Suikoden VI

Chapter Eleven: Part Six

Note: Forward warning, but there will be a delay to the posting of Chapter Twelve: Part One when we get to that point. I need to do some SERIOUS catch-up on the Investigations and Bath Scenes. I anticipate that Chapter Twelve: Part One will go up on January 19th at the very latest. I apologize in advance.

In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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Part Six

Milia rubbed a hand over her face as she looked at the two Dragon Knights standing before her. "Okay," she said. "Sharon why do you blame Futch for what happened to Suna?"

"Because he refused to take off after he had already flown!" Sharon snapped, hugging Suna to her chest.

"I was scared," Futch confessed quietly. "When I saw the lightning strike that destroyed the skyship. It was the same—the same lightning strike that killed Black."

Milia stiffened and her expression softened. "I see," she murmured. "The witch who caused the Gate Rune War is still alive."

"She is."

"But he still flew Bright to check the support units!" Sharon snapped. "Futch flew after that attack but wouldn't fly afterwards! Because he made Bright stay grounded, we got surrounded and overwhelmed by enemies! Because he wouldn't take off, Suna..." she clung to her dragon.

"Sharon," Milia said patiently. "Trauma is rarely linear or predictable."

"What?"

"You realize that Futch witnessed Black didn't you?"

"Yeah." She glanced at Futch. "He told me Black died trying to save him."

"Yes. Did he tell you the rest, though?"

"The rest—what?"

"Our previous commander Joshua was a good man," Milia said. "But during that period our dragons were in danger. We needed an antidote to save them, and Futch and Black were attacked getting one of the ingredients. However—another ingredient needed for this antidote was a dragon's liver."

Sharon gasped. "As you know, dragons cannot live without their livers like humans cannot live without a liver. It was something that Commander Joshua had struggled over; that in order to save all of the dragons, one of them had to die. But then Black died...and his liver was used to save the dragons."

Sharon glanced at Futch. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. Daunte saw that it looked like black scales. "This is all that I have of Black," he murmured. "I've kept it with me since that time."

"But that isn't all," Milia said. "Sharon, what happens to a Dragon Knight who loses their dragon?"

Sharon's eyes went wide, and she gaped at her mother. Then...There her eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me—you're telling me that you guys killed Futch's dragon and then banished him?!"

"We didn't kill Black; Black was already dead when we found Futch and him. But Black's liver was used to save the dragons. And then—yes. Futch was casted out of the Dragon's Knights."

"How compassionate of the lot of you!" Sharon spat. "'Oh, thank you Futch for letting us use your dead dragon's liver to save the other dragons! Now get out!' Futch was a kid when that happened, wasn't he?!"

"He was," Milia said. "And his banishment was something that weren't proud of, but those are the laws of the Dragon Knights."

"Would you have thrown ME out if Suna had stayed dead?!"

"No."

"Oh great, I guess there are benefits to being the daughter of—"

"Sharon," Futch interrupted her. "You have four other dragons. Because of those baby dragons, you would have maintained your position with the Knights."