Suikoden VI

by Lady-Solita

IS 478. On the Southern Continent in the country of Nagarea, the isolated civilization has begun a steady downward spiral of corruption and darkness. For Daunte, his main concerns are survival and the wellbeing of his little brother. But as the Tenkai Star, he is destined to lead the 108 Stars of Destiny into battle against the forces tearing his country apart.

11. Chapter One: Part Eleven

The poll for the Chiyu Star is officially closed. The results of the poll are as follows:

Richmond (Suikoden II): 0

Kidd (Suikoden III): 0

Oboro (Suikoden V): 3

New Character: 2

The Chiyu Star will be introduced next week. Thanks to everyone who participated in the poll!

---

Part Eleven

They had spent all day fighting in the Great Cistern, so by the time they used the escape scroll to make it outside, night had already fallen. No words were spoken within the group as they readied their horses. Surya accepted Archana into his arms. Not once did the princess stir.

"I wish we had some way to immediately get back to the headquarters," Roen complained softly. "That way we could find out right away if she was okay."

Daunte wished the same thing, but he knew it was impossible. All they could do was steer their horses back home. And predictably, the trek home proved to be even more bothersome because more monsters were roaming the plains at night. None of them were in any mood to dawdle on random fights. If they couldn't simply run out on a battle then they made short, messy work of their foes.

It was even deeper into the night when they arrived back. There was almost no light coming from the castle, and even the guards on duty looked ready to fall asleep where they stood.

They tied their horses and began to dismount. Before Surya could do so however, Israfil was at his horse's side. "Prince, please allow me to carry her Ladyship from here on out."

"Thank you, General," Surya said, carefully lowering his cousin into Israfil's waiting arms. Then he swung out of his own saddle. "Dr. Clara is probably not awake, but we should definitely take Archana to the infirmary. I also want to see how Kaylani is."

"I'll speak with Lord Bearyl about sending scouts to Kõrkus," Gunther said. "Since Princess Archana announced the other princess's whereabouts in front of that crazy woman, she might be moved as well."

"They probably won't take her far though," Roen said. "Unlike the other Sheikh, Keha Hale's Garrison isn't a separate entity. It's integrated into Kõrkus. What they'll most likely do is move Princess Signe directly into the Garrison itself—it she wasn't there already."

"Right," Gunther said, his tone still quite grim.

The main hall was still quiet. Gunther broke away from the party to head upstairs to meet with Bearyl Lutis, while the rest headed down to the infirmary. Daunte was relieved to see Clara's note gone from the door, but even before they reached the door a sound emitted from the other side that caused them all to stop in their tracks.

It was the sound of a baby crying.

Surya gasped, and took off running towards the infirmary. The rest followed him as the prince burst inside. "Kaylani!"

Daunte followed inside. His eyes first found Arin and he saw that his little brother was wide awake. The child looked like he'd just woken up, but he didn't look annoyed. Daunte went to sit at his bedside as the others went over to Kaylani. Freyr was sitting on the empty bed beside Kaylani's, watching her anxiously.

"My Lady, are you all right?" Mokuren said softly. Kaylani was lying in a hospital bed, and Silvano was sitting at her bedside gently snuggling a bundle in his arms. Kaylani looked exhausted, but she definitely looked in better shape than Daunte expected.

The princess laughed softly. "The doctor used a Flowing Rune on us both, so I'm quite fine. Here." She reached for her husband and gently pulled the blanket away, revealing the puffy, reddened face of a newborn child. "Say hello to our son."

Silvano carefully set the baby in her arms as everyone leaned in to get a look. "He's adorable!" Mokuren squealed. "And it's a boy?"

"Yes," Silvano said, reaching out to touch the baby on the head. His hand was so much bigger by comparison that it looked ready to swallow the baby up. "A healthy boy with a healthy weight."

"Your Highness, if you would excuse me," Israfil said softly to Freyr. The boy obligingly got out of the way and Israfil carefully laid Archana out on the bed.

"A-Archana!" Kaylani cried out, sitting up. The sudden shout and motion woke the baby and he started crying again. Silvano hastily took the baby out of her arms. "What happened to my sister?!"

"She suffered a terrible ordeal, my Lady," Israfil said. He carefully pulled back the sheets and tucked Archana in. "She was tortured with a barbaric Rune by a vicious witch."

Kaylani left the bed, although she nearly tumbled over as she knelt by Archana's bedside. "Archana? Archana, can you hear me?" She looked up at Israfil. "You said she was tortured with a Rune?"

"It nearly killed her," Surya admitted grimly. "The only reason it didn't was because of the General, and Daunte."

"You give me too much credit, Prince Surya. I did nothing. It was all Sir Daunte." Israfil motioned to him. "The only reason Lady Archana survived was because of him."

"Guys," Silvano said, setting the baby in a nearby hospital crib. "Kaylani's been through enough. Can you please spare us the details until another time?" he walked around the bed to help Kaylani back into it.

"No, I'm glad they told me," Kaylani said, though she allowed him to tuck her back in. She glanced over at Daunte. "Thank you for saving my sister, Daunte. My family is indebted to you. I swear I'll repay you somehow, and if I'm not able to I know my father will."

Daunte swallowed thickly and looked away. He didn't feel like they owed him anything because he didn't save her to curry favor. He knew he could just accept the thanks, speak his mind, or even be sarcastically pompous about it. After a moment he looked back at Kaylani. "Your family owes me nothing. I saved Lady Archana because it was the right thing to do. That's all."

Her eyes were shining, but she was smiling and she nodded. "All right. But we won't forget this."

"How long has she been like this?" Freyr asked, gesturing to Archana. He was clearly distressed by her current condition.

"Several hours now," Surya said. "Since that witch tried to fully activate the Rune. Daunte overpowered and destroyed the Rune, and we both healed her with healing spells. But she's probably exhausted in mind and body from her ordeal. Who knows how long she was left standing down there with that damned thing attached to her head?"

"She's undoubtedly been through a lot," Israfil agreed. He took a seat beside Archana's bed. "We shouldn't worry until the doctor examines her."

"Right," Kaylani breathed. She looked at her sister for a long moment before turning to Silvano. "She'll be all right. She still has to meet her nephew after all."

"Archana also gave us important information," Surya said. "She found out where Signe is."

"Signe?!" Freyr snapped to attention at hearing his sister's name. He looked at Surya. "Wherever she is, I'm going with you!"

"Freyr—"

"They gave me the weapons I need." Freyr turned around and Daunte noticed for the first time dual butterfly swords strapped to his back. "And while you were gone I did some chores and earned enough money to get my own forged identification book. I'm not letting you leave me behind this time!"

He's very determined, isn't he? Daunte thought dryly. He glanced at Arin. Then again, I'm practically in the same situation as him.

"We'll discuss this later," Surya said with exasperation. "In the meantime I want to go and check with Lord Bearyl about the current situation. Kaylani, I'm glad to see that you're all right, and your baby as well."

"Thank you, Surya."

"Prince." Israfil stood to attention. "I made a pledge to the Queen, but—"

"It's fine," Surya said, waving a hand. "It's all right if you stay here to watch over Archana."

"We've both been running nonstop since we arrived in Nagarea," Silvano added. "It wouldn't hurt for you to stay in one place for a little while, Israfil."

"Thank you, Prince." Israfil bowed before sitting back down.

"I'm still going with you," Freyr said defiantly. "And I won't listen to any excuses."

Daunte left the room first, so Surya wouldn't see his smile of amusement at Freyr's defiance.

---

They climbed up the stairs towards the second floor when a new shout caused them to pause. "Hey, guys!"

"Oh, Felicity!" Roen called back, waving as their friend raced up the stairs to them. "Are you feeling better?"

"I slept all day," Felicity laughed a little. "And I heard you rescued the other princess. Good job."

"I'm glad to see you're doing better," Daunte said. "Considering…"

Felicity made a face and shook her head. "I'm never having a baby. I've seen some crazy things in my life, but that was…" she shuddered. "I can't put myself through that same experience."

"We're going up to see Lord Bearyl," Roen said. "We've found out where another princess is, so we're going to find out if she's still there."

"Really? Where is she?"

"Kõrkus," Surya supplied. "But Archana announced Signe's whereabouts in front of the Matron, so Signe might be moved. With any luck she'll still be there."

They finished their trek up to the war room, and Daunte pushed open the double doors without knocking. "—still there?"Daunte heard as they entered. At the back of the room he saw Gunther standing at the table speaking with Bearyl and Caesar. Lorik Varra was on the other side of the table, looking down at a placeholder. Daunte moved closer and saw a giant map of Nagarea stretched across the table, and the placeholder in question was due south of the High Peak Mountains, which was the furthest northwest point in Nagarea. Allise was standing off to one side leaning against the wall.

"That's what it looks like," Caesar replied. He saw Daunte and the others come in and gave them a sheepish smile. "Oh, hello. Good news, everyone. While it looks like Kõrkus has tightened their security, it doesn't look like Princess Signe was taken elsewhere."

"So she should still be there?" Freyr asked hopefully.

"Correct," Bearyl said. Daunte noticed that the Commander seemed to be in a rather cheerful mood, despite the fact that he'd appeared to be inconvenienced by the Falenans and their problems. He gestured to the placeholder Lorik had been eyeing. "We've had our hands full with our operations, but our most recent campaign was successful. Just last night Lord Lorik was able to secure the town of Zinnia last night from Sheik Faakhir's control."

"The Sheikh has not retaliated yet," Lorik said softly. "But we will need to be ready for when he does."

Daunte looked between the two of them, and suddenly spoke before he could stop himself. "Will you not be able to assist us, Lord Bearyl?"

"I am assisting you all," Bearyl said defensively, looking back at them. "But as you can see, we must focus our efforts on making sure Zinnia remains under our control. We've sent word to our scouts in Kõrkus and they replied with the necessary information. Do with it as you will."

"We will go to Kõrkus and rescue my cousin," Surya retorted. "Myself, Mokuren, and…anyone else who might assist us." He ignored the scowl Freyr gave him. "I request that Daunte also accompany us. He saved Archana's life in the Great Cistern, using the power of his True Rune. He has proven invaluable and we appreciate his help."

"Is that so?" Bearyl asked. Daunte was also surprised. He still didn't have complete control over his True Rune, and everything that he'd done with it—including saving Archana—were all just flukes. Yet Surya still wanted his assistance?

"I'm very happy to hear that you're getting better at using the True Rune," Caesar said, looking at Daunte. "True Runes are rather picky with their owners, and those that are deemed unworthy of the power lose control of the Rune. Gunther told us how you purified contaminated water in the Great Cistern. Whatever the true purpose of that Rune is, you seem to be using its power wisely."

"I'm also glad that you're maintaining control of the Rune," Bearyl added. Daunte could've been mistaken, but it sounded like there was a…edge to his voice. "I look forward to seeing you wield its power in the name of the Liberation Army."

"I would also like to accompany them," Gunther said. "My Lord," he quickly added when Bearyl tried to object. "I humbly request your permission to continue assisting the Falenan royal family in this matter." He bowed to him.

"Given that the lieutenant has already provided much assistance in this matter, I don't see the harm in letting him go," Caesar said softly.

"…All right," Bearyl said. But he was glaring sternly at Gunther. "Your assistance was most needed in securing Zinnia, Gunther. Your absence was most unwelcome."

"I understand, sir," Gunther replied, but Daunte quickly frowned. What a minute. He suspended Gunther and then reinstated him so Gunther could help us in the Great Cistern. If he wanted to use Gunther for their campaign on Zinnia, then why let him go with us in the first place?!

"I think I will accompany you all as well."

Daunte started slightly as Allise casually approached them. She gave them a friendly smile. "It's been a few years since I was at Kõrkus. So why not make a visit?"

"Allise, is that a good idea?" Gunther interjected suddenly. "Do you really want to go back there?"

"I wouldn't have volunteered if I wasn't serious."

"What's wrong with Kõrkus?" Roen asked.

"Nothing is wrong with Kõrkus," Allise told him. "But my ex-husband lives there and he's quite…possessive."

"Ex-husband?" Felicity echoed. Daunte was also surprised. Allise looked even younger than Kaylani, though older than himself. And she'd already been married? And divorced?

"Which is why I don't think you should endanger yourself like this," Gunther told her. "We know what he's capable of!"

"I'll be fine, Gunther." She broadened her smile at him. "Promise."

"…Wait," Roen said. His tone had turned ominous and he suddenly pointed at Allise. His eyes went wide. "You?! It's you?!"

"What's wrong, Roen?" Daunte asked him.

"I'd heard the stories," Roen said, not hearing Daunte. "Everybody has in Kõrkus. You are…you're his wife?!"

"I was," Allise said.

"Whose wife?" Surya asked, almost unable to help himself.

"The Sheikh's," Roen gasped. "Keha Hale's wife."

Daunte's jaw dropped and he looked at Allise. She was a woman obviously in her twenties. But Keha Hale…from what he'd heard, the man was in his fifties. He had to be at the very least thirty years older than her! And he was Allise's ex-husband?!

O-Oh Nagar. Does this mean they got married when she was a teenager? Maybe even my age! Daunte dry-heaved a little at the thought.

"It's a long, horrific story," Allise said casually. "One I'd rather not share again. But we have nothing to worry about. Our scouts have already notified us that my ex is not at Kõrkus at the moment so we should have no problem sneaking in there and rescuing the princess. Besides, I'm quite familiar of the layout of his Garrison. I have a couple of ideas of where he stashed Princess Signe away to, so I think you'll benefit greatly from my help." She held out a hand to Daunte. "So, what do you say?"

Daunte looked at her. She still hung onto her smile, despite how dark her words were. Once again his eyes caught the Rune in the center of her forehead, and he couldn't help but be curious about its powers.

She'll also be very helpful with getting into the Garrison, since she use to live there.

"I'm glad to be working for you, Lady Allise," Daunte said, accepting her handshake.

"Allise is fine," Allise said. "I would rather not have a title attached to my name."

"I'm not exactly eager to return to Kõrkus," Roen said. "But I would be happy to keep helping out."

"Me too," Felicity said.

"Don't forget me," Freyr added.

"Wait a moment," Bearyl interjected. He walked around the table towards them. "You shouldn't have too many people going with you when you infiltrate Kõrkus. You'll garner a lot more attention than intended, and with the Garrison integrated into the town you'll be dealing with seasonally trained soldiers and not just city guards."

"I agree," Caesar said. "Thus far you've been very successful at rescuing royals with a six-member party. I would recommend sticking with the six-member party in this."

"Why not a four-member party?" Lorik asked. "It's a smaller group but when organized properly you can have a very concise unit."

"Four members?" Caesar barked out a laugh. "Believe me when I say that six is better than four!"

"Lord Bearyl has a point," Surya said, turning to Daunte. "We're already pushing our luck with six people, we shouldn't bring any more. However it also looks like we have a greater picking of people than we did previously. I must go on this journey."

"And I must stay by my prince's side," Mokuren added.

"I must insist that you absolutely take me along as well," Allise said. "Otherwise, you might not get far in Kõrkus."

"So that leaves two people that can either stay or go," Felicity mused aloud. "What do you think, Daunte?"

Daunte looked around at the people in the room. He wondered why this suddenly became his decision and not Surya's, but everyone had automatically turned to him expectantly. He looked at his two best friends, looked at Freyr, and looked at Gunther. This was a difficult decision to make!

I'll need to plan this practically. Gunther is skilled with a sword, Roen is very proficient at using his Fire Rune, and Felicity has that Kite Rune which will allow her to hit every target with her knives. I don't know Freyr's capabilities but if he can wield dual butterfly swords even at the age of fourteen, then I know he's a pretty formidable fighter.

He gave it a lot of thought before he decided on his first person. "Gunther."

"All right, let's do this!" Gunther cheered. He casually threw an arm around Allise. "I will protect you with my life, my Lady!"

Allise casually shrugged his arm off her shoulders. "No need, Gunther."

"And…" Daunte floundered as he tried to decide. Finally his gaze settled on his second choice. "Prince Freyr."

Freyr cheered and pumped his fists. "I'm ready whenever you are!"

"I don't feel comfortable taking Freyr with us," Surya said, shrugging. "But…I won't argue."

"Aww, I was hoping to leave headquarters for a little while," Felicity complained, but her tone was playful as she stretched her arms over her head.

Roen shook his head. "Kõrkus is my hometown but…I'm glad I'm not going back there. I haven't been back since my dad…"

"I have a Wind Rune," Freyr supplied, showing Daunte his left hand. Daunte saw a pale blue cyclic symbol on the back of his hand. "I was able to unlock a status effect spell and an offensive spell!"

That's one more spell than mine, Daunte said dryly.

"Now that we've decided," Surya said. "Let's head out right away. Where is Kõrkus?"

"It's in the southwest provinces," Gunther said. "The capital of the southwest provinces, to be precise. We can transverse Winter Hill and cut our travel time in half, or walk all the way around it."

"It sounds like it'll take some time to reach Kõrkus."

"With the shortcut it should take us two or three day's tops," Allise said. "I don't believe they'll move the princess out of the city during that time, but we should get some rest tonight and head out first thing tomorrow morning."

"We have a traveling merchant temporarily staying with us," Bearyl said. "He's sleeping in a tent out front. We've been trying to get him to stay on with us full-time, but thus far he's been resistant to the idea. But you can replenish your supplies with him."

"I hope the Sheikh hasn't done anything to hurt Signe," Freyr said softly.

"I wish I could offer you reassurances, but that man isn't…kind by nature," Allise told him. "But he wouldn't be stupid enough to hurt a valuable hostage."

Daunte wasn't so optimistic considering what the Holy Army did to Archana, but he said nothing.

---

Daunte was up before dawn the next morning and quickly went to the infirmary to see Arin. The infirmary itself was silent. Archana was still unmoving from her bed, and Israfil was slumped over in the seat beside it fast asleep. Silvano was curled up beside Kaylani in her bed. Unable to help himself, Daunte looked in on their baby's crib. The babe was curled up on his side also fast asleep.

Arin was still asleep, and Daunte felt his forehead. His fever was completely gone, the color had returned to his face, and his breathing was steady and clear.

It looks like the worst of it is over.

The relief overwhelmed Daunte and he had to sit down on the bed because his knees were unsteady. Tears stung his eyes and he pressed a hand to his mouth. He'd spent so long frightened for his little brother's condition and hoping against the odds that the child would get better.

Now he was better. The burden abruptly dislodged from Daunte and he felt light-headed. He's better. He's truly going to be all right.

"The worst of his illness has passed."

Daunte looked up and saw Clara. The young doctor checked in on the baby and then moved to Archana's bedside. "He's still very weak and malnourished. He's small for a boy his age, but there's no worry. Once he gets some proper food in his belly and becomes more physically active, he'll catch up."

Daunte stood up from the bed and bowed. "I'll never be able to thank you enough for this."

"No, don't worry about it. I'm a doctor, and it's my duty to care for people." Clara leaned over Archana and checked her pulse. Her face was expressionless, but that didn't help Daunte's anxiety when she finished. "I-Is Lady Archana okay?"

"I understand that an unstable Rune was attached to her forehead and it nearly exploded," Clara said softly. "Prince Surya was concerned about brain damage, and I don't blame him. Having a Rune attached to your forehead can be risky, because there's a greater chance of mind effects if you cannot control its power. Thus far though I've found no evidence of such. She isn't comatose, just severely fatigued. The best thing we can do for her right now is to let her rest, and to not put any more stress upon her."

Daunte nodded. "Good." Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Arin stirring and knelt beside the bed. "Arin?"

The boy's eyes fluttered briefly before opening completely. He broke out into a smile when he saw Daunte, and effortlessly pushed himself into a sitting position. "Good morning, Brother."

"How do you feel?" Daunte asked him.

"Much better," Arin replied, grinning. "I can't wait to get out of bed!"

"It won't be too long," Clara told him. "You just need to regain your strength and you'll be better in no time."

Arin gestured to Daunte to lean in close, and Arin cupped his hands around his mouth to whisper. "The princess is really pretty. She looks like the princess in those books Mom would read to us!"

Daunte's breath hitched, and he looked at his brother. They'd been sentenced to the Dark Chasm three years ago, and it was three years ago when they lost their parents. Arin had been six years old then, and even though he'd been technically too young for the Dark Chasm the Original Sin Decree declared that the severity of their parents "treason" was such that Arin needed to suffer the Dark Chasm to be redeemed.

But Arin had still been very young when they lost their parents. Even Daunte couldn't remember his mother's face. So it was very surprising that Arin could remember the stories their mother told them.

Well, he hasn't had very happy memories. It's no wonder he's hung onto what few happy memories he's experienced.

"Speaking of stories," Daunte said, reaching into his bag. "I found a couple of books while out on the road. This one's really old and really thick, so you might not like it." He set the old green book at Arin's bedside. "But this one's much shorter." He pulled out Beauty and the Beast, and flipped open a couple of the short pages. "I flipped through it when we took a break on the road last night, and it looks like a play of some sorts. It also sounds like the stories Mom would read to us. Would you like to read it, Arin?"

Arin looked down at Beauty and the Beast for a long moment before looking at Daunte with confusion. "I-I don't know how to read."

Daunte's stomach twisted painfully and he sucked in a sharp breath. He felt like the world's biggest idiot. "I-I'm sorry, Arin. When I finish finding Surya's cousins I promise I'll teach you how to read."

Arin smiled brightly at him. "Thanks, Daunte!"

Daunte felt horrible on the inside. Of course Arin didn't know how to read! Especially considering he'd been working in a labor mine since he was six! How could he have forgotten something like that?!

Thankfully his thoughts were interrupted when the infirmary door opened and Felicity came inside. "I knew I would find you here, Daunte. The others are looking for you upstairs."

"Right." Daunte gave Arin a quick hug and stood up. "I'll see you when you get back."

Arin nodded. "Be careful, Brother."

Felicity gave Daunte a smile as she entered the infirmary as he was leaving. As Daunte closed the door, he heard Felicity exclaim, "Beauty and the Beast? I love this story!"

Daunte headed back upstairs. The main hall was still inhabited by the same people he'd always seen there, but this time they each had something different to say.

"The little baby prince is so adorable! But his ears don't quite look elven. Will he grow into them?"

"Am I the only person not excited about our annexing Zinnia? Sloan Faakhir will launch a campaign to reclaim it, and Lorik Varra isn't a warrior like Faakhir is!"

"I'm glad we're doing some good by the Falenan royal family, but their presence here is interfering with Army work. It seems to be causing Lord Bearyl a lot of stress."

"Do you want to know a secret?"

"…Yes?" Daunte replied.

"Allise was the wife of Sheikh Keha Hale."

I know that.

"But do you know how Allise ended up with the Liberation Army? Two years ago our Army kidnapped her in order to open negotiations with the Sheikh over the return of Army soldiers. But to our surprise she immediately turned on the Sheikh, joined our ranks, and even helped us devise a way to rescue the imprisoned soldiers! It was very surprising that she turned on her husband so quickly. It almost seemed too good to be true. But Allise proved herself countless times that she's devoted to our cause. She must have been very unhappy in her marriage to the Sheikh if she turned on him like that. Rumor has it that she was kidnapped so easily because she snuck off to get a quiet divorce from the Sheikh in the Grand Citadel. Surprisingly they honored her petition, even without Hale present."

This conversation caused the wheels in Daunte's mind to turn. So Allise came to the Liberation Army two years ago. She was married to Keha Hale before that, and…didn't she say she was also sentenced to the Dark Chasm? So Keha Hale married someone who by religious law was tainted by sin? This sounds very bizarre.

He didn't see the group inside, so he went outside. Sure enough he saw them down the stairs speaking with a man standing beside a flashy cart. The man looked to be in his early forties and he was dressed in a dark red sherwani with black pants, and he had a dark red bycocket covering his head. Even with the hat though Daunte could see he had short brown hair that was gradually turning white.

"—thanks again," Gunther said as Daunte approached. He looked over his shoulder at Daunte and waved him over. "Hey, come and check out his wares!"

"Hello, young man!" the merchant smiled at Daunte. Daunte could see deep stress lines in his face. "I am Cairoh, and I am a traveling merchant. I operate my business from this unofficial cart."

"Unofficial?" Daunte echoed.

"He lost his merchant's license," Allise explained to him. "So technically it's illegal for him to be selling anything."

"Which is why I stay on the move," Cairoh said. He suddenly frowned and fury filled his dark eyes. "It's that blasted Merchant's Pledge, though! Twenty-five years ago the Pledge only had twenty parts! Now it's at seventy-eight! This past year, without an official announcement, they added four more lines to the Pledge! It was no wonder I lost my license when I didn't receive an updated Pledge!"

They added four more parts to the Pledge this past year? But didn't Gusoku manage to hang onto his license despite this? And other merchants were able to hang onto their licenses. This man…doesn't seem very attentive, does he?

"Why don't you join us?" Gunther offered. "We could use a merchant, and I'm fairly certain our Commander would revoke the Merchant's Pledge once we win our rebellion."

But Cairoh shook his head. "For the time being I feel more comfortable staying on the move. I'm thinking of setting up shop temporarily in Winter Hill, but all of you are welcome to my wares before I leave."

Daunte was impressive by his products, and made sure to stock up on healing herbs and even an extra rune scroll. He also made sure to grab an escape scroll, just in case he ended up in a massive place like the Great Cistern again and didn't want to walk all the way out.

"I also have some rare finds," Cairoh said. He pulled back a tan colored drape to reveal a shelf in the wagon. "They cost more money, but they're less common than any of my other products."

Daunte saw a couple of amulets on the shelf, but he frowned deeply at their prices. They were tens of thousands of bits. Rare as they might be, he didn't know if buying even one amulet was worth the risk of losing all his bits.

But…but then he saw something interesting. The cheapest item in the rare finds shelf was an old, thick book with a crimson hard cover. He picked it up and flipped through it. The spine crackled, and the pages smelled of must. But Daunte couldn't help but be intrigued.

"That's 7,000 bits," Cairoh told him.

"Deal," Daunte said, counting out the money. He didn't know what compelled him to get the book, but he had a feeling it would be useful to him.

"If we're ready, let's get going," Surya said.

"If you want to do business with me again, look for me at Winter Hill," Cairoh told them. "I'll be making camp at this plateau I'm familiar with near the western entrance."

"Thank you," Daunte said.

The group loaded up their horses and took off. Daunte had never been to Kõrkus before and so he allowed both Allise and Gunther to take the lead. As they rode, Daunte observed Gunther repeatedly making passes at Allise and complimenting her. Allise greeted his words with indifference and even polite scorn. Surprisingly Gunther didn't seem to take the hint, and kept trying to maintain her attention.

Gunther seems to have a reputation with women. Allise obviously is aware of this. But I'm kind of surprised to see him go through the effort of winning her over, when she's not responding to him positively.

They left the plains and entered Winter Hill. Daunte knew they were in Winter Hill because of the color of the grass. While elsewhere it had a faded green color, in Winter Hill the vegetation thrived and the grass was dark green. The beautiful scenery expanded for kilometers around them, peppered with hills and plateaus. There was no path on the ground, but the ground had been marked with wagon wheels and footprints in various directions.

Being back in Winter Hill made Daunte feel nostalgic, but it also made him apprehensive.

We just have to steer away from Mlkwt Alsmwat, we hopefully won't run into too many problems.

Not long after thinking this though, they ran into a complicated monster. It was a gray boar, much larger than their horses. Bright blue eyes and bloodstained tusks sticking out of its mouth, it charged at them from behind a plateau. The beast spooked the horses and had them scrambling briefly to get into formation. Daunte was surprised to see Allise take the front. She yanked what looked like two folded up silver fans from her waistband and whipped them open. He noticed the fans themselves reflected sunlight and looked smooth, like the sharp end of a blade.

Those are tessen!

Despite its large size, the boar was quick on its feet and kept charging at them. They struck at the monster and used their Runes (and Daunte was very surprised to see how capable a fighter Freyr was) and the monster bled heavily, but it still wouldn't give up. It still kept charging at them.

After several minutes of fighting Allise suddenly shouted, "Get behind me!"

Daunte was confused, but he saw Gunther immediately dive behind her and the rest of them scrambled. As the beast turned toward them, Allise spread out her arms. "Open Gate."

What happened next shook Daunte to the core. The entire area became engulfed in darkness—it was like the sun was no longer in the sky. The ground began trembling violently, and he could no longer maintain his balance. He saw the ground open up in front of Allise and a massive body emerged, but Daunte could no longer remain standing and collapsed.

As he struggled back to his feet, a hideous roar filled the air and he suddenly felt scorched as the world around him became engulfed in fire. Instinctively he covered his head, remembering the feeling of being set on fire and not wanting to relive it, and just as suddenly the air filled with smoke…and the giant boar roared in pain.

Just as abruptly though, the darkness faded and the world around them returned to normal. Daunte hesitantly looked up and saw that all but Gunther had been similarly affected by the spell. He looked back over to Allise, and the young woman turned to them with a smile. "The beast has been defeated."

Indeed, there was nothing left of the boar except a charred carcass that was still on fire. "W-What was that?!" Freyr sputtered.

Allise pointed to the symbol on her forehead. "The Blue Gate Rune, also known as the Pale Gate Rune."

"I-I've heard of that," Surya said, brushing himself off. "It's a Rune that can summon creatures from another dimension."

"That power is incredible," Mokuren said softly, though she looked a little fearful.

"It's been a while since I've seen you use that Rune," Gunther said. He smiled at Allise. "Good job."

"All I did was summon a beast to fight the battle for me," Allise said simply. She looked at Daunte. "Let's be on our way, shall we?"

…I wonder if that Rune is another big reason Bearyl recruited her? Daunte wondered.

---

It took just over a day to venture through Winter Hill towards their destination. They saw the odd traveler and several monsters, but their trip was mostly without difficulty. Daunte kept his eyes open for Cairoh and his cart, but didn't see the rogue merchant anywhere. It was disappointing, but it helped him to keep an eye on his supplies.

After leaving Winter Hill, it took nearly two days to reach Kõrkus. The closer they got to the fortified city, the tenser Allise was becoming. She had been very nonchalant about returning to Kõrkus, but even Daunte could see that she was clearly on edge. Gunther similarly noticed this too and said something to her that Daunte couldn't hear. Allise responded with a quick, "I'm fine."

When the city came into sight, Daunte stiffened. He saw Keha Hale's Garrison first, as the massive fortress sat atop a hill overlooking the twenty-three thousand residents of the city. He gulped audibly and looked at the others. There's no doubt Princess Signe is in that fortress. And there is no doubt they are expecting us.

"Lady Allise," Surya said suddenly.

"Yes, Prince?" Allise asked over her shoulder.

"Is it really a good idea for you to be here? I mean no offense to you, but what if the guards recognize you?"

"They will not," Allise reassured him. "It's been over two years since I've been in Kõrkus. Besides, the common soldiers at the gate will not recognize me because they've never really seen me."

"Is that so?"

"Well considering I was forbidden to leave the Garrison without that man by my side—and I was always covered up when I did leave—I imagine not even the residents of Kõrkus will recognize me."

Her tone was still nonchalant, but Daunte was unnerved by her story. She was forbidden to leave her own house? But—that makes sense. Roen knew that the Sheikh had been married, but not even he recognized Allise when he first met her. He'd mentioned hearing "stories" about Allise, though…what kind of stories? I wished I'd asked him before I left.

As they approached the gates, they were quickly approached by a guard. Daunte was surprised to see a teenaged boy around his own age greeting them. The boy was dressed in the silver robes marking a soldier, but he had dark golden eyes that looked at each of them unwaveringly. Rusty red bangs peeked out from behind his hood as he gestured to them. "Your identification books, please."

The group handed over their forged books without question. The young man took the time to read each book individually, and looked at each person in kind. His scrutiny made Daunte a little nervous, as none of the other guards had ever paid this much attention before.

He finished checking the books and raised his head. "What is the fortieth proverb of 'Splendor'?"

Daunte gaped at him. He knew that 'Splendor' was a chapter in the Scriptures that listed proverbs. Except that there were over two hundred proverbs in that chapter and Daunte didn't even know one of them! How were they supposed to get out of this one?!

"Young man," Allise said, steering her horse towards him. "The fortieth proverb of Splendor is such: 'For though the blood of heretics may taint this world, spilling it will purge the world and make it pure'."

"That is correct!" the young man's eyes lit up and he enthusiastically handed them back their identifications books. "Welcome to Kõrkus, my fellow believers! My name is Brennus, and rest assured you will all be well-protected within our walls!"

"Thank you," Allise said, bowing.

They were allowed through and guided their horses to a giant stable nearby to tie them up. Allise turned to them after the coast was clear. "I'm sorry, I forgot about that. Kõrkus prides itself on religious knowledge, so guards and Clerics like quizzing people about passages in the Scriptures."

"You could've warned us earlier," Surya said hotly.

"I honestly forgot, I'm sorry."

"But it's good that you knew the answer so quickly," Freyr said.

Allise smiled at him. "Being a Believer, and the ex-wife of a Sheikh, will grant me more knowledge than most." Daunte saw the strain in her smile though and looked away.

The city proper was similar to Tenaga, but Daunte didn't relax once. With the Sheikh's Garrison in town, there were groups of two to three guards on patrol down every street. The entrance to every shop a guard stood on watch. Daunte felt too exposed with so much security but he tried to look as unassuming as possible.

Surprisingly though, the residents of Kõrkus didn't seem bothered by the number of soldiers around. They went about their business like nothing was out of the ordinary. And some of the dialogue around them unsettled Daunte too.

"Praise Nagar for everything He provides for us!"

"These are dark times, indeed. So much evil has been exposed by our High Clerics. I didn't realize there were so many sinners and heretics living amongst us faithful!"

"I've heard rumors that they are planning on deploying the missionaries again. We must use our might to spread the word of our faith!"

"I can't get over the splendor of our new Chapel!"

"I can't stand looking at it. I loved the old Chapel. I still can't believe a heathen used the power of a Rage Rune to blow the old Chapel up. We lost so many people that day."

"We did. But the new one is so magnificent too."

It was near impossible to simply wander around and do reconnaissance. At random intervals they were stopped by guards, or even a random citizen, and quizzed about an obscure subjects in the Nagarist Scripture. Some were easy enough for Daunte to answer, but others Allise had to chime in and give an answer. It puzzled him why they were asking such questions. And what would happen if they got any wrong?

"A trading stall," Allise observed, pointing to a stand with a sign over it. The sign showed the image of a balance.

"We don't have a trader at the headquarters," Gunther reminded her.

Allise shrugged. "Trading always brings in easy money." She walked over to the stall, and the groups followed.

"Welcome, welcome!" the tradesman greeted them. "How may I help you today?"

"Any news regarding the trade?" Allise asked him.

"The price of sugar is on the decline. I'm selling it for 5 bits!"

"Done," Allise said, pulling out her wallet. "I'll take twenty."

Daunte's jaw dropped as Allise paid for her purchase and accepted the twenty bags of sugar. "I'll need to tie these to my horses. I'll be right back."

"What about my cousin?" Surya asked her incredulously.

"Don't worry, I don't believe the princess was sent anywhere else. But if I'm right, by the time we reach the northeast again the price of sugar will skyrocket, and I will be able to sell it for a profit."

Is that all there is to trade? Daunte wondered.

"Let's hang out over here," Gunther said, gesturing to the empty section of a high wall. "Allise has bailed us out of the harder questions so we just have to draw as little attention to ourselves as possible so we won't get questioned while she's gone."

"I don't like this place," Mokuren said softly, rubbing at her arms. "There's too many soldiers around. I think they're more of them here than in Sol-Falena!"

"It's not surprising," Surya said grimly. "Archana did announce Signe's whereabouts in front of that woman. They have to know we'd be coming."

"And that also means Signe is here," Freyr added.

Daunte glanced at Gunther. The laidback lieutenant was surprisingly on edge, and watching their surroundings closely. "Is everything okay?"

"Hardly," Gunther said. "Granted, what we've experienced here thus far is tame compared to the security in the capital, but I don't like this place." He looked in the direction Allise had disappeared to. "I shouldn't have let her go by herself. Somebody is bound to recognize her."

Daunte didn't want to pry, but he couldn't help himself. "Did the Sheikh treat her terribly? Did you witness any—"

"No," Gunther said. "I never saw the two interact but I've heard the stories. And I was the one who kidnapped her."

"…You did?" Daunte asked.

Gunther nodded stiffly. "I thought I was kidnapping some uptight, spoiled elitist. When I found her, though…" he quickly shook his head. "Never mind. It's best left alone."

The lack of information made Daunte even more uncomfortable and he looked away. We have to figure out a way to get into the Garrison. It's not like the other towns because those were just mansions. This is a military fortress attached to a town. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for the six of us to come?

"I'm actually surprised nobody's recognized us," Freyr said suddenly. He looked down the row at the rest of them. "I mean, don't they have wanted posters of us or something?"

"They do," Gunther said dryly. "But most don't pay attention."

Freyr huffed. "While I'm glad for it, I'm certainly glad these soldiers don't serve in the Falenan Army!"

"Freyr!" Surya hissed warningly.

"Psst!"

Daunte's ears piqued at this familiar sound. As Surya scolded his younger cousin, Daunte craned his ears to hear the call again. After a moment, it came back. "Psst! Boy with the True Rune!"

"True Rune?" Gunther echoed. He fingered the hilt of his sword, but Daunte gestured at him to pause. "It's okay."

"Come here, boy with the True Rune." The call was still soft, but spoken with a compelling voice. But it was still too soft for Daunte to determine the speaker's gender. He drew closer and closer to the wall, looking around for the person. "Where are you?" he called softly.

"Stop."

Daunte and Gunther stopped with this command, and the other notice what they were doing. Daunte held himself still as the other joined them. "What's wrong?" Surya asked.

"I trust you found the princess?" the voice was coming from above them, and Daunte realized the person was on top of the wall. But when he looked up, he didn't see anybody.

"Who is that?" Surya asked him. "How do they know—"

"Yes," Daunte answered the unknown stranger. "Thank you for your help with that."

A soft laugh greeted him. "I wouldn't say what I did was help. You knew already the princess was there. All I did was validate your suspicions."

"It was still helpful."

"And here you are, in the middle of enemy territory once more. I trust you are looking for another princess, yes?"

"How do they know so much?!" Freyr demanded.

"Yes," Daunte confirmed. "But we already know who is here. I have a question for you."

"Go ahead," the stranger replied.

"In Tenaga, you told me you were my ally and that I could trust you to lend me a hand. Is that still true?"

"Of course."

"Then would you do me a favor?"

"Can we trust someone we cannot see?" Gunther asked him.

"I don't think we have a choice otherwise," Surya said grimly.

"What sort of favor do you desire?" the stranger asked. "Whatever the wish, it will come with a price."

"Oh, really?!" Surya snapped. "You claim to want to help us, but then you charge us money?!"

"I have to make a living," came the defensive reply.

"Fine," Daunte said. "Find Princess Farrin Falenas for us. She's the only one that's still missing."

"Ah the Crowned Princess, heir to the throne of Falena? That will be most difficult…but I accept."

"How much money are you asking of us?" Gunther asked the stranger.

"We will discuss my fee when I make my report. That sounds reasonable, doesn't it? Until then…" there was a sudden whoosh of wind, and they heard nothing more from the wall.

"Wait a minute," Mokuren said. "This person didn't tell us their name. And they didn't tell us how they could contact us back, or when they could!"

"Well, we didn't throw money at them yet," Gunther said dryly. "So it's not a total loss. Ah, there she is!" he broke away from the group and hurried over to Allise, who was quickly approaching them. "Did you experience any problems?"

"No," Allise reassured them. "A few helpful soldiers were even kind enough to help me tie my sugar to my horse. Have you learned anything new?"

"No," Surya said. "None of the citizens are speaking about anything other than the Nagarean religion. If Signe is here, they either don't know or they wouldn't dare speak about it openly."

"It could go either way, really." Allise took up towards the large Garrison overlooking the town. Up close it looked like a tower with six floors. "I know a couple of secret passageways that we can use to enter the Garrison. If we go southwest of here we will find a boarded up abandoned well. It should take us directly underneath the Garrison."

Daunte wanted to ask how she knew so much about secret passages with the Garrison, but he ultimately decided to keep it to himself. Maybe she used that well to sneak off and get her divorce?

They followed Allise in the direction of the abandoned well. It took them away from the town square and to a more quiet section of Kõrkus. Daunte knew the seclusion should've calmed his nerves, but he was immediately on edge. He looked at their surroundings and didn't see anyone, but he had a sudden bad feeling.

Are we being followed? He looked at the others and saw they were also on edge. Except for Allise though, who carried a nonchalant air about herself.

After several minutes of walking, Daunte saw the well six meters away. Before he could say anything though, a sudden shout caused them all to freeze in their tracks. "Stop right there!"

From the shadows around them, soldiers in silver uniforms surfaced and surrounded them. Daunte counted thirteen, and he squeezed his palm around his tekko. Damn it.

"Can we help you?" Allise asked them smoothly.

"The six of you look familiar to me," the captain said harshly. He glared at each of them in kind. "What is your business in Kõrkus?"

"We're travelers," Allise said vaguely.

"Where are you from?"

"Uaminifu."

"How long do you plan on staying?"

"Just three more days."

The captain fired off question after question and Allise answered each one promptly. Her readiness however didn't make Daunte feel better, and he kept himself guarded.

Finally the captain asked, "When the prophet Shamir preached on the banks of Golden River, what was his seventh warning?"

"…Excuse me?" Allise said. Her tone faltered.

"If you are a Nagarist believer as you say, then this should be easy. The prophet Shamir gave a sermon in the chapter 'Blood of the Fallen', and he gave thirteen warnings. What was the seventh one?"

Daunte's mind drew a blank, and he quickly looked at Gunther. The lieutenant was starting to look very nervous. Daunte looked back at Allise and saw that the young woman's demeanor had become stiff, and she shifted nervously where she stood.

"Well?!" the captain snapped.

"…I admit defeat," Allise said softly, lowering her hands to her sides. "I do not know the answer to that question."

"Then you are not true believers." He waved to the other soldiers. "Seize them!"

"Daunte."

Daunte shuddered as he heard that familiar voice whisper in his mind. Despite the seriousness of the situation, his ears naturally strained to hear that voice. The memory of his mother's voice.

"Daunte, this chapter is about the Shamir, a famous prophet of the Nagarist faith. It showed how he was guided by his faith, and how he showed no fear in the face of danger. By going up onto High Peak Mountain, and giving his sermon there—"

"Hold on!" Daunte shouted as the soldiers rounded upon them.

"You will hold your tongue, heathen!" the captain snapped.

"Your question was a total lie!"

Something flickered in the man's eyes and his glare turned darker. "What did you say to me?!"

"The prophet Shamir didn't preach on the banks of Golden River in Blood of the Fallen," Daunte told him harshly. "He preached in the High Peak Mountains! And he did not have thirteen warnings, but five! You cannot ask what the seventh warning was, because there was no seventh warning!"

"Well that explains why I couldn't remember that portion of the Scriptures," Allise said. She smiled darkly at the captain. "Deliberate misquoting of the Scriptures is a crime, is it not? That's most unkind of you to entrap us like that with a question that is impossible to answer."

"Do you dare accuse me of being a liar?!"

"Why don't we get a copy of the Scriptures and see which one of us is lying?"

"I won't be accused by heathens like you of being a heretic! Get them now and lock them up in the Garrison!"

Daunte looked at Surya, and he saw hope in the prince's eyes. They needed to get into the Garrison anyways. Being arrested and taken in as prisoners would be much easier than trying to transverse a secret passage to get in! He looked at Gunther, and saw the lieutenant read his mind and had the same idea.

"It seems we have no choice," Gunther said. The six of them raised their hands in surrender.

---

The group was marched to the gates of Keha Hale's Garrison. Along the way they encountered various townspeople, who shouted incriminations at them and opened prayed for the "heretics". Inwardly, Daunte was more focused on trying to formulate a plan on how to get to Princess Signe. I don't doubt she's there, but I hope they don't spirit her away when they take us in.

They reached the gates of the Garrison, and shackles were fastened to their wrists and ankles. The sensation of the shackles immediately invoked unpleasant of the Dark Chasm inside of Daunte and he shuddered, shrinking a little into himself.

Get it together. You're going to be all right.

"Are you all right?" Surya asked him.

Daunte nodded stiffly, not trusting his voice.

"Sir!"

A guard sprinted from the gates and ran towards the captain. Allise saw the guard and immediately stiffened. "Oh," she said at length.

"Oh, what?" Gunther asked her.

"That's one of the soldiers who helped me tie my bags of sugar to my horse."

A sudden feeling of dread swelled inside Daunte, and he watched the guard whisper quickly to the captain. The captain's eyes quickly snapped to Allise and they widened with shock. Oh, no.

"Halt!" the captain shouted, gesturing with his hand. He quickly approached Allise. "Take those shackles off of her this instant!"

"W-What for?" Allise said, trying and failing to keep her tone nonchalant.

The shackles were quickly removed from her and the captain stood in front of her. He bowed stiffly. "Welcome back to Kõrkus, Lady Allise Hale."

Gunther cursed violently under his breath, and Daunte looked at the others. He honestly didn't know what to do.

"L-Lady Allise?" Allise said. There was fear in her voice, and that fear made Daunte even more nervous. "Who is Lady Allise? I know of no such—"

"Please forgive my impudence with you," the captain interrupted. There was no kindness in his voice, and Daunte was not reassured by his forced politeness. "If you would come with me we shall escort you to more appropriate quarters. And we will send word to the Sheikh of your return."

"L-L-Listen to me," Allise said, raising her hands slightly. She laughed nervously. "Do I look like the wife of a Sheikh? Would the wife of a Sheikh dress as I am right now? There must be some mistake. I'm not—"

"Please come with us."

Two guards seized Allise's arms. "Take your filthy hands off of her!" Gunther roared. He tried to surge forward, but the shackles he wore tripped him and he sprawled to the dirt.

"Fog of Deception!" Surya shouted, raising his hand as best as he could. Several moments passed, and Daunte's eyes widened. The Water Rune didn't activate at all.

"Trying to cast a Rune spell?!" a guard snapped. He punched Surya in the face. "Don't waste our time! This Garrison is equipped to block any and all Rune spells! It's prevent heathens like you from hurting faithful believers like us again!"

"How dare you raise a hand to the Prince?!" Mokuren raged. She tried to lunge at the guard but was ultimately unsuccessful due to her shackles.

"Guys, please don't fight!" Allise called over her shoulder as she was pulled towards the double doors of the Garrison. "I'll be all right! Just take care of yourselves!"

"Do take care," the captain said as he turned back to them. "For what little time you have left."

"Little time?" Freyr asked.

"The five of you will be executed tomorrow morning. As per the teachings of the Scriptures, heretics like you need to be purged from the world."

"But you're the one who misquoted your own Scriptures!" Mokuren pointed out.

Nothing more was said to them however as they were dragged by their shackles towards the prison cells. Daunte looked back up at the Garrison. So now we must rescue Princess Signe and Allise. But first things first…we need to rescue ourselves.

---

"Please wait in here, my Lady."

Allise knew the room. It was a sitting room filled with lavish furniture. She never liked this room. Red was Keha Hale's favorite color, and it was never more apparent than in this room. The furniture, the carpets, the tapestries—they were so dark red that it looked like a bloodbath had occurred in the room.

Allise took a seat on a settee near the window. The window had bars on it. Within seconds she was fidgeting violently. After a moment she got up and began pacing the room. She tried to remain calm, but it was impossible.

It's okay. It's okay. He's not here, he's in the capital. I just have to sit around and play nice until Gunther and the others break out. Then we'll be gone before he comes back. Everything is going to be okay…

The door to the sitting room suddenly opened. Allise's back was to the door, but she saw the reflection in the window. She saw it before she heard, "It's been a long time."

Her mind went blank. Her jaw dropped open and she instinctively flinched, and huddled into herself. Her breath came out in quick, panicked gasps as she slowly turned around.

"My darling."

There he was, dressed in his Sheikh robes. There were deep wrinkles around his gray eyes that hadn't been there before, but it was him. The same imposing voice and body. And beneath the hood, she knew it was the same imposing face.

"Nothing to say to your husband, Allise?" Sheikh Keha Hale asked her. He closed and locked the door behind him. "I've missed you, my lovely wife."

Allise couldn't find the words to speak. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't. All she could do was stand there trembling, hyperventilating.

"But as sweet as this reunion is, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you, Allise." Keha slowly paced the room, though his eyes never left hers. "I've exhausted with this little…game of ours. You're going to give me what I want, and you're going to give it to me." He came to a stop directly in front of her. "Now."

---

The prison was nothing more than two giant cells. One cell was empty though, while the second contained the party. Their surroundings were dark, and it didn't smell particularly good. It reminded Daunte of rotting cabbage, and that thought alone turned his stomach.

"We have to get out of here," Gunther said for the umpteenth time. He was pacing back and forth in the cell.

"They seized our weapons and our Runes are disabled," Surya said hotly. "We need a plan and fast."

"Why would this Garrison be equipped to block Rune spells?" Freyr wondered out loud. "What would be the purpose of that?"

"Someone in town mentioned that a Chapel was blown up with a Rage Rune a few years ago," Mokuren said softly. "Would that have something to do with it?"

"That's the official reason, but I think I know the real reason," Gunther said savagely. He looked upwards towards the ceiling. "The Sheikh—that bastard probably set this up to contain Allise. So she could never use her Pale Gate Rune against him!"

That suddenly made everything make a lot more sense. Allise obviously did not have a happy marriage with Keha Hale. It did seem puzzling though why a woman armed with such a powerful Rune would put up with an abusive environment for so long. Especially if she could just use the Rune to end him once and for all.

But if Keha Hale set up a way to block Runes from being used, then Allise wouldn't have been able to use her Rune. And by extension, none of them could use their Runes.

"I don't like this," Freyr admitted. He fiddled with his hands in his lap. "I don't like the thought that Signe is here. We have to find a way out of here before tomorrow! We won't be able to find anybody if we're dead!"

"We won't be able to do anythingif we're dead," Gunther muttered.

"Well, it looks like we have the same goals."

Daunte jumped at this voice and turned around. With everything that was going on, the five of them didn't even notice that two people had already occupied the large cell. It was a man and woman, and they looked very familiar to Daunte.

"They're making too much noise," the woman replied. Her ruby eyes were narrowed and she yawned widely. "How am I supposed to get any sleep?"

"Are we done here? This nonsense is trying my patience."

"Ah!" Daunte shouted, startling Gunther and Surya. He pointed at the duo sitting together on the bench. "S-Sierra!"

"Sierra?" Surya asked. He looked at the couple and paused. "Wait. Don't we know them from somewhere?"

"How do you know my name?" Sierra asked. Not even a breath later she was standing directly in front of Daunte, causing the boy to scramble back in shock. "My reputation is known even in this remote country? What a surprise."

"We saw you," Surya interject. "Both of you." He looked at the man. "You both were in Tenaga and you almost got arrested."

"Ah, yes!" the man said in a rather chipper tone, standing up. "We were not expecting to be accosted so quickly upon our arrival here! But thanks to my missus, we made it out of there just fine!"

"But now you're here," Freyr pointed out.

"Nash," Sierra said, looking over his shoulder. "Don't be a rude child. Introduce us."

Nash twitched, but his smile stayed in place. "Of course." But Daunte heard him mutter, "Old hag…"

"What was that?" Sierra asked him. Her tone had become dangerously dark.

"I said I'll introduce us." He gestured to himself. "My name is Nash Latkje. I've traveled all the way from the Northern Continent to this lovely country with my wife—"

"Sierra Mikain," Sierra interjected. She leaned down so that her face was directly over Daunte's. "Did I frighten you? I'm sorry."

"I-I'm fine," Daunte said, standing back up.

"The Northern Continent?" Surya asked. At the same time Gunther sputtered, "You're married?!"

"Quite," Sierra said. She held up her left hand and a golden band rested on her pale ring finger.

"Damn," Gunther grumbled, looking away.

"I still can't believe you traveled all the way from the Northern Continent to an isolated country like Nagarea," Surya said. "That's quite a distance!"

"Well, Prince Surya," Nash said. "I—"

"How did you know his name?!" Mokuren snapped. She instinctively reached for her naginata, but upon realizing it was gone she lunged at Nash again. "Who are you really?!"

"H-Hey, no need to get violent," Nash said defensively, trying to hold himself still while Mokuren wrung his neck. "I'm nobody important!"

"He's a spy from Harmonia," Sierra said dully. She examined her fingernails and sat back down on the bench, completely unmindful of the fact that her husband was under attack. "He came here looking for a True Rune, and I invited myself along."

"Hey!" Nash shouted indignantly. "A-Are you trying to kill me?!"

"You're looking for a True Rune," Sierra reminded him. She suddenly pointed to Daunte. "He has it."

"W-WHAT?!" Nash shouted, looking at Daunte.

"All right, who on earth ARE you two?!" Surya snapped, glaring between Nash and Sierra. "You're a spy from some country?! And how do you know about Daunte's Rune?"

"Actually, I think the word 'spy' is too broad of a description," Nash said weakly. "I'm really—"

"Of course I know you have a True Rune," Sierra said coldly. "Do you take me for a fool?"

Daunte gaped at her for a long moment before he found the courage to speak. "B-But…how did you know? I haven't even used it!"

Sierra raised her right hand and showed him the back of it. He recognized the moon symbol he'd seen in Tenaga. "Speaking as one True Rune wielder to another…I know."

"You have a True Rune, too?!" Gunther gasped, looking at her.

"Guys?!" Freyr snapped suddenly. "We have bigger things to worry about! Like I'm pretty sure the guards just heard you both admit you had True Runes!" a gate slammed shut in the distance, and heavy footsteps approached them. "Okay, now I'm sure they heard you!"

"We have to get out of here," Surya hissed. "We have to rescue Signe and Allise! When the guards approach, we should attack them at once!"

"That's not necessary," Sierra said. She stood up and approached the cell door. "Out of my way, please."

"What do you intend to do?" Nash asked. They all ducked behind her.

"I'm facilitating our escape," Sierra said plainly. She pressed her right hand against the bars. And waited.

Moments later, what looked like ten guards rounded the corner and stopped in front of the cell. They were all armed with swords and flails. "We won't ask twice! Who has the True Rune?!"

"I do," Sierra told him.

There was a sudden burst of light from her hand and Daunte immediately ducked for cover. His ears popped as a loud explosion filled the air. The ground shook violently and the air filled with thick smoke.

The dust didn't even settle before Sierra stepped over to them, looking nonchalant as usual. "Shall we go?"

"Y-You…" Nash scrambled to his feet and rounded upon her. "You could use the power of the Moon Rune this whole time?!"

"Of course," Sierra told him. "A ward blocking Rune spells will never have enough power to block a True Rune."

"We've been down here for two days!" Nash hollered, shaking his hands for emphasis. "Why didn't you get us out of here sooner?!"

"There is no sunlight here and I needed rest." Sierra smiled. "Now I'm back at full strength…and quite hungry."

"Just rein it in a bit." Nash grabbed her shoulders and looked at the others. "You have two people you want to rescue? We'll tag along."

"You'll help us?" Surya asked him. "Why?"

"Because we're Good Samaritans, that's why."

"Because he's interested in your Rune," Sierra told Daunte.

"Fine, can we go before they take my sister away?!" Freyr interjected.

"You all go on ahead," Sierra told them. "We must take care of something." She looked towards the mortally wounded and dead guards in front of the giant hole in between the twisted-up bars. Blood was splattered all over the walls.

"Old girl, just remember—" Nash said softly.

"I will. And you too." She took him by his arm and pulled him along. She looked over her shoulder at the others with a smile. "Be on your way now. We'll catch up."

Daunte wanted to ask what they were doing, and why it somehow involved those guards, but he ultimately kept it to himself. "Let's go," he said softly to the others.

"Right," Surya said. The five of them hurried out and left Nash and Sierra by themselves.

---

They left the cells and collected their weapons at the guard station. They rushed upstairs, and immediately had to dodge several arrows that were fired from the second floor. An alarm bell was clanging in the distance, and several soldiers were rushing down the stairs towards them.

"I know she was trying to help us, but I believe she just created a lot more problems for us," Surya said grimly.

"In here!" Gunther said, nodding towards a door. They ducked into the room and Daunte was relieved to see it was empty except for a couple of treasure chests. "We have to gauge where the Princess and Allise are in the fortress. If I remember correctly, the sleeping quarters for the Sheikh are on the sixth floor."

"So we'll have to battle up six floors worth of soldiers?!" Freyr groaned. "That will be such a waste of time!"

"Forget waste of time," Surya said, glancing out the window. "Without our Runes it will kill us! And while I'm sure Daunte's True Rune works, you only have the one healing spell!"

"We need a plan and quickly," Daunte said. He checked both treasure chests and found a sack of bits in one, but the other had something odd. It contained a small locked box that had the words 'Window Set 2' stamped onto the surface. Not knowing what else to do with it, Daunte stashed it in his bag. "How many soldiers are stationed here?"

"Forty," Gunther said. He watched the door. "But with the alarm bell chiming, more are bound to show up."

"But we must press forward!" Mokuren insisted. "If we don't, then we'll die anyways and we'll never be able to save the Princess!"

"It—"

A sudden sharp knock on the door startled them. "Are you all finished panicking in there?"

"S-Sierra?" Daunte stammered. He rushed to the door and swung it open. Sierra stood there wearing her usual strange smile, while Nash was standing off to the side looking nervous. The alarm bell was still ringing, but the corridor was filled with silence. Daunte poked his head out and saw dozen of soldiers sprawled unconscious all over the floor. He looked up and saw more soldiers above also unconscious.

"Incredible," Gunther breathed as they stepped into the hallway. "How did you do that?"

Sierra rubbed the Moon Rune on the back of her hand. "I told them all to go to sleep."

"Are they dead?" Freyr asked nervously.

"That would've cost me more power than it was worth. No, they're just napping. But it's just these fellows; I'm certain more will follow so we should hurry and…do whatever it is your group was doing."

"Signe and Lady Allise," Surya said. He looked upwards towards the rails of the other floors. "They're probably on the sixth floor."

"Then we shall go there." Daunte blinked and suddenly Sierra had moved from being in front of them to standing behind her husband. She shoved Nash towards the group. "Here, there's just five of them. Help them fight."

"W-Wait a minute!" Nash said, spinning around. "Why don't you help them fight?! You have a True Rune to use!"

"Do you expect me to do all the work when this is your mission?" Sierra asked him tartly. "Besides, you're better at physical attacks than I am. I'll just stay out of the way and watch."

"That's reassuring," Freyr said sarcastically.

Nash forced a smile at them. "Well, since we're all already here let's get moving!"

"It'll be suicide though to climb six flights of stairs," Mokuren said as they ran up the first flight.

"Why take the stairs when you can take an elevator?" Sierra asked, gesturing to a set of double doors to their right.

"Elevator?!" Surya gaped at the doors briefly. "D-Don't tell me Babbage came here to Nagarea to build an elevator?!"

"Who is Babbage?" Nash wondered.

"He invented elevators, didn't he?" Mokuren asked.

"Well, Dad said he operated a Sindarian elevator before."

"I always thought Adlai invented the elevator," Sierra said thoughtfully.

"Shizu stated so," Nash added. "But there was also a man named Sergei who claims to have invented—"

"Maybe we should debate who invented the elevator another time?" Daunte interrupted.

"Right," Surya said, pushing a button on the wall. The double doors slid open and they ran inside. Surya pressed a button marked '6', and the elevator jolted before ascending.

Unfortunately, the door opened on the third floor and they were met by a group of soldiers. Thankfully the fight was short (and Daunte was impressed with Nash's knife skills) and the elevator began moving again, but it stopped again on the fourth floor and they were greeted by more soldiers.

"This is quite monotonous," Sierra said dully, folding her arms over her chest and watching the others fight.

Finally the elevator reached the sixth floor, and to Daunte's relief there were no enemy soldiers waiting for them. As they stepped out he saw four doors lining the wall, and there were two guards stationed outside of one. If the pair had heard the commotion caused by the fighting and the ringing alarm bell, they hadn't moved a hair.

That must be where either Signe or Allise is.

Surya certainly thought so, as the prince stepped forward. "HEY!"

The guards responded predictably, which led to a very short fight that left the guards bleeding and twitching in pain on the ground. "Signe!" Freyr shouted. The boy Prince tried to surge forward but Surya caught his shoulder and held him back.

"Brother!" a young girl's voice shouted on the other side of the door.

"Stay where you are, Signe!" Surya called out to her as they raced to the door. "We're coming!"

They reached the door and it slid open so sharply that it came off its hinges. Inside was a luxurious bedroom decorated with bright red furniture. Daunte's eyes caught the bed and he saw a girl roughly seven years old sitting on the bed bench. Her braided pale hair looked more blonde than silver compared to Archana and Kaylani's hair, and she wide brown eyes that quickly filled with tears. She wore a pale green anarkali dress, and she almost tripped over her skirt as she launched herself from the bench and into Freyr's arms.

"Are you all right? Did they hurt you?" Freyr clung to his little sister tightly while looking her over. Surya knelt down beside them and also looked Signe over.

"I-I-I don't know where I am! I don't know what happened! I woke up in this strange place with these strange people and they scared me! I was so scared!" the Princess was quickly becoming hysterical, and she hiccupped on her words. "I want to go home! I want Mama!"

"We'll go home, just you wait," Freyr promised her. Daunte was moved by how strong the boy was being for his sister, despite his own young age.

"You're safe now, Signe," Surya also reassured her. He pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to the child. "We're going to get you out of here, and then we're going to take you to a safe place where Archana and Kaylani are. Kaylani had her baby, you know. Do you want to meet him?"

"Kaylani had her baby?!" Signe blew her nose and quickly perked up. "She—" then the girl made a face. "It was a boy? She had a boy?!"

"Yes."

"Awww, I wanted her to have a girl!"

"We already have enough girls," Freyr said dryly.

"So we rescued the princess," Gunther said. "I understand the urgency in getting her out of here, but I must find Allise."

"We'll find her," Surya said. "We—"

There were several loud thumps reverberating from the ceiling, followed by muted shouts. Everyone quickly looked to the ceiling and then looked at each other. "What was that?" Mokuren asked.

"That's happened a couple times already," Signe said sadly. "I heard a lady screaming, and it scared me!"

"A lady?" Gunther snapped. He didn't wait to hear anymore and bolted from the room.

"Come on, let's go!" Surya shouted. "Signe, stay behind us!"

"I'll stay with the girl," Sierra offered. Once again she moved quickly and took Signe by the hand. Daunte saw the apprehension in Surya's face in leaving Signe in Sierra care, but the prince otherwise didn't protest.

There was a flight of stairs just outside the room, and they caught up to Gunther as they raced up it. As they reached the seventh floor, Daunte heard several more shouts and the slamming of furniture and his stomach clenched. Please let Allise be all right!

There were guards waiting for them in front of one of the doors on this floor, and they quickly engaged the guards. From the room, Daunte heard what sounded like…gagging. The unnatural sound caused a spike of panic inside of him and he fought more ferociously, trying to end the fight as quickly as possible. He knew the others had also heard the gagging sound, as they also fought fiercer and quicker, and Sierra deliberately hung back with Signe.

They were still taking care of one guard when Gunther raced to the door. The handle didn't turn in his fist and he cursed violently. He frantically kicked at the door and Daunte joined in, and the door exploded off its hinges.

The room was a fancy sitting room, possibly even fancier than the bedroom Signe had been held in. But several pieces of furniture lay broken across the room, and there was a fist-sized hole in the hall.

And…and in the center of the room, a man wearing Sheikh robes was straddling Allise on the floor, and he was strangling her as she frantically struggled beneath him.

"Give me the Rune!" Keha Hale shouted, emphasizing his words with each wringing of Allise's neck. "Give me the Pale Gate Rune, you bitch!"

Gunther shrieked, and swung the scabbard of his sword. It smashed right into Keha's nose, and Daunte heard the 'crunch' of his nose breaking. Keha flew off Allise and collapsed to the floor, shouting in pain and pressing both hands to his face.

"Allise!" Gunther dropped his talwar sword and scabbard and knelt beside Allise on the floor. The poor woman rolled onto her side and dry-heaved briefly before vomiting. Her throat was covered in the dark red imprints of Keha's hands and fingers.

"H-How could you do such a thing?!" Mokuren shrieked, rounding upon Keha with her Naginata.

"G-GUARDS!" Keha shrieked as Allise twitched on the floor.

"We have company!" Sierra shouted, pulling Signe into the room. Seconds later more guards burst into the room with their weapons draw.

"K-Kill them all but leave the princess!" Keha snapped. "Bring me that bitch's head! I will have that Rune if it's the last thing I do!"

"Get back here you bastard!" Gunther roared as Keha stumbled past his guards and ran for his life. "I'll kill you! I swear to Nagar I will kill you!"

Now I see why Gunther hates him so much, Daunte thought darkly.

They quickly fought off the guards and Allise tried to regain her bearings. Signe looked frightened and she awkwardly petted Allise's hair as she took in ragged breaths.

"Well we rescued these lovely young ladies," Nash said after they finished taking care of the soldiers. "But more will come. How do we get out of here?"

"We climb out, of course," Sierra said.

"What?"

Sierra produced a length of coarse rope and tossed it onto the floor. Then she turned towards the barred window and raised her hand. Daunte flinched as her Moon Rune caused yet another explosion, destroying the window entirely and creating a massive hole in the wall, open to the elements. "Like this."

"Where did you get the rope from?" Surya asked her.

"Does it matter? More soldiers are coming, so we'd best get out of here."

Daunte looked down and gulped audibly. They were seven stories up and he was afraid of losing his grip during the climb down. But what other choice did they have?

"More are definitely coming," Freyr said, hurrying forward and taking Signe by the hand. "We need to leave now."

"…Right," Daunte said finally. "Let's go."

---

They climbed down the side of the Garrison without incident. Signe unfortunately was far too frightened to make the climb down, and truthfully nobody wanted her to do it by herself anyway, so Surya piggybacked her during the climb down. Daunte did lose his grip a few times, but he remained calm and focused his mind and didn't slip.

They reached the courtyard, which was empty due to the chaos inside the Garrison. And to Daunte's shock, their horses were tied up in the stalls as though waiting for them. They must have confiscated our horses when they arrested us. But this'll make our escape easier.

Nash and Sierra helped themselves to the Garrison horses, and Freyr hoisted Signe up onto his horse before they took off. Allise didn't say much, and the red bruises on her throat were starting to turn purple, but she gestured with her hand and guided her horse towards the back of town. There was another exit back there and it was vacant of guards. The guards had undoubtedly left their posts to respond to the alarm bell.

They rode until Kõrkus was out of sight, and then Surya immediately turned his horse around and rode over to Allise. "Kindness Drops." He casted the spell over her.

"Where are we?" Signe asked from behind Freyr.

"Nagarea, Princess," Mokuren told her. "But don't worry, we'll get you home soon enough."

"Is Farrin here too?"

"Yes," Freyr said, looking over his shoulder at her. "But we haven't found her yet."

"Oh. Will you find her?"

"Of course," Surya said. "I'm not leaving this country until we do find her!"

"Me either," Freyr said.

"Well, that was an interesting interlude," Nash said. He cracked his neck and stretched his arms over his head. "You True Rune users always attract interesting people towards you."

"And what does that say about you, then?" Sierra asked him.

Nash grinned. "That I'm an interesting guy, of course. But I am disappointed that I wasn't able to see your True Rune in power, sir…"

"Daunte," Daunte told him. "And I'm not going to use my Rune just to show it off to you."

"Smart young man," Sierra praised softly.

Nash shrugged. "Well then, I must simply invite the both of us into your group in the meantime."

"Invite yourself?" Daunte echoed. "What do you mean?"

"Yours is a group made up of Nagarea's Liberation Army, and Falenan's looking for the Royal Family. Interesting stuff is going to happen to you, and I would like to be there to witness it." Nash bowed dramatically on his horse. "I humbly offer my services to your cause, Daunte."

Daunte frowned. "You're a spy from some other country, aren't you? So how can I trust you?"

"Well, for starters you know I'm a spy—"

"Because I told them," Sierra reminded him.

"—so you'll know exactly what to expect from me. Besides, I've seen the behavior of the people in your government, and it's quite oppressive. I believe a revolution is most beneficial for the country right now, and I would like to see where your revolution takes you."

"It's not my revolution though," Daunte told him. "I'm just part of the Liberation Army. Bearyl Lutis leads it."

"I see." Nash thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Well, I'm sure this Bearyl Lutis will appreciate my expertise. I'll meet with him once we get back to your headquarters."

"I suppose I should come along," Sierra huffed. The moonlight seemed to create a white aura around her. It looked beautiful, but also unnatural. "Someone needs to keep you out of trouble, boy."

"You're too kind, old girl," Nash told her cheekily.

"Everyone."

Daunte was startled by Allise's voice. He turned to see the young woman looking at them. Her face was pale and her eyes looked sad, but she was smiling slightly. "Thank you all for saving my life."

Daunte hesitated before he gathered up the nerve to speak. "Are you all right, Allise?"

"Yes," Allise responded automatically. Thankfully Surya's Water Rune removed the horrible bruises from her throat. But the memory of witnessing the Sheikh strangling her still stung in Daunte's mind.

"Did that man seriously try to kill you over a Pale Gate Rune?!" Nash demanded incredulously. "I-I mean, they're not as common as elemental Runes but it's not a damned True Rune! He could go and buy one off some wizard or something!"

"That's what I mean!" Gunther agreed hotly. "All of these horrible things that he's done to you and for what?! For a common Rune that would bring him no status!"

"Humans tend not to think rationally when they become obsessed," Sierra said softly.

"It's really okay," Allise said. "I'm use to this sort of thing from him. It's why I divorced him, after all."

Daunte was actually surprised the Grand Citadel approved of her divorce when they didn't approve of Tidur's divorce, but he shrugged. "Let's get out of here."