( Yo, it's been a while. As you have noticed, I've bumped up the rating to "M". I did this mainly for gore and violence-since there is a lot of that in this story. I just wanted to be safe. Writte gore doesn't bother me, but everyone has their preferences. Other then that, read on.)


He could smell rain. Yen'fay was in the middle of donning his armor when he detected the scent. It was rich and earthy, and reminded him very much of the scent of tea.

Hmm, now he wanted some hot tea.

Unfortunately, he was in no position to brew the warm beverage. The swordsman was required for a scouting mission this morning and was given a set amount of prep time. That included tacking up his horse, which he hadn't yet accomplished. Yen'fay would have to settle for the watered down version of ale stored in his ration sack. He wasn't particularly looking forward to drinking it, but at least it would ward off some of the cold. He had good feeling he was going to be soaked during his task.

Yen'fay parted the folds of the tent and extended his gauntleted hand outside. After waiting for a few moments, he withdrew his hand to see several small droplets glistening on his palm. He sighed and turned to his trunk in the corner of his tent. Yen'fay wasn't fond of the rain cloak the Shepherds had given him, which was neatly folded with his other things. He appreciated the thought, although he found that the cloak was too thin for his liking. The swordsman stood before the trunk, debating whether or not he wanted to unpack everything to retrieve it. He was kneeling down to open the chest, when he heard someone cough outside his tent.

That was…bizarre. He waited for a few moments, not sure what to make of the situation. Slowly, he advanced toward the entrance of the tent and could faintly hear someone talking. With one hand on the hilt of his sword, he pushed back the tent flap to see the tactician standing outside.

"Did you need something, tactician?" He relaxed his grip on the blade. Yen'fay was surprised to see her up this early. He was also intrigued on how she got out of her quarters unnoticed. She needed to stop doing that.

"I heard you were going on a scouting mission and I wanted to come along." Angelina stated plainly.

Yen'fay lowered his brow. " 'Twould be best if you remained in the camp, Angelina. I understand that you do not like being in your wagon, but you need to be reasonable." He had noticed she was wearing her tactician robes as well as her armor. Did she really expect him to agree to this ridiculous request?

She put her hand on her hip, causing the fabric to cinch over the hilt of her concealed sword. "Oh c'mon, you're just going to wander around the perimeter."

"Precisely," He said shortly. "If you excuse me, Angelina, I must prep my horse." Yen'fay did not know how the tactician would react to him prematurely ending the conversation. He hoped that she would return to her tent or realize how foolish her request was. Of course, he hadn't forgotten her stubbornness. It didn't surprise him in the slightest that she was tailing after him. He was a fool for such wishful thinking.

"Lissa will worry that you are gone." He added, wanting to dissuade her from following him.

"Not really, she's okay with it."

Yen'fay stopped and turned toward Angelina, who was somehow able to keep up with him. "She…what?" Surely Angelina was joking. He was positive Lissa wouldn't let the tactician do something so foolish.

She shrugged, "Well she was the one who suggested it. I told her that I was going crazy in the wagon, and she let me out more." The tactician lifted her chin. "And since she thought I was doing loads better, she mentioned you were going on rounds this morning and told me to go along."

He stood there for a few moments, unsure of how to react to this development. "'Tis a ridiculous idea, Angelina, there are many dangers beyond the confines of the camp." His gaze swept over the hilt of her hidden sword. "I do not think you can defend yourself if something were to happen."

"Look," Angelina prodded him in the chest. "Just because I have one arm fucked up, doesn't mean I can't fight."

Yen'fay pushed her hand away. " Why on earth would she choose my rounds as a fitting time for you to get out?"

"Because she trusts you."

He was taken back by her words. "She…trusts me?" It had been quite some time since someone had last directed that word to him.

Angelina looked at him like he had asked a rhetorical question. "Well, yeah, of course she does."

"And why is that? I am not on familiar terms with her." Yen'fay did not understand how Lissa could have conceived such a bond with him. The cleric hardly interacted with him.

The tactician chuckled softly. "You don't have to be best buds with someone to know they're a good person. Now c'mon, we have horses to tack up."

Did…did she just imply that he was a good person? He stood there, a little dumbfounded by the comments the tactician had said. She could not have possibly been referring to him. He had…failed at so many things, he did not deserve her kindness or Lissa's trust. Perhaps it was an elaborate joke she was pulling on him—

He realized Angelina was a good ways ahead of him now, unaware that he had accidentally stayed behind. Mildly embarrassed by his absent mindedness, Yen'fay trotted after her, easily covering the distance in a few short moments. Once he had caught up with her, Angelina didn't say a word about his brief absence. But before he could ask her more about her earlier comments, she snorted loudly.

"Did you fall asleep?"

He was baffled by that comment. "I beg your pardon?"

Angelina made a huffy, sniffling noise from her nose. "Did you fall asleep standing up?"

"I have not the foggiest idea where you got that from." Yen'fay was about to further explain his actions when she interrupted him again.

"Because Priam told me that you fall asleep on the floor." Angelina smirked. "He says you fall asleep sitting up all the time."

Yen'fay massaged his brow. "'Tis called 'mediation', Angelina, and most cultures do not have an equivalent to it." He could not believe how ridiculous their conversation was; one moment they were talking about trust, and then the next moment they were debating whether or not he slept on the floor. This was insane. He felt himself growing more foolish by the minute.

Angelina tucked her right hand under her left arm. "Hmm, Priam said that he would find you on the floor, sitting all prim and statuesque, but you would be asleep. He would wave his hand in front of you and tug on your shoulder, and you wouldn't wake up."

"You cannot possibly believe everything that comes out of his mouth."

"I thought he was fibbing, but he seemed pretty serious about it." She pointed to her face. "He even made his 'serious' face."

"His what?"

"Y'know, the face he makes when he spars? The one where he looks super consta—" The tactician froze.

"…Did you feel that?" Her voice was scarcely above a whisper.

"Nay, I did not."

They were close to the edge of the camp. The horses weren't too far off from their position, but it would be wiser to return to the heart of the camp if something were amiss. Angelina stared intently at outline of the forest ahead of them. She would occasionally turn her head sharply to better survey her surroundings, yet her gaze would always settle back upon the forest.

"Angelina," He said slowly, not wanting to spook the tactician. "We need to get you to a safer place."

Yen'fay heard the sharp hiss of a blade being removed from its sheath. "I don't know where it's coming from."

"What do you mean?"

He heard her huff softly. "I can't explain it, but it feels like—HRRRAH!" She howled, dropping her sword. Yen'fay staggered back a few steps as the tactician leaned back and grabbed her forehead. "Yen'fay," She spat between gritted teeth. "Go find Chrom."

"I am not going to leave you here." He snatched her sword off the ground. "You are too vulnerable, Angelina—" His words hitched in his throat when he saw the tattoo on her hand writhe like a snake. The tattoo's many eyes angrily flickered at him, their bright red pupils boring into his soul. Yen'fay could feel himself being pulled into those glittering eyes and he tore his gaze away. Upon looking away, his head suddenly grew hot. He dropped the sword and clutched the sides of his head. The searing pain blossomed between his eyes and dug its fiery fingers into his thoughts. He had to fight the urge to scream. If Angelina's shriek earlier hadn't alerted the enemy to their presence, then his certainly would.

He needed to clear his mind. Yen'fay coaxed himself into breathing slowly. He had mediated with a splitting headache before, so this task would be no different. However, it was difficult to remove the image of the tattoo eyes glaring at him. Their vibrant light had burned into his vision, like how the image of the sun lingered long after glancing at it. The pain violently rolled to the back of his head and he swayed uneasily on his feet.

There was a scuffling noise behind him. Forcing himself to concentrate, Yen'fay turned to face the sound. He only had a few moments to see his attacker before they smashed their fist into the side of his head. There was a momentary flash of pain before the world went dark.


"…Ca..you..belie…her…"

Yen'fay stirred. Light seeped under his eyelids, rousing the sore swordsman. The world was coming back to him in brief, fuzzy snatches. He heard the low hum of voices dipping in and out. There was a terrible growing pain on the side of his head. It ached painfully as he awakened.

"…nd she..his damn…clean of…"

His nose was brushing against something warm and sweaty. A horse? Was that what he was on? It certainly smelled like one. Yen'fay's senses began to sharpen as he shakily emerged from the dense fog of pain.

"…Poor bastard, didn't think she'd do that." The low prattle of voices was coming into focus. These people were close. Where was he again?

"Boss didn't tell us she was feisty one. Would have told the lad to wear handling gear if I'd knew."

Yen'fay felt something pat him on the back. "At least this one didn't put up too much of a fight."

"Aye, did you see the gold sword in the grass? I betcha lassie wasn't the one wielding that one, not with her arm banged up."

These…they must have been their attackers, the ones Angelina had sensed. He did find it rather odd. These individuals did not seem like apparent magic users. Yen'fay was not gifted in the arts of the arcana, but could sense the stirring energy around a sage or a sorcerer. And his captors lacked that kind of aura.

He could not help but groan as the pain tore into his jaw. Yen'fay regretted it instantly, fearing his captors would take notice.

"…Boss could have at least told us she was a biter." The voice closest to him sighed. "Poor kid, lost his one of his stinkin' fingers."

"It was his own bloody fault." The other man grunted. "He didn't have a good enough grip on the girl—I told him to let me do it—and when he covered her mouth, she chomped on his bloody hand."

Angelina, that must have been the girl they were talking about.

"And then I had to shut him up before the whole bloody camp woke up. Naga, I don't know what we are goin' to do with that boy."

The two men chatted for a bit longer when the light sharply cut out. There was a cacophony of noises that echoed repeatedly and rang in his ears. They must have entered a cave.

At some point, the horse slowed to a stop and the rider jerkily dismounted. Yen'fay was grabbed by the waist and was pulled off the horse. He didn't dare open his eyes in fear of being hit again.

He was dragged across the floor for a while. His captor had hitched their hands under his arms, digging their fingers into his skin. Yen'fay was surprisingly having a hard time containing his laughter. He hated being ticklish.

The swordsman was shaking by the time he was set down. He was thankful the man didn't notice his odd shuddering. Once he was sure his captor was gone, he opened his eyes. He was in complete darkness. Yen'fay turned his head to see a faint outline of a door, but there was nothing else of interest. The pain in his head flared as he laid there. In that quiet gloom, he slipped into meditation.

Yen'fay did not know how long he was in the cell when the door opened again. Much to his surprise, Angelina was tossed into the room with him. She skidded onto the floor, her knees grinding into the dirt.

"Cowards!" She snarled as they slammed the door. "I'm not done with you!" Angelina breathed heavily. The tactician paced in front of the door like a caged animal. She was grumbling under her breath, knitting her fingers in her bangs.

He shifted quietly in the dark in fear of spooking the tactician. She was in a delicate state at the moment. Yen'fay did not know if the tattoo glowing had any effects on Angelina and he certainly did not want to find out.

Angelina kept hovering around the door for another half hour. The snatches of words he heard told him she was trying to figure out how to escape. She cursed at the door frequently. Sometimes she would fall silent and stand in front of the door. Her breathing only seemed to grow more labored as time went on. She was panicking and her constant movement was making it worse.

And then she saw him. Angelina tensed up at first and drew her hand into a tight fist. Her breathing slowed as she crept over to him. "…Yen'fay? Is that you?"

"Aye," He replied dryly, trying to prop himself up on one elbow.

"Whoa, hey, don't get up." She knelt beside him. "Just take it easy, they hit you pretty hard."

He hissed, struggling to sit up. "'Tis nothing." He felt something gently press against his breast plate, forcing him to lie back down.

"No, it is something. Don't tell me a head injury isn't a big deal," Angelina shifted in her spot. " I have a lot of experience with head trauma, Yen'fay, so I know what I'm saying." Something soft brushed against his cheek. "Lift your head, this might help a little."

Yen'fay grunted as he lifted his head off the ground. His neck was killing him. He felt her hand slide under the base of his head while fabric brushed against his neck. The tactician slowly lowered his head back down on her improvised cushion.

"I hope my robe doesn't smell too bad. I haven't really had the chance to wash it." Angelina leaned against the wall. "Well, it's better than the floor."

"I appreciate the thought." He smiled in the dark. "Even if it smells a little funny."

Angelina snorted before digging her fingers into the dirt. They were silent for a while. Yen'fay had closed his eyes in an attempt to block out the throbbing pain in his skull.

"I heard you bit off a man's finger." He said quietly. "That was…unexpected of you."

"…"

He painfully turned his head. "Angelina?"

"…Yeah, I didn't think I would do it either." Yen'fay heard her armor jostle as she rose from her seat. " I feel bad about it now, I really didn't mean too, I…" Her voice wavered. " I just got scared, and I saw you go down, and I didn't know what else to do."

" What happened is water under the bridge," He closed his eyes. " You are going to have to accept it for now, Angelina. You will have the luxury of growing old and reflecting on your mistakes later, but right now, you should focus on the present."

"A finger isn't a piece of skin that's just going to grow back." Angelina began to pace again. "I can't believe I did that."

It was truly difficult maintaining a discussion with the constant pain in his head and neck. Words were elusive and difficult to string together. Yen'fay felt that there was a growing 'space' in his skull. He must have hit his head on the ground to warrant such a feeling. A mere punch wasn't going to distort him for long. The swordsman sluggishly responded. "You were defending yourself, Angelina. You do not question this fact when you bury an axe into someone's skull. Surely you realize biting a finger off is a fairly light wound in comparison."

She loudly scuffed her foot on the floor. " I know, but…"

"Focus on the task at hand." Yen'fay gently reminded her. "You must leave this place as soon as possible."

"Oh no, don't you leave yourself out of it." Angelina squatted next to him. "You are leaving with me, Yen'fay. End of discussion."

He tiredly parted his eyes and glared at her darkened face. "You cannot escape with me in tow. I struggle with the act of speaking, how do you think I will fare walking? Perhaps you will carry me, yes? Seeing that you deemed yourself capable enough to join me on patrol, I assume you will be strong enough to support my weight."

There was a sharp intake of breath from her, but she said nothing. She knew what she did was wrong and he did not have a problem reminding her. He was just as angry and frustrated as her, and they both knew she would be the only one with a chance of escaping. Yen'fay would push her until she did the right thing. She would have to leave him behind, and while she was not okay with, he was.

Yen'fay had been prepared to die since the moment his sister was so violently taken from him. He had lost everything. There was no reason for him to keep on living. For whatever accursed reason he kept on living, he—

Something gently clasped the side of his face. Emerging from his daze, he realized the tactician was stooping over him, staring intently at him. He jerked his head away from her hand, causing a searing pain to tear into his neck.

"Don't move." Angelina delicately turned his head so that he was facing her.

His breath was caught in his throat, "H-hold there! What are you doing?"

"I'm going to remove your head piece." She said softly. "It's probably not helping your head out right now." Her callused hand lightly scraped against his skin as she withdrew it. "I would pull it off, but I don't think your neck can handle it at the moment. I need you to be still because I'm going to cut the blasted thing off."

"And you decided to do this without telling me?" He said stiffly.

Angelina shrugged as she fumbled with her bandages. "You were quiet for a while, so I thought you fell asleep." He watched her unravel the strips of cloth. She would pause occasionally and her head would flick in the direction of door. Once she was certain the disturbance had passed, Angelina would go back to unwinding. At some point, she pulled something out from the underside of her arm. To his utter amazement, Angelina was holding a small dagger in her hands.

"I thought your arm was still healing." He watched her kneel beside him and unravel a ribbon of cloth around the blade.

"Oh it's still healing alright." She held up the blade in the shaft of light. "I won't be able to do much with it, other than hold your head piece steady, but I can move it. My arm still hurts like a bitch, so try not to move your head too much."

He closed his eyes and relaxed. "'Tis pure genius that you hid that blade in your bandages."

"Actually, it wasn't my idea at all." Her fingers gingerly tapped the area on his head, indicating the area she would be working. "It was Lissa's idea. She never wanted me to be unprotected, and the bandages were the perfect place to conceal a weapon." Angelina pinched the metal frame of his head piece where the strap connected and steadied herself on the floor. The dagger began to gnaw at thick piece of leather.

Neither one of them spoke, perhaps not wanting to distract the other.

And somehow, between his splitting head ache and the sawing motion of the dagger, he fell asleep.


She didn't know how long she had waited for this moment. Angelina crouched in the shadow of the entrance, gripping the dagger so tightly that the hilt was digging into her hand. Her gaze wavered to Yen'fay's position in the corner when the door creaked opened. Perhaps she should have planned this better seeing that Yen'fay was in a vulnerable position. It was too late to change anything now. As the light spilled over her slumbering companion, a lone shadow stretched into the room. One of the men that caught her warily entered the room. The very moment he realized her absence, Angelina leapt on him.

She plunged the dagger into his neck and jerked it to the side. A scream pealed out of the man as she ripped the blade out of his flesh. Blood spewed from the gaping wound in his neck, literally clouding her vision. Her eyes stung as she lunged at him again, this time slamming the oozing dagger into his windpipe. Blood seeped from his mouth while he uttered a pitiful choke and stumbled back. He wildly clawed at his throat, trying to remove the sharp blade.

Angelina looked away from the dying man, unable to stomach the violent final moments of his life. She closed the door while wiping the blood off her face. Her hands repeatedly brushed her eyes, trying to soothe their burning sensation. She pressed her back against the door and slid to the floor. The tactician's body trembled from the sudden rush of adrenaline. Her fingers twitched as she wrapped her arms around her knees.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

She squinted at the crumpled, sopping pile in front of her. The man wheezed painfully before expiring in his own blood. What a way to die. Angelina buried her face in her arms and whined softly. Gods, that was terrifying. It didn't seem so bad in the moment, but now, thinking about it, there were so many ways that could have gone. The tactician shivered. She didn't need to think about that now, what she needed to do was get herself and Yen'fay out of here.

Angelina took a deep breath and rose to her feet. She massaged her throbbing shoulder as she strode over to the still bleeding corpse. For a second, she thought she heard him breathing. She shied away from him like a startled horse and pressed herself into the corner. Her heart fluttered in her chest for a few moments until she realized it was her companion. Angelina puffed her cheeks out, scolding herself for being so paranoid, and went back to the dead man. She crouched next to him and hesitantly hovered her hand over his body. Angelina really needed that dagger. Her hand brushed against its slightly warm hilt and she yanked it out. She shielded her face from the eruption of blood that spewed from the dagger's former sheath. The tactician grumbled bitterly under her breath as she fumbled for a weapon or key of some sort on the corpse's belt.

"Thank Naga." She curled her fingers around the cold hilt of a sword and eagerly tugged it out of its scabbard. Angelina found nothing else of use after searching and turned her attention to Yen'fay. Now was their chance to escape. She dropped to his side and shook his shoulder.

"Yen'fay," She hissed. "Yen'fay, wake up!"

Her companion emitted a low groan.

Angelina scooted closer to him, balancing herself on her heels. "Hey, are you okay?"

Yen'fay was silent for a few moments before bolting upright. He pulled away from her touch, wildly swatting at the tactician.

"Yen'fay," She said calmly. "It's me, Angie, remember? Does your head feel any better?"

"Y-yes," His voice was heavy and sluggish. "Much better."

Angelina scooped the headpiece off the floor. "I cut your head gear off. It was on pretty tight." She eyed it in the dim light. "How do you even wear this thing? I'm surprised you don't have a headache already."

The swordsman was quiet. Angelina thought he had fallen asleep again when she heard him grunt loudly.

"This accursed room keeps moving." He wobbled awkwardly as he tried to stand. His armor made a grating sound while he pushed against the wall.

"Hey now," Angelina discarded the headpiece and scampered over to him. She quickly hooked her hands under his arms to prevent him from toppling over. "Take it easy, Yen'fay, you just woke up." His hands slid clumsily over her arms before he grabbed her elbows for support. "Let me help you up." Pain shot up from her shoulder as she helped lifted Yen'fay to his feet. Once he found his footing, he ineptly stood up. The swordsman seemed to be swaying slightly, but there wasn't much she could do for that.

"Hang on," Angelina snatched her robe off the floor. "Let me get you a sword."

"I am in no condition to fight, Angelina." There was the distinctive clap of his armor hitting the wall. She hoped he was just leaning against it.

Her eyes caught the glint of the blade in a shaft of light. "I know that, but you can at least use it for a cane."

"Perhaps, the more pressing question is how you acquired it." Yen'fay said groggily as she handed him the sword.

"You can lean on me—and I'll get to that question in a second." She locked her right arm with his left one and gently guided the wobbly swordsman towards the door. "We're going to get out of here first." Angelina was surprised that he didn't argue to stay behind. She guessed he was too spent to put up much of a verbal fight.

The tactician peeked through a crack in the door. It didn't sound like anyone was coming, so she opened the door a bit farther. No one was prowling down the hallway, if she could even call it that. It appeared to be a seemingly endless cavern with lanterns strung up every few feet. This was going to be fun. She let out her breath and fully opened the door.

The most shocking thing she saw was Yen'fay himself. His face was cut were the iron head piece had once been. Bright blood oozed from the sharp lines which were fringed with crust and pus. There was a great deal of dirt smudged on his face and some of his hair was pulled out from his ponytail. She sighed sadly and dropped her gaze.

"This is my fault." She muttered to herself. Yen'fay made no response, but his weight on her shoulder grew heavier. He was fading and they were nowhere near close to the exit. Angelina puffed out her cheeks and started to walk forward. The battered swordsman stumbled next to her, lamely spearing the earth with the sword.

Their sad shambling went on for a good twenty minutes until they neared the end of the hallway. Angelina tensed at the sound of voices rumbling in front of her.

"Shit!" She whispered. There wasn't anywhere in this godsdamn hallway to hide Yen'fay. The tactician started panicking as the voices drew nearer. Sure, they could go into one of the other cells along the wall, but who knows what could be in there? Angie certainly wasn't going to throw him in there and have him eaten by a lion or something.

Yen'fay slipped his arm from hers, "Let me handle this."

"You're crazy!" Angelina hissed at him, drawing the dagger from her belt. "You can't stand well!"

"We have no other options, Angelina." He molded into his fighting stance.

The owners of the voices appeared at the end of the hallway. Two of their captors froze once they saw them. She stiffened upon realizing one of them had a bandaged hand. Angelina really hoped he wasn't the one that had their finger bitten off. The two men charged at them, shouting while withdrawing their weapons.

"Are you sure about this?" She cast a sidelong glance at her companion.

Yen'fay nodded, "We will not falter." He was the first to engage in combat. His opponent viciously swung at Yen'fay with a sword. The man's attacks were far from graceful, but what they lacked in aim they made up in sheer force. Every time their blades collided, Yen'fay was pushed back a few feet. Normally this man was no match for the swordsman, yet Yen'fay was still suffering from his head injuries. He was visibly struggling and tiring fast. Angelina was about to cut in when her opponent skidded into view.

His face was contorted with rage as he grabbed her aching shoulder and squeezed. Angelina screamed in response before digging her dagger into his side. The man yelped loudly, but he refused to let go. The grip on her shoulder only seemed to tighten, nearly blinding the tactician with pain. She tried to pull the dagger out of his side, but he twisted around her, pulling her left arm sharply behind her back. He yanked harder, causing her to wail loudly.

"This is pay back for my finger!" He hissed in her ear. A sickening cracking noise ripped through the tactician as he jerked her arm again. Hot tears drizzled down her chin. The explosion of pain in her shoulder rendered her ability to think. Angelina gagged from the pain and lurched forward.

The man snickered behind her and seized her other hand. "You thought you could get away again?" His chin brushed against her shoulder as he leaned into her. "If you weren't so important—"

Angelina turned her head and bit into his cheek. He shrieked and jerked his head back. She quickly let go as the man pulled himself away from her, releasing her entirely.

"If you lay another hand on me," Angelina glared from under her bangs, "I'll bite off more than just a finger."

The stunned man staggered back a few feet, rubbing his bitten cheek. Angelina wiped her mouth and forced herself to stand taller. She had to appear that the pain wasn't fazing her. He still had the dagger wedged in his side; her adversary could only last so long before he succumbed to his injury.

Her opponent was seething with anger when he ripped the dagger out of his hip. He brandished it a few times before advancing toward the tactician.

"I don't care if a client wants you or not," He spat the words out between gritted teeth. "I'm going to make sure you remember never to mess with me again—Hurk!" A thin, iron blade emerged from the center of his chest. The sword turned abruptly in his chest and was suddenly yanked out, leaving a gaping hole in his torso. The man hobbled forward a few feet before collapsing on the ground.

Yen'fay dug the bloody sword into the ground and leaned against it for support. "You did not think far ahead, did you?"

"I would have figured something out." She stepped over the dead man. "I am in a lot of pain right now, so thinking is a little hard." Angelina didn't need to look far to see that the other foe was disposed of. "We must be getting close to the exit." She took his wrist and started to walk forwards. "C'mon, not much farther."

"Take the sword," He offered. "I think I can walk on my own for now."

Angelina eyed him cautiously. "If you say so." Unable to do much with her left arm, Angelina let go of his wrist in exchange for the sword. Despite the fact that he proclaimed he was well enough to walk, she kept a slow pace so not to strain him.

They hadn't moved very far when she noticed he was lagging behind.

"Are you sure you don't need my help?" She faced the swordsman. "You seem to be struggling a bit."

"'Tis nothing, Angelina, I am fine."

"Then why are you gripping your stomach like that? I know you're hungry-" Something cold slid into the pit of her stomach. "Yen'fay, were you stabbed?"

He ignored her question and kept trudging forward until she blocked his path.

"Answer my question."

"What difference does it make whether I live or not?" He said harshly. "You will not be satisfied until I leave this accursed prison with you."

"Look at me, Yen'fay."

Yen'fay wanted to slap her. "You cannot afford to be this stubborn! You must accept the consequence of losing pawns for progress." He gestured to the end of the hallway. "I have given you freedom in exchange for my life. Now be gone!"

The tactician was quiet for a few moments before saying, "Look at me, Yen'fay."

"Have not I told you before? You cannot fix what is already broken." He pressed his gauntleted hand tightly against the tear in his armor. Blood trickled down from under his fingers. "I am already dead in this world. My existence matters not."

Her warm hand suddenly clasped his cheek. The nails on her fingers lightly dragged into his skin as she turned his head to face her.

"W-what are you doing?" Yen'fay stuttered, trying to avoid her gaze.

"I want you to look me in the eye."

Yen'fay shook his head free of her grasp, much to the regret of his sore neck. "And what exactly will that accomplish?"

"Because you can't look me in the eyes and tell me you don't matter." She knotted her left hand into a fist. "You might disagree with me, but I know it's true." Angelina reached for his hand, but he pulled it away.

"And pray tell me why you assume that?" His head seemed to droop under the internal reverberations of pain.

"You know if you look into my eyes, you'll see how much you mean to me." Angelina wanted to smack herself for making that comment. That sounded a lot like a love confession. Yen'fay appeared taken back by her revelation and tentatively met her gaze. He probably was just as shocked as she was.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Wait," Her face reddened. "That came out wrong, uh, shit." Angelina's jaw decided it would be an opportune time to stop working. "I really wanted to say that I trust you a lot, yeah, that's it." She said hurriedly. This day was getting worse by the minute. "It sounded a lot better in my head, I promise."

Yen'fay sighed tiredly before taking the tactician's fist. "I believe you are delirious, Angelina. Let us leave this place before you damage your pride further. Your shoulder maybe fixable, but I am afraid your pride is not."

"So, wait, you're coming with me?" Good, he wasn't taking her seriously.

"You have made it clear that you cannot leave without me, despite my wishes." He sputtered. "I will go with you for as long as I can manage, but know that I cannot make the full journey back."

Normally she would have badgered him about giving up, but he was right. Neither knew how much longer he could hold up, and judging by the steady trickle of blood oozing down his leg, he didn't have much time. So Angelina offered him her good shoulder once more and they painfully made their way out of the hallway.

She was very much surprised to see an armored warrior. Angelina and Yen'fay had wound up in a large, dome like room. The lighting wasn't very good, but she could see the warrior's armor gleaming in the lantern light. It hadn't escaped her that the warrior was yanking a sword out of her enemy's head. There were several bodies littered about the room, each one missing a head, limbs, or both.

Panic struck the tactician like an arrow as the warrior spotted them. She couldn't defend herself or Yen'fay if this individual decided to attack them. Even if she fled, which she wouldn't, the warrior surely would catch up to her.

The warrior cautiously approached the bleeding pair, stopping a few feet in front of them.

"Please," Angelina suddenly became aware of how dry her throat was. "He's dying. We were kidnapped and we managed to escape." She warily eyed the warrior, whom she realized was male, as he took a step closer. He was a short man, shorter than herself (then again, she was pretty tall), but he what he lacked in height he made up in pure muscle.

"It can't be…" The warrior leaned forward. "Yen'fay?"

Her companion couldn't lift his head, but she heard him mutter something. By now the warrior had removed his helmet and was staring intently at the odd pair. He looked to Angelina for answers.

"How is he alive? I thought he perished months ago." There was a light accent in his voice, very similar to that of Yen'fay's or Say'ri's.

She fumbled for a good explanation. "He did perish, but this Yen'fay is from another time."

"I would ask for you to further enlighten me, but that will have to wait." The man tucked his helmet under his arm. "We should tend to his injuries first, Ke'nji!" His clear voice rang out.

Her ears pricked at the sound of jingling armor. A taller warrior emerged from a tunnel across the room.

"Yes, sir!"

"Bring this man to Claudia and tell her to take him back to Sejal immediately."

Ke'nji gave a curt bow to his superior before approaching Angelina. "May I relieve you?"

She stiffened and pulled Yen'fay back. "As long as I can go with him."

"You may," The senior warrior strode past them. "Ke'nji, make sure the woman rides with Marcus."

The younger warrior's sharp gaze lingered on his superior's disappearing form before addressing the tactician. "Are you comfortable with me carrying him?"

While she didn't want to trust them fully, she didn't have much of a choice. Her tense form relaxed as she nodded her head. "Yes, we will move faster that way."

Yen'fay grumbled bitterly as he sagged on his legs. Knowing him, he probably didn't want to be carried. At least he was too tired to put up an argument.

Ke'nji artfully scooped Yen'fay off the ground.

"Careful!" Angelina placed her hand under Yen'fay's neck. "He had some head trauma earlier, try not to move him too fast." She should have mentioned that.

The warrior merely bobbed his head before trotting toward the tunnel he emerged from. Angelina lagged behind him, but she managed not to get lost in the myriad of tunnels and caverns they raced through. If these people hadn't come along, she would have most likely been stuck here forever. Who was she kidding, there was no way she could have saved herself and Yen'fay.

Her nose was knew when they were close to the entrance. The sharp smells of the forest tingled her senses while a warm light glowed from up ahead.

"Claudia!" Ke'nji shouted, "Claudia, I need help!"

It was late in the afternoon when they tumbled out of the cavern. The sun was low in the sky as thick clouds of grey and violet rolled in from the west. Rain, she could smell rain. They were finally out of that blasted prison.

"Slow down, Ke'nji, I can't understand I word you're saying."

Angelina nearly bumped into the younger warrior, distracted by the environment. She didn't recognize where they were. This certainly didn't look like region they were camped at.

"He's wounded, Claudia. She can tell you what he's got."

A Falcon Knight peered around the warrior. "Ma'am?"

She snapped out of her thoughts. "Yes?"

This must be Claudia. "I'm going to stabilize your friend." Her bronze armor glittered in the dying light. "But it's not going to be enough."

"Do whatever you need to do."

The Falcon Knight slipped a staff from off her back and hummed softly. The wooden rod wavered over Yen'fay's wound, illuminating the crack in his armor. There was a brief glow of gold before the swordsman took a sharp breath.

"He's stable," Claudia lowered her staff. "But I feel his other injuries, which are too grave for me to fix here. Are comfortable with us taking you both back to our camp?"

"Yes." She said breathlessly. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Don't thank us yet," Ke'nji said while Claudia whistled for her steed. "Your friend isn't out of the woods."

The Falcon Knight mounted her bay colored Pegasus. The winged horse lowered itself onto the ground and tightly folded in its wings as Claudia scooted back in her saddle. Ke'nji carefully passed Yen'fay over to the Falcon Knight, who cradled his shoulders supportively.

"Vite! Vite!" Claudia tapped her heels into the Pegasus's side. The steed smoothly rose to its feet and ambled away from the group. It extended its broad wings as it began to canter down the road. The graceful creature was suddenly airborne and flew off in the direction of the coming storm.

"He's in good hands," Ke'nji patted the tactician on the back. "Clauds won't drop anyone."

Angelina sighed, nodding her head.

"I'll go get Marcus, so, uh, wait here." He awkwardly bowed and left her alone.

She shivered as the first drops of rain splattered against her skin. Angelina tugged her robe off her waist and painfully slipped it on. She regretted not remembering it earlier. Yen'fay probably was soaked by now.

A bitter chill swept over her mind and the world went dark.