A seemingly infinite sea of straw yellow rested under a blanket of pale blue sky. The sun, a harsh orb of light that cast piercing rays of heat down onto the earth without mercy, was at its peak. Not a cloud drifted across the stretch of azure. The sandy ground did not have a taste of rain for what seemed like days. That was Plegia for you—how one could survive in such a dead looking country was a mystery. The whole place was basically desert. Sometimes one could find small mountain ranges where dead or dying trees provided some sort of shelter from the merciless heat that plagued the land. The animals were usually small and scaly. It wasn’t often that travelers had to take a bite out of rattlesnake or other sorts of reptiles.

That was why the black haired Dark Mage was in an uncomfortable mood. Talbot wouldn’t mind sunning himself in the mild rays of sunshine, but it seemed like heaven was raining fire down upon them. Sweat drenched his body, making his dark colored robes stick to his skin. It was truly an irritating experience. What I wouldn’t give for a cool dip in a lake right now, he thought, running a hand through his already messy hair. Several tendrils of hair had slipped out from his tight ponytail sitting high on his head and into his face. Droplets of perspiration hung off of the tips and dripped onto his brow and cheeks, making his face twist in annoyance.

He supposed that he was lucky; some of the Shepherds had found each other already, and he was amongst the small group that gathered under the shade of several perishing trees that lined the top of a mountain. Talbot was no longer alone, but he was starving and parched. The crimson blush that clung to his cheeks had been there for a day or two, and he could feel his body scream for water with every moment. His lips were dry, his skin was pale, and his stomach rumbled… before long he would have to resort to scouting for water himself.

Talbot sighed and placed his hat back atop his head, his fingers returning to the instrument he had in his hands to pluck at its strings. If it weren’t for his lute, he would have surely gone insane. Music was what kept him going. It cheered him up on days like this, and allowed smiles to come to his lips. Even though it was painful to do so, at least he could be beaming on the inside. Everyone’s so tired… I don’t blame them. We’ve been trying to navigate this desert for days… he sighed once more, continuing to strum his lute and hoping that that would get the conversation flowing.

---

A small, lithe figure struggled to push itself forward, its smaller feet shoving against the sand in order to make its body crest the vermillion mound. Ragged gasps escaped the scrawny woman’s lips as her tired body cried out for her to stop and flop face first into the hill. Her skin was scorched by the sun’s rays; sunburns stretched up and down her arms and shoulders. Ambra had already gotten used to the pain. It wasn’t like this was her first few days in the desert. Like the other Shepherds, she had escaped the deadly grip of the massacre at her barracks before she was severely injured. Yet… the images of people dying around her remained in her mind. There was so much blood and death… she recalled, closing her eyes as she inched her way down the other side of the mound. No one deserves that kind of death…

After making it over the dune, Ambra continued searching for some sort of asylum from the harsh rays of sunlight. Hours passed before she found a small mountain with dying foliage clutching to its dry earth. Readjusting her satchel, which contained many poultices and other healing stuffs, she made her way to the mountain. If I’m lucky, she thought as she dragged her tired and sore body across the distance between the sand dune and mountain, puffing with the effort, There’ll be food and water on there. I don’t think I can last much longer without those…

How long had she been without food? Water? She didn’t know, but she knew that she ran out of food before she ran out of water, and she ran out of water a day ago. Or was it two days? Ambra groaned as she realized that she couldn’t even remember when she ran out of grub and drink. The heat is really getting to me. I need a long nap… The thought of a deep sleep did seem refreshing, but she knew that it would be fatal if she decided to settle down in such an open area. Bandits or even worse could find her, and she would wake up to find that her head had been chopped off. Sighing, Ambra staggered up the mountain.

Her body tired out quickly, and she found herself stopping halfway up. Trees lined the cliff edges as well, and Ambra noted that some sort of nourishment hung from some of their dry boughs. She decided that the little clearing on the side of the mountain would be enough for her, and she pulled off her satchel, pushing it against a jutting, gray rock. After making sure that her supplies were in order, she glanced back up at the bundle of fruit basically waiting for her on the tip of that branch.

And so, the red haired woman began to climb the tree. She was accustomed to this sort of activity. When she was young, her father taught her how to climb a tree all the way to the topmost bough, and then come back down again. That was why she wasn’t afraid of climbing this tree; it was short and ugly, and the lack of leaves meant that she could climb freely without worrying about getting tangled in them. Before she knew it, she was at the branch where the fruit hung from. They’re dates. she told herself. I’ve heard they’re an amazing source of nourishment for travelers…

Easy now, Ambra began to crawl along the branch, wincing slightly at the groaning sound it made. If she were any heavier, she was pretty sure it would have broken by now. That was why she was comfortable enough to inch more and more along the bough until the fruit grazed her fingers—and then, with a yank, she pried it off the branch. The force of taking the fruit off of the branch made it jerk violently and produce a loud cracking sound, one that made Ambra flinch. That was bad. She should have-

It was too late for “should have”s. The branch snapped off of the trunk and hurtled toward the ground. She cried out as she fell as well, and then the ground crashed against her, driving the wind out of her lungs. Coughing, she let go of the detached limb and rolled onto her back, clutching the fruit to her chest. Ambra breathed heavily, wincing slightly in pain. Note to self, don’t climb dead trees. Common sense, but… at least she had food, right?

---

The mess hall was always so loud at this hour. Even though it was early in the morning, many of his men were already getting drunk as hell. The hall was filled with boisterous laughter and annoying gossip. While Darrian would usually ignore said ramblings about generals and other higher ups, he was not in a good mood. It was painfully obvious that the Exalt did not want to be in the middle of drunken fools or in the midst of a loud mess hall. The black haired, blue eyed man had an arm plopped up on the table, his chin resting in his hand as he idly rolled an apple back and forth the space in front of him. Would he be able to stand such nonsense today? No, he wanted silence, and he would get it, one way or another.

”Get out!” Darrian shouted, standing up abruptly and slamming both hands on the table. The hall became very quiet, and dozens of pairs of eyes stared at him as he bristled angrily. Then, the men and women got up and rushed out of the room, each of them hanging their heads in shame. While Darrian was nothing but a yapping lapdog to them, they knew better than to get him angrier than he already was. It was better to leave and get drunk elsewhere, and leave Darrian to his brooding, anyway. The Exalt snarled at the empty room, and walked around the long table, beginning to pace as he held the apple in his hand.

Why hadn’t the Shepherds been captured yet? It had been far too long since the massacre. They should have been killed on the spot, but someone had let them escape. He had sent his most trusted men and women to carry out the deed, and yet, they failed. That made his blood boil. Darrian’s teeth grinded together under the skin of his jaw as he glanced up at the ornate stained glass windows that lined the room. Most of them portrayed scenes of Naga in all of her radiance. When they were bathed in light, they cast different shades of blue and silver into the room. That was what it was doing now, and it pissed him off.

Darrian roared in frustration and anger, chucking the apple straight at the glass. The round fruit shattered the window, leaving a gaping hole in a particularly beautiful scene of the she-dragon. Yet… that didn’t sate his fury. He was left panting, unable to release all of his rage on what was in that room at the moment.

The sky was raining fire.

Arrows of scarlet haze rippled through the twilight horizon illuminated orange. Ash and charcoal scorched the suffocated atmosphere of virulent smog, unchallenged by the west wind. Corpses of men and women, all ages alike, lined the bloodied debris of ruins from what once stood as an outpost for justice.

Among the murdered and the children, a disheveled Zaino crawled. He cried and cried of the trauma and shock, unable to bring himself to utter a single syllable as he weakly reached out for his blade. He couldn't go on any longer. He was prepared to give up.

---

Wandering out of his memories, the crimson-stained swordsman trudged beyond the sands of mirage and into a mountainous region. A week, was it? Or was it two? Zaino was too weakened to care. He was starving, thirsty, exhausted, and wounded, all in a single package of ailments exclusively for him. His mouth ran arid as the desert he had traversed, and his cut-up apparel was no more than mere patches of clothing barely kept together by strings that distinguished him from clothed to naked.

"Guh," Zaino wretched, refusing to submit to the comfort of crumpling to the ground. His expressionless, grimy face carried on the weight of suffering as his eyelids covered his violet eyes halfway. He groaned and desired to salivate simply to rid of the dryness in his mouth, yet his body did not contain enough traces of fluids to even sweat. He dragged his feet along and in his fugue state, walked straight into the bark of a tree. He simply grunted once and forcefully shifted his body adjacently, resuming his zombie-like pace.

*Crash!*

Splotches of dry blood scattered along the blade and blemished its gleam in the sunlight as Zaino's right hand removed the sword from his scabbard, turning to the source of the sound. "Kill..." he cried more than spoke, closing his drooping mouth and gritting his teeth as his broken legs picked up in their steps. He trailed beyond the foliage and revealed a red-haired woman, cringing as the sight of another soul gripped his aggression. "Die!" he winced, raising the sword barely over the height of his shoulder. He released the temporary strength in his arm, allowing the sword to lead it down towards the woman.

Dag sat relaxing in the shade of an old palm tree. It was small, but then, so was he. Besides, he figured it was better for him to sit in whatever shade he could; being a Manakete, the heat didn’t bother him that much, and that fact clearly did bother his friends. So he sat in the shade, listening to the sound of Talbot playing the lute. He figured he might make himself useful and go to find some water, but the others had though it best if they stuck together for now. Or so they said, Dag thought to himself. Maybe they just don’t want me going off on my own. Dag sighed. How long were the others going to treat him like a kid? …Well, I mean, I guess to them I am just a kid. He sighed again. It was rough being able to turn into a full Dragon and still have so little life experience. It was like having a really powerful spell, but everyone thought it was too dangerous for you to cast it, even though you knew that casting it could help them. Ah well.

Dag looked up at the overly-bright sunny sky and smiled. Although the heat was terrible for the others, it was a really beautiful day out to his eyes. A sudden desire to transform came over him, to let his scales soak in the sunlight and the hot sand warm his armored belly. Dag quickly decided against that; he still wasn’t sure what happened when he transformed into a full Dragon. He often remembered only the fact that he had indeed transformed, but then he would wake up to destruction and burned bodies everywhere. And not all of them were enemies. So, he decided to forego the transformation and simply enjoy the day in silence. After all, even in the harshest desert, why waste a time with friends?
“Are you certain it’s them?” Serina asked.

“Yes ma’am,” answered the soldier. “We’ve confirmed some of their identities and plotted their likeliest course. There’s no doubt about it: the Shepherds are in Plegia.”

“And their numbers?”

“Uncertain, ma’am. They appear to be scattered. While a few have formed a small group, the others seem to be stranded alone. We’re keeping watch as best we can, but there’s no way to know for certain.”

“I see. And have they done anything aggressive?”

“Not yet ma’am, no. So far, it looks like they’re just trudging through the desert. They have no supplies as far as we can tell; it might be that these are the survivors of the purge that just recently occurred in Ylisse.”

“Understood. Thank you, Lieutenant.” Serina turned as if to leave, but the lieutenant seemed to hesitate. She turned back to him. “Hm? Was there something else, soldier?”

“Well, ma’am, if you don’t mind my asking…” The lieutenant seemed somewhat nervous. Was it that awkward a question? Serina gasped inwardly. Oh no, he’s not about to ask me on a DATE, is he?! Serina looked him over for a second. He was a noble’s son, probably gained his position from nobility rather than actual training. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s handsome and all, but still, I-

“D’you think it’s really alright for us to just leave them out there like this?” Serina breathed an inward sigh of relief. “I mean, we could probably spare enough supplies to get them to a city at least,” the soldier continued. “These are Shepherds, ma’am; helping them now could help us in the future.”

Serina considered this for a moment. She had heard the news about the purge committed against the Shepherds in Ylisse; I mean, who hasn’t, right? So the lieutenant was probably right: these were likely just survivors fleeing for their lives. Helping them could gain Plegia some valuable allies. But then, it could also make them powerful enemies. Hmm…

“No, it’s too risky. If the Shepherds are being followed, and Ylisse sees us helping them, then whatever war is going on over there will almost certainly be brought back to us. As much as I may not like it, we can’t afford to help them. However, spread word that the Shepherds are in Plegia. Tell the guards in every town, city, and village that the Shepherds are not to be attacked unless they attack first.”

“Understood, ma’am.” The lieutenant fidgeted for a moment before adding, “And, uh, by the way, if you aren’t too busy this evening, I was thinking maybe we could…” he trailed off.

Serina blushed furiously. “L-Lieutenant! I believe you have your orders!” she shouted. The lieutenant snapped a quick “Yes ma’am!” before hastily retreating to his business. Serina huffed furiously for a moment, her cheeks still as red as the sunlight at dawn, before finally calming down enough to return to her own station. Alright, Shepherds. I’ve done what I can. Now it’s up to you. You’d better survive out in those deserts, you hear me?!”

The dates were especially sweet. Every time she popped one in her mouth, her toes curled in pleasure. Ambra thanked Naga that she had found this fruit. If she hadn’t… she would have died on the spot. Her stomach roared as she began to fill it. She would be able to sleep well that night, and that cheered her up. The red haired woman hadn’t been able to sleep for a while, and dark rings hung under her eyes. It was obvious that she was not well. Fatigue had ravaged her body. But now that she actually had food in her stomach… she was going to be better. At least… she hoped so.

Something caught her attention. It was the sound of footsteps. She turned to look in that general direction, but it was too late. The man was already on her. A blade shimmered in the sunlight as it swung down toward her, making her yelp and roll out of the way. Her body was screaming for rest, but she had to get out of the way. If she didn’t, she would be slaughtered by a pig. ”Wait! I don’t mean harm!” she cried out, sitting up and raising her hands in submission. Her eyes were wide with fear and she was trembling. It was a young swordsman, looking in worse shape than she was in. ”Don’t kill me!”

The wind was uncharacteristically cool for this time of year, caressing Vrissa’s face as Vulpen flew faster and higher. It had been too long since she had flown with Vulpen, and the animal gave her quite the cold shoulder when she first approached him. She frowned at the thought, truly hating that she wasn’t able to see him as much and that they weren’t invited to go with the army to do the raids. It would have been a spectacular show she thought to herself, her long braid whipping behind her. They flew for what felt like hours, and when it was time to return Vulpen landed so lightly on his feet that it took Vrissa looking down over him to verify they were on land. She whipped a leg around and slid off his back, Vulpen giving a slight jolt to knock her off balance.

“You horrid beast,” she said as she scratched his head and leaned her forehead against his. “I’m sorry it had been so long. I tried to convince them to let us go, but the Sargent was firm with his answer.” Vulpen shifted his feet and snorted, bumping his head into her chest lightly. Vrissa chuckled softly. “You are truly a horrid beast.”

After saying her goodbyes and leaving a few choice carrots behind that she accidentally grabbed from the kitchens, Vrissa made her way back towards the mess halls. She preferred visiting him early in the mornings or very late at night, so there were less eyes about to watch them together. As she pushed the doors open she saw a few men already in there, beer mugs in hand. Her eyes narrowed and her face set in a stoic fashion. Truthfully, she hated most of the other men and women who served, their obnoxious and crude behaviors deterring her from ever talking with them. Methodically she went to the line and grabbed her usual: eggs, bacon, an apple and a cup of water. When she sat down at a table by herself, she grabbed a napkin and wrapped the apple up. Not much, but it’s better than what he has been getting , Vrissa thought as she tucked the apple away.

Just then Vrissa noticed him, and from the looks of it he was already in a sour mood. I can’t blame him , she thought, the incompetence in this room alone is enough to frustrate any leader . She took a few bites of her eggs, eyeing The Exalt as he walked and sat at a table. Quickly she shoved some bacon in her mouth and finished her eggs. From the looks of it, this breakfast was about to end. Sure enough, a loud banging on a table followed by some yelling quieted the room, The Exalt barking for everyone to leave. She scraped the last bit of eggs into her mouth and got up, leaving the mess halls quietly. Vrissa walked around the back of the building slowly, hands clasped behind her back, allowing her thoughts to ramble in her head. If only we had been there, then the outcome may have been different . Although very unlikely that one, sole Pegasus Knight would change the fact that the Shepherds had not been captured yet, Vrissa was eager to serve and prove herself.

Suddenly the shattering of glass above her sounded through the air, and a small object thumped on the ground not far from her. She bent over and found the projectile to have been an apple. Ah , a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she wrapped this apple with the one she already took from the mess hall, Vulpen will be pleased.

The harsh sun was beating down on Kai's skin and her dry throat and roaring stomach only further made her want to collaspe right where she was. It had been days since the few of the Sheapherds that remained had any form of water, and if they were to rest who know if they would get back up? All that could be seen was sand, sand, and even more sand. Thats all Kai had seen for the past couple of days, Plegia didn't seem to have any form of life anywhere and if people did live here, then how did they manage to survive? Maybe they were use to this scorching heat, and what seems difficult to the tiny group was rather easy for them.

Kai looked over at Talbot who was probably feeling the same about this dreaded heat, and was hoping that water would pop out of anywhere. That was what everyone was probably wishing for, yet with what seemed like a never ending wasteland of sand, that would be nothing short of a miracle. If Kai was rumored to be an angry soul, then today it would proably show well enough. her whole body was irritated by the sweat never seemed to stop dripping down her body, and all the sweat in her hair was a pain to deal with. On the bright side Talbot started to play his Lute again which she commened him for having the strength to do so.

Well if he had the strength to try and raise everyones moods even though he probably wanted to collapse right there, then she could have the strength to check ahead a bit for any source of water, or food for the tiny group that remained after the purge. Kai motivated herself into jogging, as she ran up beside Talbot. "I'll go look ahead for... anything at this point." She struggled to get out. Talking was much harder to do with her throat being dry. And with saying that she ran on ahead, despite her legs not really wanting to run.

"Gods, the heat,"

A seemingly exhausted Excel trudged through the harsh desert. He was better off than most; Being well endowed before he’d left, he’d been on his small journey for a few weeks and had prepared an abundant amount of food items and water, which of course didn’t last forever. As time went by, his food disappeared he only had one more meal left and a drink to last him through the rest of that day. Just thinking about the fact that he had water with him made him want to consume it.

“I think it’s been long enough,” Excel sighed, plopping down into the sand. Through the duration of this journey, he’d gotten tired of carrying things and had nearly ditched all of his bags, save for the one he kept his money in. He retrieved his waterskin, squeezing every ounce of water with a firm squeeze to it. He got back onto his feet as he secured the waterskin back into his money pouch, although it was a bit of a tight fit. Excel was out of water now, and he needed to arrive at Plegia quickly. He’d no idea where his former master had gone, but, he did recall the Myrmidon having origins at the desertous area.

Something caught his eye. He quickly shifted his gaze, spotting a dark haired woman who was running towards nothing that he could see. Where’s she going? Maybe I can buy food off of her, Excel was rarely ever in the mood to run, but, if this woman had something to drink, he needed it. Excel took off after the woman, his bronze sword smacking against his leg as he headed towards her. At the angle that he’d come at her, he’d show up from her side.

”Hey, lady!” Excel shouted, speeding up so that he could catch up. He straightened his scarf once he’d arrived at her, provided that she had noticed him. ”I was wondering if you had anything to drink?”

The rumble of voices exploded through the marketplace as Myyt slid like sunbeams through treetops between the dusty, sand covered stalls of soft merchants and their goods. Spicy and sweet aromas of exotic spices fluttered through the air, masking the scent of the sweat which soaked nearly everyone's clothing. Not far from where Myyt was skulking about, there erupted a heated argument between a customer and one of the merchants. No doubt the commotion was over some disagreement over the price of some gem or bauble, yet that did not concern Myyt. What concerned the clever thief was the lack of attention being paid to the good merchants "hidden" goods. Behind the stall, hidden in a shelf under the counter top sparkled the hilt of what appeared to be a very, very valuable dagger. Immediately entranced, the young man gave a slight smirk before wrapping a silken cloth over his bright cerulean hair, then back around over his nose and mouth leaving only his crystal blue eyes to be seen by any of the more... observant populace.

Staying close to the shadows, Myyt grew closer and closer to his quarry. Unfortunately, our thief did not notice that although the commotion being caused by the merchant caused the perfect distraction, it also summoned a pair of large, armored guards. As Myyt reached out and gingerly grabbed dagger, a large, plated hand grabbed his wrist. A pair of eyes peered down at him from behind the confines of a heavy, metal helmet as a crooked smile crept over the guards scarred face.
"An' just where ya tink yer goin', mate?" The guard nearly spat at him. A sheepish grin crept over Myyt's face which was (unfortunately for the guard) concealed by his scarf, otherwise he might have had an idea that the young man was going to twist in such a way that the guard, no matter how hard his grip, could never follow. Once his grip was broke, Myyt bolted off into the street, tucking the dagger within the confines of his belt loop.

"After 'im!" the guards bellowed as they drew there weapons and began pursuit, parting the crowds like a hot knife before a slab of butter. Myyt ducked under stalls and slid between legs, flying into and out of the crowd trying desperately to escape his belligerents...

Kai had trailed off enough from the group, to where she was out of their sight, yet she had been running and running not seeing anything in sight at all. I have had it with all this god damn sand, and this damn heat. Kai thought to herself, which even that proved somewhat difficult, unsure if she was just running cause that was all she could think about doing, or if she stopped would she fall right there in the blistering heat. She was starting to think Pelgia had nothing at all, and they were unlucky to have ran to this side after the Purge.

After a few more minutes of running she heard a voice calling out to what she was sure to be her. So she turned her head to her side to see a pale man with blond hair and gray eyes run up to her, asking if she had anything to drink. Well that was to be expected, but she had hoped he might have known where anything was at all. She stood there panting, trying to get the words out, and after a minutes of silence, she was able to force the words out. "No, me and my...... I mean, I've been walking this desert for a couple of days with no water, I was unable to bring more water due to reasons of my own." She chose to stay quiet about the group she was in, just in case this was a man was planning a trap to rob un-suspecting people.

With getting that out of the way she continued on, but this time walking slowly instead of running, she had used all her energy and that little burst she did to try and find a source of water. By now she wasn't sure if she should risk continuing on, or turn back. if she did turn back then she had the shame of faling to find anything, she continued then she had the chance to find what they were looking for, or she would die. She then turned towards the man stopping in her tracks. "Hey, my turn for a question. Is there a town nearby maybe?"

There was nothing but sand, sand, and more sand as far as the eye could see. It was a bright and sunny afternoon, not a single cloud in the sky. This would have been great weather everywhere else, but in the Plegian desert was just awful. It looked like it hadn't rained in days, and the only form of shade were a few dying trees, and some cacti scattered about. How people managed to live in these kinds of conditions was beyond Tim. The only animals that could live in this weather were scaly reptiles. Tim didn't have a problem with them, he liked all kinds of animals. He just would have preferred something cute and furry,

Beads of sweat trickled down the young Preist's face. He was hot and uncomfortable like everyone else was, but nowhere near as bad as the guy in the group wearing the dark colored robes. Tim's robes were white, they didn't absorb heat the way dark colors did.

Tim was straggling behind the rest of his fellow Shepherds. He hadn't yet remembered everyone's names, let alone talked to any of them much. He was one of the youngest members of the group, and was still intimidated by everyone else. He felt completely out of place among them, like a goldfish in a lake filled with piranhas. Judging by the way everyone carried themselves, these people looked like they had much more experience than he did. Surely they had other Preists they could have called on? Apparently not, because by the way everyone else dressed and the weapons they all carried, he was the only proper healer in the group.

The boy sighed as he kept on walking. He reached into his bag, pulled out a canteen, took a small sip of water, then put it back into the bag. That water had to last a while, and he didn't have much left. Tim quietly kept on walking as he observed the others. They had already formed groups and started talking amongst themselves, but he wasn't really sure how to join in. He figured he would just make a fool of himself, like always...

Fire. Fire everywhere, with long tendrils of dark smoke raising high into the sky. Very slight tremors coursed through her body as Kalina stood and watched from a distance. Her fingers twitched slightly, and when she looked down at her arm she was not surprised to see that it was covered up to her elbow in blood. Same with her other arm, and her whole front and lower half of her face was caked with it, too. She knew….that blood was not hers. Kalina turned slowly and began to walk, as if in a trance. Head south repeated in her mind. Head south to Plegia.
____________________________

Strong, solid walls had not been something Kalina was accustomed to when she joined the Shepherds in Ylisse. When they escorted her to an available room, she politely declined and made her way back outside. Why anyone would want to be confined like that, in such a small area, she could not fathom. She spent the first few days constructing a sort of tree house in the surrounding woods, one that would have easily been missed by anyone not looking for one. Fresh air and the night sky put Kalina at ease, and allowed her to sleep soundly. Just as she began to dream, the smell of smoke filled her nostrils and made her jerk upright. She clambered to the edge of the platform, squinting as she peered out towards the barracks. Just as she could make out the orange, pulsing glow, screams filled the air along with clashing, slashing noises. She immediately turned and hurried down the tree house, sprinting towards the barracks. Kalina noticed that she didn’t hear metal on metal, which means whatever it was, there was only one side fighting at the moment. She sprinted faster.

As she neared the barracks she lightened her steps, pressing her back up against the nearest wall. She was unarmed, but even if she were to find a weapon it wouldn’t do her any good. Kalina lacked any skill with weapons, and had never had the opportunity to learn. She was not strong, but rather slim and lithe. The screams continued, and it took a solid fifteen minutes before she heard any sort of clashing of weapons. She peered around the corner to glimpse a better look at what was going on. Men and women, dressed in the Ylisse army uniforms, had weapons in hand and were hacking any Shepherd they came across.

No…this can’t be! Why would they attack us ? Are we not on the same side? Her thoughts were reeling when she heard a gruff voice very close to her.

“I’ve heard we’re ta go as far south as Plegia,” the man said, his footsteps loud as twigs broke and leaves crunched beneath his feet. “Hims had enough of them Shepherds folk, wants em all dead.”

Karina stood there, stunned at what she just heard. Her vision started to cave in on itself, the blackness working its way from the outside in, until she collapsed. Before she hit the earth, she had changed. The noise had not gone unnoticed, however, as the two men turned and moved closer to where Karina had just been standing.

The piercing blue eyes of the snow leopard honed in on the two men nearest her. Crouched in a low position, she inched forward until the first man was within striking distance. Before he realized what hit him the leopard had already went for his throat, blood spurting out and covering her face. She ripped her head away violently and the man fell with a gaping hole where his windpipe used to be. The smell of the other man lingered closely, and she turned her head to find him rushing at her with a sword held in two hands over his head. Dodging the swing with ease, she quickly whipped around and pounced, digging her claws into his back, leaving traces of a deep, crimson color. The man screamed in pain, and as a leopard would do with any prey, she grabbed him by the neck and yanked hard. With a loud snap, the man’s body went limp, and the leopard feasted well.

"Having one of your moments again, Darrian?"

Xerxes was always eager to see his friend pouting and whining. How the little man resembled a childish monkey at times, it succeeded in amusing him. He knew what Darrian was furious about, but he paid no heed; he had caused no error on his part during the killings, and slaughtered every single one of the Shepherds that came in his and his force's path. It was all the fault of the other mongrel, the feminine scumbag with a sword that Darrian had hired under a drunken spell. He couldn't even remember the fellow's name, that's how much he didn't care.

"Ah, mead from the royal brewery or whatever the hell it's called by you people," Xerxes said, stepping over to the table and taking an entire flask of the beverage, He took one light sip and returned it to where it had laid on the dining table, walking to his friend. He was never much of a drinker, and even though he wasn't one of those people who had a low tolerance for alcohol, he simply preferred to not drink. He sighed and walked towards the broken window of some fancy Ylissean emblem, looking through the hole and back at Darrian. "Damn. You sure can throw."

---

Zaino nearly went forward with the sword as it landed into the earth, grunting. He wasn't sure if he was able to continue any longer without any nourishment or rest, and the poisoned cut at his thigh only hampered his senses. He seemed to struggle as he lifted the sword up again, staring down at the woman with his emotionless expression, unchanged. He tilted his head and scoffed as she pleaded for her life, eyeing her bow and quiver. The arrows were of the finest quality out of the standard materials used, and could certainly skewer him easily...

"No," Zaino shook his head, reverting back to his brief state of anger. He forcefully tightened the grip on his sword, hurting himself. "I won't be tricked again!" he shouted, his sword arm falling down towards the woman once more.

Yu was stomping down the halls pushing people out of his way with quite the angry expression on his face. he was enjoying a walk outside, when suddenly he heard something break and was almost hit by an apple from above and now here he was heading to the room to find the culprit that had the guts, he then remembered stomping away from one of those pesky annoying Pegasus riders, yet he didn't care in the slightest for her.. Making his way to the doors he pushed them open ready to curse someone out, yet upon entering he saw only two people, Xerxes the annoying little pest, and the seething king himself Darrian. Upon seeing this sight, Yu sighed as he walked into the room and sat down at a table.

Yu look at the shattered window for a few seconds before turning towards Darrian. "I see something has you pissed off, and I almost felt it. Doubt it was Xerxes who made that throw. So what is it this time, that has you throwing Apples out windows?" Yu asked picking a apple off the table and tossing it up in the air catching it as it came down, repeating the process before taking a bite out of it and looked at Xerxes. He wasn't sure why, but the man never really spoke to Yu, yet didn't seem to like him in the slightest. While he would have cared, Yu didn't really pay it no mind, as he himself didn't really give a crap about him either.

Excel let out a deep sigh. The woman had nothing for him. As he prepared to head in the opposite direction, she called to his attention, this time having a question for him. He closed his eyes, "To be honest, I'm not too familiar with this place myself. But, I'm on my way to Plegia. Provided I don't have awful direction insight, it shouldnt be too far from where we stand." Excel nodded, flashing a quick smile towards the woman. His eyes scanned over her. She didn't have too much armor, but she seemed like a fighter. Maybe she was a swords woman of some sort.

Excel pressed on. "I'm surprised a woman like you had been able to endure the heat. Or perhaps it's just greater to me due to me coming from Ferox. Anyway, you shouldn't just go around alone." Excel drew his sword, hoping to show off a bit. He wasn't the type to do so, but he had to admit he was getting bored. He also wanted to see if his hypothesis was correct and she was some sort of sword fighter."I've got some food and don't mind sharing the rest of it. And we can go and hunt for water, no problem at all!" He pointed is sword towards where she'd come from, suggesting they check over there.

Darrian remained still as a startled hare. The young Exalt was shocked at what he had just done, but he was pretty sure that as soon as the surprise faded, he wouldn’t give half a fuck. He knew that he had anger issues. Advisors told him that he should hold his tongue, behave more like a proper man. Yet, Darrian didn’t see the point. His eyes remained plastered to the stained glass window, the scowl still glued to his face. Before he could do anything else, however, he heard someone speak to him. His gaze flicked to the side to glance at the large man who had entered the mess hall.

Xerxes was a good warrior—even Darrian admitted that. Usually, nothing left the Exalt’s lips other than curses and damnations, but Xerxes was a whole other breed for him. Around him, he would his curses and insults. Some say it was because he didn’t want Xerxes to break their bonds, others whispered that it was because he was frightened of the man. In reality, it was a bit of both. Yet, Darrian would rather swallow a flaming sword than admit it. Crossing his arms, he glowered over at the window. ”I got angry.” he told him in regards to his throwing ability. ”That’s all.”

The Exalt sighed, running a hand through his black hair. The day was getting warmer and warmer every moment. He would kill for some sort of fresh, handpicked fruit at the moment… ”I just want those dogs dead.” Darrian explained to Xerxes, the frown remaining on his lips. His dark brows knitted together as he stared at the ruined image of Naga. He wished that it would have been more damaged, but… he supposed that was a bit too much. ”They must be dragging their asses all over the world by now, whining to kings and lords about how we butchered their kind. That is why I sent you to kill them, along with my best men, but all of you failed.”

With a sigh, he turned to face Xerxes, his fingers beginning to pick at the fabric of his clothing. Darrian would much rather go out and hunt them down himself, but his advisors told him to stay and start thinking about marrying. Marrying. Can you believe that, Xerxes? If I told you, you would burst out in laughter. That was the last thing he wanted. ”I want nothing more than to watch the last of their kind perish at our hands. But I’m stuck here, and all I can do is trust you and Yu to do the job.”

---

His dried and cracked fingers continued to pluck at his lute. Even though he was trying his hardest to keep the music flowing, the sound of the lute was annoying and high pitched, almost as if it were displaying the despair that they were going through. He wished that he could sing, at least. That would probably cheer the people up some more, but Talbot was just too… tired. I can only last for a few more days… he thought, his fingers pausing in their strumming. His hand traveled up to his face and he brushed away a few droplets of sweat that got into his eyes. I hate this.

He continued to rub at his eyes, but they only got more irritated. Talbot set down his lute, deciding that was enough. I should get some rest, he told himself. Maybe that was what he needed. If I close my eyes only for a bit…

But Talbot didn’t want to go to bed hungry and thirsty. Forcing his eyes open, he looked up at the rest of the people that surrounded him. Their group was made up of scrawny looking men and women, all void of emotion and dying of starvation. The whole scene was depressing. Maybe I should just go to bed after all. Kai will wake me up as soon as there’s food. However, before he could close his eyes he caught sight of a younger male sipping something from a canteen. He blinked before parting his lips and speaking.

”Hey, can I have some of that?” he questioned. ”Kai said that she was going to find water, but I don’t know if I can wait that long…” he felt like he was being a selfish brat. That was the boy’s water, not his. Then again… they were Shepherds, and Shepherds had to share.

---

The man was weak. It was obvious that he wasn’t special—he neither bore the crest of an army, nor the colors. Ambra was relieved to see that this was just another person lost in the desert Thank Naga, she thought, readjusting herself so she was partially sitting. Though, the man’s violet eyes flicked over to her quiver, which made her flinch. This man isn’t going to give up so easily. I can- Before she was even able to finish her thought, the sword came down at her again. Ambra screeched and tossed her arms over her head as if they would block the sword if it actually made contact.

”No, wait! Stop! I’m a Shepherd!”

There was an off-chance that he was one as well. But even if he was just some bounty hunter, she would die anyway. Ambra normally wouldn’t tell anyone who exactly she was, but this was her last resort. I don’t want to die… she thought, continuing to cringe away from her attacker. But if he has to kill me, I pray that his blow will end my life quickly.

However, this didn’t seem like the type of man that knew mercy. He would probably butcher without so much as flinching as her blood splattered across the floor. He was obviously a warrior. Her eyes had rested upon him for a few seconds, and she could tell that his body was… fit, even though he looked dehydrated and famished. Naga, help me! Tell this man that I am not the enemy he thinks I am! she prayed, beginning to whimper slightly in fear.

Hearing the mans response Kai cursed inside, she couldn't really take the risk of stumbling around looking for one city. She caught his smile but she was in no mood to smile at all, then she noticed him inspecting her and that only further made her think he was a bandit with a group in hiding. She was trying to think of a way out of this in case he did try and attack her and if he did try, at her current state she would most likely collapse from one swing of his blade. She started backing away slowly from him.

She however stopped once he started talking about her enduring the heat, not sure if that was a joke about women being weaker than men, yet at this point she wasn't going to argue, didn't want to give him a reason to be swinging at her. So when he drew his sword that's when she jumped back placing her hand on her own sword. Now some of her sweat being from the heat and from being nervous. Hearing his suggestion of having plenty of food to share, and that they could search for water in the area she just came from. "I..... just came from there, I didn't find any source of water of there. Let me ask you another question, do you know Darrian?"

Brandt was breathing heavily, his mind a blur. He heard the sounds of shouting and clashing blades behind him. He had taken a few wounds, but he shrugged it off. I have to keep fighting! He thought to himself, over and over again. Slumping against a nearby tree, it seemed he had escaped the chaos. After hacking his way through a couple dozen Ylisse soldiers, watching comrade after comrade get cut down, he sighed heavily. "Gotta...keep...going..." He muttered to himself as he stood.

Brandt stopped dead in his tracks, and instinctively raised his axe when he saw a person. He squinted, his vision already becoming terribly blurry with his amount of exhaustion. "Bones! That's no soldier." He said staggering towards the young girl. He stopped as soon as he realized she was covered head to toe in blood. Was it hers? Was she wounded? He quickly ran to her and fell to one knee. After examining her, he figured that she was not critically wounded. "That's good..." He trailed off. He had already figured she was a survivor. He tried to ask her a few questions, but she was silent. "Alright, no matter. We need to get out of here. Can you walk?" It seemed the girl nodded in response. He halted a moment, hearing shouting not too far behind them. "Blast! Well, guess we'll have to make a run for it." He then grabbed the girl's hand and broke out into a full on run. The wind brushing against his face, everything a blur as he dashed madly away from their pursuers.

---

Brandt squinted up at the sun, then looked back to the girl behind him. Oh dearest Naga, why did it have to be a desert. My own personal hell. He thought grimly, he was already fed up with the sweating, and the heat. After they had escaped the Ylissean soldiers, they had a small chance to rest. And then, they made for Plegia. He had heard somewhere along the way that a small group of surviving Shepherds had headed into Plegia. So, he had decided to see if he couldn't track them down. Perhaps they had information on the mass assault against the Shepherds.

Brandt trudged along for a bit, occasionally glancing back at the girl. They hadn't spoke much. And from when they had, all he learned was that her name was Karina. And the fact that she was indeed a Shepherd. Frowning, he looked back at her. "How you holding up back there? Need to take a break?" He asked, hoping she'd say yes. He wanted to rest, more than anything.

Rachel was seated under the leaves of a sparse tree, dying in the dry heat of the Plegian desert. Of course her tactician robes weren't helping anything, but she's far too stubborn to take them off. Instead she drew them closer to herself, nearly disappearing in the slightly over-sized coat. The Dark Mage named Tallbot playing pitifully on his lute, it sounded choked, like a small animal screeching as it died. Boy, that was a cheery thought, and not foreboding at all, nope.

The tactician shook her pessimistic thoughts away as she stood, deciding to at least try to get something useful done. Though she wasn't sure what exactly what could be done until Kai got back. Rachel took a look at her motley group, it only took one glance for her to gauge their morale. Low, incredibly low. These people are broken, stranded out in the desert with no supplies, driven out by their country. A sorry state indeed.

No matter how hard she tried though, Rachel couldn't think of a way to help them. So she just stood there, watching them all, her eyes falling on a young girl laying against a tree much like the tactician had been. The girl had blue hair and pointed ears, and looked like she was in sore use of some company, and water. "Here," Rachel said as she collapsed next to the girl, handing her a canteen from her belt. "There's not much in it, but it's yours."

Perhaps the best parting gift her black-hearted, backstabbing former troupe could have given her was resilience over the harsh Plegian weather. For whatever reason, Plegia had been the troupe's favored locale, and they seemed to have amassed twice as many supporters in the desert country. They spent months traveling in the desert, and she had gradually built up resistance. Still, it was a particularly searing day, even by her standards. The sun bore down on the weary travelers mercilessly, and its unfiltered rays pierced through skin. For those less than accustomed to such intense heat, she imagined this would be no different from being licked by a dragon's flames.

As she tied her red hair up in a messy bun, Evie came to realize that being clad in her performance outfit was a blessing in disguise. She had raged about it when it first dawned on her—because honestly, the least they could have done was pack her belongings before they casually threw her away. It was an entirely different story at night, where the desert shifts extremes and becomes a frozen hell instead, but that was beside the point. During the day, the thin material of her white attire spared her from the suffocating heat. Unlike the others already drenched in sweat, only the deepening flush in her cheeks suggested the heat having an effect on her.

Evie looked over these so-called Shepherds, all worn and famished and dehydrated. It was a wonder they haven't all collapsed. From what she's heard, they've been wandering through this desert for days on end, yet not one seemed deterred from pressing on. They had even spared time and energy to rescue her just days ago! Evie had to admire the group's tenacity. She knew full well that the only reason she wasn't as weakened was because she had been forced into slumber from a while, and she literally had days' worth of pent-up energy to draw from.

The sound of the lute snapped Evie out of her musings. If she wasn't mistaken, it was the mage who plays that. The melody came out uneven and pitchy, but it made her feet suddenly restless, aching to move. In a brief moment of frivolity, she had actually considered doing a rain dance. She read about it once; it was said to bring a rejuvenating rainfall that lasts for hours if done perfectly. But then the music stopped, and Evie was brought back to reality. She peered curiously at the mage, wondering why he stopped so abruptly. Had he finally succumbed to the heat? She was actually impressed with how well he resisted so far, considering how dark and heavy his robes seemed to be. He was probably trapping twice as much heat in his getup! The Priest he spoke with seemed to fare slightly better, but even his robes seemed too stuffy for the weather.

Feigning coyness, she approached the two with a small, shaky smile. "You could have some of this as well, if you'd like," Evie said, holding out a waterskin that was nearly empty but had enough for one last drink. She received it from another Shepherd the day before, and while she would rather save it for herself, she knew it wouldn't hurt for her to start getting into the Shepherds' good side.

Kalina kept pace with Brandt remarkably well, for what she lacked in strength she gained in endurance. The journey thus far had been long and weary, and she hardly remembered the first half of it. She came out of her trance-like state as the weather began to warm up, beads of sweat rolling down her face. As they walked now in the deserts of Plegia, she lifted her face towards the sun, shielding herself from the harsh rays with her arm. Based on its location, it was almost midday.

She hadn’t spoken with Brandt, not unusual for Kalina, except to say her name when asked. There were too many things going on in her mind, the happenings of Ylisse a week prior replaying over and over. Kalina was no closer to figuring it out now than she was then. Just as she began to delve deeper into her thoughts, his voice broke through, nearly startling her. Cocking her head at Brandt slightly, her eyes smiled ever-so softly.

“Yes, a break would do us good,” she managed, “but do not close your eyes for long, if at all. This heat acts as a silent killer, and will take its chance whenever it gets it.” Kalina hadn’t shifted since the incident in Ylisse. Brandt seemed good thus far, he led her away from the slaughtering and managed to get them to Plegia, but she didn’t feel comfortable revealing that side of her. Now it was a matter of finding the group and Kalina knew she was going to have to shift soon to at least help with finding any source of food. Without explaining herself, Kalina dropped to her knees in the sand and began scooping it quickly, the top layer nearly scorching her hands and knees. It was taxing work in this heat, and the sweat began to trickle down the sides of her face and along her back. As she dug deeper, the sand began to cool down. She dug just deep enough for one of them to fit comfortably and then quickly did the same thing at a spot next to the first hole. When she was done, she scooted herself until she plopped down in the hole and then motioned for Brandt to take a seat in the other hole.

“It’s not very conventional,” she said, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips, “but it will have to do for now.”