Author's Note: I have now reached the milestone of 50 chapters! I have to admit, I'm glad to reach it, and I hope to keep improving the story as I go. It's been difficult balancing character development with battles since I didn't want to simply push the battles aside, but I think I'm finally getting there.

I wish I could continue the happy trend. Unfortunately, this chapter is being released during a very turbulent time. I have finals and graduation from college finally coming up in the next two or three weeks. With Finals, I don't have much time to write I'm sorry to say.

Also, my father is in the hospital. I wanted to post this chapter so my readers understand what's going on, but obviously I will not be around for at least three weeks. It is currently very possible he will pass away, though we continue to hope for the best. If you are willing, please spare a prayer or thought for him if only for my benefit.

Sorry this chapter comes with bad news, but I still hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter 50: It's How We Are

Dearest Mother,

Forgive me for this late correspondence. I believe the last letter I wrote you was the day after our battle against Euban's mercenaries. Thank you for trying to find out more about them, but please do not put yourself in danger on my account. As I'm sure Isadora will read this before or with you, I hope she'll keep you safe for me.

Lord Darin's plans continue to spiral downwards. I do not know why he chooses the path he does, but it feels like with each step he grows closer to the depths of insanity. In his latest move, he attacked and took over Caelin. When Hector, Will and I heard the news, we set off at once to stop him. We arrived just in time to aid Lyndis and her companions retake the castle. Thanks to one of Ostia's spies, we've now learned that my father is still alive. However, as to why he initially agreed to Lord Darin's plans… I still do not know. I trust father, yet this nagging doubt cannot be easily cured without seeing his face and hearing his voice.

The battle was not without cost either. Lord Hausen has by this time passed on to the next world. Darin has now taken two Lords… two grandfathers… We must stop him. To that end, I'm afraid there is only one recourse left to us. To pursue Darin and the Black Fang to the Isle of Valor.

I know you have heard the rumors about it, but Will himself has returned from the island before. This time, we go with a much larger force than Will originally left with. The Black Fang's main forces are likely still in Bern as well, or spread out over the country. This may give us the advantage for a surprise attack. If we can stop this Nergal's plan before it comes to fruition, no danger need befall Lycia.

Will has split our forces for the time being. I send this letter with Rebecca, the young archer who first joined us just outside the castle walls. She's been a great help to us, so I know she'll deliver it safely. Along with her are Dorcas, Bartre and Raven. Raven is one of the newer members of his company, but Dorcas and Bartre have both proven valuable members of our company. Hector and his vassals are headed for Ilia. They've knowledge of an expedition to the Dread Isle that will hopefully be of help to us. Will is accompanying Lyndis to the Sacaen Plains, where Lord Hausen will be put to rest. Or has been put to rest, if my internal timeline is correct. After that, they will head to Badon.

This is where I will be. Will has given me information on a man named Fargus. He was apparently the one who helped out Will originally escape Valor. Badon is the place I'll hopefully find him, but in the meantime I'll be looking around to see if any other boat will take us there. It can't hurt to ask. Once we've found a ship, it's only a matter of time until we locate my father. Stay safe until then.

Love,

Eliwood

"I hope you can forgive me for earlier." Guy said, bowing his head to Lyndis. "I recognized the song, and I thought maybe…"

"No, thank you." Lyn said, as the four sat around the fire. They had only just finished burying Lord Hausen, placing him next to the grave of Madelyn. "I wanted to see grandfather off without tears, but I… I suppose it was too difficult."

"Tears aren't a bad thing Lyn." Said Florina, huddled next to her. "They show that you care."

Lyn smiled. "I suppose that's true as well." She sighed. "This is not how I imagined our reunion."

Will chuckled, though it was short and soft. "Yes, I'll admit I imagined a much better reunion myself."

"I heard about your journey from Matthew." Guy said. "When you came to the Kutolah, you didn't mention it at all."

"If you think that was bad," Lyn said, "His letters spent too much time asking about us and not telling us what he'd been up to! Until he met Eliwood, most of his letters had a sentence or two about his journey at most! 'I've gone to Sacae, Lucius left after receiving a letter, Lord Wallace is still training me, Etruria is quite the beautiful place…" Lyn trailed off. "In fact, the letter telling us of his plan to visit Dorcas and talk to Eliwood may have been the first time he gave us anything definite on him."

"Oh yes, I recall you agonizing over your parchment late into the night." Lucius chuckled. "Lord Wallace was quite displeased the following morning. Your physical training that day went terribly. You weren't very alert during magic practice either."

"Sorry." Will apologized. "I haven't had many people to write letters to before now, so I found it hard to articulate my thoughts. I ended up asking about you guys more because I wanted to know what was going on."

"You sounded like a worrywart most of the time." Florina giggled. "Is Kent loosening up? Is Sain staying in line? Wil isn't taking the archers hunting as practice is he?"

"Lay off." Will grumbled. Lucius chuckled again.

"So you all are part of the Lorca then?" Guy asked. "I had heard there were survivors, but they dispersed into the other tribes rather quickly. One or two even came to the Kutolah."

"Yes well… I was next in line to be the leader of the Lorca." Lyn said. "But as so few of us were left… and because of my father's open policy regarding outsiders… they no longer trusted my family to lead."

"I… I see." Guy said. "I'm sorry. The Taliver were a threat even to our tribe, so even when we heard of the attack…"

"I do not blame anyone." Lyn said. "I learned… during my journey I… got my revenge, in a sense. The Taliver are no more. For me, it is more important to focus on a new ideal. I want to rebuild the Lorca. So I asked Will and Florina to join me. We're a tribe of three."

"I see. Well, many endeavors begin with a single step. I myself want to be the greatest swordsman in the world." Guy said. "I don't know if I will succeed, but I want to try."

"The greatest swordsman?" Lyn asked, her curiosity perked. "Which means I should be expecting your challenge sometime soon?"

"To fight the wielder of the Mani Katti…" Guy mused. "Winning against you would be no small feat. To be honest I doubt I could do it as I am now."

"Well you won't beat her by sparring with me." Will said. "Try sparring with Lyn from now on. I'm betting you two will make a formidable team."

The five continued to talk as the moon rose into the sky, Merlinus returning and joining them from cleaning the wagon fully of blood, before sleep slowly overtook them. They slept beneath the stars, the wind playing with the grass and sweeping across their faces. Lyn realized, perhaps for the first time, just how much she had truly missed the land of her birth. It brought forth a feeling in her she wasn't sure what to do with.

"Lord Wallace… Your body…"

"Aye, no need to tell me lassie. I know all too well."

"Then you know what I'm going to say next. As a healer and even more importantly a friend."

"Keep it to yourself, lassie. I'll fight if I want to fight. Even if it means…"

"Lord Wallace?" Kent asked, breaking the older man out of his reverie. "Are you alright?"

"Me?" Wallace said. He looked around the table. Sain, Wil and old Hannah sat there as well. They had just been raising a glass to toast Lord Hausen and his thoughts had overtaken him. Old age was taking it's toll, if only slightly. "I'm fine. Just thinking back."

"That's right." Sain said. "You knew Lord Hausen when he was a younger man."

"Hah! Not that much younger, mind you." Wallace chuckled. "I was knighted shortly after Lord Hausen took the throne. I served him faithfully for twenty-five years before retiring. That would be a few years after his daughter ran off to the plains and had their little girl. Time is such a strange thing."

"Lord Hausen was always so solemn." Kent lamented. "Before Lyndis, during my time as a trainee, I can't recall ever seeing him smile. He would watch over us, his brother at his side, with a frown firmly in place."

"When he received that letter from his daughter, something changed." Sain agreed. "He asked me and Kent, new knights, to take on a dangerous task. I suppose Lundgren had won too many favors with the older knights or blackmailed them into following his commands."

"When in doubt, use a new trainee." Wallace recited. "It's not uncommon. Lords often are under threat from people either trying to claim their throne or discredit them for bribes and favors. When situations become precarious, better to place your bets on the young and eager to prove themselves rather than the elder and easily manipulated."

"I see." Kent mused. "So it was part of Lord Hausen's strategy."

"Well, it was also because it was you." Wallace chuckled. "Lord Hausen no doubt saw the two of you work. Earnest in your words and actions, not easily swayed by other's opinions and most importantly, loyal to a fault."

"You make loyalty to one's lord sound… bad." Kent mumbled.

"Bauker died protecting a Lord not worth protecting." Wallace growled. "Knights are not simply swords and lances to be pointed at an enemy. They have lives, desires, families in most cases. Lords must keep that in mind just as much as knights keep their lord in mind. Otherwise… it's tyranny."

"Wow." Wil said, leaning back. "Heavy stuff."

Wallace laughed. "Well, I may be old, but you all are still young. Well, most of you." He raised his glass to Hannah, who gave a small nod. The alcohol seemed to be affecting her faster than the men, but she was a quiet drunk. "You must plan on having families someday, am I right?"

"Family…" Sain mused. "I suppose if I find the right girl, I'd be more than happy to settle down."

"Then why do you flirt with every woman you meet?" Kent asked. "That's bound to create a negative image."

"I need a girl that can put up with a difficult man like me." Sain chuckled. "I like people. I love talking to girls. I know I'm a flirt, but I enjoy making girls feel happy about themselves. If a girl can put up with that and still love me, I'll know I have a winner."

"How you can be so confident?" Kent asked in amazement.

"I know who I am." Sain shrugged. "To be honest, I'm also perfectly okay with being who I am."

"I suppose I'm like that too." Wil said, smiling. "I know I'm not the smartest guy and I make mistakes from time to time, but I'm trying to do the right thing and that's all I can hope for."

"Hmm." Kent mused, taking a swig from his mug. It wasn't something he often thought about. "Am I… fine as I am, I wonder…?" He whispered to himself. He did try to serve his Lord faithfully, but Wallace had a point. What if Lady Lyndis hand't been the kind person she is? Would he have ended up like Bauker? Fighting and dying to protect someone unworthy of it? And if so, how could he know who was worthy? Kent sighed. It wasn't an answer he felt like he could come to right now. Not while Lord Hausen was being put to rest.

"To Lord Hausen." Wallace said, raising his mug once more. "And to a future where we knights of Caelin make him proud."

The loud clank of mugs, followed by the soft sounds of drinking were the only sounds in the tavern for the rest of the evening.

"Natalie." Dorcas hugged the smaller woman who ran to him as soon as they entered the village. "I'm glad you're safe."

"It's been some time, Dorcas." Natalie said. "Dorothy's asleep right now, but I'm sure you want to see her."

"Yes, I would like that." Dorcas agreed.

"I'll head over to the castle." Rebecca said, bowing politely. "Lord Eliwood asked me to deliver a letter."

"We'll come with you." Bartre said, grabbing Raven by the arm. "Let the love-birds have some time to themselves."

Dorcas appreciated the gesture as the three left, leaving him alone with his wife. He began to explain their progress as best he could. Perhaps one of the more vocal members of their group would have been a better choice, but he did what he could. "And so Will allowed me to come back and visit while we search for information on this magic user."

"Will really is looking out for you, isn't he." Natalie said.

"He's a softie." Dorcas chuckled. "In a way, it reminds me of us when we were only a couple years younger."

"Oh?" Natalie asked playfully. "Who's his Natalie then?"

"Well, of that I'm not sure." Dorcas admitted. "You know I've only ever had eyes for you."

The two shared a rather sappy kiss and conversation as Natalie led him back to the house, where Dorcas was able to rock the cradle of the softly sleeping Dorothy. "Are you sure you don't want to hold her?" Natalie asked. "She'll recognize her papa right away, you know."

"I… I want to, believe me." Dorcas said. "But right now… They still need me, Natalie. I won't let them down. If I… If I hold her… I won't want to leave."

"And then I'll make sure to get your sorry arse in gear and out the door." Natalie said, picking up the child gently in her arms. "You've got a brief respite, Dorcas. Don't miss out."

She held out the child to him, which after a moment of hesitation, Dorcas took. He rocked Dorothy in his arms, a soft smile spreading across his face. "She's still just as beautiful as the day I left. A bit bigger, but just as lovely."

"You see?" Natalie said, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "Really helps you know what you're fighting for, right honey?"

"Yes… I… Thank you." Dorcas said. The two continued to sit there, enjoying their short time together before the journey would resume.

"Hmm… that's not quite…" Rebecca muttered, tugging her bowstring. "Maybe if I just…"

"What in the blazes are you doing?" Raven asked. They had left the village only an hour earlier, but now their march towards the castle had come to a halt. Rebecca was doing something with her bowstring, and Bartre was lazing about nearby. It was rather… annoying.

"Ah!" Rebecca cried. "I'm sorry, did I disturb your rest?"

"Rest? I'm not even tired." Raven said with a sigh. "But that's not what I meant. Why are you dismantling your weapon?"

Rebecca giggled. "Well, it's just my bowstring. It's been getting lax lately. I've been trying to change it with another, but I've never been very good at stringing and getting it just right is…"

"Hand it over." Raven said with a sigh.

"Eh?" Rebecca asked in surprise. "Uh…" She held out her bow in confusion.

Raven grabbed it, undoing the string Rebecca had been trying to tighten. She was right, stringing was clearly not one of her stronger points. Loppoing the string once around his thumb, he set to work. It had been a while since he had done it, so it took longer than he would've liked, but within five minutes he had the string attached and tightened properly. He had remembered to loosen in just slightly to compensate for her girlish physique, but it was still taut. Her muscled were well-defined as an archer, so it was probably just right. The only way to know for sure would be to have her try it. "There, that do it? Give her a pull and make sure she's not too tight."

Rebecca did so. She stood, even going so far as to notch an arrow and fire it into the grass a fair distance ahead. "Ah, it's… its perfect! Thank you so much! Uh… Sir Raven, right? I don't think we took the time to properly introduce ourselves. I'm Rebecca."

"I know." Raven said. "When someone joins your army you should at least try to remember their face. Especially in a rag-tag bunch such as this."

"I… I'm sorry. I'm not even a proper mercenary, to be honest." Rebecca said, hanging her head.

"Well, if you can't even take care of your own weapon… you should seriously consider leaving the battlefield." Raven said.

Rebecca fell silent. She supposed he had a point. She'd been working as hard as she could to no longer be a burden to Lord Eliwood, but all of that hadn't done much good from her point of view. Add in her recent run in with Wil, where he had completely bought her at face value when she claimed not to be his friend, and she…

"Well if you need any help, you can ask me." Raven said. "I'll do what I can."

As he walked away from her, Rebecca became even more confused. "Mean… but not so bad inside? Gotta admit, he's looks damn good on the outside…" She broke into a small fit of giggles.

Raven heard her giggling behind him, but women were often beyond the scope of his understanding. He had stopped trying to quite a while ago. Of course, he realized his mistake as he approached Bartre, who jumped to his feet all too happily at Raven's approach.

"You!" Bartre shouted dramatically, pointing his finger in Raven's face.

"What." Raven asked.

"That gaze that misses nothing! That gait free of wasted movement! You are strong! Fight me!" Bartre demanded, raising his fists.

"What are you talking about?" Raven asked in confusion.

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Bartre shouted, charging Raven while swinging his arms. Raven sidestepped him, watching in slight amusement as Bartre tumbled over his own feet, landing face-first on the ground.

"Hey." Raven said to the prone man. "You hurt?"

"What the big idea?" Bartre shouted, jumping back to his feet. "Why'd you step aside, huh? You knew I'd fall?"

"I believe I'm the one who's supposed to ask 'What's the big idea.'" Raven responded.

"We don't need chit-chat!" Bartre declared, jabbing the air experimentally. "We are men who live by the strength of our arms! Fists, not words! We… We talk with our fists!"

"Uh huh." Raven said. He had to admit, he knew where the wild man was coming from. From the moment Raven had met Bartre he knew the kind of person he was dealing with. A fighter. Someone who clawed their way to every victory he could get. He won, no matter if it was pretty or ugly. That was all that mattered to him.

"Have you not realized it? Maybe you're greener than I thought." Bartre grinned. "In that case – gah!" He ducked just in time, as Raven unleashed a rather nasty surprise hook. Raven's knee came up to meet his face and Bartre stumbled back, clutching his nose. "What was that all about?"

"I believe you were the one who rushed me first?" Raven said, raising an eyebrow. "Fists, not words, eh?"

"H…Heh." Bartre chuckled, feeling a small amount of fear. "I uh… I know your type. Cool face and a heart of fire! Men shouldn't be temper-whoa!" He ducked as Raven closed the distance between them with two small strides. "Wait! Whoa!" Bartre retreated, Raven continuing to close the distance faster than Bartre could react. "I-I said wait! Waaaaaait!"

"Sooooooooooooooo." Matthew began. It was rather awkward for the two front men. Matthew was using his superior vision from Oswin's horse to keep an eye on the snowy terrain, but things had been unnaturally peaceful. He mostly blamed it on Will. Sending Lord Hector off on the most boring task was just asking for trouble normally, but this time it really seemed like nothing would happen. "Oswin."

"What is it, Matthew?" Oswin growled back. Two weeks on horse still didn't help him become accustomed to it, and without constant focus he easily found himself falling off into the snow. It didn't help that the young master laughed rather heartily along with both Matthew and Serra whenever it occurred, so he was determined not to let it happen again.

"I just don't get it." Matthew mused. "How long do we need to be on this quest?"

"And what do you mean by that?" Oswin asked.

"We're men of Ostia, you and I." Matthew said. "Sure, Our young master is risking his life for his friends, but if you think about what's best for Ostia…"

Oswin shook his head. "I already discussed this with Lord Hector. He's not about to change his mind. So I'll do my best to keep him out of trouble. I've sworn to serve him and so I shall." Oswin sighed. "I do admit it is a most trying situation."

"Hah…" Matthew sighed, particularly loudly in Oswin's opinion.

"What's the matter?" Oswin asked.

"Nothing." Matthew said, a bit too quickly. It must have been about Leila. Uther had noted when he and Oswin spoke of the two's relationship.

"So why did you come on this journey?" Oswin asked. "Didn't you say that spies do not join the fray?"

"Well, that's true." Matthew defended. "We're not supposed to. But if we leave him alone, who knows what would happen? He's faithful and brave at his best and a spoiled child at his worst." He shrugged. "Someone's got to be keeping an eye on him. And if I'm going to be watching him, it's much easier to fight beside him than skulk in the shadows."

Oswin chuckled. "You almost seem pleased by that."

"Well, I've been accustomed to his presence and behavior for quite some time…" Matthew mused. "Actually, you're appraisal of him has been rather generous lately…"

"That is…" Oswin trailed off. In his desire to understand Lord Hector's spirit, had he been taking it too easy on the man? No, it must have been Matthew up to his old antics again. "Most certainly not the case." They continued forward, the snow beginning to fall once more. "No… certainly not." Oswin muttered to himself.

A good distance behind them, Hector wondered why he allowed himself to be chained to Serra once more. Matthew had offered to scout ahead, and he should've known Oswin wouldn't let him take point with the thief, yet here he was sitting on his horse, trudging along with Serra being uncharacteristically quiet behind him. It became so unsettling that he decided, against his better judgment, to ask a question he had been wondering about for some time. "So, Serra. Can anyone use a staff of St. Elimine, even if they lack the faith?"

"What?" Serra asked curiously. She seemed to contemplate it seriously for a moment, before hitting upon an idea. "Wait, you're making fun of me in a roundabout way! I never!" She huffed, puffing out her cheeks though Hector couldn't see. "Only someone like you could do such a thing! Can you even imagine the many nights I've wet my pillows in tears-"

"Nope." Hector replied simply. "I can't."

Serra huffed. "I'll have you know I've been sensitive and delicate since the day I was born!" She declared proudly, though Hector didn't know why. "Not that I'd expect you to know that. Or care like a normal human." She smiled slyly. "It might surprise you to know that I am of high noble birth!"

"Huh?" Hector asked in surprise. "I guess you're right, I didn't know." Serra grinned with pleasure. "You some distant relation of one of Lycia's nobles?"

"No, I'm a full-blooded member of an Etrurian count's family." Serra replied happily.

"What." Hector deadpanned. "Are… are you serious?" He asked, in spite of himself.

"Very serious." Serra said with a decisive nod. "You really should be calling me 'Lady Serra' you know. But I suppose since it's you, Lord Hector, I can keep putting up with plain old 'Serra.'"

"It's hard to picture." Hector admitted. "But I'll take your word for it. Where are they from?"

"Huh?" Serra asked, flinching back. "I uh… they are… that's… that's what I'm not sure of." She said, her voice becoming uncharacteristically quiet.

"Hah?" Hector asked, half in confusion, half hoping she would speak up. The snow was picking up, making it more difficult to hear over the wind.

"There was…" Serra began, trying not to choke on her words. "All this talk about family status and succession. Titles and such. My parents decided to put me in an abbey when I was still a child. That's why I don't know the count's name, or what my parents were like… but they must have been gentle and beautiful people. Both of them!"

"You've never met them?" Hector asked.

"Well, no." Serra admitted. "But look at me! I'm their child! I'm sure you can imagine how striking my father must be… and how beautiful my mother must be…" She began to trail off once more. "They must be." She said again.

Hector found it difficult to reply as the Ilian Castle finally came into view.

"What do you want?" The Ilian Queen asked, her Pegasus at her side. In one hand she held a lance, and though she was in full regal garb one felt like she could hop in her Pegasus and begin to fight in that very room were it necessary. Her eyes as well glared at them with the ferocity Hector could only classify as his brother on a particularly bad day.

"I am Hector, Brother of Lord Uther of Ostia." Hector said, bowing. "I've come to ask you for information, if you are willing to give it."

"And what will Ostia do with this information?" the Queen asked.

"Nothing." Hector said. "To be honest, my brother doesn't even know I'm here. I've come at the request of a friend."

"This friend?" The queen asked.

"You would likely not know him." Hector said. "He is a Tactician from Sacae."

"That brat who broke in here with that armored wall of a general?" the Queen snapped.

"Ah… yes that would be him." Hector said. "He told me you wouldn't be happy to know of it, but I hate lies and beating around the bush."

The Queen eyed Hector curiously. "You aren't used to dealing with politics."

"Not a bit." Hector agreed.

The Queen sighed. "I'm assuming the Sacaen wants to know about the expedition?"

"Yes." Hector said. "We are currently planning to storm Valor with our forces to rescue a Lycian Lord. Any information you have could help us greatly."

The Queen sighed again, patting her pegasus softly. "We have nothing for you. The expedition force… has not returned. Though I suspect your Sacaen friend has already surmised as much."

"He said it was a possibility." Hector agreed. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"We do not count our riders dead until a year has passed with no word. However, four straight months with no word in such a dangerous area likely means the worst." The Queen said. "Ilia will not interfere in the affairs of Lycia, but if you happen to find any word while on Valor…"

"We'll send it to you." Hector said. "Nothing worse than not knowing."

"Thank you, Hector of Ostia." The Ilian Queen said with a small nod.

Eliwood stretched. His riding skills were improving, but he still felt a small bit uncomfortable on horseback. Perhaps it had been because he was riding Marcus' horse, and Marcus had a nasty habit of backseat commanding. Turn this way, handle the reigns like this, watch out for the rocks on the road, squeeze the horse like this to gallop… it was a bit much for him.

At least they had reached Badon without incident. Lowen found the inn, while Erk began to label a map with potential interest area to check for the magic user they needed to find. Priscilla still seemed a little uncomfortable around them, so she continued to stick close to Erk. Or perhaps the reason she stuck close was for another reason… Eliwood couldn't claim he had a good eye for spotting romance.

What he was most interested in trying to find was this Fargus person. He did have some small trepidation about dealing with pirates, but if Will himself was recommending them there was likely little chance of any other ship taking them to Valor. He sighed, seeing that the sun was about to set. "What should we do? Call it a night and get to work in the morning?"

"I'd like to look around town for the magic user right away." Erk said. "But I can handle it alone."

"I'd like to come with you, Erk." Priscilla said. "Umm, just in case something happens."

"Alright, but stay close to me." Erk agreed.

"I'll check the port." Marcus said. "If I can find us a ship, we'll have no need of pirates."

"Thank you Marcus, but I'm getting the strong suspicion Will chose these men for a reason." Eliwood said. "I'd like to look for Fargus."

"I'll help you, Lord Eliwood." Lowen said. "I'd hate to be the only one lazing at the inn."

Having agreed upon their course, the five split.

Marcus' search was short and fruitless. With the evening setting in, there weren't many boatmen left on the docks, and the only one he had a chance to ask about Valor said there was no way he'd go anywhere close to such a dangerous place. Many boats that went near there sank mysteriously. The most heavily cited was the cruise ship that set out from this very port before sinking beneath the waves. The very same boat Marcus now realized connected Will's story together in a disturbing way. Eliwood had shared some of Will's story with him, but only the parts he felt were relevant. If this was true, Will truly had been through a lot.

Erk and Priscilla happened upon a rather strange prone man wearing all black robes on the street. As to why he was just lying there and why nobody else had stopped to help him was a mystery. "Uh… sir?" Priscilla asked.

"So… hot…" The man muttered.

"Then why are you wearing black?" Erk asked.

"Too tired… to take off…" The man muttered back.

"Erk, that book…" Priscilla whispered, pointing to the tome the man held.

"Flux… Dark magic?" Erk shouted in surprise.

"Elder magic!" The man exclaimed, suddenly popping up from the ground and startling the two. "Dark magic has such a negative connotation. While admittedly, Elder magic is the most dangerous form of magic, it is also the most fascinating by far! Did you know that Elder magic used to be able to heal the caster as well as injure enemies? They literally would take the life force from and enemy and absorb it, improving their own! This was before it became known as dark magic. Then people began to label it poorly, and magic practitioners got a bad name… Well okay three or four of them may have gone crazy and killed a lot of people… I mean a lot, but still."

"Umm…" Erk began, dreading the response. "Are you Canas?"

The man touched his monocle, preventing it from falling from his face in his surprise. "Why yes, I am. And who are you?"

Eliwood pushed open the door to the tavern. It was not the inn which Marcus had chosen, but a rather dirty part of town near the arena which housed the more… unsavory. Inside, Eliwood could already tell how out of place he was. The men inside were large, heavy muscled, and even more heavily haired. Beards a plenty as he looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the man he was looking for. Thankfully, he got lucky. Lowen trailing just behind him, he approached the table of pirates. "I've heard you traveled to the Dread Isle." Eliwood said, looking their leader in the eye. "How much will it take for you to extend me the same courtesy?"

"Eh?" Fargus asked. "How did you learn about that, boy?"

"Will told me." Eliwood said. "Though I'm assuming you figured that out."

"Considering there were only two possibilities." Fargus chuckled. "Yeah I figured which. So, that boy wants to go back to that hell, does he?"

"We don't have a choice." Eliwood said. "I need to find my father."

"I see." Fargus said, staring at Eliwood. The two's contest went on for some time, before Fargus let out a hearty laugh. "Interesting! But I'll not be taking you for free, mind. Cost is one hundred thousand gold. Think you can afford it?"

Eliwood balked. There was no way he had that much money. He wasn't about to raid Pharae's treasury just to save his father, as much as he may want it. Even with Will and Merlinus' management skills in terms of their weapons and equipment, they had maybe fifty thousand on hand at best. Looking at it that way, there was maybe only one solution. To bet it in the arena and win. He wasn't a big fan of gambling, but to save his father… "I may not to be able to get it immediately, and the rest of my party still needs to arrive. If I can somehow get together the remaining money in two weeks, will you still take it?"

"Hah!" Fargus laughed. "Honest, aren't you. Tell you what, little lordling. You get the rest of your friends here, and you bring me Will. I've got a counter proposition for that little man that he may decide to take."

"A… counter proposal?" Eliwood asked. "I suppose I have little choice?"

"If you're counting on making that money in the arena, my counter proposal is the better bet." Fargus grinned. "Not that I'll stop you from trying. Just be warned, arena matches aren't for the weak."

"I see." Eliwood said. "When Will arrives, I'll bring him. Until then, I'll do everything I can. Come on, Lowen." The two left the bar, which broke out into raucous laughter.

"Do everything he can he says!"

"Trying to stand up to captain like that!"

"Making money in the arena? Right crazy bastard that!"

"See you soon." Fargus smiled, raising his mug to the departed Lord, before taking a giant swig.