"Good morning, Tharja! Nyahaha, you seem to have a spring in your step!"

Tharja grunted in response. She didn't like to admit it, but she did feel rather refreshed. Being in the basement lab was as close to home as she could get in Askr, so it was nice to be back. However, Henry was a ray of sunlight she would never get used to. "Good morning, Henry," she replied, "Peachy as always, I see."

"They didn't have any pastries for breakfast, so I'm actually in a pretty fowl mood!" Henry replied jovially. "What's got you so chipper?"

Tharja gave Henry the closest thing to an innocent smile that she could muster. "Oh, Henry, must I have a reason to be so elated? Perhaps today has just been… a good day!" She bit her lip; in truth, she had a theory she was looking forward to a hex she was testing, but if Henry figured that out, he would insist on helping.

It didn't help that their research room now had a new occupant.

"Hmmmmm," a sultry voice groaned, "How is everyone this lovely morning?" Aversa stretched her arms into the air, covering the doorway in shadow. Tharja didn't reply. It took Henry years to earn full sentences from her, and she wasn't about to give Aversa the pleasure, even if she was Robin's sister.

"Ah, hello Aversa!" Henry replied jovially, "Did you have a nightmarish night's rest?"

"Oh yes, I am quite well rested, Henry." Aversa approached Tharja and gave her a quick shoulder massage, "Tharja here seems to be in a better mood!"

"Nyaha, I thought so too!" Tharja grunted again.

"Not even hexing me at the touch, you must really be in a fine mood!" With a laugh, she left the dark mage to her work and sauntered to her own desk. "Let me know if you need any help with anything, I'm always willing to assist."

Tharja rolled her eyes. Aversa was talented, but it wasn't like she was the end all be all of mages. Henry said that Tharja might've been insecure, but what does that even mean? I've always been the top mage around, me asking for help would be a complete joke! She thought.

"Uh… Tharja…" She looked up from her work. Henry was whispering, eyeing the front door. She sighed. Aversa left the front door open, again.

At least, that's what she thought before she noticed the white hair and lavender eyes staring her down, hiding behind the doorway. Tharja blinked, maybe the fumes from her latest potion was giving off a weird hallucinatory side-effect.

Nope, the girl was still looking inwards, brow furrowed. Tharja squinted; everyone knew that this place was essentially off limits. Well, Morgan and Lute would frequently visit, but Tharja had accepted that those two were beyond help. Especially Lute. So who would be visiting this dark corner of the castle? "You," she announced forcefully, "Reveal yourself."

"No need, milady," came another voice from the hallway, and in walked a tall, gaunt figure. His black hair hiding one of his yellow eyes. If Tharja didn't know better, he would've fit the perfect figure of an evil vizier. She looked at Aversa.

"Someone you know?"

Aversa shrugged, "I've never had the pleasure," she replied, "Who are you, if I may ask?"

"I am Hubert Von Vestra, a humble servant of Lady Edelgard Von Hresvelg, heir to the Imperial Throne of Adrestia, the strength of th-"

Tharja cleared her throat, "We didn't ask for an essay; what do you want, and make it quick."

Hubert looked between the three of them, silently assessing the dark mages. "Very well," he finally said, "Lady Edelgard and I are new to this castle, and we have been observing various groups to determine their worth in our cause."

"Your cause." Tharja crossed her arms and glared, "Well, we're busy, so no solicitors."

"Aw, come on, Tharja," Henry replied, "Look at how gloomy he looks! We could make him our research assistant!"

"No."

"I haven't had a research assistant in, well, ever!" Henry kept going, "I'll take full responsibility if he cawses any problems!"

"No!" Tharja answered, even more firmly than before.

Aversa chuckled, "I don't know… this could be a fun turn of events."

"I haven't agreed to anything either, you know." Hubert said flatly. Henry walked over and attempted to wrap his arm around the taller boy's shoulders.

"Hiya! The name's Henry! Let me show you around our little artisan's studio!"

Tharja leaned over and looked back at the girl, still looking into the doorway. "Don't think I'm done with you," she said, "Your little henchman hasn't bailed you out yet." The girl came out from her hiding spot. Her uniform matched her compatriots, but with added red flair. Despite her short stature, she carried herself with a pride similar to other royals that Tharja had met so far in Askr. "So, both of you are sneaking around? Didn't you take that annoying tour that they set up?"

Edelgard looked a little stiff. "They refused to take us here, and I have always believed in getting as much information as possible."

"So, you couldn't just have your friend here investigate for you?" Tharja asked.

Hubert butted in, "There have been less than charitable stories about your antics down here, which intrigued me. While I have asked Lady Edelgard to not worry, she took the time to join me in my investigation, out of concern."

Aversa chuckled, "Well, as you can see, we are as trusting as can be!"

Edelgard looked at Hubert, and they both shrugged. "I would not go so far as 'trustworthy', but I do think we could forge a fruitful relationship." she said calmly. "Hubert, can I hand this over to you? I have some other things that require my attention."

Hubert bowed. "Of course, Lady Edelgard." Before he was even done bowing, he was being turned around by Henry and Aversa.

"Okee dokee, Hubie!" Henry enthusiastically shouted, "Let's talk about hexes! Have you ever heard about hexes? No? Good!"

While Edelgard felt that she had found good allies, Hubert did not share that confidence.

"So, this thing is what brought us here?" Claude peered at the strange projectile-launcher, sitting on a pedestal in a large room. A glass case separated it from the outside world, likely due to so many people messing with it. "It's kinda insane." He looked around. Setsuna, Sanaki, and Morgan were observing the machine, along with-

"While I would not use the word 'insane', it does raise quite a few fascinating questions." Lute stood in front of Claude proudly. "And I, Lute, may have just found the answer to one of them!" She grabbed the case, and lifted it up. "Now, I believe Henry put in a sleeping hex around Bridablik, but I am one step ahead of their plans!" She grabbed Setsuna's hand, and gave her a solid tug, placing her hand on the Bridablik.

"Hey, wait a -" the archer's sentence was cut off as she passed out, snoring loudly.

"Yep, as I suspected. It should dissipate now." Lute put her hand on Bridablik confidently, and pulled up the summoning tool. "Yes, looks like I was correct again."

Claude looked sadly at Setsuna. "Harsh," he commented, "So, how does the thing work?"

"Well, the legends I have studied imply that Bridablik requires the summoner, but if I have used it, and the small princess from Nifl has used it…I think it requires someone that is in a pact with the summoner."

Claude raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't that… include everyone in this castle?"

"Everyone excluding Prince Alphonse, Princess Sharena, and Commander Anna, yes." Lute answered bluntly, "This is just a theory, however."

"And this is where we come in," Claude surmised, "You want each of us to perform a summoning, and see if your theory is sound?"

Lute lifted a finger. "Very astute." she said, handing the weapon to Sanaki, "So why don't we start with you, Sanaki?"

Sanaki took the weapon carefully in her hands. "Very well, if you insist…" She pointed the weapon away from her, and Claude saw a blinding flash of light.

"Oh, Lady Edelgard!"

Edelgard turned to face Petra, smiling warmly. "Ah, Petra. How have you been faring today?"

"I have been doing very well! There were bright lights very much distracting me just farther in the hallway, but it did not seem like such a big deal."

"Bright lights?" Edelgard asked, "That seems peculiar, even for here. Can you lead me to it?"

Petra nodded. "Very much so! Follow me!"

The room itself seemed non-descript enough; a medium sized auditorium that could hold a good amount of seats if needed. Large white curtains adorned the walls, giving the room a more dramatic flair. In the center of the room was a pedestal, but it was conspicuously empty. Edelgard was more focused on the 12 people in the room.

"Oh, hey Princess!" Claude coughed out as he avoided being strangled by a familiar white-haired girl, who was yelling at the Leicester noble. "Sorry you have to see us like this!"

"Claude, what have you done?!" the girl shouted in his ear, "I was in the middle of important research!"

"Hey hey hey! Why don't you relax, Lysithea?" Claude's plea only earned him more shakes.

"Oh, what a good response, Claude!"

"I might actually die if you keep this up."

A shorter voice replied, "Honestly, I don't see a problem with that." Edelgard frowned. Out of all the people in Garreg Mach, these were among the few she didn't want to see. Shamir, Catherine, and Seteth, all members of the Archbishop's elite, all standing before her. As well as-

"Ah, it is Edelgard and Petra! What a splendid coincidence!"

"Hello, Flayn." Edelgard didn't know Seteth's sister very well, but she was rather suspicious of the girl. "I see that Claude has brought you here, as well as some of the Knights of Seiros."

"Hey, Lysithea!" She overheard Catherine say, "That's not how you strangle someone, let me show you what to do!"

Edelgard looked around. Yes, there was Flayn, Catherine, Seteth, Lysithea, and Shamir, but there were also two others. A girl with flaming red hair tied in a taut ponytail, and a woman with long green hair and a wild countenance. All the tense atmosphere that Edelgard had attributed to Lysithea was actually coming from those two, and Edelgard noticed 4 others almost cowering from the pair.

"Fizzart."

"Petrine."

"Judging by the look on your face, your father failed to rein you in."

"And you're somehow still alive."

"Still alive?" Petrine scoffed, "What the hell are you-"

"LUTE!" Edelgard recognized the voice of the Askrian Prince. "How did you do this again?!" The Summoner, along with Hubert, Henry, Ishtar, and Alfonse, rushed into the room. The Summoner in particular seemed beyond help, his hands wrapped around his own head in disbelief. "Henry, I thought you had security taken care of!" Alfonse accused.

Henry frowned. "I guess I tried too hard to restrict the power of my hex." He turned to Hubert. "Take note, Hubie, if you make a watered-down hex, it may only work on a single person!"

"Of course." Hubert looked at Edelgard and grinned. At least something was going according to plan.

Alfonse looked at all the new people. "Oh no no no," he moaned, "How did you even get this to work?"

Lute looked smug. "Well, it turns out that my theory was correct. Kiran has the mandate to use Bridablik, but anyone that has an oath with him can summon heroes as well. The only thing we could determine is that there's a limit. About 2 summons a person."

Kiran looked worried. "That's a big security risk."

"Yes, it certainly is!" Lute announced. "And I, the indisputable genius Lute, has found it!"

Edelgard and Hubert shared momentary eye contact. If they could utilize this new knowledge…

"Kiran, maybe you should keep Bridablik in your room?" Ishtar suggested. "We could really up the security that way."

"I just… that's wild." Kiran said, "I suppose the magic activating Bridablik is rather old… Maybe it used to be more specific."

"I can investigate that!" Lute jumped in.

Alfonse frowned. "Please do, but also, do not summon anymore heroes, please."

"Even if I need them for research?"

"Especially then!" Alfonse recomposed himself, approaching the new arrivals. "Hello, new heroes! I am the Prince of Askr, Alfonse! You have been summoned to this world because you are considered some of the greatest heroes in history!"

"You expect me to believe that this is our just reward?" Seteth asked, clearly suspicious, "Why have you really brought us here?"

Alfonse sighed. "I should have expected that that wouldn't work," he muttered, before speaking up, "There is a bigger reason that you are here, but it will take more time than we honestly have. For now, trust me when I say that everything will be revealed, and we will do what we can to send you back when we can."

"Implying that you can't send us back now." Shamir's words lacked the inflection of a question, clearly just finding the logical ending to the words that Alfonse said. "Well, as long as it pays, I'll help you out."

Catherine laughed. "Well, isn't that a very Shamir answer!"

The others remained silent, but they weren't vocally opposed. The summoner clapped his hands.

"I'll take it. Can one of you-" he pointed to almost everyone in the room, "Give these people the grand tour?"

Lute raised her hand quickly.

"... I'll go with Lute!" Henry volunteered, "Sorry, Hubie! I know you were looking forward to more learning!"

"No offense taken, Henry," Hubert bowed, "I can join you tomorrow, if that's alright."

"Nyahaha! Come on, sprouts!" Henry waved the 7 new arrivals, and Lute and himself led them out the room. It was silent for a second, save for the coughing from Claude as he lifted himself off the ground. Kiran walked up to Bridablik, lifted it up and took a deep breath.

"Alright, locking this in my room." He announced, "Honestly, I should've done this awhile ago."

"I still don't understand…" Alfonse said, "Kiran's the only one that should be able to use it…"

"We'll have some people investigate it, but until we figure it out, let's keep it as safe as possible." The Summoner sighed.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Ishtar asked.

"Just… lots of questions," Kiran admitted, "I just have a lot of questions."

Edelgard, Hubert, and Petra waited until the room was empty, before the Emperor spoke up.

"Hubert, what do you make of that?" She finally asked.

"I believe this information could be rather advantageous, Lady Edelgard," he replied, "If we can acquire this Bridablik, we could-"

"We could summon all our fwends!" Edelgard cursed to herself, of course Claude was still there. "I am so glad that both of you are here, I was really worried I wouldn't get to see this lovely banter!"

"Claude," Hubert said, "How is your neck?"

"Going past the clear threat, it's a little sore!" He patted Hubert on the shoulder, "We're all friends here!"

"For now."

"... For now, so there's no reason to go so low as to threaten me!"

"Yet."

"...Yet."

Edelgard rubbed her temples. "Well, let us keep gathering information, Hubert. Petra, would you be willing to assist me in getting information?"

Petra thought about it for a moment, "I am being invited to a few things, so I could see what I am hearing from them?"

"That would be very appreciated." Edelgard smiled at Petra, who returned it. She then turned her attention to Hubert. "Have you learned anything from those… odd people?"

"Not yet, Lady Edelgard, I shall make my way back to the basement and see what I can do."

"Thank you, Hubert."

Claude raised his hand, "What about me, Princess?"

"Don't you have your own things to do, Claude?"

He gave off a mock salute. "Yes ma'am! I will go investigate the Mess Hall, posthaste!"

As he ran off, Hubert looked at Edelgard, who shrugged. Claude wasn't one to take lightly, but he was also not one to snitch to others.

After all, Edelgard was certain he was up to his own plans.

"Oh, this castle is most mirthful!" Flayn kept herself at the front of the group, walking in step with Henry. "Even Garreg Mach did not have such energy; correct, brother?"

Seteth rubbed his chin. "The castle does feel rather care-free, yes. I still recommend caution, Flayn," he warned, "This is still unfamiliar ground."

"Nyahaha! I wouldn't worry so much! If my kid can have free reign in this castle, I think your sister will be safer than a corpse in an iron coffin!"

"... An interesting, if somewhat disconcerting, analogy." Seteth observed.

Henry laughed again, "Well, we have shown you the Mess Hall, Kitchen, the Training Grounds, the Greenhouse, Music Room, and the Sewing Room." He opened a big set of double doors. "This is one of my favorite rooms, the Dance Hall!" Inside the room, Olivia was practicing steps by her lonesome. "Hey-o, Livia!"

Olivia jumped and looked at Henry, horrified. "Henry! What are you doing?"

"Just wanted to see my lil corvid!" Henry batted his eyes and gave Olivia a saccharine look. "Don't tell me you're angry?"

Olivia was about to respond, when Flayn approached her. "Astounding! I wish to dance with such grace and beauty!" She clapped to accentuate her excitement. "I am Flayn, new to this establishment!"

"Oh! I'm Olivia!" She hid her face slightly, "I'm sorry, I'm still not used to such compliments…"

Flayn hopped in place for a moment. "Oh, you were quite fierce!"

"Fierce?"

"Yes! I love that word, and I wish to dance fiercely, like you!"

Olivia looked at Henry, then back to Flayn, who was inching closer. "Well, I can certainly teach you how to dance, if that's what you wish?"

Seteth stepped forward. "Perhaps this arrangement could wait until after our tour, Flayn? I am sure you'll see Miss Olivia again over the next day or so."

Flayn pouted a little, but backed away. Olivia smiled, "I'll be practicing here for another hour or so, so feel free to drop on by after Henry has finished showing you around!"

"Nyahaha, speaking of which," Henry said, "Where did Lute and that white-haired girl go?"

Seteth looked alarmed. "One of the students has gone missing?" He instinctively looked at Catherine and Shamir.

Catherine shrugged. "She didn't seem like a threat!"

"That mage isn't, and they were both preoccupied with talking to each other," Shamir confirmed, "I can go find them if need be."

Henry waved his hand dismissively, "There's no reason to be alarmed! I'm sure either Clarisse or Kagero are looking over the two of them."

"Ah, the person that was standing in the rafters?" Shamir noted. Petrine and Jill both immediately looked up, then looked back at the archer. "I suggest we move along, Seteth; the sooner this tour is over, the sooner we can determine the safety of the students."

"Ah," Seteth paused, "Yes, you are right, Shamir." He turned to Henry. "Henry, please continue with your tour."

Henry smiled, "Ab-sol-utely, buddy! Let's go visit the game room next!"

"There are writings on things I have never even heard about!"

Lute had taken Lysithea to the only room she knew she'd appreciate: The Library of Askr, a collection of all knowledge in the realms. Lysithea was already devouring knowledge at a rapid pace.

"Yes, this place has increased my knowledge tenfold," Lute explained, "I trust that you will experience similar results."

Lysithea started grabbing books off the shelf and placing them in a basket. "Oh, this is very informative! Very-" She paused, looking through the bookshelf.

"Lysander? What is it?" Lute asked, before looking through a gap herself. Tharja was standing next to a gaunt man, who was holding a pile of books.

Tharja scowled. "If you wish to be tutored by Henry or I, you best read through these books by next week. Henry may be more patient, but I won't have my work interrupted."

"Yes, I will study these as quickly as possible."

"Be sure you do." Tharja replied coldly.

"Ah, hello, Tharja. Working with a new apprentice, I see?" Lute called from around the bookshelf. Tharja's lips tightened, and she turned to Hubert.

"Hubert, this is Lute, a fellow… colleague."

"A pleasure, Humphrey." Lute nodded to the tall boy, who looked confused and slightly annoyed. "Tharja and I actually lead a little club that you both might be interested in."

"We?" Hubert and Tharja asked simultaneously.

"Yes, I have taken little Lynitheous here under my wing!" Lute said proudly.

"For the 10th time, it is Lysithea!" came a shout from above Hubert's head. Lysithea was barely visible from the highest bookshelf. "... Hello, Hubert."

Hubert nodded his head, "Von Ordelia, I take it you have found this place as interesting as I have." He turned to Tharja, who was staring at Lysithea as if she had found a gold mine.

"Oh, hee hee… aren't you an interesting one…" she muttered to herself, before realizing that she had three pairs of eyes on her. Tharja coughed, and looked back at Hubert. "So yes, read those tomes, and familiarize yourself with them, or you will receive the hexing of your life." She stalked off, and Lute sidled up to Hubert.

"Don't take it personally, Humphrey," she began, "Tharja threatening you is akin to a cat batting you on the hand, she's already warmed up to you."

"It is Hubert," he replied, "And I have been told I am similar in some ways."

"Lute, how many books am I allowed to borrow at once?" Lysithea asked, her basket filled over the rim. "I think 25 is a good number, don't you?"

"Robin doesn't usually allow more than 10, and the other librarians think that he is excessive."

"Excessive?" Lysithea nearly shouted, "I will be through these books in no time at all if I am limited to 10!" Lute nodded in agreement.

"Can you not just check out 10 more after you finish?" Hubert asked. Both mages turned to him immediately.

"Hubert, don't be an idiot!" Lysithea scolded, "Why would I want to return here every two days? What a waste of my precious time!"

"Yes, Humperdink! There is nothing worse than research time spent going to and fro!" Lute concurred.

Hubert squinted. "Well, I best get to work reading these tomes…" He said, slinking for the checkout counter. "I hope we have more fruitful discussions here, Miss Von Ordelia.

"I'm sure we will, Hubert." Lysithea said, crossing her arms and frowning. As he walked through the door, she made a noise with her lips. "All these people! Still treating me like a little kid!"

Lute tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I have a very good proposition," she said, "Come by my room tonight after dinner." She wrote down a number on a slip of paper. "I hold very serious reading discussions with some people you may be interested in meeting."

Lysithea looked at the number, and looked back at Lute. "I would be honored, I think?"

"As you should be, Lysithea!" she announced, "Now, let's get your books checked out."

"Hey, did you know my name this whole time?!"

"Hubert, what are all those books for?" Edelgard was working on a list of some kind, when Hubert stumbled into her in the hallway.

"Ah, Lady Edelgard, forgive me. I needed a quick rest before I went to my own quarters," he answered, "As for these, they are several books I need to read to continue my tutelage under the three you met earlier."

"So they accepted you?" Edelgard asked.

"They have accepted my presence and have decided that I am worthy of their time, yes."

"Wonderful! I have found a potential group of allies as well, and was working on a way to talk to them."

"I would expect nothing less, Milady." He replied, before looking grimmer, "Though, we should be cautious."

"Yes, I agree," Edelgard rubbed her chin, "With Seteth and the Knights of Seiros here, our plans could get easily perturbed. Perhaps it would be better to try to mingle with the other heroes for a bit."

"Wow, the loner princess mingling with others? Unheard of!" Edelgard scowled. Claude again, and this time he was with Hilda. "I'm proud of you for deciding to come out of your shell, but you should take that sort of thing slow!"

"Ah yes Claude, I assume a social butterfly like you is just full of struggles in that regard." she retorted, before looking at what was in his and Hilda's hands. Little cones with a scoop of some sort of icy treat. "W-what is that?"

"Oh, this?" Claude grinned mischievously, "It's just some Peach Sorbet. The cooks whipped some up in the mess hall. You should hurry before it's all gone, princess."

Edelgard frowned again. "Hubert, we shall reconvene at dinner, I have some business to attend to." She walked as fast as she could past the two Golden Deer, before they could hear her break into a run. Hilda and Claude chuckled at the sound, before Hubert's shadow loomed over them.

"What's up, gloomy Hubie?" Hilda asked.

"You may be performing kind actions to Lady Edelgard, but I will not be easily fooled," he warned, "I will not tolerate your games when it comes to her."

Hilda raised an eyebrow. "Uh, you're not her father, and we're just being nice. You could try it once in a while, Hubert."

Claude shrugged, "You could be a little more diligent, Hilda; Hubert's a grump, but he's also looking out for his class leader."

"But Claude, I'm not really good at that whole responsibility thing, that's why you always pick up the slack for me, riiiiight?"

Hubert looked unamused. "I am still here, you know."

"Shamir, we still have an hour or so before dinner, come on!" Catherine was out of the door and sprinting towards the training grounds before Shamir could even reply.

"If you aren't going to let me reply, why even bother wasting the breath." She said aloud, just enough so Catherine could hear it.

The training grounds were still at lower levels than they were before the expedition into Muspell, but there was a small group centered around the main ring. Marisa and Lucina had been sparring for a good while, both of their brows glistening with sweat. The group gathered around them were split on who they wanted to win.

"Come on, Lucy, you got this!" Came a shout from Severa, who was matched by Chrom and Owain. Meanwhile, Fir, Lyn, and Inigo were cheering for Marisa.

"Wow, this is a serious training ground." Catherine remarked, "Nearly as good as the one in Garreg Mach, wouldn't you say?"

"As long as it has the proper equipment, I really don't care one way or another," Shamir replied, "The lack of people working is disappointing, though."

"It's near dinner, maybe people take longer breaks around meals here."

Shamir hummed. "Ever the optimist, aren't you?"

"I've gotta be, with your pragmatic ass around!"

"Also the golden example of professionalism." came the wry reply, "Why don't you introduce yourself? Looks like they're done."

"You've gotten better, Lucina," Marisa remarked, standing over her doubled over foe, "You're overcoming your weight disadvantage well, but remember that anything goes in battle."

Lucina grimaced, "Thank you for the lesson, though I do not think many foes will be ambidextrous."

"You never know, and preparing for anything will hold off your death in the battlefield." Shamir butted in. Several of the onlookers jumped in surprise at the new guests. "You're lucky to be sparring against someone with that skill, it will make you sharper."

"And who are you two supposed to be?" Severa asked, placing herself between Lucina and the newcomers.

Catherine put on her best smile. "Hello! I'm Catherine, and this is my partner, Shamir! We're both knights and were looking to check out the training grounds." She approached Lucina and helped her up with Severa's help. "Gotta say, training with a two handed training sword is admirable, but it puts you at a disadvantage immediately."

"It's the size of the Falchion, so I must get used to wielding it." Lucina explained, "Though I do agree that it doesn't make sparring easier…"

"Ah, makes sense. Well, how about we take a turn? I wanna gauge where I'm at around here!" She smiled, much more genuinely than before.

"You can spar with me tomorrow," came Marisa's voice from behind, "I'd rather you go at me than the others first. Give them a chance to learn."

Catherine looked determined, "I won't disappoint." She said confidently, before turning to Shamir. "You wanna get in on this as well, partner?"

Shamir shrugged. "Why not, it gives me a chance to shake off some rust." She turned to the archery range. "Though I am disappointed in the lack of archers practicing right now."

"We have a varied practice schedule for the archery range," Lyn explained, "Tomorrow is the weekly night shooting challenge, if you wish to participate."

"I'll think about it."

"Perhaps you would instead prefer to get some tea with me, then?" Shamir looked at who was speaking. Inigo was bowed in front of her, attempting to kiss her gloved hand. "For you are beautiful, mysterious as the morning mis-"

"Oh gawds, Inigo!" Severa shouted.

"Hmmm, why not." Shamir thought aloud. "How about we decide this in a sparring match?"

Inigo looked hopeful. "As you wish, mademoiselle!"

She handed Catherine her coat. "Alright, if you win, I'll get tea with you tomorrow night."

"And if you win?"

"You give your share of dinner to my partner and never ask me out again."

"My pride is on the line!" Inigo announced, "I shall not lose easily!"

Catherine smirked, handing Shamir a wooden sword. "Don't kill him, partner."

"Well, it's a shame that they don't portion out food here."

"Hey, you still got your extra potatoes, so don't complain."

The mess hall was even more busy than at Garreg Mach, something that Shamir really didn't like. And now there was a gaggle of people trying to speak to her and Catherine after her sparring match with that annoying kid.

"Tell the truth, you weren't rusty at all!" Came the claim from Severa.

"Nah, I'm the sword girl," Catherine said, "Shamir is an archer, mainly."

"I use whatever weapon my employer gives me," Shamir corrected, "Most of the time it's a bow."

"I am interested to see what you can do as an archer, then!" Lyn said.

Fir seated herself next to Catherine, eating nearly the same amount as the knight. "After Marisa spars with you, I would like a turn."

Catherine looked over the myrmidon. "You sure? I'm not really the type to go easy."

Fir nodded vigorously, fists pumping. "That's exactly what I thought you'd say when I saw you! You look like the type to go 'I won't go easy on you!', and that's exactly what I want!" She was in Catherine's face now, eyes gleaming.

"Fir, I know you're looking forward to it, but let me test her before you jump in." Marisa warned. "If you want to learn from the best, you need to observe first."

Fir bowed a little, before digging into her food. "Yesh, Mashter Marishhha." She mumbled through her food.

Catherine leaned over to Shamir. "I like this one," she said, pointing to the young Fir.

"That doesn't surprise me one bit," Shamir replied dryly, before turning her attention to Marisa. "So, you're a mercenary as well?"

Marisa raised an eyebrow. "That obvious?"

"You don't waste words and you aren't stiffly bound when you fight."

"Ah." Marisa stated. "I'd say the same for you."

"Hmmm." Shamir replied, continuing to eat.

"Aw, look at you two!" Catherine said between bites, "Two gruff peas in a pod."

"Oh, stuff it, partner."

Lysithea approached Lute's bedroom with trepidation. Most of the trip was spent looking over her shoulder… for fear of getting caught by Seteth and getting reprimanded, of course. Not something silly like ghosts. Who would ever be afraid of the spirits of the dead? Not Lysithea, no way no how!

"Is something the matter?" She heard a prim and proper voice behind her say. Once she stopped shaking, Lysithea finally turned around. A pale woman, with lavender hair tied to the side, looked at her with some concern on her face. "You're shaking!"

"I-I'm fine!" Lysithea managed to say with force. "You just startled me!"

"Ah, you are one of the new arrivals," Ishtar said, "My name is Ishtar, and you are?"

"L-Lysithea," came the response, "I remember seeing you when I first arrived." She looked at Lute's door and back to the woman. She was wearing more casual robes, and looked to be ready to go to bed. "Am I in your way?"

"If you are not headed to Lute's room, then yes," Ishtar answered, "I'm supposed to watch over you tonight in Robin and Tharja's stead."

"Watch… over us?" Lysithea fumed slightly, "I'll have you know that I am not a child that needs coddling!"

"I am sure you are not, but the others…" She paused, before knocking on the door. After a few silent seconds, Lute cracked open the door.

"Ah, Ishtar and Lysithea; how good of you to come." She stated, opening the door the rest of the way. "Come in, come in."

The room itself was larger than Lysitheas, which miffed the mage a little bit. It wasn't much roomier, considering it was filled with large blobs, which were housing various others in states of reading, debating, or eating.

"Welcome to our little Research Society, Lysithea." Ishtar said. "Lute founded it, but Alfonse has some of the more… pragmatic members look after it after the fireworks incident."

"Unrelated, alcohol is banned in Research Society meetings, Lysithea." Lute noted, though Lysithea suspected that these things were not unrelated at all. "In these hallowed halls, we observe, record, and theorize all matter of topics. Nothing is beyond our collective knowledge!" She offered Lysithea a… blob. "Join us in the circle of knowledge."

Lysithea sat down. There were… some sort of beads in these blobs, conforming to Lysithea's frame as she relaxed. She noted 8 others in the room in addition to Ishtar and Lute.

"Good," Ishtar said, handing her a piping hot cup of cocoa. "Now that you're relaxed, how about we go around and introduce ourselves. You already know Lute and myself, so how about…" A blonde girl whipped her hand up. "Yes, Ophelia, how about you start?"

"Yes!" Ophelia stood up, "I am Ophelia Dusk, a Scion of Justice, and the arbiter of the darkest magics. My passion for knowledge and my burning soul are why I joined this Society!" She sat back down and immediately sipped on her hot chocolate. The young brunette next to her paused between bites of chocolate cake, then started.

"I'm Delthea, resident genius of this Society, though Lute won't admit it."

"Well, I told you second place was nothing to be ashamed of."

Delthea stuck her tongue out, "Anyways, if you need anything, give me a holler. We geniuses need to stick together, even if I disagree with someone's assessment."

"My name is Sonya," Sonya butted in before an argument could brew, "You won't see me as often as the others, but I'm always willing to help if you need it. Especially if you need someone with a cooler head." She turned to the next person, an angry looking man with a mark on his forehead.

"My name is Soren," he said shortly, "and I'm being held here against my will."

"You can leave anytime you like, Soren." Ishtar offered, but he just scowled.

"If I'm going to be kept up by my neighbors, I might as well get some work done in comfort." He retorted, "But I won't be happy about it. If only Robin or Reinhardt were here..."

Ishtar frowned. "I'll make sure Reinhardt is here next time. How about you, Aversa?"

Aversa chuckled. "Hello, Lysithea, my name is Aversa." she looked over the mage and her eyes widened. "Hmmm, you're quite interesting… interesting indeed…" Lysithea felt a shiver run down her spine for a moment. "If you ever need anything, I'm quite happy to provide." she offered.

"I-I appreciate it." Lysithea replied, before turning to the next mage in the room. A lavender haired girl was snoozing in a beanbag, blissfully unaware of the chaos around her.

"This is Julia," Ishtar presented, "I've known her for a long time, we are essentially sisters-in-law. She's usually active in discussion, but I think she's had a long day."

"Ah, I'll introduce myself some other time." Lysithea remarked, before turning to her left, facing the other two that sat next to Lute.

"Hello," a purple haired girl spoke, "my name is Empress Sanaki Kirsch Altina, Empress of Begnion! It is my utmost pleasure to meet you, Lysithea…" she looked at her expectantly.

"... Von Ordelia? It's Lysithea Von Ordelia."

"Lysithea Von Ordelia! What a positively wonderful name!" Sanaki smiled brightly, and turned to the other girl. "Do you not agree, Micaiah?"

"It is quite a good name, yes!" the white haired girl nodded her head. "I'm Micaiah, by the way, Sanaki's older sister."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Lysithea replied cautiously. It was quite a bit to take in, to be quite honest.

Lute clapped her hands. "Well, now that all those introductions are finished, I would like to get into the topic of our meeting today." She turned to Lysithea, "I think we all want to know about your origins, Lysithea."

Lysithea was taken aback. "W-what?"

Soren rolled his eyes. "Don't be coy," he snapped, "Everyone here can tell you have some immense ability, and we're curious about what makes Fodlan-born people so ridiculously strong."

Aversa nodded, "I would like to know about what is interfering with your lifespan, if I may be so… bold." The room got silent, before Lysithea stood up, shaking.

"Who told you about that?" she hissed.

Aversa looked serious. "Plegian dark mages can see the life force of their enemies. Tharja mentioned that there were two people here with a forcibly decreased lifeforce, and I'm assuming you're one of them."

Lysithea frowned. Not even a day, and the secret she had worked so hard to hide was already unraveling here? She began to shake a little, before she felt a hand on her hand. Ophelia smiled.

"We only wish to assist you with your problem, Lysithea." She stated, "Whatever dark magic is at work, we will come together to vanquish it!"

Something about those words caused Lysithea to start talking. She talked about everything: her family falling into financial difficulty, the experiments, the shortened life… She was baring her soul to a bunch of strangers, but she couldn't stop herself. When she finally finished, she stood there, while the others looked on sorrowfully. Even Soren looked visibly more upset.

It was finally Lute who spoke up. "Well, Research Society, I say we have found a worthy task for our combined genius. For those who wish to help our fellow member Lysithea with her Crests, say 'Aye'!" Each member repeated 'Aye' in turn, looking both excited and filled with conviction. Lysithea was overwhelmed.

"I… I don't know what to say."

Ishtar smiled, "We're an odd group, but we look after our own," she stated proudly, "Lute was right to bring you here."

"And if we succeed, we could help the other one you mentioned." Delthea pointed out to Aversa, "Whoever that is."

Lysithea pondered this for a moment. She had her suspicions, but…

"We will cross that precipitous bridge when we get there," Lute replied, "For now, we have work to do!"

With that shout, Julia woke up with a start. "I'm awake!" She peeped out in her small voice, before turning to Lysithea. "Oh, hello there, you are new." She turned to Ishtar. "Sister, can I have some cake?"

Lysithea couldn't help but laugh. "I would like a slice as well, if you don't mind."

Wow, this has been quite the year. I'm sorry for being inactive for so long, it's been quite a challenge getting to this story with everything else going on. I hope all of you are still reading this, and I hope you all enjoy! Thank you all for your support, and I'll hopefully get another chapter done soon, so we can take another break from ... all this.

It really means a lot, so thank you all again!