Author's Note: Welcome all new and returning readers! Man, I had an absolute blast writing the previous chapter. I've been waiting to get to the Idol Rabier Arc for such a long time, and now, it's finally here! I do apologize for how long it took to get this chapter out, but I'm sure y'all will enjoy it.

Also, for those of you who caught it: Last chapter, when Leo was looking at the map and Raphtalia came in the room, I had that interaction be similar to the opening sequence to the story. If you go back and read chapter one, you'll know what I mean.

Oh, I also decided to add another easter egg to the story in this chapter. Good luck!

Without further adieu, chapter 18!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero or any of its characters, only my own.

"Dialogue."

"Writing."

Thoughts.

"We die in the dark so you can live in the light."

- S.C.P Foundation

"W- wait, NOOOO!"

Raphtalia brought her sword down onto Idol who had just raised his arm in an attempt to protect himself. Slashing clean through, the fat nobleman quickly found himself without his other hand. As he writhed in the ground and cried in agony, Rifana smashed her boot against both of his knees, breaking his legs and causing some bone to stick out the back of his calf.

Afterwards, Raphtalia pulled his arms apart so she could stand over him. As Idol stared at her in fear, she began to punch him in the face repeatedly. The longer she went on, the more viscous her strikes became. One punch after another caused the man to become bruised, have black eyes, and even break his nose, causing him to bleed even more.

At this point, Idol was gasping for air and weakly pleading for the pain to stop, but Raphtalia and Rifana were not going to kill him just yet. Letting Rifana have a turn, the weasel demi - human took out her tomahawk and swung it at the area between Idol's legs. The pain he suffered was worse than any other treatment the two demi - humans had done to him as he cried out in complete agony.

With all of that done, Idol was left as a bloody mess. His face was battered and bruised beyond recognition, his body was broken from all the damage the two had caused, and he was slowly bleeding out from almost all parts of his body.

To finish their revenge, Raphtalia took hold of Idol's whip that was still in his severed hand. Extending it, she wrapped it around his neck while Rifana pushed one of the couches against the window. After tying the other end of the whip to the couch, Raphtalia had Rifana hold up the fat nobleman as she swung her sword across his stomach, causing blood and entrails to seep out of the large wound.

Finally, Rifana leaned Idol against the window the couch was at. With their combined strength, Raphtalia and Rifana kicked Idol through the window, causing him to fall. However, with the whip tied around his neck, all they heard was a small snap. Peering over the edge of the window, they saw Idol's lifeless body hanging by the neck, blood dripping from his boots.

Breathing heavily, Raphtalia slowly stepped away from the window. Quickly, she found a pair of arms around her as Leo hugged her. All of the anger and hatred that she kept bottled up at Idol poured out as tears for the friends she had lost during her time as a slave.

Leo just stood there and silently hugged her back. After a few seconds, Leo slowly let go of Raphtalia and separated from her. "Come on, our job's not done yet. We still have survivors to save." Turning around, he saw Melty healing Idol with a spell. "Van Reichnott, if you're ready to move, we have some people to help. I don't know how bad it is, but be ready to see some things you won't be able to forget for a long time." Leo warned the warm hearted man.

"I won't sit around if we have a chance to help people. Where are we going?" Van Reichnott asked the soldier.

"Down into Idol's dungeons, or as some people may call it, Hell."

The group of six stood at the top of the staircase that led down into the depths of the abyss that was Idol's dungeon. Leo had already told Van Reichnott the details revolving around it, the atrocities that Idol was guilty of. Van Reichnott still decided to join Leo and his party for the rescue mission, even if he'll be haunted by it for the rest of his life.

[AN: Play Band of Brothers - Discovery of the Camp for extra effect]

They descended the stairs slowly, the air growing colder as the shadows of the dungeon consumed the rescue party. When they reached the bottom, they found a barred gate stopping them from entering. Unable to open the door after finding it locked, Leo kicked it open in one strike, the sound echoing throughout the dungeon. Moonlight poured in from tiny gaps in the wall that reached the surface. Other than that, it was pure darkness.

The smell was what hit them first, causing Leo to turn to the rest of the group. "If you wish to turn back now, I won't stop you. As I said previously, you will see things that you cannot unsee. However, it's our duty to help these people, but I cannot blame you if you choose to wait outside." When nobody answered, he spoke again. "Then let's go."

Taking the lead, Leo was the first one to step into the hallway. As they ventured forth, they found the cells closest to the entrance to be empty, save for the many chains that hung from the roof of the cells. It looks just like that old medieval torture stuff we learned back in school. If this is just a taste of what it was like, then what the hell are we going to find exactly if there are survivors? Leo wondered as he continued on.

Twenty minutes.

Twenty fucking minutes.

That's how long they had been searching the dungeon for survivors, and it seemed to stretch on forever. All they had found up to this point were chains, blood, and signs of cells having been inhabited at one point. To be honest, Leo was beginning to lose hope that anyone would be alive.

Melty had begun to cry, the realization of what events took place down here having dawned on her a few minutes ago. Van Reichnott's face was locked in eternal sadness, his previous aura of peace and calm gone, stolen by the grief of loss and failure. Filo's positive attitude was shattered, her shining smile replaced by a frown that only told pain. As for Raphtalia and Rifana… they seemed to have locked up their emotions some time ago, but Leo could tell that they were as sad and hopeless as he was.

Searching cell after cell, they all came back with the same result: Empty. The only thing keeping Leo from losing all hope of not finding someone was how large the dungeon seemed to be. It was when those magical words were spoken that hope returned.

"Look, a survivor!" Van Reichnott suddenly exclaimed. Turning towards Reichnott, Leo could see a body inside a cell. Whether they were breathing or not, he couldn't tell, but right now, all that mattered was that there was a body.

After using a spell to unlock the door, Leo waved Reichnott inside while the others continued searching the other cells. To their surprise, Filo and Melty called out two more survivors before opening the cells, either by force or by spell, and going inside to treat their wounds. It was the next person who was found however that broke Raphtalia and Rifana's steely emotions.

[AN: Play Battlefield 1: Apocalypse - Lacrimosa for extra effect]

"KEEL!" They both shouted at the same time. Quickly, Leo used a spell to unlock the door. The second a gap was made in the steel, the two adult demi - humans rushed inside. Crouching in front of Keel, Raphtalia dug into her backpack for any healing pills or potions while Rifana swung her tomahawk and cut Keel's chains.

The survivors, they seem so… lost. Is this what people felt in those old pictures of the camps in the second world war? Leo thought as he watched his two companions work.

Once Raphtalia found a healing potion, she lifted Keel's head so as to allow the potion to be consumed. The healing potion did what it was supposed to, as Keel's cuts and bruises healed. With his body healed, Keel's eyes slowly opened, showing just how exhausted they truly were.

"W- who… are you?" Keel weakly said, his voice breaking from his lack of water and food.

Rifana unclipped her canteen before pouring some into Keel's mouth, giving him the much needed hydration. "It's us, Raphtalia and Rifana. We're here to save you." Raphtalia said quietly. The cold aura that Raphtalia and Rifana displayed before was gone, replaced with relief and happiness at their friend's life.

Keel shook his head, clearing his vision and getting a good look at the two demi - humans that stood and kneeled before him. "N- no, you can't be them, th- they were taken from here. They're dead, they must be! You can't be them…" Keel muttered as he sat on the cold floor in shock.

"It's true, it's us, we're here. We even have the Shield Hero with us!" Rifana said with slight joy. Keel was speculative about Rifana's claim however, so in an attempt to be shown proof, he looked past his two older friends and stared directly at the silent man who stood behind them. Keel took in his features, although there wasn't much to go off of. He noticed how his clothing was similar as well as the shield on his left forearm.

When Leo spoke up, his voice spooked Keel who was not anticipating Leo to speak. "They're telling the truth kid. They are your friends, all grown up might I add. After they were taken from his place, I bought them and took them under my wing." Leo said before kneeling in front of Keel. Placing his hand on Keel's shoulder, he lowered his mask and helmet - clipped his goggles. "We're here to get you and everyone else out of here. You're safe now kid." Leo told Keel with a smile.

Keel looked back and forth between his two friends and Leo. Tears began to fill his eyes as he jumped forward and hugged Raphtalia and Rifana, who quickly hugged their young friend back. "I- it really is you. Yo - you came for me. T- tha- ank you…" Keel said in between sobs.

Leo let the trio have their moment as he stepped out of the damp cell. While he waited, Van Reichnott approached him with a sad look on his face, a complete contrast to the joyous one he held earlier when the survivors were originally found.

"Sir Shield Hero, I have bad news." Van Reichnott said with a depressed voice. "We managed to find a total of seven bodies, but only three are alive, your companions' friend included. What should we do with the dead?"

Leo stared Van Reichnott in the eye and spoke with a voice that left no disagreement. "We take them with us. They suffered so much and died here. We owe them a proper burial. We don't leave our own behind." Van Reichnott smiled at Leo's decision, grateful that the Shield hero would do such a thing for these lost souls.

"Of course, Shield Hero. I shall have them buried at my estate so they may be laid to rest in a place of peace." Van Reichnott suggested. Leo muttered something along the lines of 'That would be nice' before walking off to collect two of the bodies.

Filo had changed to her filolial form in order to provide the bodies easy transport until a cart could be found. Once the four dead demi - humans were loaded onto Filo's back, they group began to leave the dungeon, the three remaining demi - humans behind carried by Raphtalia, Rifana, and Van Reichnott.

As the group ascended the stairs, the sun barely peaked over the manor as the light broke the darkness that they had been shroud in for over an hour. In the distance, smoke could be seen and shouting could be heard coming from the bridge that split the manor from the rest of the town.

"What's all that smoke and noise coming from? Is it more of Idol's knights?" Van Reichnott worryingly asked. He knew Leo and his party could take them on, but at the same time while keeping the children from harm's way would be a challenge.

Leo shook his head which calmed Van Reichnott down. "No, most of them are dead. Actually, it's your citizens who came to get you back. Come on, I'd rather we not keep them waiting." Leo's tone was neutral, so Raphtalia and Rifana knew something was bothering him, but decided against asking him about it for the time being.

Heading in the direction of the gate, the group of nine passed by the bodies of mutilated, dead, or broken knights. Blood and bodies littered the stone, a reminder of how many people died due to one man's actions. Many of the knights' faces were forever frozen in fear or anguish, while those that Leo had fought were locked in torment, no doubt from the effects the gas had on their bodies.

As they began to walk across the bridge, blood covered the bottom of their boots and shoes, leaving behind bloody footprints as they continued forward. Reaching the gate, the group could clearly hear shouts of protest and anger that the crowd had at the loss of their lord.

Pushing open the doors, the gap gave the group enough room to walk through. When the mob thought the estate had finally let them in, they were surprised to see none other than the Shield Hero and his party walk out. Leo's downcast look did not go unnoticed by the crowd, but once Filo had passed the entrance, they understood.

Gasps were heard as the four bodies of the dead young demi - humans were seen. As Leo and his party pressed on, some of the crowd began to cry at the sight of lost souls. Once the group broke through the crowd, they began to walk in the direction of Van Reichnott's estate, the crowd of demi - humans that worked for Van Reichnott following directly behind.

None of the townsfolk dared to interfere with the unofficial procession, allowing the large crowd to simply walk out of the town and back to Reichnott's territory in silence.

Leo sat at the desk in the room that was reserved for him and his party. The funeral for the four demi - humans had occurred an hour ago, while Leo, Raphtalia, Rifana, and Melty volunteered to help the sick and malnourished survivors recover. Once the survivors had been fed and bathed, they immediately fell asleep when they were given their own beds in a separate guest room.

Melty had gone to speak with van Reichnott a few minutes ago about Idol Rabier and the horrendous actions that had taken place in his dungeon. Filo went to the kitchen for a snack, no doubt annoying the maids at how much she was probably eating. Rifana volunteered to watch over the recovering children, leaving Raphtalia and Leo as the two remaining members in the room.

Leo was currently glancing over the map in deep thought while Raphtalia sat on the bed they shared, flipping a bullet in between her fingers anxiously.

"Leo?" Raphtalia suddenly asked amongst the silence. Her voice did its job in catching Leo's attention.

"Yes?" He asked back as he turned away from the map.

"Are you ok? With how the situation revolving around Idol and the people we saved went I mean." Raphtalia's voice held concern for the man. His actions seemed different during those few hours than all the other times they had been together in the field.

Leo sighed, got up from the chair, and went over to sit next to Raphtalia. "If I'm being completely honest, no, I'm not. Idol got what he deserved, no questions there, but…" Leo said as he trailed off. After another sigh, he continued. "I feel like there was more we could have done, that I could have done, to help those demi - humans, your friends. If only I had us raid Idol's manor weeks ago rather than now, then maybe we wouldn't have four dead children and three in critical condition on our hands. Maybe, we could have saved all seven, or maybe more, as who knows how many Idol had before we got there." Leo stated. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the sights from the dungeon flashing in his mind, the condition they found everyone in eternally engraved into his memories.

Raphtalia stared at the soldier, no, person who sat beside her. Leo may be a soldier, may be the best amongst us, but he's still human. He gets affected by this stuff too. He's always there for me when I feel down, so it's about time I returned the favor. Raphtalia thought as she turned her body to face Leo's.

Wrapping her arms around Leo, Raphtalia leaned into him as she allowed him to hug her back. "Leo." She began to say before cutting herself off. Tilting her head upward to meet Leo's eyes, she went on. "You did the best you could, that's what matters. Even if we couldn't save everyone, we still managed to help the survivors. If you hadn't led us to Van Reichnotts at all, then we probably would have never chased Idol, never saved Keel and the others. You've led us through danger without flinching, lifted us up when we fell on hard times, pushed us on when everything felt hopeless. You helped me when I was at my lowest, when I felt as if nobody was going to be there for me, care for me. You're a hero Leo. You're my hero." Raphtalia concluded with a smile.

Leo took a moment to process her words, feeling the love and concern behind each one. After a moment, Leo smiled back. "And you're my life, Raphtalia." Slowly, they drew into a deep, passionate kiss. When their lips touched, all of their worries washed away like a river, with the only thing mattering at the moment being each other as they held one another close. After nearly a minute, they separated, smiles still plastered on their faces. "Thanks. I didn't realize just how much I needed to hear that." Leo stated in a happier mood than he was previously in.

"We all need to hear something like that from time to time. It's what motivates us, keeps us going in times like these." Raphtalia replied as she put a hand on Leo's cheek. Leo's smile grew slightly larger as he brought up his own hand and gently clasped hers.

Suddenly, without warning, Van Reichnotts voice came from the doorway. "Sir Shield Hero, you have visitors, says they're friends of yours." With their focus on each other breaking due to the announcement, Leo looked at Van Reichnott for a moment before turning back to Raphtalia. Using his head, he silently motioned for her to head towards the door. Following Van Reichnott to the entrance of the manor, Leo and Raphtalia were met with a small gathering of people, two of which stood out to them like a sore thumb even with their faces covered.

"Hello Leo." Itsuki said as he lowered his hood, the remnants of a bruise lingering on his cheek. Ren was worse for wear however, as he had a thin scar that ran over his left eye.

Leo smiled at the two as he gripped one of each teenager's shoulders. "Ren, Itsuki, you made it! Are you hurt? Were you followed? What happened back there?" Leo asked worryingly.

"Yeah, we're fine, and no, we weren't followed. As for what happened that night, well, let's just say things didn't go exactly as planned." Ren stated in a forcibly calm manner. Leo could see through it however, as Ren's eyes told him that everything was not ok. "After you managed to escape, Itsuki here used one of his attacks to destroy a large rock. While everyone was distracted, we managed to slip away. Luckily, nobody decided to chase us. Instead, after we had made some distance, we saw a section of the forest on fire. We immediately made our way back to where we left our parties. Some of them asked us what happened, to which we responded that Melty told us everything. Most of them believed us then and there, while some others took a little bit more convincing." Ren stopped for a moment to look over at one of the larger people of the crowd who wore heavy knights armor.

"After that, we've been traveling around gathering news to figure out where you went." Itsuki continued for the two. "We heard some news from a merchant about a man named Idol Rabier who came to this place because of the Shield Hero. Since we had no other leads, we decided to come here as quickly as we could. On our way here, we were ambushed by a squad of knights who told us that we had betrayed the crown by siding with you. Luckily, we didn't lose anybody, but we didn't come out unscathed either, as Ren's scar shows. From there, we continued making our way here, and the rest is history."

Looking up from the two heroes, Leo scanned over their respective parties. Most of their equipment seemed scratched and damaged, while a few had some scars of their own. "Well, I'm sure Van Reichnott won't have a problem with what I'm about to say, right Reichnott?" Leo asked as he turned towards the nobleman.

"If it regards the Sword and Bow heroes stay to recover, then I have no objections, Sir Leopold." Van Reichnott casually told the soldier.

Turning back to the teenage heroes, Leo shrugged. "Welp, there you have it. You two and your parties can stay here and take some time to recover. We currently have some wounded of our own going through recovery, so we'll be here for another day or two." Leo informed them. Waving for them to follow, the crowd of adventurers split off to stay near their hero. Reaching one of the larger guest rooms, pointed his thumb at the door. "Itsuki and his party and stay in here for the time being, while Ren and his party can have that room." Leo said as he then pointed towards the room across the hall. "If you two need me, I'll be somewhere in or around the estate. Until then, relax and recuperate. You look like you really need the rest." Leo stated before walking further down the hall and back into his room.

Raphtalia's blade swung down onto the shield with such strength that the receiver grunted in response. Pushing herself away from her opponent, Raphtalia took a moment to slow down her racing heart. As she got into a defensive stance, her opponent took this opportunity charge at her with as much speed as they could muster. Raphtalia had to admit, they were fast, but she was faster.

The moment her opponent was mere inches away, she dodged low and to the left, avoiding the blow that was aimed for her chest. Springing back up with speeds that were incomprehensible to many, she brought the hilt of her sword down onto her opponent's head causing them to stumble forward and fall. As her opponent flipped themselves onto their back, Raphtalia held the end of her sword to their throat.

"Looks like I win." Raphtalia told the man who lay on the ground.

Rolling his eyes, Leo gently pushed the blade away before flipping himself over and pushing himself up. "Yeah, I guess so. To be honest Raphtalia, I'm quite impressed. Have you always been this good? Because that was much more fluent and coordinated than I originally taught you." Leo complimented.

Putting her sword into its sheath, Raphtalia took a few sips from her canteen before giving her reply. "Actually, Rifana and I trained together a few times while you were out on patrol or watch. While I'm most certainly faster, she hits hard enough to leave a bruise or two even after I use both of my arms to block one of her strikes." Raphtalia said as she rubbed her left shoulder.

Leo took a seat on a nearby bench to help catch his breath after the intense sparring match that had just occurred. "Speaking of Rifana, she's still with Keel and the others, isn't she?"

Raphtalia's lack of immediate response made Leo worry for both her and her friend. "I spoke with her a little before coming to training. She's scared, Leo. Scared that Keel won't come out of all of this ok, or that she won't be able to help him if something happens. We've already lost so many friends to that bastard, we don't want to lose any more." Raphtalia said as she sat next to Leo. Leo lightly nodded as he looked towards the dirt floor. As the two sat there, the sun began to set beyond the horizon.

"Come on, let's go wash up and then get some dinner. We could use the break anyway." Leo suggested as he avoided going further into the discussion regarding his other teammate.

September 23, 2020

"We managed to recover three of seven surviving children last night. The other four were dead before we got there. The three survivors are currently in the midst of recovery while Rifana watches over them. A few hours ago, Ren and Itsuki, the Sword and Bow Hero, as well as their respective parties arrived at Van Reichnotts estate. All members seemed to be tired or injured in some way, so I showed them to some rooms that they could stay at while they also recover. With some healing magic, potions, pills, and food, all parties should be fully recovered in a few days. Once Itsuki, Ren, and all of those in their parties are ready, we'll leave Van Reichnott's once more. If we stay for too long, someone could locate us a second time and cause King Aultcray to send his entire army on top of us. Hopefully the Queen returns soon."

- Private First Class Wisniewski

Closing his journal for the night, Leo blew out the candle that was in the corner of his desk. Standing up from his chair, he popped his back before making his way over to the bed he and Raphtalia shared. Melty and Filo had returned some time ago, while Rifana had decided to stay with the children overnight. Leo chalked it up to the fact that Keel was still recovering and that she did not want to leave her friend's side.

Slowly, Leo got into the bed so as to not wake up an already sleeping Raphtalia. Leo pushed himself forward until he was at her back, her slow, deep breathing bringing a relaxed smile to his face. Before he could close his eyes and fall asleep, Raphtalia called out to him while keeping her eyes closed.

"Leo?" She asked as she pushed herself further into him for comfort.

"Yes Raphtalia?" He quietly replied, questioning how she was awake.

"Do you think Keel will be ok?" She asked the man in a small voice.

Leo took a moment to answer as he formulated a response that would satisfy his girlfriend. "Well, he and the others managed to survive that hellhole, so yeah, I think so. They're tough, they'll pull through. I know it." Leo stated with conviction.

Leo's answer brought a small smile to Raphtalia's face. "Yeah, you're right." She simply said aloud.

"I'm always right." Leo softly joked as he leaned into Raphtalia's back to cuddle closer with her.

Raphtalia simply continued to smile, her eyes never opening once during the interaction. "Goodnight Leo." She said as she dozed off to sleep once more.

"Goodnight, my valkyrie."

The next day, Leo and Raphtalia stood around the dining room table, their map laid out before them. Currently, they were waiting for Itsuki and Ren to arrive so they could plan their next step now that all three heroes were classified as "enemies of the crown." As they awaited the other heroes' arrival, Leo and Raphtalia continued to mark off side routes for safer travel.

"We need to make sure we stay off the main roads that connect to the capitol. For now, we'll primarily use secondary or back roads to get somewhere. Until the Queen arrives, we're dead in the water with where we can go, but we do know that we can't stay here." Leo said as he kept his eyes on the map. He crossed out yet another road that connected the capitol with one of the major towns in the countryside.

Raphtalia glanced up at Leo every now and again, but this time, she kept her eyes on him before speaking. "True, but we can't just up and leave, not yet at least. Everyone is still recovering, whether that be Keel and the rest of the survivors, or the other two heroes and their parties. We need to make sure everyone has at least been given a chance to regain their strength, even if some of them won't be with us."

Leo held up a hand, silently telling her to keep calm. "And we will, don't worry. Before coming here, I got a quick update from Rifana. She says that the color of the survivors' skins are returning to normal, as well as the fact that their fevers have or are nearly broken."

At that moment, the doors to the dining room opened revealing a cleaned up Itsuki and Ren. Stepping inside, Itsuki greeted the pair with a light hearted 'hey' while Ren simply nodded to them.

Leo smirked as he waved at them. "Good, you're finally here. Come on, we have work to do."

Leo stated. Taking up a position around the table, Itsuki and Ren joined him at his sides while Raphtalia stood across from them.

Looking at the map, Ren raised an eyebrow at the two soldiers. "Hm, you've been busy. What are we here for anyway?"

"You two are here to help plan out our next move. Considering our circumstances in the face of the King and Church, our best bet is to stick together for the time being." Leo informed the Sword and Bow Hero.

Looking down on the map, Itsuki pointed towards the many markings written and drawn across it. "What does 'dark zone mean?' And what are these 'X' marks on the roads and border?" He asked Leo as his eyes dashed from marking to marking across the paper.

Pointing towards the border he began to explain. "These markings here show where the checkpoints for the border between Melromarc and Shieldfreeden are. As of now, all seven CP's are locked down tight with no way through. These dark zones here," Leo said as he moved to one of the towns, "are areas that have been manipulated into thinking that I kidnapped Melty. Basically, it's areas that aren't safe for me or my team to access."

Itsuki had a confused look on his face as he processed what Leo had just said. "You keep telling us that Melty wasn't kidnapped, but almost everyone else outside of our groups don't see it that way. Any idea why?"

Leo sighed as he leaned on the table for a moment. "It took some time, but I believe I managed to piece together everything so far. I'm sure you two know about the Three Heroes Church?" Leo asked, to which Itsuki and Ren nodded. "Good, then I don't have to tell you who they worship. Two days ago, when Idol Rabier stormed over here and tried to get us, I overheard him call me the 'Shield Devil.' It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."

Ren and Itsuki simply sat there, a mix of shock and confusion strewn across their faces. "So what you're saying is that the Three Heroes Church believe you're the literal Devil?" Ren asked, his neutral facade breaking. Leo quickly gave him a confirming nod. "Wow, that's intense. What do you plan on doing?"

"As of now, our plan is to keep on the move, stay one step ahead of the enemy until the Queen arrives. When she finally does return from Faubrey, we can trust that she'll help clean up this whole mess. We've been marking no - go areas for a while now, as well as routes that are popular for knights. Considering you've traveled to places we haven't, we could use your insight." Leo said as he held out his pencil towards the two teenage heroes.

Itsuki took the pencil and stared at the map. After a moment of flickering eyes, he began to cross out larger towns that he had traveled to during his time in the east. After marking a few new dark zones and unusable routes, he passed the pencil off to Ren who did the same thing, albeit with less newly marked areas.

Then, without warning, the door to the dining room burst open revealing an ecstatic looking Rifana. "Leo, Raphtalia, they're awake! Come on!" She exclaimed before taking off back in the direction she had come from. Leo and Raphtalia looked at each other for a moment before moving around the table.

"You two keep marking things out and such, we'll be right back!" Leo said as he left the room. Ren and Itsuki simply watched the two leave in a hurry. After getting over the shock of the sudden event, Ren shrugged before going back to the map and crossing off roads.

Leo and Raphtalia ran behind Rifana as she led them to the room that she and the demi - human survivors had been residing in. Slowing their pace as they came to the door, Rifana opened it and waved her friends inside. Once inside, Leo and Raphtalia saw the three children sitting up in their beds. When they saw the two newcomers, their eyes shined with excitement.

"Wow, it's the Shield Hero!" One of the children exclaimed as she pointed at Leo.

While Leo began to converse with the other two children, Raphtalia walked over to Keel and brought him into a hug. "Thank goodness you're ok. I'm sure you feel a lot better huh?" She said as she released him from her hug.

"Yeah! And this bed is so comfy!" Keel replied as he laid back down and took in the bliss of clean sheets. Raphtalia rolled her eyes at Keel's antics while smiling in happiness at her friend's health. "Oh, there's something I have to ask you!" Keel said as he quickly sprung up from the bed.

"What is it?" Raphtalia simply asked as she crossed her arms.

Keel looked over at Leo for a moment and then back to Raphtalia. "I want to join you in the Shield Hero's party."

Raphtalia raised an eyebrow before speaking with concern. "What? But you just began to recover! I- I…" Raphtalia sighed as she hung her head. "I'll ask Leo, but I'm telling you, you're better off here where you can recover." With that, Raphtalia stood up and went over to Leo who was currently speaking with Rifana. "Leo." Raphtalia said as she put a hand on his shoulder. "I need to tell you something."

Leo looked over his shoulder at the raccoon demi - human. "Hold that thought, Rifana." He said as he turned towards his girlfriend. "What's up?"

"So, I was talking to Keel until he suddenly told me something. He told me that he wants to join the party. I told him he should stay here and recover, but you're the leader, so I told him that you'll decide." Raphtalia informed him.

Leo looked over at Keel for a moment before walking over to the young demi - human. "So, you said you wanted to join the party, huh?" Leo asked as he stood over the sitting dog demi - human. Keel replied with an enthusiastic 'mhm' while nodding his head. "Alright, but let me warn you now. If you choose to join, then you're going to be joining us on a long trip and potentially deadly trip to defeat the Waves. There will be hardships and you will experience pain. Do you understand?" Keel gave him a solid nod, his eyes giving off an aura of determination and confidence. Leo gave the child a smirk. "Alright then, welcome to the team."

Author's Note: And that's chapter 18 done! I was conflicted for a long time as to whether Keel should live or die, but ultimately, mainly due to a lot of outside influence, I was swayed to keep them alive.