Chapter 45: Explosive Reunions
1st day of the Harpstring Moon 1181. Ashen Wolves tent in the army camp outside Arianrhod.
"Good to see you again, Coco," said Hapi in greeting.
"Likewise," responded Constance with a haughty laugh, "You three have been deprived of my company for far too long."
Next to the two young women stood Balthus and Yuri. The former stage whispered to the latter, "Should we move this conversation outside?"
The purple-blonde woman heard this, of course, and was quite vocal about it. "Don't you dare!" she said.
Chuckles game from the other three. It kind of felt like the old days back in Abyss. Still, nobody could argue that all of them had changed significantly since then, some more obviously than others.
"I'm serious!" insisted Constance.
"Good thing I wasn't," retorted Balthus.
"I'm just glad we're all in one piece," interjected Hapi.
A hearty laugh escaped Yuri at that point. "I agree completely," he said, "And we've won a great victory on top of it, though we lost quite a few soldiers in the conquest of Arianrhod."
"Speaking of which," said Balthus, "Why exactly are we camping here when we've got purpose-built quarters in a fortress waiting for us? The only places we're manning there are the watch towers and the dungeons. Doesn't strike me as very sensical."
"Precaution," said Yuri, "A big fortress is a big target."
"A target for what?" asked Constance. "There is no enemy army nearby, and against one of those, the fortress would be advantageous."
"Let's just say that the higher-ups are worried about more than just armies," said Yuri in answer, "But let's leave that be for now. I think a small celebration is in order."
The idea was well received. Hapi said, "Now that's a thought I can get behind. So, what are we going to do?"
"I would like to hear that as well," said Constance, "I insist that it be done indoors."
Yuri rubbed his chin. "I thought you were getting better with being outside during the day."
Constance was not happy at that remark. "Better does not mean healed! I am still very uncomfortable in the daylight."
"Woah there. No need to shout at us," said Balthus.
"Still, this does limit our options," commented Yuri. "We don't even have cards to play with here. It's an oversight I hadn't anticipated."
"This sucks," said Hapi, "Can't we just go back to sleep or something?"
"In the middle of the day?" asked Balthus.
Hapi simply shrugged. "It's not like I'm tired, but we've got nothing interesting to do in this stupid tent."
"Seems like we're left with just juicy gossip," said Yuri with some amusement.
"Don't make me sigh," snarked Hapi.
"Don't even joke about that. It was dangerous enough last time you did that," said Balthus.
Constance laughed and said, "But it did teach you a lesson. Our dear Hapi is not to be challenged on her seriousness."
"Ugh," grunted Balthus, "The blows just keep on coming."
Yuri grinned. "What? Is it too much for the invincible king of grappling to handle?"
"You don't have to keep rubbing it in, pal," said Balthus.
Hapi suppressed the urge to sigh. "This is getting us nowhere," she said, "We're not celebrating anyway, so let's just move on."
"Speaking of which, where will you be heading next?" asked Constance. "I should think that you are aware that my continued presence on this front is a necessity. I would very much like for you to support me here."
Yuri shook his head and answered, "We can't do that, sadly. We'll be heading to the Empire next. Bergliez territory is still a bit disorganised after the Count lost the battle of Enbarr. The higher-ups think we should exploit that weakness, and I agree."
"That is a shame," said Constance.
The look of genuine disappointment on the young woman's face was a bit of a surprise. It seemed that while she had lost some of her timidity in the light, she had also lost some of her haughtiness and arrogance in the shade. It felt sort of bittersweet to the others to see her feelings on display like this.
"We'll miss you too, Coco," said Hapi.
Constance sputtered at that. "I never said such a thing!" she exclaimed in embarrassment, "Although I must admit that I prefer your company over most others."
"What about that Monica girl?" asked Balthus.
Constance harumphed and said, "She's an old friend. We have reconnected, and I find her determination to live up to her goals and expectations admirable, not to mention her work ethic. She is a noble worthy of her title."
"Glowing praise from you," said Yuri, "Which means you'll be in good hands while we're away."
The other two Ashen Wolves snickered as Constance regarded Yuri with annoyance. "I am not a child in need of a babysitter!" she said.
"The aftermath of your experiments says otherwise, Shady Lady," teased Yuri.
At Constance's gobsmacked expression, Balthus remarked, "He's got you good, huh?"
"Cease your baseless assertions!" shouted Constance with a blush of embarrassments.
Naturally, this merely drew laughter from the others. They all knew just how out of hand Constance's experiments could get, even the woman herself. It was another thing to have to admit it, or to not have a retort ready. The one thing that kind of made up for it was that everyone else laughed about their own flaws as well.
"I wouldn't really call it baseless," said Balthus.
Hapi chimed in as well. "Yeah, about the only thing that's baseless here is B's coin purse," she said.
"Ugh, why did you have to say it like that?" asked the man in protest.
Yuri chuckled and added, "She's not wrong there. Your debt is quite outrageous."
"I've got a payment plan!" said Balthus.
"You cannot really call it that unless you actually manage to pay off your debt before it defaults," commented Constance.
Balthus sputtered in response, which drew laughs from the others once again. Such was the way of the Ashen Wolves.
"Now, to you, Yuri," said Constance, "Do not think that I've forgotten you calling me that ridiculous epithet! Rest assured, I will-"
She was interrupted by shouts from outside the tent. Something was going on, and it seemed to have the camp in panic. Then, a flash of light could be seen through the tent's fabric, and the boom that accompanied it was felt even by within it.
At roughly the same time. Varley territory.
With how the battle of Enbarr had turned out, it had only been a question of time until Duke Aegir had had to pull back his forces. The loyalist troops that had held the Rusalka line had been able to push on unimpeded while the army that had won at Enbarr had been able to retake the ruins of Fort Merceus with ease. As it was now, Duke Aegir was busy defending his demesne from raids by Imperial troops under the joint command of Ladislava and Randolph, while the Black Eagles and the Church forces were engaged further north. This redeployment of troops now not only ensured that Duke Aegir couldn't flank the forces assailing his territory, but it also put Count Varley under pressure.
Indeed, the Count had had no choice but to pull back the troops guarding the mountain pass from former Hevring territory to his own lands in order to defend it. This had allowed reinforcements to come through the pass and link up with Edelgard and her army. Said army had then begun its takeover of Varley territory. It had gotten so far that it now stood right at the gates of its regional capital and the fortified manor that presided over it from the hilltop.
At the forefront was, as usual, Byleth. Edelgard had joined in as well, and so had Hubert, though the two weren't quite as far at the tip of the assault as the former Professor. It wasn't like it was needed. The man in question cut down any opposition before it could even touch those behind him. Such was the advantage of fighting in narrow streets. It didn't make up for the numerous disadvantages, such as easy ambush spots and unclear knowledge about the number and location of enemies, but it allowed Byleth to at least shield those who were with him quite effectively.
Others were less fortunate. Bernadetta and Petra were the subject of many ambushes during their advance through the city. Petra's excellent hunting instincts and Bernadetta's prey instincts made for a very ironic but synergetic combination as they fought. The older girl was excellent at intuiting when an ambush would take place, and the younger of the two was good at finding the origin of said ambushes. Losses were mitigated, but they were also unavoidable.
"How much further?" asked Petra.
Bernadetta was uniquely qualified to answer this question. She had grown up in the manor on the hill, after all. So, she said, "We're two thirds into the city, I think. We've just passed the city hall."
That meant that while they had most of the way behind them, resistance would grow fiercer. An animal backed into a corner was always more vicious than one which could still see an escape. As such, Petra went on high alert.
This proved to be the correct decision, as they and their units were beset by an ambush by the next crossroads. Just after they had passed the intersection, Varley soldiers rushed at the centre of their column. They came from everywhere; out of houses, backstreets and even sewer entrances. Chaos broke out.
Bernadetta was the first to react. Letting out a shriek, she quickly pulled back her bowstring at speed and launched an arrow at the first soldier trying to kill her. Her Crest triggered, and a second arrow appeared in the shadow of the first, causing the attacker to suffer two arrows to their throat. Barely even sparing that soldier a glance, Bernadetta whirled around and delivered the same treatment to any enemy that dared approach her.
Her shriek had put everyone on their toes as well, and the faster soldiers in the back part of the column reacted quickly. They spread out and entered the buildings, combing through them for more ambushers. At the same time, runners were dispatched to the detachments of Caspar and Ferdinand, who served as reserves and quick response forces.
Deciding to be proactive herself, Petra moved as well. "Bernadetta, lead the troops. I will be attacking!" she shouted at her friend/love interest.
Saying nothing further to her, she turned to her Brigidian bodyguard and shouted orders at them in their native language. "Climb the buildings and eliminate the enemies!"
She led by example and leapt at the nearest climbable wall. Her soldiers rushed after her, following her on the higher floor of the building she'd chosen. Those with melee weapons went fist, followed by those with bows. The troops originating from Fodlan did not go after them, partly because they hadn't understood the order and partly because their armour was too heavy to climb in. That was fine, though, since the ground needed to be held.
Petra's blade sang as it slashed through the air. There were stops in the song as it touched the flesh of her opponents, but her quick strikes meant that those were barely even noticed. She had learned much over the course of the past year, which now worked to the detriment of the Varley soldiers within the building she was storming. As a consequence, it did not take long for the building to be cleared.
"Archers, head to the roof. Cover the troops in the street. The rest of us will clear the next set of buildings. After that, the archers shall move up behind us," she ordered.
From there on, the process repeated itself a few times. Building by building, the mixed detachment of Brigidian and Fodlanese troops moved forward. Further ambushes lost most of their impact, and the superior positioning of the Brigidian archers put a heavy toll on the Varley soldiers. As a side effect, morale for the troops under Petra and Bernadetta improved.
The lost mobility was the necessary price for this safer advance, however, and it came with consequences. Their slow speed made it possible for Varley troops to flank them and attempt to get behind them. While the arrival of Caspar and his forces prevented the success of this manoeuvre, it did slow down the advance once more. This left the flank they were on to lag behind the central push led by Byleth and Edelgard.
This supposed opening was exploited by the defending Varley soldiers. They attacked what they considered to be the soft underbelly of the central detachment. They were somewhat correct in this assumption, but the troops they encountered were led by Jana. She may not have been a fighter of Byleth's calibre, but she was good, and her ability to command was also far from bad. The attack did not take her by surprise, then, and she held her ground.
A few minutes later, reinforcements came in. They did not stay to aid Jana, however. She had called them to instead take her troops' previous role and support the main push while she and her soldiers stayed behind to clean up the mess. Clearly, Ferdinand had heard and understood the message. His cavalry thundered past her position, which also neatly gave the Varley soldiers the impression that they were being surrounded, prompting a cessation of their counterattack.
It wasn't like their assumption was wrong, though they suspected the attack from the wrong side. Dorothea's medical and magical division soon linked up with Jana's forces. The move did indeed catch some of the slower Varley soldiers in an encirclement, but most had already fled back to their defensive positions.
"Are there any news on the push?" asked Dorothea when she'd caught up.
Jana shrugged and said, "I reckon we're nearly through the entire city by now. The kid is shredding the opposition as usual, and Shamir's flank hasn't encountered a single problem. Halberd formations are a nightmare to fight against in the narrow streets here," she said.
Dorothea bit her lip, looking unsure. "What about Bernie and Petra? They've slowed down an awful lot," she commented.
"The last messenger said something about clearing out the buildings. It's slowing down the pace, but the enemy won't be able to withstand for long," answered Jana. "Now let's go. We can't fall behind. Otherwise, the kid's going to head up to the manor without us there to support his advance."
Such was indeed the case. Byleth had by now pretty much broken the back of the resistance on his front, which meant that the enemy was split in two. This created the perfect opportunity to crush the remainder of the Varley soldiers in the city.
As the commander of the Imperial forces, Edelgard saw this as well and gave the appropriate orders: "Hubert, take your soldiers and aid Shamir. Encircle the enemy troops. I shall do the same on Petra and Bernadetta's flank. My Teacher, I want you to push on and keep the enemy from mounting an organised defence on the hillside."
And so, Byleth did push forward. Fighting uphill was never fun, however, and even as disorganised as they were by their retreat, the Varley troops knew how to exploit the high ground. Aided by the fact that he could no longer shield everyone behind him, the defenders began inflicting casualties on his soldiers. He was still relentless in his assault, however, so those losses stayed minimal. So, while his pace had slowed considerably, he was still advancing towards the manor and minimising the amount of ground the Varley soldiers held.
Things became tricky once the defenders had set up a stable line on top of the hill. Said line was moving further down, giving the disorganised part of the Varley force a safe area to move to. This, in turn halted Byleth's momentum almost completely. The two forces were now locked in a stalemate.
Byleth had other ideas, however. Magic would do the trick. While the Gauss spell was not a good idea due to the incline, he still had other options. An Aura spell blew apart half a company in one go, and another one was already on the way to deal with the second half. A Hexblade combat art followed, and behind it several Thunder and Fire spells.
Thus, the slow crawl up the hill resumed. He cut a bloody swathe through the opposition as this happened, but he was getting worried that his soldiers would soon be too tired to press on. Lars was keeping them motivated and in order, sure, but exhaustion could not be staved off forever, even with that. Knowing this, Byleth made sure to inflict as much damage as he could during the ascent, and hoped that his forces would be relieved soon.
Much to his surprise, the first one to reach him was Bernadetta. "Edelgard sent me ahead. I've got unfinished business with my father," she said to him during a lull in combat, her voice unusually firm.
"Then let's finish it," said Byleth.
Once they neared the top of the hill, they began to encounter fewer and fewer Varley soldiers. They were still the majority of their enemies, but amidst their ranks also stood Agarthan soldiers. Although it was not too surprising to see them, this sparked a feeling of unease in Byleth. It bugged him that they only showed their faces now when normally, they should have been deployed in conjunction with the Varley soldiers throughout the whole battle. Something was wrong here.
Then, he spotted an Agarthan mage near the top who was kneeling on the ground. The mage's gaze caught him, and the kneeling figure touched the ground. A purple Sigil lit up beneath the kneeling Agarthan, and suddenly, his day became a whole lot worse.
"Multiple missile launches detected! Two headed for Arianrhod, four headed for here! Time until impact: 4 minutes and 20 seconds!"
Hyperion's warning made his stomach drop, and he instinctively halted time with Sothis' powers. This was bad. Very bad.
"What is going on?!" he shouted internally.
Sothis' grim voice answered him. "Trouble," she said, "And I do not think that we can avoid it."
"Trouble is a bit of an understatement. Those missiles are a flying, supersonic disaster," added Hyperion. "We need a plan to deal with them."
"I don't think Divine Pulse will work. That Agarthan mage must have given the signal. If I turn back time and order an evacuation, he will simply give it at another point in time," said Byleth.
Hyperion hummed. "You're right," he said, "We need another plan."
"Yes. Warping everyone out won't work at all," said Sothis, "But there must be another option. These weapons must have some kind of weakness or drawback. Every weapon does."
Yes, every weapon had a weakness. They were screwed if that weakness simply ended up being production costs, though.
"What do we know about these missiles?" asked Byleth.
"Well, they are fast and accurate. A targeting spell keeps them on their course. We are sadly a few kilometres too far south for my starship's redirection wards to work on the ones headed for us. I bet the Agarthans know that," said Sothis.
"They've got impact too," commented Hyperion. After a second of silence, he made a noise of comprehension. "Impact; that's it! I think these missiles carry thermobaric warheads!" he said.
"Ah, I see! Yes, that opens up new options," said Sothis.
"Could you please explain to me what you mean?" asked Byleth, "I don't understand what you're talking about."
A sheepish chuckle preceded Hyperion's answer. "Thermobaric weapons use explosives that generate a lot of heat in order to cause devastating shock waves through air pressure. While the explosion itself is very dangerous, the majority of the damage caused by such weapons is due to the shockwave and the resulting low-pressure environment. That means moving air. Essentially sound."
"And as you know, we have noise cancelling spells," finished Sothis for him.
Comprehension dawned on Byleth. "I think I can formulate a plan based on that. We're still going to lose soldiers, but I think we can avoid most of the damage."
Plan made, time resumed its flow. The Knight of the Covenant wasted no time preparing both versions of the sound-blocking ward over his entire detachment. Before he erected them, he shouted out an order, enhanced by the sound amplification of his helmet.
"Hold position! Erect sound-blocking wards for ingoing and outgoing sounds! Expect indiscriminate bombardment in under four minutes!"
Immediately after finishing, he cast the prepared spells. He also took the time to cast the recently learned anti-Warp spell over the hill. It would hold for just a few minutes, but long enough to prevent any escape from the stationed Agarthans. They would have to pay the price for their actions, too.
The next four minutes were a hectic slog for Byleth, seeing as the enemy had started a counterattack. They either hadn't believed him or they didn't understand what indiscriminate bombardment actually meant. It was sad in a way, but he had no time to waste on pitying the enemy. He had his own soldiers to protect. Then, as he saw purple rings appear in the sky, he had to hope desperately that his allies had taken the appropriate steps in time.
The impacts were sudden. Two occurred on the slope of the hill, right next to each other. The other two took place in the city. The balls of fire that rose in the wake of the explosions devastated friend and foe alike. Byleth had a hard time shielding the soldiers with him, though his and Hyperion's combined AT fields prevented the explosions and fire from doing too much damage. Sadly, the same could not be said for the heat, nor for the many people in the city. There were a lot of dead and dying people by the time the explosions had subsided.
Once he was sure the air pressure had corrected itself, Byleth dropped both the AT field and the sound blockers.
He assessed the situation and concluded quickly that things were in a bad state. A good part of the city was burning, and thousands of soldiers lay dead, not to mention many thousands of civilians. The scene was the similar on the hillside. Any soldiers he hadn't been able to shield were dead, including the enemy ones. The horrifying part about this was that this was the result of damage mitigation. He shuddered to think how this would look like if the measures he, Hyperion and Sothis had implemented hadn't worked.
These were thoughts he had to leave by the side, however. Now was the time for action. And so, he gave new orders. "Lars, you're with me. You too, Bernadetta. We're clearing out the manor. It's not burning and it doesn't look too damaged. There are likely to be survivors to clean up."
"Just the three of us?" asked Bernadetta.
She was shaking. So was Lars. They were in shock. It was good that he had something to do for them. "Yes," he answered, "Everyone else, get back to the city and help putting out the fires."
Quick shouts of compliance answered him, and the soldiers hurried to fulfil their orders. It gave them something productive to do while they tried to process their own shock. So, they hurried back towards the city without further ado.
Byleth meanwhile had to metaphorically drag Bernadetta and Lars up the corpse-strewn hillside. His presence and calm demeanour, despite his own inner turmoil, gave them a sense of stability. As such, they stuck close to him. On their own, they would probably have remained in place.
This was evidenced by the handful of surviving Varley soldiers they encountered when they finally reached the hilltop and the manor. The men and women bearing the Count's insignia stood frozen, barely even noticing that their enemies had reached them.
"Surrender," said Byleth, "There has been enough bloodshed today. Only one more person needs to die."
That statement shook the Varley soldiers partially out of their stupor. They looked at him, then at each other, and then at the numerous loyalists in the burning, devastated city. Even if they could defeat the Ashen Demon, which was kind of ludicrous with how he had slaughtered his way through their ranks, the Imperial soldiers would wipe them out afterwards. They quickly came to a decision.
As they started dropping their weapons and knelt, Byleth felt relieved. No matter how much he liked to fight and no matter how good he was at killing, he was glad for every life he didn't have to take. "Lars, tie them up," he ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
The young squire did as he was asked while Bernadetta and Byleth stood guard. During that time, the sounds from the city kept them all on edge. They didn't dare look back in case more enemies exited the manor. Fortunately, however, all remained calm up top.
Once the prisoners were secure, the dark green-haired man asked, "Are there any more guards in the manor?" Light-based sensor data from the helmet didn't work through walls, and the uplink to the Holy Tomb's sensors ran into similar problems. Heat-based sensors were also a bit wonky, and the soul-based sensors were not yet sophisticated enough to be wholly accurate.
"Only five bodyguards for Count Varley, and two for his wife," answered one of the captives.
Byleth then took his two charges and headed into the slightly battered building. They moved from room to room as silently as they could so as not to alert the inhabitants to their presence. However, even with their silence, it wouldn't take long for the Count to notice that his soldiers outside no longer responded. Time was of the essence.
The search yielded results sooner than expected. Lady Varley and her bodyguards were situated in the ballroom on the ground floor, standing plainly in the open.
"So you've finally come, Bernadetta," she said.
The girl nodded in response. "Hello, mother," she said.
"Are you here to kill me?" asked the older women.
It was Byleth who answered that question. "No," he said, "Not if you surrender."
"I see… and Alastor?"
"He dies," said Byleth with a small growl, "Slavers don't get to live."
Lady Varley turned away, looking out of a window while her bodyguards tensed. She stayed silent for a second, before she said, "You know, I loved my husband, once. He used to be courteous and kind, though he was stingy even back when he was younger. But more and more, his obsession with wealth grew, and it became harder to love him. Then, the Insurrection happened, and he started selling peasants as slaves. In time, I learned of his… illegal methods of wealth acquisition, but I did not protest. They were just peasants. But then he wanted to sell Bernadetta."
The purple-haired girl scowled, an expression very few had ever seen on her face. She said, "But you didn't care that Father was hurting me, no, torturing me! You didn't care that he destroyed countless lives, just because they were peasants!" She made a noise of disgust before continuing, "I want nothing more to do with you, Mother. After today, I never want to see you again."
Lady Varley's shoulders tensed. "And Alastor? He will die, I know, but what do you think of him?" she asked with a strained voice.
"I'll kill him myself," answered Bernadetta, much to the shock of Byleth. "He's ruled my life for too long. I… Petra showed me that I have to conquer my fears. Father is my deepest fear, and I'll it's time I put an end to it… and to him."
Lady Varley deflated. "Do as you wish," she said. "Guards, lay down your weapons. We surrender."
The guards did so hesitantly. They and Lady Varley were soon taken into custody by Lars, who tied them up like he had done for the guards outside. After that, the new captives were led outside to be put next to the others.
Upon reaching that position, Byleth, Bernadetta and Lars were greeted by the sight of Petra and a unit of her soldiers. "Edelgard has sent us to aid you," said the Brigidian Princess.
"Thank you for the assistance," said Byleth. Despite the mission, he couldn't help but ask, "How are things in the city?"
Petra grimaced. "Many are dead. More will die because of the fires. The army is giving aid," she answered.
"Then let's finish up quickly so we can help," he replied.
As they made their way back inside, he noted that Petra stuck close to Bernadetta. It was good that the normally flighty girl had some emotional support. Subtly, he made sure to keep Lars at his side for the same reason. His squire should not be deprived of such things as well. Hopefully, it would keep him collected enough to finish the mission.
With the additional manpower of Petra's soldiers, it took no time at all for Count Varley to be found. When the Brigidian soldiers engaged the guards, all it took to draw in their comrades was a shout. Within the minute, the room Count Varley had been hiding in was swarmed, and his guards dispatched swiftly. The Count himself was quickly subdued, and was left tied up and kneeling on the floor.
Bernadetta stepped forward, bow in hand and arrow notched. Her intent was clear, and whatever colour had remained on his face quickly drained. Halfway between outrage and fear, he said, "B-Bernadetta, you can't do this! I'm your father!"
Her eyes were cold as she replied with, "I have no father. No true father abuses his daughter, or tries to sell her into slavery. To you, I wasn't a daughter; just a commodity to sell."
"So now you want to kill me for trying to improve the lot of our House?" spat the Count. "A worthless, unmarriageable little chit like you thinks she can judge me?! I brought you into this world; you don't get to defy me!"
Bernadetta flinched, and Petra looked ready to hack off the man's head herself. Byleth was not far behind her in that regard, but the two held themselves back. This was Bernadetta's fight.
"You never cared about the House either," said Bernadetta, "Because the only thing you ever cared about was money. No, the reason why I want to kill you is to put my fears behind me. You don't control my life anymore."
"Y-you can't execute prisoners of war!" shouted Count Varley.
A small scoff left Byleth's lips. "You're not a prisoner of war, Count Varley; you are a violent fugitive."
Bernadetta picked up where he left off. "For the crimes of treason, corruption, bribery and slavery, you were accused, tried in absentia and sentenced to death on the 30th day of the Horsebow Moon 1180. I shall now execute the sentence."
Before the Count could reply, she drew back the arrow and shot him in the throat. A look of surprise overcame his face in the seconds leading up to his death, almost as though he did not believe what was happening. Slowly, he fell to the side as a lifeless husk.
"And I'm not unmarriageable," commented Bernadetta, looking at Petra, "Not anymore."
Petra laid a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Sniffles slowly came forth from the older girl. Soon, she was crying. The events of the day were crashing down on her, as was the weight of what she had just done. She had no regrets over it, but that in itself was a testament of the sad state House Varley was in.
"I'm proud of you for overcoming your fears, Bernadetta," said Byleth. "Mourn what could have been, not what was. Putting an end to him was the right decision."
"He is right," said Petra, "You are free now."
Byleth was pleased as he watched Bernadetta perk up somewhat. "I recommend you two spend some time together after we're done with work," he said, "But we must head back to the city now."
The two girls gathered themselves and nodded. It was time to leave the manor. After a quick detour to gather the prisoners, the officers and the unit Petra had brought headed back down the hill. There were lives to save.
That night. Shared prayer space of Hyperion and Sothis.
Today had been a disaster. Not only had we lost a fortress but also half an army. At least that army stationed at Arianrhod had followed orders and had been spared when the fortress had been levelled by the Agarthan missiles. On the other hand, half of Edelgard's army had perished in the bombardment because they had not known the sound-blocking spells. On top of it, over 20'000 civilians had died as well because of the bombardment. I'd seen it through Byleth's helmet, and I was sickened by it. There was no celebration to be had over such a "victory."
Fortunately for me, Sothis was at my side, and I drew strength from her presence. We comforted each other over today's sad turn of events by embracing each other. A kiss or two were involved as well, though more for comfort than genuine passion. This was no time or mood for the latter. But it reaffirmed to us that, no matter what ill fortune would come, we would have each other. And so, as we basked in each other's presence, both of us kept calming each other's minds.
As such, we answered tonight's prayers together, for her followers and for mine. Admittedly, it freaked out quite a few people to see the Goddess they worshipped sit in my lap and enjoy having her had petted, but that source of amusement did much to lift our moods. My followers took it more in stride, being used to my odd habits. The Duscurians barely even spared it a thought, however, as they considered us two people in love, Gods or no, and thought that it was within the range of normal behaviour. And so, we stayed like that as we answered whatever prayers came our way.
The night went on like that, and finally, the one we had been waiting for came up. The distinct female shape of the person we'd expected quickly formed in the room. It gained solid appearance in short order, forming the spiritual representation of the woman.
Red eyes opened quickly and looked at us. She smirked and said, "Aw, how adorable. You sure know how to treat a girl, my Lord. I didn't expect to meet both of you tonight."
Sothis and I snorted. "You consider that a treat?" asked Sothis.
"Why, yes. You're both absolutely delicious," teased back the Agarthan, her eyes roaming both of us as she came closer.
"Down, girl," I said with amusement.
Kronya huffed and replied while smirking and putting a hand on her hip, "Of course, my Lord."
"Hyperion," said Sothis, turning her grinning face to mine, "If she's going to respond like that every time she's given an order, I might want to start bossing her around too."
Kronya looked stunned for a second. She hadn't expected that comment. Neither had I, to be fair. But for all the talk of boundaries that Sothis had had with Kronya, she still had an appreciation for mischief. It appeared that she was now in on the game as well, much to the surprise of both myself and Kronya.
Still, the pale woman caught herself and grinned back. "I'm looking forward to it," she said teasingly, her eyes carefully watching Sothis to make sure she wasn't pushing it.
This minor tension disappeared when Sothis started to laugh. Relaxing again, Kronya did so as well and lost her played-up pose. I joined in as well with my own chuckles. I was glad that it was only fun instead of another awkward situation. I had had enough relationship drama to last me a lifetime.
Alas, the fun had to come to an end. "Alright. I think that's enough joking around for now, the both of you. We've got something to discuss," I said.
The two sobered up instantly. Kronya's posture became serious, and Sothis dropped her grin. It was time to get to the what I actually wanted to talk about.
"Today's use of missiles has made it clear that Thales is done playing nice on the fronts he and his allies are losing on," I began, "And it's clear to me that he'll throw what's left of his arsenal either at Byleth or, if he notices that it keeps failing to kill him, at large civilian targets like Enbarr. That is unacceptable."
Kronya looked shocked. "He used them?" she asked.
"About a third of the damn things. Six were launched earlier today," I answered.
She cursed. "Shit!"
"That about fits it," commented Sothis. "It irritates us. We have been thinking about possible solutions and have come to the conclusion that you and your team are the best bet."
I nodded and added, "I dislike pulling you away from your current assignment, but needs must."
"Well," said Kronya, "I don't think we could have continued for much longer anyway."
I frowned. "Why?" I asked.
She grimaced and said, "The 'fun houses' in occupied territory are being shut down due to our many raids. The captives are more than likely being transported directly to Shambhala to be… put to use there."
"I see. That explains the movements I've been seeing," I ground out. That wasn't good news, not at all. "Then I guess it's fortunate that I plan to send you there as well. You recall that I've alluded to such before, right?"
Kronya's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "What?" she asked.
I breathed hard and explained, "Shambhala is too far behind the frontlines to be attacked anytime soon. If Thales decides to launch more of those missiles, the whole war effort is in danger. His ability to use those weapons needs to be taken away."
"But we can't do that on our own!" said Kronya. "We're good, but we can't take on a whole army."
"That's not what I meant," I responded, "I have no desire to send you to your deaths. No, your mission will not be to attack the storage facility for those missiles, at least not immediately. I want you to start and underground resistance network against the current leadership of Agartha."
"You previously said that many people in Shambhala are unhappy with the leaders, right? That they are unhappy being oppressed by the mighty and powerful? We want to exploit that," remarked Sothis.
"Nobody's ever done that before," said Kronya, eyes wide and short of breath, "And I've got no idea how to do it."
"I know," I said, "Be slow and methodical. Don't take unnecessary risks, and if you fear you can't do it, get the Hell out of there again, but you have to try."
Kronya gulped. "I'm afraid," she said with a whisper.
I gently lifted Sothis from my lap and stood up from where I was seated. I wrapped my arms around Kronya and said to her, "I don't blame you for that. I hate sending you there, but I must. But I won't forsake you; I swore that I wouldn't. You'll have all the support I can give you."
Sothis, it appeared, took a page out of my book and hugged the other woman as well, much to her shock. "You will have my support too. I can't have the one Agarthan I consider a friend die on me, can I?" she said.
That brought Kronya up short. "Friend?"
She snorted and said, "Yes, you silly girl. Not only are you sworn into my dear Hyperion's service, but I also happen to like your wit. Not to mention the surprising amount of compassion you have been showing to those you have rescued."
"I…," began Kronya before she was cut off by Sothis.
"Matter of fact is that we will not leave you and your team to die. We will help you, as much as we can," she said.
"How?" asked Kronya.
Sothis simply smiled, took an arm away from its current place and put her hand on Kronya's forehead. There was a faint glow at the point of touch. It lasted for a few seconds. Then, the hand dropped and Sothis slumped. Kronya and I caught her before she could fall over.
"What did you do?" I asked her.
The green-haired woman I so loved smiled at me and said, "I gave her a gift." She turned her head in Kronya's direction and continued, "I gave you a single Divine Pulse. You can turn back the hands of time for a few minutes. Only once, though. I could not give you more, and it is dangerous for you to use. Your body is not used to divine energies. Be warned that using this will make you bedridden for at least a week."
Kronya and I were both surprised to hear this. I had never expected Sothis to grant such a boon to an Agarthan of all people, friend or no. At least it explained her current state of exhaustion. It was going to be useful too, and it gave me an idea.
Once Sothis could stand on her own again, I also put my hand on Kronya's forehead. I looked her in the eyes and said, "Well, since you're my subordinate, I can't very well skimp on gifts either. Let's see if this works."
I concentrated, and then there was another glow on her forehead. Compared to last time I handed out a blessing, it was much faster. It only took me a second or two before I drew my hand back. Oddly, I wasn't as exhausted as Sothis was, but I chalked it up to the fact that I wasn't handing out actual divine power.
"So, now you should be able to wield light magic quite easily," I told her. "Nothing too big, but I made sure that it would be genuine sunlight. It should help you on your mission, and if nothing else, you can blind pursuers with it."
"You… basically handed me my own miniature sun," she said in disbelief. "Do you want me to start a sun cult or something?"
I shook my head and crossed my arms. "Hell no; I hate cult bullshit. But I gave you the ability to cast spells using sunlight. Your people revere the sun, don't they? I can't give them an actual sun since that is outside of my remit, but sunlight is well within my domain. It should convince some of them to side with you."
"You do know that there will be a cult because of this sooner or later, right?" asked Sothis from the side.
Letting out a long-suffering sigh, I said, "I know. Doesn't mean I like it."
A grin slowly made its way onto Kronya's face. "Well, you already do have a cult and a clergy. Or don't you like me being your most devout cultist, my Lord?" she asked.
"Maybe I should join as well," piped in Sothis with a grin.
"Dear Heavens above," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Fine, you two, go be my cultists or whatever."
The two actually laughed at me after that. I was exasperated, but I let it happen. I just knew this would bring headaches in the future. Hopefully, it would just be annoying instead of trouble-rousing.
Eventually, the laughter died down and things got serious again. Kronya spoke up, "Fun aside, this is going to cause upheaval down in Shambhala. But it's not going to be fast."
"I know," I said. "Take as much time as you need. The assignment is important, but rushing it won't help at all. Stay safe," I said.
She nodded. "I will."
"Good," I said, "In that case, I'll let you go now. I'm going to call in your entire team tomorrow for an actual mission briefing. I'll see you then."
She nodded again, and then slowly faded from prayer space.
I went back to the seat Sothis and I had sat on before, and took her with me. She was still a bit unsteady and basically flopped back onto my lap as soon as I was seated. It seemed that while the talk had distracted both of us somewhat from the bad mood of today, she wasn't quite willing to abandon the comforts of that position yet. Neither was I, to be honest. Who disliked having the woman they loved in their lap?
"Can you pet me again? Your hand feels relaxing," she said in a low tone of exhaustion.
"Of course," I replied.
My hand went back up to her head and patted it. It had been far too long since I'd last done that anyway, so I got my fill tonight. It was great at helping me calm down, and Sothis enjoyed it too. It was also very relaxing in general. The pleased sighs escaping her lips confirmed as much.
From experience, it would take a few in-room minutes for the next person to show up, so we had some time to bask in each other's presence undisturbed. Naturally, this meant that Sothis had time for mischief.
"Say, if I joined your cult, should I call you my Lord as well?" she asked teasingly.
I groaned. She was never going to let go of that one, was she? I took it as a good sign that she was so ready to tease me though. After today's events, it was hard to feel anything but depressed, so I welcomed the banter and the bickering that would result from this.
"Please don't," I said with a sigh, "I'm having a hard enough time keeping normal people from addressing me like that."
"I know," she said, grinning slightly, "But I know you'd like it."
"Yeah, from you," I retorted, "Not from others, and not all the time either. Just in private."
Her grin turned into a soft smile. She gave me a peck on the lips. "Kinky," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.
I snorted. "As if it wasn't you who brought up that topic, Miss Pet-Me-Again," I said.
She giggled with mirth. "You've got me there." Her amusement subsided, and she sighed deeply, leaning into me as she did so. "Thank you for being there for me," she said.
"You're welcome, and thanks right back at you. I don't know what I'd do without you," I said.
We stayed like that for a while until our next guest came, and then we were busy answering prayers again.
AN: Hello there, dear readers.
It's been almost three weeks again, though I'm a tiny bit ahead of schedule. Sadly, I missed both Christmas and New Year, but at least my Orthodox readership (no clue how big it is) will get a small Christmas present in the form of this new chapter.
Quite a few things happened this time. Thales stopped twiddling his thumbs, the Ashen Wolves were lucky that Baron Ochs listens to orders, Bernadetta resolved her family issues, and Kronya got new orders.
That last segment of the chapter might bear a bit of an explanation. What we see here is three people's weird sense of humour clashing with a bit of a dissonance in values. Sothis and Hyperion know how theirs differ, and they understand each other, but the opinions on Hyperion's divinity and their views on followers still diverge. Then we add Kronya to the mix, and we get what you see.
For those of you who want to see some fluff, we'll get to that next chapter, unless plot bunnies do their thing again. The fluff is on the way.
Once more, a big thank you to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed. There are quite a few more of you since I posted the last chapter, and I'm very happy to see this. Don't hesitate to write a review or a PM if you have any questions or concerns regarding this story.
All that said, until next time. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!
Note of the 14th of January 2023: Minor corrections done. I've probably missed a few error though.