That night, Kasyn slept with the circlet on, not daring to take it off for fear of the self doubt and recrimination he knew would bombard him. As it was he still felt the loss of Zeter deeply. He’d been a friend and ally through so much and now, like Emilie, he was gone. Most of the fight was a blur in his mind, and not just because he was being flung around so much. He’d been so focused on willing the chain to go deeper that he’d neglected to put any effort into his own protections.

“It is what it is,” he told himself.

There was no going back and changing the past so there was no benefit from dwelling on it. Ketty may prove useful, though he doubted she would take Zeter’s place. She was too much of a scholar, not one who got her hands dirty, so to speak. Armand was too young by far to join them either so it looked like it would be just him and Damarys going forward. That was…fine. With the city all but reclaimed, only Nemuri no Shiro was left. He’d never been inside of Akumu’s castle before and he was actually a fair bit excited by the prospect. He hoped the Tower of Light’s army didn’t do too much damage to the interior. He also hoped to find Akumu in there.

There was a knock at his door.

Kasyn wasn’t in bed and he was still fully dressed, even though it was late, so he got up from his chair and opened the door. Tomodachi stood on the other side, a grisly wound down the left side of his chest, though he didn’t act as though he were in any sort of pain.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

Kasyn stepped back and let the men in, gesturing for him to sit down in the solitary chair. Instead, Tomodachi paced back and forth in the room while he spoke.

“You’ll be heading into the castle soon I take it?” he asked without any preamble.

“Yes, we’re taking a few days to rest but then –

“There’s no time,” Tomodachi interrupted, “you need to get in there now! Tomorrow at the latest.”

“Could you explain why the rush?” Kasyn asked. “We’re going in blind as it is.”

“There are still Tower of Light forces inside the castle,” Tomodachi stated. “Akumu has been able to restore some of his defenses but he’s weak. He won’t last much longer on his own.”

“Is that where you’ve been?” Kasyn asked, remembering that it had been a while since he last saw Tomodachi.

“Yes,” he replied, “but I’ve been banished and won’t have the strength to return until I’m healed.”

Kasyn’s heart thudded in his chest as excitement filled him. Here was evidence that Akumu hadn’t fallen and his faith wasn’t for naught.

“I’ll speak with Damarys and the others in the morning, then,” Kasyn said. “Is there anything else you could tell me about Nemuri no Shiro? I’ve never been inside and I doubt Damarys has either.”

A wave of relief and weariness washed over Tomodachi and he finally slumped down into the chair.

“I’ll meet you all tomorrow and tell you what I can. I think we all could use some rest.”

With that, he stretched, lay his head back, and fell asleep. Kasyn left him there and retired to his own room. He worried that sleep would be elusive but before he knew it the sun was winking at him through the window waking him up. It felt as though almost no time had elapsed but that was a problem he could ignore. Tomodachi was gone when Kasyn left his bedroom to get some breakfast. Only a small bloodstain on the chair remained that Kasyn made a note for himself to clean later.

By the time he arrived at the town hall, Damarys, Jelvaic, Arjana, and Tomodachi were already there.

“Perfect timing,” Jelvaic said, “Tomodachi just finished telling us what he told you last night.”

There were in the large meeting room and the usual map of the city was replaced by one of Nemuri no Shiro. Tomodachi, still wounded but now bandaged, was placing markers on the map.

“These are where the forces were before I was banished,” he explained. “Akumu’s defenses were holding them there but that won’t last. You’ll need to get in, repair the runes, and help deal with any of the Tower of Light forces you find.”

“These are soldiers who’ve been fighting for months,” Damarys gasped, “battle hardened and experienced. How are we supposed to fight them?”

“They’re experienced, but exhausted,” Arjana pointed out.

“That’s right,” Tomodachi agreed, “and as you restore the runes, Akumu’s defenses will only strengthen. Both sides are hanging on by a thread and any nudge one way or another will make a huge difference. That said, don’t underestimate them. They can still be dangerous.”

He gestured to his wounded side with a grimace.

“Once they’re dealt with and the runes restored,” he went on, “Akumu should be in his throne room, here in the center of the castle. He’ll be weak and might not be entirely aware of what’s going on. He’ll need to feed on a soul to fully restore his mind and strength.”

Several eyes darted towards Kasyn who nodded.

“That’s what I came to do in the first place,” he stated.

“You might be able to use a Tower of Light soldier if you take one captive,” Tomodachi suggested.

No one said anything else on the subject and soon they moved on to logistics. Ketty Pordis arrived a short time later, a pale and shaky Armand in tow.

“Apologies for our tardiness,” she said, “I understand you’re needing to get into Nemuri no Shiro?”

“That’s right, can you do it?” Jelvaic asked.

“I’m not going in myself, am I? Just helping these two, correct?”

Jelvaic nodded.

“Good. And yes, I can do it.”

“Excellent. Do you need anything to get started?”

“Just some gem dust.”

Jelvaic waved and a runner was sent to acquire it.

“Will I be needed after they get in, or may I focus the rest of my time on the Sages tower?”

“By all means,” Jelvaic agreed. “The sooner we get the Sages of the Mercurial Robe their tower back we can stop dealing with them camping on our front stoop.”

“Is there anything the two of you need?” Arjana asked, turning to Damarys and Kasyn.

“More arrows,” Damarys shrugged.

“Maybe some rations,” Kasyn suggested. “We don’t know how long this will take for us to safely move through the caste and avoid the soldiers until we’ve restored enough of the runes.”

Another runner was sent and the meeting ended.

“I’ll meet you at the teleportation circle,” Ketty said and led Armand out of the room.

Two packs were brought in a short while later, filled with rations, bandages, and a few other odds and ends that might prove useful inside the castle.

“Good luck,” Jelvaic said as he clasped each of their hands. “I hope this is that last time we need to call on you like this. And Kasyn,” he turned to face him, “try and use a soldier to restore Akumu, will you?”

Kasyn didn’t reply, only shrugging his shoulders as he and Damarys left. He’d come to the city as part of the soul tithe and he wasn’t going to shirk his duty now. Even if they used a soldier for the immediate need, eventually he would take his place in the tithe and give himself to Akumu. It was the least he could to repay his debt.