"What are we doing?"

Ambriel turned to look at the Shield Hero from across the table. The two were seated in an isolated corner of a crowded inn. The guardian grinned, lifting a glass in mock salute.

"Drinking." Ambriel smiled at Naofumi.

Naofumi rolled his eyes. "No shit. I was more asking about our plans. You heard the king, we can't work together. And, well…" He trailed off, his hands tightening in silent rage. Beneath his grasp the wood of the table was pulverized.

Ambriel silently watched this. They'd talked, and as Ambriel promised, she'd told him of everything she'd inferred from her readings, of the hate the kingdom of Melromarc held for the Shield Hero, of their plan to discredit him at best, and to kill him at worst. All because of his predecessor's interference in a war Naofumi had nothing to do with. She shook her head, sighing.

"You're right, we can't work together without forsaking our strength." Ambriel finally spoke. "For now, we lay low, and we gather allies."

Naofumi laughed bitterly. "Where would we find allies, if this whole damn kingdom is against me for just existing?"

"This kingdom isn't worldspanning." Ambriel shrugged. "We will travel to a new one."

Naofumi leaned forward, brow furrowing. "But I thought you said Siltvelt was pretty much this place, but the opposite? Wouldn't you be in the same situation as me?"

She gave a half smile. "I don't plan on entering the country as well. We need to split up to gain strength, like you said. We travel to the border, and then we part ways."

"Why?"

Ambriel frowned at the abrupt question. "Why what?"

Shaking his head, Naofumi chuckled. "Why are you going to put yourself through so much effort for someone you barely know? Why do you care?"

Ambriel laughed. "Fair question." She raised three fingers, lowering one for each point. "First, because we're friends, and life experiences have taught me that friends are something to be valued. Second, because the government of this place rubs me the wrong way, and I can be pretty vindictive." She grinned, and Naofumi gave a short bark of laughter. "Third, you have the potential to be incredibly powerful and it's wise to invest in people with such potential."

Naofumi blinked, processing this. "I see." He nodded. "Thank you. I don't think I'd made it even this far without you."

Ambriel smiled softly. "I'm a guardian." In the flickering light of the tavern, her face seemed to age untold years, and her presence seemed to engulf the room. "It's what I do."

Before Naofumi could comment, she'd shaken her head and she was back to looking like a regular emerald haired woman.

"Anyway," the guardian said, glancing out the window at the fading light. She stood up from her chair, reaching into her granted coin purse to drop a few coins on the table. "It's getting late, and we should get some rest while we can. Be prepared to be up early, we leave at dawn."

"Alright." Naofumi nodded, wincing at the idea of being up so early, but understanding why it'd be necessary.

Ambriel started awake. Countless years of living in some of the harshest conditions imaginable had long since trained her mind to wake at the first sign of trouble. Without even being fully aware of it, she had dressed herself, her armoured robes a comforting weight on her shoulders.

She glanced out the window at the still darkened sky, estimating it to be a few hours before dawn yet. She glanced around her room, confused. Nothing seemed to be out of place or order.

So what had woken her?

Ambriel's head shot towards to door, hearing footsteps. Softly, she walked towards the door. She was no hunter, but she could still be stealthy when the situation called for it.

Upon reaching the door, she closed her eyes and exhaled, before listening intently. The footsteps receded, so Ambriel silently opened the door. Her hand went to her sword, resting on the pommel.

She frowned, padding across the floor silently. Whoever or whatever had caused the footsteps was nowhere to be seen, but the door to Naofumi's room was ajar.

Her eyes widened. The door was ajar!

Suddenly increasing her speed, she slammed through the slightly opened door, nearly breaking it off of the hinges. With a single movement she drew her sword, and held it in a loose, practiced guard.

"What are you doing here?" Ambriel growled.

A red haired woman turned to her, holding something close to her chest, and Ambriel suddenly hated the fact that she had to conserve her light, otherwise she would've had no qualms about unleashing the might of a star upon this mortal.

Instead, she grabbed the witch by an arm and threw her out of Naofumi's room and against the wall outside, pressing her sword across the intruder's throat.

"Do not make me ask again." Ambriel's eyes hardened.

Naofumi's door suddenly shifted, and another person exited the room.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Naofumi yawned, evidently not fully awake. "Whose this?"

"You tell me" Ambriel bit out, not breaking eye contact with the woman. She blinked, abruptly placing the woman, and a sardonic smile crossed her face. "Why would the princess of Melromarc be in your room?"

The princess abruptly began to claw at Ambriel, crocodile tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "Please, sword hero, save me! I was only trying to gather evidence of what…" Malty sniffed, "of what he did to me! Look, there in his room!"

Naofumi frowned, turning around. His eyes widened as he saw a pair of woman's underwear on his bed. His teeth gritted. "What are you saying!" He abruptly yelled, turning to the princess, "What are you accusing me of!"

He turned to Ambriel. "I didn't do it, I-"

"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" Ambriel chuckled. She shook her head, sighing resignedly. "I assume you've already alerted all the guards of the Shield Heroes' crimes?" The sword hero asked, turning towards Malty.

The princess stuck her chin forward. "Yes I did! And you'll be captured too, for aiding a criminal as vile as-"

Ambriel rolled her eyes and spun the sword around, smashing the flat of the blade into the side of Malty's head. She slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Get dressed." Ambriel snapped, turning to the Shield Hero. "Gather what you need. We're leaving now."

"Already done." Naofumi replied, tightening his shield's strap around his arm. He paused, looking at the unconscious sovereign with distaste. "It's probably horrible of me to ask this, but why did you knock her out? Wouldn't killing her make our lives simpler?"

Shaking her head, Ambriel explained herself. "No. As bad as it is now, if we slay the princess here and now it will be 10 times worse." She paused. "And no, it's not horrible. Believe me, I wanted to as well."

She attempted a smile. "Justice will prevail. But for now, she has to live."

Naofumi scowled, but nodded. "I understand." His fist tightened. "I don't like it, but I understand."

For a moment, both heroes stared at each other. Naofumi broke the stare, shaking his head. "If she's alerted the guards, it won't be easy for us to get out of this place." Naofumi spat.

Ambriel grinned viciously, beginning to head towards the door of the inn. "Watch me."

As she walked, Ambriel subtly rolled her shoulders, feeling her armoured robes billow around her. Her hands clenched underneath her sleeves, the wings attached to her armour glinting ominously.

She took heed of Naofumi slamming the door closed behind himself and following her, but it was all background noise. She was utterly infuriated, both at the character assassination of her friend, and at the sheer pettiness of it all.

People were dying from the waves, this kingdom, Melromarc, summons all four heroes, and then proceeds to sabotage them for the sake of old grudges. To her, a person that spent the last few centuries fighting for the existence of mankind's last stronghold, the callous disregard of human life made her see red.

She might be lightless, she might be without firearms and without her ghost, but she still had well over 3 lifetimes of combat experience, and she was going to use it.

With a deceivingly casual air, she opened the door to the inn and strode outside, coming face to face with a formation of guards, no doubt sent to apprehend the shield hero.

"Halt!" The leader of the group shouted. "Come with us, both of you. The king wou-"

Ambriel interrupted the man, striding forward. She snarled. "Out of our way."

Two spears were lowered into an x-position to block her way. Ambriel looked at the two spears, an almost bemused expression crossing her face. Her eyes hardened.

"So be it."

And that's the fourth chapter, and the plot actually somewhat kicks off here. Don't worry, I don't plan to leave Raphtalia, she will come into the story soon, they won't leave the capital without her. Things will be different though. Sorry it's short, I'm honestly just typing this out on my phone here and there when I get the time.