Octopath Traveler II: Crusaders of Justice
For this chapter, there may finally be a bit of action. Still some exposition as the characters make their way to Conning Creek. Major Spoilers from Osvald's story, alert.
Disclaimer: Octopath Traveler II and its associated characters and setting are made by Square.
Conning Creek Investigation
As the group reached Canalbrine Bridge, Castii stopped as soon as she saw someone passed out on the road.
It was a young man with dark hair held in a ponytail, dressed in black and red armor over his grayish pants and black shirt. Corpses of Lizardmen were scattered here in there, so evidently he was fighting against some monsters.
"Who's this?" Alistair stopped, seeing the person.
Castii wasted no time in going to the unconscious man's aid"Looks like he's suffered a few wounds that have not been fully treated, hardly a surprise. I heard that monsters prowl the roads outside town. Its like he was in a hurry to get somewhere."
"Think he's gonna want some jerky?" Ochette asked innocently. Akala rolled his eyes.
"When he wakes up, we'll see" said Castii as she administrated some medicine on the passed out warrior"Does anyone have an olive of life?"
Alistair reached into his bag and handed over an olive to the Apothecary. Castii mixed some healing medicine with it and administrated it to the unconscious man. Slowly, the man began to sir, groaning as he sat up.
"Thank goodness you're okay" Castii said.
The young man looked at the group, speaking"I thank you for your aid, I had not anticipated that I would be facing off such a large number of monsters on may way to Canalbrine Port. I managed to fell the last one before I collapsed."
"You are welcome" Castti said.
"So, what's your name?" Priscilla asked, relieved that he was all right.
"I am Hikari Ku, Prince of the Ku Clan" the young warrior replied"I was on my way to Montwise on the east continent to seek an ally."
Priscilla took a moment to process this"So you're King Jigo's son, then? I know of him by reputation."
Hikari nodded"Indeed, to be more precise, I am the second-born son. My half-brother Mugen is the eldest son of my late father. My father wanted me to become King of Ku in place of Mugen, feeling that he is unworthy of the throne."
"So things are pretty intense with your family, huh?" Ochette piped up.
Hikari nodded"In a matter of speaking. My father had a change of heart and believed that Mugen would only lead Ku to ruin. But Mugen strongly disagreed with me and our father for seeking peace over conquest, so he lured me away from the city and set it on fire, killing many citizens of Ku, he also killed our father and took the throne by force. I was branded a fugitive as I made my escape with the help of Benkei, my father's right-hand man."
Priscilla and Castii were horrified to hear about all this. Ochette and Akala glanced at each other, it was hardly surprising to them that not all humans were good, but this was even more extreme than the humans on Toto'haha. Never mind that Beastlings were generally looked down on by their human neighbors.
"So Mugen intends to throw Ku right back into war?" Alistair asked.
"Knowing him, that's likely the case" Hikari replied"That is why I am gathering allies to stop him."
"Was there someone in Montwise who can maybe help stop Mugen?" Priscilla asked.
"The person I am seeking is Kazan, he's an old friend who served as a Tactician for my father" Hikari replied"I presume that each of you has your own reasons for traveling, correct?"
Priscilla nodded"Yes. For my part, I am looking into a syndicate called the Crimson Sun. I also hope to provide legal aid to the cities I intend to visit. Alistair and I are on our way to Conning Creek. Oh, and I'm Priscilla, a Scholar and a Prosecutor."
"And I'm looking for the three creatures of legend" Ochette piped up"Name's Ochette, I am a Hunter."
"I'm just tagging along mostly. I've lost some of my memories" Castti said"So I'm hoping to find some answers. My name is Casiti."
"Pleasure" Hikari stated"While I can ill afford to delay for too long while Mugen prepares to plunge Ku and the entire continent into war, if you have need of my sword, I would be glad to be of assistance to you."
"We would be honored to have you join us" Priscilla said.
"Same here" said Alistair.
Ochette grinned"The more the merrier."
"Shall we proceed, then?" Hikari asked.
The group continued southward in the direction of Conning Creek, continuing to make small talk along the way while keeping an eye out for monsters. The trek took the better part of an afternoon as they walked.
A couple of Sea Slugs and a Scissor Crab accosted the group on the way. Hikari and Alistair drove back the crab with their blades while Priscilla blasted the Sea Slugs with thunderbolts.
"Monsters sure are becoming more active nowadays" one of the other knights accompanying the group commented.
"We'll just need to be on our guard" Hikari said.
The group continued on for a while longer, eventually reaching a small coastal town. Ochette took in the sights, amazed by what there is to see among the various shops and the buildings.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Priscilla said.
"Sure is, Prissy" Ochette smiled"Well, I'm going to ask around about Cateracta."
Priscilla felt a little flustered by the nickname Ochette called her by, but shrugged it off, she had more important matters to worry about.
"You may want to wait until morning" Alistair commented"We've had quite the journey coming here. Before we turn in though, I want to check on Justin and his escort, hopefully their investigation is going well."
"You guys from Vella?" One of Conning Creek's citizens, a young man in his early twenties with brown hair, shirt and pants greeted them"There's been an incident a short while ago."
"What happened?" Priscilla asked.
The man shrugged"The other day, a guy with dark hair and two knights came in, I guess I didn't think it through when I offered to smuggle a letter to your king for Sister Clarissa. They went to speak to Stenvar."
"He's the current captain of Conning Creek's guard if I recall right" Priscilla commented"He's not too popular around these parts, is he?"
The man made a face at the corrupt guard captain's name"You're right, miss. Us common folk villagers don't like him one bit, My name's Steven by the way. A-anyway, there was a scuffle at the guard outpost. Apparently, the Defense Lawyer and the two knights got too nosy and started asking questions about Lady Clarissa's husband's death and the man who got locked up for killing his own family."
"I wasn't notified of the contents of the king's letter from Lady Clarissa, but I understood why it was classified even before hearing about this" Alistair frowned"What happened to Justin? He's the Lawyer the king sent here."
"Stenvar tried to kill him to keep him quiet, but one of the knights interposed and took the blow. The man died, but the other knight and the defense lawyer escaped, but not without receiving heavy injuries for their trouble" Steven replied, grimly"Guess Stenvar figured that they are pretty much dead anyway because he didn't send any men out to pursue. I managed to help the Defense Lawyer to Lady Clarissa's place as soon as Stenvar wasn't paying attention, she's tending to him and the other knight right now."
Priscilla's hand clenched in fury at hearing about Stenvar"Justin and his escort were assaulted merely for asking questions!?"
"Seems that way" Steven replied"And believe me, nobody around here likes Stenvar much, he even spread a cover story about bandits raiding the outpost and that he repelled them. My cousin, Ethan, who was a member of the guard, was killed by him and it was reported as a suicide. I was the only one who agreed with Lady Clarissa that Ethan had no reason to kill himself."
Hikari thought about this situation"Something certainly seems a little off."
"I think I'd better go check on those wounded men in case Lady Clarissa needs help tending to their injuries" Castii said"Steven, where does Lady Clarissa live?"
"She's staying at an abandoned, ruined laboratory at the eastern outskirts at the moment" Steven replied.
Castti nodded"I'll see you guys at the inn" and headed off.
Alistair thought about what they just heard as well, his eyes narrowed in controlled fury for a moment"It looks like we'll need to pay Captain Stenvar a visit in addition to investigating Crimson Sun. His actions could have sparked a feud between Vella and Conning Creek."
"Vella is primarily diplomatic, is it not?" Hikari asked.
"It is, we would only invade as a last resort, but only if our enemy is equal to us in terms of military strength" Alistair nodded"We do not persist in hopeless struggles. Tomorrow, we will work together to investigate this mess and hopefully find information on the syndicate."
"Agreed" Priscilla nodded, and they headed for the inn. Alistair paid for the night's stay.
Priscilla went into one of the bedrooms to relax.
Castii continued east into the outskirts of the town, stopping for a moment when she saw the ruins of an old house'Something terrible must have happened.' She headed into the ruined house and looked around until she found a secret passage. She headed inside to see a woman with blond hair in her early forties clad in a green garb tending to two injured men.
"Excuse me, are you Lady Clarisa?" Castii asked.
The woman stood up and turned abruptly"Hm? Indeed, I am. Who are you?"
"My name is Castiii, ma'am" The younger woman replied"I wanted to ask if you would mind if I check on the two men who I heard were hurt in a scuffle with the town guards. I'm an Apothecary"
"Thank you, I am not a professional, anyhow" Clarissa said, standing back to let Castii inspect the two men. Justin was barely conscious, with only a couple of minor wounds.
Justin looked at her"Did Priscilla send for you?"
"I'm traveling with her, yes" Castii nodded as she administrated some medicine and checked the bandages, finding them to be placed quite well if not somewhat twisted. She looked up at Clasissa"Shouldn't we transfer them to the inn?"
"We'll be all right" Justin interrupted"Its my fault that I was so careless..."
Castii silently finished administrating medicine on the other man, turning to Clarissa"I think you did a good job tending to their wounds, they just need to take it easy for a while."
Clarissa nodded"I suppose I was a bit foolish in sending the king of Vella that letter. I know the man who was imprisoned five years ago for killing his family, his name was Osvald. He loved his wife and daughter too much to ever murder them. But sadly, even though I was present at the trial, I was the only one besides my husband and cousin-in-law who believed in his innocence and the evidence was damning enough that there was nothing I can do."
"I haven't known Priscilla and Sir Alistair for long, but I think they want to help" The Apothecary supplied"They heard what happened to your husband."
Clarissa was pleasantly surprised, but gave a sad smile"They'd have a tough time of it. There was nothing left after the fire, and when my husband tried to investigate, as you heard, he died. And we've no way to prove that it wasn't a suicide. Regardless, I thought that maybe the king of Vella could help somehow. When I was a traveling Scholar, I once crossed paths with the king when he was but a prince."
Castii nodded, pleasantly surprised to hear this about the king of Vella"I will let them know what you told me. Thank you, Lady Clarissa."
"Take care" the older woman said.
Castii headed to the inn. It was getting late, so she would have to tell Priscilla, tomorrow.
The following morning, Alistair, Ochette, Castii, Hikari and Priscilla went to the tavern for breakfast. When they were finished, Ochette said"Well, I'm going to go ask around about Cateracta."
"Good luck with that" Priscilla said.
"Thank you" beamed the Hunter as she headed outside.
Castii took a moment to speak with Priscilla"I spoke with Lady Clarissa, she told me that a friend of hers, Osvald was imprisoned for killing his family, but claimed that he loved them too much to do such a thing. She also said her husband, Ethan died trying to investigate."
"Could Stenvar be the culprit?" Priscilla asked, it is not uncommon for criminals to pin their crimes on somebody else.
"I don't know, the ruins of the house I saw looked like it wasn't burnt by a natural fire" Castii replied.
Alistair thought about this information, then addressed Priscilla"We must approach this carefully, the only thing we have about the contradictions regarding this Osvald's guilt and Ethan's suicide is Clarissa's word."
"Steven could probably help with that" Priscilla suggested"We know that the locals don't like Stenvar. We could have them cause a ruckus outside the guard outpost so that you and I can confront him when he's alone."
"If this goes wrong, you may lose your Prosecutor's License at best if Stenvar puts enough pressure on Chief Prosecutor Davis" Alistair pointed out"We'd be even luckier to avoid being sent to Frigit Island."
"It's not right to get the citizens involved for our own sake" The prince protested.
"Prince Hikari, Stenvar has been oppressing the people of Conning Creek for years. Sooner or later, their anger towards him will turn to violence; at least like this, we can minimize casualties and get Stenvar now" Priscilla pointed out.
Hikari sighed"I see your point. I still don't agree with it, but I do acknowledge your words. Very well."
"Besides, the guards can only handle so many people. We don't know how many men Stenvar has, but I get really impatient if an investigation involving a suspect appears to be going south" The prosecutor added.
Casti was not happy"More people may get hurt, I suppose I'll just have to mix up some more medicine, just in case" she headed for the nearest item shop for herbs or other healing medicine if the shop doesn't have any, she was ultimately too kind to not heal anybody who may need it, even if it was because of that person's recklessness.
"There's no turning back now, I suppose" Alistair headed outside, Priscilla followed.
The two asked around before finding Steven at his house. The young man was pleasantly surprised"Can I help you?"
"We want to get into the guard outpost to confront Stenvar on some questionable... Dealings" Priscilla worded it carefully"But I'm worried that he'll react violently, and we don't know how many guards he has."
Steven looked at her, thoughtfully"To be honest, I knew Ethan's supposed suicide was really out of character for him. You want to avenge your countrymen who were assaulted, right? It will take an hour at most, but I can get enough support to make a distraction so you can go in there and knock Stenvar down a few pegs."
"Its a bit more than that, but its part of the reason" Priscilla admitted"And if anyone has information about a Syndicate called Crimson Sun, I would like their consent to ask them about it."
"Stenvar might know something if you can get him to talk" Steven said thoughtfully"Oh, and you have an Apothecary with you, right? Because some of the villagers are probably going to need a healer when we're done with the guards."
Priscilla nodded"Thank you."
Alistair and Priscilla headed back out to meet with Hikari and the other two Vellan knights. They waited near the town entrance while Steven rallied the town to the group's cause.
"Everyone! For too long, Stenvar has treated us like dirt and lied about the circumstances of my cousin's death!" Steven called to the people"With help from our guests from out outside of town, we will give that no-good, greedy scumbag what-for!"
Most of the other men and several women from the town rallied behind Steven, grabbing what they could use as weapons. Steven led them towards the guard outpost. A couple of guards saw the advancing townspeople and rushed to alert the captain.
"Looks like the uprising has started" Alistair noted.
"Let's go" Priscilla led her group forward.
Behind Priscilla's group, a man with long, blond hair, a beard, a pair of spectacles and a brown and a thick coat covering his prison garments came into the town, followed by a young woman with dark brown hair, purple garments and a choker around her neck with a pendant dangling from the choker.
"You have business, here, correct?" The woman, who is a thief and assassin, asked.
The older blond, a Scholar nodded"Yes, but something appears to be going on over at the guards' outpost."
Back near the guardhouse, a wave of about eight guards came out to intercept the advancing townspeople. Steven, himself was holding a harpoon as he parried an attack by one of the guards, kicking him back. Castii emerged from the item shop to join the fray and provide aid to the citizens.
The two other knights from Priscilla's escort moved to join the fray while Alistair, Priscilla and Hikari moved to enter the guardhouse, which had emptied out considerably, giving the group an edge against their suspect.
Outside, Lady Clarissa, Justin and the previously-wounded knight came from the outskirts once they heard the commotion coming from the main town. The blond woman shook her head'Oh dear, well its been a long time coming' she thought. Her fellow townspeople could only keep their anger at Stenvar in check for so long before things would get as volatile as they are, now.
Justin drew his katana"We should help the people."
"You wounds are not fully healed" Clarissa reminded the defense lawyer"I'll go." She readied her staff"Ethan wouldn't want me to take revenge for his death, but that doesn't mean I will allow harm to come to the people. If you insist on accompanying me, don't push yourself."
Priscilla, Hikari and Alistair were intercepted by a couple of guards who remained inside the outpost to protect their captain. The two guards charged forward, only for Hikari and Alistair to intercept them.
Priscilla confidently stepped closer to Stenvar's chamber, the man himself stood amidst several treasure chests of his ill-gotten fortune, he wore a reddish uniform and had blond hair.
"Captain Stenvar" Priscilla addressed him, tersely.
The man smirked"Are you from Vella, by any chance? Such a tiny nation shouldn't play so blatantly with the big boys. By interfering directly with this town, Vella could be seen as an aggressor trying to invade the continent."
"And gain WHAT from doing that!?" Priscilla exclaimed indignantly, was this man SERIOUSLY playing logic chess with her just now?
The corrupt captain chortled"I hear your king is a foolish man with delusions of grandeur, he certainly had the nerve to send three of his men to pester me the way he did. I was even going to bring this up with Timberain. He must think to take Conning Creek as a means to gain more territory.."
"Enough of this slander, Stenvar" Priscilla was about to cast thunderbolt"I KNOW about your crimes, you killed an innocent man just to keep people in the dark about a certain prisoner's innocence. I can only come to one conclusion: You killed a man's wife and child, didn't you!?"
"I had nothing to do with any of those deaths, what proof do you even have?" Stenvar smirked"Such a fiery lass, you are. Too bad our meeting will have to be cut short, parting is such sweet sorrow. Guards!"
Two more guards rushed into the center of the room. Priscilla looked around"I thought almost all of your men would be busy fighting with Steven and everyone else outside."
Stenvar drew an axe"Did you think I was stupid? I simply had kept a couple of my best men with me to crush any interlopers who would come in here, directly."
Priscilla stood back"Well, I did not come in here without any backup, either."
"Indeed" Alistair and Hikari came in, having disposed of the other two guards.
"This isn't any of you affair, so leave if you don't want to die, girl" Stenvar threatened.
"You made it mine when you assaulted my colleague, Justin and his escort" Priscilla whispered venomously, casting fireballs. All three guards were pushed back, Alistair took this chance to cut one of Stenvar's bodyguards down. The other guard lunged at Hikari, prompting the prince to parry the attack.
Castii helped an injured villager after they were done dealing with one of the guards. One guard tried to sneak up on her, only to receive a dagger to his back for his trouble.
"Just what I didn't need" the brown-haired assassin had darted in to join the fray, hoping to spare as many lives as she can by knocking guards unconscious as opposed to killing them, needlessly.
A fireball struck down Steven's opponent, while Clarissa and Justin came onto the scene. The green-clad blond looked around, seeing a familiar face come into view"Professor Osvald? Is that you?"
"Yes" The Scholar replied"I came back hoping to find information. Do you know the reason for this chaos?"
If Clarissa had any doubts that this actually is Osvald and not an imposter, they had more important things to worry about. Instead, she replied"The townspeople have started an uprising. Stenvar is to be ousted as captain of the Conning Creek guards, I presume. I sent a letter to the King of Vella regarding your situation and my husband's death, but I can't say I was expecting this to come of it."
"Stenvar likely has information on the man I am looking for" The Scholar grunted.
"Its because you lost Rita and Elena, isn't it?" Clarissa asked, sympathetic"I am sorry that they died, but must you go looking for revenge?"
Osvald said nothing, instead striding towards the Guard Outpost, accompanied by the brunette thief. Several of the people and remaining guards stopped to gawk at him for a moment, one guard cried out"Its that Scholar!"
"How did he escape?" A woman cried out.
Osvald said nothing as he headed for the outpost, pausing only to cast Icewind when a couple of the other guards tried to intercept him. The thief followed.
Steven took this chance to knock out one of the other guards.
"Stenvar is likely inside, the coward" one of the male citizens commented as he punched the tar out of a guard.
Steven took a breath"Well, Priscilla and her group are inside, I'm sure they've got it covered."
Stenvar swung his ax and Priscilla, who narrowly dodged and blasted him with a fireball. Stenvar staggered, but moved to the side to strike with a charging slash, only for Alistair to block him and kick the corrupt captain back.
Hikari, meanwhile had jumped back and slashed at the guard, cutting him down. Stenvar called for another one of his men as he slashed violently, driving Alistair and Priscilla back. The Prosecutor shot Stenvar with another thunderbolt.
A solitary guard came running, lunging at Priscilla, only for Hikari to interpose and knock him back before cutting him down.
Priscilla shot Stenvar with another fireball, the corrupt captain grunted and rushed forward to slash her. Priscilla dodged and kicked Stenvar backwards, blowing him back with a couple more fireballs. The man's uniform was starting to get pretty badly damaged.
"Its over" Alistair said.
"That's what you think!" Stenvar growled, trying to call for more guards, only to realize that he had no more help"Uh... Please, just spare me, I'll give you as much money as you want."
"Save it" Priscilla retorted, launching thunderbolt. Stenvar dodged and rushed again, only for another blast of thunder to knock him back. A dark haired woman came in and lunged, knocking the corrupt captain back.
Behind them, a man with blond hair, beard and a jacket over his prison garments had come into view"Stenvar" he greeted the corrupt captain.
"That bear-like built" Stenvar gasped"I know you, Osvald V. Vanstein, the tragic Scholar."
Osvald stepped closer, stopping just a short distance away"I seek Harvey, do you know where he is?"
The corrupt guard captain laughed"You Scholars are really a shrewd lot. Heh, ha. I confess, I aided and abetted Harvey! Facts are so malleable, the powerful can bend them to their will."
"Who is this Harvey?" Priscilla asked.
"No comment, I don't even know anything about him" Stenvar chortled.
Osvald approached Stenvar, conjuring a flame in his hand"Are you sure that he told you absolutely nothing?"
The corrupt guard captain gulped"Ah... Oh, yes, I remember! The research that he stole from you was taken to Montwise!"
"Montwise?" Osvald raised an eyebrow"Has he taken it to the library, there?"
Stenvar said nothing. Seeing that he had all of the information that he was going to get out of that corrupt, greedy dirtbag, Osvald spread his fire to the piles and treasure chests of Stenvar's ill-gotten money, burning it.
"My precious coin!" The guard captain cried.
"Well, at least you wouldn't be able to bribe your way out of prison if you wanted" Priscilla quipped"I'm looking into something myself, do you happen to know anything about a syndicate called the Crimson Sun?"
Stenvar, still despairing over the loss of his "fortune," sighed"I honestly don't know much of anything about that strange syndicate. But a noble lad called Nathan stopped by the other day, asking about somebody called Scarlet. She's a mercenary captain operating from the region surrounding Timberain. She might have the information you want."
"That half breed was here!?" Priscilla asked"And what else do you know?"
"That's all I know, now please don't take my life" Stenvar pleaded.
"Its not your life that I want" Osvald coldly told the corrupt captain"Its Harvey's."
Priscilla was curious about the older Scholar, but put what he said out of her mind and looked at Stenvar"Where is Nathan?"
"Said something about hunting criminals over at Sai before going to Timberain" the captain replied"I don't really like Scarlet and her ilk, that's why I am telling you."
Alistair walked over to Stenvar"Your cooperation is noted. And while Vella has little influence on affairs on the mainlands, consider yourself stripped of your rank as captain of Conning Creek's guard. You are under arrest for assault, murder and abuse of power."
"Wait, you have no authority here, right?" Stenvar protested.
"That may be true" Alistair conceded"But my king has seen fit to appoint me to oversee affairs in this town for a while, also while rendering aid to Sai when necessary. As a result, I will be aiding Conning Creek's governor, Kent in a advisory capacity. We're finished here." He gestured for one of his two fellow knights to take Stenvar away.
Osvald looked curiously at Alistair and Priscilla"So the king of Vella sent you."
"He did" Priscilla replied"Actually, I came partly of my own volition to investigate the Crimson Sun Syndicate and do what I can to help Solista's legal system. Thank you for helping me."
"You do not need to thank me" Osvald said"I am Osvald Vanstein, a Scholar. Over in the corner is my companion, Throne Anguis."
Throne nodded a greeting"Pleasure."
"Let's go check on everyone else outside" Alistair said.
Priscilla nodded"Osvald, Throne, would you care to come with us? I need to ask for some details."
"Fine, its not as though I'm in any real hurry" Osvald consented.
The group headed outside the outpost. The townspeople, with help of Clarissa, Justin and the two other knights had managed to subdue the remaining guardsmen. Stenvar was currently being led away to be locked up.
"You guys" Steven greeted them"Thanks to you, we are rid of Stenvar and his ilk."
"Think nothing of it" Priscilla stated"I'm just happy I could help."
A couple of the other townsfolk looked at Osvald with uncertainty. Steven smiled at the older Scholar"Professor Osvald, are YOU a sight for sore eyes? I knew you couldn't have done that thing you were arrested for doing five years ago."
"We have no evidence besides Stenvar's word and that of Lady Clarissa's" Priscilla put in"But Stenvar mentioned someone called Harvey, who he aided and abetted. By that, this could only mean one thing: Professor Osvald Vanstein may, in fact, be innocent. Stenvar must have had a hand in framing him."
The townspeople murmured some at this, most of them surprised at this revelation.
"Its true" Clarissa told the townspeople"Osvald would never kill his own family, he loved them too much to do that."
"That judge from Timberain must have been nuts, then!" one of the men commented"But I suppose if the evidence was arranged so that Osvald would take the fall, then it wasn't really his fault."
Steven grinned"Well, I'm gonna reform the Town Guard. I'm gonna become its new captain in Ethan's memory, if its all right with everyone."
Alistair nodded"I was going to have someone replace Stenvar as captain of Conning Creek's guards, anyway."
"Good luck with that" Priscilla said to Steven, then turned to the others"Shall we head to the inn to rest up?"
"Of course" Hikari nodded"I am just glad that the citizens are okay."
"And Osvald" Steven addressed the older scholar"I'm gonna get a confession from Stenvar and make your innocence known. No guarantee that we'll be able to get a retrial arranged for you, though."
"That is true, a retrial cannot be arranged unless we find evidence that contradicts what was given to the court" Alistair commented.
"There is no need for you to go that far for me" Osvald said"But thank you, Steven." He headed to the inn with the rest of the group, what he said was partly true, nobody on Frigit Island knew that he is alive, as he was presumed dead, there. At least with word of his innocence partly known in town, he felt comfortable enough to join the others at the inn.
Priscilla quietly headed back to the inn, in thought. Not far away, Ochette had returned from the opposite island, accompanied by not just Akala, but a small sea dragon.
Finally got this chapter set up. Before anyone comments that Elena isn't dead, I know that she's still alive, but Osvald doesn't know that yet at this point in the story.