Chapter 2:Skirmish at Dawn
Imperial Year 1180
20th Great Tree Moon
"Hey, are you awake?" said a man with light brown hair wearing a black coat plated with metal for protection,
and metal shoulder pads and a vambrace on the arms all dyed black to match.
"Yes." a woman with dark green hair replied. She was wearing a black coat draped over her shoulders to look like a cape,
and a breastplate that stretched down to her stomach."Hey Seraph, I had that dream again." she said.
Seraph turned to face his sister "Oh, which one?" he asked.
"Both of them." she answered.
"I'm sorry I couldn't find anything yet, there hasn't been a war in years, and that girl, I've never seen anyone who looks like your description.
Anyway, Dad said that we're headed north to the kingdom, something about their son who stole a rare something or other."
Seraph said. Before they could leave the room a mercenary opened the door and came into the room
"Mam? Oh, sir, you're here too, your presence is required." he said to the two of them.
Without saying a word they walked out of the house they were staying in, grabbing their swords in the process.
When they arrived they were greeted by three people each in matching uniforms except for the colors of a small cloth hanging from each of their left shoulders.
"What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?" their father asks the three.
"Please forgive our intrusion. We wouldn't bother you were the situation not dire." said the boy with a blue cloth.
"We're being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope that you will be so kind as to lend us your aid." he continued.
Seraph then asked "Bandits? Why are they here?".
"It's true. They attacked us while we were at rest in our camp." said the girl wearing red.
Then the other boy with the yellow cloth said "We've been separated from our companions and we're outnumbered. They're after our lives not to mention our gold.".
Their father then said "I'm impressed you're staying so calm considering the situation. Byleth what do you think?".
"They're already here, so-" said Byleth, but before she got to finish she got interrupted.
"Bandits have been spotted just outside the village. And damn there are a lot of them." said one of their mercenaries.
"I guess they followed you all here." said their father "We can't abandon this village now. Come on, let's move. Hope you're ready!".
While everyone is getting ready their father keeps giving orders "Let's take care of those thieves before they overrun the village.".
"Damn. Why are there mercenaries in the village?" the leader of the bandits says. "Guess we'll have to deal with them too."
As Seraph is fighting, Byleth cuts down another bandit with ease, she suddenly pulls up her sword to block an axe from hitting her.
"Hey, girl with the blank stare! I'm Kostas The Killer so get outta my way or else!" Kostas shouts. But Byleth doesn't respond, she just swings her sword at him.
Her father, seeing the fight, decides to help. "Get away from my daughter freak!" he said while charging on horseback.
"What the?! Aren't you Jeralt the Blade Breaker? What's a renowned mercenary like you doing here?" asks Kostas.
"I'm the one who should be complaining. We're caught up in the mess you started!" Jeralt complained.
Then Byleth ran up to Kostas swinging her sword to disarm her opponent, knocking him over landing hard in the dirt a little ways away. |
"Nice work." Jeralt said while Jeralt is busy praising his daughter Kostas lies on the ground. He suddenly jumps to his feet and grabs his axe charging to attack Jeralt.
Byleth seeing Kostas running at her father, she jumps in front of the axe pushing Jeralt aside.
"You'll die!" Kostas yells as he swings his axe.
Just as she is about to be hit everything freezes in place, then Byleth's vision shatters to find herself in a dark void, alone
"Honestly! What are you accomplishing with that little stunt?!" or not.
She looks around to just to see the girl from her dreams, About 135cm short compared to her 164cm,
wearing a blue sleeveless dress that fails to cover her stomach with gold pieces hanging from it,
with a gold crown resting on their head of long green hair tied into two messy pigtails with her sideburns in braids mixed with hair dyed red and white.
"It's like you're trying to get me killed, you fool!" she says as she pears with her green eyes at Byleth.
"What?" Byleth asks.
As the little girl sighs in annoyance she says "it's fine. After all, if you don't know the value of your own life you're not going to protect it very well are you?".
"Well then, I guess it's up to me to guide you from now on, right? You can call me Sothis, but I'm also known as The Beginning.".
Sothis says while Byleth is just staring at the little girl, then she asks "What are you talking about? Sothis?"."I was not able to recall my name until just now.
And just like that, it came to me. How odd." Sothis replied. "That look upon your face. Did you think me a child? A mere child who forgot her own name?! Phooey!"
she continued.
"That child just saved your life! And what does that make you?" she asks in annoyance.
"I am no child." Byleth tells her.
"Ha! Such arrogance." the child retorts. "You threw yourself before an axe to save just one old man. Yet all is well, as I have stalled the flow of time for now.".
"You would have died had I not intervened." She continued.
Shocked that this child managed to stop time, Byleth asks "You stopped time, How?" forgetting that she should thank her for saving her, else time resumes.
As she thought Sothis was annoyed at the lack of thanks "Hm. I do not hear your gratitude. Perhaps I should force you to leave?"
Quickly, Byleth bows and said, "Thank you.".
Sadifide Sothis says "There now. Is gratitude so much to ask? I did deem you worth saving, after all.",
"Though it is only momentary, time has stopped. However did I manage that?".
Byleth getting tired of this asks "What happens now? Will time resume?".
"When time begins again, the axe will tear into your flesh, and you will surely meet your end. How rude of you to drag me into this!" Sothis answered
"As though I could stand idly by and watch that come to pass! Oh, but perhaps. Of course! I must turn back the hands of time!".
"I cannot wind back time too far, but all is well. You are aware of what's to come, which means you can protect yourself this time."
as she says this Byleth returns to the frozen scene of her pushing her father out of the way of the axe.
Then the scene returns to the moment before Kostas jumps to his feet. "You'll die!" Kostas yells as he swings his axe,
but this time Byleth knows what's coming. She draws her sword and counters Kostas sending him flying back into the ground.
"Are you two okay?" Seraph asks as he is busy with a few more bandits.
Jeralt, surprised that Byleth saved him just asks her "Did you just…" trailing off before he finishes.
Just then a group of people dressed in armor arrives at the fight, the one without a helmet says
"The Knights of Seiros are here! We'll cut you down for terrorizing our students! Hey! The thieves are running away. Go after them.".
"Good the students seem to be unharmed. And who's this?" said the man upon seeing everyone safe.
Jeralt just groans and said, "Why him?".
Writers Note: You may wish to know why Byleth's brother is named Seraph, well since the name of Byleth originates from "Beleth the King of Hell"
I thought that instead of naming her brother Beleth or Bilith, I went with a name of Seraph in reference to "Seraphim" the highest rank of angel in Christian angelology
to contrast between the two of them.