Daishoga laughed softly at what she said. She offered fair points to what he said. If she had failed it was only because of his failure to act with propriety. But Daishoga had never been one for such things. He had never enjoyed the pompous lifestyle so many rulers ruled in. They merely showcased how far removed they were from the common people. Daishoga dressed not in elegance but in modesty. He saw himself as one of the common people no matter how much they would never accept him as one of their own. He loved them as much as they hated and feared him.<br/><br/>But Daishoga was by no means a saint. He was unbalanced and prone to moments of monstrosity that hardly escaped the eyes of the general public. He was not afraid to act as executioner when he saw fit.<br/><br/>"You say you're undeserving of kindness, but I disagree," Daishoga said. "I believe you a worth every ounce of kindness I have shown you, but the kindness I have shown you will forever be outweighed by the crimes I have committed against you. But this is merely one truth among many. There are nuances to the situation I could spend days trying to convey but it would never make a difference. The dead will remain dead. And Vaandom will remain in shambles."<br/><br/>He paused here.<br/><br/>"I enjoy your presence as much as I fear it," Daishoga said. "I could love you. And love is my greatest fear. That-"<br/><br/>Whatever Daishoga was about to say was ended by a growl of pain as he fell to his knees. His skin paled and his flesh seemed to be bubbling as if he was boiling alive. His scarlet Aura suddenly flamed around his body with an intensity it hadn't yet shown before. Quietly the study door opened and a fifteen soldiers marched into the room and stood in rows on either side in front of the door. It was then that a man walked in. It was none other than Sage's father himself, Sadero.<br/><br/>"I see. So the rumors were true," Sadero said, looking upon his daughter. "You were indeed captured by the Empire and brought here. Then my efforts have not been in vain. I shall speak to you in a moment. There is something I must take care of."<br/><br/>He walked over to the emperor and raised his hand. There was a small object set into the palm of his hand. He muttered a few choice words and the Aura flaming around Daishoga suddenly shot at the little object. It was obvious that the object was greedily sucking up the Aura until there was nothing left. Drained of his powers, Daishoga collapsed to the floor.<br/><br/>"We have little time. Grab him and shackle him and we'll take our leave. Sage, I know you're confused, but fret not. We're going to save you. But we're short on time. The majority of the castle has been drugged, but they'll be waking. Come." It was not a request, it was a demand.<br/><br/>Meanwhile the soldiers with him shackled the Emperor's wrists and ankles together.<br/><br/>It was then that Gando marched into the room. He was garbed not in his rustic clothes from before but full on Reltican armor. "The time is now Lord Sadero. We're going to escape through the West Shandore Swamp and meet with an encampment of Reltican soldiers near the Verandian border. I have charmed the place with my magic. We won't be bothered."<br/><br/>Sadero nodded and grabbed Sage's arm, guiding her to the door. The soldiers heaved Daishoga up and they were on their way out of the castle.