With its size making it difficult to scout, and its inhospitality making it a challenge to secure, the Ylissean Badlands had been known as an Arch Surg stronghold since its creation. For years the rebels had made camps and forts throughout the area. Supplies necessary to live in such an arid wasteland were sent through convoys travelling from the few major settlements the Arch Surg controlled, purchased through third parties, or stolen from the Grimleal. None of these methods could be relied on for permanent sustenance, so Arch Surg camps were made to be quickly abandoned if necessary. The Grimleal officers often compared the situation to a cockroach infestation. Much like how roaches would flee whenever one entered a room, the Arch Surg could easily be driven from individual areas, but they would always scurry to somewhere else in the badlands.

Fort Morgan, however, was an exception to this doctrine. Named after someone that had once been very close to Archangel, the fort was built to last. The settlement was very close to Death Valley, where the badlands first started to spread from after Grima unleashed its blight upon the world. This was where the badlands were at their worst. There was virtually no vegetation of any kind, water was scarce, and the rocky outcroppings were so severe that many areas could not be traversed on foot. The Arch Surg could only maintain the fort through long supply lines, and even then the settlement was often running on a skeleton crew, but the trade off was a kind of natural protection. The Grimleal never ventured this far into the region. Even though their forces had long known about Nowi Falls, the Grimleal had yet to know about Fort Morgan.

At the center of the fort was a small keep. It was the only building in the settlement besides the walls and prison constructed from stone, and it even had its own set of walls. Keith took up residence here, but he wasn't currently in the actual tower. The Justicar's attention was focused on a solid metal box in the keep's courtyard. The box was about the size of a prison cell, and it featured small barred windows to allow air in. The box also had hooks attached to it at the top. Other than all that, the construction had no defining features besides a door. This too was solid metal, and it was designed to be locked from the outside. Two armed guards stood in front of it, and they stepped out of Keith's way as he unlocked the door and stepped inside the box.

Just barely visible through liberally applied chains, bindings, and restraints was the face of the Voice of Naga. Tiki had mostly recovered from the drugs the Arch Surg used to incapacitate her, but she was still a little out of it. She barely brought her head up to look at Keith as he entered her new home, little more than a glorified cage. "Hmm. Wha? Mar-Mar?"

Keith straightened his posture, but a look of confusion crept underneath his ever present mask. "Excuse me?"

Tiki squinted at the figure she was talking to. For an instant, in her haze, she thought she was looking at her old friend and ally. She shook those thoughts from her head and remembered that Lucina was a different person, but then she realized that even this was wrong. Though her time with the Shepherds had gone by in the blink of an eye from her own point of view, it had been quite a while for everyone else. She struggled to think clearly through the foggy state she was in, and she remembered that even Lucina was gone now. This man was someone else entirely. "Oh. It's you."

"Do you know who I am?"

"I have heard stories of the Archanean Liberation Front. People speak of a one armed woman with wings like those from a Pegasus, former Valmese generals from Walhart's empire, and even of a Plegian dark mage using a curse to force people into serving, but nothing caught my attention more than the tales of a young officer with a great love for the twice born princess. I guess it's fitting. Lucina very badly wanted to be like a hero from the past that inspired her. Now she too has gone on to inspire others. Of course… I'm not sure she intended anyone to honor her quite like you do."

"I seek only to inspire."

"Where did you even learn so much about her?"

"Shepherd's Folly. It's where they actually died. Over the years people have travelled to Shepherd's Folly to contribute to a memorial in their honor. Now you can learn all about them from there. I stumbled upon that memorial after I was left to die in the wilderness. From her story, I learned that anyone can fight for a better world. It doesn't matter how bad things are. The future is not written."

Tiki briefly struggled against her many bonds, but she quickly realized that they wouldn't budge. "That sounds very noble, but how does this better future include doing this to me? To Chrom and Ophelia? To everyone?!"

Keith seemed somewhat remorseful beneath that mask. He looked down, and his voice became softer. "I just want to say that I am a crusader for Naga, just as the Future Witness was before me. You are the Voice of Naga. Like your mother, you have helped to fight for humanity's future. We, all of us, owe you a debt that can never be repaid." Tiki looked at Keith cautiously, fearing where he was going. "But… my kind faces a greater threat to its existence than anything we have ever seen. The Fell Dragon is destroying our very planet, and the Grimleal, race traitors all of them, poisons us and weakens us. Some of them may think that serving the Fell Dragon is necessary to save us, but they are really ensuring that we are too weak to rise up. They are keeping us stunted so that when Grima is ready to destroy us, we will die already on our knees. We have to defeat them. The Archanean Liberation Front is the future of the human condition… but we need money."

"Money?"

"War costs money. Supplies, salaries, weapons, ships, we cannot continue to fight without these things." Keith stepped closer to Tiki. "The Grimleal have a bounty on your head. They've had it for years, and it has only gotten higher. If we turn you over to them, they will pay thirty million gold. That money could secure our fight against the Grimleal!"

Tiki slowly shook her head as a fear beyond almost anything she had ever known began to consume her. She could barely manage to choke out words. "You… you would give me to the Fell Dragon?!"

"We'll have a third party complete the exchange, and the money will slowly enter our treasury through untraceable means. Your sacrifice will allow us to save our race. Your mother would be proud."

Keith spoke with a calm tone, and it only horrified Tiki. The way he said the last words in particular made her realize that Keith truly believed in what he said. He really thought he was somehow following in her mother's legacy. "Please!" She tried to say as calmly as she could, but it was hard to hide the fear in her voice as her mind thought of what Grima wanted her for. "You say that you're following in the legacies of heroes! You say that you want to serve Naga! How can that possibly include doing this to me?! Whatever the Fell Dragon wants from me, it cannot be good for humanity!"

Keith was unmoved. "Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. Again, we all owe you a debt that can never be repaid."

Tiki tried to stay calm. She didn't allow herself to pointlessly struggle against her bonds or panic, but she found that her last attempts to reason with Keith as he walked away were more desperate than she intended. "Please don't do this! You could unleash horrors on the world if Grima had access to my power! I-I can help you! Please! DON'T!" Keith simply stepped outside the box and had the door sealed behind him, leaving Tiki with nothing but the small amount of light entering through the tiny barred windows. She hung her head and took deep breaths. "Mother. Please."

Within the keep itself, Vasto, Algol, and Pheros passed the time by playing a card game. The three had been willing to play for coin, and most of the gold pile was on Vasto's side of the table. Pheros and Algol were far less enthusiastic than he was. "Ha ha! I'm getting extra rations tonight! Meat is back on the menu boys!" Vasto said in an excited tone.

Pheros groaned and ran her hand along the side of her face. "Ugh. There goes my bonus. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to worry about money at all." Pheros leaned back in her chair and took a swig from a beer she had on the table. "You know, the Justicar asked me something the other day. He asked me what I would do if I had a million gold. I told him I would focus on helping the Archanean Liberation Front. I'd make sure our soldiers were properly supplied and equipped, and I'd work on improving the settlements we control. If we have a solid base, then we can expand from there."

Algol snickered. "Ha! I bet he ate that up. I'd say that to him to."

"I meant my answer, Algol."

"Whatever. Personally if I had a million gold, I'd hire mages from all over the land to help me with my necromancy."

"So you'd use the money for selfish gain?"

"Hey I'd be able to help the army more if I was stronger. What about you, Vasto? What would you do with a million gold?"

Vasto took a sip from his own beer and thought about it. "Hmm. What would I do with a million gold? I'd say… two wenches at the same time."

Pheros glared at him. "That's it?!"

"You want me to ask for more? You mean what like three wenches at the same time? I'm not going to lie, I don't think I have the stamina for that anymore." Vasto leaned back. "Yep. Wenches dig guys with money. They don't double up on middle aged guys like me."

Pheros shook her head and groaned. "It's a thought exercise, Vasto. The question is supposed to show how you think and how you plan for things."

"Aw come on. None of us really know what we'd do if we suddenly had that much money. In the meantime I'll just focus on the money I'm taking from you now."

Pheros glanced back to her drink. "That's what I get for gambling I suppose. I was having a good day too. Chrom and his companions were captured, and I just learned that Archangel herself is paying us a visit. This will make us look good in her eyes."

Vasto looked up at Pheros as he pulled his gold pile closer to him. "What do you have against Chrom anyways? I'm honestly not fond of how the Justicar has been treating him."

Algol looked up from his cards. "Don't get Pheros started on Chrom."

"What?" Vasto glanced back to Pheros to see that her expression had soured, to where he realized that her feelings on the card game were much milder in comparison. Pheros leaned back in her seat and took a sip from her beer.

"Let me ask you something Vasto, why would I like him? Why would anyone like him?"

Vasto knew that Pheros was trying to lead somewhere, but the question seemed innocent enough to him. "Well I kind of think he's a hero. He fought the Grimleal thirty years ago, and he helped people."

"For the Earth Mother's sake, Vasto, how does that make him a hero? A lot of people fought the Grimleal. Even Gangrel fought the Grimleal at first. Nowadays anyone who breaks the law is technically fighting against the Grimleal. Rapists and pickpockets and tax evaders are fighting against the Grimleal in a sense. Being willing to help others is just having empathy. I'm not going to call him a hero because he passes these really low bars for basic human decency. He's just an inbred, bourgeoisie parasite."

"Inbred?!"

"Think about it. When was the last time you saw a peasant with that kind of blue hair color? It's a recessive trait that his family passes down only because there's very little diversity in the blood pool."

"That's… that's ridiculous!" Vasto set down his cards, and Algol wasted no time in glancing at them. He scowled as he realized he was going to lose again. "I don't think your opinions on him are fair. He's a hero! He fights bad guys!"

Pheros' eye twitched, and Algol groaned. "Oh. Now you've done it."

"He fights bad guys?!" Pheros almost roared as she rose to her feet. "That's nonsensical. He's an enforcer for the feudal regime! Who did he fight? Huh?! Who did he fight?! He fought against brigands and pirates. He fought against the Grimleal. He fought against the armies of Plegia and Valm. Sure those enemies could be dangerous to the people of Ylisse, but he was really fighting enemies of the state. He didn't fight against the enemies of the people! The problems that they would deal with on a daily basis! He didn't fight to stop poverty, starvation, the corruption of the landed elite, or the feudal system that repressed people and kept them from being able to move up through society. It's easy to fight crime, but it's hard to address the economic inequalities that cause people to turn to crime. It's easy to destroy the armies of other countries to bring peace, but it's hard to realize that governments and borders inherently lead to war, and that the only way to permanently achieve peace is to unite our species under one government. A government that would represent all the people, and would be lead by a monarch that rose to the position through strength and merit, not because they inherited it! He's a hero, but not a hero of the people. He's a hero of an aristocratic elite that is built on the backs of the working class! He never did anything to help the masses! His story is a tale of privilege. He couldn't have done any of the things he did if he hadn't been born to the royal family. From the day he was born people just threw themselves at his feet for the slightest glance of his attention, and his warmongering, imperialistic father was proud of him simply because he wanted to take up the Falchion and kill people just as he did. As soon as he becomes a man, he uses his power and privilege to create a citizen militia that was loyal only to him. It had no oversight. Even Emmeryn didn't control it directly. He went wherever he wanted, and he killed whoever he wanted. Yes he fought against dangerous criminals, but nothing would have stopped him if he decided to start raping and pillaging. There was no accountability whatsoever! Nothing kept his militia in check except for his own personal morality. A military is built on discipline, but his militia had no oversight! None! He was a rich and powerful man, born into privilege, that went around with an army that did whatever he wanted killing poor people because he believed that the greatest threats to the common man came from obvious problems like brigands and pirates, and not from more complicated social issues like income inequality, the corruption of a feudal system, or having a small group of elites that hoarded wealth, influence, and education to control the masses. He's a conservative wet dream. I mean forming a personal army loyal only to you because you disagree with the government's pacifistic policies and leading that army around with no government oversight whatsoever? Having that army revolve entirely around you, doing whatever you say because they're so obsessed with you, and even marrying a woman from your army? It's a teenaged boy's juvenile ego trip. He was not a hero! He was nothing more than an inbred, blue blooded, bourgeoisie, libertarian, conservative, feudalistic, warmongering male power fantasy!"

Vasto stared blankly at Pheros as she took heavy breaths. There was a long period of silence before he could bring himself to speak. "Yeesh, Pheros! I'm surprised you still have any blonde hairs left with all that stress you're keeping inside you."

Pheros sat back down and rubbed her forehead. "Yeah well, I do find new gray hairs every once in awhile."

Keith walked in before the three could return to their card game, and they scrambled to stand at attention. Keith wasted no time in issuing his commands. "Vasto! I need you. Assemble your wyvern riders and meet me outside the keep."

"Wh-what? Now?"

"Yes now."

"Can it wait a few minutes?"

"No."

Vasto tried to pocket his gold, but Algol slammed his fist on the table. "Hey! If you're leaving then you forfeit your gold!"

"I won it fair and square!"

"You're leaving in the middle of the game, so you didn't win anything!"

Keith choked back his growing frustration. He never allowed himself any such vices, and he barely tolerated it among his subordinates. "I need him now, Algol! Just let him take his winnings so he can get moving!"

"Ha!" Vasto quickly pocketed his gold and followed the Justicar out of the room. Algol sank back into his chair.

"Well there he goes with our money. This is your fault, Pheros! You probably attracted the Justicar with your talk about populism and the feudal regime and all that crap. Political extremists always congregate around arguments like that, just as flies always find their way to dung."

Pheros finished off her beer. "You know what, Algol? I'm not going to take that from a man in his sixties that doesn't wear a shirt."

Keith lead Vasto back to Tiki's cell. "It's time, Vasto. Take Tiki to the rendezvous point. We'll exchange her with the third party, and they'll begin the process of collecting the bounty."

"Wait, what? I'm supposed to move her now? How can I move that thing?"

"That is a mobile cell. See those hooks along the top? Tie ropes to them, and then attach those ropes to your wyverns. You should be able to airlift it out of here."

"What?! You want my wyvern riders to literally fly her out?"

"That thing isn't fitting on a carriage."

"Can't we just move her like we would a normal human being?!"

"She's not a normal human being now is she?! She's very powerful. I'm not going to take that chance. She can't escape this way, and no one will be able to intercept you."

Vasto looked solemnly at the mobile cell, knowing what was inside of it. "This… this doesn't feel right, Justicar. Tiki has done great things for humanity. She's the daughter of Naga! This is horrible!"

Keith stepped towards Vasto. It's possible that he was trying to be reassuring, but his tone and body language came across as threatening. "We need that money. Think of how many soldiers we could save. Think of all the Archanean Liberation Front soldiers who have had to abandon positions because they didn't have the supplies to maintain them. Think of all the soldiers we've lost because they were completely outgunned. Think of how effective we could be if the average soldier had grenades, firearms, steel weapons and armor, and tomes instead of spears, short swords, and repurposed civilian equipment. Think of how many more wyvern riders we could get. Think of all the fortifications we could make for our settlements. How many lives we could save. Think of all the major cities we could capture from the Grimleal. Think of all the plants and animals we could import from areas where they're not extinct. Think of all the soldiers fighting on empty stomachs that could be fed. We need to do this. The hopes and dreams of all the Archanean Liberation Front rest on your shoulders."

Vasto thought about it and slowly nodded. "It will be done, Justicar."

Vasto and his wyvern riders finished their preparations after about an hour. They tied the mobile cell to ten wyverns, and they slowly but surely began to fly away with it. Vasto and the rest of his wyvern riders escorted them as they departed.

Outside of the keep's walls, in Fort Morgan's main courtyard, Mustafa stood over a group of recruits. He carefully watched as they struck at wooden dummies with their melee weapons, and he was quick to lecture them if he had issue with their form. He did praise them if he thought that they were improving, but this happened only rarely. They were but recruits after all. A young woman in particular struggled to hold her sword. After accidentally letting go of it in mid swing, she finally went up to Mustafa in frustration. Mustafa was a strict teacher, and his physical appearance often made him seem intimidating. The woman was dwarfed by him, but Mustafa tried to put on a kind and sympathetic smile. He wanted his troops to feel that they could always come to him.

"Mustafa, sir." The woman panted. "This bites! I don't want to be a foot soldier! I'm not made for this kind of thing!"

"Fear not. Wars are not won by soldiers, but by entire militaries. There are always other roles we could find for you."

"Then why do I need to learn combat training?"

"We all need to be able to defend ourselves. If your position is attacked, you must contribute to its defense, as well as to your own safety."

"I can't do this! My arms are going to fall off!"

Mustafa nodded his head to reassure the recruit, but he was actually considering the situation. "How about this. If you can give me thirty push ups, right now, then everyone is done for the day."

The other recruits overheard the conversation and started to yell at the woman. Some shouted words of encouragement. Others barked and spat out considerably less friendly words. Everyone wanted her to succeed though. She gave a determined look and attempted the endeavor, but the already exhausted woman only made it to nineteen before giving up. Her comrades jeered at her, but Mustafa silenced them by raising his arm. "I… this isn't fair!"

"Ah but see how close you were? Though you claimed to be devoid of strength, you were able to perform beyond the limitations you set for yourself through determination. Such is combat training. You may not see yourself as a warrior, but through determination you can find a greater power than what you have now. You must find that inner resolve. With it you will be able to further our cause, and with soldiers like that our victory will be guaranteed." Mustafa turned to see Henry walking towards him, smiling as always. Mustafa had always liked Henry. He reminded him of his long deceased son, and being around him had always helped to make his death less painful. Being with Henry and Vasto now also reminded Mustafa of what things had been like before the Fell Dragon destroyed the old world. "Ah, Henry!" Having heard stories of his capabilities, and of the things he had done to prisoners, the recruits all backed away from Henry, but Mustafa approached him eagerly. He walked a few meters away and retrieved a small sack lying next to his axe. He handed it to Henry. "You asked before if I had any peaches? You know it's becoming harder and harder to requisition these, but I know how much you liked them."

"Hey! Thanks!" Henry took them and enthusiastically weighed them. "Just like old times!"

"Yes, Henry. Being around you always reminds me of better days."

"You mean being in Gangrel's army? Back when he was just a king instead of an emperor?"

"Not necessarily, but definitely before the Grimleal took over the world. So what can I do for you?"

Henry's smile faded slightly as he thought about what happened with Ophelia. "Well… remember how my wife and son died with the other Shepherds?" He said in a softer tone than usual.

"Yes. I… I'm sorry. Did Chrom remind you of them?"

"It's more than that. That mage. Ophelia. She's my granddaughter, remember? I thought I was alone… again… but then she shows up. Now I want to get to know her. To be there for her." Henry looked down. "Owain always talked about how he lost me when he was still young. Now Ophelia is already an adult, and I wasn't able to be there for her either. I… i just want to help her. To be part of her life."

Mustafa had known many soldiers in his time, and he seen many of them lose loved ones. It was something he was hardened towards, but that bitter feeling in the pit of his stomach he felt when he listened to their stories never went away. "That's very noble, Henry. I'm glad you found someone in the end, and I'm glad you're trying to be with your family now."

"Well that's the thing." Henry rubbed the back of his head. "I want to be with my granddaughter, but she's kind of afraid of me."

"Afraid of you? Did you do something horrible in front of her? Did you curse one of her friends or melt a guard?"

"What? No! I haven't melted anyone in days! I just wanted to make a connection with her, so I told her about what you can do with dark magic. She's very skilled with it. I can sense it in her. If she let me train her, I could make her a really great dark mage! I just wanted to inspire her by sharing some of my best curses, but she became afraid for some reason. I have no idea why!"

Mustafa thought of his words carefully. "Henry… you've always been different. You're a brilliant soldier, and you take life so easily, but you don't do it out of malice. Remember what I told you all those years ago?"

"I remind you of your son?"

"No. Not that."

"Don't buy birdhouses from Campari?"

"No."

"Ylisse hates it when we practice spells on their villagers?"

"No! People don't like it when you show just how easy killing and violence comes to you. Your granddaughter might have been horrified by the curses you told her about."

"So I've… lost her?"

"Not necessarily." Mustafa put his hand on Henry's shoulder. "You're her family. You say that she's all you have left, but she probably doesn't have anyone either. I'm sure she wants to be with you. You just have to show her that you really care."

Henry perked up. "I think I know how to do that. Thanks, Mustafa. I feel a lot better now."

Mustafa gave a heartfelt smile, happy to know that he had helped somehow. "Of course."

"She stopped talking to me after I told her about the curse I used to force people into serving the Arch Surg, so I'll just undo it. Then all the people I slowly tortured into being loyal soldiers would be free, and I'd be showing her that I do care about her. On top of that, the freed soldiers will surely be upset, and they'll probably attack everyone else in the Fort. I get to make up with my granddaughter, and I get to watch a lot of killing. This is going to be a great day!" Henry casually picked up the sack of peaches and walked away while humming to himself. Mustafa didn't put too much thought into his exact words until he had already left.

"Wait what? Curse that forced people to join the Archanean Liberation Front? Undoing it? Angry soldiers attacking the fort? Oh gods. What exactly did you do to be made an officer, Henry?"

Back in their stone cell, Ophelia and Caeldori tended to Soleil. There was little they could do for her with whatever was available to them. Even Caeldori had no idea how to treat her. Soleil seemed to display symptoms of going into shock, but it was her very life energy, rather than blood, that her body had lost. Ophelia and Caeldori just tried to make her as comfortable as possible, and eventually her body recovered on its own. After a terrifying hour of unconsciousness or spasming, Soleil finally opened her eyes again. Her eyes were drawn to Caeldori, and slowly her smile returned. Caeldori smiled back. She tried to stay stoic as always, but the joy and relief she was suppressing made her voice quiet and high pitched. "Thank gods. Don't ever scare us like that again."

Soleil's voice was weak, but she managed a response. "You… took care of me?"

"Of course."

"Mmm. Will you put on a nurse's outfit for me then?"

Caeldori attempts to struggle back her feelings became more genuine, and her smile became much less pronounced. "Yeah. She's back to normal alright."

"Please tell me you're okay!" Ophelia asked, trying but failing to hide the urgency in her voice. Soleil tried to speak more confidently, but she was too weak to arise her voice.

"Hrng. Gods, ah. I'm, I'm fine. Really. What happened to me?"

"That dark mage did something to you." Caeldori responded. She rubbed her face, as if guilty that he had sacrificed Soleil for her. "He said it was dark healing. He healed some of my injuries. The ones that a healing staff couldn't fix. They didn't even scar."

"But what did he do to me?"

Ophelia hung her head. "He said that dark healing needed a sacrifice. He drained energy or, or something from you to heal Caeldori. He said you'd be fine, but I can't believe he'd just do that to you. To anyone."

Soleil struggled to sit up, and Caeldori helped her sit against the wall. "Isn't that man your grandfather?"

"Yeah. He said I inherited an affinity for dark magic." Ophelia looked down at her hands, staring at them like they were dangerous weapons. "I don't want to be a dark mage. Not if it means doing things like that to people. I want to use magic to help."

"But dark magic can be used to help people. I helped your friend didn't I? Her face isn't as red as her hair anymore."

The girls looked up to see Henry smiling at them through the bars. None of them were happy to see him. "Go away! What do you want with us?!" Ophelia yelled. Henry's expression didn't change.

"I just want to help you guys. You're my granddaughter." Henry looked over to Soleil and Caeldori. "And you're my granddaughter's friends, and the grandchildren of my old friends. It's like we're meant to be together!" Henry and the girls looked over at the sound of an armored man sprinting towards the cell. He stopped to catch his breath after reaching the cell, and he tried to look intimidating as Henry walked over to him.

"Hey, *pant* st-stop! Damn it! Stop!"

"Oh hey there. I haven't seen you since the last time I visited my granddaughter and her friends. How's it going?"

"You know you're not supposed to be down here, Henry! The Justicar doesn't want you near prisoners unless he authorizes it. You and Algol have a real problem with keeping prisoners alive."

"I'm not going to kill these ones!"

Soleil rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah no. No he would never hurt us. I can't imagine why anyone would think that."

"You need to leave!" The guard readied his weapon. "And don't think you can melt my armor again! Pheros put a ward on it, so your curses won't work. You'll also be reprimanded for what happened!"

"You're right. I can tell my curses won't work on you." Henry drew a tome. "But that doesn't mean I can't hurt you the old fashioned way." Henry flicked his wrist, and a lightning bolt tore through the man. He fell over gurgling and spasming. "Ha! Oh this day isn't turning out so bad after all!"

The girls stared blankly at the man's corpse. "Err-" Soleil choked out as she rose to her feet. "You guys saw that right?!"

Henry walked back to the bars, an innocent smile still on his face. He didn't seem to care that the girls were now terrified of him. "So anyways, dark magic can help people."

Ophelia put on a brave face and stepped towards Henry. "Please. Leave us alone."

"But we're family!"

"You hurt Soleil, and you just murdered a man in front of us! Please. Leave."

"Wait! Look I've been thinking about our earlier conversation. I realize now that you're scared of me because of that curse I told you about. The one where I can mentally torture people into thinking anything?"

"And because you just murdered a man!" Caeldori shouted back.

"AND BECAUSE YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!" Soleil added.

"I did that to fix your friend's face! I thought you'd be happy? Anyways, I know how to make it up to you."

Ophelia was unmoved. "Leave!"

"Wait hold on!" Henry raised his hand, and a strange bluish-white light began to circle around it. The light was incredibly bright, but it was also eerie to look at. Staring at it filled the girls with a sickly feeling. "That curse wasn't permanent! I can reverse it. I really want to help you guys. If you don't think using that curse was the right think to do, then I'll undo it. Right now."

"You can… do that?"

"Yeah. Everyone in the Fort will be freed. They'll be able to think about other things again."

"You would really do that for us?"

"I want to be with you!" Henry looked down, and his smile seemed to fade slightly. "All my life I've been told that I was different. I see now that I just have a hard time seeing when I'm scaring people, or when I've done something horrible. It doesn't help that I grew up in a violent time period. Chrom and Lissa's father was waging his crusade against Plegia when I was growing up, and Gangrel rose to power by promising to make Plegia strong enough to resist Ylissean attacks. Dark mages were in high demand. I promise that dark magic can be used to help people. It's just that when I was young, people only wanted me to kill. I was good at it, it's fun, and I wasn't close to anyone." Henry looked Ophelia in the eyes. "When I met your grandmother, I found someone that I could really connect with. She was comfortable around me, and she wasn't scared of me, even after I told her that I killed birds for her."

"What?!"

"I'll tell you later. I loved her. She made me realize what had been missing in my life. I want to be with my family now. I… I couldn't always be there for Owain in his timeline, and now I see that you grew up without me. I really want to help you. I want to be part of your life. I'm sorry if I did something that made you afraid I'd hurt you."

"You did hurt me!" Soleil yelled.

"I was trying to help! I didn't mean to hurt you." Henry closed his fist, and the light around his hand became blinding for a few seconds. "There. The curse is lifted. All the soldiers in the Fort I tortured into joining are free."

Ophelia wasn't sure what to think. She turned back to Soleil and Caeldori. Soleil was still angry. Caeldori clearly didn't trust him, but she was more unsure. "This could be our only way out, Ophelia."

Ophelia turned back to her grandfather. "Thank you. Wait… how do we know you actually did anything?"

"Well the soldiers are able to remember their past lives now, so they'll remember that they were cursed. They'll probably be mad, like shoot up the place mad. About a third of all the soldiers here will lashing out at anything and everything pretty soon. It'll be a bloodbath! Neat huh?"

"Gods?!"

"Don't worry. It'll take time before they realize that the mental pain they always feel when think about anything but the Arch Surg is gone. We should have time to escape." Henry reached out his arm, and the cell door began to groan and shake. He moved his hand, and the hinges were destroyed with the horrible screech of metal being pulled and rended apart. Henry then telekinetically gripped the cell door and swung it outwards. "Wait, escape is what you wanted right?"

"Uhh-" Ophelia struggled to speak, as she was now as amazed and exited as she was scared. "Yes." She said in a flat and shocked tone.

"Oh that's good. I wouldn't want to break the cell door for no reason." Henry and the girls turned to see two soldiers running at the group. Their weapons were drawn, and they didn't look like they were interested in speaking. The girls tensed up and readied themselves, but Henry just nodded his head. The first soldier's throat suddenly exploded in a mess of blood, and he fell over gurgling for only a few seconds before dying. Other than the Tunneller attack on Veslil, Ophelia didn't think she'd ever seen something more disturbing in her life, or at least until Henry nodded his head again and made the second soldier spontaneously combust. Her body erupted into flame and ruptured.

"Gods!" Caeldori exclaimed. Soleil stepped closer to Ophelia.

"Err, can you do that?"

"No!"

Henry overheard and turned around. "But she could." He smiled warmly and held out his hand. "If she let me show her."