27. Yet Another Confrontation

Given that Frey, Forte and Arthur were off to the Delirium Lava Ruins and Arganan had to deal with all the research alone in Arthur's office, Arganan took the time in between letters and reports to write his own letter to Calista.

Dear Calista,

I hope you are well. Here in Selphia, the situation isn't looking too well. Sir Therius was recently injured due to a trip to the Delirium Lava Ruins, as he was accompanying Frey to said location in order to help Ventuswill. In the meantime, I've been trying to help the situation by looking through what tomes already exist, as well as other reports, about Rune Spheres, but there isn't much to work off. I hope you and Miss Mirania have found any information pertaining to this.

Therius will be fine. He's been burned a bit, but the wounds should heal with a few days of bedrest. Arthur things that I might be able to restore Ventuswill's health myself, given my healing magic and the Outsider's power, but I haven't tried that yet due to being occupied with research on my end. I hope to try that out soon, but we'll see how these Rune Spheres work, first.

And if you don't know about Rune Spheres, please ask Frey or Arthur about this. They know better than I do.

Sincerely, Your Uncle

Several reports and books later, there was nothing to be found. Hours of wasted time finding nothing made Arganan both frustrated, hungry, and tired from the lack of results. Porcoline gently persuaded Arganan to eat some lunch, and by the time Arganan was done eating, he couldn't make himself focus on any more of the paperwork that ensued. He figured going out for a quick walk around town would help him settle down a bit, so he did so.

He dropped by Illuminata and Amber's flower shop to see if they needed any help and to see how they were doing. Both were fine, though they did miss him working along with them and hoped he could resume with that soon. It was now early autumn at this point, after all, and they had to start getting ready for the upcoming winter.

"Bado, you've been in the red before, right?"

"Yeah. Multiple times."

"Do you know any quick way to get out of a debt? How do you, er, do it?"

Bado shrugged. "I just pick up whatever short jobs there are. I've got a friend that's always letting me know of anything quick. Why'd you ask?"

A sigh left the former Count as he sheepishly looked up at the other man. "I'd like to be able to pay off this debt as soon as I can. I already paid off about six-thousand pg out of my thirty-thousand pg debt, thanks to scavenging various things and selling those, on top of depositing a portion of what I get paid from working for Illuminata, but I still think it could get finished off a bit faster."

"Well," Bado stated, "It's not like you have a deadline, right?"

He shook his head. "Thankfully no, but…"

"And yer payin' regularly, which is better than me. So, relax a bit."

Arganan stared at Bado, brow furrowing. "Relax?"

Bado shrugged, leaning against the back wall. "Yeah. Why the rush? It's gonna take time, either way. And you're a responsible kind of guy, as far as I hear and see everyone else chatting about. I don't think you'll have a lot of problems in that department."

"Me? Responsible?"

Bado gave him a look. "You literally lectured Arthur on responsibility only a while ago."

Arganan swallowed. "Ah. Right. You have a point there." Is this what I'm going to be known for, in Selphia? Yelling at former nobility about responsibility? Well, better than everything else I'm known for in Lazulis, I suppose…

"Besides," A chuckle left Bado, "I think it's nice that you're around. You're kind of uptight, but it's nice seeing you around."

"What? Uptight? How?"

Before Bado could answer, Vishnal rushed into the blacksmith's shop, gasping for breath.

"Vishnal?" Bado looked towards Vishnal, just as Arganan turned to face the younger man. "You okay?"

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but," Vishnal looked up at Arganan and Bado, "Lady Ventuswill finally woke up."

"What!?" Arganan stared at the younger man.

Even Bado looked a bit startled at that. "Ventuswill finally woke up? How?"

"I don't know. It just happened moments ago." Vishnal fidgeted a bit, before looking towards Arganan. "I figured I'd come tell you myself, given that you're here in town and you were quite concerned for her."

"Is she awake?"

"A bit woozy, but otherwise awake when I last saw her, moments ago."

"Lead the way!" Arganan looked towards Bado. "And before I forget – thank you, for the talk. I appreciate it."

Bado offered Arganan a grin, a chuckle leaving him. "Tell Lady Ventuswill I said hi, for me!"

Arganan and Vishnal headed to the castle, immediately. Unfortunately, what awaited them was a horrifying sight.

Ventuswill was awake, that was for sure. But Doug was also within the chamber, taking out a sword.

"Doug!?" Vishnal blurted out, and the red-haired dwarf's gaze snapped towards them.

"Stay out of my way!" Doug yelled back, pointing his sword at the two. "Don't you dare make a move."

Arganan gritted his teeth. The last thing he needed was an attempted assassination today! "If you make a move yourself, then I will do something about it. Don't make me use my own power against you!"

"No!" Vishnal stood between both men, shaking his head. "Both of you, this isn't going to—"

"Venti!"

Frey's familiar voice made all three men turn and face Frey, who just entered the castle with Forte and Arthur in tow. Forte tensed, taking out her sword, but Venti didn't seemed alarmed at all by Doug's presence, or the fact that a fight might break out in the next few minutes at this rate.

"Oh, frey…" Ventuswill started, but Frey's gaze snapped towards Doug.

"Doug? What's going on?" Frey asked. Arganan noticed that Arthur looked worried about what could happen, and Vishnal looked equally just as concerned.

Doug turned towards the dragon, staring down Ventuswill with gritted teeth and furrowed brows. "Ventuswill, answer my question…" He took a deep breath, daring to look the Divine Wind in the eyes. "Why…why did you kill everyone!?"

Arganan tensed, raising a hand in preparation to cast a defensive spell, if needed, or maybe make Doug float in the air to distract him, but Frey moved to stand in front of Ventuswill, a gasp leaving her. "Doug, calm down!"

"Frey." Ventuswill's voice was surprisingly calm, despite all that just happened. "Step back."

Frey faltered, her gaze snapping towards the Divine Wind. "But…"

Ventuswill shook her head, keeping her voice level. "Doug has something to say to me. Please allow him to plead his case."

"…" Frey did as Ventuswill asked, stepping back. Arganan figured he should probably lower his arm and not prepare to cast any magic, anymore. Even Forte lowered her blade, heeding Ventuswill's words.

Ventuswill's gaze shifted towards Doug after "Doug, explain to me what you're talking about, if you would."

Doug kept his sword raised, not lowering it at all. "Why…why did you kill my parents – my whole tribe!?"

Ventuswill frowned. "Doug, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't act all innocent! You did it! I know you did!"

"Listen to me." Ventuswill's voice shifted to confusion. "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

"You…!" Doug started, but then he faltered. He gritted his teeth, gaze tearing away from Ventuswill for a moment, but then he shook his head, looking towards her again. His grip on his sword shook, just a bit. "I know everything. You're acting all big and selfless to fool everyone in town, right?! Well, I don't believe a word of it! Do you realize how much dangers your lies are causing?! Causing good people like Frey?!"

Arganan stared at Doug. That last statement was not what he expected Doug to say at all. Was he doing this all for Frey? It wasn't solely for revenge?

"You call it 'friendship,'" Doug continued speaking, "But all you've ever wanted to do is use people for your own selfish ends!"

"Doug!" Frey cut in, clearly frustrated, but Doug shook his head, his gaze snapping towards Frey.

"That's who Ventuswill really is, Frey. That's what…I was told…by the people of the Sechs Empire."

Forte raised a brow. "Sechs Empire?"

The Sechs Empire? Arganan tried to remember if he came across such an empire in the research he pored over, only hours ago. Nothing came to mind. What was the Sechs Empire?

"I see." Ventuswill paused, then looked towards Doug. "So what is it that you want to do, then?

What do you mean? Doug asked. He frowned, looking towards Ventuswill again.

Ventuswill maintained her calm gaze. "According to the Sechs, I'm your enemy. If so, you should've just attacked me, right? But you didn't. Because you're still uncertain."

Doug shook his head quickly. "That's…not…"

"That's why I'm asking. Do you believe what you heard from the Sechs Empire?" Ventuswil dared to look Doug in the eyes. "Will you use that sword to kill me and take your revenge? Or wil l you believe me, and sheathe your blade?"

Doug frowned, lowering his gaze to his sword, and then up at Ventuswill as she spoke again.

"What do you want to do? What do you think is the right thing to do? You're the one who has to decide."

"I…I…" Doug took a deep breath, swallowing, before speaking. His voice grew soft, but it was still audible enough to hear in the room. "I have one question. Is it true, what you said to Frey? That you "can't leave Selphia"…?"

Ventuswill simply nodded. "It's true. I can't leave Selphia."

Arganan let that piece of new sink in. That likely means Ventuswill didn't do it. So this Sechs Empire…lied to Doug? Why? What are they, even? And what do they want with Ventuswill? Are they political enemies?

And if the Sechs Empire is lying, that means they manipulated Doug. Just like how Jirall tried to convince me that Zael tried killing General Asthar and kidnapping Calista, before… A slow sigh left Arganan as he watched Doug's eyes widen, before he took a step back.

"Oh, man…damn it!" Doug shook his head, before sheathing his sword. Arganan felt himself relax slightly, knowing that Ventuswill was at least out of danger now, despite Doug's obvious distress. "What's the right thing to do here?!"

Arganan tried to catch Doug's gaze so he could lock an eye with his. "What do you think is the right thing to do?"

"I don't know." Doug snapped, looking towards Arganan. "At Sechs, they convinced me she killed them…but now she's saying she can't leave the town. So, who's lying to me!?"

Frey cleared her throat, and both men turned to face the Princess. She trembled a bit, but she did her best to keep her voice level despite it. "Doug…I don't know the truth. But it's hard to believe Venti's a murderer."

Doug glared at her. "Who cares about your opinion!? You're going to take her side no matter what!"

"That's not true. If I thought Venti were in the wrong, I 'd use all my strength to stop her. Even now, after everything she's done for me. But I don't believe it. I don't think Venti's the one responsible for what you described. You heard her speak of the Guardians. After hearing all that, can you still doubt her? Isn't that why you came to see for yourself? And held your blade all this time?"

Doug opened his mouth to speak, then shut it. Arganan could tell, by the younger man's tense jaw, the hesitation in his gaze, that he had a lot to process.

Frey took Doug's silence as a chance to keep talking, to reach him. "Venti tried to help a total stranger like me. She cheered me up when I was suffering and unable to remember anything about my past. Even thought the Earthmates are the cause of her agony…and even when the fact that I am one was rubbed right up in her face…she still called me a friend."

Arganan thought he heard Ventuswill gasp. "Frey…"

"That's why I want to believe in her." Frey finished. "Because she's my friend."

Doug took a deep breath, before taking something out of his pocket and offering it to Frey.

A Rune Sphere? Arganan stared at it. How did he get it? Did he beat Frey to it earlier, or is it one he got from another place?

"I honestly don't know what's right or wrong." Doug finally managed, looking Frey in the eyes. "My head…it's just completely messed up right now and I still don't really believe she's the one, but at the same time, I don't think it's all a lie. I can't believe both. I can't trust myself. I don't know what right thing is to do."

Arganan wondered, at the back of his mind, if he ever made Zael feel that way when trying to get him on his side. Zael had always been the type of person to be firm in what was right and wrong. Being pulled into all the political matters regarding going against the Gurak probably didn't help him, either.

He listened to Doug continue speaking, even as Frey stared down at the . "But you, Frey, you've been trying to help everyone all this time. I don't have any trouble believing you."

"Doug…" Frey started, but Doug shook his head, stepping back.

"Do whatever you want with the Rune Sphere." He stated.

"Doug…thank you." Venti whispered.

"I-it's not for you!" Doug burst out, gaze snapping towards Ventuswill. He shook his head, before looking towards the exit. "Dammit all…anyway, I'll see you 'round." And with that, he left, quiet. Arganan thought that he might've seen a slight smile on the younger man's face before he left, but he wasn't sure.

Ventuswill sighed, shaking her head. "The Sechs are cruel to play with people's lives…"

Arthur nodded. "Agreed."

Frey blinked, looking towards Ventuswill. "Venti, what kind of place is the Sechs Empire?"

Ventuswill stared at her for a moment, before nodding. "Oh, that's right. You wouldn't know…"

"I'm afraid I don't know much, either." Arganan admitted, shrugging a bit. He'd heard of them, but they were too far from Lazulis for them to be any trouble at the time.

"Well," Ventuswill managed, looking towards the group, "They're a huge empire bordering Norad. They've invaded us in the past, so I say with complete certainty that they're a force to be reckoned with."

"I see." No wonder Therius warned me about the dangers of other people knowing my power. If the Sechs Empire got the reports about me and the Outsider, instead of Arthur, things might not go so well. He shuddered at that thought.

Arthur blinked, looking towards Frey. "What did Doug give you?"

"The Rune Sphere." Frey held it up.

Ventuswill eyed the sphere. "It holds a tremendous power. I wonder how many runes are stored in that small stone."

Frey smiled up at her. "If we place these where the Guardians are found, those areas fill up with runes."

"You mean the Rune spots? So they can take the place of the Guardians?" Ventuswill nodded once. "That explains why I got my power back, but I had no idea such things existed…"

Frey shrugged. "Me neither. I was pretty surprised."

"Where did you get it?"

"I got the first one from Yokmir forest. I was chasing after the chipsqueek…" Frey paused, before snapping her fingers before her gaze met Ventuswill's own. "Oh, right! It asked me to tell you something. It said…they're all watching over you."

Ventuswill looked confused. "What does that mean?"

Forte cleared her throat awkwardly, and Arganan looked towards her to see Forte looking towards Frey and Ventuswill. "That you're not alone. Right?"

Frey nodded. "Exactly." She took a deep breath, before looking Ventuswill in the eyes again. "I'm going to the tower. With the Rune spheres, I can release the Guardians and save you! That's why I have to go. I can't lose you, Venti."

A soft chuckle came from Ventuswill. "Hee hee, you're quite the big talker! But it is rather encouraging. That, I can't deny. I knew you were the right choice."

Arganan heard Arthur 'hmm' in thought. "What I don't understand is…why was the sphere lying around?"

"Thanks, Frey." Ventuswill managed, looking towards Frey. "I'm proud to count you as a friend."

"No problem!"

"And…let me ask you again about Leon."

The last Guardian. Arganan remembered Ventuswill mentioning him. He still needs to be freed, doesn't he?

Ventuswill took a deep breath, before speaking. "Will you release him? Will you release the last Guardian?"

Frey eagerly nodded. "Leave it to me! I promise ,Venti. So, don't worry. Get some rest!"

Arganan saw Ventuswill smile. For once, she looked fully at peace. "Good luck, Frey. I…I'm going to rest a bit."

As the party left the castle to let Ventuswill rest, Frey took a deep breath, looking towards Arganan and the others. "I think the next course of action is that I have to head to the tower. I have to release the last Guardian."

Arganan grimaced. "Please don't go now. You need some rest!"

"But," Frey started, but he gave her a look.

"You keep lecturing me about taking care of myself. Please take your own advice, for once."

Arganan heard Vishnal chuckle, amused. "He does have a good point, Princess."

"Well…" Frey offered them a sheepish smile. "I guess you have a point about that. We did just get back from the Delirium Lava Ruins, after all."

"The tower…" Arthur muttered, before his gaze snapped towards Frey. "You mean Leon Karnak? Arthur asked. I seem to recall…that's impossible to get inside. It's completely sealed off."

Cue stunned silence. Everyone stared at Arthur. Even Arganan wasn't sure how the hell Arthur knew about it, but before he could ask, Frey's own shocked scream burst from her own lungs.

"Whaaaaat!?"