After asking some locals about it, they got the full story. For the entire week before Cygnus' arrival, three mysterious figures in brown cloaks had driven away the townspeople from their nightly drinks and riverclams. During that time, the innkeeper would frequently peep out of his office with an anxious expression on his face, but did nothing as they sat in the same spot for days on end without moving. The timid man could only hope they would eventually get tired of waiting and leave, else he'd have to call in guards from a nearby watchpost. And the journey there was quite far.
The only one in the entire town with the nerve to confront them was Vera, who encountered them during her frequent ale runs. She repeatedly told them that Cygnus had no reason to come through their town and that they were a hindrance to their community. To this, they did nothing. They didn't say a word, nor did they even look up at the drunk-red face of Vera's constant badgering. If it weren't for the slow upheaval of their chests, one would have thought them corpses or statues.
The party arrived at the inn, which was empty except for the three stagnant men within. Cygnus motioned for the others to await him outside while he entered alone. He didn't want to cause a scene by entering with a group, so he decided to see what their intentions were before doing anything else.
He took a deep breath in as he pressed his hand against the wooden door, cautiously pushing it open.
No one believed for a moment that Cygnus would actually arrive, yet just as they had predicted, the great scholar waltzed through those doors, adorned in his usual threaded suit and tired eyes. He stared at them curiously, creeping closer as slowly as he could.
It was then, for the first time since they planted themselves at the bar, that there was motion amongst the three of them. They exchanged glances and stood up in unison, quickly throwing back their heavy hoods.
Cygnus initially surmised they were agents sent by Lionel, or perhaps an organized crime syndicate from the depths of Wunderdum's underground, but his postulations ended up being entirely wrong. Standing before him was none other than the Chosen One himself, King Arthur. To his right was Galahad, Lancelot's second-in-command at Avalon, and to his left was Sir Percival, a loyal knight of Arthur's Round Table.
In the youthful dusk that had just come, Arthur blessed his wrinkled face with a kind smile, pleased to see the one he was waiting for had finally arrived. Relieved to see that his friend had remained unharmed through all that happened.
"Arthur?" Cygnus asked in shock. "What in blazes are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you, my friend," Arthur said with a chuckle. "You may tell your companions it's safe to enter now. We've got much to discuss."
Before Cygnus could actually summon them, the doors flung open, and everyone, starting with Epsilon and Samson, piled in at once. They'd been waiting there the whole time, ears to the door, ready to spring into action if need be. Not only had they been worried for their friend, but they had also been curious to see what faces lay beneath those hoods. Of course, none of them had expected to see the Westland king in that backwoods bar, far away from home.
"It's you, my king," Epsilon said as he hurriedly walked over, falling to one knee. Following suit were Samson and Brax, though Arthur put out his hand to stop them.
"You shall bow to me no longer," Arthur said. "That is because I stand before you now, not as a king, but a man. You see, this kingdom is no longer mine to command."
"Does that mean our worst fears have come to light?" Samson asked.
"Nay, we have not fallen yet," Arthur said. "The Westlands still stand, albeit only by a thread. I have merely given up my title as king. Only the title."
"If that's true, then why're you here?" Brax asked. "Ain't you supposed to be fightin' a civil war in the capital, or somethin'?"
"Mmm, I'm glad you are still well, Brax, my friend," Arthur said, flippantly strolling up to the middle-aged fellow and giving his shoulder a few gentle pats. "Tis true I left the Westlands kingless, but with a reason I believe is right. If I continuously fight against my own people, the kingdom wouldn't fall to ruin regardless. That is why I have decided to leave the throne empty and seek other methods of preservation."
"Without you there, the West will fall apart within the month," Epsilon said.
"It had already been shattered into a million pieces," Arthur said. "I could try to hold what little I have left in these trembling arms, but that'd be no different than crushing it myself. Instead, I seek a new resolution. Atop the ashes of the kingdom I built out of a hundred fallen nations, I will build it once more. Again and again, I won't stop. I cannot stop. Even as my body ages, I'm unafraid to start anew, creating something taller and sturdier than before. I may not live to see it, but I will sacrifice this decrepit body nonetheless. I can only have faith that you all will carry my spirit to the future. Though I may burden you with heavy hearts, I hope you will fight alongside me until that day comes, not as a king, but as a fellow friend, a fellow soldier, and a fellow man."
"The Westland king," Kofi said beneath his breath. "If only our land had a king such as you. Then perhaps it would not be so tumultuous. I have been told of your circumstances. It is a shame this has happened to a great ruler such as yourself."
"Nay, I was only a ruler who could rule in adequacy," Arthur said. "I served much better as a hero than a leader, I was imperfect– oh, how rude of me. I've preached endlessly, yet this is the first time I've met many of you. Cygnus, might you properly introduce your allies?"
"Well, I believe you know Epsilon and Samson, in name at the very least," Cygnus said. "And this young lass here is the newest member of my team, Ada. She's a promising scholar from the South and has been a great help in traversing the harsh terrain, according to my men."
"Tis a pleasure," Arthur said, putting his hand to his chest and bowing lightly.
"L-likewise," Ada said. She tried to replicate Arthur's gesture, but couldn't help but hide her trembling hands behind her back. The Chosen One was a living legend, after all. Despite being indigenous to the Westland, his lore was known throughout all Helios, his stories household tales in even the smallest of villages. That was because his adventures took him all around the world, leaving profound imprints wherever he walked. And though each culture and land had its own notion of a Chosen One, it was undeniably upon meeting him that Arthur was the child of prophecy.
"This well-knit fellow is her brother, Kofi," Cygnus continued. "He's quite the strong warrior, and even younger than me despite being so tall. How impressive he is! I am certain his strength will be invaluable to our efforts."
"Your praise is too kind," Kofi said. "And a bit too much…"
"I am charmed, great warrior Kofi," Arthur said, bowing once more. "I'm pleased to see there are still folks with determined eyes like yours."
"We've also got two others," Cygnus said. "The boy's name is Musique. To be honest, I haven't gotten much of a chance to speak to him, but apparently, he was an acquaintance of Xinyu and-"
"Hm? Might you be…?" Arthur started.
"Indeed. He is precisely who you think he is," a voice said from just outside the tavern. Its door opened once more, and Kitsune, who had been elsewhere in the village, walked in to join them.
"Kitsune! Why are you here?" Arthur asked, astounded to see his old friend. He rubbed his eyes to ensure they were not deceiving them, and found it truly was her. Though they'd spoken numerous times in recent years through coded messages, he hadn't seen her true body nor heard her voice in decades.
"I'd like to know the same about you," Kitsune said. She smiled. "But first, it is so good to see you once more."
Arthur's eyes had welled up, almost as if he wished to cry. It wasn't because it had been too long, but because his wish had come true. "I wasn't sure I'd get to lay eyes on you again before I died. I did wish to see you one last time, but I had already accepted that wouldn't be the case. Seeing you here…"
"...is a wonderful serendipity," Kitsune said. "One unexpected."
"I came here in secret to meet Cygnus and relay my new plan," Arthur said. "I didn't wish to cause this town trouble, so I had to be as inconspicuous as possible. This empty bar seemed to be the right choice. The only guest they ever had was that drunk woman who kept yelling nonsense at us."
"Inconspicuous? You've done exactly the opposite of that," Kitsune said, letting out a deep breath of air. "In trying to hide yourselves, you've become the talk of the town. It's empty because you've scared everyone else away. You may be an old man now, but you're still the same foolish brat, aren't you?"
"Haha, is that so? Here I thought I'd become quite wise," Arthur said. "Still, I never imagined I'd run into you here."
"It was my plan to seek you out, but not here," Kitsune said.
"Oh, you were unaware of my movements?" Arthur said. "Mayhaps I am not the only one getting older. Your so-called all-seeing eyes seem quite blurry lately. Do they, perhaps, need bifocals in your golden years, Kitsune?"
"You know well spirits don't age as you do," Kitsune said. "But alas, while I know you jest, you are correct. Normally, I could effortlessly watch the lands with eyes I have implanted around the world. A little bird from above. An ant from below. A sprouting blossom on the side of the road. My eyes are everywhere, yet something has been causing them to wither and die recently. My omni-sight is growing darker with each passing second, and trying to get information is tricky since I have to move my eyes around so much."
"I see, then that's likely a sign that time is running short," Arthur said. "Perhaps we should-"
"If I may interrupt, can you tell us what you mean by starting anew?" Cygnus asked. "You two will have time to catch up later, but I must know, what have you in mind?"
"Apologies, yes, I'm sure you're curious," Arthur said. "I plan to build a kingdom with what I have left. I've gathered the guard who remained loyal to me in the kingdom and traveled to an abandoned city that was destroyed in my early days as a knight, before the West was united. We've built it up once more and made it our base of operations, though our forces are far from a full-fledged army, let alone a kingdom."
"If you've pulled out all your loyal troops, then what of Wunderdum?" Cygnus asked. "Surely you can't hope to recover it after just leaving it for the North to take. It's almost assuredly fallen into Lionel's hands by now."
"Remember, my friend, there are three structures of power in the kingdom, constantly checking and balancing each other," Arthur said. "My guard, the Agents of Darkness, and the guilds. Though my army is split up right now and the Agents of Darkness are controlled by Lionel, it seems many guilds have remained loyal to me. At least, the top five have made their alliance clear, and that's all I need. Those five together hold the strength of a military within them and command a horrifying amount of influence. Perhaps it was a good thing they'd always been at odds until this moment, else they could have done some real damage."
"You mean the top five guilds are truly acting as one?" Cygnus asked. "Now that's a day I never thought I'd see. If that's the case, I suppose the kingdom really is safe for now."
"Indeed," Arthur agreed. "With Avalon at the forefront and Lancelot leading them, I'm sure they can hold anything off for a little while. I plan to gather those who remain loyal around the Westlands, and I have a few connections in the Southlands as well. Once I've succeeded in amassing an army, we'll reconvene and create a new kingdom way stronger than the frail one I had before."
"Sounds tough," Samson said quietly.
"More than you can imagine. From here on out, it's an uphill battle for you all, and for me," Arthur said. "Which is why, for one night only, I want to make a memory with you all. Each of us shall make merry and enjoy ourselves with drinks and food until we can see no longer!"
"That's so unlike you," Kitsune giggled. "The old you never would have suggested something so frivolous."
"It must be Lancelot's decade-spanning crusade of bad influence," Cygnus sighed. "But, I don't disagree. This might be our last chance to enjoy ourselves, for the road ahead is long and dark."
"Then I shall take my leave for now," Kitsune said. "I'll return in the morning, but there are things I must see to in the meantime."
"Until tomorrow then," Arthur said, nodding her off. "Now then, we've to make up the innkeeper's profit we stove off this past week."
"Ah, it's been too long since I've had a good drink," Brax announced. "This'll certainly hit the spot, 'specially since it's on the king's tab!"
"Too long? Are we forgetting the spiked fruit juice incident?" Cygnus asked.
"That don't count!" Brax said. "That stuff's basically poison."
"I did warn you not to drink it bare," Cygnus said.
Kofi was taken aback by this. "Did you not filter it out with magic first? Were you trying to kill yourself?"
"I-" Brax started.
"Keeper of the bar, bring out the food and drinks!" Arthur said. "Tonight, we indulge in ale and meat like death awaits us at sunrise."