?/?
"What are the results of the hybrid program?" he asked as he observed the creatures in their transparent cells. He still felt weak, but he didn´t have other option but to show strength to their subordinates. After the failure of the operation to get rid of the Fell star and his convalescence, the moral among them was at its lowest.
"As you ordered us, we have combined the damaged tissue of your flesh with humans. The first test subjects appeared to show signs of mental degeneration, with psychotic breakouts, although there was a notable increase of muscular mass. It is interesting that the test subjects appeared to have develop natural crests within their organism, but they are too unstable to be used in direct combat. The crests stones developed within their bodies are small and comparatively weak to those of our ancient enemies, but they have more power stored within them than the artificial stones we have been using until now" said Odesse, which had succeeded Solon in their investigation program.
"What do you mean by unstable behavior?"
"They seem to have cannibalistic tendencies. From the 200 subjects we were able to create only 20 have survived long enough. They refuse to eat dead flesh so we have been forced to feed them with other humans. Apart from it, we have made them fight against wild wyverns. They are able to easily kill them, but they don´t seem interested in tasting their flesh. That could be problematic if we want to produce them in mass"
"We can use them to harvest natural crest stones. Continue to abduct inhabitants of the surface, make them breed if necessary but this would guarantee us a constant surplus of Crest stones for the upcoming future. How about the infusion of the DNA of the fell Star in embryos?"
"This has showed more positive results. The degeneration of the brain tissue has been drastically reduced. They are capable of using the battle equipment we have provided to them, although their life expectancy would be of a year at best since hazardous levels of radiation have been detected within their bodies. They are sterile so we will need to continue producing embryos to turn them into these promising weapons. The cost of production is higher, though. For each one of these elite unites we could produce at least 10 of those more prone to have mental breakdowns" Odesse said as he showed to him holograms of their new creation. They were more beasts than humans with wings on their backs and a double row of teeth in their mouths, although their bipedal disposition was reminiscent of humans, their brains was almost the same of the human too.
"I want them to be released for field testing"
"How many of them?"
"All of them, alongside the ones with psychotic behavior. The ones developed from embryos, are they able to understand commands?"
"Yes, they are, but I must persuade you to consider your order, Master Thales. That could bring suspicions from the archbishop"
"Who said that we would be performing our test in Fódlan?" he smiled. Dagda would be a suitable place to perform a real battle simulation with them" he said as he made appear in front of them a giant hologram of the world. "As you know, Dagda is located to the southwest of Fódlan. It is a region that stretches far to the north and the south. The south region is more densely populated, but the north should be a suitable place for our interests. Minor war chiefs are located there and we could be able to prepare more subjects for our experimentation, although I´m also interested in the South, in particular its capital. The political system in Dagda is different to the one in Fódlan, with a Senate that restricts the power of the king of Dagda"
"Are you planning to conquer it?"
"Even if it is a distant region from Fódlan an open war would attract the attention of undesirable visitors. No, I´m thinking about something more subtle. I want you to kill and supplant the king of Dagda. That way we will have a puppet state, even better than the Empire. I´m also interested in that you continue developing this project in Dagda. We´re running out of space here and I´m interested in continuing developing project Nemesis"
"Travelling to Dagda with such a group could be proved to be difficult, especially with those who had developed violent tendencies"
"Myson will be heading to the west as well. In case that you aren´t feeling confident about the security of the entire group you can entrust him some of them. In fact, that could guarantee us a better knowledge of their fighting capabilities against our sworn enemy. It wouldn´t be strange that the Fell Star came to the aid of those in need"
"I understand. I will prepare everything to leave this place as soon as possible" Odesse bowed before leaving him alone. With no one around him he looked again at the hologram of the new monsters they have created. He was satisfied to have ordered the tissue culture of the areas affected by the attacks of the Fell Star. He still felt weak, as if he had survived a virulent disease, but unexpectedly their sworn enemy has granted them a new weapon to destroy them.
"If all our projects are successful, I might be able to get rid of the Flame Emperor before I expect" he thought. Having a will of her own was a big enough hazard but he was confident that she would start the war, even though their objectives were different. However, his thoughts were more attracted to the wielder of the Sword of the Creator. If he were able to harvest the inherent power of the Fell Star, they would be unstoppable, the boundaries of this very same world broken.
"You will regret failing to kill me, Fell Star. Victory will be ours and we´ll recover the surface from your claws" he said to himself, as he touched the area where he was wounded by the Sword of the Creator.
…
1/31 Guardian Moon
"My Teacher, thank you for attending my request" Edelgard said as she sat down in front of him. A pleasant breeze was coming through the window of his room as he poured some bergamot tea in her cup. The cold had started to finally abandon the surroundings of the monastery, although he couldn´t say that it was warm yet.
"It´s always a pleasure talking with you" he shortly smiled as he took his own seat in front of her. It had been a while since the last time they were able to share some time together after all the events that had happened to them.
"The school year is finally coming to an end. I must say that lots of unexpected things have happened during these months, but I don´t regret coming to this place. After all, I would have been unable to meet you"
"I think the same about you"
"As far as I know, the archbishop has called off all classes to allow us time to do as we please. Most of the students are preparing for the graduation ceremony. It is quite an event after everything that has happened"
He had already seen the likes of Annette or Dorothea working hard to make sure that everything went well for the ceremony, although some other students weren´t that enthusiastic about the idea. Felix had decided to assist a group of soldiers of the Church to defeat a group of bandits that had been spotted in the surroundings of the monastery. Linhardt had been missing for a while, the door of his room sealed with spells, although they could hear him sleeping inside and Hubert had decided to return to the Empire. "Even I need to visit my relatives, although I am not so sure that they would be pleased to see me" he chuckled the day that he left the monastery riding a horse.
"Don´t you want to lend a hand with the process? I´m sure that you could give good ideas for the ceremony" he said as he sipped his tea, although he sensed that she did have other plans.
"I´m afraid that I won´t be able to lend a hand for a while, although I hope that I can be of some assistance after I return. I´m planning to return to the imperial capital. I have an important matter to resolve there"
"What kind of matter?"
"I would like to say that it´s a secret, but it would be disrespectful to you, who had trusted me with some of your inner secrets. I´m going to Enbarr to reclaim the imperial throne. My dear father has lost most of his strength, his illness has turned worse with the pass of time. It is my duty to lift him from the pressure of ruling the Empire. I´ve been preparing all my live to assume this responsibility, but I´m afraid that the process won´t be as simple as I´m saying it"
"Because of the presence of the Prime Minister; the duke of Aegir?" he asked. He had been studying about the political situation of the empire and he knew that after the rebellion of the seven, the emperor had been rendered powerless and House Aegir had assumed most of his power. Apart from that he still remembered what she told him one night, the demise of her whole family and the rise of Duke Aegir.
"Exactly. The Duke of Aegir is a petty man, but he is truly ambitious. He has kept a close watch to my father, which is accompanied by some of his men at all times. Taking advantage of the weakness of my father, the Duke Aegir had augmented his power and control over the territories corresponding to house Hresvelg. However, there is a more powerful person within the Empire"
"The regent, Lord Arundel"
"He is the most powerful man of the empire and the one that is truly in control. Duke Aegir is just the visible head and he takes advantage of it to protect his position. Duke Aegir and Arundel had been working together for some time and they have kept a close watch on my father. They are waiting for the day of his death so even if I succeed him, they can keep things under control"
"But you aren´t willing to do it. You want to reclaim the imperial throne and recover the power that your father has lost" he said. It was obvious that Edelgard appeared to be displeased with the current situation so it wasn´t difficult to imagine her possible objective.
"Excactly, Professor. The current political corruption within the Empire is the cause of suffering to its inhabitants. Aegir and his loyalists wish nothing but a life filled with luxuries while others want more lands to control to exploit their inhabitants with heavy taxes. If this situation continues I´m afraid that a rebellion will happen within the Empire or something worse; a civil war. Nobles had proved themselves to be unworthy of ruling and I´m planning to restrict their power, but to do so I need to turn into the next emperor of the Adrestian Empire. Arundel and Aegir had plenty of informants, but I have some that are loyal to me. I´ll return to the empire, but avoiding that anyone knows about it. I know that it can sound selfish, but could you accompany me? The roads to the Empire are not that safe anymore and it would be pleasant enough to have your company" she said as her cheeks turned a bit red.
"It would be a pleasure to accompany you" he said, cherishing her hand as he looked at her.
"T-Thank you. Then one of the problems of this journey is already solved" she said, her ears a bit red. "Since some of the nobles affected are the parents of some of the students, I think it would be advisable to avoid telling them about this"
"I understand" He knew that Edelgard´s plans could put some of the students of the Black Eagles in trouble, especially Ferdinand. Furthermore, if there were informants in the imperial city, a numerous group would attract attention. "In that case we should use the cover of forested areas until we reach the empire, only like that we can be sure that no one is watching us"
….
2/1 Pegasus Moon
The world was still covered in darkness when a shadow appeared before him.
"Good morning, Edelgard. The Pegasus is ready, we can leave now"
"Thank you for your assistance" she said as she checked her surroundings. "The archbishop must be in really good mood if she allows you to travel at will until the ceremony takes place"
"I don´t regret having that freedom from time to time" he said as he helped her getting on his Pegasus. Looking at it, he knew it couldn´t wait to rise to the skies once again.
"We´ll head south for now, but after we leave the grounds of the monastery we will head to the forested areas of the north of the empire. That way we´ll buy sometime and we´ll avoid being detected"
"As you wish" he said. With a gentle move the Pegasus started to run and, in a moment, they had already left the land under them, the monastery growing smaller as they headed south.
"I wonder how would it feel to have wings. The feeling of freedom must be wonderful"
"Even with wings the strong winds could carry you away from your destination, but you are right, it would be something beautiful to experience" he smiled as her embrace from behind grew tighter.
…
2/3
"This area should grant us enough cover. Only minor streams can be found around and the main trade routes are far ahead so we shouldn´t find any trouble, although we will have to say goodbye to my friend in a few days" he said as he cherished the mane of his Pegasus. Without him he would have run into more troubles, but half the journey was already done thanks to him. As if it had read his mind, it licked his face.
"It seems that he has really grown fond of you" Edelgard smiled as she prepared her resting place.
"Pegasi are really proud creatures, but if you earn their trust, they will serve you even if it costs their lives. They are the epitome of loyalty and they appear to understand more things that we would suspect" he said as his Pegasus laid down next to a tree.
"Loyalty is an interesting concept. Kings and emperor swear loyalty to the Goddess as they inherit their positions and so do their knights with them. Undying loyalty until their deaths. However, sometimes that very same loyalty could cast dark upon the paths of others. You are said to be the champion of the faith, the heir of Sothis´s fire. In a month you will say your vows in the ceremony that the archbishop is preparing and then…everything will be settled.
It is strange how the Goddess chooses someone with little knowledge of the Church itself, it almost sound like a mockery from the Goddess" she laughed. "Forgive me for my words, Byleth"
"You are free to speak about anything to me. I´m not going to judge you because of it"
"This world has already had its fair share of judges, but what makes a good judge? The ecclesiastical courts based their rulings upon the wisdom of the Goddess and the civil ones upon the King´s peace, but are we really impartial about our decisions? No matter what you do someone will judge you. Even if your objectives can be considered good some people will see evil intentions behind it"
"Sometimes it is necessary to make difficult decisions. Only when you have endured sacrifices you know if what you did is worthy or not"
"I´m willing to make those sacrifices. If Fódlan is a rotten tree I want to be the wind that takes it down to allow a younger one take its place. I´m aware that this will grant me many enemies, but even if that´s the case I´m willing to continue that path. What do you think, Byleth? Does this world need to change and if so, will it accept to do so willingly?" she asked him, her eyes reflecting the stars of the sky.
Looking at the sky, he thought about everything. The teachings of the Church, Lonato´s rebellion, the tragedy of Remire, his father´s death, the mysterious warriors from the shadows, the power granted by Sothis and the trip to Duscur.
"The world needs to change, but if you try to force yourself on it, it will fight back" he said as he looked at her.
"A crown shouldn´t be an ornament you wear on your head. It symbolizes the hopes and fears of every soul within this country. I´ll proudly carry its weight if that means that in the end of my rule the world is left better than before. With or without me. A ruler´s life shouldn´t be ahead their own people"
"Even if that´s the case I don´t wish you to sacrifice your life in vain. After the loss of my father I don´t want to lose any of you…. especially you" he said as he placed his arm around her waist. She kept staring at her hands, although she didn´t refuse her proximity.
"According to the teachings of the Church you are supposed to fight on behalf of them, not on behalf of your students, but I really appreciate your words. They speak the truth even if that could be uncomfortable to the ears of others…that´s something I really like about you. By the way, do you know why the eagle is the symbol of the Empire?"
"Because of its power?"
"Some would say so, but its origin is quite different. During the great war against Nemesis it was said that the first emperor, Wilhelm, and Seiros fought next to each other. Some ancient records said that at first, they didn´t get along, yet as time passed Seiros eventually turned into the confidant of the Emperor and even a friend. Seiros is the eagle that guided the first emperor into his crusade against the ancient king of liberation. Her wings allowed him to overcome every obstacle and in her honor the emperor choose the eagle as his personal sigil, which he proudly wore until his death"
"Sounds like a beautiful story"
"Of course, we don´t know what it´s true and what is the writer´s imagination, but it shows that even those with the greatest power need to rely on someone from time to time. The Emperor relied on Seiros and together a new chapter in the history of Fódlan was written. Today both of them are revered across the land. I wonder what others will say about the times we are living. Will they understand the way things were done back then or they will disapprove about the past?"
"We´ll never know. The only thing that is certain is the past. We can investigate about the past to our heart´s content, but the future will always remain uncertain, although we will always have the power to control the present through our acts and with it, we can alter the future to an extent, but we can´t completely control everything"
"If we could, everything would be easier, but I guess that then some other things would be lost. I´m sorry for taking your time, I´m sure that you will be exhausted by now"
"The same could be said about you" he smiled as he cherished her hair. "You should be taking some rest. Before the dawn comes, we will be leaving this place"
"I will, but let me enjoy contemplating the stars with you for a moment" Edelgard said as she placed her head on his shoulder, an electric feeling shaking his body.
"Everything is doomed to end someday, but some things should last more than others" he thought as he looked at the skies. "If I´m the Fell star could it be that Sothis was once up there with them?" he wondered as her fragrance engulfed him.
…
2/5
The Imperial capital was already at sight, the imperial castle resembling a giant among the rest of the city.
"Finally, Enbarr is at sight. It really feels strange to have you by my side. Unfortunately, we must enter in disguise to avoid being detected by the forces of my uncle and Duke Aegir" Edelgard said as she adjusted her hood, hiding her unusual hair. Next to her was a draft horse tied to an old caravan. "The loyalists of house Hresvelg have given us this to enter the city. It is loaded with tapestries from Derdriu. We will have to pretend being merchants until we can cross the main gates of Enbarr. I wish there was other way around, but this is the most I can do right now"
"I don´t mind, I´ll make sure that we cross the gates without them noticing. When we arrive at the gates, they will see nothing but a couple of merchants" he said, patting her head. "Take a seat" he said as he helped her to sit.
They remained in silent as they approached the gates of the city. Other merchants were already making a queue, waiting to enter.
"What do you have with you?" asked a middle-aged man, his beard starting to get white.
"The best tapestries from Derdriu. One look at them and you will be losing your head just to have a bunch of them. And you?"
"Amber from the south of Dagda. I´ll be making some money selling it to the fancy folks of the city"
"Any news to the west?"
"The senators had been detained by royal decree. They have allegedly tried to overthrow the current ruler, but a mole brought the news to royal ears, but not open battle. Things were pretty normal at the capital, only more patrols. And to the east?"
"Almyran pirates close to Goneril territory, but they have kept themselves away from the big cities"
"Pirates are just a bunch of thieves. Although at least those are trying to do something" he said as he looked towards the mansions at the hills of the city.
The gates were growing bigger as they approached. Taking a quick look to the walls and watchtowers he could see that they were observed by archers carrying long bows, although most of them were using light armor. He was wondering who were the loyalists of whom, when they finally arrived to the entrance.
"Halt! Show me your identification" ordered the commander of the garrison at the entrance.
"Good morning sir" he replied as he handed him the documents they had received.
"So, tapestries from Derdriu, uh? How has been the situation at the Leicester Alliance?"
"Pirates had been spotted to the northeast, but there aren´t any reports of attacks to big cities"
"I see. For security reasons we must take a look to the products you are bringing into the city"
"Feel free to do so, Sir" he said as the commander ordered two of the soldiers of the garrison to inspect their carriage.
"How many days are you going to stay at the capital?"
"Only the necessary to sell our goods"
"I see, the main market is a good place to do so, although I recommend leaving that place before it gets too dark. Fights have been happening these last weeks, so is a place ill-suited for women" he said as he took a look to Edelgard, which was avoiding the gaze of the commander. "Forgive my impertinence, my lady. I shouldn´t speak in such way before your husband"
"He…"
"She is my fiancé. We were taking this travel to the imperial capital as an opportunity to find a suitable ring for her" he said as he held her hand. He could feel her trembling, but his eyes were focused on the reaction of the commander.
"I see, congratulations. A few roads from the main market there is a popular jewelry. There you might find something of your liking"
"Commander! Everything in order!"
"Understood. I hope you enjoy your visit to Enbarr" The commander said with a quick nod before halting the next carriage.
They continued in silence until they arrived to their objective; an empty alley with a dead end on it.
"Why would you do something like that?" asked a flustered Edelgard as she took her hood off. Her cheeks and ears were brightly red, although he couldn´t avoid smiling to the sight of it.
"We got through the guards so I don´t see a problem with it"
"That´s not what I mean. How could you be so calmed while saying such statement…You should have told me in advance…"
"To be honest, I didn´t think about it, but I don´t regret saying it neither. I´ll take all the responsibility"
"If Dorothea were here, she would surely make a scene about it" Edelgard sighed. "But I must admit that I´m happy to hear that"
"What did you say?"
"We should be preparing to continue. A hidden path should be located here" she said as she rushed to check a wall a few meters from them. A few moments later a mechanism was activated revealing a small overture.
"This is a path built a hundred of years ago. There are a bunch of them, but unfortunately most of them are surveilled by the forces of Lord Arundel or Duke Aegir. Luckily, this one hasn´t been discovered yet, it should grant us access to the insides of the Imperial palace"
"Let´s enter quick anyway, before someone appears" No one was close to them, but they could never know when someone could appear in the area.
"You are right, I´ll be taking the lead. Be careful with the steps" Edelgard said as she entered through the hidden entrance. Following her, he prepared the palm of his hand to cast a fire spell as the mechanism activated again, hiding them from the known world.