[[Day 28 of Month –2, Solium]]<br/>The grim mood Lethe had been nursing all afternoon lightened as they came upon Solium.  Despite the heavy walls on the perimeters, the inside was a bustle of joy.  Animated talk filled the streets, good natured banter and gossip exchanged freely.  Children ran underfoot, but in the good way that belied safety throughout the town rather than not enough roofs to shelter them.  One look at the filled streets had both Lethe and Mei dismounting.  It was possible to navigate the road safely on horseback, but why run the risk?  Smiles greeted them as did offers of assistance.  Did they need help finding an inn?  Were they here to visit someone?<br/><br/>Inevitably, a smile broke out on the Knight’s face as well.  How could she not smile in the face of such warmth?  Helpful fingers pointed the way to the Knight garrison, as did looks of concern.  Oh no! Had something happened that they needed the help of the Knights?  No? They were sure?  Well, if they needed any help, just stop by --.  By the time they reached the Knight garrison, Mei was looking a bit frazzled by being around so many exuberant people.  Lethe was snickering behind a hand at the older woman’s expression.<br/><br/>“Hello! May we help you?”  One of the Knights manning the gate to the garrison greeted them with an open smile.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Yes, we’re here to visit Knight Captain Vesely.”</span><br/><br/>The Knight’s look turned curious but he nodded nonetheless.  “Sure, follow me.”  Their horses were led to the stables and they followed the Knight into the central building.  After two flights of stairs and a few turns, they were in front of a door with “Luca Vesely” inscribed on it.<br/><br/>“Excuse me, misses.”  Their guide said as he knocked on the door and then slipped in, no doubt to inform the Captain about their request.  A few minutes later, both their guide and an older Knight re-appeared.  The newcomer had dark brown hair with streaks of white in it cut close to his skull.  His beard was similarly colored and cut.  He wore functional armor, neither ornate nor excessively worn though Lethe could spot one or two areas where a dent had been beaten back out.  It drew another fond smile from her.  A sudden gasp drew her attention upwards.<br/><br/>“Master Lethe!”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Good evening, Captain Vesely.  I apologize for barging in like this unannounced.”</span>Brown eyes peered at her curiously before a welcoming smile broke out on his face, apparently put at ease by her lack of self-importance.<br/><br/>“Apology accepted!”  He joked even as he pushed his door open further and then nudged their now wide-eyed guide out of the doorframe.  “Welcome to Solium, Master Lethe!  I’m sure you have something you wanted to discuss? Come in, come in.”  He ushered her and Lady Mei, aptly guessing her guest was welcome to join their conversation, and then closed the door with a parting “please bring some water and lemonade for our guests, Santeri.”  When he turned around, Master Lethe was looking around the room curiously.  “My wife helped me decorate the room,” he informed them as he pulled two chairs over to his desk for his guests to sit on.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“I’ll confess, I’m more impressed we can see the wallpaper.  I’m not sure when’s the last time I’ve seen my walls.”</span><br/><br/>He laughed at her admission.  “Well, I don’t see them as often as I’d like.  And I’m sure you get more paperwork than me!  But what can a humble Knight Captain do for you, Master Lethe?”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Just Lethe, please.  And this is Lady Mei.  We’re traveling Palaugrim to get a better idea of the situation on the ground here, between the most recent Liberation Campaign, the continued rebel resistance, and the new spade of unknown attacks..”</span>She trailed off at the weary sigh and nod from Captain Vesely.  The previous humor in his face had vanished.<br/><br/>“Yes, they’re troubling to me, and all the other Knights, as well.  Unfortunately, there’s not much more I can tell you.  Solium and our surrounding areas have all been peaceful.  That boy of yours, Leon?, he did a good job when he came here.  I won’t say that the people here have ever been unkind, but uncertainty can lead to wariness.  With us so close to the border…”  The older man shrugged.  “But,” and then his face grew animated once more, “ever since the Campaign and Luciano’s fall and your boy’s visit, it seems everyone has fully embraced the Divine Light once more.  Very inspiring, that one.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“I’m glad to hear that.”</span>Not only because it meant that more were turning to the Light, but because it meant Leon was growing.  He had always struggled with his self-confidence.  Being the newest, and understandably the worst, on her squad must have been tough on him.  They weren’t all geniuses, not like Master Guilford’s squad, but every one of her squadmates were good at their specialty—<span style="font-style: italic">very</span>good.  It was hard to be the ‘mediocre’ one among what seemed like the best; she was glad he could have these successes under his belt.<span style="color: silver"> “Would it help if I were to..?”</span><br/><br/>Vesely shook his head before she could finish her words.  “Thank you, but it won’t be necessary.  Although,” he cut himself off as something occurred to him before turning to look at her.  She nodded encouragingly and it seemed to give him the resolve to finish his new thought, “Perhaps you can walk around a bit?  We normally have a potluck on Thursday nights to encourage everyone to interact, more than usual at least.  I’m sure the people would be happy to see you..”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “I’d be happy to.”</span>Lethe reassured immediately and for once, she didn’t feel dread at the prospect.  She wouldn’t have the anonymity she usually craved at events like these, but she had a suspicion that even if she wasn’t as graceful as normal or as ‘perfect’ as Seraphs were expected to be, it’d be okay.  Catching sight of Mei beside her, she paused uncertainly.<span style="color: silver">“Although..”</span>Black eyes turned to her at her stare and understanding the unspoken question, Mei nodded her head once.  It prompted the return of Lethe’s smile.<span style="color: silver"> “Although will it be okay that we have nothing to contribute to this potluck?”</span>The teasing smile accompanying her words elicited another rumble from the Knight Captain who assured her it was completely fine.  When his laughter finally died down, he sighed in contentment before rallying himself.<br/><br/>“Well Master Lethe, although I, Thank the Lights, have nothing troubling in my neck of the woods, perhaps I can offer you the most recent reports?”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Wonderful, thank you.  Also, I’d like your opinion of Palaugrim as a whole..  I know many reports don’t make it to my attention so I’d like a more informed viewpoint..”</span><br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>When dawn broke the next morning, the majority of the town was surprisingly awake despite the late hour most had slept last night.  They all crowded at the gates for last minute well wishes to the two leaving their humble abode.  One of the Seraphs had come to their town!  And how sweet she’d been! So charming!  No wonder she had such a nice boy like that Knight Leon on her squad!  So that was what a Seraph was like!  So inspiring!  Truly, the Divine Light was shining upon them!<br/><br/>Lethe waved at the crowd, pausing yet again to accept another well wish and another breakfast roll pressed into her palm.  To her side, Mei was also receiving such generosity, though the people seemed to understand the latter was less comfortable with such things.  Finally, Knight Captain Vesely and his wife had to come to the front and laughingly escort her and Mei out of the throng.  “They have places to be!” he roared good naturedly at the mass as he helped her onto her horse.  She didn’t need the hand but it was just another expression of Solium’s generosity.  With one last wave at the town, the two horses galloped down the road and out of sight.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 29 of Month –2, Emerald Moor]]<br/>Solemnity returned to the two women as they drew nearer to their next destination.  If only it was another Solium!  But no such luck.  Far in the distance, clumps of buildings marred the skyline.  They were oddly grouped, not dissimilar to mushrooms sprouting from the ground given the haphazard appearance.  A flick of the reins and their horses were racing down the dirt road.<br/><br/>Why they had ran so quickly, Lethe wasn’t sure she could say after.  Their destination certainly wasn’t going anywhere, neither physically or emotionally.  She somberly walked through the destroyed town, what little there was remaining.  Everything had been—flattened?  It hadn’t been like this in Roverner.  Why not?  She laid a hand against the indented ground and then looked up at the remnants of the house still standing.  Something, perhaps the war hammer Knight Captain Sigfried had alluded to, had smashed a hole through part of the house, leveling the ground and building under it but leaving the rest of the house mostly intact.  Was this what Kanna had seen in the letter she’d sent to Lady QianHua?<br/><br/>But why was this destruction so different from Roverner?  Did they have two enemies afoot?  Two who just happened to start senseless destruction at the same time?  Or was one a copycat?  Although who had the aptitude for such<span style="font-style: italic">precise</span>mass destruction?  Kanna, Mei, Centienne, Raim, Eve.  This didn’t look like what little was written Amon.  An unknown sorcerer?  Another demon?  They didn’t seem half as well sealed as they were supposed to be.<br/><br/>She paused at what used to be the center of the city.  It too had been smashed into a pancake of rubble.  No stray stone or beam had crept out of its circle; everything was packed too tightly.<br/><br/>“I’ll boost you from there.”  Lethe turned at Mei’s words, head cocked to the side in confusion.  “This is the center of the town, isn’t it?  It’d be best to look from here, assuming the attacker used this as the epicenter of the attack.”<br/><br/>That was true, but.. Lethe cast a wary glance at the indent that had once been the town hall.  Had there—been people in there when it was attacked?  Would she be—?  It was a pointless sentiment she knew, but it still didn’t stop her unease.  In a battlefield, she might have no option than to step on corpses, but to knowingly do so when there were other options seemed.. disrespectful.<br/><br/>“Lethe.”<br/><br/>She looked up into black eyes.  Though no words were spoken, she knew Mei was judging her, her and her hesitation.  They were already dead.  This was war.  Stepping over them would make no difference; they were<span style="text-decoration: underline">already dead</span>.  With a swallow of her throat, as if she could physically suppress her unease, she stepped onto the destroyed ground.  She couldn’t run away anymore.  Eyes still locked with Mei’s, she slowly walked to the center, wings appearing silently around her.  Under her feet, lines started to glow into existence.<br/><br/>“Boost yourself as well, in case you need to get higher.”<br/><br/>Was that approval she heard in Lady Mei’s voice?  Her hand lifted in a useless gesture; it added nothing to her actual casting.  It was a pointless habit she’d have to fix as well.  Tells could get a Knight killed.  Her own layer of seals appeared under her feet, resting atop Lady Mei’s.  No words were exchanged, no burning of the wrist, but they moved as one.  Lethe jumped into the air, wings pushing down to gain altitude even as first her seal and then Mei’s reacted, propelling her high, high into the sky.  Her blades spread out to catch the air, to change her fall into a slow glide, further boosted by the seals far below.  From so high up, she could see destroyed Emerald Moor at her feet, carved into a cloud shape.  Endless plains stretched out in the distance, broken by a few towns and a large lake with its source river winding its way further north.  There were countless roads as well crisscrossing the fields.  One even had a train of wagons rolling along them.  For better or worse, she could spot no other destroyed towns nor any other clues.  She dropped back to the ground.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“It’s a cloud shape.”</span>Mei’s only response was a furrowed brow and a nod before the older woman turned to walk back towards the horses.  Once again, they had to leave them at the outskirts.  Those horses were probably smarter than them.  Who else would walk so brazenly on a burial ground?  With one last look at ruined Emerald Moor, Lethe followed Mei down the next road.  There were no answers here, only more questions.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>[[Day 29 of Month –2, on the road in Palaugrim]]<br/><span style="color: silver">“Do you hear that?”</span>Mei looked over when Lethe suddenly spoke up.  The white-haired Knight was staring off in the distance, frown evident, as if trying to discern something.<span style="color: silver"> “It sounds like..”</span><br/><br/>“Fighting?”  She ignored the accusing look with practiced ease.  “It started about five minutes ago.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“To the right of us?”</span>At Mei’s confirmation, Lethe redirected her horse towards the conflict.  That was the direction of the caravan she’d seen earlier.  Her companion followed her silently.  Irritated blue eyes flickered in the brunette’s direction, but she pressed her lips together on the words that wanted to spill out.  Mei wasn’t a Knight, not anymore at least.  It wasn’t her place to scold the other woman for not telling her about the fighting; she’d never mentioned before she wanted to know.  Mei could be very.. exact that way.  It was something Lady QianHua had valued in her squad, less so Lethe.<span style="color: silver">“Please protect the people when we get there.”</span>Obedience, however, was an attribute Mei had in spades.<br/><br/>A mere ten minutes later, they came bearing upon the fight.  It was, as she’d suspected, the caravan from earlier.  The attackers, however, were humans.  Truth be told, she’d half been expecting (hoping?) it’d be Sinners.  She couldn’t use her keyblades to their full extent against other humans.  Her steed trampled its way through the first set of attackers but refused to advance properly after.  They’d chosen messenger horses for speed rather than a war gelding, which was more used to combat.  She jumped off the beast and sent it running out of the fight.  There was no reason to let it panic here; she or Mei could track it later.  Both defenders and attackers turned as she approached the nearest pair, neither sure whose side she was on.  Her sword running through the armored combatant quickly answered that question.  The travelers appeared to be merchants, armed with basic self defense knowledge but little formal training.  Their assailants were more structured in their fighting; it spoke of familiarity with combat.  In fact.. She instinctively side stepped a downward chop, attention focused on the cuirass.  The emblem on it matched what Victorie had worn.  She was forced to move away by another attack.  These men were skilled enough to cover each others’ openings.  As a matter of fact, they seemed to have recognized her as the greatest threat given the slow circle forming around her.  That decision may have also been helped by the seals now separating the wagons from their grasps.<br/><br/>Blue eyes scanned the group around her warily.  First—she dashed towards one of the men, sword raised high.  As she expected, he lifted his shield to block while his other hand, holding a gladius, prepared to thrust out.  Her free hand grabbed the edge of the shield and used her momentum to swing around, slicing his neighbor as she passed by.  She wanted his shield, not his head.  Now behind him, it took a strike to the nape of his neck to have him fall to the ground.  As she’d hoped, his shield was handheld.  She flipped the shield into the air, snatching it in time to block the next two strikes.  Her hand shuddered with the impact, going numb for a moment.  Now she remembered why she hated scutums.  Luna snaked out to disembowel her attackers and they fell to the ground unconscious.  She’d have to remember to, once more, thank Roland for Luna.  Lethe lowered the shield enough to peer over it.  Six more attackers here, and ten more currently engaged with other defenders.  Would they move first or should she?  Every moment stuck in this stalemate meant another second she could be helping one of the others.  Well then, that simplified things rather neatly.  She ran towards another opponent, slanting her shield to block the two attacks from the side, elbow helping stabilize it.  It was so large, she couldn’t really hold it vertically.  She parried her chosen target’s strike and flicked her sword into his side, forcing holy magic into the wound.  He collapsed.  Her next attacker followed him into oblivion soon after.  The next strike on her shield knocked it askew, her numb fingers barely keeping hold of the handgrip.  She barely got it in time for the downward strike, her body reverberating with the blow.  She struggled to move, but with the wood in the way, she couldn’t see her opponent and he kept forcing her still.  From the periphery of her eyes, she could see one of them running to strike at the side without her sword.  Even if she got Luna in place to block, it’d just be forced back into her body.  With one last glance around her, she vanished.<br/><br/>Lethe watched her attacker fell forward when the resistance under him disappeared.  Her boot slammed into the man’s back and the fall knocked him out.  It left her positioned to clothesline her next opponent, knocking the wind out of him even as he stumbled over her discarded shield.  She stabbed his leg just to be sure, letting her holy magic send him into unconsciousness.  And then there were two.  Both were looking distinctly uncertain, gazes darting between her and the two men she was crouched over.  Odd, they didn’t seem like soldiers though they wore armor with Sovereign Palaugrim’s crest.  One lifted his sword with shaking hands but the other just turned tail and ran.  He got no more than four steps when a dagger appeared in his calf and he felt to the ground as if pinned.  With one last horrified glance at his companion, the last just threw down his sword and fell to the ground.<br/><br/>Under her eyes, light bent to form a basic containment seal: Mei’s work.  Lethe immediately turned her attention back to the other fights.  Only one needed assistance which she willingly provided.  As the fighting had wound down, three families emerged from the wagons, the children all carrying ropes and the women carrying first aid boxes.  It seemed like a practiced routine the way the women rushed to the injured and the children brought the ties to the still able men, no doubt to restrain their assailants.  One of the men walked towards her, spreading his hands to the side to show they were empty.<br/><br/>“Thank you for your help, Miss..”<br/><br/>“Blanche.”  Mei appeared at her side, surprisingly taking the lead.  “And I’m May.”  A hard glance and a burn on her wrist was all Lethe needed to know about Mei’s uncharacteristic loquacity.  Lethe forced a smile to her lips and nodded in agreement.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “It was our pleasure, Sir.  May I ask what..?”</span>She looked around them in obvious curiosity.  The man only heaved a heavy sigh.<br/><br/>“Rebels.  Again.”<br/><br/>Two pairs of eyes flickered in his direction but only Lethe spoke up:<span style="color: silver"> “Rebels, sir?”</span>Suspicious hazel eyes narrowed on her so she smiled helplessly and shrugged apologetically,<span style="color: silver"> “With just May and I.. most leave us alone since we clearly have so little, just our cloaks and..”</span>She paused to peer around her,<span style="color: silver"> “our horses.. maybe just horse now.”</span><br/><br/>Her apparent sheepishness seemed to win his trust over once more.  “Yeah, I guess so.  Plus, that magic you used earlier.”  He nodded to Mei, in acknowledgment for whatever she’d done earlier that had dissuaded the men from attacking the wagons anymore. “As for the rest of us, we have to deal with these brigands.”  He spat the word out distastefully.<br/><br/>Lethe glanced at Mei quickly and received a nod of approval.<span style="color: silver">”Where are you headed, Sir?”</span>At his answer, she gasped in delight.<span style="color: silver">“Marishen? We were headed in that direction!  To Acheron, actually.”</span>She named a town close to their destination, just a bit further North.  Wide eyes stared at him hopefully,<span style="color: silver">“Perhaps we can accompany you?  There’s more safety in numbers, after all.”</span>It contradicted her supposed lack of experience with rebels, so she laughed and tacked on playfully,<span style="color: silver">“besides, it’s our first time to Acheron.  Our sister got married and moved there recently.  It’d help to have someone who knows which way of the map is up!”</span><br/><br/>She almost felt bad for tricking him like this, but if Mei wanted to keep their identities secret for some reason, and was willing to speak out to ensure it, she’d trust the other woman.  Mei had lived on Palaugrim longer than her; there must be a reason for their discretion.  However, she still insisted on accompanying this group to their destination.  As a Knight, it was the least she could do to ensure they stayed safe.<br/><br/>In the face of her earnest expression, the man crumbled before her and agreed to her request.  Her cheer wasn’t entirely faked, just more enthusiastic than normal, and with a smile, she let him introduce her to the others.