[[Day 13 of Month –3, Noon :: Redfern, Palaugrim]]<br/><br/>Sunlight filtered into the room through its one little window, lighting the coarse stone brick that made up the walls.  This was an old fortress, one that had seen little use after Sovereign Palaugrim had been established.  After all, Sovereign Palaugrim and Tethel had no reason to fight.  Consequently, the fortress had never been updated and had been in disuse until a week ago.  Once it became clear a battle with Tethel was imminent, the Pristine Knights had searched for a place to stage their defense and Redfern had proven itself an ideal location.  And if its fortress was a bit outdated, that was a small inconvenience to pay for the benefit of location.  One of its questionable benefits were the many tiny rooms scattered throughout the fortress, various nooks and crannies one could hide in for a moment’s silence.<br/><br/>One such hideaway was currently occupied.  The white-haired sat on an over-turned bucket, feet flat on the ground and elbows leaning on her knees.  Her hands were intertwined and her lips pressed against them; her eyes were closed as if in prayer.  Around her, she could faintly hear the hustle and bustle of countless men and women all preparing for the day’s upcoming events.  She should be out there.  Soon, she would be.  But first she needed a moment for herself.  Her head dropped further; her forehead bumped against her clasped hands.  Today was the thirteenth.  Today was the day Eve would attack Lindela and Tethel, Palaugrim.  Her fellow Seraph, Master Guilford, had somehow gotten news of such an attack and so here she sat, undermanned, but still here.  Blue eyes opened reluctantly even as she dug out the necklace tucked under her armor.<br/><br/>It was a cross-shaped necklace: her Faith.  In the center of it twinkled a small gem, its color bright with her holy magic.  Idly, she flipped the pendant over to reveal a spoked circle: patience.  Her symbol.  She turned the necklace over once more—Faith—then again—patience.  She spun it over and over, the two symbols that defined her life flashing through her eyes even as she wondered, how had it come to this?  Demons. Eve.  Another war.  Hadn’t the first war been enough?  Hadn’t they fought the first war to<span style="font-style: italic">end</span>Sin?  And yet, little more than a decade later, they were in the same place.  Her thoughts were interrupted when the necklace refused to turn anymore.  The chain was too twisted to allow another rotation.  With a sigh, the woman released it.  The Faith spun and spun, untwirling itself.  It felt like this life so far: just going in circles and circles.  Again, it was time to fight Sin.  Would there be another cycle?  If she lived through this war, was it just another ten years of building and then another fight with Sin?  Finally, the necklace stopped spinning, its chain straightened once more.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #0080FF"> “How long do you intend to keep fighting?”</span></span>Unbidden, the memory came to her.  Gil too had questioned his will to fight once. Did he still question it?<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #0080FF"> “I felt it from the day they reformed us, that I may no longer have what it takes to keep on...”</span></span>And yet he was still fighting.  Why?<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #0080FF"> “The Divine Light doesn’t understand!”</span></span>What was he fighting for now?<br/><br/>The Faith dangled in front of her, revealing the sign of the Divine Light.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">Purple eyes looked away from her, too ashamed to meet her gaze.  Gloved hands hugged the speaker’s body loosely, a symbolic defense.  “I.. I used to be a Sinner.” A whisper laden with regret.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">A man sitting next to her in the pew, crying into a handkerchief with a steel comb in it as the light poured in.  A token for a lover, perhaps.  Another victim who had lost someone to Sin, no doubt.  She said nothing but kept singing, hoping it could offer at least some comfort.</div><div style="text-align: right;">“I… I don’t want to die. I don’t,” The man in her arms pleaded desperately, pain and fear turning the normally sky blue irises dark.  The light in his eyes dimmed and then vanished.</div></span><br/>Her hand clenched around the Faith, ignoring the way it bit into her flesh.  Lethe got to her feet in one determined motion.  Her hand dropped back to her side and she walked towards the door that led out of her temporary sanctuary.  There was no more time.  It was the thirteenth and she had a defense to lead.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"> <span style="color: silver"> “Until this mortal body falls apart.”</span></span><br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 13 of Month –3, Dusk :: Redfern, Palaugrim]]<br/><br/>Lethe stared out into the distance, a façade of serenity.  Below her, countless Knights waited in anticipation.  Three of her squad members were assembled behind her; the others had been scattered among the troops as she’d deemed necessary.  She couldn’t be everywhere at once, so she wanted people she trusted spread out in case something occurred and needed an immediate response.  Her squadmates knew her well enough to anticipate what type of response she’d have; they would have to be her proxies in this battle.<br/><br/>She could hear some of the Knights shifting anxiously, the creak of leather and clank of armor betraying their nervousness.  She could understand such anxiety.  They had expected a battle during the day.  Human eyes saw poorly at night and despite succumbing to Sin’s temptations, to the best of the Immaculate’s knowledge, Tethelites were still human.  Fighting at night helped neither side.  However, Sinners had no such issues with nightvision and the Tethelites and Sinners were allied.  Perhaps they planned to fight at night to make use of the Sinners’ advantage.<br/><br/>She gazed into the darkening horizon critically, trying to discern any hostile movement.  Night was coming, and with it, the next war.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>[[Day 14 of Month –3, Sunrise :: Redfern, Palaugrim]]<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “What’s the latest news from Lindela and Gless?  We’ll rotate the troops in an hour’s time.  Make sure the reserves are resting for their turn.  Stay alert.”</span>Lethe ordered briskly to the crowd around her, sending them scrambling away with their new orders.  She reviewed the note she’d received from Knight Commander Kavita.  All was well in Bastille.  A scribe ran up and offered another two missives: all was well in Hiribah and at Kaiser Outpost as well.<span style="color: silver">“Respond and tell them nothing has happened here as well.”</span>The scribe nodded and then ran back towards the upper tower.<br/><br/>Pigeons crowded the sky with how many were flying about, missives being sent back and forth as quickly as their wings could take them.  It was frankly impossible to defend an entire island short of raising a defensive barrier.  She’d taken a third of Palaugrim’s Pristine Knight forces to the side facing Tethel based on the assumption Tethel would attack over the closest distance.  The remaining troops she’d left in their normal positions in case her assumption was wrong.  While she was glad they had forewarning about the attack, she really wished they had more intelligence regarding the impending battle.<br/><br/>Her head snapped to the side at the sound of a shout.  The others in earshot were similarly alert and there was a general wave as attention turned to the Knight pointing at an incoming speck.  Before she could say anything, bows were being readied and Banishes powered up in preparation.<span style="color: silver">“Hold fire!”</span>Lethe shouted.  She could hear the echo of her command being relayed as various squad captains repeated her order.  Her attention was on the incoming Wyervia though.  Could this be the vanguard?  As it got closer, she recognized the flags streaming from its sides.  It was a Glessian wyervia.<span style="color: silver"> “Allied wyervia incoming.  Return to normal!”</span>If command had taught her one thing, it was to state the obvious during battles.  A decisive voice garnered more obedience than letting her troops assume what they would.  Everyone was already more uptight than normal.  The battle that should have started on the thirteenth had failed to materialize so far, despite being a good six hours into the next day.  Maybe their intelligence had gotten the time a bit wrong or Eve was stalling in hopes they would lapse.  They wouldn’t.  The Immaculate was prepared for whatever Eve sent their way.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>[[Day 15 of Month –3 :: Redfern, Palaugrim]]<br/><br/>“Hey, when do you think they’re coming?”  One of the Knights voice asked his neighbor quietly, eyes firmly focused ahead in Tethel’s direction.<br/>“..Soon?” came the uncertain response as his neighbor also pointedly kept staring ahead.  It wouldn’t do for them to get injured or miss Tethel’s attack because they were too busy gabbing.  Every second of warning was important.<br/>“Do you think they’re even coming..?” A third voice asked quietly, voice pitched low to try to avoid the squad captain’s notice.  “I mean.. it’s been two days already.”<br/>“They have to be coming!”  The second speaker retorted hotly, “Master Guilford said himself that there would be an attack on the thirteenth.”<br/>A fourth voice entered the discussion: “Except it’s the fifteenth and there<span style="font-style: italic">hasn’t</span>been an attack yet.  If they’re coming on the thirteenth,<span style="font-weight: bold">where are they</span>?”<br/>There was no response to that.  No one knew where Eve or the Tethel troops were.  Tethel obviously had not attacked here and there had been no word about Gless or Lindela being attacked.  A voice suddenly chuckled, breaking the tense silence.<br/>“I almost wish they’d just hurry up and show up.  It seems kind of stupid to be wanting to go to battle and possibly get injured or killed but..” the voice trailed off but everyone who heard him knew his meaning.  This anxiety was almost more crippling than battle itself.  The past two days had just given them more time to worry and think up impossible scenarios.<br/>Another voice joined the snickering.  “This is worse than me on PMS.  I may go hot and cold, but at least I<span style="font-style: italic">am</span>hot or cold.  This is like knowing it’s coming and just waiting for the shoe to drop.”  The complaint elicited chuckles from everyone in earshot, everyone glad for a reason to dispel some of their worry.<br/>The laughing finally caught a commanding officer’s attention.  “Less talking, more focusing!”  The group immediately straightened and then turned their focus back on the horizon.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>[[Day 15 of Month –3 :: Redfern, Palaugrim]]<br/><br/>“Captain..” Bloodshot eyes rolled upwards to look at Seraphim.  Lethe might<span style="font-style: italic">look</span>as immaculate as ever but she certainly didn’t feel it.  The past three days had been a blur of snatching sleep in hourly increments and dealing with overwhelming anxiety as everyone’s resolve for the upcoming battle had mounted and then slowly fractured away.  None of the Knights were so bold as to voice their concerns in front of her but she wasn’t deaf.  She could hear the mutterings around her when they thought her attention elsewhere.  Where were the Tethel troops?  Why hadn’t Eve attacked yet?  Was their intelligence even sound?<br/><br/>Everyone looked to her for answer but she had no better answers than they.<br/><br/>All she could do was carry on, maintaining their defense for some unknown attack.  She had to believe in Gil, not only as a comrade-in-arms but as a fellow Seraph.  Despite any misgivings she might have, she had to support him, at least publicly.  ‘United we stand, divided we fall,’ as Councilor Cornelius was fond of saying.<br/><br/>The pink-haired woman looked around them helplessly, trying to find the right words to say.  Ah, screw it, she’d never been known for her eloquence anyways: “When is this attack coming?”<br/><br/>Lethe looked away, fighting down the stab of irritation.  She knew Seraphim was just voicing what everyone else wanted to know but she didn’t want to—ugh, she had no choice.  She<span style="font-style: italic">had</span>to deal with it.  Her gaze returned to her subordinate’s.<span style="color: silver">“Whenever Eve and Tethel are ready, I’d assume.”</span>Her voice was bland but the rebuke was still there, enough to prompt her squadmate to look down, chastised.<br/><br/>“Sorry..” The apology made neither feel better, “How long will we be keeping the rotations?  The men are getting weary…”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Until we’re ordered to otherwise.”</span>Lethe deliberately looked back down at the map and papers in front of her, one hand idly picking up a pin to mark where the newest troop movement had occurred.  She could hear Seraphim sigh sadly and walk away, the door closing with a solid<span style="font-style: italic">click</span>.  She was alone once more.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>[[Day 16 of Month –3 :: Redfern, Palaugrim]]<br/><br/>Even in a storage closet, Lethe couldn’t find any peace.  She’d retreated to the cupboard she’d sat in three days ago to try to find some serenity once more.  Patience, she tried to remind herself as she gripped her Faith,<span style="font-style: italic">patience</span>.  It had assisted her through these tense days but it was wearing thin.  So instead of sleeping, she’d hidden herself away to try to get a moment to center herself.  However, even here, she could hear the mutterings.  The voices were louder now, slower to quiet when she entered into the vicinity.  The questions had changed from wondering where the attack was to why they hadn’t been ordered to stand down yet.  Clearly the attack wasn’t happening.  Clearly the intelligence was faulty.  And more worryingly, if this intelligence was wrong, what other incorrect information was the Council relying on to make their decisions?  Master Guilford had provided the original knowledge: where had he gotten it?  Could they trust his source?  Could they trust<span style="font-style: italic">him</span>?<br/><br/>Whether or not Eve had planned to attack on the thirteenth like Gil had said, her absence was causing just as much damage.  Lethe forced her eyes closed, burying them into the palms of her hands.  If there was no attack by daybreak tomorrow, she’d order the Knights down regardless of the Council’s orders.  Their faith in the Immaculate was more important than whatever trouble she’d get into for disobeying commands.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>[[Day 24 of Month –3, Afternoon :: Redfern, Palaugrim]]<br/><br/>It was a subdued group that left the fortress twelve days after arriving in it.  There was a spark of life at the thought of finally returning home but that was overshadowed by weariness.  Although no battle had been fought, the constant paranoia and fight to stay alert in the face of utter normalcy had drained everyone.  The mental fatigue was almost worse than the physical one of standing around for eleven days.<br/><br/>“That should be the last of them.”  Adair spoke gently, green eyes watching her carefully.  Her entire squad was walking on eggshells around her after her ‘discussion’ with Seraphim.. how many days ago was it now?  She couldn’t remember.  She knew she should feel bad about their caution but she couldn’t muster enough energy to do so right now.  The past week had been a battle of bolstering the troops’ confidence in the Immaculate after the attack on the thirteenth had clearly not happened.  The continual high level of security hadn’t helped.  She understood the military sense of it, agreed even, but the Knights under her had grown too restless.  In their eagerness to find an adversary, their speculation had turned around to their commanders—to her and Guilford and the Council.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Alright.”</span>She pushed off the rampart she had been leaning against and turned around.  Her squad was assembled behind her, all standing at attention in this now deserted fortress.<span style="color: silver">“Alright.  We’ll head to Bastille then.”</span>It was centrally located and would allow her quick access to all of Palaugrim, or Gless or Lindela, if needed.<span style="color: silver">“But first we’ll detour in Zairyon.”</span>Leia had continued to send her letters.  It seemed that even after Santa Olivia, the orange-haired demon’s attacks had continued.  Now Lethe apparently had the ability to be in two places at once, if rumors were to be believed, given it was widely known she’d been leading the defense here in and yet she was still being attributed with the attacks occurring all over Palaugrim.  Unfortunately it seemed that the Immaculate’s intelligence network was not as comprehensive as her friend’s given she’d heard nothing from the official channels about any such attacks.  Although that could have been due to so many Knights being cooped up in the fortresses, all waiting for the attack that never came.<br/><br/>Regardless of the reason, it seemed clear that Leia had unique intelligence about Palaugrim that Lethe wanted.  Therefore, they would be stopping by Zairyon.  (The convenient fact she’d get to see her friend was just a bonus.)<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Is everyone ready?”</span>Squad ten nodded, all lifting their travel bags onto their back.  Adair handed her hers and she slung it across her back as well, checking the weight was distributed properly.  (It was, of course.)<span style="color: silver">“Let’s go then.”</span><br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>[[Day 24 of Month –3, Night :: Zairyon, Palaugrim]]<br/><br/>“Thea! Welcome! Welcome!”  Despite the warm greetings, squad ten was being escorted into the Vidalus’s mansion through a secret entrance.  It wouldn’t do for their neighbors to know they were on such friendly terms with the Pristine Knights, after all.  They had appearances to maintain and liking the conquerors simply wasn’t<span style="font-style: italic">in</span>right now.  “Dinner is all ready for you and we’ve prepared bedrooms for you all on the second floor.”  Orphelia herded the eight knights towards the dining room, ‘and you can see all our information<span style="font-style: italic">tomorrow</span>.”  She stressed at the glancing looks Lethe was shooting in the direction of the second library.<br/><br/>When all were sitting and had started eating, the lady of the mansion finally made herself comfortable in one of the chairs, her lord beside her.  “So, how have you all been?  Terribly busy with all that fighting on the Tethelite side, I hear?”  She joked with an amused smile.<br/><br/>There was an unnatural pause as all the Pristine Knights stopped moving.  Seven pairs of eyes glanced cautiously towards the immobile white-haired Knight before dating away.  The smile slid off the Zairyonian’s face as she realized something was off.  “Oh.  Is that not a good topic?  Thea, I’m so sor-”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “No.”</span>An explosive sigh erupted from pink lips.<span style="color: silver"> “It’s okay.  There’s no need to apologize.  If anything,”</span>Lethe dragged her gaze up from her plate to look at each member of her squad.<span style="color: silver">“If anything, I should be the one to apologize.  I’m sorry for making all of you uncomfortable.  These past days have been.. stressful,”</span>She finally decided, understatement though it was.<span style="color: silver">“But I know you have all been similarly stressed and it wasn’t my place to make it worse on you guys.  Seraphim,”</span>She turned to look at the other woman,<span style="color: silver">“I apologize for snapping at you.  You’d done nothing to deserve it.”</span><br/><br/>Seraphim exhaled silently, feeling a knot of tension loosen within her.  She’d been hurt when Lethe had responded so bitingly.  On one hand, she knew the younger woman was just under a lot of pressure.  On the other, she had just been doing her best: she too had heard the ugly whisperings and had wanted to bring it to Lethe’s attention.  The men<span style="font-style: italic">had</span>been getting weary and Lethe was always so conscientious about doing what was best for her subordinates…<br/><br/>“Well, then I think bed would be best for you all.”  Orphelia cut in with a smile before she had a chance to reply.  “Sounds like all of you have been exhausted.  Let me just tell the maids to draw baths.  I think a nice soak should help.  We can reconvene in the morning?”  In the face of such determined hospitality, there was no time for any other conversation.<br/><br/>The meal continued silently and then all were ushered to their respective rooms.  Seraphim looked over the opulent room wearily.  Had she ever been in a room so nicely furnished?  The last time she’d been here.  Her head dropped forward at the evidence of her stupidity.  This was the same room she’d stayed in last time.  Lights, she must have been even more tired than she thought.  She loosened the cuffs on her gloves and tugged them off, tossing them onto the bed.  Next came her armor then her boots.  She was loosening her shirt when she heard a knock on her door.<br/><br/>“Come in.”  The door creaked open to reveal a solemn white-haired Knight.  “Lethe!”  Seraphim exclaimed in surprise, hands immediately dropping from her shirt hem.  “Is something wrong?”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Ah.. no..”</span>Lethe began hesitantly, teething nibbling on the corner of her lips uncertainly.  Blue eyes darted everywhere but in the pink-haired woman’s direction.  Seraphim felt her heart sink; Lethe was still upset with her.<span style="color: silver">“I.. Please forgive me!”</span><br/><br/>In her surprise at seeing Lethe<span style="font-style: italic">bow</span>to her, Seraphim barely made sense of Lethe’s rushed words.  “Wha?  No no! Uh, I mean, yes! That! Argh!” Seraphim made herself freeze and slow down her suddenly rapid breathing.  Panic wouldn’t help, even though she felt terribly out of her comfort zone.  “Lethe.  There’s no need to apologize.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“There isn’t?”</span>The Seraph countered, looking up from her bow.<br/><br/>“Of course not.. I.” I forgive you, she wanted to say but she couldn’t force the words out.  Now over her surprise, Seraphim remembered the emotions that had sat in her stomach the past week like lead: anxiety that she’d made Lethe upset then resentment that she was treated in such a way when she’d just been trying to help.  “I..” she tried again and to her horror, she still couldn’t say the words.  She couldn’t let her resentment go.  Her legs felt weak and before she knew it, she was sitting on the ground with Lethe’s arms around her.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “I’m sorry Seraphim. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”</span>The younger woman apologized, voice steady despite the surplus of emotions.<span style="color: silver">“I’m so sorry.  It wasn’t your fault and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.  I’m so sorry.  It’s okay.”</span><br/><br/>“Le..the..” She gasped even as she stared at her hands frantically.  Were they grey?  Were they pointier than before?  Was she turning back—?!  “I! I!” she tried to force the words out—I forgive you—but she couldn’t.  She just couldn’t.  Lights, please, of Lights please. No, not again.  Please please please please please.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“You’re fine! It’s okay!”</span>She was being shook back and forth, her head snapping to and fro with the motion.<span style="color: silver">“Seraphim! It’s okay!”</span>A shining hand grabbed hers and held the intertwined hands in front of her at eye level.<span style="color: silver"> “Seraphim! It’s okay! Look!”</span>The clasped hands shook in front of her, her elbow flapping with the movement.<span style="color: silver">“Look!”</span>That was a command.  Purple eyes focused.<span style="color: silver"> “Does it hurt, Knight Seraphim?”</span><br/><br/>“No.” She answered with as much authority as she could manage.  Still, her voice much weaker than she was used to.  The bruising grip on her hand loosened.<span style="color: silver">“See?  It’s okay Seraphim.”</span>Lethe smiled at her through teary eyes and slowly the pink-haired woman realized—her Captain was shrouded in holy magic.  Her captain was shrouded in holy magic but it didn’t burn.  So.. so she..<span style="color: silver"> “It’s alright, Seraphim.”</span>Lethe repeated kindly.<br/><br/>“Can.. Can you absolve me?”  Seraphim asked in shame, head bowed so her hair shaded her face from sight.  There was a contemplative pause before Lethe responded,<span style="color: silver"> “I can, Seraphim, but I don’t think I should.  There’s no need for me to.  I know there’s no Sin in you.”</span><br/><br/>“But.. I can’t..”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“What I did wasn’t right.  I shouldn’t have taken my frustration out on you, Seraphim.  And I shouldn’t have let it stew for this long.  That’s my fault, Seraphim; you did nothing wrong.  It’s completely understandable that you can’t forgive me right away.  So I won’t absolve you, because there’s no reason for me to do so.  But if you still feel uncertain in the next few days, tell me and I will.”</span><br/><br/>The two sat in silence, Lethe patting her back, until Seraphim finally spoke: “Alright.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Alright.”</span><br/><br/>Finally, Seraphim straightened, prompting the younger woman to withdraw her arms.  “I should probably go take that bath now.  Can’t be a Pristine Knight if I’m all dirty.”  The pink-haired woman joked, laboriously climbing to her feet.  She’d been sitting on her legs for so long, they’d gotten pins and needles.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“You’re not dirty, Seraphim.”</span>Lethe followed her lead, also standing up.<span style="color: silver">“I’ll leave you to your bath though.  You’ve certainly earned it.  Sleep well, Seraphim.”</span><br/><br/>“You too, Lethe.”  Seraphim responded with a forced smile.  The door closed on the other woman and Seraphim stared around her uncertainly.  One hand played nervously with her fingers.  They weren’t pointy.  With one last look around her, she darted into the well lit bathroom.  Best to wash anyways, just in case.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/><span style="color: silver">“I really messed that up.”</span>Of course Leia was in her room.  The blue-haired woman cocked an eyebrow even as she popped a grape into her mouth.  “And are you okay, Thea?”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“I’m fine,”</span>Lethe replied.<br/><br/>“Really?”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“I’ll have to be.”</span>She amended as she started undressing.  The two travelled to the bathroom so the former could at least bathe.  Blue eyes slid closed at the bliss of being in clean, warm water.  She hadn’t had any time for the luxury of baths these past eleven days.  No, even longer than that really, since before Santa Olivia.<br/><br/>“Hmm…”  Orphelia had planned to grill her little sister about Guilford and how<span style="font-style: italic">that</span>was coming along but now didn’t seem like the right time.  By no means was Thea getting a free pass on her relationship status (or lack thereof) but Leia would grant her a reprieve right now.  Thea really looked like she could take a break from everything.  “Alright.  Well, I won’t pry.<span style="font-style: italic">Just this once</span>!” Orphelia clarified at Thea’s disbelieving glance, “You know, I’ve been trying to decide where to place our nursery.  Obviously we’ll have to remodel one of the rooms, but should it be..” She chattered lightly about baby plans and driving the chef crazy with her cravings and anything or everything except the war, Palaugrim, or the attacks.  That would come with dawn’s next light.  But for now, it was just a time to relax.  They were, after all, still young.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 25 of Month –3 :: Zairyon, Palaugrim]]<br/><br/>Ten pairs of eyes stared at the map unfurled on the table in front of them.  Colored pins marked the spot of every known attack: red, blue, green, and white.  The first two colors matched the map they’d found in Santa Olivia.  The green represented spots Rhett and Orphelia had learned about and white the ones the Immaculate had known.<br/><br/>“But why wouldn’t the map in Santa Olivia be comprehensive?”  Cricket wondered aloud, verbalizing the question the rest had been pondering.  “We knew about some of the attack spots; you guys,” he nodded at Orphelia and Rhett, “already knew about some of them, and some of them match the map on Palaugrim.. and some don’t.  Why wouldn’t the Sinners have a comprehensive map of everywhere they hit?”<br/><br/>“I know this is going to sound stupid and is most likely not right,” Valiar spoke up, “but what if they weren’t tracking their attacks.”<br/><br/>“But then why would they have a map of colored pins that just happens to correspond with many of the attacks we’re aware about?”  Leon pointed out the obvious.<br/><br/>“Because these red and blue locations are important,” Adair responded calmly, his attention more on the map than the conversation.<br/><br/>“But the others…” Leon paused, his eyes growing round.  Half the table looked up, having heard the shift in tone that suggested a revelation.  The other half were still mulling over the map.  “Captain! YunQiao!”  Two pairs of blue eyes jerked up at the sound of their names/titles, “Those red and blue ones are important!  That’s why they’re being tracked!  But the others must not be!  That’s why they’re not being tracked by the Sinners!”  Everyone stared at the excited blond as he reached for the map.  “Of course!  The other attacks must just be distractions!  If you have to attack.. what? Twenty? Thirty? different places, won’t it become obvious to your enemies what you’re targeting?  So they throw in extra attacks..”<br/><br/>“To hide the true objectives in the extra noise.”  YunQiao reached out for the pins as well, plucking out the white ones they’d added to the Vidalus’s map.  “They would have never expected us to find their notes that show the true targets.”<br/><br/>Leon was pulling out a green pin when a tanned hand landed on his, forcing it still.  “Wait.”  Rhett’s command was enough to make everyone stop.  “Either that map you found is a list of everywhere they want to hit or it’s a list of places they have hit.  In the former scenario, we can continue taking out the extra pins.  But if it’s the latter, do we know when they last updated the map?”  Green eyes swept over the Knights amassed in his third study.<br/><br/>“For sure it wouldn’t have been<span style="font-style: italic">after</span>your little soiree in Santa Olivia.  So all of the attacks we discovered after should be considered as potential objectives.”  Orphelia tapped some of the green pins.  “Dear, give me those yellow pins.”  She accepted the new set of pins and started replacing some of the green pins, consulting the paper in front of her.  “These are ones we found after your soiree but they all seemed on the older side.  The green ones that remain,” she nodded at the map, “are the attacks that looked more recent.”<br/><br/>A pale finger reached out to tap one of the red pins.<span style="color: silver">“Iovita.  I was there for this attack.”</span>Blue eyes stayed focused on the pin and the memories she had of that village.<span style="color: silver"> “That means any attacks we’re aware of before that date.. Day 4 or 5 of Month --3.  We can remove those.”</span>Santa Olivia had been assaulted on the tenth, at least it narrowed the time range a bit.<br/><br/>“Then that would include..”  YunQiao was consulting his notes now as he removed the white pins.  The remaining map looked a bit more bare.  “Now what about the color schemes?”<br/><br/>The group discussed around her as Lethe stared at the map contemplatively.  She had one piece of knowledge she wasn’t at liberty to share: Santa Olivia.  There was no mark there but she knew it was an anchor of the Great Seal.  She also knew that the demons were targeting the seal; all the Sin Crystals they’d found around there was proof enough.  Seals. Santa Olivia.  Seals.  Santa Olivia.  And yet Santa Olivia wasn’t marked even though the Sinners had been targeting there?  Two different operations at once?  Possibly.  Although..  Blue eyes darted to one of the blue pins: Emerald Moor.  She knew that place had been attacked; she’d seen it with her own eyes.  Blue eyes switched to the red pin she’d marked earlier: Iovita.  She also knew for sure that location had been attacked.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Blue and red are both places they’ve attacked for sure.”</span>She spoke up, unintentionally ending the debate about one of the colors being places the Sinners wanted to target.  (Cricket was playing devil’s advocate in spite of Orphelia’s dry comment that if blue was prospective locations, how was it none of the more recent attacks hadn’t been at any of the blue-pinned spots.)<span style="color: silver">“I’ve seen the wreckage at both Emerald Moor and Iovita.  So let’s assume they’re tracking two things at once.”</span><br/><br/>This time the silence was broken by Orphelia.  “I can’t think straight with both red and blue on the same map.”  She complained as she massaged her temples with one hand.  “Can we re-do this on two maps? Dear?”  Her husband shook his head in exasperation but did as requested.  He knew the cardinal rule of husbandry: don’t upset the pregnant lady.  He returned with two smaller maps and handed them out for Seraphim and Cricket to copy.  They looked to be the least intellectually involved.  When both single-colored maps were completed, they removed the original map to another table.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Lethe turned away from the table with the two maps, needing a temporary reprieve.  Valiar, Cricket, Seraphim, and Deimos were looking at the lists of attacked towns trying to determine if there was a common aspect that would justify them being in two separate lists.  The others were still looking at the two maps in hopes of making sense of them.  Orphelia was reading some new missives she’d received and Rhett had excused himself to deal with some other business.<br/><br/>Picking up her water glass, the white-haired Knight frowned when she realized it was empty.  In fact, she noticed now that she was aware, many of the water glasses were empty.  Walking over to the water pitcher, she started distributing the drink, finishing her route by Adair.  Her Vice Captain was standing by the original map of red and blue pins, brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of it.<span style="color: silver"> “No luck?”</span>She asked needlessly, drawing his attention away from it.<br/><br/>“No, not yet.  Here, let me take that.”  Despite her protest, the amber-haired man lifted the pitcher and moved to set it down on the table, just realizing in time there was another paper there before he got it wet.  “Here, hold this.”  He passed the paper to Lethe before he put the water jug down.<br/><br/>Lethe looked at the paper handed to her.  It was full of tiny holes and she lifted it to the light.  Yes, it was the map she’d originally found in Santa Olivia.  She brought it back down to put it aside when she noticed—<span style="color: silver">“Is that a red mark?”</span>This time when she lifted it to the light, she had it turned to illuminate the front of the map.<span style="color: silver">“Adair,”</span>There was just a hint of urgency in her voice,<span style="color: silver">“Is that a red mark on Santa Olivia?”</span>The blue-armored Knight craned his head to look.  “Yes, I think so.”<br/><br/>Santa Olivia. Seals. Red mark.  Red pins.  The Great Seal.  But why hadn’t it been marked with a red pin?  Because it hadn’t been attacked yet.  There was no red pin because even with whatever the Sinners had been doing in Santa Olivia, they hadn’t completed it yet.  The Sin crystals hadn’t been detonated.  They hadn’t<span style="font-style: italic">attacked</span>Santa Olivia yet.  And so it couldn’t be marked with a pin yet.<br/><br/>But someone had been overeager and marked it with a red pen.  Red pin.  The map dropped from nerveless hands as she rushed to the map with the red markings.  Grabbing a red pin, heedless of the other pinpricks she received from her blind groping, she slammed the pin into Santa Olivia’s position.  Santa Olivia was an anchor to the Great Seal; Gil had been sure it was Eve’s target.  But there was no way the seal was made without redundancies, she’d told Gil.  That fact was so obvious, even their enemies could guess that.  Then if the red pins were anchors or at least<span style="font-style: italic">suspected</span>anchors..<br/><br/>How did she get them out of here?  Her eyes closed in grim determination as she realized what the next steps needed to be.  There was no way the Council would let her get away with ‘accidentally’ revealing the Great Seal to her squad.  She would need to figure this out on her own.  As quickly as possible.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Everyone.  I need you to leave.”</span>When she opened her eyes again, everyone was staring at her in disbelief.<span style="color: silver">“Please don’t ask.  I’m not at liberty to explain.  I need you all to leave.  Prepare your bags for departure the moment I say so.  Someone go to Luciano and tell them to order a Wyervia on standby for us.  I want fresh horses waiting for us to get to Luciano the instant we can.”</span>She could order them out, but<span style="color: silver"><span style="font-style: italic">“Please.”</span></span><br/><br/>“Seraphim and Leon, you’ll go for the Wyervias.  Cricket and Deimos, the horses.”  Adair ordered, forcing his subordinates to start moving.  “Lady Orphelia, I’m sorry but”<br/><br/>“It’s about time to start preparing tomorrow’s dinner menu anyways.”  The Zairyonian smiled brightly, placing her letters facedown.  She brushed out of the room airily, leading the way for everyone else.  When everyone else had left, Adair turned to look at the still pale Lethe.  Whatever she had found, it was important.  She was scribbling on a plain piece of paper now that the room was empty so with an encouraging smile she wouldn’t see, the Vice Captain of Squad Lethe closed the door.