When Caspar awoke, the first thing he noticed was that he was incredible pain. His throat, shoulder and arm were killing him, and he could barely get enough oxygen into his lungs to breath heavily in pain. It was terrible, and he could tell that he wasn't going to be doing anything anytime soon. He hated the thought, but maybe it was what he needed after a loss like that.
"So you're finally awake."
Caspar turned his pained neck slightly to see Cetanu sitting in a chair at his bedside, reading some kind of book with his legs crossed, looking rather relaxed.
"How… long was I out?" he asked, wheezing slightly from the pain in his throat when he spoke, Cetanu closing his book and placing it in his lap.
"Two days. I'm not surprised given your injuries, but you've had a lot of rest and will need more to recover. The best Adrestian doctors and healers have been attending to you at the behest of Edelgard, but I wouldn't much stock into their abilities." he rambled, more musing to himself than talking to the blue haired boy.
Caspar frowned, not responding because of the pain he was in, Cetanu glancing to him. His eyes seemed far less dark and dead than normal. It was incredibly odd to see, but the Blue Lions' Professor had varying emotions etched in his features.
"Your fight was rather admirable. If you hadn't left your hand on Ashe's chest, you might have actually come out victorious." he said, inhaling and closing his eyes.
"Ashe is very thankful for you accepting his challenge. He says that he wishes to continue sparring with you, as you pushed him harder than anyone before you." he said, and Caspar let out a light, wheezing chuckle at that.
"I spoke to my students and allies in the Monastery as well. You are fully welcome around us to train or simply spend the day leisurely. Infact, your battle against Ashe was so impressive, one of Ashe's highest ranking commanders would like to speak to you when you get better."
Caspar was surprised, trying to fight through the pain to converse with the demon. He hadn't expected that he'd receive such a positive response for simply getting into a fight. It was nonsensical and odd, and not even his combat loving father thought like this.
"Why?" he managed to wheeze out, and Cetanu tilted his head. The look in his eyes changed, and if Caspar didn't know any better, he'd say it was the same exact look Linhardt had before he started painting. That odd stare of an artist at a blank canvas.
"Because we respect your abilities and resolve. You were lied to, as artificial Crest implementation is impossible, and even if it did succeed… you would not survive long in that state." he said, and Caspar frowned. He had a feeling he was being lied to, but he couldn't be sure of anything with Edelgard and Hubert.
"The only thing you can do to improve your standing in this world is to continue to grow stronger. Your… Path, is similar to Victor's. It is the 'Path of Strength', and for warriors like you, growing stronger will solve your problems." he explained, lifting the book in his hand and shaking it.
"This is a book on ancient Fodlan languages and verbiage. In the language spoken by the ancients like the Goddess and the Four Saints and Ten Elites, there is a word; Agito."
Cetanu hummed, a bright light flashing from his hands as the book disappeared, likely transported back to another location. He looked to Caspar, that same artist's stare in his eyes.
"Agito is a word that meant 'to spur', 'to agitate', 'to goad' and similar things. You see, I look at myself as an 'Agito', one who spurs things along. And I can spur you along to a better future than kowtowing at Edelgard's feet could. The Mercenaries of Jeralt, The Blue Lions, The Ashen Wolves and Castle Formorian are all open to you should you so choose." he said, smiling to the blue haired boy as he rose from his seat.
He took one last glance to Caspar, that look of a craftsman in front of raw materials again on his face.
"We Agito only want the best for you, just… ponder it." he said, walking from Caspar's bedside and out of his line of sight. Caspar stared after him, the pain in his body either passing or all but forgotten as he pondered what was said to him.
Despite the multiple statements and offers of hospitality from a rival class and country, compliments for losing a fight and so on, there was only one thing that stuck with Caspar.
When Cetanu spoke about this 'Agito' word as a title he could give to himself as someone who helps and teaches other people, he said something very odd.
We.
Bernadetta wasn't very happy right now. Ever since being found out by Edelgard and Hubert, her life had been completely miserable. Taunts, stricter training drills, odd orders from the future Emperor that bordered on ridiculous. She wasn't sure what to do about it, so she did the only thing she knew how to do; hide.
She locked herself in her room and hadn't left in days, Petra being nice enough to simply knock on her door before dropping her schoolwork at the doorstep. It helped her avoid a visit from Seteth or Professor Manuela. All she wanted right know was to avoid Edelgard.
She thought to the days she'd spent with the Blue Lions, and how oddly nice it was. They were strong and different surely, but they had a much less stuck up viewpoint and way of life since some of them weren't nobles, or were from defunct houses. Sylvain didn't care about his status, and Felix despised his. She understood them to a degree. She didn't like being a noble either.
She was timid, and her childhood traumas led her to being a shut in, unable to do anything but sit in her room and knit and sew. Even she knew it wasn't completely healthy, but she couldn't break herself of the habit while a future ruler of an entire country was at her neck about a goofy, harmless lie.
She heard those familiar knocks on her door, crawling from her bed to the door to grab her schoolwork. Thankfully, her professor was very understanding and willing to work with her however long it took. She could only imagine what she'd be going through if she had a different professor like Hanneman or the craven who ran away all those months ago, Acheron.
She opened her door, reaching down to grab her homework only to realize it wasn't there. She saw a pair of pants, looking up and tilting her neck back in surprise to see Dimitri, smiling down at her and looking rather happy to see her.
"It's nice to finally see you."
She stammered, sputtering random syllables and broken words as her face lit up. She didn't do good in unexpected social situations, much less ones with the future ruler of a rival country. It wasn't that she didn't like Dimitri or was scared of him, she was just worried about Edelgard far too much.
He chuckled, flashing that dashing smile at her, the Prince bowing before offering her his hand. "I was wondering if you'd be interested in spending some time with me? We haven't seen much of each other recently." he said, and she whimpered, trying to get a hold of herself and properly respond.
She decided to simply nod, allowing the Prince to lead her about as she struggled to gain control of her breathing and emotions. She was simply spending time with a friend. It was no different from when her and Petra would talk, or when she'd ask Linhardt to help her find a book to read. Dimitri was just someone she spent time with. Someone that also had a target on their back from Edelgard.
However, Bernadetta soon found herself relaxed. Dimitri's presence was so much more normal than what she'd expect from a Faerghus Royal. She was always told about how savage and uncouth the Kingdom was, the Church being the only thing that kept them from being as primitive as their own northern cousins from Sreng and Duscur and the like. To see that Dimitri was just a normal person was pleasant.
"Still trying to put up a facade?"
When Bernadetta heard those words, her heart sank. She was having quite a good time simply strolling about the Monastery, the two of them talking about everything from their schoolwork to their favorite classmates and such. They had barely spent a noteworthy amount of time in the Marketplace, Bernadetta commenting on a well sown quilt with the image of an odd, pink petaled flower she'd never seen before.
Dimitri could feel his jaw roll. This was not the right time to run into Edelgard and her stooge. Especially with the fact that the two of them had Ingrid with them, the sight of the traitor making his blood boil. He could barely remain composed, but for the sake of Bernadetta and the physical well being of everyone around them, he kept it together.
"Just because we are not engaged does not mean we do not get along, Edelgard." he said, and she narrowed her eyes, folding her arms. He needed to get past her shields, crack her own facade of a stalwart, haughty snob that was unfazed by anything.
"Perhaps if you had a few friends you would know that."
He saw the frown cross her face, and both of her retainers looked to her. She rolled her jaw and inhaled through her nose. Dimitri mentally sighed, knowing that he didn't get through to her yet.
"Surely a future ruler could do better things with his time than looking at a merchant's wares with a craven?" she said, and Bernadetta's gaze moved to the ground, Dimitri frowning at both Edelgard's words and her treatment of her classmate.
One other thing Dimitri remembered very well was that Bernadetta was the future Count Varley, meaning that she would be the whole of Adrestia's Minister and leader in the field of Religion. If she were to turn on Edelgard because of this heinous treatment, it wouldn't be good for the faith of her country.
One thing that did not process in the Prince's mind, was that Hubert had taken a step in front of Edelgard, the Kingdom King to be looking about sparsely to see if he could see anything. He could not, and it made him even more confused. However, he had to return to the subject at hand.
"If you treat your future Lords and Ladies with such disdain, you might soon find yourself on the losing side of a civil war. I would know a lot about traitors." he said, his eyes gluing themselves to Ingrid. He wouldn't let the girl out of his sight, her hesitant glances away and meek posture not making Dimitri back down.
"You would also know a lot about making stupid decisions. Lying to the Lord and Emperor of a foreign land about a political marriage is tantamount to a declaration of war." she said, and Dimitri frowned.
Edelgard was trying to goad him on. He knew this full well, and he wouldn't fall for it. He had suffered too much and made too many strides in improving himself to allow a petty comment ruin him and his homeland. He was too smart for that.
"A war you couldn't win."
Dimitri blinked, hearing the baritone voice grind it's way through his ears, gravely and odd in it's accent. He looked to the direction the voice came from, seeing a huge man wearing an odd red sleeveless shirt and handcrafted, hand painted trousers with tribal patterns of some form across them. He was massive, almost a head taller than Dimitri himself, and nearly doubly as broad, and he had a mane of crimson locks cascading across his shoulders. He looked like some kind of flaming lion, his predatory aura only adding to his presence.
"You decided to return? At the behest of your Lordling no doubt." Hubert spat, the huge man laughing before looking to Dimitri.
"Pains in the ass, aren't they? Makes you wish you could get everyone to close their eyes for a few minutes." he said, the meaning of his words not lost on anyone in the vicinity.
He looked back to them. "Please do not disturb them while they are having a good time, and please do not test them anymore. We 'Barons of the Skies' are fully willing to tell you whatever you wish if you can defeat us in single combat."
The Fleshcrafting Professor narrowed his eyes from afar, his inhuman hearing picking up on that line. He hadn't spoken to the commanders of his brother's Grigoi much, but to see that Ashe gave them full permission to tell his secrets in defeat only went to show their confidence in themselves. It was admirable.
Cetanu had trailed the two students because he was curious, the Fleshcrafter in him wanting to see if either of them could undergo 'Growth' during their excursion. Not only were they interrupted by Edelgard, the appearance of 'The Dreadking' Rathalos Goamagala put a further wrench in things.
Hubert seemed to hesitate at Rathalos' words, and Cetanu noted this. He had already discerned that Hubert was beyond salvation and not worth his time, a shackled serpent who stood no chance at 'Metamorphosis'. To see him given pause by the words of a savage man was something he fully expected.
"Don't bother saying anything. Just tuck your tail between your legs and lead your little Princess out of here. I have no desire to deal with lizards that can't leave the ground." he said, Hubert gritting his teeth before looking to Edelgard, who seemed nervous in and of herself, the trio retreating as the Dreadking exhaled, bearing a toothy grin and letting Bernadetta see that every single one of his teeth was grinded to a fine, sharpened point. The sight was horrific enough to make her faint.
Caspar simply laid in bed, staring at the ceiling and letting his mind wander. It wasn't something he did often admittedly. He thought that he needed to do so right now, because he had a lot on his plate.
What else could Edelgard lie about? Hubert even? If they would lie to him and get him put into a comatose and physically incapable state for days, what did that mean for his family and their people? Was the whole of Bergliez territory in danger? Hell, was all of Adrestia?
"You look like shit."
A gravelly voice grated at his nerves and ears, his pained neck turning slightly to see a monstrous man with a bright mane of hair taking a seat next to him. He swore he'd seen this man before, in the marketplace when Edelgard confronted Ashe.
"Who… are you?" he wheezed out, feeling better than when he was talking to Cetanu. His body was still wrought with aches and pains, but it was far more manageable and Caspar was thankful that no permanent damage was done to him.
"I am Rathalos Goamagala, the 'commander' that Cetanu mentioned."
Caspar blinked. Exactly what did this man want with him? Was this a commander who came to threaten him for harming their lord? He really didn't like this, because no matter what this man wanted, it wasn't good.
"What do… you want from me?" he asked, his voice starting to clear up the more he used it. The red haired man simply stared for a moment, something that was incredibly odd to Caspar.
"I want you to take Cetanu's offer seriously." he said, and Caspar blinked. Was their hospitality something that presides over everything they do? It was incredibly odd that they would all be so nice to him.
"Just accept our hospitality. The truth is, House Goamagala, as you would call it, is a tribe of gifted warriors that are accepted into the clan by a higher ranking members. There are a series of ranks within our small number to establish a pecking order, and many of us are unhappy with the structure." he explained, sounding oddly normal when he spoke about his family.
"You see, our lowest ranking members are called 'Salamanders', and there is an exceptionally high number of them because their direct superiors, a group called the 'Komodos' are initiating anyone who can swing a sword." he said, and Caspar failed to see how this history lesson had anything to do with him.
"What I would like from you, since you are such a capable fighter, is to challenge the Komodos to duels and defeat them so that we can strip them of their ranks and cull the herd, so to speak." he explained, and Caspar blinked at this.
Despite being heavily battered and still bedridden, this man felt confident enough in his skill that he asked him to aid him in some quest to clean up his tribe.
"I realize that this makes no sense to you, but I can not do this myself because it goes against our Code of Honor. However, I can make you a reasonable offer." he explained, Caspar starting to notice that this man wasn't half as savage as he looked.
"If you can succeed, you will be named a member of our clan, and will be able to employ our number as if they were Bergliez soldiers. We will also forge you a set of armor and a weapon of your choosing out of the finest metals and bones in Fodlan." he explained, and Caspar blinked, stupified.
It was a very reasonable offer, and if he wasn't bedridden he'd demand to hop on a Pegasus or a wyvern and fly that way right now, excited for the chance to get hand crafted armor and weapons. However, he was once again confused by the kindness and hospitality of his enemies.
"Why me?"
Rathalos looked to him, exhaling and shaking his head. "You are the second born son of an Adrestian Lord. You have less standing within your country and your class than even the purple haired midget. Your future Emperor lied to you so well, you were convinced you could be gifted the bloodline abilities of other Houses despite the fact that it both not possible and not sustainable. That series of lies also left you bedridden." Rathalos explained, telling Caspar a bunch of obvious things that he already knew.
"This level of underhanded machination is tantamount to spitting in your face. What do you think Edelgard and Hubert will tell your Father when he asks how you were defeated? Will she truly tell the truth?"
Caspar blinked when it all hit him and he understood where Rathalos was coming from. If Edelgard lied to his father, it would give his father an uninformed, negative view on him, which would only make his standing in his homeland even worse. It was a brilliant tactic, but it made no sense.
Was Edelgard afraid of him having any sway in her lands? She could simply crush him in a war of armies or a war between warriors. He didn't understand. Was she trying to get him killed? That couldn't be it.
However, Edelgard had gone out of her way to signal him out when Petra and Ferdinand were more calculated, refined warriors compared to Caspar's angered brawling. He picked him out because he liked to fight. He was being used, treated like some kind of Thrall or attack dog, and he wouldn't have that. It was far too disrespectful to him.
"Take me there once I get out of here."
Cetanu leaned against the stone throne within his mind, Sothis sitting upon it and his Inner Fiend sitting on the ground in front of him. The two other souls he shared his mind with stared at each other, the Fleshcrafter not paying much attention.
"It seems that Caspar boy is more open to persuasion that I expected." Sothis said, and Cetanu hummed. He was focused on something else.
What was on his mind was the librarian, Tomas. He seemed incredibly odd when they spoke earlier, and he noted that Tomas was asking around about him and his father. It set him on edge, and he would certainly have to watch himself around the frail old man. He could smell something odd on him, but he couldn't identify the scent and it was driving him wild.
"It works for us… That makes three."
Cetanu nodded his head. He had paid enough attention to the two souls to concur with them. With Bernadetta and Dimitri being such good friends and allies against Edelgard's odd, almost jealous antagonizing, that marked one.
The second was Ferdinand, who was bound to Cetanu as a Revenant. Caspar agreeing to the odd proposal from Rathalos made three.
There were three Black Eagles on the fences, their allegiance to Edelgard in question as they realized the kind of ruler she was going to be.
"Which of these poor children are you going to harass and manipulate next?" Sothis asked, and Cetanu's Inner Fiend began to laugh.
"It's not manipulation if we're just getting them away from a blossoming tyrant." he mused, and Cetanu hummed again as he tuned back in after thinking about it.
"We have three on the fences, and two beyond salvation. That leaves three more. Only one of those three matters."