I got sick on Sunday. I'm still not 100% but I'm determined to get 2 chapters done and posted this week.

Chapter Two: Part One

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Dharma…

Chaos…

…What?

Astraea's brow furrowed in confusion. She rolled from her side and onto her back. It didn't feel like she was laying in a bedroll. It felt like…she was laying on the cold hard ground.

"Open your eyes."

Astraea's eyes snapped open. The man's voice sounded familiar, but it didn't. She sky above her was like a black void. She looked to her right, and she stirred in alarm. She expected to see grass, but while she did see grass…the grass was white.

"Not a pretty picture, is it?"

Astraea looked towards the voice. A man sat cross-legged beside her, his elbows resting on his thighs and his lower arms draped over his calves. He stared at her wearing a deep frown, but his eyes…his green eyes almost seemed to hold pity.

But Astraea recognized him. He was there when she accepted the True Wind Rune. He had said, "I hope you don't live to regret this," to her.

But who was he?

"It seems even in death, I am bound to the Rune," the man mused softly. He glanced towards the void above them. "But it's not surprising. I was born to wield the Rune. It was on my body possibly from the moment of my birth. Perhaps we are all always bound to the True Runes? They are a power of creation, after all…"

"W—Who are you?" Astraea whispered, slowly sitting up.

The man glanced at her. "Luc," the man said simply. "But knowing me won't matter, because we're never going to truly meet, Princess."

He knew who she was? Astraea looked at their surroundings. It was nothing but black and white; black sky, white grass, white hills. She couldn't see Sigrun, Denzel, Musashi, or Ferdinand. She looked down at herself, and she saw that she was still wearing her blue and red dress. She looked at Luc again, and he was dressed in the same green coat she last saw him in. They were both the only people around.

They were both the only bit of color in the world.

Astraea swallowed hard and struggled the find the words to speak. "Y…You said before," she said. "'Even in death'. Does that mean that you…?"

"Yes," Luc said. "I'm dead, Princess Astraea. I died eleven years ago. Our souls are usually unreachable in the beyond—not even the Rune of Restoration can recall a soul from beyond the World of Emptiness—but my fate has been tied to the True Wind Rune my whole life. I suppose it always will be. Perhaps it means that I will never know true rest. Nor will anyone who has ever held a True Rune and has died." He shrugged stiffly. "It's what I deserve, but still not a fate I would wish upon even my worst enemy."

"What do you mean by 'it's what I deserve'?"

"I don't want to linger here explaining that," Luc said. "I am here because my bond to the True Wind Rune is stronger than death. The True Wind Rune however didn't choose me—it was assigned to me. You, however?" He pointed to her. "It DID choose you. So you should understand the responsibility you now carry…and the consequences of such responsibility."

Astraea swallowed thickly. "I know what True Runes are," she said. "They are part of the fabric of our world. Born directly from Sword and Shield."

"Exactly," Luc said. "But they are also living, sentient beings. That rune attached to your right hand had its own conscience and it has complete control over its own power. And it will decide when you will receive its power…and if you are truly worthy of it."

Astraea looked down at her right hand and then looked at their surroundings again. "Wha…Where are we?"

"This?" Luc spread an arm wide around them. "This is the Emerald Strip. This the grasslands between Blutkrieger and Triona."

"T-That can't be!" Astraea exclaimed. "The Emerald Strip is a land of green! Like the emerald gemstone!"

Luc looked at her. "If the Runes have their way…this will be the Emerald Strip."

What?

But before Astraea could say anything more, Luc abruptly evaporated into the air and she became surrounded by darkness.

"Astraea?"

Astraea opened her eyes. Sigrun was leaning over her, wearing an expression of worry. "Were you having a bad dream, Astraea? You were mumbling in your sleep."

Astraea and slowly sat up. She saw that a campfire had been started and Musashi was making breakfast. Denzel was polishing his armor's breastplate and Ferdinand was using a whetstone to sharpen his glaive. She saw that the sky was pink and the Sun was about to rise. After a moment she realized that she hadn't answered her sister and shook her head. "I'm okay."

"Come, Astraea!" Denzel called to her cheerfully, waving his arm as Musashi gave him a travel bowl. "Musashi is making miso soup for us!"

Astraea looked at her surroundings as she moved towards the campfire. The Emerald Strip was back to normal; the grass perfect and the shade of a shining emerald. Monsters were known to roam the plain but as travelers frequented the area the monsters they would run into were never a serious threat. But it was a relief to see everything back to as it should be.

That dream, though… she looked down at her hand as she sat down. True Wind Rune…what was Luc talking about?

The True Rune did not have an answer for her.

"Here, Princess," Musashi said, scooping a ladle of miso soup into a small travel bowl and handing it to her. "There's no protein, but it will give us energy to keep moving."

"We should be fine," Ferdinand said, accepting his own bowl. "We haven't seen any soldiers from the Army on the road here, and travelers from Blutkrieger cannot get to Triona without going through the Emerald Strip." He sniffed at the broth, and his eyes narrowed. "Are there onions in this?"

"Green onions," Musashi said, handing a bowl to Sigrun.

"I cannot eat this," Ferdinand said, setting the bowl down. "Onions are toxic to kobolds."

Musashi's brow lifted very slightly. Sigrun quickly jumped in. "I have lamb jerky in my bag, Ferdinand. Good thing Astraea rang the Call to Action Bell, and I was able to full arm for battle and have my essentials when everything went down. You can have as much as you want of that."

"Thank you, Princess."

"…I eat miso soup all the time," Musashi mumbled.

"It's fine, so do I," Denzel said with a smile.

Astraea sipped the soup, finding comfort from its warmth. It almost felt like they were on a camping adventure and not fleeing for their lives. The familiar pain started to creep back though, and she pushed it to the farthest corner of her mind. "I can't wait to see Sarka," she murmured.

"I can't wait to see her, either," Sigrun said. "Though it will be far from a happy reunion."

"Milo was her full-blooded brother, though," Denzel said. "She deserves to know the truth of what happened to him."

The truth. The truth of the Massacre of Innocents, where Astraea's own father tried to kill her. And HAD succeeded in killing three of his bastards and six children of noble houses. A somber silence fell along the campfire. Astraea's fingers fidgeted around her bowl. She drank more soup, but it was mostly to give herself something to do. "So…what do we do after we meet with Sarka?"

"Right now we focus on survival," Sigrun said. "His Majesty and Sir Albert are no doubt going to spread the word of your "treason"—"

"But only a moron would believe it," Denzel said.

"Even if no one believes it, we're still wanted fugitives," Sigrun said. "For right now we need allies and we need to get the truth out. Sarka is our sister, and she suffered a loss with the Massacre of Innocents. She will be a valuable ally to us."

Astraea knew that Sarka would be a helpful ally to them, as she had a powerful Ladyship position in addition to being a recognized bastard of King Franz. But she couldn't shake the unease she felt, or the many questions she still had about their prospects.

The King's word is law. Even if the entire country believes our side of the story…what can truly be done?

"We should get going shortly," Musashi spoke up, breaking through the silence that lingered once more. "We'll draw too much attention to ourselves if we stay in one place for too long, and we do not want to delay in getting to Triona."

"I agree," Ferdinand said, though his mouth was full of jerky. "We need to meet with Lady Sarka as soon as possible."

They finished their breakfast and quickly packed up. A wave of sadness washed over Astraea as she packed up. Unlike her siblings she didn't really have any supplies, as she did not properly prepare after ringing the bell. But they were able to steal a bedroll and essential items when they fled the capital. She couldn't believe how much of her life had changed in such a short period of time.

First I thought I was being sent to Harmonia…only for it to be a setup for an assassination. An assassination orchestrated by my own father to declare war on another country. All because of rumors about a True Rune. A True Rune that is most likely the one that had chosen me. Now I'm fleeing for my life after being accused of orchestrating my own murder. How did everything become such a mess?

She looked towards her siblings. Neither Denzel nor Sigrun treated her with resentment for their predicament, nor did they seem to regret their own actions. But she couldn't help but feel guilty at how much their lives had been turned upside down.

They had faith in me when almost no one did. I will always be grateful to them for this.

The Emerald Strip was quiet though as the group hurried on their way towards Triona. They saw no other travels about but they did run into a handful of enemies. One or two Wild Boars, several packs of Blade Bunnies, and an annoying group of DoReMi Elves. But they were all skilled fighters, and combined with three different unite attacks the enemies did not stand a chance against them.

They reached Triona after two hours of traveling; a modest agricultural city of five thousand people. But as it was close to the capital it was also a fortified city surrounded by walls. There were guards on duty at the front gates, but the group of five gathered together outside the city limits. "We probably shouldn't all go in together," Astraea said softly.

"No kidding," Denzel said. "Three royals, a kobold warrior, and a ninja. We're a pretty distinct group. Though we want to meet with Sarka, we don't know how much those guards know. It's best not to draw attention to ourselves before we can get to her manor."

"There's an entrance to the west that is not heavily guarded," Sigrun said. "We'll split into two groups; one to take the main gate, and one to the take the west gate."

"I will go with the Prince," Musashi said bluntly.

"Hang on," Denzel quickly interjected. "We're going to have a hard enough time sneaking into Triona, as a lot of people know our faces. But people certainly know that Prince Denzel's assist is a ninja."

"And people will know that Princess Sigrun's assist is a kobold warrior," Sigrun agreed. She looked between everyone and folded her arms over her chest. "Should we all try for the west gate then?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Astraea said. "Anyone looking for us will expect us to travel as a group of five. It would probably be best to separate inside the city, and then reunite inside."

"But we will draw attention if we maintain norms," Ferdinand said. He rubbed a hand along his long jawline. "So…how should we do this?"

No one seemed sure of what the right idea was. Astraea knew that since she was the center of their predicament (though it wasn't her fault) that she should step up for them. "How about this," she said, and everyone looked at her. "Denzel and Ferdinand—you both go through the front gate. Sigrun, Musashi, and I will go through the west gate."

"I'm not leaving the Prince's side," Musashi coldly protested.

"I am also sworn to Princess Sigrun's side," Ferdinand said. "I cannot leave her side, either."

"But if anyone is looking for us, they will be looking for a kobold traveling with a human woman," Denzel said. "If you're accompanying a human man then no one will care."

"I do not need to go through a gate," Musashi huffed, shaking his head. "I can scale these city walls by myself!" He raced towards the wall and did a jumping leap. Right before Astraea's eyes she saw him touch down on the side of the high wall briefly before leaping up and reaching the top. He glanced at them and said, "See?"

"Meet me at the main gate!" Denzel called to him. "I'll see you shortly!"

Musashi said nothing more and jumped down on the opposite side of the wall, disappearing from sight.

"Let's go ahead with the plan of Denzel and Ferdinand taking the front gate and Astraea and I taking the west gate," Sigrun said. "There's an inn in the market square. Let's meet there."

"…If that is what you wish, Princess," Ferdinand said reluctantly.

"Let's make this quick," Denzel said cheerfully.

Astraea pulled her red hood up and ducked her head as she followed Sigrun to the west gate. Citizens of Zelant knew the faces of the Reiser family. In many cases, they knew the faces of King Franz's recognized bastards. Astraea knew that many people would know her face after the Massacre of Innocents, but she hoped they could slip into the city without issue.

Hopefully everything thinks we're heading to Potsfurt. God…I wish Dawa was here with me.

She swallowed her pain though and tried to not stick out. The sisters had relaxed postures and walked casually. As they approached the west gate, to Astraea's immense relief she saw the guards on duty talking amongst themselves and not really paying attention to the people coming and going. The two princesses were able to walk past them without issue, but Astraea heard snippets of conversation.

"It can't be—!"

"Not our princess—!"

Our princess? Astraea's mouth quirked a little. They don't believe it, either? It was reassuring to her, and it gave her hope that they would be able to speak to Sarka about the truth of what happened.

Triona was a relatively peaceful town, though everyone they passed seemed tense. They were talking about what had happened in the capital, and everyone seemed to be a state of disbelief. Shockingly, though…no one seemed to recognize them. They got a few glances, but no looks of recognition. The Reiser Family was a royal family that frequently went out amongst the people and served in the vanguard of the Army. Astraea had been recognized when she was sent out on her "academic trip".

But now they weren't being recognized? It seemed weird to her, but it was also a relief.

The sisters reached the inn, but she saw a sign outside that said 'NO VACANCY'. Astraea's brow rose when she saw it. "They must be full," she mused aloud.

"Not surprising," Sigrun said. "Blutkrieger must have been locked down after what happened."

"Hey guys!"

The two women jumped when they heard that voice and turned. Denzel raced over to them waving his hand, Musashi and Ferdinand trailing behind them. Ferdinand had a look of rage on his face. "Hey, you made it!"

"Ferdinand, what's wrong?" Sigrun asked, hurrying over to her assist. "What happened?"

"The gate guards," Ferdinand snarled. "They thought I was Lord Lambert! Lord Lambert, Your Highness! Have you heard of anything so outrageous?!"

Lord Lambert was the leader of Zelant's lone Kobold village, Hundehöhle. Astraea had met Lambert in the past and while the Kobold leader was honorable she also knew that Lambert and Ferdinand had no physical similarities. Their coats weren't even the same color!

"I'm so sorry," Sigrun said, rubbing his arm sympathetically.

"We look nothing alike!" Ferdinand continued.

"We know," Denzel said, his tone sympathetic but also impatient. "But we should get going to see Sarka."

"We should stick to the side streets to get to her mansion," Musashi said.

"Agreed," Astraea said. "Let's get going."

They left the inn and ducked into an alleyway. Between two buildings. From the signs Astraea knew that they were shops; one an item shop the other an appraisal shop. As they moved down the alleyway, a side door to the item shop opened and a man in his thirties came out. He had short brown hair and blue eyes, and he wore a purple shirt and blue pants. He was carrying a crate. He plopped the crate on top of a pile of other crates, but then noticed their presence. "Oh, excuse me," he said politely, moving to the side.

"Thank you," Sigrun said, and the five moved past him.

"Hey, Pete!" a man's gruff voice from inside the shop. "Your bacon's on fire!"

"Damn!" the man, Pete cursed. Black smoke started floating out the open door. He ran back inside the building, slamming the door shut behind him.

"If the bacon's burning, why didn't the other man take it off the fire?" Astraea wondered aloud.

"Becuase that makes too much sense," Musashi muttered. Both Denzel and Sigrun snorted in response.

The estate of the Arbeit family was a luxurious cream-colored stucco mansion that was three stories tall and was swamped with guards. Astraea was astonished that Sarka and Milo lived in the estate by themselves, and her chest ached knowing that Sarka now lived there alone.

She needs to know the truth. She deserves to know what happened to Milo.

Though the gate guards and the citizens of Triona did not recognize the group, the guards on duty at the Arbeit mansion immediately recognized them. The first guard who spotted them went pale and ran for the front doors. "Lady Sarka! Lady Sarka!"

"That was not welcoming," Ferdinand observed.

"But they didn't immediately attack," Sigrun said. "That's a good sign."

The five lingered in the front courtyard of the mansion for a few moments. They kept their weapons away to show that they were not there with ill-intentions. It didn't take long for Sarka to appear, with a group of guards. Their half-sister was wearing armor, but Astraea saw that she wasn't armed and her expression was calm. It was reassuring to her.

"Princess Sigrun, Prince Denzel, Princess Astraea," Sarka greeted them, her tone calm and steady. "Welcome to Triona and Arbeit Manor. I must ask you to state your business now, as I have heard that an incident occurred at the Eisenblütig."

"'An incident'?" Denzel asked, stepping forward. "What else have you heard?"

Sarka shrugged smoothly. "Little else, other than an incident and that Your Highnesses were labeled enemies of the state. But I'm a pragmatic woman, and the fact that you all came here instead of going to Potsfurt has given me many questions. I want to know what going on."

"Sarka," Astraea whispered, hurrying over to her half-sister. "Sarka…Papa, he—" her voice broke off painfully.

Sarka looked between the five of them without saying a word for an uncomfortably long period of silence. One of her guards stepped forward. "Lady Sarka, should we send an envoy to His Majesty?"

Astraea, Sigrun, Denzel, and Ferdinand stirred in alarm. Musashi remained unmoved. "Not right this moment," Sarka said finally. "Everyone, stand down and lock down the estate. I know Their Highnesses to be rational people. They have come here for a reason, and I will hear them out."

The guards shifted in shock, but relief flooded Astraea's body. Before she could stop herself she hugged Sarka tight. "Oh, thank you Sarka! We really need to speak to you!"

Sarka was stiff in her arms, but she looked perplexed. She looked at the others in the group. "Let's go inside," she said.

Sarka led them to a cozy sitting room in the manor, where they were served tea and cakes. Astraea wasn't hungry but ate and drank the refreshments to be polite. She sat between Denzel and Sigrun on a couch facing a coffee table facing another couch. Sarka sat alone in the center of the opposite couch, while Ferdinand and Musashi stood behind the couch the royal siblings sat.

Astraea and Sigrun quickly relayed everything to Sarka of what happened; from the confrontation in the Eisenblütig, to the truth of what happened at the Massacre of Innocents. Astraea's stomach clenched when she saw the color slowly drain from Sarka's face during the course of their explanation, and her eyes widened. By the end of their story she sat stiff; her hands clenched into fists on her thighs. After a long moment she slowly rose, and paced around the room. She idly played with her long braid, her head ducked as she moved around the room silently. The five watched her, waiting for her response.

Sarka finally stopped behind the couch she had sat on, fixing her gaze on Astraea. "Are you saying," she said slowly. "That His Majesty arranged the Massacre of Innocents? That His Majesty tried to kill his own daughter? That he—" she gestured to her chest. "Killed my little brother?"

Astraea slowly stood up, raising her hands. "I'm so sorry, Sarka," she said quietly. "I'm sorry to bring you this news. But you needed to know the truth, and…" she swallowed thickly. "We need help. We need help getting the truth out there."

Sarka exhaled sharply, and blinking rapidly for a few moment. She looked away briefly before looking back at them again. "You…need my help?" she asked.

"We have done nothing wrong," Sigrun said, standing up as well. "And Astraea has been victimized by our father. To cover up for his actions, he has concocted a story full of holes that makes no sense. But Astraea heard with her own ears what he has done. We're not entirely sure what we need to do right now, but…but we need to get the truth out there. And clear our names. And we ask for your help with this, Sarka."

"You were affected by this too, Sarka," Denzel said, standing up. "You lost Milo to this deplorable plot. You have a stake in the truth getting out, too."

Sarka slowly nodded, looking away again. She walked over to the window, hugging her arms. She stared out the window for a long moment.

"I—" Astraea began.

"Give her a moment," Sigrun whispered to her. "I was in her position for a period."

"So was I," Denzel said.

The five watched Sarka. After a long moment she turned to face them. "I need time to process this information," she said. "I'm still mourning my brother after all. In the meantime though, you may stay here at Arbeit Manor." she walked over to the coffee table and reached for a small pot. She withdrew a seashell and presented it to Sigrun. "I grant you hospitium."

A collective sigh of relief passed over the five. Astraea bowed to Sarka, and Sigrun and Denzel followed in kind. Ferdinand and Musashi fully kneeled. "Thank you, Sarka," Astraea said. "And…I'm sorry for everything."

Sarka smiled sadly. "I know."

Arbeit Manor was large enough for them to each have their own rooms. Sigrun wanted to spend the night with Astraea, but Astraea was reassured that they were safe and encouraged Sigrun to bed down in the room next door. Sarka spent the day reeling from the revelations she learned, but she had given them hospitium, and they were treated as honored guests. They were able to bathe and relax. Astraea explored the manor and in a storage room she found four item chests. Both of them had peculiar items; one was labeled 'Sound Set 04'; another was labeled 'Window Set 01'; another was simply labeled 'Ornament'; and the last one looked like a strange book that thin binding. The cover only had two words on it: King Lear.

Astraea flipped it open and she quickly realized what it was. This is a script for a play!

She felt bad for raiding Sarka's storage room, but at the same time she felt like these four items were ones she would not find anywhere else. So she quickly looked around and put them in her bag.

By supper time Sarka seemed to be in a better mood, though she had a feel of melancholy about her. The hot was hot and delicious though, they ate plenty of it. After supper though, Astraea felt the exhaustion creep over her. She knew that the stress of everything was catching up to her now that they were someplace safe. "I'm…going to turn in early," she said to Denzel.

"I'm going to, too," Denzel said. "I'm feeling tired."

Astraea saw that all of them looked tired and she once more felt immense guilt over the situation. But she knew that it wasn't her fault, and they needed to figure out their next move.

But she also knew that she needed to rest before they could decide their next move.

She was so exhausted that she didn't change for bed; she collapsed facedown into bed fully clothed. She didn't even take her boots off. But her sleep was heavy, and her mind felt…muddled? She was too exhausted to think about it. She didn't know how long she was asleep, but she was suddenly startled awake by a brush over her mind, and a familiar but harsh voice in her ears.

"You were drugged."

Astraea's eyes snapped open as she felt a surge of power in her body. Her bedroom door was open and she saw a light from the hallway. She knew that she had closed the door behind for. She rolled onto her back—

Just in time to see Sarka standing over her, holding a knife and bringing it down upon her.