Mere seconds before Ashton was annihilated by a blast of magic, the beam was stopped in its tracks. It crashed against a shield, though not the one that Ashton himself wielded. Instead, it hit the Aegis Shield; Felix had held it up in front of both himself and Ashton at just the right moment, fully protecting them from the effects.

"Move!" Felix snarled, "Find them!"

Ashton nodded wordlessly as the beam of magic slowly dissipated, and the fog surged, fully consuming Indech's form within. Whatever had happened to Flayn, Leonie, Catherine, and the mystery figure, they were not within sight. Ashton wondered if they had sunk to the bottom of the lake, before quickly dashing that thought away. It would not help to count them out if they indeed still drew breath.

Before long, however, Ashton found himself hopelessly lost within the fog. It was any wonder the mercenaries that came before them were decimated; there were plenty of places to run, but without organization, anyone caught within would be all on their own. It was just like Indech to make it impossible to hit him and pick people off from a distance.

Something moved within the fog, and though Ashton could still hear the sounds of distant battle, he approached it, only to have a sword swing just above his head as he instinctually ducked underneath it.

"Damnit!" Ashton growled, swinging his hammer one-handed, hitting the perpetrator in the side. Though he hit something solid, the familiar 'crunch' of bone being pulverized beneath the weight of his hammer did not reach his ears. He could see the figure within the fog, their skin and unearthly pale white, and when they reached the stone walkway, they simply melted into it like a phantom.

Ghosts, then. Perfect.

Another lost art, it seemed like. Ashton had no knowledge of phantoms, but perhaps Indech would know when he slapped some sense into the draconian turtle. Ashton searched through the fog more until he saw a slash of red amidst the grayish-white, and he followed it.

It nearly resulted in the death of him, as Thunderbrand slammed against the Seiros Shield, the Saint Relic blocking the blow well. Thankfully, a second strike did not come, as Catherine relaxed her posture.

"I thought you were dead," Catherine said, wiping her brow with her spare hand. "Flayn's alright, before you say anything. I'd never let anything happen to her."

"Your mind is up for debate, but I never doubted your abilities, '' Ashton said, walking past Catherine to see Flayn standing over a woman, presumably the same one that had been sent flying by Indech.

A woman laid down, her one visible eye barely open as her gaze landed on Ashton. Her long purple hair was tied into a ponytail, and their ramshackle armor was nearly completely broken. She let out a breath.

"This day just keeps getting better and better, huh?" she murmured, turning away. "I barely even know what's going on anymore."

"Then stop speaking at once," Flayn commanded, the green light of her healing magic reflecting off her eyes. "It will do you no good to simply perish."

"Where have I heard that before?" the woman asked nobody in particular.

"How is she?" Ashton asked, looking around to make sure no more phantoms came after them. "I doubt she is in fighting shape but I have questions."

"Do you not think that can wait?" Flayn asked pointedly. "Uncle is still out there, and he will need to be, erm, pacified before we do anything else, yes?"

Ashton nodded. "A fair point. Very well. I believe I have a plan-"

Ashton moved in front of Flayn as a ghostly figure materialized out of the fog. It raised an axe, ready to hit Ashton's raised shield before an arrow lodged itself in its head, and it fell apart into the fog immediately.

Turning around, Ashton saw Leonie, bow in hand and with more than a few scratches, and beside her rested Felix, the arm holding the Aegis Shield visibly limp.

"Well," Ashton said, relaxing his stance. "That makes all of this easier, then. Gather round and watch each other's backs as Flayn works her magic."

"I will need a bit of that," Felix said through clenched teeth. "I can't feel my arm."

Ashton gestured to the side of the fallen mercenary as Felix limped forward. Catherine and Leonie gathered around Ashton as he spoke.

"Indech has created this fog, and the soldiers that have attacked us, I am sure," Ashton began, "What's more, whenever the fog clears, he will always have perfect sight of us and will mercilessly bombard us with his magic. We need to distract him when that happens, so that others can get their hits in or, hopefully, speak to him."

Catherine shrugged. "Sounds easy enough."

"I'm worried," Leonie admitted, "Flayn's gonna be working on Felix and that mercenary for a while, isn't she? If we split up, what'll we do if we're injured?"

"It is either that, or wait around for Indech to blast us into the next century," Ashton said, "I realize that this plan is risky, but we would not be here were we not ready to take such risks. I will not be so petty as to presume that all of this is worth it for a bow, no matter how legendary, but remember: we do this for the war effort."

"For some reason, that doesn't make me feel better," Leonie sighed, rubbing her forehead as she looked around. "But, fine. We're here because of me, so might as well finish the job."

"We are also here because of me. If anything, we share the blame," Ashton replied. "And somehow, I do not think any of us regret being here."

A moment of silence passed before Ashton nodded.

"I did not think so. Let us get to it, then."

Ashton moved through the fog, avoiding areas where it was at its weakest. Indech was nearby, he knew, and before long, Leonie and Catherine would make their move. It was only a matter of waiting for their signal.

Before long, Ashton could see Indech through a hole in the fog, leading up to the plinth he had claimed as his own. There had been no such ruins upon Lake Teutates when he had last walked, but of course, thousands of years had passed since then. And as for the phantoms that lurked within the fog, Ashton could only guess about. They could have been the souls of Indech's men, forming to protect the Nabatean they had served in life, or perhaps they were illusions, not unlike the descriptions of the soldiers that had inhabited the Holy Tomb when Byleth had descended into it.

What mattered was that Indech was in his sights, and he was not looking in Ashton's direction. All he had to do was wait for Leonie and Catherine to make their move.

Finally, after what felt like years of waiting, Ashton's patience paid off. Arrows flew through the air, striking Indech in the face. They merely bounced off of Indech's scales, but they were enough to grab his attention. Glowing energy gathered in Indech's mouth in response, and Ashton swore he heard the giant turtle-dragon chuckle, before the energy dissipated as Indech let out a sharp yelp of pain.

Catherine was at his side, swiping Thunderbrand at his front leg, and sending the turtle-dragon to the ground. Indech slammed his head down, intending to either bite Catherine clean in half, or smash his beak into her. She jumped back out of the way at the last minute, causing Indech's face to slam into the ground instead, sending bits of broken architecture through the air and creating a massive dust cloud.

It was Ashton's turn as he held his hammer back, charging with all of his might before jumping high into the air at the last moment. Indech looked up just in time to see Ashton, and a moment later, Ashton's hammer collided with the side of Indech's face. Bits of scale and green blood went flying as Indech's head was forcefully shoved to the side from the impact. Ashton's hammer instantly broke apart, bits of it falling to the floor as he landed on his feet. Indech toppled over, falling onto his flank as he let out a giant bellow of pain.

"Did that knock some sense into you, old Indech?" Ashton asked, breathing heavily as he paced around the fallen Nabatean. "We both know that did not kill you. On your feet."

Indech was still for a few moments, his chest rising up and down before he let out a big sigh.

"I am too old to be fighting like this," Indech muttered, forcing himself onto his feet as he shook his massive head. His voice reverberated around the fogged ruins. "What's more, it appears my age has become so advanced, I now see none other than Ashton before me. But such a thing must be impossible. You are dead."

"Not so dead, else I would not be here," Ashton replied, running a hand down the Seiros Shield. "I suppose you cannot be blamed, what with the mercenaries that came through here."

"Mercenaries?" Ah, yes, them," Indech nodded his draconian head. "So that is what they were. Mercenaries. I knew legends of me had spread the width and breadth of the continent, but times must be dire if even coin-loving mercenaries are risking their lives trying to challenge me."

"We saved one, so we will likely have answers soon," Ashton said, shrugging. "But, well, I have a few questions for you, too. And there are several people who have come with me who have their own questions."

"How bothersome," Indech sighed, "You have done quite a bit of damage to me with a single strike, Sir Ashton. It will take some time to heal. But you and yours have beaten me fair and square. I will hear what you have to say."

"What do you think you were accomplishing, uncle!?" Flayn asked pointedly, wagging a finger in front of the knelt Nabatean in front of her as she marched to and fro. Ashton, Leonie, Catherine, and Felix were sitting in a circle in front of Indech, watching the spectacle unfold. "I realize that you had been attacked before we arrived, but to assault everyone and everything that appears to you is far from how I remember you!"

"You grow to be more and more like your mother as the centuries pass," Indech mumbled, laying his head on the ground. "Although, from what I understand, you have been asleep for most of it. Times have changed, Cethleann. People change. Humans most of all. That is what I admire about them, though I would not have been born as anything else."

"Hmph!" Flayn crossed her arms, marching back into the semicircle of her companions before sitting at the head. "Nonetheless, you know we have questions for you, yes? We are looking for someone."

Indech raised his head. "You seek…"

"Arawn," Ashton said, standing up. "My and Seiros' son. I spoke with Cichol, but he did not know anything. He has been away from the world for almost as long as Cethleann has. You were the only lead I have been given."

"And you presume that I, famous for my talkative and outgoing nature, would know more?" Indech asked, and though no expression crossed his face, Ashton could imagine the raised brow on the man he once knew. "Your logic is faulty. Luckily for you, this time it has borne fruit."

Ashton took a step forward. "Have you seen him!?"

"A moon or so ago, yes. Or perhaps it was a year. It is hard to say; I do not even know what year it is," Indech admitted. "You are in for a surprise, Sir Ashton of the Knights of Seiros. He has grown into quite the man. I will not talk of what we spoke of; he had asked for such topics to remain a secret, and I shall not betray his trust. I would do well to hold myself to the promise of my nephew. I will state clearly, however, his intent to head south, to the old capital of Enbarr."

Ashton lowered his head before nodding. "To Enbarr it is, then. A good thing we were going to head there anyway."

"Hmm. Indeed. You said there was a mercenary that survived. I do not see her among your number," Indech asked.

"I placed her back in her old camp," Flayn piped up. "What did she try to do, uncle? She had more bones broken than not broken."

"The scamp used an ethereal blade to catch me off-guard," Indech growled, "I responded by using my tail to send her into the next life. Unfortunately, it seems she has a strong skeleton."

"An ethereal blade," Ashton murmured, placing a hand against his chin for a moment before shaking his head. "Very well. I suppose an interrogation is even more in order now."

"If you can spare the time, do tell me how she was able to summon it. I have never seen a blade of its ilk," Indech stated before lowering his head again. "Now, was there something else you wished to speak to me about? Or have I sated your curiosity?"

Ashton looked at Leonie and sat back down. The archer stood up, her posture uncharacteristically meek.

"I have come for the Inexhaustible," Leonie stated, "though I gotta say, a part of me didn't think I'd actually get here."

Indech tilted his head. "Why? You all have proven your strength. So it is my bow that you require, then? Firepower against this new enemy you face? A fair reason. What is it the other two want?"

"I wanted to fight stronger opponents, but I suppose I won't find any here," Felix grumbled.

Catherine tapped her finger against the stone floor. "I'm here because now, since we're done here, we'll be heading south to save Lady Rhea. I'm itching to get going."

"So you require nothing I can offer. Good, that makes this less complicated," Indech grumbled, "if it is my bow you require, take it. I have no use for it, and it would do better in the hands of a human in today's age."

"I remember your human form, Indech," Ashton said, "Are you saying that you can no longer transform?"

"If I can, I care not to try," Indech admitted. "Perhaps I still can, should I wish it so, but I do not. I have had enough of human wars. Human wars should be fought by humans; when my kind involves itself, things inevitably descend into chaos and blood feuds. It is better this way."

"Are you sure you cannot accompany us, uncle?" Flayn asked quietly. "I am sure we could find a place for you."

Indech chortled. "Leave it to Cethleann to attempt and guilt me into meddling, hmm? I must decline, I am afraid, little Cethleann. In this distant age, those of us who chose to remain in our bestial forms will only become weaker and weaker. I am not the living siege weapon I once was. I leave The Inexhaustible in your more than capable hands, my orange-haired friend. May it serve you well on your journey."

Leonie took a deep breath, and followed where Indech had gestured. Ashton thought deeply for a few moments before finally mustering the courage to say something more.

"Indech," Ashton began, "I do not expect you to have the answer, but… what is Arawn like, now? How is he?"

Indech let out a small sigh.

"The burden of centuries weighs heavily on him," Indech said softly, as softly as a giant turtle-dragon could. "I realize the last you saw of your son, he was a bubbly, curious boy, not yet awakened to his heritage. But that was over a thousand years ago. He has changed in many ways, and not all of them are pleasant."

Ashton closed his eyes and nodded. "I would assume so. I never… I never watched him grow up, fall in love, father children of his own - goddess, it will do me no good to think of that now, and not in present company."

Indech nodded. "Indeed. Do not think about the past too much, Sir Ashton. It will only serve to haunt you as surely as any vengeful spirit. Go, then, and find what you are looking for. I wish you luck in your journey."

The walk back to the lakeshore was a quiet one. Ashton wasn't in the mood for talk, and it appeared none of his companions were, either. Flayn, for her part, seemed almost as depressed as he was. While they knew where Arawn had been, and where he was going, a sense of dread encompassed them both. Even with the confirmation that his son was alive, Ashton knew that when he met him, it would never be the same.

Then again, perhaps things would not be so irreparable. Maybe Arawn would be amicable enough, maybe he would embrace Ashton and all would be well. Ashton hoped above all else that he was simply being cynical. Then again, if he remained cynical, the worst that he could be was right.

The fog had long since dissipated, leaving Lake Teutates and the ruins upon its waters in clear view. Despite what had happened, the lake seemed so calm that Ashton couldn't help but stare at it for a few moments under the setting sun.

He wished that Seiros was there with him. She would have loved to see it.

When the group made it back to the mercenary camp, Ashton half-expected the mercenary they saved to have recovered while they were away and run off, but surprisingly, they had stayed, unconscious through it all. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically, ensuring Ashton that she was no longer on the brink of death.

"We will find out what she knows tomorrow," Ashton murmured. "Any objections?"

Nobody said a word.

"Good," Ashton nodded. "Then let us use the remnants of this camp to build our own."

"You have a plan, right?" Catherine asked suddenly, crossing her arms as she looked at Ashton. "I mean, it's obvious to me where we're going, but because we're all here because of you, I think I'd rather hear it from you."

Ashton snorted, standing up to his full height. He knew it was posturing; he doubted Catherine had forgotten his relationship with her lady, and perhaps it was always going to be that way. Nonetheless, she deserved an answer.

"As you said, Catherine, it is obvious," Ashton replied, "we will head south to Enbarr, and if we do not find Arawn while we are on our way there, as I doubt we will, we will focus on saving Rhea. We will either break her out, or we will die. It is as simple as that."

"Why do you embrace death so readily, uncle?" Flayn asked, looking up from where she was pitching up a tent that had fallen down. "I am not averse to this idea; I decided to go with you because of your stated goals, but it almost seems as if you wish for death."

Ashton shrugged. "If that is how you see it, who am I to argue? I will not die, though. No, I will see this mission I have set us upon through. I am sorry if I have given you the impression that I want to die."

"I won't stop you," Felix shrugged. "If you want to charge straight into the capital city of the Empire, be my guest. The boar would be proud."

"Who said we would be charging into it?" Ashton asked, "No, besieging a city with only a handful of people will only lead to our deaths, in which case Flayn's suspicions would be justified. It will take time, and a brief sojourn deep into Empire territory, but once it is done, we will be able to sneak into the city undetected."

"I could take a few guesses," Leonie said, "but, well, no matter what, I'm with you. And with this new bow, hopefully we'll have an easier time of it."

"The Inexhaustible is a powerful weapon. It will serve you well, Leonie," Ashton said, nodding. "I will explain the plan to you tomorrow, after we have questioned our new mercenary friend here. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a letter I need to write…"

When the morning came, Ashton somehow found himself more exhausted than the day before. Through his Crest, he had been granted physical abilities far above an average human, but sometimes parts of him still hurt from overexertion. He cracked his back as he stood up, looking around the camp. Only Felix was awake, him having taken the last watch of the night.

And in her place, sat the mercenary they had saved the day prior. Her purple hair fell about her shoulders as she looked around at the people still sleeping.

"She woke up an hour ago," Felix said, "thought I'd wait for everyone else to wake up before we started asking her questions. She hasn't spoken a single word, though. It's like she's daydreaming."

The mercenary's head turned to face Felix. "Or maybe I just didn't wanna talk to a bunch of people I don't know."

Felix shrugged. "Fine by me."

Ashton nodded to Felix before grasping a nearby snakeskin flask, handing it to the mercenary. A distant, more relaxed fog spread before the shore of Lake Teutates, and Ashton found himself staring out at it as the mercenary drank greedily.

"You had more than a dozen broken bones and were minutes from death, or so Flayn tells me," Ashton said as he knelt by the mercenary's side. "How are you feeling?"

The purple-haired mercenary let out a snort. "Flayn's the little girl right there, right? She must be one heck of a healer if I'm still breathing."

Ashton nodded. "One of the best. And I would watch out calling her a little girl. She's likely older than you are."

The mercenary tilted her head before sighing and pressing her hand against the side of her face, as if trying to contain a headache. "It's too early to be thinking about that kinda stuff."

"Indeed," Ashton said, "I will wait for my companions to wake before I begin asking you questions, but I do have one I would like answered. What is your name?"

"Shez," the woman replied, "I'd say it's nice to meet you, but, well, I'm not in the mood to be all peppy."

"An understandable position. You have been through a lot, I am sure," Ashton said, standing up. "I doubt we will have to wait long. Dawn is soon upon us."

When the rest of Ashton's companions woke up, the conversation began in earnest. Flayn checked on Shez to make sure she wasn't going to die of internal bleeding before it finally happened, and she had apparently healed remarkably well, with only a few minor injuries still remaining. Once all was said and done, Ashton asked the first question.

"What were you doing here?" Ashton laced his fingers together as Catherine paced behind him. "You had a whole band of mercenaries behind you, yet you did not fight for the Empire, the Leicester Alliance, or Faerghus. For what reason did you challenge the Indomitable?"

"Honestly? I wanted to get my hands on that bow," Shez grumbled, gesturing to Leonie who was nearby. "I'd heard of the Ashen Demon's return, and thought a ranged weapon would give me an edge. The mercs in my band thought the same, but I should've known they were just in it to line their pockets. It's what I would've done, if the situation was different."

"Ah, so you became disorganized," Ashton surmised. "Leaving you easy pickings for the Indomitable and his phantom soldiers. We came for similar reasons, although you can see we were a bit more successful."

"Hold on, let's go back to what she just said," Felix interrupted, "You heard of the professor's return and your first instinct was to grab the legendary bow of a Saint? It almost sounds like something I would do if I had taken a few hits to the head."

Shez's face scrunched up at that, tightly clutching the blanket that had been laid on top of her. "I mean, do you want me to go into my whole life's story? I don't even know who any of you are."

"We could always force the answer out of you," Catherine suggested, and Ashton could not tell if she was serious or not. "The professor is one of the few things keeping Adrestia from destroying the Church of Seiros. Anyone who's trying to fight him could be an enemy better ended now rather than later."

"Catherine!" Flayn said, aghast.

"Easy now," Ashton said, standing up and looking around at the group. "There is no reason for this to come to violence."

"I'm not giving her my bow," Leonie chimed in.

"I would not expect that of you, you need not worry," Ashton assuaged before turning back to look at Shez. "What is your issue with the Ashen Demon, then? I would have us all hear it, so that we do not misunderstand you."

"You talk really funny, you know that?" Shez grumbled, scratching her head. "You talk like some of the elders in the village I used to live in."

Ashton heard Leonie chuckle behind him, and his face set in a deep frown. "Noted. Now, speak."

Shez sighed. "I mean, looking back on it, it was just another job. I lost my mercenary group to them, over six years ago now. I guess I just felt like I needed something to keep me grounded. I haven't found much work these past five years, and the only person I can really talk to about it is-"

Shez stopped herself, causing Ashton to tilt his head.

"Who?" Ashton asked.

Shaking her head, Shez spoke. "Nothing, don't worry about it. The group I went into that fog with were the closest I've gotten to finding another home, and now they're gone, too. I was the one to suggest going to Lake Teutates, and, well, they all went along with it. And now they're dead."

Ashton closed his eyes and nodded. "I understand how it feels to be a sole survivor. My condolences."

Shez wiped at her eyes before standing up.

"Anyway," she said, patting her hands together as if to remove the dust from them. "As it stands, I don't have anywhere to go, and no one to turn to. So, uh, if you have room in your band…?"

Ashton looked around at his group, gauging their reactions. Flayn seemed almost excited, practically jumping up and down at the chance to speak with someone new, while Leonie and Felix seemed neutral, both of their expressions unchanging. Catherine, on the other hand, shook her head.

"We do not have any gold to offer you, but I can give you a direct line to Byleth should you want it. It will be some time until we find him again, however; there is something we must do in Enbarr, first. And there's still the matter of the strange weapon you were seen with," Ashton said, before holding out his hand. "But if you find those caveats agreeable, then it would be good to have you with us, Shez."

Shez pursed her lips before sighing and taking Ashton's hand.

"Fair enough," she said, "I can talk more about it while we walk. I'm sick of this place."

Sheeeeeeeeeez. Shez is great and how she's alive right now will be explained in the next chapter. Basically, timeline fucked up.

Anyway, the return of Rhea is near, and despite Ashton hyping it up, it will not be a completely wholesome reunion...

Anyway, see you guys next time!.