Ferdinand pointed his Brave Lance directly at the Empire's enemies. Many soldiers from the Resistance Army were all lined up by a wooden gate, one that provided access to the remainder of the path that led to the monastery. Not all of them were there. He expected some to be behind that large, stone wall attached to the gate. Some were also definitely positioned elsewhere within the area, he figured.
But, in the end, their specific locations didn't matter much to Ferdinand. They were all going to pay the ultimate price for their transgressions against the Empire, he thought.
"This will be the last day of your pitiful lives," he told the members of the Resistance Army.
With a single wave of his hand, all of the Imperial soldiers under his command charged straight in, spreading throughout the area as much as they were able to. Seteth, the supposed leader of the Resistance Army, did the same with his troops.
Then, the battle got underway.
A handful of knights engaged the Imperial soldiers. They clashed in the middle of the elongated, stone path that cut through the left side of the battlefield. The fight itself was fierce, fervent, and bloody. A swathe of red was swiftly splattered all over the ground.
Yet, the fight carried on. None of the soldiers on either side were deterred by the foul stench of death. If anything, its presence reassured them. Helped them to focus. It reminded them of the danger present in the battle, which in turn prompted them to fend off the idea of meeting such a fate.
It didn't work for most of them. Many casualties were made soon after the engagement started.
However, the majority of deaths were on the Imperial's side. The Resistance Army had access to a whole host of supremely skilled Generals. Two of them, Catherine and Alois, were already in the midst of the fighting.
An average soldier stood no chance against the likes of a pair of holy knights. Especially not when said knights wielded a Hero's Relic and a Sacred Weapon, respectively. Thunderbrand and the Axe of Ukonsavara fought in near-tandem with another, each cutting down a sea of soldiers all on their own.
Of course, they weren't the only weapons Catherine and Alois made use of. There were only so many times such powerful artefacts could be used before beginning to wear down. The female Swordmaster occasionally switched to a Brave Sword whenever she'd used Thunderbrand a little too much, while the male Warrior was more than okay with using a Silver Axe now and then.
No matter what weapons they used, Catherine and Alois fought with everything they had.
An aerial bout was also taking place. Somewhere above the main engagement was a large gathering of Pegasus Knights and Wyvern Lords, striking at one another with their respective axes and lances.
Seteth was among them. He primarily hung back, using his high-up position to get an overlooking view of the battle, which he then used to direct and advise his forces whenever needed. He was mostly content with letting everyone fight as they were.
But he did keep an eye on Randolph and Ferdinand in the distance, as well as the substantial number of soldiers that were near them. He kept a good, close eye on those numbers.
His gaze briefly fluttered over to his left. On the ground was a small group of knights, led by a Sniper. They approached an obscure onager.
That was all Seteth needed. He continued fighting alongside his allies, keen to eliminate all possible complications to his plan.
Shamir supported his endeavors. She knew precisely what it was Seteth was planning to do. Therefore, she focused on taking out as many of the enemy fliers as possible, taking full advantage of a flying mount's known weakness to arrows.
She didn't fire many shots, and yet - none of them missed.
The Imperial soldiers noticed the immense problem that was Shamir. But then they also soon noticed an onslaught of spells that came their way. Anything they tried to do about the Sniper ex-mercenary was met with a round of magical fire support.
Manuela the Bishop and Hanneman the Warlock were right by Shamir's side, preventing her from being targeted for any longer than a second. With their aid, the Sniper managed to get by without being roughed up.
As such, with Seteth and Shamir providing a strong anti-aerial offensive, the flight-based numbers of the Imperial soldiers decreased dramatically. It didn't take much longer for their kind to be wiped out entirely.
Seteth had a clear view of the distant part of the ruinous locale. Randolph was still waiting in the back, although Ferdinand had clearly disappeared. He wasn't sure where the Adrestian noble had gone off to, but he was certain that someone would be able to intercept him.
Refocusing his attention on that huge clump of soldiers near Randolph, Seteth suddenly hatched an idea.
"Adrestian soldiers!" He called out, increasing the volume of his voice so that his intended targets would be able to hear. "You need not fight for such a corrupt and morally reprehensible man such as Arundel! Lay down your arms, and leave this place!"
"How dare you?! Emperor Arundel is a proud man! His strength far exceeds yours, dog of the church!" Randolph shouted back. "Do not mock us! Soldiers, attack these fools! Show them that the only cure for stupidity…is us!"
At their superior's call, the soldiers surrounding Randolph hurried into the fight.
Seteth grinned. He looked to the side. The Sniper was in place at the onager. Flames danced around the tip of their arrow.
"Now!" He yelled to the Sniper.
They heard his call. Immediately, the Sniper used the onager to aim their flame-tipped arrow. Several Wyvern Lords aligned with the Resistance Army swooped in and dropped red barrels upon the battlefield.
Before the Imperial soldiers could respond, the arrow was fired.
A massive explosion occurred. After the cloud of smoke dispersed, the main part of the battlefield mostly everyone was fighting in was covered in fire. It crackled and combusted, causing a great deal of burning pain to all those that were caught in its wake.
Seteth's soldiers were all able to avoid the attack, as they knew it was coming. The same could not be said of the Imperial soldiers.
Most of them were suffering. Their skin was partially burnt away as a result of the attack. At least, the parts of their skin that weren't covered by any pieces of armor. But even those with a hefty dose of armored defense were forced to deal with an unbearable level of heat. So much so, that even they were beginning to suffer.
Screams of pain erupted from the Imperial fighters. It was a resounding chorus of torture and agony.
"Ugh, no! Not a flame attack! We can't very well withstand much more of this…" Randolph looked worriedly at all of his allies.
His eyes then locked onto Seteth - the perpetrator of such pain. Randolph scowled at him.
"But we mustn't give in! We have to continue fighting. For the Empire! For the Emperor! Let's show them the true might of the Adrestian Empire!"
Emboldened by the words of their commander, the soldiers continued their offensive, doing their absolute best to fight through the flame inflicted pain.
Seteth sighed.
"If that is what you wish," he said to himself.
The battle resumed.
All of the Resistance Army's soldiers were weary of the flame bound battlefield they forcibly created. They fought from a distance, flinging and shooting whatever projectiles they could use. Any melee users were forced to take up a bow, even if only for a short while.
Mages and fliers were not compromised in any way. Spells were an effective means of eliminating the slowly approaching remains of the Imperial forces. Those that fought on the backs of winged creatures only needed to swoop in with the intent to land a single, finishing blow. It was all they needed to finish off such already weakened enemies.
Just like the flames, the battle blazed on.
However, there was a secondary engagement taking place. Some ways away from the main force, Dorothea and Petra were sneaking around the narrow passageways of the many ruined buildings, attempting to strike at Randolph from behind.
But as they came around a corner, the two girls froze. They met someone they hadn't expected to stumble upon so suddenly.
"Petra. I was hoping to find you here, at the monastery."
The Brigid princess frowned.
"Ferdinand. You are still fighting with the Empire."
The orange-haired noble snarled.
"Of course I am. I would never abandon my duties as a noble. It seems you have."
"Oh, so that's what you're all about now, Ferdie." Dorothea glared at him. "I'm very disappointed in you."
Ferdinand looked at the Dancer, acknowledging her presence for the first time.
"Dorothea…you as well? You're also fighting alongside that corrupt, manipulative church? Why?!"
"Corrupt? Manipulative? Pah! I could use those words to describe the Empire. Along with a few more…unsavory ones."
"What?! How dare you-"
"Excuse me?" Dorothea's expression grew more hateful. "How dare me? Are you kidding? You're the one that sliced off Petra's arm in a fit of rage. Don't compare what we're doing to that. They're not even remotely similar."
"Dorothea is having correctness." Petra nodded in agreement. "The Empire has done many bad things, Ferdinand. The Resistance…not so much. They are fighting for the better, uh, betterment of Fodlan. The Empire is evil."
"They are not evil! Emperor Arundel is fighting to unite Fodlan, to remove the church from power! Archbishop Rhea has controlled the continent for far too long! How can you call us 'evil', when Rhea herself has secretly ruled over the Empire, the Kingdom, and the Alliance, ever since their inception?! How can you justify that?!"
"There is no justify…justification for the things the Empire tells its soldiers to do. You are knowing this, Ferdinand. But you are trying to have denial of it."
"Enough!"
Ferdinand twirled his Brave Lance around while atop his horse.
"I have had enough of your lies. I will end them here, along with your lives."
Dorothea smirked. "As if. You can't possibly think you're a match for both of us, right?"
"It matters not. I will kill anyone that gets in the way of the Empire. Including you two."
Petra and Dorothea readied themselves for a fierce encounter.
As the battle on the surface raged on, a group of five snuck into the shadowy depths of Garreg Mach's underground. They made use of a teleportation spell, one casted by the individual that forcibly took command of them all.
It was a man that wore large, black Warlock robes. They casted a veil of darkness over his face, covering his pale-grey visage. His identity was hidden to all those that may have looked his way.
His four followers only had a vague inkling as to who this person was.
A long, lavender haired man stepped forward, approaching the cloaked individual. His hands were bound by a tight rope that glowed with a blue pulse, and his appearance indicated that he'd seen better days. His hair was massively unkempt, while his light-grey outfit was torn in many places. The white cape on his back was grimy, and full of dirt.
Despite everything, Yuri grinned.
"So, this is where you're taking us."
He looked over their environment. It was a stone hallway, one that was shrouded in darkness, lit only by sporadically placed torches.
"You really think it's a good idea to bring the wolves back to their den?"
The cloaked Warlock turned around. His expression was downright invisible, though Yuri could tell he wasn't pleased.
"Silence, rat. You have no right to speak. Not to me."
"Alright." Yuri attempted a shrug, but his movements were limited as a result of his bindings. "I won't speak to you, then. I'll just talk to my friends. How's that?"
"I said silence."
"Now you're getting contradictory. I can speak to my friends, but only in silence? That doesn't make any sense."
Yuri suddenly felt another wave of anger come from his shady captor.
"Follow the example of your Timothean friend. Stay quiet. Make not a single sound."
A tall, light-grey robed and well-built man stepped forward. He growled at the Warlock.
"Don't bring up Hapi's condition like that, you slithery bastard! I'll bury your face into the damn wall!"
Yuri laid out a hand, preventing his friend from moving any further. "At ease, Balthus. With the way we are, we won't be doing anything to anyone. Isn't that right, o' strange one?"
"Indeed. Your weapons have been confiscated for that very reason," the Warlock said. "Not that you would need them, regardless."
"Our magic has been restricted, as well. What in the name of the goddess are these infernal bindings…?" A woman with dishevelled, blonde hair struggled against the ropes that bound her hands together. Her grey and white dress was ripped from overuse. "Release us, you fiend!"
"They are magical bindings crafted by our finest sorcerers. Myself included. You will not be able to cast any of your insignificant spells while you are ensnared by them." The Warlock turned away, facing the hall of shadows. "Resistance is futile."
"Magical bindings? Such a mockery of the magical arts…!" The blonde woman sighed, ceasing her struggle. "So be it. If we cannot escape so readily, then I suppose we are your prisoners."
Yuri chuckled.
"That's impossible, Constance. The Ashen Wolves are nobody's prisoners."
"Uh, pal?" Balthus stared at the comparatively small man with much confusion. "Don't know if you've noticed, but you've been locked in a dungeon for the past five years. You're about as much of a prisoner as anyone else is."
"It might seem that way on the outside. But once you get a good look inside, you'll see that things aren't quite what they seem."
Hapi, who was in a similarly rough state as the rest of her friends, glared at Yuri and merely shook her head in disapproval. Constance looked at the dark-skinned woman with plentiful sorrow and pity.
"Oh, Hapi…you truly were the most affected out of us all. I will never forgive them for what they've done to you."
The Warlock turned back down, silencing everyone with just that motion alone.
"Enough chatter. We must proceed with our mission. Our destination is within reach. Any attempt to escape will be met with a day's worth of torture."
"Alright…" Yuri smirked. "Myson."
A dark spell stabbed through Yuri's left shoulder, which he clutched in pain. The spell quickly released after performing the harmful deed, retracting itself back into Myson's open palm.
"There will be no tolerance for foolishness. Follow me."
Myson turned back around.
"The Chasm of the Bound is not much further."
Shouldering the pain, Yuri followed the Agarthan mage into the depths of Abyss. Constance, Hapi, and Balthus did the same. Even if they wished not to.
An element of fear persisted. The four of them wished not to irritate the one in direct control of their lives.
The five of them traversed through the underground maze known as Abyss. Despite the numerous tunnels and secret passageways that seemed they were designed to confound anyone attempting to navigate them, Myson was having no such trouble. He was leading the Ashen Wolves without any change in direction, or any sort of stumbling or general failure.
Myson knew exactly where to go, and how to get there. The Ashen Wolves were somewhat astounded at his ability to navigate Abyss' tunnels, but they hid such emotions.
They didn't want him to feel any kind of positivity.
After some time, the five ended up approaching a particular, bright exit. Constance braved herself for the outside, as they all arrived at the area they were looking for.
A rugged, desert-like chasm. Rocks and sand piled up around the land, with some bits of foliage here and there. Cliffs, which were on all sides, rose up into the sky. A faint, black line could be seen directly above where the group was.
"This is the Chasm of the Bound, huh? That's gotta be the bridge to the cathedral up there…" Balthus said, looking up.
Yuri followed Balthus' gaze. "Huh. You might be right. And if you listen closely, you might even be able to hear the sounds of all that fighting we're missing out on. What a shame. I'd love to fight the Empire."
"We would not fare too well against their might, I fear…" said Constance. A shadow was cast upon her face. Her smile had turned into a frown. "Especially not myself. I would be most useless in a fight."
"Not this again." Balthus shook his head in disapproval. "I hoped I'd never see this side of Constance ever again. Looks like four or five years of imprisonment didn't do anything to help her out."
"My apologies. I am aware that I am a most vexing individual. You need not hear my words, for they are thoughtless and unnecessary."
"Hardly. If anything, our friendly dark mage here is thoughtless and-"
Myson raised a hand to the sky, pulsing some black and purple magical energy from his palm. This silenced the Ashen Wolves. Those who could speak, that is.
Despite the captives having been quietened, Myson's energy continued to swirl around above his hand.
"We are not alone," he said.
"What? What are you talking about, pal? I don't see anything."
A light chuckle could be heard from Myson's direction.
"Of course. Your bindings. They not only suppress your magical output, but they also inhibit your ability to sense mana itself. Or perhaps your senses are not as fine as mine are. Regardless, we are about to be visited by the chasm's defenses."
Right on cue, an army of shadowy beings teleported into various spots within the Chasm of the Bound. Gigantic golems and more human-like creatures, ones that wielded various weapons - a veritable fighting force.
"Whoa! That's a lot of guys. How are we gonna get through this?"
"You know," Yuri said, turning to Myson, who was standing on the edge of the small cliff they were all on. "We would be able to dispose of these visitors. Just undo our bindings, and we'll more than happily help."
"Your assistance is unneeded. I can handle these meager defenses on my own."
"On your own?" Yuri scoffed. "Alright, then. Let's see you do it. I'm interested to see the extent of your power."
"This will hardly be a test of my might. Watch, and you'll see precisely how far I outclass you."
Myson allowed the energy to flow a little more. While he did so, the front line of Golems and other such shadowy defenders approached the cliff the group of five were standing on.
Then, Myson balled the hand that was conjuring all the dark energy into a fist. It clamped down upon the mana, entrapping it within his grasp. The Agarthan Warlock then pushed his hand forward, and released the energy.
It dispersed into the crowd of shadows with a purple, hazy mist. It engulfed each and every being of darkness, paralyzing them as soon as it made contact.
"Return to nothingness."
Myson clenched his fist once more. In doing so, all the paralyzed beings lost whatever life they possessed. The Golems halted in place and fell upon the floor. The shadows covering the infantry dispersed, leaving nothing behind.
As quickly as they appeared, the enemies were made a non-issue. Yuri, Balthus, and Constance all gasped in surprise. Hapi merely widened her eyes. Myson turned back to face them.
"All magical constructs such as these have their limits. There is always a condition that allows them to be retracted, or halted in any way. I have merely bypassed the requirements for that condition to be reached and ended their assault before it could begin."
"Nobody asked you." Yuri scowled.
"Perhaps not. But I chose to answer. I care not for your wishes."
Myson pointed deeper into the chasm, past all the inactive Golems. At the other end of the area was a rock wall that had four strange and vague symbols upon it.
"I see it. What we are looking for lies just beyond that wall. Let us proceed."
At Myson's behest, the Ashen Wolves followed him further down the chasm. They ventured past the deactivated bodies of various Golems. Some elements of dark magical energy still continued to pulse around them, lingering as if it were a foul infliction of sorts.
They mostly ignored such things. Myson wanted them to move along, after all.
Before long, the five of them arrived at the wall Myson previously pointed out. Upon it were the glowing presences of four Crest symbols.
"The Crests of the Four Apostles…they are within our ownership," Myson said to himself. "Now, it is time to unleash the Church of Seiros' forbidden artefact!"
Yuri, Constance, Balthus, and Hapi watched as Myson fired a small beam of darkness at the wall. A tiny opening formed within the rocks.
Something shined within.
"Yes…it is finally ours! After so much time was spent researching ancient texts, it is now within our grasp!"
Myson hurried over, and reached into the opening. He pulled out a golden cup. Its detailed, historical appearance indicated that it possessed many years of untold history.
"The Chalice of Beginnings…" Myson, again, said to himself. "Master Thales will be most pleased."
Yuri and his friends stood there, paralyzed in fear. A feeling of immense dread overcame them. Pits of guilt formed within their stomachs.
They looked at each other.
"I don't like the looks of this. Whatever that chalice thing is, it's gotta be something powerful. And we can't do anything to stop these bastards from getting their hands on it…" Balthus grinded his teeth out of sheer anger. "Agh! Damn these magic ropes, or whatever they are! Let me outta them!"
"I fear we may have given our enemies great power…" Constance said, her gaze focusing on the ground. "We are powerless to stop them. It must be my fault."
Hapi barged into Constance's side, directing her attention towards the red haired girl, who shook her head at the blonde one with a severe intensity.
"She's right. It's nobody's fault." Yuri sighed, then looked over to Myson, who was still deeply appreciating the chalice he'd retrieved. "We'll have to keep doing what we've always been doing."
"Biding our time? You know that hasn't worked out for us, pal."
"No, maybe not. But it's better than just waiting for them to do whatever they want with us. If we can find some way to exploit one of their openings, we'll be good to go. However, the Empire's about as well organised as it can be. So, we're just gonna have to wait."
"That is all we can do…I apologise for dragging you all down to my level of uselessness."
Yuri wagged his finger.
"No. None of that," he said. "I don't want anyone feeling bad for themselves. But, yeah, you are right. Waiting is all we can do for now."
The former leader of the Ashen Wolves took a glimpse of Myson. He was approaching them, Chalice of Beginnings in hand.
"As soon as we have our opening, we'll take it. We'll make these guys pay for shackling us in their fancy little palace."
Yuri grinned.
"We'll make them pay with their lives."
On the surface, the second battle to protect Garreg Mach resumed. With the advent of the Resistance Army's surprise fire attack, the invading Imperial forces were left in quite a damaged state. The initial explosion of flames brought severe injuries to the Adrestian soldiers.
All of the lingering fires and scorched pieces of land only intensified the pain they were feeling. This left them wide open for a long-ranged assault from the Resistance Army. They weren't about to get caught up in the effects of their own trap, thus long ranged strikes were necessary.
That, as well as strikes from above. Soldiers that rode on wyverns and pegasi were an instrumental part of the Resistance's Army final offensive push.
Adrestians kept falling, one after the other. In comparison, the number of knights that fell was minimal, at most. The Imperials were still rather potent in battle, meaning that the overall engagement didn't suddenly become easy for the Resistance.
However, they did certainly have a considerable advantage.
Randolph, the commander of the Imperial forces, had no choice but to join in on the fight. He rushed towards the flames, stopping once he reached them. It was then when he had to make a decision. To brave the fire and press on, or to hang back and try to find some other way around the dangerous ground.
Seteth gave him an answer. He approached the Adrestian commander from atop his wyvern.
"You…" Randolph locked eyes with the Nabatean. "You're the advisor to the Archbishop. You're nothing but a collaborator in her crimes!"
"It is a shame you have blindly followed Arundel's rhetoric. You seem like a good man, if a bit misled. If you had simply stopped to think about the Emperor's words in more detail, you would have realized the truth."
"Enough! I will hear no more of your lies, or your excuses! You will die today, advisor!"
Seteth sighed. "And yet, even now…war continues to decide the fate of the people. I apologize, Adrestian commander. But I will not be falling here."
The two men set upon one another. Seteth launched himself at Randolph, using the great speed of his wyvern to boost the momentum behind his lunge. His Spear of Assal stabbed directly at his opponent's red-tinted armor, creating a small dent and an even smaller hole on impact.
Randolph's Silver Axe flailed about uselessly as Seteth ascended back into the air, away from harm. He soon returned with another forceful lunge. It worked about as well as the original did. Which is to say, it was rather effective. Such a technique could barely be countered, if at all. The axe owned by the Adrestian General was able to touch the wyvern through a return swing, but it wasn't able to deal any meaningful damage.
The fight was rather one sided. Seteth's advantage of flight was generally too great for Randolph to put up any sort of effective counter. At several times, he was able to clip the underside of Seteth's wyvern with his axe. Still, it was never enough to bring the winged beast down for good.
Seteth's Major Crest of Cichol was also a useful advantage. Its deictic might was capable of halting Randolph in place for a short while. This gave Seteth the opportunity he needed to cease the man's suffering.
"I shall not allow myself to die!"
With an upwards swing of his Sacred Weapon, Seteth shattered the frontal section of Randolph's armor. He carved a huge cut into the Adrestian's chest, one that curved up to his neck. The member of the Bergliez family flew up into the air and then crashed down onto the ground with a noticeable thud.
Blood spewed from his mouth, along with the massive incision on his neck and chest.
"Ugh, m-mother…" Randolph struggled to speak. "F-Fleche…I wasn't able to-"
The strength within his body disappeared. Seteth closed his eyes out of respect for his fallen enemy.
"You fought as well as you could. May you rest in peace."
He reopened his eyes, regaining his focus on the battle. Seteth took to the air. From his high-up position, he could tell the Imperial numbers were waning.
The Nabatean seemed satisfied with that. Yet, a miniscule fight that took place on the outskirts of the main battle drew his attention.
"Hmph. Perhaps I should assist those two."
Seteth flew in, attempting to provide some help for the Resistance's latest additions.
While the main battle proceeded, two of the monastery's defenders were locked in a fierce battle with the other Adrestian General. It was two versus one. Despite that, the one was putting up a decent fight.
Petra's lack of a left lower arm and hand made fighting more difficult than it ever had been. She was able to keep up with Ferdinand's emotionally charged spear lunges, but the fact she had only one arm meant that her offense lacked.
There was hardly any way she'd be able to pull off follow-up attacks with additional appendages. Something like a quick punch to throw off her opponent - that was impossible for her. Not that it would have been useful in a fight against a Paladin like Ferdinand. The heightened elevation that riding a horse provided him prevented Petra from getting any quick hits in.
However, this disadvantage of hers was basically nullified thanks to the presence of Dorothea. Her spells, such as Thoron and Sagittae, were quite effective in damaging Ferdinand when Petra wasn't immediately able to. As a result of her spellcasting, Dorothea was able to attack from a comfortable distance.
Ferdinand couldn't do a thing to stop her. Any attempts he made to get in close to end her spell flinging charades were halted by Petra's tenacity. Even though she had only one arm, she never gave up.
Dorothea and Petra's combination was most effective. Their shared power was enough to force the Adrestian noble off his horse. That, in of itself, hadn't halted Ferdinand's offense.
Instead, it only made him angrier. His face gradually contorted the more the battle went on. He snarled at the girls, growling at them like some kind of animal.
"You…you worthless fools!" Ferdinand yelled at the two after leaping away from one of Petra's strikes. "Opposing Adrestia is the worst mistake you will ever make! Do you truly think it's wise to proceed?!"
"Of course it is, Ferdie, no - Ferdinand." Magic pulsed around Dorothea's fingertips. "Take a good look at yourself. Think about what the Emperor's made you do. Is that wise?"
"Be quiet! Emperor Arundel is a wonderful man. A suitable ruler for Adrestia. He embodies all the values of the Empire. He is strong, noble, and ambitious. He wishes to lead Fodlan to a new dawn. A small sacrifice here and there is worth it for such a noble goal!"
"Small?! Ferdinand, don't you realize what you've done? Look at Petra, you arrogant, overly prideful noble!" Dorothea pointed at the Brigid girl. "You did that to her. On Arundel's orders. How can you stand there, and turn a blind eye to what you've done?!"
"She's a traitor. She deserves a lot more than what I gave her. As do you, Dorothea."
Dorothea scowled at the nobleman. "Listen to yourself! You're talking like a villain in an opera, and you're overplaying the part! The Empire's done something to you. Something horrible. It's changed you for the worst, Ferdinand. I hate the new you."
"I care not if you dislike me. We may have been friends once upon a time, but today, I fight for the Empire. Your words will not sway me."
"Will my words have any swaying?"
Petra aimed her Killing Edge in Ferdinand's direction, quickly gaining his attention. Instead of waiting for him to respond, the foreign princess continued.
"You have knowing of what you…what we did."
"What we did? What are you referring-" Ferdinand was saying, before being interrupted by Petra.
"That girl from the Ashen Wolves. The one with the red hair. Are you remembering now?"
Ferdinand stopped. His expression relaxed. It eventually turned into one of pure shock and realization.
"I remember," he said. "Hapi. That was her name. We were tasked to steal her away from her village. To capture her for the Empire's sake. And we still don't know why…"
The Adrestian noble clenched his hand, then shook his head. His expression became full of hate once more.
"No! I will not let my resolve be swayed by such words! I m-must fight for the Empire! I must…"
"Ferdie…" Dorothea spoke with a sorrowful tone. "We don't want to fight you. Please, just stop. Stop fighting. Stop fighting for an Empire that makes you do such terrible things!"
"She is correct, Ferdinand! The Empire is evil and full of shadows! Were you not seeing all those mages with cloaks in the palace? Were you not seeing their, uh, pale skin? They were not human, and they were not animals. They were something else. I do not have knowing for positivity, but I feel they were the cause of all the shadows."
"Mages with cloaks…I-I've seen them."
Ferdinand clutched his head in agony. His strength weakened, almost to the point where he let go of his lance. He still had enough power to struggle against whatever mental battle was taking place within him.
"Shadows in the palace. E-Edelgard spoke of them, but she's a traitor. She abandoned the Empire. Or did she…?" He said as he visibly struggled. "I d-don't know! Emperor Arundel said…agh!"
"Ferdie! Are you alright?"
Dorothea reached out for him, but Petra held her back.
"He is having…a conflict in his mind. He knows what we are saying is true, but it is, um, conflicting to him. Arundel told him many things. Many wrong things. Now he is hearing the truth. And he does not know what to do."
"So, what do we do? We have to help him. He's our friend, Petra. Despite everything he's done, I can still see the old Ferdie in him. We have to bring him out. But how?"
"He will be needing time. We must keep him away from the Empire and its evil, while he searches for the truth we are telling him."
"And that means…?"
"We do this."
Petra walked up to the struggling Ferdinand. With a single swing of her hand, she knocked the hilt of her blade into the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.
Dorothea looked surprised.
"What did you just do to him? You didn't…"
"No, I did not kill him." Petra shook her head in denial. "He is…not awake. This will be making it easier to capture him."
"Capture? Like, a prisoner of war?"
"Like that." Petra nodded. "It will be giving him the time he needs to get better. It will help him have realizing of the truth. We will not need to kill him if he's doing that."
"Oh. I guess you're right. This is certainly a better option than putting him out of his misery, I suppose. Goddess knows this war's seen enough death by now."
"Yes. I have agreement."
Petra and Dorothea fell silent as their minds wandered. Ferdinand's unconscious body remained on the ground, his face buried in the dirt.
At least, for now, the girls could rest. Their part of the fighting was over.
Until Seteth arrived. Petra and Dorothea snapped out of their deep thinking, as the leader of their army landed on the ground next to Ferdinand's body.
He looked at the body, then at the girls. He seemed confused.
"What, may I ask, happened here?"
"I'll explain," Dorothea replied to him. "We were fighting him, and then Petra knocked him unconscious. He was yelling and saying some stuff about wanting to fight for the Empire. We tried to convince him about the Empire's darkness like you told us about, but he just got into some kind of mental struggle with himself."
"I see. Is that why he is without consciousness?"
"Yeah. We want to capture him if that's okay."
Seteth's eyes narrowed.
"You wish to make him our prisoner? What purpose would that serve? You're not letting your past friendship with him cloud your judgement, are you?"
"No," said Petra. "We do not want to see him die with no need. If there is a way to…prevent a loved one's death, then we must do it."
"And besides," Dorothea added. "If we're able to convince him to calm down and join our side, then we'll have another powerful member of the Resistance. Doesn't hurt to at least try, right?"
"I suppose not. Very well, then. After this battle concludes, we shall confine him to the dungeon. At least until he is fully willing to fight on our side. Will you two accept this arrangement?"
Dorothea and Petra both nodded.
"Good. I will carry him to the dungeon before he awakes. I believe the Imperial numbers are fading quickly. If you can help to finish them off, then that would be most favorable."
"Got it. Thanks again, Seteth."
"You are welcome, Dorothea."
The two girls, finished with their business on the outskirts of the battle, hurried over to where everyone else was. Seteth, meanwhile, picked up Ferdinand's unconscious self and returned to his wyvern. It was somewhat difficult to maintain the body's balance on his lap while retaining perfect control over his ride's reins, but he made it work.
Once he was ready, Seteth flew off, temporarily returning to Garreg Mach with a potential new ally for the Resistance.
Day 11 of the Pegasus Moon. The Derdriu palace was silent. Nothing notable was occurring in its midst. Many were training, preparing for whenever the next battle would be. Others were taking part in the act of paperwork. Generally, not much was going on.
But then, something happened. A certain someone returned to the city. A positive commotion was formed within the ranks of the capital's guards. It reached the ears of those within the palace.
Thus, Hilda was waiting outside the palace's giant double doors. She stood by the large staircase in anticipation of the person's arrival.
Over an hour later, he returned.
"Welcome back, Claude," Hilda said, as the man in question allowed several guards to take away his wyvern. "It sure has been a while."
"I've only been gone for four days. I wouldn't call that a while."
"Sure felt like it to me."
Claude wasn't sure how to feel about her response. He simply shrugged.
"Well, okay then. Uh, how's everything been here? Everyone behave themselves?"
"I think so. Everyone's been doing their own thing, pretty much. Can't say there's been any problems. Except for that one guy that kept hounding Marianne the other day…"
"Huh?"
"Oh, right. Almost forgot to tell you." Hilda smiled playfully, a hint of nervousness in her expression. "There was this Crest researcher in town that kept harassing Marianne. He accused her of transforming into a Wandering Beast and attacking civilians late at night - which clearly wasn't true. Thankfully, I was with her at the time, so I was able to get him to leave."
"Wow. That guy sure sounds pleasant. Anything else come out of that?"
"I know, right? And yeah, something else happened. A bunch of the Golden Deer, including Marianne, decided to head out to Margrave Edmund's territory so they could kill the Wandering Beast that's been attacking people over there. They left two days ago, and I have no idea when they'll be back."
"Edmund, huh? That's not too far away. I'd imagine they're almost about ready to fight that beast by now. They'll be back soon, I think. Do you know who left?"
Hilda paused as she thought about an answer to Claude's question.
"Aside from Marianne, I believe Ignatz, Raphael, Leonie, and Lysithea all left to take care of the Wandering Beast. Jeralt went with them for extra support. They took some of our soldiers with them, but not too many. That'll be fine, right?"
"Oh yeah, that's no problem. I can't imagine Derdriu will be suffering any more attacks from this point on, so I don't mind letting a few of our officers take care of this problem. Especially if it helps out Marianne."
"Exactly what I said." Hilda blinked. "Wait, what was that? Derdriu's not gonna be attacked? Does that mean…?"
"It certainly does, but, uh, let's talk more about this inside. I'm getting kinda cold out here."
"Oh, sure. Come on in."
Hilda headed back up the staircase and opened the doors for her former house leader. Claude happily headed inside, to which the pink-haired girl followed closely behind. The two of them then started wandering through the halls of the palace.
As they walked, they talked.
"So, do you wanna elaborate on what you were talking about out there?"
"I guess I can do that." Claude smiled. "I've got some great news for everybody. You know how I was away, talking to Count Gloucester? Well, looks like he's pretty much entirely given up on his pro-Imperial ways."
"Really? You just…talked him out of it?"
"Not exactly. Seems like, after his failure in the battle for Derdriu, the Empire's cut off all communications and support with him. Doesn't help that their only means of accessing the Alliance, the Great Bridge, has been taken by the Resistance. And I guess in the interest of saving a sinking ship, the Count's decided to throw in his lot with us."
"He's only saving his own skin, then. Kinda expected that from someone like him. Are you sure he's not going to betray us like he just did with the Empire?"
Claude smirked. "I don't think so. It seems he's actually backing me pretty sincerely. He even handed me a nice little gift. Take a look…"
He reached into a large bag that was hanging behind his back, one that Hilda failed to notice up until that point. Seconds later, Claude pulled out the gift he was referring to.
Hilda's mouth flew open in surprise.
"Is that a…?"
"A Hero's Relic? Sure is." Claude grinned. "It's the Relic handed down through the Gloucester family. Thyrsus, it's called. Apparently, it has some magic enhancing properties to it. I was thinking of giving it to Lysithea since I know she has the Crest that's needed to wield it."
"Giving such a powerful Relic to an already powerful girl like Lysithea…that sounds like a recipe for destruction. For our enemies, that is."
"Heh." Claude laughed. "You're right about that. And that's exactly why I'm putting Thyrsus in her hands once she gets back. For now, let's just put this thing away. Don't want the secret getting out early."
Claude put the Hero's Relic back into his bag, promptly closing it up before anyone could see. But as he finished doing so, he remembered something. His eyes became downcast.
"I just remembered. That's…not the only thing I got from the Count."
"Oh? What else did he give you?"
Claude sighed. He reached into one of his inner pockets, pulling out a folded up piece of paper. Hilda stared at it curiously.
"He let me look through Bernadetta's things. This was a part of it."
"What is it?"
"It's…you know, I'm not sure I should say. I think it was intended for Teach."
"For Lucas? But wasn't he asleep for the past five years? What could she have possibly written?"
"Something private, I imagine. Which is why I don't feel comfortable talking about it all that much. I'd rather let him be the one to find out about. You know where he is?"
"At the training hall, last I checked. Want me to take it to him?"
"No. I'll do it myself. Thanks, though."
As the two continued walking, Claude suddenly rounded a corner.
"Hey, wait!" Hilda called out to him. He turned around, halting his progress. "What should I do?"
"Whatever you like, I guess. I gotta go talk to Teach, and maybe figure out what it is we'll be doing next. I don't have a job for you or anything, so…"
Hilda eyed him accusingly. "For once. Anyway, I'm gonna go take a nap, because I deserve one. Have fun with whatever that thing is."
"Heh. I will. See you later, Hilda."
With a wave of goodbye, Claude restarted his temporary departure from Hilda's side. He soon disappeared from the girl's view entirely.
Once he was alone, he looked down at the folded paper he carried in his grasp.
"Well, I might have fun with it."
Claude closed his eyes.
"But I don't know if Teach will."
He carried on.
As expected, Lucas was indeed at the training hall. It was a large, rectangular-in-shape room that had a similar stone-paved appearance as the training grounds from Garreg Mach. It was on the ground floor of the palace and made up a considerable portion of the leftmost side of that floor.
Lucas, after being able to depart from the infirmary, primarily took to the training hall whenever he had free time. Which was most of the time. Nothing was happening at Derdriu. This meant that he could train as much as he liked.
Until he'd get interrupted for whatever reason. But for now, he was fine.
At this point, he was unloading all manners of slashes and slices with his Killing Edge. A poor straw dummy was his target. He cut, cut, and cut some more - he never gave the dummy a chance to rest. The ex-professor even threw in some Fires and Thunders here and there.
After one particular combo of spells, he leapt backwards some ways, then stretched his arms.
"Time to cast…"
Lucas extended his arms out towards the dummy. Red-orange mana pulsed around his palms. A casting symbol appeared in front of him, but only for a moment. When it disappeared, his new spell began.
Streams of fire circled the dummy. They closed in and struck after a second of waiting. When the streams reached their target, an explosion occurred.
The dummy was ultimately fine - if a little torched and burned. Lucas folded his arms.
"I've finally done it. I've mastered Bolganone. This…should make things easier for me."
He gazed at his right hand, which he clenched. A frown came to him.
"I'll only end up using this power to hurt others. To hurt those I care about. But, maybe…maybe I can use this power to save someone."
Lucas checked the scarred remains of the dummy.
"Bernie…I'm sorry. I promise you that I'll save as many of the remaining students as I can. For you. And for Lorenz. And for Hubert. For everyone."
He closed his eyes, dealing with the internal conflict he introduced to himself. Sothis and Byleth allowed him to grieve. They gave him the time he needed.
Someone didn't. From behind him came a familiar voice.
"Hey, Teach. I'm back."
Lucas snapped out of his thoughts, then turned around to meet him.
"Oh. Claude." The British man's frown disappeared, his face bearing more of a blank expression - with a touch of sorrow. "What do you need?"
"Just wanted to give you something. You see, I just got back from visiting Count Gloucester. He's on our side now, which is great. He even gave me Thyrsus, his family's Relic. Lysithea's good to have that, right?"
"She's the best wielder for it. Giving it to her would…make her very powerful."
"Great!" Claude said with a smile. "Glad my idea's not a waste. But, uh, that's not all I got. Before I hand it to you though, I wanna ask you a few things about the Resistance's plans."
Lucas blinked, then nodded. Slightly unsettled by the lack of a verbal response, Claude nervously laughed and continued.
"What are we gonna do after this? Once the whole Wandering Beast at Edmund's territory thing is over, we gotta do something. Can't just sit around, waiting for the war to be over. What's our next step?"
"We'll be going to the Kingdom. There'll be some allies there for us to join with."
"Faerghus, eh? Sounds good to me. I hear Rodrigue's in charge of the anti-Empire forces over there. We can join up with him, take care of whoever's running the pro-Empire side of things, and then start attacking Adrestia directly. Know anything about the situation in the Kingdom? Is Dimitri alive?"
"Yes. If everything has gone as it should, then he should very well be alive. But considering what's happened recently…" Lucas clenched a fist. "I don't know for sure."
Claude nodded lightly.
"I understand. Sort of. I mean, it's hard to completely empathise with you, considering you know what. I understand the idea, at least. It's like a scheme. Change one thing about it, and then everything else around it also changes."
"Yeah, that's it…"
Lucas' gaze cast itself to the floor. Claude frowned in a melancholic manner.
"Well, I'm sure it'll be fine. Have faith in Dimitri and the rest of the Blue Lions. I haven't heard anything about the Empire taking over the Kingdom entirely. I think they're okay."
"I can only hope so." Lucas sighed, unclenching his fist. "Wait, didn't you have something for me? Was that it?"
"Nope. It's right here."
Claude pulled out a piece of paper from one of his front pockets. It was small and rectangular - it had clearly been folded.
"I took a look at it to confirm what it was. I got it from the Count's home. It's…one of Bernadetta's things. And it's for you. Here."
He offered it to Lucas.
"For me? From Bernie? What could it be…?"
Curiously, Lucas accepted the paper. He unfolded it and began to read its contents.
His eyes slowly widened.
"This…this a poem. An unfinished one."
"A poem?" Claude scratched his head. "I didn't read it. I saw your name at the top, and then I closed it before I got curious. What's it about?"
"It's hard to say, considering there are only a few lines here. If I had to guess…"
Lucas' eyes relaxed. He sniffled.
"It's about me," he said.
"About you? That explains why your name's at the top. But what else about it makes you think it's about you?"
"The lines 'Professor, so calm and caring; Emotions with him are worth sharing' is probably a dead giveaway. I was her teacher, after all."
Lucas then had a flash of realisation.
"Wait. No. No way. It can't be…"
"What? What's the matter, Teach?"
The professor stared at the poem with wide eyes and an agape mouth.
"Five years ago, before I fell unconscious at the Sealed Forest, Bernie told me that she wanted to write me a story. Like a commission, but for free. This must be it. The story she was talking about way back then."
He frowned.
"She never finished it…"
Lucas held the poem close to his heart. He hugged it as if yearning to embrace the spirit of its writer. His expression remained firm. Not a single tear fell from his eyes.
"No. I won't cry. Bernie wouldn't want me to. She'd want me to keep going, to be someone that she'd be able to share her emotions with. She wouldn't be able to share them with an emotional wreck."
He let go of the hug and continued staring at the poem. Claude said nothing, allowing Lucas to do as he pleased in peace.
"Thanks for the free commission, Bernie. I'll treasure it always."
Author Notes: The war continues and plans are made to progress to the next step. Will Ferdinand finally be able to calm down and see the light? Potentially. I dunno.
Big thanks to Frost for beta-ing.
reviews n' stuff
blazenite104 - Thank you! And yeah, it was a slow chapter, but they're kinda necessary every now and then. Pacing is key! Also, yeah, let's hope Lucas doesn't get too anti-social.
Thanks everyone for reading, and I'll see ya next time! Ciao!
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