Part Four

"Oh?" Oboro asked. "You would like more Investigations done, Lord Daunte?"

"Yes, please," Daunte said, counting out the money. "I know you did five recently, but I would like you to also look into Yuber, Pesmerga, and Viki."

"Are you serious?" Shou asked, standing up. "Those three are some of our most mysterious recruits!"

"What about that La'Ahad guy?" Umeko asked. "He's so mysterious that I don't know what his face looks like!"

"I-I don't know how far we can go with investigating him when he has complete amnesia," Daunte said. "And I don't like digging into his background when he himself doesn't know anything about himself."

"We will try our best with your request," Oboro said with a smile as he collected the money.

"My intelligence gathering is superb," Masaru assured Daunte. "I will not let you down." Umeko snorted loudly and Masaru glared at her.

"Is there a specific reason you want us to look into these three?" Shou asked. "I mean in addition to these Investigations, we're also working 'round the clock gathering intel on the Holy Army's next movement."

"I understand and I apologize for increasing your workload," Daunte said. "But I would greatly appreciate anything you can find out about them."

"We won't disappoint you," Oboro promised him. But when Daunte left the office he clearly heard Shou say, "I'm not following Yuber" before he closed the door.

Daunte headed down the stairs, but halfway down he took a seat on the step. He raised his right hand up, his hand curled into a soft fist. "Pesmerga." He held up his index finger. "Viki." He held up his middle finger. "And me." He held up his ringer finger. He stared at the three digits for a long time as he remembered his conversation with Leknaat the night before.

"You three are who I saw from the vision," Leknaat had confirmed for him. "Piccolo can see how I can see, but our interpretations of the visions may vary."

"Yes," Daunte had replied. "He gave me answers in riddles, when you actually gave me names."

"Well, it also sounded like he gives fortunes for monetary gain. I do not."

"Eresh." Daunte turned to her next. "You called me "Red" when we spoke in the Red Tundra. You knew then didn't you?"

"Eresh is not as strong as Leknaat," Eresh had replied. "But Eresh knows many things. Eresh knows that bringing humanity to the bearer of the Eightfold Rune is not an impossibility. But Eresh also knows that it will not be simple for the Red, White, and Black to do so."

"No kidding," Daunte had sighed heavily.

The three of us are key to humanizing Yuber, Daunte reflected in the present. I don't doubt Lady Leknaat's interpretation of Piccolo's vision. As if I didn't already have enough responsibilities! Now I must personally share responsibility with two other people in teaching someone who thrives on chaos humanity! And the other two people who must help me are his arch nemesis, and a bubbly girl he can't stand! Eresh said that it wasn't impossible, but it's not going to be easy either! Yuber might try to kill all of us!

Daunte rubbed his hands together slowly. And what happens then after we humanize Yuber? When we win my contract with him will end and he will return to the World of Emptiness until another person summons him. And the next person who summons him may end up undoing all of our hard work anyway if they have ills intentions! Pesmerga may follow Yuber to where they came from or battle him to the death! And Viki…with her Blinking Rune I don't know how long she'll stay around. I don't know where I'M going to be after this war!

Daunte sighed loudly and looked towards the ceiling. Of course…I'm actually going to have to TALK to Pesmerga and Viki before any of this to see if they want to do this…

A loud bark below Daunte startled him, and he straightened as he saw Kibbeh frantically running up the stairs as much as he could manage with his small body. His tongue was hanging out and he began barking when Daunte picked him up into his arms. "Where did you come from? Is Arin nearby?"

"Oh Brother, there you are!" Arin raced up the stairs towards him. "You gotta hurry! Yasaka made a new dish! It's a soup called Sūpu karē, and the line to get the soup reached the south building! Everyone who had it said it's so delicious! Can we have some?"

Daunte forced a smile at him as he stood. "Let's hurry and get in line too."

"Roen and Felicity got in line," Arin told him. "So we can join them there too!"

"Sounds good." I'll think about it later.

At nightfall, Daunte took the now working lift to the underground tunnels alone. He heard the familiar voices above his head as he sat down on the left path near the rushing river's edge. "They're doing a broadcast now?" He wondered aloud, looking towards the ceiling.

"Today the Cabinet of High Clerics publicly announced the reinstatement of the draft, level 10," Quasim announced. "Per the stipulations of level 10, citizens ages 15 and older regardless of gender must report to active duty for training. Rumors have already started circulating that the Garrisons and even the Grand Citadel have been bombarded with hundreds of draft deferments from citizens. Unfortunately for the populace, restrictions for deferments under level 10 are great. It will be nigh impossible for most of the citizens to be granted deferments."

"Ah, it's not a big deal," Gertrude said. "We have kids serving in this Army, don't we?"

"Oh yes," Bax agreed. "One of them caused that fire that took us all night to put out!"

"…That fire also killed several Holy Army soldiers," Quasim added.

"Oh yes, there is that too…"

Daunte tapped his fingers on his knee and looked towards the entrance of the tunnel. Where are they?

"I was wondering something," Sanji said suddenly, interrupting Quasim.

"Oh?" Gertrude asked. "What about, Sanji?"

"Is it different for a human to have relations with nonhumans?"

Daunte gaped at the ceiling with wide eyes. "I've only ever had the pleasure of the company of humans," Sanji said unashamedly. "But I've often wondered what it's like to be with a nonhuman such as an elf or a Winger?"

"You've…truly pondered this?" Quasim asked uncomfortably. "Are you drunk?"

"It's an interesting thing to ponder though," Gertrude said thoughtfully. "Wingers and elves look enough like humans, don't they? I can't imagine it being too different…"

"I asked Silvano," Sanji said. "If being with a human was much different from being with an elf, and he became very angry with me." Sanji 'tsked' softly.

"You asked Silvano to compare being with his wife with hypothetical elf partners and he became angry?" Gertrude asked, laughing a little. "I can't imagine why."

"I could never be with a human," Bax confessed, audibly shuddering.

"Oh?" Sanji asked. "Why is that, Bax?"

"Humans are just so—so—hairless! Seeing your exposed skin reminds me of a skinned rat! To be honest, the first time I saw a human I vomited! I'm used to you humans now, but you look so unappealing to me that I could never be attracted to one!"

"Oh don't be so closed-minded," Sanji scolded him. "Most humans wouldn't look twice at a Kobold, but I see Gertrude giving eyes to Jantu all the time!"

"SANJI!" Gertrude shouted.

"Am I wrong? I've seen you watch him when he spars. I'm not attracted to muscles, but I know women attracted to men like thick biceps and Jantu—"

"EXCUSE me," Quasim interjected harshly. "But do you remember how we just said that we have children serving in this Army?!"

"…Really?" Gertrude said in a deadpan voice. "We send kids out in war battles and THIS conversation is what offends you?"

"How very crude of you to make that accusation, Quasim," Sanji scolded. "When we said "relations", we were clearly talking about friendship!"

"…We were?" Gertrude asked.

"Hey."

Daunte looked over his shoulder and saw Pesmerga standing behind him. Daunte quickly climbed to his feet. "You got my message. Thank you for coming."

"Hm," Pesmerga replied.

There was a burst of light to Daunte's left and Viki suddenly appeared. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered, clutching her staff. "I got your message but then I forgot about it!"

"You summoned us together?" Pesmerga asked. His cold tone had a note of confusion. "Why?"

Daunte looked between the two of them and swallowed hard. He felt sweat collecting on his nape and forehead and he struggled to steady his breathing before he spoke. "I…need to talk to you. Both."

"Okay," Viki said. Pesmerga didn't respond.

Daunte suddenly felt self-conscious from their scrutiny and swallowed again. I need to do this. I HAVE to tell them what needs to be done because I can't do this alone!

"We—have to do something," Daunte said. "Just the three of us. I-It's very important and not related to Army work, and I can't do it without either of you."

"Is that so?" Pesmerga asked.

"O-Oh," Viki said, trembling slightly. "I-I will…try my best, Lord Daunte. What do I need to do?"

Daunte let out a short breath and pointed to himself. "Red." He pointed to Pesmerga. "Black." He pointed to Viki. "White."

Viki looked highly confused while Pesmerga was still expressionless. Daunte sighed again and quickly shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm stalling. Look—"

Daunte suddenly found himself soaked from head to toe as the water surged up and splashed him. He was stunned briefly, but Pesmerga looked deep into the cavern and drew his sword. "…Someone's coming."

"Oh no!" Viki cried out. "A-Are they—is this another invasion?!"

Daunte didn't have time to move or respond. From the darkness a longboat appeared, soaring towards them at high speed. He felt a 'whoosh' of air as Yuber suddenly appeared in front of him and shoved him back. "Y-Yuber?!"

"I missed out on the last invasion," Yuber said, producing his two swords. He glared at Viki briefly before looking towards the boat. "I will not miss the opportunity for battle again."

"How predictable," Pesmerga said, frowning deeply. "I will not fight shoulder-to-shoulder with you though."

"Then don't," Yuber retorted. "I can kill them by myself just fine."

Daunte saw someone step out onto the bow of the longboat, and he raised his hand. "Wait! They're not in uniform!"

"So?" Yuber asked.

"Hello, Liberation Army!" The person on the bow called to them as the boat came to a stop. Daunte's eyes widened as he recognized Thea climbing from the boat. Instead of the Holy Army uniform she was wearing a dark green kerman jacket and beige leggings. Her blonde hair was tied in twin Dutch braids as she turned to face them. She unhooked her sword from her hip and laid it on the ground between them. "I come in peace. We all do."

We all do? Daunte wondered, but he quickly got his answer as a dozen soldiers disembarked behind her. They all likewise disarmed and placed their weapons on the ground before them. But then Daunte saw more people coming towards them and he craned his neck. None of them were in uniform. W-Where are they all coming from?!

"Lord Daunte!" Futch flew with Bright overhead and landed beside Daunte. "There are six boats that have arrived!"

"B-But why?" Daunte said.

Yuber scoffed and put his swords away. "Defectors. Great." Just as quickly he was gone.

"He is right," Thea said, holding her hands up. "We seek an audience with Lord Daunte."

"I'm Daunte," Daunte said, stepping forward. "You're…defecting?"

Thea nodded. "Yes, but I also have bad news."

Daunte knew that his talk with Pesmerga and Viki would have to be put on hold and so he dismissed them. There will be another time.

Thea had arrived with 90 defecting soldier and 30 civilian family members. Daunte brought her up to the war room and quickly called an emergency meeting. Priscilla and Nigel rushed up to the war room to see Thea and both were overjoyed to see her.

"THEA!" Priscilla hugged her tight and kissed her on the cheek. "Oh, it's been too long! How are you?"

"Alive," Thea said. She managed a smile for Nigel. "Long time no—OOF!" Thea cried out when Nigel suddenly grabbed her once Priscilla released her and hugged her tight.

"You had us scared," Nigel said. "Serving someone like Ramiro Lažov was beneath you."

"Indeed," Varnaz spoke up. "So why have you defected?"

"Many reasons," Thea said once Nigel released her. "The main reason most of the soldiers with me defected was because their children were drafted and their deferments were denied. One of the soldiers had all of his children drafted into the Army. That's why they brought their families with us."

"That's awful," Chinmaya said softly.

"The Scriptures teach that whole families shouldn't be conscripted," Adalgiso said softly. "Nagar wants us to fight for Him but He also wants the preservation of the bloodlines of His believers so that future generations can fight for Him. The fact that the Holy Army has implemented the draft on entire families is just…" he shook his head.

"The Holy Army is very liberal when it comes to enlistment," Keiran said. "I joined the Army at the age of 9, but that was also my chosen career path. I can imagine that many of the children who've been conscripted don't have combat experience, nor have a desire to become soldiers."

"A degree of combat experience is a necessity no matter if you become a cleric or a scholar," Gunther said. "But obviously not to the degree that you would if you choose to become a soldier."

"You're also not put in the vanguard if you're a cleric or scholar," Allise said.

"The fact that whole families have been drafted shows that the Holy Army is getting desperate, right?" Surya asked.

"Either that or they're plotting something big," Varnaz said.

"But why did you defect?" Tamara asked Thea. "Nigel spoke of you and it was always positively."

"I appreciate that," Thea said. "Lažov however wasn't…kind to me. Even by the standards of the Army. I didn't appreciate daily discipline and humiliation but I dealt with it because I wanted to serve Nagar. But Lažov…" Thea shook his head. "He only cares about himself."

"That's too true," Varnaz muttered.

Thea looked at him and almost said something but shook her head and looked at Daunte. "I don't what the Holy Army is doing and I don't like what Lažov is doing. I came here to warn you."

"Warn us?" Caesar asked.

"We saw the memo," Thea continued. "About the draft and that we had to stay put until further notice. Lažov however has decided to act in defiance of the order from the High Clerics and attack you himself."

"Really?" Keiran said in a uncharacteristically deadpan voice. "That cleric is leading an attack against us? He has no combat experience!"

"He's disobeying a direct order," Caesar said, folding his arms over his chest. "The High Clerics will depose him for this, and probably not in a clean manner given the current state of affairs in this country."

"And they will depose anyone who follows him," Thea spoke up. "And under Original Sin our families will also suffer the consequences."

"I understand now," Daunte said. "You're joining us because if you follow Lažov then you will be executed by the Holy Army. But if you continue to serve in the Holy Army then your families will suffer regardless in the battles ahead."

"Three Sheikhs joined your cause," Thea said, looking around the war room at each one. "And you saved Lady Priscilla and Nigel. I don't know what sort of power you hold Lord Daunte, but there is something special about you. Even at your young age you have seasoned warriors ready to lay down their lives for you. You are someone I want to follow, Lord Daunte. I don't want to follow people who would force whole families unwillingly onto the battlefield, or leave comrades to die. I've lost my faith in my government, but I want to have faith in you."

Thea raised her sword and sheath. "If you would allow me, I would like to pledge my gladius to your cause. The Holy Army has done many objectionable things before that I shamefully turned a blind eye to. I will not do so now."

"Oh yes, please accept Thea!" Priscilla pleaded with Daunte. "She's a great person! I swear to it!"

"You do?" Tamara asked, looking Priscilla over.

Daunte realized that Priscilla wasn't helping herself still wearing the scarlet robes that identified her as an adulteress and stepped forward and shook Thea's hand. "I'm happy to welcome you to the Liberation Army, and I appreciate you coming to us with info of Lažov's planned attack against us."

"We are happy to have new recruits," Caesar agreed, clapping his hands. "But we must know more about the upcoming attack. Do you know when the Sheikh is planning to attack us?"

Thea nodded. "Tomorrow night."

"We shouldn't handle this like a war campaign," Caesar said, looking at Daunte. "We should focus the Army's efforts on preparing for whatever the High Clerics have planned with the draft and these new weapons they're sending out."

"But we also shouldn't send a six-person party to face the forces Lažov is sending to us," Chinmaya said. "What we should do is create a diversion to separate Lažov from his forces. Then when Lažov is separated from his main forces we can form a box-in attack and ambush him. As Lažov is acting alone to carry out this ambush in defiance of the High Cleric's orders, it will be easier to scatter his forces as the morale will undoubtedly be very low."

"Morale has been low for a long time," Thea confirmed.

"The box-in attack sounds good," Caesar said. "We can form four parties of six, twenty-four total soldiers to attack Lažov from all sides. He will not be able to escape with this strategy."

"I have a question," Sloan said, stepping forward.

"What is it?" Daunte asked.

"Lažov has committed many deplorable acts, but I did so under the control of the Black Rune. S-Should we also check if Lažov has a Black Rune attached to his hand?"

Daunte saw Varnaz shift out the corner of his eye. Daunte looked at Thea. "Do you know if Lažov has a rune attached to either of his hands?"

Thea nodded. "His left hand is bare, as is his forehead, but his right hand has a Balance Rune equipped."

Gunther burst into loud laughter. "W-What?! That's all he's wearing?!" he hugged his sides and hunched over.

"Okay then," Daunte said, seeing Varnaz relax. "He's not wearing a Black Rune."

Sloan shrugged. "I felt it was worth it to ask."

"And we appreciate that," Caesar said. "Because if Lažov was influenced by the Black Rune then we would need to handle him differently. Alas…"

"Alas he is a bastard without the Rune as an excuse," Varnaz said harshly, stepping forward. "I will lead the party attacking from the front."

"Okay," Daunte said, nodding. "I will lead the party attacking from behind."

"I would like to lead one of the parties," Keiran said, stepping forward. "Lažov was my…successor in a sense, and he has behaved most shamefully. It's my duty to face him in battle."

"I want to lead the last party," Sloan said, raising his hand. "I want to prove myself to you all that you can trust me in battle with the soldiers."

Most everyone looked uncomfortable at this but Daunte nodded. "Good idea. I trust you to take care of this."

"Excellent idea," Caesar quickly added. "Having two former Sheikhs lead an attack against a Sheikh will demoralize his troops and cause them to scatter further."

"We should send the detectives and ninjas to create a diversion," Chinmaya said. "Though given how many soldiers we're sending out for this ambush, we should probably just send Shou and Masaru to do the diversion."

"Does everyone understand?" Caesar announced to the war room. "I will go with Lord Daunte, Varnaz, Keiran, and Sloan to ambush Sheikh Lažov to take him out once and for all."

"But leave Lažov to me," Varnaz quickly said and Daunte nodded. "I promised you I would, and I intend to keep that promise."

"Your idea is stupid." Yuber abruptly appeared in the room beside Daunte. "Don't bother sending a band of weaklings to exterminate this pest. I'll go and do it by myself."

"You will not!" Varnaz shouted, jabbing a finger at Yuber. "No one is killing Lažov but me!"

"Yuber you have to be careful!" Daunte said. "Don't forget that you were attacked out of the blue and were out of commission for almost a month! You can't just lunge into battle recklessly!"

"Did I not just go on a mission with you to kill a Wechunge?" Yuber pointed out. "I wasn't attacked then."

"But if we send you after a Sheikh solo then whoever attacked you may attack again," Caesar pointed out. "And Viki won't be there to spirit you away to safety."

Yuber glared at Caesar. "How is being teleported into the middle of the ocean safety?!"

Daunte saw Adalgiso speak to Sloan discreetly and Sloan moved closer. "Adalgiso told me that you killed 300 of my soldiers in one battle. Is that true?"

Yuber looked at him for a long moment. "You are weaker now. I was looking forward to fighting you, but it would be waste of time now."

Sloan covered the back of his right hand. "I'll take being weak to wearing the Black Rune again."

"…Black Rune?" Yuber said.

"Yes, he was wearing a Black Rune until a week or so ago," Chinmaya said.

Yuber was silent for a long moment before he said, "I changed my mind." and he abruptly teleported away.

"…Right," Caesar said slowly. "So let's quickly plan. Varnaz, this is your show. Who would you like in your party?"

"Gunther and Allise," Varnaz said, gesturing to them. "Thea you had good form when we fought, so I'd like you in my group too."

"…You defeated me, though," Thea grumbled.

"Nigel too, since you've worked together," Varnaz added. "And lastly, I would like Tala—"

"Absolutely not," Tala interjected, stepping forward. "My primary role is to be Lord Lorik's bodyguard. I cannot—"

"Tala," Lorik said, raising a hand. "It's okay. I won't object if you want to go out into this battle."

"But—"

"Tala, Tala, Tala," Allise said, shaking her head. "Lorik Varra will be safely here at HQ with hundreds of other soldiers. He will be all right."

"Yes, I will," Lorik promised.

Tala sputtered for a moment, looking between Lorik and Varnaz before she exhaled sharply. "I…all right. I will lend you my strength."

"So that's Varnaz's party," Caesar said, looking at Daunte. "Would you like to choose your party next, Lord Daunte? Or would you like Keiran and Sloan to go next?"

Daunte contemplated this for a moment before shaking his head. "I'll go last."

"Then I would like to go next," Keiran said, stepping forward. "I'll choose Mihr, Viola, Farzin, Fred, and Rico."

"Okay," Caesar said, looking at Sloan. "Who would you like to choose?"

Sloan inhaled sharply, and wrung his hands a little. "Adalgiso. But the rest my party…"

Daunte knew that there would be many people who wouldn't fight alongside him because of what he'd done while under possession of the Black Rune. No one from Agameru, obviously. No Wingers, either. What about the Falenans? …No, that won't work either because he tried to kill Princess Farrin as a diversion.

…But I don't want to take command away from him. This is s good opportunity for him to prove himself.

"I'll join your party," Surya said cautiously, side-eyeing Sloan. "You were possessed when you hurt my cousin and I have come to terms with that. Freyr and Soturi haven't quite forgiven you, but I will fight alongside you."

"As will I," Mokuren said.

Daunte was relieved that Surya took the initiative to offer his help to Sloan. Maybe I can add another Falenan? "Okay, you just need two more people. Israfil—"

"I will do it," Israfil spoke up.

"And—how about Georg Prime?" Daunte asked.

"Yes, thank you!" Surya exclaimed, looking happy again.

"I thank you," Sloan said. "And I won't let you down, Lord Daunte."

"So that leaves you, Lord Daunte," Caesar said. "Who will you choose for your party?"

Daunte had been thinking about it while everyone decided upon their parties and so he was ready. "Nash, Sierra, Barō, Virgil, and River."

"All right!" Caesar announced. "We have our parties for the ambush! We'll have Viki teleport us to Baltas shortly, and we'll send Shou and Masaru out to create a diversion to bring Lažov out. We'll box him in—Sloan, we'll rely on you to attack first from the west."

"Right," Sloan said.

"Keiran, you'll attack next from the east."

"Understood," Keiran said.

"Lord Daunte, you attack next from the south. And Varnaz, you'll advance from the north and finish off the Sheikh and his forces. Is everyone okay with this plan?"

The room responded in agreement. Caesar nodded to Chinmaya. "I leave HQ in your hands."

"R-Right!" Chinmaya stammered, straightening.

Caesar then looked at Daunte. "On your command we'll head out."

Daunte nodded. "Let's get this taken care of."

"Damned, stupid idiots!" Ramiro Lažov hollered at the soldiers standing to attention. Many of them were cadets who had just reported to active duty.

Children trembling in cowardly fear.

"How could you let your fellow soldiers desert the Garrison?!" Lažov shrieked at the soldiers. "We're supposed to march tomorrow to kill off the Liberation Army! Now we're down a full unit and the High Clerics will be demanding answers!"

"Ambushing the Liberation Army was a good idea," Tazwir spoke up. "However with our soldiers turning traitor they will surely know that we're coming. We should probably—"

"Excuse me?!" Lažov spat, rounding upon his brother-in-law. "Are you Sheikh or am I?!"

"…You are."

"That's right! You're the one who said this was a great idea! How DARE you tell me it's not a good idea in front of my soldiers! I'M the Sheikh so that means I am right!"

"So we are still marching then?" Tazwir asked slowly, unmoved by his anger.

"Of course we are! We must—"

"Sheikh Lažov!" one of the soldiers shouted from the battlements. He was pointing to the east. "Sheikh, there's a fire!"

"Fire?!" Lažov raced up onto the wall and looked in the direction the soldier was pointing. Sure enough, there was an orange glow of fire three kilometers away. He scoffed and threw up his hands. "So?!"

"What if it's the Liberation Army, Sheikh?" Tazwir called up to him.

Lažov felt a spike of panic and rage as everyone looked at him expectantly. He sputtered for a moment as he floundered on what to do. "I…uh…"

"We should investigate," Tazwir said. "Sheikh, why don't you take a unit of 100 soldiers with you to investigate the fire?"

"ME?!" Lažov exclaimed. "Why should I investigate the fire?!"

"…Because you're Sheikh?" Tazwir responded.

Lažov wanted to refuse, but he saw the faces of his soldiers start to turn in disapproval of his hesitation. It only made him angrier. "I—fine! Tazwir, come with—"

"Sheikh, I think it's best if I stay here," Tazwir interrupted him.

"What?! Why?! You're my second-in-command, you HAVE to come with me!"

"But someone with authority needs to stay here and secure the Garrison while you're gone," Tazwir responded. "Just in case the Liberation Army decides to invade the Garrison. You don't want anything to happen to your wife and children, do you?"

"Yes my wife—your sister! Don't forget that you got your position because of ME! Do you think the High Clerics would have given you any position of ANY value were it not for me?!"

Tazwir's shoulder twitched, though his face was unmoving. Now the soldiers looked uncomfortable. Lažov cursed loudly and threw up his hands. "FINE! I'll go because the lot of you are damned cowards! But I FULLY expect reinforcements to follow!"

Lažov stormed away. Tazwir waited until he was sure he was out of earshot and pulled a letter out of an inner pocket. He handed it to a a page. "Make sure this letter is sent out immediately."

Then he waved another soldier over. "When the Sheikh leaves the Garrison, barricade the gates."

"I believe they're coming," Masaru said, quickly returning to the burning cart.

"Good," Shou scoffed, climbing to his feet. "It took them long enough. We've been trying to keep this fire going for a half-hour."

Five minutes after they left, Lažov rode up with a unit of 100 calvary soldiers. He stopped 10 meters from the burning cart. "Go and investigate," he snapped at another soldier.

"Yes, sir." The soldier rode over to the burning cart, but pulled the reins of his horse to make it stop. "I-It's a cart!" He called over his shoulder.

"Sheikh!" Another soldier shouted. "There's movement from the west of here!"

"Fantastic, it's a trap," Lažov said sarcastically. He grabbed the reins of his horse. "We're going back to the Garrison! I'm not going to die because of some stupid—"

"OH NAGAR!" Another soldier shrieked. "I-Is that Sloan Faakhir?!"

Lažov felt a swift spike of fear shoot through his body and he was overcome with panic. "D-Don't just sit there, you cowards! Hurry up and kill him!"

"Firebrand Oath!" Sloan shouted, lunging forward with Adalgiso. The two were quickly surrounded by ten soldiers but they handled them quickly.

"Sworn Protector!" Surya shouted, and he raced forward with Mokuren with their unite attack.

"Wow," Georg said. "That's just like his parents."

Sloan's party dispatched over 20 soldiers in a matter of minutes. Lažov swallowed hard but his teeth were chattering in fear. While he sat on his horse there was a shout to the east. "Sheikh! That's Keiran Umed!"

"Do your damn jobs and FIGHT!" Lažov shrieked. He spun his horse around. "Launch the signal! We need help!"

"This is my first battle with you guys!" Viola shouted. "I won't let you down!"

"Soldier's Oath!" Keiran shouted, and he raced forward with Mihr.

"Come on, Rico!" Fred shouted, thrusting his sword into the air. "Maximillian Attack!"

"R-Right!" Rico shouted.

From the battlements of the Garrison, they saw a white light rise into the air. "That's the signal!" A soldier shouted. "The Sheikh needs help!"

Tazwir stared at the signal for a long moment before he spoke. "Stand down. We need to defend the Garrison."

"But what about the Sheikh?!" another soldier exclaimed. "He's under attack!"

"We cannot leave the Garrison open to attack. The Liberation Army has done enough damage to morale with their victories."

"B-But if we stand down, the Sheikh—"

"And what do you think will happen to the Sheikh when the High Clerics find out he's disobeying orders?" Tazwir asked.

The soldiers were confused. They didn't understand why Tazwir was abandoning Lažov to die. Lažov was his brother-in-law and Lažov was responsible for his current position. And they had seemed to have a good working relationship. Why did that change?

Never trust someone who stabs the people closest to them in the back. Father always taught me that. Tazwir frowned as battlecries and screams carried over to them. If Ramiro could betray his first wife the way he did, then he could betray anyone. He would sell his own son for his own gain. He would kill my sister if she displeased him. I knew it would be inevitable that my family might eventually share the fate of the Behzadi family. He smiled sinisterly. I could have let him die in the ambush against the Liberation Army, but he would have died with "honor". This is a much more fitting fate for him.

Lažov couldn't believe his eyes. Twelve rebel soldiers managed to kill fifty of his soldiers right before his eyes. "Sheikh!" a soldier shouted in panic. "Sheikh—reinforcements aren't coming!"

"Retreat!" Lažov shouted, yanking on his horse's reins. That bastard! I'll kill him for this! I'll kill his sister for good measure! She already gave me sons, I don't need her anymore!

The forces turned south back towards the Garrison, but in the darkness Lažov saw other figures running towards them. "For the love of Nagar—" he spat, but in the darkness he saw the familiar glint of a metal tubular weapon and fear filled his body once more. "LOOK OUT!" Lažov grabbed a nearby soldier and yanked the young man in front of him just as a loud "BANG!" filled the air. The soldier he held screamed as he was struck in the chest.

"Barō!" Daunte reprimanded him. "I told you to leave the Sheikh to Varnaz!"

"I was going to wound him again," Barō said flatly, lowering his gun. "Not that it matters because he used one of his soldiers as a meat shield."

"What a coward," Sierra said in disgust.

"Cowardice comes naturally to humans," River scoffed.

"Excuse me?" Virgil asked.

"Ah, the Sheikh is retreating from us!" Nash pointed out. "We should hurry and engage the soldiers!"

Lažov threw the dead soldiers away from him and spun his horse around to ride north. "Get out of my way!" he shouted, nudging the soldiers around him aside.

"Sheikh, what should we do?!" One of the soldiers asked.

"You figure it out!" Lažov snapped at him. He broke away from the unit and rode north, ten soldiers trailing behind him. Other tried to follow but were surrounded by the Liberation Army.

"He's getting away!" Israfil shouted.

"Don't worry!" Caesar called out. "He won't get far, and we won't be far behind him!"

Lažov glared in the direction of his Garrison and snapped his teeth. "I'm not dying here today!" he growled.

"Open Gate!"

Lažov saw the glow of the Pale Gate Rune and all of the horses began to panic at seeing the summoned monster. Lažov tried to control his horse and dodge the attack, but the horse threw him and took off running into the darkness. He laid on the ground dazed for a moment as the other soldiers shrieked. Four were struck down by the spell and all of them lost their horses. Lažov scrambled to his feet and unsheathed his sword, but it didn't come out all the way. He cursed violently as he ripped the sword out of its sheath.

"Aww, do you have a boo-boo?"

Lažov turned around and saw six people approaching. He didn't recognize the voice that made the comment but he saw the person leading the group and immediately retreated behind the remaining six soldiers. "Kill them now!"

"You cowardly bastard," Varnaz spat, raising his morningstar. "You won't be getting away from me this time!"

"I guess he has a big boo-boo," Gunther said mockingly.

"Wait!" Thea shouted, hurrying forward and waving her hand. "Do you want to throw down your life for that man?!"

The soldiers recognized her, as did Lažov. Rage and fear filled his body and he shoved on the soldier in front of him violently. "GET THEM!" Then he turned and ran.

"NO!" Varnaz shouted, taking off after him.

"Uh—" one of the Holy Army soldiers said helplessly.

"Well?" Gunther asked the remaining soldiers. "You just got abandoned by the Sheikh. You still want to fight?"

The six soldiers stared at Thea for a long moment before they tossed their swords onto the ground.

Lažov did not get far before he was met with a wall of Liberation Army soldiers led by Daunte. He quickly turned and tried to run in the opposite direction, but saw Varnaz charging towards them. He also saw his remaining soldiers surrender to the Liberation Army. He took an improper, trembling sword stance as he faced Varnaz. "I'm not afraid of you!" He shouted hoarsely. "I'lll finish the divine punishment that took your whole family!"

It was a comment undoubtedly meant to anger Varnaz, and it did. Varnaz swung his Morningstar violently at Lažov, and for a brief period he was able to predict Varnaz's movements and dodge his blows. But he was scrambling to find an opening to bury his sword into Varnaz's body and couldn't find one.

"P-Perhaps I shouldn't bother with you!" Lažov taunted him. "Maybe your bloodline is already gone?! Maybe you're as infertile as your useless sister!"

Varnaz screamed, and dropped his weapon. He lunged at Lažov, and Lažov took the opportunity to thrust his sword forward. Varnaz caught the blade though, stabbing him straight through the palm as he tackled Lažov onto his back.

Varnaz pinned Lažov's arms with his knees and he began raining blows upon his unprotected face. He didn't even notice his own injury as he punched Lažov in rapid succession. He broke his nose, he broke his teeth, he broke both of his eye sockets. He didn't stop punching him until his face was a broken, bloody mess.

Varnaz climbed off him and retrieved his Morningstar. Lažov rolled over onto his stomach and rose onto unsteady knees, pressing his hands to his face. "Guuuuh! …Urrrrrgh!" he groaned.

"Pick up your sword," Varnaz snapped, kicking the blade over to him. "PICK UP YOUR DAMN SWORD!" He shouted.

Lažov groped blindly for the sword and struggled into a sitting position. His jaw was hanging as he struggled to speak. "I…I…I de'serve bedder dan dis!" he croaked pathetically. "I DE'SERVE BEDDER DAN DIS!"

Varnaz advanced upon him, swinging his arm back as he stood over Lažov. Lažov raised his head, but he could probably not see Varnaz due to the damage to his eyes. "I'd—glad I killd Bara! I'd glad she suffered—"

Varnaz swung his Morningstar down and struck him upon the top of his head. Lažov immediately silenced and he unceremoniously fell forward, landing facedown at Varnaz's feet.

"He's dead," Sierra said in a deadpan voice before anyone could move.

Daunte looked at Varnaz. He couldn't see the older man's face, but he was looking down at Lažov. After a long moment he turned on his feet and stalked off into the darkness without another word.

"Varnaz!" Gunther called after him.

"What now?" Keiran asked as they gathered around Lažov. "Do we move onto the Garrison?"

"No," Caesar said. "Our primary goal was killing Lažov before he attacked us. That is done."

Search parties were assembled and groups went out together looking for him all across the surrounding area of the Garrison. Daunte wanted to stay close to the Army but he had a feeling in his gut that he needed to travel north. "I'll be right back," he told Caesar. "I'm going to check the Northern Wharf."

Caesar nodded but said, "Take at least one person with you, Lord Daunte. I'd hate for you to be traveling by yourself."

"I'll go with you," Gunther said, hurrying over to them. "I'm sorry for evasdropping but I want to help. I know I don't get along with Varnaz, but we've been brothers-in-arms for years. I'll do anything to help him."

"'I'll come too," Allise said.

"You will?" Gunther said happily.

"I'm helping Varnaz, not you," Allise said sharply.

"I'll just take Gunther and Allise," Daunte said, handing the Blinking Mirror over to Caesar. "We'll take a boat from the Wharf back to HQ."

"Be careful, Lord Daunte," Caesar said.

Daunte, Gunther, and Allise traveled north and surprisingly didn't face any monsters along the way. Night had fallen completely when they reached the Northern Wharf, and to Daunte's immense relief he saw Varnaz sitting on the beach looking towards the dark horizon. Daunte looked at Gunther and Allise, and they both nodded to him. "You go ahead first, Lord Daunte," Gunther said.

Daunte nodded and carefully approached Varnaz. The sand crunched underneath his feet so he knew Varnaz had to hear his approach but the other man didn't respond. Daunte moved to his right side and slowly sat down beside him on the sand. No words were exchanged for a long time. They simply sat and stared at the sea, the sounds of waves crashing filling the air.

"We came here once," Varnaz said suddenly. His voice was soft but raw. "When we were children. Bara and I spent hours playing on this beach. When it was time for us to leave Bara didn't want to go. She wanted to dive into the water and swim and swim and swim and see where the current took her. I thought it was silly for her to think that. Why would she want to swim away? Why would she want to leave Nagarea?"

Varnaz sucked in a sharp breath, and clenched a fist against his thigh. "…I think about that day often," he said quietly. "I remember how much Bara wanted to go. How she begged my parents to let her go out and swim. She insisted that she was a strong swimmer and could make it, but my parents refused of course. Still, I…I can't help but wonder. Wonder if I should have taken her side and let her go out to swim. Maybe all of us should have gone for a swim. Maybe pile into a boat and sail for Falena. It would have been better for all of us if we did. We wouldn't have lost everything if we did…"

Daunte stared at him in silence. He didn't know what to say.

"I thought I would feel better when I killed that bastard." Varnaz's voice was still low. "But I still feel hollow, empty. He's dead; I avenged my family. But they're still dead and I'm still alone."

"You're not alone," Daunte said. "I'm here. Gunther's here, Allise's here. We're here with you, Varnaz. We're not your blood family but we're your friends." Daunte swallowed hard and reached out for Varnaz, setting a hand on his shoulder. "We've all lost so much, but we have each other."

"That's right, Varnaz," Gunther said, moving closer. His tone was subdued. "Despite the tragedies we've experienced we're not alone. We have each other to rely on, true friends in arms."

"That's right," Allise said, forcing a smile.

Varnaz looked at them for a long moment before looking back at Daunte. "Thank you, all of you. I believe I just feel…adrift in the moment. Avenging my family has been my primary focus in this war and I've met my goal. Now I can focus completely on the task of winning this war, but…"

"When was the last time you went on vacation?" Daunte blurted out.

Varnaz stared at him stunned, and both Gunther and Allise snorted behind them. "I…um…" Varnaz rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. "I've…never gone on vacation. Because of my rank I couldn't—"

"Well you're taking a vacation now," Daunte decided, slapping Varnaz on the shoulder as he stood up. "I'll talk to Surya and see if I can send you to Falena for a week. Just to relax and not think about anything else but your health."

"I-I don't think I should," Varnaz protested, also standing up. "It's not fair for me to take a vacation when others—"

"Yeesh, you're being difficult as usual," Gunther scoffed. "The Commander himself want to send you on vacation! Isn't that enough for you to just go?"

"Don't talk to me like that!" Varnaz snapped. "I'm not the only one who's been working hard! Why am I more deserving of a vacation that anyone else?!"

"Because you've earned it," Daunte said. "And you just accomplished a monumental task, Varnaz. I want to give you time to relax after this, and to find peace with yourself. Don't worry about anything else but yourself for once. Please, just get away for a little while. We'll be all right." Daunte managed a smile. "That's an order, you know."

"Well that settles it," Allise said amusedly. "Lord Daunte is ordering you to go on vacation, Varnaz. You can't get out of it now."

"That's right," Gunther agreed.

Varnaz looked between the three of them again before sighing heavily. "If you must insist, then I will go on this…vacation. But I don't foresee myself having a good time…"

"Just hook up with a woman and then you'll have a good time," Gunther said smugly.

"You're a pig," Allise snapped, turning on her feet and storming up the beach.

"Wait, Allise!" Gunther ran after her.

"Perhaps I should get away from Nagarea for a little while," Varnaz conceded. "I-I've…never allowed myself the time to properly mourn my family. I was able to push it to the back of my mind with my work and my quest for vengeance." he nodded to himself. "…Yes. I will make this time worth it, Lord Daunte. I will relax and deal with the issues I have, and when I return I will be a more valuable ally to you."

"You already are a valuable ally," Daunte told him. "Just relax and enjoy yourself for once."

"I will," Varnaz said. "And when I return, my Morningstar will be ready for your call. I am your ally, your soldier, and I will do anything to ensure your victory my Lord."

"You are my ally, but you're also my friend. Don't forget that."

Varnaz smiled more broadly and nodded. "I won't."

"So," Kayanu began, looking at the faces around him. "Sheikh Ramiro Lažov is dead."

"And nothing of value has been lost," Yuuto added darkly. Everyone but Takefute murmured in agreement.

"You all seem nonchalant about the lost of yet another Sheikh," the Matron said coldly, folding her arms over her chest. "The Grand Citadel received 100 deferments today, or did you not see that? With news circulating of Lažov's death those numbers will triple by tomorrow."

"Don't forget Lady Matron that you lost us a Sheikh too," Hayato retorted, but he flinched when she glared at him.

"There's hardly anything to worry about," Ziya said. "We got an immediate replacement for Lažov in his brother-in-law. Truthfully, Ramiro Lažov was too much trouble for us anyway. Getting his first wife's family convicted of adultery though he himself was committing adultery? He's lucky we turned a blind eye to his transgressions!"

"Ultimately," Takefute said, and everyone silenced. "It doesn't matter how many Sheikhs we lose to the Liberation Army, or if the faith the people have in us is waning. The end result is going to be the same no matter how anyone else thinks or feels."

There was a pregnant pause after he spoke, broken by the Matron. "Ah," she said softly. "The new weapons. They are ready?"

Takefute nodded in confirmation. "They are ready."