MATURE: Fire Emblem: Dawn of Darkness

[Kelleo]

And here's the second half! ^^

Chapter 33: Forging Alliances

Part 2​

Deep within the borders of Melora, however, far less benign contemplations were afoot. Royce had newly returned to the keep in Ebonar, bearing yet another report for his mother. The last time he had stood before Isis's less-than-motherly presence was to report that his plan to swiftly invade and capture Aracion had been derailed. Despite her nearly dismissive attitude toward the setback, Royce had been doubly incensed. Not only had he been denied the chance to win the war for Melora in one blow, eclipsing Bernard's capture of Jerusa, and ensuring that the name of Royce would know eternal glory, but the added insult of Bernard's smugness and Isis's indifference had nearly sent him into a rage. This time, however, the Meloran prince entered with news of an unfolding disaster in hand and a devious grin on his face. This time, it would be Bernard who would suffer for the fickle whiles of fate. Royce never really did like the bandit commander, which was quite ironic, since it had been his idea to hire the Red Claw in the first place.

Though Royce had committed many a deed that would cause any person of decency to shudder, the decision to enlist the Red Claw was his sole regret.

Bernard was an insolent, impertinent piece of gutter trash, which Royce so desired to hurl back into whatever heap of refuse the bandit commander had crawled out of. The sting had been all the more acute during the brief eternity in which all Melora seemed enchanted with Bernard's victory over Cilae. Whatever semblance of mercy the Meloran Prince possessed had been bent to its limit to keep himself from decapitating as many of Bernard's newfound admirers as could be found.

Still, Royce knew that if Melora was to defeat Allied Command, they would need all the strength that they could muster, especially if the Orenias dragons were brought into the war on the Allied side. Individually, Melora could defeat any of the other nations with a speed and ferocity borne of nightmares. But if enough of the other nations banded together, they might pose a potential threat. So, he chose to plug his nostrils and put up with the Red Claw leader…but, not for a moment longer than was absolutely necessary. And thankfully, Isis had not yet ordered the two to lead a mission together as joint commanders. She likely knew that doing so would cause all hell to break loose and destroy any chances Melora had of winning the war.

Though some suspected her mental faculties to be unbalanced, Isis was nobody's fool.

And neither am I, Royce affirmed, silently vowing that no one, not even his forbearers or his descendants, would outshine him again.

After his wyvern alighted upon the royal wyvern roost once again, Royce descended the structure, entered the keep, and continued to the throne room to report to his mother. This time, he actually hoped to see Bernard as well, but only until after Royce got there first. That would make the Red Claw commander's failure all the more delightful to savor. And much to Royce's pleasure, the commander of the Red Claw had not arrived yet. Isis was alone, seated upon her blood red throne with a languid posture that belied just how deadly she could be. Royce eagerly approached his mother, stopped a few paces short and offering a perfunctory bow.

"Ah, Royce. By the look on your face, I suspect you have good news?" Isis greeted.

"Some at least, Mother," Royce admitted. "The plan to turn Larame against Astryn has worked. Spies have confirmed that the beast laguz blamed Astryn for the raids on their lands, as we had hoped, and have already retaliated against them. What's more, my men are fully stocked with supplies that we may need in the future. We shouldn't have to worry about that for a while, which will bolster our resources for the war effort all the more."

"Ah, excellent," Isis commented with a devious chuckle. "But I'm guessing there's bad news also?"

"Indeed. I'm afraid this time, Bernard hasn't kept up his end of the bargain. The army led by the girl and Astryn's so-called prince have traveled to Astryn and the prince has proven to be more of a problem than we expected. From what reports have reached me, they have wiped out all of the Red Claw there with relative ease, and the prince had proved his bloodline. They even managed to stop the duke whom we hoped to install on the prince's throne. The delegation that was bringing the non-aggression pact for the duke to sign found his bloody corpse along with many others, including the men we loaned to him. What's more, the prince has turned out to be none other than that wretched Emerald Sentinel, who slew so many men of our men in Cilae. The prince has, apparently, secured the throne of Astryn, and that country gradually becoming a threat. And to top it all off, we've learned that the girl whom we hunt has made a troubling discovery. Apparently, the strong archer she has in her army is actually the latest reincarnation of that famous Astrynian hero, Silver Arrow. Along with Silver Arrow's spirit, this archer possesses his power. Our foe is a great deal stronger than we initially anticipated. Bernard should have his throat torn out for costing us so!"

"I see. Yes, Bernard has failed, and it angers me," Isis admitted, an eyebrow arching at the sight of a feral grin spreading on Royce's face. "However, the blame for these developments is not his alone. Disciplining him now will not do us any good."

Royce's feral grin turned into a twisted grimace of anger that even one of the Feral Ones on Tellius would be sore pressed to mimic.

"W-What?!" he thundered, sudden redness gathering at the periphery of his vision. "But we can't afford any more failures! And this debacle could prove disastrous!"

"I know, and I will make sure Bernard is very well aware of this. He will have one chance to rectify his mistakes, however. The time is approaching for us to bring our full strength to bear. A few more preparations still need to be made, but we have the time. The girl's army is still in Astryn and since they still have Shigo and the Larameans to deal with, they will likely be tied to the spot for some time. Besides, the other nations clearly have neither the strength nor the will to strike back at us. Also, I think it best for us to finally, should I say, mend fences with the herons."

During his life, Royce had left many a woman bruised and bleeding in his wake, and had very nearly entertained the notion of adding Isis to his credit for denying him his rightful glory yet again. However, as the merit of her suggestion sank in, he reconsidered.

And, it was fortunate that he did. Not only had Isis taught him everything he knew of violence and cruelty, but she could've taken him.

"Ah. Excellent…" he purred. "Heh, heh."

"Indeed!" Isis cackled. "Now Royce, I require your aid in this. We'll show them the real power we've developed since we last clashed!"

"Yes! Anything you wish, Mother! Hahahaha!"

While Isis and Royce reveled in the excitement of their latest plans, Owen listened with rapt attention as Bryan relayed his dream. The prince had been all too eager to tell his father after finishing his breakfast and suiting up for the day. Owen, however, appeared stunned as his son described every detail of the dream and the conversation Bryan had had with the shade of his mother.

"I saw the estate I was born in…and how you and Mother contemplated on what to name me," Bryan explained. "She said that a knight in your service named Bryan had introduced the two of you, and Mother thought it was only right to name me after him for that reason. And then she spoke of her father, King Casimir. She said he was a great king and you said that your parents were proud to have served him. She said she'd been torn for a while about whether or not to name me after him, and then decided that Casimir would be my middle name."

"…That…that's right…" Owen confirmed, his eyes wide with shock. "I remember it all now, and what you saw is uncannily accurate."

"I had a feeling."

Perhaps the onrush of resurfacing memories had come too swiftly and proven too much, for Owen's breathing had become ragged and he began groping for something to support his suddenly quaking legs. Bryan moved to aid him, but was a half a second too slow, and Owen went sprawling to the floor.

I'm having one of those funny déjà vu flashes, he mused as he helped his father to his feet.

"I'm sorry," Owen blurted once he was standing again. "Perhaps the years really are catching up to me."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Bryan chastised, though he nonetheless looked his father over for injury. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"My head is spinning so much, I can't even tell. But Bryan, this is remarkable. Spirits of the dead entering the dreams of the living is a very rare occurrence. In fact, it's been practically unheard-of. Some say it hasn't happened since before the Oathsworn made their pledge."

"Wow… Well, Mother must be special. More than either of us could've guessed, that is. When she came to me, we talked about what's been going on. She saw how hard my childhood was and told me how much she regretted that she couldn't come into one of my dreams before, to comfort me and tell me of my heritage. And she also said that she still loves us both. Oh, and…you were quite right when you said she loved me so dearly…"

Bryan scratched the back of his head as he recalled how Caline had hugged him and kissed his forehead in the dream, eerily and wonderfully tangible despite her seeming to have little more substance than a puff of vapor.

"Ah, ha ha, I thought as much. Your mother held you, cuddled you, and kissed your forehead just about every day."

"I'm not surprised. Well, shall we go join the other nobles now?"

"Ah, yes. Let's go before they start getting impatient."

Bryan nodded and the two made for the palace's conference chamber where the nobles awaited them. While they did so, the rest of the troops conversed or passed the time as they awaited their next orders. Kiel and Marina went to join Lartz once more, but this time, they sought him on the palace training grounds. Some of Bryan and Azura's men were already there, preparing themselves for the campaign against Shigo's troops. Some of Alec's men were there as well, though not as many as one would've hoped to see.

Though Bryan had gone to extraordinary lengths to convince the Astrynian soldiers that had sided with Tavon to join their newly discovered prince, many had been deaf to his pleas. And, those who hadn't listened had perished with their traitorous master.

Still, even though Astryn's army had grown sparse since Shigo had sacked Medann, the Astrynian troops which the group had met during Tavon's last stand couldn't have been all of Alec's men.

Perhaps discipline had become lax during the years of Astryn's decline, and they simply hadn't risen in a timely fashion?

Or, perhaps they still didn't give much credence to the story of the "Lost Prince" having returned?

Either was to be expected, but it was also yet another concern to add to a seemingly endless list.

Hopefully, however, Bryan would be able to convince more of them that he was the true successor to the throne, and persuade them to fight at his side. Knowing that Bryan alone could accomplish this, the others continued their training. Lartz, who had long since recovered from the injury Royce had dealt him back near Aracion, and he had been eager to get himself back in fighting trim and to make up for his absence from the battlefield. When Kiel and Marina found him, however, they saw him setting a meal in front of Fang.

It was a bowl of meat, and it looked very fresh; raw, red, and still-bleeding fresh.

"…Ah! Oh dear…" Kiel uttered, literally freezing in midstride. He immediately began to tremble.

"Oh, Kiel, calm down! You know Lartz's wyvern is gentler than most," Marina reminded him, the slightest hint of irritation in her voice.

Kiel didn't seem particularly convinced. In fact, he didn't seem to even hear Marina. The red wolf's intact eye, round with terror, remained fixed upon Fang's long snout and the fluids escaping his grinding jaws. When these grisly morsels traveled down Fang's throat and he thrust his snout into the bowl for more, Kiel was suddenly certain that if he got close enough to the wyvern's bowl, he'd be devoured in nary a bite.

Marina must've gleaned Kiel's train of thought, for she looped her arm with his, as much to keep the wolf from running as to reassure him.

"Now don't worry," she offered, underscoring her words by squeezing Kiel's hand. "I had a feeling that this would be difficult, and this is exactly why I invited you along with me."

Hearing these words seemed to shock the red wolf from his frightened stupor. He whirled, nearly wrenching free of Marina's grasp, and his gaze hardened into a glare.

"W-What?! You knew Lartz's wyvern was with him?! Of all the low down dirty…!" Kiel trailed off angrily, though there was still quavered with anxiety.

Had Faline been present, she might have commented on Marina's quick temper, and the danger Kiel was in of discovering this first-hand. And, indeed, Marina looked tempted to dislodge a few of Kiel's fangs, but settled for fixing him with a glare that even Ike would find intimidating.

"I am losing patience," Marina warned in the sort of tone that Faline sometimes heard in her nightmares, though it softened a moment later. "But, you're in danger of losing a lot more. I'm doing this for your own good! And, more than that, I might add. Don't you remember how nervous Lartz has always been around wolf laguz? But, you know he really is a good soldier, and a better man. You two owe it to each other to help sort one another's issues out. And, if that's not enough, how about Sara? Your sister might be a bit tart about saying it, but she's always worried sick about you. She fears that you'll freeze in the middle of a battle and then get yourself killed."

These words seemed to overpower Kiel's incredulity, almost as much as Marina's fearsome glowering, and the red wolf gave a reluctant nod.

"Well, that's true…" he admitted. "And I can't let her see me in another mess. Not like the one that cost me my right eye. And, you're also right about Lartz. After we spoke with him back in Castle Talgria, I did feel like I could trust him. That's why I showed him my scars."

"Exactly," Marina affirmed, gently pushing Kiel forward. "Now be brave and go say hi!"

Marina's shove met little resistance, but she could tell that Kiel's knees were knocking together.

"Are…are you sure we can't wait until Fang's full?" he wondered, prompting Marina to roll her eyes heavenward. "Come on! I'd rather be half-blind than half-digested!"

Marina muttered something under her breath about "the real weaker sex" and began silently counting to ten, though she only got up to six before her frustration got the better of her.

"You're going up to him, and that's final," she informed him, unmistakable finality in her tone."

"O-Okay…" Kiel uttered, his gaze fixated upon Fang's slavering jaws.

With that, Kiel approached Lartz and his wyvern, seeming to tremble a bit more with every step. Marina followed a pace behind, a hand clamped upon Kiel's shoulder to urge him forward. The red wolf, it seemed, had no chance of avoiding this confrontation.

"Hey there, Lartz…" he greeted nervously and waved.

"Hi, Lartz!" Marina greeted with a girlish grin.

"Ah, Kiel, Marina. I'm glad to see you two again," Lartz greeted, a grin tugging at his features as he approached and extended a hand.

Having met the former Meloran soldier when he was still a mistrusted outsider amongst the band, Kiel was more than a bit surprised by the dragonmaster's apparent ease, especially with a wolf laguz. Some of his perplexity must've shown, for Lartz had begun to withdraw his hand. But, at the last moment, Kiel's own hand darted out to snatch that of the dragonmaster.

"Sorry about that," the red wolf apologized. "You…kinda caught me off-guard back there."

"I understand," Lartz replied, a hint of sheepishness creeping into his words. "And, I'll admit, I really had some misgivings when I first joined this group, not the smallest of which being you and Sara. But, looking back, I know I made the right choice."

He paused, his gaze drifting tellingly in Marina's direction, then turning his attention back to Kiel.

"Those talks I had with you and Sara also helped me a lot," Lartz went on, subconsciously massaging his side. "The...reception I received from Bryan had me wondering, but, I feel like I finally found someplace I belong."

"Oh, that's good to hear," Kiel replied, more than a bit surprised by the admission.

"I don't feel as leery of wolf laguz as I used to, but your superior officer is another story, I'm afraid. What was his name? Derien? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate him saving me back in Talgria; but, good goddesses, he gives me the chills. Especially when he's transformed, with how he looks about twice the size of any other wolf."

"Heh, rub it in, why don't you?" Kiel complained good-naturedly. "But, I agree. General Derien can be like that sometimes. It's part of what makes him a great leader, though. The way he looks so fearsome by giving them that you-don't-want-to-mess-with-me look can unnerve his enemies and get them to lower their guard. And him being a dire wolf only makes that technique even more effective."

Kiel had been about to say more, but perhaps the reminder of Derien harkened him back to the dangerous mission his superior officer was even now undertaking. The dragonmaster and falcon knight lapsed into silence as well, perhaps even more aware of just how deadly a gamble it was to be skulking about behind the Red Claw's lines. Still, the trio shook off any grim musings that might otherwise have taken root.

Leyon and Derien would succeed.

After all, what was the alternative?

"I've seen plenty of bandits soil themselves just from the sight of him," Kiel continued with a snicker. "His little junket in Cilae will be no different."

"I figured as much," Lartz replied, though he couldn't quite match Kiel's grim humor. "I'm just glad I had the chance to thank him before we split up. But, you're shaking quite a bit. Are you okay?"

Kiel's forced levity suddenly faltered, his snickering degenerating into a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, w-well, I…" he stammered, his gaze straying once more towards Fang and his grisly meal.

"Ah, right," he noted, giving Marina a nearly invisible nod of approval. "I remember you talking about your fear of dragons. But hey, I've begun to think that my wyvern can help you cope with that. Fang is as gentle as a lamb."

An expulsion of digestive gas punctuated his sentence and a flying piece of raw beef suddenly plopped upon Lartz's shoulder. The dragonmaster, apparently used to such occurrences, did not even blink.

"His table manners are those of less endearing creatures," Lartz admitted, flicking the dripping morsel back in Fang's direction. "Still, he trusts anyone that I trust, like you and Marina."

"That's right, Kiel! You have nothing to worry about," Marina put in. "Lartz will even let you pet Fang! He's the sweetest wyvern I've ever met."

"How many wyverns have you met that weren't being ridden by people who were trying to kill you?" Kiel inquired, though with more humor in his tone than trepidation.

"…You've got me there, I know that! But, still, I think it'll do you a lot of good to go through with this."

"Yeah, go ahead. Fang doesn't even mind that sort of thing while he's eating, so as long as he trusts the person," Lartz added with a smile. "And he knows you don't want his food or anything. Though the way he eats, you might get some anyway."

"W-Well…if you're sure," Kiel reluctantly agreed. His levity suddenly slipping away, he then began to slowly approach Fang. Seemingly heedless, the wyvern continued chowing down upon the meat in his bowl, the occasional juicy bits flying out to buffet the approaching red wolf. Fang soon heard Kiel's footsteps and looked up from the bowl to see him. The red wolf briefly jerked to a halt as Fang's reptilian yellow eyes found his own, a sudden onrush of memories overtaking him. He saw again the bodies of his parents washed up on the riverbank, rent and torn so that, for a time, he could not recognize them. Images of the claw marks flashed through his mind, causing his head to lighten and his steps to falter. A hand suddenly clapped onto his shoulder, jolting him back to the present, and he turned to see Lartz at his side. The dragonmaster nodded reassuringly and gave the red wolf a nudge forward. Gulping audibly, Kiel offered no resistance.

Through all this, however, the wyvern's interest had turned back to its meal. Kiel gulped once more as he stared at the creature, and reached out a trembling hand. His quavering fingers found the scales on the back of Fang's neck and, when Fang showed no inclination to bite off his arm, the red wolf exhaled. Seeing Lartz, who was still at his side, offer another encouraging nod, Kiel held his breath and stroked the wyvern's scales, which the winged saurian did not seem to mind at all.

"See? What'd I tell you?" Marina commented smugly once Kiel had finished. "You did it!"

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" Kiel blew out in a long breath and his lips curved into a smile, though he was still trembling a bit. "I might be able to get over this after all."

"I agree. We'd do pretty well together, I think," Lartz surmised, playfully cuffing Kiel on the shoulder.

"Aw…" Marina uttered, smiling at such comradely antics. She was starting to like Lartz more and more every time she talked to him. Though she hadn't yet joined the group when he'd been unexpectedly added to Azura's army, it was plain to see that he hadn't been a happy person. Yet, it had been no less clear that he was a good man and had a heart far kinder than that of any other Meloran.

"You know how you spoke of how glad you are that you met us?" Kiel asked, his smile broadening. "That goes both ways. And, I'm feeling that I can beat this fear thanks to you two."

"Heh, I'm glad," Lartz replied, thanking Fang for his participation with a stroke upon his scales.

"You know what's funny though?" Marina continued. "All this talk about when we first joined Azura's army reminds me of when I first met you guys. I…can't say I was too impressed, especially since Faline was with you. Back during her time in Cilae's Pegasus knights, she struck me as a washout. She was always behind in her training, seemed distracted so often, was late more times than I could count. But, wow, did she surprise me with how she's improved since then."

"I know what you mean," Lartz chimed in. "I had similar misgivings about Bryan, especially since he nearly killed me twice in a row. Even aside from that, he seemed too hotheaded and impetuous to be a captain. Still, he's gotten much better since then. I really think he and Faline help to get each other's heads mortared on straight."

"Indeed. And, Faline and I got to talking the other day. She must've just had some romantic moment with Bryan or something, because she was flittering about like a drunk Pegasus."

That analogy was greeted with bemused stares from the red wolf and the dragonmaster, though Marina simply chuckled.

"Every once in a while, as something of a hazing prank, somebody adds malt whiskey to the water troughs of the pegasi. It's not a pretty sight. But I'm rambling. Anyway, I was talking about how you and I had some things in common and that I'd made you blush, Lartz, Faline coos and says to me, "Oh, that's so cute! I bet you two would make a lovely couple!""

If Marina's story about Pegasi and malt whiskey had been startling, this tale had left her small audience stunned. Kiel gaped as his gaze turned to Lartz, whose eyebrows shot clear up to his hairline.

"W-What? Well, th-that was…uh…sudden," the dragonmaster uttered, his cheeks going deep red with embarrassment. "But l-let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here."

There was a quirk at the corner of Marina's mouth which, for some reason, caused the hair on the back of Kiel's neck to stand on end. When he saw it blossom into a sly grin that bridged the gap between the falcon knight's ears, the red wolf was suddenly found himself drawing back.

"Oh?" Marina chuckled. "Are you saying you aren't interested?"

"Er…what…I mean…" Lartz stammered, his cheeks suddenly reddening again.

A coy light gleamed in Marina's eyes as she drew closer to the still incoherent dragonmaster, bringing up one long finger to trace over his lips.

"Well," she remarked, a hint of feigned petulance in her words, "then what was that flirtatious smile you flashed me a moment ago?"

"I…" Lartz blurted, wiping at his suddenly streaming brow. "That was…an approving smile. I saw what you…ah…were doing to…help Kiel and I was…er…I was…approving, that's it! Ah…Kiel, tell her!"

Kiel, however, seemed engrossed in cultivating his newfound friendship with Fang, and the dragonmaster found himself alone. Muttering something under his breath about ingrates, Lartz tried to talk his way out of this mess.

Not that Marina gave him much of a chance.

"I'll bet you're like that with all the girls," she jibed, but then her expression softened. "Don't take it hard though, I was just teasing you. And, I'm glad you were willing to help Kiel. It shows you're a good man, even if you fluster too easily."

"Thanks…I think."

"Well, how about we all get some training in? Would you guys like to spar? I think the next step for you, Kiel, should be battling a mounted dracoknight anyway. It'll help make sure you don't panic during a real battle."

Kiel had been snickering all this while, his laughter muffled by Fang's noisy meal, but Marina's suggestion caused him to stiffen.

"Ah, uh…I d-don't know about that…" the red wolf stuttered, his pleading gaze darting toward Lartz.

Unfortunately, the dragonmaster's answering grin offered no escape.

"Oh come on!" Lartz intoned, seeing the red wolf tremble all the more. "She meant that I'll be your opponent, not that we'd send you up against an enemy. And you know Fang and I will go easy on you…but, the Melorans won't. So, you should learn how to deal with dracoknights now, rather than in a real battle."

"W-Well, I guess I could try…"

"Glad to hear it!" Marina agreed. "I'll spar with you guys after."

"Mkay, that settles it then!" Lartz replied with a smile. "Let's go once Fang is finished. He's almost done."

As if on cue, a great saurian belch erupted, sending a foul-smelling cloud billowing towards the trio. Kiel, whose sense of smell was easily the keenest of the three, turned fairly green from the stench.

"Ugh!" he groused, pinching his nostrils shut. "Just so long as he gets that out of his system first!"

After sharing a good natured laugh, Marina and Kiel waited as Lartz began to tack up Fang and led the beast onto the training fields. Though the red wolf's thoughts were quite fixated upon whether or not Lartz would prove as good as his word during their bout, some others found their thoughts traveling in directions other than honing their skills. While Bryan and Owen met with the Astrynian nobles, Faline had lingered near the conference chamber, anxious to know what was going on inside. Though she had donned her armor, she merely sat upon a bench in the hall, craning her head towards the huge mahogany doors for any portent that might slip through the cracks. It soon became apparent, however, that the wood was much too thick for anything softer than an earthquake to reach her ears. Frustrated, her gaze fixed upon the doors, as she worked both to kindle hope that that Bryan would soon emerge and to resist the urge to try and open them a crack so she could listen in.

Neither was an easy task, and Faline found herself snatching back her own hands more than once.

Although Faline was glad that Tavon's plans had been thwarted, even if she had been the one to strike the final blow, she was still worried about her love. Though his determination to lead Astryn to a better future was beyond question, she nonetheless was concerned with how he'd been affected by suddenly being thrust into the position of leading a deeply troubled nation in the midst of an ever-expanding war. After all, Bryan had been shocked to his foundation when he'd first learned of his royal blood and his mother's true identity. He'd been thrown into a daze, at a complete loss as to what to do until Skye had rather harshly knocked some sense into him. And later, after seeing the horrors inflicted upon his homeland, Bryan had flown into a rage against the Red Claw commander that had led the sacking of Astryn's towns for their loot.

Though understandable, this act of pure and uncontrollable rage had nearly cost him more than he could have ever foreseen.

It was quite possible that the pressure of being a prince might eventually prove overwhelming, especially since Bryan had the title of a prince but none of the political grooming that came with it. Such monarchs as Queen Belinda, King Wenceli,s and presumably, the late Queen Marion had begun learning what they'd need to know to succeed their parents as soon as they crossed the boundary between childhood and adolescence. Bryan, by contrast, was armed with little more than his instincts and a few snippets of advice from his father. And, much though she tried to tell herself that such could not happen, Faline feared that this might affect how the people or nobles saw Bryan, or even change him for the worse. The man she loved had always been kind, strong, brave, and staunchly determined to protect those he cares for, whatever the cost to himself might be.

Faline hoped that the Astrynians would find him much the same way she did, but would they instead find a man crumbling inwardly and out under the strain of a duty he was born to and yet had not been trained to bear? The falcon knight sighed as she prayed to Ashunera that the latter outcome would not happen. Moments later, however, Faline was snapped out of her trance by the sound of footsteps drawing near. She looked up to see Elincia approaching her, armored up as well and with Amiti sheathed at her hip.

"Oh, hey, Faline," Elincia greeted with a smile. "I'm not surprised to see you here, what with Bryan being on the other side of those doors over there."

"Ah, Elincia," Faline replied, putting a lot of effort into painting a smile on her face. "Hey, I heard the good news that you and Ike are getting married! That's so awesome!"

"Hee hee, I guess word has gone around by now," Elincia surmised with a giggle, though her levity quickly faded. "Hey, are you alright? You're smiling, but you're also fidgeting."

Faline looked down to see her hands clenching and trembling of their own accord.

"Oh, uh…" she began, and then sighed. "I guess there's no hiding it. I've just been worried about Bryan, is all."

"Why's that? He seems to be fine…all things considered, that is."

"Well, I'm not sure. Ever since we first found out about his royal blood, he's changed. And even before then, when I first found him and Azura at sea, it was clear enough to me that he was different. Don't get me wrong, I still love him the same way I did when he escorted me home a year ago. In fact, it's because I love him that I worry about him so. I mean, all of a sudden, he has all of…well, this to worry about."

She punctuated her words by wildly flinging her arms about to encompass the expansive marble corridors, the gilded ornamentations, the opulent tapestries, and all the other astonishing decadence that marked the palace as the seat of kings. Curiously, Faline noticed an odd gleam in Elincia's eye as her gaze scanned the decor. Elincia, Faline belatedly noticed, did not seem overwhelmed as the falcon knight and her beloved sentinel had, though the emerald-haired woman hardly seemed at ease.

There was a curious light in her amber colored eyes, almost like…nostalgia?

Where did that come from? she wondered silently, but then shoved aside the question and turned her focus back upon Bryan.

"He's in there, and everybody expects him to find a way to guide this country back to greatness," she went on. "And, I can barely even guess at how much of a burden that must be. It was really hard for him to accept that he's a royal, and, even now, I fear it's going to become even more difficult for him."

It might've been Faline's imagination, but Elincia's expression seemed to be one of empathy.

"Mm," Elincia intoned. "I can definitely understand that. Any way you look at it, what he's going through is tough."

Though Faline would later convince herself that worry for Bryan had over-fired her imagination, she had not been mistaken about Elincia's seeming empathy. Having once been a queen, and having faced the same challenges as Bryan, without success in Elincia's opinion, she knew full well that a crown was more burden than adornment. The one time she's deigned to wear it for Ike, she'd remarked that it felt as though she'd been balancing an anvil on her head.

She hadn't been speaking just figuratively, even though it had felt good to have Ike soothing her bruised cranium with his tender kisses.

Elincia found herself wondering if bringing up her own time as a monarch might help, but decided against it. Though Ike had never missed an opportunity to argue otherwise, she hardly considered her reign a good example from which Bryan or Faline might draw reassurance or advice. And, relaying the story would more likely end up worrying Faline instead.

She hardly liked to speak of that part of her life anyway.

Even if she was alone in believing her reign had been a failure, her shortcomings had been too glaring and too numerous for her to dismiss.

"I guess it really started back at Fort Hector," Faline went on, shaking Elincia back to attention. "Bryan just…lost it and he nearly killed both Ike and Lartz. He was so angry and he had such wild hatred in his eyes. When I first met Bryan, he never would've acted like that in any situation. Even Skye agreed that he had gone way over the line when he went ballistic against that Red Claw commander from before. And…I…I understand that he's changing, and that he might have to in order to be the ruler Astryn needs. But, I don't want that person who went into a killing frenzy to be what he changes into!"

"I don't blame you at all," Elincia replied, having to take in a breath before she continued. "Once Bryan came back to himself, after the incident with the Red Claw commander, he felt horrible. I noticed him sitting by that lake, and he was in tears."

"True. He even feared that he might have lost me; that I was so horrified at what he'd done that I'd leave him. But I could never leave him. Not for anything."

Elincia lowered herself onto the bench and clapped a reassuring hand on Faline's shoulder.

"And that's something that should help him keep going, no matter how hard things get," she intoned, smiling with approval at Faline's resolution.

"You think so?" Faline wondered, her eyes turning glassy.

"Of course. Back on Tellius, Ike and I went through a lot of hardships just to see each other, let alone be together. At that time, opportunities to be together were few and far between. But, through it all, and even when things were at their worst, I never stopped believing that, one day, all that would be behind us."

Elincia's eyes alighted upon her engagement ring. "And, I was right."

"That's a great story," Faline replied, though her brow furrowed with perplexity a moment later. "But, why did you have to go through all that trouble anyway? I mean, you and Ike had to elope to a whole other continent! I'd probably do the same thing for Bryan, if I had to. But, how did it come to that for you and Ike?"

Elincia's cheeks had suddenly taken on a dusky hue, which caused the furrows in Faline's brow to deepen.

"It's…complicated," the emerald-haired woman replied vaguely.

"Did your parents not approve of Ike? My mother first saw Bryan a long time ago, and she didn't like him at all."

Again, a curious light flickered in Elincia's eyes, as though her thoughts had migrated to another time…one far removed from what had truly transpired.

"Actually, my parents were killed before Ike and I even met," she answered.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Faline replied, recalling her own mother's death.

Elincia didn't immediately respond. Instead, her gaze had once more become distant.

"Sometimes, I find myself wondering," she said, almost to herself. "Maybe, if they'd lived, things would've been much different."

For a long moment, Faline wasn't sure if she ought to speak. But, after a moment, she found herself asking "Was it Ike's parents?"

"No," Elincia replied, seeming more present than before. "Ike lost his mother when he was little, and his father was killed not long after Ike and I first met. I didn't have the chance to get to know him, aside from the stories Ike told me. I really wish it had been different though, since losing him was so hard on Ike."

Faline couldn't help a twinge of envy, since Elincia's tone said a great deal about how different Ike's father must've been from Faline's, but lingering curiosity soon moved to the forefront on her thoughts.

"Then, why couldn't you two have been together in Tellius?"she wondered. "I don't understand."

"In a lot of ways, I don't either," Elincia admitted cryptically. "But, if I had it all to do over again, the decision to be with Ike is probably the one thing I wouldn't even think of changing."

Faline, her thoughts moving once more to Bryan and echoing the emerald-haired woman's sentiments, clapped a hand on Elincia's shoulder and gave a comradely squeeze. Even though the falcon knight could readily discern that Elincia hadn''t told her everything, not by a long-shot, Faline could not help but feel a sense of admiration for the courage and determination it must've taken to, almost literally, chase her love to a whole different world.

The emerald-haired woman was keeping her secrets about just why being with Ike had required such an elopement and so much sacrifice, but Faline decided she could respect the other couple's privacy.

"And, getting back to Bryan," Elincia went on, sounding almost eager to shift the focus of the conversation. "He has you, Skye, and many other friends and supporters to help him through these tough times. You'd be amazed how many people looked to Ike to guide them through dark days back on Tellius, and he'd been even less prepared than Bryan. But he had others he could turn to for advice, and I've never met a braver man than him. So, personally, I like Bryan's chances."

"That's true too, but…" Faline's words trailed off as her gaze lowered. "After what's happened, I'm worried that even Skye and I just may not be enough… And then, there's still my sisters back in Aracion, who are ill and probably wounded too. They were lucky enough to have survived the fall of Cilae at all. And then there's my mother…who wasn't so lucky…"

Faline sniffled as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"Just this morning, I was thinking quite a bit about her," she went on, "especially how surprised she'd be with how Bryan turned out. I could just picture her fawning over her grandkids while I was sitting right next to her, smugly saying "I told you so.""

A peculiar sound escaped Faline's throat then, as though she couldn't decide if she ought to laugh or sob, and had somehow managed to do both in the same breath.

"I know, that must sound so childish," she admitted.

"A little," Elincia remarked, though with no hint of reproach.

"But afterward, it just hurt so much when I realized that it would never happen."

"I know… I lost my parents because of a war too. Ike also lost his father in that same war, and Raela and Lily lost their parents to the Red Claw as well. And, of course, the man who killed Bryan's mother is still out there. Many can sympathize with what you're going through in that matter, but we all had to find the strength to move on. I may not have met your mother, but, from what I do know about her, she'd want you to find some happiness in your life."

"Yes… I've been trying. It's just so hard."

"I understand completely. Wounds like that never really go away. Believe me, I know. All we can really do is learn to live with them."

"True…"

Faline lapsed into silence for a long moment, her thoughts once more straying to her mother, and she was suddenly, painfully aware of the truth of Elincia's words.

Living with that pain would be difficult.

Elincia seemed to sense Faline's mood, for her brow furrowed in concentration for a moment, and then she suddenly brightened.

"…Ah, I have an idea that might cheer you up, Faline!" she blurted out, so abruptly that it caused Faline to jump. "How about we pester the boys into taking us on a double date sometime when this is all over? Wouldn't that be fun?"

At this, Faline's face lit up.

"Ooh, that would be wonderful!" she gushed, but her excitement seemed to dim in an instant. "Oh, but… Bryan's probably going to be so busy even when this war is over. He might not have the time…"

"Oh, he'd always have time for you! He and Ike would love the idea, I'm sure."

"Well, if you say so. It'll be exciting, I know that! Say, where is Ike, anyway? I can't even remember the last time I saw the two of your apart."

"There might not have been a last time, actually."

"Yeah, probably not. But, I would have thought that he'd be on his way to the training field by now, at least."

"Oh, he's probably still in the dining hall. Last I saw of him, he went to get breakfast. He said he absolutely loved the dinner he had last night and, after his fourth serving, he told me that he simply couldn't wait to try the breakfast."

Faline chuckled and rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"I swear, he could probably clean out this place's whole granary if he wanted to!" she remarked.

"Can't say it would surprise me, since he already did that back at Castle Eraghoa."

"…seriously?"

"We visited Castle Eraghoa on our way to Aracion, a ways before we met you. King Rothgar invited us to dinner, but I suspect he won't be doing so again anytime soon."

"…Wow. If I ate like that, I'd need a whole team of pegasis just to get me off the ground."

"Oh, Ike's been like that for a long, long time."

As she finished the sentence, Elincia found herself harkening back to another adventure she'd had with Ike. Some months after the end of the Mad King's War, she'd managed to escape long enough to join him and the Greil Mercenaries in their hunt for Ettard. During their search, they'd met Rosie, a laguz shaman who'd known Ike when he was a tot and had adopted him as her grandchild.

And, by all accounts, she had been the single most indulgent grandmother that Elincia had ever even heard of.

Even back then, Ike had had a hearty appetite, and Rosie had been only too happy to oblige his every wish. Because of Sephiran's tampering with Ike's memories, Ike recalled very little of that time, and had been quite anxious to discover more of his past. However, when he'd received an old family portrait from Rosie, the image of himself as a very tubby toddler had rather thoroughly dampened his enthusiasm.

The other Greil Mercenaries having a bit of rude fun over Ike's embarrassing discovery hadn't helped matters either. But, since Ike was the one who paid their salaries, he did get the last laugh.

Whatever happened to that portrait anyway? Elincia found herself wondering.

Between navigating the perils of the Gallian jungle and racing every which-where to follow the clues leading to Ettard, she hadn't had a chance to find out what had become of the old portrait. Ike hadn't seemed particularly eager to keep it but, since it was the only picture of his mother he'd ever found, perhaps he'd reconsidered. As far as she knew, he hadn't brought it with him, so maybe it had gone up in smoke when the former mercenary fort had been torched? She hoped that wasn't the case, and that Geoffrey truly was recovering after his melancholy had driven him over the edge.

"Elincia?" Faline spoke up, snapping her back to attention.

"Oh!" Elincia blurted. "Sorry about that, I had let my thoughts wander."

"Yeah, I can't say I blame you. But, there's one thing I've been wondering for a long time now. When this is over, will you and Ike go back to Tellius?"

That question caused Elincia to fall into another contemplative silence, though one of a darker bent than those prior.

Could I go back if I wanted to? she inwardly wondered. And, for that matter, do I?

Two questions, which, in truth, encompassed hundreds more.

Elincia knew she would dearly love to see her lord uncle and her milk-siblings again. She also would dearly like to visit her parents' resting place again and see how Gwydion, her elderly Pegasus, was enjoying his retirement. And, she had a feeling that seeing Boyd and Soren had given Ike a pointed reminder of the people he too had left behind.

She much wanted to see them again. But, would they want to see her?

Many people had surely been disheartened and disappointed when she'd abdicated the throne, regardless of whether or not she'd been right to pass the crown into her lord uncle's hands. And, by the sound of it, the blame for Geoffrey's short-lived rampage was likely upon her head.

The notion of what he, and Lucia, had been put through filled her with grief.

Perhaps it would be best to cut all ties, and leave the people she'd left behind to their own devices?

From the news Boyd and Soren had delivered, the situation in Crimea had begun to turn around, and perhaps it would be best if she didn't appear to reopen old wounds.

And, yet, the former queen was nonetheless at odds with herself.

Crimea might or might not be her home anymore, but, despite her decision to leave, the land of her birth was nonetheless still dear to her. And, she knew Ike had roots there as well. Her heart ached to try and make some sort of recompense for what had happened to Geoffrey, and what anguish it must've caused Lucia. And, even if she could not hope to be the stateswoman Crimea needed and, mistakenly in her opinion, believed Elincia to be, she could not help but believe that she ought to do something to take responsibility for the harm her shortcomings as a queen had caused.

She owed it to her former subjects, and the return of a great hero such as Ike might regale the people's spirits.

She did not trust herself to wear the crown again, but she might seek service as a healer or a diplomat in her lord uncle's service, or even a mercenary fighting alongside her beloved Ike.

Of course, that brought up a very prominent point of contention in the matter.

If she and Ike returned, would they been separated once again?

Perhaps they would be, their engagement forcibly sundered and the chasm of their birth, once bridged, would yawn wide once again.

Or, maybe the people had either learned from her departure, or no longer cared whom their former queen consorted with.

Elincia rolled her eyes at the accidental pun, but her levity was short-lived.

For all her ponderings, she was certain only that the question of where she would live would be answered by which continent would accept her and Ike's love.

And, for all her ponderings, she had wound up right back where she started.

"I'm really not sure," she finally admitted. "It would depend on whether or not I could be with Ike. Like I said, it's complicated. And, I'm sorry to say, I really don't want to talk about it anymore. Not yet, at least."

"Okay," Faline replied, not pressing the issue. "I'm here though, if you change your mind."

"I appreciate that, thank you."

"And, if you can't go back to Tellius?"

A wry smile crossed Elincia's lips, one not too dissimilar from Ike's rakish grin.

"Well," she began, almost coyly, "aside from all the people who've tried to kill me lately, this place does have its charms."

Faline and Elincia laughed long and raucously together over the emerald-haired woman's words while, barely a dozen paces away, the newly rediscovered Prince Bryan was busy making history…

…in ways both desirable and not-so-much.

Owen had, rather hastily, given his son a quick lesson on how best to deal with the nobles. Although Bryan had interacted with such people before, he'd always done so as a subordinate.

Being the prince, his role and theirs were now reversed.

Owen had advised Bryan to treat them as he might his own troops; speaking to them with a firm but respectful manner, listening to their suggestions, but not letting them make his decisions for him.

In hindsight, Owen might find cause to regret his choice of analogies for, when confronted with a room full of opulently dressed nobles rising from their chairs to bow and curtsy respectfully, his son had perfunctorily intoned "As you were."

The perplexed stares that greeted his words, and the nearly inaudible sound of Owen grinding his teeth, told Bryan that he must've gotten the phrasing wrong. But, thankfully, the meeting soon commenced. The various nobles, evidently, already knew that this "Lost Prince" was the genuine article, which Bryan knew would save precious time. Bryan quickly outlined to the assembly what had happened since he'd arrived in Astryn. In particular, he'd relayed that Shigo had returned to complete what he had begun more than two decades prior and Tavon's scheme to force Astryn to remain neutral in the war between Melora and Allied Command. Bryan had been worried that Tavon being killed, rather than arrested and tried, might make these supposed allies wary of helping him, but they seemed to understand that he'd had little choice in the matter.

With that, done, the meeting began in earnest. Between Shigo's return, the continued threat from the suddenly hostile Larameans, and the possibility that Melora might retaliate over Tavon's death, there was no shortage of threats confronting the prince of Astryn's new reign. Still, though Bryan knew little of statesmanship, his strategic mind was not shaken by these strange, new circumstances.

Unfortunately, neither his strategic mind nor the others at the table could offer much encouragement.

A large portion of Astryn's army had, apparently, shared the same sentiments as the band of deserters he'd faced some time ago, and those who'd sided with Tavon. Believing Astryn either needed different leadership, or was beyond saving, many of them had deserted and turned to banditry. Those who remained were much fewer in number and, aside from Eric's dracoknights, largely untried.

Between Shigo's army and the potential Laramean raiders, Bryan could foresee that Astryn's army was too few and weak to confront these threats directly.

And, when the topic of where Shigo might be was discussed, the situation seemed even grimmer.

Ever since Shigo's first invasion, large portions of Astryn had fallen into lawlessness. Some regions were, for all intents and purposes, controlled by bandits, while others, largely picked clean, had been abandoned entirely. Since Shigo's troops encroaching upon the still populated regions would have been noticed long ago, the renegade Meloran general could only be somewhere amongst those wild regions. Information about them was sketchy and outdated, but Bryan could see that a number of deserted villages and abandoned forts lay within these lawless provinces.

Thus, Shigo had vast swaths of the country to hide in, while all Bryan had to seek him out and confront him with was a skeletal army of inexperienced and dispirited men.

Yet, this didn't stop Canus from insisting that Bryan address what troops he had at his command, and then to seek out and attack Shigo as soon as possible.

"Canus, I won't say it again," Bryan replied testily. "We will not strike now. We have no way of knowing where Shigo might be hiding and, even if we did, I don't feel we are ready to confront him yet."

"Why not? Once word of your return spreads, our troops will regain their fighting spirit!" Canus argued. "Our people have, for the most part, not had a leader for many years, but, you have already proven yourself to be a peerless commander! And besides, not only could Shigo attack us at any time, but we face other threats from Larame and Melora! I really think it's best for us to deal with Shigo as quickly as possible, lest he still be lurking at our backs when we face the threats lurking from beyond our borders."

"I agree," Alec put in. "With things as they stand, we likely won't have much time before more trouble crosses our doorstep. We should deal with Shigo as quickly as possible."

"But what good will it do if we attack Shigo when we don't have the strength to win?" Bryan pointed out. "Even if I can motivate the soldiers, that will only do so much. From what you tell me, our troops are too few and too inexperienced."

"I'm inclined to agree with you, your highness, but are you sure it's worth the risk of Shigo attacking us first?" Laris inquired. "There's no telling when the Larameans might attack again, or if Melora might attack us. If we were to face one, or both of those threats with Shigo still at large, it could be disastrous."

"That much is true, your highness," Francois seconded. "The strategic situation is…less-than-favorable, but, waiting might very well make it worse."

"I'm afraid I must concede that point as well, Bryan," Owen added.

"I understand what you all are saying, but I feel that we must wait," Bryan insisted, taking on a firmer tone. "Also, I don't think Shigo will attack us any time soon."

"W-Wait, what?!" Canus exclaimed, so stunned that an Arcfire tome nearly fell from his suddenly nerveless fingers. "Are you insane?! Your father told you about how ruthless and cold-hearted he is!"

Canus had been about to say more, and it looked as though several others at the table were ready to join in, but, Bryan silenced them with an upraised palm.

"I am all too aware of the history I have with Shigo, but…hasn't it occurred to any of you that he may not be the same man that he was twenty two years ago?" Bryan suggested, recalling what his mother had said in his dream.

Yet another uncomfortable silence fell over the room, this time chafing and stifling. Bryan's gaze roamed over the assembled nobles and, inevitably, his eyes met those of Owen.

And, there was no hiding the expression of shock and pain on his face.

"Bryan, what are you saying?!" Owen blurted, his customary calm nearly evaporating. "You know what he did to our land…our family…your mother. How can you defend him?!"

"Don't put words in my mouth!" Bryan snapped, though more for the sake of maintaining a commanding appearance than out of anger. "Just listen to me and you'll understand. First of all, I cannot condone or forgive Shigo for what he did those years ago, nor can I ever forgive him for killing my mother. However, the fact remains that he has been here for some time now, but that he has taken no action. Not to mention that he let me live despite murdering my mother. Wha''s more, he's had plenty of opportunities to kill me since then, and to take Astryn for himself. Yet, he's let them all slip past him. There's only one explanation; he's waiting for something, and, whatever it is, it's important to him."

Some of Owen's incredulity seemed to seep out of him and, when he met his son's gaze, his expression was apologetic. Trying not to let his relief be terribly obvious to his audience, Bryan gave a sliver of a relieved nod in reply.

"Perhaps you are right," his father intoned, his brow suddenly furrowing. "But, what is he waiting for? And, how does it help us?"

"The way I see it, there's only one reason for him to wait," Bryan replied. "Somehow, some way, I think he is waiting for us to be ready for him. If that's true, then he'll give us the time we need to give him a proper challenge. And, that's time we'll put to good use. Please, just trust me on this."

"Sigh… If you say so. But for all our sakes, I hope you're right," Canus replied.

"I have no doubts." Bryan said, his tone brooking no argument. "I may not understand why he'd wait for us to be ready for him, but his doing so gives us a fighting chance. And I intend to use it."

"Well…then, what would you like to do before we strike?" Laris wondered.

"As I said earlier, what troops Astryn has are too few and too inexperienced to deal with Shigo, much less those Laramean beast laguz. They still believe that we looted their stores, and they will surely be coming back as well. We need more men."

"Well, I have a thought on how we can address that problem, Prince Bryan," Laris cut in. "I would advise that you take a group and travel to Orenias to meet with King Cragen. He will be more than glad to assist us, since our nations have been friends for generations. Admittedly, he doesn't know any of you, and he can be rather blunt and intimidating at times. However, so long as you show him Eronite, he will know you can be trusted."

"That's a good idea," Francois agreed. "Whatever reason Shigo has for staying his hand, it's doubtful that Melora or the Larameans will have any such compunction. However, if the Orenias dragons were to lend us their aid, it might give our enemies pause. We can use that time, in particular, to discover who framed Eric's men for robbing the Larameans."

"Speaking of which, where is Eric?" Owen wondered, already sensing his son's displeasure at the question. "I thought he would be here with us."

"He said he wanted to make sure that Armelle was alright after what Tavon pulled with his Silence staff," Bryan replied, ending the sentence with a grumble. "But, I know it's really because he didn't want to be in my presence."

"Typical…" Alec groused. "I swear, Eric is as stubborn as a mule. Just like his father was. I was still a child when General Reynard died, but I remember him…"

Though he tried to hide it, Bryan could detect a hint of grief in Owen's face at the mention of his old friend. Bryan slipped one hand under the table, grasping for his father's. A flicker of surprise crossed Owen's face, but his expression eased as Bryan felt his hand being gently squeezed in answer.

"Seeking help from Orenias might help," Laris spoke up. "But, what of our own army? It has been in tatters for years now, and our kingdom has been crumbling all the while."

"Talgria has been known to use conscription during wartime," Bryan spoke up. "Could we do the same here?"

"That might help to bolster our numbers," Alec conceded. "But, our real problem is that, aside from the dracoknights, we have few experienced troops. Indeed, over the years, many of our seasoned warriors have abandoned their service and turned to banditry."

Recalling running afoul of such a group, Bryan had to struggle to keep a scowl from his features. Even if he could understand why those deserters had made the choices they did, the recollection of Sally and her impoverished village caused the logic to turn his guts.

Thus, at Canus' next words, he was briefly leapt gaping in barely restrained fury.

"Would you mind repeating that?" he replied, his tone flat and grim.

"I realize that it might sound…questionable," Canus said warily. "But, perhaps those who have deserted our army could be drawn back by the offer of a…general pardon?"

Some of Bryan's displeasure must've shown, for Canus began to lean back in his seat, as though to put in a little more distance between him and the prince.

And, indeed, he might need every last inch.

Despite his anger, Bryan was stunned at the suggestion. How could he expect his people to trust him if he allowed people who had terrorized them to go unpunished?

Didn't you take a similar risk with Lartz? some inner voiced asked.

That musing extinguished Bryan's anger like a dose of cold water. It had been quite some time since the former Meloran dragonmaster had defected, and Bryan suddenly found himself remembering his own doubts about Lartz's sincerity.

In hindsight, they seemed almost silly. But, though Lartz had long since proven himself trustworthy, the prince realized he'd only given the faintest consideration to what Lartz might've done before his defection.

For all Bryan knew, Lartz's past might very well be marred by far worse than banditry.

And yet, despite that possibility, Bryan trusted him.

Might there be others, among the deserters who were the same, who could be trusted with a second chance to serve the people and country they'd once turned their backs on?

"I'll consider it," Bryan decided. "But first, we'll travel to Orenias. I've seen on maps that an area called the Dragon Claw Desert straddles the border between Orenias and Astryn. Will we have to cross it?"

"No, King Cragen's castle is northwest of the desert," Laris explained. "You can easily travel around those wastes. The terrain near the border will grow mountainous, making travel a little more difficult, but the mountains are certainly passable."

"Alright, that's good. I would hate to have to worry about running out of water along the way. Anyway, while I'm gone, I'll need you to see about the recruitment efforts. Deliver conscription notices everywhere you can think of. And, if we have any reserve troops, call them up as well. However, I want the majority of the army to remain here for now to guard the palace and capital. As has been said earlier, Melora may retaliate against us for the thwarting of Tavon's plans and I refuse to take any chances."

"That's a good plan," Owen commented. "And I would like to join you again. Orenias is unfamiliar territory to many of you, and I have actually been there once before, so I can serve as a guide."

"Alright, that works. If that's all for now, then let's adjourn this meeting. Azura and I will gather some troops and get ready to depart."

Perhaps Bryan had overlooked some rule of how princes were expected to conclude such conferences, for the other nobles seemed surprised by the abruptness of his declaration. Knowing that time was against him, he fell back on Owen's earlier, somewhat flawed advice and intoned "You are dismissed."

With that, Bryan and Owen departed the chamber, the latter rubbing at his temples and muttering something to the effect of "what was I thinking?"

"Was I really that bad?" Bryan wondered, almost conversationally.

"You need practice," Owen replied curtly.

"I'll be sure to put that on my Royal Itinerary, right after "Save Civilization," "Marry Faline," and "Figure Out How To Navigate The Palace."

The two men shared a raucous laugh, and then went about making their preparations. After greeting Faline and Elincia, Bryan decided that Laris and Canus had best remain at the palace to aid its defense and to ensure that the recruitment efforts went forward. Francois, meanwhile, would accompany Bryan's group once again. Alec would also journey with Bryan, as he felt that the more Astrynian support Bryan had with him on this journey, the better. The prince also requested, after a great deal of cajoling from Faline and Owen, that Eric and Olivia go as well. It quickly became apparent, however, that Eric wanted to stay so he could be with Armelle. Bryan was almost relieved to hear this, but Armelle insisted that she accompany them as well because she wanted Bryan to have as many healers as possible. Seething, Eric then gave in and chose to go along as a result, but only because of Armelle and the fact that he had yet to find "the scum" that framed his men for robbing the beast laguz. Bryan could understand the sentiment, and even sympathize, as his Talgrian platoon had also been framed for crimes they had not committed. He told Eric about it and promised he'd help, despite the tension between the two. All Eric had said in reply was that he didn't care as long as Bryan stayed out of his way. Bryan merely scowled as the dragonmaster left for the main hall.

Since most of the group was already out on the training grounds, it did not take long for Azura and Bryan to gather the same troops. They assembled the same group that had accompanied them when they first arrived in Astryn, along with Zarek and Fin. By this time, a number of the Astrynian troops had trickled onto the field, and Bryan suddenly found himself second-guessing his decision to entrust the palace to them. Although he recognized some of the men who'd left Tavon's side to join him as capable soldiers, most of the others had seen too many winters, or too few.

Some were too small for their armor, others too large. Several had their armor on backwards, and others wore armor that was suffering from visible neglect. Looking at the sorry specimens before him, Bryan found himself fervently hoping that he was right that Shigo would not attack any time soon. But, then again, there was no telling whether or not the other Melorans, or the Red Claw, or even the Laramean beast laguz might strike while the prince and his companions were gone. Though he idly wondered if it would do any good, Bryan ordered the Astrynian troops to train, and hard. Still, he was already planning to give the lot of them a severe dressing down when he returned.

And on that cheerful note, his and Azura's group departed once more, this time heading further west toward the land of the dragons. Kye, even after nearly being eviscerated by a Red Claw member the day before, was very nearly jumping up and down with excitement, saying that he'd always wanted to see a real dragon laguz up close in person. During the journey, he even claimed that he had seen something big flying high in the Talgrian sky some months back. It had been too distant for him to see clearly, but he swore on his life that it was a red dragon laguz. However, Skye never believed him. He said there was simply no reason for a dragon laguz to be clear on the opposite side of the continent and that Kye must've seen a bird laguz messenger or something. However, Kye staunchly refused to concede, and stood by his claim.

Over half the day passed as the group traveled and they gradually approached the border that separated Astryn from Orenias. The Dragon Claw Desert covered much of the southwestern area of Astryn, spreading across the border to encompass the southeastern regions of Orenias. In order to circumvent it, the group was forced to pass near the border of Larame. Both Azura and Bryan had heard of the desert before, but all they knew for certain about it was that it was named for its curving shape, which resembled the claw of a dragon. And of course, part of it lay within Orenias's borders.

Still, the small army wasn't keen to see it up close.

The group cautiously skirted the Laramean border and, as Laris had said, they soon came upon a mountain range. However, unlike many of Talgria's mountains, these slopes were low and gentle, and covered with forests that offered ample defense from unfriendly eyes. Few of the rocky peaks were impassable, and luckily, none stood in the group's path. Suddenly, however, just as the group was mere miles from crossing into Orenias, a loud shriek echoed from above them.

"You guys, that was a wyvern!" Lartz shouted. "I'd know that kind of roar from anywhere!"

"So would I, and he's right!" Eric seconded. "I bet you it's the dirtbags that framed my men!"

"Blast! Not now!" Bryan opined in frustration. "They could draw the attention of the beast laguz, and we'd be vastly outnumbered! Everyone, just be quiet and stay low and maybe they won't notice us!"

"What?! You're a fantastic fool if you think I'm going to just let them go!" Eric shot back and turned to the dracoknight in the sky. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS, YOU SLIMEBALL!"

With that, Eric spurred his wyvern into the air. However, he didn't get far. The other wyvern rider had heard his shout and turned to face the oncoming Dragonmaster.

"Damn it, Eric! Your idiocy is going to get us killed!" Bryan angrily shouted, though Eric merely ignored him.

"Geez, his temper is worse than mine," Skye commented.

As the wyvern rider Eric had shouted to descended to meet the dragonmaster, both aerial combatants hovered in the air, weapons angled for the kill. Eric noticed, however, that a pair of bulging sacks had been lashed to either side of the other rider's saddle. Moments later, at least two dozen other dracoknights appeared behind the first, each similarly laden.

"Well, well," the enemy dragonmaster spoke up, chuckling. "Look what we've got here. It's General Eric. I must admit, I wasn't expecting to see you way out here."

"You're damn right it's me! If those sacks are what I think they are, you're in for a world of pain!" Eric threatened.

"Hey! I smell the meat and herbs that the beast laguz like to use inside those sacks!" Ranulf shouted.

"So do I!" Kiel seconded. "They must be the ones that robbed the Larameans!"

"Heh, heh, so we are," the enemy dragonmaster confirmed. "Pity we had to meet so soon, though. My men and I were going to "deliver" some of the loot to a fort near Astryn Palace, so as to leave no doubt in the Larameans' minds that you were the culprits. But it looks like we'll have to settle for defeating you instead."

"Ha, dream on, whoreson!" Eric retorted and unslung his poleax. "I knew it had to be Meloran dracoknights that framed my men! Prepare to die!"

Suddenly, however, Eric noticed that the flock of wyvern riders he faced each carried infantry units as well as loot. In an instant, numerous snipers, warriors, halberdiers, sages, and swordmasters from the wyverns to the ground, setting upon the group from air and land. Bryan clenched his teeth and grimaced in anger, wishing fervently that Eric would've just listened to him and kept his big mouth shut. Now, however, he had no choice but to do battle. He un-slung Eronite and the sounds of the other troops drawing their own weapons reached his ears. Still, this encounter could not have happened at a worse time. The Melorans he faced would be trouble enough, but, the Meloran dracoknights were carrying sacks of food and other supplies stolen from the Larameans. If any of the beast laguz were nearby, they would surely smell them and follow the scent.

And, given how close they were to the Laramean border, it would surely be a matter of time before they showed up to give Bryan's group even more problems to contend with. He doubted that his and Azura's men could win this battle and leave before that happened, so their only other option was to whittle down the Melorans' numbers enough so that by the time the laguz arrived, the odds would be even.

Knowing that the Melorans' advantage in the air posed the greater threat, Bryan ordered Skye, Fin, and the magic users to focus mainly on the dracoknights, hoping that arrows and thunder magic could clear the skies of hostiles. Francois, being the most proficient with thunder magic, proved deadly to the saurian flyers. Faline also engaged the dracoknights since she had the wyrmslayer that had been given to her by the Astrynian swordmaster after she'd killed Tavon. As the enemy dracoknights charged, Kiel gulped audibly as the enemy dracoknights swooped down on the party, though, since he'd been pushed into his close encounter with Fang, his dread of wyverns was no longer overwhelming. Azura also decided to fend off their airborne foes since her sword offered her an advantage against the dracoknights' axes.

Sometime later, however, just as Bryan had feared, the roar of a tiger suddenly echoed in the distance. Though he could not see the tiger, he didn't doubt for a moment that it was the same white tiger laguz that had led an attack against the Astrynians mere days before. And sure enough, an all too familiar blur of claws and stripes burst forth from the nearby woods. Bryan growled angrily and then blanched with dread as he noticed that there were far too many Melorans for the group to break off the engagement. Worse, enemy reinforcements had appeared from the hills, leaving the group outnumbered and trapped.

"Blast it! The beast laguz are here!" he shouted.

"They are?!" Eric replied from above, although he seemed neither surprised nor worried.

"Yeah! Eric, this is exactly why I didn't want these Melorans to see us!" Bryan shouted, wishing he could reach the dragonmaster and strangle him. "That goddess damned mouth of yours might've just signed all of our death warrants!"

"You moron! It's good that the laguz are here!" Eric retorted. "If we can convince them that these Meloran worms are the ones that looted their stores, they'll help us!"

Bryan merely grumbled, as Eric did have a point.

"Huh, easier said than done," he uttered in annoyance, though the dragonmaster likely cared nothing for the prince's opinions.

Deciding he hardly had a choice in the matter, Bryan tried to approach the laguz. Before he'd taken more than half a dozen steps, however, something rammed him in the chest, knocking the breath from his lungs and sending him sprawling to the dirt. Once he'd blinked away enough stars to see, he beheld the white tiger looming over him.

"You! I knew we'd find you at the other end of that scent!" the tiger intoned, his fangs bared. "You won't give me the slip this time! We know some of what was stolen from us is here, and I'm eager for some payback!"

"Idiot! They're with those Meloran dracoknights, not us!" Bryan retorted, using his eyes to direct the tiger's gaze upward, lest an attempt to point cost him an arm. "It's the truth! See for yourself!"

"Oh, I see plenty. It's your eyes I'm wondering about. Look to your left."

Suddenly feeling a chill at the base of his spine, Bryan turned his head and saw a pile of bulging sacks sitting on the ground nearby. The dracoknights must've cut them free of their saddles during the battle, dropping them there to make it look like Bryan and Azura's group had been carrying them.

"If you're not the thieves, then perhaps you can explain that?" the tiger suggested rhetorically, his eyes dilating with anticipation of vengeance.

"Damn it, those dracoknights—!" Bryan groused, but an impatient growl from the tiger reminded him of his more pressing difficulties. "Look, we're kind of in trouble here—"

"You have a remarkable gift for understatement," the tiger commented dryly. "Perhaps my claws can remove a few of your cares?"

"Listen to me! Those Melorans are the ones who raided your lands! They were carrying that loot when we found them, and they cut the sacks free while we were fighting. Look at the sacks and their saddles. You see they're freshly cut ropes on both, right?"

The tiger had one paw hovering over Bryan's face, claws unsheathed. And, yet, he paused and gave the sacks a cursory glance.

"I see cut ropes, and that's all," he intoned, unimpressed. "For all I know, you and these dracoknights are in cahoots."

"Then why are they attacking me and my men?!" Bryan thundered. "Look, if you don't believe me, fine. We can settle this matter after these Melorans are defeated."

The tiger's ears flattened against his skull, and he looked ready to turn the prince of Astryn into a scratching post.

"I am not letting you out of my sight," he warned, hardly needing to describe what would happen if Bryan tried to flee.

"Then help me fight these Melorans," Bryan suggested desperately. "We have great need of your strength."

"And why should we help you?"

"Because if you don't, there might not be any of us left for you to deal with at all!"

"Grrr… Fine! But only because we wish to be the ones to rip you to shreds!"

With that, the tiger drew back from the prone prince and roared a second time. Before the echo had even faded, a fearsome band of cat and tiger laguz streamed forth from the woods and charged onto the field to engage the Melorans. Bryan sighed with relief, glad that Eric's plan had worked…to some extent. The laguz were still angry with Bryan's group, and the tiger seemed quite intent on keeping Bryan well within reach of his claws, but at least they agreed to help. Now, hopefully, the battle would end with the Melorans being defeated and the beast laguz's goods returned safe and sound.

The tiger would likely point out that Bryan returning the loot didn't mean that the prince hadn't stolen it in the first place, but Bryan decided he'd have to deal with that eventuality after there were a few less people trying to kill him.

Whoever said "It's good to be the King" needs a bracing reality check!​

 

[Falconwing]

As a Fire Emblem fan I felt it was my duty to read this fic. I've read several FE fics over the last several years, some good and some bad. I'm only on Chapter 3 right now, but I do have some points I want to make.

1. Characterization. I have to say that I HIGHLY disagree with your characterization of Elincia. You established that this was set after the events of RD, which states that Elincia goes on to become a great queen of Crimea and is aided by Renning. Here you portray Elincia as a lovesick girl who has no sense of self worth whatsoever. While I can understand wanting to take an alternative approach to characters from the source material, I feel that doing so after the events of their story and still claiming that this is the character we know doesn't work very well.

2. Ike's leaving. I know that Ike is fated to leave Tellius and you wanted to justify it. I think that's great. But his reasoning really doesn't make sense. He's been with Elincia for three years. They love each other. They're passionate. Then he hears she's getting together with Geoffrey and just leaves? He doesn't even stop to confirm it? It isn't until a month later that he considers he might have overreacted? And I noted that in Chapter 2 you changed it around. You state Ike left BECAUSE Elincia married Geoffrey whereas in Chapter 1 you state Elincia married Geoffrey BECAUSE Ike left.

And another thing. Ike is a hero. You even say he has been lorded. He helped protect the princess when she was in danger. Going by the logic of Fire Emblem, I'm not sure why there would even be a scandal to begin with regarding their relationship. It seems like an odd choice for springboarding a conflict.

Also, Ranulf's logic regarding the twins comes across as nonsensical. I'm not sure how you can state that it's possible to love both twins because they're so similar when they have so little in common in the source material. And leaving both because he couldn't choose seems... silly.

3. Azura. While I respect the writer's right to OC's (and I've used them before too), Azura came across rather odd in her first scene. She recognizes Elincia on sight despite never having seen her, she knows she's looking for Ike despite there being no reason she could have guessed that, and it's handwaved as "Ike spilled his soul to a random girl he met and that gave her enough information to deduce who Elincia is." Now, that sort of setup works great for someone like Sherlock Holmes, but Azura doesn't seem the type. I'm sure it gets better later on, but my first impression of her had me asking how she was able to figure all this out so easily.

I'm going to continue reading. I am interested to see where this goes, but do answer this for me. How is it that an amazingly strong guy with a blessed sword who has defeated a literal goddess got his ass handed to him by a group of bandits?

 

[Kelleo]

1. Characterization. I have to say that I HIGHLY disagree with your characterization of Elincia. You established that this was set after the events of RD, which states that Elincia goes on to become a great queen of Crimea and is aided by Renning. Here you portray Elincia as a lovesick girl who has no sense of self worth whatsoever. While I can understand wanting to take an alternative approach to characters from the source material, I feel that doing so after the events of their story and still claiming that this is the character we know doesn't work very well.

A couple months after the events of RD, yes. Also, you might not agree with how I portrayed Elincia, but I think what I did with her is perfectly in-character. She never had much confidence in herself as a queen and she even says this herself in RD to Leanne. She literally states that she never wanted to be queen. Yes, she grew a little stronger by the end of the game, but that doesn't mean she suddenly decided she wants to be queen after all or thinks she'd be an awesome queen. I just feel Elincia's development should be taken in a different direction post-RD and that's what I'm doing here. If you don't like it, that's fine. I don't expect everyone to.

2. Ike's leaving. I know that Ike is fated to leave Tellius and you wanted to justify it. I think that's great. But his reasoning really doesn't make sense. He's been with Elincia for three years. They love each other. They're passionate. Then he hears she's getting together with Geoffrey and just leaves? He doesn't even stop to confirm it? It isn't until a month later that he considers he might have overreacted? And I noted that in Chapter 2 you changed it around. You state Ike left BECAUSE Elincia married Geoffrey whereas in Chapter 1 you state Elincia married Geoffrey BECAUSE Ike left.

Ike's not thinking straight because he just had his heart shattered. Wouldn't you be all messed up if something this bad happened to you? And Ike left because Elincia got engaged to Geoffrey and because he wanted to get away from his fame (this is implied later). Elincia then went on to marry him because she later heard of Ike's departure. If I actually literally wrote that Ike left because Elincia already married Geoffrey, that was an error on my part. I'll fix it as soon as I can.

And another thing. Ike is a hero. You even say he has been lorded. He helped protect the princess when she was in danger. Going by the logic of Fire Emblem, I'm not sure why there would even be a scandal to begin with regarding their relationship. It seems like an odd choice for springboarding a conflict.

I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say here. ._.

Also, Ranulf's logic regarding the twins comes across as nonsensical. I'm not sure how you can state that it's possible to love both twins because they're so similar when they have so little in common in the source material. And leaving both because he couldn't choose seems... silly.

I find Lethe and Lyre to be a lot alike, to be honest. In appearance, and in character. The only difference I see is that Lyre isn't as into fighting as Lethe. Otherwise, I see them both as hot-headed and somewhat immature. Lyre is more immature at times though. And Ranulf isn't quite thinking straight either because of his problems. I can't think straight when I'm dealing with problems like this, so I felt this was fine. Sure, these characters aren't me, but what else can I do but go with what I've found to be natural?

3. Azura. While I respect the writer's right to OC's (and I've used them before too), Azura came across rather odd in her first scene. She recognizes Elincia on sight despite never having seen her, she knows she's looking for Ike despite there being no reason she could have guessed that, and it's handwaved as "Ike spilled his soul to a random girl he met and that gave her enough information to deduce who Elincia is." Now, that sort of setup works great for someone like Sherlock Holmes, but Azura doesn't seem the type. I'm sure it gets better later on, but my first impression of her had me asking how she was able to figure all this out so easily.

Ike loves Elincia. Because of that, I'd think he'd talk a lot about her to a new friend like Azura. And I was trying to imply that he did.

I'm going to continue reading. I am interested to see where this goes, but do answer this for me. How is it that an amazingly strong guy with a blessed sword who has defeated a literal goddess got his ass handed to him by a group of bandits?

Okay, though it doesn't sound like you're enjoying this much. Disappointing for me, but hey, you can't please everyone. And as for what happened with Ike and those bandits, he still isn't thinking clearly because of his depression, plus one of the bandits snuck up on him from behind. These guys are later revealed to be part of a larger group that's quite cunning. Oh, also, Ike no longer has Ragnell at this point. I've written that he returned it to Sanaki again (but he will get it back once more later).

 

[Falconwing]

And another thing. Ike is a hero. You even say he has been lorded. He helped protect the princess when she was in danger. Going by the logic of Fire Emblem, I'm not sure why there would even be a scandal to begin with regarding their relationship. It seems like an odd choice for springboarding a conflict.

I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say here. ._.

What I mean is that you claim Elincia was thinking of restoring Ike's title as a Lord. This shows that he was considered a Lord beforehand. As a lord he is nobility and thus has full rights to engage in relationships with higher-born women. The entire conflict could have been resolved if Elincia said, "Ike, I love you. You are now Sir Ike/Lord Ike/Count Ike/Baron Ike/Duke Ike/Marquis Ike/etc. Let's get married." And then no one could cry foul or claim scandal because it's two nobles getting married.

And again, Ike is a hero of the realm and he defeated Ashera. I still don't understand why people would have objected to him marrying Elincia in the first place.

 

[Kelleo]

Yes, Ike was a noble beforehand, but he renounced that title (before he realized he loved Elincia, no less) and even if he gained it back, he's still not of noble birth and that's what the nobles wouldn't like. Ike and Elincia don't care so much about their opinions themselves, though, it's moreso what they could try to do about it. There was already one rebellion in RD. There's no telling if there could be another. And Ike no longer has the power Yune blessed him with, or Ragnell, so he's not as much of a threat as he was when he took down Ashera.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Hello there: I am just passing on my judging comments from the Awards! Sorry for the delay with these, I have been rather busy and distracted lately

I will start off straight away by saying this is one of the most beautifully written stories I have ever read on a fan fiction website, and it was pretty amazing. You have a great range of language and use it excellently, and it makes the story a pleasure to read and was the thing that secured your victory in this round. It is a fun and entertaining story, with an interesting range of characters and you use cliffhangers well to advance the plot. My one criticism would be that some of the discussions and paragraphs can be very lengthy and wordy at times. I will use the first chapter as an example: the big discussion between Elincia and Geoffery seemed to go on forever, and though it was quite well written, near the end it felt repetitive and more of a drag to read, and I noticed this coming up in later chapters as well. I would strongly recommend finding a good balance, keeping paragraphs a bit shorter and cutting down on discussions if possible. I noticed that the bear attack scene went past rather quickly in comparison, so it would be nice to have the action and talking be more balanced.
However, this was still a superbly written story and it was a pleasure to read

 

[Kelleo]

Ah, thanks for the review, AT! ^^

Yeah, other readers of this story pointed out the wordiness flaw as well, and that is definitely a fault of both myself and my co-author. I'm doing my best to cut down on that, however, cause I can agree that it wouldn't hurt for it to be less wordy here and there. Thanks.

As for my vocabulary, you can thank my co-author for that! He expanded it by heaps and bounds as he helped me improve my skills. :3

 

[Kelleo]

Damn, I wish it hadn't had to take a year to get this chapter done. >_< But chapter 34 is finally done! I posted it on ff.net a couple days ago, but I'd gotten busy with work and some other stuff, so I didn't have any time to put it here yet. But I do now! It's another monster-sized chapter though, so here's part 1.

Chapter 34: Another Trial

Part 1​

For the Meloran Dragonmaster, the situation was unfolding perfectly…

…"was" being the operative word.

With recent victories in Talgria and Cilae, not the least of which being the fall of Jerusa, Melora had shifted its focus to ensuring that the nations of southern Altarais did not take up arms against Queen Isis. At least, not until it was too late.

And, to accomplish that, Melora had turned to him.

It was a clever plan, raiding across Larame's border, looting their stores, and working to pin the blame on Astryn. And, all of this just in time to mire the "lost prince" in a crisis that he would not emerge from soon enough to trouble Melora further…

…and, that was assuming that he emerged at all.

The Dragonmaster and his men had newly returned from an especially successful raid and, as though he'd found the fates in an especially generous mood, the very Lost Prince, whose early reign he'd been sent to topple, had appeared.

Though the Dragonmaster knew better than to admit it, he'd spent a solid five seconds gaping in amazement at this fortunate turn.

One of his fellows hovering next to him had whispered something to the effect of "Wow, promotions all around," and the Dragonmaster shared the sentiment. Indeed, it seemed the fates were very kind today, for the would-be Prince Bryan and his minions were set upon from two sides. On one was the Meloran dracoknights, and, on the other, a band of Laramean warriors. One of them, a tiger with a pelt the color of snow, leapt at Bryan and pinned him between bare stone and a pair of massive clawed paws.

The Dragonmaster's "delivering" their pilfered goods to Bryan should have sealed the Lost Prince's fate…

…should have, but didn't.

Perplexed at what was taking the tiger so long to send Bryan's head bouncing down the slope, the Dragonmaster descended for a closer look. And, he'd nearly lost his own head when the white tiger abruptly leapt up at him. The Dragonmaster pulled away with half a second to spare, the tiger's claws passing so close to his face that bits of stubble fluttered free of his cheek.

Before he could make sense of this, he realized that the rest of his command was also facing this inexplicable reversal.

Rather than killing each other, as he'd desired, the Allied troops and Larameans had somehow banded together to fight against him!

The potential implications this might have on the war effort, not to mention his health, did not escape him.

Fortunately, he hadn't been caught completely flatfooted.

"You there!" he hailed one of the other dracoknights. "Call the reserves."

It would've been quite a welcome development, in Bryan's opinion, if the Larameans joining his force, even momentarily, caused the Melorans to flee for their lives.

Failing that, he would've happily accepted the enemy being so shocked into paralyzing stupefaction that they could be picked off with ease.

In fact, even the fight being made easier would've cause for relief and delight.

But, if there was anything Bryan had learned over the course of his early reign, it was to not rely upon easy answers.

Even after the Larameans had chosen, at least for the moment, to side with Bryan, the battle against the thieving Meloran dracoknights was far from over. Like birds of prey scenting blood, they swooped upon the prince of Astryn's ground troops again and again, hoping to skewer or scatter them and keep the reluctant allies off-balance. Of course, such was an exceedingly dangerous tactic, and many of the dracoknights fell to deftly fired arrows or were torn from their mounts and ripped to pieces by leaping feline warriors. But, as the dracoknights' numbers gradually dwindled, mounted knights and infantry flooded in to replace them. Where these reinforcements might be coming from, Bryan could not guess. He had, less than an hour before, been certain that all the Red Claw and Meloran troops that had already slithered their way into Astryn had been slain or routed by his and Azura's army.

Still, considering the events of the last few months, Bryan knew to expect the unexpected.

Though Astryn was still barely a shadow of its former glory, it was obvious that Isis was quite eager to prevent the southern beorc kingdom from rebuilding and becoming a threat. Aside from the numerous attempts to kill or discredit the prince of Astryn, the Meloran queen's determination was made doubly clear by her forces being present near the Talgrian border and at Fort Mercue, as well as their support of Tavon's failed machinations. Had Bryan and the Astrynian troops somehow missed some stragglers? Or, did more enemy troops secretly pour in while their attention was directed elsewhere? Either was quite likely, since much of Astryn's army remained in tatters and ragged swaths of the realm were effectively ruled by bandits, any of which could be bribed or forced into letting Melora's troops pass through their territory. Whatever the case, Bryan remained strangely certain that Shigo had no hand in this latest obstacle.

Admittedly, he had little hard evidence to back that up. After all, the renegade Meloran General was risking his long sought conquest by allowing Astryn to grow strong again. Still, it was no secret that he wanted that conquest to be sealed by personally defeating Bryan in battle. And, if he was here, he would've shown his face by this time. Besides, as half the continent knew by now that Shigo had broken ranks with Melora and struck out on his own, it stood to reason that he wouldn't aid either the Red Claw or Royce's men.

No, enigmatic though they might be, Shigo's plans had not included this confrontation.

All Bryan could guess was that either Royce or the Red Claw had left some troops in hiding for a surprise assault, or had rapidly mobilized more when they learned of Tavon's death. After all, both knew all too well by now how great a threat Bryan was to them.

It suddenly dawned on me just why Ike doesn't enjoy his notoriety, the prince of Astryn mused as he deflected half a dozen near-simultaneous attempts to end his reign.

Still, Bryan knew he had more pressing matters to consider. The white tiger laguz and his men joining him had evened the odds, but it was obvious that this union was far from harmonious. Every time his gaze alighted upon one of the Larameans, the feline, seemingly sensing the prince of Astryn's scrutiny, would turn gleaming eyes upon him. And, in those glowering orbs, Bryan could see the promise that even the smallest sign of treachery would be answered with rending claws. Despite the unspoken threat, Bryan was impressed with these laguz. Though he'd fought alongside laguz in the past, he'd never seen so many in one battle before, his earlier encounter with the white tiger notwithstanding. And, in that instance, Bryan had had little time to appreciate just how strong these beast tribe laguz were. It was, he realized, a clear indication that, if he could win the Larameans over, they would prove valuable allies.

However, it also gave him a grim presentiment of what might result if he could not mend the rift which Melora had created between their respective nations.

Still, these laguz were slaying one foe after another, faster than Bryan himself could. Almost faster than he could see. Bryan knew that, even though he could usually slay a Red Claw member in seconds, he wasn't even half as swift as some of his more fleet-footed allies. But, watching the lightning swift feline warriors made him feel about as agile as a beached narwhal. The white tiger, however, was clearly the strongest of all the beast laguz in this small army.

And, it seemed, the tiger was quick to validate, and then exceed, Bryan's unspoken opinion. As one of the dracoknights swooped in, the tiger leapt to intercept the flying saurian and clamped his fangs about the scaled neck. Then, with a wrenching tug, the tiger sent wyvern and rider alike crashing into the stony ground. Both landed in a heap with the sickening report of bones shattering upon impact. Once again, Bryan found himself feeling a tinge of anxiety about how he'd fare against such an opponent.

That anxiety, however, was eclipsed by a sight which greeted Bryan a moment later. One of the newly arrived Melorans, a sniper, was aiming an arrow towards the sky. A chill running up his spine, Bryan followed the sniper's gaze, already feeling a grim presentiment about who had caught the Meloran's eye. And, the bottom dropped out of his stomach as he realized that his foe's chosen target was none other than Faline. Even worse, she was presently engaged in an aerial duel with one of the dracoknights, and the whirling combat had given the sniper a clear shot at her back. She would not know she was in danger...until it was too late.

Despair began to crowd in on Bryan's already tumultuous mind when he realized that he was much too far away to intervene. The sniper would release his arrow long before Bryan could get close enough to engage him in direct combat. He might be able to run and hurl Eronite at the Meloran threatening his love, but such a throw would challenge even an expert with the javelin…

…which, incidentally, he wasn't.

During his career, he had always favored fighting his enemies face-to-face, leading the men of his platoon with his lance couched and angled for the kill. It had made him the bane of many an enemy swordsman, and even a good number of axemen, but he had neglected to practice throwing javelins or spears. He felt certain that his arm was strong enough to make the distance, but if he missed… Bryan quickly realized that he had no choice. He quickly hefted Eronite and frantically dashed towards the sniper.

"Leave my girl alone, maggot!" Bryan shouted just as the sniper was about ready to loose his arrow. Hearing the bellowing sentinel, he turned to see Eronite's lightning shaped blade flying in his direction. Just as Eronite left Bryan's shaking fingers, however, he realized that his clumsy throw would miss its mark. Hoping to strike the sniper's face or neck for a swift kill, Eronite fell inches short and ricocheted off the sniper's shoulder guard. That had upset the sniper's aim, but the arrow nonetheless took flight.

"DAMN IT!" Bryan hollered in mingled anger and terror as the arrow soared towards his love. "FALINE!"

Faline heard his shout and turned to see the arrow flying straight at her. She hurriedly urged her mount into a dive but, unfortunately, not even Flower was fast enough to carry herself and her rider out of the arrow's path. It tore into the Pegasus's wing, sending shorn feathers drifting earthwards, and then drew a crimson rivulet across Faline's upper leg. A pained cry and whinny rang out, barely audible over the clashing steel, and the winged equine listed badly. Ironically, this abrupt shift in balance carried Faline below range of a blow from the dracoknight's axe which, otherwise, might've taken her head off. Fighting off the pain flaring from her hip to her knee, and sensing that Flower could not fly much longer without her wing being tended to, Faline managed to land her mount. Bryan growled at himself, terrified that the dracoknight would take advantage of her crippled state, but his fears were assuaged when Lartz and Marina swooped to the stricken Falcon Knight's aid.

Relief and anger struggling for mastery within him, Bryan quickly snatched up Eronite and charged at the offending Meloran. In one jarring motion, the raging Sentinel snatched the scarf around his neck, yanking him up and off his feet. His eyes blazing, he dragged Eronite's tip across the doomed man's neck, slicing it clean through, and dropped his corpse to the dirt. Afterward, and with his pulse thundering in his ears, the prince rushed to Faline's side. As Faline landed, she glanced skyward and saw that her former opponent was unlikely to cause her further trouble. She let out a sigh of relief, which turned into a pained gasp as more blood oozed from the stinging wound in her leg, and slowly dismounted. She then noticed her love's approach and limped over to him.

"Oh, Bryan!" she greeted, and then grimaced in pain. "Ugh…"

"Faline!" Bryan blurted in alarm, racing to reach Faline and steady her faltering steps. At this reminder of how close he'd come to losing her, his features darkened with self-recrimination as he cradled her against his torso.

"Damn it all, I'm so sorry!" he choked out, his words hoarse with guilt. "I should've gotten in more practice throwing javelins!"

"I know, but… I might've died if that guy's shot had found its mark," Faline pointed out, managing a smile despite the pain. "If you hadn't thrown off his aim, I might be needing a casket instead of a vulnerary. You saved me again, it seems."

"But I still let both you and your Pegasus get hurt badly! And while you were facing down a dracoknight, no less! If Lartz and Marina hadn't been so close…"

Bryan couldn't finish the sentence. Just thinking about what might've happened if the sniper had gotten off a clean shot, or if the dracoknight had been a split-second faster, left the prince of Astryn chilled to the bone.

Faline knew Bryan well enough to sense his train of thought, so she clapped a hand on his shoulder to shake him from his grim reverie.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," she assured him. "Besides, it's not as if this is the first wound I've taken."

"I know," Bryan said, a heavy sigh parting his lips. "But, I should've practiced throwing Eronite. With that wing, Flower can't even fly!"

"Well, that's true… And I really wish this hadn't happened… But I still think you have little reason to blame yourself. Like I said, if that sniper had gotten a clean shot, I wouldn't be standing here. You prevented that. And besides, Flower and I will be fine. I just need to go see Raela and we should be back in action soon enough."

"Alright, I hope so. But I still feel awful about this. I should've known better than that."

"Don't worry, I'm not really upset or anything. Just a little disappointed that I won't be able to fight at your side for a bit. I have faith in you, though, you'll do fine. Now go finish up the battle and don't let this incident get to you. Okay?"

"Heh, right. I'll try to end this quickly!"

With that, Bryan charged back into the battle while Faline, walking Flower and encouraging the wounded Pegasus with words of comfort, sought out Raela's aid. As Bryan turned his gaze back to the battle, he realized that the confrontation was petering out. The contingent of enemy wyvern riders were very nearly wiped out. Of their airborne foes, only the enemy commander and a handful of his underlings remained, and Eric was making short work of these. What's more, the flow of enemy reinforcements had stopped, and the combined strength and numbers of Bryan and Azura's group and the beast laguz was steadily overwhelming the remaining enemy cavalry and infantry. However, despite these reversals, the enemy commander wasn't showing any signs of retreating or surrendering. In fact, despite his having no more than half a dozen men left against the prince of Astryn's vastly larger force, he directed his wyvern in a slow, menacing glide towards Bryan.

"Your laguz friends are really starting to annoy me," he said as he leered down at the prince.

"Ha, your whole command is gone and we're just starting to annoy you?" Bryan replied with a small chuckle. "A little slow on the uptake, aren't we? As for the laguz, I'd hardly call them my "friends" just yet, but who knows? There aren't much better ways to bond than whipping the arse of one of Isis' cronies, especially since it'll mean putting an end to your raiding."

That barb elicited more of a reaction from the Dragonmaster than the deaths of his men.

"All of my fellow dracoknights might have fallen at the hands of you and these annoying felines, but I'm not done yet," he warned, his gauntlets creaking as his hands clenched into fists. "I might still have a trick or two up my sleeve. Heh, heh, heh…"

The Dragonmaster's words made little impression on Bryan, as they were as obvious as Ike's fondness for red meat; but, the Prince of Astryn noted his foe's clenching fists with interest. Despite his blithe confidence, the Dragonmaster was quite anxious.

Whatever "trick" the Dragonmaster had referred to, it seemed Bryan wouldn't have to wait long to see it.

"Heh, let me guess," he quipped, watching the Dragonmaster for any sign of sudden movement. "This is yet another attempt to defeat me and ensure that Astryn remains broken until Isis strolls in and demands my throne."

"Yeah, that's the general idea," the Dragonmaster replied, his tone almost conversational. "Ordinarily, I'd give you the chance to save your skin by handing over the throne now, but Queen Isis has her heart set on your death."

"Yeah, I've noticed. And, believe me, whoever said "It's good to be the king" must've been a resident at a mental asylum. But, this is my country, and I will protect it from whatever threats it faces."

Bryan spun Eronite over his head and then leveled the legendary weapon at the offending Meloran like an accusing finger.

"Such as you," he intoned with a note of finality.

The Dragonmaster seemed eager to answer the challenge when something drew his attention away from Bryan. For a moment, the Prince of Astryn believed the hint of distraction to be feint to lure him in; but, suddenly, he heard the flapping of leathery wings drawing nearer.

"Oh hell no, you don't!" Eric angrily cut in from atop his wyvern. "This pitiful excuse for a wyvern rider is mine!"

"Ah, yes, you're still nursing that bruised ego of yours, aren't you?" the enemy commander replied. "Very well then. If I must get you out of my way first, then that's simple."

"You might as well forget that plan. I've got quite a score to settle with you, and you'll pay with your life for soiling the name of Astryn's dracoknights!"

"We shall see…"

With that, both dragonmasters snapped their reins, sending their mounts leaping skyward. The two winged saurians rose higher and higher in the air while each rider readied their weapons. Eager to follow through on his earlier threat, Eric spurred his mount into motion, streaking at his foe with his poleaxe drawn back for an overhead chop. However, rather than meeting the charge, the enemy commander dove out of Eric's path. Eric was about to let fly with a taunt at his foe's seeming cowardice, but the commander spoke first.

"Very energetic!" he chuckled, continuing his dive at a speed that even Faline's Pegasus would be challenged to match. "I'd heard tell of Astryn's past glory, how your wyvern riders could blot out the sun with their numbers and fall upon a foe like lightning. I guess you're the last one who doesn't fly like a blind turkey on opium?"

Despite being well out of eyeshot, Bryan could clearly envision the open murder that must've been dawning on Eric's features. And, indeed, the prince of Astryn shared the sentiment. The Dragonmaster's words had summoned to mind the image of poverty, chaos, and despair that had seemed so prevalent in Astryn; from Sally's impoverished village to Medann's ruined splendor. He once more felt both the daunting scope of this task he'd committed himself to and the ever-present rage in his blood at those responsible for Astryn's plight. But, he knew he couldn't afford to be distracted now, so he shook himself back to attention…

…half a second too slow.

Above, the Meloran Dragonmaster had been leading Eric on a merry chase, wending above and around the waning combat on the ground until the two aerial combatants whirled about each other on the opposite side of the of the battlefield. Below were numerous beorc and laguz figures, each seemingly as tiny as an ant. But, the Meloran Dragonmaster could clearly see the tiny figure he sought.

Namely, a certain lost prince, who had made the fatal blunder of exposing his back to the enemy.

The Dragonmaster spurred his mount into a dive, angling straight for the Emerald Sentinel.

"BRYAN!" Skye hollered, his eyes widening with fear. However, his warning came too late. Bryan whirled just in time to see a mouth filled with razor sharp teeth yawning wide to bite him in half. He skittered to one side, but then felt a pair of scaled claws clamp about his torso. With its prey firmly in its grasp, the enemy commander's mount shot upwards, very nearly disappearing against the sun's rays.

For a stretching second, a terrible hush had fallen over the battlefield as the Allied troops and the Larameans watched the Meloran Dragonmaster bear his captive ever higher.

"You know, Astryn doesn't have much to offer," he taunted Bryan, "but it certainly looks pretty from up here. Don't believe me? Just look down. Ha, ha, ha!"

And, when Bryan inadvertently did so, his thoughts seemed to fly apart. From some dark corner of his mind, a sense of terror, seemingly forgotten and yet still keener than Ragnell's edge, suddenly hatched like wasps in his skull and began to devour him from the inside out.

"NO! Bryan!" Owen shouted, stunned with horror and every bone in him aching with helplessness at his son's plight. He had remained well away from the battle, near the wagons as he helped to tend to the injured in any he could.

In a moment that suddenly felt as though it was decades ago, Owen had been smirking wryly, supposing that many back in Medann would consider this labor too undignified for a duke. In fact, back when he'd still worn the trappings of his once illustrious house, he might've shared the sentiment.

But, that had been a long time ago.

His house was gone, his homeland lay on the brink of ruin, and so much of what he'd left behind when he'd fled Shigo's invasion was no more. Still, he had to admit, there were rays of light which might yet pierce the gloom that had settled over Astryn. Bryan's campaign to claim his throne, despite some rather amusing social blunders he'd committed during his first council meeting, had met with awe-inspiring success. And, seeing the beast laguz included amongst the wounded which Owen had treated, and the underlying realization that Bryan must've won them over, filled him with a pride that no amount of sad memories or blood sticking to his clothes could tarnish.

Intertwined with that, however, was the wish that he could fight alongside his son on the battlefield. And, perhaps seeing the two men dearest to her fighting side by side to save Astryn might even bring a smile to Caline's restless spirit.

At one time, he could've done so. During his youth, he had been a sage of some repute, and had even used his arcane gifts on the battlefield against overambitious foes of the once mighty House Novat.

But, that had also been a long time ago.

Ever since he had gone into exile in Talgria nearly two decades ago, assuming the identity of a simple merchant, he'd barely touched a staff or tome except to sell it. When the former duke had experimented with a few nearly spent staves and tomes pilfered from the Red Claw, he'd quickly discovered that his arcane talents had atrophied to the point of uselessness. Retraining himself might be possible, he supposed, but that could take months. And, it was doubtful Bryan had that kind of time.

Though the truth of it left a vile taste in his mouth, he was forced to concede that, if he were to take the field in his present state, he'd either be a quick casualty or a hindrance to his son. And, he could not leave the already overburdened Bryan with the weight of yet another dead loved one.

For now, it seemed, he would have to content himself with what he could do now to help his son. And, that meant bandaging wounds, setting broken bones and distributing medicines. Raela, being the only dedicated healer in their small army, had been running herself ragged tending to the injured, spent healing staves literally crumpling in her grasp as their power was expended. And, even with Lily and Soren lending their aid now that the fighting was largely over, there were often still more wounded trickling in than even all four of them could handle.

Yes, Owen would aid his son best by saving as many lives here as he could.

But, when he'd moved towards the battlefield to find out why it had suddenly become so quiet, he could feel the blood drain out of his face at the sight which greeted him. Through eyes rapidly misting, he beheld his only child clasped in the claws of a wyvern, struggling in the flying saurian's grasp as the creature winged ever higher.

And, the former duke felt his heart turn to lead and drop into his stomach when he saw his son abruptly go limp.

"No…" he gasped out, fear choking his voice to a strangled whisper. "No… Please…"

Owen's murmured plea, however, did not reach the ears of the man in whose hands rested the fate of his son.

The Dragonmaster, feeling his mood lighten at this turn in fortune, had continued to call out taunting comments about the spectacular view, when he noticed something most peculiar.

His captive, who had been gasping with mounting dread for the past few minutes, had suddenly fallen silent.

"Oh, surely you don't find this vista so dull as to lull you to sleep?" he said in a sneering tone. "Some of your supposed subjects might take issue with that."

When this jibe went unanswered, his brows furrowed in perplexity.

"You haven't soiled yourself, have you?" he wondered, working to sound more condescending than confused as he stroked his mount's head. "Baal here has sensitive nostrils, and might prefer dropping you to enduring the smell."

When this too was met with silence, the Dragonmaster found himself wondering if Baal might've lost his grip on the prince. Smirking at the accidental pun, he craned his neck to peer down at his wyvern's forelimbs.

The prince was still securely in the flying saurian's grasp, but the Dragonmaster nonetheless found his eyebrows arching.

The prince was acting most strangely.

He was trembling violently. At first glance, the Dragonmaster thought it might be from fear, but this shaking grew more and more violent until Baal's captive was literally convulsing like a worm on a hook. His unblinking eyes, when the lolling skull which housed them stayed still long enough to permit inspection, were darting every which-where. His breathing had also gone short, his face very nearly taking on a bluish tinge.

Baal craned his horned head partway towards his rider, as though eliciting his master's opinion on these oddities, and the Dragonmaster could only shrug in reply. He and Baal had employed a technique similar to this one in the past, as a method of coaxing information out of tightlipped prisoners when they could not afford the risk of killing them by accident. But, they'd never seen it have an effect like this, however.

I think I've struck on something.

"Bryan! …You dastard! Let him go, or you'll dearly regret it!" Azura angrily demanded.

"Oh, I don't know," the enemy commander replied in a mocking tone. "If I let him go now…it might get messy."

As if to underscore his point, the captive prince lost his grip on Eronite, and the legendary weapon of his forbearers fell to the earth with an ominous clatter.

"Skye, force him down!" Azura ordered, only belatedly noticing how pale the Marksman had become. More worrisome still, the normally unflappable Skye was shaking visibly, and his eyes appeared glassy and sightless.

"Skye?" Azura said, though the Marksman didn't seem to hear her. "Skye! What's wrong with you?!"

Skye's strange trembling suddenly became a swoon, his arrow falling from his shaking fingers and his bowstring twanging uselessly as his arm dropped.

"No…" Skye uttered, staring at his helpless friend. "No! NO! NOT THIS! NOT NOW! NOOO!"

The Marksman soon fell to his knees and then collapsed onto his side, his limps jerking spasmodically as his eyes, round and unblinking with terrors no other could see, brimmed with tears.

"Not again!" he began chanting between ragged breaths. "Not again! Not again! Not again! Not again!"

Bewildered at Skye's outburst, Azura was about to haul him to his feet when she was sent flying by someone plowing into her from behind. The young earl landed with the wind knocked out of her to behold a panicked Owen frantically shaking Skye. Nursing what would likely be an impressive bruise, she leapt to her feet and raced over to the two men.

"Oh no… This…This can't be happening," Owen said, his face pinched with mounting terror as the still unresponsive Skye was jolted from his grip by another spasm. "Skye, get a hold of yourself! This isn't the Cold Maw. But Bryan needs your help, just like back then!"

This isn't the what? Azura mused, her head spinning from more than just her tumble.

Before she could make sense of this oddity, Faline had rejoined the group. She had just brought Flower to the wagons to await Raela's ministrations and hadn't heard all of the chaos which had unfolded in her absence. But, when she heard Owen's shouting, and realized it could only mean that Bryan was in danger, she raced back the battleground. Her breath flew out of her lungs in a gasp of horror when she saw the peril Bryan was in and the state Skye had been reduced to.

"Wha…?! What…what's going on here?! What happened?!" she demanded as she turned her attention to Owen and Azura. "What's happened to Bryan and Skye?!"

"Yeah, Owen, surely you must know what's gotten into these two!" Azura seconded, the fear in her eyes matching Faline's…but also brooking no attempt to evade the question. Owen sighed, casting a glance of helpless agony towards his still captive son and clearly feeling the young earl's question as surely as salt being rubbed into an old wound.

"…Indeed, I do," he admitted, his tone now pleading. "But this is neither the time nor place for explanations, not until we save Bryan!"

Azura looked as though she might argue the point, but then she noticed Faline's hand curl about Owen's in a silent show of support for her would-be father-in-law.

"Alright, agreed," she conceded, though she found herself wondering if it would make any difference.

They had won the battle, but unless Bryan was saved, they would soon lose the war.

Far above the mounting dread below, in disposition as well as altitude, the enemy commander felt his earlier perplexity turn into malicious delight. The lost prince, one of Melora's deadliest foes, had a truly astonishing weakness. And, that weakness was his own fear. Whether it was of the vast distance between himself and ground, or the flying saurian in whose grasp he languished, or something else entirely, the commander had no way of knowing. But, it hardly mattered.

Wherever and however this strange fear had come over him, the lost prince was powerless against it.

"Pathetic!" the commander finally spat. "The reek of your fear offends my nostrils, and Baal's as well. Royal blooded, you might be. But, a hero? You are a fraud! No more than a posturing little princeling! You do not deserve the dignity of a warrior's death, but nor can I risk letting this puny wasp sting our army again. I do hope you appreciate this landscape, for you will soon become a permanent addition. Bye bye!"

With that, the scaled claws of Baal released their royal blooded captive, sending Bryan plummeting toward the earth below. Skye, snapping out of his terror-induced stupor, looked on with horror as he bellowed Bryan's name over and over while Faline, letting out a shriek of despair, buried her face in her hands. Azura and Owen watched in helpless agony as the future of Astryn, and of Altarais itself, hurtled towards destruction…

…yet, this fate was overturned by a most unlikely person.

Halfway through Bryan's plunge to death, another wyvern streaked towards the falling prince. Astride the flying saurian, of all people, was Eric. And, the Astrynian Dragonmaster seemed all too conscious of the irony as he snatched Bryan out of the air and hauled him safely onto his mount's back.

Bryan's only response to this startling occurrence, however, was more of the spasmodic trembling that had overtaken his whole body, save for his death grip on Eric's saddle. The Astrynian Dragonmaster, furious at the spectacle Bryan had caused, turned around to confront the prince for the situation.

"Are you ins—?!" Eric began, but the tirade died in his throat as he beheld Bryan's catatonic state. For a long moment, the Dragonmaster simply stared into Bryan's unseeing eyes, his anger towards him crowded out by a sudden onrush of memory.

Eric had seen this strange affliction before, and on one who mattered more to him than any other.

After a stretching second, Bryan seemed to come back to himself. With an abruptness that caused Eric to draw back, the prince of Astryn sprang to a sitting position, his earlier expression of overwhelming fright melting into one of confusion.

"Wha—?!" he spluttered. "How did I get here?! How did I get up here?!

"You don't remember," Eric said, almost to himself, suddenly finding it difficult to meet Bryan's gaze.

"No. The…the last thing I remember is staring into a mouth full of fangs."

Just like… Eric mused, but the thought was crowded out when he caught sight of the enemy Dragonmaster.

"Oh, this is just priceless!" the Meloran cackled. "The last of a spent bloodline and the last Astrynian dracoknight that merits the title. Oh, if I only had enough room in my collection for such antiques. It makes it all the more perplexing why you persist, when the futility of it is so obvious. You are but the remnant of Astryn's long since passed glory. This country's best days are far behind her; and all that remains is joining Queen Isis's mighty empire…willingly, or not."

With each word from the Meloran Dragonmaster's mouth, an ever-thickening red haze encroached upon Eric's vision. Though neither man had yet shared this with the other, Eric's anger towards Astryn's decline burned no less hotly than Bryan's. Yet, upon Bryan's arrival, that anger had been supplanted by incredulity at the notion of a presumptuous stranger, who knew nothing of Astryn's people or her plight, making impossible and preposterous claims that he could turn Astryn's long twilight into a new dawn.

After seeing more than a few overambitious nobles try to do just that, only to instead line their pockets and then leave those who'd believed them in the lurch, Eric was far from convinced. That the so-called lost prince had been reared in so disreputable a place as Talgria only served to further rankle Eric's pride, which had been left raw and red by how easily Olivia, Francois, Laris, and Canus had all fallen under this exile's spell.

The Astrynian Dragonmaster, by contrast, saw little more than his Meloran counterpart did; a fragile whelp who had let tears overcome him at the news of Marion's long expected passing, and whose mind had nearly come undone in the face of danger.

Who would follow Bryan in this mockery if they knew what his fear could reduce him to?

Not so long ago, Eric would've happily revealed this deadly secret and seen the poseur made a laughing stock and cast back into whatever shadow he'd crept out of.

He still could, in fact. All he had to do was tell the others what had happened when he landed…

…but, what would that accomplish?

As the ardor of retribution cooled, the full scope of this question descended upon Eric. Astryn had suffered much since Shigo's first invasion, but how much worse might the situation become if Bryan's claim to the throne was overturned? Likely, Astryn would be left right back where it was but days earlier, with petty nobles waging war for the vacant throne while, both within the realm and on the horizon, dark forces continued their foul work unchallenged...

…and, all because the only person who still cared enough about Astryn to try and save it had been turned away in disgrace.

Eric gave the Prince of Astryn a derisive glare, but the anger seemed to seep out of him. Not entirely, but enough that his more rational side could make itself known. Who else was there that had proven blood ties to the royal family? Who was willing to piece this broken realm back together, rather than pick over it like some scavenger bird and then take wing? Who else had faced the same enemies now plaguing Astryn, again and again, and emerged victorious?

The answer, much to Eric's chagrin, was Bryan.

Eric's mount, ever conscious to his master's thoughts, craned his horned head to peer at Eric with, seemingly, the reproachful gaze of a parent wordlessly telling a child to behave as though he had a spine and do what he knew was right.

"Alright, alright, Tyrael!" Eric hissed, knowing that his wily wyvern would just as readily use that same look when Eric served bear meat for supper instead of deer. "I can take a hint, you scaly old nag!"

Despite his incredulity, Eric had to concede the point. Whatever else Bryan might be, he was Astryn's only real chance, however slight, of finding its way to a better future. And, whatever else Eric might be, he was loyal to the country his father and forefathers had fought and died for. With that, he redirected his mount towards the commander.

"THIS "ANTIQUE" STILL HAS SOME FIGHT LEFT IN HIM!" Eric exploded, hefting his poleaxe. The enemy commander, startled out of his complacency by the general's bellow, brought up his weapon to meet the attack. But, he soon found that this particular Astrynian dracoknight was, as the commander himself had said, the best of a dying breed. Eric's downward chop clove into the man's chest, very nearly cutting him in half, and knocking him clean out of his saddle. Before the Meloran had even passed beneath his mount's hind limbs, the Astrynian Dragonmaster swung his axe into the wyvern's neck. Soft reptilian flesh gave way before the blade, and the creature began its own earthward plummet.

"Well, like you said," Eric continued as both the rider and mount crashed into the mountainside. "Some of us dracoknights still merit the title!"

With that, the general re-slung his bloody poleaxe across his back. The few remaining enemy troops, having seen their commander's demise and less-than-enamored with the idea of facing a flying berserker, fled in panic. Once they were gone, Eric directed his wyvern back towards the ground. He soon spotted Azura, Owen, and Skye waiting below, and each looking quite shaken by Bryan's brush with disaster. The Marksman, his stricken looking younger brother at his shoulder, was still on the ground, but his convulsions had subsided and he had seemingly regained his senses. Still, all the eyes suddenly riveting on him and his passenger reminded Eric that there'd be questions awaiting him upon his landing. Questions he wasn't quite prepared to answer.

Thinking fast, he turned in the saddle and whispered urgently.

"Hey, you! When we land, play along."

The lost prince, whose ability to think was also apparently missing, stared dumbly for a moment before opening his mouth to reply.

"Don't talk!" Eric bellowed, as much to drown out anything Bryan might say as to maintain the charade. "I'll have Armelle look at you as soon as we land."

In hindsight, Eric would have to admit that his choice of words had been ill advised. Before he'd even finished the sentence, Faline's eyes widened and she nearly sprinted toward where Tyrael would land. Frantic with worry she might be, but would she notice the ruse Eric was playing? And, if so, could she keep her mouth shut?

Luckily, Eric's hastily drawn plan was rescued when Owen, inexplicably sensing Eric's thoughts, snatched Faline by the arm and dragged her back.

"Give Armelle room to work!" he said fervently, then turned and motioned for those nearest to draw back and clear the Astrynian bishop's path.

Eric let out a sigh of relief as Owen ultimately drove back the crowd. A moment later, Armelle scampered up to his side. As Eric helped the prince dismount his wyvern, he craned over to whisper in his fiancée's ear.

Eric and Armelle, betrothed from the cradle, had been close even before they'd been old enough to understand their impending union. And, as children, they'd been a masterful duo in the sacred art of mischief making. The intervening years having no power to erode their skills in duplicity, Armelle announced, in a much louder voice than was necessary, that several of Bryan's ribs had been bruised, cracked, or broken by the wyvern's claws. She then brought up her healing staff, which flared as it mended the damage.

Granted, the "damage" was to Eric's palm, which he'd deliberately cut on his poleaxe. But, it was mended nonetheless.

And, more importantly, no one else was the wiser.

As Bryan watched the deception unfold, terrible comprehension dawned on his face. His features took on an expression of slack-jawed shock, as much from Eric's aid as from what he now knew must've happened during his mid-air captivity, and his face fell into his upturned hands.

Feeling a fresh wave of irritation towards his less-than-welcome liege, Eric snatched at Bryan's bangs and jerked him up to meet his gaze.

"If it bothers you, tell yourself it's for Astryn, because it is," he advised sternly, gesturing at the waiting Larameans. "Besides, I think you'll need your head mortared on straight when you're dealing with them."

These words seemed to get through to Bryan, for his expression hardened and he stood. As he approached the waiting beast laguz, however, he paused and turned to glace askance as Eric and Armelle.

"Thank you," he whispered, so faintly that Eric barely heard him.

"Don't mention it. And, I mean it. Don't. Mention. It. Ever. Again."

"Bryan!" Faline worriedly cried as Owen finally released her and she charged at her love.

The Prince of Astryn caught her in mid-stride, but his arms did so of their own accord without the intervention of his mind.

And, his mind was in a tumult.

I still can't escape it, he realized bleakly. Even after all this time, it just keeps coming back to haunt me.

This realization caused a tremor to begin at the base of his spine, channeling up until he begin shaking nearly as badly as he had in the Meloran wyvern's grasp.

"Are you alright?" Owen inquired, clapping a hand onto the still-trembling Bryan's shoulder.

"I'm alright," Bryan answered, hoping the lie was less transparent than it sounded. "Just…a little shaken up."

He could feel several knowing gazes upon him, belonging to people who knew just how "shaken up" he really was. Hoping that none of them belonged to people who'd reconsider helping him if they knew, he pasted on what he hoped was a convincing imitation of a smile.

"I'll be okay," he assured, turning to Eric. "Saying which, thanks. Even if I had survived that fall, I probably wouldn't have been in any shape to fight. I owe you."

"Don't mention it," Eric repeated, making what seemed like a half-hearted attempt to inject a derisive tone into his words.

"Oh, lighten up. I know you were worried," Bryan said with a sly grin.

"I was not! I only saved you because if I let you fall, I'd be in more trouble than you were!"

"Suuure. Anyway, how's Skye doing?"

Bryan quickly scanned the small crowd before spotting Skye. The Marksman, still looking pale and drawn, was slowly regaining his composure thanks to an attentative Kye.

"That's it, big bro, take another deep breath," the rogue urged. Skye followed his instructions.

"Th-Thanks, Kye…" he stammered after. "I can stand up now."

The Marksman was halfway to his feet when Bryan's clapped a hand about Skye's arm, steadying him as he rose to his full height. As the two friends locked gazes, Bryan realized, and not for the first time, how lucky he was to have a friend as loyal as Skye.

And, he also realized that, although Eric had given him a way to avoid his episode being revealed, explaining away Skye's behavior would be considerably more difficult. Whereas only Eric, Armelle, and the Meloran Dragonmaster had seen the effects Bryan's fear, Skye's affliction had had a far larger audience. How could what had happened to Skye be explained away with so many witnesses?

In a moment of devious inspiration, which he promptly blamed on Eric, he discovered an answer.

"Raela didn't give you a clean bill of health, did she?" he asked, a scolding tone in his voice.

"Wha?" Skye blurted, but clapped his jaw shut when he saw Bryan mouth the words "trust me, play along."

"Well…no," he lied, pointedly shuffling his feet in feigned embarrassment.

"Venin weapons are no joke," Bryan informed him, the words coming a bit easier as he told himself that this would do Skye less harm than the truth. "And, you were carved up like a roast with them. Now, when Raela tells you to get some rest and take more antidote potions, you listen."

"…Do I have to? Raela gives me the creeps."

"Oh, yeah, right!" Kye broke in, Skye's words overpowering any suspicion that might've been forming in the small rogue's mind. "Every time I see you two together, I half expect you to start making babies!"

"KYE!" several shocked voices rang out in reprimand.

"What? It's not as if I'm the only one! There's was this one time, with Marc and Leona-"

"Hey, don't drag us into this!" an irate Marc cut him off.

"Alright, alright, calm down!" Bryan shouted over the bickering. "We've got more important things to discuss."

"Indeed, we do," the white tiger opined as he drew near, reverting to his human form in midstride and rising on two legs to tower over Bryan. As the snowy pelt gave way to toughened, sun kissed flesh, Bryan took a moment to study his unlikely ally...assuming, of course, that term still applied. He was a tall, burly figure, obviously a seasoned warrior, whose feline ears were nearly lost amidst an unruly mass of ice white hair. Icy blue eyes, which regarded Bryan with an expression every bit as glacial as when he'd been pinned under the tiger's claws, were set into a weathered face which retained the black stripes of his animal form. His clothing, a gray jerkin and loose blue breeches, were tattered, likely from battle, and gravel crunched under his dark gray boots. All in all, he was every bit as imposing on two legs as he was on four.

Trying not to let this opinion show on his face, Bryan cleared his throat and met the tiger's gaze squarely.

"You should find what was stolen from you in those satchels the dracoknights were carrying," he began. "Please, take it with my gratitude for your help."

Bryan noticed out of the corner of his eye that Owen, apparently unimpressed by his son's choice of words, had turned his gaze heavenward and was shaking his head in helpless frustration. Apparently, as had been demonstrated back in Astryn Palace, Bryan still knew very little about speaking like a prince.

Well, since they haven't clawed me to pieces yet, I can't have been that bad, Bryan silently consoled himself. Of course, they'll probably still say that me giving the loot back doesn't mean that I didn't steal it.

As if sensing the prince of Astryn's thoughts, the tiger's eyes promptly narrowed in barely restrained hostility.

"That doesn't mean you didn't steal it," he pointed out.

I should add fortune telling to my Royal Pedigree, Bryan mused with bitter sarcasm.

"I'm telling you, my people and I were set up!" Bryan thundered, frankly not caring about diplomatic niceties which he knew little to nothing about. "Those dracoknights were fought were Melorans. They were going to plant the loot they'd stolen from you at an Astrynian fort, to trick you into attacking Astryn. We heard it from the commander's own mouth!"

"That exchange happened while my men and I were "conveniently" out of earshot," the tiger pointed out stonily. "And, the commander you mentioned is clearly in no condition to verify your claim."

Bryan drew in a deep breath and began silently counting to ten in an effort to assuage his frustration. However, he only got to six before he blew out his breath in a credible imitation of a tiger laguz's growl.

"Didn't you see them attacking us?!" he bellowed.

"Bandits turning on each other is hardly uncommon," the tiger countered. "Less people with whom to share the loot means that the rest get bigger shares."

Grinding his teeth, the Prince of Astryn frantically tried to think of something, anything, that might help him prove his claim. But, he was suddenly jolted back to the present when one of the Larameans, a cat laguz, suddenly spoke up.

"Wait, Captain Vorcas!" he interjected. "I believe him."

Captain Vorcas, apparently, was not used to being contradicted by his subordinates, for he fixed a withering glare on the cat laguz. Despite seeming briefly disconcerted by the tiger's glowering, the cat hastily continued.

"The bodies of those men we were fighting, they are Meloran."

"What?!" Vorcas demanded, his incredulity forgotten. "Explain, soldier!"

"You remember how we weren't able to tell anything from the scents of the dracoknights? I just figured out why. They had masked their scent with a paste made from the leaves of blood ash trees."

"Of what?" Azura blurted out, rolling her shoulder to relieve muscles cramped from long combat.

"It's a type of tree native to Melora," the cat laguz went on. "During the last war, the Melorans used them to make bows, arrows, and shafts for throwing spears. Blood ash wood was ideal for such, because it was light and flexible, yet still sturdy. But, they stopped using the blood ash wood for weapons because its smell could give away their positions."

"Yeah, I'd heard about that," Elincia piped up. "It was back in Eraghoa, from King Rothgar and General Derien. While I was tending to Ike after he'd been poisoned, they would sometimes help me to keep him conscious by speaking to him. They'd tell him stories of their time in the first war, and they said those bows and spears gave off a stronger scent than the Melorans' armor. They were able to smell enemies carrying them from miles away."

Captain Vorcas, apparently not the sort to be easily distracted, clapped a hand on the talkative cat laguz's shoulder and bodily spun him about so that he could glare directly into his subordinate's eyes.

"And, you know this how?" he said, but more as an order than a question.

"After the first war ended, I accompanied the Laramean delegation who traveled to Melora, to negotiate the peace treaty," the cat replied. "We passed more of those blood ash trees than I could count."

Several other beast laguz, who apparently knew the cat's story to be true, spoke up to affirm their comrade's account. Forcing himself to keep silent for the moment, Bryan tried to study Vorcas's reaction. Obviously, the white tiger was in a sour mood at having been contradicted and made to look in error by one of his subordinates; and, in front of an audience, no less. However, it seemed the revelation about the dracoknights' choice of camouflage had caught his attention. When his gaze met Bryan's again, it was not nearly as hostile as it had been moments before. However, that hostility seemed to be have been replaced by suspicion and perplexity, for one of his eyebrows rose to mingle with his shaggy hair and his icy gaze remained coldly skeptical. Before either of the antagonists could speak, however, another voice broke in.

"And, those others," the cat laguz went on, pointing at the dead Meloran infantrymen and cavaliers. "They smell of the north seas, which border Melora, not the south seas of Astryn."

Seizing upon this opening, Bryan stepped forward and interjected.

"There's your proof!" he exclaimed. "Your lands were raided by Melorans, not Astrynians."

Bryan had hoped that this latest proof would be enough to satisfy the wary Vorcas, but, much to his incredulity, the icy eyed tiger's disposition seemed every bit as frosty as it had moments before.

"Bandits come from every which-where," he pointed out. "And, they accept one country's coin just as readily as another's. How do we know you didn't just, shall we say, go abroad to find your hirelings?"

This unexpected rejoinder caught Bryan off-guard. Frantically, he tried once more to find some clue that might clear his country's name, and which would put Astryn's innocence beyond even Vorcas's broad capacity for doubt. He considered mentioning that these bandits were too well equipped for common brigands; their weapons, armor, and mounts far beyond the typical scavenged gear bandits commonly used. But, he quickly discarded that idea. The dracoknights' equipment could have been provided by whomever had hired them for the raids, and it was obvious that Vorcas considered Bryan to be the most likely candidate. The Prince of Astryn had been hoping that the overly talkative cat laguz might chime in again with more helpful revelations, but it seemed he'd fallen silent.

Fortunately, another spoke up.

"Wait a minute," Ike called out, "there might be another way to prove our claim!"

Vorcas, as was to be expected by this time, did not look convinced. But, he nonetheless nodded for Ike to speak…

…still, there was no mistaking a hint of impatience in the tiger laguz's stance.

"Back on Tellius, during the Mad King's War, my mercenaries and I," Ike began, pausing a moment to gesture at Soren and Elincia "had been hired to escort a delegation from the Kingdom of Crimea as they met with representatives from the Begnion Empire. Crimea had been invaded and overrun by Daein, and was seeking Begnion's help in driving them out. During the conference, we were attacked by pirates…or, so it seemed."

A muted but sharp intake of breath caught Bryan's attention, and his eye darted in the direction of the sound to spy Elincia. The former queen, though Bryan was still finding her royal origins almost as difficult to swallow as his own, had stiffened for the twinkling of an eye when Ike had mentioned their time in Tellius. No doubt she'd been afraid that, as had happened back at Fort Mercue, that Ike would accidentally blurt out what had become her most guarded secret during her time in Altarais. But, she'd very nearly sagged with relief when she realized how Ike had...revised her role during those events.

And, as Bryan soon realized, Ike's sleight of hand was a wise decision. The ever-skeptical Vorcas would have a hard enough time believing that he'd stumbled upon one lost royal, much less two.

"Get to the point!" Vorcas demanded, his outbursts shaking Bryan back to the present in time to see the tiger display his claws to underscore his impatience.

"The "pirates" were Daein troops," Ike continued, speaking rapidly. "They wore plain armor so we wouldn't be able to tell, and so that Begnion wouldn't realize that Daein was operating in their waters. But, when we searched their ship after the battle, we found that they'd had charcoal drawings of the delegates, so they'd know their targets, and a Daein flag, which would've helped them get back home after their mission. Maybe these guys did the same thing. If we search their bodies, we might find the proof we need."

Vorcas gestured towards the dead raiders in invitation for Bryan and his allies to search, but his expression suggested that he wouldn't be laying coin on their chances.

However, Bryan had the gratification of watching Vorcas's ever-wary expression become slack-jawed amazement when a Meloran flag was discovered in one of the dracoknights' saddlebags.

Seeing an opening, Bryan interjected.

"Maybe this will help our case?" he suggested, though it was only with an effort that he kept a hint of smugness from his tone.

Bryan could see questions forming in Vorcas's eyes, but, this time, he was ready for them.

"Oh, this might've been a trophy they took from previous victims. But, a banner like this is only carried by a unit of knights, like Melora's dracoknights. And, we both know they'd never let one be taken without a fight. So, where are the tears? Where's the blood? And, if this was a trophy, why hide it instead of wearing it for potential victims to see?"

"That's not all they were trying to hide," Soren spoke up, handing another satchel to Bryan.

The prince of Astryn withdrew a sheaf of parchment and, deciding to take a calculated risk, beckoned for Vorcas to draw nearer. Old instincts flared with alarm at the idea of allowing someone he didn't yet trust to approach him from behind, but Bryan forced himself to remain calm. With luck, his gesture would convey his confidence that this find would put to rest all doubt regarding Astryn's innocence, and that allowing Vorcas to approach would also show that Bryan trusted Vorcas to make the right decision after seeing the evidence.

Assuming, of course, that Vorcas didn't instead take the opportunity to grab the over-trusting Prince of Astryn from behind and snap his neck.

Taking a steadying breath, Bryan held the parchments so that both men could read them. And, spelled out on the pages was the whole sordid plot, all penned in, judging by the signature and signet, Queen Isis's own hand. The Meloran queen had laid out the situation, describing the return of the Lost Prince of Astryn, and laid out the plan to turn Astryn and Larame against each other. In the subsequent pages were maps showing the locations of the Laramean stores which had been looted, as well as incriminating locations within Astryn where the raiders were to drop off the pilfered goods.

"I hope this will be enough?" Bryan asked, gesturing at the documents. "Anybody could've written these, but the signet proves it. Royal signet rings are enchanted so that only their proper owner can use them. If anybody else in Meloran tried to use Isis's ring to make these behind her back, she wouldn't need to have them killed. The ring's magic would've beaten her to it."

This revelation seemed to, finally, make a true impact on Vorcas. The perpetual suspicion had finally left the tiger's face, his pinched features easing noticeable before furrowing in confusion.

"I don't understand," he admitted, and Bryan suspected that this was something Vorcas said rarely, if at all. "Why would Melora attack Larame? We are not at war with them. And, as I understand it, Melora is already battling with Talgria."

"That might not be going on for much longer," Bryan intoned, hoping that the hint of warning in his tone was not lost on Vorcas. "Melora is winning the war. Just before my friends and I came here, Cilae had fallen. Not just that, but Melora has been launching attacks in Talgria, Eraghoa, and Perais. They've been burning towns in the Talgrian heartland, have ransacked Cilae's shipping lanes, and carted off most of the Perais ravens in chains."

"That sounds quite dire, but you haven't answered my question. Why would Melora risk opening a second front by provoking both of our countries?"

As odd as it seemed when speaking about the possible destruction of both the land of his birth and his adopted homeland, Bryan felt a weight lift from his shoulders at this particular question. It would be sometime before the Prince of Astryn learned how to look, speak, and think the part, but he was still a seasoned soldier. And, this question was one he knew how to answer.

"They didn't want to open up a second front," he began. "They wanted to turn us against each other. Think about it. Melora has tried before to conquer all of Altarais, and, if things keep going as they are, they'll soon take half of what they want. But, Isis won't stop there. She wants to take the whole continent; but, she knows she's in a delicate position. She can't attack southern Altarais outright. At least, not while she's occupied on another front. The border between Melora and Larame is huge, as you well know, and beast laguz are fast and strong. Melora wouldn't be able to spare enough troops to guard that border well enough to keep your people from slipping through and counter-attacking them."

Here, Bryan paused for a moment to let his words sink in. And, to his relief, it seemed his message was getting through. A thoughtful expression had crossed Vorcas's face, no doubt as he measured Bryan's claims against his own knowledge and found them well matched. Several of the Larameans, apparently drawing the same conclusion, were avidly chattering amongst themselves. Bryan let the silence between himself and the tiger draw out for another few moments, and then continued.

"But, at the same time, Isis can't afford to wait either. You saw how she wrote about the return of the lost prince of Astryn. She's worried that this could mean Astryn will grow strong again, and maybe even lead the nations of southern Altarais against her. For Isis, that would be a disaster. But, she knows Astryn and Larame are not on the best of terms. If she managed to turn us against each other, she could secure Melora's southern flank, allowing her to concentrate on Talgria, while we fight each other. Then, once Talgria is beaten and we're both on our last legs, she can defeat both of us easily."

As Bryan finished speaking, he discreetly drew in a steadying breath. Having made his case, all he could do now was wait and hope that Vorcas was persuaded.

After all, in light of what he had hinted at a moment ago, what was the alternative?

For a long moment, however, Vorcas simply regarded Bryan with narrowed, calculating eyes, standing so eerily still that, if not for the rhythmic stroking of his chin, he might've been mistaken for a statue. As the silence dragged on for what felt like hours, the prince of Astryn's anxiety grew. Had he overlooked something while trying to sway the wary tiger laguz? Or, had the dire picture he'd painted caused the tiger to think he'd rather have Melora as an ally rather than an enemy?

After all, Bryan had admitted that Isis was winning the war.

Desperation propelling him into action, he advanced a pace closer to the silent tiger and met his frosty gaze.

"Listen, I know you don't have any reason to trust me," the prince of Astryn said firmly. "But, we both know Melora is dangerous to both of our countries. The death and destruction they caused during the last war proves that. And, the war that's going on right now might be even worse unless Isis is stopped. That won't happen if we remain apart. But, together, we have a chance. To protect our countries and our people, I'm asking you, soldier to soldier, for your help."

Perhaps it was the aftereffects of his brush with death, or maybe it was all the blood pounding in his head, but it took Bryan a moment to realize that, at long last, Vorcas had nodded his agreement.

"Your wisdom shows," he complimented, undoubtedly something else he did only rarely. "Very well, then. I will send some of my men back to Larame with word of what you have told me, as well as to return what was stolen by those Melorans. In the meantime, myself and the rest of my men will accompany you…"

Here, to Bryan's astonishment, Vorcas's words trailed off and his normally stern countenance took on a decidedly sheepish expression.

"I-If you'll let me, that is."

This sudden shift, from stern and imposing to almost sheepish, left Bryan briefly stunned, and it took a sharp jab in the back, likely from Owen, to snap him back to attention.

"Of course!" he blurted out, trying to sound more amused than bemused by Vorcas's odd behavior. "We'd be glad to have you."

"Thanks," Vorcas replied with a self-conscious smile, then turning to Eric. "It seems I owe you an apology as well, General Eric. If there's anything I can do to set things to rights between us, you need only ask."

Eric, who also seemed unsure what to make of Vorcas's new demeanor, nodded his acceptance of the tiger's pledge. Vorcas returned the gesture, took a cursory glance at the darkening horizon, and then turned back to Bryan.

"It's likely too dark for you to travel," he pointed out. "And, since we have much to discuss, I can show you a safe area to set up camp."

"That would be most appreciated, thank you," Bryan replied graciously. "My name's Bryan, by the way."

Vorcas had been about to extend his hand, but suddenly jerked to a halt when the Prince of Astryn's words registered. The tiger's eyes began to dart between Bryan's face, armor, and the parchments taken from the Melorans, which were still clasped in Bryan's hand.

And, all the while, Vorcas's jaw dropped ever lower in dawning comprehension and undisguised astonishment.

"That name…" he blurted, stupefied. "That armor… The lost prince of Astryn, that those Melorans had been after, that's you?!"

Before Bryan could reply, Vorcas dropped to one knee in unabashed obeisance to the lost prince who'd been a figure of legend throughout southern Altarais.

"I beg you for forgiveness, your highness…"

"Whoa, uh…the kneeling isn't necessary," Bryan insisted, idly wondering why he suddenly couldn't stop thinking of the term "occupational hazard". "And don't worry, you're forgiven. You did have reason to believe we were stealing from you and it was hardly your fault. The Melorans went to a lot of trouble, here and in Astryn, to make sure their tricks and ruses were convincing. Even the best of us could've been misled by such cunning."

After a moment's hesitation, the white tiger stood up.

"You are most gracious, Prince Bryan," Vorcas replied with a smile.

With that, Bryan offered Vorcas his hand and, despite a moment's perplexity that a prince preferred such over being bowed to, Vorcas accepted it. And, with that simple gesture, a new chapter had begun between Astryn and Larame. These two countries, although never truly enemies, had long been divided by mutual mistrust and misunderstanding. Yet now, for the first time in history, the two of them stood as allies, due in no small part to the seemingly mythical lost prince of Astryn.

Future generations would consider this to be the first of Bryan's great achievements as prince of Astryn, but it was neither the greatest, nor the last.

With the two former antagonists having made peace, and the tension between the two groups draining away, Vorcas led them up a gentle slope until they reached a broad mountaintop. Surveying the area, Bryan found further reason to respect the tiger. The mountaintop was more than wide enough for the now very large group to make camp, and it would also prove quite defensible, in case there were other Melorans lurking nearby. Later on, as tents were being pitched and campfires lit, Bryan and Azura conferred with Vorcas. As the lady of Elhorhi approached, they noted that the tiger eying her with evident curiosity.

"Oh, I'm Azura, the lady of Elhorhi in Talgria," Azura introduced herself. "Bryan and I have joint command of this army."

"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you, milady," Vorcas said, comprehension dawning on his features once more. "We did hear that a certain red-haired female commander was proving to be quite a dangerous thorn in Melora's side. That must be you."

"Yes, that would be me…"

"It is an honor to meet you, milady. Some of my men have told me what they've heard of your exploits. Their stories are incomplete, since much of your adventures happened so far from here, but what I've heard is most impressive. Rumors tell that Queen Isis has had a bounty on your head for quite some time. A friend of mine, from our patrols along the Meloran border, claims it's gone as high as seven hundred and fifty thousand gold pieces. Remarkable, isn't it?"

Bryan, who had gone from an ostracized boy, to soldier, to platoon captain, and then to lost prince in the course of his eventful and convoluted life, was quite certain he had never heard so grand an understatement. And, judging from the earthward migration of Azura's lower jaw, she hadn't either.

"You…that…" she stammered, trying to regain her composure. "Surely, they were stretching the truth? There are entire kingdoms which aren't worth that much."

My own, for instance, Bryan mused, hoping that Astryn's fragile health would not worsen in his absence.

"My men are honest to a fault," Vorcas denied, almost comically oblivious to Azura's discomfiture. "Some of the younger ones, those who seek to make a name for themselves, but have had little success, even expressed some envy that you enjoy such notoriety."

The Lady of Elhorhi muttered something under her breath which, Bryan suspected, was something along the lines of "they can have it". Vorcas looked eager to elaborate, but, thankfully, a familiar voice cut in a moment later.

"Vorcas! We knew it!"

Vorcas and Azura whirled to see Kiel running up to the pair with Sara at his heels.

"Vorcas, it's been so long! We knew your white tiger form seemed familiar when we ran into you earlier!" Sara added.

"Sorry we couldn't talk to you before now," Kiel said. "We recognized you while you were talking to Bryan, but we figured we shouldn't interrupt."

"Ah, Kiel, Sara. It has indeed been quite some time, hasn't it? I'm pleased to see you both are well," Vorcas replied with a smile.

"You all know each other?" Azura commented, an eyebrow arching with curiosity.

"Yeah, we met in the Forest of Hope," Kiel replied. "A lot of the laguz on this continent, Oathsworn and otherwise, visit the forest at least a few times a year, to renew the vow that was made there. Vorcas was there doing that when we met him. In fact, he is an Oathsworn himself. Sara and I met and befriended him during his last visit. We hadn't seen him since though."

"It is true, milady," Vorcas confirmed. "I go when my duties permit, but it's been difficult to make the time with all the troubles that have been brewing lately. But, enough of that. If I wasn't convinced before that none of you are thieves, I definitely am now. Kiel and Sara would never side with people like that."

"Wow, I see! Who knew friendships extended so far across the continent?" Azura commented.

She dovetailed this point by sweeping her gaze over the varied Astrynian and Laramean troops in the encampment, the significance of this moment by no means lost on her.

"So, where are you all headed right now?" Vorcas inquired, jolting the young earl back to attention.

"To Orenias," Azura explained. "The Astrynian nobles advised Bryan to meet with King Cragen there and ask for his aid. We learned that Astryn is a long-time ally of the dragon laguz there."

"That's right," Bryan confirmed. "I'd hate to get them involved, but, I'll be honest with you. The side we're on has a long, hard road ahead. Astryn faces threats inside its borders as well as out, and her army is in tatters. My country desperately needs more help, so that we have the time we need to rebuild, and Orenias might be willing to lend us the aid we need."

"Oh… I see," Vorcas replied, a frown ceasing his features. "I apologize, you probably know that our relationship with Orenias isn't exactly friendly."

"Yes, we did hear that as well," Bryan admitted. "But like I said earlier, Melora is threatening everyone right now. Whoever doesn't have Isis knocking at their door today, they will tomorrow. You've played straight with me, and I appreciate that. So, play straight with me once more: could Larame and Orenias set aside their differences? At least, for the time being?"

"Don't worry, I believe it can be done," Vorcas agreed, a hint of grim amusement lighting his features. "As you said to that Dragonmaster, carving through Isis's cronies is quite the bonding experience."

Bryan chuckled, and this seemed to please the tiger immensely.

"But, in all seriousness," Vorcas went on, "knowing King Cragen, he will see the wisdom in your words. Truth be told, the blame for the tension lies largely with my country, and I fear such is not in the best interests of my people. But, our king is…stubborn…to put it mildly. He is a superb warrior and leader, but he is more a soldier than a statesman, and has little patience for such long and convoluted things as diplomacy."

"Sounds like another beast king I know…" Ranulf remarked, recalling Skrimir's similar disposition, but then shaking himself back to the present. "Sorry, it's a long story."

"I see… Your country must not be all that different from ours, then?"

"I don't think so, no. But we don't have any quarrel with our dragon tribe back in Tellius. Goldoa, the land of the Tellius dragons, had isolated itself from the outside world for centuries. I heard Kurthnaga, their new king, was going to change that; but, I left before I found out either way. As for where I'm from, though we are rarely disappointed when we're called upon to fight, we don't really go looking for trouble."

"Ah. Well, anyway, your highness," Vorcas continued and turned to Bryan again. "If all goes well, my comrades will be at the border in a few hours, their message to Larame having been delivered. May I join them?"

"That sounds like a plan to me," Bryan agreed, noting the twilight sky rapidly dimming to the violet of night. "It's too dark to travel further anyway. We should get some rest, and set out at first light. Saying which, thanks for showing us this campsite, Vorcas."

"It was the least I could do. And, besides, I know this area quite well. There are many paths through the mountains separating Larame and Orenias, linking both countries. It can be difficult finding ones way through, if you're unfamiliar with the area, but I can guide you to the paths leading to Orenias."

"Really? That would be excellent, thank you!" Bryan commented, only belatedly remembering Owen's earlier request to act as their guide.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw his father emerge from amongst several half-pitched tents. The former grand duke's expression was drawn, no doubt from the brush with death that still had Bryan hiding shaking hands behind his back, but the prince of Astryn noted him trying to wipe it from his face before the others noticed. Once Bryan had explained Vorcas's proposition, Owen quickly voiced his approval.

"I don't know my way around those mountains half as well as Vorcas seems to," Owen admitted. "I only know some of the land across the border. By the sound of it, Vorcas's knowledge of the area is far better."

"Alright," Bryan replied. "But Vorcas…why did you learn all the paths to Orenias?"

"Well, aside from myself, not many of us leave Larame," Vorcas explained. "At least, not often. Still, there are those of us who patrol that part of the border, and others who follow the mountain paths to other destinations. We learned our way around the mountains, so that we know how to get home when we have to leave the country for whatever reason. This helps ensure that we do not stray across Orenias's borders. Given the relationship between our countries, that could be…problematic."

"Oh, that does make sense. Well, let's finish setting up camp. We've had a long day, and another is likely ahead of us tomorrow."

The words were barely out of Bryan's mouth when the truth of them struck him. And, hard. Maybe it was the combined strain of Faline's near disaster, as well as his own. Or maybe, with the day's crises having lifted, the surge of frantic energy had deserted him, as had often happened after long battles. Whatever the reason, he suddenly found himself able to remain standing only through sheer willpower. As the little group dispersed, he ducked behind a tent and sagged against it, feeling as though his armor had grown heavier and heavier until it might as well have been the weight of the world.

"Are you alright?" the voice of Owen asked softly.

Bryan struggled to straighten, and his cramping legs nearly pitched him headfirst into the dirt. The prince of Astryn was spared this indignity when Owen's hand shot out and grabbed his shoulder to steady his son. Still, as Bryan met his father's gaze, he felt his own eyes grow hot.

"I'd…wanted, so badly, to forget," he murmured, his voice quavering.

And, indeed, he'd tried hard to do just that, both as a boy and as a man. As a boy, he'd gone back to stare into the jaws that had nearly claimed him, only to turn back as his courage wilted in the face of remembered terrors. Those same terrors, given new life by his latest brush with death, still teased at his mind as he worked to focus on something else, anything else, besides rows of fangs lining the drop into a bottomless abyss.

And yet, the turning of the years and his growing into manhood had not defanged that horror.

Those rows of fangs were still there, in the back of his mind, waiting for the right time to yawn wide and bite him in half.

Owen, sensing his son's train of thought, pulled him in closer, allowing the battered prince of Astryn to lean against his father's sturdy frame. Some inner voice whispered that this might seem unbecoming to any onlookers, but Bryan was simply too weary from his travails, and too grateful for this reprieve, to care.

"I wish I could tell you that it would get easier," Owen whispered, feelingly. "Coping with what happened, or to be prince of Astryn. But, that won't happen."

Clapping a hand on Bryan's shoulder, Owen drew back from Bryan to look his son in the eye.

"But, never forget, you're not alone. You still have Faline, Skye, and me. You must be the pillar that holds Astryn up, but let us be the pillars that hold you up."

A smile, a small, tired smile, but a smile nonetheless, took shape on Bryan's face as he recalled how all those years ago, Skye's friendship had done what a doctor's ministrations could not and how Faline's love had given him courage he never knew he had. And how, through it all, his father had always been there, free with advice and support, but always willing to give his son the time and space he needed to become his own man.

The burden of royalty would grow no lighter, indeed, the reverse was far more likely, but at least there were others who could aid him in bearing it.

"Thank you, Father," Bryan choked out, tears of happiness fighting to spill from his eyes.

"You're welcome," Owen replied, his brow suddenly furrowing. "But, tell me, where have you left Eronite?"

His own brow furrowing, Bryan quickly searched his person, but he found no trace of the legendary thunder lance of Astryn. Then, with a rush of blood to his cheeks, he realized that, in the heat of exonerating himself with the Larameans, he had never retrieved it from the battlefield...

…which now lay several miles away.

Owen, once more sensing his son's thoughts, stared at Bryan in mute disbelief before clapping a hand over his face and shaking his head in frustrated stupefaction.

"Well, no one besides me can touch it," Bryan pointed out, somewhat desperately. "So, it's not going anywhere, right?"

Owen, clearly not amused, crossed his arms over his chest and gave Bryan a stern glare which brooked no disagreement.

"Go find Lartz, fly back there, and get it back," he instructed, holding up a hand to silence Bryan's reply. "I know you'd rather go with Faline, but it might be best if this stayed secret. Lartz strikes me as being tighter lipped than Faline. And…I need to talk to her myself. I promised her an explanation of what happened back there, and I doubt she'll wait much longer."

Feeling suddenly like a whipped dog, and with mortification crowding out his fatigue, Bryan slinked off to find the Dracoknight.

And, as he departed with his royal tail tucked between his royal legs, he thought the same thing he'd been thinking quite often of late.

If whoever said "it's good to be the king" is still alive, I'm going to kill him!

And, as Owen watched his son depart, Owen thought the same thing he'd thought often lately.

He still has a lot to learn.

Still, considering that Bryan didn't even know he was a prince until a few months ago, Owen supposed he couldn't fault his son for a few early missteps. And, indeed, by bringing Astryn and Larame together, at least for now, Bryan had proven that he certainly had the potential to become a great king.

In the aftermath of the battle, while this newfound alliance was being cemented, Owen had watched his son and the tiger from a respectful distance.

To look at them as they'd led their respective troops to the campsite, one would never have believed they'd been adversaries just hours before.

Indeed, it seemed as though Vorcas might've been vying for the post of Bryan's manservant, for the tiger would sweep aside stray debris from Bryan's path and, where the footing looked treacherous, would insist on going first. Owen knew Bryan well enough to know that he was perplexed, and more than a little annoyed, by this coddling, but, luckily, he'd taken the hint from Owen elbowing him in the back and bore it with stoic courtesy.

After all, it wasn't as if he wouldn't have to put up with such things when he became Astryn's ruler.

Despite what must've been a degree of frustration with this treatment, Bryan was obviously coming to respect Vorcas. And, the reason was obvious. The mountaintop the tiger had chosen as their campsite was more than broad enough to accommodate the army's encampment; no small feat since the army was much larger than it had been when they'd first arrived in Astryn. Even better, it was readily defensible. It offered a clear view of the surrounding countryside for miles in all directions, offering no concealment for attackers coming by land or air. And, since the slopes leading up offered no cover, anyone trying to climb up to attack them could be easily picked off with arrows and magic.

When Bryan complemented Vorcas on his choice, Owen could swear the tiger was blushing a bit.

As Owen surveyed the rest of the camp, he saw others amongst the army mingling with Vorcas's men, accentuating the seeming sense that everything had worked out for the best.

But, for a father who'd just watched his worst nightmare very nearly play out in front of him, it was a cold comfort.

Recalling that the documents found on the Melorans had spared Bryan the trouble of authenticating himself to the Larameans did little to dispel the memory of watching Bryan hurtling towards what had nearly been his death. Neither did Eric's surprising about-face in rescuing Bryan and concealing the truth of what the Prince of Astryn had been suffering from while in the wyvern's grip, though Owen silently told himself over and over again that that was also a vital turning point. Finding nothing outside to console him, Owen shoved aside the flaps of his newly erected tent and stormed inside.

His eyes immediately settled upon a tome, its magic nearly spent, hidden amongst his possessions.

He snatched it up and, his blood hot with determination, began to study the spells within. It had been a long time since he'd been able to cast even the most basic of spells, but he could feel the tiny smolder of magic still within him. Fumbling his way through the incantation, he stoked that tiny spark as best he could and brought it forth.

His gifts in magic had atrophied badly, but what he was able to summon forth was enough…

…enough to kill a malnourished hummingbird, that is.

Anything larger would not die from such an attack, except possibly from laughter.

Furious, Owen tossed the tome to the ground and swore explosively enough to have several generations of House Novat turning in their graves.

"I hope you don't plan to kiss your grandkids with that mouth," a female voice opined.

Startled, Owen whirled to see Azura and Faline, the two young women apparently having managed to slip into the tent without him noticing. As his anger over his failed spell cooled, he suddenly became pointedly aware of the expressions of amusement on the two ladies' faces…

…and, the question that must've brought them here.

"I, ah," he stammered, embarrassment warring with a desire not to reopen old wounds, "would, er, appreciate it if, well, you didn't mention this to Bryan. Or Skye. Or Eric. Or Camus. Or Laris. Or Alec. Or, anybody at all, actually."

"Oh, I'm keeping this juicy nugget all to myself," Azura joked, but her jovial mood turned serious quickly enough. "But, that's not why we're here."

She didn't say more than that, but, then again, she hardly needed to. With a long sigh, he directed the two women to close the tent's flaps and then indicated a pair of collapsible chairs, both still folded up for transport, which lay in one corner of the tent.

"You ought to sit down," he suggested, trying vainly to force the quaver out of his voice. "This is a long story...and, it's not a happy one."

Perhaps he was hoping this warning might induce the two women to hold off on hearing his tale until the lingering shock of Bryan's brush with death had faded. Or, maybe he just wanted a moment to steel himself for the pain this recollection would bring. Whatever the reason, Azura and Faline were soon seated and regarding him attentively, the tense silence broken only by the whirring sound made as Faline's fingers found her spurs and began absently flicking the rowels.

"By now, I suspect you know that, as a child, Bryan was...mistreated by his peers?" Owen began.

"Yeah, Skye told me about it awhile back," Azura confirmed.

"I've heard bits and pieces too," Faline added, comprehension dawning. "Wait, what happened to him earlier has something to do with that?"

"Very much so," Owen said gravely.

"But, how?" Azura asked. "And, what was that you said to Skye, about the Cold Maw?"

"Well, that's a long story in and of itself. First, with regard to what the Cold Maw is, it's a canyon near Narcoss. It's quite a sight, though few have travelled there in some time. Parts of the canyons walls had eroded in a very strange manner. It left behind numerous rocky outcroppings at intervals, making the canyon look as though you were gazing down into a huge mouth with row upon row of pointed teeth. In winter, snow would pile up in the bottom of the canyon like foam. Godric, the founder of Narcoss, had originally named it the Carouser's Canyon. Reportedly, it was because, when it was full of snow, it looked as though beer had been poured into the "mouth" faster than it could be swallowed."

This rather silly anecdote elicited a snicker from the two ladies, though no trace of mirth touched Owen's features.

"Yeah, that was the prevailing sentiment. But, back when Bryan was six or seven, things changed. And, for the worse. There had been this group of bandits who'd tried to attack Narcoss, but had been wiped out. There were rumors about their loot, which was still sitting in their hideout. And, as often happens with such rumors, the amount of loot these bandits supposedly had got bigger and bigger with each telling until, ultimately, some sincerely believed that whoever found this loot would be richer than a king. At one point, other rumors began to work their way around town. People began to suspect that the loot might be hidden at the bottom of Carouser's Canyon; and, one day, a group of boys decided to try and find out."

Noticing the sudden tension in Faline's posture, Owen raised one hand.

"No, Bryan wasn't one of those boys. That comes later. Now, these boys went down into the canyon, using its "teeth" as stepping stones. Nobody knows if they found anything down there, but it hardly mattered. They were able to get down into the canyon, but they couldn't get back out. From down there, they weren't able to reach any handholds for climbing, and the soft snow they'd landed in was like quicksand. Of course, the townsfolk eventually realized the boys were missing and put together a search party. I was among them."

"Did you find the boys?" Faline wondered, though she must've already sensed the answer.

Owen heaved a heavy sigh, sensing old ghosts stirring as he recalled the horrors of that day.

"By the time we did, they'd all frozen to death," he grimly reported. "We couldn't even recover the bodies for burial until well into spring. After that, the canyon was largely known as the Cold Maw. Whatever goes into its icy depths doesn't come back out."

"That's awful," Azura said, no doubt recalling how, as a child, she'd had more than a few brushes with death herself. "But, what does this have to Bryan and Skye?"

"Well, the adults in Narcoss, especially those with children, learned their lesson about the Cold Maw soon enough. They kept well away from it, and made sure their children did the same. But, this didn't always work. About a year or so after the canyon was renamed, some of the boys who'd mistreated Bryan came to him with, what Bryan thought, was a peace offering. They dared him to go to the Cold Maw and look down into it. If he did, they said they'd be friends with him."

"And, Bryan believed them?!" Azura blurted, disgusted by such a ploy.

"He'd been mistreated for so long that he jumped at the idea of stopping it, and having more friends. I would've stopped him, but, at the time, I was arguing with a disagreeable customer over the price of some goods. I didn't hear the conversation Bryan had with the boys over the buffoon's shouting, and by the time I'd calmed the man down enough for him to be reasonable, Bryan and the other boys were long gone. I only learned about this from Skye after the fact, but the boys apparently let Bryan go through with his part of the dare. Then they pushed him onto his stomach and dangled him by his ankles over the edge of the cliff. They laughed as he dangled there, kicking, screaming, and crying for help."

"What?! That…that's just horrible!" Faline gasped. "I can't believe anyone would do something so awful, and to an innocent child!"

"Neither can I!" Azura agreed. "But, what does Skye have to do with this?"

"I'm getting to that. Skye and Bryan were supposed to spend that day together. But, since Bryan left with those boys straightaway, Skye didn't figure out that something was wrong until it was too late. He managed to find the other boys and, seeing what they were doing to Bryan, he tried to intervene. But, he accidentally scared them into dropping Bryan…"

"Oh, no…" Faline uttered, tears building up into her eyes. Azura could only gape in shock.

"Bryan broke an arm and an ankle in the fall," Owen continued, his voice cracking as he recalled how he'd discovered what had happened after nearly half a day of frantic searching. "Skye was so horrified at what had happened that he went berserk. He charged at those boys, wrestled them to the ground, and nearly beat them all to death. Needless to say, those boys never bothered either of them again. When Skye had regained his senses, he was half out of his mind with revulsion at what he'd done. But, he was shaken out of it when he heard Bryan groaning. As Skye tells it, Bryan had landed on one of the "teeth" in the first row, only a few feet down. Skye couldn't reach him, but, once I'd finally tracked them down, I could. Bryan's injuries were treated by a local priest, as were Skye's. Their bodies healed quickly enough, but, inwardly, both boys had taken wounds that would prove far more lasting. Seeing this, and sensing that separating them would not be wise, I let Skye stay with us for a while. Skye was brooding and silent nearly that whole time, and I couldn't get Bryan out of the house for days."

Wearied by the tale, and the pain that came with it, Owen let his face fall into his upturned hands.

"No doubt, when Bryan was in the claws of the Meloran Dragonmaster's mount, he looked much as he did then. His eyes staring ahead, sightless and unblinking, while the rest of him convulsed and writhed. That's why I tried to keep everyone away from Bryan when Eric brought him back to the ground. That memory was horrible enough as it was. I didn't want this secret shown in front of everyone, and certainly not when so much rides on Bryan's image as Prince of Astryn. As you may have guessed, that's why I wouldn't tell you this while so many were listening in."

"That's…That's unbelievable," Azura murmured. "Those poor men…"

"I know…" Faline uttered, unable to suppress crying. "Bryan needs me, more than I ever would have thought… And Skye… He needs help too."

"They do, indeed…" Owen replied, gravely aware of how much gravity those few words carried.

Once more, a grim silence descended over the trio, broken only when Faline once more began flicking the rowels of her spurs, her face a mask of consternation. Azura looked much the same until her brow began to furrow. Then, with the suddenness of a thunderclap, she snapped her fingers and vaulted to her feet.

"Wait a minute!" she blurted out, before noticing Owen frantically gesturing for her to lower her voice, prompting her to whisper the rest. "If Bryan was in the state you say he was when the Meloran's wyvern grabbed him, then Eric must've seen it. I don't see how he couldn't have noticed. So, why didn't he...?"

"Shout it for all to hear?" Owen finished, hating how helpless he felt as he shrugged in reply. "I'll be honest with you, I have no idea. I'd be surprised, but very happy, if this meant Eric has come around with regards to Bryan. But, I suspect Eric's motivations are different. Still, whatever the reason, it is fortunate that Eric made that choice."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. While Marion withered from her illness, and all the Astrynian nobles squabbled over which of them would replace her when she died, ragged swaths of Astryn slid into lawlessness and ruin. You remember what we saw in Sally's village and Medann? From what I've learned back in the palace, there are many such places in Astryn, some of which are even worse. Despair and chaos might very well kill Astryn before Isis can."

"But, now that Bryan's back, surely people are realizing that things can turn around," Faline opined vehemently.

"Some do," Owen allowed. "Some will, some might, others may not decide either way for some time, and others will likely remain skeptical. Remember, when Sally first talked about the lost prince of Astryn, it sounded as though most considered him little more than a rumor or a child's tale. Not everyone will believe the lost prince is real as readily as Sally did. And, even many who do will be worried that Bryan might not be equal to the task."

Faline's expression had grown more and more incredulous as she listened and, when it looked as though she was about go into a lung splitting rebuttal, Owen held up a hand to forestall her.

"You believe Bryan can accomplish this, and so do I," Owen said forcefully. "And like I said, many others likely will in due time. But, the hope that Bryan represents is a fragile one. He'll need to prove himself to a great many people, quite a few of which will be…unfriendly. Those nobles who were about to begin fighting each other over the throne when we arrived? Bryan proving himself to be the prince of Astryn ruined their chances of replacing Marion, and they won't forgive that easily. And, there are the dracoknights and the Larameans. They respect leaders who are strong and can act decisively. Would they be willing to follow Bryan if they knew what really happened? It pains me to say this, but, I doubt it."

Here, Owen had to pause and draw in a shuddering breath. But, this did little to calm his heart, which writhed in rebellion against the words that must come next.

"This is a hard thing for a father to say about his own son, but our mission here will likely be decided, one way or another, by Bryan's image. And, his image might very well count for more than even his well-being. Think about Tavon replacing Eronite with that counterfeit. If Laris hadn't seen through the scheme - or, if he had, but chose to keep silent - that would've finished us then and there."

By this time, Owen's heart was hammering against his ribs in such violent protest that flashes of red intruded upon his vision. But, his eyes soon cleared to reveal his small audience regarding him with grim understanding.

"So, you think it would be best if Bryan's…issues… were kept secret?" Azura whispered, more than a hint of worry in her tone. "We can try, but, I doubt we can keep that up forever."

"True," Owen admitted. "But, Bryan has only begun to prove himself. Once he's had some success, once people see that he can make this kingdom great again, they'll likely be more forgiving. We just need to make sure Bryan's image remains untarnished until then."

Owen wasn't surprised when he saw Faline nod gamely, but the sight did his heart good nonetheless.

"I've already promised to help Bryan, and I'm keeping that promise," she intoned with iron determination.

"I'm in good hands, then," a new voice spoke up.

Three pairs of eyes darted in the direction of the sound to see Bryan slipping into the tent, a certain thunder lance resting prominently upon his shoulder. Owen gave a nearly invisible nod of approval, but it was doubtful Bryan noticed since he was nearly sent sprawling by an overzealous hug from Faline.

"How…how are you holding up?" she wondered, though Owen sensed far more to her simple question than that.

"Nothing a little sleep won't cure," the prince of Astryn replied, and then let a hint of humor seep into his tone. "Frankly, our new friend, Vorcas, tires me out more than the enemy. I can't so much as walk across the campground without him insisting that I wait until he's swept the path first."

"Well, look on the bright side," Azura spoke up, a wry grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Which is?" Bryan asked, looking utterly baffled.

"You'll be able to get used to how it'll be when you start to live in Astryn Palace. Once you do, you'll have to deal with all those hundreds of servants who won't so much as let you get dressed or disrobe to take a bath without them."

Bryan's response to this image was a high-pitched and vaguely effeminate scream of terror that sent the two women into a fit of laughter. Knowing how difficult Bryan would find it to adjust to such stifling extravagance, Owen was hesitant to join in…

…briefly.

Ultimately, the catharsis of the their mirth got the better of him, and Owen found himself hoping that, someday, overbearing servants would be the worst of his troubled son's problems.

"Hey, it's not like you won't have the same problem when you settle down in your Earldom!" Bryan desperately retorted. "Heck, whoever draws your bath will probably see more of your skin than Leyon."

Faline looked aghast at this rejoinder, or if it was feigned, she was certainly convincing, but Azura only chuckled in reply.

"How, pray tell, are you going to maintain your image as an honest and true prince with things like that coming out of your mouth?" she inquired, waggling a scolding finger at Bryan.

How, indeed? Owen mused, wondering how such a remark would be received in so-called polite company.

"Besides," Azura continued, shaking Owen out of his reverie, "I can…shall we say…turn that in my favor. Jealous men are attentive men, after all."

The sound of Owen slapping his palm against his forehead was lost amidst the brief commotion which ensued when Azura began "advising" Faline on ever more unorthodox ways to get Bryan's attention when it was focused elsewhere. For a time, Owen found himself shuddering at what must've been going through Azura's red head to prompt such, but, when Owen reluctantly forced himself to think as much as Bryan's political guide as Bryan's father, something occurred to him.

Perhaps this was Azura working to, forcibly, shake Bryan's thoughts from his brush with disaster? Maybe this was her highly unorthodox way of reminding him of how precious Faline's affection was, and not to take it for granted? Possibly this was her way of saying that, if he planned to engage in battles of wits and words, he'd best choose his opponents and his moves more carefully.

Or, very likely, she was simply delivering an overzealous retort...overzealous on the order of answering a thrown snowball with a catapult stone.

Whatever the reason, Owen found himself deciding never to underestimate Azura's devious wits.

Faline, meanwhile, was flushing to the roots of her hair while Bryan's face turned as green as his armor.

"Ooookay," he murmured, looking perfectly nauseated. "That rejoinder sounded a lot more effective in my head."

"Let me guess, you find yourself saying that often," a new voice opined in a surly tone.

Both women looked stunned, and more than a little wary, as Eric shouldered through the tent flaps. Bryan, by contrast, almost looked as though he'd been expecting the Dragonmaster's arrival.

And, there was no need to guess why.

"I think it's time you and I talked," Eric stated flatly. "And, in private."

It was obvious that Faline was displeased with the notion, for she sidled closer to Bryan and entwined her fingers with his. But, much to her amazement, Bryan put a gentle hand on her shoulder and pushed her away.

"It's alright," he assured her before meeting Eric's gaze. "We…need to have this talk."

Though her reluctance was obvious, Faline eventually nodded and withdrew her hand, but not before pecking her love on the cheek.

"Don't be long," she urged, accentuating her request by staring up at him with a pair of eyes that would not have been out of place on a sad puppy.

"I won't," he promised, before kissing her forehead and following Eric out of the tent.

"Well," Owen remarked once the two men had left, "I guess we'll know soon enough if the two of them can come to terms. Until then, all we can do is wait and hope for the best."

Resignedly, the two women left to find their own tents. But, as Owen regarded his bedroll, he suddenly found himself doubting that he'd find any rest this night.

Still puzzled and wary of Eric's surprising intervention during the battle, Bryan followed the Dragonmaster in anxious silence. It was obvious from Eric's rigid posture and rapid stride that, whatever it was he had to say, he wanted it over with as quickly as possible. Bryan matched his pace, but nearly tripped when, upon entering Eric's tent, he saw Armelle waiting for them.

"I thought you said this would be private," he pointed out, keeping his tone carefully neutral.

Eric opened his mouth to reply, but Armelle beat him to it.

"I asked to be here," she said, her eyes drifting away from Bryan. "I…well…I also have something to say about…what happened."

Sensing that it would be unwise to argue the point in front of the prickly tempered Eric, Bryan nodded his acceptance. Besides, although he wouldn't call either the Dragonmaster or the Bishop friends, and the feeling was likely mutual, this meeting might be a chance to bridge the gulf that divided them.

And he wasn't going to waste it.

For a long moment, Eric simply paced about the interior of the tent, as though he needed to steel himself for the conversation. But, after Armelle gave him a warning glare, he stopped, drew in a long breath, and then faced Bryan.

The prince of Astryn wasn't surprised when he saw the hostility in Eric's gaze, but he couldn't help but notice that the smoldering anger in Eric's eyes had dimmed somewhat.

"I don't like the idea of lying to my men," he said without preamble, leveling an accusing finger at Bryan. "And, certainly not for your benefit."

Sensing that it would be unwise to claim to understand the position he'd put Eric in, Bryan studiously kept his mouth shut, waiting for Eric to finish before answering.

"And, I stand by what I said earlier," Eric continued. "What I did back there was for Astryn, not for you."

The backhanded reminder of what Eric must've seen caused an unpleasant warmth to gather at Bryan's cheeks and his eyes to grow hot, but he forced himself to remain composed. After all, if all Eric wanted in return for keeping this secret was to needle him, the prince of Astryn could call it a bargain.

"Ahem!" Armelle abruptly spoke up, startling both men.

"Ah, yes," Eric stammered, his earlier agitation giving way to awkwardness. "Well, there was another reason."

"And, that's where I come in," Armelle cut in, some of the color draining from her cheeks. "What…happened to you earlier is something Eric and I have…dealt with before."

Some of Bryan's surprise must've shown on his face, for Armelle averted her gaze and Eric's ever-present glower promptly reappeared on his face.

"Call it a secret for a secret," he suggested. "And, this stays between us. If you even think about spreading this around, you'll need to get…creative about continuing Astryn's royal bloodline."

Eric emphasized his words by pointing at a certain, rather valuable piece of Bryan's anatomy and making three quick chopping motions with his poleaxe.

"Subtlety's not your strong point, is it?" Bryan said, before he could think better of it.

"He can't even spell the word," Armelle answered, perhaps hoping some flippancy would ease the tension.

"Hey!" Eric blurted incredulously.

And so, with more than a bit of cajoling from Armelle, Eric began his tale. It took place back when Eric and Armelle were still young children, well before they understood that their parents sought a marriage between the two. Even back then, surely to their parents' delight, Eric and Armelle had always been as thick as thieves…

…in more ways than one.

Wherever there were frogs to be slipped into the nanny's dress pockets, or pepper to be put in the tutor's tea, or molasses to be smeared onto the maid's toothbrush, they'd be there. Wherever there were a sleeping person's nostrils to be pinched shut, or wigs to be garishly re-colored, or balloons of liquid Stinkweed to be thrown, they'd be there. And, wherever there were sweets to be stolen, pastries to be pilfered, or confections to be confiscated…

…they'd be there a lot quicker.

"Always nice to see some young people who have their priorities straight," Bryan opined with a snicker.

Armelle choked down an illicit laugh while Eric, who had all the subtlety of an avalanche, and about as much humor, reiterated his earlier threat.

Eric then continued his story, talking about how, at the age of eleven, the two had journeyed to the cliffs overlooking the Black Lake in eastern Astryn, so named because, at night, it looked less a body of water than a deep abyss. Even by daylight, its appearance was foreboding, as the ever shifting winds in that part of the country always kept the water turbulent.

Which made it the perfect place for brave youngsters to issue and accept challenges.

For many boys who dreamed of becoming dracoknights, and many girls with similar ambitions, diving into the lake when the winds were at their strongest was a rite of passage.

And, somehow overlooking that Armelle wanted to learn the arts of healing and light magic rather than ride winged saurians, Eric had cajoled his young betrothed into daring the jump.

Though Armelle had always loved swimming, she was quite nervous about heights, and the nearly thirty feet drop to the churning water caused her to blanch with dread. Eric, who had made the jump himself a few days earlier, eventually convinced her to go through with it, partly because he'd jump first so that he'd be there if anything went wrong.

And so, with Eric cheering her on, Armelle forced herself to leap off the cliff.

Eric didn't think anything when she'd screamed most of the way down; when he'd jumped for the first time, he hadn't been terribly silent either.

Eric found nothing amiss when her screaming abruptly fell silent several seconds before hitting the water; he'd instinctively drew in a breath at about that point when he'd made his first leap.

Eric saw no cause for alarm when Armelle, who normally had a sinuous grace in the water, landed with an undignified belly flop; his own first landing had had even less style.

When she bobbed to the surface, floating limply and face down in the water, then he knew something was wrong.

"When I got her to shore," Eric continued, "Armelle was...well, I had no idea what to make of it. She was staring at me, unblinking. I actually thought she'd died of fright, until she started twisting and flailing. She didn't snap out of it for hours, and, when she did, she didn't remember anything beyond me jumping into the lake ahead of her."

"It's true," Armelle admitted, her eyes misting. "I don't remember the jump, but, ever since, I haven't been able to go anywhere near the water."

Just like I'm still afraid of the Cold Maw after all these years, Bryan mused silently, realizing that he and the pair before him had more in common than any of the were willing to admit.

"What happened afterward?" Bryan inquired.

"After I got Armelle back home, I told my father, and hers, what happened," Eric said, wincing. "They…weren't happy."

"I still have no idea what happened to me that day, or why I snapped out of it," Armelle added. "But, I'd always been worried about if it might happen again. I mean, people count on me to heal them in battle, and what would they think if they knew I might fall into a swoon when they need me? And, what might people think of Eric if they knew what he'd done, even if it was unwitting?"

Neither of the two men answered her question, but, then again, they hardly needed to.

"So, you keep our secret, and we keep yours?" Eric suggested.

Not exactly a reconciliation, but Bryan felt that this gesture of trust, however reluctant and strained, might very well be a vital first step.

"I accept," he replied, then, before he could think better of it, he continued. "It must've taken a lot of courage to tell me this."

Sensing that Eric might not appreciate this admission, Bryan held up a hand to forestall any outbursts and continued.

"Look, I know you don't like me. And, I know I have a long way to go before I can prove myself to you, or to Astryn. But, I also know that my country, our country, needs all three of us. I may not be in my rights to ask for your help, prince or no, but I know that, eventually, I'll have to."

"I may have been willing to sweep one of your episodes under the rug, for Astryn's sake, but don't expect me to do so again," Eric warned.

"That's not what I meant. I mean I'll need your help in order to make this country great again. I swore that I would, but that won't happen unless we end this feud between us. Or, at least, call a truce. After all, whether any of us likes it or not, someday, I will be king."

Hoping to build up the small rapport he now had with the couple, Bryan allowed his tone to hint that he too was less-than-enthusiastic about his impending ascent to Astryn's throne. Armelle, seeming to pick up on this opening, gave him a nearly invisible nod, but Eric's response was hardly encouraging.

"'And, the clouds opened up,'" Eric lamented, in a credible imitation of an imposing clergyman "'the Goddess looked down upon Astryn, and she said "You sorry lot can just go ahead and kiss my ass!"'"

Before Bryan could figure out if he was being rebuffed or merely teased, an aghast Armelle snatched Eric by the ear and dragged him out of the tent. Despite his less-than-dignified situation, Eric made a point of reiterating his earlier threat by pointing at Bryan's anatomy and making an awkward chopping motion with his poleaxe. Once the strange spectacle, and the even stranger couple, was out of eyeshot, a dumbfounded Bryan shook his head in amazement.

When did my life get so weird?​

 

[Kelleo]

And here's the second part!

Chapter 34: Another Trial

Part 2​

As the sun rose the next day, a bleary Faline groggily rose from her bedroll. Much like Owen, she'd found little rest the previous night. The startling revelations Owen shared had left her mind much too full to even close her eyes and, consequently, she'd passed the night staring up at the ceiling of her tent and weighing Bryan's likely need for her company against the possible harm that might be done to his reputation if she was seen sneaking in and out of his tent by night. By the time her better judgment had won out, it was nearly dawn; so, with a frustrated yawn, she decided she might as well get up. Once she'd donned her armor and stepped squinting into the dawning sunlight, her fuzzy vision revealed some signs of life in the camp. Vorcas, the early hour having no effect on his unflappable aplomb, was catching up with a slightly drowsy Kiel and Sara, as they had not seen one another in months. He also reiterated his earlier apology on behalf of his men for the trouble which had ensued earlier as well. Vorcas, in what Faline now suspected was a bad habit in the otherwise sincere tiger laguz, either ignored or overlooked his friends' grogginess.

Sheryl and Lauren were also awake and, by the look of things, had been conversing quite animatedly. Though they were both bird laguz, the distance between Perais and Recathe, and both countries respective business interests, meant that it was rare a hawk and a raven laguz to meet. Though Faline was anxious to see Bryan, she checked on her Pegasus first, and was glad to see she'd mostly recovered from her injuries. Though, Flower's wing wasn't fully healed quite yet, they would be able to participate in the next battle. Faline's own injury, which she'd very nearly forgotten about after Bryan's near death, also looked much better. As Faline wended her way to Bryan's tent, she also caught sight of Azura in the mess tent. The Lady of Elhorhi had insisted that she wasn't going to sleep until Leyon's group reunited with hers, and, by the look of things, she'd made good on her claim. There were prominent shadows under her eyes, her hair was bedraggled, and her whole posture looked slumped. The young earl had procured a pitcher of coffee, an especially potent Astrynian blend Owen had obtained in Medann, and Faline was sorely tempted to ask for a cup.

When Azura simply tipped the pitcher back and began funneling the warm black liquid down her throat, Faline promptly changed her mind.

Still, despite the less-than-endearing spectacle Azura had put on, Faline could hardly blame the young earl for being worried about her lover. But, while Azura couldn't help Leyon from here, her own situation with Bryan was very different. Thus resolved, Faline sought out Bryan's tent. Eventually, she spotted her love emerged from a tent, one which, at Owen and Laris' insistence, was decorated with the trappings Astrynian royalty, and turn a drowsy smile in her direction. Forcing herself not to charge at him, lest such a display raise some awkward questions from their visitors, she walked over to Bryan and gave him a pretty, if discreet, smile.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," he whispered, waiting until the camp's activity swept past them before continuing. "It was a long night, and I've missed you."

And, Faline could tell he meant it. Though Bryan had said that a good night's sleep would likely be all he needed, he clearly hadn't gotten one. He looked nearly as bad as Azura, though he'd tried to keep up appearances by combing his hair and washing up as best he could. Still, Faline's heart ached at the realization that her love's destiny entailed such hardships, and where her helping too much might make him look weak before his peers.

Still, maybe letting him know that she was still here and still cared, and that she always would, might be enough for now.

"How did things go with Eric?" she inquired, sensing she'd need privacy before asking after his own well-being.

"Better than I expected, actually," he admitted. "I think we might've reached an understanding, but he swore me to secrecy about the specifics. Sorry."

He ended his sentence with a brief flash of an apologetic grin, so brief that Faline was quite certain she was the only one who noticed. Still, Faline didn't mind that particular subterfuge.

"I understand," she assured. "And, that's good news, right? Even if he isn't exactly a friend, it's gotta count for something that things are changing between you two."

"Yeah, I hope so. Anyhow, have you seen Skye? After…yesterday, I'm worried about him."

Though Bryan didn't say it, Faline knew him well enough to guess that Bryan's worries went beyond his friend's state of mind. Suppose the small deception he'd resorted to in order to explain Skye's episode hadn't been convincing enough? Luckily, this was a matter where Faline could lend aid to her love without harming his image.

"I haven't seen him," she admitted, letting a sly grin touch her features briefly. "But, he's probably still hiding from Raela. Remember how, as we were pitching camp, she kept on trying to examine Skye to check for poison from those "Venin weapons"? Well, he wouldn't cooperate. And, when she mentioned using a Sleep staff…well, you can guess what happened next."

The Falcon Knight couldn't help but snicker at Skye's dread of Sleep Staves, but only a sliver of humor reached Bryan's face.

"I wish he didn't have to go through that," he said in a heartfelt, if soft, voice, taking care not to let slip his involvement. "I'll have to see if I can make it up to him sometime."

"I think he understands," Faline replied, deciding to make another attempt at lightening her love's mood. "Besides, he must be angrier with Kye and Lily than you."

That, finally, got a laugh out of Bryan. As if Kye's blunt opining on Skye and Raela's relationship wasn't enough, Lily had promptly joined in by saying she wanted to be an auntie.

"That's true," Bryan said, some color finally returning to his too-pale features. "And, just between us, I hope they do get together. Skye's a good man, and an even better friend. In fact, just being at each other's side after…after that day years ago was what truly healed both of us. I'm still astounded at what our friendship alone had done."

"I agree!" Faline seconded. "No other friends can possibly be closer than you are! Though, Azura would probably say I would be worried about...the competition."

The recollection of Azura's unorthodox encouragement caused the faint red tinge on Bryan's face to blossom into a blush that spread from the cleft of this chin to the tops of this ears. Still, the Prince of Astryn managed a chuckle that warmed the Falcon Knight's heart.

"Oh, Faline, don't be silly," Bryan replied with a chuckle. "Skye has a lot of respect for you, and he'd never try to come between us."

"I know, I was kidding!" Faline giggled. "I would never want to have to compete with him anyway. In fact, even if she did mean well, Azura's ideas for…getting your attention? I probably couldn't do those things if I tried."

"Speaking of which, if I am neglecting you, just come to me and say so. I think we both know I can only pick up on so many subtleties at once. As for the bath…we'll figure that out later."

Faline suspected that some ill influence must've been to blame when, after hearing Bryan's words, she mused that was easy.

After that, Bryan suggested they head to the mess tent to get what food they could before it was taken down and stored for the march, and, despite a vivid recollection of Azura guzzling down the coffee, Faline was too hungry to argue. As they entered the tent, they found it bustling with activity. Since the army would be marching soon, only such ready-made foods as salted meat and hard biscuits were available. Most of the soldiers, in too much of a hurry to sit down, simply grabbed a handful of this bland fare and headed back out. The couple noticed, however, that Azura sat in one corner, morosely eyeing a biscuit that looked more suited to caving in a skull than feeding a stomach.

But, both knew the unappetizing fare was the very last thing on her mind.

At Faline's insistence, the pair made sure to stay near Azura once the camp was finally dismantled and the army was on the march.

The Falcon Knight still had a little score to settle with the Lady of Elhorhi, but, for now, Faline's sense of empathy had won out.

"Are you alright?"

Azura had been so deep in thought that the softly spoken question might as well have been a thunderclap. Jumping slightly, she whirled to face a self-conscious Bryan.

"Eh, sorry about that," he said sheepishly. "Seriously, though, you look like you're miles away."

"Well, you're not far wrong," she replied, turning a longing gaze towards the north.

Toward Jerusa, where Leyon had led his knights in a daring gambit, one upon which the fate of Altarais might depend.

Some dark voice in the back of her mind whispered that Leyon's daring might have proven his undoing, but she furiously shook off the notion. Leyon would succeed in rescuing the besieged Allied troops and retaking Jerusa. He had to.

After all, what was the alternative?

But, where is he?! she silently screamed.

Had he accomplished his mission by now? Since speed and surprise would be needed to overcome the larger Meloran and Red Claw forces holding Cilae, it seemed likely that his mission was over by now…

…one way or the other.

If so, then would he track down and rendezvous with her army as planned? If so, then surely he would have gotten word from the palace on where she and Bryan had gone and would continue until he found them. And Azura had told herself this over and over again during the long weeks since the army had divided, and yet she was still so worried about him, more than she'd ever been thus far. And, the young earl was forced to admit, that rather surprised her. Sure, Leyon had embarked upon the single most vital and most dangerous mission he'd ever been tasked with, and, try though she did to deny it, his death was terribly possible. But, even so, Azura had spent every moment she was alone praying to Ashunera that he would return to her safely. She had certainly gotten off to a poor start with the young general, her pride painting his kindness as mockery, but, once she'd let him into her carefully guarded heart, she fallen more and more in love with him as time went on. Not that she was complaining, of course; but after spending half her life looking over her shoulder for the Red Claw, she'd come to trust only her sword and her skill…and little besides.

Gradually, she'd come to see how different and how wonderful it was to not be alone, but surrounded by people who she trusted and who, in turn, trusted her.

Yet Leyon, of all the men she'd either turned away or cut to ribbons, had claimed her heart. And, she longed for him to return to do so again.

"You're worried about Leyon, aren't you?" Bryan spoke up, shaking her from her reverie.

"Is it that obvious?" Azura wondered, trying not to let just how worried she was seep into her tone.

The knowing look Bryan gave her was more than answer enough, prompting Azura to give a resigned shrug.

"I can't blame you there, Az," Bryan commented with a smile. "I didn't realize how much I loved Faline for an entire year. I mean, after what I'd gone through growing up, I frankly didn't think I'd ever know what that was like. Oh, I imagined…"

His words trailed off as his gaze wandered, predictably, in Faline's direction.

"But it was nothing compared to the real thing," he whispered happily.

"Yeah, it was kind of the same way for me," Azura admitted. "I mean, I'd spent so long knowing I was being hunted, but it was years before I knew who was after me or why. For a long time, I couldn't trust anybody except my mom and my instructor. But even so, I…well, had more people that cared for me than you did, I suppose."

"That's true. I guess we're alike in that way. You were afraid to trust others because you had no way of knowing who wanted to kill you and who didn't, and I was afraid to trust others, besides Skye and my father, because so many people had treated me badly. For a long time, I thought that was just how my life would be, regardless of what I made of myself. Then Faline changed things for me. And no less amazing, Leyon did the impossible and won you over. Heh, heh."

Azura giggled despite the hint of a blush coloring her cheeks.

"Yes, he sure did! Leyon changed me just so much. And, it wasn't just that I learned I could trust others from him. I mean, I'd been learning that already. But, even after making so many friends, I was blind to my own feelings. It wasn't so much that I disliked men, but, I'd always taken great pride in my skills and my independence. I just couldn't stand anybody who didn't hold any respect for my skills, and there were plenty who didn't. Maybe they didn't mean anything by it, but it always felt as though any men who didn't want me dead wanted to treat me like some frail flower."

Recalling those days of her youth back in Galden, and that Galden was no longer standing, Azura couldn't help but wonder at how much, and how fast, everything had changed.

"At some point, it rankled me whenever anybody offered to help. All I heard was those same people who thought I had all the mettle of a milkmaid. Then you and the others came along. Leyon taught me that, when someone offers to help me, it doesn't mean they think I'm weak or incapable. And even more than that, I learned that there is a man out there that I can trust; not just with my life, but with my heart. All of you taught me that there are many great men out there that will respect a woman for her skills and what she wants to do with her life. Heck, many of them are marching right here with us, Leyon, Ike, Ranulf, every man in this army. I'm so glad I met all of you and that I learned to trust you."

"Heh, likewise, my friend. Likewise."

Though Azura would later admit that she'd said a great deal more than she meant to, giving voice to how she felt about the new direction her life had taken did make her feel better. While she still longed for Leyon's return, her faith that she would see him again was renewed.

She felt it in her gut…

…along with a far less pleasant sensation, likely due to all that coffee wreaking havoc on her digestive system.

Bryan wasn't much prone to what some would call "warm, fuzzy feelings", unless they related to Faline or Skye. But, his conversation with Azura, and recalling how both of their lives had changed in the past few months, had lightened his mood and his step. He'd turned to Azura, eager to shake her hand, when he saw her clutch her lower stomach and bolt like a rabbit into a patch of concealing brush.

The puzzled prince of Astryn turned to Faline, asking for an explanation…

…and, when she gave him one, he promptly regretted it.

"Thanks for sharing," he groused, his smile turning sour. "I knew there was a reason I never had more than one cup of that stuff a day."

"I'd mention that people say it stunts your growth, but…" Faline trailed off mischievously, standing on her toes to pat the top of her love's head, "what's the point?"

"Careful, we've got an audience."

"And, all they saw was me getting that grit out of your hair. You want to look your best next time those Melorans are due for a beat-down, don't you?"

Even though he was quickly tiring of all this double-speak and putting on airs, Bryan couldn't help but chuckle at Faline's clever subterfuge. Still, he longed for the day when he could make this end.

After all, when a king wanted to cuddle with his queen, that was final.

His train of thought was interrupted when Azura, looking self-conscious and slightly ill, staggered back to the couple.

"Sorry about that," she groan out, still massaging her lower stomach.

"Don't mention it," Bryan said succinctly. "In fact, please don't mention it. Maybe you ought to ride in one of the wagons, though?"

"Oh, not a chance. I'm not going to so much as sit down until I see Leyon. I don't know where he is, but, he can't be far away."

"I agree. In fact, I need to talk to you and Vorcas about that."

Bryan was briefly perplexed when the queasy grimace on Azura's face twisted into a smirk. The reason was made obvious when a familiar, over-enthusiastic voice boomed out "At your service, your highness!"

"Woah!" Bryan blurted, whirling to see Vorcas standing behind him, his head bowed respectfully. "Don't sneak up on me like that. Anyhow, that message you received from Larame, and the one I had sent to Astryn Palace? Azura should know of their contents. Oh, and, uh… Really, you can stop with the bowing and kneeling."

"Argh, I apologize, kneeling before all respected royalty is a habit of mine!" Vorcas admitted, quickly rising to his full height. "But, yes. As I said when I woke you this morning, news of what happened has reached Larame. On learning of the deception, the king was…upset."

"At who?" Azura wondered.

Recalling that Vorcas had spent a half hour listing all the Larameans who'd incurred the prickly tempered king's displeasure over the incident, Bryan interjecting by saying "Just about everybody."

By the sound of things, it was certainly close to their truth.

"Yes, as I was saying," Vorcas continued, "the king has agreed to halt all raids against Astryn and to tighten security along our border with Melora. He did, however, warn against anyone from Astryn entering without Laramean escort until he's had the chance to confer with Prince Bryan face-to-face. You probably know this already, but the "lost prince of Astryn" was little more than a rumor until now, and he'll want to learn who you are, first hand, before he'll be willing to help you."

"I can't say I blame him, all things considered," Bryan said. "Still, this is a good start. Like I said earlier, adding Larame to the other countries that make up Allied Command could be a major turning point."

"Yeah," Azura seconded. "But, didn't you say you'd sent out a message as well?"

"That's right. I think it's no secret that we have to rebuild much of Astryn's army, and that we don't have a lot to work with. From what I heard back at the palace, they plan to draw in bandits and deserters with the offer of a general pardon, if they at least serve until the war's over. They're also planning to gather as many recruits as they can, whether they volunteer or are conscripted. I've been working with Alec to figure out just how to make it work, and I think I've got something. I'll have several men from my platoon, those who have experience training new recruits and leading squads in battle, size up those who come to enlist. With luck, they'll be able to figure out who's more likely to run or stab us in the back than stand and fight. I was thinking that, if any of Leyon's knights need to stay at the palace for rest or healing, they could lend a hand."

"It has potential, your highness," Vorcas commented, though without a hint of sycophantism. "Though, will the knights still seek us out, with such orders awaiting them at the palace?"

"Oh, they should," Bryan confirmed. "General Leyon, their commander, knows about our mission here and will no doubt stop by the palace first to inquire about our location. Before we left, I had told one of my advisors to expect him. Leyon is a knight without peer and an outstanding general, too. On top of all that, he loves Azura. He'd use whatever means necessary to find us."

"Hee, hee, true that is," Azura admitted, her cheeks flushing pink.

"He must be impressive indeed if you both hold him in such high regard," Vorcas observed. "Very well, then. I'll have a few of my men patrol the mountains ahead. If the knights are trying to catch up with us, they'll pass by there, and should be easy enough to spot from that height. And, when your friends show up, they'll be guided to us."

"Thank you so much, Vorcas," Azura replied. "But, if it's not too much trouble, I will wait with the patrols and keep an eye out for Leyon as well. I'm sure the first thing he'll want to see when he arrives is me waiting for him."

"It's no trouble at all, milady. In fact, my men would likely enjoy hearing of your exploits while we wait. Do you have any objections, your highness?"

Azura suddenly looked slightly disconcerted at the idea of spinning tales for a group of laguz who considered it a mark of honor to have a death mark on one's head exceeding the value of some kingdoms. But, recalling Azura's "encouragement" the previous night sparked Bryan's own mischievous side.

"Not at all," he affirmed, muttering the phrase "turnabout is fair play" as Azura scowled at him.

"Ah, thank you, your highness! You won't regret this!"

I sure hope not, Bryan thought as the march continued. First this guy tries to kill me, now he's trying to do everything for me. Can't he just relax for once? Oh well, at least Larame's on our side…at least for now.

Bryan had been warned that, as a hazard rulers must contend with, friends were difficult to find and harder still to keep. Still, building a lasting rapport between Astryn and Larame was a great opportunity, not only to achieve something that would greatly benefit his troubled country, but to prove to everyone, including himself, that he was fit to bear the crown.

And, he wasn't going to waste it.

"Long live the king?" Not if you pull anymore stunts like this, you blue-blooded backstabber! Azura mused angrily.

And so, with more no small amount of trepidation, Azura continued on towards the mountains where she would await Leyon's arrival. She hoped he would arrive soon, alive and whole, for not only did she long to be in his strong arms again, but she needed to know that he was safe and that Cilae was back in the hands of Allied Command, but she was also quite eager to cut short her time with her "adoring public." On the heels of that musing, however, came another. How had the effort to retake Cilae fared? Had the besieged Allied armies on the Cilae-Melora border been rescued? Had the Allied troops trapped on the coast been saved? How many of the Royal Knights and wolves survived the battle? Her thoughts wandered over the possibilities, eventually skirting the darker likelihood that it had all ended in disaster, before she furiously shook herself from her trouble reverie.

She told herself that Leyon was alive, and that he'd come.

After all, her own group still needed all the help they could get to keep fighting off Melora, not to mention defeating Shigo's army as well.

As much to pass the time as to distract herself from any other dire musings, Azura sought out Lartz. While she knew it might be a sensitive subject, she was curious about why his Accurse hadn't been triggered by what the enemy Dragonmaster's actions. When she asked, Lartz admitted that Skye's reaction to the "old venin wound" shocked him so much that his anger had been crowded out by confusion. The Lady of Elhorhi also considered speaking with Skye, but a quick glance at the Marksman told her that he wasn't in the mood for conversation. Aside from wounded pride over his episode, there was the embarrassment of Kye and Lily's less-than-tactful insinuation about his older brother's feelings for Raela.

Still, though Skye might claim that he didn't feel much for Raela besides annoyance, Azura couldn't help but suspect otherwise.

Maybe she could help him to realize that; but, right now, Azura had her own problems.

As they reached the mountains, most of the group continued on while Azura and a number of Larameans remained behind. The younger feline warriors looked much too eager to hear of Azura's adventures, but, luckily, she wouldn't be the only one spinning yarns. Since meeting Vorcas, a nostalgic Ranulf had been curious about his Laramean brethren, and was eager to spend more time with them. Ike and Elincia also agreed after a great deal of cajoling and, in Ike's case, a bribe of flank steak, as did Kiel and Sara, who were eager for news about Darien and his wolves. Over the next few hours, Azura reluctantly began relaying stories of her adventures to the Larameans. After a time, however, an interesting notion crept into her head.

What if going through this spectacle could help their mission?

Slowly, the idea took shape. Most of the Larameans in her audience were young warriors, eager for battle and glory, and they saw her as a budding heroine. Perhaps, if she spun them such a tale that they shared it when they returned home, it could help to bolster their case when they sought help from the Laramean king?

Is this why you put me up to this, Bryan? she wondered, surprised. If so, you're more clever than I thought…but, you're still a blue-blooded backstabber.

After that realization, she began to warm to the telling. She drew her sword and punctuated her sentences with flourishing parries and swift lunges, her voice became deeper and more animated, and her words more florid. As she told tales of her flight to Aracion, the journey to find the Venoxic antidote for Ike, and her battles against Melora, Shigo, and Tavon, her friends from Tellius seemed to catch on to her unspoken plan and joined in. Ike and Ranulf regaled the awed Larameans with such tales from the Mad King's War and the Goddess War as the charge at Tor Garen, breaking the siege of Delbray Castle, rescuing Lucia from the Crimean rebels, and the standoff in Crimea between the Laguz Alliance and the Begnion Imperial Army. Taking care to protect Elincia's lineage, at least for now, Ike carefully phrased his story to create the appearance that Renning wore the crown at that point. Elincia added in some similarly revised anecdotes, with her being a mercenary hired to aid in fighting the Crimean rebels. Elincia told a slightly revised version of her rescue of the heron princess Leanne and the raven chamberlain Nealuchi from Begnion dracoknights, as well as the capture of the traitorous Duke Ludveck.

And, these tales were having the desired effect…

…to put it mildly.

Every time Azura recounted a victory, the Larameans would whoop and cheer so loudly that, by the time she'd told all she could, her whole head rung. The ever-modest Ike, who enjoyed neither the limelight nor re-coloring the facts, was also only too happy when he'd recounted as much as he could. Ranulf, who was always happy to counter-balance Ike's modesty, was still spinning yarns after his fellows had stopped, and Azura found herself wondering if the blue cat had added in a few tall tales. Deciding that the war effort could survive her missing Ranulf's dubious tale about a young cub, a pack of hyenas, and a stampeding herd of wildebeests, she let her gaze roam over the audience.

Two of the cat laguz, both obviously female, stood out to the earl. Red bows were woven into her tail and around neck while matching fingerless gloves on her hands, squealed with protest as her fists clenched and unclenched over and over. Her female companion was a dark aqua-green haired woman with magenta eyes. She wore a green and yellow short-sleeved shirt and matching breeches, cut halfway to her knees, along with pale blue shoes. Yellow bands adorned her wrists while a pair of small bells jingled against her throat. When Azura waved at the pair, she was more than a little surprised when the blonde cat laguz girl reacted by quickly scooting around and behind her friend, hiding almost fearfully from the earl's gaze.

"T-Tessa! Why didn't you tell me this many beorc would be here?!" she uttered nervously, eying Azura who was struggling to hear her over the continued cheering.

"Oh Kiara!" the other cat laguz girl replied in a tone that suggested this wasn't the first time she'd had to deal with the blonde cat's skittishness. "For the love of the Goddess, don't worry. Any friends of Captain Vorcas must be good and trustworthy people. He always sees to that, and you know how hard he is to impress. Besides, there are only three beorc here."

"A few hours ago, there were dozens and dozens of them!" Kiara protested, her screeching eliciting only a rolling of Tessa's magenta orbs.

"And soon, there will be even more than that," Tessa pointed out, her words causing Kiara to swoon. "Oh, pull yourself together! It's about time you got over your shyness around beorc anyway. The army can't put up with this forever, especially at a time like this. Now quit hiding behind me."

"Well, y-you're right… Okay…"

"Great! Now, let's get started."

"Wait, wha—!"

Before Kiara could react, Tessa snatched her wrist and vaulted to her feet, dragging Kiara upright with her. The nervous cat struggled to get free with a desperation that verged on comical, but Tessa's grip was one of iron. Tessa led her to the trio of beorc and, rather forcibly, prodded Kiara into speaking.

"Um…hello," she squeaked.

Ignoring the sound of Tessa grinding her teeth, Azura gave a reassuring smile and slowly extended a hand.

"I'm Azura, the lady of Elhorhi in Talgria," the earl greeted as Kiara, with some whispered cajoling from Tessa, accepted Azura's hand. "I lead this army, along with Prince Bryan of Astryn."

"Y-Yes…very nice…to meet…you," Kiara stuttered.

How did she become a laguz warrior? Azura suddenly found herself wondering. Even Norman wasn't this jittery.

That train of thought caused her to recall that Norman had joined Leyon's mission, and left her wondering if the fretful priest had found his courage…or his grave. After a stretching moment of silence, Azura shook herself back to attention and tried to make Kiara feel more at ease.

She may as well have been asking her to pet a rabid dog, for all the good it was doing.

This didn't stop Ike from joining the trio, however.

"I'm Ike," the Tellius hero introduced, then gestured towards the emerald haired "mercenary." "This is my fiancée, Elincia. As you probably heard earlier, we came here from another continent across the ocean from Talgria. We befriended Azura not long after arriving. Oh, and that teller of tall tales is our friend Ranulf."

Seeing that the blue cat was still engrossed in a less-than-believable tale about a giant cobra and a being with "phenomenal, cosmic powers" called a genie, Ike shouted to get Ranulf's attention…and, Ike got more than he bargained for.

Ranulf's words suddenly trailed off as, while turning to face Ike, he spied Kiara. His mismatched eyes widened and then seemed to glaze over, as though seized by a sudden and compelling daydream, and a bit of drool threatened to escape from the corner of his mouth. She's…totally cute. Heh… he daydreamed in his mind. Ike couldn't suppress a grin and leaned towards Elincia.

"Hey Elincia, I think we've got a smitten kitten," he whispered.

"Ohhh, how cute!" Elincia giggled. "Ranulf, go on, get over here and say hello!"

Before she'd even finished the sentence, Ranulf seemingly leapt over his audience to stand in front of Kiara. But, when he got there, he suddenly found himself, for the first time in anyone's recollection, at a loss for words.

"…Oh! Uh…hi," Ranulf greeted with an embarrassed smile, only to soon trip over his own feet and fall flat on the ground. "AACK!"

Ike merely slapped his face while Kiara giggled. Still, Azura heard more endearment than mockery in that sound. Perhaps Kiara was starting to think that traveling with so many beorc wouldn't be so bad after all.

Who knows? she mused. That comment about a "smitten kitten" might not be far off.

As the evening wore on, and even Ranulf's supply of tales began to dwindle, most of the laguz left the campsite, patrolling the surrounding lands for any sign of approaching parties and periodically reporting back with their findings. So far, they hadn't seen so much as a stray deer. Azura continued watching for Leyon, however, as the moon rose higher and the sky darkened from violet to black, the young earl once more felt doubt gnawing at her. Azura tried to console herself, to reason that, if Leyon and his group didn't arrive before dawn, it likely meant they'd simply stopped somewhere else to rest for the evening. But, this did little to stop the seeds of doubt which were taking root in her heart. After all, the general had been tasked with an exceedingly dangerous mission. The possibility that the knights had been defeated in Jerusa was all too real.

So too was the possibility that they were all dead.

Azura shook the thought from her mind so violently that her neck throbbed from the abuse. She told herself Leyon wasn't dead and that he wouldn't stop until they were reunited. Granted, though, it was quite a long trip from Jerusa all the way to the Astryn-Orenias border, even in the unlikely event that Leyon would be able to leave Jerusa immediately. In fact, now that Azura thought about it, such a journey could take days, perhaps even weeks if he had to first ensure that Cilae was secure before departing. And, between the Red Claw, the Meloran army, and the outlaws that ran rampant in Astryn, anything could happen.

"Oh Leyon… Please get here soon…" Azura begged. "If there's any way at all for you to do so…"

Another hour passed, as did several patrols, but there was no sign of the Royal Knights still. Azura kept her vigil, but soon found herself yawning and her vision becoming bleary. She tried to force herself to stay awake, but she knew she couldn't keep watch much longer. If Leyon didn't arrive soon, she and her group would likely have to leave and catch up with the others. And, when she did, she had to be awake, alert, and focused in order to lead the army. Deciding glumly that Leyon and his party must've stopped to rest for the night, and staunchly refusing to entertain the alternative, Azura then turned around and began to head back towards her tent.

Before she could take more than a single step, however, the earl suddenly heard the sound of a horse's neigh in the distance. Azura gasped, her heart thundering against her ribs as she whirled to face these new arrivals. Could it be them, at last? Moments later, the low rumbling of many hooves galloping across the ground could be heard, echoing like thunder as they drew nearer and louder. Azura was only dimly aware of this, however, as the sound of blood pounding in her ears rose to an almost deafening crescendo. It had to be Leyon, she told herself again and again. And, soon enough, the Royal Knights themselves appeared in the distance, flanked by a force of wolves. And, riding at their head astride his charger, was none other than Leyon himself. Azura's gasp gradually became a wide grin of relief and joy, widening until it threatened to take in her ears.

"Leyon!" Azura shouted as she broke into a run towards her love. "Oh Leyon! You're here! You're finally here!"

"I am! Just as I promised," Leyon replied, a broad beaming grin on his features as well.

Though worn and weary from battle and travel, the sight of Azura seemed to revitalize Leyon, and the general, longing just as much to have his love back in his arms again, quickly dismounted his horse. He'd barely freed himself from the stirrups when Azura practically threw herself against his chest, her arms coiling about his neck. Leyon's hands grasped her by her waist and lifted her heavenward, spinning the ecstatic earl in a joyous circle. Partway through the spin, Azura craned forward and down to press her lips against Leyon's, surprising him so that he nearly sent them both sprawling. His eyes widened for a second before he returned the gesture, the kiss gradually intensifying as their tongues grappled with each other until Leyon broke free to let his lips trail down her neck and across her collarbone.

Such telltale sounds reached Leyon's ears as men quietly cheering, women giggling, and someone who must've had a death wish saying "oh, save us the suspense and start ripping each other's clothes off already." But, in that precious moment, neither of them cared.

For the wondrous, eternal instant, all that mattered was that they were together and madly in love.

"Oh Leyon! I was so worried about you. I was afraid you wouldn't reach us tonight..." Azura admitted, trembling slightly with remembered dread. "Or that the mission in Jerusa failed and you might have…"

"Never, my love. I wouldn't be taken out that easily," Leyon assured. "Truth be told, though, that battle did look grim for a while. But we pulled through and Cilae has been freed."

"Oh, I'm so glad! We can still turn this whole war around! We just need to help Bryan get Astryn back on her feet and bring Orenias into the war. If we manage that, it could change everything!"

"That it could; and, that's why we're here. So, where is the formerly lost prince, anyway?"

"He went on ahead to the Orenias border, but we can catch up with him in the morning. Right now, you must be dead on your feet."

Leyon's answer to this comment was a smile that left Azura breathless.

"Oh, I've never felt better," he said, and looked as though he meant every word.

"W-well," Azura stammered, blushing, "at least let us pitch your tent. You must be exhausted."

"I haven't had a tent since I started out for Jerusa, remember? We'll…just have to use yours."

Before Azura could recover from Leyon's overly forward, but hardly unwelcome words, he swept her off her feet and held her close.

"Oh! Hey, I thought you knights were supposed to be courteous and considerate," she playfully retorted. "This seems a little…brusque."

"Why, what could be more courteous or considerate than rendering service to a lovely lady?" Leyon countered with a grin before turning to Eliot, who stood nearby and was struggling to keep a straight face. "Oh, Eliot, be a good man and see to my horse? My hands are rather full at the moment."

"What?! But…I…you…!" Eliot stammered, works failing him in his shock.

"Rub him down well, and make sure to heat his oats before feeding them to him. Good night!"

"Hey!" Eliot retorted irritably, though by then the tent flap had been brushed aside to admit the couple and then promptly shut in his face. Muttering imprecations to himself, he took the reins of his superior officer's horse and stalked off. Natalie and Louise, witnessing the spectacle, snickered. "He's lucky. He really deserves some time with Azura, especially after all he's been through."

Within the tent, Leyon gently laid Azura on her bedroll and, despite his reluctance to put even the most paltry distance between them, moved to tie the tent flaps.

"Az, I honestly can't put into words how happy I am right now," he said lovingly. "That enemy commander in Jerusa told me that Isis had Astryn's steward in her pocket and that you and Bryan were probably…gone…"

"He didn't know us very well then, did he?" Azura quipped and then smiled. "As you said about yourself; it looked grim, but, we pulled through."

"Yeah, as worried as I was, I never lost faith."

"Neither did I, my love."

Normally, Leyon considered himself a man of restraint and prudence, but, the moment their privacy was assured, he practically charged over to Azura and their lips met once again.

"Careful," she chided playfully. "People see you bouncing around like a schoolboy, they might start thinking you haven't been with a lady before."

"That might be because I haven't," Leyon admitted, whatever embarrassment he might've felt over that admission doing little to stop his hands from slipping under Azura's jerkin.

"…Seriously? I would've thought someone as handsome as you would've had women throwing themselves at your feet."

"I did, but none were as pretty as you."

"Oh, you flatterer!"

"Hey, can't blame a guy from being honest…and, speaking of being honest, I didn't have much interest in relationships before I met you. Getting other people together, though, like Marc and Leona? That, I couldn't get enough of…ha, ha!"

"Hee hee, you certainly succeeded with them. But in a way, I was the same as you, actually. Maybe I was too prideful about my skills and my independence, maybe I just felt I couldn't trust anybody with people trying to kill me left and right. But, whatever the reason, I never let any man get close to me, much less get romantic with one. But that has all changed…thanks to you."

As Azura spoke, she accentuated her point by undoing the buckles the buckles on Leyon's chest plate and, as the battered metal fell away, running her hands over the general's torso.

"And I'm very glad," he affirmed, fumbling with Azura's jerkin. "Though, there was more to it than that. For the longest time, I was also grieving for my brother. When we were growing up, and when the rest of our family was gone, he was everything to me. After he disappeared, the grief and my work just crowded out everything else. It wasn't until I met you that the wound began to heal, actually."

"Really?" Azura wondered, more than a little surprised by his words.

"Yeah. Remember what you said to me right after I got my memory back? You told me that Talgria needs me to help win the war and that my brother would've wanted that. You also said he would've wanted me to be strong and to carry on his legacy. During the battle of Jerusa, when it seemed like thousands of Red Claw were coming at us from all sides, I was frightened that I'd failed both him and you. For a minute, I nearly gave up. But then, I remembered you and Russell both, and I pulled myself together. I also remembered something else. They were these tactics that I'd learned from Russell and General William. I worked them together, added a touch or two of my own, and that won the battle. I swear, we took down more Red Claw in that one battle than we did during the rest of the war. I was amazed. But, more than that, I think it helped me to lay some ghosts to rest. Whether Russell is alive or not, and wherever he might be, always agonizing over his disappearance and worrying that I might disappoint him won't do anyone any good. Even if Russell isn't with me, he's still here."

Leyon paused in his speech to tap against his heart with one brawny hand, and then cup Azura's face with the other. He decided not to mention the Red Claw commander's veiled suggestion that Russell might still be alive, for he wanted nothing to tarnish this night.

"I might never have realized that without you," he whispered huskily.

For a stretching second, Azura simply smiled back at him.

"Oh, Leyon…" she gushed. "I'm so happy to hear that. And if Russell were here now, he'd be proud of you."

"Heh…" Leyon chuckled, almost sounding nervous at their intimacy. "Az… I love you more than I can say. As hard as your life has been, always looking over your shoulder for the Red Claw, you still give so much of yourself to others, and to me. Yet, I have little to offer in return besides my love."

"Oh, that is more than enough," Azura purred. "And I love you more than I can say too. Just don't worry me like that again."

"Never, my love… Never."

With that, their lips met once more while, between brief partings to gasp for air, clothing was cast aside to flutter earthward. A few other people were still outside, including some of Leyon's party as they saw to their mounts and bedding, and more than a few pairs of eyes coyly turned toward the couple's tent. With the lamp inside still burning brightly, the shadows cast by the light did much to reveal what was happening within. The sight caused much whooping and cheering amongst some of the onlookers, followed by agitated groans when the lamp was finally extinguished. Some sourly lamented the show had ended before "the good part", while others chided such intrusiveness as the weary warriors finally settled down for the night.

As the next day dawned, Azura and Leyon emerged from their tent to face a veritable sea of knowing smiles, winks, and nudges. Azura had been less-than-pleased that her and Leyon's oversight had turned their first evening together into such a spectacle. But, having the commander of the Royal Knights as a boyfriend had certain advantages.

A few reminders that he could always have them demoted, and they lapsed into surly silence.

Recalling a particular story she'd coaxed out of Elincia about her relationship with Ike back in Tellius, Azura had made sure not to abandon all caution amidst their ardor. Still, she could now readily emphasize with Elincia's frustration over how the war remained a final, formidable barrier between her and her love being as close as they'd like.

Once the group had finished breaking camp, they began the journey to catch up with Bryan and the rest of the army. At her own insistence, Azura joined Leyon on his mount, leaning back against him and quietly reveling in his proximity and the feel of his strong arm around her waist, and the small group set off. Azura was certain that, since Bryan's group was much larger, and therefore would not be able to travel as quickly, then catching up to them wouldn't take long. And, sure enough, as the sun began its westward descent, a large encampment appeared on the horizon. As they drew closer, several figures, led by Bryan, raced up to meet them

"Leyon! I'm glad you made it back alright!" Bryan greeted, approaching the dismounting couple. "A lot of us were worried about you and your group, especially with you going on such a dangerous mission. But, how did you get here so fast? Frankly, I was starting to think you'd be tied up securing Cilae for days."

"Ah, that's easy," Leyon replied with a grin, his arms promptly encircling Azura once more. "Even if we had left Cilae immediately, such a journey normally would've taken days. But, when we stopped by Astryn Palace to see where you'd be, Grand Duke Laris was already expecting us. He knew you and Azura would need our help, but that we were much too weary to catch up to you quickly enough. He decided to help us by using the palace's store of Warp staves to send us straight to the mountains at the western border. He's quite a generous fellow."

"Whoa! That really was great of him," Bryan commented. "He has my thanks for his aid. And, I'm glad to know I have such a reliable advisor."

"So am I! He said he would've done the same for the rest of you, but that he was worried about using up too much of the staves' magic too quickly. By the sound of things, the stock in the palace are the only Warp staves in the country that haven't been used up or stolen, so he took quite a risk hoping they wouldn't run dry after sending us off. Although, his accuracy could use a bit of work. We ended up near the desert and still had to travel for another few hours. Getting clear of the desert before sunrise wasn't easy, but it was much better than moving for another whole day and spending another night sleeping in nothing but our bedrolls."

"Yeah, I'll bet. But, why are there so few of you here? Did the others remain at the capital, or…"

Bryan didn't finish the sentence, but, then again, he hardly needed to. Though Cilae had been rested from Isis's grip, all knew that she had not let it go without a fight.

"Some remained at Jerusa, others stayed at Medann to help rebuild Astryn's army…as for the rest…" Leyon intoned gravely, his words trailing off. "Sadly, we paid for our victory with many lives."

"I can imagine. Well, it won't be long until it's dark, so we all should get some get some rest. I'll explain what we're doing over dinner. Or, did Laris tell you already?"

"He did, don't worry. And, I was very worried about all of you as well. I learned about the traitorous Astrynian steward from the commander of the Red Claw army that was holding Jerusa. He was confident that you'd all been killed by then, and the thought frightened me. You don't know how relieved I was when Laris told me that you were all safe...though, I suppose all those proclamation signs reading 'PRINCE BRYAN WANTS YOU!' should've been a hint."

This statement elicited quite a few snickers, bringing a dusky hue to the faces of both the general and the Prince of Astryn.

"I'm almost afraid to ask," Bryan grumbled, once the hilarity had died down, "but, how were things in Astryn when you left?"

"I...probably didn't pay as much attention as I should have," Leyon admitted, flushing all the more deeply. "All I could think of was that, soon, I'd finally be with the girl I love again. But, those of my knights who stayed behind said they'd help train the new recruits for Astryn's army. With luck, we could have at least a few companies of men ready by the time we return to Medann. Maybe a division or two, if we're lucky."

"That would be incredible!" Bryan said, awed. "I'll have to make sure to inspect the troops personally when we return. Thanks for the news."

"No problem."

Later, as dinner was served in the mess tent, Bryan and Azura told Leyon about how Meloran dracoknights had been raiding Larame and had nearly succeeded in framing Eric's men for the crime. Leyon, in turn had described his tactical innovation which he'd dubbed the Ring of Storms, and how it had broken the Red Claw holding Jerusa.

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?" an irate Derien broke in. "I did quite a bit to win the battle as well. Don't any of you want to hear about it?"

Sara nodded so vigorously that several onlookers discreetly complained that their necks hurt just watching. Needing no further encouragement, Derien went on to describe how, after the Red Claw holding Jerusa had sent half their strength to the Cilaean coast to prevent what they thought was an evacuation of the Allied troops besieged there, Derien and his wolves had worked to slow them down. A relentless series of hit-and-run attacks had brought the Red Claw reinforcements practically to a halt as the wolves leapt out of the darkness to slay several and then vanish into the night, coming and going so quickly that some Red Claw sincerely believed they were being attacked by some sort of evil spirits.

"We took that a little personally," Derien continued. "So, we hit them harder."

Eventually, most of the Red Claw reinforcements were either dead, too wounded to go on, or had panicked and fled. That done, Derien and his wolves headed to the encircled Cilaean ports. The Red Claw troops had all the roads covered, but, luckily, the wolves had managed to get around them by swimming through the shallow waters and emerging at the docks of the besieged ports. By then, the ships carrying the catapults and ballistae from Aracion had arrived. And, once they were deployed, the time came to, finally, go on the offensive.

"I stood atop the city hall, called out to the Red Claw, and told them "The truth may not set you free, but, it can make you BOULDER!" They just stared at me like I was some sort of idiot, but then a hail of ballista harpoons and catapults stones rained down on them. Whichever Red Claw weren't skewered, crushed, or starting running for their lives, charged toward us. They probably hoped that, if they could get too close for the siege machines to hit them, they might still win..."

A fierce gleam entered Derien's eyes as he displayed his claws.

"They were wrong," he said simply.

Despite the grim foreshadowing in his tone, Sara regarded the indomitable wolf general with starry-eyed admiration…which promptly turned to livid rage when Kiel nudged her and muttered "catch your drool".

Having been the architect of the strategy to retake Jerusa, Soren promptly found himself near to drowning in people ruffling his hair, shaking his hand, or clapping him on the shoulder. The surly mage called out for Ike to "do something useful with those muscles of his", but Ike only chuckled and went back to devouring flank steak by the platter-full.

Elsewhere in the mess tent, the seeming hundreds of beorc crammed into the structure hadn't done much for Kiara's timidity, but Tessa assured that they'd find some way to get her to open up more. In the meantime, the shy blonde cat laguz remained as close to the magenta eyed cat as a second shadow, listening inattentively to Tessa talk about how thrilled she was to fight alongside such a living legend as the fabled lost prince of Astryn. Kiara's distraction, however, had less to do with her timidity than with a certain blue cat laguz. Maybe, if he was here, she could learn to put up with all these beorc.

The army rose early the next day and Vorcas led them out of the mountains and across the Orenias border. Azura, Bryan, and Leyon were grateful for the white tiger's aid, for they were certain they'd have been lost for hours in the crisscrossing paths through the mountains. Vorcas, of course, voiced that it was no trouble at all, and that he hoped it would help to mitigate his earlier error in attacking the group.

"I also kept a close eye out for anymore enemies, mountain hazards such as rocks that could fall down the cliffs, and cleared the path of any rocks and sticks that blocked the way!" Vorcas finished with his customary aplomb.

"Oh, uh…thank you, Vorcas," Bryan replied, managing a smile. "You can relax now, okay? My father can take it from here."

"As you wish, your highness," Vorcas replied, almost sounding disappointed by the dismissal. "But don't hesitate to ask if you need my assistance again!"

"Right. So, Dad, which way from here?"

"Oh, well, it's been a very long time since I was last here, but if I recall correctly—" Owen began, but was soon cut off when an unknown male voice rang out.

"Hey! Hold there, strangers!"

Bryan, Vorcas, Owen, and the others turned to see a tall, muscular, and tan-skinned man with bright red hair running towards them. He was garbed in a reddish tunic of exotic design and wore leather sandals. Though the tunic was loose, it nonetheless offered a hint that there was a muscular form underneath. His skin was deeply tanned and his hair was also a deep red. His most distinguishing features, however, were his pointed ears and the red sigil on his right shoulder. It vaguely resembled the one on Soren's forehead, and, as if that wasn't enough, he also projected an aura of ancient majesty.

Though he looked barely in his thirties, he seemed as though he were much, much older than that.

This man, undoubtedly, was one of the dragon laguz. Probably a red dragon, judging from his hair and garb.

"You're one of the dragon laguz!" Bryan replied , suddenly remembering that this area was politically volatile. "Please, we mean no harm! We're from Astryn and we come in peace!"

"Calm yourself, hatchling," the dragon laguz interjected, raising a hand to forestall Bryan's rushed speech. "I'm not here to attack you. One dragon laguz against all of you? I'm not so old as to have lost my wits."

"Oh, good point. Then what do you want with us?"

"Why, I would've thought that obvious. To guide you to the castle, of course."

"Huh?! How did you know we were headed there?!" Bryan gasped, dumbfounded. "In fact, how did you know we were here at all?"

"Oh, give me some credit," the dragon laguz replied with a grin. "Talgrians, Cilaeans, Astrynians, Eraghoans, Perasi, Recatheans, Larameans, a Meloran or two, and others whose scents are from…elsewhere. Such a strange collection of people; and, here of all places? How could I not investigate such a bizarre sight? And besides, my king has been expecting you."

"Expecting us?! But how did he—"

"Really now, don't you think we'd know of the troubles that have plagued our old our own friends for the past decade?"

"Well yeah, I suspected that much. But how could King Cragen have known we were on our way now?"

"Oh, it's not that he expected you at this very moment. Rather, he anticipated that, with all these troubles both inside and outside her borders, Astryn would seek his aid eventually. A number of us were ordered to patrol the border, to keep watch for Astrynians. I wasn't expecting a party so large, or so diverse, but, I suspect the king will want to see you. We dragons have neither forgotten nor forgiven the pain Shigo inflicted upon our longtime allies."

Considering how much of a difference an army of dragons, or even a handful, would've made in shoring up his floundering kingdom, Bryan needed a moment to tamp down his incredulity before he spoke.

Remember, he mused with silent urgency, this is a potential ally. Don't push him away when you might need him.

"If that's true," the prince of Astryn began, weighing his words carefully, "then, why didn't King Cragen just send some dragons over to help us out on his own?" Owen wondered. "It would've saved us plenty of trouble."

"We were hardly in a position to object," Owen added, also keeping his tone calm with an effort. "It would've spared us much pain, and many lives."

"Well, he was concerned that intervening prematurely might've made things worse," the dragon laguz explained. "Whether any of us likes it or not, the destructive powers of the dragons will end a conflict, but not without…escalating it first. Our flame and lightning breath is potent, but there's always a great deal of…collateral damage."

"Hmm, that does make sense," Bryan admitted. "Especially considering the state Astryn is in right now. But, we're in desperate need of his aid now. As for escalating the conflict, I think we passed that point some time ago. If it'll save lives, it's worth the consequences; and, we can always rebuild what we burn down or blow up."

"You speak wisely, hatchling. As for myself, I am Kenth, a humble servant of the realm of Orenias. Might I have the pleasure of knowing whom I'm escorting to my liege's presence?"

"Oh, of course. I'm Bryan, prince of Astryn," Bryan replied, gesturing to the others in hopes of forestalling the inevitable gaping and gawking his title elicited. "This is Azura; the lady of Elhorhi in Talgria, General Leyon; commander of the Royal Knights of Talgria, Count Francois; one of my advisors, General Eric; commander of the Astrynian dracoknights, General Alec; commander of the Astrynian army, Vorcas; a captain in the Laramean army, and my father, Grand Duke Owen Novat. I've come on behalf of my late aunt, Queen Marion, as well as the Astrynian nobles at the palace."

Bryan had rather hoped that the lengthy introduction would give Kenth to get the stupefaction out of his system. Unfortunately, when he turned to face the red dragon, he was met with an expression of slack-jawed amazement, forcing Bryan to swallow an impatient groan.

"The prince?! The fabled lost prince of Astryn?! So you are real!" Kenth gasped, his eyebrows shooting clear up to his hairline. "Marion did mention that she had a sister and nephew, when she sought refuge here so long ago. But, the pain and losses she'd suffered left her so…unraveled, in mind, body, and spirit. King Cragen tried to learn more, but to no avail."

"…Wait, he knew of my existence? When I arrived in Astryn, I was under the impression that half the continent thought I was some sort of children's tale."

"Some of us knew better, you see. We dragon laguz can read minds, just as the herons can read hearts, and we have ways to tell real memories apart from dreams, fantasies, and delusions. But, this didn't help much with Marion. Her mind was all but broken. We looked into it again and again, but nothing we found could be deciphered. And, since neither you or your mother ever came to our country, none of us knew what you looked like, what name you went by, or where you were, much less how to help you prove your bloodline."

"Oh. That figures. From what I heard on the way to Medann, I'm guessing there was nothing you could do for her?"

"Sadly, no. And his majesty will be much aggrieved to hear of Queen Marion's death… I heard that they were dear friends, before...well, before the dark times. His majesty suspected she'd only have so long to live, but he'd hoped that her mind and spirit might mend before she died."

"I don't really know either way; she passed before I even reached the palace… I'm terribly sorry to have to bring him such news then."

"You need not worry, he will understand."

Here, Kenth's expression took on a penetrating look that had Bryan suddenly wondering if Kenth might be reading his mind at that very moment.

"Your burden is heavy enough without the added weight of the dead. And, in any case, his majesty was hoping to meet you soon."

"He was?" Bryan blurted, startled out of his princely reserve by the admission. "Well, I…I'm honored."

"Great! Then, let us be off! We shouldn't keep his majesty waiting."

With that, Kenth motioned for the group to follow him. Bryan had been about to follow when, suddenly, Ike shoved his way past the startled prince.

"Hey, wait just one minute," he cut in, clear suspicion in his gaze as he regarded Kenth. "This all seems a little too convenient to me."

"I agree," Soren added. "It does seem a bit odd that he just happened to be out here, in an area known to be a point of contention between Larame and Orenias, just as we were passing through. How do we know he's telling the truth, and that this isn't some sort of trap?"

Suddenly wondering the same thing, but wary of what might happen if these allegations turned out to be false, Bryan pointedly interposed himself between Ike and Kenth. When he spied the latter, however, he saw that the red dragon was regarding Ike with open amazement.

Kenth was about to reply, but hesitated when he got a good look at Ike. His eyes then bulged wide.

"You… I-Impossible…" he uttered. "You're…you're Sir Ike! The legendary hero of Tellius! I-I am deeply honored to meet you!"

Before he had even finished the sentence, Kenth had very nearly prostrated himself before Ike…who, true to fashion, was less-than-pleased by the gesture.

"Oh good grief…" the irate hero groused. "I can't go more than a day without…wait a minute! The dragon laguz way out here know of me?! How is that possible?! News of Tellius hasn't even reached past Astryn yet."

A smile, though one more of nostalgia than mirth, took shape on Kenth's face.

"Why, I know because I am originally from there," he explained. "You recall that how I said I detected scents from "elsewhere" among you? You and your surly friend there bear a whiff of…home."

"Wait, you mean you were born in Goldoa?"

That, Bryan suspected, was a bad sign. The prince of Astryn knew from stories he'd heard about Tellius that, during the Goddess War, many of the dragons of Goldoa had joined then-king Dheginsea in his support of the plan to bring about Ashera's Judgment.

And, many of those same dragons had tried to kill Ike and his friends when they didn't turn to stone along with the rest of the continent.

Bryan's fears were confirmed when he noticed Ike's sword hand tensing, so he thrust Eronite between the two, only dimly aware of Kenth regarding the thunder lance with recognition.

"Both of you, calm down!" he commanded. "Let's hear Kenth out, alright?"

The red dragon seemed rather disconcerted by Ike's reaction, but spoke nonetheless.

"It's a long story," he said, almost apologetically. "But, I assure you, I had no hand in the madness that overtook Tellius not so long ago. In fact, Prince Kurthnaga and Ena were good friends of mine. But, more than that, I won't betray you, Sir Ike. I gather you hear this too often for your tastes, but, I'm a great admirer of yours."

"You're right about me hearing it too often, I'll give you that much," Ike replied in a neutral tone.

"No, I'm serious. You may not know this, but, one of the consequences of our great longevity is…well, that living so long causes life to seem less and less precious. That may sound odd, but think about it. Goldoa had spent century after century cloistering itself off from the world, though we knew much of what went on beyond our land. So many years of suffering, and war, and barbarism, and despair. Yet, for nearly everyone in Goldoa, it was all little more than a passing interest. "People are always suffering somewhere," "Even if they didn't die this day, they'd likely die the next," "What is the point of laboring to preserve lives when they wither in the blink of an eye?" And yet, Sir Ike, when did any of that stop you? Stop you from caring, stop you from acting?"

Whatever Ike had been expecting to hear, that wasn't it. But, Bryan noticed with relief, that Ike's hand was now well away from Ragnell.

"…Well," Ike began, startled by Kenth's words. "It hasn't."

"Exactly. Even after all the suffering and bloodshed you must've seen, the harshness of the world has not broken you. It has tempered you, made you wiser and stronger, yet it has done nothing to wither your empathy…a trait my own people so often lacked. I could not threaten something so precious."

"I'm…really not sure what to say. Well, besides that I'm sorry. I was just wary because I've seen too many situations where people I care for are led into a trap by someone they, and I, thought was a friend. I was afraid it might happen again."

"Don't worry, I understand. But. I promise you, if you give me a chance, then I will not disappoint you. Now, shall we be going?"

"Yes, I think I can trust you."

Letting out a breath of profound relief, and hoping no one noticed, Bryan lowered Eronite and gestured for everyone to follow Kenth.

"That was quick thinking back there," Owen whispered to his son, a hint of disappointment seeping into his tone as the group continued towards Castle Orenias. "I only wish I'd been more useful."

"Heh, don't worry, Dad," Bryan reassured. "You can still help me out when we meet with King Cragen," Bryan assured with a smile. "I could use the help of someone who actually knows how to talk to politicians."

"Well, that's true," Owen agreed with a smile. "I doubt shaking Eronite in King Cragen's face will put him in an accommodating mood."

As Kenth guided the group, he told more his reasons for leaving Tellius. He had served in the Goldoan army for a long time, but never fought in either the Mad King's War or the Goddess War because of King Dheginsea's refusal to involve Goldoa in the affairs of outsiders. Kenth disagreed with this decision, as it made what was supposed to be his home feel more like a prison and his "hatchling's conscience," as his fellows put it, recoiled at the horrors he watched unfold in the wider world. He knew, however, that he was very nearly alone in that opinion, which made his home feel all the more confining. As time wore on, he wanted more and more to leave. He wanted to make a difference in the wider world, and, in so doing, journey to new places and make new friends. His chance finally came following the end of the Goddess War, when news reached Goldoa that Dheginsea had been defeated in Begnion. Kurthnaga was crowned king in place of his late father, and had promised that Goldoa would be a part of Tellius, rather than above and apart from it as it had been in the past, and that his country would forge lasting relations with the other nations of Tellius. Yet, Kenth wanted more. He had learned all about Ike and his adventures from Kurthnaga and Ena, which served only fueled his wanderlust. When Kenth learned of Altarais, and that Ike was planning on voyaging there, Kenth felt that he should do the same.

"And when I finally found Orenias, well, I couldn't resist staying," Kenth finished. "I still travel once in a while, of course, but I found that the Orenias dragons were much more amicable than many of the Goldoans. I still visit Kurth and Ena on occasion, though. But King Cragen is definitely not like Dheginsea was."

"Oh, I see," Ike replied. "You're right, the Goldoan dragons were pretty closed-minded about some things and Dheginsea was a stubborn lizard. Again, I apologize for accusing you earlier."

"Think on it no further. Besides, it's not every day I get approached by a hero as famous as you!"

"Right… So, you're able to fly back to Tellius? Have you been there recently? If so, I was wondering if you had any news of—"

Before Ike could finish the sentence, a certain young rogue darted between his legs to stand alongside Kenth.

"Hey! Hold on! This means you were the red dragon I saw in the sky back in Talgria a few months ago!" Kye blurted, his words nearly running together in his excitement.

"Ah, I was there at that time, actually. I'd wager you did see me!" Kenth confirmed. "Alas, a storm out at sea cut short my journey."

"Ha! I told you, Skye!" Kye gloated to his brother.

"Well, I'll be damned…" Skye commented, stupefied. "I'll never hear the end of this."

"Nope!" Kye said smugly, then turning to face the red dragon. "So, Kenth, do you think you could…transform for me? I've always wanted to see a real, transformed dragon laguz up close!"

"Heh, I don't see why not. How could I refuse a bright eager child? Why, to most dragons, I practically am one myself," Kenth agreed happily. With that, he traced curious designs in the air, and a corona of reddish light erupted around him. When the light dimmed, where once stood a tan skinned man was now a large, crimson scaled dragon. He stood on his hind limbs, rising to more than twice Ike's height, and his sharp claws and horns glinted in the sunlight. Sensing the rogue's rapt fascination, he even belched out a short gout of flame.

"Wow! That is so awesome!" Kye commented. "The dragon laguz are so cool!"

There was one amongst the army, however, with a very different opinion. Seeing Kenth's transformation, Kiel let out a shriek and began to flee for his life. He didn't far, however, before he stumbled over a rock and fell flat on his face. When he recovered his wits, the first thing he saw was Sara glowering down at him.

"KIEL! You're embarrassing me again! Weren't you supposed to be getting over this?!" she snapped.

"Ugh… Sorry… I'm trying…" the shamefaced Kiel uttered.

"Oh…!" Kenth said and quickly reverted back to his human form. "W-What's wrong with him?"

"Dang it, I'm sorry!" Kye apologized. "I forgot! Kiel's really afraid of dragons. Any kind. And he's been jumpy ever since we started our journey here."

"Oh, I see… I apologize, I had no idea. I'll remain untransformed for his sake then. But we will see other dragons at the castle. I can make no promises about them."

"Ohhh nooo…" Kiel trembled after standing up.

"He'll just have to stay outside the castle grounds then," Sara fumed. "But he is going to get over this fear. He has friends helping him with that."

"Well, I hope you're right," Kenth replied.

Kenth merely sighed as he led the group onward, announcing that their destination was no more than a few hours away and that Cragen would want to meet with Bryan immediately upon their arrival. As they traveled, Bryan thought about Laris having described Cragen as being rather blunt and intimidating. He hoped that this didn't mean that the dragon king could be abrasive or uncooperative. The prince could easily prove his identity using Eronite, but would that guarantee that Cragen would hear him out? A prince of Astryn he might be, but Bryan was neither a shrewd negotiator nor a savvy statesman. Kenth had said he was hardly like the previous Goldoan dragon king, so hopefully, this meant he'd at least be willing to listen. All Bryan could do was hope that he made a good impression on Cragen and that whatever support given to him by Owen, Francois, or Alec would be enough.

The next few hours passed quickly as Kenth led the group out of the mountains and to a vast expanse of verdant, hilly grasslands. Woodlands were visible in the distance, but few other trees broke the sea of grass. Bryan figured that the vast, open area benefitted the dragons, as they'd have more space to take off, fly, and land. Their great size likely made landing anywhere else, such as the forest, a dangerous proposition. With little to hide it from view, Castle Orenias soon appeared on the horizon. It was a massive stone building, larger than any Bryan or the others had ever seen before, likely built to accommodate the dragons within, regardless of what form they assumed. A ring of wide, flat-topped towers rose from the top of the main building, seemingly tall enough to spear the clouds. As Kenth finally brought the group to the castle's front gates, the red dragon explained to a pair of leery sentries that these visitors had come from Astryn to meet with Cragen. Luckily, the sentries had been given standing orders to admit such a party, and they granted entry to Bryan, Owen, Francois, and Alec. The rest of the group, meanwhile, would remain outside to take in the sights…and, with all the transformed dragons roaming about, to try and not to get stepped on.

Kenth then guided his four charges through halls with high, vaulted ceilings and through stone doors carved with bas relief designs, ultimately reaching the throne room. Bryan took a deep breath as they entered, taking comfort in Owen giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. As Bryan beheld the dragon king, his first observation was that Cragen was a very tall man. Beyond that, his muscular bulk that rivaled that of Kenth. Contrasting with his hulking appearance was his immaculately styled navy blue hair, through which the tips of his pointed ears were visible, and the majestic blue and silver cloak he wore over his pale blue tunic, white leggings, and dark green boots. A smile lit up his face when he laid eyes on Bryan.

"Ah, Kenth, you've guided our friends here. You've done well," Cragen spoke up and returned his attention to Bryan. "And you are Prince Bryan, I presume?" he guessed.

"Yes, I am, your majesty," Bryan confirmed. "Though, if you'll pardon my saying, I'm curious about how you knew that."

"Alas, that is not a happy tale," Cragen admitted. "Your aunt had told me much about you and mother when she sought refuge here during the last war. I greatly desired to aid in searching for you, but Orenias was recovering from that conflict as well. And, as Marion's condition worsened, what clues we had to find you were too few and too small to aid us."

"I see. Kenth told us the same thing," Bryan replied. "Oh, and this is my father, Grand Duke Owen, my advisor, Count Francois, and General Alec."

"Ah, a pleasure to meet all of you," Cragen said, exchanging respectful bows with his visitors. "And Grand Duke Owen, you say? If I recall, you were here once before, weren't you?"

"Indeed, I had come here many years ago on behalf of my parents to negotiate a trade agreement, as my father was ill at the time and my mother needed to care for him," Owen explained. "I was in training as well, as I was being groomed to assume control of our house."

"Aha, I knew you looked familiar," Cragen replied with a smile. "I do remember that now. I must apologize for not realizing it sooner. Sadly, the past decade has left us with no end of trouble."

"Did the dragon laguz suffer badly in the last war?" Bryan wondered.

"Not as much as most of the other nations, but we lost many of our finest. Most grievous was the death of one of our army's leaders…and my wife."

This, Bryan suspected, likely contributed far more to Cragen's reluctance to intervene earlier than the dragon king would readily admit. After all, for a being that lived for centuries, his wife's death might as well have happened yesterday.

"Oh… I am sorry if I have caused you to relive your grief," he apologized, feeling cool relief when the lines in Cragen's face eased slightly.

"You need not worry, my good prince," Cragen assured. "She is sorely missed, but we take solace in knowing that she fought bravely and died a heroine."

"I see… Let me guess who killed them. Shigo."

"Was there ever any doubt?"

"Just like my dear Caline…" Owen added, his eyes misting. "That pain is one I know all too well, your majesty."

"Indeed. But it was thanks in large part to those sacrifices that Shigo was defeated. His casualties were so heavy, and his troops so demoralized, that he'd had no choice but to abandon his conquest. We lost many to achieve that victory…though, since Shigo slipped our grasp, I could not help but wonder if it had all been for nothing."

Cragen's eyes had gone distant, as though he no longer saw the quartet of beorc standing before him, but something else. Or, rather, someone else, whose loss pained him yet.

Thumping Eronite's pommel on the floor to rouse Cragen from his reverie, Bryan spoke urgently.

"Your majesty, I cannot change what happened all those years ago. And, I can't promise that anything we do will make your wife's death hurt less. But, I can promise you this: we have another chance to bring Shigo to justice. And together, we can win this time. We can't bring back those who died at Shigo's hands, but we can avenge them. And we can make sure that what they fought and died for lives on."

Bryan sensed that Owen would've been leery of such a forward approach, but, luckily, Cragen seemed to brighten at Bryan's impassioned speech.

"You truly have the spirit of your forbearers," Cragen noted approvingly. "I believe you could accomplish this task, and more besides. In fact, an interesting notion occurs to me."

"…Oh?"

"Yes. Before I commit my men to your cause, I seek a favor from you. A boon, you beorc royalty might call it. There's a cavern in the mountains near here, where precious artifacts or important supplies are hidden for safekeeping. I'd like you to go there to retrieve something for me. I'd send some of my soldiers, but all the preparation for this war leaves few are available at the moment. Think of it as a test to see how well you can build rapport with some of the dragons here."

Another test? Bryan mused irritably. Ugh, not again.

"…Oh, alright," Bryan agreed reluctantly. "What is it that you'd like me to find?"

"Oh, just an item that will prove important in this fight," Cragen replied with a smile. "You'll find it in a special crate that's marked with blue sigils. Oh, but be careful, laguz bandits prowl the area around these caves. They're much more active and aggressive lately, not only here but in other nations too. In fact, rumors abound that they might have joined that beorc bandit army, the Red Claw."

"I see. Thanks for the warning."

Suddenly, the throne room doors burst open. Revealed was a girl that looked near in age Faline, garbed in a long dark blue tunic, sky blue leggings and sandals. What was most striking about her, however, was her hair. Whereas all the other dragons had had hair the color of silver, fire, or ebony, her waist length tresses were the blue of a summer sky.

"Hey, Father, Kenth! General Vesuve and I have—Oh, visitors! Are they from Astryn?" the girl inquired.

"Ah, hey, Nya!" Kenth greeted.

"Oh, Nyarla. As a matter of fact, they are," Cragen replied with a tone that suggesting he could be quite the doting father at times. "Everyone, this is my daughter, Nyarla."

Nyarla, seemingly oblivious to the perplexity on the visitors' faces, waved at them merrily.

"Pardon me for saying so, sire," Bryan began tactfully. "But, I've never seen a dragon laguz of such a color."

"I'd be quite astonished if you had," Cragen replied. "She is one-of-a-kind, the only blue dragon laguz who walks Altarais. On rare occasion, women of our family are born as blue dragons."

So, they likely don't exist on Tellius, Bryan deduced. Ike and the others will surely be interested in this.

"Nice to meet you all!" Nyarla greeted with a cheerful smile. "Yeah, I'm pretty different, aren't I? Or, is it my charms that caught your eye? Hee hee. So Father, are you sending them on a mission?"

"You might say that, yes," Cragen replied, his earlier indulgent tone turning blunt and firm. "But you're staying here. It's too dangerous for you."

"Aw, but General Vesuve and I sparred and he said I've gotten better!"

"I'm sure, but I still think you should train a little more before I let you into battle. Especially after what happened to your mother and General Manjaro."

"Oh, alright," Nyarla grumbled in disappointment.

"But Kenth, you will take a small group of dragons and accompany our new friends," Cragen continued. "I believe they'll have further need of your guidance."

"Of course, your majesty," Kenth obeyed.

"I wish you luck, my friends! You might be needing it. Heh, heh."

"Er…thank you," Bryan replied as politely as he could, then turned to exit the throne room.

Rather blunt and intimidating indeed, he thought to himself.​

That's all for this chapter! It's long, but it's out of the way. ^^

 

[Kelleo]

New chapter at last! This one is shorter, guys, I promise you.

Chapter 35: On Pegasus Wings​

As soon as Bryan and the others exited the throne room and the massive doors closed behind them, Kenth parted ways from the group, saying he would assemble those dragon soldiers which Cragen had promised as escort. Bryan nodded his thanks and turned to Owen. In stark contrast to the prince of Astryn's first, clumsy handling of statecraft, this latest performance had his father letting out a deep sigh, as though tremendously relieved.

"So, Dad, how did I do back there?" the prince wondered, a hint of anxiousness creeping into his tone.

Bryan had been worried that Owen would have disapproved of his using the memory of Cragen's late wife to persuade the dragon king. Yet, though Bryan had spoken the words he'd had on an impulse, he believed they had been what he'd needed to say. And, no less important, he believed they'd been what Cragen had needed to hear.

If Shigo did succeed where he'd once failed, then everyone who'd given their lives to stop him all those years ago would have died for nothing.

Bryan had gambled that Cragen would not let that stand, and the gamble seemed to be paying off.

Bryan shook himself back to attention in time to see a punchy smile dawn on Owen's features.

"Hmm, well, you didn't destroy any furniture with your lance this time," he replied. "It wouldn't have been good form, wrecking your neighbor's furnishings while on state business."

"Dad!" Bryan groused, eliciting a chuckle from his father, as well as Francois and Alec. "Come on, I'm serious!"

"Heh, I know, I know. I'm just teasing you," Owen admitted, still smiling. "I figured that with the dire situations we've been in lately, some levity wouldn't go amiss."

Bryan supposed he couldn't fault his father's thinking. He'd lost track of how many times he and the others had escaped death by the skin of their teeth, not to mention that the ever present weight of knowing that their friends and homelands yet remained in danger. But strangely, despite having been the butt of this joke, Bryan found his irritation melting away.

Perhaps it was seeing how returning from exile had helped his father's old wounds, allowing him to, at long last, honor his wife's memory by helping the land of his birth in its hour of need. Or, maybe it was the thinly veiled pride in his father's eyes as he regarded the prince of Astryn coming into his own. Maybe it was remembering the endless series of impossible escapades, from retrieving the Venoxic cure for Ike to retaking Jerusa, where the army had prevailed against impossible odds again and again.

Quite possibly, it was the sense that, at long last, Bryan, who'd once been an outcast boy, had found himself. Not Bryan the Emerald Sentinel, nor Bryan the prince of Astryn, nor even Bryan the man beloved by Faline. But simply Bryan, a man who'd finally arrived at the point where he could look in the mirror and know who and what he was, know his purpose, and know that he was equal to the task.

Whatever else happened, Bryan would always have that to lend courage to his spirit and bring peace to his heart.

"Well, I understand," he admitted, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "But can we save it for when we're resting for the evening or something? I need to know if I'm getting better at this statecraft stuff, especially after the first council meeting."

"Don't remind me!" his father replied with an exaggerated shudder. "But I see your point. And in all seriousness, you did well this time. I was worried that matching up King Cragen's forwardness might backfire, but I was wrong. You're definitely improving. Although thankfully, King Cragen isn't as quick to anger, as his intimidating appearance might suggest."

"I see. And I'm glad I'm getting better. But is it true that he's slow to anger? I would've thought that after what happened to his wife and one of his generals, he'd fry anyone that gave him even the least bit of trouble."

"Yes, you would think that. Indeed, I did too. I don't doubt for a minute that he's grieved long and bitterly over the loss of those two dragons. Like you said back there, those wounds will never fully heal. But, though you would not know this, he hardly seemed different from back when I met him years ago, except that he's more protective of his loved ones now. Of course, we can hardly blame him. But to come to the point, I don't believe he's "gotten over" his wife's death, but that he's found it in himself to move on."

Here, Owen paused briefly, and meaningfully, before adding "I imagine that, if Nyarla hadn't been born, we would have found him in a much different frame of mind."

"Yeah…" Bryan said, sensing that Owen was also implying what had kept the former Grand Duke going after his wife's death.

Francois and Alec, who'd been following the pair in respectful silence, chose that moment to make themselves known as the group neared the castle doors and their waiting allies.

"Grand Duke Owen, if I may?" Francois interjected with a smile. "I'd heard some rumors about Prince Bryan destroying someone's furniture with a lance. But until hearing you earlier, I had little reason to credit it. Please, this is a story I simply must hear."

"Me too! Taking out furniture with a weapon, oh my goddess… Hahaha!" Alec added, bursting into laughter. It didn't take long for Francois to join in the hilarity.

One would have expected Bryan to be long past feeling embarrassed at that incident, especially when it was weighed against all that he'd gained since. But despite himself, Bryan found a hint of his earlier irritation simmering in his gut.

"Now look what you've started, Dad," he chastised.

"Heh, sorry," Owen apologized and then turned to Francois and Alec. "It was just before Bryan set out to claim his throne. We had arrived at Castle Talgria and were attending a meeting between the royals of the nations of central and eastern Altarais which are allied against Melora. By then, the war was going very badly and tensions between the leaders were running high. They were at each other's throats and King Wencelis couldn't restore calm. So, never one for subtlety, Bryan stepped in. He vaulted into the air and plunged the brave lance I gave him right into the center of the table, causing the whole thing to collapse under him. Needless to say, it shocked everyone into silence and a few terse words later, everyone had been brought back to their senses. I'll admit though, it still wasn't my son's brightest moment."

By this time, Alec was laughing so uncontrollably that he could barely keep his feet. Francois, meanwhile, was pressed up against one wall and laughing so hard that his eyes streamed with mirthful tears.

"Oh my," Francois gasped out while Bryan irately clapped a hand to his face. "Most amusing! But indeed, it's not the wisest solution, your highness. I would definitely not recommend resorting to such tactics in future political dealings. Some might not appreciate your…flourish."

"They might appreciate the extra firewood, though," Alec added, still laughing. "Castles are always so cold and drafty."

"Both of you, shut up," Bryan grumbled, rolling his eyes. "I may not have been groomed from the cradle like King Wencelis or Aunt Marion, but I'm not that inexperienced. Now let's hurry, we don't want to keep the rest of our group waiting too long."

"Of course."

I swear, that story is going to be carved on my gravestone when I'm dead, Bryan mused sourly as the group made for the massive doors that led outside of the castle.

Along the way, Bryan pondered the mission Cragen had given him. It almost seemed too simple that retrieving an item, however important, would be enough to secure the dragon king's aid. And, for that matter, what could be as important as that? Cragen hadn't even told Bryan exactly what it was, almost as if revealing that information might pose some sort of risk. So, it stood to reason that it most certainly had to be something extremely important, especially since Cragen had said it would prove important to the war effort. In fact, as Bryan chewed on that particular tidbit, he found himself almost feeling honored to have been charged with such a task.

And, if securing Cragen's aid really was that easy, it wasn't as if some good luck would go amiss.

He was eager to tell the others once his small party rejoined them outside. And the more he thought about it, the more his curiosity about this mysterious item tickled and nagged at him. Could it be some sort of magical jewel or gemstone? Or a document containing highly secret information they could use against Melora? Or, perhaps something else entirely? After all, Bryan knew practically nothing of Orenias and what secrets the dragons of Altarais might possess.

Whatever the answer might be, Bryan knew he wouldn't find out unless he accomplished his mission. The moment he stepped out into the open air, he immediately approached Azura. Unsurprisingly, Leyon was at her side, the two lovers all but inseparable since their reunion following the liberation of Jerusa. Faline was also there, eager to hear everything as well.

"Ah, Bryan, you're back!" Azura greeted. "How did things go in there? Will the king be giving us some aid?"

"Oh, it went very well, if I do say so myself," Bryan replied, unable to keep a hint of pride from his tone. "And yes, he's willing to help, but he also gave me a mission to complete first."

"Well, that figures. What do we have to do?"

Bryan quickly explained Cragen's request to retrieve an item of great importance which was hidden in the nearby mountains. He added that Kenth seemed to know where their destination lay and that they'd have to await his return before they set off.

"I see," Azura replied, intrigued. "I wonder what this item is. It really does sound important."

"Indeed. It's even got the lure of the unknown," Leyon commented, smiling broadly. "What poet could resist that?"

"I agree!" Faline chimed in. "But whatever it is, I know we can retrieve it!"

"Right," Bryan said with a smile. "But let's not get cocky. Before we left, his majesty also warned me that laguz bandits are on the prowl in the area where this item is supposed to be hidden. We might run into them, so we'd best be prepared."

"Ha, as long as I have my armor, horse, and axe, I'm always prepared," Leyon affirmed, every syllable resonating with self-assurance. "And with the skill of our troops, not to mention you, Azura, and myself leading them, I know we can win."

"Heh, sounds like that victory in Jerusa gave you quite a shot of confidence," Bryan observed, though he was hardly surprised.

"You'd better believe it! That was my greatest victory yet and by far!"

"I can certainly believe it," Azura agreed, lacing her fingers with Leyon's and gazing at him adoringly. "The stories you brought back of how you turned the battle around were amazing!"

"And I'm glad to know Cilae is safe for now!" Faline put in. "I mean, I may be about to settle in Astryn, but Cilae is still home. And my sisters will need a home to return to."

"That's true," Bryan acknowledged. "But like I said, let's not get too confident. We are in a land belonging to the dragon laguz, so some of them might be among the bandits Cragen warned us about. And I think we all know that they're definitely no pushover in a fight."

"That's true too," Azura admitted, her expression becoming pensive. "If that's the case, we'd best not be caught unprepared if we do meet them."

"Indeed. Now once Kenth gets back with Cragen's men, we move out!"

Leyon, Azura, and Faline nodded with understanding and, as they waited, the foursome continued to converse. They discussed possible strategies in case they found themselves up against dragon laguz bandits as well as other types of laguz in case foes from the beast or bird tribes might also be lurking about. Since Ike, Elincia, Ranulf, Boyd, and Soren had fought dragons back in Tellius, they were waved over and questioned. But, even the hero of Tellius could not downplay just how dangerous an enemy a dragon might be. They possessed a constitution that even the stoutest armored knight might envy and their fire and lightning breath was deadly. Apart from another dragon, such as Kenth and Cragen's promised escorts, the only real weapon against a dragon was a concerted attack with powerful thunder tomes. Bryan decided it might be best to use the latter strategy as best they could, since relying too much on their dragon escort might give Cragen second thoughts about backing the prince of Astryn.

Having learned all he could from Ike and his fellow Tellius natives, Bryan also sought out Skye and spoke with him, both about the upcoming mission and their shared brush with disaster during the battle with the Meloran dracoknights. The two had unsurprisingly been deeply concerned about one another ever since, but time and prying eyes had kept them from talking it over. And, though Bryan was still convinced that denial was at the root of it, he suspected the Skye did not appreciate his friend's choice of cover stories.

Craven though it might be for either man to admit, but Raela could be quite terrifying when riled.

Thankfully, it seemed that Skye had largely recovered from the incident and was feeling near to his old self. The scars which both young men carried would not soon be forgotten. But, for all the sheer terror they'd faced, in the recent and distant past, both men yet felt buoyed up by the knowledge that, so long as they stood shoulder to shoulder against their fears, they would never be broken. Unfortunately, the two friends had not realized that they'd been speaking a bit too loudly and that they'd caught Leyon's attention.

"Hey, I'm sorry to cut in, but your voices are carrying," he said. "And now that I think about it, you both have been a little on edge lately. Is there something you and Azura haven't told me about, Bryan?"

"…Oh, yeah. Ugh, me and my stupid blabbermouth," Bryan cursed himself. "Well, this isn't exactly something we want to be widely known. There would be…consequences. But, I think you deserve to know."

"I apologize too, Leyon," Azura stepped in. "I wanted to tell you, but I wasn't sure if Bryan was ready. Like he said, what he has to say is sensitive."

After securing his promise of secrecy, Bryan and Azura then told Leyon of how Eric's men had been framed by the Meloran dracoknights who'd been raiding across Larame's border and looting their stores. Bryan also shamefully admitted to his and Skye's shared moment of weakness and having covered it up with Eric's ironic assistance. By the time they'd finished their story, Leyon could only gape in horrified stupefaction.

"Damn it, Bryan!" he blurted angrily. "Do you realize how badly this could harm our chances of winning the war?!"

"Do you seriously think I don't know that?!" Bryan protested hotly. "Yeah, I know only too well. Astryn is so desperate for strong leadership, and my…lapse could have caused them to lose faith in me. But I couldn't help myself! And neither could Skye!"

"Leyon, stop! It wasn't anyone's fault!" Azura interjected, her tone becoming firm. "And you, of all people, should know what it's like to live with something so terrible that it still haunts you years and years later!"

The backhanded reminder of Russell, whose loss still stabbed at his heart, drew Leyon up short. Indeed, hadn't his agonizing over how he'd failed Russell when it counted the most nearly cost him the battle when the Jerusa campaign seemed nearly lost? He knew this to be true, but he also knew that he'd been able to overcome it at the critical moment. Bryan, however, seemed to be another story entirely.

"I understand that, but we can't afford to let our fears get to our heads!" Leyon countered. "I almost did that in Jerusa, and it nearly cost us everything! We can't afford that, and we certainly can't afford for one of our own to throw a hissy fit in the middle of a goddess-damned battle!"

"HISSY FIT?!" Bryan thundered incredulously. "You try dangling a few hundred feet in the air from a wyvern's claws and see what it does for your nerves!"

"I'd expect that you'd be afraid. Only a fool wouldn't be. But, going into a panic?! I thought you were a stronger person than that, Bryan! But it looks like you have a long way to go if you want to be the king Astryn needs!"

Bryan was too flustered to speak, but there was no mistaking the furious tint of red that now spread from his chin to his hairline. His anger, which was always a force to be reckoned with, was fast reaching the boiling point.

"Uh oh…" Skye muttered nervously. He knew what was coming, and so did several others.

"Bryan! No!" Faline pleaded, futilely snatching at the prince of Astryn's elbow. However, her love was deaf to her pleas and easily broke free of her grasp.

In an instant, Bryan snatched Leyon by the collar of his tunic, yanking him off his feet and into the air.

"Aaagh!" Leyon gasped, finding himself wildly dancing over nothing.

"IF YOU THINK I'M WEAK JUST BECAUSE OF SOME OLD WOUNDS, THEN YOU'RE A GREATER FOOL THAN TAVON WAS!" Bryan fumed, his grip on Leyon's collar tightening until his gauntlets creaked in protest.

"You idiot! That's not what I meant and you know it!" Leyon shot back, frantically kicking his legs and digging his fingers under Bryan's to break the enraged prince's grip. One boot connected with Bryan's knee, causing his legs to buckle beneath him and sending both men sprawling to the ground. But Bryan quickly rose to his feet, seeming no less fierce for his unsteady footing. Snarling, he lunged at Leyon, only for Owen and Skye to seize him by the arms while Eliot and Azura each snatched one of Leyon's wrists and held him at bay.

"HEY!" Leyon blurted, struggling to free himself.

"Unhand me!" Bryan demanded, his words smoking with fury.

"Bryan, stop this! What has gotten into you?!" Owen demanded.

"Yeah!" Skye seconded. "Didn't you learn your lesson back when you mindlessly drenched yourself in enemy blood?!"

Those words seemed to pierce the blood red haze that had veiled Bryan's vision, calling to his mind's eye the horror on Faline's face when he'd gone berserk at Lysthe.

No, not just horror, but fear.

And, that memory was enough to cool his anger…but, not completely.

"I'm sick of being called weak!" Bryan growled. "I won't take it anymore! I'm not weak! Do you hear me?!"

"For the last goddess-damned time, I never said you were!" Leyon contradicted. "You might want to add that to what you need to learn about being king, how to freakin' listen!"

"Leyon, get a hold of yourself!" Azura demanded, sharply enough to startle her love into silence. "Do you seriously think this is what I wanted to see when you returned to us after I'd been worrying myself sick for weeks?!"

"What they said! Do I have to help break up every fight my superiors get into?!" Eliot complained, though a hint of relief crossed his features when Leyon relaxed in his grip.

Both men still regarded one another with hostility, but the standoff was broken with a lance was suddenly leveled between the two.

"Leyon! Bryan! Cease this foolishness immediately!" Louise ordered, having seen the commotion and flown over on her Pegasus to land between the two. "My brother might very well be staking the survival of his entire country on this mission, and the last thing he needs is our progress being hindered because two of our commanders were fighting each other instead of the enemy!"

At this, and the reminder of just how high the stakes riding on their success were, both of the would-be combatants sagged in mortification.

"Sigh… You're right," Leyon conceded, his voice very small. "You have my deepest apologies, Lady Louise. My brother wouldn't have been pleased either…"

"Nor would my advisors," Bryan admitted, taking note of the expression of disapproval on Francois's face. "Ugh, I can't believe I did this again! I've sworn over and over not to let my past get to my goddess-damned head. But, every time I think I have a handle on it, something comes out of the shadows to bite me!"

"I know, Bryan, I've seen it," Faline added, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. "But, it seems like both you and General Leyon have a ways to go before you can lay those ghosts to rest. Perhaps the two of you will need to work together to help each other."

"I agree," Azura seconded. "We can't defeat Shigo or win this war unless we work together and you two need to make peace in order for us to do that. Now we have some time before we leave, so you'd best try to cool off."

With that, both women wheeled about and walked away, leaving their respective lovers to face one another. Both men felt disappointed and ashamed with themselves and it was a long moment before either man could bring himself to speak.

"Well, how do you like that? Our women are sore with us now too," Bryan noticed, his words shaky.

"Yep… But they're right," Leyon admitted. "I do know what it's like to have to live with something terrible like that. And, looking back, maybe I don't have as firm a grip on it as I said. Maybe we should talk it over, and with Skye too. It'll have to be later though, we've got a mission to finish."

"Right."

The two men sealed the agreement with a handshake and, moments later, the massive doors of the towering castle creaked open once more. This time, Kenth stood in the yawning doorway, followed by several red and white dragon laguz soldiers. Though all looked comically small compared to the doors they passed through, all were tall and had broad, muscular frames that could rival even Ike's. They also wore woven belts of crimson and ivory silk, likely meant to denote the color of dragon they transformed into. As the small unit of dragons drew nearer, Kiel inevitably found himself perspiring, but did his best to keep his composure. The red wolf, trying to appear unperturbed, instead succeeded in making himself as stiff as a fireplace poker.

This, naturally, had the unwanted consequence of causing the dragons to glance at him as they passed, and Kiel felt his breath catch in his throat as their gaze fell upon him. A long moment later, much to his relief and Sara's annoyance, they passed on by.

"Pardon me, but is everything alright out here? I thought I heard shouting," Kenth spoke up as he arrived.

"Oh, we just had a small disagreement," Azura said dismissively, conscious that the truth might harm their standing. "Tensions have been high lately. But we're all fine now."

"Oh? Very well, then. Now, these are the only dragon warriors I could gather for right now," Kenth continued. "The others are occupied at the moment, watching our borders with Melora and Larame, as well as other areas of strategic importance. Hopefully, these escorts will suffice. Also, Prince Bryan, I've been assured that we dragons, including myself, will follow your orders and Azura's, if you two desire. You need only command us. However, if you prefer, we'll act on our own initiative. Is this acceptable?"

"Oh, yeah, that's fine with me," Bryan agreed, schooling his expression back to that expected of the prince of Astryn.

"Same here," Azura seconded.

"Good, then we're ready to go," Kenth replied. "Our destination isn't too far from here. If the weather favors us, we should arrive in about a few hours."

"Got it," Bryan said.

With that, the group gathered up and began journeying to their next destination. Since he would act as guide, Kenth took the lead. Bryan had suggested that Owen stay behind for his own protection, but Owen insisted that he would go along. In fact, he said this with such vehemence that Bryan was taken aback, prompting Owen to calm himself and explain. Watching the dragons with a wary eye in case they took too great an interest, he tried to put into words how terrified he'd been during Bryan's many missions abroad while he was left behind, worrying while his son was risking his life in parts unknown and always haunted by the terrible chance that he might not return alive. Though he knew he'd be of little use on the battlefield, Owen said firmly that he would rather be with his son, watching and aiding him as best he could. Ike, who'd been close enough to overhear, moved alongside Bryan and voiced his agreement. Indeed, the hero of Tellius understood Owen's sentiments very well, as Ike's sister, Mist, was the same way with him after Greil had been slain. Bryan, conceding the point, agreed, though only as long as Owen stayed where the troops could easily defend him if the enemy slipped past the army's front line. The Grand Duke, who nearly sagged with relief at these words, made no objection.

The march went on for several hours, during which Bryan and Azura soon noticed that Kenth, while making sure the group stayed on course, would sometimes leave his place at the head of the column to strike up a conversation with the women of the army. He first approached Leona, asking her opinion on Orenias and recommending sights for when she could visit at a more leisurely pace. When Marc intervened, however, Kenth promptly walked away. Leona hadn't seemed irritated by Kenth's attentions, but it seemed odd to those who'd seen the exchange. Kenth then moved onto Marina, asking after the sights in Cilae. Though perplexed, Marina answered politely until Lartz cut in, his expression one of thinly veiled displeasure. Almost as though he was jealous. In fact, Bryan found himself feeling rather wary, since Faline was nearby.

"Bryan, is it just me, or is Kenth up to something?" Azura spoke up. "I really think there's more to this than him playing at tour guide."

"I agree, he's definitely got something on his mind," Bryan replied. "I'm going to see what it is. Although, I have a feeling that I already know."

"Sigh… I have a pretty good idea myself."

Bryan then approached Kenth, who'd been eyeing Magali. The prince of Astryn, weary of this nonsense, caught him by the elbow and tugged him off to one side.

"Hey," he spoke up, somewhat amused to see the normally unflappable Kenth jump. "Are you guiding us or bothering the women?"

"Oh, your highness!" Kenth blurted, somewhat sheepishly. "Don't worry, I was only interested in meeting some of them! I must say, you have some lovely ladies in this army! And if you'll pardon my saying so, I'm quite the eligible bachelor."

"…Let me get this straight. You're on the prowl for a date?"

"More than that, if I can manage it. I thought it best to make a few overtures to some of these ladies. One thing I'll never forget from my time in Goldoa is that, even for us dragons, life is too short to not make the most of it. And, living alone for century after century has become dreadfully dull."

"Uh huh. Well, I'll have you know that some of these "lovely ladies" already have lovers. Including Faline, who is my girlfriend."

Kenth, who'd been quite at ease a moment ago, suddenly blanched when he realized what his "overtures" must've looked like.

"Oh….OH!" he spluttered mortified. "Dear me, no wonder those gentlemen looked so agitated. I did apologize when I sensed I wasn't wanted though, I assure you!"

"Well, it's an honest enough mistake," Bryan admitted, recalling his own lonely years. "But, watch yourself. And, we should get a move on. We'd best not keep King Cragen waiting too long, especially if this item's as important as he claims."

"Ah, yes, of course!"

After that, the two parted company and Kenth set them at a faster pace. As he rejoined Faline and explained what had happened, Bryan found himself wondering if Kenth might know the contents of the crate Cragen had asked them to retrieve. When he asked the red dragon, however, Kenth merely replied that he wasn't even entirely sure himself. He did say, however, that the dragon laguz of Orenias used that particular crate to store a number of things they considered valuable, ranging from family heirlooms to private journals. This tidbit served to whet Bryan's curiosity. His interest became mixed with perplexity when Kenth added that was probably something Bryan would never expect to be the object of a task set to him by royalty. What Kenth meant by this, Bryan wasn't sure, but he reminded himself that he would find out sooner or later.

Just as Kenth had originally stated, their destination lay a mere hours away. As they left behind the expansive grasslands, the ground steadily rose towards high, snow-capped mountains that brushed against the clouds. As the group surveyed the peaks, they spied dozens of shapes, little more than fluttering dots from such a distance, arcing and diving against the sun's rays. Even before the hawks had confirmed it, Bryan knew them to be dragons, both red and white, but whether they were friend or foe could not be determined. When he asked Kenth, the red dragon seemed unconcerned.

"If they were bandits, I think we'd know by now," he assured. "They'd either be sounding the alarm or swooping down on us. No, I think this is a patrol of Orenias's army. This depot we're traveling to is an important one, as King Cragen had said, and they'd easily spot any threats from such a height."

"I hope you're right," Bryan replied, not relishing the alternative. "We'd best press on in any case."

Kiel, who'd been quick to fear the worst, couldn't even manage a pretense of calm at the prospect of dragons trying to kill him. He trembled and shuddered and wished to the goddess that he could just turn and run until his legs fell off. Unfortunately, while he was surrounded by his allies and had Sara keeping a close watch on him, he knew he was trapped. Bryan, Azura, and Leyon were glad of this, as they couldn't afford such a distraction, or potential embarrassment, at a time like this.

"Alright, the entrance to the depot his majesty spoke of is right around…" Kenth began moments later, but his words trailed away as he suddenly jerked to a halt. "…Ah blast."

"What's wrong?" Bryan inquired. "Don't tell me those dragons we spotted were bandits after all!"

"No, but I fear we have another problem, unfortunately. This depot is supposed to be empty, only guarded from the outside, but I'm picking up fresh scents inside. There's some beasts, birds, and dragons up ahead."

"Well, we'll battle our way through them, then!" Azura proclaimed, her sword already drawn. "If we're going to secure King Cragen's aid, it's just as well we'd need to prove ourselves."

"Indeed. I didn't ride halfway across the continent to rejoin this lot just to turn around," Leyon added.

"So much for not getting too cocky," Bryan murmured under his breath, though Eronite was already in his grip.

The prince of Astryn had been about to sound the charge when he noticed that Kenth had gone as rigid as the mountain above them. Perplexed, he prodded at the red dragon with one finger, causing their guide to jump.

"What is wrong with you?" he wondered, bewildered at this odd behavior. "It's just bandits, like King Cragen warned us about, right?"

"Yes," Kenth continued hesitantly. "But, there's something strange about this one particular scent I've picked up. It's a dragon, one with a heady, spicy aroma that calls to mind nights spent before the hearth with…by Cragen's claws, the scent is female!"

"Huh?" Bryan said, arching an eyebrow. Azura and Leyon could only give the red dragon blank looks as well.

"Your highness, why would a lovely lady be mixed up with bandits?!" Kenth wondered. "If she is lovely, that is."

"Oh for the love of…" Bryan fumed, driving his palm into his forehead. "Does it really matter what gender the bandit is?! Women can be villains too! Look at Melora's queen, Isis!"

The notion of fighting a woman, especially one whose very scent was so intoxicating, seemed to have Kenth in a quandary. The red dragon stared into the mouth of the cave for a long moment, torn between his duty and the tantalizing mental image of the she-dragon until, finally, the former prevailed.

"I suppose there's nothing to be done for it," he admitted, almost sadly. "It is indeed a sad day when a gentlemen must seek a lady's death, but we've little choice. To battle!"

Bryan, nearly stunned at the red dragon's lament, let out a heavy sigh and led the group into the cave. Unfortunately, the seeming luck Bryan and company had been enjoying in Orenias chose that moment to take a sour turn. The Prince of Astryn had expected this depot to be well lit, so that its contents would easy to find, but he was wrong. The passageway dug into the rock angled sharply downward, well away from the sun's rays. What's more, with every step he and the others took, the shadows of the cavern thickened until they might as well have been blind.

"Ah! It's pitch black in here!" Bryan called out, trying vainly to signal for a halt but quickly finding several armored bodies plowing into him from behind.

"Yeah, I can't see a thing!" the disembodied voice of Azura added. "Could we get some—OUCH! Who did that?!"

"Oh, sorry! I should've mentioned this…" Kenth's voice called out. "I've dealt with beorc so rarely that I forgot that you cannot see in such low light. We dragons can simply use our breath to heat the stone. These caves are unique in that, when heated, they emit a glow we can use as a light source. Heh, sorry…"

"Damn it…" Bryan grumbled under his breath. "You're lucky we happen to have a few torches handy in one of the wagons. We'd best get some before we proceed."

"Yes, I agree. Though, if need be, we dragons can set the walls aglow, as I said earlier. It would allow your soldiers to fight with both hands, but we'd need to re-heat the walls from time to time so we can all see."

"That might not be such a bad idea. But, for now, let's use the torches. Even if you smell them, we don't know where the bandits might be in here. Let's not give them too much warning and risk them jumping us from out of nowhere."

"Right. Oh, but there are also some braziers around as well. We use them since it's too dangerous to use our breath while carrying supplies out of here. If you use your torches to light them, it would give us better light."

"Got it."

By this time, those at the rear of the procession had managed to retrieve a dozen odd torches and these were passed up the line. The group ignited their torches and began their trek through the cave, moving as quietly as they could and carefully peering around each corner for any enemies that might be lurking nearby. Several minutes passed before a low distant sound echoed back to the party. Bryan held up one hand to signal a halt and listened carefully for a long moment until he heard the sound of a heavy object being dropped up ahead, an aggravated voice ringing out over the crash. That had to be the bandits. Bryan had no need to voice this assertion, for Skye had nocked an arrow to his bowstring, Soren, Lily, and Francois had their tomes in hand, and everyone else drew their weapons, quietly maneuvering into formation for what, they suspected, would be a fierce battle. Raela, Norman, and Lisa stood at the ready with their staves, on the alert for any wounded that might need their aid. Despite how well armed the party was, they nonetheless found their hands trembling and their breath going short and ragged. In this terrible gloom, and knowing that enemies were lurking within, childhood fears of what might be lurking in dark places suddenly returned, lending a sinister connotation to every flicker of movement.

Ultimately, the passageway gave way to a huge cavern, large enough that the ceiling was lost to shadows. The cavern was littered with crates, a few of these, either due to carelessness or not containing anything of worth, had been reduced to splinters while others were being rifled through by several shadowy figures. Revealed by the light of a torch was a fairly tall, tan-skinned woman with a statuesque physique who stood at the back, apparently supervising the looting of the chamber. Barely a glance was needed to understand Kenth's lusty description of her scent. Apart from her shapely and well-toned form, she had hair that gleamed like silver in the torchlight, despite a tarnish of brown grit being mixed in. She wore a tattered dress with only one of its two shoulder straps yet intact, but the material was diaphanous and billowed suggestively with even the slightest motion. Her large blue eyes gleamed like gemstones, and the red mark beneath the left, which appeared much like the one on Kenth's shoulder, serve accentuate her strong features and pointed chin. As attractive as she was, however, there was no mistaking the avarice in her eyes as her gaze roamed over the crates. Kenth seemed almost crestfallen by this revelation and, despite shooting the red dragon an irate glare, Bryan felt genuine regret that a dragon could stoop so low as banditry. He was shaken back to attention, however, when a transformed red dragon bandit began plodding over to the woman.

"Captain Bruma, I think I smell intruders!" he said urgently, causing the other bandits to cease their looting and transform. "I've picked up a large group of people nearby, with scents from all parts of the continent! Even Melora!"

"Hm, so it seems!" Bruma repliedafter a cursory sniff of the air. "Well, we've gone to too much trouble to lose this precious loot. They want it? They'll have to pry it from our cold, dead claws! If they show up, get rid of 'em! Or at least hold 'em off until we've got what we came for!"

"Yes, ma'am! I'll pass the message along to the beasts and birds!"

With that, Bruma transformed, assuming the form of a grayish dragon. Once her transformation was complete, she let out a roar, as though challenging her enemies to make themselves known, while the red dragon who'd spoken earlier vanished into the darkness behind her, presumably heading deeper into the cave to pass along his message to the other bandits. Ranulf, who was able to see further and better than the others, reported that he could see a long corridor populated by several laguz bandits, apparently forming a message chain. As soon as one laguz bandit told another of the intruders, they assumed their animal forms as well. Luckily, Bryan, Azura, and the others had anticipated this since they knew very well that all laguz had a keen sense of smell, especially the beast laguz. What's more, since the bandits were scattered throughout the cave system, the army could fight them piecemeal instead of all at once.

"Time to divide and conquer," Bryan said, just loudly enough for the others to hear. "The dragons will block that tunnel to keep the enemy reinforcements from reaching us. The rest will deal with this scum."

On the prince of Astryn's orders, Skye and the magic users unleashed a volley of ranged attacks, creating enough confusion for the dragons to enter the chamber. Though the Orenias soldiers stuck to the shadows, beings of such size were not easy to hide and the laguz bandits moved to intercept. After another volley of arrows and spells, Bryan sounded the charge and took the fight to the enemy.

Ike managed to sidestep a blast of fire breath, the flames passing so close to his head that he swore it crisped a few strands of his hair. Regaining his feet, he rolled in close to one of the dragon bandits and clove deep with Ragnell. Though the sacred blade penetrated the scales, his foe yet came away standing, though barely. The hero of Tellius soon found himself wishing that they'd brought laguz-slaying weapons with them, as he recalled that they were far more effective against the shape-shifting people than normal beorc-made weapons. He even knew this from personal experience, as he'd obtained a laguzslayer, a sword meant to be used against laguz, in Crimea's Port Toha during the Mad King's War. The weapon's sinister appearance, a trait shared by the man he'd received it from, had repulsed him, but it turned out that the chance encounter had come at just the right time. During a subsequent battle, aboard Nasir's ship in the bird tribe's waters, they ran afoul of a flock of raven laguz pirates. He'd mentioned this anecdote to Azura, Bryan, and Leyon during their earlier conference and, though generations of peace between Altarais's beorc and laguz had caused both races to take a dim view of those grisly implements, they could hardly disagree that such weapons would've come in handy. Thankfully, they still had some magic wielders among them, and the dragons did an admirable job of interdicting the enemy reinforcements. Thus free to focus on the immediate threat, the mages in the group made sure to use the right tomes against the right laguz in order to subdue each foe as quickly as possible. Lily went after the beasts with her fire magic, Soren sent the birds plummeting with his wind magic, and Francois brought his thunder tomes to bear against the dragons.

The dragons, however, were in a class of their own. Francois's thunder magic took its toll, stunning and staggering several, but even when faced with their only true weakness, they yet pressed on with inexorable killing intent. Ultimately, Lily and Soren switched targets, riddling the dragons with spells while the burden of fighting the beasts and birds shifted to their friends. The healers moved as close as they dared, opting to use Physic staves in case the fighting drew too near for comfort. It was a risky tactic, one which Bryan would have been more confident in had their dragon escorts been available to help, but he sensed that taking the more dangerous portion of the battle upon himself would best make his case to Cragen. And, it seemed his luck was on the rebound, since the battle looked to be turning in his favor.

Bruma, apparently reaching the same conclusion, decided that now was a good time to enter the fray. She briefly resumed her human form again, though likely just for grand effect.

"Ya sure know how to make a girl feel important," she spoke up. "Sending fools from all over for my entertainment. Ya fight well, I'll give you that much! But we're not finished yet!"

"Good, because I'm just getting started!" Bryan retorted, sweeping Eronite's tip to alight upon the dragon bandit.

"Oh, what cruel wiles the fates work!" Kenth lamented, causing Bryan's charge to jerk to a scandalized halt. "I had hoped you to be a hostage of these villains, but instead I find you plundering supplies vital to Orenias's army! Oh, would that I were blind so that I could be spared this sight."

Bruma, and indeed, everyone within earshot, could only gape in stupefaction for a long moment before the dragon bandit clapped a hand to her forehead in unmitigated disbelief.

"Could you possibly be any more melodramatic?!" she screeched. "And, what the blazes are you supposed to be, some fool who thinks he can sweep any woman off their feet with his enflamed passions?"

"Well, considering that I'm a red dragon, you might not be far wrong," Kenth continued, his earlier melancholy vanishing as a grin dawned on his features. "In fact, one could say that I'm possessed of certain…smoldering charms."

The red dragon then brought up one hand to smooth back his hair. Kenth no doubt believed the gesture to be elegant, but his audience was patently unimpressed. Bryan, nearly mortified by the display, buried his face in his palm. Oh my goddesses, this guy…

"…Wow, that was pathetic," Bruma rebuffed, almost sounding disgusted. "But whatever, do believe killing you will truly be a pleasure!"

Bruma then returned to her dragon form and roared out a challenge.

"...Ah, well. Can't save them all," Kenth reluctantly conceded.

With that, Kenth transformed and roared out an answer to his foe's challenge. As the two combatants closed in on one another, Ike shouted out a warning to his allies nearby, reminding them that white dragons were far more resistant to magic than their red brethren, which made it too dangerous for any of the mages to get close to Bruma as she and Kenth dueled. However, during his earlier conference with Bryan, he'd also pointed out that this resistance to magic came at the cost of leaving them more vulnerable to weapons. Sensing what Ike had in mind, Kenth allowed his allies to remain nearby in case he could create an opening for them to strike.

For a time, however, it looked as though that might not be necessary. Despite his show of regret for having to fight Bruma, Kenth fought with surprising skill and strength. He managed to crane his saurian head out of the path of blast of lightning breath and retaliated by spewing a gout of flame that left Bruma's chest smoldering.

"…Argh! How could a simpering dandy be this strong?!" Bruma gasped, her earlier show of blithe confidence forgotten.

"Surely you did not think I'd trained only my tongue!" Kenth replied, a smile dawning his draconic features. "I am a stranger in this fair land of Orenias, seeking to prove my worth. Not just to Orenias's army, but in hopes that my efforts would win the favor of a lovely lady! Those dreams were stirred by the intoxicating aroma that assailed my nostrils when I sensed you, and perhaps it is not too late. I can still spare you, if you will but repent your villainous deeds."

By the time Kenth was finished with his spiel, Bruma was positively livid.

"Abandon everything I do, everything I am, for you?!" she railed, her white scales seeming to redden with anger. "Oh, I'll have that tongue of yours hanging from my belt when I'm through with you!"

The dragon bandit swung her tail as hard as she could, catching Kenth off guard with a blow that was strangely akin to a woman slapping a man across the face. The red dragon, seemingly more stunned by the rebuke than the pain, was thrown off balance and went crashing to the stone floor. Bruma might have followed up with a blast of lightning breath, but a combined assault from Ike and Bryan bought the red dragon the time he needed to regain his feet.

"Aagh! …Heh, you're quite strong too, you know!" Kenth complimented, but more from habit than believing she would listen. "But alright… I guess I have no choice then."

He then lunged for Bruma, just as Ike and Bryan broke off their assault, and shoved her to the floor. Filling his lungs, Kenth blew out a licking tongue of flame, this time hitting Bruma square in the face. She managed a scream that was quickly choked away as her face, and most of her head, ran molten under flames so hot that they set the floor beneath her glowing like amber held against torchlight. Likely, despite his seemingly shallow flirting and regardless of her crimes, he had wanted to make her death a swift one. As expected, her demise effectively ended the battle, as what remained of her underlings soon fled the caves.

"Ah, I still wish I could've spared her…" Kenth lamented after returning to his human form, the apparent regret in his voice forestalling any snide comments about his obsession with the opposite gender.

"Well, you had no choice," Bryan replied, laying a hand on the red dragon's shoulder. "She would've killed you, or any of us, if she'd had the chance. And it's over now, so we need to move on. Where's this thing King Cragen wants me to get?"

"Erm…" Kenth murmured as he scanned the area, as though worried that the item they sought might have already been removed or destroyed in the fighting, but he soon spotted what he was looking for. "Ah, yes, right over here in the corner."

Kenth then led the prince to a corner in the back of the cave, not far from where they had first spotted Bruma. Sitting there, as Cragen had said, was indeed a large crate marked with blue sigils. It was nearly as tall as Kye was, and as wide as Ike's massive shoulders. At Kenth's invitation, Bryan drew in an expectant breath and approached, digging his fingers beneath the lid and prying it open.

When he got a look at the crate's contents, however, his anticipation became disbelief. Rather than gemstones or jewels or secret documents, he beheld numerous jars of some sort of thick liquid that, when he experimentally cracked a lid, exuded a strong aroma of spice.

"Ah, good, looks like those bandits didn't take much of it," Kenth said, apparently unperturbed by this strange turn of events.

"Much of what?" Bryan wondered, bringing the jar he'd opened towards his face and inhaling deeply. The aroma was pungent and heady, causing his mouth to shut as the smell seemed to wrench his sinuses open and overwhelm his nostrils. But, the aroma also stirred his memory, and he recalled how, at the meal the army had had to celebrate Leyon's victory in Jerusa. Ike, true to fashion, had dined upon a small mountain of flank steak which he had generously topped with—

"…What the—?!" he blurted as realization struck. "Do you mean to tell me we came all this way for a few jars of sauce?!"

At this, Azura, Leyon, Ike, and many others were left dumbstruck. What sort of bandits risked their lives stealing a supply of condiments? For that matter, why had Cragen risked their lives to retrieve it?!

"Kenth, this must be some sort of mistake! There's probably another crate with similar sigils here somewhere," Bryan insisted, unable to keep his befuddlement from creeping into his words.

"Heh, nope! This is definitely what his majesty wanted you to get," Kenth assured, seeming almost amused by the situation. "This sauce is a veritable keystone in Orenias's culinary culture. No meat dish is complete, or even acceptable, without it. I suspect his majesty likely wanted you to retrieve it so that his soldiers could enjoy the small comfort of a good meal while they fight at your side against Melora."

The prince of Astryn had encountered many strange things after he'd decided to embrace his rediscovered heritage, but this topped them all. Surely there were better things he could've been doing, both for his own country and to secure Orenias's aid, than fetching cooking supplies.

Yet, when he forced himself to calm down and think about the situation rationally, though this was not an easy task, he was forced to change his stance. Astryn was still a country beset by no end of troubles, both within and without. The aid of the Orenias dragons might very well change that and, though he bristled at the notion, a mildly degrading task such as this would be a small price to pay if it meant saving the lives of his future subjects.

"Oh for the love of the goddess…" he groused, hoping this wouldn't turn out to be a recurring theme of his reign." Alright, let's get it in one of the wagons and go."

Kenth, seemingly oblivious to the prince of Astryn's displeasure, nodded. He directed for Ike to join him and the two titans used their combined strength to carry the large crate out of the caves and deposit it into Bronwyn's wagon. Bryan wondered if they might have to hitch one of the knights' warhorses to the wagon in order to carry such a load. Thankfully, the mare Bronwyn already had was every bit as strong as her grizzled mistress. Despite this, the group still couldn't travel as quickly as before, so the return trip to the Orenas castle was likely to take much of the remaining daylight hours.

Despite the delay, the group was glad for the reprieve, as it gave them some badly needed time to relax and talk, a welcome respite after so days spent fighting and traveling from one part of the continent to another. Bryan noted that the dragon patrol they'd spotted earlier had belatedly realized the depot they'd been guarding had been breached and they had corralled the surviving bandits. Suspecting this wouldn't be the last time he'd need to do so, the prince of Astryn pasted on a smile and thanked them for their "invaluable assistance." In a far more sincere tone, he congratulated the dragons who'd accompanied him and the others into the caves. They bowed respectfully, and Bryan suspected his efforts to rekindle the alliance between Astryn and Orenias was progressing well, despite the oddities of the day.

Elsewhere in the marching column of fighting men and women, Kiel, with some prodding from Sara, caught up with Lartz and Marina. The pair was still trying to help ease his fear of dragons, especially since they were still in the homeland of the dragon laguz and, given the success of their mission, would likely be fighting alongside them in the future. So far, the red wolf had warmed up to Lartz's wyvern, but the trio sensed that he'd suffered a setback after he'd been unwittingly frightened by Kenth. Lily continued vying for Zarek's attention and, although he was still irritated by her prodding, he seemed less standoffish with her and even laughed a bit at her youthful antics. Similarly, Skye appeared to be growing less and less defensive when subjected to Raela's badgering and didn't even seem to mind her company as much as before. Bryan and Faline could only snicker to themselves, discreetly placing bets on when the two would confess and kiss.

In stark contrast to these easing tensions, Tessa made repeated, and unsuccessful, attempts to introduce Kiara to more of the beorc. She'd hoped to get her skittish friend talking to them in hopes that she'd become less shy around them. The timid cat laguz, however, was less-than-cooperative, and she still hardly said anything despite Tessa's efforts. But, though Tessa despaired, an opportunity presented itself.

"Hey, Ranulf!" Tessa called to the blue cat laguz, who'd been talking with Vorcas. The two had gotten into a nice chat about their respective nations again.

"It is Ranulf, right?" Tessa asked once she'd caught the blue cat's attention.

"Yeah, and you're Tessa, if I recall?" Ranulf replied, to which Tessa nodded. "What's up?"

"I need your help with Kiara. You're a laguz that's friends with a lot of beorc, but she's so skittish around them it's embarrassing. I've been thinking, you could probably get through to her," Tessa explained. "I think she'd open up to the beroc with your help. Please? She seemed to like you before too, when you fell flat on your face."

"Ah…" Ranulf murmured, his cheeks going red. Though whether that was from thoughts of Kiara or Tessa having brought up his little mishap from when they first met, he wasn't sure.

"Heh, sure, I can try to help," Ranulf continued, trying keep a silly grin off of on his face. I do want Kiara to like me! Oh man, but how do I do it?

"Great! Thanks!"

"Yeah, thank you, Ranulf," Kiara agreed with a gentle smile. "I really don't wish to be a burden. And being scared of every beorc I see won't help, I know…"

"Oh, well, don't worry! Way back when, I wasn't fond of them either," Ranulf assured, almost stuttering. "But, if I can learn to get along with them, so can you. We'll figure something out, okay?"

"Okay!"

With that, the two decided to talk a little more, Ranulf sharing stories of the beorc he'd met in hopes that these would motivate Kiara. Ike and Elincia took note of this as well, wondering just how long it would take Ranulf to embarrass himself again. Ike suggested that he ought to use Ranulf's newfound weakness to get back at the cat laguz for how many times he'd teased him over the years. However, Elincia objected, saying she suspected that Ranulf and Kiara might make a lovely couple and that she didn't want to ruin their chances. This struck a chord with Ike, who remembered how lonely Ranulf had been after losing Lethe and Lyre. He conceded the point and admitted that it would be nice for Ranulf to finally have someone to love.

Several hours later, the group finally arrived back at the castle, and Bryan was eager to let Cragen know of his success. He was also quite eager to know why the dragon king sent him on such an odd mission in the first place. Though he still supposed he ought to consider himself lucky if Cragen's support could be won so easily, he still felt he ought to be mustering new recruits to defend Astryn, not running errands like a kitchen boy.

"Bryan, keep your temper," Owen warned his son as they approached the castle's massive doors once again. "I realize this mission turned out to be a bit strange, but I'm sure King Cragen had a good reason for it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Bryan replied. "I'm just a little irritated. But I know as well as you do that we can't afford to lose King Cragen's support. I promise I won't go off the deep end."

"Good. Now let's go. Francois and Alec, you two are free to join us again, if you'd like."

"Of course, Grand Duke Owen," Francois obliged.

"Right!" Alec added. "His majesty will surely be glad to know we're all in one piece."

With that, Kenth guided the prince of Astryn and his entourage made their way back to the throne room. The red dragon had been most impressed by Bryan's performance as was eager to relay his account of the prince of Astryn's success as well as his own.

When they reentered the throne room, they found King Cragen gazing out through a large expanse of window. The dragon king gave no sign of having heard his visitors enter, but instead continued to watch the sprawling grasslands beyond, a sad smile struggling to take shape upon his lips. After a long moment, the dragon king seemed to shake himself from his reverie and turned to greet his visitors.

"Oh, your majesty, we weren't interrupting anything, were we?" Kenth inquired.

"Don't worry, Kenth, you're not," Cragen replied with a smile. "I was just…reflecting."

His words ended as a heavy sigh parted his lips, leaving little doubt as to just what had been on his mind…

…or, rather, whom.

"Bryan, Owen, please approach," he said, and the two Astrynians moved to stand at Cragen's shoulder.

"You see that fringe of forest on the horizon, just shy of the hills?" Cragen said, pointing. "My wife and I used to fly there together when we just needed a moment away from life at the castle. I would let her win…once in a while, at least. When she did, she would turn in midair to greet me, the sun setting her scales aglow."

Here, Cragen had to pause to dab at his eyes.

"Such fond memories," he said wistfully. "These days, Nyarla and I fly now, in her memory. She always loved hearing stories about her mother and I when we were young."

"I see," Owen replied, his own eyes misting. "And, I believe I know how you feel. Caline and I had only a few years together, not centuries, but I remember many things about her. I remember how, when we were courting, we'd ride through the streets of Medann on a horse and carriage or go riding through the countryside. And, for anniversaries or birthdays, we'd dine at a fine restaurant and watch the playwrights perform at the amphitheater. We'd often see romantic comedies, and she'd laugh herself near to fainting."

The eyes of both widowers met, and Bryan could sense a moment of empathy and respect passing between the two men as they remembered the lives, rather than the deaths, of those dearest to them.

"It sounds like you two were very happy," Cragen remarked. "It is good that what little time you had was well spent. And, remembering all those good days brings a smile to your face, doesn't it?"

"Indeed, your majesty. The pain is still there, but I am glad for what time we did have. And, finally being back here and helping my son to win his birthright, I can't help but think my wife's gentle spirit is resting a bit easier."

A genuine smile finally dawned on Cragen's face and he gave Owen a, very, enthusiastic clap on the shoulder that nearly sent the former Grand Duke sprawling.

"Well said, my friend," he opined, turning his attention to the prince of Astryn.
"Now, I'm assuming you were successful, Prince Bryan?"

"Yes, your majesty," Bryan confirmed, though he once more found himself second-guessing his words. "We've brought what you asked for… I think. Once we dealt with the bandits, Kenth helped us find the crate you sent us to retrieve."

"Indeed, and our visitors acquitted themselves most admirably," Kenth added, giving Bryan an approving nod. "Should I order my men to bring our spoils to the castle granary?"

"Yes, thank you, Kenth."

"Of course."

Kenth gave a quick bow before the king and departed the room. Cragen then turned to Bryan, his once pensive look turning smug.

"Heh, you're probably wondering why I sent you on that particular mission, aren't you?" he guessed, his tone every bit as smug as his face.

"That…crossed my mind, yes," Bryan replied in his most blandly polite tone, though his face reddened a bit. "I'm just confused. What was the point of all that?"

"Bryan, he was testing you, remember?" Owen replied.

"But how so? Surely there must have been other ways for me to prove myself."

"Perhaps, but your father is right," Cragen seconded. "Tell me, you would go to any lengths to help Astryn, wouldn't you?"

"Of course. The country is in shambles and as the sole survivor of the royal family, it's my duty to save my people."

"Exactly. You would do just about anything, even if it was, admittedly, somewhat degrading, if it meant that the nation and people you've sworn to protect would be getting the help and support they need. That is what I needed to know, if you had the conviction to follow through on what you've set out to do, no matter what. And now, I have my answer. And, I know that your claim to Astryn's throne is one worthy of my support."

At this, Bryan blinked in amazement, nearly speechless with surprise and relief.

"You see now, Bryan?" Owen said smugly, putting one arm around his son's shoulder and giving an affectionate squeeze. "It may have been a strange episode, but your going through with it might save many lives."

"…Yeah, I believe you're right," Bryan admitted. "I'm sorry I doubted you, your majesty."

"Heh, don't worry, I would've expected any non-dragon to be confused," Cragen assured. "In fact, that was another reason I sent you on that mission. You were confused, but still did as I requested for the sake of your people and your quest. Such dedication to one's duty are traits that do credit to one who would occupy the throne."

With that, Cragen took a step back and inclined his head, one king bowing to another. Bryan returned the gesture, though bowing considerably lower.

"Now that that's done," the dragon king continued, "it is time I honored my end of the bargain. What aid I can lend to you and your cause, I shall give. When the time comes to confront Shigo and his troops, Kenth and his men will fight by your side. In addition, we will muster our troops to fortify our border with Melora. Once that is done, and we have assurances that Larame will honor our mutual boundaries, other dragons will be sent to aid Astryn and Allied Command."

That last sentence cooled Bryan's enthusiasm a bit, but he knew it couldn't be helped. According to Vorcas, Larame and her neighbors had a long history of mutual mistrust and misunderstanding with her neighbors. It stood to reason that Cragen would be leery of his beast tribe neighbors, but it also meant that only a fraction of the aid Astryn needed would be forthcoming until the tensions between the two were eased, at least for a time.

But, in spite of this, the prince of Astryn was not cowed. He already had Orenias's support, and his earlier success in exposing the Meloran dracoknights as the true culprits behind the raids on Larame had given him an opening in the land of the beast tribe. With luck, that would be enough for him to bring the two nations to terms and ensure that both would fight Melora instead of each other.

"Thank you, your majesty," Bryan replied gratefully. "And I vow that I will not to fail."

"I have every confidence in you. Also, be sure to keep some of that spice you retrieved on hand. I dare say what dragons are with you will be worth twice their number with some of that in their bellies. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must make the arrangements needed to fulfill our end of the bargain. In the meantime, I suspect your people are eager to learn of your success."

With that, the group bowed and took their leave, heading back outside to relay the news to Azura, Leyon, and the others. Kenth also went to fetch some of the spice as Cragen had suggested. As soon as it was packed into one of the wagons, the group began to march back to Astryn Palace once more. Laris and Canus were surely concerned by now learning of Bryan's success in securing the dragons' aid would gladden many a heavy heart.

Along the way, Ranulf decided to act upon Tessa's request to help Kiara. Unfortunately, he found it difficult to get her to even talk to a beorc, particularly Ike. That left Ranulf truly confounded, as he regarded the hero of Tellius as a veritable paragon of open-mindedness, able to look past appearances with beorc and laguz alike and judging each and all solely by the content of their character. Yet every time Ranulf tried to get her to approach him, she squealed and ran away. Even Ike was left scratching his head at this, not the smallest reason being that he normally had women doing the exact opposite when they saw him. Both Tellius natives apologized to Tessa and Vorcas anyway, though the two Larameans assured the two men that they'd done nothing wrong. Ike wondered if his imposing physique might be the reason. He was bigger and much stronger than many beorc he knew, and the two massive swords he carried only made him look all the more daunting. Whatever the case, Ranulf clearly wasn't going to give up on Kiara. When he voiced this sentiment to Ike and Elincia, however, both gave him knowing smiles and said they were impressed by his gallantry.

The return journey to Astryn Palace lasted more than a day, their journey slightly slower due to their greater numbers and the additional cargo. But the group was relieved to be back. Bryan had been especially anxious, concerned that either the Red Claw or Melora, or both, might have attacked his fragile realm while he had been gone. Luckily, though Medann and its outlying villages still looked as though they'd seen better days, neither looked any worse than usual. Bryan was relieved by this, but felt he still needed to ask Laris and Canus if there had been any news. He hadn't seen every part of the country, after all. By now, word that the lost prince of Astryn had returned had surely spread. And, though Bryan hoped it would inspire many to join his effort to guide his country back to greatness, he was worried about those who might take issue with his ascension. When the group approached the main gates, Bryan was immediately ushered inside, along with Owen, Francois, Eric, and Alec. He advised the others to remain outside, just in case they were sent off on yet another mission. He'd been mentally mapping his course to the throne room, so engrossed in not getting lost, that he almost failed to notice that Laris and Canus were waiting for him in the palace foyer.

"Prince Bryan, we're glad to see you back," Laris greeted, sagging with relief.

"And I'm glad to be back," Bryan agreed. "What's more, we finally have some good news."

"You were successful then?" Canus inquired, guarded hope lighting his eyes.

"Oh, yes. It took some doing, but King Cragen has agreed to help us as best he can. He's sent some dragon allies back with me. But, with the Melorans on one side and the Larameans on the other, I'm afraid won't be able to provide much more until his own lands are safer."

"We do have an opening, however," Owen interjected. "If we can ensure that Larame and Orenias will not attack each other, both countries would be able to give us greater support. Given time, that could alter the course of the entire war."

"I believe you're right, though I hope we're all still here to see it…" Laris replied gravely. "Still, a little help is better than none. And, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I saw we're most fortunate that we can still count King Cragen as our friend."

"I agree. I know that, if we can bring Orenias and Larame to terms, Isis's days are numbered," Bryan affirmed. "But, why are you both out here though? We could've discussed this inside."

"You're right, but I'm afraid that while you were gone, another dire situation rose," Laris reluctantly explained. "Our efforts to get Astryn's army back on a war footing had met with a… setback. Commander Selene, the commander of our Pegasus knights… Several hours ago, she was found dead somewhere northwest of here."

"…Wait, what?" Bryan blurted, blinking in both shock and confusion.

"Oh dear…" Alec muttered.

"Are you serious?!" Eric thundered. "Could Shigo be taking the offensive?!"

"I'm afraid we don't know," Canus reluctantly admitted. "We pray that isn't the case. In fact, we suspect this might have been the work of Isis's henchmen, some sort of retaliation for Tavon's death."

Bryan merely sighed and brought a hand to his temples, vainly trying to massage away this latest headache.

"Okay, first of all, why wasn't I told about this commander sooner?" he demanded, only belatedly noticing Owen's cautionary glare and then moderating his tone. "I might have been able to help her."

"I do apologize, your highness," Laris lamented, bowing his head penitently. "You are right, you should have been told. We believed, mistakenly, that she and the remainder of our Pegasus knights would be safe while patrolling the skies so near the capital. In fact, we were expecting Selene back soon and wanted to introduce you to her. But even so, we should have informed you."

"I fear we have served you badly by failing to prevent this tragedy," Canus admitted.

Bryan had been about to voice his agreement, and in rather caustic terms, but Owen snatched at his hand and gave it a warning squeeze.

"Be that as it may," Bryan spoke, forcing down his anger at this debacle. "We now have no one to command the Pegasus knights! And since I don't know any of them, I have no way of knowing which of them might be fit to assume command."

"Indeed, this is a grave setback…" Laris agreed. "We do have some good fortune, however. Though we've had troubles with mutineers and deserters since the last war, the remaining Pegasus Knights are still loyal to Astryn's throne, as well as the memory of their late commander. If a suitable replacement could be found, I don't doubt that they'd follow our returned prince. Perhaps a temporary commander can be found in your group?"

"Well, that's possible. I did find myself in command of the Talgrian Royal Knights for a little while after their general lost his memory in an accident. He's since recovered, but I did pick up a few tricks while I was trying to fill his shoes. I'll have to see what I can do."

"Ah, thank you, your highness," Canus replied. "Again, our sincerest apologies for our failure. With these endless troubles we've had, there are times when it's all we can do to keep our heads mortared on straight."

That reminder of what Astryn had suffered while he'd been unknowingly in exile helped Bryan to wrestle down his anger. He once more recalled the abject poverty and despair he'd seen in much of Astryn, Sally's village in particular, where keeping a fragile hope alive was a labor that demanded every waking moment. Laris and Canus, who'd been keeping the listing ship of state afloat since the last war, surely felt such a burden no less keenly.

"I understand," Bryan replied, feelingly. "All we can do is press on as best we can. But in the future, I expect to be informed of such news in a more timely fashion."

"Of course."

"Right. Now, I'd best discuss this with the others. Like you said, one of them might be able to take Commander Selene's place. I just hope that the Pegasus knights will trust whoever I choose to lead them…"

"Yeah, you better make a damn good choice!" Eric added. "We can't have any more of them defecting or leaving!"

"Yeah, I know that!"

With that, Bryan returned to the gates and reported the news to the rest of the group. This latest news had put something of a damper on their success in Orenias since, according to the Astrynians in the army, Commander Selene was a well-liked and capable commander who'd been lost when Astryn's need was greatest. Armelle was particularly upset, as Selena had been a friend of hers. Well, that explains why Eric was so furious when he heard the news, Bryan mused, remembering the general's engagement to Armelle. This revelation, however, served to temper Bryan's resolve to make sure that those responsible for his country's decline and his people's suffering would pay dearly. He then announced his plan to choose a temporary commander for Astryn's Pegasus Knights, at least until a permanent replacement could be found.

"I'm honestly not sure who to choose right now, but I have to decide soon," Bryan said. "A unit can't fight for long without a leader, and we need all the strength we can muster in order to fight Shigo's army. So, let me see here…"

Bryan began mulling over who to ask, though his choices were few. As far as he knew, Marina and Louise were the Pegasus knights in the army who had at least some experience leading aerial units into battle. But, though his knowledge of political nuances was small, he suspected that the decision to appoint a foreign royal to command one of his best units would not be well received. Marina remained a possibility, though he wondered if her experience leading small Pegasus units would be enough. Alec, Leyon, and Eric had their hands full with their own commands. And despite the seeming truce the prince of Astryn had reached with the Astrynian dracoknight, he was hesitant to press his luck. Olivia was a possibility, if she was willing to temporary leave the dracoknights for a time. And, for that matter, if the Pegasus knights would accept her and if the dracoknights' performance did not suffer in her absence. Lartz he could rule out immediately, as he'd never held a command of note and, between his being Meloran and his Accurse ability, the Pegasus knights were unlikely to trust him. Bryan supposed that he could take command himself, but despite his earlier words to Laris and Canus, the prospect of juggling two commands wasn't one he relished. He was shaken back to the present when Faline vaulted off of Flower and raced over.

"Bryan, wait! Let me do it," she insisted, worried over this latest burden to befall her lover and past caring about how her actions might be construed by prying eyes.

"What? Faline, I don't know," Bryan hesitantly replied. "You've never commanded soldiers in battle."

"I know, but if I'm going to help you rebuild Astryn even after you're crowned king, I have to win the trust of as many people here as I can," Faline pointed out. "And I believe I can help you by doing this. You're already shouldering so much; like I said earlier, you're the pillar that's holding this country up. So, let me do as I promised and be the pillar that holds you up. Besides, ever since we met up again, I've been watching you, Lady Azura, General Leyon, and the other leaders we've dealt with along the way. I've learned a lot from them, and I know I can do this for you. For us."

His love's conviction was enough to forestall any objections Bryan had, though he was worried nonetheless. Being in command carried heavy burdens, as he and those same leaders Faline mentioned could attest to. One wrong decision on Faline's part, or even a cruel twist of fate, could cost the life of someone under her command…

…and, he shuddered to contemplate what that might do to her gentle, loving spirit.

But on the other hand, what choice did he have?

She was willing, motivated, confident, and certainly didn't lack for determination.

Armies had been built on less, as might very well be the case in this fragile realm he'd inherited.

"Well, you're right that you need to win over as much of the country as possible. And I think it's no secret that I don't have many alternatives. But are you sure? These Pegasus knights likely won't be like the ones you knew in Cilae. And if you've been watching me, Leyon, and the others, then you must know full well that leading troops isn't something you should be getting into lightly."

"Yes, I realize all of that," Faline affirmed. "I promise, Bryan, I'll do my best and I won't let you down!"

"Why not let her try, Bryan?" Azura put in. "A lot of us have been watching her, and she's come a long way since she first joined us. In fact, you both have. And as long as she's with you, she may end up commanding them anyway. After all, if it helps Astryn's people to see their lost prince fighting for them, why wouldn't they take heart from seeing his princess fighting at his side?"

The Lady of Elhorhi's stirring endorsement brought a blush to Faline's cheeks, and Bryan found himself nodding.

"That does make sense," he admitted. "Alright, I'll let you do it, Faline. Just promise me that you'll ask for some advice if you feel you need any."

"Of course, love!" Faline agreed with a smile. "Now let's go in and let Laris and Canus know."

"Right."

The two then returned to the palace grounds and rejoined Laris, Canus, and the others. Owen, who'd been belatedly informed of his son's latest challenge, couldn't help but allow a smug smile to cross his features when he saw Faline following her lover. Eric, however, had quite a different reaction.

"You can't be serious!" he protested in annoyance. "She's your choice?!"

"Yes, she is, Eric," Bryan sternly confirmed. "And before you ask, she volunteered knowing full well the risks of what she was getting herself into."

"I very much doubt that," Eric opined hotly.

"Why Eric, I thought you respected me," Faline said with a sweet smile.

"Don't get smart with me," Eric warned, leveling a finger in Faline's direction. "You're right, I did say before that I did come to respect you after seeing you clobber Tavon. But that doesn't mean I think you're fit to lead a unit of our troops! You have absolutely no experience! Grand Duke Laris, are you really going to allow this?"

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Eric," Canus added, though with obvious reluctance. "Lady Faline is an outstanding warrior, but she has no experience in commanding troops. What's more, she is a commoner, and she isn't even from this country! Your highness, I would advise you to reconsider."

Bryan had, by this time, quite lost track of how often his newfound role of the prince of Astryn had left him reining in his temper, but, when he saw in Faline's eyes that she wanted to plead her own case, he swallowed his incredulity and nodded for her to speak.

"Eric, Duke Canus, I understand your concerns, but I really want to try for everyone's sake here," Faline replied. "I love Bryan and he loves me. What's more, regardless of what you think of me, I plan to stay by his side. It is true that I have no experience in leading soldiers, but every leader started somewhere, isn't that right? I've fought alongside and learned from some of the best leaders during this war, and I've already gained the trust of some Astrynian soldiers already. Ever since I learned of Bryan's heritage, I've been asking myself what I can do to help him, really help him, save this country. He already has my love, but I believe I can serve him even better by defending him from on high at the head of your Pegasus knights."

For a long moment, Faline's entreaty was greeted by a long, pensive silence. Then, all eyes fell on Laris as he stepped forward and nodded toward the Falcon Knight.

"You make an impassioned case, Lady Faline," Laris opined. "I must admit, I'm uncertain about your suggestion. But as is often the case, Astryn has few options. And, if Prince Bryan has seen fit to place such faith in you, I suppose I must do likewise."

"Oh, thank you so much," Faline gushed, racing over and hugging the Grand Duke hard enough to squeeze the breath from his lungs. "I promise I'll do my best!"

Eric could only watch in slack jawed disbelief while Canus sighed, secretly praying to Ashunera that Astryn's newfound prince and those around him knew what they were doing.

"Yes, thanks, Laris," Bryan said with palpable relief. "And, as Faline said, she's learned from some of the best and we will be there to back her up all the way."

"Good. Now, we should investigate Commander Selene's death. If this is some first strike against us by Melora, then we must know so that we can defend our country," Laris pointed out. "You also have to find the remaining Pegasus knights so they can be reformed under Lady Faline's command. Can you and your group head northwest and do that?"

"Oh, of course. I had already decided to do so anyway."

"Ah, excellent. Now wne Pegasus knight returned here not long ago. She was the one that delivered the news of Commander Selene's death, so she'll guide you to the last known location of her sisters-in-arms. I'll send her to join you as soon as you're ready to depart again."

"Great, thanks. If any other Pegasus knights return though, question them. We need as many clues as possible; not just who did this, but how they pulled it off."

"Of course, your highness. I pray for your success."

"Thank you."

With that, Bryan and the others parted ways with the dukes once again and rejoined their comrades outside the palace. Bryan hoped that the Pegasus knight who'd act as their guide wouldn't take too long to arrive. With their commander dead and enemies likely still nearby, the rest of the Pegasus knights were very likely still in danger. After they passed throughthe gates, Owen approached his son and Faline.

"Bryan, you and Faline are sure you can handle this?" he inquired. "Even after all everything else you've done and how well you've been doing, this is a gamble. I don't want to see it blow up in our faces."

"Dad, you don't need to worry," Bryan assured. "I was unsure of this myself at first, but as Laris said, Faline makes a good case. And I've made sure she knows to seek guidance whenever she needs it. And it goes without saying that I'll be here too."

"That's right, Owen, we'll be fine," Faline added with a smile. "I wouldn't have volunteered if I didn't think I could do this."

"Well, alright then," Owen replied, a guarded smile tugging at his lips. "Although, Faline, I'm here for you too, you know. If you need my help, you need but ask."

"Aw, thank you."

Bryan quickly apprised the group of their new mission and they departed immediately. Azura also decided that, once the Pegasus knights had been rescued, it would be time for her to inform them, in full, of the war against Melora. As for how they'd react to the idea of her and Bryan working to bring Astryn and her neighbors into the war on the side of Allied Command, she could only hope for the best. Bryan's legend was gaining strength and spreading, but much work remained to be done before Astryn could save herself, much less save Altarais itself. Still, if Melora was behind this latest assault, Isis might very well have made Azura's case for her. She was brought back to the present when a shadow passed over her from above. She turned her gaze upward to see the Pegasus knight that Laris had sent to guide them. She was a girl with short brown hair and garb similar to what Faline wore prior to becoming a Falcon Knight. Bryan also introduced himself and, as soon as the Pegasus knight saw Eronite in his mailed fist, she threw herself to her knees and bowed before him. The prince of Astryn, still self-conscious about what that title entailed, then motioned for Faline to join them.

"Prince Bryan is saying you're going to command us?" the Pegasus knight said, more than a bit warily.

"Yes, at least temporarily," Faline confirmed. "I know I'm a stranger to you and your fellow Pegasus knights, but I would not have volunteered if I wasn't certain that you could trust me. I've known Bryan for a long time, even before he found out he was royalty. I've taken it upon myself to help him however I can, and I can do that by helping you and your sisters."

"She speaks the truth," Bryan affirmed. "I've seen her in battle many times, and I'm certain you couldn't be in better hands."

"I see. Well, I'm eager to see you prove yourself then, Miss Faline. Anyway, Grand Duke Laris has told me at least some of your mission. If it's Melora you're after, today's your lucky day. At the time I was sent back here, my allies and I were certain that Melora was responsible for our commander's death. So, if you want to watch us to make the skies weep with their blood, then follow me!"

The Pegasus knight heeled her mount into the air and the group followed as she soared towards the northwest, seeking the final resting place of the late commander. As they drew near, their guide explained that, while she and several other Pegasus knights had been on patrol, they'd heard screams coming from nearby and immediately went to investigate. They soon found the crumpled form of their commander and her steed, their corpses bristling with arrows. Undoubtedly, their deaths had been the work of a coordinated attack from enemy snipers. And given that Pegasus knights were inherently vulnerable to archers and that such a tactic was beyond the ken of the bandits that effectively ruled half of Astryn, not to mention the ever-spreading tales of the lost prince's return, the Meloran connection seemed all the more likely. Leyon said that he wouldn't be at all surprised, as he recalled that he had nearly been killed by a lone sniper himself, only to see Eliot take the arrow in his stead.

Between Leyon, for having such a devoted comrade, and Eliot, for living to tell of his gallant act, he couldn't decide who had been luckier that day.

"I was stunned for a moment," Leyon finished. "Up until then, Eliot had seemed, shall we say, a marginal knight. Dedicated, but more a troublemaker than an asset. But, during this war, he's really come into his own. And, he's earned my respect and that of his fellow knights. After that near miss, we've also taken the pains to root out any enemies lying in wait after the battle has ended."

"Good for you. Meloran soldiers can be sneaky like that," the Pegasus knight commented. "When I was learning about the first war, I heard that Melora had often used tactics such as those. While their regular troops acting as a diversion, a small group of soldiers, or even one, would seek out the strongest enemies and attempt to take them out while they're the most vulnerable."

"It's such madness…" Azura agreed, recalling the Venoxic poison that nearly killed Ike, whose train of thought was likely wending in that direction as well.

"It's genius," their guide contradicted, causing every pair of eyes to snap in her direction. "Think about it. You've seen enemy units break and run when you kill their leader. Why? Because an army is only as strong as its leadership. That's why Melora has been trying to kill or discredit the prince, if those stories are on the mark. Melora can't fight all of Altarais, but if they kill the people leading the fight against them, then they won't have to."

"I see your point. And, that's all the more reason they must be stopped. We'll need all the strength we can muster to defeat them. If we can save those Pegasus knights, it'll buy us more time to bring southern Altarais into the war. Then, we'll teach Isis a lesson she won't soon forget!"

"You'll get no argument from me. Now, can you give me a minute? I need to fly ahead and let my comrades know you're coming, otherwise they might mistake you for hostiles."

"Sure, that's a good idea," Bryan agreed. "If any are wounded or unable to fly, send word immediately. We have skilled healers and more than enough medicine."

The Pegasus knight gave a perfunctory nod and then took to the air. The group had been about to discuss plans for searching the area for any foes that might still be in the area, but their guide returned almost immediately. The desperate look in her eyes was more than enough to suggest what must've happened.

"You guys! We have to move!" she shouted, nearly breathless from her flight. "My comrades are under attack again!"

"What?!" Bryan thundered. "The Melorans are still in the area?!"

"I don't know, we didn't actually see who killed our commander. I just saw my fellow knights trying to fight off what looked like a horde of bandits!"

"The Red Claw!" Azura immediately guessed. "They have a lot to answer for! Come on!"

"Oh man, those cretins? You don't have to tell me twice!"

The Pegasus knight leapt skyward once again, the group quickly readying their weapons and racing after. If the Pegasus knights were, indeed, still under attack, it stood to reason that the Red Claw either sought to wipe them out or to lure in and destroy any would-be rescuers. Maybe both. Whatever the case, the army charged on, hurrying to save as many as they could. If the Red Claw came prepared, with many axe wielders, archers, and wind mages, then time was very much against the group. It was taken as a given that the Red Claw would come prepared for such a battle, given the tactical acumen they'd demonstrated thus far. And so, Bryan urged his comrades on, praying they'd arrive in time.

Far too many Astrynians had died already, both at the hands of Melora during the first war and from the upheaval that had nearly shaken Astryn apart in the years since. But now, things had changed. Melora's day of being able to terrorize and slay Bryan's people at will were drawing to a close. And if Melora needed to be convinced of this, Bryan was only too happy to oblige.​