Suikoden VI

Chapter Four: Part Two

Part Two

It slowly dawned on Daunte that this was the present Caesar had promised to get him. After all, what better way to boost morale for the Liberation Army than to strike an alliance with a Sheikh?

"It's him!" one of the Holy Army soldiers shouted, pointing to Keiran. "The heretic! It's him!"

"Heretic?" Roen and Felicity echoed.

Keiran raised his head slightly, though his gaze didn't linger from the Matron. "If I'm a heretic of a faith that tortures children and murders its own congregates, then I'll proudly be a heretic!"

"Keiran Umed," the Matron called up to him in a cold voice. "You have been charged with treason for the attempted murder of a High Cleric. You have been stripped of your rank, excommunicated from the Nagarist Order, and are currently supposed to be en route to Mlkwt Alsmwat under heavy guard to be sentenced."

"Well, clearly I'm not," Keiran answered her. His soldiers rumbled with laughter.

The Matron predictably, wasn't amused. "So you would rather risk condemning your entire family—and the families of these idiots who followed you into treason—certain death under Original Sin?"

The soldiers abruptly stopped laughing. Keiran however looked unmoved. "As you're not doubt aware, my parents are dead and I have no siblings. So I don't risk much in terms of my family. As for the families of my soldiers, well..." he leaned forward slightly. "It would be hard for you to sentence them under Original Sin if you can't even find them."

"You—"

"But thank you, my Lady, for confirming to me that we have made the right decision," Keiran said. He then looked beyond the Matron and towards Daunte. "Lord Daunte, I know we have met on opposing sides on the battlefield, but my soldiers and I are now ready to stand at your side!"

"It's true, Big Brother!" Arin called down to him. "They're really here to help us! The Sheikh brought almost all his soldiers here to help you!"

Daunte let out the breath he was holding, feeling the tension drain from his body. He looked at his companions, who looked very skeptical but they nodded to him. He looked back up at Keiran. "Thank you!" he shouted.

The Matron scoffed. "Then I'll save taxpayer money and execute you myself!" her Rune glowed and she fired her lightning spell straight at Keiran.

"Berserk Blow!" Mihr suddenly shouted, raising his left hand and almost elbowing Keiran aside. Daunte saw the symbol of a lightning bolt rise into the air before a lightning spell not quite as large or as powerful as the Matron's flew towards it. The two spells merged and promptly imploded, spending what looked like hundreds of lightning bolts flying in all directions. Luckily the only people these bolts seemed to hit were the soldiers with the Matron.

"Kill the children!" the Matron shouted. Those that weren't injured by the blast immediately turned their arrows back down the Dark Chasm.

"Soldiers!" Keiran shouted. As if on cue, dozens of Keiran's soldiers, including Lanny, leapt from the ledges and fell upon the archers, preventing them from firing their arrows.

"Hurry and evacuate now!" Daunte shouted.

"W-What about the monsters she summoned?!" Roen exclaimed.

Daunte looked to Priscilla and Farzin. "W-Would you both mind going back down there to assist them?"

"I thought you would never ask," Priscilla said, forcing a smile.

"If we leave, then it will just be the four of you," Farzin pointed out. "Will you be all right?"

"Don't worry about us," Daunte told him. "Worry about the children of the Dark Chasm, our soldiers, but also yourselves. We'll see you later."