It was only then did Ambra see that arrow that was sticking out of Zaino's shoulder. It seemed like he was ignoring it or simply dealing with the pain that it caused. Either way, they would have to have it out soon. It could get infected. B-but now wasn't the time. The enemy was seemingly overwhelming them and she couldn't be thinking of wounds. Ambra peered up at him, allowing a small smile to come across her features. "Witch? I'm no witch. And that isn't my arrow. My arrows have feathers at the end." she replied smoothly, nocking another arrow and letting it fly. The target was a swordsman that knocked it out of the air with his sword. Damn.

She disliked fleet footed soldiers. They moved too much for a clean hit. Which meant that she would have to waste more arrows in the long run. Ambra sent another arrow flying at the warrior. It ripped through the flesh of his lower back and sunk deep into his meat, making him scream and falter in the battle he was in. The person that he was fighting with delivered a clean blow to his neck with a blade. She turned toward Zaino and hissed. "It's like they have no end. We must have killed thirty by now-"

Something crashed into her side, a metal tip biting through her clothes and chewing through her side. The sword did not cut deep enough to puncture a vital organ, but it hurt like hell. Ambra shrieked in pain as she was thrown to the ground with her assailant, who pinned her to the floor. It was a woman, with long black hair and a menacing smirk. "Look what we have here! An archer bitch." she raised her sword and aimed to bring it down on her throat, but Ambra had easily placed a knee between her and the attacker. Kicking her off, Ambra struggled to string an arrow, but the woman was on her again. The blade flashed in the air as it came toward her. She dodged the blow, stepping around the woman. The bandit snarled loudly in frustration as she spun around to face her again, but it was too late. She was greeted with an arrow in her face. She collapsed to the ground, and Ambra watched as blood pooled around her head.

She coughed and wiped her mouth as she returned to Zaino. He was a strong warrior and he seemed like he could defend her. If not, she could go to Kalar. He seemed like a good fighter as well... "So much blood..." she winced as she remembered her wound, and grabbed it with her hand. "It's dizzying..."

---

Lumara had been grinning back at Logan when he suddenly fell off the wyvern. At first, she pointed and laughed until she realized that he was in trouble. That fall had to hurt... She looked back at where the fireball came from and saw a mage cresting a dune. Her eyes narrowed as she tightened her hold on the axe. She would bury him here. She was sure of it. Growling a command to Caius, she sent him at the mage. Her axe's edge gleamed in the light as she held it high over her head. This one was going down.

The axe was flung through the air and decided to land right between the mage's eyes. He fell to the floor, and Lumara retrieved her weapon. She loved how this thing was so useful... She could fight with it up close or from afar. The blood dripped to the floor as she slipped it back onto her belt. Where's Logan? she turned toward where he fell and saw him there. Fuck.

Flying over to him was no big deal. She got there in a few moments and found herself climbing off her wyvern. Why did she care? She didn't know. Maybe it was because he was the only one to speak to her properly? "Hey." she said as she tried to kick him in the face. "Get up."

It burns. Logan writhed on the ground, trying to make sense of the painful reality he'd just been thrust into. His skin was blistered and throbbing, exposing the delicate wounds to the gritty sand that ground into his raw flesh. The action attempted to drag a scream from his throat, making only a hiss as the lack of air came into play. He gasped again, dragging for breath that would not come as he blacked out, unsure of whether or not it'd be the last time he saw sunlight. Resurfacing moments later, he twisted onto his uninjured side and managed to get a glimpse of a female foot headed toward his face a fraction of a second before it impacted. It looked like he deflated, too out of breath to even raise a noise louder than the faint hiss of pain. Clutching his head(And newly damaged face), he struggled to get up, blacking out for a second time before managing to get to onto his hands and knees. It hurts.

The Dark Mage managed to shoot Lumara a glare before returning to his dry heaving. As the breath he so desired finally came, Logan forced out a single sentence as he struggled to his feet, using Caius' hide as a crutch. "...Was that... really... necessary?" He couldn't see straight, and he could tell from the clashes and screams that the battle was still raging on, unabated. A glance to the side revealed confirmed that his attacker was dead or that there was a really red blur monster that was coming for them and since the Wyvern Lord wasn't throwing her axe at it... probably the former. He grasped for his tome, finding the bright yellow book on the ground where it had fallen, before continuing his explanation to Lumara in a faltering voice. "Thanks... I think. I need to... get one of these... bastards... alive!" The last word was, while still faint, obviously supposed to be a yell as Logan spotted a man who broke off from the crowd, and wind back to throw something.

The next moment was a gamble on the spellcaster's part. He knew most of the Thunder spell by heart, and merely opening the tome and confirming what was there made it more powerful, even if he couldn't even read his own name at this point. He slashed his hand forward as the gold runes etched themselves shakily into the air, and grimaced as the spell arched from his fingertips. At first, it seemed to have worked perfectly, the buzzing and crackling ball of plasma diving toward the large man, ignoring the flying arrows and javelins. Then... something happened. It was extraordinarily hard to describe, but if forced into a single word, it looked like the spell was... unraveling. The concentrated bolt split apart, energy arching off and burying itself in the sand, leaving a sort of spiderweb shaped blast that careened into the big man, knocking him off his feet with a crackle of electricity and a faint buzz as the air settled back into its natural state. The man collapsed as Logan blinked, cursing his inability to see at the moment. "Did I get him?"

After decapitating the fallen horseman, he saw a swordsman at the back of the woman archer. Nice to know she was back up and fighting. He turned back around to see an axe heading towards his head. Hoping to dodge it, he leaned backwards enough to allow it to pass over his head. Taking the opportunity, he stabbed forward while returning to a standing position. He felt some resistance before it disappearing. Kalar saw that his blade had gone through the groin of his enemy, who was turning more white by the moment at seeing herself penetrated. She grunted for a moment before looking into the eyes of her killer.

What she saw was a merciless glance, hardness that would not be broken. She slowly dropped to the ground as she bled out. Kalar pulled out his blade and observed his surroundings. It seems that the fight was drawing to a close. Opting to take a breather, he maneuvered himself away from the center of battle, avoiding the more heavily populated sections to reach the edge. He still held his blade, but now he leaned against a tree. Strange in how the soldiers knew where the Shepherd were. Was it all a coincid-?

At that moment, a ball of fire flew into his chest. Why did fire always head towards him? Why!? He began beating his chest, trying to put out the fire. After several moments, with his cloak still on fire, he saw the young mage. He seemed to be nothing more than a child, but the sword claimed many, not caring for the gender or age of an individual. He charged forward before seeing that the mage was kneeling in front of the cavalier's head. Tears were in the youth's eyes, and a mumbling that would not stop.

Kalar looked down at the boy, eyes unflinching.

Why did you attack me? Was it for revenge? Retribution? The man fought honorably, wounding me before succumbing to the sword. I hold him in no contempt and nor do I hold a grudge. If you leave now, no more innocent blood may be spilled. Leave!

With that last statement, Kalar pointed his sword in the direction of the closest path away from the battle. Seeing that the boy would not leave, Kalar sighed. The dead seem to always hold some sway over the living. He moved until he was in front of the boy and took a position facing away. He would have defend the boy until he left.

Looking down, he finally took notice that his cloak had finally burned away. His white hair was now flowing in the air and his silver sword shined on his back.

Damn it. Now I have to buy a new cloak.

As the battle raged on, Alicia descended from the sky on Bellerophon's back, running a bandit through with her Killer Lance before taking off into the air once more to dive bomb another fighter. Roaring a battle cry, she urged her mount forward and charged a Myrmidon head-on, jamming her lance through the man's throat before whirling it around to parry a spear swipe from a mounted Cavalier. Snarling, Alicia flipped her lance around vertically and smashed the blunt end of her spear up the Cavalier's jaw in an uppercut, knocking the man off of his horse before the blond ended his misery with a thrust to the heart.

Swiping the blood off of her lance, Alicia ascended into the sky once more as she surveyed the battlefield, looking for an opportunity to join in and deal some damage. However, the wounded form of a red-headed girl caught her eye. Ambra. Alicia had already failed to keep her own comrade safe only days ago during the battle in the Plegian capital, and she had resolved to herself not to repeat the same mistake. But now it was happening again. Gritting her teeth, she urged Bellerophon down, landing next to Ambra as she stretched a hand out to her.

"Get on!" Alicia shouted, trying to help Ambra onto her steed. "Ambra, can you fire from Bellerophon's back?" She asked, keeping her Killer Lance gripped in her other hand as she looked over the battlefield.

"Because it's funny?" Lumara shrugged heavily down at Logan. Really, he had just made her kick him in the face because... well. She didn't know why. Maybe she had just done it for fun? Ah... yeah... that seemed more likely. She watched in pity as the mage struggled to his. After a moment of seeming to writhe in his pain, a strong bolt of lightning shot out from his fingers and struck a man. At his question, she turned to grin at him.

"I haven't seen anything like that." Lumara told him. "That man hit the floor like a sack of potatoes."

---

Ambra was running out of arrows.

There were only a limited number that she could carry at the same time, and the number dwindled down to less than ten. Ambra was panicking- What was she going to do? She couldn't just start bashing people over their heads with her bow...

A flurry of wings sounded, and she looked up. There was Alicia with her Pegasus. She accepted her help, but looked down at Zaino.

"I can shoot, but... he's hurt."

Zaino scowled at Ambra's denial, barely able to move his left arm in any direction without hurting himself. "An arrow's an arrow, you ogress."

The arrow had made its home only a centimeter short of the small paldron atop of his shoulderblade, directly underneath the bit of armor. Warm blood trickled down his bicep and seeped into his gauntlet, settling on decommissioning the left arm and relying solely on his right. Curved swords like his Killing Edge were more suited for usage with both hands for power, but an average sword like the one he picked up to use instead was easier to handle with a single hand. Watching for a moment as Ambra dispatched another swordsman, he looked briefly to the projectile lodged within his arm, and muttered a tsk. "Thirty weaklings," he corrected, watching for more incoming arrows and catching one in the middle of its travel with a flick of his wrist, severing it into two. "I'll be damn impressed if they manage to do me some serious damage."

Zaino's ear flickered as a series of approaching footsteps came from the side, turning towards its direction to see a sword-toting woman prepare to attack Ambra. Had it not for natural instinct, he would've allowed the woman to skewer the red-haired one. He managed to bring up his sword fast enough to deflect a majority of the power in the woman's attack before he wheeled around to find himself in another deadlock with an axeman, his attention from the other two drifting away. The burly man was easily able to overwhelm Zaino with brute strength, but the swordsman used this to his advantage; he allowed himself to 'lose' the collision and pretend to hit the ground, quickly stepping to the side and allowing the man's axe to slam into the sand.

Before the man could heft the axe out of the earth, Zaino knocked him away with an upward slash and landed another three clean cuts to the man's body, leaving it to fall to the side. He turned to where Ambra was facing off with the female sword-wielder, and saw that the archer had come out victorious. Wow. Such surprise. "Calm down," Zaino sputtered as she returned to him, company that he didn't ask for. He sighed, seeing that the count of dead bodies all around where he'd been fighting had added up extremely fast. "This is how it is until my scumbag brother and the Exalt are dead."

It was then that the pegasus rider flew on by, offering Ambra to join her flight. Please, just leave me by myself already. "Hmph. I'll worry about my lonesome."

Logan looked, if possible, even more befuddled and disoriented at the results of his spell. "....But he was suppose to expl..." Muttering under his breath, he straightened up fully and blinked again as if to get his bearings. The magic man peered around in an attempt to discern friend from foe, giving up halfway as he caught the the oafish assassin defending a boy whose looks screamed some sort of spellcaster. Mulling it over, he turned to Lumara fully, absently weaving another Thunder charge as he gestured toward the strange sight. "Is that child one of yours? If not, he just needs to stay alive and well until the end of the battle. That'd be all I need in order to get some information on these fine... gentlefolk."

The Dark Mage paused with the sphere of energy gathered in his palm, looking almost absent as he double checked the battlefield. This time he gestured toward one of the more central fights, pointing at the cluster of men and women surrounding the kleptomaniac archer, the pegasus knight, and the dark-haired man with the attitude problem. "Is he one of the aggressors? He certainly seems the type."

What? Was Logan disappointed in what happened? Lumara arched an eyebrow and huffed. This guy seems to like death. If there’s anything else that he likes more, it’s his tome. she let the tip of her lance sink into the soft sand, glowering upwards. There was an assassin that was protecting a child… ”I don’t recognize that brat. Maybe he’s just some villager that left his home and stayed out too late?” she personally thought that the kid deserved it. Maybe he would learn a bit. She rolled her shoulders and glanced back at the dark haired man that Logan motioned to. Ah… it was that fellow that was talking to the ginger haired woman…

”Ah, he’s one of us. I saw him talking to that little woman there before.” Lumara jabbed her thumb in the direction of Ambra, her eyes sparking with annoyance. Seriously, some of these people needed a massive attitude check. Either they were too weak or too much of a jerk. ”We needn’t worry about him. If he dares to raise his blade against us, I’ll make sure that one of my axes finds his way to him.” she looked back toward Logan, her eyes growing steely. ”Do you need help getting on Caius again? Or-“

Two men rushed up to her, making her grin. I recognize these two. Lumara told herself, her grin spreading a bit more. ”Ah, Pyrel, Anders,” she dipped her head. ”Nice to see you two again.”

“Why, if it isn’t Lumara.” the stockier and uglier one said, lifting up his axe. He swung it towards them, and Lumara leapt back, tumbling into Logan. He laughed, raising his axe once more.

”Are you up for this, magey?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Oh, good." Logan kept the next part of his comment to himself. I'd have to find another live one if he was an ally. He made sure to keep his ear cocked at Lumara, choosing to ignore the fighting for the most part as she offered some explanation of the sides in this unexpected battle. He drifted off into his own world of thought for a long moment as he mentally rearranged how each of the little people in the command chain of the Shepherds seemed to interact. So the bandaged man at the top or as some sort of proxy for the yet unseen leader, with the rest of the troops seeming to be a mess of people who fell in line for battle under the threat of death. He couldn't say it seemed very efficient. They needed commanders and sub-commanders and the like. Organization was key in any sort of armed force to operate effectively. Perhaps the slaughter of their hubs destroyed the chain of command? Her question about Caius jolted him back to reality. "Well, actually, it would be a great help to me if you could help me aboard as I don't correctly know how to mount a wyvern and that could be messy, you see. As such-"

Logan's obviously overblown and long-winded speech was cut off as something soft and heavy ran into him, throwing him off balance and disrupting his concentration. The spell fizzled out with a rather sad buzz as the spellcaster finally noticed the unwanted company. Managing to catch himself, the dark haired man decided the best option for such an obtrusive duo was an intellectual quip about their obvious physical flaws. "They'll be mincemeat shortly. I do hope you don't have to catch up on anything." He stood up, before sizing up the stocky and ugly axeman and gesturing to him, before taunting. "You, in fact, already look like you've been hit in the face with a hammer once or twice. I suppose I'll have to fix that, then?"

He was halfway into casting his next spell when the man's axe nearly took his head off. With a yelp, the Dark Mage jumped backwards and threw his arms into a ready position for blocking as though the residual golden runes that hung lightly in the air never existed. The next few seconds were filled with a flurry of motion as the tall axeman brought the haft of the axe around for an even closer ranged attack, forgoing the cutting edge for a quicker swipe that smashed past Logan's hastily thrown guard. It impacted badly, slamming into the mage's shoulder and then skipping up into the side of the head with a decent thud. He dropped like a stone, grunting and clutching at the bleeding wound. In a flash, the axeman was on him, aiming for Logan's face with another punch to add to the disorientation. The mage flinched back with the blow, his hand dropping off the former of his wounds. Seizing the advantage, the axeman grabbed the spellcaster by the hair and dragged him up to deliver a finishing strike with the bladed edge of the axe. The bandit paused for a second to grin savagely at the bloody face of the beaten man, as if to savor the moment of his demise.

That was when Logan struck. A fist flashed forward and buried itself in the aggressor's groin. The result, while crude, was both effective and instantaneous. The man's body shuddered uncontrollably as a spasm ran through it, before dropping both the axe and the mage. The dark-eyed caster hit the ground rolling, diving for the weapon that had just beaten his face bloody. Hissing through gritted teeth, Logan dragged himself through the sand and back to an upright position as he hefted the weighty blade and pointed it at his downed opponent. Having learned from the rather dishonorable defeat that he'd just dealt to the axeman, the Dark Mage wasted no time in his kill. He slammed the point of the axe down into the taller man's back, before dragging it from his spine and bringing it down once more into the bandit's skull. A savage grin split across Logan's face as he turned to look at Lumara's battle, perfectly willing to attempt to down the other man in much the same way.

The fight started before they could say anything else to each other. Logan took the burly axe-man, while Lumara faced the taller, skinnier swordsman. Her eyes narrowed as she roughly grinded her teeth. No wonder why they’ve been so tough to take out. These people are members of the Riders of Dawn. the grip on her lance tightened, and her hands began to scream with the ache of going through so much pressure. She remembered her bandit family, how they were wiped out by these maggots. The tip of her Killer Lance gleamed dangerously in the hot, Plegian sun as she pointed it at the swordsman. His pale eyes glimmered with malice as he shot forward, swinging his blade and attempting to slice open her belly.

Lumara was quick. She sprang backwards faster than a startled rabbit and swung her lance. It was long and clumsy to wield in this kind of combat, but at least she had something to fight with. The man was hit with the pole, causing a little damage. He grunted, and sprang back as well. The two circled each other like vicious wolves before they shot toward each other again. Lumara dodged the man’s sword as it came for her chest, and he easily sidestepped the route of her lance’s blade. This man was quick, but she was just as quick.

All I have to do is make him angry. she looked at the ground. Even if I have to fight dirty, I’ll win.

With that, she suddenly kicked up her foot, spraying dust and grit and sand into the man’s face. He cried out as he staggered backwards, rubbing at his eyes with his free hand. This childish reaction gave Lumara a clear opening. Screaming a battle cry, she sprinted toward him with her lance, and smacked straight into him with the tip. The lance’s tip shot straight through his form after digging into his abdomen. He coughed out blood, and sank to the floor.

With a scowl, she glanced up at Logan. His face was beaten up. ”Oh, look, your face is even uglier than it once was.” her voice at the moment was unusually bitter, but she ripped off a strip of fabric from her clothes and tossed it at him. ”Clean yourself up.”

"Than it once was? I'll be sure to take that as a compliment." Logan's reply was equal parts annoyed and pained, clearly not enjoying the beating his head had taken in the past few hours. He snatched the fabric out of the air, before making sure that his nose was still in place and covering both nostrils to halt the blood from there as the wound on the side of his head required less attention at the current time. Wonder if there are any more surprisingly competent acquaintances that Lumara is going to have pop up. I'd rather not have this be a thing. Instead of voicing his concerns the spellcaster instead asked another, more pressing, question. "Can you see where my tome fell? I must have dropped it when the axeman closed into close combat. While I may be better fit for such fights than an average mage, it is still not something desirable, due to things such as this."

Logan didn't wait for an answer as he dropped to his knees to peer around for the very yellow tome on the very yellow sand, trying and failing to keep the blood loss from getting him light headed for the second time in half as many hours. The information these Shepherds provided better be worth getting hit like this for.

Lantus emerged from the inn, squinting at the harsh Plegian sun before noticing the more alarming event in front of him: Xanxus had just brained Darrian with a rock. Scowling in disbelief, Lantus resisted the urge to start berating Xanxus for assaulting his liege. If the Exalt had actually been seriously injured by the stone, Lantus wasn't sure if he could keep himself in check and not draw his sword against his fellow general. Xanxus may be friends with Darrian, but Darrian was still the Exalt. While Darrian still lacked an heir, any and all threats to his health were threats to Ylisse's continued stability and prosperity. Only when the Exalt finally had an heir would Lantus be able to breathe easy. Therefore, he steeled his will. With incidents like these and Darrian's love of taking risks, he was left with no choice but to go ahead with his plan, no matter how reluctant he was to actually go through with it.

"My liege." Lantus approached Darrian, bowing his head in deference. "If we could speak in private for a moment? I have information that would most likely interest you."

Darrian rubbed the back of his head, grunting as he felt the swelling of his scalp. Ugh... that had hurt, and he had to admit, he felt a bit sleepy. But now wasn't the time for naps. He glanced up when a man approached, and he quickly recognized him. "Lantus. Good to see you again." he said, crossing his arms. He had a perfect night, drinking with his friends and laying with women. When Lantus continued to speak, his dark brow furrowed. He had information? "Is it about the Shepherds?" he asked, his eyes remaining locked on the man's face. Lantus was a strong general- even though Xanxus told him that he shouldn't trust him, Darrian found that he couldn't sever their friendly ties. "I mean, what else can there be? Has Plegia made a move?"

"Actually, yes." Lantus nodded, motioning for Darrian to follow him back inside the inn. "Reports have confirmed that Prince Laius has left the capital. There's been no confirmation on his whereabouts yet. At this point, I can only make conjectures, but it is probable that he's set out for foreign aid. Most likely either Regna Ferox or Chon'sin, given that Valm is still smarting over the naval incident."

Darrian scowled at the news. Laius left the capital? Great... they should have accompanied Xanxus to the capital when he went. If they did, then both Laius and his father would have been minced meat. Rubbing the ridge of his nose, he closed his eyes and regained his composure. "When we meet the Shepherds, he is the first one I want dead." he told Lantus. "Is there anything else that you wish to tell me?" maybe Lantus had some good news on top of that. If he could bring a smile to his face, then he would be happy. And everyone knew that if they didn't want to be dealing with a brat, it was to make Darrian happy.

The two walked back inside the inn, and Lantus led Darrian into the back room to ensure their privacy. "Yes, there is. Do you remember when I suggested that you marry and sire an heir as soon as possible?"

Darrian followed Lantus, and blinked at his question. Here he goes again with his whole 'sire a heir' bullshit. "Yes, I do recall that. It was when we were playing a game of chess in our tent. You beat me a few times..." he chuckled, trying to keep the conversation light. He really didn't want to be restrained to having a wife and child. "What of it?"

Lantus kept his face stoic, despite inwardly grimacing at what he was about to say. "I would offer my daughter, Selene, as a potential bride." He stated simply and with no emotion. Simply the thought of making this offer had been keeping him up all last night. Despite how much this would benefit his family, Lantus had no desire to have either of his daughters marry this paranoid brute. But Selene had written back to him, and she had agreed to the plan. She knew what was at stake, and she was already a skilled Sage. If nothing else, she could defend herself.

At first, Darrian was shocked at his words. He was offered up Lantus's daughter... Selene was her name. He was pretty sure that he hadn't met her before... and if he did, then he didn't remember. Yet... this seemed suspicious. Was his daughter undesirable to other men and he wanted to dump her on him? "I have to say..." he stroked his chin. "That does sound tempting..." he admitted. "But something seems off. Are you sure that she is fit to be the Queen of Ylisse and to deliver my babe? Because you seem... eager. It's either because you can't find another suitor or you really care more about me than I thought."

Lantus had anticipated Darrian's resistance to the idea, given how much the man enjoyed sleeping around, and so coming up with a compelling argument was easy. "Well, if nothing else, I'll stop pestering you about the idea." He shrugged nonchalantly, while inwardly seething at Darrian's stupidity. Did the man not realize that the only reason Lantus had to offer up his own child was to put one of his own brood on the throne of Ylisse? Not for the first time, he lamented at how Exalt Lucina had evidently failed completely in raising her only child. "But in all seriousness, I could think of no better candidate. Selene has been educated by the finest tutors and trained in the arts of war by myself. A strong bride for a strong Exalt." Lantus said, folding his arms. Now came the crux of his plan. Selene rising to the throne of Ylisse and eventually giving birth to a future Exalt was a major goal behind this, but there was something else equally as important. The old general fell to one knee, bowing before his lord. "However, in exchange for giving my daughter's hand to you, I would request but one boon, Your Majesty."

Darrian did not like this idea. Lantus wanted him to take his daughter, someone that he didn't even know. But... if what Lantus said was true, she wouldn't be one of those useless wives that sat around and gossiped all day. Though this seemed like the last thing that Lantus wanted to tell him, the old man fell to one knee and requested a boon. Darrian raised an eyebrow and looked down at him, the frown he had on his face deepening a bit. "Boon? And what is this boon?" he questioned. He supposed that he could very well have his daughter. It did get rather lonely in the castle and everyone that talked to him became very annoying at times. This would be a new face.

"As you know, my youngest daughter, Alicia, was a Shepherd." Lantus began, desperately hoping that Darrian was at least somewhat reasonable today. "However, she was no traitor to the throne. She was of low rank within the Shepherds and had no involvement with their treachery against you. I beseech you, Your Majesty, to spare her if she is captured. My youngest is of no danger to you or the throne, and I merely want her safe." It galled Lantus to be on his knees, pleading like a dog to a man that he didn't even respect, but for his family, he would do anything. His own pride was worthless compared to the safety of his children.

Darrian looked down at Lantus, scowling as he crossed his arms. He wanted him to spare his daughter? Really? Ugh... he supposed he could. Unless she really annoyed the fuck out of him. With a roll of his eyes, he sighed. "Fine. I'll spare her. But if she raises her blade, I won't hestitate to end her life." if Alicia was a true Ylissean, she would probably switch sides as soon as she saw their true power, anyway.

Lantus very nearly let out a sigh of relief, but stopped himself from doing so. "Thank you, my lord." He said, rising to leave. "I'll begin making the arrangements for the wedding once the Shepards and the Plegians are dead and buried in the ground. There will be no need for you to trouble yourself." As Lantus walked out, he felt the tension in his chest dissipate. Now that he had secured a pardon for Alicia, there would be no further worries for him during this campaign. All that was left was to find Alicia once more and bring her back. With this, he emerged back outside the inn, prepared to lead the army once more.

Even though their group was fairly large, they made little to no sound. Or maybe, their group was so loud that at times they were made more noise than a squadron twice as large as them. Talbot didn’t mind. At least it was more moderate at the border of Ylisse. Even though fear struck his heart and chilled his spine, for if they got caught they would be slaughtered, he was happy that they had found their way out of the hot wasteland of Plegia. The sun no longer shone down on them with a relentless fury, but simply basked the land in a pale glow that made the tired and parched sorcerer smile.

They had been traveling for a few days. Even though they had fought the raiders and won, there were still a few of them chasing after their little caravan. It felt as if they were being tormented, tortured. The raiders sure knew how to have their fun, striking fear into their targets. At least, Talbot was afraid. He didn’t allow anyone to rest or slow down, no matter what the situation was. Even he was bleeding profusely from a gash in his side, and the muscle between his shoulder and chest where the arrow had hit was beginning to become sore. He was sure that he had dozed off on his saddle once or twice, but thankfully he woke himself up before he could snore.

Talbot traveled a bit more into Ylisse, but made sure to not let themselves be known. He made the group stick to forests and beside rivers, and did not allow them to stray from their little formation. If they stayed quiet… they could rest here. The sun was beginning to set, and a comforting crispness to the air had begun to appear. He could feel the delicate wind graze the skin that was not covered by cloth, bringing a smile to his lips. Soon, it’ll be spring. he told himself, gazing up at the dusky sky. Will we be back in our homes by the time the next winter arrives?

”We should rest here.” Talbot turned to face the group, smirking when a few people had let out sighs of relief. ”There’s plenty of food and water to go around if one is willing to look.” he pushed himself off of Frost’s saddle, grabbing her reigns and guiding her to the river that he stopped behind. Removing the bite, he allowed her to dip her head into the water and drink her fill. It was then, when his blood started to flow to his lower body again, did he feel how weak and dizzy he was. Grunting, he leaned heavily against the horse, trying to keep his fatigue in check. Calm down, Talbot. You’ll get plenty of food and water… and rest… don’t pass out.

---

Ambra had been one of those people to sigh in relief. She was also one of those people that stuck closest to the group. If those raiders came back… they could easily pick off the weakest and the ones that had strayed from the group. Her azure eyes, usually bright with energy and happiness, were now dull as she cast them up into the purple sky. The sound of crickets and other night creatures were beginning to buzz in her ears. At least there were actually animals other than lizards and snakes and scrawny sand cats…

She picked a spot under a tree, away from any dense foliage. Even though Ambra was happy that there were more creatures around, neither did she want any creepy crawlies in her clothing. Even though she knew that insects were important, she utterly despised them. The feeling of them crawling on one’s skin was just… terrible. Ambra shuddered before pulling her pack onto her lap. Don’t think about it right now, Ambra. You need to make some medicine. Your prepared supply ran out.

That would preoccupy her. Ambra pulled out her herbs and a grinder. The grinder was small, cheap, and made of stone, but it would have to do for a while… at least until they had more money and they were out of Ylisse. Placing some snakeweed and other herbs into the small bowl, she began to mash the ingredients together. This would certainly be useful to those who were poisoned or infected with some sort of disease. She hummed a song as she worked, lifting her eyes to see Lumara walk to a shadowy corner and rest her back against a tree. Ah, I do hope we get to sleep late.

Ambra had been fantasizing about a good night’s sleep for a while now. She hadn’t slept properly in what seemed like ages. First, she was alone, so she had to learn to sleep lightly. If she was a heavy sleeper, someone might come and kill her while she dreamt. Then, she couldn’t sleep much in the Plegian inns. But now… it was peaceful. It wasn’t too hot, or to cold… it was just right. Thinking about sleep made a yawn escape her. Well, that was embarrassing. But I’m tired…

Seeing that the rest of the convoy of fugitives were slowing down, Kalar hopped off his horse and grunted when he struck the ground. He had released the boy after the battle, but not after taking the small magic book and cutting it in half. The smell of fire was still in his nostrils and caused them to burn. Ignoring this sensation, he walked up to the bald leader who looked like he was in pain. Sighing that the man had not taken the time to recover, he decided to make this quick. He marched up to the man's horse, who was taking a drink, and waited there. He began to gather his confidence, because he never liked initiating conversation, but it seems necessary.

You need to be taken a look at, young leader, for the road ahead is long and turning, forever throwing obstacles in your path. Is there not a healer in your pack of men?

He felt the burning sensation start. He started to intake air to ignore it, but he sneezed instead. What happened caused his wound in his shoulder to open up from the lance that had stuck in him. Pain roared throughout his body and racked his muscles, but he still stood straight at the bald man.

Also, it is time to rest and recuperate. Do not worry about the night; I will stay up watching the stars to know what my future entails. In the few days past, I have done so, watching the very grass be blown from every direction. It seems my path is entwined with this group.

After speaking his part, he gathered the remains of his cloak and walked away, heading into the darkness where he may recuperate and watch the outskirts of their camp.

Zaino was potentially the only one who hadn't been considerably wounded during their skirmish, with the exception of the arrow that was still lodged in his shoulder. Trying to move his left arm sent shockwaves of pure torment up the nerves in those bones; it would certainly hamper his fighting ability like everything and everyone seemed like wanting to do, and he would have to do something about it soon. He had remained on his lonesome and kept his distance away from the group, who were all hurting in some way, yet he felt a sense of pride; he was clearly the better fighter around. A few other shady characters had also seemed to include themselves into the fray, and had he agreed to associate himself with these filthy people, he would've vocally protested them.

Zaino hated how they could just accept everyone they met as if they were all automatically good people. Ylisse had sent an arrow into their knees and shoved a sword into their backs, and not even three weeks later, they invited a bloody assassin. Not that the lamb looked like it was much anyway, it was just their presence that made him want to just slit their throats already.

"Hmph," the swordsman grumbled to himself, the cool night air bothering him. Although Zaino hated cold weather, he could easily tolerate this; the blizzards of Regna Ferox were far larger scale in great intensity than this. The darkness swallowed him as he stuck the Steel Sword against the bark of a lone tree, laying his back against what was an unusually comfortable surface...

"What-" Zaino leaped away from the tree like a leopard prancing atop of its pray or cat chasing yarn as he ended up on the ground, landing too hard with his left hand and causing a gasp to escape. His eyes began to adjust to the night, and though very well hidden, he could see that he had sat upon the outline of- "What the hell, Ambra," he stood right back up, seeing that he had pinned the sword right next to her head and that it had only been a few inches short of making contact. He decided to leave it there for good measure. He scoffed as he sarcastically spoke in a cruel tone. "Damn, I missed the lamb. No food for tonight."

Talbot dipped his hand into the cool water of the rushing river, sighing as he raised his hand to wipe some of the moisture around his neck. He rubbed away the dirt and sweat that had clung to his skin, sighing as his body silently cried out in pain. I have to rest. he told himself, feeling his eyelids grow heavy. The loss of blood and the serenity around him was taking a toll on him. It was like a very calming lullaby. His body wanted to rest, but he had to eat and make sure that everyone was okay. I’m the leader. I’m supposed to make sure that no one is dying from bloodloss…

That assassin man came over, telling him that he should rest. His dull eyes raised up to the mysterious man, wanting to disagree with him. But Talbot was exhausted. His bones ached, and he was pretty sure that he would pass out if he didn’t rest soon. I can just eat and go to bed, right? he asked himself. His horse finished drinking water and he brought her to the side, hitching her up to a tree. The night was becoming cool. It wasn’t summer yet. They had quite a ways to go. Yet… the shadows seemed as warm as a summer breeze, coaxing him to lay down in them.

The sorcerer huffed loudly as he set himself on the ground, leaning heavily against the tree. His breath escaped his lips in short, ragged gasps as he tried to keep the groans and hisses deep inside of him. Talbot wrapped an arm around his stomach, eyes growing half lidded as he stared into the shadows opposite of him. He knew that it was a bad idea to sleep now. If he did, he wouldn’t be able to eat, and it seemed that no one caught anything, yet…

---

All that was heard was the light sound of the grinding of herbs, at least, from where she was sitting. Ambra enjoyed being alone in times like these… where she was allowed to think. But the smell of herbs was clouding her thoughts, and all she could think about was the sharp scent of the leafy substances she had picked up on the way to Plegia. I can pick up some more on the way to Ylisse. That way I won’t have to be spending a fortune for the herbs in Ferox. she thought. And they’ll be fresh, hand-picked by me. I don’t have to worry if they’re too small or there’s not en-

Something into the bark of the tree to the side of her face, making her bristle and almost cry out in shock. What… what was that? Was it an enemy? No… it was just a blade. Belonging to… who, then? It could still be an enemy, but before she could look around, something fell on her, making her scream in surprise. ”W-what?” she cried out, flailing slightly. Though, as soon as the pressure had been put on her, it suddenly disappeared. Ambra blinked at the dark haired figure on the ground before frowning. Zaino.

”Lamb? What lamb?” Ambra questioned innocently. Was he tracking a lamb? But… sheep don’t live in forests. They live in fields. Zaino could be confusing at times… or did he mean that he was hunting something that looked like a lamb? Maybe a foal? ”There aren’t any lambs in forests, silly.” she smiled. ”They only live on farms.”

Her eyes drifted over him, wondering if he was alright. It was then that she set her eyes on the arrow in his shoulder. ”You got a little something there.” she waved toward his shoulder. ”Looks uncomfortable to me. Need it pulled out?”

The time following the skirmish, had, if anything, invigorated Logan. The blood and sweat he'd expended had been repaid nearly twice over at the collection of information and items he'd looted off the bandit corpses as the Shepherds had fled the scene. It had been rather simple to get at the valuables after the Dark Mage had taken an impressively sharp knife from the first corpse he came across. It also made it easy to separate a man's hand from his last healing concoction. He was fully rejuvenated and richer by both a Fire tome and said knife by the time both armies had retreated fully from the battle. He'd made quicker time than many of the other Shepherds in the desert heat, basking in the harsh sunlight even as the wounded faltered behind.

Even as the sun set in the land of Ylisse, Logan stalked into the shadows by his lonesome, pausing only momentarily to confirm where the more interesting people, namely Lumara and Laius, chose to spend their night. The velvet of night blanketed the land before he found a corner away from the group proper and settled down, playing with the sharp blade in the cool air.

"Still clueless as ever," Zaino sighed, setting himself down on the side of the bark adjacent to Ambra and glowering at the arrow that had comfortably made its home. He needed to get it out with as little pain and muscle tearing as he possibly could, otherwise his left arm would be useless for some time if he made a mistake. "I can do it myself." Straightening the arm down the side, he pulled the sword from its resting place in the bark and carefully cut off the half where the arrowhead faced, tossing it into the shrubs nearby.

Zaino dropped the sword to the space between him and the woman, slowly prying the remaining half out of his shoulder as he felt a stream of blood exit the open wound and his upper arm muscles begin to twitch. He gritted his teeth, quickly removing his outer coat to prevent it from being stained furthermore. After observing it for a bit of time, he looked up at Ambra, scowling. "I was talking about you, lamb."

Hearing Talbot's word that they should rest here, Kai got off her horse and led it to a stream where it happily started drinking, her horse had done quite a bit today, as it helped her to ensure Talbot lived today's fight. Kai was a lucky one to not get as injured as everyone, she had slight pain in her right arm from when an enemy assassin tried to break it, and had a few cuts from that encounter as well, yet hers were nothing compared to the others injuries. Kai refilled her own water that slowly depleted from the days of traveling and would get something to eat later, when she was sure that this place was safe.

After her horse had finished drinking, Kai led it to a tree where she tied it to and instantly the horse went to sleep probably exhausted after all that transpired. Kai couldn't blame it, the girl had been running, and helping Kai shoot the raiders that dared to get too close, even after the group of Shepherds had won the battle. Kai walked away from the tired steed and walked around their camp for the time being. It went against her ideals to rest when they weren't certain if the raiders wouldn't just attack again, so she spent a few minute on all sides of the camp to be sure that everything was safe, she ventured around a bit more and then came across Talbot who was leaning against a tree.

Kai looked at him for a few seconds before approaching, reaching into her bag of supplies, she pulled out an apple and held it out in front of him. "Did you have anything to eat yet? If not you should at least eat something, before falling asleep." Kai asked the mage, slowly moving her right arm every now and then as it got a little stiff.