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Chapter Five: Part One
One week later…
Mlkwt Alsmwat, capital of Nagarea
The last time Adalgiso had stepped foot in the Grand Citadel was forty-nine years ago, when his grandfather was still alive. His grandfather had been a High Cleric, and even though the family lived in Farna and not the capital they still had quite a lot of political standing. The place however had intimidated him greatly as a child, and he remembered hiding his face in his mother's skirts for almost their entire visit.
Now, as he sat waiting outside the corridor leading to the Blessed Chamber, that same anxiety began to flare up once more. He looked down at his hands and let out a shaky sigh. He honestly did not know what was going to happen. Would they be punished for their failure? Or would they be granted leniency in light of the situation?
I've never seen so many people die at once, not even after all these years of military service. The men and women who served under us fell so quickly, and many of them didn't even see their deaths coming. Adalgiso clenched his hands into fists. I should have done something. I should have tried to stop that monster. How could I not have seen him until after he killed over a hundred of our soldiers? With so many of our soldiers lost, it's no wonder the High Clerics have summoned the Sheikh for a hearing over what happened.
He went still then, and slowly unclenched his fists. He didn't want to think about it anymore.
Thankfully, the double doors to the Blessed Chamber swung open. Adalgiso immediately leapt to his feet as Sheikh Sloan Faakhir stormed out of the Chamber. Two guards standing to attention jumped out of his way, but Adalgiso quickly approached him. "Sheikh," he greeted, saluting his commander. "How did the hearing go?"
"They admonished me for my failure," Sloan told him sharply, coming to a stop before him. "The Lady Matron however spoke on my behalf and told them the situation was out of my control. She even gave a name for the beast who challenged our forces."
"It has a name?!" Adalgiso asked.
Sloan shrugged stiffly. "She called him Yuber, and told the High Clerics that he was not human and possessed a True Rune. In light of this information, the High Clerics only gave me a warning and did not strip me of my command."
Adalgiso blinked slowly. "That's a relief, but…how did the Lady Matron know the name of that monster?"
"Does it matter?" Sloan demanded in a sharp tone. Adalgiso however did not flinch. "No it doesn't, my Lord."
"None of it matters," Sloan said. They began walking down the corridor. "Once we return to the Garrison, we will round up our troops and launch another assault on the fortress of those traitors once again."
"My Lord!" Adalgiso sputtered impulsively. Sloan glared at him and Adalgiso steadied his voice. "My Lord, we suffered catastrophic losses in that battle. And those that were not killed are still recuperating with serious injuries. Even multiples uses of Water and Wind Runes are not helping them with their recoveries. Given the circumstances, I believe we should refrain from launching another strike on the Liberation Army headquarters so soon."
"Adalgiso, what are we?" Sloan asked him.
"What?"
"What. Are. We?" Sloan enunciated in a low, dangerous tone.
"W-We are soldiers," Adalgiso said.
"And the people who serve under me are…?"
"Soldiers."
"Exactly. It is our duty to fight and die on the battlefield for this country. It is our duty to kill anyone that poses a threat to us. And it is the duty of my soldiers to fight and die for this country. That is all they need to do. What does it matter what their injuries are, when they're going to die anyway?"
A hard lump formed in Adalgiso's throat, and he stared in stunned silence at Sloan. He stared into the hard face, the unfeeling eyes, of the young man who he'd sworn his life to. And he could see that Sloan meant ever word that he said.
This is wrong. This is so wrong…
But Adalgiso did not say this out loud. Instead he swallowed thickly, and changed the subject. "My Lord."
"What is it?" they began walking once more.
Adalgiso hesitated before pushing forward. "You…You've read the reports; I imagine?"
"Which ones? You'll have to be more specific."
"That your wife and daughters have joined the Liberation Army and are at that headquarters."
Sloan stopped dead in his tracks then, and Adalgiso quickly stopped as well. It was one thing that unsettled Adalgiso about their campaign against the Liberation Army headquarters—the fact that Tidur, Esther, and Ciana were there. It didn't matter to Adalgiso that they had turned traitor; this was still Sloan's family. And no matter what the circumstances, there was no possible way he could ever threaten or hurt Sloan's wife and daughters.
And it had stunned him greatly when Sloan commenced the campaign regardless, not seeming to care that Tidur and their daughters could possibly be killed in the process.
Sloan ducked his head, and Adalgiso looked at him closely. For a moment—For a moment, Sloan's scowl had changed. It a deep frown, as though he were on the verge of tears. And Sloan's eyes were squeezed shut. Adalgiso felt a lurch inside his being, just a small sliver of hope. Maybe…
But then Sloan's head quickly raised, and his expression changed to being hard and unfeeling once more. "I'm aware of this, Adalgiso. That stupid, weak woman ran away from me and stole my daughters from me. And she shows her lying, traitorous colors. She's corrupted my children."
Dread swelled up quickly inside Adalgiso. "…What will you do when you see them again?" he asked quietly.
Sloan raised his right hand, clenched in a fist, and rubbed his left hand over the back of it. His hands were gloved, but Adalgiso was familiar with this gesture. Nothing good ever happened after Sloan did it. "They are traitors and will be treated the same as traitors are. They will not get special treatment just because of how they are related to me. Esther and Ciana must be punished under Original Sin. And Tidur…" he sneered once more. "I will request to see to her punishment myself. I'm going to take great pleasure in punishing her for everything she's done to me. It's no less than what a traitorous wench like her deserves."
Adalgiso's mouth hung open, and he did not follow when Sloan walked away. He just stared stunned after him…at the man who he pledged his life to twelve years prior.
Is…Is this the same man I've known for almost twenty years? I don't know this person. This is the same body, but not the same mind. Sloan, he…the man I know would have never threatened his family. The Sloan Faakhir I know cherished his family. He didn't shy away from public displays of affection with Tidur. When Ciana was a baby, he used to walk the Garrison carrying her in his arms. I-I even remember walking in on him having a tea party with Esther! Now he threatens to send that girl to the Dark Chasm?! Along with Ciana?! And Tidur…
Adalgiso closed his eyes. He remembered too well; how sullen and reserved Tidur grew to be, after being boisterous and cheerful for so long. The bruises and welts on her face. He remembered hearing her screaming and crying almost every day from the Sheikh's living quarters in the Garrison. How in just a few short years Sloan Faakhir had turned from an exceptional leader with integrity into a tyrannical monster. It hadn't surprised anyone in the slightest when Tidur ran away and took her daughters with her.
I don't know what happened, but…Sloan Faakhir is truly not the same person anymore.
But Adalgiso simply ducked his head, and followed after the Sheikh.
Liberation Army Headquarters
When Daunte entered Oboro's office, he tried not to be so surprised to see it bustling with activity. Five nondescript detectives had joined the Army, and they were talking amongst themselves or writing reports. Shou for his part was lounging on one of the couches and he looked to be asleep. When Oboro saw Daunte, his face brightened and he waved him inside. "Ah, my Lord! Come in, come in!"
Shou slowly moved his legs off the couch as Daunte took a seat on it. Oboro motioned to another detective, who rushed off to prepare tea. "What brings you here, my Lord?"
"I wanted to reach out to you about finding potential recruits," Daunte said. "You've probably heard, but in a couple of days we're going to be departing for the Northern Continent to visit the Toran Republic."
"Yes, I've heard," Oboro said. "Considering the great distance between us, I'm afraid I have no information about potential recruits from the North."
"That's okay. I don't expect to find any new recruits up there anyways."
"Oh, but you never know my Lord. You'd be surprised how open-minded people can be."
Daunte shrugged. "I don't know if people on the Northern Continent would be interested in a civil war on the Southern Continent. But I'll keep an open mind."
"To answer your question, yes; I do have some potential recruits for you." Oboro waved his hand, and one of his detectives handed him a report. He flipped it open. "I would recommend that you pay another visit to the Dark Chasm."
"Have they reopened it?!" Daunte demanded, feeling a slight sting of fear.
Oboro shook his head. "Since we've broken all the equipment there, I don't see how the Theocracy could reopen it. But this report says to stop by there."
"A preteen girl has been loitering there for a few days," Shou interjected bluntly. "Last I saw she was standing at the bottom of the mineshaft, looking at her surroundings in amazement. When I spoke to her, she just kept commenting on how unbelievable it was that the place was closed." He shrugged. "She might be a survivor of the place."
Daunte nodded to this. "I'll definitely talk to her. Anything else?"
"Oh yes." Oboro flipped the page. "It's been recommended that you stop by the town of Žiak."
Daunte went still. "Žiak? The university town?"
Oboro nodded. "You might find something interesting in the southeast portion of the town."
"Is it safe to go to Žiak?" Daunte asked. "The University of Žiak is the second most prestigious school in Nagarea, behind the Holy School in the capital. Many elitists go there for school. The security must be intense there."
Oboro smiled at him. "You've very well informed, Daunte."
"Well, my mom transferred from the Holy School to the University of Žiak when she was in school. I remember her saying that Žiak's school was not as intense as the Holy School, so it's more popular for rich families. I imagine having so many politically important people in one spot would have a lot of security."
"There should be no problem in you entering the town proper," Oboro said. "The school in the center of town is an entirely different manner, but this report said that you could find a potential recruit in the town proper, so you should have nothing to worry about."
Daunte nodded to this. "Anything else?"
"Yes." Oboro flipped the page. "There is an island due north of the Northern Wharf. You will find a person of interest on the south beach. There is also a recommendation that you travel west on the island all the way to the cliffs. You will find something of interest there as well."
"So the Dark Chasm, Žiak, and an island," Daunte summarized. "Thank you so much for your hard work, everyone."
"Anytime, my Lord," Oboro said, smiling.
Daunte reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Would you mind running some investigations on my allies as well?"
"Certainly. Who do you have in mind?"
Before reporting to the war room, Daunte made the rounds around HQ. The Falenans had successfully integrated themselves with the Army, and while they were still distinguishable by their Falenan uniforms they all seemed to get along well with the Liberation Army soldiers. Surya had taken up residence in the main building on the same floor as Daunte, along with Mokuren. Both Silvano and Israfil had taken rooms in the empty building due south of the main building on the second floor. In the southwest building on the second floor, Mooney had set up his whittling shop opposite of Eliasen's currency conversion shop. In a third room, the largest room on the floor, Daunte had found that the figurines he'd bought from Mooney were arranged on five platforms surrounding the room. He realized that using this room would allow for him to keep track of the figurines he was purchasing. To ensure he wouldn't buy the same figurine twice, and so he would know when he'd completed a set.
Daunte steered himself towards the main building, though his eyes went towards the stairs leading down into the cavern. Ever since Sierra publicly admitted she was a vampire, most everyone avoided her. Not that they were approaching her beforehand anyway, but the knowledge she an undead mistress definitely put people on edge. Sierra for her part was perfectly content to be left alone, and Nash similarly kept to his wife's side. Daunte however did not want to put her off (or make it seem like he was afraid of her), so he made an effort to check on the couple every now and then. Sierra seemed annoyed by Daunte's visits and openly expressed her annoyance, but Daunte noticed that there wasn't a lot of bite in her tone whenever she admonished him for stopping by. So…So maybe she did appreciate the Liberation Army leader looking in on them?
Regardless, Daunte trusted her when she said she was not a danger. And though she admitted to using humans as prey, Daunte also believed her when she said she hadn't killed anyone while feeding for the last few centuries. Though knowing that True Runes were sentient, Daunte wondered of the Blue Moon Rune was content with simply being attached to its mistress's hand and not being used to its full potential.
Well given what Sierra has told me, I'm glad it's NOT being used to its full potential.
Daunt hiked up the stairs of the main building to the fifth floor. He spotted Yuber standing by himself, per usual. "Good morning," he offered.
Per usual, Yuber did not respond.
Daunte entered the war room and was greeted by the usual familiar faces; Caesar, Gunther, Allise, Eamon, Varnaz, Keiran Surya, Mokuren, Silvano, Israfil, and others. Caesar was grinning as everyone saluted Daunte, but Daunte noted the apprehension in several faces and he knew that they had some inclination about what was being planned for Daunte.
"All right, let's get right to the point," Caesar announced. "In a few days we're going to be taking a trip up to the Northern Continent—"
"Isn't this a rather reckless venture while we're in the middle of war?" Eamon asked. "Traveling to the Northern Continent is not the same as traveling to Falena. You were all gone for a week when you went to Falena. You'll be lucky to reach the Northern Continent within a week by boat!"
"And Viki already said she can't teleport you outside of Nagarea's borders," Allise said. "If our Commander is gone for an extended period of time, and the Theocracy finds out about it, they will bring all of their forces down upon us."
"I understand everyone's concerns," Caesar said, raising his hands. "But none of you have anything to worry about. I've planned this out carefully. If everything goes according, we should be back in about a month."
"How is such a thing possible?" Keiran asked. "Mihr has told me that it took him almost two months to reach Nagarea from the Northern Continent."
"Well, our method of travel will be an…unconventional one." Caesar shrugged. "For one thing, we're not going to be making the journey by boat."
"You won't?" Varnaz asked.
"We won't?" Daunte asked at the same time.
"Due north of Nagarea is an island inhabited by an inventor. The inventor's name is Hero, and he's been working on an invention for the last sixteen years based on ancient blueprints linked to the Sindar race."
"The Sindar race?!" Reis burst into the room and advanced upon Caesar. "Where are these blueprints you mentioned?! I must see them now!"
"I don't have them," Caesar said. "But if you're interested, you can come with us to the island to meet Hero. We'll be heading to the Northern Continent from there."
Reis made a face. "The Northern Continent? But my research here isn't done yet!"
"Well, I don't know what to tell you then." Caesar turned to Daunte. "As far as I know, Hero has not run any tests with this invention of his. But there should be no harm in paying him a visit and seeing the contraption firsthand, right?"
Daunte nodded. "Oboro advised me to go this island anyway to find recruits. I don't mind stopping by there to look around."
"When it is time for you to travel to the Northern Continent, I would like to come with you," Silvano said, stepping forward. "I received a letter from Kaylani. She's traveled to the Northern Continent for a diplomatic mission, however it was her wish to visit my parents and introduce them to our son. I would like to meet up with all of them."
"Absolutely," Daunte said, nodding. "I think Sharon is from the Toran Republic as well, so I'll ask if she wants to come. Keiran, you mentioned that Mihr is from the Northern Continent, right? Is—"
"Yes, he's from Toran as well."
Daunte looked out over his allies. "I know all of you are concerned about my taking this journey. However, I think it's beneficial that I experience the working of governments other than a Theocracy."
"You won't maintain a Theocracy for our government?" Varnaz asked with surprise.
"I don't blame you," Gunther muttered.
"What I think is best," Daunte said. "Is for me to understand other forms of government, and to compare them to our Theocracy to determine what would be best for Nagarea."
"Well…it does seem more practical for you to do this now as opposed to at the end of the war," Allise said. "If you wait until after we win, then the entire country would be at a standstill while you try and figure out how to rule."
Daunte stiffened. There. They do expect me to rule after the war is over.
"I've sent word to Toran so you may meet with President Lepant," Caesar said. "Don't expect him to spill any secrets to you, but he sounded enthusiastic in his letter to meet you."
"Before we leave, I want to follow up on Oboro's leads and find recruits," Daunte said. "Then I want to make sure everything will be taken care of here while we're gone."
Mihr was outside having a duel with Jantu when Daunte went looking for him. Keiran accompanied him as well. All around the small arena everyone was shouting and holding handfuls of paper money. Daunte saw that the soldiers were holding both bits and Potch.
Jantu said something and lunged at Mihr. It looked like he was performing a deathblow. But Mihr sidestepped him and landed a heavy blow on the Kobold with his wooden sword. Jantu grunted, took two steps, and fell heavily to his knees. After a moment he said, "I yield."
The soldiers surrounding the arena shouted, either in joy or outrage. Several threw their money onto the ground, and Yaman was quick to scoop it all up while cackling. "Mihr is the winner! Fork over your money!"
"I'm surprised how lenient you are with gambling, Lord Daunte," Keiran said, though there was a hint of humor in his tone.
Daunte shrugged. "It keeps everyone entertained, so why not?" his smile faded when some of the gambling soldiers suddenly broke out into fights. "Hey, hold on a mom—"
"Pull yourselves together!" Keiran snapped, surging forward. He grabbed two men by their collars and separated them effortlessly. Both Jantu and Mihr also joined in to separate fighters. "How dare you act so shamefully in front of our Commander!"
The fights immediately stopped as the soldiers became aware of Daunte's presence. Daunte suddenly felt embarrassed as the soldiers converged upon him, apologizing profusely and pleading for mercy. All he could do was sputter that everything was okay, and that this shouldn't happen again. While this was going on, Yaman continued to scoop up discarded bits and Potch while cackling to himself. He swept down to grab some more bills, only to encounter Jantu's foot. The Kobold frowned down at him with open disapproval. "How much of this money is from losing parties, and how much is it are from soldiers who won the bet?"
Yaman twitched, and laughed nervously. "Ah…you see…"
"Good morning, my Lord." As the nervous soldiers dispensed, Mihr approached Daunte and Keiran and saluted. "How are things?"
"Good," Daunte said. "I actually wanted to speak to you about something."
"Let us return to the main building so that we may speak in private," Keiran said. Daunte saw that Jantu was forcing Yaman to return money to specific soldiers and nodded. "Yes, let's."
They went back to the main building and entered the room Keiran and Mihr shared. Daunte and Keiran took a seat at the table. Mihr found his sword, Nariek, and brought it to the table. He unsheathed the sword and began to carefully clean it.
"I—" Daunte began.
"You would like me to accompany you on your trip to the Northern Continent," Mihr said stoically, not looking up from his task.
Daunte blinked, and nodded. "A-Ah, yes. I thought that since I'll be visiting your home country, that if you want the opportunity to visit home I should extend the invitation to you."
"That's very kind of you, my Lord, but I'm going to have to decline."
"What?" Daunte asked reflexively. He looked at Keiran, but the former Sheikh also looked surprised. "Are you sure?"
"My obligations are here, my Lord, not at the place of my birth," Mihr told him, finally looking up. "I do intend to return to Toran someday, when I am worthy of returning."
Worthy? This only puzzled Daunte. "Y…You're not worthy now?"
"No."
Daunte didn't know what to say to this, and looked again to Keiran for assistance. Keiran folded his arms over his chest and gave Mihr a leveled look. "After everything you've accomplished, and after everything you've done for me, I believe you've earned the right to face your brethren, Mihr."
"Are you going on this trip then, sir?" Mihr asked him, looking at him.
Keiran glanced at Daunte. "Ah…I hope you'll forgive me, Lord Daunte, but I don't intend on leaving Nagarea yet."
Daunte was about to speak, but Mihr cut him off. "Then I'm not leaving either."
"So your leaving hinges on whether or not I leave?" Keiran asked. His tone had become razor sharp, and he rose from his seat.
Mihr said nothing. Keiran turned to Daunte. The anger in his expression gave Daunte pause. "My Lord, you'll have to excuse us."
"R-Right," Daunte said, quickly getting up. He left the room, and the door barely closed when he heard Keiran raised his voice with muted words. He felt a spike of concern, but as he turned he almost ran into Lanny, who wore a neutral expression. "Don't worry about it, my Lord. Everyone looks up to Mihr, but his stoicism even gets on Lord Keiran's nerves from time to time. Lord Keiran has to remind him a lot that he's still human."
"I…see," Daunte said. He shook his head and left to venture back outside. Well, Mihr is not an option for right now. Maybe Sharon would like to come with us?
To his surprise, as he ventured down into the underground cavern, Sharon was very enthusiastic about going back to Toran.
"Oh, definitely!" she said, standing up. At her feet Suna was playing with Azul. Daunte was stunned by how much the blue baby dragon was growing. "I should report to Mom about how I wasn't able to find any Dragon Knights here! And she'll want to meet Azul, too!" she knelt down to join the dragons in their play. "When do we go?"
"Caesar said a few days," Daunte said. "In the meantime, I'm going to follow leads Oboro gave me to find some recruits here in Nagarea before I go."
Sharon looked up at him then. "Hey…can we come with you on the recruitment quest? I'm having another…feeling."
Daunte stilled. "I-Is it the same as when we found Azul?"
Sharon nodded. "Maybe…Maybe there's another dragon egg somewhere that we need to find?"
"Then we should definitely look for it before it hatches," Daunte said. "We're going to a town first and then the Dark Chasm, so I don't think it will be in either place. But we'll also be heading to the island with the inventor as well, so I'll take the three of you with me then."
"Sounds good. Thank you, Lord Daunte!"
Daunte nodded and turned to leave. He walked headlong into Nash, who was grinning. "Oh, here you are!"
"How can I help you?" Daunte asked.
"I heard you'll be going to Toran in a few days to study their government," Nash said. "I would also recommend that you go to Harmonia as well."
"How far is Harmonia from Toran?"
"Oh…there's a quite a distance. But—"
"I would love to visit Harmonia, but I don't want to be away from Nagarea for too long," Daunte said. "I'll suggest it to Caesar for another trip."
Nash shrugged. "Fair enough. But if you're going out, may I come with you? I'm afraid it's been quite a while since I was away from this place."
"Are you also inviting Sierra?"
Nash shook his head. "My missus needs her rest."
Daunte almost asked if it was safe to leave Sierra by herself, but he realized that was very rude and remained silent. But Nash still leaned forward. "It may not appear so, but you would actually be safer with her than with me."
"…What does that mean?" Daunte asked quietly.
"Don't worry, it's not a threat. Just a statement." Nash turned and walked away, waving at Daunte over his shoulder. "Come, let's go."
Daunte shook his head, but followed Nash without another word.
Daunte went to Caesar to assemble his party. Since Nash was already with him he added Nash. He also added Felicity, Roen, Gunther, and Shou. Shou was incredibly annoyed at having been summoned, but voiced little complaints. Then they went down to see Viki and requested to be teleported to the Dark Chasm.
"She's all the way at the bottom," Shou said bluntly, pointing down the shaft. Daunte looked over the side and indeed saw a small form moving around the Lower Tier.
"So all she's been doing is wandering around down there for the last few days?" Felicity asked. "Where does she sleep? How does she eat?"
"If she survived the Dark Chasm, I'm sure she would find a way," Roen said.
They reached the Lower Tier, and Daunte surveyed the girl looking at her surroundings. She looked to be thirteen years old, and her long black hair was tied in two pigtails on both sides of her head, and her dark eyes were wide with amazement. She wore a purple Hmong dress, the sleeves coming down to her elbows and the skirt to her knees, and black flat shoes. She barely stirred when Daunte approached her. "Hello."
"Can you believe this?" she asked him breathlessly. She giggled with delight. "It's gone! It's really gone! This horrible place was destroyed?"
"So you are a survivor of the Dark Chasm?" Felicity asked her. "Why weren't you with the other children?"
"Other children?" the girl asked. "What do you mean?"
"I'm Daunte of the Liberation Army," Daunte introduced himself. "And we liberated the Dark Chasm."
The girl shrieked, and slapped both hands against her mouth. "It was you? You?! That's incredible! Thank you so much!"
"Why didn't you come back to our headquarters with us?" Roen asked her.
The girl shook her head. "Oh, I haven't been here in over a year. I escaped."
"Escaped?!" the group shouted.
"Yes, escaped," she replied nonchalantly.
"How did you escape from this place?" Daunte asked.
"Oh, that's simple. Watch!" the girl suddenly flicked her left wrist. There was an explosion of light in front of Daunte's face and he shouted, covering his face. The other party members quickly moved to defend him, but he shook his head. "I'm fine, I'm fine!"
"Yoo-hoo!" came a call from above them. The group slowly looked up and saw the girl waving down to them. But she wasn't merely a Tier above them, no—she was sitting on the edge of Tier Three!
"H-How did you do that?!" Felicity exclaimed.
"Ah ah!" the girl chided, wagging her finger at them. "That's a secret. But the Trick Rune can do many things!"
"Trick Rune?" Shou echoed. He frowned. "Do you mean the Gadget Rune?"
"No, the Trick Rune!" the girl corrected him.
"What does the Trick—or Gadget—Rune do?" Gunther asked.
"It's related to mechanical beings," Shou said. "Yet she used it for some sort of parlor trick?"
"It's not a parlor trick!" the girl said indignantly. Now she was back down on the Lower Tier. "It helped me to escape!"
"I'd heard, before you three escaped," Gunther said. "That only one child had ever escaped from the Dark Chasm. It was undoubtedly this girl."
"What's your name?" Daunte asked her.
"Oh, my name?" the girl gestured to herself. "My name is Xi An. And even though my stay in the Dark Chasm was short, I'm very thankful to you for liberating it."
"In that case, would you be interested in joining my Army?" Daunte asked. He quickly explained the mission goal of the Liberation Army to Xi An, who nodded eagerly. "Of course I'll join you! It's the least I can do to repay you!"
"That Rune of yours might come in handy as well," Gunther said.
"Would you like to come with us, or—" Daunte began.
Xi An waved a dismissive hand. "I know where to go! And I bet I'll beat you all back there! See you later!" and in a flash she was gone.
The group was left standing there a little stunned. Then Shou said, "Can we go back now?"
Daunte had never traveled to Žiak before, but he knew that it was roughly 8 kilometers west of K'alak'i Patieba, which he had been to. They used the Blinking Mirror to return to HQ, and Shou promptly disappeared and left Daunte short a party member. But he didn't let it bother him and simply went back up to see Caesar. Daunte was curious about Xi An's combat abilities and requested that she join. Once she arrived, they went back downstairs and had Viki teleport them to K'alak'i Patieba.
"Maybe we should check on the tradesman?" Roen asked, pointing to Kin's post.
Daunte shrugged. "Sure. But I haven't really traded anything so I don't know if we made a difference on the market. Was it soy sauce he was talking about before?"
"Rice," Gunther said. "Allise did some rice trading on her own anyway, so let's see if that made a difference."
Unfortunately, Kin did not have good news for them. "The price of rice has skyrocketed even more! Now it's 5,000 bits! Oh, we must balance the trade of rice or else it will never go back down in price!"
Daunte saw that he was selling three bags of rice. He reluctantly parted with 15,000 bits and the group heaved the bags over their shoulders. "We'll sell them once we get to Žiak," Daunte said, grunting a little. "Hopefully we'll turn a profit."
"We actually might lose money by doing this," Gunther said. "But hopefully these three bags will make an impact on the market."
After leaving K'alak'i Patieba and heading west to Žiak, Daunte suddenly felt foolish about his impulse buy. The bags of rice were heavy and slowed them down, and it made combat very difficult. Xi An however demonstrated that despite her young age she was capable of holding her own. She moved quickly in battle, and utilized her Trick Rune and unleashed mechanical dolls upon the boars and the wolves and DoReMi elves they encountered. Daunte still took a fully blast in the head from one of the elves, and his vision was flooded with music notes for well over an hour afterwards.
It was late into the afternoon by the time they arrived in Žiak, and by this time the afternoon classes had finished. The scholarly city of twenty-thousand residents was full of activity, as the elitist students milled around the streets, talking and gossiping amongst themselves. It made traveling the city very difficult, however with the sheer number of students out on the streets it certainly brought less attention to Daunte's group.
In the center of the city was Žiak University. It was a tall and very imposing building, twenty stories high and so pristine white that it was almost blinding to look at it on a sunny day. Daunte vaguely remembered the stories that Phoebe had told about, being a student of the University. She had mentioned her favorite class was on the seventeenth floor and she was lucky enough to have a seat next to the window. She took great pleasure is looking outside and observing the people below her, and—
"—completely asinine!"
"Chinmaya, please!"
Daunte looked over his shoulder. There was a grouping of four teenaged girls nearby. Three wore think pink veils with matching shapeless dresses, but the fourth wore a maroon-colored thin veil and matching shapeless dress. Under the veil her hair was chestnut brown and tied in several bantu knots on her head. She looked positively furious and her violet eyes were hard.
"I won't be silenced!" she declared loudly. "They're losing! They're losing this war to a bunch of foreigners but they're too blind and stupid to see it!"
"Chinmaya!" another girl pleaded, grabbing Chinmaya's sleeve. "Please keep your voice down! You'll be arrested if the soldiers become annoyed by you!"
"I'm speaking the truth!" Chinmaya said harshly, pulling free. "For the last three years I've been top of my class! I have the second-highest grades in the history of Žiak University! Only Phoebe Amirmoez had higher marks than me!" Daunte flinched at hearing his mother's name.
"Phoebe Amirmoez was a murderer and a traitor!" another girl spoke up.
"Phoebe Amirmoez was a genius," Chinmaya said. "Just like how I am a genius! And how has the university rewarded me? How has the Theocracy rewarded me?! They've held me back a grade for the last two years! They've denied me the ability to graduate just because other students aren't doing as well as I am! And! And they passed me over to become Sheikh! Just because I didn't come from a family of Clerics like Tamara Nuori did! If they had selected me to be Sheikh instead of her, then the southwestern provinces wouldn't be in the state that they're in now!"
"What's the commotion over here?" a soldier in silver uniform advanced upon the girls, frowning deeply. But Chinmaya returned his gaze with a look of angry defiance.
"N-Nothing," another girl stammered. She grabbed Chinmaya by the hand. "We're sorry for raising our voices. Come, we must get ready for our evening classes!" the girl took off running back towards the school. Chinmaya however still did not look happy.
"Well, she certainly has spirit," Gunther said, grinning.
"She certainly has a high enough opinion of her skills," Nash added.
"But she indicated that she wants the Theocracy to win the civil war," Felicity said. She looked to Daunte. "Let's forget about her for now."
Daunte nodded. "She's going back to the university anyway, so we won't be able to approach her regardless."
"Where did Oboro say we should be looking for the new recruit?" Roen asked.
"In the southeast section of town," Daunte said. "Let's take a look in that direction."
As they headed towards the southeast, Daunte noticed that the grouping of people was getting thicker. It was difficult weaving through the crowds. Up ahead, he saw a large building with a sign out front, indicating that it was a tavern and a restaurant. Daunte's heart leapt, remembering that he'd wanted to look for a chef to feed his Army and to alleviate the workload for Tidur. Unsurprisingly, the crowds in front of the tavern/restaurant was massive as everyone waited in-line to get inside.
"If our potential recruit is a cook, then this is a very good sign," Gunther said, motioning to the line.
"But how do we expect to get into the building?" Felicity asked.
"Oh, I can help," Xi An said, grinning. "Come over here."
The group crowded around Xi An. She gave a flick of her wrist, and Daunte saw a brief flash of light. Less than a second later, they were no longer outside but rather inside the overcrowded tavern/restaurant. Luckily, the crowds of people inside did not notice their sudden appearance. The smell of food immediately made Daunte's stomach growl.
"Patience, everyone, patience! There's plenty of food to go around!"
Daunte looked towards the front counter. He saw a hibachi sizzling with food, and beside it was a counter where a young man in his late teens to early twenties was quickly preparing and rolling sushi rolls. His short silver hair was swallowed up by a tall black chef's hat, and his dark eyes were narrowed in concentration. He wore a black chef's jacket with a white apron around his waist. The rest of his body was hidden by the counter, but Daunte could assume he was wearing black pants.
"Come, let's go try his food," Gunther said. To Daunte's relief, nobody seemed to care that they were cutting the line and moved to stand right in front of the chef. The chef saw them and grinned. "Welcome, welcome! I have traveled all the way from Black Dragon Island to offer you the best cuisine on the Southern Continent!"
Black Dragon Island? Daunte wondered, but Nash quickly stepped forward. "Oh, so you're part of the Black Dragon Clan!" he looked to Daunte. "The chefs of the Black Dragon Clan are the best in the entire world."
"You're very well informed!" the chef laughed. "My name is Yasaka, and I came to Nagarea to spread the joy of my cooking! What would you like me to prepare?"
Daunte was unfamiliar with sushi rolls and allowed the others to select the food. They sat at the counter and dug in to the food. He noted that Nash did not take any food. Upon eating the sushi, he was stunned by the amazing flavor. Everything was perfect—the seaweed wasn't slimy or salty, the white rice was perfectly seasoned, and the fish wasn't rotten or sour. He couldn't help but smile as he finished eating.
"How was it?" Yasaka asked. He briefly left the counter to address the group.
Daunte answered honestly. "This is the best sushi I've ever eaten." It was the only sushi he'd ever eaten, but he was sure that no other sushi would ever compare to this.
Yasaka seemed genuinely touched by his praise. "It brings me joy to know that my food brings joy. May I ask you a question?"
Daunte looked up at him. "Sure, what is it?"
"Have you ever heard of the 'divine fish'?"
"Divine fish?" Daunte asked. He shook his head and looked at the others. "I've never heard of it. Have any of you?"
Everyone answered in negative. Yasaka sighed sadly. "That is another reason that I came here. I've been looking for the divine fish for several years now. It is a key ingredient to a recipe lost to the Black Dragon Clan."
"Oh!" Nash perked up, startling the others. "Are you talking about the Blue Moon Bird Recipe?"
"Exactly!" Yasaka exclaimed, pointing. "That's exactly what I'm talking about! How do you know about it?"
Nash shrugged. "My missus said that during the Dunan Unification War she was dragged onto a food tasting panel and forced to eat some food she didn't like. According to her, the chefs who participated kept spouting off about the Blue Moon Bird recipe. Ultimately the Army chef ripped the recipe to pieces."
"I know," Yasaka said sadly. "That recipe was a treasured gem of our clan, and it's been lost forever. I've been trying to reconstruct the recipe based on stories I've heard about it. The divine fish has been the most prevalent ingredient discussed amongst the Clan regarding the recipe, and it's the only ingredient I don't have!" he groaned and pressed his hands into his hands. "If only I had the divine fish…then my reconstruction of the Blue Moon Bird recipe will be complete, and I can unleash the happiness of the recipe!"
Daunte slowly set his chopsticks down. He'd wanted to try and recruit Yasaka, as he was now certain that this was whom Oboro had been referring to. But he knew by the man's distress that he would not budge without receiving the divine fish to complete the elusive recipe.
But what is the divine fish? And where can I find it? I'll need to look into this more.
It was nightfall by the time they'd returned to HQ. Daunte immediately sought out Oboro to talk to him about the divine fish, but unfortunately the detective did not have anything useful to offer, other than to seek out a potential recruit on the beaches of the island north of the Northern Wharf. It was the island Caesar said the inventor was living on, and it was the destination they were going to anyways, so Daunte knew he may as well explore the island before meeting the inventor.
The following morning, before dawn, Daunte went to see Caesar to assemble his party. He chose Sharon, Suna, Azul (who was not physically capable of fighting), Allise, Lysander, and Lanny for his party. Then they went down to the underground cavern to sail up towards the Northern Wharf. As like before they faced no obstacles sailing, and reached north just a few short hours later. From there, they sailed directly north towards the island and Daunte's heart was pounding in his throat. He was extremely curious to see what the inventor may have on the island that would get them to the Northern Continent in a short period of time. But he did not want to meet the inventor without Caesar and so he quelled his curiosity and focused more on finding the recruits on the island.
It was early afternoon by the time they reached the island. They tied the boat to a worn out pier and walked out onto the sand. Daunte quickly looked around, knowing that the next potential recruit was somewhere on this beach, and spotted someone ten meters away. The group made their way towards the person, as they got closer Daunte was able to distinguish their features. It was a man, looking to be forty-five years old, who was darkly tanned and dressed in a blue fisherman's outfit. A harpoon was standing straight up sticking out of the sand. He was looking at his fishing boat, tied to a second pier, and he looked to be in deep thought. His dark hair had several streaks of grey in it, his face had deep wrinkled, but his blue eyes looked lively.
"Hello," Daunte said when they got close enough to the man.
"Hello!" the man greeted them eagerly, grinning. "My name is Bohai. I'm the best fisherman you'll ever meet in Nagarea!"
Daunte waited for him to give more of an introduction, but he didn't. Daunte coughed awkwardly. "I'm Daunte, leader of the Liberation Army. Would you be interested in joining us?"
Bohai thought about this for a long moment. "Liberation Army, huh? Well…the Theocracy is causing a lot of trouble. They've made fishing very difficult for me."
"So you'll join?" Lysander asked.
"…Perhaps," Bohai said vaguely. Suddenly his grin widened. "How about this: would you be interested in a fishing challenge?"
"Fishing challenge?" Lanny echoed, making a face.
"We'll get into our boats and fish for as many fish as we can within a specific time limit," Bohai said. "If you nab more fish than me, then I'll join you. If you don't, then…" he shrugged.
"Hold on," Sharon said sharply. "Isn't fishing a timely process? This could take hours!"
"Oh, you don't know these waters like I do. Once you get to the right spot, you'd be surprised by how many fish you could nab! Why, one day I managed to get twenty different fishes in ninety seconds!"
"EH?!" everyone shouted.
"So, what do you say?" Bohai asked Daunte, winking. "Do you think you can fish better than me?"
Daunte only vaguely remembered fishing with his father years ago, but he didn't want to back down from this challenge. He slowly nodded. "All right."
"Since ninety is my lucky number, that's how long we'll fish for," Bohai said, heading towards his boat. "Whoever gets the most fish in ninety seconds wins!"
"B-But who's gonna keep track of time?!" Lanny sputtered.
Bohai shrugged. "One of you can."
The process seemed confusing, but Bohai was kind enough to give Daunte an extra fishing rod. The rest of the party stayed on the beach while Bohai and Daunte rowed out by themselves onto the ocean. Daunte's heart was pounding, and he nodded stiffly at Bohai's enthusiastic wave from 700 meters away.
"Get ready!" Lanny shouted from the beach. Daunte was surprised he could hear him. "And…GO!"
Someone whistled, and Daunte threw the line out. To his shock a fish immediately nipped the bait. He was so surprised that he lost the fish. But he tried not to let it discourage him. Seconds later another fish nipped the line and he was able to catch it.
The ninety seconds seemed to stretch on. Daunte kept having to move the boat because fish were quickly moving on. But he remained focused and tried to keep catching fish. Almost all of them looked like horse mackerels, but one fish was blindingly white with sparkling eyes. Its appearance startled Daunte so much he almost dropped it into the water! But he regained his composure and tossed it into the barrel on the boat.
"TIME'S UP!" Lanny suddenly shouted. Daunte immediately tossed down his fishing line, and to his relief he saw Bohai do the same. Both of them rowed back to shore, and dread settled in Daunte's stomach. In ninety seconds he'd only caught nine fish. Not even half of Bohai's best record.
"All right, let's see how we did!" Bohai laughed, carrying his barrel over. Daunte ducked his head as he presented his barrel first. "How many do you have, Daunte?"
"Nine," Allise counted. Sharon had to physically restrain Suna and Azul to prevent them from nabbing the fish.
"Ah, good haul!" Bohai said, revealing nothing on his face. He set his barrel down. "Here's what I have!"
Allise moved over and counted his fish in silence. Daunte held his breath as he waited. Allise looked and looked at Daunte. "Six fish."
Daunte gaped at her. The rest of the party cheered. "You won! You won!"
"You won," Bohai agreed, nodding. "So I'll keep my word. I'll join the Liberation Army."
"We're happy to have you," Daunte said, shaking his hand. Well now, I have someone who can catch fish for us. And I guess these fishing contests will keep the Army amused.
"Oh!" Bohai shouted as he looked into Daunte's barrel. "Look what you have there!" he indicated the white fish.
"Do you know what t-that's called?" Lysander asked.
Bohai nodded. "That's a divine fish. It's very lucky you caught that on your first try! It's one of the best tasted fishes in the entire world, but they're so hard to catch! No wonder you beat me!"
Daunte was stunned. I found the divine fish already? He shook his head. Well, I won't waste this opportunity. I might not be able to catch another one again.
"Everyone, gather around," Daunte said, yanking out the Blinking Mirror. "I'll take us back to headquarters."
"Must we leave now?" Sharon asked. "I have a feeling we're going to find something amazing here!"
"I understand," Daunte said. "But I need to hand over this fish as soon as possible."
Sharon nodded her understanding, but she looked disappointed. "Just…don't forget to bring us back here, okay?"
Bohai quickly set up his fishing boat for fishing contests just outside the underground cavern. Daunte assembled another party of Lysander, Roen, Felicity, Surya, and Mokuren. And after hesitating for a moment, he decided to bring Arin with him for support as well. Then they went to Viki and were teleported to Žiak. Daunte didn't waste any time; he took the divine fish and went straight to the tavern/restaurant to give it to Yasaka. Luckily there were no lines today, so they were able to go straight in and Daunte handed over the fish.
Yasaka, predictably, was over the moon.
"You've done it!" he cried out. "The final piece of the puzzle! Now I can make the Blue Moon Bird recipe! Now I can bring joy!" he motioned to the group. "Here, come to the party room. I'll make this especially for all of you! You'll be the first in a very, very long time to try this recipe!"
They were guided to an empty party room and seated before Yasaka hurried off. Arin was very excited about trying the food, and everyone else showed mild interest.
"He kind of reminds me of the chef Mom used to talk about," Surya mused aloud. "During the Falenan Civil War I guess they had a passionate chef, and he worked with his daughter."
"Did they mention this recipe?" Felicity asked.
Surya shrugged. "I don't know."
"I-I'll just be glad to eat any food," Lysander said softly.
Minutes later, Yasaka brought out a large tray and set it on the table. He then took a seat at the table, also eager to try the Blue Moon Bird recipe. Daunte looked at the tray closely. It reminded him of the sushi Yasaka had prepared before, but the divine fish still looked raw. There was also rice, and various colorful roots and vegetables on the tray.
"Help yourself!" Yasaka said eagerly. "This is a masterpiece that must be shared!"
The group helped themselves to the meal. Daunte took the fish and the vegetables between his chopsticks and ate it. He was stunned by the sudden rush of euphoria that came over him, and he almost dropped his chopsticks. He looked at the others, and…it was strange. They all seemed to be glowing as they ate the food. He took another bite and almost became dizzy by the surge of emotions. It was the most surreal experience of his life. Not even his first real meal after escaping the Dark Chasm ever invoked such feelings inside of him.
I can see why Yasaka sought to recreate this recipe.
"This is incredible!" Arin sighed. "The best food I've ever tasted!"
"Haaa," Mokuren giggled, falling into Surya.
"This type of food would definitely keep morale high with the Army," Felicity said.
Daunte looked to Yasaka, and paused. Yasaka was the only person at the table who wasn't glowing or reacting with glee. The tips of his chopsticks were pressed against his closed mouth, and he looked…displeased. Finally, he shook his head and set his chopsticks down. "No. No, this isn't right."
"Eh?" the group responded.
"This inspires wonderful feelings, but I'm not feeling the full power of the meal," Yasaka complained. "And the flavor—the flavor is off. Oh, I can't believe I messed up such a wonderful recipe so terribly!" he hung his head in shame. "I'm a disgrace to the Black Dragon Clan! I can't ever show them my face again!"
Daunte gaped at him. He honestly saw nothing wrong with the dish, and he thought Yasaka had made it perfectly considering he'd based his style and ingredients on rumors. He couldn't find a single flaw in this recipe, but it was apparently far from flawless?
"I don't even deserve to cook here, at this establishment!" Yasaka said dramatically. "All my posturing and ego—this is my punishment for believing I was truly better than I am!"
"Excuse me," Daunte said. "But I think this is perfect and doesn't need changes."
Yasaka shook his head. "You're far too kind, but it needs work. I need to work harder to recreate the Blue Moon Bird recipe. Otherwise I'm a failure as a chef!"
"In that case, why not come to work at our headquarters?" Surya said. "You'll find plenty of soldiers who'd be more than willing to try anything you experiment with."
"Headquarters?" Yasaka looked up. "What do you mean?"
Daunte quickly explained who he was and the Liberation Army. Yasaka's eyes lit up. "Yes…Yes, of course! After everyone you've done, I can do no better than to offer my services to you! I swear I will perfect the Blue Moon Bird recipe, and I will give your Army the best food anyone could ask for!"
"Thank you," Daunte said, reaching out to shake his hand. But Yasaka jumped up. "I-I must get ready to leave! Please take your time with your meal, as abysmal as it may be!" he ran from the room.
There was a long stretch of silence that followed. Daunte looked at the others, and looked at the food perfectly arranged on the tray. "Doesn't…Doesn't it seem like he's overreacting? I don't see anything wrong with this."
Investigations
Secret #1
Name: Surya Falenas
Age: 17
From: Sol-Falena, Falena
Position: member of the Queen's Knights (currently on-leave)
Secret #2
Surya is the son of the Commander and First Lieutenant of the Queen's Knights, Freyjadour and Lyon. While they got married not long after the Falenan Civil War, Surya was born eleven years after the war. They have trained him from an early age in the art of combat and diplomacy. While technically the oldest Prince of the Falenas royal family, Falena is a Queendom and so Surya is not in line for the throne. Which suits him just fine.
Secret #2
Surya appears to be perfect content with the lot he has in life. He has no aspirations to become Commander of the Queen's Knights, and the Lord Commander is not grooming him for command. Regardless he has had to endure accusations of nepotism because he was allowed to join the Queen's Knights at the age of sixteen. There are many in the populous who believe that sixteen is far too young to allow to join such a prestigious unit, and they believe he only got the position because of his parents. Isn't it curious that people believe such things, when Prince Freyjadour himself took command of the Queen's Knights as a teenager? But this sort of gossip has not deterred Surya. It only makes him want to work harder.
Secret #3
This may surprise you, but Surya considers you to be his best friend. Even more so than Mokuren, if you can believe that. Mokuren however is okay with this and even actively encourages your friendship. Just the other day we overheard Surya talking with Mokuren about some sort of adventure he wants to go on with you after the war is over. It seems he really missed you during the time you guys were apart. It looks like, even after the war, you'll be quite busy.
Investigations
Secret #1
Name: Mokuren
Age: 17
From: Rainfall, Falena
Position: Bodyguard to Prince Surya
Secret #2
Mokuren has a very eccentric nature that tends to put other people off. But for the most part it appears to just be a façade for people to deliberately underestimate her and to remain taken off-guard by her. She is in fact a very capable bodyguard to Surya and has saved his life on numerous occasions.
Secret #3
As you have been informed, Mokuren comes from the Barows family, which was once a prominent noble family in Falena. However, the reputation of the family was tarnished because of their treasonous actions that led to the loss of numerous lives. Mokuren's father Euram was one such individual, and to redeem himself he pledged his firstborn child to live in the service of the Falenan royal family. Mokuren was this child, and after Euram insisted on the family taking his child Queen Lymsleia gave Mokuren to baby Surya to serve as his playmate and bodyguard. The rest is history.
Secret #4
Though Surya is a member of Falena's Queen's Knights, Mokuren is not an official member. She definitely has the skill for it, and it's not a matter of sexism that excludes her from the Knights. From what it looks like, there has been some resistance from the citizens of Falena of allowing someone from the Barows family to serve on the Queen's Knights. It's a shame that Mokuren's career advancement has been stunted due to the sins of her father, but she doesn't seem to mind.
Investigations
Secret #1
Name: Israfil Raulbel
Age: 27
From: Sable, Falena
Position: Captain of the Sable Defense Corps (currently on-leave)
Secret #2
Israfil serves under his father, Lord General Dinn, in the town of Sable's Defense Force in Falena. Despite his father's position, Israfil earned his rank with hard work, as you have undoubtedly seen in battle. Interestingly, his last name of Raulbel is not from Dinn, but from Dinn's wife, the lady Salisha. As he was born a commoner, Dinn didn't have a given surname. When he married Lady Salisha he adopted her last name as his own.
Secret #3
Can you believe that Israfil is the oldest of seven brothers? Seven! Most of them have scattered to the winds across Falena, taking up various military positions in Sol-Falena, Etrise, Doraat, and the like. There's a rumor going around that the youngest brother doesn't want to follow in his father and brothers' footsteps of fighting and is planning on going to Lunas to serve the Oracle there.
Secret #4
You probably already know this, but Israfil has been in love with Princess Archana since he was a young lad. But did you know that when Archana's husband Lord Darrick died of poisoning, that Israfil stood vigil by his body all night? Apparently Darrick's father was too emotionally distraught to go through with it, so Israfil volunteered to do it in his place. And he didn't even do it to curry favor with the Falenan royal family—he honestly did it because it was the right thing to do. It's very sad though that Israfil has not moved on from his feelings, considering Lady Archana has still not let go of her loss despite the end of her mourning period drawing to an end. I wish them both the best of luck.