Author's note: It's kind of nice to be asked to do a novelization of other fire emblems. It really has become my favorite franchise lately. Maybe because the play on the go nature of it helps me keep it around. I'm running to auditions these days to try and get work, so I don't have much time for console gaming.

Let me give you a bit of my Fire Emblem history. I was introduced to the series when Blazing Sword was brought over to the west. It was by far one of my favorite GBA games, and one of the few I remember in great detail. I also greatly enjoyed Sacred Stones. While I like the story in Blazing Sword more, I love the world map and training opportunities in Sacred Stones. It made playing through the game much more enjoyable.

I have never played the Tellius games. I have never been a huge console gamer but when I was, I was on the PS3. This means I never really played Ike's story, nor know why he fights for his friends. Sorry to people who hope I may tackle that story someday, but unless we see an HD rerelease for the Wii U or something, I won't have enough experience with Ike to properly represent him.

So my next game was Awakening, and soon to be Fire Emblem If. I love the inclusion of casual mode and the reintroduction of battles outside of the main chapters. It makes the game more accessible to general audiences, while the classical fire emblem lovers can play on hard or lunatic mode with classic setting. I also did get a kick out of the marriage and child system, though I'm also glad the children plot won't return for If. This way If can be its own thing. Even so, I'm super excited.

When I finish Blazing Sword, depending on where I am in my life, I may decide to try my hand at Roy's story. That's because it's the direct sequel and I could continue the story with the new children. However, I think it's more likely I will tackle Awakening. I set up a relatively interesting plot thread with Mark from this fic, so I may decide to follow-up on it. However, for now and a long time to come, this will be my sole long fic.

Thanks to KaiserUltima for pointing out a rather glaring error in Chapter 30. I went back and fixed it, but thanks for letting me know that it was missed. I'm also glad you're enjoying the story!

Thanks also to MalevolentDarkness16 for reading all the up to the current chapters. I know reading long fics can often put people off from starting them, so I appreciate you taking the time to check mine out.

As always, leave a review if you have the time. I really appreciate it. Next chapter I hope to address some reviews and questions people may have in my author's note.

Chapter 53: Out to Sea

To the Mother Superior,

I promised to write you when I joined Lord Hector's company, but you didn't tell me how often I should write you after that. Sure, Lord Hector may be reliable when it comes to fighting, but I know full well how useless he is in everything else. If Oswin, Matthew and I weren't around, he wouldn't even know what to do with himself.

Of course, thanks to our help Lord Hector and Will are finally getting along. It's kind of odd to see how well they mesh together, now that Maria now longer stands between them. It's as if her ghost were guiding them together. Oops, I suppose I should say it's St. Elimine's guidance instead.

We've successfully obtained passage to the Dread Isle, though Ms. Hannah, the fortune teller who has been traveling with us, decided to stay behind. All of us are a bit sad to see her go, but it's not like I don't understand. We're not going there on a picnic. It's going to be dangerous. More dangerous than anything I've ever done.

Umm… I suppose… there's still no word? I know by now I should have given up, but part of me is just… I don't like the idea of having a family that I'll never meet. That I really am all alone in this world. When going into a life threatening situation, even more so. Thank you for always putting up with my selfish requests.

Is everyone else doing alright? Lord Uther better be following through with his funding promise. Lord Hector has spouted some things that have made me a little worried about the state of Ostia. As long as everyone is eating, sleeping and bathing properly they should be able to grow up fine. I'm sure they'll all be much better people than I am too.

Mother Superior… I've been battling with some thoughts lately. I'm sure it's no surprise to you, but I've never been entirely comfortable with the idea of becoming a nun. To devote myself to Elimine, and forgo the joys of having a family… I'm not sure I can do that. Does that make me a horrible person? I know I should be happy to even be where I am, and yet… my heart yearns for something more.

I'm sorry if I've disappointed you.

Love,

Serra

I suppose I should count myself as lucky. After the shipwreck and joining The Fang I must've been uneasy going on boats. I feel like maybe I would've passed it off as seasickness, rather than the fear of sinking into the waves. However, Fargus' ship sails along smoothly. The Fog-enshrouded Valor lays a few weeks to the east, so if any of us have seasickness it's going to be a terrible time. The Dragon's Gate is there, along with Lord Darin and Eliwood's Father Lord Elbert. I think Eliwood no longer cares whether his father was one of the conspirators or not, just that he remains safe.

Will closed his notebook with a soft thump. It had been a while since he could remember sitting himself down and writing everything he could remember. After the events of Lyn's journey the year before, he had started a second notebook. That notebook had contained everything he could remember about his time in The Fang, Maria, Mark, his parents, the ship wreck… everything. That way, even if he forgot, there would be some record of it for him to peruse.

After that, he had started a third notebook. This one had started simply as a training regime notebook, with notes on the use of magic, forms for sparring, and everything that he could gleam from Wallace and Lucius. When his journey with Eliwood began, it quickly became a notebook detailing their journey. He supposed it was simply part of his nature to write records these days.

A soft knock sounded on the door. "Come in!" Will called. The door opened and in came a few faces he had not been expecting. Lucius, Raven and Priscilla were all present, with Kent standing just behind them.

"Will, there's something you should know." Kent said. "Raven here asked me to stay silent, but with the Dread Isle being as dangerous as it will be I feel it more prudent to speak."

"Will is trustworthy, at least." Lucius said, pulling Raven over to a chair and forcing the red-head to take a seat. "He will hear us out."

Priscilla sighed, before sitting in a chair on the other side. She had seemed to want to sit with Raven and Lucius, but resisted the urge as Kent took up a post at the door, checking for anyone else before closing it. Will slid his notebook aside, entwining his fingers curiously and resting his head atop them. "Well then… where do we begin?"

"Does the sea air agree with you, Lord Eliwood?" Marcus asked, approaching the young prince. Nearby, he could spot Lord Wallace performing push-ups. It seemed the older man was determined to complete some mad training regime before reaching the island.

"Ah, Marcus." Eliwood said, greeting his faithful retainer. "I'm happy to say my first sea journey does not involve the sickness Will spoke of. I find the air rather refreshing, to be honest."

"You have grown much on this journey, Lord Eliwood." Marcus said, smiling.

"Where did that come from?" Eliwood asked in surprise. "I've only done what I thought is best."

"Through that is how you've grown." Marcus explained. "Seeing you go off to battle, with both bravery and strength in your gait… You've gained much of your father's presence."

"You think so?" Eliwood asked. "I would hope I've gained a fraction of his strength myself, but it's never easy to live up to his lineage."

"I do think so, milord." Marcus said, before dabbing at his eyes. "It brings a tear to my eye, truly."

"Again with your poetry, Marcus." Eliwood chuckled. "That does remind me of something, though. My father once spoke of it. You went into battle by my father's side when he was young?"

Marcus laughed. "I did indeed. I was just a page at the time, but under your father's command I swung my spear as best I could."

"And now you fight by my side on this journey, as well." Eliwood continued.

"I made a promise to Lord Elbert." Marcus said simply. "I swore to protect you until his return. Knights of Pharae always carry out their orders."

"I somehow suspect Pharae may owe its very existence to you, Marcus." Eliwood grinned. "Thank you."

"Your thanks are wasted on me." Marcus said with a polite bow. "I merely continue to perform my duty."

Eliwood sighed. Despite all their time together, he supposed some formalities must always remain. The differences between Lords and Knights, he supposed. Yet his interactions with Will never felt this rigid. Perhaps there was some way he could get Marcus to loosen up someday. That day would hopefully be when they had rescued his father from that dastardly place.

"Ahoy, laddie!" Fargus' gruff voice greeted him. "You don't get seasick, eh?"

Eliwood shook his head. Twice in early conversation now… how little faith did these older men have in his constitution?

Lowen wiped a small amount of sweat from his brow. Thankfully, when he had offered to cook in the kitchen, the ship's chef had welcomed the break. The pirates themselves were loud at best, so perhaps he was simply tired of being told how nasty his slop tasted. Admittedly, meals at sea were little better than mushy pulp, to cram in all the nutrients to keep the shipmates strong. However, it was still a fun change of pace.

"Sir Lowen!" He heard the voice and turned, though with a small hint of trepidation. The last time he and Rebecca had spoken alone, she had insisted on regaling him with a tale full of false bravery and made up scenarios that had never occurred, turning him into some kind of hero which he had never wanted to be seen as.

"Hello, Rebecca." Lowen replied politely. "How did you find me here?"

"Oh that was easy!" Rebecca said brightly. "I asked Marcus and he told me right away! How are you feeling today?"

"I am full of vigor." Lowen replied. "Now if only my skills could match my enthusiasm. My last sparring match with Lord Marcus only resulted in further reprimands, I'm sad to say."

"I saw." Rebecca grimaced. "He's rather strict, isn't he?"

"No, not at all." Lowen replied. "It is no more than any recruit deserves for their incompetence. My spear arm is still unsteady when I swing. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be of true use to this army."

"How can you say that!" Rebecca exclaimed. "Sir Lowen, you're so commanding in the saddle!"

Lowen shook his head. "For now, I must accept the areas I lack. To avoid becoming a nuisance to Lord Eliwood, I must become stronger! In fact, I think I'll start tripling my practice with the spear from today onward. The Dread Isle must not defeat us!"

"You're shouting." Rebecca said.

"Oh!' Lowen realized his mistake, blushing as his eyes vanished behind his hair. "Apologies."

"For what it's worth, I know how much hard work it takes to improve even a fraction." Rebecca said. "You're doing more than enough already. Here." She handed him a small box. "For saving my village. I'm sorry it took so long to prepare."

"What is it?" Lowen asked curiously, accepting it.

"I preserved some foods for use in the field. Most of it is jerky, but it should fill you up rather nicely. I think it'll supplement your emergency rations nicely." Rebecca said with a smile.

"How did you know about my rations?" Lowen yelped in surprise. Not that he had made them secret, but he couldn't remember telling Rebecca about them before. "Did you ask Lady Hannah about me?"

"Lord Marcus told me." Rebecca said simply.

"Ah." Lowen said, falling silent once more. "Of course he did. Somehow Lord Marcus knows everything. Regardless, thank you Rebecca."

"Mmm." Rebecca said, blushing slightly as she played with a bit of her hair. She would've continued, but she caught something out of the corner of her eye. It was the pirate, Dart, leaving the mess hall with Krunk and Jake. When she spotted him, something struck her that she hadn't realized before. "Lowen, I need to go." She said suddenly. "See you later."

"Ah, of course. Where are you—" Lowen began, but Rebecca had gone.

"Wait up, please!" Rebecca shouted as she burst into the corridor. Looking around, she was unable to find the three men she had wanted to follow. The only one she could see was… Wil. Well, she had been angry at him long enough she supposed, but she really needed to find Dart. "Wil!" She shouted, running over to him.

Wil turned, recognition flashing in his eyes before they turned to shame. "Ah, right, you… umm... what's your name?"

"Rebecca!" She cried in exasperation. Surely Wil knew this already. It wasn't as if Will hadn't called her that when preparing for battle before.

"What?" Wil asked in surprise. "Hang on, but you said you don't know me?"

"Well, I did, but…" Rebecca trailed off. She had acted a bit more on emotion than she should have. "Come on! You really think I have the same name and face as her by coincidence? Just believe me!"

"So..." Will began, agonizingly slowly, "it really is you, Rebecca?"

"Yes!" Rebecca shouted.

"Well, but then…" Will tilted his head to the side, which was both cute and infuriating at the same time, "Why didn't you just say so? It's been like, forever!"

"Don't give me that!" Rebecca snapped. "'Been so long!'" She made quotations in the air with her hands. "You left saying you were going on a journey with my brother. After one or two notes, you stopped writing altogether! What's with that?"

"Oh right." Wil said, as if he had just remembered. "Well, I enlisted in the Caelin army…"

"Well I mean, I sort of figured that." Rebecca said. "But I don't really understand how or why."

"Well it just… happened?" Wil said with a small shrug. "I traveled with Lyn and Will and when Lyn asked me to join Caelin's army I decided it was a good opportunity and went with it."

"Lyn… you mean Lady Lyndis?" Rebecca asked. Even she addressed Lowen by his proper title. Why was Wil so casual with this lord girl? Oh… Oh it was like that, wasn't it. What the hell, here she'd been really worried about him and he'd gone and found himself a pretty girl to hang on to and adore. It was pissing her off.

"Yeah, her." Wil nodeed. "I keep forgetting to use the title and name. I guess that's a pretty big no-no now that I serve under her, but I just can't get the hang of it…" He scratched his nose in embarrassment, glancing at Rebecca. What greeted him was the puffed out cheeks and angrily sparking eyes of a childhood friend. "R-rebecca?" He asked, slightly terrified. "What's wrong? Your face is all-"

"Idiot!" Rebecca screamed and before she knew what she was doing she had kicked him and stormed away.

Wil fell to the ground, coughing as the wind had been knocked out of him. "You… kicked me… in the… stomach… why…" He gasped, before falling over in a heap.

In the makeshift barracks, Dorcas allowed Oswin to pull his arms behind his back. They were attempting to keep a routine of stretching, rather than sparring too much, to keep their conditioning. Unfortunately, while the ship was rather large, there weren't many good places for spars. At most, there could be one spar at a time. So, the rest of them had taken to stretching in the large barracks room, where most of the men would sleep. Bartre and Canas were there as well, though Canas sat reading at a table instead of stretching. Surprisingly, Sain was there as well, stretching silently as Merlinus attempted to stretch himself. The balding older man was rather pudgy, so his attempts to stretch were mostly threatened by his own girth.

"We Ostian knights are the strongest in the realm." Oswin declared. "No offense to Pharae or Caelin, but the Ostian knights are the main reason why Castle Ostia is said to be impregnable! While we certainly aren't as fleet of foot or have as many horses, we still best most everyone out in the field."

Dorcas sighed. Ever since his first conversation with the knight, Oswin had become determined to make him see the good in knighthood. Dorcas had no interest in it, but it was hard to dissuade a passionate man, especially when he was trying to avoid being rude. "I hear what you're saying. However, I thought knights were of noble blood. Was I wrong?"

"Complete rubbish." Oswin said calmly, waving the question away. "Even I am a commoner by birth."

"Really?" Dorcas mused. "I admit I saw signs, but I thought you were simply more used to dealing with normal folks."

"The Ostian knights take any good man." Oswin said, with a small smile. "If he has value, that is. Rich or poor doesn't matter when compared to the measure of a man. Woman. You get the point."

Dorcas, for the first time, considered it. Certainly, knights had stable lives. If there was no discrimination to worry about… would it be so bad? Though the downside may be having to move again. He and Natalie had settle happily in the village outside of Pharae. If he worked in Ostia… he bit his lip. Such thoughts were difficult to contemplate. "Is this true?"

"Yes." Oswin said firmly. "However I should mention only the best soldiers become knights. The training is long and harsh, but having witnessed you in battle I feel your spirit is more than enough for the task. It's as if you were born to become a knight."

Dorcas sighed. He couldn't believe it, but Oswin had finally managed to crack his stubborn streak. He'd actually have to consider it. "Let me think it over."

"Of course." Oswin said, grinning. His persistence had won out.

"Oi!" Bartre barked suddenly at Canas, who jumped. "Come over here and work!"

"What?" Canas asked, surprised. "Why?"

"What." Bartre deadpanned, as if he had already been perfectly clear. "You need to stay limber to fight, right? Or are you one of those highfalutin magic types?"

"High fal-" Canas sighed. "I do dabble in elder magic." He glanced at Bartre, who didn't seem to understand. "Most people know it as dark magic, though that's quite the wrong interpretation."

"Dark magic…." Bartre crossed his arms. "The hell's that?"

"I- you don't know?" Canas asked in surprise. "It's actually quite fascinating. You see, there are several types of magic in the cosmos. Most of the time, Monks, priests and clerics practice light magic. Mages, sometimes known as witches and warlocks, study anima magic. Finally, Shamans are the term for practitioners of elder magic!"

Bartre roared. The sheer volume made most of the room jump, and Canas caught his monocle as it fell from his face in surprise. "Hard words make my head hurt!" Bartre growled angrily.

"I uh… I apologize." Canas said, placing his monocle back on his face. "Did I… use hard words?"

"You callin' me stupid?" Bartre growled back dangerously.

"No!" Canas covered quickly. "I never meant… I wasn't… No!"

"Right." Bartre chuckled hardily, grabbing his axe from beside the wall. "Well, that's fine then. I'm just going to go spar until my head feels better."

As he left the room, Canas let out a sigh of relief. "Right. Have fun then… I suppose."

Sain burst out laughing. After a moment, the others began to laugh as well. "Bartre's certainly an interesting one, isn't he!"

"He's unique." Dorcas said kindly.

"One heck of a fighter though." Oswin said with a shrug.

"Right I… I'll keep that in mind." Canas said sheepishly. "I forget that there are all types of people in the world. My vocabulary is not always the easiest to comprehend."

"You're fine." Merlinus assured. "Bartre's just about as simple a man as it gets."

"Too true." Sain agreed. "Well, I think I'm done stretching, so I'll go help Bartre calm his rage. Fighting an axeman like him should be a good way to see how I can improve my lance work when fighting axe users."

"Good luck." Dorcas said with a small smile. "Don't get too banged up."

"If I am injured, I shall avail myself to the harsh words and kind hands of Lady Serra." Sain said with a wry grin. "Or perhaps the timid Miss Priscilla. I don't suppose anyone has seen her today?"

"She's in a meeting with Lord William." Merlinus reported. "Along with Lucius and Raven. I believe Kent is with them."

"Ah, right." Sain said, snapping his fingers. "Ah well then, the lovely Lady Serra it will be."

"How about you just not get injured?" Dorcas asked, eyebrow raised.

"You make a good point." Sain relented. "Perhaps I'll put in a bit more effort in the ring today then. Let's try for a win against the Wildman." With a small wave, Sain grabbed his lance and followed after Bartre.

"Good luck." Dorcas smiled wryly. He had a feeling Sain would be visiting Serra soon enough.

Guy swung his sword angrily at the thief. Matthew's limber body dodged out of his reach with ease. Sure, it was a spar, but Matthew had done something the previous night that really pissed him off. On top of that, Matthew was the type who gloated. He hated gloating.

"Whoa!" Matthew exclaimed, parrying Guy's next lunge. "You're certainly into it, but the bet's already over. Too bad you weren't paying more attention, eh?"

"You!" Guy growled, parrying the strike Matthew followed up with. The twin Silver Daggers were excellent weapons, slightly stronger then Guy's own Killing Edge. However, Guy's strikes in general still seemed stronger. Of course, they weren't actually aiming to injure each other. As much as Guy was angry, he wasn't stupid.

"If you have a problem, it's better to speak about it don't you think?" Matthew asked, grinning cheekily.

"You're a coward!" Guy shouted. He took two steps back as Matthew advanced with two swings of his daggers. "Attacking me in my sleep like that! Have you no honor in battle?"

"Honor?" Matthew mused. "What use is that to me? I'm no knight." He back flipped away as Guy slashed his blade horizontally to gain distance. Mission accomplished there. "Speaking of, how do you expect to succeed in battle when you get taken in by simple night attacks like that?"

"But-"

"Listen, Guy." Matthew said, lowering his daggers momentarily. Guy followed suit with his blade. Far too honorable. "There's a story about a famous knight you should know. One day, this famous knight received a challenge. His opponent named a time and place, so of course the knight agreed. When his opponent turned to leave, the knight cut him down on the spot."

"That's cowardice." Guy spat.

"Is it?" Matthew asked. "His opponent was quite the fool to turn his back on an enemy. In combat, enemies don't wait for you to turn around to strike you. Are you going to stand on the battlefield and waste your time calling your enemies cowards?"

"That's not what I—" Guy spluttered, trying to find the words. "I was only… Fine!" He shouted, throwing his arms up in the air. "I get it! I lost!"

"Good." Matthew grinned playfully. "Now you owe me four favors."

Guy sighed, raising his blade back to battle readiness. "I won't lose next time."

"Focus on the battle at hand, or you'll never get your chance for revenge~" Matthew said in an annoying sing-song voice. He raised his twin daggers, noticing Bartre and Sain arriving. "Seems we'll be wrapping up this little spar soon enough anyway."

"Hey there, Erk!" Serra said happily, waving at the mage. Erk looked up from his book with a raised eyebrow. Acknowledging her with the tiniest of nods, he went back to reading. She didn't recognize the name of the book, nor the writing on it. Well, okay, that was more because she had never learned to read letters well, but it wasn't as if she needed to admit it. She did wish he would close the book and talk to her, though. Especially about that Priscilla girl. Why were the two of them so close? He had never been that nice to her when they were traveling together. Erk's silence persisted, so she tried to continue the conversation on her own. "I… you should be thanking me, you know." Erk looked up again, this time his brow indicated displeasure. "Well okay, not me entirely, but I did vouch for you with Lord Hector. He's really hard to convince, you know!"

"Is that so?" Erk said with the tiniest of sighs. "Well, even if you did it's not as if that makes me owe you any special obligation. I simply followed my duty as Lady Priscilla's escort."

So, it was 'Lady' Priscilla, huh? Sure, she was nice and pretty and had much larger… Erk had never called her 'lady' during their travels. "That's the most ungrateful attitude I've ever seen! You know, I've been with them longer than you have. That makes me like… your superior in this troop or something, right?"

"As usual, your logic goes to a place no one else would even bother to." Erk replied. "Besides, I think Will and Eliwood have the final say for whom is in charge of what. Even your Lord Hector may have more say in that than you. Wouldn't you agree?"

Aggravating. Why did he have to be so aggravating? All she wanted to do was have a normal conversation with him. Maybe thank him casually for his escorting last year, find out just how much this Priscilla girl was attached to him, separate them with a crowbar... was that so wrong? "Well, uh… I mean they are pretty busy so they haven't gotten around to mentioning it… but I'm sure they'd agree, wouldn't you think? After all, I'm… I'm his close friend!" Erk continued to ignore her. Serra ground her teeth more fiercely then she ever had before. She'd have to up the ante. "And Hector's fiancée!"

Erk closed his book with a sharp thud. Had she finally gotten him? He stood up, before looking at her in a way she had never expected. Was that… pity? "I've heard enough. Talking to you is just a never ending headache." With that, he turned to leave.

Serra stood there, motionless. What the hell was that look for? She had only wanted… "Hold your tongue, servant!" She shouted after him. "You would speak that way to a lady? To a liege even! Humph!" She turned, storming away. She didn't need anyone's pity. She didn't need him looking down on her. She wasn't a waste of space. She was the best healer in Ostia. She was… "Florina?"

The lavender haired girl gave a small cry of surprise, turning to face Serra. What was she doing here in the room alone? It was rare for Florina to be outside of Lyn's company, rarer still for her to be away from Will since they had rejoined each other. Not that she liked to brag, but Serra's eye for these situations was rather keen, if she said so herself. "Oh, hi Serra."

"It's been quite some time since we've talked alone, hasn't it?" Serra asked. Maybe this was just what she needed to get her mind off of Erk. That huge jerk didn't need to be thought about anyway.

"Mmm." Florina said. "It really has been. Are you doing well?"

Serra smiled, though it wasn't as wide as her usual grin. "Been having some trouble getting Erk to come around, but I suppose I have to keep trying, right? It's not like we're enemies."

"Oh." Florina gasped. "So you umm… you like Erk?"

"Like?" Serra cocked her head to the side. "I… hmm. I'm not sure. I don't like him ignoring me and calling me annoying, is that enough to go on right now?"

"I… I guess so." Florina admitted, nodding. "I'm still not sure myself, even though I went and said that…"

"Said what?" Serra asked, her eyes flashing dangerously at the signs of a scoop.

"Oh umm…" Florina hesitated. "Well actually, I did have something to ask you."

"Deflecting the question eh~" Serra sung happily. "Oh fine. What is it?"

"How can I uh… How can I become more like you?" She asked.

"Huh?" Serra was taken aback. No one had ever asked her that before. No, everyone usually called her annoying. Even though Will went along with her, he probably found her annoying as well. Not to begin ranting about Hector and Erk, but they were especially annoyed by her. "Like me?" Florina nodded enthusiastically. Why like her? She wasn't… Serra hesitated. It was a strange feeling, to be looked at with so much admiration. She had seen Florina look at Lyn like that before. She had looked at Will like that before. And now she was looking… at her? "What, you mean my breathtaking beauty? My impeccable fashion sense?"

Florina shook her head. "I meant uh… your personality."

"I'm sorry?" Serra asked, taken aback a second time. That was even stranger. Nobody liked her personality. Nobody. Not even…

"When people are nearby that I'm unfamiliar with, I always get scared, even if they're on our side." Florina said with a sigh. "Like Lord Hector. I still haven't apologized and thanked him for saving me when I fell from Huey in Caelin. He… scares me. I know it affects battles too, even if Will always plans around it for me…"

Serra scratched the back of her head. It was the first time someone had confided in her like this. What was she supposed to do? Well, it's not like it would hurt Florina to try to be more assertive, but imitating her? Probably wouldn't be the best idea. Being scared of allies though… she could see why Florina continued to worry. "Well, I think you'll find none of our allies are all that scary. Even Lord Hector is like… A big cuddly bear. He'd never hurt anyone on his side. But if… if you really want me to help, I will. Just try everything I tell you and you'll be more like me in no time!"

"Okay!" Florina exclaimed happily. "Then I can win Will from Lyn!"

"Oh~?" Serra sung again, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Florina's entirely red face and her fleeing from the room was all the response she needed. Of course she could help Florina win her man. It'd be a nice change from all these dangerous battles.

"I see." Will said, leaning back in his chair. "So you're the previous head of House Cornwell."

"Brother wasn't that!" Priscilla insisted. "He never had a chance to take power. He's no older than you are, Sir William!"

"Silence, Priscilla." Raven said. "I can speak for myself."

"You'd simply allow the blame to be laid upon you if that were the case, Lord Raymond." Lucius said gently.

"I told you never to call me that." Raven snapped. "Raymond is no more."

"House Cornwell was destroyed by Ostia for its corruption." Kent said. "Raven here may have joined our company solely with the goal of attacking Lord Hector."

"I won't deny I hold a grudge against Ostia." Raven said with a shrug. "And I do plan to take my revenge. However, I'm not so stupid as to kill someone useful before a big battle. From what I understand this Dread Isle is a dangerous place. I need to make sure Hector survives so I can kill him later."

"Odd motivation." Will said with a sigh. "What would you have me do?"

"Nothing." Raven said. "I don't plan to defy your orders."

"I simply wanted to bring this to your attention, Will." Kent explained. "Raven asked me to keep silent, but I made no promise to keep it. If it were to put Lady Lyndis in danger…"

"A person motivated by selfishness…" Will mused. "Not so different from myself, if I'm being entirely frank. Can I trust in your words, Raven?"

"That's up to you, isn't it?" Raven returned, raising an eyebrow.

Will looked to Lucius. Lucius shook his head. "I would like to vouch for… Raven, but honestly he is not the man I once knew."

"Nice of you to admit it." Raven chuckled.

Priscilla frowned. "I don't believe either of you. I know my brother is in you. He wouldn't allow himself to be so enthralled in revenge like this."

"When someone close to you dies… something precious is taken away… who can say how a person will react." Will muttered, tapping his forehead. "I can't say I'm entirely happy with your motives, but I believe in second chances. I'm sure you'll see that this revenge of yours will have little point after fighting alongside your target."

"Are you sure about this?" Kent asked.

"Losing even one unit may mean all of us perish in Valor." Will said, his voice becoming harsh for the first time. "I can't afford not to bring him."

"So my skills with the sword are what save me, eh?" Raven said. "At least you're honest about it. I'll be taking my leave, then." He stood and left, Priscilla following close behind.

Lucius sighed, approaching Will's desk with a resigned air. "I'm sorry. He's… lost a lot. He hasn't found the light again yet."

"You'll help him." Will said, with a smile. "Though I hope you'll spare a bit of time to help me with these enchantments. Thanks to Canas we have a working theory now. I could use your light magic expertise."

"Happy to help." Lucius said. "And Will… Thank you for giving him a second chance."

"It's all he'll get." Will warned. "But I know it's what led me here. If I couldn't give people the same… I could never face Maria at the end."

Kent sighed. These people were far too kind. He supposed that's why Lyn was so drawn to them. Her light, their own… it created an amazing effect on those around them. "I'll keep an eye on Raven when I can… But I'll abide by your judgement and trust him for now."

"Thanks Kent. Reliable as ever." Will said, giving the knight a small fist bump on the armor. "I think everything is going to work out."