Ashton's footsteps echoed in his ears as he marched forward. His mind was an angry blank.

It didn't take long for him to regain control of himself; he was barely outside of the camp for an hour, talking himself down in his head and trying to come to terms with all that had happened. Ever since he had woken up within the Holy Tomb, it had been nothing but one emotional gut punch after another, and each one almost felt like the Sword of the Creator cutting him in half all over again.

Nemesis…

If the slaughterer hadn't become dust, Ashton knew that if he ever came across his body he would spit on it, and destroy it with his own bare hands in an impotent rage. But as said, his body was likely nothing but dust by that stage, just like his friends, just like his granddaughter, just like everything else he had known since losing everything the first time.

And Ashton remembered his father. He could barely remember his face, sagging with the stress of providing for both himself and Ashton alone. And how had he thanked him? By disappearing in broad daylight, and probably leaving not a trace. His father had no idea that he had a grandson, a great granddaughter, and a great great grandson. Several generations had passed his father by.

Then again, Ashton thought, it was just as likely that his father had become naught but dust as well, and that thought alone sent Ashton's fist into a tree trunk, splintering the wood as it bored a hole through the tree. His breath came out in shuddering gasps as he ripped his fist out of the wood and ran the back of his hand along his forehead. Breaking trees in half wouldn't bring any of them back, after all, even if he deforested all of the continent.

"Does it make it easier when you tear apart plants?"

Ashton half-expected those words to come from Arawn's mouth, considering his son's way with words, but it was too high-pitched to be him. Ashton turned to see Cethleann behind him, her hands grasping the edges of her dress as she moved forward.

"No, it doesn't. But this is all that I can do," Ashton replied, "this is all I can do. I am a soldier, a knight, though oftentimes it does not feel that way. Be glad you did not find love before your sleep, Cethleann, otherwise you would be in the same camp as I."

"Just because I was not married does not mean I did not have those I cared for," Cethleann replied, her tone rising for just a moment before returning to its quiet pitch. "We have both lost a great deal. My father lost much as well. You remember my mother."

Ashton leaned against the tree he had punched, as if grasping the bark would somehow give him solace.

"I do remember her. Hera was an incredible woman," Ashton murmured. "I knew her. But I never knew my own granddaughter. I did not know she even existed until an hour ago."

"We have all lost something or someone," Cethleann said, and Ashton felt her hand against his arm. "And even though you likely think there was something you could have done about it, the reality remains that we are here now. It took me years to come to terms with what had happened."

"Maybe in a few years, give or take, I'll be able to feel better about this," Ashton said quietly. "I appreciate you talking to me, Cethleann, but this is not something that will go away with one conversation and a few kind words. Do not worry about me, though; I will bounce back, just like I did last time. I just need time."

"I understand," Cethleann said, "I did not come here with the intent to heal your wounds in a single conversation. I just thought I would tell you what you needed to hear."

Ashton closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Thank you, Cethleann."

"I will leave you to it, then," Cethleann said, and Ashton heard her footsteps echo in the woods. "I will wait for you at camp. Do not stay here for too long, yes? We must be away soon."

"I will be there. Just a few more minutes," Ashton croaked out, before he was finally alone again. Cethleann's words did serve to make the pain ebb away, bit by bit, but he still felt off, even as he came to terms with everything. Once he read Byleth's letter at Remire, if there even was one there, he doubted he would think of the professor in the same way again. They were related by blood, though distantly-

Ashton wondered at that moment if Arawn knew. He doubted he did, but it likely wouldn't remain that way for long. If not because Seiros told him, then because Ashton himself would if she wouldn't.

Taking a few more deep breaths and recovering the pieces of his broken composure, Ashton marched back to camp.

The march through the remainder of the forest was quiet. Ashton had begun to become annoyed by it; it felt as if the forests had no beginning and end. It was as if he had spent his whole life inside of one, somehow. When they finally broke out into a large stretch of field, with broken down fences and golden waves of crops, it came as a relief. The village of Remire was not far away.

Even when they broke out of the forests, however, no one spoke a word. Ashton knew the reason why: there was an air of tension that followed them wherever the group went, and it was so thick at times Ashton found it difficult to breathe. It manifested as small glances between Seiros, Arawn, and himself, with the others caught in the crossfire. Though the agreement from before was still there, all it would take was one wrong word for everything to fall apart. The only thing that prevented Ashton from toppling it over was the need for news from Remire.

The closer to Remire the group came, the more the signs of battle became evident. Ashton didn't know what had happened; very few places in Fódlan had not been touched by war in some way, but the scars of battle that dotted the plains - burn marks and ash in the ground that plantlife still had not reclaimed, or a broken down, moldering house - all seemed like old wounds. Something had happened at Remire, but Ashton doubted he would find out any time soon. Besides, he had learned that reopening old wounds only led to trouble.

They were met with wariness and stares, but not open hostility once the group entered the village proper. Seiros was thoroughly concealing her face, just in case. The others - Ashton had no idea if the others would be recognized, he thought just as they were entering the village. He cursed himself. So many things had gone wrong just because he hadn't thought things through, or thought he was far more clever than he actually was-

Ashton shook his head before speaking. "Do what you will. All of you. We will stay in this village tonight and then leave in the morning. I need to see about a letter."

The group fell apart quickly after that, all of them disappearing into the crowd of people that went to and fro in the village. Remire may have bore the scars of a terrible battle, but it was clear that the village had recovered considerably.

Out of the group, the only two who remained were Arawn and Seiros. It was almost like the entire group beside them were merely orbiting, and waiting to be free. While there had never been a great sense of camaraderie among them, Ashton thought they had grown at least a little closer than before. Beside Cethleann, though, it was clear that whatever had been building had been thoroughly shattered by a day of tension.

"Not now," Ashton whispered. "Not in the middle of a crowded village. Anywhere but here."

Silence from them was all he received, and he knew instinctively that they'd follow him wherever he went until the tension broke and they could remain quiet no longer. Ashton sighed, running a hand down his face and wishing that he had never been frozen in time. Maybe if he had died, they would have been given some measure of closure.

Reading the letter over and over again, Ashton grunted before folding it up. The noonday sun hung high in the sky, making him sweat. Avoiding the rest of the village while the group went about their business, he, Arawn, and Seiros found their way to an isolated part of it, where they apparently grew corn if he knew his crops.

It was almost time for the tension to boil over. Ashton could feel it.

"This professor of yours," Arawn began, "he leads the resistance against the Empire, correct? What is he like?"

Ashton didn't respond; he was too busy looking over the note a second time. Seiros decided to answer for him.

"He is a natural leader, though you would not have thought as such when he first arrived at the monastery five years ago," Seiros said, her tone soft. "He hardly showed any emotion at the beginning, but the more his students opened their hearts to him, so too did his heart grow in response. It was a beautiful thing to see."

"And what was he before then?" Arawn asked further, crossing his arms. "I heard of a monster known only as the 'Ashen Demon'. A mercenary who prowled the continent that completed any job thrown at them with ruthless efficiency. Are they one and the same?"

"That epithet no longer describes him," Seiros replied pointedly. "He is not a demon of any sort. He is… the vessel of the progenitor god."

Ashton turned to see Arawn's lips thinning. "The vessel of Sothis? I take it that such a being was not naturally birthed."

Ashton finally spoke. "You do not know, do you? Seiros told me, but she did not tell you."

"I do not know what?" Arawn said, holding his arms out. "If there are any more secrets, then by all means, tell me. I am listening."

Ashton and Seiros exchanged glances, the first time either had made eye contact since she revealed to him what Byleth truly was.

"Before I - we - do that, I want to ask you a question," Ashton said slowly. Turning fully as sweat formed on his brow. He wiped it away.

"If it will eventually lead to an answer, by all means," Arawn replied, his voice so low it was almost a growl.

Ashton sighed. "Your daughter. The one you told me of. My granddaughter. Did you know she was sick?"

"Of course I did," Arawn snapped, "and if you know of that, then mother must have told you, which means she succeeded on her mad quest. I told her not to leave. I had already lost her mother, and I would not lose my child. But tales of Fódlan and Sothis poisoned her mind, and in the dead of night, she cast herself away. We were living in Albinea at the time; I had grown weary of contact, and sought a place to finally rest. And now here I stand, in the continent of my birth, and my daughter is nowhere to be found."

"Did you try to cure her?" Ashton asked quietly.

"You speak to me as if I was uncaring. Of course I tried to cure her, father. I gathered some of the best healers I could find, wise men and women from across the seas who had more experience in the field than even I did, and yet none of them could do it. She was born sick, and her days were numbered."

Arawn almost looked as if he was about to fall over. Ashton instantly regretted asking such pointed questions, but he needed to know. And with his son's answers satisfactory, he exchanged glances with Seiros one last time before speaking.

"And so, she sought help from her grandmother," Ashton said, his frown deepening, "whereupon she was cured, but only for a time. Arawn, I… her name was Sitri, right? It was a lovely name."

"She is dead, is she not?" Arawn asked, his voice disturbingly void of emotion. His face almost looked to be made of stone. "But she survived for a time, thanks to…"

"I am not proud of what I have done in the past, but it served me well in ensuring she lived for a while longer. She experienced all that she wished to in life," Seiros began, her voice strong despite what she was speaking of. "She made friends, found love, had a child…"

"A child," Arawn repeated. "So, I am a grandfather."

Ashton laughed, though it was a low, faintly mocking laugh. "You are taking it better than I have, I see!"

"Father, I am more surprised that it took over a thousand years for such a thing to happen," Arawn replied. "I am unsure how I feel about my grandson being this 'Ashen Demon', but at least he has made a name for himself, I suppose."

"Yes, our descendant is leading the fight to free Fódlan," Ashton summarized. "And this letter - he has given us his plans. Or rather, the plans as relayed to him by Prince Dimitri. They are heading north, to Fhirdiad."

"More people than I would care to count died during the War of Heroes trying to hold that forsaken spit of land," Arawn snapped. "What does he hope to gain from taking it? The northern territories are all but completely conquered, to my knowledge."

"You misjudge this course of action, my son," Seiros replied, "Dimitri is their prince, and if he retakes the capital, he would by all rights be king. The people of Faerghus are a hardy people, and with a king to rally behind, then the opposition to Adrestian rule will grow."

"I am more surprised that Prince Dimitri chose that course of action. When I last saw him, he was dead set on assaulting Enbarr, no matter the cost. He was almost nothing more than a rabid animal," Ashton muttered, half to himself.

"Even the most rabid of animals can become calm and tranquil," Arawn said, turning to look at Seiros who glowered back.

Ashton ran a hand down his face. "All that aside, everything is out in the open now. No more secrets, no more lies. We are all on the same page."

"Aside from mother somehow knowing how to 'cure' my daughter of her sickness, then yes," Arawn said. "I hope so, at least. It would trouble me greatly if there were even more secrets held back."

Seiros looked down. "I will speak of it later, should you wish. I have learned that keeping secrets will lead to mine and other's doom if I am not careful."

"As well as you should," Arawn nodded. "I sense something is about to happen, so I will leave you two to your confrontation. The group has already been torn asunder by us; best to not let such a thing fester."

"You are one to talk, son," Ashton grumbled. Arawn didn't respond, and a moment later, he was gone, leaving Seiros and Ashton alone in the fields surrounding Remire.

The two were silent for so long, Ashton wondered if an eternity had passed before one of them finally spoke.

"It was here," Seiros spoke, looking around, "where our enemies finally made their first, bold move. Before that, they stalked us in the shadows. But with Remire, they made their presence fully known. A creature named Solon masqueraded as a kindly librarian, and poisoned most of the residents of this village and doomed them to a sickly insanity from which few ever recovered."

"That explains all the scars in the earth," Ashton mumbled.

Seiros nodded. "Byleth and his class subdued them, and Remire was little more than a crumbling ruin. It does my heart good to see it verdant and filled with life again."

"Well," Ashton said, swallowing the growing lump in his throat. "He's our descendant, so it's good to know he's made something of his life, right? A-and he has the soul of Sothis inside of him, so the goddess really is not dead."

Seiros' expression soured a bit at that. "Not by any natural means, no. But you are not wrong, I suppose."

"I apologize, but I just," Ashton rubbed his face, as if causing friction would somehow erase the crawling feeling underneath his skin. "Where do we go from here, Seiros? What does any of this mean? What are we supposed to do?"

"Ashton-"

"I cannot- I can't-" Ashton began before taking a deep breath. "Sorry for interrupting you, and I know I have little right to complain and bitch right now. Goddess knows you have lost more than I ever will, and that others have it worse than me. I feel so worthless, so small compared to everything going on around me. None of this makes sense- no, it does, I just hate it. And I am sorry for running off on you last time, but I just couldn't take it anymore. So much has happened in such a short amount of time for me that I-!"

"Ashton!"

Finally stopping, Ashton saw Seiros right in front of him, her face twisted in frustration as she grabbed the edges of his tunic and forced him to look her in the eye.

"Do not compare your suffering to the suffering of others," Seiros said slowly, so that every word had its time to sink in. "You are an individual, and everyone suffers individually. And even were we to compare, what you have lost is, and always will be, tragic."

"I-"

"Let me finish," Seiros said, "you have spoken your peace, and now I shall speak mine."

Ashton swallowed the growing lump in his throat as Seiros eased her grip on his tunic. He was reminded that, even in her weakened state, she could probably body throw him halfway across the continent if she so wanted. Not that she would.

"You have focused on what you have lost," Seiros continued. "And I cannot fault you for that. For over a thousand years, it was all that would occupy my mind as well. It drove me to do things that I never thought I could do. I do not want to see you suffer the same fate. Perhaps, instead of focusing on what we have lost, we should focus on what we still have."

His lips thinning, Ashton had to admit that Seiros had a point. Despite everything, he still had her. Still had Cethleann and Cichol, and Indech was still about. Though he never saw him as a friend, Macuil was likely still around too. It wasn't a lot, but it was something.

Ashton could not even fathom the amount of memories he could have forged if he had never been put on ice. But that did not preclude him from making new ones, no matter how hard it was.

"...You are right," Ashton said, letting out a breath. "You- you're right. I don't know everything that has happened, but maybe, just maybe, it's not unsalvageable, eh?"

"There are many things which remain as such, but this… this is not one of them," Seiros said, her green eyes boring into Ashton's. "I must admit, it is a lesson I have failed to take to heart, time and time again. I could have moved on from my mother, allowed humanity its second chance to grow and prosper, and yet I - if what I have done is not evil, my dear Ashton, then I do not know what evil truly is."

"I know you, Seiros," Ashton replied, taking a deep breath.

"Do you?" Seiros asked.

"Well, I would hope that I know the woman I intended to spend the rest of my unnaturally long life with. You are a hero, even if others do not see it as such. You have done a lot of good in this world, and in my opinion, the bad does not outweigh it."

Seiros' lips trembled as she looked down, letting go of Ashton's tunic completely. "My decisions as archbishop, both past and present, likely led to this war. I cannot be the saint people see me as. Not anymore. Whatever the end brings, I will not be at the top after. I had never intended for such a thing to continue. Perhaps, when this is all over, and you and I remain standing, we can fulfill the promise we made when we exchanged rings."

Ashton sniffled. "I would want nothing more. I'm sorry for running off on you the other day, I just-!"

"You had every right to be furious with me," Seiros responded calmly.

"Mm. I do not think so. It has scarcely been a week or two since you were released. Nobody but you knew of the connection we all share. I just wasn't prepared for it, and you deserved a better reaction from me. I accepted everything else up to that point, after all. Even if some of it was hard to swallow."

After that, no words passed between them as Seiros leaned forward and kissed Ashton, bringing her hands up to his cheeks to deepen it. Though it had only been a day or so since last they kissed, Ashton felt as if it had been another lifetime as he cherished it.

It lasted but a moment, but Ashton loved every second of it.

When finally they parted, Ashton couldn't help but chuckle. Unlike the last few times, it was genuine.

"Does something amuse you?" Seiros asked.

"A little bit. Doesn't this remind you of anything?" Ashton said, backing away slightly and holding his hand out to the field. "Just the two of us, pouring our hearts out to each other. You in your robes and me about to go to battle? Ring a bell?"

A fond smile spread across Seiros' lips as she held a hand to her chest. "Even in the darkness of our war with Nemesis, I still look back upon those days and feel a warmth in my chest."

"Things were a lot simpler back then, huh?" Ashton mused. "Maybe one day it'll be that way again. I know I'd welcome it."

"We both know what will happen soon. I only hope I will be recovered enough to fight by your side," Seiros said.

"And here I was, about to say it would be wonderful to fight at your side! You've always been the leader, Seiros. I'll follow your lead."

Seiros hummed, turning to the side. "And yet, I wonder - you were able to gather a group of people to help rescue me. Perhaps there is the makings of a good leader within you already, though you may not see it yourself."

"Yes, and now look at how it falls apart. Barely a word has been spoken since we left Enbarr. It is like we are leading a pack of ghosts through the haunted countryside."

"Now, that is a certainly a picture I would never like to think of again," Seiros said, "but enough of this. Byleth has told us his and Prince Dimitri's plan."

"I am not looking forward to seeing Fhirdiad again," Ashton grumbled, rubbing his forehead as he looked toward the bright blue sky. "Two times I have been in assaults and sieges upon that accursed city. It was merely a fortress-city back then. Now it stands as the capital of a whole country. How many innocents lie inside of its walls?"

"More than I would be able to count, but go we shall nonetheless," Seiros replied, grasping Ashton's hand. "Come with me, then. I shall drag you if I must."

"So assertive. What if I do not like being dragged?"

"Then you will learn to like it. Were I not so week, I would grab you in my talons and fly you there," Seiros said, turning and smiling dangerously. "Unless, of course, that is too frightening for you."

"It has been a long time since I was ever frightened of you. You do not need to worry," Ashton said, chuckling. "But fine, by all means, lead me to the water. I cannot promise I will drink, though."

"So, we're going to assault a city all on our own?"

It was Shez who asked the question, and Ashton couldn't tell if she was mocking him, or if she genuinely believed they would be besieging Fhirdiad alone. He had to keep himself from slamming his forehead into the wooden table they had graciously been given by the village for the night.

Fireflies were alight in the nearby fields, and the tarp that served as their cover was almost like a lantern with the nearby fire. Ashton felt cozier than he had in what felt like years, but Shez's question, after he was done outlining their plan, felt like a slap in the face.

"Yes, mercenary, we shall assault this city with nothing but our own bodies. You do not need an army when you have two living siege engines, yes?" Arawn spoke, visibly rolling his eyes as Shez's face turned a shade of brilliant scarlet.

"Look, I know you guys, well, you two, are all weird and crazy, but what about the rest of us? I still have no idea what my power means, and everyone else could get caught in the crossfire," Shez pointed out, crossing her arms and huffing as she turned away.

"We will not be alone. In the east, an army gathers its strength," Seiros stated, "we shall merely attack from a different direction as they are distracted, breaking through the defenses there while cutting off the head of the snake, so to speak."

"That's less suicidal than I thought," Felix remarked, "and if the boar has, in fact, recovered any amount of sanity, then I'd like to see it for myself."

"I cannot wait to see father again. I… have missed him far more than I thought I would," Cethleann commented, causing Ashton's gaze to soften.

"I miss the old dragon too," Ashton replied softly. "Byleth made no mention of him in his letter, so I assume he is still alive. He survived the War of Heroes, he will survive this one. What of the rest of you? Do you think our chances are good?"

"Well," Leonie began, "with the Inexhaustible, I'll probably have no issue. I was trained by one of the greatest mercenaries in Fódlan, after all."

"When Fhirdiad is breached, I'll gather the Knights of Seiros, Lady Rhea," Catherine stated, bowing her head. "And from there, we can accompany you wherever you may go. We are loyal to you, not to the professor."

"Then allow me to say this, Catherine: the professor's will is my will," Seiros said. "I am no longer fit to lead to Knights of Seiros, though you may accompany me if you wish. But you will not do so as a Knight of Seiros; you will do so as a friend."

"Lady Rhea?" Catherine asked, as if the words themselves confused her. "I don't…"

"It will take time, and you are obviously the first I have spoken to about this," Seiros continued, looking down. "But over the past five years I have… reflected, on my past actions. I cannot lead this land to a better future. Perhaps that was never my destiny. It lies with the professor, and the former students of the Officers Academy. Only they can change this world for the better. Whatever the case, the time has come for me to step down as archbishop of the Church of Seiros. Indeed, in time, perhaps even its name shall be changed."

Arawn grunted, though something besides that changed about his expression. He couldn't tell what exactly it was; a slight change in the way his narrowed eyes looked at her, or perhaps the faint upturn of the corner of his lips. Ashton could only sigh, although whether it was from stress or relief, even he didn't know.

"Now, that's interesting," Felix noted, "who is going to lead the Knights, then? Don't tell me it'll be Alois."

"I have one man in mind," Seiros said, looking toward Ashton, who felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "And by the end of the battle at Fhirdiad, I am sure he will accept his new role."

"For however long he has it," Ashton mumbled before lightly tapping the table. "In any event, we have our objective. Assist Byleth and Prince Dimitri in their assault on Fhirdiad. The letter also made mention of a 'Cornelia'. Any idea about that, Felix? Catherine?"

Catherine shrugged. "Some mage who cured the plague in Faerghus a couple years ago. Saved hundreds of lives, but I've never met her. I do know she's betrayed much of western Faerghus to the Empire, though."

"All of th western lords swore fealty to her, and she swore fealty to Edelgard. The takeover was overnight," Felix grumbled. "Personally, I'd put her head on a pike for her betrayal, but we can't all get what we want."

"She was always a strange woman," Seiros noted, "it was as if she appeared out of nowhere. I remember now. I wonder…"

"When we assault Fhirdiad, make sure she does not escape," Arawn suddenly said. "Imprison her, chain her limbs, do whatever it takes to keep her from running. But do not kill her."

Shez raised a brow. "Okay. That's kinda creepy."

Arawn scoffed. "You read too much into things. I merely have my suspicions. That is all."

"Anyway," Ashton coughed into his fist. "Let us retire for the night. When we leave this place, it'll be a straight shot to Fhirdiad."

Ashton was not looking forward to it, but hopefully it wouldn't be as brutal as the previous battles around the city. A small part of him knew that was a vain hope at best.

This'll probably be the last of the cooldown chapters. Shit will get real here soon, I assure you.

Hope you guys have a wonderful day!