An empty classroom, eventually filled with the uncertain gazes of eight students. One by one, they came in with varying speeds. They all sat down upon their chosen seats behind the lengthy wooden desks.
Then, they waited. Quietly. Not a single utterance was spoken. Too much nervousness and anticipation festered in between the eight young souls. Even with those that found themselves not as disturbed by the situation at hand as some of their fellow classmates, there was a very clear sense of dread that emanated throughout the classroom.
Edelgard sighed from her seat at the middle of the front-right desk - she was not immune. She too could feel the abnormality in the air. It had enveloped her.
Much alike the peculiar light that overtook her professor.
The vision of Lucas, her teacher, blocking the blinding rays of the sun high in the skies above as it started to set; it stayed with her. It never left her mind, not in the small handful of days that passed since the mission.
A constant reminder of what had occurred. The impossibly scintillating light, the severe winds conjured up by whatever power he invoked and the severity of his swift attacks. She couldn't forget. Edelgard spared a glance for the Sword of the Creator, which was sheathed underneath her red cloak.
"How? How is it possible he was able to use this sword's power?" She wondered to herself. "There's something he has not told me. I need to ask him as soon as possible. However…"
She looked over to the unoccupied podium at the front of the classroom.
"That is impossible. I desire answers, yet I am unable to attain them for reasons beyond my control," she continued thinking. "Professor. Please, awaken soon. I request your guidance once more."
Edelgard closed her eyes in concentration, releasing a petite breath as if to console her nerves. Her actions hadn't gone unnoticed. Hubert was sitting on her right. He was gazing upon his liege, having sighted all of her minor actions. His brows furrowed.
"Lady Edelgard," he called out to her. "Are you feeling well? Be honest. I can tell when you are lying."
"I know you can, Hubert. That is one of your more frustrating capabilities," Edelgard admitted. She opened her eyes. "I will not lie to you. I am feeling...conflicted."
"Conflicted? Would this have anything to do with our unconscious professor?" Hubert assumed, his expression becoming one of confusion before quickly replacing itself with a deep-rooted concern. "He made use of your Heroes' Relic. That has significant implications."
"It does," the Adrestian princess agreed. "Either he has suffered in the same way I have, or he could very well be something else entirely."
"Something else? What could that possibly mean?"
"I am unsure. Perhaps he is a creation of theirs, or even Rhea's. But neither are truly satisfactory explanations." Edelgard made sure that nobody was listening in - the coast was clear. She kept her voice low. "If he was one of them, why would he be urging me to fight them? Why would he have such hatred for them? And if he was one of Rhea's, he would not harbor any ill-will towards her or the church. Rhea is much too self-conscious for that."
"Your assumptions are logical, Lady Edelgard. If he belonged to either of them, I do not believe he would be claiming he is from some foreign land nobody has ever heard of. I doubt they would come up with something as ridiculous as 'England'."
"I hadn't thought of that, but you're right. His unusual mannerisms and vocabulary, his way of speaking, his accent, his claims regarding his home land...he cannot be one of them or one of Rhea's. And if he truly was from a distant country, why would he be able to use the Sword of the Creator? Just who or what is our professor?"
"I wish I knew," Hubert smirked. "Unfortunately, his untimely rest has prevented us from obtaining the answers we need. How frustrating."
"Indeed. I hope he wakes up soon."
Silencing their argument was a sudden noise coming from the back of the classroom. The door burst open wide. Linhardt awoke with a shock and Bernadetta yelped in place. Everyone else slowly tilted her heads to see what had happened.
A familiar knight wearing white armor stood in the middle of the doorway, a joyous smile upon his face. Bernie was able to relax once she saw who it was. Linhardt was still irritated. The knight stepped inside.
"Greetings, Black Eagle House!" Alois Rangeld addressed the students. "How are you all on this fine Monday morning?"
Nobody responded, much to the cheerful knight's dismay.
"I see. No matter, then! I have come here to deliver you all some fabulous news!"
Alois slowly walked straight through the middle of the classroom, passing by each and every desk. He stopped once he got behind the teacher's podium.
"Until Lucas wakes back up, I will be acting as your temporary professor!" Alois announced merrily.
Everyone's mouths swung ajar - to varying extents.
"Understandable," Linhardt responded. "Someone needed to teach us. Though, if you don't mind me asking, Alois, why you of all people?"
"What? Do you not want me as your professor? I promise you, I'm a good teacher. Just ask the knights!" Alois smirked. He calmed himself down somewhat, sporting a more serious expression. "To answer your question, I'm the only one that wanted to do it. Captain Jeralt said he was too busy, which is fair enough considering he's the captain. Catherine wanted to keep with her knightly duties, and Shamir...well, she instantly refused."
"S-Shamir is scary, so I'm glad you're here instead," Bernadetta stuttered.
Alois chuckled. "Haha! Don't let her catch you saying that! But thank you, Bernadetta. Your kind words only brighten my day!"
"I was kinda hoping we could get some firsthand training from Catherine, considering how strong she is. Man, I wish I could be like her," Caspar remarked. "You're good too, Alois! I didn't mean to offend you!"
"It's alright, Caspar. I understand. Catherine certainly is a capable warrior," Alois concurred.
The somewhat middle-aged man sighed, then folded his armored arms. Edelgard raised her hand.
"Yes, Edelgard?" Alois asked her.
She lowered her hand, nodding out of respect for the man. "Thank you for choosing to cover our professor's absence. If I may ask, do you know how he is faring? We have not been informed of much."
"Ah, I see. I know how and where he is, but it's certainly...strange, to say the least," Alois answered, bearing an unsure countenance.
"Strange how, exactly?" Edelgard wondered.
"Well…" Alois hesitated. "You would think he's in the infirmary right now. But from what I've heard from Seteth, he's actually in Lady Rhea's room instead. She's even locked herself in with him!"
Once again, the students' mouths flung open, though they appeared to be more bewildered than anything else. Some even emitted an audible gasp in response to the sheer surprise of the news.
Edelgard had her head tilted. Thoughts and theories surrounded her mind. She waded through them all in order to regain control.
"He's locked in Lady Rhea's room, all alone with her and unconscious. Oh my," Dorothea speculated. "That's downright scandalous."
"I do not know if our Archbishop is that manner of individual," Ferdinand doubted. "It is more likely that there is some other reason for this."
"Just like a bee, you ruin my fun…" Dorothea grumbled to herself.
"Has the Archbishop come out of her room? Food is important to every person. I think she would need some," Petra suggested.
"I haven't seen her since before the mission began. In fact, nobody's seen her at all. I will admit, I believe she is acting rather unusual," Alois divulged. "A part of me believes she is merely doing this out of the goodness of her heart, but to not leave your room for over a day? I cannot help but find that strange."
"There was that surreal power he wielded during the mission," Linhardt mentioned. "I wonder if Lady Rhea's behavior has anything to do with that. He was able to successfully use the Sword of the Creator, after all. Perhaps our professor has the same Crest that Edelgard does."
Edelgard frowned. "It is possible. We will not know for certain until he wakes up. Which is why I suggest we proceed with our normal routines. It is not worth enthralling ourselves in these mysteries before we have any conclusive answers."
"Your house leader is very much correct!" Alois agreed. "With that said, let's begin today's lesson! I believe Lucas had this topic in mind for the week…"
As per Alois' instruction, the lesson began. It had been quite the peculiar experience for the Black Eagles students as they weren't used to the knight commander's energetic teaching style - it being so radically different from Lucas'.
Yet it seemed to work for them. They were all satisfied, though his faster way of speaking made it a little difficult to keep up with him at times. Still, they were all able to get the information they needed.
After the bell rang, the students dispersed. Alois followed right behind them. They all went off in their various ways to go do whatever they wished.
Edelgard and Hubert had something particular in mind. Retreating to the former's dormitory room inside one of the many bedroom-filled buildings, the pair of Adrestians started to discuss something they knew nobody else was to hear.
That was the intention, at the very minimum. However, Edelgard kept hesitating, her lips shaking as she struggled with speaking. Hubert raised a hand. This eased her efforts.
"You needn't explain your internal conflict," he said with his palm raised. "I have already inferred what may be ailing you."
Edelgard looked away, retaining her silence. "You know me too well."
"Perhaps I do. It is only natural to learn much about the person you have dedicated your life to. Which is what leads us to our discussion as of now."
The princess sighed, then nodded, prompting her shadowy retainer to continue.
"You are afraid. Terrified of what the future may bring. With your source of foreknowledge unavailable, you have lost the sense of comfort it has brought you. Am I mistaken?" Hubert inquired.
Edelgard briefly closed her eyes. "I...it is not only that. Professor Lucas was someone I thought I could trust completely. Someone I had faith that was not acting with any ill will. Yet, he did not tell me of that power he wields. I can only wonder if there is anything else he has not shared with me. And I do not know why he would not reveal such things."
"There are many secrets about one's self that a person may not be willing to disclose. You should be aware of that sentiment," Hubert reminded. "It may also be that he was not aware he could wield such might. I do not believe our professor is the type to hide information for the sake of bringing harm to others. He wears his heart upon his sleeve."
"You may very well be correct. He is likely the most open person I have ever met. But still, I…"
She clenched her hands, struggling again with a conflict deep-rooted within herself. Hubert, for a split second, visibly panicked when he noticed the intensity of her grip. He rushed in and smothered one of her fists with both of his hands. He smiled.
"There is still an opportunity for you to obtain your answers, Lady Edelgard. Lucas is not dead. He is not likely to be, anyway. I doubt the Archbishop would allow him to die," Hubert consoled his liege. "I am unable to say how long it will take, but eventually, we will be able to ask him anything we need. You needn't worry. I believe you will have another opportunity to speak with him. If not tomorrow, then someday. You can be certain of that."
Upon hearing his words, Edelgard was able to relax. She released the tension within her body and smiled.
"I hope you are correct. I wouldn't want to lose the one advantage I had over the Agarthans. Actually, with that said, I wanted to ask your opinion on something, Hubert."
"What might that be?"
"You know I have been thinking about going to Enbarr. With Lucas now unconscious, I am beginning to wonder if going to the palace and speaking to my father would be an effective way for me to learn what is happening over there. How do you feel about that?"
Hubert shook his head. "I do not recommend you should visit the palace."
"Why is that?" Edelgard raised an eyebrow.
"Think about it. Thales is posing as your uncle, as we well know. You have been opposing him rather frequently as of late. There is reason to believe he wishes for your death. Do you recall what that Agarthan General named Chilon was telling you during our mission?"
"Ah-!" The Adrestian princess gasped. "You're saying…?"
"Yes. If you were to go to Enbarr now, you would likely be delving into a den of snakes. It may just be rather poisonous."
"I see. That makes sense. But what about my father?"
"...He may very well be dead already. There is no way to be certain."
Edelgard sighed, frowning and turning away.
"You may be right. Father...I can only hope you are safe."
Her thoughts took her elsewhere. To a place rather distant from Garreg Mach Monastery. Although her feeling of dread had somewhat dissipated after her discussion with Hubert, a part of it still lingered deep within her soul.
Mountains upon mountains of torn and burnt books, documents along with any reports - all of it filled a certain dorm room. Deep within one of the multiple dormitory buildings was a yellow-garbed house leader who chose to immerse himself in the many mysteries of the world.
Claude von Riegan was sitting at his desk, taking notes on specific points of interest found within the endless piles of words that surrounded him. His countenance was one of resolution. His quill relentlessly attacked the page on his desk. It added several dozen extra notes while his eyes scanned over the open book that rested just above the piece of beige paper he was writing on.
The Golden Deer's house leader grinned.
"Gotta remember to thank Yuri later for helping me get all this stuff up here. It would've taken me forever to do this on my own," he remarked internally. He sighed and leaned back on his chair, taking a small break from writing. "There's some interesting stuff in these, for sure, but I'm not getting exactly what I want."
He frowned at the ceiling.
"Those Agarthans...they've sure kept their tracks hidden. I can barely find anything out about them, even in these books I got from Abyss' Shadow Library. And that's supposed to have some really secret stuff in it."
His gaze switched over to a large pile of books in the corner of his room.
"It's a shame Teach fell unconscious. I wouldn't need to do any of this if he was awake. But I guess I gotta do some of my own research, huh?"
A pair of his own hands went behind his head as he leaned even further back, lifting the front two legs of his chair off the floor as he did so.
"Teach, you really are a weird person. I mean, not everyone can emit so much power in the way you apparently did. Sure wish I was on that mission so I could've seen it for myself," Claude lamented. "Oh well. All I know is that it was certainly strange."
He smirked.
"Heh. Strange. That's the word of the month. There's all those weird beast-things that have been showing up lately, those hooded grey-skinned people that are probably Agarthans that have also been appearing pretty frequently, and the Alliance lords have started bickering a whole lot - if what I've heard is true. Just what exactly is going on in Fodlan?"
Another sigh escaped Claude's lips as he rocked back and forth within his makeshift rocking chair. He swayed back and forth, his mind going through a similar process with various ideas as well as all the points of interest he'd come across.
Agarthans, Demonic Beasts, Professor Lucas' power, the Alliance lords...all these elements surrounded his mind, filling it up like a bath that was soon to be full of water. They just wouldn't leave his mind. They wouldn't go down the drain.
The plug was yanked out of its position when his bedroom door opened with a sudden slam. Claude hadn't expected the sudden noise. He turned to face the source, but in doing so, he'd forgotten about his chair.
Thus, he fell backwards. Head first, onto the floor. A feminine giggle came from somewhere to his left.
"Wow, you sure took quite the fall there, Claude!" Hilda Valentine Goneril commented, recovering from her giggle. "Maybe you should pay better attention next time."
"Says you, Hilda. Aren't you the girl that barely listens to Professor Manuela?" Claude deflected as he laid on the floor, on top of his fallen chair.
"Hey, who says I don't listen? It might not look like I am, but I'm totally paying attention! Just...I do it selectively, you know? I don't have to know about everything she says. Like when am I ever gonna need to know how the Recover spell works?" Hilda questioned, folding her arms in some manner of defiance. "I just need to know what it does, which I do!"
"It can be good to know these things. You don't wanna appear dumb to anyone that asks. That's never a nice feeling."
"Whatever. I wouldn't want anyone to think I know a lot about random stuff. If they come to me and get disappointed, that's their business! They should've expected that from the start."
"Heh, true!"
"I'm not sure if I'm supposed to like that you agreed so quickly. For your sake, I'll take it as a good thing." Hilda then tilted her head and pointed at her Golden Deer classmate. "Wait, why are you still on the floor? Do you like it there or something?"
"Not really. Just didn't feel like getting up right away. I guess I can do it now."
He did precisely as he said he would, raising himself up from the floor and putting his chair back to where it belonged - beside his desk. Once it was all sorted, Claude flipped around to address his friend.
"So, what's the matter now? Why have you come to my palace, o' fairest princess?" Claude asked in a humorous manner.
"Oh stop," Hilda responded with a slight chortle. "I came here to laugh at you. You know, for your incredibly untidy room here. What's with all these books?"
"What? Got something against books now?"
Hilda glared at her house leader. "You know I'm trying to get better about that kind of thing. Please don't make fun of me for it."
"You're right, you're right. Sorry," Claude apologised. "But seriously, why are you here? It can't really be because of my room. I'll get this whole thing cleaned up soon, don't you worry."
"Relax," Hilda smiled. "I just wanted to ask you to get me some dinner at the Dining Hall. Like you did that one time, and the other time. I'm getting pretty hungry."
"No way. Not again. You can walk over to the counter and get some yourself. It's not hard," Claude adamantly refused.
"Come on. Please?"
"No."
Hilda sulked. She frowned at the house leader, giving her absolute best attempt at a silent negotiation. Claude raised a hand to his face.
"Fine. Only if it'll get you out of here. I've got work to do," he eventually accepted.
"Yay! Thanks, Claude!" Hilda exclaimed while beaming brightly.
She bounced out of the room, patiently waiting for her generous assistant to follow suit. Claude remained inside for a moment. He looked back at his piles of books and sighed.
"I just can't catch a break…"
Elsewhere within the monastery, Seteth was seated at the desk within his office, furiously writing something down on a piece of paper. Once he was done, he swapped out his paper for another and began reading it. Then he wrote some more. And then he swapped it out again.
Such a repetitive process was tedious. Yet, he knew it needed to be done.
"Rhea…what are you doing?" Seteth wondered mentally as he took a moment's break.
It was literally a moment's break because he got right back to his job as soon as he finished his thought. Papers upon papers were read through and signed appropriately, details had to be checked and all manner of administrative work had to be done. He frowned.
"Your reluctance to depart from your quarters has caused me to take up your responsibilities," Seteth continued to speak to his superior from afar. "I'm the one that has to organise the church now. I have to be the one to give out orders to the knights. I had to search endlessly for someone to replant the trees Professor Lucas burnt down. And that hasn't even begun as of yet."
He halted.
"Mother…is that the power you are capable of? Was it necessary to grant such strength to a reckless mortal such as he? I wish you could inform me."
He continued writing. Ink flowed onto the pages Seteth was required to deal with. His writing was delicate and finely-crafted, though the mildly rushed nature of his work meant that it wasn't quite as precise as he'd have liked. Still, it worked. It was legible. That was all that really mattered in the end.
Though he still wished he had more time.
Just then, the door to his office swung open, slowly and quietly. A young Nabatean came through. She closed the door behind herself. Seteth paused his work and smiled delightfully at his daughter.
"Hello, father. How is your work?" Flayn asked him.
"Greetings, Flayn. It is…" Seteth replied. He slowly turned his head over to the massive stack of papers on the left side of his desk. "Tedious, to say the least. But it must be done. May I ask why you are here? I assumed you would be at the Dining Hall with your classmates or something to that effect."
"As if you would let me do so without chasing them off," Flayn quipped to herself. "I am not feeling particularly hungry as of this moment. I may obtain a food item of sorts at a later time, but not at this hour. I wished to i-inform you of something, father."
"Oh? In that case, please do tell me what it is. I am curious to know."
Flayn nodded, though her movements were staggered and sluggish in some way. Her arms and legs shook ever so slightly. Concerned, Seteth attempted to ask his daughter a question, yet she raised a hand, silencing him entirely. This only confused the male Nabatean even further.
His perplexity soon faded when she spoke up.
"I...I had a most unfortunate dream last night," Flayn began.
"What was it about?" Seteth inquired, curious and perturbed.
The young-seeming Nabatean dithered. "It w-was one of fire. Of blood. I witnessed so many occurrences. So many people standing upon a ruined, blazing battlefield. And a large, black dragon loomed over them all, as if they were a presence that would not disappear."
Seteth laid a hand upon his dark green beard, becoming deep in thought regarding what he was being told. Flayn continued.
"Father, what does this mean? I have been so terribly troubled by it all day. It has made class somewhat difficult to listen to," she said.
He remained lost in his thoughts. Seteth's eyes were closed, indicating he was truly thinking deeply and considering every last facet of what he was informed about. Eventually, he opened his eyes. Flayn's expectant gaze brightened.
"I do not know," Seteth admitted, lowering his hand from his facial hair. "If you are troubled by it, perhaps it does have some meaning to it. But if it were a vision of some kind, I believe Lucas would have already enlightened us to such a situation. I do not feel as if you have anything to worry about, Flayn. Perhaps you should do your best to keep your mind away from that dream. The less you think about it, the less worrisome you shall feel."
"Hmm," Flayn considered. "I shall try. Thank you, father. That is all. I hope the remainder of your work isn't too troublesome."
"You are welcome, my daughter. Inform me if this dream of yours causes more problems. We cannot have you slacking in class, can we?"
Flayn giggled. "No, I suppose not! Thank you very much, father. Again. I shall depart now."
Seteth smiled, reassuring his offspring as she went back through the door in which she used to enter the office in the first place. His positive expression soon dissipated as his eyes brought themselves back to the gigantic pile of papers beside him.
He sighed.
"It seems as if I am eternally wrought with work," Seteth remarked. "That is fine. I would much rather be busy than fighting for my life, if Flayn's dream is any indication of what may come."
Temporarily departing from the comfort of his office chair, he walked over to the huge glass window that sat just behind his desk. On the other side was an unclear image, affected by the vaguely green tint of the window. Although it was stained, he could still see what lay on the other side.
A bright monastery. Seteth beamed, but only for a moment.
"Flayn's dream, Professor Lucas' unconsciousness, Rhea's isolation...something is to happen. I can feel it. But what? The answer is unclear. It wouldn't be if Lucas was awake, but unfortunately, that is the case."
He looked away from the light outside.
"I wonder if you are testing us, mother. To see how well we can fare without the aid of foreknowledge. If that is your intention...so be it. Come what may."
Seteth grinned.
"We shall not be defeated so easily."
Author Notes: Yeah, that timeskip's lookin' real close…I think you guys are gonna like it. I have it mostly all planned out at this point and man is it gonna be GOOD. Just you wait and see :)
Oh, because I'm stupid and nervous, I've been forgetting to respond to reviews. So I'll do it here, for all those that warrant it.
ShiroSakata: Thank you very much! I greatly appreciate such kind words as yours.
AK632612: Indeed! It will be interesting to see what the new alliance will be capable of. It ain't gonna come into play juuust yet. It'll take a while for that to truly kick in.
Blueassassin996: Yes, the second Flame Emperor's identity is indeed something that has yet to be revealed. Hopefully it happens soon!
Alright, that seems to be all I missed (I think?). Do let me know if I've forgotten to reply to your review. I'll be sure to do it next time! See y'all then!
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