Day 7 of the Garland Moon
"So, Claude, let me go over this again really quickly. Petra and her grandfather will engage the Empire from the west, Dimitri and the Kingdom will engage to the East, and we march straight through the city due to their troops being so heavily spread?"Claude smirked and spoke again, "Yep. Glad we're on the same page. The Death Knight, Hubert, Arundel, and Edelgard are the ones left to lead. We take down their last four pillars, we win." Santaniel nodded, looking up to the people surrounding the table, meeting all their eyes.
His mind flashed back to their days at the Academy, the mock battle, the first real fight, the Battle of the Eagle and Lion… His heart swelled, "I'll be honest with you all. I'm terrified. But I know I'll be damned if we don't win, so let's go into the Empire and break them. For Fódlan!"
They mimicked his cheer and he grinned, 'My family is still here. I'll take her down guys. I promise.'
———
Day 20 of the Garland Moon
"Hey Anna." He slid into the bench next to her, "I need a favor, you know you owe me." She groaned, "Money or actual items?"
"Just some flower crowns, lilies and if you can, a crown of roses." She hummed and nodded, "Yep. I nearly forgot the festival was today. I have some lilies, and here's the roses. Sorry they're not in a flower crown." He smiled, "All good. Thanks Anna."
"No problem! Come again soon!" Santaniel rolled his eyes and hopped off the bench, on his way to finding Byleth.
———
He found him.
Santaniel poked Byleth in the side of the neck to bug him. "Aye dumbass. Give these to Hapi. She'll love them."
He handed him the rose bouquet and he nodded, "Say it's from you though. That'll drive it home." He observed Byleth walk off and Lysithea poked him in the back, "Playing matchmaker?"
"Yep. Also…" He placed the lilie crown on her head and she blushed, handing him a violet crown, "Thanks Lys."
He leaned down and met her lips, breaking away to glance around, "Looks like everyone is taking their chances at love this month. I don't blame them. Big battle coming up and they'll want to get it off their chest so they don't die with regrets. Good thing I won't."
Lysithea blushed and let him take her hand, "Idiot, you won't die."
"That's my line shortstack."
"I know."
———
Day 21 of the Garland Moon
"I won't tolerate obstacles." Edelgard plunged her axe into Santaniel's throat, his green blood coating the warm blade. She won.
The bodies of her former classmates surrounded her, Byleth was dead on the floor. She did it. She won-
Edelgard woke up in a cold sweat. A nightmare plaguing her memory. "If I can avoid bloodshed, I will. Though with Santaniel… I can't say he doesn't deserve to be angry…"
———
Day 28 of the Garland Moon
"Enbarr is so… Lifeless now."
He took in the scenery around him. He looked at the murky water, the dying trees and he ran his hand over a grimy window.
There wasn't a living soul in the outskirts of the territory, not even animals dared to be there. "This is the result of war. It's an ugly beast that needs to be put down. Thankfully we can march to the castle without fear now, let's move before Dimitri and Petra have to retreat. Charge!"
Santaniel let everyone pass and he took a gaze towards the white clouds overhead, "This is it. If I die you idiots better have some good food up there for me… Scratch that. If I die here, then I fail. Give me strength boys."
His wings unfurled out and his talons took the place of the Holy Twins, Leistrung became a poisonous sai on his tail and Sturmrufer formed silver horns on his head. He flicked his tail and was off, tackling a demonic beast out of the air and pinned it, gouging it's heart with his tail, screeching in pain as it died.
He took to the air again and dodged a fireball, losing a jet of fire into their artillery. 'One down!' He grunted as something took a chunk out of his wing, another turkey to carve.
———
Raphael blocked an arrow and drove his gauntlet into the ballista wielder, freeing it up for Ignatz. "All yours bud!" He caught a dagger in his hand and threw it back twice as hard, a flat copy of Xavien's grip and motions, piercing the assassin's throat.
Ignatz launched a bolt through the wings of a monster and it fell into the canal, they both cheered, but Raphael grabbed him and booked it back to the main forces as an orb of fire crashed down on the ballista.
———
"One of us will live… the other shall die…"
The Death Knight confronted Byleth and Claude, both relics humming with power. "Too bad it won't be you to live, won't it?" Claude loosed three quick shots and Byleth swept at his horse's legs with his sword, the thing jumping over gracefully and the arrows blocked by Lightning.
"You will die first." The horse lurched forward and he readied his scythe to bisect Claude, interrupted by Yuri and Balthus closing in and blasting through the man.
"Greetings from Abyss!"
"Now witness the heir of Nuvelle!"
Constance conjured up the spell Agnea's Arrow and it pierced his armor, crushing through Agarthium, a grunt of pain as he attempted to stand. "Dark Spikes T!"
———
"Not again-" The spell impacted and he screamed in pain, his soul leaving his body as his red eyes faded from the helmet's sockets.
"To live… to die… to know the one without the other is maddening…" They turned their attention to Santaniel who crashed down next to them with the wing of a demonic bird in his mouth, he spat it out and shrunk down to normal size. "Hey."
"Why'd you transform you idiot?!"
"Lys we're in the middle of a fight. We can argue later. Byleth, let's go and get Hubert. I have the wooden stake just in case." The mint haired man nodded and Santaniel gave Lysithea a small peck on the cheek, "If we don't come back, assume the worst and storm the castle. Get Seteth, Flayn, and Catherine ready to rock 'em alright?"
She nodded and Claude started carrying out the orders. Santaniel turned to Byleth with dual colored lights and a paralyzing gaze, "I'm ready."
They took off across the aqueducts, fluid motions to wipe out battalions in seconds. The weapon of Nemesis and one of the last Nabateans in existence working in harmony. "Up ahead!"
Santaniel pulled out his Brigid shield and deflected the Miasma, "Well, if it isn't the failure and the vassal of the goddess. I will get rid of you both for Her Majesty!" A slew of daggers flew from his cape and Santaniel casted a Ward to block them, 'Copying tricks eh?'
He broke away from Byleth for a moment to advance the lines, cutting down troops easily. He narrowly dodged Death and Mires, rolling underneath their landing spots, "Fire!"
He casted the spell and it crashed into the ground like a smokescreen in front of Hubert. He advanced and jumped at him, "Say goodnight asshole!" He slammed into his chest with his boot, knocking him to the ground.
———
"For her Majesty!" The black haired mage swallowed a Crest stone and growled as Santaniel narrowly avoided a claw swipe.
Hubert's eyes glowed bright blue and he recognized it as the Crest of the Beast, the same as Maurice. Santaniel had to take a risk, so he transformed and launched at his throat. He dragged him on the ground while flying at high speeds, taking a spray of acid into his face and some into his eyes.
"Gah-!" He ripped up the thing that used to be Hubert's armor and slammed the beast into the wall, wiping at his eyes frantically.
He narrowly dodged a bite to his tail and he cut at its face with his talons. "Watch out!" Santaniel flew up and crashed into a demonic bird, piercing it with his horns and turned it into a pile driver to finish off Hubert.
He disengaged and let Byleth finish them off with Ruptured Heaven. Santaniel flashed again and panted, his chest burning badly.
"Recover, please." He felt the light wash over him and his breathing returned to normal.
"Thanks. Let's get inside. We'll clear the way for them." The Professor nodded and they started up the steps, tearing into guards who attempted to stop them.
"Goddess be damned where does she get so many people to fight for her?!"
"Forced conscription."
"Wait that-"
"These were formerly civilians. But we can't afford to think about it now. We have a job to do." Santaniel nodded hesitantly and gripped his Holy Twins harder, a thick red aura surrounding them. The hum and warmth matched that of a bonfire.
"Let's get this done…" They crashed through the doors and Santaniel let loose a fire that tore through them, Byleth casted Aura and they kept it rolling, momentum picking up until they hit a giant beast with a thick, stone block mask.
"I got this. Cover me or get the rest of 'em." Byleth left him and Santaniel sighed as he stared up at the beast. He set the dragon gems into his armor and took a deep breath, "This'll hurt… Or fail. Let's hope it works." With a vile of blood in his hands, and the Crests set in, he flashed.
He grunted as his armor practically fused to his body. He let loose a tornado of fire into its face and the mask turned to magma, burning through its face and it yowled in horrific pain.
He pounded on the ground with his feet next and the castle floor widened under his command, dropping the beast to its death. He flashed again and counted it up, three times… This war was going to kill him, wasn't it?
He took out the Crests and gems, setting them in a small sack that held his amulet too. "All safe and sound."
———
Claude shot down a couple Wyvern riders, their bodies falling to the water below. "Damn idiots…" He found the last artillery, firing off bolts of lighting. "Strategy in motion, my friends!"
A flurry of arrows destroyed it, killing a majority of the troops around it as well, "That's all of 'em! Let's get ready." He hopped off his wyvern and saw Byleth running towards them, "Hey Teach, what's up?"
"Edelgard and Santaniel-" Lysithea didn't take a moment to wait, she was off on Devil before anyone could tell her not to.
———
"Hm. It seems Hubert has fallen."
"Seems you'll fall too." Santaniel tucked the amulet into his armor. He turned to Edelgard and she tossed down Arendbhar, bloody hand prints on its handle.
"Dimitri… You've taken too much from me Edelgard. You should know that. You've taken even more from the world."
"I have lost more than you could imagine."
"Yeah. Well. Seems we only have one thing left to lose now. Our lives. Come at me, you self entitled shit stain."
She stepped forward slowly, and they began to circle, Santaniel's axe dragging on the ground in the pattern. "You could have joined me Santaniel. We'd be unstoppable."
"The ally of my enemy, is my enemy. You work with the Agarthans, you took this path over my friend and family's graves. Let's see if mine lies over your's." They clashed once, metal tearing and Santaniel got nicked with Amyr, neon purple dripping to the floor. "You don't have much time left. You can still join me Santaniel."
"I'll join you in hell when I sever your head from your neck." He stomped and the circle ignited into flames, blowing her towards the center, drawing them closer.
Leistrung was in his hands now as he struck out at Edelgard. She ducked the strike and lunged at him with Amyr, the spikes impaling his armor and three different bloods painted the marble floors.
Santaniel grunted in pain but got a swipe in on Edelgard, a single slash across her face, drawing a thin red line of blood that bubbled due to the venom. "You'll lose this fight. You know that."
"I wouldn't keep talking unless you know you've won sweetheart…" He swung his sword overhead and met Amyr head on, the Venin blade shattering against the relic and sending out poisonous shrapnel, embedding itself into her arms. "Urgh, enough of this! I won't tolerate you being an obstacle!"
She swept his feet and slammed Amyr into his chest again, knocking the air out of him but it wasn't killing quite yet. "You have lost this fight. You are obsolete by design. You know this. Now. Give. Up."
Santaniel struggled back to his feet, purple blood pouring from the wound in his chest, "You think of me as a failure Edelgard, you exclaim you're better than me. You think I'm just another monster. Then what does that say about someone like you, when you can't even beat me at my WORST?!"
He lurched out at her with eyes glowing, scales covering his face, and Holy Twins soaked in his own blood, pure red gone and flowing through his veins.
He brought down one into her shoulder, another into her ribs. Santaniel head butted her and she staggered back, "You are merely an obstacle-"
"Yeah. You're one in my path too. NOW GET OUT OF MY WAY AND SHATTER LIKE GLASS." He crushed through her armor and threw her to the ground like a rag doll.
"Santaniel-"
"Lys-" He turned and felt a cut across his calf and he fell, Edelgard making a run at Lysithea, and he watched her pull her arm across her neck. "Don't move or I end her life and truly take everything you have."
"You don't have her. She has you."
"Wha-"
"HADES!"
"Rescue!" Santaniel grinned, looks like studying faith helped more than he thought.
He had faith in his family.
Lysithea teleported next to him and Edelgard got slammed down by the dark pillar of death, staggering to stand up. Their roles were now reversed. She picked up Amyr and ran at them, Santaniel flashed and caught the weakened strike in his talons, eyes aglow and burrowing into her soul.
He tossed her on the ground and stood over her, the same intensity in his eyes. Byleth came into the room, the rest of the Golden Deer streaming through.
"You made one mistake. That was attempting to take what I love." He placed his boot on her chest and she started to plead for mercy, something, anything to extend her life for another desperate attempt. "I-I have the cure ready-"
"Good. I'll give it to Lysithea. I didn't ask you to cut my path. I burnt it to the ground myself."
He looked up at Byleth, asking for permission. Byleth nodded grimly and, with a slow breath, he spoke again. "As executioner of the Archbishop, I sentence you to death. Repent in the flames."
He plunged a Holy Twin through her neck, fulfilling Dimitri's wishes of separating her sick head from her neck.
"Santaniel-"
He didn't hear any cries of victory or of Lysithea's worry. He only saw black and heard the ringing in his ears as he fell towards the floor, 'I'll live another couple months… but that took a lot out of me… For now, I rest…'
———
Midnight, Day 4 of the Blue Sea Moon
Santaniel groaned in pain as he woke up, his chest burning heavily. "Goddess, what happened…" He rubbed his forehead and got up, stumbling to the floor, he tried transforming his eyes to see but couldn't, guess that meant his amulet was off.
"I should still be able to cast magic, right? Wait. I'm using my right arm of course I can." He took a glance out the window and saw the night sky, a full moon in the middle of it, beautiful, silver stars surrounding, twinkling like diamonds. He summoned a small fire on his finger and lit the oil lamps in the infirmary, "How long was I out?"
He took off his shirt and glanced in the mirror.
Still purple. Still glowing. Still very little time left. How many times did he transform..? Five times? Six? Goddess be damned he lost ten weeks in a month.
He groaned loudly and deducted the total in his mind. He'd write it in his journal later.
"Who's there?"
"Take a guess." He rolled his eyes and put his shirt back on, "Go ahead and come in. Ain't going to bed any time soon anyways."
He turned away from the door and walked over to a wash basin, rubbing his face with the cold, clean water. The door creaked open and he heard them yawn, "Haven't heard your voice in a while."
"I know my child."
"You aren't my family. Never have been, never will Seiros. You can be if you tell me how to cure Lysithea of her Crest issues though." He turned around and met face to face with her. She didn't scare him anymore. Never will again either. "My child-"
"Stop calling me that. By the way you look now, it's evident that you should be resting, nor are you the Archbishop anymore, drop the child act. Now write down the last damn spells to do the surgery so I can move on with my forsaken life and so Linhardt doesn't kill me on accident."
"Santaniel. Please listen to me. We will be raiding the Agarthans at the end of the month, they are working on something that we must destroy. For the-"
Santaniel gave her a glare, "Don't say for the Goddess. This started out about the Goddess, it won't end that way. I'm sick of this religion, and I'm sick of the false teachings. Just quit the act."
She sighed and sat down, "Hand me a piece of paper and I shall fulfill your request. You deserve it more than anyone."
"Thank you. I won't call you aunt or cousin, but thank you Rhea. Lysithea means a lot to me. This'll allow me to save her." She gave him a genuine smile, just nodding her head. Santaniel offered his arm after she was done and he walked her back to her room.
He wasn't cured, he wasn't freed, and he'd be damned if he'd ever stop fighting. Just another month. That's all, right? He had this on lock, and all they had to do was kill a couple oil-blooded-barbarians to be over with.
He knelt in prayer to Sothis for the last time, "Please. Let me see over the rest of my life the way I see fit. If not, let Lysithea have a happy life for the both of us. Amen."
He'd never been devout, but after all this…
He needed some kind of faith to go somewhere, may as well be in his family.
———
Twenty Four Week Remain
Progress on Cure(s): 96%
Hey all. I tried padding out this chapter as much as possible, but there isn't much you can do in a war setting huh? Anyways, I have three more chapters until this little series is over! Enjoy it as much as you can, and the last chapter will be a more epilogue sort of thing, so yeah. Thales and Nemesis remain, let's see what happens shall we?