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After carrying Marianne back to camp and laying her to sleep, Sagus called Sophie and Rebecca to a meeting. He explained the situation. Rebecca spoke first.

"Dammit, Sagus! You're actually making us work for Arakarin!? Are you stupid?! He's our enemy!"

"I know! But...Marianne is our friend. I would do the same for either of you."

"No you won't! If you work for Arakarin to bring me back to life, i'm killing myself and taking you with me! I can't believe you did something so stupid!"

"I can. Easily," Sophie said calmly. "Haven't you ever felt for someone as Sagus does for her? If you have, you would understand. He would have killed those people himself for her. Not with a clean conscience, but i think he would have. Besides, Stradi is our enemy too, isn't he? He's the other half of the end of the world, meaning he's a problem. Rendering him powerless can only help."

"No! Weren't you listening!? If Stradi can't fight Arakarin, who will? Us? What if we lose? Arakarin will be unstoppable!"

"If we could beat Stradi, Stradi couldn't have beaten Arakarin," Sagus said.

"In any case, if Arakarin is our enemy, that's who we should attack!"

"We can't. If we do, he'll take Marianne's soul back. Besides, i gave him my word i would do it."

"Well, i'm happy you're so honest, but i never gave him mine! If i see him, i will fight him, with or without you two!"

"He'll kill you."

"I'd rather die fighting Arakarin than live to serve him."

Sagus stood up over Rebecca. "I do NOT serve him! I will NEVER serve him! I'm only paying the debt for bringing back my friend, nothing more."

"Then you'll kill him once Stradi is unarmed?"

"I don't know. He would do something to keep it from happening, like tie Marianne's life to his own. Something to keep me from betraying him."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry to make you all do this." Marianne's weak voice came from just outside the tent. "Please, don't let me **** you into this. If killing Arakarin means letting me go, please do so. I can't bear the thought of my friends doing things like that for me. I beg you to kill Arakarin, if you can't help him."

"You should rest," Sagus told her. She smiled sweetly and shook her head.

"Sagus, if you can get Stradi's axe, please, kill Arakarin with it."

"Marianne. Do you...know who you are, from childhood?"

"I do."

"Are you sure? Are any details missing or seem not right?"

"No, my mind is unchanged. I am who i've always been."

"Then for now, it appears Arakarin has brought you back as you were. If he did that, perhaps he meant the rest of what he said."

Rebecca laughed. "I can't believe what i'm hearing. Are you, Sagus Bolinheim, saying you trust Arakarin?"

"Of course i don't. But he seems to be acting out of his nature by giving back an unaltered Marianne. It is possible that he wasn't lying about the important parts of his story. I will do what i must to keep Marianne. Can i count on the two of you to help me?"