Crest.
The goddess gifted certain individuals with sacred blood, allowing them to wield mystical weapons, that they may prevail against the darkness. These souls buoyed by their divine gifts, conquered the evil ones and drove them back to the north. They came to be known as Heroes. The Heroes experience unnaturally long lives, persisting for hundreds of years. Even after they breathe their last, the power coursing through their blood remained, leaving an indelible mark upon this world. This power, passed down through bloodlines, came to be known as the Crest. The mystical weapons they once wield are now called Heroes' Relics. And so, the legend of a new age was born. The descendants of the Heroes sought their ancestor's power thusly their blood. In time, the Crest-
CRASH!
"OOOWWWWWW"'
Edward slammed his book shut and took a deeeeeeeeeppppp breath before he stood up and walked over to the open library door in the Reigan manner. How much he hated being disturb during his break and much more especially since it has been awhile since he has read The Book of Serios, Volume 2. He pushed the door open, low and behold, Claude was at it again. This time the boy was in the forbidden section of books.
"CLAAAAAAUUUDEEEE!" This time he was the one that broke the rules of silence in the library.
The boy flinched at the older man's furious voice and the librarian, Edward's friend, Gregory, groans into his pillow because the next fight of tactics was about to begin again. Gregory was a young man with silver colored hair with a red scarf wrapped around his head and red colored eyes. He wore the clothing of a warlock but the color black. He sighed as he saw where the boy was, the section of science. He couldn't help but chuckle as his friend stormed over to the boy, who was trapped under a pile of books. Edward glared down at the boy who chuckled nervously.
"How many times have I told you to use the ladder to get the books in the top shelves?! What's more, this area is forbidden! You aren't old enough for these books yet! You're 3 years away from being able to access these!" Edward roared and Gregory laughed.
"Come on Ed," the man smirked as he rested his head on his pillow, "Let the kid have some fun. It's not every day kids want to learn things like these. Especially since it's looked down upon by the Church." He said and Edward's glare turned to him.
"And why didn't you stop him?! I'll be in serious trouble if his grandfather sees him here!" He said back and Gregory rolled his eyes.
"Yesh, and I thought Emily had anger issues." Gregory said and Edward scoffs.
"Don't compare me to that cocky woman! But speaking of her...I heard of an epidemic going on in the Kingdom?" He said.
"Haahahaha! My friend, if you were there, you should have seen the blow on her pride! A woman by the name Kiana Kalsana was the one to discover a new medication and saved the people of Galatea territory! All Emily did was help produce the medicine!" Gregory said.
"Someone finally outdid her?! THANK THE GODDESS! MY PRAYERS ANSWERED!" Edward fell to his knees dramatically, with arms in the air as if holy light was over him.
"Ummmm..." Claude was forgotten and decided to take this opportunity to quickly change the subject of him sneaking into the forbidden section.
"Gregory, who's Emily?" He asked.
"Oh, that's right! Well, might as well tell you little star. There are 5 high ranking mages in all Fodlan that have ever passed the impossible medical exams of the Church of Serios. They gain the titles of Holy Magus and have the power to become court mages should they desire, access to all medical archives in all of Fodlan including royal ones, access to the forbidden section in the library of Officers Academy and monastery, and to prove their power, are bestowed a special card with the official seal of the Church of Serios. Because of this, nobles from all Fodlan begin to offer deals to these doctors to join their country. One of them is part of Empire. Emily and another one is part of the Kingdom, Edward here of the Alliance and another one by the name of Doctor Lilac is a freelance doctor that travels all around Fodlan. No one knows his real location." Gregory explains and Claude nodded.
"Sounds interesting. Be cool to meet the other 4 one day." Claude said and Gregory chuckled.
"Emily, I feel you might get along with her because she believes in facts. Florencio...hmmm...not sure. Cornelia, stay the hell away from her. Lastly that old man Robert...hmm... he's 36 right now...but...he's a good man. He has 14 grandkids and spoils them rotten." He said and Claude chuckled.
"Sigh...Anyhow," Edward stood back and looked over to Claude, "Please don't go into this section. I'm serious. I'm having a few guests today and I have already been granted permission for them to enter the manner today." He said and Gregory raised an eyebrow.
"Wait, who are they? I swear if it's that nun from the church again..." Gregory said and Claude gave him a disappointed look.
"No, it's not Xina! Arrgghhh...it's your uncle! Professor Hanneman and two young girls! Bloody hell! And I don't deny Xina and I are planning to get married." He said.
"So, you finally had the guts to propose." Claude and Gregory had smirks.
"Oh, shut it you two." He said and that's when Gregory realized his uncle was mentioned.
"Wait...did you just say my uncle was coming?" Dread befell him and the other two males looked at each other confused then at him.
"Yes. Is something wrong?" Edward said.
"Edward and Claude...swear to me...you won't even mention me...you even say I was here...please...I'm begging you right here and now! Do not even say I was here!" He said and they looked at him worried.
"Claude...could you leave us alone please?" Edward said and the boy left, closing the door but not before looking at his friend worried.
Once Claude was gone, Edward turned to his friend and walked up to him, placing his hand on his shoulder.
"Gregory, you're worried about your two Crest...aren't you?" He said.
"Haha...you know me too well...what would you think my uncle would say if he saw me...? I'm not the same...I lost all pigment in my hair...deemed a failure because I was prototype experiment...by...that group...the two Crest implanted in me are cracked...I volunteered because we needed money to save my mother...in the end...not even that could save her...that damn heart disease...I don't want him to learn what was done to me...because my father was so desperate for a child with a Crest..." he muttered painfully.
"It's alright...I won't say you were here not mention you. You can face your uncle when you feel ready. For now, why don't you head to your room? You're 5 minutes away from going into sleep mode." Edward smiled sadly to his friend.
"Thanks Ed...I'll see you later then." He smiled sadly and warped out of the library.
Edward sighed as looked at the locket in his hand. It opened it and inside was a small black and white "picture" it was called, taken using one of the devices Hanneman invented. There was a young woman laughing as she hugged a little girl and he himself also laughing. He smiled and closed it, returning back to his office with a textbook about Crest.
- Outside the Manner -
It was a fancy bloody manner yet simple. Arisa felt like she was walking into a lion's den. She wore a nice dark green summer dress that went to her knees and black tights with black boots. Her hair was in her usually ponytail and she never went anywhere without her dark green cloak because all these years she had used one and it made her feel safer. And like usual, her sword was sheath on her waist and Feh on her head. Red Hare was taken to the stables by one of the servants. Alexandra stood next to her with a small box in her arms. She wore a nice blue blouse with a black knee length skirt and a waist long blue cloak. Her hair was in her usual style of Chinese buns but her lose hair was put in a ponytail. Falco perched on her shoulder and she had a dagger strapped on her waist.
"I feel we're walking into the lion's den..." Arisa said as Sothis just smiled in her mind.
"Alexandra did change her mind and had chosen to also bring Amir but unfortunately your friend has decided to stay behind due to a letter that was received earlier this morning." Sothis said with a smirk.
"Yeah. The look of victory on her face, was more than enough to confirm that justice has been served to her family." Arisa mentally said back to her and smiled.
"YYYYEEEEAAAAHHHH! VICTORY! TAKE THAT YOU SON OF B-!"
"AMIR!"
" SHUT UP! IT'S 5 IN THE MORNING!"
Both Alexandra and Arisa could not help but laugh out loud by how the entire cabin and their neighbors were woken up by their friend's scream of pure joy. The Snowdrop family will become the new head family of Duscur. It was decided by the people and the public court that was done to show everyone what her uncle had done. Of course, at the end of the hologram evidence showed, Amir left a message to her uncle.
"You think you could get away from justice? Just like the Amaryllis name means, achieving success over a long and difficult struggle, this is my and my family's justice for what you did to them! Pay for your crimes! The Goddess of Water and God of Shadows bring down their sword upon your head for your crimes!"
True victory. She waited until the court pronounced him guilty and said her message, declaring to her uncle she was alive and survived.
"Back to the main subject, are you two going in?" Sothis said and the girls nodded.
Arisa knocked and the two waited for a few seconds, the door opened, revealing a guard.
"Pardon sir! We're here to see Doctor Edward Snowden. We have an appointment with him." Amir said she took out a letter with the Reigan wax stamp on it.
"Very well. Come in." The guard said and the girls entered the manner.
Arisa had some flashbacks from when she stayed in house Fraldarius for some time and couldn't help but see the same decor except it was more of a fall theme. They followed behind the guard as they walked through the hallway and they then heard a crash in the kitchen. The guard quickly looked in and sighed.
"Deaaaaarrr! How many times have I said if you need help tell me! You're pregnant for Serios sake!" He said to the maid and she just grinned.
"Now, sweety! No need to fret! Now, don't you have to take these girls to see the Doctor?" The maid said.
Arisa and Alexandra were snickering.
- Doctor's Office -
A knock on his door he heard as he was looking at some documents he had gotten.
"Come in." Edward said as he looked up and smiled when he saw it was Alexandra but, who was the girl with her?
"Doctor, I brought the girls." The guard said and he nodded.
"Thank you Octus, I'll take it from here." He said and the guard nodded, closing the door.
"Morning Edward!" Alexandra grinned at him.
"Morning Alex. Feeling better after yesterday?" He asked and the girl nodded.
"That's good. And this friend of yours?" He asked as he looked over to Arisa.
"Byleth, pleasure to meet you. My uncle has talk about you a bit before. Florencio is his name." She said.
"Oh! You're Florencio's niece?! Is he here in Derdiu?" He said and Arisa shook her head.
"Sorry...he's currently in the Empire with his apprentice. " she said.
"Sigh...thank you." He turned to Alexandra.
"Will you two please have a seat? We're waiting for one more person. He'll be helping me today with your checkup Alexandra." He said.
"Alright." The girl and a few seconds later, a knock on the door.
"Come in." Edward said and the door open, revealing an older man with dark gray hair, light skin, a mustache, dark gray blue eyes and wore a monocle on his left eye.
His coat was dark light brown as he wore it over his brown suite and wore a black scarf with black shoes. He had a suitcase in his right hand.
"Forgive me for being late Doctor Edward. The carriage ended up getting stuck in the middle of the road! I swear, if there is one thing, I have to complain about Derdui here, it's the constant water puddles all over the place!" Professor Hanneman said as he closed the door.
"Believe me my friend...I complain about it too." Edward's chuckled a bit nervously.
Arisa felt her heart stop. As much as she likes Hanneman from her original time playing the game, meeting him felt like a huge honor. But...
"Don't do it Arisa..." the tiny voice in the back of her mind spoke.
"Are these two the ones you told me about?" Hanneman said as he saw her and Alexandra sitting next to each other.
Feh and Falco both went on guard and hissed.
"Calm down you two." Arisa whispered and the two calmed down immediately.
"Actually, just the girl with the blue hair. She wanted her friend to accompany her today, that's all." Edward said.
Hanneman chuckled and nodded.
"Hello there young Lady's. I am Hanneman, a Crest Scholar and Professor at the Officer's Academy. My friend here has informed me that you are hoping we can discover a few answers regarding your crest." Hanneman smiled to her kindly like a grandfather and Alexandra nodded.
"Please...I need some peace of mind. I'm worried I'm going to hurt someone by accident if I don't learn more. Can you help us?" Alexandra said and he nodded.
"And you young lady?" He turned to Arisa, "Do you yourself have a Crest?" He asked.
"I do. But I rather keep mine a secret. It's for my safety." She said.
"Very well then, if that is your choice, we shall respect it." He said.
"Let's start with some basic questions." Edward said as took out his notepad to write while Hanneman took out his miniature device that he had invented to see if a person has a Crest.
"Please stick out your hand." Hanneman said as Amir reached out her hand and he placed the small device over it.
It beeped and an image appeared on it. His eyes went wide as he stared at it.
"I have never seen this pattern before! Haha! To think there were still undiscovered Crest out there I have yet to see! How thrilling! " Excitement filled his eyes and Edward coughed.
"Oh, sorry. I got a bit too excited. As I was saying, I have never seen this pattern before. Hmm...Alexandra correct?" He said and she nodded, "Do you know some information of your own Crest?" He asked.
"Yes. It is called the Crest of Aubin. They have served House Blaiddyd for generations what's more, are said to be the clan to have helped forge the Heroes' Relics." Alexandra said and Arisa looked at her worried.
"It's alright." Edward saw her worried look, "Everything here is confidential. The perks of being a Holy Magus is that we have a higher power than the nobles (except royalty and Rhea) so they can't get information." He smirked.
"Damn...who knew Florencio had that much power...? I thought he was just a high-ranking doctor!" Arisa said in her mind.
"I don't mean to be rude but...why are you all the way out here young girl? Where are your parents?" Hanneman asked and the men began panicking because they saw her little feathers drop and she looked ready to cry.
"Alex, do you mind if I answer the question for you?" Arisa and she nodded.
"Alexandra...was being mistreated by her mother after her father passed away. So...to save her...we faked her death. I'm sure the news of the Fire of the Tailtean Plains you heard of?" She said and Edward nodded.
"Yes. The news reached everyone in Fodlan and that the daughter of the Duchess there passed away. So, I'm guessing you saved her then from her mother?" Edward said and Arisa nodded.
"Yeah...I don't deny it. I got in serious trouble with my dad." Arisa chuckled a bit nervously.
"I understand. We won't say anything about this. Now, back to the subject. Edward, if you please?" Hannamen said and his friend nodded.
"Now, Alexandra, what does your Crest make you do? " He asked.
"I become hostile towards people with a certain crest. " She said.
"Oh? This is new. A Crest that makes its user hostile towards an individual with a specific Crest. Hmmm...Edward, you have access to the royal archives of The Kingdom correct?" Hanneman said as he had his hand under his chin, thinking.
"I do. Annnnnndddd," he stood up and walked to his bookshelf and pulled out a light blue book with gold lettering, placing it on the table, "I did a little research and found this." He said.
"The Legend of the Ice Maiden?" Hanneman raised an eyebrow.
"Correct. She was one of the 10 Elites. Originally there were 12 Elites but 2 of them were lost to history. And it so happens, the Crest of Aubin, it's symbol, is mentioned here." He opened the book to page 14 and there it was, the Crest Symbol of Aubin.
"The legend is that Cirina, The Hero of Ice, bore this Crest. She wields great power to control ice to her will. She fought by Reigan's side against the fight of The King of Liberation and was said to have been the one to try and negotiate peace Nemesis and Saint Serios." He said.
"Hmph...at least they got that part down right..." Alexandra flinched when Cirina's voice suddenly echoed in her head.
"Are you okay?" Arisa asked her.
"Yeah." Alexandra smiled and turned back to the adults.
"Interesting. I have heard stories of the Ice Maiden, but I never got the full story down because it never caught my interest. Perhaps I should take a better look at the legends of the 12 Elites then." Hanneman said as he turned back to Alexandra.
"However, I'm going to be truthful. When I was reading her legend, it says she eventually betrayed Reigan and fell to madness for the lust power and joined Nemesis, turning her back on Saint Serios, the 5 saints, the 11 Elites and the goddess." Edward said.
"THAT IS A BLOODY LIE!" Cirina roared and Alexandra quickly covered her ears.
"Shut up, shut up! Not now please!" Alexandra whimpered.
"Child, are you alright?!" Hannamen said and quickly knelt down to check her.
"Wait...5 Saints…?" Arisa thought.
"Doctor Edward...is it possible for a Crest to create a split personality?" Arisa said.
"Wait what? Is that what her Crest is doing? It creates a split personality?" Edward said and the two men looked at the blue haired girl, worried.
"Child, breath. Deep Breaths." Hanneman said to Alexandra and the girl nodded, he noticed her eyes flickering between red and blue.
"Arisa, my medicine please!" Alexandra said and Arisa quickly gave her the small bottle, she popped it open and drank it.
Alexandra let go of long sigh and nodded.
"Please keep going." She said.
"Are you sure? Do you want to take a break and then continue later?" Hanneman said.
"It's alright. I want answers... that's all." She said.
"Very well. As we know Crest are power incarnated. Those who carry Crest may excel in magic, display exceptional strength and any number of boons. More so if they carry a major Crest. However, " he shook his head and looked at the girl worried, "This is the first I have heard where a Crest makes its barer hostile towards those that bare a specific Crest and create a split personality." He said.
"From...what my uncle has told me...that this feature usually manifested in one specific female barer. Only the female that possess the major Crest of Aubin shows hostility while males can lose control of their emotions. I...possess a major Crest. Which...makes it more dangerous." Alexandra said.
"Do you know which Crest make you become hostile and their level of hostility?" Edward asked.
"From what we know," Arisa spoke, "The Crest of Cethleann makes her give the cold shoulder to that person. The Crest of Serios are small threats like, "Go away for I'll punch you." Crest of Cichol she wants to hurt them (Arisa: Makes sense because Seteth can be a -*Slap! *). Crest of Gautier she will actually try to hurt them and..." she hesitated to say the last one.
"The Crest of Reigan, she will murder them on the spot if they weren't hold back." Edward said and Hanneman looked at him shocked.
"This...is incredible information I admit but...I'm more worried about how much this affects the young girl's physical and mental health." Hanneman said.
"How does this connect to the Legend of the Ice Maiden?" Arisa asked and Edward's sighed as he turned to another page in the book, showing the picture of Saint Cethleann and Cirina, who looked very different from the version the girls see, looking down on the Saint with her pointing her sword at her, " Cirina was once Saint Cethleann's friend. During the battle against Nemesis, the two fought one another but even in madness, Cirina chose to spare Saint Cethleann despite Nemesis orders. My theory is that perhaps there is will of regret and wants the one that bares the Crest of Cethleann to stay away from them because they wish them no harm." He said.
"Bloody hell...I did not think someone saw through that one..." Cirina muttered, and Alexandra can feel her face turning pink.
"Hmmmm...then what about the Crest of Serios?" Alexandra asked and Edward turned to page 12, where Cirina stood next to Saint Serios, looks like the two were in a heated argument.
"Saint Serios and Cirina were both tacticians and well...the book says the two would get into very heated arguments over plans for war. So, my theory, the Crest sees a bearer of the Crest of Serios as a rival of sorts." Hanneman said and Cirina was cursing a mountain of profanities.
"SHE IS THE WORST AUNT IN THE WORLD! THE FALSE PROMISES AND ALSO RECKLESS PLANS! SHE KNEW NOTHING WHEN IT CAME TO OCEAN AND MOUNTAIN TERRAIN!" Cirina fumed.
"What about the Crest of Cichol?" Arisa asked and Edward began laughing a bit.
"What's so funny?" Hanneman said and Edward turned to page 29 and it showed...
"Is she telling him off?" Arisa snorted as it showed the image of Cirina telling off Saint Cichol.
"Apparently the man was overbearing and far too overprotective of his daughter. So...you can imagine...that one friend that tells off people and does not care what people think...Hahahahaha!" Edward lost it and started laughing, holding his stomach.
Cirina smirked proudly.
"Uncle is a pain in the ass! If no one tells him off, who will? I regret nothing!" Cirina said and Sothis just shook her head.
"Now...Crest of Gautier..." Edward stopped laughing and turned to page 60, showing Cirina locked in a deadly one on one battle with a man dressed in armor.
"Those two...absolutely despised each other. It is said that he did her wrong and betrayed her trust. At first, they were friends but eventually the rivalry the two had become strain and led to hatred. That was the first step that caused her to fall for madness because she wanted to surpass him." He said and Cirina growled.
"Surpass him...hahahaha... how very wrong...I refused to become his lover and he tried to assassinate me...and my mother..." the woman growled and Alexandra bit her lip.
"Then...Crest of Reigan..." Alexandra said worried and Edward turned to page 78.
"Chapter 22: Fall of the Ice Maiden. I'll give the small summary because the book is a bit on the graphic part for you girls." He said.
"I already read it." Arisa mentally sighed.
"Cirina's negotiations of peace between Serios and Nemesis failed. Lord Reigan saw that she had become corrupted for her constant lust for power. She turned her back on Saint Serios and the goddess, claiming Nemesis was the true God of the land and she will follow his order. Her and Reigan locked in a 4-day battle, neither side refusing to give in. Heavens roared; the land froze. The oceans flooded and forest burned down. On the fifth day, Lord Reigan used an illusion spell on her, forcing her to remember how she was in the past. Memories of love, joy, and pain made her realize her mistakes. Her tears fell but she was far too corrupted and her sins far too deep. She begged Reigan to end her life. With his Relic, Failnaught, fire an arrow that pierced Cirina's heart." He said.
Cirina was shaking. She was furious. Serios dare stain her name with such blasphemy?! How could she make such a lie that she begged to be killed?! How dare she say she committed sin?!
"At that moment, Cirina's regrets exploded. Her anger and wrath turned her into a dragon of ice. She flew through the land, freezing everything in her wake. Eventually, even in the form of a dragon, she disappeared. Legend say when snow falls in all four lands, they are her tears of regret. The land she froze today, is known as The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. " He finished, closing the book.
"That isn't true..."
Everyone turned to Alexandra, tears falling from her eyes, flickering between red and blue. Her pupils turning between her normal ones and her Crest. A single strand of her hair had turned the sickly pale blue.
"She's angry..." she muttered, her hands grabbing her own hair in fistfuls as she gritted her teeth, brought her knees in, "She screaming it isn't true...everything is liar...she keeps screaming...she keeps screaming traitor...she wants come out...she wants to destroy the lies... " she trembled and Arisa hugged her.
"Hanneman, could you prepare the lavender tea please? I think her Crest is reacting to the story...also, just one drop of the sleeping medication to help her calm down." Edward said and Hanneman nodded.
"I'll have it ready in a few minutes." Hanneman nodded and went to prepare it.
Arisa got up and stood in front of her friend, holding her hands.
"Alex, focus on me. Focus." She said to the trembling girl in front of her who slowly looked up.
"Did you know Arisa...?" Alexandra muttered with a mechanical smile, "They say that those that have the blood of Crest in their veins say that at times they experience and see the memories of their ancestors of the one that bore that Crest. Cirina never had children." She said with a hollow voice and Arisa and Edward looked at her shocked.
Hanneman came back quickly and gently handed her the cup of tea. Alexandra gulped it down, not caring if some of it spilled on her dress. The girl smiled sadly as her eyes feel droopy and she fell asleep.
"I thought I said only one drop!" Edward glared at his friend.
"I did! Sigh...I'm guessing the lavender enhanced it." Hannamen said.
Arisa let go of a sigh as she gently made her friend lay down on the couch, removed her cloak, and placed it on her like a blanket. Flaco chirped sadly and snuggled himself into Alexandra's arms and Feh also. Arisa smiled sadly as she patted her friend's head.
"She'll be okay. She should wake up in an hour. But...sigh... this is a huge problem..." Edward sighed and Arisa turned to them.
"What do you mean?" She said.
"First of all, " Hanneman began, "We just witnessed how much of a toll her Crest takes on her. She seems to be constantly in an internal struggle to keep that second personality locked away. We can't get enough information unless I have a sample of her blood. It would produce results faster." He said.
"Absolutely not!" Arisa said and the men looked at her shocked.
"Calm down Arisa?" He said and she nodded.
"I'm sorry if I offended you. It's just... your friend..." he said, and she sighed.
"No... I'm sorry...I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have lashed out...it's just...I'm worried for her safety. That's all." She said and the two nodded in understanding.
She sighed and turned to Hannamen. It's too early but she will do what she can to gain a new ally.
"Professor Hanneman, " She began, and she felt Sothis raised an eyebrow, "I have been studying Crestology for some time and would like to ask you a few questions regarding it." She said.
"Oh! Such a young scholar and studying Crest. I must say, I am quite impressed to find a fellow Crest Scholar. What questions do you wish to ask?" He said and Arisa internally smirked.
"Have you ever heard of tarot cards?" She said and Sothis burst out laughing at faces the adults were making.
"Taro-what?" Edward said.
"Tarot cards. In Duscur they are called the Cards of the Stars and say they can tell the future. But, did you know that each card has a different symbol and meaning?" She smiled.
"I've heard of them before but what does this have to do with my research?" Hanneman said.
Arisa reached into her bag and pulled out her deck of tarot cards she made. All 72 cards. She pulled out one major arcana card, the Crest of Indech, also known as Temperance.
"In a country called Europe, these cards have symbols that are like Crest and each one has a different meaning. The Crest of Indech, also known as the Temperance, has two meanings. If the card is upright, it means balance, moderation, patience and purpose. If it is reversed," she flipped the card upside down, "It means imbalanced, excess, self-healing and re-alignment." She explained.
"Okay...I get it!" Edward said and smiled at her, "This has to do with the nature of each Crest! Am I correct?" He said.
"Ding, ding, ding! Yes!" She said cheerfully and Hanneman nodded.
"Now, Alexandra's Crest. It is known as The Hanged Man." She said and the two sudden felt dread.
"The Hanged Man upright means pause, surrender, letting go, new perspectives. In reverse it means... delays, stalling, resistance, and indecision. Are you two understanding how this card connects with Cirina and her crest?" She said and they nodded.
"Very interesting. This is the first I have heard of such ways of depicting Crest and their nature. It also has to do with the individual that has it, am I correct?" Hanneman said and she nodded.
"Is that why you chose the Crest of Indech on purpose because I have it?" He said with a small smile and she chuckled a bit nervously.
"Yeah...umm...other than that...I...heard you want to find a way to make Crest available to anyone if they desire." She said and he nodded.
"That is correct." He said and she noticed the shift in his aura.
"Professor...I..." she took a deep and looked him straight in the eye, catching him off guard.
This was not the look of a child, but an adult who has seen many things. Just what had she gone through?
"I want to find a way to remove Crest to save the lives of individuals who have suffered greatly because of them!" She said boldly.
Unbestowed to them, Gregory had woken up and was planning to visit Edward for his usual medication, but his hand froze over the door knob once he heard the girl's words. Edward and Hanneman looked at her shock and she spoke, after she sighed, feeling a small lift off her shoulders.
"I'm a doctor in training and I discovered a few things regarding Crest." She said as she made a water bubble appeared and it showed a faceless person.
"Like you said, Crest are power incarnated. Those who carry Crest may excel in magic, display exceptional strength and any number of boons. But...how much does it actually physically affect them? How much strain does it put on their body?" She said and the figure was seen coughing.
"I...the idea never crossed my mind..." Hanneman said, shocked.
Arisa smiled sadly, remembering the support conversions between him and Lysithea. The look of devastation Hanneman had when he learned the truth of what the two Crest did to the young girl.
"You speaking of that..." Edward spoke, catching their attention, "You remind me of two feared diseases here in Fodlan but also in the countries surrounding it." He said and Arisa suddenly gulped.
"The first one is called The Devouring." He said.
"AWWW SHIT! IT JUST HAD TO BE THAT ONE!?" Arisa internally screamed and Sothis's ears were ringing.
She never thought that the disease from Ascendance of a Book Worm would exist in this world! Then again... magic does exist...so...it's possible.
"Well...it's not exactly a disease but it is like a fever that is eating you from the inside. Thankfully, Doctor Robert found a way to create magic tools that can be affordable for commoners. He did it in honor of his niece who unfortunately passed away 14 years ago." Edward said and Hannaman nodded.
"As for the second one...I think maybe you should consider this one my friend," as he talking more towards Hanneman, " Magic Comatose." He said.
"Magic comatose?" Arisa said confused.
"Consider it this way," Hanneman said as he touched the water bubble and it showed a young boy, "As a person grows, their strength increases over time because of age, training and such. The human body generates magic by taking in the energy of nature around them. Even more so when they are in synced with nature like those here in the Alliance but also the Empire. We have different elements of magic. Fire, water, Thunder, Wind, Ice, Dark Magic, Black magic, Anima, Light, and White magic. What's more they are divided. Also known as Reason and Faith Magic. " He explained.
"Back to the original subject" Edward said and sent a small ball of fire at the bubble and it changed to the boy coughing, " Our bodies grow and adjust to change as we grow. But what happens if you overuse your magic too much? It puts a high strain on your body. What's more...if there is a sudden shift in the magic flow of your body, it can be deadly. First off, if a sudden unknown factor is sudden added, the shift of the magic flow is too fast and the human body cannot adjust fast enough. This could put a huge strain on the body and greatly weaken it. In the worst-case scenario, shorten a person's life span." He said and Hanneman went pale.
"What's more, if the body constantly has a shift in magic, it can lead to the person entering a comatose state. The body is trying to readjust and adapt to the change; thus, it forced the mind to shut down and enter a sleeping state. The number one problem is that no one knows when they will wake up. The other name of it is called, Sleeping Beauty." Edward said and Arisa froze.
"I...I...I..." the water bubble popped in she looked at her hands, Sothis quickly appeared and looked at her worried.
"Breath, Arisa, Breath!" Sothis said.
"Young lady...you've experienced it…. haven't you?" Hanneman said and Arisa nodded, gulping.
"The first experience...was on a trip to Dadga four years ago...I casted...a too highly advanced spell that saved my friends life...I passed out for 2 hours. The second one was two years ago. I...I...was attacked...I acted on impulse and used Daylight..." she said and Edward looked her horrified, "I...vomited blood...and...I entered a comatose state for a month...a strand of my hair turned white." She said and touched her hair, where she showed them the white streak.
"That's enough!"
The door burst open and in came in Gregory, looking furious.
"Wait...it can't...Gregory?!" Hanneman quickly stood up and held his niece's shoulders, looking at him with wide eyes.
"Hey uncle... glad to see your research is advancing..." the boy said bitterly.
"Who cares about my research right now?! What happened to you?! I thought you were...dead! Your father said you were killed by bandits to visit your mother's grave?! What happened to your hair and eyes?!" Hanneman said worried.
"Oh Professor...please forgive me for crushing your dream...but I had to bring this reality to you..." Arisa internally cried but had to...it had to be done.
Gregory laughed bitterly.
"Isn't obvious uncle?" He removes his hands from shoulders and smiled painfully as he extended his arms out, "I have a crest...I have two them! And you know what that cost me?! MY LIFE HAS BEEN SHORTENED TO THE POINT I ONLY HAVE A FEW YEARS LEFT TO LIVE! I WANTED TO SAVE MOTHER! LOOK WHERE MY CHOICE LEFT ME AND EVEN THAT WASN'T ENOUGH TO SAVE HER!" Gregory roared.
Arisa looked at him worried and flinched when his glare turned to her and quickly stood to defend Alexandra.
"Your bloody dream...to remove Crest...ha! As if that was even possible!?" He said and turned back to his uncle, "You desire to give Crest to any who desire it, did you ever think about how that could endanger the life of someone?! Look where that led me! Look where that led me..." Gregory laughed but the tears that fell from his eyes were real.
Hanneman didn't know what to do...he didn't know what to say.
"Removing crest... is possible." Arisa said softly as she walked up to Gregory with a sad smile.
"Look kid, I don't-!" The girl suddenly placed her hand on his stomach and her hair turned mint green.
"If I can't remove it...then surpass it!" She internally roared and Sothis nodded.
The goddess held her hand and spoke.
"Your will is my will. My will is your will. I allow you to use this power. Even if only temporary, we are one." Sothis said and a magic circle with the Crest of Flames appeared beneath the boy.
"Surpass his second crest...the cost...4 years of my life is equivalent to 24 years of human lives." She said as the green in her eyes turned mint green.
His eyes turned a shade of dark gray blue and some of his hair become the same color as Hanneman's. The magic circle disappeared, and Arisa coughed violently, another streak of her hair had become white. Edward ran to her quickly and seems this woke up Alexandra. The minute the young girl saw her friend cough, she bolted awake (Alex: forgive me Feh and Falco for sending you flying off me!!) And quickly stood by her friends' side. Gregory stared at his hands and then to the mirror.
"What...did...you...do?" He slowly turned to Arisa, who was still coughing, thankfully not blood.
"I...gasp...used...gasp...cough! My crest... to...surpass your second one! Cough! Cough! You should have...cough! Recovered some of your life!" She coughed and Edward quickly used a healing spell.
"You're Ki-" He didn't get to finish.
"Just shut up and get me some cider!" Arisa said.
- 40 disasters minutes later -
"Arisa! Alex! Claude let me come in to come and get you tw-!``she froze as she walked in on Edward scolding Arisa, who was stiff as a stone because it felt like she was getting scolded by her father.
"Hey, wha-Amir...slowly... back away slowly..." Claude said from behind her and the two tan kids slowly back away and closed the door.
"That was high dangerous spell and at the cost of your own life span?! Are you a complete idiot and the shift in your magic flown shouldn't be wavering this much-" the scolding just continued and Sothis was groaning.
"Shut him up already!" Sothis said and Arisa sighed.
"Look," she said a bit coldly, making Edward freeze, "I can recover the life I gave away by absorbing the life of things around me. In this case, " she touched the small tree he had in his office and it withered away, "I just recovered 2 years of my life because that tree was going live that long. Unfortunately, the evidence of the white on my hair doesn't go away." She said with a bitter smile.
"That doesn't matter! You still put yourself in danger...sigh..." Edward rubbed his eyes and groans.
"I made Hanneman swear he won't say a word about what we witnessed what's more we saw your Crest. He won't look into since you said you want it to remain unknown. First off all..." he sighed and sat down across from.
Oh, he was tried, pissed, so many emotions after that entire two hours discussing the Crest of Aubin and then Crest themselves. Then the girl throwing 2 new theories. The nature of the Crest and if it's possible to remove them. But he admits... he gave her a quick glance. This girl...knows more than she lets on.
"Just what exactly did you do to Gregory? Some pigment returned to his hair and his eyes also. I also noticed that his second Crest, has been surpassed temporarily. Allowing his body not only readjust to the magic flow but also...the strain on his body has been temporarily relieved." He said with narrowed eyes.
Arisa crossed her arms and put one leg over the other. If she was an adult, she would look like she of in defense but also about to make a deal. But in truth, this was the position she would always sit in when giving lessons to her students in the past. True, it was intimidating at times, but you get used to it.
"I have been working on the spell I cast for your two years. The first focus was on plants. About a year ago, we had a bad harvest in my village, and I began to search for the cause. Thankfully it was something simple as Canker, easy to identify because the part dead is of the stem is discolored. So…during that time, I was just barely getting into Crestology and decided to test a few of my own theories regarding my own crest." She said.
"Hmmm...is that so? Is that why you brought the topic of Tarot cards?" He said and she nodded.
"Guess you can say... I'm still seeking personal closure." She muttered.
"Back to the topic, I decided to see if I could find a way to reverse the effect of the plant disease or abolish it completely. So, testing phase began. I used the dead harvest as my test subjects. You heard of science correct?" She said and Edward narrowed his eyes.
"Arisa, that is a dangerous subject to bring up. I'm listening." He smirked.
She smiles back. Finally, a realist like she was.
"As we know, canker is an injury often associated with an open wound that has become infected by a fungal or bacterial pathogen. Canker diseases frequently kill branches or structurally weaken a plant until the infected area breaks free, often in a wind or ice storm. And it just so happens...that year we had pretty bad winds storms, harming many of the fruit trees. My first test subject was an orange tree. And like each spell that exist, it has a certain number of commands. The first command is to heal the broken tree branch. The second command was to mend it back together. The third one to kill the fungus, the fourth, get rid of it, and so on and so forth. So, what if I combine science and magic? I used a healing spell and a medical plant treatment and combined the two. The result? The healing properties of the medicine greatly increased but also healed the tree." She said and Edward nodded.
"Interesting. But based on your reaction and frown on your face, it was only a temporary heal." He said and she nodded.
"Yeah...2 months at most the tree was healed till the damn thing came back. I began experimenting, using different levels of magic and plant medicine and materials. My conclusion? I can't make it go away, but I can temporarily surpass it. I then began to think it was possible to do the same with Crest. This time I rewrote the spell so it was towards humans. And...my first test subject of the spell...was Gregory. I took...A big gamble." She said and he glared.
"I can guarantee if that spell failed and my friend ended up dead, I would have sent you to prison." He said and she chuckled nervously.
"Yeah...but...I'm glad it worked out. Your friend... suffered at the hands of..." she looked down to the ground and felt a hand on her head.
"I know...that's why I became a doctor. To help the people I care about. Thank you, Arisa. I also think you might want to consider this." He said and stood up, walked up to a bookshelf, got a small package of papers, 20 pages and handed it to her.
"What's this?" She asked she opened it and saw it was a test of 100 questions.
Half of them multiple choice and the other half you need to write.
"This is sudden, but do you mind taking this test for me? You're Florencio's niece so I have high expectations. Also, don't put your real name." He smiled.
"Sure, I guess." She muttered as she took out her quill.
This was going to take a while. What Arisa did not know at that time was that the test she was taking was the practice Medical Exams of the Church of Serios. The very same test that her uncle took.
- With Hanneman-
"And that's what happened..." Gregory sighed while his uncle shook with anger.
"And your siblings?" Hanneman could barely say.
"It's alright. After faking my death, I went back to the manner and snuck out all my siblings and a good portion of money. We're living here in the Alliance and changed our last names for our safety. I'll take you to see them. They'll be happy to see you again uncle." Gregory smiled sadly to him.
The boy was completely caught off guard when Hanneman suddenly hugged him. The older man felt like he had failed his sister again. Now, seeing his nephew after 10 years after her death...the boy is only 15...to endure so much...
"I'm sorry...I wish I could have saved your mother...but also you.." Hanneman whispered as he let go of him and Gregory chuckled.
"Uncle, it's alright. I didn't understand back then since I was only a brat but now, I do. My mother's death affected us all. But now..." he smiled to him, "I'm not holding back, and I plan to continue moving on. I'll be honest, I'm not very fond of your Crest research, but...I think it may have the answers to save many victims of this damn Crest system." He said.
"Hahahah. You're just like your mother. Despite the horrible treatment she received from your father... she did everything in her power to keep smiling and protect you kids. I'll continue my research if it means I can help people like you." Hanneman said as he ruffled the boy's hair.
"Seriously uncle? Anyhow, I'm quite happy living here in the Alliance. The pay is pretty good for me being the librarian of the Reigan Manor but also the public library here. Come on, I'll take you to see my siblings. Hope you aren't afraid of heights!" The boy said cheerfully and Hanneman paled, because the boy had a love for dangerous things.
"Gregory, for Serios sake, please tell me we aren't flying a wyvern there." Hanneman said.
"Oh no. We're not." The boy said and the older man let go a sigh of relief.
"We're flying a kinshi, uncle!"
"GREGORY!"
- with Alexandra, Amir, and Claude-
"So, you found out more about your Crest then?" Claude said as he and two girls were sitting near the small koi pond near the training grounds of his home.
Their feet dangled a bit and some of the fish nip at their toes. Falco was perched on Claude's head while Feh was on Alexandra's. Puka happy laid down on the boy's lap, purring. Alexandra seemed much better and took her medication. The girl nodded as she spots Gregory climbing on a bird.
"That's right. I'm not exactly happy with the answers I got but it'll do for now." She said and all of them looked up to the sky because they heard screaming.
"BBOOOYYYY! SLOW DOWWWWNNN!"
"NAH UNCLE! THIS SPEED IS NOTHING! HAHAHAHAH!"
"Ah. Gregory is at it again." Claude snickered as they saw a huge multicolored Phoenix looking bird fly high in the sky flying at rapid speed.
Gregory was laughing like a mad man while Hanneman was holding onto dear life.
"Looks like the old man lost a few years of his life." Amir snickered as they saw them fly away.
"Almost forgot," Alexandra said and handed him a small box.
"What's this?" Claude asked and she smiled.
"It's a gift. I'm sorry again for what happened the other day. I hope you like it." She twiddled with her fingers and the boy opened it.
In it, hand bow with arrows and also...the boy smirked as he pulled out the book in it and Amir looked at her friend shocked.
"You got him a book about pranks and poisons?!" Amir screeched.
"Yeah...I just felt...it was right!" Alexandra argued back.
"You doomed us all! That's what!" Cirina said in her mind.
Claude burst out laughing and grinned to her as he strapped on the small hand bow to his wrist.
"Thank you really. You didn't have to but...I really appreciate it. Speaking of presents, I got you something too!" He grinned.
Amir excused herself, saying she needs to check on Red Hare in the stables, which wasn't a complete lie but also because she felt like the third wheel. Claude stood up and walked behind her.
"Can I um... touch your hair?" He asked and the girl nodded, her little feathers fluttering.
Her face was slowly turning red as she felt him undo her Chinese buns, her hair gently falling, showing how long it really was, to her waist it went. It was soft to the touch and Claude gently braided her hair and put in a high bun, but also leaving a small braid lose like his. To keep her hair in place, he took out a hair pin that had a blue deer on it. He gently put it in her hair and smiled as he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at the reflection on the water, the look of amazement on her.
"What do you think? Hope you like it!" He grinned.
"I...I...you did an amazing job brat!" She grinned then gasped.
Claude couldn't help but burst out laughing while her face was turning red from embarrassment, her feathers shaking and fluttering, giving away how she felt.
"Cute." Was what Claude thought as he looked over to her.
"Sorry I'm late!"
The two turned when they heard Arisa's voice and the girl smiled as she was holding a book in her arms.
"Arisa!" Alexandra smiled and ran up to her.
Claude couldn't help but stare. The girl only had one streak of white hair before but now she has two. It's been bugging him for a while he'll ask right now. He had predatory gleam in his eyes, the smile of schemer.
"Hey there! So, you're Arisa huh?" He smiled as he walked up to them.
"Yes I am. Sorry we never got to talk properly." She smiled softly to him.
"It your name Arisa or Byleth? Because Amir called you Byleth and Alexandra called you Arisa. Which is it? I'm confused." He said.
"Arisa is my nickname and Byleth is my birth name. I go by both. Feel free to call me either." Arisa said with her smile still.
She was hard to read. He wasn't liking that. He could usually tell what was going on in a person's mind but her? He couldn't tell at all. It felt so strange, like a puzzle and it greatly interest him.
"Oh?" He heard her say as she noticed the small hand bow in his wrist, "Hmm...Archery huh? Say...do you mind doing a quick demonstration on a target practice over there?" She pointed to the target wooden circle.
"Umm? Sure?" He was confused.
Alexandra was silent as she watched the scene. She knew that look in Arisa's eyes. The look of a teacher. She knew her friend was about to go into teaching mode. Claude picked up one of the practice bows and ready his aim as he pulled back the arrow. Arisa watched silently as Feh landed on her head, and Amir returned. Everyone was silent as Claude let go of his arrow.
"Tch." It hit the blue area, number 6, bottom.
"Too many mistakes." Arisa said as she put her book away in her purse and pulled her own bow, walking towards the target.
Claude's jaw dropped as he saw her skillfully fire each arrow, each one hitting the center each time. Her stance was straight, her shoulders relaxed, her eyes sharp, her body position reminded the same after each arrow fired. Arisa let go of a breath she was holding turned back towards Claude.
"That's how you fire an arrow properly. Even more so," she pulled up her sleeves and threw one of her daggers, never breaking eye contact with him, it hit the dead center of the target, "Use your dominant eye. You're too tense and your grip is lacking." She said with a monotone tone.
He had never seen such amazing skill in Archery. He...he...
"Train me please!" He blurted out, shocking everyone.
Arisa smiled and crossed her arms.
"Well, this is first. I don't mind teaching you but what am I going to get in return?" She smiled to him.
Both Alexandra and Amir backed away because the aura between to two shifted from kids to battle of tactics. Claude thought for a moment and spoke.
"I'll pay you 3 gold coins. It's enough to cover 3 months." He said and Arisa shook her head.
"I'm not looking for money. That isn't what I want." She said.
"Well now. I thought you're a mercenary." He said.
"I am. But I don't exactly seek money. How about this?" Arisa smiled and pointed to herself, Alexandra and Amir, "I teach you Archery, Alex teaches you riding lessons and Amir teaches you how to use an axe?" She smiled.
"Whoa whoa! Why bring us into this?!" Amir said on the defensive side.
"Come on Amir," Alex said, "We got nothing better to do anyway. Yes, we're still doing jobs here in the Alliance, but I think this is a good opportunity to help him out. You saw how..." she muttered the last part.
"Yeah I know that...fiiinnnneeeee! We'll do it! But make it 6 gold coins. Two per person." Amir grumbled.
"Whoa Whoa! That's way too much!" Arisa and Alexandra said.
"Hmm...3 then. One per person." Amir said and Claude grinned.
"Deal. That's on your end though. What about Arisa and Alexandra?" He said and Alexandra smiled shyly.
"You...already gave me this hair pin...so...I'm perfectly fine." She said.
Arisa, Sothis and Amir were so going to tease her later.
"What?! That was a gift! Come on, name your price. And you can't say no." Claude smirked, and Alexandra pouted.
"Fine...umm... then...how about...magic books related to water and ice magic?" She said.
"Access to the library. Got it." He nodded and turned to Arisa.
"So, how about you? What do you want?" He smiled.
"Access to the forbidden section." She smiled and Claude felt he just triggered a walking bomb.
Son of a gun...somehow he knew her request was going to come back and bite him. What's more, she's at the age required in order to read those books. He still has 3 years left.
"Alright then." He walked up to her and reached out his hand, "I'm Claude von Reigan. Nice to meet you Teach." He smiled at her.
Arisa stared at him and patted his head with a soft smile, shocking him.
"I know that smile doesn't reach your eyes." She said and Claude stiffened as she shook his hand.
"Arisa Byleth Reus Eisner, mercenary and future Professor. Nice to meet you little prince." She grinned.
"Wait, why little prince?" He asked but internally he was panicking.
"Because you remind me of the Prince of Persia. He's a character from a book I love reading." She grinned.
The next 2 two months, Claude and the girls trained together and taught him lessons. Judith at times would silently watch the training sessions and couldn't help but smile as she saw how much happier Claude was. Even if Arisa showed no mercy when she would teach. Of course, the girls still had their jobs as mercenaries and found a balance between their lessons with Claude and the group.
But...what no one in all Fodlan knew...that the most history changing event was going to happen on The Verdant Moon: August: Arisa's and Sothis's birthday month.
- August: Verdant Moon: Day 13: Enbarr -
With violet eyes, humming as she drew in her journal, the young girl smiled a bit satisfied as she looked at the drawing of rose in her hands. With her brown hair tied with purple ribbons, and a new red dress, the young girl smiled. She wore low heels and white tights to go nicely with her dress.
Knock knock.
"Come in!" She quickly closed her journal and let go of a sigh of relief when she saw it was her older brother.
"Chris! You scared me!" The girl glared at the young boy who was older than her by 5 years.
"Sorry Edelgard! Just came to get you. Remember? Today is the Holy Blessing." A young boy with brown hair, wore a white suite, which unfortunately was uncomfortable and would gladly rip it off if he could.
Edelgard smiled at her 12-year-old older brother as she walked up to him to fix his tie.
"Thank you." He sighed and she grinned.
"Are the others also ready?" She said.
"Yup. Dad and Mom decided we're going to watch an opera before coming back. Thankfully it's early in the morning and the Holy Blessings isn't till night!" Chris grinned to his little sister.
"Are we watching the legendary Songstress Manuela?" She asked excitedly.
"Hell, Yeah we are!" Chirs said and heard a cough.
"I advise you..." dark slick black hair that covered his right eye, and revealed his left light green colored eye, glared at the boy, "Not to use that language in front of Lady Edelgard, Lord Chris." He wore a white button up shirt with black pants and shows.
Of course, on his waist, was a sword.
Chirs sighed and turned to him, with a smile.
"Now, Hubert." He smiled to the 10-year-old boy that took his damn job too seriously, "Let loose a bit. Besides, my baby sister doesn't mind." He said.
"Hell, yeah I don't!" Edelgard said back and Hubert looked ready to beat down Chris while the said Lord was internally crying.
He was going to get a yelling from his uncle if he learns the language Edelgard is learning from him.
"El... umm...could you not say that when Hubert or Mom, Dad, uncle, or nobles are present? Just between us and our siblings please?" Chris said.
"Alright..." she pouted as the three began to leave the room.
"I'm hoping something interesting happens today."
Chapter 16: Twilight: Crest of The Hanged Man: End
[ - ]
BLOODY HELL! This chapter is the deepest I ever went into researching Crest Lore, Tarot cards, medicine and then throw in some of my own stuff. The Next Chapter will be shifting from the girls to a new environment. Yes, we'll finally seeing Edelgard but also, a brand-new OC of mine that will be appearing in the next time skip. Now, Edelgard before everything went down in 1176, had 10 siblings, which made it perfect for me to add more to the story!
You guys won't be seeing the next chapter unfortunately till I am done with my finals in a week. I also wish everyone who are taking finals also good luck.
Fun fact: All the Crest have a representation of the Major Arcana cards.
Crest of Aubin: The Hanged Man
Crest of Flames: The World
See where I'm going? ;3