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Tales of Xillia and the Tales of Series are the copyright of Namco Bandai and whoever else owns the rights. I own nothing except for OCs that haven't appeared yet/ever.

Chapter 10: The Strong One's Burden

"Milla."

A familiar voice pierced the darkness.

"Milla please wake up!"

And another followed. She felt, uncomfortable. She was laying on something cold and hard and the only source of warmth was shaking her exposed arms.

Shaken awake. Milla opened her eyes to Elize and Driselle trying to stir her to consciousness.

"Thank goodness." Elize joyfully said when she saw Milla's eyes open and randomly hugged her. After pushing her off, Milla followed it up by sitting upright.

"Where are we?" Milla took a look around. "A cell?" Only two sets. Another woman shared their own, and some men stood in the adjacent one. A door to somewhere else sat near the corner on the opposite side of the bars.

"We've been taken to Fort Gandala," Driselle informed her.

"I see..." the very location they needed to be, and they arrived solely because of the enemy. Humorous, in its ways. This could be quite a fortunate turn. But, how had they been taken? The fight had been going well for her and Elize against the red-armored soldiers.

"I see you've finally woken up," a new voice said from the their side of the bars. The man with Nachtigal, the man leading the Rashugal soldiers in the raid on Sharilton. And during that raid, he had fallen quite quickly to his rear simply from Milla drawing her sword. Being on the other side of the bars, safe from any threat had him arrogantly posturing, safe from any attempts on his life. He had gray hair, with a pair of red locks dangling in front of his ears. He wore a black short-coat cross over his chest with belts, while a white extension of the coat was underneath, and had sides that stretched nearly to his boots. Black pants touched black boots, which matched the man's black gloves.

"How dare you trap us in here!" Milla glared at the man as pair of red-clad soldiers took to his side.

"I am Gilland, deputy chief of staff for the Rashugal military," he continued without a care for Milla's concerns.

Milla crossed her arms. "Call yourself whatever you want. You're just another one of Nachtigal's lapdogs."

The man chuckled in response. "I'll take that as a compliment. Now, there's something I'd like to ask you." He leaned in closer to the cell bars. "You stole the key to our device, yes?"

"What device?" she wasn't going to give him an easy time. If the bars were thinner she'd have grabbed the man's neck.

"And I hear you hid it somewhere, correct?" the man had an unusually sly smile for someone so clueless.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She steadfastly refused to answer.

Gilland let out a single bitter laugh with an arrogant smile accompanying it. He held up his hand, and the guards flanking him rushed into the cell. With just spirit artes at her disposal she couldn't handle all three of them. True, Gilland had proven quite the coward in their encounter in Sharilton, falling to the ground in fear simply as she drew her sword. But some unknown power had rendered her unconscious, and she wasn't about to risk it coming from any one of them. Just yet at least.

"On your feet!" the guards ordered. "Out of the cell! Move!"

They were dragged out, Milla, Elize, Driselle and even the woman who had done nothing but sob. Their destination was in front of some spinning orange hexagonal spirit arte. It was unfamiliar, but Milla hazarded a guess it wasn't for something pleasant.

"Now," Gilland leaned in close to her. "Where did you hide the key?"

"What key?" Milla continued to not give in. Gilland shook his head and stepped away. Milla didn't bother to watch him.

"Wait," the other woman screamed, "what are you-" Milla looked back just in time to see her explode.

"No!" the other girls screamed out in fear and covered their eyes to the remnants of a person. Milla looked at it, and noticed the only surviving feature was a shackle around her ankle. One that matched the ones around the ankles of the still-living prisoners. "H-how horrible."

"Look at your ankles," Gilland cleared up. "That woman was wearing the same device." He pointed at the area in front of them. "If you pass through that hex zone while wearing it... Well, you saw what happened." A cruel little smile crept unto his lips as he explained.

"You won't get away with such brutality!" Driselle took a stand against him. "It's a violation of the Sapstrath Convention!" That bought her a lance pressed against her head, and Milla pushed closer to the hex zone.

"Now," Gilland said with a sick smile and crossed arms. "where is the key?" His words and actions were growing more impatient. Good. A higher chance he would make a mistake. Just like she had.

"You're wasting your time," Milla replied again.

Elize screamed and struggled as the next guard began pushing her closer. "You don't care what happens to your friend here?" Gilland asked.

Milla looked away, closed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Your threats are meaningless against me, human." She opened her eyes back up to the reality of the hex zone. "I have no fear of death or injury or lose." She lied but her voice rose as she continued. "Go ahead and push me through. Push us all through." She looked over at the shocked and disgusted faces of the others. "Then maybe you'll see I'm not kidding."

Gilland's face began to contort in anger-she would have to act fast now-but the clanking of a new guard bought them a reprieve, as he relayed something to him. Gilland ordered "Preparations for the experiment are complete," he looked at one of the other guards. "I leave the prisoners to you. Make her tell us where the key is, or else."

"Yes, sir!" the soldiers responded like good little drones. She could clearly hear Gilland and another walking away and through a door, the walkways of the Fort were quite loud. The lone female guard came up behind and placed her blade against Milla's neck. "Start talking!"

Milla laughed. "What's wrong? Your boss left you a big job and you have no idea how to accomplish it?" She filled her voice with as much condescension as she could. "Why not start with a full body search? You'll learn quickly I don't have this key on me." Milla bluffed with the fate of the world riding on it.

"Fine," the soldier girl replied, and began patting her down, just as Milla planned. She spun around and took her hostage with her own blade.

"Not the sharpest blade in the Rashugal military, are you?" Milla mocked them for falling right into her little trap. "Even if you keep one. Now, let's see if the hostage strategy works on your comrades. Drop your weapons." She commanded them. Even that comment was an overstatement, as they complied almost immediately, not even bothering to look at Elize and Driselle. "Good." Milla successfully patted down her prisoner, retrieving the cell keys. "Get walking."

The three escapees quickly locked the three guards up in the cell Milla awoke in. They followed that up by releasing the men in the other cell, who took the watch over the room and the new prisoners. Luckily, their equipment was stored in a locker in the very room they were imprisoned. Rashugal had proven its competency poor yet again. So what did that make her, who was captured?

"I've had enough of this place," Milla stated as she looked over the guard key she retrieved. "Driselle, I don't suppose you can wield a sword?" The Lady of Sharil shook her head in a regretful manner. "I figured. Elize, you look after her."

But she shook her head too. "I can't," she explained. "Not without Teepo."

"What?"

"I need Teepo to fight," she said on the verge of tears before actually bursting into crying. Drizelle comforted her with a small hug, but it wasn't enough to stop.

Driselle looked at Milla. "It's okay!" she claimed to get Elize to calm down. "I can look after myself." She looked back down at Elize. "Don't cry Elly. I'll protect you." She looked back up with a new-found resolve. "Let's go."

"Very well," Mlla nodded. "We'll need to get these shackles off first." Milla knelt down to investigate the shackles a bit closer. "It looks like we'll need a key or some other means to deactivate it." Milla tried the guard key, but it didn't fit. "We'll find our solution," she stood back up, "and find Teepo as well."

Those words, were what finally got Elize to stop crying, though tears still watered in her eyes. "Right," the young girl said with renewed hope.

Calling Fort Gandala confusing would be an understatement. The elevator, hex zones, box walls, regular walls, trips through ventilation ducts and cargo lifts made the scavenging around for anything useful a long, drawn-out boring task. Not something you'd want to save when your life was held together on your ankle, but when the only difference between some rooms was the amount of boxes it was hard to think of anything else. Still, they eventually found a door key, and that door was a control room.

Primal screams pierced the air immediately as they entered, forcing them to cover their ears as they moved in closer. Gilland and a researcher in a yellow hazard suit were discussing something down below their vantage point, but the girls were too far away to hear, and everything was being drowned out by the screams as well. But the screams stopped, as the man in the horizontal test tube dissolved into pure mana. They didn't have time to ponder what they had just witness, Teepo was on the table right next to the researcher.

Milla crashed through the observation deck class, startling all three men. "What the!?" Gilland stepped back, barely keeping himself from falling over this time. "Hey, how did you get here?!"

"Elize, Driselle, jump!" Milla didn't care about Gilland's stupid questions again.

Elize didn't. "What? But I... I can't!" she pleaded away.

"Don't be afraid," Milla reassured her. "I'll catch you." Elize still stood, terrified. It was time for a harder push. "Your best friend is about to be taken from you again." One of the researchers was making a grab for Teepo. "Is that what you want?" She cried out his name as he was lifted up. "You have to jump." Milla ordered her. "I know you can do it." That finally got the girl to take the leap, and she landed safe and sound in Milla's arms with a smile.

"I did it!" Elize happily said as Milla set her down. She rushed over and pried Teepo out of the man's grasp with a surprisingly little effort. Driselle had climbed down as well, they were ready.

Gilland grunted in anger, but he was irrelevant now. "What nonsense is this?" a new voice boomed into the conversation. "How pathetic." Nachtigal had arrived from a different passage, flanked by a pair of his soldiers. His very appearance commanded all in the room to gaze at him. A regal red tabard was covered by a dark blue coat with gold trim on the cuffs, and a large fur collar. His left shoulder was fully covered in a hefty amount of fur, and he wore a cape of the same dark blue as his coat. He wore combat greaves over his legs, and though blue, they were not as dark as his coat. His head looked down in contempt for all those in the room, even his own people. Two scars ran across his face, forming an "exe" above his brow and his faded, blond-brown mane of hair was pulled back and secured in place, with a finely kept beard in style as well. He was a King.

"King Nachtigal!" Gilland responded with respect.

"Nachtigal!" Milla yelled in disrespect!

He ignored both. "Did they disrupt the experiment?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Gilland snapped to attention and bowed., "but not before we collected the data."

"Very good, well done," Nachtigal praised his underling before even deigning to look at Milla. His blue eyes locked unto her pink ones.

That level of contempt, arrogance, looking down on her. She was Maxwell, a human no matter how crowned was looking at her with superiority in his eyes. Another time, she wouldn't let this get to her, but here before her, was the man responsible for the Four being captured, and those Lesser Spirits being destroyed. "Nachtigal!" she screamed and rushed him, blade drawn, unable to control herself any longer. But the gold trim was not part of the coat, it was a pair of bracers, she learned as he blocked her with his right one. "I am going to put an end to your petty ambitions right now!" She shouted at him straight to his face.

"So," Nachtigal still didn't consider her a threat and looked over at Gilland. "Is this her?" he asked.

"Yes," the obsequious man answered.

Milla struggled to put pressure onto the King, but as her blade shook, he reached out and grabbed it himself. "So, is this girl really supposed to be the Lord of Spirits?" His lips contorted into a mocking grin. "Oh please, don't make me laugh." He pulled her into the air by her sword, and punched her aside. She grunted in pain, from both the sheer force of his fist, and being slammed against the wall behind her.

"Milla!" Alvin shouted from above.

"With the Lance of Kresnik, know that I shall bring both Cline Sharil and Auj Oule to their knees." The King commanded.

"Heh," Milla painfully pushed herself up, the pain from both impacts slowing her recovery. "So that's it huh? How pathetic."

"You didn't really think you could stop me, did you?" Nachtigal prepped his arm, and threw Milla's own sword at her! She still couldn't move, Nachtigal's blow had disoriented her! But a flash and clang of metal and the sword impacted into the wall, an inch from her head. Rowen stood above, sailing on the same wind arte that had guided them down in Bermia Gorge. This, finally seemed to earn Nachtigal's undivided attention. "Ilbert? Is that you?" the King expressed with actual surprise.

One of the guards spoke up in awe. "Rowen Ilbert..." and the other added, "The Conductor."

Gilland stepped forward with a sneer. "What business could one who cast aside both his army and his kingdom have here?"

Rowen didn't answer as his arte drifted him closer to the girls. "Lady Driselle," he announced. "I'm so pleased to see that you are safe. I was beside myself with worry."

Nachtigal grunted. "You have fallen far, Ilbert, but your new role as a servant suits you."

"Your Highness, this way," Gilland attempted to make himself relevant again. "You need not trouble yourself with these criminals any longer." Nachtigal took that advice, and departed to the hallway he came, as his two soldiers stepped forward to deal with the intruders.

She wouldn't allow that, not when he was so close! "Get back here!" Milla dug her sword out of the wall and ran past the guards as the door closed right behind her. By the time she caught up, they were already on the other side of the hex zone. "Stop right there!" She attempted Fireball, but the spirit arte slammed into the hex zone without effect.

"Well," Nachtigal said in his usual condescending manner, "if it isn't the phony Maxwell."

Phony? He must have come to that wrong conclusion after her poor performance back there. "Tell me," she demanded. "Why do you use spyrix?" She took a step forward. "Why do you sacrifice your own people to attain power you don't need?" She slashed the air with her sword. "A king is supposed to protect his people."

"Hmph, as if a charlatan like you could comprehend. It is my duty to rule this world. It is my destiny!" he threw out his arms, wide to engulf the whole world. "But to fulfill this duty, to my country, to my people, power is a necessity. I must protect them both!" He held his left hand and clenched it into a fist. "All kings derive power from their people. It's a small sacrifice. And a worthy sacrifice."

"Good speech," Milla kept her head low. "But it has one flaw."

"Really, then do tell?" Nachtigal asked, seemingly interested in her for the first time.

"If you must rely on trickery such as this..." she pointed to her shackle. "And if you truly need something like spyrix to fulfill this precious duty of yours..." Milla took another step forward and brought her sword about. "Then in the end, you will achieve nothing! Not this false, twist mission. And not your imagined destiny. Nothing at all!"

Nachtigal laughed hard at her speech. "You can lecture all you want. It changes nothing." Nachtigal pointed at her. "You haven't even scratched me yet." He swung his hand back down with force. "No arte you posses can surpass the hex barrier, or will you charge in, like a reckless fool?" He taunted her.

Milla completely froze. "It looks like, there were more flaws than I thought." She whispered through clenched teeth. Reckless. Running after him all alone, that was reckless. That same kind of rash and burning feeling was what led to the deaths of those lesser spirits. She clenched her sword even tighter.

"I expected as much," he sneered and turned his back to her. "The power of will over destiny? You should take a job as my jester."

"Milla!" voices came shouting from behind her, and the weight around her ankle popped off. Milla dashed forward immediately.

"Your Highness, hurry!" Gilland pleaded with him.

"Stop!" she shouted, but they were already in the carriage, leaving the other end. "We can still stop him, hurry up!" she told the others.

"There they are!" the voices of the soldiers shouted over, and the sounds of a dozen charging men reached her ears. "The escapees! Get them!"

"We don't have time for them," she looked back at the others, seeing a wave of red-armored troopers chasing after them.

"Stop them! Activate the golems!" one of the soldiers ordered. Sitting on either side of the doors to the massive hall they were in, two giant stone golems dropped off the wall. Comparable in appearance with a human, save their stone skin, tiny legs, giant arms and chest, the golems creaked and cracked during their activation.

"We must retreat at once!" Rowen ordered. "The Fort Gandala golems are completely invincible!"

"No, we can still stop him!" She scolded him. But, she knew, this was reckless too. Another carriage careened into their path, and Rowen leapt on board without missing a beat. Alvin, followed along with the rest of them. Rowen took the reins. "Go after Nachtigal!" Milla told him, already forgetting her thoughts about recklessness.

"Impossible!" Rowen said and whipped the horses out the Sharilton-side exit as Alvin provided cover fire from the rooftop. The great gates opened, and they escaped from Fort Gandala. Even just outside, all pursuit stopped immediately.

Milla grimaced as she went over her conversation with Nachtigal. She, hated to admit it, but her recklessness had almost costed them their lives. "My apologies," she told the others. "My goal could have put all our lives at risk for only a small chance of success."

"Whoa," Alvin was the first to react, odd because of his position atop their vehicle. "Never thought I'd hear you say that." He leaned down, solely so she could see that little grin of his slip unto his lips. "Frankly I thought our daring rescue mission might have gotten us a thank you, but guess you beat us to it huh?"

"They were not Rashugal's finest," Milla relayed.

Driselle asked a question, "How're Cline and Sharilton?"

Rowen answered. "As best as can be expected. Alvin managed to stave off an attempt on Lord Cline's life, and all the injured were being taken care."

"He did?" Driselle said in surprise. She look "Thank you, Alvin."

"Yeah, thanks Alvin!" Elize cheeryfully copied Driselle now that she had Teepo back. Oh, Teepo was back, excellent.

"I forgive you for tattling on us to him way back when," Teepo added in as well.

Alvin laughed, "now don't I feel loved."

"Now," Milla said. "About these soldiers wearing the color of Nachtigal's personal guard..." Milla looked at the other occupants of the carriage, making the inside quite crowed.

"We're the infiltrators Lord Cline sent ahead for you," one of them helpfully explained. "It's better to blend in while wearing the right clothes."

"I see, that makes sense, but," Milla put her hand to her chin. "That means we have no way of crossing over to Fennmont does it?"

"No."

The carriage ride back was silent the rest of the trip.

"Friends," Cline starts his speech from atop a balcony overlooking the gathered crowds of Sharilton. "Comrades," Driselle and Rowen stood by his side. "Countrymen." Milla and Elize where there as well, just inside the building. Only Alvin was missing. On the look-out for any assassins, he had muttered before vanishing. "I will not shower you will with a false facts and statements. King Nachtigal, just this very day attacked our city, our people! Time and again he has proven himself a tyrant that needs to be stopped! He has kidnapped his own citizens, performed fatal human experiments on each and every one. He has twice attempted to take my life and successfully taken the lives of hundreds of his supposed citizens." Cline let his words sink in for a bit. "The King is attempting to make war against Auj Oule. He thinks it is his birthright to rule all of Rieze Maxia. But I say nay. The only right a King has by birth is to lead and protect his people, and Nachtigal has abandoned that right to make pointless sacrifices of those same people, those who mean him no harm. But not anymore, if Nachtigal intends to sacrifice his people unwillingly then we must put a stop to him. Not only for ourselves in Sharilton, but for Rashugal, Auj Oule and even Rieze Maxia as a whole." Cline slammed his hands down on the balcony rail. "People of Shairlton! People of Rashugal!" He heled a clenched fist against the backdrop of the sun. Led me your aid in disposing of this tyrant king that has plagued us for so long. With your aid I know we can do it!" Predictably the crowd erupted into cheers. "Thank you, thank you my people." Cline drew back from the edge of the balcony. "We will not lay down against this evil! That I swear on my life!" Cline raised his fist again, this time in triumph as he headed back inside.

"Not the greatest speech you've ever given," Rowen criticized him.

The Lord of Sharilton laughed a bit. "Making declarations of war isn't something I'd like to be good at." He let a wry smile slip unto his lips. "The only reason I know we can win this is because we have you on our side Rowen."

"You flatter me, Lord Cline," Rowen took the compliment with a bow. "I only hope that this old man may be of some use."

"You'll be of more use than me," Cline admitted.

"No, I could not moved the crowd in half the way you have shown," Rowen pointed out. "They follow you because they respect that you will choose a proper path to guide them, because you have done so in the past. I'm just a old tactician, if I attempted such an effort I would simply be laughed at."

"Now that's not true," Driselle added in. "And anyone who laughed would just get, would get a stern talking-to." Driselle posed with her hands on her hips for emphasis.

Rowen let out a hearty laugh. "It does my heart good to serve such fine masters," he turned to the waiting Milla and Elize. "So it turns to me to ask, what are your plans now Miss Milla, Miss Elize?"

Milla had, no idea. She still needed to destroy that weapon, that Lance of Kresnik as Nachtigal had called it. Naming it after Kresnik, the Genesis Sage which accompanied her in creation of Rieze Maxia was a sick irony considering the weapon could bring the death of the world. But, the land route to Fennmont was blocked, the sea route was blocked. She could not afford to wait until Cline led an attack, could she? "Is there any other route to Fennmont?"

"I'm afraid not," Cline informed her. "Fort Gandala covers the path from Sharilton, the Rashugal navy is keeping the port blockaded, and the northern route is impassable due to the Fezebel Marsh."

"Fezebel Marsh?" Milla asked. That was the first time she had ever heard that name.

"Indeed," Rowen took over. "A massive stretch of swamp and wetlands separating Rashugal and Auj Oule. The unstable terrain coupled with powerful water currents make crossing the Marsh a dangerous prospect." The old man's face lit up. "Though, during the season of Ragnome the water currents stabilize due to a shift in the spirit clime. But, Ragnome is over a month away. It's entirely possible we will have carved our own path into Fennmont by then."

"I see," Milla dipped her head in thought. It did seem like an emergency option. If only she could still fly. Fly, hm? "I don't supposed you can simply fly me over Fort Gandala." He did have that spirit arte from before.

Rowen let out a hearty chuckle. "If I could we would not have needed such lengths to infiltrate the Fort in the first place. That arte is more of a glide on air currents than actual flight."

"A shame," Milla noted. "I've grown to miss the sensation of flight." Her options were limited. She'd have to consult with the absent Alvin.

Elize, finally feeling it was her time spoke in. "I want to stay here!"

"Elize?" Milla looked at the confident little girl.

"Lots of people are gonna be hurt right?" She asked and got a nod as her answer. "And I can help right?"

"Elly no," Driselle shook her head. "We have plenty of doctors and healers here on staff already."

"Elly's a good girl!" Teepo wagged his little tail. "And she wants to be a gooder girl by helping lots of people."

Elize shook her head back. "I can help, I promise!"

"Elly..." Drizelle slowly said her name with concern. "Are you, are you sure?"

"Yes!" Elize hurriedly nodded. "You protected me through the Fort, so now it's my turn to protect you." She clenched her little fists at her big resolve.

Driselle looked over at Cline, who frowned, and then looked at Rowen. "I... defer to you in this Rowen." He passed the guilt along.

The old butler shut his eyes. "Miss Elize, this will not be the small fights we've encountered together. A war is, on a different scale entirely, one only those familiar to it can fathom.

"I can help, please!" she pleaded, almost with tears in her eyes. Did she attach herself so quickly?

"Well," Cline said. "If you're all sure of that. But, I will say this, it won't be easy."

"Elly's life has never been easy," Teepo scolded him.

"I, see?" The Lord of Sharil stumbled a bit with his reaction. He exchanged another glance with Rowen. "We may-MAY-be able to work something out."

"Hurray!" Elize and her puppet cheered.

"I suppose that only leaves Alvin." Cline changed the subject of their conversation. I still owe him a handshake for saving my life in fact."

"I'll go locate him," Milla informed them. "I have other business to discuss with him as well."The others accepted her role, and moved towards their own issues. Milla left them, heading outside the building doors to the outside. The crowds outside had, not dispersed, and if anything grown, and spread as volunteers of all sorts began speaking with guard stations throughout the area. Alvin wasn't at any one of them, so Milla headed over to the central plaza, where once again he stood near the edge with a white bird leaving his hand. She walked over to him. "Receiving secret orders?"

"Just setting up my next job." Alvin replied without missing a beat and looked back at her.

"So, you're leaving?" Milla placed her hand to her chin as she asked the question.

"Yeah," he said with a deep sigh. "You guys are great and all, but getting bogged down in the front lines of a war isn't exactly what I signed on for."

But charging through Rashugal's front lines on her command was? "You're a mercenary," Milla told him something he already knew. "Isn't a war the best place for business?"

"You'd think, but it's really lousy," he ran his hand through his hair. "Long hours, little rest, no respect from anyone. Sure the money's good, but you can't really spend it until the fighting's done, and I'm not about to croak for no reason."

"You don't believe in Cline's cause? You seemed just as against Nachtigal's experiments as the rest of us."

"Didn't mean it like that," Alvin shook his head. "This war, is just gonna drag on for months, maybe even years. Being moved around like some puppet on someone else's strings just isn't my style." He shrugged. "Well, unless its a lady. But I reckon it'll be Rowen doing all the real commanding around here for a while."

Rowen did seem to be the one people were placing a great deal of trust in. Something about conducting? "Is he important or something?"

"To certain circles yeah," Alvin explained. "He's Rowen J. Ilbert, the Conductor. Greatest military mind of Rashugal. Know for crushing three armies in one day, famous for a win streak so long it'd look down on those giant deepwood trees."

"And you're worried with someone like that in charge?" Milla asked. Now his fears seemed quite unfounded.

"Worried, isn't the word I would call it," he looked into the air searching for the right word. "More like wary. Why's a big-shot like that hanging around on this side instead of leading Rashugal's armies in effortlessly crushing them?"

"Nachtigal did seem to know him," Milla roughly agreed.

"Now, history ain't my strong subject," Alvin said. "But there's some link between the two of them. And I don't wanna be here when Nachtigal comes crashing down in anger. If he's willing to melt his own people when he's calm, just think about what happens when he's mad."

She tried not too, but there was one other concern. "And what will you do about Elize?"

He sighed. "Much as I'd like to carry the little lady off into the sunset," he sadly looked over to the manor district. "She's decided she wants to stay right?" he said with acceptance.

"Yeah," she confirmed his question. "Is that really alright with you?"

"Of course!" Alvin threw his arms out in joy. "Sure, there'll be a war going on and she may get caught right in the middle of it," Alvin's enthusiasm dried up quickly, "but she'll have Driselle and the others," his words slowed down with each second until he sighed at the end. "Yeah, I'll regret this, but I can't exactly bring her with me where I'm going either."

"And that is?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Alvin bounced back to his usual chipper personality. "But I can't go betraying the client-mercenary privilege like that, even to former clients."

"So I trust you won't be spilling secrets about me immediately?"

"Nope," Alvin gave a dopey, 'trust-this-face' grin.

She didn't. But any information he had was harmless, fighting him, decidedly less so. "Very well then. Thank you for your service."

Alvin laughed. "Anytime," he gave a false salute and went back to whatever it was he was waiting for.

Milla had the time to wait for that, but she wanted to spend it on choosing her future course. She headed back to the manor district. Maybe the others could offer suggestions.

Alvin watched as Milla disappeared back into the Manor District. Lying to her like that was a little bit more bitter than all his previous times. Still, he had a job to do, principals to violate, and he didn't have time to waste. He headed out of town through the old dusty Talys Highroad and back over to Fort Gandala. The fortress sides sloped upwards, a dozen massive canons poked out from within. The Cline rebel army had no chance whatsoever of taking this place in a head on attack. So, why was he here?

No guards patrolled the outside, it was too safe and secure inside to risk any patrols being scooped by enemies. That was just fine, going in without anyone noticed was the plan. He slipped around the fences and over to a stack of crates near the fort walls. He casually leaned his back against the containers, and slipped his left hand down, pressing a button on a hand-sized rectangular box.

"Are you there?" a voice cracked from behind him.

"Yeah," he said back in melancholy. "Why the sudden change in plans?" Suddenly forget we hate each other? Alvin kept his thoughts as just that.

"It's obvious," the voice said with venom at the stupid question. "Letting Cline raise his little rebellion, will put off the invasion of Auj Oule."

"So then just use the rebels," Alvin told the voice.

"You know as well as I do we cannot," the voice yelled at him. "If it's not situated correctly all our work will be for naught."

"Letting the key slip through your fingers feels like a bigger deal to me," Alvin stated. Milla had been incapacitated the whole trip, and there was no place but her person for it to be. Why she still had it now? Alvin had no damn clue.

"It wasn't time yet," the voice tried to assure him. "If Auj Oule's little spies get word the Lance is active again they won't move as we need."

"So that's what it's all about," Alvin said, the truth dawning on him. "You want me to play watchdog on them then?"

"Exactly."

"Figures," Alvin sighed. He knew exactly what was going to happen now, and he damn well didn't like it. But he done a damn load of things he didn't like, this was just another one on the pile. And speaking of other things not to like. "You get what you needed from the doll?"

"Not quite," the voice said. "But the collected data is of great interest to me. Once we deal with the rebels we can take our time dissecting that and the phony Maxwell."

"Phony huh?" Alvin grunted. "You so sure of that? I saw her with the Four in Laforte myself." Watching them get absorbed by the Lance like that. Yeah, it was their only hope.

"It matters not what we call her, only that she isn't a threat."

"You so sure about that?" Alvin cockily grinned. "She was all ripe roaring and ready to chase after you in that carriage."

"She would have failed anyway." The voice shut that down completely.

Alvin grunted. "Alright, how am I getting through to Fennmont? Do I get an express trip through those gates?"

"No," the voice said. "But the patrols have just enough specific of a hole in them that if you crawl in through those vents again you can make it out the other side."

Alvin gave a bitter laugh. "And to think, I'm now sneaking through an allied base." He heard a snap. Bastard cut him off. With a sigh and a shrug Alvin looked back up. The vents were how Rowen and he had just rescued the girls. Now he was heading right back into them. But those were the orders of his jackass of a leader, even if he'd never liked the guy. Alvin sighed again and began his climb. It would all be worth it, one day.

Over in Fennmont, news of the rebellion spread like wildfire beyond the military's control. Rumors and gossip of Nachtigal's inhuman experiments were perched on everyone's lips, from children to adults to the students of Talim Medical School.

Jude Mathis had no idea what to think about all the rumor-mongering. And even on those few conditions he did, he still couldn't help but think about Professor Haus more and more. Had the professor been helping in such? Was that why he was killed? Or was it all just lies and slander, as the military spokesmen would say. Jude, had no idea what to feel. So he just pushed it all aside as he trained harder than ever. He vaguely thought of what he'd do when confronted by the person responsible for Professor Haus' murder, but the more he thought, the more he realized he didn't have an answer. He just, he just needed to meet with them, to find out something, anything.

With his martial training complete, Jude headed outside to let the winds cool off his sweat. Here and there a few others were discussing the current state of things, and even the occasional soldier wandered around trying to... convince people, to join up with the military and ensure Rashugal unity.

One of the recruiters dressed in purple even had the time to come up and try his sales pitch on him. "You, good sir," the soldier tried a bit of noble flattery and Jude barely kept himself from snickering. "Have you ever thought of enlisting in the army? We can use every able-body available right now to deal with the rebels and the growing threat of Auj Oule!"

"Sorry," Jude waved his hands to try and ward off the recruiter's advances. "I'm too busy being a medical student."

"The army is always in need of new medics as well," the soldier continued his pitch. "More lives can be saved on the front lines than anywhere else!"

"Errr, no thanks, I'm actually about ready to flunk out so I'd like, put more lives in danger through gross negligence," Jude lied to try and slip out of this awkward conversation.

"Any medical expertise is welcomed, no matter how little," the soldier kept on. The guy was really dedicated, Jude had to give him that.

"Easy, there soldier," another guard, this one clad in red and speaking with a familiar voice. "Take the recruitment act somewhere else."

"Err, sir, yes, sir," the subordinate ran off in a huff.

"These new recruits are all too eager," Mister Eldin said and removed his helmet.

"Thanks Mister Eldin," Jude smiled.

"No problem at all," Eldin nodded. "Did you happen to have seen any other soldiers in red armor come through here?"

"No, I only just left the dorms and then got uh, accosted by that guy" Jude explained to him. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Eldin shook his head and replaced his helmet. "Just asking for convenience." Eldin walked past Jude to the main school building, but he stopped and told something first. "Don't let the recruiters try and get you to sign up. You're a darn good doctor, you really belong here."

Jude smiled and thank him. "Thanks."

AN: Well, that just changed didn't it? Some of you were already probably expecting this too. Milla executing those spirits left her a bit less hasty, and coupled with Nachtigal's retort she didn't fling herself into a pair of useless legs. So far Jude's lack of presence seems to have nothing but positive effects... but that'll change, and soon.

Editing this chapter made me realize Fort Gandala didn't have a proper boss. Weird huh?

Also hey, look at that Chapter 10! For those of you who read my profile, I said that Chapter 10 is when things really start to diverge and I'd certainly say they have now! Cline's alive and Milla's legs are still in one-well, two pieces. Next chapter's all sorts of complete AU, along with my absolute favorite moment I've written in the story to date.

Thus also ends what would have been Super-Chapter 3. The initial word count for Super-Chapter 3 alone would have been over 21,000 words. So many! But now with all my editing, the Real Chapters(6-1) that would have taken place in Super-Chapter 3 now come out to 26,674. That's a whole lot of writing there!