Posted a new chapter 16. This chapter is now chapter 17.
It had been three weeks since Byleth had woken from his year-long slumber. In that time, he had met with Seteth and Claude, and from them and the students, he had gotten a full report on everything that had happened while he was asleep.
He had discussed the letter with them, and they had both agreed that they should at least hear Hubert out. Of course, because Byleth had no official authority to make a deal with Hubert, the two of them had to come along. Additionally, Felix was with them, representing his father on behalf of the Kingdom. The others had wanted to come, but Byleth had stressed that the meeting was supposed to be secret. Yuri would sneak the three of them in through Abyss, but the others would stay behind.
"I still think this is a trap," Felix was saying.
"So what if it is?" Claude brushed off. "Teach here can handle anything Hubert can throw at him. Plus, if things get bad, the Mockingbird and his gang have backup in the area."
"Of course. If things get bad, LeClerc and his criminals can get us out safely," Felix said snidely. "Assuming they don't sell us out first."
"They won't," Byleth promised, as the three of them entered the cathedral ruins.
"Ah, right on time," came the voice of Hubert von Vestra. "Professor, it is good to see you again." He nodded to the other three. "Seteth, Riegan, Fraldarius."
Felix's hand brushed the handle of his sword. "You came alone?"
"With one other person," Hubert said. As the tall young man accompanying him stepped out of the shadows, Felix drew his sword.
"So you survived, did you, dog?" Felix said. "Now that the Boar Prince is dead, have you found a new master? Or maybe you're not Dedue at all? Maybe you're like Solon and Kronya, and you're just wearing his face."
"I assure you that I am Dedue Molinaro, and that His Majesty is not dead," Dedue told Felix. He then raised the axe at his side. "And you will speak respectfully of him."
"You say you aren't an impostor? Prove it," Felix insisted. "When she heard of your death, Mercedes offered prayers to the Duscuri god of the dead for your soul. What's the traditional Duscuri funeral prayer?"
"Your attempt to trick me is transparent," Dedue told him. "There is no Duscuri god of the dead. The people of Duscur pray to the god of life and the god of travel for the souls of the dead, that they may be safely guided to the next life. And I know you know this, because Mercedes would have shared the stories I told her after hearing of my supposed death, in hopes of keeping my memory alive."
Felix paused for a moment. "It's him." He replaced his sword in its sheath. "Just so you know, it was extremely inconsiderate of you not to let us know you hadn't died."
"Ahem. Now that we have established that Sir Molinaro is not an impostor," Seteth began, "which is, make no mistake, very important to establish, but we have now done so—we were here to negotiate."
"Of course," Hubert nodded. "Lady Edelgard has been secretly discussing matters with the Archbishop and Prince Blaiddyd, and we believe it may be possible for this war to come to a peaceful resolution."
Before he could continue, however, the cathedral door burst open. A dark mage strode in, with a number of bandits behind him.
"This was a trap!" Felix shouted, drawing his sword once more.
"Don't look at me. I didn't bring them here," Hubert protested.
"So, the traitor's information was correct," the dark mage said. He discarded his mask.
"Red hair, red eyes...he looks like..." Byleth thought.
"I will slay you, Fell Star, not for all Agarthans, but for my daughter, Kronya," the mage said. He turned to the bandit leader. "Pallardó. That one is mine. Kill the others!"
Odesse knew the Fell Star was a dangerous foe, one who would not fall easily. But he had came prepared. He had brought weapons of great power to bear, ones that ranked among the Agarthans' greatest. Thales would understand, perhaps even grant them for his permanent use when Odesse brought him the Fell Star's head.
"I didn't kill your daughter!" the Fell Star said, as he brought the Sword of the Creator to meet his own sword, Hellfire.
"Liar!" Odesse accused. "Thales told me what you did! You cut the heart out of her chest!" He cast Miasma, forcing the Fell Star to quickly avoid the poison gas.
Odesse attempted to catch him with Hellfire, but the Fell Star avoided it, if just barely.
"I didn't kill Kronya," the Fell Star insisted. "Solon was the one who killed her. He tore out her heart and crushed it to power his dark ritual!"
In Odesse's mind, he saw the scene clearly. "Solon! Don't just stand there! I need your help!"
"Oh, yes. You most certainly do."
"No, no, no, no, no! You lie!" Hellfire's blade lit up with blue flame as Odesse attacked the Fell Star wildly. He struck at his foe relentlessly, but the Fell Star countered each blow as the vision of Solon murdering his precious daughter played in his mind.
"Please...help me."
Odesse's anger faltered, however, just for a moment, as he saw Kronya reach out to her enemy, as good as begging him not to let her die alone. Just for a moment, the power behind his blow faltered.
That moment was all Byleth Eisner needed. As Odesse slowed, the Sword of the Creator found a gap in his armor.
Odesse, mortally wounded, dropped Hellfire. The sword's flames extinguished as it left his hand. He collapsed to the ground, knowing the fight was over.
He had to know. "Did...did Solon really kill my daughter?"
The Fell Star...Byleth Eisner...nodded. "Yes."
"Kronya..." Thales had done this. Thales had sent her to her death. Solon might have been beyond his reach, but he would still have his revenge. "I will tell you the location of Shambhala."
The bandits had all been killed, so the other humans listened as Odesse revealed the location of the Agarthans' hidden city.
"Promise me...promise me...you will not let Thales escape. Promise me...you will avenge...her."
"I promise," the Fell Star swore.
"She wanted...you to see...that she was sorry...for what...she had done...she didn't want...to die alone...I never told her...that I loved her...but...I will...soon..."
Odesse, like the rest of the Agarthans, teleported away upon his death, but for a reason even he could not define, Byleth felt the need to do something for him anyway. He found two burnt wooden boards in the ruins of Garreg Mach, and set them up in the Abyss cemetery as impromptu unmarked gravestones. He buried Hellfire beneath the larger one and a dagger beneath the smaller one.
Byleth knew that the two of them were definitely not in Heaven. But wherever their souls were, he hoped that Odesse had finally been able to tell his daughter that he loved her.