Upon the wide, green-filled, mostly snowbound landscape of Fodlan, the Black Eagles and a collection of soldiers from the Knights of Seiros ventured along a dirt path - complete with carriages and horses. The journey across the endless void of white was somewhat more difficult than an average trek, as the thickness of the snow required heaps of increased effort just to move forward.
Everyone was still able to proceed. Even if there were numerous more audial complaints than ever before.
Luckily, the current captain of the Knights of Seiros was around to keep rowdiness in check. Captain Jeralt's mere presence alone was enough to silence most misgivings. Whenever he'd speak, any complaints were promptly quietened. His company was constantly being reminded to every other soul travelling within the group.
This included Lucas. He kept standing beside the impossibly aged man, his gaze frequently flipping over to him as if the teacher was a concerned parent. Those that bothered to notice this unusual mannerism were indeed confused.
Those that knew more than intended at least had some inkling as to why Lucas was doing this. Jeralt included. Despite that, he was still irritated.
"Alright, kid, STOP," demanded the captain, lightly groaning as he spoke. "By the goddess, you keep looking at me like I'm some sort of baked treat. What's the matter with you?"
"N-nothing!" Lucas stuttered, immediately pointing his face in another direction, full of embarrassment.
"Clearly that's not the case," Jeralt doubted. "Otherwise you wouldn't be acting so weird. Is there something on my face? Don't tell me a bird crapped all over it…"
"No. Your face is fine. As rugged as it ever has been. Just," Lucas hesitated. "Be careful. I'm getting bad vibes from this mission."
"Bad vibes? It's just gonna be a simple negotiation. Not too sure why I have to be the one to do it, but it's gotta be done regardless. No, wait, are you-"
Lucas' expression suddenly and briefly became distinctly serious.
The knights' captain nodded. "I see. I'll be sure to keep on the lookout, kid. Thanks for the warning."
Lucas responded with a nod of his own. He retreated to his mind as he trudged along the irksome piles of snow alongside the rest of his allies.
"Please do not let my father die, Lucas. Please," Byleth pleaded. "I am unsure if it is even possible. But you have already done things I was never capable of. I ask you again. Please do not let father die."
"I'll try not to," answered Lucas. "This is the month where he's destined to die, so I can't promise anything. With his killer out of the way though, there shouldn't be any reason it'll happen. I still need to be careful. I still need to keep an eye on him. With the way things have gone recently, who knows what'll happen once we get to Gerth territory?"
"This is another example of what happens when you attempt to defy Fate. Be very careful, Lucas," advised Sothis. "It may be that Fate has something else in store."
"Something else? Man. Fate sure is a fickle thing," Lucas remarked as he waved a hand through his medium-sized black hair. "It can never decide on something. It's always jumping between various points of interest. Like a damn tourist."
"Indeed. It is rather unpredictable, which is why you should especially keep your guard up on this mission," Sothis concurred as he sat upon her throne. "Do remember that the second Flame Emperor made an appearance during your mission at Derdriu. Something of a similar caliber may occur at House Gerth."
"Can't wait for Flame Emperor II's second appearance. It'd be great if they just stood there again. I wouldn't have to worry about whatever they plan on doing. Hey, what are the chances we'll find out who they are this time?"
Byleth and Sothis shrugged. Lucas lowered his head.
"Ask and ye shall not receive. No matter. I'll just have to take 'em as they come, I suppose. Fingers crossed all we'll have to do is walk in, do some negotiations and get out. I'm no negotiator, so I'll let Jeralt handle that. And I'll be right there behind him."
The walk progressed. Even as the entire group made their way deeper into Empire territory, setting up camp wherever necessary, Lucas kept one eye open and primed in Jeralt's direction at all times.
Jeralt and Lucas' squad took several days to arrive at the westernmost side of Adrestian Empire territory. They had momentarily stopped at Arundel in order to do some light resupplying and the like. It didn't take long for them to get back onto their path.
House Gerth was soon a stone's throw away. The town slowly became larger and larger to those marching towards it. The group took it all in.
"Hmm, this is House Gerth?" Linhardt rhetorically asked with a disappointed expression. "I was expecting something more notable than this."
"You can't expect too much from a house that's only had five years to rebuild after the Brigid-Dagda War. Granted, they weren't entirely destroyed or anything of the sort, but from what I remember, they did incur some damage," Ferdinand recalled. His face indicated some kind of sudden recollection. "Petra, don't you have some history with Duke Gerth?"
"I do. He was the person that sent me to Garreg Mach. I was living with him for a long time after Brigid lost the war," Petra clarified, a hint of sorrow in her tone. "It...was not a pleasant time."
Caspar looked away, remaining silent.
"At least it's all over now, right?" Bernadetta tried to reassure her friend.
"Yes," Petra smiled. "You are having correctness, Bernadetta. Uh, for the most of it. I am much pleased to be here with you all, however."
"That's good. Admittedly, I was somewhat afraid you were not having a favorable experience at the monastery. As your house leader, it is my duty to ensure the comfortability and positive livelihood of all my classmates. Should you not be having a good time, I would have to step in and intervene wherever I can," Edelgard stated to her fellow princess.
"I have many thanks, Edelgard," thanked Petra. "I will be letting you know if anything bad happens."
Jeralt, being further ahead of the pack, slowly cranked his head around to glare at all of the Black Eagles with a countenance powerful enough to silence every single one of them.
"We're almost there. Better keep your political conversations under wraps. I don't want our group to attract any unnecessary attention," the captain insisted.
"Think they'll be targets?" Lucas asked as he walked beside the older man.
"Of course. Any thief worth a damn will wanna go after the kids of the richest nobles. That's why we've gotta keep all that talk quiet. I don't want to have to deal with any more kidnappings," Jeralt mildly groaned. "Kinda crazy how that's happened twice already."
"If I had a penny for every time it happened…" Lucas remarked mentally. "It's alright. I'm sure it won't occur again."
"Says you," Jeralt smirked.
Lucas frowned and grumbled something beneath his breath. Several of his students laughed at his expense, a response the professor weathered.
The rest of the walk proceeded mostly quietly. Some of the students and knights had minor conversations between themselves that were all inconsequential in nature. At the very least, they served as a solid means of passing the time, as they allowed the group's various members to put their focus on something other than the same old white environment they'd gotten used to days ago.
But then all of their attention was focused solely on something unexpected. Faint screams sounded from the distance - coming from the nearby town.
Everyone looked at one another prior to doubling their speed. They all closed in on the extensively-sized town, the screams becoming ever louder the closer they all got.
The squad passed through the town's gates, which were left unguarded. Jeralt led everyone through narrow streets. He effortlessly ended the lives of various stray thieves that were unfortunate enough to come face to face with their soon-to-be executor.
One particular thief was different. A lavender-haired rogue was actually able to parry the Blade Breaker's initial strike. He smirked when he was able to get a good look at the captain's visage.
"Oh. I wasn't expecting you people to be here," the rogue noted. "That makes this all the more easier for me."
Lucas' ears twitched upon hearing the man's voice. He brushed past various knights that jumped out to help defend their captain. A smile came to him once he saw the rogue in question.
"Yuri. I should've known you'd be here," Lucas greeted his old friend.
"Likewise, friend. It's good to see you. I assume this is one of those missions Rhea's given you?" Yuri Leclerc guessed.
"Yeah, this is one of those. We're kind of in the middle of it right now. Sort of. Why are you-" Lucas paused, his mind quickly refreshing itself. "Never mind. I know why you're here. You've heard about Duke Gerth's Heroes' Relic."
"You never cease to surprise me, friend. That's exactly what I'm after. Having contacts in all three territories gives you a solid information network. I heard about Duke Gerth's little trinket recently, so I decided to come over and see if I could grab it for myself. Though, considering who else is here…"
Yuri's eyes scanned over the knights.
"...I don't think I'll be getting it so easily."
"Well, never say never." Lucas shrugged. "There's always a chance. Heck, if you help us out, there might be something in it for you."
"Heh. Now you're speaking my language. Alright, I'll help you folks out. There is safety in numbers, after all."
Lucas nodded, the corners of his lips curving.
"Good to see Yuri back. It's been a while. Though if he's here…" Lucas speculated. "I wonder who else might show up."
Lucas kept silent in the real world as he shifted through all manner of ideas regarding the immediate future. Bringing the teacher out of his world of thoughts and general void-related activities was the sight of Yuri waving a hand in front of his face.
"You good there, friend? I think it's time we get started. Can't let these thieves take everyone's lives, can we?"
Lucas grinned. "Of course we can't. Let's get moving."
"Good," said Yuri. "Glad to see you're awake, at least. Try not to space out on us, alright? You probably can't afford to be stabbed."
Not really having a witty comeback or retort for what Yuri had just said to him, Lucas merely shrugged and followed the rest of his allies as they all rushed ahead within the midst of Gerth's streets.
Jeralt, Lucas, the Black Eagles, the knights and the returning ex-Ashen Wolf all arrived at a slightly wide open space in one corner of the town. Everyone stood right by a thin river that sectioned off one part of the town from another. Buildings of all varieties and purposes were scattered all around the group.
As were various enemies.
Lucas and Jeralt soon thought up a plan of attack that was promptly put into action. The overall squad would split up in non-equal halves. Most of the monastery's fighters took the leftmost path towards the center of the town, where most of the enemies appeared to be. Lucas and Jeralt themselves took the responsibility of leading that partition. Edelgard (along with a willing Yuri) led a smaller segment of forces up the right path where fewer enemies were dotted around. More students went with Edelgard's team, more knights went with Jeralt's.
Once the composition was decided, the two sides plunged themselves deep into the chaotic battlefield.
Jeralt's team made decent progress. The overall superior skills of the knights gave them an inherent advantage over the untrained rogues they kept coming across. Lucas had been something of an outlier amongst them, as evidenced by the multiple near-misses he had with his personal encounters.
His Myrmidon armour was certainly doing its job. As well as his Levin Sword, which was useful in blasting thieves with electrical magic before they could even consider their next move. Those that were lucky enough to evade his magical blade were soon cut down by the slicing potency of his Killing Edge. Or they were simply struck with a proceeding Levin Sword attack.
Whichever worked.
As the team rounded out to a clearing, they could see several rogues burn up into flames in the near-distance after engaging with a certain mage.
"That's gotta be Duke Gerth," Lucas noted, getting a decent look at the man with chin-based facial hair. "I'm pretty sure it is."
"There's our man of the hour. We've gotta get over there and make sure he isn't killed. Otherwise, our mission's a failure. Men, and uh, students! Keep pushing through!" Jeralt commanded.
The knights cheered and the few students that chose to fight alongside their professor murmured in assent. They all screamed in terror as an unknown creature appeared further into the clearing, somewhere near Duke Gerth's location between two sets of buildings.
"What the hell is that?!" Jeralt exclaimed. He turned to Lucas, waiting for an answer that didn't come. "I repeat. What the fuck is that thing?!"
"That's...a Demonic Beast," Lucas revealed, facepalming and keeping himself relatively quiet. "I forgot about those. You make one change and suddenly they don't show up where they're supposed to. Then you forget all about them and this happens. Damn."
The gigantic, monolithic creature of pure darkness and destruction thrashed around the place, slicing off chunks of buildings through the act of mere motion. Blood could be seen upon its tail. Some of it dripped slowly upon the ground. Duke Gerth backed away from the violent being.
"We've got to get over there!" Jeralt stated. He lowered his voice as he addressed the professor next to him. "Any ideas on how to fight that thing? It looks like it could tear us apart with a single swing of those huge claws."
"Gang up on it. If I remember correctly, they're weak to spells. Throw a bunch of those at it and we should have the advantage," Lucas recalled, pausing to scrounge up more information. "As you can no doubt tell, they're incredibly tough. It'll take a while to bring them down. Oh! Uh, we've gotta keep the thieves away from Duke Gerth. I think they transform into these beasts whenever they get close to the guy. So, yeah. Don't let that happen."
"Got it. Gang up, use magic and keep 'em away from the Duke," Jeralt repeated, nodding to confirm his understanding. "I think we can do that."
"Sure hope we can. As far as I know, Gambits aren't really a thing here. I hope that also means Demonic Beasts don't have their barriers. It'd suck if we had to deal with those. Please be kind, universe..." Lucas hoped as he and his team rushed further into the fight.
As all of this was going on, Edelgard and Yuri's group pushed up through the rightmost side of the battlefield. Less of an opposition was faced up that way, but nobody's guards were dropped. The combination of Officers Academy students and Knights of Seiros fought on through anyone that got in their way.
Edelgard especially. She had been incorporating many wide swings with her Sword of the Creator, slashing clean through the armors of all those that even thought about getting in close to her. However, her wrath had to be bridled, as the space provided by her group's battleground wasn't quite wide enough for the Relic's complete power to be displayed. She had to be very careful so as to not accidentally nip any of her allies.
Yuri was also one to look out for. His movements were speedy and precise, the immense control he had over his blade was clear to see. Anyone he failed to kill right off the bat had been promptly finished off by his comrades in arms - people he'd barely met. He had to admit, at least, that these people were doing their job rather effectively. His command over Faith magic was also a useful tool for assisting those that other healers could not reach, even if his knowledge of such spells was limited to only Heal.
Cutting and piercing through the thin armor belonging to more thieves up the northern part of town, this half of the overall squad was doing quite well. Some knights fell and were forced to make a momentary strategic retreat until they were healed, but otherwise, the thieves didn't pose much of a challenge.
Concern was introduced when some of the knights at the back of the group screamed horrifically at something that had just occurred.
"What are they so scared of?" Yuri wondered, turning right around in an attempt to find out whatever was happening.
"I am unsure," Edelgard replied as she effortlessly beheaded a thief. "We have no time to discover. Professor Lucas and Captain Jeralt's half can likely deal with it. Assuming they are close."
"I sure hope so. I just don't like the sound of all that screaming. Come on, everyone! Ignore whatever's happening over there and focus on our side of the battle!" Yuri called out to the rest of his group.
Those that were disturbed by the occurrence nodded in response to the Ashen Wolf's command and kept their mouths shut.
"They're acting like scared little children…" Yuri remarked underneath his breath.
Concern abated, Edelgard and Yuri refocused their efforts into leading their group deep into the winding streets of Gerth. They ended the lives of several unfortunate rogues as they moved further in.
But then their attention was focused elsewhere. Sounds of flames hurtling across the wind, likely making their mark upon an unsuspecting foe due to the cries of pain that followed. Yuri and Edelgard rounded the corner. The source of the spell-like noises had been found.
The leader of the Ashen Wolves grinned.
"Well, well. Didn't expect to see you here," he greeted the familiar person. "It's been a while, Constance."
A young woman with carefully braided blonde hair and a white-grey dress, one that matched the aesthetic of the Ashen Wolf House, slowly turned around after eliminating a thief with a Fire spell. Yuri was briefly taken aback once he saw the shadowy countenance upon her visage.
"Greetings, esteemed sir. I must apologise for the elongated gap of time between our last meeting and now. It is an unfortunate circumstance created purely by my own selfish desires. I hope you can forgive me," the depressed Constance apologised.
"Constance?" Edelgard raised an eyebrow. "Wait. Yuri, this must be-"
"It is," Yuri confirmed, interrupting the princess' sentence. He looked up to the grey sky above. "Seems even a dull winter day such as this causes her other personality to make itself known. This won't be fun."
"Again, my deepest apologies. I am aware that my actions and words cause you much grief. Perhaps it would be prudent if I were to allow myself to be ended by the thief behind you, good sir," Constance hinted.
"Wait, what?!" Yuri exclaimed.
He quickly turned around to find that, indeed, a thief had been sneaking up right behind him. They were easily taken care of. Yuri flipped back to face his friend.
"Well, thanks for letting me know of that, Constance," he thanked her. "I'm not sure why you're here, but it seems like you're in the same boat as us. Why not join us? I think we could use an extra pair of hands such as yours."
"I am unsure if my assistance will be of any use…" Constance doubted.
Edelgard frowned. "Ridiculous. Constance, you have already proven your worth in battle. If you will not accept a simple request from your old house leader, then perhaps you will accept a command from Adrestia's future emperor."
The depressed blonde gasped, but she wasn't allowed to speak just yet.
"Constance von Nuvelle, I demand that you join us. At least until this battle is over," Edelgard commanded, raising the authoritative tone in her voice.
"If someone as lowly as me is being ordered by someone of the highest station, then I have no choice but to comply. I will join you, Your Highness." Constance bowed in respect. She walked over and stood behind the white-haired princess. "Allow me to follow your lead."
"Good. Then let us fight. Together," Edelgard declared.
With a new ally in tow, the Black Eagles' house leader led her team further into the depths of Gerth. Constance's array of spells was quite the useful addition to their fighting capability. It rivalled even those of the most skilled mages present amongst that specific collection of knights, if not surpassing them entirely.
Her self-depreciative claims about her own power were in no way accurate. Edelgard and Yuri saw as much when she used a Sagittae to ignore the defenses of a nearby Brigand, the raw might of the spell able to carve a corrosive hole into the poor soul's chest.
As they all proceeded through Gerth's northern streets, something became apparent to Edelgard. She ended the life of what appeared to be an overly-cloaked thief. While she stepped over their fallen body, a glimpse of grey somewhere within their shady hood caught her attention.
"No...this cannot be! Are they truly sending out their soldiers? What does that mean for Duke Gerth?" Edelgard theorised for only a moment in time. "Thales, what are you planning?"
Hubert placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. It was enough to ease her of the woes that were slowly beginning to pile up within her. She flashed him a quick, reassuring smile of confidence before getting back into the fight.
The presence of Agarthan soldiers proved not to be a deterrent for her. In fact, the speed of her strikes only increased. The divine, orange glow from the Sword of the Creator intensified slightly as she cut down various cloaked enemies that appeared to be simple thieves. Hubert watched on, a concerned eye trained upon his liege.
With Lucas and Jeralt's team, the fight against the Demonic Beast raged on. As per the professor's recommendation, a huge handful of knights and students circled the humongous, artificial creature, striking at the beast's sides with their respective weapons of choice.
This worked. To some extent. Several knights were tossed aside by the careless swinging of the Demonic Beast's tail. Some collided with broken walls, others fell into the river. Lucas kept his distance. He had to use Divine Pulse a total of three times during the fight with the beast alone. Two of which to save his students from a savage blow sent out by the creature. The third was to protect Jeralt.
His head pulsed. A mild ringing could be heard across his brain. Even Sothis and Byleth could hear it, though it wasn't quite loud enough to cause any irritation for any of the three. Still, it was very clearly present. The thought it indicated wasn't a pleasant one.
"Okay, fighting a Demonic Beast is a lot tougher when you don't have a specific tool you can use to nullify its defences. Good to know," Lucas mentally noted. "Byleth, any weak spots I can take advantage of? That's usually how battles with giant things go, right?"
"You certainly have the right idea," Byleth complimented the mortal. "Aim for the eyes, if possible. That is typically what I do in response to these creatures. It usually ends up working. You will need to put a lot of force into your attack, however."
"A lot of force…" Lucas repeated as he looked down upon his right arm, the hand of which was holding his Killing Edge. "Can I even do that? Me, against such an in-human monster?"
"You do not need me to tell you what will happen if you fail," Byleth subtly reminded. "You won't know if you can do it until you try."
Lucas hesitated. But only for a moment, as a smile soon came. "Damn. You always know exactly what to say, Byleth. I suppose I do have to try. Or else...everything will have been for nothing."
He gripped the hilt of his blade tightly.
"Here goes nothing!"
Abandoning all sense of what sorts of actions shouldn't be taken, Lucas rushed into the fray, towards the Demonic Beast's side, which was directly in front of him. He fired a Fire in some vain attempt to weaken it somehow. As the spell brushed uselessly against the beast's rough exterior, Lucas continued charging in, the point of his Killing Edge directly solely at the enemy's eye.
"Kid, what the hell are you doing?!" Jeralt exclaimed, reaching out a hand to try and get the teacher's attention.
Lucas didn't listen. He kept going forward, rushing towards the beast with what some assumed to be a death wish. Despite hearing the cries of his students, he just kept going. Never did he stop.
Once he got close enough to the Demonic Beast, he leapt up into the air. He pointed his blade downwards within mid-air and aimed for its eye. Before long, Lucas was falling. His Killing Edge struck the beast.
But it was mere centimetres away from his intended target.
"Oh. Crap," Lucas cursed himself out as he stood upon the creature's head. "Quick, think of something, think of something! Improvise!"
A burning itch came upon his left hand - a potential avenue for improvisation.
"This'll do!"
Lucas released the Killing Edge with his left hand (keeping it held in place with his right) and used said free appendage to charge up a bundle of mana. He was ready to let loose another Fire spell. Of a sort.
"This h-hand of mine...is burning red! Its loud roar t-tells me to grasp victory! Erupting…" Lucas hesitated as more flames appeared within his palm. "Burning! Finger!"
He thrusted his palm forward, aiming for the eye he missed, Fire first.
"And now, Heat END!"
With a final cry, he released his spell at point-blank range. A small explosion occurred at the epicentre of the blast. It blew Lucas back onto the ground, dragging him along Gerth's stone flooring. His Killing Edge was flung into the distance. It landed some ways away from him.
"Professor!" Dorothea cried out, rushing over to her teacher's side.
"Kid! Damn. What did I say?!" Jeralt sighed. He checked up on Lucas with one eye, keeping another focused on the Demonic Beast.
It was still moving.
"It's not over yet! Capitalize on the professor's last move and let's take this thing down!" Jeralt commanded as he pointed his spear at the creature. He looked over to Dorothea. "You! Make sure your teacher's all good!"
"I'm on it! I'll make sure Professor Lucas isn't too injured!" Dorothea vowed to the knights' captain.
She began to cast Heal upon the fallen man. With that taken care of, Jeralt returned to facing the Demonic Beast. Taking one good look at the rest of the available soldiers, he rushed in alongside them all, intending to fight directly with their overly destructive foe.
While they did so, Dorothea dropped a pair of Heals on Lucas. He groggily began moving again as a result. His eyes opened up to see the Dancer staring down on him with an expression full of worriment.
"Ugh, what just happened?" Lucas croaked while sitting up.
"You used some kind of...move on that thing we're all fighting. It kinda looked like it hurt you more than it, honestly," Dorothea reminded. "Are you okay? I just used up two of my Heals on you. There shouldn't be many major injuries left."
"I'm f-fine. A little bit worn, but otherwise fine. Gimme a second to recollect myself."
Lucas released a slow breath, then inhaled. The ringing in his head mostly dissipated - it became a faint melody. Dorothea stood there and gave her teacher the time he needed, though the nearby battle with the Demonic Beast was a constant in her mind. She still patiently waited.
"Alright, I'm good. Where did my-" Lucas said as he slowly returned to standing, scanning his environment for a particular object. His gaze locked upon it. "Ah, there's my sword. I'm not losing that guy. Cost me quite a bit of gold."
He trudged over to where his Killing Edge landed, the general aches upon his body limiting his speed. Lucas was eventually able to re-equip himself with the blade after picking it up beside a slightly snow-covered bush. Dorothea was right behind him.
"So, how's the battle going…" Lucas rhetorically asked, spinning around in a one-hundred and eighty degrees motion so he could see the fight.
"I hope it's going well. I just want this whole thing to be over with so all the civilians here can go back to their regular lives. I can only imagine they're all living in fear, especially with that hideous creature over there," Dorothea lamented. "Did you see how that thief transformed into it? How's that even possible? Magic?"
"Probably." Lucas shrugged, telling a half-lie. "Magic can do all sorts of things, the limits of which have yet to be reached by mortal hands. I wouldn't be surprised if some evil bastard was behind all this."
Lucas, whether he'd noticed or not, started to bear his teeth. Dorothea did notice.
"Professor…" she lightly spoke in a concerned manner. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I-I'm fine. That might've been my deliriousness talking. I'll, uh, I'll start feeling better given more time," Lucas claimed, flashing a pained smile at his student.
Dorothea returned with a similar gesture. But hers was not one of joy, pain or sorrow. Her concern hadn't disappeared. As was obvious with her facial expression, despite its apparent nicety.
The two of them turned back to the sight of the battle with the Demonic Beast. Jeralt was leading the charge. Black Eagles and other knights were right behind him. Lucas and Dorothea prepared themselves for further engagement with the monstrous enemy, yet something froze them in place. A sight that shocked them to their very core.
With a single slash of its mighty claws - likely in a desperate move - the Demonic Beast sent Jeralt flying up into the air. The captain crashed onto the lightly snowy ground. He did not move. Satisfied, the beast re-engaged with its other opponents.
"No!" Lucas cried.
Instinctively, fighting whatever pains that lingered within him, the Garreg Mach faculty member hurried over to Jeralt's fallen body. Dorothea followed close behind. The two crouched down once they reached him, their figures hunching over to check on his injuries.
"Professor...his body, it's-"
"No, damn it! This shouldn't be happening! I thought I...damn it, Jeralt!"
Four deep gashes were on his chest. The Demonic Beast's attack had cut clean through Jeralt's bulky armor, dirtying the man's inner clothing with a crimson red. His torso was slowly moving up and down while incoherent babbles as well as small, hushed cries of pain escaped his mouth.
"This can't be it! You can't let this be the end of you, Jeralt! You're stronger than that, damn it!" Lucas exclaimed, incredulously. "Dorothea, use as many Heals as you've got! I need you to keep pumping him with that so he stays alive!"
"I can try, but-"
"No buts! You won't know if something's possible until you try! That's what I learnt earlier. It might not have done much to that damn thing, but I'd like to believe it did something, at the very least! I won't let all my effort be wasted! Heal him, Dorothea! Heal!"
"A-alright…"
Still uncertain, Dorothea initiated a lengthy healing process. Lucas grabbed his pack and pulled out as many Concoctions and Vulnaries as he had (which wasn't much), quickly applying them to all of Jeralt's deep, harsh wounds. They seemed to twitch in response to all of the external stimuli, but they evidently weren't much closer to becoming fully healed.
"We're gonna need a lot more than this. I'll see if-" Lucas stood back up, setting his eyes upon the Demonic Beast battle once more.
New faces had seemingly joined the battle. Edelgard and Yuri were amongst those combatting the beast, alongside a certain blonde girl that he recognised.
"Is that Constance?!" Lucas wondered. He shook his head, knocking that sudden burst of surprise out of himself. "Should've known she'd be here. If I remember correctly, Yuri should have some Faith magic experience...Dorothea, stay here. I'll get some help. Just make sure he doesn't die. Please."
Lucas stared into the female student's eyes, his own pupils twinkling and shimmering in sincerity. Dorothea nodded.
"Understood. You do what you need to, Professor," she accepted. "And I'll do my part."
"Thank you."
Lucas ran off, leaving the Mage alone with the injured captain. The professor hurried and hurried over, his speed gradually increasing along with his levels of adrenaline. Everyone was still fighting the Demonic Beast, though its movements appeared to be staggered and one of its eyes seemed to be permanently closed.
He grinned upon seeing that, proud of his handiwork. For only a brief moment, as he soon refocused his efforts on getting assistance. Linhardt was standing away from the main encounter, casting Heals and Physics on those who needed it. He was Lucas' first target. A swift explanation of the situation caused the tired student to rush on over to Jeralt's body - as fast as he could.
Yuri was next. He was obviously worn out from all the constant fighting, evidenced by his repeated panting. The ex-Ashen Wolf was more than happy to help, so he scurried on over to where Dorothea and Linhardt were. Lucas spent some more time ushering various clerics and mages over to Jeralt's body, though not all of them on account of the Demonic Beast's persisting presence.
"Fuck this fucking beast. And fuck whoever made it!" Lucas cursed out, internally.
The professor observed more of the fight. Edelgard was the primary leader of the charge. Some of the other students were mostly sitting out of proceedings, likely as a result of their tiredness. But Edelgard was different. She kept going, the power of her Heroes' Relic able to deal hefty damage upon the unholy creature.
Her two Crests only enhanced that advantage. And Edelgard put them to good use. She shut down all of its attempts at re-enacting what it did to Jeralt with her own powerful slashes. The Crests of Seiros and Flames within her were working in tandem to deliver deep lacerations upon the beast's body.
"You must be an experiment of the Agarthans. Not unlike myself. It is unfortunate, but…" Edelgard spoke to the Demonic Beast within her mind, before speaking aloud. "I must strike you down!"
With a potent, final slash, Edelgard split open the beast's head. She retracted her Relic, watching as the gargantuan creature thrashed around before finally coming to a halt and falling to the ground, defeated.
Everyone sighed or silently swept their brows, relieved. The Demonic Beast was dealt with. And no other enemies appeared to be in sight. All of the knights and students took a moment to relax right there and then.
Lucas approached the princess. They both gazed at the Demonic Beast's deceased, decaying corpse, silently basking in the relief of their victory. For a time.
"So, it's all over?" Lucas inquired.
"Yes. It is unmoving. We have won, Professor," Edelgard answered, a tired tone to her voice. "There should not be any further presence of thieves within the town. Yuri, Constance and I made sure of that."
"Good. All we need to do now is get that Relic from Duke Gerth…" Lucas scanned the area for the man in question. No dice. "Wait, where is he? Could've sworn I saw him earlier."
His answer came when he gave a cursory glance over the area in which Jeralt's body was resting. In addition to Dorothea, Linhardt, Yuri and some Priests from the Knights of Seiros, there was an additional man wearing a royal-looking red cloak and a similarly red, cylindrical hat with a flat top.
"I think that's him. Wanna go greet the man of the hour with me?" Lucas offered.
"I...need some time to myself for now. Thank you, though. I do appreciate you keeping me in your considerations," thanked Edelgard. "Oh, and I hope the best for Captain Jeralt's wellbeing. It would be unfortunate if this became his final day."
"Yeah. It would…"
Lucas tried to shake off those thoughts, but they were too stubborn to leave. He simply waved Edelgard goodbye before heading over to the aforementioned scene, tapping the Duke on the shoulder to get his attention.
The man, with his lightly colored chin beard and somewhat slick, medium length hair, paused whatever he was doing and turned around.
"Hi. You're Duke Gerth, if I'm not mistaken," Lucas greeted, offering a handshake. "I'm Lucas Hog. I'm the professor of the Black Eagle House at the Officers Academy. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise, good sir. I am indeed Duke Gerth. Thank you for saving me from those horrendous assailants." The Duke happily accepted the handshake. "And those strange...beasts, whatever they were."
"Right. You're welcome. I believe you know why we're here. But first, I need to ask. Where were you just now? I saw you before that beast showed up, then you disappeared. Where did you go?" Lucas wondered, curiously.
"Being the owner of this humble town, I know all the secrets of its layout. I'm aware of the best places to hide. Places where giant creatures of that sort could never hope to get into," smirked Duke Gerth.
"Oh, fair enough. And, uh, another question. What were you doing to that man on the ground there? Were you surveying our wounded or something?"
"Yes, actually. I have limited knowledge of Faith magic, so I thought I could apply that to your injured ally. Would I be correct in assuming he is Jeralt Eisner, the Blade Breaker?"
"He is," Lucas confirmed. "He got badly hurt by that beast. I...I'm terrified for his life, honestly. I have every reason to suspect these are his final moments."
"I can see why. Those injuries were rather severe. For what it's worth, I hope he gets better soon. I remember calling upon his mercenary troops to deal with a bandit problem my town was facing some years ago. He dealt with them all effortlessly and mercilessly," Duke Gerth recalled. "He's a great man. You are lucky to have him on your side."
"That's...very true, actually. Much more true than you could ever realise."
A short silence introduced itself between the two men, as sounds of Heal casts rang nearby.
"Hmph. Well, whatever the case may be, you and your group have arrived here for a purpose. I will entrust you with this." Duke Gerth pulled into his pack, bringing out a Heroes' Relic with a red center and strange string-like attachments. He offered it to the professor. "This is what those thieves were after. The Fetters of Dromi. Only those with the Crest of Aubin can utilise its full power. But that Crest has long since been lost to time. Yet, I can understand why the Church of Seiros wishes to have it back."
"Yeah. If anyone smart enough gets their hands on it, they could still use whatever strength it can behold for potentially terrible things. I'll make sure Lady Rhea gets this."
Lucas took the Fetters of Dromi and quickly placed them into his own pack, ensuring to do it at such a speed that hopefully nobody would notice.
"Now, I-" Duke Gerth tried to continue, but the arrival of two women he instantly recognised interrupted anything else he had to say or think. "Constance, is that you? And...Petra. It is nice to see you are doing well."
"I have many thanks," Petra quietly replied. "I only had a want to say 'hello'. I will be going after."
"That...is understandable. I hope the rest of your education at Garreg Mach is fruitful," Duke Gerth hoped. A sorrowful expression lingered on his face as the Brigid princess walked away.
Lucas wasn't sure what to make of that. He had very little time to think about it as the other woman soon started speaking.
"My lord, I trust that you are of good health," Constance, still in her depressed state, greeted.
"Yes. I am well, Constance. Thank you for asking. I...I am sorry for what I have done," apologised Duke Gerth. "I was initially planning on keeping the Fetters of Dromi for leverage against Brigid and Dagda. But after seeing you, I knew I couldn't hold onto it for longer."
"There was no need to do that for my poor self, my lord. I am unworthy of such consideration," Constance lamented.
"Hmm?" Duke Gerth raised an eyebrow. "You've changed, Constance. I won't presume to know what happened to you after we last parted. Just know that...I am sorry. I am thankful for all that you have done for me today. Yourself and Professor Lucas. Hopefully, my cooperation with the Relic will be enough of an indication of my regret for all I have done wrong."
"My-"
"Thank you, Duke Gerth," Lucas thanked, cutting off Constance. His eyes scanned down to Jeralt's body. "We'll be moving out now. We need to get back to the monastery."
"Of course. I have my own duties to tend to. Goodbye. May your journey be well."
Duke Gerth then walked away. Constance watched him leave, a mix of sorrow and stubborn self-deprecation washing over her face. Lucas brought his attention back to Jeralt's body, his chest still stained with a deep red. The teacher clenched his fist and stewed in anger.
A friendly hand fell on his shoulder.
"Hey there, friend," Yuri addressed his comrade. "I think you know what I want to ask you."
"It's about the Fetters of Dromi, isn't it?" Lucas guessed, his tension releasing. "Our mission was to get this thing and return it to Lady Rhea. If you want to keep it, then you'll have to come with us and ask the Archbishop yourself."
"Return to Garreg Mach? Hmm." Yuri paused to consider the idea. "I could do that. It's been a while since I last saw Abyss. I wonder how those guys are handling the place without me. They better not have messed anything up."
"Well, that sorts that. Welcome aboard, I guess?" Lucas shrugged. Yuri also shrugged, but he paired his gesture with a grin, confusing the teacher of its intent.
The two then switched their gaze over to Constance, who'd been staring in the direction Duke Gerth walked in ever since his departure. Yuri sighed.
"Hey, Constance. You wanna come with us, too? Or are you still busy with...whatever it was you were doing?" Yuri asked the girl.
She shook her head. "I much loathe to deny your offer, but I still have business with the Fhirdiad Royal School of Sorcery. I have taken far too much time off my studies. I fear I may have to repeat various exams...such is my nature."
"Alright. If that's what you want, don't let me try to convince you otherwise." Yuri seemed to hesitate, almost tripping over his own words before he could even say them. "I...I'll see you some other time, Constance. Have a good time at the school."
"Ah, you-" Constance also seemed to trip over her words. Lucas narrowed his view. "Many thanks, sir."
Ignoring whatever those two had to say (or not) to one another, Lucas turned away, his eyes once against landing on Jeralt. His brows furrowed and his fist clenched once again.
"Lucas," Byleth simply said.
"What is it?" Lucas asked in response.
"Is father dead again?"
The mortal professor faltered. "I don't know. I could try using Divine Pulse, if you want-"
"No," Byleth refused. "You have a weak constitution with that power. If you were to use it now, it may not work as intended. Remember what happened in the Holy Mausoleum. Keep your strength for ensuring my father lives."
"I see. I'll...do what I can. If I don't try, then there'll be no point to it all. Jeralt, please live. I don't know what would happen to me if you were to fall. So, please…"
Lucas released his clenched fist.
"Don't die."
As the professor dealt with his uncertainties, the Knights of Seiros and Black Eagles cleaned themselves up while starting to depart from Gerth. Their carriages had been left near the town's entrance as they could not fit within the midst of Gerth's narrow alleyways. All of their horses were dismounted at the same spot for similar reasons. Jeralt's body had to be carried over there by several knights - he was no closer to getting up. Lucas kept his eye on the captain at all times.
But a certain snake had gone unnoticed. He slithered away from the city, his presence unknown by those that murdered his men.
"Those irritating knights! I would have the Relic by now if it were not for them. But no matter. I have discerned the location of the wielders of Aubin and Noa. And that professor...Master Thales will be pleased by my report."
The man hurried away into the distance upon his horse, his grey skin hidden by his dark cloak.
Author Notes: Hey, another big chapter so soon into Act 2. Hope you all liked this one.
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