I got this chapter done early, so I figured I might as well upload it early. :)
I had to put lines between the question marks because this website wouldn't let me put too many of them in a row together.
Part Six
GRAND PRIZE — V-7914
FIRST PLACE — ?-?305
SECOND PLACE — ?-?|?60
THIRD PLACE — ?-?|?89; ?-?|?21
FOURTH PLACE — ?-?|?|?3
WILD CARD — ?-?|?77
There was a large crowd of people in front of the lottery stand. Daunte and his group stood at the front, each of them holding one or two tickets out of the 12 that had been purchase in Chisha Village. "So much for the Grand Prize," Felicity huffed, looking between the board and her ticket. "The Grand Prize starts with a letter V, but none of these tickets start with V!"
"Like I said, it's nearly impossible to get the Grand Prize," Caesar sighed.
"Should we check the other town's tickets while we're here?" Roen asked.
"I wouldn't recommend it," Fred said. "If I recall, you can only claim winnings at the stand you purchased lottery tickets at. We're better off waiting to check each set of tickets at the location the tickets were purchased."
Daunte peered at the two tickets he held, looking at the numbers closely, and then looked at the board again. Around them multiple people were grumbling in disappointment and only one or two shouted, "I won!"
Daunte dropped his arms abruptly. "Neither of these tickets have winning numbers. Does anyone have numbers that match!"
"Oh!" Allise shouted, raising one of the two tickets she held. "M-1877! We have a Wild Card win here!"
"Oh good!" Daunte said, trying to muster enthusiasm as Allise gave him the ticket and he took it to the counter. "Here, this is a Wild Card win!"
"Congratulations!" The lottery vendor said cheerfully. "Here is your prize!" He reached underneath the counter and shoved a Fish Badge into Daunte's hands.
"Ah, thank you," Daunte said.
"Me next!" a woman shouted, shoving Daunte aside. "MY ticket says C-5493! That's 3,000 Potch!"
The rest of the group checked their tickets multiple times but unfortunately didn't see any other winning numbers. Daunte swallowed thickly—I hope this isn't a precursor for what's to come—but he knew as leader that he couldn't show his disappointment. He forced a smile and looked at his group. "Well, we already have one win and have seven other towns to check. There are plenty of opportunities for victory."
"Well said, my Lord," Caesar said, smiling lazily at the group. "We should get going. I would like for us to make it back to Brass Castle by nightfall. It would be in our best interests to get as far away from the border conflict as possible."
"That sounds like a good idea," Varnaz said. "Hopefully we have better luck in the other towns."
"We will," Daunte said, a little too quickly. "I know we will."
"And if Brother says so, then it's true," Arin said firmly.
Daunte was pleased at his little brother's faith in him. "Let's get going."
They had significantly better luck in Alma Kinan than they did in Chisha Village. Of the 12 tickets purchased in Alma Kinan, two were 3,000 Potch winners and one was a 30,000 Potch winner, giving the starting winnings for the Army 36,000 Potch.
"That's 360,000 bits!" Varnaz said with surprising enthusiasm. "That's already a lot more money than what we started with!"
"See?" Caesar said smugly. "I knew what I was doing."
Yumi and many of the citizens of Alma Kinan wanted them to stay longer, but Daunte was unsure if they were giving them sincere hospitality or if they had ulterior motives and so he pressed to have the group leave as soon as possible. At Duck Village none of their 12 tickets were winners, but they tried not to be discouraged. They found their way back to Karaya Village by mid-afternoon, but before they could check their tickets Luce dragged the whole group off again for yet another hearty meal. Her warmth and hospitality was so endearing that nearly everyone in the party was giving her hugs by the end of the meal. Daunte himself could not resist this time, and Varnaz ended up being the lone holdout on giving the woman any hugs.
The good feelings though in the aftermath of the meal unfortunately dissipated when they checked their lottery tickets.
"Just a 3,000 Potch win and another Wild Card win?" Roen asked sheepishly. He rubbed at his forehead in frustration. "So now our total winnings is at 39,000 Potch. I mean that's still a lot of money, but this whole situation feels like a money trap!"
"Gambling usually is a money trap," Allise said. "But what exactly are we supposed to do with—that?"
The group looked at their Wild Card prize with trepidation. It was a Knight Statue, taller than all of them with a significant amount of weight. "This will delay our travel time," Daunte said. "But this looks like a nice souvenir to bring back for the Army to enjoy."
"Once you build an onsen, you can put it in there," Caesar said.
"A what?" Felicity asked.
"An onsen. Also known as a bathhouse. No HQ can go without one of those. They're therapeutic and a great way to be sociable with your allies."
"Then we should look into that when we get back," Daunte said, still staring at the statue. "We'll just…drag this behind us."
"I'm actually surprised this is in Karaya Village, as this is a treasure traditionally found in Vinay del Zexay," Caesar said. "But this is a good sign that relations have improved significantly between Zexan and Karaya."
The made it to Brass Castle late and their lottery stand wasn't open, so they stayed overnight and went right to the stand the following morning. Neither of Yaman's two tickets from Brass Castle were winning tickets, but the Army's tickets had better luck.
"33,000 Potch!" Roen exclaimed as Daunte counted the money. "69,000 Potch! That's over half a million bits!"
"Okay," Varnaz said, breathing out a sigh of relief. "This will benefit our Army greatly."
"We still have four other places to check tickets," Caesar said. "We're not quite done yet."
They spent the rest of the day traveling. Daunte led the group to Vinay del Zexay and was pleased with the Potch and experience that they were getting from random battles. He saw that another Blue Mantik had come to the Zexan Forest but after hesitating and a push from Caesar, he made the decision to leave it alone and continue on to Zexan's capital.
"Killing it won't make a difference to the Blue Mantik population or the safety of travelers," Caesar said. "No matter how many of those monsters you kill, another will always come and take its place."
Daunte was pleased with their lottery winnings thus far but he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, as Caesar had promised higher winnings for them. He had already made up for the money spent so far, but it didn't feel like enough for the Army.
Hopefully we'll have better luck with the four remaining locations.
Thankfully in Vinay del Zexay, his wish came true as they read the board. He saw a 30,000 Potch win on one of Yaman's tickets which made him smile. Yaman already made his 50,000 bits back. Though I have a feeling he'll spend this money on more gambling…
"T-9260!" Rico shrieked, waving her ticket. "6-0! That matches Second Place!"
"Second Place?!" Daunte exclaimed, his eyes widening. He took the ticket and held it up to the board. "Tha—That's 100,000 Potch!"
Of course, announcing such winnings like that proved to be problematic for them as they were immediately mobbed by both civilians and soldiers. Daunte and his group fought them off as passively as possible as they collected their winnings and literally ran for the Seigal Gate. People however did not stop chasing them until they were very deep into Zexan Forest and then they had to retreat from the monsters.
"I'm so sorry," Daunte said as the group paused to collect themselves. "I-I shouldn't have announced our winnings like that!"
"Oh don't worry about it," Allise laughed breathlessly. "Everyone's shouted their winnings like that! I would've done the same thing!"
"Moving forward, we should probably not make a scene with major winnings," Daunte said. He looked at Caesar who nodded. "But now—now we have 169,000 Potch. That makes our Army's fund over 1 million bits. There's going to be amazing things we can do for our Army with that money."
"Indeed, there will be," Caesar said with a smile.
Iksay Village was a little tougher to check because not only were they checking the Army and Yaman's tickets but also the tickets of the seven soldiers who gave Daunte more than 1,200 Potch. The only yielded three 3,000 Potch wins for the Army, another 30,000 Potch win for Yaman, and just one 30,000 Potch win for another soldier. Iksay was quieter than Vinay del Zexay but the group practiced discretion and left without making a fuss.
"Should we go to the Great Hollow or Budehuc Castle next?" Felicity asked.
"The Great Hollow," Daunte said. "Budehuc Castle has the highest number of tickets purchased from so we should save it for last."
At the Great Hollow Daunte thought he saw Pesmerga's shadow on the second floor but he tried to ignore it as they checked their tickets. Daunte was finally starting to feel good about their winnings and didn't care if they had more winnings. One of the tickets he held was a dud so he crumbled it up and checked the next one.
G-0305
Daunte's throat went dry. He looked frantically between the ticket and the board, almost not believing his eyes. He felt a scream build in the bottom of his throat but he kept it at bay. Without making a sound he placed the ticket on the counter and slid it towards the lizard running the lottery stand. The vendor did a triple-take when he saw the ticket, and looked at the board himself multiple times. After a few minutes he nodded and ducked underneath the counter.
"Brother—" Arin began but Daunte quickly hushed him.
Caesar saw his demeanor and quickly waved to the group to surround Daunte. "What is it?" Roen whispered. "Daunte—do you have a large winning?"
Daunte nodded stiffly, unable to form the words on his tongue. The group watched carefully as the vendor reappeared from underneath the counter and dropped a large, full sack onto the counter. "Congratulations on your win. Here's your prize—500,000 Potch."
They had to stop by the skyship to drop off items and the 669,000 Potch that was won for the Army. Hero looked highly annoyed but James couldn't stop screaming when he saw the sack labeled 500,000 Potch. Xi An was too busy pretending to fly the grounded ship, Zuzanna was doing fighting stances (but also losing her balance) and Kakyoku sat with his sitar and sang happily.
At Budehuc Castle, Martha was clearly not happy to see them as she knew they had a LOT of tickets to check. And indeed, it took well over an hour pouring over the tickets of over thirty soldiers. "I'll use there for kindling," Martha muttered as she collected the massive pile of useless tickets.
They saved the Army's tickets for last and per usual the tickets were divided up amongst the party to check, but before Daunte could check his tickets Fred shrieked when he checked one of his tickets and promptly fainted. Rico began to panic when she saw her lord collapse, and Allise quickly fanned him with one of her tessen. Caesar tactfully took the tickets from his hands and checked the one that caused Fred to swoon. With a smile he passed it to Daunte, and when Daunte saw the ticket he almost fainted.
"Oh good, you won First Place," Martha said without an ounce of enthusiasm when Daunte gave her the ticket.
"AGAIN?!" Felicity shrieked, pressing her hands to her cheeks.
"We're rich! We're rich!" Arin cheered, jumping up and down.
"Oh hey!" Roen shouted, holding up his ticket. "W-7914! That's the Grand Prize, isn't it?!"
"You need a V instead of a W," Martha pointed out.
"Oh wow, the whole lot of you look lively," Thomas laughed as he approached. He stilled though when he saw Fred still sprawled on the ground. "Ah…is everything okay?"
Later on into the evening Daunte and Caesar convened at the inn to go over the winnings. Everyone else was either at the horse track or watching a play at the theatre. Daunte could hear Arin outside playing with the dogs and Cecile. He scrubbed both hands over his face before he picked up his booklet. "…Okay. Out of the thirty-seven people who gave me money for lottery tickets, all but these six people—" he tapped the names on the page. "—Had losing tickets. So that thirty-one people who will be getting 3,000 Potch each. How much is that total?"
"93,000 Potch," Caesar said. "But luckily we made enough money from random battles to cover that. Who was the major winner besides the Army funds?"
"Yaman, unsurprisingly. He won a total of 93,000 Potch. Four others won 30,000 Potch and one of the soldiers got lucky with two Third Place wins, getting 60,000 Potch."
"And the grand total for the Army's winnings is 1,172,000 Potch," Caesar said smugly, looking over his shoulder at the bags of money slumped against each other. "That will be 11,720,000 bits for our Army, Lord Daunte. Have you thought about what you will do with that money?"
"I'm giving everyone a raise," Daunte said as he started counting out individual winnings. "It's long overdue. I don't think the soldiers have gotten a raise since Bearyl Lutis was the Commander."
"That's very generous of you, Lord Daunte."
"I hope this will make up for not giving out raises with the last war battle victory…"
"My Lord, we didn't have the budget for that and the soldiers were understanding," Caesar said. He started counting out winnings as well. "You should hear how the soldiers talk about you. You've inspired them greatly."
Daunte didn't know how he could inspire soldiers but he decided not to argue the point. "Thank you, Caesar. I also want to use this money to set aside resources for Lorik Varra and his people. If he ends up joining us that would be great, but if he's able to set up a new hamlet safely with the money then I won't object either.
"Also…" Daunte hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I—also want to reach out to Queen Lymsleia. I want to see how the survivors of the Dark Chasm are doing. If they are doing well, then I want to take steps in starting to bring them home."
"I'll draft a letter for Her Majesty when we get back," Caesar said. "But if I may, I don't think you should worry too much about the children for right now. We haven't received any correspondences from the Queen complaining about them or asking when we're going to take them back. As you well know, the children don't just need physical care but psychological care too. You will only be able to do so much for them when you're Commanding an Army and trying to overthrow a government."
"All right," Daunte said reluctantly. He continued dividing the money up and tying up the piles with the corresponding soldier's name on it. "I think we should have a meeting when we get back as to what to do with our new funds so that they don't drain so easily."
"Sounds good," Caesar said, nodding. "Anyways my Lord, you have traveled to quite a few countries in a short period of time and have experienced quite a few government systems new to you. Have you started developing an idea for the government system you want for Nagarea?"
"Honestly, I'm still thinking about it," Daunte admitted. "I can do a less-radicalized Theocracy, which is what our country has known since its existence. I could do a Kingdom like Highland and Armes, a Queendom like Falena, a Republic like Toran and Dunan, a Federation like Zexan, a Free-State like Budehuc, a City-State like Jowston, or an Alliance like the Grasslands. I'm going to have to think long and hard about which system is best for Nagarea."
"Well you still have time to decide," Caesar said. "The war hasn't been won yet."
"I know, but I will work hard to make sure we succeed."
"Give yourself a break, you're working hard enough as it is. Oh, and I had another question for you."
"Sure, what is it?" Daunte looked up.
"I saw you having a heated discussion with Piccolo earlier. What was that all about?"
Daunte scoffed and shook his head. "When we first came here he offered me a free fortune telling. I asked him how I can humanize Yuber and he gave me three answers. Ah…red, the color of blood, which he said was a strong presence. White and puffy, like clouds, which he said was faint. And chilling black, old power, which he said was magnetizing."
"That's…vague," Caesar said with a slight strain in his voice.
"I thought the "white clouds" referred to the skyship, but Piccolo told me that these colors were in fact people," Daunte said. "But he said he couldn't tell me their names without money that I didn't have. So, when we got back today I tried to give him money so he could tell me who those three people were. But…" Daunte let his voice trail off.
"But he wasn't very helpful?"
"He had no idea what I was talking about!" Daunte rasped, wringing a hand through his hair. "He's the one who told me that three people were key to Yuber gaining humanity! But Piccolo said he couldn't remember ever giving me that reading!"
"Yeah, that sounds like Piccolo," Caesar sighed, shaking his head.
"I need those three people," Daunte said desperately. "I need to know who they are so that I can recruit them as fast as possible! It…" he shook his head. "Caesar. That recent vision—I saw something."
"Something?"
"Yuber. His demeanor, he…" Daunte swallowed hard and looked at him. "Yuber told me that he was a monster wearing a man's flesh. But the vision—the flashback I saw. Yuiri accused him of not being human and he responded "What am I then?" to her."
"'What am I then?' Hmm." Caesar rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That is very interesting. Since Yuiri was in the vision I imagine the vision took place during the Second Fire Bringer War. Yuber spoke with certainty to you that he is a monster who cannot feel the way humans feel…but in that instance he seemingly questioned his own existence. But his whole demeanor during the War was peculiar, anyways."
"How so?" Daunte asked.
"He still killed wantonly, but he did not seem—overly thrilled," Caesar said. "At the prospect of the world being destroyed. He didn't turn on his masters and still followed their orders when given, but he wasn't clamoring for blood and chaos akin to Luca Blight. And when his masters were about to lose, he was last seen mingling with the creatures that were coming up from the ruins. But he obviously returned to the World of Emptiness since that was where he was when we summoned him."
"But he questioned his existence," Daunte said. "In that vision. He speaks to me in absolutes about what he is, but in that vision he wasn't sure himself. It…It makes me think it's possible, you know? That Yuber can learn to feel."
"I thought so too," Caesar said solemnly. "Which is why I wanted to take a chance and summon him. He's done terrible things but he's not a mindless beasts who thirsts for blood. He likes to kill, surely, but I always felt that there was more to it than that. But he's also very powerful and I knew that we could use his help.
"We'll have to tread carefully though," Caesar said. "Even with the possibility of Yuber gaining humanity, the World of Emptiness is his home. When he is summoned a human sacrifice is usually required. He is a being of darkness, and bringing light to him will not be easy."
"I know."
They continued dividing winnings out in silence for a little while before Daunte spoke again. "What is the World of Emptiness exactly?
"Oh, I'm not sure," Caesar said nonchalantly. "I've never been there before. But all of the monsters that exist in our world originated from there. It is apparently a black and gloomy place, void of light. Monsters crossed onto this plane through the Gate Rune eons ago as an invasive species, and because they breed so quickly we will never truly be rid of them.
"It," Caesar said, holding the word on his breath for a long moment. "Is also the place where your soul goes immediately after death. Not permanently though, the World of Emptiness serves as a temporary place of holding before your soul either ascends to the heavens…or descends to the dark beneath."
"Or if your soul remains for eternity?" Daunte asked.
"That…is also a possibility," Caesar said. "But let's not worry about that. Lady Leknaat can provide more information for you later. For now, let's get back on topic with Yuber." He rubbed a hand through his hair. "Three people; blood red, white clouds, and cold black. People matching these descriptions will make Yuber change for the better. Well, I think I know who the person is who represents the "black" aspect of this premonition."
"Pesmerga!" Daunte blurted out, his eyes going wide. "He's a Black Knight like Yuber! And if he's Yuber's enemy, then he's probably immortal like Yuber too! So old power! And his demeanor—yes! Cold! Pesmerga MUST be one of the three who can bring humanity to Yuber!"
Caesar nodded in agreement. "Recruiting him should be quite interesting then."
"Okay, that's one down. Just two more people to go." Daunte pressed hand a to his forehead and leaned forward. "I hope I can find them…"
"Big Brother!" Arin knocked on the door. "Brother, can I take one of the dogs home? Please please please?"
"Arin, the dogs are part of the guard at Orange Castle!" Daunte called back out to him. "They can't leave!"
"But can we get a puppy when we get back?"
Daunte looked at Caesar who laughed and raised his hands. "You're Commander and Big Brother. The decision is up to you."
"Gee, thanks," Daunte said sarcastically.
Daunte and his group left Budehuc Castle with their winnings and breakfast from the castle's restaurant. The residents of the castle followed them through the Yaza Plain and were in awe of the skyship. Hero was annoyed by the crowd of people, but more so with the money they brought back and also with other souvenirs they had.
"You need to tie that blasted statue down!" he barked from the roof of the skyship. "We run the risk of it going through the hull of the ship!"
Nāṭaka rejoined the party and was in incredibly high spirits. James also couldn't stop gushing as they positioned the bags of Potch around the skyship for weight balance. "This money is ours?! It truly is?!"
"Yes, it is," Varnaz said gruffly. He rubbed at his forehead.
Daunte pulled him aside. "Are you all right, Varnaz?"
"I'm fine, don't' mind me. I'm just—disappointed," he admitted. "I came on this trip primarily to meet the person I share a Star with. I was happy to be sharing a Star with a seasoned warrior and someone who possesses a True Rune. But we didn't meet Geddoe on this trip at all."
Daunte smiled. "Well, we'll be coming back this way again. I have to bring Yuber here to—"
"You're bringing that beast here?!" Varnaz hissed discreetly. "My Lord, I heard about the terrible things he's done in this region!"
"I understand, but I'll need to bring him here if I want to recruit Pesmerga."
"Oh Nagar, you're recruiting the beast's archenemy?! Lord Daunte, that is a horrible idea!"
"Actually, it's a brilliant idea," Caesar said, quickly approaching them. "Having both Yuber and Pesmerga as allies will make us unstoppable."
"Yes, but if they can't get along—"
"They will get along," Daunte reassured him. "I will make sure that they get along. But we need Pesmerga, and I know it may not look like it right now but having Pesmerga in our Army is going to help Yuber."
Varnaz looked like he didn't believe him but after a moment he nodded. "You both are the Commander and the Chief Strategist. You both believe strongly in this plan and so I will follow you and support you."
"Thank you, Varnaz. Your support means a lot to me."
Daunte let the breath he was holding when Varnaz walked away. "If Pesmerga is the "black" in Piccolo's reading, then we must have him."
"Oh, it's definitely him," Caesar said confidently. "There is literally no one else in the world who matches the description of the "black" in that reading besides Pesmerga."
"We'll just have to work hard so that they don't try to kill each other."
"Oh yes," Caesar said cheerfully. "Because the power they would exude from such a battle would surely kill all of us."
Once the ship was ready everyone started saying their goodbyes. "Thank you so much for stopping by," Thomas said, shaking Daunte's hand. "The gates of Orange Castle will always be open to you, Lord Daunte. Don't hesitate to stop by again. With any luck the border disputes down south will settle down soon."
"I hope so too," Daunte said. "And I hope Orange Castle only has peace."
"Connie is pregnant!" Cecile gushed, grabbing Daunte's other hand. "I-I don't know who fathered her babies, but the other four have been hovering over her recently so it might be all of them!"
"A-All of them?!" Daunte sputtered.
"Well, puppy litters with different fathers have been known to happen," Caesar said thoughtfully.
"But once the puppies are weaned, Arin can adopt one if he wants!" Cecile continued.
"Shh!" Daunte said, looking over his shoulder. Arin was play-sparring with Roen and Felicity in the grass a couple of meters away. "I will consider it," he said. "We will be back to this region at a later time, but I don't know when. Do you know when Connie is due?"
"A-Ah, we suspect less than a month," Thomas said. "So—maybe by the time you come back."
"I'll think about it but please don't mention it to Arin before then," Daunte said. "With how busy I am he would have to be the primary caretaker of the puppy, and that would a lot of pressure on him at his age."
"Oh, I understand," Cecile said, nodding.
"Lord Daunte!" Piccolo called out with a laugh. "Would you like your fortune read?"
"Only if you can tell me the names of the two people I need to look for," Daunte said.
"What?"
"Never mind."
After finishing with the goodbyes Daunte and his group entered the skyship. "This is amazing!" Rico exclaimed. "We're really going to fly like birds!"
"How high does this ship get?" Zuzanna asked.
"3 kilometers," James responded. Zuzanna stiffened. "That's…very high up, isn't it?"
"Does anyone mind if I play my music during the flight?" Kakyoku asked.
"Sure, but play a different song than the one you've been playing nonstop," Hero responded.
"Can I fly up here?" Xi An asked excitedly.
"Xi An, that's still my seat!" James protested.
"Are we ready?" Fred asked, taking his seat. "I want to get to Nagarea and fight for justice!"
"Oh, Lord Daunte?" Allise asked, holding up a piece of paper. "I forgot to mention this, but you won one of the Wild Card prizes in Vinay del Zexay. It looks like a recipe for something called "Chorizo Corn Chowder"."
"Yasaka will appreciate that," Daunte said, taking the recipe. "Is everyone ready to go?"
Outside the residents of Budehuc Castle were at a safe distance shouting goodbyes and waving. Cecile was holding Connie in her arms while Koroku, Koichi, Kosanji, and Kogoro jumped around her. "We're lifting off!" Hero announced, and immediately after saying this the skyship lurched forward and began to slowly ascend. Rico cried out in alarm and clung to Fred's arm, who wasn't helping the situation by looking out the window and loudly commenting about how high they were getting. Zuzanna looked slightly alarmed but Kakyoku played his sitar and sang, which did work to settle the mood in the ship. Once they reached the desired height the skyship launched forward and was flying south.
"Hero, could you fly to the southeast?" Daunte called up to the front of the ship. "I want to see if we can see the border conflict!"
"Will do!" Hero called back.
"Just maintain a high altitude though!" Caesar added. "We're going to draw attention to ourselves already but we don't want to invite attacks on the ship!"
"Oh they can't hurt us!" James reassured them.
"Not unless they have a rune cannon!" Hero added.
"Oh, can we mount a rune cannon on this ship?!" Xi An exclaimed.
"That's a great idea!" James said. "We'll mount it on the roof of the ship!"
"We don't need a rune cannon!" Hero snapped. "We can fire rune spells from the ship's beak!"
"Plus rune cannons are a lost technology," Caesar said apologetically. "The last rune cannon ever found was destroyed by two soldiers of the Island Nations Federation, Yahr and Nelis, and that was almost thirty years ago. As you can imagine, destroying the last existing rune cannon did NOT make them very popular in their home country. Especially after they both destroyed the last remaining rune shells the Federation had. Because of their efforts, anything related to rune cannons no longer exists."
"Aw, phooey," Xi An said, pouting.
"Were they executed?" Felicity asked.
"No, they fled before they could be arrested. No one knows where they went but they probably fled to Falena. Since they fought alongside Prince Freyjadour during the Civil War, I can imagine Queen Lymsleia giving them secret refuge."
Roughly an hour after takeoff James called out, "Oh, is that the border! It looks like there's a battle going on!"
Everyone immediately went to the window to see. Daunte felt his stomach drop as we watched the two massive group smash into each other. He couldn't distinguish faces from their height, but he saw from the diverse uniforms that the army moving from the north had to be the combined Zexan-Grasslands forces, making the army from the south the Tinto forces. Both sides seemed evenly matched.
Daunte knew that Nagarea wouldn't have to worry about border disputes. Not only did the Liberation Army have good relations with the one country it shared a border with, Falena, but the land damage at the border all but ensured a battle like the one below them couldn't ever happen. But it was still disheartening to see the conflict going on while they peacefully went home.
"Lady Chris is down there, isn't she?" Rico asked sadly. "And Hugo?"
"Yeah," Fred said grimly.
Zexan and the Grasslands already suffered a tremendous war and saved the world, and now they have to deal with THIS? Tinto trying to invade for their own selfish reasons? After the President of Tinto's daughter fought alongside those same people who are just trying to preserve their own borders?!
"Plus your arrival has caused a stir in the region. Lady Chris has also told us that the Tinto forces temporarily halted their advance once word reached the front lines that you were coming."
Alanis's words filled his mind and Daunte quickly sat up. "Fly lower!"
"Lord Daunte—" Varnaz warned.
"Just by a kilometer," Daunte added, looking around at his allies. "Just low enough so that they can see us!"
"Oh, right!" Caesar shouted, slapping his fist into his palm. "The Tinto forces panicked and temporarily retreated when they heard rumors about the skyship! If they actually see the ship they may retreat again!"
"Or attack us," Allise said.
"We should take the risk," Roen said, nodding. "Zexan and the Grasslands gave us hospitality. We ought to return the favor."
"All right then," Hero huffed, pulling on his controls. "Everyone sit down and hang on!"
Daunte and the others complied but Hero jerked the plane into a dip so quickly and sharply that most everyone shouted as they were slammed back into their seats. Behind them the Knight's Statue groaned from the strain but was held securely as the skyship slid into position 2 kilometers above the ground.
"LOOK!" A Tinto soldier shouted, pointing skyward. "There it is! The ship!"
"The ship?!"
"It's a monster!"
Skirmishes on both sides abruptly stopped as everyone turned and watched as the skyship drifted down and came into line of sight for both armies.
"Wow," Hugo breathed. "Caesar is traveling in that?"
"That's the ship that was seen over the capital," Chris told Salome, who nodded.
"Retreat!" One of the Tinto commanders shouted. "Retreat before it comes down on us!"
Just as quickly the Tinto forces turned on their heels and ran back for the Tinto border, covering their heads and screaming as they went. The Zexan and Grasslands forces cheered in victory before the Tinto forces were even over the hill, while Chris and the Grasslands leaders watched as the skyship flew peacefully overhead straight over their forces before turning back skywards and ascending back towards the clouds.
"Well, that will settle things for now," Salome sighed.
"Maybe those fools will finally settle down, as this is not the first time they've retreated from battle with us?" Yuiri scoffed.
"Maybe we ought to invest in one of those things for us?" Percival said thoughtfully. "It would make travel a lot easier…"
"I'll stick with Fubar," Hugo said, petting his griffin affectionately.
After scaring the Tinto forces, the skyship flew back to Nagarea with no incidents within 32 hours. "Hero, can we fly directly to our HQ?" Daunte asked, moving to the front of the skyship. "With the amount of money we're carrying, I think it would be easier to land there instead of the island."
"Oh all right," Hero said, rolling his eyes. "But we're not staying long!"
"I understand. Just long enough to get our stuff off and then James and you can fly it back home."
"And me!" Xi An volunteered herself.
They sailed over the High Peak Mountains and over the familiar greens of the western part of Nagarea. Daunte thought he saw Sloan Faakhir's Garrison, and was stunned to see one of the buildings collapsed onto itself. Was that from the earthquake we experienced? Was anyone injured?
He frowned to himself. I'm not happy about it. What the Sheikh has done is awful, but I don't want to wish death upon that man's allies.
Hero flew the skyship lower the closer they got to the Garrison. When they were roughly 600 meters above the ground and less than a kilometer away from HQ, Daunte caught sight of something on the ground. It looked a—body. A human body facedown in a sprawl. The person didn't appear to be moving.
"Hero!" Daunte shouted, startling Arin and the others around. "Land right now! There's someone on the ground who needs help!"
"Who needs—oh Nagar!" Allise cried out when she looked out the window. "I-Is that a dead body?!"
"A dead body?!" Arin cried out, hugging his hands to his cheeks.
"If it's a dead body then we can't help him," Hero said grimly.
"Hero, please land the skyship!" Daunte insisted. "That's an order! I have to help them!"
"That's a command from our leader," Caesar spoke up. "Land the ship, Hero."
Hero scoffed but quickly made the descent. "I-Is he dead?" Arin asked, tears in his voice.
"No, he'll be all right," Daunte reassured him. "But wait here while I go and get him, okay?"
"I'll come with you," Allise said, looking apologetic.
"Right. Um—" Daunte looked around at his allies. "Allise, Fred, Rico, Zuzanna, and Varnaz come with me. Caesar, come as my support. The rest of you stay with the ship."
"Please be careful," Felicity said.
"We'll keep an eye on things here," Roen promised.
"Right, let's go!" Daunte announced.
The skyship landed roughly halfway between HQ and the body. Daunte and his group raced back towards the body as fast as they could. Thankfully they faced no monsters along the way but when they made it to the fallen person they found a wolf chewing on the main's foot. The tanned cloak covered his body and face. Daunte could see no sign of life.
Wait! This man—!
"LA'AHAD!" Daunte shouted. "Hang on, we'll save you!"
The group disposed of the wolf quickly and Varnaz flipped La'Ahad over onto his back. The hood still covered his face but he looked gaunt even with his stubble. "Howl!" Daunte shouted, raising his hand.
"Kindness Rain!" Varnaz shouted once Daunte's spell was finished. Daunte nearly fell over in relief when he saw La'Ahad's chest begin to rise and fall with shallow breaths. The party watched for a moment to see if he would rise. When he still remained laying still on the ground, Daunte carefully reached for him with his left hand.
La'Ahad then suddenly sat up, startling the group. "Easy," Allise said, raising her hands. "You were almost a goner there."
Daunte still couldn't see La'Ahad's face because of his hood, but he didn't want to ask him to push it back. "Are you all right?" Daunte asked him. "Do you have any lingering injuries?"
La'Ahad turned towards him. Daunte saw his mouth form a frown. "Lord…Daunte, is it?"
"What happened to you?" Zuzanna asked him, wringing her hands slightly. "You were laying in the middle of this plain! We thought you were dead!"
"I—don't remember how I got here," La'Ahad responded quietly. "My head hurts me. I-I…" he turned towards Daunte again. "This would be the third time that you have helped me."
"I'm just glad that you're okay," Daunte said. "You seem to be in a bad way, La'Ahad. Why don't you come back with us to our headquarters? You can join the Liberation Army." he saw the spear laying on the ground beside La'Ahad. "I see you have a weapon."
"I do," La'Ahad responded. "I can fight, and I will gladly fight by your side. You paid for my board in Baltas, paid for my food in Uaminifu, and now you have saved my life. I am indebted to you for these three favors and I will repay you tenfold."
"Y-You don't need to repay me," Daunte said. "All I ask is for your loyalty if by joining our Army."
"And you will have it." La'Ahad picked up his spear and started to stand, but then quickly stumbled. Varnaz and Fred grabbed him and held him steady. "Ah, thank you. I must still be weakened it seems."
"It's good we landed when we did then," Caesar said. "If you're still in this state after two powerful healing spells, then you were very close to death." He looked at Daunte. "Well done my Lord, for spotting him and taking immediate action to save his life."
Daunte felt odd that he was given praise for acting like a decent human being and shook his head. "Look, I just did what anyone—"
"My Lord, you should really learn how to take compliments," Allise said teasingly.
"But we'll get you back to HQ," Daunte said to La'Ahad. "Dr. Yulin can take a look at you and then you can get something to eat at our restaurant."
"We need to get back to the skyship," Varnaz said, hovering his hand over his eyes to see. "A crowd has formed near the ship."
"Uh oh," Caesar said, though he said it amusingly.
"Are you okay to walk?" Daunte asked La'Ahad. La'Ahad nodded briefly but groaned and clutched at his head. Daunte reached for him but La'Ahad waved him off. "I'm use to the headaches. I can walk, but for now I must move slowly."
The group returned to the ship, but Daunte wasn't worried as he recognized the blue uniforms of the Liberation Army from a distance. At the front he saw Gunther, Tamara, Kieran, Georg, and Surya though Yaman was hovering close by. "We saw you land from our headquarters," Surya said, looking at the skyship with wide eyes. "Was everything okay?"
"Yes, we just needed to rescue someone," Allise said. "We brought back new recruits."
"Oh Allise, how I missed you!" Gunther gushed but Allise brushed him off. "Not now, we have a lot to do."
Arin raced over to Daunte and La'Ahad, his eyes wide. "A-Are you okay?" He asked fearfully. "Did you hurt yourself, mister?"
"I did," La'Ahad admitted. "But Lord Daunte saved me."
"So that's five people that you have recruited," Georg said, nodding as he folded his arms over his chest. "Well done, Lord Daunte."
"Could the lot of you wrap this up?" Hero called from the door of the skyship. "We need to get my ship out of here before the Holy Army shows up! Hurry up and unload your money!"
"Yes, money!" Yaman shouted, pushing himself to the front of the group. "How did I do with my lottery tickets?"
Soldiers clamored close behind Yaman, and Daunte quickly realized that they were the soldiers who gave him money for lottery tickets. "Ah, yes. Please come over here…"
Tamara and Georg did not face any problems overseeing the Army while Daunte was gone. They were able to gather more information about the anomaly that was the earthquake in that it had devastated Sloan Faakhir's Garrison. They had heard that two dozen soldiers had been injured and that there were two fatalities, and that a lot of time and resources from the Garrison had been allocated in digging themselves out of the wreckage.
However, moods elevated considerably once word got around that the Army won 1,172,000 Potch in lottery winnings caused spontaneous celebrations to sweep through HQ, more so after Eliasen revealed that after conversion it was 11,172,000 bits. New that Daunte was giving the entire Army raises effective immediately also elevated everyone's moods considerably.
The soldiers who also played the lottery were also happy with their winnings, especially Yaman. But despite winning almost 1 million bits in his own right, Daunte heard that half of it was gone before nightfall the exact same day he got his winnings.
It took two days of sitting with Caesar and his Army lieutenants to budget the Army's newfound wealth. During that time most of the new recruits acclimated very well with the Army. Fred and Rico got along well with Futch and Sharon. Zuzanna got into many sparring matches with Jantu but lost. Kakyoku quickly became friends with Desiree and began playing music while she danced. La'Ahad however kept to himself and only spoke to Dr. Yulin and Clara.
The fact that the Army was so successful with the lottery was reassuring but they knew to not be reckless with the money that they now had, as there was no guarantee they would ever win the same amount of money again.
"I'm going to go visit Lorik Varra and his people again," Daunte said. "Would it be all right if I offer them compensation? We've given them food and water but I believe they might need money a bit more."
"I agree," Varnaz said. "Sheikh Faakhir was responsible for the destruction of Agameru but the Liberation Army didn't help matters by abandoning those people to their fate."
"I-I know this doesn't mean anything," Tamara spoke up suddenly. "But I did not agree with what happened to Agameru. I-It was my firm belief that Lorik Varra alone should have suffered the consequences of sedition. Not the entire population of his hamlet." she ducked her head forward. "And now that I understand the corruption of the Theocracy, I…I am filled with great shame that I didn't do more to try and stop it."
"I share the shame too," Keiran said grimly, looking at the rest of the group. "I agree with giving them compensation, and have some money that I can contribute."
"We should be careful with the money given," Caesar said. "It will be safer to not give them a lump sum, but rather compensation over time. Let's start with 100,000 bits. This may be enough for them to move out of the Red Tundra and start rebuilding their hamlet. And we'll give them more over time."
"Okay," Daunte said, nodding. "We'll set aside a separate budget specifically for Lorik Varra and his people. I also want to try talking to the elves in the East Forest again. They may not trust us or want our help, but their numbers are thinning. The forest is not safe for them, but I know that it will be more difficult to provide monetary support for them so I try to recruit them to our Army."
"I'm sure they would want to fight the government that committed genocide against them, but we might get a lot more resistance from them anyways just because most of us are humans," Gunther said.
"I will eventually be going back to the Northern Continent," Daunte said. "There is someone I need to recruit and I didn't have the means to recruit them when I first went there."
"And there will be puppies available," Caesar teased.
Daunte was surprised by the murmurs of excitement amongst everyone, and Eamon raised his hand. "May I also get a puppy too?"
It got late so the meeting ended not too long afterwards. Daunte saw Yuber at his usual spot outside the war room. Daunte approached him, wondering if he should mention Pesmerga or ask him if he did what he was to order and reflect on the people he had killed. After considering his options, he decided to wait on informing Yuber about Pesmerga. "Hello, Yuber."
Yuber didn't respond and just stared at Daunte with his usual scowl. "Did you do what I ordered you to do?"
"What?" Yuber asked.
Daunte bristled, but didn't allow it to show on his face. "Have you thought at all about the people you have killed?"
"No," Yuber said bluntly. "It is pointless. I have been alive for too long and have killed more people than someone like you could stomach. They all blur together."
Daunte took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It's fine. You can't let him win but you won't win this without Pesmerga, and the other two people who will warm his heart.
"Fine," Daunte said, staring him straight in the eye. "I can't force you to feel bad about the things you have done."
"I'm glad you realize that," Yuber responded.
"But this isn't over, Yuber. And I'm not a pushover who will let you do whatever you want."
Daunte left him and entered the elevator. He contemplated the levels but ultimately settled on 'B'. He went down to the basement level and hurried over to Leknaat. "Lady Leknaat, how are you?"
"Weary," Leknaat said quietly with a smile. "But I will be all right."
Daunte quickly scanned the Tablet of Stars and smiled. "The five people I recruited are here. I'm glad to see La'Ahad's name here. He seems to be in a bad way and I'm worried about him."
"Did he see Dr. Yulin?"
"Yes. Dr. Yulin said he has a lingering head injury. He's had it for so long that it will not fully heal with a couple of healing spells. He will need more. It reminds me of Arin's condition after we escaped from the Dark Chasm."
"I'm glad you found him when you did."
"Me too." Daunte hesitated for a moment before looking at Leknaat. "Lady Leknaat?"
"Yes, my Lord?"
"How well do you know Yuber?"
Leknaat stirred very slightly. "Ah. I'm afraid I am not familiar with him. He was a companion to my sister Windy for a long time, but he left Windy towards the end of the Gate Rune War. But I know that he calls the World of Emptiness home."
"Caesar told me about the World of Emptiness. The monsters of the world come from there, and that is where a soul goes immediately after death."
"That is all true. The border between our world and the World of Emptiness is tightly connected by the Gate Rune, even while the Rune is split," Leknaat said. "Spiritually, the two worlds are a breath's away from each other. As such when a soul is in the World of Emptiness it can be called back to its body with a Resurrection Rune. However, the process is not always perfect because more often than not the soul is restored to a damaged body. The body still has to be healed, and in the haste to revive a person there is almost no time to heal the body before calling the soul back. Depending on the level of trauma inflicted upon the body, the soul may not be able to be returned to the body. This is especially true in situations where a violent death occurs. This is why you need to be careful to not lose allies on a battlefield, because of the nature of death during a war battle."
"I…see," Daunte said. "That might explain why, in the case of Lady Archana's husband, that he couldn't come back. He was poisoned, and if his soul was restored to his body then it would still be inflicted with the trauma of the poison."
"There is also the matter of the soul itself, and whether or not it wants to come back," Leknaat said. "A soul that lingers in the World of Emptiness may resist being pulled back into this world by the power of the Resurrection Rune. If they don't want to come back, then a lot of times they won't."
"A-And a soul can only come back if it's in the World of Emptiness?" Daunte asked.
"When a soul departs the World of Emptiness for the beyond…then it is near impossible to call it back. And if a body is lost completely, then it is also near impossible as there is no place for the soul to return to. There has only been one case where a soul long gone was ever successfully called back without a body. The body had to be remade, and the magic that was used was so great that the spell never be used again."
"Really?" Daunte asked. "Lady Leknaat, who was it that was brought back?"
Leknaat smiled sadly. "Gremio."
Daunte's mouth hung open in shock. "W…Gremio? Tir McDohl's retainer and closest companion?"
"That is correct. His body was devoured by demonic spores. Nothing was left behind but his clothes and his hatchet. And his soul had been consumed by the Soul Eater Rune. For me to call him back, my own power had to overwhelm the Soul Eater to retrieve his soul. The cost of restoring him was great. My magic…will never be able to replicate this feat.
"But Gremio was one of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Without him, the Stars of that war would not have been successful. Exhausting my magic in such a way was worth the price I needed to pay to bring him back."
Daunte nodded. "Thank you for the information, Lady Leknaat. It has given me a lot to think about."
"You have more questions though about Yuber," Leknaat pointed out.
"Ah, yes," Daunte stammered. "At the Free State of Budehuc Castle I was given a reading on how to humanize Yuber. The seer, Piccolo, told me it was three people associated with three colors. Blood red, white clouds, and cold black."
"I am unwell so I cannot properly articulate this reading, however I can confirm for you that the three people you are seeking are Stars of Destiny."
"Really?!" Daunte exclaimed. "You can sense that?!"
"I can. When you told me reading I could sense their connection to the Stars. When I have my strength back, I will do my own reading and hopefully I can place names and faces to these colors."
"I have a good idea on who one of them is," Daunte said. "I will be recruiting him at a later time."
"That is good to hear."
Daunte looked down at his right hand for a long moment. "You have another question for me," Leknaat surmised softly.
"Yes, I do." Daunte looked back up at her. "You said the Resurrection Rune can restore a soul to a body that recently died but it's not a perfect spell. My rune is the Rune of Restoration. That means that I can also bring people who died recently back to life, and the spell would be greater than the spell from the Resurrection Rune. Is that right?"
Leknaat smiled serenely and slowly nodded. "That is correct."
"But I don't have that ability yet."
Leknaat shook her head. "You have not unlocked it yet."
"C-Could you tell me how to unlock it? Knowing how to revive my allies would be essential to the success of our Army, Lady Leknaat."
"I understand how you feel. But I am not able to unlock that ability for you. There is only one entity that can unlock that ability for you."
"Really? What is it?"
Leknaat gestured to his hand. "The Rune itself."
—
Beauty and the Beast
The Cast
Beauty: Desiree
Beast: Lanny
Beauty's Father: Virgil
Sister 1: Zuzanna
Sister 2: Tamara
Prince: Daunte
—
"Lanny's the Beast?" Keiran murmured, looking at his program in confusion. "Why did Nāṭaka cast Lanny as the Beast?"
"Perhaps he gave the best audition?" Mihr mused aloud.
The lights came up onstage, revealing Virgil standing to the right at centerstage. Desiree, Zuzanna, and Tamara stood at stage left centerstage. There was a backdrop of a white castle in the background and a rose garden in the foreground, and there were fake rose bushes on either side of the stage.
"M-M-My—daughters," Virgil stammered, his face flushed. "I—er—fell into misfortune. I s-s-stole a rose from a horrible Beast, and he—ah, er, um—demands that one of you marry him."
"Oh Father!" Desiree exclaimed, pressing a hand over her throat. "What an awful demand!"
"How could be so stupid to be captured by a Beast, Father?!" Zuzanna snapped.
"You are far too selfish, Father!" Tamara declared dramatically.
Virgil floundered and sputtered, his flushed face darkening. It had appeared that he had forgotten his lines. "You can do it, Dad!" Dylan shouted from the audience. The audience began to clap encouragingly for him.
"Never fear, Father!" Desiree said, her tone reassuring. "I will not allow anything to happen to our family, for it is my fault you stole a rose!"
"I-I am sorry!" Virgil shouted, startling the three ladies on stage with his sudden booming voice. "But I—!"
"RAWR!" Lanny shouted from offstage stage right.
"But my lines—here is comes!" Virgil shouted. The giant tank of a man ran and hid behind his "daughters".
Lanny stiffly walked onto stage, his face even redder than Virgil's. "Who d-d-d-dares come here?!" he shouted. He wasn't wearing a Beast costume. Just his regular clothes.
"A MONSTER!" Zuzanna screamed.
"What a hideous Beast!" Tamara shouted.
"Run, daughters!" Virgil shouted.
Virgil, Zuzanna, and Tamara exited stage left. Desiree remained onstage with Lanny, whose face was turning redder and redder with each passing second. "W—Well?!" he burst out. "A-Are you not g-going to run away?!"
"Why would I do that?" Desiree asked. She walked over to Lanny and grasped his hands. The young man squeaked. "You are not so bad, are you? We are the ones who have bothered you."
"Y-You are not disgusted by me?" Lanny blurted out in a rush so quick that the words blended together.
"Not at all," Desiree said with a smile.
"Y-You are—ah, um—beautiful," he said.
"That's not the line!" Nāṭaka hissed in alarm, flipping through her script.
"You are kind," Desiree responded with a smile.
"A-A-Ah, um, er—Uh—"
"Go for it, Lanny!" a soldier shouted, causing laughter to ripple through the audience.
"WILL YOU LOVE ME?!" Lanny shrieked in Desiree's face. He screamed so hard that the people in the first row screamed in fright.
Desiree however didn't stir. "Yes, I will love you."
"Really?!" Lanny shouted, but just as suddenly a loud explosion filled the theatre and a white light enveloped the stage. Desiree stepped backwards from the light, and as the light faded Lanny was gone. In his place was Daunte.
"My s-s-sweet Beauty!" Daunte exclaimed. "You have broken my curse!"
"Oh, my Prince!" Desiree cheered, throwing her arms around Daunte.
"W-We will live h-h-happily ever after!" Daunte said, hugging her back.
"Yes we will!"
The stage lights dimmed. In the audience Keiran looked around. "Ah…this performance is not going over well."
"BRAVO, FATHER!" Dylan shrieked, clapping as hard as he could.
"Except for Virgil's son."
"I hope Lanny is doing okay," Mihr said. "I thought he would faint onstage."
"Oh Nagar, I made a fool of myself in front of my son!" Virgil pressed his hands over his face and sat down backstage. "I can't believe I forgot my lines! I-I'm a warrior, not an actor!"
"Are they booing?" Tamara said with slight alarm. "They can't be booing our Lord, can they?"
"Wow, that was so much fun!" Zuzanna exclaimed.
Lanny was sprawled on his back on the floor, his eyes wide and unseeing. "I—can't feel my knees…"
Pesmerga has been identified as one of the three people who will bring humanity to Yuber. But who are the other two people? Feel free to share your theories in a comment! :)