AN: Guest review response time:
Guest from the 11th of April: I don't believe I fully understand your question, but I'll answer what I suspect it was. Basically, Three Hopes is already a Xenologue to Three Houses. As for the rest, wait and see. There's something in the works.
Chapter 51: Returns Triumphant and Terrible
10th day of the Blue Sea Moon 1181. Byleth's mindscape.
Sothis seemed to be having fun. The gentle smile on her face and her closed eyes were a good indicator of such. She was without a care in the world right now, and her worries seemed to be distant as we danced. Her relaxed, swaying movements spoke of her enjoyment.
I loved seeing her like this. Part of it was that her body was a work of art, especially when it was in motion. Just as big a reason for why I liked this view was the emotional impact it had on me. Her happiness was infectious, and I could not help but be captivated by it. Seeing her be so at peace would never fail to mesmerise me.
"I love you," I told her.
It was thrilling to be able to say this and mean it. Before I had received Eros' gift, I had lacked the ability to identify love. It had left me feeling guilty about not knowing if I was feeling it, and, by proxy, about not feeling it for the people I wanted to love. Since that day, however, I had been able to distinguish it from the bland mass of my other emotions. Knowing that I was truly feeling what I should have been feeling was a relief beyond description. I was elated to have this ability. And so, telling this amazing woman that I loved her would never get old for me.
She opened her eyes in response to my words. "I love you too," she said with that beautiful smile of hers.
The kiss she placed on my laps was tamer than either of us would have liked, but the rules of politeness kept us restrained. We were still stuck in Byleth's mindscape, after all. It would not do to go much further than this out in the "open." Fortunately, we would soon be released from our confinement in this space. Then, we would have plenty of opportunities to go further than this in private.
For now, the two of us simply enjoyed being together in this dance. I still did not like the activity too much, but Sothis did, and I would always indulge her in this. She went along with my whims as well, after all. Having learned to dance had been a small sacrifice compared to the enormous joy she had been providing me for many months now.
Sometimes, I fell back into the old cyclical argument that it felt to me like Sothis was doing much more for me than I was doing for her. She had ordered a complete overhaul of the Church of Seiros partially for my sake. That was on top of her mostly going along with my plans and doing me many favours. In return, I just danced with her. It felt unequal to me at times.
In these instances, she was always quick to remind me to consider her perspective; an easy thing to accomplish with soul gazing. I had reunited her with her family and given her back her memory. My easy acceptance of what she considered her past sins was another thing she valued highly. That I loved her so deeply despite all the faults she saw in herself was precious to her.
That was not to say that there were not things we enjoyed together. Both of us loved singing, although she had a better singing voice. We also had the same taste in entertainment media and roughly the same preferences in music. The love of wordplay and mischief was something we shared as well. Plus, we had a common vision of what we liked in the field of intimacy, even if it would still take some time until we got that far. We had also begun to share our thoughts on Fodlan's future, and we found ourselves agreeing in many areas. I considered it a good thing that we had all these things in common; successful relationships needed that.
"Are your thoughts drifting again, my love?" asked Sothis.
I looked at my beloved – girlfriend was far too casual a word to describe what she meant to me – and answered, "I guess. It showed in my footwork, huh?"
She laughed softly. "Yes. Your steps were uneven for a bit. What were you thinking about?"
"Us," I said, "And I've concluded that I'm extraordinarily lucky to have your love."
"I'm no less fortunate to have yours," she said in response. A glint of mischief entered her eyes. "I look forward to showing it to the world."
I snorted. "Right, and having a bit of fun at Seiros and Cichol's expense has nothing to do with it."
She grinned, saying, "Now, I never said anything about that."
The two of us shared a laugh at that. While I was a bit apprehensive about how they, especially Seiros, would react to our little prank, I was anticipating it. Those two needed to loosen up anyway; something they had been refusing to do so far. If their mother/Progenitor God they so admired loved to have fun, they should as well. They would serve as a source of amusement until they did.
Sothis and I shared a moment of comfortable silence. We continued to dance to the music in the background, immersed in the feeling of contentment with the other's presence. I was still in thought, however.
"What are your thoughts on the future? What do you think we should do after the war?" I asked.
Not missing a beat in her movements, she asked back, "What bought this on?"
"Well, we each have our own realms to look after. We need to figure out how we're going to organise regencies when either of us is absent," I explained.
She raised an eyebrow. "Absent? Whyever would we be absent from our realms?" Then, a look of realisation came over her. "Oh. Yes, I believe we must arrange something."
I snorted again and said, "Yeah. Like Hell are we going our separate ways for the sake of bureaucracy. I'll not leave your side voluntarily."
"I feel the same," she said. "Then we shall establish a rotation. One month in my realm, one in yours and one in the mortal realm. I would like to visit my descendants, after all."
"That sounds like a plan," I said with a smile.
She smiled back and said, "Now that you've got me thinking about the future, there is one more thing to consider."
"What is it?" I asked curiously.
Her smile morphed into one that was simultaneously lewd and cheerful. "When should we make our first child?"
I was aware that Sothis wanted more children. Her happiest memories were of raising the children who had become the first Nabateans. She loved being a mother, and it had not surprised me in the slightest to find out that she wanted more children. However, she did not want to make them on her own. Any future children of hers would be the product of the normal procedure; not created from blood.
"Let's wait until after the war's end," I answered her. "I'm not sure how good of a father I'd be, and I want to have enough time to dedicate myself to the family."
"That's fine. I agree. At least that means we will have plenty of time to practice the process," said Sothis suggestively. Then, her tone shifted. "I'm certain you'll be a great father. Have some faith in yourself."
"I'll try to live up to yours before I add my faith to the mix," I said drily.
She laughed and said, "Don't pretend you haven't already thought of names for the child, at least."
She had caught me there. I had indeed been thinking about names, though strictly in hypothetical until recently. I had no good name for a boy yet, but I wanted our first girl to be named Roxana. It would fit the star theme Sothis had going on for her youngest children. Still, it was not as though I had already done family planning.
She knew that damn well, though. So, I decided to tease her a little.
"While that's true, I was more preoccupied with how we're going to get there," I said with wiggling eyebrows.
She caught on. The next sway of her hips was more pronounced than the dance required, and she pressed her body against mine as soon as the rhythm allowed.
"My, are you already planning our wedding night?" she teased.
The laugh that left my lips was short but heartfelt. "Like you haven't. I've seen your ideas for it in your head as clearly as you have seen mine. You, my beloved, are a lewd individual."
"Is that what they call a pervert these days?" she snarked.
We both broke out in laughter after that. It felt good to have this serious conversation in such a relaxed tone. It was one I would have never thought I would have before we got together, but that was exactly why I was happy about it. Having fun together was amazing.
It was good, then, that we would soon be able to begin our plans for the future we envisioned. The Rite or Rising would give Sothis her body back, and I would gain one of my own. We would be able to wrap up this war at that point. The preparations were already nearly complete. All that was left was to wait for the 26th of this month.
23rd day of the Blue Sea Moon 1181. Garreg Mach, Audience Chamber of the Archbishop.
"It is good to see you back, Byleth," said Seiros, "And you as well, Jeralt."
The two had arrived at the monastery practically at the same time. While Byleth's return from the Imperial front had been expedited by judicious use of Warp spells, Jeralt had returned the slow way together with Captain Wolfgang and the troops sent to aid in the Faerghus campaign. The corps had even stopped at Zanado for a few weeks, where the now famous drinking competition had taken place, before they resumed their march in direction of Garreg Mach. Since father and son were now both present, Seiros had seen fit to arrange a partial family reunion.
The two men seemed to appreciate it. "It's good to see you again as well, Grandmother. We did not have the opportunity to meet a lot last time I was here."
Seiros nodded and said, "Yes. I was assisting Cethleann in her efforts to help the people from Norweg adjust to Fodlan."
"I'm just glad to be back," said Jeralt. "Spending time with the kid and having some more familiar faces to talk to is good to relax after time on the front."
"That is true," said Seiros.
She spoke from memory. The War of Heroes had been a very stressful time for her, and it had lasted for 56 years. Even though the last seven of those had not seen major battles, they had still been gruelling. So, having spent much time on the battlefield, she knew the value of downtime very well.
Byleth agreed as well. "Indeed. If they were not needed at the front, I would have taken the Black Eagles back here for some rest."
"I imagine all the former students are in need of it," said Seiros.
"At least the Blue Lions got to have some, though they should be entering the fray again soon," said Jeralt.
Seiros nodded in acknowledgement. "While that is fortunate, we should not speak of war now. I called you here to spend some time as family."
Jeralt grimaced and said, "Can't say I'm used to that in regards to you, Lady Rhea."
She shook her head. "This is not official business. Call me Seiros. I should also point out that I am your mother-in-law."
"This dynamic is still new to him, Grandmother," said Byleth.
"There will be plenty of time for him to get acclimated to it," said Seiros in response.
The man in question huffed. "Looks like I'm going to need it. I'm not as adaptable as I used to be. Even I can feel the tooth of time."
It was an unfortunate truth. While Seiros' blood granted longevity, it did not stop the aging process. Jeralt could feel that his physical condition would begin to deteriorate at some point within the next two decades or so. From there on, it would not take maybe three or four more decades until his life was over. Still, it was a lot more time than many people got.
"You underestimate yourself," said Byleth. "I don't think Mother will forgive you if you join her before you get to see your grandchildren grow up."
Jeralt looked it him in disbelief. "Now that's a string of words I never thought I'd hear from you."
"I must admit that I am curious as well. You do not seem the type to think about such topics," said Seiros.
Byleth answered their inquiries with a slightly raised eyebrow. "I'm in a relationship with Edelgard, the Emperor of Adrestia. She needs an heir. This was never up for debate."
"I am aware," said Seiros, "But considering her circumstances, it is less clear."
"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Jeralt.
Seiros answered, "The brutal experiments Edelgard was subjected to as a child may have impacted her ability to have children."
Byleth interjected there and said, "She had Manuela run tests on her after the restoration ritual."
"And the result?" asked Seiros.
"While her fertility has suffered greatly, her body Is more than capable of carrying a child to term," he explained.
"I see," said Seiros.
Jeralt then asked, "But what happens if she doesn't get pregnant? You did say the chance is fairly low."
"We'll try harder," answered Byleth drily.
Seiros could not help the undignified snort that left her. The response had been unexpected but highly amusing. She calmed down quickly, however.
"And if that does not work?" she asked.
Byleth answered, "There are options. For now, we simply want to develop our relationship."
"How's that going, then? A war zone isn't exactly the place to have romantic dinners," said Jeralt.
"It's going decently well. We talk and we spend time together," said Byleth.
Seiros was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this. "Is that all?" she asked.
Her grandson answered, "We do things Edelgard never had the chance to do growing up when we have time. It is fascinating to discover her likes and dislikes in this manner."
Jeralt chuckled. "Did you expect a whirlwind romance, Lady Rh- Seiros?"
She hesitated, but ultimately said, "I was hoping for a bit more."
"If you want some more romance in your life, you could always try it yourself," said Byleth.
It was a point Sothis had raised often; one Byleth agreed with. Seiros lacked balance in her life. Stress and duty had worn her down over the last millennium. She needed something to distract her from that and to take up her time once she retired from the position of Archbishop. Finding a significant other would go a long way to achieve that.
Or as Hyperion put it: "That woman needs to get laid." Is it wrong to think it funny that Sothis agreed? thought Byleth.
Father and son were then treated to the rare sight of a blush on Seiros' cheeks. It appeared that she was embarrassed.
"I… This is… That is to say, I have never considered such a thing," she stammered out.
"Never?" asked Byleth. "You are a beautiful woman with no few admirers. You're spoilt for choice."
Seiros did not answer. She was still embarrassed, but there was also a look of sadness on her face.
Jeralt was the one to figure out what was going on. To Byleth, he said, "It's hard to think about a relationship when you know that you'll still look pristine by the time you partner's bones are dust."
"That is true," said Seiros. "It was for this reason, among others, that I refused to have a relationship with Wilhelm."
"You two are forgetting something," said Byleth.
"And what would that be?" asked Jeralt.
He answered, "There are currently thousands of Nabateans, who all have the same lifespan as Grandmother."
That stopped both of the older adults in their tracks. With the tribes that had come from Norweg were many Nabateans. While Seiros had considered their dragon forms for the future of the war, she had neglected to think about further implications. It was worth thinking about.
Jeralt simply commented, "Well, that puts a new spin on this."
Byleth picked up on this and said, "That new spin being that Grandmother will get a chance to have her own whirlwind romance."
"Would you please leave that be?" asked Seiros, once again flustered.
"I can't," said Byleth, "With Sothis and Hyperion leaving my had soon, I will have to do all the mischief on my own."
26th of the Blue Sea Moon. Holy Tomb.
It was not long until the Rite of Rising was set to begin. Before it could, however, certain preparations had to be completed. To this end, Seiros, Cichol and a few Church officials as well as healers were now present. Among these preparations was also the summoning of the astral projections of two of its participants.
"It's time. I will call them forth," said Byleth. He then used the same spell he had used exactly one year earlier. "Manifest!"
The forms of Sothis and Hyperion appeared. The former was a given since this was the centre of her faith. The latter was perhaps a bit surprising since his presence in the world was so new. Much to his chagrin, however, Sothis had done a lot of missionary work, and he had developed a small but significant enough following among Sothis' own believers. Therefore, he was also manifested by the spell.
"Well then," said Hyperion, "I think there's one more thing that needs to be done before we can begin with the Rite or Rising. It's quite important."
Something in the tone and facial expression of the man made Byleth suspicious. There was no doubt in the young knight's mind that his headmate was planning something. Going by the barely suppressed grin on Sothis' face, she was in on it too. He could only hope it would not turn out to be another headache.
Hyperion's next words dashed that hope.
"You all look far too serious. Having anticipated this sorry state of affairs, I have arranged for you to witness a most joyous occasion!" declared the spectral man.
He turned to Sothis, who smirked. She said, "Go ahead, my love."
"With pleasure," began Hyperion, "And love is the right word."
He turned to the crowd and elaborated, "As you all know, Sothis and I are romantically involved. It is customary for such relationships to assume a certain formality as it goes on. In specific, this means that people go from merely being together to being engaged. Again, custom would dictate that the prospective groom present a ring to prospective bride. Such is the ordinary process."
A dramatic pause followed, during which Byleth was developing the headache he had feared. His headmate only adopted painfully formal speech patterns when he was either diplomatic, trying to teach something professionally, or when he used florid words to mess around. Given the context, it could only be the latter.
Undeterred, Hyperion went on with a solemn voice, "I believe we can all agree that Sothis is far from ordinary, and so is my love and dedication to her. No ring of sufficient size to represent the magnitude of my love for Sothis could ever be so small as to fit on a finger. I have, therefore, through my own blood, sweat and tears, produced an extraordinary ring for an extraordinary woman."
He went back to face Sothis and said, just as solemnly as before, "My beloved Sothis, as I have said before, my love for you surpasses the confines of a digit's ornament."
A moderately sized box appeared in his hands at those words, and he went down on one knee. "This is the fruit of my labour to create an object truly befitting of what I feel for you. Sadly, I must admit, its circumference is too great to fit even on your wrist. I was forced to alter the design accordingly. Nevertheless, even in its new form, it lends itself wonderfully to the question my heart yearns to ask: Sothis, will you marry me? Will you be mine?"
Sothis opened the box and looked at its contents. There, on a cushion, sat an immaculately crafted circular object. It bore elaborate ornamentation on the outside of its black surface. On the inner side, which was meant to touch skin. it was padded and lined with what appeared to be soft, short fur of some sort. The whole thing also had an adjustable buckle. The object in the box was, as those who could see it were coming to realise, a collar.
"Now you've done it," muttered Byleth.
The outraged faces of Seiros and Cichol clearly confirmed his thoughts. The two looked like they were about to explode. He feared that his grandmother in particular was in danger of popping a vein. Before she could express her displeasure, however, she was pre-empted by another voice.
"I love it!" exclaimed Sothis. She then took the collar out of the box and put it around her neck. "Ooh, it fits really well."
Her gaze then turned to Hyperion. It was full of genuine love and affection despite the little act they were putting on. She said, "Stand back up, Hyperion, my husband-to-be."
She pulled him up and kissed him on the lips. It lasted a few seconds and was rather enthusiastic. Some of the spectators had elected to look in another direction.
"I take it that you agree, then," said Hyperion.
Sothis rolled her eyes and grinned. "Yes, you fool. I'll marry you. I'll be yours," she purred while touching the collar.
Going by the slight surprise and the faint blush on Hyperion's face, that last part had probably not been in the script of whatever theatre those two were organising.
"What is the meaning of this?!" shouted Seiros.
Hyperion blinked at her and said, "I've just proposed to Sothis."
"What made you think that this… thing you've given he was appropriate?" questioned Seiros. "You cannot treat Mother like some sort of pet!"
Hyperion's face once more looked solemn as he answered, "I will have you know that I have studied a great quantity of research material on romance and courtship. Among them was a work titled How to Train Your Dragon, which I think was highly appropriate in this instance. There is also one more reason."
Still outraged, but caught somewhat flat-footed, Seiros was temporarily rendered speechless. She found her words again soon, however. "What is this other reason," she asked through gritted teeth.
"Look at her," said Hyperion drily, pointing at Sothis. She was tracing the collar's surface with her fingers while smiling. "Your mother is kinky as Hell."
Sothis laughed and said, "He's not wrong."
That successfully directed Seiros' attention at her. "Mother, you can't be serious!"
"Oh, lighten up, will you?" said the Goddess. "This is incredibly tame compared to what I grew up around."
"You cannot seriously consider walking around in public wearing a collar of all things," protested Seiros.
"Well, it's a good thing I made it, then," interrupted Hyperion. "Much as I like seeing her wear a collar – and what a sight it is! – this form is merely one of several."
That finally took most of the wind out of Seiros' sails. She deflated a bit. Before she could ask what his statement meant, however, she was beaten to the punch by Cichol.
"Explain," he said.
The one to do so was Sothis. She said, "I've been aware of Hyperion's intention to make me a gift ever since he began planning for it. We came up with the idea for this little prank together when we discussed it. This collar is just a prank form added to the gift. Its true form is complementary to something he has made for himself. My love, if you would?"
Hyperion nodded. "Sure thing."
Suddenly, a previously hidden ring on his ring finger started glowing red. The glow spread across the entirety of his spectral body. When it had finished doing so, it vanished and left behind a black, form-fitting armour of smooth design. It had no gaps at all, yet it appeared flexible. It also looked highly protective. It was hard to believe that it had been stuck in such a small form.
Right afterwards, the collar on Sothis' neck also started glowing, this time green. The armour this eventually revealed was pure white. It was form-fitting, but it looked just as strong as Hyperion's. Its gauntlets, by contrast, were a bit bulkier than those of his armour.
"I thought it prudent to provide us with the means to protect ourselves, so I created soul-bound armours for the two of us. No matter what happens, where we end up or when; if something goes wrong, we'll have these suits of armour to protect us," explained Hyperion.
He subsequently dismissed the armour, its form returning to that of a ring on his left hand. "It was originally a wrist band, but after Sothis agreed to marry me when we discussed it for real, I turned it into the engagement ring," he said.
Sothis also dismissed her armour. Instead of a collar, it was now also a ring on her left ring finger. "As you can see, its form is not a definite thing," she said.
"I am wondering why you thought it necessary to do this. Your 'prank' was not very funny," said Cichol with a long-suffering sigh.
"It was to us. Byleth's second-hand embarrassment alone was hilarious," said Sothis. She shrugged. "Maybe being divine causes one to lose one's sense of humour, though."
"In any case," added Hyperion, "We also did it because you, Cichol, are way too stiff. And you, Seiros, really need to get laid."
Sothis nodded sagely and said, "I agree."
The two were clueless that they were re-enacting Byleth's earlier thoughts.
"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Seiros, more embarrassed than outraged now.
Sothis shrugged. "I thought that maybe my tastes were a thing that runs in the family and that it would do something for you." Then, she grinned and said, "Or maybe I just wanted to exercise my right as your mother and mortify you with tales of my sex life. Not that there's anything to talk about yet."
"Mother!" exclaimed Seiros.
The other woman merely laughed, and Hyperion joined her.
Byleth just sighed in resignation. Those two menaces were making a mockery of the serious situation this day actually presented.
"Is this really how you want those two to loosen up?" asked Byleth.
Hyperion snorted. "Other approaches didn't work, my friend. If you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your stupidity. Works 60% of the time."
"Stupidity's the word, alright. You're going to give me grey hair," said the younger of the two.
"Don't be such a stick in the mud," said Hyperion. "We wanted to bring some levity into this thing before we start being all business-like."
The sour look on Seiros face communicated her opinion on this. Cichol's severe gaze and Byleth's unimpressed expression did much the same.
The youngest of the three said, "You suck. Enough games now. Let's do what we came here to do."
An hour later. The same place.
The day Seiros had been anticipating for eleven centuries had finally come; earlier silliness aside. The ritual site was being checked over for errors, all the ingredients were being prepared, and the participants were undergoing a last repeat briefing. Security was in place as well, and witnesses like the Cardinals and select members of the staff were here. Everything was now nearly ready for the Rite of Rising in Sothis' return.
The ritual site selected for this was the Holy Tomb. It was a nexus for Sothis' power, and it was located in the centre of faith that was Garreg Mach. Not only that, but it was also the burial site of many Nabateans, whose remains still exuded a faint air of power that was deeply connected to Sothis. The Holy Tomb was also spacious, which gave the ritual the space it needed.
Said space was indeed quite large due to the requirements of the Rite of Rising. Apart from the central circle, where the Chalice of Beginnings, the Sword of the Creator, and Byleth would be situated, there were other ritual circles connected to the central one. They were arrayed in six concentric octagons, which resulted in a combined number 49 circles; seven times seven, in other words. Each one had to be big enough for three people to stand in the corners of the triangles that the thaumaturgic spell circle featured. The central one needed to be even bigger to not only house people assigned to the corners but also the Chalice and its handler. So, the surface area needed to conduct the ritual was rather large.
An additional requirement for its success were also the participants. Due to the sephirothic nature of the ritual, certain balances were required, one of which was actually a gender balance. As such, 24 of the outer circles were occupied solely by men and another 24 solely by women. In the innermost circle were two women and one man, those being Seiros, Cethleann and Cichol. Together with Byleth, this made for equal numbers. Setting this up had taken time and effort, but it had been done.
Fortunately, the other finicky components had been arranged more or less by accident. In trying to fulfil the specific resources and people necessary, a lot of overlap had been created. As a result, only a few minor details had needed correction. All that remained now was for the centre piece of the Rite of Rising to arrive.
As if on cue, Seiros entered the premises of the ritual site. She carried a long bundle in her arms, which she then quickly unwrapped. From within the cloth, she produced the Sword of the Creator.
She placed it on the altar in the central circle. The Chalice of Beginnings and 22 vials of blood were already there as the reagents. The spectral forms of Sothis and Hyperion were present as well, being the focal point of the Rite of Rising. Byleth was also present as the final "ingredient" due to him carrying Sothis' heart, necessitating the presence of healers to help kickstart his own in an emergency once the ritual was over. Everything was in place now.
"We're ready. Grandmother. We can begin as soon as you're in position," said Byleth.
"Of course," responded Seiros with a nod.
She made her way to her assigned position and readied herself. She readied her magic, as did the other participants. Then, Byleth lifted a hand towards the Chalice of Beginnings while the other reached out to the vials. The signal was given, and she poured her magic into the ritual circle.
The other participants followed. The array was now charging up. While this was going on, Byleth attuned the Chalice to his magic, keying himself in as the controller of the ritual. When he was finished, a pulse of magic flowed out from the centre. The whole formation began glowing white as a result. The magic was primed.
The first and longest stage of the ritual – and the entire ritual itself, in fact – was all about manifestation. For this reason, there was a spoken component to it. And so, Byleth began by speaking.
"The World is the Fool's journey. Let us walk it."
He poured the vial containing the blood with the Crest of Ernest into the Chalice.
"The Fool is unburdened by worry and caution."
Next, he poured in the vial with the Crest of Macuil.
"Through freedom from worry and caution, the Fool discovers the mysteries of the world, and thus becomes the Magician."
The green blood bearing the Crest of Seiros was added to the cup.
"Through the mysteries of the world, the Magician begins to discern good and evil, and thus becomes the Priestess."
Byleth emptied the vial with the Crest of Dominic.
"Through the nature of good and evil, the Priestess understands just and unjust use of power, and thus becomes the Empress."
The blood with the Crest of Fraldarius was added next.
"Through understanding of just and unjust use of power, the Empress discovers supreme authority and leadership over the material, and thus becomes the Emperor."
The Crest of Noa joined the others in the Chalice of Beginnings.
"Through the discovery of supreme authority and leadership over the material, the Emperor acquires spiritual power, and thus becomes the Hierophant."
Another vial of green blood, this time containing the Crest of Cethleann, was emptied.
"Through acquisition of spiritual power, the Hierophant experiences the dual nature of bonds, and thus becomes the Lovers."
Blood containing the Crest of Daphnel was poured into the Chalice.
"Through experiencing the dual nature of bonds, the Lovers encounter discord, and thus become the Chariot."
The next vial to be emptied carried the Crest of Blayddid.
"Through encountering discord, the Chariot finds balance and harmony, and thus becomes Justice."
The Crest of Gloucester came next.
"Through finding balance and harmony, Justice explores itself in solitude, and thus becomes the Hermit."
Hilda's blood, containing the Crest of Goneril, was poured into the Chalice.
"Through exploring itself in solitude, the Hermit discovers the burden of choice, and thus becomes the Wheel of Fortune."
Green blood donated by Cichol and containing his Crest was the next addition.
"Through the discovery of the burden of choices, the Wheel of Fortune awakens the power of its instinct and its confidence, and thus becomes Strength."
The Crest of Aubin followed.
"Through awakening the power of its instinct and its confidence, Strength is confronted by sacrifice, and thus becomes the Hanged Man."
Next was the Crest of Gautier.
"Through confrontation with sacrifice, the Hanged Man learns to release its fears, and thus becomes Death."
Blood with the Crest of Indech was poured out.
"Through learning to release its fear, Death comes into contact with moderation, and thus becomes Temperance."
Blood bearing the Crest of Maurice was added to the Chalice, causing an odd hiss as it connected with the other blood already within the vessel.
"Through coming into contact with moderation, Temperance discovers the entrapment of excess and the breaking of shackles, and thus becomes the Devil."
The Crest of Charon was added next. Its addition caused slight tremors, which unsettled many of the ritual's participants, though none dared break concentration.
"Through discovering the entrapment of excess and the breaking of shackles, the Devil experiences upheaval, and thus becomes the Tower."
Timotheos' Crest was added through Hapi's blood. The tremors subsided and gave way to a feeling of lightness.
"Through experiencing upheaval, the Tower transcends its previous self, and thus becomes the Star."
The vial that contained the blood with the Crest of Riegan was poured into the Chalice.
"Through transcending its previous self, the Star divines illusion and truth, and thus becomes the Moon."
Next came the Crest of Chevalier. The lightness from before took on a soothing nature.
"Through divination of illusion and truth, the Moon finds joyous life and good fortune, and thus becomes the Sun."
The Crest of Lamine was added next. A tingling feeling spread through the ritual site.
"Through finding joyous life and good fortune, the Sun awakens its true potential and frees itself from inner conflict, and thus becomes Judgement."
Then, Byleth poured the last vial of blood, his blood, that contained the Crest of Flames. The feelings previous additions had caused now blended together into a warm, prickly sensation across everyone's skin.
"Through awakening its true potential and freedom from inner conflict, Judgement gains the supreme power within itself, and thus becomes the World."
As Byleth finished his sentence, the glow of the ritual array changed from white to gold. The Chalice of Beginnings, the Sword of the Creator and the Crest Stone attached to Byleth's heart then began to exude green light. Sothis lit up in that manner as well. Hyperion's form, on the other hand, shone red and black, uncaring of the paradoxical nature of black light. It seemed as though the Rite of Rising could go into the next stage.
And so, Byleth took the Sword of the Creator and dipped it in the blood-filled cup. He made sure to touch both objects himself before he proceeded.
"Thus has the Fool become the World. The glimmer of supreme divinity made manifest," he intoned. "Malkuth."
The innermost circle of the ritual array was suddenly encased in a sphere of golden energy. The air of power was palpable to all in the vicinity. It was at this point that Sothis and Hyperion took the reins of the ritual as it now entered the realm of the divine.
"Malkuth. The Kingdom. Mother Nature itself. We ascend on her," said Sothis.
"Yesod. The Foundation. Reflection of Beauty, Knowledge and the Crown that governs it. We ascend on it," spoke both Sothis and Hyperion.
A branch of golden light went up from the first sphere and formed a second one.
"Hod. Splendour. Reflection of Strength and Understanding. We ascend on her," said Sothis again.
On the left of the second sphere and slightly above it, a third one appeared, connected to the other two with branches of light.
"Netzach. Victory. Reflection of Mercy and Wisdom. We ascend on him," chanted Hyperion.
A fourth sphere appeared on the same height as the third one, to the right of the second one. It, too, connected to all previous spheres. The lower triad, the reflection of the higher triad of conscious emotions was complete
"Tiphareth. Beauty. Reflection of Knowledge and the Crown that governs it. We ascend on it," said the two in unisono once again.
The fifth sphere appeared over the first and second ones, even higher up than the previous two. Once more, branches of light had formed to connect all of them.
"Geburah. Strength. Reflection of Understanding. We ascend on her," intoned the Goddess.
Directly above the third sphere, slightly higher than the fifth, appeared the sixth one. Branches of light formed to connect it to the third and fifth spheres.
"Chesed. Mercy. Reflection of Wisdom. We ascend on him," said her Hyperion.
Branches of light went out and connected to the seventh sphere that appeared directly above the fourth one. It was now connected to the fourth, fifth and sixth spheres. The upper triad of conscious emotion was complete
"Da'at. Knowledge. Intellectual half of the Crown that governs it. Through it, we ascend," said both together.
No new sphere lit up, but a branch of light ascended from the first, second and fifth spheres. It broke through an invisible veil and shattered it, leaving behind a hole with golden outline in the otherwise imperceptible veil. The triad of conscious intellect thus began.
"Binah. Understanding. We ascend on her," chanted Sothis.
The eighth sphere formed above the third and the sixth. The branches of light that connected to it went to the third, sixth and fifth spheres. The light exuded by the three spheres of the left side intensified greatly, for Binah was the last component of the Pillar of Severity, Neschama.
"Chokmah. Wisdom. We ascend on him," said Hyperion
The ninth sphere that formed came to be above the fourth and seventh ones. The branches of light connected it to the fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth spheres. The light of the right side now intensified to the same level as those on the left. Chokmah was the last component of the Pillar of Mercy, Chiah. Additionally, Binah and Chokmah, in conjunction with Da'at formed the triad of conscious intellect.
"Kether. The Crown that governs Knowledge. Highest conception of divinity. We transcend it," chanted both deities together.
The tenth sphere appeared in a flash of light. Its branches connected to the topmost spheres of the two pillars on the side, and to the first, second and fifth spheres. All spheres in the middle lit up like those on the sides. The Pillar of Equilibrium, Jechidah, was complete with the addition of Kether, the sphere of super-consciousness. The Tree of Life had taken form.
"We escape conception. We return to the origin of all that is. We go through the Ein, the Nothing," said Sothis and Hyperion.
Their spectral forms began to dissolve. The same was happening to the Sword of the Creator and Sothis' Crest stone. The light of the tree grew brighter and tremors in the world's flow of magic could be felt.
"We go even further, for we are not at the origin. We go through the infinity beyond infinity. We go through the Ein Sof, the Boundless" continued the incorporeal duo.
Their dissolution had accelerated rapidly. Both of them had disappeared, as had the sword and the stone. Yet Byleth could still feel the blood flow through his veins, and the voices of his headmates could still be heard through the intensifying tremors.
"We go until there is no further place to go to. We return to the origin of all that is. We are there. We are back within the Ein Sof Aur, the Boundless Light," they finished their chant.
The light emanating from the Tree of Life which the spheres had formed was of such intensity that it would have permanently blinded everyone in the Holy Tomb if it had been ordinary or even magical light. It was of divine nature, however, and did no harm. Its luminosity still surpassed anything seen before this point. In fact, it shone so bright that it penetrated the stone ceiling of the Holy Tomb and illuminated the Monastery above.
The tremors permeating the magic of the world became a quake. Magic itself, the energy secreted by the souls of humanity and the Nabateans, was agitated like never before. It rattled at a cage that had long since blighted it. It tore at it with its newfound strength until it broke. Though it was not with their ears, everyone present could hear the sound of stone and steel shattering, and a feeling of liberation and victory went through the Holy Tomb.
All too soon, it was over. The light disappeared and visibility returned. The ritual array had vanished, as had the Sword of the Creator and the Chalice of Beginnings. There was no sign of either Sothis or Hyperion. In the middle of the Holy Tomb now stood the lone figure of Byleth.
He was another oddity. There was a decidedly atypical expression on his face: open surprise. Said face also revealed a chance in his appearance. Both his eyes had changed to an intense red and his hair had assumed a bright green colour. It was clear that the ritual had affected him.
Byleth himself did not notice this. He was far too busy with the odd-rhythmic feeling in his chest. He had only felt it a handful of times previously, almost aways in Edelgard's presence. The realisation that this was a heartbeat, his heartbeat, came over him.
"I thought I was prepared for this, yet I am surprised," he said to no one in particular.
One person who was decidedly less calm was Seiros. She looked around frantically. "W-where are they? They should be right here!"
Byleth frowned, but he was not worried. They were alright.
He blinked. How did he know that?
Frowning again, Byleth looked inward and found an odd, spiritual connection. He mentally tugged on it, and found himself surprised by the responses he received.
"Can't talk for long. Moving sideways. We're not through being headmates just yet."
"Look after Seiros for me, will you? We're meeting an old friend of mine. We'll be back."
The communication cut off, but the connection remained. Sadly, there was no further response coming. Nevertheless, he now had an explanation.
"Calm down," said Byleth to Seiros, "An anticipated eventuality has occurred."
"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Seiros.
Her earlier annoyance at her mother and the man she had chosen as her future husband was forgotten. Now, she only worried for their safety. A minor part of her was surprised that she was actually worried for Hyperion, but the main part of her mind was busy not trying to panic at her mother's disappearance.
"It means that one of the things they were worried about and had prepared for happened. Hyperion's last mental communication mentioned moving sideways. I assume he means sideways in time. Sothis said that they would be back. The faint connection I have to them indicates that they're fine," explained Byleth.
Some of the tension left Seiros as she heard this. "Did she say when?" she asked.
Byleth answered, "No, but Sothis mentioned that they were meeting an old friend of hers." At Seiros' puzzled look, he said, "I'm as clueless as you are."
Cethleann entered the conversation then. "I guess that means the Rite of Rising was mostly a success, yes?"
"Yes, it achieved its primary goals. Now we only need to wait for the results," answered Byleth.
Some time later. The Underworld, Hyperion's Palace.
Nyx was a very busy woman right now. Her new king's ritual had been a resounding success. As much good as that did, it also created an immense workload for her. After all, she, Erebus and Tartarus had been appointed as regents of the Underworld in the case of His Majesty's absence. That alone would not have been so bad, if it had not been for the additional work the Rite of Rising had created.
Just as they had theorised, the invocation of the Ein Sof Aur had flooded the world with its enormous power. Said power had been more than sufficient to fulfil one of the primary goals of His Majesty's: It had shattered the Darkness of Zahras.
While this was very much a joyous occasion for the vast majority of those affected, it created a great number of annoyances for her.
"No, Zeus, I will not relinquish the throne. It does not even belong to me. Nobody will be relinquishing anything," she said.
"I am the King of the Gods!" bellowed the bearded fellow she was arguing with.
The source of the argument was a simple fact. The Darkness of Zahras had not only imprisoned the Gods, but it had also killed them. All Gods freed by the Rite of Rising were dead. As such, they were subjects of the Lord of the Dead. Sadly, however, this had become a point of contention.
Nyx let her annoyance show. "No, you were King of the Gods. That position can only be held by the living. You are dead, with all that it entails."
"Yes," said Tartarus from beside her, "You, and many more of this eclectic group of newcomers to this realm, have an extensive record of punishable offenses. I look forward to having you as my guest."
Zeus paled rapidly. That was not good. Nobody wanted to be Tartarus' guest. "What about her?" he deflected, pointing at Nyx, "Her hands aren't clean either!"
She fixed him with a hard stare. It seemed he had forgotten just how frightening she could be. It was time remind him. An aura of darkness appeared around her, and she replied, "What makes you think I haven't done my penance, boy? I've sat my time, you impudent brat. Now sit yours!"
"You can't do this to me!" shouted Zeus, suddenly frightened.
"I can and I will," replied Tartarus coldly.
Nyx watched with no small amount of amusement as the Primordial then dragged away Zeus. This was certainly not the first time that this had happened, but it certainly felt more satisfying than the others. Zeus had always been a particularly grating annoyance for her, and she was glad that he was now undergoing a much-needed attitude correction. She let the aura around her dissipate and went back to evaluating other new arrivals.
As it turned out, many deities could be politely described as people of morally dubious character. Like Zeus, they too considered themselves to be the best and the greatest, and were completely uncaring of the mortals' needs and each other's wellbeing. Most of them had to be dragged off to the Pit by Tartarus himself. Some actually went willingly, which spoke for their character and meant that they would very likely be released sooner. Others again had committed lesser offenses and were sent to the Fields of Punishment instead. And some, very few, had not incurred any moral debts they had not paid back in life.
Nyx's gaze wandered over to the side, where she could observe Eros having a tearful reunion with his wife and his daughter. She knew that the older man had tried not to show it, but she knew that he had been devastated by their absence. 11'000 years of separation had caused him much pain. Fortunately, that pain could now begin to heal. It helped that Psyche and Hedone were genuinely nice people.
As for the Primordial of Night herself, she was also looking forward to seeing her children.
"It's good to see you again, Mother."
Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear. Before her now stood Thanatos, Ker and many of their siblings. Some, she thought with a pang of pain, were not present because they would have to sit their time in Tartarus or the Fields of Punishment. Fortunately, it seemed that most of her children had been decent people in life. She was happy to see them again.
"And I am happy to welcome you back home," she said with much emotion.
Her children smiled at her and struck up conversation with her. Amusingly, most of it was relationship drama that had developed while they had all been in the Darkness of Zahras. With nothing else to do in there, it had been the logical conclusion, after all. The two short visits of Hyperion the Younger had apparently only been a hot topic to those involved. Some other topics were touched upon as well, however.
"Lord Hades, Lady Persephone and their family are on their way here as well. They separated from us to talk with Moros at the front gate. We plan on going there as well after we are finished here. We missed our brother," said Thanatos.
Nyx beamed. "That's considerate of you. He's missed you too, you know. He's been especially gloomy for the last few centuries. Do tell Hades and Persephone to come by when you leave, though. Pending the results of their karmic review, they may receive some authority in the running of the Underworld."
"I will be sure to tell them," said Thanatos with a nod, "Lord Hades at least will appreciate it. He has been getting more antsy with nothing to do. I believe he actually misses doing administrative tasks."
Nyx shot him an incredulous look. "Who in the blazes actually likes doing paperwork of all things?" she asked.
Thanatos shrugged and answered, "It is a mystery to us how this came to be. Lady Persephone seems exasperated as well."
"Well, at least it means less work for the rest of us," muttered Nyx with a sigh.
Suddenly, there was a commotion near an entrance to the rest of the palace. Someone ran through the open archway, hurrying over to her. The man carried with him a folder she could identify as belonging to the registry of residents. When he finally arrived where she sat, he was out of breath.
"Lady Nyx, we have an emergency!" he wheezed out, handing her the folder.
She opened it. It listed the names of many dead warriors from a past era. Despite this, they were all fairly recent in the big picture. The names themselves raised a few questions since they looked very familiar. What was truly concerning, however, was the colour of the names.
"How many?" asked Nyx
"The entire folder, my Lady. We're currently checking all the others associated with this one, but every single one we've checked so far shows the same pattern. We have a mass break-out. Over 300'000 souls have left the Underworld without authorisation," said the man.
Nyx set the folder down. "This is a catastrophe."
She looked at the topmost name. It was Nemesis.
Roughly the same time. Shambhala.
Deep within the catacombs, coffins rumbled under the ritual magic they were subjected to. The life force of over a million people was forcefully imbued into the corpses within. The stench of twisted necromantic magic profaned the very air as this was going on. The process had been going on for a few hours now and would soon be over.
Eventually, the magic died down. The rumbling disappeared, but other sounds could be heard. Knocking and pounding. Soon enough, the coffins, from which these sounds were coming, shattered under the strain. Their covers burst open, and from within rose the soldiers who had devastated Fodlan a millennium ago.
Watching over this process were Chilon and Thales. The latter of the two smirked. "Welcome back, warriors of Nemesis. There is work for you to do and weapons with which to do it."
AN: Greetings, dear readers! Welcome back to another chapter. I hope you had a good time reading it.
This time, it was (almost) all about various characters. Family was on everyone's thoughts this chapter. Whether it's the fun part of making one, teasing others about it, or taking it seriously, it's a multi-faceted topic. Hyperion and Sothis got to demonstrate their questionable sense of humour with their thoroughly planned-out but ill-considered prank right before the main event of the chapter as well. The Rite of Rising and its consequences follow, as well as a small insight into what the discount philosophers have been up to was added at the end.
Now, concerning the Ritual, I thought I'd get everyone on the same page. Seven is a very important number in Judeo-Christian numerology, so 49 circles looked like the way to go for me. The part with the Arcana took some improvisation on my part, but it's mostly accurate at least on an individual basis. The Tree of Life (Etz Chaim) and the spheres (Sephiroth) are a complicated subject, so I simplified them to a great degree. Generally, the Pillar of Severity as well as the Sephira Malkuth are considered feminine and the Pillar of Mercy masculine, which is why Sothis and Hyperion chanted their incantations without the other's aid.
Like always, I'd like to thank everyone who has followed, favourite and reviewed. Please don't hesitate to point out inconsistencies or plot holes, and ask questions if you have any. I'll happily answer them.
With all that said, I bid you farewell. Until next time. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!