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Kyrie pulled a dagger from her waist and held it out to Lin by the hilt. "Here. Take this."

"I have a staff," Maravel offered, motioning towards the desk near the throne with his hand. "It's not a quarterstaff, but it's better than nothing." He headed off to get it for Miyuki.

"I have all my Pokemon with me," Andarien said, standing up slowly.

Arphenion went to grab a sword that had been taken from one of the bound soldiers. He had once been a part of the royal guard, and he knew how to use these swords well.

"I can't fight," Dae'er said quietly.

"You'll stay here with me," Tsara said firmly, putting one arm around her daughter's shoulders.

Mari turned to Cael. "What about you?" she asked him. "I'm sure the General trained you in the use of a sword."

Lancaeriel looked to her husband curiously. That was something she had mentioned to Miyuki as well.

Cael just smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Hopeless with them," he admitted. Then he grinned at Lancaeriel. "But since I first saw Lancaeriel there, all my memories have returned - and my abilities."

"Abilities?" Kyrie asked, arching one eyebrow.

Cael held out one hand to show her. Sparks of electricity crackled around his closed fist.

"I'll be the first to admit it wasn't what I had expected, either," Lancaeriel murmured softly, gazing at Cael with such warmth and affection in her eyes that it was if it were their wedding day. "When we were brought to this room and I sensed his presence, I wanted to be sick - I was so afraid that he would turn out to be the General."

At that moment, Maravel returned with a walking stick in his hand.

"Here," he said, holding it out to Miyuki. "I wouldn't use it offensively, I don't know how much it could handle - not much, at best; but hopefully it will at least offer you some defense."

"Time for the others to come out, too, then," Andarien decided: and one at a time, he released Eon, Zeus and Ponydash.

"Hopefully we won't have to contend with too much fighting," Cael said, looking at the others. "Between myself and the princess, it shouldn't be too bad. Those loyal to the General will be loyal to me, and those loyal to Princess Mari will recognize her. Unfortunately, those are likely to be few and far between - most of the men from before Quileth's rule were executed."

"My father among the first of them," Arphenion said grimly.

Wren had also picked up a sword, and she had taken a moment to test it out in her hand, but now she came back to join the rest of them.

"So how many are we?" she asked, looking around at them. She knew they wouldn't all be coming.

When they counted it out, there was Kyrie, Cael, Lancaeriel, Mari, Mathias, Chesnet, Wren, Lin, Miyuki, Andarien, their Pokemon, Arphenion, and three of the soldiers would be coming with them. The rest would be staying back to watch over the soldiers who were loyal to the General.

"Andarien, feeling strong enough yet?" Kyrie asked him quietly.

Andarien nodded and pulled his goggles back down over his eyes. "Let's go get Ada," he replied.

And so they set out, fourteen people and four Pokemon, with Mari, Cael, Lancaeriel, Mathias and Chesnet in the lead. They made their way through the palace, and the size of their group changed every time they came up on more soldiers: some soldiers joined them, and others needed to be subdued and some of the loyal soldiers stayed back to watch over them. Overall it went better than anyone could have hoped, though Mari was inwardly disappointed with the number of soldiers who resisted even after being told that the General was dead.

It took them over an hour of fighting their way down through the depths of the palace, past floor after floor of cells, down to a completely empty, dark and isolated area; and here they came upon a single soldier who was watching over a solid cell door.

The soldier stepped aside when Cael ordered him to.

"He's in here," the young man said as he began to pull back the many bolts and locks that were holding the door shut fast. "It's going to be pitch black in there, just to warn you."

Without being asked, Lancaeriel made one of her light orbs, about the size of a head so that it would let off enough light to illuminate the cell once it was open.

Lancaeriel stepped in behind Lin with her orb held high, illuminating the cell. Earendil was lying on the stone floor, unconscious. There was a puddle of blood under his head, and his face was a mess: there were cuts and gashes under both cheeks, and it looked as though he had been cut and used as a punching bag. Both eyes were swollen, as was his jaw.

Aside from the blood, he was white as a sheet, and icy cold to the touch.