It took a week, but Chrom was finally able to get back on his feet. Most people caught in the light blast were. And it just so happened he was again sitting in his office. Except this time he wasn't signing documents. He was trying to pull together information on these "soldiers", but his efforts were met with little to no success. He spent perhaps half the day looking trough all his assets and still came up with nothing of importance. So it it came to be he was pacing his room, frustration boiling in his veins, when a messenger appeared in his doorway.

"Milord, I bring news. The scouts report a man, in a village a short ways east, who claims to have insight into the matter of the attack of the church. He requested this letter be read only by you." Grabbing the letter, Chrom dismissed the Messenger, and sat

down to read it.

Chrom,

I hear you are looking into matters related to the recent incidents involving men in black coats. As it happens, I am doing the same, and I have information that you would find most valuable. All I can say in this letter, for fear it will be intercepted, is that they are a much greater threat than would appear at first glance. If you wish to know more, meet me in the abandoned warehouse in the Southtown when the moon shines its light. I would ask you bring no more than a few trusted souls with you, as to not attract too much attention. There is a small hole in the town's wall where you can get in and out unnoticed, on the East side. Come, and I swear I will tell all I know.

A friend

Chrom thought about the contents of the letter. Either this was a valuable source of information on this new foe, or it was a trap of some kind. Perhaps laid by Bandits? After contemplating it for a while, Chrom decided to go. Assuming it turned out to be a fruitful endeavor, it wasn't something that could just be passed up. And if it was a trap, it probably wasn't anything Chrom couldn't handle.

Looking at the hole in the wall, Cordelia pondered if anyone would be able to fit through. Perhaps Chrom and her, but definitely not Frederick, with his bulky suit of armor. A bit of fact pointing and bickering later, he agreed to watch the horses. And Cordelia was through the hole.

Finding the warehouse was no trouble. There had been a map on the back of the letter, clearly drawn and accurate, with the location clearly marked in bright red ink. It was dark inside the building. The only illumination came from a large hole in the roof, from which moonlight streamed down onto a large table, upon which sat a large map of the continent. Also there were several diagrams, books, and three smaller but more detailed maps of Ylisse, Plegia, and Ferox. But there was no one at the table. No one in the room. At least, thats what Cordelia thought, until she turned around, and a man dropped from the ceiling. He was tall, and had sharp, angular eyes. All other details were hidden by a full suit of stained black leather armor and hood, with a cloth to cover his face. He walked forward to the table slowly, then turned to face her and the Prince before speaking.

"Well if it isn't Chrom and his beautiful knight captain. To be honest, I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up." His voice was deep, and he spoke with a certainty you only see in people who know what they're doing. "Now, since your here, I'm assuming that means you got my letter one way or another, so I'm going to cut the crap and skip straight to the point. I've done some snooping around, and found some interesting shit. These fanatics blowing up churches, they're calling themselves the Dawnbringers. The ones that handed you your ass at that sanctuary are the Thirteen. Call them what you will. They issue the orders." With this he paused for a moment, then said, "You getting all this? Anyway, the Thirteen all have a number, well, one through thirteen. Two to Thirteen are all equals. The only one above them is One. One is a man named Anorith. He has the final say in any and all matters." He picked up something off the table and tossed it to Chrom.

Cordelia, curious as to what it was, asked "What is that?"

"That," answered the man, " is a map of the known world. It is marked with twelve locations that I have learned to be Dawnbringer hot spots. That's all I know." He then made his way toward the exit.

"Wait," said Chrom "What's your name?"

"You can call me Zero," said the man. He then blended into the night.

Get ready to be astounded by the awesomeness of this chapters quote.

"Life is a lot like peanut butter. It'll get you into all sorts of sticky situations, but it sure does taste good." -Aqua

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