Suikoden VI

by Lady-Solita

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

12. Chapter One: Part Twelve

Sorry for the delays. It's been very humid in my area and my air conditioner isn't working properly, so that's made sitting at my computer typing very difficult.

---

Part Twelve

Tensions remained high within the group even after they departed Kõrkus. Despite having been rescued, Signe was still distressed by her ordeal and at being in such a different environment than what she was used to. Freyr did what he could to make his little sister comfortable, but the child didn't seem used to his doting behavior.

In normal circumstances he's probably a typical big brother—bossy and teasing. Daunte shook his head. Huh. I guess I'm not a typical big brother, am I?

Allise didn't say a word more after they departed. Gunther spoke with her in a gentle tone and used gentle gestures, but she politely rebuked him and kept to herself. Her reunion with her ex-husband, and the subsequent attempted murder he'd tried against her, obviously still weighed on her mind.

But she hung onto it in silence.

"She's going to have nightmares," Sierra said softly.

"She seems like a strong woman," Nash mused, just as quietly.

"Still, she's not dealing with what happened to her. It's going to flare up when she's most vulnerable."

"Speaking from experience, old girl?" Nash teased her.

Sierra laughed, but it was a hollow sound that chill Daunte to the bone. She reached out and pinched Nash's cheek hard. "Only from what I've witnessed, boy."

"Ow, ow!" Nash grabbed her wrist to try and loosen the hold, but her grip didn't waver. "A—ow—all right! I'm sorry!"

It was strange to hear the…endearments they had for each other. Sierra physically looked younger than Nash, but he kept referring to her as 'old girl' and even 'old hag', and Sierra likewise referred to Nash as 'boy'. It made him wonder how old they both were supposed to be.

Dr. Yulin said True Runes give their wielder immortality, right? So even though Sierra looks younger than Nash…she's probably much older than him. And even all of us, really.

And true to Sierra's words, each night they made camp and went to sleep, Daunte's sleep was broken by Allise's restless sleep, or the sudden short outburst she made when she woke from her nightmares. But she continued to keep to herself, and after each nightmare would wander into the dark away from camp. The first time she did it Daunte panicked and even woke Gunther up to go after her. They followed at a distance to see where she was going, particularly with how unsafe the wilds were at night.

When she finally stopped and sat down, Daunte believed it was a good opportunity to approach her and ask if she was all right. However, Gunther caught his shoulder and shook his head at him. "Wait."

"Why?" Daunte asked, but he got his answer when he saw Allise again. She had pulled her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs, and pressed her face into her knees. Then her whole body began shaking, although she wasn't making any sounds.

She's…crying?

"We should watch her and make sure she doesn't get attacked," Gunther told him. "Otherwise we should leave her alone."

"She's upset," Daunte said, stating the obvious. "Isn't there anything we can do for her?"

"If she wanted our help with this, then she wouldn't be out here by herself." Gunther ducked his head and frowned deeply. "Until she asks for our help, we should leave her alone."

Daunte didn't feel comfortable watching Allise from a distance, watching while she cried by herself. He felt like he was invading her privacy, but he wanted to make sure she was safe. Gunther also looked tense but he stood his ground and watched their surroundings in case a monster sprung out of the darkness to attack Allise.

After several minutes Allise pulled out a handkerchief and cleaned up her face. Then she stood up, checked her surroundings (and thankfully didn't see them), and hurried back to camp.

Gunther patted Daunte on the shoulder. "Let's go back, too."

"Right." They turned to leave when a sudden roar filled the air and caused the both of them to pause. A chill went down Daunte's spine. It sounded like a monster, but…much fiercer.

"You heard that too, right?" Gunther hissed. Daunte nodded and Gunther unsheathed his sword. "Be on your guard, Daunte."

Daunte nodded as they carefully made their way back to camp. A few moments later they heard another roar. It sounded much closer this time, but…it was strange. It sounded like it was coming from above them.

There was a sudden whoosh of wind directly above their heads, and Daunte and Gunther dove for cover. Daunte rolled and readied his tekko as he heard the beating of wings. He looked up, and froze.

"Whoa…" Gunther breathed, also looking up.

What they were staring at wasn't a simple monster. It was a dragon. A juvenile dragon that looked the size of a baby panda bear. Under the light of the full moon its golden body shimmered, and it rapidly beat its wings. It didn't look like it was attacking. It just looked like it was flying around. The dragon roared again, swooping towards the ground before turning its body back up towards the sky.

"W-What do we do?" Daunte hissed at Gunther. The young dragon didn't appear to be a threat in any way.

"I don't know," Gunther said. He slowly stood up while holding up his sword.

Above them to their north, there was sharp whistle, and then a shout. "Suna!"

The golden dragon immediately obeyed the call, and flew towards a plateau. Daunte stood up, and he saw a figure standing on the plateau. It was difficult to fully see the figure in the darkness, but the moonlight highlighted their features. It was a blonde-haired girl—possibly his own age—and she was dressed in an elaborate uniform he'd never seen before. She gestured to Suna, the dragon, and Suna landed smoothly on the ground in front of her. The girl immediately doted upon the dragon as though she were doting on a puppy, and Suna seemed to respond to the girl as though it were a puppy.

"Huh," Gunther said after a long moment, gaping at this display in the distance. "Maybe we should've brought that girl with us into the Great Cistern?"

Daunte wanted to approach her, but the girl picked up the small dragon into her arms and disappeared from sight. He tugged on Gunther's arm. "Let's go back to camp."

They made their way back to camp, and Daunte flushed when he saw Allise sitting at the fireplace, still wide awake. She looked up as they approached. "Where did you two go off to at this time of night?"

Daunte floundered, obviously not wanting to tell her they followed her to make sure she wasn't attacked. It was Gunther who spoke. "We saw a dragon."

"A dragon?" Allise asked.

"A small dragon, gold in color. It was flying around in the sky and it was obeying the command of a teenage girl."

Allise stared at him for a long moment before she laughed softly. "Gunther, Gunther. Is that the best lie you can think of?"

"It's not a lie," Daunte said. "We saw a small dragon just flying around."

"See, now you have Daunte spouting the same lie as you. You're a bad influence on the boy, Gunther."

"It's not a lie," Gunther insisted. "We—"

But Allise dismissed him with the wave of her hand. "Just go back to sleep. We have to head off early tomorrow."

Daunte knew that she wasn't going to believe their story, but he was also glad she wasn't aware they'd followed her. "G-Good night, Allise."

"Good night."

As he settled back onto his bedroll though, Daunte thought back to the girl with the dragon. It fascinated him that someone could…domesticate a beast like a dragon, but that one girl had succeeded. There's bound to be more people like her out there.

---

They set off the following morning, and at around midday they met a familiar face on the open plains. "Hello there!" Cairoh called out to them, waving. "Would you be interested in my wares?"

After the fight they'd had at Keha Hale's Garrison they definitely needed to replenish their supplies. And since they'd also mugged the soldiers they'd fought, they had enough bits on hand to replenish their herbs.

But Daunte was interested in something else. "Can I see your rare items?" Daunte asked.

"Of course." Cairoh pulled back the drape to his shelf holding the rare items. Daunte was surprised to see most of the amulets gone, but he also saw platinum-colored gauntlets that had an outrageous price tag on them. Otherwise he saw nothing that he could either use or readily afford. "Never mind, sir."

"All right." Cairoh reset the curtain and the group continued buying their supplies.

"Are you sure you don't want to join our Army?" Gunther asked. "We are in serious need of merchants."

"I will give it some thought," Cairoh told him. "But for right now I've made good business here in Winter Hill. Despite my lack of license the travelers here don't seem to mind. I'll be here for the time being, so feel free to come back if you need anything else from me."

They experienced no further troubles on the road back to headquarters. It still took a few days to make it back, but they thankfully weren't followed and the monsters they faced did not give them trouble. Allise however refrained from using her Pale Gate Rune again, and Daunte didn't necessarily blame her.

As they entered the forest leading to headquarters, Daunte's stomach turned as he heard loud commotion coming from the other end of the forest. It didn't sound like fighting, but it was definitely noisy.

"A lot must have happened while we were gone," Gunther said softly. All but Signe dismounted their horses to guide them on the uneven path to the castle. As they drew nearer, Daunte saw Army soldiers about, sharpening their blades and polishing their armor. Everyone seemed to be talking at once, and it became clear to Daunte what was happening.

The Army is marching.

"You've returned!" a soldiers shouted as they reached the castle. He hurried over to them. "Sir Gunther! Lady Allise! Lord Bearyl wishes to see you both immediately!"

"I imagine so, with all the people about," Allise said.

"Freyr, take Signe down to see Archana and Kaylani," Surya told his cousin as he lifted Signe from the saddle. "I'll meet up with you shortly."

Thankfully Freyr did not argue this and took his little sister's hand. "Come, let's go see Kaylani's baby."

"Okay!" Signe said, smiling. The child's demeanor had improved considerably since they left Winter Hill, and she skipped alongside her brother into the castle.

"People calling themselves "Queen's Knights" showed up this morning," the soldier continued. "They—"

"T-They've arrived!" Surya sputtered. He rounded upon the soldier. "Is my father here?!"

"I-I don't know who your father—"

Surya ran past him into the castle, and Mokuren hurried after them. Daunte looked at the others and took this as a sign that they needed to hurry as well. They ran after them, and inside Daunte saw more soldiers readying their armor and weapons. What's going on? If the Queen's Knights are here, then does this mean Bearyl is finally going to aid the royal family?

They made it to the doors of the war room. Bearyl Lutis, Caesar, Varnaz, and Lorik Varra were standing at the table in the back. Daunte saw four figures dressed in black uniforms close to the doors, and Surya shouted, "Toma!"

"Prince Surya. Are you all right?" A uniform-clad man with light pink hair saluted Surya before looking the prince over. His golden eyes shifted to Mokuren. "Excellent work on bringing the prince back safely."

"No thanks are needed," Mokuren said. "I was only doing my duty."

"I've looked in on Lady Archana and Lady Kaylani and I see that both are well and healthy. Have you found Princess Farrin and the others?"

"Freyr and Signe are downstairs and are safe," Surya said. "We haven't found Farrin yet, however."

"I see." Toma turned towards Bearyl and saluted. "On behalf of the Queen's Knights, we thank you for offering sanctuary to the royal family and for your assistance in rescuing them."

"You're quite welcome," Bearyl told him. "I established the Liberation Army because I couldn't stand the injustices occurring with this country. What happened to your princes and princesses is a grave injustice, one I cannot tolerate. We've done all we can to rescue the royals and to keep them safe here, and we will continue to do so."

Surya made an incredulous noise beside Daunte, and Daunte himself bristled. He's lying about his part in aiding the royal family! He's put forth the bare minimum effort, and he hasn't exactly hidden that he doesn't like helping them!

"Rest assured that we've sent some of our most dedicated and resilient soldiers out to aid Prince Surya," Bearyl said. He suddenly looked at Daunte. "Isn't that so, Daunte?"

Daunte gaped back at him, amazed at his gall. He didn't know what Bearyl expected to gain from outright lying about his hand in all of this, and taking all the credit for himself. But Daunte also recognized that Bearyl was his commanding officer, and it was because of Bearyl that he was able to get Arin the medical attention he needed. Not to mention the fact that Bearyl gave them safe haven when they had nowhere else to go.

So Daunte swallowed thickly, and nodded. "Yes, sir."

Daunte heard his companions shift and stir from his lie but he kept his gaze on Bearyl, who was nodding with approval. "See now? Through my efforts we have saved five royals thus far and only need to find one more."

"N-Nash?!" Caesar sputtered all of a sudden. His lazy eyes widened and he gaped. "What are you doing here?!"

"I could ask you the same thing, Caesar Silverberg," Nash called out from the doors to the war room. "You're quite far from the Toran Republic, aren't you?"

"Do you know that man?" Bearyl asked Caesar.

Caesar shook himself off and straightened. "I served in the same army as him during the Second Fire Bringer War. He's a spy from Harmonia."

"From Harmonia?!" Bearyl quickly looked back at Nash. "Did Harmonia send you here to help us?!"

"Not…necessarily," Nash admitted. "However, I did agree to come to this place to assist Daunte. And my missus was nice enough to volunteer."

"You brought your wife along with you on your mission?" Caesar asked.

"Rather, she invited herself along," Nash clarified.

"Well, where is she now?"

"What do you mean? She's right—ack!" Nash spun around as he realized that Sierra was no longer with him. "Where did she go?! Uh, I'll be right back." He fled the war room.

"You said he was a spy, right?" Bearyl asked Caesar. "How are his skills?"

"His personality can be off-setting, but he's got the skills to match his job title," Caesar said. "And if his wife is who I think it is, well then she's even stronger than he is!"

"Excuse me," Surya said. "But can we focus on what's at hand?"

"Princess Farrin is the Crowned Princess and the next Queen of Falena," Toma said. "Queen Lymsleia sees her children and nieces and nephew with equal amount of value, but politically Princess Farrin has the most value out of all the royals. We must find her, and soon."

"We might know where she is." Bearyl walked around the table towards the group. "Our scouts have reported to us that Sheikh Sloan Faakhir has left his Garrison with his primary military unit and has left a staff of only three hundred soldiers behind. Based on this information, it's easy to see that the Sheikh is planning something big."

"That is suspicious," Allise said. "But the Theocracy took the next Queen of Falena to a Garrison and not the capital for holding? That's even stranger."

"So Farrin might be at Sheikh Sloan Faakhir's Garrison?" Surya asked, looking at his Queen's Knights. Daunte inwardly shuddered at the thought of the Crowned Princess being in the custody of that monster.

"Before we rush off anywhere, we need more information," Toma said. He looked at Bearyl Lutis. "Who is Sloan Faakhir and where is his Garrison?"

"The Sheikh's Garrison is due west of here," Bearyl told him. "If you have a good horse and don't encounter many monsters on the road, the trip takes a little over a day."

"We'll need to keep the rescue royals secure and ensure the safety of Princess Farrin," Toma said. He turned to his fellow Queen's Knights. "I've received word that the Commander will be crossing the border tonight so he will meet up with us as well."

"My father is coming?!" Surya exclaimed.

"Of course he is," Toma told him.

"Before all of you rush off like that," Caesar interjected. "I would recommend gathering more information on this matter. We've confirmed that Sloan Faakhir has mobilized his troops and they are heading north, but we haven't confirmed whether or not Princess Farrin is at his Garrison. None of our scouts have been able to spot her."

"How would you know who to look for?" Toma asked, turning to face him. "Do you know what she looks like?"

"A fourteen-year-old girl in the Sheikh's Garrison would be hard to miss," Caesar told him.

"But we should still look," Surya insisted. "Faakhir has mobilized his troops for a reason!"

"That he has."

This new voice caused everyone to jump. Daunte quickly turned as the people around him drew their weapons.

"Ah, I am unarmed." A man with tawny hair tied in a long ponytail was standing there. He was dressed in silver robes that identified him as a Holy Army soldier, but he had no hood on his head. He appeared to be a man in his late sixties, but he stood straight and tall and despite some deep wrinkles on his face his features seemed oddly youthful. He was smiling as he stepped further into the room, but despite the friendliness of his demeanor there seemed to be something…off about him. "I am not your enemy."

"You come into my headquarters dressed like the Theocracy's soldiers and don't expect me to see you as a threat?!" Bearyl boomed. At his shout three Liberation Army soldiers rushed into the room with their swords drawn.

"Well, it is much easier to travel in the country dressed like this," the man said. He was completely unperturbed about being surrounded as he was. "But it's as I say. I am your ally, not your enemy."

"But I speak truthfully when I tell you that I'm your ally."

"Ah!" Daunte shouted, startling Surya. He surged forward and pointed at the stranger. "You! We met you in Tenaga and Kõrkus!"

"We did?" Gunther asked warily.

The man's smiled widened. "How very nice of you to recognize me…Daunte, was it? I've come here to deliver my report to you."

"Wai—WAIT!" Toma shouted, also surging forward. His eyes went wide. "You—I know you!"

The stranger glanced at him. "Ah, long time no see. I see you're still a Queen's Knight, Toma."

"Who is this person?" Mokuren asked.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself have I?" the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a large stack of card. "My name is Oboro. I'm the lead detective of the Oboro Detective Agency of Falena. How do you do?" he nonchalantly handed out his cards to the people surrounding him. "Please accept my business cards."

Daunte looked down at the card. It was intricately designed and had the name of the agency neatly printed on it. So, he carries around advertisements for his agency?

"Where exactly have you been?!" Toma sputtered. "I mean we keep seeing all those other detectives sneaking around Falena on jobs, but nobody's seen you in years!"

"I've returned to Falena," Oboro said defensively. "But I cannot stay while my work here in Nagarea is unfinished."

"But you left for Nagarea right after the Civil War! That was two decades ago!"

"Yes, well I can't just abandon my case. What sort of detective would I be if I did?"

"Wait, you fought in Falena's Civil War?!" Varnaz suddenly asked behind them. "How old were you when you did?!"

"Eleven," Toma responded over his shoulder. Daunte's eyes widened with shock at hearing this.

"It doesn't surprise me," Caesar mused. "The battlefield doesn't spare children, after all."

"You're a detective?" Bearyl interrupted, directing his question at Oboro. His tone showed he didn't necessarily believe him.

"I've heard of him," Caesar said, reading the card Oboro gave him. "Your agency was instrumental to the Loyalist Army during the Falenan Civil War. I've heard that your information network rivals that to the ninjas of the Toran Republic."

"I'm very proud of the work my employees do," Oboro told him pleasantly. "Why, just over thirty years ago I only had three detectives working under me. Now I have a team of over twenty detectives!"

"So your specialty is information gathering?" Bearyl asked. With Caesar's input on the matter he seemed more interested. "What exactly have you learned?"

"Well, this young man hired me to find Princess Farrin," Oboro said, gesturing to Daunte. "And I've come to make my report on the matter."

"Did you find the princess?" Daunte asked him.

"Of course I did," Oboro said. "Princess Farrin had been confined to Sheikh Sloan Faakhir's Garrison."

"Wait, was?!" Surya interjected. "Where is she now?!"

"After the lot of you stormed Kõrkus's Garrison and rescued Princess Signe, the Sheikh received orders to move Princess Farrin as quickly as possible. So he mobilized most of his infantry and is escorting the princess into the High Peak Mountains."

Daunte sucked in a sharp breath. The High Peak Mountains were highly dangerous and very expansive. They also framed the entire northwest coastline and the cliff sides along the beach were very steep. It was easy to lose your footing and fall to your death. He'd heard stories that mining use to occur within the mountains but operations had ceased due to the dangerous monsters. And the hostile Wingers that lived in the mountain range.

"So that settles it," Surya said, looking at Toma. "We'll follow the Sheikh into High Peak Mountains."

But Toma shook his head at the prince. "I've been given orders that you are to stand down, Prince Surya."

"What?" Surya's face fell when he heard this. "What for?"

"The Commander has given orders for you to stay put and secure your cousins. He gave me this order directly before I left Falena."

"I…I see." Surya ducked his head but he didn't argue further. "If the Commander orders it, then I'll obey the order."

"I'll stand with you, Prince," Mokuren said. "Don't worry, they'll rescue Princess Farrin."

"We should send word to the Commander of where to meet up with us," Toma said. "He's currently sailing the coastline with other Knights."

"Then he will most likely land at the Northern Wharf," Caesar said. "Just tell him to follow the beach westward and he will find the mountains."

Daunte looked back at Oboro. "Sir, I know I still owe you money—"

"You would like for me to make contact with the Commander and give him this new piece of information?" Oboro asked. He smiled gently. "I would be glad to. It's been years since I've met with the Commander. He was only seventeen years old when he led the Loyalist Army and hired my agency, but he was a boy with a good constitution and strong will."

"My father is a great man," Surya said. His voice swelled with pride.

"Indeed his is. You remind me a lot about him." Except that Oboro was looking at Daunte when he said this, not Surya. It made Daunte a little uncomfortable being compared to a teenaged war hero with the man's son standing right next to him. But Surya didn't look offended by Oboro's comment and instead fished into his pockets. "How much money do you require?"

"I'm technically still working, so we'll discuss my fee after I meet up with the Commander," Oboro said. He bowed slightly. "Well, if you'll excuse me…"

"Hold on," Bearyl said. "You said you were unarmed, right? Allow me to give you some escorts so you may reach the Northern Wharf safely."

"Thank you for the offer, but I would be much better off by myself. Don't worry; despite my age I'm quite good at taking care of myself." Oboro straightened. "Well, until later…"

Daunte half-expected him to simply disappear, as he had before. Oboro instead simply turned around and walked out of the room. He took the stairs and disappeared out of sight.

"If Oboro is as good as he was during the Civil War, he might beat the Commander to the Wharf," Toma said. He looked at Bearyl. "My Lord, our agents will be arriving here tonight. We intend to set out for High Peak Mountains tomorrow morning and meet up with the Commander. We appreciate your cooperation in all of this."

"It's the least I can do," Bearyl said. He waved to them. "It's still early, but it's best that you all get rested up. Tomorrow will be a very busy day for us all."

So that is why the Army is getting ready to march, Daunte thought as he saluted Bearyl and followed the others out of the room. We're marching to assist the Falenan royal family. It's about time…

---

Outside of the war room the group dispersed and went their own separate ways in the castle. Daunte headed downstairs towards the infirmary, hoping to meet up with Arin and check up on Archana's condition. Since Toma had said that Archana and Kaylani were fine, he knew that the Exploding Rune hadn't done permanent damage to Archana.

But I hope she's still fine nonetheless.

"There's too much natural light here."

Daunte glanced towards a dark corner of the main hall. Sierra was sitting there, holding a cloak over her head. So that's where she went, Daunte thought.

"The sunlight exhausts me, but I can't sleep because the rays of light give me a headache," Sierra complained. "It was a mistake to come here."

"Chin up, old girl," Nash tried to reassure her. He didn't seem bothered by the simple sunlight. "Do you see me complaining about the sun?"

Sierra glared at him. The gaze chilled Daunte to the bone. "The sunlight doesn't bother you because you're used to it."

Nash smiled at his wife. "Maybe it's my youth that—AUGH!" he shouted in pain as Sierra reached out and pinched his arm. Hard. "Ow, I'm sorry! Let me go!"

Daunte thought it was a good idea to keep his distance from the…happy couple, so he continued downstairs. He saw that Surya and Mokuren were following him so he knew they were also heading for the infirmary. Down the corridor leading to the infirmary however, what he saw caused him to stop in his tracks.

"Brother!" Arin was on his feet and running towards Daunte. He didn't waver where he stood and he didn't look sickened. He looked lively—healthy.

Daunte raced towards his brother and swept him up into a hug. He squeezed the child tight in his arms and squeezed his eyes shut. It's over. I didn't think it was possible, but it's over!

"He's got more energy than I do," Roen laughed as he approached them. "It's amazing what decent food and decent healthcare can do for the human body. You would never realize he was sick at all with how he looks now!"

"I heard the Army is mobilizing tomorrow," Arin said, pulling back slightly. "Can I come along, too?"

"Whoa there, Arin," Felicity said, reaching up to ruffle his hair. "Maybe you should practice with a sword first before fighting!"

Arin pouted, but he nodded in resignation as Daunte set him back down. "But I know you guys will be victorious!"

"How's your cough?" Daunte asked him.

"It's much better. I—" but Arin broke off with another coughing fit. Daunte was relieved by the sound though, as it wasn't a wheezing raspy cough but it sounded clear and normal. "I-I'm fine," Arin finished. "I'm well enough that Dr. Clara told me I could leave the infirmary. W-We have our own room downstairs, Daunte!"

"That's good," Daunte said.

"You look leagues better than you did before," Surya agreed. "Did you see my cousins, Arin?"

Arin nodded. "They're both awake, but Princess Archana seems upset about something. She hasn't said much and she looks like she wants to cry."

"Prince Surya." Israfil's voice floated over to them as he came down the corridor. He was carrying an armful of blankets. "I'd heard you returned and you brought Princess Signe with you. Well done."

"Thank you, General. But why are you carrying all of that?" Surya gestured to the blankets.

"The doctor felt that I was getting in the way and asked me to make myself useful," Israfil told him. Daunte was surprised to see someone with his rank be so unabashed about being dismissed for "getting in the way".

"So she sent you to fetch clean linens?" Surya asked, also surprised.

Israfil shrugged. "It's the least I can do."

"Do you want to see the Princesses?" Arin asked. "I thought I saw the other Prince and Princess go into the infirmary."

"Sure, let's go," Daunte said.

"Hopefully our presence doesn't antagonize the doctor," Mokuren muttered.

When they entered the infirmary Daunte immediately looked for Archana. Despite the reassurances that Archana was fine, he couldn't help but still be concerned for her health. To his immense relief, he saw Archana sitting up in bed. She was playing a card game with Freyr and Signe, who were also sitting on the bed, and the latter looked much happier than she had earlier. There were a couple of patients in there as well, but they didn't look bothered by the presence of the royals. In fact, it seemed like to Daunte that the sick and injured were taking comfort by their presence.

"—like this," Archana was saying. Out of the corner of Daunte's eye he saw Israfil carry his linens to a cabinet on the other side of the room. "I'm the kuppin, so I'll deal the cards to you two, the shippin. Now in order to reach Kabu, one of us has to draw enough cards to equal nine. Understood?"

"I think so," Freyr said, examining his cards.

"I don't get it," Signe complained softly. "Can't we play Go Fish?"

"Sure," Archana said. "We—oh!" she looked up as she spoke and saw the group standing in the doorway. "You've returned, Surya!"

"Where's Kaylani?" Surya asked, looking around the infirmary. Daunte also noticed the other princess was gone, as was Silvano and their baby.

"She's giving her son his first bath," Archana said pleasantly. "Have you seen him yet, Surya? My little nephew is so handsome!"

"We did," Surya said. He came further into the room and gestured to Freyr. The boy understood and began collecting the cards. "We received word about Farrin's whereabouts. We're leaving tomorrow to retrieve her."

"I—" Freyr began.

"And you're staying put," Surya told him curtly. "The Commander has ordered me to stay put as well, so don't get any bright ideas."

"Uncle Freyjadour told you not to look for Farrin?" Freyr asked. "But then why did he allow you to go on this mission in the first place?!"

"Because as you've already seen, many Queen's Knights have already arrived in the country. My father is arriving sometime tonight and is going to rendezvous with the others. With any luck we'll secure Farrin sometime tomorrow and we'll be on our way back to Falena."

"Is Mama here too?" Signe asked hopefully.

Surya reached out and tugged on one of her braids playfully. "You know the law, Signe. During times of conflict both the Queen and the Commander of the Queen's Knights can't be away from the Sun Palace at the same time. While one is gone, the other must stay to secure and maintain the Queendom. If my father is on his way here, then that must mean that Aunt Lym is the one securing the Sun Palace."

"Oh. But what about Papa?"

"If Mom stayed behind Signe, then Dad stayed behind to protect her in our uncle's absence," Freyr told her. "We'll see our parents soon enough."

"Oh."

"Do you know if my father is on his way here?" Archana asked softly.

"That I don't know," Surya said. "But if everything goes well tomorrow, then we'll all be back home within a couple of days."

"I see." Archana rubbed at her forehead, her fingers ghosting over the spot where the Exploding Rune had been attached. "I hate to sound like a pessimist, but this all seems like a bad dream."

"Are you feeling better?" Daunte asked.

Archana began to nod, but then she moaned quickly and forced a smile. "A-A little bit. I'll feel better once I'm able to get home."

"Hmm."

An awkward silence hung in the air as Daunte stood there with the others and Archana sat in bed. The black color of her mourning dress didn't exactly make her look healthy. "I—"

"I wanted to thank you."

Daunte blinked. "Eh?"

"My memories are a bit murky from when that Rune was activated," Archana said. "But I remember you, Daunte. I remember you trying to save me, and commanding your Rune to get the Exploding Rune off my head. I…" She bowed slightly from where she sat. "Thank you, for saving my life."

Daunte wanted to accept her thanks, but he felt awkward about being given full credit for something that involved other people. "Y-You're welcome, Lady Archana, but it wasn't just me." he gestured to Israfil on the other side of the room. "The General here tried to pull the Rune off with his bare hand."

"I-I'm hardly worthy of praise," Israfil immediately responded, approaching him. "What I did made absolutely no difference."

"Regardless, thank you," Archana said. She lifted her head, and Daunte saw deep sadness in her eyes. "And I'm sorry. I put all of you in an inconvenient position. I hop—"

"How can you say that, Archana?!"

Everyone jumped at Kaylani's shout. The princess stormed into the infirmary, cradling her son to her chest, as she walked around the group and rounded upon her older sister. "Did I just hear you say that your rescue was an inconvenience?!"

Archana raised her hands slightly. "Kaylani, I was only—"

"Don't you see any value in yourself?!" Kaylani snapped back at her. Daunte could hear the tears in her voice. "How can you speak about yourself as if you're not worth anything?! Do you have any idea what would happen to us if you died?! I already suffered through that once time, Sister, and I don't want to go through it again!"

Daunte felt incredibly awkward witnessing this and the looked at the others. Signe was frantically glancing back and forth between her older cousins. Freyr was plucking at the bedspread of the bed beside Archana's as though to occupy himself. Mokuren clearly looked like she wanted to step in and interfere but she stayed where she was. Surya however wore a stony expression, and also remained silent.

"Kaylani, please don't shout." Archana's voice was still calm, but her emotional state was heightening. "You'll disturb the ba—"

"What does my son, your nephew, matter to you?! You've changed, Archana, and not for the better! I've watched you wither away until you're nothing more than a shell of your former self, and then I have to hear you speak about your own life like it doesn't mean anything! Don't you give a damn how much we've all suffered with you all this time?!"

"Kaylani, I lost Darrick!" Archana shot back at her, her voice rising. "You cannot possibly understand what I'm going through because it's never happened to you! Your husband is alive and well! My husband is not, and I lost him the worst possible way you could ever lose someone you love! I watched him die right in front of my eyes, from the same poison that didn't kill me! So I'm sorry if my brooding is too much for you, but this is pain I've had to suffer with since the day he died! And it isn't going to simply go away just because my mourning period is almost over!"

"I understand your suffering," Kaylani told her. "And I know that if I ever lost Silvano like that, that I probably would lose the will to live! But is that what's happened to you, Archana?! Are you so dismissive about your life because Darrick is no longer in it?!"

"I loved Darrick!" it was a loud shriek. Archana was gripping the bedsheets and tears were streaming down her face. "I love him, Kaylani! I've always loved him, and I will never stop loving him! But not once have I ever thought about ending my own life! Do you know what the only thing I was thinking about when that Rune activated?! 'I don't want to die. I don't want to die'! I didn't see it as an opportunity to end it all! All I wanted to do was survive! So you don't you ever accuse me of not holding any value over my life again!"

Archana's shouting had startled the group, and Daunte gaped between the two sisters. Kaylani had also started crying, although her baby was currently crying harder than the two of them combined. The princess was trembling where she stood, and she opened her mouth to speak. "I—"

"Why is there shouting in my infirmary? Do any of you have any care for the injured recovering in here?!"

Everyone jumped at Clara's harsh tone. The young doctor stormed into the room, glaring at them all. Silvano had followed her in and rushed to his wife's side. "Did I not make it expressly clear that I don't want anyone upsetting Lady Archana?! After the ordeal she suffered, the last thing she needs is to have more stress induced upon her!"

"I-I," Archana sputtered, wiping away her tears with the sleeve of her dress. "I'm s-sorry. This is my fault."

"If none of you can conduct yourselves like adults, then you will need to leave!" Clara snapped. She glared at Kaylani. "I will excuse your heightened emotional state due to having given birth days ago, but this is my final warning. I will not tolerate any antagonism in here!"

"I-I-I understand," Kaylani stammered. She bowed as Silvano took their son from her arms. "Please excuse me for shouting."

"There are too many people in here," Clara said. She waved to them. "All of you, out! I'm sure you have other places to be anyways!"

"Yes, let's go," Surya said. He took Signe by the hand. "We have to prepare for tomorrow, anyways."

The group was herded towards the door by Clara. Daunte saw that Israfil had not been included in the group being evicted from the infirmary, but he also saw that the General looked very uncomfortable and deeply stressed. The man ducked his head and occupied himself with straightening the linens in the closet.

As they reached the door, Daunte turned towards Clara. "Thank you for restoring my brother's health," he said, bowing.

Clara stilled, and her features relaxed. Only somewhat. "You're welcome, Daunte. Now, please be on your ways."

---

Night had fallen. Daunte appreciated the room he shared with Arin. It was pretty bare besides the two twin beds, but the beds were far more comfortable than the ones in the Dark Chasm.

But Daunte couldn't sleep. He looked at the ceiling for a long time before rolling over to look at Arin. His little brother was fast asleep in his bed. It still warmed his heart to see his brother breathing so easily now, and sleeping so easily.

He's well, and I owe Bearyl Lutis for that. So I must rest up and be ready for tomorrow.

He tried to curl up and go to sleep, but sleep still did not come to him. Frustrated, Daunte kicked back the covers and stood up. Maybe I should take a walk around.

The Liberation Army headquarters was mostly silent. Everyone was undoubtedly resting for the campaign. It was strange wandering around in the darkness and to hear virtual silence, but Daunte didn't feel on edge.

He first went downstairs towards the small training arena. In a room without a door, he was surprised to find Nash and Sierra. Nash was still awake, while Sierra was fast asleep.

"Good evening," Nash greeted him. "You should really get some rest. You'll be quite busy tomorrow."

"You'll be busy too, right?" Daunte asked him.

Nash winced and shook his head. "I'm afraid we're going to have to sit this one out. Sierra hasn't been feeling good all day, and it shows."

"It shows?"

Nash gestured to her sleeping form. "She generally doesn't sleep at night, and yet now she's in a very deep sleep. I think she's not…eating well."

"She didn't eat the entire time we traveled to here," Daunte mused. "It's no wonder she's so sick then. I know it's none of my business, but does she have some sort of food allergy? I know Gunther tried to offer her some food on the road and she kept refusing."

"No, no food allergies," Nash said. "She just has very…specific tastes. As do I."

Daunte stared at him for a long moment. Come to think of it, did Nash eat at all on the road? I didn't remember seeing Sierra eat, but I don't remember seeing Nash eat either!

"We'll be all right," Nash reassured him. He reached out a hand and idly stroked Sierra's arm. "When my missus wakes up we'll go look for something safe to eat."

"…All right," Daunte said. Nash's statements left more questions than answers, but he didn't want to press the subject. "Have a good night."

"You, too."

Daunte left the room, and someone quickly caught his eye. The figure was sitting on the rail surrounding the arena. He hurried over to them. "Allise?"

"Ah, Daunte," Allise said, giving him a warm smile over her shoulder. "What are you doing up so late? We'll have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"But you're up as well," Daunte said. He leaned his arms on the rail beside her.

"I've had a lot on my mind," Allise admitted, her smile slipping a little.

Daunte's eyes caught the Pale Gate Rune on her forehead. "Is it because of your Rune?" he asked before he could stop himself.

Allise flinched. She looked at him fully, and Daunte was relieved to see that she didn't look angry. "In a way. This Rune has done nothing but brought me pain."

"I-I'm sorry," Daunte said quickly.

"No, don't be sorry. You haven't hurt me in any way." Allise turned away then and rubbed at the Rune symbol on her forehead. "My father was a runemaster. A few years ago the Sheikh—that man, asked my parents to look for a Pale Gate Rune. So they went on an expedition that lasted for seven months. They went into every cave and ruin they could find in this country, but didn't find a single whole Rune. Their only option was to fight specific monsters who could drop pieces of this Rune. They finally killed enough monsters to get four pieces of the Rune and assembled them."

"So…Keha Hale asked them to find the Rune?" Daunte asked. "Then how did you end up with it?"

"My parents came home, ready to deliver the Pale Gate Rune to that man. Except…" Allise flinched. "They found something out. That man wanted the Rune for a specific reason. The mayor of Barakada, one of the towns in the southwest, had slighted him and he wanted to make an example of him. So after the Pale Gate Rune was attached to his head, he intended on using it to raze all the farmlands surrounding Barakada. Then, he intended to use it on the mayor himself. And his whole family."

Daunte gaped at her in horror. Allise shrugged stiffly. "By the time my parents found this out, they had already told that man that they had the Rune ready for him. So feeling that they had no other option…my father attached it to my head instead. Furthermore my father used a secret technique when attaching it to ensure that it couldn't be removed. I believe my parents thought that nothing would come of it. I was sixteen years old, just a child really, so they thought that man would drop the matter."

"But he didn't."

"No…he didn't. When he found out what my parents did, he had them arrested for treason. Per the law of Original Sin, I was arrested as well. My parents were executed, and I was sentenced to the Dark Chasm."

"H-How did you end up married to him?" Daunte asked her. "If all he wanted from you was the Pale Gate Rune, then why didn't he execute you along with your parents? At his Garrison he seemed pretty intent on killing you."

"I honestly don't know why," Allise said softly. She ducked her head. "I was only at the Dark Chasm for three months, but during those three months I was constantly bombarded with runemasters and runemistresses trying to figure out how to get this Rune off my head. Nobody ever succeeded. After those three months the Sheikh suddenly showed up and announced that my penance had completed and I was free to go. The next thing I knew I was in the Grand Citadel being married to him. Married—to the man who killed my parents." She ducked her head so low that Daunte couldn't see her face. "I-It—the memory is a little fuzzy. I think I've been blocking it out or something. But I remember standing there feeling that man touch me, pinning a solid colored veil to my head and reciting marriage vows. I remember trying to run, but they caught me and dragged me back to the altar. I-I don't know why he insisted on marrying me. He didn't particularly like me and he's not…a kind man. Not at all.

"After that, he tried to use me as a living weapon. He wanted me to be a mindless tool who would use the Pale Gate Rune whenever he desired. I refused and he would…punish me for it. But I endured because I knew that if I gave in and did what he bid—that if I killed the people he told me to kill—that I would never be able to live with myself. I could never truly predict what he would do next. Some days he would have more runemasters trying to get the Rune off me, other days he would try to make me use it, and other days…" she shuddered. "That was my life for four years. Looking back on it I don't know how I didn't go mad."

"But you escaped him and divorced him," Daunte said. "What made you want to do that after living that nightmare for four years?"

"I found out that he…he'd had enough of me. I found out that he was going to have an assassin cut my head off and peel the Rune off my head. So I fled all the way to Mlkwt Alsmwat. I knew however that if I petitioned the Grand Citadel for a divorce that he would come after me, so I found a Cleric in the capital whose station was such that he could authorize a divorce without me having to go through the Cabinet of High Clerics. I got my divorce and I fled again, where…"

"Where Gunther kidnapped you?"

"Yes." She laughed for the first time. It was a warm sound. "It was the best possible thing that could happen for me. When he ambushed my carriage, all proud assertive, I practically hugged him. Not only did I find a way out of my marriage, but I could join an opposing Army and avenge my parents."

Allise sobered again. "The Theocracy ruined both of our lives, Daunte, and it's continuing to do so to countless people. We must stop them by any means necessary. And we must ensure that tyrants that Sloan Faakhir and—that man, pay for what they've done."

"I agree," Daunte said.

Allise smiled again and ruffled his short hair. "It's late. You should go off to be now."

Daunte could tell she didn't want to talk anymore, so he left her alone. Instead of returning to his room however, he went up the stairs towards the main hall. He paused however when he caught a familiar face at the opening of the corridor leading into the infirmary. "A-Ah, General Israfil?"

"Having trouble sleeping, Sir Daunte?" Israfil asked him. His arms were folded over his broad chest. "It's understandable. I imagine you've never participated in a campaign before, right?"

"R-Right," Daunte said.

"Just relax and follow the orders given to you. Your Lord Commander will give you the directions you need to advance."

"Okay." Daunte rubbed at his nape. "Will you be meeting up with Surya's father tomorrow?"

"Yes," Israfil said. "My purpose here is to find the royal family, and our Crowned Princess is the only one missing. I will go with the Queen's Knights and rescue her."

"What about—the royals already here." Daunte quickly caught himself. "Who will watch them?"

"Two Queen's Knights will stay behind with them. And Prince Surya is here. I'm certain I don't need to tell you of his skills. The fact that he became a Queen's Knight at his age is more of an indicator as any of his skills."

"I don't doubt it," Daunte said. "Surya's even better at fighting than I am."

"You're very skilled as well, Sir Daunte. I would recommend equipping a Boar Rune to your left hand. It will help with your hand-to-hand combat skills."

"I see." Daunte made a mental note of it. I'll look for a Boar Rune the next time I visit a rune shop.

"Is there anything else I can assist you with?" Israfil asked him

Daunte looked at him and hesitated for a brief moment. It wasn't any of his business, and he was fearful that he would do more damage than good. Ultimately he couldn't stop himself from saying, "I saw something."

"Saw what?"

"My Rune." Daunte held up his right hand. "For some reason it allows me to see old memories. W-When I removed Lady Archana's Exploding Rune, I saw a memory of hers."

"Then you shouldn't be telling me such a thing," Israfil admonished him softly. "That would be an invasion of Lady Archana's privacy."

"It was her wedding reception," Daunte quickly reassured him.

"…Oh." Israfil was still tense though. "What did you see per chance?"

"I saw you," Daunte said, still using a soft tone. "You were watching Lady Archana and her husband. You…you looked happy."

"Of course I was happy," Israfil told him. "It was a happy occasion. Or at least it was until Lady Archana and Lord Darrick were poisoned."

"Well…" Daunte rubbed at his nape awkwardly. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything at all? He gathered the nerve to continue. "I-It just seems like you feel strongly for Lady Archana, so I was surprised to see you watching them and looking so happy."

It was Israfil's turn to look uncomfortable. He stepped closer to Daunte and spoke in a low voice. "Have you told her Ladyship about this?"

"No—"

"Then please don't. Please don't tell anyone else what you just told me."

"R-Right." Daunte bowed deeply. "I'm sorry for offending you."

"You haven't offended me, Sir Daunte. But you're correct in that I feel…strongly for Lady Archana." Israfil looked towards the infirmary. "I've harbored these feelings for her for a little over a decade or so. It must sound pathetic for a man my age to hang onto youthful infatuation like this, but…that is what it is."

"So you…even before she got married?"

"I had wanted to court her, but her eyes were for Lord Darrick and Lord Darrick only. It was a very bitter pill to swallow, and I was angry. I had never wanted anything in my life before meeting her, and yet when she looked at me she only saw the son of a faithful general, nothing more. It was difficult knowing that I had fallen for her so deeply, and I never even stood a chance."

"…What changed?" Daunte asked him.

"My father. As I said, experiencing unrequited love wasn't easy for me to deal with and it affected my mood considerably. My father finally sat down and talked with me and I told him everything. I'd never felt so embarrassed in my life, but he wanted the truth and I couldn't deny him. After hearing me out he gave me some advice. He told me to challenge myself and watch Lady Archana interact with Lord Darrick. He told me that if I truly loved her, then it wouldn't hurt to see them together and that I would embrace the love and happiness they felt. That if what I was feeling was true, then I shouldn't be so focused on what made me happy, but rather what made her happy."

"So what did you do?"

"I went to Sol-Falena, and happened upon them in the gardens of the royal palace. Lady Archana was decorating one of the fountains and Lord Darrick was helping her and then they both fell into the fountain." Israfil chuckled at the memory. "It was difficult seeing how happy she was with another man, but she was very happy with him. She smiled at him and looked at him in a way that she didn't smile or look at anyone else. I couldn't deny that he fulfilled something in her that no one else could, and that he was perfect for her. And while it hurt me that it wasn't me who made her feel this way…in a way I was thrilled just to see how complete she was with him. It gave me the reassurance that she would be content, even if it wasn't with me."

But it wasn't to be. Someone poisoned their wedding cake and Darrick died.

"So if you saw me happy at her wedding reception, it's because I was happy," Israfil finished. "I was happy for her that she found happiness, and I took no joy in the tragedy that occurred. Granted there were opportunists who tried to sweep in and comfort the grieving widow, and even now I cannot conceive why anyone would do such a thing. With how much she loved Lord Darrick it doesn't surprise me that Lady Archana would stay faithful to him even after all this time."

"…You are also not married though," Daunte pointed out quietly.

"Correct, but that has nothing to do with Lady Archana. Rather it does, but it's not because I'm holding out for her. I came to terms with the fact that she would not reciprocate my feelings, and I was content enough to feel happy for her relationship with Lord Darrick, but no matter what I do I cannot abandon these feelings I have. I have tried to and move on, but I cannot. How can I possibly marry someone else when I cannot let go of my youthful infatuation? It would be completely unfair to any wife I would take, and I could never put anyone through that. I've accepted my feelings are unrequited, but…I cannot will myself to let them go. So until I do, I won't wed myself to someone else."

Daunte himself had never experienced love like this so he didn't know how to relate to Israfil, but he did feel bad for the man. It had to be tough to be in love like that, knowing nothing would ever come of it, but being unable to move on from these feelings.

It's so strange, though. It was Archana's memory, so it was her experience. She was so focused on Darrick, yet I also noticed Israfil watching them. So…does that mean Archana had also seen him watching them?

But Daunte didn't dare say it out loud. "Thank you for sharing this with me," he said. "I know it's not any of my business, but thank you all the same."

Israfil glanced at him. "I trust you, Sir Daunte, and you have Prince Surya's confidence as well. You're easy to talk to and I know that you wouldn't gossip about such matters. But in any case, we should both retire for the night. We must rescue Princess Farrin tomorrow, and I don't believe the Sheikh will give her up without a fight.

He definitely won't give her up without a fight. "Have a good night, General."

"You as well." Israfil saluted him and descended the stairs towards the barracks below.

Daunte however still wasn't tired. As he looked around the main hall he became aware of other doors and corridors he'd never explored before. One door was wide open and illuminated by moonlight. He decided to explore down this hallway. He found nothing of value however besides walls that had caved in. There wasn't any furniture about, either. He looked down at the stone floor and saw an aging blue carpet that 'crunched' beneath his feet.

I wonder how Bearyl Lutis found this place. This castle may be secure, but it's a bit dilapidated compared to the Army's previous headquarters.

"—squandering this."

Daunte paused at this sharp remark, and pressed himself against the wall. He slowly inched along the wall and peeked around the corner. He recognized the two people standing in front of an ornate window and quickly ducked back around the corner.

But he still listened.

"I'm not squandering anything, Caesar," Bearyl Lutis said. "I'm seeing an opportunity and I'm seizing it. This opportunity will not rise again."

"Do you think the opportunity to assist the Falenan's will rise again?" Caesar argued with him. "I understood your apprehension before because of the little knowledge we had about what Queen Lymsleia plans were, but now we know what her plans are! We have several Queen's Knights assembled here, and we know the Commander of the Queen's Knights has landed on the Northern Wharf! The Queen is not going to negotiate with the High Clerics for her children, so why would you not want to assist them in this matter?"

"Caesar, how is assisting them going to help us right this minute? We could divert our forces to rescuing Princess Farrin, but what would that mean? Sloan Faakhir will still go back to his Garrison, and he will try and take Zinnia back! Furthermore, we have no real guarantees that the Queen would give us help to fight! Once she has her children back and they go home, we would have no way to hold her to it! I can't afford to make unstable alliances we could not reap the rewards of until years down the road—if at all!"

"And do you honestly think the Queen would give this Army any aid once she learns of how little we did to save her children and her nieces and nephew?!"

"I see no reason why she would have any complaints about my Army, considering the fact that my soldiers have saved her kin and I have given them safe haven."

"But both princes will most likely report to the Queen of your lack of involvement in these matters!"

"I've already made my decision, Caesar, and we will march tomorrow. Is that understood?"

There was a long moment of silence, and Daunte held his breath while he waited for Caesar's answer. Finally the strategist said, "Of course, my Lord. We will move on your order."

"I'm glad we reached a consensus. Have a good night." Bearyl's footsteps quickly approached and Daunte flattened himself against the wall even more, praying that the Commander would not see him. Luckily Bearyl kept walking forward and did not turn down his corridor, and Daunte watched him round a corner and disappear out of sight.

"Damn it!" Caesar hissed, and Daunte heard a thud as he punched a table. Daunte wondered if he should leave the strategist alone or go to him and ask him if he was all right. After a moment he decided and turned the corner to see Caesar.

The strategist was standing before a small round table, rubbing at his knuckles. His head was bent over and he was frowning deeply. Daunte swallowed thickly and approached him. "L-Lord Caesar?"

Caesar started slightly, and straightened. He forced a lazy smile at Daunte. "Ah, it's you. Has anyone ever told you that eavesdropping is rude?"

Daunte flushed, and a denial immediately rose to his lips. He quickly debated if he should lie about listening in or fess up. Finally he said, "H-How did you know?"

"The fact that you approached me so quickly after Lord Bearyl left was a big enough clue." He slid his hands into his pockets. "How much did you hear?"

"A little," Daunte admitted. "B-But not enough to know what's going on."

"Well, since Sheikh Sloan Faakhir had departed his Garrison with Princess Farrin and his entire main unit, our Commander has decided that this is a perfect opportunity to launch a campaign and seize the Garrison for ourselves."

Daunte gaped at him for a long moment before he sputtered, "W-We…We're not assisting the Queen's Knights?! But I thought we were getting ready to march with the Queen's Knights to the High Peak Mountains!"

"Not directly," Caesar said, his tone clipped. "We're instead focusing our efforts on gaining another stronghold in the northwest."

Daunte shook his head violently. "I-I…I don't understand this."

"This is the wish of our Commander, and we must abide it."

"But what about Princess Farrin? She's the heir to the throne of Falena! The Queen's Knights alone don't have enough strength to take on Sloan Faakhir's main unit! And this is Surya's cousin, the Queen's daughter! The Queen will know that we didn't help them in any way!"

"All valid points, but you're wasting your breath. Our Commander has made his decision, and we serve him. We must obey his orders."

"But aren't you his strategist?! Can't you tell him what he's doing is wrong?"

"Didn't you hear me tell him what I thought of his plan?" Caesar wrung a hand through his hair. "Lord Bearyl has legitimate concerns about reaching out to Falena for an alliance. There is a degree of uncertainty reaching out to a nation that has a hostile history with Nagarea. But at this stage of the game we need strong allies, and…" he shook his head. "I'm saying too much. Don't listen to me."

Daunte frowned. "If you want this alliance with Falena, then why have you always sided with Lord Bearyl when he's denied aid to Surya? You almost look two-faced when you talk out of both sides of your mouth like that."

Caesar laughed at that remark. "You say exactly what's on your mind, don't you?" he sobered up quickly. "But to answer your question, I agreed with Lord Bearyl because that is what is expected of me."

"Expected?"

"A strategist can always disagree with their commander in private, but in public they must always support any and all decisions they make. So no matter what Lord Bearyl says in front of our soldiers or foreign dignitaries, I must always agree with him. If I don't agree with him, then that gives the impression of instability at the top of the power chain. That kind of instability will negatively affect morale amongst our troops, and it will also show disunity among potential allies. And potential allies who play their cards right would never ally with an Army if the commander and strategist are not unified."

"…Oh," Daunte said softly. Truthfully he'd been irritated with how Caesar had appeared to be a yes-man for Bearyl, despite the commander's questionable decisions. But with this new bit of information, it made him see Caesar in a different light. So even if he personally disagrees with his Lord, once the Lord decides something he must follow through and support him anyways? That has to be tough.

"Bearyl Lutis is many things," Caesar said suddenly. He stepped closer to Daunte and lowered his voice. "He has vast knowledge about the Theocracy and he has amazing charisma one would expect from a former Cleric. In terms of war strategy, however…he is severely lacking. More so he is thin-skinned and prideful. While knowledge and charisma are great attributes to a good leader…these flaws are not."

He smiled and patted Daunte on the shoulder. "Get some rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow." Then he walked away and disappeared down the corridor. Daunte watched him leave, at a loss for words. Finally he shook his head and turned back around to head back to his room.

I thought we were assisting the Falenans, but instead we're seizing Sloan Faakhir's Garrison in his absence? Then what's going to happen to the Falenans when they meet with the Sheikh's main military unit? Moreover, what's going to happen to US when the main military unit comes back to reclaim the Garrison? I don't like this at all.

---

The Falenans were already gone by the time Daunte woke up. He quickly got ready and yanked on his armor, but his heart was pounding in his throat. He had a sick feeling in his gut that he couldn't shake off.

This isn't right. There will be plenty of opportunities to take over Sloan Faakhir's Garrison. This will probably be our only chance to help the Falenans, and yet we're not.

"Daunte, please be careful." Arin no longer looked excited over the potential of battle. The boy now looked frightened. "Don't get yourself killed out there, okay?"

Daunte paused in pulling on his armor. He knew he could put up a front and be brave in front of Arin, or he could voice the very real fears he was feeling. But he didn't want to frighten his little brother, so he forced a smile and ruffled his hair. "There's nothing to worry about. With my True Rune I won't fall so easily. I'll be back before you know it."

His feigned confidence did help Arin relax, but the boy still surged forward and hugged him tight. "Mom and Dad will keep you safe, I just know it. But please don't get hurt. Please."

"It'll be all right, Arin." Daunte returned the hug but he closed his eyes. Please watch over me, Mom. And please…please let nothing happen to the Falenans!

Shortly thereafter, Daunte met up with Felicity and Roen in the main hall. Heavily-armed soldiers were grouped in clusters around them, and their conversations did nothing to reassure Daunte.

"Marching on the Garrison—"

"—not going to the High Peak Mountains?"

"Is Lord Bearyl out of his mind?!"

"—don't owe the Falenans anything—"

"But this is the future Queen we're talking about!"

"—waste, such a stupid waste—"

"Unbelievable," Roen fumed, though he kept his voice down. "We're seizing a minimally defended Garrison instead of rescuing Surya's cousin! Is Bearyl Lutis an idiot?!"

"Roen, keep your voice down!" Felicity hissed at him.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" Roen rasped quietly. "I told you joining the Liberation Army was a mistake! Now look at our mess! We're stuck following the selfish whims of a leader who is too stupid to take the opportunity for an alliance! Or was this the work of his strategist?!"

"A-Actually, Lord Caesar opposed this campaign," Daunte quickly chimed in, just as quietly. "But Lord Bearyl couldn't be sway so he gave in."

Felicity groaned, and rubbed at her forehead. "This isn't the same as conquering a town! Even if we actually succeed at grabbing that bastard's Garrison, how long will we actually be able to hold it?! The other three Sheikh's will raise their banners and march upon us to take it back! I've never fought on a battlefield and I understand this!"

"Does Surya know?" Daunte asked softly.

"Yeah," Roen said grimly. "They all do. I wouldn't approach any of them if I were you, they're all in bad moods right now."

"Attention!"

The entire assembly fell silent and turned towards the stairs. Bearyl Lutis was coming down the stairs, also suited in armor. Caesar, Varnaz, Gunther, Allise, and Lorik all followed him. "We will begin the march shortly. Caesar will give a quick explanation of our campaign." Bearyl stepped aside and gestured to Caesar to step forward.

The young strategist stood front and center. He revealed nothing on his face. "We're going to march upon Sloan Faakhir's Garrison. Our scouts have confirmed that the fortress has the bare minimum security, so this is a…opportune time to take it over. We're going to split our forces into seven units. You will get your assigned unit once we're within range to begin our siege, and your unit will also be given its marching orders at that time. Does everyone understand?"

"Yes, sir!" the entire assembly shouted back.

"Good!" Caesar smiled at them. "Then let's move out and seize ourselves a Garrison!"

Soldiers around Daunte erupted in cheers, but Daunte couldn't bring himself to join in. He simply nodded at Roen and Felicity and grabbed their hands. "Be careful out there."

"You, too," Felicity said.

"I'm not at all worried about you," Roen said. "That True Rune on your hand will protect you. But we should watch each other's back in any case."

---

They reached their destination quickly and set up camp. Daunte found himself standing in a tiny tent with Roen and Felicity, the three of them shrugging on armor. The closer they got to the Sheikh's Garrison, the more worried Daunte became. His mind kept wandering back to the Falenans who had gone into the mountains and he bit his bottom lip. There's nothing I can do for them now. All I can do is hope they succeed.

"The three of you have never fought in a war campaign, have you?"

Daunte looked up from fixing his armor. He was surprised to see Varnaz standing at the tent's flap watching Roen, Felicity, and him. The Lieutenant General had a stern look of disapproval, but he came further into the tent to address them. "Fighting in a war campaign is very different from your standard hand-to-hand combat fights. The stakes are much higher as well. Whereas if you fall in a fight with a foe in standard combat, your injuries are generally tended to immediately if there is someone there to treat them. A war campaign is different. If your unit falls, then you have the chance of being seriously injured. Your chances of dying are also great. So if you fall on the battlefield in a war campaign, there is no coming back from it. Do the three of you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Daunte said. Roen and Felicity chimed in in kind.

"Our forces have been divided into five units; two cavalry, two infantry, and one rune archer unit. The three of you will be part of an infantry unit that does not have a commanding officer. Lord Caesar has recommend that you." He gestured to Daunte. "Be the commanding officer of the unit."

"Me?!" Daunte sputtered, pointing to himself.

"I have no idea why," Varnaz said sharply. "You are a boy with no military training, and there are soldiers in this unit far more qualified than you to take command. But it was the wish of the Army strategist, and Lord Bearyl agreed. You should count yourself lucky that we are seizing a Garrison lacking its usual manpower and not taking on a full-fledged Army. Otherwise there would be no way we could fulfill Lord Caesar's request with this."

Daunte gaped at Roen and Felicity, who looked equally shocked. A spike of panic shook through Daunte. I'M leading a military unit? But why? This is my very first battle!

"As commanding officer of your unit, you're to come with me and receive your marching orders," Varnaz said. "You will then relay them to your unit." He nodded his head towards the tent flap. "Let's go."

I-I don't even have an option to refuse this? Don't they want to win this battle? How can they possibly win this battle if they assign a completely inexperienced teenager to lead a unit?!

Daunte looked at Roen and Felicity once more, and then looked at Varnaz. There were so many things he wanted to say in that moment but couldn't find the words. Finally he ducked his head and followed Varnaz out of the tent.

Varnaz spoke no more words to him as he quickly walked towards the largest tent in camp. All around them soldiers were getting prepared for the battle and Daunte anxiety only grew with each step. What am I supposed to be doing? I have the lives of an entire unit in my hands! If I screw up then they all will die!

"Ah, you're just in time!" Caesar called out to them as they entered the tent. Bearyl Lutis, Gunther, Allise, Lorik Varra and Tala, and he were standing at a large table in the center of the tent. "Don't look so anxious, Daunte," Caesar directed at him. "We have this all carefully planned out. If you follow exactly what I tell you to do, then you'll be fine.

"Our scouts have indicated that the three units guarding the Garrison comprise of an infantry unit, a cavalry unit, and an archer unit," Bearyl began. "The infantry and cavalry units are stationed at the front entrance of the Garrison." He pointed to the two figurines on the map. "And the archer unit is on the walls of the Garrison itself." He pointed to the one figurine directly over the symbol of the Garrison on the map. "Allise, you're our rune archer unit. I wanted to keep a steady focus on these archers and quickly use your Pale Gate Rune. With the archers gone then we can storm the Garrison quicker and we won't have to worry about any raining arrows from above."

"Consider it done," Allise said. "However, I must warn you that my unit is of equal strength as the enemy archer unit. I may not be able to take them all out with the two uses I have with my Rune."

"It will still strike a decisive blow against the archers, and then while we move in you can focus on the cavalry unit."

"With all due respect, my Lord," Gunther said. "Shouldn't we have Allise focus primarily on the cavalry unit? Rune archer units are superior to cavalry units and so she would be able to wipe out that entire unit with possibly just one use of her Rune."

"No, we must take out those archers first," Bearyl said. "Our two cavalry units, led by Varnaz and myself, will focus on the one cavalry unit. Gunther, Lord Lorik and you shall comprise one of the infantry units and focus on the other infantry unit."

"If I may add something, my Lord," Caesar said. "While it is practical for our cavalry and infantry units to focus on their respective enemies units, pitting units of equal strength against each other will prolong the battle and may cost us more lives."

"We'll be all right," Bearyl insisted. "We outnumber the enemy forces five to three. So long as the Sheikh's main forces occupy themselves with the princess from Falena, we'll be able to seize the fortress."

Daunte hesitantly raised his hand. "L-Lord Bearyl. What shall I do?"

"Ah, yes," Caesar said. He reached under the table and plopped a rolled-up tapestry on the table. "While we take out the Sheikh's forces, your job is to storm the Garrison itself and raise the flag in victory. We'll carve an opening through the Garrison forces for you."

"Hold on a moment," Tala suddenly spoke up. It was the first time Daunte ever heard her voice. "Unless I'm mistaken, am I to understand that my Lordship's unit will be taking on a unit alone?!"

"One infantry unit can handle another infantry unit," Bearyl told her. "Especially with Lieutenant Gunther leading it."

"You're directing two units to attack the cavalry unit," Tala shot back. Lorik tried to quietly pacify her, but the young woman shook him off. "Three if you account for the fact that Lady Allise's unit will be coming back to assist yours, my Lord. Why not have Lady Allise's unit join my Lord's unit after she disables the archers?"

"Rune archer units, and archer units in general, are inferior to infantry units and can be disabled by them quickly," Varnaz told her. "We would risk Lady Allise and the lives of 100 soldiers serving under us if we send her after your unit."

"What about risking the life of my Lord?! Or your Lieutenant?! Or the 100 people serving in that unit?!"

"Tala, please," Lorik said softly.

"I'm not afraid to assist Gunther's unit," Allise suddenly chimed in. "If my unit keeps its distance, and Gunther keeps them occupied, then my unit should be able to handle them despite our natural handicap."

"You will do as commanded," Bearyl said. "Disable the archers and then come back and assist Varnaz and I in dispatching the cavalry unit. After we do so, then we will turn and give aid to Gunther's unit."

"I'm honored, my Lord," Gunther said. "You must trust me if you give me so much independence on the battlefield."

"Excuse me," Daunte said quietly. "But I don't understand most of what's going on."

"Battlefield fighting is very rudimentary," Caesar told him. "There are units that serve different functions, such as infantry, cavalry, and archers. Infantry is naturally stronger than archers but weaker than cavalry, cavalry is likewise stronger than infantry but weaker than archers, and archers are thus stronger than cavalry but weak to infantry. You can design any sort of battle system based upon what units you have and what the enemy units are."

"I-If my unit is infantry, and infantry is superior to archers, when maybe my unit should fight the archers?" Daunte asked. Bearyl frowned in disapproval at him so he focused on Caesar. "A-After all, my unit's task is to storm the Garrison anyway. We'll encounter the archers no matter what so maybe my unit should take them out so your units can focus on the cavalry and infantry units?"

"And allow a teenage boy to lead my soldiers to their deaths?" Bearyl said darkly. "I don't think so. You'll do as commanded and wait for our signal to march upon the fortress. Your job is to raise our flag in victory. Nothing more."

Daunte gaped at him for a long moment. He…He doesn't trust me to lead his units? Then why am I leading at all?

"It's decided," Caesar said. "Go gather your units and get ready to march to victory!"

Everyone quickly departed the tent. Daunte turned to go, but Caesar grabbed his arm and stilled him. Daunte looked at him, but the strategist was watching the tent flap carefully. Once he was sure they were alone he spoke. "If you want to engage the archers, then I'll give you permission to. And I'll tell Lord Bearyl such. But don't do anything reckless that will endanger the lives of the soldiers in your unit."

Daunte quickly nodded. "I-I understand."

---

Seizing Sloan Faakhir's Garrison

Garrison Forces: 300

Liberation Army Forces: 500

Victory: Seize the Garrison and raise the flag of the Liberation Army

Failure: Daunte's unit falls

Daunte stood before the 100 people serving in his unit. His stomach was doing flip-flop as all 100 of them stared back at him expectantly. Many of the soldiers were much older than him and had the hardened, seasoned look of a veteran. Daunte swallowed thickly, but he kept his chin high.

When he finally gathered the nerve to speak, he surprised himself by keeping his voice steady. "We have the flag. Our job is to hold the line and wait for the other units to carve a path for us, then we will seize the Garrison."

"We're not participating in the battle?!" one soldier demanded. "Not at all?!"

"Caesar gave us permission to attack the archer unit if necessary, but our orders are to leave the archers to Allise—"

"But wouldn't Lady Allise's unit be better suited to fight the cavalry unit?" another interjected. "We're infantry! We should be taking care of the archers!"

Daunte didn't expect the soldiers to be so…verbal in their disapproval of Bearyl Lutis's tactics, but it did make him feel better that he wasn't alone in thinking that the overall strategy wasn't very practical.

Although he was even more shocked that the soldiers weren't openly voicing their disapproval about a teenager leading their unit. "These are the orders given to us. So while the other four units focus on beating the enemy units, we must figure out a way to get into the Garrison as quickly as possible."

"We could scale the walls at the southern side," another soldier stated. "Once our other units start advancing, the archers will be too preoccupied with them to focus on us."

But it still didn't sit well with Daunte that the other units were essentially serving as bait while they snuck in. He looked at Roen and Felicity, and had a sudden idea. "Roen, how much range do you estimate your Fire Rune to have?"

"If we get close enough to the archers, then I can try focusing a single blast on them," Roen said. "But with the amount of power and concentration it'll cost me, I think I'll only be able to pull it off once."

"Right," Daunte said. He turned back to the unit. "Allise will be focusing her Pale Gate Rune on the archers. From what it sounds like, she'll only be able to use it twice. What we'll need to do is move stealthily but quickly towards the southern part of the Garrison. We'll need to get into range either before or immediately after Allise uses her Pale Gate Rune. At that time, Roen will use his Fire Rune on the archers. Whatever is left over we'll be able to easily dispatch on our."

"And that way, Lady Allise will still have one more use of her Pale Gate Rune to use on either the cavalry or the infantry," another soldier piqued up. "That's a great idea!"

"If we're going with that then we need to move now," Felicity said, looking over her shoulder. "It looks like the other units are already marching on the Garrison."

"Everyone, please stay together!" Daunte called out. "Whatever injuries we may sustain during the battle I will try to heal with my Rune! But if we spread out too far my Rune might not be able to reach you! Let's go and take this Garrison!"

Cheers rose from the soldiers and they quickly mobilized to rush into position. Daunte saw the other units on the move and he picked up the pace. We need to get there before Allise uses her Pale Gate Rune!

Within less than an hour he caught sight of Sloan Faakhir's Garrison. Even without the man being there, Daunte felt uneasy being so close to his headquarters. He shook off the feeling though and continued to move.

They were rounding the outer edges of the Garrison, easily four kilometers away from it, when a loud alarm bell sounded from the Garrison. Daunte's heart leapt into his throat and he signaled to his unit. "Take cover!"

There was no trees or brush to take cover in, so the soldiers had no choice but to duck behind their shields as the snapping of multiple bows filled the air. Daunte dared a glance around his shield and paused. He saw a barrage of dozens of arrows flying through the air, but none of them were flying in their direction. The relief was very brief though, as he saw the arrows hit their mark on Bearyl Lutis's main unit.

They don't see us, but we still have to hurry!

"Move!" Daunte shouted. They quickly climbed to their feet and ran as fast as they could towards the southern walls. War cries reverberated from inside the Garrison's walls, and Daunte saw the cavalry unit charge out the main gates to do combat with Varnaz's group.

"Oh!" Felicity exclaimed, watching the fierce combat in horror.

"We're almost there, let's move!" Daunte encouraged the soldiers. Indeed, the Garrison was so focused on the four units attacking from the front that they did not notice Daunte's unit charging from the back. They were six meters from the southern wall when they sky above the Garrison turned black. Allise was using her Pale Gate Rune!

"Roen, are we within range?" Daunte shouted to his friend.

But Roen shook his head. "I-I need to get closer! I'll barely singe the foundations from this distance!"

"Get up on the wall! Hurry before Allise casts another spell!"

Soldiers were securing rope to scale the walls, but several others were hoisting Roen up and bodily shoving him up onto the wall. Allise's spell finished and Daunte saw that just a little over a half of the archer unit remained. Roen ran as fast as he could to one of the wall's towers, just as a guard saw him. "Intrud—HUCK!" he began to shout before Felicity's well-aimed throwing knife silenced him. "Roen, hurry!"

"I don't know if I'm close enough!" Roen shouted back down to them.

"We're out of time! Use your Fire Rune now!" Daunte shouted back at him.

"A-All right!" Roen raised his hand. "Flaming Arrows!"

It was much larger than the spell usually was. Bright red beams of light rained down upon the Garrison, striking the archers on the walls. Several portions of the building caught fire, but the arrows met their marks. When the spell finished, Daunte counted just a little over twenty archers left.

"Storm the Garrison! Take out the archers!" Daunte shouted, shrugging the Liberation Army's rolled up flag higher onto his back.

With most of the soldiers outside the gates, they met little resistance as they stormed the fortress. All that had remained behind were two dozen guards and the archer unit. But the enemy was severely outnumbered by Daunte's unit, who quickly took them down. Less than ten minutes later most the soldiers and archers lay dead, or had surrendered.

Daunte looked around, and saw that some of the soldiers were injured, but none were dead. He raced up to the top floor with Roen and Felicity and several other soldiers, seeking out the flagpole at the top. Daunte looked out a window and was unable to see the battlefield. But he saw the sky go dark once more, indicating that Allise had used her Pale Gate Rune again. And she didn't have to waste it on the archers.

After climbing several flights of stairs they finally reached the roof of the Garrison, where the flag of Nagarea was whipping around in the wind. Down below Daunte heard the sounds of battle, and he saw a massive dark wave of bodies fighting furiously. They all blended together; he couldn't tell ally from foe.

The soldiers quickly brought down the Garrison's flag, though they still folded it respectfully as Daunte and Felicity tied the Liberation Army flag to the pole and quickly raised it up. The flag was dark blue, unlike the white Theocratic flag, and it similarly whipped around in the wind. Seconds later, cheers rose from the ground. Daunte still saw fighting down below however, and raised his hand. "Howl." The glowing golden-green of the True Rune enveloped the Garrison and the surrounding area, and he felt re-energized. He hoped his allies felt the same.

Daunte was still shaking, even as the unit under his command cheered in victory. He'd thought living in fear for both his life and Arin's life in the Dark Chasm was bad—the pure chaos of a battlefield was something completely different. As the leader of his unit he was responsible for the lives of 100 men, and the concerns for their safety was like a great weight over him.

But…but there was something exhilarating about the battlefield. He didn't take pleasure in killing people, but being the guiding hand of all these people—even if it was just one unit—and knowing that not one of them died under his command, was strangely fulfilling.

It's weird. I was so scared going into this because I was facing seasonally trained soldiers. But this was a victory. I led these people to victory.

"You did it, Daunte!" Felicity shouted, throwing her arms around his shoulders. "We did it! Not only did our unit raise the flag in the Sheikh Garrison, but our entire unit is intact! This is all because of you!"

"I've never fought like a real soldier before," Roen said, his tone also a little shaky. "But when you took charge, all the fear I was feeling just disappeared! I felt confident we would succeed, and we did!"

Daunte suddenly found himself hoisted onto the shoulders of two soldiers and everyone around him cheered. He laughed reflexively, and smiled at the hope in their faces. They'd won. It was a good feeling.

---

Less than an hour later, Bearyl Lutis had secured the Garrison and they were quickly making use of the space. Daunte was curious about Sloan Faakhir's private living quarters. They were, after all, also the private living quarters of his family.

Is it still the same as when Tidur and her daughters left? Or did he get rid of any traces of their being there?

He didn't have time to dwell on these thoughts however, as a familiar voice suddenly startled. "Congratulations on your victory."

Daunte looked over his shoulder at Nash. The man had a knack for just appearing out of nowhere. "Is Sierra feeling better?"

"Much better," Nash said, approaching him. "But I've come here to bring you urgent matters."

"Urgent?" Felicity asked. "Is it about the Falenans?" Daunte felt sick to his stomach. The battle had distracted him, and he'd completely forgotten about the missing princess.

"It most certainly does," Nash said. "Prince Surya was positively furious that the Liberation Army elected to seize the Sheikh's Garrison and not provide any aid to his countrymen. He left the headquarters with his bodyguard to go to the High Peak Mountains."

"He left?!" Roen exclaimed. "But he was given explicit orders from his father to stay put!"

"People tend to act irrationally when they're angry," Nash said.

"But didn't the Queen's Knights at headquarters try to stop him?!" Felicity demanded.

"I'm sure they did, but what could they do? It was only two of them. They're responsible for the other four royals there, so it wasn't like they could just leave and stop Prince Surya."

"We have to go after them," Daunte said. "We should be helping them!"

"But you're currently in command of a military unit," Nash pointed out. "I don't think Lord Bearyl will give you permission to leave."

Daunte glanced around, and quickly recognized a soldier serving under his command. "You, there!"

"Y-Yes, sir?" the man asked.

"I'm here by deferring command of our unit to you. Please inform Lord Bearyl that we had to leave for an emergency."

"Leave?! Where are you going?!"

Daunte bit down hard on his bottom. "Somewhere we all should've gone to."