"He's gone? Where?"

Byleth crossed his arms, his expression completely unemotional. It wasn't until he became a professor that he began to weaponize that facet of himself; it proved to be quite handy in getting the truth out of people. Fortunately, it was also useful in making sure nobody knew what he was thinking or feeling.

"To find the Agarthans, and help put an end to this once and for all," Byleth replied, "Or rather, find what is left of the Agarthans, and bring the vessel of Prometheus to us, whatever it is."

"That… is not at all what I had in mind," Edelgard replied, her brows furrowed and the glass beneath her feet crunching with each step she took. They were in the same room they had been discussing the brief alliance the previous day, and nobody had seen fit to clean up the broken windows. Not that Byleth expected anyone to do so. "He did realize that we are not going to sacrifice him, right? He was there, I recall, when that machine 'god' spoke to us. He must have heard what we were talking about."

"At least it'll keep the troops in line," Claude said, shrugging. "You know, now there'll be a few deserters who try to hunt them down, at best. And don't act like you don't like Rhea not being in the picture anymore, Edelgard."

"Were that truly the only thing to happen…" Edelgard sighed, wiping her forehead.

"What did you have in mind, then?" Dimitri asked, "I am curious. I suppose we all knew that these negotiations would go well, considering the gravity of the enemy we face, but we had precious little time to plan. In fact, were we not supposed to do that today?"

"I knew what I wanted to do, I was just waiting for the rest of you to come up with something to counter it," Edelgard replied, "I was going to take all of our combined troops, have Hubert finish divining the location of the Agarthan base, and then rain fire down upon them until there is nothing left but red-hot metal and blasted rock. Unfortunately, it looks like we won't be able to do that."

"That is the most Edelgard strategy I have heard in a long, long time. Mostly because I don't hear them; I try my best to counter them," Claude chuckled. "But that might've worked, but maybe this'll be better. After all, I have a feeling Teach has something more to say."

"I do. Thank you, Claude," Byleth said, tipping his head slightly before continuing to speak. "I have a plan, one that could ensure most of us will survive whatever creature is unearthed soon. We retreat to Garreg Mach and use the mountain passes to funnel whatever beings come out of the Agarthan base. I have already spoken to Seiros and Ashton; they have agreed to this plan. It does hinge on them surviving whatever it is they find, though."

"I still suggest we go with my original plan," Edelgard said.

"Your original plan would ensure that this one would not work," Dimitri pointed out, "and like it or not, it is already in motion. I say we go with the professor's plan. It may have a greater quantity of unknowns, but if all goes well-"

"If all doesn't go well, Garreg Mach could be destroyed and the entire world gets turned on its head," Claude stated, "I mean, I'm hoping for a happy ending too, but we have to look at what could happen if this goes wrong. What if, whatever this vessel is, turns out to be too big to enter those valleys? What happens if it proves impervious to regular weapons, like those flying creatures did? What about the rest of the Agarthans?"

"It's almost like you do not like the plan much, Claude," Edelgard said.

"It's not that I don't like it, it's just that nobody else besides me feels like pointing out what could potentially go wrong with it. It's a bit frustrating," Claude replied, scratching his scalp. "On paper, this plan could work. The biggest issue is hoping that Ashton and Seiros, like you said, are able to survive their encounter and successfully lead it to Garreg Mach. Wherever they are, it's probably far away from that old monastery."

Byleth hummed. "Unless one or more of them had the power to turn into dragons, right?"

Claude's eyes widened momentarily before he nodded, a genuine smile growing on his face. "Yes. That'd likely even the odds. I'm getting excited just thinking about it."

"I never took you to have a boyish infatuation with dragons, Claude," Edelgard said, "consider me surprised."

"Well, think about it. If what I've heard from the Immaculate One is true, well… if one of these 'dragons' is, in fact, that Immaculate One, then we are in for a wild time if it leads Prometheus to Garreg Mach. We might even have a chance of denting whatever the vessel turns out to be," Claude outlined, beginning to pace. "I mean, think about it. The Immaculate One was said to turn the tide of battle with its mere appearance, and that was only in battles against mortal men. I wonder what strategies and schemes I could come up with having access to a living siege engine like that!"

"You are beginning to unnerve me, Claude," Byleth said.

"Sorry, Teach. Guess I got a bit carried away. I still have a few problems with this plan," Claude said, pausing for what Byleth could only assume was dramatic effect. "But I am willing to go through with it. I don't really see a way out of this without going down that path."

"There are a dozen other ways we could do this," Edelgard stated, "and all of them would have worked if the 'False Champion' and Saint Seiros did not decide to desert. But, seeing as this is the hand we have been dealt, I will go along with this plan. For the moment; if something goes wrong, I reserve the right to fight back with all of our strength."

"I'd say I am surprised, but we all know I'd be lying," Claude said with a snort. "And there's no fun in that."

"In lying, or everyone knowing you are lying?" Dimitri asked.

Claude shrugged. "Figure it out yourself, Your Majesty."

Catherine felt as if she had no right to take her still being at Fort Merceus personally. She felt that way, yes, but it did nothing to quell the bubbling anger in her chest, or the seething glare she sent anyone who dared speak to her. She couldn't stand it - she could hardly stand how morose she had been ever since Lady Rhea had been rescued. Even with her true name revealed, she still could hardly think of her as anything other than 'Lady Rhea', and perhaps that was why she was not at her side the morning after the machine god's appearance.

She knew she had lost. She had lost long before she was even born, if the story between Ashton and Lady Rhea was true. Still, it was all she had left, and she would not abandon her. Especially not in what might be the twilight days of their world. And it certainly felt like twilight; the skies above Fort Merceus had barely returned to normal with the light blue sky retaining a dim purple vestige of the machine god's power.

And so, Catherine found herself stocking up on supplies, and before long, was at the gates. The sun hadn't even reached its zenith before she was on her way out of the fortress.

Unfortunately, what Catherine wanted to be a clean and easy getaway became complicated once she was accosted by the one person she did not want to see on her way out.

"Going somewhere, old friend?"

Shamir's voice, Catherine recognized instantly. True to her thoughts, the dark-haired Dagdan mercenary was there, her purple and black lightly armored coat out of place compared to the beautiful bow in her hands. It looked to be made of metallic tree roots.

"You know where I'm going, Shamir," Catherine replied, taking a deep breath. "I can't take this crap anymore. They probably haven't gotten far; I can still reach 'em."

"They didn't take you for a reason," Shamir said, marching up to her until she stood right beside her, arms crossed across her chest as she looked out into the distance. The road was long and winding, and to the east, where no doubt Ashton and Lady Rhea had gone, the road went from stone, to gravel, to dirt, to nothing.

"Yeah, it was probably their son or some other reason," Catherine replied, "that kid never did like me, and I dunno why. Even Ashton saw fit to have me on Lady Rhea's personal guard."

Shamir raised a brow. "That wasn't a bit cruel to you, considering all that's happened?"

Catherine waved a hand. "I would've put myself forward for it anyway, he just made it easier. He had a point, too. I just- I can't let go yet, I guess."

"Well, that's worrying."

"Oh, come off it, will you?" Catherine groaned, "Look, I know I've got an issue, right? But even if I didn't, would I really be helping out with this ambush you guys are cooking up?"

"Here or there, you're still a heavy hitter," Shamir pointed out.

"Yeah, I am, and sitting around twiddling my thumbs while Lady Rhea and Ashton are out there getting the snot pounded out of 'em, I'm sure they'll be thinking 'damn, I really wish Catherine was here. Maybe she could've used Thunderbrand to save us'." Catherine said, snorting as she continued walking. "I've had enough of sitting around, Shamir. I'm gonna go do something. And if I die, well, all the better, right?"

Catherine was stopped by Shamir's hand on her shoulder. She could've easily shaken it off, but something kept her from doing so. She turned to see Shamir's face, brows furrowed and lips curled into a deep frown. It was one of the few times where the Dagdan mercenary emoted beyond a slight smirk or a small frown.

After a few moments, Shamir released her. "You sounded just like her, for a moment…"

Catherine raised a brow. "Like who?"

"Nevermind," Shamir said, shaking her head. "Go and do what you want, then. Just try not to die, alright? I've already buried more than a few friends, I'd rather not add another to the graveyard."

"C'mon, with Thunderbrand by my side, I'll cut through anything that stands in my way!" Catherine boasted. "You've seen it before! Nothing'll stop me."

"Mm. Famous last words of many a foodhardy merc. I'm serious, Catherine," Shamir said.

"Yeah, and so am I, so stop worrying," Catherine replied, "that's my job, you know. Let me handle that, while you and your boyfriend get the rest of those fools through to the other side of this nightmare."

Shamir laughed, then. Catherine was glad to hear it. "You'd be surprised how right you are. That poor dastard would be lost without me."

"There! See? Guess we both have somewhere we need to be, and someone who needs us," Catherine said, patting Shamir's shoulder before turning away. "Oh, and if I don't make it back, by some horrible twist of fate, make sure my old family doesn't get this sword, alright?"

"Keep it, and they won't be able to," Shamir replied, watching as Catherine continued down the path. "And come back to us, old friend."

To say Shez was having not a great time would the understatement of the century.

It was not so much physically, obviously - as far as she could tell, she was in tip-top physical condition. It was in the ol' braincase where she was slowly losing it.

Arval had gone completely silent.

The pale figure that had been in her mind for almost as long as she could remember had become less and less talkative ever since Shez started speaking to Arawn more often, but even before then the snarky being had become quieter. Ever since Archbishop Rhea had been saved from Enbarr, at least.

Shez never thought she'd say it, but she missed her so-called partner in destiny. Although they did not speak, she could feel their presence well enough - they had just become silent. Even without a word being uttered, however, Shez could feel something pushing her forward, like a constant nagging sensation in the back of her mind that refused to go away. And it was pushing her toward Ordelia territory, her homeland, if she was being generous. She couldn't tell if it was luck or providence that led to Arawn asking her to join their group.

Speaking of the half-Nabatean, there was a different feeling whenever she spoke to him. While her heart pounded in her chest, it wasn't because she was deathly afraid anymore. Not that she had really been afraid of the man, but still, any sensation of fear was long gone, replaced by something she could not identify.

"You have spaced out again," Arawn said, crossing his arms. "You are easy pickings for roving demonic beasts right now."

Shez shook her head, snapping herself out of her thoughts as the former Champion of Seiros stood before her in his usual attire. Why he had resorted to wearing garments that resembled a priestly robe, Shez would never know.

"I'd see it long before it got to me," Shez replied, crossing her own arms. "We both know I'm quicker than they are, and they aren't really known for being stealthy, you know?"

"On the contrary, I heard stories from my own grandson about how they can sneak through the underbrush, especially the wolves," Arawn said, "and the eagles. They can swoop through the sky and carry an entire horse and devour it whole. There are many things that would see you as sitting lunch."

"You really know how to sweet talk a girl, you know that?" Shez replied, deadpan. "I can feel myself swooning."

"By all means, swoon. I can carry you if need be. All you need to do is remain conscious so you can guide us through Ordelia territory," Arawn said, though Shez could see the faintest hint of a smile on his lightly tanned face.

Shez shook her head and turned away. "I still don't know why you decided to bring me along. I mean, yeah, I'm a damn good merc if I do say so myself, but it's been years since I've been in Ordelia territory. I'd probably barely know one peak from another."

"You have a connection to the Agarthans, that much is clear," Arawn stated, "and I wish to see if such a connection could help us. Regardless, as you said, you are an incredible warrior. It would be a shame to see you fade into the background, like so many others."

"See, that's better than what you said earlier," Shez smirked. "Maybe you are actually getting better with this!"

"You are also as blind as a sandworm when you try to read a map, and the amount of times you have gone north instead of south astounds me."

"Aaaaand there it is," Shez said, wiping her forehead. "It was only a matter of time."

"I say it how I see it, Shez. You know this," Arawn stated, "besides, would you even be here were I not the way that I am?"

"I guess not. Still, it's annoying," Shez admitted, "What makes you think I'll even find the Agarthan base? It's not like I've ever been there. Or remember being there, at least."

"That part does concern me, yes," Arawn said, beginning to pace around Shez. "I wonder what happened to you. You say you cannot remember anything prior to your adoptive mother raising you. There is no clue as to who your adoptive mother is, and the village that raised you is nowhere to be found on a map - but that is night entirely unheard of for settlements in remote areas. There was a man in camp, Balthus I think his name was, who hailed from one such village in the Alliance."

"Yeah, I met him. He's a weird guy but not bad," Shez said, "alright, and I guess I can see what you mean. A lot of what I remember doesn't really fit here, does it?"

"I do not mean to say that you are lying, Shez," Arawn said, grunting. "You are not a liar by nature. If you do not know, you say so. So I believe your story. I am merely trying to figure it out. There is very little connection beyond the sword you can call at will and the strange spatial powers you possess. It is a rather big conundrum, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah, and you almost sound like Professor Hanneman with all of this talk I barely understand," Shez replied.

"I never spoke to the professor, though perhaps one day that will change. Alas, not today," Arawn sighed.

"What are you trying to get at here, Arawn?" Shez finally asked. "I keep trying to figure you out. You figured me out, you know? And here I am, barely knowing anything about you."

"I suppose that's true. Very well: ask me one thing. Anything you can think of, and I will answer it to the best of my abilities."

"Give me two, and we have a deal," Shez demanded.

"Are you bartering with me?" Arawn said, raising a brow.

"Is it barter if I know you'll take it?"

"Yes," Arawn replied bluntly. "But very well, ask your two questions. No more than that, though."

Shez rubbed her palms together. "Alright! Get ready."

"This is not a sparring match, Shez," Arawn said, his voice low.

"Might as well be," Shez said, her smile steadily growing wider. "Okay, first question: what do you know about the Agarthans?"

"An incredibly broad question, I will hand you that," Arawn began, "I know a little bit. They are descendants of the survivors of an ancient genocide. Or that is what they believe, at least. In truth, said genocide came about because of their own bloodlust and greed. Did they deserve it? I do not know, but my 'grandmother' certainly did."

"Your grandmother?" Shez asked, brow raised. "I mean, that's kinda weird. I thought the Goddess would have done it."

"She did," Arawn confirmed. "The Goddess Sothis is my grandmother, in the loose sense. Seiros was created by her, but not birthed. A strange distinction and I am not entirely sure what it means. Either way, I am not bound to her by blood, I know that. Still, as my mother sees her as her own mother, it wouldn't be an incorrect assumption to call her my grandmother. Anyway, where was I?"

"Y-you're… nevermind," Shez shook her head. "Keep going."

"Mmm. Beyond that? Not much more. They have had small outposts all around the world, and I have killed more than my share in my travels," Arawn said, "Every single one of them I have come across claims to be superior to me by dint of being pale and gangly creatures, and yet scream and beg for mercy when they are outclassed. If you are connected to them, I am glad to see that you are not like them in that way."

"Well, I am pretty good at fighting," Shez shrugged.

"Indeed. And that is plainly obvious, unlike with the Agarthans," Arawn continued. "I do not know much of their machinations within Fódlan; I assumed mother or someone else had dealt with them, but evidently not."

Shez nodded, placing a hand on her hip as she prepared herself for her next question. "Alright, I guess that answers that. I got one more question, right?"

"Yes. Go and ask what you will, I will answer to the best of my abilities."

Shez took a deep breath. "Do you like me?"

Arawn did not respond right away, his gaze firmly on Shez as his face did not even budge. Shez was concerned that the half-Nabatean had turned into a statue. Finally, after a small eternity, Arawn sighed.

"Yes," he answered.

Shez could feel the heat on her cheeks as she turned away. "A-ah, well, good to know."

"Mm," Arawn hummed. "And I thought I was the one who needed help with speaking to others. I spent time as a farmer in the rural areas of Fódlan, you know. I was able to propose to Sitri's mother, surely I can articulate-"

"I wouldn't have offered it if you didn't nearly push away everyone else close to you, ya know," Shez replied. "A-and, well, I am serious. Should we, uh, take this somewhere else? Maybe somewhere a bit darker?"

"Out of sight, you mean?" Arawn asked. "Very well, lead the way."

Seiros would not let him leave her sight again. She would be by his side through everything the world threw at them, and she would not let anything or anyone take away what she loved ever again.

And as she walked beside him through the fields and mountains near Ordelia territory, she knew that she loved Ashton.

Seiros had enough time to look back on her life; all the mistakes and triumphs, the atrocities and calm, and she felt as if she would not change any of it. She looked upon the broken, frozen peaks of Ordelia territory, in which likely laid the final stronghold of the most ancient enemy of the Children of the Goddess, and she was glad that everything had turned out the way that it did.

"Distracted?"

It was during the evening, when camp had been made yet only the two of them remained, that Ashton spoke to her. Of course he would know when she was distracted; he knew her better than most others.

"I have just been thinking, my dear Ashton," Seiros began, "all of this, everything we have gone through. Would you do it again, knowing where we end up?"

Though Ashton could give Arawn and Byleth a run for their gold when it came to displaying little emotion, Seiros knew him enough to see the signs of contemplation; he would look slightly to the side of her, nostrils slightly flared before running a hand through his brown hair.

"Weird question, that," Ashton admitted, "guessing you've had a lot of time to think about it?"

"Never before have I felt comfortable contemplating it. You do not have to answer if you do not want to," Seiros said.

Ashton sighed. "Don't worry, I don't mind. I… I think I wouldn't. At least, not to a point. The only thing I wish I could go back in time and prevent is me getting wounded by Nemesis. Other than that, nothing."

Seiros nodded, turning away. "I do not regret anything. Nothing regarding us, at least."

Ashton smiled. "Good to know, though we both know that things could've gone a lot differently. Do you remember what we wanted to do after the War of Heroes ended?"

"I wanted to leave Enbarr and the Empire to its own devices," Seiros said easily. "I wanted to go with you, perhaps help you find a way to your world personally. Above all else, though, I merely wanted to be a family. If it was to replace the one I lost, I cannot say, but that is what I wanted most. And it is still what I want."

Seiros didn't miss the way Ashton blushed and looked away slightly. She knew it was what she wanted as well, though she couldn't help but laugh a bit seeing his reaction. She should have written it to be illegal to be as cute as him; it was clearly too powerful a weapon to use against her.

Of course, such a dream would need to be realized in a peaceful world, and until the machine god and Edelgard were around, there would be no peace. The skies above Fort Merceus proved that much.

The machine god…

There had been stories during her earliest years about what, exactly, the precursors to the Agarthans wanted to do. They had waged pointless and greedy wars in the name of men and women who had turned to dust long before her mother had entered her dormant state. And yet, even then, among her brethren she had heard tales of a creature created as an aspect of vengeance, or a strange, artificial god that stalked the long shadows of Zanado at night, waiting for a chance to strike fear into the hearts of the children of the goddess.

Such stories had long been purged from Seiros' mind in the wake of a real monster showing himself, but in the current age, they seemed oddly prophetic.

Whatever the case was, she was still Seiros, and even if she was not a saint, and had desecrated the very goddess whom she had spread the worship of to one end of the continent to the next, she still meant something to someone. And so, no matter how many crises of faith she suffered, she would see the end of the coming events.

Seiros only hoped that she would be able to share it.

I SEE. THEIR PATH IS SET, THEN. I WAS MISTAKEN.

VERY WELL. THALES OF AGARTHA, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU MUST DO.

DO TRY YOUR BEST TO KILL THEM. FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, TRY NOT TO DISAPPOINT ME.

…

SUCH A LONG FACE, THALES OF AGARTHA. OF COURSE, YOU DO NOT HAVE MUCH IN THE WAY OF A FACE ANY LONGER. NONETHELESS, GO. PERHAPS YOU WILL BE OF SOME USE TO ME AFTER ALL.

Thiccening plot do be happenin', tho. Last Interlude, probably. Which is probably a good thing because this is the second time I can remember off the top of my head where they came only after four chapters lol.

Anyway, see you guys next time!