[[Day 26 of Month –2, Caletta]]<br/>“I told you.. being trained by famous people is<span style="font-style: italic">so</span>overrated.”  Cricket grumbled, limping away from the training room towards their squad quarters.  Romuald and the other Rasovan Knights said nothing in response.  All were too exhausted to do anything but place one foot in front of the other.  However, as YunQiao had pointed out drily, somehow Cricket’s mouth never seemed to suffer from the fatigue he constantly bemoaned.<br/><br/>“It wasn’t that bad.  Lady QianHua is a harder taskmaster.”  Adair pointed out mildly.  His brothers had always expected higher performance from him than the Academy, so he was already used to harsher training regimes than the rest of his squad.  To be honest, he didn’t understand why Cricket was complaining so much.  The physical training hadn’t been that bad, and he’d found the magical part surprisingly easy.  Deimos and Seraphim didn’t look overly tired either, only Cricket and the Rasovan Knights seemed exhausted.<br/><br/>The purple-haired Knight shot him a nasty look.  “My head is ready to kill me.”  They turned the corner to the hall that held their squad quarters.  A deep sigh of relief could be heard from their most dramatic member but Adair noticed how the Rasovan Knights picked up their pace just the<span style="font-style: italic">slightest</span>bit.  Knight Commander Romuald also noticed the sudden speed but said nothing.  He was also looking forward to the couch Cricket had promised them.  Normally, he wouldn’t think of imposing on them, but Cricket and the other members of Squad Ten had been insistent that he and his comrades were welcome.  It didn’t help that the barracks designated for the divine magic trainees was very basic.  The Cathedral simply wasn’t meant to accommodate so many Knights at once.  In the end, it had come down to their assurance that Seraph Lethe was apparently training under someone else right now so she wouldn’t be inconvenienced by his and his Knights’ invasion of the squad quarters and the promise of a padded chair that had won Romuald’s agreement.  (Although, Seraphim had emphatically stated, Lethe wouldn’t mind even if she had been there.)<br/><br/>When they opened the door, four other people were already in the room.  A golden-blond man was leaning forward, elbows rested on his knees, as if in the middle of a discussion.  Opposite him, an elegant black-haired man was cradling a cup.  In between them was a coffee table and at the head of this setup, a friendly looking, muscular man in full armor was sitting in an armchair.  A petite, white-haired teenager was perched on the arm by his side.  The troop of divine magic trainees paused as multiple curious gazes turned in their direction.<br/><br/>“LETHE!”  Cricket shot forward in his normal, over-enthusiastic greeting, tackling the teenager in a hug.  The two would have fallen to the ground if the man in the armchair hadn’t caught them.<br/><br/>“Lethe!” Seraphim’s response was more subdued, but no less pleased.  “Why are you here?”<br/><br/>“Adair! Everyone! Aren’t you guys at that fancy divine magic training?”  The golden blonde sat back up, clearly confused as to why they were here.<br/><br/>“Who are your guests?”  The black-haired scholar had placed his cup down and stood up, apparently the only one not caught up in the impromptu reunion.<br/><br/>Deimos had suddenly appeared beside the hugging pair.  Wait, hadn’t he been right here?  Romuald looked to his left but Deimos was indeed missing.  The din of words washed incomprehensibly over the exhausted Rasovan Knights.  Although those couches looked very tempting, all of them knew their Commander would flay them alive if they were so rude as to self-invite themselves to sit down.  Romuald was still trying to get his bearings.  He hadn’t realized the training under Captain Abel had been so exhausting until now, as his brain refused to make sense of what was going on around him.<br/><br/>Deimos was standing on the other side of the room.  Cricket had lunged forward for the slender teenager.  Seraphim was also walking forward towards the group over there.  And the word “Lethe” kept getting repeated.  His brain slowly connected the dots.<br/><br/>“Excuse us for intruding.”  He was lucky Vice Captain Adair hadn’t slipped off as well or he would have been addressing thin air.  “We’ll go somewhere else then.”  He ignored the sad groan from behind him that was quickly shushed.<br/><br/>Adair shook his head.  “That won’t be necessary.  Lethe won’t mind at all.”  His gaze traveled to the dead on their feet Knights and added, “You’re all welcome to sit down,” and as he caught the wayward glances towards Romuald, tacked on, “In fact, I insist.”<br/><br/>It was all the three men needed to hear.  In a sudden burst of energy, they re-appeared in front of one of the couches and collapsed into a heap.  Commander couldn’t fault them after<span style="font-style: italic">Vice Captain Adair</span>had<span style="text-decoration: underline">insisted</span>they take a seat, right?  Romuald simply sighed in response.<br/><br/>The sudden rush from the door seemed to have caught the Seraph’s attention.  She was dragging Cricket with her to the door, seemingly accustomed to having the taller purple-haired Knight hanging from her shoulders and neck.<span style="color: silver"> “Welcome back, Adair.”</span>She greeted with a fond smile, blue eyes flickering towards her Vice Captain before turning to Romuald.<span style="color: silver">“Hello..”</span><br/><br/>“Romuald, Knight Commander of Rasova.”  He straightened under her gaze.  He hadn’t had the chance to meet her during the Liberation Campaign.  She had been investigating the Sin Crystals then, though he wasn’t sure he approved of that decision.  However, it was easier to disapprove of a faceless entity.  After all those days with Cricket in Rasova and working with her squad these past few days, he wasn’t sure what to think of her.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Welcome to Caletta then, Knight Commander Romuald.  I assume you’re here for the divine magic training?”</span>Her eyes flickered down and he was suddenly painfully aware of every scrape, bruise, and smudge he had accumulated throughout the day.  Despite his opinion of her priorities during the Liberation Campaign, her role in the First War and service since still demanded a certain level of respect.<br/><br/>“Yes, Master Lethe.”  Normally, he would have mentioned his subordinates as well, but they all looked lost to the wind, sprawled out on the couch.  They’d probably prefer not to be introduced at this moment.<br/><br/>There was a hint of awkwardness as Lethe waited for Romuald to say more and the brunette had nothing to say.<span style="color: silver">“Would you like to take a seat?”</span>She finally offered, moving aside to give him space.<span style="color: silver">“How are you enjoying working with Captain Abel?”</span>Romuald nodded his head and skirted past Cricket to take a seat by the black-haired man from earlier.<br/><br/>“Captain Abel has high expectations of his trainees.  It has been very enlightening to work under him.”  The glance she gave him as she walked past told him she was amused by his politic wording.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Yes.. Captain Abel can be very..”</span>She paused as if searching for an appropriate adjective.<span style="color: silver">“selective.”</span>She finally said with a wry grin.  Perhaps it was because he was so tired, but somehow that made no sense to him.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Selective</span>..  Lethe looked away to hide the thoughts playing on her face.  Also, single-focused.. Preferential.. Uncaring.. Egotistical.. Negligent, even.  All of them could be used to describe her former Captain, though none were appropriate to be spoken aloud and certainly not to a fellow Pristine Knight.  Cricket had finally detached himself from her neck sometime during the bout and he was looking between her and Romuald questioningly.<br/><br/>He knew that Romuald could be more formal than himself, but he thought he’d gotten the other man over this cool reservation.  “So… why are you here, Captain?”  He finally spoke up, gathering everyone else’s attention (minus the now passed out Rasovan Knights’).  “I thought you were training with Captain Abel?”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Of course, Cricket.  Captain Abel is so skilled, he can be in two places at once, teaching both you and me simultaneously.”</span>The white-haired Knight teased with a smile, forcing levity into her voice to mask her own feelings towards Abel d’Arques.<span style="color: silver">“I’m actually under Lady Mei’s tutelage right now.  She’s helping me work with seals.”</span>She glanced over at Romuald cautiously, mentally weighing if she should speak with him in the room.  She had no qualms telling the truth to her squad, but to a Knight Commander who she knew nothing about?<span style="color: silver">“We’re thinking it can augment my battle capabilities.”</span><br/><br/>“Oh.. that’s cool…” Cricket trailed off.  He could see the tension floating between his friend and his Captain.  Their unease was uncharacteristic of both of them; he had thought they’d get along given their mutual preference for manners and the teasing natures they hid under their public personas.  “Captain, you won’t believe the headache I have!  Both of your former Captains are slavedrivers!”  He whined dramatically in an attempt to break the atmosphere.  “Don’t you have any tips you can give me?!”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“I might have some.  How far have you gotten in your training today?”</span>The conversation delved into a discussion of divine magic, its origin, its applications, and, of course, tips on how to get better at it.  (Although, Lethe had warned, she was hardly qualified to speak on such things as she had only her own experience to draw upon.)  Though unable to use it, Valiar, Leon, and YunQiao were all still interested in Light’s Wrath.  Conversely, the trainees were interested in what Lethe knew about this form of magic and any suggestions she could give to make Abel’s training easier.  As the Rasovan Knights woke up, one by one, they too joined the conversation until the room was filled with heated banter.<br/><br/>When a yawn traversed the entire group, Lethe finally reluctantly ended their discussion.<span style="color: silver">“Alright, that’s enough.  You all have training tomorrow and Captain Abel’s and Lady QianHua’s training won’t get any easier on a poor night of rest.”</span>The white-haired Knight got to her feet, stretching out the kinks in her body from sitting for so long.  Others mimicked her while some started tidying the mess they had made over the hours.<br/><br/>“Do you not have training, Captain?”  Deimos wondered aloud, voice a touch scratchy from being overused.  He’d spoken more tonight than he normally spoke in a month, but the topics had been too interesting to be silent.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“… <span style="font-style: italic">O</span>h…”</span>The peculiar enunciation had all of Team Blonde looking at the suddenly sheepish Knight.<span style="color: silver">“Right, I forgot to mention earlier..  Lady Mei and I are headed for Palaugrim tomorrow morning.  We’ll be investigating some of the attacks there.”</span><br/><br/>“What attacks?”  Romuald asked, suddenly much more interested.  Had warfare broken out on his island again?<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“The random ones happening all over Palaugrim?  Report 4893 was released four days ago by Knight Commander Sigfried’s command.”</span>At the frown Romuald was wearing, Lethe accurately guessed he hadn’t read it.  She flipped through the pages on her desk and found the report she’d referenced, which she offered to the Knight Commander.<span style="color: silver"> “I can request another copy form the scribes, though this one has my notes on them so it may be a bit harder to read.  Really, just take it.  I can have one on my desk by tomorrow and you don’t have time to be running about trying to get one.”</span>She smiled to soften her words.  She didn’t doubt the other’s capabilities, it was simply that he was new to the Cathedral and the building was easy to get lost within.  Luckily, Romuald seemed to understand her train of thought as he accepted the papers with only a thank you.<br/><br/>The group filed out, splitting off in their respective directions.  Somehow, Lethe ended up walking through the Cathedral with only Valiar beside her.  She glanced at her oldest squad member curiously.  This direction wasn’t the fastest route to the elevator shaft that connected Gless and Lindela.  However, she said nothing as they walked through the streets.<br/><br/>“He seems to be doing better.”  Valiar spoke up unexpectedly, drawing her attention away from a simply decorated window.  “I’m surprised to hear he’s capable in Light’s Blessing, but I think it’s good for him.  It might help him find his purpose in life.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Cricket?”</span><br/><br/>Startled blacked eyes looked down at her as the cleric clarified.  “No, Vlad.  Do you think Cricket needs a purpose in life?”  Lethe simply closed her eyes and shrugged.  Valiar shrugged in acceptance, continuing on his original topic.  “When Master Guilford came back, Vlad seemed to latch onto him.  I get the whole ‘I thought I failed you but I didn’t really’ thing but..”  He tried to find the best words for his thoughts.  “I don’t think it’s healthy to latch onto another person like that.”  He missed the way Lethe looked away at his words, eyes still on the sky above them as he mused aloud.  “I mean, life is hard enough without adding the burden of someone else’s life to it.  And anyways.. I don’t know.  We were given our lives for a reason, to make something of them, not just hang onto someone else’s I guess.”  He sighed, confused himself by what he was trying to say.  “To be the change that we seek in the world?”  Valiar finally attempted, quoting Lethe’s favorite saying.  He turned a half-hearted smile to Lethe but the expression fell when he saw how she was refusing to meet his eyes.<br/><br/>“What’s up, kiddo?”<br/><br/>Lethe ignored the hand that had dropped onto her head.  Latching onto another person.. making something of her life..  Her clinging to the Light—was the Divine Light her purpose in life or was she just using it as a shield against her past?<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #0080FF">“You’d rather be a Knight all the time is that it?  For what? So you can run away?”</span></span>Was she really running?  Gil’s words reminded her of another private conversation they’d had, one in which she’d realized.. Her eyes closed on the tears that gathered there.  Yes, she’d always been running from her past, from the knowledge that she—<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #0080FF">“How long have we been fighting…How long do you intend to keep fighting?”</span> “Until this mortal body falls apart.“</span>—that she should have died.  No, that wasn’t it.  She opened her eyes to stare at her reflection in the shop window.  It was half there, half not, only parts of her reflected on the pane of glass.  She was already dead, had died back in the fire, and her body just hadn’t realized it yet.  (Her head tilted to one side as a thought occurred to her: could the dead run away?)<br/><br/>“Hey.. Lethe?”  Valiar asked, eyes focused on what little he could see of her face in the store window.  Blue eyes turned to face him and there was an achingly familiar quality to them.  The older Knight stared at her, trying to think of the words to say but failing.  Instead, he tugged her closer with the hand he had on her head, drawing her into a sidearm hug.  “It’ll be okay, kiddo.  You.. This world is so much brighter because of you.”  He tightened his grip for a moment before loosening it, but not releasing her.<br/><br/>After almost a minute of walking, Lethe finally broke the silence.<span style="color: silver">“Thank you.”</span><br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 27 of Month –2, Palaugrim]]<br/>The mood was somber as the two women stepped off the Wyervia’s landing ramp.  They had just touched down in Port Ereck.  It had received little damage during the Campaign, the Sinners withdrawing before the Knights could truly attack and as such, it was a hive of activity.  At the edge of the field, four Knights waited for them: three men, one woman.  From their garb, the three men appeared to be the Commander of the Port and probably two of his higher ranking Knights.  The woman, who stood slightly to the side, Lethe couldn’t quite determine.<br/><br/>“Master Lethe! Welcome to Port Ereck!”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">”Thank you, Port Commander.”</span>She paused at the edge of the Wyervia field to tap her fist against her chest.<span style="color: silver">“Permission to enter?”</span><br/><br/>The man’s smile widened at the courteous display.  He was from Gless originally and it seemed most of the Knights here were more lackadaisical about decorum.  They could get trying at times, but traditions were what bound the future and the past together.  “Permission granted, Master Lethe.”<br/><br/>She waited two beats of her heart and then stepped forward to exchange handshakes with the Port Commander, his second-in-charge, and the highest ranking Squad Captain stationed at the port.  When their greetings finished, the unknown woman finally stepped forward.  She wore a fancy knight outfit with its silver and golden plating gleaming in the morning sun and a blue scarf adorning her neck.  There was a splatter of freckles on her cheeks, visible but not glaringly so.<br/><br/>“Master Lethe, Lady Mei.  My name is Yulia, a Knight stationed with the Kaiser Outpost.  I’ll be your guide to Kaiser Outpost.”  The woman introduced herself.  “Knight Commander Sigfried extends his apologies that he couldn’t be here personally to greet you.”  The man actually hadn’t, but she figured she should add it nonetheless.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Thank you, Knight Yulia.  We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your time.”</span>Lethe replied politely.  The group of six headed down the docks, the second-in-command taking the lead as Lethe, the Squad Captain, and Port Commander chatted amicably.  At the entrance of the port, two trainees stood around with the reins to three horses.  Kaiser Output, the base that had originated the original report and where Kanna had postmarked her message from, was about an hour or two’s ride from the Port.  As Kanna had been the one originally to bring the situation on Palaugrim to QianHua’s, and by extension Lethe’s, attention, it had made the most sense to visit the ex-PMS member first despite it being out of the way.<br/><br/>The trainees’ chatter halted when they realized who stood in front of them.  “Port Commander! Knight Captain!  Master Lethe!”  Despite wide eyes, they maintained their composure and handed over the reins without prompting.  The Port Commander nodded in approval.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Thank you, trainees.”</span>Lady Mei echoed her sentiments softly, the older woman’s words barely audible over the ambient noise.<span style="color: silver"> “Port Commander, Squad Captain Lucius, Knight Gerald, thank you for your assistance.  May the Divine Light guide you and keep you safe.”</span>After a round of salutes, Lethe mounted her horse and the three women started down the path that would lead them out of Port Ereck to Kaiser Outpost.<span style="color: silver">“Knight Yulia, could you brief me about what you know of the situation right now?”</span><br/><br/>Yulia glanced over at the Knight trailing her, uncertain of how much should be disclosed.  Knight Commander Sigfried must have chosen to withhold the details for some reason.  She didn’t quite remember what had been specifically on the general report, but she’d try not to say too much.  “Well, we are still experiencing pockets of rebellion all over Palaugrim.  Fighting has been concentrated mostly…”<br/><br/>By the time the travelers reached Kaiser Outpost an hour and a half later, Lethe was finding her patience sorely tried.  Yulia had spoken at length about the situation on Palaugrim without saying much at all.  During the entire ride, she had learned little new and much of what had already been distributed through the general reports, multiple times.  Yulia was either incompetent or being deliberately obtuse, and Lethe was betting on the latter.  Unlike Mei, she did not think Sigfried so inept to have such poorly trained subordinates.  She paused her horse to survey Kaiser Outpost.  No, it did not look like this fort suffered from negligent leadership.<br/><br/>“Master Lethe?”  Yulia had paused when she realized her two guests were no longer following her.  Turning in her seat to look back, she froze at the sight of cold blue eyes staring at her.  Her hands unconsciously tightened on the reins as she felt the full weight of scrutiny fall upon her.  “Is—Is something th-the matter?” She asked, hating the way her voice stuttered.  Finally, that calculating blue gaze released her and she tried hard not to sag in her seat.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Nothing, Knight Yulia.”</span><br/><br/>The Palaugrim-native sincerely doubted that but understood it for the dismissal that it was.  Whatever Master Lethe had been looking for, she seemed to have found it.  “Th-then, this way, please.”  The rest of the ride up the front gates was suspiciously quiet, Yulia hyper-aware of the presence to her back.  Her unease didn’t alleviate much once they were inside Kaiser Outpost.  If anything, she became even more aware of the dead silent group behind her, compared with the ambient noise that characterized the fort.  It was with great relief she saw Lady Kanna jogging up to them, arm waving in the air.<br/><br/>“Mei! Lethe!”  The moment the women had halted and dismounted, they were encircled in a hug.  “You guys are lucky I happened to be here!  What brings you here?”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“It’s good to see you too, Kanna.  And the letter you sent Lady QianHua.”</span><br/><br/>Yulia’s ears perked up at that.  Lady Kanna had sent a message?  And who was Lady QianHua?  However, she kept her face turned away, ostensibly looking ahead of them to where Sigfried’s office was located.  Kanna’s smile dimmed at the reminder of the message’s content.  They had found another attack in the week since her posting.  “Oh, well, I’m guessing you’re off to see Sigfried then?  I guess I’ll tag along, unless that’s an issue?”<br/><br/>“Non-” Yulia’s response was cut off as Master Lethe approved Kanna’s request.  The brown haired Knight flushed as she realized she hadn’t been the one addressed.  She was just so used to having to keep the men in check, she’d forgotten that it wasn’t her place to answer.  With Lady Kanna now here, she found herself oddly unneeded.  The former Knight knew the way to Commander Sigfried’s office and got along much better with the two guests than her.  All she was able to contribute was passing off the horses’ reins to another Knight, but she otherwise trailed them awkwardly.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>Sigfried looked up from his mountains of paperwork at the sound of an increasingly familiar knocking pattern: one knock, three in quick succession, then a fifth.  The redhead leaned back in his chair, trying to keep the smile from breaking out on his face as he permitted the visitor to enter.  Kanna always knocked in that pattern.<br/><br/>“Hey! Wel-” His exuberant greeting died at the sight of a white haired Knight and an unknown black-haired woman in green clothing.  Kanna and Yulia were flanking these two strangers, the former with a pleased grin and the latter palming her face at her Commander’s complete lack of subtlety.  “Welcome to Kaiser Outpost, Master Lethe, Lady Mei.”  He greeted formally, rising to his feet.  “I am Knight Commander Sigfried.”  He didn’t remember what other formalities he was supposed to perform now.<br/><br/>Of course Master Lethe seemed to have no such trouble.  She stepped into the room as if she owned it, eyes glancing around her appraisingly.<span style="color: silver">“Thank you, Knight Commander Sigfried.  Knight Yulia informed me that you were made aware of my arrival.  I appreciate your taking the time to debrief me on the situation on the ground, given you must no doubt be..”</span>Her gaze rested on the stack of paperwork that stood higher than even him.<span style="color: silver">“busy.”</span><br/><br/>The<span style="font-style: italic">Ferus Ensis</span>bristled at her words.  “It’s no trouble, Master Lethe.”  He ground out.  “I want to see the end of these attacks as much as you.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Good.  Is there anything else you can appraise me of in addition to what was included in Report 4893?”</span><br/><br/>Sigfried sighed and crossed his arms as he closed his eyes in thought.  “Another village was discovered attacked between then and now.  Given the amount of blood, it must have been a recent attack.  However, we didn’t hear anything when we were approaching so.. it’s hard to say when the attack occurred.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Which village was this one?”<br/>“What were the coordinates?”<br/>“Were any other nearby locations attacked?”<br/>“Who discovered the attack? How did you become aware of the attack?”</span><br/><br/>Question after question was shot out, the Seraph showing no reaction to the answers given to her.  When seemingly satisfied with the logistics of the attack, she began started down another vein.<span style="color: silver">“Can you tell me more about the attack?  I believe there was mention of unusual shapes?”</span>A pointed stare to Kanna prevented the other woman from speaking.<br/><br/>“This one was in the shape of a flower.”  The red-haired Knight spat the word out venomously.  The nonsensical shapes left behind disgusted him for its sheer irreverence.  Human lives were not so worthless.  He’d personally see to it that this mysterious attacker was destroyed.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“And the weapon of attack?”</span><br/><br/>“A battle hammer, I believe.”  It took every ounce of his self control to answer the Seraph’s apathetic inquiries with equal reserve.<br/><br/>The inside of her wrist warmed for a moment but Lethe didn’t react.<span style="color: silver"> “And why do you think that?”</span>Sigfried glanced at her irritably but his attention seemed to be on something else if the way his hands were flexing was any hint.  The suspicion of the battle hammer hadn’t been in the official report.  Kanna had presumed it was earth magic or seals of some sort to create the perfectly even and circular indents.<br/><br/>“There were craters everywhere.  On the ground, on the walls.  It, those ridiculous shapes, and the wanton destruction are the only consistent things in each attack!”  The<span style="font-style: italic">Ferus Ennis</span>’s fury burst out at once; it was a sound that would have sent many of his men cowering.  An enraged Sigfried was a<span style="font-style: italic">very</span>scary Sigfried.  Even Yulia, who worked with the man closely, flinched at the sudden outburst.<br/><br/>The other three women, however, were not similarly affected.  If anything, the slight frown on Mei’s face suggested she was annoyed.<span style="color: silver">“I see.  Do you have a map of every location that has been attacked?”</span><br/><br/>The Knight Commander struck a hand out, signaling Yulia to go get the map.  He was too angry for words.  His unwanted guest’s apparent indifference just needled him further.  She hadn’t even taken part in the Liberation Campaign, and here she was, acting as if<span style="font-style: italic">he</span>was incompetent.  He knew he wasn’t the most polite or regulated of the Knight Commanders, but he wasn’t new to the job!  Of course he had mapped out all the locations!  It was basic strategy to see if there was a pattern to the enemy’s actions.<br/><br/>Kanna glanced around the room but didn’t choose to break the silence.  Everyone else looked deep in thought in their own ways.  Sigfried was clearly seething, most likely about the interrogation Lethe had just put him through.  He had gotten more emotional as the conversation wore on.  Still, that didn’t explain why he was being so hostile to Lethe.  Of course, Lethe wasn’t helping matters out.  Kanna would have expected the younger woman to realize the questions were angering Sigfried, and yet Lethe had blithely shot inquiry after inquiry.  And then there had been that curious use of magic.  What had Mei been doing?<br/><br/>Her musing was interrupted when Yulia re-entered the room, rolling in a chalkboard with the map pinned to it.  That was smart of her; there was no way they could have placed it on the desk given all the paperwork.  Lethe and Mei strode up to the map to review it, she and Sigfried a step behind.  Suddenly, Mei reached a finger out to point at one of the yellow dots.  Kanna frowned in confusion; she had definitely mentioned that area being attacked in her letter.<br/><br/>“This one.”  The normally-silent woman spoke up with a visible frown, “It doesn’t show up on the Report.”   Lethe also reached out to tap another spot and then Mei pointed at a third location.  All were yellow dots, though some, Kanna realized with surprise, she hadn’t known about previously.  To the right of the blackboard, Yulia’s face had paled, her freckles suddenly much more prominent.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“When did these attacks occur?”</span>Lethe could have given winter an early start with how frigid her tone was.  When no one answered her, she looked away from the map to stare at Yulia.<span style="color: silver"> “Knight Yulia. When did these attacks occur?”</span><br/><br/>“Two were discovered even days ago; one was discovered three days ago.”  Yulia confessed meekly, eyes darting between her Commander, Master Lethe, and the far wall.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“I see.”</span>Lethe straightened back up to stare at the map as a whole.  After a minute or two of tense silence, she spoke up once more.<span style="color: silver">“Lady Mei, may I trouble you to kindly.. <span style="font-style: italic">update</span> our map with this.. <span style="font-style: italic">newest</span> information.”</span>The look she raked over Yulia and Sigfried was glacial as she stepped away and went back to observing the map.  The only sounds in the room were that of pen on paper as Mei updated their map and the tapping of Lethe’s finger against her armor.  Finally, the Seraph spoke up once more.<span style="color: silver"> “Very well then.  Next, regarding the rebel situation still going on.”</span><br/><br/>“Wait.”  Sigfried cut in, his anger temporarily restrained, “About the trip you’re planning on,” He turned to catch the white-haired Knight’s gaze, “it would be wiser if some of my men went with you.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Oh?”</span>Lethe wondered aloud, one eyebrow raised inquisitively.<span style="color: silver">“And why do you think that, <span style="font-style: italic">Knight Commander</span>?  Is there any other, ah, ‘new’ information that I should be aware of?  That perhaps just didn’t make it into the formal report?”</span><br/><br/>The<span style="font-style: italic">Ferrus Ensis</span>bristled at the reprimand, but it was another reminder of how the girl was unsuitable for the task.  There were situations when discretion was necessary, and this had been one of them.  It was unfortunate that she had been sent instead of Guilford as he’d intended.   Nonetheless, he tried to keep his voice level as he replied.  “No, but these attacks have been especially gruesome.  It’s clearly not the work of just average Sinners or even Pure Sinners.”<br/><br/>Unimpressed blue eyes just stared back at him.<br/><br/>“Just two women wouldn’t be able to handle the danger.  It would be better if some of my men accompanied you,” he emphasized.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Thank you for your concern, Knight Commander, but I believe I know my and Lady Mei’s capabilities better than you.  We will travel on our own.  Now, regarding—”</span><br/><br/>“ I will not have you traipsing around on your own!”<br/><br/>The<span style="font-style: italic">Ferus Ensis</span>’s roar was cut off as the temperature in the room seemed to plummet.<span style="color: silver"> “Knight Sigfried.”</span>The words were level in tone yet they seemed to echo through the frozen room.<span style="color: silver">“I think you forget who you are speaking to. Lady Mei and I,”</span>A hand waved towards her companion and then herself,<span style="color: silver">“are also fellow veterans of the First War.  Lady Mei is the foremost leader on seals among the Immaculate and was a critical contributor to the Rising.”</span>Only Mei noticed Yulia’s flinch at Lethe’s words, the others too engrossed in the discussion.<span style="color: silver">“And though you may think otherwise, I assure you I have fully earned my title of Seraph, or did you think the God of Sin slew himself?”</span>She’d normally never make such a bold statement, but something burned its way through her veins.  It was a heady rush that loosened her tongue when she’d otherwise hold it still.  Undoubtedly, she’d make an enemy of Sigfried but she<span style="font-style: italic">would not run away anymore</span>!<br/><br/>She lifted a hand and one by one her keyblades appeared around Sigfried, encircling the man.  The seal she’d been drawing on the divine plane reappeared on this one, the lines blazing in the air and holding her opponent immobile.  Her own sword, Luna, appeared in her hand, glowing with the light of divine magic.<br/><br/>The tension in the room increased as more of Light’s Blessing seeped into the room.  Lethe watched silently as Sigfried grew angrier and angrier until finally he realized the futility of the situation.  He couldn’t escape the seal’s effects.  And even if he did, eight blades, not including the one the Seraph was holding in her hand, waited to impale him.  Only when she saw that resignation did she dismiss her blades.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“A report on the current status of the rebellion here in Palaugrim will be in my hand tomorrow morning.  There will, of course, not be any conveniently missing information.”</span>She spun on her heel and strode out of the room, the doors opening and closing without any visible command on her part.  They were five steps out of the room when Mei spoke up, “Lethe. You’ve changed.”  There was no indication that Lethe had heard her words.  However, Mei remained undeterred.  She wanted her protégé to know: “I like you better this way.”<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>The room miraculously warmed up the moment the doors closed behind Lethe.  Kanna snickered at the unique use of magic to pull the doors open and then close them that way.  She would have expected Skassia to be the one to come up with how to use her magic to make dramatic exits, not Lethe.  The brunette shook her head before turning to look at Yulia and Sigfried.  Both were still coming over their shock.<br/><br/>A slow clap broke the silence of the room.  Both Palaugrimian Knights startled at the sound and turned to see an amused Kanna staring at the redhead.  “Man.. Good job on fucking that up, Sigfried.”   Normally the Knight Commander would be happy he had impressed Kanna, right now he sincerely doubted that her awe was a compliment.  There was a moment of silence as Kanna relived the confrontation and then shook her head again with a laugh.  “I mean.. telling a Seraph that she’s too weak..?  Probably not the best thing.”<br/><br/>“I didn’t! That’s!”  Sigfried spluttered defensively, still off balance by the blatant display of power Master Lethe had so casually threatened him with.  “I didn’t imply that she was too weak!”<br/><br/>Condescension was all that answered him.  “Well.. it sure sounded like you thought that.. I mean..  ‘Just two women can’t handle the danger. It would be better if my men came…’”  Kanna trailed off with a shrug of her shoulders, face clearly displaying that she didn’t believe it was anything but patronizing.<br/><br/>“I.. That’s.. I didn’t mean it like that!”<br/><br/>“..Really?”<br/><br/>“The scenes have been really gruesome!  It’s not just pools of blood.  There were—”  Sigfried trailed off with a hard swallow of his throat as he remembered the torn limbs and crushed bodies.  “It’s not a pretty sight.”  He finally said, voice grim.<br/><br/>Seeing the transformation that took over her friend’s face, Kanna could only sigh.  She couldn’t tease him for being well intentioned, as poorly executed as it may have been.  “Sigfried.”  She waited until he’d left the specters of the village attack, attention focused on her, before she continued, “Lethe and Mei also fought in the First War, Mei longer than you and Lethe on the final battlefield.  Do you think that because we’re women we got cushy jobs?  That the Council spared us the horrors of war?  Jokes aside about menstrual cycles, we were consistently placed on some of the toughest jobs<span style="font-style: italic">because</span>of that power spike.  And Lethe’s squad under Captain Abel was half female.  They didn’t get any easier jobs; I’d wager to say that between Abdel d’Arques, Guilford Rosenwulf, and Estella Delacore, they were placed on worse jobs than you.”  When Sigfried looked away shamefully, Kanna knew he’d gotten her message.<br/><br/>“Welp, what’s over is over.  It was pretty funny watching you cram your foot in your mouth though.  I haven’t seen Lethe that mad since.. ever?”  There was a pregnant pause as Kanna tried to remember.  “Yeah, well, she’ll get over it. Maybe. Just beg prettily next time you see her.”<br/><br/>Sigfried’s protests were half hearted at most.  All they did was elicit a laugh from the former PMS member.<br/><br/>“Ahem, let me remind you what happened just ten minutes ago: you got<span style="font-style: italic">owned</span>.  Even if you meant well, Lights Above, that was a terrible way to express it.”<br/><br/>“It wasn’t necessarily..”  His pride could only take so many beatings in one day.  He was the Knight Commander of—!<br/><br/>“Sigfried.”<br/><br/>“Okay, so maybe it may not have been the<span style="font-style: italic">best</span>wording..”<br/><br/>His protest was cut off by Kanna turning to walk out of the room, hands up in the air in exasperation.  “Goodbye!”  The door slammed shut once more.<br/><br/>Yulia, who had remained quiet throughout the entire exchange, stared at the door in bemusement.  What was it about these girly Knights who somehow got the door to dramatically open and close on their own?  She turned back to Sigfried and burst out laughing.  Who knew her C.O. could make such a convincing puppy dog face?