I'm early this week! There will be a delay next week though, so I apologize in advance.
Chapter Nine: Part One
By mid-afternoon the Liberation Army was still hard at work cleaning up HQ in the aftermath of the ambush. Putting out the fires was a priority for the Army, and they quickly went to work putting them all out. It was sunrise before all of the fires were out, leaving thick smoke and scorched earth.
The wounded on both sides were being treated and everyone was fed, but though the Liberation Army had not lost as many soldiers as the Holy Army they had still suffered losses.. So many had died that there was a concern that the Liberation Army would need to resort to a mass grave to bury them all in a timely manner.
Daunte did not know, as it was no longer his decision. While the Army was busy handling matters hr went back to his room to sleep, but got very little when he woke up he was started packing up his things. Arin stood beside the table hugging Kibbeh to his chest, watching Daunte stuff his clothes into a suitcase. "Brother?" He asked softly.
"Yes, Arin?" Daunte responded over his shoulder.
"Y—You really quit?" Arin asked quietly. "You're no longer the leader?"
"That's correct, Arin." Daunte snapped the suitcase shut and set it on the floor. "As leader I failed to detect this ambush. And I failed to convince the Army to spare Sloan. I'm clearly not cut out for this job."
"B-But why?" Arin sputtered. "Why did you spare that bad man? He's done so many bad things!"
"I don't deny that he's done bad things, Arin. But when I touched him the Rune of Restoration activated." Daunte sat down and began rummaging through his desk. "I saw his memories. I've seen other memories of him before now. And I believe with all my heart that had he not been wearing the Black Rune then he wouldn't have done those things. I can't bring myself to kill him when his actions were beyond his control. It's because of the Matron, and because of the Black Rune, that he did those things."
"Really?"
"Really. Remember how Chief Kirkis said that the Black Rune made two people commit evil acts during the Gate Rune War? Caesar told me that they were forgiven for their actions while under the possession of the rune by Master Tir. I thought our allies would understand in the same way, but…" he shrugged stiffly and shoved his paperwork into a satchel.
"…I believe you," Arin said quietly. "You're always right, Big Brother. But did you really have to quit?"
Daunte went still. He sat in his (former) office chair for a long moment as he felt his throat burning. He swallowed hard, the noise echoing in the room. "…I had no choice," he murmured, ducking his head forward. "I couldn't unite the Army behind my decision to spare Sloan. Everyone turned on me, Arin. Even Roen and Felicity, nobody but Caesar supported my decision. And I know that the only reason he supported me was for pretenses to keep a united front at the top of the chain of command. I can't call myself a proper leader if I can't persuade people to follow my ideals, Arin. And I can't call myself a proper leader when my carelessness got my people killed." He swung the satchel over his shoulder and stood up.
"B-But," Arin stammered. "But why are you leaving your room? Nobody's making you leave the Army!"
"That's true, but this room is suited for the Commander of the Army. I'm no longer the Commander." Daunte gathered his two suitcases, taking a moment to admire that he now had enough possession to fill two suitcases and a satchel. When I returned here for the first time, I barely had anything.
"For now I'll stay at Tidur's inn until the new Commander the lieutenants vote in can find better accommodations for me," Daunte said aloud.
Arin looked towards the ceiling. "T-They…They're really voting in a new leader now?"
"That why all of them went up to the war room with Caesar. Well, what other reason would they all be up there?" Daunte moved towards the door with his belongings but went still. He looked towards the ceiling. "Unless…are they voting on Sloan's fate?"
"You already spared him though," Arin said, but Daunte shook his head. "The new Commander may revoke my decision. I have to do something."
Daunte's public resignation had not been met with joy. His allies had stared at him in shock and horror. No one had made a sound. Caesar had been the one to break the silence, quickly ordering Sloan's imprisonment in the new cells they had created for the first floor of the southeast building. Adalgiso and the surviving Holy Army soldiers weren't put into cells but instead offered the opportunity to join the Liberation Army. Most responded "yes" to defecting, while a handful tried to attack Caesar. They were executed on the spot.
One person though did not agree to join though who Caesar refused to execute immediately.
"My fate is tied to the Sheikh," Adalgiso had responded defiantly. "Whatever judgment you give him, I ask the same. If he is to be spared, then I will throw myself at your mercy. But if you execute him, then I demand that you execute me as well."
"I can't let them kill Sloan," Daunte said, looking at Arin. "Please stay in your room and keep watch over Kibbeh, Arin. Don't come downstairs at all today."
"But Brother—"
"Arin, do as I say!" Daunte interrupted sharply. Arin flinched, and Daunte immediately felt awful. He dropped his suitcases and hugged him tight. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you. I'm just tired and under a lot of stress. Everything will be okay."
Arin began to cry, his voice muffling against Daunte's shoulder. "I…I-I don't want someone else to lead us! How are we supposed to win without you?!"
"Everything will be okay," Daunte promised him. He pulled away and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away Arin's tears. "I will make sure everything will be okay, even if I'm not leader. Now, go back to your room. You haven't slept much since last night either, have you? Take Kibbeh to bed with you."
"O-Okay." Arin sniffled loudly and Kibbeh licked his face. "I love you, Brother."
"I love you too Arin. And I'll see you later."
Daunte walked Arin and Kibbeh to Arin's room. When he closed the door that linked their rooms Daunte's shoulders drooped. "What am I going to do now?" he mumbled. He quickly shook his head and slapped his own face. "Stop it. You have to get going."
Daunte grabbed his bags and opened the door to his old bedroom. To his shock he saw Roen and Felicity sitting across the hallway from his room. Both of his best friends jumped to their feet, their expressions sad and…guilty? Daunte wasn't sure, but he felt his stomach squirm with discomfort.
"D-Daunte," Roen stammered, moving towards him. "I'm sorry, I-I…" his voice trailed off painfully and tears slipped down his cheeks.
"W-We didn't mean to make you resign," Felicity whimpered. She was also crying. "I d-didn't mean to turn against you. I-I-I-I promised myself that I would stand by you through anything, but—"
Daunte dropped his suitcases and hugged Roen and Felicity. His friends quickly hugged him back and they stood there together for a long moment. Daunte opened his eyes and he felt tears slip out, and he released his friends to wipe at his face. "It's fine. I-I wasn't cut out for the job. I know that now."
"Daunte, what do we do now?" Roen asked softly.
"I'll continue to serve as a soldier in the Army," Daunte said, nodding. "We have good people here. Caesar will find someone better than me to lead us."
"But—" Felicity began.
"Could you two sit in with Arin? I-I have to go and see Sloan. I want to make sure nothing happens to him."
"Do you really want to excuse the atrocities he committed just because of a rune?" Roen asked.
"I believe that he wouldn't have done those horrible things if it weren't for the Black Rune," Daunte said. "If he must pay, then he should live to redeem himself. Punishing him with death will not bring vengeance because the person responsible for the rune being attached to Sloan is still alive."
"The Matron," Felicity muttered with contempt. "That woman brings misery no matter where she is!"
"But why did she give such an awful rune to Faakhir?" Roen wondered. "If she gave it to him three or four years ago, that's long before she became a Matron! How long has she been lurking around doing horrible things?!"
"It's not surprising she went unnoticed, considering the horrible things the Theocracy is doing," Felicity scoffed.
"I'm going to sit with Sloan," Daunte said. "I don't want mob justice to rule and I want to be present for when the new leader makes their decision. In the meantime, could you both keep Arin busy?"
"I'm not abandoning you again," Roen said harshly.
"Neither am I!" Felicity insisted.
"I appreciate that," Daunte said sincerely. "But it would mean the world to me to have you stay with my brother. Our allies won't do anything to hurt me, but…" he shook his head. "I have to keep an eye on Sloan."
"…All right," Felicity said reluctantly. "We'll keep Arin and Kibbeh busy."
"We'll come running though if we find out that you're in trouble," Roen added. "And if Faakhir hurts you, I'll kill him!"
"Not if I don't get to him first," Felicity said.
"Thank you," Daunte said. "But I don't think there's anything to worry about."
Daunte took the elevator down to the first floor. He saw Viki near the large mirror and she quickly hurried over to him. "Lord Daunte, are you leaving?"
"Just moving rooms," Daunte said. "I'm not leaving HQ."
"Oh good," Viki breathed out a sigh of relief. "There's nothing but chaos in all of the towns in Nagarea. I'm not able to safely teleport you anywhere at this time."
"Duly noted," Daunte said amusedly. He turned towards the stairs but then Viki grabbed his sleeve. "What is it?"
Viki's eyes darted around briefly before she ducked her head forward. "Lord Daunte, I-I…" she peeked up at him through her dark bangs. "I want you to know—that I think you made the right decision, sparing that man."
"You do?" Daunte asked in surprise.
Viki nodded. "I-I—saw, what the Black Rune does to people during the Gate Rune War. I saw the terrible things the rune made these people do, and I saw how they really were when the rune came off them. That rune is not made for evil people. It turns people evil, Lord Daunte. S-So I know…I know that man did bad things, but it was the rune's fault. Not the man's fault."
Daunte was touched by her resolution, though he still felt his throat tighten. "…Thank you," he said sincerely. "I really appreciate that, Viki. I only wish I could have convinced the rest of the Liberation Army the same."
When Daunte stepped outside, soldiers went still and conversations ceased. Everyone was looking at him with wide eyes when they saw Daunte carrying all of his things. To his shock and relief, no one threw condemnations at him. Rather, the handful of soldiers he spoke with only stuttered over their words or would only say his name. With his title.
They are still calling me Lord Daunte. Why? I'm not the Commander anymore.
Daunte turned towards the direction of the inn, but then he saw a large crowd to the southeast. Daunte tightened his grip on his suitcases and raced over to the southeast building. To his immense relief he saw that the crowd was not surrounding the building. Rather, they had surrounded a pole that had been implanted into the ground that stood six meters high. Daunte tried to push through the crowd, but it was too densely packed together. "Please excuse me!" He called out.
Heads turned, and the soldiers immediately parted once they recognized him. Daunte flushed as he heard Liberation Army soldiers defer to him—"It's just Daunte now"—but no one seemed to hear him. He made his way to the front of the crowd. At the pole he saw Adalgiso tied to it sitting cross-legged on the ground. Daunte swallowed hard before moving forward and kneeling down in front of Adalgiso, setting his suitcases down. "Adalgiso?"
Adalgiso looked up. Daunte was relieved to not see scorn in his expression but the older man looked weary. "Ah. You are the leader of the Liberation Army—"
"Former leader," Daunte corrected him. "But I want to extend to you a chance to join us."
Adalgiso shook his head. "To join you would betray the Sheikh. I will not do that."
"I know why you're loyal to him," Daunte said, but Adalgiso responded with a sheepish laugh. "Do you now?"
"He saved you," Daunte enunciated, and Adalgiso looked up sharply. "And because of this I don't fault your loyalty to Sloan. You're a good man with integrity and I do owe you my life. I don't want you to throw away your life after you've worked so hard to live."
"H-How do y…" Adalgiso quickly shook his head and coughed sharply. "You said I saved your life. When did I do this?"
"I was a prisoner at the Dark Chasm," Daunte said and Adalgiso flinched. "Sloan beat me unconscious and you stopped him from beating me further."
"…Ah. That was you then?" Adalgiso looked away. "The things I saw in that place…it was divine punishment but I would never wish that upon anyone, much less a child. I do—remember stopping a beating. You were lying there unmoving, limp…I had thought he had already killed you but he wouldn't stop hitting you. Your body already looked so broken, and I just—I-It was too much for me to stomach, so I intervened the only way I knew how, which was to remind the Sheikh of our mission. But h—" Adalgiso looked back at Daunte. "He's a good man. Please believe me when I tell you this, despite the things he's done."
"I believe you," Daunte said. "He was under the possession of the Black Rune. I understand."
"That woman. Everyone calls her Lady Matron. Sh—" Adalgiso shook his head furiously. "This all stems from her, doesn't it? The Sheikh's behavior grew more unstable every time he was alone with her."
"She's the one who gave him the rune."
Adalgiso snapped his teeth. "I'll never forgive her for this! She HAD to have known what would happen when she put that rune on him! The Sheikh would have never consented to accepting the rune if he knew what its power was!"
"I know," Daunte said, gathering his things and standing up. "And I'm going to take care of the both of you. That's why I want you to join us."
"I will not join without the Sheikh," Adalgiso responded. "And I already know that your allies will not accept him or me. You resigned your post because of this. Please, either let me go to face my failures before the High Clerics or execute me."
Daunte knew that both were options open to him, but he also knew of a third option. "I'm not going to do that," Daunte said. He looked over his shoulder. "Has he been fed yet?"
"Why would we feed someone who tried to kill us?" One of the soldiers snapped at him.
"Hey!" another hissed, jabbing the first in the ribs with his elbow. "Don't talk to Lord Daunte like that!"
"Yeah!" A third snapped.
"I'm not—" Daunte said.
"Here!" a new voice sprung up. The crowd parted again to reveal Esther hurrying towards them holding a plate with two sandwiches on it. "I can give Mr. Adalgiso this!"
"…Miss Esther," Adalgiso said quietly. Esther smiled at him. "Long time no see, Mr. Adalgiso."
"I'll leave you to it," Daunte said. He looked over the crowd and almost commanded them to disperse, but remembered that he was no longer leader. "I won't go against the new Commander's orders," he announced. "But I must ask that you leave this man alone. If for no other reason than that he saved my life in the past and I owe him for that."
To his surprise, the soldiers did immediately disperse. Daunte looked towards the southeast building again. "A—Are you going to go see my dad?" Esther asked him as she held out a sandwich to Adalgiso.
"I am," Daunte said, forcing a smile at her. "You have nothing to worry about. I'll take care of everything."
Esther nodded back to him as tears filled her eyes. "Lord Daunte…thank you."
Daunte didn't bother correcting her as he headed towards the southeast building. He briefly looked towards the second floor where the library was, and he saw Blaise standing at the window. Blaise gave him a wave and Daunte nodded to him as he entered the building.
The first floor had been fitted with four comfortable jail cells. Sloan was in the cell furthest to the right from entering, and the man himself stood up from the bed as Daunte entered. He was no longer wearing a hood and his face was uncovered, but he was still in his Sheikh robes. "L-Lord Daunte!" the Liberation Army guard on duty snapped to attention.
"Just Daunte is fine," Daunte responded. "I'm no longer the Commander. But I must ask a favor of you."
"Yes, Lord Daunte. What is it?" the soldier did not seem to register his request.
"Please open the door to Sloan's cell," Daunte said.
Sloan looked surprised but the soldier raised his hands. "M-M-My Lord, I cannot let the prisoner out! Lord Caesar ordered him to be confined until further notice!"
"I understand," Daunte said. "And I won't go against Caesar. I'm not asking you to let him out—I'm going to join him in his cell."
"Y-You want to come into my cell?" Sloan asked.
"Lord Daunte, I cannot do that!" The soldier pleaded. "That man is a monster! I know he tried to kill you before! H—"
"It will be fine," Daunte said. "Please trust me with this."
"B-But what if he does something to you?!"
Daunte shook his head. "He won't hurt me, and he's not a monster now."
"But how can you know that?!"
Daunte gestured to him. "Has he tried to break out or summon monsters?"
The soldier looked at Sloan for a long moment of silence before looking back at Daunte. "No," he said finally. "Honestly, he's done nothing but sit on his cot in silence for the last few hours. A couple of people came in here and screamed at him but he didn't respond. But I—"
"Please," Daunte interjected. "You trusted me once when I was the leader. Please trust in me now when I'm a common soldier."
The soldier hesitated for another long moment of silence before he finally nodded. "…All right. But only because I trust you, Lord Daunte."
"Please don't call me Lord anymore," Daunte said as he followed the soldier to the cell. "They will choose a new leader soon enough."
"Do you really believe that?" the soldier asked as he unlocked the cell.
Daunte wanted to ask him what he meant, but then his focus fell on Sloan. Sloan had returned to sitting on the cell's cot, his expression wary as he eyed them. His body was tense, but he didn't look poised to flee. Daunte moved into the cell and set his suitcases down along the bars. "Please close and lock the door behind me," he said to the soldier on guard. The man sputtered, looking highly uncomfortable, but he did as Daunte requested and locked them in together. Then he slowly walked backwards to his seat near the door and sat down.
Daunte sat down on the floor with his back against the door. "You don't need to be on guard," Sloan told him. "I won't attack you."
"I'm not keeping my distance," Daunte said. "I'm blocking the door for your safety."
Sloan started slightly, his expression stunned and pained. He rubbed a hand through his hair briefly but then his eyes caught his right hand. He looked at the back of his right hand for a long time.
"How much do you remember?" Daunte asked him. "Of what happened this morning? Of the past three or so years?"
"…It's in patches," Sloan responded softly, his eyes still on his hand. "Like an out of body experience. Like I was witnessing actions someone else was committing. There were—moments," he stammered. "Of clarity. Like I broke the surface of water where I could experience what was going on in my body. In my head. But then I would be dragged back down into the darkness.
"T-Today, I remember—" he shuddered slightly. "The pain in my arm. I had never felt anything like it in my life. It's difficult for me to describe, b-but the pain it—it pulled me out fully to the surface. I-I remember the light…and seeing and feeling my own flesh melting off of me…but my arm is healed." He looked at Daunte. "You did that too, didn't you? Healed my arm?"
"It was the Rune of Restoration," Daunte said, pulling off his own glove and showing him the True Rune. "The Rune healed you, and it restored your memories of the past few years. Though since it did not restore you fully, there probably wasn't time to fully restore them or…"
Or maybe the memories were so horrid that the Rune of Restoration was afraid of breaking his mind with the horrors he committed under the control of the Black Rune.
"Why did you spare me?"
"Huh?" Daunte looked at Sloan in confusion.
"Why did you spare me?" Sloan repeated himself calmly. "Your allies were not wrong. I was not in control of myself when I did those horrible things, but I did voluntarily accept the Black Rune without researching the power of this rune. That is my fault and my fault alone. I MUST pay for my actions."
"Would you have accepted the rune had you known that it would've driven you mad?" Daunte asked.
"Of course not!" Sloan burst out, standing up.
"Then that's all I need," Daunte said. "You're not the first person who has been possessed by the Black Rune. I've heard stories of two others who were possessed by the rune and they also did horrible things. They were forgiven for their actions, and allowed to redeem themselves with life. If they could be forgiven, then I don't see why you can't be forgiven and allowed to redeem yourself in life."
Sloan let out a sharp breath, and then another. The giant of a man looked to be on the verge of tears as he slowly sat back down. "I…need your honesty."
"…Okay," Daunte said slowly.
"I need the full truth of everything I've done. Will you tell me?"
Daunte stiffened. Sloan had committed horrible atrocities under the possession of the Black Rune. The power of the Black Rune was gone and Sloan's mind was restored, but those acts did happen. Daunte did not know how much it would benefit Sloan's mental health to know the truth.
But he deserves the truth.
"I will tell you," Daunte said finally.
"Did I cause the extinction of Death Worms?" Sloan asked.
"I don't know about that," Daunte answered honestly. "But Öt, the Death Worm who joined the Liberation Army, believes himself to be the last of his kind."
"Did I—"
"It stinks in here."
The new voice interrupted Sloan and they both looked towards the door. Oisin and Dahlia were both standing in the doorway. The guard immediately hurried over to them. "No visitors!"
"I'm not a visitor," Oisin snapped at him. "I'm here to face the man who attacked my people unprovoked."
Daunte slowly stood up, his body still pressed against the door. He looked at Sloan, but the man in question was looking at the Wingers. "…I would like to see you too," Sloan said.
Dahlia stiffened, her eyes going wide. "Y—Your voice!" She exclaimed. "Your voice is different! Why is your voice different?"
"Because he's fishing for mercy," Oisin spat. He advanced upon Sloan's cell and slammed a hand against the bars. "Hey, butcher! Do you think faking amnesia is going to save you from me?! I can smell my people's blood on you! It will NEVER wash out, and I will NEVER forgive you for what you've done!"
Sloan looked at Daunte. "I—I tried to commit genocide against the Wingers?"
"I can vouch for this because I did witness it," Daunte said. "The High Clerics ordered the extermination of the Wingers and you carried out the order."
"Oh, it wasn't that simple!" Oisin barked. "This sadist laughed while he killed my people! He reveled in the misery he was inflicting upon us!"
"You h-hurt so many people!" Dahlia cried out, joining Oisin in front of the cell. She was crying. "You almost killed my father! Your crazed expression and blood-covered face gave me nightmares! I've NEVER met anyone as horrible as you!"
"But that's just like you humans," Oisin spat, glaring at Daunte. "You take what you want you and kill what you want! You're no better than he is, Lord Daunte! Tricking us Wingers into joining your cause and using us to further your goals when you had no intention of keeping your promise to me!"
Daunte dropped to his knees in kowtow before Oisin and Dahlia. He heard them both gasp in shock as his gesture. Daunte closed his eyes as he pressed his forehead to the floor. "I'm so sorry."
Neither Oisin nor Dahlia responded so Daunte continued. "You are right. I promised you vengeance when you joined the Liberation Army. I denied you that vengeance when I spared Sloan. I feel horrible that I've put you in this position, being alongside someone who has hurt you so deeply. I will not beg forgiveness from you because I have no right to, but I am sorry for the pain I've caused you. All I can do is tell you that he was in fact possessed when he committed those crimes against you all. The man in this cell is not the same person who hurt you."
"Do you think that excuses him?"
Daunte looked up as he saw Zander storm over to them. He was also crying but his face was red with rage. "I saw this man KILL MY PARENTS!" He hollered, jabbing his finger at Sloan. "He destroyed my home and took my family away from me! We almost died because of him! You said he was possessed, but THAT is the person I saw destroy my life! His face, his eyes, his hands! How dare you expect us to just forget what he did and move on like nothing happened?! How dare you expect us to just excuse his actions just because he wore some stupid rune?! I will never forgive him!"
Daunte felt tears sting his own eyes as he sat back up, but Sloan spoke up before he did. "I destroyed his home?"
"Oh, not just MY home!" Zander shrieked. "You destroyed my whole hamlet! Agameru is gone because of you, you murdering bastard!"
Sloan let out a sharp breath, his eyes wide. "I-I…destroyed a whole town?"
"Yes," Daunte said quietly, slowly climbing back to his feet.
"Did I…kill unarmed civilians there?" Sloan asked.
"You killed almost everyone," Zander spat.
"I-I…killed children?!" Sloan asked painfully.
"No one was spared from you!" Zander shrieked. "You even murdered a newborn baby in his mother's arms!"
Sloan choked on a loud sob and slammed a hand against his eyes. His body shook as he collapsed back down onto the bed. Daunte looked at Oisin, Dahlia, and Zander and he saw that Dahlia looked stunned, Oisin looked disgusted and Zander was visibly becoming more furious as they watched Sloan cry. "HEY!" Zander hollered, punching the bars with both hands. "Stop crying! You don't deserve to cry!"
"What a typical sniveling coward," Oisin spat. "Resorting to tears to save his own hide!"
"…I—" Dahlia began.
Sloan tried to stand up, but his knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor with a loud thump. Daunte started to move towards him but Sloan shouted, "Leave me! I do not deserve your help!"
"What's wrong with him?!" Zander demanded. He still sounded angry, but Daunte heard the note of concern in his voice. But he could also see that Zander was furious with himself for feeling such concern.
"He's been weakened by his emotional state," Dahlia said softly, pressing a hand to her throat as she watched Sloan with wide eyes. "He…I've seen people in grief before. It looks exactly like this. The weight of their emotions and mental instability weighs on them terribly."
"Good," Oisin snapped, though he also looked uncomfortable. "I hope the weight crushes him."
A soft gasp from the door further startled everyone. Ichirou was clutching at the front of his own shirt as he walked over to the group, watching Sloan with wide eyes. "W…What is he doing?" He asked softly.
"He's crying like the pathetic loser he is," Zander snapped, but the bite had dimmed from his tone.
"I-I've never seen an adult man do this before," Ichirou said, resting his forehead on the bars. He gulped audibly before he called out, "Excuse me?"
Sloan was still shaking violently as he raised his head. Daunte let out a strangled noise when he saw the raw agony in his expression. His face was wet with tears, his eyes dark red and his complexion purple. His bottom lip was bleeding from having bitten it. Sloan tried to form words, but the sobs overwhelmed his words.
Ichirou looked increasingly more uncomfortable, but he mustered the strength to force words out. "D-Do you remember killing my father?"
Sloan looked at Daunte, who nodded reluctantly in confirmation. "Oboro told me. May I, Ichirou?"
"Yes, Lord Daunte," Ichirou said respectfully.
Daunte didn't bother to correct him. "An inventory report in Zinnia was misread and Ichirou's father was accused of theft. You killed him before it was discovered that the report was misread. You turned Ichirou in under Original Sin rather than admit to the mistake, but he was rescued before he was sent to the Dark Chasm."
Sloan curled into a tight ball on the floor as his sobs rose in volume. The sight was so pitiful that Daunte felt helpless staring at him in his state.
"GET UP!" Zander shouted, shaking the bars violently. "Get up and stop crying! You have no right to cry after everything you did!"
"This is pathetic," Oisin scoffed, gesturing at Sloan in disgust. "Vengeance feels sour when the object of my vengeance looks like that!"
"A-Are you sorry?" Ichirou asked, gripping the cell bars. He looked frightened to be asking the question. "Are you sorry for what you did?"
Sloan tried to talk, but only gurgling noises escaped his throat. He ducked his head forward and tears and blood dripped on the floor. "…I…" he shook his head furiously. "I—can't ask your forgiveness. I have no right to. But I am…so sorry for everything I've done!"
Daunte looked at his allies. He could see the anger but he could also see confusion. They had seen Sloan in his possessed state but not in his normal state. Seeing the true Sloan was undoubtedly shocking for them, and he could see how difficult it was for them to reconcile that this was not the same person who hurt them.
Zander promptly pulled out his crossbow and inserted it through the bars. "NO!" Daunte shouted, but before he could act Zander shot an arrow and it pierced Sloan's left shoulder. Blood rapidly soaked into his white robes, but Sloan didn't even react to the attack.
"All right, that's it!" The guard shouted, putting Zander in a full nelson. "All of you, OUT! Lord Caesar gave strict orders that he be left alone!"
"I-I don't feel better," Zander said incredulously, his eyes wide with shock as he was dragged towards the door. "I hurt him but I don't feel better! Why?!"
"Because you're a decent human who doesn't delight in causing pain," Oisin scoffed. He glared at Sloan but the venom was gone from his expression. The guard returned and gestured at the remaining three wildly. "Out! Out!"
Oisin looked at Daunte. "I believe you now," he said, his tone reluctant. "Having faced him in combat and witnessed his crimes…that is not the same person who attacked my people."
Dahlia touched the bars briefly. "I-I feel sorry for him," she said painfully. "Why do I have to feel sorry for the person who did so many horrible things?"
Oisin pulled her close and brushed a kiss against her forehead. "Because you're the most wonderful person whose ever existed," he murmured against her skin.
"OUT!" the guard shouted.
Ichirou lingered for another long moment staring at Sloan. When he guard returned and grabbed his shoulder he finally spoke. "I forgive you."
Daunte stared at him in shock, as did the guard, but Ichirou continued. "My dad was a big believer in forgiveness. W-When we lost our home because someone stole all of our money, he forgave the person who stole our money. I forgive you for killing him, because he would want me to forgive you."
Sloan gaped at him stunned. The guard shuffled Ichirou out, and Daunte was once again left alone with Sloan. He wasted no time hurrying to Sloan's side and raising his hand. "Howl."
The spell healed his wound and the arrow fell out of his shoulder. Sloan rubbed his shoulder briefly before sliding his hand over to press over his heart. "Your spell healed my physical injury. But the wound on my heart…everything that I've done…"
Daunte said nothing because he didn't know what to say. He tried to help Sloan to his feet but the giant of a man was too heavy for him. Sloan himself didn't seem to have the energy to stand and simply crawled on his hands across the floor to his cot. He lifted himself up onto it and sat facing Daunte, his head ducked low. "…So," he said quietly.
"…So," Daunte responded.
"I did all of those horrible things."
"…Yes."
"I killed innocent people and showed delight in their deaths."
"You were possessed," Daunte reminded him.
"And I…I hurt my family."
Daunte started slightly but nodded. "Yes."
"I hurt Tidur and my daughters."
"We both saw that last memory," Daunte said softly.
"And you think I can be redeemed from doing these things?!" Sloan hollered as fresh tears spilled from his swollen eyes. "I killed innocent people! I tried to commit genocide! I tried to kill my own wife!" his voice was rattling in Daunte's ears. "I did things that I would have never done had I had control of my own mind, but I STILL DID IT!"
Sloan pressed his hands to his face and collapsed off the cot. He began sobbing again, the sound horrifically sad and painful. "The things I have done…I don't deserve to live! I don't know WHY you feel I should live! You may have destroyed your own Army showing compassion to someone who's hurt so many people!"
"I'm showing you compassion because you're a victim in all of this too," Daunte said.
"Just KILL ME!" Sloan shrieked. "Kill me and be done with it! I don't deserve to live!"
A loud rattle from the door startled. Daunte turned and he gasped when he saw Tidur standing there holding a tray.
"Oh no!" the guard cried out, waving his arms at her. "No more visitors! That's it!"
"Please let her pass," Daunte said.
The guard looked at Daunte for a long moment before his shoulders drooped. "I'm going to get demoted for this…" he waved her in and collapsed into his chair.
Sloan had stopped crying and was staring at his estranged wife with a face frozen in horror. Tidur forced a painful smile at Daunte. "G…Good evening, Lord Daunte. I-I made Sloan some—dinner and wanted to bring it here." She set it on the door's tray and slid it through.
Daunte picked up the tray and brought it over to Sloan. He tried to smile for the older man. "It looks like kabsa with chicken and tea."
"St. John's Wort," Tidur said softly. "It helps with mood stabilization."
Sloan however didn't look happy as he set the tray on the cot. "This is my favorite dish," he murmured. He looked at Tidur. "You made my favorite dinner?"
Tidur shrugged. "I-I…haven't made it in a long time, so I hope it tastes good."
Sloan shook his head and quickly stood up. Tidur flinched back away from the cell bars and her gesture made Sloan pause. "Tidur?" he said softly.
Tidur quickly shook her head. "I-I'm all right. I know the truth. I s-saw the rune that had been on your hand. I k-know," she stammered. "That you were possessed when y…" she choked softly and looked away.
"I saw it." Sloan kept his voice low and gentle and stood in the center of the cell. He made no move further move towards her. "I saw what I…did to you." He traced his own chin with his finger. "I saw when I gave you that scar."
Tidur quickly covered up her chin with her hand. "I've…missed so much," Sloan murmured. "Esther is wearing veils now. And Ciana…" he shook his head. "She used to love speaking at the top of her voice. She would shriek her laughs. But her eyes…"
Daunte realized then that Ciana's stoicism was most likely a result of the abuse Sloan had inflicted upon his family when he was possessed by the Black Rune. But Tidur spoke up before he could say anything. "The girls are okay. Esther's talents with window decorating have really flourished. Lord Daunte has given her a few Window Sets. And Ciana, she—" Tidur quickly shook her head. "We have a puppy. Tiara. Ciana has become very expressive because of Tiara."
"Tidur," Sloan said softly. "I—please don't hide from me. I have hurt all of you gravely. I-I…"
Tidur sighed sharply, and tears filled her eyes as she looked away. A long moment of silence hung between them before she finally looked back at them. "It's…difficult for me," she admitted tearfully. "Having you return like this after everything. I've known you since we were children and y—you were always so good to me. You gave me a wonderful gift of our two daughters. But…"
Tidur dug her fingers into her sleeves as the tears finally slipped out. "But it's hard," she said feelingly. "Reconciling everything that we went through. Everything that you did to us. You hurt me, Sloan. I understand that it wasn't really you, but it's still difficult for me to separate you from the actions you committed while you wore the Black Rune. I c-can't just undo the feeling of unease inside of me whenever you're near me. I can't erase the scars on my body and my heart. On my mind! I can't forget the pain Esther and Ciana went through! I-I…" She ducked her head. "I can't forget…what I suffered."
Daunte looked between Sloan and Tidur. He could see the pain on both of their expressions but he didn't know what what to say. The guard also looked embarrassed to be witnessing the conversation and discreetly slipped outside.
After a long stretch of painful silence Tidur lifted her head. Her gentle eyes had hardened. "I can forgive you for…what you did to me. But I can't forgive you for accepting a power you didn't understand without thinking it through. Most importantly, I can't forgive you for the trauma you inflicted on our children. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you for that. I want you to know that, Sloan."
Sloan slowly nodded. "I understand, Tidur. I deserve it. J…" He hesitated before continuing. "I w-want you to know that I never meant for any of this to happen. I only wanted to prevent another Kõrkus Massacre. That's all."
Tidur nodded, her expression becoming sad once more. "I know." She looked at Daunte. "Thank you for standing up for him, Lord Daunte. And I appreciate you continuing to defend him even now."
"I will do what I can," Daunte said. "Even if I'm no longer leader."
Tidur looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. "I didn't know you would be here, though," she said, obviously changing the subject. "I will make you some dinner as well."
"That's not nec—" Daunte said, but Tidur quickly left. He sighed softly and slid back down to sit against the door. "Go ahead and eat without me."
Sloan sat down on the bed and took the tray into his lap. He stared down at the food for a long time. "I don't remember the last time I ate anything."
"Well you don't have all your memories from what happened after you got the Black Rune," Daunte said, shrugging slightly. "It's not surprising."
Sloan shook his head. "No…my body feels different. Weaker, even. I feel as though I didn't eat very much when I was under the control of that rune."
"The Black Rune made you stronger," Daunte said. "Your body was probably feeding off its power. I don't know, maybe Jeane would know more than I would. But your strength probably decreased without that rune on you."
"I accepted that rune to help people, but instead I committed more heinous atrocities than New Dawn ever did." Sloan looked at Daunte. "I was told I tried to kill you before."
"More than once," Daunte confirmed. "The first time I was a prisoner of the Dark Chasm. I inadvertently caused an accident and you beat me unconscious. Adalgiso intervened on my behalf."
Sloan nodded slowly. "I'm moved by his loyalty to me, even now. But I'm deeply ashamed that my crimes tainted such an honorable man. He doesn't deserve this. I wish he would abandon me to my fate."
"He won't," Daunte said. "You gave him a reason to live, so he's staunchly loyal to you."
"H-He told you about that?!" Sloan exclaimed.
Daunte flushed with embarrassment and gestured to the Rune of Restoration. "N-No. I saw a…memory of his suicide attempt. It's one of the reasons I knew that there was more to you than what we saw of you under the influence of the Black Rune."
"There was more than one memory you saw of me?"
"I-I," Daunte stuttered. "Also saw a memory of when you—ah—saved Ms. Tidur from her arranged marriage. It made me realize that something had happened to you to cause you to change so much, but I didn't know what it was. U-Ultimately trying to find out why you had changed could not be a priority for us, but…" he shrugged stiffly. "Now we know. And I can't hold you completely responsible for what you did while under the control of the Black Rune, so I spared you.
"I don't want you to die, Sloan. I want you to live, to claim your life back. And I want you to redeem yourself, and I believe the best way for you to redeem yourself is to be alive to do it."
"…But your allies don't agree with you," Sloan said quietly.
"Yeah," Daunte said. "Which is why I resigned. If I can't convince my allies that I'm making the right decision, I can't call myself a fit leader. A Commander needs to have the faith of everyone and I didn't."
"You said they are voting for a new Commander?" Sloan asked
"I believe so," Daunte said.
"What will you do if they order my death?"
Daunte shrugged. "I'm not moving from this spot."
"You cannot go against your allies for my sake," Sloan insisted, but Daunte raised his hand. "I'll worry about that if it happens. For now, eat the food Ms. Tidur prepared for you and try to get some sleep."
Sloan looked down at his food again. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. A couple of teardrops rolled down his cheeks as he set the cup down. "Warm…just like Tidur." he smiled sadly. "I will accept any fate given to me, life or death. If I must live, I will live. But I don't know how I will be able to live with ruining so many people's lives. Or the pain I inflicted upon Tidur, Esther, and Ciana…"
"You can do I," Daunte said. "I believe in you."
Sloan looked at him then. "Thank you…Lord Daunte."
Daunte didn't bother correcting him and instead leaned his head back against the cell bars. He will live. But I have no power anymore, and I don't know how to keep him alive without bringing harm to my allies. That is something I'll need to figure out too…
Daunte didn't remember falling asleep, but he was startled awake by hearing a creak against the bars next to him. He had fallen asleep in a sitting position and now his whole body was sore from the position. He sat up straight as best as he could and looked to see who was leaning against the bars. He saw hands gripping the bars but in the darkness he couldn't see a face.
"That's one of Zander's arrows."
Daunte recognized the voice and he slowly climbed to his feet. "Lorik?" He asked softly.
"They said Zander shot Faakhir with one of his arrows," Lorik said. "It looks like it's on the floor in there."
Daunte turned and saw the arrow still laying on the floor. "He got Sloan in the shoulder," Daunte said. "I healed him."
Daunte heard Lorik shift, but it was strange. He didn't sense anger from Lorik. "That arrow has been laying there this whole time?" He asked.
"I suppose so," Daunte said. "I'd forgotten about it."
"…Faakhir is lying on the cot," Lorik observed.
"I-I think he's asleep," Daunte said, looking towards him. Sloan was curled in a fetal position on the cot facing the wall. "I don't know, I feel asleep without realizing—"
"You fell asleep before him?!" Lorik asked sharply.
"A-Ah, yes," Daunte confessed.
"You…fell asleep before him," Lorik repeated more calmly. "And he didn't pick up that arrow. I can see that the arrowhead is intact. He—why didn't he attack you with it? He could have slit your throat with it. He could have picked the lock with that arrow. H-He could have even taken you hostage with that arrow and forced us to release you, even with one guard present. But he didn't."
"He didn't," Daunte said, his heart racing slightly.
Lorik was silent for a long time before he spoke again. "I still have nightmares from the horrible things I witnessed that man do. He was a monster wearing a man's skin. But he's done nothing to try to escape. You locked yourself in here with him, with an unattended weapon, and he did not use it. The soldiers, they…they said they heard sobbing coming from this building. Was…?"
"It was him," Daunte said. "He's been told what he did under the control of the Black Rune, and…"
Lorik went silent again. He appeared to be looking at Sloan but Daunte couldn't see his expression. Finally he released the bars. "Good night, Lord Daunte."
"Good night," Daunte said slowly. He heard Lorik walked away and he swallowed thickly. He looked back towards Sloan as he slowly sat down again. Was that conversation a good thing or a bad thing?
Daunte raised his knees to his chest and hugged his legs, resting his forehead on the top of his knees. I know that I made the right decision in sparing Sloan, but no one else believes me. Mom…would you have forgiven the traitor who destroyed your Army and killed Dad if he were in the same position as Sloan?
"Lord Daunte?"
Daunte was startled awake again, this time finding himself laying on his side on the floor. He sat up and saw that it was morning, past sunrise. He turned around to see who was speaking to him. "C-Caesar!" Daunte quickly scrambled to his feet, and he heard Sloan come awake behind him. "W-What is it? Have you chosen a new Commander?"
Caesar was smiling his usual lazy smile at him, but his demeanor did not put Daunte at ease. His gaze shifted slightly to the left, and Daunte turned to see what he was looking at. He saw the arrow still sitting on the floor. Sloan stood up from the cot, his expression pained and apprehensive. Daunte turned to stare at Caesar, but Caesar was now looking at Sloan.
After a moment Caesar announced, "Do you see what I see?"
"Y-Yes, Lord Caesar," the guard stammered, his expression full of shock. "I—ah—there's a weapon on the floor. A weapon I didn't remove. I-I'm so—"
"I see," Caesar said loud. "That Lord Daunte turned his back on Sloan Faakhir, and Sloan Faakhir made no move to pick up that weapon and attack Lord Daunte. Moreover that weapon was in this cell all night, and Sloan Faakhir didn't use it on Lord Daunte."
Daunte heard a commotion at the door and he turned. His eyes widened as he saw many of his allies grouped over there, staring at him with wide eyes. Daunte turned back to Caesar in time to see the Strategist unlocking the cell door. "Please come with me, Lord Daunte."
"O-Okay," Daunte said, silently wondering why Caesar was using his title on him. He stepped out of the cell, and Caesar held the door open and gestured to Sloan. "You too, Sloan Faakhir."
Sloan nodded slowly and walked towards Caesar. He walked past the arrow still laying on the ground and joined Daunte and Caesar outside the cell. Caesar closed the cell and waved to them. "Follow me."
Daunte and Sloan followed Caesar out of the building. His allies backed up out of the doorway and moved to stand in a wide circle framing the entrance to the southeast building. Arin, Roen, Felicity, Gunther, Allise, Varnaz, Surya, Keiran, Eamon, Tamara, and—Adalgiso?—stood at the front of the circle. The entire Liberation Army stood behind them. The area was so silent that the breeze coming from the cliffs sounded loud in Daunte's ears.
Daunte gaped at his allies in shock, but Caesar put a hand on his shoulder. "Step forward, please."
Daunte felt his heart in his throat, but he moved to stand in the center of the circle. He didn't know what to say or do. Then suddenly, Gunther broke from the circle and quickly advanced upon him. Daunte shifted with alarm, and he jumped when Gunther suddenly lunged forward…and threw himself at Daunte's feet.
"My Lord." Gunther's voice was uncharacteristically soft. "Lord Daunte, I beg your forgiveness."
Daunte gasped and his eyes widened in shock, but Gunther continued. "I swore on my sword that my life belonged to you and that I would stand by you through anything. I broke that oath, my Lord. Please forgive me for dishonoring you and dishonoring my oath."
Daunte's mouth hung open soundlessly, but before he could further react Varnaz moved forward and more graciously kneeled on the ground beside Gunther. "My Lord, I am sorry. I am alive because of you, and I showed my appreciation by turning on you. I am unworthy of your faith. Please forgive me."
"Lord Daunte," Allise whispered, tears filling her eyes. "I should have trusted in you as our leader. I didn't and I'm so ashamed of it." she knelt down before him. "Please forgive me."
"My Lord you saved my people," Eamon said painfully, kneeling on the ground. "You fought so hard to keep us safe and how do I repay you? By betraying your judgment. I'm so sorry."
"You have done many wonderful things Lord Daunte," Keiran said, also kneeling. "I should have trusted in you but I didn't. I'm a disgrace and I am sorry."
"I-I'm your Strategist," Chinmaya sputtered, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I should have done mo—" she shook her head and kneeled. "I'm unworthy. I'm so sorry!"
"You're my friend," Surya said quietly, averting his eyes. "Probably the closest friend I've ever had. You saved my family, saved me. I should have stood by you but instead I made you feel so alone that you resigned your post." He quickly knelt down. "I'm sorry, Daunte."
Daunte stood there stunned as one by one his allies stepped forward and prostrated themselves before him, apologizing and begging for his forgiveness. From the lieutenants to the squires they all stepped forward and kneeled. It was not long before every soldier before him except for Arin, Rosen, and Felicity was kneeling to him. Daunte pressed a hand to his mouth in shock.
"Daunte," Felicity breathed before she knelt as well. "You're my best friend. I'm so sorry."
"Please forgive me," Roen said quickly, kneeling as well.
They had already apologized to him in private, but did so publicly as well. Arin was holding Kibbeh in his arms and he was able to kneel as well but Daunte shook his head at his little brother before looking to Caesar. The Strategist wasn't kneeling but he smiled at Daunte. "We all had a long talk after your resignation, Lord Daunte. We took your resignation very seriously and tried to find a better replacement for you but…" Caesar shrugged. "We couldn't think of one."
Daunte dropped his hand away from his face. "What?"
"As our leader we should have trusted in your judgment," Lorik said, slowly standing up. "You are someone who gave me 100,000 bits to save my people, and you did so without even asking anything in return. I had to ask you to rejoin this Army. You had seen the horrific acts that Faakhir had committed, yet you chose to spare him. There was a good reason for you to spare him and we—I," he said feelingly. "Should have trusted you with that reason. I didn't. I let my trauma dictate my actions against your better judgment. I understand now that Faakhir was a pawn of the Theocracy. I know that when I came to you this morning."
"This human has a weak mind to be manipulated so greatly by a stupid rune," Oisin said harshly, glaring at Sloan. "But I also saw the differences between the man who attacked my people and the man I confronted last night." Oisin looked at Daunte. "I said that you were no better than this human, but you are a human who shielded me with his own body during a battle. You are a human who personally saved my life in risk of your own, and who saved my people and gave them refuge. I have done nothing but mock you and give you scorn when all you have done is help me." he snapped his teeth, looking a little angry and embarrassed. Dahlia moved close to him and took his hand, and he visibly relaxed. "I have acted horribly towards you," Oisin continued. "And I regret it deeply. You witnessed the same things I did and fought against this man. I-If you have found course to spare him…then so will I."
"This isn't just a matter of not finding a suitable replacement for you, Lord Daunte," Caesar said, drawing Daunte's attention back to him. "This is a realization of the many sacrifices you have made for us. The lives you have saved and protected, and the unity and morale you inspire in us. We are here right now because of you." Caesar pointed to Daunte. "You, the Tenkai Star. But disregarding the Stars of Destiny we are a mighty Army because of you. You have had to make difficult decisions for us as Commander, but you did so even if they weren't popular decisions. And you were so concerned about fracturing this Army because of your decision to spare Sloan that you resigned your post so that we wouldn't fall apart.
"But you're not the reason for the instability, Lord Daunte." Caesar gestured to the Army before them. "We have to unite under you, and we have to trust you. You were not given this trust and instead the Army united against you. And while that is not entirely a bad thing in given circumstances, in this case you made the right decision. We should have seen that and we didn't. Now we understand your reasonings, and we humble ourselves before you."
Caesar extended his arms and bowed gracefully to Daunte. "My Lord. On behalf of the Liberation Army, I ask that you withdraw your resignation and resume your post as our Commander."
Daunte gasped, and looked out over his Army. No one looked angry with him. He saw sad faces, pleading faces. He could see that the Army that united against him last night was united in begging him to lead them again.
I was so worried about how I could convince them that I was right…but they already knew it.
He shook his head and frowned. But I'm not worthy of them.
"I…don't think this is a good idea," Daunte said shakily, looking at Caesar. The Strategist straightened as the soldiers voices rumbled in confusion. "We just survived an ambush by an opposing army. An ambush that happened under my leadership. I was insufficient at my job, and our soldiers died because of it! A-Are you really sure that I'm the best for this job? That there is no one else better or more q-qualified than me?!"
"You have nothing to worry about."
The familiar voice instantly put Daunte at ease, as did the familiar orbital light that appeared beside Daunte. "L-Lady Leknaat!" He exclaimed when she appeared through the light. "Are you okay?"
"I am much better now," the Seer said reassuringly. "But I must apologize deeply for my absence during this time. I wish I could have helped you."
"The important thing is that you got better," Daunte said, raising his hands slightly. "And don't excuse me, what happened yesterday was my fault!"
"Actions in war are brutal, horrifying, and tragic," Leknaat said softly. "But everything happens for a reason. Had the ambush not have happened, then Sloan's possession would not have been exposed."
"I do not see that as a good thing," Sloan said softly. "People have died because of me."
"Your body committed those acts but your mind was taken away from you," Leknaat said. "Lord Daunte is right. The best way for you to redeem yourself is to live and seek redemption in life. You cannot seek redemption if you are dead."
"She's right," Allise said, standing up. "Don't blame yourself for this, Lord Daunte. The ambush happened because of an architectural oversight. But it won't happen again."
Daunte looked out over his allies once more. "D…Do you really want me to return?"
"Yes," Caesar answered without hesitation.
"We need you, Lord Daunte," Chinmaya said, scrambling to her feet. "Please command us once again."
Daunte swallowed hard and coughed, feeling tears roll down his eyes. He scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeve and sniffled loudly. It seemed strange that he was crying when he felt so happy.
They believe in me. If they can believe in me…then I need to believe in me, too.
"Thank you," Daunte said, looking out over his Army. "I'm unworthy of all of you, but I will gladly be your leader again."
The soldiers jumped up and cheered loudly. Roen, Felicity, and Surya raced over and gave him hugs. Arin squeezed his way through and Daunte picked up his little brother into his arms, hugging him tightly. His allies surrounded him, giving him hugs, slapping his back, and ruffling his hair.
"Now then," Oisin announced loudly over the cheers. "What do we do about him?!" he jabbed his thumb in Sloan's direction.
The cheers abruptly died off. Daunte put Arin down and moved towards Sloan. "You want to redeem yourself," he said. "But you must live to do so."
"I-I," Tamara said, looking at Sloan. "Am still trying to get over the fact that you were possessed by a bad rune. But I also agree now that you must redeem yourself, and be alive to do it." Other murmured in agreement.
Sloan looked at Daunte. "I—Lord Daunte," he began. "I want so badly to redeem myself. If I cannot redeem myself with my death, then I want to redeem myself with my life. I want to stop the Theocracy from ever doing this to anyone else ever again. I…" his breath hitched before he bowed before Daunte. "I ask to join the Liberation Army."
A stunned silence fell over the crowd. Adalgiso stepped forward. "If the Sh—Lord Sloan, is accepted by the Liberation Army then I will join you as well. I want to fight against the Theocracy."
"There's a lot you need to know," Clara said quietly.
"What?" Adalgiso asked in confusion.
"If you join us, don't ever come near us Wingers," Oisin said. "You'll likely lose a few limbs!"
"I will tolerate your presence," Lorik said quietly. "All of my people will. But I—will be watching you," he said darkly.
The Army was clearly uncomfortable but everyone looked to Daunte for the final decision. Daunte stood in front of Sloan and Adalgiso and nodded. "Welcome to the Liberation Army."
There were no cheers with their joining, but no screams of outrage. Daunte took that as an improvement from the day before.
"It's sort of ironic that we came to a peaceful resolution on Blood Fest of all days," Gunther mused.
"I want to go back to bed," Allise said softly.
"Ooh, can I join you?"
"Now that the air is clear and serenity is restored," Caesar said, clapping his hands together and getting the Army's attention. "We have a lot to discuss. We won a great victory last night. We fought off the forces of four Sheikhs when we were at a disadvantage. The Holy Army will be inceasing their forces against us now."
"There is no doubt of that, especially after we recruited three Sheikhs," Varnaz said.
"They will most definitely increase their ferocity," Sloan said. "A loss of this magnitude will leave the High Clerics in a position where they need to prove themselves to the populace in a grandiose manner that they are in contorl."
"I can imagine then that our next campaign will be a big one," Daunte announced. "With any luck we will have Yuber return—"
Daunte felt a familiar whoosh of air behind him. His heart leapt into his throat again and he quickly turned to see Yuber standing behind him. To his immense relief, Yuber looked to be in perfect health. Daunte almost shouted with relief, but instead he grasped at his chest and heaved out a sigh of relief.
Yuber's heterochromatic eyes swept around the courtyard, at the familiar and new faces staring stunned at him. Then he looked back at Daunte. "So," he said coldly. "What did I miss?"