Book 1: A Dragon Flaps Its Wings

Chapter 6: The First Week

16th day of the Guardian Moon of Imperial Year 1176

xXx

The Knights Hall of Garreg March Monastery was full today, each and every soldier had gathered to meet their newly named captain. The young man who just beat Thunder Catherine the day before, Rean Schwarzer.

He stood there at the front wearing the same clothes as yesterday but with a few key-differences. Inlaid in metal on the shoulders of his jacket was the mark of the Church of Serios in the style reminiscent of his white jacket and on the lapel of his Jacket laid a badge denoting his rank. As he stood there surveying the crowd that gathered he looked to his left as he noticed Catherine approach him

"It appears that everyone has gathered." Catherine told him after having checked over the room once more.

The ashen-haired man was thankful for all of her help, especially considering all that happened yesterday. After the fight between them and his appointment to his new position of Captain, Catherine had wasted no time in familiarizing herself to him and had shown him around the Monastery showing him around to help familiarize him with his surroundings, finishing off with showing him his new office where he was ambushed by Seteth before he could get a chance to relax and was summarily filled in on the details of his new position and the responsibilities that came with it. One of those being the age old tradition of new Captains being made to give a speech to address his new men as to give them a bit of insight of their new boss. Honestly he was a bit nervous giving a speech with little to no prep-time but Crow had just told him to be his normal charming self.

"Attention!" Catherine ordered and the room fell silent. She then stepped aside and let Rean take the stage.

Taking a breath, Rean moved forward, becoming the center of attention. For a moment he mustered the soldiers in front of him, taking in their stance and their faces. "My name is Rean Schwarzer." he began introducing himself. "And yesterday I was assigned the position of captain of the Knights of Seiros." He took a short break to let the words sink in. "I assume that many of you are having doubts, if someone like me is the right person to lead you. While I may have proven my physical strength and combat power, it takes so much more to take on the role of captain. Can I judge a situation correctly in and outside of a battle? Can I make the right decision when the time comes? Will I stand by you even in the face of overwhelming odds?"

The people in front of him seemed taken aback by these words. They had expected the typical speech about grandeur and heroism, not one where their future leader was talking about their doubts and concerns.

"I could tell you about my experiences, my achievements and the enemies I have overcome in the past. But this is something that isn't needed now. No, what we need is trust. And trust is something that shouldn't be just given, but earned." Rean raised his left hand over his heart. "I will work hard to earn your trust. To show you, what we together can accomplish and how far we can come. And in return, you will earn my trust. We will train together, fight together and grow together. Because we all made a promise once we joined the Knight of Seiros. It wasn't a promise we would speak aloud, a promise to a person or even a promise to the goddess. No, it was a promise to ourselves. That we would give our all to protect those who can't protect themselves. That we would listen to those who need it and help them with all our might."

A fire was burning inside of Rean's eyes and each and every soldier in the room felt like he was looking right at their core, overwhelmed by the sheer conviction and passion in his words.

"We don't know what the future holds. But as long as we stand together, we can overcome anything. I am just one person, a foreigner to these lands that has much to learn." Rean took one breath. "As such I ask of you, please, grant me your strength."

For a moment there was silence, then the knights of Seiros cheered. And in the entryway to the Knights Hall stood Seteth and Crow. Crow leaned against the doorway with a smirk on his face, While Seteth with a pleased expression on his face.

"It seems like he made a great first impression." the Advisor noticed, just to hear Crow chuckle.

"Believe me, Rean is great at these kinds of speeches. The guy's a natural leader" the Azure Awakener replied, reminiscing over all the "friendship" speeches that his friend has given in the past.

"Couldn't have picked a better man for the job if asked me."

xXx

17th day of the Guardian Moon of Imperial Year 1176

xXx

Crow was standing inside the armory, his weapons laid out right in front of him on a table. He had just retrieved them from the Knights of Seiros and the first thing he intended to do was to inspect them. The blades of his Double Saber showed no signs of wear, a testament of the durability of the Black Zemurian Ore that had been used to forge it. To finish his inspection, he took a few practice swings and after finding nothing wrong with his weapon, he put it back down on the table in front of him.

"Here you are."

The silver-haired man turned around. "Hey Shamir, how can I help you?" he greeted the newcomer with his typical trickster grin.

The blue-haired woman stepped beside him and threw a look at his weapons. She had seen them before when they found him and Rean for the first time. And unlike the weapon of the new captain, Crow's weapon had caught her interest.

Following her gaze, Crow took up his orbal guns. "I assume that these have caught your eye?"

Shamir nodded. "Yes. I never encountered such a type of weapon before and unlike your saber we couldn't find out how they operate. For a close-range weapon they are too small, making them unfit to be used as bludgeons. And for a long-range weapon they lack a way to put in the projectile."

The Azure Awakener sighed. A sign that this world wasn't as technologically advanced as their own. "These weapons are called Orbal Guns." he explained, offering one of his two guns to her.

"Orbal Guns?" Shamir let the world roll off her tongue, while taking the item and weighing it in her hand. The weapon felt much heavier than she expected. "How does it work?"

Crow chuckled "A little weapon enthusiast, eh?"

But the woman shook her head. "If we are working together in the future, it's important to know about your weapons and their functions. Ignorance is one of the most dangerous things on the battlefield after all."

And yet, Crow could see the true reason in her eyes. If he and Rean should turn out to be traitors, the knowledge about their weaponry, especially about the unknown factor that were his guns, would be vital for the Knights of Seiros. Evidence that even though the archbishop had given them her trust, said trust didn't extend through all ranks. Not that it mattered in the long run. "Can you show me the archery range?"

Shamir guided him to an open space behind the armory. It was a long, straight yard surrounded by walls with five targets hanging from the wall farthest away from them. The Azure Awakener estimated the distance to be around one selge.

"So, this is a weapon for ranged combat then?" the former mercenary asked, still looking at the piece of metal in her hand.

Crow nodded. "In Erebonia guns were a common weapon used for ranged combat as they outperform bows in both damage output and rate of fire." He answered her surprised look with one of his trademark smiles. "In the hilt they hold a fire elemental quartz." With trained hands the gunman turned the weapon around, so that the grip was pointing upwards. Then the silver haired man pushed the piece of metal at the end of it, allowing it to slide back to reveal a red crystal inside of it. "Try it for yourself." He encouraged his companion.

Shamir followed his instructions, also finding a red crystal in the weapon she was holding. Curiosity took the better of her and she touched the material. "It is cold." she noticed.

"Of course it is." Crow laughed. "I haven't fired them in days after all, and as long as they aren't used, the elemental power they hold isn't set free." He then explained. Afterwards he showed Shamir how to close the handle correctly. "But surely you want to see what these babies can do, right?" Without any further warning he raised the gun in his hand and pulled the trigger.

The sound of the gunshot echoed from the walls of the yard. "What was that?" the woman asked. The sudden loud noise caught the trained mercenary of guard and let her fall into a combat stance subconsciously. After one, two seconds however she relaxed. She saw a small amount of smoke coming from the tip of the weapon in Crow's hand, a testament that he had done something. But the target didn't show any sign of a hit. "Did you miss..?" she asked

Gaining no answer from the marksman, she decided to take a look herself and what she found surprised her. The designated target had a small hole in it, smaller than what an arrow would have left behind. But what it lacked in size, it made up in penetration. The entire target had been pierced, the gray stone wall behind the wooden piece was easy to spot.

"Convinced?" the man from Erebonia asked when Shamir returned.

"How?" was the only thing she could ask.

"High velocity with a small area of impact." the Awakener explained, but when he saw the archer's confused look, he sighed. "The fire quartz I showed you before is only a part of the entire engine. In the barrel," he pointed at the long end of the item. "You find a mixture of earth and wind quartz. Once the trigger is pulled, the earth quartz releases fine particles of rock and metal. At the same time, the fire quartz releases a small flame. This flame is led into the back of the barrel, where it comes into contact with a burst of wind from the wind quartz. The result is an explosion that propels the particles out of the barrel."

"An explosion inside this small thing?" It was hard for the mercenary to imagine something like that happening. To her knowledge, such a thing needed time and preparation to be set up. Her gaze lingered once more on the piece of metal in her hand. "Mind if I give it a try?"

"Go ahead."

Following the encouragement of the marksman, the mercenary took position and aimed at the target on the wall. It felt strange, completely different from the way she aimed with a bow. But at the same time she couldn't deny a certain sense of exhilaration. She pulled the trigger.

And nothing happened.

"A gun in the hands of an amateur can easily become a danger to that person and those around them. So before you take your first shot, you need to learn a little bit about gun safety first." Crow spoke up from behind her. The tone in his voice gave away the huge grin on his face.

xXx

18th day of the Guardian Moon of Imperial Year 1176

xXx

In Professor Hannemann's office inside of the Monastery four people had gathered today. The first was the owner of this office, then there was his colleague, Professor Manuela, followed by the new captain of the Knights of Seiros Rean. lastly Catherine, who still acted as Rean's guide and support.

"I'm certain there are a lot of people fighting for your attention right now, so what do we owe the honor of meeting with you, Captain Rean?" Manuela asked with a smile on her lips. "Or did you want to meet with a little ol' me alone, but you couldn't come up with a reason for it?"

Rean chuckled. "Actually, I wanted to thank you for taking care of Crow and myself during our recovery." he answered without responding to the flirtatious remarks of the female professor. He had enough experience thanks to Instructor Sarah in that regard. "If it wasn't for your efforts we wouldn't be as healthy as we are now."

The physician just waved her hand. "No thanks needed. I was just doing my job as a doctor." The woman explained, before adding "But I wouldn't mind sharing a drink together later."

"Then how about tonight after I finish my duties?" the Ashen Awakener promised laughing. "But I have to admit, I'm not the best when it comes to holding my liquor."

At the same time, Hannemann had a different goal in mind. When Rean had come to his office and asked to have a talk with him, the scholar had hoped to get some more information about the foreigner and his companion. The power the new captain had demonstrated in his against Catherine together with the professor's own test with the blood of Mr. Armbrust had ignited a fire inside the older man. Unfortunately the new position of the only other man in his office had prevented any talk between the two. But since the opportunity had presented itself now, the researcher wouldn't let it slip through his fingers. "I know that these words come a bit late, but please, allow me to congratulate you on your victory against Catherine. She may be young, but she is already a rising star as a Knight of Seiros, destined to reach greatness in the future." the researcher began.

"Professor, please. I still lost, a testament that I still have a long way before me." The woman he had just praised tried to decline.

But the Crest researcher just shook his head. "Wise words, Lady Catherine. You didn't let your pride cloud your judgment and even now you take the most out of your defeat. As such, you just prove my words. At the same time, I feel like captain Schwarzer is just the person you need to tap into your full potential."

"Oh? How come?" the Ashen Awakener asked, surprised.

"Even without the usage of her Crest, Lady Catherine is already capable of taking on three seasoned knights on her own and win quite easily in fact. But that also means that she almost reached the limits that the knight's training regiment offers her. Without an opponent that can challenge her, someone who allows her to break these limitations, she would stagnate." He looked at the female Knight. "She would still be one of the strongest knights ever known, but she wouldn't have fulfilled her true potential and come up short when compared to other great warriors. A sad fate, wouldn't you agree?"

"Hanneman, please. Even if your former assessment of Lady Catherine's future would be true." Manuela began, before turning around to said woman and said to her "A fact I don't believe by the way." Before turning back to her colleague "Wouldn't that level of strength be enough? Once she has reached that level, she might even get some time to look after herself. Get herself a good deal, if you get what I mean." She had a mischievous smile on her lips while she spoke these words.

Catherine's face showed a mixture of two emotions: embarrassment and anger.

And Rean didn't want to wait for which of these two feelings would end up winning. "I accept your kind words, professor." he began. "But I must be honest with you, my visit also had another reason."

"Oh my, and what could that be?" Hannemann answered.

The young captain had to give it to the professor. If he knew which question was coming next, then he was hiding it very well. "Crow told me that you bet money on my victory." The young man explained. "And I wanted to know why?"

Both Catherine and Manuela looked at him surprised, but the Crest researcher's face showed no reaction. "I could tell you that I am a humble gambling man …"

"You are neither humble nor a gambler, Hannemann." The former diva intervened. "If you really bet on him, then you wanted to confirm something. Or maybe, you bet because you hoped that either Mr. Armbrust or Mr. Schwarzer would come to you at a later date." Her eyes wandered to the machine in the middle of his room. "I assume it has to do with the blood sample you requested from Mr. Armburst."

"Blood sample? I didn't hear anything about such a request." Catherine mumbled.

"Well, Lady Catherine, that was because it was an unofficial request of mine." The male professor answered. "I just had this feeling that there was more to both Mr. Armbrust and Captain Schwarzer than we first assumed. But without definitive proof, I couldn't just step out in the open now, could I?" The older man turned to his table and took up a piece of paper, before offering it to Manuela. "And my findings were really astounding."

Manuela looked at the sketch in her hand. "Is this a Crest?" she asked, confused. "Because it doesn't look like one." She then gave the drawing to the two knights, allowing them to take a look.

Rean's breath hitched. On the paper he held was a drawing of the head of a Divine Knight, more exactly of the Azure Knight Ordine, the Deus-Excellion that Crow was piloting. But according to Rhea, the machines were a secret only known to the scouting party that had found them. A look into Catherine's face told him that the female knight also recognized the drawing.

"I knew it." Hannemann started laughing, watching the reaction of the new captain. "You know about this, right?"

"How…?" Rean was still looking for the right words, but Catherine stormed towards the professor.

"Explain, now." she threatened him, grabbing him by the coat.

Manuela, taken by surprise by this sudden act of aggression, backed two steps away from the pair.

"Let him down, Catherine." Rean's voice showed no emotion, neither positive nor negative. "I think it is better if we listen to his explanation first before we harm him."

For a moment time seemed to stand still, but then Catherine let go and returned to Rean's side.

The older man brushed off his coat, before he began. "What you see is the form that my Crest device shows when I gave it Mr. Armbrust's blood. At first, I couldn't believe it. I assumed it was a completely new Crest that has never been seen before. But when I studied it more, I noticed that it wasn't the case." His eyes focused on Rean. "It is proof that there is more to our two guests than we first assumed, even though I am unable to fully grasp the meaning of this result. All I can say is that their power must be similar to Crests, since my device gave me a result. But how closely they are related and how they fit into the system we are familiar with I am unable to say. As of now, I assume that I had to deal with some kind of evolution. I mean, given his age it could be possible."

"My age? Why does my age matter?" Rean asked, confused.

"Hanneman, you don't think that this has something to do with the 'Resurgent of Crests'?" Manuela asked, astonished. "If I remember correctly, you yourself said that it was nothing more than a stroke of fortune that this event happened."

The older man nodded. "That is true. But maybe I just didn't possess all the necessary data at that moment in time."

"Excuse me," Rean asked, a little lost. "But what exactly is the 'Resurgent of Crests'?"

"Around 15-16 years ago, give or take, the numbers of children that were born with Crests grew dramatically." The Crest researcher began to answer the question of the Divine Blade. "For multiple years the heirs of noble families were all but guaranteed to be born with one. And to add to the mystery, there were the birth of multiple children with major Crests as well. Something like that was practically unheard of in the history of Fodlan. This event was called the 'Resurgence of Crests'. Many people believed that this was the beginning of a golden age for Fodlan, some even went so far to claim that the goddess would wander under us humans again." Hannemann continued the explanation. "But in the end, they were wrong. The 'Resurgent of Crests' officially ended in 1165, when the numbers of newborns with Crests fell back down to "standard" recorded levels. And the hopes of many people were crushed, when the miracle that was promised didn't happen." For a moment, Hannemann's eyes rested on Rean. "From your looks both you and your friend appear to be around 20 years old. So, in theory you two could be one of the first that profited from this event."

"But this can't be the case." Rean concluded, knowing full well that there couldn't be a connection between the Divine Knights of Erebonia and the Crests of Fodlan.

The researcher shook his head. "I assumed so. The chance of such an abrupt evolution with no visible connection to the original is slim and I lack the necessary research material and time to continue researching this possibility." He took the sketch back and put it back onto his desk. "But there was something else that I wanted to look into. I didn't really think about it until the conversation I had with your friend a couple of days ago." Hannemann took a deep breath. "What if the 'Resurgent of Crests' was a warning sign. To warn us that something bad is going to happen to Fodlan. And that we will need all these children with Crests in the future to protect our home." He turned around and during his next words he fixated Rean with his eyes. "Tell me, Captain, what do you think of this theory?"

The look in Rean's eyes while hearing this question told the Crest researcher all he needed

know.

xXx

19th day of the Guardian Moon of Imperial Year 1176

xXx

The streets of Elatha were full of people, even though the festival for Saint Seiros days had ended over a week ago. But given the position of the town close to the famous Garreg Mach Monastery this was understandable. Many travelers rested here and prayed at the local church for protection on their way. Merchants did the same, most adding a small prayer for a big profit. And through this mass a pair of siblings was walking side by side.

"Look sis, this stall is new." the younger boy told his companion, pointing at the stand of a merchant. "Do you think it has anything nice for mother?"

His sister giggled, enjoying the energy her sibling evinced. "Do you want to take a look?" she offered. An offer her brother didn't refuse.

"Welcome." a young woman with red hair greeted them with a big smile. "How can I help you?"

The two siblings looked over the articles the merchant had positioned on her table. "Do you have anything for our mother?" the young boy asked.

The woman chuckled. "I'm sure that I have something." She turned around and pulled a beautiful dress off a rack behind her. "Maybe something like this suits her taste? The finest material, only for 2.500 gold." she offered.

But the sister shook her head. "We were looking for something smaller, a more personal gift." she explained.

For a moment the trader looked disappointed, but this look didn't even last a full second and the two customers didn't seem to notice. With a sigh, she put the dress back and turned towards another bag. "Something small." She mused, before turning around. "Like a brooch? Or a ring?"

"A brooch sounds great." the boy spoke up. "Maybe something with the image of the goddess? To protect her." he added hopefully.

His sister didn't speak up against this request. The happy gleam in the eyes of her brother was just too precious to her. But she feared that this was a request that couldn't be fulfilled so easily. Just to be surprised when a case of several colored accessories with a figure on each of them were put on the table. A crimson brooch with a gold figure, a blue brooch with a silver figure, a yellow brooch with a bronze figure and a crimson brooch with a silver figure all laid neatly in a row.

"Et voila." the woman said with a happy smile. "You ask and I deliver." She then bowed forward to the young man and added in a low voice "These items were blessed by a priest. As such, the protection they will offer is much better than most of my other goods that I have on hand"

"Please, Mercedes." the brother begged, using his best puppy dog eyes.

Knowing that she didn't stand a chance against this look, Mercedes pulled out her money bag. "How much?"

"Due to the given circumstances of the festival ending and with the amount I still have in stock I'll cut you a deal of 2 for the price of 1, so...950 gold." the merchant replies, the smile on her face. Mercedes reached into her funds to pay as her brother picked the crimson colored brooches with the gold and silver figures on them respectively. The merchant accepted the gold as she reached down and pulled out 2 small decorative cases for the brooches, placing them inside before handing them over to Mercedes.

"Thank you for doing business with Anna's Emporium" she said.

As Mercedes and her brother turned around, two other people approached the stand. "Oh, Lady Mercedes and Lord Lukas".

"Johan!" Mercedes greeted the Knight of Seiros. "I'm really sorry we couldn't see you this year. Mother had to meet with several important guests, so we didn't have the time to partake in the festivities for Saint Seiros day." She apologized.

But the guard just laughed. "Please, milady, you have nothing to apologize for. I feel honored that you visit me every year and even now you thought of me even though we didn't meet. That is enough for me."

"Oh, a secret girlfriend?" the stranger accompanying Johan spoke up, drawing the attention of the two siblings.

Mercedes mused at the newcomer. He was a silver haired young man with an open smile. And yet, the heiress felt a strange sensation. Like a wolf trying to pose as a sheep. But just as soon as this feeling had come over her, it vanished.

"Crow!" scandalized Johan elbowed his companion, who was just laughing. "I apologize, Lady Mercedes. He is new to the Knights and doesn't know the ropes yet."

"Crow Armbrust." the young man introduced himself with a bow. "It is nice to meet a friend of Johan."

The girl watched him for a second longer, before introducing herself as well. "Mercedes von Bartels."

"And I'm her brother, Lukas von Bartels." Her brother added, standing on his toes to appear bigger. The youngest man had recognized his sister's hesitation and tried to intimidate the strange person named Crow.

"Oh my." said Crow, taking a step back. "With someone like you by her side, your sister is well guarded."

It was an act, but it seemed to convince Lukas who nodded eagerly. "And don't you forget it. If you hurt her even a little, I'll get you." The young boy still stood on his toes and tried to look intimidating, an attempt that was thwarted by the difference in size and posture.

"I'll be sure to remember that." The silver haired man promised, still smiling.

"Excuse me, Lady Mercedes, but I promised my friend to show him around Elatha. Since he will be stationed at Garreg March Monastery he will need to be familiar with the surrounding area." Johan revealed.

"Maybe we can help." Lukas suddenly suggested. "We have been here multiple times and we may be able to show you places that even Johan doesn't know." He turned to his sister. "Please."

For a moment Mercedes thought about this. One the one hand she couldn't shake that strange feeling. On the other she couldn't bring herself to refuse her help. As such, the heiress nodded. "Well, if you two have nothing against this." This offer wasn't refused.

"Can you please move along." an annoyed voice spoke up behind them. It was Anna, the merchant. "If you continue loitering, then I will have charged you. You are obstructing the view for other customers."

"We're sorry, Lady Anna. One moment please." Johan apologized before turning towards the siblings. "Please wait for us. I just want to introduce Crow to the Church affiliated merchants." This was an order by Seteth, who had deemed it important to have Johan show Crow the ropes when it came to dealing with her as he was one of the people who was usually assigned to interact with her and contemporaries.

"Don't think flattery will give you a discount." Anna called to him, having overheard the conversation. "The price will be the same as always."

As such the Knight introduced the Azure Chevalier to Anna, an important asset to the Knights regarding information gathering. But he also warned the man from Erebonia that the woman was quite the money grubber. Johan adviced Crow to be careful of what he said in her presence or else she would have no problems selling what she heard to a person willing to pay for it. A sentiment that the red haired woman confirmed herself.

xXx

Afterwards, the two Knights met up with the Bartels siblings and began strolling over the marketplace.

"This is the White Wing inn." The youngest male explained while pointing at one house. "They have the best beds in all of Elatha." Then his hand moved further and stopped at a bakery. "And this house belongs to Fred. He makes the best bread." he gushed.

"I'm really sorry." Mercedes apologized quietly. "I doubt that this is what you had in mind."

Crow waved her apology off. "There is nothing to apologize for. It is a unique way to get to know this town after all. And I doubt many people can claim to have been guided around town by nobles, can they?"

Mercedes looked distracted. Ever since they started their walk, Crow had been nothing but kind and open towards her and her brother. No hint that he was hiding something.

"But now I wonder… how does a simple guard like you have such a good connection to a noble family?" she heard Crow asking Johan. "I mean, you admitted that she isn't your girlfriend, so childhood friends? Or did you work for her family before joining the Knights of Seiros?"

The older guard shook his head. "During my first year as a knight during the Saint Seiros festival I got lost in the crowd." he admitted, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I was expected to be on my post on time, but I had underestimated the size of the crowd and was thrown for a loop, in the end Lady Mercedes found me and guided me to my destination. My supervisor really laid into me when I arrived 40 minutes late to my shift, but Lady Mercedes came to my aid. She told my superior that I had been helping me and that she was the reason why I came in late."

"Oh my." Crow laughed, before turning towards the lady. "And if I may ask, why did you help Johan? I mean, I don't know many nobles who would be willing to help someone else in such a situation."

So Mercedes began her part of the story. "My family believes strongly in the goddess and her Saints. As such, every year for Saint Seiros day we travel to Garreg March Monastery to participate in the festivities and pray for the goddess' blessings for the following year. You see, our family is currently led by our mother, Lady Myla von Bartels. My father, the former Baron Bartels, was murdered roughly 5 years ago. Some say he was killed by my half-brother Emile, who disappeared shortly after the death of my father." For a moment she hesitated, before continuing. "Others claim that he was involved in the intrigue taking place in the capital and that he was murdered by his co-conspirators."

She noticed that Crow was looking after Lucas while listening to her story. At this moment she was thankful for this opportunity, since telling the story of her family wasn't easy for her. Even if she kept the darkest secrets hidden.

"Like Johan already told you, I found him wandering around the Monastery aimlessly during one of these festivals. He seemed so lost, so I wanted to help him. That is all."

"And why take the blame for him?" Crow asked.

"The Knights of Seiros take on an important role." The heiress said. "I know that those who wish to join them often would leave everything behind just to get a chance."

"And you didn't want a hopeful young man to lose his chance, right?" Crow finished.

Mercedes looked at him surprised. "How do you…?"

"You are like an open book, Lady Bartels." the young man explained. "You are a gentle soul who doesn't want to see people hurt. I bet that you would be willing to take on any hardship to make it easier for others."

The young woman shook her head. "I fear you have the wrong impression of me. I just did what I believed was right. Nothing more. It is something that many others could have done as well."

"But it was you." Johan spoke up. "So please, I only stand here because of you and your willingness to help. And you even visited me the following year. The fact that you remembered me is more than I could have ever asked for."

The noble fell silent. She really didn't do anything special all these years ago. At least nothing that would justify these kind words.

As such, the group followed Lucas in silence, who began guiding them to the marketplace and showed them a merchant that sold the 'best' food or another one that sold the 'best' clothes. He then proceeded to guide the three older humans through some back alleys until he reached a small garden. "And here you have the best rest." the young heir declared.

Having already walked quite the distance and having taken a look at the sun above Johan suggested to sit down and have a nice little meal together, before he and Crow would bring the siblings back to their mother.

The group found a nice little place below an old tree with two benches, allowing all of them to sit down. Johan then pulled three apples out of the bag he carried at his side, and gave one to Lucas, one to Mercedes and kept the third one for himself, while Crow pulled out one apple for himself out of his own bag.

"Sir Armbrust." the young boy spoke up between bites. "Can you tell us something about yourself?"

The Azure Awakener seemed surprised. "About me? Sure, what do you want to know?"

"Where do you come from? Why did you join the Knights? Have you gone on missions? Did you defeat evil bad guys?" the questions the youngest member of the group asked didn't seem to stop.

"Slow down, please." Crow laughed. "I come from an Empire called Erebonia." He then began answering the boy's questions. "It's far across the ocean, so I doubt you have ever heard of it." He added when he saw the confused faces of the siblings. "I was part of a group of adventurers who wanted to know what lies beyond the horizon. According to our history, we were the seventh group who wanted to tackle this endeavor, so we were called the Round of Seven." With a smile he noticed how the young boy was hanging on his lips. "We sailed for a long time, always hunting a shadow that seemed to escape our grasp." He then began telling a tale of adventures. How the Round of Seven protected a kingdom from a civil war or how they infiltrated the lair of a dragon, guided by an ancient witch.

He just finished telling them about their fight against a legendary warrior that tested the resolve and power of everyone who would want to pass, when Lukas asked another question: "But how did you end up here?"

"Unfortunately the sea isn't always kind. One day a strong storm surprised us and even though we tried our best, we weren't capable of withstanding the forces of nature. I went overboard and lost sight of my comrades. And once I woke up, I was at the shore of Fodlan. At first I traveled down the coast, hoping to find any of my friends. But I had no luck. So I began traveling inland until I came across some Knights of Seiros. With no money and no food, I was lucky that they allowed me to travel with them to Garreg Mach. That saved my life and because of this I decided to help the Knights until I repaid my debt."

For a moment Lucas stared at him with his mouth wide open. "That sounds awesome." he then declared, before turning towards Johan. "Hey Johan, what about you? Did you have any adventures in the last year?"

While the young heir started questioning the knight, Mercedes stepped near Crow. "Thank you." she said. "For offering such an intriguing story. He really loves this kind of fables."

"And it sounds better than the truth." Crow admitted. Seeing Mercedes questioning look he closed in on her and told her quietly. "I was a revolutionary rising against my nation's governing body. Even my goals for doing so aren't as noble as in the story." He chuckled. "It is nothing more than a run-of-the-mill sob story."

For a moment, the young woman looked surprised. "I see." she then replied. For a moment she thought if she should ask more about Crow's past, but she felt that it would be an intrusion of privacy. Especially since she only met him not too long ago. "But I hope you don't mind if I continue to tell the story of the Round of Seven? Knowing Lucas, he will try to retell it to our other siblings. And then he needs me to fill in the gaps."

"I have no problem with that." Crow admitted.

For a moment the two sat down in silence. Then, Mercedes said quietly, "I'm sorry." apologizing for her first feelings of uneasiness towards the man that sat beside her.

xXx

20th day of the Guardian Moon of Imperial Year 1176

xXx

Catherine looked up into the sky, even though it was hidden by trees. It had been a little over a week since she had traveled this path, back on the day she had found Rean and Crow. Funny how much could change in such a short amount of time, the Knight mused. They had learned about a new threat for Fodlan and the Knights of Seiros got a new captain. It felt like a ripple had started to go through the order.

Behind her the two newcomers rode silently. Lady Rhea had finally allowed them to leave the Monastery and visit their Divine Knights. Since the Knights had been unable to move the giant humanoid beings, Valimar and Ordine were still being kept at the site they had found them. Which meant that they had to travel to their landing site. The two men from Erebonia were also informed about a battalion that had been tasked with protecting the parameters. The main objective of this group was to prevent civilians from getting close and catching a glimpse of the giants. According to Catherine the soldiers were led by two members of the scouting party that had found them named Lyra and Zoe.

The Crest bearer suddenly raised her hands and the group of three stopped. For a moment Catherine looked around, before putting the tip of her fingers into her mouth and emitting one long whistle, followed by two short ones. Shortly thereafter a soldier jumped from a nearby tree.

"Lady Catherine." the female knight that had jumped down greeted professionally, before turning towards the men. "Sir Schwarzer and Sir Armbrust. My name is Zoe. I was tasked to be your guide to our destination. Please follow me." After the group returned the pleasantries, the scout began leading the way. Thankfully they were close to their destination and the final part of the trip didn't take longer than a few minutes until they reached the clearing.

The sight of the opening had changed. Since it became clear that the soldiers would stay for a longer period of time, they had raised camp in front of the automatons. Their lodgings consisted of four tents, two on Valimar's right side and two on Ordine's left.

"We are only a small group of eight." Zoe explained. "The presence of these two is enough to scare wild beasts away and the villagers nearby have no problems following our instructions."

"Sounds like you had a relaxing time out here." Rean commented.

"Only if you have no problems sleeping on the ground." came the reply. The group of four stepped in front of the Divine Knights. "Hello Valimar, Ordine." Zoe greeted the two Divine Knights. "Look who's here to see you."

A light appeared in the eyes of the mechanical beings, before they both turned their heads.

"Hello, Rean." Valimar greeted.

"Hello, Crow." said Ordine.

"I leave you four alone. Lady Catherine, please follow me. I will inform you about everything that has happened during our stay here." With these words, the women left the men and their automatons alone.

"Glad to see that you two are alright." the Ashen Awakener replied, while Crow lifted his hand and gave Ordine a salute with two fingers.

"There was no need to be worried about our condition." his Knight answered. "This world is filled with mana, which boosts our regenerative capabilities."

"Wow." The Azure Awakener whistled. "Can you make an assessment of how much stronger this ability has become?"

"The mana concentration in the air is comparable to the one inside of the Gral of Erebos." Ordine replied. "Which means, with enough time we could reconstruct ourselves from total destruction."

"At least one good news." Crow muttered. "And you still have no idea what brought us here?"

"Negative." was his answer. "From the data we possess it is likely that the being that brought us here should have a comparable power level to us." Valimar explained. "But since Ordine and myself were the last functioning Deus Excellion that hadn't been absorbed, there is only a small list of beings who could have pulled this off."

"But only something akin to a Sept-Terrion should have been able to do something like that, right? Since we won the final rivalry, the power of the Sept-Terrion of Steel should have been completed." the new Captain of the Knights of Seiros mused, before shaking his head. "But that doesn't make sense. If another one of Aidios' gifts was involved, then I doubt that Ourobors would have withdrawn so easily. And why would a Sept-Terrion attack us without any provocation from our side?"

"Maybe the being saw the end of the rivalries as some sort of threat to its existence." Crow thought aloud. "And decided to act first before it would become dangerous."

"Sept-Terrions have no such will of their own." Ordine reminded the silver haired man. "They had been gifted to the people of Zemuria and acted according to their wishes. Even the Sept-Terrions of Earth and Fire didn't fight out of their own interest, but because their respective tribes wished for this confrontation."

"And if anybody would get a hold of a Sept-Terrion, I doubt that this person would be capable of keeping it a secret for long. Given the power each one holds." His awakener added, seeing the fault in his logic. "So, what else could it be?"

The group discussed various possibilities, as suddenly Catherine and Zoe returned. The former was pale. "You said that you are the only ones that came here, right?" Her answer was a nod. "Then I would ask you to come with us. There is something that you need to see."

"What is it?" the Divine Blade asked.

"The scouting party found something else in here. In the northern part of these woods they found many trees broken, a destruction that must have been caused not too long ago. When Zoe sent two knights to follow said trail, they found something very interesting at the end of it." she took a deep breath before continuing. "They found another Knight."

"Another Knight?" alarm bells rang in the Awakener's head. "Which color does this one have?"

"It is an ebony colored one." Zoe told them.

The two men looked at each other worried. What was the meaning of this? Ishmelga should have been absorbed by Valimar, the winner of the last rivalry. How could his body lie separated then? And they doubted that Ishmelga would leave his body out in the open, close to the only beings that could be a danger to him.

"Valimar!"/"Ordine!" The two Awakeners called simultaneously while turning around to their partners. Their minds were set and there was no need to explain their next actions to them.

"Understood!"/"Acknowledged!" The two robots answered and stood up as one.

In a bright light the two young men disappeared from the sight of the Knights in front of them.

"Captain? Crow?" Catherine called out, unable to fully understand what had just happened.

"Everything is ok, Catherine." Rean's voice sounded metallic. For a moment the Crest bearer had to look around to determine the point from where his voice came. Finally her gaze rested on the breast of the ashen being in front of her. The Ashen Knight then sank back to his knees and opened his hand on the ground. "Catherine, with the use of Valimar and Ordine we can reach our destination faster than with the horses. Would you and Zoe accompany us?"

For a moment both women looked at the open hand. "How much faster?" Catherine asked.

"Fast enough."

For a moment Catherine looked at the metallic face, hating the fact that she was unable to see Rean's face when he had just spoken. But then, he was her captain and she saw no reason to mistrust his judgment. Without any further words, she and Zoe stepped onto the open palm.

"Hold on tight. I would suggest grabbing and holding onto one of his fingers." Rean suggested while Valimar stood back up, his hand with the two women still open.

It was an indescribable feeling as they left the ground. Noticing the movement of the giant robots that they had guarded. every last member of the scouting party came running. But Catherine signaled them that everything was alright, followed by Rean's own confirmation from inside the metallic being. Then Valimar jumped and started flying upwards. The wind blew around them and both the knight and the scout followed their captain's advice and held onto the metal fingers to prevent being blown away.

After a few seconds the ascension stopped and the beings flew next to each other, looking for the trail of destruction that Zoe had mentioned.

"Over there!" said Zoe and pointed in the direction they would be going in.

xXx

The entire trip only lasted a few minutes. And once Catherine was back on solid ground she couldn't decide if she should be happy or disappointed.

In another flash of light, Rean exited their cockpits and appeared in front of the two women.

"Everything's ok?" Crow asked, looking over to where both of their passengers were. He was remaining inside of Ordine as a safety measure if something would go wrong. Facing a Divine Knight on foot was a risky endeavor after all.

"Don't be mad, but next time I would prefer a pegasus or a wyvern." Zoe answered. "Makes me feel safer having something to sit down upon."

"You could have sat down on my hand as well." Valimar remarked. His words were rewarded with an annoyed look.

During this short exchange, Rean had already turned towards the frame of the Ebon Knight. Like they had been promised, the giant automaton laid on his back, unmoving. For a moment Rean closed his eyes and concentrated, but he couldn't feel anything.

"Valimar?" he turned towards his Knight behind him. "Can you give him a scan?"

"Acknowledged!" Just like Rean, Valimar let his gaze rest on the fallen frame, before turning towards the Azure Knight. "There seems to be no immediate danger. Could you please turn him around so that he lies on his back?"

"Leave it to me." Crow gave a short confirmation before performing the requested task.

What they saw caught all of them off guard.

The entire right side of the Ebon Knight was destroyed. A deep cut went from the breast piece towards the right arm and Rean thought that he could even see the core of the construct.

"It appears as if Ishmelga has abandoned his body." Valimar said. "I can't detect any energy signals and the repair program also hasn't begun."

"Could it be something similar like what happened to you at the Gral?" Rean asked, just to be sure that they didn't overlook anything.

"Negative." Valimar answered. "I detect no damage to the thought processing core itself. This Knight is nothing more than an empty husk, a shell with no soul."

"But how…" Rean wondered, when a certain event came flowing into his mind.

During the fight with whatever it was that attacked them, Ishmelga had latched onto that thing while trying to leave Valimar. And then Crow intervened severing the connection that the Ebon Knight had established, the two parts of the being that hung from Valimar and from their invisible attacker respectively were subjected to the forces around them. And then suddenly they fell off, being sent spiraling away. What if that had been Ishmelga's soul, the Ashen Awakener asked himself. Was something like this possible?

And the more urgent question: If the body was here, where was the soul?

xXx

This chapter was beta'd by Infinite Zangetsu. Thanks for all your work.

And welcome back. This chapter is the longest that has been written so far and a lot has happened. A lot of buildup, hints of changes and so on. I really hope that you, dear reader, want to know more about what has happened to Fodlan.

But before I spoiler anything myself, let's take a look at he comments for the last chapter:

Lovenag: Thanks for pointing out the problem with the lack of synonyms. I will try to use different ones in the future.

For the combat scene I would say that future ones will be written differently. The way I've written the last chapter worked for me because it was a duel and I could focus on each combatant individually, so in a fight with multiple fighters at once, this form won't really work. I will keep your suggestion in mind and try to learn from that fanfiction.

Apex85: I really like some of your suggestions, so I will see if I can work them into the story.

In regards to the fallen Awakeners, we already have a plan to include them into our story, that is all I am going to say because of spoilers. Sorry.

both (since some of your points were quite similar):

As of now there is no plan to bring in other members of Class VII or the Cold Steel saga. One reason is, that it would make the entire cast too big to really focus on each individual. Then there is also the fact, that I fear that bringing in more Cold Steel characters could make it hard to keep the power balance. Rean and Crow alone are top tiers fighters in Fodlan, but at the same time they are only two people, which limits their possible actions. And lastly, there is a third option, but that is also a spoiler.

I really hope that you all enjoyed this chapter and that you are looking forward to the next one.

Stay healthy and have a wonderful day.

ZMusok