When he opened his eyes, he could see a faint light coming through a rosette. He was still exhausted when the memories of his last battle came to his mind.
"Where am I?"
"You have nothing to worry about. You are safe here" said a soft voice next to him, soft hands caressing his hair. When he got used to the light, he could see that the person who was taking care of him was the archbishop, which was genuinely smiling to him. "You have overcome much since the day you accepted your position here. You truly are a befitting heir of our magnificent mother. Tell me, did Sothis grant you her strength?"
"Yes" he said, his mind numbed by the feeling of loss he was feeling within him.
"Indeed. Now you have inherited her fire and have turned into her champion. I can only express my eternal gratitude to your efforts. Now she is closer than ever before"
"What will I do with her powers?"
"Time will ask your questions, but you will know her will when the time comes. Sothis is like the sun, nourishing our souls like a magnificent mother as she casts the shadows of our fears away. But you must be exhausted from your long journey. Please take some rest, you have earned it" she said as she casted a small light that entered through his body, leaving him exhausted.
"Rest well. If this moment could never end…I will guard over you…eternally"
….
Torches were already lit when the herald announced his presence at the gates of the archbishop´s room. She was focused on what appeared to be a letter, but she smiled the moment she realized how he was.
"Please take a seat, dear Seteth. It must have been an exhausting day for you as well" Rhea smiled as she offered him a seat in front of her.
"Thank you" he nodded as he sat in front of her, feeling uneasy about what he was about to ask.
"Is there something bothering you?"
"I was wondering about the changes that the new Professor had just experienced"
"I thought you would be asking me something like that. It is clear that Sothis has chosen him. The will of the merciful mother is still at its apex" she said with a nostalgic smile.
"But why could she have chosen him? It is true that he is the wielder of the Crest of Flames, but such crest was only inherited by that perfidious man"
"As you know her powers greatly surpasses ours. However, even though her existence has been greatly affected by the wrongdoings of humans she has never been eradicated"
"Rhea, I´ve read Jeralt´s diary. I know that something happened to him when he was a child" he said, the moment he spoke those words Rhea´s smile froze. "Jeralt was responsible of the fire that happened more than 20 years ago and he ran away from this place, thinking that something had happened to his child; the Professor. He even said that he didn´t have a pulse. How could you explain something like that?"
"Seteth, you are misunderstanding what happened" Rhea said with a serious expression. "Do you think that I would do something to the child of my benefactor just for the sake of it? Look me in the eye and tell me what you sincerely think"
He looked at her. Her usual serene eyes had lost all warmth and were looking at him with an unseen strength. "I´ve seen those eyes a lifetime ago; in the battlefield" he thought as he carefully measured what he was about to say. "I wasn´t accusing you of any wrongdoings. I trust you and if I´m here is because I want to hear the story from your lips. Please don´t misunderstand my questions with mistrust" She paused for a moment before silently nodding at him.
"Without my intervention the child would be dead by now. I used my knowledge of magic; the ancient scrolls that mother taught to those with affinity to the arts and that knowledge was what saved the child´s life. The legacy of the merciful mother has awakened within him; those changes are just the proof that mother has blessed him with her power"
"A forbidden ritual?" he inquired
"Seteth, I love you and your daughter as if you were my own children, but I won´t tolerate such impertinent questions"
"I apologize, I didn´t mean to disrespect"
"He will be the herald of a new age for the entire Fódlan. I´m planning to bring him to the Throne Room. If he is truly the champion, he will receive a vision from our mother.
"The Throne Room? Thousands of years have passed since someone stepped on such place. Would it be safe?"
"Don´t worry, with my presence there is nothing to fear" she smiled back. "Talking about a different matter, the rebellion of the west church hasn´t been crushed yet. Those misguided souls are still willing to embrace a legacy of lies"
"They don´t have a proper army, but they have mastered the art of the guerrilla. The land over there is filled with marshes and forests and fog is frequently present. Our troops had difficulty finding them, since they disappear as they strike our forces, but we have defeated countless"
"As long as the head remains, they will continue fighting. I´ll personally intervene to resolve such matter. They will certainly try to ambush me, if they hear that the archbishop of the Church is going to the West"
"Such strategy could backfire badly. I´m highly opposed to such strategy"
"You don´t have to worry, Catherine and my personal guard will accompany me and I will certainly ask the Professor for his protection. With their presence there is nothing to fear from the shatters of the western Church. Our group would be certainly bigger than what I planned. Prince heir Dimitri has asked for help to avoid a bloodbath in Duscur and will accompany us until he reaches his destination. As the future successor of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is of critical importance that he remains on good terms with the Church so I´ve decided to aid him with everything I can. Taking into account the nature of the Professor I doubt he would refuse helping a student in distress"
"The western church is also menacing to take control of the ancient relics of our people. They are well protected with magic devices, but I fear the problems they could cause if they are able to manipulate such weapons. They might not be as powerful as hero relics, but those weapons would be able to tear apart armies of well-trained soldiers"
"In that case, you are free to accompany us. It will be a pleasure to recall the battles of old with you by my side. If everything goes smoothly, we will have finally gotten rid of the last rotten apples of the Western Church. I won´t stop until we crush the rebellion. The people must understand that those who derail from that path of true virtue deserve nothing but death"
Hearing her words, it was difficult to separate her true self from the persona she had been using for the last centuries, although the same could be said about him. "Even our names are just lies that we tell to each other until we forgot that we are deceiving ourselves" he thought.
"I will be prepared for the time we leave this place. I will do my best to resolve this matter" he nodded as he prepared to leave, although doubts remained about what was the true nature of the Professor. Being able to wield a crestless weapon was something he could have never imagined. "Is this the true power of the Goddess?" he wondered.
"Seteth"
"Yes Rhea?"
"Bring me the diary. We must make sure that it doesn´t fall on the hands of the faint hearted"
"Understood" he nodded as he closed the doors behind him. There was no point on questioning her authority, although what had happened to him still remained in the shadows. "Perhaps the expedition will help me discover the truth beneath" he thought as he headed to Jeralt´s room. He had known her for ages, but he knew that deep within her a deep melancholy remained. He had suffered as well, losing a wife, yet as long as he had Flayn he knew he could keep walking forward. He couldn´t say the same about Rhea. She was still longing for a past that was already gone, but he knew that her burdens were heavy even though she welcomed their return with smiles decades ago. "I will need to keep an eye on the Professor" he said to himself as he searched for the diary that had changed his view about many things.
…
1/15 Guardian Moon
"The Goddess has answered to our needs and has granted his champion her power" Rhea´s voice amplified by magic said, her voice reaching the entire cathedral. "Her magnificence has been bestowed upon him and with her power the enemies of the faith will live in eternal fear" she continued. The professor was kneeling before her in front of the altar.
All the students were attending the ceremony, although the reactions varied significantly from student to student. Mercedes or Marianne were filled with devotion. Others like Sylvain or Ferdinand were simply surprised, but she could sense concern in Lysithea´s expression. The only one that appeared to be completely neutral was Claude, which still had his easy-going smile, although his eyes were telling otherwise. "And what do I feel?" she wondered. "Despair" answered a little voice inside her head, but she continued observing, pretending to being enjoying what was happening.
"You came here as a mercenary. A warrior without clear alliances, but the Goddess in her infinite wisdom has chosen you among countless warriors. First by the Sword of the Creator, the gift that the Goddess herself gave to Nemesis, the king of liberation before his heart grew dark. However, you have used the sword to defend the weak, fulfilling the Goddess´s will and because of it the Goddess has chosen you as her champion; the champion of the faith and protector of the weak. Do you promise to fulfil the Goddess´s will and protect those pure of heart in peril?"
"I will"
"In that case rise again, not as a mere warrior but as the champion of everything that is sacred. May you fulfill the Goddess´s will until your last breath" Rhea´s voice announced as she casted a golden spell upon him. Unsheathing the Sword of the Creator, the light was trapped within it as the light grew even brighter, temporarily blinding those who were in the front seats. "May all of you peace discover" the archbishop said; the ceremony finally coming to an end.
"Hey Edelgard, how are you doing?" Claude said as he approached her with a smile on his face.
"You are really talented; being able to keep your smile in every situation"
"You could learn that from me. This year a lot of strange things have happened, but I didn´t expect that Teach would change like that"
"If you are wondering why he has changed, I don´t know anything about it"
"Edelgard is right, Claude. I´ve already told you. The Professor was engulfed by a magic mist and then he disappeared. We were battling against Solon´s army when an explosion happened and then the Professor appeared again. He was already like that when he reappeared"
"No matter how many times I heard that, it is very difficult to believe" he said scratching his head. "The archbishop seems extremely happy though"
Rhea was still talking with the Professor, surrounded by her faithful. A few meters from them Seteth was looking at them as if he was thinking about something. Ever since she had taken him from her back, she had been extremely overprotective about him, but she could do nothing to stop her.
"Well, after her discourse it is obvious, she is pleased by the recent events"
"I guess so. Oh, your Highness, are you willing to have a jolly reunion with us in this sacred place?"
"I will never know how you can be so relaxed every time Claude" Dimitri sighed. He appeared to have lost some sleep, eye bags contrasting with his blue eyes that grew harsher when they stopped on her. "Although I must admit that I´m intrigued with the events of the last months. Solon has paid for his crimes, but there are still threats that are menacing us, the Flame Emperor must be up to something. We don´t know what is he up to. Don´t you think, Edelgard?" he asked with an inquisitive look.
"I´m glad to see the three house leaders here" Rhea interrupted their conversation accompanied by Byleth. "Dimitri, you appear to be exhausted. I hope you can find some rest soon"
"Don´t worry, Lady Rhea. I will certainly do so after I resolve these lingering matters. I appreciate your help. I will certainly remember it when I turn into the next king of Faerghus" Dimitri then looked to both of them. "A rebellion is rising in Duscur. As all of you should know, Duscur was annexed to the Holy Kingdom after the events of the tragedy. However, a new uprising is happening in these territories. I wish to stop any future bloodbath and I asked for help to solve this matter.
"There is also the matter of the Western Church that has remained unresolved until now. I wish to settle that problem once and for all with the help of the forces of the Church and the Professor"
"If the Professor is ok with it, we have no reason to oppose. I will be telling the rest of the students of our house then" she nodded.
"Wait a second. If the Black Eagles and the Blue Lions are leaving why not letting us let a hand too?"
"The use of three houses for such matter would be excessive. Furthermore, leaving the monastery unprotected would be unwise. Alois has insisted on having you around here to make sure that the monastery remains safe. It is a responsibility of great honor" Seteth said approaching them.
"That must be because I once told him that his jokes were funny, but I guess he didn´t catch the irony behind my words" he sighed. "Understood, I will be a good house leader and make sure that everyone keeps the monastery safe"
"I am counting with your efforts" Rhea smiled. "We will leave tomorrow morning. The roads to the west are difficult to transit and even more now after the open rebellion, but this problem has been lingering for too long. I will return to my private chambers now. I wish all of you a fruitful day" she said as she left accompanied by Seteth and the rest of her bodyguards.
"We will be ready; I will tell the students of my house" Dimitri quickly nodded as he left the place behind. Claude did the same sighing while Lysithea lectured him on how unfit he was as a house leader, constantly skipping his duties. By then they were the two of them left alone, an uncomfortable silence falling upon them. No matter how much she looked at him, she could never get used to the new changes that had happened to him.
"Is there something bothering you, Edelgard?"
"Forgive me. It´s just that I can´t get used to your new appearance"
"No matter how much I´ve changed I still remain the same. So, don´t hesitate to treat me as you did before" he said smiling to her. His smile was always a blessing, but each time he looked at his deep emerald eyes, she could only feel regret and uneasiness.
"Even if some people might change until they are unrecognizable you truly remain the same. I admire that side of you" she faintly smiled. "Are your forces recovered?"
"Don´t worry, I´m already fine. Thanks for worrying about my wellbeing"
"I think the archbishop should have let you more time to rest, although I must admit that it is surprising that the rebellion of the western church has lasted for so long. Isn´t it surprising to you, that even now they continue fighting against the almighty Church? Lord Lonato fought against our forces even though he knew it was a hopeless battle and he had the support of his people and even now to the west they continue to fight because they believe in the cause they are fighting for. Such conviction is something worthy to reckon"
"I remember your words back at the day and now that I know you better, I can understand why you feel so identified with that way of thinking"
"Sometimes you need to give everything you have for the things you believe in. Did you know that there was once the southern Church of Fódlan? Their leaders conspired against the Emperor of that time and the southern Church was dissolved. Even the rulers of the faith can be misguided by their own ambitions and that is not an exception of the different branches of the Church. What I´m trying to say is that you can´t classify everyone into black and white categories or your actions will be misguided. I don´t think that the western Church is rebelling because they are evil, but because they think that what they are fighting for is something worth of believing"
"I know that not everyone acts for the sake of being evil, but if I have to kill people to protect all of you, so be it. When I was a mercenary we fought for worse causes, but that doesn´t mind that I don´t have any morals"
She knew that he meant what he was saying. Gathering her strength, he looked at him once again.
"I believe your words. Being with you all this time has allowed me to forget about the chains of my duty from time to time and I´m really grateful to you because of it. After these expeditions end, I want to ask you a favor. Would you accompany me to Enbarr? I need to resolve an important matter there, but I haven´t forgotten the promise I made to you. I really wish you could accompany me when this matter is resolved"
"It would be an honor" he smiled as he patted her head. It has been a while since the last time he had done that to her, but she felt somehow relaxed because of it.
"Even if I change, please remain like this. This is what I like about you, after all" she genuinely smiled for a moment.
…..
Most of the students were already waiting at the main gates of the monastery. Apart from them, he could see the knights of Seiros that would accompany them. Most of them were already wearing their heavy armors; the emblem of the Church on their shields. "It seems that the Church wants to get rid of this resistance once and for all" he thought. He wondered what Sothis would have said about it, melancholy spreading within him. "Your sacrifice won´t be in vain, my friend. I promise" he said to himself as he approached his dear students.
"Good morning, my Teacher. As you can see, we are already ready to leave this place" Edelgard greeted him, a combat axe on her back.
"Another opportunity to proof myself how much I´ve improved as warrior, hell yeah!"
"No matter how much you will improve you will still lack the most important skill of your life; to remain silent"
"Being silence is truly an important skill for all kind of jobs" Hubert chuckled, although he avoided his sight when his eyes met.
"I wonder what kind of powers have awakened within the Professor" Ferdinand said with a thoughtful look. "No matter how powerful you are my admiration for you will never change. Meeting you has been an invaluable blessing"
"Ferdie, you sound more mature. It seems that even you can change" Dorothea giggled. "I have the same opinion. Even if your appearance changes, you are still our dear Professor"
"In Brigid the stronger you get the more marks that are drawn on you skin. If I get as strong as you I´m sure that my body will be completely covered by victory marks!"
"That would be a shame though, Petra"
"Only a bit more and the school year will end, but if it ends, I will have to return to my father´s place. No matter what path I choose it´s going to be scary!"
"If your father gets too scary, I will teach him a lesson, dear Bernadetta" Dorothea said with a gentle smile.
"Now the Professor looks so similar to me. You could say that we are siblings now"
"Aren´t you satisfied with having me as a brother, Flayn?" asked a slightly disappointed Seteth. With him came Rhea and the students of the Blue Lions.
"The instability of Faerghus is embarrassing, but I thank you sincerely for aiding me once again" Dimitri said as he nodded at him.
"You are my student as well"
"You are too nice for your own good, Professor. Girls prefer bad guys that give some flavor to their lives" Sylvain laughed as he checked his hair in front of one of the armors.
"Being a prick isn´t the way to conquer someone´s heart, Sylvain. That´s why you always fail miserably"
"Ingrid, those words hurt more than Felix´s sword, no need to be so harsh" Sylvain sighed.
"Since our group is big, we will need to have scouts to be sure that we spot the enemy before the enemy detects us. We will need wyvern riders to fulfill such role" Seteth said as he showed him a group of such magnificent beasts. "Wyverns have higher resistance than Pegasi and they can cover wider areas. I will ride one of them, but feel free to use the rest with your students. Lady Rhea will travel with our ground troops. Even being as cautious as we are it´s only a matter of time that they know that we are coming for them, but before that happens, we have to make sure that there is no other place where they can run away"
"Understood. I will ride one of them" he then looked at his students. "Edelgard, Petra and Ingrid will ride the others. The rest, please ride one of the horses. We will be using them until we arrive to the woods"
As he prepared himself to ride his new companion the archbishop came closer.
"It is going to be the first time that we travel together to fight the enemies of the Church. I have shared many times such experience with you father. I have the hope that I can count on you from now on"
"I will do everything for their safety and you saved his life once" he said as he put himself on the back of the beast. The wyvern roared ferociously as it tried to resist the presence of its new rider, but after a few more roars it finally calmed down, its head aiming to the skies.
"Let´s leave this place already!" he shouted as soldiers with trumpets marked their departing. In a few seconds he was already in the middle of the blue sky, the monastery growing smaller behind him. Flying in such a beast was a refreshing experience after everything he had experienced the last weeks.
"The air is certainly purer the higher you fly. I´ve already forgotten how wonderful is to feel such freedom" said a voice next to him. Edelgard was riding the other wyvern with a smile on her face. Seeing her mastering a beast like that made him smile.
"You have already mastered the art of flying. Pegasus or wyvern, it doesn´t matter. As long as you have wings you will reach every distant peak" he said as he ordered his wyvern to fly even higher. The sound of another pair of flapping wings behind him made him smile as they headed west, the sun leading their path in the distance.
Will be doing three paralogues in a row. And then the big month will come.