'Sneaking into strange new places without me, Professor? How very unkind of you..!' Linhardt sidled up to the bank of crates overlooking the central marketplace that Byleth was sat upon and hoisted himself up next to her.
'It doesn't appear to have a slowed you down any, though, does it?' Byleth sounded amused.
'Obviously, I was interested in where you all had disappeared too so suddenly.' Linhardt smiled. 'Have you seen the library yet?' He added. 'I think I will be forgoing all naps for quite some time to get through it all!'
'Don't keep me in suspense, Lin.' Byleth grinned at him. 'C'mon, tell me... how did you manage to discover where we were and how to get down here?'
'Aha!' Linhardt was smugly eager to share. 'I had noted the incongruities of having a guard at the sauna long before today, although it only started to make any sense when I heard that Bernadetta had seen you all heading in that direction this morning. I figured that he must be guarding the place to which you were all going.'
'Okay.' Byleth nodded. 'But how did you get past the guard? How did you even find the entrance?'
'Please... it was simplicity itself!' Linhardt's smile grew broader. 'I merely took a chance that I was on the correct lines and I approached the gentleman stating rather urgently - in a sublime display of acting prowess – that the Archbishop needed to get a critical message to Her Highness. The poor man almost tripped over himself in his haste to let me in!'
'Clever...' Byleth murmured.
'Naturally!' Linhardt agreed.
'So now you are here what do you make of it all?'
'An entire town below the Monastery filled with secret upon secret?' Linhardt's eyes almost glowed in his excitement. 'It is simply marvellous! Likely, the most intriguing thing I have discovered thus far in all of my research and wanderings.'
'Would the aforementioned library have anything to do with that assessment?' Byleth chuckled.
'Oh, my days... some of the titles I spied in just a cursory examination! Seteth would literally have a seizure if he knew what was lurking on those shelves!' Linhardt beamed.
'Well now, just look at what the cat's dragged in...Hello Linhardt...' Hubert sighed a long and drawn out sigh, but he didn't look overly surprised as he approached the pair on the crates.
'Where's Edelgard?' Byleth asked sharply, but a quick scan showed the Princess sat in deep discussion with Constance a little way away from them.
'The ladies requested some girl time.' Hubert sighed again. 'Constance is rather skittish, for all her posturing though, so I believe Lady Edelgard is merely hoping to put her at her ease.'
'Everyone here is skittish.' Byleth noted. 'People will talk to you a little, but I suppose it's understandable that they are wary. I wasn't expecting so many children to be residents, though. That was a surprise. To be locked away in this neverending darkness...' She shivered involuntarily.
Hubert stared at her closely. 'Are you claustrophobic, Professor?' He asked curiously.
'Not in the traditional sense.' Byleth shook her head. 'I have led a largely nomadic life and spent more nights outside in the wild rather than in formal accommodation. Living underground like this isn't something I would relish, despite the fact it is quite extraordinarily spacious and obvious attempts have been made to make it a home.'
'I can't believe Rhea has managed to keep this place under wraps.' Claude noted, joining them and clapping Linhardt on the shoulder. 'That lady has so many secrets; it's a wonder she doesn't burst with them all.'
'I suspect we only scratch at the surface of that woman's deceptions...' Hubert commented.
'This is a pretty positive environment, though.' Claude ruminated. 'I have noted people from any number of places and vastly different social backgrounds - all coexisting peacefully together, albeit in hiding.'
'I noted the same.' Byleth agreed. 'For all of the anxiety that's obvious due to the present situation, there is an undertone of wellbeing,'
'You are certainly starting to pay attention to the ambiance in places, aren't you, dear.' Sothis sounded pleased. 'I like it down here.' She added contentedly. 'The flow of power is strong, and these hallways and rooms seem achingly familiar – almost as if I have walked them before at some time in the long-forgotten past.'
'Dear..? Wow, Sothis, you ARE feeling mellow, aren't you?' Byleth teased. 'I thought you were asleep, to be honest, you have been awfully quiet, given all the excitement.'
'I can't be wondrously observant AND keep up a running commentary for your personal amusement all at the same time, you know!' Sothis chided.
'... And she's back to a more normal state of grouchy!'
'Pfft.' Sothis retreated back into the edges of Byleth's mind.
Dimitri had wandered up with Dedue and Hapi in the time that Byleth had been distracted by the voice in her head.
'What do you think of all this, Professor?' Dimitri was asking her. 'It is the most unique town, is it not? Incredible really, that those who face oppression in the world above can find such kind sanctuary here.'
'It is something of a shame that a place such as this is necessary.' Byleth murmured.
'Help is available outside in Fodlan too.' Dimitri mused. 'It is our duty and our honor to ensure that people are aided when their situation is difficult. Nonetheless, I find this place and the whole idea of its existence... rather lovely.'
'I have to wonder what the Church gets out of it.' Hubert muttered rebelliously.
'I am inclined to agree.' Byleth said quietly, nodding at him.
'That's rather a dim view to take.' Dimitri looked askance at the Professor.
'A wise one, though.' Hapi agreed.
'Any ideas?' Byleth asked the Abyssian.
'Hard to tell.' Hapi admitted. 'Everyone here is essentially private and snooping around with any kind of intent leads to trouble. I avoid trouble if I can help it.'
'It is what it is.' Balthus interjected, striding up with Hilda clung to his arm. 'The Abyss works and keeps many people safe when they wouldn't be otherwise. I ain't one to poke a hornet's nest and look for conspiracy. Talk to Yuri or Constance if you want that kinda madness.'
A low, sonorous bell tolled three resonate beats very suddenly.
'What's that?' Byleth noticed immediately that the three Abyssians had tensed.
'That's the warning chime.' Hapi started moving forward. 'Likely to be a return of the bandits...'
A young lad came running out of a corridor just as Yuri and Jeralt appeared.
'Report?' Yuri asked the boy.
'The plan worked just like you said.' The boy grinned. 'A few bandits were poking around at that entrance they'd discovered, and we've managed to draw them in. They are heading towards the place you wanted them now.'
'Good.' Yuri turned to Jeralt. 'This is the best opportunity we will have to meet these interlopers on our own terms and hopefully capture a couple to question.'
'Aye, lad. I'll come along with you and see what happens.' Jeralt agreed.
'What about us?' Edelgard asked. 'We should attend as well and lend our aid.'
'No need.' Jeralt replied gruffly.
'We won't simply turn our backs if these innocents are at risk.' Dimitri declared.
'Wow, something that you two actually agree on? Miracles will never cease.' Claude chuckled at Dimitri and Edelgard. 'Obviously, we should go.' He added easily. 'We are here to be useful, after all.'
'Just make up your minds fast.' Yuri grumbled as he turned to stalk off back down the corridor that the warning had come from - followed by his team.
'You are the one in charge here.' Byleth noted to Jeralt. 'The students could attend to just observe – we don't have to engage unless there's a need.'
'Fine.' Jeralt conceded. 'As long as you realise that they are your responsibility, kiddo. I'm gonna have my hands full managing the locals.'
'Okay.' She agreed.
'The Abyssinians have been successful so far in turning the bandits back at the external entrance they'd discovered.' Jeralt explained as the group headed off in the direction that Yuri and the other's had gone. 'The numbers that were turning up had started to rise though, and it was becoming too much of a struggle to keep on going with that particular strategy.'
'So they are drawing the enemy in and driving them to a specific location then?' Hubert asked.
'The intent is not only to have an advantage in the terrain, but they are also leading them away from the town.' Jeralt nodded. 'Yuri has set up a few surprises for them too. It should be fairly simple to overwhelm and contain them and then hopefully get some answers as to their motivation.'
'I hate to be the voice of doom here...' Linhardt spoke up. 'Yet, it should be noted that things rarely ever seem to go as planned...'
'Where did you turn up from?' Jeralt grunted in surprise.
'Useful to have a dedicated healer along...' Byleth mumbled.
'Just please don't bleed too much.' Linhardt griped.
They caught up to Yuri quickly in the narrow corridors, and they traveled through the dimness for what seemed like miles, passing many new passages and doors as they went.
'We haven't explored much on this side of the underground so far.' Balthus was whispering as they marched. 'There's a whole load of places that have the odd protections and magics in place that take a while to get around... if it's manageable at all.'
'So you have no idea what these places might contain?' Hubert asked.
'None. So much is locked up tight.' Constance sniffed. 'Even my own skills pale in the face of what the original architects of this place were able to achieve.'
'Those we have managed to access have been largely empty.' Hapi added. 'We do find a lot of books in random places, though. Pretty much all of our library down here is made up of findings over the time the place has been used.'
'Don't ever tell Rhea or Seteth what you have found!' Linhardt begged. 'Did you take a look, Claude?' He murmured.
'Oh yeah... I noted Hubert taking an interest earlier too.' Claude grinned.
'An odd little reading group that's going to make.' Linhardt noted.
'Here we are.' Yuri stopped suddenly and raised his hand for silence. 'Doesn't appear that our guests have arrived yet.' He added with a satisfied smirk and ushered the group forwards.
'Huh...' Balthus exclaimed quietly when they came out onto an enormous space that had a simple and instantly recognisable design. 'An arena, Yuri? You sure do know some interesting places down here I gotta say!'
'Impressive, isn't it?' Yuri nodded. 'I came upon it purely by chance, but it does suit our purposes in this endeavor quite admirably. It took me quite some time to clear out all the crap that had accumulated and add a few new surprises of my own.'
'It appears to be some kind of revitalized ruin...' Dimitri was staring up at the impressive columns that held up a roofed canopy that skirted all the way around the central sandy pit.
'Most of the Abyss has the feel of old ruins.' Edelgard added. 'I can imagine it its day that it was an incredibly impressive complex. You have to wonder what its original purpose was and who in the world actually built it.'
'This arena is simply magnificent!' Constance decided happily. 'It is well spacious enough to contain all of my glory... I shall not hold back this time, just you wait and see!'
'Isolated, large... I wonder if it would be okay for me to sigh in a few monsters...' Hapi ruminated.
'They appear when you sigh?' Hubert raised a brow. 'That's... unique!'
'I don't think that would be such a good idea, Hapi, stick to a more normal kind of spell.' Yuri demanded. 'And Constance, please try and be glorious in moderation. This place is ancient and massive, and if we end up collapsing it, we will take the whole of the Abyss down with us. The whole reason we are luring our enemies here is to avoid hurting our home. Don't lose sight of that.'
'I know, Yuri... I am well aware of our aims.' Constance grouched.
'Sure you are Constance,' Balthus retorted. 'That doesn't mean we can trust you to show restraint, though does it!'
'I'm starting to get worried...' Byleth muttered.
'Not you as well?' Constance huffed. 'I cannot understand why you are treating me in this way. It is the purpose of the nobility to preserve people's safety. Do you truly believe I would destroy the Abyss in my efforts to save it? Preposterous!'
'Shush!' Jeralt had been focusing his attention on the space in front of them. 'I hear something. Draw back further into the darkness here...'
The small, subtle noise became louder as the sound of running feet became more and more prominent.'
'Sounds like there may be quite a number on their way.' Dedue whispered.
'They may have gathered reinforcements when they weren't met with the usual resistance.' Yuri admitted.
It was a much larger group than anyone could have anticipated, and they spilled out onto the arena floor from one of the passageways at the opposite side of the arena.
'Okay.' Jeralt muttered thoughtfully as their foes lit new lanterns to inspect the area into which they'd stumbled. 'We may need a slight change in tactic's given how many of them there are.'
'We will need to cut off any attempt at a retreat.' Byleth asserted.
'Aye, I'm gonna trust you to sneak a team around to that entrance at the back then, Kiddo.' Jeralt decided. 'I will offer the chance to surrender to them, but with their numbers, I doubt they'll even consider it.'
'There needs to be some focus on making sure we keep a few alive.' Yuri insisted. 'Otherwise, we will waste the chance for some real answers.'
'Right you are.' Jeralt agreed. 'Byleth and I will be the ones to engage them directly. Ranged can offer whatever support is relevant, and I want the melee to be protecting the ranged as their number one priority.'
'We should be able to isolate a couple of their number.' Byleth rubbed her chin. 'Yuri, perhaps you and Balthus could stand ready to take control of those we manage to break from the herd?'
'Yeah, that sounds like a workable arrangement.' Yuri nodded.
'Okay. I'll take Claude, Edelgard, and Hubert with me to the other side.' Byleth decided. 'Hilda, Dimi, and Dedue, you will provide cover for Hapi, Constance, and Linhardt over this side with Jeralt.'
'I'll give you a few minutes to get into place... you won't have long though.' Jeralt grunted.
'Let's go.' Byleth started to lead her team silently and quickly around the edge of the room. They had gotten about halfway to their destination and had managed to stay undetected when Jeralt's voice rang out.
'You have no right to be here.'
All attention swung to the Knight, who had stepped forward alone and unprotected.
'Whose planning on stopping us?' One of the bandits laughed. 'You, old man?'
'There is no need for any bloodshed.' Jeralt continued. 'Surrender now, and no-one dies. You have my word.'
'Not bloody likely, is it?' Someone sneered. 'How about you surrender, and we might give you an easy death?'
'Unacceptable.' Yuri stepped into the light with Balthus while the others who had remained with Jeralt also inched a bit nearer where they could be seen.
'You are outnumbered lads, and you are in our environment.' Jeralt pointed out stoically. 'Gonna give you one more chance to reconsider.'
'No...!'
'Give them a little something to think about mages, please.' Jeralt instructed under his breath.
'With pleasure!' Constance drew back into the darkness but was already starting to build up her cast, her arms moving gracefully into formation. Fire rained heavily over the assembled bandits while Hapi summoned a magical swarm of insects that dove straight into the enemy ranks.'
'Retreat!' The cry went up, but Byleth was now in place. The bandits turned to stare straight into the unrelenting face of the Ashen Demon as she drew her silvered sword and stepped towards them menacingly. Hubert added his own magical miasma to the frey while Claude loosened arrows at a steady pace.
'To battle.' Jeralt cried, charging into the pack of Mercenaries and taking down three with his first assault. Over the other side of the room, Byleth engaged her own targets cooly, leaving nothing but bloody destruction in her wake.
'First round to us, I think.' Yuri noted to Balthus with a tight smile.
'Ain't over till it's over.' Balthus grimaced. 'Can't help but be glad that those two are on our side, though.' He added with feeling as Jeralt and Byleth moved through the bandits with deadly efficiency.'
'Ain't that the truth.' Yuri agreed, his face a mask.
