Chapter 11: Open for Business

Zofia Harbor, The One Kingdom of Valentia, Valentia

Val. Year 403

"I'm sorry, you want us to do what?" Tobin asked.

"Call for the soldiers guarding the docks," Byleth repeated for the third time in a hushed whisper. It was getting rather tiresome. "We need them distracted for fifteen minutes."

Byleth and Ashe had scouted out the dock together, watching Anna's movements from her ship to her market stall, and had determined two things: one, Anna was the only person who had access to the ship, as they had seen no one else but her boarding and wandering around on deck; two, the dragonstones were likely being kept on the vessel, since Anna had no intention of selling them from her shop. Therefore, they had to get Ashe onto the ship while Anna was running her stall if they wanted to swipe a stone without running into trouble.

Fifteen minutes would be more than enough time for him to complete the task. In all the years Byleth had known Ashe, not once had they encountered a lock that Ashe's nimble fingers couldn't make quick work of. All Byleth and the others needed to do was keep everyone's attention away from the ship while Ashe sneaked aboard.

Actually convincing their new friends to help, however, was proving to be more difficult than he had anticipated.

"There's got to be another way," Tobin said. "I mean, why can't we just wait for Alm to finish up at the castle? Him and Celica are pretty good at convincing people to help them." He nudged Gray with his elbow. "Right?"

"Yeah, but…" Gray scratched behind his neck, eyes slowly sweeping the wharf and the skyline. "It's gonna take us a few hours to get to the castle and bring them back here to the harbor. The market stalls will be closed by then."

"Then they can talk to the merchant in the morning!" Tobin threw up his hands. "Come on, Gray, you're not seriously thinking about going along with this. Alm didn't make us captains of the Brotherhood so we could steal from people."

"But he did make us captains because he knows we'll do what's right for Valentia," Gray said, folding his arms over his chest. "Yeah, under normal circumstances, this would be totally crazy. But these aren't normal circumstances. We've got dead people trying to kill us and a manakete who could go feral if someone so much as sneezes too hard in his direction."

Well, Byleth wouldn't say Kana was that volatile, but he wasn't about to interrupt.

"If we can solve at least one of those problems, we'll make Valentia that much safer."

"Even if that means abusing our post?" Tobin asked, shoulders hunched and stiff.

"Hey, I don't ever wanna see another rampaging dragon ever again." Gray turned his gaze to his friend. "Do you?"

Tobin shuddered. "Definitely not…"

"Then quit complaining, Tobi-poo, and let's just do the damn thing." Gray gave Byleth a thumbs up. "Count us in."

Byleth looked to Tobin for confirmation. The man twisted his fingers into his uniform, twisted his lips as he struggled to find his words. Before long, he sighed and shook the tension out of his arms. "Ah, what the hell. Okay, let's do this."

"Thank you." Byleth nodded to them both. "Whenever you're ready."

Gray gave a casual salute and turned around on his heel, pulling Tobin along with him towards the docks. Byleth surveyed the rest of the harbor one last time. The other pieces of the plan were already in place, awaiting his signal: Annette and Felix behind him, roaming the pier to help keep watch, Ashe on his left, blending in with the crowd, and Petra to his right, showing off her wyvern to a large group of amazed spectators. Mae had told him that wyverns were not native to Valentia; they could use that to their advantage.

"Line up, all of you!" he heard Gray's voice bark out. "Weapons check!"

Go time.

As soon as the soldiers patrolling the docks left their post at Gray's order, Byleth caught Petra's attention. He jerked his chin up, giving her the silent command she was waiting for: take to the sky.

Petra tilted her head in acknowledgment, then turned to the audience she had amassed. "Would you be liking to see her fly?"

The people gathered around her erupted into cheers and applause as she climbed into the saddle. Once Petra was settled on her back, the wyvern slowly stretched out her wings, seeming to revel in the oohs and aahs of the crowd, then soared high into the sky...

Drawing the harbor's attention towards her and, specifically, away from the docks.

Byleth glanced back to Ashe to give him the go-ahead, but the archer was already gone. The plan was officially in motion.

All that was left to do was keep Anna occupied while Ashe sneaked aboard the ship—a task that fell to Byleth and, by extension, the kids under his care.

"Whoa…" Kana craned his neck back, a grin spreading across his face as he watched Petra glide around above. "Sophie, look! It's just like that one time Aunt Camilla visited us in—"

"I-I know…" Sophie bit her lip and rubbed her arm. A nervous lilt laced her voice. Byleth suspected she had caught on to their plan and the purpose behind Petra's wyvern show, while Kana seemed none the wiser. "Really cool…yeah…"

"Come on, you two." Byleth pulled their attention from the sky and motioned for them to follow him into the wharf. "We're going shopping."

"What kind of shopping?" Kana asked, jogging to keep up with Byleth's long strides. "Can we get a box or something for the seashells I found? I'm just keeping them in my pocket right now but I don't like how they make my pants look all lumpy."

"Sure."

"Yes!" Kana pumped his fist. "I'll look for something that's…hm…silver and blue and black! My parents liked wearing those colors, so maybe when they come back, I can give it to them and…"

Byleth just nodded along with the boy's rambling. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Ashe slink along the edge of the dock, dart up the ship's gangway, and disappear behind the deck. No one else around him seemed to notice or react. All according to plan.

When they approached Anna's stall, the shopkeeper didn't greet them immediately. Her eyes were transfixed on the wyvern flying through the sky, much like the rest of the harbor, but her lips were curled into a resentful scowl, muttering, "Stealing the attention of my customers…I need to get my hands on one of those…"

Byleth nudged Sophie and Kana towards the counter. He was good at coming up with distractions based on tactics and strategy. Conversational distractions, though? Not his strong suit.

It was a good thing, then, that the kids were naturally talkative and curious.

"Look at these!" Kana marveled at the selection of swords out on display. His hands hovered over them, but he made sure to keep his distance. "They look really strong…"

Anna snapped out of her jealous trance, her scowl flipping to a friendly smile in less than a second as she turned to face them. "An aspiring swordsman, eh? Well, you've come to the right place!" Anna winked and tapped her chin. "Anna's Secret Shop carries all of the finest goods from Archanea, and that includes the steel. You won't find weapons like these anywhere else!"

Kana bounced on the balls of his feet. "Really?"

"Of course!" The shopkeeper's smile morphed into a mischievous grin. "At least, until me and my sisters are ready to expand into Valentia permanently…"

"Which one's the strongest?" Kana asked.

"They're all pretty strong, but these…" Anna scooped up a few swords from behind the counter and laid them out before the boy. Their edges were well-worn; they seemed to be a few uses away from breaking. "These are special. They were given to me by the Hero-King himself."

"The…Hero-King?"

Anna's eyes lit up. "Oh boy, do I have a story for you…"

As she began to weave a grand tale of exiled royalty and evil dragons and corrupt tyrants—pretty standard for a children's story, if you asked Byleth—he glanced over to the ship. As far as he could tell, Ashe hadn't reemerged from the cargo hold yet, but they still had plenty of time. Gray and Tobin had the harbor guard occupied, inspecting the weapons of each individual soldier to stall for extra time, and Petra still held the attention of the civilians. No need to worry just yet.

"…and now, my sister's boyfriend works with him and the Archanean League. We've pretty much become their go-to merchants for weapons trade," Anna finished. "Which brings me to these fine swords here, which come straight from their—"

"I thought it was your boyfriend," Byleth said absently, his gaze still on the docks.

"Huh?"

His attention snapped forward. Damn, he hadn't meant to say that out loud. "…Someone told me it was your boyfriend who fought for this 'Hero-King,' that's all."

"Nope, that's my sister's boyfriend. My heart belongs to mon—I mean, my business." Her face twisted into a slight pout. "Though a connection like that does have its perks…she gets to go to the royal wedding and I don't…"

A sense of unease crept through him like thick molasses. Had Anna been lying to Ashe about her relationship, perhaps to bolster her excuse to not sell him the dragonstone, or was she lying right now? It was an odd thing to fib about, and that didn't sit well with him. "Sorry, my friend must have misunderstood you."

She scratched her head. "Did this friend come by the stall earlier in the day?"

"Yes."

"Oooh, they probably talked to my sister, then. She was in charge of the shop this morning." Anna twirled a loose strand of red hair around her finger. "People get us confused all the time."

"Your sister…is here with you?"

"Not here here, like here in the shop right now." She waved to the dock. "She's on our ship, keeping an eye on our things. Said she was worried about thieves or something."

Worried about thieves. The unease inside him picked up its pace, spreading down his arms and making his fingers curl. She had to be bluffing, right? When he and Ashe had staked out the ship, they had seen Anna and only Anna on the ship; they would have noticed if there was a different person roaming around on deck…unless…

"Are you and your sister…twins?" Byleth asked.

"Technically, no, but me and all of my sisters look pretty much the same. It can get annoying sometimes, but it's what makes the 'Anna' brand special, I guess." She sighed and slumped down onto the counter, cheek squished against the heel of her palm. "That's why we all get named Anna, too. Family traditions, am I right?"

Byleth fought the urge to groan. Just their luck that there would be two Annas here who looked exactly the same, and just their luck that the one from this morning had anticipated their attempt to take a dragonstone.

It was unfortunate, but they needed to start over and come up with a new plan. As crafty as Ashe could be in the art of thievery, he wouldn't get very far if the person he was trying to sneak around was already expecting his presence. And Byleth wasn't about to risk Ashe getting caught—or worse—because of an oversight on his part.

Sophie tugged on his arm, the color beginning to drain from her face. "Is…is that bad for…you know…"

"Huh? Bad for what?" Anna asked, squinting suspiciously at them. Kana peered up at him with wide, curious eyes.

"Don't worry," he told them. "I'll fix it."

Before anyone could say another word, he used a Divine Pulse. His vision inverted, the people and sounds and objects all around him shifted as time reversed its course, as was typical. But when he opened his eyes…

"—and now, my sister's boyfriend works with him and the Archanean League. We've pretty much become their go-to merchants for weapons trade."

Byleth blinked. Why was he still in front of Anna's shop? He had meant to go back an hour, not a minute.

"Which brings me…to…" the shopkeeper trailed off, an indent forming between her brows as they drew closer together. "Um, sir? Are you okay?"

He pressed his hand to his forehead. There was a sharp pain spreading over it, like his brain was trying to force its way out of his skull. Fatigue settled deep in his bones and his whole body threatened to sag. He had never felt so utterly exhausted in his life.

"You've got a little something…" Anna gestured to his face.

With a trembling hand, he swiped his thumb under his nose. His glove came away with a spot of blood.

"Mr. Byleth?" Sophie asked. "What's wrong?"

"I…" His voice was raspy around the tightness of his throat. "I don't…know…"

What was going on? Had using a pulse really sapped so much energy from him? He hadn't even gone back as far as he wanted—a minute of time should have been nothing. He stared down at his shaking hands. It didn't make sense. Nothing was making sense.

"Hey, you should probably go see a cleric…"

Byleth's mouth was too dry to respond, not that his response would have really mattered. He needed to go back farther; he needed to at least stop Ashe from getting on that ship.

Despite the pain, he used another Divine Pulse, pushing the power as hard as he could.

"—all of the finest goods from Archanea, and that includes the steel." Anna's voice again. He still hadn't gone far enough. "You won't find weapons like these anywhere—"

Byleth took a step back. His legs collapsed beneath him.

"M-Mr. Byleth!"

Someone tried to catch him but the weight behind his fall sent them both tumbling to the ground. Gasps, shouting, his own shallow breaths. He heard it all, but he couldn't identify where exactly they were coming from. All he knew was the burning agony in his heart as his Crest, or his powers, or his connection to Sothis, or something inside him was being stretched way too thin.

He tried rolling onto his side but that sent him into a wet coughing fit. Blood sprayed from his mouth across the stone.

"Professor!"

Panting, Annette dropped to his side. She slid her arm under his back and lifted, cradling him, his head lolling back. A warm hand hovered over his chest. "Dear Goddess, what happened to you?!"

His tongue felt too heavy to move. He tried to look around, but at his current angle, everything was upside down and difficult to track. Darkness began to eat away at his vision.

"F-Felix I don't know what to do!"

"Just keep healing him! Sophie, Kana, help me get him on my back—"

"N-n…" Byleth protested. Ashe, they needed to help Ashe, not him. Using the last of his strength, he reached out his hand and pointed toward the ship.

"Professor, I don't understand…"

"I do." Feet frantically scuffled around Byleth's head. "Just keep doing what you're doing and get him inside!"

"G-got it!"

Byleth watched as Felix's boots pounded toward the docks before the darkness took hold of him completely.

—

Ashe carefully stepped over the fourth, and final, tripwire.

Anna certainly hadn't made sneaking through the cargo hold easy. A dozen locks, a few bear traps, and four tripwires, one of which was definitely connected to a dangerous contraption with darts he had found hidden in the wall. Ashe had encountered all these security measures and more during his days stealing from the nobles in the Gaspard region, so he had been able to navigate through the traps with just his wits, his lock picks, and a little patience.

It did seem a bit excessive to have on a boat, though. Anna was really protective of her merchandise.

He entered the back of the storage area on slow, silent feet. Crates and chests of all shapes, sizes, and colors were neatly stacked along the walls and shelves, organized to maximize the available space of the hold and, luckily for him, labeled for quick identification. His eyes roamed over the piles, settling on a golden chest nestled in a small corner nook separated from the rest of the goods.

Ashe bit down on a smile making its way across his face. The label had the words "FRAGILE: DRAGONSTONES" scrawled across it with thin ink. Exactly what he was looking for. He removed his gloves, wiped off the perspiration that had built up on his palms, and got to work on the chest's lock.

After a minute of fiddling, the lock popped open with a soft click. He swallowed his elated relief, forcing his hands to slowly undo the hasp, gently lifting up the lid…

But there were no stones inside. Only a torn piece of paper sat in the base of the chest, with a message that made his blood run cold:

"Nice try, kid"

Something clicked behind him. A bolt whizzed past his ear, grazing his cheek, then sank into the wooden planks of the wall with a harsh thunk.

"Turn around," came an even, and once again familiar, voice. "Now."

Ashe obliged, slowly turning around with his hands held up. Anna stood a few feet away from him, blocking off the exit with a crossbow in hand. A cold bead of sweat ran down his back as she finished loading another bolt.

"I must admit, your skills are impressive. No one has ever gotten this far before," she said through a forced smile. "If I hadn't known you would try something, you could've actually succeeded."

Blood pounded against Ashe's ears, his heart rattled against his ribs. Why—how—was she here? Wasn't Byleth supposed to be keeping her busy?

"But I can smell a thief from a mile away, and you, kid, absolutely reek." Anna's expression darkened and she raised the crossbow. "Now, give me one good reason why I shouldn't put the next one in your throat."

Character Bios:

Nothing to report.

Next chapter: Ashe bargains for his life.