Carpe Noctum. Part 2.

"You," Edelgard hissed as she pointed her weapon at the Agarthan. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Mortis growled in turn, her lance held in steady, trained hands.

"I asked you once-"

"And I'm not answering," Mortis replied, her tone guarded. "But I suggest you leave, Saint Cichol."

"What the hell did she say?" Claude wondered. "I only heard Cichol. What does that mean?"

"Why do you say that?" Seteth asked as he stepped forward, exchanging a glance with Edelgard.

"Your Agarthan is rather good," Mortis replied after a moment of silence. "Especially considering you haven't used it in centuries."

"Who are you?" Claude asked as he raised his bow. "Don't want to scar a pretty face if I don't have to."

"Prince Claude of House Riegan, only son of Lady Tiana von Riegan," Mortis repeated in turn, her voice low and even. "This is not your fight. Turn around and leave if you value your life."

"Look, I don't want to have to fight ya." Claude scoffed. "You're outnumbered, and I'll feel bad if I have to kill ya."

Mortis clenched her teeth as she inched back. "I delivered my warning. Forget it at your peril."

"What warning?" Edelgard's eyes narrowed.

"She warned me to leave this place," Seteth replied. "Although I assure you that it will not happen."

"I'm sure Thales will be pleased to hear that," Mortis shot back. "Him and the rest of the Septet."

A moment of silence fell as the words settled and died. Then Byleth exchanged a glance with Edelgard.

"Thales is here as well?" Edelgard asked.

"Why wouldn't he be?" Mortis sneered. "This whole detour was his idea."

"Detour?" Seteth sounded angry. "What is it that you are planning?"

Mortis said nothing as she inched back into the trees, her eyes darting from face to face as her hands tightened on her spear.

"Spite intends to burn the forest down to stop you," Mortis said as she backed safely into the forest. "I would suggest stepping away from this area, unless you wish to burn with the forest."

"Your threats are empty," Edelgard shot back. "If he was to burn the forest down, you would burn with us. And then you would either have to deal with us, or die in the flames."

Mortis smirked, her lips curving up just so slightly as she lowered her lance. "He doesn't know about you, not yet."

"I have a question," Seteth said as silence fell amongst the group. "Is your name truly Mortis, or did you steal that from a murdered victim?"

"We don't always kill our replacements," Mortis shot back, the amusement in her voice gone. "Your friends would know that better than most."

"I have a question as well," Byleth interjected, taking a step forward to the cornered Agarthan. "What do you think your odds are, fighting all four of us?"

"Poor," Mortis admitted, her eyes turning to the direction of Kronya as she took a step back. "I think we all know that."

"Then-" Byleth growled as he glanced at the direction Mortis had been looking at, only to find the road deserted.

Mortis dove behind a tree as Claude fired an arrow, narrowly missing the Agarthan woman as it slammed into a tree, splintering the trunk and showering Mortis with bark.

"Is he coming?" Edelgard glanced down the road as she flanked to the left of the tree, Aymr at the ready as she raised her shield.

"No, she wanted to distract us," Byleth hissed as he hurried after Edelgard. "The oldest trick in the book, and I fell for it like a fish."

"We have this flank covered!" Seteth shouted as he leapt behind a tree. "Professor! Do not let her get away!"

"I'm not going to," Byleth replied as he dodged to the left, dodging a series of arcane bolts that skewered the ground he had been standing on a moment prior as Byleth landed behind the relative safety of a tall, wide tree. "El! Stay out of-"

It was too late for the warning as a blast of darkness slammed into Edelgard's prepared shield, the blow stopping her methodical advance as she paused, her breathing heavy as she fell to one knee.

"I'm going to kill you for that," Byleth called as the forest fell silent. "You'll pay for what you did."

Mortis replied with a bolt of dark magic, the blast tearing a gaping hole into a tree, causing splinters of wood to rain down on Byleth, who dove for cover.

"Professor!" Seteth called as he darted forward, crouched low behind a sturdy tree. "Be careful!"

Byleth hesitated for a moment before he spotted the fleeing shape that was Mortis, and a feeling of rage in his chest caused his legs to begin moving once more, past the tree that had served as his shield.

Right into the path of the twisting, falling tree that Mortis had blasted.

"You there," Spite barked as he stepped forward from his position on the dirt road. "Where is your master?"

The man ignored him and took a swig of water as a second soldier tore through the bushes behind him, followed by a third and a fourth, each soldier ignoring him to drink a swig of water.

"You men, where is Narik?" Spite turned to the only soldier who was still vigilant. "Where is your commander Bias?"

"Bias went ahead," the man replied, his voice nonchalant. "Was looking for- was looking for who again?"

"Kronya, you know the-" one of the other men muttered as he glanced up. "Ah, shit."

Spite raised an eyebrow as the man who had spoken sighed, raising his hands in exaggerated surrender. "Kronya wandered off. We couldn't find her anywhere, even when the order to withdraw came. She seemed to just run after a butterfly or something."

"And Narik is searching for her?" Spite asked.

One of the men glanced behind him as the tall, grim-faced soldier stepped out between two trees, at the head of the rest of his battalion.

"Your protege went ahead on her own." Narik said as he nodded to Spite in greeting. "I was ordered to fall back to a more defensible position, given the fact that she said you intended to burn the forest down."

Spite nodded as he glanced at the road ahead of him, cracking his knuckles as he stepped forward. "And have there been any signs of the enemy? A scouting soldier perhaps?"

"You mean the heat?" one of the men laughed from the side. "I prefer the ghosts to this."

"Aye," another man added. "A ghost you can kill. This heat? Nothing to do but suffer."

"There have been no signs of the local militia," Narik turned to Spite. "And I suspect there will not be any hostile forces in this area for some time. The militia units here would take hours to call into service."

"So you believe we have until the evening before the enemy will respond, yes?" Spite asked as he looked Narik in the eye.

"I do," the other man met his gaze. "No enemy troop movements until nightfall. The heat alone would cripple a fighting force well before they reached us."

"Then we'll be stuck here until we can find a prisoner willing to talk." Spite muttered.

Narik frowned, "Did you hear that?"

"Is something amiss?" Spite asked.

"A tree fell as you were speaking," Narik replied as he turned his eyes to the distance as his soldiers tensed. "Odd."

"We are in a forest during the middle of a drought," Spite said, even as his face hardened. "Surely it cannot be hard for a tree to die in a situation like this."

"It is not," Narik replied. "But a tree dying and a tree falling over are two very different things."

"You believe this is related to Bias," Spite guessed, an eyebrow raised. "How unexpectedly loyal to a commander you have only met for a few days."

"The lives of my men will be negatively impacted if we were to let her fall," Narik replied, his arms crossed over his chest. "You know this, since you are behind her being assigned to me to begin with."

Spite made no response to the accusation as he glanced down the road, making a single gesture for the other soldiers to advance. "Cover the forest, I'll walk along the main road. If there are hostiles, we must be ready for them."

"Professor!" Seteth shouted as he ran over to the downed tree. "Professor!"

"Byleth!" Edelgard screamed as she ran over to him, her face full of worry as she forced her hands against the fallen tree trunk, her face strained as she pulled at the smoldering wood.

"Claude!" Seteth barked as he reached the downed tree. "Be careful, she could still be out there somewhere."

"I think she's gone!" Claude called back as he ran over to the fallen tree. "Pretty quick for someone in full armour, that's for sure."

"El, I'm fine," Byleth gasped from under the tree. "The tree just caught me by surprise, that's all."

"We'll need to see to your health, Professor," Seteth chided the other man as he grabbed at the tree. "We know where the Agarthans are-"

"But if they flee back into Zaharas, then we'll have no idea of what they plan to do," Byleth argued as Claude joined Edelgard and Seteth in lifting the tree up.

"Chatterbox?" Hapi's voice called from next to their horses as she landed. "I checked out the tower."

"What did you find?" Edelgard asked as they pulled the tree up, just far enough for Byleth to inch backwards, his face an ugly grimace as he rubbed his shoulders.

"They didn't like me much," Hapi replied as she hurried next to Byleth, her eyes wandering over the scene before her. "Tried to bombard me with magic and-"

"How many of them were there?" Byleth asked from his position on the ground.

"Couldn't get a head count," Hapi muttered. "Too busy trying not to die."

"Whatever stealth we might have had is gone then," Claude muttered as he stepped back, running a hand through his hair. "So much for doing it quietly."

"If they fought our forces there already, then it's likely they were expecting a counterattack." Edelgard argued. "Remember what Mortis said."

"All of their ruling Septet are in the area." Seteth said. "They very well could have been preparing a large operation."

"Against what?" Byleth asked as Edelgard handed him a vulenary, kneeling as he took small sips.

"We saw the Wind Caller earlier," Claude said. "He killed that creepy Solon guy."

"My brother Macuil," Seteth said. "And the man who tried to kill you five years ago."

"It's closer to six years now," Edelgard said. "Almost six years since that day in the forest."

"And how things have changed," Seteth said, his eyes wandering to the fortress. "Tell me professor, how did your assault on this fortress go the last time?"

"Surely you have the reports we submitted at the time. Edelgard narrowed her eyes. "Or at the very least, studied them."

"I did," Seteth confirmed. "Both your report as well as the report of Gilbert. But the reports focused on the siege of the main tower."

"We didn't encounter any bandits outside Conand Tower," Byleth said. "But there were units hidden within the ruins, and they came to flank us when we went after the main tower."

Seteth nodded as he turned his eyes to the trees beyond. "Do you believe that we could use the hidden entrances to our advantage?"

Edelgard pursed her lips. "We have a man who is familiar with the area, but I do not know his whereabouts. Besides, we might not have the time to plan out an attack."

"Who is this man you speak of?" Seteth asked as he turned his eyes to Edelgard.

"His name is Douglas," Edelgard replied. "A soldier under Miklan's command. He became the leader of Ashe's personal battalion over the course of the war."

Seteth narrowed his eyes, "And you let him serve you?"

"His loyalty and professionalism was never in question. Edelgard replied. "But he enjoyed Ashe's confidence."

"And where is he now?"

"We left him behind in the town," Claude explained. "We might be able to get him if we send someone back to collect him."

"There's no need," a voice called from the main road. "I'm right here after all."

"Douglas," Edelgard nodded to the grizzled soldier as he climbed into the shade. "You know what we seek to assault."

"I do," Douglas replied as he gave a concerned glance to Byleth.

"I'm fine," Byleth protested. "Some rest and I should be fine."

Douglas nodded as he glanced back at the road. "There's this strange woman on the road. Pale, half naked, walking around with a knife. Do any of you know her?"

Edelgard frowned as she exchanged a glance with Byleth. "Keep her away, I-"

"No," Byleth winced as he stood up, leaning on Edelgard as he tested his sore arms. "I suspect that, if Mortis was telling the truth about Kronya and this Adrasteia, we'll find a use for her."

"Lady Bias!" the lead scout called as Mortis glanced behind her, lance at the ready in the event she had been followed.

To her relief, the forest was silent, with no arrows chasing after her as she turned to the man she recognized as one of Narik's soldiers.

"Soldier," Mortis nodded in greeting. "I believe I had you move back to a more defensible location?"

"I had them come out here," Spite's voice called from the main road as the older man stepped into the forest from the main road. "Have you encountered… her?"

Mortis bit her lip as she nodded. "It's as you feared."

"What of the others?" Spite asked as he leaned against a pillar.

"I only encountered one of them" Mortis replied. "No sign of the other two."

"Leave us," Spite barked to the men around him.

"You heard him," Mortis gestured for her battalion to stand down. "Head back to Conand Tower."

The men grumbled for a minute as Narik exchanged a glance with Spite.

"Fine, but you will not interfere with our conversation." Mortis sighed as she stepped away from the main group, her eyes darting around the midday sun for any pursuers.

"What did you encounter amongst the enemy?" Spite asked when the two of them walked safely out of earshot. "And which of the four did you encounter?"

"The father was there, but there were no signs of the other two." Mortis replied as she glanced back at Narik and his battalion. "The fact that they didn't land directly on the beach to the east makes me suspicious."

"Why do you believe they didn't land at the beachhead?" Spite asked as he leaned against a tree, his face in deep thought. "With the Saint of the Lake, they very well could have laid siege directly against our eastern flank."

"Are you sure they didn't?" Mortis asked. "If they were able to-"

"No," Spite shook his head. "There was a strong squadron sent there to deal with the potential… outsider threat. Had they landed there, they would have been embroiled in battle."

Mortis nodded. "I, about Kronya."

"That thing is no longer my sister," Spite grimaced. "Her mind is no longer intact. It would be a mercy if she died quickly and painlessly."

"I thought-" Mortis started, falling silent as Spite raised a hand.

"I was hoping that we could finish this war quickly, so I could find some way to restore her," Spite explained, his lips twisted in an ugly snarl. "But my duties are to Agartha first, and I must win the war before I could do any research on the matter."

Mortis fell silent for a moment as she turned her eyes to the forests beyond. "When I found her, it was too late. The… vessel of the Fell Star was already upon us."

"Then you were right to walk away." Spite replied. "Were you injured?"

Mortis shook her head. "I was able to use the forest to my advantage. But I have no doubt they knew the direction in which I was running."

"They would have known regardless." Spite replied. "Still, it is curious that only a small handful of them arrived, and from an unexpected location as well."

"Unexpected?" Mortis asked.

"There has been no sign of Indech, as well as key retainers of the enemy," Spite explained. "Hubert von Vestra would break into the Imperial dungeons in a desperate attempt to save Edelgard, and yet he would stand idle as she rode into danger? No. Something is wrong here."

Mortis closed her eyes and nodded. "It's curious they would go all the way around. Perhaps they believed the southern flank was unguarded?"

"Were they on foot?" Spite asked, his face stony as his eyes focused on a spot on the ground.

Mortis shook her head. "They were on horses."

"Very interesting," Spite replied. "Horses are very difficult to feed, especially in a dry season such as this time. And that's not even considering how difficult it would have been to cross Ailell without suffering serious losses."

"What are you thinking?" Mortis asked.

Spite shook his head. "It would be preposterous. Impossible even."

"What is?"

"With how sparse their resources are, I cannot see House Galatea fielding more than a small handful of mounted units at any given time." Spite explained. "But the Almyrans? They could very well have brought along cavalry units with their task force."

"Did Vito- Solon see any of them?" Mortis asked.

"The forests that lead to the coast are thick and filled with underbrush. Impossible for mounted units to move quickly," Spite said. "It would be logical then, if the force our newly promoted Solon was ambushed by was a vanguard unit. It's possible that flying and cavalry regiments were kept in reserve, potentially to raid moving caravans once the Almyrans were set up."

"Solon and the others were just unlucky then?" Mortis asked.

"The dead scattered around the fortress show signs of being struck down by Macuil and his forces." Spite replied. "They Almyrans may have simply walked in on the slaughter."

"Why are you sure it's Macuil?" Mortis asked.

Spite paused as he took one final look at the distant trees. "The corpses of our men had many wounds caused by mortal weapons, and yet they failed to even draw a drop of blood from their enemy. Only Macuil's undead legions could produce such a result."

Mortis nodded as she turned around, back to camp. "How are we going to get Thales his prisoner?"

Spite rubbed his chin in response. "I'm sure I can think of something. But not a word to Thales. No sudden strike forces coming out of the woodwork."

"I see them!" a nervous soldier shouted as he ran towards Edelgard, his path blocked by Seteth.

"Easy there soldier," Douglas muttered as he stepped next to Seteth. "What is it that you found?"

"The Count- the Count is here." the soldier stammered.

"Good," Douglas replied as he turned to Claude and Edelgard. "Once we're settled in, we can discuss the… secrets of Conand Tower."

Edelgard nodded as she glanced to Byleth.

"I'm fine," Byleth said with a small wince. "A good night's rest and I'll be as good as-"

"You're not going anywhere." Edelgard dismissed Byleth with a glare. "Not until we have a medic look at you. And certainly not onto the battlefield."

"I apologize for being late," Hubert said as he led the party forward, his eyes hard as he glanced over to Byleth. "Professor-"

"I'm fine," Byleth said, his eyes shifting to Edelgard. "Let's just get this meeting over with."

Edelgard closed her eyes as she turned to Hubert. "Hubert, a moment in private."

"As you wish, Lady Edelgard." Hubert said before he turned around to face the party behind him. "Dorothea! See to it that the Professor's injuries are looked after."

Dorothea winced as she climbed over a rocky outcropping, a weak smile on her lips as she walked up to Byleth.

"Professor," Dorothea nodded as she knelt next to him, her legs folded neatly under her as she looked her former teacher in the eye. "Could you tell me what happened?"

Byleth pointed to the broken tree that landed on him. "We were hunting her-"

"Mortis?" Dorothea whispered, her eyes growing wide.

Byleth nodded as he leaned in close to Dorothea. "Edelgard wants her dead."

Dorothea grimaced. "And when we go in-"

"Adrasteia traded Ingrid and Ashe for her last time. Perhaps… perhaps we can find a solution to Edelgard's implanted Crests from him."

"You want to take her hostage?" Dorothea whispered.

"If we don't, we might never be able to solve Edelgard and Lysithea's Crest problems," Byleth explained, wincing as Dorothea found a sensitive spot. "I believe in Linhardt, but so far all our efforts have amounted to nothing. If this is the breakthrough we need to save Edelgard's life, then so be it."

Dorothea nodded as she cast a light healing spell, her fingers lighting up a soft green as she cared to Byleth.

"No action for a few days," Dorothea whispered softly. "Otherwise you might hurt yourself again."

Byleth closed his eyes and nodded. "Promise me."

"I'll do my best." Dorothea whispered as she rose to her feet again.

"Please do," Byleth whispered as Edelgard stepped out of the bushes, a grim-faced Hubert at her side.

"If there are no other concerns," Douglas called out as the assembled crowd turned to face him. "We will begin our briefing."

"I trust the journey has not been too taxing?" Indech asked as he climbed out of the water, his arms stretching as he shook water out of his green hair.

"Not at all, uncle!" Flayn chirped as she waited next to the water's edge, her hands clasped behind her back as Indech accepted a long tunic from a young soldier standing by.

"Have you thought of what you want for dinner?" Indech asked as he turned to Flayn.

"Fish!" Flayn cheered.

Indech smiled as he looked down into the lake he had climbed from, his eyes turning to the towering building that was Garreg Mach.

"Somethings never change," Indech observed with a small, wistful smile.

"Uncle?" Flayn asked, her voice curious. "Do you remember something?"

"I do," Indech replied. "Even a thousand years ago."

"What was it like?" Flayn asked.

Indech paused as he looked around the nearly deserted harbour, his eyes trailing to the wooden harbour they stood on. "Back then, this was a park. There would be children."

"Did you enjoy the park?" Flayn asked, her eyes bright.

Indech laughed, a wince upon his lips. "No. I would jump in the lake to avoid the children. It was rather difficult to talk to them. Not that Cichol ever minded. They loved him."

"Father?" Flayn asked. "Really?"

Indech nodded as a running figure slammed into him.

"Ouch!"

"Are you alright?" Flayn asked as Indech took a step back. "Lysithea, do be careful."

"Flayn!" Lysithea gasped as she stood up, dusting her clothes off. "Linhardt thinks he might have found something within the library at Abyss!"

"But fath- my brother keeps forbidden texts there," Flayn spluttered.

"And Linhardt thinks that there might be something within those books that could get rid of my Crests," Lysithea explained.

Indech frowned. "I believe that whatever texts he gathered down there would be in the Agarthan tongue. I'm not sure he'll be able to read them, or anyone else for that matter."

Lysithea's face fell as Indech paused, his face grim as he turned his eyes to Flayn. "But I believe I can."

"I trust everyone here is familiar with our objective?" Douglas asked as he gestured the group forward to a rough drawing in the dirt.

"What are we looking at here?" Claude asked, seeming unconcerned at the number of annoyed faces looking at him. "What? I wasn't assigned the mission to go after Miklan."

Douglas grimaced as he jabbed a stick into the dirt. "This is Conand Tower, a fortress built by the Adrestian Empire seven centuries ago with the purpose of guarding the northern coastline from bandits and pirates. It's been mostly out of use for at least five centuries, ever since the Sreng Castigation."

"The what?" Sylvain sounded confused. "Sreng?"

"Correct," Edelgard said. "It was a campaign launched by Imperial forces that crushed the united tribes of Sreng territory. Afterwards, I presume the fortress lost its purpose."

"Correct," Douglas confirmed. "By the time Miklan had set up shop here, the only hint that anyone had ever lived there was a rusted armoury we found in the basement."

"What can you tell us about the grounds themselves?" Edelgard asked, ignoring a look of stunned horror from Sylvain. "How are the defenses there?"

"Spotty," Douglas replied. "When we occupied the fortress, we didn't have the manpower to hold the fortress grounds, not that we gave a damn."

"Are there alternative means to entering the main tower?" Edelgard asked. "We raided the primary tower five years ago, but we had ambushers coming in behind us."

"There are alternative entrances, but to access them, we would need to eliminate the guards around the tower." Douglas explained, tapping at the map in the dirt. "The tunnels that were used to transport our reinforcements all those years ago are cramped and dirty, and that's assuming they haven't collapsed yet."

Count Galatea frowned as he crouched down to get a better look of the map. "What are the defenses inside the fortress grounds?"

Douglas shook his head. "In ages past, there might have been some ballistae, but by the time we got there, we couldn't find anything to use. There are some walls and battlements to fight a skirmish or two, but those walls can easily be flanked."

Count Galatea nodded before he looked up at Douglas. "How would you approach the battlefield given our current situation?"

Douglas frowned as he gestured to the dirt outside his crude map. "The forests around the fortress would need to be cleared out. Far too risky to run into guards or scouts out there."

"But if we run into enemy scouts, they could be alerted to our presence." Sylvain protested. "Maybe a full attack before they can rally?"

"Too late for that," Edelgard grumbled from the other side of the huddle.

"What do you mean by that?" Sylvain asked, looking up at Edelgard.

"We ran into one of them already," Edelgard growled as she leaned against a tree. "Mortis, the one we traded for Ingrid and Ashe."

Sylvain swallowed as he recognized the name. "Then they could already-"

"Douglas," Edelgard snarled. "If we were to launch an attack immediately, how difficult would the terrain be to cross?"

Douglas grimaced as he turned to the crowd. "The forests were easy enough to cross for those of us who lived around forests in the north, but crossing in heavy armour would be nearly impossible, and the amount of exposed roots makes sending cavalry an even worse idea. The road isn't too wide, and it's possible they set up a blockade already."

Edelgard nodded and leaned back, her face deep in thought as Seteth glanced back at his wyvern, a flash of emotion darting across his eyes.

"Seteth, what's on your mind?" Byleth asked.

"We have three mounted units," Seteth explained, his voice slow and exploratory. "Could we act as a diversionary force to allow the rest of you to get into position?"

Ingrid paused. "We would be flying in without any understanding of the forces against us."

Hubert nodded. "Mortis is also a dangerous enemy to fight, especially if she was to ambush you. She did considerable damage to Maurice, and she's shown here that she's willing to kill."

"She also mentioned that the rest of the Septet were also here," Edelgard added as her gaze wandered over to the downed tree. "Seven dangerous sorcerers in this area, including both Thales and Adrasteia."

"He- he's not going to be able to do what he did in Gloucester territory, right?" Ashe had grown pale and took a step back. "With the smoke?"

"No," Hubert said. "Not unless we came with reinforcements, all marching down a road in heavy armour. Instead, we'll move through the forest, and only use the road if our hand is forced."

Seteth nodded as he looked down at the crude map in the dirt. "I think we should attack quickly. If we were able to destroy their leadership in one fell swoop…"

"We might lose our chance entirely if we do not act immediately." Hubert reminded the others. "Mortis has already warned them of at least our presence."

"Wait-" Douglas looked down at the crude map, a spark of interest in his eyes. "But just what exactly did she see?"

Hubert opened his mouth for a moment before he pressed a hand to his lips. "I like how you think. Launching a surprise attack with a force several times larger than what they are expecting. Still, time is limited."

"And yet we still don't know how many of their forces are here," Byleth observed, his face hard. "Seteth, do you think it would be possible to draw some of them into an ambush? Give them a target they simply cannot run away from?"

Seteth paused for a moment, his eyes turned to Byleth as his lips pressed into a line. "Just what is it that you are planning?"

"Lindy?" Lysithea called into the darkened room, waving her hands to ward off the cloud of dust that arose with every step. "Linnnnndy!"

A distant, muffled echo of her voice replied from the halls around them, and Lysithea sighed as she turned back to Flayn and Indech. "Sorry, I'm not sure where he is."

"It's quite alright," Indech said. "I'm sure we'll find him somewhere down here. Flayn, do you know your way around?"

Flayn shook her head. "Father banned me from coming down here. Said there were untrustworthy people here."

Indech nodded as he stepped forward. "Then I suppose it falls to us to explore."

"Hello?" a voice echoed off the walls. "Hello?"

"Linhardt?" Lysithea called, her face almost as pale as her hair. "Lindy! Don't scare me like that!"

A heavily armoured soldier popped out from behind a pillar, and Lysithea was suddenly clinging to Flayn's arm.

"Oh, mister Gatekeeper!" Flayn called. "It's good to see you!"

"Oh hello there Flayn," the gatekeeper said with a wide smile. "Sorry if I startled you. Linhardt asked me to help him move some of the books down here."

Flayn nodded as the gatekeeper turned to Indech. "Pleased to meet you, I'm the gatekeeper here."

"That's my uncle!" Flayn called out. "He's here to help in case- in case any of the books have words Linhardt doesn't understand!"

Indech nodded stiffly, sticking out a hand to the gatekeeper's direction, his eyes darting around.

"Nice to meet you!" the gatekeeper chirped. "My name's Kyle, but everyone just calls me Gatekeeper."

Indech nodded again as the gatekeeper warmly shook his head.

"Well, anyhow, I'll be delivering these books to his room," the gatekeeper explained. "I'll be back once the books have been delivered."

Flayn nodded as the gatekeeper hurried past her. "Lysithea, please let go of my arm."

"Huh?" Lysithea blinked, "Did- what just happened?"

"We met with the Gatekeeper," Flayn explained. "I think he might have startled you."

Lysithea coughed and laughed nervously. "Of course not! I would never be scared of someone like that, he's usually so friendly and-"

"Oh hello Lysithea," Linhardt said as he popped out from behind a pillar. "I thought I heard you talking."

"Uncle, meet Linhardt," Flayn gestured with her free hand. "Lysithea, please let go of my arm. I can't feel my fingers."

"Sorry," Lysithea's hands shot back, and the tiny girl was suddenly fascinated with a pebble on the ground.

Linhardt nodded as he turned to the book in his hands. "I found a rather interesting book with some inscriptions that might be useful."

"Really?" Lysithea sounded excited as she looked up.

"Yes, it's a shame I can't read any of the text inside, however," Linhardt sighed as he shut the book. "Not one word."

"May I?" Indech spoke up, his eyes darting to the book.

Linhardt paused for a moment before he nodded, handing the large, thick tome over to the taller man. "Anything you can recognize?"

Indech frowned as he flipped through the pages, his eyes darting from line to line. "This is not relevant to your investigation."

"What's in it?" Linhardt asked.

"This is a guidebook to the fortress of Ailell," Indech explained, shutting the book quietly. "It was destroyed early in the War of Heroes. Nothing remains there anymore."

Linhardt nodded as he turned around. "I'm sure there are other books out here."

"There should be," Indech agreed. "Only the scions of Agartha would even have the knowledge that Ailell once held a mighty citadel, much less have a detailed guidebook on it."

Linhardt nodded as he turned to a side room. "I'll show you where I found the book."

Indech paused before he turned to Flayn, his face serious. "Take Lysithea with you, and get some dinner. I suspect I'll be down here all night."

Spite blinked as shouting raged from the front line defenses of Chilon.

"What the hell is going on?" a soldier muttered as he rose to his feet.

"There!" Aranea shouted, pointing at a dark figure against the dimming afternoon sun. "Wyvern!"

At the woman's command, a dozen archers aimed up, their arrows aimed at the figure diving at their position.

"What the hell is he doing?" Spite hissed as he summoned an orb of fire. "Is that Cichol?"

At the mention of the Saint's name, a ripple shook through the assembled battalion as more soldiers scrambled up, seeking to look for themselves.

"It's him!" one of the men shouted. "Get him!"

"Steady!" Aranea roared back. "Hold your fire! You won't hit him unless he gets closer!"

"What are your orders?" Narik asked. "Do we chase?"

"You will," the voice of Thales sounded pleased. "We came here to slay a damned Nabatean, and we shall."

Spite pressed his lips together as he gave the faintest of nods. "Would it not be more sensible to set the forest ablaze? He surely cannot land in a field of fire, and he cannot fly on his wyvern forever."

"We would still need information on the movements of the Imperial Army," Thales reminded his subordinate. "I'm sure Cichol could, at the very least, provide us with a clear understanding of what the former Holy Kingdom of Faerghus holds in store."

"What of our patrols to the north?" Spite turned. "We do not know what is in the forests."

"Have you become a coward, Lord Periander?" Thales asked, his tone even, yet dripping with mockery. "Or do your fears stem from something else entirely?"

Spite clenched his teeth as he waved the assembled battlegroup forward. "Scouts, soldiers, support the main push. Pittacus, have your men take the forests to the west, I'll take the forests here."

Aranea nodded as she peeled off, a few soldiers dressed in dark uniforms marching alongside her.

"Will you join this assault?" Spite turned to Thales.

"Naturally." Thales replied. "I wish to see a Nabatean die with my own eyes, seeing how we were denied that pleasure previously. Quite disappointing that we weren't able to slay him earlier when we had the chance."

Spite nodded as he turned to Mortis. "You will follow alongside me. We don't know if he intends to… surprise us."

AN: Chapter done. Read, Review, Follow, Yada Yada.

Next chapter:

The trap sprung- Edelgard.

Underestimation- Mortis.

Journey into the darkness- Linhardt.

The battle turns- Claude.

Faith- Flayn.