Author's Note: Leila in the original game came as a huge hit to the gut for me. Because of how they had her show up and her relationship with Matthew, I felt sure that she would be a unit in later chapters. Boy was I wrong. In later Fire Emblems I learned that a named unit doesn't always mean you'll get them even if they're your ally. But yanno, first time and all that.

As for myself, I'm planning my photoshoot which got rescheduled due to an emergency. Once I have the photos, it'll be a lot easier to get jobs and use those as headshots. Which is nice. Other than that I'm going through the boxes I moved with me one at a time, trying to figure out what to keep and what to throw away. You never realize just how much you got until it's all jammed together inside of a garage and your new room and it still doesn't really fit.

whitepriest27: I must admit I'm glad you like it. There were characters in FE7 that got highly underutilized especially Wallace since getting him involves gimping your main heroes, which I never liked. I always ended up missing Harken too. That's why I made an effort to address some of it during the story.

guest: I certainly hope these two weeks will be enough :P

Josh Grinsteinne: I don't know if I will pair Lyn with the Tactician. While I like the pairing, it's usually the only one seen for the tactician. It's also an issue of how I write the story. If the story naturally draws them to others, I'd hate to force them back together for the sake of an OTP. I hope you'll still read and enjoy it though and hopefully find it to your liking even so.

BlakithLeo: I don't want to spoil anything, but the sheer amount of Quintessence Mark/Robin had actually will be playing a minor part in the coming events. The reason Nergal couldn't use Grima's energy to open the gate is because Grima's energy is foreign, and only native quintessence can open the gate. That's the BS reason I'm running with right now. Also, I do think a follow up story in Awakening with the Mark version of Robin may be in the works for me. I have good ideas for it and Robin's personality could certainly use some diversity to it.

Pixelsaber: Thank you so much for taking the time to read 55 chapters and catch up! I know it must have been a daunting task when you started. The beings pulling the strings I believe have been explained already, though I may have made a mistake at some point so apologies if I did. I'm especially glad you like the characters. The biggest part of this for me was to expand the cast in a nice semi-canon and interesting way, while adding in new bits. It was always sad for me that the Lords dominated everyone else and no one else mattered to the story in the long run. Florina I also really like, even if I hit her androphobia away relatively early in favor of trying to make her a more main character. I continually teeter between her and Lyn, as the latest chapter no doubt revealed. The character list may get more daunting, but I'm determined not to miss a one whenever I can. Even if I did end up shipping Hannah off after finally devoting some development to her. Poor Hannah. Thank you for the condolences. It gets better with time and I keep doing everything I know I should do since it's what he wanted for me as well. Even this fanfiction. Thanks again for the review!

As always, please review if you get the chance. I know people probably don't like me reminding them of this all the time, but I found I'm more likely to remember when I'm asked before or after the chapter. But please make sure to read the chapter before reviewing. Because that's what you came for. Enjoy!

Chapter 56: The Dread Isle

Maria,

I hope this letter will never be used. As spies of Ostia, our work is extremely dangerous. We could die at any time, with no evidence of our lives left behind. Lord Uther insists we spies have these letters, just in case.

You're my only family, so I chose to address my last will to you. For any possessions I may own, I bequeath them to you. In the event you choose not to receive them, Let Ostia keep them. Hopefully, Lord Uther can put them to good use.

The necklace around my neck… I'd like you to return it to Matthew. He gave it to me for my coming of age ceremony. The poor guy has always been a bit of a hopeless romantic, so he tends to wait too long before doing the things he should've done long ago. I'm sorry you'll be the one to deliver the news

Regarding Matthew, look after him, won't you? He's never been… what I mean to say is… just look after him for me, alright? I… I want him to be safe. Free from this death game we're playing. As long as he's okay, I don't care that I had to give my life for it.

Thank you, for this and for being the best sister I could ever have asked for. I hope you can carry on without me.

Leila

Taken from the Ostian court records

Ninian has lost her memory. Part of me is glad those horrible experiences she went through are gone, but the other part of me realizes her current state can't continue. Not only can she not find Nils like this, but we couldn't leave her on the ship in this state. It didn't help that several of the crew thought her cursed. I just hope taking her with us to the Dragon's Gate isn't a mistake. I took her and Nils away from there, but I never knew why they were there in the first place. What could Nergal's plans for them have been? I never asked, nor did Ninian or Nils seem particularly eager to tell. Did I make a mistake not asking them before? There's so many questions and so few answers that it's starting to worry me.

Dart has also joined us. He's a pirate from Fargus' crew, but Rebecca seems to be hovering around him quite a bit. I thought Lowen was more her type, but maybe pirates with their more heavily muscled physic are? It's not my place to pry, I suppose. We enter the forest of the Dread Isle today. The majority of this island is that forest, covered in dense and deceptive fog. While legends play it up as a place of no return, I've already escaped once, as have Ninian and Nils. Add in people like Mark who traveled to and from the island and that legend quickly proves false. The fog is particularly thick, so I've sent the scouts out only by five meters at a time. We can't afford to be separated.

"These woods emit a foul air." Lyn said, covering her nose. "It smells of blood."

"The creatures here were never friendly." Will explained. "But the blood is more likely from all the people who died in these woods. Their number… isn't small."

"Enter and be lost, right?" Hector growled. "It sure gives off that 'you aren't coming back' feeling."

"Hector!" Lyn shouted angrily. "Are you trying to curse us?"

Eliwood was supporting Ninian, who followed close behind the three. "Are you well?"

"Yes… I'll be fine…" Ninian managed, holding onto Eliwood's arm.

"Will!" Matthew shouted from just ahead. "There's something… LEILA!"

"Leila?" Hector asked, hurrying forward himself.

The group came upon her. Leila was slumped across a tree, a dagger protruding from her back. "Lei… Leila?" Matthew asked, reaching out slowly towards her. He touched her, but she didn't respond.

Lyn gently pressed her fingers to Leila's neck. "There's… no pulse." Lyn said, sadly. "She's…"

"No!" Ninian shouted in horror.

"This can't be…" Hector said, falling to his knees. "No… not again…"

Matthew remained silent. He continued to stare at Leila, his face no better than a mask.

"Matthew… I'm sorry." Hector said, clenching his fists.

"Why do you apologize, milord?" Matthew said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Leila blundered… that's all."

"Matthew… Leila was…" Eliwood tried to say something, but his words failed him.

"After this mission… I was going to ask her to put this life behind her." Matthew said, his voice cracking as he tried to keep his composure. "Waited too long… didn't I? Ha… ha ha… damn it."

Will, who had been examining Leila himself, straitened. "Serra!" He suddenly barked. "Get over here!"

Serra, hearing the command, hurried over. The others turned to Will in confusion. "What's going on?" Hector asked quickly. "What are you going to do?"

"If I'm lucky… save her." Will said, pulling out a vial of something none of them recognized.

"Save… you can do that?" Matthew asked.

"I can't make a guarantee, Matthew." Will said. "But I have to try."

"What do you need us to do?" Lyn asked.

"Give Florina command for the time being." Will ordered. "Serra and I will stay here and tend to her. I don't need anyone else here, they'll be a distraction at best. I'm sorry Matthew and Hector, but that includes you."

"Got it." Hector said. "Matthew, can you manage?"

Matthew nodded. "It… won't be easy, milord. But I'll… I'll try. I know you'll be lost without my eyes."

Serra crouched down as Will lowered Leila gently onto the ground, her chest facing the dirt with the dagger protruding from her back. After ensuring her face wasn't laying in the dirt, Will turned to Serra. "We're going to need to be precise with this. Follow my instructions exactly."

"Right." Serra said.

"I'm going to remove the dagger from her back. As I do so, you need to heal the wound. Right at the end, however, you need to stop. I need to place some of this into the wound before you close it. Right after that, we need to turn her over. Then I pour the rest of this down her throat and we force her to swallow."

"And it'll work?" Serra asked.

"I don't know." Will said. "But I recognize the dagger. If it's… no I don't want to guess. Please just trust me."

"I do." Serra said. "Let's begin."

"So soon." Florina frowned upno being told of the hand-off of responsibility. "I understand. We'll stick to Will's plan."

"Blast them!" Hector cursed, smacking his fists together. "They put her out here for us to find like this!"

"It's unforgivable." Lyn said. "This is… beyond foul."

"Let's keep moving." Eliwood said. "Our foe is somewhere in this forest. We must stop them before anyone else dies!"

Ninian suddenly collapsed to one knee, clutching her head in agony. "Beware! Something comes!" She croaked.

"What?" Lyn cried in surprise. The next moment, a hand had reached from the fog, grabbing her swiftly onto a horse and dragging her a safe distance from the others. She would have drawn her sword, but the man placed an arrow next to her head, signifying he would drive it through her skull if she dared resist. She cursed herself for her own negligence.

"Lyndis!" Eliwood shouted.

The man spoke. "If you value her life, send the girl to me."

"You…" Lyn growled. She recognized his garb. "You're Sacaen!"

"Correct." The man replied. "I am Uhai of the Black Fang. I've been sent to capture that girl." Uhai pointed to Ninian, who shrunk behind Eliwood. "And kill the lot of you. However, if you hand over the girl and depart the island at once, I'll grant you your lives."

"And if we refuse?" Lyn asked.

Uhai scoffed. "You know nothing, Little Lord. Nothing of Nergal's might. Nothing of his terrible power. In your ignorance, you hope to oppose him. You are insects rattling against the heavens. Your actions will change nothing. Speak no more of this foolishness and begone!"

Eliwood clenched his fist. "Maybe… maybe we don't know what we're fighting. But if we flee, our loss is assured. So we will continue to struggle and we will prevail!"

Uhai closed his eyes. "Folly." He said, as he lowered Lyn from his steed.

"Wha… Why are you letting me go?" Lyn asked in surprise.

"Holding a woman hostage during a battle is shameful." Uhai said. "You are a woman of Sacae and as such I've a mind to show you some mercy. I will let you die with a sword in your hands. But rest assured… I will kill you all here. But be of good cheer! In dying, you will be spared the calamity to come."

"Ninian, go stay near Will and Serra." Eliwood said. "Merlinus, if you and Marcus could escort her."

Merlinus bowed. "Of course, milord."

"I shall protect them with my life." Marcus said with a quick bow. The three retreated, leaving the rest of them ready to battle.

Lyn turned to Florina. "What's the plan?"

Florina bit her lower lip. She wished she had done more aerial reconnaissance, but she understood why it was so risky here. Without it, however, it was difficult to tell the full numbers of their foes. "If I can suggest, Florina?" Matthew said from just behind.

Florina jumped, but answered. "Uh… go ahead."

"I'm trained to see through thick fog." Matthew said. "You should have my team lead the force to take down Uhai."

"Umm… but Leila…" Florina began.

"If Leila knew I was slacking from my duties…" Matthew said, smiling slightly. "She'd never let me hear the end of it. Let me do it."

"I understand." Florina said with a small nod. "Then we'll do that. Matthew, you'll be with Hector, Eliwood, Lyn, Oswin and Guy. Bring as many vulneraries as you can. Since you're the front group, we can't post any healers. Especially with Serra busy helping Will."

"Got it." Eliwood said. Hector lifted his axe while Lyn drew her Mani Katti. Guy prepared his Killing Edge and Oswin drew his Lance. Their team was ready to go.

"We'll have slower teams taking the east and west sides." Florina explained. "Rebecca, Lowen, Priscilla, Canas, Kent and Sain will take the east. There's less trees that way so the horses will have less trouble. Dorcas, Bartre, Erk, Canas, Lucius and Raven will handle the west. There are more trees, but magic should prove extremely handy in dealing with the short range our enemies possess. Dart, you're going to cover the water with me. There's a small chance they may send enemies around from behind, but the chance is slim so I don't want to keep too many units back. You'll stay here with me to cover the water. Uh… please." She said.

"Ach, gettin' stuck to the back of the fray so quickly." Dart moaned. "Cap'n will never let me hear the end of it! Don't you worry lass, I'll keep the waters clear."

"Thank you." Florina sighed. "Let's get to work."

"Careful." Will said, as he inched the knife out. As he did, Serra noticed blood was beginning to flow again.

"What's going on?" Serra asked in confusion.

"It's a Black Fang toxin, derived from a golden flower in the Bern region." Will explained. "By mixing it with a Vulnerary, we discovered a fast acting poison that created a death-like state in the taker."

"Death-like state?" Serra parroted.

"Yes." Will continued. "However, the issue with it was the chances of one actually awakening from that near-death state drastically decreased the longer we waited to administer the awakening potion. I don't know how long Leila has been like this, so I didn't want to say."

"I see." Serra gasped. "That's amazing."

"I hate it personally, but if it means Leila is alive…" Will trailed off. Just what are you thinking, Jaffar?

The teal haired woman saw the battle going on far below. Thankfully, her Pegasus knew that flying high was key to avoiding the eyes of those below. However, it made breathing rather difficult. At last, her patience was about to pay off. "I found them at last… the Black Fang… You're sacrifices were not in vain, sisters. I'll fulfill our duty, even if I must do it alone. I am a true knight of Ilia and you will feel my wrath!"

She would have dived into the fray, had she not spotted a familiar Pegasus and lavender haired girl flying over the forest, waving her hands and seemingly giving orders to the fighters below. "Florina?"

Huey bucked unexpectantly. Looking up, Florina saw a teal haired rider approaching. With a gasp, she spurred Huey to meet her. "Sister!" She shouted. "Fiora!"

"Florina!" Fiora cried, half in joy and half in surprise. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here with Lady Lyndis!" Florina said. "What about you? I thought you were on a secret… oh."

Fiora smiled ruefully. "I was investigating the Dread Isle."

"By yourself?" Florina cried in surprise.

"No." Fiora said, sadly. "There were others… a full unit of pegasus knights. We were attacked."

"You can't mean..."

"I misjudged the situation. All of my sisters are dead because of me. I… I'm a failure." Fiora said, hanging her head.

"That's not true!" Florina declared firmly. "You're a splendid pegasus knight! I chose to become a pegasus knight because of how much I admired you! Please, sister… don't do this to yourself." She began to tear up, but quickly she began to wipe them away.

Fiora smile sadly. "Florina, please don't cry."

Florina nodded. "I'm sorry, I'm just…"

"No." Fiora said kindly. "It's my fault. The pain of being the sole survivor… it trapped me here. Thank you, Florina. I can see clearly now."

"Fiora." Florina said seriously. "Come travel with us. It's better to travel with friends than to struggle alone."

Fiora smiled. "If you'll have me, then of course I'll join. I hate to admit it, but I wasn't able to accomplish anything alone. Nor can I render my sisters' sacrifice moot by returning home. Please, introduce me to the commander. I'll see if I can offer my assistance for a short while."

"Well, Lord Eliwood is technically the leader of our company, but he leaves most of the battle planning and recruitment to Will, our tactician. However, right now Will is tied up, so I'm in charge."

"You're in charge?" Fiora asked in surprise. "So you really are the one giving the orders right now?"

"Yes." Florina said with a nod. "So please stay and help me, sister. I could really use an extra set of wings."

"Of course." Fiora said. "I'm happy to help."

"Turn her over." Will ordered. "Now."

Serra did as she was commanded. Her and Will made a mighty effort, turning over Leila's body. The wound on her back was now fully healed. Will quickly lifted up Leila's face, and poured in the liquid. Then, he placed his mouth to hers, blowing softly and he lifted her neck to help her swallow. Then he placed her gently on the ground.

"Now what?" Serra asked apprehensively.

"We wait." Will said. "And pray."

Merlinus let out a rather loud snore. Marcus eyed the man suspiciously. When Merlinus let out a second loud snore, he sighed. "Merlinus, stay on your guard. A moment of laxity can bring death from behind."

Merlinus opened his eyes. "Ah. How very embarrassing." He yawned. "But Sir Marcus, do you think the enemy will come this far?"

"Perhaps not." Marcus agreed. "However, this is an important duty. Keeping our line of supply is important. Without our back-up supplies, we'll never survive the Dread Isle."

"I suppose that's true." Merlinus said. "I'm sorry, but when I kept thinking about dealing with the dangers of the island, on top of the rocking and swaying of the boat I didn't get much sleep." Merlinus' eyes fluttered shut again and he began to snore once more.

"Merlinus!"

Eliwood's team approached Uhai, after much trouble. Florina's reinforcement, another Pegasus Knight that introduced herself as Florina's sister, Fiora, was instrumental to getting them closer. When Uhai raised his bow, she retreated.

"I'm searching for my father." Eliwood said. "Will you not tell me of him?"

Uhai shook his head. "You will get no answers from me before we have fought."

"Oh really?" Hector growled. "So you won't tell me if you were the one who did that to Leila?"

"What would it matter if I were?" Uhai returned. "Would that make our battle more important to you?"

"I don't know." Hector growled. "But I do know I'd make sure you didn't draw another breath!"

"How can a proud man like you live as an assassin?" Lyn asked.

"I sympathized with Brendan Reed's ideology." Uhai said simply. "He wanted to help the weak. Break those overly proud. I used to discuss this philosophy with Brendan and his sons. We trained together, grew strong together… For me, the Black Fang was my home."

"Was?" Lyn asked, noting the use of past tense. "Is that feeling gone then?"

"The Black Fang changed. Nergal sent that woman… but it's too late for that now." Uhai drew his bow, nocking an arrow as the lords approached.

"Why? Talk to us and we may be able to help!" Lyn pleaded with the nomad.

"Expect no quarter merely because we're both nomads. Prepare yourself!" Uhai shouted.

The three Lords attacked, but Uhai was prepared. His first arrow was deflected by Lyn's Mani Katti, as Eliwood followed up with his rapier. Uhai's own Silver Sword knocked the blade away, before he quickly notched another arrow and fired it into Hector's shoulder joint. Crying out in pain, Hector collapsed. Oswin quickly filled in the gap, while Matthew dragged his Lord to safety.

Uhai's skills were not to be made light of. Even as the three fighters assaulted him, he barely moved. His arrows were fast and true, and his sword was one step faster than their own. Eliwood was struck by his sword and Lyn took an arrow to the thigh, both collapsing at nearly the same time in pain. Matthew quickly began to drag them away, as Oswin took on the stronger opponent alone. "Guy sure is taking his time with that cavalier." Matthew growled. He attempted to salve their wounds, but the healing was too slow compared to staves. If Uhai broke through their line…

Oswin's lance struck through Uhai's steed, bringing the stronger man to the ground. Not missing a beat, Uhai came out of the roll, delivering a swift arrow shot to Oswin's lance hand and following it with a sword strike to his other arm, before kicking the heavily armored man away. Uhai had beaten four of their best in a mere minute.

"Sorry I'm late." Guy's voice cut through the tense silence.

"Oh?" Uhai turned to see Guy, his Killing Edge still dripping with the blood of his last opponent. "So, you are from Sacae as well, are you?"

"I am Guy. Of the Kutolah." Guy said firmly.

"Kutolah… The Silver Wolf, Dayan's tribe!" Uhai exclaimed. "They're said to be the strongest on the plains. Not even the Lorca rivaled them at their peak." Uhai looked Guy up and down. "You, however, still look like a child. Do you fight like one?"

"No." Guy said, as he raised his sword into the classic Kutolah stance.

"Then show me." Uhai said, tossing his bow aside and readying his Silver Sword. "Come!"

Guy jumped into Uhai's range, his Killing Edge coming up to protect his side as Uhai's sword swept at him the moment he leapt. The swords clashed with a horrible sound, but Guy's gamble had closed the distance between the two. Guy kicked Uhai in the stomach, knocking his sword away and bringing the pommel forward to strike Uhai's wrist. Uhai countered by raising his foot in a high kick and bringing it around Guy's sword arm. Then, he squeezed and pulled, dragging Guy to the ground with the force of the pull, his Killing Edge clattering away.

Guy brought his legs around and under Uhai's own, before splaying them out and tripping the larger opponent. Uhai sprawled to the ground as well and Guy took that chance to punch Uhai's leg and release his arm from confinement. Uhai flipped back onto his feet (An act which was both impressive and aggravating), before kicking Guy roughly in the stomach. He then grabbed Guy and put him into a stranglehold. Guy smacked at the arms a few times, before trying to inch his hands under Uhai's thick arms to give himself room to breathe. It wasn't working. "It will be over momentarily, Guy of the Kutolah."

Guy's breath began to go ragged, and Uhai's hands crept dangerously close to a move he recognized. By positioning one's hands in such a way, one could twist the neck and snap an opponent's neck. So, this was where his journey ended. He hadn't ever bested Lyn in a spar, he barely matched Eliwood the one time they fought… his goal was still so far away. In his sight, he could see the glint of his Killing Edge, just out of reach.

"Argh!" Uhai cried in pain, as a javelin thrown from a mounted pegasus struck him from behind. His grip vanished, letting Guy fall to the ground. Guy reached out, gripping the hilt of his Killing Edge as he turned, swinging the blade with all his might. The blade slashed through Uhai's skin, dealing a blow to his gut that on top of his back wound caused him to fall to the ground.

Guy crawled up to his opponent, coughing and looking at Uhai in sadness. "I didn't want this… I wanted to beat you honorably."

"There is… no honor… in what we do." Uhai spluttered. "However, you are… stronger than I expected. Out of respect… let me give you… a final gift." Uhai coughed, a small amount of blood beginning to pool at the corner of his mouth. "From here… go south. Turn west at the rotted tree. There lies… the path to the Dragon's Gate."

"I wish… I wish we could've met under different circumstances." Guy said.

"As… do I…" Uhai's said, his words trailing away as his eyes closed.

"Lord Eliwood, allow me to introduce myself." The teal haired pegasus knight said, bowing politely. "My name is Fiora. I am Florina's sister, and a fellow Pegasus Knight. I would offer you my services."

Eliwood smiled. "Thank you, Fiora. I accept your gracious offer."

"I've heard your tactician is named William? Where might I meet him?" Fiora asked.

"He's busy." Hector said gruffly. "Trying to save one of my vassals. We'll catch up with him soon enough."

"I see." Fiora said, bowing respectfully.

"Not bad for your first time commanding, Florina. Well, second time, but you know what I mean." Lyn said, patting Florina's shoulder.

Florina blushed. "I'm just glad everything went well. But for some reason, it felt like Uhai wasn't… trying to kill us."

"I don't think he was." Guy said sadly. "He gave me directions that could very well lead us to the Dragon's Gate."

"What did he say?" Eliwood asked.

"Head south to a rotted tree. From that tree, turn west. The path to the Dragon's Gate lies there." Guy reported.

"So, do we trust him?" Hector asked. "He's not the worst we've fought, but he was certainly an enemy."

"He was Sacaen." Lyn said. "He would not lie, that much I believe. I would choose to trust him."

"I'd prefer to consult with Will." Eliwood sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He's the one who may be able to tell us whether this route is one he knows of or not. If he has no opinion, I see no reason not to take the chance. It's our first true lead on where the Gate is."

"I agree." Hector said. "Just had to play devil's advocate there."

"Leila…" Matthew muttered, looking back to the trees.

Will and Serra carried Leila to Merlinus' wagon, laying her down gently in the back. They walked up to the front, Will helping Serra onto the front seat before allowing Marcus to help him up onto his horse. "Let's catch up to everyone else." Will said.

Marcus nodded. "Merlinus, is Miss Ninian…?"

"She asleep in the wagon." Merlinus said. "We'll follow behind you."

"Good." Marcus said, spurring his horse into a walk. They continued in silence, until the found the telltale signs of the rest of the group. They were beginning to set up camp, a small ways away from the burning corpses of their foes. Will noted that what seemed to be their commander was burning on a private pyre, his sword and bow laid atop his chest. A Sacaen rite to return the fallen to Mother Earth.

"Was that… No, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." Will muttered.

"What was that?" Marcus asked.

"Our enemy was someone I met, once a long time ago while I was caring for… someone." Will said, placing a hand to his forehead. "My memory… I… I know he was there, but I can't remember anything about him. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine." Marcus said. "I wasn't intending to pry."

Fight for what you believe in, once you find it. No one can tell you what that belief is. You have to decide it for yourself. That is what it means to be human. To be Sacaen. Remember that, Will. For one day, it may just prove useful to you. Will glanced back at the pyre. Where had those words come from? If only he could remember…

In the center of the makeshift camp, there was a small gathering of members. Lyndis, Eliwood, Hector, Guy, Florina, an unfamiliar teal haired woman and Matthew awaited. Will, Marcus and Serra joined them, While Merlinus hurried around to the back of his wagon to rouse Ninian and move Leila.

"Status?" Will asked Florina.

"We were lucky." Florina said. "We ran into the enemy and defeated him and his troops. For some reason, he wasn't at full strength. Whether it was due to fatigue from being out too long, or out of some sense of… something, we won without casualties. Most everyone had light to medium injuries, but Priscilla and Lucius have healed everyone."

"I am Fiora." The teal haired woman said with a polite bow. "Florina's sister. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir William."

"No sir need, please." Will said. "And generally I go by Will." He extended a hand. "Finally, I prefer introductions like this."

Fiora hesitated, before gripping the tactician's hand. They shook. Florina giggled. Guy stepped forward. "That's not all. When he was dying, Uhai offered us some parting words. A way to the Dragon's Gate."

"I wanted to consult with you before we made our decision." Eliwood said. "He said to head south to a rotted tree. From there, we should head west to reach the path to the Dragon's Gate. What do you think?"

Will crossed his arms, raising one hand thoughtfully to his chin. "I've not heard of this route." He admitted. "The route I took with Maria took six days from port to base. Thinking on it, I can't be sure the base I was in was even the Dragon's Gate. I think it might be worth the risk."

"I see." Eliwood said. "Will Fargus wait for us if things go south?"

"With two fliers now, we can afford to send one back as a messenger if we have to. A bit of gold will likely placate the old guy for another few days." Will said. "Two weeks is a reasonable time frame, though. We should finish before the end of that."

"Will." Matthew said, unable to contain himself any longer. "Please."

"Right." Will said. "I'm sorry, I wanted to make sure everyone was safe first. I saw the burning bodies and well…"

"It's fine." Hector grunted. "Now what about Leila?"

"The dagger in Leila's back was coated in a specific poison developed by the Fang. Ostia uses something similar from time to time, but it's nowhere near as potent as our own. The poison is made to cause death in the targets, naturally degrading their internal systems over time. Usually, a cut would be enough. Why the assassin chose to stab her entirely in the back… is likely due to Leila's skill." Will explained.

"Of course." Hector chuckled darkly. "Leila would've escaped the moment she sensed danger."

"Jaffar is better." Will said.

"Jaffar." Matthew muttered darkly. "Is he the one who…"

"It's not important." Will covered quickly. "Well, it is, but in a way you may not expect. If Leila had been exposed, she should have been killed. This poison… it's what gave me a chance to save her."

"How so?" Eliwood asked.

"The dagger being in her back was another key." Will explained. "Normally, because the wound is a scratch, you wouldn't realize something is wrong until it's too late. The wound on Leila quickly told us something wasn't right. The dagger itself told me much more. I used to coat that dagger in the very poison I explained."

Eliwood's eyes shot up. "You… you did that?"

"Yes." Will said. "I'm not necessarily proud of it. However, there is an antidote. When the Black Fang needed to obtain funds, we would blackmail corrupt officials using this poison. I still kept some of the antidote on me, since I knew we were coming to Valor."

"But Leila… She was…" Matthew said, turning his head away.

"Serra's a better healer than you give her credit for." Will said with a smile. "One of the best. It's why I needed her. I had to draw out the blade, applying small amounts of antidote to the wound. Once it was closed, I needed to pour the rest down her throat. Luckily, we managed both parts. The only issue was time. I don't know how long Leila has been out here with that poison in her. The longer she was out here, the less chance she had."

"How long?" Guy asked.

"A week at most." Will said. "We needed the poison to give them just enough time to receive and respond to ransoms, so…"

"So not like that poison Mark used on you." Lyn said.

"Not as diluted, at any rate." Will said. "But similar. I don't know how much damage was done."

"Did you save her?" Hector asked.

"I did." Will said. "But I don't know if she'll ever fight again. She may not even be able to move again. I just want you to be prepared for that."

"Just her being alive is enough for now." Matthew said. "Thank you, Will. Can I…"

"Of course." Will said. Matthew hurried over to Merlinus' cart, helping Ninian down as he clambered inside.

Matthew sat next to Leila, watching the soft rise and fall of her chest. Seeing it, he felt the tears began to flow. "Thank god… Thank god… Leila… You're alive."