Khadein was a strange place. That may've seemed obvious, considering it used to be called the 'City of Magic,' and anyone who knew anything about magic knew that shit gets weirder the further along you get. The entire city consisted of giant spires rising up into the sky, protruding out of the ground like the ribs of a massive creature. In fact, looking up from the snowy ground, it almost felt like we were in the chest cavity of a giant monster.

Fucking hell.

We began setting up camp just outside the forest of spires. It was to be home for the next few months while we checked the ruins. I wasn't looking forward to it; I had watched enough horror movies to realize that it was a deathtrap.

But, a part of me wanted to stay optimistic. Hopefully nothing horrible would happen.

While the camp was being built, I decided to do what I did best: help where I could and get to know everyone. Most of the men still didn't seem very talkative, although the other Shepherds were receptive.

In fact, one day, while the camp was still being built up, I ended up getting the lecture of a lifetime.

"Oi, Alex, get up," A rough, feminine voice barked at me, "I need ya."

"Fuck, Sully," I groaned, rubbing one of my eyes, "It's fuckin', what, shit, no clocks. Well, it's early. The hell do you want?"

"Miriel's gettin' on my case about something," She said as she walked into the tent. "And I don't wanna go through it alone."

"Why don't you just get your boyfriend to go with you. God," I replied without thinking, rustling around under my covers.

"Vaike's- Oh you sonuva-" I heard her stomp over to me, like the earth itself was quaking. "Ya better get outta that bag before I kick yer sorry ass!"

"Fine, fine!" I said hastily, waving my left arm around. "Just gimme a sec. Gotta get my hand on."

A few minutes later, with my iron hand strapped on along with some warm clothes, I left with Sully.

People were already up and about, despite it being so early. Hell, it was bone-chilling out, something that hadn't changed since we'd gotten there, and people were working. Propping up the last few tents, nailing stuff into the ground, that kind of thing.

A cold gust of wind ruffled my clothes, and I shivered. My breath came out in puffs of white mist. Sully wasn't faring much better, although it looked like she was trying to not show it.

"So, I'm guessing Vaike's helping with the last of the set up, then?" I asked, trying to clear the air.

"Yeah," Sully affirmed as she led me away from the camp. "Somethin', somethin', 'Teach's gotta show these knuckledraggers how it's done!', all that bull."

I cracked my neck and adjusted some of the fingers on my iron hand. "What's does Miriel want us for, anyway? We weren't supposed to go ruin diving until the camp got finished."

"Hell if I know," Sully shrugged. "Just went up to me all mystery-like, with that look in her eye – ya know, that look in her eye," Sully made a strange face at me with wide eyes and pursed lips. "Yeah, this one. Saying some crap 'bout how she's figured out where this Ransom guy went in. Didn't say a lot besides that."

"How wonderfully cryptic," I remarked dryly, looking at our makeshift camp as we left it behind. "Fuck, I feel vulnerable."

"Yeah, I hear ya," Sully agreed, before pointing in front of us. "There she is. Better have a good reason for getting us out here in this damn cold."

There was a person, standing in front of one of the many spires, outlined against the white ground.

"You're the one who dragged me out here, remember?" I pointed out smarmily.

"You'd do the same to me, wouldn't ya?" Sully asked, eyes narrowing at me. "You don't like to be lectured at for hours alone, do ya?"

"I mean, fair point," I sighed, the mist almost blinding me. "Fuck it, let's see what she wants."

As we got closer, I could make out Miriel's ridiculous wizard hat. I still didn't see what point the thing served, but then again, I wasn't a mage and never would be. Miriel turned to us, her eyes seeming more focused than usual, which was saying a lot, considering she looked at everything with near-laser precision.

"You brought a companion?" Miriel said once we got close, raising a brow out of curiosity.

"Yeah, I did. Why?" Sully asked, folding her arms. "There a problem with that?"

"On the contrary," Miriel began, adjusting her glasses, "That is ideal; having two individuals with which to explain the discoveries I have unearthed will assist my thought processes. A wall or the ground is not usually a good speaking partner."

"Ya see what I meant?" Sully said, turning to me, "We'll be here for hours."

"Unlikely," Miriel rebuked, "This will take only an hour at the most. I will be able to edify in much less time than 'hours'."

"Damn, get shot down." I said.

"Say another word and we'll spar right here and now, Alex." Sully shot back.

"If both of you would follow me, I have much I wish to discuss," Miriel interrupted, turning and walking to one of the spires. After a few moments, Sully and I followed.

That sense of dread I'd felt since the moment we saw that corpse back at the college never went away, especially when we were among the spires. I wasn't sure if Khadein was entirely spires like the ones around us, or whether most of the city was buried beneath ice and permafrost. Whatever the case, that nagging feeling didn't go away, no matter how hard I tried.

"So," I started, not sure where to go with a conversation. "I know we agreed not to go into the ruins until the camp was ready, but it looks like you've already done some exploring yourself. Any reason why there're so many spires?"

Miriel spoke without slowing her gait. "There is precious little known about Khadein, save that it was a location during the time of Marth and was known as the 'City of Magic', as you know. I can only extrapolate a conclusion based on what I know. As for the spires," Miriel paused for a second. "Perhaps a display of opulence, or precedent set by mages of the time. Most of the city itself is buried beneath the earth, so they may appear smaller than they actually are."

"Well, ain't that dandy," Sully remarked dryly, looking up at the towers as we walked. "Think they were compensating for somethin'?"

"Someone had to say it, I guess," I chuckled.

"Ah, we have arrived." Miriel stopped. Nearly ran into her, I was so distracted by the structures around us. "I believe this is the area Ransom entered through, and where we shall descend when preparations are complete."

Sully whistled. "Mighty big hole he made, huh?"

I had to agree. In front of us was one of the many white towers, except this one had a giant, scorched hole in it. White stone bricks, blackened by unnatural fire were scattered around the snow covered ground. Because of the lighting, I couldn't really get a good look at the inside, but it appeared to be, well, the word that came to mind was immaculate. The same stone was used for the inside, and I could see shadowy shapes that were probably furniture.

"Ransom was a gifted mage, if nothing else," Miriel observed, opening a book. "According to my notes, he specialized in fire magic. That would explain the char marks. Now then." She closed the book with an audible 'clap'. "We shall not descend, but there are items within that I wish to explain. Follow me."

Silently, we followed her in. Our footsteps rang hollowly in the cold room. It was easily the most unwelcoming place I'd ever been in.

I was right about the shapes; there was furniture, most of it made of stone, like a table. However, there were a few things clearly made out of wood, which confused me. Khadein had been lost, apparently, for over a thousand years. How the hell had the wood not disintegrated? Even if the place was sealed, it should've rotted away long ago.

"Ain't this place just the best?" Sully asked to no one in particular, walking around like she owned the place. "Sure was worth it sending our sorry asses all the way out to the frozen hellhole, yeah?"

I ignored her for. "You said you wanted to tell us about what you discovered. Well." I held my arms out. "What did you discover?"

"In a moment. Allow me to illuminate the room."

I'd never claim to understand magic. Even then, I didn't expect a tiny flame to appear in her hand, although it did light up the room. I could get a better look at everything, including the-

My God.

The entire wall was covered in markings. Writing, it looked like, but not in Common or any language I'd ever seen. It looked like someone had scratched them into the wall with giant nails.

"What in the fuck?" I mumbled, approaching a wall and traced my hand along one of the carvings. "This wasn't a chisel, was it?"

"Unlikely," Miriel said, walking up next to me. "A chisel would have created different grooves. Observe, here." She traced her own finger along one of the many lines. "These markings were created by a single tool digging into the stone in a dragging motion. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine whether they are recent or not."

I turned to her like she'd just told me the world was flat. "'Recent'? The only guy who was around here was Ransom, right? Hell, I doubt this shit would tell us what turned him into that monster." I shivered, and it wasn't because of the biting cold. "Goddamn, that thing was creepy."

"He ain't wrong, Miriel," Sully said, coming up behind us, "This shit's all creepy 'n crap, but it don't tell us a whole lot."

"Hmm," Miriel hummed, staring off into nothing for a moment. The room grew eerily quiet. I hated it. It felt like an unnatural kind of silence, like a soundproofed room. "I surmised that you would appreciate that I found an entry point for our expedition. The writing was merely a curiosity I wished to share. I have been trying to translate them for some time. They are a type of Runic script that has not been seen for thousands of years."

"Er, what?" I adjusted a few fingers on my iron hand nervously. "Runic script? Heard of Runes before but I'm kinda lost right now."

"Runes are most often used in religious or cult ceremonies in today's age," Miriel began to explain, adjusting her glasses. "These ones… yes, how interesting. The type of script here is ancient indeed. I will need to make charcoal sketches and decipher them later. For now, I have one last part to show you."

I didn't like it. That feeling of dread, roiling in my stomach like a goddamn leech, only grew stronger the longer while we were in the walls of that spire. The writing on the walls didn't help. It felt like we'd just found the city of Ry'leh or some shit, and we were about to awaken Cthulhu. And the worst part was that the writing could literally be written on the walls, and we'd never even know it was a warning. 'Stay the fuck out, dickheads' was my internal translation.

Reluctantly, and against my instincts, I followed Miriel to the back of the room, opposite of the hole to the outside world. I nearly tripped over my own feet when I saw the black void in front of me.

"Stairs to the lower levels," Miriel said, standing on the edge of the gaping abyss with no fear. "You recall when I spoke of Khadein, I surmised that most of the city itself is buried beneath the earth? This is what inspired that hypothesis."

"I ain't goin' near that right now," Sully said instantly, her voice uncharacteristically fearful. Or maybe that was just me. "Not 'till we got the camp all done."

"I would not expect you to," Miriel assured. "I suggest a contingent of no less than fifteen armed individuals. Khadein was a city of magic; anything could be lurking around in the dark below."

"Yeah," I mumbled, transfixed by the inky void in front of me. It was like the mouth of a Lovecraftian monster. "And whatever turned Ransom into a monster, too. He went down there, and look what happened to him."

My stomach lurched, and I resisted the urge to throw up. All of a sudden, I felt nauseous. I didn't want to be there anymore. Something was wrong. I wanted to go back, to go home-

I took a deep breath and turned to the others. "Well, let's head back. Still gotta get the camp ready before we go charging in there."

It was just a couple days before we headed into Khadein that I found her.

I was checking our supplies, making sure we'd have enough to survive the coming winter. Not the most entertaining work in the world, but it was better than staring down into the depths of Khadein like we did the day prior. I swore, I saw that entrance in my nightmares, with nothing but inky blackness as far as the eye could see.

As I was marking things down, I noticed something rustle beneath a pile of blankets, towards the back of the wagon.

"Huh?" I stood straight up, nervousness overtaking me for a few seconds. A dozen things came to mind about what could be under the blankets, none of them pleasant. I imagined Ransom's deformed body underneath a sheet, staring up at the ceiling with glassy, fish-like eyes.

I swallowed, a lump of anxiety forming in my throat as I approached the bundle. My footsteps sounded like bombs going off, they felt so loud.

In one quick motion, I plunged my hand into the blankets and tore them away.

I blinked. "Excuse me, what?"

A girl with greenish-blonde hair laid curled up on the floor of the wagon, trying to clutch a pile of blankets that wasn't there anymore. A moment later, she yawned, sitting up while I stared at her incredulously.

There's no way in hell. No fucking way.

"Hah, it's cold." She pouted, looking at me. "Why'd you take the blankets away? Not that I really need them, but I was comfy!"

I began shaking, gesturing at her half-naked body. "W-well, maybe you should put some actual fuckin' clothes on. If you're so cold, Nowi."

I hadn't spoken to Nowi ever since we saved her in the desert all those months ago. Therefore, I didn't really know how to deal with her. It didn't help that I knew for a fact that she wasn't supposed to come with us.

"Whatever," She replied nonchalantly, standing up and stretching. I pointedly looked away from her when she did; even if there were technically no police, not the way I knew them at least, I wasn't about to risk that shit. "I was going to wake up soon anyway. Hey, when do we eat? I'm starving!"

"My God, I don't know what to say," I murmured to myself, my left hand clenching and unclenching. "What- What the hell are you even doing here!? Fucking, just sleeping in the supplies this whole goddamn time?"

"Someone's grumpy, huh?" Nowi giggled. "I mean, yeah. I was booored!" She walked around me, rummaging around in one of the crates. "Heard you guys were going to a dusty old ruin, so I wanted to go to. But then Robin was like," She stood up straight, turned around and put a hand behind her back. "'No, Nowi, you cannot. This is a highly delicate operation'. Like I can't be all delicate when I want to be! Ptoeey!" She laughed. "I can't believe I could do his voice like that! I need to do that more."

Deep breaths, deep breaths…

I sighed, massaging the bridge of my nose. "Alright, fine, I guess you're here now. Nothing I can really do about it. I doubt you could fly through the mountains in your dragon form with how cold it is outside anyway."

"Well, I mean, I could," She replied, "But yeah, I don't wanna. Besides, Ricken's here, right?"

I rose a brow. "Yeah, he is. Why?"

"Oh, that's perfect!" She entered another giggling fit. "I am so gonna surprise him! The look on his face-!"

"Oh God, it's happening," I groaned, sitting down on a nearby crate. "It's happening. Not even coming here could get it away from me."

"Hmm? Get away from what?" Nowi asked curiously, leaning her upper body forward. "Gosh, are you always so down?"

"It's nothing," I waved off. "Can't escape the love lives of people no matter where I go. First, Sully and Vaike, and now you and Ricken. Christ on a bicycle."

"Hey, stop being like that! Would it kill you to smile a little?"

"At this point? Probably."

"Jeesh, you really are a downer."

"Only when I deal with half-naked children hitching a ride on an expedition to this year's coldest hellhole," I said, the frown on my face deepening. "Fucking hell, I just wanted to take inventory."

"Okay, first of all, I'm, like, a dozen times older than you are!" Nowi retorted, counting her fingers. "Second of all, it isn't that cold. Third of all," Her expression became vacant. "Actually, that's it. Anyway, get up Mr. Frowny, I wanna go find Ricken."

"Just end my suffering," I buried my face in my good hand. "Please. I beg you."

"Okay, it was a funny a second ago, now it's just sad. C'mon, get uuuuup!"

I felt like a zombie as I marched through the camp, keeping an eye out for a short mage with an oversized hat. It wasn't how I wanted to spend my afternoon, just a few days away from marching into Khadein's depths, but I thought it better to just appease the half-naked dragon loli rather than piss her off, especially if she had a Dragonstone on her.

Fucking hell, what a disaster.

Walking through the camp, I noted the amount of people walking from tent to tent. I made a mental note to try and get to know some of them before we descended into the dark. I'd rather go through that abyss with someone I was at least acquainted instead of a complete stranger I didn't even know the name of. Besides, there was a bit of a mixture of people that I could find interesting. Feroxi soldiers, Ylissean Knight, and mages. Not everyday I saw a gathering of people like that, not since the end of the war, at least.

Finally, after what felt like an hour, I found him. Found his hat first, actually, poking out from a small group of people.

"Hey, Ricken," I called. The hat stopped moving, and if my eyes weren't lying to me, it began shaking. "I need you. Come here."

Slowly, the short teen stepped out into the open. He eyed me warily as he approached, like I was a predator about to eat him. I had to stop myself from groaning, concerned he'd up and run away if I did that.

"E-er," He stuttered, playing with his hands. "I-is there something I can do for you, sir?"

Hoping to God that Nowi would do her thing soon, I kept the conversation going. "Yeah, Miriel's been translating some writing we found in one of the towers. Know if she's made any progress or not?"

I could've sworn Ricken shivered at my words. I couldn't tell if it was because of what I was saying or if he was just scared of me in general. Didn't know why he'd be scared of me, but it appeared he was, from what I was seeing of him.

"Um, no, not really," Ricken replied stiffly. Slightly tilting my head in slight confusion made him wince. Why was it so easy to make him squirm? "S-she's been in her tent since she went to get those charcoal drawings. I haven't heard from her since."

I noticed a flash of greenish-blonde behind him, so I kept going. I was meaning to ask him about Miriel anyway, might as well continue the conversation while I could. "Fucking hell, why's Miriel gotta do this now?. We go charging in there in like, what, a day? Then she pulls something like this." I took a deep breath. "Well, thanks for telling me, at least. Looks like I'll have to look for her myself." Before Ricken could scurry off, I stopped him. "Hey. One last thing."

"Y-yes?"

"Look out behind you," I said, in the most monotone tone of voice I could manage.

Ricken's face, looking at me like I was a tiger about to tear his throat out, went blank out of confusion. In the next moment, Nowi glomped him from behind, wrapping her arms around him as they both tumbled to the icy ground. Ricken screaming like a cat with its tail caught in the door and Nowi giggling like a madwoman filled my ears and drew the attention of several people around us.

"Got you, Ricken!" Nowi said triumphantly, smirking as she sat up. "Betcha didn't expect me, huh?"

"N-Nowi!? What in Naga's name are you doing here!?" Ricken asked incredulously, his high-pitched voice making me cringe. "Y-you weren't supposed to be here! Robin said it would just be us!"

"Pfft!" Nowi replied wisely, "Robin can say whatever he wants. I thought you'd be happy to see me!"

"It's not that," Ricken coughed, standing up. "I just- I'm a little confused."

"Trust me, kid," I mumbled, crossing my arms across my chest. "Just accept it. There ain't any way we're getting her outta here now."

"But she's," Ricken groaned. "Well, I guess it won't be so bad. Just… Just please don't fall asleep with your dragonstone, okay? I swear Chrom's still mad from the last time that happened."

"I already said I was sorry about that!" Nowi claimed indignantly, jumping to her feet. She was probably the only person on the planet who was even slightly shorter than Ricken. I chuckled a little as I thought of that. "But don't worry, I've been trying to sleep without it! But I kinda need something else there if I wanna sleep well at all."

"Oh, just end my fucking life." I rubbed the bridge of my nose for what felt like the five-hundredth time that day. "Okay, I'll leave you two to your little lover's quarrel, then. I'll go and talk with Miriel."

"Thanks for helping me, Alex!" Nowi said cheerfully, making Ricken sputter as she hugged him again. "You know, even if you are a major downer!"

I grunted as I walked away, leaving the duo alone. I noticed the crowd gathering. "What're you all looking at? Go about your business."

Despite what I said, it wasn't until later in the day that I finally got around to finding Miriel. Ricken mentioned that she hadn't left her tent since she transcribed those strange runes we found in the open spire, so that limited the amount of places she could be to exactly one.

Eventually, with the light of the setting sun making the spires cast shadows over our entire camp, I went to Miriel's tent.

I was nervous, but then I'd been nervous since we saw that corpse back in Ylisstol. Once again, my mind filled with horrible thoughts. What on earth did those runes say that had Miriel barricading herself in her tent? Hell, Khadein really was reminding me of Ry'leh the more time we spent there. If I took one wrong step we'd summon Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones.

"Miriel?" I called her name outside her tent. No response. "It's me, Alex. I'm coming in!"

I opened the flap of the tent.

First thing that occurred to me was just how dark it was. Not as pitch black as the literal hole into the abyss we found a while before, but enough to daze me. The best I could describe it as would be that it was very 'Miriel'. No bookshelves, but there were a few desks pushed to the corners of the tent, filled with all manner of crap, all organized into neat little areas. Safe to say I didn't know what any of them did.

Towards the back of the tent, I could just make out the light of an oil lamp, and the silhouette of a person hunched over a desk. Cautiously, I approached.

"Uh, Miriel," I said, coming up to her back. "That you? You're freaking me out."

Once I got closer, I heard a scribbling and mumbling. Throwing propriety to the wind, I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Miriel," I repeated, shaking her slightly. "Come back down to Earth, spacewoman."

"Who!?" She hissed, turning around. She wasn't wearing her hat, giving me a full view of her pale face. Her eyes almost seemed to glow behind her glasses. "Oh, it is you."

I gulped. "Yeah, it's me. Could you stop looking at me like I just interrupted your life's work? You're creeping me the fuck out."

"I am busy," She replied, "What could be so salient that you would interrupt my delicate work?"

"Well," I began, rubbing the back of my neck. "I was actually wondering how the translation of those runes was going. Ricken told me you've been working on them, and that you also haven't left your tent since getting those charcoal sketches. But if you want, I'll leave."

She stared at me for a moment, and I only then noticed how exhausted she looked. Miriel took off her glasses, rubbing the lenses against her robe and sighing. "Alexander, I am a woman of intelligence. I have been told that I am genius, a prodigy, and all other synonyms. I have studied entire theories of magic for the thrill of it. Believe me when I tell you, that I have no idea what those runes mean."

Excuse me what.

Miriel looked back to her desk, spreading several papers out. "I have been trying to translate them, and yet all I can see is gibberish. Utterly incomprehensible babbling. It does not make any amount of sense. It is as if the individual who scratched them into the wall was simply writing whatever came to their mind. I am so," I could see her clench her fist over the desk, as if she was about to punch it. She relaxed before it came to that. "There exists no word in any language that can convey my frustration with my inability to decipher this script."

I was taken aback with her reaction. If she couldn't find out what the runes meant, then I doubt there was anyone who could.

"Well, shit, we're going in blind, aren't we?" I took a deep breath. "Then again, we came here thinking we already were, huh?"

"Indeed," Miriel replied, pushing herself from the desk. "All I can glean from these runes are phrases. Simple words. Translated into Common, they sound archaic, but there can be some meaning. 'Darkness' appears with frequency. 'Monster' is written in several instances. But those are words. I cannot translate a full sentence. See here." She pointed to a charcoal sketch, a rune with sharp edges in the shape of a square with a hole in the middle. "Normally, with this type of runic script, the lines are smoother, with less of an emphasis on the point in the center. That could change its entire meaning to something unknown.

I felt a shiver go down my spine for reasons I couldn't understand. "That's both vague and creepy as hell. They were scratched into the wall, though. You shouldn't beat yourself up about it. If you can't get something outta that crap, then I don't think anyone can."

"And therein lies the issue, Alexander," Miriel sighed, standing up. "If I cannot translate them, then no one can. Who can decipher the full meaning of these runes? Perhaps Khadein developed its own script that is only tangentially related to those used commonly in that era."

"Okay," I said slowly, putting my hand on her shoulder again. "I think you need to take a break; get some fresh air. You've been in here for, uh, how long?"

"It feels as if it has only been hours."

"Then you really have been in here for days. Goddamnit." I ran my hand through my hair. "Yeah, you need to get outta here. We're going tomb raiding in a couple days; can't have you mumbling to yourself and barely able to stand. Go outside and get something to eat, alright?"

Miriel muttered something I couldn't hear as she walked slowly to the tent's entrance. I was going to follow her, but my eye caught the charcoal sketches of the runes sprawled all over the desk she'd been using.

I moved the chair and picked one up, studying it. It was an ugly looking thing; sharp lines like the blades of swords formed an octagon. Miriel said that several of them translated into words, and I couldn't stop thinking about them. Darkness. Monster. The dark below and the monster we saw back in Ylisstol. The monster that once was a man. I could almost visualize his face, contorted into a facsimile of a dragon, eyes wide and teeth bared to the ceiling.

Looking back on it, it almost looked like he was smiling.

"Vaike, I'm just-" I ran my left hand down my face, feeling cold sweat through my fingers. "Something's not right about this place, you know what I mean? It's like I can't calm the hell down since we've gotten here. I haven't been able to sleep well either. And honestly, I think it's getting to the others too."

Vaike looked at me quietly, his usual rowdiness gone. "I dunno what to tell ya, Alex. Not that Teach don't wanna help ya." He looked to the distance. The spires of Khadein stood on the horizon, constantly casting shadows over our entire camp. "Aww, who gives a damn? We're goin' down there and kicking the dung outta anyone or anything doin' this. What's there to worry 'bout?"

"It turned a man into a monster," I replied, although his words eased me a little. "But, yeah, we're gonna go down there and kick ass. We better, at least. And soon. How much longer do you think it'll be until the camp'll be ready?"

Vaike held a vacant expression for a moment before he started counting on his fingers. "Hmm. One, two- Er, yeah, two days, Teach thinks. Had to go and talk to some of the men earlier today and that's what they told me."

"Did you just use your fingers to add?" I said slowly.

"Hey, just 'cause the Vaike ain't the best at math don't mean he can't do it at all!"

I waved him off, hoping to keep the conversation going for just a little while longer. The levity was sorely needed. "I'm not saying you can't do math, 'Teach'," I began, a shit-eating grin on my face. "Just saying that you may've needed a couple pointers when it comes to basic addition and subtraction."

"Now hang on just a sec, Alex," Vaike said, pointing at me and smiling dangerously. "Ya think that yer invincible 'cause you got a shiny new position, huh? Well, lemme tell ya, I still remember when you were just a scrawny lil' thing hopin' to beat me in an arm wrestling match!"

"My God, I can't believe you actually remember that," I groaned, resisting the urge to slam my head into the table between us. "…Wait, you guys fucking made me do that! And I put up a fight, didn't I?"

"Uh huh. Sure did," Vaike nodded, that cocky grin still on his face. "But puttin' up a fight and winnin' are two different things, yeah? Ya didn't win then, and you sure as hell ain't gonna win ever!"

"Alright, fucker," I laughed viciously, placing my left arm on the table. "Put 'em up, bucko. You got yourself a fuckin' fight.

Vaike guffawed, grabbing my hand. "Ha! Knew all I had to do was get ya all riled up! Now we're talkin'! Let's go! Three, two, one, go!"

I'd been training to use my left hand in everything from combat to basic actions since I was knighted. It almost felt as right as using my old dominant hand, though I doubt I'd ever really get used to it being gone. Safe to say, though, that my left arm was strong. I was in the best shape I'd ever been.

Vaike grunted trying to get my hand to go down. He was strong, incredibly strong, but I was as well. So, we were locked in a stalemate, neither wanting the other to win for possible bragging rights.

Kinda wish Sully was here now. She'd get to see me beat her boyfriend in an arm-wrestling match.

I didn't know how long Vaike and I were caught in a stalemate like that. Eventually, though, I began to falter. My left hand buckled and was promptly slammed against the table. Judging from Vaike's jovial, if strained, expression, he wasn't far from giving in either.

"Har!" Vaike chortled. "Two for the Vaike, zero for Alex!"

I flexed my left hand, trying to get the aching to go away. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, musclehead. Let's be real, you were about to fuckin' go down too, weren't you?"

Vaike pounded his strangely covered chest. "Nah, yer just seein' things! Teach wasn't even breakin' a sweat!"

I coughed loudly in a very fake way. "Ah, sorry, Vaike. It's just that I'm allergic to bullshit."

"Ain't Vaike's fault yer a sore loser, Alex." Vaike laughed again. It died down a second later. "But yeah, yer gettin' mighty strong yourself. Not as strong as Teach, mind, but strong. Stronger than you were and ya done lost a hand since then! Heh, if ya had yer-" I frowned. "Er, sorry 'bout that."

I looked down at my iron hand, the metal glinting in the small light available. "Yeah, it's fine, man. Don't worry about it." I placed it on the table, hearing the dull 'thunk' when it landed. "I'd like to think I've gotten used to it. Using my left hand for everything, I mean. But I don't think I'll ever get used to my right hand being gone. Shit like that won't go away, you know?"

"Damn, I don't," Vaike said awkwardly. "Had wounds before, yeah, but never lost a limb." He shook his head, his grin returning. "Anyway, even without it, yer damn good when it comes to strength. Just gotta keep training, and someday you'll be as good as Teach! Probably not any time soon, though. Gotta work for years to get these kinda muscles."

Maybe Khadein really was getting to me, if I kept slipping into topics like my hand. The frown on my face disappeared, replaced by a smile. "Ha, just you wait, Vaike, I'll beat you one of these days. And it'll be in front of your girlfriend, too."

"Sully's- Oh for-" Vaike looked about ready to slap me upside the head. "The Vaike don't appreciate all that teasin' yer doing. Gettin' on my nerves!"

"Well, maybe if you two would just tie the fucking knot already-!"

My teasing session was cut short when we heard shouting outside. Vaike and I shared a glance before springing into action, our weapons out as we charged outside.

When we went out into the cold air of the evening, I was expecting any number of things. Us being attacked, somebody getting injured, mole-people popping out of the fucking ground and eating people, shit like that. What I didn't expect to see was a giant group of people all crowding around a single point.

"Vaike?" I said questioningly.

He nodded. "Yeah, think I know what's goin' on. Let's get through these rabble-rousers first, yeah?"

We began pushing through the large crowd. Shoving our way through, really. It wasn't like they were offering many openings. Some of the men cursed at us until they got a good look at us. The Shepherds were a pretty big deal; not only were we basically war heroes – as much as I despised being called that, that's what people thought of us, from what I gathered – but we were also in charge of the whole damned expedition.

Because of that, the crowd eventually started moving on its own, until we finally got a good look at what exactly was happening.

Two men stood in the middle of a circle made by the crowd. One was a fairly well-kept guy, wearing the usual armor of a soldier. I thought I saw him around while we were traveling but couldn't say I knew him. He looked somewhat familiar, though. The other guy was definitely Feroxi; he wore the traditional fur armor and everything and was hefting an axe around.

The duo were at a standoff, it seemed, each with their weapon drawn.

"What the fuck is going on here!?" I shouted, catching their attention. "Didn't realize we had training today. Who forgot to tell me?"

"Ah, damn, now look what ya done!" The Feroxi said, gritting his teeth. "Didn't want it to come to this!"

"Your lies offend me, Feroxi hound," The Ylissean soldier spat. "You knew exactly what you were getting into when you insulted my senses with your presence."

"Ladies, ladies, settle down," Vaike said, perhaps a bit tone-deaf. "Yer both pretty. Now, looks like Alex and I came a lil' late to the party. What in Naga's name happened, men?"

"This dog," The soldier emphasized. "spoke of my countrymen as if we are all children playing with twigs. I merely wish to correct his mistaken assumption."

Vaike nodded to the Feroxi, who crossed his arms and regarded the Ylissean with barely contained contempt. "And this Ylissean milk-drinker right here said he don't give two shits 'bout us. Him and all his ilk think us bandits. Don't deserve to be here. Ya know what we do to boot-lickers who say that kinda crap?"

I knew that, while Ylisse and Ferox were allies, there had been years of bad blood between them just a couple centuries before. When I thought about it, who didn't have bad blood with Ylisse? It was harder to find people who liked us than people who hated us.

Rubbing the bridge of my nose as the dynamic duo argued a little more like two kids fighting over a toy, I felt anger bubbling inside me. We were out there, in the middle of bumblefuck nowhere, surrounded on all sides by icy mountains and standing above one of the greatest and most terrifying archaeological discoveries In Ylisse and Ferox's history, and there were still morons who were fighting about essentially nothing. Both had slighted the other in some way, but they didn't see it that way. I kind of just wanted to slap the shit out of them, but that didn't set a good example, so I opted for a more cautious approach.

Besides, Vaike wasn't the best at talking to people. Neither was I, really, but I was better than him.

"Alright," I grunted, getting the attention of the two. I gestured to the Ylissean soldier. "You, what's your name?"

"Derek Nathaniel Claive, sir," He replied, all prim and proper. "Third in line for House Claive."

"Claive?" I knew he looked familiar. "You wouldn't happen to be related to an Edward Claive, would you?"

Derek blinked. "That I would be, sir. He's my older brother."

I nodded. "Yeah, thought you were. I fought alongside your brother during the war. Good guy. Now, you." I tilted my head to the Feroxi. "What's your name?"

The Feroxi pounded a fist to his chest, smiling jovially. "Kollin Verandat, that's the name! Shout it from the mountains and it'll cause an avalanche!" A small cheer of approval echoed from several men in the crowd, though it passed quickly.

Nodding again, I beckoned both men towards me. "Hey, Vaike?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you," I gestured to the conspicuous crowd around us. "Get 'em to make like trees and fuck off? This'll only take a second, I think."

"Don't know why a tree'd 'fuck off' but I getcha." Vaike turned, staring down the crowd and shooing them away. "Get back, you lot! Ain't nothing here for ya to see! Go on!"

Once the two men were nearby, both of them looking at me with curiosity, I took a deep breath. "Alright, look, guys," I began. "It's been a long few weeks, right? Especially since we're so far from civilization and crap. Shit like that gets to you. I get that. But this?" I waved my iron hand at both of them. "This ain't right. This, this is fucking bullshit. Both of you. I don't care about this 'he-said-she-said' dogshit. It's not productive. It doesn't help a single person on the continent. Look at me." I paused, staring each of them in the eye. "Lock it down. Forget about it. Derek, the Feroxi are here because this is their territory. Can't tolerate them? Tough shit. And Kollin? I happen to be Ylissean as well, so if you wanna fucking go shit-slinging, just remember you're insulting me, too."

My breath was visible in the air as I gazed at the duo. Derek's expression was contemplative, while Kollin's was sour, like he ate a lemon.

"Maybe, when you phrase it like that, it seems childish," Derek said, bitterly.

Kollin grunted.

"There will be no more problems, understand?" I asked. Both men nodded. "Good. Too much shit surrounding this hellhole for petty crap. Go on, then."

The two men exchanged glances one last time before parting ways, heading for different sides of the camp.

I heard someone whistle nearby and blinked. Next thing I knew, Vaike had hooked his arm around my shoulders. "Ha! Damn, when'd ya get all leader-like? Sent those guys off with their tails between their legs!"

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly, unsure of what to say. "Eh, I dunno. Glad it's over, though."

I groaned as I stretched in my seat, the wood creaking like it was decades old. I tapped my fingers against the desk in front of me. Two pieces of parchment, an inkwell and a feather sat on top of it, waiting for me to get to work.

"Fucking hell, what do I do?" I murmured to myself, leaning forward and taking the quill out of the inkwell, flexing my fingers a little more. It was difficult, learning how to write with my left hand, but I could do it without much difficulty when it was the only one I had. I wasn't even that bad at writing in Common anymore; got rid of that whole flowery speech I used to do.

Licking my lips, I began writing. The scratching of the quill against the parchment rang hollowly in my ears. Thankfully, the other Shepherds, who shared a tent with me, were all outside.

Robin,

Tomorrow, we descend into hell. Not literally, but you get the idea. Khadein's creepy; the only thing that's left of the place are these giant white spires jutting out of the ground. Miriel went exploring a couple days back and found a hole in one of them, filled with a ton of strange writing and wooden furniture that hasn't decayed. The best part was the hole into the abyss in the back. We head down there tomorrow, around the same time I'm supposed to be giving this letter to the Griffon Rider. So, probably won't hear from me again until we come back out.

I'll be honest with you, Robin, I don't like this. This place gives me the creeps, and it's getting to the men, too. I had to break up an argument just yesterday. I didn't realize just how different people from Feroxi and guys from Ylisse are, or how they'd go off fighting just because of a bit of trash talk. Morons. But seriously, this place isn't right. There's this pressure around everything, it makes me want to clench my teeth like I'm preparing for something, and I don't know what.

Maybe it's nothing. Hopefully it's nothing. I'll transcribe one of the runes Miriel found below. Hopefully you'll be able to find out something about it. She ran herself ragged trying to translate them. Apparently they're a type of runic script that hasn't been seen in centuries, but then again, this entire place hasn't been seen in centuries.

I'll write more about what we discover in the next letter.

Your friend,

Alexander Jameson Wright

Once I got to writing, the words just kept coming out until the letter was done. I had to re-ink the quill a couple of times, but nothing broke my concentration. I set the parchment aside to wait for the ink to dry. Another piece of parchment stared blankly up at me, almost felt intimidating in a way, a different kind of intimidating. That one wasn't work related.

C'mon, boy scout, you've gone on a fucking date with her already. Where'd your balls go?

I had to keep myself from slamming my face into the desk. For what felt like minutes, I couldn't think of a way to even start the letter. Eventually, I steeled myself, and forced my hand to write.

Dear Cordy,

How are you? Doing well, I hope. You seemed to be doing better before I left, so I hope nothing's come up to get to you again. Then again, you're stronger than that. It'd take more than a few road bumps to get you down. Just wish I could be back with you and everyone in Ylisstol. It's cold as hell up here.

I was thinking about what we could do when I get back. Can't exactly do the same thing, unless you wanted to. Maybe go out to the city and see the sights and all that. Change of pace. Heard there's a ton of statues around. Or maybe we could have dinner. With the amount of gold I make I could probably afford some of the quality stuff. Of course, you make a lot too, but I guess I just want to treat you to something nice again. Call me anything you want, I can take it.

I know this might be a bit improper of me to put in a letter, but I miss you. Like, a lot. Every time my mind drifts somewhere I start thinking about you. It's maddening, but not in a bad way. I like the feeling. Reminds me it isn't all doom and gloom out here in this frozen hellhole.

It's funny, I said I think about you all the time, and then I sat here and stared at this parchment for five minutes trying to figure out what to say. Hopefully I'll be better at speaking in person than in letters.

See you again soon,

Alex

I could feel the warmth at my cheeks as I pushed the parchment to the side to dry. I didn't even know why I was feeling that way, but I was. Wouldn't go so far to say that I was embarrassed, but the emotions were unmistakable.

If she had that hold over me even though she was miles away, I'd be putty in her hands when I got back.

I took another deep breath, waiting for my heart to calm down. I had to prepare for bed early that night, considering where we were going the next day.

That other feeling, the one that felt like an icy claw going through my stomach, returned once I remembered that. The warm feeling was nice while it lasted.

The day had finally come.

Fifteen of us gathered outside the opened spire, ready to charge into the abyss. And, by God, all I could hear was my heart beating in my chest like a malfunctioning jackhammer. The wind chilled my body as I stood next to Sully, Vaike, and Miriel, looking over the men who'd be going with us.

Besides us four, five Ylissean soldiers, four Feroxi fighters, and two mages made up our little party. I was a bit ashamed to admit that I only knew two of them by name. Kollin and Derek were going in with us.

I just hoped they didn't fuck up anything with stupid arguments. That was the last thing we needed.

"Alright, men, listen up," Sully began, clapping once. "Today, we're gonna go down into the deep part of these giant-ass ruins. Now, remember, this place hasn't been seen for over a thousand years. Make sure ya bring your handkerchiefs, 'cause it's gonna be dusty." A few snickers. Sully knew how to lighten the mood, thank God. "Don't know what we'll find down there, but we come across anything, we take it out, got it? Whatever's down there turned a guy into something uglier than Vaike's cookin'"

"Oi, what she just say 'bout my cookin'? Like ya got any room to talk down to Teach 'bout that!" Vaike interjected.

"Don't mind him; he's on the rag." Sully smirked. A couple laughs from the audience. I couldn't help but groan at their antics.

I turned to Miriel, who seemed to be almost jittering with anticipation. "Right, we get it, Sully," I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Basically, if there's monsters down there, we kill them, and if there are any magical artifacts, we take them. We probably won't be down there long, considering there's only fifteen of us, but keep your guard up."

"Well look at Alex, takin' charge," Sully remarked. "He ain't wrong, though. Anyway, let's go. Get this done sooner rather than later."

"Indeed," Miriel said, her voice containing a slight tremble. "May this journey edify us all."

Ricken and Nowi were staying behind, along with most of the men. We'd take a larger group of people into the depths once we confirmed what kind of fuckery was going on. Most of the men were handpicked, and some of the best. Besides, it'd get too crowded with a larger group, if the room Ransom had broken in through was any indication.

Once Sully's pep-talk was over, we entered the ruin. The path into the depths of Khadein was just as black and void-like as when we saw it a few days before. Our footsteps rang hollow in the stone room of the opened spire, giving me a weird sense of vertigo.

I lit a torch and held it in my iron hand, standing in the front of the group. Giving one last glance to Vaike, his battle-axe already in his hands, I took the first step.

The inky blackness recoiled to the corners as we descended into Khadein.

Longest chapter I've written for this fic, and it's almost entirely set-up for this small mini-Arc. Ain't that dandy?

Nothing much to say, but having written a lot about this arc so far, I miss the fluff with Cordy. Don't worry, though. That'll come back to the forefront again. Just gotta get through this first!

Yaaaaay!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Here's a link to our Discord: discord .gg/9XG3U7a

Edited on 3/1/21. Why does this have to be good.