"Princess Edelgard, it has been to long! It must have been ten years since I last saw you!" Countess Varley exclaimed as she walked out of the greenhouse, across the well-trimmed lawn, and through her study's open doors.
Edelgard gave a polite nod. "Thank you for your hospitality, Countess. My classmates and I are finding ourselves at home in your manor."
"Good, good." Countess Varley nodded back. "It's wonderful to see you so at ease. But please, do sit. Let us chat."
The two took their seats at a small table. The countess took a platter of sweats and offered it to Edelgard, who took a small pastry. "You are very kind, Countess Varley."
"Oh, you make me blush." Countess Varley replied with a hint of well-acted laughter. "Now, about that bit of business you-"
The doors of the study burst open, and Bernadetta rushed in squealing. Hubert marched in after her, not bothering to hide his annoyed expression.
Countess Varley's expression morphed into restrained anger. "Bernadetta! What is the meaning of this!"
"S-sory mother! Sorry Edel-" Countess Varley's eyes flashed. Bernadetta gulped. "Sorry Lady Edelgard! It's just that Father arrived sooner then expected, and he was looking for me and then I needed to hide and he never comes in here-"
"Bernadetta, enough." Countess Varley stood up, and Bernadetta cowed backward. "I was in the middle of hosting Princess Edelgard. You cannot simply barge in and interrupt our talk because your father arrived."
"B-but mother-"
"No. In fact, we hardly need the count barging in and interrupting us." Countess Varley's tone brooked no argument. "Go attend to your father. Do not interrupt us again."
Bernadetta's eyes widened. "Mother, no! Please-"
"I will not repeat myself young lady. You-"
"It's fine." Both Varely's heads spun to Edelgard. "Bernadetta can stay in the greenhouse, and look over the plants. We can keep talking about the artifact, and Hubert can entertain Count Varley."
Hubert rolled his eyes and nodded.
Countess Varley pressed her lips together, before smiling. "Of course! You are so kind, Princess Edelgard. Thank you for solving our little problem. I can never think clearly in the heat of the moment, you must forgive me." Her eyes snapped back to Bernadetta, all traces of anger hidden away. "Give your thanks to the princess, daughter."
Bernadetta rapidly nodded. "Y-yes! Thank you, Lady Edelgard!" She turned to her mother, and gulped before asking in a steady voice: "Mother, may I please excuse myself? I'm so-I apologize for interrupting you."
Countess Varely nodded. "You may. Your apology is accepted."
Bernadetta gave a curtsy to her mother and Edelgard, before skittering off across the field into the greenhouse. Hubert followed to secure the greenhouse door, nodded to the two, and exited the room.
Countess Varely smiled. "I must thank you again, Princess. Already, I can see you are very wise."
"It was nothing." Edelgard said blandly.
"Your humble nature suits you well." Countess Varley responded. "Now, onto that bit of business, if you don't mind?"
Edelgard shifted in her seat. "Please."
"I have read your proposition. I would be interested in your political reform, and would be willing to help you."
"That is good to hear. I would be glad to send-"
"If I may interject, princess?" Countess Varley asked sweetly.
"Of course."
"There are just two little problems before I am able to commit to anything."
"What are they?"
"The first is a problem of power. Count Varley is a bit apprehensive to change, and terribly prejudiced against your noble house." The Countess took a quiet sip of tea before continuing. "I would be best suited to help you if the Count was…taken out of the picture."
Edelgard held Countess Varley's gaze. The older woman's eyes had gained a mercenary gleam, and had hidden her mouth behind her teacup. Edelgard raised her own.
"To remove a count from his power, I would need the title of Emperor." Edelgard took a sip, and placed teacup back down. "And to reclaim the throne's power. For that, I will need the support of the seven."
"Yes, the seven." Countess Varley agreed. "That brings me to my second problem. If I am to commit anything to your cause, I will need to see something more then the assurances you have provided."
"Lord Arundel has already informed you of his own position on the matter, has he not?"
"He has made his feelings clear, yes..." Countess Varley said. "But one other house is poor odds. Though, if I may be so bold, I presume Count Vestra will be suffering a similar fate as Count Varley?"
"Hubert tells me that his father is growing old." Edelgard admitted. "And his hobby, flying, is always dangerous."
The countess nodded her head in a reasonable facsimile of sympathy. "What happens to us as we grow old is always tragic." She took a small bite out of a Danish, swallowing before continuing. "Nonetheless, Prime Minister Aegir will not hand over his power. More importantly, Bergliez and Hevring remain unaccounted for. If I am to commit to anything, I will need to see that they are among your number."
"I understand." Edelgard said. "I must ask you to wait for a few months, but be assured that you will receive your assurances."
The countess smiled serenely. "I eagerly await they day."
Edelgard leaned back in her chair. The countess was unpleasant to put it mildly, but she had been cordial with far worse. Edelgard would let the woman think what she wanted. In the end, she was one step closer to making her dream a reality. Byleth had said that the process would be difficult, but she had long accepted that. Her vision of a better world would become a reality. All she had to do was make sure no one discovered anything too soon. Byleth had not told anyone yet, and she had been vague enough with the bandit leader to not allow anything useful to come tumbling out of his mouth. Just as an extra layer of precaution, she had killed the cad, and no one in his misbegotten ranks had seen her. With any luck, the whole rotten lot of bandits would kill each other before Dimitri even had to lift a finger. Her Flame Emperor costume would have a few more months of anonymity.
Edelgard let herself relax. Everything was going to plan. Countess Varley had reacted as she had expected too, and could be counted on to act in her own selfish interest. She would secure the other count's loyalties soon enough. The only spot of contention was Byleth's foreknowledge, and her own strange feeling of knowing the woman. But Edelgard would find a way to smooth it over. After all, Byleth had not shared Edelgard's intentions with anyone. Her surprise attack could still proceed as she had always intended it too.
"We don't know what the boss had planned, honest!" One of the bandits said. The knights were tying up the few dozen bandits who had surrendered, and had begun marching the lot to Garreg Mach's dungeon. Dimitri stood with Alois and Felix, interrogating one of the cutthroats.
Felix interjected, unimpressed. "So he just told you to run into battle against the Knights of Serios, and you obeyed? Did you think that you had any chance against a force that strong? You idiots can't be stupid enough to bet on those odds."
"Hey, knew it was stupid!" Another bandit interjected. "That's why I let all the other guys charge in first. More chance that I'd get a cut if they die fighting for it. Biggest pot of coin I've ever seen."
"You always were a yellow-bellied coward." The first bandit said. "But yeah, that's it really. Boss was paid enough money to hire us all, and we followed his orders. Then things went south, and then we found the boss dead one morning, and things really started to get bad."
Felix rolled his eye in disgust. "Pathetic."
"Who hired you?" Dimitri asked. "And you found your leader dead? When?"
Both bandits shrugged. "We were paid enough to not ask questions. So we didn't." The first one replied.
"Yeah," the second one added. "And we just found the boss dead last night. We don't know who did it. Probably just some punk who thought he could get a pardon if they brought you knights the boss' head."
"We were about to beat some answers out of Danny over there. He's a born rat." The first one jerked his head towards another bandit sitting quietly behind them, who blanched.
"I'll have you gentlemen know that you committed a very serious crime." Alois interrupted. "Attempting to assassinate students is bad enough. But the students you were trying to kill were the heirs to the empire, alliance, and kingdom, making your crime all the more inexcusable."
The bandit's eyes widened, and swerved to Dimitri.
"What?"
"But that means-"
"It couldn't-"
"I got a granny to feed!"
"Were dead." They said in unison.
"Not necessarily!" Alois' face brightened. "We are searching for clues to your employer. Any information leading to their capture would go a long way to helping you out of your own predicament."
"Oh, when you put it like that, I seem to remember-"
Felix cut them off before they could start. "We only want genuine information. And trust me, we'll know if you're lying to save your skin."
"When you you've been in the business for as long as I have, you get a 'year' for lies!" Alois added.
The bandits shifted uncomfortably. Felix sneered.
"They don't know anything, Professor. Let's throw these cowards in with the rest of them and be done with this."
After the bandits had been escorted away, Felix groaned. "Fat load of good this has been. These scum don't know anything."
Alois shrugged. "Don't lose hope. I'm not much for interrogations, really, and there are plenty of bandits we didn't speak with. The knights may find something after our prisoners get a chance to cool their heads."
Dimitri nodded. "Let us wait and see if anything comes of this. There is no need to jump to conclusions. At very least, we learned that their leader was killed before the fight. Their employer might be responsible for that murder to cover their tracks, right professor?"
"Please, Boar. They were probably just lying so they wouldn't be blamed for killing our real target."
"Settle down, you two." Alois looked around the battlefield. "At least we stopped the bandits from doing any more harm. Let's go-Is that Byleth there? Where did she run off too?"
The Blue Lions looked to where their professor was pointing. Sure enough, Byleth was dashing up the slope towards them.
"Professor!" Dimitri called out. "Why are you running?"
Byleth came to a stop in front of them. "Do you all remember the past week's lessons on battling Demonic Beasts?"
"…Yes?" Dimitri looked around. The rest of the Blue Lions had gathered around, and all looked just as confused as he was.
"Repeat my lesson. Now."
Dimitri was perplexed, but obeyed. "Stay as a group, attack from multiple sides, keep out of the beast's way-Professor, what is this all about?"
"A coin was flipped. A horde is coming. We must prepare ourselves."
"What-"
Any questions died on their lips as soon as they heard a bellow echo out from the canyon. A scale-covered monster twice the size of a wyvern pushed it's way through the narrow canyon walls. A wolf scrambled over it's back. The beat of heavy wings sounded across the air.
Alois ran next to Byleth, moving to shield the Blue Lions. "Knights, prepare for battle! Students, form up! Stay behind us professors! These beasts are much more dangerous then the common bandit!"
"Stick together, and you'll be fine. Remember what you have been taught." Byleth added.
The knights fired a volley into the sky, but the monsters barely noticed. Cavalry had returned from escorting prisoners, and lowered their lances, preparing to charge. Eight beasts had emerged from the shadows, and more could be heard. The scaled creature gave a hiss that wrapped around their ears, and charged, spitting out poison along the way.
The scaled beast charged through their ranks, and all anyone could do was dodge. Dimitri found himself isolated from the rest of the Blue Lions, and turned to rejoin them. All he found was a mouth dripping with poison, ready to swallow him whole. Dimitri rolled away, and then shifted into a sprint. The beast followed, smelling his fear. In a moment's distraction, he tripped over a loose tree branch. He turned back to see the monster closing in on him, mouth agape. He turned to scramble away, but the bridge he had hoped to cross was now just a cliff, the tremors from the monsters footfalls breaking the stone apart.
Dimitri felt as though time itself had slowed as he turned back to face his doom. The creature was close now. He could feel the chill of it's toxic breath on his face. The prince drew his spear, and prepared to strike, if for one last time.
Suddenly, a brilliant light blasted the creature's face. It screamed as the momentum carried its body over the cliff and into the canyon below. Dimitri felt warmth envelop him, and all his aches and pain receded. He looked up to find his savior, bathed in the afternoon sun, green hair floating like a mosaic of a saint.
"Professor Byleth? Was that your magic?" Dimitri asked. Byleth wasted no time, and reached down to pick him up by the hand.
"Yes. Let's get moving."
"When did you learn such powerful spells? I-"
Dimitri never got to finish his sentence, as Byleth pushed him away. Looking back, he saw a monstrous claw swing through where he had just been standing, reaching out from below the cliff. Byleth did not seem as concerned as she should have been. Quickly and calmly turning around, she slid down the mountain into the monster's gaping jaw. For a moment, professor and student's eyes met.
"Go, Dimitri. Your friends need you. Do not worry about me."
With that, Byleth disappeared beneath the rock. The only cries of pain came from the monster below.
Dimitri turned, rushing to his class' aid. All he could do was obey.
Duke Oswald von Riegan sat upright in his bed, his posture rigid and formal. His eyes even seemed well rested. The tip off was the duke's hair. For the few months Claude had gotten to really known his grandfather, the duke had never once let his peppered grey hair seem anything less then perfectly groomed, the picture of noble decorum. This afternoon however, the old man had stray hairs jutting up and away from his usually carefully combed head. His beard had grown just long enough to be called unkempt. Grey hairs bristled against the duke's upper lip, something Claude could tell irritated the old man far more then being bed ridden.
The sickness had worsened since Claude last visited his grandfather. But despite that, the duke's eyes still shone with a calm calculation behind well-polished spectacles, ready to pounce on anything Claude said.
"And she admitted this out loud? This is not some fanciful interpretation of the facts at hand?" Duke Riegan asked in a calm, deliberate voice.
"It fits. She'd have a motive to hire the bandits, and I do remember her trying to-"
"That was not my question." Duke Riegan's voice cut through Claude's own with practiced ease. "Did Princess Hresvelg admit that she had hired these bandits to try to kill you and Prince Blaiddyd?"
Claude bit on his tongue. "Her retained complained that hiring bandits was unbecoming. She didn't contradict him." He had decided to leave Byleth out of his story for now. If he mentioned that a twenty-year-old mercenary girl had explained half of everything he knew for no price, questions that Claude really didn't need to answer would come up. It was best to keep the narrative simple, and just say that he'd overheard Edelgard and Hubert arguing when the two had thought they were alone. It wasn't entirely untrue.
"Hm." Duke Riegan looked down at his papers, before turning back to Claude. "This latest accusation is just circumstantial evidence and hearsay, but not impossible. We will wait to see what the church manages to extract from their prisoners."
"Alright. Is there any hint of the empire mobilizing its troops?"
"Not yet. There are some rumblings, but nothing definitive. Bergliez hasn't been moving any noteworthy resources according to our friends in the empire, and Vestra dealings are notoriously difficult to track. Arundel has been…suspicious, but it has been nearly a decade since the man hasn't been. Nothing worth mentioning from any of the other major lords."
"Hmm…" Claude scratched his head. "You know, I wasn't sure that you'd believe anything I told you. In our brief time together, you didn't strike me as the type to just believe any crazy thing I said. Especially after you found nothing to back it up."
"Then I struck you well." The duke shifted through the papers spread atop his bedding. "You mentioned another detail that had come up."
Claude ignored his grandfather's question for his own. "Why are you playing along like you believe me? I barely believe it myself, and I'm the one who heard it all."
The duke looked up, meeting Claude's gaze. "In our brief time together, you did not strike me as the type to lie about something this serious."
"…Ah." Claude said. "That's a lot of faith you're putting in me, gramps. I wasn't sure you'd give that to me so easily." Claude scratched the back of his head, and cocked an eyebrow. "In fact, I can't believe it. What's the real reason?"
"The other reason, then." Duke Riegan sighed. "The Empire conquered Brigid not a decade ago, setting precedent for an renewed interest in expansion. Furthermore, the Hresvelg line was humiliated in the insurrection. A young, ambitious emperor would gladly try to avenge their honor and restore the house's dignity and power by uniting the empire against an enemy. Attacking the church is not illogical, and binds the empire together through scarred pride and centuries old hatreds." Duke Riegan leaned back, and drummed his fingers on his leg. "Their nobles have kept the resentment of losing control of the kingdom alive for five hundred years. Many blame the church's intervention for their loss, regardless of the facts. Many an emperor has dreamed of reconquering the lost territory since then. Attacking the church is to attack the kingdom, which has been weakened by the Duscur business."
Duke Riegan's eyes smoldered as he admitted his next words. "More importantly, we are seen as weak by the empire, and not unjustly so. We were unable to…" He gritted his teeth. "It took far to long to dislodge Adresita from our southern territory. Your report merely confirmed an uncomfortable reality."
Claude let out a small cough. "Well. Um. Thanks for the honesty?"
It took seconds for Duke Riegan to regain his composure. "You are my heir. It is your business to know our recent history. Now, the other detail?"
"Right, right." Claude sighed. "You know what happened to house Ordelia during the Hrym affair? Specifically to their daughter, Lysithia?"
The duke's eyes narrowed behind his eyeglasses. "What about the girl?"
"I asked Hanneman if it was possible to have two Crests. Lysithia-"
"Two Crests?" Duke Riegan asked sharply.
"Edelgard mentioned that she herself had two Crests."
Duke Riegan tensed, but did not interrupt again. Claude continued. "It went over my head, so I asked Professor Hanneman, who said the whole idea could never-" Claude raised his fingers and mimed quotation marks. "-'Occur naturally', and their hasn't been a single reported case of that in all of recorded history, but that's not important. The real takeaway was that Lysithia started to get real anxious when I brought it up."
Duke Riegan drummed his fingers. "Thread the needle."
"Well," Claude said, a bit of satisfaction creeping into his voice as he leaned his head back into his hands. "I don't know much about the Hrym ordeal, but I know that the empire all but annexed Ordelia for a few years. Lysithia's reaction implies she knows something about the apparent Crestological impossibility, but I wasn't able to get much out of her. I get the sense it's pretty personal." Claude's shin still smarted. "This says to me that there's a connection between the two, even if they don't know it."
Duke Riegan closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "House Ordelia lost many children under imperial occupation. Princess Hresvelg is the last surviving child of the emperor, her siblings falling victim to an illness. Princess Hresvelg claims to have two Crests. Miss Ordelia knows something about one person having two Crests." The duke sighed, and folded his arms. "These connections are not coincidences."
"Maybe Lysitha and Edelgard share blood? The hair matches." Claude mused aloud. "No, that doesn't-"
Duke Riegan's eyes snapped up. "What?"
Claude blinked. "What?"
"They share hair color?"
Claude blinked again. "Yes? They both have white hair…"
The duke's fingers drummed furiously. "Neither Count or Countess Ordelia have white hair. Neither Emperor Ionius nor Princess Hresvelg's mother had that coloration at her age."
"I guess fifty years of court intrigue means your bound to remember something more then your own sense of self-" Claude muttered under his breath.
"My memory is as sharp as ever. As is my hearing." Duke Riegan said.
"Sorry gramps." Claude shifted on his feet. "So what does that all mean? I guess your not wondering what their grandparent's coloring was…"
"I don't know." The duke rubbed his eyes. "A puzzle to be picked away at." He looked at Claude again.
"It is fortunate we do not have to solely rely on your classmate." Duke Riegan leaned back into his pillows. "In two month's time, the roundtable is to assemble. You will be there, and we will present this case to the other members of the alliance."
Claude raised an eyebrow. "Just with this? Even if we find some aggressive troop movement in the empire or if the bandits at Zanado spill some secrets, it isn't much to go on. I doubt Edelgard or Hubert ever met the cutthroats. They probably have an in-between to deal with little things like that. Seems too easy to dismiss as me imagining it all. And if this roundtable goes anything like last time, with that bootstrap argument-"
"We agreed that the matter was dead and buried." Duke Riegan cut Claude off with a glare. It reminded Claude of his mother when he tried to test his luck against her during dinner. He needed to learn that trick. "They all know. They will give protest. They will grind their teeth and stomp their feet. But during the Hyrm rebellion, we came dangerously close to war. The other members know this. This news will not shock them. You and I will confront Count Ordelia before the conference over this twin Crest matter. With the information you have given us, I will make certain that we will start with his vote in our back pocket. I am confident in our ability to get what we want out of the other members."
"What about the church and kingdom? You think we should tell them anything?"
"We will discuss that at the roundtable, after I guide us through the initial chaos." Duke Reigan assured.
"That's assuming you're going to be well enough to stand for the roundtable." Claude said as he leaned forward.
Duke Riegan adjusted his spectacles, hiding his eyes behind the gleam of sunlight peaking through the windows. The old man had been practicing the move. "What are you implying?"
"Hey, I hear the maids gossiping. You've been getting worse all month, and Gertrude tells me that they have to force the medicine down your throat."
Duke Reigan rolled his eyes. "I'd rather die on my own terms then swallow any more of that sludge, thank you. Besides, this is just a cold. You really must stop listening to gossip. Gertrude can't help herself from exaggerating."
"A cold that's gone strong for two months now. Who's to say it won't linger for two more? And besides," Claude stepped closer to the count, fingers brushing at the parchment piled on the bedside. "I don't need Gertrude to tell me that if the sickness doesn't kill you, your workload will do the trick."
"It's almost like you reported a war is on the horizon." Duke Riegan's stare bore down on Claude with decades of experience.
Claude held his ground. "So you're worried about the coming fight, have admitted we are in a weak position, and your plan to hold off the tides of war is to work yourself into an early grave before the first battle is so much a twinkle in the empire's eye?"
The two held each other's eyes for a few moments more. "C'mon, gramps. Send some of that stuff to me. Or Judith. She knows her way around spy networks."
Finally, Duke Riegan sighed, taking his glasses off to rub the bridge of his nose. "Yes, fine. I will make certain that I am in good heath for the meeting. I will allow you and Lady Judith to shoulder some of the burden."
"Great! But you still need to take your medicine."
Duke Riegan waved him off. "Gertrude controls my doses. She's out running errands now. I'll take it later."
"Funny thing about that," Claude said, and pulled a vial out of his pocket. "She left me this, just for you."
Duke Riegan shot Claude a murderous look, before snatching the vial, and forcing the liquid down his sickly throat. After swallowing, the duke made a face like he wanted to wretch, and all but threw the empty vial back to Claude. "There. I drank the poison. You're one step closer to the title of duke. Now leave me to my misery."
"Love you to, gramps." Claude turned and walked to the door.
"Claude." The duke called after him. He turned.
"Yes?"
"Good work. We are in your debt."
Claude blinked. "Oh…Thanks, gramps."
"You are welcome."
Claude closed the door behind him, and scratched his head in thought. If he recalled correctly, that conversation had been the first time his grandfather had ever thanked him. Claude wasn't sure what that said about their relationship.
"There you are, you slippery little brat!" Claude was torn from his thoughts by Judith's thundering voice. She stomped through Riegan halls liked she owned the place, boots clacking against the stone floors.
"Hey, Judith-"
"That's Lady Judith to you, boy. And I've been looking all over for you. That performance at the docks against those rabble-rousers was pathetic. I'm going to hammer in some lessons you should have already learned."
Claude sighed. "Professor Hanneman-"
"Shouldn't have to teach you to stick with your friends, I'm glad you agree. So I'll do him a favor and drill it to you." Judith grabbed Claude, yanking his head close. "Especially if what you wrote to me is true. We don't have time for you to form bad habits. Understood?"
Claude groaned. "Yes Lady Judith…"
Hours later, Claude collapsed into his bed; envying how easy fighting bandits must be for the Blue Lions.
Dimitri struggled on his knees as he held back the massive wolf's claws from impaling him through the chest and smashing Felix's unconscious body. He could hear Dedue shouting through the chaos, his friend bashing at the creature's snout. The winds howled as Annette cast spell after spell against the demon's hide, but the multitude of cuts were still not enough to fell the creature.
Dimitri bit his lip, as he saw the wolf raise its left paw to strike at Dedue, and seized his chance. With a mighty shove, the prince threw the paw he had held back to the side, catching the beast by surprise and causing it to lose balance. The wolf stumbled, snarling and gnashing as it fell on its flank. Dimitri had no time to pause for breath as he grabbed his lance and plunged it into the beast's heart with the last of his strength. The wolf gave a terrible howl, desperate and flailing, before letting out a whine. Finally it stilled, it's legs dropping to the ground and it's heavy, laboring breaths ceased. The beast was dead.
Dimitri panted, falling to his knees. Dedue rushed to his side, and Annette had grabbed Felix, trying to shake him awake. Mercedes was running towards their small group, a healing spell already alight in her hands. Across the rocky canyon, Ingrid and Sylvain kept a great vulture at bay as Ashe peppered it with arrows. Not a moment later, Alois leapt from a tall rock, goring the winged beast across the chest. It shrieked, before falling down a cliff face, the sound of fragile wing bones snapping accompanied the great thud as it landed. In the distance, Dimitri could see the Knights of Serios subduing two other Demonic Beasts. The battle seemed stable. All that remained was finding Byleth.
Suddenly, he heard Mercedes scream.
He turned back to look, and saw one of the vultures bearing down on his classmate. Anette was screaming back, clutching Felix. Dedue had turned, and was running in vain to shield her. Alois' eyes were wide as he shouted something Dimitri couldn't hear.
The beast paid them no mind, diving madly. All Mercedes could do was stare wide-eyed with the rest of her class as the vulture closed in.
A dark shape jumped over Dimitri's head, barreling towards his fallen classmate. A knight covered in blackest armor rode on a midnight steed, scythe raised and glistening sharp. The horse sprung up, very nearly flying through the air as the knight swung his scythe upward, gorged the vulture's eye. It shrieked, and crashed into the ground. The knight circled around, before letting his weapon split through the downed creature's skull in a single stroke. The battlefield fell silent.
Slowly, Mercedes rose, and approached the strange knight. Now that Dimitri got a good look at her savior, he could see a tattered black cloak was wrapped around jutting, bladed pauldrons. The helm had the face of a skull chiseled in, and glowing red eyes bore down at whatever met this knight's gaze. Two curving horns rested atop the horseman's head.
Mercedes still approached, even as the knight's glowing red stare came down on her. Softly, she spoke.
"Thank you for saving me, Sir Knight."
The knight didn't react to her words, and continued to stare. Mercedes continued, afraid but not cowed. "Might I have the name of the man who saved me? I don't have much, but I would be glad to repay you."
Still the knight did not react. Alois had slowly approached, axe held at his side.
"I share my student's gratitude, Sir Knight, but I must ask. Why are you here? Zanado is a sacred place. Not just anyone is allowed in."
The knight finally broke his gaze away from Mercedes, turning back to the canyon. Finally, he spoke, with a deep, rumbling, almost metallic voice. "I came here to witness power with no equal."
"I'm…flattered? But-" Alois began.
"Not from you weaklings." The knight pointed out to a trail. "From her."
Everyone looked to where the knight pointed. At first, Dimitri could see nothing, but slowly, a crown of mint green hair rose from the canyon path. Byleth had returned, unharmed and unblemished, though without her blade.
"Professor!" Exclaimed Dimitri. "Your alive! I had thought, after you jumped…I-" Dimitri hesitated. "I wasn't sure what to think."
Byleth met Dimitri's eyes for a moment as she passed by him. "Thank you for your concern, Dimitri." Her eyes slid away to meet the knight's burning stare, unblinking. "Are you satisfied?"
Dimitri could sense the knight's eyes narrow. "One escaped you."
"I suggested not setting a horde loose in the first place." Byleth replied. A static tension fell between the two as they continued to stare each other down.
Finally, the knight broke his gaze, looking back one more time to Mercedes. She shifted uncomfortably, confusion in her eyes. The knight let her go, turning back to Byleth. "Next time, we will meet in battle." With those words, the knight teleported away, leaving only his stead's hoof prints.
"Professor!" Dimitri exclaimed, shaking off his confusion. "That knight…did he just admit to summoning these monsters?"
"Yes. I met him before. He appeared again deeper in the canyon. He said he wanted to see my limits."
"Yes, he mentioned that." Dedue said as he walked over with the rest of the Blue Lions and Knights of Serios. "What did this knight mean? Who is he?"
"He calls himself the Death Knight." Byleth sighed. "You did well to kill six of the creatures."
"Six? I guess we did..." Ingrid said as she looked around, counting corpses. "Then there was that one killed by that knight…why did I think there were more?"
"Uh…I think that's why." Sylvain said. He had walked to the ledge, and was pointing to the canyon below, eyes wide in shock. The rest of the group walked towards the ledge, and gasped.
Lying on the canyon floor were the bodies of ten more demonic beasts. Cuts littered their exposed bellies, and the scorch marks across their flesh implied powerful holy magic had been cast. Weapons taken from fallen bandits were buried into the beast's bodies, and shattered rock lay strewn across the battlefield.
Dimitri turned back to Byleth. Her expression could not quite be called exasperated. "Professor," he breathed. "You…you killed all of these beasts? By yourself?"
"I would have rather not received so much attention, but I suppose it can't be helped." Byleth said distantly. "I'll need a new sword."
Dimitri turned back to look in awe with the rest of his class. He had known how skilled Byleth was before, but this was something else entirely. To defeat so many demonic beasts without any aid was not something even the most powerful knights could brag about. Byleth's command of magic also seemed incredible, yet another skill above and beyond anything Dimitri had seen. But this should be impossible. Byleth couldn't be older then twenty-five years. No one could grow so strong in such a short life, could they? Even with a major Crest this should be impossible, shouldn't it?
Thoughts swirled in Dimitri's mind, but for now, all he could do was stare in awe.
Cindered Shadows screwed up a few things. I've gone back and edited previous chapters with Sitri's name. Some editing done to chapter 7 for clarity. Will be working info and events into future chapter's outlines.
Gave a few side characters personalities. They may or may not be used to throw rocks at the ones we care about.
Also, this chapter refused to stop being written (I'll let you guess which part took the longest, and it may not be the one you expect) The next chapter will be shorter.
Until next time. Reviews feed a writer's soul.
