Wednesday 30th Great Tree Moon - Day of the Mock Battle

'Lady Rhea, I'm glad you have returned safely. Did you have a good trip?'

Lady Rhea's golden cloak and jewellery glowed in the early morning sunshine as she walked past the bowing knights into the monastery where Seteth stood waiting for her. She met his gaze and smiled at him.

'I did,' she said, smiling. 'The festival in Fhirdiad was lovely as always.'

Knights followed behind her. Sticking out like a sore thumb was the hulk of a man, Jeralt, who walked alongside Alois. Seeing the Blade Breaker made Seteth think of someone else… Byleth. As if reading his mind, Rhea spoke gain.

'How is our new professor settling in? Jeralt has been eager to know.'

Seteth didn't like that that was her first question after being away for over a week, but he allowed the flare of annoyance in him to pass.

He's not a normal boy, after all.

He thought about Byleth for a moment, unsure of how to summarise the week he'd been through. He felt Jeralt's eyes dig into him as he did so.

'He… had a rocky start. He had complications with healing magic last week that put him in the infirmary but he's since recovered. He will be leading the Black Eagles in the mock battle today.'

Jeralt strode towards him, his eyes suddenly wide with concern. 'What do you mean by complications with healing magic? Are you sure he's okay?'

'Yes, I will explain everything in a bit, but I can assure you he is fine. You may ask him yourself later today.'

'I would be interested in learning more when there's time,' Rhea said. 'For now, let us get ready for the day ahead. I look forward to seeing the mock battle.'

Seteth nodded and led the archbishop and her knights into the monastery, wondering how she'd react if she knew Byleth had went fishing with his students instead of teaching or training them the day before.

'Good luck on the battlefield guys! I can't wait to share lots of good food with you after!'

'Same to you Raphael,' Dimitri said bowing. 'Regardless of how today goes, let us celebrate together tonight.'

'Hmph,' Felix smirked. 'It'll be us that'll-ow! Ingrid!'

'Not now Felix.'

'How are you feeling Annette?'

'I won't lie, I can feel butterflies in my stomach, but I'm excited as well, Igantz!'

The boy with the mop of hair and round glasses chuckled. 'I feel the same way. Let's promise to do our best!'

'Ready for the battle, Ferdinand? I sincerely hope that we get the chance to duel.'

'I am Lorenz! And I do much hope that we are able to face one another as well. It shall be a fine battle indeed! I hope you will be ready for me!'

Lorenz bowed. 'Fear not, I shall be ready, I would not do you the disservice of being otherwise. If the situation allows it, then may us have a glorious duel befitting of our noble upbringings.'

'Agreed!'

Ferdinand and Lorenz were just two of the voices that Byleth heard from afar as he walked along the marble corridor towards the lush-red stairs, counting from one to five and back under his breath. He'd been involved in many battles before, yet none quite like the one that faced him now. He'd never led anyone into battle either, that'd always been down to Jeralt. He remembered then that his team would have one member less than the others, and that he hadn't been able to prepare his class well compared to the other houses, and that Hubert-

'Byleth,' Sothis said.

Once again, she only said his name, but that was all he needed to hear. He took another deep breath in.

'Sincerely try my best.'

He turned a corner. Ahead of him at the bottom of the stairs were three rows of students. They were lined up in padded black armour, each holding wooden bows, axes, lances and swords. The row on the left bore blue sashes, the middle yellow, and the right, red. Ahead of them were knights that stood in front of a grand wooden door that was closed… for the time being.

Byleth took a moment to remember that before him stood the most powerful people in Fódlan; people who would one day shape the future of everyone… for better or worse. He made sure his own red sash was fastened over his black armour one final time and then headed down the stairs towards the queue on the right. Petra, who was at the back, saw him and smiled. 'Professor.'

The other students turned. Dorothea smiled. 'Looking good, Professor!'

Her smile was real but she was clearly anxious. He made himself smile at her, and her own one widened. Bernadetta stood ahead of her. She looked up at him, trembling once again.

'One, two,' Byleth started.

'Three, four'-

Bernadetta started to count from one to five and back and her trembling slowed again. He gave her a nod and walked on. Linhardt yawned and rubbed his eyes but gave an energetic enough wave. Ferdinand saluted him whilst Hubert simply glared at him.

'I'm looking forward to seeing how good you really are.'

Lysithea, the small girl with hair as white as Edelgard's, the one Edelgard herself had labelled a "magic prodigy", stood at the back of the Golden Deer queue staring at him.

'Good luck,' he replied. She nodded back but her expression was cold. He thought she reminded him of Edelgard in more ways than one.

'Good luck, Professor! Glad you're feeling better by the way, I can tell you've had plenty of food since last week!' Raphael boomed further up the Golden Deer queue. Leonie stood ahead of the man. She gave him a brief look that he'd previously associated with people trying to kill him. He felt more eyes on him from the rest of the Deer house, and from the Blue Lions across the room, some curious, some weary, others…uninviting.

But they don't matter, not now.

He saw Hanneman and Manuela stand in front of their queues of students, and supposed he needed to do the same. He walked to the front of the queue. As he walked past each of the Black Eagles, they all gave him a nod, Bernadetta included. When he reached the top, Edelgard made space for him at the front.

'Ready, Professor?'

'Yes.'

'I'm glad,' she replied, her training axe hanging loosely from one hand. 'I have not seen you fight properly since Remire. Although I will be focused on the battle, I'm looking forward to seeing you in action again.'

'Good luck, teach.'

Byleth turned to see Claude waving at him from the nearby queue.

'You as well.'

Claude winked. 'Remember to go easy on us.'

'Please, enough of the nonsense, Claude,' Edelgard said.

Claude and Edelgard exchanged some more "pleasantries", but Byleth didn't hear them. Manuela, who was stood ahead of Claude and adorned in a long white robe with burgundy trimmings, the outfit of a mage, glared at him in a way that reminded him of Hubert.

'Ready for the battle, Professor?'

'Yes.'

Daggers appeared in Manuela's eyes. 'Good, I'm sure all that fishing you did yesterday will serve you and your team well.'

'I wish you the best of luck,' Hanneman called from the other side, the blue sash being the only difference in his appearance. Neither of them carried weapons because they were (of course) magic wielders. Byleth had thought long about the challenge posed by the other students but less so about Manuela and Hanneman, and as he stood there he realised that'd been a silly thing to do. He remembered what Seteth had said to him in the infirmary.

"Though our students are talented, our professors are expected to be accomplished themselves fighters themselves, and if you are unable to handle one of your own students then it is further evidence for me that you should not be here."

However good the students were (Lysithea included) there was every chance that Hanneman and Manuela were better, wiser and more dangerous than them. Alain and Jeralt had trained him in the art of dealing with magic wielders, but he'd only ever encountered a few in real battles, and he doubted any he'd faced were anything close to how good Manuela or Hanneman were. He thought about the two of them again, and realised he was about to face two of the strongest magic wielders he'd ever encountered. He would be facing them, having hardly trained himself and having hardly trained with his own students in past week, and be expected to win.

The grand door at the front of the chamber creaked open and morning sunshine broke into the hall, making Byleth squint his eyes. The students fell silent. At first, he could only see silhouettes coming through the door, and then his eyes adjusted to the light.

What he saw sent a chill down his spine.

The first person to enter was a woman in a long white dress. A shortened blue cape adorned in golden ornaments covered her shoulders and a long golden cloak draped down her sides. She was tall and had long light-green hair and eyes.

The archbishop, Lady Rhea, smiled. Everyone bowed and he did the same. She stepped forward and her footsteps echoed in the chamber. Knights followed behind her. He recognised some of them, including Catherine and Alois.

'It is good to see all of you again,' Rhea began in her loud, yet soft-spoken voice. 'I hope you have all managed to settle well into the Officers Academy over the past week and have begun to connect with your fellow students and professors. (Caspar entered Byleth's head when she said this.) Today you have your first real test, the mock battle. This battle is intended to gauge where you are as an individual and as a team. Although it is not a real battle, I expect you all to treat it as such, for it will help you to prepare for your real assignments in the coming weeks. You will all be watched by myself and many of the other students and knights from afar. Please, do yourselves and your class proud today, and allow us to see all your hard work in action.'

Everyone bowed again and then Catherine came forward. 'The battle is two hours long and is marked by blows of a horn, one on each hour, one shortly before the end and then a final one to declare the end of the battle. You are eliminated from the battle if your sash is stripped from you or if you're deemed incapacitated. When you are eliminated, you will be brought up to the observation point to join the other spectators. The last team standing or the one with the most members when the final horn sounds win. Are there any questions?'

There weren't any and Catherine instructed everyone to follow her outside. Hanneman led the Blue Lions out first and then Manuela and her class followed.

'Let us do our best!' Petra said.

'Oh boy… I'm nervous now,' Dorothea said.

'Fear not, Dorothea, we will be victorious!' Ferdinand said.

'Keep calm and remember the plan,' Edelgard said. 'Lead us forward, Professor.'

That final instruction made Byleth's chest tighten and for a split-moment he froze before forcing himself out into the crisp sunshine. There were dark clouds in the distance but otherwise it was a clear day. They were met with two lines of students, knights and monks on either side of them. Flayn frantically waved on one side and Moira stood beside her. She smiled at him and it made the tension in his chest vanish. He waved at her and Flayn and continued walking forward… and then his mind fell blank.

Jeralt stood further ahead, watching him.

Byleth met his gaze. He could see large bags under his eyes, but the smile on his face was wide, wider than he'd seen in a long time. It reminded him of when his father was younger, of when he was younger. His father's smile reminded him of one moment in particular: when the man had hugged him after he'd caught the goddess messenger fish, his first ever catch. He suddenly felt light on his feet and a warmth spread through his body. It was a feeling he knew.

It's how I felt when I heard his voice at the top of the stone steps.

Jeralt put a hand on his shoulder as he passed and squeezed it, smiling proudly.

'You got this, kid.'