13. Questions


Zael headed back to the tavern to get a nice bath in and also recover from the fight he just went through with the Reptid Queen. He somehow managed to sneak past Ariela's good eye to get to his room and use the bath to wash up, relieving him of the worries of Ariela potentially seeing him bloodied and dirty and her asking questions.

He sighed as he laid back in the large bath, full of soapy, warm water. It soothed his aching muscles, just sitting there, and he closed his eyes, basking in the moment. It was nice to have a reprieve such as this to run back to.

Arganan told him, before he went into the bath, to rest up. Get ready to go back to the castle, he said. To go deep into the castle. Asthar would hopefully meet up with them, and then the party could head down to the castle depths together and hopefully they could make things work with the Lazulis half of the Outsider.

"I don't think Jirall did it."

Zael heard Therius' voice from outside the room, and Zael opened his eyes and strained his ear, trying to listen in on whatever conversation was going on outside.

"The evidence was there," Arganan insisted, his voice rough. "The bloody sword, left on his desk…Zael and Dagran found it!"

Zael tried to remember. He vaguely recalled a blur of shouting, but that was it.

"As far as I understand, Jirall had little combat experience. How could he possibly kill the General the way he did…?"

Zael sighed as he closed his eyes and leaned back in the bath again, Therius' argument jogging his memory. He could now imagine seeing a bloody sword on someone's desk, and Dagran, golden eyes peering at a letter from the Gurak, a snarl on his face as he pointed it out.

Hadn't Arganan told him that Jirall was revealed to be working with the Gurak and also killed Asthar?

And yet…Therius didn't think so?

Zael knew he had a lot of questions. What were his friends like, the other mercenaries? What about Calista? Was she dead like him at this point?

And…who exactly killed Asthar, if not Jirall as Therius thought it would be?

Zael knew he couldn't let the questions linger in his mind forever. He knew that he needed answers.

However, poring over questions forever definitely wouldn't help him rest.

The bath water was getting cold, and Zael knew it was about time to get out, get some rest, and hope the next day went as smoothly (or smoother than) today did. That was what he did.

As he finished getting ready to sleep that night, however, he thought of Asthar one more time. Hadn't he been blamed for some sort of rebellion? He wondered if Therius knew more about that. He decided that he'd ask him in the morning.