Byleth checked her sword for the third time that morning.
"Now then, we will be using the quickpaths to get to Gaspard. Only those of sufficient rank in the monastery, such as the highest of the Knights or the Archbishop's staff, may use them." Seteth crossed his arms. "Professors Byleth, Hanneman, and Manuela are along these members, as am I. Apen and Mith technically also have the authority, but-"
"So basically they warp distance to mitigate travel time. Gaspard would normally be several days out, but the quickpath makes it an hour," Mith cut in. "We'll still want horses in case we need to break out and get far enough away to reconnect to the monastery, but it'll let us get there… well, today."
"Indeed," Seteth said with a short huff.
Byleth's lips twitched. "You
were getting a bit caught up in the legalities of it," she pointed out.
Claude chuckled. "I see. So… has anyone here actually used them?" he asked.
"I've used them to attend certain errands," Seteth said stiffly.
"We made use of them for our excursion to the Red Canyon this month," Dimitri said, gesturing to himself and Ashe.
Sylvain checked his horse's bridle and saddle. "So that's three of us."
"Four!" Mith chimed in. "I used it to get Raphael's family here for his birthday, and back home."
"No, you opened the path for those two to get here, then returned them," Seteth said tartly. "
That's why your privileges are probated."
"Come now, Seteth," Mercedes said cajolingly, "it was for a good cause."
Seteth faltered. "Be that as it may…" he trailed off.
Mith snatched a padded arrow out of the air. "Not now, Shamir," he said, suddenly serious. "Lonato's going to be watching for any sign of duplicity, and even training arrows are going to make him twitchy, I bet."
The Knight put her bow away. "Noted," she said, expression clear of emotion.
Byleth was a little envious that she could wipe the evidence of her feelings away so quickly.
"Hmph! You're just as capable," Sothis said haughtily, floating nearby.
"Aaaanyways. We should get a move on! Ashe, you said Lonato got your letter, right?" Caspar said, turning to the other boy.
Ashe nodded, fiddling with his gloves. "He did. The messenger used the paths to deliver the note and return Lonato's. He'll be expecting us today after mid-morning."
Byleth turned to Seteth. "So how are we doing this?" she asked.
Dorothea raised a hand. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but not all of us are capable riders," she said with a slight blush.
Mith shifted nervously.
Byleth sighed. "Some of us will have to pair up."
Dimitri stood by his horse. "I'm capable enough to carry a second. Sylvain?" he said.
"Yeah, yeah. So, any volunteers?" the redhead said with a wink.
Byleth's eyes narrowed. The only worse choice for Sylvain than… any girl… would be-
"Uh. I can't ride," Mith said meekly. "It's not even that horses don't like me, I'm just really bad at balancing without gripping onto something in front of me."
Sylvain's grin widened. "Sounds like a volunteer!"
Dammit.
Sothis gave a long sigh. "O' child of mine," she said with a shake of her head.
"I can't ride very well," Mercedes chimed in.
"...I may need assistance," Lysithea said begrudgingly.
"I believe I've already stated my problem," said Dorothea.
"Right then. Dorothea will ride with Dimitri, Lysithea with Byleth, and Mercedes with myself," Seteth said briskly. "If Mith wishes to ride with Sylvain he may do so. Is everyone else at least capable on a horse?"
Caspar shrugged. "I've got some practice. Don't ask me to fight on one, but I can get from one point to the next."
"That's a yes," Shamir said bluntly. "We're set."
Byleth helped Lysithea onto her horse before mounting, saddling up behind her.
"Everyone ready?" Seteth asked.
"It seems that way," Dorothea said with a sparkle in her eye.
That caused Byleth to peer at Sylvain's horse, where the knight sat confidently.
Mith had latched his arms around the other man's stomach and looked… petrified, as usual.
One too many times he'd fallen off a horse in motion while being harried by the other mercs. Jeralt gave up after a month, but let him keep tending the beasts since they seemed to like him - even the pricklier ones. Of course, the mercs in question didn't stay on beyond that.
Sylvain definitely didn't seem distressed by the proximity to her 'younger' brother.
For the fourth time, Byleth checked her sword.
She didn't know what was going on between Mith, Dorothea, and Sylvain, but she didn't intend to let it distract her. The Ashen Demon was on a job twice over; once to protect the kids in her charge, and once to ensure the negotiations went successfully. She had more important things to worry about.
"If he places one hand wrong, I'll mutilate him," Sothis said pleasantly.
Mith's eyes widened a little.
Byleth indulged herself in some mild amusement.
"We ride," Seteth said in that same brisk tone.
Apen sighed irritably. "Let's get this over with. If I don't get at least one specimen out of this, I will be most cross."
'Specimen?' Claude mouthed at Byleth.
She simply raised an eyebrow.
The lordling paled slightly and turned back to face front as the air before them rippled.
Mith tightened his grip as the horse began to move.
____________________________________________________________________________
"So… there a story to why you're trying to snap me in half?" Sylvain joked as we moved.
"Jeralt tried to teach both Byleth and I to fight on horseback," I said quietly. "He took Byleth in hand and had some success. Of course, she's his blood daughter so I can't blame him. He left my training to the mercs."
I felt Sylvain stiffen, even through his armor.
"Let's just say I got tired of being knocked off and prefer to do infantry fighting. Besides, scaring horses is easy if you have a mind for it." I leaned my forehead against Sylvain's shoulder. "I like horses and all, but riding… I don't think I'll ever be good at it."
"I could give you lessons," Sylvain offered. "Real ones."
I laughed a little. "You can try."
"Then I will," he said smoothly. "And in exchange… you work with me on my magic. Sound good?"
I smiled. "Sure. Though I doubt I'll ever use a horse in battle. If I'm not walking, I'm usually…" I trailed off.
"Got it," Sylvain said. "Doesn't mean you should have to freak out every time you get on a horse." There was a bit of iron in his voice, but I didn't think it was directed at me.
I hummed.
"...flying doesn't come easy to me. I can do it, mind you, and I'm not half bad. But heights and I have a funny relationship," Sylvain said off-handedly. "I was scared of them for the longest time, but after a while… I guess I got tired of being scared and knuckled down."
I bit my lip. "I'd offer to take you flying, but I'm a bit bigger than your average wyvern."
Sylvain snickered. "Oh, the ways I could
twist that. I appreciate the offer, though," he said, tone gentling.
"What are you two talking about?" Ashe asked, pulling up beside us.
"Sylvain's offered to teach me how to ride properly. My instruction was… haphazard, shall we say," I said smoothly.
Ashe brightened. "Oh? Sylvain's one of the better riders in the Lions. I think he might be better than His Highness! Ingrid's good too, but she's an even better flier. It's rare to see her off of her pegasus."
I grinned. "Pegasi are awesome. I'm actually decent at riding
them."
Sylvain gave a hum. "But you have problems with horses?"
"Somewhat
learned problems," I reminded him.
He grunted. "Point taken," he said wryly.
"Really? I thought men tended to ride on wyverns. Not so much because pegasi won't accept male riders, but…" Ashe trailed off.
"The tradition is seen as effeminate," Sylvain said bluntly.
I shrugged, leaning my chin on Sylvain's shoulder. "A foolish notion. Pegasi are built for speed and maneuverability, while wyverns carry more force and have natural weapons. The former are good for harriers and scouts, while the latter fit for a brute squad." I paused. "Also, casting on a wyvern is a fool's errand. Pegasi are
far calmer around magic."
Sylvain chuckled. "Come on, tell us how you
really feel," he teased.
Ashe rubbed his chin with his free hand. "Interesting. Do you think Linhardt or Hubert would be interested in flying on a pegasus?"
"Hubert might if it gave him tactical superiority," I said as the scenery kept warping around us. "Linhardt would stay back at the infirmary if he could, and on foot if he couldn't."
We lapsed into comfortable silence.
I startled as I felt Sylvain place a hand on one of mine.
"You seem more relaxed, now," he said quietly.
I swallowed. "That's probably because I know you won't let me fall."
He laughed a little. "That's true." I felt him shift a little, straightening as the air started to solidify around us. "So… what happened to the mercs?" he murmured.
"Jeralt did. Kicked them out and discontinued the cavalry training once he figured out I, ah…"
"Gotcha," Sylvain said, squeezing my hand again before letting go.
A large stone structure came into our view as Ashe pulled close again.
"And that's Castle Gaspard," he said quietly.
The nearby town was bustling, but we took the route around it. No need to worry the local citizenry.
"So, where do we shelter the horses? I assume we're not just going to ride up to the front door?" Claude asked.
"There's stables right past the drawbridge," Ashe replied. "We'll leave the horses there and proceed in."
"So how are we playing this? Contrite? Accusatory?" Dorothea asked. "I'd like to know what sort of approach we're taking before we reach the table."
"We will not be apologizing," Seteth said sharply.
"Strictly speaking, Cristophe did commit a crime, just not the one he was executed for," Shamir pointed out. "That said, aggression won't help here."
"Mm. If he's anything like most nobles, putting him on the defensive won't help," Apen noted.
"Lord Lonato is, at heart, a good man," Ashe said firmly.
"A good man who is planning to march militia against the Church of Seiros," Lysithea cut in sharply. "Putting all those lives at risk for his own ego and grief."
"But we're here to explain why he doesn't need to do that," Mercedes said gently, trying to defuse the situation.
"Cool it, Lysithea!" Caspar snapped. "Ashe wants to save his father, so we'll save him. Besides, it's the bad guys' fault! Uh, who are they again?" he said, breaking off in confusion.
"The Western Church has been infiltrated by Agarthans. They are also the ones who manipulated Christophe in the first place," Byleth said smoothly.
I looked over the group as tensions started to rise, and opened my mouth.
"Enough! We will be approaching with a united front, and following Mith's lead," Dimitri said in a tone that brooked no argument.
"I'm throwing my weight behind Dimitri. Caspar, Lysithea, cool it." Claude's eyes glinted in the mid-morning light. "And with all due respect, Seteth, the Church could end up eating some serious crow. You'll just have to come to terms with that."
Seteth sat upright. "Claude," he began fiercely.
"No, he's right," I said mildly.
Seteth turned to me, shock on his face.
"We will be addressing Lonato as someone with a legitimate grievance - the loss of his beloved son and heir - and explaining the events as they fell. If he is the man Ashe remembers, that will be all the concession we need to make. However, that also means admitting what the Church concealed." I didn't raise my voice, but I could feel the attention on me.
Seteth subsided, but he gave a conciliatory nod.
"So… remind me what the situation is? The Church executed his son, but…?" Dorothea said.
I glanced at her, and could tell from the knowing look on her face that she was asking for my benefit. Not everyone had been briefed on that due to the sensitive nature of the information. Seteth's choice, not mine.
"Christophe was accused of taking part in the plot surrounding the Tragedy of Duscur. What he actually was guilty of was being a patsy for the Western Church in an assassination plot against Rhea," I said.
That put an end to the conversation.
"So, we have our heading," I said pleasantly. "Ashe, we're going the right way, right?"
"Ah, yes," he said, moving slightly ahead as we picked out the trail.
____________________________________________________________________________
Ashe peered at Mith as Sylvain gave him a hand down from the horse.
"Ashe," a familiar voice greeted.
He turned on his heel and felt a smile overtake his face. "Lonato!"
The noble was clad in leathers - not his riding armor that Ashe was familiar with, but something that would still give him protection in case of a fight. His long hair hung straight, and his face wore a tired expression despite his small smile.
"I see you've all made it," Lonato said, smile fading. "So. Ashe says you're here to warn me of something? Quite a few people to deliver a message."
Mith turned from Sylvain and walked forward. "Well, I was attacked at Garreg Mach, and Lady Rhea demanded I bring some sort of protection. Given how sensitive the information is, I asked Ashe to arrange a meeting so that it wouldn't be intercepted," he said with a tone of polite cheer.
Lonato blinked. "Attacked?" he said, caught off-guard.
"Yes. I took an arrow through the shoulder; nasty business, that," Mith continued. "So, shall we head inside?"
The rest of the group exchanged glances.
"Of course. You can leave your weaponry in our armory," Lonato said in a mild tone.
"Certainly; I'm sure that Ashe's foster father wouldn't let anything untoward happen to his guests," Mith said cheerfully.
"Faerghus guesting rights are pretty ironclad," Sylvain said, chiming in. "We're big on hospitality, so long as the courtesy's repaid."
Dimitri nodded. "Just so."
Lonato's eyes scanned the group. "I recognize His Highness and Gautier, but I can't place the rest of you. But, we've taken our time out here. Come, we can conduct introductions inside." He looked to Ashe and nodded. "Daniel and Ella are inside." The noble smiled. "They've missed you quite a bit."
Ashe smiled back. "I've missed them too. It's good to be home, if just for a visit."
The group moved through the courtyard with minimal chatter.
Ashe noticed the silence around them. The servants looked nervous, and there was more than one stranger giving long looks to the group - Mith in particular.
"So tell me… Mith, was it? Are the rumors true?" Lonato asked, breaking the quiet.
"Depends on the rumor." Mith's eyes scanned the area, locking onto one point and narrowing. The air was empty, so…
"They say you have a Crest nobody's held before. That you speak for the dead. That you're the sibling of the Archbishop," Lonato listed off in a mild tone.
"Well, the second is a bit of a mis-statement. I speak
to the dead, not for them. Other than that… yes," Mith said with a bright smile.
Lonato gazed at him for a long moment.
"Ashe! Ashe!"
Ashe turned to see his younger siblings running towards him, arms outstretched.
Ella was the elder, nearing her teenage years, while Daniel was still only eight. That said, they were both taller than when he left, and-
"Oof!"
Heavier.
Ashe smiled widely as the two children impacted him around the middle, wrapping both of them in a tight hug.
Lonato sighed. "Well, as we've managed to make it into the foyer, I suppose introductions are in order," he said politely. "The two little ones are Ella and Daniel, my wards and Ashe's siblings. As you may have surmised, I am Lonato Gaspard, lord of this castle and territory. I am familiar with Ashe, obviously, as well as Prince Dimitri and Sylvain of House Gautier. Now, if you would be so kind…?"
Ashe looked up at Mith as his smile widened. "Sure thing. As you've guessed, I'm Mith. I'm the mischievous, fun-loving brother to the Archbishop, resident psychopomp of Fodlan, and the Playful Phantom of the Blade Breaker company!" he said merrily.
Lonato's brow rose. "I see. And the rest of you?"
"Shamir. Knight of Seiros," Shamir said shortly.
"I am Apen. Rhea and Mith are my siblings, and I'm here on Rhea's behalf to ensure our brother doesn't bite off more than he can chew with his good intentions," Apen droned. His eyes glinted with dark promise.
Lonato gazed at him for a moment before turning to Seteth.
"I am Seteth, advisor to the Archbishop. I'm here because I am also in charge of the Church archives, and so was required to bring the documents concerning today's business." Seteth gave a shallow bow, eliciting a nod from the noble.
"Byleth Eisner, Ashen Demon of the Blade Breaker company," the professor said blandly. "I teach the Golden Deer class at the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach. We took Mith in when he and Rhea were separated."
Lonato stared at the adults. "Quite the collection. And the children?"
Caspar bristled. "We're not kids! The name's Caspar von Bergliez," he said, amending his tone under Ashe's reproachful stare.
"Lysithea von Ordelia, scion of House Ordelia," Lysithea said in a haughty, yet polite tone.
"Dorothea Arnault. I was the star of the Mittlefrank Opera Company-"
"In Enbarr, yes. I'm familiar, though it's been many years since I've been," Lonato said in a mildly impressed tone. "Interesting. And that leaves…?"
"I'm Mercedes von Martritz. I went to the School of Sorcery in Fhirdiad," the healer said with a warm smile.
"And I think it's down to me. Claude von Riegan," the leader of the Deer said with a wink and a smile. "Heir to-"
"House Riegan and the leadership of the Leicester Alliance. Hrm. All that's missing is the princess of the Empire, and I'd be hosting all three future leaders of Fodlan," Lonato said in that same mild tone.
"Lonato…" Ashe said softly.
Lonato shook his head. "Well. If this information is important enough to come all the way out here to deliver, you must want to tell me sooner than later. Ashe, you know where the armory is. Show our armed guests where it is and-"
The lone warning Ashe got was the slight widening of Mith's eyes.
"DOWN!" he barked, lunging at Lonato.
The noble fell under the slender man's form, a sphere of black energy roaring over their heads.
"Quickly! They said the beast must be subdued before he can corrupt Lonato!" a man in a beaklike mask said in a loud, raspy voice. He stood at the top of the stairs, and magic circled his form.
Strange men and women in armor and battle garb surrounded the group.
"So they're here…" Dimitri growled, sparking fear in Ashe. The prince gripped his lance so tightly Ashe was certain it would break.
"Huh. Figured they'd wait until we got to talking first," Claude said idly, twirling an arrow in his deft fingers. "Well, this makes it simpler."
"Ortesse! What is the meaning of this!?" Lonato boomed.
"The beast seeks to divert your holy purpose!" Ortesse - the mage - said angrily. "We must strike at the Central Church, and destroy the infidel!"
Lonato cast a look at Mith.
"Hey, I'm not the one slinging around Miasma spells while innocent children are in the crossfire!" the adjunct snapped. "Look, I came here to save your life. The only fate you have in going against Rhea is that of a martyr, and you can do way more good for Gaspard alive than dead - not to mention you have children to take care of. Let your so-called allies break themselves on us. Take the kids and go. Do that, and I'll give you the closure you seek - while you keep your life and more besides."
Lonato scowled.
"He lies!" Ortesse roared, and the warriors circled closer as the group prepared for battle.
Ashe held his siblings close. "Get ready to run at the first chance you get," he hissed. "You're not to die here!"
Daniel stared up at him, pale while Ella gave a solemn nod, taking her brother's hand.
Ashe stood up, unslinging his bow and notching an arrow.
Lonato looked at Ashe and back to Ortesse. "If we must fight them, let the little ones go first," he said finally.
"Lonato, sometimes sacrifices
must be made," Ortesse responded in a passionate tone. "If they are here, then they distract the beast and its allies. Our purpose is higher than-"
Lonato stood as Mith rolled into a crouch.
"I will
not," the noble said coldly, "sacrifice my children. They are innocents."
Ortesse held a hand out towards Mith, dark energy circling it. "Then we are at an impasse."
____________________________________________________________________________
A shadow watched from beyond the burgeoning chaos.
As he had suspected, Mith proved to be far too enticing bait, and so the Agarthans among the churchmen spurred them to action far before it would be profitable. In fact, in their desperation they had all but pushed Lonato into the Nabatean's arms.
This would be the last test, he decided.
He'd collected many pieces of the puzzle. All that remained was one final clue to unravel it all.
Tall, regal, swathed in darkness with a mask like a grinning death's-head, the shadow watched and waited.
The answer he sought would soon come.
____________________________________________________________________________
Byleth's eyes narrowed as Ortesse pulled his hand back.
"Plan?" Mith snapped, standing up and rocking on the balls of his feet.
The lord's stern gaze shifted to her.
"Caspar, Lysithea, Seteth. You three take Lonato and the kids, get them to a defensible position and get him armed. Shamir, Apen, Dorothea, Claude, Ashe - you give us cover and keep the ones on the balcony pinned. Sylvain, Dimitri, Mith - you're with me. Mercedes, get ready to patch up anyone who needs it," Byleth said quickly.
"You lot are awfully quiet," Ortesse said suspiciously. "Lonato, why do you not hear my words? We have them here, we have leverage," he began.
Lonato scowled. "I will not endanger the lives of the children," he boomed.
Mith vanished.
Ortesse's head whipped around, startled. "Where is it!? Where is the beast!?" he shouted, fear seeping into his voice.
"Go!" Byleth snapped.
Lonato growled. "Ella, Daniel, come!" he barked. He turned to Seteth. "The armory is this way."
Byleth kept track of them as the Churchmen started to encircle the group.
She took stock.
Eight infantry down with them - three thieves, two armored knights, a brawler, and two mercenaries. The balcony held Ortesse - a dark mage - and what seemed to be two priests and three archers.
In the seconds it took for her to see all that, a pair of crimson geysers erupted from the chest of a thief.
"One down~" Mith's voice echoed from the corners of the room.
"Attack!" Ortesse shrieked.
An arrow plunged into the head of an archer, and Byleth saw Shamir duck behind a pillar.
She drew her blade and joined the fray.
____________________________________________________________________________
Dimitri swung his lance, feeling bones shatter in its wake as the weapon slammed into the brawler faster than he could dodge. Distantly, he noticed Sylvain skewer another infantryman as he tried to close with Dorothea when she rained lightning down on the archers.
His eyes widened as he backpedaled, evading a sword stroke from a thief, only for the man to gurgle in terror as his throat opened and poured blood.
Arrows and spells flew in the chaos, until suddenly the air grew still.
"It ends," Apen said in cutting disdain.
The air in the room warped and screamed, rendering Dimitri's sight red for several moments.
When it cleared, he looked around.
The carnage was unspeakable.
"Goddess defend us…" Dorothea whispered.
There wasn't a single infantryman remaining.
The two armored knights were flat on their back, blood seeping from their armor. The thieves were slashed to ribbons, and Dimitri couldn't tell if it was by blades or the wind that had torn through the foyer. Byleth stood over the mercenaries, blood on her blade until she flicked the worst of it off.
Ortesse quailed, the last living member of the enemy forces. The archers were charred or stuck with arrows.
"Hm. The stronger foes must be here somewhere?" Mith mused as he stepped out of thin air.
Ashe frowned to Dimitri's side. "Stronger?" he said incredulously.
"I'm used to there being at least one veteran. A paladin, or sniper usually. Sometimes an assassin or warlock."
Ortesse hissed. "If we'd known you were coming…" he growled.
A cold wind blew through the foyer.
"Ah. Reinforcements." Ortesse straightened up. "We'll see if you can survive… and protect poor Lonato's people."
"Monster!" Ashe roared, chasing after him.
"I have my heading," Mith said, vanishing as he moved after Ashe.
Sylvain looked to Dimitri.
"Go with them. Dorothea-"
"On it. I'll bring them back alive," she said quickly, dashing upwards, Sylvain in pursuit.
"Looks like it's just us, your princeliness," Claude said lightly.
Dimitri nodded. "They're going to target servants. Let's look to the quarters and kitchens."
Apen sighed. "Byleth?"
The professor nodded. "You're with Claude and Dimitri. Shamir, Mercedes, you're with me."
Dimitri dashed through the halls, Claude and Apen close behind him. Hopefully they could find these 'reinforcements' before lives were lost.
Hopefully.
____________________________________________________________________________
Byleth led the way through the hall, Shamir covering their back.
"This isn't what we expected," Shamir said bluntly.
"We knew there was going to be an attack," Byleth said.
"During the talks. We didn't even start. They attacked us on sight," Shamir said tersely.
"That man in the mask… he seemed to know Mith. Do you think that's why?" Mercedes wondered aloud.
"Probably. He's the source of a lot of worries for the cult. He can track them by way of ghosts, so-" Byleth cut off as she dropped, an axe swinging through the air over her head.
"RAAAGH!" the man in front of her roared, his axe flashing as he swiped left-to-right in a quick, short chop.
Byleth backstepped, her sword flashing out and parrying the axe, lowering it down and to the left.
An arrow sprouted from her enemy's shoulder, and he jolted backwards shortly before her blade found his throat.
"Warrior. Not a soft target," Shamir said tersely.
Mercedes frowned, and Byleth felt her cheek warm as the older woman put her hand over it with a soft glow.
"There," Mercedes said as she drew her hand back. "I hope that's the worst I have to heal today."
The sound of yelling came from the kitchens.
"Don't count on it," Shamir bit out as they dashed forwards.
____________________________________________________________________________
Claude gripped an arrow in his hand as he ran behind Dimitri, Apen to his side.
"So," Apen said mildly. "How long have you known?"
Claude felt a chill down his spine.
"Known?" Dimitri echoed, eyes glinting as he looked around the corner like a hound scenting prey.
"The truth, of course." Apen's voice gave nothing away. He might as well have been talking about the weather.
Claude coughed. "Well, Mith told us about Christophe-"
A soft thud echoed in the hall.
Claude looked down to the side, and saw a man in assassin's garb flat on his stomach, his head gently rolling away.
"Please don't patronize me," Apen said in that same calm tone.
"A few days," Dimitri admitted.
Claude stared at him.
"Mith told me that we have a common foe," the prince continued.
Apen hummed. "I see. And you?" he directed at Claude.
"Is this really the time?" Claude asked, smiling tightly.
"It's the perfect time. If I don't like your answer, I can blame the enemy." Apen's eyes were void of emotion.
"The answer is Mith trusted me enough to tell me. That's all you need to know," Claude said tersely.
"Mm. He's not as good a judge of character as you think. Too forgiving, too caring." Apen gazed at Claude. "I remember all too well what your ancestors did, boy. Just because Mith doesn't believe in the sins of a line doesn't mean the rest of us don't."
Claude bristled. "Our goals are similar. He wants the Agarthans gone, and I need them gone to see my own dreams complete. He knows of them and approves. Satisfied?"
Apen looked at him for another moment. "Hm. Very well." He paused, and there was another thud. "I wouldn't have killed you anyways," he continued.
"What?" Claude asked, following the man around the corner.
Apen gave a thin-lipped smile. "Mith cares about you too much for me to sacrifice you at this time. Also, I am a much better judge of intent than he is. You both care about him enough that you'd not betray his trust."
Claude gazed down at the new dead assassin. Immediately, he whipped his head back up, strung his arrow, and launched it into a third that descended upon Dimitri.
The projectile caught the man in the chest, staggering him long enough for Dimitri to swing his spear in a wide arc, sending his head flying from his shoulders.
"Then why bother with the charade?" Claude barked out, showing his frustration.
Apen gave a dark chuckle. "I'm in the thick of a war I'd forsworn for the sake of my brother. I need to get my amusement somewhere."
Claude sighed. "If you have to indulge in sadism, there are plenty of perfectly good cultists trying to murder people. Leave Dimitri and I out of it."
Dimitri grunted, and there was a sick crack from a room further in. "Clear."
"Well, it was mostly you. The prince is rather…
transparent in his priorities," Apen said smoothly.
"Do you think Mith will be alright?" Dimitri asked loudly. "Sylvain is strong, and Ashe is a good marksman, but… even with Dorothea to mind their wounds…" he trailed off.
Apen laughed. "You still haven't seen the boy get serious." He paused. "Now to figure out when to have this chat with the other two."
"Pretty sure Mith wouldn't thank you for threatening his girlfriend," Claude cut in quickly.
Dimitri stepped out. "Dorothea knows?" he asked mildly. "Mm. The servants and staff are keeping quiet, but I didn't see any major wounds."
"Dorothea and Sylvain," Apen said.
Claude felt the back of his neck twitch, and whirled, sending an arrow flying.
The floating warlock's head snapped back, an arrow lodged between his eyes as the gale within his hands died out.
"Nice catch," Apen said in mild amusement.
"Aren't you some kind of dragon? You had to know he was there!" Dimitri hissed.
Apen stared blankly. "He had it."
Claude sighed. "Let's just keep going. It's Lysithea, Caspar, and the kids I'm worried about now."
"Ordelia will more than serve against this caliber of foes. They have greater skills but their strength is wanting," Apen drawled.
"Regardless, Claude is right. The children need to be protected," Dimitri boomed.
Apen nodded. "I can agree to that."
The three continued for a few moments.
"How did
you know?" Claude asked, the realization dawning on him that both he and Dimitri had been told while under a Glamour.
Apen smiled. "My brother is still recovering from his wounds, even after all these years. The regeneration increases in power with each day at Garegg Mach, but his illusions have yet to outstrip my wards. He should be grateful that I know how to keep his secrets."
Claude had no more questions, but far more worries.
____________________________________________________________________________
Seteth's lance slammed against the armored knight, sending the man reeling away from the children and Lonato.
"Damn them…!" he growled. "What provoked them into attacking so soon?"
"You expected this?" Lonato asked gruffly.
"Yup! They're the bad guys, after all!" Caspar bellowed, leaping on the knight and slamming his gauntlets into the infantryman's face once, twice, thrice. He fell, the bridge of his nose having become intimate with his spine.
Daniel let out a squeak and hid behind Seteth's leg as Ella stuck by Lonato.
Lysithea sighed. "We came under the impression that the Western Church was manipulating you into a futile attack against the Central Church."
"...I see," Lonato said stiffly.
"The attack would have been for nothing, Lonato. You have a duty to your people and your children," Seteth said grimly as the group moved forward. "We have evidence that…"
"Yes?" Lonato replied.
"...it seems I must tender an apology on the Church's behalf. While Christophe's execution-"
"Murder," Lonato said in a soft, harsh tone.
"
Death," Seteth compromised, "was for a valid reason, the public one was not it. He was uninvolved in the Tragedy, but in an assassination plot the Western Church spearheaded against Lady Rhea. They convinced him that it was just, and Catherine turned him over to us."
"...I see. And you have proof?" Lonato said in a tone just the side of scathing.
"I have letters that were confiscated, written in his hand and the Bishop of the Western Church's. I also have Mith, who is certain that the Western Church is compromised by a cult which despises the Goddess. His ability to see the dead is paramount to their identification, given they leave enough death in their wake that grudges follow them like fleas on mongrels." Seteth's tone was clipped, yet polite.
Lonato gave a long exhale. "I will observe the letters once we have subdued the threat to my wards. Once I am armed, I will leave Daniel and Ella in your care, and rejoin Ashe."
"You will?" Seteth asked, blinking.
"If what you say is true, then I've lost one son to the machinations of these fiends. I'll not lose a second," Lonato said darkly.
"Can we help?" Ella asked, eyes worried.
"You can help by staying with us and staying safe," Lysithea said firmly.
"Yeah, leave the fighting to us! We've got a lot of practice," Caspar boasted.
Lysithea's hand whipped out, and a torrent of shadowy insects slammed into a figure that resolved into an assassin. "Caspar!"
"I'LL SEND YOU FLYING!" the noble roared.
____________________________________________________________________________
I sprinted along ahead of my comrades, chasing Ortesse into the castle's depths.
"Mith! Hold up!" Sylvain called.
"We can't move that fast!" Dorothea gasped out.
"Speak for yourselves!" Ashe snarled, managing to catch up to me. "Let's keep going. He's going to regret threatening my siblings."
I gave a savage grin. "A man after my own heart," I purred lowly.
The tendrils of Anathema ringed our passing, invisible to all but me. It was what had drawn Ortesse into conflict, after all - it marked me as 'something that must be destroyed', and forced the enemy into action while abandoning all defense. This in turn left their defenses down and vitals open for the piercing.
"Fucking-"
Sylvain must have caught up, because I felt an armored hand close around my arm as I stumbled.
"Listen," he said fiercely as Ashe screeched to a halt. "We're barreling after an unfamiliar enemy, in unfamiliar terrain, without any regard for the capabilities of either. Now I know you're scary in a fight - what you pulled with that thief is going to be in the front of my nightmares for a while - but the three of us are still students."
Dorothea's chest heaved as she leaned against the wall. "I'll… be good… in a moment." True to her word, her breathing evened out shortly after. "Whew. Okay. So, can we do slow and steady?" she asked. "If you can cover us, I can hit from pretty far. Ashe?"
He shuffled awkwardly. "I have a few tricks that give me a bit more range, yes. Apologies. I… got caught up in the moment."
I exhaled. "Right. Sorry, I should have given you guys more thought. I'll do better."
Sylvain looked me in the eye for a moment, then squeezed my arm gently. "I can't say I know how you feel, but I know that it's bad. This isn't just your fight anymore, though. We've got your back."
We continued on after I wove a quick Glamour over us.
The hall opened up into a large room with a roaring fireplace, chairs around a table that stretched a good distance.
Ortesse stood near the head of the table, looking around as a woman with bright orange hair and… little cloth on her body… leaned on a chair.
"You do realize how hard you've made my job? I'm just glad the head beast vaporized the bodies from Solon's little play. And now I have to clean up after these idiots." She shook her head. "Not to mention you broke cover. Anything they tell Lonato will have credence."
"We can simply-" Ortesse began.
"If you're going to talk about Javelins, no. We don't have so many we can spare a strike on Gaspard, even given the targets here." The woman looked up and through us. "Also, I smell death. He's here. So chin up, I'll bring you home soon," she said with a brilliant smile. She turned her attention in our direction. "Hello, Darkbeast. You've made quite a bit of work for me over the past few years. It's only polite for me to introduce myself - Kronya, the one and only disposal agent of the Agarthan Consortium." She winked. "You just keep piling those bodies up. Recycling them is
ever so much fun."
Before I could charge, Ortesse rounded on her.
"Why won't you help us!?" he roared.
"Not my job~" she cooed before she vanished in a pillar of violet light.
More pillars flashed as armored knights and archers appeared.
"Very well," Ortesse hissed. "If this is my last stand, I'll dispose of you all here!"
His answer was an arrow sliding into the eyehole of an armored knight.
I charged.
The air warped and buckled around me, shadows dancing in the dim light. I lashed out with my daggers, catching an archer across the throat on my way towards Ortesse, monitoring the strikes of lightning downing knights before they closed with me.
Ortesse wrung his hands, and a thick mist began to flow from his gloves.
I snapped my hand out, and red chains lashed around him, halting his magic. Then I dropped the Glamour and slammed my daggers down in an overhead piercing swing.
A lance caught me across the ribs and knocked me back, sending me tumbling into a crouch.
The armored knight stood in front of Ortesse as the man pulled his arm back, a sphere in his hand.
I wrapped myself in a Glamour and darted away.
The grenade landed where I had been standing, igniting the floor with flames that spread and flowed on the ground. Sylvian darted around it, lance in his grip.
He swung out, catching an archer across the face and cutting through with the blade. The marksman fell to the ground.
"Ashe!" I heard Lonato call.
I turned and saw him frantically dodging the axe-strikes of an armored knight, then ducked an arrow.
Lonato charged in and managed to parry the axe, locking the two into a standstill.
Ashe backpedaled, frantically drawing an arrow.
"It's no use!" Ortesse bellowed, a storm of darkness forcing Ashe to retreat further.
An arrow flew through the air, and I could see where it would land - right in Lonato's-
A black bolt snapped it out of the air, and another flew over my shoulder, dissolving the offending archer.
I whirled again, and a man in a long black cloak stood. He wore a death's-head mask, the grinning skull shot through with cracks of black inlaid with gold. Dark magic whirled around him.
He held my gaze for a moment, then faded into shadows.
I turned, and felt my own rage boil as Ortesse stumbled back, preparing to bolt as the armored knight charged.
Out of nowhere, Byleth ran in, slamming the knight to the ground as I heard the one behind me scream out.
"Lonato's fine, go!" I heard Lysithea cry out. "The children are with Seteth! End it here!"
I darted past the knight, light snapping into him as Mercedes' hand waved. Byleth charged alongside me.
"I'll slow him down, you finish him?" I asked.
She nodded, eyes intent.
Ortesse stumbled as my Glamour took hold with a gesture.
"Wh- No! No!" he squealed. He slapped at his arms, gripping the fabric as harsh squeaking started to echo around him. "I can feel- feet- no, no, no!" he cried out.
Byleth's blade found his heart with ease as the illusory rats ran over his body.
Slowly, the sounds of combat began to fade, but-
There!
I ducked, and the sniper's arrow flew into the wall behind me.
"I am
so tired of this," I hissed out.
My hand reached forward of its own accord, and twisted in the air.
Without any sign of a glyph, the image of a pale violet moon appeared over the sniper, hovering for moments. It collapsed inwards, dragging the woman upwards into the dark.
Gore spattered the floor seconds later.
The room turned silent.
"...well, that sure was a thing," Sylvain said calmly.
Ashe stared at me in shock as Lonato crossed his arms, lance in hand.
The dead men and women around us vanished in deep magenta sparks.
Lysithea gazed at me accusingly, but I merely placed a finger to my lips. She shook her head and her shoulders dropped.
"I have questions," Lonato said in a deep voice.
"TIME TO- oh. Hey, where'd they go?" Caspar asked as he came to a sudden halt, having dashed in. Claude, Dimitri, and Apen soon followed.
Shamir stepped forward. "Long and short? Cult infiltrated the Western Church, they infiltrated here, and they tipped their hand early."
"But why?" Lonato asked.
I raised my hand with a sheepish grin. "I. Um. I have a power. It's called Anathema. If someone intends me lethal harm, it's amplified to the point self-preservation gets discarded. Or plans."
Lonato's eyebrows rose. "That sounds more like a curse," he pointed out.
"Sure does," Sylvain agreed in a mild tone.
Dorothea elbowed him fiercely.
Lonato shook his head. "I do not know about the rest of you, but I have had enough excitement for one day. I will recover the evidence from Seteth, and we will discuss what Gaspard's fate will hold in the morning." He gestured to us all. "You helped defend my home and family. In recognition of that, please take refuge beneath my roof this evening. We will provide food and shelter, as well as what protection we can offer."
I looked to Byleth.
She nodded to Lonato. "We humbly accept," she said in montone.
I glanced at Sothis as she floated in midair, gazing down at me.
____________________________________________________________________________
The conversation I had been avoiding came that night. Sylvain had taken the other side of the bed (to my ineffective protests - I had offered both Dimitri and Claude to stay with me, but both declined), and was snoring faintly.
I almost wished he was awake so that I would speak to him about… things… rather than-
"So here we are," Sothis - Mum - said. "Tell me, what do you think you're doing?" she hissed. "You're playing with fire, Emyth'solan. Seiros kept your existences secrets for a reason."
I looked away.
"You might ensnare Edelgard and her retainer, that's true," Sothis beseeched me, "but that will not bring the Empire's support. You must know her power is dependant on her uncle - whom we both know to be Thales in disguise. I've spoken to Arundel's spirit too, you know! If she openly supports us, it will mean a war even sooner than we can prepare. And you've excluded Seiros, the one with the resources to help wage it! The lordlings have no true power yet, and you've still gambled on them."
I looked up. "If I can't convince Edelgard, the Empire will be united. With her on our side, those she's brought into her fold will follow." I dropped my head. "And that's not all that's on the line."
Sothis hung in midair, gazing down at me.
"You know me, Mum." I held my hand up, and my Crest danced over my empty palm. "You know what you made of me."
She exhaled. "I do."
"I was still able to hear you in dreams, because your sleep was just this side of death. I might not have known you as well as the others, but… I still loved you. Even though I'm what you made me to be. 'Peace', you gave me. My command, my center- just as you gave Cichol 'Authority', Macuil 'Knowledge', Indech 'Truth', and Seiros 'Justice'. Even if I hated it, I would still act as counselor to the broken hearts around me. It's fortune that Aread gave me something like a childhood to grow into this."
Sothis laughed softly. "I remember. I asked for lilies, nightshade, and snapdragons. She got…"
"Baby's breath, daffodils, and sunflowers. I remember the story," I said, amusement coloring my tone. "How did it go? '
I'm the 'Grim' Dragon, so if I'm to have a baby brother-'"
"'Then he has to be cute and sunny.' Yes, I remember it well." Sothis sighed. "I am sorry that I left you behind, Emyth'solan."
"It's fine. You're still here, after all." I scratched the back of my neck. "Have you seen Christophe?"
Sothis shook her head. "No. His will lingers around Lonato and the children, but his consciousness is gone. He must have been satisfied that they had each other." She frowned. "But I will not be dissuaded. Because of my lack of foresight, I did not destroy all of Agartha. Because of that, Nemesis made a weapon of me that destroyed our family - could have destroyed you."
"Could it?" I asked softly.
"...I cannot say," she responded. "Little can, we know. After all-"
I held a finger to my lips as Sylvain's breathing shifted. After a moment, I laughed quietly. "Was I that loud?"
"Nah. I was hoping that you'd keep talking, though." He sat up. "It's more about you than I think any of us have heard."
Sothis shot me a regretful look.
"So… baby's breath?" he asked teasingly.
I snorted. "And that's what you latched on to?"
"The other part's a little upsetting, so yes," Sylvain said as he scooted behind me, setting his legs on either side of mine.
Sothis' eyebrows shot upwards.
"You do know my mother's watching, right?" I said dryly.
Sylvain paused. "The Goddess?" he said incredulously. "Wait, is she dead?"
Sothis glared at me. "You're on your own. Try not to do anything stupid. Er." She shot through the ceiling.
"And she is also petty, so she's left me to your tender mercies," I said drily.
Sylvain laughed softly. "Right. You think Ashe is okay?"
I snorted. "He's thrilled. Lonato shows every sign of being on board with us, he gets to see his siblings and foster father, and the Western Church has fucked right off. There's no drawback to this excursion for him."
"And you?" Sylvain asked.
"Well, Lysithea saw me throw out Luna without glyphs so there's that. She's a smart cookie, so…"
"Mm. Yet another conversation," Sylvain said teasingly. He slid his arms around my waist.
I rubbed my face. "Sylvain."
"Hm?"
"What… what is this to you? Like, are we friends? Do you see me as someone you want to be close to? Be with? Because let me tell you, the next touchiest person to you is Claude, and he just leans on my shoulder and does side-hugs.
This is intimate." I swallowed, cutting off the small tirade.
Sylvain leaned his forehead on my shoulder. "I'm not going to steal you from Dorothea."
"Our relationship's pretty open," I said pointedly. "It'd be more sharing than stealing at this juncture. Would we need to talk to her? Sure. But…"
Sylvain moved away. "Well, I do think you're cute. And… I want to get to know you better." He snorted. "But there's no future there."
I ignored the pang in my chest. "Ah."
"The Lance of- Fragarach is the only thing between Gautier and Sreng invading. It's held the line for generations. Whether I like it or not, I have a duty." He snorted again. "I'm gonna marry some noblewoman, pump out kids until a Crest Baby comes along, and then… yeah. That's my lot in life. Trust me, I've made my peace with it. If I could, I'd pick you- pick anything, really."
I looked over at Sylvain, turning to face him. He held his knees in his arms, staring at the wall.
"So…" I trailed off. "The whole noble-hunting thing."
"You might be one of the first people outside my childhood friends I can count on to not want me around just for my Crest. Having that kind of security… and shitty as it is, knowing that…" Sylvain's voice broke.
"Knowing I'm magically inclined to be a decent person helps," I said dryly.
"Yeah. Fuck, that's twisted." Sylvain chuckled hollowly. "And I thought
I was starved for choices."
"Inclined, Sylvain. Not obligated," I said, gentling my tone. "Note how I went all the fuck off when we met, and after."
Sylvain gazed at me in confusion.
"I can twist my 'purpose'. Can't hurt if you're dead, you know," I said pointedly. "I didn't before the War of Heroes, but…"
Sylvain's skin paled in the low light. "Oh."
"Yeah. And even then, it's not all-consuming. It's… it's a personality, not a binding. Does that make sense?" I asked.
"Yeah. Okay, yeah. That's not as bad as I feared," Sylvain said. He looked over at me. "So… yeah."
We were quiet for a few moments.
"So… assuming that an immortal dragon decided to set up shop on the Faerghus-Sreng border. Might that open up some options?" I offered mildly.
Sylvain laughed a little. "It could," he said with a small smirk. "Didn't think you liked me that much, though."
"I'd like the chance to decide," I replied.
Sylvain sighed. "Me too." He looked up at the ceiling. "So… when you learned horseback riding."
"Merc tried to trample me after I fell. Jeralt showed him the business end of the lance, and that was that," I said flatly.
"Yeah. My brother pushed me down a well. That's the heights thing," Sylvain said quietly.
I paused, my mental map screaming at me. "Gautier's pretty far north, right?"
"Can't get much further," Sylvain joked quietly.
"So. Long fall, cold water. Probably didn't get out very quickly…"
Sylvain shook his head. "Couple of hours. It was winter, nobody wanted to be outside."
I swallowed. "Was it an accident?"
"...I'm the heir to my family. My brother didn't have a Crest, even though he was older."
And a Crest was needed to use… my brother.
"He was disowned a few years ago," Sylvain said offhandedly. "It wasn't the first or worst time he'd tried."
I stared at Sylvain.
"One try too many, I guess. Father didn't want to lose his investment, especially with his age being what it was at that point. So it was safer to just get rid of Miklan. You know, even though I stole everything from him." Sylvain smiled upwards, his eyes chips of ice in his head.
I scooted over next to him.
He didn't move.
"I wonder what he's doing now?" Sylvain whispered. "Probably making trouble for someone who doesn't have it coming, for a change."
"That's a lot to unpack," I said flatly. "And I don't have the energy to tell you how wrong it was that your parents and brother treated you like that."
"How can you
not hate me?" Sylvain blurted, spinning to stare at me.
"How
could I?" I responded.
We stared at each other for a long moment.
"I think I figured it out. The reason I was mad at you, after. It wasn't because you hurt someone - that I've seen and just… dealt with. It's because the more I saw, the more I realized… that's not who you are. It's a coping mechanism, and it's terrible. But you're not evil, Sylvain. You're someone worth knowing," I said.
His eyes came closer to mine.
"You're worth caring about. For you."
I didn't say anything else.
It would have been hard to, with his mouth on mine.
"How are you even real?" Sylvain croaked, rubbing his eyes after he pulled back.
I shrugged. "I'm Mummy's little miracle," I said with a toothy grin.
He laughed hysterically. "I. It's been a
long day. I fought for my life, and this- yeah. Okay, we'll talk to Dorothea and- yeah."
I coughed. "Yep."
We stared at each other.
"C'mere."
And that was how I ended up with Sylvain curled into my side.
"...you're worth caring about too."
I credited my lack of incoherent sputtering and blushing to my exhaustion.
____________________________________________________________________________
Edelgard placed her quill on her desk. "Well?"
The mage in dark robes stood next to her. The death's-head mask came off.
Hubert bowed.
"My first excursion as the Minister of Shadow was successful. I've gathered quite the amount of information."
"Go on," Edelgard said idly.
"About our… so-called 'allies', the means by which they travel is similar to mine. Further, they specialize in disposing of their corpses - recycling them, apparently. To what end, I cannot tell."
"So-called?" Edelgard asked with interest.
"Mith is Emyth'solan. Between all that he's said in public-"
"And he said as much. 'If you hear it, it's for you', or something of that kind, yes?" Edelgard interrupted. She paused. "Apologies. Please continue."
"He cast Luna without glyphs. Glamour is excusable, but even with illusions there is no need to conceal the marks of a spell that strong. With the information he gave us directly…"
"He is an ancient immortal regenerator. His power continues to grow, as does his influence," Edelgard said, visibly pleased. "How interesting."
"Indeed. Further, Apen is aware of our liasons with him. He has, however, decided to keep Emyth'solan's confidence."
"...the Saints." Edelgard stared at the flame of the candle on her desk.
"Yes. He is likely Macuil, given his command over wind I saw in Castle Gaspard. That means that Seteth is Cichol, making Flayn Cethleann. That leaves 'Indy' to be Indech, and Rhea to be-"
"Seiros. If she is indeed so ill-suited to leading a stable power, that means… and she listens to…"
Edelgard stepped up from her chair. "Hubert."
He gazed at her quietly.
"We must move carefully. Solon is still on the grounds, and Thales will remove any power we have at the first hint of rebellion."
Edelgard turned and took in Hubert's growing smile as his visible eye took on a sinister glint.
"However, we have our heading. We will give Mith time to recover, but…"
The candle flickered.
"Let us take him into our confidence. We will root the corrupt system from Fodlan, shatter the tyranny of Crests, and obliterate Agartha once and for all," Edelgard said in no uncertain terms.
"Indeed." Hubert gave a low bow. "There is one last thing, Lady Edelgard."
She raised her eyebrows. "Yes?"
"I saw the Crest. It was… different from any I'd seen before," Hubert said, motioning to the paper on her desk. "It came forth when he unleashed Luna."
Edelgard nodded as Hubert took the quill and began to draw. "How so?"
"Most Crests are stylized, true. But this felt… different. Darker, perhaps? Still, it reminded me of something. It will bear research, if the time can be spared."
Edelgard gazed at the
Crest of Emyth'solan. "How interesting."
Hubert nodded. "Indeed. Will that be all, Lady Edelgard?"
She nodded back. "Yes. You've done well, Hubert." A smile crossed her face. "Let us be ready to welcome our new friend when he returns. I'm sure he, Claude, Dimitri and I will have much to speak on in the coming months."
