Forest of the Dead, Wesdarath, Mia

Being surrounded by Human Empire soldiers makes Mia Zancale feel like a prisoner in enemy territory rather than an ally called to assist in a supernatural threat. Then again, it was not long ago that the empire and dark realm were enemies and at war. Only through hard work did both sides come to a peace, and for the "emperor," it was not an easy task.

Before Jaymes cemented his rule through the Dark Territory's longstanding Law of Power, he introduced to the realm the Peace Pact of the Five Peoples in the Dark Territory, binding the five races to each other and forbidding some of their "less civilized ways". Initially, the goblins, giants, and mages' guild rejected the proposal, but after "harsh negotiations" and taking claim of the Dark Territory through the Law of Power, Jaymes got what he wanted. In exchange, he gave majority rule to the dark realms' leaders with Iskahn in charge as Commander, with him only extending his hand (or sword) when it involved the empire or when his input was necessary. He refuses to completely exert his power as emperor, and for the five races, there has been a mixed reaction.

If she ever wondered how long the demihumans will tolerate humans, she really wonders how much longer the other humans will tolerate a human of the opposing realm as their de facto ruling. Commander Iskahn does his job well enough to maintain the illusion of power, but Mia has a feeling the other human groupings, particularly the mages, wish they were at the top. If the only thing preventing dissent is the blade that slew the all-powerful Vecta, it won't be long before even that fear is gone.

But no matter what happens, her loyalty is to Jaymes.

Mia was a knight-in-training when Emperor Vecta returned and decreed that the Dark Territory will invade the Human Empire. Shortly after, she learned that Vecta had executed the former Dark Knight Commander Vixur ul Shasta and her older sister Lipia Zancale after they attempted to murder him. It broke her heart to hear that, but the news of her sister and the commander's deaths had been avenged by a powerful swordsman from the empire and they were visiting alleviated her pain. When she saw the one who slew Vecta was not an Integrity Knight, certainly not the lady in gray armor who came as well, but a young man just slightly older than her, it confused her. Then she saw a taste of the power he commanded when he subjugated the Supreme Commander in combat. Unlike Vecta, he didn't kill the leaders, but he did enough to make them submit, Brunhild's sister among them, and then and there she understood why Iskahn and Lilpilin sided with him.

By the time the pact was fully agreed upon, she was still a knight-in-training, but wasn't a page to anyone. It was one night shortly afterwards while doing light solo training that Jaymes came down to the training yard. For the first time, she spoke to him, and told him her story and how thankful she was that Shasta and Lipia's deaths were avenged. He then challenged her to a duel of swords and bows, which he stopped both times before a victor could be determined. He then asked for her rank, and after hearing she wasn't a full knight, he nodded and let her be. The next morning, she's the page to the strongest warrior in the dark realm.

She thought she knew the hidden ruler of the Dark Territory, so at first, there was an awkward air between them. He is the emperor, she's not even a knight, but as time passed, the barrier between them broke into what it is now. Publicly, except around some audiences, she's his loyal shadow; privately...well, she wishes she was more than what she is, but she finds entertainment in teasing the man. She prays one day he'll just give in to her teasing and see her as a sister of sorts, but that might be the desire of someone who longs for an older sibling figure again. She doesn't see him in a romantic light, she has feelings for another, but if she did, the competition is already stiff.

For one, he already avoids any encounters with the women of the Underworld, no matter how hard (and annoying) they try. Second, the only women close to him other than her and Brunhild that she knows of is Lady Medina, Lady Eydis, and the one called Asuna. Lady Medina has been by Obsidia Castle once since the end of the war, before he took, and Lady Eydis was around plenty during his early times there before Mia was his page. But as far as she can remember, the Integrity Knight has not been around since he took the role of emperor.

Mia can't determine if he's aloof or actively ignoring, but after seeing him today with Medina, she wonders what it takes to gain her master's affections. Apparently the most direct route is a no good, though how could any man resist waking up and seeing a woman like she was? Is there something about Lady Medina that Mia doesn't possess? Could it be Medina's red hair, her fierce blue eyes, her comparatively larger breasts...or is it that they've known each other so long? Her master doesn't seem to be so superficial that looks draw him in alone, so it has to be that. Mia has only been with him the last six months compared to the two years he and Medina has, and Mia hasn't lost an ounce of blood, sweat, or tears in that time. Matter of fact, this is the first time she's going on a mission with him, one that happens to be very deadly.

"Mia." Opening her eyes, Mia suddenly looks up to see Jaymes leaning on the tree she sits against in isolation. He reaches down and hands her half a loaf of bread with a creamy white topping. "Hungry?"

"Thanks." She takes it and bites down. Her tongue is launched into a new world of flavors unfamiliar to her, created just with a simple combination. Surprised, she looks back up at Jaymes. "What is the white cream?"

"Butter. It is a product made from cows here."

"Wow, it's so good. Wish we had something like this back home."

Jaymes nods and takes a seat beside her. He takes a small bite and rests his head against the trunk, gazing up at the dense treeline. "...We have another hour or so before we commence the mission. How are you feeling, being that you're the most important person here?"

Mia swallows her nervousness along with the grain. When Jaymes originally told her about the mission, she was surprised to find out her role in this mission. While she's hidden it behind excitement, all she's felt is a pit in her core. Having been in Lipia's shadow most of her life, then being a literal shadow to the second emperor, for her to be in the light is unnatural. "To be honest, when you told me I was coming with you as a requirement, I was excited. But now knowing everything...it's scary knowing I have a huge role to play. I was content being at your side."

"I see. I think you'll do fine."

"But...how can you say that? I'm not a full-fledged knight, nor am I Lady Orthinanos. If Lipia was here, she could serve you better."

"...You sound like a friend of mine who compared herself to others, especially her sister. Actually, you might just be her except in name and personality. Older sister who excelled well and had all eyes on her, while you were left in the dark… Sounds familiar?"

Mia nods. Nail on the coffin. "Yes… What would you tell her, this friend of yours?"

"Well, I would tell her to follow her own path. But since you chose the same path as Lipia…no, still follow your own. Just because the destination is the same doesn't mean the road has to be. All you need to know is that I'm here with you. I'm actually glad you're afraid, I'll be concerned otherwise. But don't worry, Medina and I have done this before. We'll analyze the situation to make sure both you and Ilia are brought out of this alive. Us as well, too. Dying would be a pain for me."

Mia feels some comfort from his words. Knowing he'll be with her through it all makes it seem he's protecting her, but she knows him well enough to know that if he didn't trust her skill, he'd left her back in Obsidia and brought Arthurio along. Just his confidence in her makes her warm inside, and she shows it by dropping her head on the back of his shoulder. This time, there's no teasing like this morning, but a serious appreciation for her senior. "Thanks, Jaymes."

"Mhm."

"Can I lay on your shoulder until we head out?"

"Get all the rest you need, it'll be a long night."

Jaymes, one hour later

I wonder if I'm nervous about this mission because I learned there's a force greater in power than Administrator and Vecta, because someone who looks up to me is the most necessary part of this mission, or because I have no clue what to expect with the background provided of the Reaper of the Woods that I suddenly feeling a longing for another archer. It's only been a year and three months for me, and not even enough time for her to form a thought, but I'm missing Shino right now. After our spectacular duel against Subtilizer, and her words to me to take notice of her as a girl…

No, no time to think about it, Joshua. Focus on what's in front of you, and that's the redhead subdelegate of yours. No, not even like that either.

"You're distracted," Medina correctly comments as she looks back at me. We're on one of the forest trails, on route to encounter what's assumed to be a beast at the end of it. According the the scouts, female archers have been able to move deeper into the forest past the camp and have found two beasts at the end of the forked paths. The path to the shrine, however, is completely blocked off. Medina elected to take the left path first, I agreed with her, and our pages simply follow along.

"I am. This place makes me nervous."

"This really is unlike you, but given the scenery...the deep woods, the fog, I can't take my hand off my sword. I'm almost afraid to take another step ahead of you." I attempt to smirk, to say something in my trademarked sarcasm, but it doesn't come. I'd like to joke to raise the mood, but the danger makes my hairs stand erect. Like Medina, my right hand is holding Falchion's hilt, Vindica strapped to my left arm. I cannot recall a time I was this nervous post-SAO… No, take that back. I haven't been this nervous since Itsuki's betrayal after seeing Kureha log on to that mystery server.

I still try to calm Medina's fears, if only for my sake. "Don't worry, we can do this. We've done worst."

"How were you distracting yourself?"

"I was thinking of a girl close to me back home, she's an archer too. Oh, right, you know her as Solus, but to us, her name is Sinon. If she was here, I might be more confident. Mia's fine and all, but…"

Medina nods her head and turns back to the pair of pages behind us, her eyes on the slighty shorter, blonde-haired girl in light, white-colored armor. "I understand, now more than ever, why you were the way you were with me two years ago. Why you trusted Alice and Eydis to handle themselves more often than not. They're not at their full potential yet, and as their seniors, that's our duty, to make sure they get there at all costs."

"Not the reason I did it for you, but not far off. But after the war, you don't need me to look after you. Still, we're two Integrity Knight-level swordsmen and got a trainee Integrity Knight and another at that level with us. We...should be...fine." My voice drops off as we come to the end of the path, encountering a scythe-carrying headless specter at the end of the road. Medina halts Mia and Ilia while we approach it, but still keeping a distance. "This must be the one the scouting party mentioned."

"CRusH….InsidE….DeStroY...nEEEd...J-j-JustICE!"

"It speaks," Medina says, spooked by the weird speech of the ghost. "And the scouts mentioned it's only targeting your body...or your stomach?"

"Let's try not to engage it up close. All you, Medina."

"CrUSH WOmb… cRusH INsidE… JUsTice...woMB...juSTiCe! JusTICE… J-JuSTice...J-jud-GE-mENT… I wILL pASs JuDgeMeNT!!" The judging maiden, to me and Medina's disbelief, flies towards us with unexpected speed, swinging her scythe for our abdomens. Had we been a second later to either defend or dodge, we'll both be hurting right now. My shield holds the maiden's scythe at bay, then fire arrows and crystal arts pepper the maiden's ghostly form away from me and distracts her.

"Medina!"

"Right! Enhance Armament!" Red leaves swirl around Medina's sword, and she points them in the direction of the judgy ghost. Like dust being carried by a harsh wind, the lycoris petals rip the ghost to shreds. The maiden's cry ring in the forest until she's no more.

Catching my breath, I look to Medina as the petals vanish and she sheathes her sword. "You good?"

"A little too close for comfort, but unharmed. You?"

"If I didn't have this shield...that would be a nasty sight. I'd be oozing out guts...or worse…"

Medina chuckles and crosses her arms. "That would be a shame, to not see what annoyances miniature versions of you would become."

"Is that so?" Children...seem like something I'd possibly could have in this world. I am biologically old enough in the real world, but there's no way I'd try to have any at nineteen years old while still in high school. But here in the Underworld, where I'm three hundred years older (or just two, depending on how I feel) it might be something to consider while I'm here for the next 199 years. It wouldn't hurt to experience fatherhood on a trial run, right? I throw that thought out and look at Mia, nodding to her. "Good shooting. Same to you, Ilia."

Mia smiles and twirls her bow. "Thanks, Master." Ilia simply nods back. That girl is extra quiet today, she's barely voiced a word and all of them have been ninety percent towards Medina. Whatever, at least everyone's fine.

"Ready to go, Jaymes?"

"Yeah. Let's take the right path."

"Do I still have a head… Yeah, it's there." I sigh in relief as the second ghost, this time hunting for our heads, lays deceased at Medina's feet. I take Mia's hand and stand up, patting her on the shoulder. "Good work, again. This one was targeting our heads."

"Yeah… What's with that?"

"Who knows," Medina says as she joins us, "but now with both of them defeated, we can make our way to the shrine and end this. Let's make this quick, shall we? Ilia?" The women and I glance over at Medina's page, the girl looking at the soil we fought the apparition on. Concerned, Medina calls her page again. "Ilia? Everything okay?"

Ilia looks up from the ground to us, slowly nodding. "...Yes. We can go."

"What's on your mind?"

"...Medina, I've read the story, so I know what happened to the beast and the maiden, but...did you know that after the maiden was killed, her corpse was torn apart."

Medina nods. "Right. A despicable thing to do to the dead, even an enemy."

"I think...the head is buried here, and the body where we fought the headless ghost. I think...even after what happened to her, the maiden...opened these paths for a reason. She wants to reunite with the divine beast. With her beloved. Her head and body are back together, spiritually that is, so now she can finally walk. That path is the way forward."

"Woah."

"Wow, Illy can talk."

"Hmm… I see what you mean by this. So releasing the maiden was the key to all this?"

"I don't believe that was the entire point, but it worked."

"You may be right…" I cross my arms and think on the matter. The Underworld is nothing more than a virtual world, but it is not a typical one. Everything living thing here, past, present, and future, are more than one's and zeroes, they have souls of their own. I can't share my thoughts with Mia, Ilia, or Medina because the explanation is too complicated for their comparatively primitive minds (in terms of technological advancement and thinking of the world, that is). If Kazuto or Asuna were present, I could voice my thoughts, yet my mind returns to Shino. Somehow, talking about the soul and the meaning behind this feels more like a natural conversation between us.

"If you're right, Ilia," Medina says after a moment of silence, "then I hope reuniting them is enough to satisfy the beast. If not, we have to bring it down. Anyways, good thinking on the matter."

Ilia nods. "Understood, and thank you, Lady Medina."

Medina then faces the Dark Knight. "Mia, remember you're instrumental to this. If we can talk to the divine beast, we might need you to do the talking. If we can resolve it that way, great, but the people's safety, and the empire's, comes first. So, if you're anything like your master, have that bow ready."

"I will do my best. Right, Jaymes?"

Letting my thoughts of my favorite sniper go, I smirk and nod to her. "Yeah. Do well enough, I might allow you to brag to Arthurio… With that said, Medina is right. We'll do our best to end this peacefully, but if we must fight, we will. Let's get moving."