FD: Well, hello there, all my readers! What is going on?

Lancer: I could ask you the same thing, Draco. What's gotten into you today?

FD: It is now March!

Tychon: Okay…? Even if you celebrate St. Pat's day up north, you don't care for that, so that can't be it… Ah, I remember now! Your birthday passed!

FD: Aye, my eighteenth to be exact. Gone are the years of my childhood, and into adulthood, where the only certainties in life are taxes. But it's just such a big step that I can't help but be proud of.

Tychon: I hope you enjoyed your first celebration as a legal adult, but uh, I have a question. Your birthday is the absolute end of February, correct?

FD: Indeed, on the 29th.

Tychon: W-when do you celebrate when it's not here? On the 28th, or the 1st of March? E-either way, wouldn't that make you only four and a half?

FD: Everyone can debate those in the reviews or PM me to tell me what they think. For now, though, onto the chapter!

We own nothing!

Chrom simply sat behind his desk, a hand braced up against his temple and his shoulders heaving out a heavy, exasperated sigh. Admittedly, the prince had his fair share of stress and workload to handle, being the exalt and whatnot. The pile of parchments certainly did its job of conveying that mess in a visual representation alone. To make matters worse, the amount of requests and complaints he got from snobby nobles and councilmen alike served only to exacerbate his general distaste for his governing position at the current moment. He was certainly glad he had his wife to help him, even if she had yet to get the hang of her duties as queen.

A tired hand ran through his blue mop. "Eric, for the love of Naga-"

"Tell me to calm down again, and I'm going to kick your ass," I growled out.

"No need for any of that, Eric," the prince replied. "I understand that you're upset, she could be in any kind of danger right now. In light of this, however, we still need to keep a clear head. Rushing in cannons blazing is not going to help us."

"A "clear head" is not going to save her, dammit!" A powerful fist came crashing down, splintering the surface of the fine wooden desk. While this forceful gesture made the queen as well as Cordelia jump, Chrom and Raven remained steadfast. "We need to act quickly!"

Chrom pointed a lone finger. "You need to get me a new desk."

I was tempted grossly to snatch a fistful of hair; either mine out of frustration, or Chrom's to try and relieve myself of it. "I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation, Chrom. Say'ri. She, a woman of royal status from a foreign country, was abducted by a group of random men. To add to that, she is pregnant. So by sitting here, twiddling your thumbs in your seat, she could potentially be put into fatal danger!"

Chrom's quill twirled in-between fingers. "And I'd love to take action, if we had anything to go off of. We still need to feel the situation out."

"What the HELL is there left to feel out?" I snarled. "Will you stop making excuses, godsdamn it?!"

"I have to agree, Lord Chrom," Raven interjected. "We have everything we need to make our next move. There should be nothing holding us back."

"Is that right?" the exalt questioned.

"The man who attacked milord on that night goes by the name Shuyo, accompanied by his elite guard. From what he's lipped off about, it seems he comes from Pandora, no doubt about that. Logic dictates that our next destination, is Pandora."

"Right," Chrom added. "But how can we even access the land in the first place? Sea vessels aren't in high supply here in Ylisse, and the land itself is magically sealed. It would be an astronomical task to undertake."

"Unless you had proof of Pandorian citizenship, such as an insignia, magical signature," I jerked a thumb upward, "or a Brand that happens to be on your face."

Chrom turned his head towards his grey-haired wife, who softly shrugged at the information given. After turning back, he propped his head up on a lazy palm while his other hand tapped rhythmically by his index.

"Being that both Lady Cordelia and I were not in the household for the past two days as she and I were both faithfully waiting for milord to recover, it would have been very easy for her to have been kidnapped then," Raven reasoned. "Therefore, it's not farfetched to assume that who had attacked milord was responsible for Lady Say'ri's disappearance."

"I still wonder… present or future…?"

My head craned over my right shoulder. "Did you say something, Cordelia?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, no um, not at all." It seemed like I had caught her while she was in a bit of a daze. "Sorry, it's just that I was remembering something a little peculiar. Something that Shuyo person said."

Raven immediately jumped on the bandwagon. "Indeed, I'd been puzzled as well. It was pertaining to his final cryptic words to us, no?"

"Yes," the redhead answered. "If I remember correctly, his phrase was-"

""What is your choice? The present? Or the future?" I believe that was his phrasing," the swordsman finished.

"Present or future…?" I repeated monotonously over and over as if repetition would bring me to my goal. Try as I might, an answer would not come to me.

"Wait," Sumia entered in. "What did he mean when he said present?"

"From what I can recall," Raven began. "These words were said after he had dispatched of milord and left him to die."

The moment the words left him, Raven's blood froze as he stood stiff as a board. With the silence that everyone's concern brought, one could hear the tiniest of pins drop to the floor with an ominous, yet oddly satisfying clinking sound. Fist clenched in growing ire, nails digging deep into lightly calloused palms as slight trembles rocked his form here and there. His eyes widened in shock and horror, having come to a sudden realization that he didn't like at all. If he didn't… just imagine his king's reaction. "Good gods…"

"What is it Raven?" Cordelia asked. I didn't need to ask what was wrong; I could already tell something wasn't good.

"Damn that blasted man!" the raven-haired advisor cursed. "His target was never Say'ri…!"

And suddenly that's when everything fell into place with me. Attempting an attack on me. Going after Say'ri that night. That whole present-future thing. It all made sense now.

Now I was CERTAIN someone had to die.

"Present… future… that disgusting grub is going after my kid!" My hand reached out for the bluenette's collar, jerking his form forward to mere inches away from my own. "He's set his sights on my kid and you're just going to sit here, useless?!"

Another guttural growl followed my rhetorical question before I released the blue-headed monarch of Ylisse. "This entire time, I haven't even once asked you to send in your men or whatnot to capture them. It's not your problem, nor do I expect it to be. All I wish is for you to let me go after them myself."

Chrom patted the new wrinkles I put in his shirt for him, his silence begging for more.

"You said so yourself that we have no way of catching them because we lack naval vessels, which is all the more reason to leave immediately! It's unlikely, but it's still possible that we can intercept them before they reach the eastern coastline!"

"Eric," Chrom began. "Look, I get where you're coming from, but I'm putting my foot down when I say that this is a poor idea. I can't be there to help you, which also means no support from the Shepherds. Going by yourself is suicide, so just stay put for now. You're making a bad decision here."

Fierce eyes narrowed something akin to contempt. "Maybe so. But it's mine to make." I turned on my heel to make a clean exit, not wanting to have to deal with Chrom's inability to act in this specific scenario.

The sound of chair legs scratching the floor beneath us echoed through the office before a voice, "What do you think will happen when you come face-to-face with that man who attacked you?"

I came to a sudden stop right at the door. My mind went blank as it had to absorb the true weight of what it is the exalted blunette said to me. Loath as I am to admit, that was a question I couldn't ignore. What would I do? The last time he and I fought, he gutted me like a damned fish. Adding insult to injury, it was at my peak of power.

Although, while I thought briefly about what tipped the favours against me, I also came to give myself somewhat of a mental pep talk. He may have beaten me at the peak of my natural power, but everything is weaker when unfocused. In other words, he simply caught me on a bad day. I was already mentally strained with everything going on between Cordelia, Say'ri and the unborn baby. Now, I've set my functions to fight and kill. That is all.

Shuyo's first mistake was messing with the king. And his second will be assuming that I'll give him another chance.

I tightened my fist. "If he and I cross paths… I'll rip out his entrails and hang him by them."

I swung open the door. "Raven. Cordelia."

"Of course, milord." And with that, I left the room with both Raven and Cordelia in tow.

We had decided to wait until nighttime before we'd enact our plan. Well, sort of. Most of the time we were waiting was actually allocated towards packing up all of what we could possible before moving out. In a literal sense. Raven pointed out that it would have been a good course of action to pack our belongings to take with us in the event that when we defeated Shuyo as well as save Say'ri, I could reclaim what my family had lost many years ago. In the dead of night, the redheaded knight of Ylisse and my retainer had finally gotten prepared for the trip, which I honestly did question a little, but ultimately overlooked it. Sure, it was only Cordelia, Raven and I, but surely it was nothing the three of us couldn't handle.

Cordelia had her usual armour on, and from what I could tell by glancing at her, she felt a sense of nostalgia and familiarity, and to an extent, I could relate. Ylisse wasn't really brewing with conflicts, so it's not like there was much need for battle gear as much as it used to. Diana-the name of her pegasus-gave a determined snort as the rider mounted the winged creature.

Meanwhile, I'd finally saddled up on my bear after so long, chomping at the bit to make the call to move out. A grin gradually forced its way onto my face as I thought about gutting that bald midget. Which is why I made sure that this time, I had Eternity at my belt. No longer was I going to leave anything to chance and I certainly was not going to make the same mistake twice. Not with so much on the line.

And finally, Raven hopped up onto Mei Ling behind me. My first suggestion was that he, ahem… "appropriate" one of the Ylissean cavalry horses often kept in the stables, but it more than likely would have gone poorly due to the guards who traipse around the premises twenty-four seven, as Raven made sure to let me know. "Ready to advance, milord? It's your call."

"As long as you guys are both ready," I began before perking up in mock realization. "Oh, how rude of me. I meant to say "as long as you guys are ALL ready"."

I turned my head back towards the front gates. "Isn't that right, Olivia?"

A timid little "eep!" echoed from behind a tree, alerting the other two to her presence. Sure enough, the rose-haired dancer slowly emerged from her wooden hiding spot and walked up towards our small group. I noticed how intently she was trying not to make eye contact with Raven, albeit failing a number of times over as she chanced a few brief glances at the swordsman. "H-how long did you know I was following you all?"

I chuckled softly. "Well, you're rather light on your feet, there wasn't any way that I would have heard you coming. But your vibrantly coloured hair, on the other hand, not so good for stealth."

The dancer stroked her flowing pink locks sheepishly, trying to make the best of the awkward situation she thought she put herself into. What I also managed to pick up on was the sword the petite woman had on her hip, sheathed in leather casing. "I see you come packing heat, huh? Care to explain?"

"U-um… well…" Olivia clenched her eyes shut as she tried to muster the right amount of courage needed for her answer. It hadn't been too long, but the long she held back her tongue, it seemed the deeper her face would go in shades of red. How she managed to pull off the look of a tomato so flawlessly was beyond me, any guess would be as good as mine. Then, eventually she reached the point of no return, her words coming out in a rush of strung together sounds, "Iwanttogowithyouplease!" she barked.

"O~kay," I began. "Now would you like to repeat that, this time a little slower?"

The pinkette's shoulders shrunk a little. "I… I would like, um… I'd like to go with you three, if that's okay with you."

"Well…"

Her fingertips tapped against each other idly. "It's just that… I-I didn't really get to do much ever since the expedition months ago… a-and I still feel like my technique could use a little bit of work…"

Yet another devious grin crept upon my face, which immediately made Cordelia facepalm in prediction of what I was going to do.

She would be right in doing so.

"...you just want to spend more time around Raven, don't you?"

At that moment, Olivia would have been credited for inventing a new level of red, dwarfing Cordelia's hair in hue, among other fiery-coloured things; at least her face would have, anyway. The dancer flailed her hands around frantically and stumbled over her words at a level that rivalled Sumia. "N-n-n-no, it's not l-l-like that at all! I just want to b-better myself! B-but that's not to say I dislike your company, Raven! I-I just… I mean, I don't… oh fiddlesticks…"

"Come on, dear, stop teasing the girl, would you?" Cordelia sighed. "Playing with her shyness like that, shame on you."

"Ah, come on, Cherry," I retorted with a chuckle. "We're going on a long trip, can't I have my fun?"

"Not when you're attacking my sweet little Olive Oyl," she cooed in a playful manner.

"Olive O-" I sighed after a moment of confusion. How did she make a reference that not even I recognized at first notice? It also didn't help that Cordelia wasn't the first and worst offender. No, that honour belonged to Chrom.

"T-thank you, Cordelia… I guess…" Olivia stammered.

"So, are you sure you are prepared for this, Olivia?" Raven questioned. "This is by no means an easy trek. Our four-man group is faced with the threat of a number of dangerous foes, at its BEST case scenario. Are you sure that you are willing to press forward?"

The meek dancer gave a solid nod of certainty with a grunt of acceptance, the irony of which was not lost on myself and the other two present. At this answer, Raven responded with a smile of his own. "Very well then," Raven nodded as he turned his gaze back to facing forward. "Now then, milord-"

"Yeah, I figured it'd be best if I joined Cordelia for this one," I said with a cheeky smile as I hopped onto the horse right behind my fiancée. "I have a good eye in the sky so I think I'd be able to help out Cherry here when it comes to surveillance."

"Uh, Eric, I'm pretty sure I can-"

"Quiet!" I whispered harshly as I nudged the redhead's side. "Don't you need the help?"

"Yes I do," she ground out. "It's nice to get help, things like this can be a pain in the neck." Ignoring that last part aimed at me, I took hold of Cordelia's waist while Olivia made sure to get on the bear behind Raven. "Now then, off we go, shall we?"

"Have you situated yourself, Olivia?" the swordsman asked, receiving a sound of confirmation from the pinkette. With a flap of wings and a guttural roar from Mei Ling, the four of us took off.

It wouldn't be long before we reach well over the treeline of the nearby woods in altitude, the roaring of wind a constant in my ears. Being behind a lady like Cordelia was both a lovely thing, yet annoying in this case. Because while her tantalizing scent enveloped my senses, it also happened to come in the medium of whiplike hair at the mercy of the winds they were subject to.

The head that said hair belonged to turned back. "So where is it that we are going?"

"You know the desert in southeastern Ylisse?"

Cordelia nodded. "Aye. the Talys desert, the only one our nation houses. But why there?"

"When Raven came here to find me, that was the path he took in order to do so, or at least that's what I know from what he told me," I answered. "He said it was the easiest point of access Ylisse has to our country. If that's so… then it's possible that it's that location our targets are approaching."

"It's almost completely eastward of Ylisstol, so why on earth are we heading south?" she questioned.

I tightened my grip around the knight's waist. "Because there's a smaller town up ahead just a little over two hours away. We need to stock up on a good amount of supplies, and we spent the better end of our nighttime getting what little we could ready. We could use the rest."

"Any inns?" she responded.

"Just one if I recall. Though it's rather late as is, so I'm not entirely sure if they'll take us in. Fingers crossed."

A couple of condescending clicks came to pass. "Grossly unprepared."

"Can't prepare for everything, Cherry."

"Fair enough." After a somewhat bearable trip which moved along smoothly due to idle chatter, we finally made it to our first given destination: a quaint little town built around a single crossroads, decorated with a large beacon of a sign with an arrow pointing towards each direction, with a noteworthy landmark or destination labelling each direction. The place had a little bit of an old west feel, and it was so small that a long enough walk would be enough to pass right through it. The particular inn that we entered was built of of a simple wooden and stone build, a modest two-storey structure with each having perhaps five or six rooms on the second floor.

Once we were able to keep our mounts stationary outside of the place, we all entered to check in. At the front counter waiting was a rather bored looking man leaning his head against his palm. Couldn't blame him so much, it was rather late and graveyard shift is a rather bothersome shift at that. That said, we were rather tired too.

"Excuse me, sir," I began, trying to get his attention. "Could you get us two rooms; one for the ladies here and one for us?" After gesturing for both Raven and I, the man immediately sobered up from his half-asleep stupor. Receiving a tilted head and look of confusion that ultimately led to a lackadaisical shrug. Turning our back to us, he reached for two keys that each had a numbered tag; the key handed to me was labeled with a "5", while the girls' room key was labeled "3".

"Thank you, we can find the rooms ourselves." I reach into my wallet, placing three gold coins onto the counter for the man to greedily swipe up, muttering something about being rich as we head to our rooms to retire for the night.

Needless to say, my sleep was less than comfortable. Not by lack of comfortable bedding, what I slept on was actually fairly soft. No, it was simply because I couldn't sleep. Eh, some nights are a hit, others are a miss. It also didn't help that the safety of the Chon'sinese princess weighed on my mind quite a bit, so it ended up resulting in a four-hour nap at best, waking up at the crack of dawn.

Oh well, I was up now.

I pushed myself up to a seated position in my own bed, fatigue only slightly weighing on my consciousness. I rubbed my eyes free of the sleep with a tired yawn before stretching out my body, getting it a bit more limber. With a sigh, I looked around the room, only to find Raven's bed completely empty. Where exactly could he have gone, I wondered? The markets weren't opened yet. Hmm, perhaps he had embarked on an early morning walk? He certainly enjoyed the frequent lonely walk, a sentiment I could definitely relate to.

The simultaneous click of a knob and slam of a door reverberated throughout the room to let me know the Pandorian swordsman had returned from his early morning stroll. If any time was good enough to discuss our next approach now would be a good time.

Wait. Something isn't right. Last time I remember, I had rented this room for myself and Raven. And the only females I had accompanying me were of vibrantly coloured hair, red and pink respectively. So why was there a dark haired woman drying her hair with a drying towel?

And more importantly, why was she topless?!

"La la la~" The woman, eyes closed, seemed to be completely unaware of my presence, else she'd have probably screamed at the top of her lungs. And by no means was I the type to cheat… but in all honesty, just because I wasn't able to order off of the menu doesn't mean I could look it over. Briefly, mind you. As human as I may be, I still had a level of dignity and self-control. At least enough to avert my eyes after a split second of letting my eyes wander.

"Ahem!" I choked out, causing the woman to jump out of her skin. "I'm sorry, my lady, but you have the wrong room. This is my room whom I am sharing with my right-hand man."

The woman, having finally turned to make eye contact with me, froze in spot, her face quickly transforming from its original porcelain to a beet red. Gradually, her soft whimpers grew louder and louder, the embarrassment evident on her face. Then it hit her. She was naked from the waist up.

"Gaaah!" Frantically, she covered her chest with one arm while the other went for her shirt she had on a nearby chair. "H-h-how much did you see?"

Not wanting to make it any more awkward, I clasped a hand over my eyes. "Er, not much, fortunately. Um, well, that's not to say you don't have anything, you're fairly well-endowed, but, uh… I mean…" By Naga, I'm making things even worse. "Look, I really don't think you should be here right now, my friend will be back at any moment now."

"Aw, how benevolent of you, milord," she smiled awkwardly. "To grant me such a title. I am blessed."

"Ri-" Hold up. Hold the hell up. I know that smooth, sweet tone anywhere. That sound in the voice that conveyed only the most powerful sense of loyalty.

That meant… oh. Oh gods. Holy crap.

"No… no, you can't be…" I sputtered out hopelessly, unable to process and accept what the logical answer was. "That can't be you… is it, Raven?!"

A sheepish laugh preceded a lilting voice. "Haha, I supposed the cat's out of the bag."

I turned my gaze away from the dark-haired man-erm, WOMAN who was changing in my presence. It wasn't the first time I'd ever seen a woman naked, obviously, but to know that previously, I had always known said woman to be a man… it kind of shook me up, this revelation. Although, in my eyes, the fact that she was a woman with such an impressive resume in kicking ass made her all the more badass. And more terrifying.

I heard a tear in cloth, which I would later figure out to be binding wraps used to hold back her breasts. "It's okay now, I'm covered up." Turning to make eye contact with her again, I saw that she was indeed covered across her chest with bandaging. Having my attention now, she took a seat on the other bed in seiza position. Hers was an expression of apprehension reflecting her uncertainty of my response, garnished with a pink tinge of shame and mortification across her cheeks. She couldn't help but stare directly at the floor, trying to figure a way to address the matter in a good way.

Breaking the ice, my curiosity had gotten the better of me and led the charge in this conversation. "So… why exactly did you masquerade as a male?"

Raven fidgeted with a lock of hair behind her ear. "I wish not to discuss the full extent of it all, but one such large part is due to my position. It may not seem so right now, but in Pandora, I hold the position to lead the entire army of our nation."

A blush slowly crept from ear to ear on her face. "It would not do for their commander to take a wife. Especially if said commander is a woman herself."

Oh. I hadn't the slightest clue how to absorb this given information. It certainly caught me off guard to say the least, but not necessarily the most surprising bit of info I've come across in my lifetime. My brow scrunched at that statement, however. She wasn't wrong. From what I could remember, I don't recall any female warrior taking the lead role as Commander in Pandora's armies. Let alone a homosexual one at that. In fact, I don't remember a woman shaking up tradition at all, bar my mother. "So I suppose moving about as a man was another way of coping with your sexual preference."

Her eyes fell to the side. "Well, not so much coping as opposed to a more permanent solution, so to speak. I was, as far as physiology goes, male at a time. One such colleague of mine was able to provide me the resource needed so I didn't revert back to my true feminine self."

"Magic spell in the form of a potion or consumable, got it," I surmised. "And when did you run short of this resource? I assume that was the case, else you wouldn't be resorting to chest binds."

"Around the time we'd left Chon'sin," she answered. "I say that my colleague has done quite the job keeping my ruse covered well."

I scratched my head absently. Her head fell in front of her knees. "Milord, my deepest apologies for my deception! I only wish I could have told you soon-"

"It's fine."

Raven's head rose back up. "M-milord, I-"

"I said it's fine," I repeated. "I know how you are. And I know that if there was anything you kept from telling me, you have your given reasons for doing so. I'm not mad."

A moment of silence was born before Raven let out a cross between a scoff and a chuckle, shaking her head. "You know, for who is supposed to be an all-powerful ruler, you certainly don't act the part. Most men with half your power would be corrupt."

"I've come to realize that respect comes first," I sighed. "Powerful or not, we're all humans first and foremost. Everyone deserves that initial respect, and if they sully that, that's their problem."

My sagely expression switched to a deviant one. "My only concern is for Olivia, the poor thing."

"What is the matter with her?" Raven snapped to attention. "Is she alright?"

I realized what I said; more specifically, how this could potentially go all to hell for the two. "Uh… she's fine. But that's besides the point. I just figured that you would have at least confessed to the dancer before having your cover blown."

Raven's eyes widened. "C-confessed?! What are you-"

"Oh, you think I don't know about you and Olivia? Please, the day I came back from Chon'sin, I could tell you were taken by her," I told her. "I don't blame you, she's a cutie. You should totally jump on that."

Opting not to try and deny the truthful accusation, Raven gave a solemn sigh. The dark haired woman's eyes began to glisten with moisture. "If only I could, milord."

"I don't see why not," I replied. "If I am not to assume anything, she has a special place in your heart. And clearly, she's interested in you."

A somber smile graces Raven's features, as if to tell me that despite learning of her now reciprocated feelings, rather than being something to rejoice over, it only served to twist the proverbial blade even deeper into her gut. "Be that as it may… Her attraction was toward Raven, the swordsman who acted as knight to his king. And that's not who I am."

"In all honesty, Raven, it doesn't make much a difference. So you're a woman. Considering you looked basically the same sans mammaries, I'm adamant her feelings won't change," I spoke back.

Raven ran both hands through her long hair, a deep exhale accompanying this action. "I suppose it's something I must approach at some point or another. But right now isn't the time. First, we must continue on with our journey."

She got off the bed and righted herself onto her own two feet, patting out her thighs. "I'll make the necessary rounds for our required supplies. In the meantime, perhaps you could wake up the ladies in the other room."

"Sounds good." Raven bowed as she most often does before she slipped on the top of her uniform. As the door creaked open, I called out to the swordswoman, who turned her head in attention. "Yes milord?"

"You may see yourself as my assistant, but… You're still a person. A person who can't do everything alone." I held out my hand with a smile, more so for effect than for her to take. "As your king… I demand that should you be plagued with something on your mind, you must confide in someone. Someone, if not myself. Are we clear?"

Finally, after so long, Raven beamed one of her bright smiles. "O-of course, milord. Far be it from me to disappoint my king."

I turn my back to her for me to get fully dressed. "I'm glad to hear that."

After some time of provisional collection between the four of us, we changed direction on our trail, heading east to the Talys Desert. The remainder of the day had been a rather tight-lipped one, or at least for Raven and Olivia, it had been. While the redheaded knight and I resumed our travels as usual, exchanging words all throughout the day, the other two had been oddly taciturn. The tension was very well palpable between the swordswoman and the dancer, not due to any of the latter's efforts, mind you. Raven, since I had found out about her secret, had been very closed off and distant from Olivia, and at almost every turn she would push away the pinkette whenever any social interaction would be made. Cordelia, obviously taking note of this shift in dynamic, shot a number of glares at me as if to tell me "what the hell did you do", which was not the kind of attention I was willing to undergo from the fiery redhead.

The next few days of travel had also been rather uneventful; however, the anticipation of catching the crooks only grew in intensity as plain and grassland slowly changed to sand and desert. Obviously, this is not the full extent of the trip; the coast is where we needed to approach. At this point, it had been only sandy terrain, which made Raven and Olivia's travel on their grounded mount a little more strenuous. Still, despite this, we made it to the coastline, finally able to take some sort of rest from crossing a exorbitant distance. Watching the waves roll up against the shore smoothly gave off an essence of calming and serenity, aiding to our relaxation. Ironic, considering the risky nature of the rescue squad's mission at hand.

"So this is our destination, eh?" I look around the area. It was rather… bland. Not a single detail that particularly stood out. Sand upon sand upon sand. Wait, there's… nope. Still sand. "Are we there yet?"

"Not quite." Raven hopped off of the bear, drawing her blade. Slowly, she approached me, holding the blade in a tender manner. "Milord, if you would."

"If you would?"

"Indeed." She pushed her sword up towards me, as if presenting the weapon. "I need a sample of flesh or blood in order for this to work, and what better proof than royal blood?"

I gave a shrug of acceptance, it made perfect sense. So without hesitation, I dragged my hand across the metal presented to me, staining the white blade with my blood. The Pandorian knight gave a hum of approval before walking past me towards the coast. Suspense loomed heavily over us and our surroundings as Raven stood in front of the shoreline. Setting aside the apprehension, she brought the sword out in front of her above her head, patiently waiting for an effect to take place. And surely enough, a reaction took place.

The blade, namely the blood on it, began to glow a pale blue light, transforming in colour as well. Shining as vividly as possible, the substance fizzled with a sharp hiss before evaporating. And lastly, what had evaporated into the air had caused the nearby air to distort and ripple. While Cordelia and Olivia stared in awe and curiosity at the effect, Raven had nothing but shock in her eyes.

The swordswoman sheathed her blade in an urgent fashion. "Lady Cordelia, take to the skies and patrol the coastline immediately."

The redhead followed the request unquestioned and took off. Olivia, watching the winged horse fly off, scrunched her face up in confusion. "Raven? What's wrong? Did… did it work?"

"No," she replied. "We have company."

That instantly caught my attention. "Company? You mean…"

Raven nodded firmly. "Indeed. We've found them."

Narrator PoV

"Got coinage!" Onyx cheered. "And you know it! Take it out your pouch, and show it then throw it..."

Mikalus pinched the bridge of his nose. For the love of Naga, out of the many years he had been partnered up with his rather extroverted colleague here, it had only been the last week hence that he had actually wanted to rip out the shorter man's tongue, or punch the man's teeth down his throat. Honestly, it would have granted him some level of therapy if his friend would just shut up. Don't get him wrong, he celebrated having gotten paid like any other normal person would. "Normal" being the operative word. That said, the eccentricity of his partner was just maddening.

"Onyx?" he groaned. "Shut the hell up."

"Come on, man, don't you like to celebrate getting a fat coin purse?" the shorter man asked in response.

Mikalus shook his head. "Not for nearly three days on end. Speaking so liberally about your cash like that will get you robbed. Also, we still have to collect on our job."

In both genuine and sarcastic confusion, Onyx looks about his surroundings. "Oh yes, because there are so many people around to rob me."

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Barren or populated, just… just shut up." After silencing his partner, Mikalus cut his own hand with a dagger, drawing a line of blood across his palm. He raised the weapon up to shoulder level and thrust it forward in the space in front of him. Treating it like a sort of key, he twisted it in spot, causing the air around it to ripple yet again. This time, however, the surrounding air continued to undulate for a considerable period until the space bent into the form of an arching gate with double stone doors. The structure pulsated with a weighty and powerful force, illuminating it in a hue of ocean blue.

"Awesome," Onyx gaped awestruck as Mikalus put away his knife. "Never get tired of that."

"I will admit, it is quite a sight," the blonde sighed.

An uncharacteristically pensive stare suddenly plastered itself on the shorter, usually lax sellsword. "Mikalus-"

"Mike," Mikalus corrected.

"Mike," Onyx repeated, placing a hand on the aforementioned's shoulder. "I've been thinking about something."

"Oh, you use your brain to think?" Mikalus quipped. "About what, pray tell?"

"You sure you don't want me to go collect our coin alone?" Onyx asked. "Even though it's on business… you're not exactly welcome there."

Mikalus couldn't help but exercise a rather wistful grimace. It was true; neither him, nor his sister were welcome back to Pandora as a citizen, and it had been that way for many moons. He had to come to a choice: either banishment or death. If it were only himself, he would have fought to his death. His pride as a Pandorian warrior wouldn't allow him to take the coward's way out. But for his kin, he'd swallow it with a grisly smile, and so he evacuated himself and his sister to safety. Not long after, she became very ill, blindsiding the young man greatly. He had worked himself to the bone, finding whatever employment he could in the pursuit of treating her of her sickness. Many nights he had gone without food… water… comfort. All so she could get better, so he could spin her around and see her beam at him once more as the picture of health.

And what did it all amount to? He was now working day to day, spilling the blood of others just for some pocket change, doing whatever possible to sustain himself. It was very rare that he ever even cracked a smile nowadays. The old Mike-the one who had never been seen with donning a smile-he was dead. Gods, Mikalus knew, she was turning in her grave.

"You already know my answer, Onyx," the blonde huffed. "I'm grateful for your consideration, but this is something I have to handle. No one else can."

He shook his head. "This will be my last assignment underneath that bald bastard."

"I'm sure it will be."

The two mercenaries whipped their heads a full 180 in response to the new third voice, and no later than that particular action, down came a man from the sky, parting the sand in his landing. It was Eric.

"Hello there you two," the young king greeted as his entourage pulled up next to him. "I was just strolling along and minding my own business when I suddenly came across the two of you, and a door that appeared out of nowhere." The Pandorian royal had a grin of maniacal grin and subdued anger just waiting to be unleashed on the poor saps. "Anyway, I was simply looking for a woman, unsure if you know her. Chon'sinese, chestnut hair, brown eyes, mother of my unborn child. Have you seen her around?"

Mikalus was having trouble forming an answer in his head, mainly due to paralysis out of sheer fear and terror for his life. However, if that wasn't terrible enough, Onyx exhibited the same feeling tenfold. Hell, he had actually pissed himself scared, if the dark spot spreading outward from his groin was any indication. Both of them recognized who it was they were dealing with and their eyes widened to sizes that dinner plates couldn't begin to compete with once they fully realized the weight of what it is they just committed to. Out of all of the jumbled thoughts running laps in their heads, both Onyx and Mikalus were able to come to a conclusion on a near telepathic level.

They just kidnapped and pawned off the pregnant baby mother of the Prince of War himself.

Mikalus was the first to spit out what could even be considered speech. "U-u-uh, I, um… well, you see here-" he managed to squawk out before he had a blade aimed at his face, literally inches away from piercing his skin.

Eric's grin fell to a frown of crippling, fear-mongering hatred. "You have five seconds to tell me where she is before I feed your carcass to the sea life."

"N-n-n-no! I-I don't have her with me!" Mikalus quickly stuttered. "S-she's been taken back to Pandora!"

"Back?" he questioned. "So you're from there?"

Looking to Onyx for support, Mikalus had deemed it a lost cause when the shorter mercenary had fainted on the spot with a single glare from Eric. "Yes, I am! That's the only reason this gate opened, my blood as a Pandorian is tied to it!"

The royal scoffed at the answer given as he lowered his blade, at least he was making this easy. "Thank you for letting me know everything I need."

Mikalus, now feeling like he was in the clear, managed to overcome his fear as he was able to take in a good look of Eric's features. One thing in particular that caught his attention was what was on Eric's forehead; the all too familiar triangular sigil adorned with crescents. As a result, the previous fear he was crippled by had been replaced by a feeling he had not come across in years.

Hope. Glee.

Hope that now he could finally seek the recompense he had sought for ever since he had lost everything due to the tyrant. And glee because he now had the means to help him do it.

Mikalus had shed a single tear, overcome with emotion. His face lit up like a Christmas tree, and as if it was a foreign concept to him, Mikalus cracked a smile with a clear hesitance, though it wasn't a terrible feeling.

"My lord…" Without a question or warning, the blonde merc dropped to his knees, hanging his head in what Eric figured had to be surprise; surprise of finally registering who he was talking to. "Thank you… thank you… so much…"

"Ughh…" The groggy groans of Onyx attracted the onlookers' attention. "Urm, Mike, uh, what's-Gaaah!"

"Quiet!" Mikalus growled as he pushed Onyx's face down into the sand, forcing him to bow. "This is the king! Show some respect!"

"What, he's not my king. I'm from Ferox."

Eric, meanwhile, had sighed sheepishly, trying to figure out what was going on. "Um… hey? What's going on? Also, you can get up, I don't expect you to bow before me."

Despite the protests, however, Mikalus never relented, even when Onyx did. "Lord Pandora…" he began, his voice now trembling slightly. "As you could already guess… yes. It was the both of us who aided in the kidnap of the Chon'sinese woman you know of."

Onyx kept throwing out signals to Eric silently, gesturing that he himself had no part in it, which the royal simply ignored. "However, we knew not why we did so. We only followed what was part of our contract."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "If that was the case, then why are you going back to Pandora?"

"We have yet to actually collect our bounty," Onyx chipped in. "The boss said he couldn't necessarily take out of the squadron's logistical funds, so he would provide us our reward once we got there, where he would have access to the full treasury."

"As I said before to my colleague here, this would be my last assignment underneath that blasted man," Mikalus said. "The only reason I even bothered to serve him was because it was an income. The contracts I was charged with were questionable at times, but this one crossed the line. I refuse to sell my soul or sword to someone so vile any longer. Especially when he has not an ounce of royal blood in him."

Mikalus bit back his more bitter feelings. "And then you came along. Lord Pandora… I expect no forgiveness for committing such a crime against you, and I accept any punishment you deem fit. However, I have been beneath his boot for far too long, I have lost everything to him: my sanity, my free will, my home… my sister. Shuyo… he is tearing apart everything our nation used to be, and I don't stand a chance on my own... You are the only one who can reverse the damage… so please, I beg of you…" Tears now flowed freely down Mikalus's face. "Please aid me in overthrowing Pandora's tyrant!"

Soft, yet harsh sobs could be heard throughout the vicinity; it was really the only sound that kept the area from complete silence. Even Onyx, the self-proclaimed merc with a mouth, had no words as he looked on at his partner, grovelling at the feet of another. The silence dragged on for a little bit until eventually, Eric put another crack in the ice. "So, I guess we're in business then."

Mikalus, a little stunned at that particular answer, rose his head and wiped the tears. "What?"

"We both have a common goal. You want your revenge against the bald fuck. I want my throne and my family back. Both happen to be accomplished by killing the same person," the prince grinned. "You need my help to take him on. I need the boat you used to get there. It seems pretty simple to me. You prove yourself stalwart in this task, and perhaps I may consider giving you far more than that cue ball ever could."

"Like a wage increase?" Onyx asked, hopeful.

"Don't push it," Mikalus and Eric responded, earning a fit of giggles from the girls. The prince offered his hand to the orchid mercenary. "Deal?"

Re-invigorated with a new purpose and goal, Mikalus decided that this would be it. This would be where he would toss aside all of his past grievances, his suffering, his agony… and walk into the next era anew. "Deal," he accepted confidently, taking the hand.

"Good." A clunking hand gestured to the doors. "After you, good sir."

The blonde sheepishly jumped. "O-Oh, right."

"Oi!" another voice called from atop a sand dune behind the gang. "Good thing we caught you just in time! Wouldn't want to be left behind. Trust me, you're going to need all the help you can get."

The Pandorian prince flashed a crooked grin. "I see you're late as always. Nonetheless, it's good to have you in attendance… Chrom."

FD: And we are done! I'm glad that we're finally getting into the good stuff, the meat of the SRA!

Tychon: SRA, Draco?

Lancer: The Say'ri Retrieval Arc!

Tychon: O-oh. Aye, right. B-but what happened to the biweekly schedule? I'm certain everyone was expecting!

FD: I don't think I mentioned any schedule. In fact, I think it was you who did so.

Tychon: Oh right. Yes, I did again. Gomen.

FD: Not to worry, my friend, I'm in a really good mood today! But now we have an interesting turn of events! As the Retrieval Squad get closer and closer to their destination, they meet a travelling duo by the names of Onyx and Mikalus. Now, they are merely a single step away from the point of no return, the only options being success or death. But there still remains some unanswered questions! What is it that Shuyo is planning with our prince's partner and child? What dangers lie ahead for our brave soldiers? Will FD stop narrating in his author's notes just to fulfil his word count quota? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z! ...wait, shit, wrong series.

Tychon/Lancer: Draco-baka...