A metallic taste seeps into my tongue and causes me to involuntarily spit. A wad of crimson splatters on the wall and trickles down. I wipe a red stream oozing out of my busted lips and spit again. That bastard got me good.

The platform reaches Garreg Mach's surface. Scattered all over the ground are the knights unfortunate enough to cross paths with Kes. However, no one appears to be fatally wounded. Some of them are resting up against buildings while others sit on the ground and hang their heads in sheer disappointment. Almost like they are reconsidering their life decisions.

"So if Kes' group were the ones that killed those people by the goddess tower, why did they spare these guys?" Charley asks.

"Dead men can't feel fear." Byleth states.

"Kes wanted these men to witness the deaths of those people. His goal was to demoralize these men by making them feel like they can't protect anything." I reply.

"Well it seems like he did a pretty good job." Edelgard adds.

"Just who are we dealing with here?" Fletcher questions me.

"A man whose sole occupation has been war for hundreds of years." I answer.

We make our way to the stable and head in. Charley finds his horse while Fletcher and Rebecca climb on top of a red horse. Byleth scales up a black horse and reaches out. Edelgard takes his hand and seats herself behind him.

Charley is the first one out of the stable as I toss a saddle on my horse, Glitter and ride out. Everyone builds up speed as I get out in front and lead the way towards the village Hanneman, and the others are currently at. Once we get there, we'll try and form a plan and discuss potential scenarios. What we are truly up against, how big their forces are, and when they intend to attack Garreg Mach. If they are bold enough to attack Rhea while she's in the safety of the keep, then they must have a force that dwarfs hers. The more I think about it, the more it worries me. The fate of Fodlan rests on whether or not Garreg Mach falls, and the odds don't seem to be in our favor.

"Artorias? Are you okay?" Charley asks.

"Yeah. I'm just trying to come up with a plan."

Charley acts like he wants to talk about Kes, and if I knew anything prior but realizes I'm not in a talkative mood. The truth is, I did, but only because of his journal entries in that book. That book was mainly a manual covering the basics of blood arcane as well as Agarthan history with some of Kes' personal thoughts on the system that should be instilled into Fodlan. The idea that him and Sothis actually had something future generations could benefit from makes me question why anyone would go out of their way to pit the Nabateans and Agarthans against each another.

If anything, the children of both sides were the ones that were affected the most, and as a result of Kes' and Sothis' decisions, humanity was forced to repeat their behavior in a cycle that seems to never end. Nobody was in the right. The Nabateans, the Agarthans, Fodlan itself. It was all created due to circumstance. A circumstance nobody was willing to compromise on.

If I'm Kes' pure blood descendent, and Byleth is Sothis' reincarnation, does this mean the both of us are destined to fight until one is killed? Until the Agarthans or the Nabateans have been completely exterminated? Is there any way we can prevent the destruction of our people, or are the Nabateans and Agarthans truly like oil and water? Unable to coexist.

We make our way through the village and hitch the horses at the local tavern. Charley opens the door and holds it for everyone. Drunken patrons curse one another and tell stories of bandit killing and monster slaying as barmaids pass out food and alcohol.

Hanneman is sitting at a table in the corner of the room. Sylvain is sipping on a tankard full of amber colored ale as Leonie cuts her steak with a dull knife. Charley takes a seat next to Leonie as I sit across from Hanneman. Everyone else finds another table to sit at and orders something to avoid looking suspicious.

"Looks like you got into quite a tussle." Hanneman states as he hands me his dining cloth.

I press the black cloth against my mouth and wipe, "Let's just say I found out who burned my house down."

"I'm guessing it's the same person who got us in trouble?"

"None other."

"I had a feeling that whoever cut you up wasn't going to let us off that easy."

I finish cleaning the blood off my mouth and motion that the both of us need to talk. I follow him upstairs to where the sleeping quarters are. Hanneman opens the door to his room and lets me in.

"What's going on Artorias?" He asks.

"Garreg Mach is about to come under siege. Flayn's abduction, the missing students, Jeralt's death. It's all been orchestrated for one thing."

"What would that be?"

"The death of Rhea and her kind."

"What do you mean her kind?"

"The Nabateans."

"Artorias…"

"Just hear me out. I know it sounds farfetched, but it's the truth. You know that Serios, and the four saints won the war against Nemesis, and the ten elites. Despite their deaths, Serios was unable to kill the reason why Nemesis became so powerful. A man by the name of Kes. The war never ended. Over the years, Kes hid within Fodlan's underworld. Far from the watchful eye of Serios herself. Now he's returned to finish a century old war once and for all."

"So you're telling me that Rhea is actually Serios herself?"

"Yes."

"And you're saying that she wasn't able to end the war permanently?"

"It didn't stop her from trying after she killed Nemesis, but she was unable to wipe out Kes and his people."

"No…There's no way. Fodlan hasn't had a war in years." Hanneman states as he tries to convince himself what I'm saying isn't possible.

His optimism melts into reality, and he shakes his head to clear the good thoughts in his mind. Hanneman takes his monocle out of his eye and rubs his face to try and relieve some stress. It's a lot to take in, and a part of me thinks he doesn't even believe my statement about Rhea actually being Serios, and a war monger named Kes wanting to finish what his people started.

"If what you are saying is true, how much time do we have?"

"Two days. Maybe."

"Two days!?"

"Kes had that place mapped out prior before entry. He knew exactly how to get into the holy mausoleum, and he more than likely has an exact count of how many knights Rhea has on hand, how many students there are, and where Garreg Mach's power positions are."

"So somebody within Garreg Mach is selling him information."

"Not to mention everything Solon had as well."

"My god. And you said we may have two days?"

"If we're lucky."

"Okay. I'm going to go downstairs and explain to the group what's going on. Once everyone gets in the know, we'll start coming up with a plan."

I walk out onto the balcony and place my hands on the railing. The shadow being cast off the moon has a unique shape that symbolizes the end of the month. Tomorrow marks the final day of the Pegasus Moon. Once the Lone Moon month begins, the final snow will arrive. During the middle or end of the first week, the only light source of the night will come from the moon itself for two days.

If I were to attack Garreg Mach, I would do it under the cover of those two nights. That is more than likely Kes' plan. However, he's going to stage skirmishes to try and trim down our overall force.

The stakes are high…No. I'm worrying too much. Everything will be fine. We have Byleth on our side, and if things work out, Edelgard, Claude and Dimitri might be able to get us some conscriptions before everything takes off. Maybe.

A thought comes to my mind, and my body slightly trembles at the idea. What Thales said they were going to do to Charley concerns me. The cold seeps through my gauntlets as the railing bites my tight grip.

This is what I've been training him for. This is why I had that sword made. Everything will be fine. Yet, if something does happen to Charley, I will stop at nothing to save him. Even if I have to torch everything in Fodlan, I will protect that boy. No matter what.

Clop…Clop…

The door to Hanneman's room opens and Byleth walks in, "Artorias?"

"Yeah?"

"How are you holding up?"

"Fine. How about you?"

"Other than a couple headaches here and there, I'm good."

Byleth leans on the railing beside me and stares up at the moon. I search my mind for something to say. Yet, the only thing I can think of is how I was unable to defeat Kes. Not to mention Byleth couldn't even beat him.

"Is something troubling you?"

"I'd be lying if I said no."

"Honora? Charley?"

"If Kes wanted to, he could have killed everyone in Garreg Mach tonight. What worries me is he didn't. I don't know how to explain it, but it feels like Kes and his group were just observing us. Trying to find out what they can use against us." I reply as I try to avoid the thought of my irrational behavior.

"He does seem like the type that would capitalize on someone's weakness. No matter how dishonorable the act could be." Byleth states.

The moment Thales mentioned something about smashing Charley's hands, I lost control, and I wish I wouldn't have. Now they know how to gain leverage over me. Which means I have to figure out how to use Molech's necklace before they come back.

Yet, if I have that marking, Kes does too. Which means he's already got hundreds of years of experience over me. Not to mention, he created Molech's necklace, and Kes doesn't seem like the one who'd allow someone to draw full power without some kind of catalyst, and a repercussion.

"Artorias?"

"Yeah?"

Byleth takes a deep breath and clears his head, "When I saved you from Solon, all I could think of was how I was sitting there with my father. The pain of knowing he wasn't going to make it, but I still denied it because I didn't want to say goodbye. That day, I took a silent oath, and made a promise. A promise that I wouldn't ever let anything happen to the people of Garreg Mach. Including you and Charley."

"Why is that?"

"Because when I see you and Charley together, I don't see a student and his pupil."

"Byleth…"
"They targeted my father because they knew that was going to hurt me the most, but I'm going to make damn sure they will not lay one hand on you or Charley."

What Byleth says is nothing but truth. I can hear it in his voice. I want to believe that with our strength combined, we'd be able to stand a chance against Kes and his group. Yet, there is still doubt. Byleth has only transformed once, and I can't figure out how to activate my locket. The both of us maybe master swordsman, but that isn't going to amount to anything if Kes is able to activate his markings without a self-inflicted wound. Not only that, but he has a locket as well, and he is going to use it if things turn in our favor.

"That's a pretty big burden to carry. Especially with the circumstances we are facing now." I reply.

"Well, all you need to do is believe. I think I recall someone telling me that once before." Byleth jokes.

I laugh with him, and think back to that day. Byleth pulled through when I offered myself up to Thales and his group. Yet, it feels as if what I did caused the problem to grow. If only I wasn't in such bad shape that day.

I would have helped Seteth and Honora kill Thales. We would still have to deal with Kes, but it might have given us a bit more time to try and come up with a solution, and a strategy against him. Just like when I stole that crest stone from the holy mausoleum. If I would have just let it go, then maybe that woman would have never gone to Kes. She would have never become Faceless, and her family would still be here.

The memory of reading that letter Jeralt gave me that day he was attacked comes back. Alexander Shawcross. The name of the man that razed Faceless' village simply for being in the vicinity of the Western Church.

"Byleth?"

"Yeah?"

"Here's what we are going to do. You are going to help the knights fortify the sanctuary. Have the prodigies of Garreg Mach help you if you must. You will form several groups of knights that will act as an armed escort. Edelgard, Charley and I are going to help the students escape by using the catacombs. Hanneman, Leonie, Sylvain, Rebecca, Fletcher and Edelgard's house will be stationed at the wells. Once the students have been retrieved, Hanneman and the others will meet the entourage and have them take the students to a safe location."

"Sounds like a plan."

"However, only recruit knights that are absolutely loyal to Rhea. We can't run the risk of having a traitor giving up the location of those kids. If things go according to plan, we can save most of the people in Garreg Mach."

"All we can do is try." Byleth states.

"And Byleth?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep an eye on a man named Alexander Shawcross. He's a Corporal in the Fifth Legion. I don't know what it is, but something seems off about him and his men." I say like I know what I'm talking about.

"Will do, and hey, we'll get through this, and when we do, I'll be sure to take you and Charley to the best tavern in Fodlan." Byleth states.

"Promise?"

"Promise." Byleth states as he holds out his hand.

I let out a heavy sigh laced with uncertainty, but form a smile and shake his forearm, "Then you better bring a month's salary then. Charley can drink my weight in wine."

"I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, I'll head down and inform everyone on the plan. Tomorrow morning, we'll head back to Garreg Mach."

"Sounds good." I reply.

My thoughts dwell on the potential future, and possible outcomes of this upcoming event. Even though I have my doubts, I have faith Byleth will get us through this. If everyone does their job and takes care of one another, then we'll have a better chance of overcoming this. Still, our enemies have a lot of wild cards, and we have yet to see what they are truly capable of…

End of the Pegasus Moon Arc…