It was thankfully a quiet and uneventful three days. Leaving from the watchtower in the early morning after the great meeting, many folks went back to where they had come from, be it nearby like Edinmire, or across half of Mekkan like the lynxes. Throughout the first day, it was warm and sunny, with a bank of gray clouds slowly rolling in from the south. There was gentle rain the second day, leaving the road soft and easy to travel, and after that it got humid and sticky. The weather aside, hopes were high, as they had finally managed to do everything they had set out to do, and now had a plan.

Trace had spent the days with a rotation of folks, talking about what their next steps were, since they actually had the opportunity to not just defend themselves, but to go on the offensive against the Sentinels. He worked with King Adelaide to begin organizing a series of scouting parties that would scope out the mountain, he worked with Keiren to figure out where they were going to have everyone stay while they got ready for the assault on Mount Tanji, and he worked with every single one of the Ishtaer, finding out all he could about their history. While most of what was said was not new information, or useful during combat, it was useful for other reasons. Folst, who had been traveling with Barret since they broke out of Wenmoor, was particularly well learned in the ways of not just hunting, but in history surrounding the mountain, how it would have been laid out and where it would have stored materials. One thing of note was that he had seen the mountain long ago, and knew where there were tunnels that led into the mountain. "It is always said that the Sentinels are called out in times of war, so perhaps they are stored below ground." he said as they sat in the cart.

"It would also explain how they are able to stay hidden from sight." Trace agreed with him. "We didn't even know there were this many still functional. If they are underground, would we be able to collapse the tunnels and trap them?"

"I doubt it. They don't need air or food or water or anything. They aren't alive. They would just dig another tunnel out."

"I suppose you're right. Thank you for helping me." Trace gave him a smile as the vibrant green Ishtaer hopped out of the back of the wagon. "Looks like that's another one of your ideas that we'll have to scratch." he called up to Keith, who had been driving for the day.

"Just face it: there's no easy way to win." Natani sighed. Both had served their purpose at the watchtower, and had joined everyone else, along with a significant amount of the guard detail that had gone with them originally.

"Just because there's no easy way to win, doesn't mean we can't make it easier." Keith frowned, not taking his eyes off the road. "Maybe we'll come up with something that might actually work. I certainly don't hear you giving any ideas."

"Call me a pessimist, but going up against an army of magical soldiers isn't exactly my idea of a winnable fight. We stand a chance with everyone who's going to come with us, and we might actually win if someone convinces the Templars to send some help, but even with all of that, we have no idea what we're getting into. How many are there? How are we even going to win? What's going to stop someone from making another army of Sentinels and bringing them back over and over?"

Trace, Keith, Keiren, and Barret stared at her in disbelief and shock. "You seriously think anyone would want to make more Sentinels?" Trace stammered out, barely able to process what she had just said.

"I don't know, but it would certainly explain a few things." She sat up, suddenly trying to connect things. "If they are somehow able to make more of themselves, then if even one escapes, they will just rebuild. If someone is making them still, that would explain why no matter how many get destroyed there are always more. If that person has control over the Sentinels, then they might try to attack places and people that are a threat, which Edinmire certainly would be."

"Natani, no one in their right mind would make more Sentinels." Barret said with a shudder. "They would end up killing their creator before turning their malice on the world."

"Actually… she might be right." Trace frowned. "We haven't seen anything that proves they can't make more of themselves, so that could be a possibility. We should be ready for anything, even the most outlandish and bizarre ideas. Who knows? Maybe they are somehow making more of themselves. We have to take that into consideration."

"I suppose, as unlikely as it is, you could be right…" Keiren rubbed the back of his neck, somehow wishing he could just ignore this potential problem. "If that's the case, then the only way to win would be total annihilation. No survivors. If even one lives, then it could build back up from nothing."

"Hey, enough of this doom-saying. Put on some smiles, because we're home." Keith said, cutting through their dark thoughts. "We ended the war. We saved thousands of lives, and we have a plan. Let's give everyone hope. Smile." Indeed, the gates of Edinmire lay before them, with people already running out to question them. It was going to be a time of great celebration, a time of great change, and a time of great uncertainty. Though dozens of people ran up to beside the carriage, Keiren simply told them to spread the word that there was to be an announcement at noon in Shepherds Square, and that they should get ready.

"I'll meet you in the square at noon." Trace said as he hopped off the back of the cart. "I'm going to go get Flora."

"Make sure you bring Zen too, he'll want to hear this!" Natani shook her head as he dashed off the road.

"Think Zen will try and come help us fight, even with his arm being paralyzed?" Keith couldn't help but smirk at the idea of Zen, hunched over a table with hundreds of little troops on a map. "There's always room in the command center, good tacticians are hard to come by."

"I'm not sure. He's definitely gotten better at staying down, but he's not going to let me walk into war without at least trying to do something."

"Even if he can't fight, he'll be there." Barret climbed up to sit next to Keith, looking out at the city. "It'll take more than a busted arm to keep him down. Heck, I'm not even sure if dying would kill him." There was a shared laugh as they approached the gates. Today would change everything.

…

Noon came and went with great cheering, celebrating, joy, and tension. When Keiren announced that the war was over, everyone was overjoyed. When he announced that the real fight was about to begin, people were cautious, to say the least. After taking some time to explain what was going on, Trace could feel the fear in the air. Yes, one fight was in fact over, but it was only the prelude, the practice round, if you will. Everything from now on was different, dangerous, and no one was too keen to jump right into another war. "I know that we have hardly recovered from the last assault, but we have allies now! The Tiger clans, Wolf clans, even the Lynxes and Fox clans have all pledged themselves to help in our fight! We are not alone. We are stronger together, and we will rid ourselves of the demons of Nemurnal once and for all!"

The roaring cheers surged once again, the fear pushed down as excitement and determination swelled within the crowd. Keiren smiled as he stepped down from the wooden stage that had been assembled for him, and he turned to Trace, who smiled back. "There are times when I am glad you became the Duke. I don't think they would have followed me like they do with you. You have more than their support, you have their trust."

"And I hope to never abuse that." Keiren's smile faded for a second as he considered what sort of power he actually had. "If I ever start to grow corrupt, I hope I can trust you to bring me back to reality."

"Of course. But that won't happen. I know it." Trace looked over to Flora, who was walking toward them. She hadn't joined them on stage, but had been standing with Zen and Raine at the front of the crowd. "We're going to change the world for the better. You'll see. We've done everything for the good of these people, for the good of all people."

"I know. But there are times I feel like there are better ways."

"It is at times like that, my dear Duke," King Jade interjected as she stood up "that you must learn to stop looking at the past, and look at the future. You can't change what you've done, only what you will do next. That is the burden of leadership. It is something even I struggle with still. It is something we all will struggle with again. Even the most powerful man cannot change the past, nor can they any more control the future. You may make plans all you want, but Fate will be what it will be. We must simply learn to make due with what we have now. And right now, we have support, we have encouragement, and we have you to lead us."

"I thought you did a great job!" Flora was leaning heavily on Trace as she walked over, the walk from the estate taking a lot out of her. "If I wasn't trying to settle down, I would pick up a bow with Barret and follow right behind you."

"Speaking of, where did he go? I saw him leave right as the crowd was starting to form." Zen followed Flora behind the stage, while Raine went to have a chat with Richard.

"He doesn't like crowds like this." Trace explained. "Preparing for battle is one thing, but being the center of attention is another. He didn't have to be here, so he wanted to go spend the rest of the day with Haelith, and I really don't blame him. You should have seen him fidgeting on the way back, it was like he couldn't stand being away from her."

…

He slipped away from the crowd as it began to form. Despite being large, having scales, and apparently being rather famous, Barret managed to get away from everyone unseen. He was certain that Keiren would make a good speech, but when Haelith didn't come down, he figured he would go up to her. Now that they had spent so much time together, he could hardly stand going another day without being near her. Rushing up the hill outside of town, he could feel his mood lifting, just the anticipation of being near her again was enough to make him smile. As he walked into the house though, he couldn't help but notice that it was very quiet and still. Sure, there weren't too many folks here right now, but it was still strange. Like something was going to happen.

The empty halls echoed his footsteps, even though they were naturally nearly silent. The claws on the tile floor certainly didn't help, but it was inevitable. Regardless, he wandered his way through the building, to the room he and Haelith had been using. When he reached it, he found the door closed, and more than that, locked. "Haelith? Are you in there?" he called through the wood. He heard the creaking of the floor and the click of a latch as the door was thrown open, and he was pulled aggressively inside.

"You're back!" Haelith cried as she threw her arms around him, smiling brighter than ever before.

He couldn't help but smile with her, letting himself get pulled by her, despite her small frame. "You missed me that much?"

"Of course!" She beamed up at him, just happy to be near him again. "Did it work? Is the war over?"

"It is over. I'll tell you all about it, but there's something else we need to talk about first." Her smile vanished as his tone grew very serious. He pulled her arms off of his shoulders and walked toward the window with her. "I got to thinking while I was out. About us. About life. I realized that we hadn't had a good chance to really talk about what we expect our life together to look like. I… I have thoughts, but I wanted to really talk about it with you. What do you want our life to look like?"

He could see her relax, as though she was expecting to have to have a different conversation. "I don't know. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to have a home somewhere. I don't know where, but somewhere we could be left alone. Like here, just far enough away to be secluded, but not too far that we can't be involved in the world still. But I know you. I know that you have the heart of a wanderer, and staying still is hard for you. You know just as well as I do that anywhere you go, I would follow. I already have followed. Does that answer your question?"

"I think so." He said, looking out the window. "I know that you would go with me anywhere, and I would go with you anywhere. I just wanted to know what you truly wanted. When this is all over, I wanted to know what we were going to do, if we make it that long."

"If? Did you already forget your promise? What ever happened to 'Not even death could stop me'? Did you lose your courage?"

"Lose it? No. But there are things that I never expected to happen now. We ended one war, only to ready for another. I know that it will be dangerous, and I can't guarantee that I'll survive."

Haelith was silent. His confidence was still there, but she could tell he had been going over this in his head. "You have to survive. For me. For us."

"I know. I'll make sure to try and come back for you."

"Not for me. For us."

"I know. I'll come back for y-

"Barret, you have to come back for us. No child should grow up without a father."

Barret froze very suddenly. "F- father? A- are you… are you really…"

Tears welled in her eyes as she nodded. "You have to come back. You have to be here for your child. Our child."

He said nothing else, throwing his arms around her, holding her close as she cried into him, tears of joy and tears of pain. The world had changed now. Things were in motion that could not be stopped. Armies were readying for the fight of their lives, as a shadow slowly grew over the world, and yet in all of it there was joy here. Their lives were changed forever, their Fates to deeply entwined that no one could separate them. The world was changed.

The world was changed for good.

…

End of Book 3