6. Preparations

Summary: Jirall learns to fight. It's not as easy as he hoped. Meanwhile, Arganan finds himself in a deeper hole than he thought he dug.

Jirall Rambaldt knows he's brilliant with poisons. Zael isn't the first man he's attempted killing the past, after all.

He is not as brilliant with a rapier, despite his confidence in it.

That results in him hitting the training hall floor of Lazulis Castle for the umpteenth time.

"Really?" He heard the ginger-haired merc above him groan. "Gods, Lowell, he's so bad at this."

"He's getting a little better." Lowell chuckled, standing a few feet away from Jirall and Syrenne. Zael had figured getting two of his fellow mercs to help Jirall train would be helpful. Jirall wasn't sure if it was really that helpful. "I mean, he did block two of your attacks this time and dodged a third one. You gotta stop trying to strike so wide, Jirall. Need to narrow your focus a bit."

Jirall scowled, but got up, doing his best to dust any debris or dirt off his clothes, but he doubted they were anywhere close to clean at this point. The Gurak attacks had left the entire castle in need of repairs again, after all, and so the dust was just everywhere.

"Are you lot just going to keep knocking me down every chance you get until I manage to disarm you?"

"Well," Syrenne shrugged, shooting him a look. "Yeah. Consider it retribution for accusing us for kidnapping Calista not too long ago."

"Ugh."

Zael sighed, shaking his head. He stood with Lowell, also watching. "Maybe we should take a break."

"But we barely got started!" Syrenne protested, snorting, but Lowell looked to her, offering her a wink.

"I'll pay for your first few drinks tonight. How about that?"

"Well…Whatever. It would definitely help chase away this," She gestured to Jirall, "Being a disappointing fight."

As Lowell and Syrenne both left the training room, presumably to take a breather, Zael approached Jirall.

"You okay?"

Jirall shook his head, glaring at Zael. "Course not." He snapped. "It's clear I'm useless as hell with a blade."

"Maybe the rapier isn't the right weapon for you."

"I can't lift a greatsword."

Zael scratched the back of his head, lips pursing a bit. "There are a lot of other weapons that me and the others accumulated on our journeys."

"I'm guessing you picked them up from dead enemies."

"…Most of the time, yeah."

Jirall sighed. One man's trash is another one's treasure, I suppose. "We should take a look at those. The castle armory, too."

He just hoped he could find his treasure.

Asthar wasn't sure how many shelves in the Lazulis Library there were, but there were definitely a lot.

He lost count after thirty. That's why he could only think 'a lot' and not an exact number.

"Are anywhere close to finding it!?" He overheard the former Count hiss, before muttering something that sounded like a swear word in another language. Asthar was just thankful that he didn't know what that language was, nor what the exact word was. It was not often he saw Arganan frustrated in this sort of capacity. It was one thing for the man to be angry, like how he was at Dagran when they previously imprisoned him for attempting murder, but even then Arganan hadn't started absolutely dissolving into curses.

"I haven't found it yet." Mirania managed from the shelf she was at, some distance away from Asthar and Arganan. "Do you know what the book was called?"

"I told you earlier, it's 'Arganan and the Sorceress!' It should be in this fucking library!"

Asthar couldn't stop himself from laughing. Even if the Count was dissolving into lots of swearing at this point, he still found it amusing despite the circumstances that led to it.

He heard Arganan sigh, and Asthar turned to face him. Arganan frowned, gave him a look. "Is it really necessary?"

"Apologies." Asthar managed, but he still had a small grin on his face. "I just find your reaction amusing."

"Don't flirt. Just…" Arganan shook his head, resuming his search for the book, but it didn't take long for Asthar himself to find the blue-covered, gold-scripted 'Arganan and the Sorceress.'

"Found it!" Asthar waved the book at Arganan and Mirania, before approaching Arganan. Mirania rushed over to join the two of them.

Asthar read about the Sorceress that the house of Arganan's founder met long, long ago. They read about the war that spurred the founder to seek the Sorceress, to summon the Outsider so they could stop said war.

And then the land began to decay.

The Sorceress tried to slow it down, split the Outsider in two.

And then the Sorceress died.

Asthar had a sinking feeling in his stomach at reading this, as well as the next words.

"The Outsider's summoning has left an enduring mark upon the blood of the House of Arganan, and also upon the blood of all those descended from my love…"

"My love as in the Sorceress?" Arganan asked. He looked stunned. His bowed head made Asthar wonder what he thought of the whole matter. Shock? Sadness?

Miraniaa nodded, looking up from the pages. "It seems so." Her eyes widened. "Does that mean…"

"Zael could be descended from the Sorceress?" Asthar asked, looking to her. "But how could that be? There's no record in this about her having any sons or daughters."

"Perhaps," Arganan managed, "There are things that these books left out." He frowned, before looking to Mirania. "Maybe that's why the Outsider connected with Zael in the first place."

"We should let him know about this." Mirania paused, starting to leave. "I can go get Zael now, I think he's with Jirall?"

"Yes. Please."

As Mirania left, Yurick entered the library, noticing both Asthar and Arganan at once. "Count? General? What are you two doing here?"

Asthar was about to open his mouth and speak, but then he hesitated. Was it really a good idea to up and tell everyone of his and Mirania's research?

Then again, with the newfound knowledge they had on hand, and the fact that Yurick was one of those that Mirania trusted (as well as Zael and the rest of the mercs), it might not be a bad idea to tell him…

Jirall shot an arrow, and it hit the still training dummy.

He couldn't help but smile at that. This was working out rather well, actually. After they'd checked the armory with Therius' help, they managed to find a couple of spare crossbows and spears. Spears, Jirall wasn't good with those. They weren't refined, or fast enough like a rapier would look. Nor could he pick up a greatsword.

But a crossbow? It was a little more portable. Sure, you had to get arrows, but once you did, it was simply a matter of speed and aim. Also, you didn't have to hold a bow and arrow with a crossbow. Just load, aim and fire. He could get used to that.

"Maybe this is it." Jirall looked to the crossbow, then to a target dummy that was moving back and forth on its wheels. He aimed, fired, and the arrow hit the dummy's head. The disowned Rambaldt chuckled, and a small bit of satisfaction nestled within him. "Maybe this is what I can do."

"The crossbow?" Therius walked over to the dummy, seeing that the arrow was deeply embedded in its head. "I certainly see skill there." He looked to Jirall, nodding once in acknowledgement. "I think you'd be a good shot with it. And we could use another archer around here in case the Gurak attempt invading like the last two times."

Jirall couldn't help the gleeful grin on his own face. "Maybe I can kill an actual hundred this time!"

Therius and Zael gave each other looks as if saying 'that might be wishful thinking,' but Jirall ignored them. However, before any of the three could speak, that was when Mirania rushed in.

"Zael!" Mirania paused in her tracks, then looked to Therius, then Jirall. "Sir Therius. Lord Jirall…"

Jirall groaned, shaking his head. "I'm no lord anymore."

Mirania offered him an apologetic glance, before looking o Zael. "General Asthar, Arganan and I found some news about the Outsider that you might want to know."

"What?" Zael looked to her, eyes widening. "And that is?"

"You, um," She took a breath, "You might be the one that has to help get rid of the Outsider. To stop the land's decay."

Jirall whirled his head around to stare at Zael. "What!?" He grimaced at how raspy he sounded at that, but he kept talking as Zael and Mirania looked to him. "What the hell do you mean, he's the one that needs to get rid of the Outsider? That's what powers the Lazulis Cannon!"

Mirania swallowed as she looked to him. "Well…as far as we discovered, it's also what is causing the land's decay."

That news hit him like a ton of bricks. It didn't get easier as she explained everything.

Yurick gave Arganan one good glare. Asthar watched Arganan blanch, and he wasn't sure whether he should step in to separate the two, but now that the whole truth was out, well…

"So…let me get this straight." The fire mage started, crossing his arms. "Your ancestor and the Sorceress summoned the Outsider here to stop a war a long time ago."

"Yes." Arganan admitted, leaning back against the table.

"And then when the lands decayed too fast, the Sorceress died splitting it in half and deliberately sent it to the Gurak Continent. Hence how Zangurak gained the Outsider's Power years later."

"That is also correct." Asthar noticed the edge in Arganan's voice at that, noticed the way the man gripped his cane tightly in his right hand. He almost pitied the Count, just a bit. Asthar doubted that anyone enjoyed

"And now," Yurick looked Arganan in the eye, "You did the exact opposite of what your ancestor wanted to do with the Outsider. You used it for warfare and for, currently, trying to annihilate the Gurak."

"So this is my fault, again?" Arganan spat, shaking his head. "Like how it's my fault for trusting the man that ended up betraying all of us?"

Yurick frowned. "When you put it that way, you make it sound more so. How the hell didn't you know about all of this?"

Asthar shook his head. He saw the pain in Arganan's eyes, despite his angered expression, and Yurick's glare was only getting heated. "Master Yurick, I think—"

"I…" Arganan started, then shut his mouth, averting his gaze from the younger man. The anger dissolved into a hard swallow, a hanging head. "Power makes you blind to certain truths," He finally managed, looking towards him again. "Only if you're not careful. And I wasn't."

As Arganan said those words, he thought back to Calista. How he'd treated her after her father died.

After he secretly killed her father. All the hurt, the pain.

Gods, I'm a rotten person, aren't I?

And yet the Outsider chose him as its mouthpiece. Or, at least, the Lazulis half of the Outsider. He wasn't sure how the Gurak half would react to him. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

"If the Outsider is causing the lands' decay in Lazulis, it's also causing the same in the Gurak Continent." Asthar finally managed. "We're both fighting each other over land…and now that we know the source of it all, maybe we don't have to fight?"

"What?" Yurick stared, looking to him. "But we've been fighting the Gurak the whole time right now. And I doubt they have the same sources we do about how the Outsider came to the Gurak Continent. And even if we tell the truth, will they believe us?"

Arganan saw Asthar grit his teeth, shake his head. "The only way they'll listen at this point, Master Yurick, is if we directly contact Zangurak. And even then, how likely is it that he'll believe us?"

Arganan internally agreed with Asthar's sentiments on the matter. How the hell would the bloody Gurak King listen to them?

And then it hit him.

"My Outsider's power."

Yurick and Asthar looked to Arganan. "What?"

"I'd like to think I have the Outsider's Power to an extent, especially if I'm their literal mouthpiece!" The former Count burst, looking to Yurick ,then to Asthar. "I could speak on behalf of the Outsider to Zangurak, and once he realizes that I'm right—"

Yurick looked even more confused. "You literally wanted to decimate them all. Why are you offering to speak to them?"

"It would be the Outisder speaking through me." Arganan asserted, pushing some bangs out of his face. "If Zangurak hears straight from the source, he will know the truth, we can call off the fucking war, and figure out how to get the Outsider back to space."

Asthar went silent. Yurick looked to him.

"You…you don't think that will actually work, do you?"

Asthar's slow grin expressed exactly that, even before he spoke. "You know…that might actually work. Zangurak would be familiar with the Outsider's power. Convince him to end the war, once he hears from the literal Outsider, and then we won't have the war to worry about so much while we get rid of the whole Outsider and save the lands."

"But how do we even get close enough?" Yurick looked like the other two men were out of their minds, and he was the only sane man. Perhaps that was the case. "The moment they spot us, they might just attack without talking."

Asthar and Arganan exchanged grimaces. "Fair point." Asthar finally managed, and Arganan wasn't sure if the conversation just up and ended there for a moment.

Yurick did actually leave, presumably to go find Mirania and/or Zael to talk to about the whole Outsider business (not before Arganan made the younger man swear to secrecy, but even then Asthar wasn't sure how secret this was going to be anymore). Both men were, currently, alone in the library.

"Gods," Arganan lifted a hand to wipe his forehead, "That was much more tense than I hoped for."

Asthar looked to him quietly, offering a small smile. "But at least we know the truth of the matter. And now that we know that…the question is, how do we communicate with the Gurak about this, and end the war?"

"What if they don't believe us?" That was what the Count (or was it former Count, now? Asthar wasn't so sure if he or Calista were more in charge of Lazulis right now, given everything) spoke.

"Count," Asthar felt a smirk forming as he asked, "What made you think I was flirting earlier?"

"I—" Arganan averted his gaze from Asthar's own, shaking his head a bit, but Asthar saw the light flushing of the side of his face not covered by the large eyepatch, "You said you found my reactions amusing. When I was frustrated to the point of swearing, and…I don't know what to think of it."

Asthar wondered if it was too soon to attempt such teasing. "Apologies. I merely meant to light up the mood. Should I refrain from that in the future?"

Arganan offered him a soft smile, an accompanying chuckle. "Only if I ask you to."

"Oh?" That piqued Asthar's interest. "I thought you'd be more reserved about that, given what happened."

"Virtually everyone in the castle, or at least everyone we know, knows about me and Dagran, and others would at least know of me making a screaming fit in my own bedroom ontop of being briefly murdered and then becoming the Outsider's mouthpiece, as well as trying to get on better terms with my niece. At this point," He shook his head, lips pressed together briefly, "I have no idea what the hell will happen next. And if you told me not to die, I might as well take my fucking time and live. For as long or as little as that might be, and try to find some bright spots in there."

Asthar chuckled softly. "I don't think I've seen you so optimistic before."

"I don't remember feeling this way in a long while."

Asthar went still at Arganan's comment. "Feeling what way? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

Arganan looked to him gently, shrugging. "I don't know…liberated? It's not quite that, but it's something like it."

Asthar nodded a bit, looking him in the eye. "I think that's a sign of things getting better. That's a good sign."

Arganan dared to look right back into his eyes. "I thought so."

Before either man could speak again, that was when Zael, Therius, Jirall, Yurick, and Mirania all came in.

"General!" Zael started, rushing over to Asthar. "Is it true? About the Outsider? Mirania told me…"

"And someone ought to tell me," Jirall managed, glaring, "Why the hell nobody bothered to tell me about any of this until now!"

Asthar looked to Mirania and Yurick. "What did you two do?"

Arganan groaned, burying his face in one hand. "Didn't we just tell you to not…?"

"Too late." Yurick could only say, while Mirania offered looked somewhere between grimacing and grinning at the same time.

And with that, things had to be explained again about the Outsider, for the third time that day.

Asthar only realized afterwards that there would need to be a fourth time, to fill in Calista on the matter. And maybe a fifth, if Lowell and Syrenne happened to be present, too.

Best if they all know at this point. Asthar figured. If the war and the dying lands are so closely linked, they'll need to know.

Best to be prepared, after all.