"So tell me," Jack said, tapping his finger against the rim of the cafe table. "How do you two get to sleep at night? Because it's… probably sometime past midnight and I still feel as awake as I did twelve hours ago."

Céline and Chloé sat before Jack, in their nightgowns. The chill air of the Somniel at night was pleasant enough, and a gentle wind blew in from the front of the cafe terrace. It was the first time Jack had really gotten a good look at Chloé - a tall woman with long, turquoise hair. Pretty, all things considered, but then again, everyone had been attractive in some way to the point where it stopped mattering.

Céline brought her teacup to her lips and took a gentle sip, before looking at Jack from the bridge of her nose. "Using the method you see before you, Jack. Tea has always helped me get through some of these tougher nights. As for Chloé-"

"Ah, just a moment, I was just," Chloé interrupted, fiddling with her hair for a moment before straightening it out and sighing. "It never stays the way I want it after I lay my head down on a pillow."

"You have helped me before with that, Chloé, I would have expected you to be better at it," Céline noted, taking another sip.

"It's definitely easier when you have someone to help you, Princess Céline!" Chloé protested before placing her hands on the table and looking at Jack. "Now, what did you ask?"

Jack took a deep breath. "How do you deal with bad dreams?"

Céline raised a brow at that, but Chloé spoke first.

"Well, usually I toss and turn at night until they go away," Chloé said, "if it's a really difficult night, though, I go for a midnight snack. Next time I might try this folk remedy I heard of from Florra Mill Town, that supposedly casts nightmares into the inky darkness - or was that a fairy tale? I think that may have been a fairy tale, instead."

"Quite," Céline said.

Jack rubbed the back of his neck, looking toward Alear's room and then out into the night sky and the rest of the Somniel.

"Not… really the answer I was looking for, but I thank you for trying anyway," Jack replied.

"Sometimes, there truly is nothing you can do other than speak of them," Céline said, placing her teacup on her plate. "Of nightmares, I mean. I… have had more than a few myself."

"Now what would a princess have nightmares about, I wonder?" Jack said, leaning back in his chair. "A dragon swooping in to abduct you?"

Chloé's eyes widened as she turned to Céline. "Have you had dreams such as that, Princess Céline? I wouldn't mind hearing them, if that is the case!"

"Nothing so storybook as that, I am afraid," Céline sighed, closing her eyes briefly. "But, perhaps you should go first, Jack? You started this conversation after all."

"As I recall, we all just found each other wandering around the Somniel like a pack of Corrupted, but, fine," Jack sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Good Lord, where do I even begin? I-"

Jack stopped as his chair was slightly moved - not even so much moved, really, as he could feel something push against it, but the chair did not move. He looked down and locked eyes with what he could only think of as a living plushie.

It was a small thing, only slightly smaller than his forearm. It was round, with a white underbelly and blue top, complete with two ears, and a leaf-like tail. Its legs were like little nubs, and it looked as if it could run, it would be clumsy and not very fast. Still, it pushed against Jack's chair, tapping its leg against it as it looked up at him.

"...Ah," Jack said, turning to Céline and Chloé. "Friend of yours?"

Céline tilted her head before looking down and smiling. "Well, we are acquainted, yes."

"Aww! Isn't he just the most adorable thing you've ever seen?" Chloé cooed. "I think he wants you to pick him up, Jack!"

"Why me? Doesn't it know you guys more?" Jack asked. Though his voice was full of hesitations, his hand was still lowering all the same.

"Sommie decides where it wants to go, and tonight it has chosen you. Perhaps it can feel your bad dreams. It might even help better than either of us could," Céline stated.

Jack looked from Céline, to the living dog plushie beneath him, and shrugged. "Might as well, I guess."

Jack grasped Sommie with both hands - its fur was short yet soft, and it chirped happily as he placed it on the table in front of him. Smiling, Jack pat its head as it leaned into its touch.

"Chloé, perhaps we should leave them to it," Céline stated, standing up. "Besides, I believe I need to take a walk - the tea has helped, but my heart refuses to steady. Would you accompany me?"

"Of course, Princess Céline," Chloé said, standing up as well. "Oh, but it's such a shame to leave so soon…"

"I am sure Sommie will still be around here somewhere come tomorrow morning," Céline said with a small giggle. "Now, let us be away."

With the two women gone, Jack leaned in his chair as Sommie sat on the table, looking at him.

"So," Jack began, "what's been going on with you, Sommie?"

"It's just rough, y'know?" Jack said, rubbing his face. "I dunno, maybe it's just me worrying for nothing, but I wonder what everyone's been doing since I've been gone. Where they are, what they're doing, stuff like that. I wonder how Natalie is doing and I just… can't fall asleep after that."

Jack placed one hand down on the table, and Sommie laid his head on his hand as a show of solidarity.

"I…" Jack stammered, sniffling. "Thank you for listening to me, Sommie. You're a true friend, you know that? I don't know why, but I feel like I can just talk to you, you know?"

Sommie nuzzled his hand further.

"Goddamnit, how did I go so long here without seeing you? You're the cutest thing in the whole world. You remind me a lot of my old dog, before he…" Jack shook his head and turned to the left to see the sun rise over the horizon. "Shit, did I stay up almost all night?"

"It would appear so, yes."

Jack nearly fell out of his chair as he whipped around and tried to point a spear he didn't have at the intruder, only to lower his stance as Alear took a step back, eyes wide before taking a deep breath.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said, "I was just about to get everyone ready to move out and you're the first person I saw. And- oh, Sommie!"

Sommie jumped off the side of the table and lazily walked up to Alear before propping itself against his leg. Alear picked it up and hugged it close to him, a content smile on his face.

Jack snorted. "Yeah, I get the feeling Sommie has that effect on people. Even has you spellbound, huh?"

"If this is a spell, then it's probably the most powerful thing in existence, but I don't care," Alear admitted, "look how cute he is! Did you want another peach? I think there's a few more in the orchard that're ripe!"

Sommie squeaked almost like a toy at that, and Jack couldn't help but openly laugh.

"What about the march?" Jack asked once he finally regained control of himself. "I guess it can wait. Wanna meet in the plaza once you're done?"

"Hmm? Uh, yes! Yes, please, could you do that for me, Jack? I'm sure Framme and Clanne would help you if you find them first."

Jack shrugged. "Vander, too, but I'm sure the old guy's probably still snoozing. Maybe. Hard to get a read on him sometimes. But, hey, wait a sec."

Alear stopped and turned, head tilted quizzically.

"Did Veyle, uh, ever give you a stone? Kinda looks like your hair?" Jack asked, ruffling his own hair as he spoke. "Just curious."

Alear blinked before his lips thinned and he nodded his head. "Yeah. A dragonstone, she calls it. With it, I can-"

"-turn into a dragon," Jack said, clapping his hands once. "You seem a bit nervous about it, so I won't ask anything else. Just wanted to confirm, you know? Though, you do seem… really scared for some reason."

"I…" Alear began, before looking down at Sommie pawing at his ornate tunic. "Could we… perhaps, talk about this later?"

Jack shrugged. "Go and get the boy some apples. I won't keep ya."

Alear nodded, his smile reappearing like a kid who just got exactly what he wanted on Christmas Day, as he headed toward the western corner of the Somniel.

"Oddly enough," Jack muttered to himself, "I don't feel very tired anymore."

It took several days to travel from Firene Castle and Kering to the area where the second Emblem Ring of Firene was stored. Jack already knew what to expect - sooner or later, Yunaka would show up, and she would become Micaiah's wielder. Timing didn't seem to be an altogether big issue; so far, everywhere they had gone had turned out completely alright. Suspiciously so, in Jack's opinion.

He was waiting for the other shoe to fall, so to speak.

"Lost in your own mind again?" Alfred said, "Or did you just get distracted looking at the stars?"

"I got distracted looking into your eyes, Alfred," Jack said, looking down with half-lidded eyes. "They're beautiful this time of night."

Alfred laughed. "I really hope you're joking. That's terrible."

"Alear, Alfred is laughing about my feelings again," Jack whined.

"Alfred, continue to hurt Jack's feelings," Alear ordered, not looking away from where the path was leading them.

"Betrayal tastes bitter," Jack muttered, "more bitter than blackest coffee."

Jack knew that at any moment, Yunaka would show up in all of her pathological lying glory. He could tell because night had already fallen, and they hadn't made camp or retreated to the Somniel yet; apparently, Alear wanted to make a little more headway to Brodia than usual. All the better - Jack liked Yunaka, from what little he remembered of her.

And, as if Jack was actually psychic, there she was. Alear and Alfred stopped as they soon saw her too, quietly mumbling to herself. The rest of the army stopped too, weapons at the ready before Alear held up a fist.

"Let's take care of this. Jack? Alfred?"

"She's a friend," Jack said preemptively. "And, with luck, she'll be joining us for the foreseeable future. I'll let her do the explaining though."

Alear nodded and moved forward, Alfred and Jack trailing just behind. Sure enough, it was Yunaka; same dark clothing with bronze leggings, and long, maroon hair with what almost looked like star-shaped confetti entwined with it. Her attempt at looking as cheerful as possible, Jack suspected. Still, even though he never bothered to look at the Support conversations, she never once betrayed Alear and the army. He knew a liar when he saw one, though, and Yunaka was a terrible liar.

"Hello there!" Alear said, moving forward. "What're you doing out here in the woods this time of night? Are you alright?"

Yunaka turned around with such speed that Jack almost couldn't see it. For a split second, she was basically a blur before she stepped forward, her face scrunched as if she was ugly crying.

"Ah! You scared me!" she exclaimed, "d-don't you know it's bad luck to sneak up on defenseless women like that? And after I lost it, too…"

To her credit, she sounded amazingly like someone who was actually scared. Or perhaps she was actually scared, Jack reasoned.

Alfred stepped forward and bowed his head. "We didn't mean to frighten you, my lady. We just, er," he turned briefly to Jack, who shook his head. "We just didn't expect to see anyone else out here today. You know, we're night owls; we're used to it. Did something else upset you, though? I thought I heard you crying."

"Huh? Oh, yeah! That. I, uh, say, how about we introduce ourselves, first?" Yunaka said, perking up as she stood as tall as she could with her hands on her hips. "Didn't mean to accuse you or anything, just a bit shocked is all. I'll go first! I am the mysterious, black-cloaked wanderer Yunaka! Hiya papaya!"

Jack crossed his arms and turned around, taking a deep breath to savor the night air as he could hear Alear or Alfred scratch their heads.

"Hiya… papaya?" Alear repeated. "You have a strange way of greeting strangers, I must admit. Not the strangest I've heard though."

"I heard that," Jack said.

"Guess that guy back there gave ya a weirder one, huh?" Yunaka asked, "I'll need to work on that, then- I mean, uh…"

Jack could imagine Alfred crossing his arms as he spoke. "You said you needed help, right?"

Yunaka snapped her fingers. "Yeppy! Good thing you're here to keep me on the path! Anyway, see, I lost this special ring of mine. Heard it calling to me and all that - really strange, huh? Only thing is, I was ambushed by bandits earlier, and in the scuffle it kinda sorta… fell outta my hands."

"Hold on a second," Alear said. "You said this ring… talked to you?"

Jack couldn't help snickering at that. "Wow, it's almost like it might be a… hmm, whaddaya call 'em? Emblem Rings? Guys, I think we found an Emblem Ring!"

"D-did he just say 'Emblem Ring'?" Yunaka asked, "That ring was an Emblem? And it was talking to me!? Gah! Of course I just had to go and lose it!"

"Well, Jack was right about that…" Alear sighed, and Jack finally turned around to see him rubbing his forehead. "What you found was an Emblem Ring, and we need to get it back. Can you show us where you dropped it?"

"I mean, yeah, but there's probably bandits there. You sure you can take them on?" Yunaka asked.

Alear placed a hand against his chest. "As a Divine Dragon, it's my duty to collect them to stop Sombron. If that means we have to kill a few bandits, then I am willing to risk it."

"And as the crown prince of Firene, it's my duty to ensure every citizen of the kingdom is well taken care of. Or avenged," Alfred said.

"W-wait… a Divine Dragon? And the crown prince of Firene? Gosh, Yunaka, what've you gotten yourself into?" Yunaka said, turning around and wiping her forehead. "Should've known there was something off. Is there, uh, anything else I should know about?"

"I can see the future," Jack said, deadpan.

Yunaka opened her mouth to say something, her maroon eyes wide before she closed them and shut her mouth with an audible 'clop'.

"We are a bit of a weird bunch, aren't we?" Alfred asked, looking up at the star-filled night sky. "And I'm not even counting the Emblem Rings we already have. Wait, Jack, how many other people will we recruit into the army?"

"Are we talking about the ones who start as enemies or ones who just stumble upon us?" Jack asked, brow raised.

Alfred hummed, rubbing his chin. "Will it fit on a supply manifest if I ask for a list of the former?"

"No."

Alfred shrugged. "Yeah, we're pretty weird, then."

"Alright, then!" Yunaka interrupted, clapping her hands. "Since, well- since this is so important, apparently, how about I help you find that Emblem Ring? I can lead you to where I saw it last, and I may not look it, but I'm pretty handy with a dagger. See?"

Yunaka twirled an iron dagger in her hand, her face for a split second sharp and focused before she posed with it, a goofy smile replacing the hardened stare from a moment prior.

"Alright, Yunaka. We'll take you up on your offer," Alear stated, smiling softly. "Thank you for agreeing to help us. Would you lead the way?"

"Zappy!" Yunaka exclaimed happily, twisting on her heel and pointing to the west. "You can count on me! This way! I think."

Jack snorted as he followed the other three. The rest of the army soon followed as well.

The village the group came upon had once been a thriving settlement in northern Firene, no doubt, but it had clearly been completely destroyed. The buildings that were still standing had been burnt beyond recognition, and the entire area resembled a blasted heath - Jack half expected to see colors beyond his imagination sitting in a well somewhere.

A plan was quickly formed: a small group would come in from one side, while the bulk of the army would come in from the south, distracting a good portion of the bandits while the smaller group looked for the Emblem Ring.

A good plan. Jack just had one objection.

"Any reason why I'm going with you guys?" Jack whispered, looking out from the thicket they were hiding in and out into the desolate village.

"Because you know the future, and I would rather you be by my side where you can offer counsel than adorning a bandit's spear elsewhere," Alear answered succinctly.

"Someone's a bit cranky," Jack mumbled.

"Did he not get his beauty sleep? I thought he slept for a thousand years," Yunaka commented.

"Well, when you get too much sleep, it tends to make a person irritable also," Jack answered.

"I'm… I apologize. I should probably contain myself," Alear said.

"Have you talked to Marth? Marth usually makes you feel better, right?" Jack asked, his eyes twitching as he saw a distant light.

"I would rather not light a beacon on our location until the battle has started," Alear stated, before hissing, "there's one! Shh!"

Jack hunkered down further, spear flat against the ground as he watched intently. True to Alear's words, a bandit walked out into the open like a fool, holding a shiny object up to his eyes with a stupid grin on his face. Jack felt himself wince, watching the man ogle the ring as if it was his ticket to his own island.

"He's got it," Yunaka said, her voice low. "We need to take him out quickly before the other bandits get an idea on what's going on."

"On my mark. The others will start fighting the second the bandits mobilize," Alear ordered, holding up three fingers.

Jack felt his heartbeat in his ears, as Alear slowly counted down.

Three fingers.

Two fingers.

One finger.

Alear made a fist, and pointed forward, the sound of his blade hissing as it was drawn from its scabbard rang in Jack's ears as he charged forward. He wasn't aiming for the bandit, though - that was clearly where Alear and Yunaka were heading first. Instead, he moved behind him, looking around for any other bandits that might've been lurking nearby with his spear raised. He heard the sound of a shout cut short, followed by gurgling and the 'thump' of a body hitting the floor. With no other bandits around, Jack turned around, to see Yunaka picking up the Emblem Ring off the ground.

"We're clear," Jack said, "though there's no telling for how long. Do your thing."

Alear nodded resolutely, holding out his hand as Yunaka placed the ring in the palm.

"Alright, here goes…" Alear said, taking a deep breath before raising his hand up. "Heal us, Emblem of Dawn!"

Jack hadn't seen Alear invoke an Emblem until then - the others besides Celica were already awake by the time he joined up, and he was off fighting somewhere else when Celica had been invoked. Still, he took a step back as a bright golden light briefly flashed through the area, and he covered his eyes for a brief moment before a pulse went through his body, almost as if he was being scanned by something. When he opened his eyes, Micaiah floated there, covered in the same aetherial blue glow as the other Emblems.

"Flashy," Jack muttered.

"I am Emblem Micaiah," she said, bowing her head with a small smile. "It's good to finally be able to speak freely again. I only wish it had been under better circumstances."

"We'll have plenty of time to talk later, but welcome to the team, Micaiah," Alear said, turning to Yunaka. "I know this is sudden, Yunaka, but would you engage with Micaiah? She spoke to you first; she chose you."

Yunaka's eyes widened, though she still kept her ground as she looked up to the spectral white-haired woman nearby.

"Y-you're sure about this? I-I'm just some maiden who was traveling down the road when a ring spoke to her!" Yunaka replied.

"Surely this isn't the strangest thing to ask, then?" Alear asked.

"Giving a ring to a girl you just met, Alear," Jack said, clicking his tongue as he shook his head. "Scandalous. Lythosian priests will start tearing their hair out, and that's not even talking about what Vander and Lumera will say…"

"I can see you've gathered a lively bunch," Micaiah laughed. "It reminds me of… perhaps not better times, but I still look back upon them fondly."

Alear looked at Jack with half-lidded eyes for a moment before shaking his head. "I should have expected that."

Jack whistled. "I'm becoming predictable to you already. That's a shame."

"I…" Yunaka stammered, before shaking her head. "I'll do it, even if I don't think I deserve it. Are you sure this is what you want, Micaiah?"

Micaiah nodded. "I've seen enough of you to believe you have people's best interests at heart, Yunaka. I would be honored to be wielded by you."

"Well, zappy! Let's do it!" Yunaka said, grasping the ring in Alear's outstretched hand.

"We may wanna get a move on," Jack said, as everyone fell silent for a moment. The sound of blades clashing and magic being thrown around hung the air heavily, almost like humidity. "Battle's started, so it's only a matter of time before they find us here. Also means the lights oughta be going out soon."

"Better to trap us in the dark then, huh?" Alear said, twirling his sword. "Well, then. Let's go."

The remains of the village only became more and more haunting as the trio continued forward, incapacitating bandits on the way. The burnt and crumbling buildings created horrible shadows along the ground, only emphasized by Yunaka using a tome that produced light and thus, created more shadows. They danced along the ground like a puppet show, as if they were giant monsters from another dimension.

Jack decided to ignore them after that. As best as he could, anyway.

With Yunaka lighting the way alongside Micaiah, there was very little that could sneak up on them, but they were also a giant target. Bandits seemed to crawl out of the woodwork like beetle larva, and Jack - he had less trouble cutting them down like wheat than he'd like.

They fought back, of course, but many of them didn't have the range his spear provided, and the light coming from Yunaka and Micaiah blindsided them, allowing easy stabs to vital areas. They weren't Elusian soldiers, either, and not just in armament; they were men who had willingly allowed themselves to pillage and rape their way to money, and he had zero sympathy for them even as they screamed in pain when his spear struck them in the chest or the legs or arms.

Jack snapped his head to the side as someone came barreling out of the thicket, covered in dark leather armor and sporting a dagger glinting in the light. He was heading straight for Alear, ready to stab him in the back. Wasting no time, Jack moved, standing between Alear and the would-be assassin, spear raised. The spear pierced the assassin's chest, but not before he threw the dagger - and Jack felt an incredible pain in his shoulder as the assassin fell to the ground in a heap.

Snarling like an animal as he turned around, Jack tripped over a fallen weapon, hitting the ground and knocking the wind out of his lungs. Just as another bandit seemed to crawl out of the thicket - the assassin's partner, perhaps - Alear charged forward, stabbing the bandit through the chest and sending him to the ground, before finishing him off with a slash across the throat.

"Fuck," Jack swore, feeling the cold metal of the dagger still digging into the muscle and bone of his shoulder. "Aren't I the lucky one?"

"Well, that's debatable, but that was pretty impressive for someone who's clearly outta his depth- I mean, yeah, you're lucky alright!" Yunaka's peppy voice reached his ears, as she knelt beside him with an ornate silver staff. "Think you could keep going if I… did some weird magic stuff with this staff?"

Jack hissed as Alear looked on with worried eyes. "So long as that wasn't a euphemism, Yunaka, by all means! I'd welcome it."

"That blade could have been poisoned," Alear stated, as he knelt beside Jack. "How do you feel?"

"I feel like I've got several inches of cold iron through my shoulder, so not great," Jack retorted.

"Please, be serious, Jack," Alear pleaded as the magic of Yunaka's staff washed over them.

"I'm not?" Jack snarled.

"Hold still," Yunaka ordered. "I gotta take the dagger out now."

Jack's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he looked into Yunaka's magical visor. "Take it out? Wha-!?"

The sound of his own blood dripping to the ground filled Jack's ears, as he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth so hard he thought he heard them cracking. The dagger fell to the floor with a small 'thud' as Yunaka and Micaiah's healing magic restarted, and the gaping wound began to decrease in size. A few moments later, and it was gone. Not even scar tissue, though the area was slightly discolored.

Jack stood up, took a deep breath, but there was a cold chill in his bones he couldn't deny. Even so, he looked at Alear with a small smile.

"Ready to get back into it, boss," he said.

Alear sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he smiled in turn.

"You're tougher than you look, I guess. But please, be careful from now on, okay?" Alear said, before looking at Yunaka. "He's right; let's get moving."

When all was said and done, and the leader of the bandits laid dead in the grass, several weapons sticking out his back like everyone had mistaken him for the weapon storage crate, Jack finally let out a sigh of relief. There were injuries all around, not unlike his own that still felt cold and clammy. Perhaps there had been a poison on the dagger, he remembered that daggers did that in the game, but it didn't seem as if it was lethal. At least, not initially.

The next hour felt like a blur to Jack as he went to and fro, gathering what was left of the bandits' plunder and placing it in the convoy, though he seemed to exhaust more easily than before. When it was finally over, he sat down on a fallen pillar near the middle of town, waiting for Alear to either break for camp and transport everyone to the Somniel.

"Ah, finally! There you are!"

That was Yunaka's voice. Jack looked up to see her standing confidently before him, Emblem Ring sparkling on her hand.

"Here I am," Jack said wearily. "Something I can help you with, Yunaka?"

"Actually, no, silly! I'm here to help you. Here, take this," Yunaka said, handing Jack a small light brown bottle.

Jack looked it over, noticing no discernible markings. "What is it?"

"Antitoxin," Yunaka said, "Had a feeling those bandits probably had poison on their daggers. If they did, ya know, you're probably in trouble!"

Jack raised a brow. "How much trouble, exactly?"

"Well, it's slow acting," Yunaka began ,pacing before Jack's eyes and gesticulating. "Not immediately lethal, probably, otherwise you wouldn't be here right now. My wager? Probably that ol' concoction made from Solmic plants, specifically those southern isles. Lotsa nasty stuff there that'll end a man if he's not careful!"

Jack swallowed, turning the bottle over in his hands. "And, uh, what's the end result?"

"Well, right now you're probably feeling a bit cold and clammy, and you get exhausted more easily," Yunaka continued, "after a while, you'd barely be able to walk, and eventually, you'd be completely paralyzed. Yeah, those plants down there can feed on a warm, living body for days. It's actually really screwed up."

"Well, then," Jack said, opening the bottle. "Bottom's up."

The antitoxin went down fairly easily - it actually tasted rather sweet. The chill didn't go away immediately, but there was a definite warmth in his belly after drinking the potion.

"Thanks, by the way," Jack said, "Sorry if I got a bit snarky there for a while. Didn't mean to give you the wrong impression or anything."

"I actually found it really funny," Yunaka stated, "but, erm, I actually didn't come here just for that. It's, uh, about what you said. When I met you three and all the other nice people you brought with you."

Jack tilted his head before the realization dawned on him and he sighed. "The whole 'I can see the future' thing, right? I should've just kept my mouth shut."

"Well, probably? Not like I can talk, either," Yunaka said, finally stepping forward and sitting beside Jack. "Anyway, uh, do you… know anything about me?"

Snorting, Jack replied, "I know you're keeping a secret, and that I was able to intuit that secret pretty easily, considering. Don't worry, I'm not about to go around spouting it off to people. It's your secret, and I know enough about you to know that you're a good person at heart."

Yunaka held a hand to her chest as she let out a sigh of relief. "That's good! I was worried there for a second! You know, it'd be a shame after everything we'd been through!"

"Yeah, like how you tore a dagger from my shoulder," Jack said, deadpan. "Or how you lied to Alear and Alfred about being a defenseless maiden. Not that I have any room to judge, of course."

"Heh, water under the bridge! You're stuck with me, now! Anyway, uh, just wanted to get all that cleared up! Good talking to you! And make sure you drink all of that antitoxin! Don't want the poison to start soaking into your organs and stuff," Yunaka said quickly, standing up and walking away.

"Hey, Yunaka," Jack called, "Wait a second."

Yunaka turned back around. "Yeah? Need something else?"

Jack's eyes softened just slightly. "Take good care of Micaiah, alright? She's been through a lot."

Yunaka blinked, looking down at the gem-inlaid ring on her hand before nodding her head. "I'll be sure to do that. Don't worry, you can count on me."

Jack smiled as Yunaka walked away. He took a deep breath and stood up a moment later.

"Maybe I can convince Alear to head to the west for a small detour," he said to himself. "Couldn't hurt…"

Enjoy these sedate and mostly lighthearted chapters while they last, my friends. If the last chapter's ending wasn't obvious enough with it, there be dark clouds ahead!

Hehehehehe.

Anyway, here's a link to our Discord server: discord. gg/u89gs745fn

See you guys next time!