I came down with a head cold a couple weeks ago, not at all helped by my lack of air conditioning. I apologize for the delay but I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Part Thirteen
It was easier than Daunte expected to slip away from Sloan Faakhir's Garrison. He was relieved to find a merchant selling supplies in the exterior of the Garrison, and he wondered if this merchant had always been there, or if they were an opportunist. But he ultimately couldn't complain about the healing items he'd received.
"Depending on where the mountains are located, we might not be able to catch up to the prince in time," Nash told them as they quickly saddled horses. "Though if we're closer to the mountain range than the prince, we might beat them there."
"We're closer," Daunte said, steering his horse northward. "I overhead Lord Bearyl say that the mountains are about four hours away from us, whereas they're almost nine hours away from the headquarters."
"Are you coming with us?" Felicity asked Nash.
"Of course," Nash said, smiling at her. "I couldn't very well leave three teenagers to clean up the messes of adults, could I?"
"…Your wife made you come here, didn't she?" Roen asked.
Nash twitched, but held onto his smile. "Let's be on our way."
The four of them made excellent time riding for the High Peak Mountains, and met minimal distractions from monsters on the open plains. Daunte wondered if luck was on their side, or if the wildlife of the area had been dispatched by both the Sheikh's forces and the Queen's Knights.
Let's hope we can find Surya and Mokuren before they run into trouble.
Night had fallen by the time they reached the base of High Peak Mountains, and the group decided to make camp until the following morning. It wouldn't have been safe to navigate the mountains at night, but this fact only made Daunte more nervous for the Falenans. As the hours ticked by he couldn't help but feel that they were wasting their time. After all, only a handful of Queen's Knights would be facing an insane Sheikh and his main military unit. How would they fare out?
Well, worrying about it won't help matters. We'll just have to move quickly.
The dirt path on High Peak Mountains was too steep and narrow to navigate the horses on, so the group was forced to leave the horses at the base. Daunte knew that the horses may very well run off by the time they came back down, but it was better to leave them than to risk their health on the mountain. But even while on foot, navigating the mountain proved to be perilous. There were many wild animals on the mountain, from the usual wild boars to harpy's and giant rabid birds. Not to mention the fact that the dirt road kept branching off in random directions, and these random directions often led to dead ends. Sometimes the dead ends led to a lone treasure chest, but more often than not it just led to a den of monsters.
At one particular dead end though, Daunte found a treasure chest weeded over and covered in moss. Felicity used one of her knives to break the lock on it and it popped open. Daunte was surprised to see a small box inside that was lighter in color. He propped it in his lap, and quickly noted words stamped onto the lid. "…'Sound set 2'?"
"Sound set?" Roen asked, frowning. "What's a sound set?"
"It worthless unless you have a Sound Rune," Nash told them. "I don't know exactly how it works, but sound sets only work with a Sound Rune."
"Oh!" Daunte exclaimed, standing up. He looked at Roen. "That woman in the Great Cistern! She had a Sound Rune!"
"Oh, her!" Roen gasped. "She said she was looking for a Sound Rune, right? What was her name again?"
"Liron, I think." Daunte looked down at the sound set. "So this is what she needed?"
"Let's worry about giving this away another time," Nash interrupted. "We still have a lot of ground to cover."
"Yeah," Felicity said, rubbing at her arms. "I hope we find Surya soon."
They continued on their way, dodging monsters and trying to find any clues to indicate the direction Surya and the other Queen's Knights went in. It was very strange, though. Despite the fact that a military unit and Queen's Knights had undoubtedly traveled the area, the area remained relatively undisturbed. It made tracking even harder.
"STOP!"
At this shout the group froze in their tracks. Daunte felt a brief swell of dread inside him as the sound of flapping wings rattled in his ears. From the trees around them, several humanoid bodies emerged. The four of them were quickly surrounded by a dozen forms, all of them armed. Daunte looked at the figure in front of him and gaped.
"Drop your weapons, humans!" the person shouted, pointing a spear at Daunte. Their new acquaintances looked human in appearance, but their clothes were either tattered or made of leather hides. Daunte looked down at their feet and saw massively clawed toes digging into the dirt.
But it wasn't the feet that truly gathered Daunte's attention, however. It was the wings spurting from their backs.
"The High Peak Mountains belong to the Wingers," the person seethed, glaring at Daunte with silver eyes. He looked only a couple years older than Daunte, but Daunte wasn't certain if this Winger was really around his own age. Reddish brown hair was shaggy on the Winger's head, and his bangs fell long into his face and down his cheeks. "You are trespassing. You will leave this instant, or you will die!"
"Oh, I didn't know there was an indigenous clan of Wingers in Nagarea," Nash said softly.
"You will leave this mountain this instant!" the Winger hollered back at them, pushing his spear closer to Daunte.
"W-Wait a moment, please," Daunte said, raising his hands. "We're not here to disturb anything. We're here looking for the humans that have come up here. Once we find them we will leave. I promise."
"What should we do, Oisin?" another Winger asked the apparent leader. "Those other humans did give us more trouble than these four are giving us."
Oisin continued to glare at Daunte for several long moments of silence. Finally he drew his spear away and pointed towards a narrow path to the east. "The other humans went that way. We will watch you from a distance. You will find the other humans and leave the mountains. If you do not leave, then we will attack."
"Look, a Sheikh kidnapped a Falenan princess!" Roen told him harshly. "Once we find the princess, then we will leave!"
"Sheikh. Princess. These titles mean nothing to us. You will find your kind and you will leave." Oisin's upper lip rose in a snarl. "We will not tell you again." The moments the words left his mouth his beat his wings and rose into the sky. The other Wingers followed and they all flew off into different directions. The echo of their beating wings gradually faded as they disappeared out of sight until there was nothing but silence around them.
But they're probably not gone. Oisin said he would watch us from a distance.
"They don't like humans, I see," Felicity said. She huffed. "Demanding without actually asking anything of us."
"Humans have not been known to be kind to other races," Nash said.
"They're not the only ones who have suffered at the hands of humans," Felicity grumbled.
"At least we know the direction they've gone in," Daunte said, looking at the others. "Let's hurry."
Despite Oisin's hostile demeanor, the Winger had provided them the correct directions in tracking the Falenans and the Sheikh's forces. One hour later Daunte caught sight of two familiar faces lying flat on their bellies looking over the side of a cliff. Daunte did not want to approach them however as to not startle them. Two meters away from them he slowly knelt down, and the others in his group followed in kind. "Surya," he called out softly.
The Falenan Prince whipped out his tri-nunchaku and stood, and Mokuren similarly raised her naginata. They both relaxed however when they saw Daunte. "You're here?!" they hurried over to them. "What happened at the Garrison?"
"We were victorious," Daunte said. "But this is more important. What has happened so far?"
"We got lost on the mountain," Surya said grimly. "And we ran afoul of some Wingers, and they only served to slow us down. Right now we're scouting the area. It looks like my father's forces are advancing on the Sheikh's forces. Fortunately for us—and unfortunately for you guys—the Sheikh found out about the siege on his Garrison and sent the majority of his unit back to reclaim it. So that just leave the Sheikh and roughly thirty soldiers inside the mountain for us to deal with."
"What's inside the mountain?" Mokuren asked.
"It used to be a mine that was abandoned," Daunte said.
"Maybe that's where the Winger's hostility stems from?" Nash wondered aloud.
"But the Liberation Army will be ambushed by the forces!" Felicity said. She looked over her shoulder. "They must be long gone by now—they've probably reached the Garrison by now!"
"They should be fine," Surya said curtly. "They might not be able to maintain their hold on the Garrison, however. But their departure should make getting Farrin back that much easier." He grinned. "And unless I'm mistaken, we're about to thin those numbers out even more."
"How so?" Roen asked, but his question was immediately followed by a shriek of terror below. A large chorus of shrieks followed, and Daunte rushed to the cliff's edge to see what was going on below. What he saw caused a spike of panic to quickly rush through him and he fell backwards onto his backside.
"Run! The demons will devour you!"
Down below, over a dozen of the Sheikh's forces were running in all directions in panicked terror. They didn't even try drawing their weapons. They were too frightened of the four creatures standing in clearing.
"D-Dragon horses!" Felicity exclaimed. She slapped both of her hands over her mouth.
"O-Oh no," Roen stammered, shaking his head violently. "This is a bad omen! Those demons will kill us!"
"Aww, they're adorable!" Nash laughed, folding his arms over his chest.
"What's wrong?" Mokuren asked, looking at Daunte and the others. "You all look like you've seen a ghost!"
"Dragon horses are demonic!" Roen hissed at her. "They'll feast upon our flesh, and if we're eaten by them then our spirits will be damned!"
"I didn't realize the dragon horses would scare you guys too," Surya said apologetically. "We in Falena know the Nagarist Religion teaches that dragon horses are demonic in nature. We've heard rumors that Nagarean dragon horses became extinct because of this belief system. My father probably made the arrangements to bring the dragon horses here for intimidation purposes. To make it easier for us to rescue Farrin."
"You guys have nothing to worry about," Mokuren told them. "Unless they see you as an enemy, these dragon horses are tame." She laughed heartily. "They're actually quite cuddly!"
Daunte shook himself off and stood up. He was embarrassed by his reaction, but he couldn't help but be naturally afraid of the dragon horses. His mother even had taught him that they were demonic beasts. But he knew Surya wouldn't lie to him about the dragon horses being their allies.
I just have to remain calm and get over this fear.
"It looks like the soldiers are gone," Surya said. Indeed, the screaming had dissipated. "Let's go down and meet the knights."
They scaled down the narrow path of the short cliff to reach the clearing below. A man in his forties with red hair was standing to command over the other three knights. "That's the rest of them! Now all that remains are the soldiers inside the mountain! We'll meet up with Commander Freyjadour to rescue the princess!"
"Nick," Surya said, greeting the man in question as they reached the clearing. "How are things faring?"
Nick quickly spun around. "P-Prince Surya?!" he saluted the prince, as did the other knights. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you given orders to secure the other royals and remain with them?"
Surya shrugged. "What about it?"
To Daunte's surprise, Nick grinned. "Well, we're glad to see you in any case."
Seeing the dragon horses up close and personal was a surreal experience to Daunte. The horses were vibrant colors, and they were saddled up like regular horses. They smelled like pond water though, and each twitch on their body made Daunte flinch slightly. Roen and Felicity were faring no better, however.
"We traveled here with Commander Freyjadour and found the enemy's forces on this mountain," Nick told Surya. "We've been very lucky thus far. The enemy received word that their base was seized in their absence, so their commander was forced to send the majority of his troops back to reclaim the base. Thus far, our mere presence alone has been enough to scare off many other soldiers. The rest are inside, but it's estimated that less than ten enemy soldiers remain."
"Is my father inside?" Surya asked, gesturing to the mine's entrance on a hill above them.
"At the Commander's insistence, he went ahead in first to scout," Nick said. "But when he didn't return, the remaining Queen's Knights went in after him. We've been dispersing the enemy soldiers in the meantime."
"And have you received any further word since then?"
"I'm afraid not. The Knight Commander gave me orders to make sure this area remained secure, and so I've held position. It's necessary that we ensure that the remaining forces don't return, and we obviously don't want anything to happen to our dragon horses."
"We'll go inside and find out what's going on." Surya looked at the others. "Are you guys ready?"
"Yes, please," Felicity said hastily. She shrieked with alarm when a purple dragon horse playfully thrusted its nose into her neck and made a purring sound.
"Ax, behave!" Nick commanded sharply. Ax didn't seem to hear his master though, and kept nudging Felicity. Nick sighed in exasperation. "Well young lady, it looks like you have an admirer." Felicity looked anything but pleased.
"All right, let's go find my father and rescue Farrin," Surya said, nodding towards the cave.
"Do you think the Commander will be angry by your appearance here?" Mokuren asked softly.
Surya snorted. "If my dad had never stuck his nose in dangerous situations, then the Godwin's would still be in power."
Daunte was startled to hear the muted sounds of fighting as they entered the caves. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Nick and the other knights were still securing the perimeter. He looked at the others and they nodded. They drew their weapons and advanced further into the cave. Thankfully the path was linear, though Daunte flinched slightly at the decaying wooden tools and carts strewn about. It reminded him too much of the Dark Chasm.
They rounded a corner and came to a circular clearing. Daunte quickly saw two branching paths ahead, but just before that in the center of the clearing he saw the fighting. He saw the silver robes of the Theocracy's Army soldiers, and he saw the black uniforms of the Queen's Knights. He also saw that the Queen's Knights were outnumbered.
Surya let out a panicked gasp and surged forward. Mokuren quickly followed, and Surya hollered as he swung his tri-nunchaku around and clubbed an enemy soldier right in the face. The soldier had almost stabbed a black-haired woman in the back, but Surya's blow knocked the soldier off his feet and saved the woman's life. The woman quickly turned around and her dark blue eyes widened. Daunte recognized her immediately, but there wasn't time to give it much thought as they joined the fight. "Best Friends!" he shouted, signaling to Roen and Felicity to do their unite attack.
Moments later the soldiers lay prone on the ground, either dead of seriously injured. Surya was breathing heavily and looked over his shoulder. "Are you all right, M—"
"Surya!"
Surya quickly flinched as the black-haired woman he'd saved quickly rounded upon him. She was positively furious, though Daunte noticed that the other Queen's Knights looked amused. "What are you doing here?! You were under direct orders from our Commander to stay with your cousins! How dare you defy those orders by coming here, and leave only two Knights to protect your kin! You will answer for this the minute we get home!"
Surya rubbed at the back of his head embarrassedly and bowed. "A-Ah. I'm sorry, Mom."
"And Mokuren." Surya's mother turned her gaze on Surya's bodyguard. "You're supposed to be guarding him and yet you allowed him to come here?!"
"W-Well, my Lady," Mokuren said feebly, holding up her hands defensively. "The Prince would've come here anyways, so who was I to try and stop him?" she laughed nervously. "Honestly, we had the best intentions!"
Surya's mother huffed and shook her head. "What am I ever going to do with you two?"
"I-Is Dad here?" Surya asked her.
"Yes, he went further inside with Toma and Israfil." She then noticed Daunte and the others. "Oh. Who are these people, Surya?"
"Ah, let me introduce you. Everyone, this is my mother. She serves as second-in-command to the Commander of the Queen's Knights. Mom, these are my friends. They've helped me rescue my cousins. That's Daunte, Roen, Felicity, and—" he floundered when he got to Nash.
"Nash," Nash provided for him. Nash fixed his gaze on Surya's mother. "What a lovely woman your mother is, Prince."
"Excuse me?" Surya asked him harshly.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you, and allow me to express thanks for the assistance you've provided us." She gestured to herself. "My name is Lyon. Thank you for taking care of my son."
Daunte knew how he recognized Lyon. He'd seen her in Archana's memories, first scolding Surya and Mokuren for acting up during the wedding reception, and then quickly moving in to protect them from any potential threats. Lyon was a lovely woman overall, but there was something…dangerous about her that made Daunte a little on edge. She seemed delicate in appearance, but from what he'd witnessed of her fighting he knew she was a formidable warrior.
"It's nice to meet you too," Daunte said, bowing slightly. "Surya's handled plenty on his own. He's the primary reason we were able to escape the Dark Chasm, anyways."
"You have a very polite disposition," Lyon observed, smiling. "I can tell that you're a fine young man." She turned suddenly. "We must follow the Commander and the others. We believe these tunnels, though going in opposite directions, lead to where Her Highness is being held."
"Then we'll take one path and you'll take the other Mom?" Surya asked.
"I'm still upset with you for coming, but since you're already here I'll allow you to make yourself useful," Lyon said. "So yes. You take east path and we'll take the north path."
"Right." Surya glanced at the others. "Are you guys ready?"
At the moment, Daunte didn't particularly feel confident facing down Sloan Faakhir again. He looked down at his tekko and wondered if he should've gone to a blacksmith to raise their level. But he knew he couldn't simply leave and find the nearest town. Sloan wouldn't wait for him to come back. "Yes, let's go."
"All this political intrigue," Nash said softly. "It's amazing how despite being such an isolated country, Nagarea is quite similar to other countries."
"Is that a good or bad thing?" Roen asked warily.
Nash shrugged. "It depends."
The group followed the east path. Thankfully with all the scrimmages occurring within the mountain the group ran into very few monsters. There were still the occasional bats, spiders, and large rats to contend with, though.
I wish these creatures would go after the Sheikh instead, Daunte thought grimly.
One of the spiders dropped something interesting though. The object looked like an urn, but Daunte couldn't tell if it was something like a flower pot or a pitcher. Nash looked over his shoulder at the object. "Ah, you can take that to an appraiser. With any luck it'll be something valuable. Though more often than not it'll be just a worthless urn."
Daunte knew Gizli would know more about it than he would. He stashed the object in his bag, hoping that it wouldn't break before he brought it back to the appraiser.
They rounded a corner, and stopped in their tracks as frantic shouting filled the air. Surya and Mokuren surged forward again, and the group quickly followed. The shouting had a definite angry tone, but—there was also a sense of fear. It made Daunte even more nervous, but he knew he had to keep going. They raced into a new clearing, and Daunte stopped in his tracks.
He knew this area was the main work area of the abandoned mine. There was a rail to his right that stood over a steep cliff side that hung over a dark abyss. Every two meters there was a length of coarse rope tied to the rail that extended over the cliff and down below. Just ahead he saw Lyon, Israfil, and several Queen's Knights looking above and shouting. All around them enemy soldiers lay prone on the ground. Five meters above them was a narrow walkway and two sets of scaffolding. And on one of the scaffolds…
"Please, just let her go!" Lyon shouted. "What do you hope to achieve by prolonging this any further?!"
Sheikh Sloan Faakhir stared down at them with an impassive gaze. He was not armed, but his left hand held the collar of a fourteen-year-old girl. The girl's brown hair was messy on her head and her face was streaked with tears. She was dressed in a dark purple hanfu dress with a yellow sash tied around her torso. Daunte knew that the girl was most definitely Farrin.
"You are an invading heathen force in my country," Sloan boomed down to them. He wrung Farrin's collar slightly. "You are in no position to be making demands of me. You have no right to be making demands of me."
"We wouldn't even be here if your government hadn't kidnapped us in the first place!" Surya shouted up to him.
Sloan turned his glare towards the prince, but then his gaze immediately shifted to Daunte. Daunte flinched slightly. "You. You will give me the True Rune now."
"True Rune?!" Lyon exclaimed, looking over her shoulder at Daunte.
"T-The True Rune won't obey my command to leave me," Daunte called up to him. "Please, just let the princess go!"
Instead of heeding his plea, Sloan pushed Farrin to lean over the rail of the scaffold. The Queen's Knights shouted with alarm. "Give me the True Rune, or this child will suffer an accident. Have you ever seen what a corpse looks like after falling to its death?" His glare narrowed. "A human body is fragile. And her small body will smash into pieces, every bone broken. If she hits her head, then brain matter will spill all over the ground. It won't be a pretty sight."
Farrin wailed and tried to struggle in his hold, but his grip was unmoving. Daunte felt sick by his graphic description, but he squared his shoulder. "That's the future Queen of Falena you're holding in your arms. You won't throw away her life so recklessly. Just stop with this madness and let her go!"
"How can you even think of hurting her in such a way?!" Felicity shouted up to him. "Think is Esther—think of your daughter! The princess is surely the same age as your daughter! Would you ever shove Esther to her death?!"
But Sloan remained unmoved by her outburst. "So the wench and those brats did give you safe haven. Then they are traitors to the Theocracy."
Felicity slapped both hands over her mouth in horror. Daunte also felt a squirm of discomfort and deepened his glare. "Never mind them! What we're talking about is Princess Farrin! We know you cannot hurt her so just stop this!"
"It is clear at this stage of the game that Queen Lymsleia will not relinquish the Sun Rune to us," Sloan answered him. "So there is no point in keeping her daughter as a hostage."
"The Sun Rune!" Lyon shouted. She clutched at her shoulder. "That—everything that you've done to the royal family is just to get the Sun Rune?!"
"There is nothing else of value in your filthy country."
"D-Do you have any idea what will happen if the Sun Rune is separated from the Dawn Rune and the Twilight Rune again?! You would destroy your entire country! I'm not exaggerating, it will happen!"
Did she say "again"? Daunte thought.
"We are wasting our time," Sloan said. "We—"
At that moment, Farrin twisted her head around and clamped her teeth down on his hand hard. Sloan didn't flinch or exclaim in pain. All it did was cause him to pause. But just as quickly he reacted, pressing his right hand against her face and shoving hard. The force of the shove sent her straight across the scaffold, landing hard three meters away.
The Queen's Knights shouted in outrage, but Sloan turned back to them. "All of you are an annoyance. It's time to silence you once and for all."
He raised his right hand. A white light emulated from his hand, and Daunte flinched again. He saw that light when Sloan beat him up. And he'd seen that light in Tidur's memory when he beat up his wife…
An inhuman shriek filled the air. Daunte blinked and gaped in horror. They were suddenly surrounded by monsters, but they weren't ordinary monsters. They looked…demonic.
"Look out!" Lyon shouted. Suddenly the monsters were upon them and they were engaged in battle. "Best Friends!" Daunte shouted, signaling their unite attacks.
It was difficult. As the monsters had appeared out of nowhere they'd been taken off guard and it took some time to get organized. Daunte glanced towards the scaffold, and he hissed when he saw Sloan hoist Farrin up by her collar again. He then began dragging her towards the end of the scaffold. They're escaping! "HEY!" he shouted, but then had to dodge a skeleton's sword swing.
Surya suddenly shouted, and Daunte looked back up after disposing of the skeleton soldier. Sloan had paused in his retreat and was facing down someone new. It was a man in his forties, dressed in the uniform of the Queen's Knights. He wore his silver hair long, though a section of his hair was tied in a ponytail on his head. He wore a headband on his head and his pale blue eyes were glaring at Sloan. He wore a fierce expression on his face. He looked very intimidating.
"Uncle Freyjadour!" Farrin was hearing shouting.
"Father," Surya breathed.
Daunte looked at Surya, and then quickly looked back up. The Commander of the Queen's Knights said nothing, instead pulling out a tri-nunchaku and taking a fighting stance. Sloan didn't relinquish his hold on Farrin, but he quickly unsheathed a khanda sword. Freyjadour surged forward and swung his tri-nunchaku, striking at Sloan's sword. He was clearly trying to disarm the Sheikh. Sloan however merely held Farrin in front of himself as a shield and parlayed Freyjadour's blows.
Daunte couldn't watch their fight anymore though, as the monsters continued to surround them. The Queen's Knights fought bravely and sustained minimal injuries, and it allowed Daunte himself to remain brave in the face of their overwhelming. He wondered just how Sloan had been able to summon so many monsters. It almost seemed like Allise's Pale Gate Rune, but whatever she had summoned had left when it was finished. These monsters were alive and whole, and they kept attacking.
Is…Is the Sheikh wearing a True Rune, too?! Then why do they want the Sun Rune?!
After fifteen minutes of fighting, the monsters were finally all dead. Daunte heard a shout from above and quickly looked up. Sloan was bent to one knee, though he still held onto Farrin, but his khanda sword fell from the scaffold and clattered to the ground. Freyjadour however was still armed, and he still over the Sheikh menacingly.
H-He…he defeated the Sheikh?! Daunte was amazed that anybody could defeat a brute like Sloan in combat, but Freyjadour had done it.
But of course he did it. He is the Commander of Falena's Queen's Knights, after all. And didn't Surya say he led a civil war as a teenager?
Freyjadour still said nothing, but the tension in the air was quickly dissipating. They had won. Sloan was cornered and unarmed now. There was nothing left for him to do but admit defeat and hand Farrin over to her uncle.
But…but Sloan was crazy. Daunte knew this, but he was still surprised by what happened next.
"You think you've won," Sloan said, panting softly. "But—I won't allow you victory."
Then with one fluid motion, he raised Farrin into the air and threw her off the scaffold. He quickly took off running, but Freyjadour disregarded him and frantically shot his hand out towards Farrin. But she was just beyond his reach. His face was frozen in silent horror as the young princess fell from the scaffolds, her arms desperately reaching out for her uncle. Everyone around Daunte shrieked in horror and some began to cry as she plummeted.
"FARRIN!" Without hesitation, Surya leapt onto the rail and jumped high into the air, even as Mokuren tried to restrain him. "Prince!"
Farrin's body slammed into Surya's, and the prince curled inwardly as they fell together. His body slammed hard into the steep cliff side, absorbing the impact of them both.
But then, they began rapidly sliding towards the edge.
"Surya!" Felicity shrieked. Up above, Freyjadour was quickly running off the scaffold and down towards them, but he would obviously not reach them in time.
Surya reached back with his right hand and frantically tried to grab hold of one of the hanging pieces of rope, even as Farrin clung to him, sobbing hysterically into his chest. His fingers found one, but he was unable to get a grip. His eyes looked forward, seeing the ledge approach quickly and the oblivion that lay below. No! We can't die like this!
At the last moment, Surya felt something snag his wrist. The bottom half of both his body and Farrin's flew over the side, but their bodies stilled before they plummeted further. He looked at Farrin, who was staring back at him through her tears, and then he looked up.
Above him, with rope wrapped around his left wrist while his right hand held him fast, was Daunte.
"We need to hurry!" someone shouted above them. "Climb down these ropes and get to them!"
Surya stared at Daunte stunned for a long moment. Then he turned to Farrin. "Farrin, we need you to climb up our bodies and use the rope Daunte's holding to climb back up the cliff."
"W-What?" the princess sputtered. She was crying so hard that her nose was swollen and had turned red. She looked up at Daunte fearfully. "C…Climb up your bodies?"
"Climb up our bodies," Surya told her calmly. "Do it quickly, our grip won't last forever."
"B-But what if I slip, Surya?"
"You won't. I believe in you. We both do. Right, Daunte?" he looked up at Daunte.
Daunte quickly nodded, focusing all of his energy on the two grips he held. He prayed that his weak grip would hang on long enough for them to be rescued.
"A-A…All right." Farrin squeezed Surya in a quick hug before she began gingerly climbing up their bodies. She dug her fingers into their clothes and tugged. She looked light, but Daunte was still surprised by the stress her weight put on his body. The princess turned crimson when she left her cousin and began climbing up Daunte's body, but Daunte held himself still. The princess was wearing a flowery perfume that was obnoxiously strong, but Daunte kept his focus as she dug her feet into his shoulders and grabbed a section of the rope. Without their bodies to cling to, Farrin began to rapidly hyperventilate.
"Farrin, please hurry," Surya implored her calmly. "We can't hang on much longer!"
She choked on a few sobs, but she shook off her unease and began to climb the rope. The pressure of her feet leaving his shoulders almost caused Daunte to lose his grip on the rope, but he rapidly wrapped it tighter around his hand as she began climbing back up the cliff towards the Queen's Knights.
"Daunte, I want you to listen to me carefully," Surya said, looking up at him. "I…I'm going to have to ask you to let me go."
"W-What?!" Daunte sputtered, looking down at him. "Let you go?!"
"Let me go," Surya said. "I don't think they're going to reach us in time, and I know your grip isn't good with your broken fingers. You're going to eventually lose your grip and then we both are going to fall. But if you let me go now, then you'll still have time to save yourself."
"I can't!" Daunte exclaimed. "How could you tell me such a thi—UGH!" his words cut off as he felt his poorly healed fingers tremble around Surya's wrist.
"It's okay," Surya said, holding Daunte's gaze with his own. "I'm telling you it's okay. It's my duty as a Queen's Knight to do everything I can to protect my family. Giving my life for their sake is only inevitable and I accept it."
"What your duty to your family?!" Daunte snapped. "Do you think throwing your life away like this does anybody any good?! Do you think your parents will feel proud if they have to watch you fall to your death?! Don't give up like this!"
"I'm not giving up. I'm just being practical." Above their heads Farrin had climb only halfway up the rope, but Toma had been lowered down far enough to grab the princess and pull her back up. "We don't have a lot of time, Daunte. I can feel your grip on me weakening. If you don't let me go now, we're both going to die."
Daunte tried to respond, but he indeed felt his own grip on Surya's wrist slipping. Growling in frustration, he locked his legs around the prince's upper body, unwilling to let him go. "Just hang on to me and shut up!"
"Dau—" his words broke off as they both slipped down the cliff slightly. Daunte quickly glanced up and saw that his hand had given way on the rope, and was quickly slipping around his hand. "Let me go, Daunte!" Surya said more forcefully. "Let me go or we're both going to die!"
Daunte shook his head, trying to get a grip with both hands again. He dug his right elbow into the ground beneath him and began heavy upwards with all his strength, trying to pull Surya up. "W-What are you doing?!" Surya exclaimed.
Surya was easily the same weight as him (possibly even heavier) so the prince unsurprisingly didn't budge from his current position below Daunte. His fingers were trembling violently, but Daunte squeezed his palm around his wrist, refusing to let go. Come on, COME ON!
The Rune on Daunte's hand abruptly lit up, startling both boys. Both Daunte and Surya gaped as the True Rune's symbol rose into the air. Daunte felt a sudden rush of power down his right arm, and his fingers—his fingers suddenly snapped tightly around Surya's wrist. Daunte choked on a breath, and pulled on Surya once more. This time, Surya's body budged and he was pulled upwards.
T-The Rune is giving me strength to lift him up?!
Surya's eyes were wide, and while he didn't try to pull himself up he said nothing more as Daunte miraculously pulled him higher and higher. Above them, the others were shouting something, but the sound was muted by the sudden rumbling in Daunte's ears…and the bright white that filled his vision.
"Surya, you mustn't hesitate!"
Daunte blinked. He was no longer deep in the High Peak Mountains. He was standing on an open plain on a clear sunny day. He looked around himself and paused. In the distance, roughly six kilometers away, he saw a village that was surrounded by primarily scorched earth. The vegetation seemed to be desperately clinging to life, but it looked like a wasteland.
"Try not to think about the fact that you're facing your father, Surya. Imagine him as an enemy threatening your family. You must not hesitate with your strikes, or your enemy will befall you!"
Daunte turned back around. He saw three figures directly in front of him. Lyon and Freyjadour were standing over a child roughly ten years old, who was kneeling in the grass and panting heavily. Freyjadour had his tri-nunchaku out, and a smaller version of the weapon rested in the grass next to the boy.
Surya? Daunte wondered, staring down at the child.
"I think that enough for today, don't you?" Lyon asked Freyjadour. "You both have been practicing like this since this morning."
"W-Wait," Surya gasped. The boy grabbed his tri-nunchaku and struggled to his feet. "One more time. I promise I'll get it this time."
"Surya, you shouldn't push yourself," Lyon told him. "You still have a few years before you'll even be considered as a candidate for the Queen's Knights. Let's stop for today."
"I'm fine," Surya insisted. "Father, please give me one more try. I promise I won't hesitate this time."
Freyjadour said nothing, but he nodded. Lyon sighed heavily, but stepped back so that her husband and son had room to spar. Surya lunged at Freyjadour and swung his tri-nunchaku. The two of the sparred for a few minutes, and Surya did indeed not hold anything back. But the child was tired, his breathing ragged, and after a few minutes he stumbled and fell to his knees again.
As Surya remained hunched over, several fragments of sentences suddenly rattled in the air. "Spoiled brat."
"Yet another useless male royal."
"Letting that boy join the Queen's Knights would be detrimental to Falena."
"If the Commander allows his own son to join, then the Queen's Knight will look like an elitist clique where better soldiers would not be welcome."
"They should've had a daughter instead."
"And have yet another threat to Queen Lymsleia's children? They were better off not having a child at all."
There was nobody else around besides the three of them so Daunte was puzzled about where this random assortment of voices was coming from. He looked back at Surya and saw that the child looked increasingly upset. Was…was he remembering gossip he'd heard other people say about him?
A shadow fell over Surya and the boy looked up. Freyjadour was kneeling down over him, looking at him with concern. The Commander of the Queen's Knights still said nothing, but he suddenly smiled a gentle smile and extended a hand to his son. The distress in Surya's face dissipated slowly and he returned his father's grin and accepted his hand to help him stand up.
A loud grunt startled Daunte and he blinked again. For a moment he panicked as he wondered if the vision had distracted him enough to make him drop Surya. Then he realized he'd raised the prince to the same level as him, and it was Surya who was grunting as he strained to reach out for a length of rope. Just as his fingers grazed it, a large hand swiftly closed over his wrist.
Daunte turned to look up, and found himself face-to-face with Freyjadour. But the Commander had his eyes on Surya. Surya stared back at his father, mouth hanging open for a moment before he breathed, "Father."
Daunte jerked as a hand grabbed his left one and quickly looked up. General Israfil was above him. "Don't worry, Sir Daunte. I got you."
"They got them!" a shout rose from above them. "Pull them up!"
Daunte let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in as both Surya and him were pulled back up the cliff. We…We're going to be all right.
It was many hours later at dusk when Daunte found himself standing on the beach of the Northern Wharf, seeing the large Falenan entourage of for their trip back home. He'd half expected them all to be herded into one large boat, so he was very surprised to see several smaller boats lining the coastline, many of them no more than fishing boats. The Falenans seemed very stoic, but most of them were positively gushing over Kaylani's newborn son.
The Falenan royals themselves seemed to be in much better moods than before. With all of them successfully rescued and without serious injury, even Archana was cracking a smile. Signe remained glued to Farrin's side however, hanging onto her older sister's waist as they waited for their boats to be ready.
"I can't believe it's over," Roen said, cracking his neck. "I mean, was it even a month ago when all of us were stuck in the Dark Chasm?"
"That all seems like a bad nightmare," Felicity said. "But…But a lot of good has come of this. We thwarted a massive international incident. It's pretty overwhelming, isn't it?"
Daunte opened his mouth to respond, but a shout interrupted them. "There you guys are!"
The trio turned to see Gunther approaching them, followed by Allise and several Liberation Army soldiers. "I see you guys were successful in rescuing the last princess," Gunther continued, smiling broadly. "Excellent job!"
"What happened at the Garrison?" Daunte asked him.
"The Sheikh's second-in-command, Adalgiso, launched a counterattack to reclaim the Garrison," Allise supplied for them. "He was outnumbered, but…" she winced slightly. "But Sheikh Keiran Umed showed up with his main forces to assist Adalgiso. Their combined assault was enough to drive us off."
Daunte's heart dropped into his stomach and he looked at Roen and Felicity. We…We lost the Garrison?!
"Don't be looking so guilty," Nash said beside them, sauntering over. "Do you think your absence had anything to do with this failure? No offense to your leader, but it was inevitable. The three of you leaving made no difference, believe me."
"While this is true," Allise said. "Lord Bearyl has ordered us to take custody of you three and to bring you back to headquarters immediately."
"B-But listen," Felicity said. "We weren't trying to cause trouble! We just wanted to help Surya help his family! And we succeeded!"
"We know," Gunther said grimly, but he said no more than that.
"Guys." Surya came over to them, following closely by Mokuren. The prince looked so happy that it alleviated some of the tension inside of Daunte. "All of this is possible because of you guys. I'll never be able to repay you for this, but know that I'm eternally grateful."
"Hey, you helped us escape from the Dark Chasm," Felicity told him. "We're just as grateful to you as you are to us."
Surya bowed slightly. "Thank you so much for everything."
"We'll be sure to pass along your thanks to our Lord Commander as well," Allise told him.
Surya flinched violently, and the gesture made Daunte even more uncomfortable. But the prince straightened and smiled at them. "I won't forget what you all have done for me, and neither will my Queen." He suddenly turned to Daunte. "I owe you my thanks and my life." He held his hand out to Daunte. "Whatever happens from here on out, I consider you a great friend, Daunte. If you ever consider taking up residence in Falena, I'll do everything I can to secure a good life for both Arin and you. It's the very least I can do."
Daunte accepted his handshake and smiled. "Thank you for everything as well, Surya. I also consider you a great friend."
A loud whistle ripped through the air. "All right, everyone!" Lyon shouted, speaking on behalf of Freyjadour. It's time to get going!"
"Wait."
Everyone looked up with this one word. Farrin was looking at the group with hard eyes and a deep frown. Or rather, she was looking at Daunte.
Roen glanced at Daunte briefly, having followed her gaze. "I-Is something wrong, Your Highness?" he asked.
Farrin promptly marched over to Daunte. Daunte was startled, but he didn't move away. "You saved my life," Farrin said. "And you refused to let go of Surya's hand when he told you to. Your name is Daunte, correct?"
Daunte was unsure whether to reply or remain silent, but he thought it would be rude to not answer her. "That's right," he said.
Farrin's eyes looked him over carefully. The Crowned Princess suddenly walked around him, as though she were inspecting an object on display. Daunte glanced at Roen warily, but he saw that Felicity looked highly amused.
Farrin came back around to Daunte's front. After a moment, she nodded to herself. "I've decided," she said evenly. "I want you to marry me."
"EH?!" the entire assembly around them shouted in shock. Daunte couldn't even muster a similar sound. He simply gaped at her.
Farrin folded her arms over her chest, completely unabashed by her own proclamation. "Falena used to have a Sacred Games for the princess to find a husband, but even with that tradition abolished I only want a strong man with a good moral conviction to be my husband. You saved my life, and you saved my cousin's life. You meet all the expectations for what I want in a husband."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Freyr shouted, surging forward and pushing himself between Daunte and his twin. "Aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself, Farrin?! You're only fourteen! And this is the first real conversation you've had with Daunte!"
"What does that matter?" Farrin asked him. "How often have our ancestors carried on real conversations with their future husbands? Mother has always talked about Grandfather, and how he was a brave warrior with a good heart. Daunte reminds me a lot of how Mother described Grandfather, and so I think he would be a perfect husband for me."
"You sly dog!" Gunther roared with laughter, slapping Daunte on the shoulder. "You've been proposed to by a princess! And not just any princess, but a future queen!"
"Aww, will you have a Falenan wedding or a Nagarean wedding?" Allise teased him.
"As a married man myself, I must warn you about what it means to be committed," Nash said.
Daunte was sputtering, unable to formulate words. He stared at Farrin, who remained unabashed by his reaction to her proclamation. "I will send an envoy for you when I assume the throne as Queen. I anticipate that to be in about seven-to-ten years from now."
"All right, that's enough!" Lyon laughed, gently pulling the future Queen away. "I've think we've all spent too much time here!"
Surya looked highly amused by all of this and patted Daunte on the shoulder. "Well, this wasn't what I had in mind, but it definitely looks like you'll be secure."
"How adorable," Mokuren cooed.
"Farrin, think about this logically!" Freyr was shouting behind his sister.
Daunte was still stammering and sputtering as the Falenans made their way to the boats. The same single thought kept rattling around in his head: Don't I have a say in this?! What about what I want?!
After seeing the Falenans off, the group headed back to Liberation Army headquarters. Surya's absence was noticed immediately, and it felt strange to not have the prince around anymore. Surya had been with them since they'd made their harrowing escape from the Dark Chasm, but now that the Prince had gone how it felt…alien for him to not be around.
We're going to have to get used to not having him around, though. His mission here was to rescue his family. His family was rescued, so there would be no point in him staying. Besides, why would he pledge himself to an Army that flagrantly disregarded his family?
"I miss Surya," Felicity said softly when they made camp for a short rest.
"Me too," Roen said. "It's amazing we've only known him for a short time. It feels like we've known him for years, doesn't it?"
"Yeah," Daunte agreed.
Gunther tried to keep the mood light as they ventured back to headquarters, but Daunte knew what awaited them. They'd disobeyed Bearyl Lutis's orders and had abandoned the Garrison. It didn't matter that they had been doing the right thing. Daunte had a feeling that Bearyl would definitely not see things that way.
His suspicions were further confirmed when they arrived. Wounded soldiers were lying everywhere, even in the woods leading up to the castle. Clara was running from person to person, and she looked highly stressed. Nobody shouted any greetings to them. At the same time though, nobody threw condemnations at them either.
When they came face-to-face with Bearyl though, Daunte felt a stab of fear in his gut. Their leader looked positively furious, and Varnaz looked downright murderous. Other soldiers inside the war room also looked angry. The only person who didn't look angry was Caesar, but his somber expression wasn't at all comforting.
"All three of you disobeyed me," Bearyl rasped. Daunte quickly realized Nash was no longer with them but didn't have time to ponder where the Harmonian spy had gone to. "You left the Garrison instead of staying with your unit to secure it. You were not there when two armies attacked us!" Bearyl bellowed. "And you were not there when we lost over two hundred soldiers!"
A hard lump formed in Daunte's throat. Two hundred soldiers? He wondered if any of the soldiers had been from his unit and the thought alone made him want to throw up.
"Have you nothing to say in your defense?!" Bearyl demanded.
Daunte swallowed thickly and forced the words out. "L-Lord Bearyl. We had to save Princess Farrin. We needed to save Princess Farrin. I'm sorry for our losses, but—"
"Your ego overrules common sense, boy!" Bearyl hollered, slamming his fist against the fist. "As if an inexperienced child such as yourself could make any difference in all of this!"
"If Daunte couldn't make any difference, then why was he made commanding officer of his unit?!" Roen shot back. "If we're so insignificant, then why are you angry with us for leaving?! Obviously we're so worthless that our being at the Garrison made absolutely no difference one way or another!"
Bearyl's rage was visibly growing out of control. His face was turning purple and a large vein formed on his forehead. Felicity tried to pacify the situation. "M-My Lord. We had a personal hand in saving Princess Farrin. Daunte personally saved her life! So it wasn't a matter of us getting in the way. We did make a difference!"
Bearyl was still seething regardless. He looked ready to lash out at them violently. "You are all traitors," he rasped.
"W-What?" Daunte asked numbly.
"All three of you disobeyed a direct command of your leader," Caesar suddenly chimed in. "We have zero tolerance for such insubordination. Despite your efforts serving a higher purpose, there is no excusing this. Therefore, the three of you are hereby suspended for one month. You will be confined to your rooms and you are forbidden from leaving headquarters or participating in missions."
"…Yes," Bearyl said, suddenly more calmly as Daunte and the others gaped at him. "All three of you are suspended. Surrender your weapons to Varnaz immediately. If we had a runemaster here, we would also be stripping you of your Runes. Count yourselves lucky that I'm being so lenient with you."
Daunte almost spoke in protest, but he found himself face-to-face with Varnaz, who glared at him. "Your weapon." He held out his hands.
Daunte sighed heavily, but gave in. He removed his tekko and handed them to Varnaz. Roen grimly handed over his sheathed bolo knife, and Felicity ducked her head and gave him her knife belt.
"You are dismissed," Bearyl told them. "Don't expect me to be so merciful next time."
The soldiers herded out of the room before them, Daunte saw that the three of them were being escorted out. Daunte bit down on his lower lip and ducked his head as they were led out of the war room. But they had barely crossed the threshold when he heard it.
"Can you believe it, Caesar? The Falenan Royal family was successfully rescued! And by my troops no less! An alliance with Falena is all but secured! They're honor-bound to lend me assistance!"
Daunte's head shot up and looked over his shoulder, but the soldier behind him gestured at him to keep moving. Anger snapped through him quickly, even though he complied. Wait a minute. Lord Bearyl is happy we went and rescued Princess Farrin?! Then why the hell was he so angry?! Why are we being punished if he's pleased with our results?!
He looked at Roen and Felicity, and he saw that they too had heard what Bearyl had said. And they looked just as upset as Daunte felt.
It was nighttime. Arin was fast asleep in his bed, but Daunte was still wide awake. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment before getting out of bed. He went straight to the door and tried to open it. The knob wouldn't turn in his hand.
So…being suspended means I lose my weapon and my freedom is limited? They lock me in my room at night? This…this is no different than what happened to me in the Dark Chasm.
He shook away the unpleasant memories and climbed back into bed. He curled up on his side and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to sleep. I was only doing what was right. With how easily the Sheikh was able to take back his Garrison, Lord Bearyl should've realized that it was a foolish idea to seize it in the first place! And yet he's happy about how we rescued the Crowned Princess of Falena?! He publicly admonishes us for disobeying orders, yet acts like our insubordination was part of some grand plan?! Which is it?! He can't just say one thing when he means something else!
He rolled back over onto his bed and sighed heavily. "Why am I here?" he muttered.
A white light suddenly enveloped the room. Daunte sat straight up in bed and gaped as the light became bigger and bigger. Suddenly a figure emerged from the light as though floating. They gently settled down upon the ground as the light abruptly vanished.
"Keeper of the True Rune. Your destiny has been guided to the path of the stars."
Daunte's jaw hung open as he stared at the woman standing before him. She was dressed in white and a white hood covered her loose black hair. There was a red, oval-shaped Rune right in the center of her forehead. She turned her head towards Daunte but did not open her eyes. "Keeper of the True Rune. One destined to lead the world to change. What is your name?"
"D…Daunte." Daunte spoke barely above a whisper. "Who are you?"
"Allow me to introduce myself." The woman gestured to her chest. "I am Leknaat, formally of the Gate Rune Clan and possessor of the Back Gate Rune. I have sensed the winds of change here in Nagarea, and I sense that they involve you, Daunte."
Daunte looked at the Rune on her forehead. "H-How did you know I had a True Rune?"
"Possessors of True Runes have a…awareness of other True Rune holders. My Rune allows for me to restore and maintain balance in this world. There is an imbalance in this country, and with this imbalance I sense…familiarity." Leknaat frowned slightly. "But I heard the calling of your True Rune, and I have sensed you use it to serve and assist the people around you. You should be proud, Daunte. Not many in the world are considered worthy of the Rune of Restoration."
"Rune of Restoration?" Daunte quickly looked down at his hand. "That's the name of my Rune?"
"It is the parent Rune of the Resurrection Rune," Leknaat told him. "It grants you restorative powers. You can restore in a most rudimentary sense—such as healing—and you can also restore long forgotten memories. The more you gain control of the Rune, the more powerful you will become. But you must take care to not allow that power to consume you. A True Rune selects its wielder and it will abandon its wielder if the wielder if no longer deemed worthy of its power."
Daunte sucked in a sharp breath. So many questions he'd had were now suddenly being answered at once. It was a bit overwhelming. "Why are you telling me these things?"
"Because whether you realize it or not, you are guided by the stars," Leknaat told him. "The Stars touch upon many souls during many events in our existence, and the Tenkai Star has reached out for you. Of the 108 Stars in our sky, of heaven and earth, you have been enveloped by the most important star of all. It is your destiny to seek out the others who will naturally congregate to you, and with them you will make great changes to this world and restore the balance that is desired here."
Daunte didn't understand any of it. He shook his head. "I-I'm not a leader. I'm not leading this Army, Lady Leknaat. I don't know how I'm supposed to lead 107 other people when I'm in no position of authority."
"You will understand in time, Daunte." The bright light began to envelop Leknaat once more. "And as you meet the other 108 Stars of Destiny, your destiny will become clearer to you."
Daunte was still gaping even after the light fading—and Leknaat was gone. He rubbed at his eyes and shook his head. He felt a little overwhelmed. Maybe I imagined that whole thing?
"Well, that was something unexpected."
Daunte yelped and Arin abruptly sat up in bed, half-awake. "B-Brother? What is it?"
"So destiny has chosen you, Daunte." Daunte gaped as Nash suddenly emerged from the shadows of the room. The moonlight from the window washed over his face. "It's to bed expected though, since a True Rune chose you."
"H-How long have you been in here?!" Daunte sputtered, curling his fingers into his blankets.
"Not long, I promise. But long enough to witness the visitor you received."
"Visitor?" Arin looked at Daunte with confusion. "Who is he talking about, Daunte?"
S-So I didn't imagine that? That woman was real?! Daunte quickly shook his head and looked at Nash. "What are you doing here, Nash?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to make you an offer." Nash bowed slightly. "I was sent by Harmonia to find a True Rune. I've found you, a possessor of a True Rune, and so my mission is complete. I'm asking you to come with me back to Harmonia."
"Harmonia?" Arin asked. He pushed back the covers and stood. "You want Daunte to leave Nagarea?!"
"You're welcome to come, of course," Nash reassured the child, but his eyes remained on Daunte. "But Harmonia is very interested in True Runes. That a Rune like the Rune of Restoration chose you indicates that you are a rare breed, Daunte. As much as Harmonia is interested in your Rune alone, they will accommodate the wielder the Rune has chosen."
Daunte looked down at his Rune and then looked back up at Nash. "You…You want me to just up and leave?"
"I wasn't going to ask at first, but I've been paying attention. And I began wondering—just what does this country really offer you? You suffered under an oppressive government, so you joined rebels. But the rebels are led by an incompetent leader with a severe chip on his shoulder. I mean, look at what happened to your friends and you for doing the logical thing of rescuing the Falenan royals. You've joined an army that sees no value in you and treats you like a nuisance.
"If you leave with me tonight, I can ensure that you receive a luxurious, safe life in Harmonia. You will be surrounded by people who actually see value in you. You'll never be in fear of your life again, and your little brother will be taken care of. Doesn't this sound like a much better deal?"
Arin looked at Daunte, but Daunte was staring at Nash. Nash's offer sounded too good to be true. He didn't know anything about Harmonia—everything he'd learned when he'd been in school had been centered almost entirely on Nagarea. He heard only a few things about Falena and Armes, but that was it. "…Harmonia would want to use me as a weapon, wouldn't they?"
"Perhaps," Nash admitted. "But how is that any different than what you're doing now?"
"Brother." Arin walked over and sat beside Daunte in his bed. "What will you do? A-Are we really going to leave and go with him?"
Daunte held Nash's gaze. Nash was probably glamorizing his possible life in Harmonia, but he was also honest about how Daunte would be used. I just want to take care of Arin. Nash said I could bring Arin with me, but…what about Roen? Felicity? And Nagarea in general? I'd be abandoning my birthplace just to secure my own life. Lady Leknaat said I was destined to bring change, but…but how can I bring change by being an indentured servant in Harmonia?
It was tempting to say yes, but ultimately Daunte shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but we're going to stay here. I can't abandon my friends and I can't leave Nagarea when it's in such turmoil."
Nash surprisingly didn't get upset. He chuckled lightly. "It's what I expected, but I knew I had to make an offer anyways." He turned on his heel and waved. "Have a good night, Daunte."
Daunte was about to ask him how he intended to leave with the door locked, but seconds later he no longer felt Nash's presence. The Harmonian spy was gone.
"I-I'm glad that you told him no," Arin said softly, leaning into his side. "It's awful here, but we can't leave. We have to make things better, Brother."
"I know," Daunte said, sliding an arm around his shoulders. He looked towards the window and stared at the full moon.
I chose to stay. So what do I do now?
End of Chapter One