Chapter 22) Forseti


We worked through the night. Day. Night. I lost track, really. It could've been one day. It could've been a month. I spend most of my time tending to the pegasus knights. Some healed. Others… I had two suicides. I hadn't caught them in time. One made it to the window and threw herself out. The other one made it to my medicines and overdosed. I pinned the blanket over the window better, to make it harder to pull off, and locked the door to the back room, keeping the key on me always. It was all I could think to do.

My world is confined to the infirmary. Their conditions change too much for me not to stay there. I never had so many patients hate themselves so much, or be in so much terror. Certainly, I never had to deal with so many essentially on my own. The closest would've been when Sadima had caught us off guard with that dark magical strike, way back in Verdane. Lachesis, Erinys, and Lewyn all know staves, of course, but Lachesis is busy handling the healing for everyone else in the castle. Erinys and Lewyn… well, no one can blame them for not wanting to help. They're in shock. They have to recover.

I miss everyone. I hate being lonely.


I should've been in the infirmary. I really should've. But Lachesis had sent a message, stating that in the past 'four days', no one had seen Erinys. She'd locked herself in her room and hadn't come out. She spoke when people knocked, but that was it. Part of me wondered why she didn't look into it herself, but that was uncharitable. I wouldn't have even thought it, save that I was so exhausted. I should've been more grateful to not, you know, be stuck in the infirmary and have the excuse to leave, but… well, I was too tired to really think. I supposed part of me was irritated that she'd asked via a messenger as well. I hadn't seen her since Erinys and Lewyn returned. I hadn't seen Shanan or Midir in just as long, or the children. I saw Ayra only because she'd come by the infirmary to make sure I was still alive and to bring me food. So, part of me was annoyed that she hadn't seized the chance to come see me, but I knew it was irrational, and born just how lonely I felt.

So caught up in my thoughts, I almost passed by Erinys's room. Sighing, I rubbed at my eyes, schooled my expression into my healer-calm, and knocked on the door. There was no response, so I knocked again. "Erinys, I'm coming in," I called, trying the door. Thankfully, it wasn't locked, so I could just walk on in on Erinys sitting on the floor, glaring at a very sharp dagger half-dangling from her hand, far too near her wrist for comfort. "Erinys?!"

"Huh? Oh, Alicia." She looked up slowly and tried to smile. Her hair was matted, and she had heavy bags under her puffy eyes. She'd lost a startling amount of weight, given the time period. Her clothes weren't quite on all the way, like she'd given up at getting dressed. "Sorry, I didn't hear you," she whispered, letting the dagger fall to the floor with a dull 'thump'. Her voice was raspy and croaky, like she'd lost it through screaming. "Hi?"

"Hi." I walked further in, shutting the door behind me. "Lachesis was worried, so she asked me to check in on you. Clearly, that should've happened sooner."

"It hasn't been that long."

"It's been four days."

"Oh." She stared blankly for a moment before looking at the dagger, apparently only just now piecing together why I'd been panicked briefly. "I… tried to brush my hair. But it didn't go well. So, I thought about cutting it instead."

"If you truly want that, I'll find someone to do it for you. But if you're saying that just because of the tangles, I can brush them out for you."

"The knights in the infirmary?"

"I have people watching them." Besides, I felt a little more 'myself' having only one person to focus on, a person I adored at that. Maybe that was the main reason why Lachesis asked me to check instead of doing it herself. "So, do you want me to try and brush your hair out?"

"…Please?"

"Of course." I sat behind her on the floor and worked on detangling her hair, working slowly. Her hair was greasy and she smelled a bit bad, hints that she hadn't been able to even bring herself to take a bath. That worried me a bit; even with as busy as I was, I managed quick washes. Then again, it was part of my job to be clean. A dirty healer spread disease and infection. "When did you last eat?"

"At Thove, I think. Maybe. I haven't been able to eat a lot, but Sylvia made sure that I always had at least something."

"You've had trouble eating?"

"Yeah. I mean; I'm killing people I fought alongside of. I'm killing people I trained with. And I try…" Her voice cracked, but she coughed to clear it. "I try to get them to surrender, but they won't, so I just fight as I always do, and try not to scream when I see them fall." She laughed bitterly. "In the moment, it's not hard. Ish. But after… gods, I killed Deet'var, and at the time, I was just so relieved that no one had been hurt, and that no one was near death, and that no one had been kidnapped, and that the children were fine, but after… after…!"

"Erinys, try to remember to breathe."

"R-right… right…" She coughed again, choking back tears. I felt a huge surge of guilt for not going to check on her after the first fight. After finishing up in the infirmary, I'd just gone straight to my room. I should've at least made sure someone was with her. "I just keep remembering, for instance, of how pretty Deet'var looked at her wedding. How happy she was with her baby girl. Yet all this…"

"I'm sorry."

"I just wish I knew why they won't stand down. Did they believe in their lords that much? Was it pride? Did they hate Lewyn that much? I…" She slumped and almost curled into herself. I caught her and made her sit up. "With all that in my head, my stomach is in knots and everything just tasted like mush. It tasted like nothing. So, I couldn't eat. I just... couldn't."

"I see." Not quite knowing how to reply, I focused on the ends of her hair first, in the hopes I could actually detangle the mess. I could see why she'd thought to just cut it all. But I thought of how pretty it was, and how Annand had wanted to braid flowers into it. "I wish I knew the answers to your question, but I don't. Maybe even they don't really know." I frowned at a particularly stubborn knot, but managed to get it. "But, speaking as a healer, you have to eat something, even though it tastes like nothing. I can tell that you've lost too much weight. If you lose anymore, I'll have to confine you to the infirmary."

"Sorry." She almost slumped again, but straightened before I nudged her. "I truly didn't realize how much time had passed."

"It's fine. I'm just concerned for your heatlh." Silence fell for a moment, weak sunlight streaming in through the windows. It was the only light in the room. "Have you seen Lewyn?"

"No, I haven't. I suppose that's odd, considering how long it's actually been." She sighed, drooping. "I honestly thought it had… only been a day or something. Just a day. A very long day. I didn't even notice... I only just have been able to get the curtains open to let the sunlight in. They were too heavy before."

"I see." I worried for a moment about Lewyn before deciding to leave it to the others for now. Lachesis hadn't asked me to check on Lewyn, so I was assuming for now that someone had at least seen him. I'd check when I had more time. Unfortunately, much as I wanted to immediately try to find him, I was spread too thin as it was. "Your hair is really matted."

"Yeah. You know how I don't really tie it up or anything during a fight, so all the battles led to it being tangled. Yet, I was so drained and tired that I hadn't brushed it for a few days prior to Thove. In the aftermath of the last battle, where we killed Duke Maios, Sylvia was scolding me for it while Tailtiu teased. Then Oifeye rode up on a full gallop and told us what he knew. Sigurd sent Lewyn and me ahead, said that he could handle settling things in Thove without us, and then…"

"I know the story from there." I finally got one matt undone and worked on the next. "I probably should've delivered that news better. I'm sorry."

"Honestly, nothing could've softened that blow."

"I suppose not." The idea that something could happen to Arvis or Azel was painful to even think about.

"How did she die?" Erinys said the words so softly. I barely heard them, and I was sitting behind her. "No one… No one has told me yet. Though, I suppose locking myself up on accident didn't help."

"I don't know what killed her, but I know…" I paused, struggling to figure out how to say this, how to explain the bits I did know. "The civilians were being chased by Daccar's troops. They had to deal with soldiers wielding axes, mages with Blizzard siege tomes… They had been in horrible danger, and if Annand hadn't gone back, they would've died." I had no idea if there were others fighting, of course. I had only seen her in the skies, but there might've been more below. It was impossible to know, at this point. "That is the death she chose for herself. She saved them. They all made it to us, thanks to her sacrifice."

"She always wanted to be the perfect knight. I loved her for it. I admired her for it." Erinys laughed bitterly. "Because she was like that, because she was the knight in shining armor, she couldn't… she couldn't just leave them. Even though she had the perfect excuse…"

"Do you hate her for it?"

"No. I would've done the same. I can't simply leave people when they're in trouble. That's why I became a knight. I wanted to learn how to protect people. She did too." Her voice became thick and she coughed before taking a shuddering breath. "Was she in pain? When you last saw her?"

"I healed her up as best as I could given the situation. She had some injuries still, but I've sent soldiers out with worst, in the past. So, I imagine she was in minor pain, at most." I'd had a Mend staff and quite a bit magical power. I wished I could do more, but…

"Was she afraid?"

"Yes." I immediately thought I should've lied, but I had a feeling that she would've known. Though maybe that was my tiredness dragging my thoughts down. "But she chose to fly towards it with her head held high."

"Did she say anything?"

"She did." I reached into my pocket and pulled out Annand's circlet. I kept it on me along with the key to the backroom, a reminder of the message I needed to pass on. "She asked for you to have this."

"Have…" Erinys gasped and cradled the circlet in her hands, letting it pool in her palms. "This is… something our mother gave her. I always thought it pretty. I loved helping her put it on. It's not rigid, so it could be tricky, but we always made it fun." She clutched it tightly, so tightly that I feared she'd somehow break it. "Was… was there anything else?"

"She loves you. She's sorry. She believes in you. She'll be watching over you, always." I went through my memory, making sure I didn't forget, as I carefully picked apart more of the tangles. I'd made that much progress, at least. "That's all she said."

"I see…" Erinys's breath caught and this time, she began crying. "You know… th-they say that particularly skilled pegasus knights becomes the knights of the Wind Gods, guiding the winds to assist the mortals. I'm sure… I'm sure she's one."

"I'm sure she is too." I paused at working on her hair to hug her and let her cry on my shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be on the winds."

"Yes…" Erinys silently cried, clinging to my shirt, and I held her until her tears ran out. Afterwards, I worked on her hair and then helped her set up a bath. I had to return to the infirmary then, but Erinys promised me she'd eat. I sent a message to Ayra to make sure Erinys did eat, and warned her that Erinys wasn't quite aware of how much time passed.

When I returned to the infirmary, I had someone almost bleeding out because they accidentally ripped out their stitches and, for some reason, no one thought to get me for it. I'd taken too long of a break, it seemed, so I'd have to work that much harder. I couldn't save Annand, so I just had to save as many as I could. I had to.


While working on a pegasus knight, a flash of light and a pulse of power briefly caught my attention. Unfortunately, it more than caught the attention of my patient, so instead of preparing for whatever injured might be Returned or Warped into the infirmary, I had to deal with a sobbing, flailing pegasus knight, screaming out what might've been a name. These were easily the most traumatized patients I ever had to deal with, but I supposed I couldn't blame them. I could imagine very few things were as horrific as watching your friends and comrades die and be utterly helpless to do anything about it.

The patient nearly hit me in the face as I tried to calm her down, but someone reached over to pin her down until she could focus on me. "You're safe," I whispered to her, brushing the hair out of her face. She blinked a few times, coughing and choking on screams and that name. "You're here. Can you see me?" She nodded slowly and I made sure to smile. "Go back to sleep. I'll tend to your wounds."

Slowly, she did so, exhausted by her own nightmares, and whoever had pinned her stayed near as tended to her injuries. When I looked up to thank them, I froze, thinking I was dreaming, because it was Chulainn. It was Chulainn, with a cut on his cheek and a worried look, but it was him.

"Hey, Aly, if you want to step out for a bit, I can watch him." It wasn't just Chulainn either. Tailtiu was also here, characteristic cheer contained only to her soft smile and wink. "I've my staff on me, so I can do the checks for you," she continued lightly, holding up said staff for emphasis. "Why not take a short break?"

"I… think I will," I murmured, not quite processing anything. I hadn't expected either of them. "The ones with ribbons tied to their beds are special cases. Please just make sure they're not dying immediately."

"You got it!" Tailtiu began humming as she did checks, and Chulainn led me outside the infirmary to take that little break.

As soon as we turned the corner, just out of sight, I hugged him tightly, relaxing at the familiar warmth. He hugged me back, his hand twisting about my braid. I was sure I smelled horrible, considering everything, but he held me close without a care, kissing the top of my head. He didn't even pull away. He waited until I did first before cupping my face in his hands and studying me closely.

"When did you last sleep?" he asked me softly after a moment. "You look haggard."

"Aren't you supposed to lie and tell me how beautiful I am?" I tried to joke. It just came out tired. "I got an hour. I think."

"So little?"

"Lachesis isn't trained enough to tend to them. Honestly, I'm not trained enough for some. The refugees also need treatment, and someone has to check the children." I managed a smile for him, but he didn't smile back. "You should see them. The children, I mean. They've missed you. I've missed you."

"…" He leaned in and kissed me gently. "I'm worried for you right now."

"I'm an adult, you know. The children are really too young to understand."

"I will see them. But let me worry about you, at least while you're in front of me." He kissed me again, so sweetly that my knees buckled. He held me up, though. "You're exhausted."

"We didn't exactly plan on having refugees and the like. We planned for a three step system where I would ideally only have a few, very wounded people." Instead, I had very traumatized soldiers who required near constant care due to heavy injuries. "So, you were Returned? Warped? Whichever?"

"Yes. Sigurd decided that non-cavalry will be sent back via staves. I think he's planning on Claude or Aideen to come back once they've gotten the others."

"Thank the gods." If one of them were here… especially if Claude were here… I could rest, and the patients could get fresh care, with fresh eyes. "In that case, I just have to hold out until then."

"Alicia…" He sighed and smiled so bitterly. "Sometimes, I do wish you were a little less devoted to your job."

"Would I have even caught your attention if you hadn't needed to remind me not to do everything by myself?"

"Well, yes. You're very beautiful. When you don't look like death warmed over."

"Oh, you…" I went red, and he grinned. "Ah, I should get back in there."

"If you're certain." He kissed me again soundly, and my tired mind went a little numb. "I'll be by to help after checking on the children. During your next break, you should try to visit them. The nursery isn't far."

"I'll try." I smiled up at him and he smiled back. "I miss them."

"I'm sure they miss you." One more kiss, and then he was gone, heading down the hallway.

I returned to the infirmary where Tailtiu was still doing checks. She looked up at me worriedly when she noticed I'd returned. "No offense, Aly, but you look bad," she told me bluntly. "I can…"

"I appreciate any help you can give, Tailtiu," I refused, shaking my head. The motion made my head spin. "But honestly, I'm a bit out of my depth with some of them."

"Which means I really will be, so I can't just take over." She sighed, but nodded, understanding. I knew she would. "At least let me help. Why isn't Lewyn? He knows staves too."

"As I said, I will gladly take help." I sighed. "As for Lewyn… he's mourning. Annand didn't make it, and we have no new information on his mother."

"Oh…" Tailtiu winced. "I get it. How's Erinys?"

"She's…"

"Right here." Erinys poked her head in, looking exhausted, but surprisingly determined. "I realized while eating with Ayra that I could help out here," she murmured, brushing her hair behind her ear. She wore Annand's circlet as a bracelet, looping it around her wrist a couple of times to keep it from falling. "I know them. I can probably calm them down."

"You probably can," I replied, smiling. I was a bit worried about her working, but honestly, I couldn't say much about that. "Let's get started then, you two."

We worked a little more before more light and magic heralded the arrival of others. I tensed, expecting wounded, but found it was Jamke and Brigid, looking around stoically. "The Warp and Return staves broke, so we're the last until they're repaired in the morning," Jamke reported when he caught my eye. He and Brigid had no injuries I could see, but I supposed there could be some bandages hidden by their clothes. "He figured having more archers would be a good thing here, but maybe he should've gone ahead and sent Claude."

"Well, I do appreciate having more defense," I replied with a little laugh, leaving the patients to Erinys and Tailtiu temporarily. The reassurance that Claude would be the one sent ahead was also nice. I loved Aideen and longed to hug her and gossip, but the patients would need Claude's knowledge far more than I needed her reassurances. "You should probably report in, though, to Midir."

"Yeah." He and Brigid shared a look and a nod. Apparently, the two had already discussed this? "I'll go do that, then."

"Meanwhile, can I help out here?" Brigid requested. That startled me. She'd always seemed to avoid the infirmary like the plague. "I can only really do mending or bandaging, but…"

"I will literally take anything you can do," I replied before giving them both the best smile I could. They both smiled back. "Can you start with making some calming teas, though, Brigid? I haven't been able to, and I'd like to try and have them drink that instead of sedatives. I'm worried about them developing a dependency."

"Yeah, sure." Brigid went to the back room, as Jamke left, but then frowned as she tried the door. "It's locked?"

"Oh. Right." I passed her the key absently, already thinking of something else. "I'm sorry. I forgot I had to lock it."

"Why?"

"I had one overdose."

"Ah." She asked no more questions, simply opened the door and went into the back to work.

I returned my attention to my patients, doing my best to work as efficiently as possible. When one pegasus knight woke up sobbing, Erinys managed to calm them down, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I focused on their injuries. Tailtiu actually got a few laughing when she popped over, making me smile and relax. Help was welcome. I was so, so glad to have help…

My vision blurred suddenly and I stepped back, rubbing at my eyes. A hand fell on my shoulder as I did and nudged me towards the back table. It took me far too long to realize it was Brigid. "I've the calming teas going, but if you're going to insist on working, I figured you'd need a little energy boost," she explained, making me sit down. A cup of tea was steeping, and I could smell the ginseng. "Seriously, what the hell have people doing? Don't they know someone has to watch the healer? Gods, that was basic manners among the pirates."

I burst into laughter, and only managed to muffle it when Brigid gave me a worried look and then looked to Erinys and Tailtiu as if to say 'did she snap?'. "I'm sorry," I managed, still giggling. It shouldn't have been so funny, but it was. "Chulainn said something similar, once. It's a reason why I fell in love with him. Just one, though." Though it was that belief of his that led me to get to know him. If not for that, I doubted… well, it would've taken longer, at the very least. Maybe he would've fallen in love with someone else. I didn't like that thought. I was too tired for that thought.

"Oh." She eyed me carefully and then smirked. "Pretty as you are, Alicia, and handsome as Chulainn is, I have a feeling that you and Chulainn like an exclusive relationship. Though, if you two aren't…" Her smirk grew as I laughed more and blushed madly. "Yeah, I figured. Almost a bit of a shame."

"You're teasing me."

"Maybe." She snickered, and I just kept on laughing. It felt like forever since I laughed. "So, there's a bloody shawl in the back?"

"It's something for Lewyn. The shawl is wrapped around something Queen Rahna wanted him to have." I stored it there for safekeeping, to have one less thing to keep track of. "That's all."

"Got it." She peered at my face and sighed. "Seriously, why hasn't anyone hit you over the head to get you to stop working?"

"Honestly, the reason is because I'm the most trained healer on hand, and we didn't exactly plan on… any of this." In retrospect, we should've. That was our error. We made a horrible mistake to not even think of the Thove attack being a diversion. "When Claude returns... Jamke said Claude was the one coming ahead?"

"He is. He and Aideen debated the benefits and consequences and decided that Claude would be the better choice for the patients."

"I see." I managed to smile. "So, when he comes, I'll rest. Until then, though…"

"Right." She nodded to the mug, reminding me it was there. "You drink that and rest your feet for a moment, at least."

"Of course. Thank you."


Over the next couple of days, more people arrived via Return and Warp. Dew, for instance, arrived with medicines and staves he 'happened to acquire', likely stolen from Thove's own infirmary. Though he and I weren't close by any means, I did give him a hug for that and he gave me a wink and a grin before dashing off to do whatever. Sylvia was the next person I recognized, and she took over all the medicine making for me, so that I had time to take a small nap, and she worked in the infirmary alongside me at all hours. Tailtiu and Erinys cycled between helping me in the infirmary and helping Lachesis with the refugees. Midir, Jamke, Brigid, Ayra, and Chulainn all did shifts as well, though they added 'watching the children so that Shanan finally had a break' and 'patroling' to their list of things to do. Lewyn remained… away, but no one requested that I look into him, so I assumed others were watching him.

Still, it was quite a relief when Claude appeared. It really was.

"I see things ended up somewhere between the worst and best-case scenario," he murmured, looking around. It took a second to realize he'd been joking. "I think one of us should have come sooner to help, though."

"Oifeye had no idea how bad things were," I pointed out. I pinched the bridge of my nose, desperately trying to will away the headache I had. I needed more sleep. I wanted a bath, a relaxing one not the quick 'clean off all the fluids and dirt to not infect my own patients' one. I wanted to cuddle with my children and my lover. I wanted... a lot of things. I'd settle for sleep. "We certainly didn't plan for this."

"True." Claude fell silent, looking over the patients and studying them closely. "Before I take over for you, might I ask an odd question?"

"Of course." I glanced around as well, noting Sylvia, Jamke, and Tailtiu were all working well enough. In the past few days, most had managed to stop flailing and screaming. I felt almost hopeful that we wouldn't have to watch so much for suicides, though I kept the back room locked, just in case. "What is it?"

"Have the bodies been buried?"

"They… haven't, no." I'd been startled when I'd learned that, but apparently, between people wondering if they 'should' bury them here in Thove, an inability to find enough coffins, and everything else that was going on, it hadn't been done. Part of me thought it was odd and a little stupid, but honestly, the rest of me was too tired to care. "Would you like to see them?"

"Yes, actually." Claude set his staves in the corner, holding onto one I didn't recognize. For one thing, it had tassels. It looked like an ornate fortify staff, with tassels. I had no idea why a staff needed tassels. "Can you show me the way?"

"Of course." Quietly informing the others where we were going, we headed down into the cellars, where the dead still rested. The smell of incense didn't do anything to cover the smell of death and rot, and my stomach rolled as we descended down the stairs.

Claude, however, remained perfectly calm. "Which body is Annand's?" he asked softly. Confused, I led him to her, covered by a tarp. I knew which one was hers, of course. The bodies hadn't been moved at all. "Let's see then."

He held a hand over the tarp, like he was about to pull it back, but he shook his head and brought his staff up. The gem glowed, the tassels fluttering in a breeze I couldn't feel, and I wondered why he was doing this. Annand was dead. Healing magic didn't work on the dead. It was basic logic. However, as the gem glowed more, I noticed my blood humming and that's when I finally put the pieces together. This was no 'ordinary' staff. This… this was the Valkyrie Staff, the staff that could bring back the dead.

Hope and unease warred within me at that revelation, as while I would love to have Annand back, as much as I would love to apologize to her, as much as I knew she deserved a better death than this… she'd been dead for over a week. Erinys, and presumably Lewyn, had mourned for that long. Then there was the question, the small question, of whether such a thing was 'right' to do, and what gave us the 'right' to choose who could come back from the dead. Why did our loved ones take priority? Should they? They were rather uncomfortable questions, really.

However, the gem stopped glowing and he brought the staff down to his side, shaking his head. "It won't work," he murmured, smiling bitterly. "I had thought that if it would work on any that fell, it would be her based on the little I knew. Ah, well, the gods do love their children."

"I'm not sure how that last sentence connects to the rest," I whispered. I couldn't decide if I was more disappointed or relieved that it didn't work. "Regardless, it didn't work?

"No, it didn't. I couldn't fulfill all the requirements."

"I have heard that the Valkyrie Staff has many conditions to work-"

"You mean Arvis told you." He chuckled and I shrugged, neither confirming nor denying. Arvis was the one who told me, after all. "It's kept quiet to add to the mystique."

"How do you keep people from requesting you to bring back their loved ones?"

"By sealing the staff in the Tower of Blaggi. It lets us keep the mystery, while also keeping all blame from us."

"I see." I wanted to ask what it meant that he had the Valkyrie Staff now, but I decided I didn't actually want to know. Perhaps I'd feel differently, when I wasn't so tired. "So, that's why you wanted to come here. You wanted to see if she, at least..."

"I might as well. The staff can be repaired after use. It's just expensive and time-consuming." He shrugged and nodded to the stairs. "But, let's return. Since it didn't work, we have no reason to linger and disturb the dead any longer."

"Of course." I looked back to Annand's covered body briefly before following Claude out of the cellar, feeling very... odd. Perhaps it was because I was so tired, but this whole thing felt odd. "Why bring me along for that?"

"According to the records, injuries still persist, so a healer is encouraged to be on hand, and I knew you'd at least pretend to keep calm if I somehow managed to succeed." Claude continued walking with a slight, mildly smug smile. I resisted the urge to give him a dirty look. "It was a wild chance anyway. I just wanted to try. I wanted to say that I did, in fact, do all that I could."

"What are the requirements for the Valkyrie Staff, if you do not mind me asking?"

"Let's see..." Claude frowned as he tried to remember, bringing up his hand to count them off. ""There must be enough quintessence left in the body, too much time cannot have passed, you must be able to find and 'hold' the spirit back from the gods, and if you fulfill those three conditions, you then perform a 'ritual' where three people, ideally close to the deceased, speak and serve as 'anchor' points to guide the soul." Claude rattled it off easily, but I did feel my mind wander a bit. While most of it made sense, I had no idea about why some of the things, like whatever 'quintessence' was, were important. "If you do all of that, it might work."

"Might?"

"It's not a sure thing, even with all of that. Truly, the Valkyrie Staff is better used as a more powerful Fortify staff." He laughed ruefully, and I simply smiled, having no real reply. "However, now with that out of the way and no longer bothering me…" He smiled, but he had a serious look to him. "Alicia, it is a healer's recommendation that you go to sleep. You looked horribly drained. I can take over."

"I'd rather explain some of the worst cases first." This was far more of what I'd been expecting when he arrived. "Then I will pass out."

"Ah, very well." Claude nodded, understanding, and both of us walked just a bit faster to the infirmary. "What sort of things are we looking at, then?"


As soon as Claude knew what was going on, and didn't need my assistance anymore, I tried to go to my room to finally get some sleep. I ended up half-passing out in the hallway, all my exhaustion catching up now that I no longer had to work. Someone caught me before I hit the ground, though, and carried me to my room, where I properly fainted and slept for over twelve hours. When I woke, I found Chulainn sitting next to me, playing with Conall and Caitriona, as happy as anyone could be.

"Morning?" I croaked, pushing myself up and noticing that someone, probably Chulainn, had actually tucked me in. He smiled at me and pointed to the window that showed the beautiful night sky. "Evening."

"Evening," he whispered, settling Caitriona and Conall in his lap before he leaned over and kissed my forehead. "You want me to get a bath for you?"

"Yes, please." I sighed and took over playing with Caitriona and Conall while he set up the bath. Both reached up to hug me, and I covered their faces with kisses to make them giggle. "Did you see their Holy Marks, Chulainn? I forgot to warn you about that."

"I did." The sound of running water almost drowned him out. "I'm not sure how comfortable I am with that."

"I'm not either, especially given just how many Minors of our generation showed early." But that wasn't a topic I wanted to think on right now. It just made me uneasy. "Say, who carried me? I was too delirious to see who it was."

"Lewyn."

"Really?" That startled me. I hadn't seen much of him since he came back. "Huh. That's unexpected."

"Unexpected was seeing Lewyn carrying a half-conscious you." He stepped out of the bathroom and bent down to kiss me. In his eyes, I could see the residual fear. I was sure he'd been thinking of Agusty, when I'd been unconscious and near death. "I knew you'd been working too much."

"Well, I'll have a nice little break. Claude can take over and we can divide the work." I smiled reassuringly up at him and he simply kissed me again, fierce enough that he nearly pushed me down on the bed. "Careful, love. Our children are in the room."

"People kiss all time. There's nothing wrong with them seeing a show of affection between their parents." He smirked and I rolled my eyes. "But you do have a bath waiting for you."

"I do indeed." I looked at the children, frowning as a thought occurred to me. "Do they need baths?"

"I bathed them earlier." Chulainn glanced at the bathroom sheepishly. "There might still be some mess from it, actually."

"That's because you can never resist splashing them."

"They laugh! They find it fun!" He picked me up and pushed me towards the bathroom. "Anyway, your water is just getting cold."

"You're just avoiding a lecture."

"I know much better ways to avoid a lecture." To prove it, he bent down and kissed the back of my neck. I flushed instantly and squirmed a bit. Damn him for knowing that was sensitive. "But, you want a bath. Let me play with our children."

"Yes, yes."

I took a very relaxing bath and enjoyed a fun moment with my little family. Afterwards, I decided to try and find Lewyn to thank him, and to check in on him finally. Of course, I discovered then that no one really knew where he was. He appeared and disappeared much like the wind itself, and all anyone really knew was that he was still alive and he ate regularly, according to the kitchen staff. Erinys mentioned that since this was an abandoned castle normally, she, Lewyn, and Annand used to play hide and seek in here. Lewyn always won, because he'd found all the hidden alcoves ahead of time, allowing him to basically be just about anywhere.

So, seeing that I was the only one 'off-duty', I decided to hunt for him. Though, admittedly, it was more wandering around, enjoying the opportunity to walk around the castle again. Along the way, I finally was able to see Lachesis, also taking a break due to dizziness, and Shanan, who was practicing swords. I found Midir and made sure he was okay, and chatted with Ayra for a bit before continuing my search. However, it proved rather unfruitful and I was just about to give up when I thought I heard the sound of a flute. It was very faint, to the point that I almost thought I imagined it, but as I listened, I realized I knew the song, and it was not a song I'd just imagine, or so I thought. So, I followed it, pausing every so often to decide it the song was louder or softer.

Eventually, though, I found the source of the sound, though I had to look very high up to actually find Lewyn. He'd somehow managed to tuck himself in an alcove high above the ramparts. I half-thought he'd just climbed into it from the roof. Regardless, though, I waited until the song ended before saying, "I can see how you always won hide and seek, Lewyn."

"For pegasus knights in training, it's surprising how long it would take them to think to look up," Lewyn replied. He looked down and smiled tiredly, bringing his flute down to his lap. He had bags under his eyes, and he was grey from exhaustion. He might've been eating, but he definitely hadn't been sleeping. "I always found it hilarious."

"It sounds like it." I clasped my hands in front of me and stepped back so that I didn't have to lean my head up quite so much to look at him. "That song was 'Hope on the Wind', wasn't it? You said it was your father's favorite."

"It was Annand's too. She loved spring the best." Lewyn looked up at the stars, eyes narrowed. "Last time she was here, she made me promise to play it for her next time she saw me. A little silly to play it now, but there was that poem she always loved."

"Poem?"

"'Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there. I do not sleep." He recited it easily and softly, perfectly memorized. "I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow." The wind blew a bit of snow up into my face, like it was playfully playing along. "I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain." He closed his eyes, smiling slightly. "When you awaken in the morning's hush, I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night." Almost unbidden, my gaze was drawn to the stars, and the gentle light they gave off. "Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die."

"That's beautiful, if…" The only word I could think of was 'bittersweet'. It was hopeful and comforting, but the entire premise was just… sad. "Did she recite it often?"

"No, mostly just when she and Erinys visited their parents' graves, though she also said it for my father's funeral. I, however, thought it would be impressive if I could recite it from memory. I was infatuated with her when I was younger." He shrugged, laughing. "Annand just rolled her eyes and ruffled my hair. To her, I was always the 'little brother'. It bothered me when I was little, but as I got older, and that crush faded, I appreciated it. I wish I had told her that."

"I think she knew." I felt my smile falter, so I changed the subject. "Thank you for carrying me back to my room."

"It was nothing." Lewyn twisted a bit to better look at me. I half-feared he'd fall, but he seemed perfectly balanced. "Alicia, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course."

"The wind has been explaining to me what all happened. The sylphs watched and all. So, I know that the civilians were in danger because my uncle is a bastard and sent armed soldiers to kill civilians. I know she chose to go back." He paused and looked down briefly. I sighed, and decided attempting to change the subject had been a stupid thing to do. He deserved answers, just as much as Erinys. "But what the wind can't answer is… she was badly injured, and you chose to heal her and let her go. Why?"

"It's what she chose." I closed my eyes and did my best to not flinch. It hurt, but I was also keenly aware that it only hurt because I knew her, and because she was so close to people I adored. I would not have hurt as much if she hadn't. It was part of the basic training for healers, to be able to maintain that distance. "I've healed soldiers, and they've gone out to die before. It was the same thing, sadly. I healed her up, as well as I could, and sent her on her way, because she chose to no longer be my patient. When she chose that, I had no 'right' to stop her."

"If she'd asked…"

"I would've shielded her. I would've defended her. She was badly injured. But she chose otherwise, and I respected that choice." I smiled bitterly. "You always hear the phrase 'sacrifice the few for the many'. It's an easy mentality, when you don't know the 'few'." However, once you knew those 'few', it became so much harder. But it was selfish and unfair to suddenly decide that mentality was 'wrong' just for that reason. "It's how we all have to operate. I do my best to save everyone, but there are times where I can only ease someone's pain, because their injuries require too much focus and in that time, I could've saved three others."

"In this case, Annand chose to be one of the few. One of the few sacrificed, so that the rest could survive. So that the civilians, who shouldn't be dragged into this, survived." Lewyn sighed and covered his face with his hand. I thought he'd been crying, but when his hand came down, there were no tears. I wondered if he'd cried himself out, or if he was just too tired. "That just… damn it, I left to avoid things like this."

"I'm sorry."

"I am too." He sighed again and tucked himself into the alcove. "I am too."

"…Lewyn?" I waited for him to look at me again. "I have an item for you, something Annand asked to be passed to you. It's in the infirmary. Would you like it?"

"…Yes." He swung out of the alcove, up onto the roof. I knew he'd climbed it. "I'll… ah… meet you in the hallway."

"Please do. I highly doubt I could make the climb."

"Oh, I know you can't."

"Hey!"

I headed back inside the castle 'proper' and waited for Lewyn to find me. From there, we headed to the infirmary. Claude and Sylvia began to scold me for working, but I reassured them that I wasn't there to work. I was just there for something stored in the back room, pointing to Lewyn. Claude still looked reluctant, but Sylvia pestered him into letting us duck back in, so he relented. I found it incredibly amusing how quickly he folded, but that was talk for another time. Instead, I found the shawl-wrapped-book among the back shelves, where I stored extra bandages, and passed it to Lewyn, finally fulfilling the last task Annand had asked of me. Lewyn stared at the shawl for a moment, no doubt recognizing it, before unwrapping it to reveal a green and white book, strangely immaculate given everything. At least, it was strange until I noticed the 'hum' in my blood, and I realized just what it was.

"Forseti," he whispered, confirming my suspicion. He traced the design on the front, some strange design that looked almost like a set of scales, but with wings instead of the actual scales. "Of course." He sighed and nodded, clutching it and the shawl against his chest. "I get it, Mother. I hope you're still alive, for you to scold me." He took a shuddering breath, held it, and breathed out slowly. "I think… I think I'll help out here. I really should've done it sooner."

"No one is forced to help," I pointed out gently. I made sure to smile. "But, if you want, I doubt Claude would mind. I, however, am going back to bed."

"I imagine." He managed to smile back. "Thanks, Alicia. For getting this to me."

"It's the least I could do, for you and for Annand."

I left the infirmary then, lingering only long enough to see Lewyn offer his assistance, and headed back to my room. Chulainn was still there, of course, playing with Caitriona and Conall because that was probably his favorite thing in the world to do. I changed into a nightgown and crawled into bed with them, teasing Chulainn and joining in on the playing, babbling about this thing and that to the children, in response to their own babbling. Before long, though, I was nodding off again, and I curled up next to them, smiling softly even as sleep took me.

The sight of Chulainn playing with our children… if I could be blessed with that sight every day of my life, I'd be very, very happy.


It was so relieving to have another trained healer in the infirmary. It wasn't as if everyone magically got better. A couple of the 'special cases' had to be let go, due to severe brain damage essentially making them breathing dolls, decisions Claude and I made with Lewyn and Erinys present, because it was always morally ambiguous. We still had risks of suicides, and had to keep the back room locked up tight. But I felt like we were actually making progress instead of simply flailing about. Perhaps that was simply the view after a good night's rest. Everything seemed better when you weren't exhausted.

"So, Claude, since we're not in too much of a panic…" I began during a small break we had. I was cleaning up after stitching up someone's injuries again, while he was doing checks over the patients, all peacefully asleep finally. They'd calmed significantly ever since Lewyn and Erinys both started helping out, likely because of the familiar faces. "I've a few questions."

"Are they serious questions or are they teasing in the guise of questions?" Claude asked dryly, giving me a wary look before returning to his checks. "Your tone implies the latter."

"Why, Claude, I'm hurt." I smiled so that he knew I was joking, so he simply shook his head. "Fine, then. I shall start with the teasing."

"Oh no."

"It's a simple one. I've noticed the longing looks-"

"There are no longing looks."

"I hadn't even finished my statement." I grinned and he groaned, facepalming. It almost hid his blush. "I'm sorry. Should I keep quiet? You're about the same age as Arvis, so I tease without thinking sometimes."

"I didn't think Arvis had things to tease about."

"Oh, there is quite a bit. I'll let you know more, some time. But you have to promise to not tell him I told you~!" I giggled and dried my hands, done with cleaning. "But, seriously, if you want me to keep quiet, simply tell me."

"For now, yes, please. I am a bit worried about the age difference. Among other things." His expression became serious, and a touch dark, so any teasing and reassurances I had died on my tongue. I thought of how he had seen the future, many futures, and wondered just what he saw. But I didn't ask. For one thing, I knew he wouldn't answer. For another, I wasn't sure I wanted to know. "Besides, I am uncertain if the feelings are simply admiration or something more amorous. At the least, I know I do enjoy her company. For now, that is enough. When we are out of the current crisis, I'll evaluate my feelings more."

"Of course." Noting that things were still relatively stable with the patients, I actually set about making tea for the two of us. We both deserved the break. "Then, might I ask a serious question?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"It's simply something that has always bothered me, but Arvis never knew how to answer. Why is it that some of those with Holy Blood can sense others with ease, while others simply… can't?" For instance, I was able to hide my Vala Minor Blood for a few months in this army filled with others of Holy Blood, while Travant knew I was of Holy Blood the second I walked into his tent. Admittedly, he'd had other clues, yet it still bothered me.

"Mmm… truthfully, the answer is uncertain. No one has been able to find a pattern to it. Most, in fact, can't sense it at all, or only can with intense concentration." Claude came over, and found two teacups for us. "It's just something some can do, like how some people are left-handed. I am one of the latter, personally, but it's so much concentration that I'd prefer leaving the focus for other things."

"I'm one of the former." I laughed softly, nodding. That did make a little more sense, I supposed. "That's a much better answer than what Arvis gave."

"Now, now, I did have a few more years to pursue my own interests before becoming the Duke of Edda." Still, he laughed too. "Ah, but I am curious about something."

"Yes?"

"What is…" He paused and looked to the door. "I wondered what happened."

"Pardon?" I gave him a confused look before seeing a messenger slide in, literally. They lost their footing at the last second. "Oh dear."

"I'll take care of them."

"Thank you." I headed to the back to check our medicines while Claude tended to the messenger. After all, something like this normally meant that there was an attack, and attacks always meant injured.

After making sure we had sufficient medicines, hopefully, I checked the bandages and other things before checking the staves to make sure we had plenty. Since Claude was here, we had a Fortify for absolute emergencies, and the Valkyrie Staff that he could apparently use as a Fortify if need came to it. Between those two and the other staves, we should have enough staves to cover most plausible scenarios.

With that completed, I returned to the main room of the infirmary and peeked out the window to see what I could see. "There are no pegasus knights yet, at least in my view," I murmured. Claude simply nodded and prepared the few extra beds we had. We'd have to set up bedding on the floor, just in case. "That's good, yes?" Would it be too much to hope that Annand and her squad killed all the opposition before being slaughtered? Of course it would. I wondered if they'd gone to Thove. I hoped not; Sigurd had sent most of his archers here.

"It depends, sadly, but it does mean that, for now, we're…" Claude began, but he trailed off and looked out towards the door. "What is that song?"

"Song?" I frowned, because I didn't hear anything resembling a song. "What song?"

"The song that… it's like it's on the wind." Claude closed his eyes and smiled gently. "It's quite pretty."

"I still don't know what you're…" I fell silent then, because I finally did hear the song. It was quiet at first, but slowly grew louder. But it was never 'too' loud. It was the perfect volume to be… soothing. There was no other word for the song. It was peaceful, soothing, calming. I had no idea what instrument, or instruments, played it. All I knew was that any anxiety I had just faded away. I felt at peace.

"Hear it now?" Claude nodded to the patients, who all slept… they all seemed peacefully asleep for the very first time. It was like they heard it too. "I think we can head outside, to find the source."

"Should we, though?"

"In this case, I think so."

Claude strode out confidently and I hesitated briefly before following him out of the infirmary and down the hall. It was very difficult to find the source of the sound. It never grew louder or softer, and it's soothing nature made us very… there was no hurry. It was like we had all the time in the world. It was like we'd been cut out of reality, and we just watched everything pass, but there was still something so incredibly comforting.

Eventually, Claude and I made it out onto the ramparts, where we found many of our friends. Claude immediately went to stand with Sylvia, Dew, and Ayra, while I went to Chulainn, and Shanan. Absently, I hugged Shanan from behind, looking around at everyone. Tailtiu, Lachesis, Brigid, Jamke, and Midir were apart from us, the only ones with weapons, but they didn't make a move to actually fight. I almost wondered why they had weapons at all, but then remembered the messenger. The song had driven the threat right out of my head.

I looked out and saw enemy forces scattered about in the distance. They made no move to attack. Some had even fallen to their knees, and somehow, I knew they heard the song too. They heard it and surrendered, the urge to fight driven out of them. Others, however, were not calmed. They were not soothed. They regained their will to fight, and so they did, charging and bellowing. Chulainn wrapped an arm around me as we just watched, unable to really do anything, as Tailtiu and Lachesis prepped their spells, thunder and wind respectively, and Jamke, Brigid, and Midir drew arrows. Midir even shouted for 'archers', so there must've been others that I just couldn't see.

"Oh, wind…" But before they could do anything, someone spoke. The voice was soft and had a slight echo to it as it slowly replaced the 'song'. It took me a few seconds to recognize it as Lewyn's voice. "Dance to my song."

The wind shrieked into a fury, whipping into a storm that threatened to take us clear off our feet. Chulainn dragged Shanan and me down, using the ramparts' walls as some sort of shield, and I clung tightly to Shanan just to make sure he didn't get blown off. I thought I heard screams, but the wind was so strong, so loud, that I wasn't sure. So, I just held on, relied on Chulainn, and hoped desperately that no one would have shrapnel thrown into them or, worse, through them.

Eventually, though, the wind calmed again, and we slowly raised our heads. Chulainn and Shanan looked around, but I found myself looking 'up' and 'back', suspecting just what it was. Lewyn standing on the roof of the castle, with Erinys and her pegasus near, proved my suspicion. That… that had been Forseti, the Holy Weapon of Wind, the Divine Storm.

"Well, damn." Chulainn's voice made me look up, but he wasn't looking at Lewyn or me. Instead, he looked straight ahead to where our enemy was. When I looked too, I gasped, unable to help it. There were… 'Massacre' was too tame of a word for the blood and armor scattered about, all that remained of the chargers. 'Obliteration' was closer. But what was most interesting was that those who just 'disappeared'… they were only those who charged. Those who had fallen to their knees were pushed back, but otherwise unharmed. They were shaken, frozen, but unharmed.

The wind whipped up again and we all tensed, prepared to drop again. But, there was no 'storm'. Instead, Lewyn suddenly wasn't on the roof anymore with Erinys. Instead, he was below, in front of the soldiers, as calm as you please. "Inform my uncle that I am coming for him," he ordered coolly, voice pitched perfectly to reach all the way up to us. "That throne isn't his, and it never will be. Go on, now, unless you wish to try my spell again."

The enemy ran. Of course they did. The fury of a Divine Weapon wasn't meant to take lightly, and seeing so many just gone, with only their blood, armor, and weapons showing they had even existed… I'd run too. I did run, actually, but it was inside, towards the stables, since I guessed Erinys, at least, would be there to tend to her pegasus. I was right, too, but ended up a little lucky. Lewyn was with her too.

"Did you have to be so dramatic?" Erinys scolded, fussing over him. Lewyn just let her, sagging against the wall, sweating profusely and face grey with exhaustion. "You told me that you were just going to try it out, to accept it and show your resolve! Not all of that!"

"I know. I know," Lewyn sighed. He smiled sweetly at her and Erinys paused briefly to blush before fussing again. "I didn't think using it like that would use up that much strength."

"Of course, it would! Lewyn, you big dummy!"

"Hey, not so loud, please. My head really hurts."

"Ah! I'm sorry!"

"Somehow, I knew you might need a healer," I teased, wishing I didn't have to interrupt. I wasn't sure how much they'd interacted since Annand's death. "I did think Claude and I would have to hunt you down, though, Lewyn. I was going to ask Erinys for help"

"No, I planned on being good and report to the infirmary, actually," Lewyn replied. He waved weakly to me, while Erinys turned towards me and smiled. "Ugh… I didn't think it was possible, but I think I feel worse than when I was plagued with the spasms."

"Can you walk?"

"Yes." Lewyn winced when Erinys glared at him. "No. Erinys will help me, though."

"Do you want to have a check up now, or in the infirmary?"

"Infirmary, because I have a feeling you're going to at least keep me there for the night."

"Well, of course I am." I smiled at Erinys, ignoring Lewyn's groan. "Do you need help carrying him?"

"No, I've got him," Erinys reassured. She gave Lewyn another dirty look when he looked ready to protest. "Not a word out of you, mister. Not one word."

I led the two to the infirmary, and worked on Lewyn while Erinys helped out with the pegasus knights and Claude tended to the very few wounded we'd gotten prior to Lewyn unveiling Forseti's might and reminding us of the strength of the Holy Weapons. Thankfully, though, Lewyn's main problem was simply exhaustion, so I simply had him rest in the infirmary, under observation, just in case. Afterwards, I went about my normal duties until Claude's shift ended, and I urged Erinys to rest while I settled in for my 'solo' shift. 'Solo' being used loosely because there was always someone coming by to help out. This time, it was Brigid, but something was off. Though she smiled and reassured me that everything was fine, something was off.

I waited to ask, though. I waited until we made some medicines, did some mending, and settled down for a break before asking, "Brigid, is everything okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she replied. It was mostly convincing, but her sigh implied otherwise. "I'm just thinking."

"I see." I finished make us both some tea and sat down at the table with her. "What are you thinking about?"

"It's just…" She paused and sipped her tea, squeaking when she found it too hot still. I did my best to hide my smile. "It's the Holy Weapons. They're so… strange."

"Strange?"

"Yes. They're so powerful and…" She looked to Yewfelle, tucked in the back corner. "It turns my arrows into light. With it in my hands, I am stronger and faster. My injuries heal, and it digs into my skull to unearth old memories. Forseti, a tome, basically sang a song to make our enemies stop fighting, and then killed those who didn't surrender. Those aren't normal things." She sighed again, looking down at her mug. "It just… it overwhelms me, sometimes. A year ago, I was just a normal pirate, maybe a bit luckier than most. Yet now… now, sometimes, I feel like I'm not quite human. I'm not sure how much I like it."

"I wish I knew what to say." I smiled sadly at her. "But I don't. I've always known about my Holy Blood, even if I hide my Mark."

"Yeah. It's just something I have to learn to accept." She sighed, and gave me a curious look. "Say, subject change."

"Yes?"

"So, Aideen trusts you a lot."

"I'm glad to hear that. I trust her completely."

"She also said that if I needed to talk to someone, I should try to find you."

"I… that depends on the topic." I smiled sheepishly. "There are things I don't know about. There are many things, actually."

"What about, say, relationships?"

"I can think of… well, Ethlyn and Aideen would be…" I paused, remembering how long Aideen and Midir danced around each other and remembering that Ethlyn wasn't here. I still wasn't used to it. "Never mind. When we take another break, or tomorrow if that's your preference, I'll gladly listen to your feelings for Jamke."

"H-how did you know I'm interested in him?!" She scowled and I laughed. "Seriously?"

"You spend the most time with him. I took a guess." I chose against mentioning that many of us in the army were hoping for the relationship, especially Aideen. Aideen could tell her that herself. "For now, it might be better just to relax."

"Probably." She smiled almost shyly, laughing a bit. "We are such a weird group."

"We are indeed."

After finishing our tea, we settled back into work. We ended up not taking another break before Claude returned for his next shift, so we silently agreed to have the 'relationship' conversation tomorrow, probably with some of the other girls to weigh in. She left to go on patrol, and Claude and I worked in silence until the end of my shift. However, Lewyn woke up then, so I decided to stay just a little longer to check in on him.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him as he groaned and sat up. "Groans are not an adequate answer, for the record."

"I feel like I'm never going to do that again," he complained, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands. "Ugh… I ache."

"I'll get you some pain reliever for that." I brushed the hair out of his face, and frowned over how grey he still was. "Perhaps suddenly disappearing and reappearing was not the best thing to do after obliterating an army."

"Nah, the teleportation via wind is just a thing with Forseti. It's a passive bonus, so to speak." He shrugged, but he didn't try to smile to reassure me. Instead, he looked a little haunted. "With the song though… with the storm… that was…"

"What happened?"

"It felt like there was another person in my head, sharing my body, but a mind that was completely separate." He shuddered and I stilled, startled and unnerved. "I don't like it. It felt so… foreign. Foreign to the point that it didn't even think like me, couldn't think like me."

"Do you feel it now?"

"I don't think so. But I remember what it felt like, and I have that shadow hovering over me."

"…Let me get Claude. Mental things are, sadly, not something my staves and medicines can do much about, but perhaps he knows something." I gently touched his cheek and smiled. "I will be very glad, though, if you chose to never use the tome that way again."

"Same." He smiled back, relieved. "Single target. That'll be fantastic."

"Of course."

I snagged Claude and informed him of what Lewyn had felt. He immediately gave Lewyn an intensive check over, while I tended to the other patients. Ultimately, he found the same thing I did: exhaustion but nothing else. He did, however, think he could 'see' what that 'shadow' had been, which made us all uneasy. Claude ordered that after every battle Lewyn used Forseti, he check in with us, and I wondered if we should do the same with Brigid, since Yewfelle also invaded her mind.

The Holy Weapons were indeed powerful, but if they cost you yourself… how desperate had the Crusaders been to take up weapons like that?


Notes on Beowolf

A 25-year-old mercenary with many, many rumors and stories about him from my understanding. The one that stands out to me is that he might have a son, but Beowolf himself never confirms or denies any of the stories.

One of our more balanced fighters, with a wealth of experience and a solid offense. His versatility lets him adapt to many situations, though he only uses swords.

A bit distant from most, possibly because of his background as a mercenary, and rarely comes anywhere near the infirmary or children, preferring to patrol or have a drink in the tavern. He and Chulainn are surprisingly good friends, though, perhaps because they were both mercenaries.


Author's notes: So. Forseti. It's kinda broken. By kinda, I mean 'completely'. It's the only magical Holy Weapon you have any access to in game and it can be ridiculous depending on who uses it. In the second generation, the general rule of thumb is 'anyone who attacks the Forseti wielder deserved to die', particularly if Erinys's son, Ced, inherits it (because no matter who his father is, Ced is a powerhouse). The 'shadow' thing, though, is hints for… later stuff.

Forseti having the ability to soothe and calm via music comes from the Oosawa manga, and having it not strike down those who surrendered comes from how, in game, its power is explicitly described as being more like the 'cool breeze guiding people to the path of peace', not violence. (Going to point out again, though, that the tome more or less kills anyone.) For the teleporting via wind, that's based off of a few scenes from the Nea Fuyuki manga, and I used it to show off Forseti's speed boost. Which is twenty. Yes, Forseti boosts speed by 20. It also boosts skill by 10. To showcase how ridiculous this makes Lewyn, assuming Lewyn meets his averages, he'll have 100 Evade, have a 65% chance of activating Adept, 35% of scoring a critical (not taking into account lover bonus), and has an attack of about 50-60, depending on how lucky you were. The design for Forseti is based off of official artwork, but fun fact, 'Forseti' is the god of justice and reconciliation in Norse Mythology, which might be why the book's design looks so much like scales.

Yewfelle, by the way, since its abilities finally came up, gives a plus 10 to both strength and speed and also gives them the Renewal skill (I'm using the Renewal skill as an explanation for why Brigid starts remembering things from before becoming a pirate btw). It basically gives Brigid 60 attack as soon as she joins and she essentially destroys anyone she attacks. Bows are still effective against fliers, by the way, so she gets a chance to really show off during the game chapter, since she's coming at the fliers with 120 attack. (Weapon effectiveness guarantees a critical in FE4, which doubles attack prior to damage calculations)

As for the Valkyrie Staff, it is a single use resurrection in game, and it is very expensive to repair. I'm adding the ability to be used as a 'stronger' Fortify based on how the S-ranked staves in future games acted. The 'ritual' for bringing back the dead is more or less taken from Critical Role and the Tal'Dorei Campaign Guide for Dungeons and Dragons because I think it just makes wonderful sense. The Valkyrie Staff is the only Holy Weapon to not give stat boosts.

Brigid joking a bit about a threesome with Alicia and Chulainn is a nod to how Brigid is often paired with Chulainn in game for the stats. Though, despite the popularity, he's not one of her 'predestined' lovers, having absolutely no interaction with her in-game (watch a remake come out and turn that into a lie). Her predestined pairings are Alec, Jamke, and Midir, based on Chapter 5 conversations. Only one, Midir, has any conversations with her before hand. (FE4 is sparse on in-game convos, sadly.) Lex is also a popular choice for her husband, thanks to Elite.

So, I really should've mentioned this in the previous chapter, my bad, but FE4 has this mechanic where you 'save' civilians for a free level, which is very helpful for the hard to level folk like your thief (Dew) or your dancer (Sylvia). However, they tend to be chased by enemies that can kill them in one hit, so you do need to be a little quick about at least dealing with the enemies.

The poem Lewyn recites is 'Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep', written by Mary Elizabeth Frye. It's a favorite of mine, and is a fairly popular poem for funerals.

Also, setting this here because of messages I've gotten over the past few days and I am very tired. Please don't suggest pairings for me to write. Please don't suggest pairings for me to not write. What pairings I have are more or less set, and I won't change them, no matter what people request, especially at this point since I have a lot outlined and planned out. If you're curious about what second generation pairings are planned, and do not wish to ask me directly via PM for whatever reason, there's a list in this story's tags for them on Archive of Our Own (yes, I post this story on both sites) and I'm not going to change them. I apologize if you don't like the choices, and I apologize if you think that I should 'listen more to requests'. But since I have so much already planned and plotted, all such requests do is tire me out.

Also-also, because this has also come up a few times, I can't actually reply to guest reviews on this site. There's no convenient 'comment' thing like on AO3, so if you want actual answers to questions, you really do need to PM or twitter me or something.

Next chapter - Seraphim