Author's Notes: As you may have noticed, I have finally made the necessary changes to include the character of Shahid from FE: Three Hopes. I don't want to force anyone to read this entire thing again just to understand what's going on, so let me address the important details here.

Obvious Three Hopes spoiler warnings for Shahid's identity, though pretty much all of the rest is my own interpretation. Read ahead at your own risk…

As established in the game, Shahid is Khalid's older half-brother. According to this story, Khalid saw very little of him growing up because Shahid left the palace and entered Mirza Ghalib's tutelage while Khalid was still quite young (which also explains why Shahid seems to have a bit of trouble recognizing him in Three Hopes). Shahid hoped to conquer Fódlan and earn his spot on the throne, but he is killed sometime during the timeskip. He allegedly died in battle on Fódlan's Throat, but Khalid is instead convinced that Ghalib considered Shahid to be a liability and had him assassinated. Since Shahid's death is blamed on Leicester, it's a bit more blowback towards the idea of Khalid becoming king, even if he was not directly responsible.

… And that's about it. He'll get some more mentions and a couple of flashbacks before the end of the story, but he's obviously not a major player here.

I'm done actively revising the story to reconcile with Three Hopes for now, but if you find any more discrepancies, please let me know and I'll try to sort them out. Thanks!

Chapter 32

Day 29 of the Wyvern Moon, Imperial Year 1180

Claude grunted as he dove behind a collection of trees that grew a short distance from the central hill on Gronder Field. He was accompanied by Ignatz and Raphael.

The Battle of the Eagle and Lion was not going well. The Blue Lions and Black Eagles were immediately at each other's throats, and Claude hoped to stall until the Golden Deer could sneak around their distracted opponents and attack from behind. However, Lorenz inevitably ignored the plan and ruined any attempt to surprise the Adrestian students. Claude's strategy failed on the other front when pegasi riders from the Blue Lions detected his movements. The Black Eagles had by now secured the central high ground, and the Golden Deer were sustaining the highest causality rate of the three classes due to Lorenz's ailing offensive.

The game was not yet lost, however. The Blue Lions were starting to have some success, forcing Byleth's class to stretch out into a defensive line between the hill and the nearby creek to avoid getting flanked. Only Bernadetta was stationed to defend the hill and the accompanying ballista at that moment. If Claude captured the position, he could attempt a temporary alliance with Dimitri to knock out Edelgard's class. Beholding her self-satisfied smirk after another victorious mock battle would be simply unbearable.

Claude faced his two classmates and commanded, "Alright, the plan here is simple. Ignatz and I will launch volleys at Bernadetta in tandem using these trees for cover. Knowing her, she'll blow out our ears with a screech and then run the other direction. Raphael, you'll use that opportunity to secure the hill. We'll be right behind you. Understood?"

"Wait, hold on…" Raphael said. "Wouldn't that mean she'll get away? Or she'll flee right into the waiting Blue Lions! We need to start racking up some real wins or we're done for!"

"I hear you, but taking this hill is more important than tallying a single point, especially if we hope to support whatever the heck Lorenz is trying to do. We'll-."

Raphael jumped up and exclaimed, "Don't worry guys, I've got this! We'll get both the hill and the kill!"

"Raphael, wait!" Ignatz warned as his friend charged up towards Bernadetta with a roar. Claude only sighed as he tried providing cover for Raphael's foolhardy advance.

As expected, Bernadetta shrieked when she saw a mountain of muscle sprinting towards her. She was so terrified that she stumbled to the ground, causing Claude's first arrow to miss. Rather than flee, however, Bernadetta quickly notched an arrow and loosed it into Raphael's chest as he neared. Instead of arrowheads, these projectiles were tipped with wooden balls that would inflict pain without piercing anything. Raphael grunted as the arrow made contact. The projectile then flipped aimlessly into the air, and Raphael mimicked its movements as he wildly rolled back down the slope. He generated tremors with each bounce.

"… Ouch," Raphael said succinctly when he finally came to a stop. He did not dispute Bernie's obvious kill shot.

Ignatz landed a hit on Bernadetta immediately afterwards, who seemed rather content to lie down and watch the clouds, but Byleth unfortunately had enough time to send reinforcements to the hill before the two archers could move in. The Blue Lions' offensive was also stalling, though Dimitri carved out a path of destruction that included Linhardt and Petra before being felled by Hubert's magic.

As the battle neared its end, the Golden Deer rallied enough that Claude had the opportunity to take on Byleth directly. He used Leonie as bait, sneaking behind Byleth's back for a clean shot while Leonie distracted her. However, Byleth inexplicably dove to the side at the last second, causing the blunted arrow to ricochet off Leonie's shoulder before Byleth finished her. Claude readied another arrow, but the Ashen Demon's full attention was now on him. The encounter ended with Claude lying on his back in the dirt like Bernie.

"Stay down this time," Byleth told him in monotone as she walked away.

Just what was she talking about? Referencing something from the first mock battle, perhaps?

Despite having the wind knocked out of him, Claude felt well enough after the battle to check up on his fellow vanquished classmates. The healers from the Golden Deer were all either occupied or injured themselves, so Seteth's sister Flayn was helping tend to Raphael's bruised ribs. Ignatz sat beside his friend.

"Sorry for not listening, Claude," Raphael said when he noticed his class leader. "I really thought that when I attacked, Bernadetta would do her usual… you know… Bernadetta thing. Shut down or something."

Claude felt a genuine smile form on his face. He knelt down beside the others, even if doing so was still a bit painful in his condition, and then said, "Your mistake was reducing Bernadetta to a stereotype of her typical conduct. Human behavior is more complex than that. In this case, I think you scared her so badly that survival instincts took over, and those instincts told her that she had a higher chance of survival by fighting back than trying to outrun you. A cornered animal is a dangerous one."

Flayn perked up, turned around, and scolded, "Claude! Did you just compare a classmate of yours to an animal?"

"I… well, when you repeat it like that, it sounds a lot worse than I meant it to," he muttered.

"So you only meant for it to sound a little bad?"

Claude rubbed his forehead. "So we're dissecting each other's semantics with a fine-tooth comb, are we? And here I was trying to have a profound discussion about human nature."

"Ha! I only jest, of course. I am not immune to making such analogies myself," Flayn smiled smugly, rather pleased to have gotten under Claude's skin.

Ignatz must have felt bad for his leader. He added, "Anyways, I think Claude is right. It's like what we talked before about Saint Cethleann, Flayn. Her statue in the cathedral is so peaceful and graceful, but after all those stories you shared about her, I see now that she was so much more than her usual depiction. Art, and the assumptions of the artists, too often fall short of reality."

"I believe it," Claude agreed. "Cethleann wasn't a pacifist who healed from the comfort of a beachfront estate. She served on the frontlines of the War of Heroes, and she would have seen sights we can scarce imagine. I have no doubt she was very capable of nerve and tenacity."

"Oh my! That's very generous of you to say," Flayn stuttered with a blush. Realizing that she needed to explain her odd reaction, she clarified, "I have always been rather fond of Saint Cethleann, as you may know, so I am glad to hear when others speak kindly of her. I do not regret joining the Black Eagles, but I now see that I could have been very happy in your class, too. You are all quite amusing to be around."

"Amusing, huh?" Claude repeated. "I guess I probably have seemingly slipped to the level of a court jester after losing these competitions time after time."

"Oh, hush! You need not judge yourself so harshly," Flayn said brightly.

"Yeah, Claude, you've still got plenty of wisdom!" Raphael encouraged.

Claude grinned, "Heh. That's true. So do court jesters, you know. Their humor does not merely consist of crude gags and puns. The best ones can actually get away with surprisingly sharp social commentary. It seems you're reducing others to a stereotype again."

Flayn's eyes widened. "Wait… but did you not imply that the jesters were baser when you said you 'slipped to the le-.'"

"There again rambling about semantics, Flayn," Claude said as he stood and brushed his hands. "Here's my advice to all of you- be careful of someone who's been pushed to their limits, because that's where you'll come face-to-face with their deepest instincts. You might find something you never predicted. I certainly discovered parts of myself I didn't know existed when I was pushed there. I wonder… what secrets hide there for the three of you?"

Ignatz and Flayn produced crooked, nervous smiles. However, Raphael declared, "I don't know about any of this. I can't picture anything I've got to hide. Really! What do you all think?"

"Actually… that may be true in your case," Ignatz said as he put a hand on his chin. "But that's just what makes you you, Raphael!"

All four chuckled warmly in unison.

The Hunter and the Hunted – Day 29 of the Great Tree Moon, Year 1187 (Fódlan Calendar)

The youngest prince of Almyra was stirred awake when a droplet of water from a stalactite concealed in the dark landed directly on his forehead. Khalid was too sore to go back to sleep on his feeble bedding, so he rolled over and sat up with a groan. His surroundings were only dimly lit by scattered candles. Even so, he still closed his eyes and meditated, serenely listening to the constant dripping of liquid into puddles across the cave. The world below the surface seemed blissfully unaware of the battle that would soon unfold.

Khalid and his allies set up camp at this site the prior night. Meteora's cause was in jeopardy after the blockade of their coast and Ghalib's death, but they unfortunately failed to either depose or convince Justinian of a surrender before King Faruq initiated the next campaign. The king's army had advanced through half of Meteora unchallenged, but they could no longer put off a confrontation with Aurelian. The Meteoran forces were just on the other side of the mountains above.

This was the largest cave system known in all of Almyra, and nothing in Fódlan matched it scale, either. Khalid always believed that the location was a missed opportunity. Fascinating rock formations, sparkling minerals, pools of clear water… if the locals installed wooden walkways and lit the space up with enough candles, they could make a fortune by charging visitors to witness the natural wonder. The true solution to Meteora's financial troubles lay beneath their feet, and it did not even require any mining.

Khalid opened his eyes when someone sat next to him. It was Nader, who was examining some kind of crystal in his hand out of curiosity.

"You can't sleep, either?" Khalid asked.

"Eh, I got an early start. All the dripping lulled me asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow." After a pause, Nader added less flippantly, "There's a lot of lives counting on us, kiddo. There's no use wasting the time we have snoozing."

"True enough."

Nader yawned and tossed his crystal aside. He had dropped it gently, but the sound still softly reverberated around the chamber. He commented, "You know… these caverns are beautiful, but something tells me we aren't alone in here."

"I'm sure there's spies crawling around, but we have a safe perimeter. Just be careful with that booming voice of yours when we talk strategy, or our battle plans will echo a mile down the tunnel."

Nader began to laugh but quickly hushed himself upon recognizing that he was already proving Khalid's point. After studying his student's face, he observed, "You're worried about something else, aren't you, kiddo?"

Khalid nodded. "Even if their spies aren't effective, these caves are large enough to move soldiers through. We don't know the layout well enough to use them effectively, but the Meteorans surely have it all mapped out. They'll have the ability to string together maneuvers we can't predict."

Nader crossed his arms and lowered his head. After a bit of thought, he replied, "I spent an entire campaign against Aurelian. He's cautious. He might use their knowledge for a few surprises or as possible escape routes, but I don't see him vacating his current position in any significant way."

"I know he's cautious, but their situation is desperate. They might try something bold if the payoff is worth it. If Justinian gave the order, Aurelian might not even have a choice. I really dislike the idea of fighting here, Nader."

"Hmm. I get your worries, Khalid, but I'm not sure what we can do about it. The only real alternative is burning through every vulnerable city in Meteora until Aurelian meets us on our terms, but that would make us no better than Ghalib."

Nader spoke true. Simply bypassing Aurelian's forces was not an option. If Elam's army ignored them and initiated a siege of Metanoiapolis, the Meteoran army would follow behind and pin them against the walls. They could try splitting their army with one half leading the siege and the other trying to fend off any action from Aurelian, but their numerical advantage was deemed insufficient to employ this strategy.

Trying to encircle and besiege Aurelian's army was not a good option, either. The Meteoran commander already knew the risk, and he surely procured a surplus of resources for such a scenario. Not only did King Faruq want to end the Meteoran conflict without requiring consecutive lengthy sieges, but it would be very difficult to prevent Aurelian's army from being replenished with supplies through the porous cave system.

Khalid understood why the others believed a battle here was unavoidable, and like Nader, he was unwilling to authorize the deliberate terrorization of Meteoran civilians. Yet… surely this was not the only path available if they were creative enough.

"Okay, fine, maybe it's not the only option," Nader admitted as if reading the prince's mind. "But your father and I agree- we want this war over as soon as possible, and we don't want the fight brought back within Elam's borders. The more warring, the uglier it's going to get. Tales of the last war like to glamorize our victory, but the truth is that both sides pillaged and reveled after every battle. That's how it's always been in Almyra. I wouldn't care about looting the people responsible for the conflict, but we were talking about ordinary civilians. There were a lot of young idealists at the time, though, and I think that experience had a profound effect on all of us- Faruq, myself, Demetrius, Aurelian, Ridwan… even Ghalib. So while you can be damn sure we won't shy away from a battle, I hope you'll forgive us if we seem too wary about how the war is run."

Khalid sighed. "I can respect that vision. If that's how you really feel, though, I have one question for you- why did you participate in the raids on the Throat? I tangled with the dilemma as a kid, but I was too scared of what the answer might be to ask. I eventually concluded that my father sent you there to look after Shahid, and I thought that was confirmed when you stopped going after Shahid died. But when Ghalib asked you at Merv, you danced around the question instead of just saying that. Why?"

Nader scratched his neck uncomfortably. "You're right that His Majesty wanted me to keep Shahid out of trouble. He knew how Shahid was, and since your brother was insistent on living with the mirza to prepare for his glorious conquest, Faruq felt I was the only person who could put Shahid back on the straight path. But I reckon Ghalib tried to provoke me because he knew there was more to it than that. Even if Shahid wasn't there, I… enjoyed those battles. Part of me wanted to be there."

"But how? You knew it was unjustifiable!" Khalid rebuked, doing his best to keep his voice down. He hated being angry at Nader, but he had kept his feelings on this topic bottled up for far too long.

"I tried my best to excuse it. I told myself I was keeping the raiding parties disciplined and preventing excessive bloodshed. Heck, I avoided thinking of those raids as 'battles' altogether. I'd just call them engagements, encounters, or maneuvers since casualties were usually low. I even halfway believed Ghalib's lie that it was necessary to prevent an invasion."

"But why bother going to such lengths to rationalize it?"

Nader sighed. "Fighting was a form of release for me, and I didn't want to let that go. Sorry, kiddo… I can't really explain it that well, and hopefully you'll never go through such things that you experience it yourself." Nader thought on this for a moment before saying, "You know… your father, uncle, and I were quite the trio growing up. We had some great fun, but… Faruq and Ghalib ended up carving paths in opposite directions. I tried to balance both lifestyles but couldn't commit to either."

Khalid was beginning to grasp his mentor's perspective. He asked, "What made Nader the Undefeated a failed warrior?"

"The people of Fódlan were supposed to be dishonorable cowards. I knew that was untrue from the days I spent with your father sneaking across the border, but that felt like a lifetime ago. I avoided thinking too much about the people I fought. I had to confront my choices when I dueled that Holst Goneril, though. He was brave, strong, and honorable… all virtues reminding me that the slanders about our neighbors were false. Not only that, but he asked me why I was there and stirring up so much trouble. No one had called me out like that in a long while. So no, the 'Goneril boy' didn't scare me off like he'd probably like to believe, but he did help open my eyes. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were in wrong after that. The last decent reason I had to return was buried alongside Shahid. I did everything I could to avoid Ghalib after that." Nader's voice cracked when he added, "Maybe if I had stayed committed, nothing would have happened to your brother. I wasn't even there when it happened."

Khalid wished he could say that Nader's absence was a coincidence and that Shahid's death was unavoidable, but that would probably be untrue. There was a chance that Ghalib would have been too cautious to order an assassination while the grand agha was around. That observation would help no one, though, so Khalid instead asked, "Ghalib also mentioned Nousha. He was right to bring her up, too, wasn't he?"

Nader did not answer immediately, which was an admission in of itself. When he finally spoke, he did so in a quiet voice.

"Do you remember how Nousha was before Omar and Farideh passed? It's been so long now, maybe not…" Nader paused for just a moment so he would not be overcome with emotion. "She still had that wit, but she was also… kind. Sweet. Compassionate. … Everything changed after her siblings died. I thought it was just heartache at first, but it eventually became clear… that damn title was to blame. Even my wife agreed before she too passed."

"And that's why you were so angry when Nousha asked you to retire ahead of schedule?"

"Faruq was offended on my behalf, but I wouldn't exactly say I was angry. I just didn't want her to do it. Truth is, I never wanted her to become any kind of general after seeing how much that responsibility burdened her." Nader rubbed his eyes with a groan. "She's the only family I have left, Khalid. I love her, but… I just wish she would choose to be herself again. This war isn't helping."

Khalid queried, "Even if you don't want her to be the next grand agha, do you think she's capable of doing the job?"

Nader grunted, "Of course she is! Nousha is as bright and talented as anyone I've ever known, and I don't think that's just me speaking as a father. Some of her behavior has been disappointing, but she's still good at heart. I have clear evidence of that."

"What do you mean?"

Nader glanced around furtively before saying, "Think back to when your parents decided to abandon Saba to their ongoing pirate problem. It made sense from a strategic standpoint, but Nousha wasn't having any of it. She complained to me for an hour after that meeting. I tried to explain the reasoning, but she insisted that it was simply wrong. Those were the words of a person who cared, not a cutthroat general. And after the things I've seen, empathy like that is something we could use a lot more of." After a pause, he grumbled, "Not that I communicated any of that to her. I can barely speak to my own daughter, yet the words just tumble out when I'm with you."

Khalid recollected, "You know, Nousha made a similar comment before the last battle… implying that you were more of a father to me than her."

"She's right," Nader conceded sadly. "I told myself I'd be a better father after Shahid died, but I still ran off to Fódlan for your sake. You always had the makings of a great ruler, and I was happy to teach you everything I knew. Nousha was nothing like me, though. I would have been happy for her to stay that way. But how could I give her the space to do that while also being a good father? Instead of asking me to play with her or buy something from the market that caught her eye, Nousha suddenly just wanted me to make her a warrior. So… among other things, I used my job as an excuse to run from my responsibilities as a father. I'm sorry for the way Nousha is now because it's partially my fault. I'm not sure what the answers were, but I should have done better."

Khalid shook his head. "Don't apologize to me. Apologize to her if that's how you feel. Maybe you could have found the right answers had you tried to explain yourself. She's a woman now, but it's not too late to salvage something."

"I guess so. We just built up so many walls over the years that I-."

"Then tear them down!" Khalid said louder than he intended. "We're at war, and any day could be our last. Do you really want to miss your chance to make things right because of a pointless wall?"

Nader laughed heartily in defeat. "And that spirit is why I always believed in you, kiddo. There's no doubt who your parents are. You sound just like they did at your age."

Though they tried to quiet after that, the damage was done. Dimitri soon joined them while covering a yawn.

"Pardon me. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," the former prince of Faerghus said.

"Not at all," Nader assured, "In fact, it's time we gather the others. We need a strategy."

The "others" included the highest-ranking commanders still alive- Queen Tiana, Prince James, Protector Senusret, and generals Demetrius, Anthony, and Nousha. Anthony had formally appointed Nousha as commander of Elam's wyvern corps based on her leadership at Merv, though after his conversation with Khalid, Nader probably would have insisted on his daughter's attendance even without the promotion. Dimitri was an odd inclusion among that group, but he had earned the trust of the others. Kamran Al Bazargan also decided he was qualified to join the meeting even though nearly everyone else considered his presence to be a nuisance. Kamran bothered the others with his compulsive need to inject his opinion on military matters that he was clearly unqualified to discuss. He was otherwise usually competent at hiding his worst traits; however, Khalid had the benefit of hearing stories from Farjad. Kamran had made a decent first impression on Khalid back in Astane, but his esurient goals grew more obvious with each interaction.

After Khalid, Dimitri, and Nader tracked everyone down, they selected a small side chamber in the cave to congregate inside. It was just the right size, and a large boulder in the center made for a natural table. The only downsides were the beautiful walls and ceiling that distracted the eyes. Some rock formations hung like curtain drapes, while others were stalactites with bubbled features bearing a passing resemblance to feline tails.

Senusret unrolled a map on the rocky platform while James and Tiana arranged candles. Once their setup was complete, Nader put his finger on the parchment and announced, "Here's our target. Any ideas on how we actually take it without sacrificing half our army?"

Nader had good reason for predicting such a high casualty rate, as Aurelian had picked the ideal position for a defense.

The terrain on the surface was nearly as complex as the caves below. Mountains consisting of limestone spires covered the vicinity and greatly complicated navigation. The peaks were too jagged to even host lookouts or archers. These mountains, which the Meteorans called the Pinnacula, were bounded on the northern side by the Maritsa River. Relatively flat terrain stretched out on the opposite bank of the Maritsa. It was as if the landmass to the south had rammed into the river with expansionist aims but was instead crumpled and pushed upwards.

An old mining colony was situated between the Pinnacula and the river at a place where the watercourse bifurcated. Most of the water remained loyal to the Maritsa River as it charted a path to the northwest along a tempting valley. A portion of the original river, however, seemed to realize that this was an inefficient route to the reach the southern sea. It thus split off from the Maritsa towards the southwest, forming what was called the Vardar.

There was no need to dig downwards since the caverns already offered wide accessibility to subterrain resources, so the miners of years past had instead hacked away at the limestone peaks for their building materials. They had carved out enough surface area for Aurelian to set up his camp in an easily defendable pocket.

Since trying to attack via the caves was too impractical, there were only three feasible paths to assault the Meteoran army. The nearest option was directly through the Pinnacula by way of a canyon that dumped into the mining colony. Though Elam's army was already camped near the mouth of this canyon, the drawbacks of the route were troubling. The narrow passageway served as a chokepoint that Aurelian would undoubtedly exploit, and Meteoran fortifications and trenches had already been assembled to defend against such an assault.

The second possible approach was on the opposite side. A bridge spanned the Maritsa River at the mining camp, which meant Faruq's army could theoretically launch their attack across the river from the north. While still a chokepoint, this side was not as heavily defended. This was partially because the Meteorans wanted it kept easily accessible should a retreat be necessary. However, devoting excess time to constructing fortifications here would also have been a waste of resources. The bridge was undoubtedly rigged with explosives. Detonating the bridge would allow the Meteorans to either prevent the attack or, more ambitiously, strand half of their foes on the wrong side of the river midbattle.

That left one final route. The Pinnacula pushed right up against the Maritsa to form high cliffs to the east of the mining camp. However, there was some breathing room available from the west, as the terrain surrounding the two rivers had been eroded comparatively level past the bifurcation. This offered the widest exposed area to attack. Of course, that also made it the most obvious.

Demetrius proposed, "No matter which way we go, they'll lay waste to us. The only plan I see getting us past their defenses is a feint from either the north or south while surprising them with the bulk of our army from the west. A surprise attack robs us the chance to parley with them beforehand, but there's not much to say that hasn't already been said."

Khalid shook his head. "Aurelian will expect that exact plan, and even with the best precautions, I don't think we can reposition there without being discovered."

"Have you forgotten the reports, Prince Khalid?" Kamran interjected. "The Meteorans haven't deployed wyverns in a week. If they can't field scouts, then our concealment may be easier than you presume."

It was true that the wyvern corps skirmished with hostile Meteoran forces as they progressed into enemy territory. However, Nousha clarified, "We scattered their wyverns to the wind, but they had survivors. There's no way of even knowing if that was their full force. If so, it was an unexpectedly weak display."

"What is your analysis on this, Demetrius?" Senusret asked, hoping to leverage his knowledge as a native Meteoran.

Demetrius reflected, "The wyvern corps has always been the weakest link of the Meteoran army. They don't have direct access to the rookeries, so Meteora instead devoted most of its resources towards its infantry and navy. Most of their wyverns went to the Sentinels. It's believable that their corps is in bad shape after both the last skirmish and their attrition from Sous River, but to Nousha's point, it's still surprising that they put up so little fight."

James rationalized, "They could be saving what they have left for the siege of Metanoiapolis. The wyverns' primary use here would be for scouting, but they can instead leverage these caves to accomplish that."

"That's my suspicion as well," Khalid agreed, happy to get back to his original message after the extended digression. "Not only can they spare their wyverns since they have a viable alternative, but they're probably hoping the absence will lull us into a false sense of security."

Tiana asked, "What's our alternative, then? Faruq expects a victory here. If we have to do it by brute force, then so be it."

"Not so fast, mother," Khalid said as he pulled out a book and dropped it onto the map. "I did a bit of research on these caves before we marched, and there's a fun fact I want to draw everyone's attention to. These mountains are seemingly pocketed with more cavities than a honeycomb, but that's not actually the case if we go much farther east. For whatever reason, the caves sink deeper on that side and lack ground-level access. If we send our forces that direction, we have a real chance at getting by unseen."

Anthony cleared his throat and concurred, "I can back Prince Khalid up on that claim. Upstream of here is the Basilica of Saint Alexis, which you may have seen on our march over. I visited it with my wife a couple years back, and I asked someone there about these caves since we hoped to take a look. They told me that we'd have to travel pretty far west to actually get inside, so we ended up having to skip it."

"The bridge across the Maritsa near the basilica hasn't been destroyed yet, thankfully," Nousha noted. "It's rather surprising since everything downstream has been demolished for many miles… other than the bridge at their camp, of course. Is that because they don't want to restrict access to the basilica?"

James reasoned, "That, and also because we'd still have to cross back over to this bank of the Maritsa to actually attack. Blowing that bridge up would cause more trouble than it's worth."

"Therein lies the issue," Nader said. "Even if we got across the river undetected, we'd never make it over the second bridge without them having time to blow it up. Wyverns or no, there's just not enough cover in that final stretch."

Khalid shook his head. "You'd be right… unless they're suitably distracted elsewhere. That's why I propose we still employ a feint. The main portion of our army will approach along the Vardar from the west and engage the enemy. While the Meteoran army is focused on them, we'll launch a strike force over the bridge from the north. Not only will we catch them by surprise, but we'd be cutting off their best avenue of retreat."

Dimitri advised, "We'd still need a small contingent to stay here like Demetrius first proposed so that the scheme has two layers to unpeel. If Aurelian is expecting some kind of trick, the Meteorans will keep their guard up unless they're convinced that they've already uncovered our plot."

"Exactly what I had in mind!" Khalid hailed, delighted to see his retainer employ some strategy instead of relying solely on raw strength. Maybe those shatranj matches were starting to pay off. "We wouldn't even have to make it obvious. We can take genuine precautions to cloak the movements of the bulk army to make the story believable, and the Meteorans will still catch on if they're utilizing the caves properly. They'll be rather proud of themselves until they realize the feint has a feint of its own."

The chamber was silent as they considered their options. The queen finally decided, "It's a clever plan, Khalid."

"It is, but it would require splitting our army into three… four if you count the wyvern corps separately. It's risky," James observed.

Nader went a step further by adding, "It will be especially dangerous for whoever stays here. They'll be horribly outnumbered. If Aurelian starts to worry the situation is compromised, he might decide to withdraw south and slaughter the contingent here on his way out."

Demetrius abruptly volunteered, "I'm willing to hold the canyon. We all know I'm the least aggressive general we've got. Sitting around and making noise is one of my few remaining skills." When everyone frowned at his readiness to accept such a dangerous role, he shrugged and muttered, "Hey, when it's my time to go, it's my time to go. Don't bother shedding any tears over me because I sure won't."

"And what of the soldiers under your command?" Anthony reminded.

Demetrius paled at that question. After a moment, however, he said, "It's a risk, but I reckon we haven't gotten this far without taking a few."

"Very well. Thank you, General Demetrius," the queen acknowledged. She then declared, "I will head the western division, and I'm ordering that Prince James and Prince Khalid also accompany me. It's important that the royal family remains safe, and if that's going to be the largest contingent, then that's where we will be."

Khalid's eyes widened. "But-."

"No 'buts', Khalid. Your father and I have given you two a lot of leeway during this war, but I'm putting my foot down this time. Being good with that bow is no excuse to be reckless. You were nearly killed at Merv, and James lost a retainer. You do realize the consequences of either of you dying, correct? You'll still get an opportunity to fight this way, but we won't be taking on any undue risks."

James had no reservations, but Khalid was forced to suppress a groan. He was glad that his mother cared about his safety and the future of Almyra, but there were other considerations. Khalid was finally comfortable fighting on a wyvern again, and limiting Failnaught's contributions would be a strategic deficiency.

Additionally, playing a more active role in the battle would boost Khalid's reputation far more than standing in the shadow of his mother. Helping develop the plan was not enough, especially if his efforts ended up just being attributed to James again. Standing up to his mother might have earned Khalid a bit of respect if he ultimately got his way, but since Tiana would inevitably prevail, arguing with her would only make him look like a petulant brat.

Khalid accepted, "Well… alright. We still need some of our strongest soldiers in that strike force, though. Are you fine with me sending Dimitri with them, or is his autonomy also pinned under your foot?"

He immediately regretted that unnecessary final remark. Tiana retaliated with a glare plainly warning her son to watch his tone and said, "The strike force will benefit from his presence. As for its commander, are you up for the task, Nader? I know our top general would customarily head the largest division, but since it will already have three royals leading it, we'd quickly be approaching redundancy."

Nader bowed. "Of course, Your Majesty! I rarely get the stimulating assignments nowadays, so I welcome the chance."

"If I may…" Kamran spoke up. "Shomal's army lacks experienced commanders. With that in mind, I believe Shomal's full infantry should join the bulk diversion force rather than dilute our strength. That includes me and Senusret, of course."

Kamran's argument had some merit, but it was clear that his foremost desire was to "participate" while still avoiding the more perilous postings.

Senusret's brow immediately furrowed with displeasure. "I can agree to limiting Shomal's infantry to the western division. However, not only am I most experienced fighting by wyvern, but as Her Majesty said, additional leadership in the west is hardly necessary."

"You are the Protector of Shomal, Senusret. As I am the person of greatest standing from Shomal here, your duty should be obvious. I insist that you join the western division."

Senusret's contempt for the sardar's council was well established, but he could only argue so much without risking unified backlash from the elites of Shomal. He struggled with his decision until Nousha asserted, "I've spent enough time with Shomal's wyvern corps to comfortably lead them on my own, Protector Senusret. All I request is that Satiah serves as my direct subordinate representing your usual charge. I have full confidence in her abilities."

"… Very well. Let's see to that, then," Senusret conceded with tense politeness.

Nader smiled as he stroked his beard. "Does that make me the only general here leading the northern strike force? I'm flattered at the vote of confidence, but I'm also underwhelmed that no one else is stepping up. You people do realize that it's the most exciting job, right?"

Nousha elbowed Anthony, who was standing next to her. She recommended, "If you're already familiar with the landmarks around the basilica, Anthony, it would make sense for you to aid him."

Anthony nodded. "Agreed. We'll need some of our best cavalry over there so we can storm the second bridge and secure the surrounding area as quickly as possible. There will be less maneuvering room on that front of the battle, so skill will be critical."

With the basic assignments set, the meeting then focused on specific logistics. Of particular concern was timing the sequence of events since the three armies would be spread too far apart to communicate directly. It was decided that Demetrius's division would move into position and distract the Meteoran forces at dawn. Concurrently, the wyvern corps would ensure that Nader's forces were in place and report back to Tiana. The queen would then march her army along the Vardar River and attack Aurelian while the wyvern corps assaulted the Meteoran lines wherever they looked most vulnerable. Two and a half hours later after dawn, Nader and the strike force would seize control of the northern bridge and envelop the enemy army. The timing was based on precise calculations of distances, speed, and martial ability, but they had some leeway so long as Tiana's forces could sustain an extended battle.

Khalid and Dimitri sought out Ariella and Marianne once the meeting was concluded. They found the two women where they took camp the night before alongside a bottomless pool of water. Ariella was asleep on Marianne's lap, who was only halfway conscious herself. Khalid's first retainer was usually awake early, so this came as a surprise.

After waking Ariella and explaining the situation, Khalid suggested, "Marianne, it makes sense if you stay with me. It's the largest division and will be fighting the longest, so it will have the most wounded that need your care. Ariella, if you think you've made enough progress with your healing magic, I'm sure Dimitri's squad would be happy to have you."

Ariella shook her head weakly. "Sorry, Khalid, but… I think it's best if I stay here with Demetrius."

"Why? You understand he probably won't even participate in the battle, right? And I don't think that means he'll be interested in spending that time training with you."

She avoided his gaze out of embarrassment. "… I had a pretty bad seizure last night. I'm not sure if I'm physically capable of another march."

"Wait, what? Why wasn't I told about this?" Khalid uttered with alarm. This revelation explained why Ariella looked so lethargic, and he hated himself for not realizing it sooner. Marianne wilted some under the apparent criticism.

"We're telling you now," Ariella calmed. "Marianne was focused on my safety. When I regained consciousness, I asked her not to tell you. You already had enough on your mind, so I didn't want you to lose any sleep over it. The situation was under control."

Khalid was not entirely pleased, but he deferred his next complaint when he saw Dimitri shake his head. Ariella continued, "The main takeaway is that I could derail the entire operation if it happens again, so the safest choice is for me to hold the base here. I'll be fine, Khalid. I promise."

It was difficult to take Ariella's optimism seriously after Demetrius acknowledged the very real risk that his division could be wiped out. Still… Khalid had made a promise to trust his retainers.

Khalid said, "Alright, I'll hold you to that. If the Meteorans march this direction, take to these caves and hide before it's too late. We'll come for you."

The plan would not initiate until after nightfall, so Faruq's army was free for the rest of the day. Khalid and Dimitri left Ariella in peace so she could rest more, though she ultimately spent most of her hours chatting with Marianne. The two men settled down to wait with Farjad and Satiah. The group wasted the day away alternating between talking, eating, napping, and playing games. Farjad had brought some dice with him, and by exploiting various rocks from their surroundings, they were able to build a makeshift nardshir board. Farjad still reigned supreme, but Khalid and even Dimitri had grown quite proficient at the game after enjoying many matches during their journey at sea. Nardshir had been less popular on Satiah's scout ship, so she was quite frustrated with her lack of success against the others until realizing why she was at a disadvantage. Khalid was just relieved that Satiah was now more concerned with her record at nardshir than the prince's role in Khabash's death.

It took a bit of luck and a lot of time, but Dimitri was finally only a few moves away from his first victory against Farjad. The guard from Shomal began to sweat, and after glancing at Khalid and Satiah, he complained, "You two aren't even pretending to act impartial about the outcome. Am I really that hated?"

Khalid smiled thinly. "Heh. No offense, Farjad, but watching you win every time is pretty boring. Find yourself a game that you're bad at, and you'll suddenly have our sympathy."

Satiah agreed, "Just so. It's been a while since someone managed to make that smug smile of yours waver. I haven't seen that happen since… you know…" She leaned forward and whispered, "That incident in the Channel of Blood we don't speak of."

Farjad could not decide whether to laugh or cringe at being reminded of his black eye. "Well… ignoring any of that, I maintain that true talent at a sport should receive respect, not scorn. And besides, I-."

Farjad stopped when he noticed Ariella and Marianne approaching.

"Marianne, Ariella… How are you? Is something the matter?" Dimitri asked, obviously concerned about Ella's health.

Thankfully, Ariella's face was cleared of that morning's pallor. She told them, "Nothing's wrong, but we heard that the sun just dropped below the mountains. It's time to get ready."

Khalid, Dimitri, and Satiah helped each other to their feet. Grateful for the out, Farjad hurriedly collected his dice and scattered their game pieces. Dimitri mused as he watched, "For reasons I can't imagine, it seems the goddess has granted you a stay of defeat. Can we pick up our match in this same place when we next meet?"

Farjad chuckled, "I'd rather not, but… if it means we both get out of this battle alive, then so be it."

Khalid turned to his first retainer and ordered, "Don't start pushing yourself too hard just because I won't be here, Ella."

"We won't take the wyverns out again until tomorrow morning, so I can look after her until then," Satiah volunteered.

Khalid replied, "I'd appreciate that, thanks. And good luck out there, Satiah. Nousha has put a lot of responsibility on you, but I know you're ready for it."

Ariella and Satiah bowed in recognition as the others went ahead without them. During the walk, Khalid told Dimitri, "It's gonna be a long night. You should have taken a nap like the rest of us when you had the chance."

The corner of the blonde man's mouth turned upward. "Sleep hardly ever offers me rest, anyways. I'll appreciate having company this time. Though… it will be odd fighting separate from you yet again."

"Hey, we'll see each other in the morning! It's hard to feel too isolated when we can spot each other's Heroes' Relics across the battlefield. I already told Nader to keep you company until then. Once you settle in for the night and don't need to worry as much about being totally silent, ask him about the time my mother bested him in a fight. That always earns a reaction."

When they came across Nader and Anthony, Khalid patted his instructor on the shoulder and reminded, "The Tempest of Fódlan is as reckless as he is powerful. Try to bring him back in one piece, Nader. And don't get yourself chopped up in the process, either. That would be equally disappointing."

Nader laughed. "He sounds like a man after my own heart. Don't worry, I'll take care of him. See you tomorrow on the topside, kiddo."

Khalid, Marianne, and Farjad left Dimitri under Nader's supervision and continued onwards. They soon found where Prince James was speaking with Sidi Kamran. This location developed into a staging ground for the western division.

Queen Tiana made the final decision on when it was dark enough to proceed. After gathering their horses, the two main divisions marched south in tandem for a brief period before splitting off in opposite directions. Marianne and Farjad guarded Khalid's left and right sides while Queen Tiana rode just ahead of them. Senusret had thoughtfully assigned Farjad to serve as a temporary retainer for Khalid so the Bazargan son could keep his distance from his father.

Everyone was completely silent for the first stretch of the journey to keep a low profile, but it eventually became obvious that this was an unnecessary precaution. There was only so much that could be done to muffle the noise of a moving army. The sound of marching feet and hooves was loud enough that speaking in a low voice would have a negligible impact. Additionally, the density of the cave system thinned out the farther they moved away from their base in the Pinnacula, so they were likely moved beyond the regular operating area of Meteoran scouts.

"I'm just curious, mother," Khalid said. "You couldn't resist running to the frontlines at Merv. If you're worried about my brother and I's safety, you'll be forced to either let us go with you or leave us in the back without your protection. A bit of a dilemma, isn't it?"

Queen Tiana was unperturbed. "Not really. I'll leave you in the back where that bow is most useful. Instead of me, you'll have the Shakiriyya. That's what we hire them for, right? I know your guards struggled at Merv, so I've left you under Khatereh's care this time. Her second-in-command is tailing James."

Khalid turned around and muttered something unpleasant under his breath after confirming that the commander of the Shakiriyya was indeed following silently behind him. He said a bit louder, "Umm… thanks…"

Tiana told him, "Listen, Khalid. I'd like to give you more responsibilities, but other than Pyli Kyma, you don't have a particularly impressive battle record. I mean, you weren't even top of the class at the academy, and that was with far lower stakes. You, Marianne, and Dimitri partook in the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, and between the three of you, you have zero victors. That's rather concerning, wouldn't you say?"

Khalid defended, "Hey, Professor Manuela vetoed my best plans because she felt they were 'too dirty' or something. The Black Eagles did not burden themselves with such restrictions. They also got to field their absurdly gifted professor while our fearless leader sat out with a stab wound. Talk about an unfair fight…"

"Your ability to conjure up an excuse doesn't make you special, Khalid. Every loser in every competition ever has at least one."

"Did the Golden Deer win while you were there, Your Majesty?" Marianne inquired.

Tiana smiled. "Do you even have to ask? It was a decisive sweep. The only question at the end of the day was whether Judith or I was the most valuable student. I'm still not sure why she refused to concede the obvious. Ha! That was probably the worst argument we ever had."

Judith had a lengthy reprimanding prepared for the next time they met, but rather than linger on the image of her friend's death, Tiana shared more memories from the academy's premier mock battle. This included extra details explaining the concept to Farjad. She ended by recounting how she tricked the house leader of the Black Eagles into lowering his guard by pretending to sprain her ankle.

"Wait, hold on," Khalid interrupted. "How is it fair that you got t-."

"I didn't submit a list of all my ideas to my professor so they could get denied. That was your mistake, Khalid. You were so proud of your cleverness that you had to talk about your strategies instead of, you know… just doing them."

"Umm, not fair," Khalid insisted. "One of my classmates baselessly told our professor that I was conjuring up some wicked schemes that had to be stopped, which resulted in me being interrogated until I spilled them all. Isn't that right, Marianne?"

Marianne said diplomatically, "Well… I believe you, but I don't necessarily remember Lorenz doing that."

"I never said his name, and yet she knew precisely whom I was talking about. That tells you all you need to know," Khalid observed triumphantly.

Tiana briefly held up her horse when she heard this. "One second, Khalid… this sounds exactly like the excuse you gave me for why you lost the first mock battle. This 'Lorenz'… that's Erwin's son, right? If he somehow ruined your efforts twice the exact same way, I'm starting to think the real issue here is that you failed to develop management skills. Don't worry, Khatereh can give you some pointers while you're back with the reserves."

… Khalid did not have an inspired riposte for that. He did not agree with being shuffled to the rear of the army, of course, but she was right about Lorenz. And while getting trounced at verbal jabs was remarkably unenjoyable, he was glad to see his mother smile. As with everyone else, the war had given the queen few opportunities to be her usual self. She had fared somewhat better than her husband, but only by a little.

After a silence that went on far too long for Khalid's liking, Farjad thankfully cleared his throat and declared, "Regardless... if you want my opinion, this entire practice battle sounds like an asinine idea. I understand the merit of sport, but why mirror it on a real conflict between two of the participants? It sounds like a great way to reopen old wounds on an annual basis."

Farjad actually had a point, but Tiana just grinned and asked, "You aren't invited to many parties back in Astane, are you?"

"No, not really. Why?"

"Oh… no reason in particular." Tiana covered a chuckle. "A bit of friendly advice from the preeminent lady of Almyra- if you ever look to break out of guard duty down the road, don't fool yourself into thinking aptitude or intelligence is enough to earn a promotion. The surest bets are to be rich or come from a connected family. The next best option is to be friendly and ensure your superiors like you. A good start would be to not critique one of the queen's greatest achievements."

Farjad was undoubtedly flustered, but he did his best to cover it up. "W-well, I'm not sure if I'm exactly aiming for a promotion. But for what it's worth, I am trying to work on the whole friendly personality thing."

Khalid was about to voice support for Farjad's progress when he was interrupted by the clatter of ringing metal. This was shortly followed by more banging, neighing of angry horses, and expletives of surprised soldiers.

Khalid and his companions pulled their horses to a stop and dismounted to survey the situation. They soon discovered that several ashamed soldiers at the head of the party had tumbled into an unseen gully that was around eight feet deep and fifteen feet wide. Khalid carefully slipped into the ravine, helping Marianne down so she could aid a soldier who had twisted his foot during the fall.

"Why in the world is there a trench here? Just a snare to trip us up?" Tiana pondered with annoyance.

Khalid hypothesized, "I'm not a mining expert, but it might be associated with the nearby facilities, like an old quarry or something. It could also be a flood channel."

"I'm leaning towards the latter," Farjad said as he prodded the rocks. "Everything is damp, and I even see some puddles. This probably gets water whenever the Vardar overflows its banks. We got rain this morning, right?"

"Some. The rain might have been heavier upstream, or maybe all the nearby runoff pools here. Whatever the case, we need to be careful. There could be more obstacles like this," Tiana concluded.

"What about the noise? If the Meteorans heard it, will they think we did it intentionally to give away our movements?" Marianne asked.

Khalid answered, "Hopefully not, but we can't discount the risk. There's not much we can do about it, though."

Kamran soon arrived and scolded everyone for their carelessness, complaining that the noise put the entire army in danger. He grew even more frustrated as soldiers strained to get the horses across the gully without additional racket. Queen Tiana brushed him off, but the mood was undoubtedly much tenser when the march resumed after the incident. It did not help that the journey was taking longer than anticipated. Only Tiana had a map, but Khalid could tell that his mother was becoming irritated that they had not yet reached their destination- the Vardar River.

James trailed not far behind his brother and stepmother but had kept silent the entire journey. However, the delay was bad enough that he eventually pulled alongside them and said, "I've begun to speculate that whoever drew up our map played a cruel trick on us. We should have reached the Vardar by now, right?"

Tiana fought the urge to sigh and said evenly, "It sure seems that way. It's an older map, so it wouldn't have the foresight to mock us. Some of these rivers drift over time, though, so it's possible that the Vardar really is farther away. Our scouts should have warned us if that was the case, but since they already let us walk into a ditch, I'm not sure how reliable they are at this point."

"It's not exactly easy to estimate distance, speed, or time at night, either," Khalid reminded. "I know we're all on edge, but we need trust the plan. It's too far into motion to start second-guessing ourselves."

The others eventually agreed with this assessment and permitted the march to continue. They were soon rewarded with relieved sighs from the leading soldiers as they came to the bank of a noisy river. They could finally rest, though less time was left available for sleep than anyone would have liked. Everyone else felt the same, so camp was set up hurriedly. Even though the Meteorans had no known wyverns in the area, the army still took basic precautions to obscure their numbers by sheltering under trees, bushes, or high grass. The royal family, their retainers, and Shomal's leadership were granted the privilege of sleeping under a low tent that blended in with the surrounding green, but even that was not particularly comfortable.

Sleep did not come easy, and when it finally arrived, its relief was fleeting. Only a few hours later, Khalid awoke and shot to his feet in one swift movement when his ears were greeted with a cannon's peel. Were they under attack?

… No. It was impossible to visually identify threats in the early dawn light, but the noise was too distant for the cannon to be aimed at them. The first blast was followed by additional discharges at regular intervals every few seconds.

Many of the soldiers began to panic or ready for battle, but Khalid took a few moments to process the situation. He then reasoned aloud, "It's too far away to be meant for us. In fact, I don't think it's from any battle at all. The sound is coming from every direction, which doesn't make any sense."

"He's right," Khatereh said, who had unnecessarily moved into position to defend the prince. "Either it's coming from nearby villages, or Aurelian has set up small outposts that our scouts missed."

"But why?" Farjad asked as he rubbed his exhausted eyes. "Surely they aren't wasting ammunition just to ruin sleeping hours."

"They must be trying to disorientate us… hoping we'll advance on the wrong position or fear a counterattack," Senusret theorized.

James shook his head. "I thought the idea is that they would prepare for us to attack from this direction. If they fell for our scheme, wouldn't trying to distract us from our current course be counterproductive?"

Tiana concurred, "James is right. Something doesn't add up."

Kamran shuddered and crossed his arms. "They are trying to delay us while they eliminate Demetrius's division. As I feared, the Meteorans changed plans when they heard that awful ruckus last night. I knew this was a misguided strategy from the start."

"Admitting you had reservations but chose to withhold them doesn't improve your reputation, Sidi Kamran," Tiana retorted. "Now, Khalid… do you have any theories as to what they're doing?"

Khalid took a few more seconds to think before admitting, "Nothing that hasn't already been said. I think everyone is right. Aurelian is trying to confuse us, but for the life of me, I don't know why. Maybe we'll get a better picture once the wyverns arrive. Just make sure you give them a chance to explain themselves before you expel them from the army, mother."

The periodic detonation of black powder kept time for them. The minutes began to add up. After first complaining to his retainer Theodora, James finally turned to the others and said reluctantly, "I think it's officially time to sound the alarm. Where are our wyverns?"

"Is it possible they were attacked?" Marianne asked.

"Even if the Meteorans have a wyvern corps nearby that they kept a secret, there's simply no way it would be large enough to prevent some of our riders breaking through to alert us," Senusret answered.

Kamran pondered, "Is it not also possible that either Nader or Demetrius was attacked, and our wyverns had to engage to aid them?"

"Even so, surely they'd send a scout or two to notify us," James insisted.

Theodora proposed, "Maybe our wyverns are out there looking but can't find us for some reason?"

"Based on how long it took to get here, it would make more sense for this to be the Maritsa instead of the Vardar. I don't get how that's possible, but it's the only thing that could cause any confusion," Senusret muttered.

Everyone turned to face the rapid river just a stone's throw away. The water almost seemed to whisper as it periodically bubbled, pooled, and swirled, but the gabbling did not string together the river's name. No one had a good method of confirming its identity, yet they all stared at it hopefully until the queen disputed, "This is ridiculous. Which is more likely- that the distances on our maps are skewed, or that the entire Vardar River just vanished from existence?"

She was right- rivers don't just vanish. Unless…

Khalid felt his legs weaken and stomach churn when the realization hit him.

"Khalid…" Tiana uttered upon noticing his reaction.

Her son put a hand on his forehead as he explained, "We're currently staring at the Maritsa. The Vardar didn't vanish… it was diverted into this river right here. Remember that gully we stumbled into last night? That wasn't from runoff or mining; it was the riverbed left behind when the Vardar was dammed. We just kept going until we hit the next landmark."

"If one of the rivers was simply missing, our scouts would have identified it yesterday and notified us," Kamran held.

"Aurelian probably selected this site for an ambush months ago," Khalid reminded. "They must have installed a sluice gate or something similar, and they shut off the flow at nightfall. That's why everything was still wet. The scouts didn't notice the sluice because they weren't looking for it, and it was built too recently to be on our maps."

"That means…" James began slowly.

Khalid finished, "Nader's division arrived at the right location, but we overshot our destination by at least a mile."

"So our wyvern corps really is lost trying to find us. Even when they do figure it out, it throws off the entire timing of the battle," Farjad reasoned.

Tiana cursed into her palm and noted, "It's worse than that. If there's a sluice gate, they've probably reopened it behind us. The nearest bridges are destroyed, and both rivers are too wide and too deep to be crossed by foot. That leaves us pinned in the middle with no ability to provide or receive reinforcements effectively."

Senusret mused, "If Aurelian is isolating our forces, the Meteorans aren't waiting patiently for our arrival. They're on the hunt."

"Our army is split into four… how do we know who the prey is?" Marianne asked nervously.

"… I don't know," Khalid confessed. The cornered animal had lashed out, and there was no telling where its swing was aimed.