"I beseech you, Archaneans, assist me in ridding the world of my old master, the Pontifex," Mikael the dragon-man pleaded, folding his hands in front of him. "It is quite clear she has lost her way, and for the sake of those outside this dark crypt, she must be granted mercy."

I was still trying to get over his lack of mouth-movingness. Turning to Vaike, he still had his bloodied axe trained on the dragon-man. Although his face was marred with confusion, his eyes as wide as dinner plates, he turned to me, his expression unchanging.

"F-fascinating!" Miriel said breathlessly, nearly dropping her tome. "One that can communicate!? This location grows increasingly interesting by the second!"

"That's puttin' it one way," Sully snorted. "I'm just wondering why we haven't skewered it yet."

"Yeah," I replied, my voice light. "Let's just murder the only thing that's talked to us since we got here. Brilliant idea."

"I don't appreciate that tone, Alex. Like you weren't 'bout to go crazy on that dastard!" Sully accused.

I bit my lip as I turned back to Mikael. "Sorry," I mumbled. "Anyway, you were…?"

"Mikael," The dragon-man repeated. His mouth still wouldn't move. How the hell was he even speaking? "I realize my visage is rather disconcerting. Your men look as if they have gone through a great deal. Perhaps we should converse somewhere more comfortable?"

Turning around, I could see what he meant. A lot of the men seemed to be on their last legs, whether from wounds or just exhaustion. Even the mages, precious few of them that there were, seemed to have a hard time catching their breath.

I pursed my lips in thought.

You're basically their leader now, boy scout. Best start acting like it without being prompted.

"How long will those doors last?" I asked, turning back around.

"The citizens outside will not be able to breach this sanctum," Mikael replied, a deep rumble to his voice. "I have made sure of it."

"Cryptic," I murmured. I gave a sideways glance to Sully. "Could you give us a second?"

"Absolutely," Mikael nodded, his disturbingly human eyes staring at me unnervingly. "Take all the time you wish. I will be here."

I motioned for Vaike, Sully, and Miriel to come closer, and we huddled together.

"Think it goes without saying, but I don't like this," Sully began, shooting a disapproving glare to the dragon-man. "This entire 'expedition' has been nothin' but strange shit happenin' left and right. We know there's a Pontifex, but this dastard called himself that monster's advisor. What in the seven hells are we supposed to make of that?"

"Think of what we could learn," Miriel whispered harshly. "If it wanted to kill our group, it could have done so instead of conversing with us."

"Yeah? How do you know it don't wanna get us all isolated-like and take us out one by one?" Sully pointed out. "If it's anything like the ones outside, then it's strong, but it can't kill us all on its own."

"None of the ones outside used magic," I countered.

"Does that really mean anything? Maybe this is a different type or some shit. Just sayin', it ain't healthy to trust something with a face that looks like a dragon's ass."

I took what Sully said into account and looked to Vaike. "You've been quiet this entire time," I stated. "Anything you wanna say, Teach?"

"Teach ain't got nothin' to say," Vaike replied, taking a deep breath. "Nothin' the Vaike'll say can make this better. As much as Teach hates to say it, think this one is for you guys."

"C'mon, Vaike." I said, patting him on the shoulder. "You gotta have something to say. You brought me outta my funk the day before we first came down here. You sure you got nothing?"

"Heh, leave it to you to bring that up!" Vaike chuckled. "Nah, I really don't. Thank ya kindly for askin' though. I'll leave all the decision-makin' to you guys. Think I'll go check on the men, yeah? Oh, and if Sully gets too ornery, just send her my way. Think we could use the stress relief!"

Sully sputtered while I nearly choked on my own spit. Vaike looked at us curiously before coming to a realization. He held up both his hands placatingly. "Now hold on just a sec! Teach didn't mean it like that-!"

Sully marched up to Vaike and grabbed him by the corners of his armor and snarled. "If we get outta here I'm gonna beat your sorry ass so gods' damn hard-! You're lucky I like you-!"

Sully apparently realized what she was saying before she finished. She turned to us with an uncharacteristic blush on her cheeks.

"Even in these frozen and dark ruins, it appears sexual tension finds a way," Miriel remarked, her eyes looking like they were analyzing Sully and Vaike. "Perhaps the situation makes the feeling stronger? Ah, yes, that would make sense…"

"You saw, nothing!" Sully growled at me and Miriel. "Nothing!"

"I saw nothing. Definitely," I replied, trying to keep in giggles. "W-whatever. We need to- Christ, Vaike, go check on the men. Sully? Anything else you wanna say?"

Vaike sped towards the rest of the group while Sully looked at the ground, unsure. "Alex," She said, tilting her head back up. "We only got twenty-four soldiers left. I ain't gonna say my idea back in camp was the right one. Hell, it looks like we might have chance, if that scaly dastard's got somethin' up his sleeve. But, these men? They'll follow you into the depths of this ruin. You can see it in their eyes. Just sayin', make the most of it, and make the best decision you can. Hopefully we won't all get torn apart like those other eleven sorry men out there."

With that, Sully turned and walked to the group.

I took a deep breath, again, for the thousandth time. It was a wonder why my lungs were even still working. I looked to Miriel and she nodded. We both walked back to Mikael, who had decided that meditation was the best way to spend his time, judging by his position sitting at the- well, I hesitated to call it an altar. Didn't look like any altar I'd ever seen, in my old world or otherwise.

"Ah, you have returned. Has your palavering borne fruit?" Mikael asked, standing up.

I noted the staff nearby, resting near a corner of the room. Ignored it for the time being. "Yeah," I nodded. "Where do you wanna talk?"

Mikael led Miriel and I towards the back. He opened a wooden door into some sort of backroom, lit with a single candle. It gave the room an eerie feel, like we were about to talk about something nefarious.

Laying it on a bit thick, eh?

"Please, come in," Mikael beckoned, circling around a table and then facing us. "I have already told you of my request. Should you accept it, we could leave this room at any time. However, in my experience, people dislike it when they are not told what they want to know. Therefore, ask whatever questions you may have, while we have time."

I groaned, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "God, why did you have to-!"

"You are an edifying specimen," Miriel observed, adjusting her glasses in such a way that the light of the candle reflected off the lenses. "The knowledge I could glean from you would make for an excellent book. Ah, but I will try to limit my questioning for the time being. We have precious little time with no food or water. Allow me to put this in the simplest terms I can: what are you?"

I gave Miriel a look and then shrugged. At least she had a sense of urgency.

Mikael tilted his head up. "That is what I am curious about as well, milady." He scratched at his head, and I had to keep myself from cringing at the sound it made. "I awoke a scant few months ago, I believe. The last memory I can recollect is sealing away the Pontifex with my fellows. For her own good, of course. She was meddling with powers beyond her ken. And yet, I awoke in the form you see now. I suppose I could call myself and those of my likeness draconians? Perhaps…"

"Short, snappy, and beats just calling them monsters all the goddamn time," I remarked, "But what you just said: you sealed away that monster? The Pontifex?"

I felt a shiver go down my spine at its mention, even from my own mouth.

"Indeed." Mikael nodded, tilting his head to the side as he looked at me. "Pontifex Garland was her name, before she was swallowed by her," Mikael paused. "…obsession. She lost someone dear to her, you see, and in her grief she delved into dark topics. Somehow, she acquired divine dragon blood, and attempted a ritual. It was supposed to grant her and all her subjects immortality, so that no one would have to experience the grief of losing a loved one. Unfortunately, she did not-" Mikael growled, baring his sharp teeth for a moment. I took a step back, my left hand on the handle of my mace. He gained control of himself a moment later. "…My apologies. Thinking of her foolishness still fills me with rage."

"No shit," I commented dryly.

"Once again, I apologize." Mikael bowed before looking up at us again. "As you can tell, her experiment was a failure. She did grant everyone within the confines of the city immortality but at a great cost." Mikael ran a scaly and clawed hand down his face, and for a moment he somehow looked sad. "The deformation of our people. The draconians, the monsters you fought outside, they were our citizens. Students and their families turned into crazed shadows of their former selves."

I felt a lump grow in my throat at the thought of that. All of them, all of the things we'd fought, they had once been people. We knew that Ransom had been turned into them, or something like them, but all of them being the original citizens of Khadein - that was a hard pill to swallow.

It felt like I got hit by a truck. It was even worse when I realized that, in hindsight, it made sense.

"Fascinating," Miriel murmured. "If that is the case, then why are you not as they are?"

"I do not know. Perhaps it was when my fellow advisors and I confronted her," Mikael replied, scratching a nail on the table. "We caught her just as soon as she was finishing her ritual. We tried our best to seal her away as she was transmogrifying." He said that as if it was hard to spit out. "Whatever the case, I am not under the same affliction as the rest. I wish I could ask my fellow advisors, but they expired."

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. "Fuck's sake, man," I said eloquently, "Come here for an expedition and next thing you know we come across an ancient horror story. Well, I knew it was a horror story, but yeah." I shook my head. "Anyway, just one last question, if that's okay with you, Miriel?"

"Hopefully we will have time to converse more rigorously later," Miriel said, turning her head to me. "Continue with your question, Alex."

I nodded. "Alright. There was a guy here, a while back. His name was Ransom. He was old, poor eyesight, know anything about him?"

Mikael's eyes lit up in recognition. "I believe I do, yes. He was the fool who released the Pontifex. He murdered my fellow advisors, just as they were beginning to awaken." Mikael looked down at the table. "Garland grabbed him before he could get to me. What was a fool like him after, I wonder? If he had just destroyed the phylactery, he could have ended it. Instead, he became one of the many draconians within these ruins. Or perhaps, since you speak of him…?"

"He attacked a village," I explained, adjusting a few fingers on my iron hand. "We actually came here to explore and destroy anything that turned him into a- what did you call it? 'Draconian'?. I guess we're on the right track, if we found you." I stopped adjusting my fingers and looked up as realization dawned on me. "You said something about a 'phylactery' and how Ransom could have ended it there. What's that all about?"

"Ah, indeed," Mikael rumbled. It seemed like he'd been waiting for me to ask that question. "The phylactery is keeping everything together. It was the original tool Pontifex Garland used to turn everyone into a draconian. Destroy it, and you destroy the Pontifex, once and for all."

"Okay, well, first of all," I began, "Why the fuck does everything go all right again when that's destroyed? And why didn't you guys destroy it all those years ago?"

"Garland's very life essence, as it is now, flows through the phylactery. I imagine it was so the moment she completed her ritual. She is bound to it, and she is almost impossible to kill with it still intact. As to why we did not destroy it when we had the chance..." It looked as if Mikael was remorseful about it, but it was hard to tell. "I only surmised it once I was released. She guards it, you see, except for a scant few times. I have not simply done nothing as the months have passed me by. She would stop me long before I even had the chance to get to it. That is why I requested your aid; I cannot defeat her alone. I need your assistance."

I looked away, thinking for a second. A thought came to mind; a conclusion we'd come to a while before. "We think that when we kill the Pontifex, that all the other monsters- Er, draconians, will die as well. Is that true?"

"It is certainly a possibility." Mikael nodded. "They were transformed along with Garland. I see no reason why it would not work for them as well." Mikael paused for a second, seemingly thinking. "In fact, I believe the whole of Khadein may collapse once the phylactery is destroyed."

"Ex-fucking-scuse me what?" I blurted out, leaning forward and placing my iron hand on the table. "Where the hell does that come in!?"

"You mean the vibrations, do you not?" Miriel said slowly. "Khadein shook when you injured the Pontifex, Alex. And it continued to do so as we descended further into the ruins. Even the bridge did so when we crossed it."

"Garland's magic has seeped into the stone itself," Mikael agreed, "Therefore, if what I have surmised is true, once the phylactery is destroyed, you will all need to leave, quickly. You may only have a short time before the entire city collapses on your heads."

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the sweat trail down my scalp. "Christ, we're gonna have a hard time, huh? Unless there's another broken tower nearby. Wait," I trailed off. "When we destroy the phylactery, will you die? I mean, you're also one of them, right?"

"If I do, then I will go with no regrets," Mikael stated, "My friends and family are long gone, I imagine. I am unsure if my homeland, Gra, even exists any longer."

"Is there a broken tower near the Pontifex's- what, chambers?" I asked.

"Yes. Whether it is broken or not is another matter, however."

I nodded, trying to get a handle on my emotions. Succeeding, even if only a little bit, I summarized: "So, we go to the big glowy-glowy thing, right?" At Mikael's nod, I continued. "Right, we go there, fight the Pontifex until we destroy the phylactery, and finally, we run like hell outta here and go home. I get all that?"

"That is the gist of it, yes," Mikael confirmed, "I shall help you, of course. This is as much my fight as it is yours."

"It will take some time to get to the… What did you call it? 'Glowy-glowy thing'?" Miriel asked, using finger quotations. "It is a fair distance away, from what I have theorized. It will certainly take time."

"Indeed, if we move as a group, which I assume you want." Mikael motioned to the door. "I will return in an hour. Take that time to get your men ready. They will all need to be prepared for the battle ahead."

"Yeah, yeah, think it goes without saying that we'll help you, so whatever, I guess." I turned to the door. "Miriel, stay here with him if you want. I'm gonna go check on the men and shit. Make sure we're all ready to kill that thing."

I'd grown to hate a great many things since coming to Khadein. The echoes of my footsteps in its unearthly halls, the white stone that made up everything, the cold, and pretty much everything else. Even then, I had to admit, there was one upside to it all. Something no amount of annoyances could take away from me.

I was not alone.

Vaike and I stood smack-dab in the center of the front room of the cathedral-thing, ready to get moving at a moment's notice. The remains of our group were sitting around, repairing their weapons and armor, and trying to get as many injuries healed as they could.

"Alright, Vaike, give it to me straight," I began, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "How are the men? Our supplies?"

Vaike shrugged. "'Bout as good as it can get, considerin' all the crap we had to wade through, yeah? Reckon we brought 'nough Vulenaries to get a few men off their feet, but it ain't like it's gonna last forever."

"Goddamnit, I know!" I nearly snapped, stopping myself at the last moment. I was the one who asked, anyway. I adjusted a few fingers on my iron hand, a nervous tick I'd grown accustomed to throughout the months. Looking to the men gathered around the front room of the massive church/cathedral/whatever-the-hell-it-was, I turned to Vaike, my expression grim. "Hey, Vaike, can I ask you something?"

"Whatever ya gotta say, Teach'll listen!" Vaike replied confidently, giving me a thumbs up. "Best gods' damn listener ya ever did see! Listen to all the problems in the world, I could!"

"I bet Sully'll do that to you," I agreed half-seriously, causing Vaike to sputter.

"The Vaike ain't gonna listen to ya if ya pull crap like that."

"Right, right, sorry." I waved my hand. "I just..." I wiped my forehead nervously. "I'm starting to think we should've just left like Sully said. Just try and brave the mountains instead of coming back here. You heard me when I was explaining all that shit with Mikael, right? This shit is fucking bonkers, Vaike. We all knew this was most likely a one-way trip, but- Fuck, man, I don't know what I'm trying to get at."

The expression on Vaike's face was difficult to place. "Yer scared, aren't ya?"

"Hell, I'll say it, yeah. I'm scared as all fuck right now," I admitted with barely any hesitation. "I'm scared as fuck right now. Scared I'll never go back to Ylisstol. Scared I'll never get to talk to Robin again. Scared I won't… scared I won't get to see Cordy again."

"Uh huh, and ya know what Teach's gotta say to that, Alex?" Vaike replied, his arms folded.

"Lemme guess: you're gonna call me a pussy?"

"What? Why in the seven hells would the Vaike say that!?" He questioned loudly. "I'd say we went the right way to go 'bout it. Ain't like we can just let these dastards just run all over the place, killin' and eatin'. Don't know 'bout that Mikael guy, but if what ya told Teach is true, then he's our best chance at killin' that Pontifex and gettin' the hell outta this frozen pit and gettin' home! 'Sides, think Sully already said it but, these men'll follow you into the depths of this place and back, yeah?"

"Okay, everyone keeps saying that, but why?" I asked, genuinely confused. "All I did was shout a little and give out orders. Not like I did a lot."

"Ya came to 'em at their lowest and raised 'em back up. I'd call that pretty damn big," Vaike rebuked, "Ain't like Sully or I could do that, and Miriel, damn, she'd just tell 'em we'd all probably die."

"And you don't think we are?"

"If ya think we are, then yer hidin' it a lot better than Teach gave ya credit for." Vaike smirked. "And Teach gives a lotta folks credit. Yer still movin' on even though yer scared outta yer pantaloons that we'll kick the bucket. And these men'll follow you all the while. Can't ask for much more than that, yeah?"

I mulled over Vaike's words for a moment. He had something of a point, at least. Besides, we'd come so far already. And then we had confirmation that the Pontifex was indeed mortal, and what it/her greatest weakness was.

You have a better chance now than you did earlier, boy scout. Best not let it go to waste by getting cold feet.

I shook my head, forcing a smirk on my lips. "Heh. I guess you're right."

"Of course Teach is!" Vaike replied proudly. "The Vaike ain't never wrong! Not when he saw ya moonin' over Cordelia, or when-!"

"Hey Vaike," I interrupted, pointing behind him. "Is that Sully behind you? Why's she wearing nothing but her small clothes-!"

Vaike turned around then, and when he swiveled back on his heels, his face red with righteous anger, I could only laugh.

After a while longer, we gathered around the large door to the streets of Khadein. The men were as ready as they were ever going to get; most of the major wounds had been healed with the help of vulneraries. I gripped the mace in hand, ready to smash anything that came through.

The doors were going to be opened in just a few moments, after all, and who knew how many draconians would come flooding through it? I'd face them head on, no matter what. It was more comforting and straightforward that way.

"Think Miriel and that scaly dastard are still talkin' 'bout shit?" Vaike asked next to me.

"If they are, I'm gonna go up there and kick their sorry asses into gear," Sully grunted, hefting an axe. "Already wasted so much gods' damn time just layin' here. The Pontifex ain't just gonna up and kill itself."

"It'd make things a whole lot easier, though. Wouldn't it?" I remarked, scratching my chin and raising a brow as I felt a decent amount of facial hair. "Fuck it, I'm gonna-"

They appeared before I could even complete my sentence, walking down the stairs nearby as if everything was right in the world. Miriel was practically glowing. Her expression was the same as always, but she seemed happier, somehow. I couldn't quite describe it. Mikael was still a dragon-man, so he looked exactly the same as before.

"I trust your men are prepared, Sir Alex?" Mikael asked.

I tilted my head as I heard Sully chuckle. "'Sir Alex'? The hell did that come from?"

"You are a knight, are you not?" He rumbled a reply. "You and Lady Sully. Miss Miriel has told me much about you all. I thought it appropriate I address you by your title."

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "I mean, yeah, go ahead. Just wasn't prepared for it is all. Anyway, we got more important things to worry about!" I pointed my thumb back towards the doors. "What's stopping those assholes out there from just barging in?"

"I erected a Ward," Mikael supplied, holding up a staff. I recognized it; the same staff that was in the corner of the room when we first arrived. "As soon as you and your group arrived, I created it. The moment you open those doors, however, it will fall, and the draconians will try to get in. We will need to move quickly if we are to make it to Garland's Chambers."

"I could ask more, but I wanna get this over with," I sighed, wiping my forehead before readying myself. "Alright, everyone! We're getting those doors open! Anything that comes through, you turn it to ash! Once the area is cleared, we move out!"

The men seemed a bit unsettled at Mikael's words, but nonetheless followed my orders. The mages gathered behind us, tomes in one hand and fire flickering brightly in the other. Miriel stood next to Sully.

"Learn something?" I asked her.

"More than you could imagine," Miriel replied.

I shrugged, waiting for the doors to open.

Two men pulled it open, and the creaking set me on edge. I clenched my teeth in anticipation. Despite us being underground, I swore I felt a chill wind brush past me as the abyss yawned before us. It was almost completely black out there, with the only light coming from our little foothold.

That's when a scream echoed through the whole of Khadein, one I was all too familiar with. It was far, if the echo was anything to go by, but it was reachable. I knew that now. The next thing any of us knew, the draconians outside surged forward like a flood. All I could see was black, shiny scale and pale eyes as they pushed into our position.

"Fire!" I shouted, spittle spraying from my mouth as I momentarily panicked.

The mages obeyed.

Fire flew forward, catching one of the monsters right through the chest. It fell to the ground in a shiny heap, smoke trailing out of the hole in its chest and mouth. Several of its fellows followed, being burned alive as we rained magical flame on them. The smell of burnt meat hung thickly in the air. Once the first wave was gone, I motioned my right hand forward.

"Go, go, go!" I ordered, following my own command as I charged, slamming my mace into the face of an unsuspecting draconian. It was a bit easier using a mace than before, but I still doubted if I was facing literally anything else that I'd be very effective. The draconian's head swiveled to the side from the blow, blackish-red blood flying from its mouth as I struck again, this time aiming for its chest. Shattered scales fell to the floor as we continued.

We had somewhere we needed to be, and I would have been damned if I didn't make good on my promise.

Khadein was a nightmare. But then again, what else was new?

I didn't know how many draconians we'd cut through, flamed through, whatever. They were way too hardy to be killed by a single person with a mace, but that was okay; I didn't need to kill them myself. The mages were the real fighters. Me and my friends and the rest of the group were able to hold them off while they flamed them from afar. And with Mikael's help, we'd only lost one man whereas before we'd lost over ten.

Only I knew, and probably everyone else did as well, that we couldn't keep going forever. The mages' power was great, but it wasn't infinite. Eventually, they'd run out of juice, or whatever the hell they used to power their spells.

"How much farther to the Pontifex!?" I shouted over the carnage, hoping Mikael would answer me.

"Ahead!" He rumbled loudly back. "Not much farther! Once we arrive I will cast another Ward!"

God, please, don't let him be leading us into a trap.

That traitorous thought did not help my mood, but I couldn't discount the possibility. I didn't like thinking about it. I made a mental note to myself that if he was leading us into a trap, that I'd do everything within my power to avenge everyone.

It was the least I could do.

I looked ahead like Mikael said, and my eyes widened momentarily, and my heart jumped into my throat.

It stood over most of the other structures within the buried city. Only the other towers were as tall is it was, but none of them were as wide. A white stone tower, just like the rest, yet more regal in design, with a ton of details dotted on its surface. The only way I was able to tell all that detail was because of the small glow that emanated from it, the same one we saw from afar. I cursed myself; if only we'd gone down that one, we'd have saved a shit ton of time and lives.

Saving the self-deprecation for later, I slammed my mace into a draconian's arm, hearing the splintering of scale and cracking of bone as it screeched. Not letting it recover, I swung upwards, sending it sprawling to the ground as my mace crashed into its jaw. Its screams were absolutely horrific; it was like someone hadn't cut their nails in years and then thought it was a brilliant idea to wear them down on the world's roughest chalkboard.

We continued to push forward. I looked to my right to see Sully gouging a chunk out of a draconian's chest with her axe, only for its head to get shot off by a blast of fire. To my left I saw Vaike nearly chop off a draconian's arm.

Before long, we were at an archway, which lead down to a door.

"Everyone c'mon, c'mon! Let's go, c'mon!" I snarled, tapping several men on the back as they ran forward towards the door. One nearly got caught by a draconian lurking in the shadows, but an effective, if sloppy stroke of my mace saved him.

If I could help it, no one else was going to die on that God-forsaken quest.

I ducked as several fireballs flew over my head. Nearly falling to the ground, I crawled over as several of the men, plus Mikael, pulled the door open. The door groaned as it opened, like a dead man brought back to life. Not waiting to look inside, I ushered the men in as the abominations were held at bay. Chokepoints were useful like that.

Before any of the draconians could get in, the doors slammed back shut. I laid there, panting with my back against the door.

And despite all the odds, you made it. One last thing to do.

I forced myself back up, looking from side to side until I found Sully. She had a few cuts and nicks but nothing too serious.

"Sully," I called, walking up to her. "How many did we lose?"

"Hell, why don'tcha go count 'em instead of comin' to me!" She exclaimed, hissing a little as she pressed her hand to her shoulder. "Three, I think. We still got over twenty men, though."

I nodded. That was good. Better than I was expecting. That meant we still had twenty-one soldiers. Twenty-one, including us. In a little while, we'd have to go up against the mother of all monsters.

I chuckled airily, and Sully looked at me like I'd lost my mind. I waved my hand. "Nah, don't mind me, I think- Shit, I don't know what to think right now."

"How about how we're gonna get to that phylactery-whatsit," She replied, brows furrowed. "Ain't like we gotta lotta stuff left to do."

"Well, yeah," I replied, nearly slamming my mace into my face when I tried to adjust a few fingers on my iron hand. "Fuck, where's Mikael?"

Sully pointed to just behind me. "Over there, standing all brooding-like. Kinda reminds me of you when you first joined up."

I held my arms out to my sides. "And look at me now."

Sully openly laughed. "Ha! Yeah, look at you now. Leading a merry band of suicidal nitwits into the depths of hell. Don't know if your lil' speeches were what got 'em so fired up that we'd all survive down here, but maybe it helped. Anyway," She interrupted herself. "Go talk to 'em. Thinking we're gonna get movin' here in a sec and get this shit over with."

"Fuck, I hope so. I wanna go home."

"You and me both!" Sully replied.

I ordered us to move forward before I talked with Mikael for what might've been the last time. A few groans cam from some of the men, but nothing serious; we all knew that the end was upon us. Whether or not it was in our favor remained to be seen. Mikael stayed towards the back of our group, among the mages. Every once in a while I'd see Miriel talk to him, but it was probably nothing compared to the conversation the two had back in the large church. Once we'd made decent headway into the giant tower, I slowed down until I was right next to Mikael.

"Sir Alex," Mikael greeted, barely turning to look at me. "I assume you have questions?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do," I grumbled, "Just one question, actually. The phylactery. Is it the only way to kill the Pontifex?"

"As far as I have surmised? Yes," He replied. "Her body can be damaged, surely. Miriel has told me of an encounter you had with Garland, where you rammed that torch into her eye. Her body suffers from the same weakness as the other draconians, though the only way to truly 'kill' her is to destroy the phylactery."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "It's not immune to damage, is it? I swear to God, if I hit it with my mace and it just bounces off-!"

"Worry not, Sir Alex," Mikael assuaged. "The Phylactery is a glass tube, filled with the mixture Garland used in her experiment. We will be near the main chamber soon. Once we are there, I will show you."

I paused, dread clawing its way through my chest like the darkness of Khadein. "It'll be there, won't it?" I asked rhetorically. "The Pontifex. It won't just let us get to the phylactery easily. It'll be there and it'll do everything in its power to keep us from getting to it."

Mikael nodded grimly, looking me in the eye for the first time since I started speaking to him. "Most likely. I would refrain from walking down that path, however. You will need full confidence that you can do it."

"The Pontifex is a giant, eldritch monster that made me see shit. I'm keeping it together in front of the men but I swear to God I'm about to fucking lose my mind," I whispered harshly, praying that nobody heard me. "I am not just going to run away, though. There's nowhere to run. And I made a promise. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't let that scaly asshole out of this place alive." I looked up, my eyes focusing on Mikael. "Would the Pontifex try to get out? Invade?"

"She might. She is devious, you understand. She was so even before her transformation." Mikael slowed down a bit like something was weighing on his shoulders. "No. She would have, no question. I do not claim to know her mind, but I believe that is her goal. She must have brought you here as a test."

My face was set into a frown. "Then she got more than she bargained for. 'Cause now she's got us literally walking into her house." I looked back up to Mikael. "If what you said is true, then I have no regrets. She'd've been a danger even if we'd never come here."

No matter how often I expressed it to Sully or Vaike or Miriel, I always felt that fear, that dark, primal fear, swirling in my head like a vortex. Once I had confirmation, though, that we didn't delve deep in the depths of Khadein chasing something that should have been left well enough alone if we hadn't come along, I felt a weight lift. We probably would have survived whatever the Pontifex was planning, but it would have exhausted Robin's building military, and would've left us wide open for Valm. I wouldn't let that happen. I wouldn't let it all be for nothing.

There's still someone you haven't met. Someone who will complete your new life.

"A healthy outlook if nothing else," Mikael commented, before looking down at his feet. "You have my eternal gratitude for what you and yours are going to do here, Alexander. If I die when the phylactery is destroyed, at least know that much."

The way he said that sounded so resigned, like he'd already made peace with everything. I felt a lump growing in my throat at the thought of it.

I pursed my lips before moving ahead of him. "For what it's worth, Mikael, thank you."

If Khadein could've been described as ornate, then the Pontifex's Tower was that times a thousand.

An exaggeration, mostly, but I had to admit, the statues were getting a little obnoxious. Writing was along with walls, carved into them with a chisel instead of a nail-like before. Beyond that? It was the same white stone as everywhere else. In other words, monotonous.

We didn't come upon any resistance as we marched forward. Not a single draconian or anything else that could be lurking in the suffocating darkness. Just us, and the sound of our feet beating against the ground. It was maddening, just like everything else.

"There," Mikael said, pointing towards a large set of doors in front of us. "Finally, we have found it!"

"Thanks for pointing it out to us, Captain Obvious," I muttered to myself. I stepped forward, pressing my hand to the cold, non-decayed wood. Turning around, I regarded the men. "This is it, guys. Just through here is the Pontifex, and the thing we need to destroy to kill it. I don't gotta lot to say, really. No big speech here. Let's just go in there and get this shit over with. By this time next month we'll be sipping warm tea out of porcelain cups like gentlemen!"

A small cheer from the Ylisseans in the group. The Feroxi looked less than impressed, but it was good enough for me.

I helped pull at the doors, forcing them to open. It almost felt like the whole world was shaking as they screeched on their hinges. Once they were open, we took a look inside.

It was obvious that it was the nexus of the tower, maybe even Khadein itself. A purple light emanated from the middle, bathing the room in its luminescence. The room was circular, with furniture lining it in various places, like a bed and several tables and chairs. It was strangely laid out, too, like they were simply placed somewhere and left to rot. Or not rot. In the middle, past the purple light, I could make out the dim outline of another table, with various tools and instruments on it. The light itself, I guessed, came from the small glass cylinder standing right in plain view.

"That is the phylactery," Mikael identified. "Perhaps if we were to use a fire spell from this range-?"

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a shriek. So loud I nearly felt my eardrums pop. I heard Sully groan behind me as she covered her ears. Vaike looked completely on alert. Miriel readied her spell, fire growing in the palm of her hand.

I looked up just in time to see something fall from the ceiling, slamming on the ground just in front of us.

"Meddlers came here. None of them pacified. Mikael among them. Old friend. Betrayal. Betrayal!" The Pontifex raised its head high, looking down on us. One of its eyes was the same black as before, but the other was scarred and white. The Pontifex itself was bigger, or felt that way, at least."Transmogrification no longer an option. Must eliminate rogue elements. Restart. Send forces further north in search of more subjects. Pacification process needs adjusting. Persuade, not hurt."

"Gods, but it's an ugly dastard!" Sully shouted. "The hell are we standin' here for!? We gotta get behind that thing!"

"R-right!" I said, shaking my head and getting my bearings. "Everyone, protect the mages! Circle around it and whittle at it until we can get behind it!"

The Pontifex spread its arms wide, a shrill shriek surging out of its mouth. It was easily over fifteen feet tall, and its arms spread longer than that. "Unacceptable. Rogue elements wish to destroy phylactery. Protect phylactery at all costs. Kill rogue elements. CRUSH THEM!"

"Fire!" I screamed, readying my mace.

Before we could even move to circle around the Pontifex, it had charged towards us with speed I could barely imagine. Once the first fireballs were out, it was already upon us. The fire tore into its black hide, leaving scorch marks and exposed flesh, but not doing nearly as much damage as I expected. The Pontifex screamed again, raising both of its arms and slamming down.

I expected to have several of the men flattened right before my very eyes. However, the sound of rock and people being pulverized did not come. Instead, the Pontifex's fists bounced off of thin air, like something was blocking it. Looking behind me, I saw Mikael holding his staff in the air.

Ward. This is our chance.

"Everyone, get moving!" I shouted. "Get around the bastard and fry it to death!"

It was only supposed to work as a distraction to get to the phylactery, but I had to admit I took a certain satisfaction in watching the raging Pontifex get pounded by flames. It screeched and screamed, banging its hands against any Wards Mikael put up. Sully, Vaike, and I circled around the Pontifex, allowing the rest of the men to distract it while we went.

That all ended when the Pontifex slammed its hands against the ground.

The stonework cracked all around us as the shockwave knocked us off balance. I nearly fell to the ground but was able to hoist myself up. The sound of my iron hand scraping against the ground made me cringe.

There was another scream, but that time from one of the men. I turned around.

The Pontifex made Mikael stumble, breaking his concentration and allowing it to get to a few people. It held one in its hand, slowly crushing him. The sound of his armor and body being squished together was soul-rending, like listening to myself crush a soda can between my fingers back home. The Pontifex threw him before picking up another one, bringing him up to its mouth. It chomped down on the poor soldier, eating him alive.

I looked away; we needed to get to the phylactery.

We didn't get very far before I was nearly slapped to kingdom come. I fell to the floor as a massive arm swung above me. Backing away from the Pontifex, and farther away from the phylactery, I cursed viciously to myself. Vaike and Sully apparently didn't get very far either, if the phylactery wasn't destroyed yet.

Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead.

The light from Mikael's staff glowed again, and the Pontifex found itself unable to hurt us again. Most of us. Instead of trying to smash us, it tried to grab us. It succeeded a few times; it grabbed at least two more men and threw them into its toothy maw.

Beyond that, it couldn't do much. It stomped around, like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

"Gods' damn it all! If this ain't the hardest fight of my life!" I heard Vaike holler, coming up next to me.

That was true. I knew that. There'd be other battles beyond that one.

"Guess we'll have a nice story then, huh? Finally one-upped Chrom!"

"Hell yeah!" Vaike fist-bumped, motioning for us to run for the phylactery. "Let's do that after we win, yeah!?"

I grunted in agreement. That was all that mattered, really; getting to the phylactery.

Before we could even do that, though, the Pontifex screeched again. Fireballs pummeled it from almost every side, it's body was scorched and broken, despite how many of us it'd killed. Still, it wasn't dead yet. And it made that known.

"Unacceptable conditions! Rogue elements have damaged its body. Last effort. Pacification process for all. For all. Will drain magical stores. Inconsequential; magical stores will regenerate. Focus on protecting phylactery."

I knew what that meant. I turned to Vaike wide-eyed. "Go, go! Fucking go!"

We tried running, but the Pontifex didn't wait around. It's arms immediately slammed into the ground again, only this time an unearthly purple light swelled from the impact. Stone fragments blew past us as I fell to the ground.

The last thing I saw was the purple light engulfing me.

When I opened my eyes, I saw blinding sunlight in what felt like the first time in an eternity. I groaned, picking myself off the ground. I felt blades of grass between my fingers before I stood up.

Another one of the Pontifex's visions. Wake up. If what it said was true, then it might be too weak to stop you.

My mace wasn't in my hand anymore, but I could probably still strike my hand out of the vision. Hopefully it wasn't one of the more violent ones. My heart curled in my chest, making it hard to breath.

I had to calm down. Just like the time's before it, I knew it was just a vision. A dream. Nothing that happened would be real-

"Ah, Alex! There you are!" A familiar, melodic voice rose to my ears, making my heart stop. "Resting on the ground again? You and Robin grow more similar by the day."

I turned around slowly, my gaze meeting red eyes and long red hair.

"C-Cordy," I stammered out.

Her face became marred with concern as she walked up to me. "Are you feeling okay? You seem a bit flushed."

She was wearing the same dress she did on our date. And, if I wasn't mistaken, I saw a gold ring around her ringfinger. She placed her palm against my forehead.

"Hmm. No fever. Either way, we should be getting back," She hummed, "It'll be night soon, and you know how Severa gets when her dad doesn't read her a story."

God, I wish this was real.

I nodded. "Yeah, alright. Just, uh, one thing, Cordy."

"What is it, love?" Cordelia asked, folding her arms behind her.

Her saying that didn't make what I was about to do any easier. "I know this isn't real."

Cordelia tilted her head to the side in complete confusion. "What are you talking about? Maybe you really do have a fever…"

"No, I don't, but," I mulled over my words, trying to find the perfect way to say what I wanted. "This isn't real. I'm still fighting the Pontifex with everyone else. It used some of its magic or some shit like that and put me here. When I wake up, I'm gonna destroy the phylactery and then we're all gonna run like hell. But, when I get back, I promise you: someday, I'm gonna make this vision a reality." I sniffled. "It's all I could want, from what you've told me. So if nothing else, thank you for giving me this, if only for a few seconds."

Before she could say another word, I embraced her.

My eyes shot open, a lingering feeling of warmth the only reminder of what I'd just witnessed.

It turned over quietly onto my side, trying to find everyone. Vaike was next to me, face first to the ground. I winced at that one. I hadn't seen Sully for a while, but luckily I spotted her just a small ways away from where we were, on the opposite side of the Pontifex. The only ones I couldn't find were Mikael and Miriel, and I didn't expect to; they were all the way towards the back, with the other mages. Probably a part of the pile I could see.

The only reason I could see all of that was because the Pontifex's body was glowing a luminescent purple, and it only grew more intense in the areas it had been injured.

Speaking of the Pontifex, it was right where it was when it slammed its arms into the ground. It was on its hands and knees, breathing hard; I could hear it from all the way where I was. It was like a broken ventilator, complete with what sounded like rattling metal components. It looked like it was staring at me with one eye, the same eye I jabbed a torch into.

…Maybe…

I brought myself up as quietly as I could, resisting the urge to cringe every time I heard my armor jostle. At some point, I said 'screw it' and just started going as fast as I could. The Pontifex may not have seen me, but it heard me well enough, and it let out a rasping croak from its mouth before turning in my direction. Its single working black eye focused on me, and it tried to swat at me like a fly.

It was too late, though. By the time it got its bearings, I was already at the phylactery.

Thank fuck I got the bastard in the eye!

The purple light felt like it was burning holes into my retinas, so I didn't waste time.

A weak scream came from the Pontifex. "Insolent creature. It does not understand what it is doing. Poor soldier. ANNOYING GNAT!"

"Oh, am I?" I shouted back, finally within striking distance of the phylactery. "Well, fuck you too!"

I swung down, the sound of glass breaking and liquid splashing against the cracking wood and stone rang like music in my ears.

It was silent as the grave, like the air had been drained completely, leaving nothing but an empty vacuum. The light from the phylactery vanished.

Everyone began to stir as the Pontifex stood dumbly rooted in place. Sully was nearby, clutching her axe before finding me. Vaike stood up almost immediately, and Miriel and Mikael, along with the rest of the mages towards the back, rose from the ground like vampires. The rest of the men followed shortly thereafter.

I looked around confusedly. "Is… Is something supposed to happen-?"

Light burst out of the Pontifex. A sound like ice cracking rang through the room as the Pontifex shrieked one final time. The whole of Khadein began to shake like it was having a seizure, knocking loose stones off the walls and tumbling to the floor, turning into white powder.

I guess Mikael and Miriel were right.

Ignoring the screaming and falling apart Pontifex, I ran to my men and helped some of them up. Anyone who'd already awoken contributed, and soon enough, we began our escape.

It's all tumbling down.

Stone fell from the ceiling, smashing into white piles of rock as we neared one of the towers to the surface. I called from the back, ushering our remaining soldiers on. One of them was crushed by a rock as we made our getaway. Poor bastard didn't even have a chance to say anything. Despite the losses, we pressed on.

Entering the slowly crumbling doorway, we began climbing up. It was almost like the stone itself was exploding; pulverized rock nearly made me go blind several times as we ran upwards.

I didn't have time to count our group, or tell whether Vaike, Miriel, Sully, or Mikael were with us.

Selfishly, I thought that if I got out alive, at least, I'd get to see Cordelia again.

Luckily, the world outside was revealed to us. We weren't in the same tower that we came in through, but it was one of the few the draconians burst through when they attacked our camp. I breathed a sigh of relief as I could hear the crunch of ice and snow beneath my boots.

"Hah! Did we-?" I heard Sully say next to me. "Did we do it? We got out alive?"

"'Less Teach is seein' things, I think so, yeah," Vaike replied, getting the sentence out between pants.

"It appears our hypothesis was correct," Miriel breathed out.

I didn't hear Mikael speak. I looked around curiously before hearing someone next to me.

"Are you searching for me, Sir Alex?" The dragon-man rumbled.

For an instant, that sounded more sinister than it actually was, like it would be the last thing I heard before I sword was poking out of my chest. Nothing came, however, and I turned to the dragon-man.

"Er, looks like you're still alive." I observed.

"Indeed, however, we can speak later. I believe we need to fly from this place; the tower is going to collapse."

My eyes widened as I looked up to see a crack forming in the white stone. I turned to the rest of the men, who were on the ground still trying to catch their breath.

One last run, boy scout!

"Everyone, let's go! Back to the camp!" I ordered.

Thank. The. Lord. This fucking arc is finally over. And now I get to go back to writing good stuff. I didn't exactly have the best time writing this, although I hope that didn't bleed into the writing itself.

Anyway, the next chapter is nearing completion as I write this. Hopefully it'll be better than this fustercluck.

It's probably not nearly as bad as I'm making it out to be, but eh. Doesn't change the fact that it's finally all over.

Anyway, here's a link to our Discord server: discord .gg/9XG3U7a

See you all next week!

Edited on 3/2/21. I did what I set out to do. This chapter has finally been beta'd.