Cold and bitter alcohol slipped down the insides of Manuela Casagranda's mouth. She had taken a bottle from the depths of the infirmary's cupboard, immediately chugging it down from the comfort of her seat. Slowly, she released a breath in some attempt to let go.
To let go of all that happened.
A man was laid upon one of the infirmary's beds. It was someone highly respected by Garreg Mach's people. Even those that lived far beyond the monastery's walls had some idea of the man's identity. For better or for worse. Manuela kept an eye on him, his body unmoving underneath the bed sheets. Her face was worn, eyes circled by darkness that danced around her very being.
She took another sip of her drink. A repeated knocking came from the infirmary's door. Manuela sighed, and took yet another sip.
"Come in," she said to her visitor, her tired nature clear in her tone of voice. The door slowly swung open, revealing a certain someone. "Oh. It's you."
"How is he?"
Manuela scowled, then had another drink. She shook her head in disapproval, anger evident upon her face.
"He's the same as he was fifteen minutes ago, Lucas," the female professor answered in irritation. "You don't have to keep coming in here every quarter of a damn hour."
"Ah, s-sorry. I'm just-"
"You're concerned. I get it, believe me. But there is such a thing as being too concerned, I hope you know."
"R-right. I'll, uh...I'll get going."
"You do that. Don't come back here for another hour, at the very least. If something changes, I'll be sure to send someone out to let you know."
Manuela had a sip, directing her attention to the man on the bed. Lucas was about to leave the place, but stopped when the woman spoke.
"Jeralt really is a tough one, isn't he? Most people would have died instantly from these kinds of wounds," she commented upon the matter. "But not him. He's hurt, yeah, but he's hanging in there."
"He sure is…" Lucas' mind trailed off, turning back around to focus his gaze upon the captain of the Knights of Seiros. "It almost looked like he died when it happened. That beast, it was so strong. One hit from it was enough to do that. I'm surprised not many people perished that day."
"You were lucky that thing didn't go on a huge rampage. I don't know how many of you would have survived."
"Agreed. There was the possibility that we could've had to deal with more of them, but luckily, the Duke had the sense to go hide somewhere safe for the duration of the fight. For some reason, the thieves would only transform into those beasts once they reached him. So the fact that he hid like that...it actually saved us all."
"For what it's worth, I'm glad you're safe, at least. It would've been awful if we had to fill your position again."
"That's what you would've been concerned about?!" Lucas stared at his colleague, puzzled.
"O-of course not! It was only a jest," Manuela stuttered in a humorous manner. Lucas' stare didn't subside. "Oh come on, don't look at me like that. Your feelings weren't actually hurt, were they?"
Lucas said nothing. He looked to the side with a huff. Manuela chuckled.
"You poor thing," she remarked. "Well, you should probably get going. Do...whatever it is you do. Me? I've gotta stay right here and-"
Manuela halted in place, mid-head turn, as she viewed movement upon Jeralt's bed. Small groans were elicited from his direction. Lucas broke out of whatever depressive mood he'd been in and directed his attention over to the captain's bed.
"W-What?" Jeralt barely croaked. His eyes widened. "This is-?"
"Jeralt!" Lucas cried out, rushing over to the side of the infirmary bed. "Y-you're really alive…"
"Heh. I'm not that easy to kill," the old man jested, coughing profusely while groaning as he attempted to move slightly. "S-So I'm at the infirmary?"
"Indeed you are. Try not to move around so much. You might reopen your wounds," Manuela advised.
"Understood. I've lived too long to start not paying attention to the advice of a doctor," Jeralt accepted. He briefly glanced over Lucas' visage, it wrought with perturbing. "Hey, Manuela. Think I could get a few minutes alone with him? I wanna talk about what happened back at House Gerth."
Manuela's eyes twitched. "What is it with people wanting to have private conversations in my infirmary? This happens so often I might as well start charging for it. But oh well, I won't start now. I'll let you boys talk in private if you really want."
"Thanks. I'll buy you some drinks when I get outta here," Jeralt declared. "The good stuff. Not the cheap shit."
"You shouldn't promise a girl a good time like that. You'll never know what you'll get yourself into, captain," Manuela teased as she headed over towards the infirmary door. "Have a good talk, you two!"
She departed the infirmary, closing and locking the door behind her. Once the coast was clear, Lucas and Jeralt addressed one another. Their facial expressions instantly became serious in nature. Even without speaking - they already knew what was to be discussed.
However, Jeralt grinned instead. Lucas was taken aback.
"Heh. What happened to your tears, kid?" The captain asked all of a sudden.
Lucas hesitated; for a second. "They dried out long ago."
"I see. I'm glad you've finally started to move on from that. I can still tell, though. You were really worried about me, weren't you?"
"I-I guess. For a moment there, I was worried you were gonna die. I tried to get as many healers as I could on you, but I don't know how well that worked." Lucas allowed himself a smirk. "Regardless, you're alive. I'm happy, no, overjoyed that you are."
"What about my son? How's he feeling in that head of yours?"
Lucas remained mute as he consulted the time travelling professor in his mind.
"He's the same way I am," the mortal teacher relayed to Jeralt. "If not more so. He's...no, I shouldn't say that. Either way, Byleth is pleased to see that you haven't passed."
Jeralt appeared to be content. "Good. Tell my son I said thanks."
"I will." Lucas again retreated to his thoughts, returning a moment later. "He said you're welcome. He...he also called you 'father'."
The captain had nothing to say in response. He closed his eyes, darkness taking over his vision while warmth emanated through his entire body. Lucas clenched his fist. A strain upon his arm was clear to see.
"Jeralt. I'm sorry," Lucas apologised.
"What about?" Jeralt questioned, opening a single eye.
"About not being able to help you directly. All I could do was stand around and yell at people to get them to help you in my stead. Even Duke Gerth provided assistance…" Lucas tightened his clench. "If only I knew Faith magic. Then I wouldn't be feeling so damn guilty right now."
"What's there to be guilty about? You did the best you could under the circumstances and limitations you had. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't be alive right now. Don't forget that, kid," Jeralt convinced. "You did more than you think. Much more."
"That may be so, but-!" Lucas violently released his clench, back-handing the air beside him. "The fact of the matter is that I wasn't able to provide any direct assistance myself. I didn't know Heal, so I couldn't help you."
A determined stare came to Lucas.
"Which is why I'll make sure that doesn't happen again. I'll learn how to cast Faith magic so I can help people whenever I can, without having to rely on others. I want to help under my own power. That's not a selfish thing to want, is it?"
Jeralt grinned, re-opening his second eye. "Not at all. Your heart's in the right place. But don't forget."
Lucas tilted his head.
"It's not wrong to ask others for help."
The Black Eagles teacher didn't seem convinced. His expression was full of doubt, as if he knew something the knight captain didn't.
"Oh. I understand now," Jeralt said following a short silence. "There's something else, isn't there? Something to do with your future sight, foreknowledge, whatever. You-wait a minute. The way you were acting before and during the mission...you kept watching me, like I was a lost dog."
Lucas nodded in reluctant confirmation, having some inkling of what the older man was about to bring up.
"Was I supposed to die on that mission?"
"Ah," Lucas responded with a burst of shock. "Um...sort of."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Y-you weren't supposed to die on that mission, per se. But last month was indeed the month in which you were destined to be killed."
"Did you change something?"
"Yes." Lucas confirmed. "I killed the Agarthan that was originally going to end your life. In doing that, I guess I changed future events so much that the mission for the Ethereal Moon ended up being completely different than intended. Still, I was weary. Weary that something might happen to you. And it seems my fears were justified."
Jeralt stopped, considering all of this information. He smiled at the man standing before him.
"This is all the more reason why you did good, kid. If I was destined to die last month, the fact that you changed that, defied destiny...you've done real good," Jeralt complimented. "Thanks. I really am alive because of you."
"Y-you're welcome," Lucas stuttered.
The two men shared a smile. Whatever depressed countenance had come over the one not currently bound by a bed soon faded away, as he basked in the genuine appreciation the bed-ridden soul gave him. It was all clear. Thus, Lucas could feel a true warmth.
"So," Jeralt said, breaking the silence. "What's your plan now?"
"I'm not terribly sure. With all I've done against the Agarthans at this point, I have no way of knowing exactly what they intend on doing. I'll at least keep an eye out," Lucas answered. "As for now, I'll probably start learning how to cast Faith magic. I know you told me I should be relying on others, but I still wanna be able to help the injured with my own hands."
"That's fair enough," commented Jeralt. "How are you gonna start doing that? Manuela's busy with me, so I don't think she'd be able to train you."
"I was thinking of going to the library. They should have some good books for this stuff. And as for a training partner…" Lucas stopped to think. "I've got someone."
"Sounds like you've got a plan, then. I'll be curious to see how good your Faith casts become whenever I get out of here. Make sure you don't slack."
"Have I ever slacked?"
Jeralt chuckled. "Heh. Not really. Just a precaution. Now, get going. You've got a lot of work to do, kid. And I'm not just talking about the future."
"Right. I definitely do." Lucas sighed. He spun around, intending to leave. Yet he did not move right away. "Thanks again, Jeralt. I hope you recover soon."
"Me too, kid. Me too."
Lucas smiled once more. With his back facing the bed, the teacher flashed the captain a thumbs-up before heading over to the door of the infirmary. Manuela was allowed back in, thus resuming the infirmary's regular operations. A motivational feeling coursed through him. Its cosy might pushed him through the central building's first floor and over to a somewhat distant locale.
The library. A realm full of books of many varieties. A place Lucas had visited many times to attain textbooks pertaining to various lesson topics he needed to cover. He passed by the librarian - who was still a temp - after entering the world of words.
His destination was clear. Spending so much time at the library, mindlessly browsing for whatever he needed, gave Lucas a solid idea of where everything was along with where he needed to go. His overall black and grey figure passed through an endless amount of books and novels. It only stopped once he saw a familiar individual.
A petite girl with oppositely long, white hair attempted to reach for a book on a high shelf - yet failed. She released an audible huff.
"Darn it! This infernal shelf...you are my enemy," Lysithea von Ordelia mumbled to herself (hershelf?). "I will conquer you like I have countless foes upon the battlefield! You are nothing compared to me! You shall regret the day you chose to challenge my power!"
"Lysithea?" Lucas called out.
The Golden Deer student froze. She slowly swivelled around on the spot, a brief display of fear upon her face. It was soon swapped for an expression of vexation.
"You again," she spoke, monotonically. "What do you want?"
"I couldn't help but notice you were struggling there. Do you need a hand?" Lucas inquired.
Lysithea scowled. "No, I don't 'need a hand'! I can take care of this myself, thank you very much! Do you think I'm too small to reach for the highest shelf? Please. This is nothing to me."
"Then why were you struggling?"
"Uh, w-well, that was…" Lysithea tried to come up with a lie. "Only a test! Yes. I wanted to see how much effort it would take to reach the highest point of this thing. Evidently, it takes a lot of effort. I didn't want to overextend myself, you know?"
"Right," Lucas nodded, sceptical. "Are you absolutely certain you don't need, or even want, any help? I've got time."
"No! Absolutely not! I've already told you that I can handle this myself. Just leave me alone! I didn't even want to see your horrendous face today."
"Horrendous?" Lucas repeated internally. His head hung forward in a bout of sadness. "Oh. Alright then. If you say so."
"I do. Now get out of my sight!"
Lysithea turned back to the shelf, seizing it up for no apparent reason. Lucas simply stood there and watched as the diminutive student failed to reach for the book she needed. Even stepping on her tippy-toes was not enough. The professor had an urge to intervene, but there was also an equally strong factor pushing him away from doing so. He struggled as a two-way conflict birthed itself within his consciousness.
"Lucas," Byleth addressed his host.
"What's up?" Lucas asked in a curious manner.
"You should help her. Lysithea doesn't always mean what she says. If she claims she does not need help, there is always a strong possibility that she truthfully does," Byleth smiled. "She has always been difficult like that."
"Are you sure this wouldn't just make her even more mad at me?"
"She will appreciate the help. Even if her words suggest otherwise."
Lucas exhaled a tired sigh. He brought his attention back to the physical realm, where Lysithea was still battling with the limitations of her height. Following a lengthy, internal steeling-one's-soul process, Lucas stepped forward and effortlessly grabbed the book the Golden Deer girl's hand was aiming for.
"Hey! I said I didn't need help!" Lysithea snapped. "What are you doing?!"
"Helping. I can't, uh...help it. Heh heh." Lucas chuckled. The young woman's unflinching stare cut his merriment short. He offered her the book in question. "Here. I'm sorry for not abiding by your wishes, but I couldn't stand by and watch you struggle so much. I'd feel wrong if I didn't help somehow. So, here."
He waved his hand around, bringing evermore attention to the desired item. Lysithea lightly growled. Squinting at the professor, she quickly snatched the book from his hands, keeping only a single hand upon it as if it were a quarantined object.
"You're lucky I need this," was all she spoke before power-walking away.
Lucas scratched his head and shrugged. An approving nod was sent his way from the time hopper in his mind, to which he responded with a light smile.
Now that such business had been concluded, Lucas could get back to what he vowed to do. He speedily browsed the thick volumes, textbooks and the like until his hand landed upon precisely what he needed. A brown tome of magical information.
"Faith Magic for Beginners," Lucas read within his mind. "This should do it. Now, to check it out. Literally."
Keeping the book tucked between his arm and chest, Lucas walked on over to the librarian's counter and proceeded to undergo the short-lived checking out process. The book had become one of his possessions, but only for a little bit of time. Such arrangements were fine with the teacher.
Lucas then headed out of the library as soon as the Faith magic guide was officially borrowed. He began to walk through the narrow, stone hallways of the central building's first floor, intending to leave the structure entirely.
But he was stopped. One of his colleagues halted him in the middle of the hall.
"Ah, Professor Lucas. I am glad that I have finally found you," Hanneman suddenly spoke.
"Hello?" Lucas greeted the researcher with much confusion. "Did you need me for something, Hanneman?"
"Yes. I wish to speak with you privately. It's regarding...certain matters," Hanneman implied, wielding a strong blade of suggestion that indicated something that absolutely required privacy.
"I see, I think. Lead the way."
Hanneman was more than happy to do so. He led his younger colleague through the narrow hallway, keeping silent all throughout the trip. This only sparked a sense of unnerving within Lucas - despite there being no real reason to feel that way.
The pair of professors ended up at the older one's research laboratory. With his Faith magic book still in hand, Lucas fumbled with the door's lock until he was able to get it in place, keeping the insides of the room protected from any prying eyes. Hanneman sat down upon the chair behind his desk. He messed around with various papers, his gaze locking with a particular page before he coughed to initiate the start of the conversation.
Lucas wished there was a chair for himself.
"Professor. I have brought you here for a very specific reason," Hanneman started. "Recently, I have come into some interesting information pertaining to one of your students."
"Interesting information? Of what kind?" Lucas wondered, placing a hand on his thin, black beard.
"Of a potentially dangerous kind," Hanneman clarified. His expression became serious. "This concerns the Black Eagles' house leader, young Edelgard. Since you are her professor, I believe you should have the right to know before anyone else. Which is why we are speaking at this current moment."
"Okay…" Lucas trailed off in an uncertain tone. "What exactly is this information? And how is it so dangerous?"
"I would like to preface my answer with a warning. This is very dangerous. You must keep quiet about it, or else you may find yourself targeted by those of higher stations. I hope you know who I may be referring to."
"What the hell is he on about? Is he about to tell me something I already know? But if that's the case, how does he know it?" Lucas speculated, lowering his hand from his chin. "Right. I think I know what you mean. So what's going on, then?"
Hanneman was temporarily quiet, likely so he could carefully think through what he was going to say before speaking it aloud. Lucas patiently waited for the information. Even if he figured that he already knew it.
"I believe Edelgard has been modified in some regard. Inhumanely. By some black-hearted researchers hidden deep within the Empire's roots," Hanneman revealed.
"Oh, I already know that."
The Crest scholar's jaw remained unhinged. "What?! It's true? H-how is that even possible? This is merely an inference I came up with after studying a sample of her blood for so long...you're confirming it?"
"That was a guess? Wow. Good assumption on your part, Hanneman," complimented Lucas. "But to answer your question, yes. I am indeed confirming it. Edelgard herself told me as such. She asked me to keep it a secret, which is why I never bothered telling you or anyone else."
"That is understandable. She has asked me to do the same, though her methods have been more of a warning as opposed to anything else. I believe she only did that for my own benefit. Regardless, hearing a confirmation such as yours...I do wonder what it is I've precisely stumbled upon."
Lucas paused, doubts entering his mind. He figuratively shook them off at the behest of Byleth, who also listened in on proceedings.
"There's probably something fishy going on in the background of the Empire," Lucas assumed, telling a half-truth. "I don't know if their normal Crest researchers would do something on the level of what they've done to Edelgard. You must be aware of…?"
"Her dual Crests? Yes. I have already come to that conclusion. Her lies, cover ups and my own discoveries led me to that summarization." Hanneman nodded. "I must say, it was unusual for her to be so forward with my requests. At the beginning of the year, she would deny them all. Now, she complies with almost anything I ask of her. Within reason, I presume. I wonder if it's my own tenacity as a scholar that has resulted in this."
"Alright, well, that's good then." Lucas nervously chuckled. "Anyway, having two Crests isn't a normal thing. Clearly. This has to be the work of someone much more...twisted in nature."
"I agree," Hanneman concurred. "Although I pursue Crestology, I would never abandon my ideals so as to use a living person as a test subject for my uncertain plans. This is absolutely horrific. I cannot permit this manner of experiment. It is far too inhumane."
"Yeah. Me too."
Lucas scowled at nothing within the room, his mind elsewhere. Speaking of his mind, Byleth was still awake, listening to what had been discussed between the two mortal teachers in the physical world. An idea had come to him, evidently.
"Mention Lysithea to him, Lucas," suggested Byleth. "This is a good time for it. You've been meaning to do so, have you not?"
"Have I? Maybe. I guess. Y'know, I might've actually forgotten about that, now that I think of it," Lucas remembered. "Hmm. Yeah, I'll do it. Hopefully this works. I don't want Lysithea to be burdened by her shortened lifespan anymore."
The younger teacher returned to the material dimension. Hanneman had been staring into nothingness, an expression of sheer contempt implanted onto his visage. Reminded of his own hate for those that sowed such corruption and darkness across Fodlan, Lucas spoke up.
"Are you also aware of Lysithea's issue, Hanneman?"
"Not entirely, though being aware of the nature of Edelgard's Crests has given me a good reason to assume the same for any other similarly white haired individuals. Lysithea is the only other person who fits that description. Thus, I have my suspicions about her," Hanneman answered. "Unfortunately, she hasn't been as cooperative as Edelgard has."
"Right. Well, for her sake, I'll just outright tell you. Lysithea does indeed have two Crests," confirmed Lucas. "Edelgard told me. Those two have been in talks, it seems."
"That is only natural. If I possessed some unique burden, I would most certainly want to share it with anyone similar. But if that's the case, then why isn't Lysithea accepting any of my requests for a blood sample?"
Lucas shrugged. "I dunno. I can probably ask Edelgard to talk with her some more, if you want. But, uh, Hanneman? I have a request for you."
"Oh? What might that be?" Hanneman inquired, tilting his head in curiosity.
"I want you to get rid of their Crests. Or, at least, remove one of them," Lucas requested in a serious tone.
Hanneman scoffed, much to Lucas' bewilderment and slight irritation.
"Why in the name of Crestology would I do that? These experiments are inhumane, yes, but they have resulted in scientific marvels that have never been seen before in this field. Why would I want to mess with something so unique? Is there something I'm unaware of?" Hanneman asked.
"Yes, there is," Lucas promptly stated. "Having two Crests might give them a lot of power, but it comes with a major drawback that constantly haunts their very existences. Their lifespans have been shortened, Hanneman. Do you really not want them to live a normal life?"
Hanneman's jaw became unhinged again.
"Oh," the Crest scholar responded in complete shock. "I h-had no idea. This...this changes things. Initially, I was excited at the prospect of dual Crests even being a possibility, but after hearing that, I cannot willingly proceed with my aforementioned excitement. I apologise, Lucas. I did not mean to be so inconsiderate."
"That's fine. Just be glad neither of them heard you." Lucas briefly twisted his head towards the door. "I hope."
"Yes, I would indeed be in trouble if that were the case."
The pair of professors fell silent as a wave of tension came over them both. Hanneman kept an eye on the papers strewn around his desk, though his gaze was full of uncertainty. Lucas' facial expression contained nothing but uneasiness. The silence persisted for some time.
"You asked me to remove at least one of their Crests, Lucas." Hanneman broke the veil of quietness as he raised his head to look at his colleague. His countenance slowly became more determined. "Did you not?"
"I did," Lucas reminded.
Hanneman was then able to smile. "I shall accept your request. But not because you asked me. I will do it for their sake. So they may live a life unburdened by the limitations forced upon them by the misuse of Crest research. I will guarantee you that, Professor Lucas."
"Thank you, Hanneman. I knew I could count on you," Lucas smiled in return. "I recommend getting Linhardt to help you. He's a keen Crest researcher of his own, so he might find some interest in this."
"He is a difficult boy, that one. I may need to tell him more of the truth so I can secure his cooperation," Hanneman surmised. "Should I mention you?"
"No, don't." Lucas shook his head. "He might end up telling Edelgard, which would in turn let her know that I've been sharing her secrets. It would probably be bad if that were to happen."
"I see. In that case, I will not mention you in any of my further dealings with young Linhardt, Lysithea or Edelgard. It is the least I can do for the information you have given me. Thank you, Lucas."
"You're welcome, Hanneman. Lemme know it all goes, if there's any major developments or breakthroughs. I'd love to hear more."
"I shall let you know when I discover something considerable."
Lucas gave his older colleague one more smile and even a thumbs-up. Hanneman merely nodded. Despite the light nature of the scholar's response, its emotion was evident enough. Satisfied, the younger professor departed from the office. He walked away with a generally pleasant feeling all around.
Another look was given to the book still in his possession. Lucas was reminded of what else he needed to start doing.
"Before I can do this, I need to find my training partner. Hopefully he's still around here somewhere…" Lucas hoped as he left Garreg Mach's central building.
An unidentifiable amount of time later and Lucas was at the students' training grounds. In front of him was the training partner he'd hoped to recruit. Luckily, he hadn't disappeared from the monastery. And even more luckily, he was more than happy to assist with Lucas' Faith magic training.
Yuri Leclerc stood in front of his friend and waited.
"Are you done looking through that book? I thought we were going to train," he asked.
"Yeah, just a second," Lucas replied, his head facing down towards the open book in his palm. "So casting Faith magic is all about either having enough belief in the goddess, or having enough faith in something or someone. You then combine that with your honest intent in order to cast the spell you require. In my case, I'll need to wish about restoring someone's injuries if I wanna use Heal. Okay…"
"That's pretty much the gist of it. Do you really need that book at this point? You can just give Heal a try and I'll provide advice on your cast," Yuri suggested.
"Good point. Let's do that."
Lucas closed the book and placed it down by his feet. His friend brandished a wooden training sword.
"Alright. I'll injure myself. Not too much so I don't damage anything, but enough where you can still use Heal on me and it'll have a noticeable effect," Yuri stated. He pointed his sword at his left hand. "You ready, friend?"
"Are you? You're the one that's getting stabbed."
"Heh. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I've faced a lot worse than a measly stab wound. Just make sure you prepare your Heal. It's set up just like a Reason magic cast, so start from there and then apply the Faith specific teachings."
"I understand. Stab away whenever you want."
Without further ado, Yuri mentally prepared himself for a self-injury. He proceeded to jam the pointy end of his training blade into his left palm. A small, circular cut was then created within the impact of the stab. Yuri pulled out the weapon and offered his hand to Lucas.
The professor nodded. Byleth pulsed some mana into his host's systems, allowing him to mould the magical energy using his beliefs and overall faith. Enveloping his entire mind with a strong desire to restore an injury, Lucas casted the best Heal he could muster upon Yuri's wounded hand. The two gazed at the self-inflicted cut as a tiny wave of white energy enveloped it. It then dissipated.
Nothing changed. Yuri narrowed his eyes.
"Hmm. Guess that cast wasn't good enough," he assumed with a casual shrug. "Try again. But, uh, put a little more into this one, why don't you? I could do without this blood on my hand."
"S-sorry," Lucas stuttered in embarrassment. "I've gotta put more effort into it? I could've sworn I put as much into that cast as I could. Is there something I'm missing?"
"I am unsure. Perhaps you are lacking in faith," Byleth proposed.
"Lacking in faith?" Lucas repeated. "I dunno about that one. What am I supposed to have faith in? Sothis herself? I...I don't know if I can do that."
"Why not?"
Lucas mentally hesitated. He looked over to the throne, where the goddess in question was resting. "I don't know if I can utilise traditional faith like that. I come from a world where deities aren't as prevalent as they are here. And I wasn't even part of a religion or anything. I'm a wee bit disadvantaged in that category."
"I see. I wonder if…" Byleth paused to consider an idea. "Faith magic does require the caster to be more in-tune with their mana than is necessary with Reason. Allow me to give you more of my magic, in case that's enough for you to get used to it."
"Wait, is that really it? If so, then maybe I can offset my faith disadvantage with more mana than anyone else would need. In that case, I'm probably gonna need some of hers as well." Lucas turned to the sleeping goddess. "Hey, Sothis! Wake up! I need your energy!"
She remained unstirred. Despite the continuing calls coming her way.
"I'll take care of this," Byleth stated.
"Be my guest. She sure is a heavy sleeper, that one," Lucas commented. "Don't tell her I said that, please."
"I won't."
Byleth, within the abstract realm, hovered over to Sothis' sleeping form. He landed beside the throne and began shaking her repeatedly. In time, the restful deity stirred, her eyes constantly blinking as if having to adjust to a new, sudden state of being.
"Is something happening?" Sothis wondered with a yawn. "I hope so, or else I shall enact my wrath upon you, Byleth."
"Lucas requires your help. He is trying to learn how to use Faith magic, but he can't seem to cast Heal. We theorize that it may have something to do with the nature of his home world, how it lacks a god of its own," Byleth quickly began explaining. "We believe that we may be able to provide him with a large amount of our mana so he can successfully cast the spell."
Sothis murmured something incoherent before actually speaking aloud. "I don't like that idea. It sounds much too reckless. Do you remember what happened last time he used more magical energy than necessary?"
"Wait, when'd I do that?" Lucas questioned.
"During your mission at that place...House Gerth, I believe it was. You used a lot of Byleth's mana with your strange, fictional attack or whatever that ridiculous move was. The fire one. You know what I'm referring to," Sothis clarified, her eyes narrowing in accusation.
"Oh. That one. Right. Honestly, I'm surprised that kinda worked," Lucas remarked. "But yeah, I may have gotten a bit carried away and used more than needed. Kinda hurt me in the end with that explosion and all."
"Exactly. And now you're in a calm state of mind, yet you want to essentially do that again but with my power added on top? Who knows what could happen? I would recommend against doing this," Sothis advised.
"Aren't you at least a little bit curious? This is kinda unprecedented stuff. I think it's good to test the limits of what we can do together. Otherwise, I might recklessly do something like that Burning Finger again," Lucas convinced with a smile. "And you don't want that, right?"
Sothis folded her arms and huffed. "I will admit that I am somewhat curious. Still, it is a reckless idea. I will not condone it."
"We have Divine Pulse, Sothis. If something goes wrong, we can use that to rectify the mistake. Lucas is also right. It could be good to test the limits of our combined strength. I think he'll be more aware of what not to do if we push ourselves somewhat," Byleth added. "I believe it is worth a try."
Sothis sighed. She released her arms.
"Fine. We can try. We will use Divine Pulse the moment something goes terribly wrong. Understood, Lucas, Byleth?" Sothis turned to her two compatriots, who both nodded in acceptance. "Good. Then I will lend some of my magic. Use it wisely."
"Thanks, Sothis," thanked Lucas.
With the deity satisfied with his idea, the professor snapped out of the void and brought his attention back to Yuri, who'd been glaring at his friend the entire time.
"I don't mean to rush you, but I would really appreciate it if you could fix this wound of mine. It's starting to hurt. Kind of," Yuri urged.
"Yeah, sorry. I'll try it again now," Lucas apologised.
A calm soul. The British man emptied his mind of all distractions, awaiting for the mana from his closest allies. After only a few short seconds, it arrived. A familiar rush of magical energy coursed throughout his entire bodily systems, filling him with a kind of extra warmth that was very evidently there.
But then something changed. The energy kept coming. And coming. A massive tirade of mystical mana rushed into his body, eclipsing any amount of it he'd felt before. It almost became too much. He soon remembered to control the energy. At Lucas' behest, the mana flowed more fluently - calming him down. He ushered the mana over to his fingertips.
"Heal, heal...heal!" Lucas chanted to himself as he visualised Yuri's injury patching itself back up. "Now!"
In the real world, he shoved his open palms forward. A massive, bright light emerged, temporarily blinding all that looked in their general direction. Lucas and Yuri were forced to keep their eyes shut as a humongous, absolutely colossal amount of energy enveloped the ex-Ashen Wolf's hand.
"What is this?! Lucas, you-" Yuri tried to say, but he was interrupted when a massively powerful spark coursed through him. It took over his mind, rushing all over his body, creating a strange vibrating sensation in every single part of himself. "AH! What the hell is happening to me?! L-Lucas...stop! Please, stop! This is too much! You need to stop! Please!"
"I c-can't! It just keeps going!" Lucas called back.
It did not end. The energy kept on flowing. It was strong enough to force Yuri onto his knees. Lucas couldn't tell what was happening, as his eyes were closed. Yet Sothis could tell. She'd been tugging upon her energy, trying anything within her power to bring the overwhelming situation to a halt. She had long since stopped pouring her mana into Lucas - same with Byleth.
Eventually, it all ended on its own. There was no more energy being inserted into the Brit, thus whatever was being used had run out. The blinding light within the physical world faded, allowing Lucas, Yuri and anyone else in the training grounds to see again.
"What the fuck happened there?!" Lucas exclaimed aloud. He coughed, catching his mistake. "Sothis, Byleth, what in the blithering hell was that?!"
"Exactly the manner of occurrence I was worried about." Sothis sighed. "Too much magical energy behind your cast caused that obscenely bright light. And now your friend is...well, vibrating. A lot."
Lucas observed whatever had occurred to Yuri. He was stuck on his knees, visibly shaking.
"I see. I guess we're not doing that again! We'll just work with regular amounts of mana from now on," Lucas decided. "Time to Divine Pulse out of here! Let's make sure Yuri doesn't become a shivering wreck."
"Good idea," Byleth agreed. "Let's focus on using only my mana instead, like normal. I wonder if Sothis' mana was the catalyst for what just happened."
"Hey! My divine energy is stable, thank you very much," Sothis huffed. "Lucas, just turn back the hands of time. I'd rather not be arguing right now."
"So you'd rather argue a minute ago, then?" Lucas joked.
"Use the Divine Pulse, silly human," Sothis responded, a serious, unflinching attitude upon her face. "Now."
As per the divine being's request, Lucas shook off any further jests and utilised his Divine Pulse ability, reversing all the damage his experiment had just done. He made sure not to make the same mistake twice. This did - of course - make the Faith training a bit more difficult.
But it was worth it for the sake of avoiding such an unusual occurrence.
Author Notes: Somehow, this ended up being a bit longer than intended. Oh well! I hope this one was good, regardless.
Oh, before I forget, I should mention that I did want to include a little scene that explains what happened with the Fetters of Dromi, but I couldn't figure out a good way to include it here, so expect it next time instead. Sorry!
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