I've never felt the same after that eventful night in the woods. The world I saw and the events I witnessed are burned into my memories forever. Sothal showed their true colors, though I cannot bring myself to hate them. They like me are both slaves trapped in this existence. Me to those above me and wielding power, and Sothal with their blind devotion to restarting the cycle. My only mistake was not being more proactive in figuring out what Sothal's new plan was. A new host, but this time someone much more vulnerable to the whispers of a dead god.
Edelgard and I finally stumbled our way back into camp while people were finishing another song. With Edelgard's alibi, we managed to convince the rest of the people of my illness, much to Ferdinand's dismay who took the whole ordeal quite personally. The only skepticism seemed to stem from Manuela and Hubert as they understand my magical healing better than most around the monastery, but both said nothing to complicate the matter.
After that, I sat down and listened to a few songs with everyone before we decided to retire for the evening. Watch order for the night proceeded with Caspar on the first watch, Hubert on second, and finally Petra on 3rd watch. Still feeling like one of those test dummies used in car crashes I nearly melted into my bedroll when it came time for sleeping.
My pleasant and quiet dreams didn't last long though as I received a swift kick my ribs waking me up. I open my eyes to see Edelgard with a dagger drawn at my throat and Hubert a couple of feet back with magical energy teeming around him. So much for sweet dreams.
"Get up. It's later and I have questions," Edelgard demands in her best authoritative tone, and when accompanied by Hubert's menacing glare I don't complain as I move my groggy body into a standing position.
"Alright, what's the deal?" I tiredly ask.
"Silence. Lady Edelgard will be asking the questions," Hubert forcefully intones to which Edelgard adds, "Indeed. Hubert, teleport us out of camp."
Hubert executes his warp spell on us all sending up ways into the forest. I could have disrupted his spell, but with how tired I am plus the implications I quickly dash that idea away. I take note once we re-materialize that both Edelgard and Hubert are fully armed while still being in their student uniforms, Hubert with a dagger on his belt and Edelgard with the knife in hand and her ax strapped to her back.
"Alright, that should be enough distance. Now, you will answer my questions. If you refuse I will not hesitate to kill you. You are hiding something," Edelgard explains causing me to ask, "Why the formalities? Why not just kill me and be done with it?"
Thinking back to Edelgard's first encounter alone with me she nearly killed me without hardly a reason. Maybe this time I can find the root of why she has such animosity against me.
"I need information more than I need you dead at the moment. First question, who are your allegiances to?"
My allegiances? I'm not beholden to any governments or countries anymore, I have no official lord I serve, and the church merely houses me and provides me with work because they believe in my supporters, not myself directly. I'm not part of the religion, and I'm definitely not converting anytime soon after what I witnessed in the illusion realm.
"My allegiance? To myself and my patients. I serve medicine first and foremost." I reply but Hubert angrily grunts, "Take this seriously, don't make her highness repeat herself."
I roll my eyes, "I'm being serious. There is a knife to my throat and I can tell you have Banshee ready to target me at a moment's notice. I have no formal allegiance as of now to any so-called masters."
Edelgard and Hubert exchange glances for a moment before Edelgard asks me, "Alright, I'll consider that...for now. Next question. What was that realm that I followed you into?"
A tricky question to be sure, but considering my lack of options at the moment I shrug and reply, "Good question. I was told it was an illusion, but I sense it was something more than that."
"What was the purpose of it? Who was that other...thing when I arrived?"
"To show me the first sin committed in the world, by the goddess Sothis of all things. As for who led me there...that's complicated."
Edelgard tightens her grip on the dagger inching it closer to my face and demands, "Speak. I want answers. You are clearly hiding something."
"Sothal. That's who led me there," I relent as I feel extremely uncomfortable about telling someone I hardly know or trust about Sothal in general.
"Who is Sothal?"
"The progenitor of the Agarthans. The counterpart to Sothis. Someone who has been dead a long time and from what I understood is the catalyst that started the war of heroes. A messy ordeal from what I can gather, but it would appear the church destroyed any records noting their existence."
"What do you know of the Agarthans?"
I pause for a moment to consider how much I do know about them, which isn't much considering I've only encountered one in Sevihn and he's long dead. Other than that it's been tidbits from history books and brief offhand accounts like those from Tomas. I return my attention to Edelgard and reply, "Not much honestly. My last encounter was about 5 years ago when I was a slave to one that called themselves Sevihn. I take it you've heard the name?"
"I have. He was the archwizard that helped orchestrate the war between the Empire and the joint Dagdan-Bridgid forces. You are certain he was an Agarthan?" Edelgard inquires in a much more curious tone, replacing the demanding cold demeanor from earlier.
"From experiments on my blood, giving me a crest, and nearly taking control of my body, yeah I'm certain of that. Not to mention the fact he told me point blank he was. I would say you can ask him, but I dusted him at the cost of my arm. So my experience has been rather sour, to say the least," I explain while nodding towards my missing arm.
"Very well. Hubert, stop channeling your magic," Edelgard instructs as she lowers her dagger and Hubert's eyes go wide with surprise, "Lady Edelgard, he is still a high potential threat. You must-"
"Put it down Hubert."
Hubert grumbles as he dissipates the latent magic and glares daggers at me while Edelgard turns to face me again and asks, "Tell me, Santos, what were you doing with blood magic in Faergus? Many say you were trying to evade capture from the law, but I sense something else."
"I was trying to return home," I quietly remark as Edelgard insists, "Return home how? What do you mean by that?"
"I mean exactly that. It's the truth and I'd rather not go into details about it. It's not my fondest memory and I've come to regret how it affected others. I'd like to leave it at that," I firmly respond which seems to surprise both of the Black Eagles' students.
"...Very well," Edelgard almost too calmly replies, as if trying to restrain herself from getting heated. Seeing a lull in the conversation I decided to take a gamble and ask, "Tell me Edelgard, why did you try to kill me?"
Confusion is written all over Edelgard's face as she babbles, "I never tried to kill you- I mean there was a strange dream I had back at Garreg Mach...wait. I think I remember...in the dream we were outside on a terrace near the cathedral…"
Edelgard racking her brain for answers and muttering to herself causes quite the alarm in her retainer as he viciously asks me, "What did you do to Edelgard?!"
"I protected myself. She attacked me without so much as a reason or warning and even managed to stab me in the process. I fought back and knocked her unconscious...and with Tomas's help I used the spell Soothe on you," I reason which seems to cause Edelgard to blurt out, "Did you say Tomas showed you?"
"Yeah, it was a strange type of magic. He called it the 'old magic' in the world."
"I was planning to kill you due to my information from my associates. I found records of you having work in blood magic and crests that led me to believe you had a part in crafting those experiments. The same ones that...happened to my siblings."
Now I was not expecting that I venture out a guess, "Are these associates Agarthans?"
Edelgard makes no facial expression or movement, but by the way, I can see her clench her fists I can assume they are her accomplices to some extent. As for an eventful night calls for more risks, I decide taking one more can't hurt as I ask, "What are your goals, Edelgard? Why align yourself with such monsters?"
"They are detestable, but a means to an end. I have plans for all of Fodlan to unite it under one banner. One free of past mistakes and relics," Edelgard breathes out, and by looking at Hubert's panicked face I can see why dropping such sensitive information would cause him to freak. My head is already spinning with how that could be interpreted, but all answers seem to point to the destruction of the Nabateans and Agarthans. Or at least the remnants of what they are now.
"So you plan to wage an anti-crusade. And just when I thought I could live a quiet life, I find this is what is in store for folks," I shake my head chuckling, but Edelgard doesn't seem to appreciate my sentiment as she chastises, "What's so funny?"
I stifle my laughter by physically shutting my mouth and taking a deep breath through my nose before I reply, "It's absurd. All of this. I came to Fodlan thinking I would have a simple life again as a physician, but no. That's too simple. Sometimes fate is just an asshole it seems, but I do agree with you on one thing. The old foundations of the Nabateans and Agarthans are the root of many problems. Crests linked to bloodlines and a secret proxy war being waged by the children of the goddess...it's madness. Sheer, utter madness."
Edelgard and Hubert are now looking at my hysterical self with worry and exchanging glances with each other as I've just about had it tonight. Tonight marks the second time I've almost been body-snatched, I witnessed the fall of the first civilization, and now I'm being interrogated by the 17-year-old heiress to the world's most powerful empire and learning so much about how messed up the world is. The worst part about this is I can't stop thinking how ridiculous this all sounds, and yet I know it to be true.
I calm myself down and ask, "Alright, alright. So, give me your best pitch for why I should trust you to rule the world. You were planning on doing that right?"
"No, it'd be arrogant of me to do so. I wish to tear down the established order and install a new system where people can think for themselves without the dogma of the church blinding them or the Agarthans from living in the darkness and corrupting people. I want to give the world of humanity a chance to stand on its own. A world both you and I were denied," declares Edelgard in a passionate tone that makes me want to believe her, and it's working.
I think for a moment to weigh the pros and cons. The cons are that I've been screwed over three times if I count Dagda, Faergus, and Sothal's attack and it can all be linked back to the Agarthans. The church itself I'm less sure about, but I still need to confirm if Rhea is actually Seiros or instead is just some direct descendent of Seiros. Either way, that route takes more exploration before I agree that it needs to go. Sothis and Sothal have inadvertently ruined the world with their perceived duties or lack thereof. While they may be ageless gods with immense reality-warping power, they are still not much different from people when it comes to emotions. They aren't infallible or all-knowing like how God was treated when I grew up in a Catholic household. No...these gods are more like people than they realize.
"Okay. I'm sold but there are a few conditions," I begin and Hubert interjects, "You want conditions? Lady Edelgard's vision is pure and-"
"Hubert, let's hear him out. While we may have started on the wrong foot, I would be remiss to discount a powerful ally. Continue, Santos."
I take a deep breath and elaborate, "Alright, so here's are my conditions. One, I would like a chance to talk to Rhea alone first. I want her side of things," as I mention Rhea Edelgard's eyes narrow but I press forward, "Next, is I don't want a ton of casualties. I urge you to look for the least harmful way to do this. World war isn't pretty, just trust me."
"How would you know?"
I dismiss Edelgard with a wave of my hand, "That's beside the point. But, I urge you not to drag anyone into your conflict that doesn't need to be. Innocents and civilians always pay the price in a war that is decided by the top dogs."
"Very well, I can agree to those terms. If you can convince Rhea to eventually step down from her power and go into exile along with the rest of the church I can agree. And I will not try to involve innocents in unnecessary violence where I can control it. Is that it?"
Not exactly the deal I was shooting for as I doubt I can convince Rhea and the church to just up and leave without weaving from highly convincing and fabricated lies, not to mention them buying what I'm selling. I'm not a politician, so I doubt I can do that without some help, but it at least guarantees me a meeting with Rhea to see what her thoughts are. Also doesn't help that I like Rhea as a person, but it seems I'll need to pick her brain a bit more. Edelgard seems dead set on running the gauntlet on the unsuspecting folks of Fodlan, so maybe I can help reel that in as her ally.
"I have one last thing. We need to decide what to do with Sothis and Sothal. We need a permanent answer."
"Sothis is dead, and I would assume Sothal is as well? It's their descendants that are the real problem." Hubert reasons and I nod, "Yeah, while that may be true for now, it's not the whole problem. The god's physical bodies are long gone, but we need to deal with their spirits permanently if we don't want to risk a resurgence. Sothal is the most dangerous and the one I know the best so I'll look for help on that front. What I'd ask of you is to find out where Sothis's soul is, and I have a hunch on where to start."
"You do? Where?" Edelgard asks with a hint of trepidation in her voice.
"Professor Eisner. I think she's linked to Sothis somehow, but I have no concrete proof other than gut feeling. We mix about as well as oil and water so I'd ask you to find out more if possible," I argue to satiate my curiosity of why I had such a strange experience when encountering her, and just some of my general distrust of Byleth certainly playing a factor.
Edelgard brings her hand up to her chin in a thinkers pose commenting, "Hmmm, I can have my agents look into the professor. To be fair she was already on my list of curiosities."
We all remain silent for a moment before I ask, "So...what now? We've seen that were kinda on the same side, right?"
Edelgard nods and replies, "For now, considering what you have said is true. I believe the best course of action is to stay the current course for now. The Agarthans have plans set to happen within the church and if we were to interfere too soon we may let our quarry getaway. I'm content with us being neutral towards each other, now that I know where we stand."
"Yes, and that gives me some time to figure out what the church is planning and to see if I can get anything out of Rhea," I add to which Hubert remarks, "Indeed. You'll be playing a dangerous game with Archbishop. Tread carefully as you are already on thin ice as it is."
"Noted. So what do we call ourselves? Allies don't feel like the right word, and we certainly aren't enemies."
"I believe the proper term would be accomplices, as long as you hold up your end with talking with convincing the church. We are joined through our shared cause of destroying the Agarthans due to our experiences and the threat they pose to Fodlan. Agreed?" Edelgard offers with an extended hand, to which I shake and reply, "Agreed. Now, can we go back to camp? I'm freezing."
Hubert quickly teleports us back to camp, and to our luck, it seems everyone is still asleep. Hubert returns to his watch while Edelgard and I retire to our respective tents to finish resting up. With my body still feeling ragged I embrace sleep once more and relish in the fact that tonight will be the first night in years that nothing is probing around in my subconscious waiting to strike.
The following morning I continued to think about the rapid chain reaction of events that had happened from my confrontation with Sothal, Edelgard discovering it and inadvertently saving me, and then proceeding to have one of the weirdest and most intense conversations of my entire life. I'm in a precarious position considering I can't rat out Edelgard without putting myself and others that vouched for me at extreme risk, but I'm not certain I can hold up my end of the deal in convincing Rhea of all people that the church being in Fodlan is a bad idea. I've managed to buy myself and others time for now, but I know that the status quo is very temporary. All that is certain is Edelgard and I are going to pretend we don't know each other so we can both stab the Agarthans in the back when the time is right.
What's done is done. I do wish I would have phrased things a bit differently, and perhaps if I wasn't just a few hours removed from almost having my soul destroyed by a god I would have a clearer head, but alas this is the hand I've been dealt and now it's time to go all in. I need to make sure I have a chat with Edelgard when this all finishes and if I'm actually successful to get myself pardoned along with a nice little private island or something. After this, I think I'm done with society, no matter what the dimension or circumstance.
The rest of the trip to Hyrln was easy as cake, and the mission itself turned out to be a huge let down in the end. Bandits in the hills were dealt with relative ease, though it does frighten me a bit with how okay some of the students are with murdering people, even if they are bad. Still, something hard to train my brain to rationalize after living on Earth for most of my life. As for the disease, Manuela and I deduced it was from a magical miasma created by one of the bandit mages. With two experienced magical physicians in a little town where the most knowledgeable medical person is the guy who collects herbs, we managed to get them into a reasonable condition in about 5 days of care.
After leaving them some notes on how to treat the infection and some supplies to help those who were still not quite out of the woods we decided it would be good to report back to Garreg Mach to tell them the good news that the bandits had been defeated along with their contagion mage. Not sure that's a thing, but I'm calling him that. Using magic to create disease adds more questions and problems to my growing understanding of magic as a whole, but at least makes sense if magic can heal away sickness and injuries, it should be able to do the inverse.
Returning to Garreg Mach was met with little fanfare from many of the knights, except as we exited our carriages and brought up our belongings I noticed some higher-ranked knights immediately go and talk with Manuela, to which she calls me over quickly.
With both of us making our way across the stone path of the merchant's plaza at the base of Garreg Mach I approach the gatekeeper and Manuela asking, "What's all the action?"
"We've been summoned to see Seteth immediately. Must be urgent," Remarks Manuela to which the gatekeeper replies, "Indeed! I don't know all the details but the holy advisor needs to speak with all staff first. I got the order just last night."
"Then we shouldn't waste time, hmm?" I ask looking to Manuela who nods to me replying, "Indeed, let's go. The students should be fine with unloading the carriages and finding some rest."
Manuela and I walk ourselves up to Seteth's office which is a nice walk and change of pace considering all the sitting we've been doing on the trip. The monastery seems to be operating normally as ever so nothing seems different or urgent yet if the knights and students are relaxed as usual, but it does make me wonder what Seteth wants with the staff.
Manuela pushes ahead into Seteth's office first with my close behind, and I see the well-groomed man seated behind his desk with a stack of paperwork next to him and a serious expression on his face. Never actually been in his office before I look noting how well maintained it seems, a stark contrast to how Manuela defines 'organization' in her own office.
"Ah, you've returned. I trust the issues in Hyrln have been handled accordingly?" Seteth inquires as he interlocks his fingers in his lap.
"Yes, we managed to eliminate the bandits and provide medical support to those afflicted in the town. Santos was a great addition in helping fight the bandits as well as administering treatments," Manuela explains to which Seteth follows up, "And no injuries among the students?"
Manuela chuckles, "Well, besides Caspar getting kicked by the horse after trying to win a bet, I'd say everyone is in great condition with only minor injuries or none at all."
Seteth nods confirming, "Good. Glad to hear it went smoothly. I have some disturbing news to divulge, unfortunately. The Golden Deer managed to help quell Lord Lonato's rebellion in Faergus, though we did discover something. Assassination plots on the archbishop, while mentioning some other things as well."
"Do we know who is plotting this attack?" I ask with a hunch it may be the Agarthans.
"Not entirely, but I'm letting staff and the higher-ranked knights know first. We don't want to cause a stir among the regulars of the monastery, at least not yet. We will be increasing patrols and investigating more heavily into the matter. As for the other things, Santos, you will need to talk to Lady Rhea," Seteth replies which cause a bit of confusion and worry in me, so I reply, "Uh, okay. Hopefully nothing too bad?"
"I'm not sure, but the matter is sensitive considering you were mentioned in the letter or at least alluded to. Speak with Lady Rhea once you leave here."
Manuela shakes her head, "An assassination on the archbishop...and just after the western church started rebelling. Sounds like something more might be going on."
"Alright, well I don't wish to keep Lady Rhea waiting. May I leave?"
Seteth closes his eyes and concedes, "Certainly. You are dismissed, Santos. Manuela, I wish to discuss student safety with you."
I peel out of the room quickly as Manuela and Seteth begin to delve into their conversation about safety and make my way to the holy atrium. My mind is racing about what Rhea could want to discuss with me about the assassination letter while I'm also considering all the craziness I saw in the illusion world of Zanado. I want to see if she has any cracks in her facade about her upbringing in Fodlan, but I'm still unsure how to approach the situation without implicating myself into something I'm not ready to defend. If I talk about Sothal at all with her and she ends up being Seiros, and not just a descendant, I've essentially signed my death warrant.
I enter the atrium and I see a few clerics walking about and practicing prayers, but no Rhea insight from her usual place at the end of the room. I walk through the atrium to peek into the office and I don't see her posted up there either. I turn to a nearby cleric and ask her the whereabouts of Rhea, to which she tells me that Rhea went to her the cardinal's room a little while ago. I thank the cleric and make my way to the cardinal's room, which I've only passed by a few times in this large building, but after a bit of walking, I find it with Rhea inside talking with someone wearing ornately tailored red and black robes along with a shoulder-length shaggy hair.
As I enter the room both of their attention is drawn to me and I hear Rhea say, "Ah, Santos. I'm glad you found me. I have something to discuss with you."
"Alright, I'm all ears," I reply as I make my way to the table they are seated at and take my seat.
Rhea clears her throat and begins, "So, as you may have heard from Seteth or some of the higher-ranked knights that there is a plot in motion against the church."
I nod and gesture with my hand for Rhea to continue who starts up again, "Well, the contents of the letter were...disturbing on multiple accounts. You were threatened in the letter as well, which is another cause of concern."
A bit surprised I babble, "I was threatened?"
Rhea breathes in deeply and responds, "Yes, they specifically mentioned you. My decision to shelter you at Garreg Mach seems to have drawn attention from the wrong groups, and now with rumors of an assassin after the both of us I would be remiss to leave you unguarded, but we currently lack the manpower due to our conflict with the Western Church. So, Aelfric and I have been discussing a solution for you."
"What kind of solution? I'm sure outside the monastery I'd still have a target on my head," I reason to the archbishop though she counters, "While you would be right in a normal circumstance, that isn't the plan I've created for you. Tell me, have you heard of Abyss?"
"Can't say that I have," I say with a shrug. Aelfric begins to speak up and explain, "If I could elaborate, Your Holiness. Abyss is a sanctuary for those in need of hiding, shunned by society, or even looking for simple shelter. Her Holiness has vouched for me to escort you to Abyss, for which we would be happy to shelter you until the storm of events blows over."
I look to Rhea and ask, "You sure? Who will oversee the clinic in my absence? And how long do we think this will be for?"
"The clinic will be overseen by Manuela, and with the excellent training, you've provided to our most devoted clerics I see things working out. As for the length, that is undetermined. With the imminent threat, I'd say hopefully a few months, but it could take longer," Rhea explains which I narrow my eyes slightly but do my best to hide my dissatisfaction.
Rhea didn't offer me a concrete answer, and by the ominous name and intent of the Abyss, it's sounding like I'm being pressured out of the main purview of the church, either because I've already provided enough worth or that other officials are pressuring Rhea to discard me. Either way, I'm not too thrilled at the prospect.
"Ah. I see. When shall I be leaving for Abyss?," I tentatively answer to which Aelfric quickly answers, "We were hoping by tonight to get you moved in down there. I speak for Abyss, and I must say someone of your medical talents will be a true godsend."
"Yes. Make sure you can tie up any loose ends. You have my sincerest apologies about this dramatic circumstance, but I hope you understand the gravity of the situation," Rhea declares to which I slowly nod and reply, "I get it. I'll be out soon enough. Speaking of loose ends, do you have a moment to talk in private Rhea?"
Rhea smiles and replies, "Certainly. Aelfric will be at your quarters at sunset to retrieve you. I shall see you later, Aelfric."
"As you say, Lady Rhea. Santos, until later," Aelfric responds as she stands up and bows to Lady Rhea before leaving the room and closing the door.
Rhea looks to the door until it closes before returning her attention to me and asking, "So, what can I do to soothe your nerves, Santos?"
"Tell me, Rhea, is this the only option? I've been under the assumption that people have wanted me dead."
"I understand your frustration. I see you as a good man that has undergone hard times. You've done much with your attentiveness to the students and knights in the clinic as well as repair your misguided reputation, but unfortunately, the rest of Fodlan doesn't see it that way. Nobody publicly or secretly made any statements to the church until now, and when coupled with the knights of Seiros stretched thin I had to make certain you were safe. Would you not do the same for someone you care deeply for?" Rhea explains as I lean forward and rest my arm on the table.
I exhale and huff, "No, I get it. It's just...like you said; frustrating. I know I've done wrong before, but it seems like I'm being hidden away like a failed project."
Rhea smiles and leans forward to put her hand on my hand, "You are not a failed project. I'm protecting you because I believe you are one of the greatest rehabilitations the church will produce. I see the pain in your eyes and the desire to be selfless. I sense we are kindred spirits, and I shall not let one of my flock fade away into darkness."
I look back into Rhea's deep green eyes, "Thank you. I was worried that the other officials of the church had pressured you into this kind of decision."
"While they do hold power within the church, it is ultimately my decision as archbishop that dictates the direction of the church. It is the faith they have in me to lead them in the will of the goddess that emboldens me, not their personal biases. I am absolute, so I do my best to represent that ideal."
I look curiously at Rhea with a wry smile, "And how do you think you've done so far?"
The elegant archbishop seems to suppress a singular chuckle and calmly responds, "You are so candid with me. I miss these kinds of interactions, they remind me of a time that seems forever ago."
"How long have you been archbishop?" I ask with a more inquisitive mindset.
"Long. I've been serving the church for many years... I think I've lost track at this point, but it matters not. I enjoy my duty of serving those of Fodlan in need of the goddess' guidance."
"Well, you still look good despite the long hours and no retirement plan," I joke which Rhea smiles as her face turns a slight shade of pink and she whispers back, "Thank you, Santos. You are strange, yet I feel as if we've met before. It's like I'm hearing a voice from ages past when I look at you. Seems nostalgia has been quite the force this past school year for me."
"What other nostalgia are you speaking of? Jeralt perhaps?"
Rhea removes her hand from the top of mine and leans back, "Yes. I did not think he would ever return, though I do sense he hasn't forgiven me for what happened between us. It's a sensitive matter, but I'm glad he returned with her nonetheless."
Wanting to hopefully catch Rhea off guard I ask, "Her? Are you talking about Byleth? Why were you hoping she came here?"
"Seems I find myself too comfortable in your presence," Rhea muses as she tenderly fixes the flowers in her hair and continues, "Sorry, but I wish not to speak more personally about myself today. It's been tiring with the rumors of an assassin on the loose, and with the two people being targeted alone in a room for too long is asking for trouble."
I get up from my seat and reply, "Of course Lady Rhea. Shall I get the door?"
Rhea stands up to her full height next to me showing that she's slightly shorter than me, though her towering headdress looms over me. I walk over to open the door and open it to which I hear Rhea ask me, "When you return from Abyss I would like to meet over tea. Would you be interested?"
"Of course, but you can just tell me to meet for tea. It's not like I can refuse my boss," I tease at the archbishop as she quietly replies, "True, but I want to respect you, Santos. I wish not to trouble you as you aren't here by your own volition. I will not hold ill will against you for your true decision."
"Rhea, I think tea would be lovely. I'll see you later."
Abyss, as I've learned, is really deep underground beneath Garreg Mach. The tunnels are what I imagine the Paris catacombs are like with many winding paths and dead ends. Aelfric doesn't talk much except about the history of the place, but I tune him out for most of the journey as I think back to the plans I've made with Edelgard and the conflicting feelings I have towards going against Rhea. While I didn't get an answer about her past, she was quite evasive about terms of service and other things, and as I've learned from my tactics; when you are evasive about your past, you are hiding something.
I'd like to call Rhea out for being a Nabatean, but without any concrete evidence and the potential fallout from such an accusation, I reserved judgment in our last conversation. I feel she understands me on a raw emotional level even without holding all the pieces to my puzzle, which I will admit is scary and comforting at the same time. Essentially she's good at her job of being the leader of a religion.
Aelfric and I finally reach an opening in the stone pathway and he motions for me to wait and he flashes his torch three times. We wait a few seconds, and around the upcoming corner, I see a roughly dressed mercenary man step out and shout, "Aelfric! Good to see you! Who is this?"
"Hello, Cal. I hope guard duty hasn't bored you. This is Santos Capetillo, our new resident. He is an accomplished doctor and I wish you to show him the town and where he can live."
"Right sir," Cal the guard shouts with a salute before motioning for me to follow him, which I do a bit slower than I'd like. The trip down here wasn't the nicest hike I've experienced.
"By the way Cal, where is Yuri?" Aelfric asks and the guardsman replies, "Oh he should be in the old classroom!"
Aelfric nods and begins to walk down a different side path as I follow the guard down some stairs and a few different turns until we reach a long tunnel strip of merchant, beggars, children, and mercenaries. I manage to catch some odd looks, but most everyone has their head down. I can already see from the filth some people are living isn't good for their health. The mercenary leads me past the merchants quarter into a dimly lit shantytown where the guard says, "This is your spot here. Looks like it even got cleaned, lucky you!"
I look at the six by six feet of a roughspun blanket on the ground that's covered in blood splotches with a small tent-like apparatus above it to give me a sliver of privacy. I look back to the guard who is looking at my new digs with an approving face and muttering, "Not bad newbie. Not bad."
"This will do. Where do we go for food and stuff?" I ask the simple guard who shutters out of his daze and replies, "Oh, uh...we usually go to the Wilting Rose Inn. It's across town and they usually have rations for people, more if you have money."
"Good. I'll check it out in a bit. Thanks, but I can figure the rest out I'm sure," I reply in a tone that hopefully conveys I want the cheery guard to leave me to my thoughts.
"Oh, uh, sure. Welcome to Abyss."
As the guard turns around to leave I shout out, "Hey, one last question! Does Abyss have any medical services or anything of the sort?"
The guard Cal looks back to me and shrugs, "Nothing at all man. If you're sick then pray to the goddess it isn't bad, because down here it may be the end of you."
I watch the guard walk off before settling into my new hovel. I place my travel sack down with my meager belongings down and take a seat on the dirty mat. The stench is quite rank and definitely used. The first thing on the agenda is getting a new bed pad, and then my next mission for myself is to see if I can get an underground clinic running. I'll need supplies and probably a little help from the locals, but if I can deliver as I did at Garreg Mach then I can make it down here.
"No matter where you are at it's always nice to keep the medic alive," I muse to myself as I close my eyes and meditate on the plans Rhea and Edelgard have pitted me in. I'm not sure who to trust, and both seem to be hiding something. Seems with Sothal gone my issues haven't let up in the slightest and I can only shudder in anticipation of how the following months shake out.
A/N: Now time for the DLC inclusion! Alliances are beginning to form as we enter what would be chapter 4 (Goddess' Rite of Rebirth) in the main game. I'm excited to begin the Abyss arc we have put a close on what I would call Garreg Mach arc. DLC will be tackled in this though it will deviate from the base game as other events proceed, so bear that in mind. Plus, I couldn't pass up not including the Ashen Wolved, they are a great bunch of characters that were very enjoyable. Other than that, no more spoilers! I have plans for how the prelude to the 5-year time skip will go, and I'm excited. That is all :)
I also saw in the comments about Duma and Mila in comparison to Sothis and Sothal, and I feel ashamed I had to Google that. I haven't played Shadows of Valentia (I know! What the hell, right?) but I can say it won't be the same, though I can understand the train of thought. Fun fact; the only Fire Emblem games I've played are Three Houses, Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn, The Blazing Blade, and Awakening. Still working slowly on Sacred Stones.
Polls I mentioned in my last A/N are going up, so if that's something that sparks your interest than you're more than welcome to check it out on my profile.
Review Response:
Guest: Thank you! I'll be doing my best to!
Bonefish: Unexpected was the point, and you would be correct in Santos and Sothal never seeing eye to eye. With Edelgard having more information and more questions this time around it's sure to be crazy. Thanks for the review.
VGBlackwing: Santos and Rhea related? In a strange sense, it would make Santos like half her biological uncle since he's got his DNA mixed up with the Agarthan's blood from the Sevihn experiments back in Chapters 1 and 2. Sothal is a tragic figure, but both Sothis and Sothal have issues. Neither is completely right or wrong and when you've failed your main goal for over a millennium like Sothal, you can be a little cranky about it. In the end, comes a messy conflict, but the tipping point is yet to come so stay tuned and thanks for the feedback!
Sakura108645: As mentioned above, I had to look up Duma and Mila like a derp. Now, to have Sothal and Sothis reconcile? Now wouldn't that be an interesting premise...
Gerson: Strap in boi, this roller coaster is still going up.
Raychii521: I doubled checked what you said, and I forgot some context. I updated chapter 12 and fixed it, so thank you!
SyncroX: Gone for good? The gods have proven to be hard to kill and Santos has never been that lucky, but we will see. Sothal has been trying to get Santos to submit for some time through their influence over him, and with the mixed history doesn't it make you think of how all the times Sothal has appeared in a physical form? They do seem to have a thing for illusions. As for pairing stuff, OCxShamir is on the radar, and I snorted a bit at EdelgardxDimitri. Thanks for the feedback and for reading!
That's all for this week folks, the ride continues and I would reckon to say we are close to the halfway mark on this story. Not quite there, but we are within spitting distance. Still, a lot to unpack plot-wise but I think if you've made it this far then you are probably in it for the long haul, so thanks for reading and the support in reviews, favs, and follows. Means tons for someone writing their first big fic. Anyways, until next time folks.
Next Chapter: 3/6-3/8
