Author's Notes:

StellarLupine- Thank you! Not getting more Almyra content in Hopes was definitely a missed opportunity, though it also made it much easier for me to adhere to canon!

Guest- Thank you for the review! It's always nice to see new faces.

Chapter 48


Day 16 of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180


"No!" Dimitri shrieked as he jumped awake and fell out of bed. He squeezed his temples from exhaustion.

Father… stepmother… Glenn…

"I'm so sorry, everyone," he muttered.

Dimitri needed to clear his mind of the horrific images in his dream before he could fall sleep again, so he donned some casual clothes and left for a walk. Hopefully Dedue had not heard the thud on his ceiling from Dimitri's tumble. He did not want Dedue worrying about that sort of thing.

It was shortly after one in the morning when Dimitri slinked down the stairs. He first strolled to the fishing pond to listen to the steady sound of water pouring from the aqueduct. He closed his eyes and basked in the calm winds.

It was all very peaceful until Dimitri heard sudden laughter springing from the dining hall. Curious about its origin and wondering if interaction with the living would help clear his head, Dimitri climbed the stairs to investigate. A single candle burned at a dining table where two knights sat over drinks. One of them was Jeralt Eisner, Captain of the Knights of Seiros. The other was Catherine, or Cassandra Charon as Dimitri still remembered her better by.

Dimitri worried it might be a bad idea to interrupt, but as he started to back away from the doorway, Catherine called out, "Well, if it isn't the prince still awake! Get over here, Your Highness!"

He reluctantly slipped into a chair next to Catherine and told Jeralt, "I apologize, captain. I did not mean to intrude."

"No, don't worry about. There's nothing important going on here. Just two colleagues talking," Jeralt assured.

"Shamir is out on a mission alone, but at least I found a new drinking partner for now," Catherine added as she took another drink.

Dimitri was about to say something when he heard a crash and a squeak from the kitchen's pantry. He squinted and asked uneasily, "What was that noise?"

"Oh, that's just that girl Bernadetta. I try to pretend that I don't notice her whenever she sneaks in," Jeralt explained. "Anyways, what brings you here at this hour?"

Dimitri replied, "Ah, I was just having a bit of trouble sleeping. But it's worth suffering for a chance to speak with the Blade Breaker in private."

"Ha! I'd check my expectations if I were you. I'm sorry to say that most of the stories are exaggerated," Jeralt demurred.

"Even if so, you surely have many years of experience to draw from for lessons," Dimitri insisted.

The captain found this particularly amusing. "That's truer than you realize. But I know you're already a strong fighter, and it's not like I can explain much without actually going to the training grounds. That's probably not happening at this hour."

"Oh, come on, Captain! Throw the kid a bone already!" an obviously intoxicated Catherine requested in support of Dimitri.

"Alright, alright," Jeralt allowed. "Well, if I can't actually train you, maybe I can tell a story instead. There was this other mercenary group… who was their leader again… Berling? No… maybe Lothar? It doesn't matter. Anyways, a year or two ago they got hired to rescue the daughter of a minor noble from Adrestia that had been kidnapped and ransomed by bandits. Her father did the math, and hiring the mercenaries was a lot cheaper than paying the ransom. The job went terribly wrong, though. They thought they'd trapped the bandits at a separate location, but the girl was there with them. The bandits threatened to kill the prisoner unless the mercenaries dropped their weapons, so that's what they did. It was a costly mistake."

Dimitri frowned. "What was their alternative? To attack anyways and hope that the villains were bluffing?"

"That might have gone better, but it still wouldn't be the best option. The mercenaries should have just walked away from the battle and the job, weapons in hand. The abductors were never going to hurt the girl unless they felt truly threatened. They'd miss out on their payday, and they'd be marked as much higher priority targets for retribution. Instead, the mercenaries got themselves killed, and the girl's father ended up paying double the original ransom to get his daughter back."

"So, what is the lesson here?" a disturbed Dimitri inquired.

"You tell me. There's something to learn from both sides. Would you rather be the bandits or the mercenaries? The bandits were outmatched, but they sensed a weakness and exploited it. Maybe the mercenary captain had a daughter that looked similar or was haunted by the memory of another hostage that got killed. Either way, the mercenaries acted irrationally. Most people aren't dumb, but we're all a little unreasonable in our own ways. Even me."

"Like if something happened to Professor Byleth?" Dimitri guessed.

Jeralt nodded. "Yeah… worrying about the kid would probably be my greatest weakness. No point pretending otherwise. Getting too old and complacent would be the next. What about you, Catherine?"

"Ha!" Catherine exclaimed as she spun a finger around her mug. "This isn't really my area of expertise. I just do exactly what Lady Rhea asks. Worrying about anything else is a liability."

"Sounds like you're already taking the lesson to heart, actually," Jeralt mused. He turned back to Dimitri and said, "Your mind is just as important as your body in a fight. Try to learn what makes your opponent irrational, and always remember your own vulnerabilities. But don't worry, I won't make you answer what they are."

Dimitri could list more than a few. He was not privy to share, but he was exposed when Catherine suddenly laughed and pointed at him.

"Oh, I can think of one! Speaking from experience, an easy way to rile His Highness up is to just mistake him for a-."

"Let's stop right there," Dimitri interrupted with a groan.

"What? I thought you said you were over it!"

"I am, but that doesn't mean I want it to become the joke of the academy! I thought we had a deal, Cassandra…"

Catherine sighed. "Yeah, yeah… the deal, it slipped my mind. I don't tell the story, and you don't use that name. It's easy to forget these kinds of things at one in the morning."

"I'm… a bit lost," Jeralt admitted.

"Let's just say His Highness didn't always have this haircut and leave it at that," Catherine shared vaguely. She took another drink and told Dimitri, "You should go back to bed, anyways. Lady Rhea wouldn't want us polluting her students with alcohol and bad advice at this hour."

Dimitri allowed a smile as he stood, pretending not to notice Bernadetta as she froze in fear during her mistimed escape from the pantry. He told the knights, "It was good advice, actually. I'll… try to keep it mind. Goodnight to you both."


A Dream's Closing Breath - Day 21 of the Blue Sea Moon, Year 1187 (Fódlan Calendar)


It was a long-understood rule in Almyra- battles were not carried out in rainstorms.

There were many reasons why a wet environment was not desirable, but the issues surrounding the bow trumped all others.

The composite bow was ubiquitous in Almyran archery. It was light, fast, and worked perfectly for cavalry and wyvern archers. Formed from complex layers of materials laminated together with animal glue, the composite bow took time and skill to manufacture. It was a point of pride for Almyran artisans, especially compared to the simpler solid wood self bows favored by their rivals in Fódlan.

As far as the Almyrans were concerned, the only downside of the composite bow was moisture. Moisture would weaken the glue holding the bow together, and the whole thing risked coming apart if drawn while wet.

This was not normally an issue. Most of Almyra was very dry for the majority of the year, and any atypical weather would affect all parties in a conflict equally. Many garrisons kept some self bows for good measure, and the Tabarzin in particular had a vested interest in maintaining inventory for a theoretical invasion of humid Fódlan.

It was for this reason that Darius and his forces had no reason to question Khalid's claim that the battle would be delayed until the storm had passed. They were surely befuddled, then, when the opposing army began making movements just as the rain started.

Dimitri, Marianne, and Ariella immediately tracked down Demetrius after leaving Khalid behind in his tent.

"His Highness is doing fine, but we managed to convince him to sit this out. That means you're fully in command," Dimitri told the acting grand agha.

Demetrius nodded in acknowledgement. As the other commanders quickly assembled, he ordered, "Prince Khalid is incapacitated, but we are otherwise holding to the original plan without deviation. Retrieve the bows and take your places. I'll signal when it's time to engage."

Khalid's army had only carried around the traditional composite bows that day for show, but upon Demetrius's order, the replacement wagons from Khoy were opened up to reveal a cascade of self bows that were much better suited for the conditions. The bowstrings had even been treated with preservative wax to repel water.

As other archers traded out weapons, Marianne tested Failnaught's bowstring. She notched an arrow and loosed it at a nearby mound. She nearly fell over as the projectile launched and impeded itself deep into the dirt.

"W-wow!" Marianne yelped with surprise. "This is… going to take getting used to…"

Dimitri put a hand on her shoulder and assured, "Don't worry. It might take a few misses as practice, but you'll get your accuracy where it needs to be."

That was what Dimitri hoped, at least. Marianne surely knew the fundamental rules from her academy days, but she was probably not practiced enough to consistently predict wind and arc trajectories. Failnaught would help simplify the ballistics with its shear force, so hopefully that would be enough.

Dimitri kept Areadbhar rather than accept one of the new bows, as he would command at the frontlines. Senusret offered Farjad to serve as his retainer. Farjad was initially hesitant to accept any responsibility after failing to save his liege but eventually relented.

Ridwan would command the reinforcements behind Dimitri's vanguard. Mages such as Ariella and Theodora joined this company. Demetrius would do his best to oversee the entire battlefield alongside the archers at the rear. Communication would be handled solely with instruments since visibility was too poor for flags to be reliable. The cavalry division had no direct utility in the expected action, so most members were shifted to alternate roles while some were kept on standby to prevent any Tabarzin soldiers from escaping.

The citadel was surrounded by three lines of trenches and abatis that were spaced out far enough to keep cannon fire from reaching the main walls. The invading army had declined to bring heavy artillery since the soggy terrain would have provided a transportation nightmare, so some aspects of the design were superfluous. The defenses were otherwise well-built; however, Darius simply did not have enough soldiers to properly defend them. They would help slow down any advance, especially given the weather conditions, but anyone trying to hold the fortifications was depending on cover from the archers farther back.

Thanks to Khalid's scheme, that cover was severely compromised.

The confusion exhibited by the defenders shifted towards outright panic when their enemies' intentions became clear. Soldiers ran about the wall, perhaps begging for someone to find more appropriate bows. Unfortunately for them, the scorned self bows were tinder reduced to ashes. Some turned to cannons for salvation, but they were limited in quantity, range, and ammunition. The cannons also struggled with effectiveness in the rain.

"I know you'll want to cut straight through the gates without ever stopping, but try not to leave me behind out there," Farjad implored Dimitri as they readied at the vanguard.

Dimitri chuckled. "I promise to try, but it might be hard to keep track of you if the rain gets any worse."

"Listen for my voice, then. If you don't hear me panicking or calling for your help, you'll know I've either fallen behind or been killed." When Dimitri looked at him disapprovingly, Farjad assured, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Mostly."

A horn blew, and the army advanced in unison. Dimitri could only imagine the terror they instilled- angry silhouettes charging through the shower, led by the glow of a seemingly unstoppable lance. Most of the Tabarzin warriors were experienced, but they were still not truly accustomed to fights they had no excuse to run from.

The first soldier with whom Dimitri exchanged eye contact shook with fear, but she stood strong and kept an arrow notched. When her target neared the trench and she tried to draw the bowstring, however, the bow delaminated from the stress and snapped in her hands. She shook her head and jumped out to join many of the others withdrawing to the next defensive line.

While Dimitri and the rest of the vanguard cleared out the remaining warriors who refused to give up ground in the first trench, Senusret and Nousha led the wyvern corps to strafe the second set of fortifications. The new bows were less effective than what they were accustomed to, especially in the rain, but it was still a net advantage when Darius had essentially no answer to the threat. Most of the Tabarzin's wyvern forces had been wiped out at Merv, and what they had remaining focused on defending the citadel rather than risk engagement.

Suffering from minimal air defenses and facing imminent assault, the commanders on the second defensive line shouted orders for another withdraw. As they did, they scavenged as many wooden barriers and shields as they could and carried them back to reinforce the final trench. The enhanced defenses prioritized additional protection from aerial attacks and were reasonably effective, with the original trenchwork now largely hidden under a patchwork of wooden barriers raised only high enough to expose lances. Realizing that its aid had become limited, the allied wyvern corps shifted its focus to the citadel itself. This finally initiated aerial duels.

Dimitri and his companions struggled to traverse the increasingly thick mud, but they faced no martial resistance en route to the second trench. Dimitri knew, however, that the next advance would be far more dangerous. Since most of the defenders had survived to withdraw to the final defenses and because the circumference of the ditch was smaller to begin with, the density of enemy soldiers would be much higher than the previous two sets. It was a near-even matchup.

"This will be a tough nut to crack. It's going to take brute force, so I could use some cover," Dimitri said in Farjad's ear. His temporary retainer nodded and gathered several other soldiers bearing shields while Dimitri looked for a weak point in the fortifications.

Once Farjad assembled the needed warriors, Dimitri gave the order to slowly advance in unison. Their shields provided cover for Dimitri until he reached his targets. He first used Areadbhar to effortless slice through a set of abatis. After they crossed over the remains, he prepared his lance again for the trench itself. Several Tabarzin warriors tried to poke their lances in the gaps of the shield wall as it came within reach. One of them managed to find an opening, but its shaft was quickly split in half by Areadbhar. Realizing that they were about to be overwhelmed, the defenders scattered as Dimitri swung his Hero's Relic down and splintered the trench's roof.

The rest of the vanguard poured forward into the gap he created. Dimitri worked his way clockwise, opening up more breaches down the line for others to use. The strategy was working, but the fighting was not easy. Darius's warriors fought with skill and tenacity, and they were inflicting significant casualties. The combat grew uglier as the exposed trench started to fill with water and mud. Smooth combat devolved into a slow grind that eventually saw soldiers trying to drown their enemies in the puddles. The defenders had nowhere left to withdraw, and most chose death over surrender. They continued to resist even after someone managed to kill their commander, a Meteoran woman apparently named Nicasia.

Just why would the Tabarzin soldiers not surrender? Did they hate Khalid's bloodline that much? Or did they genuinely believe he was responsible for the war despite all evidence to the contrary?

By this time, the garrison within the citadel had introduced some adjustments to counter their dilemma with the composite bows. A few surviving self bows had been tracked down, many defenders on the wall pivoted to tossing javelins and other projectiles as their opponents came within range, and some people were setting up tarpaulins and other coverings to shield their composite bows from moisture.

Darius's countermeasures were being frustrated by Elamite archers that continued to hound them, however. Marianne and Failnaught had become a particularly dreaded duo. Dimitri watched several of her shots fly overhead earlier in the battle that sailed over the castle or plinked against its walls. By that time, however, Marianne was developing a grasp of the art. Her arrows seemed to launch in straight trajectories, quickly dispersing any gathered targets on the wall. She managed to hit someone arranging a roof for a gunner crew in the shoulder, toppling the entire apparatus. Before long, the soldiers posted atop the ramparts entirely gave up attacking the infantry outside in favor of holding off the wyvern corps.

Clearing the walls of hostiles relieved some of the pressure on Dimitri's company, but exhaustion was taking its toll. Dimitri feared he would have to circumnavigate the entire length of the works to clear it of remaining enemies, but Ridwan mercifully ordered his reinforcements forward to relieve the vanguard. Dimitri would have followed them anyway had the agha not put a hand on his shoulder.

"Get some rest, Dimitri. I know my soldiers are late to the action once again, but don't steal their moment altogether," Ridwan told him.

Dimitri reluctantly nodded as he leaned against the earthworks and tried to catch his breath.

As Farjad took a spot next to Dimitri, Ridwan asked the pair, "How are you holding up?"

"I believe I'm unharmed. My armor has done well," Dimitri grunted. He was fated to endure at least a couple bruises, but it was nothing to complain about.

"Happy to be alive, but exhausted. We all are," Farjad added.

Ridwan suggested as he held out a wineskin, "I've got some good drink if you want any."

Farjad laughed bitterly. "If I needed something to drink, I'd consume the volume of three wineskins just by looking up and opening my mouth for a few seconds. I'm too dirty at this point to care about the sanitation."

The influx of fresh and motivated troops helped clear the last of the outer defenses faster than Dimitri anticipated. Ridwan had held back the mages to focus on ranged attacks and healing those wounded earlier in the battle, but he beckoned them forward after receiving confirmation that the last Tabarzin warriors outside the wall had surrendered. Ariella and Theodora were quick to find the group. Demetrius similarly ordered a general advance for the archers since it was no longer possible to aim over the walls from a distance without endangering their own wyverns.

Khalid's plan called for the wyvern corps to bypass the bulwarks, secure the citadel grounds surrounding the gates, and force the entry open from the inside so the infantry could also breach the facility. However, Darius knew this vulnerability and threw everything available to hold it. The Tabarzin's final wyverns defended desperately despite the bow shortage, and there sounded to be plenty of soldiers on the ground as well.

The effort was consequently taking much longer than planned. Those outside the walls could do nothing but wait and listen to the battle on the other side. Sentiments of frustration and helplessness were rapidly proliferating.

The heavy downpour finally began to taper off some. As he looked up at the gates, Farjad asked Theodora, "Your fire magic still works in the rain, right?"

James's retainer shook her head. "You're thinking of damp wood catching fire in the Mikdash. This is drenched metal."

The gates to the citadel were made of wood during Dimitri's previous visit, but Darius had evidently replaced them with something resistant to magic-based fire. War was changing in Almyra, and the padishah was unfortunately willing to learn.

Theodora turned to Dimitri and recommended instead, "Should we have Ariella warp you inside?"

Dimitri dissuaded, "If our wyverns aren't landing, then that gate is swarming with Tabarzin warriors. It's too dangerous, even for me. Not to mention that Ella has already used the spell once today."

"Ten years ago I'd just try climbing the ramparts," Ridwan muttered. "Maybe we can look for a weak point? No one is up there to stop us."

"No one that we know of. We should trust the plan and wait," Dimitri told everyone. He was not going to get anyone killed again by being rash.

Patience seemed to have won the day, as the gates were finally forced open just before Demetrius and the archers caught up to the infantry. The situation within the citadel grounds was likely still precarious, however, so the soldiers outside were quick to move in and reinforce the position rather than wait. Dimitri was among them, but he faltered when he noticed that some of the wyvern riders overhead were trying to yell something. He could not understand them over the rain, but they were distinctly motioning for the people on the ground to stop.

Dimitri's attention returned to the entrance. A few members of the wyvern corps had dismounted, but they were now diving into the mud in preparation of something rather than welcoming their friends inside.

That was all Dimitri needed to see. He shouted, "Hold back, hold ba-."

It was too late. Aware that they would imminently lose the gates, Darius's own forces had opened them to stage a trap. Cannons were aimed at the entrance and prepared to fire, probably having been moved into position before the battle even began. Most of the Elamite soldiers were blissfully unprepared as the artillery unloaded canister shot at them.

Dimitri saved his own life by halting, but many soldiers in front of him were not as fortunate. The carnage was utterly horrifying. Blood sprayed into the air as mist. Some comrades instantly fell dead, while others had limbs shredded or outright torn from their sockets. Bones audibly shattered. One shot bounced off Areadbhar and glanced Dimitri's thigh, forcing him to fall onto one knee.

Most of Dimitri's closest friends were thankfully behind him and unharmed, but his gaze eventually fell on Ariella as he looked around. She was crawling away to safety, but a chunk of metal that appeared to be a piece of someone else's armor was lodged into her stomach. She left a trail of blood in her wake.

Dimitri's first instinct was to go to Ella's side; however, he had to do something about the cannons before the gunners could finish reloading. It was a cumbersome process, but they were efficient at their job. Dimitri had to press through shooting pain in his leg to stand, and it would be impossible to move at full speed. Almost no one in proximity was in better condition to stop them, though, so he had to try. It would likely be his final act.

Thankfully, Dimitri did not have to make the gamble, for the archers finally arrived at that moment. They immediately understood the situation and began to target the gunners. Some of the enemies were felled while the rest fled to cover. Marianne stood alongside the regular archers, wielding Failnaught with a speed and determination Dimitri had never seen from her. Several of her shots missed as she rushed through the motions, but she did not flinch or despair.

With the wall breached and the snare compromised, Darius's garrison made another strategic retreat. Their formation was split in two, with half of them withdrawing to the ancient palace while the rest made for the keep. As Demetrius reorganized the troops for the next push, Dimitri used the opportunity to grab Marianne and tell her, "Ella's hurt. Badly."

Marianne's eyes widened in distress as she followed Dimitri to where he last saw Ariella. They found her nearby, the armor fragment that impaled her stomach now resting in her stained open palm. Farjad was at her side cleaning blood from around the wound. The hemorrhage had been severe, but it seemed to have mostly ceased.

"I think I almost closed it. The Dékhomai's spell…" Ariella mumbled. Her eyes were barely open.

"She wouldn't have lasted this long without it," Farjad told the newcomers. "Can you help her, Marianne? Even if the blood loss is stemmed, I'm worried about internal damage."

Marianne vowed, "I-I'm not losing someone again, I promise! Now you two go finish this war!"

Dimitri nodded in agreement. After getting his wound bandaged, he and Farjad rejoined Demetrius and Ridwan. Darius's surviving warriors had fully retreated into the two main structures of the citadel, and the leading generals of Elam and Saba were still deliberating how to deploy their forces. The rain had now reduced to a drizzle, which made conversation much easier.

"I never saw Darius, but surely he's smart enough to not get cut off from his best defenses in the keep," Ridwan mused.

Demetrius replied, "Probably. I want to finish this as cleanly as possible. The soldiers defending the palace are much more vulnerable, but I'd rather force Darius into a surrender without massacring them."

"Why won't they just surrender now? They know they've lost. Ghalib really managed to drain the Tabarzin of all sense of reason," Ridwan complained with uncharacteristic annoyance.

"If I may…" Farjad interjected, "I agree that logic ought to tell them that they can't win, but they've still got to be scared and desperate in there. We've captured these cannons. Why not threaten to use them to bring the keep down? That might be enough to get them to act. I know we'd rather fight out here rather than in tight, unfamiliar hallways."

Dimitri agreed, "Farjad has a point. Youtab's team did the exact same thing in the Mikdash. I'd wager that Darius would rather die fighting than cowering."

Demetrius considered this for a few seconds and conceded to its wisdom. He said, "They might be too prideful to surrender, but they won't disobey their commander, either. We need Darius to give the order to lay down their weapons. I just don't know how likely that is."

"Darius hates Khalid, but he has not displayed a callous disregard for his soldiers' lives," Dimitri noted. "We have to try reasoning with him. And if that doesn't work, our next best chance of a quick surrender is capturing him early to demoralize what remains of his army."

Demetrius nodded. "You're right. If they attack, Darius must be our first priority. Dimitri, I want you and a team ready to find him. Take a position on the wall so you'll have a good vantage. Ridwan, you take another team closer to the palace in case he's sheltering there after all."

Dimitri followed the instructions of the interim grand agha, choosing Farjad, Theodora, and several other reliable soldiers to help him. They climbed a staircase to the abandoned wall walk and signaled that they were ready. When Ridwan did the same, Demetrius walked towards the keep as soldiers slowly wheeled the cannons to face the same direction and switched out canister shot for solid shot. Tabarzin soldiers were undoubtedly watching the scene unfold from the keep's balistrariae.

Demetrius announced loudly, "Now is the time to surrender, Darius. We've captured enough artillery to level every inch of this fortress given time. We're not going anywhere, and you've lost all ability to counter us. I promise that you and your troops will be treated fairly. The outcome is inevitable, so there's no reason to prolong this."

This speech was met with silence. To prove that he was not bluffing, Demetrius gave them thirty seconds to respond and then ordered the cannons to fire. The salvo mercilessly tore into the walls of the keep. Dimitri had no idea how much damage was inflicted inside, but the message was received. Before the gunners could begin to reload, Tabarzin warriors flooded out of the keep from every exit. Those hiding within the decrepit palace followed suit moments later. They had likely planned for a counterattack just as soon as they knew the lethal cannons were temporarily emptied.

Several of Dimitri's companions moved to defend the wall walk from the nearest aggressors while the rest searched the crowd for Darius. The fact that the soldiers within the keep acted first supported the hypothesis that the padishah handing out orders from there. They could only hope that Darius was brave enough to join his subordinates rather than cravenly await the outcome in safety inside…

"Right there!" Theodora shouted as she spotted Darius and pointed him out.

"Quickly, then!" Dimitri ordered after confirming the identification. His team followed him down the stairs and began to quickly cut their way towards the padishah. Everyone contributed, but Areadbhar was unmatched in its ability to clear a crowd. His wounded thigh was throbbing, but the injury meant nothing compared to victory.

When the Tabarzin soldiers realized what was happening, several retainers moved to defend Darius. Dimitri came to halt as he analyzed how to handle the group simultaneously. When he did, he heard Theodora preparing a summoning circle just over his shoulder.

Dimitri gasped. It was understandable why casting a spell would be her first impulse in the situation, but Darius was dangerously too close to the targets. It would have been difficult for Dimitri to save the padishah without diving into the attack's path.

Thankfully, Farjad was still behind Theodora, and he also perceived the upcoming tragedy. "You idiot!" he shouted as he tackled Theodora at full speed, cancelling the spell just in time.

Dimitri watched the scene a moment too long. One of Darius's retainers lunged at him while he was distracted, and his shoulder got sliced when he tried to dodge. He managed to push the man farther away with Areadbhar's shaft before impaling the foe, but handling the rest of the retainers would be difficult with the new injury.

Thankfully, Dimitri was not alone. His other comrades killed one of Darius's retainers, while the remainder were suddenly downed from overhead. Dimitri glanced up as the group of wyverns launched by. Amongst the faces he recognized Satiah and Nika, the woman who found him outside Metanoiapolis.

Darius did not panic or flee upon realizing that he was alone. With a grimace and a shout, he made a final lunge towards Dimitri either hoping to take advantage of Dimitri's injuries or simply out of spite for a retainer of Prince Khalid.

The duel was anticlimactic. Dimitri parried the first blow, and Darius was immediately disabled when one of Dimitri's allies tore into his leg. Dimitri ripped Darius's sword from him and pulled him up to his feet. Dimitri then held the sword to the padishah's neck and began to drag him away as a hostage. A few nearby Tabarzin soldiers looked ready to drop their weapons at the threat, but Darius shook his head. They instead backed away to fight elsewhere.

"Blow the horn, Darius. We both know it's over," Dimitri said into his prisoner's ear after observing the instrument around Darius's neck.

Darius hissed, "It's not over until Kha-."

"Khalid isn't even here, you damned fool! This isn't about him."

Darius remained silent. Khalid was better at persuasion, but Dimitri was not about to give up. He removed the sword from Darius's neck temporarily so he could point it at the crowd before them still engaged in a mortal brawl.

"This is all it's about," Dimitri cried. "The guilt of every life that falls in the next few minutes is on your head. Not because of Khalid, but because of your pride and your hesitation. So, come on, Darius! Do you really want more blood on your hands? Are you just going to watch, or will you end this?"

Dimitri knew how easily guilt could eat away at his own resolve, so hopefully the same was true for Darius. Even though Darius truly was responsible for driving his army to such absurd lengths, part of Dimitri still regretted making the accusation. The most important thing he could do, though, was save lives.

His words were finally starting to affect Darius. The padishah's trembling hand slowly reached for the horn. Finding the process too slow, Dimitri dropped Areadbhar so he could plant the instrument firmly into Darius's palm and force it to his mouth.

"Now, Darius!" he shouted.

The horn finally bellowed a four-note pattern, and the clash of steel quickly silenced. Tabarzin warriors turned to the origin of the noise. When Darius slowly nodded that it was his choice, weapons began to drop. Dimitri released Darius, who slumped to the ground with a vacant expression.

"You made the right choice. … I'm sorry," Dimitri muttered as he retrieved his lance.

People began to talk. Some eventually cheered and shared hugs.

The war was over.

It had been a vicious and bloody conflict, but in part thanks to all parties' willingness to engage in high-stakes pitched battles, it was years briefer than the war in Fódlan.

Farjad was the first to find Dimitri, and he nearly gave a hug before noticing his friend's injured shoulder.

"Look at us, finding a way to survive this thing! You were as great as ever today, Dimitri!" Farjad said with newfound enthusiasm.

Dimitri smiled as best as he could. "And you were quite effective as well. You're twice the warrior you think you are and just almost as smart as you'd like to believe."

"Ha! A joke from Dimitri! That's worth weathering a backhanded compliment to hear!" Farjad said as he put a hand around Dimitri's good shoulder before leaving to seek out Satiah.

Theodora was next to approach Dimitri. After overhearing the conversation, she told him, "Farjad certainly behaved smarter than me, though I'm not sure that says much. I'm sorry for endangering the entire operation."

Dimitri shook his head. "It happens to everyone. We'd be out here until the next sunrise if I listed out my mistakes and their consequences. Destroying their storerooms probably saved hundreds of lives, so don't get caught up over a mistake that didn't even play out."

Theodora bowed. "Thank you. I hope you can finally put your days of war behind you, Dimitri."

Demetrius and a group of appointed soldiers began to collect their enemies' weapons, but most people were free to celebrate. Dimitri first found a healer and told him to look at Darius's injury, though the man refused to leave before patching up Dimitri's thigh and shoulder. After that, Dimitri sought out Ariella. She was still in the same location, and Marianne had rejoined her after working on other wounded. Ariella looked tired, but her coloring had improved.

"Ella… you're looking better!" Dimitri said gratefully. "Did she fix you up completely?"

"Marianne was perfect," Ariella answered with a weak smile. "Still woozy from the blood loss, though. I promise that I'm happier than I look."

"Is the war really over?" Marianne asked Dimitri.

He replied, "In essence. The Tabarzin has small peacekeeping forces in some of its cities, but they'll surrender once they know Darius is captured."

"That's… good," Marianne said slowly as she fully sat down, looking barely more alert than Ariella. When Dimitri asked if she was drained from the healing spells, Marianne explained, "I pushed my body to the limit, but it's not just the magic. I could feel Failnaught drawing energy out of me."

Dimitri frowned disapprovingly. "Khalid told you to stop using it if it felt off."

"I know. But… people needed me." She also frowned as she added, "I would never have made it that far without my Crest."

"So… it would seem it's not much of a curse after all," Dimitri observed.

Marianne shook her head. "No… I suppose not."

The wyvern riders had landed, and Khalid's retainers were soon joined by Nousha. After learning of Ariella's injury and ensuring that she would be fine, Nousha apologized, "I'm so sorry about those cannons. Darius had them covered up right until they opened the gates. We didn't have time to warn you."

In a stroke of bad luck, the disguise had also protected the cannons from the rain. If it was anyone's fault, though, it was Dimitri's for encouraging everyone to wait for the gates to open instead of considering other-

No… he had to stop doing that to himself.

"Not your fault," Ella told Nousha gently.

Dimitri added, "I agree. You have nothing to apologize for, Nousha. There's no accounting for everything in war."

A few other friends passed by to see Ariella and congratulate everyone on the victory. Dimitri just tried to relax and appreciate the first few minutes of long-sought peace, but he was distracted when he saw someone approaching from outside the gates. It was Khalid, still bandaged but hiking across the battlefield with purpose. He had presumably heard enough to know that combat had concluded with a victory.

Dimitri walked out to meet him and inquired, "Khalid, what are you doing up? How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," Khalid brushed off. "Is everyone else?"

"Ariella was hurt badly, but she's doing better now. We took a lot of casualties late in the battle. Your friends are thankfully all alive, though. It would have been a lot worse without your plan."

Khalid winced upon hearing about Ariella, but he nodded. "And where is Darius? Did he survive?"

"Yes. We made sure of it."

"Good. Then I need to speak with him. It's time we have the truth."

Dimitri put a hand on Khalid's chest to slow him down and asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea? I understand where you are coming from, believe me. But our army is trying to celebrate right now. Interrogations can be saved for later. There's plenty of time for that."

"Maybe, maybe not. Darius is alive right now, but that could change. For example, what if one of the nobles or someone from Soraya's council has him assassinated to ensure I'll never get my name cleared?"

"I… suppose that's a fair concern," Dimitri relented. "Let's see what he is willing to say, but I'd still recommend not pushing him too hard right now."

Khalid stopped to check on Ariella and Marianne, but he was otherwise uninterested in celebration or conversation. He instead sought out Darius. Demetrius was gathering most of the prisoners of war in the court of the ancient palace for the time being, but their former leader was being kept separate. Darius sat alone on a staircase outside the keep with his arms shackled. He kept his gaze fixed on the ground and ignored the reveling, but he eventually looked up at the two men standing before him.

"… What do you want from me, Khalid? To listen to your gloating?" Darius asked.

Khalid corrected, "I want the truth. Did the mirza call the attack on the king's caravan? Did Ghalib try to kill my father?"

Darius squinted at him. "Why are you bothering with this? What do you hope to gain?"

"What do you hope to gain? The war is over, Darius. You're not going to lose any support by revealing the truth, because you have nothing left to lose. I know you didn't give the order personally, so I'd bet His Majesty will completely absolve you of the guilt. You'll only be held responsible for the war you waged after your father's death. Don't get me wrong- you won't be getting off free. But it's better than needlessly upholding a lie, right?"

"… Needlessly upholding a lie, huh?" Darius muttered.

It was obvious that Darius was nearing a breaking point. Khalid asked clearly, "Darius ibn Ghalib Al Hafeez… are you ready to confess?"

"You want my confession? Is that what this is all about? Fine! I'll give you my confession…" Darius paused as he struggled to expel the words. He finally whispered, "We did it. We killed your brother Shahid."

Khalid's expression had brightened with anticipation, but he looked just as confused as Dimitri when Darius actually spoke. People had been too busy celebrating to pay much attention to the conversation between Khalid and his cousin, but the exchange began to draw attention upon Darius's breakdown.

With the most difficult sentence uttered, Darius continued in a steady stream, "My father trained Shahid as a possible successor, but once he was confident that I had grown strong enough to be his true heir, he was ready for Shahid to be excised from the equation. Shahid always said that he'd lead an invasion of Fódlan just as soon as he found the right moment of opportunity. My father would offer Shahid some token support for the invasion, but he'd let the prince march to his doom. It would be a public tragedy that would eliminate a rival and malign Fódlan that much more."

"That invasion never happened," Dimitri noted.

Darius nodded. "The 'right moment of opportunity' Shahid was waiting for finally came. Through the merchant network in Derdriu and communication between Khalid and the royal court, we learned that Fódlan was embroiled in a grave civil war. Shahid had a two-step plan. First, he hired assassins to sneak into Fódlan and assassinate you, Khalid. Just as soon as he got news of your demise, Shahid planned on travelling to Istakhr to make an impassioned speech. He'd declare that Fódlan had to be punished for your death, that the war across the border gave Almyra a window of opportunity to strike back, and that he would lead the way. It would have been a message with broad appeal."

Khalid guessed, "Uncle Ghalib had Shahid killed because he was worried the invasion might actually succeed."

Darius confirmed, "We had always expected Shahid to act rashly, so my father was furious that a legitimate prospect fell onto your brother's lap. We still thought a full conquest was farfetched, but even moderate success would have made Shahid a hero and the favorite choice for an heir. We… my father… wouldn't allow that. He contacted one of Shahid's assassins before she left for Fódlan and paid her double the rate to reverse the target to her original employer. During a routine raid on the Throat, she found an opportunity to discreetly murder him and dump him into a ravine."

This story prompted chatter from the listening soldiers, who had grown exponentially in number. Almost the entire army was now gathered around other than the wounded, the healers, and the sentries guarding the prisoners of war. Someone up front asked, "So Prince Khalid is only alive because of Mirza Ghalib?"

Darius shrugged. "Maybe. A couple of assassins were already in Fódlan, so we couldn't call those ones off. I don't know if ours would have been any more successful, but it's true that my father didn't want Khalid to die. He was worried we'd be too obvious of suspects, and he correctly believed that Khalid's mission in Fódlan was going to be a disaster anyways. He preferred Khalid returning as an embarrassment rather than dead."

Clearing Khalid's name of accusations about Shahid's fate was a big step forward, but it was not enough. Dimitri pursued, "If you're willing to admit to that much, why not confess to the attempted regicide as well?"

"Did your prince really not tell you? He of course is responsible for that! He had the most to gain if the king died. Why would we kill His Majesty before he could make my father's succession official?" Darius spat.

Dimitri glimpsed towards Khalid, whose gaze stayed fixed on his cousin. Surprisingly, Khalid stayed silent rather than provide the usual counterarguments. Darius started to chuckle, seemingly on the edge of tears. He uttered frantically, "What more do you want from me, Khalid? Yes, we had Shahid assassinated! Yes, we cheated you back at the archery tournament! My list of sins is long, but I refuse to surrender what little honor I have left on a false confession! You'll have to pay for your sins, too."

Khalid's piercing glare remained unwavering for another several seconds before it suddenly broke. The prince took a step back as his hands subtly shook. He looked inexplicably unsettled by something.

"What's the matter, Khalid?" Dimitri asked.

Khalid ignored the question. He instead walked to Demetrius and held out a hand with renewed calmness. He commanded, "Give me your sword."

The crowd was astonished by this request, Demetrius more than anyone else. When the acting grand agha hesitated, Khalid repeated, "That was an order, Demetrius."

"I'm… sorry. But I can't," Demetrius whispered back.

Khalid shook his head and pivoted to a regular soldier nearby. He alleged, "I think I'm going to shift around leadership and grant some promotions soon. So… would you be kind enough to hand over your sword?"

The poor young woman was terrified to be put on the spot, but she reluctantly held out her shamshir for the prince to take.

"Good choice," Khalid told her as he spun back towards Darius. He was immediately interrupted by Dimitri standing in the way.

"Khalid… just what are you doing?" Dimitri hissed as he held his friend in place.

"I really need you to trust me on this. I promised, remember?" Khalid whispered back.

Dimitri relaxed some as the words sunk in. He slowly stepped out of the way, praying that he was not making a terrible mistake. Several others such as Senusret and Nousha looked to him in hopes of an explanation, but Dimitri could only shrug.

The euphoria from earlier was entirely gone, and the commotion this scene created had by now reached the ears of the other Tabarzin prisoners. Deducing what was happening, they quickly became so unruly that more guards had to be sent to keep them in line. Seemingly everyone was either outraged or confused other than Khalid himself, who appeared utterly convinced of what he was about to do.

Darius was by now laughing fully. He pronounced, "I guess Justinian is dead, but his spirit lives on. It's good to see you finally embrace your true colors, Khalid! I'd wager that Philemon and the rest of the dead at Pyli Kyma wish you had done so sooner."

Khalid smiled. "Ha! You're one to talk! You killed my brother, you tried to kill my father, you killed the Sardar of Shomal… I'd have the right to execute you for any one of those crimes. And despite all of that, I'm still willing to spare your life if you would just confess."

Fear finally found its way to Darius's eyes as Khalid yanked him onto the mud by his shackles and pointed the sword at his glabella. Darius pushed through and managed to spit, "Just do it. Death is a far lesser sentence than bending to your depraved cravings."

"As you wish, cousin," Khalid replied. He brought the sword above his head and swung down.