I'm uploading this a day early because I won't have access to my home computer tomorrow. :)
In other news, in four weeks I'm going to be formally introducing the Chiyu Star into the story. As such, that particular poll will be closing in three weeks. There is currently a tie for first place, so please make sure to vote in the poll before it closes. If you can't vote directly, please feel free to write your votes in a review here. I will count them towards the final result.
Part Eight
The ride to Baltas surprisingly didn't take long. They followed Gunther on the trail and had minimal contact with monsters along the way. They didn't face any problems re-crossing the Bridge of Faith. It was a relief, but it also baffled Daunte how little the soldiers paid attention to bulletins. He was fairly certain that a bulletin had gone out for them, and even if they didn't know that he had switched clothes, Surya was still in his clothes from Falena. Yet none of the guards they passed gave them a second glance.
It's a wonder how the Liberation Army hasn't been able to conquer the government yet if this is the type of soldiers that serve in the Holy Army.
This didn't go unnoticed by Surya, either. "Should I be relieved or nervous that we haven't been stopped once for questioning?"
"These guys probably serve under Sheikh Umed," Gunther said. "Sheikh Umed has a more relaxed approach to command than the other Sheikh's do. As such, he's extremely popular amongst soldiers and even the civilians of his provinces."
"Sheikh Umed?" Surya echoed. "I heard that name yesterday. And you guys mentioned another Sheikh as well?" he glanced at Daunte.
"Sloan Faakhir," Felicity said softly.
Gunther shuddered. "Yeah, he's the antithesis of Sheikh Umed. Granted he's the perfect representation of how corrupt the Theocracy is, but the stories I've heard—" he shook his head.
"What have you heard?" Daunte asked.
But Gunther shook his head. "You don't want to know."
"We've met Sheikh Faakhir," Roen said. "What he did to Daunte was…"
Gunther quickly glanced at Daunte. "You survived an encounter with him?!"
"…Yes," Daunte said. However, the onetime beating he'd received from the Sheikh seemed to pale in comparison to the scope of the other man's crimes. I saw Tidur's memory of him beating her up, but I don't know how many other times that happened. But that one incident left a scar on her face—and who knows if he'd also hurt Esther and Ciana the same way?
"There's a lot of responsibility to being a Sheikh," Gunther said quietly. His tone had become grim. "But the stories surrounding Sheikh Faakhir are reprehensible, despite his responsibilities."
"Like how his family literally ran away from him to escape him?" Felicity asked.
"That, and…and the fact that he's killed his own soldiers who crossed him."
"W-What?!" Surya cried out, aghast. Daunte was also horrified, although he wondered why he was surprised.
"They're just rumors, but I've heard that close to twenty soldiers under his command have died by his hands—literally—for failures or insubordination or even if they give the Sheikh a dirty look. From what I've heard the men who serve under are living in fear of his wrath, but…" he shook his head again. "Some of the more violent soldiers are more welcoming of his demeanor because it means they can act out on their violent impulses on unsuspecting people. The Northwest Provinces aren't the happiest of places right now."
"Are all the Sheikhs like this?" Surya asked.
"No, of course not. In fact, Faakhir himself didn't used to be like this, at least from what I've heard. These rumors didn't start surfacing about his behavior until three years ago. It's like something switched off the inhibitor in his mind that told him that constantly hurting other people and killing your own soldiers was wrong."
Three years—that was around the time Tidur left him with their daughters. Daunte quickly looked at Roen and Felicity, and he saw from their expressions that they had made the same connection. So, had Sloan Faakhir just been channeling his inner rage at his family, and when they left he unleashed it on his subordinates?!
"But no, not all Sheikh are like this," Gunther said.
"I've been wondering—what exactly are Sheikh?"
"They command the four regions of Nagarea," Roen said. "And these regions are divided equally, with Mlkwt Alsmwat in the center. Sloan Faakhir controls the Northwest provinces. Sheikh Keiran Umed controls the Northeast provinces—which is where we're going. The Southeast, which as we all know is where the Dark Chasm is located, is controlled by…" he frowned. "I can't remember. Didn't a new Sheikh be instated last year?"
"Yes," Gunther confirmed. "Sheikh Tamara Nuori, a completely inexperienced teenaged girl they plucked from University of Žiak to take command. Rumor has it that the previous Sheikh made a little too much noise about the treatment you children received in the Dark Chasm. He, unfortunately, suffered an "accident" in the capital."
"Really?" Felicity asked. Her tone was a little disbelieving.
"Just rumors. But it's rather suspicious that his accident occurred just hours before he was to file a formal complaint about the Dark Chasm to the Grand Citadel, isn't it?"
Daunte was honestly stunned. So their suffering didn't truly go unnoticed? And the Sheikh who oversaw their suffering died because he wouldn't keep quiet?
"Sheikh Nuori just so happened to be the highest-ranked student socially at Žiak's university and she'd lived almost her entire life in the capital, so the High Clerics most likely chose her for the promotion because of her natural ignorance of the happenings in the Southeast. Only fifteen years old, too." Gunther shook his head. "The Southeast is a mess because of her inept rule, but I can't really fault her since a position of power was forced upon her that she wasn't ready for."
I get it now. This explains why the Matron was personally escorted by the Sheikh of the Northwest instead of the Southeast. And she's only fifteen years old? Daunte shook his head. But her inexperience isn't an excuse for being ignorant of what's going on in her region.
"And lastly, the Sheikh of the Southwest," Roen said. "And the oldest of the other Sheikhs, Keha Hale."
"Yeah," Gunther said suddenly. There was so much venom in his tone of voice that Daunte couldn't help but stare at him. He debated if he should ask what the matter was or keep quiet. After a moment he decided. "Is everything okay, Gunther?"
Gunther waved a hand quickly. "Don't worry about it."
Did Sheikh Keha Hale do something to Gunther? Daunte was curious, but ultimately didn't press the issue.
They left the Bridge of Faith without incident and steered their horses towards Baltas. Daunte however was on edge, but it didn't have anything to do with the mission ahead of them or the fact that the guards surprisingly not suspicious of them.
It was the first time in three years that he was separated from Arin. Daunte realized his brother's absence from his side was unsettling, and he felt awful that he couldn't stay by Arin's side.
He'll be okay. I know Clara will do all she can for him.
It was late into the afternoon and into the early evening when they arrived in Baltas. Though originally settled as a border town right before the Nagarean-Falenan border, the town served little purpose after the Great Earthquake destroyed the land route between the two countries. But the few tourists who came to Nagarea always gravitated to Baltas, and so the modest town of six hundred people always enjoyed moderate wealth.
"Look," Surya said suddenly, pointing. Though Baltas had no official gate, the entrance into town was currently swamped with people. Soldiers were checking each and every person coming into town and leaving. "The security here is even stronger than at K'alak'i Patieba and the Bridge of Faith. This must mean one of my cousins is here, right?"
"Well…not necessarily," Gunther said. "Security is always tight in Baltas due to the number of foreigners in town, and because smugglers usually meet here. But this is tighter security than usual, so it looks like our trip wasn't wasted."
"Smugglers?" Roen asked.
"From what I've heard, Nagarean medicines are the best on the Southern Continent, and are sought after in both Falena and Armes. Naturally, smugglers like sharing them because of the profits they bring."
"Isn't smuggling punishable by death?" Felicity asked.
"Some people are willing to take the risk," Gunther said.
"So smuggling and forgery are punishable by death here," Surya observed. He scowled. "Is there any crime not punishable by death in Nagarea?"
"It depends on what the High Clerics say."
"It depends on the Scriptures," Roen interjected.
"Get your identification books ready," Gunther said, pulling his own out. "They'll check them before we're allowed in. But don't worry—Gizli is the best at what she does, so these guards won't suspect a thing."
Daunte pulled his out, and flipped it open to see the identity Gizli had given him. He didn't like his picture, but his job title was plausible. A carpenter from Farna. Well, hopefully if they see my hands they'll dismiss it as that.
"Gizli made me a farm hand?!" Roen said with alarm. He looked up. "T-That's barely above a vassal! Won't they question why a farm hand is riding a horse?!"
"Pssh, don't worry so much," Gunther said. "Do you think the town guards actually read job titles? They just skim the books and make sure your faces match your pictures. The Garrisons, however, are much tougher with security."
"You could say it was a gift," Felicity offered.
But Roen really hadn't needed to worry. Daunte tried not to look nervous as he handed over his identification book to the guard, but to his surprise the guard didn't even look at his face. He just flipped open the book, read it for five seconds, and then handed it back to him. He slid off his horse and guided it past Baltas's gate and into town. He waited as the others also had their books checked, and were similarly skimmed over by the guards. Even after they passed the checkpoint, they didn't relax even after they dismounted and tied their horses and grabbed their bags. But they tried to look as unassuming as possible as they entered the city proper.
They past two houses when Gunther finally said, "It looks like we're in the clear."
Daunte allowed himself to let out a short breath when the shout arose.
"Halt!"
He froze in his tracks, as did his comrades. The authoritative voice behind them continued. "You suspicious people! Hands in the air this instant!"
Slowly, they raised their hands in surrender. Daunte felt his stomach churn, and he cursed himself for getting caught when they were so close to getting to Surya's cousin. He closed his eyes briefly, and wondered how they were going to get out of this mess—
"Stay where you are!"
All of a sudden, the guards ran past them and into the town square. Daunte opened his eyes and lowered his hands, as did his companions. "…Not us, then?" Surya said softly.
"Pull out your identification books now!" the guard shouted. The guards had surrounded a pair clad in dull brown cloaks and hoods standing in front of a beautiful marble water fountain with a statue of Nagar on top. It was easy to tell by their height difference that one was a man and the other was a woman. "If you are Nagarean, then you know to carry your identification books at all times!"
"I see there's been a bit of a misunderstanding," the taller of the two said in a calm voice. He pushed back his hood, revealing a youthful, friendly face. His blonde bangs were long on the right side of his face, almost covering up his blue eye. "You see, we're not Nagarean. We—"
"Spies!" one guard shouted, quickly drawing his sword.
The stranger raised his hands defensively, but his demeanor was odd. It seemed like—at least to Daunte—that the man wasn't scared by this dire situation. "No, not quite. We're newlyweds, you see, and we're on our honeymoon. My blushing bride wanted to seek some adventure, so I thought a visit to this lovely country would fulfill her wish."
"Hmm," his companion said, her face still obscured by her hood.
"Show us some form of identification!" the main guard snapped. "And your boat tickets!"
"Ah…" the man laughed nervously and rubbed at his head. "That's…quite impossible, sir."
"How come?!"
"Because during our voyage to this fantastic country, our boat was struck with a terrible typhoon and we lost most of our belongings." He sighed sadly. "Our potch, our identification, our tickets…it was quite tragic!"
"Yes, quite tragic," the woman agreed in a most dull, uninspired voice.
Daunte looked at Surya, and then looked at the others. They knew that with the guards distracted this would be an ample time to run, but they couldn't help but watch this…scene.
The main guard folded his arms over his chest. "That sounds suspiciously convenient!"
"I don't know how it could be," the man said.
The guard stepped closer until he was almost toe-to-toe with him. "Your name. Now."
"My name?" for the first time since this started, the man looked alarmed. "I-I…I am…" But he quickly recovered himself and stepped back to do a full sweeping bow. "I am Schtolteheim Reinbach III! The greatest swordsman in all of Middleport and all of the Island Nation Federations! And this is my bride—"
"Sierra Mikain," the woman said. She pushed back her hood to reveal a pale but very beautiful face framed by short silver hair. But Daunte was unsettled by her ruby eyes. They didn't look natural. "I am the former coven mistress of Blue Moon Village, and the wielder of the Moon Rune."
"U-Uh, sweetheart," the man—Schtolteheim, perhaps—pleaded with her. "I don't think you should share such details about yourself so freely."
"What can these humans possibly do to me?" Sierra huffed, shaking her head. "Are we done here? This nonsense is trying my patience."
"Nonsense? Nonsense?!" the main guard hollered. All of the guards then drew their swords, causing the people around them to cry out in fright. "I hereby place you both under arrest for illegal entry and disorderly conduct!"
"A-Ah, sir," the man pleaded with him. "Let's not jump to conclusions. We aren't—"
"Enough of this," Sierra said. She grabbed her companion by his sleeve and raised her right hand in the air. A light enveloped the two, and Daunte saw a rune symbol in the air. It looked like a pale purple crescent moon, but…its appearance looked a little sinister. Daunte felt his right arm twitch and he looked down. The True Rune on his hand seemed to vibrate in reaction to this rune.
My rune is reacting to it. But it hasn't reacted to any other runes so far! He raised his hand slightly to look at it. That woman…does she also have a True Rune?!
"HEY!"
Daunte looked up at the guard's shout. His eyes went wide at what he saw before him.
The suspicious man and woman were gone.
"Search the city!" the main guard shouted. "Those two are enemies of the state!"
Daunte bristled at how outrageously the man overreacted to the strangers, but the other guards took off in different directions in pursuit.
"Well, that was pretty entertaining," Gunther said. He grinned to himself. "I could drown in those beautiful eyes of hers…"
"The guards look like they'll be too wrapped up in looking for those two," Surya said. "So that'll give us an opportunity to find out any details in town about my cousins."
"I agree," Felicity said. "I wonder, though…if your cousin is still here, wouldn't they be at the mayor's mansion?"
"They could be," Gunther said. "But I think we should still do reconnaissance in town just to make sure. No use storming the mayor's mansion unless we know for sure that they're there. Ah." He gestured towards a large building with a bottle on the sign. "That's the tavern. We're bound to hear rumors there, and we can get a quick meal for cheap!"
The tavern did seem to be as good of a start as any, though Daunte was amazed that such a place managed to stay open. He vaguely remembered that the Clerics had instituted restrictions on alcohol consumption, stating that each person may not drink more than two bottles of ale a day. But he also remembered hearing about how some people got around the law by simply refilling the same bottles over and over again.
Well, it doesn't matter. Even if I wanted to drink alcohol, I'm not the legal age.
The tavern was full of rambunctious people, all of them talking in loud voices and laughing heartily. Daunte noted that several people had flushed faces, which was a bigger indicator to him as any that the loophole abuse was still in effect.
The group first settled down for a quick meal. After being deprived of adequate food for so long, Daunte knew he had to treasure the food he could now receive. Unfortunately the soggy sandwich they gave to him was...less than appetizing. Certainly not worth the bits he had spent on it.
But it's still better than stale bread and porridge.
After eating the group split up and wandered the tavern picking up conversations. After fifteen minutes however, Daunte realized they weren't going to find anything useful there. The patrons were either bemoaning their day's work or talking about religion. Nothing that would indicate that a Falenan prince or princess was in Baltas.
"I'm actually surprised," Gunther said as they regrouped. "Generally taverns are the best places to pick up rumors, but I'm not hearing anything useful."
"Me either," Daunte admitted. The other three agreed. "So, should we leave and check around the city?"
"Well, we don't have a choice do we?" Surya said, shaking his head. "Le—"
The sound of rapid strumming on a guitar cut him off. All around them the male patrons bursts into cheers and whistles and jumped to their feet. "Desiree!" one shouted.
"My darling is finally coming out!" another yelled.
Daunte looked to his left, just then noticing a stage nearby. The patrons cheered louder as a figure draped completely in a magenta cloak slowly sauntered onstage. The figure paused in the center of the stage, and the cheers increased in volume. A few lewd remarks also rose in the air as suddenly the figure whipped off the cloak, and the person underneath caused Daunte's eyes to widen.
"Sweet Nagar, I'm in love," Gunther breathed.
Underneath the cloak had been a beautiful young woman looking to be a few years older than Daunte. Her bronze skin glowed in the lights…and a lot of it was showing. She wore pink baggy pants but they were worn low on her hips, and she had a matching pink cropped top that bared her entire midriff. Her hair was pale pink in color, and it was very curly and cut short above her shoulders. Her eyes were light brown and full of laughter as she began to dance on the stage. Her movements were elaborate and very, very quick. Everyone around them cheered for her as she laughed and gestured to the crowd with graceful movements.
"Marry me, Desiree!" a man shouted. He looked like he was holding a ring box. "I'll make you happy, I swear I will!" if Desiree noticed him, she didn't give any indication that she did and continued dancing.
"I'm surprised she can get away with wearing so little," Felicity said, more to herself than anything.
All of a sudden, Desiree spun around and pointed directly at Daunte. "You!"
"M-Me?!" Daunte said, pointing at himself.
Desiree winked and gestured to him. "Come here."
"You lucky bastard!" a patron yelled, slapping Daunte hard on the shoulder.
Before Daunte could say anything more, he found himself being pushed towards Desiree and the stage itself. He opened his mouth to protest, but Desiree caught his flailing hands and pulled him onstage. "Dance with me. Please?" she batted her eyelashes and pouted cutely.
Daunte gaped back at her and looked around the room. Now suddenly the center of attention, he was very much aware of how full the tavern was. There had to be over a hundred people in there. "Don't worry about them," Desiree said, touching his cheek with her hand to turn his face back to hers. "Focus on me and relax. Just have fun."
Daunte had no idea how to dance, but it seemed impossible at this point to just jump off the stage and run. He looked at his allies helplessly, but they actually looked amused by the situation. Sighing shortly, he knew had no choice but to participate as the music began.
Unfortunately, his lack of dancing skill and even stamina was very apparent when compared to Desiree. She moved so quickly in front of him and even around him that she looked like a blur at times. Daunte tried to mimic her style, but his movements were very flailing and not at all graceful. He was aware that people were laughing at him and heckling him, and his face became hotter and hotter. Please let this end!
Finally the music ended and Desiree bowed gracefully. The crowd cheered, but Daunte still heard the heckling as he bowed stiffly. As he straightened he was startled when Desiree suddenly gave him a hug. "Good effort," she spoke into his ear. "Come back though when you become quicker on your feet." She kissed him on the cheek and hurried offstage.
Now alone onstage, the crowd switched from cheers to boos. Daunte ducked his head and jumped off the stage, which ended up being a very good idea as somebody threw their cup of ale at him and missed.
"That's not fair!" Gunther pouted, folding his arms over his chest. "I wanted to dance with that beauty!"
"Did you have fun, Daunte?" Roen teased him.
Daunte didn't know if he should lie and say yes or be honest and say no. In the end he just shrugged.
"I think we've been sidetracked enough," Surya cut in. "Can we go and rescue my cousin now?"
"You have a point," Gunther admitted. "Let's get out of here and try and gather more information."
Aware of the guards searching the city, the group began a very careful reconnaissance of the city proper. Daunte was surprised that the city did have quite a number of foreigners in it, and he noticed that the religious fanaticism in Baltas was a bit more…relaxed than it had been in K'alak'i Patieba.
"I use to go to the capital all the time, but in recent years it's hard to find any enjoyment in the city. It's so tense there—everyone is always on edge. No matter if it's a cleric or a noble or even a vassal!"
"I came to Nagarea from the Islands Nation Federation because we got a brochure in the mail boasting of it being a beautiful place. But the security here is very tight and I feel like I have no privacy! I sort of regret making the trip…"
"My son keeps making these outrageous claims! He said he said he saw soldiers carry five coffins into the city a few days ago! Then he said that he said four of these same coffins be carried out just a few hours later! Children make up such silly stories, don't they?"
"It's true! Mama won't believe me, but I saw it! Five black coffins, all the same size! The guards were really sneaky about it too, bringing them in at night! But then they left again but I only counted four! And the guards were saying one was heavier than the others!"
Surya knelt down so that he was eye-level with the boy. "Did you see which directions the coffins were taken?"
"I watched them until they went out of sight, but they all stayed on the same path! It looked like they were heading south, either towards the Rocky Plains or the Bridge of Faith!"
That's not a lot of help. Daunte sighed in disappointment.
"Hey," Gunther said after they left the child. He nodded towards a building with a sign showing a crystal ball. "Do any of you want to get a rune?"
"Oh yes!" Roen cheered. "I definitely want a Fire Rune!"
"Hopefully they'll have one which will improve the accuracy of my throw," Felicity said, stretching her arms.
Daunte almost wanted to have the runemaster check his True Rune, but he was worried that it would draw too much attention. In the end he stood back while Roen had a Fire Rune affixed to his left arm. "Do you have a rune to improve throwing accuracy?" Felicity asked the runemaster.
"Throwing accuracy?" the runemaster repeated. "It sounds like you're looking for the Kite Rune. Unfortunately I don't sell it here. I believe the runemaster in Tenaga sells it, but I can't say for sure."
"Thank you." Felicity bowed slightly, but Daunte saw that she was frowning. He wondered if he should ask her what was wrong or if he should keep quietly. Ultimately he decided to speak. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Felicity forced a smile at him. "I just want to improve myself and stay useful, that's all."
"You are useful," Daunte told her. "Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."
"…Thank you." She dropped the smile, but her stance looked less tense now.
"Are you happy with your new rune, Roen?" Gunther asked as they left the rune shop.
"You bet! I've always wanted a Fire Rune!" Roen grinned at the vibrant red symbol on the back of his hand. "It's too bad though that I only have one spell available to me…"
"The more you use it, the stronger it'll become," Surya told him. "Let's keep searching. I vote that if we don't find any useful information by nightfall that we try breaking into the mayor's mansion. It's reckless, but I want to get to whichever one of my cousins is here as quick as possible."
"Completely understandable," Gunther said, nodding. He gestured down what looked like a residential street. "We haven't gone there yet. Maybe we'll overhear some gossip in people's houses?"
They traveled down the street, and Daunte noted that these house were large and very well-kept. The people who lived in the houses also looked rather wealthy. He glanced into one window and saw a family settling down for dinner. The scene felt like a knife to his gut however, and he quickly looked away.
"Hey," Surya said in a low voice. "Doesn't that look suspicious?"
Daunte paused. All around them the house were earthy tones. However, just ahead of them was a house that was pearly white and decorated with beautiful flowers. And unlike the other houses, there was a guard stationed outside.
Rather, there were two guards stationed outside.
"That is mighty suspicious," Gunther said in a pleasant voice. "Why don't we investigate it?"
The group carefully approached the house, and Daunte looked at his surroundings to see if there was some way they could infiltrate the house. Unfortunately, he saw that the houses had been built so close together that there wasn't even enough room for alleyways between them.
Yet for some reason, there are two exclusive guards at this one house. Why?
"Halt!"
Daunte froze. They were standing barely two meters away from the white house, but one of the guards still shouted at them. Up close, Daunte could see that the guards consisted of one man and one woman, and though they wore silver robes and round hoods their faces weren't covered.
"What is your business here?" it was the man who was speaking. He looked to be around Gunther's age, and he had the stocky body of a well-seasoned soldier. Light blue hair fell into his tanned face, but his dark eyes were glaring.
"Nigel, give it a rest," the female guard said. "These look like a bunch of poor kids." Strands of pale blonde hair were peeking out from underneath her hood, but despite her carefree words her green eyes were alert. She also looked to be in her twenties.
"Poor kids indeed," Gunther said, casually strolling up to them. "And we naturally gravitated towards this lovely house."
"So you thought you could just stroll inside without knocking?!" Nigel snapped. He was fingering the sword at his belt.
Gunther shrugged. "Isn't that what all great adventurers do? Invite themselves into people's houses?"
"You won't be allowed to enter this house," the female guard told them curtly.
"Why not?" Surya stepped forward, glaring at her. "Are you hiding something here that you don't want to show anybody else?"
"What do you know of it?!" Nigel snapped suddenly. Alarm bells went off in Daunte's head and he readied his tekko. That's it! One of the Falenan royals must be here!
"Nigel, calm down," the woman said. She looked at the group. "This is a private residence. We don't need to give you a reason why you can't enter."
"A private residence that requires two guards?" Gunther asked them.
"You—"
"Nigel? Thea?"
Everyone jumped at this voice and looked up. There was a small balcony rail on the second floor and the windows opened. Daunte stiffened as someone leaned out and rested their arms on the rail. It was a woman with curly dark red hair, almost black, and a pale blue veil on her head. "I heard you both shouting. Is something the matter?"
"Not at all, my Lady," Nigel said, turning to look up at the woman. "These strangers were just leaving."
"Hmm." The woman leaned her chin on her arm. Daunte was unsettled by her demeanor. It seemed…sultry. Her body language and the way her violet eyes looked upon them made him uncomfortable. "What a bunch of cute boys. It's not very often I have so many gentlemen callers at once." She laughed huskily.
Daunte looked at Surya for confirmation about whether or not this woman was one of his cousins, but the prince shook his head at him. "Do you have any visitors now, my Lady?" Daunte asked her.
"How is that your business?!" Thea demanded.
The woman laughed again and shook her head. "Not at the moment, but I'll gladly open my doors to you."
"Well, that's settles it," Gunther said. He began moving towards the front door. "Let's g—"
"Maybe another time," Surya interrupted, grabbing Gunther by his arm. "If you'll excuse us then, we're in a hurry."
"Then hurry along," Nigel told him.
"Don't be a stranger!" the woman called out to them more casually. She even waved at them as they hurried down the street.
"Wait a second!" Roen said after they were out of sight from the house. "Aren't we going to search that house?"
"My cousins aren't there," Surya said, shaking his head. "By the demeanor of the guards, they're closely watching that woman and that woman alone."
"Oh, but shouldn't we have made sure?" Gunther whined at him. "It's rude to refuse such a beautiful lady!"
"Her window was open, and I heard nothing but silence from the house. Not to mention if she was hiding someone, she wouldn't have been so casual." Surya paused before he continued. "Something about her demeanor tells me that she's not a subtle person. If she was hiding one of my cousins then it would've been obvious."
"Oh, all right." Gunther huffed in disappointment. "I've been to this city dozens of times and never have I seen such beautiful women before! Is this a sudden phenomenon, or are you guys just a magnet for such lovely ladies?!"
"I don't exactly feel flattered by that assessment," Felicity said harshly.
"It's such a sha—OOH!" Gunther immediately perked up. "There's another one!"
Daunte followed his gaze. Several meters away a teenaged girl was looking around, as though she were lost. She wore her tawny hair in a bob-cut, and there was a light pink ribbon tied in a bow on her head. She wore a long overshirt of the same color as the ribbon that was entirely see-through over a solid black qipao that was very short. So short that the overshirt was actually longer than the qipao. The girl look confused, and somewhat distressed as she continued to wander around, her amber eyes uncertain.
Surya suddenly broke away from the group and took off running after the girl. "Hey, Surya!" Roen shouted after him. The girl rounded a corner and Surya nearly did as well. But a sudden shriek caused him to stop in his tracks and the others ran after him.
"No! Please, don't hurt me!"
The group picked up the pace with this shout and caught up to Surya. He was still standing still, observing the scene playing out before him.
"You're acting suspicious AND you have no identification!" three guards had surrounded the girl, who was sitting meekly on the ground. "You're a spy, aren't you?!"
"I-I'm not!" the girl wailed. Tears stung her eyes and she raised her hands defensively. "I haven't done anything wrong!"
"Don't lie to us! You're obviously a foreign spy!" one of the guards grabbed her elbow. "Are you from Falena?! You are, aren't you?!"
"Please, just let me go!" the girl wailed.
"Enough of this," Gunther said harshly. He started to surge forward, but an arm reached out to block him. Daunte blinked with disbelief at Surya, who was watching the scene in front of them neutrally. "Don't stop me, Prince! I can't allow those thugs to abuse that girl!"
"Hang on one moment," Surya told them, glancing at them.
"You're coming with us!" the guard jerked the girl to her feet. She had ducked her head, but…her demeanor suddenly changing. Daunte realized she was no longer shrinking under them. She seemed to be…readying herself.
That was when she spoke again, and in a strong voice. "I told you to let me go."
In an instant she tripped the guard, sending him sprawling. The other two drew their swords, but the girl suddenly whipped out a naginata and quickly engaged the guards. Daunte's jaw dropped as this seemingly waifish girl single-handedly struck down the guards and soundly beat them into submission. She no longer had tears in her eyes. Her expression was harsh and unforgiving. He was shocked that this was the same girl who just seconds earlier had been easily knocked down by the guards.
Now the guards lay in injured heaps on the ground, groaning in pain.
"Now then," the girl said harshly, glaring at the guards on the ground around her. "Now that we've dispensed with the pleasantries, you're going to do exactly as I say." She grabbed one of the guards by his collar and pressed the blade of her naginata under his chin. "Where is the prince?"
"I-I don't know!" the guard sputtered.
"Where is the prince?!" the girl repeated in a dangerous tone. "Falena's prince! And don't lie to me! I know for a fact that the prince is here! So you had better tell me where he is, or you're going to be in a greater world of hurt than you are now!"
"T-The mansion!" the guard wailed finally. "He's at the mayor's mansion!"
Daunte couldn't find the words to say. But Surya suddenly stepped forward. "Mokuren," he addressed the girl.
The girl, Mokuren, started and quickly dropped the guard. "P-Prince?!" she turned around and her eyes went wide when she saw Surya. "Prince Surya!" she rushed forward and threw her arms around him. "I've finally found you! I was so afraid something had happened to you when they took you from us, but you're all right!"
"I am. Are you all right?" he pushed her away so he could get a good look at her.
"Of course I am!" Mokuren puffed out her chest dramatically. "If I were to allow these simpletons to best me, it would be a total embarrassment!"
"But are you the only one here? Where are the others?"
Mokuren dropped her bravado and hung her head in shame. "We got separated. After they took you I chased them for several hours before I lost their trail. By that point I had run so far from our group that I couldn't get back to them and got lost! I only stumbled upon this city yesterday, and that's when I heard that a prince was here! I assumed it was you, but—"
"Freyr," Surya cut in. He grabbed her shoulders. "Freyr is here?!"
"Since you're here, uncaptured, Prince Freyr is the only other prince that could be here."
"Uh, Surya?" Gunther cut in. "Who is this girl?"
"Oh, sorry." Surya stepped aside and brought Mokuren forward. "This is Mokuren. She's my personal bodyguard."
"Bodyguard?!" Felicity exclaimed. "B-But you look so young to be the bodyguard of a prince! You must have amazing skills!"
Mokuren shrugged. "If I was truly amazing, then my prince wouldn't have been captured in the first place. Oh!" she raised a hand to her forehead dramatically. "I am a disgrace to all bodyguards! I must report my failure to the Queen, and she—"
"Enough of the theatrics," Surya told her. "If Freyr is here, we need to get to him now."
"All right." Mokuren recovered from her dramatic spell and smiled at them. "I've been searching the city because I thought the mayor's mansion was too obvious a location and would be a trap. But as you all just heard, the prince really is at the mayor's mansion."
"Well, that settles it," Gunther said. "To the mansion it is. Should we sneak in or make a grand entrance?"
"If we make too much noise, don't we run the risk of them spiriting the prince away?" Roen asked.
"Falenan princes don't have as much value as Falenan princesses," Surya said with brutal honesty. "Which is probably why Freyr was left here while my female cousins were taken elsewhere. It probably wouldn't matter how we get into the mansion, just so long as we ensure Freyr's safety."
"I think," Daunte said finally, getting everyone's attention. "We should try sneaking into the mansion and not drawing more attention towards ourselves."
"Okay," Gunther said. "The mansion is to our northwest, so let's head there now."
"Hopefully Prince Freyr is still there," Felicity said softly.
Security was indeed heightened at the mansion as night fell. As they surveyed the compound and sized up the high walls, they were able to catch snippets of conversation.
"—so suddenly! Her Ladyship was very eager to go to the capital, wasn't she?"
"But her family is in Mlkwt Alsmwat, right? Maybe she just wanted a getaway with his Lordship and their children?"
"But I heard them shouting yesterday about something—"
"She's probably annoyed by the brat we have to keep watch over!"
"Yeah, he just won't ever shut up, will he?!"
That's probably Freyr, Daunte thought. And if the town's mayor isn't even home, then it'll be even easier getting him back.
They found a quiet, unpatrolled area of the wall and scaled over the side. They quickly raced through the gardens, using the darkness to carefully maneuver around the side of the building. They looked into the rooms on the first floor and saw that each one had two guards in it.
He's probably on the second floor. Daunte looked up towards those windows, and that was when he noticed the rain gutter downspout on the side of the mansion. The straps holding it in place were surprisingly large.
Surya noticed this too, and raced over to it. He grabbed the straps above his head and tugged hard. They didn't falter. He nodded and looked at the others. "Let's climb up here."
"Prince, let me go first," Mokuren asked him.
"Hang on, I'll go first," Gunther said, gently pushing them aside. "I have seniority, you know."
"Sure," Roen muttered, and Daunte snorted.
One by one they made the careful climb up the downspout and towards the window above. Gunther went first, then Mokuren, and then Surya. Daunte noted with alarm that the downspout was starting to groan under the excessive weight as Felicity climbed. The girl seemed to notice as well and picked up the pace, followed by Roen.
Daunte was last, and his breath hitched as he felt the straps loosening dangerously under his weight. He was very worried about his lack of grip, and used most of his weight to steady himself on his feet. Roen reached the window above and reached for him. "Give me your hand, Daunte!"
"HEY!" a guard below them shouted. "Intruders!"
Daunte frantically climbed up the downspout as he heard the snapping of bows beneath him. He flinched as arrows pierced the building on all sides of him, and even the windowsill above. Surya ducked his body out and reached with Roen. "Hurry, Daunte!"
Daunte jumped from the strap, feeling it snap off the downspout, and reached for their hands. Surya and Roen grabbed him and dragged him up as the section of the downspout held by that strap gave way and fell to the ground.
"Are you all right, Daunte?!" Felicity knelt beside him as Roen slammed the window shut. "None of the arrows hit you, did they?!"
"I-I'm all right," Daunte said, scrambling to his feet.
"Guys?!" Gunther snapped.
Daunte looked up. It looked like they were in a large study, but over a dozen guards burst into the room with their weapons ready. "Where is my cousin?!" Surya demanded. "I know he's here!"
"I don't know what you're on about, boy, but you're not leaving this room alive!" the guard in front shouted.
It was a lengthy fight, but Daunte, Roen, Felicity mobilized to perform their 'Best Friends' unite attack. Surya and Mokuren also banded together for a unite attack aptly named 'Sworn Protector'. Mokuren surged forward first to attack a single target with her naginata, and Surya finished them off with his tri-nunchaku. In just a few short minutes, all of the soldiers were lying on the floor, seriously injured.
"Freyr?!" Surya shouted as they left the study. "Freyr, are you here?!"
"Kill the intruders!" another group of guards surrounded them, but the fight ended very quickly. They ducked into each room they saw, desperately looking for the prince, but all they found was more guards. After checking five rooms, Daunte began to get worried.
What if he isn't here? What if this was a trap?!
Surya looked visibly distressed, indicating he was having the same thought process as Daunte. They found a staircase and almost steered downstairs when a muted shout from an unopened door got their attention. Surya hurried towards the door, but before he could get it open the door exploded off its hinges, and a soldier flew into the hallway. "Surya, I'm here!" a boy's voice called out.
"Freyr!" Surya and Mokuren rushed into the room, while the group took a moment to gape at the soldier sprawled on the floor. "Damn," Gunther said, whistling softly.
If one child delivered such a blow, then he's certainly cut out for becoming Commander of the Queen's Knight, Daunte thought amusedly.
"Freyr, are you all right?! Did they hurt you?!" Surya was examining a boy who looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old. The boy had dark hair, though not as dark as Surya's, and dark blue eyes. He was dressed very similarly to Surya, although he was dressed in silver and green and not blue and white, and he had a very determined look on his face. "I'm fine, Surya. Do you know where my sisters are?"
Surya shook his head. "They were brought here with Archana and Kaylani, but—"
"Archana and Kaylani were also kidnapped?!" Freyr exclaimed. "Why?! And how, even?! We were in Sol-Falena, but Archana was on route to Lordlake, and wasn't Kaylani in Lunas?!"
"I don't know any more than you do. You're the first we've found. All we know at this point is that the girls were taken out of this city and elsewhere."
Freyr shook his head. "This is insane. I know Farrin and Signe were taken with me, but when I woke up they were gone! And I've been locked in this room for days! When I heard your voice I knew it was the right time to escape!"
"Good." Surya ruffled the hair on his head and stood back up. "Guys, this is my cousin, Freyr Falenas. As you can tell by…" he gestured to the prone guard. "He can pack a punch."
"Who're they?" Freyr asked.
Surya introduced him to everyone, finishing with, "They've agreed to help me find all of you."
Freyr's eyes went wide. After a moment he managed a smile. "G-Good. Thank you so much!"
Daunte shrugged. "It's no problem."
"I hate to interrupt, but we've overstayed our welcome," Gunther said. He still had his talwar sword out and glanced out into the hallway. "We've beaten up quite a few of the guards and made a right mess out of the mayor's home, but we should probably flee Baltas as soon as possible."
"I agree," Surya said. He looked at Freyr. "It's time to go. We'll get you out of here safely, I swear it."
"I'll be fine," Freyr said, waving a dismissive hand. "I can handle myself."
"That's reassuring kid, but we're going to have to ask you to sit this fight out." Gunther grinned at him. "You see, we've worked so hard to rescue you that we're not going to put you at risk and make our hard work go to waste."
"I'll be fine," Freyr said defensively. "I can fight—"
"Prince, just let us handle this," Mokuren interrupted him. "We know you can fight, but let us fight this battle for you."
Freyr huffed irritably, but his shoulders drooped in defeat. "Fine."
"Good, let's get out of here," Daunte said, readying his tekko.
As many of the soldiers had scattered to look for the suspicious couple earlier, and because they'd beaten up so many of the guards, the escape out of Baltas was anti-climatically easy. None of the citizens even gave them a second glance as they ran past them, despite their disheveled appearances.
They didn't stop running even after they got to their horses. They were saddling up when a shout reached the guards at the gate and they left their posts to rush back into the city. Freyr climbed into the saddle with Surya, and despite getting an offer to share a ride with Gunther, Mokuren climbed behind Felicity and they rode off into the darkness. They didn't stop riding until Baltas was out of sight, and even then rode for a little while longer before they allowed themselves to relax.
"Okay," Gunther said as they brought their horses to a stop. "One down, four to go. We're still close to the Nagarean-Falenan border. Do you want to send the young prince over the border?"
"I'm not leaving without my sisters," Freyr said hotly.
"The land border was destroyed, remember?" Surya added. "It was nigh impossible for us to navigate it and into Nagarea."
"But you succeeded, didn't you?" Roen pointed.
"Yes, and two people in our rescue party died because of the dangerous conditions. I'm not taking that risk with Freyr, no way."
"You could always sail up the coastline," Felicity said.
"But the Holy Army is probably already anticipating that," Gunther said. "I think the best option at this point would be to take him back with us to the headquarters. Lord Bearyl would surely give asylum to a prince."
"I'll go with you," Freyr agreed. "Even if you tried to send me away, I'm not returning home without Farrin or Signe. Or Archana or Kaylani."
"We should keep riding then," Daunte said. "They'll scour the countryside looking for us, and we'll probably have an easier time crossing the Bridge of Faith with Freyr when it's still dark."
"Excellent points, Daunte." Gunther smiled at him. "You have a good head for this type of work."
"I-I just thought I was being practical," Daunte said embarrassedly, ducking his head.
"Then let's go," Surya said, steering his horse. "The sooner we get back, the sooner we can hopefully find more leads as to where our family is."
Hopefully they're all somewhere we can rescue them from just as easily as we rescued Freyr, Daunte thought.
Tenaga. It was the largest city of the Northeastern provinces and it had a population size of thirty-five thousand people. It was the third most populated city in Nagarea, Uaminifu being second and Mlkwt Alsmwat of course being first.
It was early morning. Approaching the gates of Tenaga from the northwest was the main battalion unit of the Northeast, numbering fifty people. Most of the soldiers wore silver, but at the front of the group rode two riders in white, one further out in front than the other. The one who was further back had very slight points on his hood and his face was uncovered, showing the calm face of a man in his mid-twenties. Thick yellow bangs fell into his hazel eyes, but he looked alert.
Ahead of him was another man roughly the same age, but the points on his hood were very pronounced and his face was covered, and the emblems on his chest identified him as a Sheikh. Jet black bangs fell over only one of his dark blue eyes, but he looked equally alert as he signaled to the party behind him to pause as they reached the gate.
"Identify yourselves!" the guard called from the post above.
"Sheikh Keiran Umed, here on orders from the capital," the Sheikh called back up to him. "I'm here with my second-in-commander, Mihr." He indicated the man behind him. "And my main unit." He indicated the soldiers lined up behind them.
The soldier's eyes went wide. "S-S-Sheikh! Forgive me, sir, for not opening the gate immediately for you!"
"It's fine, soldier. You're only doing your job." Keiran glanced over his shoulder. "Lanny."
"Sir?" the teenager brought his horse forward as the guards scrambled to open the gate. His gray eyes were shining, and he clearly looked eager to please.
"Ride ahead and tell the mayor that we've arrived."
"Yes, sir." Lanny took off riding into the city as the gates opened for them.
"It's still hard to believe the rumors were true," Mihr said quietly.
"It is," Keiran agreed. "But I was given a direct order by the Cabinet, and I must follow it."
Mihr steered his horse alongside Keiran's to speak with him privately. "I fear the capital may be inciting war with Falena with their actions."
"There must be a specific reason why they kidnapped the Falenan royals like this. However, as soldiers it's not our job to understand the thought put into political decisions. All we can do is trust that the High Clerics have a rational explanation for doing this."
"There's nothing rational about kidnapping children, sir."
Keiran hesitated, and looked upwards towards the guards at their posts. He studied their expressions and could tell they hadn't heard what Mihr had said. "Please be careful what you say," he admonished his subordinate. "Ever since the High Clerics broadened the legal definition of blasphemy, people have been getting arrested for saying virtually anything negative against the government. With your rank you wouldn't be arrested so easily, but it will draw attention towards you. And me."
"…Understood," Mihr said after a moment, but Keiran could still see the disapproval of their actions in his expression.
The mayor's mansion was located at the back of Tenaga, but the citizens recognized Keiran and came out in droves to greet him. They were reaching out to touch him, and some even tried to give him gifts. While Keiran was flattered by handmade items, he felt uneasy when people offered him food or chickens as gifts. His Garrison was always well-stocked with necessary supplies, and he didn't feel the need to take necessities from people less fortunate than him.
I hope these people don't feel like they owe me anything. I may keep them safe, but I don't need extra tributes from them. They already pay enough in taxes.
"You're very popular, as usual," Mihr mused. As expected though, many people showered him with presents as well.
When they finally reached the mayor's mansion, Keiran's arms were full of gifts, and he had to hand them off to one of his soldiers before dismounting his horse. "Sheikh Umed!" the mayor greeted him enthusiastically. "We've been expecting you!"
"We're sorry for keeping you waiting, sir," Keiran greeted him, accepting his handshake.
"No, there's no trouble at all! But everything is ready for you, sir."
"How is she?" Keiran asked as they headed into the mansion.
"Oh, she's fine." The man laughed, but Keiran noted that his expression was strained. "She hasn't made a fuss at all! Would you like to speak to her?"
"Of course. I want to make sure she understands we mean no harm to her."
The mayor led up the stairs to the second floor and guided them to a bedroom that had two guards posted on either side of the door. He knocked on the door. "Princess Kaylani? May we come in?"
"…Yes," came a delayed reply from the other side of the door.
The mayor smiled at Keiran. "Go on in, sir."
Keiran nodded and opened the door. "Princess Kaylani?" he entered the room, followed by Mihr, but he only took five steps into the room before he stopped dead in his tracks.
"You're the Sheikh they told me about?" the twenty-three year old princess of Falena slowly rose from the bed. Her dark silver hair was worn very long in the front, the tied strands coming down to her waist, while in the back it was worn short to her shoulders. Her face was very youthful, and she looked like she was a teenager and not a woman in her twenties, but her dark blue eyes held deep worry.
But it was the rest of her appearance that unsettled Keiran. She was dressed in a hanbok dress with a light purple Jeogori and dark blue Chima. But even with the shapeless clothing, there was no disguising her physical condition.
Keiran abruptly turned on his heel and left the door. Mihr followed and closed the door behind them. "I'm sorry, sir, but I can't take her with me," Keiran announced.
"W-What?!" the mayor sputtered. He looked a little frightened. "S-Sir, I received orders from the capital that you are supposed to take custody of her!"
"I realize that, but I will not take her with me," Keiran said. "Have you seen her condition, sir? My Garrison is not equipped to handle her condition."
"B-B-But you must take her!" the mayor pleaded. "We can't possibly keep her!"
"You have all the resources here in Tenaga to take care of her," Keiran reassured him. "But I cannot and I will not take her back to my Garrison with me. Not only is there a real risk of her time coming while on route to my Garrison, but also my doctors are not equipped to take care of her. I know I'm imposing on you, but I must insist you keep her here."
"B-B-But what am I supposed to tell the capital when they ask for an update on our exchange?!"
Keiran shrugged. "Tell them the truth. Tell them I refused to take custody of a pregnant princess who is due any day now."
"So we aren't taking her with us?" Lanny asked as they began to depart the city.
"No, of course not," Keiran said. "The princess looks due to give birth at any time. I know I was given a direct order, but I won't have her health and safety—and the health and safety of her child—on my conscience. She will be much better off in Tenaga, and they are better equipped to handle her condition than we are."
Lanny sighed shortly. "They…they really kidnapped a pregnant princess?"
"It's none of our concern, Lanny. Ride on ahead and warn the Garrison that we're returning empty-handed."
"Y-Yes, sir." Lanny quickly took off.
"You're disobeying a direct order from the High Clerics," Mihr told him warningly. "They won't forget this."
"Probably," Keiran said. "But I'm not going to forget my honor. And there's nothing honorable about keeping a hostage in her condition."
"They may…separate the mother and child once she gives birth."
"I sincerely hope that doesn't happen." But his hands tightened around the reins of his horse as he said it.
Desiree's style of dancing (and fighting) is Capoeira in nature, so you can see how Daunte was not able to easily keep up with her.