The Missing Stone

Sparked Passion

From her vantage point on the fortress wall, Mildred can see peculiar patterns in the ground up the southern stairs. They look like...traps. Metal wires arranged in a mesh pattern that allow spikes to poke through and stab whoever is careless enough to step on them. They'll certainly be an obstacle.

"If I remember correctly, there should be devices somewhere that let you deactivate the traps," Dimitri speaks up again. "However... Arianrhod has been in Imperial hands for a while now. They may have changed how things work. But there's no point in dawdling. Let's just make a point to disable any devices we come across."

The group is divided into two: units with high resistance are to advance south, units with high physical defense head northward. Mildred leaps along the wall, aware of her weakness to reason and dark magic. She's learned her lesson this time. Ingrid, Sylvain, Bernadetta, Felix, Annette and Mercedes all make their way south, leaving Dimitri, the professor, Dedue, Mildred, Ashe and Linhardt to go north.

Arianrhod is not only a fortress, but a city as well. Mildred can see the suburbs, windows boarded and doors locked. She feels sullen about it, so she focuses on the task at hand. Most of the archers in the fortress are on the western side, far out of range. There are a lot of fortress knights.

Looks like we're gonna be using magic today.

Mildred runs along the wall towards the fortress knights. Ashe won't be able to do much damage against the fortress knights, but perhaps against the now advancing paladins, but for that, he needs an opening. Dedue and Dimitri form a wall in front of Linhardt and the professor, who switched classes to what appears to be a magic based class considering the white robes-

"Focus!" Chester yells. "We can worry about what people are wearing later!"

Right.

With their strategy they should be able to push through before reinforcements arrive. Mildred looks over the edge of the wall, noting the two battalions of fortress knights that now know there's an enemy atop the walls blocking the northeastern corridor to the courtyard. She steps back then thrusts her hand outward, summoning her magic. Something in her chest burns as bright rings of light rise and crash down on the knights before disappearing. Dedue looks up at her in surprise before nodding in thanks.

That worked out better than expected.

"Let's go!" Mao cheers.

She repeats the spell a few times before an arrow whizzes past the side of her head, slicing through her hair. Mildred snaps her attention to the bow knight on the other side of the courtyard lining up another shot. She shifts, bounds across the wall, shifts again and pulls out her bow.

"Ataeru!" Aelura shouts, her voice echoing in Mildred's ears. Her hands glow blue again, just like at Gronder Field. Mildred feels a surge of power rush through her as she fires, the arrow a streak of cerulean as it soars impossibly far and makes its mark on the bow knight. The horse gallops away as its rider slumps off the saddle onto the ground.

What was that?

Aelura giggles, "I may or may not have also helped you at Gronder Field too, but Ashe was in danger so I don't care!" Mildred is in confused awe.

I thought I could only use Chester's powers...

"Well here's the cool thing," Aelura explains as Mildred blasts another fortress knight with magic. "I have the very epic and special ability to copy other people's powers. With this I can either use it for myself or 'give' it other people. I can also give people temporary use of my own powers, like I just did you!"

"I have the ability to physically possess people's bodies...with their consent of course. I can also modify my own body and with other's consent, also modify their bodies too. Basically I can shapeshift and I could give you your own pair of wings," Mao adds, smirking.