Chapter 5- Byleth's Vow
The whole town was silent when morning came. The destruction caused by the dark mages and their Demonic Beasts have left it in ruin. There were barely any buildings left standing as most of them had either been trampled or burnt to ash. The air still reeked of death and smoke. It would take a miracle for the villagers to bounce back from this. Thankfully the casualties weren't too terrible with only about twenty-five villagers dead, and about fifty or so wounded.
It could have been a lot worse, that was the thought that ran through Jeralt's mind as he and some of the able-bodied men piled up the corpses of all the bandits and dark mages on the village outskirts to burn them. Weirdly enough, there weren't any remnants of the Demonic Beasts. Granted, most of them were annihilated completely from Serena's magic, but after Jeralt returned to the village with Byleth and Shez in tow, he couldn't find any of the monsters that he killed, finding only human corpses instead. Could they have been…no, it couldn't be. That just didn't make any sense.
Speaking of Shez, she hasn't been the same since Serena died. She hasn't said one word, the light in her eyes nonexistent. It broke the Blade Breaker's heart to see the kid in such a state, and he didn't know the best way to comfort her. Having a kid that tends to be very stoic did little to teach him how to handle children. However, his own kid was acting differently too. Byleth hasn't once left Shez's side since they returned from the forest. It was strange to see, since the silent girl would usually keep to herself and do what he told her to without a second thought.
"I guess Shez has had a bigger influence on her than I thought," Jeralt pondered to himself. "Maybe there is an upside to this disaster after all."
"Captain Jeralt!" The Blade Breaker turned and saw that the person who called out to him was none other than the village elder. The man was in his late fifties, with his age clearly showing, but thankfully he was one of the lucky few that managed to escape the carnage relatively unharmed. "Thank you for your assistance with the clean-up. I know this isn't what you initially signed up for when you took this job, but I am grateful all the same."
He simply shrugged at that. "Don't worry about it," he passed off. "Think of it as just me paying you pay back for letting myself get outsmarted by those bandits. I should have known that the camp we attacked was just a decoy."
"There's no way you could have known that. They were able to fool even Serena, one of the brightest individuals I've ever met. You are not at fault for what happened."
"Did you know Serena very well?" Jeralt asked suddenly, finding himself feeling curious.
The elder shook his head. "Only a little. I still remember the day she showed up at our humble village ten years ago. She was absolutely covered with wounds from head to toe, and completely exhausted. She looked practically half-dead, collapsing right in the village square. However, the thing that I'll never forget about that day was how she clung to the child in her arms. Despite the terrible state she was in, she had made sure that no harm fell to that child. Honestly, it was a miracle that she survived her injuries that day. It was as though the Goddess herself intervened."
Hearing the mention of the Goddess made Jeralt feel uneasy, but he was able to keep it concealed behind a passive expression. There was no need for this stranger to hear about his distrust in the Church. Still, he wasn't surprised to hear about how tenacious the gremory was. He had seen her take on multiple Demonic Beasts by herself, of course. That's what made it all the more shocking to know that she was dead. According to Byleth, the enemy leader took a cheap shot at Shez, prompting Serena to shield her daughter with her own body. It was the best she could do in her exhausted state. Just thinking about it made Jeralt's blood boil. He was no stranger to using underhanded tactics in a fight, heck he encourages his own kid to do so, but he drew the line when it comes to threatening children. He was glad to hear that Serena had completely annihilated that scumbag, he just wished that she had managed to survive for the sake of her daughter.
"Serena never told anyone about where she and her daughter came from," the elder continued on. "The most she said was that they had lost their old home to bandits and were the only survivors, and that Shez's parents sacrificed themselves so that the two of them could escape. Feeling sorry for them, I gave her a house for her and her daughter to stay at. Once she recovered enough to move about, she began helping out around the village so she could support herself and her child. She even used her magic to help treat anyone in need. We were quite grateful to her. There isn't a single person who isn't negatively affected by her passing. Although, I'm sure her daughter is grieving her the most."
Jeralt agreed. Shez has been hiding out in her bedroom ever since the disaster ended. The only person she's let in was Byleth, but even then, she wasn't talking to anyone. She wouldn't eat anything either, if the untouched rations by her door were any indication.
"Speaking of Serena, what's the funeral arrangement gonna be?" the Blade Breaker questioned. "I think I overheard some of the villagers saying they want to give her a proper send-off, separate from the other deceased."
"That's correct," the elder said with a nod. "It's thanks to her that our casualties are what they are. She saved a lot of lives by teleporting you and your company back to the village and taking on the Demonic Beasts herself. Why, it's thanks to her that my wife and I are still alive."
"I see. And what about Shez? She's far too young to be by herself. Is one of the families gonna take her in or something?"
"That we haven't decided yet. To be honest, none of us are in any position to support ourselves, much less another mouth to feed. Besides, I recall hearing that some of your mercenaries mentioning something about Serena wanting you to look after Shez. I don't know what you did to earn her trust so quickly, but if she specifically asked for you to take care of her daughter, then I can find no reason to deny that wish. Although, the choice is still up to you."
Damn that Nathan and his loose lips. He'll have to give the myrmidon an earful later. But Jeralt can't deny that he can't bring himself turn his back on Shez. Her mother asked for him, a complete stranger that she's only known for barely three days, to look after her daughter if she died. He didn't know why Serena seemed to trust him so much to make that request, and now he'll never know. Then there was the fact that those strange mages were really determined to get their hands on Shez. Just what was so special about her that made her so desirable to them? For some reason, it reminded him of that unnerving look in Rhea's eyes when she held Byleth shortly after she was born. That feeling of unease made Jeralt unable to leave the purplette by herself for fear that the mages may come back for another chance to abduct her.
Although, even if he did try to leave Shez in the village, he had a sneaky feeling that Byleth won't allow it. His stoic daughter has become quite protective of her first friend after Serena's death. He could tell that she would never agree to leaving Shez behind.
Internally, he let out a reluctant sigh. It seems like there really was only one choice he could make. At the very least, it would allow Byleth to grow more as a person than remain as her usual passive self. Heck, just these past few days have brought out sides of her the Blade Breaker never expected to see. Coming to this village and meeting Shez has proved to be a good experience for the kid. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to take in another one.
"I'll take care of Shez," Jeralt said firmly, catching the elder off-guard.
"What? Are you sure? You already have a kid of your own to look after, and that can't be easy given your occupation. Are you sure you want to add to your burden by raising another kid, especially one that just lost her own mother?"
The Blade Breaker just shrugged. In a way, this was kinda stupid. He already had his hands full raising Byleth, and he's still not sure if he's doing a good job in that department. Not to mention that as the elder mentioned, the girl he would be adopting is still grieving over her dead mother. Now, Jeralt was no stranger to grief, he had lost many comrades during his time in the Knights of Seiros, but it would difficult for him to convey his sympathies to a small child. However, he couldn't let that stop him.
"Yeah," he said with a nod. "I promised Serena that I'd look after her daughter in case she died. I may cheat in a fight, but I'm a man of my word. Besides, there's no way my kid will let me leave Shez her all alone."
The elder let out a chuckle. "True. I've never had any interactions with your daughter, but she seems determined to look after Shez. Forgive me for saying this, but I feel that she will make a fine warrior someday."
"Oh, I don't doubt it. Byleth soaks up my instructions like a sponge with water. Shez isn't too bad too, but she's still got a lot to learn. They both do, actually."
"Well, at least they'll have a more than capable father looking after them. Very well, as the village elder, I entrust Shez's wellbeing to you. Please take good care of her, not just for Serena's sake, but for the sake of the entire village."
"Of course. You can count on me."
The elder gave him one last smile before leaving to continue making preparations for the gremory's funeral, as well as to inform the other villagers on the purplette's new living situation. Speaking of which, perhaps he should go tell the girls about it too, since it did concern them. Good grief, why did he feel like this decision was going to make his life more chaotic?
Byleth remained silent as Shez continued sobbing into her chest. It was a miracle that the younger girl still had any tears left after crying so much in the forest. When they had returned home, the purplette seemed to have calmed down, but her eyes didn't contain the same light it used to carry. Seeing the state of her friend brought a strange feeling in her still heart. Was this…anger? It wasn't directed at Shez, of course, but rather the people that caused her tears to flow. She didn't know why those strange mages were after her friend, but she didn't care. They caused Shez pain by killing her mother and attacking her village. For that, she will never forgive them.
She's never felt this feeling before. Granted, she hasn't experienced much of any emotions prior to meeting Shez, but this is the first time she genuinely wanted to kill someone, not out of obligation because of a job, but on an emotional level. She wanted to make those mages pay for the pain they gave Shez. There was still more of them out there, the exchange between Serena and that man, Myson if she remembered right, gave any indication. However, there was still so many unknown factors. Who were those people? Where did they come from? Why did they seem so desperate to get their hands on her dear friend? Her gaze turned to where the answers to those questions resided, a small book of black leather lying beside the duo on the bed.
From what Shez managed to say before breaking into tears, this was Serena's diary. The pages inside detailed the life she had before they came to this village. The purplette had always been curious of what was written in it, but her mother never allowed her to read it, claiming that it was just filled with silly ramblings of her younger years. But now they knew the truth. This small book contained the secrets of Shez's past, the reason why those mages were after her.
However, despite their best efforts, the girls couldn't get the diary to open. Just as the gremory said, there was powerful seal placed on it, preventing it from being opened before its designated time. Serena must have prepared this in case she died before she deemed her daughter ready to learn the truth. It was probably a good thing that she age-locked it. Byleth may still be new to emotions, especially grief, but given Shez's emotional state right now, if she learned the truth about her past, it might cause the purplette to do something reckless.
Then there was the promise that Byleth made to the gremory. To protect Shez in Serena's stead, and she had every intention of carrying out that promise. It was because of that vow that she hasn't left the purplette's side since last night. The enemy may be gone for now, but there was no telling when they would find Shez again.
"I need to get stronger," she said to herself as she tried her best to comfort the younger girl. "I need to if I want to keep Shez safe. Maybe I should try to convince Father into letting her come with us. I can't protect her if she stays here while I leave with Father's company now that his contract is complete."
"Byleth," Shez suddenly spoke in a soft tone, her face still buried in her friend's shirt.
"What is it?" Byleth's tone was as impassive as ever, but she tried her best to make it sound as soothing as possible. Thankfully, the purplette didn't seem to mind.
"Why were those mages after me? Why did they kill my mom?"
"I don't know," she said honestly, internally wishing that she had the answers to her friend's questions, but unfortunately, those answers will remain unobtainable for a long time. "But we'll find out eventually, once the seal on Serena's diary breaks. Until then, I'll protect you."
That last sentence made Shez jump a little in the blunette's arms. "Y-you're not gonna leave me too, are you? I don't want to lose anyone else." The younger girl then pulled away from her friend, revealing her eyes red from crying so much. Seeing the once cheerful girl in such a fragile state brought an ache to her still heart.
It took a while for Byleth to come up with a reply. Considering that she was planning on becoming a mercenary once she was old enough, it was only reasonable that she might end up dying on the battlefield. That's just how it is with this lifestyle. For as long as Byleth could remember, she easily accepted this truth like it was nothing. However, now the thought of her dying brought a sense of dread into her heart. It wasn't from the fear of death itself, but rather the thought of leaving Shez, her first real friend, all alone. She's never felt this way before, but it wasn't a bad feeling. It made her feel more alive.
"That won't happen," Byleth promised, sounding as serious as ever. "If you're worried about me dying, then I'll just get so strong that nothing will kill me. I won't leave you alone."
Somehow, that vow caused Shez's face to brighten a little. It was a much better look for the purplette. "Thanks, but I think you're overreaching a little. It's not like you're a god or something. There's a limit to how strong a human can get. Besides, if you get that strong, then I'll never be able to beat you."
"Then just get stronger alongside me. We could be like, what was the term you used, destined rivals? We'll make each other stronger, so much so that not even those mages will be able to stop us."
Now that actually caused Shez to laugh. It actually brought Byleth some much-needed relief, given the gloomy attitude of her friend just a few moments ago. She didn't know how long it takes for a person to shake off their grief, but just hearing Shez laugh again made her believe that her friend will be able to return to her old self.
"I…like the sound of that," the purplette said slowly. However, whatever light she had in her eyes quickly dimmed as she looked away in sorrow. "But you and Jeralt will be leaving soon, now that the bandits are gone. Meanwhile, I don't even know what's going to happen to me now that my mom's dead. I'm way too young to take care of myself, and I'm not sure if any of the villagers will want to take me in if they find out this attack only happened because of me."
So even Shez was aware of the uncertainty of her living situation. She was right though. A ten-year-old was far too young for her to be able to look after herself. Her best chance of survival was for someone else to adopt her. But who would be willing to do it? Given the ruined state of the village, it was difficult for Byleth to imagine that anyone would be willing to take the girl in as it would mean another mouth to feed while possessing dwindling resources. As sad as it was to admit, the village was more likely to kick Shez out than let her stay.
That does it. She has to convince her father to take Shez in. The next time she sees him, she'll do everything in her power to persuade him, no matter how many times he says no. Wait, if Jeralt adopted Shez, would that make her Byleth's little sister? What was the difference between a friend and a sibling? She can figure it out later though as she needed to go find her father.
Right as she was about to inform her friend on her idea, a sudden knock came from the bedroom door. Instinctively, Byleth moved in front of Shez while drawing her dagger from its sheath. The door then swung open, but rather than trying to attack the intruder, the blunette instead lowered her weapon once she saw who it was, and immediately relaxed. Talk about good timing.
"Hey kid. Hey Shez," Jeralt greeted with a smile, though it looked a little forced. "How are you both feeling?"
"I am fine," Byleth answered immediately, while the purplette merely stammered a similar response as she stopped hiding behind the older girl. "How is the progress with the village?"
"Well we've pretty much gotten rid of all the bandits' corpses and gave most of the dead villagers a proper burial. As for the rest of the village, it's not looking good. A lot of people lost their homes during the battle, and they don't have the time or resources to replace them before winter comes."
Shez looked away out of guilt, her eyes beginning to water once more. "I'm sorry," she said in sorrow. "It's all my fault this happened. If I wasn't here, those bandits and mages wouldn't have attacked this place. The village is struggling to survive because of me."
Without even thinking about it, Byleth turned and pulled the purplette into a hug and stroked her back, trying her best to comfort the younger girl, who hugged her back in turn. She didn't want to see her cry again. If she had eyes on the back of her head, she would have seen the surprised look on Jeralt's face over watching his stoic daughter's actions. Unbeknownst to the blunette, her sudden action cemented the Blade Breaker's decision, but it took him a few moments to bring himself to speak again.
"Um, listen," he said, sounding somewhat nervous despite being such a renowned mercenary, with him scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. It caused the girls to turn their attention to him in confusion. "The elder and I have been discussing your living situation, Shez." That one sentence caused the purplette to perk up. "Given what Serena made me promise to do if something…happened to her, I decided that I'll take you in."
"Wait, what?!" Shez said in disbelief.
Byleth was surprised as well. She didn't know that the gremory had made her father make a similar promise. It certainly raised the question as to why Serena would entrust her adoptive daughter to two people she only knew for a few days. Just more questions added to the pile. At least that made it easier on Byleth's part, since now she doesn't need to convince her father to adopt Shez.
"Does that mean Shez is now my sister?" she asked curiously.
Jeralt gave a short nod. "If she wants to, but the decision is ultimately up to her. It's her life, so she should choose what she wants to do with it."
That was a good point. As much as Byleth wanted Shez to stay with her and Jeralt's Mercenaries, if Shez herself didn't want to come, then there wasn't much she could do. The blunette was pretty sure she wouldn't like it if she just dragged her out of the village without her consent. Still, leaving Shez behind will make it that much harder for Byleth to keep her promise to the gremory.
All eyes were on the purplette as they waited for her decision. After what felt like an eternity, she finally gave her answer.
"I want to stay with you guys."
The entire village gathered for Serena's funeral. It was the first time Byleth saw all the villagers gathered up in one place. The gremory's body was wrapped up in clean linens, much must have been difficult to find given the town's current state. She and her family (which included Shez), stood at the front of the crowd, as the elder led the funeral procession personally.
In all honesty, Byleth was tuning out most of what the older man was saying. It was rude to do so, especially considering this was something dear to her new sister, whom she held hands with at the moment. However, she was more focused on trying to figure out how best to get stronger so she could protect her sister. The obvious one was to get better in swordplay. While she was strong for a girl her age, she still has much to learn before she can really call herself a swordswoman. Should she learn how to wield other types of weapons too while she was it? The possibility was there, but she always felt more comfortable using a sword instead of an axe or lance. At the very least, it wouldn't hurt for her to learn the basics so that she can use them as impromptu weapons when the situation called for it.
Learning how to use magic wouldn't be a bad idea either. Luckily all of Serena's tomes were still intact, so they could easily take them along. It probably won't be as effective as learning from an actual teacher, but from what Byleth gleamed from those books, they offered rather detailed descriptions on how to cast spells. Even an idiot would be able to grasp the concepts contained within those pages.
Zzz…So sleepy…
Suddenly the scenery around Byleth changed as she found herself back in that dark room with the stone throne from her dreams. It wasn't vacant this time, as there was a young girl with long green hair sitting in it, quietly resting by using her hand as a makeshift pillow. Actually, was she snoring a little? Well, at least it's not as loud as her father's, or as annoying.
Still, why was she back in this place, wherever it was? Did she fall asleep and not notice? Well, it's not like she got much sleep last night, actually she didn't sleep at all, due to the events last night. Could she just be imagining things?
Ka-thump.
Byleth let out a strained grunt as she felt a sudden pain spring from her chest. It felt like it was coming from her heart, which remained as still as ever. This was the same pain she felt last night, when Myson and his mages had her and Shez trapped in the woods. She didn't have time to process what had happened then, but it felt like something was stirring within her, just like now. What was going on with her?
"Mmm." The sound came from the girl on the throne, who was suddenly starting to stir. For the first time ever, her eyes opened, revealing them to be an emerald green, matching her hair. The girl groggily rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before soon noticing that she wasn't alone. "Oh, my. What could have brought you here?"
The voice coming from the young girl sounded childlike, befitting her appearance, but there was some trace of elegance within it, as if there was more to her than she appeared. Still, Byleth couldn't help but be surprised as to what was happening. This was the first time she actually heard this girl speak. It took her a moment to regain her speech.
"I don't know," she answered honestly, feeling like it would be best to as open with the girl as possible, despite not knowing anything about her. "The last I remember, I was attending a funeral for my friend—I mean sister's mother. The next thing I knew, I was here."
The mysterious girl raised an eyebrow in confusion. "A funeral? For your sister's mother? Was she your stepmother or something?"
"No, she and my father weren't married. My friend only became my sister after her mother died protecting us last night."
"Last night?" the girl perked up. "Could that have been when I felt something calling out to me?" That last sentence seemed more of a personal comment than an actual question given that she was muttering it. Regardless, the girl simply shook her head and before facing the blunette once more. "Anyway, come closer. I wish to have a better look at you."
Confused, Byleth did was she was told, moving closer to the strange girl so that they could see each other more clearly. Now that she was closer, she noticed that the girl had a strange pattern on her dress. It was the same pattern on the cape from the man in her dreams. How odd.
"That's better," the girl continued, oblivious to the blunette's thoughts. "I've never seen the likes of you before. You must have a name. What is it?"
"Byleth Eisner. My father is Captain Jeralt of Jeralt's Mercenaries. I'm hoping to become a mercenary and join his company when I get older."
"Wow," the girl replied, looking somewhat amazed. A small smile then graced her face. "And here I thought you were a girl of few words. Regardless, I don't think I'll ever get used to the sounds of human names."
What was that supposed to mean? Isn't she a human too? She looked like one, save for those pointed ears hiding in her hair. Just more questions.
"Anyway, what is your date of birth?"
She sure was asking a lot of questions. Then again, Shez did the same thing on the first day they met, so Byleth didn't really think about it too much. "Day 20 of the Horsebow Moon, or so my father says anyway."
Again, the small girl was surprised. "Fascinating. It seems we share our day of birth. How strange."
"Not to be rude," Byleth suddenly spoke up. "But you've been asking me a lot of questions, but you haven't told me anything about yourself. What is your name?"
"Oh, did I not introduce myself earlier. How rude of me. My name is…Sothis. Yes, that is my name, but I am also called The Beginning. Strange, I didn't remember my name until just now."
"You didn't know your own name?"
"Not until just now," the girl named Sothis clarified. "But that's the only thing I really remember. The rest of my memories are a blur."
Byleth heard about this kind of thing from Claire. Supposedly it was called amnesia. Usually it was caused by a serious head injury, but given that this girl existed within Byleth's own dreams, that didn't seem like the likely culprit.
"I am not a dream!" Sothis suddenly shouted in outrage, glaring daggers at the blunette. Did she accidentally say that thought out loud, or did this read her thought. "The latter of the two," the greenette answered, looking a little annoyed. "You should really try to make your thoughts more private if you don't want other people to hear them."
"I'm sorry. But how did you read my mind? Did you use magic or something?"
"No, nothing like that. It seems we share a connection of sorts, and that's what allowed me to hear your thoughts. As for why we have this connection, I do not know. Regardless, are you the one who woke me from my sleep. That's very rude of you to do."
"Sorry, again. I don't know how I woke you up. I've seen you here several times in my dreams, but this is the first time we actually spoke."
"How curious," Sothis mused. "Well to clarify, this isn't a dream, but a part of your subconscious. As for how you woke me up, did something happen recently to have caused a spike in your emotions?"
Something that caused a spike in her emotions? The closest thing Byleth could think of was last night when Myson and his mages had her and Shez pinned down. Halfway through the sequence, things kind of blurred for the blunette as she found herself feeling desperate to protect her friend, reaching deep inside herself to fight back. Could that have caused Sothis to wake up.
"Most likely," the greenette answered matter-of-factly before letting out a brief yawn. "For some reason, I feel like it's a bit too soon for me to awaken, but whatever. Anyway, you were wondering on how to get stronger to protect your sister, Shez I believe her name is, correct?"
Now it was Byleth's turn to be surprised as she let out an audible gasp. "How did you know that?"
Sothis cracked a mischievous smirk, which fit her childlike appearance. "Our souls are connected. I know your thoughts as if they were my own." Her smile then faded and became more passive, as if pondering over what she learned from Byleth's memories. "Still, something about those mages feels familiar, but I can't quite place it. Oh how vexing this is. No matter. Back to what I was getting to before, you were wishing to get stronger so that you can protect Shez. Well, I might be able to assist you with that."
"Really? How so?"
"Well, I can give you guidance for one thing. Given your inexperience, it would probably be beneficial if you got all the help you can get. After all, if you die, then I will as well, so I need to make sure you do your best to protect yourself. And to further assist with that, I can offer you a bit of my power. I can't offer much right now, but I'm sure that as you grow older, I'll be able to get more to assist you."
"Interesting. What does this power do?"
"Oh, nothing much, just the power to rewind time," Sothis said casually as if it was no big deal.
"What?!" Byleth shouted in shock, probably for the first time in her life. Did she hear that correctly. This strange girl has the ability to rewind time. Does that mean she can go back to the point where Serena died and save her? She might be able to prevent the gremory's death!
"Hate to rain on your parade, but that's impossible," Sothis interrupted. "There's a limit to how far I can rewind time, and the time you're specifying is outside my range. If I was at full power, you might be able to do it, but I'm not and I don't know when I'll regain it. I'm sorry, but there's nothing you can do to change that woman's fate."
Well that was disappointing. That took the wind right out of her sails. Still, there was no denying that this will prove useful on the battlefield. Even being able to rewind mere seconds can mean the difference between life and death. This will definitely help her in her duty to protect her sister.
"Oh, do you happen to know any magic?" Byleth suddenly questioned, causing the younger girl to raise an eyebrow.
"Now that's a random question." Sothis was quiet for a few moments as she privately thought to herself before speaking again. "I think I know a little magic outside of my time powers, but it's all hazy. I'm not sure how much help I can be in that regard as I am now."
"I see. Would you be opposed if I told my family about you? My father already knows about my dreams of you, and I don't want to lie to him and Shez."
Sothis simply shrugged at the request. "If you feel you must. But in case you don't know the obvious, I would recommend not telling everyone you meet about me unless you want people to think you're crazy. Only tell people you really trust unless I specifically ask otherwise."
"That's a fair request. I look forward to working for you, Sothis."
The girl known as The Beginning smiled in response. "As do I, Byleth. I feel that it was our fate to meet. Now, you who bear the flames within, let us drift through the flow of time and see where our path takes us."
Byleth found herself back in the village. The funeral seemed to be wrapping up as the villagers were putting Serena's body in its grave. Could she have imagined it all?
"Again, I am not a dream!" a familiar voice exclaimed within her mind, nearly causing the poor girl to jump out of fright.
"S-Sothis?" she thought quietly, thankful that her natural stoicism was able to conceal her emotions.
"Who else do you think it is?!" the greenette asked sarcastically as she materialized next to her, hovering in the air but no one else seemed to notice her presence. "Didn't your father teach you manners? And before you ask, no, the others can't see or hear me. Only you can."
"I-I see. I'm sorry, again. This is all new to me, on top of everything that happened last night."
Rather than look irritated, Sothis gave the elder Eisner sister a look of understanding as she let out a heavy sigh. "It's fine. I can't exactly expect you to get used to my presence so quickly. Just try to get accustomed to it so that you don't frighten your family. I think they have enough issues already."
Byleth couldn't help but agree. Speaking of which, she needs to make sure to tell Jeralt and Shez about her mysterious new partner once the funeral was over, preferably when the three of them were alone (well four if you count Sothis, but no one else can see her anyway). She had a feeling that the Blade Breaker would believe her since he already knows about her strange dreams. As for Shez, it was a bit harder as Byleth hasn't yet told her about those dreams, much less the ones involving Sothis.
Regardless of what her family believes, Byleth couldn't help but think that things were going to get more lively going forward. She didn't know anything about Sothis or why she resides within her conscience, but she felt like she could trust her despite her childlike appearance.
"Hey! I can hear that, you know!"
The blunette had to fight the urge to giggle, finding herself feeling amused by the younger girl's behavior. Yeah, it was official. Things are certainly going to get more lively.
Little did she know just where this path would take her and what it would mean for Fodlan, but that was a story for another day.
To be continued
And that's a wrap for this chapter. Sorry it took so long. I've just been busy with other stuff that my fanfic writing got pushed to the side. Now then, Sothis is up early. Given what occurred to Byleth last chapter, I felt that it was only natural for it to awaken her prematurely. Anyway, I think after the next chapter, I'll start incorporating some time skips so that we can get to the main game quicker. As for how many chapters it will be until then, or when a certain Agarthan will awaken, I'll keep that to myself for now. See you guys next time!