Welcome back. In an unprecedented move, I actually updated the story within a week instead of a million years. Haha. All joking aside, I just had some extra time this week, and last week's chapter was too short so here's to make up for that.

And sorry for those who came early. I had to delete this chapter for a moment due to formatting errors.

Hope you enjoy.

Potential spoilers ahead. Read at your own discretion.

"Commander Anna delivered intel that Princess Veronica herself was moving with a force much larger than our own vanguard towards the gate as well. If we could route her troops before she has a chance to know or retaliate, we may have the chance to land a decisive blow."

The plan was simple.

The network of spies had brought vital information that Princess Veronica and her personal guard were en route to the Gates of Tellius themselves. Despite the Emblians' larger army, the Order was much closer to the gate and had a chance to prepare themselves. And if the Order managed to win over the Radiant Hero to their side, the fight was easy as won. That explained why the larger force was riding after the vanguard. If everything went according to plan, the war would come to a grinding halt. With the loss of their nation's figurehead, peace talks would arise from Embla. The War of Heroes would eventually draw to a close. It was simple.

Far too simple.

Debate was rife within the war council after Raven had finished speaking. While Raven and Anna monitored over the meeting, the Order's council members hurriedly argued amongst themselves over proceedings. For a gathering of so few, voices erupted throughout the tent as if the masses themselves had gathered. Ephraim sat quietly, thinking over the plan many times in his head.

Why in the world was the crown princess of Embla riding with the army personally? The lancer was well-aware that she did occasionally show up on the battlefield but those moments were nothing but political statements to her people and the people of Askr. The girl was a talented mage but Ephraim knew that she was not suited for the battlefield, let alone an arduous march such as this. There were far too many risks involved in the operation.

Prince Bruno would have been a much more suitable candidate in leading an army of that reported size against their forces. The prince was not one to be trifled with on the battlefield. Mages were already a nuisance amidst the chaos that was the fighting, whoever decided that they should attack from atop horses was one crazy bastard, the Scourge Lord thought to himself. But with that in mind, why wasn't someone of the prince's caliber leading the army?

Why was the princess the one marching her army? And to Tellius of all places?

"The Radiant Hero has held of invaders of both sides for as long as I can remember." An Order Council member whose name Ephraim couldn't remember said. "The land of Tellius isn't in any danger as far as we know. The deeds of the Radiant Hero tell us that much."

"We need to recruit the Radiant Hero to our side." Commander Anna replied. "With every passing day, news of the Order's weakness creeps ever closer to Emblian ears. If they heard of how our army was in shambles, nothing could be done to resist an all-out invasion."

"It's true." Wald, the portly councilman, said. "A good bulk of our forces were mowed down by Embla's newly established mage cavalry brigade. We are still crippled in many divisions of our army and are operating at half-strength. Not to mention Lady Lyndis and her envoy are still missing. If Embla did catch wind of our debilitated military, they would pounce on the chance with everything they've got."

"Then why don't we use our populace?" Mauder, who was already in a foul-mood, snapped. "It's about time the people we protect helped us in return."

"People do not become soldiers in a day, let alone a single month." Raven said. "We have received several dozens of volunteers from our civilian corps to our cause but volunteers are understandably short in supply."

"That's the problem, Captain Raven." Mauder said. "If we give people a choice, of course they would prefer not to fight."

"Then are you proposing we issue a draft?"

Mauder nodded. "Precisely."

"That is preposterous!" Wald exclaimed. "We would be tearing families that need fathers and sons away! Especially in these dire times! Are we to follow in the footsteps of Embla? Doing such will be trampling atop King Domeric's legacy!"

"Then would you rather the Emblian's trample atop the remains of what's left of us and the Order after they kill us all?" Mauder seethed with righteous fury. "I speak for the continued survival of our nation. Even you must be able to see that!"

The room fell relatively silent.

"It's true." Ephraim finally spoke, breaking the silence. "Even if we did recruit the Radiant Hero, much of our army remains in tatters. We will still need to reinforce the holes we have in our forces, especially if we embark on an operation of this magnitude."

"I'm glad you see things my way for once, Scourge." Mauder said with an oily smile. "If you had only done so from the beginning, maybe we could have—"

"Don't flatter yourself." Ephraim snapped. It wasn't very often he agreed with a man as despicable as Mauder. In fact, he was solely responsible for Ephraim's relative exclusion in all executive discussions and decisions made by the Order. He could count on a single hand the amount of times he had been allowed into any of these meetings, let alone speak in one.

The councilman's expression instantly turned sour.

"I am not speaking for your benefit and nor did I say we needed to draft our civilian populace."

"Then what do you propose we do, Ephraim?" Raven asked.

Ephraim thought quietly for a moment. "We issue a training draft and test for all able-bodied people between the ages of sixteen and forty. Men and women included—"

"The women?!" A wiry councilman cried. "Are you telling us to send our daughters to die on some brigand's spear?"

"You need people that will defend your nation." Ephraim retorted, shooting an icy glance at all the wary gazes that came his way. "They carry as much of Askrian blood as your sons. Blood looks all the same to the enemy. Wouldn't you rather have your children have a fighting chance than be food for the worms?"

Another brief silence fell upon the weary council. Clearly, the matter at hand weighed heavily on their minds. Whatever the reason for their held tongues, it gave Ephraim a chance to finish his thoughts from before.

"With a training draft, we are to raise the aptitude of the civilian population so that in the event of a national crisis, they have a better chance than they do now to survive. Based on test results, we can allow specializations within the civilian corps to bolster their ranks."

"We have instructors who will be able to assist with the tests." Anna agreed, nodding her head.

"But remember this." Ephraim said, a steel in tone. "The civilians will receive formal training and be allowed to serve alongside the Order but they are soldiers in name only. The Order must not force them to—"

Mauder slammed his fist onto the table. "What kind of backwards hogwash are you speaking of, Scourge? To not force the civilians? That's essentially capitulating to Embla's army! Giving such a choice to people is—"

"A man forced to fight will flee at the first sign of defeat." Raven interrupted, his gravelly voice cutting through the councilman's own. "That is the sort for army you are asking for Mauder."

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you Captain Raven?" Mauder spat, his eyes glaring at the mercenary, full of malice. "Being a deserter yourself, I'm sure you're rather familiar with treason."

The captain could offer no retort.

"Gentlemen. I'm afraid if we continue this course we will stray from matters more urgent and present at hand."

An authoritative voice boomed across the battlefield the war council tent had become. Squabbling council members immediately grew quiet and even the belligerent Mauder has his voice silenced. The commanding voice belonged to none other than the Order's tactician himself as he strode his way through the tent. All eyes followed the hooded man's movements as he made his way to the head of the table by Anna.

It had grown impossibly quiet in the war council tent, as if the council members had seen a god in their presence. Ephraim was just thankful that it had finally grown quiet for once.

"I agree with your sentiments wholeheartedly, Lord Mauder." Kiran said, gesturing towards the councilman, who had grown pleased with himself with the tactician's words. "The Order does need to patch the holes it has in its side."

"I'm glad you can see things my way." Mauder said. "The rest of this council isn't so eager as to accept the truth of the situation." He glared at Ephraim.

"However, Lord Ephraim's words also ring true as well." Kiran announced, matter-of-factly.

The tactician's sudden sentiment surprised Ephraim but Mauder even more so. The councilman's jaw was agape. "Whatever do you mean, Sir Kiran?" He was losing his composure after having his opinion ousted by the lancer's own.

"Men who fight by the sting of the whips on their back will stop fighting as soon as someone stops swinging the whip." Kiran answered. "It would be easier for us to hire mercenary companies if that's the civilian militia we plan to raise. At least gold will keep them from fleeing their posts."

"Then do you propose that we give wages to our civilian army?" Wald suggested. "It would put a strain on our treasury but it can be done." Ephraim could see Mauder grimace at the mention of giving capital away to the masses.

"A favorable idea." Kiran agreed, nodding his head. "But we have to give the people something that gold or gems cannot even buy."

"And what would that be?" Mauder asked.

"The will to fight." The tactician proclaimed, vigor in his voice. "We have to instill the idea in the people that they are fighting to defend their homes and families, that that is the idea they have been called to fight, not because some lord drove them from their homes to do so in his stead. The desire to protect something dear will outweigh any desire to flee."

The council, the one that had previously been at each other's throats over the matter, all looked at one another with agreeing looks. Kiran's words were a resounding success in bringing the council's members under a singular proposal. Only Mauder appeared to be unconvinced.

"Idealistic proposals are noble, Sir Kiran." He began. "But we must also think within the realm of feasibility as well. How are we to engrave such a sentiment into the people?"

Kiran was quiet for a moment. "What Lord Ephraim suggested earlier seems to be a good route to take. Issue a training draft and allow specialization training. But at the end of the day, we do not force the people into the army. Let the people, not the Order, decide for themselves if their homes and families are worth fighting for."

Voices of affirmation and approval circled the council. Even Mauder had nothing to counter Kiran's, and effectively Ephraim's, proposal. Anna had already begun writing down the logistics of such an operation on parchment, speaking privately with Kiran over the matter, away from prying ears of the council.

"… Then who is to manage the draft and subsequent training?" Mauder muttered at last to the council. "Something like this won't be accomplished easily, not to mention cost a large sum of gold."

"You're a resourceful councilman." Ephraim taunted. "I'm sure you'll think of something. Whether Askr falls is no real concern of mine. Just don't come crawling back to me with your tail between your legs to clean up after your mess as you always did."

The councilman seethed with anger but stayed his tongue. Even if he was occupied, Kiran's presence alone had a profound effect on the normally acrid man. Before long, Kiran returned his attention to council.

"With that settled, let's bring our focus back to what this council was originally meant for."

"I've already explained the situation at hand to the council." Raven announced. "The plan is to march in a matter of hours. My unit is ready to advance."

"Excellent." Kiran said, nodding his head. "General Hector will maintain defenses of the capital while the other half of our army marches to support Captain Raven's vanguard. Prince Alfonse will also stay behind to manage the state and the Order. Princess Sharena and her division will be on standby in case anything happens. Commander Anna and I will be leading the army ourselves to intercept the Emblian forces."

Everyone nodded in response.

Kiran laid out his final command:

"The march to Tellius begins now. I pray the silent goddess watches over you all."

But Ephraim couldn't hear those words. No, his focus was elsewhere.

It was at the meeting's conclusion, he would have missed it if he blinked.

He swore that he saw Mauder smiling.

"Lord Ephraim, if I may just have a moment."

While tying his supplies to the horse he had been issued, Ephraim turned to see the crown prince of Askr standing behind him. He tightened the final knot on his saddle before turning to face the prince.

"What is it?"

"I overheard your suggestion at the council today from Ann—I mean—Commander Anna." Alfonse stated. "I'll cut to the point: we need someone of your intellect in the Order's council."

Ephraim's eyes narrowed. "What are you playing at here, prince?"

"Nothing at all, Lord Ephraim." Alfonse said, shaking his head. "I firmly believe that someone of your caliber is profoundly needed in the council."

"Are you so desperate as to recruit the help of someone as condemned as myself?" Ephraim questioned.

"My interests and goals are for the betterment of Askr and our people." Alfonse reasoned. "Your way of thinking can help the council strive towards that path. The plans you laid out today had the people of Askr in mind. The council could use qualities like that."

"That idea wasn't my own." Ephraim said. "It was a proposal thought up of by…" He hesitated for a moment. He knew he couldn't say her name here. Thankfully, Alfonse didn't press the matter further.

"Regardless, you voice your opinion for our civilian draft with the concern of the people at the forefront. Those sentiments align with the goals I have for Askr."

"If your interests are truly for the betterment of Askr," the lancer contested, "you'd know better than to enlist the help of, and endorse, someone like me publicly. The councilmembers won't like it. Nor would the people of Askr. I've seen their eyes, Alfonse. No one would willingly listen to the words of the man responsible for killing his own flesh and blood."

"But over time—"

"This isn't something time can fix, prince." Ephraim countered. "Nothing can wash away the past, I'm afraid."

The two stood there silently, juxtaposed as polar opposites from appearance alone. One stood proudly in the regal white and gold of the Order of Heroes, like a beacon of light and hope. The other stood in tatters, made up of broken armor, covered by wounds and haunted by ghosts of the past. It would seem absurd to anyone that the prince would even seek the help of such a man consumed by depravity. But yet, here they were.

"You have a good head atop your shoulders, prince." Ephraim began.

A look of genuine surprise crossed the prince's face.

"But you've also got a kind heart." The lancer stated. "Don't let it sway the former, lest you'll lose it."

"…"

Ephraim turned around and finished preparing his horse. Mounting his steed, lance in hand, he turned his mount towards where the vanguard was to converge.

"Tell me one thing, Lord Ephraim." Prince Alfonse demanded, his voice dwindling to a hush. "If you are so dead-set that the people will never forgive you nor accept you, why do you keep fighting? You said it yourself, the people will most likely never accept your help. You don't even recognize yourself as a hero. Yet why do you stay with the Order?"

The lancer stopped his horse. The air grew quiet. It was as if the world itself wanted to know his answer.

"Have you ever made a promise to a dying person? One that you know you wouldn't be able to keep?"

"N-no."

"Then you wouldn't understand."

Even though millions of thoughts swam across his mind, even though thousands of words skirted along his lips, Alfonse found that he could say nothing else. Instead, he stood there, quietly, only being able to see Ephraim ride away, leaving behind a question that he too had not be able to answer.

"…"

Suddenly, a thundering of hooves ran past the young prince, threatening to knock him aside. He barely managed to evade the horse. Thinking it was an enemy, Alfonse had reached to his side to draw his sword, ready to face the invader head on.

But upon looking up, he noticed that the rider rode with the Askrian banner at her side.

It was a courier rider.

But what message would have been important enough to warrant the Scourge Lord's sudden attention?

He saw the messenger ride alongside Ephraim momentarily, speaking only but a few words. Immediately, however, the lancer, turned away from the designated direction he was supposed to ride. Instead, he rode towards the opposite direction, away from the rendezvous point with the vanguard. Alfonse attempted to get the man's attention but to no avail.

He vanished in an instant.

Alfonse managed to flag down the courier that had nearly run him down moments before. The messenger quickly apologized for the danger she imposed on the prince but he brushed it off.

"What was the news you had to deliver to Lord Ephraim?" Alfonse inquired.

"I apologize for not being able to deliver the news to you first, milord." The messenger apologized. "You were absent from your quarters."

"Enough with the apologies." Alfonse demanded. "What was the news? Why was it so dire that it made Lord Ephraim leave so suddenly? Tell me at once."

"Right away." She nodded, "The vanguard unit that is deploying right now was reported to have visited the neighboring town of Hearth before the march began."

He raised an eyebrow. "Then what's the problem? What did you say that caused Lord Ephraim to react that way?"

"All members of Captain Raven's division have been accounted for after visiting the neighboring town of Hearth... all but two."

A sick feeling began to spread in his gut as he realized who he had placed in the vanguard due to Mauder's insistence. "Wh-who?"

The messenger took a deep breath.

"It's Marth and Genny, milord. They've gone missing."