Chapter 9 - Honor among Mercenaries

Shez was lost. And not just his standard headache inducing lost, but well and truly lost. Captain Berling had told them they would be doing a job for Count Rowe. He was a rookie, plucked out of a village in Ordelia territory a year ago. So he hadn't been let in on all of the details. All he had been told was that some well armed bandits had been shaking down some of the more remote villagers for supplies. They were right on the border of Gaspard, and had been explicitly warned not to cross it, promising that their deal would be voided. Which meant no pay for any of them.

Lazely and Shez had been scouting, trying to find their targets. A farmhand had informed them that their quarry had crossed east into Gaspard, meaning they couldn't pursue them without breaking the terms of the contract. Lazely had made a monumental error in judgment by sending Shez back to report their findings to Captain Berling.

"Alright, so I need to turn right at this river and march for about an hour. Oh man, the Captain is going to have my ass for this!" Shez had been reading the map, trying to find his way all night. Unfortunately he made a mistake once again. He was moving away from Rowe and into Gaspard.

Lucas and company tailed their targets for another hour. Eventually, as they grew closer to Rowe, they came across an abandoned village. The grass was overgrown, and the wooden cabins that made up the village were rotting. There were more fighters in the village, using those homes as makeshift barracks. In a clearing lay the hostages. They looked underfed and dirty, confined in cages or by rope.

"There's a lot more of them than we thought. We need backup." Byleth turned to Goetz. "I want you to head back and let Father know what we found. We're going to stay here and keep an eye on things." Goetz nodded and did as asked. Hopefully Jeralt had found and followed the markings they had left for him.

"We are almost in Count Rowe's territory. Neither of our forces come near this place. Lonato told me once that it is better to give a border a healthy distance." It made sense. Border disputes were dangerous and often led to conflict. "Perhaps we should send someone into his land to inform him?" Byleth shook her head.

"It will take too long. If Count Rowe doesn't have a force ready, they won't make it, even at full gallop." She reasoned. "Now quiet down."

Lucas found a comfortable area to sit while they observed the enemy encampment. There were two entrances to the village, one in the east and west. In the center was a large manor, likely a hunting lodge that once belonged to someone with means. The priest that led the procession went inside, leaving his subordinates to watch and guard the prisoners. Some of the Western Church members were reciting scripture to their captives. According to Ashe, the captives were all members of the Central Church, which adhered and answered to the Archbishop. Tensions have been rising for years, with allegations of corruption being hurled at both sides. So now, the Blade Breakers have stepped into a theological war as well. Brilliant, Lucas thought.

"Something is different about tonight," Byleth stated. She, Ashe, and Lucas were on watch duty while their comrades rested. "They've never hit more than one church before. Now that we're here, I'm worried about what they have planned for the captives."

"We might want to consider moving in on our own. If things do go to shit, we might be able to get a few of the captives out. Sunrise is about two hours off. With a stealthy approach, we might be able to thin their numbers before a fight starts." Lucas pointed to a home near the forest. "Those houses are all close together, if we sneak into that one and go house by house, we should be able to hit them as we go."

Ashe's feelings were complicated about the plan. He wasn't a thief anymore, he was now the adopted son of Lonato. It fell to him to uphold Christophe's legacy by acting as a proper knight of the Kingdom. To sneak in like the thief he once was would only give credence to those who criticized Lonato for adopting a commoner. He didn't even have a crest like the adopted son of Count Rowe, Yuri. "I want to be a proper knight, to honor my family" He looked back to the captives. Those who had been there for days, maybe weeks, were sickly and thin looking. Some were praying, others had given up on even that.

Lucas answered his unsaid but. "But a real knight protects the innocent above all else, right?" Ashe gave him a look. "That's what all the story books say right? Well, time to be a hero kid." Byleth gave the young man an encouraging nod.

"So long as the job gets done, who cares about the method?" Byleth never understood the rigid chivalry of the knights. She had integrity in her job, but her honor mostly extended to keeping her promises and honoring agreements. Once she was on the battlefield, she fought as dirty as she could.

Ashe pursed his lips. "It's still too soon to tell. We need to wait and see." Something caught Lucas's eye. It was… purple? Ashe had seen it too.

He tapped Byleth's shoulder and motioned in the direction of the figure. Ashe drew his bow and took aim. It was a man in his teens, staring at a map. He looked around and was talking to himself. His armor didn't match the uniform of the Western Church members or their bodyguards. One of the new recruits stepped up, noticing the commotion. "I know him." Lucas turned to the recruit. "I did a job with his crew a few months ago. He's a member of Berling's Mercenaries… Shax I think." The name was familiar to Byleth. Berling was a competitor, not as well known as the Blade Breakers but they were good.

If he was discovered, the Western Church could accelerate their plans. "I'll sneak down to him, and try to get his attention. Ashe, if he attacks me, take him out. We can't alert the Western Church, not yet." Ashe nodded and Byleth wished him luck. Lucas had quickly become one of their best sneaks, often being sent in to scout or deal with a target discreetly. Lucas descended from their hiding place, gracefully descending like a cat.

He got closer to the teen, and hid in the undergrowth. "Pst!" His head shot up from the map. "Get down, you'll give yourself away!" Shez took a hostile stance, trying to find Lucas.

"What? Who's out there?" Shit, Lucas thought. He hadn't been too loud, but their proximity to the town worried Lucas.

"Keep your voice down. I'm over here." Lucas rose slightly, showing his face. The teen found him and relaxed. "Alright, you see me. Now get down before you give us all away!"

"What do you mean? Is there some trou…" He was interrupted by a shout. A Western Church soldier emerged, sword in hand. He reached for a horn at his side, only to be stopped by an arrow to the throat.

Lucas looked up to Ashe's perch, and gave him a salute. Byleth and the other mercenaries made their way downwards. Even if none of their enemies heard their comrades' shout, they would notice he was missing. It was official, their cover would be blown soon. They had to capitalize on their advantage now before the alarm was raised. His thoughts were cut off by Shez grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. A sword was placed to his throat.

"Alright, start talking. What the hell is going on here?" He moved his sword closer to drive the point home. Byleth and the others arrived and pointed their weapons at Shez. Byleth seethed at the sight, her teeth gritting.

"Let him go. Now" She growled. Shez reacted poorly, pressing his sword harder against Lucas's throat. Lucas knew he needed to de-escalate the situation, and that meant showing some trust to the person holding a blade to his throat. He hoped the man remembered the recruit.

Lucas raised a hand, signaling his allies to hold back. "We're the Blade Breaker mercenaries. We were hired by Lord Lonato to find some missing people. Hey recruit, you said you knew him?" Shez turned his gaze to the recruit in question, and furrowed his brow.

"Pickles? That you?" The recruit, unfortunately named Pickles, slumped over in distress.

"That's me. Right when I thought I got rid of that nickname." He smiled. "Good to see you Shax"

"Shez" He corrected. Shez released Lucas without a second thought, "Good to see an old comrade. If he's with you, I guess I can believe your story. Sorry about the 'taking you hostage' thing" He offered a hand to shake, which Lucas took.

"Occupational hazard I guess. As much as I want to talk, we have a problem." Lucas pointed to the dead guard. "Someone is gonna notice he's missing, so our cover is blown."

Byleth nodded. "We should ambush them. If we wait for reinforcements, it could take hours. And I've got a bad feeling about what they're setting up."

"After you headed down, they started to put all of the books and symbols in a pile. Then they set up wooden stakes." Ashe explained. Lucas swore at the mention of wooden stakes.

Shez's eyes widened. "Crap, that doesn't sound good…" He rested his hand on his hip while he thought about what he had stumbled into. Shez remembered Count Rowe's conditions, but he had already gone over the border. Captain Berling would tan his hide, but he couldn't ignore something like this. He looked at the small group of mercenaries and could tell they were outnumbered. "Sounds like you need every blade you can find." Byleth was suspicious.

"Volunteering your blade? What's the price?" Byleth asked. Shez gave a sly grin.

"Our contract was to find some bandits without crossing the border. Looks like I messed that up, but I'm betting our targets are one and the same." Lucas remembered something about a delegation from Count Rowe when they arrived. Were they communicating with each other about the situation?

"If we work together to take them out, we collect from Lord Lonato while you can collect from Count Rowe. We'll ask Lonato to smooth things over with Rowe and put in a good word for you." Byleth proposed. Shez nodded at the deal, looking pleased.

Ashe chose to interrupt. "Forgive me, but I think we're out of time. We need to act, and I promise as his adopted son, I'll make sure you are compensated."

Byleth nodded, extending a hand to Shez. He gripped it and they shook on a deal. "Shez, you're with us."

The group moved towards the house. Lucas, Byleth, Shez, and Ashe would approach from the east while Bartrand, Pickles, and their last recruit snuck in from the west towards the hostages. Dawn was close, and the skies were lighting up.

Byleth went into a bedroom, sword drawn ready to cut down any witness before an alarm would be raised. Thankfully, the room she entered was empty. She motioned for Lucas to join her while Ashe and Shez circled around. They peered through the crack in a wall into the main room, and saw two soldiers praying before a small effigy. Byleth gave him a small nudge and motioned for Lucas to go for the one on the left. The two were completely taken in their prayers and didn't notice their lives were over until daggers were buried into their hearts. Lucas heard a gasp and furniture moving from behind them. In the corner was another soldier sitting on a chair outside of their line of sight.

Shit they thought.

Before he could shout, Lucas heard the twang of a bow. The man's eyes went wide and stumbled, before crashing to the ground, hand clutching an arrow. Lucas turned around and found Ashe outside of a nearby window. He and Shez climbed through to rejoin them. "That was a close one," Ashe said. He looked at the body in remorse, a sad expression on his face. Lucas reminded himself that this was a fifteen year old, one who had never taken the life of another person before. Byleth stood up from her crouched position and looked at him as well.

"First time?" She asked. Ashe nodded as he stared at the man. "You reacted quickly. Most would have hesitated." Her words did not seem to soothe the teenager, and Lucas nudged her shoulder. She looked confused, until she saw her words did nothing to help the boy. "I mean… uh…" Byleth tried to rephrase, but eventually gave up. It was Shez who proved to be the better consoler.

"Look, the first kill is tough. We don't know each other, but I've been there. But before you start feeling sorry for yourself or him, remember that he was part of a group kidnapping a bunch of innocent people. We need to focus on the hostages, right?" Lucas had to admit, Shez gave a good speech to the young man. Ashe regained his resolve and gave a nod to the mercenary. "Then let's do this thing!" He made a fist.

The reminder of the hostages also helped to motivate Lucas and Byleth. Memories of Bládthanna bubbled to the surface. Not again they thought.

A knock came from the door. All of them stiffened. A voice called out. "Time to wake up brothers and sisters! Father Marvin wants to begin destroying the Central Church's idols. Then we purify the heretics under the morning sun." Ashe knocked an arrow, ready to shoot the man when the door opened. The door remained shut. After waiting a minute, Shez crept up to the window they entered from to peer outside. They then heard a faint repeat of what was said to them to the next house.

Lucas motioned to the window, and the group climbed out, ready to clear out the next house. They only had a few more minutes to thin their numbers before a full out battle started.

"Brother and sisters of the True Church! We come here today to begin our great pilgrimage!" The priest, Father Marvin began. Lucas and company had taken out a few guards, thinning their numbers. It seemed the crowd below had not noted their missing members yet, as they were too focused on watching Marvin's sermon. They watched from the second floor of a barn close to the spectacle. Three large stakes with platforms were set up behind Marvin, each with a hostage tied to it. One, an older priest, had wide eyes and was struggling desperately against his bonds. The second, a young nun had her eyes closed, lips mumbling a prayer. The final hostage, a middle aged man with brown hair, was silent, looking at Father Marvin with hawk-like eyes.

Ashe crouched nearby, looking at the scene. "This is bad. This is really bad." Lucas agreed, but kept his words to himself. "If we attack now, they could light those stakes on fire before we reach them. If we wait too long it won't matter!" Byleth gave him a sharp look.

"Calm down. We have an ace up our sleeve." Ashe shot her a confused look. Movement in the distance caught his attention. He saw Bartrand's group in position, behind the hostages. Ashe's eyes widened in realization. "Lucas, Shez, and I confront them, get their focus. You stay up here and cover us with your bow, and jump down to join us if they get too close. We lead them to the main gate and into our backup."

The plan made sense, but still had issues. "That still leaves us outnumbered and we have no idea how far out Jeralt is. There is another option…"

Byleth turned to Lucas, with a look of disapproval "You haven't managed to use that magic since Bládthanna. If you can't teleport out, you'll be swarmed. Jeralt should be on his way. If we lead them into our main force, it will turn the tables." Lucas exhaled, and closed his eyes. Ashe and Shez were confused, not knowing what either was talking about.

"By that point those three will be ashes. It's a gamble By, but so is your plan.. Do any of you have a better idea?" No one said anything. Lucas kept his eyes closed and tried to remember what he felt that night.

I need help… I don't know who or what you are, but please. Help me.

…

Come on! I can tell your listening, just like that night.

…

I want to save those people!

…

Please

Hmph. Very well.

"These poor corrupted souls, who follow the words of a Witch! One who perverts the name of the Goddess and her teachings. One who killed so many of our brothers and sisters! The very culprit of the tragedy which killed King Lambert, Archbishop Rhea!" Father Marvin practically screamed the name.

Lucas remembered what he had learned about the event. Jeralt had told him that the Tragedy of Duscur was a messy assaination which left the Kingdom rudderless. The culprits were said to be the people of Duscur, but Jeralt had his doubts. Just like with the Empire and people of Brigid, there were years of sectarian violence between the Kingdom and Duscur. Rumors even said that the Crown Prince himself tried to absolve Duscur, but to no avail. What followed was a near collapse of the Kingdom, prevented by the Central Church, and by extension Archbishop Rhea. They executed suspected traitors, conspirators, and helped to secure the regency of the Prince's uncle, Rufus.

In terms of the people of Duscur, pogroms broke out, which left large swathes of their land open to claim. By Kingdom nobility of course.

Father Marvin continued. "I pray for their souls, but they have been tainted by that woman! Only confession can cleanse them." He turned to the old priest first. "Oh Father, will you be cleansed? Do you repent?"

"O-oh yes! I do! She is a deceiver, o-one who I have always felt suspect of, I swear by the Goddess." Marvin slapped the man, fury on his face. He did not believe his words anymore than Lucas did.

"You do not repent! Your words are hollow, without any truth! You disgrace the robe you wear, you profane the very Goddess with your flimsy faith." He moved to the woman in prayer. He softened his tone at her, but still spoke so the crowd of priests could hear. "What of you sister? Do you wish to repent?"

The woman opened her eyes for the first time. "I pray for your soul, Father Marvin. I pray that you find peace in your actions, and that the Goddess forgives you for your sins. I know not the truth of your words, but I pray for you nonetheless."

Father Marvin did not rage at the woman's rejection. He gave her a nod, seeming to respect her. He looked like a parent speaking to a prodigal son. "I understand your hesitation sister. But evil often appears beautiful and benevolent. If it were ugly and unpleasant, men would be far more averse to it. Think about that, Sister." He moved to the final man. "Cardinal Aelfric. One of Rhea's faithful dogs. I can't under-state what a surprise it was to find you here of all places."

"I was in the area, doing the work of the Goddess of course. It saddens me to see you like this Marvin." The bound man's gaze became sharper. "But what can be expected of a man expelled from the Central Church for heresy."

"My work was not heresy! The Goddess loves all of her followers, but her radiance is diminished by the taint of outsiders. The land of Fodlan is beloved and blessed, but that blessing is at risk by allowing heathens and outsiders!" Spittle flew from Marvin's mouth, spraying the now named Aelfric.

"And it has nothing to do with the fact you were not blessed by the Goddess? That she chose not to bless you with a Crest like her favored children? Like your sister who became heir instead of you, the elder? How envy has twisted you Marvin…" Marvin's gaze remained fixed on the Cardinal.

A guard rushed into the clearing, panicked. "Horseman approaching from Gaspard, Father!" Marvin's followers all muttered. Father Marvin turned back to his followers, eye's closed in silent prayer.

Right as he ended his prayer and opened his mouth to give orders, Lucas appeared before the man in a flash of red light, pistol raised. Marvin's eyes widened and Lucas pulled the trigger, shooting him in the face. Bartrand's group had been busy, as several of the healthier captives rose to their feet and sent various holy spells at their captors, sending the Western Church members into a panic.

Lucas moved to cut the three captives free of their bonds, saving the Cardinal for last. "My thanks young man." Lucas nodded at him, and turned to the crowd of Western Church members. The hunters had become the hunted it seemed. Ashe sent arrows out from the top of the barn, striking several mages. Shez and Byleth had charged outside, killing two priests from behind. "It seems you have capable allies. Can I trouble you to escort these two to safety?" Lucas gave him a grunt. He stowed his pistol, and grabbed the two by the shoulder. He Shifted to the other hostages, making Pickles squawk in alarm. Bartrand turned to him in surprise.

"I thought you were full of shite when you told me you could bloody teleport…" He said. Lucas gave a wolvish grin, the red flecks in his eyes glowing. The rumbling of the calvary was getting stronger, and Lucas tried to estimate how long they had to hold the enemy off.

"Jeralt's coming from the East, we just need to hold them off for a few minutes until they arrive."

Just then a Western Church soldier had charged, mace ready to crush Pickles's skull. Lucas shifted behind the soldier, and shot him in the knee making him collapse. Pickles reacted fast, plunging his spear into the downed man's chest.

That was just showing off. And a waste of a bullet.

Lucas cursed, knowing the voice was right. He put away his pistol and drew his steel sword. He looked back to the barn. Byleth and Shez were fighting back to back against a small squad of fighters while priests occasionally shot Nosferau at them. A swordsman clashed swords with Shez, and overpowered the younger man, sending him to the ground. Shez crawled back and raised his sword to deflect a killing blow. Byleth rescued him, driving her sword into the swordsman's exposed back.

Lucas shifted behind the priests. He charged forwards, killing several. They had not been wearing armor, but robes which left them vulnerable to his steel. Byleth had explained once that the robes a priest or mage wore had properties which strengthened magic, allowing their users to better channel their power. A soldier noticed his charge, and swung his axe at him. Lucas slid under the attack, and countered by cutting off the man's leg. He felt almost no resistance when he did so. A spearman thrusted, hoping to skewer a sliding Lucas. He shifted above the man, stabbing downwards into his chest.

Lucas looked up in time to see a sparman rushing Byleth from behind. Shez was preoccupied and unable to warn or help her. Lucas shifted again behind Byleth, batting aside the spear swipe. The spearman backed up, ready to fight the teleporter.

It proved unnecessary, as a javelin pierced his back. Reinforcements had arrived.

Jeralt and Lord Lonato led the horseman, charging right at the confused enemy. They sent jabs with the spears while horses trampled those unfortunate enough to be in their path. Other mercenaries and militia members followed, running to secure the hostages.

"Form a circle! No one slips away!" Lonato boomed. While he was distracted, a bold soldier drove a spear into his horse, which bucked and sent the old Lord to the ground. The man let out a battle cry, ripping his spear out of the horse to finish the man. An arrow silenced his cries, sending him gurgling to the ground.

"Father!" Ashe jumped down from his perch and rushed to Lord Lonato, rushing past the other fighters. Byleth let out a cry in indignation at the boy's rashness. "Are you alright!" Ashe extended his arm.

"Thanks to you my boy! Now focus, the battle is not over just yet." Lonato took the offered hand and was pulled up to his feet. The group continued to fight, pushing the Western Church closer together in a circle. After several minutes of fighting, a voice rang out.

"We surrender! By the Goddess we yield!" One of the priests cried. He put his hands up and fell to his knees.

It was funny in a grim way. When in the heat of battle, a person often forgets about the option of surrender until reminded by another. Like a tidal wave, the Western Church members began to surrender.

Lucas shifted in front of Jeralt, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Finally figured it out?"

"I think so. I gotta admit, I feel like I can do this all day." Lucas boasted.

You've gotten better since last time. Don't let it get to your head though…

"Kid you good?" Jeralt asked. Byleth and Shez came up to Lucas, both noticing that he had gone white as a ghost.

"Lucas?" Byleth put her hand on his shoulder in concern. Her blue eyes saw his red flecks fade away. His eyes glossed over.

"Fuck" Lucas managed to mutter before falling backwards.

?

He stood alone, the scent of death permeated the air. The city was in ruin, and he stood in the abandoned city square. This was a beautiful place once, now nothing more than a pathetic remnant. Much like the rest of their society. All because of a self-proclaimed savior. It made him gnash his teeth together in rage. It was snowing, not an inch of sky was visible. But he did not feel cold.

The figure stood with shoulder blade length white hair, clad in dark armor. His face was obscured by a horned helmet. His clawed gauntlet reached down to grab a fist full of white powder, and allowed a breeze to blow them away.

"A better world." he scoffed. "All of this is meant to bring about a new beginning?"

Some called him a hero. But he didn't feel like it. Their numbers had never recovered from the start of the war. They had been losing for a long time. But had they lost yet?

A roar was heard in the distance. His red blade appeared in a flash of light, ready for the coming battle. He saw one of them in the distance.

"No matter how bitter the path that awaits me, I will stop her."

"I promised."

Author's Notes -

I originally made Shez female, but then I decided that by making Shez male since he wasn't as popular in the fandom.

As for the western church, the wiki mentions its suspicions of Rhea with xenophobia. It also mentioned that they theorized the Tragedy of Duscur was Rhea's doing.

The kingdom was in chaos, and in Catherine's support, she says that Christophe's plan to assassinate the archbishop was probably linked to the Western Church, and that he was too trusting for his own good. As soon as he was labeled a conspirator, it confirmed the Western Church theory that Rhea was responsible since they said he helped the Tragedy.

You don't get to be a pope for 1000 years without people getting suspicious, even with constant name changes and or faking your death and coming back as your daughter/niece. Whatever method she used.

And yes, Marvin getting shot in the face was a Pulp Fiction reference.