The trip towards Fraldarius territory was incredibly unsettling for all of the Blue Lions, along with Yuri, who was an honorary member for this mission. The Artist was rather surprised that Rhea granted Cetanu's request, but if the Professor's silence and odd lack of emotion was anything to go off of, it cost him.
The Professor rode ahead, his eyes looking at nothing in particular as he simply rode on, his mind unable to even focus on the breathing of the long haired horse he was sitting atop. His mind was racing, shifting between it's own thoughts and conversing with the other personalities in his mind. He was convinced that he was completely insane, and that Sothis and his Inner Fiend were both fragments of his whole personality. The figurative angel and devil on his shoulders.
He wanted nothing more than to return to happier days, because the days between his fight with the Archbishop and now were filled with little enjoyment. He had continued to function, surely, training and teaching as needed, but in his spare time, he simply sat in his room staring at nothing. He didn't even go to the training hall.
For the first time in his life, he didn't want to fight.
It was rather odd to him, and he struggled to deal with the thoughts and actions that accompanied it. He was always prepared for a fight, training, conditioning himself, strategizing or something. However, he suddenly felt no reason to do that. Rhea was his goal, his ambition, his hurdle to overcome. He was very, very sad to see that he could overcome it so quickly. He was without aim, like a beast with no master.
"Are you all right, Professor?"
His head turned in the sound of the voice, noticing that Dimitri had caught up to him, the mercenary casting his eyes to the others, fully aware that Ashe and Yuri would be able to hear what they said if they strained their ears even a little. However, with the fact that he couldn't be bothered to care, Cetanu found himself looking to his 'House Leader'.
Dimitri had a soft look on his handsome features, showing a genuine concern that Cetanu could appreciate. It wasn't often that something like this happened, prey showing concern for an apex predator. Cetanu found it the slightest bit amusing.
"I will be fine, Dimitri. I am simply thinking."
"About? Perhaps I can be of assistance."
Cetanu looked to him, that hopeful look in his bright blue eyes, Cetanu inhaling and sighing, shaking his head slightly.
"I had the oddest thought a few days ago. Tell me, have you ever desired to be humbled, outsmarted or even defeated in combat?"
The confusion on Dimitri's face told the demon that he hadn't. Dimitri was naturally humble, but having a desire to be bested was truly odd, even for someone like him. Something had to have caused his teacher to think this way, right?
"What could have happened that made you think so bleakly? Did you get into a fight with Captain Jeralt?"
Cetanu chuckled, a smirk on his features for the first time in what felt like ages. He was a Blood Demon pondering how to use his immortality, and the Prince of Faerghus thought he was fighting with his father? That was rather amusing to him.
"Hardly. Do you remember when I told you that Lady Rhea was a warrior without equal?"
Dimitri blinked, barely remembering that offhanded conversation they had almost two months ago. He remembered it because of Cetanu's desire to engage the Archbishop in combat.
"You… you didn't try and engage in combat with the Archbishop, did you?"
Cetanu only stared at him with his murky blue eyes, the clicks of their horses' hooves reaching their ears.
"I did. And despite being tossed around like a ragdoll and beaten like an unwanted stepchild, I was victorious. It has left me aimless."
Dimitri found himself blinking again as they continued to ride on. The Professor had defeated the Archbishop in single combat, and that was what caused his recent state of gloom? Because he didn't have anyone he wanted to fight?
"Forgive me, but I think you're being rather silly, Professor."
Cetanu furrowed his brow, finding that comment rather unexpected. He wasn't offended, but surprised that Dimitri came to such a conclusion.
"What makes you say such?"
"Well, you still have plenty to strive for. Bernadetta says that you're very passionate about our growth. Even the other students outside of our class seem jealous of you. She says that you spoke to Ferdinand about a grandiose plan."
Cetanu chuckled. He was rather surprised at Dimitri, who was taking his turn helping and talking sense into the demon. He remembered his hesitation in Gaspard, glad to see the progress he made, from hesitant to protect his own life to calling a flesh sculpting demon 'childish' to his face. It was the king of growth Cetanu loved to see.
"The Path of Metamorphosis. The Fleshcrafter desire to constantly made things better, to have constant evolution and growth. Be it your knowledge or combat experience, the goal is to grow into a creature with complete mastery over the physical form. It's rather interesting to me."
He was surprised, glad to see that he could still hold a casual conversation. He was ever so slightly worried about regressing, his mental state making him devolve back to his previous state of being where he was a stone faced killer, not a loving Professor that just so happened to not be human.
Dimitri held a slightly puzzled look on his face, and Cetanu realized that he was allowing himself to simply relax. His posture had slouched ever so slightly, his blank face softening and his brow's furrow disappearing.
"I can't speak for all of us, but I'd very much appreciate you continuing along this path. I was unsuccessful at the mock battle, but I hope that I'll be of more use at the Battle of the Eagle and Lion." he stated, and Cetanu blinked.
He hadn't been the most focused on the happenings of the Monastery, especially recently, but he had heard of the grand mock battle. Held months from now, the three classes, along with their Professors, would be tasked with commanding troops, organizing battle formations and so on. Cetanu was interested in this, as he knew that most of his students weren't the type to lead.
He smiled, raising a brow and casting a gaze to the Prince. "You'll be fine as long as you listen to me." he said, chuckling to himself.
He was glad that Dimitri reached out to him, because it allowed him to refocus himself. He realized that his thoughts were far too self centered. He had far, far more pressing issues to worry about. They were coming upon the tower that Miklan and his bandits were holed up in, and he noticed that it was rather tall, and rather alone in this field.
He halted the group, his eyes scanning the tower for windows, gates, the roof. He wanted to know as much as possible before he sent his students in. Dismounting his horse, he waited for all of his students to do the same.
He glanced to them, seeing that they all changed their garb, their uniforms left behind in favor of more combat oriented clothing, leather trousers that allowed more mobility and short sleeved shirts made from wools and other dense material, hide armor about their arms and legs in various fashions. They all bore some form of weapon, ready to engage in physical combat if all else failed. He looked back to the tower.
"What do we know about the inhabitants?" he asked, his eyes cast to Gilbert, who stared with a granite gaze.
"We're greatly outnumbered and outmatched in terms of experience and weaponry. Last count from our scouts said that Miklan had one hundred men scattered throughout the tower, likely in various formations to ambush and perform pincer attacks. The top end of the tower, and the roof are all one spiraling room that curves skyward. A fall from that tower is certain death."
Cetanu nodded, his mind kicking back into gear as he thought it over. He needed to move them in groups, chunks of men that could have each other's backs whether they liked it or not.
"We will split in three groups. Gilbert, Mercedes, Annette and Felix, you four will make the rear guard, and we're counting on you to protect and pull back any wounded."
Felix narrowed his eyes, as if he wanted to disagree with the command, but he remained silent. Cetanu knew that the navy haired student was lacking in terms of teamwork, and he disliked that flaw. He wanted to rectify it, to change Felix into a man and a warrior that could work well alone or in a group.
"Ahead of them will be Yuri, Ashe, Dedue and Dimitri. You four make up the bulk of our strength, and will be fighting the most. Don't get yourselves separated or injured, and don't get yourselves killed." he said, and the four of them nodded. Cetanu exchanged a gaze with Yuri, the two Blood Demons both still ever so slightly wary of the other.
"Me and Sylvain will move first. The idea is for us to reach Miklan and defeat him by time you clear them all out. Are we all clear?" he asked, and the all nodded. Cetanu turned to Sylvain, who seemed a bit nervous, hesitant to lead the charge that would end in his brother's defeat, and likely his death.
Cetanu inhaled, realizing that he would have to guide the red haired young man along. He knew that he was kind to him before, telling him that he didn't have to fight Miklan at all, but with his objectives and ideals shifted after his match with Rhea, he decided that what was best for Sylvain's growth was to defeat Miklan himself. Or at the least challenge him.
The duo began to move, the two quartets behind them. Cetanu moved with the Sword of the Creator on his hip, Sylvain sporting a lance made of steel that looked closer to a halberd. It was tied to his back, allowing him to move about without holding the wooden shaft at all times. Cetanu's eyes moved from his student to the tower itself, seeing men line the windows in pairs, aiming bows at them.
"Aerial attack!"
With his call, the group scattered, making their movements erratic to avoid being struck by the raining projectiles. Ashe returned fire, his enhanced, inhuman eyesight allowing him to strike the men without even aiming, the sights of the windows clearing of bodies something that brought Cetanu a sense of peace, even when the men fell forward, out of the windows and to their deaths.
Suddenly, the doors of the tower erupted, and men came pouring out screaming, brandishing weapons and wearing shoddy armor about their bodies. Cetanu inhaled, realizing that any hope of a sneak attack or any kind of surprise attacks were gone, and that instead this would be a test of strength and wills.
"You Church bastards won't get away with this!"
The man who shouted came down with an axe, and Cetanu drew the Sword of the Creator and parried the attack. He kicked the man in the stomach, sending him stumbling back. The demon simply walked past him, slamming the blade into his chest before removing it, parrying another blade before he looked to Sylvain, who was on the losing end of a struggle against a bandit who also wielded a lance.
"Pay attention you bastard!"
Cetanu grit his teeth, not liking that he was distracted from watching his student, flexing his free left hand, swinging his hand as he sculpted his fingertips into blades, tearing through the man's shoddy hide and sending him crashing to the ground in unimaginable pain.
The demon walked over to Sylvain, who had broken the struggle up despite being outmatched. Cetanu sighed, taking the lance from the redhead, who looked to him confused. "When outmatched in terms of strength, use magick or mobility, like this."
The man Sylvain was facing jabbed his lance out, and Cetanu inhaled.
Cetanu twisted the lance in his grip, holding it vertically and blocking the other blade, pushing it to the left as he pressed the lance to the ground, using it like a pole as he vaulted himself forward, kicking the man in the chest. He shifted his grip, holding the lance behind his back with his left hand, his right hand out forward and his posture low. The bandit hesitated to get up, and Cetanu exhaled, lifting his forward right foot, slamming it down, a small spire of earth rising from the ground and piercing the man in the back of the neck.
Cetanu dropped his stance, passing the lance back to his student as he looked to the tower, his eyes passing over the other eight warriors on their side. With two Blood Demons, two mages and multiple warriors that were the caliber of a Royal Knight, he knew that they'd be fine.
His eyes passed back to Sylvain. "Let's move. It's time for your brother to learn an important lesson; never open the door for strangers."