Chapter 8: To a Foreign Land

Garreg Mach Monastery, The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, Fódlan

Imperial Year 1187

Ashe shivered, watching his breath curl around his face. The sun had yet to rise, allowing the chill of the early morning to reign over the monastery. It was a promise that winter was creeping ever closer, soon to encompass all of Fódlan in its frigid embrace.

He wrapped his arms around himself as he came upon the monastery's entrance. Despite the hour, several people had already arrived long before him. Felix sat cross-legged against the stone walls, running a whetstone along the length of his blade, while Annette rummaged through a leather satchel next to him, humming to herself. Kana and Sophie seemed to be playing a game with their horse, each taking turns tossing apple slices to the animal and clapping when he successfully caught one.

Off to the side, Alm and Marianne were crouched by a group of stray cats. The king scooped one up in his arms and scratched behind its ears, cooing softly to it. Marianne let out a quiet giggle and reached forward to stroke the fur on its back.

It was oddly peaceful, seeing everyone like this. Watching his friends partake in one last moment of normalcy before they set off on their mission almost helped Ashe forget yesterday's battle, and forget his encounter with…

He rubbed his arms and forced the memory away. Not now.

"Good morning, Ashe," Annette said, voice as cheery as ever.

"Morning…" Ashe looked between her and Felix. "I guess this means you'll both be traveling with us?"

"Why else would we be up this early?" Felix grumbled, not bothering to look up from his sword.

"I'm just a little surprised, is all," Ashe said. "You seemed so concerned about Fódlan's defenses yesterday, Felix. I thought you would want to be here."

"Annette insisted." Felix inspected the edge of the blade, testing its sharpness. "And someone needs to look out for her, since she's so damn clumsy all the time."

"Oh, is that it?" Her lips curled into a teasing grin. She ran her fingers through his hair, earning a grunt from the swordsman. "He doesn't want to admit it, but he's worried about everyone, not just me. He wants to be with us in case something goes wrong when we go to…this other world."

This other world. The thought made Ashe shiver again. Goddess, they were really doing this, weren't they? Part of him was excited to be going on this mission—he had never been outside of Fódlan before; he had never even seen the ocean—but now that they were getting ready to depart, the apprehension was starting to make him queasy.

"Whooo's hungry?" Alois's voice boomed through the chilly air. The man strode over with a bounce in his step, balancing two steaming plates of sliced poultry and eggs. Byleth and Petra trailed behind him, carrying assorted baskets of fruits and bread. To Ashe's surprise, Byleth was wearing his old mercenary uniform instead of his Archbishop's robes—it probably made for easier travel.

"The kitchen staff whipped up a quick breakfast for you all to eat before you leave." Alois lifted up his chin to dramatically sniff the air, grinning from ear to ear. "And I must say…"

Felix glared at the man. "Don't."

"…it smells egg-cellent!"

Everyone let out a collective groan. Well, almost everyone. Kana covered his mouth and giggled, and Alm, of all people, chuckled at the joke.

Byleth regarded Alois with a slight furrow to his brow. "I don't get it. I thought you didn't like pheasant and eggs."

"Well, I don't…" Alois sighed and started handing out servings. "But that doesn't matter for the punchline!"

"I thought it was pretty good," Alm said, taking a heel of bread from one of the baskets. "Thanks for bringing all this, it was very thoughtful." With a growing smile, he tore off a small piece and held it up. "I can't wheat to try it."

There was a beat of silence as everyone stared at him, dumbfounded. It ended quickly with Alois doubling over, laughing so hard that his armor began to rattle. "Oh my, that was—ha!" The man wiped at his eyes, struggling to take in breath. "I can't believe I've never thought of that one! You're a natural comedian, Your Majesty."

Ashe found himself chuckling along with them. Alm was strangely…casual, for a king, wasn't he?

"I've changed my mind," Felix muttered, rising from the ground and sheathing his blade. "Following this Alm guy is a bad idea."

"Don't be like that. I think we could all use a little levity." Ashe gestured to Sophie and Kana, who were laughing quietly with each other as they scarfed down their breakfast. "A lighter mood will make the trip less stressful."

Felix glanced around at everyone, his gaze lingering on Annette as she laughed and popped a pastry into her mouth, then shrugged. A sign of agreement from the prickly swordsman.

"Are you in need of food, Ashe? Felix?" Petra stopped in front of them and held out her basket . "We must have a good breakfast to be having success on our journey."

"…'Our'?" Ashe took an orange from her and dug his thumbs into the skin. "You're coming too, Petra? What about Brigid?"

"My grandfather is watching over my homeland." She tucked a strand of purple hair behind her ear. "I would like to be accompanying you, to protect you and all of our friends."

His face suddenly felt incredibly warm despite the cold. "R-right…"

"The Professor will be joining us too. It will be just like our days as students!"

Ashe nodded, nibbling on an orange slice. It wouldn't be exactly the same—most of their friends were staying behind to help with the relocation to Fort Merceus or were in the process of healing—but he couldn't deny the nostalgic flutter in his chest watching everyone prepare to set off together.

"Does everyone have what they need?" Byleth asked as the group finished their meals. "Now's the time to stock up on extra supplies. It might be a while before we're able to return to the monastery."

Annette pumped her fists and showed off her satchel. "I think we're good! I made sure to pack lots of healing potions and snacks for the trip."

"Then it's time." Byleth tossed a hooded cloak to Kana. "Put this on. Best to keep you out of sight as much as we can, in case those soldiers pop up again."

"Okay…" The boy wrapped the fabric around his shoulders. As he pulled up the hood, he giggled and lifted his scarf over his mouth, hiding most of his face from sight. "I'm like a spy!"

"…If that's how you want to think of it, sure." Byleth handed his basket, now empty, to Alois. "Dimitri is on his way to Fort Merceus as we speak. Hilda and Holst should be too, if my letter arrived in good time."

"We'll be ready for them." Alois saluted proudly. "And for you, when you've found what you need."

Marianne clasped her hands together and bowed her head. "May the Goddess see you home safely."

"You're staying here?" Byleth asked her.

"Yes…I think I can be more useful here, even if I can't do much." She looked down and bit her lip. "I…I also want to see everyone again, and make up for lost time…"

"You'll do great," Alm said, sweeping her up in a tight hug. "I know you will."

"Thank you, Uncle…" A shy smile found its way to her face as she pulled away. "Please give Celica and Sir Purr a hug too for me when you see them…"

Alm patted her shoulder with a soft grin. "Of course."

"Safe travels, everyone!" Alois called out one last time, waving alongside Marianne as the group made their way out of the monastery.

"And bring back a souvenir!"

—

The trek to the Red Canyon was surprisingly peaceful. As the sun took to the sky and the birds came out to sing, they weaved through miles of moss-covered trees and winding road. Warm light streamed through the leaves overhead, granting their skin respite from the morning's chill.

They passed the time with random conversation and the occasional song from Annette. It was hesitant at first, tension hanging heavy over their shoulders as they scanned the road for beasts and soldiers. But as the hours passed by without conflict, everyone allowed themselves a moment to relax, a moment to just enjoy each other's company.

The kids in particular grew more comfortable—and more chatty—with every step they took. Ashe found it amusing, while others…

"Why do you keep badgering me with questions?" Felix huffed at Kana. The boy was following right on his heels, fawning over the swords attached to his hip.

"Because you look so cool!" Kana poked the pommel of one of the blades. Ashe half-expected Felix to swat his hand away, but the swordsman let the boy explore as he pleased. "You're like the samurai Mama used to read us stories about."

"…What's a samurai?"

"They're masters of sword fighting. They're brave, honorable, and always unyielding in the face of danger," Sophie said with a grin.

"They'll fight against the evilest of villains, and when you least expect it…" Kana sliced his arm through the air with a dramatic flourish. "Wham! Bad guy is split in two!"

"They sound kind of like knights," Ashe said, smiling at the boy's enthusiasm. The comparison made Felix wrinkle his nose in disgust.

"Yeah! But they don't ride horses. At least, I don't think they do." He began to bounce on the balls of his feet. "Can you use two swords at the same time? Sometimes samurai use two at the same time."

"If I have to."

"Wow…" Most of Kana's face was still covered, but the twinkle in his eyes shone clearly through the shadows of his hood. "Can you, Mr. Archbishop?"

"Never tried it." Byleth shrugged and tapped the Sword of the Creator. "One sword is enough for me."

"But it looks awesome all on its own!" Kana hopped up behind Alm, reaching out for the golden sword hanging at his side. "Yours too, Your Majesty. I've never seen a sword sparkle like that before…"

Alm's face filled with a sudden panic and he tried to spin out of the boy's reach. "Wait, Kana, don't—"

The warning came too late. A sizzling sound filled the air as soon as he touched the blade, wisps of smoke rising between his fingers. Kana yelped and snapped his hand away, cradling it against his chest.

"Kana!" Sophie pulled her horse to a quick halt and jumped off the saddle, running to his side in less than a heartbeat. "What was that?!"

"My sword has…special properties." Alm pulled the blade a few inches from its scabbard, inspecting the area Kana had touched. The golden hilt glimmered like the sun's reflection on water. "It's imbued with magic that's meant to be used against dragons. It…doesn't react well to a dragon's touch, even if there's no hostility behind it."

"G-got it, don't touch the dragon slayer…" Kana muttered, frowning down at his hand. "Sorry…"

Sophie sighed and ruffled his hair through his hood. "Let's just promise not to touch random things without permission, okay?" Kana gave a shy nod, tucking his hand into his cloak.

"Is everyone okay?" Petra descended on her wyvern through a gap in the tree branches. Several flocks of birds scattered at the powerful beats of the creature's wings, leaving behind a whirl of colorful feathers. "Why are we stopping?"

"It's nothing to worry about," Byleth said. "How does everything look from the sky?"

"We are nearing the Red Canyon." The wyvern landed on the ground, kicking up puffs of grass and dust. "I have been seeing no signs of monsters or invisible soldiers, but we still must use caution. There is a small fire burning within the ruins and unfriendly looking people."

Felix rolled his shoulders back. "Bandits and looters, probably. Nothing we can't handle."

"But shouldn't we avoid fighting?" Annette picked at her gloves. "I don't think we should be creating more dead people because…they might, you know…"

"And we need to keep the kids out of danger whenever possible," Ashe added. Not just for their physical safety, but also to prevent Kana from panicking and triggering his draconic nature. "Maybe we can sneak past them?"

"If they're close to Alm's portal, that will be difficult. There's not many hiding places among the ruins." Byleth tapped his knuckles against his chin. "And we shouldn't risk just leaving them alone. Who knows what trouble they'll cause if they come across this door to another world."

"So, we can't fight them, but we can't ignore them?" Felix crossed his arms. "What, are we just going to ask them to leave?"

"Something like that." Byleth tightened the strap of his gauntlet, completely oblivious to the confused stares he was getting from the rest of the group.

"Um, how exactly?" Annette was the first to ask.

"With a simple tactic I used often in my father's mercenary company."

"…Which is?"

The faintest hint of a smirk reached his lips.

"Intimidation."

—

Ashe crouched low behind a weathered stone slab. His ears twitched, listening closely to the crackle of the campfire burning on the other side. There were several bandits lounging around it, roasting game over the open flame, their gravelly voices arguing over where they should sell their loot and spend their gold. Through the sounds of their messy chewing, snorting, and the occasional belch, he counted seven people total.

He relayed the information to Byleth with a flash of his fingers. The man nodded, drawing the Sword of the Creator, then disappeared around the backside of a crumbling pillar on silent feet.

Ashe closed his eyes, running his thumb along his arrow's fletching and feeling the soft wind against his face. A slight westward breeze—easy shooting.

After taking in a slow breath, he nocked the arrow and pulled the string taut. He peered around the rock, scanning the makeshift camp for a suitable target. His eyes locked onto a bandit rubbing an apple against the tattered cloth of his shirt.

As the man lifted the apple to his mouth, Ashe's arrow pierced straight through the core and sent it flying from his hand.

The bandits cried out, some tumbling backwards from shock and others leaping to their feet. "What the—"

"That was your first and only warning." Ashe pulled another arrow from his quiver and flipped it around his fingers. "Drop your weapons and get on your knees. Now."

The bandits stared at him for a few seconds, then stared at each other for a few more, then burst out laughing.

"You thick in the head or somethin,' boy?" The biggest among them took a step towards Ashe, grinning and raising his axe. "In case you hadn't noticed, we've got you out—"

The Sword of the Creator shot out from behind the pillar, wrapping itself around the calves of the large bandit and the man closest to him. The segmented pieces dug deep into their flesh, squeezing their legs together like a vicious snake before yanking them right off their feet. Their faces smacked into the ground with a loud crack, and their bodies were quickly dragged out of sight.

The five remaining fumbled around for their weapons. Before any of them could get a proper hold on one, a powerful gust of wind launched them into the air and dropped them back down in a flailing mess of limbs. Ashe pounced on the back of one, pinning him to the ground and tying his hands behind his back as he struggled to reorient himself.

Felix sprung from his cover and did the same. Once the bandit in his grasp was restrained, he pressed a sword to the back of his throat and hissed, "He told you to get on your knees."

The man sputtered, unable to respond with his face shoved into the dirt. Felix's piercing glare turned to the last three bandits. "Well?"

"S-screw this!" The men scrambled away from Ashe and Felix, scooping up their sacks of loot in a panic and making a beeline for the main road.

They didn't make it far. An angry wyvern landed in their path, letting out a ferocious roar and knocking them down with its tail. It bared its teeth with a snarl, daring them to try running again.

Petra scowled down at them from atop the beast. Annette stood at the ready behind her, glowing green gales swirling around her palms, giving them her best death stare. "On. Your. Knees."

With trembling nods, the bandits crawled backwards a few feet before settling on their knees. They offered no resistance as Ashe and Felix bound their hands and dragged them towards the fire, where the other captives were kneeling in waiting.

Byleth loomed over them, his sword glowing a fierce red. One of the bandits gulped, eyes darting between Byleth and his ensnared friends. "A-ain't that the Ashen Demon?"

"Correct." Byleth grabbed a fistful of the man's shirt and lifted him so high off the ground that his toes barely scraped against the dirt. His tone was flat and cold, like shards of ice stabbing straight through the soul. "So I don't need to explain what will happen if you don't cooperate?"

Ashe felt himself shudder. It wasn't often that he got to see the Ashen Demon persona at work, but when he did…he thanked the Goddess he wasn't on the receiving end of it.

"N-no, sir."

"Good." Byleth tossed him back to the ground with a flick of the wrist. "Now tell me: what made you think it was a good idea to come here?"

"We just heard there was some good treasures sitting around the canyon, is all! We weren't lookin' to start no trouble."

"You say that…" Byleth prodded at one of the loot sacks with his boot, nudging it in Ashe's direction. "But you tried attacking my friend here. Seems to me you did want to start trouble."

Ashe knelt down and began to sift through the bag, pulling out a variety of weapons, trinkets, and a few gold pieces. Standard plunder, nothing that impressive. As he reached into the bottom of the sack, his fingers brushed against something cold, something intricately carved and ornamented. He lifted it out, revealing a golden headdress that sparkled under the sun. It was…familiar, somehow…

He was struck with a chilling realization.

"Isn't this…Lady Rhea's?"

All eyes turned to him, and many of them widened as recognition sank in. Byleth seemed particularly shaken by the headdress, but only for a moment. Surprise quickly turned into anger—which, for the stoic man, was physically indicated with a crease in the eyebrows and pursed lips—and he snapped his attention back to the bandits. They all withered under the intensity of his gaze.

"Where did you get this."

"It was just layin' around by some rocks here in the canyon!" one of the bandits stammered. "We didn't steal it from anyone, i-if that's what you're thinkin'! Honest!"

"Lies." Byleth dug his hand into the man's scalp, fingers clenched tightly around the roots of his shaggy hair. "Where. Did. You. Get. This."

"I'm not lyin', I swear!" He gasped in pain as Byleth threatened to rip the hair out. "I swear on my pop's grave!"

"P-professor, I think he's telling the truth." Annette placed a hand on his shoulder, dropping her mean-and-tough facade. "Please, we've frightened them enough..."

"Fine." Byleth grunted and shoved the man away. He gave the bandits one final glare. "We're done here. Get out of my sight and never come back, unless you want to get thrown into the canyon."

The bandits wriggled their arms around in their restraints. "But…our hands?"

"You don't need them to walk."

The bandits meekly nodded and got to their feet, staggering away as quickly as they could with the injuries they had sustained. Ashe exhaled a long sigh once they were out of earshot.

"…Well, I think you succeeded in intimidating them," Felix said, sheathing his sword.

Byleth didn't respond. His eyes were focused on the depths of the canyon below.

"Did something happen to Lady Rhea?" Annette asked. "Why was her headdress here?"

Ashe flipped it around in his hands, searching for any sign of damage. Nothing seemed broken or out of the ordinary. "Maybe she just decided to leave it behind after leaving the monastery?"

"…Maybe," Byleth said, though he didn't sound all that convinced.

"Should we be looking for her?" Petra frowned, rubbing her wyvern's neck. "If she is in danger…"

Byleth shook his head. "Rhea can take care of herself. We shouldn't delay our mission—the others are counting on us getting that information." He turned away from the canyon with a coiled tension across his shoulders. "Hanneman will be here within the next few days to look for her anyway. We'll just have to leave it to him for now."

"And what do we do with all this?" Ashe asked, gesturing to the headdress and the rest of the loot.

"…Leave it. It could be helpful to him in his search, who knows."

With some hesitation, Ashe stuffed everything back into the sack. He tossed in a short note explaining what had happened before dropping the bag into a shaded spot by some rubble.

"Come on. Alm and the kids are waiting for us up ahead," Byleth said. He glanced back to the canyon one last time with a slight frown. "The sooner we get answers, the better."

—

It only took a few minutes of navigating through the ruins to finally reach their destination. Alm waved them over, guiding them around crumbling walls and fallen statues to a short bridge. The kids sat waiting for them at the bridge's head—Kana on a tree stump, kicking his legs, and Sophie on her horse, lazily stroking her fingers through the animal's mane.

"How'd it go?" Kana hopped off the stump. "Are the bad guys gone?"

"Yeah," Ashe started, "we don't have to worry…about…"

He trailed off, eyes marveling at the sight across the bridge. A wall of mist floated above a marble dais, with four pillars perfectly aligned on each corner. The stairs leading up to the mist were free of dirt and debris and deterioration, as though the dais had never been touched, not even by the passage of time.

"This is…how we get to your homeland?" he asked, a hint of awe in his tone.

Alm nodded. "All you have to do is step through it, and you're there. Nothing else to it."

"And it's not dangerous?" Felix sent him a sideways glance. "This looks like the same magic that was used against us in the field."

"It's safe," Byleth said, flexing his hand. "I just tried it. You'll get a little wet on the way though."

"You just…tried it?" Alm looked at him with an expression of utter bewilderment. "How?"

"Time powers."

"…Oh. Okay." Alm scratched his head but didn't push for further clarification.

"If everyone is ready, we should get moving." Byleth started towards the bridge. "We've got work to do."

He crossed to the dais in a quick stride. The others followed one at a time—except Petra, who simply glided over on her mount. When it was his turn, Ashe stepped carefully along the thin path, trying not to look over the edge, trying not to think about how terribly deep the canyon was below him.

With everyone safely across, Byleth and Alm led them to the top of the dais, stopping right before the wall of mist. It towered a good few feet over them, its glowing lights swirling high above their heads. The droplets formed a picture of a throne, the image rippling like disturbed water when they began to step through it.

Ashe held his breath, steeled his nerves, and followed his friends into the mist.

Character Bios:

Rhea: Archbishop

-Former Archbishop of the Church of Seiros and one of the only "Children of the Goddess" to survive the Red Canyon massacre over a millennium ago. As the legendary Saint Seiros, she established the church and, until recently, has presided over Fódlan since the death of the Goddess. After being freed from her five-year imprisonment by the Adrestian Empire, she decided to live out the rest of her days in the ruins of Zanado, the place she and her people used to call home.

-Her true form is that of a draconic creature known as the Immaculate One

-Relations: Daughter of Sothis (deceased).

Alm is canonically a huge dork and I love him for it. No I will not be taking constructive criticism for writing the truth.

Next chapter: The search in Valentia begins.