Hilda and Sora returned to the inn at the same time, walking through the crowd of people, also wanting a place to sleep that night. We sat at one of the only standing tables in the dining area, silently eating as we waited for a representative of the DeVere delegation to collect us. Marishka sat at my feet to the side, gnawing on the ribs I bought her. As we ate, Sora turned her gaze towards me, lifting her bowl to her face. “You’ll need to get a new sword. The one you stole from Variak doesn’t fit you.” She drank from her bowl.

I looked around, taking in the milling crowd of curious people staring at our table. Whispers and the occasional point directed towards us caused me to roll my eyes, but I focused on Sora’s statement. “I’ll get one either from a blacksmith in Veracity or one from here, if still available. Otherwise, Kato will serve as my main weapon.” A snort escaped me as I shrugged, lips stretching into a playful grin. “If necessary, I can use my new sword. Wielding a big ass sword has always been boyhood dream of mine.”

Hilda’s lips curled upwards. “That is the life of an adventurer, is it not? Fulfilling childhood dreams?” She expertly cut into her steak using her knife and fork, mixing her vegetable and bread with her soup. Her spear laid against the table on her left, between us, with a cloth sheath tied around the blade. Arce didn’t respond but did laugh as she ate her vegetable stew, dipping her bread into the broth.

“What’s on the agenda while we’re in Veracity?” I asked as I bit in my bread.

“Arming ourselves,” Sora said as she sipped from her drink. “You need a new sword. My dagger is damaged, so I need a new one as well.” She motioned towards the silently eating Arce. “Arce needs to fletch new arrows and order arrowheads from a blacksmith.” She mused in silence as she rolled her head to the side, bangs flowing in front of her face. “Provisions, as well, depending on what we do after leaving.” Sora faced Hilda. “Do you need anything?”

The Valkyrie disagreed with a shake of her head. “No. I’ve restocked my provisions upon first entering. I’ll compile a list and give it to you, Miss Sora, as you’ve shown yourself to be the party’s quartermaster.” The Witch inclined her head with a smile, before turning back to her food. Hilda, though, continued. “I have a question for the party. What is our goal?”

Arce and Sora turned intense stares towards her, but I met Hilda’s questioning stare with a nod. “Travel to each nation and gather those who are best capable of making my ambition a reality.” I pursed my lips and looked at the table. “What my ambition is…it’s to be free.” I shook my head and sighed. “I’ve lived my entire life under the thumb of those who care nothing for the dreams and wishes of others.” I clenched my fist tight enough for the knuckles to crack. I met Hilda’s silent, stoic gaze. “I’ll not be controlled, coerced, or directed against my will. I’ll live unchained and uncaged. That is my goal.”

At that, I allowed my gaze to roll over the three women who sat with me at the table. Sora, Hilda, Arce. “With that said, I won’t ignore what’s in front of me. If there are people who need me, I’ll act. If some are in danger, I’ll act. I won’t ignore the struggles of others. That includes all of you. If, at any point, you need my help, don’t hesitate to ask. I may still be inexperienced, but I’ll use everything in my power to support you.”

My companions faced me, expressing a gamut of expressions.

Sora blinked, stoic before the corner of her mouth quirked upward. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat, inclining her head once.

Arce’s face colored as her ears twitched atop her head. Her shoulders hunched as she leaned forward, lips curling into a faint smile.

Hilda’s lips parted as she smiled with her eyes sparkling with emotion. She straightened her posture, pushing her shoulders back and nodded.

“Well, look at y’all.” Kersti approached our table, her bandaged arm and frazzled, cut honey blonde hair, smiling down at us as she held a tray full of drinks. “It’s good to see so many smilin’ faces, even after today.” She lowered her plate, a subtle clench of jaw betraying her discomfort, and began to pass us refills for our drinks. “I’m glad that Arce here has good friends. A little time out in th’ world will do her good.” Kersti nudged the Fox Beastkin with an elbow, causing the girl to flush even more.

Sora hummed as she lifted her new mug, taking a sip. “We’re leaving soon, so she’ll have her adventure.” She bobbed her head towards the waitress. “How’s the inn dealing with the damages to the city?”

Kersti grimaced, “We’re one of the few places that didn’t get hit too bad. The hole in the wall’s the worst.” She pointed towards the tarped-up wall next to the entrance. “Papa wants to check on the foundation, but we’re guessin’ that business will be good until people start to leave.”

“Are you and your family preparing to leave, too?” Arce asked her friend, voice soft, and full of worry.

Kersti’s brow furrowed as she looked behind her, the background cacophony of the other patrons pulling her attention elsewhere. “My family’s lived here for generations. This place’s all we’ve got.” She faced us once more, lips curling into a sad smile. “It’ll be hard, but Papa’s good with his books, and he’s taught me a lot. We can start elsewhere.” Arce looked up to her with wide eyes, brows rising and lips pursed, but her friend shook her head, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about me, Arce. We’ll deal.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” Arce said, her voice low and lips pursed. She turned towards me, dark grey eyes wide and searching.

I exhaled through my nose; eyes closed. What could I do? I don’t have anything to my name, beyond the clothing on my back and the equipment in my bag. Then again, I am a revived Hero to Veritas…

“Kersti.” I caught her attention, meeting her gaze. “I don’t know if I can do anything to help you, but I’ll try to do something. Make an opportunity, send some aid, or open up a new place for you.” I shrugged, picking up my new drink. “I have no idea if my word means much, but I’ll try.”

Kersti’s eyes widened, surprise filling them. Then her lips parted into a wide grin, her shoulders loosening. “Well, then. A Hero’s willin’ to help me and my Papa. I guess I got to have hope now.” She crossed her arms and leaned back, about to reply, but froze as she looked past us and to the entrance of the tavern. Across from me, Arce and Sora stiffened as well, the latter frowning as she narrowed her eyes.

I turned around to see Abigail at the entrance, Colette standing next to her. The former looked around without a care in the world before her gaze fell on me. She grinned and lifted a hand, walking towards me with my old classmate in tow. The young princess entered the inn, smiling and waving as she reached our table. Abigail faced me, flashing me her perfect, white teeth. “Joey, may we sit with you?” Behind her, Colette offered a playful wink, the corner of her mouth quirked.

Waving a hand to the spot next to me, I said, “Go ahead.”

She beamed, pulling out the chair and sitting next to me. “Thank you, Joey. Have you managed to finish your errands?”

Kersti cleared her throat. “Well, I got to head back. Do you need anything, Highness? Madame Knight?”

Abigail shook her head in the negative. “Thank you. Please don’t worry yourself over me. I’ve already eaten.”

My former classmate hummed, placing a finger on her chin. “Some water, if you don’t mind.”

“Comin’ right up.” Kersti gave me a wink and headed back to the bar.

“Well, well, well, Joey.” Colette giggled, pulling my attention to her. She leaned forward, resting her head on her hand. “Not only are you traveling with all these women, but you’re also flirting with the barmaids? You dog.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re hilarious, Colette.” I reclined back in my seat, crossing my arms. “What’s the plan, Gail? When do we leave for Veracity?”

The Princess hesitated at my question, her expression furrowing before her smile returned. “We have everything ready, but Valeri is still speaking with Miss Saelseris, and Luke is helping some adventurers with a task.” She clasped her hands on the table. “Before we leave, though, I was hoping we could talk.” She fidgeted beneath my questioning gaze, meeting my eyes as she lowered her head.

I shared a look with Sora, meeting her stoic gaze, before facing Abigail once more. “What about?”

“Why did you leave?” Her voice barely raised above a whisper, her expression falling as she studied me. “When you woke up, you never let anyone know that you were alive. Why?”

Her question elicited a blink, and I exhaled through my nose. I turned away from Abigail, facing the rest of my party. Sora rested her head on her hand, an upturned quirk of her lips betraying the amused twinkle in her eyes. Arce paid no attention, still eating her vegetarian meal with a quiet intensity. Hilda didn’t make it obvious, but the downturn of her lips showed her displeasure.

Colette cocked her head to the side, the faint firelight illuminating the tavern flickering off her metal facemask. Abigail continued to study me, nervously fidgeting as I considered my answer.

“Imagine waking up, encased in darkness, trapped on all sides by a crushing weight,” I said, meeting Abigail’s eyes stoically. Her cheeks losing color as she listened. “I climbed out of my grave, only to have an old man nearly brain me. Do you know what the first thing I saw when I wiped the dirt from my eyes? My gravestone.” I looked between the two of them. “It said ‘A Loyal Friend and Loving Brother.’ According to the life I lead, I can’t disagree.” I then clenched my fist tight enough for my knuckles to crack and whiten, placing it on the table. “What makes me angry is the irony behind it, considering my loyalty was what got me killed.”

Abigail’s eyes widened at my statement, mouthing falling open before her brows furrowed and eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, exactly? Didn’t the horde kill you?”

Colette didn’t verbally reply, though her pursed lips and hunched shoulders told me that she did know something.

I snorted, relaxing my hand to open it. I placed my other hand over my knuckles, rubbing them to get the blood flowing. “Please, even with my asthma damn near crippling me, that horde offered little more than a hint of difficulty. I killed them with time to spare, though my lungs hated me for it afterward.” I rolled my eyes. “No, what struck me as odd was that they stopped appearing too quickly, too soon. I couldn’t fight the feeling that they had managed to slip into the village, even with everyone else standing guard.”

The princess faced to the side; lips pursed. “You’re not wrong, unfortunately. Someone did manage to sneak into Nyrill. Thankfully, Miss Haddock was there to stop them.” She then turned towards me, the downward curve of her lips, making her next question clear. “But how does that lead to your death?”

“Because as I ran through the forest, heading back to the village, I ran into Luke.” I noticed Colette stiffening, her eyes looking everywhere but my direction. Sora’s lips quirked into a smile, eyes twinkling as she studied my old classmate through narrowed eyes. “Unfortunately, my asthma didn’t agree with my decision to keep fighting. Luke tried to stop me, likely out of worry, but I wanted to keep going.” I lifted a hand and closed it as if holding a dagger. “Then…he stabbed me in the fucking back.”

Abigail’s eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head. “That’s…! What?! No. That can’t be true. Even amongst your arguments, none of you struck me as the type to hurt one another so callously.”

“I have the scar, Gail, if you want me to show you.” My voice cracked, betraying the rising ember that dwelled within my chest. I tapped my chest, where I felt my heartbeat. “From the back and through my heart, I felt his blade pierce me. The last thing I saw before the end was a piece of broken steel, dripping with blood, my blood.” I leaned forward and whispered to Abigail. “It felt like going to bed, Gail, after a long day. Even with the burn in my lungs and sting of steel piercing my heart, it was as if I fell asleep.”

“That’s…” She kept shaking her head, her voice cracking and mien paling as her shoulders shook. “It can’t…”

A sigh escaped me, exhaustion overtaking my burning fury in recalling and retelling the events of the night I died. “If you can’t believe me, then ask Colette. Kacee said that everyone else found Luke and my body that night. She’d have seen something.” As one, the Princess and I turned towards Colette. My old classmate didn’t face either of us, her lips pursed, brows furrowed and eyes narrowed. “What did you see, Colette?”

Colette’s blue eyes flickered over to me, then to Abigail. She didn’t reply for the longest time before a breath escaped her. “It was different, terrifying almost, seeing your body lying there, Joey. We’d already seen other bodies, due to what happened at the merchant quarter, but we didn’t know them.” She bit her lip, clenching her fists. “Blood was everywhere, all over your body, on Luke’s arm and broken sword, the ground. Everywhere.”

Abigail stared in horror at Colette’s words, her cheeks rapidly losing color. “Why…why did none of you say anything?”

I wondered that myself, but I think I know why, if only from speaking with Kacee and my thoughts on the matter. “We were a class for nearly ten years, from the week we entered that island. Miraculously, even among the thousands and tens of thousands of people who also lived on the island, we managed to stay in our same class for all of those years.” She pursed her lips and looked to the side. “We didn’t always get along, but things never stayed bad for long.” She shook her head, eyes misting as she placed her hand on her face. “What we saw, Luke standing over your body, Joey, it broke us apart. Whatever held us together, whether it was you or fear of separation, broke with your death.”

As Abigail sat back in her seat, her expression crumbled while she stared at the table.

I sighed audibly, facing the pair of them. “I’m willing to work with you, Gail, but not with Luke. Never again. He was my brother in every way that mattered, and he killed me. I’m not giving him that chance again.”

The second Princess of Veritas closed her eyes, grimacing as she placed a hand over her face. “Hilda… Do you…?”

The Valkyrie exhaled through her nose. “From my visions, discussing them with Joey and the others, and speaking with Luke before arriving, I…find myself believing Joey, Highness.”

“I see…” The princess sucked in a breath and wiped her face, a reluctant smile spreading on her face. “I chose a betrayer for a personal Knight.” She turned towards Colette. “I’m so sorry for this, Colette.”

My classmate shook her head, hand resting on the metal plate attached to her cheek. “There’s nothing to say sorry for, Gail. It’s something that I’ve should’ve mentioned.” She paused, turning to face me with a pained smile. “Something we all should have mentioned.”

“As the wronged party,” Abigail spoke professionally, as the princess she was raised to be. “Sir Joseph Blaine, you have the right to one concession.” I looked to her with a stoic gaze, meeting her eyes. “I make this promise as the second Princess of Veritas, Abigail DeVere, that I will fulfill whatever it may be, regardless of difficulty or scope.”

I blinked at Abigail’s statement, taken by surprise at her sudden expression. I opened my mouth, paused and sucked in a breath, then exhaled and closed my eyes. “That’s a dangerous thing to offer, Gail. You have too much faith in my ‘goodwill.’” I stared hard at her.

Abigail smiled, though her expression still appeared melancholy. “You are the Hero that my sister favors, Joey, and the one that Valeri chose to mentor. The two of them have never been wrong about people for as long as I can remember. I trust you.”

“And yet, Luke slipped between the cracks.” I couldn’t help the biting remark, causing Abigail to flinch and look away in shame. Colette glared at me, but I ignored her and nodded. “Okay. I want to confront Luke when we return to Veracity. I want all the important people connected to his new role to know the truth. That is my request. I want justice, and I want to deliver it with my own hands.”

Abigail hunched as she turned a sad gaze towards me, her brows rising. She pursed her lips and closed her eyes. “I can organize a duel, an equal challenge between peers. No one would be able to revoke it, save for Father.” I stared at her, trying to hold back the anger that rose within me, a cold, burning cinder that ticked the bottom of my stomach. The second Princess straightened her posture, meeting my gaze with tired defiance. “I believe you because I know you well enough to believe your words, especially with Colette’s testimony. The same cannot be said for those who’ve worked with Sir Luke Wirth this past year. The best way, the only way, for you to get the justice you want, is a duel to air your grievances. Should you win, there can be no one who will contest your wish for justice.”

Might makes right. I suppose Verum is no different from Earth. The stronger you are, the more you turn the odds in your favor. Is it petty of me to feel a sense of satisfaction at the idea of breaking Luke’s face with my bare hands? I honestly don’t care if my Mantle is amplifying my anger because I’m sure I’d be just as pissed without it in a situation like this. How much has he grown in the year that’s passed? How much more skilled is he with the sword compared to when we last fought?

“Thank you,” I said to Abigail, lifting my tankard and taking a swig of the sweet, tangy liquid. “How are we getting back to Veracity?”

“My delegation arrived via a caravan of carriages and a mobile armory for the Knights traveling with me.” She lifted a hand and raised three fingers. “Three carriages large enough for five people to sit comfortably in each, with room to stand and move. With you, your party, and Madame Kacee returning, though, I will likely have a squad of Knights remain here to help with defenses and rebuilding.” She waved a hand to the side. “I’ve already contacted Lina and Lillian so that they can make preparations for our return.”

“We’ll have to collect our horses before we leave,” Sora spoke into the silence, drinking the last of her beverage.

“And I, my Pegasus.” Hilda agreed with a nod.

“We can collect them on our way to the caravan.”

With that, we finished the rest of our orders, left pay, and a tip for Kersti, then made our way to the stables. In a few hours, we’d be back in Veracity, and I’d face Luke one more time. Let’s get this over with.