The Great Bridge of Myrddin; the one thing that provided access between the Empire and Alliance. Dividing the two territories was the Airmid River, a lengthy stream of water that came from somewhere within the mountains near Garreg Mach and into the distant ocean.
It would have been very difficult - if not impossible - to cross had it not been for the Great Bridge.
Resting upon the bridge was a certain rebellious military force. One that had recently begun opposing the unchecked reign of the Adrestian Empire. Their members were sitting around the Great Bridge, either napping in the beds within the bridge itself or being on guard duty up top.
The Resistance Army had made something of a home out of the Great Bridge. A temporary home away from home. A place for them to rest and for the wounded to heal after the battle.
One week had passed since that day. Most wounds were healed throughout this time, yet the Resistance remained at the bridge. It was for a specific purpose. A reason defined by Seteth himself - the de-facto leader of the Resistance.
Because of this reason, they all had to wait. Largely, everyone was fine with this arrangement. They mostly all used the time to train and prepare themselves for whatever battles would come next. However, some were much too exhausted to do anything.
Lucas was one such individual. He'd spent a majority of his time in a random, stone tile covered bedroom underneath the surface of the Great Bridge. He chose to rest within the darkness of the room - lit only by the thin window on the wall.
His head was permanently affixed to the singular, damp pillow, and his body wasn't even covered by the duvet. Lucas was wide awake.
Yet he was haunted by a waking nightmare.
"Lucas…do you want to talk about it?" Byleth asked him.
He shook his head.
"You will have to, sooner or later. You can't keep avoiding topics you don't wish to discuss," Sothis said with a frown.
"I know that," Lucas eventually responded. "It's not just that I don't wanna talk about it. It's that I already understand the situation. There's nothing to discuss."
"Are you sure?" Byleth eyed him with suspicion.
"Yes." Lucas returned his gaze using a stern expression. "War…it's a living hell. It's only been one battle, and I no longer want anything to do with it."
"You're referring to what happened with Lorenz."
"Exactly. He and Ferdinand, they were our enemies…they were ready to kill us. Even though we were friends not that long ago. What exactly was it that drove them to do that? Why would they abandon that friendship? Why would they tarnish those shared memories we have of the monastery? Why?"
Lucas' face flashed in realisation.
"Wait. What was Ferdinand even doing with the Empire? Surely he should be on our side. I chose the Black Eagles. I was his professor. Was that not enough of a guarantee? Did I do something wrong?"
"This is merely an example of the all-encompassing expanse of Fate," Sothis explained.
"You know I don't give a damn about fate."
"That's not my problem. You care not for the dominion Fate wields upon the world, thus you received the full force of its might. And now you're complaining. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Whatever."
Lucas slumped further into the bed, creating a much deeper impression of his body on the mattress.
He remained there for quite some time. Sothis chose not to make any further comments, for she believed herself to have already made her point. Byleth glared at her for a while, but always turned away whenever the goddess looked his way. He didn't want to get into any arguments or anything of the sort.
Byleth preferred to relish in peace and quiet.
Some time later, as the light pouring in from the window became darker in color, a knock came from the door. Instinctively, Lucas pulled himself up from the bed, uncaring to address the untidy nature of his medium length black hair, his similarly-coloured beard, as well as his moustache. With a sluggish spring in his step, he walked over and opened the door.
Behind it was Edelgard.
"Hello, Lucas. I trust you are well?"
He blinked. "Yes. Relatively speaking, of course. Was there something you needed?"
"I am here to collect you. Seteth has received a response from Claude. He has asked for your presence while reading it out."
"Oh? Finally. Let's get to it, then. Let me just get my shield first…"
Lucas rushed further into his temporary bedroom and reached underneath the bed. He pulled out the Seiros Shield after a second's worth of searching. Once he held it within his hand, he returned to Edelgard's side.
"Done. Let's go."
Edelgard nodded. Along with her former teacher, she began to head back through the narrow, dingy halls of the Great Bridge's underbelly. There was quite a trek to go through until the pair could reach the surface.
In that time, Edelgard was able to sneak a solid look at her friend. She frowned.
"Lucas…" she said while walking. "I won't pry into your concerns if they will bring up emotions you do not wish to feel. Not at this current moment, at least. But I do want you to know one thing."
"What's that?" Lucas wondered, an uncertain expression on his face.
"I'm here for you. As your friend."
His countenance became sorrowful. Lucas sighed.
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
Edelgard smiled. She was satisfied with such a response. Her worries eased for a time, she refocused her efforts on reaching the surface of the Great Bridge - alongside her friend.
Atop the surface of the Great Bridge, many of the Resistance's higher ranking soldiers gathered around their leader, Seteth. He was holding a rolled up piece of paper. Everyone was staring at it with expectant and hopeful faces.
They all wished to know of its contents. Despite this, they had to wait, as per Seteth's desires. He made it clear that he wanted to wait for Lucas' presence before reading the letter.
Some didn't take too kindly to such an order. Catherine was the most vocal of them all, but her complaints were single-handedly eased by Shamir. Therefore, she was able to wait. If a bit reluctantly.
In due time, Lucas returned to the bridge's surface alongside the person who had gone to fetch him. He and Edelgard stood beside Seteth. The latter of the two gave the Resistance's leader a nod, bypassing any need for words.
And then, Seteth's attention focused on the paper in his hands.
"Right. I believe it is time for us to see what Claude's response entails," he said.
Seteth unrolled the paper. He cleared his throat, then began to read the contents of the letter. The voice of its writer rang in everyone's minds as Seteth spoke the words aloud.
"Hey there, Seteth. Glad to hear the bridge's been taken. Congratulations, by the way. Couldn't have been the easiest thing to do. But, hey, with Myrddin under your control, Count Gloucester shouldn't be getting any further reinforcements. I doubt he'll be making any additional attacks with the pitiful amount of soldiers he has left, but you can never be too safe, I guess.
Anyway, with the Great Bridge out of the way, would you care to visit me and my friends in Derdriu? I'd love to discuss plans with you about the war and everything. Maybe Teach could enlighten me on a few things. If he's still around, that is.
If you're gonna accept, then I should probably warn you. Count Gloucester's not a very happy guy. I'd say he's probably even angrier now that his son's dead. With that in mind, I don't think you should travel in a large group. Send only a few of your forces my way. That should give you a better chance of sneaking around his territory and avoiding his wrath.
As for who you should send? Definitely Teach, for reasons I already stated. It'd be great to see him again. Anyone else is up to you. Just remember not to send too many people. We wouldn't want Count Gloucester to spot you, would we? I thought so.
Hoping I get to talk to you in person, Seteth. I don't suspect you'll be coming, but hopefully, we get to combine our forces for real at some point.
Goodbye, and safe travels.
~ Claude von Reigan
Seteth lowered the letter. His allies seemed generally content and pleased with what they heard.
He turned to Lucas.
"It appears Claude wishes to speak with you in person. Are you fine with this?"
Lucas sighed. "Yeah, I guess I am. If it's what has to be done, I'll do it. Am I really gonna go on my own, though?"
"I should hope not. It would be far too unsafe for you to travel alone. Who would you like to have with you? I must ask that you do not select me, for I am far too preoccupied with managing our forces."
"Count me out, too. No way am I gonna go with this guy." Catherine shook her head in vehement refusal.
"That's fine. I wasn't gonna pick you, anyway." Lucas frowned at the Relic-wielding woman. His expression brightened up a little when he returned to facing Seteth. "And I wasn't gonna pick you, either. It'd be weird for the leader of the Resistance Army to not be with its main force."
"Precisely. Now, who will you choose?"
Lucas paused as he entered a state of deep thought. His eyes scanned over everyone within the nearby area. He stopped at various points, his gaze landing on a particular few.
Then, he unpaused.
"I'll take Edelgard and Jeralt with me. If you two don't mind."
Edelgard smiled. "Not at all. I will be happy to see Claude once more."
"Can't say the same for me, but I'll go with you," Jeralt accepted, his expression being one of skepticism. "I am curious, though. Why me? I can see why you'd want the princess, but I just can't think of why you'd pick me."
"We could potentially get into a fight with whatever Empire forces remain in the Alliance. Having you there would definitely help us out with that," Lucas reasoned.
"Fine by me. I don't mind knocking together a few Imperial heads. Ones that are listening to that damn Emperor, anyway."
"I will also be particularly delighted to do precisely that," Edelgard agreed.
"Good. Well, I guess we should get going, huh? Don't wanna keep Claude waiting. Are we going by foot or carriage?"
"Carriage," Seteth confirmed. "We should be able to provide you three with a spare."
"Oh, lovely. Saves us a bit of trouble and makes it so that we get to Derdriu quicker. Gonna need you to drive, Jeralt. I can't ride horses for shit."
"You got it." Jeralt nodded. "How about we get moving-"
"Wait just one moment!"
Everyone looked off to the side. Flayn had one of her fingers raised, successfully garnering the attention of her allies.
"May I come as well, Lucas?"
"Why?" Lucas asked out of curiosity.
"I wish to see my friends from the Golden Deer once again. It has been much too long since our last meeting. After what has occurred with Lorenz…" Flayn appeared sad. "I can only hope the others have not met a similar fate. Please, take me with you. That is all I ask. I shall assist wherever I possibly can. Please…"
Lucas and Seteth shared a glance. The latter of the two hesitated for a moment, yet was able to struggle out a single nod of acceptance. The former returned his gaze to the diminutive Nabatean.
"Alright. You can come with us. A healer like you should be pretty useful if we get into any scraps."
"Oh, truly? Thank you very much! I promise I will not become a burden!"
"Heh. If anything, I'll be the burden…"
Lucas could feel the heat burning itself into the back of his neck. He chose not to turn around and investigate its source, for he already knew what kind of searing facial expression Edelgard was firing at him.
He sighed and largely disregarded a similar expression Seteth was using.
"Guess it's time to return to Derdriu…"
Enbarr, the capital city of the Adrestian Empire. A large, lively settlement with streets full of wandering citizens and stalls of varying stock. Even though many individuals were going about their business as usual, the ever-present presence of war provided an overwhelming, unsettling feeling.
Nothing was quite the same as it had been before.
The palace was a reminder of the situation they all found themselves in. All the soldiers that came in and out of there, along with the commonplace mentioning of Emperor Arundel's name; everything culminated into fear.
Deep within the palace, one of the Adrestian military's Generals was walking with a purpose. An aim with which to fulfill.
Petra was making her way to the throne room.
After many minutes of wandering, she eventually made it there. Petra carefully opened the large, regal set of double doors and headed inside. Her movements slowed to a crawl as she got closer to the man sitting comfortably on the throne.
She knelt before her Emperor.
"Ah, Petra. I am fortunate to have someone as respectful as you within my army. As a General, no less. You know your place."
"Thank you, Emperor Arundel. I am very proud to be in the military of Adrestia."
"As you should be." The Emperor frowned as he spoke, somehow placing more emphasis on his every word. "Our military is the finest in all of Fodlan. The most powerful, as well. Neither the Kingdom, nor the Alliance, have any hope of toppling our might. Do you agree, Petra? Are we not the strongest military force in all of history?"
"My Emperor, it is with no doubt. We are the strongest. Nobody can have any standing…uh, they cannot stand up to our power."
"Does that include Brigid?"
Petra frowned, but only for a second. She was glad she was still kneeling and staring at the floor, thus her face was obscured to the Emperor.
"Yes," she said with no additional hesitation. "It includes Brigid, my Emperor. Brigid does not have as much power as the Empire does. It is not close."
"How delightful to hear. The Adrestian Empire is without true opposition. Not even those rebellious fools in the Kingdom and Alliance have any possibility of overcoming our strength." Arundel grinned, restraining the maliciousness in his expression. "Cornelia will wipe out those insurgents in Faerghus. As for Leicester…"
His grin briefly wavered. It was able to sustain itself.
"The Flame Emperor will ignite our wrath and sear the infighting that lingers there."
"What about the group that took the Great Bridge of Myrddin? The ones that killed General Ladislava. Do you have any…worries about them?"
"I do not. Those soldiers from the monastery…they will not last much longer on their own. We must press our numerical advantage."
"What are you meaning, my Emperor?"
"An opportunity to prevent an uprising has risen. We must strike Garreg Mach Monastery with our overwhelming power, and eliminate all those who dare to reject the truth of our purpose. With the Archbishop no longer at their side, they have no hope of succeeding."
At that, Petra sharply looked up, and stared straight into the eyes of Adrestia's Emperor.
"Please let me lead that attack," she firmly requested. "Garreg Mach is our prey. And my Brigid pride will not allow any prey to escape. They will be swallowed by my hands of hunger."
Arundel scrutinized Petra's determined gaze. He spent a considerable amount of time analysing the fierce, resolved face she was displaying.
He grinned, as he was satisfied with what he found.
"So be it. You may lead the attack upon the monastery. I see it in your eyes. You wish for nothing but the destruction of that infernal location. Your hatred is comparable to my own, it seems."
"Thank you, my Emperor." Petra stood up and bowed. "I will not be letting you down. Garreg Mach will be no more."
"I should hope so. You know what would happen if you were to not be successful. Your beloved Brigid…"
Arundel scowled at the foreign girl.
"Razed to the ground by the might of the Adrestian Empire. Do not disappoint me, Petra. Go."
Petra nodded. She had nothing else to say. No further comments to make, and nothing left to ask. The twenty-one-year-old girl stood up from her kneeling position and left the throne room from the double doors she used to get inside.
Arundel observed her departure with great interest.
After leaving the Imperial palace's throne room, Petra was once again wandering the halls with a specific goal in mind. Her prior mission of meeting with the Emperor had been fulfilled. It had now become time to do the one thing she truly wanted to do.
But first, she needed to prepare. An attack on Garreg Mach had no chance of being successful without sufficient preparations. Petra rounded several corners and passed by multiple people, all so she could reach one particular place.
However, on her way there, she was stopped by someone. An ally of hers. She smiled upon seeing him.
"Ferdinand. You have come back from the Great Bridge of Myrddin," she said to him. "Are you having wellness?"
"Yes…I am," Ferdinand responded slowly. There was a sense of exhaustion to his voice, one Petra picked up on immediately. "I am fine."
"I understand you were not able to protect the bridge from the invaders. What happened, if I am okay to ask?"
"I was met with some notable surprises. I…"
Ferdinand's gaze wavered slightly, his eyebrows twitching as his expression became full of worry.
"Petra. I need to ask you a question."
The girl blinked in confusion. "What is it?"
He struggled to provide an immediate answer. His speech was full of false starts and stutterings. It was evident that whatever he needed to say wasn't irrelevant or random in any conceivable way.
Petra stood there, silently waiting for Ferdinand to be able to overcome his struggle.
"Do you…do you feel as if-" He was able to say at one point. "As if…there is some darkness within this palace?"
"What are you meaning?" Petra asked in confusion.
"I'm referring to the darkness of corruption. Of evil, and unpleasant dealings. Have you…felt anything like that?"
"Corruption? Evil? You are suggesting the palace is bad?"
"Not just that, but our whole military. I'm wondering if what we're doing is the right thing. I'd like to believe it is. But when I think about what we've done underneath the Imperial banner…"
Petra's mind forcibly flashed back to vivid memories of her recent past.
She winced.
"Those people, and that girl…" Petra said. "They are trapped because of us."
"Not all of them. We only captured the last three. The first one was already there. Yuri, I believe his name was? Arundel arranged for his capture before we joined the Imperial military. As for the other three," Ferdinand sighed in some vain attempt to let go of the disturbing thoughts that were weighing him down, "we were the ones that stole their freedom."
"Yes. That is true. However, we were following orders. Is that a bad thing to do?"
"No, not inherently." Ferdinand shook his head. "Following orders is what needs to be done for a military to be efficient. If it's what the Emperor wanted us to do, we had to do it. After all, he's only trying to let the Empire flourish. Who are we to deny that?"
"Fools. People that deserve to be captured and hurt. That is what the Emperor says."
"Yes! Exactly! Anyone that goes against Emperor Arundel's wishes is going against the Empire itself! And how could one be so selfish as to reject the existence of Adrestia? Is one's own personal desires greater than an entire country?! No!"
Ferdinand suddenly slammed his fist against the wall, creating a small impression through the force of the impact alone. Petra jumped back in shock, having not expected such a response from her friend.
"Why does Edelgard think any differently?! She was supposed to be the princess of Adrestia! Now, she's nothing but a selfish traitor! Someone that deserves to be punished! For the sake of the Empire!"
"Ferdinand…?" Petra called out to the one so deeply absorbed in his anger.
"What is it?!" Ferdinand snapped, his expression full of rage. He caught himself when he realized who it was he was talking to and where he was. He eased himself away from his anger. "Oh, Petra, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to shout at you. I became so engulfed in my appreciation for the Empire, it…my apologies, Petra."
"It is fine. I was only shocked. I had not seen you like that before. I did not know you could be so…um, uh, intenseful?"
"Intense. And that's understandable. I didn't know I could act like this until recently. I suppose my love for the Adrestian Empire is simply that great. I wish I could say the same for certain individuals, like that accursed Edelgard."
Petra nervously nodded along.
"I see. Was she at the Great Bridge of Myrddin? Is that why you are suddenly thinking about corruption and evil?"
"Yes, she was," Ferdinand confirmed. "She told me that the reason she's fighting against the Empire is because of some darkness that resides within the palace. According to her, Emperor Arundel's the source of it all. But that makes no sense. How could he be evil? He's fighting to eradicate the church and unify Fodlan under the banner of the Empire. How is that bad?"
Petra said nothing, merely continuing to nod along in agreement.
"My apologies, Petra. I'm likely confusing you. I'm very scatterbrained at the moment. Edelgard's words… got me better than I thought. If you ever see her on the battlefield, watch out. She has quite the silver tongue," Ferdinand continued. "I'll talk to you some more another time. I have certain matters to deal with. Goodbye."
The heir of House Aegir began walking away, in the direction of the hall Petra had come from. As he passed by her, she too had her own struggle.
Yet, hers did not last for very long in comparison to her friend's. She turned herself around, folded her arms and stared at the back of Ferdinand's head with a determined glare.
A genuine one.
"Ferdinand," she called.
The orange-haired twenty-four year old halted his departure and turned around to face his ally once more.
"You never let me answer your question," Petra said.
"Oh? I suppose I did not. I do not believe I need an answer anymore - I only asked for my own sake. But I'll humor you, Petra. Do you believe there is corruption within the Empire?"
"Yes."
Ferdinand smirked. "I thought so-wait, what?" His smirk disappeared, his face became burdened by fear and surprise.
"I am believing the Empire is evil. And I also think Arundel is the source. Like Edelgard says."
"What?! This must be some sick joke. You…" Ferdinand's rage was beginning to return. "You can't very well be a traitor, can you?! Explain yourself! Now!"
"I am not joking. Do you not have remembering of what Arundel made us do? We have captured and badly hurt three innocent people. We have also killed a lot of people that 'dared' to try and…rebel."
Ferdinand glared maliciously at the Brigid princess, his hateful scowl contorting and falling into further distaste by the second.
"Is that what good people do?" Petra continued. "Kill others that say the truth? Ignore anyone that says other things, and keep believing in our lies? Is that what you are, Ferdinand?"
"You b-"
"No. I don't think so. You are a good person, Ferdinand. You are nice, and having lots of compassion. I think you're, uh, aware of this corruption. I am thinking you know about it. But you aren't wanting to believe it."
She offered her hand to him, extending out her whole right arm.
"Come with me, Ferdinand. I am going back to Garreg Mach. Together, we can learn a lot more about the world and the corruption Edelgard speaks of. If we stay here, in the middle of that corruption - we won't learn anything. Are you going to be limiting yourself forever?"
Ferdinand glowered at the arm before him.
"Please. Be coming with me. I don't want to lose you to this corruption, Ferdinand. We are friends. Friends should never be apart."
Ferdinand was conflicted. A part of him yearned to reach out and grasp her hand, yet the other side was shrouded in darkness. He internally wrestled with these ideas in the expanse of his mind. Petra kept her arm extended, waiting for her friend to take it.
One side of his struggle eventually succeeded. He slowly and stealthily raised his right hand. It landed on something hard by his side, covered mostly by his Imperial-red cloak. He unsheathed the lance.
In an instant, he swiped upwards with his weapon. It went clean through her arm.
"AH-!" Petra screamed out in agony.
She stumbled back, clutching the upper half of her arm. It was the only side that survived the sudden attack.
"F-Ferdinand…! Why?"
He pointed the Silver Lance directly at her head.
"I will never accept the hand of a traitor. I WILL KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!"
Ferdinand reeled his arm back, preparing to eviscerate Petra's very existence with only a single stab of his lance. His face contorted back into its rageful appearance. His teeth ground against each other as they bore themselves against the frightened girl.
The shock was too much for Petra. She was unable to move - she was ready to accept her fate. Her failure to reach out to her friend.
She closed her eyes and waited for death.
…
"Ferdinand! What are you doing?!"
A new voice emerged from somewhere unforeseen. She felt no pain, heard no shouts of fury from Ferdinand - nothing. Was she fine? Alive, even? She had to check.
Petra opened her eyes to find a familiar face restraining her potential murderer.
"Randolph? Why are you stopping me?!" Ferdinand snarled. "She's a traitor! I must…I NEED to kill her! For the Empire!"
A man with light-grey hair and red, Adrestian Knight armor was using one hand to hold back the arm Ferdinand held his lance with. He used his other hand to restrain the enraged General by his left shoulder.
"Petra's not a traitor, Ferdinand! There's no way she can be!" Randolph yelled back at him. "She knows what'll happen to Brigid if she acts out of line. She's smarter than that! She wouldn't put her entire homeland on the line for some vague, traitorous ideas!"
"You weren't here when she revealed she plans on defecting to Garreg Mach!"
"She's not defecting! She's leading a force to destroy the monastery, you idiot! Emperor Arundel just put her up to it!"
"How do you know that?!"
"Because the Emperor himself told me! I just finished talking with him about our efforts in the Alliance. That's when I learned about it," Randolph explained. "When I got out of the throne room, I heard some distant shouting, so I ran over to check on what was happening. Now I see you doing this…"
"You don't understand, Randolph! She was just talking about defection!"
"Yeah, and I'm the Archbishop. Lower your lance, Ferdinand. I'll need you to calm down. Right now."
"But, I-"
"Right. Now."
Reluctantly, Ferdinand listened to his ally. He lowered his weapon, placing it back within the confines of its sheath. He stared venomously at Petra before turning his attention to the man that stopped him.
"Now walk away. I'll take Petra to the medical ward. You go take a nap in your quarters or something," Randolph recommended. "You obviously need it with the way you are now."
Ferdinand sighed. He refused to take another look at Petra. Defeated, he forced himself to accept Randolph's suggestion. Without any further words, the orange-haired man walked away in silence.
"Alright, now that that's done, time for…"
He heard a thud behind him. Rotating his head, he found that Petra had fainted. A pool of blood was forming around the stump of her arm. The half of her arm that had been cut off was near her leg.
Randolph picked up her unconscious body, as well as the fallen half of her arm.
"Don't worry, Petra. I'll get you some help. You'll be back on your feet in no time."
He ran off into the distance, aiming to get the injured woman some much needed medical assistance. He was moving as fast as his legs could carry him. Luckily, he knew his way around the palace. Knowing precisely where to go was no issue.
Time was the problem. Blood kept continually spewing from Petra's arm at a massively rapid rate. Randolph knew she could meet an abrupt end at any time.
This is why he kept moving and never stopped. Petra needed help.
Randolph hoped there was enough time.
Author Notes: Ooh, yeah, that happened. Almost thought about having Petra die here, but considering the fact that there was a death in the previous chapter - that'd be too much. Way too soon for another death. So, Petra's just gonna be...disarmed.
Anyway, review response time.
Lord-Azrael3 - I do indeed wonder what sort of consequences there'll be for Lorenz's death. I won't spoil anything, of course, but let's just say the effects won't be as big as you might think...or maybe it will?
Axel363402 - Me too!
RedBurningDragon - I suppose we'll see how Dimitri is at some later point. I mean, he's gotta show up relatively soon, right?
Krosrodes - Thanks very much for your feedback, dude. Will definitely go back and change up a few things.
And that's it for now! Thank you all for reading, and I'll see you all next time!
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