Hilda rested a hand on her brother's before Marianne ushered her out of the room. She took one last glance at Holst, Mercedes bent over him in concentration.

The building they'd hastily set up in had been provided by a sympathetic family, appreciative of the Alliance liberating the city. All across the city, the injured from the Goneril army were distributed, under the care of every healer the Alliance and Coalition had.

The small bedroom Marianne and Mercedes were in was adjacent to a sitting room. Dorothea sat in a plush, but plain, chair. She looked on the verge of collapse, several of her own injuries in various states of healing.

The other occupants were Claude and Lorenz, who ignited a fire in the fireplace and tended to it with magic. All of them were soaked from the rain, so it was a welcome warmth. Claude paced back and forth until she emerged from the room. "How is he?" came his immediate question.

"Not good," Hilda whispered, miserable. "Marianne thinks he'll make it."

Half of the tension locked in his shoulders left. "That's great news, Hils."

"There's just so much," Hilda whimpered, finding the nearest wall and sliding down it into a sitting position. She wrapped her arms around her legs. "Mercedes doesn't know if he'll walk again."

Claude was at her side a second later, embracing her. "Have hope, Hils. He's going to make it. That's what's important."

She sniffled, but nodded.

Lorenz chimed in. "Can we get you anything, Hilda?"

"No, 'm good," she muttered, holding herself tighter as Claude held her.

He settled down next to her, keeping an arm around her. "Dorothea, would you tell us what happened?"

She nodded, woodenly. Her voice was raspy, speaking more to the singer's exhaustion than anything else. "It started in Hrym, I think."

Lorenz pulled up his own chair, sitting across from Dorothea. He offered a supportive smile, and she continued.

"We took the city without much problem, but it was after we took it that we started hearing things. The people of Hrym have been disappearing for a long time, it turns out." She closed her eyes. "Lord Aegir controlled Hrym until the Emperor took over, though from what I understand not much changed. A woman named Pittacus ruled the city until recently."

"What happened?" Lorenz asked.

"There was a woman who led the revolution against her, rallying the people of Hrym. It was bloody, from what she told me. You can ask her more about it yourself, she came with us," Dorothea explained. "But after deposing of Pittacus, the disappearances stopped."

"Why did no one report the disappearances?" Claude asked. "I can't imagine that the Edelgard would support whatever this woman and Aegir were doing."

"They did," Dorothea said. "But no one ever came. It was that way almost a decade, from what Anna says. They tried rebellions in the past, but this was the first that was successful."

She sighed. "I led a raid on the Aegir estate in Hrym, as well as the Hrym's. Ambrose is dead, so his was unoccupied. We encountered some resistance at the Hrym estate, but Jeritza wasn't there."

"What did you find?" Lorenz folded his hands, face contorted in concentration.

"One of Aegir's journals. Apparently, he kept several, the rest in Aegir I assume. I read it…" Dorothea finally opened her eyes with a look of apology. "There's not much in there I'd like to share, as most should be for Ferdinand to read. But there was one part that pertains to us all."

Hilda could feel Claude lean forward a slight degree. "What was it?"

Dorothea turned to look at him, instead of the fireplace she'd previously been focused on. "Did you know Edelgard was experimented on?" she whispered, horrified.

Claude and Lorenz shared a look before shaking their heads. Lorenz said, "I always wondered if there was something she was hiding, but experimentation…?"

"Ferdinand's father oversaw it," Dorothea said. "He recounted it in…detail."

"Fuck," Claude murmured, uncomfortable. "No one deserves that, enemy or not."

"Explains why she killed him," Hilda spoke up. Claude pulled her in a bit tighter.

"Holst was of the opinion that it had to do with the disappearances," Dorothea went on. "That Hrym was used as a pool of candidates for whatever purpose Aegir had. That's why their cries for help never reached the government."

"Makes sense," Lorenz growled.

"Then, with his passing, this Pittacus picked up where he left off?" Claude asked.

Dorothea nodded. "I found a word used to describe her and her associates. 'Agarthan'. I don't know what it means, it was only a brief mention."

Lorenz gave Claude a sharp look. "That's what Marianne found in those research notes. The cultists called themselves Agarthans."

"Then both were part of the same group…" Claude thought aloud. "Was Aegir their leader? Or someone else since they continued on without him?"

"And what were they doing with Varley's body?" Lorenz continued, his mind operating on the same track as his brother's. "Could what happened to Hrym be what was intended for Varley?"

Dorothea shrugged. "It's possible. I don't know what the answers for those are, but I can answer something else, what happened to those people."

That drew their attention.

"We left Hrym after a longer stay than intended. We couldn't leave the people in that state. Some are going to Alliance territory, others are rebuilding. Holst ordered a contingent to remain behind to hold the city and help with reconstruction after the rebellion."

"Was the city damaged in the struggle?" Lorenz interrupted.

She nodded. "Anna told me that when the tide turned in their favor, Pittacus ordered her people to burn the city. The fires were still raging when we arrived."

"I'll send people to help," Claude said. "No doubt Holst's people will need all the help they can get."

"Thank you," Dorothea murmured. She took a breath, then continued again. "We were attacked on the way to Bergliez. In Gronder field, there was a small forest we bypassed. I heard the scout reports myself, there was nothing of note in them. We camped near it without much thought." She closed her eyes, wincing. "But it was just like Remire. They just…appeared."

Hilda's stomach twisted and she curled into Claude, resting her head on his shoulder.

"The…people of Hrym," Dorothea spoke, struggling to string words together, "they were just like the people from Remire. But they were faster, stronger. There were so many."

Lorenz reached out and took her hand. "You're here, Dorothea. With us."

She squeezed it, hard. "We had no warning. They appeared from nowhere. The battle lasted all through the night."

"Is that where Holst got injured?" Lorenz asked quietly, his thumb brushing circles into the back of her hand.

"Yeah, but it wasn't from our assailants," Dorothea said. "The horde of…people...were led by something. It was dressed in Empire armor, but it had some ghastly aura to it. Like the things it commanded, except much, much worse. It tore through us and Holst headed it off. He…fell."

Hilda hung on to every word.

"I was able to finish it off," Dorothea admitted. "And protect his body until Mercie got there. But even after the commander fell…they persisted." She looked up at Lorenz with glassy eyes. "Have you ever fought an enemy that doesn't surrender, even when they're beaten?"

"Goddess," breathed Claude. "Then the high casualties…?"

"From the rout," Dorothea whispered miserably. "They had killed a lot of our healers too. We tried to heal as many as we could…but we lost a lot."

"You did valiantly," Lorenz reassured. "You did everything you could and more. It's a cold comfort, but I'm proud of you."

She nodded faintly before turning to Hilda. "Holst is in a coma. Mercedes thinks he'll live, but we don't know when he'll wake. He…Holst told me before we left Hrym that should anything happen to him, he had something for you."

"What?" she croaked.

"Freikugel," Dorothea said. "He brought it along for you. I think he meant to give it to you in person, but I have it in my care. I'll have to suffice."

"Thank you, Dorothea," she whispered. "For everything."

"Hilda speaks for all of us," Claude said. "You've done far more than we could have imagined. You and Mercedes both."

She mustered a weak smile. "We did our best."

"Get some rest," Lorenz instructed. "Mercedes too. Marianne can watch over Holst if he's stable. I'll pull Flayn from wherever Seteth stationed her. We cannot lose Holst."

Dorothea nodded, letting her eyes fluttered closed. "Thanks, everyone. I think I'm just gonna take a nap here."

"I'll find you a blanket," Lorenz offered, standing and leaving the room.

Claude turned to Hilda. "How are we?"

"A little better," she whispered. "I'd like to see him again."

Her best friend nodded. "Let me talk to them. I'll come let you know, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered.

Yuri slammed their fist into the brick wall in anger.

As soon as their composure cracked, it sewed back up again into the calm of the Mockingbird. Yuri sighed, breath ragged.

"I've never seen you like this," Constance whispered, brushing a hand over his bloody knuckles. The skin knitted itself up again.

"I can't believe I missed it," they hissed, anger trembling in their voice despite their best efforts. "People disappearing in Hrym…how could I ignore it?"

Constance guided him to a chair in the room within Varley Castle. It was the same room he'd regularly met with Claude and Lorenz.

"Are what Lord Holst's soldiers saying about Hrym true?" she asked.

"Yes, and then some," Yuri snarled. "My people told me about what was happening there these past few years, but I was too focused on Aelfric."

Constance wrinkled her nose at their once benefactor's name. "Call him Myson," she said, coldly. "Did you speak with Anna yet?"

"No," Yuri murmured. "I'm…afraid of what she'll tell me. Of how bad things were there."

"You're not responsible for the fate of a people halfway across Fódlan, Yuri," Constance said, taking a seat next to them.

"Responsible or not, there had to have been something I could have done."

"No," Constance insisted. "You are a fool, Yuri. Do not think yourself so important that the rights and wrongs of the world hinge upon you. You do what you can, protect who you can. You are but one, not legion."

Yuri opened their mouth to protest but Constance shushed him. "No!" she repeated. "Hrym is a tragedy, but the fault is with those who perpetrated it. Not you. Focus on the present, not the past."

"…I'll try."

It was the best she was going to get from them. "Very well. You are our leader, Yuri. And you have done right by us. That is what matters. So go, see Anna, and help how you can now. But what has passed is in the past."

They nodded, not making eye contact. Constance would have to speak to Hapi about watching out for Yuri. Despite how they tried to hide it, Yuri was a good person.

"Can I ask you a favor?" Yuri finally spoke up.

"Oh? You need the Lady of Nuvelle for something?" She batted her eyelashes. "Whatever could the Mockingbird want of me?"

They rolled their eyes. "I'm trying to figure out if what happened in Hrym is what's happening in Aegir. If…if I asked you and Hapi to go investigate, would you?"

"I would," Constance said. "I cannot speak for Hapi, though I wager she would insist on accompanying me."

Yuri cracked a smile. "I'll let you know if I need a set of eyes there. But tell me, you and Hapi, are you courting?"

Constance blushed. "I suppose that's what you'd call it. We're just Hapi and Coco. She's not fond of labeling anything."

They nodded, looking a bit more like themself. It was obviously a change of topic to distract from the matter at hand, but Constance didn't mind. "You two seem good for each other. Better than I was for her."

"You know she doesn't hold anything against you," Constance reassured.

"It's not her that I worry about, it's myself." Yuri shrugged before dipping back into the calm and collected Mockingbird. "It's nothing. Forget it. I must go speak to Anna." They stood.

"Yuri," Constance called. They stopped. "We're your friends. You can always talk to us, even about the bad times."

"Maybe someday," Yuri replied. He slipped out of the room without another word.

"I heard about Holst, will he be okay?"

Claude leaned against the wall that surrounded Varley. He'd gone looking for Byleth. Even he needed a reprieve from it all sometimes and she always made him feel better.

Her face was wracked with worry for a man she'd never met. Claude couldn't help but wonder at how far she'd come from their first meeting.

"He'll live," Claude said, sighing. "But that's all we really know right now. The injuries were bad, according to Marianne."

She nodded, relieved. "Good. Well, as good as it can be. How's Hilda taking it?"

"Not well. I just came from seeing her."

"Then I'll go see her next," Byleth said. "Catherine and I have finished locking down the city. There's no more imperials running around."

"Ah, excellent," he said. "The stragglers give the knights any trouble?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle." Byleth hesitated. "Catherine told me about something, though."

"Hm?"

"She said you jumped off Tishtar? In the battle?"

"Oh, right," Claude grimaced. He'd been hoping she wouldn't hear about that. "The leader was escaping, I didn't have too much of a choice."

Byleth reached out and grabbed his arm. "You could have died."

"He needed to be stopped," Claude argued, taking no pleasure in it.

His former teacher tried to find the words she wanted to say. She settled on, "I could have lost you."

Claude's heart beat a bit faster and he smiled. "I'll never leave you, By. I had Tishtar to watch my back. She takes excellent care of me."

"Sorry, I just worry," Byleth said, shrinking back.

He didn't let her, wrapping her in his arms. "You taught me well, By. I won't be dying in this war. That's my vow to you."

She nodded in his arms and lingered in them perhaps a bit longer than was appropriate—not that Claude minded at all. He thought about asking her about the fire she'd walked through, which Hilda had described to him. But looking down at her, head against his chest, those words dried up in his mouth.

"You're happier than usual," Claude observed instead. "Not that you've been unhappy, I just notice you smiling more." And drinking less.

"I didn't realize how much I missed everyone," Byleth murmured. "Not that I wasn't happy with Hapi and the others, I just missed my fawns."

His heart melted and he was eternally grateful she couldn't see his expression right now. "I think we're the ones who are happy to have you back, By."

She pulled away, giving him a wide smile. "I know it's war, but it really does feel like we're back at the academy."

Claude laughed. "Thankfully some things have changed, like Lorenz' haircut."

Byleth snorted. "He's your brother now, be nice."

"Yes, mother." He winked.

"I'll go see Hilda now, I'm sure company would do her well," Byleth said, turning away, that smile still across her lips.

"Hey, By," he said, smile falling as he knew he had to broach the topic he'd sought her out for. "You heard she's back, right? Mercedes?"

She stopped. "Yeah," was all she said, her face hidden from him.

"Look, I don't want to get involved where I shouldn't," he said. "But if you don't want to talk to her yet, I could head her off or something? I'm sure I could get her to listen to me."

Byleth didn't say anything for a long time. Then, "I think she and I need to talk."

Claude's face shined with approval, but she couldn't see it. "I think that's a good idea. But, if you need someone after, come find me, okay?"

"Promise?" she asked in the smallest voice he'd ever heard.

"I can always be found," he swore.

She turned and offered him a soft smile, one he'd noticed she only ever gave him. "Thank you."

He nodded, returning it. "Go see Hils. Tell her I'll be by again later."

Byleth turned and left. Claude felt a bit lighter.

Ignatz was the next to visit her at Holst's bedside. Marianne and Catherine had left ten minutes ago, so Hilda was grateful for the company.

"Heard from Marianne he's stable," Ignatz said, taking a chair across from her on Holst's other side. Her once stalwart brother was swaddled in blankets, hair a mess, and barely breathing. "Figured now was a good time to visit.

Hilda nodded. "I'm sure he would be happy to see you here. He always liked you."

"He did?" Ignatz said, surprised. "I didn't think I ever spoke to him long enough to warrant that."

She giggled. "At the wedding you did."

"Oh Goddess," Ignatz mumbled. "I was so drunk."

"Yeah, I never would have pegged you as the heavyweight between you and Raph. You really took down a lot."

"It's Claude's fault," Ignatz protested with a ghost of a smile. "Always trying to get me to cut loose." He turned back towards Holst. "Will there be any complications?"

"Mercedes doesn't think he'll walk again," Hilda murmured. "Marianne isn't as certain, but she thinks his movement will be impacted. Regardless, he won't be fighting anytime soon, if ever again."

"That'll be hard on him," Ignatz said, folding his hands and holding the in front of his mouth. "Take it from a cripple, it's hard to figure out where you stand with the rest of your friends once something changes like that."

"Hey," Hilda said, frowning, "don't call yourself that."

Ignatz shrugged it off. "I'll help him however I can, you have that promise from me. Catherine will too, I'm sure."

"Thank you," Hilda said. "But don't ignore me, you need to be nicer to yourself, Ig."

"It comes and goes," he said, turning to her. "But I'll try, for you."

She smiled, which felt good with all the doom and gloom that rested on her. "Hey, I haven't asked in a while, but how's your family doing?"

He blinked. "Oh, I haven't spoken to them in a while. The trade route with Almyra is keeping them busy and the war's keeping me busy. Just the way things are."

"Do you want to see them again?" she asked. "Claude would let you go visit them, if you asked."

Ignatz was silent for a while. "I'm not sure they recognize their son anymore, when I return. I'm a bit…different since the academy. They got the knight they wanted and don't really know what to do with me."

"You're still family," Hilda said simply.

He nodded. "I suppose."

They said no more on the topic.

"Heard Holst brought you the Goneril Relic," he said, changing the subject.

"I plan to use it," Hilda said.

Ignatz' eyes widened. "You sure? I thought we agreed in the academy not to use the Relics, that they were too much of an unknown."

Hilda looked at him sadly. "What if using Freikugel could have saved Judith?"

He winced, but nodded. "I won't stop you, then. Perhaps you're right."

"It's war," she said, looking at Holst as he breathed softly. "I don't think we have the luxury of safety. The longer it goes on, the more we lose. We have to take chances. This will be mine."

"Try talking to Catherine about it," he suggested. "She might have some advice. I doubt there are any other people on this continent as intimately familiar with a Relic as she is."

"I will," she promised. "Yuri too, they have one."

"They do?" Ignatz raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't notice?" Hilda asked, surprised. "I don't really understand what it does, but it's something like a glove they wear."

"I fought alongside him and never noticed," Ignatz murmured. "How did you?"

"I shook his hand when we met."

He waited for more and none came. A shaky grin appeared on his face as he began to laugh. "Fair enough, Hilda, fair enough."

She grinned back.

Hapi flopped onto the bed she and Constance shared, next to her lover. Constance glanced away from her book. "Long day?" she asked.

"Hold me," Hapi said, flailing her arms towards Constance.

Her better half rolled her eyes, but acquiesced, setting her book aside. Together, they cuddled on the bed.

"You're not relaxing," Constance observed, stroking her hair.

Hapi bit her lip. "Yeah, well, Marigold and I found some dark shit in the sewers this morning. Not my cup of tea."

"Dark…?" Constance asked, the question lingering with no command to be answered.

Hapi squirmed. "Like, stuff that reminded me of her."

Constance's eyes darkened. "Do you want to talk about it, dearest?"

"No," Hapi said. "Just want to be near you."

"Of course," Constance said. "But let me know if you change your mind."

"Mmm," Hapi hummed, closing her eyes. Coco smelled nice.

"I can distract you, at least," Constance said. "Yuri has an assignment for us. Well, for me, but I hoped you'd tag along."

"What is it?"

"Investigate Aegir. We'd leave after getting to Bergliez, likely. Or after taking the city. I haven't worked out the details. But they want us to be the eyes and ears in the city, to figure out what is happening there."

"Huh," Hapi said. "Sure, I'll come with. Does Yuri-bird know what we'll find?"

"They're stumped. I haven't the foggiest either. Should just be the two of us, though."

"Romantic," Hapi murmured, snuggling into Constance.

She didn't need to look to know Constance rolled her eyes.

"Think we'll find Myson there?" Hapi asked.

Constance bit her lip. She looked cute like that. "I couldn't say. Yuri hasn't heard anything about him recently. Perhaps they're behind what is in Aegir."

"I hope he is," Hapi growled. "I wanna throw him in the ocean and burn him alive."

"In that order?"

"In tandem."

"Naturally," Constance chuckled. "Save a bit for me, dearest. I think we all want to take our due with how he used us to get the Chalice."

"Fucker," Hapi growled.

"Quite," Constance whispered. "I'm scared to imagine what Yuri will do to him."

Hapi shivered. "No kidding."

"Send a trio out to observe," Byleth suggested as they walked down the main street of the city. "If Arundel is making his way here, we need to know how much time we have."

"Want me to just go myself?" Catherine offered.

"No, we'll need you for Bergliez," Byleth said. "And I can't command the knights without you."

"I'm sure you could," Catherine dismissed. "I don't do much."

"That's a lie and you know it." Byleth smirked. "For all you didn't want to command, don't think I don't notice you organizing the patrols behind my back."

Catherine looked away. "It's nothing."

"It's not. Thank you." Byleth smiled. "I never fully led my father's mercenaries, not to mention a force as large as this. I couldn't do this without you."

Catherine nodded. "Gotta make ol' Alois proud, just like you do your father."

Byleth nodded. "I'm sure he'd be pleased with both of us." She hesitated. "Listen, I've been meaning to talk to you about Rh—"

"It's true. You're alive."

Byleth frozen and turned her head to see Mercedes several feet behind her, hand over her mouth.

Catherine took one look between the two of them and understood. She leaned into Byleth. "I'll be in the stables if you need me."

Her commander said nothing and she departed. Mercedes watched her go.

"We should talk," Mercedes said.

Felix's blade smashed into Dimitri's lance. The boar seethed, pushing back against the locked weapons, sending Felix stumbling backwards.

"Both of you!" Dedue shouted, the loudest Felix had ever heard him. "Stop this!"

"Dedue!" Dimitri yelled in command. "Stay back. Do not interfere."

The Duscur man froze, but obeyed.

"Yeah, Dedue," Felix snarled, circling Dimitri. "Do whatever this madman says."

The fire that had spread along the grass began to crawl up several pine trees around them, vicious blazes devouring the bark. The glow of the moon faded away in favor of firelight, specters of shadow across their faces.

Felix darted forward in a zigzag, striking upwards. Dimitri turned his body, the blade connecting with his breastplate. His gauntlet collided with Felix's shoulder, knocking him off-kilter.

He spun into it, letting the motion carry him out of the way as Areadbhar lanced out to where his heart had been. There was no doubt that Dimitri was going for the kill now.

Flame licked around their feet, restricting their movements. A small patch of dirt didn't burn, no more than fifteen feet by radius.

Felix and Dimitri faced each other down as they moved to the dirt. Dimitri made the first move, Areadbhar burning with crimson energy. He swung the butt of the spear out, catching Felix's leg.

Dimitri cut the follow-through off, bringing the lance's head back in a slashing motion with the strength of a lion. Felix leaned back, bending almost at a ninety-degree angle to dodge. He righted himself and slashed laterally. The sword's edge scratched across armor, sparks the only blood shed.

Felix stayed close, Areadbhar at a disadvantage this close. Dimitri growled as Felix pulled the weapon back for another pass at him.

Dimitri dropped the lance and swung a fist out, striking Felix in the chin. The lithe man fell back on his ass, rolling aside as Dimitri scooped up Areadbhar and buried it where he'd laid.

"Die!" Dimitri roared, pulling his arm back and jabbing down again. Felix wicked his blade out quick enough to deflect the attack, Areadbhar's head an inch away from his leg.

The fire spread, tree to tree, bathing them in orange. Felix jumped up and rammed his shoulder into Dimitri. The king didn't move, standing firm as he removed his lance from the ground. He threw another haymaker, aiming for Felix's chest.

He leaned aside, the punch going wide. Felix grabbed Dimitri's arm and, using the momentum, performed a textbook sacrifice takedown, bringing them both down to the ground.

Dimitri was slow to react and Felix got on top of him, sword forgotten, and smashed his fist into Dimitri's temple. The king wasn't deterred. He growled like a feral animal and worked one of his legs free. Felix pulled his arm back to strike again, but Dimitri planted his foot in his gut and forced him off.

Felix was airborne for a moment before rolling on the ground, close to the fire. Branches fell around them, flame eating through dried wood. They cracked as birds flew from their nests, crying in fear.

A hand grabbed his collar, lifting him up. Areadbhar was by his blade, so Dimitri backhanded him. The edges of his gauntlet dug into his cheek, cutting him. Blood dripped into his mouth as his head swam, foggy.

Dimitri said nothing as he arced Felix down, driving a knee into his chest as the both fell to the ground; the fire embracing Felix like his father never did.

Felix shrieked as his back immolated. His hands flew out, flailing like a cornered feline. The conflagration did not let up. Dimitri grabbed him by the neck, ignoring his struggling, and pulled him up. With his elbow, he drove down into Felix's collarbone, shattering it.

Language was beyond him as he wailed, scarcely feeling Dimitri pick him up out of the flame and hurling him back into the dirt. He landed, not far from their weapons, trying to roll out the flames on his back. He screamed with each bump to his back, jagged edges of bones piercing his insides further.

Dimitri walked over, shaking off their struggle. His position atop Felix had protected him from the fire, mostly. He picked up Areadbhar and rolled his shoulders.

Felix stopped moving, staring at his once friend above him. His back was to the firelight, shrouding the front of him in shadow. His eyes reflected what light they caught, black as his soul.

"Boar," spat Felix with what little strength he had left.

Dimitri tossed Areadbhar up, switching his grip. Lancehead plunging, Dimitri drove down Areadbhar to finish things. Felix, with his good arm, reached up.

He caught the shaft of the Areadbhar, right above the boney blade. Red energy bled off the tip, burning his hand. Felix grit his teeth as the contest of strength began. Dimitri leaned into the lance, the blade drawing closer to Felix's heart.

Felix rolled to the side onto his wounded shoulder, agitating the burns across his back even more. The weight of the king worked against Dimitri, the lance's movement offsetting his balance.

A leg caught Dimitri's tripping him. Felix knocked the king to the ground, his hold on Areadbhar breaking. Scrambling to his feet, Felix loosely held the Relic in his shaking hands.

Dimitri slowly stood, glaring murder at him. Felix's sword wasn't far from him, and they both looked to it. The king went for it while Felix lanced out with Areadbhar.

Relic met flesh. But not Dimitri's.

Dedue rocked back, Areadbhar clean through his chest. Felix's eyes widened with realization at what he'd done.

"De…Dedue?" Dimitri whispered, horrified, as he looked at the head of Areadbhar, bloody, through Dedue's back.

"…Highness," Dedue whispered before going limp.

Without thinking, Felix dropped the lance. Dimitri caught his closest ally as he fell, already dead. "Dedue?" he repeated, voice thick with emotion. "Dedue, wake up."

"Oh Goddess," Felix muttered.

Dimitri flicked his head up towards Felix. "You. You killed him. You killed him!"

The decision was made within a fraction of a second. Felix turned tail and ran. He persisted against the burns and wounds into the section of the wood untouched by the growing wildfire. As he ran, Dimitri's voice carried through the burning forest.

"Felix!" he screamed. "Felix, I will not stop until I kill you for this!"

The son of House Fraldarius looked over his shoulder to see Dimitri having not moved as he cradled Dedue. But the eyes of his king burned into him with cold determination, watching him retreat.

"I'll douse the Eternal Flames with your blood!" Dimitri yelled.

Felix didn't turn back to look again; his only thought was to run and run and run.

Author Notes: Pittacus is one of the named Agarthans in the Shambhala chapter in canon. Not important, but I figured I could put a few of those names to use.

This arc is a bit more macabre than previous. I don't think it's going to be extremely dark by any means, but it will deal with what happened in Remire as well as Agarthan experimentation. I'll flag content warnings if we ever get into it in detail, of course, but there will be light themes of it going forward. If this is a difficult topic for you, I'm fully willing to content warning every mention and figure out something to help you continue to enjoy this story. Reach out to me, I wanna help you take care of yourselves.

Editing Notes:
2/14/2022: Minor grammatical adjustments. Reduced author notes.