"…Are you sure about this?" Etana asked, not six hours out of the medical ward with brand new bandages covering her wounds. She was donned back in her assassin's outfit from Ilom, which was still tattered and bloodied from her arrival to her new home. The fake Dusk Stone dangled still around her neck by a sturdy piece of twine and glowed with a dark aura, just as the original one was said to do.

Before Etana had passed out from blood loss, she was entirely confident about the mission to which she was being assigned; she had infiltrated Kondo and taken down a number of its men singlehandedly, escaped from her cell once, and was now further trained in the arts of hand-to-hand combat. As the mission itself approached, however, the girl began to question her own abilities, especially being fresh out of recovery. When she recovered and awoke to Ivan next to her bed, she thanked him, but was then briskly taken to the front gates of the Kondian castle where Hyrule and Drury were waiting for her.

"It has to be now," Hyrule answered authoritatively. "Lately, if you haven't noticed, the twilight has been descending across the sky drastically earlier each evening, and with a more evil and chilling presence. If we don't act as soon as possible, the fate of everyone may be at risk."

"That's… a lot to put on my shoulders, sir…"

"He's not asking you to take them down, Etana," Drury replied before the General could. "We just need to know what's going on over there."

"Are you sure this is going to work?" she inquired, her confidence wavering just as much as her voice.

"Miss Plamen!" Hyrule's voice began to boom and echo throughout the foyer of the castle. "If you're backing out now, then we can take you right back up to that cell where we can let you rot for being an enemy and a traitor!" He took an angry step toward her, and Etana could have sworn the castle shook. "I have given you a second chance and the honor of knighthood, now either follow through with it or stop wasting my time and quit!"

"She's putting her life on the line here! Don't be so harsh!" Ivan suddenly stepped in, much to the surprise of his comrades and his superior. He felt a new sort of courage seeing Etana flinch and step back from the man yelling at her, and walked between the two, facing Hyrule.

General Hyrule grimaced as he approached the demoted Captain and looked down at him menacingly. "You'd better watch yourself, Kinley," he threatened. "I won't let your feelings yet again sabotage my plans to try to unify this goddesses-forsaken land!"

Ivan paused, took a breath, and stepped back beside Drury. "I apologize, sir." The two comrades locked eyes as the latter of the two shook his head in warning. Ivan could only watch, then, as his assassin's confidence and assurance was shattered like the fake stone that was wrapped around her neck could be.

"I'll- I'll go through with it," the young girl stuttered, trying to look as brave as possible for the man who stood up for her. "And I'll do you proud."

"That's my girl," Hyrule praised with an unexpected warm smile and a pat on the shoulder. Etana felt a warmth flourish inside of her chest as she swelled with an inexplicable joy.

"If it'll make you proud," she began, holding her head up high and looking at the three men in front of her, "then I'll come back with everything you need to know." She turned her head to face Ivan specifically. "And I'll come back safely."