AN: I don't own Fire Emblem and all characters are owned by Intell Systems and Nintendo

Chapter 2: White Clouds –An Inevitable Chance

It started back a few months ago, when they had met with the Ashen Demon and fate. Shez had been laying on the ground getting some light shut eye. She was more tired than she let on, and just wanted a few moments of sleep. After all, there was going to be a rather large fight on the horizon. A Leicester Alliance's lower lord had tasked them to rout a group known as Jeralt's Mercenaries, who had taken sides up against them. It seemed that the lord they were working for wanted to secure the trade route between his town and that of the Adrestian Empire's lord's town. This way, he could charge money as a tax to travel the route.

Honestly, Shez thought it was a dirty thing to do, but politics was never her style, and she understood that, for mercenaries, where the coin came from didn't matter, so long as they got paid. As her twin brother had put it, 'When it comes down to it, being a Merc isn't easy. You can't really have biases because you need to know if you're going to eat tomorrow or not. And coin is coin. Beggars can't be choosers."

She'd agreed with him, but now she wondered if he was right about the idea of coin being coin, and where it came from. They'd always shied away from taking jobs that seemed rather suspect, and Captain Berling's would never pick a job she didn't feel ethically right taking, or so she supposed. So coin wasn't just a coin for the companies they had kept.

Her thoughts were on that when Getz woke her up from her rest. "I know you're napping around here somewhere. On your feet and back to work already, yeah?"

She sat up, blinking and rubbing her eyes. "Huh? Oh… it's you Getz."

He laughed it off, "Oh it's you Getz. Who else would it be? Your brother?"

Shez shrugged and smiled as she got to her feet. "So, what do you need?"

"Captain is looking for both of you," he muttered and rubbed his neck. "Still can't believe that you both share the same name. How do you even tell who someone wants to talk to?"

Shez let out a light chuckle and smirked. "What? Does it bother you that much? Makes it easier to confuse the enemy, too. Makes them question what they heard or saw."

"Deception, huh?" the older man shook his head and chuckled. "Well, I guess that is one way to look at it. Anyway, the captain wanted to make sure you were up and ready. Have you seen your brother?"

"He's probably checking the weapons in the tent," she motioned, and held up a finger. "Hang on a second."

Pushing up the flap of the worn tent and ducking inside, the young woman came in sight of her twin. The young man with bright purple hair sat on his cot, his blue eyes narrowed as he cleaned off his sword and checked for fractures and imperfections. She caught a glance of her own reflection in the mirror that hung on the tent pole. The same blue eyes that matched her brother's stared back, wider though, and her matching hair hung long over her shoulders and back, while his was clipped to the nape of his neck. Unlike her neatly brushed locks, his was messy in a casual look, though she had taken half of it and created a messy up do bun on her head to keep it all from flying around in her face when she fought. Both, though, shared the same bangs that hung over their right eye.

She couldn't remember when they had decided to look alike. Maybe it was back when they were little and no one could tell who was a girl and a boy and they screwed with the local kids in the village of their adoptive mother. Or maybe it was later when she had passed and they wanted to keep connected to her based on her own look. It had led to them wearing the same black outfits, except she had chosen shorts over pants. The red scarves that had been their mother's last gift to them hung over their shoulders like capes, a memento of what had been and their connections. A red string, as their mother had called it.

She ran a hand through her hair and cleared her throat, causing her twin to look up. "Oh. Uh… Bea…" she shook her head, and he noticed Getz's shadow. They had kept their names only between themselves. The less that knew who they really were, the better. After all, when did a Merc need a real name? He nodded and changed his wording. "Shez… what's up?"

"Getz wanted a word with us. You okay to go?"

The young man stood and nodded as he handed her the blade. "Yeah. Weapons checked and they look good."

She grinned as she took it from him. "You're too kind, doing all this work for me."

"Yeah, well, you're cleaning the blood off them this time." Her brother chuckled as the two headed out. Shez rolled her eyes and had followed. Getz was pacing as they stepped from the tent.

"You wanted to see us," Shez's brother said, and the man looked up.

"Ah, Shez… and erm… Shez," the mercenary nodded to the two twins. "Just who I wanted to see. Captain Berling wanted me to check to see if you two were ready for the fight. It's nearly time to go, you know."

"Yeah, of course we're ready." Shez declared, and her brother nodded.

"Why are you asking, Getz? Aren't you?"

The older man laughed nervously. "Ready? Sure, but well… you've heard the rumors, right?"

Shez shared a look with her brother and then both shook their heads at Getz, who looked surprised. "What? You haven't?"

"Well, we're not exactly…" Shez's brother started, and she finished.

"Gossips, you know."

Getz sighed and rubbed his head. "Figures. You two rarely end up in the whisper circles, anyway."

The twins glanced at each other again as Shez's brother spoke first. "So, what exactly is this rumor?"

"Well, you two know we're going to go against Jeralt's company, right?" again the two heads bobbed in agreement as the older mercenary went on. "Well see, rumor has it he has this weapon with him, a fighter known as the Ashen Demon, and they're leading this fight."

"Ashen Demon?" Shez raised an eyebrow and her brother shook his head.

"So it's just a name, right?"

"Well, not exactly a name. They say that she's a monster on the field. No reactions to when she cuts her enemies down." Getz crossed his arms and looked worried. "They say she doesn't leave a man standing when she fights. And that it's like fighting a demon from hell itself. Even the strongest of fighters retreat when they hear she's gonna be on the field."

Shez's brother put his fist to his chin and seemed thoughtful, "But has anyone confirmed any of this?"

"Well, no, it's just a lot of stories that came out. I mean, if she is a real demon, I kinda don't want to face her." The man explained to his younger teammates. Shez snickered and grinned, putting her fist on her hip.

"Well, demon or no demon, we will take her down, just like we always do with any other enemy. We can win this Getz. So don't worry, alright?" She put an arm around her brother's shoulder and grinned. "You have two of the best fighters in all of Fodlan."

The Merc cackled heartily and shook his head, "Wish I had your confidence. But we better get going. It's almost time and the Captain will want a roll-call before the battle."

"Right, let's take these guys down and get a good meal after," Shez's brother chuckled on that afternoon. How fully idiotic they were. She should have seen it coming, but her own arrogance and confidence gave her bravado that she should have not had.

They had gone to the fight, her, her brother, the Captain, Getz and their archer ally Lazley had taken the lead with their band and gone about routing the mercenaries that were waiting for them. Jeralt's band was no push overs but, as Shez recollected even now, they clearly had been trained better than any other group that she had met up to that point. Yet, they were winning, pushing the Empire's men back away from the trade route.

"Are we counting them?" she teased her brother as they met on the field of battle.

"No, because we didn't start earlier, but the one that gets the Captain's kudos can have the other do their chores for a week." He pushed his back against her as they fought off a set of brawlers. It was then that they heard the cry from the Captain. Split up, she had ordered, and the two rushed off in the same direction. Working as a team had always worked well for them. Why change it up now?

Lazley had gone in one direction, while Getz had taken off in another and the Captain was well ahead of them. Shez was sure that this day would be theirs. Just one more push and they would have the trade route secured. But then, the first cry for help came from a messenger from Lazley's group. They had surrounded her with a new wave of men. At the same time, Getz was being hit on the other front.

"We have to do something. We can't just let them fall." Shez had told her brother, who had agreed.

"I'll go for Getz, you head to Lazley…"

"And we'll met up with the Captain when we're done!" She had called back as she raced off to help her comrade. But her rushing was in vain, as Shez had arrived on the scene, out of breath from running at top speed. She found Lazley on the ground, nearly dead. She cried out to her friend and attacked the remaining enemies around the woman, helping the few men of the group to defend themselves. Once the enemies had rushed off, called back by their leader, Shez hurried over to her fallen ally.

She knelt down and took Lazley's hand, holding it tightly. "Lazley… what happened?" The woman tried to sit up and Shez shook her head. "No, don't move. You're hurt, and you'll lose more blood."

"It doesn't matter, Shez. I'm done for, anyway." The archer looked up at the girl. "You… You have to help the Captain. She…" Lazley grunted in pain as she reached up to put a hand on Shez's shoulder. "She's coming for the Captain….. We…" her breathing was slowing and the words were slower. "We… were ambushed… Jeralt's Mercenaries came…. came at us… and that witch… that beast… that demon… the Ashen Demon. She was leading them."

The woman coughed up blood, and Shez tried to calm her. Lazley took a shuddering breath. "I… tried… to stop her. She's too… too strong, Shez. You... You have to stop her. She'll kill the Captain." Lazley's voice became softer.

"Go… and stop her… help the Captain… Before… they… destroy… our… company…." The woman's hand dropped and Shez bit her lip. She had no time to cry, no time to mourn her friend. She needed to stop the Ashen Demon before she got to the Captain. Shez closed Lazley's eyes, then stood up as one of the other members expressed they would take care of her remains.

"I'll see to your last request Lazley, I promise."

With that, the young woman ran off, anger rolling through her veins. She'd take down the Ashen Demon and leave her bleeding on the battlefield. She hoped her brother was okay, that his mission had ended up better than hers.

It had not.

Shez found her brother at the crossroads of the paths and called out to him, "Shez! What happened to Getz?"

"I was going to ask you the same question. Where's Lazley?"

Shez bit her lip and shook her head.

"So she didn't make it either," he looked grim as he spoke. "Well, we have a job to do. We rescue Captain Berling and get out of here."

"Agreed." she said as they rushed through the mobs of fighters that attacked them on their way. Shez cut down as many as she could, snarling for them to get out of their way. "They just keep coming!"

"Then we whittle them down! And push on through! Like this!" Shez watched as her brother performed a massive attack that allowed the two to break through the men that were in their way. Storming up and over the bodies of fallen fighters, the two ran to the field where the Captain had been at.

Shez looked around frantically at the fighting. The smell of dirt, sweat and blood kicked up, and the dust was making it hard to see. She heard the shouts from her leader during it all. "I need help! Anyone! Please! I will not go down like this!"

The woman's shouts echoed in her mind as Shez spun around, trying to find her. "Where is she?! I can't see her!"

"Neither can I," Shez's brother scrambled up onto a rock. "We need to get a better view." And pulled her up with him. At the top, the twins could see the battle laid out before them. Their most elite men were having trouble with the group of mercenaries that they were fighting. Shez wanted to scream. There was just so much going on that it was hard to focus and concentrate.

"There is no way we can find her in this chaos," she was saying when her brother seemed to focus and stare at the scene before them, as if willing everything to slow down and narrow so he could see the details. Eventually, he pointed, clapping his hand on his sister's shoulder. "There! Right there!"

Amid the fighting, their captain was dealing with a group of lancers, handily keeping them in check. But it was still clear that she was in trouble. Shez nodded to her brother. "Let's go."

The two slid down the rock and ran for their captain. "Hang on Captain Berling! We're here to help you!"

"Just don't give up yet!" Shez called out to her, then gasped as the Captain fell from her mount. Blood coming from her shoulder and she saw a black figure move in a fast flash.

"No… just as my dreams were coming true… You… monster!" Captain Berling was dead before she hit the ground and the person stood up. A young woman, who looked a tad bit older than she was, stood in the moonlight. Her dark blue hair blew in the wind and the moon glinted off the golden emblem on her breast, and was dressed in a simple outfit. Shez had to wonder why she was baring her mid-drift. Was it a way to distract someone fighting with them, or did this woman honestly think that she was that invulnerable?

Still, something about the look in her blue eyes gave her pause. There was nothing there, or rather, there was emotion, and it was just limited. Shez could see the woman seemed sad at the falling of the Captain. But that didn't matter. In the end, she had just killed her.

"That must be her, the one that Getz warned us about," her brother mentioned to her.

"The Ashen Demon…" Shez stood her ground as the young woman turned to face them. The blue-haired girl slowly blinked as she looked at the two of them as if considering something. Shez bit her lip. How could she just stand there so calmly? What was with this girl?

The Ashen Demon suddenly turned and faced them, her blade held out directly in their direction. "Stand down, or die."

She said it in a way that chilled Shez, but there was no way she could, and neither, it seemed, would her brother.

"Not a chance," he rushed at the woman, blade drawn, ready for battle, "We're gonna stand. We're going to fight, and we're going to avenge our captain and comrades!"

"So don't you dare think you'll be standing after this," Shez echoed as she rushed with her brother at the woman. The two clashed against her blade as they met, and she threw them back. Shez was in shock but got up and came at her again, and the Ashen Demon easily dodged the blow.

With a swift motion, the Demon spun around to twist her sword past a low attack from Shez and a high one from her brother. The woman moved like a dancer, easily knocking them around. Her blade glinted in the light as she ran after the duo, who tried to distract her so the other could get a hit in.

It never worked.

Shez tried to slash down at the woman, but the Ashen Demon parried her and shoved her back into her brother, who twisted around and used the momentum to slide around the female mercenary. Back and forth, the two fought with this demon of a girl. Her blade singing against theirs.

"This is impossible!" Shez told her brother. Her voice was softer. "Why am I so scared? She's just one merc…"

"We can't give up yet!" he got up from his crouch and pushed off, rushing at the Ashen Demon. He swung his blade hard at her, but the blue-haired woman easily deflected the blow and got her brother on the defense. He parried as best he could, trying to keep from falling back, and threw a hard air strike at the Ashen Demon. Shez watched as the woman looked up and caught the attack with her sword, pushing him back and throwing him off with a slash to the back, sending her brother to the ground.

"No… This isn't happening! Shez!" she screamed and rushed the Ashen Demon, slashing at her hard. "You won't hurt my brother!"

Her screams of rage echoed as she hit hard with her blade, not caring where she was swinging. She needed to avenge them; Getz, Lazley, and the Captain. She couldn't lose her brother, too. She wouldn't. This monster would fall!

In her anger she lost focus and the Demon easily dodged a blow and then punched her straight in the face, causing Shez to become disoriented. She shook her head and rushed the woman, who tripped her up with her boot, causing her to stumble and twist, and giving the woman an opening to smash into her chest. She thanked the Goddess for good armor, as the blow could have killed her had she had no protection.

Shez hit the ground, losing her sword and rolled onto her gut. She glanced beside her where her brother was laying trying to get up and scrambled to him. Covering him with her body.

"Bea… get out of here…" He was muttering, and she shook her head. "Bea…"

"No… Not a chance… I'm not leaving you behind." Shez told him, not caring he was using his nickname for her. She heard the gentle foot falls of the Ashen Demon as she neared them, and took a peek up to see the figure walking in the moonlight. It was a sight to see, beautiful and frightening all at once. She was terrified by the woman before her, and knew now what Getz had meant by his warning earlier that day.

"I can't give up…" she whispered, wanting nothing more than to protect her brother.

"I have to… keep fighting…" Shez heard her brother saying as the frightening figure moved closer. She saw the blue-haired woman raise her sword to them and covered her brother more.

Please… someone… anyone. Help me! Help us! Her eyes closed, and she waited for the final blow to come and render her life ended.

"… Perish with you."

What? Shez heard the voice, but not that of her brother's nor that of the woman who was waiting to kill them. It came again.

"The cycle of this world. I will not allow it to perish with you."

She remembered a light and then she wasn't sure what happened next exactly. An energy flowed through her and she could stand, but it didn't feel like she was the one standing. Her eyes turned on her brother to see him up, too. Her sword seemed to fly back into her right hand and in her left, a strange blade appeared from nothing. She didn't understand it at all.

Her eyes shifted to her brother, who was beside her, and with two swords in hand as well. There was an abnormal glow to him, a set of orange horns like things around his head that floated behind him. Strange white glowing markings on his face and neck, and his hair now was sporting a pinkish tone at the top that bled into his purple locks. It was his eyes that made her wonder what the hell was going on. They were bright red, filled with rage and power. She could sense it in herself as well, and, given the look of the blue-haired fighter before her, it was clear she must look the same or similar enough.

She could sense confusion from the woman, but still the Ashen Demon stood her ground. "Where did you get that power?"

The two attacked again, fully intending to bring down the woman who had taken their band away from them. Her brother answered first as he slashed at the demon, rushing her with a cut from the ground up, kicking up dirt with his momentum.

"No idea."

"But it's just what we need to bring you down." Shez slashed across the air, aiming at the Ashen Demon's head. Even with this power, the Ashen Demon deftly dodged the attack. Back and forth they went for a while until the elite members of her team came after them, and she fell back. Blow after blow, they took down the men that attacked them, one after another. Shez watched as they fell to her blade in one to two swings. It was thrilling but scary, and she wasn't sure who was really in control. Her, or the voice she heard.

Eventually the Ashen Demon spoke up again from the distance, "Interesting. You fight like a different person. Both of you. How is that?"

"Like we would tell you, even if we knew." Shez heard her brother call out to the blue-haired woman. He turned to come at her but stopped when a new male voice shout over the field.

"That's enough. Fall back, everyone." She looked up to see a man on a horse in the distance. "We did what we came to do. No need to keep fighting."

The woman stopped when the man yelled out to the mercenaries that were attacking them. Most seemed to heed the warnings, and those that didn't were knocked-down by their own crew members to stop their actions. Shez watched as the Ashen Demon faced them and took a few breaths.

"Sorry, but this fight is over." She turned to go after sheathing her sword, headed for the man on the horse. The energy Shez felt seemed to fall away, and she rubbed her head as her brother called out to the woman walking from them.

"Hey! Wait!"

The Ashen Demon paused and looked at him over her shoulder. "Why?" she waved her hand loosely to imply little concern about the whole situation.. "We achieved our goal, you failed yours. There's nothing more to say here. You failed to stop us."

"You can't just leave this. You killed our leader." Shez shouted to her.

The woman shook her head. "I did my job. She was my enemy. That was all." Her blue eyes turned back to the man on the horse. "I'm sorry, I have to go." She paused and seemed thoughtful of something before she spoke again. "Another time, perhaps. It was… an interesting fight."

"Hey wait, we're not done here…" Shez called out, but then felt herself falling down. "Ugh… why… am I so tired here? I can't… just…"

When she felt her eyes close, the world swirled, and she woke up in a strange place with stars and floating rocks, with green lines running through them. Shez glanced up and around, trying to get an idea of where she was.

"What is this place? Where am I?" her voice echoed around her. Shez rubbed her eyes again and tried to think about how she had even gotten here.

"Okay, I know I was fighting, and then that woman left, and I felt exhausted…" she was muttering when she gasped, "Where's Ben… Ben…" She didn't care if anyone heard her call out to her brother now with their real names. She needed to find him. He couldn't be that far from her. He had fallen, too.

"Benedict!" she recalled calling out and the peculiar other voice came back.

"That's not my name, you know."

Turning, Shez gaped when she saw the white-haired boy in the otherworldly outfit before her. The white robes were like nothing she had ever seen before, and he seemed to float in the air. He looked human, except for the strange markings on his skin. Hanging from his ears were red triangular earrings. His look was so eccentric that she wasn't sure what to say, and she had seen a lot of weird looking get ups in her line of work.

"I uh…" she started and the boy, as his voice was too young to be that of a man, looked her over with his bright red eyes.

"Well, it's good you're awake; it took a bit more to get your brother to wake up too." He smirked at her, "it would have been hard to sleep with your, heh, blood on my hands,"

Shez blinked and rubbed her temples. Her eyes moved over him, noting the red mark in the center of his outfit and the fact that he was wearing no shoes. "My blood on your hands? What are you talking about?"

"Your blood, which was spilt as you fought that woman, would have been upon my hands…" He stared at her quizzically. "It's what is called a joke, I think. Though clearly you have no sense of humor."

"Humor? Oh I do, but that wasn't funny." Shez shook her head, and the boy sighed. "Sorry you mentioned my brother. Do you know where he is? Is he okay?"

The boy in white crossed his arms and stared at her with annoyance. "Yes, and he's here. But to be honest, and frankly, he was far easier to talk to than you were."

"Okay, that's good, I guess…" she looked around and then back at the boy. "Am… I dead? Are you… some sort of angel or something come to take my soul?"

The boy's eyes went wide, and he snorted. "Dead? Didn't you hear me say how glad I was that you were alive?"

"No, you said, it was good I was awake, and you were worried about my blood on your hands, then you said it was a joke." Shez corrected him and the boy rolled his eyes.

"Well, I would think one would assume if one were glad you woke up that you were alive."

"How can you even say that given where we are…" she stared and then paused nervously, "Where are we anyway?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but I've always been here, I think." The boy explained. "You're not a good listener, you know, and if you keep interrupting me, you might wind up dead."

"Shutting up then." Shez held up her hands, not wanting to upset the strange floating being before her.

"Now, ignoring your rudeness, where you are is on the edge of dreams and reality. A sort of in-between. Do you understand?"

He smiled at her, and Shez nodded. "I think so… sort of. Is that a trick question or…?"

The boy sighed loudly. "It was easier talking to your brother. You can call me Arval. I'm a being that resides here."

"Arval? Arval… Arval…" she repeated the name over and over to get it used to being on her tongue. Shez nodded. "Okay then I'm Shez…"

"One of them, also known as Beatrice, correct?" Arval motioned to her, tilting his head. She nodded slowly. How did he even know that she had never mentioned her name, unless her brother did? Arval slowly giggled and smiled at her. "Well, I think I have made you speechless."

"Hey…" She scowled at him some, but then chuckled. "You're a bit of a sarcastic one, aren't you?"

"Call it what you will, but we need to talk. Which brings me to my point of bringing you here. You are slated to die like your comrades, as you called them," Arval motioned her to follow and she felt herself tugged after him floating in the strange world.

"So I am dead?"

"Not yet, no. As I explained to your brother, I'm the only thing holding your meager little lives together at the moment. And, honestly, to be perfectly blunt, it's making me tired."

Shez raised an eyebrow. What was with this person? He was so odd, and rude at that. Still, he was the one in control here, and if he was telling the truth, then she owed him. "Uh, thank you. I guess you're doing the same for my brother?"

Arval nodded, "Quite right."

She put her fist to her cheek as she crossed her arm, "So if that's the case, we were both hurt by the Ashen Demon then? Terrific."

"Oh, so that's who that strange woman was. Well, at least now I can put a name to the face." Arval commented as he floated before her. He blinked for a moment and then smiled. "Oh, you know, that was the second time anyone has shown me gratitude. Your brother was the first, you know." There was a small smirk that came on the strange boy's face as he moved around her. "I have to say, as I told him, I rather enjoy the feeling of being given thanks for something."

"I take it that no-one ever thanked you before?" Shez turned around to monitor Arval as he moved about. The white-haired being shrugged lightly as he moved before her.

"Can't really say my memories are vague. But I'm sure… no, I'm quite positive that you two were the first ones who ever gave me a straightforward thank you." Arval stopped moving and then cleared his throat as if getting ready for something. His tone took on a more regal feeling to it as he spoke to her again.

"Hear me well! You are a crucial part of this world's cyclical…" He stopped when he saw Shez's gaze seem to move around the room as if still confused by it all. A sigh escaped his lips. "No… No, this won't do at all. You're still groggy, more awake than your brother, that's for sure, but I don't think this will work with you." He shook his head and cupped his cheek, tapping it with a finger. "For now, though, I needn't tell you how to get back on your feet, but convince you you can. The longer we wait, the more time will have passed and who knows what will happen to your body by then?"

"Are… Are you trying to scare me or something?!" Shez blanched, thinking of horror stories she heard of men waking up and finding wolves or other animals around them, ready to pounce on dead meat.

Arval raised his eyes to her, "What?! No. Not at all. I'm simply contemplating a way to wake you up."

"But I'm already awake, or is this some sort of dream?"

Arvel seemed thoughtful for a moment. "It's not a dream, but it's not reality either. You are in the in-between, and while your mind is awake here, your body is still, shall we say, sleeping out there." The boy snickered, "Your cluelessness is quiet, charming, all being said. I think you're growing on me. Your brother was the same."

"You keep talking about him, but I don't see him here." She pointedly motioned around the room. Arval looked about as she waved her hands and chuckled.

"That's because he's not. This place isn't… well, it's your own in-between, but I can be here and in his at the same time."

"So you're with the both of us then, in our own place? Okay, does that mean you're talking to him now?" Arval looked at her amused and nodded. "So then you can talk to us at the same time and give messages?"

"If need be, sure. But I will not be your go between, you know." The boy crossed his arms and shook his head vigorously, then seriously at her. "You have to do that yourself."

"Okay, I understand now, I think." Shez stated, and Arval raised a brow.

"Do you?"

"Yeah. You're like a ghost or some spirit, or something and you're in me and him and, for some reason, you can communicate with both of us, at the same time," she smiled lightly, proud of herself.

Arval laughed, "Your kind is always so proud of themselves when they think they know something. But yes, close enough." He cleared his throat again. "Now that we have that settled, will you listen to me?"

"Yes, sorry, you were saying something about getting me up on my feet?" He nodded, and she pouted. "So, how do we do that?"

"As I was saying before you walked us off into a tangent. We need to figure out what to do after you wake up."

"And what exactly should I do?"

Shez was trying to take this all in, and it was giving her a bit of pause. She still didn't know what Arval was, and though he was kind, she didn't know if she could fully trust him, even if he saved her life and her brother's.

"Do you recall how the one you named the Ashen Demon bested you? Came within an inch of snuffing out your life?"

Shez closed her eyes and muttered to herself, "How could I forget? She had us both. I've never seen a fighter so brutal in their actions, and yet… it was kind of amazing how she moved, like she was dancing as she fought." She sighed, cupping her cheek and resting her elbow on her arm as she wrapped it around under her breasts. "Wonder if there's a chance to beat her…"

"Not if you attempt to fight her the same way again, no. You'll reach the same conclusion and end up in the same situation." Arval spoke plainly as he closed his eyes and shook his head. "As I told your brother, it's counterproductive, and I would have to step in again and save you." He frowned some, "Which would be rather annoying to me personally."

Shez crossed her arms. "Well, I'm sorry that you found saving our lives annoying."

"It's not that I found it annoying the first time. It's that it would annoy me if I had to do it again." The white-haired boy explained to her as he moved to sit on a floating stone. "It's hard to keep you alive as it is. It would be even more so the second time around."

"Well then, what if I… er… we, get stronger?" Shez told him as she moved closer to the young man and smiled broadly at the thought. "I'll assure you that the woman I am right now will be a child compared to the woman I'll become." She held out her hand to him, "And then, one day, once I'm strong enough, I'll surpass the Ashen Demon. What do you say?"

Arval stared at her hand, then up at her. "An interesting proposition. But how do you plan on attainting this?"

"What do you mean?" Shez put her hand down. Wasn't this what he wanted to hear? She intended on getting stronger to beat that woman.

"I mean, who will train you and your brother? Who do you plan on working with to get stronger?" He stood up and looked at her carefully, letting her consider things. Shez took a moment to gather her thoughts. Who could she train with? Her brother clearly, but both of them were at the same level of skill. That would do nothing.

"You… You have a point." For the first time, she realized that no one in her company was alive and she and her brother were the only two left standing. "Captain Berlings and my comrades are all dead. The Company is finished, as what's a company without a leader? Not to mention we…" she bit her lip, "We never really got close to the other mercenaries when we were with the Company. You never know who is going to be your enemy the next time you meet."

The young woman sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "Well, this isn't good, but there's only one thing we can do now, and that's start over, yet again."

Arval snorted some and seemed puzzled. "Huh? I thought you would be a bit more sentimental about your fallen friends?"

"Friends?" Shez asked him, a bit confused by his comment. She'd never really thought of them as friends, more as allies or team mates. Neither of them had gotten close to any of the members. Sure, they ate together and worked side by side, but she didn't know any of them. It wasn't like they knew about the two of them, either. She couldn't even recall them celebrating her and her brother's birthday.

Arval's voice snapped her back as he continued his questions. "Yes, friends. Did they not take you in? Care for the two of you?"

She seemed thoughtful and tried to think of a time like that. Sure they accepted them when they joined, how could the company not? They were young, strong, and skilled fighters. Who wouldn't want to have two young mercenaries join up, and they didn't have to pay them as much as some of the older members? Had they cared for the two of them? Sure, in some ways; like the time Benedict had nearly broken his wrist, Lazley had wrapped it up for him, or the time that she had gotten sick, Gatz had got her the right herbs to help her get better. But care for them. That was a stretch. On the battlefield, yes, they looked out for one another, but care was something that she would only afford to her brother in the term that Arval seemed to be using the word.

Slowly, the girl shook her head. "I wouldn't use the word care, Arval. More like they were kind to us."

"There's a difference?" He seemed interested as she nodded.

"Kindness is, in this case, that they wanted to make sure we could fight for them. So they made sure we stayed healthy. Care is more of an emotional thing, and the only one that ever did that for me was my brother."

"I see." He seemed genuinely curious about her careful words and nodded. "Go on."

"See," Shez ran her hand through her hair, trying to find the right words to not paint a picture of less than good people. They were a decent sort, but not always thoughtful or caring. "Gold, money, coin. That's what held us together. The Captain's goal is what kept everyone around, and her paying us. Anyone could have joined in if we left. It wouldn't have mattered to her in the end. The whole point of her group was to finish her goals." She sighed and closed her eyes. "Death is something my brother and I are all too used to. We've seen it happen a lot in our line of work and you can't get too attached to other people."

She felt tears slip down her cheek. "We never knew our real parents, only their last name…"

"And according to your brother, you lost your adoptive mother a few years ago, if I'm not mistaken." Arval added, and she nodded.

"She was the one who raised us and made us who we are now. I guess parting comes easy to the two of us, given our history."

"So then, what do you want to do?" He questioned her softly and wiped the tears from her eyes. His hand was cold, not like ice, but not warm like a normal human's hand. Shez wasn't sure what to make of the boy, he was eccentric, but it was clear he gave a damn about her, and by extension, her brother, and that made her feel a bit more secure about their situation with him, and a bit of happiness and trust slipped into her heart.

Shez gave a slight thanks, and he nodded as she went on. "Well, the only way I see it is if I get stronger and avenge my fallen comrades. But I want to protect my brother. He's the only family I have left and if she shows up again and we fight, I want to stand up and keep her from taking him away."

A small, slight smile slipped onto Arval's face. "A fine sentiment indeed, Shez."

She nodded, wiping her eyes fully and then looking at him with determination, "Crushing Jeralt's Mercenaries and the Ashen Demon with them will be what I'll live for going forward. It's the only thing I have left as of right now."

The bright smile on Arval's face surprised her when she met his red eyes. He giggled, and she tilted her head, confused. "Something funny?"

"Oh no, no, not at all. But I do like your spirit!" He took her hand and nodded with a knowing smirk. "Though I should have expected no less from the ones who are my partners in destiny."

Partner's in destiny? She did not know what that meant at the time and still was struggling with it as she lay in the grass in the forest. Shez had entreated him what he intended, but Arval was fast to dodge the question, noting they should take the intimacy that they were building in small steps. To that, she had agreed.

He'd promised back then, to both her and her brother, that he would guide them, help them find their strength and realize their dream of avenging their fallen leader and comrades. Shez had no idea what to make of it, but she was glad of his fortitude for her, vague–even she had to admit it–plan. When she had woken up, her brother had been leaning over her and shaking her hard.

"Bea… Bea… get up…" his voice was horse, dry, and his timber sounded scared, trembling. It was clear he had been crying, and she wiped her face from the drippings she felt. Groggily, she opened her eyes to see his worried face, the tears still falling.

"Ben…" she started, her throat hurt, and her voice croaked when she spoke, "Goddess, I sound like a toad."

A light laugh came from him, and he pulled her up into a hug. The two crying for a good long time, sobbing about how they thought they had lost one another. Days passed, and the two wandered for a while, trying to figure things out. Eventually it came to be that Shez's brother figured that the best way to train was to do it apart, that way they could learn from others and bring thing to each other to help grow stronger.

"Yeah, I guess." Shez had answered and nodded with a sad smile. "Okay sure. We can try splitting up for a bit. But where should we meet up and when?"

"Say in ten months. That should be enough to learn and we can meet up in the village by Garreg Mach Monastery? It's neutral ground, or so I hear, and we can probably practice in the forested area around there." Her brother noted, and Shez gave a nod.

"So let's say the fourteenth of Guardian Tree Moon at the Monastery?"

Her brother had smiled and nodded. "Sounds perfect."

Within a few days the two had parted ways, Shez toward the Adrestian Empire intending to find someone to strengthen her blows and to become her brother's shield, while he was heading for Faerghus, intending to get faster and finding better ways to dodge the Ashen Demon's attacks.

For weeks, Shez worked hard to find other fighters to train her. Those that she found weren't always the best, but she took what she could from them. The best one by far was a traveler from Dagda who claimed to be the descendent of the legendary hero of Tellus, a place Shez had never heard of. He'd taught her how to deflect harsh blows, but his time with her was short as he was always on the move and had no intention of taking along a partner, though he wished her luck.

So it went, Shez traveling from place to place till she made it to the border of the Monastery and Empire territory. This was where she had bedded down, and dreamed of the past, her fight with the Ashen Demon and her introduction to Arval. She was deep in sleep when a familiar voice called out to her as if from far away.

"Hey… Hey! Wake up!" His voice was annoyed, but her body didn't want to move. She'd worked out hard the day before with running up a huge cliff side to get her legs stronger. Yet Arval persisted. "Rggh, how often must we do this, Shez? Would you get up already?! I need you awake!"

The young woman sat up, rubbing her eyes, and seemed thoughtful as she yawned and stretched. "Huh? How weird. I thought I just heard a voice just now, but it's still dark out."

"Hello! Yes, I'm right here! I'm the one calling you. Too many times to count, may I add," Arval sounded exasperated as she chuckled. "So you heard me. Well, better than your brother, at least. He thought I was sneaking up on him."

"He's a deeper sleeper than me," Shez chuckled as she got to her feet. "So, what do you need, Arval? Something bothering you?"

"Yes, frankly, there is. You and your brother have been reckless lately. Do you know how many times I've had to save just your life recently?"

"Uh… hmmm…" she started, and he cut in moodily.

"Trick question, I'll tell you. Twenty-two! Twenty-two times you could have died if it wasn't for me."

"Well, you know… It couldn't have been that bad…" She rubbed her neck.

"Oh, you don't think so?" He spat back and she could see him in her mind sitting there crossing his arms like a parent scolding a child. "Let's see," he counted on his fingers as he spoke and held them up to her.

"There was the three times you jumped off a cliff to, and I quote, 'get tougher'. Saved you. Oh, then there were the five times you went after the monster horde, saved you there too, and let's not forget the waterfall and log incident where you…"

Shez held up her hands, "Okay, okay, I get it…"

"I'm not finished talking yet," he snapped at her and Shez let out a long sigh as the boy berated her. "And tonight, instead of using a map, you wandered around Barnabus Woods all on your own, in the Empire's domain. Given that you were fighting against them last time, I don't think they would be keen on being friendly with you if you met. Oh, and then you bedded down on leaves, and who knows what would be in them. A spider could have bitten you and killed you, and then what of your brother or me?"

"Alright Arval, I understand. I'm sorry, this was my fault. And you're right, I'm not thinking. I just…" she sat down and put her hands beside her. "I just want to get stronger, faster. So I can see Benedict again."

The boy looked at her with wide eyes as he floated into her mind. "It's strange…"

"What is?"

"Well, this is what I wanted to hear from you, and yet, seeing you like this, I'm the one that feels bad. I'll have to remember this tactic for later and analyze why that is."

Shez chuckled lightly as he went on. "But I understand. You're worried about him, and he's doing well. We all make a few mistakes, and by 'We' I mean the two of you, and by 'a few', I mean more than average."

"Thanks for the compliments," she rolled her eyes.

"You're welcome."

Shez groaned; his humor could be trying, but smiled some as she knew he was trying to clear things up. "So, honestly, why did you wake me up?"

"I needed to disturb you from your muddy beauty sleep because, well, it's easier to show you than to explain."

Shez noticed him motioning in her mind to some bushes, and she moved closer to take a peek. Behind the bush, she could hear voices and found a path that lead up a bit of the way. Following it, the young mercenary kept low as she approached a set of simple houses which clearly had been abandoned years before. There were other houses, though very few, that clearly had occupants, so the whole village had not been completely deserted. She could see men marching around and her eyes widened when she saw three young people being led forward towards the larger of the houses.

Her eyes moved to the trio, a girl with white hair pulled back neatly, her eyes taking in everything. She was someone to watch out for, that much Shez could tell, and she was clearly the one who seemed to observe everything. The blonde boy beside her looked calm, but there was a slight nervousness to him, as if worried they had gotten into trouble. He was the tallest and clearly the one that probably would be the politest one in the group. Then there was the slightly shorter brown-haired boy. His darker skin tone let her know he had to be from Almyra and his green eyes sparked with a mix of mirth, mischief and deceptions. While they each had on uniforms–which she recognized as from the officer's academy–each had a different color on them as well as identifying their house.

"Who are they?" Arval asked her and Shez shook her head.

"Don't know, but the girl with red, that's the color of the Adrestian Empire, so she has to be from there, and the boy in the middle, the blonde, I'm pretty sure I've seen him in posters or at least someone that looks like him from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, Blue is their imperial color."

"I see and the boy in yellow, or is that gold?" Arval requested curiously to her, and she paused.

"The color of the Leicester Alliance, but he doesn't look like someone from there." Shez intoned puzzled and ducked lower as the group passed and she caught some of their conversation.

"If you would have just stopped plowing ahead, Claude, we wouldn't have gotten lost like this!" the blonde boy exclaimed to the brown-haired one who smirked.

"Lost Schmost, we had it on Imperial authority that we were going the right way to the village," Claude told his companion. "And now we have these nice gentlemen to help us out."

The blonde boy sighed and shook his head. "Claude, I don't think that's the reason they are escorting us."

"Let's save that discussion for later," the white-haired girl told the other two. "We don't know who or what we are dealing with."

"Edelgard has a point, Dimitri," Claude's smile seemed to slip a bit.

"Indeed," the blonde said as they walked farther up to the house. Shez carefully followed and watched the group as they stopped. The guard told them to wait outside and a moment later, a tall man with dark blonde hair, in a sort of Mohawk with a braid going down the back, came out, dressed in an orange tunic with fur, wearing armor below it, and there was a symbol she'd seen before on his chest. Looking him over, the girl let out a light gasp as she saw his face, with his beard and scar.

"What is it?" Arval asked, concern in his normally calm voice.

"That's Jeralt, the man who leads the mercenary company that I'm looking for."

Shez could see the young boy's eyes become clear with understanding as he intoned. "Ah… I see. So that means…"

As if on cue, the woman with the blue hair stepped out from the house and looked at the trio. She had not changed physically, but something certainly had in the weeks that they had last seen one another, though Shez couldn't put her finger on it.

"The Ashen Demon…"

Jeralt looked at the trio of young people and spoke up. "What's happening here?"

The blonde boy bowed to him first. "Please forgive our intrusion. We wouldn't bother you if the situation were not dire."

"I can see that," Jeralt waved off the officer who was watching the three of them. "So, what are a bunch of kids like you doing traipsing around in the woods this late at night?"

"I wouldn't call it traipsing, more like wandering or tracking." Smiled Claude and he bowed too. "We're really sorry to bother you, sir. Honestly."

"Yeah, well, I'm less worried about me being bothered, and more worried about you being attacked." Jeralt told them as he looked over at the group. Shez watched the small group in wonder. This couldn't be the same band that attacked her company, could it? He seemed to… nice.

"That's just it," the boy named Dimitri explained calmly, and he looked at his two companions. "We were looking for Remire Village, when we became unfortunately lost on our journey."

"I knew the path we were supposed to take, but it's really hard to navigate in the mountain paths." The white-haired girl cut in, but seemed to look rather upset by their current situation. "It was my job to get them their safely, but it turned out, I still have much to learn when it comes to navigating in the dark."

"Cut yourself some slack Edelgard," Claude smiled to her, shaking his head. "It's not like even the best tracker could have found our way to the village on a night like tonight."

"Indeed; if anything, we should have been more thoughtful, all of us," Dimitri commented, apparently trying to encourage the young woman. "You got us this far, Edelgard. You have an amazing sense of direction."

"Yeah, not your fault that there are bandits in these woods." Claude told her and Edelgard smiled some.

Jeralt rubbed his head and let out a loud sigh to get their attention. "Look, I'm glad that you're all trying to cheer each other up, but, given your dress, I feel you're not just cutting through this area as a shortcut. So what's the deal? What's going on here, really?"

The boy in blue quickly continued, "Apologies for our tangent there, Sir." He cleared his throat, "As I was saying, we took a wrong turn and ran into some bandits who pursued us. I can only hope that you would be so kind as to lend us your support."

Jeralt made a face, and Shez could feel the sense of uncertainly in his body language. "Bandits? Here?"

She could only nod her head some, but it was strange that some bandits came after these kids. Edelgard was quick to explain the situation to him. That they had been resting in a small camp from their trek when the bandits came after them.

"We were separated from our companions, and we're honestly outnumbered." Claude looked up at Jeralt and seemed a bit more conscious of what was going on. "They're after our lives… not to mention our gold."

At the word, Shez raised her brow. Why are they carrying gold out here if they're part of the officer's academy? Unless they were expecting to buy from stalls at a night market?

As she listened more, she chuckled some at Jeralt's reaction; he seemed impressed by how calm they were and only then did he realize they were in the school uniform.

"How dense can one get?" Arval muttered to her. "I don't see the point in watching any more. Clearly, this is not any of our concern."

"But I want to know what happens. I need to see what they do to these kids, and if I need to jump in and save them." Shez whispered as she watched the scene unfold. She could hear Arval chuckle in her ear.

"And gain some gold from lending a hand?"

"Maybe." She admitted and then huffed some at his soft laugh. "Hey, I need to eat too, you know."

"I know, I know. So what's going on?" the boy leaned back in her mind as she spied on the group. Shez watched thoughtfully, considering her options at the moment, when a guard rushed up shouting about attacking bandits spotted near the village, a large assemblage of them. Her eyes went wide.

"That cannot be good." She moved back some so she wouldn't be spotted and kept her voice low.

"No, it cannot. But this isn't our business, as you have told me before."

The girl bit her lip. She should have watched her words more. He was right, but a village being attacked differed from two idiot knights fighting in the town square. Keeping down and staying crouched, she waited to see what the group did.

Jeralt sighed and looked at the trio, not too pleased by what they had done and it was clear he was trying to be polite, but still the tone showed how annoyed he was by the whole situation. "Seems they followed you all the way here, for whatever reason. We can't just abandon this village now; they're going to need protection."

He turned to look at the woman beside him. "Come on, let's move. I hope you're ready."

The young woman nodded, and the group headed out towards what Shez assumed to be the main gate to the village. She slowly stood and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Well, they're gone. That's a relief, isn't it?" Arval's soothing voice rang clear in her mind as she put her fist to her chin and thought to herself.

"Hnnngh…"

"Hnnngh? What is 'Hnngh' supposed to mean?" the white-haired boy sounded concerned and Shez lifted her gaze to where the figures had fled. He looked in the direction, then sighed deeply. "Please don't tell me… do you honestly intend to follow them?"

"It… It would be a good idea, and, besides, if those kids got into trouble…" she spoke softly, thinking about how dangerous bandits were. A soft groan came from Arval, as if resigned to whatever insane plan she was thinking about.

"Fine, very well. Do what you must, but don't expect me to save you if you get yourself killed over this. It's ridiculous, honestly! You don't even know those people and that is the Ashen Demon with them. Didn't you intend to get stronger to fight her?"

"Yes, but a Mercenary always needs some coin."

Another long sigh echoed in her mind as Shez hurried off down the path Jeralt and the teens had taken with the Ashen Demon. It didn't take her long to find them, and her eyes went wide when she saw who they were up against.

"Damn."

"What is it?" demanded Arval. "Don't just say something like that and not explain. Why did you stop running?"

"The man over there, the bandit." She pointed to the man she knew as Kostas. His graying mane of hair and scrunched-up face gave him a look of a gargoyle that had been smashed one too many times with a brick in the face.

"Yes? And?"

"That's Kostas, he's not normally in this area. And he's dangerous as hell. There is no way he won't do something to those kids to cause Jeralt and the others to halt their attack."

"So what are you going to do about it, then?"

Shez bit her lip and drew her sword. "Fight with them, clearly. I can't let Kostas's idiots take down the Ashen Demon before I get a rematch, can I?"

Arval gave a low laugh, and grinned, "Clearly not. Alright, have at it. I'll have your back, Shez."

"Right, I know you will, Partner." She rushed out at the field and called to Jeralt as she got beside him. "Jeralt, I can see you need some allies. I'm here to help."

Jeralt glanced at her and she could tell he had no idea who she was, but motioned to Kostas. "I've fought that bastard before. I'm more than willing to help you."

"Well, any helping hand will be a boon. Alright kid, welcome aboard. You got a name?" He surveyed her as she got ready to fight.

"It's Shez, and don't you forget it."