Abyss was not as hard to find as Jia first thought. In fact, all it took was one shady merchant to lead him there. The tunnels below Garreg Mach were more intricate than Jia could have ever thought, what with having more or less a whole town contained within them. No wonder the church's foes could so easily snatch Flayn away.

"Hey you." A rough voice called, and Jia looked at the caller. "You shouldn't stay down here." The man warned. "I'll be sure to leave once I've met with the Ashen Wolves." Jia responds, offering an easy smile. The man chuckled in turn. "You'll be alright if you're with them, They're down by the classroom." The man helpfully informed. Jia gave his thanks, before heading in the indicated direction.

Apart from some odd stares, Jia made it to the Ashen Wolves' classroom with no issue. He was in luck, as four students were assembled within. Noticeably, their uniforms were different in style to those of the other three houses. The main difference was the colour, all of them wearing predominantly white. They also seemed to have more liberties with how they dressed, as each student had their own personal flair to their outfit.

"Yuri-bird, someone's here." The red-headed girl said, getting the attention of the shorter of the two men present. "So there is, can we help you?" He asked, raising a brow. "I believe so, are you the Ashen Wolves?" Jia inquired, feeling no need to beat around the bush. The large man stepped forward, and pounded his chest. "We sure are pal, who's asking?" He boasted.

"Guo Jia, I help teach the Black Eagle class at the monastery." Jia explained. It did not have the desired effect, as quite noticeably the students tensed up. "And what do you want from us?" The smaller man asked, taking charge of the conversation for the wolves. "Rhea plans to merge the Ashen Wolves with the houses above." Jia began. "Nope, not interested." The red-head responded instantly. Jia couldn't help but chuckle. "Just like that?" He asked, getting only a nod in response from the girl.

"Hold a moment, Hapi does not speak for all of us." A blonde, refined looking young woman chimed in. "Yeah hold on Hap, we can't say no before he's even asked for anything." The big man added. Hapi shook her head, taking a seat in the corner. 'At least she hasn't left' Jia thought to himself. "As I was saying, in order to make you more well known, she intends to allow you to take part in an auxiliary skirmish on the day of the battle of the eagle and lion." Jia elaborated on his earlier point.

"All right, now we're talking!" The large man cheered, slamming his fists against one another. "Control yourself Balthus. Though I will confess, a chance to show off my magic will be most welcome!" The blonde woman joined in Balthus' cheer. The shorter man clicked his tongue, getting them to stop. "Who else is involved?" He asked. "Rhea mentioned picking from eligible officers, my guess? Knights of Seiros." Jia answered.

"If sides are going to be picked, there's no guarantee we'll all fight on the same one." The man stated, and Jia nodded. "That is true, but I suspect Jeralt will be unwilling to pick those he is unfamiliar with." Jia explained. "Jeralt? The Blade-breaker?" The man asked, a little off-put. "Correct, he'll be the rival commander." Jia confirmed. A laugh escaped the man. "Forget it, we'll not be able to beat him." He said, shaking his head dismissively.

"With me in charge, you most assuredly can." Jia promised easily. "Come on Yuri, not every day you get the chance to fight a legend!" Balthus attempted to recruit his friend. "... Fine." Yuri relented. "I don't mind up-staging the church." Hapi added, changing her tune from earlier. Already Jia was beginning to understand where her main motive was.

"Motives aside, I look forward to learning what you can do." Jia said with a grin, before bowing in farewell. "Hold." The blonde demanded as he turned away from the group. Jia looked back at her with a puzzled expression. "I am Constance of the noble house Nuvelle, remember my name well for I shall reign supreme over the battle to come!" She introduced herself with vigour. With the final name committed to memory, Jia finally left the Ashen Wolves, and Abyss to themselves for the time being.

By the time Jia returned to the monastery, the sky made the world almost as dark as the underground. Feeling no need to suppress the need for sleep, Jia made straight for his quarters. Once he reached said quarters, her noticed the door slightly ajar. Honestly, if it wasn't for the recent attack on Flayn he would have thought little of it. With caution, Jia opened his door. A quick scan around the room revealed nothing out of place. Perhaps a maid had been cleaning earlier, and simply forgot to close the door correctly?

Jia decided not to dwell on it overly long, and sat on his bed. He stretched his limbs to their limit, and loosed his clothing. "D-don't get naked just yet!" An energetic voice called, and a shadow dropped from the ceiling. With a level head, Jia looked at the figure. It was a short woman, whose features were hard to make out due to the yellow face-covering she wore. Come to think of it, her entire garb looked like that of the samurai's ninjas.

Several moments of silence rested between the pair. "Jia, I've brought you a message from Nu Wa." The ninja broke the silence, and her voice certainly sounded familiar. "I would have preferred to tell both you and Mago, but the patrols are a little more rigorous than I expected." She explained. So, she knows him and Magoichi. That's no coincidence. "Are you listening to me? Naughty children get punished you know!" She chastised him, and finally the dots connected.

"Nene?" Jia asks carefully, and the ninja nodded. "How are you even here?" Jia questioned, doubting the soundness of his own mind. "Nu Wa sent me silly." Nene answered easily. "But why you?" He asked further. There were several people he could think of off the top of his head more suited to such a task. At the very least, Nene had stealth mastered.

"It's really not important." Nene huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "The important part is that you and Mago know how to get home." She began, and Jia's expression became more serious. "There is a way then?" He probed carefully. "Yup, she gave me a feather to bring me here. Find another like it, and you can come back home!" She announced happily. "I see, do we need one for each of us?" Jia asked. Nene rubbed the back of her head nervously. That's a bad sign. "Umm, Nu Wa just said to find one, and that would put you on the right track." Nene responded with a giggle.

"I see." Jia noted calmly, closing his eyes to contemplate. Silence rested between the two of them, causing Nene to fidget. "Hmm, come to think of it. How are you returning?" Jia asked as the thought occurred to him. "Easy, Nu Wa said I'd be summoned back in a day or two by this realm's time." She explained. Now that was an odd word choice. "This realm's time?" Jia asked, raising a brow.

"It's a bit weird, but as far as I understand time goes faster here. A lot faster." She explained the best she could. That was an interesting concept that Jia had simply not considered before. "How long has it been over there?" Jia had to ask. "About five days." Nene revealed.

Jia could not control himself, and he laughed at the revelation. "So, a month here is a day back home." He mused, causing Nene to furrow her brow. "You've been here five months?" She asked with amazement. Jia nodded his confirmation. "It hasn't been boring though, if you're stuck here for the rest of the evening, care for me to share our adventure?" Jia asked. Nene nodded, and sat in Magoichi's now permanently vacated bed.

Jia spent most of the night regaling to her their adventures in Fódlan, at least thus far. Far too soon, the need to sleep overpowered Jia. As much as he wanted to share more, he could not this night. "Sorry Nene, I do need some sleep." Jia said with a yawn, and Nene understood. "Can I rest here?" Nene simply asked, patting Magoichi's former bed. A quick confirmation, and the two settled in to sleep.

It was near midday when Jia was finally awakened by a knocking at his door. Groggily, he got to his feet. The light currently filling the room told him he shouldn't be this resistant to waking, but damn it he needed to recharge. Forcing himself to the door, he opened it to reveal Edelgard.

"I don't recall having plans to teach today." Jia said plainly, not bothering with his usual airs. "You don't, however you are needed in the cathedral. Everyone else of relevance is waiting on you." Edelgard explained, her tone giving little away as to the purpose of such a gathering. Jia gestured for Edelgard to lead the way. "Ah, you're not going to arrive like this surely?" Edelgard protested. A quick glance down revealed Jia's clothes showing the telltale signs of being slept in.

"I need to look important then?" Jia asked, content to look as he did for the time being. "You do also represent the Black Eagles..." Edelgard said. "I'll wait out here, just make yourself look a little presentable." She urged, moving to wait at a nearby window.

Jia closed the door, and re-entered the room. Nene sat upon her bed looking at him with a questioning expression. "She is right of course." Jia joked, but Nene's face remained the same. "That is Edelgard, I spoke of her last night." Jia explained briefly, moving to his dresser. "Look away unless you want me to steal you from Hideyoshi." Jia teased, getting out of his current attire. Nene for her part did turn to face the wall while he stripped.

It wasn't until Jia was halfway through donning his red outfit that Nene spoke. "Does she seem lonely to you?" Nene asked. Jia did not answer straight-away, patting out the creases in his clothes. Jia chose to ask for clarification. "She just seems so sad." Nene tried to explain. "I understand what you mean, though I doubt I can remedy such a thing." Jia replied honestly. He was ready to face the world now, but waited for Nene to respond.

"It's just a feeling I have, don't worry about it!" Nene assured, perking up. She quickly got to her feet and smoothed out a few creases that Jia had missed. "I'll probably return by the time you get back, so don't go hunting for me." Nene reminded him of her circumstances, and Jia nodded. "Before I go then, it's worth telling Nu Wa to look for a way to get us back on her end too." Jia said. He was fairly sure Nu Wa was looking into things on her side anyway, but making sure they were all on the same page couldn't hurt.

With a quick, silent farewell, Jia left his room to rejoin Edelgard. "Much better." She noted with a smile. Jia thought it looked a little forced, but chalked it up to practised politeness that nobles tended to have. Edelgard led the way, and a silence rested between them. "Am I right in assuming you know what this gathering is about?" Jia asked, breaking the silence. "I am told you know, while the rest of us will find out once you arrive." Edelgard explained. The only thing Jia could think of was the upcoming mock-battle between Jeralt and himself, but this is a lot quicker than Rhea had initially said.

"I see." Jia responded simply, keeping his thoughts to himself. More silence. The pair reached the bridge that led to the cathedral, and Edelgard came to a stop. "May I ask something, before we meet the others?" She questioned, looking around to make sure no one else was present. "I heard another voice coming from your room this morning." She revealed, looking serious. Jia remained expressionless, waiting for her to continue. "You don't seem the sort to have a mistress, who was she?" She asked.

"Is that all you want to know?" Jia asked in return. "For now, it will suffice." She responded. "A friend from my homeland, she was sent to check in on me." Jia explained as honestly as he could. "Why?" Edelgard pressed, earning a smirk from the strategist. "May I suggest we play this game after our meeting with Rhea and the others?" Jia suggested, gesturing towards the cathedral. Edelgard didn't seem to like that, but relented. She led the way across the bridge.

The pair entered the cathedral, and a whole host of others are already present. There was of course Rhea and Seteth, standing at the head. The other house leaders waited off to the side of them. Scattered around were the more notable knights of Seiros. Alois was laughing merrily as he spoke to Shamir, while Catherine simply smiled at their antics. Jeralt himself was stood with his arms crossed, looking at Jia expectantly. To Jia's surprise, Manuela was present beside the other professors: Hanneman and Byleth. Of course Magoichi was also by her side, he looked as if nothing was going to change that either. Lastly, clumped together in the corner are the Ashen Wolves.

Seteth loudly cleared his throat, earning the attention of all present. "Thank you for answering our summons." He began, and those present began to gather directly in front of the two holy figures. "Now you may be wondering why exactly we're here, well Rhea will explain that to you now." He explained, moving a step from Rhea. "Thank you Seteth, I have an exciting announcement for all of you today." Rhea began with cheer, clasping her hands together.

"As you all know, the Battle of the Eagle and Lion is fast approaching." She offered a light smile in the direction of the house leaders. "This year however, another battle shall also take place. Jeralt, Jia, please join me." She requested, and both Jeralt and Jia took steps forward until they were flanking Rhea on either side. "Jeralt and Jia will both be choosing their forces today, and take part in a mock battle of their own for the benefit of all our students." She finished her explanation.

Jia could not keep a smirk from showing, as each of the house leaders had amusing looks of confusion pasted on their faces. After a moment for the news to set in, Rhea quickly started once more. "Now, Jeralt will choose first." Rhea gestured to the former mercenary. Jia was more than content to let his opponent choose first, after all he already suspected how the teams would end up.

"Saika Magoichi." Jeralt named his first choice. While Jia managed to keep a straight face, he did not exactly expect his friend to even be considered as part of this process. "Me? Alright." Magoichi responded with a light chuckle as he walked to stand beside Jeralt, though not before a peck on the cheek from Manuela. "And your pick, Jia?" Rhea asked softly. "Yuri." Jia answered firmly, and the picks kept coming until both teams were decided.

In the end, apart from Magoichi Jeralt did not stray outside the knights. His team consisted of Magoichi, Alois, Catherine, and Shamir. Jia's team meanwhile, was Yuri, Balthus, Constance, and Hapi. "With both sides decided, I wish you all luck on the day of the battle." Rhea said with a light bow of her head. She then left the room with little fanfare alongside Seteth.

"We will be down in the Abyss, if you need to discuss things." Yuri informed Jia, leading the rest of his team away from the church. Jia would no doubt have to run them through his plans, but that was not an immediate necessity. No, his immediate concern was a certain emperor to be who still wanted some answers.

"Walk with me." Edelgard instructed. Jia was not about to kick up a fuss, and so simply offered a bow of farewell to his opponents before obeying her. Once feet touched the bridge, Edelgard began asking her question again. "I believe I asked why someone from your homeland would feel the need to check up on you?" She did not break her stride.

"We do have friends back home you know." Jia joked, though Edelgard seemed not in the mood. A sigh escaped from him. "Due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, Mago and I are likely to be here for a while longer." He explained, forcing Edelgard to stop. "You're not going to explain further?" She asked disapprovingly. "I'm not even aware of the full scale of things." He easily blurred the reality of the matter. Edelgard shook her head. "Another matter then, why did you discuss me?" She asked. Jia couldn't help but chuckle. "We only discussed you because you were there." He explained easily.

"It was jarring to hear someone I do not know speak of me in such a way." She confessed, causing Jia to arch a brow. "What exactly was surprising to you?" Jia asked, though he was fairly sure what Nene said to shake the girl. Edelgard cleared her throat, and donned a serious expression. "It doesn't matter now, thank you for tolerating my questions Jia." She said, giving a bow of her own before leaving. Jia watched her retreat. Not the most subtle way to avoid talking further, but effective nonetheless.

With Edelgard gone, there was only one thing really on Jia's mind. He should visit the Ashen Wolves, and begin to lay down the groundwork for his plans. The Abyss was easier to find this time, and he navigated it with ease. No one seemed to give him a second glance as he approached the makeshift classroom. The four students from before are chatting idly, only looking to Jia when he cleared his throat.

"Well that was fast." Balthus commented, and looked to Yuri nervously. "You can pay me back later." Yuri said with a sigh, clearly not the first time such an exchange had happened. Jia simply smiled, the four of them reminding him of his own comrades at one point. "So, Jia. You're here with your plan yes?" Yuri asked, snapping him from his thoughts.

"Several, I simply need to know how you wish to approach the battle." Jia began, earning looks of curiosity from each of those present. "Conventional tactics on the field of battle will suffice in besting Jeralt, he likely underestimates us after all." He made his way to the front of the make-shift classroom, and all eyes remained on him. "But, if you're not confident in that. We can try something a little more cunning, but I'll need all of you to help me prepare." He finished.

"What manner of preparations?" Yuri asks, stroking his chin, the sight reminding Jia a little too much of Jia Xu. "I will drill you all in the training grounds, and we will butt heads constantly." Jia began, and allowed himself a chuckle. "Maybe even have you storm off, not to train under me again." He finished. "How will that help us?" Hapi asked. "We'll give off the impression we're not likely to work as a team, making us seem even weaker." Yuri explained before Jia had the chance. "Exactly." He confirmed.

"I still don't get how that will help." Balthus said, and while Yuri sighed, Jia appreciated the honesty. "On its own, it won't do much. Trust me when I say it will open up new strategies on the day of the battle." He elaborated a little. Balthus didn't look entirely convinced, but seems content to trust him. "Alright then, I doubt the training grounds will have the audience we desire today, how about tomorrow we start with our little show?" Yuri asked, and no one had any objections. "Tomorrow it is." Jia agreed. After leaving the Wolves with a time to meet the next day, Jia returned to the monastery.

"Tomorrow is no doubt going to be tiresome." Jia thought to himself as he approached his quarters. Curiously, his door seemed to be left ajar. He was certain he left it closed when he left earlier? Now of course, Nene could have left it open when she left, but Jia thought she would remain in the room. Jia placed a hand on the door, and gave it just strong enough push to open it.

He allowed himself a smile at the sight of who awaited him. "I wasn't expecting anyone, can I help you?" He asked. A moment of silence passed, before Byleth simply nodded her answer...