Chapter 10

Learning

N sat at the desk in the room he shared with Byleth. It was quiet, as most last days of the month had been as of late. All the houses were off on their assigned missions and would not return for some time. As such, the monastery was quiet. The liveliness that N had become accustomed to was no longer present. While it would not last long, it felt odd to not hear it.

He had decided to spend most of the day planning his next lessons. He had covered everything he wanted to about attacks, so the question was now what to teach next. He wondered if he should go with traits, or abilities as he began to call them, or focus more on a creatures individual values, which he decided to call stats. While abilities were something more concrete, stats were a bit more abstract needing more of a lecture environment for his class. He had managed to avoid using lectures for his first few lessons, but it would need to happen at some point.

"Plus, stats factor into how strong certain attacks will be. So the students have a good baseline on what they are," N mused aloud.

The suddenness of his words caused for Zorua to jolt upright, which startled N. He let out a yelp causing for his knees to hit the bottom of the desk. Papers began to fly all around them. He clutched one of his knees to try and soothe the pain, but the motion caused for him to lose balance, leading him straight to the floor.

"Ow," he muttered.

On the bed, Zorua began to snicker, causing for N to frown.

"Ha, ha, very funny," N said to the fox.

He slowly sat up and began to pick up papers. Zorua jumped off the bed and helped as well, using his paws to push papers towards his partner. N chuckled and pet his partner. Once everything was picked up, N put the papers back on the desk in a neat stack. Deciding to properly organize them later.

Before sitting down again, he stretched his arms into the air. He could hear his joints popping a bit as he did so. He had not realized how much tension he was holding within his body. He let out a breath and sat back down. He still had lesson plans to complete. Luckily, those papers had not flown off the desk. He looked at both and let out a sigh.

"Guess I'm doing lectures for a few days."

While he knew stats would not be the most interesting thing to cover, but the basics of them were still important. He stored the abilities lesson plan in folder and set it aside. He began to write down all that would be important for this lesson.

"Attack is the most obvious one, as well as speed," N mused as wrote down ideas. "Then there's defenses to both physical and ranged attacks."

He wrote down everything he could think of that would be important to talk about. He would glance towards Zorua to remember certain aspects that he may forget. During one of his glances, he noticed how Zorua kept trying to get under the bed. He rose an eyebrow and pushed himself away from the desk.

"Zorua, what're you doing?"

Zorua yipped in response before returning to whatever he was doing.

"Are you trying to find something?"

Zorua yipped again. This time with a bit of affirmation. N's eyebrow rose a bit higher as he stood up from the chair.

"Let me take a look," N said as he knelt down next to the fox.

He peeked under the bed and could barely make out a piece of paper within the darkness. N sat up and Zorua quickly took over N's position trying to grab the paper. N could not help but chuckle. Zorua was very determined to get the paper.

"Alright, I'll get it," N said.

Zorua yipped happily and moved out of the way. N reached under the bed and grabbed the paper. When he did, he pulled his arm back. N wondered what the fuss with the paper was about, but was surprised that the page was blank. He rose an eyebrow and flipped it around. His eyes widened when he saw what was on it. It was the symbol he had seen in Hanneman's office; his crest.

N slowly stood up, ignoring Zorua's concerned yips. He set the paper down on the desk and sat down again. He had not necessarily forgotten the symbol, but it was not at the forefront of his mind like before. He set the paper down and sat back in the chair, letting out a breath. He remembered the hours of research he had done in the library, but it was not necessarily about the symbol.

He then quickly sat up and grabbed the paper. He held his arm out as the symbol for Zorua to climb onto his shoulder. While the fox was a bit confused as to what was going on, he jumped onto his partner's shoulder nonetheless

"We're going to the library, buddy," N said.

—-

The library was empty as it often was. N was surprised that Linhardt was not asleep at one of the tables like last time. Even Thomas was nowhere to be seen. N took it as a good sign and began to peruse through as many book as he could in the library. He picked up as many as he could about the legendary dragons, the history of crests, and a catalogue of them. When he managed to get a heavy stack he moved to one of the tables and set them down, the sound echoing in the empty library. Zorua's sensitive ears picked up the sound as louder and cowered under the table.

"Sorry, bud," N said with an apologetic expression.

He sat down and began to pour through the crest catalogue first. Zorua hopped onto the table and began to sniff the books. He then chose a book based on smell and tried to open it. N noticed and chuckled. He was happy the fox was trying to help.

"Let me help, buddy."

N opened the book and Zorua let out an appreciative yip. The two then became engrossed in the books in front of them. However, N was not sure if Zorua knew what he was looking for, but he appreciated him trying to help.

He read about each crest carefully, making sure not to miss anything. Even if the crest was not his, there may be a clue that leads him to what he wanted to find. He also made mental notes about other crests that were of interest. What made him curious about, he could not say.

He was surprised to find the one page of book had been ripped out. While it appeared to not be recent, the fact it had been puzzled him. It made him wonder if it was his crest that had been ripped out. There was no order as to how they were catalogued, so he had not clue as to what it could have been. He turned to the next page, but the nagging feeling about the ripped out page remained.

When he finished that book, he closed it and set it aside. He grabbed the next one from the pile and opened it. This time it was a history of crests book. While he was not sure he would find what he was looking for there, it was still possible.

As he read, Zorua let out a yip. N looked up and saw the fox jumping up and down, with only his front paws coming off the ground.

"Did you find something?" N asked.

Zorua turned to N, a foxy grin on his face. N groaned, thinking the fox had tricked him, but it continued to yip. N looked at the page which the fox had his paw on and noticed a rough sketch of something. He grabbed the book and began to study it.

It was old and faded. The drawing was likely several decades old, maybe older. It outlined a bipedal creature with short arms. On its feet were three clawed toes, while at its arms were just two claws. He was not sure, but the drawing made them look as if they were transparent. The creature had a short tail with three cone-like spikes coming out of it. It had a strange set of wings, with one being longer than the other, but both ended with two spikes. N wondered if the creature could really fly. The creature's head was similar to that of the wings, with one of its horns being bigger than the other; N guessed they were horns. The creature's eyes seemed to be without pupils. Finally its mouth ended as a sharp point.

N had never seen such a creature before. However, the face reminded him of the one in the cathedral. He wondered if that creature and the one in the sketch were the same. He wondered what Zorua had found interesting about the drawing it. It was of a creature, N had no doubt about it, but there must have been something.

Then he spotted what Zorua was trying to show him. It was not the sketch of the creature, but the sketch on the next page. It was of his crest. It was the same as the drawing on the page and the one he had seen. The two dew drops. One with jagged edges and the other with smooth pointed ones. In the middle of the two was a smaller circle.

N tried to read what was written down on the page, but it was in a language he had never seen before. The letters were odd and they all appeared to have a circle somewhere in them. N had never seen writing like that before. He wondered just how old the book was if it had a language he did not know. The same language was on the page with the sketch of the creature.

While he had an answer, it was one he could not decipher. He was stuck, unless he found someone who knew about the ancient language. He tried to remember if he knew anyone that could read it. If anyone he had encountered on his travels could decipher the contents.

His mind drifted to someone. He remembered a woman, with long blonde hair. He blushed slightly remembering her. The woman was beautiful from what he remembered. Within that beauty was a fierceness, and that fierceness was what she used to keep her partner under control. N wondered where she was. It had been some odd years since he had last seen her. She was one of the more frequent people the band encountered on their travels. She called herself a drifter, but he knew there was more to it than that.

"I wonder if I'll get lucky and she'll visit the monastery," N mused aloud.

N dismissed the idea. Someone like her would likely not come to Garreg Mach too often. He decided to make a mental note on how to track her down. If anyone knew about ancient languages and the like, it was her.

He looked over to Zorua, who was looking through the book he had been looking at before pouring through the fox's. He chuckled and pet the fox. He cooed at the sensation of his partner petting his head.

"Thanks for helping out. Couldn't have done it without you," N said.

The fox yipped happily in response.

—-

N had not realized how long he had been in the library, as he woke up to the sound of the church bells ringing. He looked up to see that it was already the afternoon. He had fallen asleep while he read. Zorua had as well. He had curled up next to a stack of books.

"Oh, you're awake," a voice said.

N jumped in surprise, not expecting to hear someone so suddenly. He looked to where the voice came from and saw Flayn sitting by one of the bookshelves. A book rested on her lap.

She giggled at the sight of a startled N. "My apologies. It was not my intention to startle you."

"It's fine. I've been a bit jumpy as of late," N replied, putting a hand behind his neck.

"We seem to meet often here in the library. Some times I half expect you to be in here when I am," Flayn said, a smile on her face.

N pondered the question. This was only the third time he had talked to the girl. He had seen her around the ground, but never spoke to her outside those two times, now third. He turned back to the green haired girl. He clutched a strand of his own green hair. He had noticed how her, Seteth, and Rhea had similarly colored hair as him. He had been curious of that meant something, or was just a coincidence.

Flayn looked up and caught N staring. She also noticed how he was grabbing his hair. When N realized what he was doing, he quickly turned away, slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to stare," N said.

Flayn giggled. "It's fine. Though, I did notice how you grabbed your hair. Is there something on your mind, Professor?" Flayn asked.

"I guess you could say that," N answered.

"If you're wondering about how our hair color is similar, I was curious about that as well," Flayn said.

"It's been something that is at the back of my mind at times. Though, I think it's just a coincidence," N said.

Flayn did not immediately respond. Her eyes quickly shifted between N and something else. To N, it was obvious that is something close by. However, he was not entirely sure.

Flayn realized that N did not hide his ears like she did. They were rounded as well, meaning he had no connection to the ancients that once walked Fodlan. She let out a relieved sigh when she figured it out.

"It probably is," Flayn finally said.

N rose an eyebrow. For a moment it seemed like she was genuinely curious about it, but now it was as if it was unimportant. Though, N had no reason to press for more answers and just chalked up the answer to that question being just a coincidence.

N returned to the book he had been reading before he had fallen asleep. This time it was about the legendary dragons. It was a book he had skimmed through before for his research about the dragons. He wondered if the woman he had thought about before could help him learn more about the dragons as well.

When he reached the end of the book, he let out a sigh and closed it. He sat back and pondered on what he had learned. While he had found some answers, he did not have the complete picture. The information about his crest was written in a language he could not read, and so was the information about the creature. Regarding the dragon's he was basically still at square one. He did not know of their origins, but knew about their exploits in the past. N groaned. He wondered who he had to talk to to get straight answers.

"You seem distressed, Professor. Is something the matter?" Flayn asked.

"You could say that. There's questions that I have that need answering. Yet whenever I find a clue, I have to decode it. It's pretty frustrating," N answered.

"Could I be of assistance?" Flayn asked, setting the book she was holding aside.

"That depends, were you alive 1000 years ago?" N asked sarcastically.

However, to his surprise, Flayn's expression darkened and her gaze fell to the floor. He was not expecting her get so depressed by his words. He wondered if she was actually alive that long ago, but quickly dismissed the idea. No one lived that long.

"I'm sorry. It was not my intention to offend you," N said.

Flayn was silent. She gathered her thoughts and mustered a kind smile as she turned back to N. "It's fine. Jokes tend go over my head at times."

N chuckled, understating a bit better. Though a part of him was still confused. "I see. You and Byleth are similar in that regard."

N was happy that Flayn returned to her more cheerful demeanor, but there was still a distant look in her eyes. However, he still wondered if that was because she knew more than what she was letting on. Whatever the case, it was obviously a difficult topic to talk about, so he decided to approach it carefully.

"Say, do you know anything about the legendary dragons?" N asked.

Flayn put a pensive finger on her chin. "Besides the legends of their exploits, not really."

"Figured as much. This might be a long shot, but do you know anything about a third creature?"

"Does it relate to the legendary dragons?" Flayn asked.

N nodded in response. He also noticed how her expression waved a bit when he asked. There was something she was not telling him. It was becoming clearer that she knew a bit more than just the basics.

"Can't say I do," Flayn said.

N let out a sigh. He was likely not going to get any answers from her. "That's fine. Like I said, you'd have to have been alive 1000 years ago to know the answers."

"Lady Rhea might be of better help than me I would think," Flayn said.

N groaned and sat back in his chair. While that was the best option, going to speak with her always made him feel uncomfortable. He had asked if he could speak with her every once in a while, he was not sure how often that would be. He only wanted to go if he absolutely had to, and right now seemed like one of those moments.

"I guess that's true," N said with a shrug.

"My brother might also be of help," Flayn added.

There it is was again. Whenever the two referred to each other as siblings, something felt off. But N pushed that thought aside to focus solely on Seteth. Just thinking about Seteth's cold glare sent a shiver down his spine. Having to add that he had been speaking to Flayn would be something he did not want to say. However, there was still the possibility that he could have some answers to his questions.

"That's two people that can possibly help. Three if I count her." N's final words came out more as a mumble than anything.

"Who's 'her'?" Flayn asked.

"I guess you heard me," N replied. "It's a woman I met when I was traveling with Jeralt and the band. She knew all kinds of things about the past."

"She sounds very smart."

N chuckled. Calling her smart felt a bit like an understatement. "Yeah, she is. I just don't know where she could be. She's always on the move. Never stays in one place for too long."

"Oh, I see. What does she look like? Maybe she visited the monastery at some point. I've heard my brother mention that travelers stop here often," Flayn replied.

N shrugged. While he was still sure she would not come by the monastery often, it did no hurt to try.

"Well, she's fairly tall, maybe the same height as me. She has long blonde hair and grey eyes. She also wore black clothes from what I remember. She was very bea-" He stopped himself from saying 'beautiful,' but his blush gave away what he was thinking.

Flayn seemed to catch on to what he was saying and smiled just a bit too smugly. "So she's beautiful?"

N nodded sheepishly. His blush becoming a darker shade of red. "That's the besides the point! Has anyone fitting that description been around here recently."

"I don't leave the monastery much, but my brother does. Why don't we go ask him?"

N did not exactly want to see Seteth, but if it helped him get a lead then he was willing to do it.

"Let's go see him," he said begrudgingly.

—

The encounter with Seteth went just about how N was expecting. The anger on his face when he saw him and Flayn enter his office together was an expression he had never seen before. It quickly turned to him just yelling at N for just being around Flayn. He said all sorts of things that N mostly tuned out. Once again, he was wondering if the two were really siblings. Because the way Seteth was yelling at him was almost like a father protecting their child. Not that N knew exactly what that was like.

When the attendant finished, he let out a satisfied breath before turning around and walking back to his desk. He sat down and returned to whatever it was he was doing before the two arrived.

"Now, what is it that you need?" he asked irritably.

"I'm looking for someone, a traveler," N answered.

"Many people come to the monastery for one reason or another. How could I possibly remember everyone?"

"I know. The person I'm looking for is pretty distinct. In fact you share a partner with her."

That seemed to get the attendant's attention as he looked up to meet N's eyes.

"Same partner you say? Not many can handle training a Gible and its stronger forms," Seteth said.

Upon hearing his name, Seteth's Gible appeared from inside a closet in the office. The three present turned to him. He looked at all of them carefully before his eyes landed on N, more specifically, Zorua. N was prepared for a fight to break out, and Seteth too as he tensed up slightly. However, their worries were quickly quelled when Gible let out a happy growl upon seeing the fox. Zorua jumped off N's shoulder and greeted the land shark.

"Seems like they're friends," Flayn said with a giggle. She walked over to the two creatures and pet them both.

"Be careful, Flayn," Seteth said.

"Don't worry. I'm sure the Professor's Zorua won't do anything," Flayn replied.

N chuckled. "I'd be more worried about Gible doing something."

That comment earned a glare from Seteth. There was just no winning with him.

"Back to the previous topic. This woman, she had a Gible or one of its transformations?"

N nodded. "Garchomp to be specific."

Seteth closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and sat back. N could only guess if he was thinking if he had seen a woman with a Garchomp before. He did not set his expectations too high, as he still thought she would not be around the monastery.

Seteth then let out a breath and sat back up. His eyes slowly opened as he did so.

"The village at the base of the mountain. I saw a Garchomp roaming there a few days ago. I did not see a woman, but Garchomp usually never leave their dens in the mountains. It was likely someone's partner. Maybe you'll get lucky and it'll be the person you're looking for."

N could not believe it. She was actually close to the monastery.

"Thank you, Seteth," N said bowing his head slightly. "I'll be taking my leave."

"Yes, yes, just stay away from Flayn," Seteth said.

"Please, brother. The Professor is a good person," Flayn replied.

N was thankful that Flayn was a bit more understanding than Seteth. He relented a bit because of her words, but his stern expression remained.

"Thanks for the help, both of you," N said as he turned to leave. Before he exited he turned once more. "By the way, Flayn." The girl perked up at the mention of her name. "Just call me N." His words ended with a kind smile "Let's go Zorua!"

The fox jumped out of Flayn's arms and rushed towards his partner. Seteth glanced towards the girl, but at his angle he could not see her face. Which Flayn was grateful for as her face had gone beet red.

—-

By the time N had made it down the mountain, the sky was beginning to turn red. It would soon be sunset. He asked around to whoever passed him by if they had seen a blonde woman with a Garchomp. Some replied no, while other said someone fit that description was seen a few days ago.

He had expected the outcome when everyone began to say similar things. It was entirely possible that she had already left. He was running out of day light and people to ask. His one lead was going to disappear.

After a bout an hour of asking around the town square, he sat down on a bench and let out a breath. He was just about ready to give up.

"There's no way I'm gonna find her. She's probably long gone by now," N mused aloud.

Meanwhile, Zorua watched his partner. He growing look of defeat was causing for concern to grown within him as well. Just when he was about to jump onto the bench, his ears perked up. It was a faint sound, something that no doubt only he could her. He yipped at N and tugged on his pants, trying to get his attention.

"What's up Zorua?" N asked.

Zorua yipped and turned to the direction where he had heard the faint sound. N tilted his head trying to decipher what the fox was saying. He was saying so many things at once that he could not figure it out.

"Slow down. What are you trying to tell me?"

Zorua yipped again and faced the direction he pointed to before.

"You heard something coming from that direction?"

Zorua nodded and yipped happily that he had finally figured it out.

"Alright then, let's see where this leads," N said.

He stood up from the bench and followed the fox. As they neared the outskirts of the village, N could hear an odd sound. It was almost as if rocks were smashing against each other. He wondered with two rock-type creatures were fighting, but none lived in a forested environment from what he could recall.

As they got closer, the sound got more pronounced and, finally, the reached a clearing in the forest. Zorua yipped and jumped onto N's shoulder. As he got closer, he saw what was making the noise; a Garchomp.

N felt relief wash over him. The person he was looking for had yet to leave. He pushed through the small bush and entered the clearing. He was about to call out to the Garchomp, when the land shark turned towards him and sent a barrage of rocks his way.

"Oh crap!"

N ducked as the rocks flew over him. He looked up to see the Garchomp was in a defensive stance, awaiting further instructions.

"You know, it's not wise to sneak up on a Garchomp," a female voice said.

N sat up and saw a woman in black with long blonde hair. He let out another relieved sigh, it was actually her.

The woman stared at the new arrived for a moment. She was quick to pick up on his green hair, but what stood out was the creature perched on his shoulder; a Zorua. She put a hand on her chin trying to remember where she had seen the same thing. She then opened her eyes in realization as to who was standing in front of her.

"Kid, is that you?"

"Hey, Cynthia, it's been a while hasn't it?" N asked sheepishly.

Cynthia walked toward him, Garchomp close behind, and greeted N with a slap on his shoulder.

"It certainly has. A few years probably. What're you doing here? I thought Jeralt avoided this place like the plague?" Cynthia asked.

"Funny story…"

N quickly explained the situation as to how he had gotten to Garreg Mach. For her part, Cynthia did not say anything in regard to his story as he told it. She did look impressed when he said he was teaching at the monastery, and that made N blush slightly.

When N concluded his story, Cynthia took a minute to process everything. Meanwhile, N tried not to stare, but she was still as beautiful as he remembered. It was almost as if she had not aged at all.

"Guess things can change in just a few years. But look at you, a professor. I can see it," Cynthia said, adding a laugh.

"Thanks. It all happened so fast, but I've gotten used to it," N said.

"So, how's Zorua?" Cynthia asked as she pet the fox on his shoulder.

"Lost a battle recently, but other than that, fine," N said as Zorua let out a satisfied coo.

"That'll teach 'em," Cynthia said with a chuckle. "I can tell this wasn't a coincidence. What made you look for me?"

"Still as observant as ever," N said. His expression quickly morphed into a more serious one. "I need your help deciphering some old text. I know that's your area of expertise, so I wanted your help. I'm just very lucky you were in town. Thought you'd avoid this place as well."

Cynthia shrugged. "Normally, yeah, but this was the closest town on the route I'm taking."

"That makes sense."

"So, what do you need me to decipher?" Cynthia asked.

N took out the book he was carrying in his bag and opened to the page of the sketch of the creature. She took it and examined it closely, but she quickly closed the book and handed it back to him.

"Let's go somewhere with better light. It's getting dark," Cynthia said, her tone becoming a lot more serious.

N nodded and followed her back into town. As they walked, N noticed how everyone steered clear of her and Garchomp. Going out of their way to not stand too close.

She's still just as intimidating I guess, N thought. He turned to Garchomp, who looked equally as intimidating, if not more. Or maybe it's just Garchomp.

The two turned down an alley and made it to an old door. On top of it hung a sign that only said inn. N guessed this was where Cynthia was staying. Cynthia opened it and entered, with N following close behind.

"You're back? I thought you'd be gone by now," a voice said.

N turned to see an old woman sitting behind a desk; likely the innkeeper. Cynthia flashed her a kind smile and flicked a coin onto the desk. The old woman rose an eyebrow, but took it nonetheless.

"Need to stay one more night. Something came up."

The woman looked behind Cynthia to see N. He tried to act normal, but the old woman's gaze was hard to ignore. She chuckled and turned back to Cynthia.

"Isn't he a bit young?" A sly smile formed on the woman's face.

N's entire face went red, while Cynthia remained mostly composed. The woman then gave her a key and Cynthia took it without a word. She motioned for N follow and he quietly shuffled out from the gaze of the old woman. When they were out of ear shot, Cythia turned to him and gave him an apologetic smile. Which caused for his face the heat up even more.

"Sorry about the old hag. She tends to say things like that," Cynthia said.

"It's fine," N said. His voice very high pitched.

When they entered the room, N quickly sat down and buried his face in his hands. What the woman had said replayed in his mind over and over. It got more and more embarrassing with each repetition.

Meanwhile, Cynthia chuckled. She was aware of N's affection towards her, but the fact he had become so embarrassed after that one comment made her think a part of him was still a kid.

"So much for maturing quickly, right?" Cynthia joked.

"Please stop. I can only be embarrassed so much tonight," N said. His voice coming out slightly muffled.

"Glad to know you're still a kid," Cynthia said. "And if we're gonna talk, you're going to need your eyes."

N let out a muffled sigh and removed his hands from his face. He looked up to see Cynthia taking off her black coat, revealing the loose white shirt she wore underneath. N turned away, the red returning to his face. Zorua, meanwhile, got comfortable on the bed, while Garchomp sat in a corner of the room munching on some fruit Cynthia had bought.

"Okay, show me the book."

N nodded and took out the book. He handed it to Cynthia and she began to skim each page, not spending longer than a few seconds on each one. Some pages she spent a bit more time on than others. N wondered if it was because she was trying to decipher the strange language on it. She paced around the room as she looked the through the book.

"I can tell you for sure that this book is old as hell. I'm surprised its in such a good condition," Cynthia said. Her eyes firmly on the book.

N nodded in agreement. " I thought so too."

"As for the language it's written in, this hasn't been seen in over 1000 years. This probably predates the legendary dragons," Cynthia added.

N's eyes widened in surprise. He knew the book was old, but that old seemed almost impossible to him.

"Can you read it?" N asked.

"I'm a bit rusty, but I can make out certain words. What were the pages you wanted to know about?" Cynthia asked, looking up from the book.

She handed the book back to N and he quickly, but carefully, turned pages. When he landed on the sketch of the creature he stopped.

"These two. The creature and the symbol," N said, handing her the book back.

Cynthia took the book and carefully looked at the words. She had noticed how above the sketch there was faded out work, but still legible. She sounded the symbols out aloud in order to better hear them.

"Kyurem. I believe that's the name of the creature. Never heard of it. Have you?" Cynthia asked, turning to N.

He shook his head. "No."

Cynthia hummed something before turning back to the book. She said aloud what written under the sketch, but certain words seemed to elude her. It was frustrating to not know what the everything was about, but the words she could read gave her a basic idea.

"From what I can tell, Kyurem and ice are closely intertwined. It's possible that it's made out of ice or can control it. Some of the words are too faded to make out. There is also the word sleep, but not sure what that could mean," Cynthia explained.

N nodded in response. He now knew two things about that creature, its name and, possibly, its type. He wondered just how old the creature was if the book was older than 1000 years. He did not have much time to think on it as he wanted to know about the symbol.

"And the symbol?"

Cynthia turned back to the book and read about the symbol. She did the same as she did with the page about Kyurem and sounded out the words she could make out. The word she picked up on made things begin to click in N's head.

"The symbol has something to do with both fire and lightning. It's supposed to represent the balance between the two. Not sure what the small circle mean though, that parts too difficult to make out. Its name is faded to hell, though." Cynthia turned to N. "What' so important to you about the symbol anyway?"

"Because it's also my crest."

Cynthia closed the book and took in a breath. She then turned to N. "You have a crest?"

N nodded in response. Cynthia let out a sigh and sat down on the bed. Sitting across from N, she leaned forwards. Two sets of grey eyes met. Cynthia's were analyzing something while N's desperately wanted answers.

"But you aren't a noble."

N nodded in response.

"How the hell do you have a crest then?"

N shrugged. "I don't know. I found out about it just last month."

Cynthia sat up, still trying to take everything in. While she had a better understanding as to why N needed answers, she was still confused as to why N needed them.

"What are you trying to learn, N?"

N let out a humorless chuckle. "I don't have a damn clue. What I do know is something is stirring. I can feel it. Whatever it is, it's taking its time."

"I agree with you on that one. The Empire's movements are strange. It's almost as if they're preparing for war. With who, I don't know," Cynthia said crossing her arms. "But what does that have to do with that symbol and Kyurem?"

"It has to do with my past. That's the best theory I've got," N said.

Cynthia stood up and began to pace again. She put a hand on her chin as she let her thoughts race. She tried to piece together all the clues, but nothing would come up. She turned back to N, who still looked desperate for answers.

"Tell you what, let me keep the book and I'll try to decipher more about it. I'll send you updates on what I've deciphered as I go along," Cynthia said.

"On your travels I'm assuming?"

Cynthia nodded in response. "You've gotten me curious about this stuff. Maybe traveling will give me a clue as to your crest and whatever the hell Kyurem is."

"That's all fine, but how will you keep in contact with me?" N asked.

Cynthia chuckled. She walked towards the only window in the room and swung it open. She made the sound of a high pitched whistle that N could barely hear. Then came silence. N wondered what or who Cynthia was calling to, but he quickly got his answer. On the windowsill landed a Togekiss. The creature cooed happily at meeting with his partner.

"Whenever you see Togekiss flying around, you'll know it's a message from me," Cynthia said.

N nodded in understanding. "One last thing, do you know anything about the legendary dragons?"

Cynthia sucked in a breath. "Sorry, kid. I can't help you there. Though, I do know someone who can. There's a village, it's not too far from here, but it'll still take a few days, there lives an old man. He knows the most about anything relating to dragon-type creatures. If anyone knows, it'd be him."

"Does the village have a name?" N asked.

"Draconis. Very on the nose, I know. It's a few days ride west from here."

N nodded in response. "Got it. Thank you, Cynthia. You've helped a lot."

"Don't worry about it, kid." She looked out the window to see that the sky had become a darker shade of red. "You should probably head back to the monastery. It's getting pretty late."

"Yeah, I probably should," N said as he began to stand. "Come on, Zorua."

The fox jumped off the bed and climbed N's arm to reach his shoulder. N thanked Cynthia one more time before turning to the door to exit.

"One last thing, N."

N turned, blushing a bit at her calling him by his name. However, it quickly disappeared, when he saw her face. She had a kind and understanding smile. It made him feel a bit at peace.

"Good luck. I hope you find what you're looking for."

N nodded, but did not say anything in response. He exited the room, leaving Cynthia with just her partners and her thoughts. She chuckled as she thought about the young man that had just left her room. At first she had thought he had not matured much since they last saw each other, but after seeing his expression as he left, it changed her mind.

"You did good Jeralt."

AN: Back to back chapters! I haven't been able to do this in years. A lot happened this chapter, huh? The main purpose of this chapter was to further the mystery N is trying to unravel. That being his crest. I have yet to decide a name for it (as is obvious in this chapter), but I'm narrowing down on some names. Also, in this chapter we meet a reoccurring character, and it's none other than Cynthia! I thought her interest in Pokemon mythology in the games would be perfect for this story. Her partner obviously had to be Garchomp. Is it really Cynthia if she doesn't have a Garchomp? I decided to give N a crush on Cynthia, mainly for comedy and to humanize N a bit more. Plus, he's 18 years old, he's still a bit of a kid. Cynthia will appear a few more times so look forward to more of that.

With all that out of the way, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one! Also, I commissioned art for this story made by SocNau and I think it came out great. Check out my Twitter or SocNau's to check it out! I want to make it the story cover, but the file a bit too big. While you're at it, follow me in Twitter. I post story updates as well as other stuff. If you're enjoying this story, feel free to follow, favorite, and/or review.