For a long while, Ashton found that he could not speak, and likewise, Arawn refused to say a single thing after his initial greeting.
The simple bow in Ashton's hands fell to the ground with a dull 'thud', and he completely forgot about everything save for his fully grown son in front of him. When last he saw Arawn, he was only a few years shy of his tenth birthday. Even back then, his heritage had shown, what with his pointed ears and dark green hair. The man that stood in front of Ashton then shared many of the same characteristics, obviously; pointed ears easily visible, poking out through his dark green hair, slightly tanned skin - the only thing that had changed were his facial features, which had matured into a shape that almost resembled Ashton's own, though Arawn's face was a little more angular, with higher cheekbones. Seiros' influence, no doubt.
All while Ashton scanned his son's face, he could see the subtle changes in it as the silence between them grew longer. His lips began trembling, and his brow furrowed in what Ashton assumed to be frustration. Not even the birds continued to chirp, as if in reverence to what was about to happen.
Not knowing whether that was the right word to describe it or not, Ashton finally swallowed the growing pit in his stomach and spoke.
"Hello," he said simply, waving. "Er, it is a lovely evening, is it not?"
Arawn's brows raised in incredulity before he scowled. "Yes. I suppose it is."
Then they were silent again, and Ashton realized that he was likely not going anywhere anytime soon.
Arawn rubbed the bridge of his nose. "This is not at all how I thought this was going to go."
"It's polite to greet each other, right?" Ashton asked, feeling a bit dense for saying something so stupid, in his mind.
"Perhaps, but we are not simply two strangers who have chanced upon each other on the road, are we?" Arawn asked, crossing his arms. "We both know who the other is, but all the same, we may as well be strangers I suppose."
"Arawn, I-"
Arawn held up a hand. "I do not want to hear an apology from you, for you are not the one who should be apologizing. This is through no fault of your own, and I have had over a thousand years to mourn the man I thought died all those years ago. And yet now, you stand before me, and I know not what to think. Whether I should curse you or mother for what has happened, or if I should curse nobody at all."
"If there is anyone you should curse, have it be Nemesis," Ashton finally said, a ball slowly growing in his throat. "He's the one who…"
Arawn shook his head. "I could blame a dead man, yes, but that would not - I mean to say, it would not be… satisfactory."
Ashton shook his head. "That is life, though."
"You are living proof of that, hmm?" Arawn mused.
"Arawn, we can keep talking in circles for the next hundred years if we wanted. We both have the time, don't we?" Ashton finally said. "I still remember that promise I made to you, before we left to face Nemesis' forces to the far east. No apology I could come up with will ever mend this relationship. I know that much. And I know that-"
"Father, your propensity to speak even when it is not necessary has not changed," Arawn said, interrupting Ashton. "Much about you has not changed, but then again, that only makes sense for a man recently resurrected. Looking at you now, I almost feel a thousand years younger."
"You're talking so calmly, I can't- I cannot-" Ashton rubbed his forehead as he turned away. "You can't believe it has gone this way? Well, neither can I, now. This is not at all how I thought this was going to happen. You're so calm. I expected you to come in screaming, shouting, enraged, but that is not what I see. What happened in those thousand years, Arawn?"
"More than I can explain in a brief exchange of words," Arawn replied coolly. "I have been seen as a king, a pauper, a god, and a devil all throughout my travels. I have seen beyond what lies in this fragile land, and I… well, perhaps some things were better left where they laid."
"I mean, I…" Ashton ran a hand across his forehead, feeling the sweat pour down his brow. "So much crap has happened in all that time, and not just for you, I guess. Seiros is- your mother has not said much about it yet, and she doesn't know you're here so I can only assume that you two are not on great terms."
"I see she has not spoken of it yet, or if she has, she has kept much from you," Arawn sighed, "I should have known. That woman loves her secrets."
"She told me everything before I, er, was frozen," Ashton said, "it is only a matter of time before she does so again."
"Indeed? Has she told you of your granddaughter?" Arawn asked pointedly.
Ashton felt his stomach seize up at that. It was as if Arawn had backhanded him, and Ashton went stumbling backward as he wiped his brow again. Taking a deep breath, Ashton tried to find the strength to speak again.
"I-" Ashton shook his head. "I don't know why she wouldn't tell me of that, unless she didn't know. But she hasn't been out of captivity for long. She would have told me after a little more time, I am sure."
"Maybe you are right. I came to see you, that much is obvious, and now that I have… I cannot tell if I am disappointed or amused. Nay, disappointed is not the right word. To be disappointed now would mean I was always disappointed. You have not changed. You really are everything I remember you as, the good and the bad."
"I cannot tell if that is good or not, but nonetheless, I can tell what you're trying to do, and you will not succeed at it," Ashton replied, crossing his arms. "Why not return to camp with me, Arawn? It must have been difficult to find us."
"Not as difficult as you would imagine. The smoke from your fires could be seen for miles while you were on the plains," Arawn said, "and what kept the Imperials from finding you was your swift retreat. Had you left a day sooner, you would have had to contend with soldiers almost every step of the way."
"You have not answered my question," Ashton pointed out. "Come with me."
"I fail to see what talking to that woman will accomplish."
"'That woman' is your mother, and she has already told me of her mistakes, at least about what led to you leaving. I do not blame you for that. Perhaps if I had not been… incapacitated, this would not have happened. We would have left Enbarr once Nemesis was destroyed, let the people of Adrestia discover their own destiny, and we would have led simple, happy lives. But that didn't happen, and here we are."
Once Ashton was done with his small speech, Arawn bowed his head.
"And here we are," Arawn repeated.
"You have already helped us, and despite all the time that has passed, you are still my son," Ashton said, moving forward and placing his hand on Arawn's shoulder. Arawn looked as if he was about to back away from the sudden contact before simply letting it happen. "I am not saying everything can be fixed this evening. And as I said, perhaps it will never be fixed. But I am willing to try. You said I have not changed since last you saw me and, well, I intend to prove that correct. Come. Follow me. It will be difficult, but we can get through this."
"Father, you are…" Arawn wiped at his eyes. "You are a strange man. Has anyone ever told you that?"
"As far as I know, it runs in the family," Ashton replied proudly, slapping himself in the chest lightly with a grin on his face. "So you are likely as strange as I am. And considering what you said earlier about being everything from a pauper to a king, I think you also already know that."
"Fine, then. I should have known better than to underestimate your words. You were able to marry a being such as Seiros, after all," Arawn said, "and without that, I would not be here. Lead the way, then. I will follow."
The sky continued to darken as Ashton and Arawn made their way through the dense forest that the group had sought shelter in. Arawn's words from earlier held true, and it wasn't until Ashton beheld the small pillar of smoke trailing lazily into the sky that he realized how stupid they were, and how lucky they were. The fact an Imperial patrol hadn't arrived to catch them or at least question them was a miracle.
Of course, Ashton had no doubt they would be able to fight their way through most of what the Adrestian Empire could throw at them but he wanted to leave Adrestia as quickly and quietly as possible, and disturbing the peace with battle was one sure-fire way to gather attention.
The smell of roasting meat reached Ashton's nose as he and Arawn broke into the camp proper. While Ashton did not succeed in catching anything to eat for obvious reasons, the others had better luck. What was disconcerting to Ashton were the bones he saw strewn about the place. The bones of a full grown buck and not a human, thankfully, but it was odd, and most of them were still dark with blood.
When Ashton and Arawn arrived, only two people moved their heads up to see them. Seiros' green eyes peered at them from the far edge of the camp, and Cethleann's gaze was nearby, around the fireplace everyone else had gathered around.
Ashton felt Arawn shift uncomfortably beside him.
"Everyone," Ashton began, gathering everyone's attention. "I am pleased to say that we have fulfilled our objective. Beside me stand the Champion of ages past, the man who fought through the War of Heroes and the namesake behind the statue before Garreg Mach. His name is Arawn, and he is my son."
The reactions were about what Ashton suspected. Felix's face twisted momentarily into a vicious grin, though Ashton knew that the noble scion wouldn't try anything. Not at that moment, at least. Leonie raised a brow, looking Arawn up and down before shrugging. Catherine stood up fully, her hand on Thunderbrand's grip. Ashton thought he knew Catherine better than to threaten to unsheathe her relic, but apparently he was mistaken. Seiros and Cethleann, however, had already watched them arrive, and with Ashton's announcement, Cethleann surged forward and wrapped her arms around Arawn's midsection.
Though Cethleann was older than Arawn, nobody would be able to tell from looking at them. It was almost comical looking at them.
"I hope you know the trouble we have gone through looking for you!" Cethleann chided, disengaging from her awkward-looking cousin as he rubbed the back of his neck. "We have traveled the width and breadth of Fódlan to find you!"
"We traveled across much of the western half, but we never went further north than Lake Teutates," Ashton chimed in, "she's exaggerating."
"She tends to do that when she is upset, I know," Arawn replied, "it is good to see you too, Cethleann. It… it almost seems as if you haven't aged a day as well."
"That does not surprise me. I have been… sleeping, for lack of a better term. I trust you know what I mean by that, cousin?" Cethleann asked, playing with her hands.
Arawn nodded before his attention was drawn to Seiros.
Ashton could never recall Seiros looking so small. Beside the fact that she was simply a tall woman, there had always been an air of grandeur to her, even in their most intimate moments. There was a pride to her that Ashton felt drawn to. But in that moment, faced with her son that she had not seen for well over a thousand years, and all that pride had vanished. She had become nothing more than a woman, rather than Saint Seiros, or Archbishop Rhea, or the Immaculate One.
"Hello, mother," Arawn finally said, his voice coming out disjointed and awkward. "I would have preferred we spoke without others present, or indeed, without being threatened by the remnants of our brethren."
The last part came out almost like a bitter curse, and was clearly aimed at Catherine, whose hand was still on Thunderbrand's handle. Seiros turned to lightly glare at Catherine, and her deathgrip on her sword relaxed.
"They do not know who you are, my… son," Seiros said quietly. "Though legends of the Champion of Seiros have been passed down from generation to generation, what he looked like has been lost to the ages."
"A great many things have been lost to the ages, it seems," Arawn stated, his gaze still fixed on Catherine's relic, before switching to stare at Felix's Aegis Shield. "Including the disdain we held for desecrating the dead."
The camp went quiet at that. Ashton took it upon himself to speak up and break the silence.
"Times change," he said, moving forward until he stood by Seiros' side. The small glance she gave him told him that she was grateful for the support, however small. "It has been a thousand years, as has been said a hundred times. And I will not deny the effectiveness of these weapons. I want to give Seiros the benefit of the doubt, Arawn. And I will not patronize you and say that you should to, but I do believe she should be given the chance to explain herself."
"Indeed. Perhaps that is the way this must be," Arawn said, crossing his arms. "I have already saved you once, so maybe some part of me still cares for you as my mother, but make no mistake; the mother I knew died alongside you, father."
Seiros looked down at that. "These Relics… what would you have me do with them, Arawn? Half of the continent saw Nemesis as a hero king, regardless of his actual nature. Sealing away the weapons would have simply made them treasures, ready to be reclaimed by a vengeful descendant. What was I to do, Arawn? Tell me. I may not be able to turn back the hands of time, but I am willing to hear how I could have done better."
"And why do you think some saw Nemesis as a hero?" Arawn asked pointedly, his brow furrowing. "You may have blocked the realities of the war from your mind, but I have not. I can still remember the smell of burnt flesh on the wind, the sounds of those damned to the eternal flame in your endless quest for vengeance. To some, mother, you must have seemed like the monster that Nemesis had to slay."
"Were it that they knew what the man had done? My mother, your grandmother, was slaughtered ruthlessly right in front of my eyes. Countless of our kin were butchered all so that a select few could harness their power for themselves. It is… it is only by my will, and by my belief in mother's teachings, that Fódlan has not become a wartorn wasteland like the Valley of Torment," Rhea said, her voice gaining strength with each word. "If I had not done what I had done, then others would have taken the Relics, and used them to conquer and destroy just as Nemesis had. By making them a gift instead of a curse, I ensured that they would only be used in defense, not in wanton murder."
Arawn blinked, looking down at Seiros from the bridge of his nose before he let out a sigh and nodded. "Very well. Those are agreeable reasons, I suppose, though I still do not like the look the woman beside you is giving me."
Ashton turned to see Catherine giving Arawn a murderous glare, only to back away once it was pointed out.
"I am not a Nabatean, but I fought against the Elites during the war, and I do not much like the Relics either. But they are useful weapons in the current time, regardless of their origins, and those who wield them are not the Elites of old. Everyone I have met who uses them only uses it for the betterment of others," Ashton said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Of course, that could always change, as I have only met three bearers of the Relics."
"Edelgard is said to use one, if that changes your mind," Felix chimed in, "though it's not one I've ever seen before. Apparently it's an axe. Almost looks like a jawbone, according to reports."
"I see the Fraldarius line has gone on to produce someone with… acceptable survival instincts," Arawn said, turning his gaze to look at Felix. "You have had your eyes trained on me from the moment my father and I breached the camp. Tell me, do you know anything of the shield you carry upon your back? Do you know of the Elite Fraldarius, and her dread pegasus?"
Felix shrugged. "I don't really care for lineage or anything like that. I could tell from the moment you entered the clearing that you were a threat if things went wrong, and judging by the mess you made in Enbarr, I am completely right."
"Indeed, and all the rest of you, you are survivors. I can see that. Although there is one among you that I beheld at Enbarr, yet do not see now. Where is the one with the long purple hair?" Arawn asked, scanning the camp.
Ashton's brows raised. "That would be Shez, the mercenary. She's either captured, dead, or still out hunting if she has not come back yet."
"Or she got lost. She's terrible with maps," Leonie chimed in.
"She wouldn't even need a map. She probably got lost trying to navigate the wilderness. She better have brought something back," Felix said.
"I see," Arawn nodded, "Nonetheless, you are all fighters. That is good, because what comes after this will be fraught with danger and death."
Ashton blinked, tilting his head as he stared at Arawn. "Come again?"
Arawn waved a hand. "I can explain a little, but much of what I know would simply fly over your head as of now. That is not a question of intelligence; you simply do not have the context necessary for me to put everything in a simple frame. I will tell you now, however, that had I not undertaken a… journey, I would not be here to help or save you. I have seen beyond the veil, and there is nothing but monsters. They cannot be allowed inside. And when the time comes, we will go home."
Seiros' iron gaze softened. "Zanado is a ruin."
"I almost expected you to rebuild it, but that is not what I meant," Arawn said, "I mean the world father is from. The place that gave birth to him, and thus resulted in me. Such things as these are not relevant for now, though. Just know that I will continue to fight at your side, despite my misgivings. I will give you a chance to prove yourself to me, mother. Prove to me that you are the woman father fell in love with, and the woman who taught me how to fight for what is right in the name of Sothis."
Seiros was quiet at Arawn's proclamation. It was as if the entire forest itself had gone silent as well, with not even the distant chirping of crickets to break up the endless stretch of noiselessness. Finally, after a small eternity, Seiros spoke.
"I only hope I can live up to such a high expectation," Seiros said, visibly swallowing afterward before continuing. "I tried to govern the Church and guide Fódlan toward a better future in mother's absence, but I have seen what my guidance has wrought: a world of inequality and unnecessary hardship, a far cry from the olden days, where humanity and the Nabateans prospered side by side. Arawn, my son… again, I hope I can live up to your expectations. Know this: I will see this conflict through to the end. Fódlan will be at peace once again, and those that slither in the dark will finally be put to rest."
Arawn barked a small laugh, turning to the side for a moment before refocusing on Seiros. "Your words echo in eternity, mother. Such a long title, you would think a five-year-old came up with it. I would pray that your words hold true in the coming months, but praying has not done much good for me."
Ashton's lips thinned. "That is a, er, a shame."
"So, then. Mother knows of the threat we face," Arawn said, ignoring Ashton for the moment. "Those who- no, I am not going to refer to them like that. That name enrages my soul. We shall call them… Agarthans. For that is what they are."
"Agarthans…" Seiros whispered. "I had thought them all destroyed long ago, but in retrospect, their survival has been evident. The civil war that resulted in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus' formation, all of the events at the Officers Academy five years ago - I have been blind."
"Alright, enough, slow down. You're all speeding right by us," Leonie stated, marching up to the group. "Agarthans? The civil war? None of this makes sense to any of us, you know. Well, maybe the civil war part to Felix."
"You mean to tell me that King Loog was, what an Agarthan?" Felix asked, "I don't even know what that is."
Seiros shook her head. "Loog himself was not an Agarthan. I spoke to him personally. He had a tactician, however. A mysterious man by the name of Pan who I had never once seen, and when the Church mediated the separation of Faerghus from Adrestia, I never heard of him again. I had thought him as simply a recluse, but…"
"The Agarthans are… goddess, could it really be them? I remember pale skin and glowing lines…" Cethleann murmured. "Seiros, you remember. I was taken below the academy and- I do not wish to think of it, but they drew blood from me, and left me in the care of the Death Knight. What could they possibly need my blood for?"
"Before we are set any more off track - the Agarthans. I know nothing of them, but considering how you three speak of them," Ashton pointedly stared at Seiros, Cethleann, and Arawn. "They deserve to be eradicated."
"A rather harsh judgment, father, but one that I do not disagree with," Arawn said, sighing as he nodded. "They are, in simple terms, a remnant of a remnant. I met a pair of women out there who were failed experiments of theirs, shall we say, and I have come to see them as the greatest threat to the people of this continent and beyond, simply by dint of their own instability. It does not matter where they came from; if you so wish, you may ask either me or mother at a later time. For now, all that matters is that they live underground, have deathly pale skin and ailing, augmented bodies, and despise all surface dwellers regardless of origins."
"Edelgard and her servant spoke of them often," Seiros said, "They work with her, but I do not believe it is a natural or easy alliance to maintain. If the Empire were to fall, and their strongholds located…"
"I believe there is only one, main stronghold," Arawn said, "that will do as a milestone for now."
"Then the way ahead is obvious," Ashton said, clapping his hands. "Before we went into Enbarr, I sent a letter to Byleth about our progress. With luck, he has already sent a response. From here, we head to the village of Remire, and follow whatever it is he has outlined for us. In the meantime, it is getting late. Let us rest for now, and get a head start on the morning-"
Just as Ashton finished his speech, a rustling from nearby interrupted him. Everyone turned toward the noise, hands on their weapons just in case it was the prelude to an Imperial ambush.
A moment later, Shez exited the undergrowth, cursing under her breath as she held a few rabbits by the back legs in her hands. Rubbing a few twigs out of her long hair, she looked up and her one visible eye widened.
"Uh," she began, "did I miss something important?"
"Seiros, before we head out, I need to ask you something."
It was the morning after Arawn had revealed himself and joined their group, and Ashton could not find it in himself to get much sleep. There had been something bothering him, something that he had suppressed up until he was left alone with his thoughts. He needed to know if Seiros knew about it, and had kept it from him. If she had, he swore to himself he would not become angry; truthfully, he didn't know why it would, but the pressure in his chest remained, threatening to spill out if he received an answer he didn't like.
Ashton hated it, and it had become something of a common occurrence for him.
All throughout the night, it had lingered at the back of his mind, even as he felt Seiros press against him in her sleep. Arawn had a daughter at some point. Ashton was, or had been, a grandfather, and he didn't even know it. Knowing how long Arawn had lived, it was likely Ashton could be someone's ancestor, like the people of Greece where his mother came from, although his memory of such a place even existing were fragmentary and fading.
When Seiros looked at Ashton, her gaze instantly shifted. A moment before, her eyes had been soft, with naught a hint of fear in them. But when Ashton finished speaking, it was as if she was preparing for the worst, like she was expecting for something to go wrong just from a simple conversation. The others were out and about, but just like always, they did not see fit to pay them any mind, although Arawn made it a point to look at them several times, as if to remind them he was watching.
"Ask, then. I will answer to the best of my abilities," Seiros replied, her tone sharp and cold.
Ashton took a deep breath, praying to the goddess that he was not about to make a terrible mistake by asking a simple question.
"I spoke to Arawn, before we came back. You probably already suspected as such, but he said something that has been gnawing at me ever since," Ashton began.
Seiros was silent, as if preparing herself.
"He mentioned that he had a daughter," Ashton finally said, and Seiros' pale skin paled further still. "I can tell from your reaction that you already knew. Or maybe you are just surprised."
Seiros' lips pressed into a thin line for a moment before she sighed. "So many secrets I have kept for so long, my dear Ashton, and I forget which ones I have revealed and which ones I have kept."
"What was her name?" Ashton asked, keeping his voice level. "I just- I am a grandfather, am I not? Such a weird thing. I may be over a thousand years old, but I am merely in my early thirties. Not unheard of, but considering Arawn's age as well…"
Ashton stopped, lost in his own thoughts for a moment as the rays of the sun peeked through the leaves of the trees that surrounded them.
"Her name… her name was Sitri," Seiros replied.
An entire lifetime passed in front of Ashton's eyes, as if he was witnessing the remnants of a life that could have been.
"She arrived one day at the gates of Garreg Mach," Seiros continued, sounding as if even speaking of it caused her great pain. "She was diseased and frail. She would not survive for more than a week, even with the best clerics I could summon. And so I…"
"Seiros, please," Ashton said, moving his hand forward and grasping hers. "I would hear all of this. I need to."
"I performed a ritual that implanted my mother's crest stone in place of her heart," Seiros finally said, looking as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "I would not lose her, not after losing everything. She claimed to be my granddaughter, and I could tell she had our blood flowing through her veins. Despite my failures in the past, she lived, though she was never strong. Her illness had done permanent damage to her body."
Ashton wiped at his eyes. "And where is she now?"
"Ashton…"
"I need to hear this, please," Ashton whispered. "I need to. I want to face it."
"She," Seiros began, swallowing visibly before looking down. "She died soon after giving birth to her son. That same son now harbors the power of Sothis. You know him as the professor."
"I…" Ashton chuckled humorlessly to himself. "So, all this time, I have been a great grandfather to the man who now leads half the continent in a war, alongside a bestial prince? That's- goddamn it all, that's almost comical."
Seiros' grip on his hand tightened. "Is this funny to you?"
"No!" Ashton nearly snapped, holding himself back at the last minute. "This isn't funny at all. Nothing about this is funny. But I'm still sitting here chuckling like a fucking idiot anyway, aren't I?"
"I understand this is a lot for you to hear right now," Seiros said, "and I can understand if, after this, you want nothing to do with me. A lie of omission is still a lie, after all, and you deserve to hear the truth."
"I'm not sure if this truth was worth hearing, but I guess I'm the one who went looking for it, huh?" Ashton mused, rubbing his chin before sighing. "The others will start asking questions the longer we sit here whispering between us. I need a minute."
"Ashton, I-"
"I said I need a minute, okay?" Ashton said, standing up. "I just… I just need a minute. Just one minute. One minute and I'll be fine. Alone."
Seiros didn't protest. Her gaze was planted firmly in the ground as Ashton walked away, ignoring the people who called his name as he plunged himself into the forest.
There we go. A slightly longer Chapter than usual as an apology for last time lol. I'm recovering just fine, in case anyone was wondering. My mouth is still a little tender though.
And there we have it. The prodigal son returns, what will he do, and how badly will the twist in this chapter go with people? I'm curious about that as I write this the day before posting. I guess there's only one way to find out lol.
Anyway, see you guys next time!