Main Hall – Midnight
Clarisse had not slept well in five days. She wouldn't admit it outright, but she had gotten used to Kiran's bizarre sleep habits. Sleeptalking, snoring, and various other sounds that were now absent created a gaping void that was filled with a lot of thinking.
The archer hissed in frustration. Of course, she shouldn't even be in the summoner's room. I should be out with him, but he wanted me to keep tabs on these idiots! Clarisse paused. Over the last few days, she had started to respect some of the other people in the castle. Sure, there were eccentric people, and that Lute character could be a pain. But in the big picture, she was starting to enjoy the company of a few people. Marisa, Kagero, and Nephenee seemed to understand her best, and it was very hard to dislike people like Nino, Fir, and Donnel. Even Robin and Reinhardt had stopped by on her rounds to check on her, even if it was clearly at Kiran's bequest before he left.
So Clarisse had kept awake; bound by her fears for the summoner, and attempting to understand the kindness towards her. Donnel had said he treated everyone this way, but she found that hard to believe. Who would have the energy for that?
A knock on the door pushed all her thoughts to the back, and Clarisse cautiously got up from her bedroll on the ground. She quietly picked up her bow, and began sneaking towards the door.
"Clarisse, it's Kagero. Open up." The ninja's voice was muffled, but it was unmistakable. The archer pulled open the door and glared, perhaps more than she intended to. "My apologies if I woke you up." She bowed deeply, before facing Clarisse again. Clearly she had sleeping as well, if the state of her hair and dress had anything to say about it.
"What do you want?" Clarisse asked, attempting to sound professional, not curt.
"There's an unidentified group headed towards the castle," Kagero stated, "Saizo notified me and is telling Robin and Xander at the moment." Clarisse looked into the hall. A familiar strand of green hair whipped around the corner, and she heard a small "eep!"
"Any reason why you told Nephenee before me?" Clarisse asked, sporting a large grin. Kagero remained stone-faced, and the archer sighed, "Nevermind. Let me get ready. You two can go back to bed." The ninja nodded, and motioned towards the poorly hidden Nephenee. The spearwoman mumbled a "Clarisse" and both of them were heading down the hall. Clarisse sighed, and closed the door. As she buckled her armor on, she held down hope in her throat. It had only been 5 days, and Kiran had said two weeks was more likely.
Xander, Robin, and Lucius were already standing in the great hall when Clarisse arrived. She could also feel the watchful eyes of at least one ninja; though how many, she could not tell. She turned to the tactician. "So, we parlaying with them or not?" She asked. Robin touched his chin in thought.
"It's tricky." He answered. "We can't let them in the castle if it's a trap. So I suggest we get bundled up."
"Yes, let's die in the cold," the archer's voice dripped with sarcasm, "It could only get better if it was raining." Robin looked at Xander, and smiled nervously. Clarisse's eye twitched. She could already hear the pitter-patter of raindrops on the mess hall windows next to the main entry. "Whatever," She spat dismissively, and swung the large castle door open.
The group was bundled-up from head to toe, and were moving gingerly. Clarisse could tell they were carrying something. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a makeshift stretcher. The archer pulled out an arrow, but let Xander and Robin approach the group. As the duo reached the group, they motioned rapidly towards Clarisse. No way. It's way too soon, and the group is way too big. She thought. Despite these thoughts, she began running through the harsh rain. Freezing droplets pelted her skin, but she ignored them. It was indeed Kiran, and the summoner looked awful. Dark rings sat around his eyes, and he clearly hadn't shaved in a few days. He was giving instruction to Xander, who was now carrying the stretcher with a strange man with long red hair."
"Robin, I need you to set up some temporary quarters for these guys," Kiran told the tactician, "We're all a little tired." Robin nodded, and began herding the new group in. The hoods protecting their heads from the rain obscured Clarisse's vision of them, but she was already focused on the person in her charge. She grabbed the summoner, and glared at him.
"You haven't slept a damn wink, you bastard." She snarled at him. The sniper began dragging Kiran back towards the castle. "You promised, didn't you?" He didn't respond, nor did he resist. Clarisse felt a pang of guilt. Keeping Kiran protected and healthy was supposed to be her job; and through not being there, she had essentially failed. She practically threw him into his room, and shouted something vaguely incoherent, though the intent was clear. Clarisse turned around, and almost ran over the small form of Princess Sharena. She looked equally tired, but she was attempting to put on a brave face. Sharena glared at Clarisse, who responded in kind.
"Hey, you!" She yelled, before awkwardly pausing. "I … I know you care about Kiran, but you gotta take it easy on him!"
"He didn't take care of himself." Clarisse said shortly.
"Things … have gotten complicated," Sharena confessed, "We've been invaded by Muspell, and we found Nifl's princess in the ice; and it turns out her mother died. Now we might be going to find a mind reading magic woman or somethi-" Clarisse put a hand over Sharena's mouth, and glowered at her.
"That was a collection of half-thoughts," the archer explained, "and when I take my hand away, I expect those to make sense. I also need things like Nifl and Muspell to be explained as well. Sound good?" Sharena nodded. "Good, take a deep breath, and explain everything." Sharena's breath rattled a little, but she managed to get everything out. Clarisse wasn't a tactician by any means, but she quickly came to a grim realization. There was a good chance they would have to abandon the castle or prepare for siege. She looked at the princess, and nodded. "Thank you, I'll make sure to notify the others in the morning." Clarisse patted Sharena's shoulders awkwardly. "Now, you get some rest as well, no need for everyone to drop dead from exhaustion." Sharena nodded, and shambled off to her personal room. Servants from the castle began to crowd her as she reached the end of the hall, and nearly carried her off. Clarisse smirked in spite of herself, before turning towards Kiran's door. She hadn't heard anything coming from the room the whole time Sharena talked at her. The archer rolled her eyes. No doubt the summoner already fell asleep, or he was still working, despite Clarisse's wishes.
The latter thought got her riled up. That possibility was the closest thing to reality, and Clarisse was seriously debating knocking him out if that was the case. She carefully opened the door, and sneaked a peek inside. Kiran was lying in bed, but slowly lifted his head to face the now open door. Clarisse cursed to herself. The one time he had to listen to her.
"Sorry, I'll just get ou-"
"Clarisse." His voice was raspy, and tired. "Come in, please." She closed the door behind her, and blew out the one lantern still lit over the summoner's desk. There was a faint sliver of moonlight peeking through the rainclouds, but the room was still pitch black. After a minute of adjusting, Clarisse turned to the summoner. He patted the spot next to him on the bed. "I know this might seem weird, but I just …"
"You don't need to explain yourself." The archer said, a rare moment of open kindness. "I understand." She carefully laid herself next to the summoner, who immediately relaxed.
"It's much warmer here." He said contently The statement was simple, and probably meant nothing. But it would prevent Clarisse from sleeping through most of the night.
Library – 6 am
Robin, Soren, and Nino looked over the newcomers among them. Some of them were grumbling still; a victim of a late night, early morning, and a strange new place to sleep. That was why Robin and Soren decided to bring Nino along. Her chipper attitude was infectious, to say the least.
"So, we have Joshua, Camus, Soleil, Lene, Sheena, Katarina, aaaand Ishtar!" Robin said in one long breath. "Is that correct?" There were some vacant nods, while Joshua let out a long, drawn out yawn. Soren gave the swordsman a look of disapproval, but Robin quickly intervened. "Alright, it'll take a little bit to get your rooms together, but while you're waiting, Nino and I can give you a tour of the castle." Robin turned to Soren. "Can you get the rooms together?"
"I'm the only one who will do it right, anyways." Soren responded, and walked away. Robin turned back to the new group and clapped his hands together.
"Alright, let's get a move on!"
"And here are the cellars!" Robin announced. They had made it through almost everything at this point, passing the stables, dining hall, various rooms, the training area, and the greenhouse, to name a few places. Now the group found themselves in the basement corridors, and they could hear a sinister laugh echo through the hallway. "Now, don't worry about the laughing," Robin reassured them, "That's just Tharja. She's relatively harmless."
"Mmmm hmm hmm," came a sultry voice from behind the group, "You always know what to say to get my heart racing, Robin." Tharja slinked past the others, sizing up Robin; the feeling was similar to watching a bored cat. "And Nino! What a pleasant surprise." She gave the young mage a kind smile, which gave Robin chills. "What dark forces would conspire to bring two of my faaaavorite people to me?"
Nino smiled back. "Hiya, Tharja! We're just showing these new folks around!" Tharja raised an eyebrow, and looked past the duo.
"Folks?" Tharja asked, "You've been spending too much time with Nepehenee and Donnel." She seemingly floated towards the small group, and eyed each one individually. Her gaze lingered on Katarina and Ishtar. She turned to face Robin again. "As long as you don't touch anything, you can look wherever you like. But if you do, I hope you enjoy vomiting cockroaches." The dark mage turned and strutted back into her room. The tactician gave the others a sheepish look.
"See? Mostly harmless."
Mess Hall: 8 am
"How did it go?" A cascade of crimson hair surrounded Robin's hunched form. He felt a peck on his cheek, and he smiled.
"It was alright. Only a couple of them were responsive, and that Katarina girl really wants to study with me." He chuckled to himself.
"That's good, is it not?" Cordelia asked playfully, "Morgan could use someone to work with."
"She has Severa and Lucina, though."
"Yes, and Inigo, Owain, and Gerome," Cordelia confirmed, "But her usual friends aren't here, like Nah and Cynthia. She could use a new friend." Robin stroked his chin.
"So I should take her in as a protege, is what you're suggesting." Robin grabbed a forkful of eggs, aiming for his mouth. He felt Cordelia's hand lightly guide the fork away from him, as she took the bite. She smiled wryly.
"It would be a wise choice."
"That would be a first, Red." The couple looked over to Gaius, who had approached with Cherche in tow. The wyvern rider gave a wide smile.
"Do you mind if we sit with you? We haven't eaten together in forever!" Cordelia began chatting with her friend, and Robin turned to Gaius. The thief raised an eyebrow, which was code for 'don't ask any questions'.
"So …" Robin began, "How's life with Gerome here?" Gaius sighed, but smirked.
"Feels like home, you know?" He responded, "Sure, Gerome talks to Cherche more, but we've hung out."
"Oh?" Robin chuckled in response, "Becoming a family man, are you? Color me surprised!"
"Har har, Bubbles." The thief nicked a piece of toast off of the tactician's plate. "It's not like you don't have kids." He paused for a moment. "How are they, by the way?" he asked.
Robin shifted a little. "Severa … spends a lot of time with Camilla and Lucina. Morgan … well …" Gaius patted Robin's shoulder in a comforting manner. "She doesn't spend every second of time with us, but I don't think she has a lot of friends here."
"I guess so, she always gravitated to Lil' Dragon and Stumbles Junior, didn't she?" The thief asked. Robin nodded in response. "Is that why you're thinking of taking in an assistant?" Cordelia leaned over and responded for him.
"We just think that another tactician would be beneficial to the army. Right, sweetie?"
"R-right." Robin and Gaius stared at each other. The message was clear. Maybe some other form of small talk was necessary.
Mercifully, a meek voice interrupted the group. "Excuse me … can I sit here?" The petite figure of Katarina stood behind Gaius. Cordelia gave her a broad smile.
"Of course you can!" She replied, "We were just talking about you!"
"O-oh." Katarina mumbled, but sat down.
"Don't fret, it's all positive." Cherche reassured her. "My name's Cherche, and this man here is my husband, Gaius." She motioned to the thief, who smiled quickly and waved. Robin picked up from where Cherche left off.
"And you've met me," he said, to which Katarina nodded, "This is my wife, Cordelia."
"Actually, he's more my husband." Cordelia responded, giving Robin a good-natured punch on the shoulder. "Katarina, we were talking about your request earlier."
"Y-you don't need to trouble yourself with me!" the mage insisted, "I know that request was strange and sudden, and I don't want to be a burden …"
"Whoa! Calm down, Chatterbox!" Gaius interrupted. "Let Red and Bubbles finish before you act like a sad sack, alright?" Katarina nodded quickly.
"Well …" Cordelia looked at Gaius and Robin, and continued, "We think it's a great idea." The mage looked up in surprise. "Our daughter is also attempting to become a tactician, so we think it would be good for the both of you to work together." She looked at Katarina. "Would that be agreeable to you?"
Katarina nodded her head vigorously, but didn't answer; the words felt stuck in her throat. Gaius patted the girl's shoulder.
"Welcome to the family, kiddo."
Delthea peeked down the table. Nino had invited two more people to their table; a mage named Ishtar and a swordsman named Joshua. Joshua was charming, a real ladies man. Which made it all the more frustrating that he wasn't really hitting on anybody. Especially me! Delthea thought. And this Ishtar woman … she wasn't sure what bothered her more; the fact that Ishtar wouldn't divulge any information on her clearly checkered past, or that she was equally talented in the field of magic. So there they sat – Fir and Eirika talking to Joshua, Nino and L'Arachel talking to Ishtar, and Delthea, Ephraim, and Myrrh all eating in relative silence. Delthea grumbled to herself.
"Is there a problem, Delthea?" Ephraim asked while cutting Myrrh's pancakes, much to her protest, "You have been grumbling to yourself all morning. Is there something we can help with?"
Delthea sighed. "No, it's nothing..." she responded, "It's just … what's a girl gotta do to get noticed around here?!" The mage covered her mouth, as she had spoken much louder than she had intended.
"Love is quite overrated, you know," Joshua answered, "It tends to be fickle, more prone to chance than even a roll of the dice." Delthea snorted.
"Easy for you to say," she replied, "I would like to at least experience love before I'm an old maid!"
"You're a bit young to be worrying about such things," L'Arachel stated, "You'll have your admirers in due time."
"I tend to agree with Joshua." Ishtar, who had been soft-spoken, seemed to command the attention of the table. "Love is a wonderous feeling, but the reality is that that feeling can lead to horrible situations. Be careful of who you love, and take your time getting there." The silence after her statement was tangible.
"Usually the mood dies when I arrive, not before." Marisa approached the table, sporting a rare smirk. "And is that a foolish gambler I see?" Joshua gave her a roguish grin, and winked at her.
"I knew the Crimson Flash wouldn't be able to stay away from her partner."
"A one time deal. I just enjoy watching you make an idiot of yourself." Marisa took a seat next to Fir. "What were we discussing?"
Eirika spoke up. "Well, I don't know if you have met Ishtar, she's new." The myrmidon nodded politely, which was reciprocated. "Ishtar was giving Delthea a personal lesson on not seeking out love."
Marisa nodded. "Love dulls your blade, Delthea. You must not seek such a frivolous thing." Joshua laughed at this.
"Wise words! The only thing you should seek is more coin! And maybe some other enticing vices …" Ephraim smacked the gambler on the back of the head.
"Not in front of Myrrh, if you please." Myrrh was too engrossed in her pancakes to respond. Joshua turned to the lord and smirked.
"O-ho?" He replied, "What of you, Ephraim? Surely some maiden has caught your eye?" Delthea groaned.
"Why are you talking like that?" Joshua ignored her, and continued badgering the lord. After a few minutes, Delthea noticed L'Arachel and Eirika motioning to somebody. She saw Princess Tana, Elincia, Micaiah, Sanaki and Lute all approach the table.
"Oh joy, Joshua is here." Lute stated dryly. Tana looked at the red face of Ephraim, and the pleading looks of L'Arachel and Eirika, and began to blush herself.
"Ah, Lute! Would a lovely face such as yours be interested in a game of-"
"Games of chance have little to do with chance, especially with someone such as you – commonly referred to as a shark – involved." Lute interrupted, "I'm only here to help Tana talk to Ephraim." The princess shot her a look.
"Lute, you're not helping!"
"I aim to please!"
Tana muttered to herself, and turned to Ephraim. "Lord Ephraim, I-I was wondering if you'd like to take a walk to the greenhouse with me? I mean-" She blinked twice, "If you be so willing as to accompany me to the greenhouse?" Ephraim snatched her hand, and smiled; both from relief and something more.
"I would love to!" He answered, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically, and he practically dragged her away from both groups. Lute sighed with relief, and took his seat. Sanaki sat inbetween her and Myrrh, with Elincia sitting across, next to Delthea. Micaiah created a sister sandwich, almost snuggling the small dragon girl.
"You must be Delthea," Micaiah offered, "and you must be Myrrh! I can see why Sanaki called both of you adorable." Sanaki stiffened in consternation.
"You must be mistaken, sister!" She practically shouted, "I merely said I found them charming new additions to this castle, and not with such a childish term as 'adorable'!" Almost as if on cue, Myrrh laid her head on Sanaki's lap.
"I'm going to take a nap now." Sanaki's eyes widened as she mumbled 'cute' over and over. She began stroking the dragon's hair lightly. Delthea rolled her eyes.
Dance Hall: 9 am
Henry looked forward to these mornings.
He wasn't normally the most romantic person, but when he was dancing with Olivia … What would you say? He never felt more alive. Something about pushing himself to the limit, something about moving at intense speeds … something about how Olivia looked with the morning sun coming through the open windows …
Huh. "Guess I'm becoming a romantic sap." Henry noted to himself. Olivia twirled gracefully, then faced the dark mage.
"Did you say something?" She asked. Henry shook his head. The dancer gave him a quick smile, the returned to her practice. There was a small knocking on the door only a few moments later. "Oh, that must be Robin and Cordelia," Olivia said, "Can you get the door for me?"
"My pleasure! Nyahaha!" Henry nearly stumbled over himself to reach the door. The familiar red, white, and purple of Robin and Cordelia stood at the door, eyeing Henry with more than a little interest.
"Stumbling around? How's the, uh, death curse Tharja gave you?" Robin asked, concern outlining his voice. "It's been a week." Henry waved his arm sheepishly.
"Aw, you know!" he replied, "Sometimes my fingers get tingly for a moment, but it's pretty much past." Henry could hear Olivia clear her throat, and turned to face her. He knew her relationship with Tharja was rocky, to say the least.
"You know how I feel about you being a test subject." She began, and Henry frowned.
"Yeah, maybe I've been a little too risk-takey recently," He conceded, "I'll be more careful from now on." Robin and Cordelia looked at each other in surprise.
"I never thought I'd see the day." The pegasus knight remarked, chuckling to herself. She showed Olivia her small harp. "Robin and I thought we could provide music like last week."
"Perhaps with no cursing this time." Robin added. Olivia nodded in response.
"Well, I really appreciate you two helping me!" she exclaimed, "It really helps me out!" The couple began setting up, as they looked over the songs Olivia wanted prepared. "I know that a Feroxan Waltz is similar to a normal Waltz, but I think it'll provide a good challenge." Cordelia looked at the dancer and smirked.
"Well, be thankful my two left feet won't be out there!" She called out, joining Robin, who was already looking through a stack of manuscript he had brought with him. Olivia turned to Henry, who had been speaking to somebody new.
A wide spectrum of emotions ran through her in a moment. She felt nervous, as this was someone she was unfamiliar with, which only worsened when she noticed the obvious garb of a dancer on her body. Olivia gave her a quick look. Olivia worked hard for her body, and it was something she was secretly proud of, but this girl seemed to be both muscular and svelte. Yes, upon closer inspection, she seemed to have the physique of both Tharja and herself, if such a thing were possible. And she was enthusiastically talking to Henry. Her Henry. She began to move her way towards the two, attempting to prepare for whatever conflict would take place.
"You must be Olivia!" She heard her cry out, before the new girl grabbed Olivia's hand and shook it violently. "I'm Lene! Oh my goodness, I can't believe there's another dancer in this castle!" The girl took a look at Olivia and frowned. "How on earth do you manage to look so good?" She asked, sighing afterwards.
"H-h-huh?!" Olivia attempted to hide her face, while blushing furiously.
"Your hair is so pretty!" Lene lamented. "I can't even get this idiotic shrub to work with half the time!" She tugged on her ponytail. Olivia peeked past her hands, taking a look. She immediately loosed the ponytail a little bit.
"You know, you could just be straining your hair by pulling it too tight. It can also affect the scalp." Olivia offered, "I can tell you brush it quite a bit, so I don't have to lecture you about hair care …" She could feel Henry's grin pierce into her back, but she ignored it. "And I quite like your hair. It reminds me of the fields in Roseanne."
"Really?" Lene was quieter than before. Olivia nodded confidently, and continued.
"Yes! And I'm glad there's another dancer here as well!" She confirmed, "My son also dances, though he's not likely to be here today." Olivia paused, looking at Henry for support. He nodded in approval. "W-would you like to assist me in the dance class this morning? We're doing a variation on a waltz, maybe you'll be familiar with it!" Lene nodded her head frantically.
"There's nothing I would love more!"
10:30 am
To Olivia, the group seemed smaller than last week. Henry had counted three separate times, and had confirmed that, yes, the group was actually larger. Much to her surprise, Inigo had shown up, with that strange cavalier in tow. Henry insisted she was a keeper, which only worried her more. Robin seemed to be in good spirits after seeing Inigo with someone who were not his daughters, though. Leo and Hinoka had returned, and the pegasus knight was already finding a new way to tease the mage; namely, she kept attempting to undo his cape.
"Prince Leo, I'm telling you, your collar is inside-out again!" She exclaimed, trying to stifle her laughter.
"As I told you after the third time, I know it isn't!" Leo grumbled.
"No, it-it seriously is," she responded, "How do you keep doing that?" Leo frowned and rolled his eyes. "Come on, let me actually fix it this time."
" … Fine." The prince stood still has he felt cloth being adjusted around his neck.
"There, now it looks good," Hinoka stepped back to admire her work, "Really, I don't understand how you manage to do that."
"If I knew, I would attempt to avoid it entirely." Leo held his hand out, attempting to hide his face. "Now can we please just work on dancing? I'm supposed to be helping you out, remember?" Hinoka took the hand, and gave him a cheeky grin.
"Oh, of course, Prince Leo! I'll even let you take the lead this time!"
"Tell me, Reinhardt, how do you like your current liege?"
"Milady?" Reinhardt asked with more than a hint of anxiety. Ishtar seemed to be staring through the mage knight, though her voice maintained it's normal, even tone. Even though he was glad to see his former commander and lady, her summoning had some implications he would rather avoid.
"I've been around him for nearly a week, and know next to nothing," she replied, "How is he compared to, say … Julius?"
There it is. Reinhardt desperately searched through his brain, looking for a way to avoid this route of conversation. He felt Ishtar's nails sink into his hand.
"Reinhardt, I know how you feel about Julius," she said cautiously, "But I want you to answer me honestly."
"Milady, you know how much I respect y-" Ishtar glared at him, silencing him for a moment. Reinhardt looked at the floor. " … To put it plainly - Kiran tends to think about every colleague and ally; and, well …"
"Speak freely, I respect your opinion."
"Kiran is a lot more approachable, and he …" Reinhardt paused again, "No, I won't speak ill about someone you care about, milady."
"But-"
"No matter my opinions about Julius, I know how you feel," he interrupted, "So I cannot continue." Ishtar was silent, as the duo continued to dance across the floor.
"Even if you are attempting to spare my feelings, I still appreciate your honesty." Ishtar finally said, "I'm sorry I pressured you."
"That is no trouble," Reinhardt said, "I apologize if I've hurt you in any way." The dance continued on for a few minutes, until Ishtar spoke up again.
"Would there … possibly be a way to meet the summoner discreetly? There's a question in my mind I think they can answer." Reinhardt looked at the mage. Ishtar's eyes looked troubled, and she seemed to be lost in thought.
"It may be difficult, there is one who is … rather attached to him." Reinhardt looked for a reaction. Ishtar's lips tightened, but otherwise didn't react.
"Yes, I noticed the archer this morning," she responded, "Do you know what relationship the two share?"
"I do not," Reinhardt shuffled inadvertently, "Why do you ask?" Ishtar chuckled.
"To be quite honest, I am not sure," she answered, "Everyone speaks so highly of the summoner, and I guess I feel the need to understand why."
Reinhardt hesitated for a brief moment, mulling over all the questions he had. "If I may," he responded, "The summoner is likely to insist that you make friends with others here."
"Oh, I plan to," she replied simply, "But there's no harm in a polite conversation."
"Surely there are some heroes that have piqued your interest as well? The last thing milady needs is a woman like Clarisse after her." Ishtar glared at the mage knight, her eyes flashed dangerously.
"Are you implying that I can't take care of myself?" She asked accusingly, "I thought you wiser than that." There was a long silence, as Reinhardt knew he had trapped himself. He cursed himself, as he knew Ishtar had grown this sharp tongue from his own teachings. As if she had read his mind, the princess smirked. "After all, didn't you advise me to be the best leader I can be?"
"Yes, among other things."
Ishtar sighed in response, but she began looking around the room. "Well, may I ask about some of the heroes in this room?" She pointed at Marisa and Nino, who were clumsily dancing around the room. "I met those two this morning, what can you tell me about them?"
"Ah, Nino is quite a sweet child," Reinhardt began, "She has a habit of greeting everyone she can."
"How naive," Ishtar replied, "No one is protecting her?"
"I didn't say that," Reinhardt chuckled, "I'm certain that more than a few people would lay their lives down to protect her. Marisa, Ephraim, Lyn and Tharja, for instance." Ishtar gave him a look of confusion. "Ah, Marisa is the one dancing with Nino, and if you have met them, I'm sure you have met Lord Ephraim."
"Seafoam hair, a little brash and overbearing?" Ishtar answered. Reinhardt chuckled in confirmation. "Then yes, I've met him and his harem." Reinhardt chuckled even more at that. "What?"
"Nothing, I'm just glad to see you again, milady." Ishtar smiled slightly.
"I did miss you, Reinhardt, for whatever that is worth."
"It's worth a lot, milady," Reinhardt replied, "I'm always here if you need assistance."
"Do you see her, Sanaki?"
"Yes, she is with Lord Reinhardt."
"What?" Lute practically screamed in her friend's ear. The empress and prodigy had been tailing Ishtar since breakfast, when Lute had sensed a massive pool of magic within the princess. "Sanaki, this is very troubling!"
"They seem to be quite congenial with each other," Sanaki responded, "How is that a bad thing?"
"Because," Lute hissed, "Reinhardt is one of the few that hasn't proven himself inferior to me, and if those two are socializing with each other …" Sanaki sighed loudly, and looked around the door again. "... What?"
"Is it too difficult to admit you want to befriend her?" The empress asked, "There is no need to be difficult, Lute."
Lute puffed her cheeks in frustration. Sanaki was one of the few that could get her this riled up. "Sanaki, this is a serious matter! Reinhardt and this woman, together, could very well threaten our natural superiority!"
"What are you two blabbing about?" A harsh voice called out behind them. The gloomy countenance of Tharja greeted both of them. "Actually, don't tell me, I'm sure I don't want to hear-"
"The new mage is quite distressing, Tharja!" Lute insisted. Tharja muttered something under her breath, and looked over Sanaki's head. The dark mage's face seemed to mix with frustration and glee.
"Heeheehee, Robin's fingertips are quite deft and precise, are they not?" She was lost in her own world, and Lute and Sanaki looked at each other in disgust. "Hmmmm, and that new woman has such potential..."
"That is who we were investigating, Lady Tharja." Sanaki said, attempting to steer the conversation into clear waters. Tharja merely muttered again, and the trio looked into the room. After a minute, Lute huffed in frustration.
"This is getting us nowhere," she lamented, "We need to somehow get closer to the duo." The mage rubbed her temples for a minute, then turned to Sanaki. "Alright, I have a plan." She grabbed the Empress's hand, and began to drag her into the room, much to Sanaki's surprise. Tharja turned to look at Robin and Cordelia. Her face grew gloomier. At this point, she didn't truly care that Robin wasn't hers, or that someone like Cordelia had beaten her. But to watch the two smile at each other, with faces that were disgustingly bright …
"Hmm, watch yourself, Nino." Marisa carefully shepherded the young mage away from Leo and Hinoka, then Ishtar and Reinhardt. Nino grew nervous. Marisa's face was hard to read, even moreso than Jaffar, and it made her antsy. The mercenary had insisted on dancing with Nino, saying that Fir should train with Ayra instead, but now it felt like she wasn't enjoying herself.
"Okay! Let's take a five minute break and get some water please!" Olivia clapped her hands and spoke without her usual meekness. Pairs of people began congregating to large jugs of water. Marisa turned to Nino.
"I'll go get us some water, just wait here." Though not an order, it was not too different from one. She sat down, looking slightly downcast. I feel like a burden. It had been some time since the last time Nino felt like that. Back when she first met Lloyd … and Linus … and Jaffar. She felt tears well in her eyes as a shadow covered her face. Nino looked up into vibrant purple eyes. Ishtar stood above her, tilting her head slightly.
"Hello," she began, "You are Nino, correct?" Nino nodded her head. "May I sit next to you?" Another nod, and Ishtar slowly sat next to the child. "Reinhardt told me you were an endless well of happiness, but I see that isn't true. What troubles you?" Nino sniffed and shook her head. "Well, do you need an embrace?" The mage faced Ishtar, who smiled hesitantly, "I know that I've needed a few in my life." As Ishtar opened her arms, she was met with the full force of Nino accepting the embrace. After a few seconds, Nino pulled away.
"Sorry," She said quietly, "I barely know you."
"Yes, but Reinhardt has told me a lot about you," Ishtar replied, "If he says you have a kind soul that is worth knowing, then I know it to be true." The princess shifted a little. "Besides, there have been times where I've needed such a thing and didn't get it. Those were the worst moments, and you do not deserve that."
"Thank you, Ishtar," replied Nino. The princess raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I remember names really good now, and I couldn't forget someone like you. You're mem … memable …"
"Memorable?"
"Yeah!" Nino exclaimed, "I'm still learning how to read, so big words are a little tough."
"Learning? I didn't think you that young …"
"Ah, I never learned when I was really young," the mage answered, "But I've learning a lot while I'm here!"
"Do you have a tutor in magic?" Ishtar wasn't sure what was coming out of her mouth, but the question was out before she could stop herself. She could feel immense magic coming from the youth.
"No, most of the mages here are really lost in their own work."
Ishtar looked at Nino, her face not giving anything away. "Then I shall be your tutor." The child's eyes lit up.
"Seriously?!"
"You'll find I'm rarely not." However, at saying this, Ishtar smiled at Nino. The princess saw Reinhardt and Marisa approach the two. Ishtar noticed that Marisa's face had the same qualities as her own. It gave away nothing, emotionless and calculating when it needed to be. From her musculature, she could see that she needed to be calculating quite frequently.
"Nino, you've been crying." Marisa noted, then turned to Ishtar. There was a quiet fury practically reaching out to attack her. Nino grabbed Marisa's hand.
"Yeah, but Ishtar made it better," she answered. Marisa's gaze moved from Ishtar to Nino. "Marisa, am I a burden to you?"
"Hardly," the mercenary responded, "What would make you think that?"
"You kept moving me away from others, like I was getting in the way …" Nino felt a hand on her head. Marisa looked at her, and tilted her head.
"I was practicing protecting others from harm," she answered, "Would you like to protect me when we begin dancing again?" Nino nodded her head vigorously. Marisa lifted her up from her seated position, and they began walking towards the dance floor.
"Oh! And Ishtar is gonna teach me magic!"
"Ah, is that a fact."
Reinhardt turned to Ishtar, who was smiling to herself. Reinhardt couldn't help but smile as well.
"You seemed cold."
"I never asked for your help." Tharja snapped back. The large Feroxi coat of Lon'qu was now draped over her shoulders.
"Don't be so difficult, woman." Lon'qu replied, "You've already gotten sick once."
"And I would've been just fine without you!" Tharja glared at him, "It's always 'woman this' and 'woman that' with you!" Lon'qu took a step back, anticipating Tharja pointing a finger at him. "Robin never calls Cordelia 'woman'!" She moved a hand back to strike him. As she swung, she felt his hand catch her arm.
Lon'qu never looked perturbed by her outburst. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm no Robin."
"I know that!"
"I will never be a good man for you, Tharja," Lon'qu continued. He felt the other hand strike his face. It stung more than he expected. The dark mage had tears streaming down her normally vacant expression.
"You shut up," She snarled, "Don't you dare take the blame for this." Lon'qu felt her other hand shake. "D-don't you ever blame yourself for uh-uh-uh..." She threw herself into his arms. The myrmidon held onto her, though he was surprised.
"What has happened?" Tharja didn't answer immediately, squeezing him tighter. "Did Henry curse you?"
"Do you think I'm that incompetent?" Tharja answered. Lon'qu didn't respond, and eventually Tharja continued. "I've never been a good wife or mother, and despite you having your fears, you became the husband I needed and the father that N-N-Noire wanted." She took a rattled breath. "Oh, Lon'qu. When I saw Lucina and Severa, I didn't care. But after Inigo, Owain, Gerome, Morgan …"
"Noire will come to us, I know it." Tharja grabbed onto him tightly.
"What if I scared her away? I don't think I could bear it -" another rattling breath, "- I'm so cruel to both you and her, why do you even … how do you even … why?" Tharja buried her head into Lon'qu's chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Nyahaha! Look at the happy couple!" Henry peeked around into the hallway. Lon'qu gave Henry a deathly glare. "Oh, I can check in later, then."
"What do you want, Henry?" Tharja seemed to be back to her normal self, though her eyes were slightly puffy. Henry's face seemed to emanate glee as he gained a wider understanding of the situation. The coat on Tharja's back, Lon'qu's surprised expression, and Tharja crying, all pointed to one thing …
"No way, my truth hex worked? I didn't think that one would get you!"
Lon'qu's eyes widened, and looked down at his wife. Tharja was shaking, though it was definitely from rage.
"You …" She hissed, before Lon'qu lifted her up, and began carrying her away. "Lon'qu! Put me down this instant! I will curse both of you to oblivion!"
The myrmidon turned to Henry. "I can't guarantee you more than an hour head start, Henry. Make use of that time." He carried out the screaming Tharja, into other distant halls. Henry grinned, and leaned against the door.
"Well shucks," he said, "I should do weaker hexes more often, I guess!"
"Have you never danced in your life?"
"... I've read about it a few times."
Lute clumsily rotated Sanaki, which the empress attempted to pass off as normal. While she was enjoying herself, Sanaki was a little irritated by Lute's frequent stopping to try and observe Ishtar. Honestly, what was special about that woman? Sure, she seemed to be rather talented and carried herself in a manner that Sanaki herself had been trying to imitate for years, but otherwise …
"Hmmm... quite interesting."
"What?"
"Your face darkens every time we stop for observation," Lute stated, "If I didn't know better, I would say you're getting impatient."
"You are not too far off the mark," Sanaki grumbled, "I feel like we are running in circles."
"Well technically I think you'll find that-"
"-figuratively."
"Oh." Lute was silent for a moment, then perked up. "Oh! We just need a new approach!" She looked at Reinhardt and Ishtar, then back to Sanaki. "Okay, new plan, we just need to somehow switch partners."
Sanaki nodded. "I'll dance with Reinhardt and you can talk to Ishtar, I assume?"
"I think that makes the most sense." Lute replied, then confidently walked towards the duo. When the two got in Reinhardt's sight, the mage knight seemed to say something to Ishtar. In one fluid motion, he intercepted Lute and began dancing away with her, much to the mage's protests. Sanaki and Ishtar looked at each other, the latter in shock. After a moment, Ishtar held out her hand, which the empress tentatively took.
"So which one of us will lead, then?" Ishtar asked.
"Um, I've never taken lead before, so..." Sanaki meekly admitted. Ishtar didn't show any reaction to this, instead pulling the empress closer.
"I suppose that settles that, then," The princess stated, "I am Ishtar, princess of Friege. And you are?"
"I am Sanaki, the Empress of Begnion." Ishtar seemed to brighten up slightly.
"Ah, an empress! I must apologize for my uncouth behavior!" Sanaki shook her head.
"You do not need to apologize, most heroes here do not care for such decorum, and I am used to it."
"Ah, I see." There was an uncomfortable silence, but Ishtar attempted to cut through it. "Your … friend, seemed interesting." Sanaki giggled.
"Interesting is a good word to describe Lute," she agreed, "She was born a scholar, but she lacks in tact, to say the least. She can be blunt and harsh, but Lute is … kind, with a good heart." Sanaki shook her head, "Maybe you should meet her yourself, though! That usually does more good than anything I could say." Ishtar nodded.
"Yes, I believe you're right," she responded, "How about you?"
"Hmm?"
"We've only just been acquainted," Ishtar said, "and I would like to know the Empress a little better."
"Reinhardt, how dare you?" Lute never read about not leading a dance. She had barely read about dancing at all, and now the biggest threat to her position in the Order of Heroes – if not in the whole outrealms – was attempting to teach her? "This is utterly humiliating!"
"Consider it a different form of learning?" Reinhardt suggested, twirling Lute with ease. The mage barely had to do anything, it felt. "You seem to dislike me, but I've never been your enemy."
"You know nearly as much as I do, and are talented in a number of things that I have rarely touched." Lute admitted, before attempting to trip up the mage knight. Reinhardt seemed to turn this into a beautiful sidestep, while still continuing the dance.
"You're already improving at this." Reinhardt said encouragingly, acting oblivious to Lute's frustration. "And I thank you for the compliments, but that does not explain why you're targeting milady Ishtar."
"Uhh, isn't it obvious?" Reinhardt raised an eyebrow, inviting Lute to explain herself. "Well, this Ishtar seems rather talented at magic, which threatens my natural placement in this order."
"I don't follow."
"Who's the smartest person in the Order of Heroes?"
"Well, I do find Robin has an expert knowledge of many things, and good common sense …"
"W-well, out of the female mages, who is the smartest?"
" … Well, I'm rather partial to Ishtar -"
"Who just arrived, so she doesn't count!"
"Why not?"
"She just doesn't! Answer the question already!"
"I suppose that would be you, then?" Lute gave him a cheeky grin, as if she had scored a decisive victory.
"Quite the astute answer!" she replied, "But even with your bias, this 'Ishtar' may surpass me, and I can't have that." Reinhardt sighed, and muttered something under his breath. "So I'm going to slowly get her to join my group, and by the time she can threaten me, she'll be too enamored with my vast intelligence to do so!"
"So you are planning to befriend her?" Reinhardt asked.
"Of course not, you nincompoop!" she stated harshly, "She's going to befriend us!"
"Ah, but of course," he answered, "Well, who am I to stop you?"
As the class finally winded down, Robin stretched out his arms. Playing a selection of fast waltzes for an hour and a half didn't hurt, per se, but it did make his hands a little tired. He couldn't imagine what Cordelia was feeling. He gently placed her hands in his and began massaging them. She sighed contentedly.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're especially good at this?" Cordelia asked.
"You, quite frequently." Robin said with a wink. Cordelia blushed and attempted to pull away.
"You're awful," Cordelia said with a smile, "You do know that, right?" The tactician shrugged, but continued massaging his wife's hands. "I'll need to stretch out my hands." She observed.
"Oh Naga, thank you two again!" Olivia had approached the couple, looking absolutely gleeful. "I owe you two so much!"
"I agree; sticking me with this ruffian for more than an hour is more than I can take!" Cordelia ruffled Robin's hair and stuck her tongue out at him in response.
"You don't owe us anything." Cordelia reassured Olivia, "I'm just glad we could help." The dancer nodded her head quickly.
"I'll figure out something, but I insist!" Cordelia rolled her eyes, but smiled at Olivia.
"Alright, since you insist, we'll think of something." The sound of several pairs of boots approaching grabbed the group's attention. Reinhardt and Sanaki were accompanying Ishtar, and Cordelia noticed Lute straggling behind. "You must be one of the new heroes," Cordelia offered, "My name is Cordelia, this is my friend Olivia, and this is my husband, Robin." Ishtar nodded kindly.
"Hello," she replied, "I am Ishtar, princess of Friege. I believe Robin and I met this morning."
"Ah, yes!" Robin nearly jumped from his seat, "How are you enjoying the castle so far?"
"It is refreshing, to say the least," Ishtar said, "It's a lively place, and Reinhardt has already introduced me to other people."
"I'm glad you're enjoying it!" Robin responded, "If things get too hectic, come see me and I can get you a key to the library."
"Oh? Well, thank you for the offer! I'm sure I will be needing that key shortly." Ishtar gave Robin a disarming smile, then turned to Cordelia. "You look like a pegasus knight, Lady Cordelia; I would enjoy learning how to ride a pegasus while I'm here." Cordelia looked Ishtar up and down.
"O-okay." Cordelia seemed hesitant, "We can start as soon as the weather clears, if that's alright for you?"
"I find that agreeable." Ishtar replied, "I'm looking forward to it." She turned to Reinhardt. "What else did you plan to show me today?"
"Well, there's the History Club today, as well as the Dragon Appreciation Club …" Reinhardt began.
"Ah, the History Club sounds fascinating," Ishtar remarked, "Though the Dragon Club sounds like something I'd rather pass on." Her face darkened a bit, though it still held that same stoic quality. It caught Robin's attention.
"Well, Sonya's apparently lecturing today, so the History Club should be informative, at the very least." Reinhardt stated.
"And the Dragon Appreciation Club should be entertaining as long as you keep a safe distance from the teachers." Robin interjected. Cordelia gave Robin a disapproving look, and Lute snickered.
"Hey! That's rude, Robinnnn!" Nowi was standing at the doorway, scowling. Robin blanched, and scrambled to recover.
"Ah, Nowi," Lute looked at the manakete, "You are sweating and you are frowning; are you perhaps distressed?"
"Distressed?!" Nowi shouted into the room, "Yeah, you could say I'm distressed!" She ran to Robin and hugged him. She began crying into his robe. "Ohhh Robin, it's terrible!" Nowi professed, "Zephy is still too hurt to do the class today and I'm gonna have to do it myself!"
Robin turned to Cordelia and Olivia, who just shrugged. The other four didn't seem to offer anything else, and Henry was now conspicuously absent. He slowly patted Nowi's back.
"It'll be okay, Nowi," he reassured her, "If anything, things should run smoothly with you in the lead."
"But I don't know what to teach!"
"Well, how about you talk about Manaketes? Like your dragonstone!" Cordelia suggested.
"Oh yeah, my dragonstone!" Nowi began rummaging through her pockets. Her eyes grew wide with alarm, and began to tear up. "Roooobin! I think somebody took my dragonstone!" She began wailing again. Lute and Sanaki looked at each other, and the empress bobbed her head excitedly.
"Lute, I am assuming we're thinking of the same thing." Lute nodded in affirmation, and placed a hand on Nowi's head, attempting to look as cool as possible. The mage placed a hand on her forehead and posed.
"Don't worry, little girl," she said, "We'll get your magic rock back." Robin's face had a grim expression upon it at this statement. "Sanaki! We must reform the mystery team!"
"Oh no," Robin interjected, "No no no no no no no! After what happened last week? I'm not letting you maniacs-" A hand clapped over Robin's mouth, and Cordelia peeked over her husband's shoulder.
"I hope you can solve this mystery like you solved the last one!" She said cheerfully.
"Yes ma'am, we will do our utmost!" Lute replied smartly, before turning to Ishtar. "Ishtar, despite my knowledge of many things, Sanaki and I have decided to invite you into our mystery solving team!" The princess raised an eyebrow, but smiled all the same.
"Oh?" Ishtar retorted, "I suppose I'm deeply honored, then!" As she joined the other two mages, she turned to Reinhardt. "Shall we reconvene for dinner, Reinhardt?"
"Yes, milady. Should I invite others to join us?"
"That would be agreeable." And she was gone. Reinhardt turned to Lene, Cordelia, Olivia, and Robin, who was now pale as a sheet.
"Cordy, why did you let them go?" Robin lamented, "I'd rather not end up in the nude again …"
"Oh dear, that's my mistake, dear!" Cordelia responded, "I'll make sure to help you the next time." Reinhardt noted the not-so-subtle blush on the pegasus rider's face.
"Ugh, whatever," Robin was now sulking, "Let's just hope they don't assault someone again."
Library – 1 pm
Sonya looked out the window for what felt like the thousandth time. The skies were finally beginning to clear up slightly, and sunbeams stabbed through holes in the clouds. It was still raining, but the change in lighting lifted her spirits slightly. Well, unlike -
"Will you wear your damned collar correctly?! How dare you dance with my sister in such a lowly state?"
"Get off of me, you barbarian!"
"You idiotic Nohrian scum!"
"Hoshidan bilgerat!"
"Boys, you're both smart!" Sonya spoke over the bookshelves. Leo and Takumi were fighting again, for what also felt like the thousandth time. It had been so bad, that she hadn't been able to even set up her lecture for the day, which only soured Sonya's mood. "How about you kiss and make up or something?"
"As if I could forgive a Nohrian trying to steal away my precious sister!"
"Your sister doesn't need to be protected by such a fool as yourself."
"She doesn't, because someone as scrawny as you is incapable of even putting a scratch on her!"
There was silence for a moment, before Takumi yelled out, "What was that grin for, you lunatic!", followed by the sounds of a scuffle. Sonya covered her eyes with her hand.
"Alright, you two. You're bothering everyone here." Came a voice from the same aisle. There was a sound of a struggle, that seemed to move towards the front door. "Let's try to get along before you come back, alright?" The origin of the voice moved towards Sonya.
"Ah, Ike?" Sonya had worked with Ike on occasion, though he was generally quieter than most of the other heroes. However, it was surprising to see him in the library of all places. "What brings you to this place?" The mercenary pointed to another bookshelf nearby.
Soren had perched himself on a movable ladder, where he was picking up more books to study. Sonya couldn't see his face, but was fairly certain he had the same grumpy expression as he always had.
"Soren forgot to eat lunch," Ike explained, "So I'm just making sure he at least eats something."
"I'm busy." Soren snapped back. "Though, I appreciate you worrying about me."
"As soon as you get down from there, we're going to the mess hall."
"Ugh … Alright."
Sonya looked at the duo and grinned. "Ever the odd couple, I see." She remarked. Soren spluttered something incomprehensible, but Ike just laughed softly.
"I suppose so, Sonya." he responded. Soren appeared from his hiding spot, several books in tow. "Ah, all done?" The mage nodded, "Then let's go. Have a good day, Sonya."
"Ah, same to you, Ike." And things were silent, finally. She knew that Eirika and Tana were somewhere in the library, but they were keeping to themselves. Nephenee was not with them; apparently they couldn't find the halberdier since yesterday, and Tana was more than a little worried. Sonya reassured the princess; after all, Nephenee was a resourceful and hardy woman. It would certainly take a lot for her to be in any true danger. That seemed to calm Tana's nerves a bit, but she seemed … guilty?
"Um, Miss Sonya …"
"Well, speak of Duma and he shall appear." Sonya remarked. Nephenee stood in front of her, but she was conspicuously missing her armor. The mage noted how pretty she looked. "How are you, Nephenee?"
"Oh, I'm doin' swell," she responded, a bounce added to her normal drawl, "I had a couple'a questions, if it's no trouble …"
"Of course not," Sonya said, "I don't bite. What do you need?"
"You've been studying Hoshido, right?"
"Yes, what would like to know?"
"Do ya … know anythang about …" Nephenee leaned in to whisper, "romantic stuff, like gifts n' traditions?" Sonya raised an eyebrow.
"I'll be honest, I didn't expect you to take a lover," she answered, "Unfortunately, I haven't reached that point in my studies. How about you ask Oboro? She's always excited to share her culture."
"Hmmm …" Nephenee looked lost in thought, "Yep, I s'pose I could ask her."
"May I ask who's the lucky man?" Nephenee seemed to stiffen at the thought. "You don't have to answer, I'm just curious."
"Well, uh, well," the halberdier stumbled through her words, "I kinda promised to keep this thang quiet, ya know?" Sonya smiled.
"Say no more," she said sweetly, "I'll try to help in any way I can." Nephenee blushed, and took Sonya's hands.
"Oh, thank you kindly!" Nephenee exclaimed, "I'm gonna go find Oboro right quick."
"I'm afraid that will have to wait, Agent Blue."
Lute, Sanaki, and Ishtar were standing behind Nephenee.
"Hello, Lute," Sonya offered as a greeting, "who's your new friend?"
Lute puffed out her chest. "What an astute observation! Yes, this is our new friend! She is, of course, without parallel; as are all my frien-"
"I am Ishtar," Ishtar interrupted, giving a small curtsy, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, lady-"
"Sonya, and this is Nephenee." Nephenee mumbled a greeting. "It's truly a pleasure."
Ishtar nodded, and looked at Nephenee. "Nephenee, was it? Lute and Sanaki said that we needed to recruit you again."
"Yes! Nephenee, a poor child manakete has had her dragonstone stolen, and we must venture forth to solve this mystery!" Lute declared. Sonya rolled her eyes, but Nephenee seemed worried.
"Oh no!" She cried, "Thas- that is a disaster!" Nephenee looked determined, "Do we have any leads?" Her words were more robotic than before, Sonya noted.
"Yes, we do! We believe that the same thief has struck before, and we know where to find them!"
"Ya-you don't mean!"
Sanaki nodded and answered for Lute, "Yes, we believe so."
"And there's no time to lose!" Lute declared, "We must get Agent Green and Agent Lucky and go forth!"
"If you're referring to Titania," Sonya said dryly, "She's out exercising the horses with Seth and Frederick." Lute looked crushed, so she continued. "If you don't object, I'd like to tag along. Titania had some good stories about last week."
"W-well, of course you would be intrigued as to how someone as brilliant as me could solve crimes!" Lute exclaimed, "I'll allow it!"
"How magnanimous of you," Sonya remarked, before getting up. "So, four mages, a halberdier with no armor, and I'm assuming Setsuna?" Lute thought about it for a moment, then frowned.
"We probably need some more muscle, now that you mention it." She muttered.
"Well, how about that Marisa woman? She's strong and seemed familiar with you." Ishtar suggested.
"She'll only do something for pay, not out of the kindness of her heart." Lute said dismissively.
"You won't know until you try."
Lute thought about it for another moment. "Well, I suppose one of us could perhaps speak to her heart," she said, "It can't hurt to try."
"No."
The group stood inside a nearly empty supply room. Sandbags hung down from the rafters, where Marisa was striking at one with a wooden sword.
"What do you mean, 'no'?" Lute asked.
"I mean no, Lute," Marisa replied, "Somehow you've gotten even more reckless than you ever were back home, and I have no interest in assisting you."
"B-b-but …"
Ishtar intervened, "I know that Lute may seem a little reckless," she said, "But she really is trying to do good here. Somebody had a very precious object of theirs stolen, and we need your help." She looked directly into Marisa's eyes. "What do you think Nino would say if you didn't help a person in need?" That got the myrmidon's attention, and she glared at the princess.
"Don't use that child's name so lightly." Marisa threatened. She stood there for a moment, then sighed, "Fine. I'll help, if only so I can fulfill my promise to Nino to take a break now and again."
Lute looked smug, "Of course! Breaks are essential to learning! That's what I read in Deschamps Book of Higher Magic and Theory, Volume 2, Chapte-"
"Is she always like this?" Ishtar whispered to Nephenee and Setsuna.
"Sometimes she recites the whole page from memory, so this is a pretty tame Lute." the archer remarked. "Also, we didn't quite get a chance to meet. I'm Setsuna, retainer of Princess Hinoka."
"Ishtar, princess of the kingdom of Friege." She then looked down at Setsuna's feet. "If I may," she began, "you seem to have a loop of rope around your ankle."
The archer looked down. "Well, how about that?" She remarked. In an instant, the archer was upside down, hanging just above the floor. "Never fails," Setsuna said dryly, "Just another day."
Mess Hall – 1:30 pm
Stahl leaned over a large pot and took a deep sniff. He was making a broth for a strange dish that Kiran had introduced months before. Clarisse had come by, basically threatening Stahl to make the dish for the recently returned summoner.
As he placed shrimp in the pot, he took in the aroma. Stahl smiled to himself. He was glad that he was assigned to cooking duty in the Order of Heroes, if only because he avoided the strange happenings that happened on a daily basis.
"What's up, buddy?"
Well, most of them.
Gaius was chewing on some saltwater taffy, looking over the pot. "Gumbo, huh?" he remarked, "Not my first choice, but I won't complain."
"This is a personal request of Clarisse."
"The grump? Are you sure it was a request?"
Stahl shrugged, "As much of a request as it could be."
"Yikes."
"So what brings you here, Gaius? Stahl asked, "It's usually time for your fourth dessert."
"I just wanted to give my good buddy a little warning," Gaius replied, "That Prodigy girl is looking for you." Stahl frowned.
"Lute? Not again." He looked around and sighed. It was likely that she had already brought others to help her. "What does she want this time?"
"Uh, I think she wants me," Gaius answered, "I think."
"And you're not going to just give yourself up?"
"Nah, there's no reason to do that. I'll just let them run in circl- wha?!" Stahl had tackled the thief, and was holding him down.
"Sorry, Gaius, but I'm not gonna take the fall twice in a row!" He shouted. As the two struggled, Stahl felt a hand on his collar, and he was slowly lifted up. He found himself face to face with the emotionless face of Marisa. Gaius was being held by Nephenee, and Sanaki and Setsuna were pulling up chairs. The cavalier stared off into space as he once again felt ropes being tied around him and Gaius. Nephenee took the pot off the heat and put out the fire, giving Stahl a thumbs up.
"Thanks for doing that, at least." He said dryly.
"So, I bet you're wondering why you're being interrogated again, Sir Stahl." Lute looked at him with a self-assured face.
"Yeah, that did cross my mind."
"You know about dragonstones?"
"Sure, Nowi and Tiki use them to transform." Stahl squinted at the mage and her friends. "What does that have to do with me?"
"I have my reasons to suspect that you and Gaius have taken Nowi's dragonstone for your own personal gain!" Lute pointed at Stahl emphatically as she said this. Stahl was unamused.
"Why on earth would we do that?"
"Why indeed?" Lute asked, "May I present the evidence: Sanaki?" The empress pulled out a small piece of parchment, and read aloud from it.
"Charge number one! Theft of food from the ninja Kagero!"
"Hey, Frederick hired me to do that!" Gaius protested. Sanaki cleared her throat and continued.
"Charge number two! Concocting a scheme to smuggle in sugar and chocolate underneath Alphonse and Sharena's noses!"
Stahl squinted at the empress, then turned to Gaius. The thief turned away from the cavalier, attempting to hide his face.
"Charge number three! Stealing from my private selection of bon-bons!" Sanaki's hands clenched at this.
"Gaius!" Stahl shouted, "Come on!"
"You don't understand!" he replied, "They were so delectable and enticing!"
"When we get out of this, I swear …"
Lute yawned, "When is the important word here," she noted, "Well, maybe you can use this time to reflect on your misdeeds." The mage glared at Gaius in particular. "Let's not waste any more time," Lute continued, "I've figured out where the dragonstone is!"
The group then left Stahl and Gaius to their own devices. After a few minutes, the thief finally spoke up.
"At least Nephenee turned off the stove and covered your pot, right?"
"Gaius, please don't."
"Right. Sorry."
"Hmm," a voice spoke up from above them, "It seems like Lute was here." Kagero was hanging off a rafter, staring down at the wrapped up duo. "Is Nephenee with her?"
"She tied me up." Gaius responded. Kagero began cutting through Stahl's ropes. "Are you following them?"
"Yes," she replied, "Nephenee forgot her armor, but I …" Kagero paused, and her face tightened in annoyance.
"You have?"
"I have failed to find her so far." She grumbled.
"You've failed to catch up to her?" Gaius asked incredulously, "What, she knows your scent or something?" Kagero blushed.
"It feels a little early to say that," she muttered, "At least right at this moment." Gaius grinned and stared at the ninja.
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that!" He exclaimed, "What did you say about being a little ear- oof!" Kagero had struck the back of Gaius's head, knocking him out. She turned to Stahl. Who gave her an apologetic smile.
"He might be an idiot, but go easy on him."
"I have no intention of having Cherche mad at me." Stahl laughed at that. Kagero raised an eyebrow, inviting him to explain himself.
"Trust me," he finally got out, "Cherche will immediately know what happened."
"Ah, that's good." Kagero looked in the kitchen, then bowed to the horse knight. "I'll be taking my leave, then."
Stahl reached out with a hand. "Hold on!" he exclaimed, before rummaging through a nearby cupboard. He pulled out a small box. "I pulled a favor that Kiran owed me recently, and got several boxes of these chocolates. I don't want to assume stuff, but …" He rubbed the back of his head, "Well, I'm just saying that I won Panne over with food, and you can't go wrong with chocolates …"
Kagero looked at the box, then back at Stahl. For as average as he seemed, his intuition seemed second-to-none. She snatched the box from his hands, and looked back at the cavalier.
"Nobody can know yet, is that understood?" Stahl nodded in response.
"My lips are sealed!" The ninja bowed once again, and exited the room. Stahl turned to Gaius, still tied up and unconscious. He sighed to himself. "And what on earth am I going to do with you?"
Mess Hall – 3 pm
"Nowi," Lute had approached the manakete, who had been playing with her hair nervously. "I have good news."
"You found my dragonstone?!" Nowi nearly jumped onto the mage in her excitement. Lute pulled out the small blue stone, and handed it to the manakete. "Oh my gosh! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She squeezed Lute tightly. The mage could barely breathe, but her victory made it all the more bearable.
"O-of course!" She gasped out through shallow breaths, "All of this is simple for someone as superior as me!" Lute turned to her friends. "Oh, and I had some help." She muttered as an aside. Nowi turned her attention to the others.
"Thank you soooo much for your help!" She exclaimed, waving her arms dramatically, "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to fly around and go 'whooosh' and 'fwooosh' ever again!" Nowi began hugging the nearest person, a shocked Ishtar. The manakete had tears in her eyes, and Ishtar began stroking her hair. Sonya leaned in towards Nephenee.
"So when do we tell her that we found her dragonstone on the table where she ate breakfast?"
"You guys are the best!" Nowi shouted, clamping onto Nephenee's leg. She briefly looked up, and her eyes widened. "Oh wow, Nephenee! You have hair like Lady Tiki's!"
Nephenee touched the top of her head, and grimaced. "Oh no … where's my helmet?"
"I was wondering if you had just forgotten about it," Sonya remarked, "You must have been rather distracted to forget your armor of all things." Nephenee looked down at the floor, only to meet the eyes of Nowi. The manakete smiled.
"Well, I like how you look!"
"You are quite a beautiful woman, though …" she looked at the clearly embarrassed Nephenee, "If you don't feel beautiful, perhaps we can look for your armor?" The halberdier shook her head.
"Nah, I know where it is – I think." She responded, before making her way out of the mess hall. Sonya noticed a shadow follow behind, but thought nothing of it.
Nowi sighed with relief. "Well, I think I'll start preparing for class," she said, "Maybe I can just show what a Manakete can do!"
"Now that could be an intriguing lesson," Sonya replied, "Would you like help preparing for today?" Nowi nodded.
"You know, for someone who can look scary, you're really pretty and nice!"
"Ah," Sonya responded, "So lesson 1 is that Manakete's don't have social graces."
"Lute."
"Ishtar."
"Did you really need to question those two in the kitchen?"
Lute was momentarily silent, and turned away. "So you've figured me out." She stated. Ishtar smirked.
"This was a ploy to get me more involved in the castle, wasn't it?"
"... partially."
"Oh?" Ishtar sat on a bench near Lute, and looked at the mage. "Please elaborate, then."
"That Gaius keeps stealing Sanaki's sweets, and it would be rude of a prodigy such as myself to not offer my help."
"So you wanted to get back at Gaius, then." Lute scoffed at this, and turned away again.
"Blast, figured out again!" She lamented, "Yes, I care about my friends. I know that should be beneath mages of our caliber, but-" Ishtar placed her hand in front of Lute, signaling her to stop.
"It was only meant to be a compliment," she replied, "I find it admirable, despite your … odd demeanor." Lute looked like she wanted to respond, but thought better of it. Ishtar continued. "In my past, I had few friends. Reinhardt wishes for me to make some here, perhaps out of concern of my past choices." She looked at Lute, who was trying to play it cool. "I had a lot of fun today, despite the childish nature of this wild goose chase; I would like to do this again."
"Ah ha! I knew my plan would work flawlessly!" Lute jumped from her seat, holding her head high. "Yes, Ishtar, you can join us in our friendship!"
"Thank you, Lute." Ishtar had a rather large smile on her face. "I hope our friendship will be fruitful."
"Ah yes, fruit is good for the human body, much like friendship."
"You're still as observant as ever, I see." Marisa said sarcastically.
"Thank you, Marisa!" Lute replied sweetly.
"I don't think that was meant to be a compliment …" Sanaki finally groaned out.
Mess Hall – 6 pm
"So, how did Dragon Appreciation Class go?" Titania and Seth looked over an exhausted Sonya, who looked up at them and sighed. "Ah, poorly I would assume?"
"Yes," she responded, "It went about as well as you'd imagine."
"That's unfortunate." Titania sat next to the mage.
"On the bright side, I learned a lot about Manaketes today."
"Such as?"
"For one, Ninian and Tiki are the calmer manaketes."
"And that's important, why?" Seth asked.
"Because they won't want to play."
"Ah, you experienced dragon playtime, then." Sonya groaned in response.
"Everything hurts."
Titania laughed at this. "You'll grow stronger from this, trust me." The two knights turned their attention to their food. Sonya groaned in pain.
Live and learn, I guess. She thought before falling asleep.
Kagero's Room
"K-kagero! What're ya doin' here?!" Nephenee was leaning against the end of the bed, as the ninja looked down on her from the front door.
"This is my room," she replied, "I'm assuming you're here for your armor."
"Uh … yeah, I was just grabbin' it real quick …" Kagero moved in quickly, her face uncomfortably close to the halberdier.
"I have something for you, Nephenee," she whispered, "Please don't leave yet."
"O-o-okay." Nephenee stammered. She sat on the bed, nervously wringing her hands. Kagero sat next to her, pulling out a small box. The halberdier gasped. "Ain't this moving a little fast?" She sputtered out, covering her face with her hands.
"Hold out your hands, Nephenee." Kagero ordered. She complied, and felt the small box in her hands. It was suspiciously light, which only caused her to be even more nervous. "Don't you want to look at it?"
"Ah don't think my heart is prepared," she responded, "W-what should I do?" Nephenee heard the ninja sigh before responding.
"Open your mouth."
"W-what?"
"Open your mouth, Nephenee." Nephenee felt Kagero's hands pull open the box, and then proceed to hold one of the halberdier's hands. She opened her mouth, not sure what to expect. What was placed there was soft and chewy, kind of like -
"Chocolate?" Nephenee exclaimed. Kagero nodded.
"Stahl gave it to me; he said that chocolate could woo the heart of another, amongst other properties."
"Well, ain't he a peach!" Nephenee hugged the ninja tightly, "And so are you! Chocolate was a luxury we could barely afford back home!"
"So you like it?"
"I love it, Kagero!" She replied, "But, why would ya need ta woo me? You already have me." Kagero blushed at this question, and turned away.
"I was hoping … with the chocolates … I would like another kiss, if possible." she muttered, hoping that the lance wielder would not hear her. She felt a strong hand grab her waist and pull her towards her, which essentially killed that idea.
"You just have ta ask, y'know." Nephenee replied, looking like she was finally in control. Kagero placed a fingertip on Nephenee's lips. She began rummaging under the bed.
"Before that, I borrowed something from Kiran," Kagero pulled out a small rectangular cube, "This can play music, and I have already investigated what music he had on there …" A couple of presses later, and sound came from the small box. It was an odd mixture of sounds, a melancholy tune. Nephenee looked at Kagero. The ninja looked away from the lance wielder, blushing. "I'm sure the music is too grim, perhaps this was a bad-" She was interrupted by an intense kiss that she briefly returned. Nephenee looked at her lovingly.
"It's very you."
"Ah … um …"
Kagero remembered that Nephenee's hair was seafoam green, and Kagero began to feel herself ride the current. She didn't make any attempts to change course.
I'll be honest, this one was a difficult one to do. I'm sorry it took so long to get out there; but hopefully now that this one is out of the way, I'll get the ball rolling.
As always, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Comments, critiques, and questions are all loved, appreciated and encouraged. I'll see you guys next chapter: Kiran and Clarisse go Tech Hunting!