just to sit idle. If his warfare instincts were correct, the troops being sent to Kyaro were just the first wave that would be unleashed in a full-fledged invasion of the Jowston State--

"It would seem that some 'traditions' don't like being forgotten, eh?"

Solon Jhee's head snapped up sharply, his brewing thoughts evaporating at the voice's intrusion. Standing beside him, tall form casting near-invisible shadows over the cobblestone street, was the fiery-haired Seed. The younger general, his moderately armored form partially concealed beneath red and black-trimmed white garb, appeared to be around his mid-twenties. A perpetual fire seemed to rage within his emerald-green eyes, an undying grin dripping with fox-like slyness permanently etched upon his face. He jauntily saluted his fellow general with a gauntlet-covered hand, the silvery metal untarnished and sleek. "I thought I'd make it up to you since I missed meeting you when you got back," he said, strangely jovial despite the gravity that weighed over the city square like lead.

A rare smile carved itself upon Solon's stony features. "And here I thought my departure would become a tedious affair," he remarked, motioning to another of the nearby crates that littered the cobblestone pavement. "Come, keep me company before I go. I wouldn't want Lord Ruka to be the last familiar voice I have to hear when I leave. Such is hardly peaceful music to a general."

"What you say definitely has a ring of truth," Seed laughed, taking up the offer as he settled himself comfortably upon a nearby wooden box. The outgoing smile upon faded in intensity, becoming half-hearted. "I suppose war's been written into our fates with our own blood," he murmured before he quickly picked up his formerly upbeat expression once again when he noticed it slipping. "But generals aren't paid to think like that, right? We just do what we're ordered. It's the way it's always been."

"I suppose," Solon answered as he slumped forward, resting his elbows against his armored knees. "But...Kyaro, of all places...I've been ordered to take my entire army to Kyaro..."

Seed's face immediately fell into a sympathetic mask when he noted the drastic plunge in the other's demeanor. "It's because of what happened there ten years ago, right?" he asked cautiously. His face tightened up defensively when Solon glanced sharply back at him with his steely eyes, seemingly taken aback by the sudden, unexpected remark. "...Sorry...I didn't mean anything by that..."

"No, don't worry about it," Solon sighed, averting his eyes and waving his hand as if to dispel what had been said. "What happened was in the past. All I can do now is just focus on the present and the orders that Lord Ruka's given me. I can't dwell on what happened there."

"It isn't healthy to forget the past," Seed said in all seriousness. "In fact, the past is often a map to our future, but we often seem to forget to refer to it and end up getting lost."

Solon glanced back at the younger general once more, this time in a slower, somewhat puzzled sort of way. Seed was the type of man who often expressed his thoughts in a relatively literal manner, not with the imagery and symbolism that he had just displayed. Still, it was fairly common knowledge amongst the higher-ups and royal family of Highland of what had happened back in Kyaro about ten years past. They knew of the loss that Solon Jhee had suffered but almost never willingly talked about.

"I didn't mean to go off like that. Seems mouthing off's a bad habit of mine," Seed apologized while bowing his head, obviously regretting his outburst when he noticed the depressed expression on the other's face. "Maybe I've Highland's loss of the Unicorn Brigade to blame. We've got a lot of parents who understand what you went through."

"Let's not continue about that," Solon muttered quickly, pushing his morose thoughts away. He pulled himself back up out of his slouch and into a proper sitting position, shattering any noticeable signs of weakness he unwittingly displayed. "I'm more worried about these orders that HAVE me heading to Kyaro. Lord Ruka's having us sit on the border between Jowston and Highland...but it's almost as if he knew just WHEN the peace treaty was going to be broken..."

Seed appeared contemplative, cupping his chin with an armored hand as he rested his elbows upon his knees. "Lord Ruka can't resist the call of the battlefield," he said flatly, "and I have to be completely honest...but I can't resist it either. I've missed the challenge of a decent fight and my swordsmanship is beginning to lose its touch."

"I suppose I can't say that I'm any better," Solon laughed in reply, almost startling the younger general with his abrupt change in attitude. "The prince almost seems TOO eager to return to battle, though. I know we're both generals and all, and this is how we make a living, but...I have my doubts about this."

"Then let us hope that the horses don't tell Lord Ruka of our words," Seed grinned with mirth. He leaned forward to whisper, his expression as wry as a fox's as his emerald eyes glimmered in a mischievous light. "Lord Ruka and Lady Jillia seem to be at odds with one another. The princess hasn't seemed like herself since she got back from inspections of the Unicorn Brigade grounds. The prince, however...I don't know if they've said anything to one another, but there's a definite hint of spite between them."

"What of His Majesty?" Solon asked in curiosity, making sure to deaden the weight of his heavy voice.

Seed shrugged impassively. "King Agares acts as if he doesn't notice," he replied. "Either that, or he's feels he shouldn't care. It's been like this since he passed command of the Highland armies over to Lord Ruka."

Solon felt his lips subconsciously curl into a grimace. "Looks like it always comes down to the decisions of people who don't see what's happening on the front lines with their own eyes..."

"'Give 'em all the same grub and all the same pay and the war'll be over and done in a day', huh?"

"...It's always been like that."

Silence permeated the conversational trade between two...a long, uncomfortable silence that heralded only troubled thoughts. Solon stared wordlessly at his right hand, clenched lightly and resting against his armored leg. He didn't need to see the Mother Earth rune that was imbedded just below his knuckles to know that it was there, creating a warmth that was wholesome and comforting. His mother's rune upon his hand and Elaine's engagement band upon his neck...they were his only sources of escape, his only link to his youth...

And they're dead. They're never coming back, save as ghosts that haunt you at night without remorse.

"Lord Jhee, the troops are ready to depart."

Loud scuffing and the sound of armor-sheathed boots clacking together in attention forced Solon to snap back to reality. Seed likewise dropped his brooding expression and craned his head to regard the soldier that had unexpectedly approached, watching as the youth stood rigid to snap a prompt salute. "All men and supplies have been accounted for," the lower ranking officer announced. "We're ready to leave at any time, sir."

Solon exhaled roughly, his armor creaking as he pushed himself up and away from the crate he had been seated upon. "Very good, we'll set out immediately, then," he said, forgoing his previous thoughts to regain his strong, commanding presence. "Give the orders to the men to prepare for departure."

"Right away, Lord Jhee!"

Once more, the soldier promptly saluted before spinning around on his boots to carry out his orders. "Guess it's another extended farewell to L'Renouille," Seed remarked as he watched the younger dash off and vanish beyond the mess of wagons and supplies.

"T'would seem so," Solon replied rather ruefully. He offered a gauntlet-covered hand to the other general. "For a safe return. I just pray this cause is right."

Seed smiled widely as he took the offer, clasping Solon's arm and shaking it firmly as a customary parting. "Fight for Highland's honor and you won't swerve from your path," he said. "For King Agares and for Highland."

"Aye, for Highland. Give Krugan my regards."

"I'll see that he does. Safe journey, Solon."

With that, Solon turned his back to his companion, his olive green cloak billowing out behind him as the morning breeze sighed through the town square. Not once did he look back to glance at Seed's expression or if he had already departed on his own way.

He didn't look back to see Seed shaking his head as if regretful for being what he was.

[The path to Kyaro, a few miles from L'Renouille]

Beyond the distance, Solon Jhee could still see the glimmer of L'Renouille sparkling beneath the sparse rays of sunlight.

The gentle flapping of the Highland standard whipping in the wind not far behind filled the general's ears as he glanced behind him in longing, over the heads of the armored soldiers and horses that marched in rank at the rear. He could still see the snowy gray marble of the royal palace's towers and ramparts thrusting upwards like spears lancing the clouds, allowing what little sunlight that peaked through to highlight their stone surfaces with blinding effects. That was his lifelong home, and once again he had been unwillingly torn from its welcome comfort.

Solon sighed inwardly, almost soundlessly, as he swung around to face forward in his saddle, his pitch-black steed plodding along at moderate, even steps. L'Renouille was at his back, Kyaro was at the distance before him. He suddenly wished he wouldn't have to go through the Tenzen mountain path, where the Unicorn Brigade had met their horrendous end...

However, a general wasn't there to be asked of his thoughts. He was there to take orders and give them.

Solon glanced up at the emotionless skies and cursed them.

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"Solon Jhee" and "Suikoden 2" are (C) Konami. This chapter was posted December 17, 1999 This author no longer writes for Solon