Chapter III: The Archons

The return trip to Tristan from Tol Castell felt much shorter to Quinn than the journey to the small island. He spent those four days mulling over Ingrid's words, his stomach churning, but for once, it wasn't because of seasickness.

In the evening on the fourth day, the ship dropped anchor in Port Arthur. After disembarking, Uther turned to Quinn and Ingrid, and said, "This is where we must part ways, I'm afraid. I'll need to report what happened to my brother. And I imagine you won't want to keep your own superiors waiting."

"Indeed not," Ingrid replied.

"U-Um," Quinn stammered. "Thank you for helping us, Captain Uther." He stepped forward, and extended his hand. "I hope we can work together in the future."

Uther grasped Quinn's hand and shook it firmly. "It was no trouble at all. And I hope our paths cross again as well." He then turned, and began walking toward the city.

"We'll be seeing you, I hope," Gwin said, before following Uther.

Julius approached Quinn, and gave him a note. "These are instructions on the proper administration of Sailor's Friend- the flower I've been giving you to suppress your seasickness," he said. "Be sure to keep a stock of them on hand if you plan to travel abroad any time soon." And then he walked away without another word.

"Uh, right," Quinn replied, pocketing the note. "Um, Miss Ingrid?" he then asked. "Do you… think we'll ever get to work with them again?"

"Who can say?" she answered. "I usually work alone, but it is possible our paths will cross again." She then began to walk away. "Now come along. We have our own report to give." She began to head to the city as well, and Quinn raced to catch up.

The streets were mostly empty at this hour, so the two reached the Abbey relatively quickly. In the audience chamber, as she and Quinn knelt, Ingrid reported the events that had taken place on their mission.

Ingrid bowed her head. "…that concludes my report."

"I see," Mother Agnes replied. She leaned forward in her throne slightly, and asked, "Quinn, is there anything you would like to add to Ingrid's report?"

For several moments, Quinn was silent. He pondered whether or not he should share the strange… vision he had seen. But in the end, he bowed his head, and replied, "No, Mother Agnes."

"Very well," Mother Agnes looked to Ingrid. "I believe my instructions to you regarding your role in this mission were very clear, Ingrid." Ingrid flinched slightly… but Agnes leaned back in her seat. "…Still, the matter has been resolved. The Burgundian force has been removed. You have passed my test, Quinn."

Quinn looked up at Mother Agnes. "So… what happens now?"

"Now? In a few days, a ceremony will be held at Tristan Castle, where you will be formally recognized and welcomed into the Order as a full-fledged Archon. After that, you will begin your duties to the Order in earnest. But until then…" She smiled. "…you should rest. You've more than earned it."

He bowed his head once more. "Thank you, Mother Agnes."

Mother Agnes then stood. "I will be departing to the castle to discuss preparations for the ceremony. Ingrid, I would like for you to accompany me."

Ingrid practically leapt to her feet, and Quinn could see the smile on her face. "As you command, Mother Agnes."

Two days passed. In that time, Ingrid and Mother Agnes did not return to the Abbey. Quinn did his best to occupy himself, training in the Abbey's courtyard, reading books in the library, but everything he did felt so… empty. Before, he could rely on Ingrid or Professor Isaac to tell him what to do, and before that, his role in the mine was clearly defined. But now, for the first time in his life… Quinn didn't know what to do with himself.

On this day, he was in the mess hall, prodding at the food on his plate- poached fish of some type. After a few bites, he couldn't bring himself to eat anymore. There wasn't anything wrong with the meal, but when compared to the food Gwin had made, Quinn couldn't help but feel as though something was… missing.

But at that moment, a voice spoke from Quinn's right side: "My, my. Ingrid certainly didn't say anything about this in her reports." The voice was familiar. And very, very close. Quinn looked to its source.

A pair of green eyes were staring intently into his own, just a few unicas away.

Quinn pushed himself back, stammering, "E-E-Evangelyne!?"

Evangelyne gave a wry smile. "You've gotten much more handsome than I remember," she said, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Keep it up, and I just might have to run you out of Tristan."

Quinn shifted in his seat, unsure of what to make of the blonde woman's comment. "Uh…"

"Oh, but, where are my manners? I just realized that after all this time, I never properly introduced myself." She put her hand on her chest. "I'm Evangelyne. Think of me as Mother Agnes's right hand."

"Right hand?" Quinn asked. "I… thought that was Miss Ingrid's job."

Evangelyne scowled slightly. "Ingrid? Really? I've known Mother Agnes for a long time. Much longer than Ingrid. And Ingrid would be more of a left hand, anyway."

"Uh, sure…" Quinn replied, once again unsure how to respond. But looking past Evangelyne, he noticed something unusual: three women seated at a nearby table. They didn't look like Order initiates, as they didn't wear the standard white-and-silver robes. In fact, Quinn could feel his face begin to burn as he looked- the women's clothing was… rather-

"What'cha lookin' at?" Evangelyne asked.

Quinn jumped. "Huh!?" Only now did he realize that he'd been… staring.

Evangelyne quickly followed his gaze. "…Oh, I see now," she said knowingly, and jumped out of her seat. "Girls, over here, please."

The three women left their table and got closer, standing at attention a short distance away. Evangelyne circled around them, saying, "You've been away, so I forgot you haven't had a chance to meet them yet. These are my retainers: Rune, Prim, and Zara."

Quinn looked at each woman in turn, starting on the left. The first woman had short red hair and a small black mask that covered her eyes. Though as soon as he laid eyes on her, Quinn quickly turned away his gaze- she wore a white dress with long sleeves that exposed her legs and a not insignificant portion of her rather… large chest. Not that the other two women were any more modestly dressed. The woman in the middle, her pink hair woven into a long braid and her skin a shade darker than the other two, wore a black bandeau and a long black sweeping cloth around her waist that exposed one of her legs- she looked like a dancer of some kind, Quinn thought. The woman on the right- a taller woman with black hair woven into two short braids- wore a black garment that clung tightly to her entire body, leaving nothing to the imagination, save for her nose and mouth, which were covered by an opaque black veil.

"Lovely, aren't they?" Evangelyne asked, with a boastful tone. The redheaded woman flinched slightly, when the blonde girl slowly ran her hand along her waist, before embracing her. "Honestly, it surprises me that I get any work done with such fine specimens on hand," the blonde continued, resting her head against the redheaded woman's side.

Quinn tried to take a second look but quickly averted his gaze again. Evangelyne's retainers were… well, "stunning" was the only word that came to mind. It wasn't that Quinn hadn't met beautiful women before, but these three… "beautiful" seemed entirely inadequate. If there were words that could describe them, they were unknown to him. "Uh, yeah," Quinn said nervously. "They uh, they're… something, all right."

But then, Evangelyne returned to Quinn's side, laid a hand on his shoulder, and pulled him in close. "But don't get any ideas," she said. Her voice was low, her tone, dark. "These are my retainers, not yours. And I'll kill you if you so much as lay a finger on any one of them." She pulled away, a friendly smile appearing once more. "Once you become an Archon, you'll have the right to take anyone as a retainer. You really should consider it- the Order is always in need of talented individuals, after all."

Quinn didn't respond. How could he? The shift in Evangelyne's tone was so extreme, it was almost as if he'd been talking to two completely different people.

But before he could mull on that any further, the doors of the mess hall slammed open, and a young woman's voice called out, "QUINN!"

Quinn had just enough time to look up to the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, and see a brief flash of flowing golden hair, before he was tackled out of his seat and onto the floor. He hit the ground, hard, and a loud pop sounded from his elbow. "Ow! Ow ow!"

"Quinn!? Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" the mass on top of him cried out, as it moved aside. "I-I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Quinn stood up and flexed his fingers, wincing as needles stabbed up and down his forearm. There was only one person he knew who could be so brazen. "Ow… Gail, you promised you wouldn't do that anymore."

"Heh heh, sorry, sorry," Gail said, as she got to her feet. "I was so happy to hear we were going to visit you. You left so suddenly, I was worried I'd never get to see you again!" She shifted back and forth slightly. "You look great, by the way. Did you get taller again?"

"Did I?" he asked, brushing off his clothes. "I didn't notice."

He looked down at the girl standing in front of him: the second of Professor Isaac's students, Gail. From their first meeting, Quinn knew she was unlike anyone he'd ever met before- she smiled more than he thought a person could ever could smile. Of course, that wasn't the only thing that drew his eye. Her skin was much… darker than anyone he'd ever met before.

"By the way," Quinn began. "What's the occasion?"

"Huh?" Gail said in confusion.

"You're wearing the College uniform. You never wear your uniform." Indeed, Gail was wearing a thin grey coat and black pants- normally, the girls' uniform required a skirt, but Gail refused to wear one. The only two additions that were out of place were a black and gold band holding back her hair, and a black scarf tied around her neck.

Evangelyne's eyes widened as soon as her gaze fell on Gail, before a knowing smile formed on her lips. "Ohhh…" She approached, and circled around the younger girl, tracing her finger along her waist. "And just who might you be?"

Gail's mouth fell open, and a bright blush appeared on her face. "Uh- um…"

"Now now, Evangelyne," a man's voice said sternly. "That's one of mine."

Entering the mess hall was a tall man with narrow eyes and sharp facial features, dressed in dark pants and a fine vest of dark blue atop a white shirt with long sleeves. His hair was cropped incredibly short, much more so than when Quinn had last seen him- no doubt the result of another in-class accident. Perched on his nose was a pair of round glasses that made his dark eyes seem much smaller than they actually were. Around the middle finger of his left hand was a ring- it had a band of gold, and was set with a brilliant clear gemstone that seemed to sparkle with every color of the rainbow. Quinn knew this man well: Isaac, Professor of the Arcane College, Archon of the Order, and bearer of the Ring of Power, Bifrost. And, until recently, his teacher.

Following behind him was another young man wearing a similar outfit, with the addition of a dark long-sleeved coat. He was extraordinarily plain in appearance- brown eyes, slightly spiked brown hair, neither too tall nor too short, and with facial features that were neither too subdued nor too pronounced. If Quinn hadn't studied alongside the young man for three years, he would have believed him to have been a commoner who had somehow found his way into the Abbey. This young man was the first of Professor Isaac's students: Malcolm.

Evangelyne clasped her hands over her chest, smiling broadly. "Isaac! You should have told me you had such a lovely lady-in-waiting! I would've come to visit more often."

"The last thing the College needs is you stealing away another faculty member, Evangelyne." Isaac crossed his arms over his chest. "Besides, Mother Agnes banned you from leaving the Abbey without permission."

Evangelyne sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Oh Isaac, you know exactly what to say to suck all the fun out of a room. Ah well." She turned to the door. "Come along, girls. We'll just have to make our own fun somewhere else."

None of the three retainers said anything, but they all followed Evangelyne out of the mess hall. Quinn couldn't help that their faces seemed strangely… stiff as they passed.

The young man then turned his attention to the two newest arrivals. "Professor, Malcolm…" he began. "I… didn't know you were here, too."

"Why wouldn't I be? It's a tradition for Archons to bear witness as a new member is inducted into the fold." Isaac looked to the side, to his other students. "Gail, Malcolm, I apologize, but I'd like to speak with Quinn alone. It a matter pertaining to the Order."

"What!?" Gail cried. "But we just got here! Can't it wait? I wanted to spend more time with-"

"Gail." Isaac said sternly.

The blonde girl looked at the professor, surprised, before she hung her head sullenly. "…yes, Professor."

Malcolm quickly stepped forward, resting her hand on Gail's shoulder. "Come on, Gail. Let's have a look around. The Professor was always talking about the Abbey, remember? We can hang out with Quinn when they're done."

"…Okay," Gail replied listlessly, before letting Malcolm lead her away.

When his fellow students were out of sight, Quinn asked the professor, "So, what could be so urgent that it can't wait?"

"I was hoping to introduce you to the other Archons. You've already met Agnes and Evangelyne- and myself, of course- but there are five in all at present. It's quite rare for all the Archons to be gathered together like this, so I wanted to take advantage of it."

"Oh." He recalled that Ingrid had said something similar when he'd first been brought to the Abbey. He also remembered dreading meeting the other Archons, after his initial encounter with Evangelyne. "Well, if we're gonna be working together, I guess I should introduce myself."

"That's the spirit. Come now- I'm fairly sure both are still in the library." Isaac took the lead, guiding Quinn out of the mess hall and in the cloister surrounding the Abbey's main courtyard. But almost immediately, they ran into something unexpected.

A man. An… enormous man. Easily the largest man- the tallest person- Quinn had ever seen. Even Foreman and Mother Agnes would've come up short. He didn't wear a shirt, only a pair of torn grey shorts, exposing his incredibly muscular chest and arms. His eyes were completely hidden by a messy tangle of curly red hair, and his skin was dark, like Gail's.

The man stopped for a moment, looking down at Isaac and Quinn. "Hmph." He continued on, without a second glance. With his back turned, Quinn could see a pair of crossed axes hanging across his back, their blades glinting in the light.

Quinn looked on as the man walked away. "…who was that?" he asked.

Isaac adjusted his glasses. "That was Orion. One of the other Archons I was hoping to introduce you to. He may not look it, but as the bearer of Coronis, he may the most important member of the Order after Mother Agnes herself."

Coronis… Quinn didn't recognize the name. He'd need to ask Ingrid about it later. "Doesn't seem very friendly…"

"He's never been one for words. Now, as for the last of your companions…" Isaac led Quinn to the library. The interior was quiet, though among the robe-clad attendants, there was an aberration: a young girl, who couldn't have been any older than Quinn had been when he first came to the Abbey, was seated at a table across from an initiate. She had bright blue eyes, and short blonde hair, save for a thick strand almost like a ponytail pulled back on the left side of her head, and wore a sleeveless flowing white dress, with a thin golden trim along the edge. Set between the two of them on the table was some type of board game.

Leaning against a nearby bookcase watching the two was a man with long, straight hair colored a dark blue. He wore dark pants, a dark shirt that clung tightly to his chest, and a long brown coat held in place by a belt around his waist, the upper half hanging limply behind him. Peculiarly, he wore a black mask that covered the upper half of his face, with two small horns protruding from the forehead. A long sword with a small, but noticeable curve in the blade hung across his back.

"Yonah," Isaac began.

The blonde girl- Yonah didn't say anything. She simply held up her finger to Quinn and Isaac. She then picked up one of the pieces on the board and set it a few squares forward. The man seated across from her jolted, looked down at the board for several moments, before letting out a defeated sigh, slumping down in his seat.

"Sorry," the blonde girl said. "I just saw the winning move." She looked up. "So, what did you need, Ivar?"

Isaac didn't react to being called the wrong name. Rather, he said, "I wanted to introduce you to someone," and motioned to Quinn. "This is Quinn. I've told you about him a few times."

Yonah looked at Quinn, tapping her fingers against her temple. "Quinn, Quinn… I don't remember that name. Was he one of your students?"

Isaac adjusted his glasses. "Well, yes, he was. But more importantly, he's to be the Order's newest Archon."

Yonah furrowed her brow. "Really? I'm pretty sure I would've remembered that." She blinked "Oh yeah, Mother Arya sent me a letter. Is that what that was about?"

The conversation between Isaac and Yonah trailed off as Quinn turned his attention to the masked swordsman. The swordsman in turn regarded Quinn in silence. But after a few moments, he asked, "Did you need something?"

"Are you… a retainer, too?" Quinn asked.

The swordsman finally looked away. "I am a blade in service to Lady Yonah," he said. "That is all you need to know about me."

"Espada, be nice," Yonah said. "Corrin was just asking a question."

"I'm not…" Quinn began, before trailing off.

"Hey, Ike," Yonah said. "Can you play with me? The people here aren't very good at scacchi."

"I'm afraid not. But I imagine Malcolm would be more than happy to." Isaac paused briefly. "Right, you haven't met him, either. I'll introduce you two later."

The girl smiled. "Thanks, Ion."

"Well, I suppose that takes care of that. Now, I'd like to speak with you, Quinn. Come along." Isaac left the library, with Quinn following close behind.

In the cloister, Isaac continued, "Now don't worry, this has nothing to do with your studies- rather, I was curious about how you were setting into the Order."

Quinn didn't hear the professor's words, however. He could only think of that strange girl who couldn't remember a name someone had just told her. He asked out loud, "What's wrong with her?"

"'Wrong?' With Yonah?" Isaac asked in response.

"Well, yeah. She seems kind of…" Quinn sighed. "…do I have to say it out loud?"

"You're referring to her… memory troubles I take it," Isaac said. He touched his hand to his chin. "I will admit, I had my misgivings at first as well. But she's proven herself to be quite reliable. Her knowledge of magic may very well surpass my own, and if her skill in scacchi is any indication, she may prove a brilliant strategist. She may not remember names or faces, but she remembers what's important well enough." The professor then looked to Quinn. "And what about you? Are you comfortable here?"

"Yeah, I'm doing just fine," Quinn replied. "But Professor… what, uh… what happened to your hair?"

"Oh, that." Isaac let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Well, before you ask, Gail had nothing to do with it. Rather, I was using a crucible to purify a few ingredients before a lecture. I neglected to let the substance cool sufficiently before uncovering it, and… well, you can see the result…"

Another day passed. Ingrid and Mother Agnes had yet to return. Thankfully, Gail and Malcolm were able to distract Quinn from their absence. On this morning however, Gail was still asleep, and Malcolm was playing another game with the girl the Professor had introduced him to the day before- Yonah. So, Quinn chose to venture outside the Abbey, wandering slowly up the road. Far ahead, at the peak of the gently sloping hill he stood on, he could see the walls and keep of a great castle. Ingrid and Agnes were there, he assumed. But, he didn't venture that far. Rather, he leaned against the side of a short wall on the side of the road not far from the Abbey, and looked out over the ocean. It was dark, grey as slate, the sky above blanketed by a layer of clouds.

As he stared out over the sea, he allowed his mind to wander. He thought about his place in the Order.

About the future.

About Ingrid, and everything she had said.

But gradually, his thoughts turned somewhere they hadn't in quite some time: to Grimhold.

It wasn't as though Quinn missed the life he'd left behind. He hadn't been there for as long, but the College, and the Abbey felt more like a home to him than the mine or Foreman's house ever had. Still, it had been three years- a lot could have happened. He wondered who had finally left the mine, and about the people who had come to replace them. He wondered if Lionel had ever recovered enough to go back to work. He wondered if they had found someone who was as good at finding veins as he was.

He wondered if Ingrid's words echoed in Foreman's mind, they way they did in his own.

"A fine view, isn't it?" a man suddenly asked from behind. "Even on this dreary day."

Quinn looked back, to see a man with orange hair, perhaps only a few years older than him, standing behind him. He was peculiarly dressed- a red long-sleeved coat, embroidered with thin vines of gold, with white pants.

"I'd hoped I could keep my spot a secret," he continued, walking up to the wall. "But then again, I suppose it's not much of a secret if it's along the side of the road, is it?"

"Your spot?" Quinn asked.

"Yes. I come here often to watch the sea. Seeing it when it's calm like this… it puts my mind at ease as well." The man rested his arms on the wall, and leaned forward. "If I may be so bold, may I ask what you were thinking about?"

It was a strange thing to ask someone who he'd just met, but even so, Quinn felt no reason to refuse an answer to the stranger's question: "I was thinking about Grimhold."

"Grimhold?" the man asked. "Is that your home?"

Quinn lowered his gaze. "I wouldn't say that," he replied with a low voice. "Grimhold is where I was raised, but… I can't really call it home."

"Then… where would home be for you?" the man asked. "The Order's Abbey? Or, perhaps the College in Corburg?"

Quinn looked over, a strange hollowness in the pit of his stomach. It was a feeling he hadn't felt since he'd first met Ingrid. His fist tightened- he was unarmed, but if nothing else, he should be at least be able to stop the man from following him. "How do you know about that?"

The man looked over. "I know quite a lot about you, Quinn. Even before you met my brother."

Quinn's brow furrowed. "Your brother?"

Then all at once, everything fell into place.

Quinn gasped, any hostile thoughts instantly evaporating. "Then, you must be… Oswald… right?"

The man smiled, and looked out over the ocean once more. "It's a pleasure to meet the Order's newest Archon face-to-face."

Quinn could only stare at Oswald in surprise. But, as he looked at the man, he could see a resemblance to Uther- his hair, though longer, was the same shade of orange, and he had the same grey eyes, the same strong jaw. Still, he could hardly believe it. Sure, he had attire and a bearing fit for a king. But he seemed so… young.

Then all at once, the sound of rapid footsteps came to their ears. "Your Majesty!"

Oswald let out an exasperated sigh. "Figures he would've found me before long."

A much older man with white hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing a black suit stumbled to a halt in front of the two, hunched over and breathing heavily, followed by a number of soldiers clad in blue. After a few breaths, the white haired man collected himself and stood upright. "Your Majesty," he said, "You've been told countless times not to wander about unaccompanied! If nothing else, at least bring your escort." The man turned his attention to Quinn. "Who is this rabble?"

In the corner of his eye, Quinn saw Oswald's expression harden. "This rabble, as you call him, is Quinn," the king said sternly. "The initiate from the Archonite Order who saved my brother's life at Tol Castell. Whose induction into the Order we will be hosting at the castle."

The older man gave Quinn a look- he said nothing for a moment, but his expression made it clear that he was not impressed by the younger man. "I see," he finally uttered.

"Well, I suppose our chat has come to an end, Quinn," Oswald said glancing over. "It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can do so again in the future."

"Uh, sure. Right." Quinn didn't know what else to say. The shock of meeting a king hadn't quite worn off.

Oswald turned to face the white-haired man. "Now Rowan, I believe you mentioned something about a proposal before I stepped out."

The man began leading Oswald away, saying, "Yes, Sire. We've received a proposal for an alliance from Duke Ulrich of Livonia. In return pledging to support the Confederation against Kherson, he offers you the hand of his granddaughter, Alisa- who, may I remind you, currently bears…"

The conversation faded as the entourage walked away, leaving Quinn to stare dumbfounded in their wake.

Author's Notes:

Mother Agnes- Mother Agnes is one of the holdover characters from the story's original concept. What sets Agnes apart from the others, however, is the fact that she underwent virtually no alterations in the story's transition to a FE-based one. She retained her original appearance, her demeanor, her role in the story, and even her title of "Mother." She also stands out in that she's one of only a handful of characters, particularly female characters, who have no clear inspiration. In terms of archetypes, the closest equivalent would be the Malledus. Would ideally be voiced by Jen Taylor.

Evangelyne- Evangelyne is another holdover from the original concept, and like Mother Agnes, underwent minimal changes when she the story was reworked. She remained Agnes's closest and oldest ally, with three beautiful women as her retainers and a penchant for flirting with any woman who caught her fancy. Unlike Agnes though, her inspiration (at least in appearance) can be traced to a single character- Magilou from Tales of Berseria. She originally had no interest in Quinn whatsoever, but I decided to have her be more flirtatious with him, solely to make him uncomfortable. If she had a voice actor, it would most likely be Laura Bailey.

Archons (Archonite Order): As previously mentioned, the Archons replaced the Six Sisters from the original story concept, and were inspired by the six Intoners from Drakengard 3. The Sisters, as their name suggests, were all female, though after the story's revision, I decided to give the Archons a more even split between male and female members. As a sidenote, the trend of each Archon other than Quinn having a name that started with a vowel was unintentional at first, but after I noticed it after creating Isaac, I decided to keep it going. Yonah is the only exception as I couldn't find a name that I liked that started with U.