Chapter 3
Return of the Wolfpack
I
The days after the mock battle were boring and unfruitful to say the least, and Felix felt it in his training. Dimitri and Sylvain weren't good rivals anymore, he was way faster than them, he needed a new training partner. But alas Byleth had been missing since the day of the mock battle, along with the three house leaders and a few other students.
Lady Rhea personally informed them that the green haired teacher was on a special assignment with the students. It was unusual but not unprecedented.
So without his teacher, the Black Eagles had to receive tutoring from Seteth and Felix had to wait until Byleth come back to ask him to join his class. Every single second he didn't train was a second waisted and he couldn't stand it.
Felix walked out of the classroom after one of Hanneman's eternal lectures about crests. Sylvain followed him as always.
"Hey Felix, aren't you gonna train today?" His friend asked.
"Not really, I'm not in the mood"
Sylvain stopped for a moment and Felix turned to see his friend making a stunned face. "Hey, are you okay? Did you come down with the dark plague or what?" He placed a hand on Felix's forehead, he quickly shook it off.
"Stop that. What's gotten into you?"
"Me?! You're the greatest training maniac in all Garrett March and suddenly you don't want to train? Sorry if I'm a little shocked"
"I have gardening duty, since we don't have any lectures tomorrow might as well do it right now, that way I'll have more time to train tomorrow"
"I...guess that makes sense"
"Good, now if you finished talking nonsense already, I have work to do"
He adjusted the books he was caring under his arm and walked away oblivious to the conversation Ingrid and Sylvain started.
"What the hell happened to him" Ingrid asked.
Sylvain scratched the back of his head "I don't know, he seems mellow or something. Maybe it's a girl?"
Ingrid let out a small laugh "Yes Sylvain, because Felix is known to be a skirt chaser like you"
"Aaww come on, I'm not that bad"
"Say that to my grandma"
"Stop saying that in public!"
Meanwhile, Felix was walking next to the pond, luckily the monastery felt a little more quiet with less knights in armor going around, he actually liked it this way, it reminded him to his home in Fraldarius, way back when he was a kid.
The snowy courtyard of the castle was the perfect playground and training grounds, he would be practicing his sloppy swordsmanship against Dimitri, Sylvain or Glenn even though his big brother would always outmatched him. Ingrid would sit on the bench waiting for her turn to train with Glenn, always with a dreamy look in her face and laugh like an idiot every time he commended her skills.
Felix let out a sight.Those were indeed good times. Too bad nothing stays the same forever, eventually we all grow up to stand on our own feet in this cruel world.
It's not like he was being negative, it was just like the world was.
The world, dark, unfair and hostile.
But then he stopped in his tracks when he heard something, he was going to drop his books in his room but he heard something right when he walked in front of the greenhouse.
Was that...music? No, it was actually someone singing.
He walked inside the greenhouse and knocked on the door "Hello, is someone he-"
But he was stunned by the bizarre image in front of him.
It was Annette and she was singing while dancing sprayer in hand and everything, well, she was doing something similar to that.
"Today's dinner is steak and then a cake that's yummy yum…"she sang with a big smile, her feets twirling to the rhythm , quick and flashy in a certain way, but just suthle enough to be elegant. There was some technique involved.
"Now it's time to fill my tummy tummy tum…"
He approached with a eyebrow raised.
"Oh, this mountain of sweets, and treats that I long to eats...Oh, stacks of steaks and cakes and crumbs and yum…"
He stopped right at the moment she spinned around and faced him, her face immediately turning red with her mouth wide open.
"I hope I'm not interrupting" he said.
Her big eyes somehow looked bigger "Felix! You weren't listening, were you?"
"I heard enough to know that you're hungry"
She brought her small hands on to her skirt and lower her face to hide the redness "No! I mean...Well, yes. At least tell me you didn't see the dance"
Maybe a compliment would calm her "You have nice footwork" he said nonchalantly. "Get something to eat. I can take over watering the plants"
For a moment she just stared at him with a weird look, and just like the warrior he was he didn't look away. But then…
"YOU'RE EVIL, FELIX!" She exploded throwing the water spray to the side splashing the liquid.
"And you're shouting"
"You can't just spy on people while they're singing without even saying anything! That's not right!"
"I actuallydidcall out that I was coming in. It's not my fault you didn't hear." He said crossing his arms. What was she even mad about? She just praised her dancing or whatever that was, didn't he?
"Well… You need to speak louder, then! Ugh, his is so embarrassing…" she turned her gaze away "And of course I was singing some silly food song I made up. I should have been singing about...bears! Or swamp beasties!"
"I didn't realize there were songs about bears and swamp beasties" although this really quarrel was turning a little amusing "That food song seemed to be close to your heart. Your stomach isn't far from your heart, after all"
"Oh, you are the worst"
Felix was about to pick up the water spray but then something weird happened, he felt the ground shake making both of them struggle for balance. It was short, but then came another little earthquake.
"What the hell?" He said.
"What's going on?"
He heard the sound of glass shaking and raised his head to see that the glass panels of the greenhouse were shaking. One of them, a big one suddenly fell off right on top of where Annette was standing.
Felix moved at almost lightning speed and without thinking she tackled her on to the ground while putting one hand around her waist and in the back of her head.
He heard the glass panel crash and break, a few more fell a little further but he didn't feel any impact on his back.
"Shit! Annette, are you okay?" He said separating from her a little, she had her eyes wide open and fixed on him "Hey, what's wrong? Are you on shock of something"
"Oh, umm no, I'm okay"
He stood up and grabbed her by the hand to help her "Come on, we have to get out of here, this place is a killing chamber"
He ran outside while the ground was still shaking. When he stopped he tried to guess the dreadful phenomenon's origin.
"Its coming from the North, an attack maybe?"
"I don't know" she said with a serious tone "But I can feel a high concentration of magic on That direction"
"You can feel that?"
"Not in normal circumstances. This source of magic is so massive that I bet any mage in the Monastery should feel it"
"If is that big, then that means it might be dangerous" he adjusted his sword in his belt feeling his adrenaline rising. "We have to see what's going out"
To her surprise, Annette didn't hesitate "Yes. Let's go"
II
A thunderous laugh echoed through the cathedral even throughout the sounds of battle.
"You are facing the wrath of Constance Von Nuvelle, you fool. I'm gonna freeze you where you stand" the girl in the black pegasus said casting powerful freezing spells.
The target, a horrifying monster with filthy black hair covered in pulsing veins connected to it's broken wings. The head was a like a skeleton.
Edelgard had seen the effects of corruption the mishandling of relics could do, but this was on a whole different level. That man, Aelfric, he had unleash the true wrath of the Goddess, and although Edelgard wanted to be up to the challenge, she couldn't denied she was afraid.
But it didn't matter, if she was going to bring down the foundations of this society, she wouldn't be stop, not by the Goddess, not by anyone.
She slashed one of Aelfric's clones in half, attacking first was important when facing a magic caster, they were weak but lethal if you gave them a chance to strike.
Ashe provided cover fire while Linhart provided support to Edelgard and Dimitri as a vanguard, a fine idea from Professor Byleth's mind.
The monster was about to attack Dimitri but it's giant claw was deflected when Balthus threw a powerful punch at it.
"Come on little prince, you are slacking off" he said with a smirk.
"Way to go Balthy! Now is my turn" Hilda was riding in the back of Hapi's horse and in one single move she jumped to make a deep cut on the monster's back leg.
Byleth defeated two more clones and raised his sword. "Balthus and Dimitri, keep him in the same place. Hilda and Hapi keep attacking his legs, if you see him releasing a blast retreat immediately. Edelgard and Yuri with me."
"Understood" she said. Yuri, the young leader of the Ashen Wolfs appeared next to her.
"Well, it seems that your adorable teacher is already use to give orders" Yuri said with his permanent smirk that looked friendly in equal amount as he looked threatening, like a much darker version of Claude's face.
"In the field he is our Commander, so if you can follow orders as good as you had done so far, there shouldn't be any trouble" Edelgard looked at him with narrowed eyes "And if you try to pull that treacherous move again, you'll feel my blade before you have the time to draw your sword"
"I see you haven't forgive me from before"
"I don't have anything against you, just don't make any bad moves"
She didn't wanted to continue the conversation and thankfully Byleth jumped through the rubble and stones towards the beast. Edelgard and Yuri followed him as close as the could.
"Claude and Ashe, give us some cover" Byleth said and both archers shot down two more clones.
The monster finally noticed the three approaching enemies and prepared to shoot a blast of dark energy, the teacher then stopped and put a hand in Edelgard's shoulder to make her stop too "Yuri go around and attack from the side, you know what to do."
"Aye aye" the young man dodge the blast in the right moment. Byleth didn't move out of the way protecting Edelgard.
"Professor what are you-" she started to asked but he just stood there in defense position and received the full impact of the blast, but Byleth kept his position. She would have died if she was the one receiving the attack.
Byleth's clothes were steaming black smoke but the damage didn't look serious. "Stay sharp, Edelgard. Is your turn." he said not turning to her.
"Yes" Edelgard ran on the same direction that Yuri, the monster couldn't move for a few seconds due to the powerful attack it just made. So this was the opportunity to attack together.
Hapi shot dark magic to clear the path of clones, next thing Hilda attacked the other leg while on the other side Balthus punched the creature in the face. They just had a few days fighting and they were already in perfect coordination, adaptability that was the key to winning a battle.
The princess finally reached the spot where her classmates were, it was time for the final attack.
The beast was still dizzy and Dimitri attacked with his spear using the whole speed of his horse, Claude shot and arrow in the monster's eye so it couldn't see Constance launch a few spells.
Edelgard jumped and landed her axe on to the creature's neck, then Yuri appeared next to her landing two slashes on the side of the head. But it was still alive and just when Edelgard was about to strike again, she felt it.
The reminder of all those years of pain and sorrow eternally carved in her soul. A great surge of power came from her crest of flames and with one single strike of her axe she decapitated the beast.
The body of the creature just managed to move a few seconds before finally giving up and falling making the ground shake for the last time.
Edelgard let go of her shield feeling that her armor had become three times heavier, her chest hurted a little.
"Ey, are you okay?" Byleth said kneeling beside her "That was amazing, I didn't know you have that kind of strength" he looked at the remnants of the monster that was already starting to dissolve into dark particles "I think you can even give Dimitri a run for his money"
After a few short breaths she manage to stand again and keep her balance "Is it over then?"
"It looks that way" Yuri said "Aelfric is no more and the Chalice is out of our blood"
Ashe nodded "And save for the damage to the cathedral nobody got badly injured"
The doors to the cathedral opened with Alois and Rhea followed by the knights.
"Thank the Goddess you are all unharmed" the Archbishop said.
Byleth approached and explained what had develop before and during the battle, all the time Rhea listened without saying a word, Edelgard had to admit how the woman could hold such composure even when some of the dirty secrets of the church had been revealed. A powerful relic with power to cause such destruction, the Immortal body of a young woman deep within the Abyss, not to mention the Shadow library which Edelgard couldn't wait to get her hands on.
Eventually Rhea guided Byleth to the altar where his mother's body was, Edelgard decided to go out or the cathedral wanting to get some fresh air and take off her amor, the other students followed her.
Outside the cathedral there were some students gathered no doubt wanted to know what all the fuss was about, Hubert aproached quickly.
"Lady Edelgard, are you well? You look pale." He said giving her a handkerchief to clean up the sweat off her face.
"Just my Crest acting up, nothing serious."
"What exactly happened in there?"
"I will tell you everything later, for now just gather our classmates for a quick rundown.
It was already nighttime when Professor Byleth finally came to the classroom accompanied with the Ashen Wolves.
"So this are the Legendary Abyssians" Ferdinand said with his gaze traveling across the newcomers and stopping when he reached Constance "It is a pleasure to see you again, Lady Nuvelle"
"I see you flowered language and over the top mannerisms haven't changed at all Ferdinand" she answered. Both of them were making this strange gesture with their hands as if it was broken, Yuri did that sometimes but Edelgard wasn't sure if it was out of habit or just wanted to mock his aristocrat friends.
Byleth walked to the front of the class "I'm sure Edelgard had already gave you a small rundown on what we had been doing this past days in the Abyss, so I'll spare the details. But as for today the Ashen Wolves had officially been disbanded, so I asked Lady Rhea if they would be allowed to stay in the monastery as students." He then made a small smile and present the four students "Please give a warm welcome to our four new members of the Black Eagles, I hope you make them feel at home"
Linhart directed a smirk towards the red haired girl named Hapi "So, you couldn't stand being in the darkness much longer? I knew the sun would be too tempting for you"
"Well fighting alongside you guys made the things more interesting that had been in years down there" she said stretching her arms "Still, a school life will be a drag, I hope we get to see more action"
"You bet we will" Caspar yelled cheerfully. "But you know, we have to test your strength before we welcome you, so tomorrow each of you will have to spar with me"
"Is that a rule you just made out?" Petra asked with a raised eyebrow.
Balthus cross his arms laughing as loud as Caspar "Hell, no problem from me small fry. They don't call me the King of Grappling for nothing"
Edelgard noticed Yuri laugh a little beside her "My, what a colorful set of characters we have here, this school year will indeed be interesting" he then looked to the left were Bernadetta was making one of her panicked expressions "Hello there"
She jumped almost like a cat with a yelp "I...I am looking forward to working with you...I-I have to go!"
And off she were running out of the classroom towards the dorms.
"Don't worry Yuri" Edelgard said "She is like that every time she meets someone new."
"Yeah, I guess" he said simply.
After a few minutes of talking to welcome their new classmates, Edelgard and Byleth were the only ones in the classroom, the Professor was just reviewing a few papers and adding new names to his schedule.
"Shouldn't you be in bed already, Edelgard" he said without even raising his sight.
There was something weird in his voice, it sounded cold.
"I wanted to see if you were fine, Professor. With all that happened, I guess you could need someone to talk"
"There's nothing to talk about, everything worked out in the end and Lady Rhea is taking care of the details"
"Yes I see, but I thought all of this could be overwhelming for you, with the issue about your mother and-" but she stopped when Byleth looked at her with cold eyes "I'm sorry, I shouldn't overstep our boundaries"
Byleth sighted and closed his book, he walked towards the door until she was next to her, his gaze rested on the moon "I appreciate your help. But the true is that I don't feel anything. This woman, Sitri, she was my mother, I could feel it, and her hair, her eyes, if I was born a girl I could swear I would look like her twin. But in the end, when I laid my eyes on her, I didn't feel anything for her, I never met her. I'm not sure if that makes me a heartless freak."
"Of course it doesn't" she said "Believe it or not it is indeed hard to communicate feelings through actions, and it's different for every person. Just keep in mind that I...that we are all here for you"
"I'll keep it in mind" he said and he walked away, Edelgard felt that that Byleth just put a giant ice wall between them.
III
Mercede's room was embodied in the wonderful smell of cake and cookies along with some apple tea.
"It is such a magnificent sensation to breathe fresh air again, and this sweets are such a treat Mercie" Constance said with a big smile "I missed this so much"
Mercie gave her always warm smile "Then eat as much as you like Constance, this is a little welcome party for you after all"
Annette sipped a little of her tea while sitting next to the desk, Mercedes and Constance were sitting on the bed. She had to admit she was a little jealous of their childhood friendship but Constance looked so happy that Annette couldn't even care, she was a new and great addition to their little group and had such interesting stories to tell.
"I bet you know a lot of incredible spells, right Constance?" Annette asked with interest.
"Indeed I do, but I have to say most of them are pretty...mmm how should I put it? Trivial, maybe?"
"What do you mean?"
"That most of them are not suitable for practical use. But do not fear Annie, I will make a fantastic spell one day, I will invent a whole new way of magic or my name is not Constance Von Nuvelle"
"You sure are confident" Mercedes said.
Annette nodded "Yeah, I wish I could be like that. Most of my attempts to succeed in anything other than magic ends in utter disaster"
"How could you say that Annie? You have some other amazing talents, like your wonderful voice that could even rival Dorothea's"
It was at that moment Annette remembered what she needed to talk with her friend and her eyes snapped wide open "Oh Goddess, Mercie there's something I need to tell you!" She almost screamed and stood up with such speed that made her chair fall. "It's Felix, he...he heard me singing, he heard me singing and saw me dancing!"
The other two girls looked at her wide-eyed, Mercedes blinked before talking "I see, and what is the problem then?"
"What's the problem?! Don't joke around Mercie. This is a nightmare, catastrophic even, I can't face him again. He will even tell everybody and I'll be the laughing stock of the monastery for the rest of the year!"
"I think you are overthinking things, is Felix even the one to spread secrets like that?"
"I don't really know" he said looking away.
"And why are you so upset?" Constance asked "Don't you have a good voice"
"Yes, but my songs are really weird and stupid I just make them to pass the time they are not meant to be heard by anyone"
"Have you even though that this Felix liked your singing"
"Of course not, why would he?" She said but then remembered something else "Although he did said I have nice footwork" Both Constance and Annette kept looking at her, Annette lowered her gaze twirling her fingers little. "What should I do?"
"Annie, if you're so worried about it, just ask him to keep the secret between you two" Mercie suggested "Felix can be a little sour but he is not unreasonable"
"Yeah, that's right. And I could maybe make something spicy, he likes spicy food right? I good bride will get him to help me."
Constance sipped from her tea "Of course, after all the stomach is the shortest way to a man's heart?"
"You bet!" Annette yelled with cheerfully "I'll go to bed now and tomorrow first thing in the morning I will think on a plan" she ran towards the door "Bye girls, thank you for the advise" And she ran feeling as she could take down the whole world.
Constance stared at the door for a moment "She is quite the oblivious girl, isn't she?"
"Oh she will catch up, eventually"
IV
The dark and silent hallways of Garrett March were a welcome environment for the mood he was. Byleth needed to think on all the things Rhea said about his mother.
But he didn't feel any rage at his mother nor his father for keeping all this secrets from him, he just felt an overwhelming feeling of uncertainty. His life was like a puzzle with half the pieces missing and he didn't like that sensation at all, even thought his heart wasn't beating.
Maybe I am a heartless freak after all.
He walked almost without thinking and before he knew he was standing on the training grounds, and a pair of amber eyes looking at him.
"I thought I heard someone" Felix said training sword in hand. "Are you here to rain?"
"I...yes, I guess"
Felix threw the sword at him and Byleth catched it easily "Care to train with me? Waving the sword around alone is boring." He walked to take another sword from the barrel "And frankly, I'm tired of crossing swords with worthless opponents." Felix took a stand, his posture looked a little more sharp that their first sparing session. "But you seem like a worthy adversary"
Byleth took a stand "You think I'm a worthy adversary?"
Felix was the first to attack, he was faster, his feets barely touched the ground with each step as they clashed swords. "I've always been interested in your technique"
He exchange a few blows not giving each other any ground, Felix ran from one side and spinned on one foot sending a powerful slash that made Byleth flinched back.
"You learned from the former Captain of the Knights of Seiros, and traveled Fódlan fighting as mercenary. Good sparring partners like you don't grow on trees."
Byleth decided to go on the offensive running stray ahead and planted his feets firmly on the ground waiving his sword from the side, Felix dodged the attack but the Professor quickly changed direction and slashed downwards. Felix rolled on the floor and quickly stood up on his stand.
"You are in a awfully good mood I see" Byleth said
"Everyone is telling me that as of late, not sure why though" Felix curled his lips into a grin, nothing spectacular but it didn't look bad in his face "But know that I will beat you, and I will surpass your strength"
"What are you so focused on getting stronger?"
"Why? Hm. I never really thought about it" Felix lowered his sword. "I learned how to swing a sword before how to write my own name. But that's the same for all children in my country, and in Fraldarius that philosophy is much stronger than in any place: Grow strong so you may live, and live to grow stronger. That's what I was taught."
Felix took a different stand then, it was the same Byleth was doing with his sword on top of his shoulder.
And something hit Byleth, he then saw himself again as a young boy with long hair strapped on a little tail, and he was actually facing this little image of himself like if he was Jeralt in one of their countless training sessions.
"You remind me of me, but I have to ask. Don't you have other aspirations?"
"What else should I aim for? Strength is the only thing that matters"
Little Byleth attacked but big Byleth easily blocked the blow and with his other hand grabbed his opponent by the shirt and using a martial arts move he threw him over his back and slammed him on to the ground.
Little Byleth transformed back into Felix who let out a small laugh "Yeah, I think you are the right choice."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to join your class, but I wanted to make sure that I can really improve. I have a long way to go"
Byleth thought about it for a second, Felix wasn't so different from him when he was focussed. Maybe that's what he himself need it, to focus on his new students. The last few weeks just passed by and then all the trouble with the Chalice and his mother. A lot of new things overwhelming him and now he was trying to deal with the pressure, to find a true purpose just like he had just told Felix. Yes, he and Felix weren't so different after all.
Finally he looked at Felix and helped him stand up "Let's make a deal, Felix. I will let you join my class but there's a condition"
"Name it"
"I want you to find a new reason to be stronger, something that wasn't carb on your head from when you were a kid."
Felix raised an eyebrow "I don't get it. Can't you be a little more specific?"
"Not really, I don't even have one myself. But I believe that this path, the one I'm gonna walk with all my students will help me find it, and the same to you." Byleth raised his hand "So please, let's walk this path together until your graduation"
"We just have one year, I don't think I will change my mind in that short amount of time"
Byleth put back the sword on the barrel and placed a hand on Felix's shoulder, this time he didn't shake it away "We will see. I expect to see you on time tomorrow in the classroom, I'll do the paperwork with Seteth and Hanneman."
Author's Note: I manage to use two support conversations since I wanted to stablish the relationship between the characters and the way I'm stirring this story.I really want to use kind of a wuxia type of writing, which is about the relationship between master and pupil, I found it really interesting the way they handled it in the game but it fell short in my opinion, so I wanted to expand on this story.And don't worry my fellows romance fans, there will be a lot of romance is just, as the tag said, this one will be a slow-burn ;)Please look forward for the next chapter and thank you for reading.
