"They're gone...All...three of them..."
Jeralt remained silent as he and the students that had managed to escape under the bridge sat around a fire. The knights and clerics had set up what little was left to treat the wounded as well as give rations to people. Chris hung his head as he delivered the news to Jeralt. Dimitri sat with his lance in his arms, the right side of his face bandaged as his sister had her coat removed and had her chest wrapped in bandages. Bodies that were recovered were buried and given small funerals. Right now, under the bridge was where the refugee camp was. The Agarthans and Imperial soldiers were still scouting the area in search of people but only found massacred corpses. The Battle of Garreg Mach was one of the bloodiest anyone had ever seen. Both sides suffered great losses but the appearances of the undead warriors given the titles DeadLord and the appearance of the ancient enemy no ever thought they would again. An enemy that waited 1000 years to return.
"Seteth." Seteth looked up from where he sat and saw it was Catherine and Alois, "We searched all around...no survivors. We...also found this." Alois handed him an emerald-colored stone with The Crest of Serios.
"...Thank you." The former Saint whispered as the two knights nodded and went to tend the others.
"The Imperial Army is still searching to take hostages but I doubt there are any. I have never seen so many Baels. They are native to the desserts of Hydras and the mountains of the Empire. To think a beast tamer exists." Shamir muttered softly.
"We searched and it's confirmed. All the former Black Eagle students except Ferdinand and Dorothea were captured." Celica said and Ashe gritted his teeth, remembering how Bernadetta screamed as she reached out to him.
"We have carriages ready to take you all home," Crescent said as he walked out from the bridge.
"I'm sorry Jeralt..." Seteth whispered and the mercenary gritted his teeth, "No...you have nothing to apologize for." Jeralt said and looked over to the Blue Lions.
For a moment, Jeralt saw his old class that he taught back in his days. Tired looks on the student faces reminded him of when he first took his Blue Lions to their first battle. Rufus and Lambert, anger in their eyes as they were forced to cut down innocents. Durandal wailed up to the sky when their group had their first casualty. Rodrigue and Romea…injured. At that moment, Jeralt made his choice.
"Chris, I think we should part. I'll go with the Blue Lions to Fhirdiad." Jeralt as everyone looked at him shocked and Chris understood why.
"Got it." Chris said, "Rensen, go with the Golden Deer."
"Jeralt, what are you planning?" Rensen said and the mercenary sighed.
"I know if my daughter were here, she would have gone with her lions to keep them safe. Alexandra would have done the same with the Golden Deer and Amir with the Black Eagles. They care about you all." He said and Glenn was asking himself how the hell he was going to deliver the news to Zander about Amir's passing.
Knowing his friend, Zander was going to seek revenge. Especially when he learned Beleth joined the Empire.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you all but I got my first victim." Tharja's voice rang and the entire camp screamed at the sight of the Bael corpse she was dragging using magic, "Gregory, cut it to pieces for me. I need the poison sack." The woman said as she put it down.
"Tharja, why do you want me to do that? I'm currently a pissed-off man because my uncle was taken, hostage." Gregory said as he sat next to Manuela, "You know, I'm surprised you weren't taken, Manuela." He said and the woman glared at him.
"I was on the verge of being taken, but Seteth swooped in on time to save me." Manuela sighed, "But honestly, how is it that a wanted woman is here?" The songstress said as Tharja just smiled bitterly.
"Oh, the only reason I was wanted woman was that your Archbishop didn't approve of me making magical discoveries that could have helped Mages learn and bring out their full potential. Or what about Sophia here?" Sophia looked up from the medicine she was mixing, "Technically she should be an old woman since she went missing 45 years ago."
"I lived in the land of faeries for a good reason! And you know why my grandfather was executed by Rhea." Sophia huffed and went back to mixing medicines.
"Also!" She pointed to the stone Seteth was holding, "If Rhea was killed, that stone should have shattered. The fact that it remains intact means she is alive." She said and Flayn looked at her hopefully.
"We'll be going later down the ravine in hopes of finding the girls' bodies. Ashen Wolves, you're with me." Crescent said and Chris sighed, closing his eyes.
"I'll join you." Claude suddenly said and was about to stand up but was pushed back down by Rensen, who was close, Jeralt did the same to the prince.
"None of you are in the right state of mind. And I don't need you two to get historical on us." Jeralt said coldly, "I know you kids are blaming yourselves but stop it. Cry and grieve all you want. Let it out." He said and Claude his head, lips trembling as his shoulders shook.
The first tear fell, Hilda hugged him tightly, and the girl started crying. Soon it was followed by Dorothea who let out a sob and then Dwyer who crouched and hugged his knees. One by one the students broke, each one crying as they held each other. Flayn hung her head as Hai let her cry on her shoulder.
The rising sun of tomorrow had never looked so empty.
[—-]
The ravine where the girls fell was deep. The scent of water, mud, and mold was so strong to the point they were made to wear masks. Crescent used his magic to make balls of fire float around them to light up the place. The small creek ran down the ravines, they could see some luminous moss as well as frogs. It was interesting seeing fireflies but the glow they gave was light blue.
"This place just gives me the creeps." Hapi said as she walked over a few boulders, "Why did Saint Serios have to choose to build the academy in this place?" She grimaced seeing a few slugs.
"Because the mountain area makes it difficult for armies to attack. Why do you think it took nearly an entire month for The Empire to arrive?" Crescent said as he helped Marianne down some stones.
"I know this is sudden but...was that my ancestor Jose Gautier that we fought?" Sylvain said as Dominic let out a shuttered breath.
"...Necromancy." Dominic spoke up, "If that was Jose Gautier and Mila Lamine, then the enemy went to great lengths to use necromancy magic to bring them back to life." He said as he stopped and knelt to study some of the glowing mushrooms, "If I recall, Necromancy used to be used a lot back in the day." He said and stood up after picking some of the mushrooms.
"It was." Crescent said, "The Goddess only allowed necromancy to be used only if the soul of the deceased granted permission to the mage to use their body. However, as you already know, some used it for forbidden arts and used the dead to harm the living. The souls of those used without their consent suffered the consequences. Many became damned souls." He sighed he suddenly raised his hand, "Stop."
Corpses of the demonic beasts laid crushed by the boulders as well as some bodies of soldiers that fell. The scent was already horrible, making Constance gag even if they were wearing masks. Just when Dominic was going to take a step he heard something crunch under his boot. He moved his foot and knelt, seeing a dark purple-colored stone the size of a cardholder. Carefully he picked it up, confused by it, and put it in his pocket.
"That's odd..." Chris muttered as he carefully began to remove the stones, "Is it me or does anyone not sense any malice in this place? It feels...peaceful." He said as he noticed the glowing mushrooms.
"The bottom of ravines are said to be the resting places of spirits of the earth that have passed on. For now...let us remove these human bodies. I'll turn the demonic beast to dust." Crescent said and with a wave of his hand, they were dust.
One by one the boulders were moved as much as they could, the only bodies they found were of imperial soldiers but...
Constance gasped as she quickly dug faster using her hands and whimpered as she pulled out of the mud a pale green stone with The Crest of Flames engraved on it.
"That's!" Yuri said, "Dig! She might be under here along with Amir and Alexandra!" He said and they dug for almost two hours only to find the bracelet that was gifted to Amir by Zander and the deer hairpin that belong to Alexandra.
"That's it...No more bodies." Crescent muttered as they sat down, "I don't understand...we should have found their bodies. Even their relics but all we found were the dragon stone, a bracelet, and hairpin." He said and Chris let out a shuttered breath.
"Is it possible that the stream here may have washed their bodies away or worst-case scenario, something of the supernatural took them?" He said and Crescent snorted.
"I'll have contact Oberon then if that's the case." He sighed and stood up, "Let's go..."
[—-]
"There's too much at stake." Gregory said as he and the others were looking at the map of Fodlan, "Right now the best course of action is to make sure everyone returns home safely. But we need to know if this...Anacharis is someone we should look out for. Seteth, you know who they are." He said and the advisor let out a long sigh.
"I never thought I speak of that woman again." He said as Flayn stood close by him, "Many years ago, during The War of Heroes, there were once 10 sages that fought against Saint Serios, The Five Saints. Those 10 Sages were the cruelest beings of them all. They fought beside Nemesis when he was corrupted by the dark power of the heroes' relics. But the one who stood beside him and committed the most horrendous crimes against all life was a woman named...Anacharis. The other name you all know her by in the books is...The Arachnid of Nemesis." He said and Ferdinand quickly stood up.
"Wait?! As in, The Queen of Spiders?! I thought she was a myth?!" He said as the others stood up.
"You're not far from the name..." Flayn muttered, "She is...also the one responsible for the massacre of our family." She said and the image of her mother came through her mind.
"But why didn't she kill us?" Ashe said and Flayn let out a bitter laugh as his hands balled into fists.
"Because she enjoys watching us struggle. This war is like a chess game to her. It's entertainment. She doesn't care about anything or anyone. She would gladly sacrifice her people just to win the game." Flayn spat, the venom in her voice was unlike anything they had ever heard.
"If we think about," the group turned to see the group that went to the Ashen Wolves had returned, "what are some of the worst events that happened in history? Think about it." Chris said, "What if there was more to it?"
"Glad to see you guys back." Balthus said, "Did you guys find them?" Chris sighed and shook his head.
"We found Arisa's necklace." He said and held out the once bright green stone now muddled and with cracks, "and Amir's bracelet along with Alexandra's hairpin." He said as Constance walked up to Claude and handed him the hairpin.
"I'm sorry but this was all we could find..." The woman muttered as Claude smiled sadly as the hairpin was placed in his hand.
"I'm sorry we couldn't find anymore. The only bodies we found were of Imperial Soldiers. We buried them in a different area." Chris sighed and walked up to Dimitri, "Keep it with you."
"Wait...you're giving this to me? But this was Arisa's..." Dimitri whispered and Chris smiled sadly.
"I know. That's why I want you to hold onto it. Remember what she told you before?" He pointed to his heart, "Even if she is not here physically, she will always be with you there." He said Dimitri smiled bitterly.
"I hate it when you are right."
The carriages arrived one by one as the students got on. Jeralt nodded to Rensen as their group spilt, Sandana's team would go with him as Florencio's will remain with Jeralt.
"Alois, stay here with the rest. Chris, will you be fine on your way to the empire?" Jeralt said as he nodded, the Ashen Wolves except Sylvain, Sadi, Marianne, Yuri, and Hapi, were going with him. With the addition of Dorothea, Castor, Kama, and Ferdinand.
"The land of House Nuvelle will be the perfect hiding spot for us. It would not surprise me if Edelgard soon puts up wanted posters for us. Dad, Rensen, I'll see you all soon." He said and the three shook hands.
The group that would be going with Chris would be Balthus, Constance, Ferdinand, Dorothea, Gina, Kama, Dominic, and Castor. Pollux would stay with Crescent. The rest would return to their homes. Chris let out a sigh as he looked up to the sky, he only prayed that where ever his friends were, they were safe.
"Ignatz, wait." Flayn said, she had managed to sneak away from her father, "I...want you to have this." The girl shyly said as the archer looked at her worried.
Flayn gently placed a small stone in his hands with a string to use as a pendant. On it was engraved the Crest of Cethleann
"It's...a protection charm." The girl shyly fiddled with her fingers and those in the Golden Deer the carriage and a few of the Blue Lions also, all quickly went to the window to watch, "I...I hope it can protect you. B-Be safe out there!" Flayn said.
"Thank you...Flayn." Ignatz smiled softly, "Actually, I also have something for you. It's not much but I hope you like it." The boy said and handed her a small sketch journal.
"I…The professor showed me how to use her camera and during the year I took many pictures and did sketches. Um…Open it when you have time." He smiled softly.
"Okay, everyone starts placing their bets when they are going to hook up together," Hilda said as she held out her hand as Sylvain did the same with The Blue Lions.
"Not, bad Ignatz."
[—]
Bernadetta blinked, trying to clear her vision as she felt something warm being placed on her head. Warm, wet, squishy. She groaned, stirring and trying to sit up when she felt someone gently push her back. Her vision finally cleared and she gasped when she realized it was the head maid Erika, tending her.
"Erika?! What?! Where am I?!" The girl frantically looked around and the head maid tried to calm her down.
"Bernadetta, shhh! Shh! It's alright! I promise you are safe." Erika said and the girl looked at her confused and terrified.
"W-Why am I here? I-I remember I was fighting beside my professor and then there was bright light! We...We! Wait, what happened to my classmates?!" The girl screeched and jumped off her bed, ignoring her maid calling out to her.
The girl burst out of the room and panted and gasped for air, looking around frantically seeing the familiar antique walls of wood and the painting and vases that were displayed all around. Down the hallways, she ran, till she reached the stairs and slid down the rails, to the door she ran but...
"HALT!"
Two imperial knights suddenly crossed their lances in front of the door. Bernadetta looked at them shocked till they spoke.
"Bernadetta von Varley! You are under house arrest by order Her Imperial Majesty, Emperor Edelgard! You are forbidden to leave House Varley!" The Knight looked at her coldly.
"What?! You can't hold me back! Let me go!" Bernadetta's yelled, her emotions taking control, and water droplets formed in the air and turned into the shapes of arrows, aimed at the knights.
"What on- BERNADETTA CEASED YOUR SELF AT ONCE!" A woman's voice boomed and it was like all the anger the girl had suddenly evaporated, well, it did because the water arrows evaporated to smoke when the girl slowly turned around to see furious brown eyes looking at her.
"M-Mother?" The girl whimpered as Lady Vera Varley let go of a tried sigh and looked at her daughter with a tried expression.
Lady Vera was a brown-haired woman with brown colored eyes and wore a black tunic with a fur coat, her hair tied in a bun. Bernadetta noticed that her mother didn't look sickly or pale as the last time she saw her.
"Bernie, my dear, please. It's alright." The old woman said as she walked down the stairs, "I assure you are fine. Emperor Edelgard has decided to put you under house arrest. Not just you, but your fellow Black Eagles as well. All of them, except Ferdinand unfortunately, has been returned home and will be staying there until further notice. Even Professor Hanneman and Doctor Robert are under house arrest." The woman said as she arrived down.
"What? M-Mother, what is going on? How are you feeling better? W-Wha?" The girl said as her mother walked up to her and carefully steered her away from the soldiers.
"Thank Doctor Robert. The man is a miracle worker. Now, Frederick has some tea and scones for us so we can speak calmly and I can explain the situation to you." Lady Vera led her to the kitchen and had her sit down at the table.
Mint tea, cookies, scones, and milk were set for them to enjoy as they spoke.
"Now dear, I know you are confused so I am going to explain this as best as I can." Lady Vera said as their butler poured them tea, "It has been one week since Emperor Edelgard declared war. You have been asleep that entire week. As of now, Garreg Mach is under the control of The Empire." She explained slowly, "The Emperor has decided to show mercy by placing you and your classmates under house arrest. You are not allowed to step one foot outside the manor." She said her daughter was stunned.
"Is...father here also?" The girl asked and the woman shook her head.
"Your father was sent The Narrows along with Count Aegir. Count Vestra has passed away and the rest of the counts as well as me, are supporting the Emperor. Original, Duchess Marry, Count Urs, and Duke Chevalier were not going to support the Emperor but...other methods were used to change their minds." The woman said as she picked up her cup and took a sip of her tea.
"What happened to my professor...?"
"Professor Hanneman? He's under house arrest." Lady Vera said and her expression turned to confusion as her daughter shook her head.
"No, Mother. I mean, what happened to Professor Arisa?" Bernadetta said and the duchess slowly put her cup down, trying to form words but they felt stuck in her throat.
"Bernie...dear...There is no easy way to say this but..." Lady Vera took a deep breath and then spoke, "I'm sorry but...Lady Byleth was killed during the invasion of Garreg Mach."
At that moment, Bernadetta's heart shattered.
"W-What about Professor Amir and Professor Alexandra?! Or Professor Christian?!" Bernadetta said and the woman again sighed.
"I'm a sorry sweetheart but Professor Amir and Alexandra have also passed away. They were killed during the invasion. However, Professor Christian is a wanted man and is being hunted down. As Ferdinand, they are looking for him to put him under house arrest." Lady Vera explained as Bernadetta buried her face in her hands and cried.
"Why...Why...Why does this keep to us? First Uncle Reines, then Florencio, now...all of them..." the girl sobbed as his mother looked at her sadly, "Mother, please! I can't stay here! I have to go!" She begged but the woman shook her head.
"No dear. You will not. Especially after witnessing firsthand now that you have inherited the powers of your ancestors, Saint Mona. Bernadetta, you are allowed to walk around Varley County as well as the mansion but you are not allowed to leave Varley Territory at all. The Emperor's General, Hubert, has placed guards all around to make sure you do not set one foot outside. You raised your hand against the Emperor. Be happy that this is the mercy Edelgard is giving you and your friends." Lady Vera said as her daughter sobbed.
The girl stood up and ran to her room, slamming the door shut. Lady Vera sighed.
"It just had to be war..."
[—]
"I'll the join the Empire."
Sylvain choked on the apple he was eating as Jeralt raised an eyebrow as everyone looked at Ashe like he had gone mad.
"Let me explain." Ashe said as he raised his hand, "Right now, I'm worried about Petra as well as the well being my family since Gaspard Territory is close to the Empire. It would not surprise me that as of now, Imperial Soldiers are on their way. However, Edelgard is not an idiot and would most likely try to force the nobles to join her cause. I'm saying, let's take advantage of my distrust of the church to join the Empire and gain information on them. But also...hopefully free my people and friend." Ashe explained and Jeralt couldn't help but laugh.
"Well, I'll be!" Jeralt's voice could be heard from outside the carriage, "Amir and Arisa taught you well in spy work! I'm going to assume that friend of yours named Ignatz is in on it as well." He said and the surprise guest the joined them, Leonie, grinned.
"Not just them! Alexandra had spoken to us before about wanting to start a spy network for us. Earlier in the year we were confused but looking back, maybe she was preparing us for a situation like this." Leonie said with a nod as she rode her horse.
"Heads up!l" Ares yelled from above, "We'll be reaching Gaspard Territory in a few hours! Who is getting off here?!" He yelled.
"Sigh...that would be me," Ashe muttered as the carriage stopped along with the other wagon that the Pegasus and wyverns were in.
"Kor!" Ashe yelled and a green wyvern flew out of the wagon and landed next to him.
"Ashe, will you be alright? Are you sure you want to do this?" Dimitri said and the archer smiled meekly.
"To be honest, I'm scared. But it's for you all and my family, I would anything to protect you all. I think I now under The Professor's words." Ashe said and Dimitri pressed his lips together.
"I'll stick with him for now." Leonie said, "Jeralt, you fine with that?" The mercenary nodded.
"Be careful you two. Feh, stay with him." The white owl hooted and flew over, landing on his head.
"Wait, speaking of animals, what happened to Falco, Blanca, Hessian, Hersvelg, Puka, and Red Hare?" Dimitri said and Jeralt remained silent.
They remembered that when they were running, Hubert tried to have Falco, the two wolves, Puka, and Red Hare captured but the wyvern, fox, wolves, and Pegasus broke free and disappeared. The cat was in Abyss, being taken care of by Hapi. Dimitri was hurt that Hessian was not by his side but he understood why his partner left. It was to protect his mate.
"I don't know...Alexandra and Arisa always allowed Falco to be free. It's the same with Puka. The fact that all three of them, have disappeared...sigh...I guess they were that loyal to their masters." Jeralt sighed as he looked up to the sky, "We'll keep an eye out for them."
"I'll see you all soon hopefully. And Your Highness," Ashe said to Dimitri, "I hope your correlation goes well."
"...I do too."
[—]
"Claude, thank goodness you made it!" Claude was taken by surprise when Judith ran to him and hugged him tightly as well as hugged the rest of the Golden Deer, "I'm glad you all made it. We were worried sick." Judith said as she quickly had them all come into the Reigan manor.
"Jeralt sent me a letter and told everything." Judith sighed, "I'm sorry you lose everyone."
"Thank you, Judith." Claude whispered, "I know this is sudden but how is my grandfather?"
"The old man is still well. For now, there will be a meeting held at The Roundtable about what will be done. Hilda, Marianna, Lorenz, and Selkie, all you must attend as well." Judith said taking the four by surprise.
"I understand the others but me?!" Selkie said as the woman sighed.
"It's your father..." the kitsune looked alarmed, "He has come to report that the imperial army spies have been trying to get into the Fodlan mountains and recruit them." Now everyone looked alarmed.
"Of course, your father rejected them but looks like things are getting worse." She said and everyone quickly went to the meeting.
The Roundtable room was a disaster when the students entered. Raphael and Ignatz were also welcomed to join since they were part of the class but listening to the lords of the houses yelling back and forth while the ones like Count Edmond and Count Albrecht looked ready to throw themselves out the window, just made all the Golden Deer uncomfortable. Claude should be used to it but still, it was moments like these that made him wish he could run away. He looked around and noticed the head of the kitsune clan that lived near Goneril Territory was there with a frown.
"This is the Empire we are talking about as well as that cult that was finally confirmed to be responsible for the death of House Ordelia! The Alliance currently does not have the military power to against The Empire!" Lord Gloucester yelled.
"I say we fight them!" Lord Acheron yelled.
"Alright, enough!" Claude boomed silencing everyone in the room, "We will not be fighting against The Empire! And we most certainly will not start a fight we can not win! You do well to silence that mouth of your, Acheron." The man hissed, making them all look at him shocked.
Claude at that moment realized he needed to put everything in order.
"So the boy has finally arrived. Thank goodness you didn't come with that blue harlot. I swear." Acheron huffed and Claude's eyes for a moment flickered between his crest and normal ones.
"Oh." All eyes landed on the kitsune head, a man who looked no older than 25 but was older than he looked, "You must be Claude. Your grandfather has spoken of you to me as well as your mother." He said, "My name is Kaden, head of the kitsune clan."
The man stood up straight and continued to speak, enjoying the surprised look on Claude. His smile became coy as he place his hands on his chin.
"Just for a moment you nearly released the power of The Moon. Good thing you know how to control your temper or else the lord that insulted your woman would have been dust." Kaden chuckled as he saw how pale Acheron became, "But enough of that. I will only be here to deliver the news that Imperial forces have been trying to recruit people of the clans. Of course, all of them forced them to leave. We refuse to join your wars. But...the problem is that it is the Agarthans. I worry they made purposely try to kidnap or kill people of the clans to ensue a fight and force us to join." He explained with a grim expression.
At that moment, Claude took a deep breath and walked to the Roundtable, his whole demeanor changing, the role of a leader he needed to take charge of.
"As the Future leader of The Alliance, I won't let that happen." Claude said, "As the others said earlier, we do not have the military power to go against The Empire because their attack was sudden. For now, The Alliance will remain neutral." A few of the lords were about to yell but one look from Claude shut them up.
"Huh. Alright." Kaden said and turned to leave, "Selkie, let's go." He said and the girl looked at her worried.
"But dad...what about...What is going on in the Nohr mountains?" The girl said Kaden froze.
He looked at his daughter for a moment and then at Claude.
"Investigate the Fire of Black Flames. That's all." And away he teleported with his daughter.
Things were only going to be worse.
[—-]
"It was Sothis herself who forbade us from ever resurrecting her." Seteth said as Hai walked beside him, "Hai, you do not have to stay. You could return to Albinea if you need to." He said and the woman shook her head.
"No. While I only just learned that I have family, I can not just abandon you all. Fodlan and its people have its flaws but if it wasn't for Flayn and Arisa, I would have never met you all." The woman said, "To be honest...I thought I was the only dragon left." Hai muttered as they stopped.
"Father and Mother told me to watch over Albinea and that they would come back one day. I waited and waited. And waited for so long. I knew something horrible had happened beyond the sea so I didn't know what. I just kept waiting. I kept sleeping. Imagine to my surprise when I sensed the presence of not one but two dragons in my land." The woman chuckled fondly.
"I was scared and excited but I also sensed they were immature and needed a harsh lesson. So I put them through psychological trials." Seteth looked at her shocked, "They exceeded my expectations but..." she was silent for a moment be she continued.
"Do you know what an Outrealm Gate is?"
"I do." Seteth sighed, "The first versions of the Outrealm gates were built by the Agarthan but unfortunately had many flaws and they were destroyed by their creator. Though, at the same time, we have to thank the original creators because of the number of different creatures and cultures that came from beyond and now live here in this world. However, when Sothis arrived, she used her knowledge of beyond to build her version of the Outrealm gates around the lands. These gates served for people to travel between time and space. And to use them to evacuate people. But during the war...they were all destroyed by Agartha." Seteth explained as the woman nodded.
"But the one in Albinea survived and I was its guardian till months ago when it finally shattered." Hai said, the man looking at her surprised, "Seteth, did Rhea ever have contact with an Outworlder?" Ans the man sighed.
"Yes...her wife and brother-in-law. Both were from beyond the gates. I believe they hailed from a place called The World of Steel." He said and Hai pursed her lips...
"The Outrealm in Albinea was also nearly destroyed by war. However, it hung on by a thread. While nothing physical could pass through it, something of a spiritual means could. It activated three times." Hai explained.
"You are saying that there are Outwolders here?" Seteth said.
"Oh, I already met them. The cycle of reincarnation is a difficult one to explain. A soul who lived in another world and is reborn in another should not be able to have the memories of their past life. However, under rare conditions they do. But, there are also rare occasions where later in life they regain those memories. It could be something simple as a small injury. Or under extreme circumstances, those memories are forcefully regained. But, then there is also another, where the body of a different individual is given to the soul. The soul of the original either no longer wanted or live or was killed, or no longer wanted to be in their world. Or if the soul is too weak and the stronger soul is given the body. Thus, the soul of another is placed in it. But, there are times where the original soul of the body gives their body to another in exchange for something to be done for them before they pass on." Hair explained and Seteth was shocked to hear all this.
"Did Melusine and Xeno ever explain how they came to this world?"
"...They did. However, the timing of their arrival was different. Melusine arrived first. We found her during our attack in Fhirdiad many years ago when we retook it. Serios was on the verge of being attacked from behind when a woman wearing strange clothing suddenly jumped out from the allies and struck down the soldier. However, she ended up injured as the result. We could tell that the woman was foreign because she didn't know how to speak our language at the time." Seteth smiled sadly at the memories.
"Xeno though...he was found by Roman Reigan. Melusine didn't know her brother had also arrived in this world till 5 years later when they learned they were fighting on the opposite sides. Though Xeno was given the role of a doctor instead of a fighter. His lover and wife were Mila Lamine." He said and Hai narrowed her eyes.
"I know this is sudden but...I keep noticing Mila Lamine and Roman Reigan are mentioned quite a lot along with Uriel Blaiddyd. I've never met them but I was quick to notice how Rhea looked at Claude, Mercedes, Lestia as well Dimitri." Hai said as Seteth somewhat paled but sighed.
"It's best we change the subject..." Seteth said but Hai came up with another idea.
"Arisa's dragon stone." She said as the man raised an eyebrow, "What Sophia said is true. If a dragon died, its dragon stone would have shattered. But Arisa's dragon stone, despite being cracked, its bright green color became pale and did not turn to dust." She said and Seteth stopped.
"Are you implying that she...could still be alive?" Seteth said and the woman nodded.
"If Arisa did inherit the power of the goddess, that would mean that she must be asleep. And not just her, I noticed traces of life in Amir's and Alexandra's items as well." Hai said and both stopped in front of the door that led to the abyss.
— The Empire: Enbarr —
A group of guards was struggling to try to get the Archbishop to walk and even more despite being chained, managed to injure them. Still, Rhea's strength suddenly seemed to drain when they put on some sort of collar on her. Try as they might, they made past several hallways, and stairs till they reached the third floor of the castle and made their way down a hallway to a wooden door. Rhea Archbishop gritted her teeth and the guards yelled out, "Go! Go!"
"Let go of me!"
Rhea was pushed into a room and the door slammed shut. She gritted her teeth and looked around, blinking. She thought she was taken into a cell but the room itself was decent. It reminded her of her old room. Simple, a few sleeves with books as well as the window but it was barred, a table with a teapot as well as a bed with a nice bed and blankets. And...stuffed animals. But Rhea noticed the collar that was placed on her neck. As try as she might, it wouldn't come off. But most of all, there was a mirror in which she could look at herself. And a bathroom that had running water for her.
Rhea was so confused. She was a prisoner but they were treating her like a guest. She heard the door open and in came...she lunged but screamed when she was knocked back with a single push of wind magic.
"You can't use magic." Beleth said, "That collar you are wearing is the anti-magic collar. As of now, you are rendered to the strength of a normal human." He said and the woman chuckled darkly.
"How dare you show your face in front of me, traitor?" Rhea hissed and Beleth sighed.
"Nothing I say now you will listen but at least listen to what I have to say." He said and Rhea gritted her teeth, "All my life, I questioned who was I. You were always so protective of me and Sister Sistri to the point your relationship with sister was strained. It didn't help that you went ballistic when she snuck out. But also..." he took a deep breath, "why you refused to tell us of our origins." He said.
"M-Rhea, as of now, I will fight for the imperial army. But in exchange for my service, you will be kept safe. But also, to keep the Agarthans away from you. Or do you want Anacharis to get your hands on you?" He said and the woman snarled.
"Why? Is it because I sealed your memories? Do have an idea just how tormented you were? You couldn't sleep for days! You even skipped your meals! You were drowning yourself in your grief!" Rhea said and Beleth let go of another sigh.
"Looks like I am not going to get through to you." He said and turned towards the door, "A maid that I have specifically chosen will attend to you. You won't be able to leave this room and you won't be able to escape either. There is a barrier on the window to keep you from even trying to escape. I'll come by once a month to check on you. Goodbye." He said and Rhea ran but by the time she made it, the door had closed and locked.
"Beleth! Open the door! Beleth! BELETH YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" Rhea yelled as the chains around her hands disband she slammed them on the door, "Beleth! Beleth! Beleth...Ahhh..." Rhea cried as she slid down to the floor, her tears falling onto the floor, "Where did everything go wrong...?" The woman sobbed and cried loudly as she had her hands over her heart.
From outside, Beleth looked at the door with a sad gaze before turning away to head to The Emperor's room.
[—-]
The victory of the Adrestian Empire tasted bitter in Edelgard's mouth as she walked through the hallways of the castle. Now all that was left was to capture Fhirdiad and all will be set. Claude, Yuri, and Dimitri will not make it easy to conquer and unite Fodlan. No, Claude had already sent out an announcement that The Alliance would remain neutral. Yuri did the same thing. Beside her walked Hubert, who had an unreadable expression. Henry should have been with them but went to see his family make sure they were alright. Edelgard would never hurt Duchess Marry, Count Urus, and Chelivar, despite they did not support the Emperor, they tried to help her and her siblings. She will forever be grateful to them for saving the young child of ten, Henri. She asked herself what he little brother would think of her. In five years, he would be fifteen. He will no longer be a safeguarded child, but a young man.
What if he pointed his blade at her?
Her ear throbbed, the image of Mercedes's terrifying smile when she attacked her. She never expected Mercedes to be capable of such carnage. Her ear may be healed but the top part of the helix was gone. Edelgard sighed as she stopped at the door of the Emperor's office, and turned the knob, about to walk in but Hubert was suddenly standing in front of her, his hand raised, ready to attack. Edelgard looked over his shoulder and her gaze suddenly became cold as a familiar person sat on the chair of the Emperor and flipped a page of a book. The sun blazed behind through the windows yet they looked ominous. They stopped, and looked up, golden eyes gleamed as they closed the book. Hubert gritted his teeth.
"What are you doing here? No one is allowed in here but the Emperor!" Hubert hissed as Anacharis only smiled.
"Oh, it's you two. I was wondering when you come. I assume you were celebrating your victory again the Nabateans? Don't worry. You'll soon savor it." The woman said as the two came into the room, closing the door.
"We did not have a chance to meet properly. Those bugs kept interfering." Anacharis smiled as she intertwined her fingers, placed her elbows on the desk, and rest her chin on her fingers, smiling with a half-lidded gaze, "My name is Anacharis. The Sage of Purgatory and as of now, the new Queen of Agartha. Well, I have to be queen again. You'll be dealing with me now." She woman let out a small giggle as she did a closed-eyes smile.
"I see." Edelgard said as she pressed her lips together, "I am Edelgard von Hresvelg. Emperor of the Adrestian Empire and the one that will unite Fodlan and tear down the false goddess and this damn crest system." Her introduction was colder than she anticipated.
Anacharis burst into a fit of laughter and licked her lips, grinning with a smile that just looked wrong.
"Oh, I like you." The General said, "I must say, Thales underestimated you. You are smarter than you look. Of course," she closed her eyes and opened the book she was reading, "all my fellow generals except Chilon, Odesse, and Bias know not to underestimate humans. You are very much capable of the most despicable things. It's a beautiful thing." She said and Edelgard gritted her teeth.
"What do you want, Your Majesty?"
"Ew." Anacharis scrunched her nose, "Thales and Pittacus are into humans calling them that. Not me. Just Anacharis is fine. Or you could call me but the name of the original owner of this body, Claudia." She said and Edelgard suddenly felt rage but kept her composure.
"I will call you Anacharis." Edelgard kept her voice steady, "Now that you are here, perhaps we should speak about our plans in Agartha to help me win this war." She said and the woman giggled.
"Oh, by all means, I will help you. But there is something I want." The General said.
"We will speak after you tell me your reason and motivation for joining this fight." Edelgard sighed, she was tried.
"A motivation?" Anacharis said and burst out laughing at Edelgard's question, "Oh, darling why would I need a motivation to want the destruction of Nabateans?" She said and stood up from her seat.
"Tell me, little girl," she crouched just a bit as if she was talking to a child, "Do you know what a villain is?" She smiled.
"...Yes, I do. A character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot." Edelgard said and Anacharis grinned, "Why are you asking me this?"
"You see, dearie," The Agarathan general pointed to a book on the table, "Every story needs a villain. But why should every villain have a motivation?" She chuckled and stood up straight and walked to pick up the book.
"Since when do villains have to have a tragic background or a motive to seek the destruction of a person or place? Since when does a villain need to be a scoundrel, tyrant, wicked, and such? What makes a villain?" Anacharis turned to her with a gentle smile.
"You see, dearie. A villain can be anyone. The most benevolent person in the land in the eyes of another could be seen as a maniac that needs to be put down. A Saint may have a pretty face but deep inside they are a two-face fool who would anything to get whatever they want." She said and Edelgard flinched when the book was thrown into the fireplace.
"So once again, what makes a villain?" The general smiled as she walked up and placed her index finger on her lips, "The answer is simple."
"Anyone and anything can become a villain."
"Your darling, Professor is alive." Anacharis grinned as Hubert looked at her shocked, "Five years. In five years she will return along with those other two. I especially want to kill Cirina's descendant." She chuckled as she placed her hand on her chin.
"But I want to savior killing Sothis. As a fellow being who possesses The Crest of Flames, it's only natural I want to obtain that power." She chuckled.
"You...possess The Crest of Flames?" Edelgard's eyes widened as the woman only smiled coyly.
"Of course I do. However, unlike you, I obtained it by killing Sothis. I drank her blood and eat her flesh. The only thing I need is her heart. The crest stone I have on my relic is weak compared to the heart of a Nabatean. That woman..." She muttered, her gaze becoming neutral but the smile was still there.
"Seriously...how did Serios not notice that three Outworlders were right under her nose? The called Arisa, fascinating she is. I have never seen the soul of an Outworlder inhabit the body of one born from this world and fully be accepted." She whispered yet Edelgard heard her.
"Pardon, but you have lost me. What is an Outworlder?" The Emperor asked and the Agarthan general looked at her with an unreasonable expression.
"Let's just say...they are outsiders that can ruin you."
"...I'm going to make this very clear, Edelgard." Anacharis leaned forward, "I put this war on a stalemate if I were you. Despite two of the Outworlders being dead, one is still at large. The one called Chris, make sure to kill him or he will ruin everything you have ever worked for." She said coldly and left.
"By the way," Anacharis leaned her head back with a grin, "a lemon meringue pie was brought in earlier but I ate it. This body's original owner seems to like it." She said and walked away, closing the door.
Edelgard waited 10 minutes before she stormed over to the nearest vase and...
"ARREGHHHH!"
Smashes onto the floor.
"Lady Edelgard..."
"THAT'S MY SISTER'S BODY! HOW DARE SHE USE CLAUDIA'S BODY!"
Edelgard roared, panting and gasping for air, rage-filled every fiber of her body. The woman let out a pained scream into her hands, the smile of her beloved sister was now tainted by the image of Anacharis's smile. The smile, the face, was now nothing but pure evil. Edelgard gritted her teeth as she took deep breaths to calm herself. It had been a while since she felt such emotions. But one thing was clear...
"Hubert." Edelgard wiped her tears and looked out to the horizon, "Anacharis dies once we unite Fodlan. I will not allow my sister's image to be tainted in such a horrific way. Also, inform Henry and Beleth of what we learned today. If the professor, Amir, and Alexandra are alive, we need to find them, before the others do. Make sure this information does not leak. Do I make myself clear?" She said and Hubert bowed.
"Understood, Lady Edelgard." Hubert said, "Also...head to Fhirdiad. I have a feeling Cornelia is about to do something that I did not approve of above. Like with the Black Eagles, I want my sibling's captured alive." She said and narrowed her eyes at the fire where the book that was thrown turned to ash.
"I will start the search. There are some places I do believe may be possible that the Professor could be. However, Amir and Alexandra are different stories. I'll see if I could find any records of House Aubin the in the Royal Archives." He said and she nodded.
"Another thing," she said, "I want you to find information on Outworlders. Anacharis says they are outsiders...Chilon once said that the Professor was someone that should not exist. Look into Rhea's past as Serios...The names Melusine and Xeno...I have heard them before I don't remember where." She let a frustrated groan as she ran her fingers through her hair.
"Honestly, damn this war..."
— Alliance -
"Hmmm..." it had been a while since Inami had been to her Red Light district tea house in The Alliance.
The woman rolled on her blankets and pillows, looking at the crystal ball in her hand as she watched Claude get into another argument with the nobles of the Roundtable. It had now been a month since the declaration of the Emperor. The prince of Faerghus should be arriving at Fhirdiad in one more week and the Emperor had put a bounty on the heads of The Aegir boy and the one called Chris who she had yet to learn was her older brother. Inami was a dark skin beauty with long wavy brown hair that stopped at her knees, a small mole under her lip, and dark brown eyes. Gold hoop earrings she also wore as well as on her wrist were bracelets made of jade. Her brown eyes narrowed as she swiped left and the scene went to Count Reigan.
"The old man has at least one more year left. The Imperial year 1182, The Lone Moon he will pass away." The woman sighed and sat up, "Aaaaaaahhhhh! I need sleep! I swear to Indra and Parvati, I want to see my children! Ugh!" The woman grumbled as she picked up her cigarette in took a hard hit, "Khalid is a mess since his little Zarqa is dead now. Pity. Tiana would have loved to meet her." She said and let out a small breath as she put her cigarette in her ashtray, "Time to sleep."
She closed her eyes, feeling herself doze off. Unaware that a certain spirit had come to see her. Crimson blue eyes looked at her with a void gaze as they floated down. The water in the cup began to freeze yet the spirit cupped her cheeks before placing its lips on hers.
— Dream -
Inami knew she was in a dream.
That was her role as a seer.
To dream.
To see a vision.
But she never knew if it was from the past or future. Dreams were always mysterious things. They could be a warning of impending doom, or merely show her information that would help her solve a problem that was missing something. Or whatever anything was. But the dream Inami was having was...very different. No, different would be an understatement. People dressed in strange clothing, buildings bigger and higher than she had ever seen. Devices that could move on the wheels make strange black material and metal. Music was blasting everywhere and signs that changed colors, lit up, and even the letters changed were all around. Before she could even comprehend, she spotted a woman with crimson hair tied in a pony, yet her honey-colored eyes were dull. She was sitting near some sort of cafe, dressed in those strange clothing that looked similar to a tuxedo but was styled for a woman. She had her legs crossed as her fingers moved quickly on a strange device. Her eyes seemed to darken as she was looking at the words and the strange glass screen.
"Yo! Theresa! Been a while!"
The woman looked up and smiled seeing a young man with tan skin, spiky brown hair, brown eyes, and wearing a coat with the number 58, a t-shirt under it, and black pants with shoes with laces. The man sat down and grinned, the drink in hand, it looked like an iced coffee.
"Christian, look at you!" The woman couldn't help but chuckle as the two stood up and hugged, "All grown up! How old are you now? Last time I saw you was when you were 16." Theresa said as the young man laughed and both sat down again.
"It's been six years. It hasn't been the same since you've moved away." Christian said as the woman gave him an apologetic smile.
"I know...I hope you can understand my reasons for leaving." She said and he nodded, "But onto a different subject. What the hell are you doing here in New York?!" She said and the man smirked.
"Internship. I'm working as an engineer here. Add that with my side major in politics, and my YouTube channel in music, and it's the full schedule. But today is my day off, I never expected to see you again. How have you been?" Christian said and the woman smiled softly.
"A lot of work. I'm a Medical Examiner. Add that to me also being a layer, well things get hectic." She said as she picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip.
The scene suddenly changed to the red-haired woman but this time she was in a dark place, standing alone in the light. But 10 feet from her sat a man wearing a full-body cloak, sitting on a throne. In his hands had a chess piece but he merely placed it down in front of the small table.
"I refuse." Theresa spat coldly, "I'm not about to become your agent or whatever you are!" She snarled and the man smiled.
"Then I'll make you a deal. I'll take you to where your friend Arisa is." He said and the woman froze.
"Don't you dare bring her name up!" The woman roared and lunged at him but all he did was stand up, and grab her arm before making her sit on his throne.
He slammed his hands on the side, caging her, fear filling every fiber of her body.
"I wasn't finished." The man said, "Your friend Arisa was allowed to live once again. But she is all alone...adapting. Lost. So is your friend Christian? Oh but now that I think about it, that's not the only reason you left your home. Your friend Sophia and Iris. Dead. Your friend Unique, is dead. Your friend Edith with her brother is dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Everyone but you and Christian is gone." He said as the woman gritted her teeth.
"What do you want...?" She whispered and the man sighed.
"—-—"
Whatever the man said, Inami couldn't hear but all she saw was Theresa look at the man in shock before she hung her head.
"...Alright."
The darkness changed once more and before she stood the spirit that attacked her months ago.
"Imperial Moon 1183 on the 31st of The Blue Sea moon. Go to the Frost Forest and take The Zarqa away."
Just when she was going forward, the dream abruptly ended.
[—]
Inami stirred, slowly opening her eyes as she sat up, and heard a gasp. She turned her head to see Mahatma and...
"Aye, what the hell are you doing here Zoya?" Inami grumbled, Zoya was her maid, "I thought you were back in Almyra?" The woman muttered as her maid quickly ran to her bed to help her out.
"My apologies, Lady Inami! I came to deliver the urgent message! It's about your brother, The First Prince!" She said and Inami was wide awake as she was handed a letter and scrambled to open it.
She read the contents and said the vilest curses in her mother tongue. She gritted her teeth as she kicked her brother out and had her maid help her dress.
"It just had to be now I have to return to Almyra." The woman hissed as she was finished and walked out of her room, "Mahatma!"
She was dressed in a kaftan long sleeve black dress with gold embroidery. Wrapped around her waist, was a light purple band, a kuntush sash, said to ward off bad luck.
"Yes?" Her brother said, "You're going to be here in The Alliance, correct?" He nodded.
Mahatma was a man with a bit of muscle, around the same body type as Dimitri. He had dark tan skin like Claude, but black hair that he kept tied as a braid. He had golden-colored eyes and wore a dark blue tunic that slants on his left side, and black boots with burgundy stripes. He wears two gold earrings. On his waist, he wore a similar sash as Inami but his was colored red.
"Investigate The Frost Forest and lookup an information on the warrior named Cirina." She said.
"You had a vision, didn't you, my lady?" Zoya said, "Your eyes were glowing for a bit before they returned to normal." Inami snorted with a smirk as she went to a table.
She grabbed a piece of paper, her quill, and a wax seal.
"It seems, Balthus, now owes me my favor. Oh, this is perfect timing."
- With Chris -
Balthus shivered as it suddenly felt like some bad omen was about to fall upon him.
"You alright?" Chris said as he and the others stopped for a moment.
"Yeah just...I just felt a shiver go down my spine." He said and felt Kaimu snore on his back, "Remind me again why Jeralt said to bring the two kids with us?" He said as Ferdinand was carrying Jaden in his arms.
"I told him to leave them in Abyss but the kids would give Elder Bara a heart attack and Crescent is not good with kids. So, they'll be with us." He said as the others understood.
"You know, now that we're somewhat alone, was that Rhea and Crescent turning into...dragons? Did you know about it?" Dorothea said as all eyes were suddenly on Chris, who sighed.
"Yes. I knew from the very beginning. Even before I met Rhea." He said as the other looked at him with unreadable gazes, "I...knew that dragons and the Agarthans existed. But also, it's why Arisa, Amir, Alexandra and I did everything we could...I guess you could say, we were in a secret war against the church and them. We wanted people to be aware of what was going on because the goddess would speak to us through dreams." He muttered and subconsciously placed his hand over his eyepatch.
"So from what I follow, as the chosen ones of The Goddess, you four had to be careful to not be discovered by the church but also the Agarthans. If it was discovered by Rhea that you four were blessed, she would have restricted your freedom. The worst-case scenario would be similar to what happened to Lord Lonato's son." Constance said as Chris nodded.
"And considering how obsessed she was with your sister...Bbbrrrr." Castor shivered, "I don't want to think about it."
"We should keep w—Ulp!" Gina suddenly covered her mouth, feeling nauseous, "One moment..." she walked away and to the farthest bush where she proceeded to...vomit.
"Uuuuuurrggghhh!" Chris went to check on her while Dorothea, Constance along with Pollux raised eyebrows, "Are you alright? Do you need to sit down?" He said as he gently rubbed her back.
"I'll be fine...We should be reaching Nuvelle Territory tonight.
[—]
The forest of Nuvelle Territory had overgrown so much that it nearly felt like a jungle. Trees that were never cut and trimmed their branches grew out so much. Bushes just grew in huge numbers and this meant the number of mosquitoes increased. Chris just pulled out an empty perfume bottom that was filled with his homemade mosquito repellent and sprayed it on himself.
"Here! Spray this on!" Chris said as he handed the bottle first to Constance, "It's a homemade repellent. Mosquitoes hate it." He said and the woman began to spray it one and the bottle was passed around.
"Huh...So they hate lavender." Dorothea said as she noticed how the bugs weren't coming near them anymore and knelt to gently spray the kids, "Alright, arms up." She cooed and they did just that.
"There it is..." Constance muttered as she walked towards the edge of the forest hill, "The Manor of Nuvelle..." the girl muttered softly as she looked at the old structure.
Memories of the past resurfacing, she gritted her teeth, hand trembling and for a moment, the Crest of Noa flickered in her eyes, the grass at the bottom of her feet whithered away. Carefully everyone went down, walking past what were once houses that were reduced to dust during the war between Dagda and Brigid. The more they walked, Ferdinand flinched seeing an old skeleton that was buried in the dirt and made sure to steer away from the boys. Closer they reached the old mansion and Chris told them to stop. He walked to the corner of the mansion that was covered in leaves and moved them, revealing a wooden door that he made.
"I do remember you and the Professor saying that you both found a hidden space here," Constance said as he carefully opened the door.
"Alright, everyone in."
Down the old stone staircase they went, Chris made sure to put the bush disguises back. Constance could not believe her eyes as she looked around the place, it was a small mansion that had been built underneath. The place was cleaned, the old blankets were replaced with new ones along with the fireplace was restored. There were at least eight rooms. Two were as workshops, four were bedrooms that began enough for five people in each, one room was built with a hot spring and bathroom, and the last room was like a library with a kitchen.
"Took four years but the gang and I made sure to repair this place. Think of it as a secret base. All the items that were originally here, except the blankets, were cleaned and restored." Chris explained as Gina went to show everyone where they were sleeping.
"Are you alright?" Chris asked and Constance smiled bitterly as she looked to the ground.
"Apologies...it's just...I remember my mother would tell my brother and me about a secret base and that when we were older, she would show it to us. Now I understand. This is what she wanted to show me." She muttered and Chris smiled sadly as he patted her head.
"I'll help you restore House Nuvelle." He said as she gave a small nod, "For now, go wash up. Arisa and I built an extra room for the bathroom. Don't worry, it's split. She and I are fond of hot springs. Not too big but you all will like it." He said as Constance nodded and went with the others to their rooms.
Chris let out a sigh as he sat on the couch. He was about to take on a huge responsibility. His spies he has yet to communicate with because he wanted them to be completely cleared first before he made a move. Nuvelle Territory thankfully is seen as abandoned but it won't be long till Edelgard set her eyes on the land. No...the General Anacharis. Chris had never even once heard of her in the game, she was a complete mystery and what was terrifying was how she knew what Arisa was. But the worst part was...
"How dare she use Claudia's..."
The man gritted his teeth, he wanted to punch something.
"Big brother?" Chris snapped out of it and saw it was Jaden and Kaimu, looking at him worried.
"When...Will sisters be back?" How was he supposed to explain to two children that his friends were "dead" that was gone and not coming back for a long time?
"Sisters...had to go on a trip. We have to wait." That was the most he could say.
The way the boys looked like they wilted made his heart hurt. For, all he could do was hug them tightly and pray that everything would be alright.
- Abyss -
"All Agarthans that had infiltrated are dead. It took a while but I managed." Xina said as she walked into the classroom, her armor covered in blood as she removed her dark knight helmet, "I never knew an Exile was here in Abyss." She said and the old man, Iso, from the shop, chuckled.
"I have not seen you in a long time..." Crescent muttered as he sat in the shop with the old man, "So this is the man you told me about, Pollux."
"Oh, so that is your new name." Iso chuckled as the young man smiled shyly, "Alright then, might as well remove my spell." Iso waved his hand and the color of his eyes changed to gold with silver with specks of black, "Yes, I am an Exile."
"This whole time...You've been here. I thought you were dead. How are you still alive?" Crescent said as Seteth and Flayn remained silent in their seats.
"Medicine. It's good to see you again, Lord Crescent. Like the day I swore to you, I have been watching over the people of Abyss since that day. I helped the survivors and those that wished to leave Fodlan, I helped them escape along with my people. And...your son, he lived." Iso said and Crescent froze.
"Ceaser lived?" Seteth was shocked to hear this as well as Flayn, "Is he...?"
"I'm sorry my friend but your boy is no longer in this world. He left...passing through the last Outrealm gate." Iso explained as Crescent smiled bitterly, "After you left Fodlan, I searched through the bodies of those we lost. Your son managed barely to survive and with my wife's help, we nurse him back to health. But the damage was done. He had lost his memories and chose to leave Fodlan altogether. I'm sorry but I could not stop him." Iso said as Crescent took deep breaths and nodded.
"It's alright...I understand. But...did he ever say where he chose to leave?"
"I believe it was a place called The World of Steel."
[—]
"How do you think things are going to be from now on?" Hapi said she and Yuri walked out of Abyss and to the courtyard of the academy.
"I don't know..." Yuri muttered, "But one thing for sure, knowing Chris, he is not going to sit back." He said as Hapi nodded.
"I would not surprise me that a fight will ensue soon." Hapi said and then stopped, looking around, "Is it me or are...none of the buildings except the cathedral destroyed? Not even bandits are here..." She said as Yuri looked around.
She was right. The building that should have been destroyed by the attack still looked the same as if they were never touched. Doors were still one piece, never broken in and even some of the faries had returned to the place like before.
"What is going on...?"
[—]
Deep in the ravine, late at night, the winds began to pick up and howl. Wolves gathered together in a pack, led by a black wolf, and his mate, a white wolf. From the mountain of Zanado, the giant red pegasus stood on top of hills, with their herd. The Giant Black Wyvern that flew to the frozen forest flew up on a pillar of ice. In the forest of Aubin Territory where a lake of black mud and dark magic formed, a fox looked up to the sky. And finally, the white cat sat near the pound of the academy, surrounded by spirits and fairies. The moment the clock struck the witches' hours, they all unleashed their howls, roars, and cries. Those with Crest suddenly felt a shift in the sir but didn't know what it was…
A body should not be at the bottom of the ravine, yet something moved where there were no eyes. The first thing that happened was a ripple in the water, its surface slowly turning black before something began to reach out of it. The black mud began to take form, first, it took on the form of a stick and it began to form small branches and soon those branches looked like fingers. The arm that reached out suddenly balled into a fist and slammed its hand onto the ground.
Pulling itself out of the mud and crawling out, a humanoid figure emerged and remained crouched for a moment before it stood up. It stood still and looked back to the water, watching freeze before shattering. The shattered ice began to form into a gust and flew around it before it left in the direction of the east. The black figure of mud...began to walk and disappeared into the shadows as a single speck of light formed and disappeared like candlelight.
At the same time in Nuvelle Territory, Chris looked up to the sky from the hill and narrowed his eye before hissing, feeling a sharp pain in his covered left eye.
Yet...
He grinned.
"Ha...Alright then. I'll wait."
[-]
(Welcome to The Mid Arc: Paths Woven by The Damned)
[-]
Three Hopes is coming soon.