Fódlan Alternative II

{Part Two: Ascendent Star} Chapter Twenty-Four: Poisonous Silhouette II

At the end of the moon, You awaken from your slumber and begin to prepare yourself for the day to come.

Seraphine: This is it then... The day we fight against the rest of the Goneril army. Do you think you'll be ready for it?

You think about it for a moment before nodding, though You cannot help worrying about how this could go wrong if You make the wrong moves.

Seraphine: I can't blame you for that at all... I hope we can make this all right, but that depends on how quickly we can bring down the enemy army. I imagine they're waiting for us after the previous attack we launched on the other half of their house.

You tell Seraphine that You will not let this stop You from winning the battle.

Seraphine: I know... It's what makes you such a good fighter and leader. I'm counting on you to see this through to the end no matter what. All that's left is to commit to it.

You nod and go to meet with the rest of your allies at the front of the monastery. When You arrive, there is a somewhat anxious quality to the air, and You greet your allies in a bid to inject some levity into the situation.

Raithius: Hey, Professor. We're almost ready to set out... Everyone's really eager to get this one over and done with.

Magnolia: I can't say I'm surprised... House Goneril has garnered quite the reputation as of late, and anyone who knows how to dig deep into things like this knows their history isn't a good one.

Luciana: It's to be expected as far as I'm concerned. They shouldn't have tried to involve themselves in a war so readily for the sake of their own gain if they did not want to face the consequences.

Novalee: This army is going to be much stronger than the previous one we fought against. This is where House Goneril began. The half we fought against last time was an offshoot of the main part of the estate, and the strongest fighters are bound to be here.

Cordelia: We fought off two noble houses at once and stopped them from marching on Derdriu before. I think we'll be able to handle this... That's what I'm hoping for, at the very least.

Eli: We won't know for certain how this will end unless we set our sights on defeating them. That must be our main priority.

Reed: You're right. If there are no other objections, I think it's time for us to set out... This battle won't be easily won, but that's all the more reason for us to press forward and try to see it through to the end.

Quinn: Let us be off then... We have a difficult battle to win today, and waiting will not change the odds in our favor.

You set out from the monastery from there, the rest of your allies leading the way to Goneril territory. You can feel the tension in the air grow thicker the longer You travel, and as You get closer to your destination, everyone falls silent. This battle has everyone more afraid than any other up to this point, and You can only hope all of their fears end up being in vain. You will not know for sure until the fight begins though, so You turn your attention to the matter at hand and march ever on toward your target.

You eventually arrive at your destination, and You look up to see the outline of the massive estate on the horizon. You reach for your weapon on instinct, and Magnolia holds out one hand to stop You.

Magnolia: Hold on a moment... There's no activity around the building at all.

Raithius: You're right... I would have expected at least a few of them to come out to greet us, but... Nothing.