14. Underneath the Surface

The sound of dripping water caught the Count's attention as he opened his good eye. The vision before him blurred, cleared, then blurred again, and he blinked once or twice, trying to clear his sight.

"Count?"

It was Edea's voice. The Count blinked, before trying to sit up. His stiff back, accompanied by a wave of soreness, did not help, and a groan escaped his lips as he looked to the source of the voice, to the blond young lady siting just beside him.

"You," He breathed out.

She frowned. "I have a name, you know."

"I know, girl."

"Edea. My name is Edea."

He ignored her as he fully sat up, looking around. His head throbbed, and he put his right hand to it, running his hand through his wavy hair, attempting to soothe the pain with what little magic he had.

That was when he realized— Kamiizumi wasn't here.

"What happened? Where are we? Where's….?"

Edea bit her lower lip. "He's not far. He said he was going to find a possible way out. I think we ended up in the dungeons."

"He went by himself?" He looked to the source of dripping water, one of the pipes in the castle. He growled at the sight—this castle needed repairs, again. Curse the Gurak for raiding this place for the second time! "Will he be alright? Was he injured?"

She frowned, moving to stand. "As far as I know when I woke up, he seemed fine. It's you that's the most hurt, your arm is busted."

"What?" He swallowed, looking down at his left, prosthetic metal arm, seeing that wiring came out of the forearm, and half his metal hand was…gone, for lack of better words (particularly the pinky, fourth, and half his third finger along with the knuckles attached to them). "Well, shit."

Edea grimaced. "I'm guessing this doesn't happen often?"

"No. It shouldn't." The Count frowned at the sight of his hand, then up at her. "I had this arm specially made after I…well, lost my original arm. The same goes for my lower left leg."

"Did you lose your left eye, too?"

"Yes." Jaw clenched, he tried to get up, leaning on his metal arm despite how broken it was. He was sure he could get it fixed, once he, Edea and the Swordmaster found help. His metal arm whined and clicked, and he did his best to ignore it. "Don't bring it up again. I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Edea didn't respond. Footsteps came to both of their attention, and Arganan stilled his movement. Edea took out her sword, pointing at the direction of the footsteps, but as someone stepped into view, she put it away.

"Master…"

"Edea." Kamiizumi looked to her, and then looked to Arganan, blinking. "You're awake…? How do you feel?"

"Sore and annoyed as hell, thank you. You worried me!" Arganan tried to get up again, and the Swordmaster rushed over to help him do so. As Arganan straightened himself, he leaned on the Swordmaster for support. "What were you thinking, going off alone?"

"Finding a way out is our objective right now, especially with you in your current state." The Swordmaster's eyes softened at the sight of the Count's frown. "You…took the brunt of the fall for me."

Arganan grimaced, putting his right hand to his head, only to realize why it hurt so much. Silky cloth wrapped tight around his head, particularly the right side of it, and it felt slightly damp. Looking to the Swordmaster's face, then looking down, he realized the other man's left kimono sleeve was in tatters—ripped apart.

It was only then that Arganan remembered how he felt before losing consciousness, with the ground breaking underneath him, desperately grabbing for someone, a crushing grip around their arms and torso—then nothing.

"Your head wound seems quite minor. A miracle you're not dead, as well as Edea and me." The Swordmaster gently ran a hand through the Count's hair that wasn't covered by the makeshift bandage, as if reassuring a frightened kitten. Arganan himself didn't know how to feel. "You said you felt sore. Is it your head?"

Arganan nodded once, quiet.

"Tell me if it gets worse. Just lean on me." The Swordmaster then looked to Edea. "We need to get out of here."

Edea could only nod. "Agreed."

"Do you see them yet, Praline?"

"Nope!"

"They have to be in here somewhere…" Therius held up a lit lantern as he, Praline and Mirania went down the corridor. General Asthar and the other Lazulis knights decided to detain Dagran in the military wing for now, at least until the Count, Edea and Kamiizumi were retrieved from the dungeon. Therius himself wasn't sure what sort of state the dungeon would be in, as well as its prisoners and the three that fell in there, hence why he brought Mirania along with Praline.

"So…" Praline lifted up the lantern she held, looking around as she took a few steps forwards, "Therius?"

The white knight's emerald eyes looked to her. "Yes, Praline?"

"Why did Dagran try killing Asthar?"

Therius sighed. "I don't know, Praline. I just don't know."

He would have brought Zael, too, but the poor man was in too much shock from Dagran attempting to kill the General. He couldn't help but wonder…why would Dagran try killing Asthar? What good came from that? Was that why he ran ahead earlier?

He then thought back to seeing Praline with the Count, Edea and Kamiizumi when they earlier joined forces, before everyone got separated and the whole mess happened.

"Praline?"

"Yeah?"

"What were you doing with the Count earlier?"

The Performer stiffened. "Uh…talking?"

Mirania looked to her. "About what?" Leave it to the healing mage to pry further.

Praline sighed, giving up any resistance. "We were talking about Swordmaster Kamiizumi. Apparently the Count is actually fond of him?"

Mirania and Therius exchanged glances. "What?"

"He was in love with someone and they got killed?"

"Yeah." Praline stood opposite the Count, both of them in the Count's office. Count Arganan's lips became a thin line as he listened to every word she said. "His name was Barbarossa. He's a Pirate, and he was one of the Black Blades like Kamiizumi and I were. Apparently Edea killed him."

"Edea…you mean, the one I recently imprisoned." Arganan managed.

"Yup."

"I'm assuming this kill was recent."

Her lips pressed together, discomforted. "Yeahhh…it was."

"That explains everything." He sighed, shaking his head. "I thought there was something off about him since the moment he came here. I could sense it even when you, him, Asthar and Therius told me of what happened while all of you were in this Luxendarc you speak of."

"Hey, Count?"

The Count's good eye bore into hers. "Yes?"

"I know this is a lot for me to ask, and I know you have a big war going on with whoever the Gurak are, but…can you look out for him? Please?"

"Look out for him?"

She nodded. "Yeah. That. 'Cause if I try doing that, he's going to insist on taking care of me instead. And I know I'm not the brightest tool in the shed, but he's not one either! So...please?"

Arganan didn't respond at first. Then, he exhaled.

"Yes. You have my word."

"Count Arganan?"

The Count huffed, looking to the Swordmaster as he half-limped his way through the dungeons, still leaning on the Swordmaster for support. Edea walked just a little ahead of them, just in case. "What is it?"

"Do you really care for me, or am I a pawn to you?"

Edea stopped in her tracks, listening. Arganan felt his throat close up, but he forced words out of his mouth regardless.

"How…?"

"I know what you intend to do with me. That's why you struck that deal with me." Kamiizumi's voice sounded hollow as he continued to let Arganan lean on him. "And yet I think you're interested in having me on your side for more than just winning a war and making yourself sound good. We've only interacted with each other for less than a week, and you're already—"

"Praline asked me to look after you. That's why I've kept a close watch on you this whole time."

Edea and Kamiizumi both went still at that, the Swordmaster himself shutting up entirely.

Arganan gave the Swordmaster a look. "It's true. You can ask her yourself when we find her."

The three continued navigating the dungeons in silence.

Not only were the dungeons dark and damp, but fallen debris from above did not help their journey, either. The sight of smashed up dungeon cells had the Count wincing at all the damage—as well as the potential danger of escaped prisoners.

He just hoped there wouldn't be any escaped prisoners trying to beat the shit out of them. At least not now. The Count wasn't sure what could happen. Then again, he wasn't expecting to be stuck in the dungeons, this injured, with only Kamiizumi and Edea by his side.

What might have happened if he was alone? He didn't want to know that.

Edea looked around, going still. Kamiizumi and Arganan both stopped looking to her.

"Is there something wrong, Edea?"

Edea looked to Kamiizumi, eyebrows furrowing. "Do you have the feeling something is—"

A long arrow burst out of the debris to their left, narrowly missing the three of them as it hit the wall to the right. Kamiizumi managed to pull Arganan out of the way of another arrow, with Edea sidestepping another as she took out her sword.

A human-shaped being floated out of the debris, knocking it out of the way with lance-shaped bow. Arrows appeared, light shimmering from them, before it used the bow to shoot them right at the three.

"Down!" Kamiizumi hit the floor, with Edea sidestepping an arrow for the third time before slicing apart a fourth before it could hit her. "Count—this is in your dungeon!? What is this creature!?"

"I was planning to use it as a weapon." Arganan ducked out of the way of one of its arrows before continuing. "We call it Berith—fuck!" Another arrow came his way, and that missed him by a hair. "Out of all the beasts the Gurak could possibly release right now, why this one!?"

"Berith!?" Edea looked to Berith, then to Arganan, huffing. "Why am I not surprised that you wanted to use it as weapon more than anything!?"

Arganan glared back at her. "Try being in a position where you have to constantly be prepared for attacks from enemy, especially when your land is the 'sword' of the Empire, and then complain about me!"

The Swordmaster tackled the Count behind some debris to miss another arrow from Berith. "No time to argue! Count, stay hidden. Edea, protect the Count for now."

"What about you!?" Edea yelled back, before dodging another arrow.

"I'll figure out its weakness. I need you both to stay back!"

Easier said than done, and Kamiizumi knew it. Whatever Berith was, it was fast. The circular light around it made the Swordmaster wonder if it was some form of magical protection. A barrier? Did it shock the enemy or explode if hit?

The Swordmaster removed a dagger from underneath his kimono, having tucked several of them in there long before the Gurak even broke in and attacked (as he explained to Therius and Zael earlier, he had to be prepared), before throwing it at Berith. Berith knocked it out of the way with its strange lance-like bow, but a second dagger seemed to make the barrier visibly crack.

"It's a barrier for sure." The Swordmaster muttered aloud. He looked to Edea, who had carefully hidden the injured Count behind some debris. "Edea! I'll break down its barrier and then you close in to attack it!"

"Okay!" The blonde watched the Swordmaster take out his katana and lunge at Berith, before beginning to clash blades with it. Taking a deep breath, she charged towards Berith as well, intending to land an attack the moment the barrier fell.

Arganan watched, silent as he observed both of them, before looking down at his hands.

He'd healed Kamiizumi before. Why not use what little power he had to attack the enemy? He remembered how the Swordmaster convulsed at his healing touch. If the enemy received an attack from him, how severe could it be—?

"Work for me," He hissed, gazing at his gloved right hand. It trembled, and then a white glow started flickering around it.

"What would you gain from killing me, Dagran?"

Asthar glared at Dagran, inhaling deeply and exhaling through the mouth, struggling to stay calm. It was hard not to, when a certain someone just tried killing you. Both of them were alone in one of the military wing's rooms, save for a few other knights keeping guard in case Dagran tried something fishy, but Asthar knew Dagran was unarmed.

The golden-eyed man scoffed, tied to a chair. "Revenge. Obviously."

"Going as far as conspiring with the Gurak to do so?" Asthar slammed a letter onto the desk between him and Dagran. Dagran barely flinched. "You know how much the Count despises them. When he gets a wind of this, you'll be in more trouble than just killing me."

"What are you going to do? Kill me?"

"No." Asthar gazed right into the younger man's eyes, locking their gazes. "I'm going to do the one thing I never thought I was going to do—tell me everything you know of the Gurak and their plans for Lazulis, or else I'm not knighting Zael."

The other man froze. Asthar expected it.

"I know how you much you want the lad to be a knight, as well as the rest of your group. But," Asthar felt lips curl upwards, in the faintest smirk, "if you're branded both as a traitor and my attempted murderer publicly, you stand no chance of that happening."

A growl escaped the younger man's lips.

"You'd do that?"

Asthar did not waver. "I would, if you don't talk. So tell me all you know—now."

The echoing battle cries caught Therius' attention immediately, and he wasted no time following it. Mirania and Praline followed, only to find none other than Kamiizumi, the Count, and Edea fighting a—

"Kamiizumi!?"

Kamiizumi turned his head to see Therius. "Oh, Therius—how did you…?"

"Duck!" Edea's shout came just in time, with the Swordmaster ducking and Berith missing a swing at him. "No time to talk, we gotta destroy this thing first!"

Mirania immediately started up a healing circle, with Praline taking out her microphone and starting to sing. Therius took out his sword, rushing over to Kamiizumi's side as the both of them began exchanging blades with Berith.

"We knew you fell into the dungeons, so we came down here." Therius explained quickly, missing a stab attack from Berith before trying to slash right back at him, only for the creature to dodge. "We weren't expecting…whatever this thing is!"

"Does the name of it really matter!?" Praline yelped as an arrow nearly hit her.

"Break the barrier around it, then attack it!" The Count shouted from where he was, hiding from the arrows and from Berith itself. "Only then will it—"

Berith disappeared from Therius and Kamiizumi's reach—only to appear in front of the Count. Arganan gasped, looking down at his sparking right hand, then up at Berith as it extended its blade forwards, stabbing him in the shoulder.

The man's ensuing scream elicited a scream from Praline, but it was more frustrated than anything. Without even thinking, she threw her microphone at Berith, hitting it in the head, but that only made it pull its blade out of the man's shoulder, blood flowing, before it turned to Praline.

Praline grimaced, realizing what she just did. "..Shoot."

Kamiizumi cursed under his breath, rushing towards the Count as Berith moved towards Praline. "Therius, Edea, get to Praline! Mirania, heal the Count!"

Everyone split into their tasks, Mirania rushing to the Count's side as Therius and Edea were left to the task of holding Berith at bay.

"Damn it." Arganan let a few more curse words after that escape his lips as he put his right hand to his shoulder, trying to focus his magic on himself. "Damn it, damn it…why do I have to be so useless!?"

"Calm down." Mirania got on a knee by his side, beginning to concentrate her healing magic on his shoulder. "We're going to get out of here."

"Dagran—" Arganan looked left and right, but there was no Dagran. "Where is he? Did the Gurak take him when he went ahead?"

Mirania's lips became thin lines as she finished healing him, Therius and Edea still exchanging blades with Berith. "He tried to murder General Asthar, Count. We have him detained in the military wing and Asthar and the other knights are keeping watch."

Therius swallowed, he and Edea exchanging glances. All the Count could do was shake his head, grimacing. Berith roared, stabbing at both Edea and Therius, but missed. Edea tried to hit Berith with her weapon, but it dodged, only for Therius to stab it and break the barrier.

"Mirania!" Therius shouted. "Forest magic! Now!"

"I'm on it!" Her hands glowed green as she began to float into the air, charging up her spell. Kamiizumi could tell, however, that Berith was about to launch several arrows again, and a gasp tore from his throat.

"Everyone, down!"

Berith shot the arrows. Therius and Edea ducked, and same went for Praline as she lunged to the ground, scrambling for her microphone. Kamiizumi, in a last-ditch effort to make sure Mirania was protected, moved in front of her…

…only for Arganan to push him out of the way and summon a transparent, pearly-white barrier. All the arrows bounced off the barrier, deflected, and all of them went back to the Berith.

Berith had no time to move out of the way, the creature writhing in the air and shrieking. As Arganan's barrier faded, he fell to his knees as Berith vanished, a groan escaping him.

"Count…" Mirania stopped her spell, getting down on a knee by his side. "Are you alright?"

Arganan's tightly-closed eye, as well as the hisses and groans escaping his shaky form, didn't look so good. "….C-could be better."

"Use healing magic." Kamiizumi quickly instructed, sheathing his katana. He got down by the Count's side as Mirania started healing him, Therius, Edea and Praline rushing over to them as he grabbed the Count's chin with a hand

"Why," The Swordmaster coughed, hands shakily grabbing the Count's head and turning it slightly to make eye contact, "Why did you do that—?"

"I promised to look after you for Praline, didn't I?" The Count's words came out half-snappy, half-weak. "What kind of person am I if I just let you die on me? I can't have one of my most competent people die right now—not to a beast as low as Berith."

Despite the snapping, Arganan thought he saw Kamiizumi smile, his voice almost teasing.

"You're right. What would you do without me?"

The Count scoffed, but it turned to a chuckle, a grin playing on his lips.

"Honestly? I don't know."

Edea looked to Therius. "Are there any other monsters like Berith down here?"

Therius shook his head. "Not that Praline, Mirania and I noticed on the way here, no."

"Good." She looked to the Count and Kamiizumi, then to Mirania who just finished healing the Count, then to Praline and Therius. "Let's get the heck out of here and join the others."

Praline could only grimace as she dodged some crumbling debris, collateral damage from the fight with Berith. "Ugh, sounds good! This place is disgusting!"

Edea could only roll her eyes at the Diva's complaints as Therius cracked a grin.

Author note: Hello to all my readers of this fic! Thank you so much for reading so far, and I hope you enjoyed this first chapter since the Christmas break!