“There are many different criteria to consider when discussing the strengths and advantages of different elite regiments. For example, on pure skill alone, the Elven war-dancers of the Adornar are the most well trained simply due to their long lives and rigorous training. Whereas with armor, we can look to the imperials of Traxia or the dwarves, both of whom field what can be termed, super heavy infantry. Or we can look at the most rugged and adaptable units for hostile environments, such as the volcano wrydgarde of the Nautican Union rivaled only by their shipborne marines, or the desert raiders of Lucuria. ”

  - Kirara Elsoleil, Potomian Academy Of Military Sciences, “The Angels Of Victory: Regiments Of Renown”

  They passed the village of Chateau-Arbre relatively easily. After asking Arnold to translate and discovering it meant Forest Castle in common, they arrived and discovered it was exactly as its name suggested. A castle with a surrounding village located by a forest. Avoiding it simply meant going along the outskirts and through the woodlands nearby.

  Remeillon was slightly more difficult to avoid, being a farming community located just beyond the woodlands. Thankfully, its location within the interior of the Duchy of Monte Del Trisse meant that its people had been mostly insulated from the tensions present in communities closer to the fog wall. Upon their approach, military troops and militiamen from the village immediately intercepted them.

  Luck prevailed when they were believing of Arnold’s affiliation with Annalise. His sigil and clumsy manner of Gratian speech somehow managing to convince the gathered guards. Ultimately, they left after doing some minor trading to replenish the convoy’s water supplies.

  It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the pathway of the great north road. Seeing it, Sophie understood the moniker almost immediately. A relatively wide paved road, likely constructed through great effort and cost cut its way across the woodlands, farmlands, and even rivers. From one end of the horizon to the other, it carried on, unmoving, unchanging. But it wasn’t the road or the scale that shocked her. It was the emptiness.

  Where on the roads of Arteria that connected it to other cities there would often be traders, travelers and merchants at almost all hours of the day. Here, with the sun climbing towards noon, there were hardly any souls in sight. Only a scattered few figures too far to be of any danger. Other than them, it was a mostly deserted road.

  She suspected such were the results of the nations vicious civil war. The decade long conflict having wormed its way into every facet of the land. From fearful peoples, to soldiers everywhere, the war was the only thing that they had known for the past years. Though in this instance, she suspected the wall of death fog that cut the ends of the road at the duchy’s border likely exacerbated the problem even more.

  Before spending too long on the desolate road, Arnold directed the convoy in a more northwestern direction via one of the splits off the main road. Here, they entered in a maze of trees, following the path as it cut through wooded terrain at odd angles. Likely a more ancient construction made by those who simply built as they went. Not a care in the world to create something more efficient. At least it meant that after every bend, she could set her gaze upon all the strange sights that Gratia offered.

  Stone wayshrines at almost every major copse of trees. Most ill maintained or actively ruined. But a few still showed shines of people having come to seek blessings or to pray. Though neglect nipped at even the most prominent of wayshrines they passed by. Mossy rocks and gnarled roots lined the edge of the road, coiling and twisting around rocky mounds and gradually taking over. Beyond them, the quiet calls of birdsong and wildlife eked out from hidden depths. Yet they were weak, timid, almost as if they recognize the new power that held the land in its grip. The death that lingered ever closer to their homes.

  Sophie could feel it in the air. The closer they got towards Monte Del Trisse, the more uneasy the land alone was making her feel. Even the roads now demonstrated a strange contrast that unnerved her. Despite the neglect of the wayshrines and the illness within the roads, this path northwards still seemed strangely immaculate. No extraneous dirt or vegetation could claw onto the cobbles. All of it looked very unnatural.

  None of the others commented on it, at least, not to or around her. Whether they noticed the strangeness of the land around them or not, Sophie couldn’t tell. Only that by now, everyone had settled into their own little routine while on the wagon.

  Elaria would tease Raylani, the two sharing an unspoken bond that even now, Sophie couldn’t quite grasp beyond seeing it as more akin to herself and Ary’s. Then there was Lucinia, the traxian acting quite similar to Sophie and spending most of her time brooding or contemplating life. For the both of them, this journey allowed them moments of utter calm seldom found in their daily life. Or so Sophie assumed based on how little Lucinia was complaining about the act of the journey itself rather than the things that had happened to them so far. The imperial was definitely still a little peeved at being thrown in with them on the more questionable moments like their encounter with the chevaliers. Though Sophie guessed that even she was aware that things have still gone relatively smooth so far. Although I doubt it’d stay that way once we meet up with Anna, she mused.

  By mid afternoon however, she found her doubts quelled somewhat. They had passed through the territory of Baron Allaire unscathed and unbothered. So much so that even Arnold was a little s surprised at the ease of travel. Their only point of contact with the local lord’s forces was a chance encounter with a group of militia scouts. Thankfully, they judged the convoy’s size and guard to be adequate enough to be of civilian make up and thus not a military target. Not that the scouts were looking for much trouble beyond patrolling the roads.

  If there was one thing that Sophie learned from their encounter with the scouts was that the duchy was a relatively peaceful land. Ever since Annalise seized the territory there has been an almost negligible amount of bandits or raiders that would attack the populace. Most had been driven off by the princess’s forces. After all, undead knights and legions care little about terrain difficulties and even the most well hidden grotto or woodland hideout can be cleared with enough bodies searching for it. A strange cleansing of the land that bought her the loyalty of the peasantry so beaten down by the war.

  On one hand, Sophie could appreciate the presence of stability. Given what she had experienced in both Melton and Arteria, she sorely wished more lands could be free from the troubles that plagued them. On the other, this was a land trapped in its own little bubble by the death fog. A peace earned through sacrifice, no doubt. But one that seemed almost artificial in its making. A bubble that once popped, might only end up drenching the land in chaos once more.

  And without the purple fog, what would keep the Republic and Kingdom from attacking Anna’s duchy? It was a question she didn’t want to find the answer to. With how ready for war the Kingdom’s side of the border was, she could only imagine that the Republic would be much the same. Both ready to tear the land back in two for the sake of their own vision for the future.

  For her however, there was one last sobering thought that tainted her mood even further. That all this suffering and conflict were completely beyond her purview. That there was nothing she could really do to help the people here.

  Unlike her failures in Eichafen or Melisgrad. Or even the injustice in Arteria. She at least had the chance to try. A chance to struggle, however vainly, for the sake of herself and the people. Justified or not. Yet here, she was but a stranger. Divorced from the affairs of the tumultuous land itself. Only here to meet Annalise and then, presumably, to simply leave.

  Can’t afford to get bogged down here, she mumbled to herself through gritted teeth, I just know Ary’s going to need me back home.

  It hurt her to come to this realization. Another dent on her soul. She wanted to be a hero, one like the saints or Gunmar and Aurelia, or just someone to be counted upon. Yet every time she found herself thrust into a situation. It had either turned into a disaster, or she could only passively stand by and watch, like now. Or when I first met Riza. Goddess… that was a disaster… she sighed, still haven’t figured out what happened to her.

  “Hey, Sophie, hey.” Elaria snapped her fingers to catch her attention.

  Startled, Sophie spent a moment reorienting herself before shaking off the daze she was in. Her mouth opened and closed but no words came out. She just sat there and waited.

  “You’ve got that frown on your face again. The one that you make when you’re thinking too much.” Her sister teased.

  “Thinking… too much? Was I frowning that badly?” Sophie turned to question Lucinia.

  The girl shrugged, “I don’t know. I’m not watching you the way your sister does.”

  “Focus, Sophie.” Elaria tutted.

  Lucinia wisely shuffled back to her post at the end of the wagon, clearly unwilling to get between the two siblings.

  “Sophie.” Elaria sighed.

  “Hmm?”

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “What’s the matter?” Her sister’s voice softened.

  Sophie furrowed her brows and grunted. She didn’t know how to respond, didn’t know what to say. How to verbalize her thoughts and doubts. In that moment, she felt ashamed. Of how her sister wanted to share in the weight of her burdens. A burden that only grew heavier with each passing moment.

  Elaria wasn’t a fool though, and Sophie could see the bard reading her like an open book. Her sister’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, just enough to shift her expression but enough that it wasn’t overtly noticeably. Sophie couldn’t hide anything from her, not that she needed to. She’s a lot like Eva in that respect… hah?! Sophie startled herself with the thought.

  Terror gripped her heart for a moment. It had been scarcely a year, even less, but it felt like she had been with Elaria for far longer than that. A sense of deep discomfort upon remember that Elaria was made for her. A being created from the depths of the nothingness beyond, just as Sophia was a manifestation of shadows.

  The maddening discovery made her panic. She tugged at her collar as she grew short of breath, her other hand anxiously stroking her ponytail in a futile attempt to draw what little comfort she could. Uneasy knowledge swirled around her. The idea that her life was shaped by something else, a being beyond description. That the only things she had done were the failures that now tarnished her legacy. Her family, her life. A creation of others, a fact that everyone else seemed so readily forgot at both her sibling’s sudden appearance. But she knew. She knew that her life was a falsehood. A lie.

  Only Ary knew the full, and for that, Sophie worried about her even more.

  “Sophie.”

  She knew that Ary had already gone through a lot, that the girl’s kindness and meekness were only a part of the greater whole. That she was, in all respects, a resilient and capable person. One that might not even have need for Sophie in the future. A thought that distressed her greatly. For she would only continue to place Ary at risk because of her dealings. Something that she sought to avoid at all cost.

  “Sophie, hey.”

  Then there were her friends. All distinguished and accomplished in their own right. The Calnodel siblings, Lady Miraevie, Alodie, even Lucinia all occupied their own positions with a gusto that she could hardly muster. Then there were those like Mila, Hanabi, and Eva, combatants and those most likely to truly embody what she had yearned for in the image of a heroine. That left only herself. One who had sacrificed the innocent and failed to save even those who needed it the most. The one who let justice slip away and failed to fight injustice. The failure.

  “Sophie. Hey!” Elaria grabbed her cheeks, finally tearing her away from the panic.

  Sophie just gawked. Too lost to respond. Her eyes wide in fright, like a wild animal that ran itself into a corner. Prey ready to be consumed.

  “Breathe in, and out. Again. In. Then out.” Elaria calmly instructed.

  Sophie complied, slowly mimicking her sisters motions.

  “One more time.”

  Gradually, she felt the tension inside her slowly fade. Her stiff, rigid, muscles letting loose as it gave way to an ache that now prodded its way across her body.

  “In. Out. Hoooh, that’s it. Easy there, Soph.” Elaria cooed, patting her head the whole time.

  “Ela…” Sophie softly whispered.

  “There, there. Ela’s here.” Her sister wrapped her in a gentle hug.

  Artificial being or not, Sophie could feel the warmth. The realness of the moment. In that, she found some solace. Enough to calm herself, at the very least.

  Exhausted, she sagged and limply rested in Elaria’s arms. Her mental fatigued in addition to being disarmed by her sister left her reeling.

  “You’re too focused, Sophie. On the world around us, on things we can’t change.” She whispered, the words light and airy yet strangely sharp and pointed.

  “Maybe.” She half heartedly mumbled.

  “Mmhmm. Too much time spent reflecting.”

  “And that’s bad?”

  “For you, maybe.” Elaria chuckled softly, “You know we are… different to the others, right?” She lowered her voice.

  Sophie meekly nodded.

  “You see the world in their eyes. Through their achievements and stories. Their heroines and their methods. You do things at your own pace yet you're comparing yourself to them.” Her sister said as she stroked her hair like comforting an unruly child, “But we, we have our own purpose. Hmm?”

  “...yeah.”

  “And so have the world’s fates decreed upon you too. ‘A guide’. And is that not what you have done?”

  “What do you mean? I’ve just been me, Ela. Failing at that too.” She dejectedly grumbled.

  “Mayhaps. Or maybe not. Think about it this way. Yes, there have been… troubles. And there’s definitely been suffering of which resulted from your actions, I do not deny that. But do you not see what you’ve done?”

  “Huh?”

  ‘You are a guide. One unwittingly made to be, but one who does so impeccably.” Elaria cryptically intoned.

  “Ela.” Sophie frowned.

  “Heheh, just being dramatic.” The bard laughed and gave Sophie a light snuggle.

  Relaxed, Sophie finally let her guard down and just rested.

  “But I mean it Sophie. You’re just looking at things wrong.”

  “How’d you figure that?”

  “Look at it this way. If the Master didn’t send you back, how would Eva have turned out? As rebellious as she is now? A different child? Because you were around, she fought to find you after you disappeared. Even teamed up with the church and is now someone whom even the saints and saintesses rely upon. Hmm?”

  “But Eva was always exceptional.” Sophie protested.

  “Yet you were certainly a very helpful push for her to rise above, is that not true?”

  Sophie let out a soft growl of disagreement.

  “Fortunately or unfortunately, because of your actions in Melton too, she was propelled to the lips of the Carradorian court. Who are all now well aware that she is an outlander. Certainly making her actions and words far more impactful.”

  “Mmm.”

  “You were the spark for her catalyst, Sophie. In that, you should at least feel some happiness in the regard she shows you.”

  Sophie felt another pang of guilt within her. In some ways, Elaria was right. Lady Eva had said as much when they first met after her misadventures in the Mistveil. How she had fought to try and recover Sophie up until she had to give in and ask the church for aid in return for her services. She supposed that her sister had a point, though it was one in which she still found uneasy. For the others were their own people, heroes and saviors in their own right. It felt like arrogance to think that they wouldn't have prospered if she wasn't present.

  “And then… and then you met Anna and-”

  ‘Alright. I get it. Enough.” Sophie interrupted with a glare.

  Elaria froze then compliantly nodded. Understanding Sophie’s sudden change in mood.

  That struck a nerve. Sophie hadn’t seen Anna for more than a year. Whatever Elaria wanted to say about her, would have to wait until after they’d seen her. For no matter how far she’d come, just as Eva had strived forwards. Anna had also lost everything at one point. A part of which Sophie blamed on herself. And her friend would not simply be just another example in her sister’s speech. Not until they knew more.

  “Sorry.” Elaria moved away a little.

  Sophie held her cautioning gaze for a few seconds, then sighed and let the tension leave her body once more. Content that there did not seem to be lingering hostility, she yawned and lazily glanced at her, ready to offer a small concession. “It’s fine.” Sophie answered, “Maybe you’re right.”

  “Oh?” Elaria half grinned, a little more cautious.

  “Too much thinking. Too much happened.”

  “Ah.” Elaria let out an embarrassed chuckle, “Of course. Too much thinking." She tapped her head jokingly, her mood recovering upon noticing Sophie's relaxed expression "And you definitely have too much to think about. I could compose a whole theatre play on your deeds alone. Heh.”

  "Heh." Sophie snickered, "Yeah. I guess you might be right there."

  "Mhmm, too much time on the road spent doing nothing. Your mind's getting riled up trying to find something it can do."

  "I suppose. I... I guess there isn't much I can do here, huh? Just... sit and wait."

  "Nope! But you can try to tackle one thing at a time, even in your head. It helps, trust me." Elaria aggressively patted her head, "After all, big sis is always right." Elaria smugly declared.

  Sophie processed the advice then took umbrage with her very last statement, "Hey! I thought we established I was the older one." Sophie hissed.

  "Not the point." Elaria rapt her across the head.

  From the end of the wagon, Lucinia took this moment to glance at the two of them. Though there was a new gap between them, they were still united by the moment they shared. They both narrowed their eyes at the girl in unison. Unamused, the traxian held up her hands in surrender before pointing off to something on the side.

  Following her direction, they found themselves finally breaking away from the treeline and back onto the vast open fields of Gratia. A gentle sloping hill marked the beginning of royal domain and its immediate territory. Walled villages and farms stretched all way up the hill until at its top, a castle of stone, steel and brick sat dominantly above them all. Mighty walls and towers that stretched into the sky like spears greeted them. A faint hue of dark purple still lingering around them when illuminated by the faintest traces of sunlight.

  Where most places across Gratia were rarely adorned with decorations, here was different. Large banners depicting some form of water and mountains fluttered proudly in the wind. Their blue gold outlines on accentuating the royal purple in the center of their designs. A dozen more noble colors also claimed their positions all along the roads in the this area. A few civilian carts and wagons hurried along the road as a contingent of heavily armored riders were currently heading towards them.

  Sophie looked around and found Arnold unbothered by the approaching soldiery. So that’s it then, she reasoned. Monte Del Trisse.

  Blue roof tiles and a relatively grey exterior surprised her somewhat. She had expected that Anna’s stronghold would either be more grand or at least more intimidating. Instead, what Sophie saw reminded her of the plethora of other castles and fortified areas she had seen before. She chuckled to herself. After everything they'd gone through, all the stories they'd heard about Annalise and the war the seemed to be tearing Gratia apart. Now that she gazed upon it, she found it was strangely plain.