AN: I own none of Fire Emblem.
"So you want me to help you with mapping out Abyss?" Shez asked Wilford as she sat on the desk in the Ashen Wolves' classroom. The older priest nodded pleasantly. "But why me?"
"From what I've learned asking around about you, you're quite the navigation expert, Shez, and everyone here needs to help make Abyss a safer place to live. Knowing where tunnels lead, and if they need to be closed because of instability, will help us out immensely."
She stared at him. Wilford was a sweet man, and clearly cared deeply for the people that lived in what she assumed of as a hole in the ground, but she couldn't help but wonder if his age was making him a bit too comfortable being down in the darkness. Was it normal to really be okay to shun the light like this?
"I suppose I could," she told him, and the older man smiled at her.
"Thank you. I talked with Professor Hanneman as well. He said he would be willing to meet with you in the evening to see if you bear a Crest. It could be that that is what is causing your powers."
Shez gave him a gentle smile. It's not a Crest. "Yeah, that sounds good to me"
With a polite bow, the man exited the room, and she sighed. Since coming down to Abyss, there were two things she had learned. Wilford was someone that everyone in the town loved, even if they supposed he was a bit kooky, and never say a bad word about Aelfric. To Abyssians, the strange former monk was a godsend. He helped their children learn to read and write, taught rogues they could be better, and kept the crime down with his words and actions.
Even with all the admiration being heaped on the monk, she still did not trust him. There was something about him that just rubbed her the wrong way. The way he talked about his Flock, as if everyone in the Abyss was under his care and command. She didn't like it. He had too much authority and Wilford didn't help, seeing as he was trying to help the man atone for whatever his sin had been.
"Something bothering you?" Arval asked her and Shez cupped her cheek.
"Yeah, sort of. Well, a few things."
"Like what?" the white-haired child floated near her and she heaved a sigh.
"Where Ben is. When we last talked, he seemed upset, but you won't tell me what's going on."
"That's because I don't think it is wise to let you know yet. You might try to rush out of here, and who knows what your 'friend' would do if you did that?" Arval explained to her, and she scoffed.
"Trust me, under all his bravado, Yuri is a sweet guy. He wouldn't do anything to hurt me."
"But you haven't seen him in several years, right? He could have changed." Arval pointed out to her, and she flinched. It was true. He certainly seemed different from before he'd gotten involved with Count Rowe of the Holy Kingdom. But Shez didn't want to think anything bad of him. He'd always been there for her when it counted, and now she wanted to at the very least do him the favor. Especially seeing that he'd already promised to help her find a way out of there after whatever mission he was on was completed.
She shook her head. "He hasn't changed. At least I don't think so."
"So, you're going to trust him?" Arval pouted, and she gave a nod. "Well then, I guess that's settled. Not that I agree, but what do I know given I just can tell a trickster when I see one?" The boy's red eyes turned to the doorway as Aelfric came wandering in. "Speaking of…"
Shez gave a nod. Though she wouldn't call the man a trickster, he was far creepier to her, even if he acted nice. The black-haired monk stopped moving when he saw her in the room. He smiled at her and came over.
"And here he comes. Be ready for a bunch of cloying compliments," Arval whispered to her, and Shez nodded.
"Good evening Shez. I see you've stayed late to study," Aelfric told her proudly, and she gave a polite nod in return. He noticed in her crossed arms the paper and quill that Wilford had given to her. "Might I ask what you're doing with that?"
"Oh, this? Wilford asked me to do some mapping, is all." She explained to him, and he gave her a gentle smile.
"I see he's entrusted you with an important task. Shall I walk with you for a while? It's a good idea to have more than one person come down to the areas that have yet to be fully explored."
"I'm not sure Aelfric. This was a task given to me, and I think Wilford would want me to do it on my own." she tried to get out of him coming with her.
"Oh, but I insist," He told her and she tried again and again to get him to see she could do it on her own. Eventually, she had to break down and let him come with her because then he'd get suspicious that she was up to something different.
"I'll keep an eye on him just in case," Arval told her as the two walked from the room. "Also, this could be a good time to see if he can point you a way out of this place."
"Right, good idea." Shez commented and quickly kept a pace with Aelfric. As they walked, she noted the number of people that would stop them to talk and ask advice from the man.
"Seems you have a lot of people that like you down here."
"You're being too kind, but they do trust me, and I them. Most of these poor souls are those who can't freely walk out in Fódlan. Those from Duscur, or Sreng, or Almyra. People who have committed acts against the church, or the Empire, or the Holy Kingdom, or the Alliance." Aelfric told her in a gentle tone. "All I wish is to help them find hope and happiness and maybe one day to repent and find their way back to the surface."
"So why are you down here, then? You don't seem like the sort that would be a thief, or a refugee, or even an outcast from one of the regions." Shez asked him and the man gave her a sad smile.
"I was once a monk that was going to be a cardinal, but I made a mistake of acting improperly, and caused a scandal in the church, which lead to my exile." He motioned to the figure of Father Wilford, who was chatting with Constance and laughing with the girl. "Thankfully, Father Wilford vouched for me and requested that I serve my time here within Abyss. I'm grateful for that. Had he not, I would have never found my passion or desire to live again."
"What sort of act did you do?" She was curious now. This guy seemed the least likely to commit a crime, but yet again, she sensed another side of him.
"Many years ago, I presumed that someone I cared for was not laid to rest in the graveyard. I foolishly attempted to dig up the grave, and was caught by one of the graveyard workers. He, rightly, reported me to the archbishop, and though Lady Rhea felt empathy for my case, ultimately she felt I had crossed a line, and ordered me exiled from the monastery." He explained to her and Shez gently nodded, but didn't buy the whole story.
"And what of you, Shez? Why did you seek the solace of the underground?" Aelfric asked her kindly and Shez quickly thought on her feet.
"Well, I don't have a region where I'm from, as a mercenary, so Lady Rhea thought it would be better to put me with like people who don't have allegiance to any one crown if you would."
He smiled. "Oh, that sounds like something she would do. So, are you liking Abyss?"
"It's nice enough," Shez told him as they turned a corner and she looked at the map and held up the lantern she brought with her. "There are some aspects about it I still don't fully understand. Like what this place was before it became an underground city? And who built it, that sort of thing? But the people here are nice. Rough, but nice."
"I'm glad you have made friends with them." Aelfric told her as he pointed down a path. "I believe we must start there. It seems this is where the map has stopped."
Shez nodded and carefully walked along the path. The hall way was dark, and the two stayed close to the wall as she illuminated the walkway. Aelfric paused at one point to motion to a mural on the wall depicting what looked like dragons.
"Amazing creatures. I have read in the Shadow library that at some point in time there may have been these beasts roaming around the continent." The monk told her, and Shez nodded.
"Yeah, my mother would tell me stories about them."
"Bed time ones, I would assume," Aelfric smiled at her and Shez shrugged. In truth, the stories her mother had told them seemed more like reality than fantasy, but she couldn't trust the guy with that. He pointed to the image. "I believe that is a depiction of the Immovable one, though I have never seen that red one before, and it looks like higher up there was some large blue green one but the paint has faded."
"Wonder what the scene was supposed to be of," Shez muttered, and Aelfric shook his head.
"I am not sure, but it is something that we should tell Wilford about. He would certainly want to look into it. We should see if there are more art works and denote them on the map."
The purple-haired girl nodded and walked along, letting him take the front for a while as she drew the lines to show-off the curved off pathways to other rooms. Some had no doors, and they cautiously stepped in over some rubble and examined it, with Aelfric noting that they would have to clean it out before using them. A few rooms were useful for storage, others seemed to be specific use rooms, which they would have to figure out a use for later. Other doors were locked. Some easily were battered in, others Shez couldn't figure out how the lock worked.
"Well, we'll just have to ask Yuri when we see him." Aelfric chuckled, "Or Balthus could just beat it open."
"Good point," she smiled as they went into one room that held some old rugs and some rusted armor. "Hey, some of this is useful."
"Yes. We need to let the merchants and blacksmiths know of this. It could be sold and sent up top if we can't move it here." He told her. Shez had learned that merchants who knew of Abyss would come by regularly to pick up items they believed could be sold to the right buyer, and would split the profits with the community. She found it a bit annoying, given that the people in the Abyss were the ones doing all the work. Yet Yuri insisted that it was fine, and not to worry about it.
The farther they walked, the more winding the tunnel got and Shez felt ill at easy. "Maybe we should head back?"
"Nonsense, this is fine." Aelfric declared as they moved over a block bridge that was beside some pools of water.
"If you say so." She didn't think it was fine at all.
"By the way, Wilford mentioned to me that before you came in here, you had been in a fight of some sort?" He commented as they walked along.
"Oh, yeah?" She glanced at the water. It was darker than she liked and had some glow to it, which she was sure was coming from some sort of plant below the surface.
"Yes, may I inquire what happened?"
Shez glanced at him as he dimmed the light some noting that the glow from the plants in the water would be enough for the moment. She hesitated.
"I would suggest lying." Arval whispered in her ear.
"Yeah, but he probably knows more than he's letting on. Bet Wilford told him about my meeting with Jeralt and the royals." She shook her head. Lying would not work here. He'd call her out, she was sure of it. So instead, she spoke as simply as she could.
"I was. There was an attack on a village where I was resting. I ran into Jarelt Eisner's band of mercenaries and helped him and his daughter out. That's it."
The man before her for a second had a strange, almost frightening look on his face, then she blinked and his calm, placid mask was back on. "Did you say Jeralt Eisner?"
Shez nodded once and side-eyed him.
"Well, that is interesting, and with him was a daughter?" Again she nodded, as he seemed deep in thought. "And does anyone else know about this?"
"Not sure, maybe Lady Rhea and Wilford…" Shez told him, when she heard a noise and turned to pull her blade. "Stay behind me, Aelfric!"
It was in that moment that something strange happened. She felt something move past her, and her feet got tripped up. The next moment she was falling backwards after spinning on the stone bridge and splashing into the water.
While she could swim, Shez couldn't figure out top from bottom at the moment, and felt the plants in the water get in her way as she went down. Struggling, she heard Arval shout to her to stop moving. She did so, and he unleashed their power, but while it freed her from the plants, she still needed to swim up. The lantern light was nowhere to be seen, so she swam around trying to figure out the way out.
"Try blowing some bubbles," Arval suggested, but she was too scared to. If she let out too much air, she would drown. So she tried again to find her way up and fought against her better judgement. In the dim light, she could see markings of something, but couldn't read them.
Maybe the wall goes up? Shez thought as she reached out for the markings and crawled up it. Arval cheered her on, but soon enough, her breath was giving out as she was reaching the top.
Arval, I don't think…. Her eyes closed. Using the power had drained her and trying to not freak out in the water had left her tired. She was sure she was going to drown. There was no way out of this.
"Don't you dare die!" Arval was yelling at her, when Shez felt a pair of arms pull her up out of the water and she gasped as air filled her lungs once she breached the surface. Coughing and sputtering, she looked around, twisting, and then heard a voice shout at her.
"Stop wiggling, you're going to make me go under."
She stopped and let the person pull her to the side of the walkway, where she pulled herself up. Then he got out of the water. Yuri sat beside her as soaking wet as she was.
"Y… Yuri? What are you…?" Shez had another coughing fit, and he rubbed her back.
"Don't talk till you're able to breathe normally." He looked at her, genuinely worried. "Just what are you doing down here?"
"I… Wilford asked me to make a map," she spoke softly and tried to calm her racing heart and fill her lungs up.
"A map? Did he say to go down here?" His eyebrow raised and his eyes were wide.
"No, not exactly. He just told me to fill in the gaps for the Abyss," she motioned, and looked around for the papers. "Damn, where did they go?"
He frowned as she declared. "I had them here Yuri! I'm not making stuff up. Wilford gave me paper and a quill…"
Yuri held up his hands. "Calm down, Shez. I believe you."
He stood and helped her to her feet.
"Can you walk?" She nodded, and he looked relived, "Good. Come on, I know where there are some towels to dry off."
She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering ever so slightly and followed him, trying to keep her teeth from chattering now that the adrenaline had died and the chill in the air had kicked in. "You do? How do you know there're towels down here?"
"Because I found them before a few moons back." Yuri explained as he led her to a small storage room. Opening the door, he tossed her a towel. It wasn't the cleanest thing she'd ever used, but better than nothing, and Shez wiped as much of herself off as she could. Once dry, he took it from her, then seemed on alert, and grabbed her hand.
"This way, come on." Yuri yanked hard and pulled her down another walk way then zig zagged across some others. They seemed to be going up, and she noticed the ruins were changing the farther away from the pools they got.
Shez looked at Yuri's hand on her wrist and then at his face as they raced through the darkness. Peeking out some behind the determined look in his eye was a hint of a smile. One she'd recalled from when they were young and he'd dragged her through the streets of his village in Faerghus while her family was visiting him. The trio had agreed to a race, and Ben had found a shortcut on the street, and she'd felt it was cheating, so Yuri had grabbed her and pulled her with him as he told her they were going to win, he'd make it so.
Running with him felt so familiar and warmed her heart some. She kept pace and sped up to run side by side. The older boy looked back for a moment and then smiled as he squeezed her hand. "Nearly there."
"Nearly where?" she called out in the darkness as they seemed to go up a steep incline. He threw open a door as they reached the top and she could see a field of grass with small night-blooming flowers and a star filled sky. Shez gasped as she looked around, stepping out with him and catching her breath.
"Here." Yuri let go of her hand as he shut the door and she faced him.
"What is this place?"
"My secret. I told you, some can leave Abyss, and some can't. I'm one of the lucky ones." Yuri explained to her as he led her away from the door. "It's the way I can move around and handle my gang."
"You have a gang?" Shez asked him as he moved her down some from the wall where the door was hidden by some foliage. Yuri chuckled softly in her ear.
"Well, one could say I inherited it, but yes, I run a gang, a pretty damn good one that." He stopped by a circular area of dirt and sat her down. "Wait right here."
She waited, looking up at the stars. The air wasn't as warm as she would like and she shivered slightly, still the sight was pretty and it took her mind off nearly drowning.
"And that was number four, this moon in saving you, so we're up to twenty–six times in total that I have saved you." Arval told her and she snorted.
"Yuri's the one that pulled me out of the water."
"Yes, but I'm the one that got you to cut the plants. He'd have had nothing but a corpse to drag out of there." Arval shouted to her, and she closed her eyes.
"You almost sound jealous."
"I am not. I just think that you need to consider who you spend your time with is all." Arval explained as she gazed up. "Are those stars?"
"Yes, my mother used to tell me stories about them, you know. I can't remember them all, but she said that there was a dragon that watches from the heavens in those stars." Shez mentioned as her eyes scanned the sky. Memories of sitting outside in their small, reclusive little village wormed their way back into her mind.
"On nights like these, we would sit by a fire outside and watch the stars for hours. Ben and I trying to tell the best story about the stars, and what all the different constellations were. Mother would try to teach us how to navigate using them. I guess it took somehow." She glanced over when she heard Yuri coming back with some wood and kindling.
"A fire, that's a good idea." Shez got up and helped him set it up. Once it was going and they had warmed themselves enough, he took off his jacket. "What are you doing?"
"Drying my coat. You should do the same, or do you like sitting around in wet clothing?" Yuri teased her and Shez huffed.
"Fine, but you need to get off your boots, too."
He gave a smirk and a small bow. "If the lady so desires."
She tried to not stare at him and turned away as she took off her jacket and blouse, then skirt and boots. Under, she always wore a tank top and shorts, something that she'd taken the habit to ever since they were kids. Laying them out to dry near the fire, she sat back down.
"There." Shez could feel his eyes on her. "Say something, and don't just stare at me."
He smirked. "Just a nice sight to look at."
"Right, sure." She waved it off and then played with a lock of hair. "Hey, thank you for saving me down there."
"No problem. Just don't go wandering like that again." She tried to protest, but he shook his head. "I know, I know. Wilford asked you to map new tunnels, but he probably wasn't thinking in that direction. The old man has a good heart, but I sometimes think he doesn't think about what he's asking. Then again, I'm sure he wasn't expecting you to end up like that, either."
Yuri relaxed as he leaned back and looked up. "So, how did Aelfric end up walking with you?"
"He came into the classroom and asked me to join me. I told him no several times, but he persisted, and after a while I gave in." Shez told him. "Did he push me into the water?"
Yuri shrugged. "He might have. But no need to speculate right now. Though I am going to request that you stay away from him."
"Not like I'm the one going looking for him," she pointed out, and he nodded.
"Fair enough Bea." They were alone, so she let it go.
"Why were you down there, anyway?"
"Me?" Yuri shrugged. "Just doing some rounds."
"Uh, huh?" She smirked at him. "Were you following me?"
Yuri went quiet and then stared at the sky. "It's a nice night, you know. First time in a while, I've been able to look at the night sky."
Shez smiled and gazed up, too. "Yeah. I haven't had time to look at it since the whole thing with the Ashen Demon. Ben and I, when we weren't with a group, and didn't have money for the inn, would camp outside like this and just watch the stars for hours."
"Your mother used to tell you stories too, like the old man would for me?" He recalled, and she nodded.
"You remember?"
"Yup, kind of hard to forget. She was one of the few friends my mother had that genuinely seemed to care about her wellbeing." He seemed to go quiet for a bit. "You know I sent her a missive that you were here. She was a bit surprised but happy to hear about it."
"Does she know you're in Abyss?" Shez asked, and Yuri shook his head.
"I don't like to tell her about that sort of stuff. But she knows I'm at the academy, thinks I'm doing some work for the school." He explained, and she nodded. "She's doing, okay. She's never been in the best of health, but her spirits are up, so that's a good thing."
Shez nodded, "I remember. Mother used to tell her to make sure she stayed warm and bring her blankest and other handmade goods."
"She always appreciated those. She still has them, you know?" Yuri informed her, and Shez laughed.
"Even the one that Ben and I made for her?"
Yuri chucked and smiled at her, "Yup, even your badly made mismatched mess of a blanket."
"Hey, I wouldn't say it was badly made." Shez defended, and he grinned. "You enjoy teasing me, don't you?"
"All the time. You're too easy, and it's too much fun not to."
Shez sighed and gave him a push. "So I heard from Hapi that you're now the adoptive son of Count Rowe." Yuri's smile fell some. "How did that happen, exactly?"
Yuri went silent for a bit. "A while ago, I ended up in the empire. There was a job of sorts I had to do, and I worked as a gardener at this one house." He sighed. "I owe your mother a great deal of thanks for teaching me how to plant and grow flowers and plants."
"Sounds like you had a nice job. What happened?" Shez listened carefully, and he shook his head. "Let's say it didn't work out as expected and I ended up having to leave my employer. When I came back to Rowe's territory, apparently someone had heard of what happened and Rowe caught sight of me. He must have seen something in me, and gave me an offer. He needed an heir, and I needed money. So I became his son, and he helped pay for my mother's needs."
"But you don't look happy about it. What happened?"
He shook his head. "Nothing for you to worry about. Just that I am never going back there. I don't care how much he offers to take me back for."
"Did he hurt you or something?" Shez furrowed her brow. "If he did…"
"Ease up there Bea, nothing of the like happened that your wicked little mind is diving head first into." He smiled in a dark way. "Trust me, if that was the case, we probably would be having a conversation about the late Count Rowe."
She relaxed some, and he grinned. "But thanks for saying that. Nice to know you still care."
"Of course I do, Yuri. We're still friends."
"Heh. You haven't changed." He scratched under his eye some, something she'd seen him do when he was embarrassed and wanted to hide it. "Anyway. No, nothing nefarious happened between the two of us. Rather, my actions caused a scandal and he, being all noble, felt that I put a black mark on his name. That I should be more like Lonato's adopted son, etc. If he wanted someone like that, then he should have adopted that kid's siblings."
"So then, you're not speaking to him?"
"He hasn't totally cut me off yet, but I'm not about to come crawling back. I did what I did because it was right," Yuri told her. "No one should be treated the way that…" He stopped and smirked. "There you go, getting me to babble on about topics that I shouldn't Bea."
Yuri turned to look at her. "What about you then? You haven't told me how you ended up working for Berlings' men. How did you wind up with them?"
Shez mused a bit. "After the last time you saw us, we were traveling around. Mostly in the Alliance territory, though we went a bit into the Holy Kingdom and the Empire. Berling found out about us because of, all things, Ben's cooking. Apparently, the cook on her team wasn't all that good, and she wanted her men to eat better. So she hired us after she ate some of the stew we made."
"Stew? You mean my mother's?" Yuri's eyes went wide. "You actually remembered that pot luck stew?"
Shez grinned, "Of course, it was one of my favorite things to eat when we came to visit you and your mom. Don't get me wrong; our mom's food was always great, especially her fruit desserts. But I really loved the way your mom seemed to make that stew of hers."
Yuri grinned. "Hey maybe I'll make it for you some time since you're here."
"Really? That would be amazing." She nodded, and he smirked.
"But only if you ask nicely."
"Mean." She poked him again. "Always with the additions to your offerings."
"Hey, a guy like me needs to make sure that I'm not screwed over. It wouldn't be nice if you said you wanted some, and then I make it and you don't show up."
"Oh, come on. You know I can't resist a good meal." Shez laughed and Yuri joined in.
"Alright, if I make you the stew, you make your mom's tart."
"If I can remember it," she sighed, "it's been a while, you know. Last time I ate it was a few weeks before she passed. I mean, I've had other tarts since, but none have been as good as hers. But yeah. Deal, I'll make one for you."
"Sounds like a fair trade, Bea." He leaned in suddenly to her. "You know we should seal this deal."
"H… How exactly?" Shez asked, feeling flustered again.
"Well," he moved closer, nearly touching his lips to hers. "I can think of a few…"
Shez wasn't sure what she was thinking. She sat there frozen for a moment. It wasn't like she had not been kissed by a guy before. But this was Yuri. This was different. She could feel her heart pound and leaned in lightly. What would it hurt? Right? This was just him teasing her and he would back off the moment she got too close. At least, that's what she assumed. Unless he wasn't playing with her? She hated that she couldn't tell.
A sudden sound made him pull back and look up. "Looks like we're not alone anymore."
"We don't want to be caught sitting out there like this," she motioned to her outfit and he chuckled.
"Speak for yourself. I look good."
She gave him a light punch as she gathered her dry clothing and he put out the fire, then he threw on his jacket. The two slipped into the darkness and moved along the wall, only for Yuri to shake his head when she motioned to the door and lead her around the side of the building as they heard voices coming near.
"That sounds a lot like one of the guys I met at Remire Village." She muttered as Yuri guided her into the town and looked around.
"Well, if it was, they're not here now."
The town's lamps were lit and candle light and fires warmed windows of the houses and shops that were still open late. Walking along the street with him felt familiar, and she joked. "It's almost like a date."
"How do you know that it's not?" he teased her again, and she nudged him.
"Knock it off." Shez told him, and he chuckled.
"Well then, I guess we should be getting back." When she shook her head, he tilted his. "No?"
"I have to meet with Professor Hanneman. Or so Wilford told me."
"Why?" He raised his eyebrow, and she put a hand on her hip.
"Something about seeing if I have a Crest."
"Figures. Everyone at the school gets tested. It's sort of his thing, Crestology, or something of the sort. I didn't really pay attention when he was the teacher of Blue Lions the year I went." Yuri told her and she nodded.
"Does it hurt?"
"Does what hurt?" Yuri looked at her, confused.
"Being tested." She pointed out. "When we joined Berlings' group, we had to take a few tests to see if we could hold our own. Wasn't a lot of fun, and I'd rather not do it again."
He snorted and shook his head. "No, it won't. He'll have you put your hand over this light thing, and it projects your Crest on the floor. It's how I got to see how mine looks like."
Shez was taken aback. "You have a crest? Since when?"
"Not sure, honestly. Might have been born with it, might not have. All I know is that it's probably one reason Rowe got interested in me." Yuri told her and seemed reflective. "Still, if Wilford wants it tested, that probably means he thinks you have one. Care to illuminate me as to why? I'll find out sooner or later, Shez."
She hesitated, if she told him she had a power she'd have to explain how she got it, and if she did that, then she would have to explain Arval, and if that happened, even if she trusted him wholly, that didn't mean it wouldn't get out and she could end up with Lady Rhea breathing down her neck. So she shook her head, and he looked a bit disappointed. She hated to leave him feeling like that.
"Yuri, I promise, I will tell you, but not here and not now. It's…" She tried to find the words. "It's complicated and there's a lot behind what's going on. Even things I'm not even sure about. So, can you give me some time? And you'll be the first to know, okay?"
"Alright, I understand. As someone who has to keep a lot of secrets myself, I get it. Not that I'm not a little intrigued, and I'll admit I'm a bit disappointed you're not trusting me yet. But yeah, I can wait for as long as you need Shez." He told her and she grinned.
"Thanks Yuri," she was saying when he gave her a light peck on the lips.
"Consider that contract signed, then."
Shez flushed and snorted. "Tease."
"You already know what I am, Shez," Yuri whispered and walked her over to the monastery, the two slipped in as the guards were not looking. The two hurried along the path and at the entrance hall Yuri stopped and looked at her.
"And this is where we part for tonight. Wilford is probably waiting for you inside, and will more than likely walk you back to the Abyss." He grinned. "Shez, trust me, Hanneman is a decent guy. He's got a good head on his shoulders, even if he's not a bit weird. But he wouldn't do anything to hurt you. And if anyone gives you a hard time in there, you let me know, and I'll set them right."
She smiled and nodded, "Thanks Yuri. I will, and don't forget, I'll be expecting stew once you can get the ingredients."
"Heh, and I'll be expecting that fruit tart."
She turned to walk up the stairs, catching him muttering to himself, "Now where am I going to get some Faerghus spices this time of year?"
The entrance hall was a lot longer and darker than she had assumed. Compared to the audience chamber, it was downright dismal. The dark wood that lined the walls enveloped the hall in shadow and made her wary of every pillar that she noticed. Those were perfect hiding places for less than savory types, especially with the low light sconces that were hung on the pillars as the main source of lighting. On both sides of the first level was red carpet, plush and old, and she wondered if they had been there since the time the monastery had been built. Two massive fireplaces were opposing one another, and she felt sure that the winter months would bring about their warmth. Even if Garreg Mach wasn't close to the Holy Kingdom, it was far from the warm climates of the southern Empire and Alliance.
Shez walked forward over the tiled floor of brown and gold and up a set of steps. Beside them were two balconies that hung over two walls of water, which were at the end of the red carpets. At the ends of the carpets were two large candelabras which held several small candles whose light reflected in the continuously flowing water. She pondered where that water had to go to, or if there was a system set up that let it cycle back up like a water wheel.
At the top of the stairs, standing on the plush red carpet, was Wilford, who came hastily walking over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. His gentle face filled with worry, "Oh thank the goddess, you are alright, dear child! I heard from Aelfric that you had fallen into the water, and when we went to find you, you were nowhere to be found. Thankfully, Balthus mentioned Yuri saying something about watching you. That boy is a goddess send. I'm just so glad you're alright."
She could see tears in his eyes and shook her head, looking concerned. "Sorry to worry you like that. When you said to map things, I thought you wanted me to look for new places."
The red and silver-haired man smiled kindly. "I see. I understand now. But please don't go into such parts on your own. Or at least take more than Aelfric. He's no good in tight, dark places."
Could have fooled me. She thought, but nodded and promised not to go wandering in places that could be dangerous. Pleased by her agreement, Wilford then treated her to some dinner in the dining hall and chatted with her about the paintings that she had found.
"Oh, I assure you I want to know I'm going to be doing research and having some artists see if they can be determined the era it was painted in, if possible. And, I intend to see if we can find out who the creatures in the painting are. You mentioned dragons, though, to my knowledge, dragons are from myths."
Shez nodded. "That sounds like a plan. Can I help?"
"If you would like, though, I would rather you do so by doing research in the library." He seemed contemplative. "Actually, yes, I think having you work there would be a much more optimal choice. Far safer too."
Then why not have me do that in the first place? She thought as they finished their meal and she bussed the plate for him. As they crossed through the courtyard and into the Central building, Wilford gave her a short tour of the garden area and the history of it. Shez listened patiently, though she just wanted to get this whole thing over with.
"He seems to have a habit of chattering a lot." Arval commented to her and she chortled softly.
"I'll admit he does, but it's sweet that he's so serious about this history."
"You think?" Arval asked, and she nodded. "Humans have the strangest views on what is, how did you put it, sweet? And what exactly happened to you and that boy out in the marketplace?"
"I have no idea. I wasn't expecting that from Yuri." She felt the heat on her face just thinking about it.
"Well, whatever his intentions, let's not forget your goal here."
She nodded, "Right. Plan one is to leave Abyss. Plan two is to find the Ashen Demon and defeat her." Shez let out a little sigh.
"What's wrong now?"
"Nothing, just… earlier today, it really was scary. And, back when you told me I was being reckless, I didn't think about it that much. But now," she looked at the white-haired boy who floated beside her. "Arval, I'm sorry. I really don't mean to make this hard on you."
He stared at her. "Did being in the water alter your personality? Who is this I'm speaking to?"
She giggled, "No, I'm still brash me. It's just that I'm seeing that there's got to be better ways of being a stronger person. I mean," she motioned to Wilford, who was still walking and talking, pointing out flowers to her. "Just look at Father Wilford."
"What about him?" Arval crossed his arms. "I see nothing there that's strong."
"Physically, probably not, but emotionally, and I guess in spirit, he's one of the strongest people I ever met." She explained to her floating friend. "And I really do hope he reaches his goal as well."
Arval smiled softly. "You're getting soft."
"Maybe I am, just a tad." Shez laughed as she nodded politely to the older man as he finished his lecture on the Seiros rose.
On the second floor, he walked with her softly to the office of Professor Hanneman, who was waiting for them. The mustached professor smiled happily upon seeing the two of them as he got up from his desk.
"Wilford, wonderful to see you. And Miss Shez, I hope your time with the Father at his home has been a good learning experience?" He shook her hand and Shez glanced at the priest beside her. Had they not told him where she actually had gone to? That scared her. How many secrets was the woman that ran this institution keeping? And if she wasn't telling her own teachers information about the students, then how much was she hiding from her followers?
"Seems this Rhea is a rather devious person." Arval intoned to her and Shez nodded, but went along with the idea that she was staying by Wilford's house.
Hanneman smiled cheerfully, "Excellent. Now, if you'll come with me, I'd like to talk to you about Crests."
"You would?" Shez glanced at Wilford, who urged her on, and she followed the professor over to a device that was in the middle of the room. A purple circle hummed softly with some unknown energy, which she assumed was magic.
"Yes. Wilford has discussed with me your powers. And it sounds like you may have some unknown Crest as a source of this power." Hanneman explained to her, and Arval snorted in her mind.
"I highly doubt it. Unless I'm the Crest in question, I don't sense any in you."
Hanneman went on as he motioned to the device. "I designed this myself to determine whether the power of a Crest resides within you." Shez eyed the device warily, and he gently spoke. "Won't hurt a bit. Promise."
Wilford smiled, "With the many students that have used this device, I should think that if it caused any discomfort, Professor Hanneman would overhaul it."
"Quite right, Wilford." The taller man nodded with a smile. "I can assure you, Shez, this device will be the least painful Crest determination test you will ever have in your life."
"It's the only Crest determination test I've ever had," Shez told him, and Hanneman chuckled some.
"Well then, I hope you will remember this experience so you can tell others how it was." The professor told to her. "By the way, do you know about Crests?"
"Only that nobles really love them, and there's lots of fighting over them." Shez answered and shrugged, "Otherwise, I really couldn't care less."
"Ah well, allow me to enlighten you to the wonder of Crests. Is your calendar clear? This will take a while, because I wish to tell you everything — absolutely everything — about them." Hanneman explained, and Shez sat down in a chair that was before his desk and listened.
"At least he's honest about how long this is going to take. How much do you think you'll retain?" Arval asked her.
"Not sure, maybe I should pay attention, especially since, without Berling, I might need to navigate the whole noble structure with Crest thing to get work after I take care of the Ashen Demon." She told him, and Arval silently nodded.
"Crests are a fascinating topic," Hanneman espoused as he pulled out a book to show her pictures. "But before one can dive deeply into said topic, one must first understand what Crests are. They are power incarnate."
"Is that even possible?" Arval asked her. "If that's the case, then what am I?"
"That's what I'd like to know too, but I don't think you're one." Shez told him as she furrowed her brows as Hanneman continued.
"They are said to have been bestowed upon humans by the goddess countless ages ago. They exist within the flesh, and are passed down through bloodlines."
"Much like how eye color or hair color can be passed down a family line, so too can Crests," Wilford mentioned and Shez remembered something from long ago that her mother mentioned from the story she would read to them.
"Like holy blood?"
Hanneman looked confused. "Holy blood?"
"Yeah, it's from a story. A bunch of people got blessed with magic and because of that, their bloodlines were really powerful in magic." Shez told them, and Hanneman smiled.
"Oh, well yes. A creative way to describe such things in a novel."
Shez nodded as he noted, "Much like this holy blood you mentioned, those who carry Crests may excel at magic, display exceptional strength, or any number of boons. Each Crest has its own power, the nature of which is beyond mortal understanding. For now."
"That sounds ominous," Arval told her, and Shez nodded.
"So you think I have one of these, err, Crests then?"
"It is a possibility, yes," Hanneman told her. "But we won't know for sure unless I look into the matter. As I said, Crests are passed down through the blood."
"I don't really know my birth parents, so I can't really say if they even had one." She told him and the man shook his head.
"That does not matter. Just because someone carries a Crest does not necessarily mean their descendants will inherit it as well. Only a scarce few descendants of a Crest's bloodline end up inheriting that Crest's power." He seemed lost in thought. "Perhaps one of your ancestors bore a Crest, and you just happened to inherit it. That's how a Crest usually presents itself, after all. This could explain your sudden power manifesting itself."
"I see." Shez got up and looked at him as she put a hand on her hip. "Well then, do what you can, Professor Hanneman."
"Not like he'll actually find anything." Arval smirked to her. Shez seemed pensive, and he noticed. "What? You think you have one?"
"No, well, actually, I'm not sure. I've never really thought about it, so if I do, could be a good thing for me. Maybe that was why you connected to us?" Shez offered as Hanneman expressed he would get to the bottom of it for her straight away. She nodded to him. "So, how do we do this?"
"Please go ahead and hold out your arm over this device." He asked of her. She did so, putting her arm over the targeted area of the purple circle.
"This is so odd. I wonder how it all works," her partner in destiny inquired as he watched, and she shrugged.
"Who knows, but at least they'll have an answer for Lady Rhea, and maybe it'll give her less reason to keep me in Abyss."
"True." Arval agreed. He was getting tired of being in the dark.
As the device thrummed, they waited and waited and waited. Eventually Hanneman asked her to take her arm away. He looked disappointed as he spoke.
"It seemed you possess no Crest, Miss Shez." He looked at Wilford. "We'll have to try something else to see where her power comes from."
The priest gave a nod. "Thank you for your time, Hanneman. I'm sure we'll find some sort of brake through."
"I hope so. I'll do my best for you, old friend." The professor smiled at the priest as the two parted.
By the time she got back to Abyss, Shez was exhausted, and wandered back to her dorm room, not noting the figure of Aelfric watching her go inside, then slipping off into the darkness.
