Ch25_The Dark Flier
Happy October everyone 🎃 and thank you to those who have left kudos, subscribed/bookmarked, and posted wonderful comments! I truly appreciate it Sometimes I go back and read the past comments too, they spark such such joy ✨ I hope you will like this chapter, again taking a few more liberties in the Ashen Wolves backstories
After being assured that the rest of her cubs were alright, Byleth strode back to the calm horse riding Valkyrie. She took note of the unusual gaze Sylvain had upon his face for he observed Hapi. As if the young woman was a particularly perplexing question on his examinations that he swore knew but couldn't summon the answer into existence. Hapi on the other hand, flat out ignored the cavalier as she turned her rubied eyed gaze towards the Professor.
"You should continue onwards or…" But Hapi's statement was too late as a young woman's haughty cackling filled the atrium of the chamber and descended down upon the Blue Lions.
A trio of Pegasi flyers swooped from the darkness above, the ringleader at the center was a young blonde woman wielding a fluffy purple fan in one hand and the reins of her pegasus in the other. "Hapi, be a dear and let Yuri know he doesn't need to wait long. I will make quick work of these miscreants!"
"An aerial team underground?" Ingrid balked at the very idea. "That can't be a healthy living situation for the pegasi!"
"How about we worry about that once we know our hides are safe!" Felix growled as he warily eyed the pegasi. "Ashe, think you can take them all out?"
"I'll do my best," Ashe replied with a determined look as readied his bow. But something felt off with how unperturbed the pegasi riders were when Ashe nocked his bow... something was wrong …
The Blue Lions were so focused on the aerial display that they were caught off guard by the incoming reinforcements that now blocked the entrance to the tunnel behind them.
"Ahahaha!" The blonde young woman laughed derisively at the students' looks of alarm. "Oh, it would behoove you to watch your backs," she added as she wafted her fan while the Blue Lions were surrounded. "See, underestimate the denizens of the Abyss and it won't end well for you!"
"Oh no!" Ashe gasped as his bow slackened. "I knew something didn't feel right!"
"Blue Lions, regroup!" Byleth commanded. "New formation, Mercedes, Anette, Dorothea, and Ashe focus on the Pegasi, keep them off us."
"Mercedes? Anette?" Constance repeated as her eyes followed the two young women below. Constance nearly dropped her fan for below her stood two old classmates from Fhirdiad Royal School of Sorcery. She had been so focused on the Professor that she had completely missed the presence of her, quite frankly, very talented former sorcery classmates. No! Constance would show them how much she had grown into her powers. She had always had an affinity for magic, though her own spells were a little...unique...
"Tremble in fear at my magical might!" Constance announced as she fanned herself with gusto.
The two must have finally recognized her for they froze in place and stared up at the Dark Flier with widened eyes.
"Constance? Constance von Nuvelle?" Annette gasped with eyes growing wide with surprise.
"My, you've come very far Constance," Mercedes remarked kindly.
"I have indeed," Constance replied proudly with a flick of her fan.
"Especially from the spell that gives tea a rainbow shine," Annette added as she tapped her cheek in recalling the memories of Constance's unique, but non-utilitarian spell.
"I remember that spell. It was quite cute," Mercedes smiled warmly at the memory.
"Ahem!" Constance cleared her throat, "I have learned many more potent spells since then! Now as I said, tremble!" And with a sharp flick of her fan holding wrist the Dark Flier proclaimed, "Sagittae!" A dozen arrows formed from luminous light hovered above Constance's blond head, before rapidly bombarding the target.
"Oh my. She has definitely come a long way from rainbow shimmers," Mercedes mused as she headed under cover.
"I think I prefer the rainbow shimmers!" Annette squeaked as she ducked behind a pillar.
"Her laugh makes her sound a little...unhinged…" Dorothea grimaced as she peered around her cover.
"Well, who knows how long she has been down here," Mercedes sighed.
"Ashe, I think we can get you an opening!" Annette strategized after peeking around the pillar.
Meanwhile Constance and her aerial squad hovered wearily. "Damnation, they have an archer amongst them," Constance cursed from behind her fan, though she did not drop her air of confidence. She had to ensure the archer was not given a window of opportunity.
"Fimbulvetr!" Constance cried out as several sharp icicles formed around her, and were hurled down to the ground towards the Blue Lions's hiding spot. The blonde thought she had everything under control, until a brunette with a cap upon her head, leapt from the behind pillar and let loose a cone of crackling fire that melted the icicles into droplets.
Leaping to the brunette's side was Anette, and she had her tome open to her favorite page for the spell, "Gale!" A tempest of a wind swept forth from the tome and crashed into the trio of pegasi forcing them to scatter.
Constance and her fliers would have returned to their aerial formation, had arrow after arrow not shot at them. Ashe's arrows were close, but it seemed like he couldn't manage to strike true...
"Ah Ha! You missed!" Constance proclaimed confidently as she gleefully fanned herself.
"Did I?" Ashe remarked innocently, but there was a small knowing smile upon his lips. Ashe's fellow classmates exchanged curious glances between each other, until chunks of rocks began to rain down upon the pegasi. Ashe had been aiming at the last remnant of a pillar hovering above the aerial enemy, and soon larger slabs of ancient stone forcing the pegasi to land and surrender to the Blue Lions who surrounded them with their tomes at the ready.
Constance groaned as she surveyed the mages and archer, "It's not that I'm defeated so much as that I am temporarily grounded." The Dark Flier stubbornly pointed out with pursed lips as she snapped her violet fan closed.
"Just as strong willed as I remember," Mercedes remarked kindly, causing Constance to release a loud huff, though her cheeks slightly blushed.
Truth be told, Constance was greatly pleased to see her two old classmates. Mercedes and Annette had been kind to her at Fhirdiad School of Sorcery. Yet there was one individual who stood in the way of what could have been a more happy reunion...Yuri...
More of a mini chapter for Constance von Nuvelle and to get me back into Fire Emblem 3 Houses. I have been nostalgic lately and re-playing Fire Emblem Awakenings 😁
I hope you like the little addition of her being an old classmate of Annette's and Mercedes's from the Fhirdiad School of Sorcery, though I believe cannon has her graduating one year prior to their enrollment. I hope to expand upon their past history.