Part Two

Daunte had sworn the people in the war room to secrecy what had happened to him when he revived the entire Liberation Army. But he knew that there were two people he could never keep this secret.

"No," Felicity whispered, shaking her head back and forth furiously as tears filled her eyes. "Please no…"

"30 years?" Roen said softly, his tone mournful. "Daunte, you…your life is going to be 30 years shorter because you brought us all back to life?!"

"It's okay," Daunte reassured them, raising his hands. "The Rune of Restoration is still with me so it might be a long time before I have to worry about that. The people who heard this news are going to keep this secret, but I wanted you both to know."

"Oh Daunte!" Felicity threw her arms around his shoulders. "Why do you have to be so selfless?!"

"If I didn't do it then you both would still be dead," Daunte said, looking between his friends. "So would most of this Army. It doesn't bother me, really. I-I mean I was surprised at first, but it's fine. It's a sacrifice I would make again if I had to do it."

"Don't do it again," Roen said, hugging his arms as tears spilled down his cheeks. "You said you would die if you did anything like that again!"

"Don't worry, I don't intend on allowing this to ever happen to our Army again."

"Daunte…" Felicity pulled away and wiped her tears away with both hands. "Oh Daunte…the World of Emptiness is a horrible place! I was scared out of my mind the entire time I was there, as brief as it was! I don't know WHY our souls go there immediately following death!"

"It's not a good place," Roen murmured softly. "I-I'm scared of when I will die again because I know I'll have to go back to that place. I don't know why our souls don't just travel on to paradise or damnation immediately."

"If you did though, then I wouldn't have been able to revive you," Daunte said. "Lady Leknaat said the link between our world and the World of Emptiness is very tight, which is why souls in the World of Emptiness can be called back to their bodies with a Resurrection Rune—or my Rune." He rubbed his left hand over the back of his right. "Once your soul travels on from the World of Emptiness, then…" Daunte shook his head.

"Then it's too late," Felicity said, shuddering. Daunte nodded. "Lady Leknaat said a soul that has traveled out of the World of Emptiness is beyond the reach of a Resurrection Rune. I don't know if the same applies to the Rune of Restoration, but I don't know if I want to try."

"Kass!" Roen cried out, his eyes widening. Daunte felt his heart lurch. "Daunte—maybe we can bring Kass back! We didn't see him in the World of Emptiness, but if the Rune of Restoration can reach beyond—"

"But we don't have Kass's body," Felicity said softly. Roen flinched and both of them looked at Daunte. "…Do we need his body?" Roen asked quietly.

Daunte nodded painfully. "Lady Leknaat…she said we need a b-body to bring the soul back to. If Kass's body was handled the same as the others—"

"Okay," Roen interjected, his tone a little sharp. "I-I…I get it. I'm sorry I brought it up."

"Everyone who heard the news was sworn to secrecy, but I wanted you both to know," Daunte said. "But I do not want Arin to find out about this. I'll tell him in my own time, but probably not for a few years. He's been through enough as it is."

"I won't tell him," Felicity promised.

"Neither will I," Roen said. They both gave Daunte another hug and he appreciated the comfort. But then Roen asked, "Will you tell Arin about…?"

"Our dad?" Daunte finished for him. Both Roen and Felicity. "Yes. I was going to go up and talk to him about it now."

"You put Oboro to the case, right?" Felicity asked.

"Yes," Daunte said.

"How did he react?" Roen asked.

Daunte shrugged. "As well as could be expected."

Oboro had been surprisingly subdued at Daunte's revelation that his father was still alive Breaking the news to the other detectives however had not been good. Shou became defensive and angry, and even got into an argument with Oboro over taking the job. Ultimately, Oboro decided to help Daunte and Shou made it clear he would do nothing to assist Oboro with the job. Masaru and Umeko both stepped up to offer their assistance.

I don't blame them, though. I suspect my father is Nakula, and Nakula promised to kill Shou's mother. I know that Sagiri killed my grandfather, but I can't blame her for her actions when she was brainwashed into being a killer. Maybe…Maybe if we find Dad I can convince him to give up his grudge?

"Let's go tell him now," Felicity said. "It's better to spread good news than bad news anyway."

"Here we are again. Another dreary, miserable afternoon here at Liberation Army headquarters."

"You are right, Sanji. It's so sad and dreary and depressing. All hope is lost."

"What are you guys talking about? Didn't we just get over 100,000 volunteers—"

"BAX, SHH!" Sanji and Gertrude said in unison.

"What?" Arin gasped, his eyes widening as he hugged Kibbeh to his chest. "Brother…You said Dad is alive?!"

"He is," Daunte said. "Mom told me so."

"You saw Mom?!" Arin let Kibbeh go and scrambled across the bed. He grabbed Daunte's sleeve. "How is she?!"

"She's okay," Daunte said, though he knew it wasn't entirely the truth. "She told me Dad and you were waiting for me, so I knew that Dad was alive. Oboro's going to find him for us, Arin."

"I-I can't believe it! I…" Arin let Daunte go and quickly rubbed a hand through his own hair. "B-But Daunte—if our father is alive, where has he been all this time?! W-Why did he…" tears filled his eyes and he looked away. "H-He…why didn't he save us from the Dark Chasm?"

Daunte's throat tightened. It was a thought he had pushed aside in his excitement at knowing Nakula was still alive. Where was he? If he didn't die with Phoebe and the rest of the former Liberation Army, what happened to him? Why didn't he protect Daunte and Arin from being arrested?

I thought I saw Mom and Dad die, but…oh Nagar, my memories of that time are in patches. I don't remember all of the deaths I saw, but I thought I saw both Mom and Dad fall. So if Dad survived his execution…then did he just abandon us? Nakula came to Nagarea to avenge his father, but he also abandoned his family in Armes to get here…

Daunte shook his head furiously. I'm not going to make assumptions. We'll ask Dad these questions when Oboro finds him.

"We'll ask him these questions when we find him," Daunte said. "But we have to find him first."

Arin nodded and picked Kibbeh up again. "I-I…I want to see him, Daunte. I don't remember his face, and I don't remember Mom's face, but I want to see him." he forced a smile. "I can't wait to see him, Daunte. I don't know if I'll be happy or mad when he comes here, but I want to see him Brother."

"Me too," Daunte said.

"And don't worry," Felicity spoke. "We'll make sure we get those answers out of him."

"Yeah," Roen said. "Your dad better have a good reason to be gone all these years."

Before Daunte could respond, there was a sharp knock at the door. "Hey, are you in there?"

"Barō?" Daunte said in confusion. He left the bed and went to Arin's door. Sure enough, a stern-looking Barō was standing in the hallway. To Daunte's growing surprise, both Nash and Sierra were standing behind him. "I'm sorry," Daunte said. "I haven't met with you since you were revived—"

"It's fine," Barō said tersely. "Now I know what will happen to me when I die and it won't be a surprise. But that's not why we're here." He pointed towards the ceiling. "Go and get him."

"Get…him?" Daunte asked him in confusion.

"Barō…wants to have a conversation with Sanji," Nash said uneasily. "All of us."

"I heard a gunshot on the battlefield before I was slain," Barō said before Daunte could speak. "It came from the rearguard. Sanji was the only survivor of the rearguard."

"A gunshot…?" Daunte's voice trailed off and he gasped throatily, his eyes widening. "You mean…!"

"Quite," Sierra said, folding her arms over her chest.

Sanji, Gertrude, and Bax were still giving their broadcast when Daunte entered the rotunda. "Ah, here is our Lord Daunte!" Sanji greeted him. "I assume he is here to cheer—"

"Sanji, please stop the broadcast," Daunte interrupted sharply.

Sanji quickly covered his pipe. "Will do."

Gertrude and Bax also covered their pipes. "What's wrong?" Bax asked.

"Sanji, I need you to come downstairs," Daunte said. "There are a few people who want to talk to you."

"I hope you're not referring to the vampires," Sanji sighed, fixing his glasses. "I told you that I'm allergic to them, Lord Daunte. Being around them is hazardous to my health—"

"Sanji," Daunte snapped. Both Gertrude and Bax jumped. "If that is your real name, I'm giving you a direct order to come downstairs!"

Gertrude and Bax quickly looked at Sanji, who looked completely nonplussed. "'If that is your real name'," Sanji echoed calmly, a cold smile rising to his mouth. "What a peculiar thing to say to me."

The door behind Daunte slammed open and Barō stormed inside. His face was etched in rage and he had Rotkappchen pointing forward—straight at Sanji. "ZAJ QUILOUS!" he barked. "On behalf of the Howling Voice Guild, I hereby place you under arrest for the theft of one of our weapons! You are to surrender both yourself AND Talgrund to my custody and return to Harmonia!"

Sanji didn't move a muscle, and his expression was still relaxed. "HEY!" Gertrude shouted, drawing her sword and jumping in front of Sanji. "Back off before you regret it!"

"Consider this your only warning," Barō seethed at her. "If you do not step aside I will shoot you."

"Now, now," Sanji said, raising his hands. "Let's not resort to violence—"

Roen rushed into the rotunda behind Daunte. "Flaming Arrows!" He shouted. The spell from his Fire Rune flew across the room, and Daunte watched as the flames lit up the garlic hanging around the room. Within seconds they had shriveled under the flames and fell into charred piles on the floor.

Sanji watched the garlic be destroyed around them. "…Uh oh," he said nonchalantly.

"That was amazing!" Felicity exclaimed as she entered the room.

Roen shrugged. "Nash asked me to do it."

There were further footsteps on the stairs and Sierra entered the rotunda first. "Well," she breathed, her tone dangerous. "Is that the fellow who's been trying to kill my husband for the last few years?"

Nash entered in behind her, his expression hard. "…Yes," he said slowly. "I would know that face from anywhere."

"Ho, really?" Sanji asked him, planting a hand on his hip. "You've heard me speak this whole time and haven't said a word, but suddenly you know exactly who I am?"

"You've adjusted your speech," Nash snapped, drawing a knife and taking a step forward. "You hid yourself in plain sight, Zaj. But I know it's you!"

"Back off!" Bax cried out, rushing to Gertrude's side to protect Sanji. "Don't get too close or you'll kill him!"

"Why are you here?!" Nash demanded. "Did you come all the way to Nagarea to try and kill me again?! Or are you hiding like a coward from the Howling Voice Guild?!"

"Give me Talgrund this minute," Barō snapped. "My orders were to bring you back dead or alive. I will kill you if I have to!"

Sanji spread his arms in front of him. "Do I look like I'm armed?" He asked calmly. "I said I am useless in combat. Gertrude and Bax have had to fight my battles for me."

"It's underneath your coat," Sierra said, pointing.

"Take off your coat, Sanji," Daunte demanded.

Sanji let out a loud, exasperated breath. "…Well, then."

"Sanji—" Gertrude snapped over her shoulder.

"Our Commander gave me a direct order. I must comply." Sanji slowly unbuttoned his yellow coat all the way down to the bottom and then he shrugged it off. Daunte couldn't see him fully though as Gertrude and Bax were still shielding him. "Stand aside," Barō snapped.

"Not if you're going to shoot him!" Gertrude roared.

"Barō, don't shoot," Daunte said.

"This is no longer your concern," Barō said. "This is a matter with the Howling Voice Guild."

"I'm still the leader of the Liberation Army and YOU swore yourself to my cause," Daunte shot back. "So until this war is over you are still a soldier in this Army under MY command! You will NOT shoot unless I give you the okay, got it?!"

Barō snapped his teeth savagely and growled. After a long moment he slowly lowered Rotkappchen to his side.

"Gertrude, Bax," Daunte said. "Stand aside."

"No," Gertrude quickly answered.

"I won't let you hurt Sanji!" Bax exclaimed.

"It's all right," Sanji spoke up. "Our Commander has given you an order. You must follow it."

Gertrude and Bax looked upset, but they said nothing further and moved aide. Without the large yellow cloak Daunte could see that Sanji was wearing black, shapeless clothes. But he also saw a sword strapped to his left side.

But he didn't see a gun. His stomach twisted in discomfort. …Were we wrong?

"There!" Nash shouted, pointing. "Talgrund! It's in the hilt of the sword!"

Barō raised Rotkappchen again. "Show us," he snapped.

Sanji sighed heavily. "Talgrund only comes out if I intend to use it. If I take it out, I will fire it."

"So then you—you ARE Zaj Quilous!" Felicity shouted.

"That is only my alias," Sanji responded. "Sanji was my name before the Quilous family adopted me. Clearly it was safer for me to travel using a name no one was familiar with."

"You bastard!" Nash shouted, stepping towards him. "You will pay for everything you've done!"

"Did you two know?!" Daunte demanded to Gertrude and Bax.

Gertrude shrugged. "It was Sanji's business."

"He saved me from drowning," Bax said. "He's not a bad man like you all think he is!"

"You will give me Talgrund and surrender yourself to my custody," Barō snapped at Sanji. "If you refuse to comply, I will use lethal force to get Talgrund back!"

Sanji laughed humorlessly. "And if I return with you then Clive will execute me. Neither option sounds appealing to me, so I'm going to just keep Talgrund and carry on with my business."

"The hell you will!"

"So you will kill me?" Sanji asked with a cold smile. "You with your larger gun? Or you Nash—will you sicc your viperous wife upon me?"

"Bastard," Sierra hissed, moving forward.

"Why don't I explain this in plainer terms? There is absolutely nothing any of you can do to me."

"That's what you think!" Barō snapped.

"I'm one of the 108 Stars of Destiny," Sanji pointed out. He nodded to Daunte. "You confirmed that you saw my name on the Tablet of Stars, didn't you?"

"I did," Daunte confirmed.

"So there," Sanji said, looking between Barō and Nash. "There's nothing you can do to me. If you want Talgrund back you'll have to kill me for it. But you will lose the Tenken Star."

"I could kill you, rob your corpse, and have Lord Daunte revive you with his True Rune," Barō threatened.

Sanji shrugged. "Then my soul will simply refuse to return to this body."

"I will leave if you kill Sanji," Gertrude snapped.

"So will I!" Bax agreed.

"See? If any of you decide to pursue this matter then you will doom this Army." Sanji boldly turned his back on them to pick up his coat. "As it stands you cannot afford to lose me. So I suggest that you carry on like normal and leave me alone. I will likewise leave you all alone as well."

Daunte swallowed thickly and moved towards Sanji. "Lord Daunte, he's dangerous," Nash warned him.

"Nash told me what you did to him," Daunte said. "What you did to his family. How you poisoned them driven by your own spite. And the many times you tried to end his life."

"All of it is true," Sanji confirmed nonchalantly as he shrugged on his coat.

"Why are you here? Why did you come to Nagarea?"

"But we're here for a reason so we must make the most of it."

"I saw the three of you arrive," Daunte said, looking between them. "You crossed the sea in a small boat and abandoned it. You clearly had no intentions of leaving. So why did you come?"

Sanji glanced towards Gertrude and Bax and looked at them for a long moment. Then he looked at Daunte. "Perhaps I owe you the truth since we've lied for so long. Very well; all of us are fugitives in our home countries."

Daunte's eyes widened but Gertrude stepped forward. "I killed a man in self-defense," she said grimly. "He thought I was drunker than I actually was and tried to…force himself on me. In the ensuing scuffle I killed him, but then I learned that he was the only son of a local magister. The authorities weren't interested in why I killed him; all that mattered was that I killed an heir. Sanji here…" she gestured to him. "Save me from my arresting officers. "I owe him my life. I would be dead were it not for him."

"I was framed!" Bax burst out. "A-Ah—A boat from the Federation Navy was set on fire! Many officers died, a-and they thought it was me! They found a fake diary with a forged signature, but I've never kept a diary! They were going to take me to Middleport, but I jumped overboard, and I…"

"We found him," Sanji finished. "But we came to Nagarea to essentially hide. There are no complete maps of Nagarea on atlases outside of the Northern Wharf, so we believed such an isolationist country would be perfect for us to lay low." He shrugged. "We should have realized that an isolationist country run by radicals was not the best place to hide."

"So you…didn't come here to kill me?" Nash asked him.

Sanji scoffed. "Not everything is about you, Nash."

"Well considering you've tried to kill me several times, I shouldn't be surprised!" Nash shot back.

"Okay, everyone enough!" Daunte shouted. The room fell silent. Daunte held his hand out to Sanji. "Hand over the gun, please."

Sanji pressed his hand over the hilt of the sword. "I cannot do that, my Lord."

"I have a representative from the Howling Voice Guild who came here to retrieve Talgrund," Daunte said, motioning to Barō. "I promised him I would help him get the gun back. You joined this Army under false pretenses and have been exposed. Now, hand over Talgrund."

"If you'll forgive me Lord Daunte, I don't feel comfortable parting with Talgrund until at least the war is over," Sanji said. "I was ambushed on the battlefield, and the only reason I survived is because I had Talgrund with me."

"That situation will never happen again," Daunte reassured him, but Sanji shook his head. "That's a risk I'm not willing to take. I will not part with Talgrund so long as I'm a member of this Army."

"You don't have a choice!" Barō hollered.

"It doesn't look like that from MY perspective," Sanji said nonchalantly. His brow rose slightly with his smile. "Besides, I was responsible for hailing the rest of the Army to come to everyone's aid. Despite my deception I have worked in the best interests of this Army. The very least you can do, in light of my hard work, is allow me my protection while I'm here. I feel that I'm not being unreasonable."

"You can't trust him," Nash said harshly. "He's a backstabbing killer!"

"I am," Sanji said. "And did you not come here to spy on people and to steal a True Rune?"

"He was upfront about it," Sierra said coldly, glaring at him. "Whereas you were not."

"They are right," Daunte said. He moved closer to Sanji. "I'll allow you the sword, but you're handing over the gun now."

"And what will you do if I die without the protection of Talgrund?"

"I'll protect you with my life," Daunte said. "I swear on it. Now, give me the gun. That's an order, Sanji."

Sanji stared at Daunte for a long moment of silence. Then he looked at Barō quickly before looking at Daunte. "If I hand over Talgrund," he said. "I want your guarantee that I will not be sent back to the Howling Voice Guild."

"That's not your decision," Barō snapped. "You have to face judgment from the Guild Master."

Sanji laughed humorlessly. "I will die before I go back and face Clive."

"You're taking him back over my dead body," Gertrude growled, raising her sword again.

"Try it," Barō said warningly, pointing Rotkappchen at her. "Bullets are faster than a sword."

"Indeed they are," Sanji said, suddenly yanking Talgrund out and pointing it at Barō. "And I'll kill you where you stand if you fire."

"Everyone, ENOUGH!" Daunte shouted, shoving himself between Barō and Sanji. "You are all 108 Stars of Destiny and you will work together! Fate has brought us together to unite and we WILL unite! Barō, I will give you Talgrund as promised but you will return to Harmonia without Sanji! Got it?!"

Barō let out a loud snarl but dropped Rotkappchen back to his side. "I owe you for bringing me back to life. In repayment for that, I will comply with that request. When I return to the Northern Continent, I will tell the Guild that I killed Zaj Quilous. Having Talgrund back shall suffice for them."

"You heard him," Daunte said, turning to Sanji and presenting his hand once more. "Sanji, or Zai Quilous. Give me the gun."

Sanji looked at Talgrund and sighed loudly. "I will miss you, my friend. Alas…" Then he placed the gun into Daunte's hand.

"Here," Daunte said, handing Talgrund to Barō. "Your mission is complete. However, you are a valuable soldier and I would like you to stay and help me finish this war."

"I cannot imagine the pilot of the skyship returning me home before then anyway," Barō sighed, but he snatched the gun out of Daunte's hand and shoved it into his belt.

"Well, that's all been settled!" Bax announced painfully. "So, why don't we all continue our business like nothing happened?"

Daunte shook his head as a voice rose from the door. "Are you ready, Lord Daunte?"

"Yes, Caesar," Daunte said over his shoulder.

"In here," Caesar called behind him. He then entered the rotunda with Liberation Army soldiers. "Sanji—or Zaj Quilous—I hereby place you under arrest."

"WHAT?!" Gertrude exclaimed.

"Why?!" Bax wailed.

"Amongst other things; murder and attempted murder of Nash's family members," Daunte said as the soldiers seized Sanji.

"You admitted to all of it and you admitted that you've tried to kill Nash," Caesar added. "And you lied to Lord Daunte about your true identity. As it stands right now, we can't trust you. But we cannot get rid of you because you ARE in fact a Star of Destiny. So for now you're going to be locked up until we can figure out how to best handle you."

"But—" Gertrude tried to protest.

"It's no use," Sanji said calmly. He didn't put up a struggle. "Everything they have said is true, after all."

"B-But he hasn't tried to kill anyone since we got here!" Bax exclaimed.

"Why not arrest us too?!" Gertrude snapped.

"You didn't commit the crimes with him," Caesar pointed out. "Besides, we need you both to carry out our broadcasts."

"Yes, those are very important," Sanji told them reassuringly as he was escorted towards the door. "I'll see you both later."

"Wait," Nash said suddenly. He stepped in the path of the soldiers. For a long moment he stared Sanji down, his expression hard and his eyes full of hate.

Sanji sighed in exasperation at the silence. "If you have some elaborate monologue you want to spit out, hurry up and—"

Nash swung his fist back and punched Sanji in the jaw as hard as he blow. The blow had so much force that Sanji and both soldiers nearly toppled over. Nash shook out his hand and rubbed his knuckles, but his expression was unchanging.

Sanji spat blood out of his mouth onto the floor, his jaw already swelling and reddening, but his expression was calm as he turned back to Nash. "…Is that all?" He asked.

Nash said nothing and held his glare on him. The soldiers started shuffling him out again. "Don't lick that off the floor," he said to Sierra, his tone suddenly sharp.

"Oh sweetheart," Sierra said in a frighteningly sweet tone. "You'll not have to worry about your putrid blood touching my lips when you die."

Sanji said nothing more as he was led out. Barō left after them without another word. "So that's why Sanji said he was allergic to vampires," Roen said. "He was trying to avoid Nash and Sierra so he wouldn't be recognized…"

Gertrude let out a painful gasp. "I know you people don't like him," she said, her tone sad and angry. "But he DID save me. I owe him my life!"

"Me, too," Bax said, wiping away tears.

"He may have saved you," Nash snapped. "But he destroyed my family. Him saving you two will NOT change that!"

"I think we're done," Daunte said softly, looking at Gertrude and Bax. "If you both want to continue your broadcasts, go ahead. I…don't know what I will do with Sanji, but I won't kill him. I promise you that."

Gertrude nodded stiffly. "Thank you, Lord Dante."

"The fates certainly chose an interesting bunch for the 108 Stars of Destiny this time," Caesar said, putting his hands behind his head as he looked towards the ceiling.

News of Sanji's real identity quickly spread throughout HQ. While most everyone in the Liberation Army was not familiar with Harmonia or the Howling Voice Guild, soldiers were wary of Sanji, even while he was locked up in a cell. Sanji had appeared to be a happy-go-lucky individual who told crude stories with his two best friends. Now knowing he was a killer on the run…and one of his victims was Nash…it didn't sit well with anyone.

Sanji for his part sat in his cell acting like nothing was wrong. He voluntarily surrendered his sword (even after Daunte promised he could keep it) and acted jovial. Neither Nash or Sierra visited him.

The morning after Sanji's arrest, Daunte woke to hear Gertrude and Bax doing a broadcast. Their voices seemed less than enthused but nothing had really changed from their demeanor.

I have to figure out what to do about Sanji. I don't know yet, but I do know that I can't kill him.

Daunte had finished getting dressed when he heard a knock at his door. "Daunte?"

"Roen, come in!" He called out. "I was just about to check on Arin and get breakfast!"

Roen entered the room, his face a little pale. Daunte was immediately concerned. "Roen, what's wrong?"

"Daunte, I…" Roen fidgeted slightly where he stood. After a moment he swallowed thickly and met Daunte's gaze. "C—Can we go to Kõrkus today?"

"Kõrkus? Your hometown?"

Roen nodded stiffly. "I…there's something I need to do, Daunte. I want t—I need," Roen enunciated. "To see the Chapel."

Daunte stared at his friend for a long moment. "Are you sure?"

"I am," Roen said more confidently. "When I died—when I went to the World of Emptiness—I realized that I left a lot of my issues unresolved. After you brought me back, I made a promise that I would face those issues. I-I want to keep that promise, Daunte. I want…" he squeezed his eyes shut and shook. "I must atone," he continued quietly. "For the people who died."

"It wasn't you fault," Daunte insisted but Roen raised a hand. "I have to do this, Daunte. I have to go there and face what happened. What my father did. W-Will you come with me? Please?"

Daunte reached out and clasped his hand. "Of course I will. You're my brother too, Roen. We'll face it together."

Roen forced a smile. "Thank you, Daunte."

"Let's get Felicity and bring her with us. She would never forgive us anyway if we left her out."

Roen choked on a laugh. "That's true enough…"

After breakfast, Daunte went up to see Caesar in the war room. He saw Yuber and Pesmerga still staring each other down, but he approached Yuber. "Hi," he said.

"What do you want?" He asked coldly.

"You stayed, even after my colossal loss. I…" Daunte nodded. "Thank you."

Yuber shrugged. "You used your pathetic rune to revive your weak allies, so it was hardly a loss was it?"

"He failed to slay all of the High Clerics," Pesmerga called over to them.

"I killed two of them," Yuber snapped. "I was prevented from killing all of them."

"Lady Leknaat told me," Daunte said suddenly. "The Matron. She—"

"I know," Yuber interjected sharply "I am aware. Do not take me with you when you face her in battle."

Daunte was surprised to see Yuber so…scared. And he knew that it was because of Leknaat's sister, Windy. They worked together for centuries. Yuber had a contract with her all that time, but he left as soon as it was clear she would lose the Gate Rune War. To disregard a partnership that had lasted for centuries so quickly…he must have wanted to get away from her badly.

"I understand," Daunte said, nodding again. "Thank you again for staying."

Yuber grunted, saying nothing more. Pesmerga said nothing further until Daunte entered the war room. "So even you can be afraid?"

"You have never faced her in combat," Yuber snapped back at him. "You have no idea what she's capable of!"

"Hello, Lord Daunte!" Caesar greeted him. "What can I help you with today?"

"I'm going on a trip," Daunte said. "Not a recruitment quest, just a trip to Kõrkus."

"Is that wise?" Chinmaya asked, looking up from the table. "Sheikh Keha Hale and 200 of his forces were amongst the only survivors of the Battle of Winter Hill. Security is incredibly tight there."

"She's right," Caesar said. "But it shouldn't be impossible to get in. After all, even if the High Clerics know that we're back I can imagine that the people of Kõrkus haven't gotten that memo yet. I won't advise you against going, but I would recommend that you not stay long."

Daunte nodded. "For my party I would like Roen, Felicity, Surya, Mokuren, and, ah…Sloan."

"Sloan?" Chinmaya asked, her brow rising.

Daunte nodded. "If he's okay with going out without Adalgiso."

"I'll call everyone here," Caesar said.

Five minutes later the party was assembled. "WOO-HOO!" Surya cheered, throwing his arms around Daunte and Felicity. "We'll be traveling together again!"

"It's just for a short trip," Daunte said.

"Yeah," Roen said grimly.

"Are you okay, Roen?" Felicity asked. Roen nodded. "I-I…I need to do this."

"It's been years since I've been to Kõrkus, so no one should recognize me," Sloan said calmly. "Unless Keha Hale sees me, but he's not the type to leave his Garrison to walk the streets."

"I'll protect you, Prince," Mokuren said cheerfully.

"Just protect yourself too," Surya warned.

"So we're all here," Daunte said. "Let's go down and see Viki and have her teleport us."

On the way down to see Viki they ran into Brennus. The young man quickly pressed a note into Daunte's hand. "You're going to Kõrkus, right? Go here, it's my family's house! My parents will give you shelter for the night if you need it!"

"Thank you, Brennus," Daunte said. "How much do they—"

"Everything," Brennus hissed. "They know everything that happened. The only reason they haven't left Kõrkus is because it's difficult to move my father. Plus they don't want to draw attention to themselves since they were hiding me for three months. But if you go and see them, they will open their home to you."

"Thanks, again," Daunte said, slipping the note into his pocket.

Thankfully Viki did not have any mishaps with teleporting them, and they quickly arrived in Kõrkus. The air was chilly but it had stopped snowing. The streets were still filled with people but the atmosphere of the town was…somber. Ominous, almost. Daunte didn't see one person who had a smile on their face. No one even stopped them to test them on religious texts (which Daunte was immensely relieved about as he forgotten about it).

Since the Holy Army appears to have "won" the war, you would think the zealots would be happy the war was over. Do they know though that we are back? Or…Or are they unhappy with everything that happened at Winter Hill?

Daunte tried to glean some information from listening in on conversations, but very few people were talking. After a few minutes he decided to stop trying to get information and go find Brennus's house first. It was a modest cottage on a residential street, but he was shocked for what happened when he knocked on the door. A middle-aged woman answered, and her eyes went wide when she saw Daunte. Before he could react she grabbed Daunte by his collar and yanked him across the threshold. The group made noises of shock but then Daunte was crushed into a tight hug.

She definitely knows who I am.

Brennus's family was warm, loving, and full of questions. When they weren't showering praise and thanks upon Daunte for saving Brennus they asked if he was doing okay, eating well, and just being a diligent soldier. Daunte saw how difficult the situation was for Brennus's father and he had nothing but good things to say about Brennus, even if they hadn't been working for very long.

"Come visit us anytime you come back to Kõrkus," Brennus's mother told him. "We'll give you food and a place to stay safely."

"Thank you," Daunte said.

"You brought our son back to life," Brennus's father said. "There is nothing we can do for you that could measure to that."

The family gave them directions towards the Chapel, though Roen knew where it was. Roen's face became paler and paler as they walked down the streets towards the new Chapel. Daunte reached out and held onto his arm. "Hey. Are you okay?"

Roen nodded stiffly and swallowed hard without saying a word. Felicity moved to his other side and held his other arm. Both Daunte and Felicity kept him sandwiched between them protectively as they drew closer.

"We're going to a Chapel?" Mokuren whispered to Surya behind them.

"Yes," Surya responded.

Sloan said nothing but followed behind them. Daunte glanced behind him and saw the former Sheikh was looking at their surroundings to make sure they weren't being followed.

They rounded the corner, and Daunte saw the Chapel before them. The building was lovely and looked pristine, but when Roen saw the Chapel he suddenly shouted, "NO!" and wrenched himself free. He pushed past Surya and Sloan and turned back round the corner. Daunte hurried after him, only to find him sitting on the ground with his hands over his ears. He rocked back and forth where he sat, repeating, "No" over and over again. Daunte's throat tightened when he saw his friend in such a state and he sat down beside him and hugged him. "I'm here," he said.

"Me, too," Felicity said, sitting down on Roen's other side and holding him as well.

"We need to get off the street," Sloan said, moving to stand in front of the trio and blocking them from view with his body. "The citizens here are tense, so it's best we don't draw attention to ourselves."

"Roen, do you want to go back to Brennus's house?" Daunte asked him, keeping his tone soothing.

Roen let out a low, painful moan. His eyes were squeezed shut but tears slipped down his cheeks. "…Why did I come back?" He whimpered quietly. "Why did I deserve to come back more than they did?"

Felicity hummed softly and rubbed his back. Daunte recognized it as a hymn. It was one of the few soothing hymns from the Nagarist faith. "Sloan is right," Surya said reluctantly. "No one is around, but we should avoid trouble—"

"I'm sorry," Roen burst out, quickly scrubbing at his face. He struggled to bring himself under control. "I'm sorry. I'm okay now."

"You don't need to do this," Sloan said, looking at him. "This was not your fault."

"Yes it was," Roen rasped. Daunte knew if he had the strength he would've shouted the words.

"The sins of the parents should never pass to the child," Sloan said somberly. "As a believer of the faith I believed in Original Sin. I am aware that I slew children because of Original Sin. But it is idiotic to assign blame through a bloodline. My daughters are no more responsible for my sins than you are for your father's sins. Than the children were who fell at my blade. It is time you face the truth, Roen. That what was done was not your fault. That there was nothing you could have done to prevent it."

"But I could have!"

"How could a child with little fighting experience and no runes attached to his hands or forehead, stop a grown man with a fully-powered Rage Rune? How could a child predict that their parent could conceive of the idea of a massacre?" Sloan turned to face him fully. "You could not. You could not because you trusted your father. You trusted your father because you were a good child who only thought the best of his parent, and who only thought his parent had the best of intentions. You wanted to help your father because you thought he was helping. You are sinless in what happened Roen, because your intentions and feelings were pure. His actions do not taint you because you are pure. You feel you need to atone for what happened because you are pure."

Roen stared at him stunned. Daunte's mouth was hanging open. He wasn't surprised Sloan knew what Roen's father had done. It was because of the Kõrkus Massacre that Sloan accepted a Black Rune and turned into a monster. But there was no anger, hate, or condemnation in the older man's expression as he knelt down to their level. Sloan was calm, though his eyes were sad, but he held Roen's gaze unflinchingly.

"I am a monster," Sloan said softly. "I have caused ruin because of a foolish mistake on my part. But I know ugliness and evil, and I see none of that in you. You have been told that the Massacre was not your fault. That is the truth, and that is a truth you need to believe in. That is a truth you need to accept. You didn't kill those people. You didn't hurt those people. Their deaths were not your fault. Do you understand me?"

Roen sniffled loudly, and Daunte was startled. He looked at Roen but Roen was still looking at Sloan. He took a moment to collect himself and steadied his voice. "This was not your fault."

"This was not your fault," Felicity repeated softly. Surya and Mokuren were watching in silence. Daunte knew that there was nothing really that they could add to the conversation.

Roen ducked his head forward and pressed a hand over his eyes. He cried quietly for a few moments before he pulled himself together and wiped his face again. "…Okay. I'm ready now."

Daunte and Felicity helped him back to his feet. They were all very cold at this point and would welcome going in to the Chapel if for no other reason than to get warm. Roen led the way towards the Chapel but Daunte stopped Sloan. "Thank you."

"Everything I said was the truth," Sloan said, his tone still solemn. "Children should not pay for the sins of their parents. It shames me that I came to this realization when I committed so many heinous crimes, and knowing that Esther and Ciana could have been punished for those crimes had circumstances been different. The only person who needs to pay for what I have done is me. Just as the only person who should have paid for what Roen's father did was Roen's father."

"The Nagarist faith doesn't believe that either," Daunte said bitterly. "It was the High Clerics who twisted the Scriptures and invented Original Sin to suppress us."

"They have twisted many things against us," Sloan added.

The interior of the Chapel was empty but still welcoming. Daunte didn't even see any clerics around. The pews were empty and a large statue of Nagar stood on the dais looking down upon them with His angry eyes. Roen and Felicity moved to take a seat in the front pews. Surya and Mokuren remained standing in the aisle looking around. "Well, this place looks better than the Chapel in the Dark Chasm," Surya said.

"I don't think I'd ever get used to the idea of praying underneath a god that looks like THAT," Mokuren said softly.

"Neither would I," Surya agreed.

Daunte sat down beside Roen and Sloan took a seat in the pew behind them. Felicity was praying in silence but Roen was speaking quietly. "I only wanted to help you, Dad. I wanted to help but it didn't want to hurt anyone. But you knew that, didn't you? You knew, which is why you lied to me to get me to come with you. You didn't care about me. You didn't care about our family. You just wanted to hurt people, and fight for twisted goals. Well, New Dawn failed. They're gone just like you. You killed all those innocent people for nothing."

Roen's breathing was unsteady, and he clenched his hands together. "Everyone is telling me that this is not my fault," he continued quietly. "That this is your fault alone. The government blamed me, but they did it because of Original Sin. I blamed me because I was there and I didn't stop you. I—refused to believe that I couldn't have stopped you. You made me culpable with your crime; you made our whole family culpable." his body shook slightly and his teeth clenched. "I—hate you," he growled softly. "For what you did. I hate you for killing those people, and for destroying our family. I hate you for subjecting me to that. I still have nightmares about the screaming. But you knew that would happen, didn't you?"

His shoulders slowly relaxed and his opened his eyes. He unclenched his hands. "I'm tired," he said, staring at the floor. "I'm tired of carrying your burden. I'm tired of feeling sick all the time for what you did. I'm tired of being told that I'm not responsible for what YOU did and refusing to believe it. I—want to believe. I want to believe that this is not my fault. I want to let go and move on with my life, but—but I think I know. I know why I haven't been able to move on. It's because I wouldn't let myself forgive you."

Daunte gaped at him but Roen stood up. He approached the dais and reached for his belt. Daunte saw a bag of money there and he placed it at the feet of the statue of Nagar.

"I couldn't forgive you or myself, and because of that I kept letting the blame consume me. I gave you power by absorbing your guilt, and I gave you power by hating you so much with all my being. The hate…I don't know if I can let it go. But I will and I must." He sank down to his knees, his head still bent. After a moment he said, "…I will forgive you for what you did. Instead of concentrating on hate, when you come to my mind I will focus on forgiveness. I will do it until you no longer enter my mind ever again. When I leave here, your power over me will be released and it will never reclaim me again.

"As for my redemption…everyone said that this was not my fault. I need to accept it. I will accept it. I will become a better person each day, and I will grow into a man who serves others. I will not inflict such suffering on anyone. But I'm not doing this in spite of you." He raised his hand. "I'm doing this just for me."

Daunte felt Felicity catch his hand and she squeezed it tight. Daunte felt tears brimming in his eyes and he closed them, and he pressed his free hand to his face. We have been through so much. We have come so far, but we are still kids. Children who have suffered for no reason. Dad…where are you? How did you survive? Why did you let Arin and me suffer so much? Do…Do I even really want to see you again? Do you even want to see us? The sons you abandoned?

He made not a sound, but tears slipped down his cheeks.

…What?

Yuber blinked in confusion, his vision blurring. The newly familiar, uncomfortably abrupt sickness overtook his senses once more. It was worse this time; he could no longer see Pesmerga across the room. He blinked again, and he felt moisture on his cheeks. He quickly reached up and wiped at his cheeks, and his fingertips were wet. He blinked again to clear his vision, and more moisture slipped down his cheeks. Confused, he licked at his fingertips. The moisture was salty. He recognized the flavor.

Tears?