7. Unlikely Alliances

Summary: Unlikely alliances form, but will they stay that way?

Calista could only watch as her uncle stared right at her. However, it wasn't his voice that spoke.

"I am here."

The odd, whispery voice that echoed in the main hall was not his own. Calista tried to remember what Zael told her about the voice he heard before gaining the Outsider's power, and then looked her uncle in the eyes. She'd read things in the books about Arganan and the Sorceress, as well as more about the Outsider…as well as the two guardians that guarded it and came out when the Outsider was endangered. One of them thrived on anger.

The other one, Calista remembered, placed focus on loneliness. She remembered too well that Zael told her it noticed his own loneliness. And it noticed Arganan's own, too.

"Mitra," She managed softly, "Is that you?"

Mitra's gaze through Arganan's one good eye stared at her blankly. It was odd, seeing her uncle in such a state. She knew that Mirania and Asthar previously witnessed this, but it was different hearing about it than actually seeing it.

Her uncle (Mitra controlling him?) nodded once. "I sensed your wanting me here."

"And I appreciate that, but…I would also like my uncle here." Calista looked her Mitra-possessed uncle up and down. "Is he…conscious, in there?"

"He will be." Arganan closed his eye, and then it opened, revealing a more dazed look in his eye.

"Calista?" Her uncle put a hand to his own forehead for a moment, groaning. "What the hell happened?"

Calista held out her arms, gently gripping onto his upper arms to steady him briefly before letting go. "You don't remember? Mitra possessed you. They spoke to me."

"I didn't even realize it." He lowered his hand from his face, shook his head a bit. "Last thing I remember was still being in the library."

"Are you alright? I think Mitra possessed you and came to see me."

"Other than all that just now? Fine, I suppose." Arganan looked her in the eye. "Is there something you needed to talk to me about, since I'm here?"

"It's about that plan you had, trying to communicate with Zangurak about the Outsider destroying both the Continent and Lazulis." Calista took a deep breath. She knew that she and her uncle were not necessarily on the best of terms, even if they were starting to, but she had to take a risk. "I think we should go through with it."

"What?" He raised an eyebrow, trying to absorb this. "You…actually agree with me?"

"The worst case scenario," Calista managed, "Is that Zangurak objects to us suggesting we return both halves of the Outsider to where it belongs and tries attacking us again. But we'll just have to be ready."

"Reinforce Lazulis first, then we'll talk to Zangurak." Arganan pieced together. "Just in case."

"Exactly." Calista nodded, swallowing. "We just have to figure out how to reach him."

Arganan looked her in the eye. "We get the Outsider to speak to him. Through me."

"But how do we even reach such a message to him? If we just send you," Calista pointed out, "You would be in much danger."

"If there was a way to simply send a message from here…"Arganan frowned, before shaking his head. "Not like we can send a note. But I'll keep looking in the library. There might be more I can discover about what power the Outsider gave me."

Calista could only nod. "I think that's all we can do. I'll help."

"I imagine you must be pretty excited."

"What?" Zael had some confusion in his face as he blocked a slash from Jirall's sword, then dodged another one. "What do you mean?"

"You're going to be the brave, bold knight, aren't you?" Jirall shot back, before parrying a few more blows with Zael. He wasn't great at the sword, as Zael quickly disarmed him, and he hissed, going to grab his sword.

"Actually," Zael managed, "I'm thinking of turning it down when the time comes."

Jirall did a double take. "What?"

He overheard, from other servants' conversations, that it was a dream for Zael to be a knight. The Count basically handed that opportunity to Zael the moment he found out about Zael wielding the power of the Outsider.

"You're turning it down? Why?"

"What Dagran did proved to me that maybe it's not worth it, especially if this just feeds into a system of corruption." Zael's gaze fell from Jirall's own. "I mean, you tried to kill me over Calista twice, with challenging me to that duel when we first met and then you sending assassins after me."

"You figured that was me."

"I guessed it would be. Made the most sense."

Jirall could only laugh, and it came out hollow. "And yet you offered to teach me to be a merc once I was disowned, despite those attempts."

"Because I wanted to be a knight to help people. All the corruption I've seen—"

"Wasn't caused by you. Certainly a pawn in it, but you didn't intend it."

Zael paused, lowering his sword as he stared straight at Jirall. "Are you saying I should become a knight?"

"I actually sound supportive? If I were you, with a hell ton of power that no one else had to slaughter all the enemies, I would do it. But I'm not you. I'm in no position to really influence you. But, I also certainly have overheard you being so…enthusiastic over knighthood. And I know Asthar's clearly on your side, so if he trusts you, you're probably fine. Better than me, anyway."

"I..don't know what to say."

"How about a 'thank you?'"

Zael could only laugh, before he swiped at Jirall. "Thanks, then."

Jirall barely dodged. "You're welcome. Shall we?"

Both men continued to fight, training throughout the day. Zael could only wonder how odd it was that he and Jirall, once rivals, were now allies. Funny, how things like that changed fast.

Asthar watched Jirall and Zael spar with each other.

"His sword arm is close to passable already." Therius managed. He stood with Asthar, also watching the former noble. "Zael is teaching him well."

Asthar hummed under his breath. He vaguely recalled Jirall running and hiding from the Gurak when they first attacked Lazulis Castle, and then later locking up all witnesses he know of that saw him do so. But the Jirall right now was…different. Braver.

Stronger.

"His focus was so much on Zael and Calista that he forgot about himself." Asthar replied. "And since now he's so affected by his disownment, he must be under a lot of pressure to prove himself and his own strength."

"Prove himself?" Therius looked to him. The General's pupil looked, for once, confused. "Prove himself of what, exactly?"

Asthar looked to Therius, before stating, "Usefulness. To himself and the others."

He watched Therius take that in, how the white knight's gaze dropped temporarily, and then looked to Jirall, before looking to Asthar again. There seemed to still be some confusion in Therius' gaze, however, and Asthar was more than willing to explain further.

"He did lose his engagement to Calista, which was the reason why he's at this castle in the first place. And now he lost his title on top of that, too. That, as well as the knowledge of nearly being framed for my attempted murder, puts him under more than a little pressure."

"What I'm more surprised," Therius quipped, "Is that he's working with Zael, of all people."

Asthar couldn't help but grin. "Sometimes the best alliance is from the most unlikely of allies, Sir Therius. Especially once the pressure gets to them."

"So the Count of Lazulis now holds the Outsider's power?"

Dagran swallowed. He'd hoped to kill the Count, not accidentally give him an opportunity like this. "that…seems to be so, Lord Zangurak."

One of the two twins perched by Zangurak's side in the Gurak Castle, the one with the red aura, glared at him. "And did you think that killing the Count would give him such an opportunity for more power?"

"He was dead when I left." Dagran found it difficult to not snap back, but he was a professional. He could do this. Zael and the others would understand his plans once all came to fruition. "Maybe Zael brought him back."

"Maybe?"

"I didn't stick around long enough, or else I would've gotten caught. It was the only way I could escape the castle."

Zesha said nothing in turn, looking to Zangurak and his blue-auraed brother, Zepha. "What do we do? Now we have two people with the power of the Outsider other than you, my liege."

"Kill them all. The Count likely knows little of how the power works, and Zael does not know as much as I do." Zangurak looked down at his own Outsider's mark, then up towards Dagran. "I'll need you to infiltrate the castle for me one more time. Find any books on what you can with the Outsider. I'll send a few mages to accompany you."

To make sure I don't betray you, Dagran thought, but he simply bowed.

"Understood. I won't fail you this time."

"And don't," Zangurak finished, "give them more of an advantage than they already have."

Dagran knew that was something he couldn't fail.

"Yes sir."

Next chapter: Lazulis is once again infiltrated, and new alliances are tested.