Onward into battle

Time is growing so dark around me

I, shallow one

Burn out day by idle day

When Kiran awoke, it wasn't to the obnoxious beeping of an alarm, but rather the gentle shaking of a stranger above him. Still hazy from the fog of sleep, he could just barely make out the movement of their lips, though their words were distant and muted. He wearily dragged his wrist across his crusted eyelids began to give the blurry picture clarity, and immediately shot up as he remembered the reason for his unfamiliar surroundings.

"Oh goodness! Awful eager to start the day, huh milord?" With his senses finally rustled from their daze, he could finally identify his awaker as a middle-aged woman with her hair tied up in a handkerchief. Her body was clad in a drab dress, though most of it was obscured by the lightly stained apron she wore over it. Having realized the woman was no threat and recalling Alfonse's mention of a chambermaid being sent to wake him, Kiran allowed himself to relax.

"As I said, I've drawn you bath and brought some fresh clothing, courtesy of His Highness. Once you've gotten yourself all freshened up, your presence is requested in the dining hall. Oh, and Her Highness insisted you not rush and enjoy yourself." She finished relaying her instructions with a tender smile. She had a motherly air about her and given her age had likely raised several children. He supposed that such experience was valuable when one made beds and cleaned clothes for a living.

"Uh, thank you very much." He'd never been waited on in any capacity beyond a restaurant, so he wasn't sure how to respond to a stranger taking care of his needs like that. Was he supposed to tip her or something? If she was expecting him to do anything, she didn't show it, merely bowing her head before granting him some privacy.

Suddenly very cognizant of the grime coating his body from yesterday's harrowing travels, Kiran entered the bathroom connected to his room. It was a far cry from his apartment, with a cast iron tub and low hanging basin the only points of interest. The bath had a lathered sponge hanging off the side, but no shampoo in sight. Considering this was apparently a suite for foreign dignitaries, that made Askr look even sadder in his eyes.

The only refuge his room had offered from the summer heat had been its unusually high ceiling, so Kiran's nightwear uncomfortably clung to his sweat stained body. It was admittedly satisfying to peel it off and soak in the heated water. He hadn't taken a bath in a long time, always preferring the haste afforded by a shower. Here, he reckoned the closest thing was probably bathing under a waterfall.

As the warmth unwound his tight muscles and the soap washed away the muck, Kiran thought on what the day would hold. He hadn't forgotten his promise to tell them about Earth, and since Sharena doubtless remembered as well, he needed to use some of this solitude to think about what he could get away with. There were a few pieces of information that were unavoidable if they wanted him in a leadership role. Magic was nothing but a big question mark, and it would honestly be best if they knew no one had seriously used blades to wage war in centuries. The less assumptions they were allowed to make, the less chance of someone dying because he was ignorant of what they thought was common knowledge.

That just left social and scientific differences, and damn if that wasn't like disarming a landmine. The truth was absolutely out of the question, at least politically. He might be able to get away with some basic physics or chemistry, but Zenith's supposed origin story made any kind of cosmology or biology unthinkable.

So, with honesty off the table, what was he supposed to do?

If he told blatant lies, he was bound to screw up at some point and get his fabricated facts wrong. In that event, he could very well lose their trust or give them to cause to doubt his valid information. His best bet was probably to give as broad descriptions as possible - it wasn't necessarily lying if he just omitted finer details. Of course, if they bothered to ask about those fine details, he'd be up the creek without a paddle, but he was taking this one step at a time.

As he finished wringing the sponge over his hair in an attempt to get it somewhat clean, he looked into the tub and remembered why he never took baths – they always ended with him sitting in a puddle of his own filth. Eager not to render his scrubbing pointless, he emerged and began drying off with a towel embroidered with that same symbol he saw on the sibling's shields. It must have been Askr's national banner or coat of arms, given that they plastered the thing everywhere.

Before leaving, he scanned the room for some kind of toilet. He hadn't gone since he got to Askr and getting into high stress fights with a full bladder wasn't a good idea. Eventually he found what he figured was the closest analogue: a small chamber in the corner with a countertop that had a lid covered hole cut out of it. It was absolutely miserable, but he didn't have much of a choice and could only hope some poor sap would be along later to clean it out. The lack of a faucet meant he was left wringing is hands in the basin with what little soap remained in the sponge.

He returned to the bedroom, this time noticing the folded bundle of clothes sitting on his desk. Unpacking the layers revealed the full outfit: underwear and socks, white pants similar if not identical to Alfonse's, knee-high brown boots, a blue shirt, a brown belt, pair of gloves and a white hooded coat with gold lines stitched in some form of pattern. It definitely looked Askran, and if he was going to basically serve in their army, he guessed it was only appropriate he look the part. With a casual shrug of his shoulders, Kiran got dressed, emulating what little he knew of uniform standards. He tucked the pants into his boots, they hung horribly anyway, and kept the hood down. The damn thing covered too much of his face and obscured his vision, and it was hot enough as was without a layer of cloth sitting on his head.

His morning preparations done and the sun having nearly crossed the horizon, Kiran swiped the Breidablik from his desk and made for the dining hall. Despite having only taken the trip once, his tower's central location meant navigation wasn't much more than walking in a straight line and hanging a right just before he reached the courtyard. Opening the doors, he saw he was the last to arrive for breakfast, the Askrans and Virion having beaten him there.

All of them looked up from their plates of sunny side up eggs and bacon, and it was Sharena who had a mouth free enough of food to greet him. "Good morning, Kiran! What do you think of your new outfit? I picked it out myself you know!"

Kiran gave his coat a little flourish to accompany his snarky response. "How'd you guess that an Askran uniform is all I ever wanted? Joking aside, it fits and feels fine. Thanks for having it sent up." Actually, it was kind of rough and itchy, but they were probably used to such clothing. Kiran joined them at the table, taking a seat next to Virion.

"Don't mention it! I couldn't just let you go without some of Askr's finest fashion." He had to admit, it did look pretty good. She clearly had an eye for this sort of thing.

Alfonse spoke up, having finished his mouthful of eggs. "I trust your accommodations were satisfactory?"

"Oh yeah, the room was great. The quality of your hospitality is the last thing you should worry about." That was one way Askr had one upped Earth; the bed was soft as silk and light as a cloud. A butler stepped in to deposit a plate of breakfast for him and left them to their meal.

As Kiran began cutting into his food, Anna spoke up. "So, Great Hero, what's our plan for the day?" Apparently, the Commander wanted to skip the small talk and get right to work; a wise policy given the state of affairs.

Her use of his title earned an unamused look out of him. Kiran took a moment to swallow his first bite before responding properly. "I've said it once, and I'll probably end up saying it a hundred times more, but please just call me Kiran. You use opulent epithets like that, and the pressure will seriously start getting to me." One hasty apology later, and Kiran recomposed himself.

"To answer your question, we're going back to the ruins to try and perform some summoning. We need both the manpower and some data on how this whole thing works. I have some conceptions based on what the legend said, but I'll need to test them firsthand. After that, assuming it works properly, we'll bring everyone back here and meet in your war room or whatever to brainstorm what exactly we should do."

Alfonse, who had been contentedly nodding his head through most of the itinerary, wasn't too thrilled at Kiran's final suggestion. "Do you mean to say you've no strategy of your own in mind? I am happy to accept the counsel of heroes from the realms of legend, but my own interpretation of the legend gave me the impression your foreign knowledge would play a significant role."

Kiran fixed a deadpan stare at the prince in response. "I've got a couple half-baked ideas here and there, but I can't exactly think of much when I've only been given a five-minute recap on the state of affairs, can I? Half the point of the meeting will be to get a clearer picture on where Askr stands, for my sake as much as the people I summon."

Sharena, surprisingly, joined him in rebuking Alfonse's skepticism. "Come on, Alfonse, you can't expect anything when he hasn't even here a full day yet! He's got to get a chance to settle in and get comfortable before you dump everything in his lap."

Despite looking like he wanted to object further, the bluenette relented and dipped his head in apology. "I suppose it is rather unfair to ask very much of you so soon, especially after you've already helped save our lives before. It is probably best to take things one step at a time for now."

There were no more words to say, and the five of them finished their breakfast in quiet.

If it's summer on Earth, it must be summer everywhere…

Kiran's dejected thoughts did little to alleviate the scorching heat bearing down on him. Anna had summoned him in the late afternoon, so he hadn't realized Askr was just as miserably hot at this time of year as his home. What the hell had Sharena been thinking, giving him a coat in the middle of July? The other Askrans and Virion seemed little affected as they retraced their steps along yesterday's path, this time with periodic Askran guards ensuring safe travels. To think there wouldn't even be air conditioning when they finally got back to the castle…

Aside from idle small talk, the quintet had largely been silent since they departed the castle. Virion had briefly asked him who he thought would be summoned, an inquiry that went nowhere when Kiran reminded him that he knew nothing about any worlds in Zenith's 'Nexus'. Eager for any kind of distraction from the overbearing sun, Kiran racked his brain for conversation topics to pass the time.

"In the interest of saving time at the shrine, how about I fill everyone in on how I think this is going to work?"

"You mean how you interpreted the legend's description of summoning?" Anna asked curiously.

"Yeah, give everyone expectations to compare the results against. Maybe reality deviates and some of us interpret why in different ways."

Alfonse thoughtfully nodded. "I wasn't very thorough with the description of summoning the legend gave, so you've probably a better idea of it than I. At least it would give us some measure of preparedness in the event something goes wrong."

Kiran wipe the sweat from his brow and flashed an eager grin. "Alright, here's how I see it. This little gizmo," he twirled the Breidablik in his hand, "summons people from your worlds of legend by using two components: dead Emblians and myself. It can't bring anyone here without some combination of the two, though I've got no idea what the exact ratio is. Basically, if it doesn't spend time around myself and Emblians as they die or doesn't have me pulling the trigger, it can't go off. Virion's summoning is consistent with my hypothesis: I was only a few meters away from Anna when she killed the Emblian scout, and then I summoned him a few minutes later. If I'm right, that means this comes with a big caveat."

Virion pieced together the implication of Kiran's theory first. "If it requires you to be present during the death of Emblian soldiers, you cannot simply remain in the castle spending all day summoning. You must be with us when we go into battle and must therefore be placed at risk."

Kiran gave a grim nod. "Bingo. Unless you put yourself in far greater danger trying to take prisoners, I've got to tag along to replenish the soul count this thing uses to fire."

Sharena, who had been inquisitively tapping her chin, voiced her own thoughts. "If that's all there is, why don't we just join the Royal Knights for one massive battle and give the relic all the power it needs?"

"I wish it were that easy. There're two reasons that, when combined, keep that from working. First, there was a line about how 'no foreign vessel can perpetually entrap a lost soul' or something like that. To me, that sounds like the Breidablik isn't an airtight container. The longer it goes without use, the more spirit ammunition it'll leak out. So, in that case, why not just have one huge twenty-four-hour summoning session? Well, there was another bit about how 'the Great Hero's lifeblood will be the catalyst the fuels the relic's power'. I won't know until I try, but I feel like that's a poetic way of saying it'll kill me to use it too many times in short succession."

Alfonse's brow furrowed as Kiran finished describing his conjecture. "In short, you must accompany us into battle and use the power gained from said battle to summon as quickly as possible."

Anna shared in his apprehension. "That's an awful lot of restrictions imposed on the relic's usage. I guess it was too much to hope it would allow us to field a legendary army so easily. Still, for what purpose is it so difficult to properly manifest the Breidablik's power?"

"Keep in mind, this is all just conjecture on my part. I think that's how it works, and we'll at least have the 'lifeblood' part confirmed shortly. We'll also get an idea of the exchange rate between fallen Emblians and summoning. Ideally, we get a ratio skewed in our favor, like two soldiers for every dead Emblian. Given how hamstrung every other aspect of the process seems to be, I don't think we'll be that lucky. At best, I'd say we can hope for a one-to-one correspondence."

Anna quickly did a tally of every soldier she'd fought with Kiran nearby. "Ignoring the very first one from before you summoned Virion, you were in the proximity of seven dying Emblian soldiers yesterday. So we're hoping to get at least seven more champions summoned?"

"Yeah, that's the best I'm aiming for. Assuming I don't keel over before we get that high of course."

His grim words got a concerned frown out of Sharena. "Don't push yourself too hard, Kiran. Like Alfonse said, we can take this one step at a time. Even if one summoning is all you can manage, that's one more Hero we didn't have before. So just focus on doing your best!"

Kiran gave her a dry chuckle in response. "Trust me Sharena, no one wants to keep me alive more than me. I'm hardly jumping at the chance to have my soul sucked out by a magic gun. If I think it's getting too risky, I'll pull the plug myself."

From the side, Virion let loose a bemused scoff. "Of all the oddities that surround you, I find your colorful expressions the most unusual. What exactly is a 'plug' and how does a record become broken?"

"He can explain all of that later tonight when we share stories about our worlds with the new heroes!" Sharena, damn her, clearly hadn't forgotten his promise. At least that meant his bathtub planning wouldn't go to waste.

With all his theorizing finished, they returned to the silence he'd broken earlier. Thankfully, it wasn't long before the shrine came into sight. Without having to constantly stop for introductions or roadside skirmishes, the trip from the castle only took about twenty minutes. As they came closer, Kiran realized he couldn't see any trace of the bloodshed that marked his arrival in Askr. Either Embla had reclaimed the bodies or the Askrans had disposed of them, but it made little difference in the end.

As he ascended the ancient stone steps, he turned to face his companions. "Alright, here's the plan: Virion said he heard me asking for help to kill the Emblians who attacked me. I was trying to attack one of them with the Breidablik, so my intent to see him dead must have translated to the summoning process somehow. I'm going to concentrate my thoughts to be about protecting all the worlds from Embla, which will hopefully make that the message the would-be recruits hear and respond to. Unless any of you has a better idea?"

They all pondered for a moment and shook their heads, with only Alfonse voicing his thoughts. "I think that will do nicely. Emphasizing Askr may cause them to think Embla is beneath their notice, when it most certainly isn't. As the spiritual and political representatives of Askr, Sharena and I have prepared an introduction once you finish greeting them."

Kiran nodded his assent. "Sounds good. One last word of warning: this was bright and loud last time, so prepare yourselves." The Askrans took up position behind Kiran's right side while Virion settled in behind his left.

All preparations now complete, Kiran rolled his shoulders, nervously swallowed, took aim with the Breidablik, and fired.

As he warned, the relic once again let loose a brilliant flash of light and a high-pitched drone that left his ears ringing. This time though, Kiran was ready for it and quickly reoriented himself in time to see the silhouette before him clarify into a young woman with a large blue ponytail and two braids framing her face. She wore a predominantly pink dress met by white thigh high boots at the top of her long legs. Of far greater interest was the white steed at her side, as it was gently flapping two downy wings from its flank.

How in the hell does a horse have wings?!

"Good day to you all! I am Tana, a pegasus knight and princess of the Kingdom of Frelia. I do hope that won't keep us from getting along with each other!"

Her jubilant greeting shook Kiran out of his stupor. "Oh, yeah, it's a pleasure to meet you Tana. My name is Kiran." He put on a friendly smile and extended his hand, which Tana happily took hold of. "Thank you for answering my plea on such short notice. You did voluntarily answer a request for help, right?"

Their handshake finished, Tana pulled her arm back. "Absolutely! I had completed my morning drills when I heard you implore for my aid repulsing an evil that seeks to subjugate innocents from all known realms. I simply couldn't sit by and allow such a prayer go unanswered. I affirmed my desire to assist in my heart, and a moment later found myself here."

Kiran nodded, relieved by her story. "That's good, I don't want to be forcefully drafting people into this."

"Well met, Princess Tana." The royal twins stepped up beside him, giving bows to accompany Alfonse's greeting. "I am Prince Alfonse, heir to the throne of Askr. This is my younger sister, Princess Sharena. You have our sincerest and deepest gratitude for lending your strength in our hour of need. I know you must be a tad bewildered at the moment, but rest assured all will be explained once Kiran has finished summoning."

"Don't worry, I don't mind having a bit of patience. Truth be told, I'm rather curious about how I was brought here to begin with. It seems as though I've travelled to another world!"

"That's exactly what happened, farfetched as that may sound." Kiran spoke to Tana, but his attention was fixed on her unusual mount. "If you're a pegasus knight, I, uh, suppose this must be the proverbial pegasus?"

"That he is! Cecil is the bravest, most reliable steed a girl could hope for!" She punctuated her praise by affectionately nuzzling his neck.

Sharena shared in her adoration, staring at 'Cecil' with stars in her eyes. "He's absolutely gorgeous! Our pegasus corps is practically nonexistent, so I've never had much occasion to see them up close."

Kiran could plainly see that he was the only one bewildered at the sight of a genuine pegasus, a fact the others soon picked up on. "Kiran, was it? There's no need to be so apprehensive. You're behaving as though you've never seen a pegasus before!"

That's exactly what it was, though Kiran had hoped to avoid admitting anything of the sort until the evening. Yet, if she was going to hit the nail on the head, there was no real sense in denying it just to give up the charade in a few hours. "Yeah, that'd be why I'm so baffled. Where I come from, pegasi don't exist outside of ancient myths and legends."

Now, everyone else was in stupefied disbelief, with Tana being the first to find her voice. "Surely you're making fun? Pegasi have been indispensable to many a kingdom as far back as we can remember. Princess Sharena even acknowledged their presence here a moment ago."

"Kiran isn't actually from Askr, and only just arrived yesterday. It's a pleasure to meet you princess; I'm Anna, Commander of Askran forces in the area." Like her lieges, Anna offered a polite bow. "As I was saying, Kiran was brought here-"

"Unwillingly, I might add..." Kiran ruefully grumbled

"-in an attempt to fulfill an Askran legend. We haven't had to chance to compare exact details but suffice to say his home is very different from yours or ours. We plan to get clearer pictures of each other's worlds over dinner."

By this point, Kiran felt they'd spent long enough making conversation with Tana. As nice as she was, he still had more summoning to do. "With that in mind, please make a mental note of any questions you have about Askr or any of us. We need to get this show on the road and get back to work."

"Before that-" Virion's interjection drew an impatient sigh from Kiran, "-how are you feeling? The Breidablik didn't take too heavy a toll did it?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean the 'lifeblood' thing. Well, I don't feel like my heart is about to explode. I summoned you no problem, so I didn't expect the first draw to have any adverse effects. For your reference, Tana, it's possible prolonged summoning might slowly kill me. So if I, uh, start coughing blood or something, don't panic."

She gave an uncertain nod, concern etched clear on her face, and took up position alongside Virion, Cecil dutifully trotting behind her. Once more, he raised the relic and squeezed the trigger.

This time, the light dimmed to reveal a green haired man in distinctly Eastern garb, a purple scarf billowing in the wind as two curved blades extended from his woven greaves. In contrast to Tana's jubilant disposition, he wore a stoic expression with an equally neutral stance to match.

"I am Kaze, a ninja sworn to serve the Hoshidian royal family. I have heard your call and will offer my assistance." His sober tone nearly matched the aloof image he presented, save for the undercurrent of warmth in his words.

"Pleasure to meet you Kaze, I'm Kiran." He repeated the motions he'd gone through with Tana, this time happy to get someone with an occupation he recognized. "So, a ninja, huh? I take it we'll be able to rely on you for espionage and infiltration and things like that?"

Kaze gave a curt nod. "Indeed. I am reassured that you already have a grasp of my capabilities. I am a master of stealth and do my best work from the shadows."

The royal duo once again came up to offer their stock introduction, leaving him free for inquisition by Anna. "So you mean to tell us you've never seen a pegasus and yet know perfectly well what a 'ninja' is? Because by all accounts, the former is far more common than the latter."

"The difference, Anna, is that there's nothing fantastic or magical about a ninja; it's just a guy with knives who knows how to be sneaky. You might as well wonder why I know what thieves and assassins are. And before you ask, I still feel fine, so don't worry."

Alfonse finished explaining the situation (or rather explaining that he would explain the situation) to Kaze, who ambled over next to Tana. This time, there were no fantasy creatures to waste time gawking at, so Kiran aimed and fired a third time.

As their vision cleared, they all saw a woman with long ebony hair clad in a purple tunic with armor interspersed in appropriate locations, like an aptly named breast plate and knee length greaves. Her limbs were all draped in ivory cloth, the arms covered in near shoulder length gloves and her legs adorned in thigh high stockings. Resting across her back was a scabbard filled by a blade notably scarred by battle, dried blood clearly visible on its faded hilt.

"I am Princess Ayra of Isaach and a descendent of the crusader Od." She spoke with a deliberate bluntness, her breath not wasted on pointless pleasantries.

Kiran began to step forward to exchange his own greeting when a sudden spike of agony in his skull caused him to abruptly stop. An instant later, his vision went dark and he could feel himself losing balance. A startling difficulty in breathing only allowed him to let loose a single gasp of pain as he clutched his head and clenched his eyes while he desperately tried to keep from collapsing.

He could barely make out the indistinguishable cries of "Kiran!" before feeling a couple pairs of hands steadying him on both sides. A few moments passed before the cranial torment subsided to a dull throb and his breathing returned to normal, his vision quickly clarifying in turn.

Ahead of him, he could see Ayra watching with stunned silence, her expression torn between concern and bewilderment. At his right, he shifted his eyes to find Sharena clutching him with eyes widened by panicked horror. On the left, Kaze supported him with professional restraint, though his gaze betrayed the fear he felt.

No longer in danger of passing out, Kiran began to find his voice again. "I…I think I'm okay now."

Sharena's response was as trepidatious as it was quick. "Okay?! You would have collapsed if we hadn't helped! If this is what you thought might happen, you should have spoken up before we left the castle so we could have brought vulneraries or a healer!"

"I only thought something might happen, and now we know for sure there's danger in using the Breidablik." A residual ache caused him to slightly wince. "Ugh, you ever stand up too fast and get tunnel vision? It was like that, but ten times worse." He raised his head to meet Ayra's cautions look. "It's Ayra, right? Sorry that had to be the first thing you saw after getting here."

Kaze and Sharena reluctantly released their grip on Kiran, who stumbled slightly before firmly planting his feet. The object of his address softened her eyes, though they hadn't lost a hint of their steel. "Don't apologize. It sounds like you were expecting some kind of incident and it happened to strike at my arrival. You're Kiran, I take it?"

"Yeah, that's me. I don't want to seem like I'm blowing you off, but could you take your questions to Alfonse, the guy with the blonde tipped blue hair? I need a couple minutes."

"Of course." She strode towards Alfonse, who spared Kiran one last glance before turning to meet the warrior princess.

Now that the incident had passed, the other summoned troops did their own checkups on Kiran.

"Goodness, I've never seen anyone start to fall apart like that. Are you truly sure you'll be alright?" Tana worryingly asked.

"I'm pretty sure the worst is over. I've just got a dull, fading headache. Honestly, I'm more worried about what the next bout will be like."

"No!" Sharena voiced her dissent. "You're not going to find out because we're done for the day! Three heroes are plenty to start with; we agreed seven was an unrealistic ideal, so don't push yourself anymore!"

"We can't stop now, it's too soon." Kiran unexpectedly insisted. "That episode only happened at the third summon, fourth if you count Virion's. Maybe it only comes in intervals, and I won't get something similar until the sixth summon at the earliest? Maybe it starts doing that every summoning after I cross some threshold? We still don't know enough, and we won't know unless I keep going."

"If nothing else, you have determination." Ayra had finished her talk with Alfonse and Anna and provided her observation as she approached. "I for one doubt it'll kill you to do one more at least. You can't let fear hold you back."

"I am, somewhat reluctantly, of similar opinion." Kaze quietly assented. "A lethal escalation is unlikely, and I don't think Kiran would be very eager to gamble his life if he did not think the odds were in his favor."

The others in the group were clearly uncomfortable, but the token support of Kiran's decision was enough to hold their tongues. Kiran gave one last attempt to calm their nerves. "If something happens on the next one, then I'm definitely done. Trust me guys, I'm not happy to be a human guinea pig either, but nothing ventured means nothing gained."

Though the air was still thick with apprehension, Kiran steadied himself once more and fired the Breidablik. The noise and light soon subsided to reveal-

"JESUS CHRIST!"

Kiran's terrified outburst wasn't shared by the others, who stared at the new sight with interest at worst, adoration at best. A great black beast, easily several feet taller than any among them, stood on the dais. Hardened scales ran along its bulky body, stopping only to make way for lethally sharp claws and overbearing, translucent wings.

Fuck, if I'd known a dragon would pop out, I'd have stopped when Sharena said to!

Kiran was so caught up in his panicked terror he didn't notice the figure sitting atop the back of the 'dragon'. Said figure soon leaned over his steed's neck, revealing him to eyepatched man with slicked back brown hair and armor as ebony as his draconic mount.

"Hey, you mind keeping it down over there? How's a guy supposed to get some shut eye when people are so loud all the time?"

The voice snapped Kiran back into the moment, for how little it helped calm him down. "What?! Hold the fucking phone, are you riding that thing?! Who the hell are you?!"

The stranger gave a tired yawn, his good eye drooping accordingly. "The name's Haar. It might be hard to believe, but I make deliveries for a living. My partner's usually the one who takes questions, but I guess I'll have to make do."

Before he could launch into another expletive laced rant, Kiran felt someone gently rest their hand on his shoulder. Still on edge, he instantly wheeled around to see it was Tana.

"Relax Kiran, it's only a wyvern and his rider." She placatively assured him. "I take it wyverns are just as nonexistent as pegasi in your world?"

"'Only a wyvern'?! That thing looks like it should have gone extinct three hundred million years ago! How the hell do you people sleep at night knowing monsters like that are roaming the skies?"

"Could you stop freaking out already?" Haar didn't sound very amused by Kiran's disparagement of his companion. "My ears are ringing from all your shouting. For your information, wild wyverns are pretty rare, and the ones raised in captivity are loyal and well behaved."

Kiran, still unable to fully believe his eyes, could only half-heartedly sputter a few nascent thoughts before hanging and shaking his head in an effort to get his bearings. In the background, he could distinctly hear someone quietly asking what a 'phone' was.

"Okay…okay. What you ride doesn't matter. What I want to know is why you sound so bored. You came here intending to fight, right? I didn't screw up and send the wrong message, did I?"

Haar dismissively waved his hand. "Nah, I heard you loud and clear. Some empire is trying to take what isn't theirs from everyone around. It'd be bad for my business and quiet lifestyle to get uprooted by some overly ambitious tin tyrant, so I figured I'd be proactive for once and put in the work now rather than later."

'The one-eyed postman who rides a flying lizard didn't want to lose his job' had to be stupidest reason to volunteer for war he was ever going to hear. Whatever, that overgrown fossil can probably do a lot of damage, so who the hell cares why he's here as long as he fights.

"Sir Haar, could I request you dismount to better facilitate our introductions?" There went Alfonse, proper and polite as usual. Haar, somewhat surprisingly, nodded in agreement and began climbing down from his lofty perch. He proved no spryer on the ground, lazily ambling over to Alfonse and the other Askrans, his wyvern in equally slow pursuit.

"I must admit, he cuts quite a different picture than the wyvern rider I am personally acquainted with." Virion dryly noted. "Darling Cherche was the epitome of duty and grace, qualities I find lacking in our cyclopean friend."

"Don't be deceived by appearances." Ayra sternly chewed Virion out. "Wyverns respect strength and will, and a man doesn't last to his age on one by being indolent. I'll bet he's lethally effective with that axe in the saddle."

"For all our sakes, let's hope Ayra's assessment is spot on. I sure as hell wouldn't want to fight one of those things, even if he barely knew what he was doing." Kiran didn't really want to fight anybody, but black bootleg dragons were at the top of that list.

Only a few moments passed before Haar and the Askran trio rejoined the group. Kiran briefly worried that the wyvern might try and eat Cecil, but it seemed to be as well behaved as Haar had claimed. "For the record, the lack of any painful blackouts on Haar's pull means the Breidablik almost certainly takes its toll in regular intervals. So I've got at least one more safe summon, maybe more if it's kept Virion in the tally."

"How will we know for sure if you can safely attempt a sixth summon?" Anna cautiously asked.

"We won't. But that's a 'ten minutes from now' problem, so let's just focus on the here and now." For the fifth time, Kiran discharged the Breidablik straight ahead.

Before them materialized a green haired girl in a blue vest, white skirt and fluttering purple cape. She wore a beaming smile even more brilliant than Tana's or Sharena's, her teal blue eyes wide with excitement.

"Hi, I'm Nino! I used to be with the Black Fang, but these days I'm just a regular ol' mage."

Kiran did not share in her enthusiasm. "Uh, how old are you?" Everyone so far had looked seventeen at the youngest, and he'd be damned if he let a minor sign up to go to war.

"I'm fourteen years old!" Her exuberance slightly dimmed, her smile becoming more nervous than excited. "That isn't, um, bad, is it?"

Yeah, I'm afraid that's a no-go. Sorry Nino.

Before Kiran could voice his rejection, Alfonse stepped forward to deliver the opposite message. "Not at all. You have our sincerest thanks for choosing to appear in this dire time." Alfonse's gratitude brightened Nino back up and only further soured Kiran's mood.

"Now wait just a minute!" All eyes focused on the disagreeable summoner. "There is no way I'm letting a fourteen-year-old girl tag along with us into combat! I know Askr is in dire straits, but surely you're not so desperate that you'd resort to using child soldiers?"

Instead of the shame or guilt he expected to see, the others looked more confused than anything else. "I agree she may be lacking in raw experience," Alfonse acquiesced, "but she's hardly a child. I was no older than her when I first began accompanying the Royal Knights to dispose of bandits."

"She's at a perfectly normal age to begin military service." Ayra pitched in. "Any woman old enough to bear children is old enough to fight for them."

"Don't worry, mister, I've fought a bunch of people!" Nino, with somewhat disturbing nonchalance, spoke up. "The Black Fang who raised me were a group of assassins. I learned lots of stuff from them growing up, so you can count on me to do my part!"

Nino's attempt at assurance only ended up discomforting her supporters. "Nino, are you implying you've killed people for years now?" Tana nervously inquired.

"Yeah, since I was ten. That's when moth-" Nino's face briefly flashed with fear before she could finish the word, "I-I mean Sonia decided I was old enough to start taking on work. It isn't very fun, and I don't really like hurting people, but I guess I'm pretty good at it." The more she talked the more somber she became. "I don't hurt people for the Black Fang anymore, and I know they did a lot of bad things, but…they were the only family I ever knew, and I can't help but miss them."

Innocent children are always being used and exploited, no matter what world they're in… Kiran bitterly thought.

The whole altar was now in a decidedly solemn mood, everyone having been moved by Nino's story. Kiran's vehement insistence on rejecting Nino had been based in protecting innocence she had clearly lost years ago. The girl might've put on a happy face when she first appeared, but only a few minutes of speaking about her 'family' had given a glimpse at scars that doubtless ran deeper than they appeared. There was also an undeniable pragmaticism in having a seasoned assassin in the team to compliment Kaze, however young and troubled she was.

"Nino?" Kiran softly called out, kneeled to meet her eye level. "My name is Kiran, and I'm sorry I said you shouldn't be here. In light of your…skillset and history, there's no reason to turn you away. Especially after you selflessly chose to join us with only my word it was a just cause. You answered my call so you could help people, right?"

Kiran's words brought Nino out of her funk and back into her old, chipper self. "That's right! I want to make sure everyone's free and safe to live in peace. I promise, you can count on me to help make that happen, Mr. Kiran!"

"Just Kiran is fine, no need to be formal." He gently corrected. "Alfonse and Sharena here can fill in some of the gaps for you. I've got to get ready for the next summon while they get you up to speed."

"Okay!" She walked off to speak with the siblings on the side. With her attention off him, Kiran let the grief he felt for her show on his face. He was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't hear Kaze come up behind him.

"I am well versed in the kind of work she was made to do. For a girl of her age to do her best to remain optimistic and happy in spite of what she must have seen…it is as inspiring as it is tragic."

"Let's just hope we don't end up doing anything to jeopardize it." Kiran remarked, an ominous weight behind his words.

"Did you notice the way she described this 'Black Fang'?" Virion chimed in. "She said they raised her, but there was a clear distantness in the way she spoke. As though she was reluctant to truly call herself a member of the group."

"She was probably adopted by one of the members." Haar weighed his thoughts, his earlier sloth abandoned in light of Nino's disturbing history. "It's possible her birth family was a job, and the assassins responsible either took pity or saw potential for her use as a weapon. Either way, she would have been too young to remember it; she said the Black Fang was all she ever knew."

Kiran sadly shook his head. "Speculating about her past is pointless. She might not even know for sure what happened, and if she does, we'll only learn if she wants to share. She has a right to be private about things like that."

That decisively ended the conversation, and they didn't wait long before Nino came skipping up with the Askrans behind her. "Well Kiran, it's been ten minutes." Anna didn't waste any time calling him out. "I'd like to stress that there's no need for you to attempt a potentially hazardous sixth summon. We're already in a much better spot than we were this morning thanks to you."

"Not yet, there's still too many unanswered questions." Kiran's response was punctuated with a defiant shake of his head. "This next few will give me all the data I need. We still don't know if the Breidablik refreshes the proverbial cache after a period of time, and until I exhaust the available summons, we won't know the ratio of dead Emblians to summoned warriors." He turned to look at the Askrans directly. "I know it's dangerous, but we need every advantage we can get right now, be it foreign fighters or intel. Like Kaze said, any blowback is highly unlikely to end with me dying. I imagine the worst that'll realistically happen is I pass out and you have to lug me back to the castle."

The three were clearly conflicted about Kiran's decision to go ahead, but none voiced any objections. "Trusting in your judgement has only benefitted us so far, so I will choose to place my faith in you once more." Alfonse's lips curved ever so slightly into a trusting smile.

"Thanks, I appreciate that. Just be ready to catch me if I lose my footing." Kiran's instructions were delivered in a teasing tone, despite their grim nature. Though the shaking of his hand as he clutched the Breidablik betrayed how frayed his nerves really were. For all his bravado and rationalization, Kiran was just as scared as the others of what might happen when he next pulled the trigger. As he tried to calm his breathing and steady his racing heart, Kiran raised the Breidablik, pausing for only an instant before firing.

Before them appeared a mounted knight in sapphire blue armor with a blonde head of hair. Despite the large lance he held in his right hand, his posture was relaxed and welcoming. "Good tidings, gallant warriors. I am Clive, a noble who seeks to use the strength I have been born into to ensure peace across the land." Kiran, though he heard the introduction, was too busy anticipating another spike of pain to really pay attention.

…Looks like it's nothing. He thought as the seconds passed without incident. Then I can do one more saf-

His train of thought chaotically flew from the tracks when his head once again exploded in a burst of anguish. The cranial agony was several orders of magnitude greater than when he had summoned Ayra, and was this time accompanied by a suffocating tightness in his chest. Within an instant, he was vaguely aware of his legs collapsing underneath him as he plummeted to the ground.

As before, his breathing had stifled to the point that panicked, choked gasps were all he could manage. His hearing had instantly decayed into a dull ringing that left him unable to hear his comrades doubtless horrified reactions. If he was being supported by anyone behind him, he couldn't feel it – in fact, he found to his horror that he was unable to feel anything. His attempts to steady himself proved to be for naught when his numb arms refused to respond to his commands. Every nerve cried out in protest as his body continued to shut down for reasons it didn't understand.

Finally, when he was certain his chest would burst from the unseen pressure and the darkness would persist forever, air began to flow more smoothly through his lungs, and he perceived a haze of light beyond his barely lidded eyes. As his breathing regulated, it protested some obstruction in his throat with a series of violent, hacking coughs. He was dimly cognizant of the garnet palette that now painted his muddled view of the ground.

"-ir-!" Someone distantly called out to him, a barely perceptible noise the permeated the thick fog surrounding his senses. "K-an!" The voice cried again, slightly clearer than before. Also clearer was the coppery taste in his mouth and sensation of several arms clutching his chest in support. He weakly blinked, clarifying his blurred vision, and was comforted when his fingers curled when he willed them to.

"Kiran!" Slowly, he turned his head right, once again finding himself in Sharena's desperate clutches. "By the Gods, Kiran, please say something!" Of course, she wanted him to speak, let her know he'd be okay. He searched for his feeble voice, trying as hard as he could to give sound to his jumbled thoughts.

"Wh-" Another fit of metallic tasting coughs interrupted his frail words. Once they passed, he tried again. "Wh…what happened?"

"You collapsed and started spasming and hacking up blood." That wasn't Sharena; her lips hadn't moved, and the voice came from his other side. He lamely dragged his head one-hundred-eighty degrees to see who it was.

"H…Haar?" He had Kiran's left arm draped over his shoulders in assistance.

"Take it easy now. Come on, let's get you propped up on something solid. Be careful with him princess." They pulled him off the ground, leaving his legs dangling while he was carried over to a nearby pillar. Gently, they set him on the ground with his back propped up against the ancient stone.

"Don't move a muscle Kiran; just stay still and try to get comfortable. Is there anything we can do for you?" Sharena, always eager to please, did her best to pacify him, though the quivering in her voice somewhat diminished the effect.

"Here Kiran, I brought a canteen from the castle. Don't drink too hastily." Alfonse kneeled at his side, unscrewing the cap on his burlap container. As he gently lifted the lid for Kiran to drink from, he could see Anna and Virion explaining what had just happened to Clive, the three of them periodically shooting worried looks in his direction. The cool water soothed his throat, sore from his vicious coughing, and quickly brought color back to his complexion.

By now, his senses had largely returned to their normal functions. He still felt weak and drained, however, and likely would for some time. A cursory test of his nose resulted in a congested sniffle. Glancing down, he saw a scarlet stream running from both nostrils, their entrances stained with fresh blood.

When he spoke again, the words came with far less strain. "God damnit…I can't tell if I was having a heart attack or a brain aneurysm. What you described almost sounded like a stroke…"

"Whatever affliction struck you, you have deepest apologies." Kaze had made his way to Kiran and was now kneeling on the ground before him. "It was with my encouragement that you decided to place yourself at risk and endure such awful torture. I take full responsibility for the state you've been put in."

"Pull yourself up ninja, you've no blame in this." Ayra chided, the others following behind her. "You were only parroting my encouragement." She turned to address Kiran directly. "I won't act like any part of that was pleasant to go through, but I still hold that you made the correct decision. You're not dead and we've another ally, just as planned. Your blood has been spilled for the sake of defeating Askr's enemies, so I'll make sure that blood is repaid in full on the battlefield."

Before he had a chance to offer a response, Sharena sprung to her feet, indignant fury in her eyes. "How dare you?! A single cavalier could never be worth what he just suffered! He may not be dead, but he came far closer than anyone 'planned'!"

Alfonse quickly tried to placate his irate sister. "Sharena, calm yourself! I share your distress, but it will do us no good to provoke our new allies!"

Ayra wasn't particularly intimidated by Sharena's outburst, fixing the princess with a critical glare. "Your war will never be won without sacrifice. You ought to be grateful you've gotten this much with no lasting damage to Kiran. If Askr's princess is this naïve, I fear for the future of this country."

Her provocative words only stoked Sharena's fire, her eyes narrowing to slits and her voice grinding out through clenched teeth. "Listen here, you cruel, heartless –"

"Both of you, shut up!" Kiran lambasted the belligerent pair while cradling his head in his right hand. "Make my migraine worse, why don't you? Sharena, Ayra's right that no pain means no gain and things will probably get worse before they get better."

Kiran's apparent agreement put a glint of pride in Ayra's eyes, and she looked ready to continue critiquing Sharena when Kiran kept going. "However, I'm also in agreement that that fucking sucked and I'm never going to do it again. After that, I've got no doubt that the ninth summoning would kill me, and the sixth comes way too close for comfort. I don't care how selfish it is, I refuse to give myself a stroke every summoning so you can get three more soldiers."

"However crudely put, I wholeheartedly agree." Spoke an unfamiliar voice. All heads turned to Clive, who had come over to talk with Kiran. "Discretion is the better part of valor my friend, and you have more than demonstrated your valor this day. You have willingly placed yourself in jeopardy even against the protests of those you did it in service to. I doubt any here will think less of you for refraining from such peril in the future."

"Of course not!" Affirmed Tana. "It was scary enough when you nearly collapsed after summoning Princess Ayra. I'm glad to hear that awful experience will not repeat itself."

"Believe me, I'm the happiest to know that was a one-time deal." Kiran dryly remarked. "Didn't you say your name was Clive? Sorry you had to get so freaked out right after showing up. Thanks for the words of encouragement, but please don't have too high an opinion of me until we get to know each other better." The last think I need is for Anna's hero worship to spread.

"There's no need for apologies. If anything, I should be the one begging pardon for not doing more to help. I will make amends by doing my utmost to answer your call and repel the evil that threatens this land."

"Glad to know you're still on board. With that, I think it's about time to wrap this up. Could someone help get me on my feet? By my count, we probably have one summoning left."

Alfonse grasped Kiran's hand and pulled as Kiran finally put his legs back to work. He was still unsure on his feet and had to rest his hand on the prince's shoulder to keep himself steady. Together, they hobbled back over to the center of the shrine where the Breidablik was still resting on the ground. Before Kiran could reach down to grab it, Nino scrambled over and scooped it up, offering it to him with an eager smile. He took it, returning a grateful grin of his own.

"Thanks for being considerate Nino. Here's to hoping this will be worth the trouble I've gone through." For what was most likely the final time that day, Kiran raised the Breidablik towards the stone altar. His weakened state made it more difficult to lift his arm, but within a few seconds he was shakily pointing the relic straight ahead. His aim steadied, Kiran pulled the trigger.

The light dimmed to unveil a small, red-headed girl in a fairly plain white dress. She wore a gold hairband and equally gilded belt, with a modest necklace dangling from her neck. Upon fully materializing, she clutched the sides of her dress and did a proper curtsy.

"Hi, I'm Maria! I'm a real princess of Macedon, just like my big sister Minerva! I promise to do my best to help everyone, so let me stay close by to be as useful as possible."

Kiran blankly stared at the wide-eyed girl, unable to believe he'd gotten another one. You've got to be kidding me… Glancing around, he could tell the others shared in his dismay. They were willing to accept Nino even before learning her past, but Maria was obviously even younger than she was. Like him, they were probably hoping for great warrior to end the session instead of a frail little girl.

Quietly sighing to himself, Kiran began to question Maria the same way he'd done with Nino. "It's nice to meet you, Maria. My name is Kiran. I'm sorry, but I have to ask: how old are you?" If Nino was only fourteen, he was pretty sure that Maria couldn't be any older than twelve.

"I think I turned eleven last month. It's kind of hard to keep track of time in the Castle Deil dungeons." She quickly realized the reason for his question and began stubbornly frowning. "Don't say I'm too young to help you! I've been a helpless burden to Macedon for so long, and your call was the first chance I've ever had to really help someone. I'm going to fight with you! No protesting!"

It was quite an impassioned speech, but everyone was more focused on what she'd said after revealing her age. "Beg pardon, princess, but did you say you were being locked up in a dungeon?" Alfonse uneasily asked.

"That's right." She nodded. "They moved me there from my room in the castle a few months ago. I was there because my big brother Michalis said it would let Dolhr and Macedon be allies. I believed him at first, but now I know he was only doing it to get Minerva to listen to him. Even though siblings are supposed to get along, they've never liked each other." As with Nino, pouring her heart out only served to reveal the cracks beneath her happy exterior, her eyes glistening with tears as she stared despondently at the ground. "I haven't seen either of them in so long…I know they're busy fighting in the war, but I just want us to be a family again, even if only for one day!"

Kiran and Alfonse exchanged an uneasy glance, sharing an unspoken message between them:

There's no way we can send her back, but how can we justify letting her stay?

"Maria," He softly called out, with her head raising in response, "I appreciate you coming here, really, but how are you supposed to help us? It's no more peaceful here than in your home, and the things we'll do aren't suited for a girl who's spent who knows how long locked away."

Her face lit up at the thought of finding a way to contribute. "Don't worry, Sir Kiran!" Sir, huh? That's new. "I may be a few years out of practice, but I've spent time learning how to use a healing staff. I can heal everyone's wounds so you can keep fighting," her lips curled into a confident smirk, "but only if you let me come with you to do it!"

Kiran, for his part, had no idea what the hell a 'healing staff' was, and wasn't too thrilled at the thought of letting a barely pubescent girl be their medic. "I hope all that means something to one of you." He addressed the small crowd behind him.

Kaze was the first to step forward and answer him. "Indeed. It is actually fairly common for the youngest in a royal lineage to pursue clerical magic to support their more combative older siblings. In that sense, Princess Maria is not so unorthodox. As a matter of fact, the youngest of the Hoshidian dynasty, Princess Sakura, spent her youth training with curative festals."

"A similar situation developed in Ylisse's royal family." Virion added his two cents. "Princess Lissa became a cleric to compliment Prince Chrom's study of the blade. Of course," he fixed Maria with a critical eye, "Princess Lissa was of fifteen years when she began to accompany the Shepherds on missions; a far cry from your eleven."

Virion's challenging words brought back Maria's stubborn side, and she once again began obstinately pouting. "I'm plenty old enough to help! I'm sick of sitting around and doing nothing while Minerva and Michalis fight for Macedon! How am I supposed to change that when nobody will give me a chance to be strong?"

"I think I might have a compromise." Anna stepped forward to join Kiran and Alfonse. "We have a group of clerics back at the castle who tend to injured soldiers. Why don't we have Maria start by helping them? That way, she can contribute to the war effort and make up for the experience she lost during her…captivity." Her proposition ended on a disquiet note; Anna wasn't eager to speak of Maria's recent history.

Maria, surprisingly, didn't back down at all. "That isn't good enough! What if one of you gets hurt in a fight and needs to be healed right away? I can't just sit safe in a castle while everyone risks their lives!"

"Maria," Kiran called her name again, this time with a stern edge to his voice, "you yourself admitted that you're out of practice. What if one of us needs healing and you can't pull it off because you're rusty? What if someone get injured trying a risky move under the assumption you'll heal them, and then you can't do it? Fighting with a healer who can't do their job can be more dangerous than fighting with no healer at all."

Maria's tenacity increasingly withered as Kiran outlined what could happen if they gave into her wishes. Though there was still a spark of resistance in her, she soon slumped her shoulders in defeat. Sharena, ever the gentle soul, came over to comfort the strong-willed princess.

"From one princess to another, I know it hurts not being able to do all you can to help, but it'd hurt much more to let down people who are counting on you. I bet that in no time at all, you'll be waving healing staves around like you never stopped, and then you can show us what you're really made of!"

Sharena's speech did the trick and put a smile back on Maria's face. "Yeah, I'll be strong like Minerva in no time! Thank you, Princess…" She eagerly nodded her agreement, only to falter when she realized she didn't know to whom she was speaking.

"Oh, my name is Sharena! Princess Sharena of Askr, at your service."

"Thank you Princess Sharena!" She displayed her gratitude with a quick hug around the blonde's waist, which was happily returned.

Their embrace was watched with relaxed delight, everyone happy for a moment of levity after Kiran's near-death experience and Maria's tragic story. They were apart after but a moment, and Sharena took Maria to join the others waiting by the stairs.

"Now there's only one test left to conduct." Kiran announced, aiming the Breidablik yet again. He squeezed the trigger…and received only a dull click in response. Alfonse curiously glanced at the relic, which continued to do nothing but mimic the sound of a handgun with an empty magazine. Kiran, satisfied it was spent, lamely shrugged and let his arm fall back to his side. Still gripping Alfonse for support, he turned around to address the group assembled at the shrine.

"I'd say that means we're done here. Time to head back to the castle and get you guys filled in on what exactly is going on here and why you should care." Relief bloomed on everybody's faces, happy to finally be leaving the ruins and on their way out of the summer heat. Though they were too polite to say so out loud, Kaze and Tana especially were growing impatient.

"It's about a half hour walk back, and in this heat, it'll probably feel longer than that, so could Tana and Clive give Nino and Maria a lift?" Immediately after making the suggestion, he realized he couldn't see Tana's pegasus anywhere. "Uh, Tana, what happened to Cecil?"

"Oh dear, I know I had him resting at the top of the steps…" She spent a few moments searching around for the ivory steed, letting out a triumphant sound after peeking behind Haar's wyvern. "Just what do you think you're doing hiding back there? Come now, there's no need to be nervous." She returned holding Cecil's reigns, the winged horse dutifully trotting behind her.

The moment he became visible, Nino gave an amazed gasp, her mouth hanging and eyes wide. "Wow, is that really a pegasus?!" She wasted no time running up to Tana and her mount, clearly starstruck by the sight. "I've never actually seen one before! Hey, can I…you know…pet it?"

"Of course! He's wonderful with strangers, I assure you."

Nino carefully extended her hand into Cecil's well-groomed pelt, her wonderment clear for all to see. As Tana promised, her pegasus gave no sign of discontent, instead leaning into Nino's caresses.

"I guess that means Nino is riding with Tana. In that case, could Clive take Maria?" offered Kiran.

"Um, actually," Maria spoke up with her hand raised, "could I go on the wyvern? Both Michalis and Minerva ride one, and I was always too young to ride with them when…when we still had the chance."

"Sure thing, kid." Haar quickly agreed with a lazy smile. "There's plenty of room for you in the saddle."

"Uh, is that safe?" Kiran nervously inquired. He didn't want the poor girl to fall off or get eaten by Haar's monstrous lizard.

"It's not like I'm taking her up into the clouds. We'll keep our feet on the ground, and I'll make sure she stays topside." Haar assured him. That was all the guarantee Maria needed, and she was soon being helped onto the beast by Haar. Nino had likewise finished gushing over the pegasus and was now sitting in front of Tana on its back.

"It is most fortuitous that the extra space on my steed has gone unoccupied, given that the alternative would be for you to hobble back on your unsteady feet." Clive came up to Kiran, having remounted during their allocation of the children. "Your altruism in putting the youth above yourself has not gone unnoticed, but you would do well to keep cognizant of your own health. Prince Alfonse, could you assist me in getting him up here?"

"Wait, n-no that's fine, I don't want to ride on him." Kiran put up his free hand in a defensive gesture. He wasn't very eager to ride the notoriously rough mode of transport or foolishly slide off the saddle. "I'm totally recovered now! Watch, I can walk perfectly fine." He loosed his grip on Alfonse's shoulder and took a few tentative steps before a wave of dizziness passed caused him to falter. Fortunately, Alfonse caught him before he could get another mouthful of gravel. "God damnit!" He frustratedly cursed under his breath.

"Kiran, stop being stubborn and just get on the horse." Anna exasperatedly called out. "If you try to walk back like that, you'll slow the journey down to an hour at least. Do you really want to hold everyone up like that?"

He made a protesting grumble before giving his disgruntled acquiescence. With Alfonse supporting him from below and Clive gripping his hand from above, he was unceremoniously dragged on top of the equine. He swung his leg around to rest in the saddle behind Clive, who glanced back with an amused look on his face.

"Alright, I'm on, can Alfonse start with the exposition already?" He pointedly looked away from everyone, flush with embarrassment at his disgraceful mounting.

"I think that's a fine suggestion." Alfonse teasingly responded. "I'll explain as we move. Please, feel free to interject at any time with whatever questions you have."

Alfonse recounted the same absurd story he'd told Kiran, and everyone had largely the same questions he'd had. The prince also recounted the prior day's event and was thankfully objective in his description of Kiran's contributions. The group had also taken the time to get acquainted with each other's names and stations. By the end of the tale, everyone was visibly tenser now that they understood the weight of what was at stake.

"So, you're the 'Great Hero', huh?" Haar called back to him, mild disbelief clearly audible.

Kiran rolled his eyes. "Oh God, do not start with that. I get it enough from the Askrans. In case it isn't obvious, I'm just as clueless as the rest of you."

"I think it's amazing!" Maria extolled, peeking out from in front of Haar. "A noble kingdom in a last stand against an evil empire that is saved from certain defeat by a mythical hero of legend. It's just like the fairy tales Minerva used to read me!"

"Unfortunately, fiction is always more glamorous than reality." Ayra chided her. "He can summon warriors like us, and even put himself at risk to do it, but that alone doesn't make him a hero nor will it save Askr."

"Come now, aren't you being rather cynical about this?" Tana rebuked. "I agree we're in quite a precarious state right now, but that simply means things can only start improving. Why, look at what's been conjured out of a couple small skirmishes! A single true battle shall provide Kiran the means to give Askr all the momentum it needs."

"Yeah, about that." Kiran interrupted the discourse. "Based on what Askr's legend says, and I interpreted every other part more or less correctly, the relic here won't retain the means to summon for very long. It's got to be done, like, right after a battle or else we won't get much out of it."

"Do you have any idea for how soon you will lose the chance to summon?" inquired Kaze.

"Any rate I throw out would just be conjecture but given how completely inconvenient every other part of summoning is…I'd put my money on an exponential decay."

Everyone's faces scrunched up in varying degrees of confusion, with Virion being the first to voice his perplexion. "So sorry, you'd wager on a what now?"

"You know, when whatever number you've got goes down really quickly in a short period of time before levelling off." That clearly did nothing to clarify for them, so he tried a different approach. "Okay, uh, say that the day after a battle the Breidablik has thirty-two summons ready to go. I don't use any, and then the next day it only has sixteen. The next day it'll have eight, then four, then two, and so on. It lost twenty-four summons in the first two days and only three in the last two."

"Ohhhh, I get it!" declared Nino, surprisingly. "Since you can only get five in a day, even a really big battle with hundreds of soldiers would run out before you got much out of it. And you might lose them even faster than how you just said."

"Look at the quick wit on Nino. That's pretty much my point in a nutshell. Of course, my example had the summon count go down by a factor of one-half each day; this stupid relic is so pointlessly unwieldy to use I'd bet we get a decay factor of one-tenth or something useless like that."

Alfonse shook his head. "Regardless, all of this is merely guesswork; let's not dishearten ourselves with idle speculation."

That put an end to further talk of the Breidablik, so Ayra took the chance to get another question answered. "I still don't understand what Embla thinks will happen when they open these gateways. Do they truly believe my people will simply submit to their rule without a fight?"

"Perhaps I was unclear." Alfonse grimly began. "Veronica's power of 'control' will totally subjugate the inhabitants of any world she enters. Fighting back will not be an option; you and your people will yield to Embla without a single spark of resistance."

The vision of her homeland bowing to Embla undoubtedly unnerved Ayra, who narrowed her eyes and clenched her fist in anger.

Sucks, doesn't it? thought Kiran. God knows I wouldn't still be here if we could fight back. I'd just wait for Embla to kick the proverbial hornet's nest and then watch the fireworks.

"The urgency of our mission is becoming readily apparent." Clive remarked. "Pray tell, what is our course of action from here?"

"Kiran wants us to have a strategy meeting with everyone's input to decide that." Sharena answered. "I think he's just being modest; the legend says the Great Hero will use his alien wisdom to deliver Askr from crisis, and Kiran's already won us a couple battles with his quick wit! He makes for a perfect tactician!"

"Sharena…" Kiran menacingly growled out.

"Well it's true!" she defiantly rebutted.

"I'm not so sure about that." Haar cut in. "Don't really feel comfortable putting my life in the hands of someone who's never fought a day in his life."

"Of course the thought makes you uneasy; only a fool trusts their fate to an unproven stranger." Ayra harshly commented.

"Always with the pessimism, Princess Ayra." Clive admonished her with a shake of his head. "I was serving in a resistance myself before coming here, known as the Deliverance. Our rebellion seemed to be nearing its end when a young man hailing from a distant village, Alm, suddenly joined our ranks. Despite coming from nowhere and knowing nothing of war, his command has quickly earned our cause many victories. I daresay we are close to casting the treacherous Baron Desaix from Castle Zofia. My point is that station or experience may not always be the best indicators of leadership."

"I wholeheartedly agree!" Tana concurred. "Has Kiran not already shown his strength of character by choosing to risk his life alongside us? I for one don't mind putting my faith in one of proven virtue."

"Yeah, it's like in the stories!" Maria threw her lot in with Tana and Clive. "Good always finds a way to triumph over evil! We've just got to believe in each other, and the rest will work itself out."

"I don't know…" Nino hesitantly started. "In the Black Fang, the Four Fangs were the ones who planned the assassinations the rest of us carried out. They thought a lot about what to do, and their plans always worked because they'd been doing stuff like that for so long. Even after all I've done, I know I'd never be able to make as good a plan as they could."

"Hmmm..." Kaze quietly contemplated, arms crossed and eyes shut. "I recognize that leadership is an inherent trait one cannot be taught, a trait Kiran may very well possess, but tactical knowledge can be instructed, and it his ignorance on those matters that concerns me."

"You guys done with your little back-and-forth?" Kiran impatiently called out. "Nobody's asked, but I agree with Ayra and Haar. What soldier in their right mind happily takes orders from some schmuck civilian?" They all seemed to be in varying states of surprise to hear Kiran deprecate himself so eagerly. "Oh, and let's clear up Tana's misconception about me; you guys," he pointed at the group, "are volunteers. I," he indicated to himself with his thumb, "got drafted."

"I don't follow." Kaze said. "Didn't Anna say you were brought here with that relic as we were?"

"You know how you heard me asking for help and made a conscious decision to say yes? Yeah, I didn't get that. I was going back inside my home after taking out my trash when I suddenly showed up in Askr." He turned to address Tana specifically. "Hate to burst your bubble, but I'm here by chance, not choice."

"Well, at least you're honest about it." Haar yielded. "I'd rather have someone like you than a self-absorbed idiot who lets the power go to his head."

"If I'm being really honest, you all don't have much of a choice either." Kiran reluctantly admitted. "'Fight with Askr or let the multiverse be conquered' is less a decision and more an ultimatum."

"An ultimatum Embla issued, in case you forgot." Anna interrupted. She could see the splintering effect this talk of Kiran's station was having on the group and needed to take steps to get them back on common ground. "Let's remember why we're all here. As Sharena said, we want all of you to give your input on the best course of action, so don't be afraid of getting forced down a path you don't like. As for Kiran, it's barely been a day since he got here, so his role is definitely subject to change."

Anna's mediation did the trick, causing everyone to hold their tongues and calm down. It was only a few moments later that the castle came into view, its majesty a welcome sight for the sweaty and impatient company.

"My, what a splendid home you have." Tana praised.

"It's a lot prettier than Castle Deil!" Maria joined in.

Ayra commended the structure in her own way. "The walls seem sturdy and well defended. That matters far more than any pleasant visage."

The guards at the gate once again snapped to attention at the sight of Alfonse, though Kiran couldn't tell if they were different than yesterday's pair. Their strict posture faltered as they took in the full entourage the prince had with him.

"Be at ease, guardsmen." Alfonse relieved them. "All those assembled here do so to offer their aid to Askr. As for how they came to be here, send word that all personnel within the castle are to assemble in the courtyard at sunset. I will speak with you all and enlighten you about the recent unusual events."

"O-of course, sire, it will be done." This time, the gatekeeper didn't need to be yelled at to do his job, with the gates swinging open within a few seconds of their arrival.

They stepped back into Askr's hospitable halls, all the newcomers taking the time to appreciate the sights. Even Ayra thoughtfully nodded to herself as she looked around. Sharena skipped ahead of the party and promptly turned around to face them, Kiran rolling his eyes at the thought of getting Sharena's tour of the castle a second time.

As he thought, she went through the same motions of yesterday, making a necessary addendum to mention the stables were housed in the same wing as the training area. She had to good grace not to repeat her mockery of the archives, opting instead to maintain her image for the larger crowd.

Alfonse took charge once Sharena had finished going over the floorplan. "We've a war room ready in the archive wing if you're all willing to begin now. Or would you rather we eat before discussing strategy?"

Maria perked up at the mention of food and was about to endorse that choice when Ayra cut her off. "Work must always come first. We'll get our affairs in order before indulging ourselves."

That was all it took to get Maria back into a stubborn pout. "Aww, come on Princess Ayra, can't we at least have a snack first?"

Haar put a sympathetic hand on Maria's shoulder. "Sorry kid, I don't like jumping into work any more than you, but she's right. This kind of protocol is why I left the military; you never get any time to relax."

"If only we could be assembled under happier circumstances…" Clive lamented. "I'm afraid deciding a course of action is too important to put off any longer." The rest showed their consent with varying degrees of reluctance, unknowingly confirming Kiran's original itinerary for the day.

"Very well then." Alfonse assented. "Sharena, guide Tana, Haar and Clive to the stables and then to the war room. The rest of us will wait for you there." He began to turn towards the archives when he stopped upon remembering why Kiran was riding with Clive. "Ah, do you require assistance dismounting, Kiran?"

"Nah, I got this." After thirty minutes on that thing I damn well better be fine again! Lifting himself up with his hands, he swung his left leg over the horse and lowered both feet to the ground. As he was dismounting, Nino and Maria were being helped off their own creatures. A few tentative steps back and forth later, he was confident the aftereffects of Clive's summoning had finally passed. "There, you see? Nothing to it."

Alfonse wore a relived smile at the sight of Kiran walking normally. "It's good to see you've recovered. Well then, I suppose we'll all see each other again shortly."

At his words, the party split to go their appropriate ways. Kiran followed Alfonse and the other unmounted heroes into the archives, a wing he had yet to properly visit. The sight that greeted them was both strangely relaxing and uncomfortably reminiscent of his university back home: rows upon rows of bookshelves, each filled to the brim with tomes of foreign knowledge. He felt an unusual curiosity he'd never felt in the college libraries, whose stored information was never anything he couldn't simply look up online. Here, there was no telling what kind of knowledge had been scribed to these pages, what insights into alien subjects like wyverns or magic might be stored on the shelves.

Sadly, they went no deeper than that initial look, with Alfonse guiding them down a side path into a sort of medieval conference room. A large, round table of dark oak sat encircled by chairs of similar craftsmanship, all resting beneath an ornate window basking the room in sunlight. By Kiran's count, there were fifteen seats in total; just more than what was necessary for their complete company.

Alfonse and Anna took place at the apparent head of the table in the seats closest to the window, and beckoned Kiran to join them a moment after being seated. Kiran found himself Alfonse's right-hand man, with Anna at his own right and the prince's left apparently reserved for Sharena. Virion took the chair adjacent to Sharena's, with Maria and Kaze following him in sequence. On the other side, Ayra and Nino sat along Anna.

No one bothered with small talk, choosing to be alone with whatever thoughts they had rather than waste time on conversation that would soon be interrupted. Kiran took this small grace period to think about how he would break the news about the military differences between his world and theirs. Much as he loathed the thought of looking even more incompetent, he couldn't afford to put it off any longer. Ultimately, he decided it was best to bite the bullet and come out with it first thing. It was like pulling off a bandage – the quicker he took care of it, the sooner it would stop hurting.

They spent about ten minutes in increasingly awkward silence before Sharena came in, joined by the three riders, now bereft of their mounts. The Askran princess took her place at her brother's side, while Clive and Tana took the seats adjacent to Kaze and Haar joining Nino.

"I've sent for tea and few sweets to be delivered." She chirpily announced. "It wouldn't do for us to let ourselves be distracted by parched throats and empty stomachs, would it?" She spoke with clearly feigned innocence, and the wink she shot Maria all but confirmed she was trying to undermine Ayra's workaholic attitude. Ayra's brow furrowed in response, though she made no vocal opposition.

Alfonse shot her an amused smile, internally grateful she'd gone to the trouble. "I'm sure they will be a welcome reprieve from the heavy matter at hand. Now, shall we begin?"

Welp, guess it's now or never.

Kiran lifted his hand to draw the room's attention. "Actually, before we do, there's a couple key differences between our worlds I need to highlight. As in, disparities in how we each wage war. You've got to know what is and isn't common knowledge for me."

Some, like Tana and Virion, got eagerly curious at Kiran's proposal, while those who didn't realize Kiran's world was any different than theirs, such as Clive and Maria, just looked puzzled. "We've already seen you don't have pegasi or wyverns. I suppose it would be best to know what other discrepancies are at play." Alfonse conceded.

"Alright, first thing's first: there's no magic of any kind where I'm from."

The response was as predictable as it was loud.

"WHAT?!"

"Huh?!"

"Surely you're mistaken!"

Everyone expressed their disbelief in more or less the same way: a shocked expression and some kind of vocalized incredulity. Even though he expected the blowback, Kiran still recoiled from the cacophony of skepticism.

Maria was the first to form a coherent question. "How are you supposed to heal people without magic? Vulneraries by themselves can't do very much!"

"Lots of specialized medicine for illness and really intricate surgery for injuries. Oh, and being a doctor means you have to study in school until you're like twenty-eight years old. I'm not saying you can't be a healer here, but back home no one would ever accept serious medical aid from an eleven-year-old."

"Twenty-eight years…" Sharena looked more horrified at the prospect of spending that much of her life on studying than the dearth of magic on Earth.

"I suppose that would explain the lack of pegasi and wyverns…" Tana remarked, an unusually troubled expression marring her soft features.

"I know it's a big pill to swallow, but we can talk about it more later. I've got one more difference to highlight before we move things along."

Virion scoffed and shook his head. "I was aware your world was unlike my own, but I never imagined the changes would be so egregious. I doubt anything else you say could match a total absence of magic."

"You want to bet? In my world, people haven't used weapons like swords and axes to wage war in four to five centuries. In fact, fighting is almost exclusively done at a distance, never up close."

They seemed more bewildered than shocked by that claim. He figured that was probably because magic was likely lacking here and there, almost certainly resulting in lower quality of life when it wasn't present, while everyone everywhere relied on close-quarters weapons of some kind, making their absence hard to comprehend.

"You mean to tell us everybody fights with bows and arrows?" Haar inquired, single eyebrow raised in clear disbelief.

"Nah, those got phased out too. We use weapons called 'firearms', which ignite an explosive compound to shoot out small bits of metal at people." That only served to make them more confused, to the point Sharena actually started idly scratching her head trying to visualize his description. "Okay, in practical terms, think of them like bows that can shoot twenty arrowheads in a second, faster than you can see them move, and every soldier carries hundreds of arrowheads in their pocket. And they roughly look like this." He raised the Breidablik and twirled it around his finger.

His medieval layman's description was much more helpful, resulting in comprehension slowly dawning on most of their faces. "That must be why you seized the relic so quickly at the shrine; you were thought it was a weapon with which you could defend yourself." Anna, who had been nodding in understanding, suddenly winced as she connected the tactical dots. "Given capabilities like that, it's no wonder you stopped using swords and lances. I doubt even magic would be able to surmount such overwhelming numbers."

"Well, they weren't always that devastating; it was only within the last century they started to get so efficient." He clarified. "Still, even the early ones had no trouble making armor obsolete; they shot projectiles that moved so fast they could punch through plate mail." Upon hearing the picture he painted, Clive nervously traced his fingers over his breastplate. Kiran, realizing it was only a matter of time before they asked the impossible, pre-empted the inevitable question. "And before anybody asks, I don't know how to make them, so we're stuck with the status quo."

"Fine by me." Ayra contemptibly uttered. "I haven't dedicated by life to learning the blade just to cower from my foes."

"She may be unduly harsh, but I must admit I sympathize with Ayra's sentiment." Alfonse confessed. "As much of a boon such weapons would be, I do not wish to abandon the swordsmanship I've spent so many years harnessing."

"All the better, since they seem to be beyond our reach anyway." Kaze chimed in. "Given this information, Kiran's strategic ignorance is not as damning as it once seemed; even if he were a decorated veteran in his world, all of his knowledge and experience would be rooted in tactics that are inapplicable here. Time to acclimate would be necessary regardless of his past."

Kiran, eager to be off the subject of guns, gestured to Kaze and vocalized his agreement, "Yeah, what he said. It doesn't matter what I did with my life, I was never going to be fit to command knights and mages. But," he lifted up his finger and gave a sly grin, "that doesn't mean I haven't picked up a thing or two in my day that might be applicable here. So, if it's alright with you all, maybe we could get back to figuring out what exactly Askr's situation is."

"Kiran's right." Anna stood up and began to pull out a rolled-up parchment tucked into one of the bookshelves lining the walls. "There will be plenty of opportunities to ask about his weird homeland later. It's about time we begin discussing potential strategies." She unfurled the scroll to reveal it was a map, presumably of Askr. "We've already given a broad outline of Askr's state of affairs but illustrating it visually should help to give everyone a clearer picture."

From there, Anna began describing the positionings of front lines, strategic assets, troop concentrations, fortresses and anything else that seemed of tactical import, with the occasional input from Sharena or Alfonse. Some, like Kaze and Ayra, took to the briefing like a sponge to water; Kiran found himself having more in common with Maria and Tana, who despite an earnest attempt were clearly overwhelmed by the sheer density of information.

Midway through Anna's breakdown, several servants arrived as per Sharena's orders and began pouring cups of tea and laying out snacks to be enjoyed once everyone had a minute to stand back and think. They received grateful nods from the royal duo for their efforts, which was reciprocated with dutiful bows and a swift exit. A couple of cups were idly sipped from during Anna's spiel, and Maria at one point began nervously nibbling on a crumpet, but for the most part the refreshments were left alone until Anna finally finished.

The intel revealed to them that not only was Askr on the defensive, but it was at an absolute breaking point. Should Embla gain any further territory, Askr's strained capacity to feed or arm its troops would snap entirely with the loss of farmland and raw ore. The Royal Knights had been positioned around the front in such a way to act as a deterrent against Embla making such a winning move, but it was only a matter of time until Embla amassed enough troops to either overwhelm them through sheer numbers or encircle and trap them. Regardless of what happened, Askr was on borrowed time unless the small group assembled could do something to stave Embla off.

Nothing immediately rose the fill the silence that Anna's conclusion left, everyone simply staring at the map in various states of thought. Eventually, Clive voiced what was more or less on everyone's minds, "That is…a most disheartening state of affairs."

"That's a rather charitable way of putting it." Haar dryly remarked, his good eye drooping even more tiredly under the stress of this new knowledge.

Alfonse and Sharena were no better; being reminded of just how dire their situation was seemed to sap any goodwill they had gained from Kiran's arrival and summoning. "Perhaps now our eagerness to put our stock in fanciful legends is more understandable." Alfonse ruefully commented. "I apologize for asking you to share in our burden, but we've simply no other recourse available to us."

Tana, who had been in high spirits ever since she first arrived in Askr, was eager to find something positive to lift the mood. "I can't deny that this paints a most grim portrait, but surely there is a silver lining to be found somewhere? Askr must possess some advantage Embla does not."

"Actually, you might be onto something." Kiran spoke up with his hand contemplatively gripping his chin. "You guys said Embla got its army through mass conscription, right?"

Alfonse nodded, "Yes, or at least that's the only explanation we can think of."

"Right, that's why you beat them so easily in a one on one fight – they're probably farmers or bakers, not professionally trained soldiers. My own nation implements drafts in times of crisis, but most of the training is spent on discipline and physical fitness; firearms aren't very hard to learn how to use, so actual combat practice takes a bit of a backseat to drilling and regulation."

"That's all very interesting, but what point are you trying to get at?" Ayra impatiently cut in.

"My point is that I'm pretty sure Embla rushed the training on its army and is fielding a bunch of dolts who can't fight nor act like a proper military. My country can get a competent fighting force ready in about a year because the weapons take so little skill to use that we can spend more time on everything else. I mean, I can't use a sword, like, at all. How long would it take to train a thousand of me up to a standard where I don't get disarmed and killed within a few seconds?"

Ayra once again answered him, though her voice was tinged with a greater deal of thoughtfulness than it had moment prior. "If I was working with you alone, I could probably get you ready in a month of dedicated practice." She paused, her eyes narrowing in thought as she considered his question. "…But if I had to train a thousand of you, I'd be splitting my time so much I'm not even sure a year would cut it. And the training regimen wouldn't be as intense since you'd have to spend time on other practice drills…" Everyone was captivated by the discussion, hooked on Kiran's argument now that it looked to have some grains of truth to it.

"You see what I mean? That same reason is probably why they have no discipline. Virion, remember the second goon squad yesterday? We stood there arguing about what to do for at least a couple of minutes, and they just sat there and watched us, like they were too scared to make the first move. Even when you all charged, they didn't even try to make a defensive formation or anything."

Virion thoughtfully nodded, a small grin slowly adorning his face. "Yes, I see very well what you're insinuating. Ordinarily, I would say such traits are tempered with experience…but Embla has won so much territory because their army's size dictates that Askr is very rarely capable of fighting back in any capacity. I would wager that the vast majority of their troops have never so much as raised their blade in a combative capacity."

Kiran triumphantly clasped his hands together as the pieces of his case came together, a shrewd smile of his own matching Virion's. "I'd bet the same thing. You guys all strike me as people who have seen their fair share of action, so when the going gets rough you won't fold like a house of cards the way the Emblians will. Sure, Maria and I are green as grass, but we're non-combatants anyway so it's not like it matters."

His assertion turned impromptu pep talk had an immediate positive effect, instilling confidence and optimism back into the Heroes…with one exception: Tana had lost her earlier attempt at cheer and was now nervously looking at the ground while wringing her hands together. After a moment, she lifted one and raised her voice in turn. "Well, actually…" Everyone turned to look at her, their combined gazes causing her to wither further. "I'm afraid I should apologize to you all. You see, I'm still in training and not quite battle ready." Her words grew quieter the more she said, the shame she felt clearly growing in the same way.

Kiran, however, didn't think it as damning as she did. "Okay, how much training have you had?"

Tana perked back up a bit, eager to preserve some of her dignity with a positive response. "Oh, it's been over three years now! Please, don't think I've as little instruction as these Emblians."

"In that case you're still leagues better off than they are. And you're a princess, right? So I imagine all the training you got was of a much higher quality than any common foot soldier. I'd say you've still got any Emblian's number in a straight fight."

His assurances soothed Tana's and everyone else's dismay at her potential shortcomings. Now that they'd gotten it in their heads that Askr was not at a total disadvantage, several of the assembled warriors began thinking of other potential weaknesses of Embla. It was only a few moments before Clive reached a conclusion of his own.

"I believe I've thought of another aspect in which Embla's army is inferior: their quality of equipment." He paused to let everyone consider the idea before continuing. "It must've taken a great many materials to fashion so much armor and weaponry – so much that I should think corners had to be cut here and there to preserve the raw ore. To make no mention of the short time frame in which it was forged; rushed work will inevitably develop flaws sooner or later. The Deliverance takes a great amount of care in the forgery and upkeep of our equipment, and we can do so in no small part because of how few of us there are. I doubt Embla can afford to be so meticulous with their great numbers."

"An excellent point Sir Clive." Alfonse acclaimed, his mood significantly lifted by the discourse before him. "It would be prudent to keep an eye out for any nicked blades or stunted armor."

"Oh, I've got one!" Nino excitedly shot her hand into the air. "Askr doesn't attack Emblian troops very often, so they probably don't know how to patrol or keep guard against assassins or thieves!"

Kaze was quick to voice his agreement. "A most astute observation. Whatever sentries are placed likely keep only the barest of watch. Their repeated victories have doubtless made them complacent and infiltrating their camps should be trivial as a result."

Kiran, who had been mentally comparing Zenith to Earth to find discrepancies, suddenly remembered the piece of information that made him so disturbed to begin with and brought it back up to Anna. "Hey, you said the literacy rate is super low, right? And that literacy is a pre-requisite for learning magic?" At her confirming nod, he continued, "Well, if Embla's army is a massive draft of commoners, then most of them are probably illiterate, and thus incapable of magic. Hell, most of you are aristocrats or royals, so you should know how to read; that'd give us an edge in communications if nothing else since everyone could read a fast travelling pigeon note or something instead of relying on human messengers."

The upper class he specifically called out began quietly voicing their agreement that they were indeed literate, even young, captive Maria. Haar, though lacking any blue blood, informed them that he'd ranked highly enough in the military to be taught how to read so he could understand hastily written changes in orders from his superiors. The only one to not say anything was Nino, who had once again lost her normal exuberance and was staring crestfallen at the ground and gripping her knees.

When she felt Kiran's curious gaze on her, she shrank a little but still managed to find her choked voice and address him. "Um, I…I don't know how to read. No one ever taught me. I only learned how to do magic by watching Sonya and imitating her. I'm sorry…" She felt a crushing sense of guilt and shame, believing that her ignorance was costing Askr a potential advantage. Because of her weak link, she thought they'd have to hold themselves back. Maybe that would even jeopardize some important mission in the future, and it would be all her fault…

"You're the only one who can't read? There's no one else? In that case it's no problem; I'll teach you everything you need to know." Kiran nonchalantly offered with a wave of his hand.

Nino's head shot up, her eyes wide as dinner plates as she stared at him in shock, unable to believe he'd volunteer to help her so easily. The others, though not quite as disbelieving, still gave him curious looks. "That's very kind of you to offer, and I agree with the sentiment, but are you sure you'll have enough time to do it?" Alfonse inquired.

He received a deadpan stare from Kiran in response, which was accompanied by an equally sarcastic drawl. "Oh yeah, because I have so many pressing things to attend to. My schedule is just completely booked, God only knows where I'll find the time to go over the alphabet with a teenage girl."

Alfonse's eyes narrowed in annoyance at Kiran's mocking display, but before he could chastise him for his rudeness, Nino spoke back up, "Y-you're not joking, right? You're really going to help me learn how to read and write?" Her question was undercut by a note of cautious optimism, as if she'd asked it before and gotten shot down.

"Sure, I've got no reason not to. Seriously, I have nothing else to do with my time right now, so helping you is the best way to put me to use anyway. Besides, even if it wasn't beneficial, you've gone way too long without a teacher for someone who obviously wants to learn. We can start first thing tomorrow if nothing else comes up."

Nino's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, her mouth curving up into an equally bright smile. She jumped up from her chair and started bouncing on her heels in excitement. "Thank you! Oh, thank you so much! I promise, I'll be the best student ever, you'll see!"

Kiran let out a nervous chuckle and put out his hands in a calming gesture. "I'm sure you'll do just fine, Nino." He looked around and saw glints of light-hearted mirth in everyone assembled; clearly, the shamrock sorceress's enthusiasm was infectious. Unfortunately, they still had work yet to do, and as he bore the brunt of everyone's focus it fell to him to get things back on track. "Well, uh, now that that's settled, what were we on about?"

Anna reigned in her levity, as did the others, and answered him with the focused composure she'd had when briefing them. "I think we've got enough points in favor of Askr for now. All that remains is for us to decide our next move against Embla."

"That's the real problem, isn't it?" Alfonse glumly said in between sips of tea. "Not even father's war council has managed to think of anything that's worked. Whatever advantages Askr has are worth nothing if we can't find a way to put them to use."

"Maybe, but this isn't father's war council." Sharena rebutted with positive cheer. "We've got all kinds of experience and cunning here. There's not a chance we don't come up with some new strategy!"

"As optimistic as ever, Princess Sharena." Virion remarked. "Alas, such things are easier said than done. My own military experience saw our forces in a more or less perpetual state of offense; in fact, my home fared rather poorly when faced with a similar situation to yours, so I'm afraid I've little to contribute."

That was an awfully polite way of saying that Askr's fucked and he doesn't have any idea how to stop it, Kiran sourly thought.

"I have seen a kingdom bounce back from being flat out conquered," Haar chipped in, "but they did so by appealing to the largest power on the continent for military aid, and even then it took a whole lot of luck and guts for the liberation army to make any headway. Not saying it's impossible, but..." His unspoken belief that Askr would not be fortunate enough to turn the tide the same way was clear to everyone and did little good for morale.

"Wait, Mr. Haar said this kingdom he knew asked someone else to help them." Maria spoke up for the first time in a while. "Your Highnesses, when you were telling us stories earlier, didn't you say there were two other kingdoms? Niffy and Moospell, I think? Why don't we just ask them to help us?"

Now that she mentioned them, Kiran remembered Alfonse bringing up two other nations when he asked about Zenith's unusually small country count. Unfortunately, one look at the Askrans' angry, defeated faces was all it took to answer her question.

"You refer to Nifl and Múspell. Yes, we thought to implore their aid rather soon into the war. Regrettably," Alfonse gave a tired sigh, "they showed no interest in our affairs and sent both of our messengers back with pleas unanswered."

Sharena gave an indignant humph and crossed her arms, an irate scowl marring her usually soft features. "That's his diplomatic way of saying that Niflese have hearts as icy as the mountains they live behind and that Múspellians are hateful and hot headed from all that lava around them. They've both always shunned and turned away outsiders for no reason. If there's a single bright side to all this, it's that they're going to get what's coming to them for abandoning us in our time of need!" Her speech became more incensed as she ranted, ending in a slight crack of the voice that betrayed how frustrated she was at Askr's desperate circumstances.

They all looked at the normally composed, upbeat princess in varying states of shock at her outburst. It wasn't long before Ayra stepped up and got them off the tense subject, "…Okay, foreign aid is off the table. Is there anything else?"

The empty silence she received was all the answer they needed.

Kiran, whose mind had begun picking up pace the way it did in his second battle, began thinking aloud while staring at the wooden table with his head resting in his hands. "Okay, just need to think it through…we can't fight them out in the open mano a mano, that's suicide, there's too many of them. 'Course, we can't just sit tight and wait for them to come to us, that's what got Askr in this mess in the first place. We have better fighters and specialized roles, but it'd be too dangerous to send single operatives on endless high-profile missions." Unbeknownst to Kiran, who was caught up in his ramblings, he had the room's attention fixated on his stream of consciousness.

"So we need to attack them, but as a group in controlled environments where we can keep from being overwhelmed and make use of our advantages. If we can't attack entire armies, we need to go for smaller targets that still have strategic value. And we have to destroy whatever we hit, because we don't have the manpower to actually hold anything we take. If we're a small fighting force doing hit and run tactics, I guess we'd basically be fighting a guerilla war, but what kind of targets did guerilla armies go for…?" Kiran finally reached the end of his rope and lifted his head to start idly scratching his chin in thought…only to realize everyone was staring at him with their full concentration. When he realized he'd been harping on out loud, he only managed to say one thing.

"Um…"

"Oh no, by all means, keep going!" Anna encouraged him, with a black feather resting in her hand over a freshly scribed piece of parchment. "Hey, how do you spell that last word, the one that started with g?"

"…Is that an ink quill? Were you writing down all that nonsense?" He incredulously asked, his cheeks burning in embarrassment at the idea of his unfiltered thoughts being put to paper.

"Why, nonsense is the last word I would use!" Tana assured him. "You've certainly given us a more feasible plan than I have."

"I'll say!" Sharena chimed in. "And to think you snapped at me when I said you'd be the one to come up with our new strategy!"

"That isn't – but I'm not –" He sputtered out, unable to think of a proper counterargument.

"Calm down, Kiran." Alfonse put his hand on Kiran's shoulder, his lips unmistakably shaped into an amused grin. "Let's keep focused. What exactly is a 'guerilla' army? I think it's fair to say the rest of us have never heard that term before."

Kiran wanted to keep protesting that he wasn't any kind of authority on this and that they really shouldn't be letting him make the big decisions but decided it would do more harm than good and that he might as well just keep talking. "It's like I said: a numerically inferior force that relies on raids and hit and run tactics to wear the opposing army down. Historically, they also tend to be underequipped and poorly trained, but we've at least got those traits in our favor."

"Historically, you say?" Clive inquired, his interest piqued. "So this is not simply some untested theory found only in books, but a proven strategy capable of surmounting seemingly insurmountable odds?"

"Oh yeah, it happens all the time. Usually in civil wars where some small rebel group is trying to overthrow the ruling regime that has the actual military backing it. Hell, my own country was founded by fighting a sort of proto guerilla war."

"Though I loathe to describe our noble cause with such a tainted word, the Deliverance could be considered a sort of rebellion." Clive responded. "Yet we never adopted such tactics as raiding parties; the idea rung too close to brigandry for our tastes. Still, I suppose there's a reason we fared so poorly until Alm's command and comparing our two situations may be a bit of a false equivalency anyway."

"If you're that familiar with the idea, you should be able to complete your earlier thought." Haar cut in, his slacker attitude replaced with the focused concentration of a seasoned veteran. "What kind of targets would be attacked by guerilla forces, and presumably us?"

Kiran once again rested his chin in his hand, assuming what was quickly being recognized as his 'thinking pose'. "Well…they'd attack supply lines or storehouses, draw armies out and lead them on wild goose chases through hostile territory, that sort of thing. Most guerillas don't have a permanent base of operations, which helps them stay mobile and avoid instantly losing by having such a base be captured. We obviously aren't in quite the same boat."

"Supply lines…" Kaze audibly mused. "It is not unheard of for shinobi to sneak into enemy encampments shortly before a battle and lay waste to their food stores or surplus equipment. Doing so can stall the enemy and provide one's own army more time to position themselves or even take the initiative entirely and launch the first strike. Such actions provide a tactical advantage, but I suppose in theory there's no reason why it can't be extended to a strategic level."

"Wait, Kaze, that's it!" Anna exclaimed, a proverbial lightbulb shining over her head. "'Stall the enemy'! That's what we always wanted to do but could never figure out how to make it happen! Our biggest issue has always been finding some way to stop Embla's momentum and give ourselves time to do more than just react to their offensives. We always kept trying to wear down their numbers, but they've got so many troops in reserve we never made a real dent. But if we did something to cut off their food and supplies…" she trailed off, motioning for someone else to finish the thought.

"…even the mightiest force would be unable to fight on empty stomachs." Ayra concluded for her. "Their army is massive and spread across a wide area – there must be strategically placed storehouses to distribute enough foodstuff along the front lines, likely repurposed from captured Askran assets."

"Yeah, if you cut them off from even one such storehouse, that should stop a significant chunk of the army cold." Kiran interjected. "From there, either the rest of them wait for a resupply and give Askr time to breathe, or they go ahead anyway and make bulges in their line that could be isolated and taken out." If he'd learned anything from watching World War II documentaries, it was that extending beyond your supply lines was a great way to get encircled and routed.

"It would seem we have our strategy." Alfonse spoke up with a confident grin. "We've already established that Emblian soldiers should make for poor sentries and ought to be easily panicked. If we can locate such a supply depot, this small group should to be able to sneak past Embla's lines to it and then implement a plan to seize and destroy it. I will inquire with our scouts and spy rings to identify potential targets and should have candidates ready within the week. For now though, I think we've all earned a hot meal and a chance to relax."

"Yay!" Maria happily leapt from her chair, not noticing the crumbs on her dress that fell to the floor in the process.

"And don't forget," Sharena came up behind Kiran and put her hands on his shoulders, "we're going to learn all about each other's kingdoms and customs, right Kiran?"

Oh God damn it. He frustratedly thought. I guess at least all that bath time bullshitting will actually get put to use.

He just hoped that, for his sake, he managed to keep his stories straight.

"The cooks will be preparing a carved turkey. I hope that's agreeable with everyone?" Alfonse came from the kitchens over to the long dining table they were all seated at. If Kiran wasn't mistaken, it was the same table they'd eaten breakfast at that same morning.

"That sounds divine, Prince Alfonse." Tana happily assured him. "Thank you all for being such gracious hosts in such trying times."

Anna quickly waved away the praise. "No thanks are necessary Your Highness. This is the least we can do after you've volunteered to join us in our struggle."

"You're still being really nice about it!" Nino pressed on in Tana's stead. "The people who hired the Black Fang never let us eat food for royalty in big fancy halls like this. And they definitely never offered to help me read! This is the best job I've ever had!"

Anna couldn't find it in her heart to say anything that would curb Nino's enthusiasm, and so settled for giving her an appreciative smile for all her praise.

Sharena happily soaked up the acclaim, easily touched by Nino's endorsement. "That's very kind of you to say Nino, thank you." However, she quickly turned her attention away from the greenette to fix it on Kiran instead, whom she was seated next to. "You know, that turkey will take a while to cook, so while we wait…" she hooked her arm around Kiran's back and gripped both of his shoulders, "…why don't we have Kiran tell us more about his world to pass the time?"

Kiran didn't understand why she was being so forceful about getting him to fess up, until he remembered that he had originally promised to spill the beans last night and had been putting it off for the better part of a day now. A closer look at her superficially cheery eyes revealed a steely glint that carried an unspoken warning: he wasn't weaseling his way out of this any longer. Kiran gave a defeated sigh and turned to address Sharena directly.

Well, here goes nothing…

"Alright, what do you want to know?

Sharena opened her mouth to answer, but her brother managed to beat her to the punch. "I for one am rather curious about your kingdom. You mentioned that it was founded on a sort of guerilla war, did you not? Would you care to provide a brief history lesson on how that came about?"

Oh thank God, something I specifically practiced lying about. He thought, relieved at Alfonse's intervention.

"Okay, sure. But, uh, keep in mind that it will be brief. I'm not going to go into a whole lot of detail, just the big picture, okay?" After a brief moment of approving nods, he began.

"Obviously, we didn't start as a kingdom – we began as thirteen colonies established by our parent kingdom, Great Britain, each under the purview of a lineage of lords that were originally hand-picked by the crown at the time of their inception. These colonies were on a newly discovered continent, called America, that was a vast ocean away from Britain, so communication between us and the crown was really slow. All that the crown really wanted the colonies to do was expand the British sphere of influence and create a flow of wealth from America back to Britain, so as long as both of those happened, the how part didn't really matter. As a result, the monarchy took a very hands-off approach to ruling the colonies, and it wasn't long before they basically started running themselves with no oversight."

"I think I can see where this is headed." Haar deadpanned. "Let me guess: the crown decided to start ruling these colonies more closely and they didn't want to suddenly start answering to a higher authority again?"

"Yeah, that's more or less what happened. A war that put Britain in huge debt was fought on American soil in defense of the colonies, so to refill the treasury they started imposing heavy taxes on basic goods like paper and tea. Which on its own might not have been so bad, if not for the fact they were an ocean away and incapable of appealing their grievances to the royal court like citizens in Britain proper could. Well, people protested, the crown introduced tighter regulations in response, and things escalated until they hit the breaking point when royal troops were sent to seize weapons in a small town, only to be attacked by the local militia that had been warned beforehand. Hostilities openly broke out and the thirteen lords came together and sent a final peace petition to the king. When that wasn't even acknowledged, they decided to declare their independence from Britain, so the resulting war was basically fought to get the crown to respect the legitimacy of that declaration."

"That would explain why you said your kingdom was founded on a guerilla war." Alfonse interjected, "It sounds like you were inferior in manpower, equipment and training compared to the royal army. It would seem to me that violence could have been avoided had the crown been capable of and more willing to address the colonies' objections; in which case, this story offers an important lesson on the dangers of neglecting one's subjects and their sentiments towards one's rule."

"I agree wholeheartedly." Tana acceded. "It is nothing short of abusive for a ruler to simply impose their will on their citizens without any consideration for their feelings on the matter. Our role is to guide and nurture our denizens, not to stifle them beneath our heel."

"One of the harsh realities of leadership is that sometimes you can't make everyone happy." Ayra, cynical as ever, chimed in. "That said, you also have to consider all of your options and be able to listen to criticism, neither of which were done by this king of yours."

Kiran for one was just happy they were getting an Aesop out of American history. Sure, the war had been fought on the grounds that monarchies were evil in general and Parliament were the ones making most of the laws, but he did say he was skipping most of the details, so what did it really matter? Now all he had to do was get George Washington rolling in his grave by claiming he became the new king of the United States.

"It warms my heart to see you all taking away something from my little history lesson." He said, only somewhat sarcastically. "Ultimately, we won the war, got our independence, and the thirteen lords came together and chose the general who led the colonial army to be the first ruler of the newly formed United States of America. Over two hundred years later, we've expanded to fifty states from thirteen, each with a lord who swears fealty to the crown. The king and his court only handle stuff that affects the union as a whole, like international trade or war, while the lords directly deal with their state and its problems. That's more or less where my kingdom came from and how it's run."

"I see…" Clive said, nodding along. "You decentralize power so much so as to prevent the same circumstances that led to your founding in the first place. It is an interesting system that merits further study. I don't believe I've heard of a ruler having so little direct authority before, but I suppose it must be feasible given your continued sovereignty."

"Indeed." Alfonse turned to address Kiran. "Thank you for your recounting, Kiran, I'm more than satisfied. Your world continues to be a source of surprise and interest, one I hope to continue learning about."

Sharena, looking bored out of her mind, took the newly formed silence to chide her sibling. "I can't believe you Alfonse! We get the chance to ask Kiran about anything in a world without magic, and you chose to ask about boring history!"

Alfonse didn't look too amused by her admonishment and fixed a critical glare at her. "You would do well to learn from history, Sharena, lest you find yourself repeating it. But very well, if you've much better inquiries in mind, then by all means, ask away."

"I think I will, thank you." She shifted focus to Kiran, who was somewhat miffed she'd ignored his impromptu lecture, and adopted her usual eager smile. "What I wanted to know is what you did back home. You're far too well educated to be a peasant, but if you don't mind me saying, your decorum is too lacking to be noble. And we know you're not a soldier, so what did you do for a living?"

"I must admit, I've been wondering much the same since shortly after I met you." Virion confessed from across the table.

"Oooh, I really want to hear this!" Maria put her two cents in, effectively confirming Kiran's next discussion topic. Now he got to have fun navigating a minefield of sensitive topics that could get everyone defensive and indignant if he unwittingly said something to piss them off.

"Um, sure, I can do that." He said, already unsure of how to describe the idea of an undergraduate. "I'm, uh, learning a discipline from experienced masters…I don't suppose 'student' is the right word for that?"

It apparently wasn't, since Alfonse's brow furrowed uncertainly. "That doesn't sound right to me – you seem far too old to still be in an apprenticeship."

"Yeah I didn't think so. Uh, I guess 'scholar' might be an appropriate way of describing it."

That went over much better, as Sharena's face lit up with recognition. "Oh, like a highly studied specialist of something? Like, you can't be a scholar of blacksmithing, but you could be one of Anima or Light magic." Upon realizing what that implied for Kiran's day to day activities, her appearance contorted in distaste. "…Are you saying you really spend all day studying and reading books?"

"I don't spend all day studying, just, you know, most of it. As for what I spend that time learning…does the word 'science' mean anything to you?"

Again, no dice, as everyone just looked confused. "Doesn't 'science' just refer to any kind of knowledge in general?" Anna inquired. "Are you trying to say you're a scholar of everything?"

"No! No, that's not it. Um, I know there's an older word to describe it, I just can't think of what it is." Kiran started idly scratching his head in frustration. "I study, like, nature and stuff. How the world works and what makes everything behave the way it does. Do you have a word for that?"

"If I'm not mistaken, I believe the term you're looking for is 'natural philosopher'." Virion helpfully supplied.

Kiran satisfyingly snapped his fingers and pointed in Virion's direction. "Yeah, that was it! In your terms, I'm a scholar of natural philosophy." Really, it was a bit of a mouthful compared to 'STEM student', but Kiran was happy with whatever conveyed the idea.

"Ah, now I understand." Alfonse said with newly dawned comprehension. "I take it you've spent time analyzing the heavenly discs orbiting the world that contain the stars and planets? I always found such topics fairly interesting whenever my tutors brought them up."

Whelp, there goes any kind of astrophysics. Kiran glumly thought to himself. If I can't do big, might as well go small…

"Please, what to you take me for?" he disdainfully snorted and rolled his eyes. "That's what those hack astrologists spend all day doing. 'Oh, let's try and understand the stuff that God has intentionally put out of our reach!' Bunch of clowns. No, my field of study is a lot closer to home." He said, despite the fact he didn't have a specific field of study yet. But they didn't know that and wouldn't as long as he kept thinking on his feet.

"You ever wonder what everything is actually made of?" he inquired to the group. "What, at the most fundamental level, separates a chunk of copper from a chunk of iron?" He expected no response, so when Tana suddenly spoke up before he could continue, he felt his heart sink into his stomach.

"I'm not certain this is exactly what you want to hear, but I do recall my own instructors occasionally mentioning that the four elements of earth, air, water and fire comprise everything in some form or another." To his credit, Kiran's only outward sign of distress that he'd unwittingly set off a landmine was a slight widening of his eyes as he stared at Tana. On the inside, however…

Fuck! Of all the goddamn fucking – whatever, I'll just roll with it!

"Well, yeah, those are the elementary components, but just knowing that doesn't actually tell you anything useful. That still doesn't answer the question – okay, copper and iron are both made of some combination of those four things, we still haven't identified what exactly is different between them."

Apparently, he bullshitted just as well as he came up with improvised tactics, because Tana lightly blushed and chuckled in embarrassment. "Yes, I see your point. I suppose it was rather silly of me to think I'd known the answer from a few off-hand remarks over the years."

"Alright, what is the answer then?" Alfonse asked. "I must admit I was under a similar impression as Tana and didn't think there was anything more to the matter."

"To make a long story short, everything is made of small units of matter called atoms that have dense centers comprised of things called protons and neutrons; what makes an atom of iron different from an atom of copper is the number of protons they each have. Those atoms can come together and create molecules that form more complicated matter, like blood or acids. One proton or neutron is indistinguishable from another and trying to break them down just gives you those four fundamental elements, so we use atoms as the smallest units that can actually be distinct from one another."

Unfortunately, his science lesson wasn't going down quite as well as his history one, as everyone was looking at him in varying states of disbelief and doubt. "And how exactly is it that you know this?" Ayra skeptically demanded.

"The theory was formed over decades of experiments, like Rutherford's gold foil or Chadwick's beryllium, that are beyond what can be done here. If you want me to say how we know the idea is correct, well…if we're wrong, then we've gotten astronomically lucky for having so many results come out of it. Remember how I said earlier that we used specialized medicines to treat illnesses? Those are theoretically conceived using this information and then experimentally tested. That compound used in firearms was refined and perfected with this knowledge, though it isn't something I personally study."

His justifications must have done some good, since his audience looked less apprehensive than before, though there was still an air of uncertainty around the table. "Well, you certainly sound like you know what you're talking about." Alfonse acquiesced. "I don't believe any of us are any kind of authority on the subject, and what you're saying doesn't sound wildly unreasonable anyway, so I'll continue to place my trust in you and take you at your word."

Sharena for one was confusedly scratching her head and scrunching up her face in perplexion. "This is making my head hurt…" she faced Kiran with a bewildered look in her eye. "Why would you do something so boring all day long? Doing experiments with stuff you can't even see doesn't sound fun at all."

Kiran thought that was rather insulting, asking about his path in life and then shitting on it when it wasn't as interesting as she'd hoped, even if he was lying about the finer details. In fact, this whole discussion was starting to serve as an uncomfortable reminder of what he'd lost because of Askr's stupid war. He distastefully narrowed his eyes at her, "It just so happens that some people actually enjoy that 'stuff'. Why do you think I was so insistent on getting data for the Breidablik back at the shrine? Conducting experiments and gathering data is my livelihood! Or at least," he swung his head to venomously glare at Anna and Alfonse, "it was my livelihood before yesterday!"

Anna defensively put her hands up and leaned back slightly. "Alright, I can see why you're getting a little upset, Kiran, but try to remember the big picture. We're not your enemies, okay? I know that particular wound is still fresh but getting mad at us won't solve anything."

He wanted to keep going and start ranting at her for ripping him out of his perfectly good life, but begrudgingly had to admit that she was right. Not to mention it wouldn't be a good scene for their newly summoned cohorts. "…Whatever." Reluctantly, he tore his head away from her to scowl at some non-descript corner of the room instead.

In a somewhat misguided attempt to restore the mood, Tana spoke up. "Um, perhaps a shift to a lighter topic is in order? Kiran, what kinds of fashion does your world have?" She received no verbal response, only a look equal parts stupefied and sardonic. Somehow, Tana got the impression that he would have reacted the same way even if he weren't in a foul mood.

He wasn't the only one to find it unamusing; Ayra disapprovingly frowned and addressed her Frelian counterpart. "If you're going to ask questions, ask about things that actually matter. Frivolities such as clothing and jewelry are a waste of time." Tana was a fair bit miffed at the biting comment, but before she could offer a rebuttal, Kiran gave cut in with a snide remark of his own.

"She says, while wearing a pair of jeweled earrings like the hypocrite she is."

For a brief instant, Ayra's face twisted in anger at the insult, before she realized exactly what he said and tentatively reached up to her ears with a dumbfounded look on her face. Sure enough, each lobe had a beautifully cut white stone dangling from it.

Tana, sensing a weak spot with which she could do lighthearted jabbing to help ease the tension, pressed the opening Kiran gave her. "There's nothing to be ashamed of Princess Ayra. I for one think they look quite fetching on you! They match perfectly with your alabaster armor."

Sharena, either because she could tell what Tana was trying to do or just wanted to join in the teasing, gave a volley of her own. "They really complement your natural ladylike allure, Princess Ayra. You're beautiful, just as a princess should be!"

By now there was an unmistakable flush to Ayra's seemingly unflinching visage, and she darted her eyes away from the gazes of her newfound admirers. "L-ladylike? Me? You've got to be joking."

Virion, apparently emboldened by the newly found chink in Ayra's shell, decided to try his own hand at the complimentary banter. "I should hardly think it possible to jest about such magnificent radiance. Like a rose, your captivating allure belies the thorns that would drive off any who were drawn in by it." Sadly for poor Virion, his poetic admiration didn't earn the faint blush that Tana and Sharena's did. All he received for his efforts was a cold glare and the loss of any hint of red on the swordswoman's cheeks.

"What was that, three seconds?" Haar dryly observed. "I don't think I've ever seen a suitor get turned down that fast before."

"Alas, I'm afraid such rejection is my lot in life. No matter how I try, my attempts to win a maiden's affections are always for naught." Virion had begun dramatically hamming up his poor success rate with women. The good-natured smile on his face revealed he was doing so in an attempt to make himself the subject of ridicule and thereby keep the joking going. "What cruel irony fate has struck me with, damning the archest of archers to be forever unable to pierce a woman's heart with an arrow of love."

Maria, stifling a giggle, reached out and placed a comforting hand on Virions arm. "Aww, don't worry Sir Virion! I'm sure you'll find someone who loves you! It's not your fault Princess Ayra is a stick in the mud."

Ayra wisely chose to keep quiet and just try to glare a hole into the wall like Kiran had been doing. Whether intentionally or not, the image of the stern, disciplined warrior pouting because of a jab from a little girl raised everyone else's spirits to the point that quiet chuckles and giggles were going all around the table. Even Kiran stopped his sulking to snort in amusement.

Fittingly, it was in this moment of renewed mirth that the servants began bringing in plates of dinner to the table. There wasn't much to make of it – it was, as Alfonse said, a carved turkey – but Kiran couldn't deny the watering in his mouth at the sight of it. Everyone seemingly shared his enthusiasm, as they all directed their gazes to the succulent bird before them.

"I must say, this smells divine." Clive remarked. "I had not realized quite how famished I was without such a delectable meal in front of me."

"I think we've said enough words for one day." Anna interjected, with a predatory gleam in her eyes directed at her plate. "It's about time we relax and forget our troubles for a little while."

Her sentiment was readily accepted and within a moment they all had full mouths, though some displayed more refined table etiquette about it than others. Kiran couldn't deny that Askr knew how to serve up some Thanksgiving poultry, but his mood was still soured by his earlier spat with the Askrans and despite Anna's invitation to loosen up he found his mind idling on darker thoughts.

Like the fact that he was going to have to get into another fight sooner or later, and that the next one wouldn't just be some five-minute skirmish. The thought of seeing more shredded flesh and hearing agonizing screams made his stomach churn and caused the otherwise delicious turkey to settle like a rock in his gut.

If every student were as dedicated as Nino, Kiran wondered how much better the world might be.

They were currently sitting in the archives in front of a blackboard. As he promised, they'd arrived first thing in the morning to get started, though Nino had been so excited at breakfast he thought she was going to ask him to start teaching her right then and there. At this point, all he'd really done was write out the alphabet and explain the basic sounds for each letter, but Nino already looked like she was on top of the world with this new information. He was giving her time to study the letters before had her try to write the whole thing from scratch. Sure, she'd probably screw it up several times, but failure was how you learned, right?

Oh, who am I kidding? He mentally lambasted himself. I don't know the first thing about teaching.

They were both drawn from the chalk alphabet by the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. They sounded metallic and clunky, which given what everyone wore meant it could only be Ayra, Clive or…

"Hi Mr. Haar!" Nino greeted him with an excited wave of her hand. "Kiran's been teaching me about letters and the sounds they make!"

"That I have." He confirmed, both amused and saddened at how excited she was about something that was so mundane for him. "Not that I really mind, but what are you doing back here?"

Haar pulled out a chair from the table they were seated at. "The others have started sparring and training, with Ayra taking it upon herself to make sure nobody slacks off." He slumped his shoulders and gave a tired sigh. "I don't think I need to tell you that her definition of 'slacking off' covers a lot more than yours or mine. That woman was going to be the death of me, so I came to find you and slow things down a little."

"As long as you can fight, I don't really care how you spend your time." Kiran shrugged. "You've got more muscle memory and experience than them anyway, so you can probably afford to take it slower."

He turned to Nino, who once again had glued her eyes to the chalkboard. "Alright Nino, that's enough time to study. Now, try to reproduce it from memory." He stood up and wiped away the twenty-six letters. She gave a determined nod, but there was an unmistakable mixture of fear and doubt in her eyes. "Hey, don't worry about messing up." He softened his voice and tried to console her. "Making mistakes is the only way to learn anything. Just do the best you can, and if you get stuck, don't be afraid to ask me for help. Okay?"

His encouragement did the trick, putting a spark back in her and getting a courageous smile on her mouth. "Okay! I'll do my best, you'll see!"

Kiran sat back down while Nino picked up a piece of chalk and started cautiously drawing a really messy 'A'. Since he had nothing to do until she called upon his aid, he turned to Haar. "So…what do you think of Askr so far?"

Haar gave a casual shrug and lazily rested his eye on the blackboard, which now had a jagged 'C' on it. "Not much to think about. The people seem good and the royalty competent. Not all that different from home really." He shifted his gaze to Kiran, his eye now inquisitively narrowed. "I think I'm the one who should be asking you that question. Looks to me like there's going to be some bad blood between you and the Askrans for a while."

"You heard me set Tana straight." Kiran scoffed. "They dragged me here against my will. We might be batting for the same team, but I'm going to have a chip on my shoulder about it for as long as I'm here. What does it matter if I don't like them? All I'll be doing is hiding in bushes during battles and summoning the day after, and I don't have to get along with them to do that."

"I guess that's fair enough. Still, they did act pretty freaked out when your relic started taking its toll. I'd say they want to at least be on amicable terms."

"Oh please, they just don't want their 'Great Hero' getting hurt." Kiran derisively sneered. "They only want me happy so I'll do their work for them without a fuss. I'll admit I actually do kind of like Sharena, even if she did take the piss out of my job, because when she's warm and friendly it feels like that's just how she is; she's not wearing a fake smile to get people to like her. And it doesn't hurt that she had no part in Alfonse's plan to bring me here."

Before Haar could offer a response, Nino interjected with her first question. "U-um, Kiran, what's the next letter after this one?" He looked at the board, which was covered in messy scrawlings that vaguely resembled the alphabet up to what he was fairly sure was a 'K'. By the standards of the average American fourteen-year old, it was horrifying. But for a girl who had no formal education and spent her formative years being raised by assassins, it was a lot better than he thought it'd be.

"Let's see here, your most recent ones are 'H, I, J, K'. The next letter would be 'L'." He got up and wrote it for her, eliciting a noise of comprehension from Nino. "Remember, the next one looks like 'K' from a different angle. Keep at it Nino, you've done a lot better than I expected you to for your first time."

Nino happily soaked up his praises and looked to have twice the resolve she did before asking for his help. "Really? You mean it?! Don't worry Kiran, I'll have it done in no time!"

He sat back down across from Haar, who had an amused look in his eye. "Alright, where were we? Great Hero stuff, right?" he asked his cyclopean acquaintance. "Actually, now that I think about it, have you been getting weird looks from the guards and staff? Because they've been looking at me funny since this morning, and I'm pretty sure it's because of Alfonse's little talk with them all after dinner last night."

"Yeah, I picked up on that too. They've gone from sort of curious to almost reverent. Like they think we're going to ride out and destroy the whole Emblian army single handedly."

Kiran rolled his eyes at the proposal. "I hate to disappoint, but if that's what they're expecting maybe they ought to get used to being let down." He leaned in towards the wyvern rider and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Honestly? I don't really care about Askr that much. Yeah, they're in a really shitty situation, and I feel that, but I'm in this for my people, not theirs. Maybe Tana or Clive answered my call out of the goodness of their hearts, but I know it least some of us are in this for our own reasons. It just happens that said reasons align with Askr's interests."

Haar shifted his one eye to the ground and released a fatigued sigh. "…I can't disagree with you. Like I told you back at the shrine, I've got a steady, quiet life that I don't want to get uprooted by this Veronica. Doing a good deed by saving Askr is a nice bonus, but it's not the main reason I'm here."

Kiran pulled back and glanced at Nino, who looked to be on 'V' and was chewing her lip in thought. If she heard them confess their apathy for Askr, she gave no outward indication. "I just hope there's no leaks from the castle about my identity." He remarked. "The longer it takes Embla to figure out who I am and what I do, the better."

Haar nodded agreeably. "I'll say. Don't want to scare you, but when word gets out about your summoning power, things are going to get a lot more dangerous in this part of Askr."

Kiran defeatedly hung his head. "Yeah, I figured as much. Guess we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Kiran!" The two were drawn from their despondent musings by Nino, who looked rather proud of herself. "I did it! At least, I think I did!" A cursory glance at the blackboard revealed the choppiest, most illegible alphabet he'd ever seen. Most of the letters had some immediately noticeable flaw, like a backwards 'E' or a 'T' with the middle line shifted incredibly far to one side. Several letters were even in misplaced order, especially towards the end when her memory probably started wearing thin.

And it was still far better than it had any right to be for a first attempt.

"Wow, you got through the whole thing with only one pick-me-up? That's a hell of a lot better than I'd have done in your shoes." His praise earned an excited gasp from Nino, who was beaming at him with the most glowing smile he think he'd ever seen. "Of course, it's, uh, not exactly perfect, but no first attempt ever is. Come on, let's iron out the kinks, go through the sounds one more time and then try it again. Won't be long before you can do it with your eyes closed."

She just gave him a series of frantic nods in response, as she was apparently too excited by her stellar performance to form words. Haar leaned back into his chair, content to watch his lesson far away from Ayra's strict gaze. If nothing else, Nino's enthusiasm for learning something as mundane as the alphabet was a welcome reprieve from all of the heavy talk of late. Even if the rest of them spent their days troubled by the looming shadow of war over their heads, Kiran took a small measure of comfort from her ability to find joy in such a simple thing.

Virion had spent four days in Askr by his count, but it was only now that he was getting to see what he'd been waiting for ever since Kiran did his summoning session.

It was obvious from the second she appeared that Princess Ayra was in every way Princess Sharena's opposite; plain, dark hair against styled blonde braids, stern pragmaticism versus cheerful optimism, and a double-edged broadsword contrasted with the far-reaching tip of a lance. Their spat at the shrine was inevitable in some form or another, Kiran's violent collapse only brought it forth sooner rather than later. Their passive aggressive clash of ideals had endured throughout the following days, and it was now that he had the privilege of bearing witness to their feud taking physical form. In one of the dueling arenas, he watched the two fiercely lock training blades and finally settle their differences.

In a way, he thought it incredible that the sequence of events leading to the clash hadn't happened yesterday at the first training session that Haar slinked away from. Sharena had performed some light drills to warm up and then took a quick break after only about thirty minutes. Ayra, who had gone over two hours the previous day before taking any form of reprieve, was quick to chastise her for what she saw as laziness. The Askran princess angrily shot back something about harsh training killing you faster than any opponent, and the two were back at each other's throats as they'd been at the shrine. The only thing that kept them apart the day prior was Anna pushing Sharena harder than she was willing to push herself alone.

Alas, there was no Kiran this time to get them to back off. In fact, there wasn't really anybody around to even try and diffuse the situation. Haar was taking Tana through flying drills, Anna was doing a budget and inventory check, Kiran was with Nino at the magic range, Maria was in the healing hall with Alfonse seeing to the wounded men, Kaze was inspecting the castle for possible incursion points assassins or spies could use, and Clive was tending to his horse in the stables. That left only Virion nearby, and he knew Ayra's opinion of him was low enough that any intervention would only be met with hostility.

So, he decided to make the most of things and enjoy the show. He had to admit, it was clear that Ayra's pride and high standards were not unwarranted; she fought with an oppressive ferocity and finely honed skill at least on par with those of Lon'qu or Chrom. It was all Sharena could do to keep her guard unbroken, as Ayra's close quarters onslaught left her no room to retaliate. Sharena was well accustomed to defensive fighting, however, and it wasn't long before she angled her shield to deflect Ayra's strike wide to the ground, leaving her wide open for a thrust of the wooden lance. Unfortunately for the blonde, Ayra realized her mistake the instant it happened and leapt back to avoid incurring any damage.

With that exchange, their battle had returned to a neutral state, and Ayra derisively snorted at her opponent. "Is that all you can do? Hide behind your shield and fail to capitalize on what few openings you make? It's little wonder Askr is in the state it is when even its princess is so passive."

As Virion had seen firsthand with Kiran, insulting their homeland was a good way to incense Zenith's royals. Sharena narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth at the insult. "I can't believe you've managed to live this long." She spitefully shot back. "Constantly attacking to the point that anyone with a shield can rip apart what little defense you have doesn't sound like it's good for your health."

Ayra's only outward sign that the barb had affected her was a tightening of her lips and an immediate return to her stance. Sharena did much the same, and the two carefully stared each other down, both looking for the slightest mistake to exploit. Sharena must have taken Ayra's criticism to heart, as she made the first move this time, lunging forward with her lance extended. The strike was easily parried, but Sharena's deflection of the resulting counterattack sent it the opposite direction of her own weapon, exposing Ayra's flank to Sharena's refocused weapon. She wouldn't be defeated so easily though and twisted her blade to thrust it at the shaft of the lance, an action which broke both of their stances but saved her from a losing blow. Their faltering postures were corrected near instantly, and the two resumed their exchange.

"Oh my. I was wondering when this was going to happen." Virion reluctantly took his eyes off the battle to inspect his new fellow observer, whose cobalt armor identified him as Clive. "I had come to practice some dismounted lanceplay, but I can see we've a far more enticing means of spending our time."

"Indeed." Virion agreed. "I've been anticipating this duel for the better part of my time here; it would be shame to not see it through to its conclusion." They both returned their gaze to the warrior women, transfixed by their seemingly deadlocked engagement.

Suddenly, Ayra backed off for a second to shift her stance. Virion's eyes widened in shock as he realized what Ayra was setting up to do. If she was trying what he thought she was, it was a move he'd only ever seen successfully performed twice: once by Say'ri as she dueled her brother and again by Lon'qu when they fought for the fate of the world on the back of the Fell Dragon. In both cases the technique was only executed out of intense duress and necessity, so the thought that Ayra was skilled enough to casually use it in something as pedestrian as a sparring match was inconceivable.

Surely, she would not resort to Astra of all things for a simple spar! He incredulously thought.

His fears were confirmed when a moment later she darted forward. "Let's see you handle this," She coldly challenged Sharena. The first strike alone nearly toppled the poor blonde as it destroyed her footing by sending her weapon away at the most awkward angle possible. Unfortunately for her, Virion knew well that that was only the beginning, and that there were four more strikes for her to endure, each one specifically designed to cripple her defense and leave her exposed to a lethal final blow.

With blinding speed, Ayra performed her second slash, this one raising Sharena's shield to unevenly distribute her center of mass. A third parried her clumsy attempt at a counterattack and the fourth batted the shield to the side, leaving Sharena in no position to protect herself. With cold precision, Ayra made to finish the technique and end their spar. But Sharena was nothing if not stubborn and determined, so in a final act of defiance she gripped her unsteady lance and thrust it towards Ayra's abdomen, which was protected by little more than a drape of violet cloth.

When the dust settled, it was readily apparent that Sharena had taken far worse than she dished out; Ayra's ultimate blow had left her sprawled on the ground and tenderly rubbing her chest in pain. Had it been a real fight, she'd doubtless have been bleeding profusely seconds away from death. Yet, Ayra had not gotten out unscathed, as she was nursing the point of the lance's impact with clear discomfort. Had Sharena's weapon been bladed and not blunted, the princess of Isaach would have been in desperate need of a healer right now.

Ayra began approaching her fallen opponent, and for a second Virion feared that she'd demand Sharena get up and keep fighting, but he and Clive found themselves pleasantly surprised when she instead extended a hand to help the lancer back to her feet. Sharena hesitantly took it, just as surprised as the men that Ayra was doing her the courtesy.

"That was bold, what you did." Ayra commended her. "Even when you had no hope of surviving, you kept fighting to the bitter end instead of rolling over and accepting it. I respect that."

Sharena's eyes widened in shock at the unexpected praise. "O-oh, well, you know, I couldn't just let you win. I had to do something about that freaky attack of yours, and since I couldn't hide behind my shield like you said…"

Ayra gave a small hum of acknowledgement before crossing her arms and uncomfortably looking at the ground. "…I was wrong about you." She tentatively admitted. "When two people fight, they show each other their true character. I thought all those smiles and giggles were because you weren't taking things seriously, but after seeing you refuse to go down without a fight, even when it was hopeless, I can see that your optimism is your way of defying the status quo. Despite how bleak things look, you're not letting it change who you are."

Sharena blinked at her in stunned silence, unable to believe Ayra's out of nowhere apology. Soon though, she began giggling, happy to have finally eased the tension between them. "Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to hear that from such a great warrior." Then, like Ayra before her, she broke her gaze to uncertainly look to the side. "…I know I can go a little overboard sometimes with the focus on fun and cheer. I mean, you saw how Kiran reacted when I said his job was too boring. Alfonse and father are always telling me to straighten out, but it's just like you said: I can't change who I am." She began nervously wringing her hands together. "I guess I should apologize too. I thought you were, well, 'a stick in the mud'. But if all that seriousness and discipline let's you do moves like that, maybe I ought to start taking my training more seriously."

Ayra let a small, good-natured grin grace her features. "We'll work on it." Sharena matched her with a determined smile of her own, pleased to have made what she liked to think of as a friend.

"Bravo! A simply magnificent display of both skill and human understanding!" The women turned to see Virion striding towards him with his hands rhythmically coming together in applause. "I daresay I've never felt safer with the knowledge that you two will be at my side in battle. Whether it be your prowess with a blade or your captivating beauty, you are both truly unparalleled in your talents!"

Sharena giggled amusingly at Virion's antics while Ayra rolled her eyes in annoyance and pointedly ignored the bluenette to go talk to Clive instead. "I'm afraid flattery won't get you very far Sir Virion. If you want to impress her, you'll have to do it with your bow, not your words."

"Then it is most fortuitous that the archest of archers will soon join her in battle, no? Regardless, I believe you're due for a visit to the healing hall after that nasty blow."

Sharena winced and traced her fingers over her doubtless badly bruised chest. "I'll say. Gods, what was that crazy attack? I've definitely never seen Alfonse do anything like that."

Virion offered her his shoulders to sling her arm around. "It so happens that I've a mote of experience with that technique. Come, I'll share my stories as we walk."

They limped past Ayra and Clive, who were exchanging training weapons out from the rack. Clive turned to his raven-haired companion to make a few comments of his own. "I must confess, Princess Ayra, I had thought your heart harder than stone. I am most relieved to see you show your humanity and make amends with Princess Sharena. Such bonds are the base of any army's strength, you know."

Ayra replaced her badly dented and nicked training sword for a fresh one. "I had my concerns about Askr's competence, that's all. After that duel, I can say that the people here know what they're doing. I find that reassuring."

"I should hope you're right. The true test is yet to come I'm afraid." Ayra's eyes darkened at his words; her last battle with Lord Sigurd had ended in disaster, and though she had no idea how Kiran had brought her from the perpetual darkness that followed Arvis's all consuming flames, she had no intention of repeating her failure here.

For all of its differences from Hoshido, Kaze was finding Askr to be a rather nice place. The people were strong, yet compassionate, the royals were as driven and skilled as Hoshido's and the summoned warriors were already making for trustworthy allies.

Currently, he was escorting Tana to the healing hall after she sprained her ankle during a dismount from Cecil. Nino had been trying to actually read her fire tome using Kiran's teachings, but a mispronunciation had caused the flame to shoot to the side rather than straight ahead. The fireball abruptly landed close enough to spook the poor pegasus and make it throw off its rider's dismount.

"I'm terribly sorry for putting you through this trouble, Sir Kaze." She apologized, a repentant frown on her face. "Safely dismounting a startled pegasus is one of the first things I was taught. I suppose I haven't put it into practice in a fair while, but that's no excuse for faltering on something so basic."

"It's no trouble whatsoever." He assured her. "I'm perfectly happy to lend my assistance. I even welcome the reprieve this affords us." That was something they could both agree on. That morning, most of them were stunned to see Sharena endorsing Ayra's strict training regimen. Virion and Clive explained that they had worked out their differences the day before, and while Tana and Kaze were both relieved to hear that, they weren't the most eager to have to suffer through the results of that reconciliation.

Saizo would thrive in such overbearing drilling. Kaze thought. He's rather similar to Princess Ayra now that I think about it.

It wasn't long before they came to the doorway leading to the castle's healing facilities. It was situated in the west wing of the castle, likely out of the need to treat the numerous injuries that arose from sparring as soon as possible. They opened the door and were quickly seen by a familiar blot of red sitting by one of the beds with a staff.

"Hello Princess Tana, Sir Kaze!" Maria enthusiastically greeted them with a happy wave. "Come to receive some healing? If so, I'm your girl!" She proudly puffed out her chest and gripped her staff in both hands.

"You'd best indulge her, you know. She won't take no for an answer." They were addressed by an elderly gentleman from across the room in humble priest robes, who began ambling over to the pair. "I am Galien, head priest of this castle and these modest healing chambers. It is an honor to make the acquaintance of noble warriors from distant lands." He gave a courteous bow to top off his introduction.

"I am Tana, princess of Frelia, and this is Kaze, a ninja of Hoshido. I assure you, the honor is all ours Father Galien." Tana warmly heartened him.

"Indeed." Kaze agreed. "The work you do here is absolutely vital. Your modesty is a testament to your character."

"Please, you are both far too kind." He casually waved their praises off. "Now, what has brought you here on this day?"

"A sprain of the ankle, I'm afraid." Tana embarrassedly clarified. "I fear I was rather clumsy and landed on it wrong trying to dismount from my steed."

"That's all? Why, that'll be fixed in no time. Such injuries are far more common than you might think. In fact, it will make for a perfect exercise for young Maria here."

"Don't call it an 'exercise', that makes it sound like healing sprains is all I can do!" Maria complained. "You know I can do better than that, Father Galien!"

He good-heartedly chuckled at Maria's proud stubbornness. "You do well to remember that mastery of the basics is essential to further development, young princess. If you are as skilled as you say, then healing Princess Tana's ankle should be a trifling matter, should it not? You're not…secretly afraid you can't do it, are you?" For a kindly old priest, Kaze thought he was doing an awfully good job of playing puppet master and pulling Maria's strings.

As intended, Maria's obstinance went from defiant to competitive because of Galien's challenge. "I'm not scared at all! Come on Princess Tana, sit down here and I'll have you fixed up in no time!" Tana did as she requested, but not before shooting a knowing look the priest's way. Maria began taking off her thigh-high boot to treat the afflicted area directly. "I've gotten a lot better since I got here, you know. I might've forgotten a lot in Castle Deil, but I've remembered what I learned in Macedon really fast for not having any practice in a long time. That's what Kiran said anyway."

The mention of the summoner raised Kaze's curiosity; what would he have been doing in the healing hall? "Kiran, you say? He was here?"

Maria began pressing the gemstone of her staff against Tana's swollen ankle and scrunching her face in concentration. "Mhmm. He came by yesterday to see how I was doing and ask about healing magic."

Recognition dawned on Galien's face as Maria described Kiran's visit. "Ah, yes, the Great Hero. He came to check in on Maria. When he started asking questions about clerical magic, I offered to explain it to him, but he was oddly adamant that Maria be the one to describe it to him."

"That's because Kiran can tell how good I am at this." Maria boasted, though the beads of sweat on her brow betrayed how much she was exerting herself.

Kaze had a different reason in mind for Kiran's strange choice in teacher. "Or, perhaps he wanted the information from someone who knew as little about magic theory as he does. I'm not sure if you're aware of this, Father Galien, but Kiran comes from a world totally bereft of magic. It's possible he was worried your explanation would be too reliant on assumed knowledge."

Galien looked equal parts confused and troubled by that nugget of intel about Kiran. "The Great Hero's world has no magic? Oh, no no, that couldn't possibly be true. Surely there's been some miscommunication?"

Tana idly shrugged as the pain in her foot ebbed away. "That's what he claims. I'd think it a falsehood myself had I not seen the way he reacted to my pegasus or Sir Haar's wyvern. If he is lying about it, he's doing a spectacular job."

"It's not just magic – Kiran has told us other things about his world every night at dinner, and everything he says just makes it look even weirder." Maria informed him. "Apparently, they've got these wagons that can move without horses, but I didn't really get how they work."

"Well, he is a natural philosopher." Tana defended the summoner. "He'd be out of a job if such things were easily understood. I can't exactly say I've fully comprehended everything he tries to explain."

"I see…" Galien thoughtfully stroked his chin. "I thought there seemed to be an air of uncertainty about him as he spoke with Maria. At the time I merely attributed it to his ignorance in clerical matters, but with what you've told me…" He sadly shook his head. "That poor man must be hopelessly confused. He has found himself in a world completely foreign to him, where his everyday life is now the talk of unbelievable legends. All the more reason to be grateful for his choice to come to our aid in this dire hour." Galen closed his eyes and serenely smiled. "I thanked him for as much yesterday, though I wish I had been aware of just what he has sacrificed in his selflessness."

At the revelation that Galien had personally thanked Kiran for choosing to be in Askr, Tana and Kaze shared a confused look; they'd already personally earned Kiran's ire for insinuating his presence in Askr was a conscious decision, so why had he not corrected Galien like he did them? A quick glance at Maria had her with a finger to her closed lips and frantically shaking her head, imploring them to keep quiet. Apparently, Kiran had elected to hold his tongue, so they had little choice but to follow in his footsteps.

"Oh, listen to me ramble." He chastised himself. "Are you well again princess?"

"That I am." Tana assented with a somewhat strained smile. "Maria has done a marvelous job."

"Indeed she has. Little Maria has been a welcome ray of sunshine around here these past few days. When they've recovered, the troops have always said she made their stay much more pleasant. In fact," he turned to his young protégé, "since you've been doing so well, why don't you take a break? Spend some time with your friends here."

"That's rather generous of you." Kaze observed, slightly envious that Maria got a kindly old man to work for while the rest of them chafed under Ayra. "How can you be sure her assistance not be needed?

"It's nothing to fuss over. As you can see, the hall is quite empty. Lady Anna always makes sure I'm informed of the day's movements so I can be prepared for any arrivals, and there's nothing to be ready for today. I believe I can handle a few empty beds without Maria's help."

"Aww, thank you Father Galien!" Maria gave a polite, grateful bow to the priest for his leniency. "I'll work twice as hard tomorrow to make up the difference, don't worry!"

With that, the three of them left the hall with Galien waving them off. As soon as they were beyond the doors, and thus beyond Galien's ears and eyes, Tana and Kaze both turned to Maria. "I hate to trouble you with this so soon," Tana began, "but since you were present, I must ask: why did Kiran go along with Father Galien's thanks?" Tana may not have even realized it, but there was a small part of her that was still scorned by the rude way Kiran had corrected her on the way back from the shrine, and said part was further insulted by the fact that Galien hadn't gotten the same treatment.

Maria non-committedly shrugged at Tana's question. "I'm not really sure. I thought he was going to get mad again for a second, but then he just…" she uncertainly shook her head. "I don't know, it was like something took the wind out of his sails. He suddenly started going along with it, but I couldn't tell why, and then he left before I could ask."

"Hm, that is odd." Tana confusedly pursed her lips. "Kaze, I don't suppose you have any idea why he did that?"

The shinobi had his arms crossed and eyes closed in thought. "…I can think of one reason." He admitted. "We knew nothing of the legend describing him, so correcting us was a simple matter of clearing up a misunderstanding. But for native Askrans, the legend is a beacon of hope offered by their prince that may yet be their salvation. If Kiran corrected them about it…"

"…their morale would crumble in no time." Tana finished for him. "If that was indeed his reason, its commendable that Kiran was cognizant enough of their feelings to reign in his temper and perpetuate the happy lie."

"Well, maybe he's at the training field and we can go ask him!" Maria blithely proposed. "I wanna go there anyway and see if Mr. Haar will let me ride on his wyvern!"

Tana heartily giggled at Maria's enthusiasm and began animatedly chatting with her about this and that, but her final words lingered in Kaze's mind and kept him from sharing in their mirth. The past few nights, Kiran had been more forthcoming with details of his world, sharing traits of culture or commonplace technology. It was all rather strange and confusing, but most importantly, it was sincere.

His first such discussion, about history and his career, was significantly lacking in that sincerity.

Kaze couldn't begin to guess why or in what way, but Kiran had lied to them that first night; his years of interrogation training had made him adept at reading the body language of a deceiver. He wanted to trust the summoner, and his behavior at the shrine and in the war room made it easy to do that, but Kaze hadn't spent his life as a shinobi just to ignore his instincts now.

While he hoped Kiran's deception was just another 'happy lie' to avoid needlessly upsetting them, he had to prepared for the worst.

"I suppose this is it then." Alfonse was currently in Anna's office with the intelligence reports he had requested finally in front of them. The target was, as Ayra predicted, a former Askran fortress that had been repurposed by Embla into a storehouse they used to distribute much of the necessary foodstuffs along the frontline. As such, it wasn't very deep into Emblian territory, and it should've been possible to sneak past their lines, destroy it, and sneak back for anyone caught on. Best of all, its Askran origin meant they knew the exact layout of the base, so planning a way to take it would be exponentially easier.

"I only wish it wasn't so late." Anna lamented. "We'll have to formulate a strategy in the morning and then execute it tomorrow night." Indeed, the lit sconces on the wall around the pitch-black window betrayed the belated hour in which they were meeting.

"If things go the way they did in the first strategy meeting, Kiran will likely be the one to come up with a plan." Alfonse remarked. "Should that happen, it will only be natural to put him in command of the attack in some capacity. I don't think I need to tell you how he'll take that idea."

Anna tiredly sighed. "I don't blame him for not wanting the responsibility, but I think he has a genuine talent for this and it's a waste to not at least nurture it. He's been spending his time getting to know the others and teaching Nino; those are important tasks, but it wouldn't hurt him to open a strategy book every now and then."

"If we want him to take a more active role, asking directly is probably the worst way to go about it." He disappointedly shook his head. "He isn't exactly fond of either of us. Whenever something upsets him, it's us who bear the full brunt of his indignation, regardless of what set him off. However unfair it is, he's clearly holding a grudge against us for our roles in bringing him here."

Anna exasperatedly threw her hands in the air. "We said we were sorry and he even admitted it was for the best that he fulfill the legend! What more does he want?!" She slumped forward, propped her elbows on the desk and rested her head in her hands. "Gods, this whole thing is dangerously strained. Whether he likes it or not, Kiran is the middle ground between us and whomever he summons. It's his plea they hear and answer, not ours. If more and more warriors are summoned and see that he doesn't trust us, that's going to affect the entire operation."

"I can only hope that a combination of time and our shared experiences on the battlefield will be enough to warm him up to us." Alfonse dejectedly dropped a document back onto the table. "At least Sharena gets along with him, and I suppose it's preferable that he be on amicable terms with the summoned heroes and not us than the other way around. Still," he pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, "I wish that he at least had the decency to be professionally cordial with us. I can understand being personally disliked, but he really ought to show the proper respect to our stations." In particular, he was getting rather sick of Kiran's mocking sarcasm, especially in response to perfectly innocuous questions.

"I think that's less him trying to spite us specifically and more of a personality quirk." Anna suggested. "I mean, it isn't like he treats the others any differently based on their social footing. Whether he's talking to Nino or Ayra, it looks like he acts more or less the same." Upon thinking about the implications of what she just said, Anna's face scrunched up in cogitation. "Which in hindsight doesn't make much sense. He's clearly educated, so why doesn't he even acknowledge different social standings, let alone respect them? Do nobles in his world not dictate that they be held in high esteem or something?"

At the mention of Kiran's home, Alfonse exhaustingly draped his face into his palms. "Ugh, it's a nightmare trying to make sense of whatever bizarre place he comes from. I know I said I was eager to learn more, but it's starting to get to be too much. I'd think he was playing us for fools if he wasn't able to immediately cite so many detailed examples of what he was describing. A genre of music where the singers growl the lyrics sounds like a sophomoric prank, but he provided musicians and even sub-genres the second we asked."

Anna leaned back into her chair an stretched her arms behind her back. "Well, if nothing else our shared confusion over his stories is a bonding point for everybody. It helps us have a little more common ground. Of course," she ceased her slack posture and glanced forebodingly at the report in front of them, "the real test of our bonds will come tomorrow."

Alfonse apprehensively hung his head at the implication of their imminent attack. "Indeed it shall. And it won't do for us to face that trial with bags under our eyes. Come, Commander, the hour is late enough as is; we're no good to anyone without our proper rest. We'll sort this out in the morning – for now, let's make use of this last reprieve before we must take up arms once again."

"I sure won't say no to a royal order to go to sleep." Anna cheekily wisecracked, knowing full well it had been a friendly request. With stiff legs, she rose to her feet and joined her prince at the doorway to see him off. Despite her jovial quip, there was an unmistakable weight growing on her shoulders. Within twenty-four hours, Askr would either win a great victory…or lose its one chance at salvation.

Fuck me, this is going to suck.

The Askran party of eleven had just successfully slipped through the Emblian lines, thanks to Kaze's specialties dealing with the minor guard problem. They had travelled for an hour and a half already and would be at their destination within a mere thirty minutes, a fact that did nothing but tear at Kiran's already frayed nerves.

Alfonse and Anna had found a suitable target and thus had them reconvene in the war room that morning to discuss the means of destroying it. The fact that they were attacking what used to be an Askran fort meant they'd known the entire floorplan, and as such didn't have the hardest time formulating a strategy.

The plan was, in Kiran's mind, fairly simple: Kaze would sneak into the fortress, check the captain's chambers to assassinate any possible commanding officer inside, and then light fire to the storeroom where the vitals supplies they distributed were being kept. From there, he would try and spread the fire where he could, and then be left to his own judgement on whether or not it would be better to stay within the walls and pick off Emblians or rejoin the main group – though Kaze himself had already said he'd prefer to deal with any straggling archers on the parapets if nothing else came up.

Once his main tasks were accomplished, the rest of them were to take advantage of the ensuing chaos and meet the Emblian troops as they fled in from their suddenly burning bastille. They predicted that the lack of discipline for the soldiers and dearth of incidents in the cushy rampart would cause them to act not with composed order, but with blind panic. Kiran had asked about the possibility of them simply putting the flames out, but was assured that the interior was quite flammable; any fireproofing was on the outside walls to nullify enemy mages, so they would have neither the means nor the experience to deal with a sudden inferno from within.

The fort had two entrances, one facing Askr and the other facing Embla, so to cover both escape routes the group would have to be split into two teams. After much debate, they decided that the Askran side would be covered by Anna, who would command Alfonse, Tana and Clive, while the Emblian exit would be held by Haar, with authority over Sharena, Haar, Ayra, Nino and Virion.

As the Emblian troops would almost certainly prefer to flee into their own borders, the second group was larger to accommodate the greater forces they'd likely have to deal with. Virion had been specifically placed with them to pick off anyone who managed to get past them and make a break for it. Tana was in Anna's squad due to her inexperience – it was agreed that performing hit and run maneuvers against the smaller opposition was the best way to get her feet wet. Originally, they had wanted to give Kiran command on the Emblian side, owing to his success on his first day, but he was rather…forceful in his opposition.

"For the last goddamn time, no!" Kiran furiously shouted across the table, his hands slamming down on it as he defiantly rose to his feet. "How many times to I have to explain to you thick-skulled idiots why this is a bad idea?"

Alfonse, who had finally lost patience with Kiran's disrespect towards him and his fellow Askrans, narrowed his eyes and shot back a sharp retort. "If you can't control your temper then so be it, but you will reign in your tongue! I know very well what your reservations are but flinging childish insults will bring you nothing but wasted breath!"

Kiran brought his hands up in a mock gesture of placation as the rest of the group uneasily watched the increasingly vicious argument unfold. "Oh, alright then 'Your Highness', if you can see where I'm coming from, then why the hell are you so insistent on pushing the job onto me?!"

The prince frustratedly threw his hands into the air, as if arguing with a child who refused to accept that the sky was blue. "Because you need the experience! Your ignorance on these matters can only be amended so much through study, which you seem to have neglected anyway. It was your idea to cover both gates and the battle shouldn't be more than a simple rout, so what harm will it do you be in command for a brief time?"

"Because no plan survives contact with the enemy you fool! When something inevitably goes wrong, I'm sure as hell not going to know how to fix it! But if it's experience you want to talk about, why don't we ask the two most experienced people here what they think?" He gestured to Ayra and Haar, the former of which was rapidly growing exasperated with their trite back and forth. "Oh wait, we already asked them the day they arrived, and they both agreed it was a terrible idea!"

Whatever retort Alfonse had been preparing died in his throat, as he couldn't deny that several of them had assented with Kiran's belief that he was unfit for authority. Taking advantage of his opposition's silence, Kiran made an exaggerated gesture of comprehension. "Hey, I have an idea! Why don't we just put Haar in charge of the second group? You know, the guy who has years of experience commanding troops in the field? The guy who is already on that team anyway? You got some princely reason why that isn't the most logical option?"

It would seem he didn't, as all Alfonse did was rancorously grit his teeth and avoid eye contact. Haar didn't look all that enthused at suddenly having the responsibility of leadership on his shoulders once again, but he couldn't deny Kiran's reasoning. He bit back a tired sigh, instead opting only for a tired droop of his eye before raising his lid and meeting Kiran's impatient gaze. "…I'll do it. Never much liked commanding, but I've got a good track record, so I must've been doing something right. Don't worry you all, you can count on me to make sure we get through this."

Thankfully that virulent spat happened at the tail end of the meeting, so they didn't have to deal with it tainting much of their discussion. The only other argument was with Maria, who had insisted that she'd become skilled enough to be worth taking with them. "No protesting!" she had stubbornly said, just as when she was summoned. Privately, Kiran's firsthand witness to her healing talents made him think she had a point, but he was absolutely adamant about not taking an eleven-year old girl to a battlefield. Vocally, he claimed she just wasn't ready yet, a sentiment that the others thankfully agreed with him on. However much Maria wanted to dispute the point, she couldn't do much with the entire group telling her to stay put in the castle, so she settled for sulking with a petulant frown.

As he wasn't doing any fighting or commanding, Kiran's role in the battle was to hide in the nearby shrubbery between the two gates so the Breidablik, now hanging heavily from a clip on his belt, could absorb the souls of the fallen Emblians. The fortress was in a clearing just beyond the periphery of a forest, which provided not only a place for Kiran to lay low but also ample cover as they made their approach in the dark; considering how conspicuous the mounts were, it was a welcome boon.

At last, the obfuscation of the trees began to give way, and the stone structure became clearly visible through the last few trunks. There were only a few token sentries walking the outer wall with torches in hand, each looking absolutely bored out of their mind. Even Kiran could tell their patrol route had more holes in it than swiss cheese, and their lazy attitude towards it almost certainly meant their senses were nowhere near as heightened as the should be.

Still, there was no reason to take needless risks, so the group withdrew slightly and quietly made their way to the side of the fort between the Askr and Emblian ends, which was covered in an aging moss. From there, they silently split into their respective teams and Kaze turned to Anna, who nodded in confirmation. Kaze reciprocated the gesture, and after waiting a moment for a sentry to amble past the corner, quickly and stealthily made his way across the short field between them.

And here we go…Kiran thought to himself, nervously running his hand through his hair. He was on pins and needles from the anticipation; he'd dismissed his first two skirmishes had been the result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but now…now he was actively seeking out danger for the sake of being able to summon. The thought that he'd consciously chosen to put himself in harm's way sent indescribable chills down his spine, as if it finally put into perspective just what he'd found himself caught up in.

He was pulled from his anxious reflection by a hand gently grasping his shoulder. He shot up in fright, but a quick swing of his head revealed it was only Sharena. When their eyes met, she put on a comforting smile and gave him a calm, reassuring nod. It's all going to be okay, she seemed to be silently assuring him. He offered an unsteady, but still more controlled nod in return, and she let her hand slide off him and returned to watching the fort.

After what could've been five minutes or an entire lifetime, they began hearing distressed shouts from the structure. They were all transfixed at the sight of the watchmen frantically abandoning their posts to scramble further into the fort. Shortly thereafter, a thick billow of smoke began to rise from the center, a clear sign that Kaze had completed his mission. Haar and Anna exchanged a quick glance, silently agreeing that it was time to move out.

"And so we charge onward into battle once more…" quietly quipped Clive, tightening his grip on both his lance and reigns.

With everyone prepared and the stage set, the two strike teams made their moves. Both pressed against the walls adjacent to each gate, lying in wait to ambush the fleeing Emblians. From his perch in the bushes, Kiran saw the smoke thicken further, and even thought he caught a glimpse of orange light glimmering over one of the walls. Just a few moments later, the first terrified screams came from the Emblian gate.

He wasn't at the best angle to see the action, but from what he could tell Sharena had claimed the first kill by driving her lance into the back of some panicked fool. The area became consumed by an indiscernible mixture of raging flames, confused shouts and panicked shrieking. It was only a moment before Anna's side took a life of their own, seemingly caused by Anna chopping straight through some hapless swordsman's neck. Despite the horrific setting, he found his heart somewhat stilled by the promising start to their operation.

"K-Kiran?"

That was until a voice suddenly called his name right behind him.

Terrified, her whipped around to see…young Princess Maria, her once pristine dress caked in dirt and clutching her staff with a determined, yet undeniably unsure look on her face.

In the second it took to recognize her, Kiran went from scared stiff to absolutely livid. "What the – Maria?! You insane, compulsive idiot, what in the hell are you doing here?!" He was so incensed he forgot to lower his voice, though the frenzied sounds of battle behind him made it a moot point.

"I came here to help! I followed you all from the castle, and you were too focused on the Emblians ahead of you that you didn't notice me." She explained, not without a grossly misplaced iota of pride. "I'm not just some helpless damsel, I'm a princess of Macedon! Strength is in my blood, just like it's in Minerva and Michalis's!"

Kiran was on edge enough with the battle and was in no mood for Maria's delusions of heroism. "No, what you are is an inexperienced child way in over her head! This isn't some game, Maria, I told you to stay behind for your own safety! You think that old priest wants you out here? You have no idea the world of trouble you're in when we get back! But for now," he tightly gripped her shoulders and intensely glared at her, "you are going to stay put until the battle is over and it's safe! No protesting, you got that?!"

The use of her own little catchphrase against her as the conclusion to his angry rant caused her to shamefully wither and avert her eyes. "I-I just didn't want to be a burden anymore…"

Kiran did have some measure of pity for her, but at the moment it was largely drowned out by his anger born of worry. "If you don't want to be a burden, then you'll listen to what we tell you to do so we don't have to worry about you!" Confident she'd been properly reproached into submission, he turned his attention back to the present conflict…only to find himself facing a potential disaster.

"What in the – oh shit!" The moss covering the wall facing him had fallen away, revealing a ramshackle passageway built into the stone of the fort that now had several Emblians emerging from it, amassing on the corner leading to the Emblian gate where Haar's team was mopping up what they thought were the last of the fortress garrison, their guards notably relaxing as they did so.

"Kiran? What's wrong?" Maria cautiously peeked her head out from behind him, gasping in horror as she saw the imminent ambush. "I thought Prince Alfonse said there were only two entrances!"

They must have added that after they took it! But why?! Did they actually think something like this would happen?

He leapt to his feet and checked that the Breidablik was still strapped to his belt before glancing back at his unwelcome companion. "I have to warn them! Maria, you stay put, alright? Wait until there's no more fighting before you come out!" He didn't wait for a confirmation and immediately started sprinting around the edge of the woods to try and travel far enough that he could join up with the squad without getting caught and killed by the Emblian ambush first.

He managed to get halfway between the gate and edge of the wall before a cursory glance at the building mass of troops revealed they were nearly about to strike. Recognizing that time was nearly up, he bolted from the forest towards the now near enemy-less group. In doing so, he passed a couple corpses with arrows embedded in their backs and one that was horribly charred. As he dashed towards his allies, an axe wielder rounded the corner and began making for the nearest Askran with their back turned: Ayra. With racing heart and lungs already bereft of air, Kiran reached for whatever strength he had left and shouted as loud as he could.

"AYRA! BEHIND YOU!"

She looked up in shock at his voice, and a second later twisted around as she processed the warning. With not an instant to spare, the brought up her blood-stained broadsword and clumsily parried a savage strike that would have severed her spine had Kiran hesitated in the slightest. The others were torn between looking to the attack on Ayra or their unexpected summoner, though his next declaration quickly asserted which was more important.

"We're being ambushed! They've been escaping through a secret passageway in the side of the building!"

As he exposed the plot, the other Emblians decided to make their move against the disorganized Askrans. Ayra had swiftly killed her assailant, but neither she nor the others were in any position to mount a proper defense – Virion was near the incoming onslaught while Sharena, the best defensive fighter they had, was furthest away. Haar, astride his wyvern above it all, chastised himself for looking at the now smoldering courtyard instead of checking the sides.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, they're going to surround us if we don't do something! He frantically thought, rapidly losing his nerve. How the hell are we supposed to contain them in a grassy field?! Suddenly, he froze and remembered the charred body he'd passed. It was too far away from the fort to have died from Kaze's fire, which meant it had to have been a victim of Nino's magic. Nino's fire magic…

"Nino!" She turned to him, startled by the sudden change in the tides of battle. "Set fire to the field parallel to the fort! Keep them contained against the walls so they can't spread out!"

She looked somewhat confused to be receiving an order from him, especially considering the show he'd put on that morning, but nodded in recognition of the command all the same. "Right!" She did as he demanded, using her now rather worn tome to weave a wall of fire in parallel to the ramparts of the fort, creating a narrow passageway leading to Ayra. An Emblian who'd been trying to encircle them suddenly cried out in pain and leapt back as he nursed his now badly scorched arm.

"Haar!" The wyvern rider, who had descended to join his comrades in what could've been a last stand, shifted his head at the call of his name. "Get behind them! Use your wyvern to scare them down the fire hallway so they don't backtrack beyond the flames!" Gone was the lazy slacker who blew off training to watch him teach Nino; in his place was a seasoned veteran whose critically focused eye narrowed in comprehension of the intended plan as he nodded his compliance.

"Sharena, up front with Ayra! Virion, pull back and be ready to aim around or between them!" The other three quickly caught on to the strategy and took their places, Sharena turtling with her shield while Virion pulled his bowstring taut. As Ayra stood next to Nino's magical fire at the ready to cut down anyone who came near, Kiran thought he saw something in her eyes as she beheld the licking flames; a hatred burning even fiercer than the hellfire consuming the fort, not of Embla but something far more personal. Whatever it was, he dismissed it from his mind as the first wave of Emblian reinforcements were forced down the column.

The lead soldier, a lancer, quickly crumpled to the ground with an arrow shaft sticking from his forehead. His fellows paused at his sudden death, but the aghast scream of one of their cohorts being ripped apart by draconian claws made them decide three humans were preferable to a single wyvern. Another, an axe man by his looks, was felled by one of Virion's plumed feathers before any reached either of the women.

The first to do so, a swordsman, thought to try his luck against the shield-less Ayra; he lost the gamble moments later when she brutally severed his sword arm and disemboweled him. It seemed he wasn't mistaken about that look in her eye, as she was being downright bloodthirsty in the way she ripped apart her enemies. A lancer decided to try and match Sharena and may have done so had an iron arrow not destroyed his kneecap and caused him to leave himself wide open for a thrust of the royal lance.

Had they been allowed to gang up on the trio, the Emblians likely would have had a decent chance, but Kiran's column was forcing them into fights only two at a time. The summoner's quick thinking had turned their own ambush against them, forcing the last fifteen or so of the garrison to inch towards the slaughter.

"Your people must be startingly intelligent, Kiran, if plans such as these are what pass for common sense in your homeland." Virion jested, notching another arrow as Ayra shredded some fool's jugular.

Kiran could barely find it in him to be exasperated at Virion bringing up his old excuse again, as he was too tense and disturbed from watching the butchery before him. "Will you just shut up and do yo – GAH!" Kiran's scolding was interrupted as he felt a lace of pain along his right arm. A glance at it revealed an arrow sticking out of the ground just below, with a fresh cut just below his shoulder oozing blood. They both looked up at the rampart, where a dogged archer was lining up another shot. Virion made to ready another arrow of his own, but before either of them could make their move the Emblian archer's head was pulled back and a knife slit across his throat.

Kaze stood over the fresh corpse, his garb coated in ash and soot and his knives soaked in blood. With finely honed agility, he scaled the wall to join them. "My apologies for failing to eliminate him before harm could befall you."

Kiran, now clutching his wounded arm, just wanted the fighting to be over before they worried about who owed a solid to whom. "Forget about that for now, just help us finish them off! Virion, keep shooting!" His demand got them back into the action, Virion firing his prepared arrow while Kaze threw one of his few remaining shuriken.

"Kiran!" He spun at the call of his name, revealing a certain rebellious princess running up to him and almost tripping over her dress.

"Maria! I told you to stay put! It isn't safe yet!" He berated her, though the dangerous circumstances of her arrival meant it was tinged more with concern than anger.

"But you're injured! This is why I'm here, to heal you when you get hurt!" She punctuated her plea with a shake of her staff.

He kneeled down and gripped her shoulders again, though this time he was much more tender about it, even as his blood-soaked left hand stained what little white was still on her dress. "I'm hurt because we haven't accounted for everything yet. You need to go back to the trees where it's safe, Maria. You can't heal anyone if you get hurt too."

She opened her mouth to plead with him more, but her eyes widened in terror at something behind him. As he turned to look, he first heard what was petrifying her so.

"DAMN FUCKING ASKRANS! IF I DIE, ONE OF YOU IS COMING WITH ME!"

With a full twist of his head, Kiran saw a horrifically burned swordsman lunging at him with his blade extended. He must have leapt through Nino's flames to attack the only people he saw who couldn't defend themselves. Behind him, Virion had just released his last arrow and desperately reached for another that wasn't there. Likewise, Kaze had used his last shuriken and was frantically trying to remove his wrist blades to throw at the maniacal assailant. Ayra and Sharena, busy with the last couple Emblians could only watch in horror as he was about to be cut down. Kiran, staring death in the face, took his last moments to instinctively wrap his arms around Maria, covering her body with his own to protect her from the imminent danger.

Then, right before his flesh was rended and his organs maimed, a flash of white emerged from the smoke and plunged an iron lance into the side of the deranged swordsman's throat. Tana, atop her brilliant pegasus, pushed as hard as she could to drive his course away from Kiran and Maria. By the barest of margins, she succeeded, and the sword drove harmlessly into the ground as its wielder weakly grabbed for the spear causing him to choke on his own blood. After a few seconds of fruitless struggle, he expired with a choked gasp, the smell of his charred flesh permeating the air. His killer didn't remove her weapon; she didn't do much of anything but stare at point where her blade buried into his throat with numb horror. Neither Kiran nor Tana were sure how long they watched the body before Sharena's desperate cry broke them out of it.

"KIRAN!" She frantically sprinted towards them, her defensive column now completely bereft of life. Haar's wyvern glided after her, apparently confirming that there were no more reinforcements. And judging by Tana's presence, the Askran gate was clear of hostiles too.

By all visible accounts, they had won the battle.

"Dear Gods, are you two all right?!" Sharena crouched in front of him, her weapon already forgotten on the ground. Kiran suddenly realized he was still clutching Maria and loosened his arms to let her move freely.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay. Maria, you didn't get hurt, right?"

"N-no, I'm okay. But you're not!" She pointed to the cut still lightly dripping blood. "I need to heal that right now!"

"Wait!" He stopped her with an outstretched palm. "Is it over? There aren't anymore Emblians, right?"

"It's over." Tana responded, her voice notably lacking its usual cheer. "Our gate has been routed, and by the looks of things, so has yours."

The news of their victory allowed Kiran to take a breath he felt like he'd been holding all battle. As the adrenaline left his system, he allowed his body to slacken and relax on the ember singed grass. Weakly, he turned to Maria and offered a gesture of concession, giving her the go-ahead to heal his arm. As she kneeled to work her magic, he turned to his savior, who was staring at the pile of bodies in the now one-sided column with a distant look in her eye.

"Hey, Tana." Somewhat startled, she twisted her body around her steed to meet him. "Thank you for saving my life. I owe you one." His gratitude seemingly brought her back from wherever her idle thoughts had taken her, and she offered him a happy smile more reminiscent of how she was at the castle.

"There's no need for thanks. We are comrades-in-arms, are we not? I simply…did what I had to do." The mention of her deed caused her face to fall slightly. Kiran wanted to say something to comfort her, but before he could find the words Maria voiced a sudden frustration.

"No, this isn't right! It should be working just fine! What's going wrong?!" She was desperately concentrating, causing the blue orb in her staff to brightly glow. Yet, for all her efforts, Kiran's wound remained unchanged.

"Friends, we are victorious!" Clive's jubilant cheer as he, Anna and Alfonse arrived on the other side of the fort was unanswered, since everyone already present was engrossed in Maria's attempt to heal Kiran, at least partially out of confusion for why or how she was even there.

"Well, it may just be as we said Princess Maria." Virion offered, choosing to ignore the logistics of her presence for the moment. "You simply require a touch more training and experience, that's all."

That was the wrong thing to say, as Maria's response was to defiantly shake her head. "No, I can do this! I know I can!" She fervently looked at everyone, settling her gaze on a small cut on Ayra's uncovered upper thigh. "Here, I'll show you!"

She leapt up, and before long her brilliantly shining staff was mending Ayra's minor wound. After a few seconds, it was as if the scratch never existed. "See? See?! I can do it! But something's not right when I try to heal Kiran!" Emboldened by her success with Ayra, she returned to him and tried again. Alas, it was still to no avail. "No, no, no! Why won't it work?!" Her frustration began spilling over as the young princess began sobbing at her repeated failure. "T-this is why I'm here, s-so why can't I do it?!"

They all shared in her puzzlement. Even Kiran had to admit it made no sense that she would be able to heal an identical wound on Ayra but not on him. Then, Nino had a realization, and her eyes widened in dismay at the thought.

"No magic…" she breathed out, barely audible above the flames behind them.

"H-huh?" Maria inquired, looking up from Kiran's injury.

"Kiran's world has no magic. Doesn't healing magic work by connecting to a person's natural magic well? If he doesn't have one, then…"

Kiran wasn't sure what that meant, since Maria's crash course in the healing hall honestly hadn't been very good, but the rest of their faces dawned with newly comprehended horror. "No, that…that couldn't be true…" Sharena denied. "What are we supposed to do if you get really hurt? That cut can be fixed with a vulnerary, but anything more serious…" At this point, they were starting to talk about things Kiran didn't have a clue about, and given that there sitting in enemy territory next to a giant signal fire, it was probably for the best they not think about it now.

"We can worry about it later! We need to get out of here before someone comes to see what all the smoke is about!" He cut in.

"He's right." Alfonse agreed, their early morning enmity forgotten. "It's time we make ourselves scarce. Haar, Tana, take Maria and Nino respectively. Nobody has any serious injuries slowing them down, right?" A chorus of shaking heads was all he wanted to see. "Excellent! Then let us be off!"

Kiran moved to pick himself up, but Ayra's outstretched hand gave him pause. Not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, he took it and was pulled to his feet. "Thanks to your strategy, I'm still here. I just wanted to let you know that I'm grateful." She, surprisingly, thanked him. She didn't smile, but the earlier hateful burning in her eyes was now replaced by a much more welcoming warmth.

"Yeah, sure, don't worry about it." He downplayed it, unsure of how to respond. She gave a small nod of acknowledgement, and a moment later they were with the others making haste to the Askran border.

In hindsight, he should have realized the trauma of the battle was always going to be the worst part about it.

He was laying in his lavish, soft as a cloud bed and staring blankly up at the ceiling. He had a gauze wrapped around his injured arm, but to be honest, he could barely feel it anyway. It was nothing compared to what happened every time he closed his eyes. He could smell the burning bodies, hear the agonizing screams and see the mutilated corpses. His first day had exposed him to violence, sure, but those small skirmishes were simple and clean by comparison. This raid had been far, far worse, at least partially because he'd chosen to be there instead of simply being a victim of circumstance.

So here he was, waiting the hours of the night away, knowing full well he wasn't going to fare any better the next evening. He'd have asked for a magic sleeping potion, but they were all quickly discovering that magic wasn't the most effective with him.

He was pulled from his empty musings by a commotion outside his door. He had a guard posted at all times, and from the sound of it he was refusing someone's desire to visit him.

Hell, I'm not sleeping anytime soon. Might as well see what they want.

In his Askr-brand cotton pajamas, he ambled over to his door – or, more accurately, the door that led to the weird middle room between his bedroom and the stairwell. He kept forgetting to ask what it was for, but he made a mental note this time, if only to fill his head with something other than thoughts of dying men. The closer he got, the louder the voices became, until he was fairly certain he knew who his visitor was.

He opened the entryway, revealing his guard and, as he thought, Maria. The guard scoffed at the intrusion. "Now look at what you've done. You've gone and woken the Great Hero up. You ought to apologize for disturbing him at this ungodly hour."

Kiran raised a hand to wave off his concerns. "It's fine, I wasn't sleeping anyway." Looking at the poor girl in her own white nightgown, with red, puffy eyes that made it seem like she'd been crying, he had a sinking feeling he knew why she was here. Kneeling down for the third time that evening, he tenderly rubbed her shoulders in his hands. "Maria? Was there something you wanted to see me about?"

She nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat that was stopping her from speaking. "It's just that, I, um…I can't sleep." She confessed, effectively confirming his fears. "Whenever I try, I feel like I'm back at the fort, with you holding me and that scary man about to…about to…" Her voice began cracking with choked sobs before she could finish the thought. Kiran felt his spirit sink even lower –, he had tried to keep her away from the battle to specifically avoid this, and now that he failed, he felt responsible, even though he knew it wasn't his fault. He quickly racked his mind for something, anything he could use to take her mind off of things.

"Hey, Maria?" She curiously looked up at him, cheeks still stained with fresh tears. "Why don't we go down to the kitchens? I bet they have all kind of tasty snacks stored there. A little late-night treat will do us some good, don't you think?" She began to brighten up, however slightly, at the suggestion. At least until the guard started opening his mouth.

"I don't believe –" Kiran instantly shot him a vicious glare that promised he'd be on the streets jobless if he said one more word from that line of thought. "–that the cooks will mind a few missing oddities here and there." He quickly recovered.

"There, you see? No one's going to mind."

"O-okay." She agreed, a tentative smile tugging at her lips. "I am kind of hungry…"

"Me too. Here, take my hand." He offered his palm to her, which she took with practiced grace. He supposed that was the result of her upbringing as a princess, even if her lessons had been put on hold for a while. The handholding was an impulse decision on his part, but given how she squeezed his hand, he decided it was well worth whatever small measure of comfort it brought her.

They descended the tower his room was at, their footsteps the only sound in the dimly lit spiral staircase. They were fairly close to the bottom before Maria's tiny voice rang through the empty chamber. "…I'm sorry." She said, with guilt and remorse dripping off of every word.

"What for?" He inquired, though he had a good idea.

"You were right. I should've stayed here. I just…got in the way. I kept you from noticing the secret door, you were too worried about me to notice that man attacking, and then I couldn't even heal you when you got hurt." She hung her head in shame. "I'm just as useless as I was in Castle Deil, making Minerva constantly worry about me."

Kiran wanted to offer her empty platitudes to soothe her worries, but the rational part of him knew that would just do more harm in the long run. So, he tried a different approach. "Take this as a learning experience. Everything worked out this time, but you know how close things were to going wrong. I was always told growing up that it's alright to make mistakes, so long as you learn your lesson from them." She glumly nodded along with his speech. Even if she was taking it to heart, he still wanted to do something about her mood. "Actually, there is one thing you were right about today." She glanced up at him, curiosity marring her brow.

"You do have the strong blood of Macedon flowing in your veins, just like your big siblings." Her eyes widened, a speck of pride glimmering deep in her iris. "It might've been severely misplaced…but it took courage and heart to do what you did. And it takes a different, more personal kind of strength to admit when you need help from someone." He punctuated his praise with a squeeze of his own. As he'd hoped, a ghost of a smile began tracing her lips.

They finished their talk as they approached the dining hall, but the sound of muted weeping from within indicated that they'd be sharing the room. Out of respect for the decency of whomever was inside, he raised his voice just outside the door to alert them to his presence. "Alright Maria, just pick out whatever you want from the kitchens while I wait for you at a table." The weeping gave way to a startled gasp, which he took as his cue to enter.

There, sitting at the usual table with her hair down and a pink nightgown, was Princess Tana. His warning had given her time to compose herself, but there was still an unmistakable trail of wetness running down her cheeks. "Go on, Maria. Whatever you want." She gave a curious glance to Tana before scampering off to the kitchens. Kiran himself meandered over to the Frelian princess, who offered the seat next to her with a welcoming gesture.

"Salutations, Kiran. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" She questioned with a poor replica of her normal, uplifting smile. Kiran paused for a moment, making sure that Maria was well and truly out of earshot before responding.

"We're all awake for the same reason." He bluntly stated, not even bothering with the formality.

Tana considered the merit of trying to keep her casual act going, but decided it wasn't worth it and dropped her false cheer to stare at the table with him. "…So we are."

"Maria came to my room because of her insomnia. She never actually said what she wanted, I just suggested coming down for a snack because I thought it might take her mind off of things."

"That was most kind of you." For how emotionally drained they both were, there was an intimation of sincerity in her words that revealed she genuinely approved of his actions.

"…Did they never train you to prepare for this?" He hesitantly asked. He and Maria had no military training whatsoever, so their behavior in the aftermath was unavoidable, but he hoped that Tana's years of training would've addressed this inevitability at some point.

She sadly shook her head. "I'm afraid I wouldn't even know how to prepare one for something like this. There's no way to safely recreate real anguished screams, is there?" His silence was all the answer she needed, and he regretted even asking the question.

Slowly, Tana's hands resting on the table began to uncontrollably twitch and shake, an obvious sign of the stress she was under. Kiran opened his mouth to ask if she was alright, but she beat him to the punch.

"I should apologize to you; I lied earlier. We are not awake for the same reason." He inquisitively raised his brow as Tana's voice began to crack the more she spoke. "You and Maria are troubled by the battle as a whole. I understand your distress, and would wish it on nobody, but for me, the battle is nothing but a distant blur." Fresh tears started falling from her weary eyes as she confessed the source of her woes.

"The only thing I can see is that man's agony when I drove my lance through his throat! All I hear are those gurgling cries as he choked on his own blood!" She finally put her head in her trembling hands and began to uncontrollably sob. "I killed a man! Took his life away like it was nothing! And what's worse, I'm sitting here wailing about it because I'm too weak to just get over it like a real princess should!" She shifted her arms to weakly hug her abdomen as she hacked out more choked sobs. "Innes was right about me! I should be at home in Frelia, not playing soldier when I can't take a single life without falling apart like this!"

Kiran stared at her in aghast shock; he could tell in the midst of battle she was suffering from killer's guilt, but he didn't imagine it was this bad. He wasn't really sure how to help her with this – Maria and he were troubled for the same reason but this…

Hesitantly, he reached his arm over and began gently rubbing her back in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. Her breath hitched in her throat at the contact, which at least got her to stop ranting. Slowly, he started to find the words to console her.

"…I won't pretend that I understand what you're going through. I've never killed anyone, and I hope I never have to. What I do know is that this behavior is perfectly normal, healthy even." She tilted her head towards him ever so slightly, the unspoken skepticism perfectly clear. "Aside from a few, very evil exceptions, nobody ever wants to just kill for the hell of it. It's not in our nature. Do you think Nino or Sharena enjoy killing people? Of course they don't. They're compassionate, empathetic women – just like you." She looked downward in contemplation of his praise, at least no longer focused purely on the negatives.

"I guarantee you, when Sharena took her first life, she was a sobbing wreck too. There's no way someone that upbeat and happy wasn't disturbed by what she had to do. That doesn't make her weak or a coward; it makes her human. This war…it's just a passing thing, like all conflicts. And when it's over, that same humanity that made her hate herself and kept her up at night will be enables her to properly rule in peacetime." He turned his head to look at Tana, who was silently staring at her clenched hands.

"I don't know who this 'Innes' is, and I don't care. You saved my life today, and that makes you the greatest soldier I've ever met. When the day comes that the wars end and you can finally stop being a soldier and ascend to the throne, the care and compassion I know you for is what your subjects will adore the most about you." His speech final concluded, Kiran realized he was still rubbing her back and hastily withdrew his hand. At first, he received no response, and he began to worry that he'd made things worse when Tana finally found her voice again.

"…Thank you." She turned to face him, her lips curved into a grateful smile and her eyes glistening with fresh tears – though these tears weren't tormented like her earlier ones. She reached out and clasped his hands in both of hers. "Truly, thank you, for making an effort to understand how I feel."

Though the memories of the attack had far from faded, Kiran felt a significant burden lift from his shoulders at the restoration of Tana's smile. "Sure. Anytime." He awkwardly responded, unsure of how to respond to such heartfelt gratitude. He must've done something right, since Tana gently giggled at his inelegant reply.

"Kiran, look what I found!" Their attention was drawn across the room to Maria, who was skipping over to them with blocks wrapped in wax paper. She hastily undid the covering, revealing blocks of solid chocolate. "I haven't had this since before Castle Deil! It's really good and sweet!"

"Hell yeah, chocolate!" He honestly wasn't sure if they had chocolate in Askr, but he was happy to get a confirmation. Maria passed out the blocks, took a seat next to him and began eagerly munching on her discovery. Tana was more reserved in her bites, while Kiran took a middle ground. It wasn't quite a Hershey's bar, but it was definitely better than nothing.

Even though he knew that he'd soon be back in his room, tormented by the memories of his near-death experience, for the moment he found himself able to forget his troubles. Tana and Maria shared in his newfound contentment, as each seemed to be in much higher spirits than they would have been individually. Despite the storm of negativity that would doubtless strike when they all tried to go back to sleep, together, at that moment, they found a sort of temporary peace.

Onward into battle

Time is growing so dark around me

I, shallow one

Burn out day by idle day

I'm not dead, the story isn't dead, dear sweet God that took forever. I won't pretend like I have a genuine excuse, because I don't. Yeah I was really fucking busy with classes and research, but I did have free time here and there. It's just that I sort of lost motivation in mid October after I wrote up to the bit about explaining guns, and it took me until now to get my groove back. I had the whole chapter planned out for months, it just took an eternity to sit down and write it. And, to be fair, the chapter is about 37k words, so it's not like I've kept you waiting for nothing. The title is more Katatonia, "Onward Into Battle" obviously. I'd say Kiran definitely got burned out after going into battle.

I'm sure I have a lot of things I wanted to put in the AN, but it's like 4:20 AM and I can't remember any of it. I'll say this: if you're worried about Galien, the OC, don't be. He's just there to be the guy Maria was learning from and give a little perspective on what random Askrans think of Kiran. I have no plans to use him much further, and if he does show up it ought to be for very minor roles. Oh, and sorry for the boring, slightly altered middle school history and science lessons. Those have purpose, as Kaze's little bit with Tana and Maria should indicate, but it won't be for a little while.

You'll note that Kiran in the battle did exactly what he said he wouldn't be able to do. Yeah, he's not weaseling out of the tactician job anymore after this. Even the heroes he summoned will be telling him to just take the position already, and his bitching will have met its limit.

Regarding Nifl and Muspell: Sharena's assessment is...fairly accurate. I know the writers just make this shit up as they go, but Nifl as presented in Heroes proper would have jumped at any call for aid Askr put out, so that's kind of a big retroactive plot hole. My Nifl will not be the goody two shoes Nifl of canon. They won't be rampaging dicks like Muspell, but they will be sort of isolationist, xenophobic assholes. They'll like Kiran, on account of rescuing Fjorm and the dream skype with Gunnthra, but everyone else will take quite a bit of time to warm up to. And of course, that begs the question: why even bother helping them?

Uhhh, that's all I can think to say in my sleep deprived state, so as a final word: please leave comments, good or bad, criticism is how I learn.
Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you look forward to more.