A/N: After this chapter, I will stop posting the spoiler warning because I'm sure the message is clear by now. Also, if you've followed me for a while or have read some of my others works, you'll realize I LOVE adding pictures. This story is no exception. Hope you all enjoy! Love you all!!!

PS: Has been proofread, but still may contain mistakes!

~✨Celestial✨~
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⚠️WARNING: SPOILERS OF FFXVI AHEAD⚠️

Entering the next area of the drowned village, the party encountered more goblins. This time, there were more than ever before. Tyler caught sight of one of the goblins and noticed something. "Watch out, my lord and lady. Some of their number are spell-slingers!"

"And what a number! We'll all have our hands full here!" Wade shouted as he swung his axe at a goblin that leapt at him.

"We have our own spell-caster," Clive said, glancing at the blonde girl in their company. "Lyra!"

"Understood!" Lyra manipulated her paper talismans. They ignited with bright flames and spun at a high speed in a circle, creating a fiery vortex. The vortex of flames sucked in the goblins and burned them to a crisp. Within seconds, the area was clear.

As the vortex faded, the paper talismans were extinguished and returned to Lyra.

"How marvelous!" Wade chanted. "You truly are capable, my lady!"

"In all the times we've sparred, you could have turned us into a pile of ash," Tyler remarked with a chuckle. "I must say, you show reserve in your training sessions."

"I am still trying to exercise control over my magick. If I do not, I'm afraid I may set ablaze parts of Rosalith or drown it in a flood," Lyra said.

"It is astonishing to witness your magick," Clive commented. "Fire, water, ice, earth... You have control over almost all of the elements. It is a special gift, indeed."

"One that will make this mission a walk in the park!" Wade cheered.

"This is not my mission but Clive's," Lyra stated. "I have no doubt his stewardship will lead us to victory."

"A man is only as good as those who are under his command," Clive replied.

She smirked and elbowed him lightly in the side. "As much as I adore your humbleness, learn how to take a compliment once in a while, all right?"

Clive nodded with a small smile. "As you wish, my lady."

With their conversation drawing to a close, they searched for a way to the next part of the village. Clive destroyed more wooden planks, causing a bridge to fall. This allowed them to cross to the other side of Stillwind.

"We should be nearing the old village square," Tyler informed the others.

"It might not be a nest of goblins..." Wade optimistically said.

"That would make this mission much easier," Lyra responded.

When they arrived at the village square in the center of Stillwind, the party looked for any signs of goblins. The area was quiet, but it didn't take long for the enemies to appear. Wielding magick, one goblin tried to attack Clive. The boy dodged the incoming spell.

The spell collided with a wooden structure behind them, causing it to fall and block their only exit. More goblins appeared and began to swarm them.

Wade promptly grabbed his axe and prepared for battle. "Sneaky sods... We're trapped!"

Tyler drew his sword. "My lord... My lady..."

Clive glanced around at the overwhelming amount of goblins. "We're working on it..." Looking on top of a roof, he spotted a goblin holding a horn. "He's the leader. But we'll have to take care of his followers first."

The leader of the horde of goblins blew the horn, signaling the beginning of the battle. As the overwhelming number of goblins rushed toward them, Lyra confidently stepped forward. "Hope you gentlemen don't mind me stealing the show again."

"You won't hear my complaining, Lady Edelweiss," Wade said.

"Do not let us stop you," Tyler added.

"Yes," Clive agreed. "We will need all the help we can get."

She smirked and got to work. Manipulating her talismans, they multiplied and engulfed her body. In the blink of an eye, her body morphed and took the form of a wolf.

With a snarl, the wolf charged forward and used her body as a battering ram to knock a hole in the goblins' defenses. This allowed Clive, Wade, and Tyler to break up the enemies' numbers.

Lyra used her sharp teeth and claws to tear into the flesh of one of the goblins. She disposed of the enemy and moved on to the next. The four of them were able to take down all of the goblins minus the one on the roof. It blew the horn a second time, confusing the party when nothing happened.

"Er..." Wade looked around, puzzled. It wasn't until a gigas burst through the wall of what remained of a house wielding a giant club that he was startled. He stumbled and dropped his weapon. "Shiiit! He's invited a friend!"

The gigas let out a battle cry and slammed its club against the ground.

"On your feet, Sir Wade!" Tyler shouted as he, Clive, and Lyra backed away from the large enemy. Wade scrambled to his feet and grabbed his axe.

"Here it comes!" Clive yelled.

The gigas charged at them and swung its club. The four dodged, taken aback at how much power was behind the swing.

"Founder, that's a swing and a half!" Tyler hollered. "Be ready to move when it winds up for another!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Clive shouted back, getting a few hits in.

In the middle of the battle, Wade was smacked by the club and sent flying. Lyra, still in her wolf form, ran over and healed him. The man sighed in relief when he felt better. "Whew..." He looked into the wolf's emerald eyes. "You wouldn't happen to know a...bigger creature, would you, my lady?"

"Bigger?" Lyra asked, her voice as clear as day to him without her mouth moving.

Wade shouted in shock. "Founder, you can talk in that form?!" He immediately cleared his throat when he realized he shouted. "F-Forgive me, my lady, but we could use a beast with a little more mass."

"Something bigger..." Lyra wondered what would be the perfect size and came to a conclusion. "Understood, Sir Wade. One larger beast coming up."

In the blink of an eye, the talismans shifted and the girl's body morphed into a coeurl.

"That's perfect, my lady!" Wade cheered as he got to his feet.

The coeurl dashed forward and tackled the gigas and pinned it to the ground on its back. Using her sharp fangs and strong jaw, she grabbed the club and snapped it in half. Tossing the pieces aside, she jumped off the enemy when it swatted at her with its hands.

"Excellent!" Tyler shouted.

"It's disarmed. Well done, Lyra," Clive complimented her.

"Let us finish this," the coeurl replied.

The four combined their strength and delivered blow after blow. Slowly but surely, they nipped away at the gigas' health. In the end, they were victorious.

Wade kicked the corpse of a goblin as Clive shook the blood off his blade. Tyler, like Wade, checked to make sure all the goblins on the ground were dead. Lyra, on the other hand, was staring at the goblin leader. She bared her fangs with a low growl.

Frightened, the goblin could only do one thing—run.

"Come back and fight, you coward!" Wade shouted as the goblin ran away.

"After him! Before he summons the rest!" Clive shouted.

Knowing she had an advantage in her current form, Lyra took chase after the goblin. She jumped onto the roof and pursued the enemy. Although she could hear Clive, Tyler, and Wade shout after her, she was laser-focused on killing the goblin. She jumped over and through houses to catch it. It tried to destroy a house and bury her under the debris, but she was too quick and jumped to safety.

Chasing the goblin to the marsh on the outskirts of Stillwind, Lyra growled. Body lowered, she stalked toward the goblin. It jumped onto a pile of debris in an attempt to get the higher ground. She stopped her pursuit when she noticed movement in the water. Backing away, she watched the water closely.

At that moment, Clive, Tyler, and Wade caught up. The boy placed a hand on her head and she warned him. "Stay back."

"What's wrong?" Clive questioned her.

"There's something in the water."

Thinking it had won, the goblin smirked. Alas, its joy was shattered when a large creature emerged from underneath it and swallowed it whole.

Clive gasped in shock. "What in the—?!"

"Bloody hell!" Wade hollered.

Tyler's eyes widen. "A morbol?!"

"This far south?!" Clive asked in pure bewilderment.

"We've no choice but to slay it," Lyra said. "If we do not, it will creep closer and closer toward the capital."

Clive drew his sword. "Lyra's correct."

"I wish she wasn't," Wade groaned.

The morbol loomed over them. It crept toward them with its large teeth on full display.

"Keep clear of its maw!" Tyler shouted as he and Wade circled around to attack the monster's sides. "That thing's breath is worse than its bite!"

Clive stood next to the coeurl. "You wouldn't be able to shapeshift into an even larger beast, perhaps?"

"A coeurl is as large a beast I can take shape with my current training," Lyra answered. "My apologies, Clive."

"No need," he replied. "As long as I have you at my side, no beast can withstand us."

"Let us slay this horrid monster and reunite with everyone at Phoenix Gate."

The battle began.

Clive, Wade, and Tyler made sure to avoid the morbol's mouth and its horrid breath. Lyra used her claws and teeth to tear at the top of its head. She dodged its vine-like appendages and jumped back whenever its breath spewed from its large mouth.

Wade, having not been paying attention, received a face full of the morbol's bad breath. "Ugh! That reeks!" he coughs out.

"I said stay away from its mouth!" Tyler yelled at him.

Clive circled around behind the morbol while Lyra distracted it. She dodged its attacks while he sliced at its flesh. They repeated the process with Wade and Tyler and were wearing down the creature.

Suddenly, the morbol backed away from the party and dove into the shallow water. Its large body had completely vanished from sight.

Wade stared in shock. "Where is it going?!"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Tyler huffed out.

The coeurl's eyes darted around the area. She could sense it was still nearby, but she couldn't pinpoint its exact location. She didn't realize where it was until it emerged with its large mouth open wide. Using its powerful lungs, it sucked in Clive. The boy fell and was dragged through the water, but he quickly jammed his blade into the muddy ground below the water to keep from being swallowed.

Using his strength, Clive jumped to his feet, yanked the blade out of the ground, and jumped into the air. He impaled the morbol's head, delivering a heavy blow and causing it to stagger. He jumped back as its body collapsed.

"Now! Before it recovers!" Wade shouted as he ran toward the creature with his axe at the ready.

Tyler, Clive, and Lyra were right behind him. Together, they dealt blow after blow.

The morbol eventually recovered and forced them to back away when its body excreted the same foul odor as its mouth. They kept their guard up and watched closely to avoid being hit before attacking again.

After a few more hits, the morbol dove into the shallow water a second time.

This time, Lyra was able to predict where the morbol would appear due to its foul smell not being completely washed away by the marsh water. The moment it emerged from the water to suck Clive down its gullet, she dashed forward and ran toward him. Using her speed, she was able to reach him before he was swallowed whole and scooped him up onto her back. "Hold on!" she yelled.

Clive gripped the base of her neck with one hand while his other still carried his sword. "Get me to the top of its head!"

"Right away!"

Lyra dodged the morbol's attacks before jumping into the air. When she leapt over its head, Clive jumped from her back and impaled it a second time before delivering another blow to knock it on its side.

With one last push, they were able to slay the morbol. Its body lashed out before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

Tyler and Wade made their way over to Clive and Lyra.

Now having time to catch his breath and express himself, Clive kneeled in front of the coeurl. He cupped her soft cheeks and rubbed her fur with a smile. "So, this is what you have been practicing in secret. I must say, I am most impressed."

The coeurl closed her eyes as she enjoyed his petting. "Do you think Torgal will be jealous?"

"Maybe a little," he laughed. "But I think he will forgive you. He adores you, after all."

As Clive let go and stood up to accept a drink of water from Tyler, Lyra returned back to normal. Her talismans floated into her palm. She gently returned them to her pocket. When Clive offered her the waterskin, she shook her head with a grateful smile. "I'm all right. Thank you, though."

Tyler gazed at the dead morbol. "I never thought I'd see it. Not just goblins in Rosaria, but morbols too."

Clive handed the waterskin back to Tyler. "I'll petition His Grace to send a detachment." He then looked over at the corpse of the creature. "If we don't stop them here, they'll be at our gates before long."

"We should get moving," Wade spoke up. "We don't want to be caught out here after dark."

"If we set off now, we can still reach Phoenix Gate before nightfall," Tyler stated.

Tyler and Wade walked ahead.

Clive glanced one last time at the dead morbol with Lyra standing next to him. "Damned Blight..."

"Once we return to Rosalith, I plan to focus my efforts on reversing the Blight," Lyra confessed. "It may take years, but I want this world to continue to flourish. To do that, we must counter the Blight and heal the deadlands."

Shocked, Clive turned to her. "When did you decide this?"

"Months ago," she said. "With you becoming Joshua's Shield and another war at our doorstep, someone must ensure the safety of the land and see to the Blight. Time will only tell if this endeavor of mine is worthwhile."

"You make it sound as if you are alone," Clive sadly replied. "I may be Joshua's Shield, but that does not mean we will never see each other again. You won't be alone, I promise."

She grinned. "Does this mean I get to take you from Joshua if I need assistance with my research?"

He chuckled. "Within reason, yes."

"Or maybe you could bring Joshua along, and perhaps even Jill. Four heads are better than two." She glanced at Wade and Tyler to see they had stopped for them. "We best make haste. I would rather not be trekking through the wilderness after nightfall."

Clive nodded. "Yes, let's."

|| Phoenix Gate ||
|| Northwestern Rosaria ||

A couple of hours after arriving at Phoenix Gate, night had fallen. Instead of joining the feast, Lyra was inside the small room she was given. Sitting on her knees on the bed, she flipped through a book she asked one of her father's men to bring for her. It was a detailed record of the Blight and the deadlands. She read page after page in the light of the fireplace and candlesticks.

She was deeply enthralled with the book, not having realized how much time had passed until she heard a whimper and something scratching at her door. Puzzled, she climbed off the bed and opened the door. To her surprise, Torgal ran into her room. "Torgal? What are you doing here? Jill is probably worrying sick about you if you're here."

"I believe he missed us," Clive said. He had followed the pup to the girl's room since he needed to speak to her.

Lyra picked up the canine, who licked her face affectionately. She giggled and poked his wet nose. "We missed you too, little one." She put the pup down on her bed and watched him curl up before yawning. Within seconds, he was fast asleep. "I shall send a stolas to tell Jill about Torgal in the morning. I would not want her fretting over him knowing he is safe with us."

She grabbed the book off her bed and put it on the small table by the fireplace before turning to Clive. "What brings you to this small corner of Phoenix Gate, my lord?"

"Joshua told me you never went to the feast," he said.

"I became too absorbed in a book and lost track of time," she explained.

"He told me how Sir Wade was singing our praises," he informed her. "I believe we make a wonderful team. What you displayed during the mission was incredible. The ability to shapeshift... Never before have I seen someone use magick to change forms."

His praise made her happy. "I was only able to do so because of you, Clive." Realizing what she said, she quickly added. "A-And Sir Wade and Sir Tyler as well!"

It was a quick coverup, but Clive saw through it. This was the moment he'd been waiting for in the past few months. He gingerly took her hand with a warm smile. "May we take a stroll, my lady?"

She didn't need to think twice and replied instantly. "Of course. Some fresh air would do me well after being in this room for so long." She allowed him to escort her out of the room and to a secluded part of the ramparts. There were no soldiers in sight, the bright moon being their only witness.

Lyra gazed up at the moon when Clive released her hand. She then recalled what he told her the night before they left Rosalith. "Oh, I almost forgot." She turned to him, her emerald eyes reflecting the moon's pale brilliance. "You wanted us to talk once we arrived. Would now be an appropriate time, or should we wait til the morrow?"

"Now is perfect. There is something I wish to give you." Clive searched his pocket and pulled out the gift he bought for her a couple of days before they left Rosalith.

It was a necklace adorned with two large emerald gemstones and small diamonds. The chain and the frame were pure gold.

Lyra gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. The necklace was beautiful but she could tell it was expensive. She glanced between him and the necklace. "Clive, th-this is..."

"I saw this while accompanying Joshua to the marketplace," he explained. "The gemstones reminded me of your eyes."

Lyra was completely shocked. "But the price..."

"The value of an item is not determined by how much it costs but by what it represents and how much it is cherished," he told her before staring deeply into her eyes. "I have adored your eyes for a very long time. The greenest of pastures, the blossoming forests... Whenever I gaze into your eyes, I see the vibrance of life."

This wasn't the first time he has confessed to loving her eyes. In fact, it was the second. The first time was when they danced together at the gala that celebrated Joshua's birthday a couple of years ago. They were both nervous and he told her how much he loved her eyes to break the awkward silence they found themselves in.

Hearing his words made Lyra more comfortable with accepting the gift. It would be rude for her not to accept it, but she did find the necklace to be beautiful. However, it wasn't because of the large gemstones that she found it breathtaking. It was the reason why he got it for her. She could tell how much he was thinking about her when he came across the necklace. "I... I do not even know what to say."

With a smile, Clive walked behind her and clasped the necklace around her neck. "Words are unnecessary. Silence can speak just as loud as words." Once it was securely around her neck, he walked back around to stand in front of her. Seeing the necklace resting against her collarbone, his smile grew. "It truly does suit you, my lady."

She placed a hand over the necklace. "Thank you for this wonderful gift, Clive. Knowing you thought of me when you saw it makes me feel overjoyed." She dropped her hand, a gentle smile appearing on her face. "I feel as if I do not say this enough, but...I truly care deeply for you, Clive. I would not want anyone else by my side."

"Hearing you say that makes what I want to say next much easier."

She was puzzled at this and grew a little concerned. "Oh, please don't tell me you got me matching earrings too. I wouldn't want such fine jewelry to become lost while away from the capital."

He was amused at her response. "No, but I'll keep that in mind for the future." Gingerly, he cupped her cheeks with his gloved hands as he gazed into her emerald eyes. His thumbs softly caressed her cheeks. "I love you, Lyra Edelweiss. You are someone I cherish deeply. I feel as if nothing is impossible with you next to me. No one has ever made me feel this way before now."

Her emerald eyes widened in pure shock. His words made her heart leap with joy. She opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out. She closed her mouth and searched his sapphire eyes. All she could find was love and admiration.

When she didn't try to push him away, Clive closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against hers. He gave her a chaste kiss before pulling away, but he kept his hands on her cheeks. He could still see she was still in shock even after the kiss. This made him laugh. "Are you all right, my lady?"

She finally snapped out of it and blinked. "Yes, I... I was simply taken aback and trying to wrap my head around what you said. And, oh, heavens above..." She noticed she was beginning to ramble and stopped herself. She gathered her thoughts and professed her true feelings. "I love you too, Clive. I never imagined someone as special as you would come into my life, but here you are. No matter what the future holds or where it takes us, know that I will always find a way to return to your side." She kissed him on the lips briefly before pulling away.

Overjoyed, Clive moved his hands from her cheeks and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. "Thank you for choosing me."

She wound her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. "And thank you for everything, Clive."

Clive and Lyra stayed in each other's arms until it was time to call it a night. They had a busy day tomorrow. Reluctantly, they pulled away from each other.

The girl combed a few golden strands behind her ear. "I should get some rest. By tomorrow, I will be swamped with healing sessions and will need all the sleep I can get. And you..." She placed a hand against his cheek. "You best get some rest as well. You may be the mighty Shield of the Flame, but you are still human. Please don't push yourself, Clive."

He placed his hand over hers. "Yes. Sleep well, Lyra."

She nodded with a smile. "I shall see you in the morning."