Suikoden VI

Chapter One: Part Three

Part Three

Daunte stared at Surya in stunned silence. Falena? He's from Falena?

He knew what Falena was. Falena was the only country Nagarea shared a border with, to their northeast. He knew that Nagarea was once in conflict with Falena due to Falena's refusal to accept their religion. He had heard stories of how Falena utilized dragon horses for military purposes, and the thought had always disturbed Daunte somewhat. As accordance with the Nagarist Order, dragon horses were foul and evil monsters, and it was the duty of all believers to expunge them from the world.

But according to how our religion is interpreted now, I'm seen as foul and evil too.

But Daunte was still surprised to see an actual Falenean, especially one belonging to the royal family face-to-face. The last known contact that he was aware of Nagarea having with Falena was in the 440s-450s. Otherwise Nagarea had kept to itself since the Great Earthquake over 100 years prior.

But apparently that was at an end, as shown with the boy standing in front of him.

"Can you tell me exactly where we are, or where my family may have been taken?" Surya asked him, sitting down on his bed. "W-We don't have an updated map of Nagarea, so I have no idea how to navigate your country."

Daunte shook his head, and rubbed at his bruised cheek again. "We're in the Dark Chasm. It's a labor camp along the east coast. Other than that I don't know what to tell you. I have no idea where your family is."

"Okay, so we're on the east coast," Surya said, nodding slightly. "So that means the border is further—wait." He looked at Daunte. "Did you just say this was a labor camp?"

"It's a prison for children," Daunte clarified. He sat down on his own bed.

"W-Why a prison camp? I..." Surya waved a furious hand. "I have to get out of here. I need to find my family and rescue them."

"What happened?"

"It's difficult to explain. All I know is that all of my cousins are missing. The only lead we had led to Nagarea, but it looks like I got captured too."

"Y...You don't know where they could possibly be in Nagarea?" Daunte asked quietly.

"No, of course not! We only know that they were brought here, but I don't know anything about this country! It..." Surya shook his head. "I'm wasting my time here. I don't know how long I've been unconscious, but I'm losing precious seconds here." He stormed towards the door.

"It's locked," Daunte said, even as he tried the door handle.

"Damn it all!" Surya took a couple steps back and braced himself. "Well then I'll just kick the door down!"

"Are you crazy?!" Daunte scrambled to his feet and rushed to his side. "Do you have any idea what they'll do to the both of us if you do that?!"

"I'll fight them," Surya snapped. "I've been training to be a Queen's Knight my whole life. A couple of zealot guards won't stop me!"

"It's more than just a "couple" of guards, though!" Daunte felt odd about Surya's use of the word zealot, but he didn't get offended. Particularly since it perfectly described the guards of the Dark Chasm. "They will come in here and literally beat you into submission! I don't doubt you can fight, but what can you do with your bare hands against their batons and whips?! Especially when it's more than one of them?!"

Surya's anger was visibly rising in his face with Daunte's words, but he looked away and let out a short breath. "From what you're telling me, I won't be able to get out of here on my own."