Chapter 2: Conspiracy

Gaspard, The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, Fódlan

Imperial Year 1187

It didn't take long for Kana to pass out.

As the boy slackened in his sister's arms, Ashe and the others rushed over to their side. "Is he okay?" Annette asked, face full of concern. "Does he need to be healed? I have a few spells that can help!"

"I-I don't know." Sophie turned him over in her arms so they could get a better look at him. His cheeks were red and tear-stained, his clothes and choppy hair seemed more disheveled than before, but he had no injuries as far as Ashe could tell. His chest rose and fell with a steady rhythm—a good sign. "I think he's just…tired?"

"Regardless, we need to get him to a physician as soon as possible," Ingrid said. "We don't know what a transformation like that could have done to him internally."

Ashe nodded in agreement. "There are a few people here who might be able to help. Let's get him home, then once he's settled I'll find someone to—"

"Are you serious?"

All eyes turned to Felix. "He can't stay here. Those things were clearly after him, and there could be more of them lying in wait. What if they come for him again? What if he transforms again?" He gestured to the wreckage around them. "I doubt this place can handle another battle like that."

"Felix…" Annette started, her tone disapproving.

"What? Being gentle in this situation isn't going to help anyone. That could have been a Demonic Beast transformation for all we know, and we've seen the kind of damage those things can do. We're lucky he became human again—that might not happen next time."

"Then what are we supposed to do, Felix?" Sylvain's lips drew a thin line and he threw up an arm in exasperation. "Kick him out of his home? Separate him from his family? That's a bit heartless."

Felix scowled at him. "I didn't say that. We just need to be realistic. Keeping him here will only further endanger the village."

Ashe sighed. All he wanted was for the villagers to be safe, and that included Kana, but Felix had a point. Without knowing exactly what was happening to the boy or why those dead soldiers had been so keen on capturing him, his presence posed an undeniable danger to the rest of the town.

But where could they take him? Castle Gaspard was too close to the town to make a difference. Fhirdiad, their original destination, was still at least a few days away, if they were lucky enough not to run into any more bandits or undead soldiers during their travels.

His eyes drifted to the skyline. The sun had just begun to fall over the horizon, shining the day's last light between the dips and ridges of the Oghma Mountains. His gaze settled on a familiar section of the range, one that he and his friends had frequented over the last six years, and an epiphany struck.

"Why don't we take him to the monastery?" Ashe suggested. "It's only a few hours ride from here if we go through the mountains. We might have to travel in the dark for a while, but we could make it before midnight."

"Oh, that's right!" Annette's eyes lit up. "And all the professors should be there too. Professor Manuela can treat him, and maybe Professor Hanneman can figure out why he was able to turn into a dragon, if it's a Crest thing."

"But what about the village?" Ingrid knit her brows together, watching as some of the townspeople began to step out of the village safe houses now that the fighting had ceased. They had, thankfully, been left untouched during the raid. "I agree that the monastery is probably the best place for us to take Kana, but we don't know what brought those…apparitions to life. They could return to attack the town while we're gone."

"They seemed to be focused on capturing Kana." Ashe brought his knuckle to his chin. "That's what Edwin told me, anyway. They attacked the people who interfered—like us and my brother—but most of them seemed preoccupied with chasing him rather than hunting down civilians."

Sophie pulled Kana closer to her body in a protective hug. "That's what it felt like to me…they started coming over the wall, then rushed him all at once. Once I got separated from him they pretty much left me alone."

"So as long as we head to the monastery soon, the town should be safe?" Sylvain stretched his arms in preparation for another long trip. "Sounds like a plan to me. We're going to need more horses, though. I don't think my trusty steed here will be able to carry all of us at the same time."

"I'll talk to my sister about borrowing some," Ashe said, "and I'll have her request some reinforcements from a few neighboring territories to help guard the town, just in case they do come back. It shouldn't take too long."

"Then let's get moving," Felix grunted, turning on his heel. "We need to make use of all the daylight we can."

"W-wait!"

Sophie was glancing up at them, lips twisted into a frown. "I appreciate all you're willing to do to help him, even before we've had the chance to properly introduce ourselves, but…" she trailed off and looked away, mulling over something. "We're…not supposed to leave here. Not without our parents."

"That's okay!" Annette placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "They can come with us, too. The monastery has plenty of room for all of you."

The girl's face fell. Ashe felt his do the same, knowing what she was about to say.

"They're…not here right now. They've been gone for a long time but they're going to come back." Her shoulders slumped. "I hope."

"O-oh," Annette stammered, snapping her hand away and holding it to her chest. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize…" She looked to Ashe, seemingly at a loss for what to say next, so he stepped in.

"Sophie, I understand how you feel." Ashe kneeled by her side and tried to make his voice as soft as possible. "I…lost my parents too, a long time ago. I know all you want is to see them again, but"—he glanced again to the setting sun—"your parents would want you both to be safe, and it will be safer for everyone if we take you and your brother to the monastery. In fact, it's probably one of the safest places to be in all of Fódlan."

Sophie wiped her nose on her sleeve. "Really?"

He offered her a slight smile. "The current Archbishop was our professor once, and he's one of the strongest people I've ever known. With him guarding the monastery, no one will be able to lay a finger on your brother. But if we want to make it there, we have to go now."

She looked down at her brother, feeling his forehead, then let out a deep breath. "Okay. If that's what you think is best."

Uncertainty prodded at the back of his mind, but he shoved the doubts away. Everything would work out once they reached the monastery and the professor.

He had to believe that.

A heavy silence hung over the village as they prepared to depart. It was hard to believe that not more than an hour ago, the streets had been bustling with excited chatter and cheers for a celebration. Now, the once-lively people of Gaspard wore solemn expressions, cleaning up the rubble of the damaged homes and businesses left in the wake of a dragon's rampage.

Ashe finished saddling his horse, tugging on the straps to make sure it was secure for the journey ahead. It was the only horse the village was able to lend, his sister had said, but it was well built, strong enough for two adult riders. He thanked her with a tight hug, a kiss to the top of her head, and a promise to return home safely.

To his left, Felix lifted the still-unconscious Kana onto Sylvain's mount, carefully propping him up against the man's silver chestplate. Once the boy was situated, the swordsman helped Annette climb onto Sophie's horse before joining Ashe and the steed they would be sharing. With a smooth motion, Ashe stepped into the saddle's stirrup and swung up onto the animal's back. Felix settled in behind him soon after.

"Ready when you are," Felix said.

Ashe allowed himself one last look at the village. He set his jaw, determination building up inside him.

"Let's go."

He spurred the horse forward with his heels, galloping through the light of dusk along the path to Garreg Mach. Everything will be fine, he thought to himself, gripping the reins with tight fists. Everything will be fine. He repeated the mantra in his head as rode down the winding road, traversing the dense forests peppering the valleys of the Oghma Mountains.

Night soon took the sky. The waning moon provided only a dim source of light for the road. Ashe's eyes grew weary, straining to see through the darkness, and his body began to feel heavy as the exhaustion from the day's battles took hold.

"Up ahead!" Ingrid called from above. Ashe's breath stopped. Had the enemy returned? Now alert, his eyes darted around the street for the enemy's purple energy. Nothing. He looked into the distance, following the road as it weaved between the ridges of the landscape, up the steep mountains to…

Garreg Mach Monastery. He released a long, relieved sigh—they had made it.

Their horses slowed as they reached the base of the hills the monastery stood over, trotting past the stone walls that used to act as its first line of defense. Years of war and erosion had damaged the once-impressive masonry, rendering the walls useless as fortifications, but they were a welcome sight all the same.

"Wow…" Sophie gawked at the grand structure nestled between the mountains. "It's…amazing."

He nodded, flooded by the same sensation of awe he had experienced all those years ago when he had first enrolled at the Officers Academy. His days as a student had long since passed, but the memories—meeting his classmates, getting lost in the books of the library, passing his first exam, teaching Petra how to haggle with the local merchants, drinking tea with the professor—all felt so fresh.

He closed his eyes. All that was missing was Lonato's hand on his shoulder, his strong voice telling him that he would do great things someday.

If only he had lived long enough to see it for himself.

Sylvain whistled. "The monastery looks better than the last time we were here. The professor's been hard at work."

"Do you think they've repaired the cathedral?" Annette asked. "Oh, I miss choir practice. Singing with everyone after a long day of classes was so much fun!"

Felix scoffed. "For you, maybe."

"Come on, Felix, you know you enjoyed choir practice more than anyone." Sylvain smirked and waggled his eyebrows. "Any chance to hear Annette's beautiful voice, am I right?"

"Shut up."

A smile grew on Ashe's face. The tension of the past few hours seemed to slip away as his friends engaged in their usual banter. Perhaps everything would be fine, after all.

A quiet whimper broke them out of their conversation. Kana had begun to stir in Sylvain's arms, face scrunched tightly and breath quickening.

"Hey, it's okay, buddy. I've got you," Sylvain tried comforting him. The boy responded with incoherent muttering.

Something in the boy's reaction made Ashe's skin prickle. He tensed, reaching back for his bow. He may have been the weakest of the group in terms of raw power, but he had instincts borne of a childhood on the streets. Those instincts had saved him on countless missions before, during, and after the war with the Adrestian Empire.

And right now, his instincts screamed danger.

Ashe scanned the mountains for soldiers, bandits, monsters, but saw only the dilapidated walls and the cobblestone road ahead of them. He turned in his saddle to check behind them.

His breath caught.

A figure with glowing pink eyes looked down on them from a nearby hilltop. He sat on a horse of his own, enveloped in purple energy, wearing a tattered cape that flapped against the autumn wind. His image flickered, splotches of burned flesh and clumps of dark hair visible for only a few moments before he began to fade again.

Before anyone could react, Ingrid was on him. She soared at him with incredible speed, thrusting Lúin with a swiftness impossible to deflect—

Clang!

The harsh ring of metal reverberated through the air. The man had a sword held high, parrying Ingrid's blow with little effort. A chill ran down Ashe's spine. He blocked an attack from Ingrid?

Ingrid swooped around him and stabbed at his back, but the man spun around and met her lance again with his blade. Their battle kept a steady rhythm, Ingrid diving in to attack and the man guarding against every strike. They matched each other in speed and strength…

Until the man raised his sword and, in a flash of movement Ashe could barely track, sliced through the wing of Ingrid's pegasus.

The animal screeched, and Ingrid began to plummet towards the ground.

"Ingrid!"

Annette sprung from Sophie's horse, throwing a strong gust of wind up to counter the woman's fall. The gale pushed against the force of Ingrid's descent, slowing her down, but it was not enough to keep both rider and pegasus from slamming into the earth.

Ashe kicked his horse into a gallop towards her. Bile crept up his throat at the sight of a deep gash on her forehead and the unnatural angle of her arm. She can't be…

Felix dropped from the saddle and carefully pressed his fingers to her neck. There was a pause, so quiet and tense Ashe thought he was going to suffocate. Please, don't be—

"She still has a pulse," Felix said, voice wavering, "it's faint but it's there."

Thank the Goddess.

"Ingrid! Ingrid!" Annette collapsed by the woman, tears streaking down her face and hands aglow with white light. She held the magic over Ingrid's head and arm, whispering frantic prayers and apologies.

Felix rose from the ground, turning towards the hilltop with his sword unsheathed and face burning with rage. The man simply continued to stare down at them with soulless, pink eyes, blood dripping from his sword. Ashe felt paralyzed under his gaze. If he could defeat Ingrid, one of the fiercest warriors in Fódlan, with only a few swings of his blade…

What chance did he have?

He gritted his teeth and readied his bow. Chance or no chance, he had a job to do.

"Sylvain! Get them to the monastery!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Felix and I will hold him off!"

They didn't wait for a reply. Felix dashed up the hill, the Crest of Fraldarius flashing in a spectacle of blue light behind him, as Ashe pulled back his bowstring. He aimed the arrow at the only part of the man that wasn't transparent or flickering: the eyes. The man remained perfectly still, unbothered by their oncoming attack. Instead, he seemed to be focused on something far behind them, even as Felix quickly closed the gap between them.

Once Felix was within striking distance, Ashe released his arrow. The projectile flew at the man's head just as Felix prepared a powerful swing—

The man vanished, and both arrow and blade struck nothing but air.

What ? Ashe searched frantically for the ghastly form but found only wisps of that purple energy all the strange soldiers seemed to leave behind. Where did he go?!

Felix moved slowly around the hill, sword and shield raised. After a few minutes with no sign of the man or his horse, Felix kicked the ground and cursed.

Ashe wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or terrified.

He turned at the sound of Annette's soft sniffling. Her hands hovered over Ingrid's body, the white magic fading from her fingers as she used the last of her healing spells. The wound on Ingrid's head had closed, leaving only a scar and drying blood behind, but her arm still appeared to be broken.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Annette struggled to hold back her sobs. "I tried to help but my magic wasn't strong enough and—"

"You saved her, Annette," Ashe said. His voice sounded hollow in his ears. "She would have died if you hadn't acted as quickly as you did."

The mage clasped her fingers around Ingrid's uninjured hand and remained silent, allowing the tears to flow freely down her cheeks.

As they struggled to gather their bearings, Ashe caught a glimpse of movement coming from the monastery's entrance. Several people poured out of the gate at once. One flew ahead on a wyvern; the others ran down towards them on foot.

Ashe's face lit up at the sight of the person leading them. The man's mint-green hair was difficult to mistake even in the dead of night.

The wyvern rider—Cyril, he could see now—was the first to reach them. His mount landed a few paces away from Ashe.

"What's going on? Why are ya out here in the middle of—" he cut himself off with a gasp after noticing Ingrid and her pegasus.

"She needs to get to the infirmary, to Professor Manuela." Annette scrubbed at her eyes. "I've done all I can."

Cyril nodded and motioned for them to bring Ingrid over. Ashe quickly dismounted and worked with Annette and Felix to lift her up onto the wyvern, careful not to aggravate her injuries further. Once she was secure they took to the sky towards the monastery, just as Byleth and the Knights of Seiros reached Ashe and his group. A few of the knights immediately ran over to the pegasus and helped it to its hooves.

Byleth eyed them all. A crease formed on his stoic face as he assessed the aftermath of Ingrid's short battle.

His pale eyes met their gaze.

"Explain."

Character Bios:

Byleth: Enlightened One

-Archbishop of the Church of Seiros and former professor of the Officer's Academy for the Blue Lions House. A mercenary-turned-teacher who, for reasons unknown, was bestowed with the powers of the goddess Sothis. Though he may have a tough exterior, he has a soft spot for his former students—and cute animals. Wielder of the Sword of the Creator.

-Relations: Son of Jeralt and Sitri (both deceased). Vessel for Sothis.

Cyril: Wyvern Lord

-A Knight of Seiros with Almyran heritage. A man with a strong work ethic who was taken in by the former Archbishop after being captured during a skirmish between House Goneril and Almyra, and has devoted himself to serving Garreg Mach ever since in her honor.

-Relations: Son of parents who were killed in a battle at Fódlan's Throat.

Next chapter: Hanneman proposes a few hypotheses.