Subaru and Emilia rode less than another mile before stopping for the night. They weren’t going to get anywhere near the village for hours and they were too tired to go that far.

They found a likely camp spot and gave Patrasche food. Emilia used her magic to melt the snow for some water. Patrasche fell asleep almost as soon as she’d finished eating.

Subaru pulled their new tent out of the saddlebag. “OK, let’s see if we can set this thing up.”

It took an exhausted Subaru and Emilia close to an hour to figure out how to set up the tent but they finally got it together and sat down inside.

“Wow,” Emilia said in wonder. “This really is comfortable!”

Subaru was probably even more amazed. Emilia could use her mana to stay warm but Subaru had to rely on shivering and Emilia’s body heat. Inside the tent it felt like a warm summer morning. Subaru curiously stuck his hand out of the still open tent door, feeling his fingers freeze in the chilly night air while the rest of his arm was warm and balmy. Even the tent floor was comfortable. It felt more as if they were sitting on a soft mattress than a thin layer of cloth against the hard, snow-packed ground.

Subaru grabbed some of the last vegetables that they’d packed in the saddlebag and shared them with Emilia. Neither one had the energy to cook so they ate them raw.

“Subaru, what’s that?” Emilia asked, pointed at a small metal cylinder a little bigger than a waste basket that sat outside the tent. Upper cylinder had a door in the side.

“Oh, shit. I always hate it when I put something together and I have parts left over,” Subaru muttered. He squinted at it. “I think that’s the kiln. It lets us make a fire inside the tent,” Subaru answered.

“Want to try it?” Emilia asked.

Subaru shrugged. He stepped outside to grab the kiln and brought it in the tent. He opened it and inside he found a small bag of polished blue balls a little smaller than marbles. The bag was labeled ‘Fire Stones.’

“Mili, do you have any idea what these are?” Subaru asked, inspecting the balls.

Emilia nodded. “They’re Fire Stones. Low quality pyroxene crystals that people burn for fuel rather than use wood.”

Emilia took a stone from the bag and tossed it into the kiln. She flicked a tiny tongue of flame off her finger and threw it at the stone. The kiln burst into a bright, warm fire.

Subaru looked at the burning stone and then at Emilia in confusion.

“They used to burn these in the fireplaces at Roswaal’s manor,” Emilia explained. “They’re more expensive than wood but easier to store and work with. And they don’t make so much mess.”

“Huh. You learn something new every day,” Subaru mused. Subaru and Emilia sat side by side, staring into the dancing flames.

“Subaru, what… do you think we should do next?” Emilia asked, her hand slipping into his.

Subaru sighed. “I… I don’t know, Mili. I mean… if we really are going to… give up on lifting your curse, at least for right now, then we should be focused on rescuing the spirits.”

“Of course, we still don’t know where they are either,” Emilia muttered, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her cheek on them.

“Yeah,” Subaru shook his head. “I’m glad that we were able to help Anri… always assuming that I didn’t just leave her in a worse situation than she was in before she met me…” Subaru said in a despairing voice.

“Subaru,” Emilia wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. “When I met Anri, she was about to freeze to death or be eaten by mabeasts. She would have died that night if not for us. She would have been hunted down and killed by Elsa and Lye if not for us. She would have been killed by Malcolm an Griest if not for us. We absolutely helped her!” Emilia said firmly.

“And now I’ve put her in a bigger war than the one she started in,” He sighed.

Emilia forced Subaru to look her in the eye. “Subaru,” She said, her expression hard. “Do you really think everything would have been fine if you hadn’t killed those Princes?”

Subaru frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I think that, if we had escaped, they would have simply shifted gears to blaming Anri for just associating with us! Even if we had offered them our lives, I think they would have still tried to go after Anri one way or the other!”

Subaru sighed. “Well, maybe,” He admitted. “But we’re still up shit’s creek right now. I mean, I’m glad that we were able to help Anri, at least a little, but… it doesn’t look like we got much out of it. We’re in the exact same situation that we were in when we first got into the forest.”

“That’s not true, Subaru,” Emilia said firmly. “We have a comfortable tent, good food, and a riding dragon. We know where we are and we can easily get to other places when we decide where to go.”

Subaru didn’t respond.

They both stared at the fire for a minute.

Emilia sighed. “Subaru, we… we can’t stay in the forest, can we?”

Subaru shook his head. “No. We can stay in the village for a few days but then we’ll have to leave. Radu knows that we’re hiding in the forest because Anri mentioned it during our talk the other night. I have no expectation that Radu wouldn’t sell us out in a heartbeat if he thought that it would make the other Houses back off. That means that it’s only a matter of time before all of Gusteko knows where we are. I doubt the Houses will search for us personally but sooner or later Reinhard will hear about the forest. Reinhard could probably search the entire wood and find the village in an afternoon!” Subaru said bitterly.

“Then… where are we going?” Emilia whispered, slipping her hand into his.

Subaru took a deep breath. “Nowhere right now. We’ll be safe in the village for a few days at the very least. That means that we can have a few days to reset and rest and try to figure things out. Patrasche needs to rest too. Then we’ll decide… what our new plan is,” He said helplessly.

They sat in silence, staring into the fire.

Subaru sat up watching the fire burn in the kiln. That little stone had been burning for hours with no sign of going out. An added bonus to using the kiln was that the fire was almost invisible to anyone outside the tent. Someone could be walking close by and they’d never see their campsite.

After they’d talked, Emilia had fallen asleep almost immediately. She’d laid down on a sleeping roll, stretched and passed out between words.

Subaru was tired as well but he couldn’t bring himself to sleep yet. He had too much on his mind.

After a few hours, his legs went to sleep so Subaru quietly slipped out of the tent to stretch his legs.

He looked around the dark forest, his spirit somber and heavy.

Where the hell are we even going to go? After this mess, we won’t be welcome in Gusteko anymore! And Lagunica sure as hell doesn’t want us back. So… what?! We head for Kararagi after all?

I’m almost tempted to ask ‘what’s the point?’ What the hell will we do after we inevitably manage to cause some kind of chaotic upheaval in Kararagi? We only have four nations to choose from and we’re rapidly running out!

Beyond that, we still have absolutely no idea how to break Emilia’s curse or where the spirits are being held.

Subaru looked around and his heart stopped.

He saw a light blazing not too far off in the distance.

Is that a camp fire? It can’t be a forest fire. I doubt that anything would be burning naturally in this cold and wet forest.

Could the soldiers have come back? No way! Nobody is going to camp out in a mabeast infested forest at night after nearly being a mabeast chew toy!

All the same, I better find out who else is in the forest. If it’s a casual traveler maybe it won’t be too bad. But what if it’s more smugglers? Or one of the Archbishops?

…Either way I need to know. We were planning to leave the forest in a day or two anyway but if Emilia and I aren’t safe here then we need to get out fast.

I need to investigate.

Subaru knelt down beside Emilia sleeping body. “Mili! Wake up!” He whispered.

She didn’t respond.

“Come on, Mili!” Subaru shook her. “We’re not alone here! We need to do something!”

Emilia gave a soft murmur, then turned over and continued to sleep.

Subaru considered trying to keep waking Emilia then decided to let her sleep until he had a better idea what was going on.

Subaru fought his way through the deep snow, approaching the light.

Subaru found himself on the top of a small cliff. It looked like a hill that had been split apart during some earthquake long ago, and now there was a great cleft in the earth where a group could stay sheltered from the wind on three sides.

Subaru peered down the cliff. Below him, he saw a large fire burning, easily big enough to warm a crowd of people. Around the fire were several benches made of shaved logs. A single individual sat on one of them, wearing a hooded robe. They had their back to him as he looked down from above. They were poking at the fire with a long stick.

At the worst possible time, Subaru sneezed.

He struggled to do it silently and almost succeeded.

He looked back over the cliff side and peered down at the hooded stranger. There was no sign that they had heard.

“You must be cold up there,” The figure said without moving. They sounded female and their voice was whisper soft. “Come and warm yourself by the fire. There is plenty of room.”

Subaru’s heart stopped.

What do I do? Do I run?

Subaru sighed. ‘Run?’ In this snow? I might as well see what they want. Maybe I can learn something. I doubt that they’ll recognize me. If they do decide to start trouble, I’m really no worse off sitting down there than I would be if I tried to run and they started chasing me right now.

Subaru laboriously walked down the slope of the shattered hill and took a seat on a bench not far from the hooded stranger. The figure had no skin visible. Their sleeves completely engulfed their hands and their face was hidden in their hood. Subaru couldn’t make out any more details about them. Despite being close to the fire, shadows gathered unnaturally thickly around them.

The figure didn’t say anything.

Subaru bit his lip wondering what he should say. “I didn’t know that anyone else was in the forest,” Subaru began.

That seems like a safe enough comment. I can pretend to be just an itinerant traveler and maybe I can find out if they’re a lost traveler or if they came into the forest on purpose.

“Normally, you would be correct. The Great Forest of Elior is cursed. It does not welcome travelers. However, an unusual number of people have come here as of late,” The figure replied in a near whisper.

“Oh really? So what brought you in?” Subaru asked.

“Many things. First and foremost I was checking on something.”

“Something?”

“Yes,” The figure replied. “I needed to be sure that it was still intact. I’ll be departing soon. How came you to be in the forest?”

“Total accident, honestly,” Subaru said. “My friend and I got lost in a blizzard and we just wound up here.”

Aside from neglecting to mention the part about being tossed into a portal by a loli Great Spirit, that’s actually pretty close to being truthful. I mean, disregarding our little side trip with Anri.

“Hm,” The figure replied. Subaru wasn’t sure if she was agreeing or expressing doubt. “I will be departing soon but first I need to recover my strength. My recent battle has greatly sapped my endurance.”

“Battle?” Subaru echoed. “Did you run into mabeasts?” He asked.

The figure paused a moment. “It’s funny that you should ask. I’ve seen several witchbeasts within this forest but I think there might be something wrong with them.”

“Wrong?” Subaru said carefully.

“They seemed… repressed. As if they were being controlled in some way.”

Subaru bit his lip. “What makes you think that they were being controlled?”

“They chose not to attack me,” She shrugged. “Normally, witchbeasts will always attack when they have the advantage of numbers but these seemed… restrained in some way.”

“Maybe they think that you’re stronger than you appear,” Subaru ventured. I have a similar feeling to be honest. “Besides, I wasn’t aware that it was even possible to tame mabeasts.”

“It is a very rare skill. Some scant Divine Blessings do allow the wielder to control witchbeasts as does one of the Divine Authorities.”

Wait ‘Divine Authorities?’ That’s a new term. Usually people spit when they mention the Authorities. What does this person know about the Authorities?

Subaru chuckled dismissively. “Let me guess, Pride,” Subaru grumbled.

The figure cocked their head. “No. It is Gluttony, actually. Why would you think that it was Pride?”

Subaru hesitated. “Well, pride is the first sin so I just assumed…”

The figure nodded. “I know that you’ve had a great deal of experience with pride, Subaru Natsuki.”

Subaru jumped. “Excuse me?”

Subaru couldn’t see anything of the figure’s face but he sensed that they smiled. “Were you under the impression that I didn’t know who you were?” The hooded figure asked in amusement.

Subaru scowled. “And you are?”

“Someone who desires to be your friend.”

“Most of my closer friendships have begun with exchanging names,” Subaru grated.

“I have had many names. The one I favor at the moment is Korë.”

A very polite way of saying ‘I don’t feel like telling you who I am so here’s a fake name.’

“Fine,” Subaru grumbled. “Anything else you do feel like telling me?”

“Only that I have followed your career most carefully. I’ve been watching you closely, both you and Emilia.”

Subaru stared at her. “What did you just say?” He gasped.

Korë cocked her head.

Subaru leapt to his feet and grabbed Korë by both shoulders. “Korë, what did you just say?!”

“Subaru Natsuki, you are being most forward,” She chided. “Then again, it has been a very long time since my last carnal encounter so I suppose I could be amenable…”

“No! You know who Emilia is?!” Subaru demanded.

Korë sat there silently for a moment. “I know that she grew up in this forest and cursed it with a spell of endless winter. I know that she was attempting to become the King of Lagunica in order to obtain the sacred dragon blood so that she might restore her people from her own curse.”

Subaru slowly let go of Korë and stepped back, sitting down on his log bench a short distance away.

I couldn’t see anything inside of her hood. I was standing close enough to kiss her and there’s plenty of firelight but Korë’s face was just a black void. And there’s something strange about her voice. She must be using magic to disguise who she is. Do I know her? I mean, what would be the point in disguising yourself to someone who doesn’t know who you are anyway? Or is she worried that I might meet her later in a different capacity?

Still, maybe I can get something out of this…

Subaru cleared his throat. “Korë, something terrible has happened to Emilia.”

“Oh?”

“She’s been cursed. Everyone has forgotten who Emilia is. Her friends and family claim that she never existed and everything that she ever did is being attributed to someone else.”

“How simply awful,” Korë replied.

Why do I not believe that you mean that…

Subaru shook off his irritation. “You’re the first person I’ve met that knows who she is! Do you have any idea why that would be?”

Korë sat there patiently until Subaru had finished speaking. “First of all, your woman has not been cursed. Her name has been stolen.”

Subaru blinked. “What?”

“The Sin Archbishops of Gluttony, among certain others, have the power to devour the name of anyone they touch. If they do so, the world forgets that this person ever existed.”

Subaru remembered Roy lunging at Emilia near the tomb.

Roy must have touched Emilia. I thought that he missed but I guess…

Perfect. So basically if Garfiel and I had been one second faster getting Roy away from Emilia, we wouldn’t even have to deal with this mess. Just my luck.

Then why did Lye say that the Archbishops weren’t involved? Was he lying to me?

Or was he just honestly confused by my calling it a curse?

“If that’s true,” Subaru said slowly, “Why do I remember her? Or why do you, for that matter?”

“Because we are what we are,” Korë said calmly.

What the hell does that mean? …Actually, I have the very unsettling feeling that I know what that means…

Let’s just move on, I have more important questions to ask and that question would certainly derail this whole conversation. It might even lead to a fight…

“Lady Korë,” Subaru continued, “Do you have any idea how we could… reverse this process?”

Korë cocked her head thoughtfully. “My first thought would be to hunt down and kill this Gluttony. Perhaps that would reverse it.”

Subaru sighed. “I killed Roy just a few minutes after he ‘ate’ Emilia’s name and that didn’t happen.”

“Did you? Most impressive. Also, most unfortunate that her name did not return.”

“Yeah. Do you have any other ideas?”

Korë sat there for a long moment. “I might.”

Subaru waited but Korë did not continue.

“Would you consider sharing them with me?” Subaru asked with an edge in his voice.

“Possibly,” Korë mused. “Tell me, Subaru Natsuki, why do you think that I have not been affected by Gluttony’s power?”

Oh boy. This conversation isn’t going anywhere that I like. In fact, it’s going directly someplace that I specifically wanted to avoid but I have no choice. Assuming that Korë knows what she’s talking about, I’ve gotten more information about Emilia’s condition in the past minute than I have in the past week.

Subaru sighed. “You’re a member of the Witch Cult, aren’t you? You’re a Sin Archbishop.”

“No. Try again.”

Subaru blinked. He thought about the matter for a moment and then his eyes widened. “You’re a witch?!”

Korë sounded annoyed. “A most unfortunate term for something which is in truth, a transcendent state of being but you are essentially correct.”

“But… I thought that all of the witches were dead except for Envy. The stories claim that she devoured all of them.”

“Such stories are in error but that is neither here nor there. Suffice to say that Envy had very little to do with most of the witches’ passings. Beyond that: no, not all the witches are dead. Most still live and, even were that not the case, I can assure you that it is always possible to be deader.”

“Uh, what does that mean?”

Korë thought for a moment. “Witches wield the power of the Divine Authorities. Death means… something different to us. A witch can be long dead and yet still influence the world around her.”

Subaru digested that. “Is there some reason that you won’t even tell me your real name?”

Korë seemed to consider her answer. “I am aware that you have… some cause to be unhappy with me. Due to no deliberate malice on my part, I have caused you and your woman some… distress. I understand that you might resent me at the moment. I choose to withhold my identity until you have equal reason to feel gratitude toward me.”

What the hell does that mean?

Subaru shook his head. “OK, well that is really interesting but could we get back to talking about how I could help Emilia?”

Korë sat there a moment. “Subaru Natsuki, why do you think that I came here?”

Subaru sighed. “Well you told me you came here to check on something. It may be self-centered of me but I think you probably came here to check on me.”

“Among other things, yes.”

“So you feel like telling me why you did that?” Subaru asked.

This is probably what everything has been leading up to. Korë wants something. We might as well get down to cases and see what she wants in exchange for telling me how to cure Emilia so that we can start haggling.

Korë thought for a long moment. “I… awoke when you and the others freed the Sanctuary.”

“Huh?”

“I was in a form of… slumber, let’s call it. I slept the years away since the Great Calamity and only regained my awareness periodically when something of import caught my attention. Such as when your woman entered the Sanctuary.”

“If you were asleep then how did you know what was happening?”

“Witches can slip a bit of their spirit into other beings, using them as eyes and ears. In extreme cases it’s said that it’s even possible to put enough of your spirit into someone else’s body that you can control them directly,” Korë mused.

Well, that sounds in no way creepy!

“When the barrier broke,” Korë continued, “I woke up and began to explore the world again. As did an ancient enemy of mine, also roused by the shattering of the Sanctuary’s barrier. I came here to see who had accomplished this feat. I came to measure their capabilities.”

Should I tell her that I didn’t break the barrier? Because if that means she goes looking for Emilia, I think that might be bad.

“And? What do you think?” Subaru asked impatiently.

Korë lifted a hand, completely concealed by her sleeve, to where her mouth would be. “I’m not yet certain. You have more potential than anyone I’ve ever met but… I am unsure if you are the right candidate to assist me in my grand design. I can not afford to be wrong.”

“And your grand design is what exactly?”

“At the moment, you do not need to know that. Suffice to say, I seek to protect the world from itself. To create a better world.”

Subaru sighed, trying to master his irritation. “Can we please just focus on how I can help Emilia?”

“I am unwilling to commit to you just yet.”

“Commit to me?! It’s just answering a question! What kind of commitment is that?”

“More than you know. The Witches, the Archbishops, the Order of the Divine Exousia, and even the dragons are all tied together in an intricate web. No move can be made carelessly and each action sends countless threads vibrating. I have some allies and many enemies. If it were to be known that I had made alliance with you, some of my enemies might feel emboldened by a new target with which to sabotage me and some of my allies might cry betrayal and turn on me. I am currently engaged in a complex alliance with several others. Some might approve of our new alliance, some might be indifferent, and some might consider me a traitor or even attack me. I have dedicated my entire life to the fulfillment of my grand design. I can do nothing to risk it. Before I could form an alliance with you, I would require some assurance.”

Subaru frowned. “Like what? You need me to promise that I’ll protect you from your enemies and help you with this plan of yours?”

“Yes but your promise would not be sufficient.”

Subaru held his breath. “You’re talking about a magical contract, aren’t you?”

“Yes. An unbreakable bond enforced by magic,” Korë explained.

Oh shit! That sounds just like what Roswaal was thinking! I definitely want Emilia’s name restored but I won’t trade my soul away for it!

“I’m no one’s slave!” Subaru said flatly.

Korë cocked her head. “You misunderstand me, Subaru Natsuki. I was speaking of a mutually beneficial partnership.”

Subaru’s eyes narrowed. “Alright… What terms were you thinking of?”

“In essence, we become each other’s facilitator. I place myself and my considerable knowledge and talents at your disposal to use as you please. You dedicate yourself to helping me achieve my design.”

Subaru frowned. “And what is this grand design? I’m not going to promise you that I’ll do whatever I have to in order to fulfill your dream without some idea what that means.”

“I wouldn’t have expected you to,” Korë replied. “However, you do not need to know that right now.”

“I just said-”

“I am not offering you such a contract at this time. I merely said that I was considering it. Before I do so, I must be convinced that you are the man I’ve been searching for since before the paths were severed.”

Subaru scowled. I don’t know what that means and right now I don’t care. “So you want to test me?” He said with an edge in his voice.

Korë nodded.

“Alright, what is this test?” He demanded pugnaciously. “I’m assuming that you’ll only tell me how to heal Emilia if I pass.”

“No. I shall tell you now,” Korë replied.

“Huh?!”

“You will take my test in the process of saving your woman, Subaru Natsuki,” She said quietly. “Your test is to restore her name.”

Subaru’s jaw dropped. “What? Why are you asking me to do that?”

“I think that it’s entirely reasonable. Wouldn’t you have done that anyway?”

Subaru shook his head in disbelief. “Well… Yeah,” Subaru admitted.

“Then this is the perfect test.”

Subaru squinted at her. “Korë, what’s the point of this test? What are you even testing? How does this establish any kind of level of ability for me?”

“Oh. You are confused, Subaru Natsuki,” Korë replied. “It is not your abilities that are in question, it is your determination.”

Subaru shook his head. “I still don’t get it.”

“Emilia is the person that you love most in all the world, is she not?”

Subaru swallowed. I don’t know how she knows that but it makes me very uncomfortable that she does. “Yes.”

“You understand that your woman is in mortal danger so long as the world’s memory of her is lost and all fear her to be the released Witch of Envy?”

Subaru sighed. “Yes.”

“Your situation is dire and verging into crisis. This world goes into a wild panic when rumors that the Witch of Envy is free begin to circulate. If you do not restore your woman’s name soon, it will be too late. Everyone will simply assume that their restored memories are fake and that the false ones are true.”

Subaru frowned. “I also need to rescue the spirits.”

“Your spirits are in no immediate danger, for the moment anyway. Danger may threaten them later but right now they are safe.”

Subaru stared at her. “Assuming that I believe you.”

“Yes. Assuming that you believe me,” Korë said with equanimity. She paused. “Your family is in critical danger, Subaru Natsuki. What will you do?”

Subaru barely restrained himself from triggering Indomitable and punching his fist right through Korë’s hood. “Whatever I have to do!”

Korë nodded again. “Then you will pass my test.”

“What does that even mean?”

“The people you love are in great danger. If you do not save them you will lose them forever. If you will do whatever must be done to protect them, then I can trust in the strength of your determination. You will be able to assist me in my great work. If you find a line that you cannot cross in spite of the potential loss of those dearest to you, then you are not the one that I have waited for.”

Subaru sighed. “Would you just tell me how to restore Emilia’s name already?!” He asked plaintively.

“I would but to my own nature I must be true. My knowledge of the Old Ways was gained from long study and is the single greatest asset that I possess. We are both seekers of miracles right now. The next time we cross paths, one of us may find the other in a time of need. If I were to share my knowledge with you, I dare say that you would owe me… a favor,” Korë said quietly.

Subaru took a deep breath.

She’s not wrong but I don’t like the way she said that. Still…

“Yes,” Subaru agreed, “If you told me how to fix everyone’s memories of Emilia, I would definitely owe you a favor,” He emphasized.

A favor is not the same thing as agreeing to do whatever you want. You’re not tying me up in the same trap that Roswaal tried to!

Korë stared into the fire for a moment. “The Book of Wisdom,” She replied.

“What’s that?” Subaru asked.

“It was… the Witch of Greed’s greatest treasure in life. It is a repository for all the knowledge in the world. It was fueled by her greed and also fed it,” Korë explained. “The world may forget, Subaru Natsuki, but the Book does not.”

Subaru frowned, “So… you’re saying that if Emilia and I found that book, we could show it to people and prove that Emilia is who she claims she is?”

“No,” Korë shook her head, “The Book of Wisdom taps directly into the world’s memory for its knowledge. No normal mind could read it without being obliterated by the sheer amount of information flowing into their brain.”

Subaru sighed, “So in other words, you’re saying that the Book could prove that Emilia is Emilia if only we could use it. Unfortunately, reading it would make our friends’ heads explode.”

“It is not your friends that are the problem, Subaru Natsuki, but rather the world. It is the world that has forgotten your woman,” Korë clarified. “However, the Book separates the remembered from the true. If you could bring the Book to the seat of the Od Laguna, the soul of this world, then the world would remember your woman and thus, so would everyone else.”

Subaru thought about it, “Where can we find this Book? Does the Witch Cult have it?”

“No,” Korë shook her head, “Before the Witch of Greed died, she lived on a floating island set adrift in the sky. That is where she left the Book.”

“An island in the sky?!” Subaru repeated incredulously, “How the hell are we supposed to get up there?!”

“I’m afraid that some things you’ll just have to figure out on your own,” Korë replied.

Subaru gave her a dirty look. “OK, so assuming we do get the book, how do we find this Od Laguna thing?” Subaru asked.

“I can guide you to the seat of power,” Korë said calmly.

Perfect. She’s holding back details so that I’ll still need her later.

Still, this would certainly be progress. Maybe we could find the location of the Od Laguna in the Grand Archives.

If we can ever go back there…

I still don’t get why didn’t she force me to make a deal with her before telling me anything…

Subaru thought about it, “Sounds like it could be manageable,” He ventured, “Korë, do you know where this island is right now?”

“No,” She answered. “The island drifts along the currents in the sky. It could be in any number of places after four hundred years.”

Subaru sighed, “Well, that’s not too helpful. Then again, it might not be that hard to find. I expect people would talk about a floating island.”

“You should have no trouble locating it, Subaru Natsuki. Despite your casting away your copy of the Gospel.”

Subaru jumped. “Wait. How did you know I did that?”

Korë ignored the question. “The Gospel is merely a lesser, imperfect copy of the Book of Wisdom. Discarding it was a most wise decision on your part, by the way.”

Subaru felt a chill. “Why? Is the Gospel dangerous? Did I put Anri in danger by giving it back to her?” Subaru demanded.

“The Princess was already in danger,” Korë answered in a silky voice. “All those who wield power are in danger from birth until death. And the Gospel is naturally dangerous. All witchcraft is. But it will obey you and serve the girl for as long as you wish it. It will never betray its master or defy his orders. You need have no fear about that. I meant that you were wise to cast the Gospel aside because it serves as a beacon. No one of consequence would care about the Princess or that she possesses the Gospel. However, if you held the Gospel, it could allow others to find you…”

What does that mean? Fuck it. It probably doesn’t matter right now as long as Anri isn’t in danger. I need to focus on learning more about the Book.

Subaru sighed. “I need to get Emilia’s name back as fast as I can. That’s the only way I can protect her from the rest of the world.”

“It will not be so simple, but restoring her name is a very necessary first step,” Korë replied.

Subaru stared at Korë suspiciously. “What I don’t get is: Why do you think I would want to work with you after I’ve already restored Emilia’s name?”

Subaru thought that Korë might have been smiling. “In other words, why do I not simply keep the secret of restoring your woman’s name as the price for you to do as I say?”

“Well, yeah. That’s pretty much what I was thinking.”

“Slaves make terrible allies, Subaru Natsuki,” Korë commented. “I need someone who desires the success of my work with the same intensity as I do. The resolution of my design will benefit you greatly, perhaps even more than it will benefit myself. I have no doubts that I can persuade you to assist me.”

Subaru frowned. “Well, I probably shouldn’t say this but maybe you should doubt it. Once I have my family back together again, Emilia and I plan to-”

“Disappear?” Korë asked.

“That’s the plan. We find someplace quiet, settle down as a family, and just let the world forget about us.”

Kore’s hand went to her hood. It was impossible to be sure but Korë seemed to be covering her mouth. Subaru could hear her chuckling.

“Something funny?” Subaru asked with an edge in his voice.

“Something familiar,” Korë shrugged. “Most witches consider this approach at one time or another in their lives. It never works.”

“Why not?”

“Because witches wield great power, Subaru Natsuki. That power makes us a lodestone for other people who desire to use that power in some way. Our power shapes the world as we walk it.”

Subaru shrugged. “I’m not interested in power. I don’t want to reshape the world, not even into something better. I tried it. It’s too hard.”

“Unfortunately, Subaru Natsuki, you have no choice. To wield an Authority is to claim one of the most powerful forces in the world. You represent power, Subaru Natsuki. You embody power to everyone around you and they are at your mercy, whether either of you likes it or not. The world around you cannot help but be shaped by your power, any more than a whale in the sea can avoid dragging smaller creatures along in its wake.”

Subaru shook his head. “I’m just going to find a quiet forest somewhere and disappear. I’m not going to bother anyway.”

“No? If you were to see, for example, a peasant girl being whipped by a nobleman because she refused to let him have his way with her, would you look the other way?”

Subaru scowled at her.

Korë continued matter-of-fact, “You either permit this to continue or you take action to change it. If you stop the noble then all of his fellows will recognize that you have the power to restrain them when you so choose. They will refuse to attempt similar crimes unless they are prepared to face you. If you decline to use your power to stop that noble, then you are affirming by your non-action that the noble is a lawful authority and within his rights to do such a thing. As more nobles get away with giving into their worst impulses without being punished, more and more will follow this path. By your actions and inactions, you will create the world around you.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“That’s really philosophical, Korë,” Subaru muttered.

“Moreover, consider the danger that your woman will be in,” Korë continued.

Subaru shrugged. “That’s why I want to restore her name.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad tiding, Subaru Natsuki, but while restoring her name will prevent people from hunting her because they don’t know who she is, it will do nothing to protect her from the people who would hunt her down and slay her because they do.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

“You and your woman have become champions to a nation. You have convinced the poor and downtrodden that you hear their voice and that you will take up their cause. Demi-humans and peasants across the continent look at you as a hero.”

Subaru rolled his eyes. “Well, that’s a serious mistake on their part,” Subaru scoffed.

“Perhaps,” Korë replied. “But have you considered the ramifications of this? You have dropped a large stone into a pond and the ripples travel.”

“Meaning what exactly?”

“Your candidacy and the candidacy of your woman started out with absolutely no chance for success. Then you slew the Whale. And then you rescued two communities from the Witch Cult and killed a Sin Archbishop with your own hands. Your coronation has officially gone from impossible to inevitable. The power brokers in the capitol consider the matter to be virtually settled. This is making them very unhappy.”

“They don’t want me to be King?” Subaru asked in an indifferent tone.

“They do not. They are afraid that you will once again inspire the demi-humans to rise up and demand equality. They fear that the peasants might demand better conditions for themselves. They fear a new civil war. The status quo always works for the powerful because they are powerful in the status quo. The powerful shape the status quo to their liking. Change is threatening to the mighty because once one is at the top, there is only on direction to go and that is down. As soon as Emilia’s name is restored and they remember that she has been chosen as your queen, they will plot to murder her.”

Subaru gaped. “What?! Why?”

“Because the notion of a mixed family on the throne is more than they can stomach. It would do remarkable things to inspire demi-humans across the continent. If the kingdom’s power brokers can not stop you from obtaining the throne, they will at least not permit your heir to be of mixed blood. They will remove your woman before she can cause trouble.”

Subaru bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. “Fuck it! With the dragon blood gone, Emilia and I no longer have any incentive to pursue the throne anyway! Like I said, we’ll just drop out of the selection and disappear.”

“Oh,” Korë said sadly. “I fear that would be most unwise.”

“What are you talking about?”

“To men who worship power, the notion that anyone is not seduced by power is folly. No man walks away from power that he has won, save in a clever gambit to obtain more. The story of a man who refuses a throne in order to keep his demi-human lover safe; it is quite romantic, don’t you think? It will inspire the demi-humans greatly.”

“So what?” Subaru grumbled. “We’ll just go into hiding. If the demi-humans want a war then they can fight it themselves.”

“If you simply disappear, Subaru Natsuki, there will be many eager to speak in your name. You will need to decide whether to permit this or to try to control the dialog. If you ignore it, people will seek you out, seeking to silence you for another’s words. If you become involved and attempt to control what is said in your name, you will only be drawn deeper into the quagmire of politics.”

Subaru scowled at Korë. “Korë, why are you telling me all this?”

“You asked me why I was so certain that you would form an alliance with me. What I have described will be your life. However, I can help you. With my assistance, you and your family will have a perfectly safe and happy life. I will offer you all of my knowledge and talents to make it so.”

“Very pretty words,” Subaru grumbled.

Korë shook her head. “We will make it so. I will sign my heart into the contract. I will stake my life that you will have no complaints about your situation once I am permitted to guide you. I shall lead you to your ideal future without fail. Your power and my knowledge make anything possible and I will guide you in mastering your great power.”

Subaru thought about it for a moment. “What happens when you sign a contract that requires you to do the impossible?” Subaru asked.

“You die,” Korë answered. “The magic drives you to keep trying to fulfill your pledge until you simply die from exhaustion. This is the promise that I will make for you.”

Subaru nodded slowly. “OK… Let’s just say that I was interested… What would you want in exchange?”

“We have not reached that point yet.”

“Come on! How about some good faith here? Give me a hint at least!”

Korë sat there, still as a statue. “Subaru Natsuki, have you ever heard the Legend of the Empyrean King? The King of Pride?”

Subaru frowned and searched his memory. He shook his head. “No. I don’t think so.”

“I’m not surprised. This story is only known to the most dedicated students of history. Or to those who have watched history unfold. However, that is your only hint for now. First you must pass my test and save your woman.”

The cold wind began to pick up and fresh powdery snow blew everywhere. The intense cold burned at Subaru’s lungs. Korë looked around. “I believe that is where our palaver ends this night. My endurance has reached its limit and I must rest. I will find you when you have completed your test.”

Subaru heard the sound of something running across the snow. He turned and saw Patrasche racing down to the fire. She stopped at Subaru’s side, looming over him protectively.

“Hey, girl,” Subaru said, rubbing her face.

“Also, would you be so kind as to give your woman a message for me?”

Subaru stiffened. “What’s that?” He asked suspiciously.

“Tell her that her third vision is not a nightmare. It is a prophecy.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Subaru demanded.

Korë ignored him. “One more thing,” Korë continued. “Just a few days ago, the Shade of a great enemy of mine came into this forest. She is a witch of terrible power and we were both seeking the same… prize. We did battle and your dragon was wounded in the process,” Korë said. “The fight was inconclusive and we were separated. I was unable to find her after this. I am uncertain if she has left the forest or if she still lurks here seeking to cause further mischief.”

“Another witch?!” Subaru asked incredulously.

Korë stared at him for a moment. “As I said, not all the witches are what you would consider to be dead. Moreover, because of your actions in the Sanctuary, the seals are beginning to weaken.”

“What seals? What are you talking about?”

“The dragon Volcanica, for reasons best known to himself, decided to tie every seal in this world together, whether he made that seal or not. That makes each seal much stronger than any would have been individually. However it also means that a single fractured seal, such as the Sanctuary, compromises all of them. My foe has been imprisoned since the time of the Great Calamity. Now, all the prisons are weakening and her restless Shade is free to roam the world as she pleases. At least her Shade only possesses a small fraction of her terrible power.”

Subaru noticed that the dragon refused to take her eyes off of Korë. The riding dragon seemed nervous or even afraid of the shrouded figure. Subaru was so fixated on this that it took him a moment to process Korë’s words.

“Wait a minute!” Subaru blinked. “Are you saying-”

“You have had a greater impact on this world than you know, Subaru Natsuki. The seals are weakening and powers that have lain dormant for centuries are beginning to stir. I warn you. My foe also seeks to draw you out. If you should cross paths with her: Flee her! Shun her! Speak no words to her! She is deadly and she will seek to entrap you in her web for her own purposes. With any luck, she has lost your trail but I assure you, she will find it again.”

Korë stood up without another word and walked away.

Subaru looked up at his riding dragon. Wait. Patrasche was wounded during Korë’s fight with the witch? How did she get in the middle of that fight in the first place?

Garfiel’s words during their flight from the Sanctuary suddenly came back to him: “I thought that I saw an extra Ryuzu… I think that she was riding your earth dragon out of there.”

“Wait a second!” Subaru gasped after the departing figure, “Who the hell are you?!”

Korë didn’t pause nor turn around and quickly disappeared into the storm.

Subaru and Patrasche returned to the tent. The storm ended abruptly as soon as Subaru and the dragon got back. Subaru had a few suspicions about that convenient timing.

Patrasche yawned and quickly returned to sleep in the snow, the cold not bothering her at all.

Subaru sneaked into the tent trying his best not to wake Emilia but sleep did not come easily to him that night.

Emilia woke early the next morning.

“Good morning,” Emilia said stretching. “How did you sleep?”

Subaru made a face. “Not well, honestly. Something happened last night.”

Emilia frowned. “What was it?”

Subaru sighed. “Patrasche and I… met a witch,” He said helplessly.

“What?!” Emilia gasped.

Subaru sighed. “After you went to sleep last night, I saw a campfire in the distance and went to investigate,” He explained.

Emilia stared at him. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Subaru,” She grated. “Are you telling me, that after everything we just went through, all of the arguments we had, you still decided to go off into danger without me or even waking me up to tell me about it?!”

“Hey!” Subaru put up his hands defensively. “That was not my fault! I tried to wake you up!”

“Really?” Emilia asked skeptically, folding her arms across her chest.

“Yes! I called your name, I shook you, I did everything I could think of to wake you up! You were out!” Subaru emphasized.

Emilia started. “…Just like Anri’s guards when she met the witch,” Emilia whispered.

Subaru’s eyes widened. “Wow,” He whispered. “I can’t believe that I didn’t put that together…” Subaru scowled. “The witch put a spell on you just so that we could have a nice private chat!” He hissed.

Emilia shook her head. “Later, Subaru. Just finish the story!”

Subaru sighed. “Alright, so I found a bonfire pit with a woman sitting there. Hey, just out of curiosity, did your people build anything this far away from the village?”

Emilia shook her head. “No, we didn’t wander very much.”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” Subaru muttered. “She probably made it with magic. Anyway, the woman introduced herself as Korë. She told me that she was a witch and that she was… um, interested in working with me.”

“On what?”

He shook his head. “She wouldn’t say. She said that she wanted to test me first and then she just… walked away.”

Emilia frowned. “What did she look like?”

Subaru shrugged. “Dunno. She was using magic to disguise herself. I couldn’t see any part of her face and even her voice and body shape seemed oddly… distorted if that makes any sense. All I could see was that she wore a hooded robe,” He replied.

“What else did Korë say to you?”

“Well, she had a message for you, strangely enough.”

“For me?”

“I didn’t understand it. She told me to tell you that the ‘third vision is not a nightmare. It is a prophecy.’ I have no idea what that means. Does that mean… anything to you, Mili?” He said, frowning in sudden concern. Emilia was staring off into the distance, her expression a caricature of absolute shock.

“Mili? What’s wrong?!” Subaru urged.

Emilia started. “Oh! Nothing. I was just… thinking about something…”

Subaru frowned. I don’t buy that for an instant. “So… does Korë’s message mean anything to you?”

“Well,” Emilia hedged. “I’m guessing it’s about my third trial from the Sanctuary.”

“A prophecy?” Subaru asked in concern. “What was the third vision about?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What?”

“I’m really not sure. I… It was like a dream. Just… concepts and images but with no real context. I… couldn’t put it into words,” She replied.

Subaru stared at Emilia. I don’t know… I don’t think Emilia is lying to me exactly but… I think she could probably tell me more if she wanted to.

Why is she trying to hide this from me? What is she trying to hide?

“Subaru, did Korë say anything else?”

Subaru looked at Emilia for a long time, waiting to see if she would say anything else. Finally, he gave up. “She told me that an old enemy of hers was in the forest and that they had a fight. She says that’s how Patrasche got her injury,” He said, pointing at the sleeping dragon.

“Another witch in the forest?! Do you believe her?”

Subaru rocked his hand back and forth then shrugged. “I mean… I’m not sure what the point of lying about that would be. And it would explain how the grove with that weird door in it got destroyed. I’m guessing that a dispute between witches does a lot more collateral damage than just breaking a few windows.”

Emilia frowned and thought about it. “So Korë and her foe could both still be in the forest?” Emilia said in a worried tone.

Subaru nodded. “Yeah. I’m afraid so. Korë said she didn’t know if her enemy had left the forest or not and I have no idea if Korë is still hanging around here.” He paused. “So basically, we’re all alone in the woods… except maybe we’re not alone and we could be being watched by any number of people whose motives we don’t understand. That’s a happy thought.”

Emilia thought for a moment. “Subaru, do you think Korë was the one who gave Anri the Gospel?!” Emilia asked.

Subaru thought for a moment, then sighed. “I have no idea. And I’m a fucking idiot because I didn’t even think to ask that quetsion! But I’m pretty sure that what happened the night that the grove was destroyed has everything to do with the Gospel… somehow.”

“What do you mean?”

“The note that got changed was written on a page from the Gospel. I know that that’s important to understanding what’s really going on!”

“Um. How?”

Subaru chuckled. “I have absolutely no idea!”

Emilia shook her head. “Some detective you are,” She grumbled but her lips curved in a fond smile.

He shrugged. “Hey, I’m doing my best. Oh, also some good news: Korë says that you’re not cursed. She claims that the reason that nobody can remember you is because Roy ate your name.”

“What?!”

Subaru shrugged. “Apparently, if you believe Korë, the Archbishops of Gluttony have the power to devour a person’s name by touching them and that makes everyone forget who they are.”

Emilia frowned, processing the strange concept. Then she shook her head. “Did she give you any ideas on how to reverse it?”

Subaru sighed. “Korë said that there’s an ancient relic called the Book of Wisdom. She claims that if we were to find it and bring it to the soul of this world, the spell would be broken.”

Emilia’s face grew pensive. “OK… Did she tell you where the book was?”

Subaru nodded. “She claims it’s located on an island in the sky.”

Emilia stared at him. “How could we possibly get up there? Wyverns are very rare and we can’t go back to Siros right now. I doubt that anyone else would lend us one.”

“Especially since our names are mud in two kingdoms right now,” Subaru agreed. He paused. “I actually have an idea for a machine that might be able to lift us up there but I’m not sure if we could build it without the spirits’ help.”

“Subaru, please tell me that this machine is not called a ‘catapult,’ Emilia said in a worried tone.

Subaru burst out laughing. “Don’t worry, Mili. I’m not that crazy.”

Emilia looked at Subaru in annoyance and then started to sheepishly laugh along.

The laughter felt freeing after all the stress they’d been through lately.

Emilia finally quieted. “Did Korë tell you where this island was?”

Subaru shook his head. “She said that she didn’t know.”

Emilia sighed. “It’s too bad we didn’t know to ask about it while we were in the Grand Archives.”

“Yeah. But I think I know were we can start looking,” Subaru added. “I remember a passage from the Gospel that we didn’t understand before: ‘The Quest for the Book begins with the Silk Merchant of Picoutatte.’”

Emilia frowned. “Picoutatte? Why there?”

“I have no idea,” Subaru admitted.

Emilia thought about it. “Korë said that the Book was on a flying island, right?”

Subaru nodded. “Have you ever heard of one?”

Emilia shook her head. “Only in fairy tales. But I doubt that it’s in Picoutatte. If a flying island was anywhere inside the kingdom, wouldn’t we have heard about it? And what does a silk merchant have to do with anything?”

Subaru thought about it. “I’m not sure if the island is there. The Gospel just said that our quest starts there. Picoutatte might be a good place to gather information. Maybe silk is a reference to the triangle trade.”

“The what?”

“It’s something that I read about in Roswaal’s library. Apparently, the silk trade takes merchants to three different nations so it’s very important for international commerce. Silk worms only live in Kararagi, efforts to introduce them anywhere else have failed. So merchants go to Kararagi to buy silk. Then they bring it to Lagunica which has a huge textile industry to spin it into cloth and make clothes. Then the clothing is sold in Gusteko or Vollachia. Silk is a great insulator so it’s awesome where the weather is really hot or really cold. Then the merchant goes back to Kararagi to buy more silk with his profits and the cycle starts all over again. It’s actually not a bad idea to talk to a silk merchant. They travel all over the world so they might have seen a flying island.”

“But, Subaru, there must be dozens of silk merchants in Picoutatte. Maybe hundreds! How will we find the one the Gospel is talking about?”

Subaru shrugged. “Beats me but at least we have an idea of what to do now. We can head to Picoutatte and start asking questions. That’s more of a plan than we had before. Even if the Gospel is just blowing smoke, we’d at least be somewhere that nobody expects us to be and we could gather some information.”

Subaru paused. “Korë also told us that the spirits are OK for right now. She suggested that we start by looking for the Book and… I hate to admit it but I think she might have a point. If we rescue the spirits right now, we’re just putting them in more danger. The whole world will be after them again as soon as they’re with us.”

He hesitated. “And besides, until they remember who you are or at least learn to accept you… being with the spirits just puts you in danger,” Subaru sighed in a guilty voice.

Emilia bit her lip and nodded. “But if we can fix everyone’s memories then there’s no issue. We can just walk into the capitol and take them back.”

“Yeah,” Subaru sighed. “It’s the best plan I can come up with but I don’t feel very good about it. I feel like I’m abandoning them…”

“Subaru,” Emilia said firmly. “Nobody thinks that you would ever abandon your family. Beatrice and Puck know that most of all. They’re not worried that you’ve forgotten about them. They’ll know that the only reason you haven’t come for them yet is because you’re hard at work trying to fix this mess! They have faith in you, Subaru. They know that you’ll rescue them.”

Subaru nodded sadly. “I sure hope so… But we need to decide what to do. We either go try to save the spirits or we go looking for this Book…”

Emilia glanced away and bit her lip. A dozen emotions flickered over her face. She looked back at Subaru, her face conflicted. “What do you think?”

Subaru sighed. “I think if we have any avenues to pursue to making everyone remember you, we need to take it. Restoring your memory would solve almost all of our problems right now.”

Emilia took a deep breath. “Then let’s find the Book and get our family back,” She said with determination.

Subaru and Emilia returned to the village that afternoon. There was really nothing to do but lay around and try to rest up. They had thrown nearly all the vegetables that they had left into their lunchtime stew. They knew they couldn’t take any of the vegetables with them on their journey, they would spoil in no time.

Emilia was tending to the fire while Subaru sat on the bed, doodling in a notebook.

“Subaru, what are you doing?” Emilia said, coming over and sitting beside him to look.

Subaru learned over to let her see. “Just a design I was thinking of.”

Emilia frowned and then her eyes widened. “Subaru, is that the village?!”

“Yup.”

“I had no idea that you could draw so well!”

Subaru looked awkward. “Well… I cheated…”

“What does that mean?”

Subaru hesitated and then shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Anyway, I was thinking when we come back to the village, I’d have this little project to keep me busy.”

Emilia frowned at the picture. “What are those vines running through the trees and around the houses.”

“They’re not vines they’re wires. And they’re all strung with tiny little lights, like the ones we saw in Ganaks.”

Emilia stared at him. “Subaru. Do you have any idea how expensive those lights are?!”

“I think I know a way to make cheap ones,” Subaru shrugged. “It’ll give me and the spirits something to do once we break the curse on the village.” He smiled at her. “Wouldn’t the village look great all lit up like this? I had a friend whose family used to decorate their homes and trees with lights every winter. I always thought it looked nice.”

Emilia smiled and shook her head. “Subaru, I can’t believe how you always act like breaking the curse was as easy as crossing a road.”

Subaru shrugged. “Hey. Confidence is important, right?”

Emilia just laughed fondly.

They sat there for a moment.

“How many days do you think it will take us to get to Picoutatte?” She asked.

Subaru sighed. “Honestly, we’re crossing the entire kingdom diagonally. I think that it will take us close to a week, even on Patrasche.”

Emilia thought about it. “But still, nobody knows where to look for us on that journey. This should be much less stressful than our flight from the Sanctuary.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Subaru agreed. “Then again, it would be hard for a journey to be more stressful than that one.”

Emilia glared at him. “Subaru. Please. Don’t tempt fate.”

Subaru snickered. “Yeah. Good point.”

They were both quiet for a moment. Emilia looked moody.

“What’s wrong? Are you worried that Picoutatte will be a dead end?” Subaru asked.

Emilia shook her head. “No. Even if it is, we’ll keep looking. We know what to look for now and we’ll find it.”

Subaru nodded. “That’s my Mili,” He said fondly.

Malcolm an Griest sat in his cell that night, fuming. His cell was isolated, a single cage in a small room, surrounded by a dozen guards. His spirit companions had been returned to him but this cell was specifically designed to hold people with unusual powers and he had no chance of breaking out.

“Malcolm an Griest,” A guard said in a bored voice. “You have a visitor.”

Malcolm started. Who would visit me here? Don’t they usually send prisoners to the interrogator rather than the other way around?

To his shock, Deann walked into the room, her face as hard as stone.

“Daughter?!” Malcolm gasped, what are you doing here.

Deann looked at the guards. “Leave us,” She ordered.

“Hey!” One of the guards protested. “Wait just a second, Lady! We’re not going to-”

Deann handed him a piece of parchment which the guard read incredulously. He handed it back to her with an expression of disbelief on his face. “Alright, boys,” He said in a sullen voice. “We’re waiting outside. They need to have a private conversation.”

Deann sat down on a chair in front of Malcolm’s cell as the soldiers quickly filed outside the room and shut the door.

“Daughter, what is going on here?!”

Deann’s face was grim. “I have simply wonderful news,” She said in a mocking voice. “House Ithil and House Griest have formed a solid alliance.”

“What?!” Malcolm demanded. “Why on earth would you do that?!”

“Because Subaru Natsuki ordered me to,” She said in the same flat voice.

“What are you talking about?!”

“I met with Subaru Natsuki at the summit. He…”

“Hey!” Subaru said in a friendly tone. “Duncan and Deann, right? How you been?”

Deann’s face twisted in hatred. “Get out of my way or I will slice you to ribbons.”

Subaru chuckled. “You might find that a little harder than you think.”

Deann tried to step around him but Subaru sidestepped and didn’t let her.

“Get out of my way!” She growled between clenched teeth.

“We need to talk,” Subaru said quietly.

“We have nothing to talk about!” Deann said.

She tried to push past him but Subaru grabbed her arm.

Before Deann could reach for her swords, Subaru whispered in a hard voice, “I have some very important information to relay to you. Either we go someplace where I can tell you about this privately, or I’ll share it with the entire fucking room,” He said with a friendly smile on his face.

Deann hesitated. She had no idea what Subaru was talking about but something in his voice convinced her to listen. She jerked her head and led Subaru and Duncan into an empty room nearby.

Subaru closed the door behind them.

“Very well,” Deann said impatiently. “What is it?!”

Subaru had a friendly smile on his face. “I need you two to help protect Anri and her House and I’m absolutely certain that you’ll want to do it,” Subaru said gaily.

Deann and Duncan stared at each other incredulously. “What are you even talking about?!” Deann demanded.

“What do you think of this?” Subaru asked, pulling a small piece of parchment out of his satchel and holding it up for them to read.

Duncan and Deann read it. Then they gasped in unison and Deann made a wild grab for the paper.

“Oh no, no, no,” Subaru said in the same cheerful tones, pulling the paper back.

“Where did you get that?!” Deann gasped.

“That’s not really important,” Subaru replied, putting it back in his satchel. “The question that you should be asking is, what will I do with it?”

Deann just stared at him in horror.

“So what are the other princes planning?” Subaru asked intently.

Deann hesitated for less than a second. “The last I heard, the princes were planning to murder you and your elf.”

“Why?”

“Are you serious? How can you even ask that?!” Deann asked in shock.

Subaru’s face darkened.

“I mean,” Deann stumbled over her words. “They blame you for the destruction of their troops. Apparently Lagunica is also threatening war just to kill you and your elf! The princes hope that by killing you they can convince Lagunica to back down.”

“What about Anri?” Subaru muttered.

Deann shook her head. “They plan to threaten war unless she hands you over to them.”

“Aren’t they worried about fighting us?” Subaru asked incredulously.

Deann shook her head. “They claim they have special forces standing by that can handle a witch.”

“What forces?” He grated.

“I don’t know. I swear that I don’t. The princes aren’t really talking to me at the moment. They blame my father for starting this whole mess.”

Subaru thought for a moment. “Then I’m going to need you to help me protect Anri,” Subaru said, once again in his friendly tone.

Deann stared at him incredulously. “What?!” Deann asked in disbelief.

“Hey, Duncan,” Subaru mused. “I’m not really all that well versed with Gusteko custom and law. What do you think would happen if the Hierocracy in Pardochel was given a signed confession that Malcolm an Griest conspired with assassins and even a Sin Archbishop in an effort to kill his rivals’ for the throne?”

Duncan stared at Subaru. “Prince Malcolm couldn’t possibly have known that she was a Sin Archbishop!” Duncan protested weakly.

Subaru smiled indulgently. “I stand corrected. So he only consorted with assassins to kill innocent people, most of whom were children by the way,” Subaru said mockingly. “Anyway, what do you think the Hierocracy would do?”

Duncan’s voice was numb with shock. “There’s no question of what the Holy King and Hierocracy would do. They would-”

“Lord Subaru,” Deann broke in desperately. “Do you understand what would happen if the Hierocracy ever saw that paper?! Our House would be stripped from the rolls of Gusteko! This wouldn’t just punish my father or his family, this would doom tens of thousands of people who look to my House for protection! They would no longer be people in the eyes of the law! They would be stripped of all legal rights, they could be hunted like animals or killed for sport. The other Houses would wage war against us to pick the meat off our bones. This disgrace would be all encompassing and would last for centuries. You would be dooming entire generations to live and die in hopeless misery!” Deann took a ragged breath. “Now do you understand why you must not show anyone that paper?”

“Do you now understand what I’m going to do if anything happens to Anri?” Subaru asked intently.

Deann panted for breath, her eyes huge. “All those lives… Innocent people for countless generations whose lives would be ruined before they’re even born… You won’t do it. Even you can’t be that heartless!”

“Deann,” Subaru said calmly. “Do you remember about two days ago when I burned thousands of innocent people alive simply for being in my way?”

Deann gathered her hands to her mouth and stared at Subaru in horror for a long moment. Finally she nodded. “I understand,” She whispered. “We will take good care of Princess Kairei. She will be as my own little sister from now on. I will stake my life upon it.”

“Yes,” Subaru said firmly. “You have.”

Malcolm stared at Deann, looking as if the world was spinning around him.

Deann shook her head. “And that was that,” Deann said in a flat voice. “The Fire Witch had me and he knew it. If he’d asked me for my life or my body, I’d have had no choice but to acquiesce.”

“How did this happen?!” Malcolm demanded. “How could Subaru Natsuki have gotten that contract?!”

“It hardly matters now, does it?” Deann spat. “The only thing that matters, Father, is that you have sold myself, Canmore, and everyone else in House Griest into perpetual slavery under Subaru Natsuki.”

“What’s happening in Sanshi?” Malcolm asked.

Deann sighed. “Uncle Robert has taken control of the city in your absence. He’s looking after Canmore. I’ve already sent Duncan back to explain the situation to him in private. Uncle Robert will understand the predicament we’re in and endorse the alliance. I’m also asking Duncan to bring Canmore back here. He and Kairei were friendly once. Perhaps they could me more than that. I’m hoping that I can tempt her into a permanent alliance with our family.”

Malcolm stared at her. “Are you mad?! Are you trying to merge our Houses?”

“Yes,” Deann said flatly. “If House Ithil unites with House Griest, then it would be also answerable for all of our crimes. Subaru Natsuki might be more reluctant to destroy our House if he knows that he would pull down Princess Kairei’s House at the same time.

“We don’t need to do anything desperate yet! We’ll figure this out!” Malcolm said firmly. “There’s a way out of this mess.

Deann gave him a long, cold stare. “When I saw that parchment, I just couldn’t believe it. You ordered these people to be murdered,” Deann whispered in disbelief. “These were not rivals or warriors, they were children. You paid assassins and Witch Cultists to murder children…”

Malcolm scowled. “I was trying to put Canmore-”

“Into that stupid chair in Pardochel?!” Deann demanded in a withering voice. “How could that possibly be worth all this?!”

Malcolm took a deep breath. “Daughter, that throne is our birthright! I will see us returned to it. I did what I had to do!”

Deann stared at him for a long moment and then shook her head. “I’ve always admired your certainty, Malcolm.”

Malcolm’s eyes widened at this mode of address.

“I’ve never had your certainty,” Deann admitted. “My conscience won’t let me say that I have to turn my back on you. But I’m going to do it anyway.”

Deann stood up and walked away.

“Daughter!” Malcolm shouted. “Wait!”

Deann paused but she didn’t turn around.

Malcolm reached into a pocket. “Here, take this,” He murmured, holding something out to her.

Deann sighed and walked back to the cage, her eyes hard and cold. “What is this?” She asked, taking the small black book.

“A gift to our House. It is the Gospel of a Witch,” He said intently.

Deann jumped and nearly dropped the book. “What?!” She gasped.

“It was given to me by the Mother of the Assassin’s Guild when we signed the contract. She wished to develop closer ties with the future Kings of Gusteko,” Malcolm whispered.

Deann scowled at him. “Did you even question if she had an ulterior motive?!”

“Of course she did,” Malcolm said bluntly. “Everyone does. People try to use you and you try to use them in turn. That is life for the powerful. All the same, her offering permitted me to push Siros straight to the brink of annihilation with small loss.”

“And then the book was done with you and it led you to ruin!” Deann said scathingly.

Malcolm shook his head. “No. The Gospel guided me true,” he admitted. “I misunderstood its warning. In the Valley of the Winds, it told me that the army seeking to protect the princess would be destroyed at dawn. I thought that it was warning me of an impending battle between our forces and the forces of Lagunica and Siros but instead, it was a warning that the Fire Witch would singlehandedly destroy our entire army…”

Deann shook her head in disgust. “I want nothing to do with this accursed thing!” She said. “Your schemes and ambition have already ruined all our lives!”

“You are my heir, Deann,” He said simply.

“A wretched legacy I would be happy to deny!” She hissed.

Malcolm flinched. He took a deep breath and continued. “You need to think about your brother,” Malcolm said calmly.

Deann hesitated.

“He needs your guidance. He needs everything that you can offer him. That book will help you. It can’t walk the path for you but it will guide you along the way.”

“Until the witch decides to betray me,” Deann said flatly.

“Yes,” Malcolm nodded. “Few of your allies will not threaten betrayal when they can get away with it. That Book is no different. But you need every advantage you can get right now. Perhaps the Book can even guide you out of Subaru Natsuki’s trap.”

Deann hesitated for a long moment. Finally, she tucked the book into her pocket and left the cell without another word.

The soldiers slowly shuffled back in and Malcolm sank back down on his cot, burying his face in his hands.

Subaru and Emilia were in bed. Subaru had wrapped himself around Emilia with his face buried in her silver hair but sleep was not coming easily to them tonight.

“Subaru,” Emilia murmured. “Are you awake?”

“I’m awake,” Subaru murmured. “Are you?”

“Yes, I’m- Subaru!” She protested, realizing what he’d just asked her.

Subaru laughed.

Emilia shook her head gently. “Subaru. You are always such a child.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“Hm. I wouldn’t go quite that far,” Emilia replied and Subaru heard the smile in her voice.

Emilia appeared to be looking at her own hand. Subaru reached around her and entwined their fingers together as they snuggled closer.

“What are you thinking about?” Subaru murmured.

Emilia sighed. “A lot of things. You know… I always dreamed that we’d come back here together. Ever since I realized that I loved you, I thought… that maybe when everything was finished and the forest was saved, this would be our place. Our home. Now we’re getting ready to leave it and… there’s fair odds that we may never come back.”

Subaru took a deep breath. “I think that we’ll be back, Mili, but this place isn’t home.”

“Hm?”

“Anyplace that our family can be together and safe and flourish. That’s home. Anywhere would be home as long as we’re all together.”

“I know that, Subaru,” She whispered. “But I’m still sad about leaving this place behind.”

“I know.”

They were silent for a moment.

“Emilia, when did you know?”

“Know what?”

“That you loved me. When… did you realize that?” Subaru asked.

Emilia was quiet. “I think… I think it was that night we first talked about what happened at the forest. Or maybe… maybe I already knew that I loved you and that’s why we talked about it.”

“What do you mean?”

Emilia took a deep breath. “I was terrified, Subaru. I was so sure that you’d hate me after I told you what I did to the forest and my own family. That you wouldn’t want me anymore. I… think maybe I told you the truth that night because I realized that the longer this went on… the more it would hurt when you finally left me. So I decided to get it over with.”

Subaru hugged her tight. “But I did want you after I knew. I wanted to be with you more after I knew.”

“I know,” Emilia whispered and Subaru could tell she was smiling. “I remember that I couldn’t stop crying. I feel like I cried for hours but… that was one of the happiest moments of my life. You really weren’t going to leave me.”

“Never.”

They were quiet for a bit.

“Subaru, when did you know?”

“Me? I guess it was… the evening that we had the picnic. The night we had our first fight.”

“I remember,” She whispered.

“I thought… I thought you’d only be able to love… ‘Subaru the Invincible,’ not some loser who had no idea what he was doing. My greatest fear was that some day… you’d see me the same way that I see myself and then you’d realize I wasn’t worth your time. I knew that you’d leave me then…”

“I guess I was a little mean to you that night,” Emilia admitted. “I forced you to talk about your old life. I didn’t realize how much those memories hurt.”

Subaru shook his head. “I’m grateful. You made me face my fears. I never would have been brave enough to do it if you hadn’t been standing there with me. You knew… what I was but you didn’t leave. You got angry with me but you still stayed with me.”

“Hm. It’s funny. I never realized that our fears were so similar,” Emilia mused.

“I can never wrap my mind around it,” Subaru admitted. “How could you be worried that I’d ever leave you? You’re the most wonderful person in two worlds.”

“That’s the way that I feel about you. And I think that it’s ludicrous that you feel that way about me,” Emilia murmured.

“Yup, same here,” Subaru chuckled.

They were quiet.

“Subaru. I do love you, you know,” Emilia whispered.

He kissed the back of her neck. “Those are always my favorite words to hear, Mili. But I bet I love you more.”

“Not possible,” Emilia murmured, rolling over in bed. Their lips met.

Capella sat in her cell growling to herself and fantasizing about all the horrible torments that she would inflict on her enemies the second that she got out of here.

To make matters even more humiliating for the Sin Archbishop, after one of her interrogators had made the drastic mistake of underestimating how dangerous the slender girl could really be, a hard, metal restraint had been locked over Capella’s face that stopped her from closing her mouth all the way. This was intended to prevent her from biting herself or anyone else.

“Oh. This is just too funny!” A voice tittered.

Capella’s head snapped up to stare at the lanky, dirty, and painfully-thin young man standing outside her cell. He grinned at her with a mouth full of sharp teeth.

“You fuckwit,” Capella grumbled. “It took you fucking long enough! What in the hell were you doing? Jacking off to a pastry?”

“Parodchel had a famous visiting chief tonight at a prominent supper club,” Lye replied. “I wasn’t about to miss that. They were serving Gigot ou Epaule de Pre-Sale, Farci!” Lye said in an excited voice.

“Eat shit and die, faggot,” Capella spat. “Now hurry the fuck up and get me out of here!”

Lye tittered as he grabbed her cell door and effortlessly ripped it off its hinges.

Capella scowled as she walked out of her cell. “First thing I’m going to do is find that guy who tried to extort me and peal off every inch of his skin! Then I’m going to grab that slutty princess and I’m going to shove my hand up her ass until I can wear her body like a bracelet! Then I’m-”

Lye grabbed Capella’s metal mouth-guard and tore it apart.

Capella spat the metal parts out of her mouth with disgust. “What are you doing, jerk-off?! You trying to rip my head apart?!”

Lye chuckled.

Capella snarled. “I’m going to crush your fucking balls as soon as I get out of here. Now get this stupid bracelet off of me!” Capella demanded.

“Nope!” Lye said with a broad smile.

Capella’s eyes glittered. “Lye. Are you really not going to take this bracelet off my arm?” She asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

“Nope,” Lye repeated with a titter. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “She’s going to take it off,” He said.

Capella’s face went slack, her eyes became huge and her expression twisted in horror.

Lye looked at Capella’s despairing face and burst out laughing. “Oh Gods! If you could only see your face! Yup! She’s back! She sent me here to get you. She wants to have a nice, long talk with you about how you managed to fuck things up this badly! You knew that what’s in the Vault wasn’t for you and on top of it, you managed to antagonize Subaru Natsuki when he was desperate enough to consider joining us!”

Capella swallowed hard. “Lye, buddy, err… come on! Let’s… let’s just go and find Subaru Natsuki! We can grab him together and take him back with us, all tied up in a bow!”

Lye burst out laughing. “Oh yeah, right! Like I’m going to risk pissing her off just to yank your fat out of the fire!”

“Come on!” She said desperately. “Help a sister in the Order out!”

Lye’s face grew sly. “Sure. So, Capella, where does your Gospel tell us to look for him?”

Capella hesitated.

“By the Gods!” Lye gasped, his face fixed in an expression of exalted joy. “You really did it! You gave your Gospel away!”

“It’s a temporary thing!” Capella protested. “I can take it back any time that I want! I just gave it to him so that he could push Siros right up to the wall and force that tit-less wonder to open the Vault!”

“Heh. She was wondering why you weren’t properly attending to her when she called for you. Guess that explains that,” Lye mused.

Capella’s face went ashen.

Lye smirked. “You know, I had a nice long talk with Subaru, Capella. We’re actually on pretty good terms. He was starting to consider working with us. Nice job blowing that!”

Capella gaped. “That’s bullshit! This is all in your flaccid imagination, you greasy fuck! He never would have worked with us, you shit weasel!”

“Hm. She thinks that he might have,” Lye said serenely.

Capella clapped her hands over her mouth, her expression horrified.

“Anyway,” Lye said cheerfully, “She sent me out here to bring you back to her, quietly or kicking and screaming.” Lye leaned over to her. “Please pick kicking and screaming!” Lye begged in a whisper.

Capella’s face was white as a ghost and her gaze was fixed off in the distance as she followed Lye away from the cell and down the prison hall. The hall floor was littered with the corpses of guards.

“It’ll take us a few days to get back to the Cathedral,” Lye said, his voice a song of joy. “We’ll have lots of time to chat!”

A young guard suddenly came down the stairs and looked at Lye and Capella in horror. He drew his sword. “Stop! You’re both under-”

Without breaking stride, Lye threw one of his daggers at the soldier. It pierced his neck to the hilt, pinning his body to the wall behind him. The soldier thrashed weakly as his body grew still.

“We’re going to have so much fun on this trip,” Lye cheered, plucking the dagger from the soldier’s neck and letting his lifeless body fall to the ground.

Lye was giggling madly as he left the jail, followed by the nearly catatonic Capella.

It was late at night when Anri went to Gael’s playroom. Her brother was still sitting up, having a tea party with his doll. Gael didn’t keep particularly regular hours. He slept at whatever time of day or night that he felt like it.

She walked into the room with a small piece of parchment.

“Hello, Gael,” She said in a somber voice, sliding down the wall and sitting near her brother. “How are you tonight?”

“Anri and I are great!” Gael cheered lifting his doll high over his head. “We’ve had a great day!”

Anri sighed. “I just finished what must be the most difficult proclamation I’ve ever had to write in my life.”

“Difficult things are the things most worth doing,” Gael said casually.

“I don’t know about that,” Anri muttered. “Do you want to hear it?” Anri asked, looking at the parchment.

“Sure. Anri likes it when people read to her,” Gael replied.

Anri sighed and started to read aloud, “‘I, Princess Kairei vas Sirosse an Ithil, hereby put pen to paper to let all men of Gusteko and the realms beyond know of a terrible threat to our safety, our homes, and our very way of life. It is with a heavy heart… that I must admit that I fell under the spell of not one but two… terrible witches…’”

Anri bit her lip and then forced herself to continue. “‘These nefarious individuals, Subaru Natsuki the Fire Witch and Emilia Half-Devil the Witch of Frost, bound me in an enchantment and made me the unwitting slave to their will. They sought to destroy our kingdom and would likely have succeeded if not for the unspeakable heroism… of the Witch Hunters under Gilbert de Ray and the august Princes of the Great Houses of Gusteko. After recognizing the savagery and the unspeakable malice of Subaru Natsuki who gleefully lured innocent men into an inferno to burn them alive, these brave men who should be recognized as heroes to our nation and even lands beyond, risked everything to free me from my bewitchment. They laid down their lives in the process. Lady Deann an Griest and Sir Duncan an Laertes saved my life by carrying my helpless body away from the carnage. I express my undying gratitude to each of them.

“‘The witches were enraged when their terrible enchantment was broken and they attempted to destroy everything around them including the entire city of Kocytos. They were forced to flee by the heroism of all present in the mayoral palace that day and the good men and women of Gusteko can take comfort in knowing that despite the grievous cost in lives by which this victory was bought, the witches are now fugitives from all nations. Their perfidy and their terrible malice laid bare to all.

“‘I urge all Houses of Gusteko and our friends and neighbors in the kingdoms beyond to unite in brotherhood in the face of this unimaginable danger. In this new age, when witches once again walk the land, we are only as strong as we are united and as weak as we are divided. To this end, I join my voice with the Lagunica sages’ council and denounce Subaru Natsuki and Emilia Half-Devil as enemies of all humanity. They are not people but monsters and they must meet the fate reserved for any monster. My own violated spirit and the blood of the dead each cry out for justice. Let my words be heard across the land: The Witches… must die…’” She trailed off, her face haunted.

“I like it!” Gael said matter-of-fact, his attention still riveted on his doll. “It’s very exciting. It needs a happier ending though.”

Anri’s face crumpled. She buried her face in her hands and wept.

Subaru and Emilia lay in their bed that night. Subaru slept but Emilia was wide awake.

I can’t stop thinking about what the witch told Subaru about the Sanctuary trials.

The Third Trial is a blur in my mind but I remember how it ended…

It was a nightmare. It was…

I think the fact that I thought it was just my worst fear brought to life is the only reason that I didn’t go completely insane. If I’d known that it would happen… or even that it could happen, I think I might have broken into pieces on the spot…

Emilia closed her eyes and tried to sleep but rest eluded her. The Third Trial of the Sanctuary was a vague collection of images to her. She couldn’t remember any of the context but she remembered how she felt at the end: the burning certainty, the taste of bile in her mouth, and the nauseating mix of absolute despair and seething hatred she had felt. She had spoken the words and she knew that from the bottom of her heard that she had meant every one:

“‘How could you do this? I trusted you! We all trusted you! You knew how I felt and you didn’t care! I was wrong about you. You were never a hero. You were always a selfish, hateful little monster who only ever cared about what he wanted. You’ve taken everything away from me! Everything I worked for, everything I ever… ! You’ve ruined my life! …I will never forgive you for this! I wish that we had never met! I hate you, Subaru!’”