Back to this it seems. This chapter was about 2,370 words pre-(A/N) and I've only been able to push this out because someone left four separate reviews. So, I hope this chapter has enough of Florina to hold you over, Cutiecat! Thanks for the reviews and good words, really brought me through enough to finish this chapter.

Laughter.

All he heard was laughter. Not the kind of a madman, nor that of a old friend, but one of gratitude, like one given by patients saved by doctors. "My apologies you all, it's just that... You must understand that I was nervous about who we were up against, and here comes Zyre, who's basically a walking information bank in regards to their locations and plans! I must say… These are extraordinary circumstances for an army in our current situation." Mark finished, getting thoughtful looks from the Lords, and a deadpanned one from Zyre. 'Looks like I was worried for nothing...' Zyre thought to himself, silently thanking whatever deity was still watching over him.

"Well Zyre," Mark began, "how'd you like to join our group and strike against The Fang?" Zyre scoffed, "What other choice do I have, it's like asking a dying man whether he'd like medicine or poison. I'd be glad to join your ranks though..." He finished, while extending his hand out, offering it to Mark, who gladly shook it. "Now that this matter's settled, what say you all that we go get some lunch? I'm starving!" Mark states, with his stomach grumbling in agreement.

One by one, all those one the roof began leaving for different areas of the castle: Lyn to her grandfather's side, Hector to the training grounds, Eliwood to the Barracks, and Mark and Zyre to the dining area.

Those two had much to discuss…

"So, I want to waste as little time as possible." Mark started, just finishing his lunch. "What's the Fang's next move?" Zyre began thinking, cross-examining the information Leila had given Mark and the Lords. "It would appear that they'll likely attempt to snuff out Lord Pherae's life to be rid of the trouble he'd no doubt bring…" Mark's face fell gravely. "If that's true, then we'll need to set out for his last known location, the-" "Dread Isle. Yes, but we have no idea how the Fang has it defended." Zyre concluded, leaving Mark confused. "Wait… You have no clue what their defenses are?" Mark questioned, making Zyre shake his head.

"You must understand, I was rarely allowed outside of my retainer's sights, and since they know of my betrayal…" "...Then they've most likely built up a completely different line of defense. Zyre nodded, "Yeah, though I can provide you with a rough estimate of what we may face upon landing, anything past that would be purely guesswork." As Zyre finished, he stood up and offered his hand to the tactician.

"But, if the stories I've heard of you are even remotely true, then the 'Miraculous Tactician' can surely pull together some sort of plan." As Mark took the assassin's hand, they both smiled at each other. "I do believe you're setting me a bit too high… 'Miraculous Tactician' makes me appear to be a man of luck, but luck only exists to those who have nothing else to use or depend on. I like to think myself as more a man of thought and science than luck and fantasy." Mark concluded, prompting Zyre to begin.

"Ah, but how could you explain my situation? Luck would have it that a certain maiden needed my protection from my own traitors…" Zyre began his nonchalant argument with Mark that seemed to last until dusk, but ultimately ended with both men laughing after allowing it to end in a draw.

Laughter.

He couldn't remember the last time he had been surrounded by so much genuine laughter, not the kind hiding ill intent, or full of a mocking tone; but just pure, unfiltered, laughter. It felt… nice.

'Just one… more… match...' Mark was dead tired, the complete opposite of his opponent. While Mark looked almost corpse-like from his lack of sleep, Zyre was wide awake and alert. Mark had gone into these matches confident, since no person had put up much fight in regards to chess before, but Zyre had proved more than able to match his wit. Match after match ended with stalemate after stalemate, but the result of the matches was clear as Mark's head slammed onto the board, scattering the pieces all over the place.

'I knew I should have put a stop to this before it got to this point... ' Zyre thought as he carried Mark from their place on the roof down to the barracks so the tactician could get some semblance of sleep after nearly three or four hours of nonstop chess matches that left even Zyre with a throbbing headache, though his outward appearance seemed as neutral as ever.

"You there!" a voice yelled out from behind Zyre. 'Oh great… how many does this make?' With an annoyed look on his face, Zyre turned to face the voice, a patrolling guard, but unlike the others that stopped him earlier, this one was part of the group detained in the cell during the retaking of Castle Caelin. Upon realizing who he stopped, the guard began walking hastily in the other direction, sprouting words of apologies and good wishes for a restful night. Zyre couldn't help but chuckle at the actions taken by the guard.

'At least those guys haven't forgotten what I promised them… Heh, guess I can be quite the people person...' As Zyre continued to chuckle to himself, a cold sweat overtook all the guards he shared a talk with earlier that day…

As dawn broke out, a certain brown-haired man awoke with a start, recalling a sharp pain before passing out the night before. 'Guess that's my loss… I know he had to adapt and stay awake many nights during his stay across the Dragon's Gate, but just what kind of monster is he to not even yawn or blink heavy once?!' Mark was practically fuming with him losing the chess match only due to sheer lack of stamina, and the fact that he had a splitting headache.

"Oh, it would seem sleeping beauty has risen from her respite." A voice called out, full of caring sarcasm. Turning his head to face the person speaking to him, finding the woman of his affections: Lyn. "Well, I hope your night was restful, since we must continue planning our next move." After forcing his heartbeat to get back to it's normal rhythm (from both the sight of Lyn and the woman coming from seemingly no-where), and sitting up straight Mark began to move off of his bed when he noticed his lack of attire.

Feeling his cheeks heat up, Mark moves to cover himself when he spots a note fastened to his clothes on the head of his bed. 'Sorry for this, but I needed to one-up a tactician at least once in my life. Hope you didn't have one of "those" dreams, naughty Mark! P.S. I'm having Lyn check up on you so… Keep it in your pants… Oh wait! They're right behind you. -Zyre' Oh how he would enjoy sticking the assassin on the front lines whenever they move out...

"Say… are you feeling alright?" Mark's blood froze. 'Oh please,' he thought 'not now, Lyn...' Mark retreated to the wall so fast, he nearly broke into through it. Oh how the Tactician hath been outplayed…

A frightened yell resounded throughout the castle as Mark struggled to keep his body hidden from an oblivious woman from the plains.

The yell wasn't missed by a certain dark haired man. Said man was currently engaged in a game of cat-and-mouse. It seems like the word of his magical abilities had spread, and now instead of just a stoic young man and his chatty charge, he now had a very, very confusing man and a girl with an enigmatic background seeking him out as well.

'Just my luck,' he thought 'that I couldn't have any rest or time to myself even when surrounded by human allies...' He dove into an open door and out a window when he heard multiple footsteps follow him. He hid himself in a nearby bush as a shrill voice chastised someone. "Erk! I thought I told you to make sure he didn't get away again!" So he was right, poor Erk.,, " The two began having a heated argument that slowly got softer as the group went further and further away from the area he fled from.

Only when the words began to become indistinguishable from other sounds did Zyre allow himself to lean back onto the even grass. Stains be damned, he was not going to be denied rest after the night he put Mark through. He had to admit, the man had talent. Had he been any other person from this "Lycian League" he would have surely lost in their little game of chess early on. If anyone could lead this group against Nergal and come out on top…

Zyre was brought out of his speculation by a girl giggling. Sitting up almost robotically, Zyre began to look around to find the source of the sound, which led him further into the bushes. After looking through the leaves for several minutes, Zyre's gaze was brought upwards to the sky as feathers began to fall towards the ground. What he saw made his heart pause for a split second, his breathing shallow, and his mouth hang open slightly. He was never lucky enough to witness a pegasus rider doing acrobatics in person, but he was glad that he wasn't an audience to the act before, because any previous acts he had seen would be an extreme disappointment compared to what was being performed above him right now.

The girl he saved the night prior, was, in this moment, the only thing he had on his mind. As captivated as he was, Zyre hadn't missed the presence of two others joining him in the bushes. He was, however, oblivious to how questionable his current position was.

It would be hard to explain why a man of his age was in the bushes spying on a maiden near his age.

He didn't avert his gaze when the conversation started, "She sure is something, isn't she?" He recognized the voice as Lyn. "Barely a day since she was put in the line of fire, and two since she was almost killed. Yet she can look so carefree and spirited." Zyre nodded. "Sometimes, people are just made to be that way. What was his name? Wil. He's a good example." The other presence, who he recognized as Mark, grunted in agreement. Lyn, however was slightly lost. "What about him?" Both men paused for a second, then (creepily) answered in unison. "He hides behind a mask." Mark then went to say "He may seem happy and free, but…"

"He's just as worried as you are when it comes to the safety of everyone here, Lyn."

The Lord and her Tactician were pleased with the answer from the Ex-Fang. Backing away for a second, Lyn whispered her approval into Mark's ear. After nodding to each other, they returned their attention to the flier above them. Lyn's eyes narrowed as she realized what was coming next, and as such she gripped onto Zyre's shoulders.

Not a moment later, Florina fell from Huey's saddle.

Without a doubt, Zyre would have tried to catch the girl (which would have left him in an awkward position to explain himself.) Lyn's reassuring grip was enough to make him hesitate for a moment. Zyre let a breath out as he noticed how Huey was coming back around to catch his rider the land. He looked visibly relaxed (much to the amusement of his fellow audience) and stood up to confront the girl.

How Lyn beat him to the rider, Zyre will never know. Hell, even Mark was next to the girl by the time he had reached her himself. She looked happy when she received words of praise from Lyn, ecstatic when she got the same praise from Mark, but immediately hid behind the two when she saw Zyre approach.

The other two had it easy.

Zyre had to avoid the excited pegasus first, which was more difficult than what it should've been. He could've easily thrown the animal aside and continued on his path, but he just couldn't bring himself to do anything more than pet the winged-horse.

After that was said and done, the girl had moved to the other side whenever he adjusted his location to meet face-to-face with her. The two went back and forth, alternating locations until Zyre forced the Lord and Tactician apart down the middle, finally being in front of the rider.

"I don't know why anything I want to do is so much harder than when other people do it…" Zyre muttered to himself, then locked eyes with Florina. "But I guess I'm much more determined than others. What you were doing… was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Keep-" He stopped as the girl in front of him looked like a tomato, and he could swear he saw steam rising from her head, but he only caught a glimpse before his whole world went black as a knuckle crashed into the back on his head.

"Don't mind him, Florina. Your "brother" and I will set him straight. If it helps, just forget everything he just said, alright?" Lyn left with Mark as Florina nodded numbly.

With Zyre on his back, Mark whispered his question to Lyn. "Hey, think we let him go too long without telling him of her androphobia?" Lyn looked back at the smile forming on her friend's red face as she mouthed the words he said to her silently.

"Nah. I think we did this right." Lyn smiled sweetly at the retreating form of Florina before punching Zyre's unconscious form in the side, hard, with a sick crunch and a groan from both the man and the woman nursing her hurt fist. "Uh…" Mark began, only to be cut off by the Sacaen woman. "How can one guy say something so sweet but not realize what feelings are behind those words…" Lyn sighed as Mark drooped his head. Her smile returned as she made one last remark while shaking her head and began laughing.

"Men."

Funny story... This chapter was about half done for the LONGEST TIME. I started writing it about two days after chapter 4 was finished and uploaded. So thanks again, Cutiecat for the support.

I did this on my other fic, and I'll do it here too. If you're bored, and on YouTube, and you enjoy something like Two Best Friends Play or Game Grumps, then please check out a channel called 'NewfZ' or "Spike and Barley Play' and I'll give bonus points to who can tell me which one of those two lil' ol' men are Canadian. Anyways, school starts in a month... So begins this person's Senior year of High School... and motherfucking AP classes... SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT... Until the next chapter... Kerota, out...