January 24, 11 ATC

Sans City, Duchy of Filiasolis, Triumvirate of Enabler

Austin paced on the balcony of her bedroom, walking back and forth in the brisk winds. The winter snows draped the whole city in white, and even if it was an inconvenience to the soldiers who were forced to camp outside the city walls, Austin thought that it was a beautiful sight.

She heard a knock on the door, which interrupted her reverie. Austin sighed. "Who is it?"

"Various," Various said. "The Arkosians arrived last night, and I think our new friends will be arriving today."

Austin went over to the door and unlocked it. "Come in," she said.

Various entered and closed the door behind him. "You have snow on you," he said.

"I was out on the balcony," Austin said. "Fresh air clears my head. You said something about the Arkosians?"

"Yeah," Various said. "Zealander and Vaniellis arrived late last night. They're supposed to have a meeting with Nitesco in a few hours."

"That's good," Austin said.

"There's more," Various said. "I have a friend in the reconnaissance corps. He told me that our new allies were marching down the main road, and their emissaries are there too: Elyk of Springthyme and, a drumroll please, General Spiderplant of Lancaster."

Austin sighed. Arkos and Lancaster were like oil and water: for centuries, they had been engaged in a ruthless back-and-forth. During the Third Shipping War, Lancaster sided against Arkos and took sizable chunks of its land, and during Celtic's Revolt, Arkos did the same right back. Although they needed both Arkos and Lancaster's forces, getting them to cooperate would be like herding cats.

"Oh, joy," Austin said. "I can't wait to hear him bicker with the Arkosians."

"Well, I'd get on that," Various said. "My friend told me they were coming two hours ago, which means that they'll be here in about ten-ish minutes."

"Oh, dear," Austin said. "Okay. Tell Nitesco I'll be there. I need to get dressed first."

"Of course," Various said.

After changing clothes and tying up her hair, Austin went down to the landing, where she saw Nitesco and Vulpix chattering away. Vulpix looked up and saw her descending the stairs.

"Well, look who decided to join us," Vulpix said. "You almost missed the most interesting part of the show."

"I slept in," Austin said. "But I wouldn't miss this for anything. Will they be here soon?"

"Too soon," Nitesco said. "They're in the city by now, I'm sure. But we can't seem to find Bluewhale or Vaniellis."

"We'll just have to cross our fingers and hope they don't make a scene," Vulpix said.

"We'll see," Nitesco said. A soldier suddenly came into the foyer and waved at the commanders.

"Sirs," he said. "The new ones are here, along with their soldiers. The diplomats will be here shortly."

"Can we trust you to handle this one?" Vulpix said. Austin sighed and nodded.

"If I must," she said. "I'll be as gracious as I can be."

"Thank you," Nitesco said. "For your generous sacrifice."

"May hymns be sung and stories told," Austin said. They shared a smile before Austin walked out into the courtyard to meet the dignitaries.

In the courtyard, flanked by Gunnian and Arkosian soldiers, were two men. One was dressed in traditional Lancastrian uniform, complete with a cap, and wore a scraggly beard. The man next to him was much shorter, wearing a green coat that complemented his brown hair and eyes.

As they approached, Austin opened her arms in a welcoming gesture. "Welcome to Enabler, my friends," she said. "I regret that it couldn't be under better circumstances. I'm Commander Austin."

"Elyk Mason," the green-coated man said. He shivered as he extended his hand. Austin shook it and turned to the Lancastrian.

"General Spiderplant," the man said. He shook Austin's hand. "It's nice to see a fellow of renown out here. It gets boring, surrounded by all these dull peasants."

"Come now, I haven't been that bad company," Elyk said. Spiderplant rolled his eyes.

"Let's go inside," Austin said. "It's cold out here, and we have much to discuss."

Spiderplant nodded. "That sounds like an—" he paused and groaned. "Oh good. The Arkosians have come to greet us."

Austin turned around and, to her chagrin, saw Bluewhale and Vaniellis beelining towards them. Behind her, she heard Elyk sigh.

"Oh good," he echoed, "so they have."

"Let's hear what they have to say," Spiderplant said, clearly eager for a confrontation.

"Bluewhale. Vaniellis," Austin said, somewhat irritated. "What brings you out here?"

"Don't worry," Bluewhale said. "I've only come to greet our new friends. Any allies are welcome under our roof."

"Yes," Vaniellis said. "I was surprised to hear they came so early. I didn't think they would be so eager to come."

"Oh, god," Austin and Elyk muttered at the same time.

"If I had known how many Arkosians there would be," Spiderplant said with a cocky grin, "I might've taken longer."

"There's no need to be antagonistic," Bluewhale said. "We're just trying to be friendly."

"You're trying to be a pain in my ass," Spiderplant responded. "Though you certainly don't need to try."

"You'll have to offer something better than schoolyard insults if you want to be of use to us," Vaniellis said, venom in his voice.

"And what have you offered us, huh?" Spiderplant asked. "What has Arkos done for the League, besides occupy my land and throw corpses at the Church?"

"That's enough!" Austin said. "Enough. Bicker on your own time. We did not bring you together so you could jape at each other."

"He insulted our honor," Bluewhale said, uncharacteristically restrained.

"And you came out here to antagonize me," Spiderplant said. "Don't pretend like this was a friendly meet-and-greet."

"Enough!" Austin said, holding a finger up to Vaniellis's lips before he could retort. "Like it or not, you will have to work together for our campaign against the Church to succeed. So I suggest that if you cannot work together, then you can at least tolerate each other's presence for a month or two. Is that unfair?"

"Not at all," Bluewhale said. Vaniellis nodded in agreement.

"I'll do it if they will," Spiderplant said.

"Excellent," Austin said. "Now, Coronam and Contramundi are in the dining room. They will brief you on the situation there. Go."

The leaders grudgingly obeyed. Bluewhale and Vaniellis turned and walked back into the manner without a second glance. Spiderplant huffed and followed after them.

Elyk stayed behind for a moment. "Thank you for stopping that," he said. "Spiderplant is a good man, but he has quite the fighting spirit."

"I understand," Austin said. "He reminds me of myself not so long ago."

Elyk laughed. "Does he now? Perhaps he'll be flattered to hear that." He walked toward the manor, giving her a backwards wave. "See you around," he said.

Austin crossed her arms. The manor that had once felt so empty was quickly becoming quite crowded. Lancastrians, Springthymers, Arkosians, Gunnians. She shivered and hugged her arms closer to her chest before following them inside.

"Springthymers, Lancastrians," Nitesco said. "This place grows busier by the day."

"Hopefully for the best," Vulpix said. He and Nitesco hurried up the stairs as Austin went out to meet Elyk Mason and Spiderplant. "God willing, we'll learn to work together."

They went into one of Contramundi's offices, which was currently barren save for a few empty bookshelves. Nitesco shut the door behind them and sighed.

"I'm glad we're getting allies now," Nitesco said. "But it may end up being a devil's bargain. What happens once this is over? What happens if Lancaster or Springthyme starts making demands above their station? Hell, what if Enabler does that? Contramundi is just as ambitious as Generic, I'd say."

"There is nothing we can do now that does not risk toppling the house of cards our new alliance is built on," Vulpix said. "We may be brothers-in-arms now, but I know the question in the back of everyone's mind: what happens when we are no longer bound by alliance?"

"I will try to keep the peace as best I can," Nitesco said. "And I trust Coronam to do the same. It's a pity you'll be stepping down, though."

"It was only a matter of time before I was forced out anyway," Vulpix said. "At least this way I can go out on my terms, set things up for the future."

"You made the right decision," Nitesco said. He pushed aside the curtain. Down in the courtyard, Austin was talking with Elyk, Spiderplant, and the two Arkosian Oligarchs. Nitesco sighed. "Any more control you have over your fellows, the better."

"Vaniellis loves his country to the point of shortsightedness," Vulpix said, "and the good Admiral's skills are sometimes overshadowed by his vanity. But they are excellent strategists, and they are growing worryingly adept at politics. If only I trusted their motives, I would be fine leaving Arkos in their hands."

"I've contemplated dropping out of politics myself," Nitesco said. "Taking up in the countryside."

Vulpix laughed. "The world needs you to keep the peace more than it needs me," Vulpix said. "And besides, who would replace you?"

Nitesco turned his attention back out the window. Austin was standing there alone now, staring off into the snowy city.

"Austin, perhaps."

Vulpix sighed. "I know you care deeply for Austin, Nitesco, but you shouldn't let that blind you to the truth. She is too naive, too focused on ideals instead of reality, especially for politics."

"She wants reform," Nitesco said. "That's not a bad thing."

"But it could unbalance the peace we are working to make," Vulpix said. "A peace which balances on a razor's edge. To reshape the playing field is to throw away all our advantages."

"It must happen sometime," Nitesco said. "We can't keep withstanding these crises. Celtic, Inferno, Jannis. Who next? Something must be done to stop them."

"There will be someone," Vulpix said. "Us. We and our allies. Until the time is right." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I respect her motivations, Nitesco. But only the results matter. And we cannot predict or influence those results if we try to change the playing field now."

Nitesco sighed. Austin was gone now, and the courtyard was empty except for the snow. "Perhaps you're right," he said. "Perhaps you're right."

February 16, 11 ATC

Osiria Cathedral, Laevig Province, Kingdom of White Rose

Sphinx sat in his office, penning another letter to one of his informants in Renora. The Church would fall within a month or two, Hozack told him in his last letter. Their misdirection had worked, and Jannis already deployed some of his available forces in the north to fight rebels. Over the next few weeks, his forces would trickle away even more, and then, when the time was right, he would be toppled. His informants would spread the news as fast and as wide as possible, and without Jannis, the Church would be uprooted within weeks. All that remained was to set the pieces into place.

A knock on his door disturbed him from his writing. Sphinx quickly set the letter and inkwell behind a pile of books, out of sight, before going to the door.

Sphinx slid open the eye-hatch in the door. It was one of the rank-and-file.

"Have you brought me something?" Sphinx asked.

"A letter addressed to you, sir," the soldier said. He slipped the letter through the eye-hatch. "From Representative Psiah."

"Thank you, soldier," Sphinx said, and he closed the eye-hatch and sat back down at his desk to read the letter. He tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter; as he read it, his face contorted into a malicious grin.

"Oh, Psiah, you've outdone yourself this time," he said aloud. After setting the envelope on his desk, he threw open the door and made his way out into the courtyard.

As he walked out into the courtyard, he spotted Jannis and Link standing next to a carriage, talking quietly. Link noticed Sphinx approaching and pointed to him.

Jannis turned to face Sphinx. "Viceroy," he said. "How can I help you?"

"Are you going somewhere?" Sphinx asked.

"Bumblebee," Link said. "To council with their Oligarchs."

"It's a short trip," Jannis said. "I was just about to send Link to find you. Rowing and Anti will manage our affairs while Link and I are away."

"I'm afraid I'll have to delay you, then," Sphinx said. "I've just received a letter from one of the Bumblebeean Representatives."

Jannis scanned the letter and read it aloud. "My dear friend Sphinx," he said. "Please inform Jannis that our summit with him must be postponed. We have closed our northern borders and quarantined our northern provinces because of an outbreak of," he sputtered. "Of slow fever!"

Jannis didn't bother to read the rest of the letter. He crumpled up the letter and grumbled. "Of course, an outbreak. The whole world conspires against me!"

"Who are they to defy us?" Link said. "Matters of diplomacy are important; we can't be stalled like this! If we arrive at their border, who are they to deny us entry?"

"Are you suggesting that we travel through plague-ridden provinces?" Jannis retorted. "Disease is more deadly than any weapon or army could hope to be. Men! Bring the carriage back inside! Our trip is postponed."

"I'm sorry this news inconveniences you," Sphinx said. Jannis ignored him and turned back towards the cathedral entrance. Link gave an irritated glance back to Sphinx before following Jannis inside.

"So much for being diplomatic," Sphinx muttered to himself. He turned back into the cathedral and went back to his quarters.

Once inside, he shut the door behind him and began piling kindling into the fireplace. He lit the fire and heaved a few small logs on it, and then went back to writing his letters. After a few minutes, the fire was hot and crackling loudly. Sphinx grabbed the envelope of Psiah's letter and held it face-down in the smoke billowing up the fireplace chimney. After a minute, small, black letters began materializing in the smoke. Sphinx pulled the envelope out of the smoke and read the secret writing.

Sphinx, it said. I have done as you ordered. A few drops of poison in the wells, and the whole country cries plague. It was enough to cause my fellow northern lords to close the borders. I hope this is enough to immobilize Jannis. But I also carry a warning: rumors are starting to abound that the remnants of the League are mobilizing. I would move quickly, lest Jannis find out before their swords are at his throat.

For the common good,

Psiah, Representative of Melipon Province, and your sister in the Order

Sphinx smiled as he cast the envelope into the flames and returned to writing his letters.

March 3, 11 ATC

Sans City, Duchy of Filiasolis, Triumvirate of Enabler

Austin paced about in the courtyard of Contramundi's manor, watching the falcon in the sky above her. The little light bird that had delivered the message to them in Lancaster had taken a liking to her when she found it again in Contramundi's rookery. For a few days, when the weather had cleared, she enjoyed training with it. But as much as the bird enjoyed soaring and diving, it was not keen on following Austin's direction.

The falcon dove past Austin's left arm yet again, missing her gauntlet and returning to the skies above her. Austin frowned as the disobedient bird circled around her head, seemingly quite proud of its disobedience.

"Having trouble?" Austin turned around and saw Coronam standing behind her. She smiled.

"He's quite the little shit," Austin said. "But I have faith he'll come around."

"Do you falcon?" Coronam asked. Austin shrugged.

"A bit. My father taught me a little when I was very young. I learned more as I got older." The bird swooped down toward the gauntlet again, only to pull up and away at the last second. Austin sighed. "Though it seems I still have much to learn."

Coronam smiled. "You'll have to learn later, it seems. You're wanted in the command room."

Austin sighed. "Very well. I'll be there shortly." The falcon swooped down and landed squarely on her gauntlet, surprising her.

"Oh, now you want to land, huh?" she asked. She chuckled and waved the bird away. The falcon cawed and left her arm, perching on a windowsill and watching Austin as she followed Coronam inside.

The command room was bustling with noise. Contramundi and Elyk stood by the window, examining the city's defenses, while Bluewhale, Nitesco, and Spiderplant pored over maps of the border defenses. Hozack and Vulpix were hunched over the schematics of Osiria Cathedral, graciously and covertly provided by Sphinx.

As Coronam walked over to Nitesco and his group, Austin approached Hozack and Vulpix. "Quite busy in here, isn't it?" Austin asked. Hozack looked up from the paper.

"So it seems," he said. "We've planned the operation to happen in a few days, and everyone has a different idea of how it should be done."

"The road up to the cathedral is heavily fortified," Austin observed. Vulpix sighed and crossed his arms.

"Yes, that is a problem," he said. "We'll need a lot of men to get through there. The cathedral has a whole host of defenses around it, but if we sent a team up the other side of the mountain while the main road was attacked…" Vulpix trailed off, lost in thought. "Vaniellis! Do you have the ledgers?"

Vaniellis, who was sitting alone at the end of the table, looked up from his papers. He passed a few sheets to Vulpix before returning to the rest of them, marking them and making notes in the margins.

"What does it tell us?" Austin asked.

Vulpix bit his nails. "It tells us that, while the Church has excellent defensive positions, they are lacking in manpower. If we manage to break through their border defenses and draw away the bulk of the Church's forces, the Cathedral should be vulnerable."

"It will still be difficult," Austin said. "Jannis is crafty. He will not go without taking a lot of our men with him."

"Well," Hozack said, "what other choice do we have?"

"Excuse me!" Bluewhale said. Instantly, the whole room went silent and turned their attention to him. "We have finalized the plans of attack! We have decided that the assault will take place on March 6th! If you have any questions or concerns, please see me or Nitesco after this meeting!" Bluewhale held up his map, with thousands of scribbles and notes across it, and cleared his throat.

"The Church's forces along the border are positioned so an attack at any one point will allow their soldiers to circle around and reinforce their defenses at that point. To this end, the initial attack will go as follows: all of our attacking forces will focus on a single point. When we break through, our forces will divide into three groups."

Nitesco stood up to deliver his part of the debriefing: "The first group, the right flank, will be led by General Zealander, and consist of Arkosians with League reserves. Once we break through, they will break off and engage the forces on the south side of the border. They will need to hold long enough for our forces to storm the cathedral.

"The second group, the left flank, will be led by General Vaniellis and General Spiderplant, and will consist of equal parts Arkosians and Lancastrians, with League reserves." Spiderplant and Vaniellis shot each other a glance of mutual resignation. "They will engage the forces to the north. You must prevent any forces from flanking to the Osiria mountain."

"The third group, the center, will consist of Gunnian forces, with Arkosian and Renoran reserves. Coronam, myself, Austin and Bluewhale will command this group. Once we break through, the Gunnians and the Arkosians will turn to go up the entry road to the cathedral while the Renoran reserves will ascend the north side of the mountain and attack them there. We should be able to pull off a pincer maneuver on the cathedral.

"The Enablerish forces will remain on the border to ensure no forces attempt to break through and counterattack. Elyk's mercenaries will remain near the city and break off as needed to assist in the fighting. Sound good?"

"What will Hozack be doing?" Vaniellis interjected. Hozack cast him an irritated glance.

"I will be evacuating my grandfather from Osiria Cathedral," he said. "He is the reason we are able to speak today. I will ensure that he survives to see the fruits of his labors."

The men in the room looked around and murmured in assent. As Nitesco sat down, Elyk raised his hand to speak.

"If I may ask," he said, "what is to be done when this is over? There will be Church holdouts and rebels, even with Jannis gone. And what of rebuilding what has been lost in this war? We must think about this. What will we do?"

"We must consider reforming the Diet and the Mod Council," Austin said, "in the years to come. But that is a long time away. We will cross that bridge later. In the meantime, I think we should form another league, so when the Church has fallen, we can work together to rebuild and quash the holdouts before returning to matters of governance."

"Another League?" Bluewhale asked. He huffed. "Arkos will not be beholden to another power. Not again."

"You don't propose we just give you the power?" Spiderplant asked. Bluewhale raised a hand to stop him.

"Not at all, my good sir. I propose that instead of being beholden to whomever we elect, we all work together, as one, to help the Subreddit. A coalition, instead of a league."

"What will we call it?" Vaniellis asked. Contramundi took a look out the window and smiled.

"Well, the last one was the Badaz League, right?" he asked. "For the Badaz Manor? Why not this be the Sans Coalition, for Sans City?"

"As good of a name as any other," Nitesco said. "All in favor of forming the Sans Coalition?"

"Aye!" the room responded, every man raising their hand in assent. Nitesco nodded.

"Good. We will disband for now. But the hour is near, my friends." He folded up the maps and stacked them on the table. "And we must be ready."

March 5, 11 ATC

Osiria Cathedral, Laevig Province, Kingdom of White Rose

Anti sat in the pews of the Cathedral, admiring the artistry of the main chamber. Sure, most of the mezzanine still had scaffolding around it, and in certain sections the roof was still open, but it was still masterfully constructed. Perhaps she would allow one to be built in Ladybug when she returned home.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" She turned and saw Jannis walking down the aisle, his head craned up at the ceiling. "Once the roof is put in, I'll have someone paint it. Add some pretty murals. Maybe decorate the area behind the altar."

"Will you be standing up there one day?" Anti asked. Jannis scoffed.

"No, I was never meant to be a priest," he said. "I may be Scion now, but when I have pacified this land, I will hand off the position to someone else. Rowing, perhaps."

"Would Zissman approve?" Anti asked.

"Oh, no," Jannis said. "Rowing is a moderate. Zissman was always a radical, even when he was young. Did I ever tell you about how I met him?" Anti shook her head.

"Zissman was always dodgy with his personal affairs," Anti said.

"I was nine," Jannis said. "A street urchin, begging for scraps. It was winter, and as you know, winter in the northlands is more vicious than you can imagine. I was desperate to get out of the cold, so I hid in a church's barn. The guards found me there, tried to throw me out quickly, but I made such a fuss that the local Vicar himself woke up. And when he came to see what was the matter, he brought his son with him.

"He asked his son what would be right to do with me. Usually thieves are just thrown out. But whether out of pity or something else, his son told the Vicar to send me to the Crusaders, to whip me into shape and make me a soldier."

"The boy was Zissman," Anti said. Jannis nodded.

"We were close friends after that. Thick as thieves, even as we rose in society." His smile faded, and he looked down at the ground. "But now things are different." He shook his head. "Would you go find Sphinx for me? Tell him to meet me here. I have to discuss the northern campaign with him."

"Sure," Anti said. She got up and left Jannis alone in the pews.

As she walked to Sphinx's room, she thought about Jannis and the Church. Jannis was as honest as a man in his position could be, but did he have what it would take to succeed? When he was with Zissman, he was fiery and full of zeal, but seeing him so melancholy worried her. She swallowed her doubts and turned into Sphinx's room.

The door was slightly ajar, and she could smell a fire burning in the fireplace. "Sphinx?" she called, and she rapped on the door. "It's Anti. Jannis wants to speak with you."

No response. Anti pushed the door open. His study was empty, and the door to his bedroom was open, allowing her to see that he wasn't in there either. On his desk was an envelope, a letter sitting beside it. After a quick glance over her shoulder to ensure nobody saw her, Anti picked up the letter.

It was from Hozack, and it was filled with affectionate messages and updates on the governance of Checkmate. So droll, she thought. Hozack loved his grandfather, but he would keep himself more composed in a letter containing information like this. Perhaps…

Anti looked over to the burning fire and had an idea. Smoke-ink, a special ink that only appeared when held over smoke, was a staple of the Black Order. It was heavy, though, and the letter felt light. But the envelope…

Anti grabbed the envelope and stuck it over the smoke. Within a few second, her suspicions were confirmed: thick black writing appeared on the envelope, and she pulled it out of the fire to read it.

Grandfather, it read. All goes as planned. The attack is scheduled for the sixth. Escape as soon as you can. I will meet you where we did before, at the stream, after the attack.

With affection,

Your grandson Hozack

"Oh dear," a voice behind her said. "It seems you've seen it."

Anti whirled around. Sphinx stood there, a cocky grin on his face, watching her with the letter in her hand. Instinctively, she dropped the letter and threw the old man up against the wall.

"You horrible old snake!" she hissed. "All this time, you were using us. Betraying us! I should strangle you where you stand!"

"Then why don't you?" Sphinx asked. He laughed. "It would only take a little more pressure to crush my windpipe. Do it. Do it! Why don't you?"

"Because there's more to this than I know," she said. "And you have the answers." She let him down, and he collapsed to his knees, wheezing. Anti closed the door.

"There's nothing I can tell," he said between breaths. "That isn't in the letter. Come tomorrow, Jannis will die. There is little you can do besides flee, and we both know he won't do that."

"All this time," Anti hissed, "you were working for them. And I recommended you! I worked you into his court! I played right into your hands."

"Oh, Anti," Sphinx crooned. "You give me too much credit. This wasn't planned nearly as far back as you say. When you extended us the opportunity, I saw a chance. I fed you lies. There are no northern rebels. There are no League operatives in Rubia except in Enabler. But those are enough." He stood, having caught his breath. "But now you have the truth. What will you do?"

"Tell Jannis," she said. "He'll have you thrown in the dungeons. Or worse."

"Are you sure he could handle that?" Sphinx said. "Mentally? I know you've seen it. The man isn't anything like he used to be. And after so much, too: Austin's betrayal, Faker and Zissman dying. Another betrayal would set him over the edge."

Sphinx was moving closer now, pinning Anti between him and the bookcase. As much as she detested him, he was right. Jannis couldn't handle news like this.

"And imagine," Sphinx continued. "The scene. You drag me in. I confess. I say that I was part of a conspiracy to overthrow him. Jannis is paranoid now. He's angry and fearful. Who do his eyes drift to next in distrust, hm? Perhaps the woman who recommended me in the first place? The woman who exposes and kills me on the eve of an attack to cover her own tracks?"

"That's not true," Anti sputtered.

"It doesn't matter what's true," Sphinx growled. "It matters what he thinks. He's going down with the ship, and whether you kill me or not doesn't matter. You're going down too." He paused. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Anti said, half-angry, half-desperate. Sphinx had outplayed them, she admitted that. And as much as she cared for Jannis, she had no plans to go down with the ship.

"Unless you do something for me," Sphinx said. "I heard you say Jannis was looking for me. Tell him I left already. Tell him I went down to Rhodon City to meet an informant. All that matters is that he thinks I'm gone for a good reason."

"How does that help me?" Anti asked. Her voice was low and apprehensive, but Sphinx knew he had her beat. He smiled maliciously.

"You do that for me," he said, "and I'll tell you how to escape the League's forces. Go over to the mezzanine and yell down to him that I've left. Then, and only then, will I tell you."

Anti sighed in defeat. "Very well," she said. "Follow me."

She led Sphinx out of his room and up the stairs to the mezzanine. Anti balled her fists. How her blood boiled! Sphinx had played them like fiddles, and there was nothing she could do about it. It would be so easy to tell Jannis. To yell to him that Sphinx was a traitor and watch him get his justice. But then she would lose her way out…

They arrived at the mezzanine, overlooking the interior of the church. The railings were wet and slippery with the evening rain, and it drizzled on the pews, but Anti saw Jannis sitting in them and he seemed to pay no mind. Sphinx leaned up against the wall and gestured for Anti to speak.

"Jannis," she called down. Jannis looked up at her, and her gut wrenched. "Sphinx has left to meet an informant in the city."

"Shame," Jannis called up. "We'll talk to him when he gets back." He turned back towards the altar and resumed his reverie.

Anti sighed and pulled away from the railing, turning back to Sphinx. He wore an insufferable grin. "Well done," he said. "I couldn't have asked for better."

"And now?" Anti asked. "Now will you help me?"

"Of course," Sphinx said. "Do you know the big stream at the base of the hill?" She nodded.

"Good. When the time comes to make your escape, follow it into the woods until the stream splits. Follow the left river up towards the Enablerish border. I'll be waiting there."

"How do I know you won't double-cross me?" Anti asked.

Sphinx chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, Anti," he said. "If I wanted you dead, I would've stuck a knife in the back of your throat while you were reading my letter and hid the body. I would've just told some guard to tell Jannis I had left and hightailed it for the city. It wouldn't have been hard; barely an inconvenience. But you have potential, Anti. For so much more."

"Like what?" Anti asked. Sphinx smiled and pulled a small necklace out of his pocket.

"To be one of us once again," he said. Anti inspected the necklace. It was a small, silver medallion with a cat-like eye engraved on the front. She took it from his hand and saw that, on the other side, a Ladybug was engraved on it.

"This is my medallion," she said. She looked up at Sphinx. "You kept it for all these years?"

"Of course," Sphinx said. He plucked it from her hand and undid the clasp at the back. "I knew you'd return to us, one way or another. Wouldn't it be nice to be with us once again?"

He drew her in, reaching behind her neck to lock the clasp. Anti heard the clasp click into place and looked down. The medallion hung below her collar, the eye looking back at her knowingly.

"Don't worry, Anti," Sphinx whispered in her ear. "I would never betray my sister. For the common good."

"For the common good," Anti echoed, and when she looked up, Sphinx was gone.