Note: This chapter won't be as eventful as the last one, but it is important overall, as it sets up the next 'battle' of sorts, a la retaking Jadd. I admit that I work at a slow-burn pace, and I think that at the moment, it's going around the same rate as a Final Fantasy game, in that things take their time, and you don't just jump from one thing to the other. Not to say that this is on par with their quality; the pacing reminds me of that. Whether that's good or bad is up to you, but I prefer things going at a pace like that.

I also received some predictions regarding the classes, and I admit, while it might turn some people off, I think I have a way to implement all of them into this story, but again, the method might be a bit for people to swallow—just a heads up. Rest assured, though; I hope it'll be the only potential hang-up coming along.

Nightly Planning

Everywhere. They had looked everywhere. In every house, in every corner of the small village that layout of sight of many eyes, the beastman and half-elf went around with only one question in mind. "Where could we find Domperi?" And the answers they received were all the same.

"He's probably out somewhere."

"Last I saw, he was going in the northwest corner."

"He stopped by here a moment ago."

"Hey! Who invited you two in!? Scram!"

So far, what they initially thought would be a simple search ended in total failure, having literally been chased out by the last guy throwing a barrage of nuts at them. With little else to do, Kevin and Charlotte sat on the ground against a small trunk, exhausted and out of options. "He's...not here." Kevin sighed, holding his head in his hands.

"He's gotta be!" Charlotte objected. "Otherwise, why wouwd that guy teww us he was?"

"Some idea of a joke?" the beastman suggested, rubbing a sore spot on his head where the somewhat irritable koropokkur struck him with a walnut.

"No way!" Charlotte shook her head, her curly, blonde locks bouncing as she did so. "He's gotta be hewe! Mick and Walph, they're…" she bit her lip. "They're…"

"Ah, so THAT'S their names." Both looked up to see the bearded, miniature humanoid approach them. To their confusion (and burgeoning irritation), he seemed bemused by their despair. "Certainly things I wouldn't name any of my children, but hey, that's humans for you."

"Wait…" Kevin rose. "You saw it? Those children-"

"Get snatched up? Absolutely." the old, miniature creature answered with a nod.

"Then…" Charlotte balled up her fists. "Then whewe's Dompewi?!" she demanded, stomping her foot. "We gotta find him! Mick and Walph are going to be-"

"Simmer down, half-pint." the old man chuckled, taking a moment to groom his beard. "They're in no danger." Both Kevin and Charlotte were confused. "Those birds took them right into the city. If they were going to eat them, they would've taken them up somewhere high where they could tear and rip in peace."

"How...do you know that?" Kevin asked.

"We've got eyes everywhere around here. Most don't know, but we koropokkur are the ones that keep tabs on everything that goes on here. And they all report back to the head guy. Speaking of, your search is over."

Both Kevin and Charlotte looked at each other, then back to him. "You mean…" Kevin began, and the koropokkur nodded.

"Yep. You're looking right at him."

Rabite Forest

"So, you DO require taxes to be paid?" the violet-haired thief questioned, the recently revealed Princess nodding. She could tell he was displeased with such information. Ever since had admitted that she was indeed royalty and the Princess of one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world, no less (or rather, formerly one of the most powerful, though she didn't delve into that line of thinking), Hawkeye had seemed to regard her differently. Almost as if she'd disappointed him. Since they had gone off, and after the people of Astoria finally let them do so, the Princess and thief went out in search of Kevin and Charlotte, mindful of both the hounds and giant birds that soared in the skies for a nightly meal.

"This offends you?" Riesz questioned.

"I suppose I just expected more from you," he told her plainly, not holding anything back. "Systems like that is one thing that me and my guild fight against."

"It's not as if they are overwhelmingly high." the amazon answered back. "They are at a fair amount for everyone, and the town's general economy is considered. Moreover, Palo is a relatively stable place; thus, taxes don't cripple the people."

"It's still taking money from them." Hawkeye retorted. "So the upper-class folks can use it for their benefits."

Riesz tightened her lips. "Yes, I admit. We MAY be considered 'upper class' as you say, yet I will not allow you to insinuate that we waste it on extravagance and sensual pleasures. That money goes to the maintenance of the Citadel and the supply of our weapons. We are far from just a lord over the people, or as you say, 'upper-class folks.'" she then turned to him. "There are many flaws that remain, I admit, especially those that can be abused, yet when maintained and implemented correctly, it is a system that has endured. And thus, it can't be denied that, when correctly established, it works."

Hawkey only huffed. "Sorry, princess, but I'm still not convinced."

"Then enlighten me," Riesz stated firmly. Helpful so far or not, if this rogue dares insult her people or kingdom…."Why do you hold such distaste for such systems?"

Both of them then paused, seeing iridescent orbs a short distance away. Climbing up a nearby tree, the two saw a small group of hounds come through with their noses to the ground, clearly on the trail of something. Probably some poor Rabite or other hapless creature. Unless they were willing to take a bite out of a Mushboom, it would be something with meat. Seemingly catching to where their target had gone, the head of them gave out a bark and took off, the others following. Whether they picked up on the thief or princess' scent was unknown, yet even if they did, their interests were elsewhere. Getting down, albeit tentatively, they continued walking and, in turn, their conversation.

"Think what you will of the whole thieving thing, but we NEVER do it to those that don't deserve it," Hawkeye told her, his usual easygoing nature absent. "There are only two major towns in Nevarl, but you'd be hard-pressed to find somebody that isn't living daily on scraps and crumbs, let alone have decent clothes on their backs. Most of the well-do folks live in Sirhtan and off the backs of little guys in Diin. The last guy we did some 'borrowing' from outright had a family once! And now they're living in rags in another town over! And they STILL have to pawn or sell what little they had left from their time when they were on top, to survive!"

Riesz went silent at that. "I...I'm truly sorry to hear that."

Hawkeye shook his head. "Lady was the only reason I could get to Jadd in the first place. Sarafina was her name, I think." the thief continued. "People like her, struggling to get by, that's why our guild exists. To give those less fortunate a fighting chance to live rather than just survive."

Riesz only stood silent as she listened to him, taking in and pondering his words. "If I may, your country needs a reform."

Hawkeye nodded, but then his face grew grim. "We do." he agreed. "But not in the way that witch has set up…" he muttered. "Eagle, I promise. She's going to pay."

"Hm? What was that?" the blonde young woman questioned, Hawkeye realizing, to his horror, that he had perhaps spoken just a bit too loud.

"Nothing," he assured her, presenting a small, reassuring smile. "Anyway, we should probably get to searching for those two. Especially that one girl. One of those birds would have no problem snatching her up."

While Riesz had no objections to that, she kept an eye on the tanned native of the invading country as they went along. True, he had yet to do anything malicious (suspicious, yes, but not anything sinister), but that was a far cry from proving he could be trusted. And the fact that he was not revealing everything detailing his reasoning for coming to Wendel made the amazon more cautious. She heard him say the name 'Eagle,' but who that was that was, she knew not and probably wouldn't find out even if she pressed him. He had mentioned a 'Jessica' and how she was the reason for his coming, but questions as to how she came to possess a cursed object, let alone why he had to sneak here in the first place seemingly, had gotten Riesz thinking. Ultimately though, she had nothing to go off of but speculation; thus, for now, she was forced to apply due process. For now, he was innocent until proven guilty. Yet still, that didn't mean she wouldn't be too surprised if something DID come up, so it was better than getting attached to a false perception to have it shattered.

Besides, Kevin and Charlotte's whereabouts weren't the only current matter to be pondered. "Though…" Hawkeye began as if reading Riesz's mind. "What are we going to do about those folks back in...well, what's left of Astoria?"

Koropokkur Village

Kevin and Charlotte looked at each other, then back to the small humanoid. "Y-You?" the beastman asked. "You're Domperi?"

The koropokkur, Domperi, put his hands on his hips and smiled. "In the flesh and beard, kid."

Charlotte stood there, mouth agape and seemingly trying to find words. "Then...then you…" She furrowed her brows and clenched her fists. "Then you knew why we wewe hewe this whowe time!" she shouted, clearly enraged, though she was far from threatening. If anything, she looked as if her face had become a red balloon, her cheeks swelling up as if they were full of air. "You...you...you big stupid doo-doo head!"

Domperi raised a brow. "Doo-doo head?" he chuckled. "Now watch it, missy. Those are fighting words," he told her, though it was clear he wasn't serious.

"If you want a fight…" she drew out her flail. "Then you'we gonna get one!"

Kevin could only look at the scene taking place, planning to step in if he had to, though mainly for Domperi's sake. Then again, maybe a few smacks to the head would compensate for all the useless meandering the two had done thanks to him.

"Do you even know how to use that thing?" the koropokkur questioned. Charlotte rushed forward yet didn't get far as he stuck his foot out and caused her to trip; she then landed face-first into the dirt. Kevin rushed over to her and shot Domperi a glare. Sending them running aimlessly was one thing, yet he wouldn't tolerate this. "Besides, if you give me a concussion, you won't learn how to get Jadd back from those furry freaks." Despite her current position, Charlotte lifted her dirt-covered face-up from the ground. "As well as give your other friends some tips on dealing with those troublemakers in Laurent."

Dwarf Village

To say he was sore would be an understatement. Daresay, it was nothing short of a miracle that no bones appeared to be broken. Still, he continued to pace around the small room given to him in the dwarves' inn (not that they made much use of it), arms folded and with a frustrated expression.

"You know, pacing around like that isn't making them go any faster."

"I don't need you to tell me that." Duran sighed, continuing to walk around the four corners of the room.

"You heard them. They said that it'd be done by morning." the winged woman told him.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard them." the human soldier said. "But…" he hissed. "But that red bastard...he's making his way towards Valsena right now! Along with the rest of those damned mages!"

"I know that," Faerie answered. "But we can't do anything about it. We have no way to get there with the bridge down, you're currently lacking a sword AND a shield, and after the beating you took from that Jewel Eater, what you need most is a night's rest at the very least." he opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "You know I'm right."

Duran remained silent, slumping against a wall and drumming his fingers on his forearm. He hated it, outright despised it, but there was an undeniable truth in his companion's words. For now, the odds were against him. And if he wanted any chance of getting to Valsena, he would have to wait to his chagrin.

"Um, hey." Duran and Faerie turned to see the short figure of Watts poke his head in, his nature rather timid than before. As if asking for silent permission, he took their curious eyes as an invitation to come in. "So, uh, how are you feeling?"

"A little sore, that's all." the human answered, wincing a bit as he stretched his arms to demonstrate hitting a wrong spot. "Nothing that serious. A few hours rest is all I need."

"Ok, that's good, I guess." the dwarf rubbed the back of his head. "Anyway, the guys and I owe you one. Really." he then gave his beard a small brush through. "I mean, if you hadn't come along, then…" he stammered, trying to find the words to say. "Look, what I mean to say is...sorry. Sorry about being all rude before." he finally found what he wished to say. "I mean, you had the elemental Spirit with you and all, but all those tales of the Sword and all clouded our judgment as to what a wielder would look like. In all instances, it was just an ordinary guy."

"About that, I'm-" Duran began, but Faerie cut him off.

"Yes, well, that's understandable." the winged woman answered. "After all, many of those who have obtained the sword have ranged from actual generals to simple men and even slaves of oppressive regimes." Faerie explained. "I mean, that's just from what I heard. I haven't been outside the Mana Holy Land until now."

Watts then gave a sheepish little kick. "Y'know...I always kinda wondered what it'd be like if something like this happened in my lifetime," he confessed. "I mean, I got my name from those legends. Though, Watts is kind of a common name for a dwarf. Still, it's somewhat cool, I guess. Even if it's just a bit, I'm not a crafter of weapons or anything. I mainly dig up stuff."

Despite his ongoing resistance to the idea of wielding the sword, Duran found that he had difficulty saying so after hearing the dwarf's question. But then, he remembered how he and Angela could even get away from the Jewel Eater. "Speaking of, sorry about your bag."

"Huh? Oh, are you kidding?" Watts then said, taking Duran and Faerie by surprise by the sudden change in his tone. "You know that explosion?" Duran and Faerie nodded. "Well, guess what?" He exited the room, the human and winged woman hearing something dragging along the floor. After a minute or two, both pairs of eyes bugged out at the sight of a sack filled to the brim with hardened, blackened rocks. "It revealed a gold mine of nitromyte!" He undid the rope tying the bag, piles of the darkened mineral pouring out, Watts taking handfuls of it in his gloved hands. "If anything, I should be mad you didn't come sooner! Haha!" he then threw up some of it, making it rain on him, proclaiming how this would make him the wealthiest dwarf in the country. "Oh! By the way," Watts said, briefly ceasing to bask in the large amount of nitromyte he had unearthed. "Where's that other topsoiler? What was her name...Angie something?"

"Angela." Duran corrected. "And at the moment, she's a little...unavailable."

"Huh? Why?" Watts questioned.

"It's kinda a quarrel that goes back a long time ago." Faerie explained.

"There's no quarrel involved." Duran protested. "She just can't let it go." he huffed.

"Speaking of her," Faerie began again.

"Are you just gonna invite yourself into my head whenever you feel like it?"

"It's not like you can stop me." the winged woman said with a wink. "But you two haven't spoken to each other since we got here. Don't you think you should get her side of the story?"

"What story?"

"Back on the bridge?" Faerie reminded him. "The oh-so 'nice' things you said to her?" Yeah...that. It wasn't as if he had forgotten. Hell, the fact that he had even said such to Angela drove him to find her. Yet when they saw each other again, she only proceeded to give him the silent treatment back to the village. "You know, it's just a hunch, but I think there's some truth in what that wizard said. Just not in the way you think."

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Duran questioned. "Get her side of things?" Faerie only nodded, realizing that he had answered himself. Still, that would require getting Angela to even speak to him. And, well, he had seen by now that the young woman had quite the petty streak.

"Don't act like you don't have one either," Faerie told him.

"Shut up."

The Next Room

Again. A small laser came out from the tip of her wand and made a small indent on the wall. Again. It grew deeper. Again, again, again. She shot at the same spot repeatedly, yet it didn't matter. The fact she was doing it at all was what made her continue.

Magic. She had done magic.

"You get it all out of your system?" Lumina questioned Angela, who responded with yet another cast against the wall. "Guess not." The young woman held the wand tightly in her hands, green eyes tracing the carvings in the wooden tip. While she had managed to cast bursts of energy beforehand, now seemed to be the only time she had complete control over it. She could summon Lumina's powers at will and use them as she saw fit. "You two have taken quite a beating today." the Elemental said. "How about you settle down for the night?"

"I'll be fine," Angela answered. "Besides," she then pointed the tip of her wand to a cut on her arm. "I can just get you to take care of all this." the end of the rod began to glow, only to fade away. "Huh?" the young woman began to press the wand downward, only to wince when it met the sore spot. "Heal!" she cried out, only for the cut to remain as it was. She then looked to Lumina. "Hey, what's up with this?"

"Hate to tell you, hun, but you're just not compatible."

"What's that mean?" Angela questioned.

"Healing magic isn't compatible with you." the Spirit answered. "Back at home, surely you've noticed that the other magicians excelled in a particular type of magic, right?"

Angela pondered this. "Now that you mention it...I remember reading such in one of old Jose's books." the image of the old man came to her mind, as well as a slight ache in her chest. "But," she shook it off, not wishing for this triumph to be spoiled by any sense of negativity. "Where's that leave me?"

"Well, you've just shown it," Lumina explained. "You can draw upon my powers by using them against opponents; thus, you are more skilled in offensive magic. However, this doesn't mean that you are exclusively put into that category."

"Yeah!" Gnome answered, the two spirits having decided to join Angela in her spellcasting. "All of us hold all sorts of powers! Some that are both offensive and defensive! For healing and destruction! It's all about finding out which one of these you can manifest once that particular energy is tied to you!" he exclaimed. "Speaking of, try me next!"

Angela obliged, holding out her wand and positioning it right where the indent in the wall was. Only for nothing to happen. "Oh…" she groaned. "Really?"

"Oh. Well…" Gnome rubbed the back of his head. "You just kinda got it, so I guess you're not gonna get it right away." he chuckled. "Still though, how DID you do it the first time? If what Lumina's said is true, magic doesn't exactly come easy to you." Angela shot both him and Lumina a glare. "H-Hey, I'm just repeating what he said!" Gnome replied defensively, pointing to the wisp.

"I-I didn't mean it in a bad way!" Lumina answered, putting up two 'arms' of smoke in a motion for the young woman to calm down. "It's just...well...you know." he then joined Gnome in chuckling nervously. "But back on topic!" funny, Angela thought, considering that the short man's comment was PART of the topic. "You've always had magical capacity. I knew it when I first saw you."

"You...you did?" the young woman asked.

"You bet, hun!" the wisp nodded. "You just need the right combination to use it properly."

"Then what is it?" Angela questioned. "I don't seem to be having any problem using your energy now." she demonstrated with another beam to the wall. "Still though...it's kinda...small at the moment."

"Practice makes perfect," Lumina told her; Angela rolled her eyes as she heard old Jose say the same thing to her hundreds of times. "It's true!" the Spirit attested. "But also, it seems that your magic rises in power when certain conditions are met. At least, that's from what I observed."

Indeed, Angela couldn't deny that. It seemed that whenever she was highly stressed (sometimes) or when her very life depended on it (sometimes), her magic would only work. Again though, the results were unpredictable. Still, now it seemed that she had SOME degree of control, over only Lumina's energy. Still, what had happened in those times that differed from the others?

An example is a more recent one, Gnome's. She had little idea, yet she just thought of how they would all die if something wasn't done. That 'he' would die if something wasn't done. But, wait...why did she think about him?

"Hey." she turned to see him standing in the doorway, seemingly lacking in his usual bravado. "So...how's it going?"

Angela was about to respond, only to scowl and turn away with a 'hmph!' arms folded over her chest.

Great.'Duran thought.

Just talk to her. Faerie told him.

What do you think I'm doing? He opened his mouth to speak again. "You hurt anywhere? You took quite a tumble down at the bridge." she didn't answer. 'Looks like I have to cut to the chase.' "Look," the soldier approached Angela, who still turned his back to him. "I know that I said some things back then," he stated, still stringing together how he would word this. "Things that weren't exactly well thought out or acceptable."

"Why do you care?" the young woman hissed. "I'm 'scum,' or did you forget?"

"No, I didn't." Duran sighed. "I...I wasn't thinking. Seeing that wizard...Koren, I think was his name; I was so angry that I took him at his word. It's not an excuse, I know, but,"

"But nothing." Angela then turned to face him. "Did you ponder what he said made no sense, or did you have your head so far up your ass that it didn't even register to you?"

The words stung, yet the young man couldn't deny they were the truth despite his pride. His rage blinded him, and it seemed it cost him. "You...you're right. There's no excuse. I...I'm sorry. Really, I am." she still seemed unmoved. "Please forgive me for being so...so…"

"Stupid?" she interjected. He had no response other than averting his eyes, yet eventually, he nodded, agreeing with her. She remained silent for some time, letting him stew in the results of his hubris, but ultimately, she found words she wanted to share with him. "Look...what Koren said was true. Yes, I AM the Princess of Altena. But make no mistake: he and I are NOT friends." she said firmly. "The truth is…" she bit her lip, clearly uncomfortable. "I ran away." she pulled her arms closer around herself.

"What for-ow!" Duran asked, only for Faerie to emerge and give him a flick on his ear.

"It was bound to come out sooner or later," Angela answered. "Your attitude towards Altena as a whole just made it a little difficult." Duran looked down guiltily. "Though...I'm sort of getting where you're coming from." she sighed. "But again, I ran away. Because…" she paused. Goddess, even now, it was challenging to say it; all of it still seemed unreal. "Because I was to be killed."

"Killed?!" Duran gasped. "But...for what reason would you be killed?! You just said it yourself that you're the Princess! So what did you do?!"

"Nothing!" Angela replied defensively, Duran receiving another flick from Faerie, realizing he had made an ass of himself again. "He and mother just up and decided that I would be sacrificed for some stupid stone!"

"Stone?!" Faerie then exclaimed. "Like a Mana Stone?!"

"Yeah!" Angela confirmed. "Koren was the one who suggested it, and mother…" she paused, placing a hand to her cheek, still feeling the sting from the woman's hand. "Mother just up and went along with it."

Duran was shocked upon hearing this, his anger against the wizard, Koren, rising even more, though now, it was also directed at Altena's queen. "If you want to…" he began. "Maybe it'd be best if you start at the beginning."

Angela looked at him, contemplating where to start. "Only if you do too."

Fair enough, Duran thought. The only thing was to decide who would go first. And seeing her eyes were focused on him, it seemed she had chosen for him.

Rabite Forest

"Ok." Hawkeye sighed, resting against a lone gargoyle statue that seemed to have been placed out here for a reason, though, for what reason, neither he nor Riesz knew. "I say it's a good time to take a break for now," Riesz said nothing, only giving a slight hum, though whether this was for or against his suggestion, he didn't know. "This place is kinda big, but it's not THAT big." the thief huffed, then turned to his company. "Where do you think they could've gone?" he asked, only to receive no answer. "Like...you think they got carried away or eaten?" he expected a 'don't be ridiculous' or maybe even a sharp 'get serious' from her, though what came from her next was unexpected.

"...it's all so sudden."

"Hm?"

"All of this. Everything." Riesz said, seemingly off in another world.

"What do you mean?" Hawkeye asked, seeing her eyes widen, realizing she was speaking aloud.

"N-Nothing!" she quickly said. "Nothing."

"Uh, 'nothing' is usually code for 'something,'" Hawkeye answered, seeing the amazon grip the handle of her spear tighter. "So spill," he told her matter-of-factly, only there was a twinge of satisfaction in having caught her in his voice. "What's up?"

Riesz remained silent for a moment, cursing how his amber eyes practically drilled into her own. 'Damn you.' she inwardly cursed. Ok, perhaps that was too harsh, but it seemed that this guy knew just what to do to push certain buttons. Still, she had to admit; that it had weighed heavily on her since it happened. Since the first of those villagers had realized who she was and fell at her feet. And then another and another, looking to her with wide, pleading eyes, like a child seeking reassurance from their mother. And while she wouldn't release too much, she could at least release what was currently relevant. "How are we going to do this?"

"Do what?" the thief asked.

"This." the Princess said again. "This whole operation." Hawkeye needed no more, already getting what she was referring to. "We don't even have a viable way into the city, let alone any plan to take it back from the beastmen. Aside from us, we have no one experienced in combat to go in, or even anyone who knows how to defend themselves should it come to that. Which, if we go through with this, will inevitably happen. This…" Riesz bit her lip. "This whole operation seems doomed to failure."

"Don't go saying that yet," Hawkeye told her. "You'd be surprised what ordinary people have in them, let alone what they can do when pushed."

"I don't doubt that," Riesz answered. "Yet 'ordinary people' haven't had years of training, let alone any knowledge of organization when it comes to warfare. So if they go in there, they're bound to kill themselves."

"Not unless we rig things in our favor."

"Rig?" Riesz questioned. "What are you talking about?"

"He means, we go, and we lay some…surprises for them."

Both of them looked to the side to see the source of the voice, only to find nothing ahead of them. A voice neither had heard from before.

"Down hewe!" that voice, however, they had heard. Looking down, Hawkeye and Riesz saw that near their feet stood, to their bewilderment, three miniature figures. "It's us!"

"Kevin?" Riesz asked, the shrunken beastman nodding. "Charlotte?" The now even more petite girl jumped up and down and waved her hands.

"And…" Hawkeye began, focusing on the bearded figure. "You are?"

"How rude!" the bearded figure said, adjusting said facial hair. "I go out of my way to help you humans, and the best you have to say is that?" he huffed. "Perhaps it's my fault expecting anything more from you lot." he then looked up to both of them, arms out in front of him. "Well? You expect us to climb?"

"Um...ok?" Hawkeye didn't exactly get it, but he bent down and allowed the three miniature figures to get up on his hand.

"That's better." the koropokkur said. "Behold, you two, for this isn't a privilege given to many! You look upon the great Domperi!"

"Dom-what?" Riesz questioned, not even believing creatures such as this even existed before now. Let alone the possibility that beings such as herself could be shrunk down to their size.

"He's here to help!" Kevin cried out, yelling in case the two more giant humans couldn't hear him.

"Huh?" Both Hawkeye and Riesz looked to each other, then to this 'Domperi.'

"Not just that," Charlotte then said. "He's gonna teww you how to take back Wawent!"

Riesz shifted her eyes. "You mean Laurent, yes?"

Charlotte huffed and put her hands on her hips. "That's what I said!" she attested, cheeks puffing out. Still, it seemed that Riesz's attention was solely on Domperi now.

"Yeah, that's right! I know everything!" the koropokkur said with pride. "You humans never know how to make yourselves discrete." he then pointed to Hawkeye. "And you're here because you want to get rid of a nasty little curse put on your friend, right?"

The thief couldn't believe his ears. "How...how did you-" he then shook his head. "Look, who...WHAT are you anyway?"

"You think the Priest's barrier was anything to us? We have ALL sorts of ways to get by anything. All of which you'll never find out." Domperi declared proudly. "Well...all except one." Before Hawkeye or Riesz could ask, he continued. "We've got pathways and eyes all around, and since those furry freaks came into town, we've been keeping an eye on things, even in Wendel. You see?"

"Um…" Riesz began, still somewhat taken aback by all of this. "Well-"

"Doesn't matter in the long run." Domperi then interrupted. "Right now, you've got a town to save. But you've got no way in, right?" again, neither said anything. "Well, lucky for you, my people and I have been doing stuff like this for a long time. So, listen up…."

Dwarf Village

The Valsenan soldier and Altenan Princess were silent as each of their tales ended; both left with little to say to the other upon delivering the final part about why they had gone to Wendel.

"Neither of you have had an easy time, have you?" Faerie asked, the two humans remaining quiet. True, she had known of Duran's plight due to the bond, yet hearing him relay it only cemented how serious this was to him. However, Angela as well made her sympathetic.

"Goodness…" Lumina murmured, looking at Gnome.

"Looks like things haven't exactly gotten more peaceful since last we were in action." the short man mentioned, Lumina nodding in agreement.

"I...I'm sorry." Angela said quietly. "That...that Koren had done such a thing."

"It's that bastard's fault, not yours." The soldier answered. "And I'm sorry that your mother would-"

"But...but she wouldn't!" Angela then protested.

"But you just said-"

"I know what I said!" Angela attested. "I...I can't believe it. I refuse! She's my mother! She-" 'Ignored me my whole life.' "She…" 'Treated me as if my existence was a nuisance.' "She…" 'Maybe never loved me-' she stopped herself at the last thought, feeling the beginning of tears stinging her eyes. "Look, I just...I know what I said, saw, and heard. I just…" she lowered her head, Duran hearing soft whimpering from her.

Well, this got a little awkward. He looked to Faerie and the Elementals, all of which silently urged him to go in that direction. Then, tentatively, he reached out and rested a hand on the young woman's shoulder; Angela then, unable to contain herself, threw herself at him and clutched tight. She buried her face into his chest and wept; Duran was taken aback by this, but eventually, he responded by him gently taking her in an embrace, holding her firmly as she continued to release everything that had been building up since the day she was forced to run for her life.

And despite what had happened between the two, the Princess found that here was all she wanted to be.

Rabite Forest

Riesz took every word the koropokkur said, nothing leaving a single detail out. "...and from there, you're kinda on your own." Domperi finished.

"I...I don't know what to say." the Princess said, astonished by what she had just heard. "I...are you certain?"

"Kid, you're far from the first one to come to me for advice, and given the nature of you humans, I highly doubt you'll be the last." the small, bearded man said. "But first things first: we gotta get those furry freaks out of the city." He then turned to Kevin. "Present company accepted, though."

"Um...thanks?" Kevin answered.

"And what about the Choker of Death?" Hawkeye then butted in. "What can be done about that?"

Domperi's optimism then diminished a bit. "I don't know about that." He admitted. "The one who gave it to your friend is the only one who can release the curse." He then noticed the thief's dejection. "But hey, perk up!" Domperi said. "Things usually have a way of working out, you'll see!" He then rubbed his hands together. "Now...we've gotta get back to town and tell those folks how things are going to go down. We'll need everyone's help to get this done."

"Um, befowe that…." Domperi then looked over to the still shrunk Kevin and Charlotte.

"Oh yeah, right." With a wave of his hand, the gargoyle's eyes glimmered, and suddenly, Hawkeye found a tremendous amount of weight on his hand. By the time the light had dissipated, he, Kevin, and Charlotte were lying in a tangled heap on the ground.

Risez only looked at the koropokkur who had leaped onto her shoulder before the 'unshrinking.' "You know that'd happen, didn't you?"

Domperi only shrugged. "Maybe?"

Ruins of Astoria

"They can't do it." a man said, looking sadly to the ground. "We're doomed."

"The Goddess has abandoned us." a woman added, wiping away some stray tears that still lingered after her first bout of tears.

"How can you say that?" Elisa said, rising from her place on the ground. "We can't just give up like that!"

"And do what?" the man questioned. "Jadd's been taken over, this place is destroyed, and Wendel's been cut off! So tell me, what else can anyone do?!"

"We...we could just give ourselves up to them!" another woman suggested. "It's the only way! We have to surrender ourselves to the beastmen! It's the only way to stop them from causing more destruction!"

"Shut up! That's enough!" Elisa roared, having heard more than her fill. "It doesn't do us any good to talk like that now!" her body shook, breathing in and out as she calmed herself. She had to keep a cool head. Not just for herself and the others, but her Ralph as well.

"Well...you know," a voice suddenly spoke up, the red-haired woman turning to see the mayor twiddling his thumbs. "We kinda have help. Sorta."

"What can those four do?" someone asked. "I don't care if that girl said she was an amazon captain, Princess, or whatever! She's got no army backing her!"

"Yeah, one of them's an outright beastman! He could be a spy!"

"Then tell me," Elisa retorted. "Why'd he go easy on you when you threw that rock?" the man who had just spoken was rendered silent by the woman's inquiry.

"Even so, what could he and those other three do? One of them is just a child!" well, Elisa had to agree. Even if the 'child' attested she was fifteen (somehow).

"I...I don't know." the woman admitted. "I just...don't know."

The mayor watched as the homeless citizens conversed with each other, which began to dissolve into arguing, which only grew more and more intense with each passing second. His eyes surveyed the environment around him, his mind then wandering back to his manor in Jadd. His multiple rooms that weren't in use, the food that he had taken in, more than what he probably should've, and how, despite his position, he was utterly oblivious to the people he was assigned with seeing over and providing for. They were little more than just "the people," in that they were just faces and nothing more. True, he had heard of the beastmen's activity becoming more aggressive, as well as other nations such as Altena and Nevarl, but he dismissed them as rumors because it was convenient for him. He had no time for such things; he was busy trying to get re-elected or thinking of what next decoration he could spend his people's tax money on. Not once had he thought of the prospect that he'd have his home invaded, placed in a dungeon, and left without any pants while it was perhaps the least of his worries. Yet now, as he watched the residents of the ruined Astoria bicker among each other, that poor mother looking exhausted, he found nothing short of agonizing guilt overtake him.

"Look!" a child suddenly said; everyone looked to see four figures approaching the ruined gate leading to their once peaceful, untouched town. "They're back!" Everyone began to gather around the four foreigners above, all four felt instead put on the spot, yet ultimately, they couldn't blame these people. But it soon became clear to the residents of Astoria that a far smaller fifth figure had been added to the party. "Hey! Isn't that a...a…"

"Koropokkur," Domperi answered. Immediately, seeing him perched on Riesz's shoulder brought several eyes to view him. "Yeah, yeah, stare away!" the small man fluffed out his robes and beard. "People tell me I AM a looker after all these years!"

"I didn't think they even existed!" one voice said.

"This one looks old!" a child exclaimed.

"Are there more of you out there?" someone else asked.

Riesz, Kevin, Charlotte, and Hawkeye collectively rolled their eyes as Domperi took in all of this. "All right, all right!" Riesz said, urging the people to move back (though they didn't precisely obey). "Yes, this IS a koropokkur."

"Ahem?"

Riesz sighed. "LEADER of the koropokkurs, and-"

"Name's Domperi." Domperi interrupted, his eyes then filling with determination. "And I'm here to give you fine folks a way to get those beastmen out of here!"

Note: Next up is the seizing back of Jadd. Not going to lie; I've been sick for the past couple of days. It's not corona, let alone something that could qualify as a 'sickness' per se, but it felt like everything was in pain. I'm taking antibiotics to help with it, yet there are still some aftereffects. Thank you all for reading, and I hope to see you next time!