5th of Blue Sea Moon

Yuri walked with a quiet confidence just a step behind Hapi. "So, what's this all about?" The four friends had gone quite deep into Abyss, far away from the usual bustle, down winding corridors illuminated by strange magic lamps, long forgotten but steadfast in their purpose.

"Yeah, we've been walking for half an hour. I don't mind the workout, but there are plenty of easier ways to stretch our legs." Balthus had mastered the art of marching casually- said he picked up the habit from an old friend during his academy days- and trailed behind Yuri.

"I concur. Some hint as to where we are arriving would be most appreciated Hapi." Constance's polished heels clacked against the dusty stone tiles with a sense of ownership. Rather typical for a noble in Hapi's experience.

"I wanted to show you guys something away from prying eyes." Hapi turned a corner, and at last she had arrived at her practice spot. It was some sort of coliseum, or maybe a stone courtyard- she couldn't say. Its pillars rose high, so high that the flickering magic lights couldn't illuminate the ceiling. The decorations on the ground were no less impressive, with high quality stone laid carefully around each corner. Hapi wondered how anything so many people had undoubtedly put so much time into could ever just be forgotten as this room was. She even took special care to keep it as tidy as she could. There were even four very detailed and important looking statues that clearly had a lot of care put into them. It wouldn't do to have something avoidable happen to them-

"Oh my, this is exquisite!" Constance nearly skipped across the old worn floor to the statue of the mage. "Hapi, how did you find this place? It's magnificent enough to match my splendor! And with such loving renditions of the four saints- simply divine!"

On second thought, maybe she should use the statues as target practice. It's not like the church doesn't already have plenty of statues. And if they left them down here, they clearly didn't care what happened to the rocks.

"Huh. I heard about an arena hidden somewhere back in town, but to see something like this…" Yuri looked up at the yawning roof.

Balthus scratched his head. "Yeah, I knew Abyss was big, but to hide a place this big? Just how deep do these caves stretch?"

"Perhaps a better question would be what would cause this place to be abandoned." Yuri ran his hand over a stone railing. "The stonework is in good condition. It must be centuries since anyone last did any maintenance work, but everything still seems in its proper place. This room was built to last. Why did the church abandon it?"

Balthus' eyes roamed across the room, looking for any clues. "Well, if I had to guess-" His eyes widened as he pointed to a far-off corner. "I've seen that sort of damage before."

Constance and Yuri followed Balthus' finger before all three swerved back to stare at Hapi. Typical, really.

"Those are the same tunnels that- "

"Hapi, you didn't- "

"I told you not to sigh- "

"-Maybe these are just from some that got lost, or something- "

"-To destroy such precious masonry- "

"All right shut up, the both of you!" Yuri shouted. Balthus and Constance grumbled. "Hapi, these…" Yuri made a gesture with his hand. "….Tracks are the reason we're here, yes?"

"Took you long enough, Yuri-bird." Hapi stretched her arms over her head. "I want to show you guys something."

"There are easier ways to try and kill me than sending monsters after my scent, you know." Yuri said in deadpan. Constance still shrieked.

"Yuri! How dare you joke about that! Hapi is our friend! She would never try to bring us to harm!" Hapi thought Yuri did a remarkable job of not rolling his eyes.

"Yeah! So…why did you call us here?" Balthus asked.

"Chatterbox has been showing me-" All three of her friends had completely blank looks. "Oh, right. I decided to call her Chatterbox. She's the new professor topside. Do you know her?"

Balthus scratched his head. Constance shook hers. Yuri's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, so you've met her, Yuri-bird?"

"Byleth Eisner. She's…" Yuri chewed on his lip. "…Dangerous. Asks dangerous questions. Has the ear of several dangerous people. Hard to get a read on her, but don't tell her I said that. She's been stalking around Abyss for a few months now."

"She says she likes the quiet down here." Hapi offered. Yuri didn't look convinced. Hapi didn't blame him. "But she's some sort of expert with Crest powers. Knows all about them, apparently. Said she knew what was wrong with me, and how to control my curse."

The three stood up straighter at that. "Did she now." Yuri asked evenly.

"Believe me, she had to do a lot of convincing to make me a believer. But she's legit." Who knew anyone could summon monster with enough magic and a pretty metal rock?

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Constance shouted. "Hapi, I'm ecstatic for you!"

"That's great, but what did she ask for in return? Something that big has to come with a steep price." Balthus rubbed the back of his neck. It was a tell Hapi had seen Yuri take advantage of more than once at the card table.

"Oh, nothing major. Just that I risk my and her life by summoning monsters."

"Hapi, you couldn't have!" Constance stomped her foot down. "You mustn't put yourself at such risk! I, Constance von Nuvelle, cannot allow you to put yourself, or anyone in such danger!"

"Yeah, I've been at tables with high stakes, but, uh…" Balthus was still rubbing his neck. "Well, stakes that high rarely end well for anyone involved."

Hapi turned to Yuri, who hadn't said a word. "No objection from you Yuri-bird?"

"Well, you're still alive." Yuri's eyes had taken on a curious gleam. "Furthermore, this Byleth woman has a reputation for dealing with monsters."

"Really?"

"She's the one the knights have been raving on about. Saved the Blue Lions from a horde single handedly." Balthus and Constance lit up at that.

"Really? That's the woman who slew the horde?"

"Yup. She's strong." Hapi said. The blood still wouldn't come out of her old shirt. "But to get back to why I brought you all here, I wanted to try something, and I needed your help."

"Yeah? What do you need us to do?"

"Just stand there. Don't move, don't make any threatening moves…and please, trust me on this."

"Of course!" Constance agreed. Balthus gave a hesitant nod. The curiosity in Yuri's eyes had given way to an excited interest, while his hand drifted towards his sword. Hapi nodded, and then took a deep breath. She reached out with her hands, feeling a dark, murky power coursing through her. The Crest of Timotheos flared around her fingertips. She reached into her pocket, picked out the small metal trinket Chatterbox had given her, and let the power flow in and then out of the odd little sphere, just as she had practiced. And just as she had practiced, the energy flowed back into her body. But instead of the slippery feeling she usually had when trying to grapple with her Crest, it now felt softer. Easier to control. Hapi focused, closed her eyes, and let out a soft sigh.

At first, nothing happened. Yuri's hand gripped his sword, Balthus shifted on his feet, and Constance tried to hide the magic she was summoning in her hand. The room was eerily still.

Then the ground began to shake. It began minutely, but before long, the entire room began to rumble. At last, an eruption of rock and dust spat forth from the ground. A worm emerged, extending itself upward into the open room, its head escaping the dim lamp's ability to illuminate. The worm then lowered its head back down into the light, the top of its neck still shrouded in the ceiling's darkness. Hapi fought down a gulp. This was bigger than any other monster she had ever seen, by a very large margin. There still had to be half of it buried beneath the ground. How long had it been sleeping down here? Was this why the room had been abandoned?

The creature had no eyes or any visible nostrils but seemed to sniff the air around her, or at least breath heavily in her direction as it leaned down. Hapi heard the mad shuffling of feet behind her, and the distinctive sound of Yuri's sword slinking out of its sheath. The worm sniffed again, and its posture shifted, coiling back to prepare for attack. It began to make a sound almost like a hiss. The ozone of Constance's magic began to waft through the air.

"Guys, don't move!" Hapi shouted, not turning her back to the worm. "Trust me, please. Don't try to attack."

"I was thinking about running from the Giant Crawler." Yuri shot back.

"It senses tremors in the earth! Just…don't move. Please." Hapi heard the three's feet shift. They were tense but followed her request. The worm had not attacked anyone. Yet.

Hapi turned her attention back to the beast. It was still making its hissing noise, and still reared back. Hapi summoned her courage, summoned her Crest, and let the power flow into the worm. The beast began to breathe loudly, and its tongue began to slowly extend out of its mouth. It began to make the same heavy breathing noises that Hapi guessed meant it was smelling. Inch by inch, the worm lowered itself to Hapi. As it began to close in, she realized that the teeth (they weren't really teeth per se, more like long, sharp, pointy bits of the worm's- carapace? Exoskeleton? That happened to be placed around the worm's mouth) were each about half the size of Balthus, and there was a whole lot of what she hoped was saliva on its tongue, and she was really beginning to doubt this entire stupid plan-

Hapi shooed her doubts away. She had gotten this far. She couldn't back down now. Pouring more magic into her Crest, a small orb of magic formed in her hand, surrounding the small metal sphere. It felt like white magic. Hapi was no expert in healing spells and had never put much of an effort into practicing them, but her Crest had always allowed her to do more than others. But this magic looked different. It was a strange mix of an unnatural cool white light recovery spells sometimes had, but at the center of the orb of magic, a murky darkness ate at the surrounding light. Chatterbox said that was a natural part of her Crest when they had practiced. Hapi wondered if that was why dark magic came so naturally to her, even ignoring the experiments.

The worm's tongue extended out, brushing against the magic. Hapi tried to keep herself from reacting as hot monster drool dripped into her hand. She failed. Unperturbed, the worm lapped at her hand, and then her face. Hapi pushed against her instinct to run. She held up the little sphere, focusing her energy. The worm let out another heavy breath, and in an instant, wrapped its tongue around the orb, grabbling magic and metal both, before rearing back, swallowing them whole.

That hadn't happened when she had tried with Chatterbox.

Hapi wondered if her face looked more like more like a partially trapped rabbit that had just realized it was going to have to gnaw its foot off or a dead fish that had just figured out that the worm it bit had an odd metallic taste.

Yuri jumped forward, grabbing Hapi by the arm. "Your face says it's time to go."

The worm reared back and roared. Yuri started pulling. Constance was yelling something buried under the shaking earth. Balthus was strapping on his gauntlets. The room began to shake. Or perhaps it was spinning. Hapi couldn't quite tell. She saw the worm begin its lunge in slow motion. Yuri was gripping her tighter, tensing to jump. Magic was burning in the air. The worm was closing in on them- no, on Yuri. Hapi didn't know how she knew that, just that Yuri's life was in danger. Spurred on by some desperate instinct, Hapi shouted:

"STOP!"

The rumbling stopped. Hapi realized she had closed her eyes. Opening them a millimeter at a time, Hapi saw a world frozen. The Crest of Timotheos was burning with a strange, muted light at her fingertips. The worm had stilled, barely a meter away from Hapi's face, tongue extending out to strike at Yuri. Hapi looked back at the leader of their little band to see him also frozen. Not from whatever magic she had cast, but shock. His eyes darted between her and an all too close worm tongue. After a moment, Yuri regained his footing.

"Alright, it is officially time to go. Keep doing whatever it is you're doing, but-" Yuri began to pull on her arm again. The worm unfroze, a roared, rearing up.

"Stop!" Hapi shouted as she pulled against Yuri. The worm's roar dulled to an earthy growl. Hapi freed her arm from Yuri's grasp. "Remember. Trust me."

Yuri looked pensive but stayed put. Hapi turned back to the worm. It's growl still hummed through the earth. Hapi raised her hands. Her Crest still shone with its odd dim light. She took a breath, and then stepped forward.

It was difficult to track the worm's attention- there were no eyes to follow, but Hapi sensed she had its undivided attention. She took another step. And then another. And another. The worm lowered its head low to the ground. Hapi took one final step, and then reached out, touching the beast on the head. The light of her Crest faded into the worm, and the beast's growling slipped into a rumbling noise. If Hapi had to guess, she might call it purring.

Hapi was going the have to get a replacement orb from Chatterbox. She hoped it wasn't too expensive.

"So…Is it safe to move now?" Balthus asked. Hapi shrugged.

"I think we should be fine, just so long as we don't make any threatening moves." Yuri said.

"More than that, you've done the impossible, Hapi!" Constance beamed. "You've managed to tame a demonic beast! Simply astonishing!" Hapi could hear her friend's frown form. "But you've done this several times now, as the holes in the floor indicate. What happens now?"

"Well, I think I can tell it to go away. That's what I did to the others, and I haven't seen them-" The worm licked Hapi's face.

Hapi wiped the slobber from her face and counted herself lucky that she hadn't allowed Constance to convince her to wear makeup today. She tried to glare the worm into shame. It didn't react. Probably because it didn't have eyes. "I get the feeling this one is gonna stay around for a while." The Worm rumble-purred louder.

"What! Are you serious?" Balthus shot out. "We can't let this thing loose in Abyss! Think of all the damage it could cause!"

"Not to mention the damage it could do to the foundation of Garreg Mach itself!" Constance said with a stomp of her foot.

Hapi rolled her eyes. "Relax B, Coco. I'm not just going to let- hmm." She chewed on her lip. "What am I going to call you? Can't let you go without a name if you plan on sticking around."

"How about Wormy?"

"Giant Giant Crawler?"

"The great and noble pet of the lady Timotheos!"

The worm let out a long breath. Hapi had to hold her hair back to keep it from hitting her eyes. Maybe that was how it sighed. Only slightly less destructive than her own. "I don't think it likes any of those." Hapi called back.

"What, it can understand us?" Another long breath. More hair in her face. It was at very least a harrumph.

"Hmmm…" Hapi's mind wandered. What should one call a pet worm twice the size of two houses stacked on top of one another? "Actually…"

"What?"

"I remember something- a story back in my village. I don't remember much, but the hero rode a worm into battle."

"Really?" Yuri's tone dripped with a mix of exasperation and curiosity.

"Something like that. It's been a while." Hapi said as she stroked the worm's head. "I don't quite remember the worm's name, but I think it was something like…Shai."

The rumble-purr returned. Hapi grinned. "We have a winner. Shai it is."

Balthus took a careful step forward. "So now what are you going to do?"

"Well…" Hapi mused. "seeing how easy this taming thing was, I guess I could try to ride Shai into battle. That'll scare off any troublemakers really quick. It'll be a challenge holding on when Shai goes underground, but I think it'll be worth it." Shai let out a low vibrating hum.

Looking at her three friends with utterly stupefied expressions on their faces, miles below the surface of the earth, Hapi felt on top of the world.

Then Shai licked her again.


Jeralt massaged his forehead, trying to hide his eyes from the sun. "Yeah, sure kid. Good form."

"Please Captain Jeralt, take this seriously! I screwed up on purpose this time!" Leonie had been nipping at Jeralt's heels ever since he returned to Garreg Mach. Apparently, he had taught her the ropes a few years back, something Jeralt vaguely remembered.

It had been a while since Jeralt had gone on a binge that lasted days. During his brief time coherent enough to retain detailed memories, Jeralt learned that even the Abyss tavern would turn people away for drunkenness. Something about not wanting another tab that wouldn't be paid. He and Aelfric had already laughed and cried at every memory they'd stumbled across in their stupor, and Jeralt couldn't bring himself to face Sitri's grave so soon. Then he ran into Leonie. Jeralt didn't have the energy to shout her off. The girl didn't seem to have an eye for details, and then he found himself being dragged off somewhere.

And so Jeralt found himself in the academy's training hall, nursing his worst hangover in twenty years, being cajoled into offering advice like he was a professor. A least there was some shade to hide in. And by some small miracle, the hall was mostly empty. All the sounds Jeralt had to endure were fairly rhythmic weapon exercises. It was almost peaceful.

"…And that won't do anything against stronger opponents. Please, teach me how!"

But then the girl had to talk and break the rhythm. Jeralt opened his eyes and looked in Leonie's general direction. "Alright, kid. Show me your forms."

Leonie happily crept into her stance and began practicing with her lance. Broad strokes reached too far away, forcing her footwork to overextend to compensate. Her balance was all over the place. A stiff breeze would probably send the girl tumbling. There was a blur at the edge of Jeralt's vision. He turned to look. It was that one noble brat with the stupid hair.

Jeralt shook his head. There were too many bad haircuts for that to be specific. It had been well over a century since Jeralt had been a kid, but the fashion among nobles made his head spin. Some of the brats wore the usual overly groomed noble hairstyles, but other brats took it too far. There was one brat who wore his hair in what could only describe as a bowl made of noodles placed on top of his head. Others were clearly trying way too hard to look rugged, and utterly failing. They needed actual dirt under their fingernails and visible scars if they ever wanted to pull it off.

Then there was this idiot. It was- Jeralt wasn't sure how to describe it. It was some sort of bowl cut, but the angles were too sharp to really call it that. It reminded Jeralt of that one stupid fad haircut in the clergy that had thankfully died out one hundred years ago or so. What was it called? It had been named after some important cardinal, or something. Fransissy? Fronny? Franziska? Jeralt couldn't be bothered to remember. The point was, it somehow looked like the kid had a massive bald spot on the top of his head with just a ring of hair around his forehead, despite having a full head of hair. And he still couldn't remember the stupid brat's name.

"Lorenz! What are you doing here?" Oh good, Leonie knew him. Jeralt didn't have to hurt his head trying to remember someone he'd never spoken to or about.

"You had offered to spar with me, and this is the appointed hour." The brat with the stupid hair- no, Lorenz said. His eyes met Jeralt's. The brat wasn't impressed but hid it pretty well for someone barely off his wet-nurse's teat. "Unless you have found a better partner?"

"Oh, well I ran into Captain Jeralt, and then I lost track of time, and-" Leonie sputtered. Jeralt decided to save his throbbing head from anymore of the noise.

"I was looking over her lance forms. This is just a warmup."

"Really." Jeralt would backtalk the kid for the attitude, but Jeralt would probably have the same reaction if he saw himself sprawled out on the floor.

"Yes, really." Jeralt rubbed his eyes as he stood up. He even went to the effort of not tumbling over when he got off the stone floor. How professional. It was like he was the captain of the knights again or something. "Leonie, you're holding that spear like you were seven feet tall. Where'd you learn something that sloppy?"

Leonie blushed. "I-well, I watched you practice, and I figured…"

"Yeah, well I hold a spear like that cause I'm taller and wider than you." Not to mention supernaturally stronger. He moved her hands the where they should have been. "You have to narrow your stance. Don't overstep. It's an easy way to lose your head." Jeralt stepped back. "Now you try it."

Leonie performed an exercise. Better, but still unpolished. There were a lot of little problems her professor should have fixed by now. "By the way, isn't your teacher- what's his name…"

"Professor Hanneman." Lorenz supplied.

"Right. Hasn't he been teaching you this stuff?" It was only his job.

Leonie pouted. "Professor Hanneman's always busy. And he's been working with me on archery and horseback riding. He says focusing on just two things yields the best results."

"That is good advice." Jeralt said. Leonie frowned.

"But I've got to catch up somehow! Your daughter- hell, everyone with a Crest just seems so powerful. I've got to keep training if I don't want to be left in the dust! You must know that feeling, Captain Jeralt." He didn't, really.

Lorenz spoke up. "Your daughter's exploits have also lit a fire in everyone at the monastery. We all wish to be strong enough to perform deeds as grand as her rescue of the Blue Lions. And now that the archbishop's life has been threatened, we must train tirelessly to defend her."

Oh, right. That all happened.

"Easy for you to say, you can afford private tutors…" Leonie muttered. Jeralt wondered if the hangover was making his hearing sharper.

"Unfortunately, that is a sad truth." Oh, the girl just had no volume control. That explained it. "Which is why I happily agreed to assist in your training. It is my noble duty to keep your skills sharp."

Leonie pouted. "Don't say that. I'm helping you because we're friends, not because of any noble crap."

Lorenz smiled. "You are right, of course. I appreciate your aid, Leonie."

Huh. If Jeralt was guessing the boy's family correctly, the kid had better lines than his father and his grandfather. Though not better than his great-grandmother. But all this talk was making Jeralt's head throb. "Alright, you came here to train, not gossip. Get to it."

Jeralt settled back into an undignified slump, listening to the rhythmic beats of training weapons clashing. It was nostalgic to pretend to be a professor, really. Jeralt wondered why he hadn't missed it more in the past twenty years.

"…Please take my handkerchief. It will do for a bandage."

Oh right. The insufferable, juvenile attempts at flirting. Teenagers.

…Jeralt could only hope Byleth's position as a professor warded off any desperate would-be suitors.


"I'm off to my training appointment with Professor Byleth. It's at the forest's edge." Edelgard said.

Hubert nodded along as the two walked out of the dormitories. "I will have to cancel my plans, then."

Edelgard raised her eyebrow. "I wasn't aware of any meetings with any of the counts."

Hubert chuckled. "Oh, no. Nothing like that. I've just picked up a hobby."

"Really? Do tell- "

Dorothea ran out of the greenhouse. "Hey Hubie! Ferdie just got his monthly allowance, and I was thinking about trying that coffee stuff you always guzzle. One of the merchants near the entrance has a premium blend for sale."

"Premium, you say? Where did he tell you It was from?"

"Smuggled from the far east of Almyra."

Hubert smirked. "It should be genuine."

Dorothea gave a sultry smile. "Do you want a crack at him first? Or do you want to double team him, just this once?"

Hubert huffed out a laugh. "Regretfully, a matter has sprung up. You will have to brave it alone."

Dorothea pouted. "But then it'll just be me and him drinking. Ferdie is such a- ugh."

"We all must make sacrifices."

Dorothea sighed, walking towards the mess hall. "Alright, alright. Later Hubie."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. Hubert shrugged. "It started after Professor Eisner humiliated Ferdinand. Dorothea and I have made a game of seeing who was better at pulling his strings."

"Really."

"I've been impressed with her. I'm only two points ahead at the moment." Hubert gave a bemused little huff.

"I'm surprised you can tolerate Ferdinand enough to bother." Edelgard said.

Hubert smiled. "He is a driveling simpleton, but to his credit he is an easily manipulatable cretin."

The two made their way down to the town. Things were busy due to the upcoming Rite of Rebirth, and even more so now that news of an assassination had spread. The merchants and soldiers didn't have the time to spare any wandering students a glance, even the imperial heir and the son of Vestra.

Byleth was waiting on a little-used path stuck in between two dusty storage buildings. as soon as they made eye contact, Byleth turned and walked down the path. The three arrived at a clearing, just inside the first layer of trees in the forest which offered a reasonable amount of privacy. A man stood at the edge of the trees. It was Jeritza.

"What are you doing here, Death Knight?" Hubert growled.

Her troublesome knight stood relaxed, sparing her and Hubert no more interest than any other pupil he was forced to teach.

Jeritza stared back blankly. "I will battle Professor Eisner at the end of the month. I will observe your spar to learn what I can."

Hubert blinked, before swearing. "You idiot, you can't just reveal sensitive information to an enemy because-"

Jeritza cut through his voice with surprisingly little effort. "She already knows. Do not worry yourself over matters of no consequence."

Edelgard was less surprised by the outburst than she should have been. "You plan to stop the mission in the tomb?"

Byleth took a practice sword and axe that were leaning next to a tree and tossed Edelgard the axe. "Claude and Dimitri are not unintelligent. They will have little difficulty piecing together that the tomb is the only place that can be struck." Byleth tested the sword's weight and balance with a few swings. "It would only take one class to trounce the graverobbers, so long as they take care not to annoy the Death Knight." Jeritza nodded. "Your own house members are similarly inquisitive. You should join together with them."

Edelgard swung the axe she had been given. It was well suited for her build. "And why should I strike against my tentative allies? We share the same goals."

"Aside from the fact that stopping a grave robbery is a good thing?" Byleth held her sword at her side. "You will be able to see what lies in Serios' coffin."

Edelgard narrowed her eyes. Byleth did not move from her relaxed posture. Edelgard adjusted her grip one more time, and charged.


Ten minutes.

Edelgard had fought for ten minutes, away from prying eyes. She had no need to hold back in front of her peers like she did in the training hall. There was no Claude trying to egg her on in front of Byleth. No need to pretend that she hadn't had the best tutors drill martial combat into her brain until it was second nature.

In ten minutes, Byleth had only raised her sword to parry. Edelgard had not landed a single blow. Byleth had not yet broken a sweat.

Edelgard breathed heavily. The Crest of Serios boosted her strength and endurance to superhuman levels, but that mattered little when she couldn't hit her target. She had called on the Crest of Flames, which allowed her to sense out a rough vision of the next few seconds in time, but Byleth still had no difficulty dancing around her. Edelgard would foresee one movement, adjust her strike accordingly, and Byleth would still have no trouble blocking or dodging whatever attack Edelgard mustered. The professor's movements were inhumanly graceful, and all the more infuriating. But something more gnawed at Edelgard's concentration. Byleth's hair had no respect for momentum. It did not kick up when it should have. It did not toss like gravity demanded. Her hair refused to part and reveal Byleth's ears.

Thinking back, Edelgard could not recall ever seeing her professor's ears. As long as she had known the woman, Byleth had always kept them hidden behind her strange mint green hair. Just like Rhea. Just like Seteth. Like all the 'children of the goddess'.

Like an inhuman monster.

Edelgard aimed at Byleth's head, desperate to cut the too long, too green hair and reveal Byleth's secrets. Each time Edelgard tried, be it by feint, false pattern, or straightforward attack, Byleth would bring her sword up and block. And each time Edelgard failed, the more she felt her frustration grow.

"Break." Byleth declared, sheathing her sword in the loose forest earth. Edelgard lowered her weapon. She was still slightly short of breath. Byleth tilted her head, studying Edelgard's form.

"You've been using the Crest of Flames to look into the future." Byleth said. Edelgard's eyes narrowed.

"You know that."

"I do." Byleth said.

"How do you know that?"

Byleth gave no expression. "You know that."

Edelgard's eyebrow twitched. "You have a Crest." Byleth didn't respond. "Which one?"

Hubert and Jeritza tensed. Byleth's perplexingly familiar green eyes did not look away from Edelgard's.

"I keep reliving my life, over and over again, as though I were traveling through time." Byleth's voice was monotone, yet soft. "It stands to reason that if I had a Crest, it would be related to my problem. Only one Crest fits."

Edelgard's brows furrowed. How did Byleth receive her Crest of Flames? Were they both experimented on? Did they both meet in the distant past, and did Edelgard once again forget something important, as Hubert suspected? Edelgard's instincts burned, and she dared to ask.

"Where did you get your Crest?"

"From Rhea." Byleth said with a casual bluntness.

Edelgard's mind swam. "Did she insert it forcefully? Is she experimenting on…humans? Like Arundel?"

"No. It saved my life."

Edelgard wasn't sure what to make of that.

Her confusion was broken when Byleth spoke, unprompted. "Would you like to learn how to use the Crest of Flames' other powers?"

Edelgard blinked. "What?" Hadn't she already been doing that? Her second Crest could do more than see into the future? "What other powers does it possess?"

Byleth turned and called out to Jeritza. "I need to give you two shallow hits. Your reward is information on how my Crest functions in battle."

Jeritza sprinted forward, standing at ease next to Byleth.

"The Crest of Flames grants three main powers besides minor precognition." Byleth said. "The first, and easiest to master, heals wounds." Byleth took a knife from her belt and cut into her palm.

She at least bled red like a human.

Byleth took her sword from its place on the ground and struck Jeritza in the chest. He stumbled back but was unharmed. Byleth held out her hand for Edelgard to see. The blood began to creep back up into the wound, leaving no trace or residue as it went. After all the blood had flowed back into the cut, the wound itself sealed closed, leaving fresh unscarred skin.

Edelgard stared in awe. She was not the only one. Byleth was unperturbed. "Its power is similar to the Crest of Riegan, meaning you must inflict damage in order to take the energy required to heal. Instead of light transforming into flesh to regenerate, the energy you take is used to undue the wound itself, making it as though no damage was ever dealt."

Edelgard stared. Byleth continued. "The second power is more offensive in nature." Byleth lazily swung her sword near Jeritza's chest. It was clear the strike would not land on any target.

A split second later, the sword had appeared mere centimeters away from Jeritza's neck. Edelgard gaped. Had she blinked? Jeritza's eye were comically wide as he stared down at the blade. Hubert was similarly stunned in the distance.

"The second power allows you to accelerate in time. This has the obvious benefit of speeding up your own attacks, increasing their power, and throwing off your opponent's guard." Byleth lowered her sword. "It allows for unexpected feints and movements, so you do not need to commit to an action when you use this power. unlike many other Crests that increase attack power, It also works with both physical and magical attacks."

Byleth nodded at Jeritza. "When I land this hit, attempt to counterattack." Jeritza sunk into a boxer's stance. Byleth's sword descended downward and hit Jeritza in the chest once again. It was a shallow hit, one that Jeritza would have no trouble enduring. But Jeritza did not strike back. There was an unnatural stillness in his posture, as if he was frozen. Byleth jumped back. A second later, Jeritza's fist shot up to where Byleth's face had been, before he stopped, blinking in surprise.

"The third ability is the power to temporarily freeze opponents in place." Byleth said. "It only lasts for a few moments, but it can save you or a friend. Again, it requires that an attack makes contact to work."

Edelgard's mouth felt numb, but she forced it open regardless. "A-and…I can do all these things too?"

"Yes."

Edelgard swallowed. "How do I activate them?"

Byleth's face remained furiously devoid of emotion. "They are just like any other Crest. You have to want it."

Edelgard gripped her axe. Byleth held her sword at her side. Edelgard charged.

But the exercise proceeded just like the first. Edelgard kept attacking, and Byleth kept dodging. Try as she might, Edelgard could not force the Crest of Flames to activate. The only power of real consequence in this fight was the second, the ability to accelerate her own attacks. Healing was meaningless in a fight where her opponent would not attack. Freezing Byleth only meant anything if Edelgard could hit Byleth. But she could not force the Crest of Flames to activate.

Swing after swing after swing remained stubbornly slow. Edelgard grit her teeth. She had to want it? She wanted to hit Byleth.

Edelgard swung down. Byleth parried.

She wanted to force the woman to admit some measure of weakness like all the other humans around her.

Edelgard feinted right. Byleth barely moved to dodge.

She wanted some emotion to color her face after months of seeing nothing but that emotionless gaze.

Edelgard swung again. Edelgard missed again.

Most of all, she wanted to see Byleth's hair part, and reveal its secret. For Byleth to stop taunting her with inhuman grace and foreknowledge. For the woman before her to take Edelgard seriously, instead of fighting like she was nothing more than a helpless child.

Arundel looked down at her, unimpressed. "Again, until you can manage a single blow against me. Or is that too much to ask Ionius' last daughter?"

She needed to force Byleth to react to her.

An unfamiliar sensation ignited at her fingertips. In that instant, Edelgard knew how to activate the Crest of Flames.

Her axe swung down in her right hand on Byleth's left cheek. Byleth raised her blade to block, committing to the movement. In the blink of an eye, Edelgard's left hand had appeared next to Byleth's head, knife gleaming.

Byleth's expression did not change, but she leaned left to dodge. It was still too late. Mint green hair fell to the forest floor, and then silence reigned.

Hidden behind Byleth's hair was an inhuman, unnatural, pointed ear.

"You…" Edelgard's throat felt dry. "You aren't human."

Byleth did not react. "You put a perplexing emphasis on species."

"You're one of them! The 'children of the goddess!'" Edelgard stepped forward. "Just like Rhea is. She isn't human either! She's a one-thousand-year-old monster controlling the church!"

Byleth blinked. "What is your point?"

Edelgard stopped. "What?"

"Both Rhea and I are Nabataean. We are not human. What is your point?"

"I…What is my…" Edelgard felt like she should have been angrier. "She's been controlling humanity for millennia! She stifled technology and kept humanity from achieving its own destiny!"

Byleth blinked again. Edelgard pressed forward.

"No playing dumb? No snappy response? Give me something, professor."

"As you wish." Byleth tilted her head. "Humans are more than willing and capable of destroying each other's progress, crushing countless dreams, and manipulating everyone and everything they are allowed to. Your father's current state is a prime example of this."

That hurt more than it should have. Edelgard gritted her teeth. "That doesn't mean Rhea has the right to suppress us."

"Many humans would say she's kept the peace as best anyone could."

"She lied to the world and created a false history so she could rule with power stolen from humanity!"

"Aiding and abetting graverobbers intent to rob your host seems less than honest and quite selfish."

Edelgard hissed. "I am nothing like that beast in human skin! I am well aware of the cost of my actions and I will not cling to power forever like she does!"

Byleth hummed.

"She did nothing as two separate wars tore the empire, and then the kingdom apart in order to make us humans fight against ourselves! She enforces the Crest system with her false religion!"

Byleth shrugged. "This sounds like a debate you should have with Rhea, not me."

"What!" Edelgard's eyes burned. "Absolutely not! She would use it as an excuse to destroy me, call me a heretic, to burn me at the- "

"She wouldn't." For a voice with so little volume and less emotion, Byleth was perplexingly good at cutting others off. "You are heir apparent to the Adrestian Empire. Rhea, no matter how powerful you think she is, cannot simply order your execution or your disappearance."

"Titles didn't stop my uncle." Edelgard growled out.

That gave Byleth pause. She opened her mouth, before closing it again. It was odd how human that made her look. "…How much of your knowledge came from your uncle?"

Edelgard snorted. "What, don't you already know?"

"I say this because he might have given a few subtle hints that he is not the most trustworthy source of information."

Edelgard scowled. "So you think I should just hang on to the church's teat?"

"Listening to both sides and coming to your own conclusions is not unreasonable."

"Why am I even listening to you?" Edelgard muttered. "You're one of them! You're a child of- a Nabataean- whatever your kind is called! You're on Rhea's side!"

"I'm not sure you understand what Rhea wants." Byleth said.

Edelgard rolled her eyes. "Then if you know so much, why don't you tell us?"

"She wanted me."

Edelgard didn't know what to make of that. A quiet settled over the clearing. Hubert looked pensive. Jeritza's lips were pressed in a thin line.

Byleth sighed. "For whatever it's worth to you…" A sudden movement next to Byleth's feet caught Edelgard's attention. It was the severed hair strands. They were floating up to Byleth's head. A few small hairs that had clung to Edelgard's knife floated back towards their owner. "…Rhea will not harm you because I will not allow her to." The hair reattached itself to Byleth, as if Edelgard had never cut it.

I am power without equal, Byleth's voice echoed in her mind. No matter what Thales tells you.

A tangled web of something too heavy to describe smothered Edelgard.

"War is a terrible thing, Edelgard." Byleth's voice was soft. "You should not start one so willingly."

Did Byleth think she didn't know that? Edelgard had seen suffering firsthand. She knew the cost of bloodshed. Besides, she didn't have a choice. If she didn't start the war herself, Arundel would. She had to use what resources she had available, no matter how morally repulsive, to change the world for the better. If she didn't fix the world, no one would. No one could, as long as Rhea reigned over the continent. Only Edelgard possessed the power to oppose the monster with a shadow so large that it loomed across the entire world. She had to act quickly. The havoc her two Crests played on her health made her time painfully limited. There was no time to act in any way but decisively. Who was Byleth to tell her to just stop?

Byleth was walking away. She paused, before turning back to face Edelgard. "Come by my office in two days' time."

"What? Why?"

"Since the beginning of the semester, I have been working with Hanneman to create a cure for your disease." Byleth said. "In two days, it shall be completed. We can discuss the details there."

Edelgard did not sleep that night. She stared up into the star-filled sky until dawn blotted out the thousand shining little lights with a single, inevitable conclusion.


6th of Blue Sea Moon

I think you screwed up. Sothis yawned. We should just turn back time and try whatever you thought any of that nonsense was again.

Byleth sat in her office, watching students mill about in the courtyard through her window. Things with Edelgard never start easily. Give it time.

Sothis snorted. Give it time, she says. Ha.

A knock rattled at her door. "Come in." Byleth said.

Out of the brightly lit hallway, Dimitri and Dedue stepped in. Dedue was stoic as always. Dimitri's expression was uncharacteristically difficult to read.

"Professor." Dimitri's voice was quiet. "I wanted to talk to you. About Lonato. About…" He swallowed. "…Conversations I've overheard."

We should turn back time. Sothis was alert. This can't end well.

Byleth considered for a moment. No, it won't. She agreed. But I won't use my power to hide from consequences. She looked Dimitri in the eye and saw the dull echo of ghosts smoldering with hate.


Thanks to dox for beta reading!

Hapi has called a big one! Again, it is the legend.

And hints of pairings will be trickling in here and there, so keep your eyes out for your favorites, I'll make sure to not include them.

Dimitri drama next chapter. Stay tuned.