At the start of the following month, You rise from slumber and prepare to make for the cardinals' room. Seraphine's voice echoes in your head all the while.
Seraphine: I wonder what we'll be doing this month… Now that we have the Knights of Seiros on our side, we should be able to make much more progress in terms of defeating Malice. Especially now that we know that Malice's forces have a leader…
You admit that You have not been able to stop thinking about this leader of your foes' armies.
Seraphine: Me neither. Who could be behind all of this? Aisa made it sound like a woman was leading all of this… But I don't think we know of anyone who holds a position of power like that aside from Evenor, and she can't be in charge. If she was, Aisa would have told us already.
You nod your agreement before saying that Aisa's words about Malice's leader were so vague that You do not know what to make of it all.
Seraphine: I don't know what to think either… Everything she said made it seem as if she's known this person for a long time, much longer than any of us could even hope to understand… But that doesn't make any sense, right? Aisa is… She's a normal person. No human can truly live forever.
You hesitate before saying that You hope the answers will come with time.
Seraphine: I feel the same way… For now, we might as well go and hear what the others have to say about all of this. Maybe they'll have a plan for what to do next by the time that we arrive. I certainly hope so…
You nod before moving towards the cardinals' room. The Church of Seiros' members are standing there, all of them eyeing a map. Cordelia is in the room as well, her arms crossed over her chest.
Cordelia: Alright… This is where we're going to be heading next. There's another fort not far from the one that we already took, and I think our best bet for the time being would be to push outwards from Garreg Mach to give ourselves a bit more breathing room.
Reese: That will reduce the risk of us being attacked here in the monastery as well… It seems like the best option to me.
Herwig: I do hope that this benefits the other groups that seem to be rising up alongside us. The more we can help them while also serving our own goals, the better off all of us will be.
You ask what he means about others rising up against Malice.
Jill: It seems as if we're not the only ones who are making enemies of Malice right now. In fact, there's some group trying to fight back in each of the three nations.
Niko: The queen is pushing back within Faerghus, and she seems to have a considerable number of fighters at her side as well.
Adrian: Raithius is doing the same within the Alliance alongside the rest of his forces. Everyone is making waves these days.
Nesreen: As for the Empire, it seems as if a nameless revolutionary has risen up to try and fight back against Argades… It's about time, if you ask me.
Roy: Maybe we'll be able to meet up with a few of our old allies from five years ago if we continue to push forward. We can use all the help that we can get.
Aisa: Do you believe that we will be able to reunite with them soon as well?
Roy: Given the fact that we can push outwards from the monastery and get rid of Malice forces in our area, we should be able to earn their help.
Herwig: If we can help them, then they'll be able to join us sooner, and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help when they realize who we are.
Niko: The rumors are going to spread like wildfire that something is happening back here at the monastery. I can feel it.
Nesreen: As soon as others realize that we're here, they're going to start asking questions… Do we plan to tell them the truth?
Aisa: No… Not yet. If we can keep the truth of our actions a secret for a bit longer, then we will have the upper hand against our foes.
Reese: They're going to figure out the truth eventually. I'm sure of it. We won't be able to keep this hidden forever.
Jill: I get the feeling there's another reason you want us to keep your survival a secret… Is that correct?
Aisa: Yes… There is.
Cordelia: I think you should tell them. They're going to need to know the truth as we push forward.
Adrian: I'm afraid I don't understand what you're referring to… What truth is it that you think we need to be aware of?
Aisa: …The forces of Malice have a leader. The coordinated attacks that have sent each nation into chaos… They have not been coincidental in their simultaneous timing. There is someone who is leading them, someone who holds nothing but hatred in her heart for the world we see before us.
Niko: Malice has a central commander…? Who is it? If we can go and defeat her, then we'll be able to end this war sooner!
Aisa: That will not be so easily done… We will not reach her yet. We must continue to weaken the pillars of support she commands across the continent in order to truly bring her forces to their knees.
Adrian: I see… This is something we're going to need the help of the others for. If she's truly strong enough to have sowed this much discontent…
Herwig: She's certainly someone to be feared… We must do everything we can to earn the alliance of our comrades from five years ago so that we can defeat her.
Jill: In that case, it sounds to me like we have a plan… It's not much of a strategy right now, but it's something.
Reese: We can keep our sights on that goal for the future. For now, we have a smaller fortress to take, and once that's been taken care of, we can continue to press outwards.
Nesreen: And along the way… We're going to have to keep the truth of Lady Aisa's return a secret.
Aisa: Yes. That will give us a greater advantage against the leader of Malice's forces. It may not make much sense now, but… I am asking all of you to trust me for the time being. This must stay between us. The truth must not leave the monastery's walls.
You nod and say that You will keep her survival hidden.
Roy: The more land that we can take back under our control, the easier this fight will be. We can't let our momentum slow now.
Cordelia: Perhaps we'll even find Evenor while we're searching for other commanders to take out… We need her gone as soon as possible as far as I'm concerned.
Roy: Then we'll take her out the instant that we hear where she's hiding. She has to pay for her crimes sooner or later.
Cordelia: For now, I advise everyone to prepare for the battle ahead. Dangers are going to wait for us no matter where we go next.
Aisa: Do everything you feel you must to ready yourselves for the next fight. We must not falter.
You watch as the fighters from the Church of Seiros leave the cardinals' room, and You follow them before returning to your room. Seraphine speaks in the back of your mind along the way.
Seraphine: I suppose Aisa still isn't going to be saying anything beyond what we already knew… I shouldn't have expected anything else. Still, we know what must be done now, and we have a goal on the horizon. That has to count for something.
You nod and decide to explore the monastery for the day. You start off by traveling down the lower row of dorms, and You find Tuncay there.
Tuncay: It's nice to have the knights back here, but something tells me that having them on our side won't be enough to win us this war. Not yet, at the very least… We'll just have to keep pushing, and it all starts by taking things one step at a time. First, this fort… Then the rest of the continent.
You see Illona in the area as well.
Illona: It's still jarring to me to see Lady Aisa alive… I never thought that I would see her again, but I suppose that a lot of people thought the same about me for a while, huh? Maybe I don't really have all that much to add about this situation after all…
You ascend the stairs to the second floor of dorms, and You find Zelhira within her room.
Zelhira: My adoptive father sent me a letter… He's joining up with the rebellion forces within the Empire. He seems sure that they're going to find a way to win, though I'm not sure where this confidence of his is coming from. Then again, I suppose I can't complain. If it works, then I'm alright with it.
You also find Cassia in the area, though she is out in the hallway instead.
Cassia: It's nice to be back here at the monastery again… And it's even nicer to know that Lady Aisa is still alive. Captain Torryn couldn't hold back her relief and gratitude when she first heard the news… I don't think I've ever seen her so happy, and I have all of you to thank for it.
You head back downstairs and see Adrian just outside the greenhouse.
Adrian: Jill's already done some great work on reclaiming the greenhouse given how overgrown everything got to be over the last five years, but I'm going to finish it off. She's under enough pressure as it is… Especially looking after Janae's condition. This is the least I can do to help her out.
You enter the greenhouse proper and find Piers inside.
Piers: The Knights of Seiros have spent the last five years doing nothing but searching for Lady Aisa, though she certainly showed herself rather quickly by pure virtue of chance… It's better than nothing, but I have to wonder why she vanished to begin with if she could have come back whenever she so chose… I don't like this one bit.
You leave the greenhouse and make for the fishing hole. You find William at the edge of the dock.
William: Having the Knights of Seiros back here should help us in the next few battles, especially if we're up against the same people who fought alongside Evenor five years ago… I have a bad feeling about all of them. We have to be as careful as possible.
You see Yuliya standing near the water as well.
Yuliya: I never thought I would set foot in Garreg Mach again… But I guess being here is better than the alternative. At least it gives my life a little bit of structure… Even if the idea of working for the church again honestly makes me want to be sick.
You move to the dining hall next, and You see Nora sitting at one of the tables.
Nora: It impresses me that Evenor has managed to survive on the run for five years without being caught by the Knights of Seiros. I would have thought that they would have found her by now… But I suppose I thought the same when it came to tracking down Lady Aisa, and look at how that turned out. Nothing ever seems to go as we planned it these days.
You also find Jill in the area.
Jill: The idea that Malice's forces have a master is… Unsettling, to say the least. I have to wonder how Lady Aisa came by this information to begin with… But I suppose that she isn't going to be open to the idea of telling us. She certainly seems to enjoy her secrecy these days…
Last but not least, You cross paths with Sofia.
Sofia: It's nice to know that Raithius is making more progress in pushing back against the Malice forces within the Alliance. I wonder if we'll be able to count on his help soon… It's going to take a while, but better late than never right?
Your next destination is the Officers Academy, and You see Karim standing in the courtyard.
Karim: I wonder what's going to be waiting for us at this fort we're claiming this month… I suppose chasing down Evenor is out of the question, so this is the best option we have, at least for now. I hope it goes well for us…
You enter the Black Eagles classroom and see Florence standing within.
Florence: I can't believe that we were so close to finding Evenor again only to fall short… If we had been just a little bit faster, then maybe we could have ended things a bit sooner. Either way, there's no use dwelling on it now. We're going to find her eventually, one way or another.
You leave the Officers Academy and make for the training hall. Inside, You find Rodain.
Rodain: You've certainly done a fine job of cleaning up the monastery. I just wish I had the time to enjoy it. Right now, we have work to do, and that starts with training as much as possible. The battles ahead won't be easy for any of us unless we do.
You also find Wynne in the area.
Wynne: I can't believe that it was so easy to reunite with Lady Aisa after all this time we've spent looking for her. All it took was a bit of luck, and now, everyone is back together. Who would have ever thought it would be that simple?
You walk to the marketplace from there. You see Adeline looking at one of the stalls.
Adeline: Supplies have been tight ever since the war started. It's not surprising, but it's still unfortunate… I just hope that we're able to keep ourselves afloat with the shortage. All this fighting certainly won't make it easy on us…
Your next destination is the stables, and You find Lev there alone.
Lev: I forgot what it was like to patrol the skies above the monastery. Even after all this time, I can take the same flight routes… In a way, it feels like coming home, but at the same time, I barely even recognized the home I've come back to.
You move in the direction of the knights' hall, seeing Cordelia standing inside upon your arrival.
Cordelia: The fort that we take this month should be a fine next step to fully taking control of both our current abilities and mapping out our next actions. We have to be careful to ensure that we don't overextend until we're able to get a bit more help… Here's to hoping the royals of the Kingdom and Alliance can come to our aid soon. I can already tell we're going to need it.
Next, You move to the entrance hall, finding Aestlyn standing within.
Aestlyn: It's nice to know that the process to remove Malice is already underway within the Kingdom… Times have been hard there for Magnolia lately. It seems as if she can barely do anything without facing some assassination attempt… I hope that she's still doing alright…
You also see Kaeta in the room.
Kaeta: It's good to see that you're back, Professor. I've really missed having you around these last five years. In fact, I think we should take a few minutes to test our skills against one another when we get the chance. I won't let you beat me so easily, so you had better be ready for a challenge!
Lastly, You cross paths with Reese.
Reese: No matter what I do, I can't seem to get what Captain Torryn said out of my head. We were so close to catching Evenor, but we were just a little bit too late. We'll have to fight her sooner or later, but… I want her gone now. After all she's done, it's what all of us want.
Your next destination is the reception hall, and You see Callisto there.
Callisto: I keep thinking about the rebellion brewing within the Empire. No matter how hard I try to not think about it, I just keep going back to it. Who in the world is leading something like that? I don't know, but I'm going to find out soon enough.
You find Falon standing not far away.
Falon: Lady Aisa has been acting rather odd ever since we returned to the monastery, don't you think? I'm not entirely sure what it is, but… She's hiding something from the rest of us. I can just feel it… She has to tell us the truth soon enough, right? She can't hide this forever.
Finally, You speak with Wolfgang.
Wolfgang: I've been sending letters to my friend within the Alliance. I'm sure that she'll be able to send us reports as soon as she hears them. If you're looking for updates on the situation there, I'll be able to help you. All you have to do is ask.
Your final destination on the first floor of the monastery is the cathedral, and You find Hegias on the bridge leading to the space.
Hegias: We were so close… I can't believe that Evenor was right there and we just missed her. It's strange to think about… I knew we were going to have to fight her eventually, but… It all feels so real now.
You see Kyle soon after You enter the cathedral in full.
Kyle: It's a shame that the statue collapsed when the monastery was claimed five years ago. I can barely stand to look at it these days… That feels like history just melting away, and all we can do is stare at the rubble left behind…
You find Cedric standing on one of the balconies near the main area of the cathedral.
Cedric: I can't help but wonder why Lady Aisa disappeared for five years. She must have had a reason, but at the same time… I want to know. Why did she leave the church behind? Why was she in hiding for so long? I just want to understand… I think all of us do.
Upon reentering the cathedral, You Miriam.
Miriam: The Knights of Seiros have finally returned to their intended purpose… Protecting the church. It's hard to fulfill that job when there's not much of a church to protect. At least we're back now. It's better to be late than to never get there at all, right?
Last but not least, You cross paths with Roy.
Roy: I… I'm worried about Lady Aisa. I didn't expect her to be so secretive when we found her again, but she seems so insistent on keeping the truth from us about why she left. She won't be able to hide it forever, but… I can only hope that the others here are willing to remain long enough to understand her reasoning. Captain Torryn's patience is already wearing thin… And as much as I hate to say it, so is mine.
With your rounds of the first floor of the monastery finished, You move towards Abyss and begin to look around. First, You enter the library and find Gabriel inside.
Gabriel: It's been ages since there were last people up and about in the monastery. Abyss' people got used to staying inside and hiding all the time because of the bandits that lived there for the last five years. It's nice to know that we can finally leave here again safely… Though I doubt anybody has much of a desire to try it.
You also find Saias in the area.
Saias: It's nice to know that there are other groups trying to defeat Malice across the continent as well. As much as I hate to say it, I don't think we would have been able to win all on our own… But we can at least make as much progress as possible with our team. We can figure out the rest later.
Upon leaving, You move towards Burrow Street. You see Tsubasa standing near one of the stalls.
Tsubasa: For a while, I didn't think the Knights of Seiros would ever be back here… Though I suppose I should have known better given that all of you came to the monastery again. We can all certainly use the added defenses… I just hope it's enough.
You find Ernst elsewhere in the area.
Ernst: Now that the rest of the monastery has been cleared out, we can go back up there and see what it's like again. I'm certainly looking forward to returning to the library. I always wanted to return, but the risk of being caught never quite felt worth it. At least that's not a concern anymore.
On Chrysalis Row, You find Taiyin standing inside of the room she normally shares with Quinn.
Taiyin: Eli and Quinn left on a mission a while ago to try and get rid of a few Malice soldiers… They send letters every once in a while, but we don't see them as much as we used to. Even after all this time, I'm still not used to being the only one in my room at night… It feels so lonely without Quinn here.
In the trash room, You find Ansel alone.
Ansel: Have you checked out the supplies that have been dropped here over the last few years? There are quite a few good things just lying around… Perhaps you'll find use for them. The people of Abyss have been desperate to get rid of them.
You move to the Ashen Wolves' classroom and find Grey in the area.
Grey: Eli left me unofficially in charge of looking after Abyss when he left with Quinn. I've been doing everything I can to take care of everyone, but… It's not easy. Everybody misses them, even if they don't want to say it out loud.
Lastly, You move for the Pagan Altar and cross paths with Magnus.
Magnus: The Knights of Seiros will no doubt make all the difference in our fighting from here on out. We've been helpless here in Abyss… No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't ever fend off the bandits for long. We've never had the upper hand much of anywhere… But that's not a concern now.
You move towards the second floor of the monastery, finding Aquillus in the audience chamber soon after You arrive.
Aquillus: I can't help but wonder who's behind the rebellions within the Empire. It's certainly a new venture, that's for certain. Nothing like this was going on when I was last there, but… I know that whoever is behind this is doing good work. If only we knew who it was… Perhaps we could strike an alliance deal if we could communicate.
You see Herwig in his office as You walk down the hallway.
Herwig: Everyone certainly seems to be in a nostalgic mood these days. I suppose it's a natural byproduct of us being back in the monastery. We never thought it would come to pass this way… But everyone is glad we're here. If only we knew what to do from here…
In the library, You find Niko and Derric engaged in conversation.
Niko: I'm glad that you and the rest of the knights didn't run into any problems over the course of the last month.
Derric: We've been alright… Though all of us were wondering where you and the others disappeared to when you didn't come back from that one scouting mission.
Niko: We've been here with Lady Aisa ever since we found her. It doesn't feel right to leave her… Not like this.
Derric: You were afraid she was going to leave again, weren't you?
Niko: Yeah… I didn't want to say it out loud, but… I was. I still am.
You rise to the third floor of the monastery and see Nesreen overlooking the rest of the space surrounding Garreg Mach.
Nesreen: It still feels so strange to me… That Lady Aisa is back. I've been doing everything I can for the last five years, but I could never find her. Now, she won't tell us anything about why she left or how she managed to find the truth behind the leader of Malice. Why is she holding back so much? Does she not trust us?
Lastly, You return to the second floor and move to the cardinals' room, finding Aisa alone inside.
Aisa: It feels odd to be here again, strategizing for upcoming battles and resolving to find victory. This is a dance I have not been a part of in so long… And yet, we no longer have a choice. If only this all could have been avoided… If only I had acted a little bit sooner…
With your rounds of the monastery taken care of for the day, You decide to retreat to your room, exhaustion pulling heavily at your eyelids. Seraphine speaks to You upon your arrival back in your own space.
Seraphine: It's strange to imagine that we've already got a plan in mind… Though I imagine this is the sort of strategy that will take us months upon months to carry out.
You tell her that You intend to stop the leader of Malice regardless of what comes next.
Seraphine: I knew you would say that… Though that involves us gathering the information we need in order to stop her. It feels like we barely know anything, and Aisa's firm refusal to give out information isn't helping.
You shake your head and say that You are willing to wait as long as You must in order to acquire the truth.
Seraphine: I'm glad you're more patient than I am… Though for now, all we can do is wait whether we want to or not. The least we can do is make the time go faster overnight. What do you say?
You nod and prepare to sleep for the night. Just like before, You cannot stop thinking of all that is bound to be waiting for You when it comes to fighting the leader of Malice. You understand so little, but You yearn to learn as much as You possibly can. Until then, You allow sleep to claim You, praying that your patience will pay off eventually in your final moments of consciousness…
almost done with my advanced typing of the story yall
-Digital