Fire Emblem Three Houses Two Heroes
Shez didn't know much about the outside world, aside from the stories her adoptive mother told her. Even as a young child, she yearns to go out and see the world with her own two eyes. What would happen if a certain mercenary company were to visit her village, and how will it affect Fodlan's future? Only the flow of time holds the answers.
Chapter 1- Unexpected Encounter
The chill of autumn swept through a small forest on certain mountain range, the rays of the afternoon sun being obscured by the branches of the tall trees. Winter should be coming soon, meaning it won't be much longer until the snow descends. That means soon she won't be allowed to go on her little escapades in the woods until spring comes. The young purple haired girl couldn't help but let out a groan.
"Honestly," Shez said to no one in particular as she sat alone on a tree branch a few feet from the ground. "I know Mom means well, but she can be a little overprotective sometimes."
The woman who raised her was not her biological mother, as she had lost both her birthparents when she was a baby. Shez didn't have a single memory of them before they died. She didn't even know what her parents had looked like. Regardless, that didn't stop her from genuinely caring for the mother that adopted her and raised her as her own.
It doesn't hurt that the village they lived in wasn't a bad place. It was located somewhere in the Ordelia territory and was pretty isolated due to being on a mountain range, meaning it wasn't common for travelers to stop by. Usually, the people who do show up are mercenaries, and Shez always liked it whenever they appeared because they always told such interesting stories of their lives in the outside world. Of course, the stories that her own mother told of the outside world were interesting too, but there was just something fascinating about hearing tales from people outside her village.
Speaking of which, it's been months since she saw a mercenary company stop by. Again, this wasn't much of a surprise to the purplette. Her home was high up in the mountains after all. Although, she did hear some of the adults in the village muttering about how a group of people have been spotted wandering near the village recently. Given how the group kept to themselves and seemed to be scoping out the place, as if checking for weaknesses, they were likely to be bandits. Not taking any chances, the village's elder put out a request for a mercenary company to investigate, and if necessary, take out the supposed bandits. Now that Shez thought about it, wasn't today supposed to be the day the mercenaries are supposed to arrive?
"Maybe I'll run into them while I'm out here," she said to herself. "I wonder what stories these mercenaries can tell me this time."
Supposedly the mercenary company that accepted the job was relatively new, only about a few years old. Despite that, their track record was incredible, having a near perfect success rate. Their captain was really strong too, described as being a monster on the battlefield. Out of all the mercenaries Shez wanted to meet, this captain was the one she wanted to meet the most. Although everytime she thought about that man, she couldn't help but tremble. That captain must be truly intense if he had earned the nickname, Blade Breaker.
"Hm?"
Shez perked up at the sound of snapping twigs. She was no longer alone out here. The question is, was it a person or a wild animal? Heck, it could be a Demonic Beast for all she knew, yet another reason why her mother didn't want her wandering too far from the village. Having spent a lot of time wandering through the woods, Shez's hearing was a bit better than most. A skill like that was practically necessary for her to avoid any danger while she was off adventuring. She didn't want to cause her mother any more unnecessary worry.
She listened closely to the sounds of movement. The sound was too light to be a wolf or bear, much less a Demonic Beast. It had to be a person. But that then raised the question. Are they friend or foe? Manners were one of the first things her mother taught her, so Shez always tried to be friendly to her peers for the most part, but the recent rumors of bandits lurking around made her wary. Even at the young age of ten, she knew that it would be bad if bandits found her alone in the middle of the woods.
The rustling of bushes and leaves were getting closer and closer. It was too early to say if the person approaching knew that Shez was here. She debated whether it would be a good idea to run. She knew the quickest way back to the village, so she shouldn't have any problem with outrunning this stranger. And yet, she also found herself curious as to who this person is. Something in her heart told her to wait and see.
After a few moments of relative silence, a new figure emerged from the brush. It wasn't a bandit like she expected, but a young girl, one who looked about two years older than Shez. She was dressed in a gray tunic and pants, wearing a back coat over it to keep away the autumn chill. Black traveling shoes were on her feet. Strapped to her waist was a small dagger in a black scabbard, likely to be used in self-defense. Her blue hair fell below her neck, and her impassive blue eyes didn't show any emotion.
Who was this girl? She didn't recognize her from the village. Could she have gotten lost? If so, where was she from? She couldn't have come from another village, the distance was way too far for a kid to traverse all by herself. Either way, Shez couldn't bring herself to ignore this lone girl and leave her to her plight.
"Hi there," she called out in a friendly manner, catching the unnamed girl's attention. "I don't usually see other kids out here. What are you doing here all by yourself?"
"I came to this mountain with my father," the girl answered impassively, not a trace of emotion in her tone. "He and his company were hired by a village here to take out a group of bandits that are lurking nearby. However, I seem to have gotten separated from them."
So this girl was the daughter of one of the mercenaries that the village hired to route out the bandits? Kinda weird that they would take a kid with them for a job. Shez never recalled the previous mercenaries having any kids with them. Did this company not have someone that could watch her or something? Eh, it was none of her business. Besides, the girl's parents must be worried sick about her. She couldn't in good conscience just leave her out in the wilderness.
"I see. I remember some of the adults saying that today was the day a merc company was to arrive at our village. Since you seem to be lost, I can take you to the village if you want."
The girl gave her a formal nod. "That would be helpful. I am not familiar with this region. I am sure Father and the others must be worried about me. You have my thanks."
Again, she was so formal. There wasn't much of any emotion in the girl's tone. It just didn't seem natural. Has she not had any interactions with people her own age before? Just how was her father raising her? She'll have to wait longer to get the answers to those questions. It will be dark soon, and the woods were more dangerous at night.
She gracefully slid of the branch she was on and landed right in front of the girl, whose face remained as passive as ever. "I'm Shez, by the way. What's your name?"
"Byleth," she answered simply.
"Pretty name. Who gave it to you?"
"My mother apparently. She died to illness shortly after I was born. I don't even know her face."
So she had that in common with the purplette. Shez offered her condolences for bringing up such a topic, but Byleth didn't seem to mind. Did anything faze this girl? Deciding not to waste anymore time, the duo hurried back to the village while it was still light out.
The trip back was really quiet, which was a little unnerving to Shez. She never met a kid as quiet as Byleth before. Typically kids their age were loud and get into all kinds of trouble. And yet the blunette was as silent as stone, not asking any questions or possessing any trace of that typical childlike curiosity. Anytime she did speak, which was rare, she always retained such a passive tone. Maybe Shez should give the older girl's father a piece of her mind for raising his kid in this manner. It just wasn't right for a kid to be this reserved.
Anyway, it wasn't long before the village was in sight. Once they were closer, Shez noticed that there was an unfamiliar group of adults gathered just outside. One of group's members seemed rather irritated if his tone was any indication.
"What do you mean you haven't seen her?!" a man with dirty blonde hair snapped at one of his comrades, who seemed to be myrmidon given that he had a sword strapped to his waist. "A little girl with blue hair in a black coat. She shouldn't be that hard to miss if she's a quiet one! I gave you one job to look after her, Nathan, and you screwed it up within mere minutes!"
The person, who Shez assumed to be Nathan, was deathly pale, practically sweating bullets over receiving the man's ire. "S-sorry Captain!" he stammered hastily, struggling to put out any words. "I just took my eyes off the kid for a second and she just disappeared on me. I tried calling for her several times, but she never answered, and I couldn't find her anywhere."
The captain let out a groan as he cradled his forehead, his back leaning against his horse. "Great. Just what I need. Now I have to delay the meeting with our client to go find her. She could be anywhere on this damn mountain by now. After I find her though, you and I will have a long talk." Nathan's complexion seemed to have gotten paler after his leader said the last sentence.
"That won't be necessary," Byleth interrupted as she and Shez approached the group, the latter looking a little more reluctant since she found herself feeling intimidated by the supposed captain.
As soon as the girls reached the group, all the adults fell silent, especially the blonde man in orange. Now that Shez had a closer look, she could see that all the adults had weapons and wore armor pieces. They definitely had to be mercenaries. There was no way that bandits could get their hands on equipment that nice and well-kept.
"Apologies for worrying you, Father," the blunette continued, giving the paladin a bow of the head. "It was my fault that I got lost during our journey up the mountain. Thankfully I met this girl and she was able to guide me to her village."
The mercenary captain's anger subsided rather quickly, relief overtaking his face. He went over to the older girl and petted her head, which she didn't seem to mind. "Thank the goddess you're okay, Byleth. I don't know what I would've done if I lost you. I know this is your first time accompanying us on a job, but you need to be more careful. You're still too young to be out by yourself."
"I am sorry, Father. It will not happen again."
The man then turned his attention to Shez, which caused her to unintentionally flinch. She just met this man, but he gave off such an intimidating aura. The man looked to be in his early fifties, but there wasn't even a trace old age on him. Not the slightest sign of gray hair. A silver spear and shield were strapped to his back, and he definitely seemed the type who knew how to use them. He was a veteran fighter, one that should not be taken lightly under any circumstances. That much was clear.
"Thank you for finding my daughter," he said sincerely, cracking a slight smile, likely to try to make the purplette relax. "The name's Jeralt Eisner. What's your name, kid?"
It took a few moments for her to find her voice. So this was the famous Blade Breaker she heard about. Who would have thought he was the father of such a reserved girl. It was a miracle she could muster up the courage to speak in the presence of such a famous mercenary. "My name's Shez. And don't worry about. Anyone in my village would have done the same."
"Since you two seem to be acquainted, would you mind sticking with Byleth for a bit? Now that she's safe, I need to go meet with your village leader so we can discuss details over the job he hired us for. I'd have one of my men watch over her, but it's rare for her to be around kids her own age. It might be good for her. Does that sound good, kid?"
"That's fine with me," Byleth answered instantly, not even getting Shez a moment to even consider it.
Kinda backed into a corner, Shez could only nod in affirmation. "Uh, sure. I don't mind. I'll, um, see you later then."
Some of the other mercenaries chuckled in amusement, including the captain. The girls watched Jeralt led the company inside the village, heading straight for the elder's house. Once they were out of sight, Shez released the breath she was holding.
"I don't know how you can be so calm around the Blade Breaker," she said to her companion after a moment of silence. "I know he's your dad, but doesn't he intimidate you at all?"
As expected, Byleth simply shook her head. "Not really. It doesn't really bother me."
"Wow, you must be made of sturdy stuff for that to be the case. Anyway, come on. I'll give you a tour of the village."
"Mmm."
Honestly there really wasn't much to show about the village. It was really small, with less than a hundred people living in it. The houses and buildings were decently constructed, but the village wasn't exactly well off financially. Traveling merchants only stopped by once or twice a month, so the town had to rely on itself in order to stay functioning. As the duo wandered around, they could see all the villagers preparing for the winter, harvesting the crops, taking care of the livestock, you name it. They needed to save everything they could otherwise they won't survive.
Their last stop was the river that flowed through the north side of the village. The water came from a huge reservoir located somewhere inside the mountain and flowed all the way down to the rest of Ordelia. It was their main source of water, and during the warm summers, the kids would swim in it whenever they weren't doing their chores. It always served as a good way to cool off during the hot days as the water always stayed at a relatively cold temperature.
Now the sights of her hometown weren't exactly groundbreaking, but Shez hoped that Byleth would make some sort of comment about it, but she didn't. Instead the blunette just nodded and just absorbed any information her guide gave her like a sponge sucking up water. Eventually Shez had enough and had to voice her thoughts.
"Okay, spill. What's up with you?" she asked skeptically. "A lot of the kids I know aren't anywhere near as quiet as you. It's really awkward talking to you since you don't show any emotions. Did your dad raise you this way or something?"
"No, I've always been this way," Byleth answered calmly, not even looking the slightest bit mad. "I've…never been good at expressing my emotions. Even some the people in my father's mercenary company are unnerved about me."
That certainly couldn't have helped for her development. Onto Shez's next question. "Do you have any friends? People to have fun with?"
"No. As mercenaries, we're always on the move, so it's always hard to make connections with anyone. Besides, anytime I do meet another kid, they get scared over my passive nature and run off. Now that I think about it, this is probably the longest conversation I've had with someone my age."
Shez didn't have any words to say. She herself couldn't help but be a little intimidated by Byleth's emotionless nature. It just wasn't natural. She couldn't fault any kid for being scared of it and wanting to give the blunette the cold shoulder. Still, that didn't mean it was right to do so. That meant there was only one thing for her to do.
"In that case, I'll be your friend," Shez offered, catching the older girl off-guard. "No one deserves to be alone. If you want, I can be your first friend."
"Really? You're not scared of me?"
"Honestly, I am a little, but I'm willing to work past it. So what do you say? Friends?" She offered her hand to the older girl, who simply stared at it in silence.
After what felt like an eternity, Byleth finally took the offered hand into her own. "Friends," she said simply, getting a giggle out of the younger girl. They then lowered their hands after a moment of silence. "So what do we do now? What do friends do to pass the time?"
Shez couldn't help but giggle in amusement. This girl may come off as mature for her age, but boy was she clueless in terms of social skills. Looks like she's got her work cut out for her. "Quite a few things, actually. We can talk about any hobbies we have, any past memories, dreams of the future, or just simply play."
"I see. That sounds…interesting. Would it be alright if we just talked? This is a new experience for me."
"Of course. What do you want to talk about?"
"Nothing in particular. Any topic will do."
The two girls sat by the riverside, simply chatting the time away. Well, it was more Shez that was talking, rather than Byleth, with the former telling stories that she heard from previous mercenaries to things that happened at her village. The blunette largely just listened, giving the occasional comment here and there, which was some improvement from before.
When it came to the topic of futures, it wasn't much of a surprise that Byleth wanted to become a mercenary. In fact, her father was already giving her some lessons on swordplay, which made her new friend feel a little jealous. She wanted to learn swordplay herself, largely because she wished to see the outside world, but none of the villagers knew how to swing a blade and any swordsmen that did come to the village said that she was too young whenever she asked. Maybe this was the opportunity she was waiting for.
"Think your dad can teach me how to use a sword?" Shez asked hopefully.
"I don't see why not, but I don't know how long we'll be here for you to learn anything substantial."
Ah, that's true. Mercenaries are always on the move. They never really stay in the same place for a prolonged period of time. Once Jeralt's company routes out the bandits stalking outside Shez's village, they'll most likely move onto their next job, one that's probably far from the village. It was kinda sad, especially since it made it harder for Byleth to develop any social skills or form any attachments to people outside her father's mercenary company. That meant that she didn't have a lot of time to spend with her new friend. The thought brought a pain to the purplette's heart.
"Are you alright, Shez?" Byleth asked suddenly. "You've become really quiet all of a sudden. Did I do something wrong?"
She simply shook her head, trying to hide her sadness behind a false smile. "No, it's fine. Hey, I still haven't shown you my home. Mom should be back by now. I'll introduce you to her. She's really nice. I'm sure she'll love you."
As usual, Byleth had no issue with the idea, so she allowed her new friend to lead her away. It took a few minutes of walking for the duo to reach the house, which was located on the other side of the village. As expected, Shez could see smoke coming out of the chimney, meaning that there was someone inside.
Once they reached the door, Shez opened it and announced, "Mom. I'm home!"
Her mother was in the kitchen stewing around a pot on the stove. Her long black hair was tied up in a bun so as to not get in her way while cooking and she was wearing a casual gray dress. She was really pretty, having practically all the single men in the village swooning over her, but she always content living alone with her adoptive daughter.
Serena stopped with what she was doing and turned towards the girls as they entered the house, offering them a warm smile. "Welcome back, Shez," she said kindly. "I see you have a new friend with you. Care to introduce us?"
"This is Byleth, the daughter of Captain Jeralt of the Jeralt Mercenaries," Shez replied casually. "They're the mercenaries the village hired to deal with the supposed bandit activity that's been happening recently. Byleth, this is my mom, Serena."
The blunette gave a formal bow to the older woman. "It is nice to meet you, Miss Serena. Your daughter has been really kind to me. She helped me find the village after I got separated from my father's company."
"Really now? How fortunate for you that you made it here in one piece. Shez tends to have a terrible sense of direction. It's a miracle the two of you aren't halfway to Goneril territory."
"Mom!" Shez cried out in embarrassment, much to Serena's amusement. "Did you have to tell her that? Besides, I've gotten better at navigating the woods outside the village. I haven't gotten lost since."
"Which took you three years to do," her mother calmly stated, a mischievous smile gracing her lovely face. "You've caused me no end of worry when you started venturing outside the village for your little adventures. I almost always had to come find you because you kept losing your way back."
Shez couldn't form an argument, mostly because her mother was right. Still it was a little embarrassing for her new friend to hear about her adventuring mishaps. She didn't know whether she should be grateful that Byleth doesn't express emotions or disappointed that even those stories didn't drum up a reaction from her.
"Anyway." Serena glanced over at the blunette. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Byleth. I hope my daughter hasn't talked your ear off."
"No, I still have both my ears," the girl said obliviously. "Shez has treated me rather well. In fact, she's my first friend."
"Goodness. You didn't have any friends before meeting Shez? That's no good, but your father is a mercenary so that's a little understandable. Anyway, would you like to join us for dinner? I should have more than enough stew for a third bowl."
"I appreciate the offer, but I think I should return to my father. He should be done meeting with the village elder now and is probably wondering where I am."
It saddened Shez that Byleth had to go, but she did make a good point. There was also the matter of living arrangements since the village didn't have an inn because visitors were such a rarity. She was about to offer to guide her friend to the elder's house when suddenly a knock came from the front door.
Curious as to who it was, Serena went and opened it, revealing none other than Jeralt on the other side. It was just for a brief moment, but Shez noticed that her mother looked a little uneasy seeing the paladin, but she quickly hid it behind her usual kind smile. It would seem that even Serena wasn't immune to the captain's aura, and she was supposedly a skilled mage.
"Hello, is this where Shez lives?" he asked politely.
"Yes. I am her mother, Serena. May I assume that you are Jeralt, Byleth's father?"
"That's me. The elder told me this is where she lived. I just wanted to stop by and see how my daughter is doing. Looks like we'll be neighbors for the time being since he's letting my company stay at the empty house right next door. That won't be a problem, will it?"
"I see," Serena said with a nod of acknowledgement. "I have no issue with it. In fact, that makes things more convenient for our daughters. I was just getting started on dinner. Would you and your daughter like to join us?"
Jeralt simply smirked. "It would be rude to turn down a free meal, plus it spares me from eating any of Xander's crap cooking. Just one question. Do you have any alcohol?"
"Sadly no. I don't keep any whiskey and such in the house because I don't want Shez to get into it."
"Understandable. Luckily I always come prepared." Jeralt then pulled out a flash from his back pocket, which likely contained the alcohol in question. "Thanks in advance for your hospitality."
The mercenary captain helped himself inside and crashed on the sofa. Meanwhile Serena went back to cooking, with Shez helping out. As for Byleth, she just sat by the table, keeping to her usual quiet self. Hopefully the purplette will be able to bring the older girl out of her shell.
It didn't take long for the stew to be ready, prompting Shez to set the table. After giving thanks for the food, the four of them dug in. It was a rather lively dinner, largely because of the stories Jeralt told of his previous mercenary jobs. One of his more interesting stories was the time where he and his company purged a nest of wolf Demonic Beasts up in Edmund territory.
"Rather impressive that you managed to take out a pack of Demonic Beasts," Serena mused. "Usually you need more numbers to kill them, even the wolf variety. To hear that a new mercenary company with relatively low numbers could handle even the wolves is rather impressive."
Jeralt simply shrugged at that. "Eh, Demonic Beasts aren't too bad to handle if you know what you're doing. Plus it wasn't exactly my first time dealing with those beasts."
"Oh, do tell," the older woman said with interest.
Probably realizing that he said too much, the paladin simply shook his head. "Another time maybe. So you say that you're not Shez's birthmother. How did you come to care for her?"
It was an obvious ploy to change the topic, but it was a story that Shez would like to hear as well. Whenever she asked about it herself, Serena would just dismiss the question or say that she'll tell her when she's older. She couldn't understand why her adoptive mother was so secretive about it. Even now, when asked by a total stranger, Serena looked uncomfortable about the topic.
After a few moments of silence, she finally spoke up. "I was friends with her parents when I was younger, her mother especially," she answered slowly. "She was really excited when she learned that she was pregnant with Shez. I never saw her look so happy before." She paused for a second, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Shortly after Shez was born, we were…attacked by bandits. Her parents entrusted me with their child and sacrificed themselves so we could escape. I still remember the screams. Eventually I settled here in this village in Ordelia territory, where I try to be a good mother. I'm sorry. I don't want to say anymore."
"Mom," Shez said sorrowfully. She hated seeing her adoptive mother in this state, so she always tried to cheer her up whenever she saw her like this. Wordlessly, she reached out and took her mother's hand into her own, giving it a comforting squeeze. That seemed to calm the older woman down a little.
Even Jeralt showed remorse over the warlock's story. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was such a sore subject to you," he said sincerely. "I'm no stranger to loss myself. After all, we lost Byleth's mother to illness shortly after she was born."
Serena forced out a chuckle. "How ironic that we share such a thing in common. Still, I can't deny that there's something unusual about you, Jeralt Eisner. I haven't met a man like you in a long time."
"I'll take that as a compliment." The paladin paused for a moment, seemingly debating something in his head. "Hey, I know this is weird to say out of the blue, but can you and Shez look after Byleth while we're here. We'll be staying in town for a few days to investigate those bandits before we deal with them and she's far too young to tag along. I'll be able to focus a lot easier if I don't have to worry about my daughter getting caught in the crossfire."
"Sure. I have no issue with that. She can even stay here if that'll make it any easier. What do you think, Shez?"
"I'm cool with it," she said simply. "As long as the captain agrees to teach me how to swing a sword during his stay."
Jeralt laughed at that. "Haha. I like your spirit, kid. Do you plan to be a mercenary when you grow up?"
"Honestly, I have considered it since I want to see the world outside the village," Shez answered honestly. "Being a mercenary might be a good way to do it, since there's always a need for them. I know your mercenary company aren't gonna be here for long, but can you teach me?"
The paladin turned to the warlock, who gave him a slight nod. "As long as your mother's okay with it. I can teach you and Byleth at the same time in the mornings before I have to get to work. Heck, it might do her some good sparring with someone that's around her level."
Shez's eyes lit up with excitement. Finally, she going to learn how to wield a sword. That will make her one step closer to her dream of exploring the world. "Thank you, sir. I won't let you down! Isn't this great, Byleth?"
"I have no issue with it if that's what you mean," the blunette said slowly, taken aback by her friend's enthusiasm.
It didn't take long for dinner to come to a close. Jeralt then left to inform the rest of his company on the situation while Shez and Byleth helped Serena with the dishes. Once they were done, the two girls took a bath before getting ready for bed, where they'll be sharing Shez's room.
"Man, I'm excited for tomorrow," the purplette said eagerly as they climbed into bed, which was big enough for the two of them. "Is there anything I should know before morning?"
"Hm. I don't think so. My father is a good teacher, so you're good in that regard. Honestly, I'm just surprised he agreed to teach you."
"Maybe it's his way of paying me back for escorting you out of the woods?" she suggested. "Either way, I'm seriously excited. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight."
"You better get some sleep while you can," Byleth answered matter-of-factly. "You'll need all your strength to endure my father's training. Speaking of which, we should really get some sleep. Good night, Shez."
"Good night, Byleth." Shez blew out the lamp that lit up the bedroom before she and her friend laid down and fell asleep.
After a few minutes had passed, Serena carefully opened the bedroom door to not disturb them before stealthily making her way to the bed. Once she was close enough, she lowered her gaze on the sleeping blue-haired girl. Something about the girl's father reminded her of them, one of the groups she'd rather not interact with for fear of her daughter's life. There was no guarantee that her suspicions can be confirmed with a sample from the girl, but there was no way she'll be able to acquire one from her father. That man may not look it, but he definitely older than he seemed. He would know what she was up to before she even stepped inside his room.
Silently, Serena snipped off a few strands of Byleth's hair before retreating back into her bedroom. She then locked the door to ensure that no one will interrupt her. Satisfied, she opened her wardrobe chest and fished out a certain device before setting it on her bed. While most people wouldn't be able to tell what the device is, a few well-known scholars might be able to identify it as a Crest analyzer.
Oh, how little did the populace know of the true history of Crests, all because certain people in power decided to bury it for the sake of maintaining peace a long time ago. Still, there was no denying that Crests served as the foundation for how the continent of Fodlan operates. Chances are, this little test was most likely to end in failure. After all, just because a parent bears a Crest, that doesn't guarantee that the child will inherit it. Heck, Serena heard tales of nobles in Faerghus disowning any children who lack a Crest, the most infamous being House Gautier.
This was pointless to do, but still, Serena couldn't bring herself to stop. It couldn't hurt to check, could it? In order to check if someone bears a Crest, you need some kind of sample from the person, usually blood or hair. Blood samples offered the best results, but she didn't want to risk getting caught acquiring that. Luckily hair was a decent substitute.
Bracing herself for the worst, Serena dropped the blue strands into the center of the device. After a few seconds of waiting, the analyzer lit up with purple light. The subject did indeed harbor a Crest, but which one? She got her answer a few second later when the device portrayed a holographic image of the Crest, and immediately her blood ran cold when she saw it.
"There's no way," she said in disbelief. "This pattern. It can't be. That fool's bloodline should have been eradicated during the War of Heroes. It can't be right."
As much as she wanted to believe that the device was just malfunctioning, she knew in her heart that it was working perfectly. There can be no doubt. Byleth Eisner was in possession of the Crest of the progenitor god of Fodlan. The goddess who descended upon the land eons ago where she lived among the people. The goddess who was eventually killed by king of bandits while she slumbered and was turned into a weapon of destruction by a certain group of vengeful people who lurk in the dark, plunging all of Fodlan into a devastating war.
The Crest of Flames.
To be continued
Well this is a project I didn't think I'd ever do. Welcome to a new side project of mine, Fire Emblem Two Heroes. Basically it's a what if story of Shez being a member of Jeralt's Mercenaries. After all, it's canon that Shez is killed by Byleth in the Three Houses timeline prior to the start of the game. It's only in the Three Hopes timeline where Arval intervenes that Shez actually survives their encounter with the Ashen Demon. So then what would happen if Shez and Byleth meet prior to even that encounter? Well, that's what this story hopes to answer. Now before you ask, no I do not intend to make this story a golden route where everyone survives. This will be following the main story of Three Houses pretty faithfully, but I'll be keeping which house Byleth (and subsequently Shez) will choose a secret until the fated time. I will be including the Ashen Wolves though since I like them. As for what spurred this little project of mine, it was mainly due to Shez getting added to Fire Emblem Heroes. Yeah, simple things like that are enough to spur me on. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this. Hopefully my next update will actually be Xenoblade related. See you guys next time!