<dl class="codebox"><dt>OOC Time Line (since Palaugrim began) | <a href="javascript: void(0);" onclick="var spoiler = this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('dd')[0]; if ( spoiler.style.display == 'none' ) { spoiler.style.display = 'block'; this.innerHTML = '-'; } else { spoiler.style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '+'; };">+</a></dt><dd style="display: none;">Day 10 of Month --: Team Prissy and Team Blonde leave for Palaugrim<br/>Day 11 of Month --: Bryn Dies<br/>Day 21 of Month --: Luciano falls<br/>Day 30 of Month --: Lethe wakes up + meeting with Laith<br/>Day 1 of Month --2: Guilford dies in the morning.  Vlad requests to resign from Squad 8.<br/>Day 2 of Month --2: Abel reaches the Crests with the injured Guilford, <br/>Day 3 of Month --2: Deimos meets with QianHua, Vlad interlude. Leon interlude.<br/>Day 4 of Month --2: Adair/Alfrei interaction<br/>Day 5 of Month --2: Guilford wakes up (night), QianHua arrives in Caleta<br/>Day 6 of Month --2: Guilford reads the Scriptures. Hyuga Interlude<br/>Day 7 of Month –2: Guilford decides to undergo training. Cricket Interlude.Valiar Interlude.<br/>Day 8 of Month --2: Lethe plays with Light’s Blessing. Deimos/Kanna Interlude.<br/>Day 10 of Month --2: Joaquim Interlude, Alfrei Interludes (both), Adair Interlude<br/>Day 14 of Month --2: Guilford begins training with Light’s Wrath.  <br/>Day 15 of Month --2: Grisia interlude.</dd></dl><br/><br/>[[Day 3, Month --2]]<br/>Leon collapsed on his bed with a groan.  He didn’t think that last speech had gone that well.  He dug his face further into the bedding as if that would get him out of this situation.  He hadn’t expected to be separated from the others like this.  Even the original assignment, only three of them doing stump speeches in Palaugrim, had seemed too much.  Now he was on his own with three people to lead (never mind that they had been in service longer than him!) and had to give the speeches!  He reluctantly sat up and reached for the letter he’d tucked under his shirt.  He unfolded the lightly rumpled paper and stared at it as if it had the answers to the world.<br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>Dear Leon,<br/><br/>I know this may seem overwhelming, but…</div></blockquote><br/><br/>‘Overwhelming’ seemed like such an understatement.  Terrifying, worse than facing pissed off Seraphim, oh-my-light-it’s-the-third-week-of-the-month scary all seemed like more appropriate descriptions than that one word.  And yet.<br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>We have squads of eight for a reason, each member is important.  <span style="font-style: italic">You</span> are important.  If you can’t believe in yourself, believe in me and the others.  I know you can rise to this occasion, Leon, just like you have in the past.  Speak from your heart and they will hear you.</div></blockquote><br/><br/>How could he just give up?  Never mind the Council and all the Pristine Knights and that stuff,<span style="font-style: italic">his</span>squad was depending on him.  He looked through the letter once more, deriving comfort from the encouragement it contained.  Captain had even included tips on how to make better speeches, how to avoid stage fright, certain phrases she found were more effective, etc.  Okay. It’s okay, he encouraged himself.  Today had only been his second day giving speeches.  He had two more days to keep practicing, get better, change minds.  With another sigh (and oh lights! He was turning old now to be sighing so much!), he got to his feet, glanced at the letter one last time, and started practicing for his next speech.  He couldn’t let his squad down.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 3, Month --2]]<br/>Vlad sat idly at a park bench, attention half on the children running around. Marielle, Valiar’s wife, had asked him to watch over her daughter while she was grocery shopping.  Because of the attack a few days ago, he winced at the reminder, most schools were temporarily closed.  Unfortunately, it left a lot of parents with kids on their hands as they needed to complete everyday tasks.  Even with the threat of attack imminent, chores remained.<br/><br/>He closed his eyes, trying to draw comfort from the tranquility of the park that remained despite the childish squeals.  He wasn’t officially off Team—whatever team they were called now.  Master Lethe had placed him under Valiar’s command and the cleric had ordered he take respite.  Although now it seemed more like he’d been assigned to (free) babysitting duty.  His mind drifted back to the story Valiar had told him.  Their similarities were shocking.  Valiar was a highly skilled cleric; no prodigy, but still a well respected one.  After all, the man was<span style="font-style: italic">the</span>cleric of Master Lethe’s squad.<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: silver">“We would never keep someone on the team if we didn’t think they were good enough.”</span></span>To think Valiar had had doubts like his once!  But the other Knight had at least found what he was good at.  As for himself, he was still searching.  He had thought for sure he was a tank, but perhaps his skill was in the healing arts as well?  The memory of his botched attempt at healing quickly shot down that idea.  Definitely not healing.  He opened his eyes to stare at the tree branches above him.  When would he find what he was good at?<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 6, Month --2]]<br/>Hyuga picked up the jam jar (<span style="font-style: italic">really</span>, a jam jar?!) and lifted his magnifying lens so he could see the etchings better.  Someone had inscribed his original limiting seals on the jam jar.  Then, someone else had re-inscribed over the entre thing with a second set of runes.  Oddly enough, most of the runes seemed to be keeping influences out rather than sealing the taint within.  Nonetheless, the second etchings seemed to have worked at keeping the Sin taint from spreading out.  Now the crystal inside glowed a pale yellow.  How unusual.  He put the jar back down and looked at his original bottle of Holy Powder.  It had a much stronger yellow hue, similar to gold.  His attention then turned to the last ‘sin crystal’ in front of him.  It had the same pale yellow as the first crystal he’d been examining, unsurprising as both crystals had been given to him by Master Lethe.<br/><br/>He leaned back in his chair and examined the three specimen in front of him: one crystal, pale yellow, still in its containment jar; one partially tinkered upon crystal, also pale yellow, in front of him; and a jar of golden Holy Powder.  What had happened to the first two crystals to give them such a pale color?  Their holy magic was also substantially weaker than his Holy Powder, though it still seemed potent.  If only he could figure out what had happened to them!  Master Lethe had been surprisingly tight lipped when she’d handed them to him with only a reminder that he was not allowed to use them on anyone.<br/><br/>He had been sorely tempted to try breaking one of them to see if he’d get a Light version of himself before realizing whatever these crystals had been converted to didn’t seem like strong holy magic.  If it ended up as an ambiguous, non-Light version of himself running around…. He had a feeling Captain Guil—He paused suddenly as his eyes blinked rapidly to try to keep his eyes from hazing up.  Stu-stupid.  He couldn’t.. his notes would get ruined!<br/><br/>Despite his mental chastisement, he leaned back in his chair, just in case.  It wouldn’t do for him to lose his notes just because ninjas were cutting onions nearby.  He reached out to the crystal, idly rolling it around as he tried his best not to remember his Captain.  Even though it’d been five days now, the pain was still fresh.  Would it ever go away?  He envied how the others could keep moving forward; he was hiding in these papers to try not to remember.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Master Guilford is dead.</span>Joaquim’s words reverberated through his mind now that he didn’t have ‘research’ to keep the thoughts at bay.  His eyes inevitably strayed to the rumpled papers on the side of his desk.  Was this research even useful?  He didn’t know.  It hadn’t saved Bryn. It hadn’t saved Captain.  Everyone laughed at him for being a ‘dreamer.’  Sure, he knew it was all in jest, but now he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe there was an ugly truth to that title.  Was he spending so much time dreaming he’d lost sight of the present?  Should he be training instead of wasting time on these crystals?<span style="font-style: italic">“There are things that one can and cannot do well. Find that which is yours and you will find your strength.”</span>He felt a surge of energy at the memory of Captain Guilford’s favorite saying, his hand closing around the crystal.  This was his strength, but was it a useful one?<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 7, Month --2]]<br/>Black eyes assessed the silvery mist Fiona was manipulating, watching her push and prod it into the wound.  The newest member of the squad had potential as a cleric.  Her work was only average right now, but Valiar could tell that it was due to lack of experience.  She’d grasped the concepts easily enough and was controlling the healing magic with an instinctive ease that all clerics had.<br/><br/>A boom behind him had Fiona jumping, her magic spiking with her surprise.  He leaned forward with a glowing hand to force her magic still before it tore the wound open further.  “They’re starting to get ugly with their magic usage.”  He commented off handedly, ignoring the ominous<span style="font-style: italic">crack!</span>that cut through the air.  Wide brown eyes stared up at him and he smiled encouragingly.  “This new healing Cora’s taught has the potential to heal faster and more efficiently, but there’s also a greater chance we might injure our patients if we’re not careful with our magic.  If you plan to become a cleric, you need to always know what’s going on around you.  Projectile incoming, by the way.”  The large brown eyes blinked in confusion before widening in understanding.  The Knight shot to her feet and a flash of silver struck aside the ice spear that had been deflected in their direction.  Hmm, he certainly hadn’t been that fast when he was that age.  But then again, trust Master Guilford to have chosen another ‘prodigy’ for his squad.  Whether by conscious decision or not, the man had always pulled the ‘geniuses’ into his squad and friend circle.<br/><br/>“Careful with those!”  He raised his voice so it carried over to the dueling YunQiao and Natalia.  “No good to deflect those spells and get your clerics killed!”  There was no sounds of acknowledgment but he knew both of them would take his words to heart.  It had probably been Natalia who had accidentally sent the attack in their direction anyways.  Lethe had branded the importance of clerics into each member of her squad, sometimes literally.  (Cricket had worn “I must defend my cleric” signs on his shirt and gauntlets for a month before the message had finally sunk in.)  It looked like it was Team Prissy’s turn to learn that lesson, if they were going to be incorporated into Lethe’s command.    Turning his attention back to Fiona, he smiled and directed her to take over healing the patient once more.  She flushed at being caught inattentive but knelt to continue healing, so he released his magic and straightened up.  She seemed to be doing fine.<br/><br/>He turned to watch the battle behind him.  It looked like Natalia and YunQiao were both working out some frustration if the spell choices and ferociousness of the attacks were any indication.  His black-haired squadmate had been looking more peevish than normal in the few times he’d seen the other Knight.  Valiar was guessing that tetchiness was caused by the grey-eyed, purple-haired woman overseeing the spar.  What<span style="font-style: italic">was</span>QianHua doing here?  He’d had the distinct impression in Fleur Terres that she didn’t want to be within fifty feet of Pristine Knights and now she was standing in the middle of the Cathedral watching two of them spar.  A whip flicked perilously close to the ex-Captain and suddenly Natalia was flying through the air as QianHua yanked the weapon through the air.  The spar came to an abrupt halt as the blonde slammed onto the ground.<br/><br/>“What’s the use of a Pristine Knight who ends up injuring the bystanders or the people she’s trying to protect?”  The woman wondered aloud, leveling a glare on both her nephew and his opponent.  “Just because you two are upset doesn’t mean you should be throwing spells around helter skelter!  YunQiao, your magic usage is getting too wasteful.  Natalie, you need to increase your situational awareness.  That’s the fourth attack you’ve sent in my direction and you almost skewed a passing by Advocate if another Knight hadn’t been there to block it.  Both of you take a break.  I’ll see you again in an hour’s time.”  Two suitably chastised Knights slunk out of the courtyard.  With one last scathing look around her, QianHua stormed off as well.  Valiar scratched his cheek idly.  Lights above, how was it that Captain knew so many temperamental women?<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 7, Month --2]]<br/>Natalia retreated from the courtyard as quickly as her feet would allow her.  How embarrassing!  She found an empty confessional and quickly shut it behind her, locking the door.  There was no Advocate on the other side of the screen, but she wasn’t here to confess anyways.  She just needed to get away.<br/><br/>Bringing her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them in a futile attempt at comfort.  How embarrassing to be scolded like that!  And in front of the new girl as well!  While she was glad to have another female presence on the team, why did Fiona have to be so<span style="font-style: italic">graceful</span>?  It was like having a more feminine Bryn on the team, another comparison she couldn’t match.  Even though Gil had handpicked her, she hadn’t been the top of the class like Fiona was.  She’d seen Valiar’s admiration at how quickly Fiona had picked up the new healing spell.  In contrast, she’d barely been able to get it work.  He had laughed at her attempts (and though she knew it hadn’t meant to malicious, it still did hurt) and told her that her efforts might be better spent elsewhere.  And then for Lady QianHua to scold her like that!  She stared down at the tips of her shoes dejectedly.  Gil would have never done that. Gil…<br/><br/>She missed him.  Oh Lights, she missed him so much.  Tears slid their way down her cheeks and she didn’t bother stopping them.  She thought she’d cried all her tears by now but apparently not.  The gaping wound in her heart still ached.  If she’d known he was going to.. she couldn’t even think it.  It had to be a lie.  Even if Joaquim said it, even if she was stuck working with Master Le—the other squad, she refused to believe<span style="font-style: italic">he</span>was dead.  There had to be a mistake.<br/><br/>She buried her face in her knees, trying to muffle her sobs.  If she’d known, she would have never stood aside.  She would have tried to win Gil’s love, as futile as the attempt might have been.  She could have made him happy.  They<span style="font-style: italic">had</span>been happy together, that one year she’d lived at his house when he’d first saved her.  Bryn hadn’t made him happy like she had and Master Lethe was forever leading Gil along.  She could have made him happy.  Lights, she missed him so much.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 7, Month --2]]<br/>Cricket frowned at he stared down at the city below him.  Five days had come and gone already but he was still on Palaugrim.  It appeared that Seraphim and Leon were still trying to finish all the towns on their lists and needed more time.  Lethe had deemed the goodwill campaign more important than their speedy return and extended their stay until both were finished.  He was already done with his cities.  He only needed to visit the fortresses already under Light control and counteract the news of Master Guilford’s death.  The other two were given the harder tasks of convincing uncertain towns and cities to support the Light.  Well, relatively harder tasks.  Though he had less travels, he’d had to deal with the more personal responses as countless Knights gave him well wishes and letters for Master Guilford’s funeral.<br/><br/>“Is everything okay?”  He turned when the person behind him finally decided to speak up.  Knight Commander Romauld.  The other man was probably wondering why he was idling away at the top of the fortress instead of doing something useful.  However, neither of them (nor anyone else) was quite sure who outranked the other.  Technically, Romauld was a Knight Commander while Cricket was just a Knight.  However, Cricket had Lethe’s seal and was here on behalf of the Seraph.  Both simply tried to avoid the other unless necessary and prevent needless conflicts.<br/><br/>“Yes.”  He had spent way too much time with the Captain because Cricket found himself adding “Thank you” to the end of his response.  He definitely hadn’t been that polite before.  An uneasy silence fell over them as neither knew what to say next.  Cricket turned his head to look at the other Knight, catching Romauld’s attention.  The other was well known for his strictness and his mastery of longarms.  Coincidentally, Reapers were now using longarm of sorts.  A smile, involuntarily a touch threatening, crossed Cricket’s face.<br/><br/>“Would you be interested in a spar, Knight Commander Romauld?”  He’d been thinking he needed to train more anyways.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 8, Month --2]]<br/>YunQiao shielded his eyes from the bright light emanating from the figure in front of him.  So this was “Light’s Blessing.”  All the notes he had found referred to Light’s Wrath, but the diary QianHua had brought called it Light’s Blessing.  An error lost in time?  Or were they two different magics?  Either way, it was awe inspiring.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: grey">brighter than the highest noon,<br/>buried within the streams of life,</span></div><br/><br/>The voice wavered at the end as the speaker struggled with an unknown force.  The eight keyblades, heads inwards to form a sun-like disk, were slowly pushed outwards at the white light they contained strained for freedom.  The keyblades suddenly picked up in speed and painstakingly circled inwards, forcing the light smaller and smaller until it winked out of sight.  Lethe collapsed to the ground, heaving for breath.  The pressure in the room had abruptly vanished.<br/><br/>“I don’t think this incantation is working.”  QianHua walked up to the exhausted woman, handing the other a cup of water.  “This is the seventh time it’s failed.  Considering you could get to near the end of your other spell without a problem, there’s got to be something wrong with this spell.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Maybe..  Can I see the book again?”</span>Lethe reached for the offered diary, flipping through the pages randomly.  She’d skimmed the entire thing by now and she thought her incantation matched the precedents listed.<br/><br/>YunQiao walked up as well, though his attention was on the notes he’d made from his research.  “Perhaps you need a mortality phrase?”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“It’s later in the incantation.. at the very end, actually.”</span><br/><br/>“Maybe we can add one in earlier?”<br/><br/>“Skassia used to use.. hmm.. I believe it was ‘Crimson from the blood that flow,’ in her incantations, since the blood referenced both mortality and life.  We could add that in?  After the first line?”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“brighter than the highest noon, crimson from the blood that flows, buried within the streams of life, is where your power grows?”</span>At the two approving nods, Lethe nodded as well.<span style="color: silver"> “Alright then.  I’ll try that.”</span>She shakily got back to her feet, forcing her exhaustion from her mind.  They’d been working at this for three days already and hadn’t gotten past two lines.  Of course, one couldn’t<span style="font-style: italic">rush</span>divine magic, but she just didn’t have time.  Her paperwork was threatening to consume the squad quarters, there were only so many more hours of sleep she could skip, and the others would be coming back soon, never mind the Councilors kept pushing for more changes.  Between Valiar’s, Natalie’s and Hyuga’s retellings of the events in Luciano and the descriptions from the townspeople at the attacked towns, the Council had guessed that the demon who’d attacked was Eve, the God of Sin’s.. lover? Courtesan? Second in Command?  No one was quite sure of the demon’s ranking but it was definitely BIG TROUBLE, in all capital letters no less.  They’d somehow avoided being attacked ever since the initial assault, but none of the Councilors were delusional enough to think the respite was from their increased defenses.  Eve was planning something, and all they could do right now was wait for the other shoe to drop.  She had to be ready for that inevitable encounter.<br/><br/>Lifting her arms, Lethe summoned her Heavens Judgments blades once more.  That was another thing she needed to do.  QianHua had suggested that ten swords would better stabilize the divine magic.  She’d get around to that eventually, somehow.  Gathering her magic, she began the incantation once more.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: grey">brighter than the highest noon,<br/>redder than the blood that flows,<br/>buried within the streams of life,<br/>is where your power grows!</span></div><br/><br/>For once, the divine magic wasn’t struggling against her will.  It gathered at the center of her blades, the portal opening between the divine realm and this one just as she wanted.  This spell used her blades as the focus rather than her body.  Unfortunately, she didn’t have the magic right now to sustain the keyblades much longer.  With a frustrated clench of her fists, she slowly worked at closing the gate and releasing the divine magic in a harmless fashion.  It was a small comfort that she wasn’t sent to her knees from this attempt.<br/><br/>“Did something go wrong?”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“No.  Just ran out of magic.”</span><br/><br/>Both QianHua and YunQiao frowned at the admission.  It was hard to gauge if the Seraph’s magic reserves were still drained from the incident in Luciano, now seventeen days ago, or if it was a natural effect of tapping into divine magic.  “Alright then. I guess we’ll call it a night.”<br/><br/>A tired smile answered QianHua’s words even as Lethe nodded.<span style="color: silver">“Can you head back first, Lady QianHua?  I’m afraid I still have paperwork to complete.”</span><br/><br/>The purple-haired woman’s frown deepened at those words.  “You’re exhausted, Lethe.  And you need to sleep if you want your magic to recuperate, never mind the strain your body’s still going through even if we switched foci.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“I’ll be back soon, Lady QianHua.  There are just some high priority missives I need to review.  YunQiao, can you see Lady QianHua home?”</span>Neither aunt nor nephew looked happy.<br/><br/>“Let’s first walk you back to the quarters and then we’ll leave.”  YunQiao bargained, knowing he’d won when Lethe sighed and nodded her head.  At the very least, he’d make sure she didn’t collapse in the hallways.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 8, Month --2]]<br/>“Peace! We’re with the Light!”  Kanna dismissed the runes around her and held her hands up in surrender, warily eyeing the Pristine Knights that surrounded them.  Behind her, Deimos sighed and flipped his hood down, seemingly unconcerned about the sudden raising of weapons at his actions.  Seriously, was she the Pristine Knight here or was he?  He seemed oddly okay with provoking the other Knights.<br/><br/>Deimos sighed again at the wary looks the Knights were giving them.  While it was understandable, it was still annoying to be constantly accosted.  (He ignored how this confusion could be avoided if he wasn’t wearing his cloak.)  “Venit in pace.”  He called his holy magic around him, knowing the other Knights felt the magic when they stiffened and then relaxed.<br/><br/>“Which squad are you with?”  Sigfried appeared from the shadows, a frown evident on his face.  Somehow, the Knight appeared familiar but he wasn’t sure why.  He’d heard stories from his subordinates of how a duo, one mage and one Knight, were running around subduing Sinners and rebels.  After a few days, he’d finally decided to investigate the issue himself.  He definitely didn’t recognize either of the two standing before him and there<span style="font-style: italic">had</span>been rumors of impostor knights running around.  With so many Knights in the area due to the rebellion, it was possible for impostors to slip in.<br/><br/>“Gless Squad Ten.”  The blonde Knight pulled a Faith over his head and tossed the trinket to a startled Sigfried.  The Seraph’s squad?  He examined the Faith and yes, on the back was a modified version of the Seraph’s seal.  Official communication had come through explaining she was sending her squad members out with Faiths bearing a modified version of her seal and she would greatly appreciate everyone lending them assistance if requested.<br/><br/>“Is there something you need help with?”  The redhead asked as he motioned for the Pristine Knights to lower their weapons.  As expected of Romauld’s troops, none of them had lowered their guard despite the surprising words.<br/><br/>A shoulder lifted in a shrug.  It appeared that the blonde had used up all his words if the way he was now staring in the distance was any indication.  Sigfried recalled rumors of one of Seraph Lethe’s Knights being reticent; perhaps that was this one?  The mage smiled uneasily.  “Er, sorry about him.  He doesn’t talk a lot.  So, yeah.  Lethe asked that we help clean up Zairyon and stabilize this region, but it’s as a personal request which is why Deimos probably didn’t reach out to you guys.”  Kanna had no idea why the other Knight was reluctant to work with the forces here.  He had just shown up at the house with a message for Rhett.  The two men had withdrawn to an office and now all she knew was Lethe wanted this place stabilized as soon as possible.  Mei and Ethera had already left before Deimos had arrived, summoned away by QianHua.<br/><br/>“Who are you?”  Despite now knowing they were allies, the commander didn’t seem that trusting.  Well, then again, they hadn’t really been introduced.<br/><br/>“I’m Kanna, ex-PMS, QianHua.  This is Deimos, Gless Squad Ten under Lethe’s command.”<br/><br/>Suddenly the man’s wariness vanished with a surprised laugh.  “Kanna?!  So you’ve been in Zairyon all these years?”  He dismissed the Knight squad as he walked up to the now confused woman.<br/><br/>“Uh.. do I know you?”<br/><br/>The redhead laughed again.  “I can’t believe you forgot me!  It’s Sigfried!”<br/><br/>“Sigfried?!  You look so old!”<br/><br/>“Gee, thanks Kanna.”<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 10, Month--2]]<br/>Praise the Light that they were back in Caleta.  Joaquim would finally get to see his wife and kids again and get away from whatever this was.  The tension between Alfrei and Adair had just kept getting worse as the trip continued.  Right now, he’d rather relive his wife’s pregnancy than be stuck in this situation any longer.  They were headed towards Squad Ten’s quarters when they came across the person they were searching for.  Master Lethe, Fiona, and Natalia were headed in their direction, the first two in animated conversation.  He scanned over the youngest member of their squad and frowned at the stiff way she held herself.  Natalia didn’t look injured, but she seemed unhappy.<br/><br/>“Captain.”  Adair interrupted the conversation, gaining all three women’s attentions.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Adair! Welcome back!”</span>A thought seemed to cross her mind and then the white-haired Knight was frowning even as she looked out a window for a second.<span style="color: silver"> “You’re back so soon?”</span><br/><br/>As expected, Master Lethe had noticed the early end to their teaching trip.  Alfrei had made a fuss about how Master Guilford still didn’t have a funeral yet and that it was disrespectful and as Master Guilford’s last squad, they were obliged to ensure the funeral rites were enacted properly.  While the words were true, Joaquim had the private feeling Alfrei had complained mostly to annoy Adair.  To their surprise, the amber-haired man had smiled and agreed with Alfrei’s suggestion (for once!) and so the trip had been cut short to his and Georg’s personal reliefs.<br/><br/>“Alfrei insisted that there were some tasks he needed to complete here in Caleta, posthaste, as Vice Captain of Squad Eight.”  And it looked like Adair had no problems throwing Alfrei under the Wyervia.  It was hard to tell if the other Vice Captain was normally like this or if this was special treatment for Alfrei.  Joaquim watched silently as Master Lethe turned her attention to the now sullen blonde Knight.<br/><br/>“It’s Squad Eight specific tasks!”  Alfrei finally bit out, hostility leaking into his voice.  Cool blue eyes stared at the Knight before they transferred to Georg and then himself.  Joaquim straightened under the assessing look.  Whatever judgment she’d come to, Master Lethe didn’t deem them worthy to hear it.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Very well.  Thank you for your help.”</span>The moment the dismissal was out of her mouth, Alfrei stormed away as quickly as he could.  Georg frowned, nodded his head to the others, and quickly followed.<span style="color: silver">“Fiona, we can discuss this another time?”</span><br/><br/>“Of course.” The newest member of their squad bowed and trailed after the other two members of Squad Eight with Natalia.  Two pairs of eyes then turned to the only remaining member of Squad Eight and Joaquim resisted the urge to fidget.  Both of them were surprisingly good at silently conveying frosty disdain.  “Excuse me, Master Lethe.  May I ask why there have been no plans for Master Guilford’s funeral?”  The nine days since Guilford’s death had made speaking of it easier.  Was it good that those who survived the First War were so good at compartmentalizing grief?  He and Georg were both able to speak of it clinically by now and Master Lethe also seemed in control of herself as only the quick closing of her eyes hinted at her personal turmoil.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Lord Rannulf and Lady Karrie have requested we not hold the funeral ceremonies yet.  The Council plans to host a memorial soon for the people, but we are respecting the Rosenwulfs’ request otherwise.”</span><br/><br/>“Thank you, Master Lethe.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Of course, Joaquim.  And please, call me Lethe.  We are to be squadmates, after all.”</span>The emotionless quality of her voice finally gave way to a hint of warmth.  With mutual bows, the three Knights separated.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 10, Month--2]]<br/>Alfrei raced down the road towards Danaon, his emotions a whirlwind that threatened to overtake him.  He had been… unbelievably rude these past nine days.  He was honestly surprised that Adair hadn’t run him through a sword by now given the backtalk he’d been spouting.  He closed his eyes shut and leaned against his horse’s mane, trying to center himself.  He hadn’t meant to.  He’d meant to be professional, but every time he opened his mouth, a barbed remark or snide comment had slid out.  He’d even called Master Lethe a harlot in front of her Vice Captain!  He didn’t think Georg or Joaquim had heard him, but he knew from the sudden spike of<span style="font-style: italic">intent</span>that Adair had heard those unfortunate words.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">What was wrong with him?</span><br/><br/>He slowly halted his horse and wandered to the side of the road, jumping to the ground.  Nature wasn’t really his thing, but he wasn’t sure he could face his father right now.<span style="font-style: italic">“A man who blames other for their faults is a man who cannot see past his own weaknesses.  You’re a good man son.”</span>Was he a good man?  From the moment he’d heard about Captain’s death, he’d been blaming Master Lethe.  He had just resolved that he would apologize to her and then the first time he saw her, he immediately condemned her again.  Of course, she did seem to be the bearer of bad news.  First she was the reason Bryn had died and with how strong Captain was, there was no way that Captain could have fallen in battle if he hadn’t been weaker than normal, no doubt because Captain had been worrying—NO.  He froze immediately when he realized where his thoughts were going.  He was blaming her again.  How did that saying go? Once was happenstance; twice was coincidence.  It was just.. coincidence that Master Lethe had been involved in both deaths.  Yes, it was just coincidence that bitch had killed the woman he loved and the man he admired the most.<br/><br/>With a decisive nod, glad that he had resolved his issues, Alfrei got back onto his horse.  He did have to ensure Captain received a proper funeral.  He couldn’t believe that trollop or the useless old fogies still hadn’t put together a ceremony.  Their greatest Seraph had fallen!  But then again, he’d heard Captain complaining enough about their incompetence.  He pointed his horse towards Danaon once more; he could face his father with pride.  He was a good man.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 10, Month--2]]<br/>Adair looked around the room in surprise.  Was this really their squad quarters?  It looked more like a paper storage room.  The only area not consumed by paperwork was the path between the door and the table.<br/><br/>Lethe picked up a stack of paper from one of the chairs and placed it on another stack before crawling under the table to get to her seat.  Sure, it wasn’t dignified, but the only people who could see her was her squad and Lady QianHua.  Both had already seen her in more embarrassing positions than crawling on the ground.  Taking her seat, she offered the just cleared chair for her friend.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Sorry about the mess.”</span>Adair turned an incredulous look from the mounds of paper to her and she shrugged helplessly.  There was just too much to be done.<br/><br/>“Am I authorized to read it or is it only for you?”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Technically, only for me, but if you want to help, I’m not complaining.”</span>Lethe evaluated him for a moment before coming to a decision.<span style="color: silver">“The Council is considering promoting a new Seraph to take Guilford’s place.  I’m trying to convince them that another shouldn’t have to bear this burden but if they insist on going through with a replacement, I will be nominating you.”</span><br/><br/>Adair froze at the words, looking at Lethe in disbelief.  “Surely there are others that are more skilled than I?  You did just trounce me ten days ago during the spar..”  His smile was uneasy.  He didn’t want to be a Seraph.  More specifically, he didn’t want to leave Lethe’s side.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Perhaps.  Gil left large shoes to fill and I think a poor substitute would be worse than no substitute.  However, I trust in your capabilities to be a positive guiding force for the Immaculate.  There is talk that we are getting complacent, willing to accept coexistence with Sin rather than striving to defeat it.”</span><br/><br/>Adair nodded slowly at the words.  While he and the current teachings had some disagreements, he didn’t care enough one way or another to force the issue.  However, he knew Lethe was a purist and would never accept coexisting with Sin.  “That’s troubling.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Yes..”</span>He looked up to see Lethe staring at him.  Had he taken too long to respond?  Lethe constantly claimed she wasn’t cunning enough for espionage, but she had spent more than five years under Laith’s tutelage.  For all Laith’s complaints he just wanted to study the scriptures, the Councilor was disturbingly effective at public relations.  Even his brother Grisia was grudgingly impressed by the old Councilor, a telling mark of Laith’s ability to manipulate.<span style="color: silver">“Either way, I plan to nominate you for Captainhood soon.  You’ve learned everything you need from me.”</span><br/><br/>Except how to win your heart.  Adair didn’t vocalize the thought.  Love was a taboo around the white-haired woman.  Something had scared her off the topic long ago and she was studiously oblivious to everything that might hint at romance.<br/><br/>“Thank you for your confidence in me, Lethe.  I don’t aspire to be a Captain; I feel there’s still much I can do as your Vice Captain.”  He reached for the papers at the top of the closest stack, bringing them down so he could read them.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “You’re denying Seraphim and Valiar the chance to grow.”</span>Lethe mirrored his actions, pulling out what looked like a half-marked report.<br/><br/>“You know neither of them want Captainhood either.  And you’ve found ways to still give them leadership positions, haven’t you?  Seraphim is leading the campaign on Palaugrim and Valiar is mentoring some of Team Prissy.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Mentorship, watching subordinates blossom into better people, becoming Captains of their own and affecting change to other newcomers.  It’s some of the best parts of being a Captain.  I’ll be most sad if my squad isn't able to help grow the next generation of Pristine Knights.”</span><br/><br/>“Captain.”  He looked up from the scout reports from Lindela and stared at Lethe’s bowed head.  “Your legacy won’t end with us.  It’s already reached into every one you’ve helped.”  There was a slight pause before the Seraph continued her writing.  Besides, it wasn’t like Master Guilford had left much of a legacy, Adair noted sourly.  At least Lethe had squad members who’d ‘graduated’ from her squad.  Master Guilford only had eight squad members to his name, one which was dead and one that was so rude he’d never make a good leader.  But Lethe wouldn’t want to hear that, so Adair bent his head and went back to work.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 10, Month—2 (Night)]]<br/>Alfrei stretched out on his bed, glad to be surrounded by the comforts of home once more.  The last time he’d been here, his sorrow over Bryn’s death had dulled the pleasures of being home.  But now he could indulge.  He felt his body relax as he closed his eyes for sleep.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Wait.</span><br/><br/>Green eyes snapped open as he remembered something.<span style="font-style: italic">Yes, it was just coincidence <span style="text-decoration: underline">that bitch</span> had killed the woman he loved and the man he admired the most</span>?  No.  No, he had resolved that he wasn’t going to blame Master Lethe for Bryn’s and Captain’s deaths.  It wasn’t.. He wasn’t..  He stared sightlessly at the ceiling above him, feeling panic creep up around him as he remembered every other unkind thought that had slipped into his mind throughout the day about Master Lethe and her squad.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">What was he doing?</span><br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 14, Month--2]]<br/>Marielle eyed the man playing with her daughter in their living room.  Valiar had brought him home two weeks ago and told her he’d be staying with them indefinitely.  Vlad seemed like a nice enough man, quieter than her Valiar, but she wasn’t quite sure why he was here.  From her discussions with him, his family lived on Lindela as well and it didn’t sound like there was any acrimony between them.  So why was he camping out in her guest room?<br/><br/>As if sensing her gaze, the blonde man turned to look at her.  Weary black eyes, so similar to Valiar’s when he’d been questioning his purpose in life after they’d gone to see the Seraphs for the first time, stared back at her.  Oh.  Was that why?  A smile curved her lips and she could see her guest’s confusion.  Her kitchen timer started ringing as the countdown hit zero.  She tapped the clock silent and pulled out the cookies she’d been baking.  Ah, they were a bit extra crispy, as usual.  Somehow she never seemed to get these right.  With a smile at her own folly, Marielle turned to look back at her daughter and her guest.  “Annabelle! Vlad! The cookies are ready!”  There was a squeal of joy and her daughter came running for the kitchen, small hands pushing at the icebox’s lid for the milk it contained.  She caught Vlad’s gentle smile as he lifted the lid for her daughter.<br/><br/>If he needed a haven to rest in, she could certainly offer her home as one.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 15, Month--2]]<br/>Adair ignored the weird looks people were giving him in the elevator.  It looked like he was kidnapping someone given the cloak-bundle in his arms, but his telltale blue armor seemed to be preventing anyone from speaking.  Well, they weren’t wrong.  He was kidnapping someone.  He’d come into the squad quarters early this morning to find Lethe face down on the table, one hand still gripping a pen.  She looked oddly exhausted for how little a dent she’d made in the paperwork.  So he was kidnapping her.  Unfortunately, her apartment would be the first place people would check so he was bringing her to the Golden Sun.  Even if they did guess Lethe was there, he doubted his brothers would let them in with how tired Lethe looked.<br/><br/>“Welcome—Adair. You’re back already?”  Grisia greeted him at the counter, a frown overtaking his face at the bundle in his younger brother’s arms.<br/><br/>“I kidnapped Lethe for the day.”  Adair's smile was oddly happy given the ominous words.  Grisia was so proud!  “I’ll leave her in the study to rest.”<br/><br/>“Alright.  You’re headed back out otherwise?”<br/><br/>“Yeah.  They’ll need me at the Cathedral.”<br/><br/>“Have a good day!”<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Her neck hurt. Leia would just scold her for falling asleep at her desk.  She lifted a hand to massage the ache but something was in the way.  What?  Her other hand was free though, so she eased it under and massaged the sore muscles.  Oh that felt much better.  A happy sigh passed her lips as eyes fluttered open.  Wait, why wasn’t there brown or white in front of her?  This wasn’t her desk.<br/><br/>“Good afternoon, Lethe.”  Bleary blue eyes squinted in the direction of the speaker.  There was gold. Lots of gold.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Gursa?”</span>She mumbled through an overly dry mouth.  If she was actually at the Golden Sun…  One hand patted the area above her head, fingers finding the glass of water conveniently placed there.  Once she could speak again, Lethe turned over on the couch to look at the now sharpening image of Grisia.<span style="color: silver"> “How did I get here?”</span><br/><br/>“Adair kidnapped you for the day so you could get some rest.”<br/><br/>She was clearly way too tired because those words only made her head flop back onto the sofa gratefully.  Blessed sofa, it was a poor substitute for her bed (that Leia was sleeping in anyways) but it was so much nicer than that table.  After fifteen minutes of lazing, Lethe finally pushed herself up.<span style="color: silver"> “Okay.  I should probably go.”</span><br/><br/>“After you eat.”  She reached a hand out compliantly and blindly picked up one of the sandwiches on the coffee table, just as they always were when she woke up.  She flopped back onto the couch and munched on the sandwich contentedly.  Lesus made<span style="font-style: italic">amazing</span>sandwiches.<br/><br/>“How have you been?”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Overworked.”</span><br/><br/>“And?”  Blue eyes looked up at him balefully as the woman stubbornly chewed on her food.  Not now, then.  “How was Palaugrim?”<br/><br/>Lethe swallowed the bite in her mouth and then placed the sandwich down.  She rolled off the sofa, dragging her blanket with her, and then sat back on her heels.<span style="color: silver">“Terrible.”</span>She never bothered accepting Advocate Selene’s offers for confession because she already had a confessor.  Perhaps it was because he had also felt the burdens of being an icon of the Church or perhaps it was because he was her dear Vice Captain’s older brother, perhaps it was because he was now a friend, but she felt most comfortable admitting her emotions to Grisia.  Even though he was no longer technically an Advocate, she still trusted him to give her good advice, to keep her grounded.<span style="color: silver">“I killed a lot of people.  I made a lot of mistakes and innocents paid for them.”</span>And so those dreadful twelve days came spilling out:<br/><span style="color: silver">“I killed Brynhildr.  <br/>I failed to save Santa Olivia.  <br/>I ran away from Santa Olivia.<br/>I’ve dragged Lady QianHua and the others into this.<br/>Leia, Orphelia, is stuck here in Gless because of me.  She’s pregnant and she should be with her husband.  They’re very much in love; I’m so happy for them.<br/>I was stupid and revealed my squad to Victorie in the middle of Luciano.  They almost died.<br/>I killed all those people when I called upon divine magic even though I knew I’d lose control of it.<br/>I’m not sorry.  <span style="text-decoration: underline">I’m not sorry</span>.  I’d do it again, in a heartbeat, every day, if it would save them.”</span><br/><br/>Lethe stared at the clumps of fabric on her lap, remnants from her grasping fists.  She wasn’t sorry.  How could she not feel sorry for killing all those poor people?  She could have saved them,<span style="font-style: italic">should</span>have saved them.  But she didn’t feel guilty about it.  Her squad, her family, was alive.<span style="color: silver">“When did I become so selfish, Grisia?”</span>She asked, wondering if this was really a new development.<span style="color: silver">“Have I always been this selfish?”</span><br/><br/>“Lethe, you’re just human too.  It’s natural that you’d want to save the people you love more than strangers.  I know it’s not ideal, but we’re only human.”<br/><br/>Despite his words, she was shaking her head in frustration.<span style="color: silver">“No, that’s not good enough.  Grisia, it can’t be good enough.  All those people. Are dead. Because of me.  It’s not acceptable.”</span>Blue eyes stared at him, trying to get him to understand.  Her gaze wandered away shamefully as she remembered something.<span style="color: silver">“I could hear them screaming.  They just kept screaming and screaming and I didn’t stop.  How many more people will I kill?  How many deaths can I justify for being only human?”</span>There was a pause before she whispered once more,<span style="color: silver">“In my dreams, I’ve fallen into Sin.  The people scream and I laugh.  They run, and I strike them down.  My blades, blacker than the deepest night.  How do I stop that?”</span><br/><br/>“Lethe, it’s common to have nightmares after such an event.  It’s your mind trying to work its way through the trauma.  But it’s just that: trauma and nightmares.  You’re not falling into Sin.  The Divine Light likes you too much to let you go.”  There was a weak laugh, disbelieving.  “Really, Lethe.  Take it from someone who also knows.  You are not falling into Sin.  You never have and you never will.  You’re too conscientious to let Sin take over you.  Though these times are hard, the Divine Light never asks more from you than you can bear.  Don’t fear, it is always beside you. ”<br/><br/>Lethe said nothing, just resting her forehead on their intertwined hands.  Grisia didn’t know.  She’d never told him about her past and her mother, about how Sin was living in her.  She’d already killed Brynhildr, Gil.  How soon until she killed him too? His brothers? The rest of her squad and loved ones?  How soon until Sin enveloped her, its next advocate?  When she finally felt stable enough to speak, she asked,<span style="color: silver"> “How may I atone for my transgressions?”</span><br/><br/>There was a soft sigh but Grisia answered with equal solemnity: “Get eight hours of sleep every night and eat three meals a day.”  There was a beat of tense silence before the former Advocate continued.  “You told me yourself: death always happens.  There’s nothing you or I can do to change it.  All we can do is keep living, keep moving forward.  Keep doing our best to make this world a better place.  Isn’t that why you fight?  So others don’t have to go through the sorrows you have?  But you can’t help them if your body is too tired to fight.  You need to take care of yourself, Lethe.  You’ve been playing with Divine Magic, haven’t you?  I can feel it lingering on you.”<br/><br/>She looked away in embarrassment, though she wasn’t sure why.<br/><br/>“It’s even more important to take care of yourself if you’re dabbling with that stuff, Lethe.  It places a heavy strain on your body, even if the Divine Light likes you.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“I know.  There’s just too much that needs to be done.  I’m using my blades as foci.”</span><br/><br/>There was a thoughtful hum.  That was definitely a unique idea.  But then, Grisia didn’t know of anyone else who wielded such manifestations of their magic.  Lethe’s magic skill had always been better than her physical abilities; she was just too small physically.  There just wasn’t enough muscle mass or stamina for her to win against an equally skilled but larger opponent.  But once her Heavens Judgment blades came into play… Few swordsmen trained against someone who could wield seven blades at once.  “How’s it coming along?”  Somewhere along the way, they had slipped out of the roles of petitioner and confessor back into friends.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“As well as can be expected.  Even with the reduced strain, my magic reserves aren’t high enough right now to maintain the spell properly.”</span><br/><br/>“I told you. Eight hours of sleep and three meals a day.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“While I’m at it, should I wish for eternal love and an endless supply of chocolate cake?”</span>Lethe teased back as she got to her feet, listing other equal impossibilities.  She picked up the plate of sandwiches and headed for the door.<span style="color: silver"> “Thank you, Grisia.”</span><br/><br/>“Anytime.  My door is always open for you.”