I woke up from the most restful sleep I'd ever had to the feeling of holding someone in my arms. Warmth pervaded my entire body, but not in an uncomfortable way. It was like wearing newly dried clothes; a pleasant heat that I didn't want to go away. When I opened my eyes, all I saw was an ocean of red, going every which way. Some of it even got into my mouth, which I hastily removed.

Wracking my brain to figure out what happened to get me into that situation, I took in a sharp breath when I realized just who I was spooning.

"Mmm…" Cordelia mumbled in her sleep, shifting slightly.

I stayed completely silent, enjoying the contact while it lasted. With my arms around her waist, and her back pressing against my chest, I felt at peace, like the whole world could've been ending and I wouldn't care. It sounded stupid to me, even then, but it didn't matter to me. I had the woman I knew I loved in my arms. What more could I want?

I snuggled closer to her. Hearing a contented sigh from her, I stayed like that for a while. Unfortunately, the sun shined onto her face, and she stirred a little while after.

"Huh?" She yawned, turning her body until she faced me. "Oh. Hey, Alex."

I'd fully admit, I didn't expect her to say that it casually. As I looked at her face, my heart pounded in my chest.

"Uh, hi," I replied quietly, awkwardly. You'd think I'd never spoken to a girl in my entire life.

I could feel one of her legs touch my own as she groaned. Afterwards, she sat up and stared down at me for a second. "Alex, has anyone told you how handsome you look?"

Alexander .exe has stopped working.

"Didn't notice it before, but, wow," She said, her words slurring a little. She groaned again and rubbed her temples. "Gods, what a headache! How am I going to make it back to my room like this?"

Her dress was crumpled and wrinkled, and her hair was unkempt and curly. Honestly, she looked cute as hell, but I could see what she meant. Luckily for her, I didn't think anyone would be coherent enough that morning to even question how she looked.

I sat up myself, running a hand through my hair. "Well, I don't think anyone's gonna be awake in the castle, so you've got a good shot at getting to the barracks if you're quick."

Cordelia tried straightening her hair out, to no avail. "It's still going to be difficult. I shudder to think what people would think of me should they see me like this."

I chuckled airily, feeling a lightness in my chest that I wasn't used to. I thought for a moment before asking, "Hey, Cordy. Er, how much about last night do you remember?"

Considering how flippant she was when she woke up, I imagined she at least remembered a little bit about it. Once that question passed, however, she froze. She looked at me, her lips pursed.

"All of it," She said simply, patting down her dress. "I… I remember what you said to me, how you-" She swallowed. "I'm not sure how to put it into words, but from the bottom of my heart, Alex, thank you for being there for me. I-I'm not sure what I would do without you."

This has got to be a motherfucking dream.

"I should probably get going," She said, standing up. "Even if today is a day off, I can't slack off on my training. Gods know I've done that enough trying to teach the recruits."

"Hang on," I said abruptly, standing up myself. My heart kept on pounding in my chest as I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. Once her eyes were on me it felt like I'd explode. "I was thinking, I've got another day off in a week or two. You think you and I could, I dunno, go out somewhere? Could be a nice way to unwind after the crap we're gonna have to go through the next few weeks."

A smile found its way to her lips. Unlike last night, it reached her lovely red eyes. The light entered the room from the curtained window and lit up her face, shining off her pale skin. With her hair framing her face, the image was burned into my mind for the rest of my life. I couldn't help but smile myself. It almost felt like she'd gathered me into a warm hug again, just like on Whiteford.

"Yes, I think I would like that," She replied happily.

The next two weeks went by extremely slowly to me, almost unbearably so. It always used to happen to me back home; I'd have some sort of special thing planned, and it would almost always be ruined by me being a nervous wreck until it actually happened, only none of those had anything to do with women, or a woman that I loved.

That was what really got to me. It was the reason why I really didn't want to screw it up.

I prepared for it the minute she left my room. I had a good idea in mind. Well, it was a good idea to me. Once I knew exactly what day it was, I only had one thing to do: wait. That was the thing I was worst at.

I didn't see Cordelia much during those two weeks. When I did see her, though, she had a smile on her face. It made my heart skip a beat every single time. She seemed to be doing a lot better than before the wedding, a lot better. She aways had a glow to her, like for the first time in a long time she was actually happy.

All I knew was that, if I was the cause of that turn around, then it made me happier too.

Eventually, the day arrived.

"Alex, where are we going?" Cordelia asked curiously, walking beside me as we left Ylisstol, heading out into the fields that surrounded it.

"You'll see," I replied, idly swinging the basket I held in my iron hand. I didn't even have to think about holding it with that thing. "It'll be nice. I promise."

Cordelia giggled. Music to my ears. "Well, now you really have me curious."

We walked at a brisk but comfortable pace through the countryside. It almost felt as if we were walking through fields of gold, what with the lighting. Usually, I'd hate to be out when the sun was so high in the sky - mostly because I'd sweat like a stuck pig, even though I was much more fit than I ever was back home – but for some reason, it didn't bother me.

After going up a moderately large hill, we finally arrived.

"Oh, wow," Cordelia gasped, taking a few steps ahead of me. "That's… That's quite a view," She finished wistfully.

I chuckled, seeing her glowing silhouette against the sky. "Yeah, it is."

From the hill we stood on, we could see almost the entirety of Ylisstol. In the afternoon sun, it looked like a city of gold, glittering like a mirage. The fields surrounding it swayed in the light breeze, making it look like the city itself was adrift on the sea.

It really was a gorgeous view.

I put the basket down and pulled a blanket from the top. "Considering we've been in the city for the last few months, thought it'd be nice to get away for a while. Not as loud, too."

Cordelia turned back to me, a beautiful smile on her lips. "That's very thoughtful, Alex. It's been a rather busy few weeks for me, so this quiet is really appreciated."

"Yeah, well, Robin and I have been coordinating with all the lords and crap," I explained, laying the blanket out and sitting down on it. "Trying to set up that army he was talking about. Can't imagine what it's like teaching those new recruits, though. Last time you told me some of them hadn't even seen a pegasus before."

"Mhm," Cordelia hummed, gracefully sitting beside me. "I won't go into too much detail, but it has been difficult. They are learning, slowly but surely, but it will be a long time before any of them will be considered proper pegasus knights. Anyway," She shook her head, her red tresses following her movements. "What do you have in there?"

Probably wasn't a good idea to mention work while you're both on your day off, boy scout.

"Oh, the basket?" I pointed. "Hang on, I got it."

Like I'd said, I had everything planned out. Well, as planned out as I considered necessary, which meant I got the basket and blanket at the earliest opportunity and got the food and drinks the morning before we left. Just some simple stuff; sandwiches, because apparently those existed, and some nice fruit. Mostly cherries, because they reminded me of her.

Once I pulled them out, we dug in.

For a good portion of our time spent up there, we simply sat and ate in comfortable silence. It was difficult trying not to look at her. Not that I didn't want to, but I knew from experience that staring at people for extended periods of time was a good way to get them to think I was crazy. Still, I couldn't help myself a few times. I'd look at her red hair, and remember the feeling of my fingers flowing through it, the smell of cherries on my nose. Every time I looked at her I'd remember the softness of her skin against my own when we fell asleep together, her hot breath on my neck.

Yeah, I had it bad, and I didn't care.

A sigh escaped her lips as we were finishing up. "Gods, it feels like it has been years since I've just sat down and enjoyed the world around me," She said quietly. "Not since I became a pegasus knight. My family used to go out like this all the time."

I couldn't say I had many experiences like that back home. Then again, I was glad I was changing that in Ylisse.

"Huh," I scratched the back of my neck. "You've never told me about your family before."

"Oh, well, I can tell you about them if you really want me too," Cordelia said, reluctantly.

"Eh, you don't have to if you don't want to," I replied, feeling a little awful just bringing it up out of the blue. The hell was I thinking? "Was just curious. We can talk about something else, if you want."

Cordelia thought for a moment. The way her lips pinched just a tad while she did so was incredibly cute. Like, goddamn, I could almost imagine pressing mine against hers.

Cordelia sighed. "I don't think it'll be that bad to tell you. It really isn't that interesting, though." She took a deep breath. "I was born up north, in the territory of a powerful lord. My father is his advisor, and they've been close friends for years. Ever since the Crusades, at least. My mother used to be a cleric, working on the injured. That's how they met," Cordelia gazed off into the distance, her tone becoming nostalgic. "It's been a long time since I've seen them. Too long. I've just been so busy with everything." A small smile graced her lips, making my heart do a waltz in my chest. "I think I'll write a letter to them when we get back."

I nodded, letting out a deep breath as I leaned back a bit. "Heh, you gonna write about me in there at all? How this scar-faced bastard came outta nowhere to help you?"

Cordelia turned to me, brows furrowed. I felt a shiver go up my spine when she stared at me like that. "Why in Naga's name would I describe you as that? Rest assured, I'll come up with something far more fitting."

…My God, that was unexpected.

"E-er," She stuttered, turning away. "I just said something a bit embarrassing, didn't I?"

I imagined the blush on her face. What I wouldn't do to see it. To just go up and look at her face and hug her and-

I shook my head and the heat I felt on my cheeks. "Nah, not really. I've said a lot more embarrassing crap back home. Although, I really, uh, appreciate you doing that. Didn't even think I was worth a mention, to be honest."

"I think you are," Cordelia stated, a little more forcefully than I was expecting. She stood up, the sun behind her. She looked like an angel made flesh. She held her hand to me. "Anyways, we've been out here for a while. We should head back, don't you think?"

For a moment I was too dazzled to really respond. Once I regained my senses, though, I chuckled lightly and took her hand.

It was just as warm as I imagined.

After our, well, 'date' concluded, we headed back into the city.

It had only been a few months since the end of the war, and I'd probably be unable to tell the city was occupied at one point if I'd just arrived. Much of the damage had been repaired, and the city was almost like when I first saw it. Still small compared to the cities back home, but goddamn did it make up for it in how pretty it was.

Not as pretty as Cordelia, but still.

Speaking of, she walked beside me as we went down the cobbled street, heading towards the barracks. It looked like there was a spring to her step, and she had a perpetual smile on her lips.

After a while, she seemed to become thoughtful; her lips pursed again. I was about to ask about it when I felt something grab my hand. A sharp intake of breath as I almost stopped in place was my response. Despite my body screaming at me to stop moving, I kept up with Cordelia. I knew she was holding my hand, and I could feel her lacing our fingers together. The contact made me shiver, a warmth spreading across my face.

"Cordy," I whispered. "Y-you're holding my hand."

An amazing observation, Captain Obvious. Is there anything else you can tell us?

"Yes," She replied softly. I turned my head to see her scarlet face. "Should I stop?"

"No," I said instantly. "No. Please, keep doing that."

She kept my hand in hers the entire way back. My heart refused to settle down; I couldn't calm down no matter how much I tried. I couldn't tell how she was handling it. All I knew was that the smile on her face was just as radiant as before, maybe even more so.

I burned the feeling of her hand and the sight of her face into my mind. No matter what, I would always remember that day. It was the most beautiful and fulfilling day of my life.

I sighed as Robin stared incredulously at the reports, his eyes wide. "Alex, am I reading this correctly?"

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Robin," I said, holding my arms out to my sides. "Phila gave me the report this morning, and we both know she doesn't make mistakes."

Robin laid the papers down on his desk, rubbing his forehead with a gloved hand. "I know. I know she would never do that, but I am just having difficulty digesting this. Not a single Risen attack in two months?"

I shrugged. "That's what it says, right? From here to Auraegis and Warreth, and to Grawin and Tathis, not a single attack confirmed." I ran a hand through my hair. "Well, confirmed. That kinda implies that there might be a few scattered reports from traumatized farmers, but I don't think those are gonna amount to much."

Robin leaned in his chair, the wood creaking as he did. "I will be honest with you here, Alex: I have no idea what this could mean. These legends you spoke of, from your homeland, they did not speak of such a thing happening?"

"As far as I can remember, Robin," I replied, feeling almost helpless at Robin's question. "After a little while the Risen just sorta fell outta the story, I guess. Weren't really mentioned much after a certain point, like they were only here to tell us that something's fuckin' wrong. If I knew anything, I'd've told you a long time ago."

Robin propped his elbows on his desk and lazily laid his head in his palm. He took a sip of tea with his other hand. "It is too early for this."

On that, I was inclined to agree. It was the middle of August, for God's sake, and we still had a year and a half until the Valmese invaded. And then the Risen just up and disappeared from the face of the universe like they didn't exist at all. The amount of questions it raised was too many to count.

That's really frightening, honestly.

"Remind me to thank Phila for sharing a copy of her reports with me," Robin told me, sitting straight up again. "I do not think I need to tell you what this implies. If what you have told me of Grima is true, then this could mean many things. A consolidation of forces? A purging? I do not have the tools at my disposal to investigate this as much as I would like, and it is frustrating. If only we could get that army ready faster!"

There was not much I could say, so I just stood there quietly. Waiting for a chance to get a leg in.

Robin sighed, and I could almost feel the exhaustion in that action.. "My apologies. Please, if only for a moment, I would like to speak of something else. Anything else. Perhaps- Yes, you have been spending a substantial amount of time with Cordelia, haven't you?"

I was willing to do what he said, but suddenly jumping to that topic gave me whiplash. I could feel my cheeks reddening. My own body was betraying me. "Well, I mean, yeah, it's nice to spend time with her. What of it?"

"Really?" Robin looked at me like I was an absolute moron. To his credit, I was. "After what you told me at the wedding? You are courting her, are you not?"

"Jesus Christ, Robin!" I nearly screamed, turning around and forcing myself to look out the window. "Alright, you're right. I am- what the fuck did you call it? 'Courting'? I don't really know what she feels about me, though. So I'm kinda just seeing where things are going right now."

"You may want to try and define your relationship with her quicker; the Shepherds are already making bets behind your back," Robin informed me, and I could almost hear the smirk on his face. "Though if you wish to take longer, I am sure I could make a decent amount of gold."

"Oh, fuck off," I growled, running my left hand down my face. "It's too early for this shit."

Robin's words did strike a chord with me, though. I knew how I felt about Cordelia, but I didn't know how she felt about me. She did agree to a date, at least.

I decided to shuffle that off for later.

"Whatever," I said finally, turning around. "There's gotta be plenty of other interesting stuff we can talk about that doesn't involve my love life."

"I am not so sure, but I will see what I have," Robin responded, returning to the veritable library of papers on his desk. He searched through them for a few moments before pulling a single one out. "Hmm, maybe this-?"

The door burst open. In an instant, my left hand was on the sword I kept on my belt, eyes trained on whoever barged in. Robin didn't even flinch; he slowly looked up from his desk at the panting man in the doorway.

Once I got a good look at him, I relaxed. He was thin, but wore a robe that probably made him seem larger. A pale face with messy black hair peeked out from behind an oversized wizard hat.

"My Lord!" The man said breathlessly, almost stumbling into the room. He planted both his hands firmly on the desk. "Hah, My Lord! You are the Grandmaster Tactician, correct!?"

"Should I throw him out?" I asked Robin quietly.

He waved me off. "Yes, I am the Grandmaster Tactician. Can you explain to me why you broke into my office?"

The man took a step back. "M-my apologies, My Lord! It's just that- We have something you should see. Down in the college. It's- It's big, My Lord! The E-Exalt himself told me to fetch you!"

College? What college? And what the fuck does Chrom have to do with this?

Memories of a life gone by flooded my mind, and I felt a small bit a nostalgia.

Robin and I shared a look. He stood up.

"Lead the way, then."

Magic was something I'd almost completely forgotten about since I was told I'd never be able to use it. I didn't mind so much months later, but it also meant I had no idea how magic functioned for other people, and I doubted I'd ever really find out.

Apparently, there were magical institutions. Miriel told me about them months before, but I'd forgotten about them until one of its patrons barged into Robin's office.

We traveled through a small part of Ylisstol I rarely went to. Despite the lack of any clouds in the sky, and the heat of the sun on my face, I couldn't help but feel a small amount of dread at what we were going to be shown. It didn't help that the spindly mage that fetched us was vague as hell. He could've told us more, but whatever. I couldn't imagine Chrom would tell him to keep quiet.

The college we were headed to came into view. It was a dreary looking place that had more spikes than it knew what do with, it seemed, like a sea urchin turned into a building. I shook my head as I walked beside Robin into the door that looked more like a giant creature's maw than an entrance.

The halls we walked through were crowded and loud. Almost like the wedding, but without the charm. It reminded me of my days back at college. I couldn't say that I was feeling nostalgic about them anymore. We had to shove our way through people at times, and the noise got so loud that it was hard to even think. And to think, it was going to be just a simple day of paperwork.

"Christ on a bicycle," I murmured to myself. Dread clawed at my stomach like it was a monster trying to tear its way out of a cage. "Hey, can you tell us anything about what we're doing here? I'm getting antsy."

"M-my apologies, sir." The man didn't let up his pace. "A few days ago a village to the north was attacked by something. Whatever it was, was killed and brought here this morning. I-I'm sure once we get there, the Exalt can tell you more."

"Well, that was helpful," I said sarcastically, the feeling in my gut only amplifying at his words.

"Patience, Alex," Robin said quietly. "We will know what is happening soon enough."

In my opinion, soon enough should come faster.

Eventually, after getting through the largest and most packed groups of gawking students, we found ourselves inside a small room. I didn't bother reading the sign posted on the door we had to squeeze through, although from the look of it, it was an examination room, or something like that. The entire room was a uniform gray, with nothing to liven it up. In the middle was a table covered in cloth, with something spikey under it. I felt like I was in a coroner's office.

The room was cold, too, ungodly cold. I could almost see my breath.

"Robin, Alex," Chrom said, his face, for the first time in a long time, grim. "I'm glad you could make it. I wish it was under better circumstances."

"If you are saying that," Robin began, "Then this must be serious."

"The situation is dire, indeed," A woman's voice said. My head whipped around to see Miriel walk from the shadows. "What is beneath this cloth, and what was discovered from rummaging through what was left of its possessions, raises countless queries."

"I-it's an abomination, miss!" The wizard who had escorted us spoke up, his voice small and high-pitched. "An abomination! Naga take it!"

"Quiet, Bernard," Miriel replied, adjusting her glasses. "I have asked the Headmaster of this institution to allow us to use this room. The Ylisstol School for Spellcraft and Sorcery has many of my former colleagues, though few of them have attempted to assist me with this task. The Headmaster requested I place this blanket over the corpse, as he was concerned that it would terrify the students should they catch a glimpse of it."

"Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?" I said dryly, sighing. "I've had this bad feeling since – what, Bernard? – fetched us. Said this was about something that attacked a village up north. What the hell is it?"

That feeling in my gut refused to fade. Chrom visibly paled and found solace in looking at his shoes.

"Miriel. Can you please remove the cover?" He asked, his voice uncharacteristically quiet.

"Very well," She said, oblivious to the feeling around the room. "It will give me another chance to study its appearance. Nothing has been seen that is quite like it in the tomes I have studied."

"Chrom, you are worrying me," Robin interrupted, holding a hand out to stop Miriel. "Alex is not incorrect; I have been having this weird feeling since we arrived. Is it truly that serious?"

Chrom cringed. "You'll see, my friend. Just be ready. Miriel?"

In one motion, Miriel took the cloth off the spiky corpse. What I saw nearly made me vomit then and there.

It could barely be described as a creature. Scales ran the length of its body, blood red in color. Its arms were long, longer than they should've been, and tapered off to clawed hands that still had blood on them. Its chest was scarred and burned, probably what killed it. The scales of the thing curled around the wounds like burnt paper. The must grisly and horrifying part, however, was its face. It looked as if someone took a human head and stretched the mouth out until it resembled a dog's snout. Sharp teeth meant for slicing through flesh lined its jaw. So many teeth that they didn't all fit. Scraps of white hair fell from its scaly scalp. The last part was its eyes, a milky blue, almost human-looking, staring up at the gray ceiling.

"What in the name of fuck!" I cursed, nearly gagging. "The hell is that thing!?"

"By Naga," Robin whispered.

"I-I told you!" The man, Bernard, screeched. "Abomination!"

"Fascinating," Miriel mused, staring at the abomination with interest. "On a second viewing, I have noticed that this lifeform looks to be a mixture between a dragon and a human. Clumsily, sloppily put together. You can even see the scraps of cloth that were clothes near its waist." She motioned to the creature's hips. "You can see the strain this fusion had on the body here." She pointed a dainty hand to the creature's side, where I could see stretch marks in the scales. "This corpse will require further study."

"Fuck, you can have it," I groused, "I don't want that thing near me."

"Miriel woke me up this morning touting it around," Chrom began to explain, crossing his arms and trying not to stare at it. I couldn't blame him for trying; it was a lot like looking at a train crash. "I had Sumia stay behind to reassure the castle staff while Miriel brought me here. T-this creature attacked our people, and Miriel says she knows where it came from."

"Hmm? Oh yes, it had possessions," Miriel said, snapping out of whatever trance she had hypnotized herself into. Robin stared at the corpse as she produced a small, rough book from her robes. "Several months ago, a researcher by the name of Ransom vanished after a proposal to the Headmaster ended with him being laughed out of the room. He was a researcher of fringe topics, such as pre-Marth civilizations and study of the nature of Divine magic. One topic he never let go of was Khadein, the City of Magic spoken of in the records of Marth's adventures."

"You know an awful lot about this guy. Friend of yours?" I asked, mostly to distract myself from the cadaver in the room. The worst part was that I couldn't even smell it.

"No," Miriel said simply. "I will never have the chance to, because he is dead. His corpse is right in front of you."

It felt like my stomach fell into a pit. I felt nauseous. "W-what?"

"Ransom kept his materials close to him at all times," Miriel explained. "From the small amount of research I have done on the man, he was a recluse. He would not part with his panoply without a fight, and this creature showed no sign of that. Not until a student brought the corpse to me. And the containers this creature had on it were almost in perfect condition. Ergo, I have come to the conclusion that this creature is Ransom himself. I will need to study the corpse extensively before I can fully commit to this conclusion."

"What about the scorch marks?" I asked, trying not to look at the corpse. "The fuck did that come from, then?"

"Easily explained," Miriel said, adjusting her glasses again. "A militia, along with a student from this very college, killed this creature. Said student knows a degree of fire magic. Knowledgeable as the student was, he knew it was an abomination. When he brought the body here for further study, I offered to 'take it off his hands', as it were. Such an interesting specimen should be analyzed completely."

Robin was still eerily silent.

"As I elaborated on earlier, he was interested in the city of Khadein," Miriel continued. "In the last few months before his sudden departure, he spoke of it constantly. Within the confines of this journal is a map, pinpointing its location." She opened the journal and sifted through the pages. She stopped at a scrawled map and pointed at a black dot on it. "That is what the Headmaster laughed him out of the room for; Khadein is a fairy tale to some, including him. It is clear that Ransom found something. Whether it was Khadein or some cursed artifact, remains to be seen."

"Is this going where I think it's going?" I asked, mostly to myself. "No, wait, lemme guess, we're gonna investigate, aren't we?"

"Khadein is a part of our history, Alex. Even if there's barely anything known about it," Chrom said suddenly. "I'll admit, we probably won't be able to send a large force; we're still recovering from the war, and Robin's plans have been going slowly. But, if we could send a small expeditionary force, to make sure that something like this doesn't happen again, then perhaps we could rest easy. And if whatever is there can turn people into this, even if it's just a theory…"

"I shall be on my way, sirs," The man, I kept forgetting his name, said shakily, tiptoeing towards the door. "I-I've had enough."

I watched him leave, wishing I could go with him.

"We have no information on this 'Khadein' except a location and this body," Robin summarized. "We do not know if something like this will happen again. Or if others have been turned into abominations. It is all a big unknown. If you are willing to expend some manpower for this, Chrom, I am all for it."

Really wish you didn't say that, Robin.

It was officially a research expedition, although to the few of us in the know, it was a lot more than that. From what I was told, Khadein held a lot of importance to the nobility. Hell, anything from Marth's era was considered sacrosanct. Most of the noble families supposedly traced their lineage all the way back to many of his old companions. It would explain why Chrom's family was said to be descended from Marth himself, even though Marth lived two-thousand years ago. Ylisseans kept extensive genealogy records, apparently.

So when the location of a part of their illustrious history is discovered, safe to say something was going to happen eventually.

Chrom didn't want to take any chances; he was going to send in the best. So, a squadron of knights, a couple Feroxi fighters, several mages from the college, as well as the Shepherds to lead them, were going to be dispatched. The journey would take less than a month.

That was all well and good; send in a team to clear out the ruins of Khadein, and then, probably next year, send in a team of hardcore smart people to scour the bones. Great. Perfect. Even if whatever was there turned one mage into what could loosely be described as a monster, sure. I knew there was nothing gained without risks.

I just really wished I didn't have to go.

Robin wanted me there as his representative. He actually wanted to go himself, but considering the building of the Ylissean army was still in its infancy, he had no choice but to stay and oversee its continuation. While I was there, I'd report directly to him about everything that was found.

The reason I didn't want to go wasn't because of cowardice. I'd been through a war for fuck's sake. Whatever the hell was in Khadein that could turn a person into the abomination I saw on that table, I felt like I was ready for it. As ready as I could ever be, anyway.

I just didn't want to leave Cordelia.

It was probably a stupid reason, I know, but I couldn't help but think that. That was the main reason why I didn't want to leave. If I went to Khadein with everyone, it'd be months until I could see her again.

"Listen, Alex," Robin said, a hand on my shoulder as I glared at him. "I need someone there. If there is anything that we can potentially use in Khadein, I want to know about it. Khadein was not something spoken of in those legends, correct?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "No. No, there was nothing. Not a single goddamn mention. That's probably why I'm so fucking nervous."

"That, and you do not wish to leave Cordelia, is that it?" He asked, brow raised before nodding at my reaction. "I thought as much. I am nervous too, you know. And yet, I would go myself were it not for this army I am trying to raise." His gaze softened a little. "Besides, you will not be alone. Sully and Vaike are going, as I am told."

Thank fuck for that, too.

"Yeah, I know," I replied sullenly, walking to the window in his office. "I just- there's gotta be a better reason for me going than that. It doesn't make any sense."

"I will not lie to you, there is some politics involved," Robin sighed. "You know how important history is to the nobility. Sending you, my sworn knight, to help uncover some of Ylisse's past, could help endear the nobility to me. It would make the process of building our army potentially easier."

That made a little more sense. Still, didn't make me feel all that better about the whole thing. I was still going to a place that could turn a man into a monster, after all.

"There will be a Griffon Rider that will carry post from here to where you go," Robin explained. "You can send messages directly to me, and to Cordelia should you wish. And you have the other Shepherds to talk to. It will be fine."

It wasn't the best reassurance he could've offered, but I decided it was better than nothing. If I was going to be cut off from everyone for several months while we explored crumbling ruins and found horrible artifacts that turned people into dragon monsters, I'd go insane.

For a week, preparations were made. August was the warmest month on Archanea, and unless we arrived at Khadein's location within that small timeframe, we would be fucked until the next year. The mountains surrounding it were impassable during the colder months. That put a strain on certain members of our little expedition, mostly the Shepherds. I knew for a fact that Sully and Vaike were with us, as well as Miriel. Everybody else, though, I didn't get to see until I began to help. Most of our supplies were food, preserved with salt, and warm clothing and blankets. We could melt the snow around Khadein for water, thankfully. Preparations were light, basically, but given the small timeframe, we were going at it hard.

And because of all that bullshit, the preparation, I couldn't talk to Cordelia until the day we were going to leave.

I was leaving the barracks all dressed up in armor when I stumbled into her - almost ran into her, really. She was wearing her armor that time too, probably because she was going to continue training those new pegasus knight recruits. I'd almost forgotten how much it suited her. She looked at me with a frown on her face, which made me feel like the biggest asshole this side of the sun.

"You're leaving with the others, aren't you?" She asked, her voice heavy. "I heard from them that all of you are traveling to Khadein. Here I was thinking it was just a myth," She chuckled humorlessly. "Of course, I thought that of the Outrealm Gate as well."

"Heh," I laughed a little, despite myself. I couldn't muster up the courage to look her in the eye. "Yeah, I was gonna tell you, but, well, it's probably just me making excuses, but I was really busy and when I looked for you I couldn't find you. Crap like that. You're not mad, are you?"

"Mad?" She echoed, shaking her head. "No, I'm not mad. I just wish I knew sooner so I had time to say goodbye without being rushed." I could see her fiddling with her fingers. "Gods, I was busy too. Then again, when are we not busy?"

"Not very often, really."

"Yes," She sighed. "I was hoping we could go out again, but it doesn't seem like that will happen soon, will it?"

I gulped, a lump in my throat forming. "No. Not for a couple months. Mountains are like that."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Then I suppose this is my one chance." She stepped closer, and my heart rate went straight the hell up. "I was hoping I could do this under better circumstances, but…"

Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod-

Even through the leather, I could feel her warm hand cup my cheek as she pushed her body against me. Something soft pressed against my other cheek, sending a tingle down my spine and making the world seem lighter. She took a step back afterwards, but damn, I wished she'd kept going. All it would take would be a slight turn of my head and I'd never want to leave.

Cordelia kissed me on the cheek.

I could feel my face heat up, and judging from the healthy shade of scarlet her face took, I wasn't alone.

"T-that was for good luck," She stuttered out. "I really enjoyed when we went out, so when you return we will need to make up for lost time."

"Y-Yeah," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. "We're definitely doing that. Uh, thank you, for that, by the way. That was, er, unexpected."

She nodded, a small, beautiful smile on her lips. "You're welcome. Until we meet again, Alex!"

She waved as she left, and I couldn't help but wave back. Once she was out of sight, my good hand traced the cheek she had kissed.

"Fuck, this is gonna be a long few months," I whispered harshly to myself.

I didn't so much walk as I did skip to where the wagons were being held. They were still being loaded with as much as they could hold, last minute provisions for when we headed out in just a few short hours.

My good mood didn't go unnoticed by a certain cavalier and her muscular friend.

"Hey, Alex!" Sully called, waving me over. "Damn, what's gotten into you? Look like you're 'bout to go out to pick flowers instead of going to this shitty ruin."

"Not even you could bring me down, Sully," I replied smarmily, giving her a wide grin as I stood to her side. "Let's just say I'm on cloud nine right now, even if we're about to go to whatever the hell Khadein ends up being."

"Probably gotta good 'un from Cordy. Ya did, didn't ya?" Vaike asked, his smirk matching my own. "By Gods, I think he did! Damn, didn't think ya had it in ya, bud!"

"He's been spending a lotta time with her, hasn't he?" Sully asked to no one in particular, looking up at the sky. "And here I was thinking we'd have nothing to talk about while we're travellin'."

"Oh, we have plenty of things to talk about," I replied. "Like, for instance. Have you two tied the knot yet?"

Vaike's grin vanished while Sully's brows furrowed.

"The hell'd you just say, Alex?" Sully said, her voice rougher than usual.

I waved my hand lazily. "Hey, at least you got each other!" I chuckled, turning and walking away. "Sure you'll have plenty of time to get intimate!"

I damn near cackled when I heard Vaike sputter like a dying lawnmower and Sully curse up a storm. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad.

For almost an entire month, we traveled. Conversation didn't dry up during that time, courtesy of Sully and Vaike. We may've gotten under each other's skin all the time, but it was all good fun. If anyone tried to hurt them, they'd have to get through me. I hoped it was the same for them. It was too bad we didn't have Gaius with us. Then we could've had some Poker Nights to spice up the monotony of traveling through the Ylissean and Feroxi countryside. Miriel and Ricken, who were tagging along, didn't really socialize all that much, sadly.

Conversation died down once we got to the mountains. The men and mages with us were already quiet, but as soon as we started ascending, it was almost like someone had soundproofed the entire world. It was so silent it felt like it absorbed noise.

We had to break out the cloaks and coats before too long. The farther we went up, the colder it got. Snow covered the rocky ground, so deep in some places it felt like quicksand. The cold wasn't that intolerable, though. And eventually, we made it.

Khadein.

I first got a glimpse of it through a small flurry. The wagons and men escorting them went past me while my gaze was transfixed on the spires before me. They jutted out of the ground like spikes, as if I could fall and they'd impale me. I was sure to some people, it would be beautiful to look at.

To me, standing near a small mountain pass and seeing my own breath in the air, all I could feel was dread and anxiousness. Like something horrible was going to happen.

Okay, so I lied about the Two-week cycle starting last chapter. It'll actually start this chapter. So after I publish this, the next chapter won't be posted until November 9th. So, you know. Because of that, these chapters will be more polished.

This is the fluffiest fuckin' chapter I've ever written. Enjoy it while it lasts. This won't be the end of it, but we won't see more of it for a while.

Not much else to say except I hoped you enjoyed. See you all in about two weeks!

Hopefully I'll have a cover by then...

A wild link to our Discord server appears: discord .gg/9XG3U7a

Edited on 2/28/21. Dear God, here I was, so happy and filled with hope for this mini-arc.