It wasn't supposed to be a long march to the dump area, but it turned out to be longer than needed.

..All because the route was too small for a large army to pass through.

While the navigator found a different way to get to the area, Keith gathered up his best people for more conversing.

"So you remember what your roles are?" He asked, making sure one last time, and they all nodded.

Dorrie was to lead the Dorian army together through their defenses first. The Dorian army was known for their far distanced weapons so they could easily take down the other side from afar and get through the gates.

Keith and Oliver would follow soon behind her with their own respective armies, getting closer to the enemies and attacking from close-range.

Theo, unwillingly, was tasked with leading the smaller sized Emberland army to raid the villages and disable the galra from their most powerful weapons. The Empress of Emberlands was called to lead her army, but she had sent a message to say that she'd be coming in to help later. So Theo got stuck with having to lead an entire army.

While Dorrie and the men led their armies through, Katie was tasked with finding both Mark and the Princess and other valuable prisoners with Romelle. Both were small in size but strong and stealthy so it was no surprise they were partnered up. Plus, Romelle seemed to really feel grateful towards Katie for keeping her promise to find her brother so they worked well together.

"And don't forget." Keith told them all as they arrived at the area, "Return to me alive."

His eyes landed on Katie as he said that, as if saying, "especially you".

She nodded, passing him a smile. If she could somehow get out of this alive and find her father, brother, and Shiro, she considered telling him her true feelings. Right now didn't seem to be a good time though.

"Katie, May I speak with you alone?" Keith whispered quietly as Dorrie was busy enchanting a sword to open the gateway.

"What is it, Keith?" She turned to him, meeting his dark violet eyes. He looked nervous, biting his lip as he pulled her away from the others.

"I- I just wanted to tell you something." He said as he fondled her thumb.

"I'll be careful, I promise." She said, misunderstanding what he wanted to tell her, and he sighed before pulling her into his arms. She made a small sound of surprise as her face made contact with his chest.

"Wait for me, okay?" He mumbled softly as he patted her back, "After this, I promise to be honest."

Unsure of what he meant, she slowly returned the embrace. Only after a few seconds did they let go of each other, awkwardly smiling.

By then the enchantment was done.

"Everyone in position." Keith called out as he took his own place beside prince Oliver. The armies all saluted briefly before they started to go through the oversized gateway.

Katie held in her breath when she and Romelle finally entered the familiar gateway last.

The Galra army already seemed to be waiting for them.

"Fire!" A Galra general shouted just as they went past the gateway, fire arrows aimed to their hearts.

Dorrie made a signal with her hand in the front of her army, making the arrows all evade her and fall towards the ground instead. It reminded Katie again that Princess Dorrie was not one to be messed with.

She made a different signal and the Dorian knights in front got out their bows and arrows, aiming it at the galra archers.

"Fire!" The general shouted again, but Dorrie's arrow pierced his stomach before the galra archers could light their arrows on fire. That seemed to be the cue for the Dorian archers to fire because every galra archer was soon shot down or hiding away just a few seconds later.

Katie sighed in relief that Dorrie seemed to be holding just fine at the front. This was a good start for their side.

"Scatter!" Oliver commanded over the ruckus as more of his army and Keith's went through the defenseless gate. This was also Katie and Romelle's signal to separate from the group.

As more galra came to block their armies from going further into the gate, Romelle jumped over the wall and Katie wandered to a galra who was no match for her. After knocking out the creature, she stole his armor and pretended as if she was one of them.

"Hey! Your help is needed out here!" A leader shouted when he noticed her trying to run inside the gates, and she stopped in her tracks, already making up the excuse.

"Sir, one of those pests ran inside!" She exclaimed, hoping the distance and the helmet would mask her voice, "I will catch them!"

Maybe it was because the galra wasn't in his right mind, or because he was actually slow, but he seemed to buy her excuse. Sighing in relief, Katie ran past the galra army into the gate to meet Romelle.

By the time she caught up to Romelle near an abandoned house, she had already knocked out a galra and stolen their armor.

"Ew, I don't like this." She complained as she shoved the helmet on with a disgusted expression, "..let's hurry."

Katie smiled faintly as she guided Romelle to the castle, grateful that she wasn't going alone.

Although there were already many galra fighting against their armies, there were still plenty guarding the palace so it wouldn't be easy. Katie just had to remember where that back entrance was.

Attempting to sneak past the patrolling guards, Katie realized why Romelle was known in the guild for her assassin abilities.

"Be more quiet..!" Romelle hissed when Katie missed a step and nearly tumbled into a bush.

"Well, I'm sorry that I wasn't trained to be an assassin..!" Katie returned feistily and just as quietly, but she knew Romelle was correct. The armor was a bother to sneak around in.

After barely making it past the guards on patrol, Romelle and Katie searched the entire back of the castle for the door that would lead them inside.

"What if it's locked?" Romelle brought up as she pressed her palm against the moss filled walls.

"We can break in." Katie reassured as she looked around for a door knob, hoping the door wouldn't be locked. Breaking a door would only cause more unwanted attention to them.

"Found it..!" Katie exclaimed quietly when her hand caught onto a familiar door knob. Unfortunately it didn't seem to be unlocked like when She and Mark came.

"Finally." Romelle sighed as she watched Katie struggle to open the door, "move. I'm not an assassin for nothing."

To Katie's surprise, Romelle kicked the door down with one move and caught it just because it could make a loud crashing sound. Romelle was not someone to be messed with.

Dropping the broken door behind a nearby bush, Romelle turned to Katie with what seemed to be a smile under the helmet.

"Let's get this over with and get out."

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A/N

I finally updated (😭)

I'm sorry about my hectic updating schedule lately because I've been busy with school and my not so empty social life after all.

I still haven't forgotten my deal with finishing this story so I promise I wouldn't leave you guys hanging.

Anyways, thank you all for reading today, and I hope you all have a good night!!

-Sil 💜