Day 30 of the Ethereal Moon
"We are gathered here today to honor the death…" The words were passive to Byleth's numb ears. Sothis was a weak murmur in his head, along with all the condolences he received from his classmates. Edelgard simply told him to snap out of it. Hubert offered reason, Ferdinand couldn't offer much, he hadn't experienced loss.
Caspar and Linhardt were discussing what the next move should be for the class, Petra and Dorothea trying to keep spirits from dropping too low. Most of the transferred students weren't brave enough to speak up, he hadn't seen Santaniel or Yuri, along with the Vipers or Wolves since the death of Jeralt. It certainly had to have been rough for someone like Santaniel or Yuri to witness, both having lost their parents in front of their own eyes.
"Professor?" He looked down and met the coral eyes of his star pupil. "Yes Lysithea?" She pointed up at the sky and he finally realized that the raindrops were falling on his head. It was a perfect day for the rain to mask his tears, much like…
He felt himself warm slightly as Lysithea clung to his arm, "It's ok Professor. You should head back to your room. Santaniel and Yuri are searching nearby for any signs of Mon- Kronya. Hopefully Santaniel doesn't tear the forest apart looking for them."
He nodded blankly and took the first couple steps towards his own room, feeling the burning gaze of Lysithea on his back. When he reached the room, he quietly closed the door and sunk to the floor, his back against the rough wood. "Byleth, if you must cry, you may do so on my shoulder." The green haired woman floated in front of him, a ghostly green hue against his pale, sickly face.
"Thank you… Sothis."
———
Day 2 of the Guardian Moon
"Santaniel."
"Princess." The white haired woman sat next to him on the leather couch, but his body was restless. He was jittery, itching to move and hunt down the Agarthans for what they did to the people around him. The Adrestian heir noticed this tendency in his behavior and rested a hand on his knee and she inched just a bit closer to him to ease his tension. "You need to take a break. You can't run yourself ragged if you want to protect people."
"I… I know. The reason I've felt so tense is due to the fact that people I knew were the ones that were constantly tormenting me. Hell, they still are." His breath was picking up the heat in his mind and the fire started burning in his stomach, "They just think that due to some bullshit entitlement, they can just take whoever they want from us and get away with it! They aren't better, no one is better than the other."
Sparks were swirling off his tongue and his body temperature was rising. "I can't take the fact that I have to live in constant fear of losing everyone close to me!" He stomped his foot into the ground and the heat died down, his heat had been vented. A warm touch was felt on his arm and he looked over to a concerned Edelgard, "Can you promise me something El?"
She seemed to swallow nervously, but she answered first, "I can try." Santaniel leaned back a bit and asked his question, "Protect yourself and don't let them take you too. I've lost too many to them. I do not want to keep a little list of those I've lost like Yuri has. That isn't the life I want, nor the life I will lead."
"I will certainly try my hardest Santaniel."
"Thank you El." He smiled warmly, like a burning ember just starting to cool.
His fire would be lit again in the following months.
And it would take years to go out to let him reforge.
———
Day 5 of the Guardian Moon
"Bernadetta! Felix!" Raphael ran up to the duo, excitedly bouncing from foot to foot as he gathered their attention. "Hey big guy, what's up?" Felix was always more relaxed and not as confrontational when Bernadetta was near. "I was wondering if you guys would like to join me and Xavien for some sparring! He's finally deemed me worthy to try and use my daggers in a real fight. It will be some wooden ones though, so it won't be dangerous."
"Bernadetta? Would you like to join us? You could get some tips from Xavien about your combat arts on Bows." The purple haired woman shrunk down a bit but looked back up at Felix, her mind wandering back to the incident with Jeralt… 'A strong warrior can fall to anyone. Including Felix. I have to watch his back!'
"Of course. I'll try my best!" Felix rubbed her head affectionately and stood, "We'll join you in an hour or so."
"I'll tell Xavien, this'll be so fun!"
———
Santaniel sighed as he knocked on the door to his Professor's room. "Hey Professor, I wanted to talk to you for a minute or two. If you don't feel ready to speak, just let me know. We need you out here, especially if we want a chance at taking action."
His ears perked and he stepped back as the door opened, just a couple inches, a small bit of white hair peeking out. He smiled, just as wide as the door would let him see, and spoke softly. "Hey Lys, mind if I steal away the Professor for a moment? I need to speak to him about the recent events, I have a perspective he might need." She nodded and went back into the room, dragging the Professor out before she went back in. He listened for a few moments and finally let out a breath.
"Professor, tell me about what you're feeling currently." Santaniel sat down on the steps leading to his room and patted the ground beside him, leading to the teal haired man taking a seat next to him. "I've been… Feeling strongly about more things lately. My emotions have been inflamed, and it's been attacking my sadness and… Hate?"
"Ok, talk me through it. What are your thoughts during those periods where you feel it's the worst?"
"It becomes its worst at night, when everything is silent and still. My thoughts start spinning, whirling, it's like a tornado is set loose in my head." Santaniel nodded and leaned forward a bit, "Mind if I tell you something Professor?" The stoic man shook his head, "I don't mind."
"When I lost my parents, it felt like the world ended. It felt like it was entirely my fault because I sat there and couldn't do a damn thing about the outcome. And at night, it felt like I was drowning, or swept up in a storm at sea. Then, I realized later on, years later actually. All on my own. Your parents may be your warm spot in life, your shelter, but you were going to lose them eventually. They left people like us without shelter in the middle of a dark, stormy night, and it's up to people like us to stick together and find warmth in each other. It's why I love my brothers so much, we act as each other's shelter. You're always welcome to that shelter Professor. I hope you have a good month, now go and help Lysithea clean up those sweets she brought. They're so sugary I can smell them from out here."
———
"Ok Xavien, they're here."
"Good. Now, remember, predict your opponents' moves before they have the time to realize it themselves. You and Felix will be going with daggers and a short sword, just to keep it even. Good luck kid." Raphael nodded and waved Felix over, pointing Bernadetta to where Xavien was already setting up the targets for their lessons. "You ready Felix?"
"Of course." Felix brandished a Sword of Zoltan, the polished Wootz Steel gleaming in the late afternoon sunlight. Raphael backed up and eyed Felix, "Wooden weapons, remember?" Felix rolled his eyes, "I know. I was just taking it out to check for chips after the Boar-"
Xavien gave a glare from over Raphael's shoulder and Felix decidedly shut up. Xavien and his brothers knew what it was like to deal with the ghosts of those who've been lost and loved. "-Dimitri wielded it earlier. He isn't exactly very careful with his weaponry." Raphael nodded, "Yeah. I can understand that, it isn't exactly easy to keep stuff intact when you have no idea what the limit you can put on something is. I know I've broken more than a couple axes while training." Felix nodded and sheathed the near-perfect sword, "Do you have a training sword for me?"
Xavien tossed it, sheathe and all, over Raphael and in front of Felix. "Thanks." Xavien gave no response to him and continued the gentle whispering lessons with Bernadetta. Both men brandished their weapons and went on the count of three, Felix like an arrow and Raphael like a ball of Miasma, both deadly on impact in their own way.
Felix lunged, a hard overhead slash towards the right leg. Raphael countered, sliding the wooden blade off his right, then his left dagger. He threw an arcing slash at Felix, making him back up, and Raphael went on the offense. Felix blocked a slower flurry of attacks, each one more unpredictable than the last time the two had fought. That had been during the mock battle.
So much had changed for both of them.
Raphael feinted a slash left, making Felix raise his guard, but flipped the blade in his hand as he brought it in. He jabbed with his right arm, and that left Felix's chest wide open. With just a flick of the wrist, and a little wince of pain, the fight was over.
Raphael had won. And so had Bernadetta. In the background she had nailed three wooden daggers that he had thrown. She had nailed her test! She was an A rank Archer all right!
"Good job Bernadette. You too Raph." The shorter man rustled Raphael's hair and he had never felt such a strong glimmer of hope and pride in himself.
———
"Professor?"
"Yes Lysithea?"
"What did Santaniel talk to you about?"
"About how loss feels, and how he's dealt with it." She turned slightly in her seat to face him, "What did he say he did?"
"He found his family within the storm. Thankfully, I already have mine." He gently smiled at his white haired student, "Thank you for helping me past these last few days Lysithea."
A slightly flushed Lysithea delivered the smile back as well as she could, "Thank you Professor."
———
Day 10 of the Guardian Moon
Santaniel hummed and chewed on his pencil as Byleth went on with a lecture. He had certainly perked up in the last couple of days. Whether that was due to Lysithea's company or his little heart to heart, he didn't know.
"Hey Hubie, where's Edie?" The slight musical pitch in Dorothea's voice was curious, if not inquisitive. "Her Highness is attending to a dispute in Eastern Empire territory. She will be back soon if no troubles arise." Santaniel leaned back a bit, he knew his girl could take care of herself. Besides, he was a simple prick-and-flick of blood away from being able to help. "Wait, isn't that one of the places that constantly has disputes with some dupe named Acheron?"
"Correct Caspar. I see your lessons in politics haven't gone to waste." The blue haired man groaned and Santaniel tuned out of the conversation, focusing more on his notes. Eventually the conversation seemed to turn to a more heated point, voices raising? The hell was happening? He tuned back into the conversation and listened closely. "-What the hell did you say about my tea you indignant little sh-"
Santaniel flashed his Crests and gave a paralyzing glare across the classroom, shutting down the petty argument. His eyes shined like a high noon sun and everyone turned their attention to him, sans Byleth and Lysithea during their private lessons. "All of you, quiet down. It is rude to interrupt our Professor and classmate who are currently in the middle of their lessons. If you would not want this similar treatment, then shut your traps." Not a word was uttered until he turned back around and shrugged at a staring Byleth and Lysithea, "Continue guys. These idiots won't interrupt again, correct?"
He didn't like using fear, it was one of the more distasteful ways he could deal with things. He preferred just having people naturally getting along and dealing with a compromise. It worked better than constant bickering. He let his breath back out and stood up, "Professor, may I take a walk around the Monastery? I need to stretch my legs and I'm getting restless. Actually- I have an idea. Once you and Lysithea are finished up, let's take a trip to Acheron's estate. Hubert, do you object to us taking a small trip to surprise Edelgard? She was telling me her last trip stressed her out quite badly. I think she would appreciate her friends showing up and giving her some relief."
———
Edelgard sighed as she sat at Count Gloucester's gates, her negotiations were supposed to start hours ago. "Ah, Edelgard, it is unexpected to see you here." Lorenz Gloucester strolled through the double doors, speaking loudly enough to hear from across the estate. "I came to discuss some topics of importance with your father Lorenz, may I ask where he is?"
"He is currently preoccupied with setting up defensive measures against Lord Acheron. He is about to mount an attack against our estate, and I wholly intend to apologize after this conflict. However, I must now be on my way to deal with him." Edelgard nodded and took a long look at the horizon. It seemed the banners of the minor lord were already flying on the horizon, she would have to evacuate her legion of guards to keep them out of such a conflict. It was not her duty to-
"Hey Princess!" Her heart fluttered for a moment, more so in a flush of embarrassment than surprise, but it faded quickly as she noticed Santaniel and Arti flying from the East. One on his own set of wings, the other on a Demonic Falcon's. "Santaniel? May I ask what you are doing here?"
"Well, Hubert mentioned you were here, and you g we stressed on your meetings like this so… I suggested the class come and surprise you on the tail end of your trip. Just to help ease the load and the dreary feeling of traveling alone on horseback with no good conversation- No offense sir." Her chief of security shook his head, "None taken. How is Xavien?"
"Ah, he's fine. He's currently leading the class this way on the river, should be here in, oh, twenty minutes or so." Santaniel picked up on her confusion rather quickly, explaining just as fast. "Oh, you probably don't know, but Xavien and him worked together on a couple jobs back when he first started. I met him a couple years back before he was hired by you I believe, mainly by coincidence. He and Xavien worked a job up North in the Kingdom and a couple in the Empire I believe, right Jean?"
The burly man smiled, "Of course. It's nice to see you again Sant. We should focus on getting you two integrated with our troops however. Gloucester would be bringing his own men with his son. You Highness, see if you can divvy them up to supply our own small army. If we can help drive Acheron off, it would only increase our standing with his Lordship and further his leniency in discussions over territory." Edelgard nodded and stared at the large aqueducts… She swallowed half nervously and stood firm.
"Hey El… Here, I figured you'd like this and something to protect yourself other than a single dagger." He handed her a small pastry with fruit filling and one of her Silver Axes. It was a small gesture, but a very appreciated one, "Thank you Santaniel. I appreciate this." The man shrugged and brandished his Holy Twins, "The Professor is approaching quickly. Talk to Lorenz and let's see what Acheron can actually do… If anything at all."
She smiled lightly and gave him a peck on the cheek, leaving him flushed as she sought out Lorenz to get troops for her classmates to command.
———
Hubert walked with his hands firmly planted behind his back. The battle has begun and it was a pure show of strength for his class to utterly annihilate Acheron's troops. "Such a waste of men." Hubert spoke glumly as he conjured up a black sphere and shot it off into an enemy battalion, watching it gut them like fish ready for dinner.
Or perhaps simply ground like his favorite coffee.
"Ferdinand, status of the battle." The orange haired noble spoke to the Scry-mage of the group, "Contact Jean, Professor Eisner, and Lorenz." The man nodded and brought up a white circle of magic, the slight thrum of its energy in the air humming quietly as a soft song in the afternoon air. "Lorenz says he has dealt the Western Battalions their losing hand, and it seems that Professor Eisner has taken care of the East. We await the status of Jean and Her Highness however."
"We shall move further South towards Acheron himself and over the bridges to meet with Her Highness at once. March!" It took only a few moments to catch sight of Edelgard's troops brandishing their might against a few lowly thugs on Wyverns. Such brutal creatures, not ones fitting for this continent. Yet they did offer utility and flexibility for their army, so they had their own uses. He walked forward at a steady pace, Ferdinand on his horse towards the front in a more defensive manner than usual.
"It seems Santaniel is also fighting alongside Her Highness, Hubert."
"It would appear so. It only means that Her Highness has further protection. Let us assist in this fight-" Hubert's soul cracked a fraction of an inch as he witnessed Edelgard being pushed off into the water below the bridge. His mind shooting back to when he nearly failed to protect her.
———
Memory
"Come on Hubert! Get in!" A young Edelgard splashed around in an underground pool, heated slightly with the assistance of magic. A younger Hubert sat diligently at the pool's edge, watching her movements, as to make sure she didn't go too far in. Her Highness did not know how to swim just yet, and it was dangerous to even let her in the pool.
"I apologize, Your Highness, but I just must watch you to make sure you do not endanger yourself." He truly did want to indulge her wishes, but it was his sworn duty to put her safety first. "Ah! Hubert, look! There's a pretty thing towards the bottom of the pool! I'm going to get it!"
His eyes widened as he watched her drop to the depths of the pool. It wasn't much deeper than his own shoulders, but for her, it was a full foot above her own height. "Y-Your Highness!" He jumped into the pool, watching as bubbles stopped rising to the top and Edelgard stayed at the bottom…
———
Present Day
"Your Highness!" He rushed forward, eyes wide, but stopped frozen in his tracks only seconds after moving forward. Santaniel had taken it upon himself to save her, transforming and slicing through the battle like a demon. His spell Shatter truly did enhance him in every attribute.
He jumped towards the water and hit with a large splash. Hubert soon regained the ability to move and got into gear, running towards the bridge. He needed to fend off the approaching forces so Santaniel could bring her up safely. "Ferdinand! Get the troops to engage on the bridge! Take out those that dare to endanger Her Highness."
With a swift kick, the Noble was off, brandishing his Scythe. Hubert conjured his last Hades, a very powerful and dangerous spell. It was very taxing on his own energy however, so he needed to focus heavily. As he cast it, he gazed down at the small river below. His wandering eyes found Santaniel climbing the stone wall with Edelgard clutched between his arms. Both were shaking from the frigid water and would most likely be sick for the next week. It was unfortunate, but certainly not the worst case that could have happened.
A small bubble of laughter rose within his throat, glaring at the ridiculous Acheron… It was time for revenge. He laughed almost madly and shredded into Acheron and his troops, watching with murderous intent as Acheron simply begged for his life.
———
Day 16 of the Guardian Moon
"That's Thyrus, huh? Seems interesting. Mind if I hold it for a moment Lysithea?" The white haired mage handed it over to Santaniel while listening to the conversation between Edelgard and the Professor.
"I believe the most likely place we'd have to search is in the forest near the monastery. Their most likely objective is to draw you out and kill you my Teacher."
"I'm not entirely worried. I would have the help of my father's mercenaries and my students." Edelgard opened her mouth, stuttering with a response, "B-But, it would be risky at best my Teacher." Santaniel intruded upon the discussion with a quite random question, at least in Lysithea's opinion, "So uh, what activates Relics again? The Crest bearing blood of the user?"
"Yes Santaniel. It is why the user must have a Crest, otherwise awful things would happen to them. Such as what happened to Miklan." Santaniel clicked his tongue and went silent again, fiddling with the Relic. He seemed entranced with the craftsmanship. "Anyways, my Teacher, I believe it would be best for us to be patient. However, I respect your orders as to what actions we need to take, and I shall relegate such orders for when we need to take th-"
"GAH!" Santaniel yelled as a loud shattering echoed through the classroom, chunks of a gem flying like shrapnel. "What the hell did you do Santaniel?!"
"I just held up a gem to the damn Crest stone! It started vibrating and heating up violently, like it was resonating perfectly with the Relic." Santaniel was holding the side of his face and it was dripping red and green, a mixture of his blood leaking through his fingers. "I'm sorry, I didn't exactly expect such a reaction. The Relic is fine though, if not just a bit more chipped than usual. Some Umbral Steel will repair it quickly however." Edelgard sighed and walked over to Santaniel, pulling his hand from his face, gently plucking shards of the gem from his face. "Don't do such things. That could have ended much worse than a couple of new scars and scratches."
"I'm sorry El, but like I said, I wasn't expecting an experiment." Lysithea walked over and conjured Heal, pressing her hand close to his face. The wounds eventually closed up and Santaniel groaned as he looked at the gem… Or the remnants of such. "Guess I won't be trying that transformation any time soon."
"Wait, transformation?" All three of the people in the room looked at Santaniel with a confused look, having piqued three curious minds at once. "What kind of transformation?"
"Oh, well, you know how I can transform and get wings, talons, large fangs, etc? Well, me and Hephaestus were running some experiments, and he tried transforming, but it didn't work… Well, we may have pulled Catherine in and had her hold Thunderbrand along with the Charon gem I had dug up from the lab. We told her to focus her energy into her arms, and low and behold, she had gained some very sharp claws and some crazy feathers on her arms. Kinda scary if I'm being honest. Though me and Hephaestus figured that if others can do such a thing with Relics, the Crest bearing blood, and the gem, there should be no reason that they can transform. Right? Wrong." Santaniel had to take a deep breath, just to keep from running out of air.
"Uh, cut to the point please Santaniel." Lysithea was getting irritated. Where was he going with this? "Well, long story short, Catherine has a major Crest. Lysithea, remember when I asked you to focus all your energy when holding Thunderbrand?"
"Uh, yes? Wait, does that mean you-"
"Used you as a test subject? Yes. However, it doesn't effect the user in the slightest. I should know since I do it nearly on the daily. It seems you have to have a major Crest to transform. Very interesting thing I'm experimenting with honestly. I'm hoping to see if I can figure this all out before the year is done." Lysithea nodded and Byleth went into his 'Thinking Pose'... It was kind of cute. "If you could figure such a thing out, it would benefit whichever army you sold the secret to."
Santaniel seemed to glare through Byleth, intense disgust seething out. "Who said I would even consider doing such a thing? Me and my mother have this ability, and we were hunted for it. I still am. The Agarthans are also hunting people with major Crests now, as evidence with Flayn. If I even considered giving this secret away, it would endanger all of Fódlan."
'If he was aiming to not piss off Santaniel… He failed. Awfully.'
"Anyways. I just wanted to let you guys know why I was even trying to tamper with such a weapon. Honestly, take it back Lys, thing makes me uncomfortable. I'll stick to things like my Holy Twins and Leistrung." Edelgard eyed him and tilted her head, being analytical again. It was always strange seeing her like this, interesting to a point, and she guessed that no one was safe from her prying gaze. Even the person she loved.
Two people with eyes that could paralyze someone… Though they were immune to each other, to a certain degree. They matched more than she thought.
As they sat there, a knock rang on the classroom doors. Lysithea walked over to open it, greeting Yuri and Hubert.
The knights had found Kronya.
———
Day 25 of the Guardian Moon
Byleth, Edelgard, and Hubert had met in the Entrance Hall, Santaniel and Lysithea were gathering the class for their trek out to the forest. Where he would confront Kronya… He never felt anger before, never even a flicker of the fire it brought up within him. Sothis had seen this herself, yet chosedly had not spoken on it.
"Petra and Xavien confirmed it. They are out in the forest, but why would the church have hidden it from you?"
"Perhaps they suspect an ambush or trap of some kind. The Sword of the Creator is an important weapon." Byleth shook his head, "It doesn't matter. I'll avenge my father. Though my face nor voice may be able to reflect this, my sword doesn't rival the heat of my anger." Edelgard nodded grimly, while Hubert held a pencil thin smile on his thinner lips. As they turned to leave, the clacking of heels echoed around the hall, followed by the sounds of Seteth blathering to Rhea.
He should've suspected she would try and keep him from pursuing the attackers. "Professor, you shall not leave. We have already lost Jeralt, and they are setting a trap to take you as well. There is no point in you pursuing them, let the Knights take on this fight."
"Professor, the-" Santaniel and Lysithea had come back inside, having completed the preparations. "Is now a bad time?" Santaniel had a look of hesitation to his face, whether he should run or not. "Lady Rhea, may I put in my piece before-"
"Professor. Consider the fact that they know you. They know that your anger will not over spill, but that it will drive you to protect your students from the potential loss."
"Lady Rhea-"
Seteth spoke for Rhea, spitting in anger at the bronze and silver haired boy, "Hush child. This is a moment between the adults." A slight heat took over the room and the glimmer of purple and green shined over the people in the center, "So I'm a child, a insignificant student, that's all I am, aren't I?"
'Santaniel don't…' He stepped forward with gently crafted steps, one after the other. He was straightening his posture as he stepped, taking a deep breath every five seconds and loosing it. "If you think Professor and Edelgard to be ones to give into rash anger you are horrifically wrong. Hubert, Lysithea, and I, have all thought this through over the past month, and we know that you have hidden this information from the Professor. You are sheltering him." He delivered a particular stark glare to Seteth after the remark, catching his breath further. "Me and my classmates, along with my brothers and Shamir, will be able to handle ourselves in any battle dutifully. The fact you have such little trust in your students is laughable at best and is down right mockery towards your own knight and my brothers who have honed their crafts for years."
"You only wish to take care of this battle to stoke your own raging egos. We are going to avenge Jeralt and the people they have killed to take their places. This isn't their 'tactical' strike. This has become personal for us. You will let us go." His eyes stopped glowing and his muscles slowly felt like they could move once again.
Anyone who was affixed with his glare on the battlefield was sure to meet their demise, that much was certain. It was also why he wore a gated helmet he could open at will, his eyes were valuable to any fight. Rhea locked Santaniel in her own glare, one of an unprecedented emotion, but she let up on her earlier tension. "You may lead the charge against the Agarthans; however, you will have a battalion of knights to accompany you and protect you Professor. Is that understood?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Now go. The knights will be there in minutes, so get your head start." Byleth nodded and turned his back on the Archbishop, walking into the sunny day that would lead to a gloomy end for Kronya.
———
Day 31 of the Guardian Moon
Hephaestus adjusted his lance, correcting it on his back. He was riding in Gizmo, the large Wolf comfortable in the cold with the heat rolling off Hephaestus in waves. "Yo, Hephaestus. Turn off the second sun, would ya?" Xavien was walking next to the man, polishing his silver daggers in the cloudy afternoon light. "Ha, very funny. If I could, I would. The more my temper flares, the more my magic does as well. If my gut is correct, we'll see him too. Santaniel doesn't know who he is, nor does Arti, but we do."
"Let's just end it here. We need to get the kid fixed up soon anyways, those veins are spreading quickly."
"What are you guys talking about?" The loud, booming voice of Raphael scared the daylights out of Hephaestus, yet Xavien just sighed and stared at the blonde man. "Told ya to lower your voice when you're with me. Your presence is helpful on the battlefield, just like Shamir said, but you can't be so loud. We were talking about some family matters anyways, nothing that concerns you bud."
In a much quieter voice, Raphael responded, "Ah. Ok. I'm sorry for barging in so loudly." Raphael picked up his pace and went back to the front of the two's convoy. "Ugh, the kid has a long way to go… He is an amazing fighter however."
"Reminds me of someone I met about nine years ago."
"Shut it."
———
Arti leaned forward on Rihanna, feeling the warm feathers under his cold skin. He felt a prodding force against his mind and let it in, already knowing it to be Marianne.
'Yes?'
'Hubert would like a status report of what you can see from in the air.'
Arti leaned to the side, eyeing a clearing with more than ten dozen souls in it. 'Found 'em. Keep going, around 10 kilometers from where you guys are. We'll be there soon however, start the preparation.'
'Ok. Thank you Arti.'
'It is no issue Marianne.'
———
Santaniel sighed as he started stretching. He was preparing to take off and dive head first into the first battalion to kill the morale early. Who could stand to see their very first battalion wiped out in less than minutes by a dragon?
He knelt down and strapped his boots up, feeling the presence of Edelgard looming over him. "Yes El?"
"I came to wish you luck. Me and Hubert will be leading our Easter approach, while you and Hephaestus will take the lead of the West. You will have Byleth and Lysithea in your protection. Please, take care of them both." Santaniel smiled and nodded, "They won't even have to get dirty. Thank you for the wish of good luck but, I think this'll work better." Santaniel leaned up and met the lips of Edelgard, making her blush madly around the soldiers in the clearing. Santaniel laughed as he stood, "Thank you El. I'll make this a breeze. Hey Hephaestus! Get ready! I'm taking off."
"Got it, I'll be right behind you." With a deep breath, his wings unfurled and he kicked off. As he cut through the chilly, winter air, he glanced down at the army before him… Seemed they had some Beasts to maul. He'd have to take care of that one before Hephaestus got there. He tucked his wings and transformed fully, plummeting like a meteor into the Beast's thick hide, leaving large gouge marks billowing its blue blood. He whipped around and slapped his tail into its face, knocking it over.
With that over, he reared his head back and let jets of flames consume the hideous thing, its cracked Crest stone now just ashes to put to ashes. "Hey Hephaestus, let's make this quick eh?"
"No question." A large ball of Fire engulfed the approaching infantry, sending them to a quick death. "We'll have Byleth and Lysithea following up after this, let's clear the path." Santaniel stood tall and took an easier approach, simply just going on his own two feet while wielding his Holy Twins. 'I'll end this scuffle before they have to get dirty. Shatter.' The slim, red aura around his axes disappeared and flowed into his veins. Didn't make him look any different, but it did make his body full of adrenaline and magical energy.
"I'll break you like glass, now SHATTER." He slammed his chained axes through the large battalion, the chain heating up exponentially and cutting through them like clay. Blood pooled in the dirt, some red, some black… Same difference at this point. The sound picked up behind Santaniel, sounded like the rest of the group was coming from behind. Seemed the rest of the battle was picking up as well… 'Be safe El, now to keep Byleth safe-'
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
———
Only a few moments earlier…
"Lysithea. Use Warp on me and put me next to Kronya when we get closer."
"But Professor, the reason I'm with you is to keep you safe is to…" Her resilience dropped as she looked in his deep blue eyes. There was a severe anger clouded behind them, but sadness was at the forefront. She had to do this, for him. She felt the magic burn at her fingertips and sadly glanced at her Professor, "Be careful, ok?"
"I will. And I'll avenge my father." She nodded and watched him disappear from sight, only to flash above Kronya in a moment's notice. She heard Santaniel yell at him to get back, but her mind was consumed with watching the fight. She didn't want to lose her Professor. He believed in her and walked alongside her, always treating her as an equal… He couldn't lose this. She conjured up Miasma and shot it, it was her longest range spell, and it was accurate. More so than Fire or Swarm at least. 'Please, just give him an upper hand…' She squinted, watching Kronya nimbly avoid the spell, but her hand was wrapped with the bone-like chain of The Sword of The Creator. Byleth whipped her around and slammed her into the ground, once, twice, blood splattered the ground, but she still moved. Deeper into the field surrounded by obelisks… Wait, obelisks… She read about them somewhere. Where? It was in her magic books before she came to the monastery!
They increased magical power, or at least conducted the energy around the area into one area. It was typically used when setting a… a trap. She had just sent her Professor into a trap. 'W-what did I just do?' She felt her legs lock up as she heard the laughing, no, mocking voice of Solon approach her ears. Hephaestus was yelling at Byleth to run, to just give up the chase, but it was too late. The screams of Kronya echoed in the air, and the dark whispers of smoke left her body. The same color as her blood. It consumed the stone field and her Professor, the orange light of his sword blinking in and out of the murky air like a dying star… One second, two seconds, three seconds… And it was gone. With a whimper. All trace of her Professor disappeared into the imitation of the night sky.
"No… Professor…" Bernadetta and Felix were at their rear and were just picking up the pace to join them. "What happened? Where's Byleth?" With a thin trickle of tears starting down her face, "He's gone."
"W-what?!"
"He's gone…" Her eyes blurred with tears and she shook, 'It can't end like this, it just can't. It can't, right? He'll come back, right?' As she looked down towards the dirt, her teardrops fell down and onto the dusty dirt, mixing into mud. 'It's over…' She sat there for several moments, her tears dropping into the dirt as Edelgard and Santaniel yelled at Solon, promising revenge. Her head was ringing, everything was brighter, she just wanted to go home-
A thin line of light flashed across the sky, the same color of lightning. 'But, it's not raining, and heat thunderstorms don't happen this time of year-' A noise similar to broken glass rang over the forest and out stepped her Professor. With a noticeable new hair and eye color, bright green, just bordering white. She stared and soon her tears changed from sadness, to shock, to happiness. He survived the void. He was still here, just like her feelings for him…
———
Hephaestus felt the heat crackling off his skin, his eyes growing red in rage. He gently slid off Gizmo and the Beast backed up in hesitation. His temperature was blazing and so were his steps, each one turning the moist dirt to cracked dirt.
This was the side effect of his magic, it was a mutation in his genes. The same one he was kidnapped for as a child. He was going to be forced into experiments as a child, but he escaped by burning down their base. He escaped to Remire and Solon burned it down… He had also been the one to experiment on Santi when he was just a kid… He would die here. Today, and by Hephaestus' hands.
Solon teleported himself to a small shrine on top of the hill. Arti's voice rang in his head and he listened, 'Rihanna has thick scales on her talons. I'll fly you up. Just kill this asshole.'
'No issue. I'm ecstatic too.' He felt Rihanna lift him up, a small pinch through his skin as the grip wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. Hephaestus brandished his Scythe and felt his heat climbing, he would have to drop onto Solon with an inferno to bash through his resistance. He took a deep breath and it fueled his blaze, "Let me at 'em!" The talons opened and it was a short drop to Solon.
As he crashed into the barrier, a thick inferno followed behind him. The barrier was already starting to crack under his weight and flames, now it was time for him to reap what Solon has sowed! The Agarthium scythe slashed through, creating a shower of sparks over the pale face of the Agarthan mage, "Say your final prayers!" The heat burst forth and through the gap in the shield, shattering it like overheated glass. Now Hephaestus would show why he was the master of the flames.
Magic charged the air and obelisks fueled him further, his scythe receiving a majority of the magic inside of him. He slashed down diagonally as hard as could, repeating the action on the left, dried blood flying across the formerly holy stones. His corpse dried and then burned as Hephaestus cleansed the world of this demon… No. That was too kind of a word to use for such an evil spirit. This devil. Hephaestus spat on the man's grave and turned, leaving the pillars. "Let's go. We need to get back to the Monastery. Byleth is exhausted and Santaniel over exerted himself during the first couple of skirmishes. He tried reaching Byleth before the spell took him, and… It might be my fault."
Arti shook his head, "No. You can't control what happened in the past now, let us leave this place." Hephaestus nodded, the nightmare of his experience in the lab closing in on his mind… The sight of finding Horus and Lisa, and the terrified expression on Sant's face… It would be something he never forgot.
Hey all! Hope you have an amazing Holiday Season!
From- Guardain