Part Five

Bewildered and curious, Daunte followed Caesar upstairs. It was the middle of the night so most people were getting ready for bed, though on the fifth floor Daunte could see that there were still soldiers and civilians walking around outside.

"Right this way, my Lord," Caesar said, opening the doors to the war room. Daunte followed him inside, though he paused on the threshold. The room had been cleared of all furniture. There was nothing in the room except for a giant circle that looked like it'd been drawn with charcoal, and the circumference took up almost the entire room. Within the circle there was an 'X'.

"Caesar, what is this?" Daunte asked, pointing to the circle.

"Like I told you, Lord Daunte, we're going to summon help to our side," Caesar responded. He hurried over to a corner and picked up a very thick, aging book. It had at least a dozen bookmarks in it. "This has been in my family for—um, almost thirty years."

Daunte arched an eyebrow. Considering how old the book was, he'd half-expected Caesar to say it'd been in his family for centuries.

"There's a summoning spell in here," Caesar said, flipping open to a specific page. "That my grandfather translated. You want to end this war swiftly, correct?"

Daunte nodded. "Well, we can summon a…individual who would greatly assist us in victory. Unless this person has already been summoned for other purposes, then we'd be out of luck. But it doesn't hurt to try, does it?"

Daunte felt a squirm of discomfort in the pit of his stomach. He felt like this was dabbling in power that he was completely unfamiliar with or comfortable with. What if something went wrong?

"What if something goes wrong?" he asked aloud.

Caesar winced. "That's a possibility. You see, the person we're going to be summoning is a…bit of a monster in man's flesh. He's cruel and fond of killing. Very fond of killing."

"Then why are we summoning him?"

"Because if you summon him, he will be subjected to your will and will have to obey your orders," Caesar said. "You will have a powerful monster whose very efficient at killing at your disposal. He's capable of taking on armies single-handedly. Hell—we might not even need to assemble our soldiers for some battles! We could just send him in solo!" he laughed a little.

"So if I summon him, then I'll have a complete and total psychopath in my headquarters," Daunte said. "I don't think that's a good idea, Caesar. What if he starts killing our own allies?"

"It's like I said, Daunte—once you summon him, he has to obey your orders. He won't be allowed to kill anyone you don't want him to kill. The only things he expects from you is victory and people to kill. If you're successful, then he's at your beck and call for however long you need him."

"…And if I'm not successful?" Daunte dared to ask.

Caesar shrugged. "If you're not successful then your contract is null and void and he will leave you. But like I said, if you want to be victorious I think you should utilize him. Better you than someone else, right?"

Daunte was unsure. Should he take this risk? What were the odds of success? Could one person really do that much damage? He knew if he refused Caesar now that Caesar would respect his wishes and not pursue this further.

But…But Daunte wanted to succeed. And he wanted this war to end quickly. So he finally nodded. "All right."

"Before we continue, I'll summon our allies and inform them of what we're doing," Caesar said. "That way they don't feel left out."

Daunte nodded his understanding. Ten minutes later the room was filled with people and Caesar quickly explained to them what they were planning on doing.

"Wait a moment," Keiran said, raising a hand. "We're going to summon a creature to aid us? Is that really such a good idea?"

"I don't like the sound of it, either," Gunther said, shaking his head. "I don't think we can trust someone—or something—that is forcibly subjected to our will. Especially if this thing is as unstable as you say it is."

"I agree," Allise said. "Besides, where is this thing from? What's to stop it from trying to kill us after we summon it?"

"There seems to be far too many unknowns for this to be a logical idea," Eamon said.

"I understand everyone's apprehension," Caesar said, looking at each of them. "And admittedly, it's because of the risks involved in this that I hesitated in doing this before. But we have a war that we need to win, and this individual we will be summoning will bring us victory. You all are in this to win, right?"

Everyone agreed. "Then I ask that you trust me and that you have faith. I would not have even proposed this if I didn't think it would work. If we have this person by our side, then our victory is assured."

"If this creature guarantees us victory," Varnaz suddenly spoke up. "Then why didn't you propose to allow Bearyl Lutis to summon him? Not even when our Army was as crippled as it was?"

The was an excellent point. If summoning this person would bring victory to the Army, then why hadn't Caesar summoned them sooner? Not even when their original headquarters was destroyed, and so many people died during the march on the capital? He looked to Caesar, but the strategist didn't look at all surprised by the questions. He seemed to have been expecting them.

"I didn't offer this to Lord Bearyl because I didn't trust him," Caesar said bluntly.

Everyone shifted with shock, including Daunte. Caesar continued. "As I said, we're not summoning a mindless monster. This is someone who needs to be under control of a responsible person. Bearyl would not have controlled him properly, so I never brought this up to him. We were in a bad position, but trust me when I say that things would've only been made worse if Bearyl had been the one who summoned him. Besides." Caesar shrugged. "I could not, in good conscience, follow through with the summoning ceremony until now."

"Why not?" Allise asked.

"Because the summoning ceremony requires a human sacrifice."

"What?!" Daunte shouted with horror.

"But!" Caesar immediately responded, looking at Daunte. "But if you channel the power of your True Rune Daunte, then the sacrifice won't be necessary. The power of the Rune of Restoration will be enough to summon him."

"Then why not allow Daunte to have summoned him sooner?" Felicity asked.

"Because by having Daunte perform the summoning ceremony, the creature will be bound to him and no one else. Do you honestly think Bearyl Lutis would have allowed that?"

That was an excellent point. But Daunte was still on edge and he swallowed thickly before speaking. "Caesar…are you sure the power of my Rune will be enough?"

"Yes," Caesar reassured him. "Your True Rune is woven into the fabric of our world, so that power is sufficient enough to summon him, and will not require a human sacrifice. Please trust me when I say that summoning him will be very beneficial to our Army. This person is a force in and of itself. Even if he is menacing, isn't it better that we make use of him than to have someone else use him against us? The risk is worth it, my Lord. Trust me."

Daunte did trust Caesar, and he looked to the others. Everyone looked concerned about this proposal but no one voiced any objections. Daunte knew then he had to decide once more whether or not to follow through with this. He knew no matter what he decided to do that everyone would support him regardless.

I…I don't know if I can control something I don't understand. But Caesar trusts me to do this where he did not trust our former leader with it. He even allowed our Army to nearly come to ruin rather than give Bearyl Lutis the opportunity to do this. That makes me very concerned, but…but if this person can help us win the war, then maybe I should take this chance.

So he nodded. "All right, Caesar. I'll do this."

Caesar grinned at him. "Thank you, my Lord. Everyone, please line up against the windows away from the circle." The rest of their allies complied. Caesar turned to Daunte and held up a dagger. "Here, Lord Daunte. I want you to take position due south on the edge of the circle."

Daunte complied. The dagger's grip was small, but he still held it in two hands to avoid dropping it. "Now, cut your right hand—the hand with the True Rune. Then I want you to walk the path of the circle, and allow your blood to drip on the ground where the circle was drawn. After walking around the circle, you will then cross over the 'X' while still allowing your blood to drip. After you do that, return to this position due south of the circle."

"That sounds like a lot of blood that Daunte will need to spill," Roen said. "Is this a good idea?"

"It's necessary," Caesar said. He looked to Daunte. "Are you ready?"

Daunte slowly nodded. "Yes." He held the dagger in his left hand and after hesitating for a moment he cut a diagonal line down the center of his right palm. The pain sent shockwaves through his body, and Daunte even briefly saw stars. The results were immediate and blood gushed from the wound and spilled onto the floor.

"Quickly! Walk around the circle!" Caesar commanded.

Daunte did as he was told, holding the blade over the wound as he quickly walked around the circle. His blood splashed messily onto the floor and he felt sick to his stomach. The pain was nowhere near as bad as the many times he'd broken his fingers, but it was still intense. He did not dare look at his allies as he walked past them because he could feel the fear they were feeling. He tried to keep his breathing steady as he finished walking around the circle, convincing himself tha this lightheadedness was because of the mild panic he was feeling and not because of the blood loss.

Daunte crossed the 'X' in the circle and hurried back into position. His blood had followed the perfectly drawn circle in a cockeyed manner. Caesar hoisted up the ancient book and flipped it open. He held up the book to eye-level so that Daunte could see. The writing looked faded, and it was a language that Daunte didn't recognize, but Caesar motioned to the loose-leaf of paper inside the book. "Here's the translation of the spell. It will work just as fine as it would in the original language. Hold your hand over the circle and recite it in a commanding voice. Do not show weakness; you are ordering him to come to your side, after all."

Daunte held his right hand over the edge of the circle. It was no longer dripping blood, but it was still bleeding. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him, but…but it looked like the circle was starting to emit an aura. A rather menacing aura.

"Whenever you're ready, Lord Daunte," Caesar told him.

Daunte cleared his throat to steady his voice. He looked down at the translation stuck in the page and began reciting it in a loud, clear voice:

"I call out to the World of Emptiness.

Open to me your arms of anarchy and death!

I call for the black demon who thirsts for blood!

Eye of silver! Eye of crimson!

Power unrivaled within the body of Man!

I call and command the wielder of the Eightfold Rune!

Heed my voice and present yourself to me!"

There was no warning. A burst of light erupted from the Rune of Restoration and he yelped as he felt a sharp burning pain from the cut on his hand. Then the outer circle—Daunte's blood and the charcoal—suddenly erupted in black flames. The room erupted in shouts and screams as the flames engulfed the 'X' in the center of the circle. They met in the center and there was a loud explosion, blasting hot air throughout the room. Daunte cried out and raised his uninjured hand. Caesar snapped the book shut and stumbled back. Daunte was aware that the flames had extinguished, and the circle was gone. The charcoal and his blood had disappeared.

And in the center…in the center of where the circle had been, stood an imposing figure in demonic-looking black armor. The helmet covered part of his face, but Daunte saw the striking blond hair spilling out from the helmet, coming down to their waist.

The entire room was silent. Nobody moved or said a word. They just stared at the stranger in silence…and waited.

Finally, he spoke. The low voice immediately sent a chill down Daunte's spine.

"I sense a True Rune."

In the blink of an eye, the stranger pulled out two swords and lunged at Daunte. Daunte shouted, and frantically dove out of the way. The stranger was swift on his feet, swinging his swords so quickly that Daunte didn't have time to counterattack or go on the defense. All he could do was frantically scramble backwards to escape the blades. One of the blades barely missed Daunte's leg and he finally shouted, "STOP IT!"

The stranger immediately froze, and the swords fell from both of his hands. At once Keiran and Varnaz seized him and restrained his arms behind his back. He snapped his teeth and growled inhumanly. He lifted his head and Daunte saw his face for the first time. It was the face of a man in his late twenties with heterochromatic eyes; one red and one silver. He looked so angry that Daunte sucked in a sharp breath of fear.

"Now, now. Is that any way for you to treat the person who summoned you, Yuber?"

The stranger—Yuber—stopped struggling and looked over his shoulder as Caesar approached. He scoffed and pulled himself free from Varnaz and Keiran. "Another Silverberg. Does anyone of your blood have anything better to do than bug me?"

"Hey, you should be grateful," Caesar said calmly. "Why, just three years ago we were on opposing sides and you were trying to kill me. Yet despite this I hold no malice towards you."

Yuber stared at him for a long moment. Daunte sensed from his demeanor that he didn't recall anything that Caesar said. "So you decided to summon me after I tried to kill you? Are you stupid?"

"Such harsh words," Caesar replied, though his tone was still cool and collected. "Besides, I wasn't the one who summoned you. I merely provided the spell to my Lord and he summoned you. You're bound to him, not me."

Yuber looked back at Daunte as the teenager stood up. He no longer looked angry, but his eyes were cold and unfeeling. Daunte was deeply regretting summoning him. Yuber instantly trying to kill him didn't help matters, either.

"Why have you summoned me?" Yuber asked Daunte bluntly.

"Well—" Caesar began.

"I asked him and not you," Yuber barked over his shoulder at Caesar. He turned to glare at Daunte once more. "What do you want with me?"

Daunte swallowed thickly and squared his shoulders as he finally spoke. "I…I'm leading an Army to overthrow my government. I would like you to help me win this war."

Something flickered across Yuber's face, and a sliver of amusement crossed his face. "So you instigated a civil war, that would no doubt bring about the deaths of thousands, in order to claim power for yourself?"

"I have no interest in claiming power," Daunte told him. "I just want to make my country a better place."

"I have no interests in your motives. What matters to me is the chaos your war will bring about. Have you brought about chaos?"

Daunte gaped at him. What kind of question was that? He shook his head. "Look, all I'm interested in doing is stopping the madness here. The Cabinet of High Clerics is made up of ex-assassins who have committed mass murder. If taking a stand against them is chaotic, then…" he shrugged. "Then yes. We're bringing chaos."

Yuber gave a slight tilt of his head, as though he were giving Daunte's word a lot of thought. The war room was deadly silent for ten long minutes. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as they waited for Yuber to speak.

Finally, Yuber smiled. But it was an unsettling smile that made Daunte flinch. "Very well. I will lend you my power to win this civil war you started."

Daunte let out a sharp breath. "Than—"

"But," Yuber warned him, his smile abruptly fading. "But if it looks like you're about to lose, I will leave. I have no interest in supporting the losing side."

Thanks for the loyalty, Daunte thought sarcastically. But he didn't say this out loud and nodded stiffly. "Then, thank you." He held out his hand to shake Yuber's, but Yuber made no move to accept the handshake.

"Before," Caesar said, stepping between them. "Before this partnership goes any further, we're going to need to set some ground rules, Yuber."

Yuber scoffed, and it looked like he was rolling his eyes. "Well if we don't then you're just going to kill indiscriminately," Caesar pointed out. "Lord Daunte summoned you and so long as he's victorious you must obey him. So we might as well set the ground rules now rather than later." He looked at Daunte. "Is this fine, my Lord?"

"Yes," Daunte said.

"Fine," Yuber said through gritted teeth. "Set your "ground rules" for me. But just so you know, I will only allow you to set three ground rules for me. Nothing more."

"That's not your decision to make," Allise spoke sharply behind him. "Lord Daunte summoned you, so only he can set limiters on the ground rules!"

"No, it's okay," Daunte said, raising a hand. "Three ground rules is more than reasonable."

Yuber then looked not so tense. "It's good to see you have common sense."

"Think about this very carefully," Caesar told Daunte. "Yuber may try to find a loophole around any rules you place down."

Because of that, Daunte knew he had to be very specific with these ground rules. He held Yuber's cold gaze as he formulated the rules very carefully in his mind. Once again a long period of silence stretched throughout the war room as everyone waited for Daunte to finish formulating his rules.

I'll be as specific as possible with Yuber.

"Rule number one," Daunte said finally, holding up one finger. "You're not allowed to kill any Liberation Army allies."

Yuber shrugged. "Fine."

Daunte however saw the tension in Caesar's face and he realized that this rule wasn't exactly specific enough. But he'd already said it out loud and he couldn't take it back, so he quickly held up a second finger. "Rule number two: you're not allowed to kill anyone unless I tell you to."

Yuber snapped his teeth, and Daunte relaxed slightly as he realized he had something over Yuber. Even Caesar looked a little relaxed. He held up a third finger. "Rule number three: any long-term decisions you plan on making have to be brought to me first and foremost."

"These sound fair," Yuber said. "Now, give me an order."

Daunte lowered his fingers. "Huh?"

"Give me an order," Yuber coldly repeated himself. "You summoned me to kill in your name. I don't intend on remaining idle so give me an order."

Daunte looked at Caesar but the strategist merely shrugged. Daunte looked at the others but they also looked nervous. Daunte then looked at Yuber and hazard a question. "What are your skills?"

"I'm good at killing," Yuber responded. "I also carry the Eightfold Rune." he held up his right fist.

"What is the Eightfold Rune?"

"A True Rune." Yuber left it at that.

"W-Wait a minute," Felicity spoke up. "You attacked Daunte because you sensed his True Rune. But you hold a True Rune yourself?"

"I hate anyone who wields a True Rune," Yuber said bluntly.

"…So you hate yourself, then?" Gunther asked.

"I can also teleport anywhere," Yuber finished, blatantly ignoring Gunther's question.

Daunte looked up at this, and a quick idea popped into his head. "In that case, I want you to teleport to Nagarea's capital city, Mlkwt Alsmwat. The city is due east of here in a hilly region called Winter Hill. I want you to find and assassinate every member of the Cabinet of High Clerics."

"That's a brilliant idea!" Eamon cried out. "Can he really do that?!"

"That sounds too simple," Yuber said. "Is that all you want me to do?"

Daunte nodded. "They're ex-assassins who murdered the previous High Clerics. They deserve what's coming to them, and once they're gone this war will end quickly. Can you do this?"

"I will do this now."

"Wait!" Varnaz said sharply. "Do you know what they look like?!"

"They're dressed in white robes with large horns on their hoods," Daunte quickly said.

"Duly noted," Yuber said. In the blink of an eye he was gone.

"Do we really want someone like that as our ally?" Allise asked with apprehension.

Caesar shrugged. "Well, it's better that he's on our side right?"

"But he has no loyalty to our Lord or our cause," Keiran pointed out. "He may be more trouble than it's worth."

"Well, we've already gone and summoned him," Gunther said, pushing his hands into his pockets. "We might as well make use of him."

"Yuber may seem like a loose cannon, but we have a war we need to win," Caesar reminded them. "He will win this war for us."

There was a sudden 'whoosh' of air and everyone cried out as Yuber suddenly materialized back into the room. "You're already back?!" Eamon exclaimed. "D-Did you kill them all?!"

"I was unable to enter the city," Yuber reported.

Daunte gaped at him. "The moment I teleported to my destination, I was repelled by a very powerful magical force. It was beyond my power to break."

"Wait a minute," Caesar said, his eyes going wide. "Are you saying that the entire city of Mlkwt Alsmwat is under a magical shield?! And it's powerful enough to repel you?!"

"Well, this will prove to be problematic," Allise said, folding her arms over her chest. "If the capital is protected by a shield, then how are we supposed to inevitably invade it?"

"This also means our previous attempts to invade were a wasted venture," Varnaz said grimly. "Because even if we'd made it to Mlkwt Alsmwat, we wouldn't have been able to enter the city."

"At least we're aware of it now," Daunte said, looking at everyone. "So now we know what we're in for."

Yuber didn't look upset that his mission had been thwarted. Instead, he actually looked a little excited. "So, there is someone out there who is powerful enough to stop me. I'm intrigued. I look forward to meeting this person on the battlefield." Without another word he swiftly left the room.

"Wait!" Roen shouted after him. "Where are you going?!"

"Let him go," Caesar said. "He won't go far. With Lord Daunte's ground rules he can't go around killing as he desires. Plus, he seems genuinely interested in our cause now. Even if he wasn't able to assassinate the High Clerics today, you can still make use of him."

Daunte slowly nodded. He still wasn't sure if summoning Yuber had been a good idea or not, but it was done and there was no use regretting it. He would just have to make sure that he was victorious…and make sure to keep Yuber in line.

Because of how late he'd stayed up, Daunte didn't wake until almost the afternoon the following day. He rolled over onto his side and blinked, and he sat up a little when he saw Arin sitting at the table. "Good morning."

"Good afternoon," Arin corrected, waving. "You really slept in today, Big Brother!"

"I had a late night," Daunte said groggily, rubbing at his face as he slowly sat up.

Arin saw that his hand was bandaged and the smile immediately left his face. "Daunte, you're hurt! What happened?!"

"Don't worry about it," Daunte reassured him. He got up from the bed and joined Arin at the table. "It's just a minor cut. I didn't even need a Rune for it—Clara just stitched me up and sent me on my way."

"Okay…" Arin looked a little down for a moment before brightening again. "Ms. Tidur sent you up some lunch."

"That was nice of her." Daunte noted the plate of sandwiches on the table. The contents consisted of just tomatoes and lettuce. Daunte helped himself.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in!" Arin called out.

Roen came in. "You awake, Daunte?"

"Mmm," Daunte grunted around his sandwich.

"Man, that was crazy last night," Roen said. He helped himself to a sandwich. "That weirdo is loitering on the fifth floor, standing still as a statue. He has this weird, inhuman aura—nobody wants to go near him."

"What weirdo?" Arin asked.

"We summoned a new ally," Daunte told him. He quickly added, "He's very dangerous, so don't go near him."

Arin looked a little frightened. "Will he hurt us?"

"No," Roen told him. "He has to obey Daunte, and Daunte made it clear he's not allowed to hurt anyone without permission."

"…Okay." The child didn't look reassured by that.

"So what brings you here, Roen?" Daunte asked.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Roen finished his sandwich before continuing. "Lord Caesar requested to see you. It looks like the envoy we sent to Falena has returned."

Daunte immediately jumped from the table. "They're back?! Do they have good news?!"

Roen shrugged. "They haven't made their report yet. They're waiting for you."

Daunte didn't dawdle any longer and raced to get ready. Arin was also excited to hear about the news from Falena and the three of them left to go meet with Caesar in the war room. Felicity met them in the hallway and they raced up to the fifth floor. On the fifth floor Daunte saw Yuber standing next to the stairwell leading to the sixth floor. Arin gasped with fear and hid behind Daunte, but Daunte remained calm and nodded towards Yuber.

Yuber said nothing and did not react in any way. It was as though he didn't notice Daunte.

Daunte entered the war room, and greeted his allies. All of the furniture had been returned to their usual spots.

"Hello, Lord Daunte," Caesar greeted him. "I'm sure Roen has told you that our envoy has returned?" he directed a Liberation Army scout to step forward.

"Thank you for coming back so quickly," Daunte told the scout. "How was the trip?"

"We experienced no issues," the scout reported. "The people of Falena were courteous to us and they gave us reasonable accommodations."

"What news have you brought?"

"We presented your official letter to Falena's Parliament, explaining our desire to have the children of the Dark Chasm taken care of. We were lucky that all the representatives were still in Sol-Falena. The Parliament held an official vote, and it was ultimately decided that they would leave your offer to Queen Lymsleia's judgment."

Daunte was surprised by this, when the Parliament had unanimously voted against aiding the Liberation Army previously. But since they were leaving it in the hands of their Queen, who had spoken positively to Daunte when they'd previously met, he knew this was a good sign. "What was Queen Lymsleia's judgment on the matter?"

"Queen Lymsleia has requested an audience with you personally, Lord Daunte, in Sol-Falena. She wants to give you her judgment in person."

Investigations

Secret #1

Name: Keiran Umed

Age: 24

From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea

Position: Former Sheikh of the northeastern provinces

Secret #2

Keiran is from the upper crust of Nagarean society, and he inherited his title of Sheikh from his father. But he is a very capable warrior and doesn't hesitate to fight on the front lines with his men. He's always held a very moderate perspective about the Nagarean faith, but for his own job and personal security he had to pretend to be just as radicalized as his colleagues. He also has a personal code of conduct and honor, which is why he refused to take Princess Kaylani hostage.

Secret #3

He looks like a laid-back elitist, but his swordsmanship is amazing. Did you know that Keiran and Mihr had a duel several years ago that lasted for six hours and went to a draw? People have heard of this and keep asking them to do a rematch, but both parties have refused. The other day he had a duel with Jantu though and Jantu did defeat him, but Keiran seemed to be holding himself back. I think he was trying to humble himself before the Army as repentance for everything he'd done to the Army when he was a Sheikh. People have been slow to warm up to him, but he's such a likeable guy that nobody can stay mad at him for very long.

Secret #4

Keiran was part of an arranged marriage for most of his life, but a few years ago he formally broke off the engagement. He told his betrothed that he could not marry her because he didn't love her, but he also paid back the dowry her family had bestowed upon him when the engagement had been officiated. Most elitist marriages in Nagarean society are arranged marriages, but Keiran did not want to subject his future wife to a potentially unhappy marriage. Though there are also rumors that Keiran ended the engagement because he's already fallen in love...