Part Seven
Daunte was thankful that Gunther had arrived in the Rocky Plains on horseback, as it meant that they didn't have to do so much walking anymore. With three of Gunther's soldiers dead there were three available horses. Daunte shared a horse with Arin, Roen and Felicity shared a horse, and Surya got his own horse.
"Our headquarters is north of here, just southeast of the Northern Wharf," Gunther told them. "We have to be careful crossing the Bridge of Faith, but it won't take us long to get there."
"The Bridge of Faith?" Surya asked.
"It's the only bridge that has been allowed to be built over Golden River," Felicity told him. "It's a blessed bridge so it's guarded to prevent monsters from crossing it, but we might get the attention of the guards on it."
"We'll be fine," Gunther reassured her, giving her a wink. "Twenty-thousand people cross the Bridge of Faith every day, since it cuts travel time by half so people don't have to walk all the way around Winter Hill to get to the Northern provinces. We use the bridge all the time and have never been caught, so the rest of you should be fine."
"How come those soldiers we fought knew who you were on sight?" Surya asked him.
Gunther shrugged. "The hell if I know. Some freak out when they see me, others don't bat an eyelash. I guess it depends on which soldiers actually pay attention to bulletins regarding the Liberation Army."
They rode northwest towards Golden River to reach the Bridge of Faith. Daunte looked to the northeast and sighed softly. Baltas was in the opposite direction, and this side trip might make things more difficult for Surya in finding his family.
But we agreed to join the Army, and I want Arin to be in a safe place.
When they reached Golden River and walked along side it to reach the Bridge of Faith, Surya's brow furrowed. "Daunte."
"What is it?"
"This looks exactly like the Feitas."
"Feitas?"
"The Feitas River flows through multiple routes all throughout Falena. The water in this river looks exactly like the Feitas."
Daunte didn't realize that rivers had a distinction that even allowed them to look remotely different, but he shrugged. "Maybe the Feitas and Golden River were connected at one point? I know Golden River is partially dried up because of the Great Earthquake."
"That must be it," Surya said.
There were very few encounters with monsters on the road towards the Bridge of Faith, and the few encounters were easy battles. Gunther was an exceptionally skilled swordsman, making his motions seem effortless. There were various times though that when Gunther rushed in to make the kill, he jumped back clutching an object in his left. "500 bits," he said once, tossing the bag at Daunte. Another time it was medical herb.
"Wow, you're getting quite a bit of loot!" Roen exclaimed as Gunther snatched up a rune scroll from a pompon.
"Having a Hunter Rune has its perks," Gunther said, tapping the back of his left hand as he continued riding.
Hunter Rune? Daunte looked at Surya, but the other boy shrugged. "I've never seen one before, but apparently it's a rune that makes stealing a bit easier."
Daunte snorted, and continued riding. Arin was still asleep against him, his small body bobbing with the motions of the horse. Seeing his brother's poor state was a bigger incentive for Daunte to ride faster.
Several hours later, they spotted the Bridge of Faith. As it was a bridge over a river titled 'Golden River', the stone bridge had been painted a brilliant golden color. They were three kilometers away but they could see the golden bridge glittering in the waning sunlight. And even with dusk approaching, they could see people milling across the bridge from both directions.
The Army soldiers quickly changed out of their blue robes, revealing simpler outfits. Daunte looked at Gunther, who shrugged. "The Liberation Army uniform is dark blue. We can't be wearing those colors across the bridge, can we?"
Daunte looked down at Arin again. It occurred to him then that the soldiers would be looking around for sickly children to find them. He shook the child, but Arin didn't stir.
"Daunte, what's wrong?" Felicity steered her horse beside his.
"If I ride onto the bridge with Arin looking like this, they'll suspect something," Daunte said.
"You have a point," Gunther said. "You need to wake the child up and have him sit behind you. He'll need to stay conscious throughout the crossing or his condition will draw attention to us. And if they stop us they'll ask for our identification books. My men and I all have forged identification books, but do any of you have any?"
Daunte's head snapped up. Identification books. He'd completely forgotten about them. Even before he was sentenced to the Dark Chasm, all Nagarean citizens were required to carry identification books that had their name, social rank or job title clearly listed inside with a photograph. Identification books were checked at all Garrisons and security checkpoints. A lot of businesses didn't sell wares to people if they didn't have their books on hand.
Nobody in K'alak'i Patieba asked for our books, and I never saw the guards in the Dark Chasm carry them. How could I have forgotten about them?! He looked at Roen and Felicity and saw that their faces were pale. They had also forgotten about the identification books.
"Well, there's no way around it now," Gunther said, shaking his head. "We'll just have to get by the Bridge of Faith and get to headquarters. We have a forger who can make you your own identification books. Hang on." Gunther jumped off his horse and was fiddling with something in his pocket. "I was going to send the Commander a message anyway that I was bringing new recruits, but I'll also send Gizli a message to prepare five identification books for when we arrive. I'll be back!" he took off running.
"Arin, wake up!" Daunte said, shaking his brother a little harder. "I know it's difficult, but I need you to wake up! Arin!"
Arin groaned, and he opened his eyes partially. "B—Brother? What happened?"
"You're going to be okay," Daunte told him. "But I need you to stay awake until we're finished crossing the Bridge of Faith."
"He's still very pale," Felicity said. Roen directed their horse next to Daunte's and she reached out. "Here, he can't look so sick." She began quickly pinching Arin's cheeks.
"Ow, ow—Felicity, what are you doing?" Arin gurgled out. He raised his hands as if he wanted to swat her hands away, but didn't have the strength to.
"Giving you rosy cheeks, Arin," Felicity told him. "If the guards see you looking as pale as you do now, they'll stop us and arrest us again."
The pinching worked, but Arin's cheek were a darker red than Daunte liked. "Stop, Felicity. That's enough."
Felicity quickly drew back. "I-I'm sorry. I got carried away."
"Well it looks like he has rosacea now," Roen teased.
"I can't feel my cheeks, Brother," Arin complained quietly.
"You'll be all right." Daunte wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. "Just hang on and stay awake. I know it will be exhausting, but I need you to stay awake until we cross the Bridge of Faith."
"O-Okay."
Surya snorted suddenly, and Daunte looked at him. The teenager shook his head. "You guys just remind me of the stories my aunt used to tell me. I'm an only child, but my father is the older brother to the Queen. Aunt Lym use to tell me how my dad doted on her and spoiled her rotten when she was a kid. He even let her get away with stuff my grandparents wouldn't allow!" he laughed again.
"I…I'm not spoiling Arin," Daunte said defensively.
"I know," Surya told him. "But you're a good big brother. My father led a civil war almost thirty years ago in order to rescue Aunt Lym from usurpers. It's easy to see that you would also go to great lengths to save your brother…and you have."
"I'm back," Gunther announced, hurrying back over to them. "I sent the message to headquarters. Unless it gets intercepted—which I doubt it will—then Lord Bearyl will know we're coming. And Gizli will hopefully have five identification books for you guys when we arrive."
"Then let's hurry," Surya said. "I also want to speak with your Commander."
"As you wish, Prince." Gunther climbed into his saddle. But Surya stiffened and reached for his tri-nunchaku. "Who told you I was a prince?"
"Well your surname is Falenas, right?" Gunther asked him. "And you're from Falena. So, Falenas, Falena—your country is named after your family. Or vice versa, I don't know. But it was easy to figure out."
"…I see." Surya relaxed his hand away from his weapon. "But I'd rather be identified by my knight's rank, not my royal rank."
"Understandable. Are we ready to go?"
"One second," Daunte said. He looked Arin in the eye. The boy's eyes were still half-lidded, but he was conscious. "Are you ready, Arin?"
"Yes, D-Daunte." The boy coughed briefly, but he shook it off. Roen helped Daunte shift Arin around in the saddle so that the boy was positioned behind him, arms grasped around his waist.
"Okay, are we ready now?" Gunther asked. "Remember, we have to get this right on the first try. There are no redo's."
"I'm ready now," Daunte said. He looked at the others. "Are you guys ready?"
"Let's go," Felicity said, nodding.
Daunte tried not to look nervous as they steered their horses towards the Bridge of Faith. He was able to relax a little more as they merged onto the path behind thirty to forty travelers. With more people on the road it would draw less attention to them.
But there's not a lot of people on horseback, so we might get attention because of it.
He kept his breathing steady, but his hands trembled around the reins and his heart was pounding in his throat as the dirt road ended and the gold cobblestone road of the bridge began. He looked ahead and saw that the soldiers were just aimlessly watching the travelers going by. They weren't stopping every single traveler to check them for identification books. He kept his eyes forward and didn't make eye-contact with anyone. Stay calm. Stay calm…
They boarded the Bridge of Faith without incident. But the bridge itself was twelve meters wide and thirty meters long. There were two sets of sidewalks along the sides of the bridge for travelers on foot, and down the center travelers on horseback and in carts could ride. It was a shorter distance compared to how far they'd already traveled, but it felt like an eternity. But they kept calm dispositions, and maintained a steady trot with their horses.
Stay calm. Stay calm. Daunte kept repeating the mantra to himself. There were small guard towers on opposite sides of the bridge every six meters, and he tried not to look up at them. Arin's grip around his waist was still strong, but the boy's breathing against his breath was weak. "Are you okay?" he asked him, looking over his shoulder.
"I-I'm okay, Brother," Arin replied quietly. His face was hidden in Daunte's back so Daunte couldn't see him. "I-I…I'm trying not to cough."
"Just a little while longer." Daunte looked forward. They continued to make their way down the Bridge of Faith and he was inwardly amazed that they hadn't garnered any attention yet. After all, Surya was still in his Falenan clothes and the guards of the bridge had to have known about the kidnapping of the royal family.
They can't be so dense…can they? He spared a glance at a guard tower as he passed it. The two guards on top were carrying on a conversation and not even keeping watch. One of them burst into loud laughter. Daunte looked away. I guess Gunther was right. Some soldiers in the Holy Army pay attention to bulletins….and others don't.
"—really true?" a boy walking on the path asked his mother. "A filthy heretic stole from the Grand Citadel?"
Daunte tried not to stiffen. He kept his eyes forward as the mother replied. "That's what the report said. What's worse, the thief ran away from his rightful punishment in the Dark Chasm! Truly a traitor to Nagar himself!"
"Spare me," another woman scoffed. "What child deserves to be sentenced to a place so dangerous that grown men were barred from working there?"
"You!" a guard shouted, rounding upon the woman. "Are you speaking against the government?! Are you a heathen?! Show me your identification book!"
"I-I wasn't—I—" the woman quickly ducked her head as she handed over her book. "They're meaningless ramblings, sir. Forgive me."
The guard read the book and snarled at her, but he threw it to the ground at her feet and stepped away. "I thought so."
Daunte locked his jaw. He was angry with the mother for her thoughtless dismissal of the suffering they had endured, but with how the guard overreacted to the woman who had stood up for the children of the Dark Chasm, he couldn't help but wonder if the mother meant what she said…or if she was saying the things she said because that was what was expected of her.
Mother taught me that the Nagarist religion welcomes free speech. That woman wasn't speaking against the religion but against the policies of our government. How is suppressing her feelings in line with the Nagarist religion? I-I know Original Sin is a lie, but that was built around people committing crimes. Are…has Original Sin extended to such that people who express disagreement with the Theocracy are considered inherently evil?
Daunte kept the guard in his line of vision to make sure he didn't go back to harass the woman. If the man did, Daunte was afraid he would react with violence.
"Lanny!" a guard suddenly shouted jovially. Daunte looked to his right and saw ten guards rush over to a youth dressed in the same silver robes they were. The boy's back was to Daunte, but he could see sandy brown bangs sticking out from his hood. By the boy's size he had to be at least thirteen years old. "Long time no see! Is the Sheikh trusting you to run errands by yourself now?"
Daunte sucked in a sharp breath when they said the word "Sheikh". But Lanny replied, "Sheikh Umed sent me to the capital and I've returned with emergency news. So unfortunately I can't stay too long."
"Aw, can't you stay just a little while longer? You were just a squire the last time we saw you!"
"I'm still a squire, remember?" Lanny reminded them irritably. "And you guys all saw me just days ago! I can't stay, I must—"
"Oh, you sound too responsible!" One of the guards put Lanny in a headlock and began giving him a noogie right on top of his hood. "Just shirk your responsibilities this once!"
"Ow, stop it! I have to get going!" but the guards just laughed at his protests.
He said 'Umed', so he doesn't serve Sloan Faakhir. Daunte let out the breath he was holding. The guards on this side of the Bridge of Faith had become distracted by the young soldier, so that helped to alleviate his stress even more. These guys…almost seem normal.
It seemed like forever, but they final reached the other side of the bank and the end of the bridge. "On my cue, we'll ride off," Gunther told them in a soft but quick tone. "Luckily the morons guarding this side of the bridge were distracted by that kid."
"Right," Surya responded.
The cue came quicker than Daunte expected. The path turned from the golden cobblestones to dirt when Gunther suddenly whistled. Within seconds he was galloping away with the rest of the soldiers and Daunte and the others scrambled to keep up. Daunte was riding so fast and hard that he became aware that Arin's grip on him had loosened. He grabbed Arin's arm with one hand and locked it around him, forcing the child to continue hanging on.
It wasn't until the Bridge of Faith was completely out of sight and they were in an expansively green meadow that they stopped. "We did it!" Gunther cheered, dismounting. "You guys did a great job!" his soldiers also climbed off their horses and proceeded to change back into their Army uniforms.
Daunte quickly slid off his horse and checked on Arin. The child swayed in the saddle and his eyes were half-lidded. "I-I feel dizzy," he moaned.
"You did great," Daunte told him. Roen hurried over to help Arin off the horse. "You can rest now. We're safe."
"Not quite yet," Gunther interjected. "We won't be safe until we reach headquarters, but we can stop for a short while."
"I hope I don't sound offensive," Surya said suddenly. "But it sounds like your government suppresses free speech." Daunte remembered the confrontation they had witnessed and he shifted with discomfort.
"It didn't use to be that bad," Gunther said. "But…yes. Recently the Theocracy has instituted policies that they claim are supposed to root out "heretics"." He waggled his fingers in a quotation mark gesture. "They've encouraged people to pay attention to what their neighbors say and if they speak blasphemously to report them."
"Blasphemously?" Felicity echoed. "But isn't that already a crime?"
"Oh, this is a different sort of blaspheming. It's not just limited to those who speak ill of the Nagarist Faith. If you say anything negative against the High Clerics or against any of the Holy Decrees—such as Original Sin—then you're committing blasphemy."
"That's outrageous!" Roen snapped, standing up. "Our Theocracy may be in direct service of Nagar, but they aren't on the same level as a deity! Our Scriptures strictly state that we can speak against each other! That we must be honest in hearts! The High Clerics are at the top of the caste system, but they are the same as us, and thus are open to ridicule and criticism! This new policy of blasphemy is a direct violation of our Scriptures!"
"It's not the only direct violation," Felicity muttered.
"And thus, we exist to get rid of greedy, murderous hypocrites," Gunther said. He smiled at them toothily. "Don't we already sound better by comparison?"
"How long before we reach your headquarters?" Surya asked him.
"Well it's almost nightfall, so we're going to stop for the night," Gunther said. "It'd be too dangerous to ride at night. But we'll start riding again in the morning."
Surya sighed shortly and pulled his bag from his horse. "I was hoping to be in Baltas by now. What if one of my cousins is there, but they get moved by tomorrow?"
"We should try and reach out to the Liberation Army," Felicity suggested softly. "We're willing to do all we can to help you, Surya, but the Army will probably be more useful to us."
"M-Maybe the Army can liberate the Dark Cha—" Arin was overcome with another coughing fit.
"Hey," Roen said suddenly. "If the Liberation Army is supposed to be the antithesis of the Theocracy, then how come they haven't tried to save anybody in the Dark Chasm?"
That was actually a good question, and it made Daunte really wonder. What was the point of being called a "Liberation Army" if you weren't doing any liberating?
"Maybe…they don't have enough manpower?" Felicity offered, though she looked perplexed as well
"Are you guy's hungry?" Gunther obliviously came over to them. "We still have some leftover—"
"Gunther, why hasn't the Liberation Army liberated the Dark Chasm?" Roen asked him.
Gunther looked startled by the question. He looked at each of them in silence for a long moment before he forced a smile. "I've served with the Army for two years, Roen, and I can tell you that though we fight on the side of righteousness…we're severely understaffed."
"But—"
"We're perfectly capable of staging minor skirmishes, but we don't have enough power to attack full-fledged army units. While I understand your feelings, can you possibly imagine what would happen if we stormed the Dark Chasm? The entire Southeastern Division would rise against us, followed by the Northeast and Southwest Divisions. As much as we hate what's going on there, you have to understand the risks that we would have to take in order to take on such a campaign. And there's a very real possibility that we would lose what little army we already have if we go there now."
"Did Bearyl Lutis tell you this?" Felicity asked him.
"…No," Gunther said at length. "I'm just speaking in practical terms. But if you want to bring your concerns to the Lord Commander when you meet him, you're more than welcome to do so."
Then I will, Daunte decided. He could understand Gunther's reasoning about why the Liberation Army couldn't simply storm the Dark Chasm, but he didn't like that the Army wasn't doing anything for them anyway.
I'm sure that what Gunther is saying is true, but I still want to speak with Bearyl Lutis about this. I want to be practical about what the Army is capable of, but I don't want to feel like I'm not doing anything for the children that are still trapped there.
Arin began coughing again, and Daunte tended to him in silence. Still, Arin needs a safe place to rest and get better, and the Liberation Army's headquarters is probably the only place I can take him to. I guess all I can do is trust in Gunther…and trust in Bearyl Lutis.
The group was up and ready to go before sunrise the following morning. Surya casted another Kindness Drops spell on Arin, which helped to clear the boy's breathing but Daunte was distressed about his weakening condition. The ambush yesterday was very stressful. Didn't Dr. Yulin used to tell us not to dwell on stress because it would make our bodies sick? Did the stress from yesterday contribute to Arin's relapse?
There was no use dwelling on it, though. Daunte knew that. He settled Arin into the saddle and climbed on behind him. All he could do was follow Gunther and get Arin to the Army headquarters as quick as possible.
Luckily, they only had to ride for three more hours. Then they reach a grove of thick trees. There was a path in the forest, but it was an uneven path that was heavily overgrown. They carefully guided their horses deep into the forest. No monsters crossed their path and the forest itself seemed peaceful. It was a pleasant surprise.
After riding for a little bit, Gunther slid off his horse and grabbed his horse's bridle. "The road starts getting ready tricky here, so we'll need to guide our horses the rest of the way to headquarters."
Daunte slid off his horse with the others and carefully positioned Arin so that the boy wouldn't fall out of the saddle. Then they followed Gunther down the path. Daunte kept tripping over overgrown roots in the ground, but he shook it off and kept a steady course.
After a half-hour of walking, the path expanded out and the trees disappeared. To his left there was a long line of horses tied to a long post. In front of them was an overgrown stone staircase that spiraled up a hill. At the top of the hill was a stone castle. One of the watchtowers of the castle had collapsed, but the structure itself looked stable. And secure.
"Lieutenant Gunther!" a soldier in blue called out to them. "Are those new recruits I see with you?"
"You bet!" Gunther called back to him as they led their horses to the post. "Is the Commander available?"
"He should be. He's in the war room on the top floor."
"Thanks." Gunther turned to the others. "I'll introduce you guys to my Lord, but first things first. We'll need to go down and meet Gizli to get your identification books. Then I'll take you guys to the infirmary so we can leave Arin in Clara's care."
"Can we go to the infirmary first?" Daunte asked him, shrugging Arin onto his back.
"Gizli will need to take Arin's picture in order to finish his identification book," Gunther reminded him. "It won't take long, I promise."
Daunte nodded reluctantly. They followed Gunther up the winding steps and into the castle. To Daunte's befuddlement, random soldiers and civilians even began approaching the group to engage them in conversation.
"New recruits? You're most welcome here!"
"Make sure to stop up and see the Commander!"
"The Commander's new strategist is a lazy-looking foreigner! But don't let his looks fool you, he's very intelligent and has a lot of foresight!"
"The Theocracy seems to be in a panic lately! It's because of us, isn't it?"
"Sweet Nagar! Allise is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen! But no matter how many times I ask her out, she keeps turning me down!" the soldier clutched at his heart dramatically.
"Maybe you should take the hint the first time she rejects you?" Gunther interjected suddenly, taking Daunte by surprise. But almost immediately Gunther bounced away and hurried over to a young woman standing nearby. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"
"It seems…laidback here," Felicity observed, but she was smiling.
Surya shrugged. "You'll find most castles are surprisingly laidback."
"Maybe they could channel this energy into something productive," Roen grumbled.
Daunte glanced at him. He thought about agreeing with him or telling him to be quiet. He finally decided on, "Give it a rest. We can't expect these people be on alert 24/7. They'll exhaust themselves before an enemy attacks."
"Daunte's right," Felicity added. "You're not giving these guys a chance, Roen."
"…All right," Roen relented, nodding.
"I knew you would be perfect here!" Gunther laughed, returning to the group. He tugged on Daunte's arm. "Come on, let's go downstairs. Gizli's in the lower level."
"Gunther, where have you been?" another young lady approached him, pouting. Daunte mentally noted that it was a different woman than before.
"Ah," Gunther said, stroking her cheek. "I could never stay away from you."
"And we're going downstairs," Surya announced, pushing past Gunther towards the stairs leading down into the lower levels.
"Hey, wait for me!" Gunther shouted, hurrying after him. But Daunte couldn't help but notice that several women approached Gunther during their descent to squeal at him or beg for his attention. Gunther addressed every single one of them the same way—charming smile, sweet words, and the occasional chaste kiss.
How many girlfriends does this guy have?! Daunte wondered incredulously.
"You're very popular, Gunther," Felicity pointed out.
"I have quite a following here," Gunther said. "My good looks and charm has earned me quite a few fans. Nothing but friendly acquaintances, of course"
"Really? You have sixteen platonic fans here?" Surya asked him. "And all of them just happen to be pretty girls?"
Gunther grinned at him wickedly. "Who knew such a cultured prince like yourself could spare to have his mind in the gutter?"
Surya quickly grabbed for his tri-nunchaku. Daunte snorted, and almost held his tongue because he was sure it would be hilarious to see Surya whack Gunther across the head with his tri-nunchaku. But he recovered himself and shook his head at Surya. Luckily Surya saw his gesture and dropped his hand.
Thankfully, it wasn't too long before they were at the bottom floor—which resembled a cave—and Gunther directed them over to a room with an open door. Daunte saw above the door was a sign that had a magnifying glass on it. "Gizli!" Gunther knocked on the doorframe. "We're here! Do you have those identification books done?"
"Of course not!" a loud voice boomed from inside the room, startling the four teenagers. "Do you expect me to forge five books in less than a day, when I don't even know what my clients look like?!"
"That's your cue," Gunther said, gesturing them inside.
Daunte shrugged Arin higher onto his back and led the way into the room. There was a lantern hanging from the ceiling, and there was a long counter to his left. A head peeked out from behind the counter briefly and then disappeared. Then a full body abruptly stood up. "So, you're the children Gunther wrote to me about? You're a sorry-looking lot, aren't you?"
Daunte sized up the woman in front of him. She looked to be in her late-fifties to early-sixties and her blue eyes were strikingly pale. She wore her long silver hair in a ponytail so loose Daunte wondered why she even bothered tying it back. The solid brown veil on her head was an unflattering color, but her tunic and pants were the same color and it served to give her a very dull appearance.
But if she's the forger, then she probably wouldn't dress to attract attention to herself.
"All right, come over here." Gizli waved a gnarled hand at them and directed them towards the back of the room. A white sheet was hanging from the wall in front of a tripod and large camera. "It's 5,000 bits per book. You have the money, right?"
"5,000 bits?!" Roen cried out, aghast. "For one picture and book?!"
"Forgery is a crime punishable by death," Gizli told him harshly. "Do you know what they do to forgers, boy? It's not a pretty sight. My job comes with a great deal of risk, so I don't charge lightly."
"B-But we don't have that kind of money!" Felicity sputtered. She looked over her shoulder at Gunther.
"Then we're wasting our time." Gizli scoffed and stalked back over to behind the counter.
"Gizli, did you actually read the letter I sent you?" Gunther asked from the doorway. "Or did you skim it like you skim everything? Or is your eyesight failing you with age?"
"My eyesight is fine, boy," Gizli snapped at him. "And I read enough of your ridiculous letter to get what was important."
"Oh, really? Then you know these kids escaped the Dark Chasm and have virtually nothing?"
"Of course I—" Gizli stiffened and looked up. Her hardened face softened slightly. "The Dark Chasm. The five of you escaped the Dark Chasm?"
"Yes," Daunte said irritably. "But my brother is very ill and needs to see the doctor here. If you're not going to finish our books then just say so, because I'm in a hurry."
"I-I didn't. I…" Daunte was taken by surprise by how stricken the older woman had become. She stood her head and straightened. "Please accept my apologies. I've dealt with so many idiots who whine at me for books and then so easily lose them that I was thoughtless with my words with you."
"It's fine," Daunte said. "We'll pay you back when we—"
"No." Gizli waved a hand. "Keep your money. Consider this a curtesy, since I've given you none."
"Ho," Gunther huffed from the door. "So you are capable of being nice?"
"Be quiet!" Gizli snapped at him. "Okay, which one of you wants to go first?"
They decided Arin would go first, and gently woke the boy up so he would have a clear picture. He still seemed dazed and confused though, and barely reacted to the flash as Gizli took his picture. It was a bright flash though, and after three pictures Daunte was seeing spots in his vision.
Whatever I need to do to not draw attention towards myself, I'll do it.
"Good," Gizli said after the final picture was taken. "Give me time to develop these, and I'll have your books ready."
Even though she was offering to do it free of charge, and even though she'd been incredibly rude to them when they'd arrived, it didn't sit right with Daunte for her to have her do so much work for nothing. After thinking about it, he pulled a bag out of his pockets and tossed it on the table. "Would 500 bits be okay?"
"I told you that you don't have to pay me," Gizli told him as she gathered the negatives to print.
"But please still accept some form of payment from us."
"Isn't that the money I gave you that I took from a monster?" Gunther asked lightly.
Gizli eyed the small bag on the counter, and after a moment she snatched it up. "…Thanks."
"Thanks?!" Gunther spat incredulously. "In the name of Nagar! The grass is going to turn blue and the sky will fall! Gizli actually said thanks?!"
Felicity and Roen laughed, and Surya even snorted slightly. Gizli glared murderously at Gunther. "If you don't get out of here, brat, I'll appraise the next rare item you bring me into a worthless lump of coal!"
"Appraise?" Daunte asked, looking at Gunther.
"Gizli may be a forger, but her day job is as an appraiser," Gunther explained. "If you happen to find any…weird items that you don't know the function or worth of, she'll appraise it for a small fee."
Gizli shrugged. "Once the Liberation Army wins this war, there will be no point in being a forger. It's good money now, but I'll need to have a more plausible trade in the long run."
"If you survive the long run," Gunther muttered.
Gizli shouted, and grabbed something from underneath the counter and threw it at Gunther. But Gunther ran before it hit him, and it shattered against the door frame. "You owe me a new flower urn, you damned brat!"
"Uh, let's go," Daunte said. He bowed to Gizli. "Thank you for your help."
"Whatever." She waved a dismissive hand.
"Is everybody crazy here?!" Roen hissed as they hurried from Gizli's workspace.
"I'm enjoying it," Felicity admitted cheerfully.
The infirmary was back up the stairs but not on the main ground floor. Gunther led them down a corridor until he reached a door. Without knocking he pushed it open and the group followed him in. The infirmary smelled of medicine and gauze, but it was a giant room. There had to be at least fifty beds in there! And the large windows near the ceiling filled the room with lots of natural light.
"Sweet Clara!" Gunther announced, spreading open his arms as he walked further into the room. "You are a sight for sore eyes!"
"That's Doctor Clara, Gunther. And enough of your nonsense, I don't want to hear your teasing today." Daunte stopped in his tracks. When Gunther described Dr. Clara, he half-expected to meet a woman easily the same age as Dr. Yulin. The young lady putting away bottles of potions in front of him however only looked just a few years older than Daunte himself. She had to be at least twenty or twenty-one years old. Her hair was a vibrant emerald color, and she wore it in a short ponytail beneath a thin white veil. She wore a doctor's coat much like Dr. Yulin had worn, and when she turned to face them Daunte saw she wore a turquoise tunic underneath the coat, along with dark red baggy pants. "Oh!" her violet eyes went wide. "A-Are these new recruits?"
"Yes, my Lady," Gunther said blithely. "I'm going to go introduce them to the Commander, but we needed to drop Arin off with you first."
"Who is Ar—by Nagar!" Dr. Clara suddenly shouted. She rushed forward to Daunte's side, reaching for Arin. "What has happened to this child?!"
"He has a serious lung infection and his body is weak," Daunte said. He helped Dr. Clara carry Arin to a bed. "C-Can you make him better?!"
Dr. Clara touched Arin's forehead with the back of her hand, and then she pressed two fingers to his neck. She frantically pulled out a watch and for a few minutes was looking at the watch in silence. Daunte wanted to ask her if Arin would be okay, but she wasn't looking at him.
"His pulse rate is too low for having such a high fever," Dr. Clara said. She slammed her watch back into her pocket and set a stethoscope in her ears. She pressed the chest piece over Arin's chest and listened carefully. After another couple of minutes she straightened. "It sounds like there's an infection of both pairs of lungs." She yanked the stethoscope out of her ears and glared at Daunte. "What is your relation to this boy?"
"H-He's my brother," Daunte said. "We—"
"And you allowed him to become this sick?!" Dr. Clara exploded at him. "I've never seen such criminal negligence of a child's health in my entire life! Don't you care that he could die?!"
Daunte stared at her, stunned. How could convey to her that this wasn't his fault? That he truly was trying to do everything he could for Arin?
"Clara, knock it off!" Gunther interjected. "Daunte didn't do this to Arin! These kids escaped from the Dark Chasm!"
"The Dark Chasm?" Dr. Clara's face fell and went pale. "Y-You all are from the Dark Chasm?!"
"Yes," Daunte said. "That's how Arin got so sick."
"O-Oh." Dr. Clara pressed a hand over her mouth. She looked so stricken all of a sudden that Daunte couldn't feel angry with her over her outburst. "I-I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I should've realized that his weakened condition was caused by that horrible place!"
Daunte looked at her. He had the right be angry with her for jumping to conclusions or he could just brush it off. After a moment he said, "Don't worry about it."
Dr. Clara quickly nodded. "Okay. I'll do everything I can for this child to get him back to perfect health."
"Thank you, Dr. Clara," Daunte said, bowing deeply.
"No, just call me Clara," she replied, waving a dismissive hand. "I might be a doctor, but I don't need to be called such to validate my station."
"Wait!" Gunther snapped. "Then how come I have to call you doctor then?!"
"Well, you're an exception Gunther."
"What does that mean?!"
"But thank you, Clara, for taking care of Arin," Daunte added again.
"I'll do everything I can for this child," Clara reassured him.
"That's the spirit!" Gunther cheered. "Daunte, you can leave Arin in Clara's capable hands. Let's go up and meet the Commander!"
The others departed the infirmary, but Daunte lingered for a little while longer. He took off his tekko and pulled off his right glove to touch Arin on the shoulder. "I'll be back soon," he promised his sleeping brother. "Just concentrate on getting better, all right?"
"Hey," Clara said suddenly. Daunte looked up at her but she was looking at his hand. Daunte realized his True Rune was visible and quickly covered it up. "No, don't worry." She raised her hands defensively and came around the bed to Daunte's side. "I-I've just never seen a rune like this before."
"Really?" Daunte uncovered his hand and showed the True Rune to her. "It doesn't look familiar to you?"
"Hmm." Clara traced the halo symbol on the rune with her index finger. "Actually…" she leaned in closer to get a better look at it. After a moment, she straightened. "Actually, it does look a little familiar to me."
"Really?!" Daunte exclaimed. He grabbed her shoulders. "What does it look like?!"
"I-I can't really be sure because it looks very different, but here." She showed Daunte her own hands. On her left hand she had a pale blue rune that looked similar to Surya's Water Rune, but slightly bigger in appearance. On her right hand, though…her right hand had a dark green rune. A single vertical line with a horizontal line above it, with a single dot above that line. Daunte checked his True Rune, which was golden-green with a halo above a line, and looked back at the rune on Clara's hand.
"That," Clara said. "Is the Resurrection Rune. Your rune looks very similar to it, doesn't it?"
Daunte looked at the two runes side by side. Resurrection Rune…huh? Yes, they do look similar.
"You'd better get going," Clara said, withdrawing her hand. "I'll make sure your brother is taken care of."
"T-Thank you." Daunte yanked his glove and tekko back on, bowed again and hurried out of the infirmary.
Daunte caught up with the others on the second floor. However they headed up another flight of stairs to the third level of the castle. On this floor there was only one set of doors, and they were thick double doors. This was most likely the war room the soldier had mentioned. "You guys can relax," Gunther told them. "There's no way the Commander will turn you guys out after hearing your story!"
"Will he help me find my family?" Surya asked him.
"This is the Falenan Royal Family we're talking about, isn't it? It would be stupid not to help you." Gunther pounded his fist on the door. "Commander? May I come in?"
"Come in, Gunther," came a crisp reply.
"I can't believe we're actually meeting Bearyl Lutis!" Felicity whispered.
"Yeah," Roen said, his tone not as enthusiastic.
Gunther pushed open the door, revealing a giant chamber. They walked up four steps into the room, and Daunte saw five people standing around a circular table in the back of the room, and one person sitting at the table. There was a young man with shoulder length dark silver hair dressed in a forest green sherwani standing with a bronze-skinned raven-haired young lady dressed in a tanned colored buckskinned dress, and a black thin veil on her head. A dark-skinned man with a buzz cut wearing a black kurta had looked up at them. His brown eyes had a hard look to them so Daunte looked instead to the young man with messy red hair standing at the table. The man wore a peculiar expression on his face. He was smiling but his eyes were half-lidded, as though he were half-asleep.
"My Lord, I have brought the new recruits I told you about in the letter I sent ahead of us." Gunther bowed deeply before straightening and gesturing to the teenagers behind him. "I have brought you four survivors of the Dark Chasm, and a prince from Falena. This is Daunte, Roen, Felicity, and Surya Falenas." He pointed to each teenager in kind. "The fourth child from the Dark Chasm, Arin, is in the infirmary. Everyone." Gunther turned to face them as a man walked around the table towards them. "This is the Commander of Nagarea's Liberation Army—Bearyl Lutis."
Daunte had never heard much about Bearyl Lutis, but what he'd heard had varied from person to person. Some people spoke of him with curses and oaths, and others spoke of him with reverence. But seeing the man for the first time, Daunte didn't know which stories were true.
But I must rely on him to help us.
"Welcome to the Liberation Army." Bearyl Lutis was an older man, possibly in his mid-thirties, but he had stress lines in his pale face that had prematurely aged him. His hair was very short, as though he'd shaved his head recently, but black hair had started to grow back. His dark eyes looked at each of them closely. He was wearing a dark silver kurta with matching pants, but he had a long trench coat on that was indigo blue, the same color as the soldiers Daunte had seen with Gunther. The man before him exuded authority, and Daunte found himself standing up a little straighter in his presence.
"We're always welcoming to new recruits, especially poor children such as yourselves," Bearyl continued. "I founded the Liberation Army three years ago, after I realized how out of control the government had truly become. I didn't like that free speech was oppressed, that people were oppressed. I wanted to make a difference and guide Nagarea back on the path of righteousness. Knowing the tragedies you each have suffered, I know you all can be trusted to never betray me."
Daunte didn't know how to respond to him, so he merely nodded.
"Your timing is very good, though. Here, let me introduce you to everyone." He waved the red-haired man forward. "This is my army's chief strategist, Caesar Silverberg. He's from a celebrated family of strategists in the Toran Republic, and his knowledge has been invaluable to me."
"Hey," Caesar greeted with a lazy droll, walking towards them with his hands behind his head. Daunte was shocked that someone so young was the strategist of the Liberation Army. Caesar still looked like a teenager!
"This is my Lieutenant General and second-in-command, Varnaz Behzadi," Bearyl continued, indicating the dark-skinned man still standing at the table. "Varnaz has been with me from the beginning, and has been the chief person I can trust in this Army. Don't be afraid to trust him, either."
Varnaz did not give them a greeting. He was wearing a scowl and regarded all of them with an unwelcoming look. Daunte looked away from him to focus back on Bearyl.
"We also have the mayor of Agameru here, Lord Lorik Varra, serving as one of my trusted Lieutenants," Bearyl said, indicating the silver-haired man.
"It's nice to meet you all," Lorik said, coming around the table towards them. Though he wore a welcoming smile, his expression looked rather strained. He gestured the raven-haired girl forward. "This is Tala, my bodyguard."
Bodyguard? Daunte was surprised to see someone so young have the responsibility of being the bodyguard to a lord, but Tala looked like she was still on her guard, even in such a trusting environment. He noticed the head of a weapon strapped to her back, but Bearyl drew his attention back to him.
"And lastly, another one of my Lieutenants." He indicated the woman sitting down, though she was rising to her feet. "This is Allise. She knows many things about the aristocracy that we did not know, so her knowledge has been a great asset."
"I see you've brought back some very young recruits, Gunther." Allise had a unique look to her. She wasn't stunningly beautiful, but she had a pixie-like cuteness to her. As she approached, Daunte's eyes caught something on her forehead. It was a blue-purple symbol akin to flames forming around a circle. That looks like a rune, but I don't know which one.
But Allise's overall appearance was very surprising. She wasn't dressed in traditional Nagarean attire. Her hair was chestnut brown and worn in a plait, with two strands hanging in her face and over her blue eyes. But she wasn't wearing any sort of veil, either solid or thin. Her head was bare and she instead had a pink capelet around her shoulders, and wore a short pink dress underneath that rested above her knees. The dress itself looked tight on her though, and it showed off all her curves. Her unusual outfit was capped off with black stockings and black heeled boots. If she was going for a look of discretion, she hadn't succeeded.
"And you all survived the Dark Chasm," Allise said. She looked at each of them. "It's a horrible place, isn't it? I suppose I can consider myself lucky I didn't spend as much time there."
"Y-You were also sentenced to the Dark Chasm?!" Felicity cried out.
"Years ago," Allise said. "But I was pardoned after three months."
"Pardoned?" Roen wondered. "T-Then, why did you join the Liberation Army?"
Allise smiled at him. It was a smile full of pain. "I have my reasons."
"Allise is one of most trustworthy people I've personally ever met," Gunther said. He reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. "You can rely on her for anything." Daunte noticed a subtle change in his voice when he spoke about Allise. It shouldn't have been surprising since Gunther flirted with every single lady who had crossed their path in HQ, no matter the age of the women, but the way he was talking about and looking at Allise was…different.
Allise laughed softly. "You're giving me too much credit." In an equally subtle gesture, Allise sidestepped and gently pulled away from his hand.
"But all of these kids are exceptional fighters," Gunther said, turning back to Bearyl. "They fought alongside me against soldiers of the Holy Army. Not only can you trust them to be loyal to you, but they will certainly carry their weight around here for you."
"I agree," Caesar said. He lowered his arms to his sides. "Though they are children, that doesn't disqualify them entirely as potential recruits. Sometimes the drive of youth can outscore the drive of maturity. I've heard a rumor, though, about one of you." His eyes suddenly fixed upon Daunte. "You said your name is Daunte?"
"Yes," Daunte said.
"Is it true that you have a True Rune, Daunte?"
"True Rune?" Gunther quickly asked.
"True Rune?!" Bearyl exclaimed. "Is this true?! Quick, show it to me now!"
Daunte hesitated. He was in enough trouble as it was because of his Rune, but he didn't want to hide anything from Bearyl Lutis.
"Daunte, what will you do?" Roen asked him softly.
Daunte debated internally, and came to his decision. He took off his tekko and pulled off his glove to show his hand to Bearyl. Maybe I can get a clear enough answer about what rune this is?
Bearyl looked at the True Rune closely, as did Caesar. Gunther and Allise also observed the rune from a distance. Bearyl traced the outline of the Rune and looked at Caesar. "I've never seen a rune like this before. Does this mean this really is a True Rune?"
"Perhaps," Caesar said. He looked at Daunte again. "Where did you find this?"
"In r-ruins in the Dark Chasm," Daunte said. He glanced at Surya. "Surya said they were Sindar ruins. But I don't know what this rune is, or how I'm supposed to use it."
"Well, this confirms one thing," Caesar said, pulling away. "The Theocracy did turn the Dark Chasm into a labor camp to find a rune. And we can assume that the Rune choose you, Daunte, and it wasn't affixed to your arm by a rune master?"
"That's correct," Daunte said.
"Opening a prison camp for children, just to find a True Rune," Allise said softly. She shook her head. "It's a travesty."
"B—my Lord," Daunte corrected himself as Bearyl stepped away from him. "Would you consider liberating the Dark Chasm?"
"We have given it considerable thought," Bearyl said. Daunte saw Gunther shift out of the corner of his eye. "However, at this time we don't have the resources or manpower to lay siege to the Dark Chasm. If we did, then we would've liberated it by now. But I can assure you that seizing the Dark Chasm is one of our priorities, and once we're better prepared for it we will formulate a campaign."
"T-Thank you," Daunte said, bowing. Roen and Felicity bowed as well.
"See? These kids would be perfect recruits," Gunther added.
"Our morale is very high," Caesar said. "But it will undoubtedly increase once your soldiers realize we have a True Rune wielder. I believe these kids will be a valuable asset to the Army."
Daunte didn't quite know what to think about Caesar repeatedly referring to him as "kid", when Caesar looked to be the same age as him. But he said nothing and instead kept his eyes on Bearyl.
Bearyl considered Gunther and Caesar's words in silence for several moments before he smiled and nodded. "Sounds good. You all are welcome to join us."
"Thank you," Daunte said, bowing again. He saw Roen and Felicity bow as well, and he let out a sigh of relief. Good! I've found a place where Arin can recover without difficulty! And I found a place where we can relax without having to worry about running away!
"With all due respect, sir," Surya said suddenly, having been silent up to this point. "I've already sworn allegiance to the Queen's Knights in Falena, so I'm morally obligated to refrain from swearing allegiance to another cause without my Queen's expressed permission."
"Completely understandable," Bearyl answered easily. "And I do know why you came here. We've heard about the kidnappings of your family members."
"Do you know where they may have been taken?" Surya asked him.
"We don't have anything concrete, but our scouts in Baltas have said that five coffins arrived in Baltas a few days ago."
"Coffins?!" Felicity cried out. Daunte was equally horrified.
But Surya surged forward. "Coffins. We got a confession that stated my cousins were smuggled into Nagarea in coffins. Have you heard anything else?"
"Very little else," Bearyl admitted reluctantly. "But it was strange. My scouts said that five coffins arrived in Baltas…but only four left the town."
"Four," Surya echoed. "That means one of my cousins was left behind in Baltas!"
"There has been a sudden spike in security in Baltas, so it wouldn't surprise me."
"Lord Bearyl." Surya saluted him. "I request your assistance in my mission into Baltas and beyond Baltas. I cannot speak on behalf of my Queen, but you can be rest assured she will be very appreciative of you for rescuing her children!"
"I can't do that."
Daunte stiffened. What?
"I-I'm sorry?" Surya asked. He didn't bother keeping the shock from his voice.
"We've had no formal diplomatic relations with Falena in over a hundred years," Bearyl told him. "For all I know, your Queen is already undergoing negotiations with the Theocracy for the return of her children. If this is the case, then I risk the lives of the men and women who serve under me. Your Queen might ransom for you children—either with money, or with soldiers to help crush my Army. Even if we rescue your cousins, there is a very real risk that we may be attacked by both the Theocracy and the Falenans. There's just too much that we don't know about, so I can't take that risk."
Daunte saw his point, but it angered him that Bearyl Lutis was not going to do anything for Surya.
"Sir, my Aunt would most certainly not negotiate with the people who kidnapped her children," Surya said. His tone was incredulous. "If she intended on ransoming for them, then she wouldn't have sent me, or any of her other Queen's Knights into Falena! She wants them rescued quietly and without incident! Will you really not support me in this?!"
"There is too much that I don't know," Bearyl said. "And the history between our two countries has never been pretty. I will give you horses and supplies to ride to Baltas, and I will allow you to use my headquarters to rest and regroup your family, but until I get more information this is a risk I can't afford to take."
"Sir," Gunther interjected. "This involves the Royal Family. I think it's worth the risk to help this kid!"
"Gunther," Varnaz snapped at him. "It's not your place to speak against the decision of our Commander. If he's decided to not lend the Army to the Falenan boy, then that is the decision."
"Sir." Surya was pleading now. "I appreciate what you are offering me, but this is the Queen's children! One of them is going to be Queen herself in a few years! I can't speak for the Queen, but I imagine she will be very grateful to you for your help! She might even lend you soldiers to defeat the Theocracy!"
"I appreciate the offer," Bearyl said. "But these are your words, not your Queen's, so I cannot take your promises at face-value. Besides, I would rather use the might of the Nagarean people to win this war and not rely on foreign aid."
"But—"
"Prince." Caesar stepped forward and placed a hand on Surya's shoulder. "We understand your concern, but the Commander has refused to give you military help. You're not going to change his mind, and we believe that this is the best course of action."
"And you as a strategist agree with him?" Surya asked him. Daunte saw Bearyl twitch very slightly from this question.
"Yes," Caesar said without hesitation.
Surya shook his head and shook Caesar's hand off his shoulder. "Thank you, sir, for this menial help. I'll be departing shortly to go to Baltas."
"Wai—Surya?!" Roen began, but Surya stormed from the room. He looked wordlessly at Felicity and Daunte. Daunte honestly didn't know what to say or do.
But I made a promise to help Surya find his family.
"'Menial help'?" Bearyl echoed softly. The man scowled and looked away. "What an ungrateful statement. But I shouldn't be surprised to see such behavior from a pampered prince."
Daunte bristled at the rather ignorant insult against Surya, but he brushed it off. He turned to Bearyl and bowed. "Lord Commander. I know I just joined the Liberation Army, but I'm indebted to Surya. With your permission, I want to help him rescue the royals."
"Indebted to him?" Bearyl asked him, turning back around. "How so?"
"I swore to him that I would help him if he saved my brother Arin's life, and he did. Is it all right if I leave and go with him to Baltas?"
"Your brother…Gunther, you said the child was in the infirmary?"
"Yes," Gunther said. "He's very ill, my Lord. Clara is going to have her hands busy with him for a while."
"I see." Bearyl waved a dismissive hand. "I give you permission to assist Prince Surya."
"T-Thank you, sir." Daunte bowed deeper.
"W-We owe Surya too!" Felicity chimed in. "May Roen and I go with Daunte and Surya as well?"
"Yes, yes, go ahead." Bearyl shook his head. "Hurry and fulfill your debt to the prince."
"Well, I guess I better tag along," Gunther said, stretching his arms over his head. "Somebody ought to babysit you guys and make sure you stay out of trouble."
"Really? You're coming too?" Roen asked. Daunte remembered Gunther's exceptional fighting skill and he smiled slightly.
"No, Gunther," Bearyl interjected. The leader had already retreated to the table. "You're needed here while we plan our next operation."
"My Lord, I won't be gone for long," Gunther said, raising his hands a little. "We'll just be in and out of Baltas and be back in no time!"
"But didn't you just come back?" Allise teased him softly.
"Ah, about that." Bearyl gave Gunther a hard look. "Three men died under your command during this recent trip, Gunther. And before that two men died. How is it that whenever I send you out on a mission, that you're completely incapable of bringing back any members of your squads in one piece?"
Daunte felt embarrassed to be witnessing Bearyl dressing Gunther down like this. He looked at Allise and saw that her expression had become strained, clearly not expecting her teasing to lead Bearyl to start berating Gunther.
"…What can I say?" Gunther said after a long moment of silence. The Lieutenant's back was to Daunte so he couldn't see the man's face. "I seem to attract the unsavory types to me."
"Well, you can stay here away from the unsavory types," Bearyl told him. "And with you here, maybe some of my men will be able to keep their lives for a little while longer."
Daunte's brow furrowed. Why is Bearyl being so hostile to Gunther? Is there some sort of bad blood between them? It's not like Gunther was just throwing away lives! He felt the loss of all three of his men, and he buried their bodies himself!
"Sorry, kids," Gunther said, turning around. He was smiled jovially but his eyes were closed. "Looks like I'll be relaxing here with some warm wine and the company of beautiful women." He turned back around and bowed to Bearyl. "My Lord, I'm going to go lie down for a little while. I'll be happy to give you my input about the campaign later."
"See to it that you do," Bearyl told him sharply. Gunther casually sauntered out of the room without another word. "As for the rest of you, my castle is open to you. While I understand your obligation to the Falenan Prince, I hope you understand that I will be calling upon you three for missions in the near future. Understood?"
Daunte bit down on his lower lip. He wanted to question Bearyl about why he'd been so rude to Gunther, but he also wanted to hurry and catch up to Surya before the other teenager left. Ultimately, he sighed and bowed. "Yes, my Lord."
"Good. You are dismissed."
"Why would Bearyl Lutis refuse to aid Surya?" Roen wondered as they climbed down the stairs. "Wouldn't the wisest thing to do would be to help rescue the royals? I-I mean, I can't imagine the Queen of Falena refusing to send aid to the Liberation Army if they successfully rescue all five royals! It seems like he's squandering a good opportunity to get a powerful foreign ally!"
"There must be something we don't know about," Felicity said. "After all, the Army Strategist backed up Lord Bearyl's decision. If the Commander was making a poor decision, his strategist would tell him so right?"
"It bothers me," Roen said. "He dismisses Surya and insults him, and then he humiliates his Lieutenant in front of new recruits? The new recruits that the Lieutenant chose? It's not very professional."
"What do you think, Daunte?" Felicity asked him.
Daunte agreed with both points his friends made. He knew that Bearyl had to have had some valid reason for why he refused to give Surya more support to find his family. But he was also upset with how dismissive he'd been of Surya, and the way he'd treated Gunther. If Gunther had a bad reputation then maybe he did deserve reprimand, but to do so in front of people Gunther himself had recruited was a bit emasculating.
But we agreed to join the Liberation Army. We'll have to make the best of this.
"I agree with both of you," Daunte said finally. "But we've just met everyone here so I think it's too soon to jump to conclusions. Once we stay here longer and interact more with the people here, then I think we can make better judgments about who these people are."
"…That's true," Roen admitted.
"Let's hurry and catch up to Surya," Felicity said. "Hopefully he hasn't already left yet."
Daunte wanted to stop by the infirmary and say goodbye to Arin, but Felicity had a good point that Surya might ride off before they make it outside. As they headed towards the front entrance of the castle, Daunte was surprised to find random soldiers approach him and engage him in conversation.
"Did you meet with the Commander? He's a pretty approachable guy, isn't he?"
"Lord Bearyl has a habit of yelling at Lieutenant Gunther for every little thing. Gunther does have a laidback personality, but he's also an incredibly hard worker! Sometimes it feels like the Commander doesn't appreciate all that Gunther's done for the Army!"
"It's pretty surprising that Lorik Varra was made Lieutenant, isn't it? Unlike both Gunther and Varnaz, he has no combat experience. That girl Tala he keeps at his side fights on his behalf. But he's the only mayor that has joined our Army, so Lord Bearyl probably gave him the Lieutenant rank out of curtesy."
"Lord Bearyl and General Varnaz have been best friends for years. The General is very intimidating, and sometimes he speaks in such a rough way that it's exhausting talking to him, but his loyalty to Bearyl is unquestionable."
This is the same as when we arrived, Daunte thought. I'm a stranger, but the people here will spill out any gossip or personal details to me. It's pretty surprising.
They hurried down the front steps, and Daunte was relieved to see that Surya was still saddling his horse. "Surya!" Roen called out. "Wait up!"
Surya turned around to face them. "Are you guys coming with me?"
"Yes," Felicity said. "Daunte explained that we were indebted to you and Lord Bearyl gave us permission to help you."
Surya's brow arched slightly. "Help me until Baltas, or help me find my whole family?"
Daunte mentally went over Bearyl's words to him and nodded. "I told him that I promised to help you find all the royals and he gave us permission to help you."
"Thank you, guys." Surya jerked the straps around his horse. "From a leadership standpoint I can understand where he's coming from. But to implicitly refuse to give my family aid like that…I won't forget it."
There was a feeling of foreboding with that simple promise. But Surya finished tying his bags to the horse and smiled at them. "Let's hurry then, and find out which one of my cousins is at Baltas."
They walked alongside their horses to guide them on the rocky, uneven path. As they reached the grove of trees, however, Daunte saw someone seated on a horse, blocking their path.
"What took you guys so long?" Gunther called out to them. He turned his horse around to face them. "Let's get going to Baltas!"
"G-Gunther?!" Roen sputtered. He slapped a hand over his mouth when Gunther pressed a finger against his mouth, signaling them to be quiet. The group hurried over to Gunther with their horses. "W-What are you doing?!" Roen hissed.
"Isn't it obvious?" Gunther asked. "I'm chaperoning you guys to Baltas so we can rescue a princess."
"Or prince," Surya said. "Four of my cousins are girls, but one is a boy."
Gunther shrugged. "Or prince."
"But didn't Lord Bearyl tell you to stay behind?" Felicity asked him. She looked back at the castle nervously.
"And allow three survivors of the Dark Chasm and a prince to go on a dangerous mission by themselves?" Gunther shook his head. "It wouldn't sit well with my conscience if I didn't do anything to help you."
"You're disobeying a direct order from your commanding officer," Surya pointed out. "You could be court-martialed for this. Or even be accused of treason if Lord Bearyl is in a bad enough mood."
Treason? Daunte's stomach squirmed with discomfort.
"Pssh," Gunther said dismissively, waving a hand. "I've done worse than this and the Commander hasn't punished me! Besides, I'm not committing treason. I'm helping you in a rescue operation. We're comrades now, so we need to watch each other's back. Besides." Gunther reached into his pocket and pulled out four small books. "You guys forgot your identification books. Gizli just finished them, so I went and picked them up for you."
Felicity leaned close to Daunte. "If we take Gunther along, our rescue mission will be easier because he can help us fight. But he's also disobeying Lord Bearyl, and he could get into serious trouble when we come back. Should we take Gunther along with us?"
Daunte wanted the extra help, but he also didn't want Gunther to get into serious trouble. He looked up at Gunther to say something but stilled when he saw the look the older man was giving him. "Don't worry about me, Daunte. I'm doing this for you guys, but I'm also doing this for the Army. We are the good guys after all, and we're different from the Theocracy. I want to show you guys, and the people of Falena, that we really are different."
Daunte opened his mouth to speak, but Gunther interjected. "I'm older than you guys, you know. Well, not much older but still older. I don't need a couple of teenagers worrying over me. I'll be fine. Promise."
"…All right," Daunte said finally, nodding. "We'd be happy to have your help."
"Don't blame us though if Lord Bearyl brings his full fury down upon you," Surya added, swinging into his saddle.
"You sound too serious for someone your age," Gunther teased back. He rode over to them and handed them each their own forged book before he swung his horse around swiftly rode off.
"I hope Gunther doesn't get into too much trouble," Felicity said, tucking her book away before riding after him.
"But I'm glad he is coming with us," Roen added. He looked at Daunte. "But your True Rune has proven to be very helpful with us, Daunte. It should help us a lot again."
Daunte looked back down at the back of his hand again as Roen rode off. He peeled off the glove slightly to take a look at it. Clara said it was similar to the Resurrection Rune. They look only slightly similar, but this one seems very different.
"Anything wrong?" Surya said.
Daunte shook his head and reset the glove. "The doctor in the castle said that my rune looked similar to the Resurrection Rune."
"Really?" Surya looked surprised. Then he shrugged. "Well, maybe your True Rune is the parent rune of the Resurrection Rune?"
"'Parent rune'?" Daunte asked him.
"All the runes in the world were born from the 27 True Runes," Surya told him. "They have similar powers to the True Rune, but much weaker. Maybe the Resurrection Rune is a variant of your rune?"
Daunte digested this information as Surya rode off. He looked back down at his hand. So…my Rune may be linked to the Resurrection Rune? But I don't know anything about the Resurrection Rune. I wonder if I'll ever really be able to understand this Rune.
He shook his head and directed his horse to begin riding. I'll worry about it some other time. I have more important things I need to do.