After experiencing the ruination of Fhirdiad twice, Ashton had to admit that the modest splendor of Enbarr by contrast was becoming a welcome and homely sight.
He didn't know when he started to think of Enbarr as home, but it was quick and not entirely unwelcome. If he wasn't going back to his original world, the least he could do was find some place to belong. For over a year, that was a priory outside of the city itself. He wondered how the priests there would go on after the war. He wondered if Griselda was still among them.
Ashton didn't have a home to go back to, no family waiting for him, but he did have a new occupation, courtesy of Seiros. He had been recruited into her retinue, a battalion of soldiers and knights that were hers and hers alone to command. They had their own barracks within the confines of the city, ready for Saint Seiros' word at a moment's notice. He didn't know many of them, although he had heard that the son of Gloucester, Saladin, would be joining them as well. No doubt a way to keep a close eye on the former enemy.
As for Ashton, the only reason he could see as to why he would be joining permanently was because he had entered a relationship with the saint.
Ashton still couldn't quite wrap his mind around that. A part of him wondered if it was happening too quickly, meanwhile another part of him didn't exactly care. Every time he thought of Seiros, his stomach would fill with butterflies. Not an entirely unpleasant sensation, but it did serve as a constant reminder that he had indisputable ties with Fódlan. He couldn't just leave anymore, even if he wanted to.
Considering the situation he found himself in, though, he wondered if it all was worth it.
At the end of a sand-filled circle, constructed behind the barracks Ashton called home, he stared at Saladin holding a wooden training axe.
Ashton could hear the words of his commander so clearly, it felt like he was in his mind.
I want to see you two in action. Saint Seiros considers you both worthy of our company, and I will not question her judgment. But do not think that means you will go on untested.
All around them, beneath the cold winter sun, the men and women of Seiros' retinue stood, their white and polished armor practically glowing in the sun. It was a weird dichotomy, Ashton thought, how the armor of those directly beneath Seiros was a blazing white, meanwhile the soldiers and knights of the Empire proper were clad in black plate mail instead.
All other thoughts were quickly dashed from his mind, however, as he saw Saladin ready himself. Ashton hefted his own wooden hammer. Even practice weapons such as they were using could hurt, and he knew that if anything went wrong, he could be out of commission for weeks.
"No hard feelings, Ashton," Saladin grumbled, "but we need to make a show."
"Don't end it too quickly then," Ashton replied with a hiss.
Ashton had some combat training, courtesy of Ella, but he doubted he'd be able to truly fight against a hardened veteran with a crest like Saladin, but he would still give it his best shot.
"Ready?" Ashton heard the commander say. He was a tall man with brown hair and eyes – in fact, he looked a lot like the Emperor himself. Ashton didn't know what to make of that, but in that moment he wasn't exactly able to ask questions.
The lack of a response was all the commander needed.
"Fine, then. Give us a good show!"
With that, Ashton and Saladin charged. When their weapons clashed, Ashton gritted his teeth and held on to his hammer for dear life. Saladin's blow hit like a freight train, nearly sending Ashton down with a single attack. He couldn't use brute strength – Saladin would outlast him. Instead, he would have to rely on his head.
Pushing himself away from Saladin, the giant of a man simply charged forward again with his axe over his head as if he was about to split Ashton's head in two. Ashton barely moved out of the way in time before the axe came down and slammed against the sandy ground, kicking up a cloud of dust as it was buried in the sand. Ashton took this chance to slam his hammer into Saladin's back, hearing a meaty 'thwack' when the hit connected, Saladin snarled in rage and yanked his axe out of the sand and whirled around, trying to swing it up into Ashton's ribs.
Knowing that it would be better to not get hit rather than block, Ashton sent himself to the ground to try and avoid the blow. He was successful, his back slamming against the ground and knocking the air out of him. It gave Saladin the perfect chance to slam his axe into the ground again, and Ashton barely avoided it by rolling to the side with his hammer pressed against his chest.
Saladin was ready for it, though, and when Ashton tried getting to his feet, Saladin was already upon him. The head of his axe struck the handle of Ashton's hammer, and the sound of wood cracking echoed through the air. His hammer had been snapped in two.
"What are you made of?" Ashton breathed out.
"Stronger material than your hammer, clearly," Saladin grunted.
Ashton did not wait for Saladin to react, instead opting to conk him on the head with the head of what remained of his hammer. Saladin's eyes went wide at that as he was momentarily stunned, allowing Ashton to swing again, that time into his chest. Saladin stumbled back, holding his chest as he shook his head.
"You are decent," Saladin said, holding his head for a moment before baring his teeth. "But I am ending this now!"
"They wanted a show. I'm giving it to them," Ashton replied. "So, come then. End it!"
Ashton was not expecting to last another few seconds against the giant of a man, not with only two halves of a wooden hammer. Fortunately for him, he did not need to continue.
"That's enough," the commander stated firmly. "I expected less out of you, and here you two come in fighting like your lives depended on it. Consider me impressed."
Ashton let out a breath as he dropped the remains of his hammer. Saladin huffed and did the same with his wooden axe.
"No hard feelings?" Ashton asked.
"It was a spar. If there were hard feelings, then we were doing it wrong," Saladin replied with a grumble.
The commander clapped his hands. "Alright, both of you, to me."
Ashton and Saladin did as they were told, standing side by side in front of the commander. Since Ashton was closer, he could really start to see the resemblance he had to Emperor Wilhelm, and he started to wonder if he was Wilhelm's cousin. He was about as tall as Ashton and stared at him in the eye as he addressed the both of them, his gaze switching between them.
"I know not why Saint Seiros herself appointed you two to be among our number," the commander began, his hands behind his back. "We are the elite – those who fight alongside Saint Seiros in past and future battles. It is not a position for the faint of heart or weak in body. When Nemesis and the Elites return to our shores, we will be at Seiros' side, fighting alongside her in the bloodiest battles in mankind's history."
He looked between them one last time.
"If you feel you are not up to this challenge, then stand aside now, and leave this place."
Neither of them budged an inch.
A small smile spread across the commander's face. "Welcome into the fold, my new brothers-in-arms. I am Lycaon I von Hresvelg. My word is second only to my lord father and the saints themselves. From this moment forward, you are one of us."
Ashton had to keep his eyes from bulging out of their sockets.
They were called the Knights of Seiros.
Ashton reflected after his induction that it was a really uncreative name, but at least it was not something incredibly esoteric. They were all knights and soldiers dedicated to Saint Seiros and to her alone, with her orders superseding all others. They weren't a numbered bunch – Ashton could only count maybe a few hundred of them at best, but he was led to believe that they were the best of the best.
Ashton counted himself lucky to be among them. At least, most of the time he did.
Days became filled with nothing but practice and training, with some amount of reading for the scriptures. Ashton all but memorized them by that point, but they helped to keep him grounded.
The routine was interrupted only a scant few months after joining up. He was sent for by Lycaon himself.
Ashton didn't know what the heir to the entire Adrestian Empire wanted, but if one thing had been made clear to him it was that he kept attracting the attention of those far above him. Which wasn't always a bad thing, he thought, considering where his relationship with Seiros was going. So far only consisting of secret meetings behind closed doors, he awaited the day they could go out into the city together eagerly.
In that moment, though, it felt hard to swallow. He looked at the sturdy, reinforced door into Lycaon's office. Taking a deep breath and reflecting on every other time he had been in that exact same position, he opened the door.
"Ah, you are here. Good," Lycaon said without looking up from his messy desk. The scribbling of the tip of a feather against parchment rang in Ashton's ears. "Please, have a seat. I will speak in just a moment."
Ashton wordlessly sat down in front of the heir, who continued to write what looked less like writing and more like fancy squiggly lines into the parchment. Looking around, Ashton noticed a balcony to his right and to his left, a family portrait. On it were four people: one, he assumed, was Emperor Wilhelm, and to his left, sitting down was his wife, a woman wearing a long white dress and with dark blue hair. To her right sat a young Lycaon, and on her knee, a small toddler who Ashton couldn't tell the sex of.
"I see you have noticed the painting," Lycaon noted, causing Ashton to nearly fall out of his seat. "It was a gift from my late mother, right before she left to join the Goddess. I am not usually one for such displays as this, but I feel it would be an insult to her memory to simply store it somewhere and forget about it."
Ashton's lips thinned. "It's something to remember her by, right?"
"You could say that, yes," Lycaon nodded, clasping his hands together as he leaned forward, staring at Ashton. "Now, down to business. I apologize that we have not had time to speak one-on-one since you arrived, but your appointment into the knights was rather sudden, and with the end of this first phase in the war, the Empire is in chaos that has only just begun to settle."
Ashton shrugged. "I was there at Fhirdiad, so I know what chaos looks like."
"Indeed? I was not told you were a soldier before this," Lycaon said, the only movement he made was a slight raising of his brow. "I knew, of course, that you had some training prior to coming here, but I did not know that you had fought on the front lines."
"Do you know someone named Roland von Aegir?" Ashton asked, tapping his foot as he squinted with the sun coming in through the balcony window.
"That I do. He and I grew up together, though I doubt he would have mentioned me so casually if you spoke to him. I have been absorbed in my duties over these past few years."
Ashton crossed his arms. "I've known him for years already. He's mentioned having friends in high places, but never spoke of you by name. Besides that, I suppose you don't know my background at all. I am willing to bet gold that you thought of me as an Easterling when you first saw me."
"You are too light-skinned to be an Easterling," Lycaon said, shaking his head. "I can see how some would be confused, however. Not many beyond the mountains of Fódlan's Throat have seen one, let alone met one in person."
Ashton grunted. "Fair enough. Now, what did you want to talk to me about, commander? I assume you have already given Saladin an earful?"
"Oh, have I," Lycaon said, his voice approaching a laugh. "A descendant of the Elites. One of their sons! A turncoat. I am unsure if I would have had Saint Seiros' capacity for forgiveness, even for sins committed by one's father. But that is why I am merely the commander of her knights, and not a Saint myself. But yes, I did speak with Saladin Gloucester. Quite a few months ago, in fact, but I never found myself with ample time to speak to you. I am beginning to regret that now; this conversation has been interesting so far."
"Uh huh. I'm guessing you want to know more about me," Ashton said.
Lycaon stood up, placing his hands behind his back as he walked slowly toward the balcony.
"That is part of the reason, yes," Lycaon said, his voice low. "You are something of an unknown quantity. I have no doubt that your loyalty lies with Saint Seiros, but everything about you that I can find has been one mystery after another. I approached my lord father with questions regarding you, as the one thing I knew was that you spoke to the Council and the Saints in person. I was stonewalled, told that I should not go meddling in the affairs of the Saints. It is he who forgets that I am still his heir and the commander under Seiros herself. It is my business, whether he wants to believe it isn't or not."
Lycaon turned his head, his gaze squarely on Ashton.
"I want to learn more about you. Not just anybody would be appointed into the knights with Saint Seiros' recommendation. You are either someone very special, or very lucky."
Ashton sighed. "It is the latter."
"Nonetheless, I want to hear your story, so tell me," Lycaon said, sitting back down.
"Fine, then."
Ashton was in that room for well over an hour, regaling the Imperial Prince with the story of his life in Fódlan. Lycaon never spoke a word, never even so much as looking away for a moment as Ashton told everything. The only thing Ashton did not talk about was his relationship with Seiros, as well as a few minor tidbits.
After he was finally done, Ashton sat back and gauged Lycaon's reaction. The Imperial Prince looked completely nonplussed for a moment before Ashton realized that he had been tapping his foot, hearing the 'click, click, click' of the toe of his boot against the ground.
"Were it at any other time, I would have called your story mad," Lycaon began, "suicidally incompetent and foolish to be giving an official like myself. But you are not lying, are you? You speak the truth."
"As much as I am able to give," Ashton breathed out.
"The world you described… a world of steel, it sounds familiar somehow," Lycaon said quietly, picking up his feather and tapping it against his desk, as if he was thinking of writing everything in his head. "Unprecedented."
"You can see why I am here now, right?" Ashton asked.
"Oh, of course. This is so Saint Seiros can keep a close eye on you," Lycaon replied, "you have done them a great service and have yet to be rewarded. It would make sense that they would keep you close this time, instead of sending you to a priory as you told me. I will still welcome you into our fold – you passed our test already, after all, but I still find myself… curious. I want to see this world."
Ashton shrugged. "They still haven't told me if they found a way back or not. I am starting to doubt they ever will."
"Have you no faith, Ashton?"
Ashton looked down. "Four years and no mention? Not even an update? Yes, it inspires doubt."
He knew, of course, that the Saints would still be preoccupied, and he had heard from Seiros that they had come no closer to finding a way for him to go home back in Fhridiad. Not that he particularly minded anymore-
Dad…
Ashton lied. He did care, just not consciously. Whenever he thought of his father, alone in their small house, the fate of his cousins, which he had left unaddressed…
If Ashton didn't have Seiros and his friends to fall back on, he probably would have already collapsed by that point.
"They will find a way. If the Goddess wills it, you will go home, one day," Lycaon said, "but today is not that day, and you are a Knight of Seiros now. You have been doing a decent job, keeping up with your training, so make sure you keep doing that until we are called to do our duty."
Ashton nodded, standing up.
"It has been a pleasure to meet you, Ashton. May we meet again."
Ashton sincerely doubted he and Lycaon would become true friends, but it was better to be on amicable terms with him.
With that conversation, or interrogation, behind him, Ashton prepared for another day filled with drills and combat training.
The day had finally come, after what felt like an eternity.
It was sunny outside, with birdsong in the wind and warmth spread throughout the city. It was the summer of Imperial Year 37, 11th of the Blue Sea Moon.
Ashton had to admit, he was nervous. Anyone would be, going on what could be considered a date with a prophet. He didn't even know what he wanted to do, really; he didn't know if Enbarr really had any restaurants, or if it had anywhere worth seeing. Nonetheless, he was excited, too. He had never felt the way he did about Seiros, and everything felt so new and interesting.
Despite his nervousness, he still preferred agonizing over a date to open warfare, and Ashton would take this opportunity and enjoy it for all that it was worth.
Ashton finally met her near the entrance to the Imperial Palace. She was wearing a similar robe to the one he had first seen her in when they met in a church almost two years prior. The one she was wearing was different, with fine gold embroidery along the edges. Her hood still concealed most of her features from prying eyes, but Ashton could see through it well enough. She still looked as beautiful as always.
She's not human.
That same wriggling thought came back to Ashton at that moment, and he thrust it away. He thought it didn't bother him, and he knew that it really didn't. It was more as if he wondered what, exactly, Seiros truly was. It was a curiosity.
"I was beginning to suspect you were not going to make it," Ashton said as Seiros turned to him, smiling.
"I would not miss this for anything, dear Ashton. You should know this," Seiros replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Truth be told, even if you have no particular destination in mind, I would not mind simply walking with you through the city. Anything would be better than political meetings or religious sermons."
Ashton laughed. "A prophetess not liking giving sermons? Ironic."
"Oh, it is not so much the sermons themselves," Seiros replied with a huff. "I always feels so exhausted after them. You saw me when I was done addressing the people of Fhirdiad. Now imagine that every day."
Thinking for a moment, Ashton nodded. "Fair enough, but let's not talk about that. We should probably get going."
Seiros' smile returned, somehow even more radiant than before. "Indeed. I am looking forward to what you have in mind for this… 'date'."
Ashton felt her hand trail down his arm until her fingers interlocked with his again, a little quirk he had noticed and loved. He didn't have a particular place in mind, but it didn't seem like she cared.
The duo went out into the city together, hand in hand.
"Do you truly believe in the Goddess, Ashton?"
That question came up several hours into the day, once Ashton and Seiros had settled in a small corner of Enbarr. The sun was hanging high in the sky, the day becoming hotter by the second, and all Ashton wanted after wandering the city for a while and asking about various buildings was to sit down and have a drink. Luckily for them, what amounted to a public park was there waiting for them. They were below a tree, its leaves providing ample shade as they sat against its trunk.
Ashton didn't respond to her question for a few moments, his eyes looking forward and his body still, as if he was a statue. After a few more seconds, he finally answered.
"I think she exists," Ashton mumbled out. "At this point, she's the best reason I have for why I'm here. And, well, I cannot think of any other reason why I'm here. Can you?"
Seiros hummed. "No. I am sorry, Ashton, but we still haven't found a way for you to return to your homeland. Nothing, no vision I have received has given me a sign. I can only give speculation."
"I know, and I do not blame you for that. You have tried your best, I'm sure. But," Ashton stopped himself before shaking his head and letting out a sigh. "I do not know if I have mentioned this yet, but there were two others before me. I had two cousins who went missing months before I was brought here. Do you think they're out there, somewhere?"
Seiros' expression soured. "If they are, they have not made themselves known. Or perhaps they did not arrive in such a fashion as you, to make so little noise."
Ashton frowned. "Or they're dead."
"It will do you no good to think like that, dear Ashton," Seiros said, her hand squeezing his. She had barely let go of him since their excursion began. "If they are out there, then one day they will be found. I am glad you told me of them. I only hope they have not found themselves among Nemesis' number, swayed by his words."
"Me too," Ashton replied quietly. "Enough about that, though. It's just bringing the mood down, eh? Let me ask you a question instead."
Seiros sat quietly, waiting.
"Do you think I was brought here by the Goddess?" Ashton finally asked.
It was Seiros' turn to become silent, as her eyes scanned the horizon, as if to avoid Ashton's curious gaze.
"I do," Seiros said, a small smile appearing on her face. "I do truly believe you were sent here by the Goddess herself. And if so, you have a purpose to fulfill. I cannot say as to what that purpose is, until a vision reveals it to me, perhaps – but until then, I have faith in this interpretation. And beyond that, I… I want you to be here. You have helped me immensely since you arrived."
Ashton swallowed the growing lump in his throat. "I'm glad I'm here too. It's not been a cakewalk so far, for sure, but I'm… I'm glad I met you, at least."
Seiros finally let go of his hand and brought it up to Ashton's face, cupping his cheek. Without warning, she moved forward and enveloped his lips with her own. Once again, Ashton was in bliss. The sensation was soft, pleasant, and it only grew in intensity when she leaned forward further and wrapped one of her arms around his neck. He returned in kind, hugging her around her back, which prompted a pleased hum from Seiros.
After several moments, they parted, and Ashton looked down at her with what he assumed was the dumbest smile on his face. Seiros returned it, but only for a moment before it vanished. Ashton raised a brow at that.
"Is something wrong?" Ashton asked quietly.
Seiros was silent, looking down for a moment before her lips thinned. When she looked up again, her face was distressingly blank.
"I need to show you something," Seiros said, "I suspect you have already figured it out partially yourself, but there is more you should know before we go further down this path."
She's not human.
"We can go right now," Ashton said, "but believe me when I tell you, I do not think it will change my opinion of you."
Seiros tried to keep her smile down at those words and only partially succeeded. "We will travel outside the city for it. Away from the prying eyes of the people, for if they see it, it may shake the foundation of the city and the church itself."
Ashton felt his heart beating in his ears as Seiros' words washed over him. A part of him became worried, but another, stronger part was incredibly curious. Shake the foundation of the church? Of the city itself? It sounded ludicrous that there could be a secret that big. Then again, stranger things had happened.
"Alright," Ashton said, nodding. "When do you want to go?"
"In a while," Seiros said, leaning her head on Ashton's shoulder. "I want to enjoy this moment, for a little longer. It is so easy to forget, being here with you, the warm sun on my face and people walking about, that such horrors could exist outside of this place…"
Ashton let her lay there, saying nothing as he could hear her humming a song that sounded both familiar and yet alien. Her hand grasped his again, and he found himself drifting off.
It was the best day in his new world so far.
The sun set below the horizon as Ashton and Seiros made their way into the countryside that surrounded Enbarr. Before long, the city was only a faint glow on the horizon, and a sky full of stars was what greeted them. Seiros led Ashton to a hill that gave the best view, and Ashton couldn't tell what was more impressive: the sky, or Seiros herself, outlined by the night, it almost looked like a halo had formed above her head. She had long taken off her hood, revealing her greenish-blond hair trailing down her back.
"It has been so long since I have done this," Seiros whispered, sitting down. "Won't you sit with me, dear Ashton?"
Ashton looked up before sitting down next to Seiros. "I think I will."
They were there, frozen in place for what felt like forever, just staring up at the starry night sky as it exploded before them. Ashton wondered if he would be able to see his own star from that small hill, if he was truly on a different planet and above him, if he could just watch a little closer, he could see a pale blue dot soaring across the vast ocean of darkness.
"The Goddess watches us from the Blue Sea Star," Seiros whispered. "It is from there that she watches over us, even when it is not visible. I descended from there myself to give the word of Sothis to the people of Fódlan."
"Sounds like you're an alien," Ashton said, half-jokingly.
"Ashton," Seiros said quietly, turning to Ashton. "How would you react if I told you that is not entirely untrue?"
"You said so yourself," Ashton said, blinking. "I pieced it together from Macuil's little spiel a while back that you aren't… well, that you aren't human. I've known all this time, Seiros, and I don't care. I still like you."
Seiros smiled and shook her head. "The truth is so much more complicated than that, my dear Ashton."
Seiros stood up suddenly, prompting Ashton to do the same.
"Allow me to show the first mark," Seiros said, gently parting the hair around her ears.
They were tapered to a point like a stereotypical elf's, but what came next nearly chilled Ashton's blood.
Seiros' eyes became slitted, barely perceptible in the darkness, but enough for Ashton to see. They looked like a reptile's eyes, and he had to stop himself from taking a step back.
"My name is Seiros," she said, her voice stern and deep. "last born of the Goddess Sothis. I am the Sky Dragon."
Ashton blinked as Seiros looked at him with such intensity that he felt he would collapse from trying to stand up to it.
After a few moments, during which Ashton regained his bearings, he had only one thing to say.
"That's really cool."
It was Seiros' turn to blink, confusion coloring her tone. "You are… in awe, correct?"
"I mean," Ashton began, "this is just- you were right, I was not expecting you to be humanoid dragon. Or maybe this isn't your true form, but this is- I think this honestly might make me love you more."
"Love?" Seiros sniffled. "You love me?"
"I-" Ashton stammered out before running a hand over his face. "I do, I think, yes. No, I know I do. I wouldn't let you kiss me all these times just because I think you're a good friend, you know? And I have always enjoyed our little talks, all the time we spend together, I treasure it, truly I do. You have made my time here worth it, whatever it means. How could I not love you?"
Ashton's words hung in the air as Seiros stared at him wide-eyed and with her mouth slightly ajar. He wondered for a few brief, frantic moments if he had come on too strongly before Seiros reached forward and grasped his hand and brought it up to her chest. Ashton could feel her heart beating.
"I know what this feeling is now," Seiros said, smiling even as tears trailed down her face. "I know it. I love you, too."
Whatever was holding Ashton back finally let up, and he rushed forward and, for the first time, initiated a kiss. They held each other there, among the grassy fields that surrounded Enbarr and below the stars for what felt like forever.
Pains me to say this, but this fic will probably go on a small break. Not for any important or awful reason, mind you, but because the Elden Ring brainrot is real and I do not think it'd be a good idea to churn out chapters for this fic while that's still going on.
This doesn't mean that this story is ending. God, no! I've put too much time into this series I've got here to truly ever give up on it. Just don't be surprised if there's no update next week. I'll probably resume once I'm finally done with Elden Ring, which'll probably be this weekend. Hope to see you whenever I update again!
Also, Ranni is best girl and I will fight you if you disagree.
Here's a link to our Discord server: discord .gg/9XG3U7a
See you guys later!