This chapter is shorter, but I'm able to update earlier due to this.

Chapter Two: Part Five

"They are allowing us to disembark but to not leave the city," Dios reported. They stood in Sasarai's cabin suite on the Harmonian ship. "They are further only giving us three-day visas to stay in Zelant."

Sasarai folded his arms over his chest. "So we have three days visas, but are not allowed to leave the city?"

"Yes, Bishop. The crew has heard gossip from the docks and it appears that this Kingdom is in a state of turmoil."

"'Turmoil'?"

"They have recently declared war on a rival nation; the Bianca Alliance." Dios glanced at Pilika. "Ah—what is their primary export?"

"Oil," Pilika responded. She was standing at the window.

"That doesn't entirely explain the restrictions they have placed on our visas," Sasarai said.

"Well, this is also the nation that Albert Silverberg fled to after the Second Fire Bringer War," Dios said bluntly. "King Franz DID give him a high government position. They are most likely stonewalling us to protect him."

Sasarai scoffed and shook his head. "What would I gain going after Albert Silverberg? Harmonia may be the richest country in the world but declaring war on Zelant just to get to Albert would be a waste of time and resources!"

I want to find him. I just want to see him. Why must this be so difficult?!

He knew that he was right about the power he sensed. The True Wind Rune. Power he hadn't sensed in a long, long time. Power that had belonged to…his brother.

I thought he was dead, but the True Wind Rune…that power was incredible. It came from this direction so that means…that means he's here in Zelant, isn't he?

"There is more still, Bishop," Pilika said, turning away from the window entirely. "The fight we witnessed this afternoon between Zelantan soldiers and the "ruffians"? Apparently it comprised of royals. Three of King Franz's legitimate heirs who have been labeled enemies of the state."

Sasarai's brow rose and he unfolded his arms. "Is this the same group that you witnessed Viktor, Pilika?"

Pilika nodded, her expression somber. "He served Lord Riou as one of his closest comrades. I remember his face clearly, Bishop."

"But Blue Thunder Flik wasn't with him?" Dios asked.

"I didn't see him, no."

"So Viktor is helping three rebellious Zelantan royals?" Dios's brow knitted in confusion. "Why would he do that?"

Sasarai rose him his seat, his expression grim. "This means one thing."

"One thing, Bishop?" Pilika asked.

Sasarai locked his jaw. "If Viktor is here in Zelant…then he is here, too."

He. Not Sasarai's brother, but someone equally important. Someone the entire country of Harmonia wanted dead.

The next morning…

"The decision has been made, but as a courtesy to Their Highnesses I am letting you know now," Albert announced.

Kion, Vahan, and Philomena stared back at him in silence. They stood in the otherwise empty Onyx Chamber. Kion looked stoic, Philomena was pale-faced, and Vahan's eyes were wide. Their assists stood behind them, also frozen in shock. It was Vahan who broke the silence. "I don't get it," he said tersely. "If capturing Astraea is the priority, then why was this decided?"

"Princess Astraea, Princess Sigrun, and Prince Denzel are living up to their legacy as Reiser royals," Albert said. "They have fled three cities, one of which was this one. Clearly our tactics aren't working so we needed to…escalate matters."

"B-But is this really necessary?" Philomena asked softly.

"I'm afraid so, Princess Philomena," Albert said reluctantly. "With the situation with the Bianca Alliance escalating, we need to take care of our internal matters now. This decision ensures that Princess Astraea will be eliminated as a threat—"

"This is something beyond your control," Kion interjected suddenly. Vahan and Philomena gaped at him in shock. "If you follow through with this Sir Albert, don't presume that things will go your way. You cannot control it. No one can. People's lives will be at risk if you do this."

Albert smiled softly at him. "Your concerns are valid, Your Highness. But your concern is also unnecessary. Everything is under control."

"How can you know that?!" Kion demanded. "This isn't something that you can simply command!"

Albert raised his hand. "Everything is under control," he repeated himself calmly. "It will get the necessary job done."

"I must object to this plan," Vahan spoke up, stepping forward. His brow was furrowed. "There is no—dignity to this! And to be frank, His Majesty's gross inconsistencies with how he wants this whole situation to be handled is alarming to me!"

"Vahan!" Philomena cried out in shock.

"Are we killing Astraea, Sigrun, and Denzel or taking them into custody?!" Vahan demanded. "To me it feels like our orders keep on changing!"

"I must object as well," Kion added, and Vahan gave him a shocked look. "This plan is too dangerous to our people!"

"I-I…" Philomena looked at her two older brothers, and then looked over her shoulder at Aravine. Then she looked at Albert. "What…What does Father want?" she asked quietly. "The order was to detain them, but this…If this plan is put into motion…t-they're going to die."

Albert looked between the siblings for a long moment of silence. Then he raised his head and spoke. "You all misunderstood me. I apologize for not being clearer."

The three royals visibly relaxed. But their ease was short-lived with Albert's next words.

"This plan isn't a proposal. It's already been implemented."

Fleeing Niebieska Brama had been surprisingly easy. Most of the citizens didn't try to capture them or engage them; they fled when they saw them. Astraea was glad that they didn't run into Lord Benedict, as she knew the man to be a skilled swordsman.

They did not stop running after fleeing Niebieska Brama. They ran until the city was out of sight, and even then they continued to run. No one said a word. All focus was on the flight. They did not know where they were going, but they knew heading south was out of the question as Blutkrieger and Triona were in the south. So they kept to the northern coast, running along the steep cliffs.

They did not stop to make camp; only running into the night. The only time they stopped was to engage with monsters, and their combined strength made the random battles easy.

They finally stopped after the Sun had risen, and they were too tired to run anymore. They reached a beach, and Astraea's heart sank when she recognized it as the beach they had taken off from to destroy the Bianca warship. As they collapsed onto the sand gasping for breath, Astraea looked out over the water. She saw no evidence of their attack on the warship, but the image burned into her mind. She had sank that warship. She had been following orders, but she had still done it.

And…I did it thinking the Bianca Alliance was responsible for the Massacre of Innocents.

"Okay," Viktor said, sprawled on his back in the sand. He slowly sat up and looked at the group. "Now what?"

Sigrun stood up and unsheathed her cutlass. Ferdinand swiftly readied his glaive. "Oi!" Viktor shouted, launching to his feet and drawing his sword. "What's the big idea?!"

"Astraea, come to me," Sigrun said sharply. Astraea realized that her body was positioned between Viktor and her sister. She knew that she could move to either side or remain where she was standing. Ultimately she stood her ground and raised her hands. "I-I think we should—"

Sigrun pointed her cutlass towards Viktor. "Why have you come to our country?!" she demanded. "What has that boy done to have brought a Harmonian Bishop here?!"

David slowly rose to his feet, raising his hands. "I'm not a threat," he said quietly. "I—"

Viktor grabbed his arm with his free hand and dragged David behind him. "It's fine," he snapped. "We're just traveling! Unlike you lot, we're not enemies of the state!"

"Excuse you?!" Denzel snapped, readying his plumbata.

"Look, we were doing just fine on our own before we ran into you guys!" Viktor said sharply. "WE stuck OUR necks out to help YOU, remember?! And this is the thanks we get?!"

"I have a great amount of respect for your name, Vagabond Viktor," Ferdinand said. "But I will not allow my charge to travel with you unless you prove to us that the boy is not a threat."

"Nor will I," Musashi said coldly.

The four began to circle the pair. Viktor smiled, spreading his arms out. Their bodies turned as the group circled them, his and David's back to the water. "I'm not bigger threat than the rest of you are."

"Guys, PLEASE!" Astraea shrieked, throwing herself between them. "Enough! I don't want you guys to be fighting! There's only one threat in this group and that's me!"

"Astraea!" Denzel said sharply.

But Astraea shook her head at him, tears filling her eyes. "Father wants my Rune," she said. "He wants the True Wind Rune. His hunt for a True Rune caused all this! I'm going to turn myself in, a-and put an end to this madness!"

"Astraea, you can't do that!" Sigrun snapped, sheathing her cutlass. "I won't let you do that!"

"Princess," Viktor said grimly, his arms still spread. "You know what will happen when you turn yourself in, don't you?"

Astraea looked at him. But it was David who spoke next. "They will cut your right hand off to force the True Rune to leave you, with the hope that the Rune will jump to the King. After that, they will kill you."

Astraea let out a shaky breath, tears blurring her vision. "I know," she whispered. "But we're cornered. We've tried to seek refuge with allies, and were betrayed. Then we tried to flee into exile, and were prevented from doing so. We're out of options. If I don't do this, then all of you will die."

"We will find another way, Astraea," Denzel said sharply, and Astraea turned to look at him. "But I'm not about to let you sacrifice yourself. Not after everything we've gone through, and everything that I have sacrificed by aligning with you and keeping you safe."

"Nor will I," Sigrun said, moving to her sister's side. She placed her hands on Astraea's shoulders. "We made the difficult decision to stand for what was right and to stand with you. If you give His Majesty what he wants, you will be betraying us Astraea. You will be betraying the sacrifices we have made for you. What you want to do is the easy way out…but it's also the wrong way out.

"If the True Wind Rune thought that man worthy of its power, then it would have gone to him to wield it. But it didn't. It chose you, Astraea. It chose you for a reason."

Astraea choked softly and closed her eyes. "…For what reason?"

"That's something you need to find out yourself. But you need to be alive to do it."

"Yeah, Your Highness," Viktor said. "I'm not one for letting kids sacrifice themselves. If you plan on doing this, I'll do what I can to stop you."

"Why do you care?" Denzel asked him.

Viktor shrugged. "I don't abandon those who need help. Never have, never will. That's how I keep ending up in trouble."

Astraea looked at him, realizing in that moment that he truly lived up to his reputation. She wiped at her eyes with her fingers, and after a moment she nodded. "Okay," she said. "I won't do it."

"That was a wise decision," David said softly.

"If you both are to travel with us," Ferdinand spoke up. "Then we must know the truth about that lad."

"Right," Musashi agreed, his eyes narrowing. "Why are you hiding from Harmonia?"

"We must know," Sigrun said. "We already have enough trouble as it is being hunted by the Royal Army. We don't need the Harmonian Army after us."

Viktor visibly clenched his jaw, but David reached out and touched a hand to his shoulder. "If it's the only way they'll trust us," he said. "Then I'm okay with telling them."

Viktor glanced over his shoulder at him. "You sure, kid?"

"I'm sure. Princess Astraea was willing to sacrifice herself for our sakes. I can trust her with this."

His words shocked Astraea, and moved her deeply. "Let's all relax for a moment," she said. "We've been running non—"

Her right hand suddenly twitched, and her throat closed at the surge of power that suddenly shook her body. What? What?!

"Astraea, what's wrong?!" Denzel exclaimed, hurrying to her side.

Astraea felt the power coming from directly in front of her—towards the water. She looked out onto the water, and from the blue depths she saw a large pair of red eyes. Panic and terror quickly filled her body and she screamed, "LOOK OUT!"

Viktor and David turned, just in time to see a monstrous jaw filled with razor-sharp teeth burst from the water. Viktor only had time to elbow David out of the path of the jaws before they snapped down around Viktor's right arm.