Author's Note: So last chapter ended with a kick in the teeth, which I guess I should have expected when I was running out of words in the chapter and needed to post. But yes, it's always been in my plan to have Will not recognize Nino at first. It's an unfortunate cut off for some interesting conversations they could have, but there's a reason for it.

Trust in me, readers, and follow me into the uncertain horizon.

Also, please review if you have the time. It doesn't stop my dumb forgetting to upload a chapter for over three months but hey, humans be humans.

Chapter 83: Angel of Death

He was running through a field, escaping the Fang.

He was talking to someone… someone he held very dear.

He had failed. He couldn't remember why, but he had failed.

A flash of lightning. A creepy laugh. A flash of green hair.

A woman, standing over him, asking if he was okay.

Lyn… Was she and everyone he had met since then the only things he remembered properly anymore?

Will sat alone, reading his journal desperately, trying to find the threads to keep his memory intact. Instead, all he found were words written by a hand he wasn't sure he recognized, in a way that seemed foreign to himself. He closed the book, and cried.

Merlinus gently draped a blanket over his shoulders. "You must remain strong, Lord William. I know the pain may be too much to bear, but you are too important for this company to lose."

"I know, Merlinus." Will sobbed. "I just wish I felt worthy of that honor."

"You may not feel worthy." Merlinus smiled. "But you are here, and you have our trust. If you cannot trust yourself, trust us."

Will looked at the kind, portly merchant. "You're a strange man, Merlinus."

"And you all are much stranger to me." Merlinus replied simply. "Now then, go inside and rest. It wouldn't do to worry your lady friends with your tears."

"Right."

Nino's jaw dropped as tears fell freely down her face. "How can you say that! You promised… you promised I'd see you again soon! And then… and then you and Maria were gone! And then Mark was gone too! And then it was just me and Jaffar, and now Jaffar might die but you're back and you're saying things that don't make any sense!"

"Maria..." Will paused momentarily. He'd read the name so many times, desperate to remember. Florina, Lyn and even Hector told him stories, repeated words he had said to them. It brought back nothing. Serra had told him the damage to his memory should hopefully subside, but somehow he felt like it should have taken much less than it did. The only reason he remembered Jaffar was… The Dragon Gate. "Wallace."

Eliwood glanced at Will, but decided enough was enough. "Will, stand down."

"Lord Eliwood-"

"Your judgment is compromised with a member of the Fang involved. Just like with Legault, this decision is not yours to make." Eliwood insisted.

"Legault was an exception to the rule!" Will insisted. "It was under exceedingly different circumstances!"

"That doesn't mean this girl isn't also an exception!" Eliwood barked. "And I'm telling you to stand down, or I will have you escorted back to base." Will fell silent. "I appreciate your caution, and you have made a great many sacrifices for my sake. But this is my crusade, Will. If you can't stand at my side, then stay at the back."

"Eliwood, don't you think-" Hector began.

"She's a mere child, Hector." Eliwood snapped. "I'll not have anyone call a child a killer. Not when she's appealing for our help."

Hector too, fell silent. Nino was exceedingly nervous now. She hadn't meant to make them fight. "Umm… Jaffar is..."

"Yes." Eliwood nodded to her. "Lead us to him."

Nino brightened. "Right away!" She saluted in an attempt to be respectful, before turning and leading them down the corridor she had come.

"Ah, Lord Eliwood, might I be permitted a small detour?" Legault asked. "There's some nice treasure over there and it seems like the guard won't be needing those weapons. Considering they're dead."

"You have my permission." Eliwood stated firmly.

Legault bowed and hurried off to the left room. Nino continued to stride forward quickly, determined now to save Jaffar as he had saved her.

Maxime had proven himself impatient. Normally Jaffar would have rejoiced, but knowing that Ursula was now on the backline did not give him security. It only made him more certain that the moment he stopped moving he would be dead. Maxime's lance work was certainly dangerous, but it wasn't anything Jaffar couldn't handle. The problem was Ursula's bolt spell. The moment he stopped, he would be struck down by it. He had never been any good fighting mages. Add to that the only way to fell Maxime being to leap onto his horse and stab into the exposed area around his neck, and Jaffar would need to be stationary for approximately four to five seconds to ensure the kill. More than enough time for Ursula to strike. Maxime was expendable.

"If I fall, I fall. But Nino…" Jaffar growled to himself. The more time he bought, the better, even if it meant he killed less.

"Ha! This is the famed Angel of Death?" Maxime chuckled. "You are nothing compared to Lady Ursula!"

Jaffar grit his teeth. He couldn't let this drag on. "It's over here!" A voice shouted, one he recognized instantly.

"Nino!" He shouted. "Leave!"

Maxime did not miss his chance, spurring his horse straight for the voice. Jaffar leapt out of the shadows, reaching desperately for the horse's leg, but missed, falling flat on the stone floor. "Hah! Let's see how the Angel of Death fights when not tied to a little girl!"

His horse collapsed, stabbed in the chest by a rapier at speeds Maxime almost couldn't react to. "No one will be killing her while she is under my protection." Eliwood said calmly, pulling his blade from the fallen steed. He had been lucky it hadn't been going at full tilt. Otherwise his arm may have suffered severe damage. As it was, he could already tell it would be sore in the morning.

"Hah, the princeling arrives." Maxime spat. "Should have known." His lance prepared, but Jaffar was already on his feet, and now Maxime found himself surrounded.

At least, he would have, if lightning hadn't struck the ground directly in front of Eliwood. With his moment, Maxime immediately spun, blocking Jaffar's dagger with his gauntlet and stabbing into the man's side with his lance, as hard as he could. He heard the scream of the little girl, which only helped to satisfy him.

"Bastard!" He heard a man yell, and turned to lock his lance with the blue haired lord. "Hiding and firing from the shadows like a coward!"

"We are the Black Fang." Maxime replied. "As long as we win, our methods do not matter."

"Then forgive us if we use our own methods to win." A woman's voice said. Before he could react, Maxime found a sword plunged into his side. He collapsed, his lance falling to the ground as the woman, with long green hair, sheathed her sword.

"Just as expendable… as always…" Maxime growled. The next moment, a large bolt of lightning struck him, killing him on the spot.

"That was…" Eliwood grit his teeth.

"The mage must have thought we would try to extract information from him." Will said quietly. He had been choosing his words carefully ever since Eliwood snapped at him earlier. They were in too dire of a situation for them to be butting heads.

"It's Ursula." Jaffar coughed from nearby. "One of the Four Fangs."

"How do we stop her?" Eliwood asked.

"Protect the Prince." Jaffar said. "As long as you do that, Ursula can't win."

"Or we can just take her out." Hector said forcefully. "We're trying to take down Nergal anyway, leaving one of his pawns on the table seems like a bad idea to me."

"Allow us to take the fight to her." The calm voice of Hawkeye stated. He and Marcus had just arrived. "If myself, Marcus, Dart and Farina go after her, even she will not be able to hide for long."

"Without a mage?" Will began. "It'd be far too-"

"Do it." Eliwood said, cutting Will off. "Hector, Lyn and I will protect the prince and take care of Nino and this man."

"As you wish, my lord." Marcus said with a polite bow. He rode off with Hawkeye, Farina and Dart hurrying behind them.

"Eliwood-"

"Not a word, Will." Eliwood said, though his voice shook slightly. "You know as well as I do the attack won't stop as long as she draws breath."

"And you know as well as I do that you may very well have sent them to their death." Will replied. "Just know what you're bringing upon yourself."

"As should you."

"I would recommend withdrawing, Lady Ursula." The light tone betrayed the danger of his words.

"Hurricane… what do you want?" Ursula said calmly, keeping her magical eye on the party that was now debating amongst themselves after Maxime had been struck down.

"Just offering you your chance to survive a while longer." Legault chuckled. "Lloyd and Linus always had a soft spot for you, being such a wise teacher for them."

"My life is the Fang's." Ursula replied. "If Lord Brendan's need is for me to be here, I will be."

"Your loyalty was always your worst trait." Legault shook his head.

"And your inability to take things seriously is yours." Ursula replied. "What makes you think I won't kill you right now?"

"I expect you to try at any moment." Legault sighed. "I imagine you only allowed me to talk this long because you remembered the time I called you cute while you were tipsy."

Ursula's lightning tome, which she had slowly swapped for her bolt tome, flashed as she fired a bolt of lightning at the thief. She missed.

"I'll let the others be your opponent." Legault's voice whispered. "I'd hate having the blood of a tragic heroine on my hands."

"Curse you, traitor." Ursula spat.

"I get that a lot." Legault laughed.

Outside the Prince's room, Nino reeled at the news. No, it was more like she hadn't wanted to accept it until now. "It's… it's not a lie…?"

"It's true." Will stated calmly. "The Black Fang has long since changed. Nergal is using it for his own ends."

"Mother…." Nino breathed sadly.

Wordlessly, Jaffar drew her into a hug. "That's enough." He said simply.

Will nodded. Lyn grabbed his hand, pulling him aside. "Are you okay? Eliwood's never…"

"I'll be fine, Lyn." Will smiled sadly. "I can't help that my judgement is compromised. There's nothing up here to remember, before I met you."

"Will…" Lyn touched his forehead tenderly. "Don't shut me out. If you're feeling taxed…"

"I'll come to you. Promise." Will agreed. Lyn nodded.

Meanwhile, Hector had entered the Prince's room, with his weapons at his side to attempt to console the Prince. It seemed likely he would be attacked, but as long as it wasn't his head he was pretty sure he'd survive. That was certainly a comforting thought. "Prince Zephiel?"

From the darkness of the room, a hesitant and suspicious voice replied. "Who are you?"

"Ah!" Hector gasped. For a moment he had felt a strange chill down his spine. However, the moment passed. "I'm from Ly… Umm… What I mean is... We're here to rescue you." The voice remained silent. Hector lowered his arms. It didn't seem like he was going to be stabbed, at least. One less Serra lecture to worry about. "We'll drive back the foe. Stay here and stay safe, alright?"

"If you say stay, I believe I should go." The voice replied.

"Huh?" Hector replied incredulously.

"I know neither your names, nor your motives." The prince replied. "Why should I have reason to trust you?"

Hector blanched. It was true they couldn't really tell him their motives. After all, it was a request of his mother and it was in direct opposition to the wishes of his father. It was not a situation they had the right to place the prince into. "I guess you've got a point." He admitted. "Even so… I can't tell you who we are. Sorry about that. Our reasons trump your peace of mind."

"Reasons?" The Prince asked cautiously.

"Complicated ones." Hector said, brushing the question aside. He couldn't answer, no matter how much he wanted to. He had a feeling Eliwood might've broken under these circumstances.

"I see." The prince replied. He fell silent, and Hector swore he could hear the young boy pacing slightly back and forth in the shadows of the room, where he remained out of Hector's sight. At least, until he suddenly stepped forth to meet Hector's gaze calmly. "Then I place my life in your hands."

"Are you sure?"

"If you were assassins, I've the feeling I'd already be dead, no matter how cautious I attempted to be. I must trust you." The prince sighed, sitting on his bed.

Hector smiled. "You've my word of honor, little prince. Not a soul will enter your room for the rest of the night."

The Prince smiled, nodding slightly. His work done, Hector quickly left the room.

"Tell me… are you afraid to die?" Ursula asked calmly.

Dart, Hawkeye, Farina and Marcus approached the woman, who awaited them atop her steed, her figure unflinching. The years of fighting had clearly taught her numbers were not always the deciding factor. But the force opposing her was not going to back down easily either. "Attack!" Marcus commanded, and the four leapt into action.

Dart reached her range first, but he was forced to leap back as a pillar of flames erupted right next to him. Hawkeye's Killer Axe swung close to her neck, his impressive jumping height and speed surprising her. Luckily, her bolting spell shot out, striking the axe and blowing back the man with the force, his axe clattering away as it sparked. He must've let it go right before it was hit. Lucky man.

Marcus' lance swung close to her head, but she had ducked as her horse galloped away. However, she was prevented from rounding the corner as Farina's Pegasus blocked the way, nearly kicking her as she yanked on her horse's reins to stop. Farina herself leapt from the shadows towards her. A mercenary worthy of her reputation, no doubt. Ursula was forced to jump from her horse as the lance pierced through the creature's exposed side. Quickly, she fired off her Elfire spell, setting the dying horse ablaze and catching Farina's lance in the process. Farina quickly ran from the blaze, shaking her hands. Ursula wasn't sure how much damage she had dealt the mercenary, but hopefully she had no back-up weapons to fight with.

Dart returned, his axes swinging in a large and dangerous arc. Even if she fired off another Elfire spell, she wasn't sure the spell would go off in time to prevent him. So instead, she quickly threw a small bag onto the ground and rolled away. When Dart reached it, she fired a small fire spell which ignited the bag, causing it to explode instantly. Dart was blown back, but the powder in the bag wasn't enough to cause permanent damage. As it was, she saw the man hit the wall roughly and slide down to the ground, so he must at least be temporarily unconscious.

"You have earned your reputation, madam." Marcus said calmly. "The Black Fang is certainly not taken lightly."

"I believe that point has already been made if Lycia's pups insist on going to war with us." Ursula replied.

Marcus did not take the bait. She was dangling information in an attempt to catch him off guard and escape. "Nor are the Four Fangs, though by now that number has been reduced to two."

"Jaffar was never worthy of the title." Ursula sighed. "And Lloyd and Linus do not hold as much devotion as one might think."

"So you believe your devotion to be that strong to a doomed cause?" Marcus asked. Ursula did not reply. "Then I will no longer hesitate."

He charged, his lance a flash of silver as he attempted to catch the small woman. However, without her horse, she proved to be more agile, sliding under his steed's thundering hooves and running in the opposite direction. Marcus quickly tugged on his reigns, bringing his steed around, but Ursula's scream stopped him short.

He saw Hawkeye, his eyes closed remorsefully, with his axe embedded in Ursula's chest. How deep the wound was, he did not know, but it was of little doubt that she was finished.

"I will not… be shamed…" Ursula choked. She snapped her fingers, and her entire body was set ablaze. Hawkeye leapt away, only hoping his axe would survive the blaze. If she wasn't already dead before, Ursula certainly was finished now.

"Well, it wasn't pretty, but it got done." Farina growled, still rubbing her hands angrily. "I earned my pay today."

"What, not going to ask for a bonus?" Dart grimaced, rubbing the back of head where he'd hit the wall.

"Maybe I will." Farina said defensively. "That was a top of the line lance, you know?"

"Not to mention my axe." Hawkeye said regretfully, staring at the flames. "Even if it survives this, the flames may make it unusable."

"I will go make the report to Lord Eliwood." Marcus said. "You three see if the axe can be retrieved after the fire has died."

"Lucky nothing around here is prone to catching fire." Farina chuckled. "Otherwise the prince may have been in more danger."

While on lookout, Matthew spotted the telltale signs of knights approaching. He couldn't be sure whether it was the Mother or King's forces, but either way they needed to make their exit. "Merlinus!"

"Yes, Sir Matthew?" Merlinus asked quickly.

"Get everyone moving and gone. I'll go make sure our group inside gets out. We'll meet you three leagues south of here, near the Mother's villa." Matthew said calmly. "Leila knows the way."

Merlinus nodded. "Saintspeed."

"You'll need it more than me." Matthew grinned, before rushing off into the castle.

"Alright lads! Let's get moving!" Merlinus called to the rest of the group. The group quickly threw what little they had out back into the carts and hurried away. Thankfully, Matthew had spotted the knights at least three leagues away, so they had enough time to head out before they were held on suspicious charges.

Matthew ran into the group only about midway into the castle. It had taken him all but two minutes, but at this point every second counted. "My lords! The Knights of Bern ride to the Prince's aid! I suggest we make ourselves scarce!"

Will and Eliwood both immediately took action. "Matthew, where's the main force?"

"Meeting us south three leagues of here near the Mother's villa." Matthew reported. "Raven is with them."

"Good, the rest of our force is…" Will looked around. Isadora, Harken and Lowen had arrived, and Florina was with them while Fiora remained with the caravan. That only left the advance team that had gone to face Ursula.

"Hector, was the Prince safe?" Eliwood asked his friend.

"Yeah, though I can't guarantee he won't spill our involvement." Hector growled. "If I had known, I might not have taken the chance to talk to him."

"No, it's good that you did. We needed him to remain where we could keep him safe." Eliwood smiled.

"Lord Eliwood! Sir William!" Marcus' voice reached them both as the paladin galloped into view. "Their leader has been defeated. I left the other three with the body so they could tend to their wounds. Defeating her did not come without price."

Will shuddered to think what Farina might demand later, but for the time being that meant their way was clear. Matthew also picked up on that. "Lord Hector, might I suggest we head out the castle through the front door? After all, the back way is doubtless covered in gallant knights charging in to save the prince."

"Would that we be so lucky in the front, but I see little other choice." Eliwood agreed. "Let's get moving."

They rushed their way to the front, meeting up with Farina, Dart and Hawkeye. Hawkeye's axe was indeed rendered unusable, which meant they had no reason to delay. Isadora pulled the injured Dart onto her horse, and the group quickly rushed through the gardens to the front gate, Where Lowen and Harken forced the door open. Not bothering to close it after them, they made for the south.

The hour or so they spent moving without speech between them felt like days. They strained their ears, worried for any signs of a chase. Matthew had assured them that after he had performed some small subterfuge on their tracks leading into the forest, there was little chance of them being pursued successfully, but they still worried.

Leila had apparently done the same for the other group, which made Will glad the two were so in sync with each other. He couldn't stand the idea of the other group being caught up in an unnecessary battle with Bern's royal troops. Finally, they spotted a camp on the horizon. It was, thankfully, the other group entirely intact. After receiving a brief report from Leila and Merlinus to ensure there was the smallest chance of pursuit, the group finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"They'll focus mostly on reinforcing the Prince's domain for the time being." Eliwood said, placing a hand on his chest. "Even if the King is not fond of him, unless they plan to sweep this completely under the rug an increased amount of security would make sense."

"The strange part is why it was so empty in the first place." Will muttered. "Considering the Prince is supposed to attend his ceremony in less than a week…"

"You have a point." Eliwood admitted. "It only feeds into the idea that the King truly is behind this."

"Yeah but that's not what we're here to solve, are we?" Hector asked. "We're just here to get access to the Shrine of Seals."

"You're right, of course." Eliwood sighed. "It just doesn't sit well with me. That's all."

"I'm so glad you're okay… Jaffar." Nino said tearfully, as she attended to the injured assassin. Finally, their attention on other matters faded, leaving only these two remaining to be solved.

Jaffar held his gaze against Eliwood's own, though he briefly looked to Will as well, who was less willing to meet his stare. "Why? Why do you not kill me?"

"If I did that, Nino might die as well." Eliwood responded.

"I am of the Fang." Jaffar said coldly. "I was on the very island that took your father. Your friends."

"You needn't remind me." Eliwood said calmly. "I remember."

"You didn't take the prince's life." Lyn said kindly. So we won't take yours. It's that simple."

"I'm the one who left that woman's body in the forest, for you to find her dead." Jaffar said, nodding his head towards Leila.

"You-" Matthew began to draw his dagger, but Hector stopped him. Though, for a moment, it looked as though Hector was about to attack Jaffar himself.

"Do you realize how many of your people I've killed?" Jaffar's cold look extended to Will. "He may have told you about the Fang, but the small missions he assisted on were nothing compared to what I've done in Nergal's name."

"Monster." Hector spat. "I'd like nothing more than-"

"Peace, Hector." Eliwood said, raising his hand.

"Bah!" Hector spat, turning away.

"I am the one who left you dying in that field." Jaffar said, looking Will dead in the eye. "Surely you remember."

Will blinked. "I…" Something flashed in his mind. The rushing winds, the grass all around. His ragged breath as he attempted to fight off a threat he knew he couldn't stop. The stab… the fall… Lyn's voice. "I do."

It was Lyn's turn to nearly attack the man, but even as her hand fell to her sword, she did not grip it. Her teeth clenched, but she did not let her anger speak. Eliwood took this as his sign to continue. "Some sins cannot be forgiven, Jaffar." He looked in the direction of Valor, far beyond the horizon they could see. "Lord Wallace, Bishop Renault, My Father… these are only three of the many lives I hold the Fang responsible for. Nonetheless, we need all the help we can get to defeat Nergal. And if your sword is no longer beholden to him… I would have you use it for us, instead."

Jaffar did not speak. "Just so you know, this is Eliwood's decision alone." Will said quietly. "I would no more ask for your life than for hers. I'm not forgiving of myself, let alone others of the Fang."

"But you let Uncle Legault help you…" Nino said pleadingly, looking to Will. Will did not respond, choosing to look away instead.

"Jaffar, you were planning on throwing away your life, correct?" Eliwood asked. Jaffar did not say anything, but his head moved the slightest fraction down before meeting his gaze again. He supposed that was the closest to an admission he would get. "If you hold regrets over your past actions, then fight with me. As Legault does. As Will does." Eliwood looked meaningfully at Will, who did meet his gaze, if only somewhat shamefully.

"Regret?" Jaffar's deep voice almost seemed to chuckle. "Such emotions mean nothing."

"Jaffar!" Nino said sternly. He turned to look at the young girl, her eyes sparkling with tears. For a moment, the stern assassin wavered.

"…If you want me to… I will do it." Jaffar relented.

"Jaffar!" Nino cheered.

"That's good, isn't it Nino?" Lyn asked happily.

"Yeah! Thank you! Thank you all!" Nino bounced happily, throwing her arms around the embarrassed assassin.

As the mansion swarmed with troops, a heavily armored knight made his return. "What could his majesty be thinking, calling me away and detaining me for so long? He had no real cause to do so, and yet… No it couldn't be…" He spotted the mansion, now crawling with army soldiers and dread entered his mind. "My Prince!"

One of the soldiers saw the knight headed their way, and flagged him down. "Commander Murdock! You must come!"

"What's happened?" Murdock demanded. "Is the prince alright?"

Nearby, on the same hill the knight had come down from, a hooded figure watched as they extracted a burned body with a melted axe embedded in the corpse. With a small shake of the head, the figure spoke. "Beyond hearing so soon, Ursula? A shame… humans do seem to die for such strange reasons…" In her hand, she held the locket Lord Nergal had given her, which naturally drew in the Quintessence of the dead woman as her body was taken away. She fingered it curiously. "This is quite excellent Quintessence. Lord Nergal would be… quite pleased…"

For some reason, the hooded figure continued to linger, as the rest of the bodies were brought out, as if a strange parade of death had appeared before her. Wasn't it her fate, as a morph, to one day be the same? Or would she live to see the world Lord Nergal envisioned, as he often told her and Ephidel? But Ephidel was no longer around, and at every turn the strange band of lords and heroes continued to thwart her master's plans. She fingered the locket, confused.

Why did she want to know what drove them to fight?