When Kaetar regained consciousness, all he could think about was the head-splitting headache and the fact that a lot of people moved away suddenly. He felt nauseated so he turned to his side and put his head in the crook of his left arm like he saw Loiya do once. Having some pressure on his head did help a little bit but the worst part about it all was that he didn't know when it would get better. It felt like there was no end. Secondary to the headache was the soreness in his arms and the arms were red and angry looking. His left arm wasn't as red as his right, so it didn't hurt as much to use his left arm for support as much as it did to use his right.

For the moment, he chose to ignore everything else and he focused on trying to feel better. He didn't want to think about how close they were to losing. He didn't want to think, he was just want his father to come soon. Part of him wanted to be that sick child in his father's arms but the other, arguably more mature part of him, wanted to show his father how far along he came. He changed a lot, he thought, from a relatively sheltered life in Nevassa to somebody who felt nearly ready to take the throne. He felt like he was a respectable heir to his father's legacy.

However, he did manage to turn his attention to Mike, laying unconscious for the first time Kaetar ever saw him. He never saw either Mike or Makken with more than a couple of bruises or shallow wounds, so he was a little startled to see him unconscious and on the ground at that. Rylar seemed to have snapped out of what confusion he was in but he mumbled how his head still felt fuzzy and that the spell that hit Mike also hit Rylar just because he was practically pressed up against Mike to fit on the saddle. He also said he was never travelling by air again and Soren can be the one to fight on somebody else's back. Makken didn't look good either but unfortunately, for real help to show up they would have to wait on Daein for Vaughn. Vaughn would know what to do but he really hoped that Makken just needed some rest.

He couldn't see Syrin though and he was worried about him. Kaetar's memories were fuzzy but he could remember Syrin casting again and he didn't respond when they called his name.

"Your Highness, do you remember anything?" Helena asked him. She and Joel were at his side, with Joel running his fingers through his hair and Helena was just sitting.

"No... I don't know where this barrier came from," Kaetar mumbled.

"Nothing? Really?" Joel asked. "It was Ashunera who put this up, Peter thinks. At least, that's what he was squealing about until he noticed that Syrin passed out just before you woke up actually. She had to use your body to do it though... I guess that's where the burns on your arms came from."

"And the migraine," Kaetar said with a sigh. He didn't know what to think of it – on one hand, it explained everything but on the other hand, it just left more questions than answers. He knew where the migraine came from, why he passed out, and why his arms hurt. Why did it hurt for her to use his body and why couldn't he remember anything from the experience? Why was she even able to hijack his body in the first place? He thought that only Micaiah could even hear the goddess or maybe that rule just applied to Yune? No, he had to stop thinking about that. It hurt his head even more.

He didn't know how long be waited, mostly in silence as Joel and Helena treated his arms, before he could feel the migraine decrease in intensity and he sat up. Alhough he still felt pretty bad, Kaetar decided that he did want to watch the others, so he dismissed Joel and Helena. Being so close together in the barrier, some of the Daeins were beginning to strike up conversations with the others. He watched Leon and Arum mumble to each other with Elli watching the two men curiously but in silence. Helena and Gus were talking, though if he had to guess, it probably had something to do with Meagan's pregnancy. The triplets were chatting it up with Nicholas and Aletta. There was just nothing else for anybody to do but watch the sand creatures attempt to break through to no avail, rest, or talk. He assumed that everybody who needed a heal staff was already seen.

He could see Syrin on the ground when he finally sat up and looked around. Stefan had him on his 'good arm' side while Peter wiped his face, the only time anybody could without getting a wind spell blown at them.

Just as Kaetar could relax and his migraine was feeling better, there was an excited scream in the air. A wyvern flew by, low to the ground, and a figure jumped from the wyvern's back. He recognized Vaughn's voice before he recognized the black armour that he donned, adorned with spikes on his shoulders. He discovered the axe that Mike had dropped and Kaetar watched as he threw it and chased after it to retrieve it, jumping over a sand creature with a lance with a front flip before he skidded to a halt, lifting the axe from where it buried itself in the ground. Kaetar was amazed – it felt like Vaughn finally let himself loose and the result was both terrifying and amazing to watch. Vaughn didn't miss a beat – he dodged and struck at the same time. Watching him fight as like watching Stefan go up against Daevala in her dragon form, the way they could jump higher than any normal beorc could and the speed that they both possessed above all else. Was Vaughn branded? Or did he train himself to that level like Loiya did?

Is that what Loiya would be like when he got older? Assuming he survived... Kaetar swallowed hard at the thought.

"Who is that?" Darius ran to the barrier for a closer look.

"That's Vaughn, one of King Adrien's Four Riders," Leon, the fighter from Daein, answered. "He's a better fighter than Saira but I think Saira's the better teacher. She's a lot more strict than Vaughn is... and she has a lot longer of an attention span. It's nice he got to stretch his legs, I recall him complaining that there wasn't a lot to do when we left."

Kaetar looked up to see more wyverns and he could even pick out Revvi from the crowd of them. Kaetar watched as one of those wyverns flew over, which somehow provoked Vaughn to grab the enchanted axe and book it away from the wyverns. He thought it was odd until he could see somebody on the wyvern, probably the mage who rode as a passenger, threw something to the ground and whatever it was, it exploded on impact, releasing a torrent of wind magic. It was like a wind spell, or perhaps something more complicated, but it was stronger and the reach was incredible. Meagan's spells could probably take out one to three of the sandman, depending on how much time she had to aim, but whatever the mage threw had the same sort of impact that a Rexcalibur had, except it looked like a simple wind spell.

He could hear and see another explosion, one that erupted in a fire, the scale of which he last recalled seeing all the way back in Melior. The time when Syrin and Darius lit the church on fire seemed so long ago but he could still remember how the flames licked up into the air. Whatever the Daeins were doing, they managed to destroy the sandmen at a faster rate than they could be regenerated, partially because they had that element of surprise and because they were able to take out so many at a time.

Nicholas was watching intently. "Hey, Nicholas, how are they doing that?" Chifee asked, his eyes wide again in wonder.

"They managed to manipulate the spirits into acting abnormally... I mean, they look like simple spells that a beginner would use but that range is something else. I guess it would be like a simple wind spell but you change a word or two, or add a word or two, and you get a different result," Nicholas said, brushing a lock of his blonde hair back. "It's impressive, really."

"Thank you," somebody mumbled as a wyvern parked in front of the barrier. Kaetar instantly recognized his father but while he never met his father's passenger personally, the only person with golden eyes and silver hair that he knew of was Micaiah. As soon as his father set his eyes on Kaetar, he ran through the barrier, surprising everybody that was in the barrier that he could do so. He was surprised that he was so willing to try without knowing anything of it? How did he figure he would be fine going full speed at it and just hope it would let him through? Maybe... Father just missed him so much that all he saw was Kaetar.

Kaetar wasn't quite feeling well enough to get up to actually get up and greet him properly. He was scared that if got up, he would feel nauseated or dizzy but Father didn't care and he just bent down to silently gave him a hug. Kaetar returned his hug, albeit it wasn't as strong as the hug that his father was giving him.

"I'm so glad you're still in one piece," his father muttered into his ear. "I barely recognized you."

Kaetar didn't say anything. Despite everything going on around him, he was content in just digging his face into his father's shoulder and enjoying his company. He just couldn't be mad at him anymore – spending time away from him allowed Kaetar to really put things into perspective. His father could have been a better father, everybody had the room for improvement, but he could understand what his father was trying to accomplish.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

"I have a nasty headache right now but... I'll be alright," Kaetar answered. He didn't tell his father that he was just relatively alright because he went through worse and he also didn't know what his father already knew from the reports that Saira undoubtedly sent him. His father suddenly let go of him and stood up, forcing Kaetar to readjust his weight. Without his father, Kaetar could see that the battle was already almost over – the sand creatures were mostly gone to the point where Daein mages were picking them off, Liam and Elymas were nowhere in sight after fleeing yet again, and Vaughn had the three mages down on their knees with their hands up.

Kaetar could feel the relief, not just from the rebellion but from the Daeins who joined them. As if the end wasn't clear enough, the barrier also began to fade and disappear.

His father looked at him with a smile. "Get some rest. We'll talk later."

Kaetar didn't remember ever getting to his cot and didn't remember falling asleep but he could remember waking up beside Joel, who seemed to be getting up around the same time he was. It wasn't quite the afternoon yet but they still managed to sleep most of the morning away. Joel was the first to sit up. "It almost feels like yesterday didn't happen," Joel mumbled with a stretch.

"Yeah, it's kind of surreal," he muttered as he slipped out of bed. His arms were still a touch redder than they should be and he was groggy but he felt remarkably better. "Do you think Father would care about the fact that I don't have anything nice to wear?"

"No, I think he understands if you didn't bring anything with you," Joel muttered. "Or if you did, that it didn't survived this long... are you nervous?"

"Of course I am! Our relationship was rocky when Loiya and I left. It's just going to be awkward," Kaetar mumbled.

"What about yesterday?"

"Even with yesterday, it'll probably be awkward," Kaetar added. Where does one even begin when it comes to trying to talk out the problems that encouraged them to leave home? There was no doubt that his father had his own things he wanted to talk to his son about as well because if his father wasn't the best father, then Kaetar wasn't the best son. He wanted to talk to his father, he figured it was the best thing for their relation, he just didn't know how. Hopefully, his father knew how to start at least.

"You'll do fine. He's your father," Joel muttered. "I'm going to go stretch outside. I'm way too sore and stiff... but if you need me, you know where to find me." Dressed only in light pants, Joel made his way out. Kaetar pulled on a fresher shirt than the one he feel asleep in and changed into pants that weren't stained from the grass before seeking his father out. He had no idea where to find him but his first instinct was to see if Syrin knew where he was. Maybe he was feeling better. However, before he even managed to reach Syrin's door, he could see Vaughn in the halls. He grinned when he saw Kaetar.

"Hey kiddo!" Vaughn called out. "Feeling better today?"

"A lot better, thanks," he answered. "Say Vaughn... how are you able to fight so well? It looked like you trained from the moment you could stand but I don't see you train that often." He didn't mean to keep a conversation with Vaughn but it distracted him from his problems.

"Years of training," he said, pounding a fist against his chest proudly. "I trained for most of life much like Loiya but unlike Loiya, I was born in nobility! Except, I was also the youngest in my family of... six? No, seven siblings, so I wasn't lined up to inherent anything. Father had me pick up the family business and join the military at the same when I was about six or so. I think... I might have been eight. You don't see me train because I do it a night when I can't sleep."

"Speaking of the family business, how are Mike and Makken doing?"

"They're doing better. When I heard they were hit with a thunder spell, I was kinda worried but Makken just needs some rest and time out of the sky. Mike still seems unsteady on his feet but I think he just needs more sleep too," he muttered. "Oh, that reminds me! Just before we left, a wyvern was born. He's still with his mommy for a while but Adrien thought that you would like to have a young one to call your own. So, you know, win this thing fast so you can go meet your wyvern!"

"Really? There's one waiting for me?" Kaetar wanted a wyvern for so long but his Father never thought he was ready for one. He would be a pathetic looking Daein king if he didn't have a go to wyvern for transport. "What colour is it?"

"He's a red one! Just know that it will take a few years before he's big enough to start taking any riders," he muttered with a shrug. Kaetar understood that but he was still excited that he had another life to take care of.

"Anyway, I think your father is waiting for you in outside. I was supposed to let you know," he said a shrug as he walked away. "I'll see you later, kiddo!"

He found his father outside in the fanciest tent, clearly marking that tent as the one that the king slept in. When he wandered over, he called to his father so he knew that he was around and shouldn't be surprised. "Kaetar, you can come in," he stated so Kaetar took his shoes off because it just felt wrong to enter his father's tent with dirty shoes. "How are you feeling?" his father asked as Kaetar crawled in.

"A lot better than I did last night," he muttered.

"That's good. I was worried," Father muttered, taking a deep breath. "I put a lot of thought into what I wanted to say when we were reunited but it seems that when the actual moment arrived, I couldn't seem to remember any of it. Even now, it's all irrelevant. I was angry that you left, that you put yourself in so much danger... but you've grown so much that's it hard to be mad at that. Knowing how you've grown was worth the risk."

"Well, it's because I've grown so much that I realize that I haven't appreciated all that you tried to do. I just thought you were being unreasonable with your training and that made leaving so much easier but without that all that training, then I could have ended up like Ramon did," Kaetar mumbled. "So, I'm sorry for worrying everybody. I'm sorry for wasting time and gold."

"I wouldn't call your experiences with Syrin a waste of time and gold. I haven't had time to speak to him as of yet but I can see why he peaked the interest of Issac and other scholars just from what Saira reported. Even Tibarn and Skrimir had nothing but good things to say about that mind of his. Besides... what you wanted was nothing unreasonable, so we both have things work on when we get home."

"Adrien?" a voice outside asked.

"Micaiah? Come in, come meet Kaetar," he said as he held open the tent flaps. Micaiah was prettier than Kaetar expected to her be, especially when one considered that she was his ancestor and it always made him imagine somebody who was heavily wrinkled. She was wearing a dark purple tunic, with black leggings, and black fingerless gloves – things that were so plain that she couldn't be picked out as the former queen who found prosperity for Daein. She sat down beside Adrien.

"I've heard a lot about you, Kaetar," Micaiah said. "You even have Sothe's eyes..."

"Micaiah... where is your brand?" Kaetar asked. She looked a little surprised.

"On my hand... why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if you were covering it or if it was just a hard to see spot... because if you covering it, there's no need around here," Kaetar muttered, wondering if he was perhaps overstepping his boundaries with her. They only just met, she was the former queen and his ancestor, so he didn't want to offend her. However, she only smiled.

"You're right," she said as took off the gloves and handed them over to his father, like he knew where to put them. He just set them down beside him. "I guess there's no need to hide it, not when there's so many brandeds in one spot anyway. I never had my brand so out in the open like this, I was told to hide it from a young age. I don't think even Syrin has seen it, he's only felt it."

"Have you seen Syrin since you got here, Micaiah? I meant to talk to him," Father muttered. Micaiah shook her head.

"I haven't but I head from Stefan that he's in bad shape right now."

Father raised an eyebrow. "And there's nothing a staff can do?"

Micaiah shook her head. "By the sounds of it, they have been trying quite often with a heal staff. I offered to see if I could help but Stefan didn't want me to."

"I suppose if you want to speak to somebody other than me, Father, you would have to talk to Stefan or Nasir. It's pretty serious if Syrin has to stay put... he's the kind that doesn't like show any sort of weakness."

"I suppose I will have to. I need to see where Daein can fit into all of this. I'm sure he has plans for us," Father mumbled. Kaetar nodded.

"Oh Father, I was curious... what did you guys have yesterday? You had something that could destroy the sand creatures in mass numbers," Kaetar mumbled. His father nodded and removed something from his the fold in his tunic. It was circular and appeared to be wrapped up but Kaetar wasn't so sure that there was actually in it. However, the way his father held it made it seem as though there was a firm middle.

"The writing that's all around it is what manipulates the spirits," Micaiah stated. "But it's not activated until a mage chants an additional spell, which makes them safe to carry."

"We put the sand collected from our clash with the sand creatures so there was something for the enchanted bindings to go around. This was Daein's best guarded secret for the last few months, as they were easy to make once our mages got the enchantments correct and you only need a few to cause significant damage," Father answered, handing it over to Kaetar for him to look at.

"Hey, Adrien!" Vaughn called from outside of the tent. "The person working with the supplies wants to speak with you!"

"Excuse me... I'll talk to you later, Kaetar," his father said as he stood up and walked out of the tent. Micaiah and Kaetar left too and they walked in silence until she welcomed him into her tent. Her tent was plain – there was hardly anything from the outside that distinguished it from any other tent but perhaps she preferred it that way. On the inside, he could see more of her personal touches. Her bedroll was a magenta colour, though the fabric was inexpensive, and she had a pile of light tomes beside her bedroll. However, she also had a solid blue urn that was sealed and it looked so out of place in her tent. She caught him looking at it.

"That belongs to Syrin. He asked me to hold on to it and I have for decades now, since he wasn't sure what he was doing with his life in Tellius," she explained. "It contains Ike's ashes."

Kaetar jumped. He couldn't believe that Ike's ashes were not only in Tellius but that they were so close to him. He also had a hard time believing that Syrin carried that urn around and left it for Micaiah to look after. Maybe when he first met Syrin in Daein over ten years ago had something to do with that urn as well, considering it was in Daein that the urn was being kept. "Why is the urn here?"

"I told Syrin I would bring it when we sent your wyvern rider back with the letters. I doubt he would ever truly recover from his loss, Ike was the one who was warming him up to the world, but I worry that if he doesn't have the ashes in his possession, then it would negatively affect how he spends the rest of his life. I don't want him to keep pushing his feelings away, which is easier for him to do if he keeps Ike's ashes with me," she answered. "But that's a topic for a different day. You had questions, right? I can tell."

Kaetar nodded, and held out his arms for Micaiah to see, how red they still were. "I don't remember it all but the others say that Ashunera worked through me... but how is that even possible? I thought only you could hear the voice of the goddess... is it because we're related?"

"I think so," Micaiah said with a nod. "You must have inherited enough of the laguz blood that runs through my veins. However, I'll be honest – I don't have all the answers. I only have my experiences with Yune and what I've heard from the dragon laguz."

Kaetar huffed. It was just as well that Nasir knew a lot about the goddess but he must have been too concerned about Syrin to speak to Kaetar about it. After all, his primary mission wasn't so much about the rebellion but rather it had to do with observing for Kurthnaga and protecting Syrin it seemed, even if Syrin didn't always want it.

"I can tell you what I know but if you want to wait for Nasir, that's fine too. We'll be travelling together after all, so time is on our side here."

"Maybe that's for the best," he muttered. He was used to getting information dumped on him. If he asked about a specific event, he pretty much got everything about that event at one time but perhaps taking time to mull over what he knew wouldn't hurt either. What happened bothered him because he couldn't remember what happened and he only had the vague explanations that the Daeins could come up with, but maybe he should have time to process information on his own. Maybe he should slow down a little and let himself prepare for the battles ahead of him.

"I still have one question though, something that doesn't have to do with what happened yesterday," Kaetar muttered. "Why did Daein fight against the Laguz Alliance? Either Syrin didn't know or he didn't want to say."

"It was because Pelleas signed a blood pact," Micaiah said, her face serious. "It bound Daein to Begnion, so if Pelleas didn't send Daein troops against the Laguz Alliance, then the pact would kill Daein citizens. It didn't matter who they were, what wealth they had, what they did with their lives, everybody was at risk. We had no choice. We couldn't tell anybody either or it could invoke the curse. It was because of Ashera's judgement that we had the chance to save everybody."

"So if it wasn't for the blood pact, things would be quite different," Kaetar whispered. Pelleas' biggest mistake was most definitely getting involved with the blood pact but if he stayed clear of that, then what would Daein be like then? Maybe Pelleas could have been a better king than he was remembered being. It was an interesting thought but he couldn't dwell on it. It was a possibility that never happened and while it was fun to think about sometimes, he couldn't get distracted. But there was of course, the problem that Pelleas signed a blood pact.

"I always knew that Pelleas had his heart in the right place. He loved Daein and he loved his people." She paused.

"But it wasn't enough, was it?"

Micaiah shook her head. "No, he placed his trust with the wrong people. He was growing and improving but in the end, he gave up the throne to me when he found out he wasn't of royal blood." The fact that she was also not of royal blood was not missed on him but again, that was the best for the direction that Daein wanted to go. Daeins wanted to move on from their history with Ashnard and for that, they needed a new royal family.

"I guess that's it for now," Kaetar said with a nod. He got up.

"Kaetar, just remember, that no matter what happens, I'm proud of you and so is your father," she mumbled as Kaetar left the tent. He waved and smiled, then left to go back to the fort.

Kaetar had to see Syrin's condition for himself but he first checked in with Zeke because Kaetar always found it impressive just how fast he was recovering. He was stronger everyday. Kaetar found Zeke sitting up in his bed on his own instead of being propped up on pillows but he didn't think his ribs were quite healed yet. He was certainly better though, Kaetar couldn't deny that.

"I can't believe I slept through what happened yesterday," Zeke said with a smile. "That nap did wonders though! Maybe I can take the sling off soon!"

"For your dislocated shoulder? Is that alright?" Kaetar asked.

He shrugged and rolled his shoulders back, proving that he could move his shoulders without much discomfort. However, his good arm flew to his chest and he flew into a coughing fit. Kaetar didn't know what to do but he rubbed Zeke's exposed back until his coughing eased, something his mother used to do for him when he was young and sick and it always made him feel better. "Thanks, Kaetar."

"It's no problem. I just came here to see how you're doing before I visit Syrin. I couldn't leave you with during a coughing fit."

"Well, thanks again. I heard he's in rough shape but you can tell that because Stefan is here and not fussing over me for once, even though I keep telling him that I'm better and he can afford to rest and eat," Zeke mumbled. "Tell me how he is, alright?"

"Alright," Kaetar said as he headed into Syrin's room, only to find that Ranulf and Joel were occupying it with no sign of Syrin. Joel was bent over Syrin's desk going through paperwork while Ranulf watched and pointed something out, grabbing a piece of paper from Joel. Neither one of them seemed to notice him so Kaetar slipped out and found Nasir, Stefan and Peter in Peter's room instead. Peter set it up in a way that he could nurse somebody – the room only had a bed, a table beside it that had some cloths and water in a glass, and in the corner, there was a thin bed roll, presumably for Peter to sleep in while somebody stayed in his bed. Syrin was in the bed, his robes pulled back to expose his chest and his hair was loose but it was for the most part, gathered behind him.

There wasn't one thing about Syrin that seemed normal, or rather, normal for him. His eyes were still dark but it was more exaggerated against his ashen skin. He did have a little of bit of red on his cheeks but that hardly meant anything good for him either. Everybody wished to see more colour from Syrin's pale complexion but red was not the right colour. Between the flushing, the sweating, and the trembling, Kaetar could guess that he had a fever quite confidently, notthat Kaetar's opinion was worthwhile because Peter, Stefan, and Nasir probably already knew that.

"He doesn't look good," Kaetar murmured, just to start the conversation.

"No," Peter sighed. "I think he was probably coming down with something but then he nearly killed himself with that spell and made it worse. The only good thing is he hasn't gotten worse in the last few hours so hopefully he only stay the same or maybe even get better for the next couple of hours. I just never seen him this bad before."

"Micaiah said you guys were trying to use a heal staff on him, right?"

"He didn't have any energy," Peter muttered. "No matter what we tried, it was sapped away as soon as he got any. It's like the spirits were still hounding him to continue that spell or something long after he already performed it. I thought a heal staff might help to just give him a little bit of energy that he can use to begin recovering but it didn't do much for him. I guess the spirits stopped bothering him now."

"I don't think he'll do anything to harm his own recovery, at least when he's this bad," Stefan mumbled. "He won't waste any energy if he doesn't have it." Kaetar had to agree – Syrin would hate to miss out on too much, simply because he had a hard time trusting other people to take care of his jobs. The longer he was out, the more he thought he needed to go around and fix everybody's mistakes. He wouldn't wait until he was fully recovered to even start with the paperwork but he would also wait until he could at least think straight and could pick himself off of a bed.

"What's going to happen now though? I don't exactly think we should continue being a target here, so long as have so many people who are vulnerable. My Father might be able to defend us but I hate that we've been here for so long when we should be ending this as soon as we can," Kaetar said. He didn't know if it was a good idea to move people like Syrin and Zeke, or how they were going to move Daevala, or how to even move Syrin and Zeke if it was alight to move them, but it was what conclusion he reached. There would be more people joining Zeke and Syrin if they waited longer.

"If we had a carriage, we could move them," Peter muttered.

"We should organize a meeting to figure out where to go from here," Nasir stated. "We can't make decisions without Daein's input anymore as they are now just as involved in this as we are, so we will need King Adrien with us. Joel would also work as a substitute for Syrin's tactical mind while he's incapacitated."

"Bring Ranulf, he knows Syrin's plan as well," Kaetar muttered. He didn't know if they knew but Syrin didn't tell them before the battle and he wasn't telling them while he was practically unconscious in the bed.

"Ranulf? That blue cat?" Peter asked.

Kaetar nodded in response. "He's Skrimir right hand, I believe, so he wouldn't be out of place."

"So it's down to us, Kaetar's father, Joel, and Ranulf," Stefan mumbled. Nasir nodded.

"I'll go find my father then."

Almost late again but I got new laptop so it took time some time transferring everything over.