Chapter 18) Promise

We just had one of the weirdest days, and that is quite a feat considering our lives. But we met the Resistance here in the southern half of the peninsula, and we secured their aid. Dain also got a dragon, who we have dubbed 'Freya'. It is quite strange to adapt to her and I wonder how we are going to sneak around with her near, but she is at least very kind and gentle. She is also surprisingly affectionate, not only with Dain but with all of us. If we are within her reach, we are 'captured' for a nuzzle or ten and she refuses to let us go unless she has to. That can make it difficult to prepare, since we are heading to Mease to learn why they need assistance.

We can only hope it is something we can actually help with.

Flying was a strange sensation. The wind blasted your face, the cold as sharp as a dagger. You were so high above the ground that houses looked like ants. One mistake could lead to you falling to your death. Yet there was something exhilarating about it nonetheless. There was a sense of freedom to it. I preferred galloping on a horse, but this was easily a close second.

"How are you doing, Gwyneth?" Dain asked, glancing back at me. I rode with him since I had been incredibly nervous about flying. Nearby, Noba and Vidar were chatting happily about something. Sadly, though, I couldn't see Baldur, Vala, or Hezul. I hoped they were okay. "Still ill?"

"No, I seem to have recovered," I reassured him, smiling. I had been lightheaded and nauseous at first, but as we continued flying, both had been replaced with excitement. "I suppose it was simply nerves. I never did expect to fly. At least, I never expected to 'fly' without breaking into pieces on the ground."

"...You said that suspiciously lightly." Dain narrowed his eyes. I almost told him to keep forward, but then remembered that Freya truly handled most of the flying. "Should I be concerned?"

"Mmm… no, you shouldn't." I shook my head, flinching as some hair whipped about my face. Thankfully, I had thought to pull my hair back into a bun before getting on, but some strands did escape. "I… shall admit that I considered such things in the past." I only didn't because I couldn't bear the thought of leaving Hezul to deal with Galle alone. "But you mustn't tell anyone." I did my best to look serious. "Vala knows because of how delirious I got while ill in Rados, but not even Hezul knows." I knew he suspected. I even knew he had entertained the idea himself. However, we never actually spoke about it, and neither of us planned to, especially now.

"You think like that now?"

"Dying is something that I accept is possible, but I have no intention of jumping into death's arms." Hesitantly, I decided to try and lift the mood a little with a joke. "If I crave an embrace, I have Hezul for that."

"Ha!" Dain laughed, just as I hoped. "Look at you, making jokes. Baldur's rubbing off on you. And Noba, I suppose." He nodded, smiling in relief. "Okay, good. I was worried for a second there."

"I understand." That was what 'family' did. "It was probably a poor joke."

"Hey, even a 'poor joke' is more than what you used to do." Now his smile became a proud grin. "You've come quite a ways since Noba and Baldur found you."

"We have. I look forward to seeing how far we can go, alongside everyone else."

"Yeah, I suppose we all have come quite a ways." He looked pointedly at Freya, who crooned innocently, somehow knowing he was looking at her. "Ah, whatever." He sighed and focused forward, falling silent for a moment. "So, might be too early to ask about this, but it has been a few months and…"

"Dain, you can simply ask without explaining."

"Well, now that I'm thinking about it, it seems rude?" He laughed sheepishly. "So…"

"Then why not emulate Vala and be blunt?" I shifted in my seat and held on a little tighter to Dain as Freya made a sharp turn. I wondered how much farther it was to Mease and hoped it wasn't long. I was starting to get numb. "I shall tell you if I would rather not answer."

"Yeah, yeah…" He grimaced, but nodded. "Well, I was just wondering if you and Hezul have thought at all about marriage."

"Marriage?" I frowned. "Who's marriage? Do you mean marriage in general?"

"I more meant you and Hezul marrying?"

"...Oh." I flushed, realizing that should have been obvious. "Um…"

"So, no, huh?"

"No. At least, I haven't…" I trailed off, trying to gather my thoughts. "You know… all my life, I was told that I would marry Galle. When I was younger, I even looked forward to it." But then Galle had changed and, eventually, I ran away. I ran away from Belhalla, from Galle, and that wedding. "I suppose it's a bit of a shame. The tailors worked so hard on my wedding dress." They had been doing the last of the fittings.

"Did you like it?"

"No, I hated it. There was so much lace and embroidery that I swore I would collapse under the weight." I had been given no say in its design or anything. It was all the tailors, dressing me 'appropriately' for an Imperial wedding. "But that was a lot of cloth and work wasted, since I shall never wear it."

"So, you'd want a much lighter dress?"

"I think so. I think I would want something much simpler." The thought was… intriguing, and surprising. I couldn't think much about it without my pulse thundering in my ears and fear spiking through my heart. But that I could imagine even a little was… "Do you think I could wear a flower crown? I would see that in commoner weddings, and thought it delightful."

"Then of course you can have one. And a matching bouquet, of course."

"I suppose that is important." The most thrilling part about this thought path, though, was the realization that I had a choice about things, unlike the wedding with Galle. "You would also have to cook. I imagine there will have to be some sort of food."

"I would be delighted." Dain grinned over his shoulder. "Regardless, the second you and Hezul feel like you can take that step, we are definitely here for you."

"I know." I smiled, feeling quite giddy. A few months ago, I would fall into a panic even thinking about my feelings for Hezul. Now, though… "We shall see what happens. There are other things to think about."

"Nothing says that we can't have a bit of fun."

"Goodness, Dain, are you running a fever?"

The conversation shifted to different topics, each one as fun as the last. It was a conversation I never would have had back in Belhalla. I loved it.

We landed in the mountains near Mease and then hiked down from there. It made sense, since we couldn't exactly land in the middle of the city, but my aching legs did wish that we had landed at least a little closer. Once we climbed down, though, we all split into small groups of two and three to sneak inside the city itself. I ended up with Noba, and we kept to the shadows as we did our best to scout and gather information. Sadly, there was one thing very apparent, very quickly, and it wasn't a good thing. It wasn't a good thing at all.

"Deadlords are patrolling," I murmured, recognizing some of them from the assault on Grutia. In fact, I was certain that one of them was the one who had carried Acheron away. "Acheron must be in the city, then. I wonder what they are planning that would require his presence."

"I think we can assume it's nothing good, right?" Noba replied softly, looking up to make sure there were no archers waiting to ambush us. Thankfully, there were none. "I mean; it's this bastard."

"Yes, but that truly only makes me worry all the more. Acheron rarely leaves Belhalla." In fact, I couldn't remember a time where he left. "Acheron would either stay in the temple or the castle. I doubt he would change his pattern." I bit my lip, thinking. "The temple would be easier to sneak into, though, if that is what we want to do. We would just have to pretend to be worshipers."

"And then 'conveniently' get lost." Noba grinned, and it almost hid her unease. "Yeah, let's do that. Though..." She held up her lance and I grimaced, catching her concern. While I only had my tome in a holster, she… well, lances were harder to hide. "Got any ideas?"

"Unfortunately, all I can think of is hiding them under our cloaks…" I pulled mine around me, and decided that it didn't look too awkward. Noba, however… "Maybe you want to fake a limp?"

"That'll catch attention." She sighed. "Oh, whatever. Let's just act confident and pretend everything is as it should be and get this over with."

Quietly, twitching at every sound while also doing our best to appear perfect relaxed, we made our way towards the temple. The door were, as typical, open to anyone, though I could see the priests hiding in the shadows, greedily watching all who walked inside. If they were like the ones back in Belhalla, they were hunting for potential sacrifices and potential 'toys'. Thankfully, they barely paid Noba and I any mind, and the two of us easily made our way to the altar, where we stood with others who had come to pray. I was fairly certain it was simply lip-service, though. Few outside the priesthood truly 'prayed' to Loptyr, but pretending that you did gave you some measure of protection. It was very minor protection, mind, but even a little could mean the difference between surviving and dying.

Both Noba and I mimicked the people around us, keeping to the edges of the room, and looking for any and all doors. Noba nudged me when she found one, so we waited and waited until a group of people passed us and blocked the priests' sight of us for half-a-second. That was just long enough to dash unnoticed through that side-door Noba found, and down a hallway. I smiled as we continued sneaking, noting that the temple was built similarly to the temples in Belhalla. That meant that the hallways were very plain, without the barest of ornamentation along the walls, and with many alcoves set at random intervals, meant for quiet conversations.

"Well, that worked out," Noba whispered, smiling as we reached an intersection. I nodded in return, glancing around. "What direction?"

"How about… this way?" I suggested, pointing down a hallway that, if this was truly built like the temple in Belhalla, would lead us further within. "The higher ranked you are in the priesthood, the deeper within the temple your rooms are."

"Sounds good to me." Noba took my hand, and held her lance in a white-knuckled grip in her other hand. "Also, if we find nothing, we're not telling the others we went in here."

"Agreed." I could easily imagine their fretting. "This way."

Strangely, the halls remained empty, though we ducked into every alcove we found just in case. It made me uneasy. Temples were rarely so empty. Even if there were no priests, acolytes should at least be meandering about with various scrolls and tomes. But there was no one, and that implied either they were all busy or that someone very high-ranked had given specific instructions to not be in this area for whatever reason. So, when Noba and I finally heard sounds, I was relieved yet terrified. The terror spiked when the vague sounds slowly solidified into whimpers of pain, and I pulled out my Nosferatu tome, just in case. Noba moved ahead of me, also just in case, and pulled me into an alcove near a wide-open door. It took a bit of shifting and stretching, but we realized that we could actually peek inside the room while still hiding. But that wasn't necessarily a good thing because it let us see that Acheron was the source of the noises. Acheron was sprawled out on the ground, in so much pain that those whimpers were all he could manage. The reason why was just as horrifying; Galle was torturing him, while sprawled out on a couch.

"It is surprising how idiotic a man of your intellect can be, Acheron," Galle noted absently, lazily twisting his hand to unleash black colored flames that whipped across Acheron's prone form. Blood joined the ever-growing pool under him, staining his robes beyond repair, and from what I could see, there were specks of blood all over the walls, the furniture, and even the ceiling. "Truly, I would find it fascinating if it were not so irritating." Despite Galle's tone, however, his eyes were colder than winter's ice, and that said a great deal about just how furious Galle truly was. "Really now."

"My liege… please…" Acheron coughed out. Blood seeped out of the corner of his mouth, and I couldn't help but wince. Even though I hated Acheron, to see someone being tortured was… difficult to bear. "I was…"

"Firstly, you left Mease during a critical time just to assuage your wounded pride." Galle snapped and this time, black lightning struck Acheron. Noba bit back a whimper when Acheron started convulsing. "We don't need to steal children from every city. You sent valuable priests there to die for no other reason than you disliked someone being able to kill them. And look at that. You nearly got yourself killed. Not to mention going against my direct orders."

"I… ugh…" Acheron coughed up more blood. I had to cling to Noba, and I genuinely wondered how long this had been going on. "I…"

"I don't know what you were expected, Acheron. I warned you when I learned you had stolen Gwyneth and Hezul's memories in the past." The words were quiet, but they nearly made my heart stop. Noba immediately pulled me into a hug for comfort, and I clung to her even more tightly. "I warned you that if you tried again…"

"You were in danger… back..." Acheron struggled to breath and lifted his head from the ground. I winced at the blood pouring down his face. I knew head injuries bled a lot, but it was still... "I was… only thinking of…"

"If I wanted dolls, Acheron, I'd spend my time with the Deadlords." Galle, surprisingly, snarled and rolled onto his feet. He practically shook with anger; I had never seen him so furious before. "Or maybe you and the rest of your idiotic sycophants."

"You thought of making Hez-"

"Title." Galle gestured sharply and black light whipped across Acheron's back again. "You will refer to Hezul by title."

"Lord Hezul…" Acheron laid back down, the effort of lifting his head being too much. "You thought of making him a Deadlord."

"An empty threat. I could never make him a Deadlord. It would rob his fighting of his spirit, and his elegance." Galle sighed and ran a hand through his hair. I had to bite my tongue to keep from calling out the lie; Hezul had the scar to prove it. "Besides, we are not talking about Hezul. We are talking about how you disobeyed me and tried to take away Gwyneth's memories."

"You are... the Emperor... and you need an heir…" Acheron's voice was very raspy now, almost like he was gargling water. "You have refused... to even bed-"

"Are you asking me to settle, Acheron? To settle for those meek, dumber than rock women you have tried to throw at me?" Galle's eyes went even colder, and his tone dropped to a dark hiss. "They were barely worth the time to kill them."

"But…"

"As I said before, it is incredibly surprising how idiotic a man of your intellect can be, Acheron." Galle strode over and knelt down in the blood beside Acheron. "Gwyneth and Hezul have no equals, and I will not settle for anyone less than them. All of them, which includes their memories. Taking those memories away deprives me of them, Acheron. It deprives me of what makes them without peer. And I am not very fond of that. Not. At. All." Galle snapped his fingers and, with a sickening crunch, Acheron's left arm suddenly twisted right off. He snapped his fingers again and cauterized the bleeding stump with black flames. Acheron gasped in pain, unable to do anything else. "That all said, dear Acheron, I am actually rather grateful for your assistance and loyalty over the years." Galle tilted Acheron's head up to look him in the eye. I was honestly surprised Acheron was conscious. "So, I do believe I will give you a very rare third chance. However, if you disobey me again, I will flay the skin off your bones and keep you alive and conscious through every second of it, just as I am now. And if you try scrying or, worse, stealing Gwyneth or Hezul's memories again…" Galle smiled viciously, eyes glinting with raw hatred. "Well, let's hope you don't do something so stupid again. It's quite painful having your insides dug out of you, or so I've heard." Galle let go of Acheron's face; Acheron's head hit the ground with a dull-splash. "Mmm… I forget how fragile old men are. I'll send a healer for you. Try to remain conscious, will you?"

Realizing that Galle was actually leaving, Noba and I pushed ourselves as far back into the alcove as we could, with Noba twisting to make sure I, at least, was completely hidden. Thankfully, Galle didn't so much as glance our way when he strode out of the room and down the hall, growling curses under his breath. Inside the room, Acheron gasped in pain and curled up in a little ball, his hand digging into the stump that had once been his arm. Since he was facing away, Noba and I decided to take a chance and left the alcove as soon as Galle was out of sight, quickly making our way back into the altar room and then out of the temple all together.

Once outside in the sunshine, Noba took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. I smiled wanly at her, shaken by what we saw and, more importantly, what we had heard. I had suspected it, but hearing that Acheron truly had stolen some of my memories, some of Hezul's memories? It made me nauseous, and frightened me dearly. It also broke my heart because now, I was sure my vague memories from my childhood were from that, meaning that Acheron had stolen my parents from me a second time, and, in a way, stole Galle from me a second time.

However, there was still one mystery. What had Acheron meant by Galle being in 'danger'? What did he make us forget?

After a bit of walking around to recover, Noba and I decided to just head outside and return to the others, immediately informing them that Galle was also here. We barely got the words out before Dain declared Hezul and I weren't going to play bait. Considering how awful we had felt when Dain had done it, and how angry Galle was, we both agreed without hesitation. I also, quietly, informed Hezul what I had heard, which startled him. Sadly, though, there was no time to discuss it. Others had returned from their own scouting, and brought information. Unsurprisingly, said information simply made the situation so much worse.

"They plan to do another 'Sorrow' here?" Dain repeated, his tone somewhere between 'exasperated' and 'incredulous'. Vidar, who delivered the news to us, simply nodded. "Well, that's lovely. Always did want to live through history."

"We're making history," Vidar half-joked, smiling wryly. He sighed then and looked to all of us. We were sitting in the grass, while everyone else prepared for combat. "Regardless, it seems like they're doing another 'Sorrow' here for additional power or something. Madness, in my opinion, but then again, 'madness' really seems to describe them."

"'Madness' would imply a lack of reason, and sadly, these people are very methodical." Dain sighed. "'Immoral' might be closer."

"We can debate word definitions later." Still, Vidar did smile briefly, before becoming serious again. "There's more."

"Of course there is."

"Right, because when doesn't 'trouble' bring all its siblings along for the ride?" Vidar grimaced, fussing with the hair by his face. "There was a mention of a 'sister ritual'." All of us groaned because what other response was there? "And we don't know where it is."

"That's… great…" Dain struggled to find better words, before deciding to leave it at that. Instead, he pulled Noba a little closer in a one-armed hug, though not too much. Noba and I were seated next to each other, and insisted on holding hands for reassurance. "I take it that we'll be focusing on those we can actually, hopefully, save?"

"That's the plan." Vidar uncrossed and then recrossed his legs, almost accidentally kicking Baldur. Baldur waved away the apology before Vidar could say anything, but shifted a bit closer to Vala. Vala made to move closer to Hezul, but then decided to stay where she was and lean her head on Baldur's shoulder. "It's not the most elegant of plans, but the objective is to sneak in and rescue anyone we can, preferably avoiding Deadlords and crazy priests and psychotic emperors."

"On the bright side, I don't think Acheron will be up for battle?" Noba hesitantly reminded. We had described the torture Galle had put Acheron through as part of our report, just to emphasize how angry Galle was. "So, one less crazy priest!"

"That…" Vidar struggled to reply before settling on laughing. "That is true," he said, smiling at Noba. Noba smiled back. "That is very true."

No one knew how to pick up the conversation from there, but thankfully, Skadi called for Vidar and so, he left us to our own thoughts. We closed our little circle so that Baldur was now seated next to Dain, and looked at each other, wondering just how to break the silence. We knew someone had to, but none of us...

"I think someone besides me needs to hold the tome," I finally whispered quietly, pulling the Loptyr carefully out of my bag. The charm Neit had made for it was still safely wrapped around it, and it made me smile. We all wore the charms he made for us too, just in case. "If we get caught, they will likely prioritize Hezul and me."

"...Since we can guess the same for Vala, how about I hold it for this operation?" Baldur suggested. He held out his hand and I hesitantly passed it over. I knew it would be safe with him, but after having it nearly stolen, I also wasn't comfortable having it out of my sight. But if things went wrong… "We'll pass it around from here on out. Just in case."

"So many things are now 'just in case'."

"I guess that's what happens when you're trying to destroy an Empire," Vala sighed, braiding back her hair for once. She normally left it down, despite the length. "Going to warn now. If we're talking sacrifices, we're talking bad."

"Noted," Noba sighed. Despite her earlier attempt at cheer, she was clearly not faring well. I was honestly worried. "We need to be prepared for our worst imagination?"

"And then some."

"Oh. Joy."

Again, we fell silent, unable to think of anything to say. But then, surprisingly, Freya lumbered over and casually nuzzled each of us, as if she knew we were in a depressed mood and wanted to make us feel better. Even more surprisingly, it worked, considering she was a giant dragon who could rip us apart easily. Perhaps this was why people had pets. Though, I wasn't sure how much of a 'pet' a dragon could be. Still, her cheering us up did make us decide to stop sitting around and make sure we were ready for the coming operation. So, most of us scattered, to check on weapons and the like. I, however, snagged Hezul's sleeve and looked up at him curiously. He sighed and led me a short distance away, so that we could talk privately. After all, we didn't want our thoughts to be overly focused on… what I had overheard.

"While I always knew Acheron was capable of manipulating people's minds, for some reason, it never occured to me that he had done that to us," Hezul murmured once we were far enough away. I could only nod in agreement, feeling rather stupid about never considering the possibility. "There is no obvious hole or anything. Though, those memories of our childhood are vague."

"They are," I replied softly. It made me almost angry, except I was being angry at 'what I might have lost'. "We always dismissed that vagueness as being because of time and everything we had to deal with in Belhalla."

"Danger, though? What did we hear or see?"

"I also worry over what else we might have lost."

"Same." Hezul fell silent, studying my expression. "However, I do know one thing that wasn't."

"Oh?" I tilted my head curiously. "What is it?"

"What I feel for you." He leaned down and kissed me gently, his hand coming up to caress my cheek. My mind went blank, but I smiled automatically. It was amazing how a simple phrase and gesture could scatter my worries to the four winds. I knew they would return, of course, but still, it was amazing. "Say, this is a cruel thing to ask, but if you get caught, don't use that dagger." He barely pulled away to say the words and it even took me a moment to catch his meaning. I hadn't even carried that dagger he gave me since I learned my weapons, and my mind was too blank to remember where it was. "Because we will get you out."

"I will promise that if you promise the same." I closed the gap to kiss him again. "The same, after all, applies to you."

"Yes, it does." He smiled, though I felt it more than I saw it. "We have friends and family."

"We do, indeed." Reluctantly, I pulled away, giggling. Though my cheer did falter when I tried to say something similar or even that 'important phrase' and came up short. I wanted to say it, but panic and fear choked me too much. So, instead, I simply smiled. "Do you mind helping me decide what weapons to bring inside?"

"Of course I don't mind." His own smile was gentle, with a little trace of pride. He was proud he managed to say even that much, but the gentleness reminded me that he would wait however long it took for me to heal, just as I did for him. "I'm assuming a tome, of course."

"Well, yes, they are my best weapon and this is a situation where we should have our 'best' as close as we can." I wrapped my arm around his and we walked over to where the others were gathered. "I will also be bringing a staff, since I am still the only one who can use one. However, I know I will want more than one actual weapon, and a physical weapon at that."

Here we go, then. I wondered what nightmare we were going to walk into this time.

Surprisingly, and honestly terrifyingly, sneaking back in wasn't hard. We entered the temple the same way Noba and I had earlier, though we had another group create a distraction to lure some of the priests away to make it easier to slip out of the Altar room. From there, we hunted for a staircase and headed below. Sacrifices were always done underground, for few things were darker than what laid below the earth and soil. At least, that was the reason I was told. Sometimes, I wondered if it was so that the screams didn't echo up and disturb others. After all, 'sacrifices' always took a long while to die, and the room at the end of the staircase showed that this place was no exception.

The floor was caked in so much dried blood that you could be forgiven if you thought the tile was simply a dark crimson. You could also be forgiven for thinking the same of the walls, though it was a tad more obvious there, due to how the blood dripped down before drying out. Bodies were contorted into various shapes, some painful yet natural and others utterly grotesque, and held in place by various torture devices. Pieces of flesh and bone were strewn about haphazardly on various tables or left to rot in filthy buckets, some of which had maggots feasting within. The smell… well, the smell was so nauseating that my stomach turned itself into a knot, refusing to 'relax' enough to let me vomit.

The worst part was that some of the people were still alive. You could hear their faint whimpering and weeping.

"I see that things are no different here in Mease," I whispered, somehow finding my voice first. I thought it might be because of what I had seen in Belhalla. "That makes sense, though. There is power in blood. Acheron would always say that there was more power in suffering."

"Yes and no," Skadi replied, looking around sadly. She then sighed and reached up to fix her hair ornament. I thought the gem in it flashed for a moment, but it could've been a trick of the light. "It's not necessarily 'suffering', so much as a long and drawn out death makes it easier to extract every bit of quintessence in a person."

"What is that, exactly?" I looked to her curiously, glad to have some sort of distraction. Even if I had seen things like this before, it was still nauseating. "Galle mentioned it a few times, mostly in relation to Deadlords, but…"

"Think of it as life-force or the power of life itself. That's what they're stealing with these sacrifices." She brushed the hair out of one victim's face, despite the fact that they were dead. You could tell because the head had been pulled off. "Suffering and torture alone cannot create power. But it can give them plenty of time to drain a person dry."

"I see." I closed my eyes briefly and then turned to look at everyone. "I know it will take some time, but if we can, I would like to try and heal some of them so that it is easier for them to escape." Something dripped on my head and I knew without checking that it was blood. Steeling my resolve, I looked up to see who the source was, and winced when I saw a child crucified to a splintering board above my head. Their tired sobbing showed they still lived, despite the nails hammered through their wrists and ankles. "Please."

"Main issue is going to be freeing them so that you can," Hezul noted, already moving to the closest one. The rest of my family followed, hands shaking but eyes resolved. I saw Vidar staring at us in shock. "But yes, let's help them."

Slowly and silently, our rescue group fell into a pattern. Vala, myself, and others in the group with some medicinal knowledge did what we could for the wounded. Those we knew we could not save… they at least didn't die alone. Those who couldn't help with the injuries and who couldn't help with freeing the people from their… regardless, those people held the hands of the dying, whispering comforting lies. Once all the 'living' were freed, everyone's focus turned to getting people out. Though it was foolish, we even carried out some of the dying, just so that they wouldn't have to die in this hell. I didn't join them, of course. I simply worked on saving whoever I could. Many died as I tried. Most of those who died smiled as they passed, either because they were finally free of the pain or because they weren't alone. It was impossible to know, of course. The ones who died were too exhausted to speak.

"Gwyneth." Eventually, Baldur gently touched my shoulder, and I glanced up at him. He was covered with blood and muck. I knew I was the same. "We're on the last ones," he told me softly. "How is…?"

"I…" I began, looking at the child I was tending to. They were the one who had been crucified above me, and I had been using quite a bit of my power to try and heal them. "I think they might make it." I sighed and returned my attention to Baldur. "Even if I'm wrong, though…"

"They deserve to see the sunshine at least one more time." He nodded and, gently, gathered up the child in his arms. The child whimpered, and though it pained me to hear it, I was also relieved. The ones with the strength to whimper were also the ones who might have enough strength to survive. "There we go. Just hold on, little one. It's going to be okay. We're almost there."

"Baldur, that last sentence is going to curse us."

"Oh, come on. Have a little-" Sounds of fighting filtered into the room. "Please don't say-"

"I told you."

"Damn it."

It didn't take long to discover why there had been fighting. Some priests had arrived, no doubt to continue with the 'sacrifices'. It was a relief that they only came towards the end, but frustrating as well, because we still had those handful left to rescue. So, as soon as the last priest died, we scattered, purposely heading in as many different directions as possible. Those of us who weren't carrying victims, such as myself, also made as much noise as we could to draw attention. It was dangerous, of course, but if it meant buying time for just one more person to rescued, it was worth it.

So, I ran. I ran and ran, taking a staircase up and picking random hallways while also hunting for a way outside. A couple of priests followed me, but I lost them easily because, to my complete delight, I was more athletic than them. I could run faster and make sharper turns. Thus, when I made it up to the ground floor, I was feeling rather confident and pleased with myself. That should have been my first warning sign that things were going to go wrong, and they did. I turned a corner and skidded to a stop right in front of Galle. He stared back, stunned by my abrupt appearance, and in the split-second of shock I had, I wondered just what god I had angered. Then my sense kicked in and I ran as fast as I could away from him. I winced when I heard him follow, though, and mentally apologized to the group. This wasn't intended at all, but it seemed like I ended up playing 'bait' for Galle after all. Dain was going to be very mad, but at least I could say that this was unintentional.

Due to being on the ground floor when the encounter occurred, I made it out of the temple and swung into some alleyways in the hopes of losing him. Sadly, Galle kept up easily and when I turned a corner too sharply, he lunged and caught my arm in a bruising grip. I managed to jerk myself away, though, and made to get my Nosferatu tome. However, I remembered how well Galle could resist magic, so instead, I drew my sword. Galle stared at me for a very long moment, his eyes focused on the sword. I looked for a way out, and grimaced when I saw I needed a bit more room to have a decent chance of escaping.

"Are you… going to fight me…?" he eventually asked, speaking slowly. I was sure the thought was ridiculous to him. "Are you really…?"

"I would say 'I am afraid so', but I am not afraid," I retorted, speaking as clearly as I could. However, it was a lie. I was afraid. But I… I would not be a doll anymore! "So…"

He smiled. He smiled then. But it wasn't the smile I had become used to. It was his 'old' smile, the smile I used to love with all my heart. It was the smile that lit up his face, and warmed his eyes. The sight of it, after so long of not seeing it, made me freeze and he took advantage of that to close the distance between us and kiss me hard, hard enough that I half-feared he would knocked my front teeth down my throat. To my annoyance, this only shocked me more and kept me frozen, but as soon as I recovered, I shoved him off of me. It took two tries because I couldn't get proper leverage, but I managed it because I… I was stronger than him.

"You are not allowed to touch me anymore," I snapped, stepping back to put a little more distance. Galle blinked slowly, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing or hearing. "I am not yours anymore. I am not your bride anymore. I am your enemy, and I take great delight in that fact!"

Before my anger turned to fear again, I slashed at him before lunging to try and drive the sword straight through his abdomen. The sword on his hip, however, flashed with a dark light and shadows briefly wrapped around him. Those shadows diverted the blade so that it only left a gash on his side, but Galle still screamed in pain. Galle still bled and stumbled back. After a brief moment of shock, filled with a surprising amount of heartbreak and terror, I used that distraction to run as fast as I could away from him.

I ended up leaving the city entirely, racing through the woods. Briars and branches ripped my skirt and dug into my skin, but I didn't stop until there was a tree large enough to hide behind. Only then did I stop to breathe, and to use my sleeve to scrub my mouth. That had surprised me. He had never forced a kiss on me before. Compared to kissing Hezul, it was… well, it hadn't been 'cold', but calling it 'warm' made it seem like I had enjoyed it. It had been more like standing outside during a humid summer day, 'warm' but leaving you with a crawling feeling.

"Gwyneth!" Of course Galle had followed me. "Gwyneth, where are you?" he called desperately. I held my breath. "Hezul? Hezul, you're near right? Please! Please, don't leave me alone!" I debated the benefits and consequences of attempting to move deeper into the forest, but then Galle said something I never, ever, expected to hear. "I need you to kill me!"

The words echoed in the silence, bouncing off the trees. Over and over, I heard the phrase, reinforcing how I hadn't misheard. He truly had said that. So, even though I was supposed to be hiding, I stupidly replied, "That is the plan, but we also wish to send the entire Empire with you, so it shall take a while."

"Is that so?" Galle laughed. It sounded broken. "That makes sense. You and Hezul always reached for the stars." I heard him approach and the tree I hid behind vibrated, the leaves above me shaking. Galle was leaning against it too, possibly on purpose. I tightened my grip on my sword, but didn't move. "Probably a good idea. There has to be some cousin or something that they can prop up. Or something."

"But you want to die."

"I have for a very, very long time."

"I… I see. I didn't know." I had no idea what was going on. He sounded like his old self. This was a proper conversation, which we hadn't had in years. My mind jumped all over the place, trying to make sense of things. "I heard Acheron stole some of our memories, Galle. Is it related to that?"

"To you not knowing? No." He sighed, fingers digging into the bark. At least, that was what I assumed by the 'scraping' sound I heard. "No, Acheron stole your memories because you had overheard something he didn't want you to hear."

"How was it something that you didn't?"

"We were playing hide and seek. Hezul was the seeker, and he's always been able to find you quickly." He chuckled, and it sounded both sad yet cheerful. "I think… I think you two ended up near Acheron's rooms and heard what he planned for me. So, you two ran, shouting my name. I remained hidden, but I remember the fear in your voices. You two kept screaming even as Acheron caught you both and dragged you away. You screamed my name, and told me that Acheron was planning something 'dangerous'. You tried to scream more, but Acheron covered your mouth and you both disappeared down the hall."

"That was when he stole our memories." It was hard to breath. I didn't recall it at all. For all I knew, Galle could be lying to me. Yet there was still something about it that resonated, like my spirit still remembered even if my mind didn't. "He took that memory away, so that we couldn't warn you anymore."

"And he wasn't gentle about it, so I think he took a lot of other things." He laughed again and, again, it sounded broken. I dug my fingers into the bark behind me, angered by Acheron's actions. "But I remembered. I remembered those screams. I remembered that vague warning, all that you two could give. And that… that was enough for me to hold on to a little piece of myself. And fight back, as much as I can, whatever that is worth."

"Why do that?"

"Because I love you. Because I love Hezul. I love you both so much that it almost hurts." He said the words easily, as if he was simply saying that the sky was blue. "But it's my pain, so I gladly cling to it."

"What do you…?"

"Let's…" He sighed, and there was a quiet 'thunk', like he had leaned his head back against the trunk of the tree. "Let's just say as bad as it's been… it could be worse. I still have pieces I can do, like prevent the scrying spells and let Resistances hide."

"I see." That was why he hated scrying spells, then. I wasn't sure what to feel about that, though I knew I would keep the charms on, just in case. "I promise that our group will kill you. It will take a while, though, so you must…"

"I can wait. So long as that tome stays away, I'm sure I can wait a long while. It's… weaker when it's not near." He laughed and, surprisingly, it sounded… it wasn't 'broken'. It was still sad, but there was a warmth to it still. "It helps me remember those old days. They were fun, weren't they? Back when everything was simple and nice? I was happy, at least."

"Were you?"

"Yes, indeed. Happy that Hezul was my best friend and my sworn knight. Happy that you were to be my bride. Happy that I could spend my life with the two of you, always."

"...I was happy back then too." The words were hard to say. "Before Acheron gave you the tome, I was glad for many of the same things."

"Are you happy now? Did you find happiness again after you and Hezul ran?"

"Yes, we did, and we continue working towards it."

"Good. I'm glad." He actually did sound happy about it. "Remember, I'll be waiting in Belhalla. You promised."

"We will be there, with an army, to tear the Empire down."

"Good. It'll be a glorious thing to see, at the end." He fell silent for a brief moment. I looked up and saw the sunlight streaming through the leaves, fading as the sun set. "I'm glad… I could have a proper talk again. Finally."

"How is it that…?"

"I pick my 'fights' with the darkness that swallows me up. Most of the time, I am too weak to do much. I don't know what's happening, after all. No one required me to understand it. In fact, it's easier for them if I don't." However, he said the words oddly, like he was talking around something. I thought he knew, or at least had learned, but was choosing to not tell me for whatever reason. My best guess was that he hoped me not knowing would make things 'easier' for me. "I don't know how much of my true self will be there when you and Hezul keep your promise, Gwyneth, so let me just repeat these truths. I love you dearly. I love Hezul dearly. I am always praying and wishing for your happiness. And I will always be grateful that I got to meet both of you and if we are reborn, I hope we can meet again, in a better life."

He left abruptly, the leaves and branches shaking. I peeked out tentatively to make sure he really had left and then ran to hide behind another tree, just in case. Then I rested against the bark, still trying to make sense of everything and not quite managing it. In fact, it took me a moment to realize my face was wet, and I thought it might be raining. Then, of course, I figured it was just sweat and reached up to wipe it off. However, as I did so, I realized that my eyes were burning, that my throat was tight, and that my nose was stuffed up. I… was crying. I had been close to crying many times over the past year, but this was the first time I actively cried in… in a very long while. I thought about trying to make myself stop, since things were serious, but instead, I decided to continue hiding and let myself cry.

It was about time I let myself mourn Galle, and mourn all those who had suffered and died, after all.

After I cried myself out, I stumbled my way out of the woods and made my way towards the others, learning that Galle had ordered everyone to leave the city, leaving it free for us to stay in. So, I assisted with moving everything into a large estate that had once belonged to some noble and then, I busied myself tending to the injured, ignoring my throbbing head. I had forgotten that crying lead to headaches; I wondered just why that was. I thought about asking, but there was no time. There were too many wounded to even think about it.

"You know; for some reason, I expected you to look all pretty when you cried," Vala noted sometime later. Since we had been more or less kicked out of the infirmary, she was carefully cleaning my face with a cold cloth while I sipped some headache tea she made me. "Not sure why."

"Ah, Vala, I do so live for your compliments," I muttered, scowling a little. We were seated in a small room not far from the infirmary, just in case someone needed us. "That is the second time I think you have given me one so sweet."

"I think that's the most sarcastic I have ever heard you be." Vala laughed, unbothered. "So, is everything okay? Hezul looked conflicted over something you told him earlier."

"That was…" I bit my lip before sighing and just sipping my tea. During one of my very few breaks, I had told Hezul about the conversation with Galle, though I had made sure to leave out the forceful kiss. I should have made Galle apologize for that while I had him semi-sane. It wasn't appreciated in the least. "Give us a couple of days."

"Of course." Vala smiled warmly and sweet, and I smiled back, relieved. "You know we're here for you, right?"

"Yes, I know. I simply…" I took another sip of my tea. "I need time to process it still."

"Okay." Vala rewet the cloth she was using in a bowl on the table and dabbed around my eyes. I wondered if my face truly so messy before realizing she was helping to reduce the puffiness. "Just making sure."

"I know." I drank more of the tea, gladdened and surprised by how fast it worked. "Besides, I think I am a little too tired and heart-weary to even try to think through it today."

"Now that, I understand all too well." She smiled bitterly. "All too well…"

While thankfully, our 'Resistance group' didn't suffer any major casualties, many of the people we rescued from the torture room had ultimately perished. Heartbreakingly, they had died with smiles, because they were in the sunshine again and surrounded by friendly people. Some, however, survived. Their recoveries would be long, and it was possible their bodies would never be as strong as they once were. But they would live and they could heal. That meant there were going to be many long days ahead for Vala and me, to make sure of it.

"Well, I do believe that's as much as we're going to be able to fix with your face," Vala noted lightly, setting the cloth on the table. Again, I scowled. "What? You're still puffy and all. We'll just say you were heartbroken by the deaths. Gods know many others have cried because of it. I did, way earlier."

"That is not what I am annoyed about," I grumbled. Still, I sighed and finished the tea, setting the cup on the table. "It was the 'fix your face' part."

"Oh. Yeah, that…" She groaned and let her head fall to the table. "I'm tired! I can word properly!"

"I suppose I should be used to your bluntness, by now."

"Hey!"

The two of us teased each other for a while longer before returning to the infirmary to tend to the injured. After a while, though, Vidar chased us out to 'rest for the evening'. Vala tried to argue, but a yawn cut her off mid-word, ruining her argument, so the three of us compromised with 'we will rest, but get us if there is an emergency' and left. I thought about going straight to my room, but then decided it was best to go check on Hezul. Though I knew I couldn't quite explain things to the others yet, Hezul knew and understood the conflicted feelings that spawned from the conversation I had with Galle.

It took me a moment to find him, mostly because I hadn't expected him to be in his room. But, according to Baldur, he was and, sure enough, Baldur was correct. Hezul was in his room, looking out the window. While it had a lovely view of the main square, I had a feeling he wasn't looking at it. No, he was deep in thought and if he 'saw' anything, it was something back in Belhalla, far from view. Still, when I knocked on the doorframe, he turned to smile at me, having known I was there as soon as I opened the door.

"Free from the infirmary?" he asked softly, waving me inside. I made sure to close the door behind me before joining him by the window. "How are you feeling?"

"I have no idea, save 'tired'," I replied honestly. There was no point in hiding it. "How are you?"

"About the same." Hezul played a bit with the hair by my face before looking out the window again. "So, we learned what was going to happen, tried to save Galle, and then Acheron stopped us."

"Yes, if Galle was telling me the truth, that is what happened." We had to consider the possibility that Galle had been trying to manipulate me. Yet, still, there was an ache in my heart, a keening that I couldn't describe. "It fits Acheron, though."

"It certainly does." Hezul sighed and shook his head. "Still… well, this might make me a poor friend and a poorer person, but if Galle wants to die so badly, why doesn't he kill himself?"

"Sadly, I didn't have the presence of mind to ask." Today had been hurricane of a day. "It could be the tome and the 'protection' it gives."

"I suppose that is possible. Could also be that he has tried and the priests saved him or… well, we can speculate all day, but I doubt we'll find the answer to that and why Galle changed so much." He smiled slightly at me, eyes dancing to show he was going to at least attempt to say something ridiculous and joke. "Perhaps Loptyr himself is the one responsible and that is who Galle 'fights'?"

"Oh, don't even joke at such a thing!" I scowled and he laughed. "We have a hard enough time convincing people to fight when it is simply humans and corpses! We don't need them thinking that we are going to fight a god as well!" Though, it did remind me of what Scathach had said, and how Neit had referred to the tome as if it were alive. But how would such a thing work, and why would a god want or need a 'mortal vessel'? It made no sense at all. "Besides, there is no need to pretend a 'dark god' is the only reason a person could turn out so vile. Some people are just cruel."

"True. Take what we saw in the temple. No matter how much we wish to scream otherwise, the priests are human." Hezul shrugged. "Maybe the tome just brought out the worst in Galle, magnified it, and now he…"

"I do believe you just said we could speculate all day and never find the true answer." Shaking my head, I tugged his sleeve to make sure I had his attention and leaned up to kiss him, smiling at how warm and gentle it was. This was a proper kiss. "So, we should simply focus on what we can do. However, I did promise Galle we would kill him."

"That you did, and in a circumstance like this, it does seem to be the only thing we can do for him." He smiled softly and, hesitantly, reached behind me to undo my bun for me. My breath caught at the gesture, and I couldn't help but remember what Dain had said earlier. I knew such a step was far beyond us still, I… "You okay?"

"Yes, I am well." I hesitated a bit before deciding to just make the leap. "Hezul?"

"Hmm?"

"Might we share a room?"

"You… what?" Hezul stared at me dumbfounded for a good three seconds before turning absolutely red. He attempted to hide it behind his hand, but it was a vain effort. I also had to admit that I felt quite a bit of impish delight at making him blush so badly. "You are unexpectedly bold sometimes."

"I suppose. However, you did start it." After all, back in Belhalla, the only 'man' who could undo a lady's hair was her betrothed. Hezul's blush darkened at the reminder. "But may I? We don't have to… you know…" Of course, now I was blushing as well. My mother truly would have killed me for such a… scandal. "I simply wish to wake up beside you, Hezul, and spend more time with you." However, embarrassment made me look down. "If you don't want to, I understand. It is a bold request."

"I don't recall refusing." He tilted my face up and rested his forehead against mine, smiling gently. "It does sound wonderful. Though I do have to wonder why both times meeting Galle has led to some sort of bold action or request."

"Again, this started because of you." I sulked, even scowling a little. I hadn't even made that connection. I supposed it was simply seeing Galle reminded me of how much I had changed, and reminded me of how strong my feelings were for Hezul. "However, you can make the next bold request, if you would like."

"That sounds like a challenge." He smirked and leaned in a little closer, just barely not kissing me. It was enough to make my mind go a little numb, and frustrated me. "I wonder if I should take it or not."

"You are teasing me now."

"Perhaps." Still, he kissed me, and I swore my entire body buzzed with happiness. "Your room or mine?"

"Which of us has less stuff again?" I smiled lazily at him, giggling. "I am afraid my mind is a little too numb to think."

"Probably me." He kissed my cheek and pulled away. "Let's move my things, then."

It was horribly embarrassing when Baldur saw us bringing Hezul's things into my room, though it was even worse when Noba learned about it the next morning, because that led to everyone finding out. That wasn't bad in of itself, but it did lead me to spend a good couple of hours listening to Skadi lecture on safe sex and the like before she helped me with my archery. I swore I would die from embarrassment! But I couldn't help but be a little happy as well, because it was another sign that we were both healing and moving on.

Still, I believed I would leave the next move to him, whatever it might be. It would be fun.

Our Family

Gwyneth

21 years old

Class: Shaman; Weapons: Fire - B, Thunder - B, Wind - B, Light - A, Staves - A; (Axes - D, Swords - C, Lances - D, Bows - D)

Skills: Paragon, Critical

Worried about the others and how they are faring, since they are being exposed to more and more of the Empire's darker sides. However, she's not certain how to ask what's wrong or how to offer help, which makes her feel like a poor friend.

Feels surprisingly lighter after crying, and feels even more resolved than ever before. That said, she feels quite bitter over the situation with Galle, and how Acheron stole away their one chance to truly save him.

Hezul

22 years old

Class: Paladin (dismounted); Weapons: Sword - A, Lances - B

Skills: Pursuit, Ambush, Wrath

Isn't really sure what to feel about the revelations Galle told Gwyneth, but he does think it's darkly amusing that he, who was charged to protect Galle, apparently failed when it mattered most

Wishes he could be as shaken as the others were in the torture chamber, but he'd seen far worse in Belhalla, due to being Galle's bodyguard. None of these ones were crushed into paste, for one thing.

Noba

20 years old

Class: Soldier; Weapons: Lances - A

Skills: Adept, Nihil

Keeps quiet about the whole 'memory thing' that she overheard because she's believes Gwyneth and Hezul should tell the others when they are comfortable. But the whole idea makes her uneasy and she fears that if they are captured, they'll have their memories wiped and be forced to fight former friends

Though she hides it, she's been having horrible nightmares and has had trouble sleeping. She's still certain that their path is the correct one, but seeing just how horrible their enemies can be has definitely rattled her.

Baldur

22 years old

Class: Mercenary; Weapons: Swords - A

Skills: Charisma, Pursuit

Feels uneasy about carrying the Loptyr tome, not the least because he swears it wants to eat him or something. But he bites back his nerves because they really need to keep it on them at all times. He dares not think of what will happen if their enemies retrieve it.

Does his best to keep the injured laughing, normally with silly tales and pranks. Laughter, after all, is the best of medicines and it's the only kind he knows how to give.

Dain (and Freya)

23 years old

Class: Dragon Lord; Weapons: Lances - A, Swords - C

Skills: Pursuit, Adept, Nihil

Surprisingly adept at flying, and even more surprisingly, he enjoys it far more than he'd ever expect. There is a freedom to it that he loves, and he half-wishes he could just pick up everyone and fly far away, leaving the rest of the world to deal with the mess. However, he knows that they have to see things through.

Still isn't quite sure what to do with Freya, but that's mostly because Freya is so affectionate. Like a big dog, but one big enough to crush him. And he's never been a 'pet' person, really. Not that Freya is a 'pet', by any means.

Vala; Fjalar

18 years old

Class: Fire Mage; Weapons: Fire - A; (Swords - C, Thunder - D, Wind - D)

Skills: Wrath, Miracle

Half wonders if she should learn staves, but decides against it because she'd rather learn more ways to kill the people who inflicted the wounds. Despite knowing medicinal herbs, she thinks she's better suited protecting people in that fashion

Wasn't truly startled by the torture chamber, but bitterly resigned. She almost burned the entire place, though, remembering that her brother had once been in a place like that, broken and healed repeatedly until he babbled out whatever they wanted to hear

Our Allies

Vidar

22 years old

Class: Dragon Lord; Weapons: Lances - B, Swords - B

Despite being a veteran of many battles, he froze when he saw the insides of the torture chamber because it was far beyond his wildest nightmares. That Dain and his group could react… it sorrows him, and yet, makes him even more inclined to trust them.

Handles patrols and tries to contact the northern Resistances, hoping they can find out where this 'sister ritual' is and stop it before it's too late.

Skadi

Unknown age; appears 30

Class: Sniper, Weapons: Bow - A

Insisted on teaching Gwyneth archery because she was almost offended by how bad Gwyneth was at it. She also uses the opportunity to tease the girl, and the others in her little family, just as an older sister would

Despite her carefreeness, she's very knowledgeable on many things, to the point that everyone is certain she is much older than she looks. No one is knows by how much, though, and no one is brave enough to ask her to her face

Author's note: Well, this was a fun little chapter to write. 'Quintessence' is mentioned in a one-off description for how the Valkyrie staff works in FE4, but plays a huge part in Fe7's plot. So, the description of 'drawn out death' and it yielding more power and the like comes from my Elibe series (as I don't think that particular part of it is mentioned in game; it might also only be mentioned in A Thief's Testimony).

Next Chapter - Mease