Part Four

The Foreboding Ship, Thirteenth Edition

Cast:

Narrator: Allise

Lazlo: Daunte

Lino En Kuldes: Sloan

Ted: Futch

Fog Ship Guide: Sierra

Schtolteheim Reinbach III: Desiree

—

The stage lights came up on front stage right, revealing Allise. "The Dauntless had seen many great battles," she began dramatically. "But not even the veteran forces under Lord Lazlo were prepared for the otherworldly vessel known as the Fog Ship."

The stage lights went out on her and then lit up on the center stage. Daunte, Sloan, and Desiree stood at stage right in front of a paper fence that seemed to resemble the "rail" of a ship. Behind them was two backdrops side-by-side; a beautiful seascape to the right, and a black void to the left.

"I-I, uh, er, n-never seen a vessel like—ah—that before," Sloan struggled through his lines.

"Me either," Daunte said.

"Don't be scared, my dear Lord Lazlo!" Desiree announced, squaring her shoulders and patting Daunte's shoulders. "You must be brave in the face of adversity!"

The stage lights lowered on them and then raised on Allise. "Hero of the Islands Federation War Lazlo," Allise said. "Was ready to face any challenge. By his side was King Lino En Kuldes of Obel, and mighty and magnificient swordsman, Schtolteheim Reinbach III. Though Lord Lazlo and King Lino En Kuldes wavered, Schtolteheim Reinbach III would not let them walk away from this challenge."

"What?!" Ruggiero exclaimed in the audience.

"But they would not venture on to the foreboding ship alone," Allise continued. "For they would have a mysterious escort to guide them on their way."

The lights came up on center stage, and Futch walked stiffly on to stage from stage left. "Hurry up and get on the ship," he told the trio before him. "I'm a rude and useless braggart who thinks he's better than everyone else!"

"FUTCH!" Nāṭaka hissed loudly.

Daunte gaped at Futch for a moment before he remembered his lines. "I-I—can we trust you?" he asked.

"No," Futch responded automatically.

"Wait, was there a script change?" Sloan wondered aloud. Nāṭaka facepalmed so hard in the front row that the slap echoed across the theater.

"He looks trustworthy enough to me!" Desiree said loudly. "My dear Lord Lazlo, I say you can trust him!"

"Then you are a fool," Futch said dully.

"DON'T CALL DESIREE A FOOL, YOU BASTARD!" Lanny yelled from the audience.

"But there WAS something sinister afloat!" Allise said, needing to raise her voice over the hysterical laughter in the audience. "For within the ship was a old, sinister presence that could devour your soul! An entity that sought the power of the True Runes! The Fog Ship Guide!"

The center stage lights came up again, and Sierra walked on to stage from stage left. She looked bored. "I have traveled many worlds across many times," she droned. "I will let you come with me, possessor of the Rune of Punishment. In return, you must relinquish your True Rune to me and you can never leave this ship."

"W-What?!" Daunte exclaimed.

"T-That, ah, seems very unfair," Sloan said lamely.

"What a deplorable proposition!" Desiree shouted dramatically.

"I took such an offer and handed over the Soul Eater Rune to him," Futch said, gesturing to Sierra. "Of course, I'm an idiot so it's not surprising that I did this."

"Yeesh, what is Futch's problem?" Sharon whispered.

"Futch, stop referring to Ted in such a way!" Nāṭaka hissed.

"I'm n-not going to spend eternity on this horrible ship!" Daunte exclaimed.

"Then I will kill you and steal your Rune," Sierra said bluntly.

"No!" Futch exclaimed, moving to stand in front of Daunte. "I decided to not be a moron after all! I'm taking my True Rune back and I'm leaving too!"

"Then I'll kill you too Ted, for betraying me," Sierra said dully.

"Wait!" Desiree shouted, waving her arm. "I will not allow you to sully my Lord's good name! I will take you on!"

"…Anyone else getting deja vu?" Gunther wondered aloud.

"You look like a mighty and handsome warrior," Sierra said emotionlessly. "I am scared to fight you, but if I must I will."

Both Desiree and Sierra ran at each other, but when Desiree did a simple shoulder-check Sierra flopped onto her back on the stage.

"And with the triumphant might of Schtolteheim Reinbach III, Lord Lazlo, Ted, and everyone was saved—" Allise said.

"This is an outrage!" Ruggiero shouted, scrambling to his feet. "Lord Lazlo would NEVER have cowered behind someone! This play is an abomination!"

"Hey, down in front!" Priscilla shouted.

"Well, he's not wrong," Jeane mused.

"I do fully believe that brat cowered like a fool," Futch said.

"Ah, what exactly do you have against Ted?" Daunte asked. "Master Tir spoke of him positively…"

"Master Tir had a bias for Ted because Ted was his best friend," Futch said. "I knew Ted to be a whiny, egotistical brat."

"Wait, if Ted was alive when the event in this place took place, then when you met him he had to have been hundreds of years old!"

"Yeah," Futch said. "He was still a brat."

"I guess this play needs a Fourteenth Edition," Nāṭaka said sadly.

—

The Liberation Army was on the lookout for the Holy Army as they met with the Falenans at the Northern Wharf the following morning with Archana. Craig Laden was there to get his oldest daughter, along with a huge gathering of Dragon Horse Knights. The Nagareans were naturally wary of seeing the dragon horses, but Daunte kept his composure as he bowed to Craig. "On behalf of the Liberation Army, I humbly apologize for this incident. I will visit Sol-Falena in the the future to see Queen Lymsleia about this."

"You have nothing to apologzie for, Lord Daunte," Craig said, though he looked sorrowful. Priscilla had done a fine job fixing Archana's hair, which now resembled a very short curly bob. "You have rescued my daughter again. It is I who is indebted to you."

"But we will still be visiting in the future," Caesar told him. "And we'll make sure that there isn't a repeat of this incident on our next visit."

"Thank you for taking care of me, Lord Daunte," Archana said. She gave him a quick hug and kiss. "Take care of our people, okay?" she asked quietly.

"Of course," Daunte said.

"D-Do you guys need any help with an escort back?" Freyr asked.

"We should be fine," Craig said. "Nothing will happen to my daughter while I'm around. Just take care of yourself, Prince Freyr."

"I will make sure nothing happens to him," Soturi said.

"Then hey, get a message to Elina or something!" Freyr quickly burst out.

"Prince!" Soturi almost shouted.

"Yeah, get a message to Elina on behalf of Soturi," Surya said amusedly, folding his arms over his chest.

"Prince!" Soturi snapped again. Silvano snorted loudly.

"I will gladly send a message to Miss Elina," Archana said, giggling softy. Both Surya and Freyr stiffened when she did.

"But thank you again, Lord Daunte, for saving Archana," Craig said.

Daunte contemplated accepting his thanks, or to give credit where it was due. He finally said, "Israfil was the one who saved her, so he deserves the thanks more than me."

"Oh?" Craig looked towards the Falenan General, who looked surprisingly awkward. "Then—Thank you, General Israfil."

"I-I was happy to help, Lord Craig," Israfil stammered, quickly bowing.

Archana smiled a little brighter and took hold of her father's arm. "We should go so that Lord Daunte and his comrades can get back to work."

"Of course. Thank you for everything."

Daunte was confused as to why he was being thanked when it was their carelessness that got Archana kidnapped to begin with, but he didn't say anything more about it as the Falenans deperted. "Well, that's been settled," Caesar said, clapping his hands together. "What do you have planned next, Lord Daunte? Besides our campaign against Keha Hale."

"I need to speak with Lady Leknaat," Daunte said, pressing a hand over the Rune of Restoration. "Windy almost stole my Rune in the previous battle. I'm hoping Lady Leknaat can give me more information about it."

"That's a very good point," Caesar said. "Especially since what she did should be impossible."

"I can confirm that my sister tried to take the Rune of Restoration," Leknaat said serenely. She didn't look stressed, which admittedly was reassuring to Daunte but only a little bit. "I do not know how she managed to do it, but she finally achieved her goal in being able to remove True Runes from another."

"Eresh is puzzled," Eresh spoke up. "Eresh thought that Windy sought to attach another True Rune to her body."

"That is her ultimate goal. Tell me, Lord Daunte, what happened when she attempted to remove the Rune of Restoration from you?"

"I…heard screaming," Daunte said. "It was a terrified scream. The scream got louder and louder the longer the spell held, and the screaming stopped when Yuber attacked Windy."

"I sensed the irregularity with the Rune of Restoration," Leknaat said. "Which is why I came to you as soon as I could. It indeed was in a state of distress when my sister tried to remove it from you. The Rune of Restoration does not want to be parted from you, Lord Daunte, and at this time it will only part with you under force." She smiled. "You should be honored that a True Rune values you so strongly."

Daunte rubbed the symbol on the back of his hand. "I am," he said quietly. "But I'm scared that Windy will try that again. That she will try to remove the Rune of Restoration again, and that she will succeed."

"She will indeed try again," Leknaat said sadly. "And she will not stop until she has your Rune."

"Does Lord Daunte fear dying once the True Rune leaves you?" Eresh asked. "Eresh senses Lord Daunte's weakened life force. Eresh knows that Lord Daunte's lifespan has shortened."

"I'm not afraid of death," Daunte said. "I'm okay with dying if it would mean my friends and family would be kept safe. But the Rune—the Rune was so scared when Windy tried to take it. I-I don't want her to have it."

"She should not have it," Leknaat said. "She would use it for dark purposes, which is counterintuitive to the purpose of the Rune of Restoration. Furthermore, if she is successful in removing your Rune and attaching it to her own body, she will not stop there. She will seek out other True Rune possessors and will try to remove their Runes. She may not stop until all 27 True Runes are attached to her body."

Daunte swallowed thickly. "H—How powerful would she be if that were to happen?" He whispered.

"The 27 True Runes are linked to the fabric of creation of this world," Leknaat said. "If my sister were to have all 27 Runes attached to her body, then she would have the power of creation. There is nothing that she would not be able to do."

"Eresh believes that such a goal would be impossible," Eresh said. "Eresh has power inside of her body that she believes could best Windy. And there are other True Rune users who have had their True Runes longer than Windy has. Eresh thinks that Windy will die before she can get all 27 True Runes for herself."

"She may not stand a chance against Sierra or Yuber or Master Tir," Daunte said. "Or you, Lady Leknaat. But I've had my True Rune for about a year. She was almost successful in taking it from me."

"We must prevent this from happening," Leknaat said. "I do not know how my sister got this skill, but now that we know that she has it, we can work to stop her from stealing the Rune of Restoration from you."

"Eresh senses fatigue from Lord Daunte," Eresh said. "Eresh believes Lord Daunte should stop thinking about this for today or he will collapse."

"I must agree," Leknaat said. "Please go and rest, Lord Daunte. My sister is not unstoppable. Despite her great power, she has not come to this headquarters to personally steal the True Rune from you, or any of the True Runes that are here. There is a limit to what she can do. We must never forget that."

Daunte nodded. "Thank you, Lady Leknaat. Eresh."

"Eresh has also sensed disturbances in the wielder of the Eightfold Rune," Eresh said. "The wielder of the Eightfold Rune has been acting against his nature. Eresh has sensed an outlining of white light in the blackness of the Eightfold Rune wielder's soul."

"A-Ah, yes," Daunte said, feeling his stomach drop. "Yuber, he—I-I guess when I summoned him with my blood and power, we became connected through our blood. A-And h..he's been feeling my feelings," he stammered.

"You are a very expressive person, Lord Daunte, with a great pure light inside of you," Leknaat said. "Your pure light has indeed been steadily transferring to Yuber through the connection of your blood."

"Eresh does not see this as a good thing," Eresh spoke up. "The wielder of the Eightfold Rune is a product of the World of Emptiness. The wielder of the Eightfold Rune was not created with purity. Eresh is afraid that Lord Daunte's purity will drive the wielder of the Eightfold Rune to madness, and he will kill everyone to restore equilibrium."

"Lord Daunte alone cannot save him," Leknaat said softly. "He is simply the "red" who can save him. The "black" and "white" must work with him to help Yuber."

"Pesmerga and Viki," Daunte said, nodding. "Yuber hasn't returned from the High Peak Mountains. I imagine he's killed the rest of Bearyl Lutis's allies, but I will leave him be for now."

"Eresh agrees that Lord Daunte must rest," Eresh said. "But Eresh must warn Lord Daunte that if Lord Daunte is one of three people who can save the wielder of the Eightfold Rune, then Lord Daunte must always have the other two saviors with him whenever he is with the wielder of the Eightfold Rune. Eresh fears that Lord Daunte's presence alone will not help the wielder of the Eightfold Rune, and that the wielder of the Eightfold Rune will attack Lord Daunte if Lord Daunte is alone."

"I will keep that in mind," Daunte said, though he felt his stomach drop. He looked at Leknaat one last time. "So, I must figure out how to prevent Windy from stealing my Rune, and I must figure out how Pesmerga, Viki, and I are supposed to save Yuber. Is there…anything you can tell me about either of these?"

"As neither has ever happened before, I am afraid I do not have the knowledge at this time that can assist you," Leknaat said sadly. "I am sorry, Lord Daunte."

"No, I appreciate everything you have done so far."

"And Eresh as well?" Eresh asked.

"Ah, yes…"

Daunte went up to his room to take a much-needed nap, but his heart sank when he saw Chinmaya standing outside his door. "My apologies, Lord Daunte," she said, bowing. "But this envoy arrived just now, from the Island Nations Federation. It is addressed to you." She held out the envelope to him.

"The Island Nations?" Daunte asked. He quickly took the envelope from her and read the return address. "Oh…this is from Schtolteheim Reinbach IX!" He quickly tore it open to read the note, though his nostrils flared when the scent from inside the envelope filled the hallway. "Oh, that's a nice cologne!" Chinmaya said.

'My dear Lord Daunte,

I write you this letter to inform you that the dastardly, thieving murderers have had their sentences handed down. As you can rightfully surmise, the evidence against them was so great that we had not needed to call you as a witness at trial. The foul Tapeli and contemptuous Caoimhe were found guilty and have been sentenced to death by hanging. Even to the very end of trial, this awful and cowardly duo blamed all but themselves for their deplorable behavior. Their executions are scheduled for the date below, if you would like to see justice against these fiends who had tried to take your life…'

Daunte quickly looked up from the letter. "Chinmaya, could you summon Virgil to my room please?"

Chinmaya quickly nodded. "Of course. Should I have tea and snack sent up here as well?"

"Just tea, please.

The tea sat simmering on the table untouched. Daunte sat at the table, his hands folded on the surface as he watched Virgil. The older man was sitting across from him, reading the letter in silence with an unreadable expression. After a long period, he set the letter down and let out a shaky sigh. "…That is the name of my ex-wife," he said softly.

"Do you know this Tapeli?" Daunte asked.

"No, but that is the name of her lover. Dylan told me so as she had caught them while I was in jail. So—Caoimhe tried to kill you, Lord Daunte?"

Daunte nodded stiffly. "In full transparency, she was the one who pushed for me to die. Tapeli had seemed to want to avoid killing me."

"…And she killed eight other people during robberies?"

Daunte nodded again. "Yes."

Virgil pressed a hand to his eyes. He was silent for another long moment before he spoke again. "I loved her, Lord Daunte. I wanted to give her the best life. But she lived a life of luxury and was disowned when she chose to marry me. I could not give her the life she had before and she deeply resented me for it. She gave me Dylan, the greatest gift I could ever ask for, but…"

"Do you want me to save her?" Daunte asked softly. "Do you want me to go and see Schtolteheim Reinbach IX or Admiral Bernadette and ask them to spare her?"

"I do not want her to die," Virgil said. "I wish she could come back and be a mother to our son. But—But no matter what I feel, she is responsible for the deaths of eight innocent people. And she tried to kill you, Lord Daunte. No matter her connection to me, she is guilty of her crimes and she MUST pay for them.

"And honestly," he added. "Death by hanging is leagues better than death by burning, which she would have faced for her crimes here in Nagarea."

"I see," Daunte said. His tone was shaky. "Then…would you like to see her one last time?" He asked. "According to this letter she's being held in Obel. There's enough time for us to go and see her before she's executed. Would you like to do that?"

"Yes, I would," Virgil answered quickly. "I have never gotten closure from Caoimhe for all that she did. I will see her one last time, but I will do it for my own sake and not hers."

"I'll make the arrangements," Daunte said, standing. "Let's get Dylan—"

"No," Virgil quickly answered.

"Dylan deserves closure too," Daunte said.

"Dylan is a child who has been traumatized by his mother's selfish behavior. I do not want to traumatize him any further."

"I understand how you feel, but Dylan is not so young," Daunte told him. "He is part of this Army and he experienced losing you, even if it was for a short time. I was the one who found him in Kader; Caoimhe and Tapeli had locked him in your basement before they fled the country. And he had to experience arrest himself because of Caoimhe's selfishness. It will be hard for him, and we don't have to stay for her execution, but he will need to see his mom one last time."

"Lord Daunte—"

"Virgil," Daunte interjected. "If you don't allow Dylan this, he will resent you. It will hurt him now, but he should face his mom and see her one last time properly. Like I said, the last time he saw her was when she locked him in your basement and abandoned him. He is owed closure by her. Please, allow him this."

Virgil stammered for a few moments. Finally his shoulders drooped and he slowly nodded. "…All right. I would like to leave and get this over with as quick as possible."

"We can do that."

Word was sent to Hero, who was happy to leave as soon as possible. Daunte raced up to the war room and met with his advisors. "That is a good idea, Lord Dante," Caesar said. "We're still in the early planning stages for the campaign, so you have plenty of time for these—ah—side quests."

"I would like to go with you," Peader said, stepping forward. "I have not flown on this skyship yet, and I haven't been to the Island Nations Federation."

"Okay," Daunte said. He looked at Caesar. "So for my support party I would like Peader, Dylan, and Arin. For my active party I would like Virgil, Ruggiero, Arisoto, Priscilla, and my dad."

"Will do," Caesar said. "I'll call everyone together."

The group assembled quickly. Daunte saw that Dylan's eyes were reddened, as though he had been recently crying, but he had a resolute expression on his face and he knew that he made the right decision to include him in this trip.

I needed closure from my own dad, so I know that Dylan needs this closure.

"I have no memories of leaving the Southern Continent," Nakula said. "But I will do my best to not be a burden."

"I want to proper face the people who caused Arisoto's death," Ruggiero said grimly. Arisoto huffed as though in agreement.

"I have a general idea of where Obel is, so I'll direct Hero where to fly," Priscilla said.

"Good," Daunte said. "This is just a short trip to Obel, so we'll be back in a couple of days—"

"I'm coming, too!" Xi An announced, rushing into the room.

Daunte did not feel like arguing. "All right. Let's go."

They were off by late morning. Nakula looked nervous by flying, but Arin held his father's hand in reassurance. "This is a lot of fun! Just you wait!"

"Obel is located in the largest, most central island in the Federation," Priscilla told Hero. "It will be hard to miss."

"Fine, go back to your seat!" Hero snapped at her.

"Such a charmer," Priscilla laughed as she head back to her seat.

"We should be there then in two hours!" James announced.

Daunte moved to the back of the skyship, where Virgil and Dylan were sitting in silence. Dylan was looking out the window and Virgil was looking down at his lap. "Hey," he said softly. "Are you two okay?"

Dylan shook his head and looked at Daunte. He looked to be on the verge of tears again. "I c-can't believe—Mom killed people?!"

Daunte looked at Virgil briefly before looking back at Dylan. "I"m sorry," he said.

"She became…so evil," Dylan whispered. "Accusing Dad of abusing her, leaving me in jail, locking me in the basement—b-but I never thought she would take someone else's life. Why would she do that?"

Maybe I shouldn't have pushed this. I needed closure from a parent, but Dylan isn't the same as me.

Daunte didn't know how to answer him. "We'll be seeing her soon," he said, feeling his stomach sinking. "Dylan, if you don't want to see her—"

"No," Dylan interrupted him, shaking his head furiously. "I have to see her. I'll ask her why she did these terrible things. I-I—I need to see her, okay? I have to do this."

Virgil managed a small smile to Daunte upon hearing this. Daunte nodded to the both of them. "If either of you need anything, please let me know," he said.

As Daunte moved back to his seat, Ruggiero grabbed his arm to stop him. "I will be respectful in this situation," he said. "I hate this couple for what they have done, but I recognize that Virgil and Dylan are in greater pain than I. I was able to get my friend back, whereas they are losing a spouse and mother. Arisoto and Iwill meet with the man while they meet with her."

Daunte nodded. "Thank you, Ruggiero."

They reached Obel mid-afternoon. The island was as large as Priscilla said it would be, and Daunte saw several docks that stood empty. "Land near the first one!" He called to Hero.

"Will do!" Hero responded. He circled the island a few times before gently landing on the waters.

"At least we didn't have a ship full of vomiting people this time," Xi An said brightly.

Hero, James, and Xi An stayed with the skyship as they departed onto the docks. Daunte was surprised to see how modest the docks were for a city that was the de facto capital of the Federation. He found a treasure chest on the docks but only found an item that Gizli could appraise.

"Lord Daunte of Nagarea."

Daunte quickly snapped to attention at this voice and turned. He straightened his posture and moved to the front of the group as Bernadette Egan approached from the hill, followed by her soldiers. "Admiral Egan," he greeted. "I'm pleased to see you again, though I wish it were in better circumstances…"

"As do I," Bernadette responded. "As you can surmise, we were able to commence the trial without needing to call you to testify. Your timing is good though, because their executions are scheduled for tomorrow."

Dylan let out a strangled noise. Bernadette glanced in his direction, but Virgil stepped forward. He towered over the Admiral as he bowed to her. "Please let me introduce myself," he said. "My name is Virgil. The woman involved in this case—she is my ex-wife."

Bernadette's brow rose in surprise at this. "I have come to say goodbye," Virgil continued. "And so has my son Dylan." He gestured to Dylan. "I want to reassure you that we will not give you any trouble, and that we had no involvement—"

"You have nothing to worry about, Virgil," Bernadette said. "The Island Nations Federation does not punish families for the actions of one person. So long as neither your son or you personally break any laws here, then you are more than welcome." She looked at Daunte. "If you would like to stay the night—"

"We will not be staying for the executions," Peader said. "We are only here for closure, and we intend to return to Nagarea after meeting the condemned."

Bernadette nodded her understanding. "Then I will personally escort you to our jail to see them. Let me know when you are done."

The city of Obel was also a modest city, and Bernadette was clearly popular. Citizens approached her and gave her small gifts or stopped her to talk to her. As they went deeper into the city, Daunte turned to Nakula. "Dad?"

"What is it?"

"Could you Arin shopping? I don't think he should see this. You converted your bits into Potch, right?"

Nakula nodded. "I'll take him to an item shop."

"May I join you?" Peader asked. "I have no stake in seeing the condemned."

"I will go, too," Priscilla said. "I want to buy a gift for Gosoku."

Nakula looked at then for a long moment before he shrugged. "I suppose." Then he slowed his steps and took Arin's hand. "Here, let me go and buy you something."

"Okay!" Arin cheered.

Nakula, Arin, Peader, and Priscilla departed the group for the town, while Bernadette took them to the prison. "They are on our death row, which is separated from the rest of the inmates," Bernadette. "They each have their own isolated holding cells. Who would you like to see?"

She was giving them the options to see either Caoimhe and Tapeli. "Arisoto and I will see the man," Ruggiero said.

"Dylan and I will see Caoimhe," Virgil said. Dylan nodded.

"I will also see Caoimhe," Daunte said.

"All right," Bernadette said. She waved two gaurds over. "Take these gentlemen to see Tapeli—" she gestured to Ruggiero and Arisoto. "—and take these gentlemen to see Caoimhe." she gestured to Daunte, Virgil and Dylan.

The guards looked wary at seeing a Hippogriff so casually in the prison, but nodded and saluted. "I will be downstairs at the exit," Bernadette said. "Please come and see me when you're ready to leave."

"We will, thank you," Daunte said, bowing.

The groups were separated and taken in opposite direction down the corridor. The guard reached a wooden and unlocked it. "Please refrain from yelling," he told them. "We want to keep leveled moods amongst prisoners here. She has already been paid visits by the families of her victims, so her mood is subdued right now."

"Understood," Daunte said.

The guard led them into a large room, the majority of which was sectioned off by prison bars. There was a small area spanning from the threshold, where there were seats situated in front of the bars. "Ma'am?" The guard announced himself. "You have more visitors."

"More people to yell at me?" The beautiful woman in the cell snapped. Her complexion was pale and she looked angry. But once the group entered the room fully, the anger faded from her face and her eyes widened.

"Hello, Caoimhe," Virgil said solemnly.

"Hi, Mom," Dylan said quietly.

"Virgil! Dylan!" She cried out. She leapt from her bed and raced over to the bars. "H-Have you come to release m—" then she saw Daunte and her face fell. "W-Why are you here?!" she snapped.

"This is Lord Daunte and you will show him respect," Virgil said sharply.

Caoimhe looked stunned by the way he spoke to her. Daunte had to imagine that Virgil did not usually speak to her like this. The group took seats in front of the bars while Caoimhe remained standing. She gripped the bars tight in her hands. "What do you want?" she said after a long moment. She sounded exhausted.

"We know what you have done," Virgil told her. "We didn't come here to gloat. We wanted to see you one last time."

"Well you wasted your trip," Caoimhe snapped. She pulled away from the bars and paced around in her cell. "Don't tell me you didn't come here to gloat! That's exactly what you did! You're probably so HAPPY to see me like this! A condemned woman sentenced to die in some backwards islands that I should have never come to! So go! Go ahead and laugh, both of you!" She gestured towards them angrily. "Get your last laugh at my expense like you both always did!"

Dylan burst into tears. Virgil slowly stood up, his expression calm. "You will die tomorrow," he said. "But I will not allow you to rewrite history to make yourself feel better. Dylan and I were NOTHING but good to you! We love you and we wanted you to be happy! We did everything we could to make you happy, but it was never good enough! Because you see, you are different from us. Dylan and I were givers; we gave to you because we loved you. But you, Caoimhe—you were a taker. You took and took and took because you love no one but yourself. You are selfish and self-serving, and because you only care about yourself you are where you are now."

Caoimhe glared at him, tears brimming in her eyes. Her nostrils flared with rage. "I wish I had NEVER met you," she snarled. "If I hadn't married you, I wouldn't have met that bastard—"

"You did that, not me," Virgil interjected. "You chose to abuse Dylan. You chose to abuse me. You chose to destroy our family. And you chose to rob and kill people. No one forced you to do that but you. But you already know that, don't you?"

Caoimhe opened her mouth to speak, but Dylan launched to his feet and snapped, "Shut up! Shut up right now!"

Caoimhe gaped at him. The guard opened the door. "I warned you about shouting—"

"Please," Daunte said, raising his hand at the guard. "This is her son. Please don't eject us."

The guard's face relaxed, though a look of horror rose to his eyes. "I-I—Right." he quickly closed the door behind.

"We didn't come here to save you," Virgil said. "You were an accomplice in the murder of eight people, and you must pay for that. We're here because we needed to see you. Because I need to say this, Caoimhe."

"To say what?!" Caoimhe snapped.

"I forgive you."

Daunte and Dylan gaped at Virgil, but Virgil was staring at his wife. "For what you have done to me," he said. "I forgive it all. But I want you to know that I will never forgive you for what you did to my son. The pain you inflicted upon him with your selfishness. I cannot forgive you for this, but I want you to know that I will take care of him. I will work hard to make sure that Dylan grows into a fine man. That will be the antithesis of you. He is your last legacy, Caoimhe, and I will spend the rest of my life to ensure that your legacy is safe and happy."

"I-I forgive you, too," Dylan said, moving towards his father's side. He was frantically scrubbing at his face. "I-If Dad won't forgive you for what you did to me, then I will forgive you for what you did to me. I n-need to do it, Mom. Whenever I think of you, I get so mad and—" he shook his head and ducked it forward. "I'm sick of feeling angry," he said. "And I think the only way I can stop feeling angry is if I forgive you. So I do. I forgive you for what you did to me—but I can't forgive you for what you did to Dad.

"But I-I'll take care of Dad. I'll grow up and be good just like him. And w-when I have kids, I won't treat them the way you treated me." He finally looked up at her. "I forgive you, Mom. Goodbye." Then he suddenly ran out of the room.

"Wait!" Caoimhe cried out, reaching through the bars.

"You can go to the World of Emptiness with our forgiveness on your conscience," Virgil said. "I hope that you face up to your actions, as you do not know what you will face when you die. I do, though."

"W-Wait," Caoimhe said quietly. She reached for Virgil, but he stepped away from her. "You—Are you both going to see my execution tomorrow?" She asked.

"No," Virgil said. "We're leaving to go back to Nagarea tonight."

"W-What?!" Caoimhe cried out. "Y-You're leaving me here?! You're going to let me die alone?!"

"Yes, because it will not benefit us to see you die," Virgil said. "We have said what needed to be said. Goodbye, Caoimhe."

"No, NO!" Caoimhe shrieked. But Virgil left the room after Dylan. "You, you!" She waved her arm frantically at Daunte. "Don't let them leave! I-I can't face the hangman alone! PLEASE tell them to stay!"

Daunte looked towards the door and looked back at her. After he moment he said, "I can't help you."

"Why?! Is this because I tried to kill you?! You would hold a grudge against a dying woman?! What kind of man are you?!"

"I hold no grudges against you," Daunte responded. "But Virgil and Dylan don't want to stay so we won't. That's reason enough for me." he looked towards the door again. "I have to go."

Caoimhe screamed and wailed behind him as he left and the guard locked the door behind him. Daunte couldn't stop his stomach from twisting in discomfort. There is nothing to feel sorry for her for. She framed Virgil and abused her son. And she helped kill innocent people. Even now she doesn't truly feel bad and is only thinking of herself. Not her ex-husband and not her son.

He shook his head to clear it. It's no longer my problem.

"Lord Daunte," Ruggiero said as he approached with Arisoto. He looked angry. "This was a wasted trip for me. That cowardly bastard didn't even have the grace to apologize for what he had done. He just kept blaming the other woman for his crimes." He craned his neck around. "Where are Virgil and Dylan?"

"They left," Daunte said. "So believe it's our time, too."

They arrived back at Nagarea in deep nightfall. It was a highly emotional flight for Virgil and Dylan, but Arin cheered them up with gifts he had gotten them from the item shop. Daunte was proud of his brother for the gesture.

Hopefully they can heal from this.

Everyone was exhausted and quickly separated once they returned to HQ. "Come on," Nakula said, hooking his arms under Daunte's arms and dragging him towards the elevator. "You're going to bed."

"Yes, Dad," Daunte mumbled.

"Let me help!" Arin cheered, struggling to lift one of Daunte's legs. A few soldiers loitering laughed quietly at the display.

"Oh, there you guys are!" Roen said, racing towards them. "What's wrong with Daunte?"

"We're putting Brother to bed!" Arin exclaimed loudly.

"Oh," Roen said. After a moment he shrugged and grabbed Daunte's other leg. "Okay, let's go!"

Daunte imagined that they looked ridiculous, but he was too tired to care.

Daunte intended to sleep until late morning, but he was woken up at dawn by Kibbeh jumping on his stomach. "Oof!" He grunted. Kibbeh panted into his face and barked. "Wha—Do you need a walk?" He asked groggily. Kibbeh barked again in response. "Okay, okay…"

Arin is supposed to handle this. Ah, well.

He found Kibbeh's leash and hurried outside, but Kibbeh seemed intent on just running around wildly and NOT doing his business. Daunte was too tired to be irritated and simply let himself be dragged by the tiny dog. Kibbeh did not stop his exploring until they passed through the gates of HQ, and then he finally did his business.

"Well, at least I don't have to clean up your mess out here," He mumbled, leaning against the outer wall.

"Excuse me?"

The unfamiliar voice startled him fully awake and he turned. He was shocked to see a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties standing there. Her hair was pearly blonde and her bangs were thick, but he couldn't tell how long her hair was due to her solid dark blue veil. She wore a shapeless dress the same color and she had her hands clasped in front of her herself in a display of desperation.

"Ah, yes?" Daunte said, turning around to face her fully. Kibbeh hurried over to her and sniffed at the hem of her dress.

"I need to speak with Lord Daunte of the Liberation Army," the woman said. "Could you take me to him?"

Daunte's brow knitted in confusion. "Y-You want to talk to m—"

"Please!" the woman interjected, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't know your rank, or how close you are to the Commander, but I MUST see him! Please take me to him!"

"I—uh—"

"If you're afraid you'll get in trouble, I'll take responsibility! Now please take me to him!" She grabbed Daunte by his free hand and pulled him towards the gate.

Daunte was too surprised to say anything. He guided the woman towards the central building as he swooped down to pick up Kibbeh. They rode the elevator up to the war room and entered. Caesar was in there, and so was Keiran and Mihr. "Oh, you're up early Lord Daunte!" Caesar greeted him. "Oh, who's that?"

Keiran turned to face them, and he abruptly shouted in shock. "L-Lady Indigo!"

"Keiran?!" the woman, Indigo exclaimed. The color drained from Mihr's face. Indigo pressed her hands over her mouth in shock. "Oh Nagar—I had heard you had died!"

"I got better," Keiran said, managing a smile as he moved towards her. "I'm shocked to see you here. I heard you got married, what happened?"

"That's why I'm here," Indigo said. "I need to see Lord Daunte, when will he be in?"

Caesar, Keiran, and Mihr gaped at her for a long moment before looking at Daunte. "Ah—Lady Indigo, you have Lord Daunte with you."

"OH!" Indigo turned to face him. "Oh, my Lord—I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, but I need your help! My husband needs your help!"

"I think we should slow down," Caesar said, stepping forward. "We're missing some information."

"Let's begin with introduction," Keiran said. "Lord Daunte, this is Lady Indigo Salem—"

"Nabila now," Indigo gently interjected.

"Oh, yes."

"How do you two know each other?" Daunte asked them.

Keiran looked uncomfortable and rubbed at his nape. "I—"

"I'm his ex-fiancée," Indigo said.