— Days Later -
Your hands, I only think yours
Could fix what's broken in me
Dimitri and Lestia didn't know how many days it had been since they had escaped. They all decided to jump off the bridge and into the river. The currents washed them away, farther and farther till they were all finally able to swim to land. They gasped for air, trying to catch their breath as Dedue and Sadi helped Kay and Sara. Yet, even though it was short, the two siblings couldn't help but hug and cry tears of joy that they had made it out alive but...
Bubump
"Ulp!" Dimitri suddenly sucked in his breath and let go of his sister, staggering back as his heart rate suddenly skyrocketed.
He clutched his heart, the pain suddenly spreading around his chest area like a wildfire, and his veins bulging and spreading like tree roots. He could hear muffled voices calling out to him as he kept taking steps back. His vision started to become blurred and started to see black and white spots. Then it happened. His cheeks puffed the state of iron overwhelmed his mouth.
"BRRUGGHHH!"
Still, he remained as he stared at the blood on the ground. He slowly looked up to his sister, his vision out of focus as all he could see was a shocked face. Her expression slowly morphed to one of horror and screamed, running towards him as he fell.
"Dimitri!"
"Your majesty!"
They ran to the king that fell onto his knees, covered in his one blood. His entire body stung as if he was struck by lightning. His lungs burned, it felt like he couldn't breathe. His blood pressure and heart rate, felt like his body was on fire. Dimitri screamed as he was held down by Dedue and Kay. Lestia and Sara worked quickly to rip open his shirt to check for injuries but Lestia covered her mouth in horror seeing the giant purple-blue bruises on his chest over his heart. The girl fell to her knees as Sadi used Heal on him, trying to smooth his pain.
Yet, questions raced through Lestia's mind. Why did her brother have the same bruises as their professor? What was that power that he unleashed that saved and freed them all? Why did everything happen to them? Lestia wept as her brother finally fell unconscious and was hugged by Sara.
"Shhh...Sh..." the consort said as she tried to comfort her.
"I don't want him to die..." the girl wept as Sadi was doing everything she could to heal him.
"Dimitri...don't you dare die on us." Sadi hissed as beads of sweat dripped down her face.
The prince's chest rose slowly yet his eyes opened a bit, he could feel his consciousness fading away again but blinked seeing a ghost-like figure hovering over him. Their hands reached out to him and cupped his cheeks and leaned in, their lips hovering over his.
"It's okay...I'm here..."
The voice...he recognized it.
To have you, then lose you
I remember those buried, forgotten memories
—- Dream -
This time there was no darkness but a snow-white forest that he recognized. This time he walked as he continued forward, the snow falling softly as he let out a small puff of air, watching it turn to mist. But the forest he recognized, was near Blaiddyd territory. But, suddenly running past him was a child holding a bunch of winter radishes in their arms. He followed them as they ran towards a camp and went straight towards a tent. The child removed their hood and it revealed it was Arisa, the one he knew with forest-colored hair, shaking her head.
"Brrrrr! Pa, I'm back! I got winter radishes!" She yelled and Dimitri noticed she looked about 13 years old.
"Nice job, kiddo." Jeralt said as he sat near the fire at the center of the tent with Sandana carving a piece of wood and Florencio was writing in a journal, "Where are Amir and Alexandra?"
"Amir is with Ares. I'll go look for Alex." She said and Jeralt nodded as the girl ran out, "Be careful out there!" He yelled out.
"I will!" Arisa called out as she ran to the forest and looked around.
Around an hour passed before she finally found her friend near the lake but Alexandra was hiding behind the bushes, watching with a distant look on her face. Arisa carefully sneaked closer and manifesting before her was a young girl with pointed ears, spiky long dark green colored hair with golden blue regalia with gold ornaments and pink white ribbons tied into her hair.
"Psst. Alex." Arisa cupped her left hand over her mouth and whispered to her friend, "Hey!"
Alexandra nearly screamed had Arisa not covered her mouth and another spirit had not manifested itself. A pale-skinned woman with a white frilled dress with specks of blood. Her hair was sickly blue and she had crimson slit eyes.
"Don't scare me like that." Alexandra hissed and looked back to the lake, "I was practicing my magic and managed to freeze the ice over the lake. It's about 25 feet deep." The girl smiled proudly while Arisa and the green-haired spirit felt sorry for the fish.
"Yeah, yeah." The sickly pale one said in an annoyed tone, "But look at the children skating. Do they look familiar?" She smirked and enjoyed how Arisa flinched.
"Come on, Felix!" A young Dimitri laughed as he spun on the ice as Felix clung to him, "This is fun!"
"No, it's not!" Felix cried as Ingrid began skating fast and then jumped, doing splits in the air and then landing on one foot.
"Nice job, Ingrid!" Sylvain yelled and looked at Dwyer and then at the boy clinging to him, "Hey, Ivar...how are you holding on?" He said, his eyes looking at the boy worried.
Dimitri recognized the tan-skinned boy that clung to his friend. In 1169, Margrave Gautier brought back a young boy from Sreng who was offered as a prisoner to House Gautier to broker peace. Dimitri knew how scared the boy was and Sylvain in an attempt to try and help him learned the language of Sreng. Naturally, he, Felix, Ingrid, Glenn, Zander, and Dwyer all joined in to help him study and make the boy at least feel welcomed. Add that Lady Regina was also offered as a bride to his father (he rejected) and his uncle took her as his consort, things were somewhat tense. Regina came four years before the Ivar. So, it was natural that the boy gravitated to Regina. What surprised everyone was how he got along well with Emily.
But why did Arisa flinch seeing them?
"We should go..." Arisa whispered as the green spirit looked at her sadly but nodded.
"Guilty as always I see." The pale one snickered making the girl stop, "Don't hide it. I know you erased their memories. Poor little Arisa. Guilty as charged. After all, you're an O—"
"SHUT UP!" Roared Arisa and gasped suddenly when the ice began to crack.
The children began to scream and the ice under their feet cracked. Dimitri and Arisa screamed and lunged themselves at them before suddenly, the world turned black and white. The prince was stunned as he watched him and his friends come out of the ice, the ice healing itself as if the cracks never happened, till it reached the point again where Arisa had her back turned to Alexandra and the spirit.
"Poor Arisa. Guilty as charged." The scene repeated once again but this time, "After all you're a—hey...Are you crying?" The spirit looked at her shocked but Alexandra understood.
"Arisa...did something happen to them?" Alexandra whispered as she carefully walked up to her and the girl looked at the ground with eyes wide, tears falling as her lip quivered.
"Okay...let's go. Are you in pain from using Time Pulse?" Arisa shook her head, "Okay. Let's go back." Alexandra said and gently took her hand, leading them back to the direction of the camp.
But Arisa stopped for a moment and looked back to the lake before turning back to her friend and whispered, "Hey...Alex.."
"Hm?"
"Do you...sometimes wish you were born...normal?"
"I don't understand."
"Like...in our...previous home." She said and Alexandra's grip tightened just a bit in her hands.
"...I do." Alexandra whispered, "Sometimes I wish I was born without a crest. But...we're alive...we're Outworlders. We're parasites and at the same time, we are not. We have to live, not just for our sake...but...to end the story the way we want." The girl said Arisa smiled bitterly as they continued to walk.
"But...aren't I a danger to everyone?" Arisa thought as she looked at her friend and then back to the lake where she saw the others playing, "I wish...I wasn't a coward." Arisa muttered as she reached out her hand towards them but pulled back.
How, long has it been? I see the stars shifting
I hear the void caressing my loneliness in silence.
- End of Dream -
"I've been asleep for three days?" Dimitri muttered as he ate the roasted bear meat Dedue made from killing a bear.
"I thought we were going to lose you," Lestia said as Kay nodded as well as Sara.
"Right now," Kay said as he placed the map he snatched onto the floor, "We're in a cave near the river of Galatea territory. Unfortunately, we are deep in the mountains and have no way to head to the County of Galatea. But...if we continue to follow the river, we should be able to reach Daphnel Territory. I know Dame Judith would be able to help us. I knew her from my younger days being taught by Jeralt and Sandana." The former Knight said as the king nodded.
"How long will it take us to reach there?" Sadi asked and Sara's voice rang in their minds, "Seven days."
"Seven days..." Dimitri then hissed, feeling the pain all over his body again, "Ugh..."
"Dimitri...What was that power?" Lestia muttered as she held her hands close to the fire, "Brother, you have the strength of 100 men but what you showed tearing apart those men dressed in black...was different." She kept her gaze on the fire.
"I don't know..." Dimitri's voice was barely a whisper but she could hear him, "All I wanted was for all of us to escape that hell hole. I remember I heard a voice and it told me to unleash the power of...it called my crest...The Grim Blood Rune." He said and suddenly hissed as he felt his right eye socket stinging and his body was in pain.
"Didn't Hai mention before that in the past, Crest were once called Blood Runes?" She said as Sadi moved a bit closer to the prince to use some healing magic.
"I believe the Professor also mentioned something similar." Dedue said as he picked up a log and threw it in the fire, "Your Majesty, I know it is not my place to say this but you avoid using such power again. The Professor...sigh. You have seen what it does to her." The man muttered as the image of their Professor grinning at them even if she clutched her chest in pain.
The silence around them only felt suffocating as the only sounds they could hear were the summer winds. They needed to get to the Daphnel Territory. Once they make it, they would be safe. Sadi carefully readjusted the bandages on Dimitri's right side before she moved on to the princess.
"Cornelia most likely has sent more assassins after us." Dimitri muttered as his gaze fell onto the lance and armor he managed to snag before they escaped, "I want to kill them and make her find the bodies."
"As much as I would love to join you, we can't." Lestia sighed, "You're suffering from a missing eye and body pain. I have a broken left arm and multiple cut wounds from the experiments done on me. Dedue and Sadi need to get to Duscur." Dimitri clicked his teeth but nodded.
"We should head out on the first sunrise." The prince muttered as the others nodded.
Dimitri couldn't sleep and noticed Kay was away, sitting near the entrance of the cave and keeping watch. Dimitri carefully stood up and walked towards him, the knight turned and smiled, nodding to welcome him to sit down.
"How's your body doing?" Kay asked as Dimitri sighed and smiled bitterly.
"In the words of my professor...hell," Dimitri said and Kay couldn't help but snort.
"You've gotten bolder, boy. It's been nearly a year since you and I talked. How's Ashe doing?" He asked and Dimitri smirked sadly.
"He's doing well. He offered to join the Empire to act as a spy for us...and..." he gulped, "Hopefully to be able to free a few classmates of ours." He said as Kay smiled bitterly.
"Sigh...No wonder Lonato wanted him to inherit the Lance of Baldr. Ashe has grown into a fine young man. You're a lucky one, your majesty. You have people that love you." The old man said and Dimitri smiled bitterly.
"Do I deserve to be loved?" Dimitri whispered and Kay sighed, his gaze sad as he looked up to the moon.
"Your father used to say the same thing." The knight said and Dimitri looked at him shocked, "Jeralt never did tell you how your parents met, did they?" He said and the king shook his head, "Let this old man enlighten you." Kay chuckled.
"Your mother was known as a wild child. Demeter was originally from a noble house that used to be the Royal Families' seamstresses, and the house was part of Enid Territory. But over time, the house fell. Her parents passed away during the famine wave of that time when she was 13. And her uncle was a cruel man that brought the house to ruin. He originally planned to sell her off had she not saved Lady Cira's life." He said and noticed Lestia had woken up at some point to join them but remained silent.
Dimitri and Lestia were never told much about their mother growing up. Zander's memories were blurred because he was young when she passed away. They knew what she looked like due to the royal portraits. A short black-haired woman with a single streak of dark blue hair, brown-colored eyes, slightly tan skin because she was a huntress, and a small scar on her neck that she took pride in. Their father would describe her as a fierce warrior who had a sailor's tongue but was the gentlest woman when it came to children, animals, and plants.
Rufus describes her as a woman who drank like a fish, looked like a grudge when she tried to smile, and always had a scowl on her face. The three siblings never forgot when their father in uncle got into a fist fight over that comment. As funny as it was because no one got injured, Lestia being young she was, asked if they remembered their mother's favorite drink.
"Chamomile tea." Rufus answered and their father, "Sreng Gin."
The next day Lestia had snuck into the kitchen and during dinner time had brought out the Sreng Gin bottle happily saying, "Let's all drink mom's favorite drink!"
It was safe to say both Rufus and Lambert had heart attacks that day. Thankfully the Elder Maid had managed to quickly get the bottle back and hide it somewhere it could only be found by the adults.
"Cira was on the verge of being killed by a demonic beast when suddenly from the sky fell a young girl and plunged her lance into the skull of the beast. She held on as it trashed around and kept pushing the lance in till finally, the beast fell to the ground and died, turning to dust, leaving behind a red stone. That girl was your mother. She had been living in the woods after running away from her uncle. Cira at first thought she was a commoner and took her in. Then being a doctor, she had the girl take a blood test and learned who she was. From there, Cira learn Demeter's story and decided to adopt her." But Kay raised a finger, "Only, if she passed her exam."
"I remember Emily said something similar." Lestia suddenly spoke making Dimitri jump, placing his hand over his chest to calm his racing heart, "Sorry, I took the opportunity." The girl smirked at his glare.
"But back to our mom, Emily did mention that Lady Cira had her take a test." She said and the Knight nodded.
"It's a tradition that has been held since the founding of the Kingdom and The Father of Holy Magus, Xeno would do. To take an exam to prove your knowledge and wisdom will be used to save lives and not greed. Your mother drowned herself in books for six months, doing everything she could to practice, study, and memorize everything she learned. When the exam came, she passed it with flying colors. I remember how much she broke into tears after learning the results of her exam." Kay chuckled softly as he remembered the girl.
"Time passed, and she grew. The manor your mother used to live in is still Enid territory but it's abandoned and your father had not allowed anyone into that territory and would have servants go to have it maintained. It was when she was pregnant with you two that she decided to visit the place. She wanted to have it fixed so that when she and your father retired from their duties, they could live peacefully in the countryside." The man smiled sadly as the twins listened.
"Was it still maintained over the years? Even...after father passed?" Dimitri muttered and Kay nodded.
"Your aunts. Despite their differences, all four in honor of the late king and queen chose to maintain it." Kay said and the group noticed the sun was rising, "Ah, we've been up all night."
"It's fine." Dimitri said as he heard Dedue, Sadi, and Sara stir, "Sir Kay...thank you for telling us about our mother." He said and the Knight smiled.
"Of course."
[—]
From far away, Tiago watched as the group walked through the forest and made their way towards the alliance. The man remained silent as he let out a heavy sigh and turned to see someone's warp a few feet from him.
"59...I never thought I see you again." He said as he turned and the young man narrowed his eyes at him.
"I go by Castor now. What are you doing here, Tiago? I thought you are with your master?" Castor said and Tiago smiled under his mask.
"I hate Cleobulus. But I hate my grandfather more. I'm the child of an Agarthan and Exile. Took a lot to hide my mother's origins and my eyes. But, can The Steel Dragon, guarantee the safety of my clan?" He said and Castor reminded silent for a moment before he spoke.
"Only you, your little cousins, mother, father, and sister are left. We can help you." Castor said and Tiago snorted.
"I'll believe it when I see it."
"He isn't lying."
Both quickly turned to see a certain dark mage walk their way. They removed their hood and Castor was shocked to see Hubert.
"Hubert? What are you doing here? Didn't The Puppet tell you that if they find you out, they would nuke your place?" Castor said and Hubert glared but took a deep breath before he spoke.
"It's Her Majesty, not Puppet. You do well to correct yourself. You do realize you and your sister are branded traitors of Agartha? You are being called, Exiles." The mage smiled and Castor smirked.
"I'm an Homonculus. Also, you didn't know that there's a power struggle going on in Agartha right?" Castor said as Tiago sighed, "My people...The people of Agartha are doomed if Anacharis remains queen. She will not hesitate to kill everyone and display their heads to show what happens to those that defy her. Do you think Thales was bad? That Spider is worse than hell." Never before had Hubert seen Castor so enraged.
When he first met the boy along with his sister, they were nothing but emotionless assassins who killed when ordered to. Now...they were more human. Hubert's lips twitched then spoke.
"Let's make a deal..."
It speaks changes, a different direction
A new world has begun
[—]
So close...they were so close to reaching safety.
Seven days it has been since they had escaped Fhirdiad.
They crossed the borders and arrived at the alliance camp. The soldiers there were shocked and pointed their blades but seeing the state they were in, they allowed them to enter. Kay said who he was and that he knew Judith. Of course, he remained quiet about who the three were only saying that they were refugees that had managed to escape Faerghus. It didn't take long for Judith to arrive when she heard that her old teacher was alive. She sprinted down the road with her horse when she arrived at camp, she was told of the situation. She walked to the tent where they were and entered, her eyes widening.
"I'll be! Kay and Sara!" Judith said as she walked into the tent and the two smiled seeing her as she walked up to them and hugged them tightly, "Oh, thank the goddess!" She said as she let go of them, "How?! What happened?!"
"It's a long story..." Sara's voice suddenly rang in her mind and the three looked over to the beds to see Dimitri, Lestia, Dedue, and Sadi, all four of them knocked out and sound asleep.
Kay and Sara explained everything that happened as well as Judith informed them what had happened during the month they were pronounced dead. Emily had sealed away Zoltra and Kalsana territory to protect her people. Zander had returned to Aubin Territory and was preparing to create a resistance against Cornelia. But most of all, the news spread quickly that seven days ago Fhirdiad was attacked by a dragon. But Judith was horrified to learn what was done to them and especially the king and princess. But what's more that Dedue and Sadi saved them without informing anyone of their actions.
"Apologies...This is just..." Judith covered her mouth as she sat across from them, her elbows resting on her thighs as she leaned forward a bit, "Oh gods...Clara..." the woman closed her eyes painfully.
The adults didn't even get to say anymore when the tent burst open they turned, seeing Claude, his hair disaster, and behind him was Hilda and Lorenz.
"Boy, what are you doing here?!" Judith stood and the chaos cause the four former academy students to either scream or abruptly sit up, frantically looking around till their eyes landed on the other group.
"Oh...It's...Wait, Claude what ar—" Dimitri didn't get to finish when Claude suddenly was in front of him and hugged him tightly.
"Thank the Goddess...you're alive." Claude said, his voice strained as Dimitri smiled sadly and nodded, "I'm alive."
Hilda had run up to Lestia and Sadi, hugging them both while Lorenz...didn't know exactly what to but he and Dedue nodded, small smiles exchanged.
"Gods, you four look horrible." Hilda chuckled as she wiped her tears, "A good thing Edward is here at the camp. He'll be here shortly to check on you six." The girl said and once more the tent flap opened in and came to the doctor.
"Make that now."
Edward didn't hesitate to kick everyone out except the patients that he was treating. He first checked on Sara, because the others begged for her to be checked first. What surprised the doctor was that they were all treated before and at an expertise level. Lestia explained to him that a mage in the lab would always treat all the prisoner's wounds and was the one that would take care of them after Cornelia's horrible experiments. What Lestia kept to herself was that Tiago would always whisper a sorry to them. He never once took part in the experiments, instead, he did what he could to heal them and make things a bit easier for them. He was also the one that healed Dimitri's right eye and Sara's mouth.
"Sigh...your magic veins are damaged but nothing irreversible. Take these for two weeks, you'll heal just fine." Edward said as he handed Lestia a small bottle of green pills, "But...the scars on your arms will be permanent." He sighed as the princess smiled bitterly.
"What about my hair?"
"Your hair turns gray or white from a loss of melanin, a pigment-producing component that produces melanocyte cells. These make up your natural hair and skin color. The less melanin you have, the lighter your hair color. Gray hair has minimal melanin, while white has none." Edward said as he moved on Dimitri and check his good eye, "A new study shows that stress really can give you gray hair. Researchers found that the body's fight-or-flight response plays a key role in turning hair gray. Your hair color is determined by pigment-producing cells called melanocytes." He explained the two just looked at him confused till again he sighed.
"It means if you are under a lot of stress or as you grow older, you will get white hair." He said and the two nodded in understanding, "But you will be resting this entire month so your hair color should turn back to its original color in a few weeks. Hair dye is also an option." Edwards said as she pointed to the small basket of jars with different color hair dyes in them.
"Now, you." Edward had Dimitri extend his right hand and cringed seeing the cracked scars on it, "You have your nerves damaged. Open and close your hand for me." He said and Dimitri did and also flexed his fingers, "Alright, I'm not going to lie to you. The damage to the nerves of your right arm is severe. It would not surprise me if you develop Firebone in the future." He said and Dimitri smiled bitterly.
Emily had explained to him and his sister that Firebone was a condition that was the inflammation of one or more joints, causing pain and stiffness that can worsen with age. All main houses of Fodlan had records of people developing the condition at the early ages of 30-35. And few developed it even earlier due to sicknesses and diseases. It can be treated by not being cured.
"As for the bruises..." Edward used his stethoscope on his chest and back to check his heartbeat, "Your heart is fine thankfully but..." he stared at the bruise that was healing.
"But what?" Dimitri said as Lestia looked up worried.
"Did Florencio ever tell you kids about how those with crest have different unique abilities?" He said and the twins nodded, "But did he tell the other houses?" They shook their heads, "Claude! Hilda! Lorenz! Dedue! Sadi! Get in here!"
The group came in, wondering if they were in trouble till Edward motioned them to sit down. Edward let go of a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose before he smiled bitterly.
"Usually, this a talk your parents would be telling you but seeing how the majority of your parents, I mean Claude, Hilda, and Lorenz, specifically," the trio looked at him offended, "have chosen to remain quiet, as now the only Holy Magus, it's my job to educate you all about your crest," Edward said as he waved his hand to create a projection of board with the main crest drawn on it.
"Let's start with The Crest of Fraldarius." Edward said and pointed to the crest, "Those born with the crest of Fldurius can subconsciously create an invisible Sheild over people. If they learn to control this power, they could protect entire armies. However, only one person ever truly unleashed that power, and that Kyphon von Fraldarius. But with such power, repercussions came. Kyphon developed horrible bruises on his legs because that power gave him incredible speed, allowing him to become a blur in battle. They were similar to the ones you currently have Dimitri. And the same ones...Arisa had." He said as Dimitri placed his hand over his heart.
"Next, the Crest of Indech. Only three people have been recorded to unleash the power of water. Saint Mona. Leonardo Davinci Varley, Simon von Varley. Now...Bernadetta." He said as they gulped, "However, unlike Kypon, they enter into magic comatose for about a few days, week, month, or two to heal from the use of magic. The reason for this is that this power is connected to their emotions. And we all know just how dangerous our emotions can get. How many days was Bernadetta asleep?" He asked and Lestia spoke up.
"A week." They all said and Edward nodded.
"Now..." his gaze stopped right a Lorenz, "Lorenz, did you ever have a strange moment where you felt...different strange?" He said and the young man thought for a moment.
"As of now, nothing comes to mind," Lorenz said and the doctor narrowed his eyes.
"Okay, let me rephrase it. Has there ever been a moment in your life, where you felt your senses heightened? Or just, you know how to do things even though you never touched such a thing before?" He said and again Lorenz thought before his eyes went wide.
"Yes...Yes. When I was 15! I never once held an axe before but I knew how to perfectly throw one! Hilda, you remember when we were trying that year when you destroyed your training axe?" He said and Hilda's face darkened, "Uh...I immediately knew how to fix it even though no one ever taught me!"
"Nice save," Claude whispered as Hilda huffed and looked away.
"Okay, good. The Crest of Gloucester allows its host to learn skills quicker and have a strong affinity to wind magic. It's why that Gloucester is known as a skilled craftsman. It's a pity your father never chose to learn the art of crafting. He would have been a wonderful inventor." Edward sighed as Lorenz had a strained smile on his face while Claude, Hilda, and Lestia had their cheeks puffed out to not laugh.
"I could go onto whole details about each crest but doing that would take too long. So I'm going to finish this lesson explaining the Crest of Goneril, Reigan, Blaiddyd, and Timotheos." Edward said as a few flinched.
"Let's move on Goneril." He said as Hilda sucked in her breath, "The superhuman strength of Goneril is only second to the strength of the Crest of Blaiddyd."
"WHAT?!" Hilda screeched as Dimitri looked at her surprised, "YOU'RE SAYING THE TWINS' STRENGTH IS AT WHOLE OTHER LEVEL?!" The twins were too stunned to speak.
"I'm not finished." Edward sighed as he crossed his arms and had Hilda sit back down, "Those that have been able to truly unlock that power are, Athena von Goneril during the Crescent Moon war along with her brother, Touko von Goneril. Slammed their feet and hands into the ground and tore out pieces, lunging them into the air before jumping and crashing into the ground, obligating battalions. And in the current time, Holst has shown signs of unleashing that power when he protects Fodlan's Throat." He explained and noticed Hilda looking spooked, "You're showing signs as well. However, unlike Holst, you already have full control of your strength. Good job." The doctor nodded in approval as Hilda looked at her hands, terrified.
"I think I understand how you feel, Dimitri..." Hilda whispered as Lorenz patted her back.
"Now, onto the Crest of Reigan." Claude and Lestia gulped as Edward narrowed his eyes, "Claude, what do you feel when you look at the stars?" The archer blinked, confused.
"I feel...calm. During the night I like to lay down on the roof and search for constellations and name them." Lestia snorted and whispered "Nerd." Dimitri told her to shut up, "But...I feel like...I move faster during the night. Like I can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste better during the night." Claude explained as Edward smiled because Emily's said the same thing.
"Sounds about right. Those born with the Crest of Reigan are often called Nocturnal Humans because they are born with senses similar to bats. You can see in the night but your eyesight is similar to a hawk." Edward explained as Claude bit his lip.
"Does...that explain why I can instantly taste if something is poisonous?" Claude said and Edward froze for a moment before he shook his head.
"No. Only those with The Crest of Aubin can taste poison and eat it. It's why people of the Crest of Aubin were known as the family of poisons because they could eat poison and not be affect them at all." He said as everyone was shocked to hear this.
"...Did you and Alexandra have s-"
"NO!" Claude yelled so loudly that made everyone cover their ears in pain, "Cough! Sorry! Sorry! And no! We weren't even at that level of intimacy!" He said, his face just becoming hotter every second.
Dedue, Lorenz, and Edward just gave him looks of disappointment and relief, the same look they would give to Sylvain. The girls were just giggling.
"Okay. Did she ever use magic on you? Like healing spell...or..." he held his chin and thought, "Were you ever given a piece of ice to eat? One created by her?" Edward said and Dedue spoke up.
"It was during a training session. Alexandra had frozen the healing potions for us and used magic to make them taste sweet. After that...we ate the potions like popsicles." Dedue explained as Edward nodded.
"But we still can't taste poisons. How come only Claude can?" Sadi said as Edward remained silent.
"...Do you...have an item she gifted you?" Edwards said and Claude nodded, pulling his sleeve down to reveal the bracelet she gifted him years ago, "I see." He smiled softly, "She imbued it with her tears to protect you." He said and Claude looked at him confused.
"No. I'm not explaining more. Now, onto the Crest of Timotheos." He said and Sadi gulped, "You're what people call a Beast Tamer. The ability to speak to animals and summon them at your command to aid you. But you could also hear the voices of the shadows. Amir would be better explaining this but you and Hapi should be able to learn to control those abilities. I assume Amir was teaching you both during the year?" Sadi nodded and Edward smiled.
"Good. Now," Edward looked at Dimitri, "The Crest of Blaiddyd. Also, known as...The Grim Rune." He said as silence filled the room.
Edward waved his hand and the chart disintegrated, turning into something different. The Crest of Blaiddyd and surrounding it were six individuals, three females and three males, all wearing Faerghus-styled armor but the helmets were styled of that of a wolf head with fur caps.
"Uriel Blaiddyd. Loog Blaiddyd. Estella Blaiddyd. Cosmo Blaiddyd. Medusa Blaiddyd. And Lastly, Jubelian von Blaiddyd, your great aunt, your father's cousin. These are the people of the Blaiddyd household that have unlocked the true power of The Crest of Blaiddyd. All crest powers are linked to one's emotions but the Crest of Blaiddyd takes it a step further." He said held as he held out a magic crystal ball to Dimitri, "Touch it."
"Edward, you scaring me," Dimitri said but the doctor just smiled.
"I see Arisa raised a coward." He suddenly said as Dimitri looked at him shocked, "Can't even bring yourself to touch a magic tool? My...seems you to need to be taught a lesson." Dimitri's eyes darkened and snatched the thing out of his hands, but dropped it when it turned black and then it turned to dust.
The group just looked up to the doctor with so many questions running through their minds.
"I apologize for my words. I needed to get you angry to get confirmation."
"About what?"
"You have a small knack for anti-magic."
"Excuse me?" Dimitri gawked as the rest looked at him like he grew a second head.
"The power of The Crest of Blaiddyd stems from negative emotions. Anger. Rage. Regret. Guilt. Hatred. Sorrow and Despair. These are the main factors that your crest draws power from. The stronger and deeper those emotions are, the greater your power." Edward explained as he pointed to the crystal that was now dust, "Have you ever touched a magic tool and it disintegrated?"
"Yes...The chains that Rhea used on Arisa...and...The collars that were put on me, Lestia, and our aunt. All I wanted was for us to escape...and at that moment...I know you all may think I sound crazy when I say this. I already voiced this to my sister, Dedue and Sadi but...maybe you could understand better." Dimitri said as he subconsciously placed his hand over the small crest of flames marking.
"I heard a voice...It called itself...Erebus." He said as Edward looked at him shocked, "It even warned me about the power I was going to unleash..." he said as the doctor subconsciously placed his hand on his forehead, his bangs covering a scar.
"Big brother! Make it stop! Make this curse go away!"
Marianne's sorrowful scream when she was a child rang in his mind when the girl first unleashed the power of The Crest of The Beast. She was only 12 years old. Had Edward not stopped her...she would have hurt someone. They were grieving the loss of their adopted stepmother. The Crest of Maurice, its power like The Crest of Aubin, and Blaiddyd, its power stems from dark emotions.
"It was your first time using it." Edward said as he closed his eyes and made the projection go away, "Your ancestors and aunt also went through what you are currently going through now. Your father did show signs but he never did unleash it. If anything, his was only a minor awakening. Yours...likely is a full one. But you must be careful if you chose to use that power. As I said, its power stems from negative emotions. Should you fall into despair, that power could consume you and it will be very difficult to pull you out. The worst-case scenario...if you fall too deep...your family and friends will have to put you down." He said and Lestia abruptly sat up, furious as the feeling sunk into Dimitri like a sword stabbed into his back.
Claude was too stunned to speak as Lorenz and Hilda were horrified to hear such words.
"How could you say that?! No way in hell I would kill my brother!" Lestia roared and Edward smiled bitterly.
"No...Edward is right..." Dimitri smiled painfully as he clenched his fist, "If such a thing comes to pass...I hope you will be able to put me to rest..."
"...Okay." Claude whispered as he hung his head, "But, only as a last resort!" He said as they looked at him, "Dimitri, you're my cousin, friend, brother, and family. You are someone important to me and I will not allow you to fall. That's a promise." Claude said as Dimitri smiled sadly.
"Hold onto that promise." The prince said as Lestia hugged him, "I'm not going to let you stray. If you ever do, I'll smack you back to the right path." Dimitri couldn't help but chuckle hearing those words but nodded.
"By the way, it's getting late." Edward said as he moved the tent flap a bit to look outside, "I had my Mages prepare medical baths for you four, Kay, and Sara." He said and opened the tent to head out but stopped, "Your Highnesses, I'm glad you are both alive. I'm glad you are all alive and well..." Edward said as his head dropped a bit.
"Edward...what was the fate of my ancestors and aunt that unleashed that power?" Dimitri said and the doctor remained silent for a moment before he spoke.
"Uriel, Loog, and Jubelian Blaiddyd learned to master their powers but died at the early ages of 40. The other three...were amazing heroes, their heroic deeds written down in history but they were consumed by their darkness. Cosmo and Estella took their lives to protect everyone they loved before it was too late. As for Medusa...she had left Fodlan. Her fate is unknown." And with that, he left.
[—-]
A bath.
A meal.
A warm bed and clothing.
Something so simple made Dimitri appreciate life more. He was silent as he ate, listening to Hilda, Sadi, and Lestia chat away as Claude ate across from him but was looking at the letter he recently got.
"YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?!" Claude suddenly yelled as he got up from his seat and stormed out, "I'M GOING TO KILL HER WHEN I GET THE CHANCE!"
"What was that about?" Lestia said as everyone leaned forward to look towards where Claude stormed.
"I heard it's a friend of his. Some big-shot lady has been helping us. It's not Anna." Hilda said as Lorenz sighed.
"Whoever this woman is, she had done a good job getting on his nerves. You all should have seen how angry he was the other day before he just ran to the nearest lake and dove in." Lorenz chuckled as the twins just looked back to the tent flap and Claude slammed his hands on the table.
"Bad news. Looks like The Almyran Army is trying to invade Fodlan's Throat. I just got a message from House Goneril. The army is the biggest one we've ever seen and Holst needs more hands." Claude sighed as Lorenz stood up along with Hilda.
"I have no doubt my father has leaped into action, though I will likely be the one who ends up in the frontlines," Lorenz said as Hilda nodded.
"Why did it have to be now?" The woman groaned as Claude chuckled.
"They aren't attacking now. It's going to be in the morning."
"It's the same thing!"
"We'll join as well to help you all fight," Dimitri said as he, Lestia, Sadi, and Dedue got up but Claude shook his head.
"No." Claude said, "You all just got here a few hours ago and on just barely recovering. So, in Alexandra's words, No way in hell are you joining this battle! Got it?! And I'm abusing my authority for the first time, I'm saying this as the Leader of the Alliance, you six are under my protection and command. Understood?" That was the first time Claude had ever spoken with such authority and a cold voice.
But Claude knew he was doing it for their own good. It pained him to see the state his friends were in and he could tell they wanted to fight but it would only make things worse. Arisa always checked on them before they went to battle. If someone was injured, she had them rest and would make sure they did not train till they fully healed. The archer smiled bitterly.
"The Houses of the Roundtable are sending reinforcements as we speak. They'll be heading out to battle tomorrow. As for Hilda, Lorenz, Judith, Edward, and I, we'll be heading out immediately. The rest of the Golden Deer, minus Leonie and Dominic, will be heading to Fodlan's Throat." He said as Dimitri sighed.
"Be careful out there." Dimitri said and the two high five, "You all better come back alive."
"Of course, we will." Claude smirked, "Arisa would haunt me if I didn't." He said as he and the others headed out to the tent.
"Take care, everyone!" Hilda grinned and waved.
"If you all need any support, know that house Gloucester will help. Take care." Lorenz smiled and left with the group.
Dimitri smiled softly as he waved goodbye and sighed as he went to close the tent flap. Sara and Kay were in the tent next to them and Dedue and Sadi insisted on watching them. The four sat at their beds, silent.
"Edward said it would take a month to fully recover, so we're going to be here for a while. I'm kinda looking forward to it." Lestia said as she swung her legs like a child.
"It's best we all get some sleep. And your majesty's," Dedue said, "I'm glad you are okay." He smiled softly and they all went to sleep.
But Dimitri couldn't sleep.
He thought back to the lesson Edward gave them, regarding their crest. The power he unleashed...If he learned to control it, he could use it to help his family. But was such power really a good thing? His ancestors and aunt died at young ages and now thinking about it, Arisa was most likely in the same situation. But if he kept using that power and let his rage take control, it could ultimately lead to his demise but also his friends and family. Was such power really a blessing? He always feared his strength and knew what he was capable of. He knew how dangerous his mastery of Thorn could become. He knew what his thirst for revenge could lead to. But now finding out he had some affinity to use anti-magic scared him.
Anger. Rage. Regret. Guilt. Hatred. Sorrow and Despair.
All those emotions he kept bottling up for so long. All to maintain the image of a perfect prince...It was when he reunited with her that...so many things changed. Arisa showed him to be open. To share and speak about his feelings, and if he did not feel comfortable, he could write them down in a journal. There was one time he was just so angry that he held it in but her eyes always felt like they looked deep into his soul. She had taken him to the forest and just stood still, both standing near the lake.
"Go on. Scream."
He didn't understand at that moment till she explained it to him.
"Whenever I'm angry or frustrated, or even embarrassed, I have the urge to scream. I either go to the forest far away from where no one can hear me or scream my heart out. Cursing all I want even punching the ground. Or, I scream into my pillow and throw punches. So, go on."
Dimitri was hesitant at first but as the minutes pass, he began to speak his frustrations, grit his teeth, angry at how he almost drowned being made to swim in the icy waters of Faerghus in full armor, all for training. Or when Gustav made him wake up in the middle of the night to send him marching up the mountains, he nearly froze to death had he not been found by Glenn. He cursed and screamed, and punched, not hesitating to smash the ground with his fist. When he was done, he just dropped to his knees, panting and gasping for air, feeling like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Then he realized and remembered that Arisa was present.
"Feeling better?"
Dimitri couldn't help but break into a grin as she held out her hand for him to take.
"Yes."
But times have changed.
Time changes people.
Dimitri felt his eyes become heavy and droop, finally getting some proper sleep.
— The Next Day: Fodlan's Throat -
"So who exactly is this contact?" Lorenz said as he, Hilda, and Claude walked towards the fortress of Fodlan's Throat.
The Fortress of Fodlan's Throat, also known as Fodan's Locket, has protected Fodlan for hundreds of years since its foundation and has been maintained by House Goneril for over many generations. A giant stone wall fortress was built high to see the enemy. Wooden rope bridges were built wide and long, connecting from mountain to mountain to allow easy movement to the other side and rugged terrain and dense forest, making it different for the enemy to invade. Mages and archers were at each corner of the towers to keep watch. It was House Goneril's pride and joy. But what worried Claude was the one planning to invade.
They made their way inside the fort till they reached the stairs that led up to the second floor of the watch tower. There, General Holst stood with...oh no. Claude suddenly felt like his life was flashing before his eyes as his half-sister had a scowl on her face as...was Holst trying to flirt with her.
(Authour's notes: To learn more about Inami, please refer to Paralogue 3, in my book, Shards of Memories and Songs)
"As you can see, this is—" they heard the doors open and Inami turned to look at them.
The scowl quickly turned into a grin.
"Finally, you've arrived! If you were late by a minute I would hang this baffoon at the gates!" The woman said as she threw her hands in the air and made her way towards the trio, Hilda and Lorenz were confused and Holst looked dejected.
"Hereta (Fodlan name) good to see you again...Not," Claude said with a blank face and just remained like a frozen stone as Inami hugged him and rubbed her cheek on his.
"Look at you! You've grown taller after all these months! You're no longer as short as before! Oh, I think you are as tall as your Zarqa now!" She said with a grin as the woman let go of him and turned to look at Lorenz, "So this is the infamous Laylk of Gloucester. Hmm...Not bad. Just fix your hair and you can be a lady's man." Claude and Hilda quickly slapped their hands over their mouths.
Hilda was trying not to laugh. Claude tried not to gag. Lorenz was too stunned to speak as the woman turned to look back at Hilda...with a cold dark gaze. The pink-haired girl gulped and Claude noticed the hostility his sister was showing and got in between the two, his smile strained.
"Hereta! So about that information, you got ahold?" He said and the woman huffed before stepping back and speaking.
"The one leading the army is Prince Shahid with Nader. I swear to Parvati and Indra! That foolish bastard is going to suffer the wrath of The King of Almyra!" The woman flexes her fingers like claws as the fire burns in her eyes, "The King of Almyra specifically said to NOT attack Fodlan's Throat! But noooooooo! Prince Shahid is a cocky, arrogant son of bitch that is power-hungry!" She huffed as she crossed her arms and raised her index finger, "News must have spread of the turmoil going on at— Why are you all over there?" Inami stopped when she noticed that the trio except Holst had all backed away from her.
"Hahahaha! Looks like your spirit is a bit too much for them!" The man laughed but his face turned serious, "But what you just said is true. The fact that someone from the royal family is choosing to disobey their king is a huge deal. So, what do you think Claude? Any plans?" Holst said as the Reigan heir smirked as he walked back up to them.
"Isn't it obvious? We're going to give him a fight and make him regret invading us. Sending him back with his tail between his legs." Claude said but Inami smiled bitterly, "Will you be able to fight?" He asked her and the woman shook her head.
"Sigh. I wish Sandana was here. The woman always had some sort of rage unleashed when she help defend The Throat. Sigh...may her soul rest in peace in the afterlife." Holst said as Claude and Inami twitched.
"Holst...did you personally know Sandana?" Claude said as the General nodded.
"I did. She would pay a hearty amount of gold to buy the Almyran children and adults that were captured by House Goneril. She would cross the border with them and return them to their homes or search for any family members that were alive. As for children that didn't have any family to return to, I heard she met with a woman named Inami to create an orphanage for children there so they have a place to live." He said and Inami was stunned hearing this.
"Did she go by another name when she would cross to Almyra?" Claude said suddenly.
"Hmm...I think she would go by the name...Nasrin if I remember correctly." He said and suddenly Inami was stumbling back, looking as if she saw a ghost.
"Hereta! Are you alright?!" Claude said to her as the woman nodded her head, gulping as she ran her fingers through her hair.
"I'm fine. Just...surprise hearing this." The woman smiled weakly but Claude knew that looked in her eyes and she glanced at him.
That they would talk later about it.
[—-]
Claude knew his brother was brutal but the number of soldiers unleashed just baffled him. The fact that their father specifically said for Shahid to not invade and he disobeyed his orders, Claude could barely hide the wicked smile forming on his face as he covered his lips with his hands. Four arrows he fired at Shahid as the prince flew in the sky with his wyvern. Shahid had tan skin, and curly brown hair similar to his bit slight spiky-er. Dark green eyes wore the uniform of the Barbarossa Class and wore a golden circlet with gold coins. The prince circled, raising his axe but Claude wouldn't let him. How much he enjoyed the enraged face of his elder half-brother. Pride destroyed, defeated, the ultimate blow to his ego.
"I escape if I were you! You're not gonna like what comes next!" Claude said in a playful tone but the smirk he had made Shahid snarl as he flew his wyvern.
"You swine..." Shahid spat, "Turn that loathsome face from my sight!" He roared, pointing his axe towards him, "In every way, you remind me of my wretch of a brother!" He yelled before pulling the reins of his wyvern to fly higher into the sky.
"I will be the end of you one day. I promise you that!" Shahid roared and flew away as Claude slowly put his bow down.
"No. I will..." Claude said darkly before turning to see the Golden Deer running his way.
"Shouldn't we go after him?" Said Boey said as Claude shook his head, everyone watching as Shahid's figure became smaller.
"Nah. At the end of the day, he is still royalty. The last thing we need is some army tromping in here trying to avenge him, y'know?" Claude said as he turned to look back, letting out a tired sigh.
But a celebration of battle was not coming...
"CLAUDE!"
Claude turned along with his class, Judith running his way along with Holst and Inami. The three looked pale as if the life was sucked out of them.
"What's wrong?" Claude said as Judith looked at his class.
"We need to head to Daphnel immediately! The place is under attack!" Judith said and Claude suddenly felt his world crashing down hear that.
Claude waited for no one, roaring Zarha's name and jumping onto his wyvern. He pulled the reins, screaming "Yatir!", his wyvern unleashing a roar before speeding off.
He ignored the yells of his friends, scurrying to get on the riding units as fast as they could. Holst had to stay behind as well as Inami but Judith and Edward were right behind him. At that moment, the only words that kept repeating in his mind as he saw Dimitri, Lestia, Sadi, and Dedue's smiling faces, and Alexandra's fall...
"Please...Not again...I don't want to lose my friends again!"
[—-]
Wake up in a meaningless morning
End up in a mist-pale sleep
Fire.
Nothing but fire rained down on the military camp as Dimitri was on his knees, eyes wide, tears of blood falling, cuts and wounds had reopened as he roared into the sky. In his arms, was Sara with a hole through her chest, her eyes open, the void of life as she had a small smile, on her face. Gentle...you almost think she was sleeping if it wasn't for the blood that oozed down her lips. Dimitri panted, his breathing anguished, agonizing, rapid, and loud as he heard footsteps heading towards him and saw assassins and mages. But his eyes landed on the one mage that was responsible for killing Sara.
"Find the Princess and her dog! I'll personally be killing this one." Odesse said as the prince suddenly began to be surrounded by black smoke as he held tightly onto Sara's body, "It's over." Odesse smirked but…
Feeling resigned to the multidimensional
Where the changes in the galaxy
is not destined
to overlap outside the time and space
Screams suddenly filled the place and the mage roared as the acid was suddenly thrown onto the exposed part of his face. He screamed in agony as he rolled on the ground, trying to get it off before looking, only to see a torch thrown at him, his body engulfed in flames. The mage screamed and screamed, Dimitri was stunned by what had happened before he looked up to see Dedue, his clothing, and axe covered in blood.
"Dimitri, we need to leave!" Yelled Dedue and before Dimitri had a chance, he was picked up and swung over his shoulder.
"Wait, Sara! We can't leave her behind! Lestia! Sadi! Kay! Where are they?!" Yelled the prince as he reached out to the light of the flames, the body of his aunt getting farther away, "DEDUE PLEASE!"
"I'm sorry..." Dedue whispered and kept running till they were far enough but suddenly fell to the ground when he was hit by a magic blast from the east.
"Argh!" Dimitri yelled as he fall to the ground after a hard impact, looking into a waking nightmare.
"You bastard...You're just like Michelle!" As if his body was engulfed in flames, flesh and bone burning, Oddesse stood before them, enraged as he raised his hand but Dedue suddenly roared, lung in at him.
The dragon sigil in his pocket glowed brightly with the Crest of Blaiddyd as he wrested with the mage, not caring his skin was burning. The fire was spreading through the forest at a rapid pace. Dimitri managed to grab the broken lance he had carried with him before and roared as he lunged at Oddesse, stabbing it into his back.
"You...think...I'm done?!" The mage roared and suddenly a dark magic circle was underneath them, "If I die, you are coming with me!"
"NO!" Growled Dedue and used his strength to push off Dimitri and drag Odesse to the edge of the cliff, "I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME!"
"Dedue, no! Please!" Wailed Dimitri as the ground around them shook from the impact of a tree falling from the fire, causing the ground underneath Dedue to crack.
"Dimitri..." The prince looked up to his friend, who smiled as the ground kept cracking, "Meeting you and Lestia were the most important moments of my life. You and your sister reached out your hands to someone like us. Allowing us to grow and learn. To forge bonds and friendships. Thank you...for being our friend and believing in us. Believing in me." Dedue said as a single tear fell.
"NO, DEDUE!" Dimitri screamed towards him, his hand reaching out as time seemed to slow down.
No matter how much he reached he could never reach him. Odesse roared as Dedue closed his eyes, the ground giving away.
"Dimitri..." Dedue thought as he smiled, "Thank you."
"Damn you!" Odesse roared and Dedue smirked darkly as he looked the flaming man in the eyes.
Odesse felt fear.
"I'll see you in hell."
[—-]
Dimitri sobbed then fell to his knees, slamming his fist onto the ground repeatedly, letting out an agonizing and painful scream like a dying beast, his fingers bloody and tears red. He sobbed, just sitting here on the ground before he suddenly felt the presence of the Agarthans.
"There he is. Should we kill him?" One said and the other shook their heads, "No. Lord Cleobulus wants him alive." Another said and at that moment, Dimitri felt something snap in him.
"The power of The Crest of Blaiddyd stems from Negative emotions. Anger. Rage. Regret. Guilt. Hatred. Sorrow and Despair. These are the main factors that your crest draws power from. The stronger and deeper those emotions are, the greater your power."
"So..what do you say?" Erebus's voice ran in his head as he became silent, "Shall we kill them all?"
"Yes."
"KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!"
Dimitri suddenly lunged at the nearest mage, using his lance, plunging it into his skull before bursting into a dark laugh as he massacred mage after mage. Crushing their skulls, snapping their spines, displaying their heads on the ground, and leaving their bodies in benign recognition. He laughed and cried as he was surprised by the carnage before he stopped and pulled his bloody lance from a skull. When he ran, he didn't even have time to grab Areadbhar,
"What's the point now?" Dimitri whispered as he walked through the flaming forest, smoke all around, making it difficult to breathe but somehow he was fine.
He kept walking and walking, the fire and crack of the trees falling apart. He stopped at a tree, seeing Sir Kay sitting there, his head hung as arrows and daggers were plunged into his body. His eyes were lifeless and his body was cold as ice, only warm by the fire burning all around him. But what made Dimitri break, was seeing the bloody blue ribbon 10 feet away from the Knight along with bloody locks of blonde white hair and a piece of the officer's uniform. Dimitri knelt, picking the items up, screaming into the sky like a wolf who lost it all.
He stood up and held tightly onto them before walking back to Kay and picking up his shield. On it, was engraved the Crest of Blaiddyd, a shield given to the knights that serve the royal family. He looked around, looking back at him from 10 feet away was an apparition taking on the shape of the one he loved, how sick and twisted the world was. The flames, the figure smiled at him, their eyes void of emotions before they disappeared back into the flames. Yet, the prince bang walking deep into the woods as fire and smoke burned the place.
Into the fires and smoke, he disappeared as he kept walking soaked in blood.
It's you hold me back from
creating the most beautiful eternity
I don't want to be you,
who is a fool in the face of the unknown
[—-]
Claude fell to his knees, his eyes wide as all around him burned.
He came too late.
The man quickly stood up, running around the camp screaming out Lestia's, Dimitri's, Sara's, Kay's, Sadi's, and Dedue's names, searching for them. Tents burned and stained with blood, and bodies littered all around. The scent of burning flesh made him want to vomit but he kept going, running and searching but nothing. No matter how much he called out all he received was the crackle of flames. But just when he thought he found someone, Claude stepped back, the overwhelming pressure he felt when he found a lone person standing in the flames, and their arms, they carried Sara's limp body. They turned, Claude couldn't move as he suddenly felt like he was being forced onto the ground, made to kneel, the smoke of the fire was suddenly physically choking him but froze. The figure loomed over him and he dared look up even his body screamed to get away but his eyes met golden slit eyes that smiled in amusement.
"My, my, my. It seems you also have returned Roman. No. It is The War of Heroes all over again. You're the spitting image of Roman Reigan. But..." Anacharis grinned, her fangs showing as a bloody hand touched his cheek, "Oh my...Vernata's blood runs through your veins! Well, isn't this a sick twisted joke of fate! At some point, a descendant of Vernata and Roman married and had a child." She laughed and pulled away.
Claude just shook as the woman began to walk away with Sara's body but stopped, turning to him with a smile.
"I'm going to enjoy seeing you kill Ui's and Cirina's child of Ice and snow. After all, it's your destiny to kill Lord of Ice and Snow, just like your ancestor." She said and disappeared into the flames with Sara.
Claude felt he could breathe again once the smoke disappeared but remained frozen in place.
Anacharis's words...
Vernata...
Ui...
Lord of Ice and Snow...
"Claude!"
He turned, seeing the Golden Deer with Judith and Edward run his way. He was helped up by Lorenz, the Dark Knight noticed his shaken figure as well as where he was looking at.
"What happened?!" Judith said, "Boy, what did you see?! You're shaking like a newborn child!" The woman said as Claude finally snapped out of it and looked at her with a pained expression.
"A monster Judith...I saw a monster..." his voice hoarse but once again they turned hearing footsteps, only to see Edward with his head down along with Ignatz and Marianne.
In their hands were Areadbhar and Mercurius...along with Sara's Tome, Hellfire.
"Our soldiers searched... their are...no survivors...the only things we found were the King's and Princess's relics hidden under a crate of hay...and the consort's bloody tome...I'm sorry Claude...they're gone. No one survived." Ignatz muttered as the leader walked up to him and looked at the relics.
"...Judith...arrange for our Mages to finish putting out the fire and to stop it from spreading any further in the forest," Claude muttered as the shadows covered his eyes.
"Claude..." Hilda whispered and reached out to him but was stopped by Lorenz, who shook his head as they watched their leader walk away but Edward suddenly stood in front of the group.
"Grrrr..." The man suddenly let out a snarl, his hand up suddenly glowing with dark magic.
"B-Brother?!" Marianne squeaked but once look from the group told them not to move.
And he was right.
Right at that moment, a burst of air exploded from Claude, sending crumbling pieces of wood flying away, many had to put their arms over their bodies to protect themselves. The wind felt as if a tornado or hurricane suddenly descended from the heavens but Claude just remained still where he stood, his back facing them. Yet, Edward knew the dark, enraged, and terrifying expression the leader had even though he was not facing them.
"Claude von Reigan! Calm yourself!" Edward roared as he made his way towards him, the winds cutting him but he refused to stand down.
"Brother, get away!" Marianne yelled but the man kept going.
"So this...is the power Oswald was talking about..." Judith thought as she shielded the former students.
"You tell me to calm myself...I just lost...not one...not two...not three...Six people! Four who were friends and family!" Never once raising his voice Edward could hear the threat in it, "You expect me, to calm down? I just witnessed once again...just how powerless we are. I witnessed a monster!" Claude said and Edward gritted his teeth, the wind nearly sent him flying back had he not frozen his legs in place.
"Claude, listen to me! I understand your anger! I understand your rage! But letting it control you is not the way! Think! Do you want to go down the path of anger and revenge?! It'll make you no better than the enemy! Is that what you want?! Do you to become the very thing you fear?!" He yelled and when Claude turned to look his way, the Crest of Reigan blazed in his eyes like a star, his face, enraged.
"Claude, I am angry just as you. We all are. But if you shut us out, if you chose to take on this anger and burden alone, The Alliance will crumble. An Alliance leader who dismisses any amount of suffering is unfit to bear the title. If you can't understand that now...you never will." He said and Claude's eyes widened, the Crest of Reigan fading away.
Claude closed his eyes and smiled bitterly as the wind died down and Edward walked towards him, placing his hand on his shoulder as the leader hung his head.
"We'll make it. You have our support." Edward said as Claude nodded.
"Hey!" Boey's voice suddenly ran out, "Is it me or is the temperature suddenly dropping?"
"No...It's not your imagination." Raphael said as Claude felt it and the other saw something white floating down towards him.
He raised his hand, letting it drop, his eyes widening seeing it was a snowflake. Soldiers were awed as more snow fell, and many questioned why it was snowing during the summer. But the answer became apparent once the fire that was spreading, began to die down at a rapid speed, covering the land and trees in frost. Marianne knelt and touched the ground, gasping as she stood back up.
"The frost...it has...healing properties. It's putting the trees and plants into a hibernation state for them to heal." The girl said as Claude smiled bitterly as he clutched his fist.
He turned as did Edward to look at the forest. There, standing 20 feet away was a humanoid figure of ice before it disappeared.
"You're right, Edward." Claude said as he turned back to his friend and looked back to his class that was helping their soldiers, "I can't let my anger control me..."
"It's okay to express anger, Claude." Edward sighed and smiled softly.
"Are you alright? Looks like...I hurt you pretty badly." Claude said and cringed seeing the wounds close up as Edward made his crest manifest in his eyes for a moment and they went with a blink, "Hey um...can all crest users do that?"
"As in faster regeneration?" Edward raised an eyebrow as they walked back towards the camp, "Yes. Though only those of the Crest of Lamine, Maurice, Cethleann, and Flames have much faster versions. I'm going to be in pain for the next few days." He sighed as Claude chuckled nervously.
"Edward...I don't know why but now that my head is clear...I don't think Dimitri, Lestia, Dedue, and Sadi are dead." Claude said and Edward looked at him with a half-lidded gaze.
"Why do you say that?"
"I don't know...I just have a feeling." Claude muttered as he looked back at his hand, the snowflake remained the same.
"Alex...even in death...your still helping us." He whispered as he could not see the invisible arms that hugged him tightly before they disappeared.
War always brought a heavy toll on the living.
The old folks were lying
There's no golden fleece
So I broke it up
Future pandora
For next age
[—-]
Chapter 83: 1181: Part 3: Fake Ascension: End