Guardian Moon-Fódlan's Fangs

A few moments later they got to the location the horrible mercenary described. They stayed back at a distance, waiting for the Belerager lackeys. Eventually, a mortal savant showed up. Siegbert jumped out of his hiding spot. "You've been discovered!"

The woman leapt back in surprise. "What?!"

She started fleeing, but Camilla soared above her head with an axe and blocked her path. "Relax, darling. Just tell us what we want to know."

Silas interrogated, "Where's your base?"

The woman shook her head frantically. "This can't be happening."

Ophelia scampered up to her. "Let the tantalizing juice of the things you bear flow into the goblets of our desire."

The woman sized up the young woman, and swatted her to the side to make a getaway. Dedue threw himself in front of the assailant. "I dare you to try that on me."

Camilla's eyes flashed dangerously. "YOU TOUCHED MY CHILD?! I was going to show you mercy, but now this changes everything." The angry mother yanked the woman by the neck and brought her up into the sky. "You will answer me or I will hurt you. Where's your base?"

The woman choked out, "Fódlan's . . . Fangs . . . in Adrestia . . ."

Sophie inquired, "Do you know where that is, Dedue?"

Dedue shook his head. "No. But if we talk to Emperor Ferdinand, we'll know the way."

Camilla looked at the criminal in her grasp. "I suppose I should show you mercy for cooperating thus far. But you did HARM MY CHILD, and wicked children must be punished." She threw the enemy to the ground, whose head hit the dirt first, and was knocked out.

Owain winced. "Looks like we'll have to take her back with us to make sure she's not lying."

The small group trudged back to their friends. Annette jumped at seeing Camilla drag someone behind her. "Who's that?"

Siegbert explained, "The Belerager agent we found. She made the . . . uh . . . lethal decision to push Ophelia out of her way."

Caspar high-fived Ophelia. "Nice work! You've got a lot of fighting spirit!"

Silas corrected, "Actually, that was Camilla."

Camilla elaborated, "I make sure those who harm my loved ones suffer."

Dedue went back on track. "She said that their base was in Fódlan's Fangs. Do any of you know the way?"

Ferdinand replied, "Most certainly. After all, every emperor should know each nook and cranny of his land."

Dorothea held her head in her hands for a moment before recovering. "Yes. We can head there at once."

They returned to Garreg Mach for a brief respite, where Camilla's least favorite person rotted in the dungeon. Silas updated everyone there on the situation, and after a week of rest, they set forth to Fódlan's Fangs.

The air was stuffed with humidity and the Sun beat down on their backs. Along the long, long way there, Ingrid marched next to Dedue. "All those things you said to me . . . did you mean them?"

"Yes. I would not have said them otherwise. I hope that we can work together in the coming years to better serve His Highness."

Ingrid sighed. "I as well, though I have my doubts. My father expects me to lead House Galatea. I'll have to live my dreams through you."

Dedue scowled. "Do you not have any siblings that can perform those duties?"

Ingrid paused. "I do, but they bear no crest. It falls upon me."

"Are there any specific responsibilities that can only be performed by a crest bearer?"

"No, but it would help our position tremendously. We fell on hard times, and now I can deliver my family from that."

"You are torn between your dreams and your family?"

"I suppose so."

"Does there have to be a choice?"

Ingrid looked up, startled. "What do you mean?"

Dedue proposed, "If your house needs help, His Highness can surely lift up its reputation and status. He can do it as a reward for your services as one of his Falcon Knights."

Ingrid stopped moving for a second. "That might work! I'll have to talk to my father about it, but if Dimitri approves, there's no reason why he'd refuse!"

Meanwhile, Bernadetta skipped over to Dorothea. "Guess what! I'm now comfortable talking to Shiro, Caeldori, and Constance! Half the time. Now I'm working on Linhardt."

Dorothea praised, "Excellent! Is he giving you trouble?"

Bernadetta contemplated that. "Not really. He used to criticize my paintings, but he leaves me alone now. I just talk to him about the weather or the new mission."

Dorothea encouraged, "That's a wonderful start, Bernie! You're getting the hang of this."

Bernadetta hugged her best friend. "Yeah, but that's only because I have you to go back to if something bad happens. That safety net is what helps me get through my fear."

Dorothea placed a hand on her heart. "That is so sweet. I'm honored to be that person in your life."

The rest of the journey was a cheerful one, thanks to Ingrid and Dorothea's elevated spirits. Once they reached Fódlan's Fangs, Ferdinand became alert. "Anything can happen here. Please be careful. All pegasus and wyvern units please stick to the ground."

They all slowly and cautiously pressed on, wary of any signs of a clever trap. Inigo whined, "I've officially reached a new level of hotness. I'm so hot I can't dodge enemy attacks."

Shigure had his pegasus trot in front of Inigo. "No worries, Father! You can have a seat on my mount." Inigo took up his son's offer, and hopped on.

Gustave shielded his eyes from the oppressive Sun and pointed in the distance. "What's that on the cliff?"

Ferdinand gasped. "That was not there when I last came here!"

Catherine spoke up, "Alright, listen! That's most likely one of their buildings. We're here to figure out how the enemy can interfere with portals to other worlds and to destroy the base once we gathered all we can. Is everyone ready to storm the gates?"

Khalid rubbed his hands together, eager to share a new scheme. "Here we go! Mounted units, charge at the sentries."

Shigure and Inigo lunged at a sniper. Shigure steered the steed while Inigo slashed at his chest. Camilla and Caeldori teamed up to take on a powerful berserker while Subaki shoved his naginata into a mage's face.

Byleth breathed a sigh of relief. "Great work! Let's get in there!"

Felix punched the door down, and then kicked it apart. Shiro announced, "Alright! This is some kind of raid! Everyone, start talking! What are you doing in this nefarious place?"

A dark flier yelled, "Don't let them access the data storeroom! Defend it at all costs!"

Khalid muttered, "'Data storeroom'? It seems that we hit the jackpot with this."

Nah transformed into a dragon and burned a unit of myrmidons. "It's squashin' time!"

Dimitri stabbed a few dark clerics with his lance, while Mary cut an enemy down with her sword. Dimitri nodded. "Hey, nice shot. It seems our practice sessions are working."

Mary simpered as she went into an en garde position and thrust her weapon into a trickster. "Thanks! They're really helping!"

Constance blasted an enemy healer with Agnea's Arrow. "Aha! Tremble before me, Constance von Nuvelle, the wizard responsible for restoring her house!"

Gustave slammed the blade of his axe into a barbarian. "I will put my family back together again. But for that, I need to survive this conflict."

Cynthia screeched, "Die in the name of a brighter future!" as she jabbed her spear into a griffon rider's skull.

Morgan snapped her fingers as she shot a few batches of lightning at a general. "I've got to train to lead Plegia well . . ."

Dorothea summoned a meteor into the dark flier. "This is what all of you get for hurting Ferdie!"

After much battle, the heroes emerged victorious, although Linhardt did have to heal Soleil quite a bit. Khalid moved forward to the data storeroom, his shoes making a deafening click on the tile floor. He accessed the information gathered, and reeled to a halt. "Uh, guys? You'll want to see this."