'I'm bored...' Balthus moaned dramatically. 'Isn't it time yet? We have been waiting ages!'
'Your amazing lack of patience never fails to astound me..' Constance chided him. 'Tis ignorance itself to rush headfirst into trouble. If you could manage to curb your more reactive tendencies and actually engage your brain first occasionally, your legions of problems would likely be eased.'
'Pfft. Don't think I haven't twigged that you are gagging for this meeting as well, Coco.' Hapi grouched at her. 'A new audience to astound with your shiny magic tricks? An opportunity to show off? You are every bit as excited as he is...'
'How crass...' Constance murmured, but she didn't dispute it.
'What about you, Hapi?' Balthus grinned. 'Surely you are a just a little bit intrigued?'
'I don't need any extra entertainment in my life - just being surrounded by you clowns is more than enough to be dealing with.' Hapi sniffed. 'I'm not particularly enamored by Yuri-Bird insisting that we should meet this encounter so aggressively either. If these strangers are here to help us, it feels... impolite.'
'Heh, surface etiquette and propriety doesn't count for shit down here, Hapi, you know that.' Yuri popped up suddenly from behind them. 'The normal laws of the land don't apply either, which I say gives us the freedom to have some fun and make sure that we maintain the upper-hand in this.'
'Have you spotted them yet?' Balthus asked eagerly.
'Yeah, they just entered through the door by the Sauna.' Yuri nodded. 'They will be here momentarily... so everyone into position.'
'Why can't we just do something normal for once...' Hapi grumbled, moving back into the shadows.
'Because it's dull.' Yuri stated as he melted away as silently as he'd arrived.
.
'You know, I'm sure my brother has talked about this place before.' Hilda's voice was unnecessarily strident in the narrow passage that Jeralt was leading them down. 'I never paid that much attention to him mind you, he was always making up all sorts of boasts and stories about his time at the Academy, although I guess if this one turned out to be true... maybe others were too.'
'Keep a lid on it, lass.' Jeralt ordered. 'No need to announce our arrival quite so blatantly.'
'Someone's gotten out of bed on the grouchy side this morning...' Hilda whispered loudly to Claude.
'Did you really have to bring her...' Edelgard muttered, although mainly to herself.
'Like I want to be here...' Hilda retorted.
'Shut it!' Jeralt barked.
'Aww... come now, old man, let the ladies play!' Balthus stepped out of the gloom in front of them, his arms crossed nonchalantly across his barely covered chest. 'They're properly funny!'
'Are you Yuri?' Jeralt stepped forward towards him.
'Nah, not bloody likely. I'm the official welcoming committee for this place.' Balthus grinned.
'Great.' Jeralt grumbled.
'Greetings, dear strangers, and welcome to the Abyss!' Balthus gave a sweeping bow. 'Might I inquire what is it that brings such a fine, upstanding bunch of curious students to our humble abode? Speak now surface-dwellers before I run out of my legendary patience!'
'We are here to meet with Yuri.' Jeralt said shortly. 'We are expected.'
'Are you indeed?' Balthus's grin got wider. 'Somehow, I find that hard to believe. No matter though, I can always check out your preposterous claim... depending on whether you intend to make it worth my while, of course!'
'Wait!' Constance drifted up behind Balthus. 'This damnable fool might be swayed by greed and an overwhelming avoidance of cognitive thinking – but I, Constance von Nuvelle, am no such slouch. I say that your infiltration here is suspect and driven by an intent to undermine from within. Will you deny that you are masters of a cruel plot instigated by the unfeeling Church to destroy our very home and eliminate the inhabitants of The Abyss..?'
'What?' Jeralt took a step back.
'Did she say... Nuvelle?' Edelgard was asking Hubert quietly, but Constance heard her.
'What of it?' She asked testily, staring at Edelgard with a pouting frown.
'For goodness sake... both of you!' Hapi came forward slowly to join her companions. 'We don't ever get unknown visitors from above.' She explained to Jeralt with a frown. 'I'm sorry, but we really can't let you go any further.'
'Unless you wanna fight!' Balthus added happily.
'We have not come here seeking trouble.' Dimitri stepped forward, an earnest look to his face and his words diplomatic. Dedue shifted his position slightly to better cover the Prince.
'I have no doubt that your martial abilities are fearsome, and that you kids have something or another to prove.' Jeralt added with grudging patience. 'However, the Archbishop set up this meeting, and we are merely fulfilling her wishes.'
'See – I told you they worked for the Church! We should kill them all!' Constance demanded.
'Perhaps we should simply withdraw until this misunderstanding is rectified.' Claude suggested pointedly.
Jeralt paused to consider. 'Aye, that's probably for the best.' He eventually nodded. 'Be sure to let Yuri know we came as requested.' He grunted at Balthus.
'Turning back so soon?' Yuri purred from behind them. 'Oh, but you will make me so sad! Why would you want to do that?'
'We aren't here to play games.' Jeralt growled. 'Either we get to meet with our contact, or we leave. No skin off my nose. I ain't the one with a bandit problem.'
'The bandits are bothersome.' Yuri agreed. 'Yet, things happen differently in the twilight world than they do up above. You want to talk to me, Sir Jeralt, then you have to prove yourself first.'
'I don't have to do anything of the sort.' Jeralt warned softly.
'Let me put that another way.' Yuri eyed the Knight thoughtfully. 'Asking for assistance is both dangerous for us and requires an element of good faith. Seeking to ensure that the help offered is capable... That's fair, is it not?
Jeralt offered one of his expressive grunts in reply as he considered his options.
'I mean there are eight of you and only four of us.' Yuri pointed out. 'If you can't give a good showing of yourselves with those odds...'
'Kiddo?' Jeralt turned to Byleth with a raised eyebrow. She nodded dispassionately at him.
Jeralt's frown melted from his face and was replaced by a shit-eating grin.
'Yeah, you're right, lad, the odds are skewed, so here's how it will be.' Jeralt motioned Byleth forward. 'My girl will take on you four, and then we will see where we stand.'
'I think those odds are still a trifle unbalanced.' Hubert murmured. 'Maybe we should tie one of the Professor's hand's behind her back...'
'Hell yeah!' Hilda smirked. 'This'll be a laugh.'
'You want us all to take on the little-bit?' Balthus sounded confused. 'No offense, sweetheart, but I am the King of brawling. I don't wanna mess up your pretty face, none!'
'Oh boy... he is in so much trouble...' Claude observed.
'Where are we doing this?' Byleth removed her cloak and handed it to Edelgard, then turned impassively to face her foes.
'Right here.' Hapi sounded unsure. 'Coco, will you light us up?'
'It would be a pleasure.' Constance danced around in a graceful circle, and as she did, large candles flickered into life around the edges of the large room into which they had come. Once she was done, she joined her companions at the farthest end, where they huddled together, talking urgently.
'Okay.' Yuri stepped forward briefly after a few minutes of consultation. 'We'll come one at a time... mostly... and play to a yield. If you want to tag someone else in, that will be acceptable. We don't want this over too quickly.' He smirked at Byleth.
Byleth inclined her head in understanding, her face blank. She moved forwards towards the center of the room and stood in a relaxed stance with her hands by her sides.
'Are you going to draw your weapon?' Balthus asked as he limbered up, coming a few steps closer. Byleth shrugged at him.
'It's your funeral...' He grinned and broke into a charge aimed directly at her. Byleth didn't move, didn't even flinch. She watched him with bored eyes right up until the very second that he was close enough to pull back his right arm to aim a swing at her head. She dropped loosely to the floor, to his left-hand side, bringing her legs swiftly into contact with his, entangling them and using his own momentum to topple him.
'Heh, sweet!' He laughed, recovering surprisingly swiftly for such a large man, and repelling her attempt to swarm onto his back with a buck that threw her about a foot away. He wasn't quick enough to get to his feet before she was on him again, though, both feet connecting solidly with his taut stomach, pushing him back and knocking some of the air from his lungs.
'Ouch...' He complained, grabbing hold of one of her calves and pulling her in closer towards him to grab a tight grip onto her arm. Byleth went with the movement then propelled herself forward with his aid, thighs coming down either side of his chest as he struggled to keep his hold of her limbs.
'Byleth!' Jeralt groaned. 'Stop playing with him...'
'I don't actually want to hurt him da.' Byleth noted.
'Aww... she doesn't wanna hurt me!' Balthus was still grinning at the idea when she lifted an eyebrow very slightly at his tone and smashed her fist into the side of his face.
'Damn...' Balthus spat blood and doubled his effort to loosen her grip from his torso and jerk her away. Once his body rose from the floor in his effort, Byleth made a jump for his back, climbing around him, keeping her elbows jabbing out as she moved. Grabbing a handful of his hair, she pulled his head back, and he ended up rolling almost passively onto his front.
'I'd better get involved...' Hapi muttered when Byleth achieved her aim of pinning him completely on his front, with one hand pulling meanly on his hair and the other maneuvering his arm backward. Moving to the center of the room, Hapi took a long look at Byleth, who wasn't yet out of breath and shuddered slightly.
'I'm not messing with you.' She said decisively and let out a large, heavy sigh.
'Crap, Hapi! What did you do that for?' Balthus moaned as Byleth bent his arm back even further.
'That's my contribution. I'm out.' Hapi went to the side of the room as the air shimmied around where she had been standing, and a man-sized snake-like monster appeared out of nowhere.
'Huh.' Byleth grunted as Dedue called out an urgent warning, and Edelgard gasped in surprise.
'Impressive... and unexpected.' Hubert added, sounding fascinated by the magical construct.
'Look.' Byleth had her mouth down by Balthus's ear. 'I meant it when I said I don't want to hurt you, but right now, I need to deal with that thing there, so either you yield or I will dislocate your arm and feed you to the giant serpent.'
Balthus started to chuckle. 'You've got balls of steel, I'll say that much for you...' He said cheerfully. 'I yield.'
Byleth rolled off him, and her silver sword was in her hand by the time she rose to her feet. Balthus had pulled himself into a sitting position, rubbing at his split lip.
'Have a care.' He called to Byleth as the Serpent started to weave menacingly at her respectful approach. 'It's most likely poisonous... Hapi's sigh was kinda deep...'
She nodded, dodging the monsters first strike easily, then hissed when it reared and spat out green bile, a tiny bit of which hit her cheek and sizzled the skin.
'Acid... quite remarkable...' Hubert breathed.
'Whose side are you on?' Dimitri asked him pointedly.
'It's moves are completely predictable kiddo.' Jeralt called helpfully.
'Yeah, thanks da...' Byleth rolled her eyes as she got in as close as she dared behind the beast and then grabbed at it just below its head. It thrashed fiercely under her assault, but she kept her cool and clung tight as it brought its head down to the ground and her along with it.
'Fire...Fire..!' Constance sang as she danced herself forward, bolting balls of flames towards both the construct and Byleth. 'Marvellous, mercurial fire... quite stunning if I do say so myself!'
Ignoring the bursts of combustion that were raining on her, Byleth concentrated on bringing her sword down on the prone Serpent, her position holding its head against the floor, making getting a decent swing impossible. The burning fire that smashed into her right arm made her cuts even more feeble, so she swapped hands and finally managed to sever the beasts head. Without pause, she rolled purposefully putting out the worst of the flames as she moved and headed towards Constance, who suddenly looked much less sure of herself.
Constance raised her arms into a new spell configuration as Byleth lept at her, simultaneously discarding her sword and reaching for the mage's hands to prevent the cast. Constance howled in frustration, but in that second, there was a cold rush of air, and suddenly it was Yuri that Byleth was grabbing at - Constance instead over at the door where he had been just a moment before. The difference in the size and shape of her target had Byleth grasping at nothing as Yuri slipped underneath her reach and pulled his weapon to take a swipe at her legs. Byleth dived over him in the direction of her own sword, crawling swiftly to reach it in time.
'How the hell did that happen?' Claude asked in amazement... they... they swapped over!'
'Who are you, people?' Jeralt asked in confusion.
'Us?' Balthus looked around at the students gathered behind him for a second. 'We are the Ashen Wolves. You could say we are the fourth secret House of the Academy, that exists here in the Abyss.'
'What?' Edelgard demanded.
'The surface world turned it's back on us...' Balthus said stoically. 'In return, we have done the same to it. Now shush... I wanna watch the fight!'
Byleth had regained both her sword and her feet in time to meet Yuri's rush at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Constance was raising her arms again in order to send more magical pain her way.
'No, you don't...' Byleth murmured, whipping the dagger from the sheath on her thigh and throwing it with stunning accuracy at the mage. It caught the sleeve of her dress and pinned her arm firmly against the wooden door. Not taking her eyes from Yuri, who was circling her, his eyes shrouded, and his mouth set with resolve Byleth called out to Constance. 'My next dagger will go straight through your hand if you try anything else. Are we clear?' Her tone was completely flat.
'Crystal!' Constance agreed quickly. 'I yield!'
'You and me then beautiful.' Yuri smirked. 'Saved the best till last.' Byleth ignored him and met his blade solidly when he struck out at her. 'I suppose you don't want to hurt me either?' He inquired, spinning a second attack, which was again easily repelled. Again and again, Yuri's blade sought a target only to have it blocked or countered, although Byleth made no attempt to return an attack. Eventually breaking back with a groan, Yuri switched unexpectedly to magic with an almost invisible cast that sent winds howling around Byleth, knocking her back. With a grunt, she threw herself forward, knocking into him, his blade slicing into her already burned arm painfully. She landed on his chest with her hands around his throat.
'Yield.' She demanded.
He laughed. 'Do you know how much most people would pay me to get me into this position?' He asked coyly.
'I said yield.' Byleth repeated.
'You are definitely cute, but your bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired, my darling...'
There was a warning growl from Jeralt.
'I'd yield if I were you.' Hubert spoke up. 'Flirting with the Bladebreaker's daughter right in front of him is only going to land you in a world of pain!'
For the tiniest moment, Yuri's eyes went large and it was as if a mask had slipped from his face.
Balthus bellowed laughter. 'Right! The Bladebreaker... next you'll be claiming that she is the Ashen Demon!'
There was a silence.
'Well...' Dimitri began.
'You have got to be shitting me!' Balthus was on his feet. Constance and Hapi had also come forward and were staring at Yuri.
'Are you?' Yuri asked quietly. 'Are you the mercenary known as the Ashen Demon?'
Byleth grunted and let go of him, shuffling backward but not rising. The intensity on his face was odd.
Balthus was both swearing happily to himself and doing some kind of a merry jig that given his size was quite alarming. 'The Ashen demon!' He sang. 'The Stone Cold Killer!'
'We were named after you!' Hapi was still looking at Yuri as she spoke. 'Our House, the Ashen Wolves. It's a homage to the Ashen Demon. Turn's out Yuri is possibly your biggest fan.'
'Quite obsessed actually.' Constance added.
'I wouldn't go that far.' Yuri had regained his mask and managed to push a fiercely scowling Byleth aside and rose to his feet. Anyway – you can't be the Ashen Demon. It was nine years ago that he came to the aid of my mother when she was set upon by a couple of disgruntled customers. You are too young – and completely the wrong sex to be him.'
'Where?' Jeralt asked.
'Small town in Western Faerghus.' Yuri said dismissively.
'Right.' Jeralt scratched at his chin. 'Well, the timing would fit. We escorted a diplomatic envoy in that area around that time, and of course, Byleth would have been eleven or twelve, so we were still dressing her up as a lad. She was big for her age then - it was a couple of years later that she stopped growing up and started growing... ahh.. well... womanly instead.'
'You just said yourself she was merely a child.' Yuri was pouting now. 'No way a kid killed three burly sailors all by herself.'
'Whatever.' Jeralt shrugged. 'Believe what you want, it's of no importance. Have we passed your test yet? Can we actually get down to the business we came here for?'
For a second, Yuri looked like he was going to refuse, but then he nodded curtly. 'I'll speak with you, Sir Jeralt. The others can get a tour of the town with my companions. Does that suit?'
'Aye. It'll do.' Jeralt agreed.
