Author's Note: My original inspiration for the Maria story as a whole was actually from the anime Black Cat. I recommend the Manga more than the anime personally, but the anime is still pretty good. This chapter essentially brings Will's long backstory with Maria to an end, though I imagine there's a few last parts to get through now. I've come to like the idea of Will being a Black Fang member originally. If we ever see a remake of Blazing sword, I hope they upgrade the tactician with something like this. It'd be pretty interesting, no?

That or they could go with amnesia again. But come on, Amnesia can only take you so far.

Chapter 22: Road to the End

Will could hear the sounds of battle up ahead. Waiting for Maria was the wrong choice after all. He was glad they would have a chance to help.

Ninian and Nils stayed close to him as he peeked through the trees, trying to locate Maria while also assessing the situation. What he saw would finish the transformation the last few months had been bringing upon him.

Maria's dagger slashed at Mark's cape as he nimbly sidestepped. Before Will had a chance to move Mark unleashed the Luna spell he had been forming in his hands. The six balls of darkness surrounded her and pierced through her mercilessly. As her blood stained the ground, Will rushed from the trees to catch her in his arms.

"Maria!" He said, his attention on her even as Mark loomed overhead.

She met his gaze, tears filling her eyes even as she smiled. "You came…" She said, raising a hand, which Will gripped tightly in his free hand. "I wanted… to take you… to Ostia."

"You still can. I'll get you out of here." Will said, though the way voice cracked from tears did little to make him believe it. Maria continued to smile as she gazed at him, even as tears began to fall to the ground.

"Can I ask you… for a favor?" She coughed, blood spurting onto her chin and neck. Will desperately tried to wipe it away with his cloak as he held her closer still.

Mark continued to stand there, and watch. To this day Will never understood why he continued to watch the scene. Had it brought him pleasure to watch her die? Did he think Will would turn back to his old self once she perished? Or had part of him wanted to show her a small amount of respect? Will suspected he would never know.

"Could you… bury me… with the flowers?" She asked, her voice becoming quieter by the second. Will gritted his teeth has he shot a glare at Mark, trying to get him to back away. Ninian and Nils still remained hidden, though their horror at the scene nearly made them reveal themselves as well.

Will still didn't know what he felt for Maria. He had wanted to know. The desire to know had been why he continued to follow her through all their plotting and even follow through with this escape. "Stop it." he muttered, so quietly that even she had a hard time hearing it. "This isn't the end, so don't act like it is!" Will said, his voice quavering as he shouted the last phrase in denial.

"I'm just glad…" She said, reaching her hand up to touch his face gently, and wipe away the tears. "So glad… you're alive." Her hand fell back to her chest as her eyes closed, and her breathing stopped. She was gone.

"Maria…" Will said, clutching her now with both hands. The blood he had wiped from her mouth now stained his emerald green cloak as he let it fall to the ground.

"The witch is dead, Will." Mark's cool, impassible voice broke through the sobs. "Now… come back to the Fang."

Will wasn't even aware of the next second, as his sword tore through the man's front, opening a huge gash on his chest. Mark stumbled away, but as he did so Will raised his other arm and blasted a shot of flux straight into the Man's open wound. His wits remained intact, and when he heard the sounds of reinforcements he knew he would be unable to finish the job. He spotted their ship, where an older man with a grisly beard waved him over frantically.

Lifting Maria's body, Will sprinted to the ship, ensuring Nils and Ninian joined him. Once they had scrambled up the plank, the older man kicked it off the ship into the oncoming members of the fang before the ship left port. Without any ship of their own nearby, the fang would be unable to follow them for at least an hour or two. They sailed quickly and efficiently, and within ten minutes Will could no longer see the Dread Isle.

"May I… ask your name, sir?" Will asked, bowing his head. Some of the men had brought over a tarp, which they draped over Maria's body. He was grateful, especially as this captain did not seem like the respectful sort.

"The name's Fargus, kid. We're pirates." The gruff captain said, putting a hand on Will's shoulder. "I've already received my payment, so you can be sure I'll get you and the little missy over there to the port safely. I promise." The tone he said it in, finally broke Will's demeanor. He collapsed to the ground, and when Nils and Ninian rushed over he hugged them close. Today marked a new beginning, but the cost had been higher than he had ever wanted.

Will rubbed his eyes as he sat up from bed. Avoiding waking Wil and Nils, he stepped outside. The memory his dream had brought him this time still lingered, and he could feel the nausea from seeing her body once more. He wandered his way over to the fire, before plopping himself onto the ground next to it, trying to warm his cold hands while suppressing the urge to vomit.

"What are you doing out here this late, laddie?" Came the voice of their newest and oldest member of the group. Lord Wallace had quickly earned their respect; Kent and Sain had instantly accepted him, and his knowledge of the landscape and where to create their camp for the night had helped them immensely. Will was willing to accept Wallace wholeheartedly since Kent and Sain did. They had learned to trust him, so it was only right he trust their judgment in return.

"Bad dreams." Will said in a quiet voice as he continued to warm his palms. He knew final battle would happen in a few days. Lundgren had gathered all his forces at the castle to fortify its defenses against them. The only variable was if Mark would stay there or leave. If Mark left, Will would have to follow him to get that antidote. In fact, he expected Mark would do just that to try and lure him off alone.

"You're a tactician, boy. You're strategies won't be much use if your head isn't in the right place." The gruff old man said, slamming the lance Will hadn't noticed he was holding into the ground. He approached Will and sat down next to him. It was only then Will noticed the older general had removed his armor. Underneath he wore a plain farmer's outfit, and he was holding something in his hand.

"I know…" He muttered again. Ever since he had talked to Lyn and Florina about his memories of the Lorca, they had been constantly badgering him about his condition, trying in their own way to make sure he was alright. He wished they wouldn't ask. It was better when he wasn't thinking about the poison. Rath was best in that respect. On their last patrol Rath had simply let Will sit upon his horse, but hadn't spoken a word as they surveyed the terrain ahead.

"What's the issue, laddie?" Wallace asked, his chiseled face breaking into a smile.

"It's just… I can't stand watching others fight while I direct them from the background. It's so hard to not want to get in there and help them myself. After what happened with Maria…" He trailed off, looking away. It was hard for him to continue. Saying the name caused many memories to resurface. Ones he still relieved almost every night in his dreams.

Wallace put down whatever it was that he had in his hand. "Tell me, lad." The kind tone the old man used finally broke the floodgates he had managed to keep up for so long. Out poured every story he could remember. The early few memories he had in the Lorca tribe, meeting a young and spunky Lyn. His family as they moved about the country, looking for a new place to call home. The Storm, and how somehow, in all the death, he had managed to stay afloat as he gasped for air, struggling to find anything to save himself from drowning. His arrival on the Dread Isle, meeting Mark, meeting Jaffar, and worst of all meeting Nergal. He told Wallace of how he decided to join the Fang, the tattoo on his collarbone that had branded him for life, and several missions he had been on were all recounted in the largest amount of detail he could remember.

Then he moved onto the stories of him and Maria. He included several stories of Nino, Jaffar, Lloyd and Linus as well, as several memories became a jumbled mess. Wallace listened to him without stopping him once for questions, even as he waddled his way through the harder to remember portions. When Will finally finished, the older man still didn't speak, merely looking into the fire as he let the information sink in. Will let out a sigh, feeling like there was one more thing he needed to ask. "Lord Wallace, have you… Have you ever wanted forgiveness?"

Wallace chuckled sadly at the younger man's question. "Everyone wants forgiveness at some time in their life, laddie. The question is, who do you need it from?" He let Will think about this, but Will couldn't come up with an answer after a few minutes of hard thought. Wallace patted the young man on the back. "You see, you want to blame yourself for everything that's gone wrong. You feel a strange duty to take on that burden. But none of it was your fault. A storm cannot be predicted by anyone. The outcome of a battle is the same as a storm."

In spite of himself, Will felt he could understand the old general's words. "I have a present for you, Will the tactician." Wallace said kindly. He picked up that item Will hadn't been able to see thanks to the old man's large build, and placed it on the tactician's lap.

"Heavy…" Will said without thinking, pushing them from his lap. The strange device looked like an ankle strap of some kind, but it was far too heavy to be of any use. "What are they?" He asked, not sure what to expect.

"What do they look like, boy? Weights!" He laughed at the tactician's horrified look. "You probably wonder why I can move so fast even with heavy armor on right? This is why. Every day I wear weights around my upper arms and ankles. Just walking with them increases your weight resistance, and helps you move faster when you take them off for battle." He smiled. "So, as a tactician, this should be a great help to you kid. By wearing them outside combat, you'll be much harder to pin down during combat, and you'll have much higher stamina for delivering orders!

"Why would I want to do this? Wouldn't it be better to tame a Wyvern instead?" Will asked skeptically. Wallace gave the young man a glare that sent shivers down his spine. Within minutes he found himself strapping on the weights as Wallace barked out orders. It seems he planned to wake everyone in camp.

"Good. Now let's go! Twenty laps around the campsite!" Wallace roared at the gathered bleary members of Lyndis' Legion. Certain members, Kent and Sain to be precise, set off immediately at a brisk jog. Others, such as Will and early birds like Lyn, brought up the second group. The final group consisted of the heavier set Dorcas, who seemed to be having a rough time opening his eyes. Serra was dragging behind him, too tired to even begin to talk.

With a day's smooth march behind them, the group once more made camp. Wallace went to bed almost immediately, having not slept the night before due to taking watch and hearing Will's story. With the final stretch in front of them, Will felt he would risk being a tiny bit tired to talk to everyone before the oncoming fight. He might not be the best 'pep talker' but he knew it was his job to at least try. The last thing he wanted was someone not being at full strength when they needed it most.

First, he decided it was best to talk to Lucius. The monk had situated himself at the fire, and was partaking in a late evening snack. It had taken them some coercing to get Lucius to eat a bit more than usual in preparation for the final battle approaching them, but Lucius had relented upon Nils' and Ninian's persistent begging.

"Good evening, Sir Will." Lucius said, smiling.

"I wish you'd stop adding sir to my name, Lucius." Will said. "You know I'm not a fan of the formalities it comes with."

"Forgive me, Sir Will, but you are due a certain level of respect." Lucius smiled.

"Ah, so Nils and Ninian told you about…" Will began.

"Yes, they did." Lucius said. "Forgive them, they only mean well."

"I know they do. I just… I really should have told you myself." Will said. "It feels like I was lying to you."

"And how is that?" Lucius asked. "Your past may have shaped who you are, but its hold only extends to what you let it."

"I suppose… you have a point there." Will said.

"I believe deeply in the teachings of St. Elimine. While I am by no means the best example of a monk, I do believe in one principle. People are inherently good. There are some who stray, but there are also those who will find their way back from the darkest places." Lucius said.

Will realized Lucius meant that as a compliment. "I suppose. Still, if you'll hear me out I'd like to share the parts Nils and Ninian weren't able to illuminate."

"Of course. I am happy to listen." Lucius said. Will recounted his tale. It wasn't in as much detail as with Wallace, but he covered all the important bits, and he told one particular story where he admitted his guilt and failure to kill a family under the Fang. Well, he called it a failure, but he knew it had been the right choice to save them.

"You truly are a kind soul." Lucius said. "I hope you plan on continuing to live a strong life."

"I'll do my best." Will said.

"Let me ask you one question, if I may." Lucius said.

"Of course." Will said.

"To you, what is most important?" Lucius asked.

"Most important… hmm…" Will crossed his arms, thinking hard about this question. He knew Lucius rarely asked questions. This meant he felt it was something fundamentally important to each individual. His answer was not one he had entirely expected, but he knew it was right for him. "To believe in others."

"Oh?" Lucius raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"As a tactician, my job is to plan for every contingency and doubt every action. But that's because my job is to plan for the worst. As a person, I think it's much better to hope for the best. For example, Dorcas came to our side after hearing we were protecting his wife. He could have fought us to try and take her back, but he chose to help us instead. That's what I mean by believing in people, I think." Will said.

"The power to believe, hmm?" Lucius said. "Thank you, Will. You've given me much to consider.

Though Will wasn't entirely sure he understood, he decided it was best to end their conversation there, as Lucius had turned to stare into the fire. It was likely he was thinking of something he himself believed in or was searching for. Will left Lucius to his musings and continued on his way.

Will smiled at Nils and Ninian who were positively beaming as he approached. He realized he hadn't spent much time with them, and he was feeling a bit guilty about it. Especially since what he needed to talk about with them wasn't going to be fun. "Nils… Ninian?"

He was finding it much harder to continue his planned speech than he had hoped. Ninian looked like she understood, but Nils looked like he was about to cry. Both of them probably understood without him saying anything, but that would defeat the purpose of talking to them. IN the long run, it would be much safer this way. "At Caelin…"

"We split up?" Ninian asked sadly.

Will nodded. "It's risky enough that they're after both of us. If their forces are divided… it's harder to catch us."

Both of them nodded. Nils took Will's right hand, and Ninian his left. He looked at them, confused, before both kissed him, on opposite cheeks. Will's cheeks quickly turned bright red with embarrassment, not used to the physical contact. They smiled and Nils began to laugh. "Family will always meet again." Ninian said firmly.

Will's face broke into a genuine smile. They remembered that smile from when he had talked to Maria before, and seeing it again brought an amazing amount of joy. He hugged both of them close. "Of course… I know we'll meet again. Thank you." They could hear a small crack in his voice as they hugged him back.

Shortly after Will sat down next to Matthew, who was staring out over the fields, perhaps imagining what Leila was doing in Ostia. He knew of Matthew's obvious love for his fellow spy. Maria had often gushed about the two and hoped to see their marriage some day in the future. Matthew didn't take notice of Will as he sat down next to him. It was only then he realized he had already told Matthew everything he wanted to know.

"I figured it was something along those lines." Matthew said. "About Maria. She always stuck her nose in where it didn't belong." He sighed. Maybe a part of him realized he was much the same. "Where… did you bury her?"

Will smiled sadly. "On the outskirts of Badon. There was a secret garden there she showed me after one of our missions. We even named the unique flowers that are housed there. Someday… I'll show it to both you and Leila." Matthew nodded.

"I have a feeling that day is a long way away." The thief replied. "You aren't coming to Ostia after this." It was a statement, not a question. Will didn't shake or nod. Matthew had already guessed it.

"I'm not staying in Caelin either. I plan to travel. See the world for what it is. Of course, that's after we succeed." Matthew nodded.

"That makes sense. Good luck." Matthew said. Will knew the Thief meant it, which was a nice gesture. Shortly after, Matthew stood and decided to head back to his tent.

Will realized most of the others had retired for the night. Rath had the first watch, So he was still up. Will decided it was his best chance to speak to the silent nomad. As he approached, Rath nodded in his direction. Will smiled, and sat next to the fire. For a little while, the two men sat in silence. The strange sense of trust the two had built over the last two months still held strong.

"Do you want to hear it as well?" Will finally asked, breaking their precious moments of silence. Rath shook his head.

"The past is always a part of you, but it is your present that matters. I believe the monk told you something similar." The nomad looked at him. "You are a Sacaen; I have seen the look in your eyes. You have not and will not tell me any lies."

Will smiled at the nomad's words. Rath's assessment fit him remarkably well. "So, Rath, What are your plans after this?"

The nomad mulled this over for a bit before responding. "I think I will travel as a mercenary. I can make a living that way." Will was happy with this answer. He wasn't about to ask Rath to come with him on his journey, but he had genuinely wondered about the man's plans. At least he could hope they would meet again in the future.

The next day's march went slower than the previous one, but the reason for it was Will took them on a detour to the highest hill they could get to. From that hill they could see Castle Caelin far below them. They could also see the troops moving around like lines of ants. Will had spent the later part of the day marking down their routes and positions, but would have to think on a strategy before letting everyone know the best plan of attack. Near evening he reached an impasse, and decided it would be best to spend some time talking to a few other members who were milling about the camp that he hadn't gotten the chance to the previous day.

Seeing as Dorcas was beginning to get ready for bed, Will decided to talk to him first. "Hey." He greeted the older man, holding a hand up in greeting. "Are you holding up alright?"

Dorcas nodded. "Natalie told me to promise her I would return. So I did. I will not die so easily. I assume that's why you're talking to people around the camp?"

Will shrugged. "It just seemed like the right thing to do, as the tactician. I'm glad you have your motivation though."

Dorcas checked his axe again. "Just so long as you have a plan ready. How's that going?"

Will sighed and ruffled his hair. "I'm doing my best, but even the most well laid out plan is going to vary once we're in combat. A big part of tomorrow is just going to be how everyone reacts to changes on the fly."

Dorcas nodded again. "Then we'll be needing you tomorrow, so make sure you get some rest." With that, Dorcas disappeared inside his tent. Will would have to remember to ask how much of a motivator love truly was for Dorcas. He had heard stories of people fighting well past their limits to return to a loved one, but he'd never seen it at work before. Not that he was particularly eager to put it to the test, either.

The next two he decided to tackle was Erk and Serra, as they also seemed about ready to go to bed. Erk was looking more rested than before, and he noted than Serra was not jabbering away like she had been for most of their journey. She simply sat on a spare box watching Erk, who was sitting on the ground with his spell book open. "Hey there, you two doing alright?" Will asked, curious at the change.

Erk sighed before shutting the book. Apparently he had been reading the same few lines repeatedly without understanding a word. "Truthfully I'm quite nervous. I'm not sure my training has been enough to prepare me for this. We're about to fight an entire army."

"Of course your training is good enough." Serra said in a surprisingly kind voice. "If I am a perfect healer and you were hired to escort me, then fighting an army is child's play."

Erk and Will looked at her in confusion. This wasn't the same Serra they had come to know. She was polishing her staff more carefully than usual, and had barely said a word. "Are you alright, Serra?" Will asked, feeling like he would regret this conversation later.

"I'm perfectly alright." Serra said. "As the group healer, I promise no one will die under my care tomorrow." She looked up at Will, her expression kind and serious at the same time. "Don't let your fear affect the battle. Leave the difficult parts to Erk and I."

Will realized Serra understood the gravity of the situation more than even perhaps he had until this moment. He smiled, and though Erk still looked mildly bewildered, bowed gracefully to Serra. "I'll be counting on you, then."

"Of course you will. Erky, make sure you protect me properly, okay?" Serra said, a bit of her usual bossiness returning. Erk, who had given up trying to understand the current Serra, grunted a small affirmation before opening his book once more.

The next person Will really wanted to talk to was Wil. The archer had quickly become a good friend in an entirely different vein than Rath. They also worked exceedingly well together in combat, a strange combination between men with very similar names. Wil had also been the one to name Lyndis' Legion, which Will now thought of dearly as an amazing group of talented fighters, though he hadn't known that would be the case at the time. Now the archer was restringing his bow, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"You look a little worried." Will said, sitting down next to the archer. Wil stopped what he was doing, putting down the bow. It seemed he had been straining the bow a little too much and decided to rest a little before trying again.

"That's not even the half of it. It's nerve-racking to know that tomorrow is the day that all of this ends." He glanced at the castle fields so far below, where the guardsmen were just beginning to change up for the first night patrol.

"Only if we make sure we win." Will said. Wil laughed, and the two began sharing stories. While Will was able to tell Wil all about Maria and the Fang, Wil told Will several amusing stories about his hunting trips with Dart and Rebecca. It surprised him when Wil claimed that Rebecca was by far a better shot than he was, but got a good laugh from hearing Dart was no good with bows at all.

After their talk, Wil once more glanced at the castle, but he focused his gaze more on Will. "Well, I do feel a bit better, now that we could talk… I was worried; you haven't seemed like yourself lately." Will was confused by that. He hadn't felt any different. Perhaps Wil had sensed how much his memories had hung upon his mind. "Talking like this though… I think I may have been overthinking it. See you tomorrow." Wil waved cheerily before heading back to his tent, taking the bow and bowstring with him.

Now it was time to talk to Kent and Sain. As he sat down, they greeted him. "I wanted to thank you both." Will said. The two knights seemed confused, so he elaborated. "I know I have a past that made me seem untrustworthy. I also know how difficult it was for you to place your trust in me when Lyndis' life hangs in the balance. It's just… I'm glad I had the chance to change. I think all I needed was the right… friends." The last word made him feel embarrassed when he said it, but it was the truth.

Kent and Sain both had a chuckle at his expense. After his blush had died down, Kent spoke. "You spoke to me once about protecting the things you care for. I care for this group, and Caelin. We will win tomorrow. I have no doubt."

Sain finally decided to ask the question he had been holding on to for quite some time. "Will, you told us before you had someone precious to protect. What did you mean by that? Surely not Nils and Ninian?"

"To understand, let me tell you a story first. I'll try to make it brief. It's about Maria." He told them his story about being shipwrecked, joining the Fang, and how he eventually met Maria. Then he regaled the whole horrid escape affair and how it had led to her death. "So protecting people became my promise to her. It felt like something Maria would want me to do."

Sain crossed his arms thoughtfully, while Kent nodded. They had taken the story better than a few of the others. Will supposed their knight training was to thank for that. "The second reason is that I feel like I still owe Lyndis for saving me." Kent began to speak, but Will cut him off. "I know I've helped her as well and she would say there's no debt, but it's a personal feeling." he said with a shrug.

"The third…" He looked around, his gaze resting on Lynd and Florina who were conversing nearby for a bit longer than he had intended. "Is that… I want to make sure everyone here survives. They've been very kind to me. I consider them all… precious."

Sain laughed. "You are a very strange tactician. Not many would attach themselves to their units." Kent nodded silently in his agreement, and Will shrugged again.

Kent looked around. "I suppose you have yet to talk to Lady Lyndis and Dame Florina." When Will nodded, he smiled. "Make sure to sleep afterward, Sain and I shall alternate the watch. There will be no surprises."

Will thanked them both, before stealing himself for the conversations he had been meaning to have for the past two nights. Last night Lyn and Florina had both gone to bed before he could talk to either of them, so he wanted to make sure he talked to them both tonight. Of all the people here, he felt closest to the two of them.

"You know…" Lyn turned to see Will, who came up and sat beside her before continuing. "The castle will not wither under just your gaze, Lady Lyndis." She had indeed been staring at the castle intently for a while, and even Florina had not been able to pull her gaze away from it for long.

She sighed. "I told you before, there are no titles between us."

Will smiled. "Well I thought maybe in front of the others it might be better to…"

Lyn interrupted him. "Well, I still object. Hearing you call me Lady Lyndis is just… it doesn't feel. It's like you're ignoring the person you met on the plains in favor of some noblewoman who doesn't exist." She said, looking back at the castle.

"You know I don't think that, Lyn." Will said, giving in. "You really should get some sleep though. We're going to need you more than ever tomorrow." Lyn continued to gaze stubbornly at the castle. "Lyn… please."

She tore her eyes off the castle to meet Will's gaze once more. "It's just… being so close makes me wonder if my grandfather is still alive. If we'll make it in time. If Mark is there. If we can beat him as well as my granduncle. If the antidote is really there. If you…" She trailed off, turning her face away as it began to burn.

"Lyn, I don't plan on dying. And if Mark is there, we'll beat him. Together, we can't fail. You said it yourself." The logic of it was so simple, yet so warming to hear that Lyn nodded without thinking. Still trying to hide her blush, she stood quickly.

"Well then, if we're going to win I'll need to be in top form. You get some sleep yourself, Will." Lyn quickly hurried to her tent, vanishing inside it without another word. It was only after she had gone that Will realized he had forgotten to tell her the story about Maria like he had promised he would do.

"I suppose… it'll just have to wait." Will said. "Sorry Maria. Lyn needs me more than you do right now."

Florina stood by their makeshift stables, not doing anything in particular, but brushing Huey softly as the night air settled in. When Will approached her she nearly recoiled but managed to catch herself just in time. Will smiled, and she felt herself flushing as she seemed to do constantly in his company. It was getting to be worse than when she was afraid of him.

"Nervous, are you?" He asked, though it came out more like a statement than a question. She nodded. "Don't be."

"It's hard not to be." She said, quietly. "I mean… everyone is counting on everyone else. And then… there's…" She turned away from him.

"I'm not going to die just yet." He said with surprising conviction. She blushed. "We're going to take Caelin back."

She looked at him, trying her best to stop blushing as she tried to understand his motivation. His drive was there in full. Whether it had always been there, or had strengthened because he had talked to the others, she couldn't be sure. However, she did realize one thing. She felt much stronger and braver than before. "Yeah… we will." She said with a surprising amount of conviction herself. Will smiled, and she felt her heart leap.

"Well then, let's get some sleep, shall we?" He said, still smiling that smile that was making it hard for her to speak. She really wanted to say something though, so she tried to face him. She ended up closing her eyes, rubbing her hands together as she gathered her courage.

"Umm… Will?" She said, managing a steadier voice than she'd hoped for. "I… it's just… I wanted to… say thanks. For everything."

She felt his hand touching her shoulder softly, and even with her eyes squinted shut she could feel her face blush deeper red than ever before. His next words only made it even harder for her to continue talking to him like a normal person who didn't have her eyes closed and hands pressed together like a madwoman. "I never did much… but you're welcome. Thank you for all you've done as well, Florina."

"Y-You're… welcome." She said, stammering slightly and trailing off the end of the sentence. She felt his hand leave her shoulder, and before he was able to say anything else she bolted for her tent. She squeaked out a quick 'good night' before vanishing inside.

Will knew he had also failed to tell Florina about Maria, but with her he had felt it was more deliberate. Florina seemed more emotional than the others, and he hadn't wanted to cause her unnecessary stress. As it was, he thought he might have gone a little overboard. He waved to Kent and Sain, the latter of whom began to chuckle as he waved back, before heading into his tent.

He heard the soft sounds of Rath's breathing, and knew the nomad was asleep. Sitting down, he looked once more at his layout of the battlefield. Moving a few more pieces around, he suddenly realized he knew exactly what had to be done to ensure the best chances in the battle tomorrow. "Not easy… but we've pulled off the impossible before. I just need to believe in all of them and myself." Will muttered to himself, before placing one last piece upon the board. Yes, he thought he could see the battle rather clearly now. Instead of waste too much time thinking about it, he knew he would need to go to sleep.

"Motivation… get through this and tell Lyn and Florina everything. They deserve to know." Will whispered to himself, clearing away the battle map to lay down his bedroll. "Motivation two: get everyone out alive. No one is dying tomorrow." With those two thoughts swirling in his head, Will placed his head upon the pillow. In a surprisingly short amount of time, he found his eyes fluttering closed as sleep overcame him.

The final battle for Caelin was tomorrow.