Time for more singing.

Chapter 40 – Hymnos (Lone Moon)

Madame Jiayi slowly paced her way through the halls of the monastery as soldiers, monks and others went about their day, opting to stay indoors due to the weather. Despite the onset of spring, winter was still making itself known with another blizzard that blanketed Garreg Mach in another white coat of snow. Many in the monastery could be found huddling around hearth fires or warming themselves with tea.

As she continued her walk, with no one paying her any mind, she heard a familiar voice singing in the audience chamber.

camma i a testa i mente

sambara mi adisimo

camma i a testa i noche

celsata i madisia

kan ye kan ye kan ye ayaye

i solai mi madisimo

i cella di vi noche

kan ye kan ye kan ye ayaye

i solai mi madisimo

i cella di adisia

The words were instantly recognizable to Jiayi, who smiled as she walked to the entrance to the audience chamber. Inside, Byleth and Dorothea were alone as the diva sang for the Archbishop, the greenette smiling at the brunette's melody.

kan ye kan ye kan ye ayaye

i solai mi madisimo

i cella di vi noche

kan ye kan ye kan ye ayaye

i solai mi madisimo

i cella di adisia

As Dorothea finished, Byleth said, "You've gotten better at singing."

"You think so?" asked Dorothea. Byleth nodded, so Dorothea smiled and said, "Would you like to hear anything else?"

Before Byleth could ask, Jiayi stepped into the audience chamber and said, "Isn't this a surprise? I haven't heard that Hymn in a long time."

Dorothea and Byleth turned to Jiayi as the singer said, "Madame Jiayi. You know that song?"

"Of course, Miss Arnault. I told you before that I am a subject expert on the art of Hymnos."

"Was that song really a Hymn?" asked Byleth.

"Yes. Not one of the more destructive ones, but it's a Hymn, nonetheless. The old name has been lost to time, I'm afraid. But speaking of Hymns, I heard that you, Miss Arnault, made use of the Grand Blizzard Sonata in Ailell. Is this true?"

"Yes, I did," answered Dorothea. "I know you told me not to use it, but–"

"I never said anything about not using it. I simply cautioned you to use it wisely. And it appears you did so."

"Oh, um, thank you, Madame Jiayi."

At that moment, Anna entered the chamber and said, "There you are, By. Shamir was looking for you. She'll be in the entrance hall."

"I'd better see what she wants," Byleth said to Dorothea.

"As for myself, I think I will peruse the library for something to pass the time," said Jiayi.

Both turned to leave, but stopped when Dorothea said, "Wait, Madame Jiayi? Can I ask a favor of you?" The other three women turned to Dorothea, who paused for a moment before asking, "Could… could you teach me how to use some Hymns?"

Jiayi did not appear surprised at this request, though Anna and Byleth were both confused.

"Wait a sec, you wanna learn Hymnos?" asked Anna.

"It's just… I ended up making such a big difference at Ailell. If I hadn't used the Grand Blizzard Sonata, we'd have lost Judith and her army to Gwendel. And I want to do my part to bring this war to an end, so I just thought I'd… well…" Dorothea trailed off, fearing Jiayi disliked her reason.

"You wish for me to teach you some of the most powerful magic known to man?" said Jiayi, prompting Dorothea to nod. "You are not the first one to ask me such a request."

"She isn't?" asked Byleth.

"I have taught several in the art of Hymnos over the years, yet not all of them have used it responsibly. Some allowed the power to corrupt them, despite their noblest of intentions. Hymnos is not simply dangerous because of the kind of destruction it can unleash, but for how it can change its wielder. There is an old adage that 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'. It can so very readily be applied to those who sing the ancient Hymns."

"But you said you're an expert on the subject, right?" asked Anna. "Wouldn't that mean you'd–"

"Just because I know a great deal about the art does not mean I put my knowledge into practice so readily," Jiayi interrupted. "To wield these Hymns without losing oneself to their power requires a strong will, and you have already shown yourself susceptible. Their misuse can easily lead to dire consequences, if not necessarily for the wielder."

"Oh, I see…" said Dorothea. "My apologies, Madame Jiayi. I didn't realize you would be so unwilling to teach them."

Jiayi smiled at this and said, "I did not say I was unwilling to teach. I merely wished to caution you to the dangers of learning such an ancient art. However, if you are willing to brave such risks and prove that you are strong enough to master their power, and not let them master you, I would be more than happy to educate you on a few Hymns."

"You would?"

"I can tell you are someone who earnestly wishes to use them for good, Dorothea Arnault. I've seen you about the monastery, generously aiding those around you. You wear your heart on your sleeve and have plenty of heart to spare."

Dorothea turned to Byleth and Anna, both who smiled in agreement with Jiayi.

"So, will you teach me?"

"I will, but not this day. I will need an appropriate space to teach you, preferably where you won't cause too much damage if something should go awry."

"There's the underground arena in Abyss," said Anna. "Would that be good?"

"I will need to see this arena first, Miss Anna. Would you care to show me the way?"

"Sure thing. Follow me."

"In the meantime, Miss Arnault, I would like for you to dwell on what I have told you. Think hard on it."

Dorothea nodded at this, prompting Jiayi to follow Anna out of the audience chamber.

As they left, Byleth turned to Dorothea and asked, "Dorothea, are you sure you want to learn Hymnos from her?"

"Yes, I do. I know it's risky, but we need every advantage we can get against the Empire. This is something I know I can do, Byleth."

"I hope you're right. But please, be careful, okay?" Dorothea nodded, so Byleth said, "I'd better go see to Shamir. I'll see you at the dining hall later."

Byleth left Dorothea alone in the audience chamber, letting the diva ponder over the choice she had just made. In truth, she was a little nervous about learning such powerful magic. But if they could turn the tide of the war and help stop the Empire, she was willing to take the risk.

…

"So, do you think this will do?" asked Anna.

Looking around the arena, Jiayi said, "This will suffice. Just know that I don't plan to teach Miss Arnault some of the more destructive Hymns. She can surely get by with the ones I have in mind."

"Speaking of which, Madame Jiayi, can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Miss Anna?"

"I found this scroll a while back in northern Faerghus. I think it might be a Hymn Scroll, but I don't know what it's for."

"I see. Show me the scroll."

Anna reached into her belt pouch and pulled the scroll out. Upon unraveling it, Anna saw Jiayi's smile quickly become a concerned frown.

"Aiyah…" said Jiayi. "You've come across one of the nastier ones. I hope you haven't tried singing it yourself."

"Err, well…" Anna said sheepishly. Sighing, she then said, "Once or twice, but I never got it to work."

"That is for the best, then. This Hymn is known these days as the Dirge of Armageddon."

"Dirge of Armageddon? What does it do?"

Jiayi paused for a moment before solemnly answering, "It is a song that will burn the very sky, and everything beneath it, with fire and brimstone. I've seen this Hymn used but once. The city around its wielder, and everyone within it, was reduced to rubble and ashes within an hour."

"Seriously?!" Jiayi nodded, so Anna said, "Damn. Good thing I couldn't get it working."

"Indeed. This Hymn is one you should only ever consider using if you are prepared for mutually assured destruction with your foe. The fire and brimstone of this Hymn favors no side and will burn away all indiscriminately. I, personally, would never consider using it, no matter how dire the situation."

"Thanks for the warning, Jiayi. Maybe you should hold onto this, then."

Anna handed Jiayi the scroll, who took it as she said, "That would be best. It is not something that should be allowed to fall into the wrong hands."

"Listen, thanks for doing this for Dorothea. Just to ask, what Hymns were you planning to teach her?"

Jiayi smiled as she put the scroll away and said, "You will need to wait and see."

…

Meanwhile, in western Faerghus…

One of the knights from House Rowe's battered army cried out as a Dire Wolf sank its teeth into him, easily tearing through his plate armor. Another batch screamed in panic as a wild Demonic Beast engulfed them with its venomous breath. Simultaneously, two surviving cavaliers were snatched up in the talons of a large Roc, along with their horses. The giant bird flew above the battle below before releasing its prey, sending them falling to their doom.

The remnants of House Rowe's army, some 500 men, were being torn to shreds by a sudden onslaught of monsters and beasts. They had been packing up their camp when a young red-haired, dark-skinned woman had approached them. She had sighed, and then all hell had broken loose. Leaderless, tired, and with many still wounded, the Dukedom soldiers were no match for the unending horde of beasts that attacked them.

But it wasn't just their numbers or their power. These monsters weren't attacking them mindlessly, like so many other beasts would. They moved as though guided by someone's hand, cutting off any of the knights' escape attempts. They attacked almost intelligently, in ways that were almost akin to tactics, albeit with very basic strategy.

It was something the remnants of House Rowe were completely unprepared for, and now they had dwindled to less than 50 men. They were on the verge of being wiped out.

The current leader of the army lay bleeding on the ground, having been bitten by another Dire Wolf just moments before, tearing open his abdomen. As he lay bleeding out, he turned and saw the dark girl, who stood some two hundred meters from the carnage, her eyes glowing with a strange glint. She stood as though in a trance, waiting as two more women with pale skin and dark garbs approached her from behind.

"Well done, Hapi," said Bias as she approached the entranced member of the Ashen Wolves. She had chosen to stay in her Agarthan guise, not wanting to risk any chance that Cornelia Arnim could be connected to this massacre.

Hapi did not respond, so Cleobulus said, "There's no need to compliment her, Magistra."

"I wouldn't say that, Cleo. She's exceeded my expectations so far. It's only fair that I… reward her."

As she said this, Bias reached around from behind Hapi and caressed the girl's right breast with her left hand. Hapi, despite being in a trance, moaned at being molested by the Agarthan sorceress.

Hapi's moan was followed by another runic circle appearing, spawning another grey-scaled Demonic Beast. This one was facing the three women and snarled menacingly at them.

Seeing this, Bias said to Hapi, "Send that one after any stragglers, would you?"

Hapi, despite being aroused by Bias groping her, raised a hand to the Demonic Beast. Her eyes and body glowed with dark power as she attempted to command the monster.

But the monster, seeing the three women, did not respond to Hapi's commands.

The Demonic Beast roared at them as Bias said crossly, "Hapi, what did I just tell you?"

Bias squeezed Hapi's breast hard enough that it hurt. She gasped in pain as she continued to try and control the monster, but it still refused to obey her.

The Demonic Beast charged at the three women, rapidly closing the distance on them.

Scoffing, Cleobulus notched a black arrow to her bow and drew it, showing no concern at the rapidly approaching monster. When it was less than ten meters away, she fired, aiming right at the Demonic Beast's cranium, which was heavily covered by protective scales.

The arrow phased right through the beast's hide, returning to a corporeal state just as it entered the beast's brain.

The Demonic Beast screeched and toppled to the ground, killed instantly by Cleobulus's shot. It slid to a stop right at Cleobulus's feet before crumbling into dust.

"Exceeding your expectations?" Cleobulus said derisively.

"I suppose I pushed her too hard," said Bias, releasing her grip on Hapi's chest. The redhead remained where she stood as Bias said, "She's clearly limited in how many she can control at once. I'll need to run a few more tests and adjust her as needed."

With another scoff, Cleobulus turned to see the monsters Hapi had summoned were now going out of her control. None of them moved on the two Agarthans and their puppet, but Cleobulus saw through her enhanced eyes that a group of fifteen men were breaking away from the battle.

"We've got some on the run," said Cleobulus. "I'll finish them off."

"No, no, Cleo, I'll handle it myself," said Bias. She then waved a hand at Hapi and said, "Tend to her, would you?"

Cleobulus, realizing Bias had released her hold on Hapi, dashed over to the girl and grabbed her as she toppled over and lost consciousness. The Arcus didn't care for the redhead, but she knew Bias wouldn't like it if she was damaged.

"This is my mess to clean up, after all," said Bias.

As she said this, Mana surged around her as a circle of power appeared below the Magistra's feet. She began to float above the ground as a dark light shone from her chest, as though her heart itself was glowing.

The Magistra began to sing.

An Karanir Thanagor,

Mor Ok Angalor.

The snow and frost surrounding them began to stir as a whirlwind of icy death surrounded Bias. None of it touched Cleobulus or Hapi.

Mor Ok Gorum

Pala Ah'm

Ravali Ah'm.

The nearby monsters, free from Hapi's control, turned to the sound of Bias's howling spell. Several turned and fled, but one of the Demonic Beasts roared and charged toward her as ice began covering its body.

Ro-mun A'l Ga

Ballog A'l Enthu

Korok Na Boda…

Bias's eyes shone blue as the whirlwind of ice surged forward at the approaching monsters. In an instant, the Dire Wolves, Rocs, and Demonic Beasts were encased in ice as the blizzard swept past them, covering the entire battlefield in the coldest frost.

Mor Ok Gorum Pala'ahm

Mor Ok Croval Angalor

Thanagor…

Mor Ok Gorum

Pala Ah'm

Ravali Ah'm

The last survivors of House Rowe's army turned as they saw the blizzard rapidly closing in on them. They would never outrun it.

One of the men, a captain, thought he could hear singing just before the blizzard rushed over him and his men.

Mor Ok Croval Anga'lor

Karanir Thanagor…

Karanir Thanagor…

The spell ended as Bias floated back to the ground, releasing a sigh. She opened her eyes to see the destruction she had wrought.

The entire area had been frozen solid. Whole trees were encased in ice, and the monsters Hapi had summoned were all still as statues, each within a small glacier.

The last survivors of House Rowe's army were similarly frozen.

Bias, Cleobulus and Hapi were the only beings left alive.

Cleobulus smirked at this and said, "I never tire of watching you do that."

Bias did not reply, smiling at her work.

You didn't think Dorothea was gonna be the only one to use Hymns, did you?

Given her vast experience and immense power, having Cornelia/Bias know Hymnos magic might make her seem OP. But maybe you saw this coming, right? This also sets Cornelia up to be a kind of foil to Dorothea, but the former is clearly someone who would misuse the power for her own ends. That said, I do have weaknesses planned for Cornelia.

Also, I know the lyrics are different, but Dorothea's version and Cornelia's version of the Grand Blizzard Sonata both come from World of Warcraft. This one is mostly based off the track "Arthas, My Son", which I'm sure any of you WoW players know very well. As for why she could make it work when the lyrics are different, that'll be covered in a future chapter. The first song, the one Dorothea was singing, still comes from Mai-Hime.

As for Hapi, poor her, right? This is easily a worst-nightmare scenario for her, being forced to turn her power on people at the whim of the woman who cursed her. Not to mention said woman's creepy groping. (I get the irony.)

I hope to do at least a few more monastery chapters, but I honestly want to get back to the Black Eagles. That said, they'll have to wait. I've got a Paralogue (of sorts) to work on.