The days in the Empire were slow for many but for Ashe, perhaps they were brightened by being made a guard of the princess. Still, he did what he could to keep Petra updated on the events going on outside. But also, as the days passed, Petra told him of what happened during the time she was locked away. At the moment, they sparred against each other on the top floor of the tower, their blades clashing. The sword had never been his strong suit but the professor wanted them to know the basics. The axe and bow he was better suited with along with a dagger. It always amazed him how the professor could see their talents and would also encourage them to try new things. But also giving them an outside perspective. But the number one thing she always encourage was to talk.
"You are distracted." Petra said as her dagger clashed with his, the knight gritted his teeth as he was forced to take a step back, "Is there something on your mind?" The princess smiled sweetly and Ashe had a small smirk, taking her by surprise but suddenly pushing back.
"Who knows?" He said and the princess jumped to put distance between them and Petra chuckled, grinning.
"Your smirk reminded me of the professor. You get the same look in her eyes when you are distracted or have something troubling you." She said as she put her weapon down and he went to grab a towel for her along with a canteen of water.
"What do you mean?" Ashe looked at her puzzled as he handed her the towel.
"How do I explain this?" Petra muttered as she held her chin and thought for a moment, "The professor...did not feel like a Professor at times." She said, "She treated us equally and kindly. She was...like a friend. Like someone who has always been there for us. But she also had this aura of respect and mystery." She explained and Ashe nodded.
"Mystery." Ashe corrected her on the last part and Petra chuckled as she nodded.
"You know, us talking reminds me of our time in the academy. When you have taught me the techniques of commoners. Haggling, I believe you called it." She said as Ashe smiled at the memories.
"We s-" the knight suddenly stopped talking and turned, looking out towards the county "Is it me or...are there people running towards the dam?" He said as Petra ran to the rails to look.
"No, it is not you." The princess said as he joined her, "Look! Their people gathering at water channel at the center of the city." She said and felt something wasn't right.
"I'll be back, Petra. I'm going to check this out." He said and put two fingers in his mouth, whistling loudly.
A roar was heard from the stables and quickly flying out was his wyvern, Khypon. Blue and brown colored scales, a wyvern bred that was native to Faerghus. Petra was amazed as the man ran back and then ran forward, jumping off the rails and onto his wyvern. She awed, watching him pat his friend before he looked at her and smiled.
"Come on." He held out his hand to her.
The princess couldn't help but smile softly as she reached out to him, their fingers so close yet...
BAM!
"Hisssss!" The princess hissed as the barrier activated, forcing her to step back.
That single touch allowed for a brief moment for the two to see a glass-like done with runes written on it before it disappeared as if it was never there. Ashe was too stunned to speak at what just happened before his eyes returned to his friend. The princess smiled bitterly but nodded.
"Go." She said, yet, Ashe looked worried but nodded, gritting his teeth before he flew away.
Petra watched him become smaller as he flew to the town, yet her heart quivered that she could not join him. No. As of the moment, she was nothing but a princess trapped in the tower who was kept ignorant of the world. The anger, pain, and sorrow she felt...goodness, the child within her wanted to scream and trash, similar to how when she attacked Duke Aegir when he threw insults at her father. Then there was her unquenched anger towards Leopold von Bergliez, the one who killed her father.
"Revenge is not the answer."
Petra smiled bitterly as the Professor's words ran in her head. She thought back to her treatment during her years in the Empire. Some nobles looked down on her because of who she was. Others mocked and laughed at her for trying to learn Fodlan's language. Yet, there were a few like Edelgard who took their time to teach her. And when she came to the officer's academy, things changed. Ashe met Ashe, who showed her around Fodlan and was kind to her. She met Dedue, who she worked with, and both worked together to improve their reading, writing, and speaking skills. She met the Professor, Amir, and Alexandra, who showed her so many things. The Blue Lions, The Black Eagles, Golden Deer, Ashen Wolves, her mentors, and Professors, all of them grew closer together. The bonds and friends forged over the year, learning to trust one another.
Petra let out a small sigh as she looked up to the sky, placing her hand over her heart. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out.
"Spirits of the forest and sky….please watch over us all."
[—-]
It didn't take long for Ashe to reach the center of the county. Crowds of people were trying to get a closer look but the imperial soldiers were keeping them away. The wind blew and the scent made so many gags and scurry away. But Ashe knew that scent. He knew far too well even though it had only been a year.
"Dive!" Ashe yelled and his wyvern roared, diving down at a rapid speed that made many on-lookers scream and separated because they thought the wyvern was going to crash into the ground but no.
"I blame Alexandra for this." Ashe thought as his wyvern let out a small roar as it landed gracefully on the ground before it shook itself to get rid of dust.
Ashe jumped off and quickly ran to the dam where some of the knights were along with a priestess. With them, was also Fabian, who turned to look to see who arrived.
"Ah, boy. You came." Fabian said as he did a small nod, "Right on time. Looks like the situation is not good." He said and looked back to the priestess, "Are you sure this just happened recently?"
"The fact you are doubting me does not help!" The older priestess said, "This happened in Varley Territory a year ago and they figured out how to solve it!" The woman threw her hands up, "It was thanks to the Holy Magus's Florencio Illac and Arisa Eisner that they were able to clean the water. But both are no longer alive. It wasn't just Varley! This recently happened in Hevring and Bergliez! Even the alliance, former Ordelia territory is suffering this! Not to mention also Galatea!" The woman yelled angrily at the veteran.
"Wait, this happening in the other nations?" Ashe said and the woman nodded, "Captain, may I take a closer look at the water?" He said and the man narrowed his eyes.
"Do you know something about this?" Fabian asked and Ashe was hesitant but nodded, "...Alright, go." And Ashe ran past him and the priestess followed.
He was careful as he slid down the slanted concrete till he reached the dirt area and could now see the water clearly as he slowly walked up to it. The scent of rotten eggs, meat, fumes...the dark and thick consistency of the water along with the faint aura of dark magic...
"No..." Ashe felt his heart drop as he knelt and picked up a stick, putting it into the water, only to see it dissolve and the scent of acid rise from the smoke, "It's happened again..."
"What do you mean, again?" The priestess said, "Also, my name is Doctor Rosalynn, I've served this place for 30 years." She said as Ashe stood up, "Now speak, boy."
"R-Right." Ashe coughed to clear his throat, "In 1180, the Blue Lion class went on a mission to Varley Territory regarding a rise of bandits. But upon arriving, we learned about the contamination of water sources. Lord Florencio along with Doctor Robert and Professor Arisa were called in also. They discovered that some sort of dark magic was used to contaminate the water. The Blue Lion Class along with the help of Bernadetta von Varley and the Three Holy Magus were able to solve the problem and purify the water." Ashe explained to the woman.
"Was the source ever found?" Doctor Rosalyne said but Ashe was hesitant to say it, "Why aren't you speaking boy...?"
"...I don't think...this is the place for me to say." He said as he looked back up to where the imperial soldiers were keeping people back but there was this one soldier that he kept getting a strange vibe from.
The soldier looked down at him with a blank gaze before he turned back to his post.
"Hm...I understand." Doctor Rosalyn said, " If I recall correctly, I believe Linhardt von Hevring had joined the class later that year?" Ashe nodded, "Okay!" The woman clapped her hands together suddenly, "Now I know exactly who needs to get called over and I must contact her majesty as well!"
Ashe didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
[—]
It had been a year and nine months since Bernadetta was put on house arrest and she was still searching for some way to escape the place. Hubert made it clear he wouldn't let her escape and it had been impossible to find a place. She was so tempted to dig some sort of underground tunnel till one day she went into her father's office. Despite being homebound, she was still resolved to help her mother with paperwork and organization, which surprised the Countess.
"Bernadetta, dear, how do you know how to do all this when your father refused to teach you?" Lady Vera asked one day as Bernadetta was busy at another desk reading and organizing documents.
The purple-haired girl had her bangs tied up, and she wore the clothing of a Calvary archer minus the armor. Bernadetta pressed her lips together, remaining silent for a moment till she spoke.
"Florencio, The Professor, and...my friend Felix, taught me how." Bernadetta said as she thought back to her friends, "Mother...is there any news on Doctor Robert?" She asked since a year ago she found out he was a distant cousin of hers.
"Doctor Robert has been working for Count Bergliez at the moment. Edelgard had him moved there." The woman said and Bernadetta looked like a wilted flower as the girl let out a heavy sigh, "Bernie, dear, is there a reason you want to see Doctor Robert?"
"Well...I found out he...is a distant cousin."
"Explain."
So Bernadetta went on to tell her mother how Florencio confessed (wrote) to her that she is her great uncle. How her great-grandfather was Florencio's half-brother and how Robert was the grandson of her great-grandfather's second half-brother, Adam. Adam was the retired head of House Salterrre in The Alliance. Lady Vera was far too stunned to speak as she was trying to process all the information that was just dumped onto her. The woman had to excuse herself for a while. She didn't come back till two hours later. Bernadetta took that opportunity to search around the office for a certain book her father kept locked away. Honestly, it was a relic that was said to have been lost in history, and from the records, she managed to uncover, her father had bid for it in the Black Market. And she finally found the area, underneath the bookshelf near the window was a secret compartment. She made sure the door was locked and mentally thanked Arisa and Lysithea for teaching her the space closet spell.
"Oh. Password..." Bernadetta grumbled seeing the magic seal that was placed on it, "Ohhh...why couldn't it be a normal lock?" The girl whined and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small bottle with red liquid.
"Here." Bernadetta looked up from the stack of books scattered all around.
Xina held out a book to her that looked like it had seen many days but was still held up together. The room they were in was huge, big as the three houses' classrooms. Library shelves were built in along with carpets placed. An area for a fireplace but most of all, the perfect space to work for any magic experiments.
Xina had given her and the other three females access to Florencio's former abyssal lab. In the present, it was Xina's room now. The amount of forbidden, risky, and so much hidden knowledge would send and scholar into bliss. The nun crossed her arms as a fond smile formed on her face. Xina usually had a serious and mysterious smile all the time, one that reminded her so much of Sylvain, and her energy and strictness as well as the amount of food she ate reminded her of Ingrid.
"Father...always collected the books that Seteth would throw away or that Rhea disapproved of. He saw it as a waste so when he got the chance, he would pick up all the books and bring them here. It's how I got into collecting antiques and other mysterious things." The woman said as walked up to a strange 8.5-inch golden metal tube that stood on a wooden tripod.
At the ends of it were clear pieces of glass. Xina gently placed her hand on it, smiling bitterly.
"Florencio...I always thought of him as a father since he and Sandana were the ones that raised me. I would often switch between calling that, his name, or master. I never stuck with one." She sighed, "The book I gave you is one he wrote. Of course, he never published for obvious reasons but this one he said to give to you. Along with the little item in it." Xina smiled mysteriously as Bernadetta looked at the cover.
"Records of Faeries, Spirits, and The Unknown..." Bernadetta muttered and opened the book.
Behind the cover was a little space that said to open which she did.
Inside was a monocle but it was built a bit differently. There was a silver metal around it and fragile blue veins around the glass that could be seen when held up in the light.
"What is it?" Bernadetta said and Xina's gaze became half-lidded as she placed her index finger over her lips.
"Technology that he stole and modified. That's also for you to find out."
Bernadetta blinked as she left adjust to the monocle lense and did what the book Florencio instructed her to do.
"Place a small drop of my blood on the lense." She whispered and bit her thumb before searing a bit of blood on the lens then healed herself, "The lense will absorb and recognize you as its new master." She whispered and once more blinked.
Spider-like blue veins glowed for a moment before disappearing and finally, she looked down at the magic seal, gasping and seeing the magic circle map and the red area highlighting its weak point. Bernadetta couldn't believe it but she gulped and using a dropper, placed drops of the red potion on that weak area. The magic sealed crack before completely dissolving along with the wooden door. Bernadetta took deep breaths and removed the cloth that was covering whatever was inside. The girl blinked, removing her monocle to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Brown leather type cover with some sort of bone-like structure, a crest stone with the Crest of Lamine on the left end cover of the book with strange letters written on it.
"Is this...a Hero's Relic?" Bernadetta whispered as she carefully picked up the tome and looked at it.
She's never seen a tome made in such a way. And if it is a hero's relic, she can't use it because she doesn't have the corresponding crest to it. Also, she heard what happened to Sylvain's brother and she wasn't about to die in such a horrible way. The girl placed the book down and looked back into the vault.
"A bag of gold coins...Not sure how much is in here." She muttered and threw it into her magic space, "An old journal as well as documents." She said and threw them into the space, "And lastly..." she gulped as her hands trembled, pulling out a familiar ring.
The Crest of Indech was engraved on a lapis lazuli stone, and the ring was made of silver. She could sense some sort of magic in it but most of all, she remembered who wore the stone.
"Uncle Reines..." Bernadetta whispered as her lip trembled as she held the ring close to her chest.
She was 13 when she was told that her uncle had suddenly passed away. She remembered how she was in denial and ran to her room crying before her father burst into her room to tell her to shut up and get over it. That death was coming for him anyway because of the work he was doing. It was 1175. She remembered the funeral, Florencio was there along with Caspar, Fernindad, Linhardt, Hubert, and Edelgard. They tried to comfort her. But, looking back at the memory. She always found it...strange just how calm Duke Aegir was along with her father just how calm there were along with Count Vestra...and the way Florencio glared at them behind their backs.
A dark thought suddenly ran through her head.
What if the three lords were responsible for her uncle's death?
Her father and uncle never got along. Their relationship was nonexistent by the time she was born. Her uncle always tried to defend and protect her from her father but at some point, he just stopped coming. Then the sudden announcement of his death came. They say he was killed by monsters on his way to Enbarr but...what if there was more to it? Bernadetta gulped and took deep breaths, looking at the ring before slipping it onto the middle finger of her right hand. It glowed for a bit before it suddenly shrunk, fitting perfectly. It was a good thing she wore gloves because she quickly put them back on to hide them. But, she felt safer. Looked again into the drawer and found another journal. She can't look at them now but later. The relic along with the items was put in her magic space. She made sure put everything back in its place.
When her mother returned two hours later, she was confused to see Dr. Rosalyn with her. was one of the palace physicians and priestesses that Edelgard had personally appointed. The woman looked at Bernadetta with a gaze that she did not like till she spoke.
"Bernadetta von Varely?" The girl nodded her head, "Good. You have been allowed to leave House Varley only to come with me to House Gerth. This is an order by her Imperial Majesty." She said as Bernadetta was too stunned to speak.
"W-Wait! Why do I suddenly have to go to House Gerth?! Oh no...Is Bernie being sent to the front lines?! Nooooooo! I don't want to die!" Bernadetta wailed as Doctor Roselyn pinched the bridge of her nose.
"And I thought the boy from Bergliez and Hevring was a pain." She sighed, "J-Just go pack your things! You will be living in The Tower with Princess Petra from now on!" She said and Bernadetta perked up hearing Petra's name.
"Doctor...what is the reason for suddenly collecting my daughter?" Lady Vera asked and Doctor Rosalyn sighed, looking at the woman with a tired expression.
"You are aware of the situation of the Varley Waters that happened in 1180, correct?" She said and Lady Vera nodded.
"How can I not? My fool of a husband refused to do anything and only kept hogging the gold we had. We could use it to help out people but the man..." the woman subconsciously placed a hand over her stomach, "Anyhow, I heard who were the ones that resolved it."
"Exactly. Your daughter was a part of the group that resolved it. It's only natural she would be called in." The Doctor said as Bernadetta was processing what was being said.
"The water contamination isn't just now here in the Empire...Former Ordelia Lands, Hevring, Bergliez, and Galatea are also suffering. This isn't normal. So Bernadetta, be good and come."
[—]
It was a two-week ride to Gerth Territory because of the humid season and also because of the mountain terrain. Once they managed to get to the county, Bernadetta saw guards stationed near the dams to keep people away. Ever since she awakened the strange power of her crest, she could feel or just know when rain was on the way or if something was going with the waterways around Fodlan. She could sense something was wrong as if trying to harm them. Now, the fact that she said she was going to live in Gerth Territory until the situation was solved made her stomach turn. The Doctor also mentioned Linhardt and Caspar at some point so that meant she was going to see them too. Honestly, she was looking forward to it. She was looking forward to seeing her friends. She missed them so much.
Yet, her heart also asked if Felix was safe as well as her fellow Blue Lions. She prayed to the goddess that he was alright. The carriage arrived at the fortress and she got off, a knight was waiting for her. She had to make sure she wasn't seeing things because the knight was Ashe! He had grown much taller, his hair was slightly puffery and combed back. He wore a blue and silver armor of a bow knight with a short cape and hoodie. On his wrist was a gold bracelet with strange engravings that he only understood. The knight smiled politely as Doctor Rosalyn got off the carriage as another group of knights went to pick up Bernadetta's suitcase but the girl smacked their hands off and she carried it herself.
"It's been a while," Ashe whispered as Bernadetta smiled as they walked through the gates and soon to the fortress.
The Doctor wasted no time taking them to Count Gerth's office. There, the girl nearly passed out at the sight of Beleth and Henry. Scratch that, she did. Bernadetta screamed at the sight of them as her eyes rolled back and passed out right there on the floor. Ashe's smile became strained to see them two but he carefully picked his friend and woke her up. Bernadetta frantically looked around and Ashe took her to one of the couches to sit down.
"Alright, now that Bernadetta is here, we can begin." Beleth said ignoring the glare Caspar was giving and the wary glances from Petra, Ashe, and Linhardt, "Emperor Edelgard has granted permission to you four to step out of your house arrest. But the catch is, that you four will be working together in solving the problem of water contamination. Linhardt and Bernadetta as well as Ashe, I know you three were in The Professor's class involving the case in Varley Territory." Beleth said as the group remained silent.
"Caspar will be an extra hand in helping you all. As for Princess Petra, since you have a much better understanding of spirits, Emperor Edelgard has temporarily allowed you to join the group. Of course, you will still be monitored by Sir Ashe." He said as Petra clicked her teeth and looked away.
"That is all. Use the knowledge the professor has taught you all to resolve this. The materials that you all need have been taken to the 10th floor of the tower. And you belong to the 19th floor where you will be living from now on. That is all." Beleth said and walked forward with Henry behind him.
"Umm...Wait!" Bernadetta suddenly cried out making the two stop, "Is...Lestia with you?"
Beleth remained silent and a small smile formed on his lips.
"Who knows?"
And he left. The silence was deafening till Count Gerth cleared his throat and spoke.
"All of you will be working together to solve the problem going with the water. I expect results." He said and Bernadetta raised her hand, "Yes?"
"Will Doctor Robert or Professor Hanneman be working with us? Or both?" She squeaked and Count Gerth sighed.
"Both have gone missing." He said and everyone looked at him confused, "Don't ask. We don't know either." He said and everyone nodded.
[—]
Petra didn't know what to do. It didn't help that the count made her wear a bracket that would let them know if she stepped one foot out of Gerth territory. Part of her wanted to rip it off but she didn't want to put her friends in danger. On the bright side, she wasn't alone anymore. But the downside is now all of them were trapped together in the same place.
"Welcome to...my tower." That was the best Petra could say as she climbed the stairs.
"Ashe...How are you still alive after all this climbing?!" Caspar rasped and Ashe chuckled as on his shoulder he carried Linhardt like a sack of potatoes and with the other, he carried a passed-out Bernadetta.
The woman didn't even make it to the fifth floor.
"After a while, I got used to it. Unfortunately." Ashe chuckled nervously, "But think of it as a form of training." He said as Linhardt groaned.
"Easy for you to say! Man, how are the people from Faerghus are made of steel?! What do you guys eat?!" Caspar said as Petra chuckled as they kept climbing up.
After what felt like an eternity, they arrived on the 19th floor where the men would be staying. The room was similar to Petra's but the colors were more gray, blue, dark green, and some red, as well as a balcony and two more windows.
"You know, us all staying together. While we didn't get to hang out as much as we did before because we all went to different houses, I guess...on the positive note we get to know each other better again." Caspar chuckled nervously and Ashe smiled softly.
"Hey Ashe, umm...do you know anything about Annette?" Caspar asked and shook his head.
"The last I heard was that she and Mercedes' were staying at Lord Dominic's manor." He said and Caspar nodded.
"Hopefully they are alright..." Linhardt muttered softly, "Anyhow, how exactly are we all going to solve the water problem? The professor was the one that helped us all. As well as Florencio." He said and Bernadetta spoke up, now fully recovered from the climb.
"Let's start with the basics first. Remember the water samples the professor had us do?" She said and Linhardt snapped his fingers.
"Right! I have forgotten about those. If we can figure out if the same substances are in the water, we may be able to create a temporary solution." Linhardt said and Petra held her chin in thought.
"What about water spirits?" She said and the group looked at her confused, "In Brigid, we pray to the spirits of nature to watch over us in times of need. But some Shamen can summon spirits. Bernadetta, if you were born in Brigid, you would have been declared a shaman apprentice because you can use water magic." She said and the girl looked at her surprised.
"Petra, could you explain to us this?" Ashe said and the princess nodded.
"Water magic is sacred in my home. It means you have been blessed by The Gods of Water and Sea. That you can communicate well with the spirits of the land and be friends with them. Water Magic in Fodlan I have learned is extremely rare. And that so few can wield it. You and I have seen as well as the professor and Elder Bara's grandson." She said as the others listened.
"Hmmm..." Caspar hummed then snapped his fingers, "What Nymphs?!" He said and Linhardt gasped, "Caspar, your land is home to a few water Nymphs!" The mage said, "They are said to have the ability to purify water!"
"Yeah but here's the thing, they hate humans. Especially males." Caspar grumbled, "There was one time this soldier thought it was a good idea to try and seduce one and it resulted in them flooding the camp. I wasn't there. My dad told me about it because my mom had to go to the river and apologize to them and left them fruits every day for a whole month." He said and no one noticed how Petra twitched at the mention of his father.
"Then what other options do we have?" Petra said and Linhardt spoke, "For now, let's just do the traditional method of studying the water. And should we get no results then...let's just hope they at least give us a chance to talk to them." Everyone nodded.
[—-]
The weeks went by and soon months. Researching the methods to purify the water was not easy compared to how the professor made it. The only thing that went through everyone's minds was that they wished they paid more attention to their classes. The first thing they did was get permission to travel to the rivers affected by the "Black Tide" which was the name they all decided to call it. Gathering samples was not easy because they couldn't touch the water. At some point, Caspar and Petra worked together to invent a type of metal device that would allow them to dip the glass potion bottle into the water from a safe distance. It was just the end of a wooden lance where the string was tied around the glass bottle and some rocks tied around the bottom to allow it to sink into the water.
"Careful...carefully." Linhardt said as Caspar, Petra, and Ashe did that but the mage let go a frustrated sigh from the other knight that was told to watch them, "Do you mind? Your presence makes us uncomfortable." He said and Ashe looked back to the trees where the strange knight was watching them.
The knight only clicked their teeth and moved away. Linhardt let out a frustrated sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't like that knight, there was just this strange uncanny feeling he kept getting from him. The way his eyes looked at him and the others made him feel like it was some sort of insect under a magnifying glass. Petra described the feeling as if a predator was waiting for the right moment to pounce.
"We got the water samples!" Ashe called out as they carefully pulled them out of the water and went to the small camp area they all set up.
Five small glass bottles were filled with black water and carefully wiped clean so they could touch them. Linhardt along with Bernadetta used glass droppers to put a few drops on a small glass slide and put it under a device made of brass called a microscope. Count Gerth had informed them that it was a magic tool that only certain households of Fodlan could use and that he was permitting them to use it. Linhardt was ecstatic because of all the households in Fodlan, only those that had Holy Magus or royal families could use them.
"Interesting..." The mage muttered as the group gathered around, he could see little small particles that could be seen by the naked eye alone.
"Didn't the professor call these...bacteria? Viruses?" Caspar said as he took a look through Bernadetta's microscope.
"She did." Linhardt said as a bed of sweat ran down his cheek, "But it isn't just that..." he muttered.
"I sense some sort of dark magic from it." Petra said, "Could it be that water is purposely being contaminated?" She gasped as Bernadetta put on her monocle, "Bernadetta, what are you wearing?" The girl went, "Huh?"
"Oh! Um...when Florencio passed away, he left this and book to me." The girl explained, "I-It lets see spirits and faeries without the sight." She said and Caspar was awed.
"Cool! Can try it sometime?" Caspar said and the girl nodded, "But, why are using it now?"
"Well..." Bernadetta fidgeted, "You all might want to see this..." she said took off the monocle and handed it to him.
Caspar put it over their right eye and nearly dropped it, his face becoming pale as everyone but Bernadetta asked what was wrong. The man just handed the monocle to Petra, who looked through it and gasped to Linhardt, who looked like he was going to pass out. Lastly, Ashe, putting over his right eye, a chill tan down his spine as he was finally able to see it.
"What is this?" He croaked, seeing black and purple strings as well as some sort of magic runes floating in the water.
Not only that, corpses of creatures that could not be seen sunk into the water and their souls rose back up. Ashe didn't know what to say or feel as he put the monocle down and handed it back to Bernadetta.
"The black and purple strings..." Petra whispered, "Curses!" The princess screeched, "They represent curses! In Brigid, strings that are black and purple represent curses. If they are wrapped around someone, it means they have been cursed. And the strings we just saw all on the water, were like webs..." she gulped.
"That's definitely the work of dark magic!" Caspar said, "Who the hell goes out of their way to target the people?!" He yelled angrily.
"One thing for sure," Bernadetta gulped, "We have to report this. Hubert and Henry are experts in Dark Magic. I'm sure...maybe they could know something." As much as she didn't want to see either of them or Edelgard, it had to be done.
[—]
"And that is the report." Hubert let out a frustrated sigh as Edelgard sat at her desk, "Curses. Whoever did this was most likely the one responsible for what happened in Varley Territory." He said as the woman remained silent.
"There are records of events like this happened during The War of Heroes and Cresent Moon War." Beleth said as he was looking through some books, "Rhea wrote them down because of how serious it was. If we don't find some way to break those curses, it will spread." He said as he put down a church record book.
"Would light magic work?" Edelgard muttered, "Sigh. The most we can do right now is keep people away from the area contaminated and block off some of the dams. Especially the ones that connect to Enbar." She said and looked back to her papers.
"Also, how is the search for those three?" She said and Beleth spoke up.
"One of our spies in Aubin Territory wrote about a strange phenomenon that occurred at the beginning of this year." The knight said and picked up the letter to read it, "During the Wyvern moon of 1181, just a few miles west from Aubin Territory, a lake of black and dark magic suddenly formed. Nothing but black mud oozed from its ground and killed everything it touched. The forest area around it had withered away." He read and Edelgard remained silent for a moment before she spoke.
"Could it be that lake is the problem?" She muttered.
"Unfortunately not."
The trio minus Edelgard suddenly turned with their weapons out towards the door to see Anacharis standing in front of it with a smile and next to her was a short petite woman with crimson short duly hair with tips pink, her eyes were blue and the dress she wore had puffy sleeves along with a red cape. But the ball joins on her neck and the face...
"Who are you? Why do you have Monica von Ochs's face?" Edelgard said coldly as "Monica" smiled with a half-lidded gaze.
But the smile, for a moment, the image of Pittacus came back into her mind when the Agarthan witch smiled at capturing the professor.
"Pittacus..." Edelgard said and the girl smiled.
"Indeed. It would have taken five years for me to fully recover had it not been for Anacharis's modifying the puppet I made using Och's body. Ah, it works so well." The puppeteer smiled as she held out a hand to her and the ball joints of her wrist showed, "It's a pity she didn't grow more."
"That's because you didn't let her." Edelgard thought, "And what did you mean, Unfortunately not?"
Anacharis twirled a strand of her hair as she spoke. The smile on her face never left.
"It's called a Cycle. It seems now with the Fell Star gone, the land of Fodlan is releasing the contamination of the magic veins. Back in the day, we would harvest energy directly from it. Looks like the spots where we used to farm from have split open again." She said and Pittacus spoke.
"Think of it as...a tumor. A sickness that can't be cured. It'll take at least another 10 years before Fodlan is swallowed by it." She said and Henry growled.
"So basically, Fodlan is dying," Henry said and Edelgard gritted her teeth as Anacharis's just smiled.
"Yes. Now, we just need to kill a Nabatean and pour its blood on it. Serios is too old. But..." she stopped twirling her hair and closed her eyes, "The little boy called Kaimu...would be a perfect sacrifice." And she didn't even move when a dagger went right past her.
"Don't. Even. Think. About." Edelgard snarled and the Crest of Flames flickered in her eyes, "I suggest finding another solution."
"Oh, that's easy." Anacharis's grinned, "That girl...Bernadetta wasn't it?" The four twitched, "I heard all about it from one of my spies. That child awakened the true powers of The Water Dragon... She would be perfect to chain down directly into the magic veins and purify them." She chuckled and Hurbert growled.
"If you lay one finger on her..." the man said and the General just smiled.
"You want to win this war, don't you Edelgard?" Anacharis's said in a sweet tone that made the woman twitch, "You are an Emperor. Use whatever means messers to achieve your goal. No matter how many lives you sacrifice, new generations will always replace them. There's no need to get attached to them." The woman smiled and turned to leave along with Pittacus, "Ah, and Pittacus will join you from now on." And the red-haired woman smiled.
The door shut and Edelgard gritted her teeth but whispered an order to Hubert to make the security around The Towers of Solitude, stronger.
[—-]
Anacharis's smile dropped in an instant the minute she was out the door and walked through the dark hallways of the night. No guards were around and she kept walking, her hands twitching, sometimes they raised and she abruptly made them fall back. She stopped and turned to look at the spider that made a web in a corner. She raised her hand and it began spinning a web and crawling down before it jumped. A black widow with the sand timer marked in the color red and blue.
"So, tell me who truly is in The Tower of Solitudes?" She said and the spider chirped, "Serios it is. And The Princess of Faerghus, Michelle's reincarnation." Anacharis's smile grew back, "I also have news that once a month, The Mage of Black goes to see her once a month. The Emperor visits her once every four months." It said and the woman hummed.
"And Serios?" She asked and the spider chipped once more.
"The Knight visits her once a month. And only twice had the Emperor visited her. The meeting between Serios and the emperor was a screaming match. Unfortunately, I could not hear what they said." The spider said and Anacharis's gaze became half-lidded.
"Well, those two are not getting along. As long as we kept getting our three-month blood samples, I turn a blind eye to this event. But report back to my spy in Gerth territory. Make sure he finds the moment to kill Mona's descendent as well as Baldr's reincarnation. I'm not about to have a repeat of the past." The woman said coldly as she began to walk.
"Cirina I will kill the descendants of your followers one by one. I will not allow the flower of ice to bloom ever again."
[—]
Months passed once more and soon the year turned to Imperial Year 1182. Research of the water was not easy and desperation to purify and contain it grew. The most the Emperor could do was order the mages of the Enbarr Magic Academy to study and find solutions as well as close certain waterways that connected to those lakes. During their time together the group became closer as well as learned from each other. Linhardt became engrossed in the books Petra had in the tower along with Bernadetta searching as much as they could for any information. So what they had found were records of "The Black Tide" that happened during the times of major wars.
"It says here that the first record of The Black Tide dates back to the time before The Goddess arrived in Fodlan," Petra said as Ashe sat next to her.
During their time together, Petra's ability to speak Fodlanese improved greatly because of the help of her friends. She had learned so much. There are still some words she struggles with but tries her best. At that time, the princess showed them how to speak her language. There were several interesting moments where Caspar bit his tongue trying to say some words. But the group decided that using Brigid's words would be like their secret code. It was exciting but also, they became closer.
"Yes, and the books say that when the goddess came to the land it was during a time of strife. Fodlan and many other lands were in danger of being destroyed. The land was dying and the goddess used her power to heal it and saved the people. But also..." Linhardt narrowed his eyes as he turned to the next page.
"Ah ha!" Bernadetta cried out and they turned to her, "Here!" She points to a specific paragraph, "It says that the contamination of the water is a sign that the magic veins are corrupted! But also...it also means too much death has fallen onto the land. It also means if there is an irregular flow of magic and spiritual energy, it can create an unpredictable disorder." The woman said as she kept looking through the book.
"A disorder you say..." Caspar muttered, "Do you guys remember the story of the Crystal Witch?" He said and everyone look at him confused, "Um...well there's this old tale that a long time ago before Fodlan and the Goddess, there used to be a woman who wanted to experiment with the magic veins. When she did, because of her curiosity, she caused a great disaster on the land and many lost their lives. It took over 1,000 years for the land she destroyed to recover and they said she fled across the sea and was never seen again." He explained, "I remember this story because there was this old lady that would say she was a descendent of the one who defeated the witch." The group was silent as they processed the story.
"What if...we can manipulate The Magic Veins?" Linhardt said as he pointed his pen to Bernadetta, "Or more specifically, those of us that have crested. Do you remember the lesson Hai gave about how Magic Veins are also called Dragon Veins? That those that possess a brand or crest can activate and use it can alter the outcome of the battle, as effects vary from creating new paths, drying up rivers to create more terrain, creating regeneration spots, freezing enemies, or consuming their weapons." He explained and began to draw a root-like structure of the land.
"If we think of the Magic veins like roots, they are all over Fodlan and beyond. And if we looked at the make, it's not a coincidence that Castle Hersvelg, Castle Blaiddyd, and Manor Reigan, were built on top of strong thick Magic veins. Even the capital of each nation was built over them." The mage explained then pointed to Garreg Mach, "And the church was built over the heart. The strongest Magic vein out of the four is the one under The Church of Serios." He finished explaining and let go of a sigh.
Ashe was silent as he held his chin in thought. A Magic Vein disorder that caused calamity to fall upon the land. The water also contained curses. There were so many questions he had but there was one in particular.
"Linhardt, can curses affect an entire nation?"
"It's possible." Linhardt covered his mouth for a moment and then yawned, "Wait." His eyes suddenly went wide, "Hai said that a dragon laid a curse on the north that was betrayed. And a curse disturbs the flow of the magic veins." He said and began to write on the map again.
"Then, that means Cirina was a dragon!" Caspar said and then pointed to an area in the Alliance, "And, The Frost Forest is where they say she was buried but The Elites: Blaiddyd, Lamine, and Reigan." He said, his eyes sparkling.
"But if The North is cursed...how does it relate to the water?" Petra said, confused as Ashe looked down at the map.
"Well, curses are a form of torture." Bernadetta shivered, "They can forever and for generations, continue in a bloodline. At times they become weak but curses aren't easy to break. Sometimes, it's not even possible to break them." She said and hugged her pillow to her chest as she looked down at the map, "In this case...If it's true that The Frost Knight Cirina was a dragon, and was betrayed, that means she laid a curse on the north and it still lives up to this day. It causes a disorder. It's why Faerghus is a frozen land where it is very difficult to cultivate and has harsh winters. And lands like Galatea are affected." She finished explaining and Petra didn't know what to say.
"Then...what if we can create a temporary solution?" Caspar said, "A temporary way to cleanse it? Bernadetta, you can use water magic. And with that monocle, you can see the other side. Maybe there's a spirit or faerie that can help us?" The man shrugged and Bernadetta gasped and frantically pulled out the book that she inherited and started looking through it.
"Oh! A water spirit could help us!" Petra said, "I remember that The Shaman of The royal Brigid family was contracted to fire and earth spirit! If there are nature spirits here in Fodlan, then there is a chance!" She grinned and Bernadetta frantically flipped through the pages of the book then slammed it on the floor open.
"Water Spirit Undine!" The archer said, "We have to do this. If we're able to summon one, then..."
"We might have a chance."
Ashe stared at the book page, showing a little adorable spirit that looked similar to the statute of Saint Mona. If what the book says it's true...
"Tonight." The knight said, "We have to do it tonight." He thought back to the mushroom the mushie gave him, "And...The Blue Sea moon is next month. Maybe...just maybe...we can all escape." He said and everyone was shocked to hear that.
"Is that even possible?" Petra whispered and warily looked around before leaning back to whisper to them, "I have tried to leave this tower and land, never once succeeded. Not to mention..." she looked down to her wrist, the bracelet, "Now this."
"Not exactly..." Bernadetta whispered as Linhardt went to close the balcony doors and windows before going back to them and taking out a magic tool, placing it in the middle of the room.
He muttered a spell and it began to glow, a faint outline of something came out of it then expanded, making the all shiver for a moment before he let out a sigh of relief.
"Professor Hanneman used to use this. It's called a Silencer, a magic tool that creates a barrier in a room to keep anyone from hearing anything from the outside. I managed to grab it and take it with me before we all headed out to defend the monastery. We can speak safely now." He said and everyone let out a sigh of relief.
"Good!" Bernadetta took out her monocle and handed it to Petra, "Put it on and look through it." She said as Petra took it.
The princess was confused before she put it on and looked around the room, her eyes widening. Magic circles and runes were all around the tower like a magic web as well as different symbols, but one thing was clear. Like a spider web, some parts were tearing. Petra was stunned before Linhardt gently motioned her to hand it to him. She did and he put it on to look around the room.
"Huh..." The mage hummed as he crossed his arms, "The barrier around the tower seems to be ancient. And based on the structure of it...it seems like this was built from someone from House Gloucester and Dominic." He said as the group looked at him surprised.
He, Annette, Mercedes, Kuza, Constance, and Lorenz all went together to the magic academy in Fhirdiad. Unfortunately, during that time, both Lorenz and Constance wanted to join the Professor's class but it filled up so quickly. However, Constance and Lorenz both had to drop out due to family matters. But they and Annette specialized in creating barriers but were also published, scholars. Annette was a published scholar for writing a book on how magic could be used in the kitchen. Constance was a published scholar due to her wild spell experimentations and Lorenz for studying and crafting simple magic tools that could help others. But all three of them worked together for a bit in writing a book on the history of magic barriers. It was very informative and Linhardt was happy to have read it during their time in the Officers academy because now...
"This barrier dates back to the time of The War of The Eagle and Lion. It's old. And like stone, it wears away over time due to erosion. But the problem is that it's still strong...Hmm,.." the man grumbled a bit, "We need to find the time the barrier becomes the weakest and use that opportunity to destroy it." Linhardt said as he handed the monocle to Ashe so he could have a look at it before handing it to Caspar and then back to Bernadetta.
"I get this stuff about magic barriers but I remember Dorothea mentioned something about finding the right weak pout and then, BAM!" He made a punch motion in the air, "We hit it with all we got!"
"But we can not, BAM! Everything." Petra sighed, "It's a magic barrier. Only magic can destroy it." The princess flopped down on the carpet, "Feels as if we are birds in a cage. We can only see and hear what is going on outside but can never see it ourselves." She closed her eyes.
Ashe thought long and hard as he subconsciously placed his hand over the golden bracelet on his right wrist.
"Can..." He took a deep breath before he spoke, "Can a relic damage a barrier?" Petra slowly sat back up and looked at Ashe with a concerned expression.
"Yes. Yes, it can. Destroy it. Anti-magic also works." Linhardt said and Bernadetta scrambled up and ran to the other side of the room where her bed was.
"Bernadetta, is everything alright?" Caspar called out as they all got up and looked at each other confused before they got up and walked to where she was.
Linhardt yawned as he grabbed the Silencer and carried it so that they would still be protected. Bernadetta rummaged through her backpack and let out a cheer when she pulled the legendary bow, The Inexahuatable, that the professor had given to her.
"Wait, the Professor let you keep her bow?!" Caspar gawked as did everyone else.
"Yes." Bernadetta cheered, "Will this work?!" She said as she held out for Linhardt to check.
"Hmm..." The mage muttered and shook his head, "As much as I am happy to see this relic, it's not strong enough. Think of a shield. We need some sort of lance that can period through it. And the only lances that come to mind are The Spear of Assal, Lance of Ruin, Areadbhar, Gradivius, and Luin. And we don't have any of those and we can't even use them." He said as everyone looked like they were starting to lose hope.
"No." Ashe suddenly said, "There is...one. One relic we can use." Again, everyone looked at him confused and Ashe stepped back.
"Ashe, may I see your bracelet?" Alexandra said one day to him as they were walking in the woods for a training session.
Ashe didn't know what to think at the moment as he struggled to answer. There was part of him that was still bitter about her being the one to end Lonato. But then he thought about that time. Despite not being blood-related, Lonato saw her as a granddaughter yet she...
"Ashe, I know there is part of you that does not trust me." Her words made him snap out of it and she looked at her shocked yet she smiled sadly at him, "I know we...still have a tense relationship despite we spoke to each other regarding grandfather's death." Alexandra sighed, "I did it because I did not want you to bear that burden." She said.
"Do you regret killing Lonato?" He whispered and Alexandra smiled sadly.
"Always. I wish we could have done more but with how tense things became and...I saw what he was about to do. At that moment, I saw he was going to become what Miklan did..." she muttered and Ashe froze.
He thought back to what Odesse said, "That it was a pity he did not see him turn into a demonic beast." Ashe gritted his teeth but took deep breaths, understanding the bitter feeling Sylvain went through.
"There's no used dwelling in the past. All we can do is move forward." The archer muttered.
"But it's okay to take your time and mourn." Alexandra said as they found a tree log to sit down on, "Sigh. One of the things I dislike about Faerghus is how the nobility are trapped world of martial honor and fidelity towards how they are told the world should be." She said and Ashe looked at her shocked.
"Perhaps it looks like I am speaking blasphemy but it's true in a way. Our home is so anchored in the old and past. They just accept it. Reform can happen but if it happens too quickly, there could be horrible consequences. Our home wishes to establish formal relationships with Sreng but we can't because the church won't allow it and then they just accept it and "cope" thinking that the people of the north, "savages" must be tamed and made to kneel." She sighed again and Ashe didn't know what to say.
"You remember the story of Camelot, correct?" She said and he nodded, "That's what Faerghus is pretty much. The knights all want to live up to their kingdom's legacy and reputation of chivalry and honor. But in the end...it's damming them. Killing them." Should she even be telling him this?
"You can get in trouble for telling me this. What if someone heard you?" He said and Alexandra leaned back, "What if...I...reported you?"
"What do you think of the crest system?"
"Pardon?"
Ashe was stunned by the sudden question but spoke honestly.
"I...lived as a commoner till I was adopted by Lonato. The crest system never once crossed my mind. I never thought about how it would affect me. All I know were the stories of knights and the relics as well as legends I was told growing up." He said and the two stopped when they heard the rustle of leaves.
"Oh, Hey there!" Leonie popped out of the bushes, brushing off the leaves out of her hair and clothing, "Are you two taking a break? I got lost so I was hoping I would run into someone. Did I interrupt something? I feel like I did." The girl said and Ashe chuckled a bit before he stopped and thought for a moment.
"Leonie, can I get your honest opinion on something?" Ashe said as the girl looked at him confused but nodded as she went to sit on his left, "What are your thoughts on the nobility and crest system?" Leonie hummed, thinking for a while as she held her chin.
"Well...How do I say this?" Leonie struggled to find an answer, "We've met nobles who are amazing and kind people. We also met nobles who, like Lorenz," she rolled her eyes, "are incompetent but aren't so bad. And then we have the really bad ones." She crossed her arms and looked up to the sky.
"Sometimes they make our lives easier and other times harder. But the thought of the crest system, I don't know much honestly. It never crossed my mind or any other common folk. All we wanted was to live our lives, grow up and feed our families well as well as protect them. But also, wanting to make things better." She sighed as she closed her eyes for a bit.
"But now that I think about it, I do remember hearing some horror stories of what happens to noble kids born with a crest or the rare few common folks. But...it's usually the nobility that complains about it. The crest system I mean." Leonie said as she looked at them, "Don't get me wrong. I still think those people shouldn't go through such horrible things but we common folk aren't affected that much by it. But..." she struggled to speak for a bit before she found her voice, "Why is it that we common folk have to try so hard to achieve something? The only way we common folk can get an education is if noble sponsors us, we get lucky in saving money, or if we are adopted by a noble." She said with a sad tone.
Ashe was stunned hearing this as Alexandra listened to all of it. The blue-haired woman took a deep breath before she put her arms up and tried to balance herself on the log like a child.
"There are kids that want to learn to read and write but they can't do that because books are so expensive. Not to also mention some are-" she stopped herself and shook her head, back to sitting normally, "If you had an option to make a change to improve the life of the common folk, what would it be?" She said.
"Hmmm...Oh!" Leonie clapped her hands together, "An opportunity to give the kids an education! Back in the day, I remember you and Arisa would teach me, Ignatz, Raphael, and the village kids how to reach and write. I think you would sometimes make little books for us to practice reading with." She grinned, "And of course, nice hot meals for everyone, for free!"
"...I..." Ashe spoke up catching their attention, "provide shelter and medicine to those that have no home." He said as she smiled sadly at old memories, "And possibly a reformation of in the orphanage system. I had my share of horrible things there." He muttered as the girls looked at him surprised.
"Those are good answers." Alexandra said with a smile, "I think it's possible. A reformation would be perfect. But one thing at a time. Too fast and it's not a good thing." She explained.
"You know, I like this. I honestly liked this talk." Ashe said, "We usually don't get opportunities to talk like this." He said.
"Doesn't Arisa let you all talk your minds in class?"
"Yes, but the majority of everyone but me, The Professor and Mercedes', are from the nobility. I'm not exactly confident and comfortable yet to say such things." He said and both nodded in agreement.
"Sigh...being able to say these things think about it more...it feels...refreshing I think is the best way to describe it." He said as Alexandra smiled softly, "Oh! I'm sorry Alexandra! I completely forgot about your first question!" He bowed his head politely.
"It's fine!" Alexandra grinned at him, "But since you brought it up, do you both know the story about the knight, Baldr?" He said and Leonie raised her hand but Ashe spoke up.
"I do. The Gaspard family are descendants of him. He was originally a gladiator before he escaped and chose to fight beside Cirina and become a knight. After her death, he and his comrades went their separate ways. He eventually settled in the lands of the north and founded House Gaspard." Ashe said that he remembered the books he read about him.
There was something in the air that felt like someone gently patted his head. Alexandra nodded, her eyes dazed for a moment before she blinked, they were crimson, then blinked again and there were back a gradient red-blue.
"Correct. Then you know about the Sacred Relic, Ullr? The lance that had been passed down through house Gaspard." She said and the two blinked.
"Wait." Leonie held a hand up, "Isn't the relic called, The Lance of Baldr? Named after the knight." She said and Alexandra nodded.
"Right, but the lance used to be called Ullr, after the God of Winter, Hunt, and Duel. The reason its name was changed was that everyone remembered a former gladiator who worshipped a different god. That didn't sit well with them so they changed the name of the lance in books." She explained.
"Well, that's just stupid." Ashe and Leonie said in union and both quickly covered their mouths, horrified at what they said.
"Hahahahaha!" Alexandra laughed, "Oh, Baldr I swear I wish you were here to see them!" She said and they were confused by her words for a moment, "Anyhow, Ullr won't just let anyone wield them." She smiled sadly looking at his bracelet.
"You have to be worthy. The lance takes on the shape and appearance to reflect the soul of the person. Baldr was still a gladiator at heart and wanted someone with a kind but strong soul to wield his lance. Someone who would truly fight for what they believe in."
Once a bracelet now glowed and before their eyes turned and long ancient styled lance with a long cone-like shape with a silver and gold sheen, and on the side was engraved the words, "Per unitatem vis, per ardua ad alta, Pietate et doctrina tuta libertas." Ashe remained silent as he stared at the lance. The last time he saw it was when Lonato wielded it. When he was properly buried, Seteth spoke privately with him and handed him the bracelet, saying that in Lonato's will, he wanted him to be the one to inherit it. At that time, Ashe had so many conflicted feelings but now...
"It's perfect!" Linhardt yelled out, "But, where did you obtain this lance? I've never seen it before." The mage said and smiled softly as he looked at them,
"The lance is called Ullr, you all know it as The Lance of Baldr." He said as they were all too stunned to speak.
"I'm curious." Caspar said as he looked at the words extended on the metal, "What do these words say?"
"It says "through unity, strength. through hard work, great things are achieved. Freedom is made safe through character and learning." Bernadetta said as Ashe's eyes widened and he looked down to the lance.
"I'm sure the lance will once respond to you. It'll happen on the day you finally found the answer in your heart."
"Thank you...Lonato…Alexandra." Ashe thought and smiled sadly.
"Alright, we have what we need. And I think I found the barriers weak point." Linhardt said and looked towards the training area of the huge balcony.
"It's near the rails where I jumped." Ashe gasped and Linhardt nodded.
"But right now it's at its strongest." Bernadetta said as she was given back her monocle, "Next month it will waver for a few seconds each time late at night. Around...oh! Around..." she reached out into her pocket and pulled out a pocket watch, "2 am! Use that opportunity to break the barrier!" She said as he nodded seriously.
"But what about the guards?" Caspar said, "They're everywhere."
"Maybe, we can use this?" Ashe said and went into his bag, pulling out a small parcel.
He carefully unwrapped it to reveal a pale blue dried mushroom. Petra gasped when she saw it, looking at him shocked.
"Ashe! Where did you get this?!" She said as he looked at her but let a nervous laugh as he scratched his cheek.
"Before I arrived here, I performed a ritual to summon a Mushy. It gave me this. I honestly have never seen this type of mushroom." He said and Petra carefully held the fungus in the parcel.
"Ashe, this a Hydradrigous, a mushroom that only grows in the jungles of Brigid. It's poisonous when consumed." She said and the smile on Ashe dropped in an instant.
"What?! I swear I don't want to poison anyone!" He frantically waved his hands in defense.
"I know Ashe. But I am not done explaining." The princess said, "Because the mushroom is dried, it can be burned as incense. Its scent is used to put people to sleep. It's used during rituals." Petra finished explaining, "And, it had no scent when burned."
"So you're using, we can use this mushroom to put everyone in the Gerth manor to sleep?" Caspar said and she nodded.
"And I know the perfect location." Petra said with a serious tone, "There is an air vent behind the manor near the stables. Remove the stone top and place the burning mushroom there. Then put the stone back. Its scent will travel through the vents all over the manor as well as the knights' quarters. This is the inside only. We need some way to put sleep the guards outside to sleep." She said and looked at the map Caspar had drawn out.
The one thing that always surprised everyone was just how good Caspar was at drawing maps. Chris noticed it and encouraged the young man to keep practicing. One of the assignments, he had him do was work beside Crescent in restoring and mapping out a map of Abyss.
"I got an idea. But it won't like it." Caspar said as the group looked at him confused, "There are five of us. Tonight, Bernie and Ashe go to do the ritual. In the following days, Linhardt and I explore the mansion to find a place we can sneak out without being seen. Petra, when the time is right, on the day we decide to make our escape, Ashe will break you out and I'll create a distraction." He said yet...
"You fool!" Linhardt stood up, angry, "That would mean leaving you behind! They'll punish you if they discover you helped us escape!" He yelled.
Everyone was shocked by Linhardt's sudden outburst yet for Linhardt, Caspar's actions felt familiar. There was this feeling of anger and rage within him as if he had seen or heard Caspar do such action before. Yet, he didn't know why but he kept thinking he didn't want such a thing to happen again. He didn't want to watch his friend die. There have been close moments but just for a second a blurred yet crimson image flashed through his mind. Laying in a pool of his blood, Caspar lay.
"Hisss..." Linhardt closed his eyes, hissing as he placed his hand over his forehead, a headache he felt and Caspar got up along with the others, looking at him worried.
"Lin? Are you alright?" Caspar said as Linhardt opened his eyes just a tad bit but for a moment the Crest of Cethleann flashed in them.
"I'll be fine..." Linhardt grumbled, "We're not leaving you behind. I won't lose you again." He said.
"Again?" Caspar looked at him confused, "Don't worry, Linhardt! I'll make it out alive! I promise! I'm not one to pray but hopefully, luck will be on our side." He grinned, giving them a thumbs up.
Linhardt remained silent but whispered...
"I hope so too..."
[—-]
They waited till it was 3 in the morning to sneak out of The Tower. Gerth territory was known for its dark woodlands and difficult to track down people that would run into them. At the moment, while the full moon was still out for them to see a clear path and when the current nearby pound was untouched by The Black Tide, it was the only chance they would get. They had to get there quickly to perform the ritual to summon a water spirit. Ashe carried the items then needed and Bernadetta had her monocle on to keep track of the time as well as seeing faint roots in the ground. In her hands, one on her back was also strapped a lance. They panted and gasped from running so much when they finally arrived at the pound bed.
"Huff...Huff...we made it!" Bernadetta gulped as she wiped the side of her lips.
"What do I do?" Ashe said the girl scrambled to get out her book and quickly turned to the page she was looking for.
"Draw a magic circle about 10 feet wide!" She said and Ashe used the lance to draw as fast as he could, "Now draw an inter circle at eight feet!" She said as she grabbed the bouquet they brought, taking it apart and lining them up around the first as fast as she could, "And draw the Crest of Indech inside the magic circle and the rune URUZ, on the north. KENNAZ, south! GEBO, east! And, LAGUZ in the west!" She cried out and Ashe looked at her like she grew a second head.
"I don't know runes!"
"What do you mean you don't k—oh."
There was an awkward silence between them.
"Florencio only taught me, Arisa, and Xina..." Bernadetta said and ran to him, taking the lance and started drawing them herself.
"Okay!" She stepped out of the circle along with Ashe, "I think that should do it! Oh, Bernie, we did it!" The girl cheered.
"Now comes the hard part. Who's going to perform the ritual?" Bernadetta said Ashe simply picked her up like a kid and placed her there.
...
"No!" Bernadetta screamed and clung to his leg, "Bernie can't dance and sing at the same time! Please! I've never done a magic ritual before! What if I mess up?! What if my intentions aren't pure enough?!" The girl wailed and Ashe knelt.
"Bernadetta, snap out of it!" He said, carefully held by the shoulders, "You CAN do this! You can! Remember when you saved Lila?" The girl nodded her head frantically, "Then this is a similar case. We need you to do it. You're the only one here who has a connection to water magic. You can do this." He said and smiled softly, "Now deep breaths." Both did one, "And out."
Bernadetta nodded, she was a bit calmer but her heart was still racing. She kept taking deep breaths as Ashe held her up before she rummaged through her bag one last time to take out the old ring she found months ago. She put it on, her hands shaking as she walked back to the center of the circle, her hands holding the lance.
"O-Okay...You can do this Bernie. You can do this...just relax. You can do this." She took deep breaths and got into position, placing her right foot in front of her left while the left did point.
"My intentions...my intentions...please! Help us purify the water!" She thought and began to dance and sing.
"You are the oceans gray waves~" she sang, and did a spin, water gathering at her fingertips, "Destined to seek life just out of reach~ Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time, the path is yours to climb~" the verse was sung, the magic circle began to glow blue, nearly making her drop her lance.
It faded after a few and the flowers were gone. They looked around, waiting and seeing nothing. Bernadetta hung her head, her lips quivering as Ashe gently patted her head.
"We failed..." the girl whimpered but suddenly the two blinked seeing droplets of water floating around them, "What on earth?"
The water droplets remained still and suddenly they could hear whispers all around them. They stood together, they crouched a bit, ready to defend themselves if necessary when the droplets suddenly all came together. Before their eyes a small little figure began to form with flowy deep blue hair, cute blue eyes, a little minute blessed lance it held in its right hand as well as it wore a white dress with gold and blue ribbons. But you could tell it was made of water.
"Llaaaa..." it sang a bit and floated towards them, "Kyuuuuu..."
"A-Are you the water spirit, Undine?" Bernadetta whispered, her hands trembling as she held them out, the little one floated to her hands, nodding, "P-Please! Can you help us purify the lake?" She asked and Undine stared at her before its body glowed and now it looked like a miniature version of her, "Is that a yes?" It nodded.
"Oh! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!" Bernadetta said and the spirit smiled, "Um...I'm not sure if you'll like these but I brought some strawberries along with some cookies I made as a thank you. I hope this is okay with you." She said and the spirit floated side by side, its gaze half-lidded before it turned around and...
"Lllaaaaaaaaa!"
Around four more water spheres formed and they all, like Undine, all took on different forms. One took on the form of Ashe, the other Petra, Caspar, and Linhardt. The little ones cheered as they made their way to him happily the group began eating the sweets and fruits brought to them.
"Haha!" Ashe chuckled, "We did it. We really did it." He said and the Undine stopped eating for a moment to look towards the forest, narrowing her eyes before going to gobble down the sweets.
[—-]
"So, she summoned Undine." Anacharis's voice could be heard from the magic crystal the assassin held.
"Do you want me to make a move?" They asked and the General just laughed.
"They are kids. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to get away. When that opportunity comes, kill them all. But harvest the hearts of the one of Indech and Cethleann. They'll be my snacks."
-to be continued...
Chapter 85:1182:Part 2: The Plan