Phantom pain. A term ever so used for those who have lost a part of themselves-a limb especially. It is an insidious consequence of hardship and war. Those victims of their own battles may succumb to everlasting agony. It is something that many will sympathize; though it does not help mend the very spirit of the person whose limb was lost. It was never worth it, in fact. Honorable? Perhaps. Or perhaps it is a sacrifice for better or for worse. Some say it is only for those who physically lost something. Some may say phantom pain extends to the very spirit and heart of a person. It certainly depends on the perspective.
With tragedy comes with loss; seeing limbs lost from the merciless life of battle was no exception. Byleth Eisner. Age 12. Daughter of the Blade Breaker, Jeralt Eisner. It was the unfortunate consequence of being within this field of work. Dirty work, no less. Swords and axes, bows and arrows clashing and firing at each other, filled with utmost fiery determination to survive the battle. To wake up the next day is a privilege, and a miracle itself. It is almost difficult for the young girl to watch one of her father's men tend to his wound. Wound is an understatement when it comes to what had happened. He was missing part of his lower right leg-a result from a tragic misstep when one of the bandits that they had battled did not fully die from a swift swing of a blade. Instead, the bandit had simply took this opportunity to severe the man's leg; an act of desperation to bring his murderer down with him.
It was difficult for her at first to endure the sight of blood. Screams of terror, anger and pain filled the air when she was exposed to such aggression. Fortunately, after the first few incidents of her sneaking out to find out where her father went for his jobs, Byleth learned the hard way to stay put when Jeralt had told her so. "We won't be letting you see this, kid. Wait till you're old enough." he would always say.
It made sense for Byleth to remain back at camp or back at town or wherever they were at the time. In fact, despite not feeling much emotion, she still knew what she saw haunted her for a couple of months. However, that was when she was of an age of 9. Her father was very strict afterwards after the incident of when she slipped away from camp and went on venturing on her own. Now that she was 12, she had motioned to her father about wanting to join in on these adventures, to learn about how to fight in case she were ever alone and if he couldn't be there for her. Jeralt knew that he had to teach his only child the ways of how the world worked.
Being stuck in Enbarr was...suffocating. It was a very large capital city within the Adrestian Empire. With the recent incident of one of the members of the mercenaries losing his limb, it had put a strain on the entire group. Everyone was grateful of his survival despite this strain. It was demoralizing in a sense-Byleth understands in a superficial way of how he may feel. Her heart doesn't beat (she doesn't know why), but she doesn't mind. Maybe that's why I don't really understand, she would ponder to herself, believing that her non-beating heart was the reason why she was so detached from this world.
She doesn't mind staying in Enbarr for a little while-letting the injured member of the group take his time in healing and adjusting to his prosthetic that he will be given. It was only fortunate that many of her father's missions were around the towns surrounding the capital. It kept everyone busy at the least, but also kept her "nearby" in case Jeralt needed to rush back on his horse for her. Though, she was quite obedient in that regard of staying out of trouble (thank goodness-saves his heart from instantaneously combusting out of concern).
"I'm going to go look around at the marketplace," Byleth states in one morning, birds chirping on the tree they rest nearby.
Jeralt comes to a stop from what he was doing, his fingers securing the belt he wears, prepping his bag with supplies, "You're free to explore kid, but don't get too far. Be sure to carry that knife and sword of yours incase some bandits manage to sneak around in town."
The blue-haired mercenary nods at her father's words, understanding why he wanted her to carry her weapons around. Normally one may question why she would have two weapons, but seeing Jeralt was protective of her despite not being openly affectionate, one would come to understand that if a knife was not enough, then a sword was plenty to cripple and fend off enemies-especially thieves. "I'll be back before the sun sets, maybe even earlier." Byleth answers back, nodding calmly, "I don't like sitting around as you're out for work."
Getting up from rest, her legs mildly ache from the pressure applied from sitting around for too long. The young girl stretches a bit, feeling her back crack and twist as she adjusts herself to shake out the "ache" in her body. The knife and sword are acquired, delicate hands are careful to not let her flesh touch the ends of the blades. A nod of confirmation is given to her father as she steps out and proceeds to the marketplace.
Noisy. Merchants chatting with civilians, some other mercenaries nearby purchasing weapons or even forging their weapons with the blacksmith. Blue eyes peered around, her ears alert to absorb every sound of idle chatter and business proposals in her environment. Most people were adults-way older than her and certainly with that knowledge she's aware of strangers approaching her, smiling and greeting her as if she was a lost child. Byleth would often shake her head and continue forward without much else. The blue-haired girl certainly wasn't lost by any chance; she came here willingly out of curiosity and boredom. Sitting around waiting for her father to come back "home" was always dreary, and even with the abundance of training on trees and even sparring with the injury member of the group, it wasn't enough to pass time entirely.
A change of pace was good. Byleth wanted to learn what was out here in the capital city, because knowing her future was with her father, she needed to know how the world worked for her to survive. Knowing what the people wanted was also necessary. After all, communication was part of being a mercenary. Knowing one big place and expanding to other towns and major places would help her learn and adjust. After all, she had been coddled for a little while. It was time for her to have the courage to step out of the darkness and face the world with her own two feet.
A sudden distressed cry catches her attention, and Byleth immediately cranes her head to peer at the direction of the source of the sound. Sky-hued eyes focus on the sight of a brown-haired girl (around her age) with another boy in front of her, clearly injured. His black hair obscured his face, but Byleth can sense distress from both of them. Her hand instinctively grasps on the hilt of the sword, hearing that sharp, smooth sound once it is pulled out from her belt. Its metal shines against the daylight and she immediately rushes over to grasp the sword in front of her, pointing at the aggressor, her back facing the two she was defending. "What are you-" she hears the brown-haired girl speak, albeit her voice mildly trembling from fear.
"Leave them alone," Byleth states, grip tightening on the hilt of her weapon.
It's difficult when this is the first bandit that she will have to face in battle, noting that he too had a weapon in his own hand. It clearly is a dagger, dripping from the blood that it hungrily cut at from the black-haired boy, but she can sense that with how crippled the boy is. The brown-haired girl is beside him, pressing her hand against his injury, in her own attempt to clot the injury to save him from bleeding out. Byleth notes that in her mind as she launches herself at the bandit. The bandit deflects her attack with his dagger, throwing the sword off of the target, but Byleth had learned from sparring with her father that daggers were very quick, and unlike swords, people are capable of close combat. The blue-haired girl immediately jumps back before he could have the chance to grab her, and she notes him coming at her again. Byleth grits her teeth and deflects the dagger, ensuring there is enough distance between her and the enemy, but ensuring that she wasn't invading the space of the two she was protecting.
Ominous magic appears and Byleth steps back and allows it to hit the bandit, immediately staggering and breaking the dance of clashing blades. "Hubert! Don't strain yourself-" Byleth hears the girl answer, and hears the boy cough from straining his abilities.
"It's okay, Lady Edelgard," he answers, pain evident in his voice, "anything to protect you I will do."
Throat aching, Byleth lets out a loud shout as she charges forward, taking advantage of Hubert's spell of distraction. Blood immediately splatters onto her clothes, staining them crimson. Her nostrils filled with the scent of blood, the silver coat of her sword begins to be painted in red, her biceps flexing and straining in forcing as much strength into her thrust as possible. It's intoxicating-like a wolf preying on a rabbit and sinking its fangs into its neck, Byleth feels like she is the predator now, sinking her teeth into the enemy's body.
Adrenaline pools in her body, her mind buzzes from the stress that she experiences, and she finds that she is pinning the sword into the man's pectoral. His screams reverberate into her eardrums, and it is such a sickening sound that causes her body to tremble. Pulling the stained blade from the pierced flesh, Byleth steps back, voice somber and assertive, "I will say this again. Leave them alone." she stares with a sharp, focused gaze, finding the man scrambling up, using his other hand to pick up the dagger; she sees him cowering like a dog with its tail tucked under its legs and scampers off.
"Are you okay?" Byleth turns towards Hubert and Edelgard, taking a few steps forward.
"I-I am, yes. Hubert isn't as okay though…" Edelgard answers, allowing herself a few deep breaths to calm the nerves gnawing against her entire body, "thank you for coming to our aide."
Formal. For someone around her age, Edelgard appeared to be formal, intelligent and well-dressed. Perhaps a noble? Byleth remembers hearing about the abundance of nobles in Enbarr, how the empire values the nobility. She wasn't all into politics-Jeralt never really spoke about them other than the simplicity of titles and how they may behave or appear as. Nothing else to it. She doesn't mind though. Blue eyes meet with lilac-hued optics and Byleth notices the intense stare at the bloodied sword. Quick to act, the blue-haired mercenary immediately puts the sword into her sword belt. I'll clean it later…
She's unsure if the blood dripping from the edge of her blade was causing Edelgard to become more unnerved by the minute, but Byleth thinks to herself that it's likely causing tension. Putting it away and cleaning it later seems to be the best option so far. The mercenary catches herself staring at the brunette, and certainly it was inappropriate. If it weren't for the mere fact that her friend was injured, she suspects she would have had a spell pelted right at her for being indecent with her gaze. Byleth turns her head to face Hubert and she sees the messy mess of dried blood against his dark-colored clothes, with the messy stained glove that belongs to Edelgard. Byleth almost feels silly for not packing some bandages in case she were to get injured. It's a new lesson for her at the very least-packing some bandages when exploring out by herself.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the sound of shuffling is heard, and she sees Hubert shakily stand up from his fallen position, hand pressing against his now-clotted wound. "I need to head back," he quietly mumbles, taking a few deep breaths (they look painful) to ease himself into his sudden change of position.
"I'll go with you." Byleth answers in return; there's nothing else she had to do at this time, and certainly leaving two children around her age-especially one being injured was ill-mannered.
She notices Hubert and Edelgard giving a look at each other. Engrossed to the point as if they were speaking to each other in terms with their mind. It's unnerving. Serpentine-like eyes pierce at her expression, Byleth remains silent as she allows the green eyes peering at her to analyze her, studying her as if she had a hidden motive for offering. It's eerie she thinks, having someone around her age so utterly intense in terms of demeanor. If it weren't for her blank-faced, detached mind and heart, she would have flinched immediately upon that gaze. "It would benefit," she hears Hubert answer cooly, weary and cautious due to his unexpected vulnerability from before, "do not do anything to harm Lady Edelgard, if you value your life that is."
"Hubert-"
"It's okay." Byleth replies, interjecting Edelgard's response, "he's...your bodyguard, isn't he? He has the right to say that."
Edelgard doesn't answer back to her remarks. Of course Hubert was a bodyguard to her, but Byleth can tell that the imperial princess had valued her retainer more than just a bodyguard. She is rather jealous of that to some extent; the ache and pressure in her own gut determines that she feels something regarding to what she had analyzed. It's not like Byleth wants a bodyguard, heavens no. She simply was curious about what it was like to have a friend. Alas, it was inevitable. Life as a mercenary was about detachment and temporary relations. Nothing long-term. Everything was meant to end eventually.
Sky-hued lens continue to watch Hubert as he shakily steps forward. "Here," Byleth speaks again, quietly, calmly, "I'll help you with your injured side."
The mercenary allows her arm to wrap around the male, giving him the luxury of placing his arm around her shoulder. She's meant to do this as support, but if there were any further surprise attacks, then it would delay her reflexes and movement. Byleth hopes that there aren't any other mischievous bandits lurking in the shadows. One shuffle in the middle of a public area was already burdensome.
It didn't seem like that far of a walk, but it was sluggish and burdensome with extra weight upon her body. Though, the tension was thick in the air when it came to Hubert and Edelgard. Perhaps she could do something about it? "What were you two doing out in the marketplace?" she asks, cautious and alert for any signs of danger.
"I wanted some fresh air. It's tiresome being cooped up indoors all day, or seeing the same things over and over again," she'd hear Edelgard say, also hearing her exhale a breath with her mouth, "I didn't think there were bandits around...I didn't think I would be in danger."
"Bandits...will do anything for money." Byleth answers in return, "they could try to kidnap children belonging to nobles for a ransom, or steal any prized possessions...sometimes they're hired cheaply to assassinate someone."
The hitch in Edelgard's breath notifies the older girl that her statement hit a nerve-it's quite unnerving she admits to herself, and certainly a cold truth of the world they all live in. Better to inform her of the cruelty of humanity now rather than later. "I'm sorry if that...made you uncomfortable."
"No," Edelgard answers, but turns her head to meet Byleth's eyes, "but it's...a reality of what it's like to step outside...and maybe it was just bad luck that it had happened."
There's something within those lilac-hued irises that catch the child mercenary's focus. The look in them are warm despite cooly colored. A flutter claws its way into her stomach, and there's a small ache in her chest as a result. What...is this feeling? Byleth asks herself, continue to look into the lilac irises as she helps Hubert walk back to the destination. It's such a warm, light feeling. For someone older than Edelgard, she certainly is naive in terms of recognizing human emotion.
Byleth doesn't know what to say. Would it comfort or torture Edelgard if she had said something? She makes a small noise from the back of her throat, and nods. She doesn't want to sound rude or insensitive to someone who was potentially at the risk of being kidnapped for ransom, and for having her friend be injured. Edelgard would end up smiling weakly, the corner of her lips tipping upwards ever so slightly. Byleth keeps that in her mind. It seems she's okay with her reaction.
"So...are you a mercenary?" Edelgard inquires at her, head tilting ever so slightly to the side. Innocent. It's that sort of pure innocence that is drawn to someone as void and detached as Byleth.
"I am." Byleth answers, quick and confident, but nothing else to it. "I...don't really go out with the group on main missions-" Jeralt wouldn't let her till she honed her sword skills and was older, "-but I am a mercenary, regardless."
"I see," Edelgard's smile widens further ever so slightly, her eyes relaxing a bit as well, "that would explain your way with the sword and how you were able to fend off the bandit until Hubert surprised us all."
Byleth feels a sense of bubbliness inside her gut, and Hubert's snort accompanied with a weak cough afterwards only heightened that feeling. "I did it out of instinct, " she swallows, feeling her mouth and throat dry from all the stress earlier, "I couldn't just sit around and see you two be injured further."
"And I'm glad you did just that." Edelgard responds, "I would be in bad hands right now if you didn't step up."
A male voice comes rushing at them, frantic in posture, complexion pale and filled with worry, "Edelgard?! Hubert?! What in the world happened?!"
It was Edelgard who looks up at the taller and older man, lips moving to answer to his outburst, "We had a shuffle at the marketplace, Victor, but this mercenary helped us."
Byleth feels a tense stare at her with similar lilac eyes, and she notices his hair is similar in color to Edelgard's, except it was more dark, like an earthy hue. "It...was no trouble at all," she answers calmly, allowing Hubert to be transferred to Victor's arms, taking him to safety.
The blue-haired mercenary was unaware that they had met at the destination. The drawn out questions and answers certainly took more time than she had expected, combined with the bustling noise of civilians and the scenes of nature and buildings around them. Though, Byleth looks at Edelgard, noticing how her chest heaves in relief knowing that they made it back safely. When lilacs meet with sky-hued irises once again, Byleth holds her breath in. There's a certain look to royalty; just knowing that they had something to say was unnerving.
"Thank you once again for coming to my aide...and Hubert's as well."
A release of pent up air from her lungs. "It's...no trouble at all. Really." A pause, then another statement, "who is he?"
"One of my older brothers, Victor."
Older brother. That certainly made sense with how he was beside himself in sheer worry about his younger sister's state and with how Hubert was. Byleth feels that if she were in a similar position, that she too would feel upset. "I should...get going." she breathes out, it suddenly feels suffocating here being at the front gates of the imperial castle. She's unaccustomed to such vital and intimidating presence when she's a mere mercenary who traveled a lot across Fodlan.
"Wait."
Byleth freezes when she's about to turn around, and she waits.
"What's your name?"
Lilacs meet sky irises, and Byleth feels like her breath is caught in her throat all of a sudden. It's just her name, what's the big deal? But something, just something in those lilac-hued irises catch her attention like a fish on a hook, like the talons of a hawk on its prey. She's mystified in this moment, and the feeling of having something so casual, yet so formal in her life just this once feels like a moment that she can truly appreciate.
It's not like she would ever see her again after today.
But those eyes…
Byleth wants to see her again. To learn the wonders of friendship with people her age. To learn what it was like to live outside of the bubble of being a mercenary. There was a feeling of hope dwelling inside of her, that maybe, just maybe...she'll see her again.
"Byleth…" she answers finally, after an uncomfortable silence between them both, "my name is Byleth."
