"What is your angle, Felix?" Ashton finally asked, after several days of travel.

They had made good progress over less than a week, a benefit of being a small group. Even if they were in Imperial territory, nobody would be liable to recognize any of them so long as they maintained a low profile. Which meant Felix and Catherine in particular would need to keep their 'Hero' Relics under wraps; even the most isolated of peasants would be struck by the way the weapons looked, even if they didn't know what they were.

The group had made camp in a small field between the trees. Not much cover was around, but they were able to maintain a good lookout on the surrounding prairies. It was there that Ashton finally decided to begin speaking to some of his companions, starting with the aloof dark-haired swordsman.

Felix had been sitting down and sharpening his silver blade when he looked up with narrowed red eyes. "There are better ways to begin a conversation."

"Yes, but I can tell that both of us hold no love for needless small talk, so I thought it wise to just come out with it," Ashton said. "Leonie is here because she seeks the bow of Saint Indech, Catherine is here to protect Flayn and help in the rescue of Rhea, and Flayn is here to help me find my son. You are the only one that I know not the reason for being here. Besides fighting strong opponents, that is."

"Do you really have nothing better to do with your time?" Felix muttered, turning away.

"The camp is set," Ashton replied, crossing his arms. "And we will not travel again until the morning. I do, indeed, have nothing better to do than probe you for answers."

Felix scoffed while shaking his head. "Was my explanation not good enough for you, then?"

"It is not about being 'not good enough'. I just know there must be a better one," Ashton said.

Felix stood up, his sword still in hand as he placed the whetstone he had been using to the side. "What if I told you that the boar prince and I used to be friends? That I used to be friends with Ingrid and Sylvain, as well?"

"I would believe you," Ashton said.

"That makes this easier then," Felix said, "because maybe then you will understand why I did not want to stay. Seeing the boar act the animal I always knew him to be - I thought I would revel in being right, but I don't feel that way at all. It's sad, is what it is. I'm sick of looking at him, watching him scurry around the monastery like a rat. Maybe I wanted to believe that some semblance of honor still existed inside him, but that was a fool's hope. I hate honor, but it would be better than this."

"So, you are running away," Ashton murmured, "we are more alike than I realized."

"Call it whatever you want. If the boar is to recover, then he could stand to be around me less," Felix said, scowling.

Ashton tilted his head. "Do you think he is capable of such?"

Felix shrugged. "I don't know. If he is, then we'll hear about it soon enough, and if he isn't, I imagine we'll hear about his untimely and vicious death within the moon."

"A rough, but understandable position. You are, or were, his friend, yes? How has he come to be this way? What happened?" Ashton asked.

Felix looked away again. "Do you know anything about the Tragedy of Duscur?"

"I do not even know what 'Duscur' is," Ashton replied.

Felix let out a humorless chuckle. "I'd say that it's ridiculous that you don't, but you're likely the only person on the continent who has a good reason for not knowing. It was an event in a small independent nation of Duscur to the far north, on a peninsula isolated from Faerghus by a small mountain range. The late king was convening a summit with its leaders when he and his entire retinue were beset upon by assassins."

Ashton let out a breath. "It did not end well, did it?"

Felix scoffed. "It wouldn't be called a tragedy if it did. The boar was the only survivor, alongside his old hound, Dedue. Dedue's gone, and Dimitri's the way that he is, all because of that day."

"The King of Faerghus decided to bring his young child along?" Ashton asked incredulously. "I assume he was a young child, at least."

"As far as I know, it was a show of good faith. Why would the king start a crisis with his own family at the forefront? Didn't stop others, though," Felix replied. "In any event, Duscur was scoured in retribution, and that's that. An entire people wiped off the map in order to satisfy Faerghus' honorable need for retribution, regardless of whether it was their fault or not. The entire kingdom is still reeling from that blow."

Ashton went silent after that. He let out a sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "People truly never change, do they? I thought it was the way of all societies to change for the needs of its people as time went on, but I see that things have only gotten worse since last I walked these lands. This sickens me."

"You're not the only one," Felix snorted.

"I thank you for sharing this with me, Felix," Ashton said, nodding. "You did not have to, but you did, and I appreciate it. I will not ask anymore questions. And… perhaps I was too harsh on the prince, during the battle of Garreg Mach."

Felix pressed his lips together. "I heard about that. I don't blame you for speaking out; it was about time someone said something, besides me."

"Even still, I should not lose my head so easily," Ashton said, running a hand through his hair as he turned away. "Perhaps this entire venture was a mistake. I wonder what the professor is doing at this moment. Maybe they have already left Garreg Mach."

"Last I heard, they were sending word to my father for reinforcements," Felix supplied, "if so, there are very few places to rendezvous right now."

"Like what? I admit, I do not have a good grasp on modern geography," Ashton said.

Felix rubbed his forehead. "My guess would be Ailell, the Valley of Torment. Only a fool would willingly go there, so it'd be the perfect place to avoid being pursued."

"Ailell?" Ashton repeated, "You mean the river valley?"

"No…" Felix replied slowly. "The Valley of Torment. The only river that runs through Ailell is made of lava."

Ashton was quiet for a few moments before grumbling to himself. "How is it that this world grew stranger while I was away?"

Felix shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. To me and everyone else, it's always been the Valley of Torment. If it was different in your time, well, maybe the Goddess hadn't thrown a fit yet."

"The Goddess does not 'throw fits'. She is not even here right now," Ashton said, "but, fine, I at least have a good idea on what the others will be doing while we are away. Thank you, Felix."

"Don't mention it," Felix replied hastily, before sitting back down where he had been before. "This whole trip will be a vacation compared to what the others will be going through in that valley."

The group stopped in a village just to the south of Lake Teutates. It wasn't a very impressive place; its fields were overgrown with weeds, and most of the working men had gone on to join the Imperial army, leaving only some women and children behind. The place was practically abandoned in some areas. Nonetheless, Ashton watched Leonie work her 'magic', hunting for the village briefly in exchange for whatever information they could provide.

"They are certain, then?" Ashton asked, brow furrowing as he and Leonie leaned against the house of the last person they visited. "A mercenary band was through here, then? After the power that dwells within the lake?"

Leonie shrugged. "That's about as much as any of these folks knew. I couldn't even get a description out of them; it was like no one was even looking. I guess this makes it more complicated, huh?"

"Not necessarily," Ashton replied, crossing his arms as he looked out across the field and to the setting sun. "Mercenaries can be bought off, and if not, then they are like all men; they can be killed. Although I would rather this not come to bloodshed, we must not be stopped."

"They're after this thing too," Leonie pointed out, frowning. "What if they already have it?"

"They will not. Did they not say they passed through here merely a week ago?" Ashton asked. "It will be fine. May I share something with you, Leonie?"

"Uh, yeah, sure, but do you think you could word that question a bit less weirdly?" Leonie mumbled.

"Making light of the way a person speaks ill befits you," Ashton commented, "but, very well. Anyway, you are searching for The Inexhaustible, the bow of Saint Indech, correct?"

"Yeah. Were you not paying attention when I told you about it?"

Ashton scoffed. "Nonsense. I knew Saint Indech, you know. He would never part with such a weapon. It was a masterwork, much like everything he and Macuil made together."

"Where are you going with this?" Leonie finally asked, her brows furrowing as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I am saying that Saint Indech lives, and Lake Teutates is his domain," Ashton said, "The Nabateans are beyond us in terms of lifespan; a hundred years, a thousand? Drops in the proverbial bucket for their ilk. First-Generation crest bearers can share in this lifespan, at least mostly, but everyone else is like a dog. They are nice, but they are finite. Mortal."

"That's…" Leonie looked down. "That's pretty depressing, isn't it?"

"Only as depressing as you make it out to be. You love dogs, do you not? You have used them for hunting, yes? I know that Garreg Mach was host to many dogs and cats alike," Ashton continued. "But that is beside my point. The Nabateans would never compare humans to dogs, save for one. The ones I knew, that is. And Indech likely retreated from society at large to Lake Teutates in ancient days. That is why I agreed to this, Leonie. It is a start, and if he does not know, then I will head south and begin the rescue attempt."

Leonie let out a sigh. "All of this is making my head hurt, but I think I understand. Your son, he's, erm, half-Nabatean? Is that what he would be called? You've told me about how you and Seiros…" Leonie clapped her hands. "Well, you know. So he's the Champion everyone was going on about while we were at Garreg Mach."

Ashton nodded. "It is the most likely explanation, yes. And if we can bring him into the fold, the professor will have another general within his army, one that is not Dimitri. Seteth is an able field commander in his own right, I bore witness to that during the War of Heroes, but he is only one man."

"And Lady Rhea? Is it the same for her?" Leonie asked.

Ashton was silent for a few moments before nodding again. "Yes. I will admit, my reasoning is not entirely unselfish. I need to- I wish to hold her in my arms once more. Is that so much to ask?"

Leonie pressed her lips together. "No, I guess not. Just remember there's a war going on, you know? They won't just let us inside Enbarr because you asked."

"I am concocting a plan for that, do not worry," Ashton said, patting Leonie's shoulder. "And for what it is worth, I am sure Indech will grant you his bow. And if not, well, perhaps some convincing is in order."

"And how well can us dogs convince an Imperial garrison, huh?" Leonie said, crossing her arms and tapping her finger against her forearm.

Ashton sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I will admit, I should have used a better metaphor. But I could not think of anything in the moment."

Leonie rolled her eyes. "Could've come up with a hundred different ways to say it, just saying."

"It is beside the point!" Ashton snapped, blinking before he massaged his temples. "My apologies. You are right, of course. To be clear, that is not my perspective."

"Do you think Seiros considered you a dog?" Leonie asked, "just a plaything for her until she got bored or you died?"

"She would not have given me a Crest to live alongside her for hundreds of years to come, otherwise," Ashton pointed out. "And here you are arguing with me. I should look around, see if there is anyone eavesdropping."

"There's no one. In Villages like this, everyone's either taking a break, out in the field, or hunting. That's how they work," Leonie stated, "I did think it was strange that Seteth - Seteth - let Flayn come with us even though you keep telling me you were some no-name nobody back in the day. I guess I know why now."

"You know the gist of it, yes," Ashton sighed. "And I think the only one who does not have an inkling is Catherine, and she has not spoken to me since our first night out. Perhaps I should change that."

"Yeah, you should probably do that," Leonie said, her lips pressing into a thin line. "You know, before you burn down every other bridge you've got."

"Have I really offended you so?" Ashton asked. "If I did, I wholeheartedly apologize."

Leonie shrugged. "Maybe next time pick your words more carefully, yeah?"

Ashton went to say something before taking a step back. "Yes. Next time."

There was very little that Ashton knew about Catherine.

That she was a Crestbearer went without saying; Thunderbrand's unearthly glow when it was in her hands was proof enough, even if he did not have a way of telling if people had Crests or not. And the way Catherine had looked at him while they made their way through western Imperial territory told him that she suspected something of him as well.

Major Crests had all sorts of odds and ends, after all. Most of them were left unexplored, and even the work of one of the Officer's Academy's eminent experts of the subject of Crests had barely felt as if he had scratched the surface of their abilities.

Of course, Ashton had read that in a book left behind within the monastery itself. Back in his time, it seemed as if even the Nabateans did not know the full effects of bestowing a Crest on someone. A longer lifespan was clear, but beyond that and certain powers, many of it was a great unknown. And in the hundreds of years since his time, Crest research had not progressed much.

In any case, none of that particularly mattered when it came to the tension between Ashton and Catherine. One day, one of them would attempt to speak to the other, and the ramifications of it were not something Ashton felt he was prepared to endure.

Mere days before they were to arrive at Lake Teutates, Catherine finally made her move.

"So, Ashton," she began when they were toward the back of the group. "I've been thinking a lot this past week, and I've got more than a few questions for you."

"And you choose to do this now?" Ashton replied, keeping his pace. "Where everyone will be able to hear us? Perhaps they will pretend that they cannot, if we are lucky."

"I needed to get my thoughts all straight," Catherine said, shrugging. "And besides, it's not like anyone will care. They probably already know everything about you. I'm the only one who doesn't. They say you're the Champion-"

"I am no Champion," Ashton interrupted.

Catherine shook her head. "Right. Yeah. Whatever. You're old, that's for sure. And obviously you somehow know Seteth and Flayn, and you were all ready to go on your own to find Lady Rhea and your son."

"It sounds as if you know all about me after all. I am not a complicated man," Ashton said.

"That so? I could've sworn there's something more going on. Some random man wouldn't just be at the bottom of Garreg Mach, and then be allowed to leave with one of the most protected people in the army," Catherine said, power-walking until she was at Ashton's side. "That sound uncomplicated to you?"

"Perhaps, if you do not know how to simplify things," Ashton admitted. "Why do you think all of that is, then? The answer is deceptively simple."

"Well," Catherine began, "Seteth and Flayn being Cichol and Cethleann is basically an open secret within the knights at this point. And Lady Rhea - she is Saint Seiros herself."

"Impressive. No wonder you were allowed within the Knights of Seiros."

"Quit it with that tone," Catherine snapped. "So, even if you're not the Champion, you must have been someone important to be in Seteth's good graces, to the point he'd let Flayn go with you. And since you're so certain your son is alive…"

"Keep going. It is entertaining watching you piece it together," Ashton commented.

"And I'll be entertained knocking your head off if you interrupt me again," Catherine growled. After a few more moments, she stopped in her place. "No."

"If it took you until now to realize what is going on, perhaps you were better off simply not knowing," Ashton said, stopping as well. "From the sounds of it, you do not like what you have intuited."

"I don't-" Catherine began before turning to the side and running a hand down her face. "My devotion to her will never falter. Not even in the face of this."

"You can be angry, you know," Ashton said, crossing his arms. "By all means, be angry. Use it against our enemies. We are on the same side, you and I."

"I know that! I'm not about to kill you!" Catherine snapped. "I just- I thought that- Nevermind. It's pointless."

"Agreed," Ashton nodded. "This has been a rather pointless conversation, has it not? I will not take time to taunt you, nor would I get much pleasure from doing so. Mocking somebody for unrequited love is beneath me. I cannot say I understand it, but do know that your feelings are not invalid. Though they cannot be returned, perhaps there is beauty in mere devotion anyway."

"Maybe that wasn't supposed to be a taunt, but it sure felt like it," Catherine sighed, walking past Ashton. "Come on. I'm done talking."

Ashton snorted. "Very well."

Lake Teutates was within sight, and Ashton could feel the power emanating from it. Something was happening on the lake itself; even from the distance the group was at, Ashton could see the disturbances on the water, as well as what looked like ruins on the lakeshore.

"Feel that?" Ashton said, looking down to Flayn at his side. "I suppose Indech is fighting something."

"The mercenaries the townsfolk talked about," Leonie suggested. "Look, there's a camp just at the edge of the path into the lake."

"I shudder to think what is happening to them," Flayn stated, holding her hands close to her chest. "Uncl- Saint Indech was said to be an introverted person, and with all of this commotion, he could be quite unforgiving."

"I never knew Indech to run from a fight, even with how quiet he was," Ashton said.

"All of this talk is pointless," Felix said, "Are we going to face him or not? The mercenaries probably failed already anyway; nothing's stopping us."

Catherine was silent, staring out over the open lake.

"Very well," Ashton said, taking his warhammer slung along his back. With it in one hand and the Seiros Shield in the other, he felt even stronger than usual, as if the artifact in his left hand was giving him all the stamina he needed. "Ready yourselves, my friends. Indech will not let his bow go without a fight. Do not kill him; he may provide us with the information we need."

With that, Ashton stepped onto the floating stone path. The way was blocked by fog, leaving him completely blind after a mere few meters from where he stood. He, Felix, and Catherine led the way, while Leonie stayed to the back, with Flayn in the middle. If she went down, there would be no one to heal their injuries.

The further they moved into the fog, the more it seemed as if it wasn't natural. Ashton himself couldn't quite place his finger on why that seemed so; it was not as if a fog was uncommon on lakes. Though it was white, it seemed to absorb whatever light went through it. He couldn't even see the rays of sunlight through the sky.

The one thing keeping Ashton calm was the Seiros Shield on his left forearm.

Raging sounds of battle, however, continued to resound through the air. It was the only thing that gave the group a sense of direction, and as Ashton, Felix, and Catherine moved further along the stone pathway, the louder they became. When a roar rang out through the fogged lake, they knew they were close.

"Indech is in full battle," Ashton murmured. "I doubt he will recognize me, and he will likely see all of us as reinforcements for the mercenaries he is tearing apart. Watch out for lights in the fog."

Felix grunted while Catherine remained silent. The other two behind them were quiet as well.

Suddenly, the air stilled, and Ashton could feel something in the air. A tension he couldn't quite place permeated the world around them. Something was about to happen, and his grip on his hammer grew stronger as he prepared himself for whatever was about to show itself.

Then, as if shot from a cannon, a figure surged through the fog, causing a clear path forward. All Ashton was able to see of the person was a flash of long purple hair before they skipped across the water like a rock, before coming to a rest nearby. Weakly they struggled about, trying to keep their head above water.

"Flayn!" Ashton shouted, "Help them!"

At once, Flayn stood at the edge of the stone pathway, holding their hand out as the person did their best to swim toward her. Ashton did not get a good enough look before he turned his attention to the new hole in the mist. Through it, he could see a raised platform, and upon it, the form of Saint Indech's massive form stood. Ashton had seen it before; Indech would often use himself as a living siege engine when the time came for it. Yet still, the horned turtle-dragon before him still kept him from moving for a few seconds, which nearly spelled his doom.

Indech did not even speak before a beam of pure energy shot from his beaked mouth, crashing into the stone pathway as Ashton dashed to the side, taking Felix with him as Catherine did the same on the opposite side. The stone path shattered into fragments as the water boiled beneath it, sending Ashton below the water for a few moments before he was able to resurface.

Pulling himself back onto an unbroken section of the stone path, Ashton took a few deep breaths and shook the water from his eyes. The path ahead was finally cleared, but Indech still stood there, his draconian eyes scanning the water for any survivors. Ashton could not see Felix or Catherine, or Leonie and Flayn for that matter. Standing up, Ashton looked upon Indech, his hammer still in hand and Seiros Shield gleaming.

Indech roared upon spotting him, and Ashton braced himself.

There was a bright light-

There'll be more action next time I promise.

Not a lot to say about this chapter. The person they saw skipping along the water should be obvious tho lol.

Also, I'm here to say that I'm gonna stop putting in Discord server links in my chapters. This does mean I might get a bunch of messages asking why past server links in Chapters don't work anymore, but honestly, I got so few people from them anyway that it feels as if I was simply adding it as an obligation.

So, yeah, beyond that, nothing else. See you guys next time!