Chasing the Dawn

by Superb0wl

War has engulfed Fódlan, and the Golden Deer are set to reunite on the millennium festival. Their dear professor returns to them after five years and they pledge to fight for Fódlan's future. Lysithea will fight with them despite believing she'll never see that future, but Byleth has one more valuable lesson to teach her.

11. Wolf Pact

Been too long since I last updated, but then I have been distracted with real life stuff recently, so I've had to divert my attention to that. I have not given up on this yet, and it shows as this is my longest chapter yet! xD

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With her arms crossed over her chest and a frown on her face, Lysithea stood just outside of the entrance to what was once Jeritza's room at the knight barracks. She was staring intently at the open, wrought-iron gate as a light snow fell from the gray blanket of clouds above. It was the first snowfall of the year, and if she weren't waiting around she might have enjoyed watching the white flakes fall and collect on the ground. She was at least grateful that enough had gathered on the ground to form a thin coat to muffle the sound of her tapping foot.

She never liked standing around and waiting. It was time she could be spending doing something else, anything at all productive even it was as trivial as hanging laundry or washing dishes. Chores really, but nevertheless they needed to be done regardless if there was a war or not. At least then she would be busying herself to help others rather than wasting their time and her own. And she couldn't afford to waste any time.

Professor Byleth was at least keeping her company, and to his credit appeared unfazed by her clear impatience. He was standing as still as a statue with his head tilted up at the sky, doing exactly what she would want to do if her mind wasn't preoccupied. He almost seemed to be looking at the snow in wonderment and not even when a flake or two landed on his stony face did he flinch at the cold, wet contact.

"This can't possibly be the first time you've seen snow, professor," she commented with a quizzical raise of her brow, trying to strike up conversation to alleviate the boredom. She felt a shiver coming on, so she grasped at her shawl for a moment to bring it closer to her. Comfortable and insulating as it was, it had its limitations, and the chill was nipping at the bare skin it covered from the gaps at its ends. "And I know it's not your first winter."

"It isn't the first time," he confirmed without diverting his attention away. Lysithea was astounded that his normal mercenary clothes could keep him so warm. They didn't look particularly thick, yet he showed no signs of being affected by the cold.

"Then why do you look so mesmerized by it?"

"I find it fascinating."

Her other brow rose slightly. "In what way?"

"The paradox of it." Lysithea blinked, but found herself intrigued by his answer. It certainly wasn't what she was expecting.

"The... paradox of it?" she repeated, mentally urging him to clarify.

He nodded. "It's so calm and serene when it falls. It's also quite destructive, and disruptive. Children love it; adults hate it. It can either be tranquil as it is now, or a raging blizzard." He held out his hand palm up, and in a moment a flake made its descent onto it, his eyes trailing it as it did, and it immediately melted away. "Something so small and pretty... It packs so much potential, then before long it fades away and is forgotten..."

Lysithea found herself becoming downcast all of a sudden, and the freezing air didn't seem as cold anymore. She held out her own hand to catch a flake, and it stayed in hers for a little longer before it too disappeared. She didn't think she'd ever find herself sympathizing with snow of all things, yet as ever the professor offered an astute observation that made her reconsider what she originally thought. Yet for the first time she found herself regretting asking him to explain himself.

"Are you cold, professor?" she asked before stroking one of her side tails, quietly sighing in resignation as she did.

"No," he said, "I don't feel the cold."

Her curiosity returned to her as she took a moment to read his face, and saw that his cheeks were not colored at all. While it made some sense for him to say so since he was fully-clothed, and in black, his face remained as pale as ever, as though it were spring or summer. How was it, she wondered, that she was only now noticing this?

"You don't?" He answered with a shake of his head. "How?"

Byleth brought his gaze now to his chest, furrowing his brows slightly as he glared at where his heart was. "I... don't know how to explain it. There is this... fire here." He tapped the location, and she noticed that he winced when he did so, barely noticeable to the untrained eye, but she had become good at reading him after all. "I don't know why it's there, but it keeps me warm in times like this."

"That's certainly convenient..." she uttered in amazement. Even for someone like him this was particularly unusual to have. A man who barely expressed any emotion also has a way to regulate his body temperature. Even now he continued to be full of surprises to her. "But I don't understand. I've never heard of anyone having anything like that before. How is that even possible?"

He paused momentarily, brows dipping a little further into an angle of what looked like frustration and she worried briefly if she might have been a little too invasive.

"It may have something to do with my lack of a heartbeat..."

Lysithea's eyes widened in shock at this newfound knowledge. If she didn't know him as well as she did, she might have thought he was joking with her. "You don't have a heartbeat?! That shouldn't be possible! How... how are you even alive professor?!"

"I have a pulse," he informed, though it didn't do much to remove the anxiety she was suddenly feeling about the now medical phenomenon that was her former professor. "My blood is still being pumped. I don't know how that's possible either. All my life I wanted to know why this was happening to me." He looked her in the eye with resolution. "And that is why I must find Rhea. My father suspected she might have done something to me as a baby. I need to know what."

Now it was starting to make sense as to why he joined them. They all had their own personal stake in the war in some fashion, her especially so with what the Empire was responsible for, and now she had just discovered his. It was one she found herself hoping he would accomplish. Rhea had shown such an odd interest in the professor ever since he was first welcomed to Garreg Mach years ago, and if there was something behind all of that she would like to know what that was along with him.

And that was when more less-than-pleasant thoughts started to whirl in her mind. She began to wonder if Rhea might have done something to him similar to what was done to her. Perhaps not in the exact same way, she reasoned, for the Church and the Empire had been rather hostile to each other even before Edelgard declared war on it. That didn't mean that Rhea couldn't have done something all on her own, something that would have been unique to her. If that was the case, she did an awfully good job of hiding how sinister she could be behind that distinguished and serene air she always carried herself in. Lysithea had seen before how unsettling Rhea can be, and she thought the attention she was giving to Professor Byleth was uncomfortable, even to her. And they still had no clue as to just what the archbishop intended for him at the Holy Tomb five years ago.

The fact that Rhea has had this sort of influence on his life ever since he was born made it all the more unnerving for her. He had been a mercenary all his life, even having no prior knowledge to the Church and its teachings, yet even then the archbishop still affected him. He lived without emotions, without a heartbeat, and was kept isolated from the world all because of Rhea. Just what exactly did Rhea do to him that caused this?

"I hope you find what you're looking for, professor," she remarked. "And... if it isn't too much trouble, when you do, would you mind sharing what you learn with me?"

"Really?" he asked, his voice matching the surprised look on his face. He must have never thought she would take an interest in it. Her suspicions were just speculation, but the mystery surrounding him and his firm belief that Rhea had the answers to that mystery were more than enough to pique her desire to learn to the truth about him.

She nodded. "I never knew all of that about you. If Rhea had something to do with your lack of a heartbeat and this unusual fire within you, then I want to know what she's done to my friend."

His eyes relaxed to her at her interest in his origins, and his surprise gave way to a small smile causing her to warm up on the inside and her heart to beat faster. "When I find out, I will let you know."

She gave him a smile of her own, something she had been told before was a rare sight to see of her, but she had found herself doing so around him moreso than others. His own was infectious with how soft and genuine it was, and it always seemed to have a calming effect on her. "Thank you. Although... you said 'when'. What makes you think Rhea will tell you the truth about your unique situation? If she didn't before, why would she now?"

The smile disappeared and the brows furrowed again as he looked back up at the fluffy, gray sheets above. "I'm not giving her a choice."

Lysithea felt a shiver go down her spine, and it wasn't from the cold. These were the times where she was reminded that he could still be the intimidating "Ashen Demon" he was known for despite the side of him that she and the others normally saw.

She could understand why he felt so determined to find those answers. From prior interactions he knew next to nothing about his own past, and apparently the mercenary life had been so dull that he never went too far into detail about any particular contract he and his father were given. To discover why one was so different from everyone else would be something she would be curious to find out if such a thing happened to...

Her eyes fell to the ground in melancholy as she reminded herself that she was different from everyone else, and she hated it. Not at the fact that she was different, but why she was. What she wouldn't give to be normal again. She must have been before, she wasn't born like this she knew, but that time held no memories for her. All that was there was pain, darkness, and the echoes of screaming children reverberating off the walls as they were dragged and-

She wrenched her eyes shut in an attempt to banish those thoughts from her mind. She did not want to get lost in them again and make a scene in front of Professor Byleth.

Then again, perhaps this was why she had felt such a strong connection to him in the first place. Despite how much she had come to interact with her fellow Golden Deer, she never completely felt as though she was one of them. None of them went through what she had, and none of them would ever understand what she went through to become what she is now.

With the professor he too appeared so out of place, not only among them, but everyone around him. With no emotion to begin with, and how little he spoke outside of lectures, it was almost as if he wasn't there half the time. She thought him even stranger than she was, but as time went on it was because of that strangeness, as well as his ability to bring out the best in her, that drew her to him. She appreciated his honesty, admired his knowledge and strength, and she realized that she wanted to be more than his student, but also his friend.

With the others, her friendship with them happened incidentally, though she credited Professor Byleth for bringing them together in such a way. With him however, she sought a friendship with this peculiar man, his unusual existence attracting her to that prospect. She wanted to know more about him, though was vexed that he could not provide as he did not know more about himself, adding to his mystery. Now she knew that Rhea may be behind most, potentially all, of that mystery, and she shared his determination to unravel it.

She found herself smirking as she recollected these times. To think that it all began with just talking about the weather, a topic she knew usually led to nowhere. Just one more of those strange aspects of him.

"Hilda is taking a long time, isn't she?" she remarked unamused, returning to her earlier annoyance at the delay they were dealing with.

"She has taken on more responsibilities," Byleth pointed out as he looked back at her. "Something may have come up."

"I suppose... I just don't like having to wait around when there are other tasks to be completed." Lysithea let out a sigh of exasperation. "I have to give her credit though. The fact that she is taking on more responsibilities unto herself is impressive from someone who tried to have others do the work for her instead."

He nodded as a smile barely noticeable graced his features. "Her work ethic has improved. I'm proud of her."

"I wonder what brought it on..." pondered Lysithea, pinching her chin. "She didn't seem like the type to give up on that behavior so easily."

"Perhaps all she needed was the right motivation."

Before she could voice an inquiry about what he meant, the Goneril woman at last appeared from around the corner, her boots hurriedly clopping against the glazed pavement as she made her way over to them. Both of them noticed how she was panting somewhat, her chest heaving as she recovered from her fast pace.

"Sorry I'm late!" she said with an apologetic grin before adjusting her own shawl that had started to slip from her shoulders. "One of the orphans Dorothea brought with her tripped and sprained his ankle, so I carried him to the infirmary to have one of the clerics look after him."

Lysithea couldn't help but feel guilt creep in seeing as how her impatience was unfounded with Hilda, now knowing that she was helping an injured child to get healed as opposed to taking her time to get here from a lack of interest. Even now she realized that she still underestimated her pink-haired friend.

"Will he be okay?" asked Byleth, tilting his head in concern.

"Oh I think he'll be fine, professor! It was just a little sprain. He's still young, but I couldn't just leave him there, especially when he was crying so much." She chuckled a little, which brought a raised brow from her companions at the sudden humor she was finding in it. "I felt like my brother that whole time and how he used to rush me back to our home whenever I happened to injure myself when we were younger. Come to think of it... knowing him he'd probably still do it even now."

"He dotes on you that much?"

She let out a tired sigh. "Professor, you have no idea. He's been like that for as long I've known him."

"Well now that you're here, Hilda," Lysithea interrupted. She may have a good reason for her tardiness, but they still had an assignment to do. "We should get going. It will be a while before we reach Abyss, and we shouldn't keep the Ashen Wolves waiting longer than we have to."

Hilda's eyes flashed. "Right, let's get going then! It'll be nice to see Baltie again after these last few years. I wonder how he's been doing..." She paused for a moment as she contemplated before letting out a groan as she hung her head. "I hope he's done something to pay off those bounties of his..."

"This way then." Byleth led the two women over to Jeritza's room before the three proceeded inside.

The interior had remained unchanged ever since he had been ousted as the Death Knight. The news of his alter ego had spread like wildfire upon Flayn's rescue years ago, but the fact that there was a giant hole in the wall that led into the deeper recesses of the monastery was not as common of knowledge.

There were many winding and forgotten tunnels and halls that snaked beneath Garreg Mach Monastery like a maze, and some of those routes led to the underground town known as Abyss, a place where outcasts and other unfortunates resided and attempted to eek out a living beyond the gaze of those on the surface. The Church tolerated their place there, but rarely made an effort to contact them unless it was necessary, such as Flayn's kidnapping and how the denizens of Abyss were all considered suspects.

"I never thought I would have to go through this again..." commented Lysithea. Truth be told she did want to visit Abyss during her time as a student, but she had always kept herself so busy with her studies and training that she barely ever had time to explore it herself.

"At least we know the Death Knight won't be there," said Hilda. "Although if he is down there, I'm confident you and the professor will handle it."

"He won't be," stated Byleth as he moved toward the bookcase. "He's fighting for the Empire. Someone of his power would be a waste here."

"Not unless Edelgard could somehow see into the future," countered Lysithea while Byleth moved the bookcase aside, revealing the large hole that led below behind it. "And since that kind of power is impossible to have, we don't need to worry."

Byleth nodded in agreement, then took out a torch tied to his belt and held it before Lysithea, the latter summoning a small fireball cupped in her hand and lighting it for him. It didn't take long for it to grow into a suitable light source, the flame flickering with its gentle, warm glow. The three of them proceeded into the tunnel, making sure to leave the entry open for when they would return.

Lysithea couldn't shake a sense of foreboding as they starting making their way down as her goosebumps made their presence known. She couldn't say she was thrilled about going down here given her history where this had led to as the memories of descending into the underground complex returned, but then the professor did ask for her to come along on this diplomatic mission in case the situation would, somehow, take a turn for the worse. She admitted, however, that it was also an attempt to satisfy her curiosity of just what exactly Abyss had to offer.

As her eyes wandered around the tan, stone walls that felt as if they threatened to close in on her any moment, she realized that there was also another reason she was feeling tense. It felt too encroaching, and if it wasn't for the fact that Hilda and the professor were with her she might have started to panic. Making the situation worse than that would be if Professor Byleth didn't have the foresight to bring along a torch to illuminate the way, though considering there were no sconces to note it was more a practical reason than anything else. Still, she did make sure that they were equipped with one or else she might have refused to come along despite her interest in visiting Abyss.

And of course to ward off any potential for ghosts. With how narrow the tunnel was any sort of apparition could just appear at any moment, and without light she feared what would happen to her then. Especially if she came alone, though she would never dare do so.

While they wound their way down, Lysithea thought back to the battle only a couple of days ago. The path to her group's destination was sparsely packed for a time until some of the pegasus knights spotted them and attempted to take out the smaller group, oblivious to what they were going to do. Luckily Shamir was assigned to her, and with her skill was able to pick them off without too much hassle. On the ground she, Catherine, and Raphael were able to handily deal with what minimal forces were put between them and their rally point, thanks in large part to her and Catherine wielding their respective Heroes' Relics to amplify their already impressive strength.

That was at least one advantage she knew their resistance had. With her, Catherine, Claude, Hilda, and the professor each wielding a Heroes' Relic, it made up for what they lacked in numbers compared to the Empire. Lysithea noted that there weren't as many reinforcements as she would have thought, but she attributed that to Edelgard not knowing that Professor Byleth had returned and was leading them. Had the emperor known, there would have been a higher possibility of more casualties on their side, perhaps even defeat. She hoped that his presence would remain hidden for as long as possible, but knew that it wouldn't be long before his return would be known to emperor.

What impressed her the most about the battle was that she was able to keep those following her orders alive. While it did certainly help that the main fighting forces were more toward the town proper, the fact that her part in the battle went so well was a spirit booster for her, and the gratitude of her troops added to that. Fortunately it wasn't daunting for her to do thanks in large part to Professor Byleth's discretion of training her and the other students to command battalions. With her keen mind she excelled at it more than others, and it served her well in the battle.

It was all the more satisfactory when he congratulated her after the battle for successfully leading them. It still felt a little silly to be flattered by his praise as she was no longer his student, but to know that her efforts from then had paid off in her first true test of her leadership was uplifting. It was proof enough for her that their continued time spent together going over their micromanagement of the troops was more than worth it. Perhaps now he would be willing to let her command a larger number of troops. A daunting proposition, but one she was ready to face given her prior success.

"I wonder how the people in Abyss are doing with the war..." Hilda pondered aloud. That was one more factor into her unease with traveling: no one was talking.

"They probably kept to themselves," Byleth suggested. "I imagine some may have tried to take advantage of the chaos."

"That's certainly a possibility," Lysithea commented. "There are plenty of rogues that live down there, but there are also others that might just be trying to escape the war."

"I'm surprised Baltie and the others didn't join us after we came back," said Hilda before sighing. "I really hope he didn't get into any more trouble while we were away. He's already got enough bounties on his head."

"It is strange that they never showed up. Surely the activity taking place at the monastery didn't go unnoticed by them, especially since it was abandoned for five years."

Hilda giggled. "Well they certainly didn't miss the explosion courtesy of our own little Lysithea a couple days ago!"

Lysithea's eyes furrowed as her nostrils flared. "Excuse me?! I happen to be much taller than I was before, Hilda. I'm even taller than you now!"

That managed to bring out a pout from the Goneril. "Yeah, what is with that anyway?! Five years later and I haven't grown one whole centimeter! Suddenly I'm the shortest in our group!" Hilda did a cursory scan of her before beaming. "But I'm still more surprised by you, Lysithea! You've matured remarkably since our Academy days! And your wardrobe is absolutely striking! It really accentuates that beauty I always thought you had. Who designed it anyway?"

The mage managed a proud, but warm smile on her face. Being called mature even now always had a way of flattering her. "My mother did actually, though I did input my own suggestions. It was her idea to gift me something special once I came of age... and..." She found herself trailing off and unable to describe the scenario further, that dreaded resignation returning. Back then the excitement of working with her mother to make her this dress was likely the most she had been since the Officers Academy. Now upon uttering her age all it did was remind her that there wouldn't be many more birthdays left for her, not that she ever really celebrated them anyway.

Hilda quirked her head, puzzled about the sudden change in mood from her companion. "You okay, Lysithea? That smile of yours went away just as soon as it came."

Lysithea shook her head. "It's nothing, Hilda. No need to worry about me." It was a familiar tactic of hers. Shrug off any concerns whenever she felt the topic steering toward that uncomfortable territory. Even now she still tried to keep some measure of distance from everyone. There was nothing they could do for her; better to let them believe everything was fine.

Hilda only responded with a quizzical look before she got the hint and decided to drop the subject. As for the professor, Lysithea noticed him turn his head slightly, enough for him to see her before he faced forward again. She wondered what he might be thinking in that tiny-cracked mind bowl of his, as Claude once described him.

It didn't take her long to piece together that perhaps he recognized that she was deflecting Hilda just like she did to him, though with less defense than before. It made sense if it were the case, as he was nothing if not observant of others. It was a particularly useful skill of his that she respected, allowing him to not only notice flaws in their training, but it let him be able to read people in conversation too. She figured that was one of the major reasons why he was so liked by her and the others during the Academy, for he knew when to offer advice, or when to remain neutral or back away from a subject if they didn't want to broach it.

It might have even helped him prevent him from calling her a child like so many others did during that year, but as she discovered, he never noticed that until she brought it up. At first she believed it to be a lack of attentiveness toward his students, but as she later found out, he doesn't take age or appearance into account when assessing a person's abilities. If they can perform a job and do it well without sacrificing their integrity, then it didn't matter how old they were or what they looked like. That non-judgmental outlook he had of others was something she wished some of the students had, and even some of the other professors.

After several minutes of going down corridors that all seemingly looked the same, they arrived at what was an all too familiar room, and it caused her to shudder as she became reacquainted with it. It was this chamber where they encounter the Death Knight for a second time in their search for a kidnapped Flayn, along with meeting the forces that served the Flame Emperor, who they knew to be Edelgard. A tumultuous affair she recalled, but Professor Byleth was able to keep a level-head despite the opponent he was facing, and while he kept the terror distracted she and the others fought their way over to where Flayn and another girl, Monica, were unconscious.

The room was as dark as every corridor they went through so far, yet it only made Lysithea tense up more as the light from the torch only extended so far, unable to reach the further depths where it was as black as the void and seemingly swallow whatever light tried to approach it. The only sounds being made were the flicker of the flame, and the controlled breathing of the three souls inside.

"Didn't think we'd ever have to come here again..." commented Hilda, with a twinge of anxiety. Her voiced echoed somewhat off the walls, and Lysithea wished Hilda wouldn't speak so loud for fear of attracting unwanted, ethereal attention. She did not voice it for she herself as she did not want Hilda to know about her phasmophobia. "This place still looks as creepy and dilapidated as when we first came here."

"Whoever built these tunnels long ago knew what they were doing," remarked the professor as he approached one of the stone columns supporting the roof. He crouched down and rubbed his hand across it and a faint cloud of dust erupted before quickly scattering in varying directions. "Sturdy. Strong. Impressive construction for its time."

"Look could we please just keep going?!" Lysithea practically demanded, her voice louder than she would have liked as it echoed off the walls, causing her to jolt in her spot. "We don't need to spend time admiring the craftsmanship of these d-dark, enclosing walls, or reminiscing about what we did here! Professor, where do we go next?!"

When he looked up into her eyes they were almost begging him to proceed with their trek. He was no stranger to her fear, her having blurted it out back when he was still their teacher, and he must have known that she was on edge ever since starting this whole journey because of it. Able to read the message she was trying to convey, he nodded and stood up, and it was then she realized that she had instinctively followed over to where he was, a moth guided by the flame and not wanting to be trapped in darkness.

"Over here." He led them over to a corner of the wall, which did little to alleviate her anxiety of leaving this place as soon as possible. He began to feel some of the bricks with his free hand, rubbing them as though searching for something and trying to recollect. After a few seconds he found a brick that, upon closer inspection, jutted out a little more than the others though not enough to be noticed with a cursory glance. He pressed his fingers into the rock, and surprisingly or not, it sunk into the wall until they heard a soft click.

Off to the side was the sound of stone grinding against stone, and suddenly a section of the wall began to pull itself back. Lysithea watched as it did so, amazed that there was a secret passageway here this whole time, and they never knew about it when they first came down. She understood that there was a whole network of tunnels down here, but to think there might exist even more made her wonder just how deep below ground the monastery went. What sort of secrets were buried beneath Garreg Mach, forgotten to time and waiting for someone to discover them?

"A secret passage, huh?" said Hilda, less impressed than Lysithea was. "It really makes you wonder what all these underground tunnels were made for in the past..."

"I'm wondering that myself..." added Lysithea.

Hilda chuckled to herself. "Claude would have a field day with this if he wasn't so swamped with work."

"I recall him being rather vexed that he couldn't come."

"Well, as Professor Byleth pointed out, we do need to have at least one of our Leader Men on the surface to handle things while we're gone. Though it was pretty funny to see him get bothered so much by it."

"Not to mention it was the professor's invitation to Abyss, and not Claude's." Logical as it was, Lysithea did draw some amusement about seeing Claude denied the opportunity to explore the monastery's depths for its secrets.

"This was a passage that an Abyssian guide took me down before," explained the professor, unfazed by the girls' conversation. "It's faster than the old route he took me once we discovered it." With that, he stepped into the new passage and beckoned the two women to follow him. Both of them spared a chance to look at each other, curious as to just what else the professor knew during the Academy days, before following close behind him.

While they proceeded to once more go through darkened, nondescript tunnels and rooms, Lysithea returned to her thoughts, specifically what Hilda had mentioned earlier about the Abyssians only now being interested in speaking with the resistance. She didn't worry so much about why they never offered to help as they were already people that preferred to mind their own business rather than aid anyone for a good cause. It was especially true when she had to consider that they would be more or less fighting for the Church, an entity that is responsible for their predicament in the first place. It made sense that they wouldn't leap at the chance to fight for the very thing they despised, even with a change in leadership.

However there were four individuals that were more inclined to do so, and that was where she was confused. Yuri, Constance, Hapi, and Balthus all were brought in by Professor Byleth to be his students, even though they weren't in any official capacity, after some incident that took place in the cathedral, which everyone involved, including the professor, was keeping silent about. For whatever reason, they did not come to the class's reunion a month ago, leaving her wondering why they decided not to attend. Yuri she could at least understand as his priority was the well-being of those in the Abyss as its de facto leader, but the other three she didn't see any reason why they wouldn't save for Hapi. With the letter that the professor mentioned he received a couple days ago, she was anticipating that now would be the time when they would join up.

Which was the reason why they were waiting for Hilda a little while ago. The lack of attendance from the former Ashen Wolves the professor took to meaning that they were either uninterested, or might have forgotten about it altogether. Judging from the note that the so-called "Savage Mockingbird" had sent to him the night after the battle two days ago, she drew the conclusion that they were aware of their presence, and perhaps was wanting to see if their resistance was worth supporting. Either way, it was suggested that Hilda come along and at least use her past connection with Balthus to bring him to the cause... or in case things took a turn for a worse, they would have the extra strength to aid them.

"Are you doing okay, Lysithea?" she was asked randomly, snapping her out of her thoughts to see that Professor Byleth had his head turned toward her slightly. His face betrayed no emotion, yet she knew he asked due to what he knew about her.

"Yeah, you've been awful quiet over there," Hilda pointed out with a raised brow. Upon inspection she realized had been silent quite for a while.

"I'm fine," she assured them. "I'm just thinking about everything that's been going on, with this and with the war."

She nodded. "It is a lot to think about, especially now that we have a victory to start our part in it. With that detachment out of the way we can see if the merchants will want to come here now. Ugh, and Claude already wants me to go out and see if that's possible..."

Lysithea replied with an impressed smirk. "You know Hilda, the professor and I were talking about you earlier, how you've become much more responsible than during our time at the Academy."

Hilda's eyes went wide at the observation. "Oh come on, I don't think-"

"She's right," said Byleth, offering the woman a faint smile of approval. "You're management of the others has been a great relief for all of us."

If she was flustered before, now Hilda was blushing from the praise she was receiving. "P-please don't think this means you can raise your expectations of me! There's just so much to do, and we can't expect Claude to handle everything, can we? With what he has going on, he'd probably mess something up, and then who knows what'll happen at that point. I'm just helping him out to make sure that he doesn't make life difficult for me."

Lysithea giggled to herself at Hilda's embarrassment. It was a rare sight to see the pink-haired girl this way, especially when she knew she helped to bring it out of her. Naturally she would try to spin it as such that she's doing it for her own benefit. Given her behavior during the Academy Lysithea would normally believe that, but the fact that no one, not even Claude, asked Hilda to take on these responsibilities made her think otherwise. It reminded her that she and the others in the Golden Deer had grown so much since they were students, some more drastic like Marianne, and others more subtle like Claude. Whether it was through finally entering the adult life, or because of the war, or a combination of both she couldn't say, but she was glad for it nonetheless.

The three of them engaged in small-talk as they continued onward, jumping from one topic to the next as they made the relatively dull journey to Abyss, with Lysithea being grateful for the noise now to keep her mind off of what might be lurking in the shadows. The conversations were mostly carried by the two women though they tried to include the professor as much as they could, a hard task for someone who spent nearly all his life separate from others.

---

After what felt like hours of going through rooms and tunnels that looked no different than the other, they at last finally arrived at an archway. Beyond it, the area was well-lit and they could hear the sound of flowing water passing underneath the bridge before them. From their distance, Lysithea could make out makeshift shelters, propped up with wooden beams or planks and topped off with boards tightly strung together, puzzling her as there was no threat of inclement weather. There were a pair of children playing with each other on the opposite side, and two adults hunched over a fire far enough away to not burn one of the wooden roofs.

"So this is Abyss..." said Lysithea, downtrodden by the sight. The squalid conditions were something she wasn't used to seeing as the life of a noble meant that she would only ever look upon such a place if she tried. She knew places like Abyss existed, but to see it with her own eyes reminded her that not everyone got to live a cozy life like she could, a product of the system currently in place.

"Hasn't changed at all since the last time I was here," remarked Hilda. "But judging by the look of things the war doesn't appear to have affected anyone."

"Unless there are refugees further in. I imagine Abyss would be far from a priority for the emperor, assuming she even remembers this place exists."

"Well she was with us when we first came here, but you're probably right Lysithea. And from what I remember about Yuri he wouldn't let any harm come to the people here no matter what."

Lysithea's eyes shifted to the floor in concern. "And it's that connection with the people of Abyss that has me concerned about whether or not he and the others would be willing to join us."

Hilda turned her head to Lysithea, eyes widened by the thought. "Come on Lysithea! They were our classmates before! That has to count for something... right, professor?"

"That's my hope," he stated nonchalantly while nodding. "But we won't know until we find out."

"Then let's not waste anymore time wondering what may or may not happen," replied Lysithea directly, flexing her fingers in determination.

"Stay on guard," cautioned their professor as both of them lifted their feet to go, pausing in mid-air. "There is still a possibility that it could be a trap. Yuri is shrewd and cunning. He'll do what he thinks is best for Abyss, not us." Both women nodded their acknowledgment, then the three of them proceed across the bridge.

Almost immediately as they did Lysithea took in just how big Abyss was. The ceiling must have been at least three stories high, and the walls seemed to stretch for several meters before finally meeting the adjacent ones. A large, box-shaped structure was off a little further in to the right that was connected to the central hub of Abyss by a series of three small bridges over a channel. The central hub was much more open, yet it was divided up by wooden fences that must have been erected by the denizens over a period of time. She had to admit that this place was not was she was expecting; it looked more like an enclosed township rather than a ruined chamber.

Which brought the question once more to her mind as to what the purpose this labyrinth network of chambers and corridors were once used for. They must have had a purpose at one point, but whatever books that happen to mention them in the library never went into detail about what that purpose was. There were at least a couple of rooms that seemed to function as burial chambers from long ago, and they even passed through a particularly large room that had massive statues of the four saints of the Church on each side of a square arena-like center, which likely functioned as the training grounds on the surface, but she couldn't say for sure.

She didn't take too long in her pondering before the three rounded a wooden fence, and her curiosity disappeared as her heart sank at the sight she beheld. The barrier had masked her fear, and before them were multiple small groups of people that she knew to be families huddle around various campfires. As she scanned the crowd she could see all manner of their plight. Many of those present were mothers with their children, some only children, and others with one or more siblings, and even orphans were among their ranks. Those with mothers were sitting next to them, bundled up in blankets as they tried to keep warm from the cold air that seeped its way down from above. Some at least had the good fortune of having well-kept clothes, but many unfortunate others were torn, and judging from the look of them it was the only change of clothing that any of them had with them.

Their faces were those of misery she saw, all very aware of their condition. One boy had tears developing in his eyes, sniffling and telling his mother how cold he was. The woman could only comfort her son as best she could, trying to say things were okay. Another group she saw were just two small girls, twins, staring into the fire with blank gazes not unlike that of Professor Byleth. They were keenly aware of their predicament, and Lysithea could only wish that they didn't have to be, to never have had to grow up so fast like she did. Worse still was what they might grow up to be like without their parents to guide them. She at least still had hers despite what she went through; with them she wondered how they would turn out now.

"This is horrible..." she uttered, just loud enough for her two companions to hear her.

"There were definitely not this many people the last time I was here," informed a saddened Hilda. "All of these refugees from the war... I don't see any fathers here, and some of them don't even have mothers either. Those poor orphans..."

"All of them must have come from the Dukedom," surmised Lysithea, who felt her brows furrowing as she did. "Their lords should have been helping them repair their broken homes, and I doubt Cornelia is doing anything at all to get them to do just that. They're probably more concerned about protecting their own borders or contributing to the total downfall of what's left of the Kingdom." It was then Lysithea noticed that Professor Byleth appeared saddened too. His eyes were cast down to the stone floor, brows knitted slightly, and his hands were curled into fists. "Are you okay, professor?"

"This reminds me of what happened to Remire," he lamented, though if she didn't know him better than she wouldn't have been able to tell. As he spoke the name of that village his fists tightened, to the point where she could hear the sound of his gloves being squeezed.

The destruction of Remire village was the first time Lysithea had ever seen her professor so troubled by anything. The destruction that Solon and his lackeys brought to the peaceful village disturbed even her, what with some of the people clawing and tearing at each other. They saved everyone they could, but the village had gone up in flames by the time they were finished, so harsh was the rampage of the crazed villagers. The survivors were all brought to Garreg Mach afterward, and now that she could see his mood presently, what was before them reminded him of that day, and how he thought he failed them.

"This isn't your fault," she stated soothingly. "This is the work of Cornelia and those supporting her. From what I have heard about the state of the Dukedom, Cornelia has done little for the people of the Dukedom. She taxes them heavily, and most of her focus is along the border between the Dukedom and what remains of the Kingdom."

"Still..." he uttered, continuing to look upon the crowd of refugees.

"It does put this war into perspective, yes," she finished, joining him in his scanning, her heart going out to those who were suffering from the war.

"Well," said Hilda, "If we defeat the Empire the Dukedom will probably go down with it. It's only like that now because Edelgard was preparing for this for a long time."

"And they're probably afraid of what will happen to them if they decide to rebel."

"And meanwhile it's the people suffering the most because of this war of hers." The three of them widened their eyes at the sharp, but smooth-sounding voice that suddenly made his presence known.

They reared their heads to the side to see a familiar face walked towards them across the bridge from the box-like structure.

Lysithea was able to recognize him immediately, the lavender hair of the man and his soothing voice giving him away. His clothing was much less so, having removed the old Academy outfit he once wore and replaced with something a little more unique. Still fitting in with the color of his defunct "house", his clothing was of ashen-colored leather, though if it weren't for the gloves and steel boots one would think he wasn't dressed to fight. What stood out the most was the black and violet cape he wore, with a seemingly red and black, jester design for its mantle.

As for his head he still looked the same way as before, though his hair was a little longer than it used to be. His face was still as smooth and well-kept as ever, and he still wore that pinkish eye liner she remembered him wearing back at the Academy. If she had not had seen him before, he could almost be mistaken for a woman until he spoke, something she admitted to falling for in the past before quickly correcting herself.

Probably the only thing that truly stood out from what he was wearing was his Relic, the Fetters of Dromi that was attached to his hand. She had to say that it was probably one of the more disturbing Relics she had ever seen, insomuch that it resembled a bony hand that connected it self to Yuri's fingers by a pair of rings for each digit. She had to wonder just what the Goddess was thinking by making its appearance, and by extension a majority of the other Relics, so unnerving.

"Yuri," Byleth greeted the man plainly as the Ashen Wolf leader approached them. The professor held out a hand, and Yuri obliged the gesture and shook it. "Good to see you again."

"Likewise friend, though I have to admit I'm still a bit shocked to see you despite knowing that you were above our heads the whole time this past month. Guess it takes some getting used to, seeing someone come back from the dead."

Byleth frowned and raised a brow. "I never died."

Yuri gave him a bemused smile. "Clearly not. I see you got my letter."

"I did. You accepted your title?"

Yuri rolled his eyes, though as Lysithea could tell it was more about the fact that Yuri even had a title, and not at the professor's question. "I was convinced that it would help to keep my people here safe if others with ill intentions started to think they could take advantage of them. I'm not a fan of it myself, but if it comforts my people knowing they have someone looking out for them, then I can accept it." He then turned his attention to her. "Lysithea. Hilda. Good to see you both doing well."

"Nice to see you too, Yuri!" Hilda greeted him. "I like what you've done with your hair!"

Yuri smirked and chuckled. "Is that so? It actually used to be longer, but then I saw what Balthus's was like and decided that having it that long wasn't for me."

"Where is Baltie by the way? He isn't still here is he?"

Yuri shook his head while still holding his smirk. He tilted his head back toward where he came from. "Off in the dorms, still laying low from bounty hunters despite the war going on."

Hilda's mouth went agape as her eyes went wide. "You mean he's still in debt?!"

"I know. He took the opportunity to hire himself out as a mercenary to take advantage of his skills as the 'Whatever King of Grappling', but to my understanding he just got himself into more trouble by being too loose with his money... again."

"Baltie you just..." Hilda planted her hand on her face and sighed in exasperation, and even Lysithea had to roll her eyes at the irresponsibility of the Golden Deer alumnus. "I keep telling him that we're more than willing to help him out, but he just keeps digging himself a deeper hole."

"It certainly doesn't help that he keeps gambling it away..."

Hilda winced at the detail before sighing again. "I'm going to go have a word with him. I'll be right back." She made her way past Yuri and went down the direction Yuri originated from, leaving the three of them to dread just what she might end up doing to the poor man, the way she playfully ended her sentence doing nothing to ease them.

Meanwhile, Lysithea decided to address the elephant in the room, her peripheral vision still filled with the surrounding refugees, and her ears hearing the hushed chatter among them. "Yuri... how long have all these people been here?"

Yuri turned to look in a general direction, a somber look plastered on his face as he did. "It varies, depending on who you talk to. Some of them have been here for months, others have arrived more recently. We're accommodating them as much as we can, but Abyss has never exactly been the most wealthy of places, for obvious reasons."

"How did they find out about Abyss?"

Yuri snickered to himself. "I haven't been idle these past five years. I've been keeping an eye on the progress of the war, and as much as I hate to admit it, the emperor has made strides in it. I knew it was going to cause hardships like this, especially after Cornelia took control of the Dukedom. With the way she runs it it's easy enough to tell that she cares little about what happens to the commonfolk, which is unusual for her considering she once helped the Kingdom recover from a plague twenty years ago."

"You've been spreading the word?" Byleth guessed, though the same question had occurred to her as well.

"Quietly, but yes. Can't be too careful after all. This place is virtually unknown beyond the walls of Garreg Mach, and a good place for the people here to take shelter after they've been drained or robbed of their livelihoods. Some of them have adapted to life here, while others..." He motioned toward the people surrounding them. "Have only arrived more recently, and we're doing what we can to feed them."

"Are the other Ashen Wolves here?"

Yuri didn't answer immediately, glancing down at the floor before refocusing on them. "One of them is. Hapi has been preparing meals for everyone with what food we do get. She's taken on quite a lot ever since refugees began arriving. You almost wouldn't recognize her."

"And Constance?" Lysithea asked, expecting the worse. "What happened to her?"

Again, the man did not answer immediately, and she could see how troubled he was regarding the Nuvelle scion. "She's with the Imperial army."

Both she and Byleth's eyes widened at the news. Of all the updates they could have received from him, that was one that they hoped to not hear.

"Why?!" Byleth asked, alarmed. She could see his mouth hanging open, unusual for him as he rarely ever expressed shock... for him anyway.

"According to her, she saw it as the best opportunity to restore her House if she could impress the emperor. After the battle five years ago, she seized on that opportunity and has been leading the forces in the former Kingdom ever since." Yuri looked at the ground, disgruntled and clearly uneasy. As Lysithea looked around, some of the more permanent denizens of Abyss appeared to be reflecting the mood their leader was demonstrating, but she realized it was more of disdain.

"It makes sense when you think about it," Lysithea commented, aware that it wasn't exactly what the denizens would have wanted to hear, but she wasn't worried about them. "What better way to restore her House then to prove her skills on the battlefield. If she's been successful this whole time, I would imagine Edelgard will have noticed by now."

Byleth only glanced down at the floor. "Then she sided with Edelgard willingly..." His shoulders sunk at the knowledge. For a month now he had the benefit of knowing that the students he knew were being forced to fight for the emperor, so inlay the chance of perhaps turning them to the resistance and thereby avoiding the potential of killing them. For Constance to have joined Edelgard of her own volition meant that it was less likely for her to switch sides, especially with her overall goal being her foremost priority.

"And it's easy to see that her decision didn't bode well for the people who knew her here."

Yuri looked around to see his people carrying worse expressions than his. When they noticed, they resumed what they were doing, hoping their leader hadn't seen them, but it was wishful thinking. "I can't say I blame her for making her decision. It was always her dream to restore Nuvelle, but I don't begrudge her for leaving. Others here... don't feel the same way, given what the war has done for some of them."

"And I'm definitely not one of those people." They were joined by another person this time, a woman who's voice Byleth and Lysithea recognized with how curt and rough it sounded. A tanned-skin woman with dark, red-orange hair approached them who, much like Yuri showed signs of what the past five years had done for her. Her hair was split down heavily to one side and the rest flowing down the back of her neck. She was wearing a thin, golden headband that complimented her new earrings. A dark cloak covered up most of her neck, and swayed side to side as she approached them. Her teal shirt was held tightly by an black, and outward corset that was accented by a wing-like skirt. Finally, her dark boots came all the way up to her thighs, and seemed to be designed for horseback riding, which made sense given the woman's affinity for it despite her location.

Lysithea was amazed at just how much Hapi seemed to matured since she last saw her. She looked far more like the sorceress that she was, and her outfit accentuated her body well. It was when noticed that that she realized that, while Hapi had not gained any height, she noticed the woman made gains elsewhere, and she was suddenly yet briefly stricken by a sense of inadequacy.

"Hello Hapi," greeted Byleth with a faint smile, nodding at her as he did so. Hapi, for her part, remained blank at the warm welcome from her former professor. If Lysithea had to hazard a guess, Hapi was likely studying him, something the man quickly noticed. "What is it?"

"We heard you were back, but it's still hard to believe my own eyes, especially when I saw you get knocked off that cliff, Chatterbox."

Lysithea noted that Byleth shifted slightly, probably wanting to say something, but decided against it.

"You look like you're doing well too, Snowball." Lysithea held back a wince at the utterance of Hapi's nickname for her. She tried to insist back during the Academy for her to be called by her actual name, but that proved to be an unwinnable argument as Hapi had a tendency to do that to everyone. Once she realized she wasn't being singled-out she accepted it, though still wished it was something a little less demeaning.

"As do you, Hapi," she replied, offering her faint smile to her. "You're new appearance really brings out the sorceress you always were."

"This? It was Coco's idea before she... well, you know. Your dress is doing the same, Snowball, and you've grown a lot since we last saw each other. You're a lot taller than I remember."

"Noticed that did you?" Lysithea smirked proudly. "It's done wonders to have people treat me more fairly then they ever did during the Academy."

"That whole 'treating you like a child' thing? Yeah, never really understood that. You were a lot brighter than most of them could ever hope to be."

Lysithea giggled at the flattery. Truth be told, she did like Hapi, and they were good friends. She was straightforward with her manner of speech, which she appreciated, though Lysithea noted that Hapi never seemed to carry the emotion of her name. There were times where the tan woman smiled, but more often Hapi never seemed to take joy out of what she did. Whether that was just her own behavior was originally her conclusion, but that was until she saw Hapi cast dark magic.

She had always wondered what happened with her that she was capable of doing such magic. Dark magic could only be used by those who either held great negative emotions, or, at least in her experience, suffered great trauma in their lives. Such was her case in the latter, and she assumed that Hapi may be similar, but the woman was never forward about what she went through. Lysithea could understand if that was the case, having to keep her own dark secret from others for fear of being either treated or seen any differently because of it. She hoped to one day learn Hapi's history, and in doing so she'd be willing to share her own, but that day had not come yet.

Just as Hapi was getting reacquainted with the two of them, Lysithea and Byleth looked past the two Wolves to see Hilda now returning to them, with the tall Balthus being dragged by the arm along with her, the man stumbling as he tried to keep up with an unamused Hilda, her lips pursed and her grip on him relatively tight.

He looked every bit a brawler as his self-proclaimed title gave credence too. His clothing didn't do much to hide the fact that the man was well-built underneath, though in his current case only the top portion of his pectorals were exposed. Both his boots and his gauntlets were on as though he were expecting to get into a fight at any point in time and was prepared for it should it occur. While his tan shirt and black pants weren't in any way impressive, the shirt eventually trailing down to coattails that wrapped around the back and sides of his waist, said waist was covered by a large, ovular belt.

What stood out the most was what was strapped to his back, the once forgotten Heroes' Relic, Vajra-Mushti. They kept the same coloration as any other Relic, but these were the only gauntlets of those variety, though you wouldn't be able to tell right away as the blade-shaped protrusions at the end of them could attest to. A punch wasn't so much a punch from them as more of impaling, especially when considering Balthus's already impressive strength.

"Hilda, ease up a little would ya'?" Balthus asked her, though it wasn't even a plea. He seemed to be enjoying himself as he was getting brought in, likely more impressed that Hilda had grown stronger herself over the years than the fact that he was being treated like a child who was being punished.

"No way, Baltie," she replied, her tone matching her face. "We've kept everyone waiting long enough."

"Guess the childhood friends got reacquainted huh?" remarked Hapi, giggling to herself at Balthus's "expense." It was only a little longer before Hilda let Balthus go next to Yuri before retaking her position at Byleth's side, looking quite proud of herself for what she did.

"Your grip is a lot stronger than the last time I saw you," he complimented, unfazed by his brief humiliation, and more impressed than anything. "Was Holst keeping you busy with training these past five years?"

"He tried to anyway," Hilda admitted, "But with the war going on he's been pretty busy keeping an eye on the border. With the way Fódlan is right now he figures Almyra will think this would be the best time to attack us." Hilda then suddenly nudged the professor, who didn't even flinch but raised an inquisitive brow regardless. "It's mostly Professor Byleth's fault for getting me to keep up with my training."

"Speaking of which, how ya' been pal? Glad to see not even death can keep you down."

"I don't know if I was dead," Byleth answered with a shrug. "I think I was sleeping."

"Sleeping?" Hapi replied, offended. "For five years? That's rich. We all saw you get blown off that cliff. No one sleeps for five years when there's a war going on, or was that all just too boring for you?"

"We don't know for certain what happened with him, Hapi," said Lysithea, coming to his defense. "Yes he did disappear over the cliff, but we can't rightfully say he died either."

"No offense, Snowball, but a person falling several meters down into a valley doesn't knock a person unconscious!"

"Take it easy, Hapi," Balthus interjected, sympathetically putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him before closing hers, breathing carefully and avoiding sighing lest unwanted trouble came along. "You'll have to forgive her. Taking care of all the refugees has been hard on us. We aren't used to having this many people here."

"Which brings us to why I summoned you here, professor," said Yuri. "As you might have guessed, we've been down here these past years avoiding the majority of the war and watching over the refugees in the Church's stead. With the Knights of Seiros and the rest of the Church on the run from the Empire, they had nowhere else to go, which is why we brought them here."

"So far the Empire hasn't seen given us any attention," added Balthus. "Though if they did they'd have one hell of a fight on their hands."

"More like the emperor just doesn't see us as important," corrected Hapi. "She wants to conquer Fódlan, not enslave it."

"And now that the Church has returned," continued Yuri, making a hint of indication that he needed to speak. "We were wondering if it would be willing to help the refugees out."

"You're only bringing this up now?" Lysithea asked in suspicion. "Why not do so after we returned?"

"As I've mentioned, I have eyes and ears throughout Fódlan, and part of that network is keeping an eye on threats to the monastery, and by extension Abyss. I knew about the encampment nearby for sometime now, and monitored it to make sure they didn't wander into the grounds, or anyone else that didn't ask nicely."

"That explains why the monastery was empty," Byleth noted, then he realized something dreadful. "Those bandits in the town..."

"They were not part of Abyss, don't worry. I never did anything to discourage them staying there; they were convenient to keep others out too."

"So why wait until now to contact us?" Hilda asked.

"Powerful as the professor and all of you are, you are the underdogs in this war, a mouse versus a wyvern. I couldn't risk these people's lives on the chance that all of you were either slain or captured by in your first battle. Now that you've taken care of that problem, I'm more confident about your chances."

The professor turned his attention to one group of refugees, then to another as he the the inner workings of his mind began to turn briefly before shaking his head. "We don't have the supplies to support them. We're rationing as much as we can right now as it is."

"We're struggling too," Hapi argued, frowning. "It's not easy to bring food down here when we have to wind our way through these tunnels. You guys stand a better chance of feeding them then we do."

"And now that the Empire has backed off," said Balthus. "I imagine it'll be easier for merchants to come around again."

"The area around the monastery might be clear of Imperial soldiers," countered Lysithea, crossing her arms as she did. "But we don't have any clear supply lines from the Alliance, not while Count Gloucester is still under threat of invasion. And I highly doubt the merchants from the Empire are willing to aid us."

"I thought that might be the case," Yuri coolly replied, smirking. "Which is why we and some of my people have been ambushing the Empire's supply lines for their food. We figured it was the best way for them to give back to the people who's lives they've trampled on."

"You mean in the Dukedom?" asked an astonished Hilda, to which Yuri nodded in response. "That might explain why the Empire is stalemated with the Kingdom."

"That, and the fact that the emperor lost interest in fighting the holdouts. She seems content to let the Dukedom finish the Kingdom off and is only offering tertiary support."

"Which has to mean she's likely preparing to attack the Alliance..." murmured Lysithea, pinching her chin and knitting her brows in concern. "It was only matter of time, but nevertheless it's unsettling how good our timing is in forming our resistance."

"It seems like you have everything figured out to aid these people yourself, Yuri," noted Hilda, something that both Lysithea and Byleth nodded in agreement. "Why come to us to take that over? If the Empire doesn't see you as a threat, it doesn't make sense to suddenly put these people on the surface."

"She has a point," added Lysithea. "If they were to come to the surface it would only be putting them in harms way."

"These people..." Yuri said as gazed at the crowd in the area, all seemingly minding their own business, but he could tell they were listening. "They shouldn't be here. This place is for those of us who were rejected by society; they belong up there with everyone else. They had their lives turned around because the Empire doesn't care about collateral damage." Yuri stared into Byleth's stony eyes and gave him a sly smile. "Besides, it would look really bad for the new archbishop and the Church to turn away refugees when they needed help."

Byleth and Hilda's eyes went wide, while Lysithea gave Yuri an appalled look. So that was what was really going on. It was low for even Yuri to bargain with the well-being of the refugees, but to guilt the professor into accepting them or face a hit on his reputation was just inconceivable. She knew Yuri to be Claude's equal when it came to schemes, and she reluctantly admitted that this was pretty devious of him. Perhaps Yuri could give the Alliance leader a run for his money when it came to cunning plans.

"You tricked us?!" Hilda exclaimed in shock.

"That's low, Yuri," added Lysithea in disgust. "I don't think even Claude would stoop that low."

"Is it really that awful?" he replied, flipping his hands up. "If the Church helps the refugees, they can spread the word that the Knights of Seiros have returned to take up arms against the Empire once again. I'm sure many people still hold to the faith, and after everything the Empire has done they're all looking for the Church to finally retaliate. Getting the support of the people would be a boon to your cause."

Murmurs started to run through the crowd to a noticeable volume, and heads among it began turning toward each other and the six of them as Yuri laid out the rest of his idea. The possibility that they might be able to leave and rebuild their lives with the Church watching over them was enticing, and more and more Lysithea was seeing the writing on the wall. Despite how impractical it would be, they were entering a no-win situation. She was torn between her heart telling her to support them, and her brain saying how much more difficult it would be to survive with several more mouths to feed.

"They can also help to rebuild the town now that it's a smoking ruin," said Balthus, proudly placing both his fists on his hips. "I know all these people are looking forward to getting back to the way things were before. And if they can do it knowing the Church is protecting them, all the better."

"You wouldn't have to worry about feeding them," assured Hapi. "We can send some of the food we get from the Empire toward all of you. It won't be banquet-sized, but it will at least keep them fed."

As Lysithea opened her mouth to argue against giving them time to think it over, Byleth held up his hand for her to halt. He glanced towards her and gave her a knowing look, one filled with intent, and she knew that he had already thought it over. It sounded as though Yuri had everything all planned out for the refugees to be supported and to be protected, but regardless she felt a fair amount of indignation that they were never given time to think it over or offer any input. Yuri had already made the decision for them, and now she had to wonder what the professor was planning himself.

"Very well, Yuri," Byleth acquiesced. "You appear to have the logistics taken care of. We will protect the refugees since you can provide for them."

There were further whispers amongst the crowd, this time sounding more hopeful than before, perhaps the first time they felt it since they first arrived here. The Wolves seemed to be pleased by the professors decision, bearing smiles on their visages.

"I thought you'd see it my-"

"On one condition."

Just as quickly as their smiles appear did they fade away. Both she and Hilda looked up at their professor to see just what it was he was planning now, only to see that he himself was bearing a warm smile. Yet somehow Lysithea did not feel comfortable at all seeing it, and she shook away the notion he was not so much planning, but plotting.

"I had a feeling it wasn't going to be that easy," said Yuri, sighing and shaking his head at himself, though Lysithea could tell that was what he was expecting all along. "All right, what's the condition?"

"I want the three of you to join us in the war."

The three of them blinked momentarily, wondering if that was really all there was to it, though notably Hapi was the only one that rolled her eyes at the request. Balthus only smirked in response at the professor, while Yuri looked less than thrilled at the prospect of once again having to enter battle on behalf of Byleth.

"Is that all there is, pal?" Balthus asked, laughing as he did. He stretched out his arms and grunted in confidence. "I would've joined even if that wasn't a condition. I do love me a good fight, and I think it's about time I properly introduced that Empire to the 'Fearsome King of Grappling' and make them pay for what they did to these people. That... and Hilda here probably wouldn't have taken no for an answer."

"You got that right, Baltie," replied the woman with that coy smile she always used to trick others into doing her work. She playfully stretched out her own arms as she shifted in place. "I don't know what Holst would say or do to you if I somehow got killed in battle and you had the chance to save me, but refused to join us to do so."

Balthus winced as his brows knitted. "Geez, you really know how to guilt-trip a guy, you know that?"

"While it is a tempting offer, professor," Yuri began, playing it cool as he usually did, though Lysithea could detect trace hints of hesitance as the rogue clenched the fingers of one of his hands together. "I'm not known for taking leaps of faith in my bargains. You've known me long enough to know that I don't play my hand unless I know I can win, and given the odds your resistance faces against the Empire, it's not a guaranteed winning deal for me. I can coordinate the delivery of the supplies we raid to the refugees, but you would need to make some real progress before I would consider joining you again."

Lysithea gritted her teeth, but held her tongue for Professor Byleth's sake. Yuri was practically dumping the refugees off to them, appealing to the professor's sense of compassion alongside putting him a position that he couldn't outright refuse, lest he give himself, and by extension their resistance, a bad image.

"I know you care enough about these people to want to defend them, Yuri," countered Byleth, calmly but with a voice loud enough for those around them to hear. "The knights can protect them, but the refugees look up to you. How would it look for you if you just left them to us without committing to their safety from the Empire? It sounds as if you're abandoning them. Were you only helping them because you had no choice?"

Yuri remained silent as his eyes went wide at the accusation. The whispers among the crowd grew again, but now their tone was more of suspicion directed at the man. If Yuri wanted to form words, they never materialized as he stood there flabbergasted, all while Byleth maintained that smile of his and the only reason Lysithea could deduce as to why it wasn't a smug one was because he was very good at masking it. Yet more evidence that Claude had rubbed off on him, only in this case she did enjoy seeing Yuri facing the karma of his deception.

Yuri at last shook his head and let out an amused grunt. "Well played, friend. What goes around comes around, as they say. After that display I can't rightly say no, can I? Fine then, I will join you in this. However I do have my duties to attend to down here, but I'll be up there when you need me."

"Thank you, Yuri," answered Byleth, able to relax now that his ploy paid off. He diverted his attention over to Hapi, who locked eyes with him the moment he did. "And how about you, Hapi?"

"Really one of those times where I wish I could sigh," commented the warlock, closing her eyes in frustration, then opening them again. "I'll help you, Chatterbox, but I'll be doing this for them and you, not the Church."

He nodded, very much aware of her history with the Church and how they did nothing to help her when she came to them for it.

"Thank you, Hapi," Lysithea responded, a slight smile creasing her face. "And for the rest of you." Her face contorted to anger as her brows furrowed and glared at Yuri. "Even if I do take issue with Yuri using refugees as a bargaining chip in this deal, and no input from us no less."

"As much as you may disagree with my methods," Yuri replied. "You have to admit my motive for doing so is benevolent. Battles aren't the only things that win wars. The support of the people is needed too."

"Well it looks like I'll be the one finding something for the refugees to do too," remarked Hilda, cupping her cheek and sighing. "With all these extra people available we can really begin to rebuild the monastery, and the town now too."

"Hold on a sec," interrupted Balthus, a bemused grin on his face. "That doesn't sound like the Hilda I know. When did this start?"

"Ever since the reunion," replied Lysithea, a trace of pride in her voice. "With Claude handling most of the war planning, Hilda has been managing the logistics and rebuilding efforts. It's very impressive of her."

"Stooop!" the Goneril girl answered back, the color of her face slowly beginning to match her hair. "Don't think that this means you can expect more from me! I'm just doing what I can for Claude since he has the worst of it, what with him strategizing, and having to deal with the politics back home."

"Does Holst know about it?" the King of Brawling questioned with interest.

Hilda groaned and sagged her shoulders, unable to bear the idea of what might happen if her older brother found out what she was up to. "Please don't say anything to Holst. I'd never hear the end of it..."

"Now that our business is concluded," Yuri called to attention to him. "There's a lot that will need to be done to prepare to move everyone to the surface. I'll get started with that now, and Hapi and Balthus can go with the three of you. Let everyone know what's about to happen so they can prepare too."

Everyone but the professor nodded, and turned to make their way out. Despite the addition of the three remaining Ashen Wolves Lysithea felt unsure about what the resistance will be able to do with the refugees. It certainly felt good to be able to have a hand in protecting them and make their lives better, but there was still the problem of provisions and other necessities for them that was never spoken of. They would need blankets, some would need new clothes, and they would need to be temporarily housed in the monastery until spring arrived.

She decided she would aid Hilda, and more than likely Seteth, in that endeavor. Now that the area surrounding Garreg Mach was free of any immediate threat, she could focus more on activities outside of just being Professor Byleth's apprentice tactician. And there was certainly still plenty of day-to-day tasks that needed to be completed, but for now she focus on making sure the refugees would be as comfortable as possible at the monastery.

It was only a few seconds as the party was leaving did she realize they were one member short. Lysithea swiftly turned around to see the professor and Yuri talking about something, but she couldn't make out the words.

"Professor Byleth!" she called out, causing the two men to divert their attention to her. "Are you coming?"

"I'll be with you in a moment," he answered. Lysithea cocked a brow at him, but only got a blank stare in response, arousing a mild amount of suspicion in the mage. Byleth realized his error and blinked at her. "It's a personal matter of mine. I can't say more."

His words didn't do anything to dissolve her trepidation, but she supposed that was likely as much as she was going to get out of him.

"Then join up with us as soon as you're done," she instructed, crossing her arms. "Having you there to explain what happened here will be easier for everyone to digest. I imagine there may be some who might disagree about this."

He nodded, and not willing to push this "personal matter" he mentioned given her own desire to hide hers, she turned back around and follow the other three out down the bridge they came from.

Once Byleth was sure she was out of hearing range, he turned back toward Yuri, brows creased as he became serious for what another matter that was on his mind since he got the letter. "Is it still here?"

"You always had such a strange interest in it," said Yuri, burying his face in his palm. "So I kept it around just in case. Consider it a favor."

"Thank you."

Yuri returned to facing him and raised a brow at him. He was none too pleased that his old professor still had such a burning desire for a banned tome. "You must have read it enough by now to know what it does right? Hell, even the name is indicative enough to know that."

Byleth only furrowed his brows further. "It's for my peace of mind. I need to learn it, just in case."

Yuri shook his head and sighed. As much as he wanted to dissuade the man from taking the tome again, he knew that look in his eye, the very same one that he used to insist that he go along with him on a mission he otherwise wanted to perform solo. "Suit yourself. This way."

Yuri led Byleth past the bridge that led down to the Ashen Wolves' dormitory, leaving behind the somewhat excited chatter that was taking place among the refugees.

Inside the dorm room, Yuri bent down to reach underneath one of the pairs of bunk beds that sat on either side of the room, which was nowhere near as personalized as Byleth's room nor many of the other students for that matter.

"I know this isn't the best hiding spot coming from me," remarked Yuri as his hand sifted for the tome in question. "But since no one else has an interest in it like yours, it didn't call for a more complex method."

After a moment, Yuri brought out a worn tome and presented it to Byleth. The edges of the spine were worn away, and the cover was mostly white with silver patterns tracing around the cardinal edges until they came to a circle that encompassed an incomplete diamond, with a four-pointed start at as the northern point that looked as through it was traveling from the bottom of the diamond through a ring to reach the top.

"Here it is: Sacrifice. A tome that they threw down here long before even I was born. I hope you know what you're doing friend."

Byleth took the worn book into his hands, staring intently at the center design. It had been something he had borrowed from the Shadow Library from his days as a professor, studying it to learn how to cast the namesake spell, practicing it with Yuri in an effort to keep the knowledge that he was learning such a dangerous spell hidden from everyone. They would object to it if they did, and he needed to learn this, for their sake.

He would not let his students, his saviors, die, no matter what.

---

Far away from the Ashen Wolves and the resistance now, there was one man who deceived everyone around him as he blended in with the crowd, so easy to do when they all wore similar clothing and no one questioned him at all about where he was from. Yuri and his minions were so busy tending to the needs of the rest of the refugees that he was welcomed as just another poor soul who lost everything he had. Now the disguise was gone as he made his way out from that hobble of castaways, noting the various clues that he memorized to a fault so that he could make his escape whenever necessary.

As he jogged to put as much distance between him and that wretched place, he smiled to himself. All these months of waiting and watching to finally put a knife in the Savage Mockingbird's throat never presented him a good opportunity to end the raids on the Empire's supplies on behalf of Her Majesty. The refugees would starve, but the emperor stated it was a necessity until the fighting at the border of the Dukedom and Kingdom was over. He never got that chance, but something just as vital to her had presented itself, if the Sword of the Creator on the green-haired man's belt was any indication.

"Her Majesty will want to hear about this."

---

As usual, I didn't originally intend for the chapter to be this long. My idea at the time was half this length, but as I write new ideas crop in and somehow I'm able to work them in here.
I know I might have thrown off some people with just who it was that sent the letter at the end of the last chapter, but I only said I was debating as to whether or not I would include the Ashen Wolves, especially given that I had already started by the time Cindered Shadows released. Now they have rejoined, but only at full strength, and now Constance is for sure going to be an enemy to the resistance. When will she show up? Who knows!
I also wanted to hide the identity of who sent the letter by using a little known tidbit that could be easily forgotten if someone wasn't paying full attention to the Yuri's supports and how he is sometimes called the "Savage Mockingbird" (hence the bird signature).
Anywho, I'll be resting from this chapter before I move on to the next, which I am excited to do as it will involve a facet of this that I've always wanted to dabble in. I only hope I can execute it well (nervous sweatdrop).