Cliodhna looked down at the stranger who had come running desperately towards her while three of her men held him down. He wore full Marleyan armour but carried no weapons. His face, wet with countless droplets of sweat, had a terrified expression. "It's better to give up on hunting for now. This Marleyan certainly scared off any prey with his noise."

— What seems to be the issue, stranger?

He moved the lips, yet no sound came from his mouth. His glass-like eyes had the so-called thousand-mile stare. She tried shaking, slapping, and throwing water at his face but nothing brought the man back to his senses.

— Take him back to the village. I'll see if I can at least catch some fish.

As the men headed back, she was reminded of Gaius, the madman from the Marleyan colony. "No, that can't be." — She thought, partly to calm herself down. Some hours later, Cliodhna, too, headed back to the village after an unsatisfying fishing session. Upon arriving, she saw that most of the villagers had formed a circle around the man. He spoke in his own language while an interpreter translated it to the many curious people in the vicinity.

— And I ran... My body seemed weightless, even with all the armour. I never want to go through this again... They're demons, all of them!

— What's that commotion? — She said, passing through the human barrier. — What are you talking about, Marleyan?

— He's talking about the titans, chieftess! They're here on our island! — A scrawny, pale boy replied.

Her brow furrowed. Unsheathing a hunting knife, she approached the man and asked with an aggressive tone:

— Now they're sending actors to poison our minds? Go back to your colony and tell your superiors to find something better to do.

— NO! — He screamed. — I absolutely can't go back! I prefer to die than witnessing a titan attack for the third time!

She sighed and sheathed the blade. Was this enough to mislead the mighty Fomhóire? Her people seemed to gullible, perhaps due to prolonged isolation. She cut off all contact with the foreigners from across the sea and quit the Paradisian Confederation due to her distrust of Marley.

— Who here has the guts to take a gander at this supposed attack's aftermath? — She asked out loud to the tribe.

A few people, numbering close to a dozen, raised their hands. Cliodhna addressed the man again.

— Where did it happen?

— Arbeia... Southwest from here.

— We'll be off once you arm yourselves. — She ordered. — Let's see if the titan threat is as real as they say.

They arrived at the crumbling walls of Arbeia after an hour-long march. The city was completely devoid of sound. Cliodhna steeled herself and passed through the ruined barrier. Entire buildings looked as if they were struck by an immense force from above. She had seen the giant stone-throwing devices the Marleyans used in action, but this was different. One of her companions silently tapped her shoulder. She turned to look at him only to see the other tribesmen around an enormous footprint on the ground. Following the direction in which the gigantic being seemed to have headed, they found even more destruction. The ground, cracked in many spots, and the buildings, mostly obliterated, suggested a struggle between two titans.

— Chieftess Cliodhna...

— Shut your mouth! I'm not blind. — She retorted furiously.

Her mind raced looking for explanations and alternatives, but nothing could explain the clear signs of titan activity. All the stories told by the Marleyans about the cruel devils devouring humans now sounded wholly believable. If the Marleyans, with their enormous buildings and advanced technology were no match for Eldia, what would be of the Fomhóire?

— We shall return and hold a council meeting. — She told her fellows. — I'm considering returning to the confederation.

Some of them uttered words of encouragement but most were astonished with the destruction, praying to their many deities so that the devils would leave them in peace. They soon left with the scene etched into their memories. A small figure, hidden among the rubble, could barely be seen observing them before entering one of the abandoned buildings.

— They're gone. I assume those weren't Marleyans.

— Natives, commonly referred to as Paradisians. Marley established alliances instead of conquering them.

Sören, laying on the ground, slowly regained consciousness and opened his eyes. He looked at his limbs, partially gone and regenerating.

— Arnulf... Explain yourself... — He muttered.

Arnulf got up and thoughtfully looked at the ruined city in silence. Ulrika was sitting on the ground, tapping her feet in anxiety.

— You're a monster. Answer me, why did you transform in the middle of this city?!

— What if I told you I never intended to take any life, even that of a dog? — He looked deeply at Sören's eyes in a calm manner. — You were the cause of this rampage.

— Liar! I transformed and came here to stop you!

— And how many people did you trample? How many buildings did you reduce to rubble?

— I d-don't know... I can't remember much but I'm sure you wanted to tear this place down until I came here to prevent you from doing so!

— You lost control. Most of the people of Arbeia were able to escape. I was the one who stopped you. — He remained impassive, keeping calm during each answer.

Sören felt perplexed. He remembered transforming and then... Then what? He held tears as Arnulf explained everything that happened. Arnulf had heard from off-duty guards at the tavern about the coalition or confederacy between the Paradisians and the Marleyans along with the locations of their future meetings thanks to a drunken group. His plan was to present a grave and immediate danger, force them to hold another meeting and, when the leaders and masterminds of Paradis reunited in one place, he would finish them. This would leave the people leaderless and would at the very least buy time for Eldia. Sören's gaze shifted from melancholic to guilty. He understood Arnulf's plan but couldn't take his mind out of the innocents he killed, accidentally or not.

— Some people must die if we're to be successful. — Ulrika muttered.

— I never intended to...

— I was designed to be a weapon in human form. — She interrupted Sören. — And you, why do you think you inherited that power?

He avoided her gaze. Since the beginning, while observing his uncle and reading about the other titans, he was aware of his duty, or rather, what this power he inherited would be used for. Not once did he renounce inheriting the Armoured.

— What are you thinking about? That you'd be better off being a regular Eldian?

— You, me, and the other seven are the ones who can reshape history. — Arnulf added. — Honour Ymir and your ancestors but most of all honour your own ideals.

Noticing that Sören had some sort of conflict within his own mind, Ulrika got up and said:

— I think you need some time alone. We'll patrol the area around. — She walked away. Arnulf soon followed her.

"I can't say I never asked for this. I'm simply glad I do not remember anything during the time I transformed." — He thought. Heinrich's death came to his mind. Those people he killed, even if on accident, had families, friends, and dreams. Try as he might, Sören was not able to think of non-Eldians as less than human. Perhaps that was the trick, no one would object to killing an animal instead of a fellow human.

...

— Well, it's a shame your adventure lasted only a few days, my friend. — Sigrid said.

Hodritz and Gunnar decided to spend time at the Tybur clan's holdings before going to the capital. Gunnar objected at first, stating that they had to report directly to the queen as fast as possible, but Hodritz assured him sending a messenger before their arrival a few days later was enough. Inside the marble-white castle, they casually drank tea with their hostess. Everything seemed to be made of the same material; the chairs, the cups, the floor, the sculptures were all white. It would be hard on the eyes were it not for other decorative items, such as carpets and mosaics adorning the place.

— I see you're intrigued by my castle. — Gunnar was listening intently to Sigrid. — Each bearer of the Warhammer Titan destroys the previous castle and creates a new one to suit their preferences.

— I see. The tea was delicious, Sigrid, but we need to leave. We already spent the night here and I wouldn't like to abuse of your good will. — Gunnar said, getting up from the white chair.

— Why don't you make the arrangements while I'm here? — Hodritz asked. — Just order a slave to prepare a cart for us. I'll be there in a few moments.

Gunnar nodded. He approached Sigrid, bowed, and kissed her hand.

— Again, thank you for accommodating us in such a short notice.

— There's no need to be so formal, I'm always happy to help. See you at the next council meeting! — She waved her hand as he left.

Hodritz and Sigrid were now alone. She certified herself no one else, even a slave, was around, and sat back again. Her tone shifted from jovial to serious.

— We have to seize this opportunity. Word came to me that Grimwald and Ingvild failed their mission as well.

Hodritz raised an eyebrow and leaned forwards, stroking his goatee.

— Then our work becomes easier. Three missions, two failures. Any word from Paradis?

— Not yet. They might as well have failed. — Sigrid scratched her head carefully not to ruin her braids. — The hardest part is crossing the seas without the Marleyan ships intercepting them.

— The council will very likely agree this was a waste of time and an unnecessary danger to the shifters' lives. I don't think we have much to worry about.

They remained silent for a moment. A thought popped into Sigrid's mind.

— What if the Paradis mission is successfully accomplished?

— Uhh... What of it? — Hodritz asked in confusion.

— I can't help but think this small pebble will somehow make us trip along the way. — She was deep in thought.

They remained silent once more. Hodritz settled into a more comfortable position in the chair. Tapping his fingers in impatience, he asked:

— Did you think of something yet? I need to join Gunnar soon before he gets suspicious.

— Yes, I did think of a plan. I won't reveal it yet or else it will ruin the surprise. But trust me, my friend, we'll put Jurgen Fritz on the throne and Eldia will regain its former glory.