Part Four

"…Right," Caesar sighed. "Pesmerga."

They had left the Great Hollow and were heading south through the Yaza Plain. A quick healing spell took care of the bruises around Daunte's throat from Pesmerga's grip. Roen and Felicity kept looking over their shoulders as if expecting Pesmerga to suddenly appear behind them. "This is my first time meeting him but I heard about him from the Gate Rune War and Dunan Unification War," Caesar continued. "He is a Black Knight and Yuber's mortal enemy. He joined Master Tir and Lord Riou's causes specifically to fight Yuber on the battlefield."

"Why didn't you warn us about him?" Varnaz asked harshly.

"Because I wasn't sure whether or not he would show up this time," Caesar explained. "He didn't show up during the Second Fire Bringer War when the situation was significantly more dire than the previous two wars. Plus our civil war was on the Southern Continent, and I'm not aware of any sightings of Pesmerga on the Southern Continent. I had a feeling that he may show up, but I wasn't entirely certain."

"So he wants to fight Yuber," Allise said. "Should we expect him to be our enemy? To side with the Theocracy against us?"

"No," Caesar said. "Pesmerga doesn't usually align with evil. This situation is different from previous instances because for once Yuber is fighting on the side of good. If we play our cards right…we may be able to get Pesmerga to join us."

"Join us?" Daunte asked. He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I'll accept him to our Army if he maintains peace with Yuber. He seems very powerful."

"I-Is it such a good idea forcing two archenemies to be allies?" Rico asked meekly. "They may fight at our headquarters…"

"It would be an interesting fight indeed," Fred said. "So long as they fight for justice against evil, I won't complain."

"Then I'll come back here at a later time," Daunte said. "With Yuber. Hopefully his encounter with Pesmerga will not be too deadly…"

"For who? Them or us?" Roen muttered.

"It will be okay," Arin said confidently. "You'll make the right choice, Brother…"

It was still mid-afternoon when they left the Yaza Plain and found a forked intersection before them; a path leading to the left and a path leading to the right. Daunte frowned. Which way should we go?

"Brass Castle is that way," Caesar said, pointing to the left path. "And Vinay del Zexay is that way." He pointed to the right. "Vinay del Zexay is further away and we would need to cross the Zexan Forest first before getting to the city, however Brass Castle is the last Zexan stronghold before the Grasslands. I would recommend heading to Vinay del Zexay first so we can see a federalist government in action. And buy more lottery tickets."

"I agree," Daunte said. He looked a this comrades. "We'll go to the Zexan capital first and stay for a day or two while I speak with Zexan Council. Then we'll come back this way heads towards the Grasslands."

"Sounds like a good plan," Felicity said.

"The city looked cool from the skyship," Arin said excitedly. "I can't wait to see it!"

"Will they be expecting our arrival today?" Allise asked.

"Don't worry, I made

It only took a couple of hours to transverse the Zexan Forest, as the monsters were actually a lighter threat than the ones on the Yaza Plain. Mostly just furflies and rabbid rabbits. Daunte had to guess that it was because of the forest's close proximity to a large city.

"Let's not go north for now," Caesar said when they came to a path branching to the right. "The last time I was here, a giant blue mantik was that way. Fighting it will take considerable amount of time."

Daunte nodded his understanding but made a note of the path and kept going.

It was late afternoon when they left the Zexan Forest and finally made their way towards Vinay del Zexay. Daunte saw the high walls of the port city first before he saw armored soldiers emerge from the city gates. Caesar didn't look concerned so Daunte didn't break stride.

Arin suddenly grabbed Daunte's hand and Daunte looked down at him. "What's wrong?"

"That lady," Arin said, his eyes widening. "She's so pretty!"

Lady? Daunte looked at the knights again and saw that all but one of them had a helmet on their heads. The lone soldier who didn't was a lovely woman with braided silver hair. She seemed to be frowning but she didn't actually look upset. Oh. I didn't notice her right away.

"Wow, she is beautiful," Allise breathed softly. "Does her hair stay in place like that under her helmet? I'm almost jealous."

"She appears to be the leader of those knights," Varnaz said.

"Lady Chris!" Caesar called out, moving ahead of them. "It's been a long time!"

"Yes, it has, Caesar," the woman, Chris, answered. She broke the line and calmly moved towards them. She stopped two meters from the group. Her brow lifted slightly when she saw the group more closely. "Fred and Rico? You have joined the dignitaries?"

"That we have Lady Chris," Fred said proudly.

"We also got Nash to join us," Caesar added and Chris promptly stiffened. "He is not here with you, is he?"

"No," Daunte quickly answered, hearing the edge in his tone. "He is back at our HQ in Nagarea. With his wife."

Chris looked surprised by this. "Ah…she was real then?"

"Don't worry, she keeps him in line," Felicity laughed.

"Ah. Okay then." She visibly relaxed.

"Lady Chris, oh how I've missed you!" Rico gushed, rushing forward and grabbing one of Chris's hand. "How are you?"

"I am well, Rico. You looked to be well as well."

"W-Well, a little," Rico winced.

Daunte thought he saw her violet eyes soften slightly before she looked at the group. "Welcome to Vinay del Zexay, dignitaries of Nagarea. I am Chris Lightfellow, Captain of the Zexan Knights. The Zexan Council has asked me to receive you and escort you into the city."

"What an honor to have the Captain of the Zexan Knights personally escort us," Caesar said, bowing slightly. "I hope that we are not inconveniencing you during this tumultuous time…"

"Salome determined that I needed a short break and so I came back here," Chris said. Her tone was still stiff but her posture relaxed somewhat. "When it's time for you to go to Brass Castle I will escort you there."

"That's very good of you, thank you," Daunte said, nodding.

Chris looked at him then. "You are Lord Daunte then? The Commander?"

"Oh yes!" Arin perked up. "He's the bestest Commander ever!"

Daunte's group and the Zexan knights laughed. Daunte thought he saw a smile crack on Chris's calm expression but she quickly recovered herself and gestured to the city walls. "Please come with me. We'll show you to the inn and then I can take you to the Guild Hall. Council is still in session so you should be able to speak to the members of the council in about an hour from now."

"I'm looking forward to relaxing," Felicity said, stretching her arms.

"As am I," Roen agreed. He looked at Chris. "Do you have Dragon Horses here?"

"…Dragon Horses?" Chris echoed with light confusion.

"They are not," Caesar said. "As it stands the Dragon Horses are only known to be indigenous to the Southern Continent."

"Ah, okay."

"I would like to look around the city," Varnaz said stiffly.

"Good for you, because I'm going to go take a nap," Allise said.

"Hey!" Arin suddenly burst out, startling everyone.

Chris however only slightly flinched. "Yes, what is it?"

"You were a Star of Destiny too, right? What was your Star?"

"O-Oh. Um…" Chris looked briefly flustered. She was probably not expecting this question. She thought about it for a moment before she answered. "Ah…yes. I was number 23, the Tenbi Star."

Tenbi Star? Daunte thought. Ah…I think that's Silvano's Star. So she shares a Star then with Silvano?

"I'm the Chisyu Star," Arin announced proudly. "Caesar said that's the same Star as Louis!"

"Louis?" Chris asked, looking at him surprised.

"Lady Chris, you mentioned a Salome," Allise spoke up, raising her hand. "I'm number 10, the Tenki Star. Same as him."

"Oh really?" Now Chris looked slightly intrigued.

"Should we just be announcing Star signs like this to someone with whom we just introduced ourselves to?" Varnaz asked.

"It should be fine," Caesar said but Chris raised her hand. "Please do not feel that you need to reveal what could be confidential information to me. You are dignitaries and thus are invited guests."

"He shares a Star with Geddoe," Allise added bluntly, jabbing her thumb towards Varnaz. The man in question stiffened.

"Oh, is that so?" Chris asked, forgetting herself briefly.

"And I share a sign with Edge," Roen said.

"Hey, shouldn't we be going?" Felicity perked up.

"Right," Chris agreed. "Now here, let me escort you into the city proper."

As they headed towards the city, Daunte heard Roen whisper to Felicity, "You didn't say who you share a Star with."

"Remember?" Felicity whispered back. "I share a Star with Lilly Pendragon. Her dad is the President of Tinto. These people are at war with Tinto."

"Oh. Right."

Daunte had a feeling that Lady Chris would not have cared if Felicity announced that she shared a Star with Lilly, but he held back his words as they crossed Seigal Gates into the city.

"Please wait here," Chris said to Daunte and Caesar. "I will let the Council know that you are here." then she disappeared down the corridor.

"This should be interesting," Caesar said, resting his hands behind his head.

"What is?" Daunte asked.

"The Zexan Council was highly corrupt. This included Thomas's biological father. A lot of the problems that were precipitated was caused by the political machinations of the Council. They were willing to sacrifice the entire Federation to Harmonia if it meant filling their own coffers. Salome discovered their conspiracies and single-handedly exposed all of them."

"Ah," Daunte said. "You had me worried there for a second that we were meeting those people."

"Oh no, they're long gone. Part of our victory happened because Salome got rid of them. The Council I have heard is now significantly less corrupt and actually works in the better interests of the Zexan people."

"I-Is Salome on this Council?"

Caesar barked out a laugh. "There is no way someone like Salome would have the patience for such politics! No, he continues to dutifully serve directly under Lady Chris."

"Okay," Daunte said, and straightened as Chris made her way back over to them. "The Council is ready for you."

"And we are ready for them," Caesar said, linking his arm with Daunte's.

The doors to the Council Chamber were opened for them, reveal a large circular room with a giant octagonal-shaped table in the center of the room. Seven people—six of varying ages and one young woman—were scattered across the room. Caesar stopped dead in his tracks on the threshold, his eyes widening. "…Wow," he said.

"Lord Caesar." A suave-looking gentleman who was seated at center right stood up and walked over to them. "What a delight to see you after so long!"

"Hello, Gordon," Caesar greeted him, accepting his handshake. "Lord Daunte, this is Gordon. He was a shopkeeper during the war."

"It's nice to meet you," Daunte greeted him.

"Lord Caesar!" The one young woman and two young men raced towards them like excited children. His jaw dropped open in shock as he got a good look at them. W-Wait a minute! They're not acting like kids! They ARE kids!

"My Lord, this is Melville, Alanis, and Elliot," Caesar said, gesturing to each person in kind. He also looked visibly shocked. "Congratulations you three on joining the Zexan Council. Alanis, I was not aware that you were still in the area. I thought you were traveling north for business with your family."

"We were," Alanis laughed. "But we came back when we heard they were holding elections for the Zexan Council. Father wanted to see if he could join, and I offered my own name to the ballot for fun, and well—I got more votes than Father did!"

"You're a hero of the Second Fire Bringer War like the rest of us," Melville sighed, folding his arms over his chest. "I campaigned the minute Sir Salome opened elections and I got elected in the first elections."

"I-I-I admittedly entered my name because Melville did," Elliot said, wincing. "B-But I didn't expect to get elected! I-I mean, who elects twelve year olds to public office?! Mom wasn't happy, b-but I guess she was happier I didn't become a treasure hunter…"

"Treasure hunting is great!" a voice boomed from the table. Daunte looked over Alanis's shoulder and saw a man wearing a cowboy hat casually reclining in his chair with his feet on the table. "It's certainly more fun than politics!" he said this with a wide grin on his face.

"Well Dad, you also ran for a seat," Melville said sharply. "So you can't complain when you campaigned for the job!"

"Hey, I thought that it would make me richer!"

"We're not doing this job to be richer!"

"You two are father and son?" Daunte asked.

"Yes," Caesar added. "That's Billy—" he pointed to Melville's father. "Oh, and we ran into Kathy at Budehuc Castle. She's doing fine."

"Good," Meville said, relaxing.

"Kathy is his half-sister," Caesar whispered to Daunte discreetly and he nodded his understanding.

"Oh, good," Billy said, his smile relaxing. "How much money is she making on those horse races?"

"Dad!" Melville snapped.

"Oh, this is very interesting." Another teenage boy walked up, scribbling frantically in a notebook. His glasses slipped down his nose. "How tragic to have such corruption in a newly formed government!"

"Hey, stop printing bad stuff about me Arthur!" Billy said sharply, sitting up abruptly in his chair.

"This is Arthur, the reporter for the Army during the war," Caesar said. "That's interesting Arthur, that you entered politics. And you're still publishing your newspaper?"

"Of course," Arthur said. "The population deserves to know what is going on in their government."

"Yeah but everything you print about me is bad!" Billy objected. "I got fewer votes in the last election because of you! I don't know how I kept my seat!"

"B-But weren't you just complaining about being here?" Elliot asked meekly.

"Kept my seat! Kept my seat!"

"Oh, Scott?" Caesar quickly spoke, still looking quite surprised. "You're back in Zexan? I thought you were in Zelant!"

"I was," the final person said, moving towards them. He had a green parrot on his shoulder. "But like Alanis I heard about the elections and came back to see if I could join the Council. Being a merchant myself, I thought I would be a good fit." He nodded to his bird. "This is Waurenhyte, my companion. I traded him for a candle and found that he could speak on his own without my help. Isn't he smart?"

"Isn't he smart? Isn't he smart?" Waurenhyte croaked.

"That's amazing," Daunte said.

"Hey, can we get this over with?" Billy complained loudly. "I have to go and buy lottery tickets!"

"Dad, Mom said you can't buy anymore lottery tickets," Melville reminded him.

"It's only 1,200 Potch! That's pocket change!"

"Of who's money?" Arthur said with obvious intrigue.

"I agree that we should move this meeting forward," Gordon said, moving to retake his seat. "We have been here for ten hours already after all…"

"I-I hope that we haven't kept you waiting for so long," Daunte said embarrassedly.

"Oh no, our workdays are usually ten hours long," Alanis said cheerfully. "But yes, let's get started."

The Zexan Council took their seats. Melville sat at the head with Alanis sitting to his right and Elliot sitting to his left. Billy was sitting directly beside Elliot and Gordon was sitting directly beside Alanis. Arthur then took a seat beside Gordon and Scott took a seat beside Billy. There was one open spot directly across from Melville with two seats and Daunte and Caesar took those seats.

"Welcome to the Zexan Federation," Melville said, immediately taking charge. "And we are the Zexan Council. From Lord Caesar's letter, you are here to study the structure of a Federation, is that right Lord Daunte?"

"T-That's right," Daunte said, nodding.

"Our government is set up as a Symmetrical Federation," Elliot said, relaxing a little more. "In a Symmetrical Federation, states are united under a single banner were representatives hold equal shares of power."

"The Zexan Federation was originally a unification of the richest merchants and the most profitable guilds under a single banner in worship of the Goddess Sadie," Alanis said. "However, as Lord Caesar has no doubt told you, having the richest people in the entire land holding total authority rarely leads to better benefits for the people."

"There were no elections for power," Arthur added. "Positions on the Council were hereditary, passed done from one rich man to the next rich man, and so on and so forth."

"Sir Salome dismantled the previous Council most spectacularly," Scott said. "And while the principles of the Federation remain, this Symmetrical government is bound together by elections. Citizens here, Iksay Village, and Brass Castle are given equal opportunity to vote in members of the Zexan Council now."

"Zexan Council now! Zexan Council now!" Waurenhyte chirped.

"I see," Daunte said. "So this country was founded on the unification of wealth with equal shares of power, but while equal shares of power are still in place these are not positions held by wealth."

"Exactly," Gordon said. "Every two years we hold elections where the people of Zexan can vote Council members in and out of office. In the most recent election a few months ago, Alanis and Scott were voted in. Melville, Elliot, Arthur, Billy, and myself are the lone original members of the new Zexan Council."

"This system sounds fair," Daunte said. "Equal sharing of power with fair elections."

"Without the corruption, it works out fairly," Melville said.

"But the pay is terrible," Billy complained loudly.

Melville twitched violently. "I think that's enough for today," he said, looking both angry and embarrassed. "If you have more questions please stop by tomorrow. However we are having another meeting regarding the conflict with Tinto the day after tomorrow and will not be available then."

"I have to ask," Daunte spoke up suddenly, raising his hand. "Y—You all accepted our request in the middle of a border conflict. I-I feel terrible for distracting you for internal conflicts but why did you agree to our request?"

The seven of them exchanged looks for a long period of silence. It was Melville who spoke. "Well to be honest…we needed the distraction. Everyone has been tense about the border conflict, and there's a real fear that Gustav Pendragon will be successful in expanding Tinto's borders into our land. Then we got Lord Caesar's letter and, well—I've never heard of Nagarea. And hearing that you wanted to learn about our style of government, it—"

"We were happy," Alanis said. "To have a brief respite from the conflict. Plus your arrival has caused a stir in the region. Lady Chris has also told us that the Tinto forces temporarily halted their advance once word reached the front lines that you were coming. Then we saw a giant bird—"

"That would be our skyship," Caesar said.

"Yes, that. We saw it fly over the city yesterday and word quickly spread to the front lines. The Tinto forces ended up making a brief retreat last night."

"We think the Tinto forces are concerned that Nagarean forces are joining the conflict in alliance with Zexan and the Grasslands," Gordon added. "So at this time they stopped their advance. It has allowed us to rest for a little while, and for Lady Chris and the other Zexan and Grassland forces to breathe for a little while."

"So thanks," Billy said nonchalantly.

So that's how the leader of the Zexan Knights could leave the front lines to take a break. Our arrival spooked the Tinto forces…even if it wasn't our intention.

"Well, thank you for your hospitality," Caesar said. "The information you have given us is very valuable."

"It was," Daunte said. "And will make sure to not waste your time here."

"Too late," Billy muttered.

"AHEM!" Melville shouted, coughing loudly in an obvious attempt to cover up Billy's comment. "I hereby call this meeting adjourned!"

"Speaking of lottery tickets," Caesar said. "Is the stall in the same area?"

"It is," Arthur said. He peered at them over his glasses. "Is the leader of Nagarea's Liberation Army looking to gamble with his Army's resources?"

"I—" Daunte began.

"This has been nice, goodbye!" Caesar interjected, pulling Daunte to his feet. "We'll see you guys tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow!" Alanis said cheerfully.

Bother Allise and Arin were napping at the inn. Roen and Felicity were sitting on the pier with their bare feet in the water. Daunte chatted with them briefly but left them be as they weren't interested in getting lottery tickets. Varnaz and Fred were having a conversation while Rico stood by. Or rather, Fred was talking at Varnaz and Daunte wasn't sure if he was annoyed or not

"Okay," Daunte said, looking down at the lottery tickets in his hands. "Yaman has 200 Potch left for lottery tickets. I'll buy those at Brass Castle, and that should be it for him. As for the Army's funds…" Daunte checked his bag.

"We can buy the rest of the Army's tickets at Brass Castle and the villages in the Grasslands," Caesar said. "If we get as far as Chisha Village then it should be time for the drawings. Then we can check our tickets at each stand as we make our way back."

"I don't play the Lottery," Chris said. "But I did see several people win a lot money during the war."

"Well you don't exactly need the Lottery," Caesar said teasingly.

"That's true enough," Chris said bluntly. "If you are looking to raise funds for your Army, I wish you luck."

"Thank you, Lady Chris," Daunte said.

"Lady Chris!" A shout behind the trio startled them very slightly. Daunte turned to see young woman, maybe eighteen or nineteen years old, hurrying towards them. Her salmon-colored hair was braided as a crown across her brow-line and wrapped around the circumference of her head. Her eyes were dark gold, almost brown, and she wore a silver tunic so long that it reached her knees and was tied with a black belt, along with black leggings and thigh-high silver boots. Her sandy complexion was red and she looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Lady Chris—they denied my application! Again! Why did they do that?"

"Zuzanna," Chris sighed, turning around to face her fully. "I told you this the other four times you asked me this question. If your application for the Zexan Knights was denied, then it means that you either didn't pass the physical fitness test or you didn't give a solid verbal interview."

"I did pass the physical fitness test!" Zuzanna protested. "Look!"

From out of nowhere she revealed two matching chúi that were the same color as her hair. She took a hanging stance with her dual weapons. "See? I'm a master with these?"

"That's not the right stance for that weapon," Chris said bluntly.

Zuzanna abruptly deflated, her shoulders deeply drooping. "Awww! I just want to be a knight!"

"I understand your situation—" Chris began.

"Lady Chris, I have to become a knight!" Zuzanna pleaded. "I'm the oldest of nine children! M-My family doesn't have any room in our house anymore, a-a-a-and I've become a burden to my parents! T—They're kicking me out! I c-c-can't go and get married because my parents don't have any money for a dowry! Please, Lady Chris! If I don't become a knight then I'll be homeless and penniless!"

Daunte gaped at her. W…What? She blurted all of that out in front of strangers? A-And if her family is so poor that they can't afford even an arranged marriage for her, then why did they have nine kids?!

"And I have told you," Chris said calmly. "That we cannot simply let you join if you are not a good fit for the Knights. We are not so hard-pressed that we need to draft soldiers You will not help your family if you die on the battlefield."

"B—But what am I supposed to do? W—" Zuzanna then saw Daunte and Caesar. "Oh, are you the dignitaries from the south?"

"Yes, we are," Caesar said.

"PLEASE let me join you!" Zuzanna cried out, throwing herself at Daunte's feet. "Please please please! I-I don't care that you come from far away, I need to have work! I'll do anything you ask and fight anyone you tell me to! You have to help me, please!"

"Zuzanna, that is not appropriate behavior in public," Chris scolded her softly. She looked at Daunte. "My apologies. She was correct about her family situation. I personally went to see her parents to talk to them about this, but I could not sway them from their decision to evict her. They will not accept handouts either. Zuzanna is good in combat, but she was rejected by the Zexan Knights four times for a reason. Because of our current conflict the current requirements to join the Knights are tougher than they usually are. We don't want to send inexperienced and ill-fitting people to their deaths."

"There are a lot of jobs you can take besides the knights," Caesar offered her but Zuzanna shook her head furiously. "I didn't finish my schooling! No one is taking a stupid girl with no skillset other than fighting! Fighting is the only way I know how to make money!"

Daunte looked at Chris and Caesar before looking back down at Zuzanna. "I'm leading an Army in the middle of a civil war," Daunte told her softly. "Are you sure you want to join my side?"

"Yes, please! I must have employment and a place to live! I'll be the best soldier I can be, please!"

She is quite serious. I will be taking her far away from her family and home. And at the same time, she failed to join the Zexan Knights four times. Will she really be an asset to the Liberation Army?

Daunte thought about it for a long moment. When the moment passed he knelt down and helped Zuzanna to her feet. "We have a ship in the Yaza Plains. Go there and wait for us, and we will take you to Nagarea as a soldier in my Army."

"Oh THANK YOU!" Zuzanna shrieked, hugging Daunte tight. Nearly hitting him with the chúi she still held. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou SO MUCH! You will not regret this I swear!"

"That was very generous of you," Chris said after Zuzanna ran off. "I must ask though that you keep an eye on her. She is good in combat but she is careless."

"My Lord made a good choice," Caesar said, though Daunte did not know if he meant it or just agreed with him to maintain Daunte's reputation. "But I think that's enough excitement for today. Let's head back to the inn."

"I'll take you there before I head home myself," Chris said. She looked around them warily and Daunte noticed that a crowd had formed. "It looks as though people are interested in meeting you both."

"Oh don't be so modest," Caesar said. "We know that they're here to see you, Lady Chris!"

"Lady Chris we love you!" A woman shouted. Chris winced, and looked as though she were in pain.

There are a lot of people who admire Lady Chris, Daunte thought. It makes me wonder…do the people at my headquarters feel the same about me?

Daunte spoke again with the Council the following day while his friends either wandered the city buying souvenirs or heading north to the North Cavern to build skills and Potch fighting tougher monsters. Daunte was disappointed to miss out on this quest, but he knew the work he was doing was also important.

The Council themselves seemed to get along very well. He caught Melville, Alanis, and Elliot psyching themselves up and striking poses, calling themselves the "Saint Loa Knights". They were a bit embarrassed when they realized Daunte was watching them but he thought their camaraderie was endearing.

It reminds me of my friendship with Roen and Felicity.

Daunte found that Arthur spent a great deal of time writing articles for his newspaper before, during, and after meetings. He saw from the notes that Arthur's next article was about him, which surprised him. But Daunte figured that since they flew all the way there from the Southern Continent that people might be interested in him.

He also thought he saw the words "lottery tickets" in his draft but ultimately didn't say anything about it. I'll probably be gone by the time it publishes anyway, so it won't matter if people know I'm gambling.

Gordon had a suave and mature demeanor the entire time Daunte was there, and Scott was very knowledgable about trade and business though Waurenhyte frequently echoed his words. Billy seemed to be the one person who didn't take his job seriously. He seemed to enjoy the power that he had but also resented it. Melville frequently put him in his place though.

Otherwise the Council got along together very well, and Daunte was feeling good about a federalist form of government.

They said Zexan uses a symmetrical federation, which has equal power. If I decide on a federation for Nagarea, then I should use a symmetrical federation as well too.

They left Vinay del Zexay to a lot of fanfare, but Daunte had a feeling that it was because Chris was accompanying them. Varnaz announced that he wanted a break from fighting and moved to the support unit and Chris took his spot in the active party on her horse. Daunte had to guess that Varnaz fought a little too hard at the North Cavern, but Chris proved herself to be a very capable fighter on horseback. Daunte was glad for her help, albeit temporarily.

In the Zexan Forest they came to the same fork in the road that Caesar said would lead to a Blue Mantik. Daunte stared down the road in question for a long moment before turning to the group. "Could we go and fight the Blue Mantik?"

"It will be a difficult foe to slay," Chris warned him.

"Might as well," Roen said, rolling up his sleeves. "You were the only one who couldn't do skirmishes the last couple of days Daunte."

"I will step in if you need help but please be careful," Varnaz said.

"If it's a dangerous monster we should get rid of it," Allise said.

"Another will return to that area eventually," Caesar said. "Blue Mantiks seem naturally attracted to this forest."

The Blue Mantik they encountered did prove to be difficult to deal with. The monster was surprisingly fast on its feet and it dealt with heavy blows to Daunte's party. Daunte didn't want to dwell on a long battle though, especially since it was because of him that they were facing the Blue Mantik. He stared down at his right hand for a long moment before raising it. "Berate!"

The Rune of Restoration glowed, and the spell caused the Blue Mantik to sway. The party surged forward to continue their attacks but Daunte saw that Chris had lingered back. He looked at her and was startled to see her staring at him in shock.

Oh. Right. Caesar said she had the True Water Rune. She undoubtedly sensed my True Rune with the spell.

Chris suddenly rode to the front with her horse and raised her right hand. "Heavenly Drops."

Daunte felt the familiar twinge in his own right hand as the symbol of a blue whirlpool rose into the air. The deadly storm washed down over the Blue Mantik and it immediately fell before the spell even finished.

Okay. That wasn't so bad.

"Oh, a treasure chest!" Felicity shouted, pointing to the back of the clearing. Indeed, a treasure chest was there just behind the Blue Mantik's body.

"There's usually treasure after fights like these," Chris said stoically, though she glanced over her shoulder at Daunte again. "You may go ahead and claim the treasure. I have no need for it."

Daunte nodded in thanks and went over to the chest. He opened it and was stunned by all of the items that were stuffed into the small box. There was a bag of Potch on top with numbers scribbled onto it. He pulled it up and out and read the numbers out loud. "67,950?"

"That must be the amount of Potch in the bag," Caesar said cheerfully and Daunte's eyes went wide. He set aside the bag and Roen and Felicity helped him dig through the box and remove items. Lots of potions and armor, both in excellent and poor condition. He found a rune fragment that looked like it belonged to the Resurrection Rune. It took some to sort everything out but they left the Zexan Forest with pockets full of treasure.

At Daunte's insistence the Potch was split evenly amongst the group, except for Chris who refused to take her share. Arin was jumping with excitement when he was given a bag of his own Potch. "Brother! Brother! Can I buy more figurines when we get home?!"

"That's your money, so you can do whatever you want with it," Daunte said with a smile.

"I hope Eliasen is prepared to convert a fortune in Potch into bits," Allise said idly.

"Oh he is," Caesar reassured the group. "I told Eliasen we were playing the lottery and that he should expect to convert no less than one million Potch back into bits. He started preparing for it before we left."

"That's a good thing," Roen said.

As the group left the Zexan Forest and headed north of their position towards Brass Castle, Chris maneuvered her horse so that she was in stride with Daunte. "Do you have a True Rune?" she asked him discreetly, keeping her voice low so that the rest of the group couldn't hear her.

"Yes, just like you," Daunte responded.

Chris gave Caesar a look but the strategist simply shrugged. "…Yes," Chris admitted quietly. "I have the True Water Rune. May I ask what Rune you have?"

"The Rune of Restoration. It's the parent rune of the Resurrection Rune."

Chris looked impressed. "That sounds like a good rune to have. I know that you will use it wisely."

Daunte hesitated for a moment before he asked his next question. "I found my rune in a Sindar Ruin. Did you find your rune similarly?"

Chris winced as though she were in pain. "…No," she said after an uncomfortable moment of silence. "I inherited the rune. From my father."

Father? Daunte glanced at Caesar and the strategist nodded. I'll…ask about it later.

It was later morning, almost noon when they reached the bridge leading towards Brass Castle. Although Daunte knew well enough that they had reached the destination when he saw the large group of knights standing at the ready on the bridge. A blonde haired man raced towards them. "Lady Chris! We've been awaiting your return!"

"Thank you, Borus," Chris responded calmly, but other soldiers raced towards them. An older gentleman with a bowl-cut however pushed his way towards the front and saluted. "Welcome back, Lady Chris. I see that Lord Caesar, Fred, and Rico are with you." He looked at Daunte. "You must be the dignitary from Nagarea. Welcome to Brass Castle. I am Salome, Assistant Leader of the Zexan Knights. I—"

"Oh so you're Salome?" Allise asked suddenly. She moved forward and grabbed his hand in a handshake. "How nice to meet you. I'm Allise, a fellow Tenki Star."

"Star?" a knight with perfectly kept black hair looked thoughtful. "You are all Stars of Destiny then too? How very intriguing."

"Wow Salome, you share a Star with such a beautiful woman? Lucky!" A knight with a ponytail laughed, slapping Salome hard on the back.

"Who do I share a Star with?" Another knight asked bluntly. He was a tall man but Daunte quickly realized that he was an elf. "If I recall, my Star was number 73, the Chiin Star."

"Oh, we have a dancer named Desiree who has that Star," Caesar responded.

"…Dancer?" The elven knight asked bluntly. Several knights burst into laughter.

"Everyone," Chris said, and the knights abruptly silenced. "Lord Daunte, this is Borus, Leo, Roland, and Percival. Knights of Zexan and trusted allies." She gestured to each man in kind. "Brass Castle is the primary stronghold of the Zexan Knights, as you will see shortly. It—"

"Lady Chris!" A teenage boy raced towards them with an eager smile on his face. "Lady Chris, your room is ready!"

"Louis, you don't need to act like a page anymore," Borus admonished him. "You're a knight now."

"Oh I know, but I want to help L—"

"Hi Louis!" Arin shouted, running forward and shaking his hand frantically. "My name is Arin! We share the same Star!"

"Stars? Ah—we do?" Louis looked bewildered and the other knights continued to laugh.

"I think we should head towards the castle," Salome interrupted bluntly. "We're returning to the front lines tomorrow and need to plan our next step."

"As you're heading for the Grasslands you can accompany us," Chris told Daunte. "Today's meeting is confidential so you cannot join us, but Brass Castle is open for you to explore. It doesn't have as many shops as Vinay del Zexay but it's comfortable and has good security."

"Understood," Daunte responded, nodding. "Thank you, Lady Chris."

"Ah, what a well-mannered young man," Percival said thoughtfully. "Lady Chris, the number of admirers you have seems to be increasing."

"Oh no, Brother's engaged to a princess," Arin said before Daunte spoke. "So he can't have a crush on Lady Chris!"

"A princess?" Leo exclaimed as most of Daunte's group laughed. "A dignitary is engaged to a princess? That's quite an accomplishment!"

Daunte wanted to sink into the cobblestone. He ducked his head forward in embarrassment. "It's…not what you think…"

Chris left the group with the rest of the knights and they disappeared to have their meeting. Brass Castle did look more like a fortress than a town, but both soldiers and civilians milled around. Everyone seemed tense, even with the short reprieve that they had from combat, but were otherwise polite.

Varnaz was quickly at home in Brass Castle and spent a great deal of time in their armory. Rico complained about being tired but Fred didn't look tired and he dragged her over to the blacksmith. Allise sat down the rail on the southern side and calmly filed her fingernails. Daunte half-expected Caesar to go take a nap somewhere but instead the strategist stayed by his side as he went looking for the lottery stand with Roen, Felicity, and Arin. It look little time to find it outside, as it was probably the only shop without its own building.

"There wasn't always a lottery stand here," Caesar explained. "After the war they sprung up everywhere."

Daunte purchased the Army's tickets as well as Yaman's two remaining tickets and made sure to carefully separate them. After wrapping the tickets separately he stared down at the two giant piles for a moment in silence.

"Daunte, are you okay?" Felicity asked.

"It's…kind of dawning on me that I've spent 6,000 Potch on just lottery tickets," he said slowly. "That's 60,000 bits of money from the Army's funds. You know this system better than I do, Caesar, but it's kind of settling in the risk."

"There are risks for everything," Caesar reassured him. "But this will pay off. Just you wait."

Daunte nodded and smiled. "You're right. It will definitely pay off." He picked up the two piles and carefully put them into his satchel.

"Based on the odds, it's looking like the only people who may win anything is the Army and Yaman," Roen said thoughtfully. "But at least we'll be bringing home money for everyone."

"I believe the Council when they said that invited us as a distraction," Daunte said, turning to look at Caesar. "But the more I think about it, the more concerned I am that we might be compelled to join the fight if we travel with Lady Chris. We're going to need to be very careful to not attack anyone from Tinto. If we do, then President Gustav may declare war on us for a perceived interference. I don't want the Theocracy to gain any allies from such circumstances."

"That is an excellent point," Caesar said. "But I'm sure Lady Chris doesn't want to create an international incident. We should travel with them when we leave Brass Castle, but we should depart by ourselves once we get closer to Karaya. Once we meet the tribes of the Grasslands you can get more information on alliance governments."

"You've experienced a few governments so far though Daunte," Felicity said. "Have you thought about which one we should have in Nagarea?"

"I'm still thinking about it," Daunte admitted. "But so far I'm liking how republics and symmetrical federations are run. I'll definitely make a decision though before we have our final battle with the Theocracy."

"You'll choose the best one for us Brother!" Arin said confidently. "I just know you will!"

Daunte laughed softly. "I sure hope so."