AN: I do not own anything of the Fire emblem series, it's property of Intelligent Systems and Nintendo. (New Character introduced as a means of clearing up things for the Ashen Wolves)
Shez took a breath as she walked through the monastery. The place was huge! Far bigger than Sylvain had made it out to be on their ride there in the wagons. She followed along after the guards and only stopped walking when they halted outside the main corridor that lead to the Audience chamber. She gazed around at the fancy brick interior and the paintings on the walls. She felt restless as she was told to wait outside the room and not move.
Once alone, she sat on a small bench and crossed her arms, closing her eyes. "I just hope this is quick. Take the thanks, get the hush money, and then get gone. I don't see why I should wait here any longer than I need to."
"I agree. We need not stay here too long, lest you lose time in achieving your goal." Arval said in her head. "Though I'm surprised that they asked you to come this far in for payment."
"I know, right?" she told him in her mind and pursed her lips. "Most nobles have one of their subordinates come out and just hand over the cash rather than the noble themselves. Though, maybe the church does things differently?"
"I take it you haven't worked for them before?" Arval inquired, and she shook her head. "I see. Well then, this is an opportunity to learn something at the least. Though, to be honest with you, I don't feel very comfortable here."
"Really? Why?" Shez was surprised to hear the trepidation in his voice. Normally, the boy was far more confident. This was something new.
"I… don't know." Areval seemed confused. "It's just a feeling. Like spiders crawling all over me, and I can't shake them off. Shez, I don't like it."
She patted his hand in her mind and gave him a gentle look. "Don't worry, this will be over soon. Once I have my coin, we'll go, okay?"
"That would be nice, yes." He said to her as Alois walked past. He smiled at her and waved, and she gave a wave back.
"Huh. Seems the others have arrived, then?"
"Must have," she told the voice in her mind and watched as the guard let the commander into the Audience Chamber. "I wonder if he's just reporting in, or if there's something more to it?"
"Well, looks like you'll soon find out." Arval stated as the guard came over and nodded to Shez.
"Her Eminence will see you now." He motioned to her as she stood up. "Follow me, please."
Shez got up as Arval whispered a good luck. Walking into the room, the sheer size of it and the elegance struck her. The long hall's colorfully tiled floor caught her eye as it stretched the whole length and width of the room. Vaulted ceilings farther than she could see and archways with finely detailed stone work lined the chamber. As she walked, she could hear the echoes of her shoes. The whole place gave her a vibe of a church.
Well, of course it would. It's a monastery. Shez chided herself as she neared the figures standing at the end before a throne on a dais. Behind the throne was an incredible stain glass window. Its colors illuminated the floor and the walls of the room. As Shez came closer, she could make out a tall woman with long green hair with a set of flowers on the sides dressed in clerical garb, with a crown upon her head, and a fanlike backing to made of gold with eight silver stars that stood out to Shez as she neared. Beside her was a man with darker green bobbed hair and a slight beard, who wore a circlet with a single start in the center. As with the woman who stood beside him, he was in clerical garb, though his was mostly dark royal blue, while she was in white, except for her long cape draped over her shoulders. As with the woman, the star motif was easy to see, with three on his side, and one on his belt, all made of gold.
"That must be the Archbishop," Shez mentioned to Arval.
"If that is so, then who is the man beside her? And the others behind him?"
"I don't know," she admitted as her gaze fell upon the four people. The first was a tall, gray-haired man in a brown long frock coat. His eyes were bright with curiosity, and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache gave him the appearance of a refined noble. A monocle perched upon one eye gave him a very serious presence, though she wasn't sure if it was just a mask. Beside him was a woman with brown bobbed hair, the bangs pulled back. Her long black dress exposed more skin than Shez had seen in a while, and her makeup was on point. She was smiling pleasantly, as if she had been doing that for years. Over her shoulders lay a white fur-lined cape with sleeves. Shez's eyes caught sight of her heels, but that's not what kept her attention.
"She has throwing- daggers at her calves." She muttered to Arval. The white-haired boy seemed confused.
"And that means what?"
"That she's not one to trifle with, even if she looks like you could."
"An assassin then?"
"Possibly." Shez admitted to him, but she wasn't sure about it. Another tall man with long blonde hair, tied by a black ribbon, stood beside the woman with the black dress. The man seemed rather mysterious, and had his face covered by a mask, but his blue eyes seemed very unusual to her. Neither kind nor angry, though he stood in a way that showed an aloofness and made her guess a noble status. He was dressed far more simply, though, compared to the other two beside him. An off white tunic with red trimming, black pants with red cuffs and white silk stockings showed the wealth he must have come from, yet he wore simple black shoes. He didn't look at her when she came in.
"He seems like a charming fellow." Arval sarcastically muttered to her and Shez snorted.
"Arval, hush."
Next to the blonde man was a shorter man with red hair and gray locks that peppered it. The man was dressed in a priest's robes, and had a friendly smile to him, even with wrinkles. His gray eyes showed the wisdom of years of service to the church, and he seemed like a humble sort. His simple clothing showed he was devout to the service that he rendered at the monastery.
Alois was waiting up front as she approached and he turned to face the Archbishop. He beamed as she approached. "And with that, here is the brave mercenary I was telling you about in my report."
The Archbishop turned and faced Shez and she stared. Her eyes were the brightest green the girl had ever seen, and in them she was sure she could sense something powerful and ancient. "Greetings, I am Rhea. Archbishop of the Church of Seiros. I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for rescuing our students."
Shez bowed to her as she spoke. "No, thanks required. Just doing what I can to help those out there in need."
"Humble I see," the man with the green hair commented. "Such modesty is not needed here."
Rhea nodded to the man and smiled at Shez, "Indeed. Your actions were truly commendable."
"However, the reason we summoned you here was not to simply express our gratitude." The green-haired man continued. "If I may; we have a proposal for you–one made on behalf of the church itself."
"Sounds like they're reneging on their payment." Arval commented to her, and Shez scowled slightly.
"What sort of proposal are you talking about? If I might ask… er…"
"Seteth." He nodded to her.
"Seteth then." Shez crossed her arms. "I was told that if I came to the church, there would be some sort of payment for services. Though if that's not the case, that's fine."
"If you would, we understand that someone told you of the Officer's Academy here at the monastery, yes?" the green-haired man stated, and Shez went quiet. His tone gave her the feeling that he wouldn't hold any rude behavior. "In lieu of a payment, we would have you join the Academy as a student."
"Wait what?" Shez gasped and took a step back. "Hold on. No one said anything about this sort of proposal at all." She looked to Alois and narrowed her gaze. "You tricked me. You said if I came here with you, then I would receive a reward."
"I did not know about this, though, and it is, er... some form of reward." Alois tried to calm her down.
"Shez, is it?" Rhea cut in quickly and she nodded as the Archbishop continued. "Though you are a mercenary, I understand you are not currently beholden to any-one particular employer. As it stands, the students that you rescued are your own age, and as I have heard, they seem very excited to have you enroll." Rhea gave her a calm, motherly smile as she concluded. "Your life could be greatly enriched here."
"Or could it be that she's heard about our power and wants to keep us on a short leash?" Arval glared at Rhea. "I suggest we reject this offer and leave."
"Yes, but what if I can get stronger here? It's an opportunity to learn to fight and it would mean I would already be here when Ben comes to meet with me." Shez pointed out to him. The boy in her mind seemed to ponder this.
"Yes, but what if this turns out to be a trap?"
"Then we walk and get the hell out of town. I've had to do that sort of thing before, you know." Shez told him and the boy seemed to relax then.
"Very well, but let us not regret our choice here." He frowned. "It is most infuriating that she's taking it almost as a given that we'll accept this offer."
Shez looked at Rhea and took a breath. "I understand your offer, but I have to state that I have a goal of my own that I'm working on. If your fancy school can really make it happen for me, can actually move me closer to my goal, then consider me interested."
"And that goal would be?" Rhea asked cordially.
"There's some I need to defeat to avenge my fallen allies, but I can't do that as I am now, so I want to get stronger." Shez admitted to her.
"The Knights of Seiros–as well as many other powerful warriors–pass daily through the gates of this hallowed monastery. If strength is what you are after, we can certainly provide it in spades." Seteth explained to her, and Shez nodded.
"I've heard as much. I also heard that there are three houses that I can join." Shez beamed at him. "So I guess, I accept, count me in as a new student."
"We will do all we can to ensure you do not regret this choice." Rhea commented to her, then quickly added. "I am certain you will go far."
Shez nodded and then was barraged by information by the man with the brown suit and the monocle named Hanneman. He went into the history of the church, the three houses, and that all were treated equal. He then added that the students lived in the dormitory for the school year and so they can challenge each other. Typically, students graduated within one year's time and took what they learned into their respective fields, be it in a leadership role or working as an officer or advisor. The lessons they gained in that year helped them for a lifetime. The woman in black named Manuela quickly interjected, explaining how each house corresponds to one of Fódlan's three regions.
"Right, from what I understand, Edelgard is the head of the Black Eagle house, which is connected to the Adrestian Empire. Dimitri is head of the Blue Lions, which is for students from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and Claude is head of the Golden Deer, which covers the students from the Leicester Alliance." Shez repeated what she heard from Ingrid when she was having breakfast with the students before they broke from camp.
Manuela grinned, "Very good. You seem to be a natural at retaining information."
"Thanks," Shez chuckled. "I hope to get to know the students and the staff better while I'm here."
"I'm sure in time that you will." Rhea motioned to the teachers. "Professor Casagranda, Professor von Essar, and Professor von Hyrm. Could you please excuse us, Father Wilford?" she motioned to the man with the red hair. "Would you mind remaining?"
"But off course, Lady Rhea." The blonde man with the mask bowed and headed from the room first without a moment of hesitation, making Shez think he didn't want to be there. The other two bowed equally and made their way off with Manuela smiling and whispering that she hoped to see her soon in her classroom.
Once they were gone, and the three that remained looked to Shez. She felt her stomach drop some as Rhea stared at her for a moment. "May I ask a question of you, Shez?"
"Of course." Shez stated softly. Her eyes shifted to look between them, trying to figure out what this was all about.
"It seems we've been cornered. I knew this was a trap." Arval complained in her head.
"I have heard from one of our flock that you possess a great power. And that you have used that power to save others, but that there is something rather dark about it. Is this true? Do you have a power that allows you might above that of a magic user?" Rhea asked her and Shez turned pale.
"Arval, how does she know about us?"
"Simple. You used it when you fought that horde of monsters! Someone from the church must have seen you, and now she wants to find out about us. Be careful with your words, Shez." The boy warned her and he narrowed his red eyes at Rhea. "I won't let her hurt you."
Shez took a breath. "It's true that I might have a gift. But I don't see myself as stronger than any normal fighter. Maybe the person saw something else, or was mistaken."
"I understand if you don't wish to discuss this matter. However, if you possess an ability, then we wish to help you learn to control it." Rhea gently indicated to her. "To that end, we have asked Father Wilford to allow you to join the house he takes care of, that of the Ashen Wolves."
"The Ashen Wolves?" Shez looked at Rhea, confused, and the woman nodded. "Wait, there's a fourth house?"
"Yes, though it is not directly connected to the church." Seteth explained.
"Why?"
Rhea smiled softly at her, "There are reasons for this decision. The Ashen Wolves' house is located in a place known as Abyss. It is there that those who have been shunned by the Goddess light reside." She glanced at the man with the red hair beside her. "This is Father Wilford, the caretaker of the Abyss and the man who formed the Ashen Wolves' house."
The red-haired man beamed at her. "I'm pleased to meet you, Shez. I created the Ashen Wolves so that young people who can no longer live a normal life can still get an education. The members there are few, but they are intelligent and capable students and ones that work hard." He looked over at Shez and seemed to examine her. "I'm certain that you will get along with the members there."
"And I have no other choice in the matter?" Shez asked, looking upset at the three people that stood there. Rhea looked at her with a melancholy expression.
"I'm afraid in this case, until we have a full understanding of your power, it would be best for you to stay in the Abyss."
"I see, so you don't trust me then?" Shez gestured angrily to the Archbishop.
"It's not that we don't trust you, Shez, it's that until we know what was observed by the cleric, we need to be careful and to do so we must examine you, and the safest place for that to be done would be below the monastery with Wilford." Rhea told her directly. "You will have access to the surface, but you'll be helping Wilford with the care of the Abyss while you're here at the school."
"So this whole thing was a trick? How dare they lock us up! Do they know who they are dealing with?!" Arval shrieked in her mind and Shez winced.
"Cool it Arval. We'll figure this out once we get to this Ashen Wolves' house." She bowed to Rhea. "I understand the Archbishop." Her attention turned to Wilford. "Well then, I guess I will head down with you, Father Wilford."
He graciously added, "I assure you, Miss. Shez, this is not a punishment, and with your help, I'm sure that things will turn out better than you suppose." He patted her shoulder in a fatherly way. Shez gave a short nod as he bowed to Rhea.
"I am certain that soon all will become clear with Wilford's help." The Archbishop told her as Shez departed with the priest.
