NOTE: Re-uploaded bcus it was broken on some devices for some reason?

Chapter Four

Earth to sky, Sky to earth

Rhea

"May the wind guide you well, Seteth." Rhea longed to reach up and embrace him, to press a kiss to his bearded jaw, but she dared not risk it. Such display of affection in public would raise questions- spread gossip- should any of the students see. Most were still dreaming at this hour, dawn having not yet broken, but there were those who preferred to study in the solitude of twilight. Seteth's wyvern nuzzled at her hand. "And you, Haizea," she said with a laugh. Haizea offered a grunt of approval and flared her cavernous nostrils. Wyverns by nature were malicious creatures that existed only to breed and to hunt, but those bred for war and travel were docile, with the right company, and in tune with their riders. In appearance they were much like their Nabatean cousins' true forms, with long scaly bodies and fangs sharper than the peaks of the Ruska Mountains, though they lived shorter lives and lacked the ability to shift forms.

Seteth pulled his grey wolf pelt tighter round his slim figure, face forlorn. "You will not do anything reckless whilst I am gone, I hope?"

"I can make no promises," she said, mischief in her smile. He did not appear amused. "All will be as you left it when you return. When both of you return," she assured him. Her words seemed to ease his worries somewhat, the tension releasing from his shoulders.

"And Flayn? You will keep her safe? If anything were to happen to her…"

"That I can promise." She chanced a brief squeeze of his hand, hoping he could see the assuredness in her eyes. His smile was faint, but present. "You have bid her farewell? I was certain she would join me in seeing you off."

"I…" He averted his gaze, lips pursed tightly. "I have not told her."

Her breaths quivered. I should have guessed. "Well, it would not be the first time you have left her alone without a word as to why," she remarked coldly.

"Rhea, please…"

"She has a right to know. You will be absent for weeks. Months, even, should you be caught in an Albinean snowstorm." The continent of Albinea was a frigid land across the northwestern sea of Fodlan, and where Seteth was bound for. Few called it home, and fewer still ever dared to venture there, its climate far too bitterly cold for any unprepared travellers to survive long in. This was, in part, a result of the magic of one who dwelled there- their brother, Aubin, known to the natives as Drakir Cadalis. More simply: Sleeping Dragon. The Albineans never were ones for imagination.

"You are certain it is Albinea where our… where he dwells?" asked Seteth in hushed tones.

"Saint Seiros herself sent him there to recover from his wounds. He sleeps even now, waiting to be woken. I believe it has been long enough since he last saw daylight." Aubin had been severely burned the night their kin were slaughtered, and there had been little hope for his survival. She remembered finding him beneath the rubble, his skin blackened and scorched. Rhea had always intended to wake him when Mother walked the earth once more, no matter how many years that took. Now that she had returned, it was time for him to re-join his kin.

Seteth smoothed back his windblown hair and nodded in agreement. The shock of discovering their brother lived was still present on his face, but it was otherwise hidden from anyone who did not search for it. "I only hope the cold has not frosted his temper… more than usual, anyway. What if he refuses to return with me?"

Rhea held back her sigh. "Peace, Seteth. If he is to begrudge anyone, it would be the one who sent him there, not you."

"Which is precisely why I worry he may refuse us."

A valid concern, Rhea thought wearily. "The prospect of seeing Mother again will surely be enough to bring him here, regardless of what he thinks of us." And he should be grateful I saved him from certain doom, besides. Seteth looked to argue further, but seemed to change his mind. Before it changed again, she said, "While you are away, I will send word to Indech and Macuil. It is my wish that by the time you should all return, I will have found her."

"And then?"

Rhea did not understand. She frowned. "Then we will be as we were before it all. A family." The look he gave her suggested he expected more, as if their family coming together again was not enough for him. "Mother will take her rightful place as head of the Church, and the humans will fall to their knees to worship her divinity." And if any shall refuse her, I will crush them.

"I see." His dismissive tone irked her, but she held her tongue. Still he pines for his late wife, to return to his home by the sea with her and Flayn and play at being mortals once more, she knew. Seteth wrapped Haizea's reins between his pink, frostbitten fingers and cleared his throat. "I should take to the skies. Daylight is scarce in these winter moons."

"You must wait a little longer. Shamir should be joining us shortly."

"Shamir?" His brow knitted in confusion. "Whyever would she be joining us?"

"I sent for her," she stated casually. "She will be accompanying you to Albinea. Do you object?" Rhea quirked a brow.

Seteth narrowed his eyes, no doubt pondering whether there was an ulterior motive behind her invitation. She supposed she could not blame him, not after finding out she had been concealing secrets from him all this time. "I suppose not," he answered, tone careful. "Though I can look after myself, you know."

Rhea smiled thinly. "I'm aware. I was inclined to send for a full battalion, but that would attract too much attention. I would like to keep your mission on the low-down. For now, at least."

His eyes flicked to the space above her shoulder. "Wise. We would not want our enemies to catch wind of our intentions, and with the professor still missing… Ah, here she comes now."

For the briefest of moments Rhea believed- hoped- it was Byleth he could see. The voice that spoke, however, crushed that hope like a boot to a roach.

"Lady Rhea," it said. Rhea donned her gentlest smile as she turned to face the former mercenary. A bow carved from oak was slung across Shamir's back, and she wore a throwing dagger at her hip- one she vaguely recognised as being a gift from Catherine some moons back. In place of her usual uniform, she was garbed in a shawl made from fox furs speckled white with snow, with thick winter boots and fingerless gloves to match.

"Shamir. Your wyvern?" asked Rhea.

Shamir jutted her chin in the general direction behind her. "He'll come."

"You have flown before, I wager?" Seteth tugged gently at Haizea's reins. His wyvern was growing impatient, pacing and scraping her claws along the stone slabs.

"Enough to know the basics. If you want, you won't even know I'm there. I'll be your winged shadow." Shamir glanced over Haizea with her usual disinterested expression. "Just point me to what needs killing and I'll put an arrow between its eyes."

Rhea gave an approving chuckle. Seteth ran a hand over his wyvern's rough scales and nodded. "Very well. I do pray there will be no need, but it is always a possibility." His gaze flitted to Rhea. "You have informed her of the mission? Of the… importance?"

Shamir shifted her weight onto her left leg and walked to the edge of the battlements. "Retrieval mission, location Albinea. Harsh weather, long journey. Enough provisions for two going, three back. Possibility of negotiation required, but I'm sure you can handle that part." She turned back, a tilt to her head. "I'm just there to keep you alive. No questions." Ever blunt, but it gave her a certain charm, Rhea thought.

"Well then," Seteth said stiffly, as if he wasn't entirely sure of what else to say. "If you are ready, we may take our leave. Lady Rhea?"

"Agreed. You must flee before your sister wakes and notices your absence," Rhea teased. Seteth adjusted the curved axe at his hip and, once Haizea lowered her large body to the ground, climbed onto his wyvern's back.

From atop his perch he called down, "Indeed. I suspect she will be displeased, but she will come around soon enough. Once she is older, she will understand why I left her the way I did." Something told Rhea that he was not referring to the mission. Once she is older… You will not allow her to grow old, brother. He would sooner wage war against Time itself to keep her a child for the rest of her days, if he could. Keep her the way she was when his pretty wife still breathed. Perhaps he seeks to raise her from the dead, as I did our mother, she mused. However, with Shamir present, she decided against pursuing the matter further.

"Before you depart," Rhea said as Shamir moved to slink away, "I would have you visit Fhirdiad on your way north. There are rumours I would have… dissolved."

Seteth took on his disapproving frown. "A diversion that far north will add days to our journey. Would my personal involvement in denying alleged rumours not confirm them, whatever they should be?"

Always stubborn. "Two - no, three - members of our esteemed academy were revealed to be false, and with malicious intentions. One of our most proficient professors has disappeared without a trace, and…" She paused to grind her teeth. "Furthermore, Catherine informs me of whispers amongst the knights that the Archbishop, myself, attempted to murder the heir to the throne." Not true, of course. She had merely intended to… what had she intended? To keep him prisoner? Cause moderate injury? To the Holy Kingdom's courts, that would be no better than what the rumours suggested. "The knights present that day have been dismissed, but too late."

Her brother hummed, eyeing her with a sternness he would often use whenever she misbehaved as a child. A child is how he sees me still, to be kept inside and told to behave. To him I am no older than Flayn. "Yes, that may prove to be an issue should it reach the court's ears." He rolled his shoulders and released a heavy sigh. "Very well. I will meet with them, say that I'm just passing through. Keeping the peace, as it were. Where is Shamir?"

Rhea glanced around, eyes searching for any glimpse of purple hair. They were alone. "Readying her wyvern, I presume." As if in reply, a high-pitched shriek pierced the skies, the deep beat of wings following soon after. A sudden gust of wind billowed through Rhea's pristine hair as Shamir flew overhead atop her wyvern. They landed on a rampart with a thud, knocking loose stones and sending them plummeting down the mountainside. Haizea stretched her long neck skyward and screeched, eager to join her kin and soar through the ocean of clouds. Rhea gave Seteth a dismissive nod and a sincere smile- permission for his leave.

"Farewell, Archbishop," he shouted over the screeching wyverns and, steering Haizea with a pull of the reins, took off towards the rising sun with Shamir close on his tail. Seteth spared one last glance back at his sister. May our fallen kin watch over you, brother, and may the snows be calm and the wind guide you home. May Haizea be your strength and Shamir your shield. In the name of the goddess, I protect thee, Rhea prayed silently, as she watched until the duo were no more than black specks eclipsing the rise of dawn.

It was noon when Flayn, as expected, confronted Rhea on the whereabouts of her father, during a debrief from Alois in the advisor's room. The Archbishop had sent two teams to search the nearby villages and forests for the professor - one led by Alois and the other by Catherine - but neither had been successful in tracking her down. After two days of scouting on foot and on pegasi, there was still no trace of Byleth. Her informants brought back no whispers, her knights no witnesses. To most in the academy it was believed she had run away or, worse yet, died in some unmarked portion of the Sealed Forest- her last known location. Rhea, however, knew these theories to be false. A part of her could feel the professor closeby, the part of her that longed to be held in the arms of the mother she lost too soon over a millennia ago. "And where is Catherine now, hm?" Rhea asked the commander, straightening in her chair to ease the stiff pain building in her spine.

"On her way to report back, I believe," he said, voice as loud and boisterous as ever. "There's talk that her squad found something."

Rhea perked up, eyebrow raised. "Oh?"

Alois stroked his thin mustache. "Mm, but I'll leave it to her to tell you herself-" He spun round as the doors to the office creaked open, hand on the throat of his axe. The situation with Monica and Tomas seems to have put him on edge, she noted. In fact, all of her knights now seemed to regard each other with suspicion, never knowing for sure who was friend and who was foe. The visitor at the door, however, was no knight.

"Archbishop?" Flayn inquired, curiosity in her large eyes. "I wish to speak with you, if I may?" she asked sweetly, though Rhea could detect a hint of mire in her tone. The girl's gaze caught sight of Alois. "In private, please?"

"Of course. Take a seat, child." Rhea gestured vaguely opposite her. "Thank you, Alois. You are dismissed." The jolly knight bowed his head and lumbered out the door, careful to close it behind him with a gentle click.

Flayn sat, fingers fidgeting with the cuff of her uniform's sleeve. "Forgive my interruption, Lady Rhea, but I cannot find my brother anywhere." She looked to be on the verge of tears, eyes watering in the corners. "Have you seen him?"

The Archbishop offered the girl a handkerchief. "Do not fret, child. He is not missing, if that is your concern."

She sniffled. "Oh, thank goodness. I feared with everything that has happened recently, that he may have…" her voice fell almost to a whisper, "been taken as well."

"That is not so, praise the Goddess above." Rhea would have torn the world asunder in search of him if that were the case. "However, I am afraid I have had to send him on an... expedition, of sorts," she said. "He will not be returning for a month at least. Perhaps longer."

"I do not understand…" Flayn dabbed at her eyes. "Why did he not bid me farewell? Or perhaps take me with him?"

"I wondered the same. Perhaps he did not wish to wake you..." Rhea released a breath of air. "He only wants to protect you. Ever since your injury…" She deliberately trailed off, hoping to prompt a sense of understanding from her. When the girl nodded her head, she knew it had worked.

"Is it dangerous, this expedition?"

"Of course not," she lied. "It is purely a diplomatic visit. I have sent Shamir to keep him company." In truth, Rhea was unsure what awaited her brother in Albinea. Tribes there formed and disbanded as often as the changing of the tides, and it had been so long since she last visited that the tribe entrusted to protect Aubin may no longer even exist. "He has gone north-west, to the continent of Albinea."

"Albinea?" The girl tilted her head, spiralled green hair slipping from its perch on her shoulder. "Whatever for?"

Rhea kept her face neutral. "I'm afraid that is something I cannot disclose as of yet. You will see in time, child. When he returns." She tried to appear busy by gathering loose documents and piling them neatly on her desk, eager to nip the conversation in the bud before more questions were asked. Flayn had always been a curious one, though she supposed it was no surprise. So much of the world had been kept from her - by her father, by the knights, and even by Rhea herself. It was only natural that she would wish to know more - especially regarding such an enigma as Albinea.

Flayn pouted. "Archbishop, please!" she pleaded. "I am old enough now to be privy to these secrets shared between you both. If he would only permit me to leave the monastery grounds, there is so much that I could learn! I could be of more use than I am here, confined to these walls."

"I cannot allow that," Rhea said firmly. "I made a promise that I would keep you safe. If your brother believes that the safest place is here and not by his side, then so be it."

"Safe!?" Defiance blazed in her eyes, a trait uncharacteristic of the usually sweet but naïve little girl. But I have seen that look before, Rhea recalled, amidst the blood and death during the clash at Tailtean Plains. There Cethleann had defied the pleas of her father and overspent her powers, resulting in a centuries long sleep. She continued. "Tomas and Monica infiltrated the monastery and deceived us! They killed Jeralt!" She breathed shakily, taking a second to calm herself. "And Professor Jeritza… where is he now, hm? Can you tell me that?"

Rhea released a heavy breath. "I cannot. Captain Jeralt's death grieves me greatly, but those other fiends you speak of have been dealt with - they will not cause any more harm. As for the matter of leaving the monastery, this is an issue that requires resolving between you and your brother. I may be the Archbishop, but I am in no position to dictate his familial caregiving." Trust me, I've tried, she thought wearily.

"Very well." Flayn stood, a scowl on her face. "I shall tell my brother, upon his return, that he cannot keep me locked up here forever. I do not wish to be kept prisoner any longer." With her head held high, she made for the doorway. "Thank you for your time," she added quickly, before the green of her hair disappeared round the corner.

Dusk settled early during the latter part of the year, and by the evening the lone mountain wolves would already begin their incessant howling at the Guardian Moon. Rhea took a moment to admire the myriad of colours that painted the skies - muted pinks, blue-greens and purples - before turning her attention back to the twin graves before her. It had been several hours since Alois relayed the news of Catherine's imminent return to the monastery, but it was understood that she had taken her men to rest at the inn before making the long trek up the mountain. I must remind her of the urgency of this rescue mission… Rhea thought. She bent her knees to lay the fresh lily against the eroding headstone, scanning the words etched into it for the thousandth time.

Here lies S - - - - E - - - - r

IY 1139 - 1159

Beloved wife and mother, died in childbirth.

May the Goddess bring peace

to her soul

"Your sacrifice has not been in vain, child, " Rhea whispered, fingertips ghosting over the curves and cracks of the pale stone. She offered another lily to the neighbouring, newer grave, whose name read 'Jeralt Eisner'. "If only you were both here to see who your daughter has become…" She made a mental note to have the gravekeeper clear the weeds that had begun to sully the soil, and perhaps attempt to restore her daughter's name that by now was all but illegible.

"I gotta say, I wasn't expecting to find you here." Catherine's voice pulled her out of her daydream. She bowed her head low. "Lady Rhea." Her blonde hair was pulled into its usual ponytail, and the setting sun cast her brown skin in a warm glow that, in Rhea's mind, made her look unequivocally beautiful.

"Catherine," Rhea said in greeting. "A pleasant evening, is it not?" She did not care much for an answer, but did not want to rush things. There were few humans the Archbishop truly cherished time with, most being too wrapped up in formalities or awestruck by her presence, but she could always rely on Thunder Catherine to be honest with her and to not hold back - despite her obvious infatuation.

The knight chuckled. "Sure, if you like the cold." She adjusted her weight onto one leg, sword arm draped over the hilt of her heroes' relic, Thunderbrand. The sight of it pained her, as did the other relics, serving as a permanent reminder of her loss. Her grief. Still, she could not deny the power they bestowed upon their wielders. "But let's cut to the chase, eh? I can tell you're dying to hear my report."

Rhea clasped her hands at her front, anxious expectance eating at her gut. "Every second that goes by is another second that Professor Byleth remains in peril," she reminded her. "What did you find?"

"Of course, Lady Rhea." Guilt flashed across Catherine's face as she reached into her waistband to fish out a rag. She offered it to Rhea.

"What is this…?" It was getting too dark by now to see clearly, but she could make out enough to tell that the original fabric had been white. Dark splotches tainted the majority of it.

"We found it on the outskirts of the Sealed Forest, near a recently abandoned town to the south. Dimitri says the professor was wearing a white dress when she… changed. We think it's hers."

Rhea held the rag to her face, inhaling its scent. It smelled of blood and dirt, with no trace of her mother - but something inside her could sense that it was hers. "I must go to this village at once."

"Wait. I sent some of my men to scout ahead, but they reported back that the place was crawling with wolves. Most of the buildings have collapsed, so it seems likely it suffered a Demonic Beast outbreak. It's no more than a ghost town now… just like Remire."

"Your men cannot handle a few wolves?" she snapped, regretting her tone almost instantly.

Catherine looked indignant. "Of course, Lady Rhea, but wolves suggest that Byleth has either moved on or was never even there to begin with. As far as we're aware, she didn't have any weapons on her when she fled. Her relic came back with the Blue Lions."

Rhea pinched the bridge of her nose. "Quite right." She sighed. "Forgive my temper, Catherine. It has been a long week with little rest."

The knight placed a hand on Rhea's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. A bold move given her position, but the Archbishop grew too tired to care. "Don't worry, we'll find her. I'll bring her to you myself."

"We're running out of time. The more days that turn into nights, the more distance it puts between her and us. I cannot risk losing her…" Rhea looked to stars, picturing each one as her fallen kin. Which star are you, Chevalier, I wonder? I could benefit from your fortitude... An ache tore at her heart, but she would not allow herself to cry. "I must leave. Tonight."

"Hold on," the knight said with a nervous chuckle, "I'll come with you. My place is at your side."

"No. You must stay here, Catherine. That's an order." Rhea raised a hand to silence the knight's protests. "You are the only one I can trust to oversee the monastery in my absence. Recall the knights, but keep at least three, smaller search parties active lest we raise any suspicion. Tell no one, excluding Cyril, of my leave - lie, if you must. Tell them I am so inundated with paperwork and worry for the professor that I have confined myself to my chambers for the foreseeable future. That I have put you in charge of less important duties."

"They won't buy that for long. What if they start asking questions?"

Rhea feigned a reassuring smile. "I will not be gone long enough for that to be the case."

"What if the place is empty? What if you get hurt? I could never live with myself if-"

"Are you refusing a direct order? You forget yourself, Catherine."

"I-" Catherine's shoulders slumped. "No, Archbishop Rhea. Forgive my insolence."

"Apology accepted." A pegasus and rider flew overhead, gliding through the frigid air with ease like a sharp needle through linen. Once they were out of earshot, Rhea continued, "Allow me a week to track her down and I promise, should I be unable to find her, that I will return to the monastery and resume praying for her safety. If some danger should befall me, however, I will send a signal." Rhea, of course, had no intention of returning without her mother, but she did not want to waste any more time arguing.

Catherine seemed satisfied with her response, at least. "Do you believe the rumours? What if Byleth is no longer… Byleth?"

Then all of my suffering - my sacrifices - will not have been in vain. "The prince has no reason to lie. We will deal with her in whatever state she is in upon my return."

The knight nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She tucked a strand of loose, tousled hair behind an ear. "Stay safe, Lady Rhea. I'll be waiting for you."

Rhea held back her sigh of relief. "You've had a long journey, my loyal knight. Go and rest - I imagine you are tired beyond words."

"You can say that again. Thank you, Lady Rhea."

"I trust you will not let me down, Catherine. From this day until my return, you are Acting Archbishop… unofficially, at least. Cyril will act as your aid. May the Goddess watch over you and the monastery." With that, Catherine returned the blessing, bowed low, and took her leave.

As night encroached further over the monastery's grounds, the priests and priestesses gave life to the lanterns along the pathways - wardens to defend against the prowling beast that threatened to engulf the world in its shadow. Beacons to guide the way. Rhea moved swiftly towards her chambers, the now full moon granting a protective aura as she smiled benevolently at those she passed by. Some were perhaps on their way to the church for their nightly prayers, others following the fresh aroma of fish and bean soup - today's speciality - carried by the wind from the food hall. The scent made her own stomach growl, but she did not have time to stop and eat. Instead, as she swept through the gardens, her mind began to formulate a plan; she would first search this wolf-infested town Catherine had not risked paying a visit and, if the professor were nowhere to be found, she would then scour the place for clues and re-evaluate the situation. Being a mercenary at heart, Byleth would likely avoid the main travel roads, instead finding shelter in abandoned homes or rundown inns. Unless Mother has replaced her entirely, in which case... Frustratingly, Rhea was unsure how successful the merging of the vessel and Sothis' soul had truly been. As much as she wished for it, it would be foolish to blindly assume there were no traces of the former mercenary left inside. Only when she saw her with her own two eyes could she be certain.

Inside her chambers the hearth crackled and burned steadily, no doubt lit by Cyril during his usual rounds before bed. For once she was grateful for the warmth as she shrugged off her heavy embroidered cloak of navy and gold, undid the fastenings of her sleeveless dress with deft fingers and allowed it to fall around her ankles. She stepped from the pool of fabric, scooped it into her arms and laid it neatly on her plush footbench. Satisfied, she strained to reach underneath her wide bed and pulled out the heavy ironbound chest stored there. The warm air kissed her bare skin as she placed her heavy headdress atop her mahogany drawers. The key she required was concealed behind a loose brick in the wall and, having not been used in centuries, was covered in a layer of dust so thick she almost choked when she blew it away. Within the chest lay a relic of her past - the holy guise of the ghost that lay dormant deep within her soul. One by one she donned the intricate pieces; the golden leg-guards over brown heeled sandals, the matching embellished breastplate over a deceptively practical slit white dress. Opting against the winged headpiece, she set to work on creating a loose braid down her back and tied it at the end with a loose red ribbon, readjusting the lilies at the sides of her head. On one hip she secured the slim, ornate sword whose scabbard was marked with the Crest of Seiros, and on the other she wore the Sword of the Creator.

Rhea studied the figure in the mirror before her, the spectre from her past thought lost to myth and legend. Seiros stared back, pale eyes reflecting those of the dragon caged within her mortal shell. Throwing on the final piece to her disguise - a black hooded cloak - she scrawled a quick note addressed to Cyril in perfect cursive.

Cyril,

By the time you read this I will have left the monastery in search of Professor Byleth.

Catherine has temporarily been granted the powers of Archbishop - my wish for you is to aid her.

You know my duties better than anybody.

Guide her, and resume your chores as normal. Light the hearth, bring up my meals, fetch the groceries from the market -

no one but the two of you can know.

Burn this note in the fire upon reading.

May the Goddess keep you safe

With haste she returned to the brisk outdoors, wide hood flapping in the breeze as the reassuring weight of her Mother's bones pulled down at her hip. Light snow began to drift down from the heavens, swirling in the direction of her destination. Is this your doing, Aubin? Do you know we come for you? Avoiding the Gatekeeper at the main entrance, she slipped past the patrolling knights and left via a hidden exit known only to herself and Seteth.

With her escape appearing to have gone unnoticed she picked up the pace, heels clacking against the mountain gravel underfoot. Her divine blood - hot and coursing through her veins - served as an internal compass directing her path. Guiding her forward.

Seiros was returned, and nothing would stand in her way.


A/N ~ Not really happy with this chapter but it's been a LONGG time so something is better than nothing ig? Otherwise I'd never end up releasing anything lmao. Hopefully I'll find my footing again soon. But yeah, their paths are beginning to branch in different directions now so that's excitingg; Seteth and Shamir are heading to Fhirdiad (who will they bump into?), Rhea (or now Seiros) is heading into the Sealed Forest to find clues as to Byleth's whereabouts, and Byleth is still being held captive by the mystery woman whose identity will be revealed... soon! :D (also if you're thinking 'hold on, Cyril can't read', well, you're right. he can't)

Quick synopsis for the next chapter before I yap a little more... We'll be switching back to Byleth's PoV, who's still grappling with her identity as she revisits Sothis' past between drug-induced sleeps. We learn a little more about mystery lady.

Anyways, as for where I've been... well, life happened ig. And the worst writer's block imaginable :( BUT I'm determined to see this story through to the end! It's always been on my mind over the past few years and I really want to share these character arcs I've planned with you guys so, if you're willing to stick around then thank you :) The plan for this fic has been revised quite a bit since Ch1, especially after the release of Cindered Shadows DLC and Three Hopes (speaking of which, I've gone back and edited the mention of Sitri in Ch2 to use her canon name instead of the one I made up before it was revealed. and edited some other minor grammar and wording stuff). Waiting kinda worked out though because it means I get to use a certain purple-haired mercenary in the story Cindered Shadows however makes a lot of my core plot kinda non-canon (or more than it already was) but. oh well we keep ballin'

Thank you to everybody who has reached out to me over the years to check up on me. It warms my heart that you guys cared enough to do that, so yeah thanks again :D I've already started writing Ch5 soooo see you then!

P.S it keeps messing up my formatting (I think) n I give up trying to fix it. so. sry about that :)