Game over.

Those were the words that went through my mind as I stared at the quickly crumbling towers of Khadein. I watched as each tower cracked and fell apart, falling to the ground and blasting white dust and stone everywhere, breaking the permafrost that surrounded it. The grey sky shined down on the ruins, almost like the world itself was saying a final farewell to the ancient city.

The remains of our camp was far enough away that we weren't really affected by the destruction. We did get our fair share of powdery dust though, and we had to cut off parts of our clothes to use as filters just so our lungs didn't get filled up with the stuff. I thanked whatever gods were listening that we had decided to set up camp a fair distance away from the ruins proper. If we didn't we'd have probably lost almost everything, and then we'd have been truly fucked.

As it stood , because of the losses we suffered, we had enough food to last a month, if we properly rationed. We didn't need to worry about storing it, considering the cold. It was just a matter of staying alive until Ricken and Nowi's warnings got us the help we needed.

If we ever get it, boy scout.

I shook that traitorous thought away; it wouldn't help. I had to believe that they'd made it through the mountains. If not for mine, then for their sake.

"I did not realize the destruction of my old home would be so entertaining for you, Sir Alexander," A familiar, rumbling voice said behind me. I turned around to see the tall, hooded figure of Mikael, still alive even after the death of the Pontifex.

"Mikael," I murmured in greeting, looking back to the towers. "What else am I supposed to do? Not like there's much to talk about until help gets here. Without the Pontifex's monsters lurking in the dark, we don't have much to worry about."

"Indeed," Mikael replied, the crunching of permafrost beneath his feet signaling his moving closer. "And I am glad for it. The intelligent one – Miriel was her name, correct? – has sworn to inform the populace of what has happened here." I could almost hear the smile in his voice. "We have conversed much. I am glad my old friends will be remembered, in some capacity. From what she has told me, Khadein was little more than a legend before you arrived."

I snorted. "Calling it a legend gives it too much clout. More like a myth, really." I sighed, turning to meet Mikael's eyes. "I'm just gonna come out with it right here and now, Mikael. What're you gonna do now? Obviously killing the Pontifex hasn't killed you."

"That it has not," Mikael said quietly, "I have several theories as to why that is. Was it my proximity to Garland before I transformed? Was it the magic I wielded to ensure she did not escape for centuries? Nonetheless, I am here now. As to what I intend to do…"

He became silent. I patiently waited for him to answer, a gentle wind blowing across my skin, making me shiver.

"I wish to explore this world. For the time being." He reached a black, scaly hand to his dragon-like face, swiping it down his muzzle. "It is so strange, being among people again. I am unsure how much time I will be granted, in this form, but I intend to make the most of it. Truly, it is almost like I have been transported to an entirely different world."

I chuckled, a bitter smile making its way to my face. "Hell, you're not alone in feeling that."

Mikael tilted his head to the side, questioningly. It was hard to read his expressions, if he had them at all, but I could tell that much, at least.

I waved my hand. "Don't worry about it, man. Long story." I coughed into my fist. "Er, anyway, that's great and all. Don't think you'll have a lot of problems getting past the mountains; Ransom didn't. Glad you didn't turn out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing or however that phrase goes."

"One more topic I wish to discuss with you, Alex." Mikael rumbled, stopping me. My brows furrowed as he did a small bow. "Know that I will not forget what you have done for me and my old friends on this day. One day, I will repay you and yours. It is the least I can do for the service you have done us."

I blinked before looking away. Rubbing the back of my neck, I replied: "Uh, yeah, sure, man. No problem. This isn't like a blood oath or some shit, right?"

Mikael raised his head and looked at me as if he had a quizzical expression on his face. Hard to tell, again, because of all the scales. "I believe I am not familiar with that term. Is it perhaps a 'Feroxi' tradition? Miriel has told me much of their warrior-like culture. They are not so different from the brigands that used to roam the north during the days of the Archanean Empire."

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Probably. Just, uh, don't call Feroxi 'brigands'. They don't like it."

Mikael nodded. "I will take that into account on my travels."

"Yeah, alright," I fought the urge to clap my hands. Kinda hard to do that with the iron hand. "I guess I'll see around. Hope you do well out there, Mikael."

"And you as well, Alexander. May the Divine Dragons bless you the path you walk," Mikael said, a note of finality to his voice.

As I walked back to camp, I went over the conversation I just had in my head. I hadn't known Mikael for very long, and to be honest the way he looked scared me, just a bit. Of course, I could look past that, but still. I sort of wished I got to know him better, poke his mind a bit, that sort of thing.

I let out a breath, the mist that left my mouth clouding my vision monetarily, and just when I forgot how much I hated the cold too. My mind drifted back to Ylisstol; staying in a warm bed, among friends.

A small smile fell upon my features as a certain pegasus knight came to mind, too.

I'm coming home, everyone.

It was a battlefield. Red with the blood of hundreds, possibly even thousands, it yawned in front of me, stretching as far as the eye could see. It was a familiar scene, one I'd been through several times already. The scarred and twisted landscape made sure I would never forget.

A sword was in my hand, and it weighed a ton. I didn't know how many I'd killed with it; hundreds, maybe? Thousands? I doubted it was thousands, but that didn't make it better. It was still loss. The loss of life. Life that I cut away like a lumberjack.

My plate armor clanked against the ground as I ran another man through, blood spilling out of his mouth as he fell to the ground, staining it like so many others before him. My armor felt like it was pushing against me, crushing me. I wouldn't be able to get it off. Nothing would. I'd always wear it; it was what kept me safe. Kept me secure. Without it, I was open. It'd allow the people and monsters outside in, allow them to tear away at me until I was nothing but scraps.

They taught you how to put that armor on and how to swing a sword, boy scout, but they didn't teach you how to take the armor off or put the sword down.

I knew that voice. Rough, like sandpaper across my face. Strangely, it sounded like my own, but different. Older, more scratchy, like he was parched.

I knew who it was, and yet I still swiveled on my heel to face him. A face like my own, bright blue eyes that I'd sometimes find staring off into nothing. A humorless face, with a completely bald head.

It was my dad.

He wore his old army uniform, not even blending into the environment. A gun, something I hadn't seen in what felt like centuries, held in one hand and his helmet in the other. He stared at me, although I couldn't tell what he was thinking, if he even thought. My heart went like a jackhammer in my chest, and I felt nausea creeping up on me, traveling up my stomach and into my chest.

You always said you wouldn't be like me, my dad seemed to say. And yet where are you now? Face it, boy scout, you're just like me.

I didn't want to believe it. Couldn't believe it. But a small, niggling part of me questioned if it was. What was the difference? I joined an army, he joined an army. We both fought because we couldn't really do anything else.

I didn't want to be him, but I was. By God, I was.

I suppressed the urge to scream as I was rocketed back to conscious. Looking around violently, like someone or something was there, I knocked my makeshift sheets off my body. I stood up, trying to get my heart under control. It was wrong. All wrong. I should've been asleep. Why wasn't I asleep-?

"Oh," I croaked out, scratching my stubble. "Oh, fuck off," I grumbled, getting my head under control.

I hadn't been sleeping well. Every day we spent in that goddamned hellhole was punctuated by sleepless nights. I could almost feel the bags weighing my eyelids down.

We'd been there for a while too; almost two weeks, if I was counting the days correctly. I didn't trust my head, though, not since it appeared to be my greatest enemy; my fucking nemesis.

Trying not to disturb anyone, I pulled some warm clothes together and quietly tiptoed out of the barely held together tent. I wasn't alone, after all. The rest of the men certainly didn't have many places to go. Once outside, I looked up to the sky. It was clear for the first time in what felt like years. Azure horizons all the way around, only interrupted by the mountains that surrounded us. The light of dawn trickled in from the peaks nearby, casting the land around us in daylight.

It felt good to feel sunlight on my skin again, but I decided to make my rounds. It would just be a small walk to get myself back in my usual mindset.

In the distance, I could see the collapsed remains of what used to be Khadein, and my mind drifted.

Mikael had left. I hadn't known when and I hadn't known how, but he left. I knew he would, and I had to explain to the others what he told me. Miriel seemed a bit saddened by that. I could've sworn her hat drooped at the news. She got over it quickly, though, and as far as I knew she'd already begun writing.

That brought a few things to mind, such as Robin. What the fuck was I supposed to tell him? It would be hard enough to tell him everything in person, let alone in writing. Nonetheless, I knew he'd want a report. He wasn't a heartless bastard, so I knew I probably had a day at least when we got back to Ylisstol. I was hoping to spend that time with Cordelia. Idly, I hoped she was doing alright.

Who're you kidding? She's probably doing just fine without you. Her life doesn't revolve around you.

I knew that. Still, the feeling and sentiment were there.

After a while wandering our camp, waiting for the others to wake up for another day of fuck all, I heard something. For a second, it sounded like a helicopter. Of course, helicopters didn't exist in Ylisse, so it obviously wasn't that. The more I listened to it, though, the more I began to recognize it as something else.

It was the beating of wings.

I searched the sky wildly like a madman, trying to find something, anything that was making that noise. It wasn't long before I saw them. Griffons and pegasi circling around our little ruined camp. I remembered I used to think pegasi were some creepy-looking bastards, but in that moment I came to a different conclusion; they were the most beautiful entities in existence. Griffons were cool too.

Running to the tent we all used as a communal sleeping area, I resisted the urge to flail my arms around and scream in joy. I had to keep up appearances, even then. At least, that's what I believed. The men remaining, even the Shepherds, had looked to me for leadership, during Khadein and after. I'd have been damned if I let that little façade go down the drain because I couldn't contain myself.

Even then, it was a hard urge to resist.

I forced the tent flaps open and projected my voice: "Up and at 'em, sleepyheads! Looks like we got ourselves a rescue party at our frozen doorstep! C'mon, on your feet! Don't wanna make them think we're dead, huh?"

Slowly, the men and Shepherds woke up, groggily grumbling at my booming voice. Vaike was the first to call me out for it. "Think ya can shout a lil' louder, Alex? Don't think the dead heard that one."

"Sure you want me to do that, Vaike?" I replied, a smirk appearing on my face. "Trust me, even with my dry as fuck voice, I can shout much louder than this!"

"Gods, both of you- I just wanna- Can I just-!" It almost seemed like Sully was fighting her way awake. She sat up, glaring at me. "Swear to Naga if you're bullshitting me, I'll shove your head up your ass!"

That was a disturbing image. It didn't really drop my mood any, but it was a thought, a horrible thought.

"Impossible," Miriel drearily replied, her usually straight dark red hair unkempt and tangled. "The human cranium is much too large to fit up a person's rectum. Not without considerable damage to either body part."

"Oh, I'll damage him plenty," Sully grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Seriously, guys." I nearly began crying from the images. "There's people outside. In the sky, but they're outside. Get your butts up and let's get the hell out of here!"

There were only fifteen of us, so it didn't take long for everybody to make themselves look somewhat presentable. Within a few minutes, we were all outside in the blistering cold. I wanted nothing more than for the fliers nearby to take us away from that accursed hellpit, but I knew I couldn't just do that. Well, I could've, but that would've been frowned upon, so I decided against it.

The first of the fliers, a Griffon Rider with a cloaked passenger, landed just a few feet from us. The creature huffed as the Rider pat it on the head. The passenger leaped off, armor underneath the coat they wore clinking with every step.

I almost couldn't recognize him; it felt like it'd been years since I last saw him.

Robin.

"Sir Alexander," He greeted, a smile on his face. "It is good to see you again. I-" He looked behind me, to the disintegrated ruins of Khadein, and that smile dropped. "I received your letter and Ricken's warning, and yet I am still surprised."

I let out a dry chuckle. "Shit, you and me both." My expression became more serious as I approached him. "Listen, we can, uh, talk while we're here, but if it's alright with you, do you think we could skip to the part where we get the hell out of here? These men and I have been here for…-God, how long's it been?"

"A little over a month; it is December now." Robin helpfully informed me.

"Christ," I grumbled, rubbing my forehead. "Alright, yeah, I have no problem telling you everything, but we need to get out of here. Nice fire and warm drinks and all that nice shit. Ain't that right men?"

There was a resounding cheer from the few that were left.

"I see you have been made the de facto leader," Robin observed. "And there are considerably less of you than before. I suppose you will speak to me about that once we are away?"

I cringed a little. "Yeah, yeah, don't worry about that, er." I leaned forward. "If it were just the other Shepherds and us right now, I would've broke out crying, but appearances and all that crap, right?"

Robin stifled a laugh. "Gods, yes. I am your Lord so it would be rather unbecoming, would it not? Not that I would have minded. I have been led to believe you have gone through a great deal." He coughed into his fist. "Anyways, yes, we will go over everything once we are safely away from this place. However, there is a, er, certain someone who demanded she be let on this rescue mission." He gave me a wry smirk. "I believe you know her? Tall, red hair?"

It almost felt like my heart stopped beating. I stared at Robin, wide-eyed. "Y-you couldn't mean…!"

As we were talking, several other fliers landed, all around us. Like I'd said, several of them were pegasi. No doubt they were some of the ones trained by Cordelia. Before I could even finish what I was going to say, Robin looked behind me as I heard hooves on the icy ground.

"Speaking of whom, look behind you. Do not worry about the men; I will be sure to keep them distracted," Robin finished, walking away from me as I turned around.

I saw her just as she was dismounting. She wore something a little different from the usual; fur-lined armor instead of leather, probably to keep out the cold. Instead of her usual skirt, she wore a mixture of a riding skirt and heavy pants, or whatever it was they were called. Her scarlet hair flowed behind her, complete with her wing hair accessories on either side of her head. Lastly, were those eyes. Even from our distance, I could see the fire in them.

Cordy.

My legs were moving before I even willed them to. It started slowly at first, but when I saw she was picking up speed, I followed suit.

We embraced each other with not a single word uttered. Her arms wrapped around my neck and my own around her waist. In a single instant all I knew was her, standing in front of me, holding me tightly. I eagerly returned that favor. It was so easy to forget how much I'd missed her warmth when I was in those cold ruins, but now that I knew it again, I never wanted to let it go.

I wasn't afraid to admit I almost burst into tears just from the sheer sensory overload.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, we parted. We never let go of each other, but we weren't as close as before. She held onto my shoulders, looking me up and down.

She breathed in and out, white mist forming in front of her face. "Alex." I felt a shiver go up my spine as she said my name. "Are you alright? I got your letter, and then Nowi and Ricken arrived speaking of monsters. We came as fast as we could, but I kept wondering-!"

I stopped her by taking one of her hands in mine, squeezing it a little. It helped ground me. My heart didn't stop pounding away in my chest but it allowed me to actually say something. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. We're fine. I, uh, we killed the thing that was making those monsters. They should be all gone now. I'm just," Despite my desperate attempts to not bawl my eyes out, I almost failed right then. I sniffled. "I'm just glad you're here, right in front of me! I swear to God, if this is another fucking illusion I might-!"

I felt her gloved hand against my cheek. Even through the leather, I could feel the warmth underneath. She turned my head until I was staring her directly in the eyes; her beautiful, sunrise-colored eyes.

"I'm not sure I understand, but I am here. See?" She said quietly. "And I am not going anywhere. We're going to get you all out of here and back home. And then…"

"I don't care," I replied, my voice a low rumble. "Can we just, uh, stay like this, for a while?"

That smile, that smile that would make my heart go like a goddamn jackhammer in my chest crossed her lips. It was almost too much; I felt like I'd break down at any moment. Those weeks in Khadein were helpful for one thing, though; I was able to keep the mask up. Not that I was averse to her seeing me cry, she'd seen it already. It just didn't feel like I should then. It'd ruin the moment.

She nodded silently. After a moment, I pressed my forehead to hers. If I just moved a small amount, I would be kissing her. I relented for the moment, though. That would come later, in a less depressing place. I was going to confess to her. Khadein proved to me that I couldn't settle for pining for long.

It was just a matter of time and place, really.

I wasn't sure how long we stood there, and I didn't care. The woman I loved was in my arms again. What more could I want?

I watched the ruins of Khadein from the back of Cordelia's pegasus, like they might've sprung to life at any moment and congealed into a giant monster. I wouldn't put it past the place; creepier shit had gone down in that hellhole. The ruins grew smaller and smaller, until I couldn't see them anymore. And I thanked every god I knew about for that.

The nightmare is finally over.

Thankfully, there were enough fliers to get all of the men out of there in one trip.

As we flew over the mountain range surrounding Khadein, I couldn't help but hold Cordelia a little tighter to me, both out of instinct to the more than substantial drop, but also because I wanted to. She didn't say anything, but she also didn't make me stop.

Eventually, we made it back to solid ground, and set up camp for the night in the middle of the wilderness. There was snow everywhere, but I honestly preferred it to the permafrost back in Khadein. The camp was a little haphazard as well, but considering I spent over a month in the middle of a frozen wasteland with nothing but a few tattered remnants for tents, I began to appreciate the small conveniences.

That night, I trundled through the camp, snow crunching beneath my feet. I had a conversation with a certain tactician. He knew I was coming, so I didn't bother to announce myself.

"Ah, Alex!" He greeted me. "Thank you for coming. I know this is not exactly the most comfortable place to talk about what transpired in those ruins, but I need to know what happened."

I nodded grimly. "Yeah, I get it. Can't contain your excitement, huh?"

"That is a harsh way to put it," Robin conceded solemnly, motioning to a few pieces of cheap furniture. "Let us sit down. I have a feeling you have much to report to me."

I ran my hand through my hair. "Fuck, man, you've got no idea."

I did as he said, trying to make myself comfortable, although that was a bit difficult. I didn't expect them to have high-quality furniture; we weren't exactly traveling with royalty anymore. Once we got settled, Robin folded his hands in front of him, his expression patient.

Leaning back, I sighed. "God, where do I even begin? Well, let me just say this upfront: this entire fucking escapade was a disaster, from a resource standpoint…"

By the time I was done, Robin looked like he wanted to throw up. I couldn't blame him. Not really.

I took a deep breath, my throat parched. I really wished I'd brought water with me. "So, yeah. That's everything. I couldn't be happier that that cesspit is rubble in the ice."

"Gods," Robin murmured, "You were not wrong; this was a disaster. I am… I am sorry that I sent you on this mission, Alex. We all knew the danger, and yet-"

I raised my iron hand, stopping him. "If you hadn't, we'd probably have a shit ton of other problems to deal with. Beyond Grima and all that horseshit. We already got one dragon abomination breathing down our necks, we don't need another one."

"Even so." Robin avoided looking at me, apparently finding the ground to be very interesting. "You became their leader, and personally led the rest of the expedition into the darkness to destroy the Pontifex. It almost sounds like something out of those historical texts I have read. I would almost consider it a miracle that any of you made it out at all."

I waved my hand, a small frown forming on my face. "Please, Robin. Let's just, uh, let's talk about something else now. And also, don't you dare blame yourself for this, you hear me?"

Robin's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Just, God," I sighed, trying to find the right words. "Just don't blame yourself. That's really all I gotta say. We had an entire talk about this kinda bullshit, remember? Besides, you weren't the one who came up with the idea for an expedition. You supported it, but I don't blame you for that, either; we had to get that army going, and that was a good time to do it. If anyone's to blame, it's the nobles for putting so much fucking stock in history. They can moan and groan that I destroyed thousands of years of history, but you and I know that we got rid of a serious problem." I shrugged. "That's it."

Robin was silent for a few moments, either because he was thinking, or he was stunned by what I said. "I would not go around saying that when we get back to the city, but… thank you, Alex." Robin replied, a small smile on his face.

I coughed into my fist awkwardly. "Uh, yeah, no problem, man. Anyway, how's the army been going? I've been outta the loop for a while."

Robin hummed. "Much better than it was before you left. As it turns out, winter leaves many of the peasants without much to do except stay in their homes and try to keep warm. When word came that there was an Ylissean military forming, not under the command of a lord, but the Crown itself, I found myself with many new recruits."

I whistled, a grin on my face. "Heh, and all we had to do was wait for winter, huh? Well, I'm sure me going to that frozen hellhole had something to do with it, too."

"It did!" Robin nodded excitedly. "A few of the lords from the north and the east approached me, dedicating some of their troops to the standing army. I almost could not believe it at the time! I have no definitive proof that it was because I showed interest in Ylissean culture, but I would like to believe that it did."

"Nice to know we prevented an invasion and made ourselves ready for another one, I guess," I said, genuinely happy. "It's just another year until the Valmese invade, I think. Goddamnit."

"Another year of secretive preparations." Robin nodded glumly. "There is one more item on the agenda before that, however."

I raised a brow tiredly. "That being?"

"A proof of concept, if you will," Robin began, "Many of the lords who have pledged men to the standing army are convinced that it is to repel invaders and to deal with brigands in the wilderness. There is some unrest towards the south; bandits pillaging villages. Nothing unusual in and of itself. Gods know that the raids did not end with Gangrel's defeat. Curiously, though, while many of these raids are easily repelled by local militia, these new ones are a good deal more well-armed and organized. Almost as if someone is leading them."

My expression grew sour.

Robin raised a hand placatingly. "Relax, Alex, I will not be sending you on this one. At least, not for many months. We strike them this spring, at the earliest."

I sighed, leaning my hand on my arm. "Fair enough, Robin. Guess we gotta test the army at some point. Better to have it in our own soil than repelling actual invaders, I guess. Get to see how fucked we are."

"We are not 'fucked'," Robin rebuked, "You will see. Once we go back to Ylisstol, I am sure your worries will be assuaged."

"They probably will, it's just," I sighed again, feeling like the clothes on my back weighed a ton. "I'm just being a downer, like Nowi said. Just, uh, really tired."

Robin chuckled humorlessly. "It seems we have that in common. Just remember this will not last forever. In a few years, I am sure we will all be laughing about that time we slew the Fell Dragon over a tankard of spirits."

I smirked, despite my dour mood. "God, I could go for that right now. Yeah, I wasn't lying about the warm drinks. Think we got any around here?"

"I do not think so, unfortunately," Robin replied, sighing dramatically. "I did not see it on the manifest. Alas, had I known my knight had become a drunkard, I would have procured some, if only to silence him."

"What can I say, milord is a slave driver," I replied wryly.

Robin cringed, and I took that as a victory. "Gods, and there he says it again! Can I not order you to not call me that in private?"

"Of course you could, milord."

Robin groaned while I laughed cruelly.

The road to Ylisstol was paved with snow and ice, and I was sick of it. I'd seen enough snow and ice to last me a lifetime. All I wanted to do was snuggle up in a comfortable chair, a roaring fire nearby, and get the cold out. Preferably with Cordelia nearby but at that point I would take whatever I could get.

The journey didn't last forever, thankfully. There was only so much road to get through before we reached the end. Finally, I was back in Ylisstol. I didn't remember when I started feeling like it was home, but, by God, did it feel like it was then.

Ylisstol was covered in snow, but that wasn't surprising. In fact, it'd probably get worse soon, considering it was, at the most, the end of December; we weren't even in February yet.

That comfortable chair and roaring fire were looking really good right then.

We were just walking through the street. Cordelia and the rest of the pegasus knights that followed us went to the castle aeries, wherever those were. What remained of the Feroxi fighters and Griffin Riders returned to Ferox long before we got to Ylisstol. That left us with just over ten people, plus Robin, walking through the streets. Considering we had well over twenty-five Ylissean soldiers go with us, I expected a few questions from everyone.

One thing I didn't expect, but probably should have, was someone walking beside me like they were there the whole time.

"Hey, Sailor."

"Jesus H. fucking Christ-!" I nearly screamed.

Gaius looked at me strangely and shrugged, sucking on a lollipop as he effortlessly kept pace with me. "You know, I've known you for a good while now, and you keep shouting this Jesus guy's name. I know you said he's a religious figure back where you come from, but I'm not sure how to take it when you keep saying it when I'm around. What, do I look like him?"

I shook my head. "Fuck, no. Not even close. I just- Wait, what the fuck are you even doing here? I thought you'd be back up at the barracks!"

"I was, yeah," Gaius confirmed, giving me a side glance. "Then I heard from a few birds that ya'll were coming in from the north. Now come on, don't look at me like that. Do you have any idea how boring it's been around here since you, Roughhouse, and Muscles left? Feels like I've just been sitting here twiddling my thumbs! If I didn't have all those sweets stored up, I think I would've gone mad."

"I think you're already mad," I remarked dryly.

"Eh, who knows?" Gaius shrugged again. "Anyway, glad to see you and everyone else are in one piece. Don't know exactly what went to hell in that ruin, but it doesn't look like you're in the mood to deal with me right now. Tell Muscles and Roughhouse to meet with me in the barracks later. We got some catching up to do."

I waved my hand, closing my eyes for a second. "Yeah, yeah, I got you. I think we could use the stress-relief honestly. But what're we gonna-?" When I opened my eyes, Gaius was gone. "Am I the one whose gone insane or some shit!? Where the hell did he go!?

"Alex!" Robin called from the front. "We are going to meet with Chrom! Come on!"

"C-coming!" I yelled back, cursing under my breath. "Damn thief."

The rest of the men separated into different parts of the castle, led by people I'd never seen. Vaike, Sully, and Robin and I all went to wherever the hell Chrom was, while Miriel went off on her own. Turned out he was in the war room, the same place we holed up in during the assassination, and the area where we discussed my future knighthood.

I missed that room. Something about it seemed, well, I couldn't quite place it. The best way I could put it would be 'comfortingly familiar'.

Chrom himself stood up the instant we opened the door, like he'd been waiting for us for hours. I nearly balked at the fact that he had both sleeves on.

"Gods, there you all are!" He exclaimed. "It's good to see that you're all alright. We got Ricken and Nowi's warning and-!"

Robin looked to us. "I had to talk him out of leading an entire platoon into the mountains."

I managed to stifle a chuckle. Sully and Vaike, however, weren't so lucky. Chrom sputtered, before quickly regaining his composure. "W-well, I couldn't just leave you all in that kind of situation. I am glad to see that wasn't necessary, though."

"Har!" Vaike barked a laugh. "Ya think the Vaike couldn't take 'em all on by himself!? I'll show you one day, Chrom!"

"That's not what I heard when we were stuck in that church." I commented.

"W-what're ya talkin' 'bout!? Teach didn't say nothin'!" Vaike replied incredulously.

"Sully, didn't Vaike say something about having 'nothing to say'?" I asked mildly.

"Yeah, but who cares?" Sully shrugged. "Ain't like we're back there anymore. Just glad we're home; it's easier beatin' other guys' skulls in rather than those gods' damned things back there."

Chrom looked at all of us, looking a little lost. "I know that there was something about monsters, but were they…?"

"They were." I nodded. "Big, scaly bastards. Couldn't get through them with a sword, but axes and maces got through them well enough. Well, that and fire."

"I'm not sure if I want to ask about anything else," Chrom said sheepishly.

"Not like you have to; it's all gone," I continued, "Robin could probably tell you everything. All I'll say is that the entire fuckin' place is dust in the middle of a frozen valley, now. And thank fuck for that."

"The nobles won't be happy to hear that." Chrom cringed. "But, personally, I'd rather have you all alive and well then have anything we could've learned from a dusty old ruin. Why don't you get some rest, everyone? I'll be sure to consult with Robin about what happened."

The three of us left that room, and I made my way to my quarters in the castle. When I fell onto my bed, I crashed. Like my body had finally given up entirely.

I was happy to be back in Ylisstol. Of that, I had no doubt. However, it did come with the prospect of having free time for the first time in what felt like years. That was an exaggeration, but that's how I felt. Robin still hadn't gotten back to me about his army, and he hadn't called upon me for anything else. I saw it as him subtly telling me to take it easy for a few weeks while he was doing, I didn't know, tactician-y things.

It was around that time that I remembered a promise I'd made to myself back in Khadein: to get better at weapons I was less familiar with, and maybe learn how to ride a horse. The horse-riding bit I was willing to wait on, so that left training with weapons.

The weapon I ended up choosing had nothing to do with spending time with Cordelia. Honestly.

Liar.

That line of thought, in turn, led to my situation.

Cordelia effortlessly dodged out of the way of my jab, her red hair trailing behind her. I snarled in frustration of my own ineptitude as I stayed on the defensive, making sure her blows didn't land anywhere crucial. We were sparring with training weapons, but that wasn't the point; Sully used to do a shit ton of damage to me with just wooden sticks, so I wasn't taking any chances.

I decided to say 'fuck it' in my head and just give it all I had. I ran up to her, as quick as I could, and jammed the spear down. Cordelia's eyes widened as she parried the blow, sending the tip of the spear into the ground. I heard the wood of the shaft crack as the weapon itself flew out of my hand. I shouted as I felt something sweep my legs, and I fell to the ground with a loud crash.

As I tried to pick myself up, groaning, I saw the tip of Cordelia's spear inches away from my throat.

"And you're dead," She said with finality, twirling her spear a bit before placing the butt of the weapon on the ground. "You've improved considerably, considering you can only use one hand. Although you rely too much on brute strength. A spear requires a lot more finesse than strength, or else," She looked to the partially broken practice spear nearby. "Or else that happens."

I nodded, still on the ground. "Yeah, that makes sense." I paused as a thought came to mind. "Damn, all the women I meet just kick my ass."

Cordelia giggled. "Feeling emasculated, Alex?"

"Sully beat that out of me months ago, don't worry." I laughed. "Although I think you did a better job of it. Wasn't even able to hit you once, huh?"

She pursed her lips. "If you had, I would've stopped it then and there. You are incredibly strong, as I said, but using a spear is very different from using a sword or an axe."

"Yeah, so you keep saying," I coughed, laying myself flat against the ground. "Think I'll just stay here. I'm dead, after all."

"No, get up," Cordelia said, walking up to me. "That was just a small practice match. We'll need to work on how you actually hold it. Hmm," She hummed, looking up to the ceiling. "Maybe we could try some more beginner-friendly styles. Catrian seems a little too much."

"I wish I could get up," I replied dramatically, "Really, I do. But you killed me! It's really hard to get back up from that."

"I was using that to- Oh, who am I kidding?" Cordelia sighed, holding her hand out to me. "Come on, it'll be alright."

For some reason, that one, small gesture made my heart pound. It already was, from the sparring match we just had, but it was different. Gratefully, I took her gloved hand, and hoisted myself up. Cordelia was a lot stronger than she looked; she only staggered a little as she pulled my armored ass up.

I didn't know what I was doing; just following my instincts at first. She squeaked as I pulled her closer to me but was silent afterwards. She looked up, her eyes meeting mine, a healthy blush on her cheeks. With my iron hand securely around her, I brought up my other hand, my only real hand, and brushed it against her cheek.

She pressed her hands against my chest. Not pushing me away. If anything, it was like she was trying to flatten herself up against me. In that moment, I made a snap decision. I lowered my head down gently, closing my eyes. Our noses bumped, but I kept going until my lips finally met hers.

I didn't care if it was clumsy. I didn't care that our noses were almost smashing painfully together. What mattered to me was that I'd finally gotten the nerve to kiss her, something I'd wanted to do for months.

The kiss was chaste, and only lasted a few seconds at the most, but it was an experience I swore I'd remember for the rest of my life.

When we parted, and I opened my eyes, I drank in her appearance. Her eyes were half-lidded, looking up at me. Her breathing was quick, and her lips were slightly opened. I held myself back from doing it again; I didn't want to smash our noses together more. I remembered I was supposed to do something. Was I supposed to tilt my head to the side or something like that?

"A-Alex," Cordelia breathed out. "Do you-?"

I was going to say something. Honest to the Lord I was. Unfortunately, whatever we were about to say to each other was forgotten when someone walked into the courtyard. We separated completely after that, whether from nerves or surprise, I couldn't tell. I brought my fingers up to my lips, the phantom feeling of hers still on them.

"Alexander. Cordelia," Frederick's baritone voice made itself known. "I apologize for the interruption but you have been summoned."

Snapping myself out of my daze, I looked to the Great Knight. "W-what is it?" I asked.

"...I interrupted something far more intimate than a training session, didn't I?" Frederick sighed. "Nonetheless, milord bade me fetch you, Alexander. We have a situation."

I looked to Cordelia, who appeared to be in her own little world. A blush was still on her face, though not as pronounced as before. Resisting the urge to repeat what I did earlier, I called to her.

She snapped out of it. "O-oh, that's fine. We... We can continue later, I hope?"

My lips thinned in agitation. I wanted to stay. God, did I want to stay, but refusing Robin's summons, or Chrom's summons for that matter, was not an option. After hesitating for a moment, I grasped her hand in mine. "Y-yeah, we'll talk later, alright? I had a feeling it's been a long time coming anyway."

"Indeed. A very long time." She finished with a whisper, a small smile on her face as she squeezed my hand. It was almost painful to let go.

"Shall we go?" Frederick asked.

"Wait," I stopped us from going. "What the hell's going on? I don't mind going to see Robin but- Fuck, just what's going on!?"

I was having a hard time keeping my frustration at being interrupted down.

"You are familiar with Marth, correct?" Frederick asked, his arms behind his back. "She infiltrated the castle yet again, this time with several companions. They were brought to the meeting room."

Lucina.

Betcha weren't expecting that were ya!?

The next Chapter gets crazy as we near the end of the timeskip, finally. By my count, I think the fic is almost... halfway done? Maybe a little bit less, but it's still farther than I ever gotten on my other stories.

Thanks to DestructionDragon360 and Narwhal Lord for beta-reading!

Here's a link to our Discord: discord .gg/9XG3U7a

See you guys next time!

Edited on 3/3/21. Still just as cute as when I first wrote it.