Suikoden VI

Chapter Four: Part Eight

Part Eight

Two and a half days later, they received notice at Sol-Falena's inn that boats filled with children from the Dark Chasm would be arriving within an hour. Daunte and his group immediately converged upon the docks to welcome the children. Reis, after spending two straight days studying the Runes in the Sun Palace, even made an appearance (though she looked quite disinterested). Oboro and Shou also came down to meet the children. During their stay in the capital, Daunte had the opportunity to meet the other detectives who worked for Oboro's agency. He had learned that the business had started with just one boat four people—Oboro, a spiritedly woman named Fuyo, and Shou's parents—a stoic named Shigure, and a quiet woman named Sagiri. Now their agency consisted of five boats and nearly thirty detectives.

Sagiri unsettled Daunte, however. She seldom spoke except to tease her son, but during their first meeting Daunte often found the woman staring at him. Her facial expressions were very peculiar; she was constantly smiling. The smiles slipped from her face occasionally, but smiling seemed to be her default expression. But when she looked upon Daunte, well...Daunte could see sadness in her eyes. Was she upset that Shou was fighting in an Army? It was another reminder to Daunte that each and every person who served under him had a family they'd left behind to fight in his name. Knowing that they would fight and die for him—and possibly leave their families behind—was an uncomfortable reality but Daunte knew that he couldn't ignore it.

I'll have to work much harder. To ensure that I don't lose so many soldiers.

Daunte also learned that one of the boats for the detective agency would be following them back to Nagarea, much to Oboro's chagrin. Neither Shigure nor Sagiri would be on the boat, and one hot-headed man named Raven kept loudly complaining about not being able to do. But that meant more detectives to work for the Liberation Army, so Daunte didn't complain.

At the docks, Daunte squared his shoulders and kept his head held high as they waited for the boats. During his stay in Sol-Falena he'd been privy of the gossip of the capital and the opinions of the Falenan's about Queen Lymsleia agreeing to take in the refugees. He wasn't surprised to learn that the general census was very divided about the arrival of the children. Many did not trust the children and believed they were there with bad intentions. Others felt that their agreeing to take in three hundred and thirteen sickly children would put an unnecessary strain on the resources in the capital. Queen Lymsleia alleviated concerns by promising to spread the children out to different cities, and many cities like Rainwall, Doraat, and Lordlake agreed to take them in. Daunte understood the concerns of the citizens, but it still irritated him to see them so dismissive of the plight of the children.

Hopefully everything will work out.

Then the boats arrived Daunte counted sixteen of them, and he vaguely wondered where they'd gotten so many boats. People from all over the city came down to the docks to see the children, despite their own reservations about them. Queen Lymsleia also came down to the docks to welcome the children, but for security purposes was kept at a distance surrounded by Queen's Knights. Daunte quickly stepped forward with Caesar when the first boat docked, and when the first few children climbed out Daunte heard exclamations of shock from the Falenans behind him. They had clearly not been expecting to see the children in such terrible states.

A girl who looked to be about thirteen (Daunte felt guilty he didn't remember her name) didn't have the strength to climb out of the boat so Daunte and Roen carried her out of it. Healers rushed over with a stretcher and quickly carried her away. She wasn't the last child who was carried off in such a manner. Others who did climb out themselves didn't have the strength to stand and just sat down on the docks. All of them looked at their surroundings with bewilderment.