Shadow intermingling with light on an eternal battlefield. It was like watching a light show that lasted forever and ever, never stopping for anyone or anything.

How could anything stop it? It was all there was.

Figures of darkness and light, not a color among them, walked and surfed through the twilight, as if in mimicry of actual people. They spoke in familiar voices but with unfamiliar words.

"I always come back. It is your fault for providing me with soldiers who can barely hold a spear."

"These are farmers, citizens! We are beyond using reserves now; we are using our reserve's reserves!"

"Such is the fate I failed to prevent."

An explosion, far beyond the scope of any I'd ever seen erupted out of an inky building, spreading black chunks of shadow everywhere, slowly disintegrating into nothing. A single figure was blown out of the building, skidding along the ground like a stone across water. It lunged its right hand forward and caught it on a stray light pebble, tearing the appendage away from his arm but successfully stopping its own oncoming death.

The figure stood up and looked behind him, looking upon the battlefield. A battlefield they had lost. Several figures dotted the black field, limp upon the ground. One in particular gained its attention, and it hobbled toward it and collapsed in front of it. A hand of jagged metal clawed at the limp figure, as if pain would cause it to wake up again.

No such luck.

A scream came from the lone, alive figure. A scream I was all too familiar with.

I shouted as I rocketed back to consciousness, feeling my entire body pulse with pain as if I'd been dunked into a vat of bubbling magma. My mind was white with agony as I squirmed in place, being halted by hands and gentle words.

"Alex, it's okay. You're going to be okay," A lovely voice said, though I was barely able to remember who it was.

Cordelia.

Barely being able to see, I looked around, trying to find her. She was hovering over me, red eyes wet with tears, outlined by the dark ceiling above. She must've been crying because of something I did. Of course it would've been me. I probably did something incredibly stupid.

I halted my struggling and raised my left hand out, gingerly. She grasped my own, squeezing it comfortingly. The entire right side of my body ached and burned, but it was nothing in comparison to the relief I felt when our fingers laced together. I settled down, suddenly feeling very sleepy.

I closed my eyes-

-And opened them what felt like a couple moments later. The sound of battle echoed through the halls, and I could feel the sun's heat through the glassless window. I sat up, no longer feeling the weight of heavy armor over my form.

"Oh, it's about damn time that you woke up, you daft moron!" I heard a familiar voice say, just next to me.

My gaze focused on my redheaded daughter beside me. "Sev, you…" I raised my right hand, no longer feeling the familiar weight of my iron hand on it. Sure enough, only the bandaged nub of where it should've been was there. "…What happened? Where am I? How long has it…?"

"God, the first thing you say in two and a half hours and it's all that!" Severa sighed. "Alright, well, if you must know, you got hit by a fireball launched at the keep door. Like the madman you are, you blocked it with your shield, and it ricocheted off it and into the wall. Sending you flying like a bird. And, well, you're in what passes for the infirmary right now."

I grunted in annoyance as I swung my legs over the bed, noticing several dozen healers around, but a stunning lack of people for them to work on. I blinked, looking to the side and noticing Sol in its scabbard right next to me, as well as my iron hand. Its strap was burnt off, leaving it practically useless until later.

"You're here watching over me, aren't you?" I asked, rasping.

"Well, duh," Severa replied, crossing her arms haughtily. "Someone had to. Mom ran off the moment you were stable. She's probably out there right now, wreaking havoc on those poor dastards below. And before you try and pick up your sword to go back out swinging again, think again. I'm not letting you out of this goddamn room, you hear me?"

"Not with that attitude, you're not," I responded, chuckling lightly. "I know I'm in no shape to fight. Just… where's Robin? Virion?"

Severa pointed up. "Up on the ramparts, firing spells and arrows and crap," She scoffed. "It's a wonder the enemy is still going; we've been cutting them down like flies."

I coughed. "Just wait until the mercenaries get here," I paused. "…Well, if they get here at all. In any case, Sev…" I grabbed Sol with my left hand and standing up.

"H-Hey!" Severa stammered, attempting to push me down. "What did I just say, you nimrod!? You're not-!"

She stopped when I placed Sol in her hands. She looked down at the blade, holding it close to her chest.

"I may not be able to fight," I began. "But you can. And with that sword, you'll be unstoppable."

"B-But this is yours!" Severa weakly protested. "Robin's the one who gave it to you. Why're you giving it to me?"

"Because, like I said, you'll be unstoppable with it!" I exclaimed boisterously. "Sev, you're easily the most capable combatant besides your mother; hell, give it a few years and some training, and you'll probably surpass both of us. Of course, I'll want the sword back, but that's not until the battle is over." I placed a hand on my daughter's shoulder. "I saw you fighting alongside me on the wall, sweetheart. I swear to God, my chest was about to explode with pride! Besides, it's a nice sword, isn't it? Doesn't need a lot of maintenance and it never dulls. They need you out there, Sev."

Severa unsheathed Sol, admiring the golden edge of the blade. For a moment it was as if her eyes were sparkling. "…Well, I guess I can use it. If you insist."

I nodded, smirking. "Thatta girl. Now go out there and help your mother run roughshod over the enemy." I held my hand up before she said anything. "Don't worry; I'm not going to be fighting. Or trying to fight. I'm, uh…" I looked down at my hastily bandaged right arm, noticing just how diminished it looked. "I'm done for this battle, but I still wanna see what's going on."

"God, you're like a child," Severa sighed. "How did mom ever fall for you?"

"Because I give the best hugs and cuddles around. Now, go."

"Alright. Alright!" Severa waved, walking towards the exit with Sol still unsheathed. "If I find out that you went outside and fought to your last breath or some stupid shit like that, not even death will save you from mom and I!"

"Trust me, sweetheart, I'm shaking in my boots!" I hollered back as she left. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. The sounds of battle continued to echo through the halls, like an incessant buzzing that refused to go away.

I needed to get up to the ramparts. I hated standing around doing fuck all while people died outside. People I had commanded were being killed and all I was supposed to do was lay down and wait for it to be over? Fuck that. I wasn't going to fight but I was going to oversee the battle. It was the least I could do.

Looking down, I stared at my iron hand. Ever so slightly dented and worn from use, I felt my chest grow tight looking at it. It was like looking at the grave of an old friend.

Hopefully, I wouldn't have to do that more than I already had.

Beyond the constant heat that enveloped my right side, I felt alright. Not great, but alright. Even then, getting up to the ramparts was an arduous task. There were so many goddamn stairs that I thought I was losing my mind. Eventually, however, I succeeded.

As soon as I got up there, I saw the vast fields of Rosanne stretched out before me, as well as the smoldering remains of our wall. Smoke rose into the air like pillars of darkness, holding the sky up. The parapets did nothing to obscure my view of the army at our doorstep, attempting to charge through our line within the keep. I walked past archers and crossbowmen and the bodies thereof, their corpses lined with twisted arrows. Gingerly, I walked past them, looking for Robin.

I found him on top of a circular tower, a seemingly different tome in his hand. Fulmen was still sheathed at his hip. He wasn't the only one there; Virion led his own contingent of archers, and Tiki stood beside Robin, looking over the situation.

I half-walked, half-stumbled towards them, flinching as I felt a stray arrow fly past my head.

Don't wanna turn into another Stahl, now do we, boy scout?

"Robin!" I shouted, using a parapet right next to him to prop myself up.

"Alex!?" Robin exclaimed in surprise, his red eyes shooting to me wildly. He snarled as a red light bloomed from the battlefield. "Insistent dastards! How many times must we play this game!?"

A large fireball, as if launching from Hell itself, headed straight towards the keep. The pages of Robin's tome flipped wildly as electricity gathered in his hand, the yellow bolts growing in intensity and power with every microsecond. With a final scream, Robin shot his hand out, and a beam of pure electric energy collided with the fireball. It burst like a water balloon, stopping the magic attack right in its tracks.

"Robin is a bit preoccupied at the moment," Tiki said, patting the panting tactician on the back. "A truly impressive display, I must say. Even mages of old would be impressed by your capabilities."

"I cannot keep this up forever," Robin sighed, steadying himself on the parapet. "And you! What are you doing here?"

I gulped. "…I wanted fresh air?" At Robin incredibly unamused gaze, I held up my hand. "I couldn't stay still, okay? People are out there dying while I'm lying all lazy-like on a cot!"

"You blocked an Arcfire with nothing but a shield!" Robin pointed out. "I thought Severa would have stopped you but clearly not. What did you bribe her with?"

I shrugged. "I gave her my nice sword."

Robin blinked and sighed again. "Why am I not surprised? Fine, you can stay up here, where I can keep an eye on you!"

I pursed my lips while Tiki laughed. "Do not take it personally, Sir Alexander. Robin said the same thing to me naught but a few moments ago. Personally, I'm waiting for him to ask me to turn into my dragon form."

"Impressive as your dragon form is, Tiki, I have a feeling the enemy has a plan in case you show yourself," Robin replied, preemptively gathering lightning in his hand again. "I'd rather you not die on my watch."

"Ha, so you really do care about me! I knew it!"

"W-What are you-!?"

"Back to the siege, you know, the thing that surrounds us all," I dryly interrupted. "How's it going? How badly are we losing?"

"Not as badly as you might think," Robin replied, scanning the ash-choked sky with anxiety. "The live Rosanneans haven't been resurrecting as Risen, which puts less pressure to dispose of bodies. I and several other mages have been stopping the wall incident from happening again. Well, that is until I sent them to protect the clerics."

"What he doesn't know is that I've been helping with that." Tiki declared proudly.

"Anyways," Robin stressed. "From where we're standing, I'd say we can last for several days, and the enemy can't."

"Well," I coughed. "We've been saying that this entire time, haven't we? I just sent my daughter with Sol into the fray, and with what that sword does to me, well…"

"I'm aware your daughter is an absolute monster on the battlefield, Alex," Robin rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You don't have to rub it in my face."

I barked a laugh. "Don't worry, Robin! If Morgan exists, chances are she'll be an unstoppable murder machine too."

"Why does that not fill me with confidence?" Robin wondered aloud. "And we keep forgetting to ask about her! Alex, mark it down, the moment this battle is over, we are going to ask about her."

I held my hands out to my sides. "I would, but we're not in your office, Robin; I don't have some parchment and an ink and quill ready."

"…Damn, you're right- Gods' damn it all to hell!" Robin suddenly roared, lightning shooting out of his hand in a beam of light again, catching another fireball. "Is there no end to the bullshit!? How many times must I shoot their paltry excuses for magic out of the air before they catch the hint!?"

"Tiki, your boy-crush is using my words again." I complained loudly.

"Indeed," Tiki raised a hand to her chin, a small smirk on her perfect face. "Such foul language ill-fits you, Robin. Oh, and Alex, if you call Robin my 'boy-crush' again, I will slap you."

"Aha!" Robin laughed triumphantly, beads of sweat dripping down his pale face. "Take that, Alex! You cannot turn Tiki against me!"

"I much prefer the term 'mate' myself," Tiki added. "Leaves less to the imagination, and some humans have rather big imaginations."

I couldn't believe we were up on the ramparts joking around in the middle of a giant assault, but there we were, exchanging jabs at each other like we weren't. After a good chuckle on my end, my face took on a more serious, fitting expression. "Any sign of the mercenaries? They should've been here today."

"Yes," Robin replied, wiping his forehead, glancing out Virion out of the corner of his eyes. The purple-haired duke was still launching volley upon volley of arrows into the Rosannean ranks. "I was expecting them sometime around now, actually. Since they will be approaching from the south…" Robin's gaze trailed to the small opening between two halves of the valley. Well, small from our vantage point at any rate. No doubt it was an absolutely massive gap. It was unimportant to our plans; the Rosanneans could not use it to flank us, which basically nominated it for things to file for later. Turned out we found a use for it after all.

"Think they'll come from there, huh?" I asked.

"It would present the easiest entry into the valley from their angle," Robin confirmed. "I'm going to predict it now: they will be here within the next few minutes, at most."

"I don't have any coin on me, Robin," I replied.

"And I'm not giving you my tiara." Tiki added.

"A shame; I was looking forward to becoming a princess," Robin sarcastically responded. "Just give it a few more moments. They will be here."

It was only in retrospect that I realized how dangerous the plan was. Tiki was the first to hear it, and she seemed completely calm. Then again, she'd probably been through more sieges than years I'd been alive. Sighing, my eyes looked to the small hole in the wall of the valley, hoping and praying that the mercenaries, whoever they were, would arrive soon.

My prayers were answered only a few minutes later, just as Robin said.

I hardly noticed them at first; only one person walked over the apex, the sun glinting off their plate armor. Whoever they were, they looked more like a shiny speck at first. A golden shine joined in, and Cordelia's words from a few days ago echoed in my head.

Their leader wields a worn, golden blade of unknown make.

A foggy memory of a life long gone hazily tugged at me. I could not place a name to it, but the description of the sword felt familiar, almost nostalgic.

They were the leader of the mercenaries who were going to save our lives, so I shoved those feelings aside for the moment and placed a hand on Robin's shoulder.

"Look," I grunted, pointing the nub where my right hand used to be towards the glint in the distance. "Think that's them?"

"My, my…" Tiki put both her hands on the parapets and leaned forward, not even flinching when an arrow whizzed past her. "What a funny-looking man… And that is one large sword."

A smile quickly spread across Robin's lips. "Zero doubt in my mind, Alex."

As if on cue, the man was no longer alone. Nearly completely obscured by the sun, several squads of Pegasi and Wyverns sailed through the sky, joining our own force already in the air. Behind the lone figure came an army, numbering in the hundreds or thousands. Even from my distance, I could tell they were disorganized, with no care placed into the composition of their troops or weapons. But at that moment, I didn't care.

They surged over the gap and into the valley, catching the sieging army of Rosanneans by surprise. They were several lines through before the enemy finally managed to mount a proper defense against them, and even then, the mercenary army was making quick work of the conscripts and Risen. Especially with the combined forces in the air picking them off.

"Alex, you stay here with Virion," Robin ordered, receiving a stern nod from me. "Tiki, what say we greet our new allies with open arms?"

"Mmm. What better way to meet someone than as brothers-in-arms on the field of battle?" Tiki asked rhetorically.

"Dorion really had no idea, did he, Virion?" I asked the purple-haired duke, watching as our combined forces cut through the Rosannean forces like a knife through butter. "This is horrible to look at."

Virion had long put away his bow, along with the men under his command, and joined me in admiring the spectacle in front of us. "He did not, Sir Alexander. If he did, he would not have wasted a vast majority of his forces on this assault."

"God, what a disaster…" I mumbled, running my left hand down my face.

Despite the fact I'd just been fighting them just a few hours before, I still felt a pang of sympathy for the poor bastards below, sandwiched between two superior forces. Most of the enemy army was conscripts, especially after the Chevaliers were wiped out by Cordelia's squad, and the rest were dumb Risen, who weren't numerous enough to completely swarm us.

If I didn't know any better, I'd've said that their defeat was orchestrated. Of course, some part of me knew it was. Deadlord Fauder didn't seem to care one bit about Dorion, or his cause. Which made sense; Grima cared for no other cause but his own, and who the hell knew what his cause even was. The Grimleal weren't exactly forthright.

A horn was sounded once more, signaling the Rosannean's defeat. I could see them throwing their weapons down and running. Most of them completely abandoned their positions and deserted, from the looks of things. I let out a sigh of relief when both our men and the mercenaries did not pursue the fleeing Rosanneans. All that were left were the Risen, and they fell easily without any backup. When Risen were outnumbered, they were typically easy to take down.

"Do you think Dorion made it out of that?" I asked Virion.

"More than likely," Virion replied, letting out a breath and stretching. "He is a coward, as you well know. One that puts even I to shame. He is not nearly honorable enough to die alongside his men."

"He'll go back to Wyval, then," I surmised, watching the last of the Rosanneans flee. "Muster what little forces he can to try and keep the city. Gotta admit, I was expecting this to last longer."

Virion turned to me; brow raised. "The assault on our keep or the liberation of my country."

"Er, yes?" I responded nervously before shaking my head and chuckling. "Joking. It just seems so strange that there's technically only one more battle to go before Walhart's army is cut off from its major food supply."

"Now that you mention it, it is rather odd. Hmm," Virion hummed. "The Grimleal have a presence here. It would not surprise me if their goal were similar to ours: undermine Walhart's power over the continent and eliminate him. Perhaps he is as much a threat to them as he is to us. That overweight man, Excellus, was it? He claimed to be sent by Walhart, and yet the staggeringly low number of troops indicates some sort of sabotage."

"The guy looked like a worm to me," I sniffed. "It wouldn't surprise me if what you said is true. Whatever's going on, it's benefiting us for the time being."

"Indeed," Virion agreed. "But how long will that last, I wonder. Ah…" The duke looked up, a small smile on his face. "Oh dear, I think someone has come to see you."

"Huh?"

I followed his gaze to see a Pegasus soar through the sky, wings unfurled and running through the air. I recognized the crimson red cloth on the flier within an instant. Cordelia landed just a few feet away, practically jumping off her Pegasus.

"Alex!" She exclaimed, red eyes zeroing in on me instantly.

I held up one of my hands protectively as she marched towards me. "N-Now, Cordy, I swear I didn't go out fighting again. I'm sure Sev told you that I just wanted to-!"

She pulled my head down until her lips met mine, silencing me. Before I knew it, her arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me into a crushing, warm embrace. I practically melted in her arms. It was difficult to stand on my own two legs after only a few moments of fierce kissing.

"The Archest of Archers shall 'duck out', as they say," Virion bowed, walking off. "Feel free to join us on the field when it pleases you!"

Cordelia pulled back, looking me in the eye. "Not another word. Did you really think I'd be stupid enough to be angry with you? I knew you wouldn't be able to sit still the moment you awoke. I only prayed that you would have sense enough to stay away from the battle!"

"H-Heh…" I managed to choke out between breaths. "I mean, I also blocked that fireball. You know, it was the entire reason I'm like this. Sorry that I-!"

She kissed me again. Less furiously, but I knew a 'shut up' kiss when I felt one.

"If you hadn't, it would have hit Severa and I," Cordelia replied silently. "I hate that you had to injure yourself to keep us safe. Gods, I was in a state when I saw it strike you. But… You're still here. We're still here. That's all I can really ask for, isn't it?"

"Well, uh…" I rubbed the back of my neck, thinking about what to say. "…I guess I kept my promise on that front, huh? I lived through the assault."

Cordelia shook her head. "Only when these wars are over, love. We will live through it together."

I chuckled. "Suppose so. What say we kick Dorion's teeth in to celebrate this one victory, though? It'll take a few days, but it'll happen."

My wife giggled, a beautiful smile spreading across her lips. "Well, I wouldn't put it quite that way, but that does sound agreeable."

I couldn't help but to kiss her myself.

After several more intimate moments, we made our way to the field below. I felt naked, vulnerable without my armor or my iron hand, but I knew that stuff could wait. There was a person I needed to thank first, and soldiers to get back in line.

The field itself was a mess. The bodies of conscripted men piled up in certain areas, with the occasional corpse of one of our men or a mercenary lying in a drying pool of blood. I knew the weapons the Rosanneans were using weren't the best, but from what I saw, most of them just broke apart on the ground when the person holding them died or fled and left it behind. The sky was covered in hazy, grey clouds from the fires.

All in all, a horrifying sight, but one I'd seen many times before.

"Are you the tactician of the Ylissean army?" A deep voice asked, further down the field. Cordelia and I exchanged glances and headed towards it. "The one who sent me this letter, requesting aid?"

I saw Robin talking with the armored man we saw from the ramparts. He had messy, long dark blue hair with a bandana around his forehead. He wore plate armor, as we saw from the afar, no longer shiny but still impressive looking. His defining feature, however, had to be the golden sword he held. It was incredibly worn, having more nicks and scratches than I could count, yet it still looked strong. There was history behind that blade, and I felt like I knew it, but like many things from my old world, I couldn't remember.

"That I am," Robin bowed. "My name is Robin. I and all my men thank you-"

"Hold for a moment," The blue-haired mercenary said, fishing around in a pack at his side. I walked up to Robin's side, curiously. Cordelia stood beside me. The mercenary held out his hand, prompting Robin to do the same. "You can have your gold back."

Robin furrowed his brow as the clinking of coin echoed in my ears. "You're… just giving it back? I'd ask if you refused the job, but you're already here. What do you mean by this?"

"I don't leave a job half-finished," The mercenary replied, sheathing his massive blade in a scabbard on his back. "And my men and I don't take payment until our work is done. And, the way I see it, you'll be needing me and my band for a while yet."

Robin looked at the gold in his open hand, blinking, before pocketing it. "Well, I'm certain we can negotiate a price for your services in this war when we rendezvous with Chrom. Before that, though, we need to take Rosanne's capitol, Wyval."

"I assumed as much," The mercenary grunted. "You Ylisseans are trying to liberate the entirety of Valm from Walhart, aren't you? Let's say that's where our job ends, and we'll leave it at that for now."

"That was easy…" I mumbled.

The hard, blue eyes of the mercenary locked with my own. "Who are you?"

"My name's Alexander," I replied, bowing my head slightly. "Knight-Captain of our campaign."

His eyes switched to my wife's. "I am Cordelia, Flight-Captain of the Ylissean Pegasus Knights. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir."

"Sir?" The mercenary shook his head. "I'm not a knight, ma'am. Although, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?" A dry chuckle left his lips. "That's my bad. You can call me Priam, and the blade on my back is Ragnell. I look forward to working with such capable warriors. I have several former Ylissean Pegasus Knights in my band too. Honorable bunch, they are."

"The real duke of Rosanne is with us, as well," Robin said, rubbing his gloved hands together. "With our armies combined, I doubt the Rosanneans will be able to mount of proper defense, even at their capitol."

Priam snorted. "You'd be right, tactician. I've only had one battle with them, and they have left me wanting. There's no glory in cutting down several rows of men who are no better than peasants armed with pitchforks. My opinion probably doesn't mean much yet, but I say we make haste to Wyval as soon as possible. The sooner I help you defeat this mockery of an army, the better."

It took us several days to get everything ready to leave. Fort Mycen was a mess, with its main walls crumbled and broken, and the keep not looking much better. It kept most of our army safe; it served its purpose. Repairs would have to wait until the end of the war, and that was a job for Virion, whenever he came back to full power.

With our combined forces, we numbered around four-thousand. Considering how easy it was to repel a force of six-thousand when we only had two-thousand before, well, our chances were looking good, in all honesty.

I got the strap for my iron hand replaced, as well as a new shield. Always seemed to break those, somehow. That left only one thing I needed to retrieve.

"Sev," I called out once we settled down for the night. We were only a few days away from Wyval. Only a few days away from ending the liberation of Rosanne. "My sword?"

My red-headed daughter looked at me confusedly. "What? Oh," She unstrapped the scabbard at her side, handing it to me. "I don't know what's so great about it. Sure, my skin is still as flawless as ever but it's always like that. How do you know that sword is special?"

I inspected the blade, causing Severa to scowl.

"What? Why are you doing that?" She asked, well, more like demanded. "Did you think I wouldn't take care of it? It's your sword, for fuck's sake; of course I'd take care of it!"

I held up my iron hand. "Calm down, sweetheart. I didn't mean anything by it. Call it a force of habit, heh." I strapped the sword to my hip, letting out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. "Yeah, that feels better. Whole lot better."

"That's weird. You're weird," Severa concluded, sitting down on a crate and crossing her arms. "I was born into a weird, weird family."

"Sev, you have no idea," I openly laughed. "My side of the family? My dad did a whole bunch of research into his family tree. Guess what, Sev?" I placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling. "You're a descendant of British nobility!"

"I don't even know what a 'British' is," Severa mumbled. "And you do know you technically became nobility when you proposed to mom, right? Hell, even before that you were a knight!"

"So I am," I hummed, raising a hand to my chin. "Guess that means I'm more important than any of my, and your, ancestors. Well, here I am. Not sure what being a knight of Ylisse would mean back where I grew up. Anyway," I waved off. "How did Sol feel? I've had that sword for a long while and it's served me well."

"No matter how good the sword is, you're still weird. And air-headed."

"You don't get any points stating the obvious, sweetheart."

Severa sighed, thinking for a moment. "Well it did feel good to use, if that's what you meant. Perfectly balanced, and I never got tired using it. I just kept going; it was weird."

I snorted. "You've said 'weird' like half a dozen times now."

"Well, it's true!" Severa protested. "Although, I guess it isn't too bad, you know, being you and mom's daughter and all."

"You know I meant what I said, right?" I asked, taking a deep breath. "It's hard to explain, but you're incredibly good at fighting. You're faster than me and stronger than your mother. I know this isn't something a father should wish for his child; if I'm being honest, I wish we could've kept you as far away from battle as possible. This isn't the kind of life anyone should lead, but… I do think you're amazing. I'm proud of you, Sev."

A small sniffle from Severa prompted me to reach my arms around her, but she stood up resolutely a moment later, quickly wiping away her tears.

"Thank you, dad," Severa whispered, a small, genuine smile on her face. "I… I think I needed to hear that."

I nodded. "Anytime, Sev. Anytime."

The farther we went into Rosanne, the more things began looking up. With every village we passed, villagers gathered arms and joined us as levies. Chevaliers hiding in the countryside or in small towns swore their service anew to Virion, pledging to fight alongside him and recognizing him as the rightful duke of Rosanne.

Word of our victory at Fort Mycen was spreading fast. If Wyval was won within the next few days, we would be out of Rosanne by the end of July.

Our army grew with each passing day, ready to take on what remained of Dorion's forces at Wyval. I didn't know what our plan was; we didn't have the time to have a full siege, not with our northern forces still fighting tooth and nail against two fronts. I'd leave the planning to Robin, of course.

Before we laid siege to the Rosannean capitol, there was a person I wanted to talk to. The blue-haired mercenary we hired, Priam. It came to me a few days after my injuries completely healed and we were on the move. He was a character in the game. Obscure, but there. Beyond that, though, there was something even foggier. Something that flitted about at the edge of my memory.

Ike. Micaiah. Elincia. Mist.

Names with no faces to them; none that I recognized, anyway.

I found him with the sword, Ragnell, in his hands, with a whetstone. With every stroke of the sharpening tool, sparks flew from the blade. I couldn't tell if he was doing it to keep himself busy, or if it actually had an effect on the clearly magical blade.

"Priam," I said, walking up to the mercenary. "I have some questions to ask you."

The man looked up from what he was doing, chuckling a bit as our eyes locked once more. "Ah, Sir Alexander, is it? And with your limb reattached, as well. What a surprise. Why don't you take a seat? I wanted to talk to you, too."

Raising a brow but following his word, I pulled up a crate. We had plenty of those around, after all. Better than sitting on the ground.

"I just wanted to ask about your sword, actually," I began, reclining. "Ragnell is its name, right?" Priam nodded, looking down at the worn, golden sword. "This… may sound strange, but I feel like I've heard of it before."

"That doesn't surprise me," Priam replied succinctly. "A sword with a similar name is sometimes spoken about in the Tellius Sagas."

My brows furrowed. "Tellius Sagas?"

Priam laughed. "You think the name of this sword is familiar, but you don't know about the Tellius Sagas? Ha!"

"I don't do a lot of reading during war time, Priam." I said through clenched teeth.

Priam stopped before nodding. "Hmm, neither do I. Truthfully, the only reason I know about the Sagas is because I'm supposedly a descendant of one of the characters. A man named Ike."

"That name sounds familiar too…" I mumbled under my breath.

Priam crossed his legs, placing both his hands on Ragnell. "The Sagas take place on a land far, far from here. Wouldn't know how far, considering I came here through a gate. Big, stoney-looking one too. Been wandering with this sword for almost as long as I can remember, gathering allies and fellow mercenaries to my side, and here we are." Priam shrugged. "I think it's said that this sword was once powerful enough to slay an insane goddess, though I don't know if that's true. It's a strong sword, yeah, and old at that, but it's still just a sword."

I stopped, staring at the mercenary. "You… came here through a stone gate? Where?"

"On an island," Priam answered. "To the southeast of here. Boring place, that was. Caught a ship as quick as I could."

"Whiteford Isle?" I pressed, leaning forward. "Was that its name?"

Priam shrugged. "Can't say it was. This was years ago, you know."

"Well, still…" I shook my head. "You came through the Outrealm Gate, I guess. One that's already destroyed. I traveled to Whiteford Isle a few years back to use the Gate, but… Well, I don't like thinking about those times. Sorry for grilling you about it."

Priam chuckled. "It's not like I was doing anything else important. Until we get to this all-important capitol, we'll just be lazing around in the evenings anyway. Besides, it gave me a chance to speak with the Knight-Captain of Ylisse's forces. And I have to say… Hmm, you're not bad. You've got a nice sword as well."

I looked down to the scabbard strapped to my hip. "You mean Sol, right?" At Priam's nodding, I unsheathed it, admiring the sharp blade. "I got this at Saber's Rest, just sitting around a bunch of other weapons. I'd like to think it's a badge of office, but between you and I, I just think it's a cool sword."

"Is it enchanted?" Priam asked, suddenly extremely interested.

"Hell yeah it is!" I proclaimed proudly. "Whenever I use it in battle, I never get tired. And all those little nicks you get when you fight? Completely gone, as if they were never there at all. Haven't really had anyone take a look at it, so I'm not sure what other funky shit it does. All I know is that it's cool as hell and I'm going to use it for as long as possible."

"That's the spirit!" Priam stood up, brandishing Ragnell. "What say you to a sparring match, Alexander? All this talk has me fired up!"

I raised a brow, looking up at the rapidly darkening sky. "You sure? It's getting kinda late."

"What better way to tire ourselves out?" Priam asked rhetorically. "I always sleep soundly after a good spar. And now you have me interested; you only have a single hand, and yet all the men speak of your prowess in battle. I want to see that for myself."

I chuckled darkly, standing up. "Alright then, Priam. You got yourself a fight."

That spar went on for well over an hour, with neither of us coming out the victor.

The city of Wyval stood upon a mountain, overlooking the coast to its west. Its walls were high, reaching towards the sky and shining in the light of the sun. At its center stood the castle, a thing of beauty even from our great distance. It looked more like a religious cathedral than a castle meant to withstand sieges of assaults, with flying buttresses and towering spires that reminded me of something far, far more sinister.

Beyond that, though, the place looked like a veritable fortress. No wonder Virion proposed that we should use the secret passage into the castle he spoke about.

A hand on my shoulder reminded me of Cordelia's presence. Looking to her for a moment, I sighed and entered the command tent. I was really growing tired of being there. Just sitting at a table talking about war. I couldn't wait for the day when I wouldn't have to attend them anymore. Judging by Cordelia's deep breath before we entered, I could tell she felt the same.

My eyes trailed down to her stomach to notice and ever so slight bulge.

I shook those thoughts away as we entered.

"Alright," Robin intoned, placing both his hands on the table. "Cordelia, what have your scouts found out about the garrison?"

Cordelia sniffed. "Four-thousand soldiers at best. A few thousand more at worst. Considering the size of our own forces, I believe we could take the city within a few hours if we could get inside."

"Wyval has no cover surrounding it," Vivien provided. "It's built atop a hill, making it difficult for anyone trying to charge towards it, even more so for battering rams to take the doors down. Magic could work, if it could get close enough to the gate."

The walls of Fort Mycen came to mind. The destructive force of a single Bolganone annihilated an entire portion of the wall, sending bits of molten stone everywhere. Robin's Thoron, or hell, the combined power of all our mages combined could do a number on the walls of the city. Then again, we were trying to capture it, not destroy it.

I could see the turmoil on Robin's face. If I were to guess, he was weighing his options, deciding whether to pull a Saber's Rest or Port Ferox. Both of which were victories, at a cost.

Stahl's surprised face as the arrow pierced through his eye reared its ugly mug again.

"We can't exactly use your secret passage anymore, can we, Virion?" I asked. "Dorion probably knows about it and either blocked it off or set a trap."

"Much as I am loathe to admit it, you would be correct," Virion sighed. "Could it be considered a blessing that he saw fit to attack us preemptively, in that case? Had I not known that he was the new duke, then we would have fallen straight into his clutches."

"Your nephew never was the best at devising plans, Lord Virion," Cherche added.

"Robin," Tiki began, looking up at the tactician as she sat next to him. "If you want my opinion, a fast, quick, localized strike for one of the gates, using all of our forces, would be best. Once the archers on the walls have been dealt with, the Pegasus Knights and Chevaliers can take to the air and help remove the garrison, and after that, the castle."

"Overwhelming force…?" Robin trailed off. "It has some merit, certainly."

"I'm not the smartest person," I said. "Hell, I'm probably one of the dumber people in this room, but I honestly don't see any other way around this."

After I added my opinion, the tent went silent, waiting for Robin's orders. I ignored Cordelia's small, chastising glare when I called myself dumb. Robin stood there, mulling over his options for several moments before taking a shuddering breath.

"Alright," He finally said. "Alright, you're all correct. We cannot open the gates using our own disguised troops, and I don't believe they will be sending out any patrols anytime soon, not with most of the country now against the city. A full assault is clearly the way to go, here."

My right hand ached, and I didn't know why.

Oooooo, spoooky. Hand-hurty time.

Anyway, huzzah for 50 Chapters! I doubt I'll make it to 100. Maybe the 90s if shit really gets out of porportion. In any case, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

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See ya next time!