Part 1: White Clouds

Rest and Planning

"Sitri, come on. I said I was sorry."

It had been a few days since that day and Sitri still hadn't forgiven him. Nothing that he could do or say could help fix what he said. "Well, it was very hurtful. For gods sake, you send all these mixed signals and then say I'm your friend? I thought you liked me more than that…."

Jeralt scratched his head and let out a sigh. He didn't know how to explain it to her. "Look I… I'm not good with this kind of stuff, you know?"

"Well neither am I! This is frustrating for me too….." Sitri mumbled hugging her legs. "I've never felt this way towards anyone before. But, I want to be with you Jeralt. You're kind, you're strong, you can actually keep up with me. I don't know, I just have this connection. But now I know you don't feel the same."

She then stood up and smoothed out her dress. "I'll just be in my quarters. Good day Jeralt Eisner."

"Hold on."

Sitri blinked in surprise and turned around to see Jeralt had also stood up and walked towards her. "Look. I was an idiot. But, I guess I'm more brawn over brains at the end of the day. I just… I never knew how to feel about someone that I feel THAT towards. Does that make sense?"

"…Not really. But I guess I get it. I mean, I have all kinds of friends. Alois, Rhea, I even have Aelfric too. But I feel like, you are a friend I want to spend the rest of my life with."

"Then let's do it."

A silence filled the air as a soft breeze blew past then and Sitri just blinked, thinking that she was hearing things. "What?"

"Because I want to spend the rest of my life with you as well. I might not be the best when it comes to love, but I do know that I want to be with you and hang out with you for the rest of my life. So, what do you say? Will you spend that life with me."

Her green eyes were wide at that question and watched him as he outstretched his hand to her. But she knew what her answer was. She took his hand in her own and smiled. "Yes. I will spend that life."

"We can take it as slow as you need to Sitri." He said smiling down at her. "Marriage doesn't need to come quickly, we have all the time in the world."

"…..What's marriage? Is that some kind of food?"

Well. That ruined the moment as Jeralt had a sweat drop form on his head. Just what were these Saiyans? "Sitri, marriage is when you-"

"Oh wow, Jeralt I'm just messing with you. I know what marriage is." Sitri said giggling as Jeralt shook his head.

This girl was certainly something else. No matter though, he was happy she at least said yes to his proposal. Even if it was pretty bad in his mind. She then beamed and had a determined look.

"Then let's go and train Jeralt. Since were going to be together forever we need you in shape! Come on let's go!"

"W-Wait hold on a minute!"

Sitri took his other hand and lead him over to the training area but was unaware of Rhea spying on them from a distance. She honestly didn't know how to feel about this. On the one hand, it was good that Sitri found happiness. And Jeralt was a nice partner to have.

But now Rhea was nervous as she doesn't want anything interfering with her mother coming back. Should she do something about it?

"Of course. Nothing will get in the way of your revival mother….."

She'll have to keep a close eye on those two.

"Are you sure you want me to do this Byleth?"

"Yes dad. I trust you. And I need to see if the training paid off."

The father daughter pair were currently inside Byleths room in the inn that they were staying at. It had been a week since Byleth had woken up, and the recovery she made astonished the doctors. Save for her arm still in a sling, she was on her way to a full on recovery. And that Zenkai Boost that she had gotten after the battle only made Byleths body that much stronger. But right now, she spent the week training an important part of her body. Her tail.

Jeralt was nervous as she waved it around. He didn't want to hurt Byleth by grabbing the tail and rendering her immobile. But she did specifically ask him to do it as she really only trusted him when it came to her tail. After all, he was the one who made sure it was clean when she was a kid. "Alright kid, I'm about to do it."

She nodded and got on all fours on her bed and waited patiently, gripping into the silk sheets just in case. He took the brown furry appendage in his hand and slowly gave it a squeeze. No response. He squeezed it again and looked to see a reaction.

But Byleth just turned around and gave him a huge smile. Which was honestly a rarity in Byleth. Usually the only time she smiled like that was fighting or when she was near food. But here? This was a genuine one towards him. And it sent a fluttering in his chest. "Dad, it worked! I don't feel like I'm paralysed!"

"That's amazing kid. Looks like it worked."

Then they heard the door open and in came Shamir. "Hey guys just thought that I should let you know-"

She stopped her sentence short when she noticed the two. Byleth on all fours on her bed with her father behind her holding her tail. She kept a neutral face and just slowly backed out of the doorway and closed it behind her. That's when the two of them realised the situation that they were in and Jeralt quickly let go of her tail.

Byleth had a completely red face as she picked herself up. She looked to her dad and looked at the floor, acting very shy and out of character. "Should we go and explain?"

"I'll do it kid. You go and get yourself dressed. I'll help you get you if you are unable to what with your shoulder and all." Jeralt offered, not very sure on how to explain this to the mercenary just outside the door.

"It's fine, I've got this."

They turned to the door as Shamir walked in again, with slightly red cheeks. She still had a bandage on her wrist and her head was still needing time to heal and so her forehead was wrapped tightly in bandages. But overall, she made a decent recovery to walk about. "I'm sorry. I should've knocked first. I was going to say you're needed Professor Jeralt."

"What for?"

"Lady Rhea has arrived." Shamir replied. "Go on ahead. I'll make sure Byleth is dressed. And I'm sure that she would feel a lot more comfortable with a fellow girl."

Jeralt breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad that Shamir offered instead, since he really didn't feel like he should since he's her father. Despite her not caring, it still made him feel weird. "Thank you. But I wonder why Rhea is here. I told her that we would come back at the end of the week to debrief."

Shamir just shrugged grabbing Byleths clothes. "Maybe she just couldn't wait that long. Probably best, considering what we were dealing with."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Alright, I'll let her know you're getting dressed kid. Got it?"

"Got it dad."

With that, Jeralt left the room and closed the door behind him. Shamir turned to Byleth and folded her arms. "Need help out of that night gown?"

"If it's not too much trouble, then yes."

"Hey, we're both girls here." Shamir smiled. "No judging. Now come on, we don't want to keep the Archbishop waiting now, do we?"

Byleth nodded at that and Shamir grabbed the end of her gown and lifted it up. The trouble came with Byleths shoulder as they had to feed the clothing through without hurting her too much. "Alright lets take this slowly, alright?"

Shamir got a nod of confirmation and Byleths face twisted in pain as it was still a little uncomfortable to use her shoulder. She was still in the sling but the doctor deduced that she wouldn't need it by the end of the week. Now Byleth was in her bra and underwear as Shamir grabbed her shorts and stockings. That's when she got a look at Byleths tail swaying around and laughed. "You know. Just when I think I've got you figured out, you go and surprise me yet again."

"What do you mean?" Byleth asked as she caught her shorts and stockings that Shamir threw at her. The woman before her just shook her head and leaned against the wall.

"Let's list off exactly what I have seen of you since you came to the Monastery. One, you come in and devour most of the food stock."

Shamir watched as Byleth managed to pull up her shorts. She didn't really need her help in that department, as it was her upper half that was the problem. Her tail popped through the hole that was at the back. "Two, you completely shrug off normal weaponry, aside from the fight we just had. Honestly, I punched you during our sparring session and it felt like I hit solid stone."

Byleth listened to her list off examples while she got her stockings on, grunting uncomfortably as it wasn't easy to do. "And let's not forget you showing me an entirely new power and brand new ways of training."

"Oh yeah. And one more thing." Shamir smirked poking the appendage that was through Byleths shorts and ended up curling around her wrist which Shamir just gently pulled away. "I learn you have a tail. You're one of a kind Byleth, I've never met anybody like you. And it looks like you trained it up too. So we won't be expecting you to freeze up when someone grabs it?"

Byleth shook her head and picked up her top, now that her bottom half was all ready. "Nope, I'm all good. Oh, I'll need your help with this one."

"Oh right, sorry. I was just spacing out while talking there." Shamir replied taking the top off of her partners hand and that's when she realised a problem in front of her. Well. Two big problems.

The two were face to face and that meant Shamir got a good eyeful of Byleths chest. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she quickly turned her around. "It'll be better if we do it this way."

"Do my boobs bother you?"

"N-No." Clearly Shamir wasn't wanting to offend her partner. But it was better to try and clear the air rather than keep things awkward. "Just….. don't want them in my face. There's nothing wrong with them."

"Oh, I see." Byleth said as they continued working on getting her top on.

…

…

…

"Okay, I give up. Seriously, how the hell are they so big?" Shamir yelled stepping back as Byleth looked down at her chest with her top unbuttoned. Her cheeks were a little red when the subject changed to her features.

"I… don't think they're that big."

"Are you kidding me? I'd break my back if I had yours." Shamir shook her head and sighed. "Sorry, I got distracted. Here, let me help you with your buttons."

Shamir stepped forward and started buttoning the top and chuckled. "I know that's the first thing that Catherine would notice. Well, that and if you're friend or foe."

Byleth just tilted her head at that name. "Who's… Catherine?"

"Oh that's right, you haven't met her yet." Shamir said as Byleth was almost dressed. She was missing her wrist bracers and her coat. But she wouldn't really need those until her shoulder was better. "It's not too much on your injury?"

"No, no. It's okay. Now who is Catherine?"

"Oh, right. My apologies. Catherine is a part of the Knights of Seiros, like myself and Alois." Shamir started to explain. "She's one of the more powerful knights. Well, until you came around and taught me how to use Ki."

She pumped her fist but hissed in pain as her left arm was still not healed. But she laughed to herself after that. "Can't wait to see the look on her face. Oh by the way, I should warn you about a few things when it comes to Catherine. First, she's always sizing up everyone she meets. Two, she's very devoted to the Church so you might want to keep your opinions to yourself on that subject."

Byleth took all of this in and slowly nodded, draping her coat over her good shoulder. "Oh, and one more thing. She loves training, so hey, you two might actually get along."

A knock sounded on the door and Jeralt slowly came into the room and….. was he blushing?

He cleared his throat and spoke up. "It appears you two are needed. Rhea is here."

The two ladies looked at each other and gave a nod before walking out. But not before Jeralt stopped them. "One thing. These walls are very thin, and I really don't want to hear about the size of my daughters….. you know."

That's when they both froze and blushed after realising what he meant. Shamir closed her eyes and bowed in embarrassment. "I-I apologise, it was my fault."

"It's okay. Just wanted to warn you about that in the future. Now come on, let's meet the Archbishop. The Mayor has allowed us to use his house as a place for us to hold our meeting."

"Hold on one minute dad, I still need to put on my sling."

Jeralt nodded and approached Byleth before kneeling in front of her. "Here, let me help you with that."

Shamir watched the two and let out a small smile. Sometimes, she forgets that they're actually related. That Jeralt is actually a father. She never would have imagined him raising Byleth. But she has heard about him through Catherine who actually went on a few missions with him as a knight. From the stories she heard, Jeralt was a beast in battle and completely vaporised opponents with his energy blasts.

'Wait a minute.' Shamir frowned and looked down at the floor in deep thought. 'Does that mean that Catherine knows how to use Ki too? If that's the case, why the hell didn't she share? No, hold on Shamir. Stop drawing to conclusions. Just calmly ask her next time you meet.'

"Let's go Shamir. How's your arm and head?"

She blinked out of her thoughts and saw the pair ready. She then looked down at her own bandaged arm and shrugged while adjusting the ones on her forehead. "It's surprising how fast it took to heal."

"Well, that's another benefit of Ki." Jeralt explained as the trio made their way outside of the inn and out into the snow. "It allows your wounds to heal at a much faster rate. Now obviously, it's not a magical cure all. You're still susceptible to diseases and viruses."

"I see." Shamir said still looking down which Byleth noticed.

"What's wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. Just…. I've realised how much of an impact you two have made on my life in the short time you've been here. We went on this mission and yet it feels like we've been partners for ever."

She then turned to Byleth and smiled. "I can definitely count on you. I'm glad to call you a friend."

A…. friend?

"Well, look at that. My kid is making friends finally." Jeralt said ruffling Byleths hair. "You know she was incapable of being social before we came here. Barely spoke to people, always looking for fights."

He then let out a small chuckle remembering a specific night. "Although there was that time where she turned eighteen and got very drunk and then got with the barmaid-"

"Dad, we agreed to not talk about that." Byleth said blushing hard and trying to get him to stop talking.

"But it was so cute. You said to her to run away with you and live happily ever-"

"Dad, I don't need much motivation to throw you into a mountain."

"Though you could've called it a night there."

"Well I'm calling this conversation a night, now let's go!" She yelled walking ahead trying to cool down the heat that was on her cheeks.

He then turned his attention to the archer next to him and smiled. "But in all seriousness, if you ever need help with Ki or anything else. Don't be afraid to ask. It's good that she found someone to bond with. Can't always be hanging out with her old man."

"I….. thank you Professor Jeralt."

"Please. Just Jeralt. Oh hey look we're here."

The trio finally arrived at the house belonging to Mayor Shepherd. Byleth quickly knocked on the door and it didn't take too long for it to open.

"Ah yes! It's the saviours of my humble town! Please, please, come in. The Archbishop is waiting."

Byleth gave a small smile and bowed to Mayor Shepherd before entering. Shamir followed suit and Jeralt was last. But he noticed Shepherd starting to leave his home and looked at him. "Why are you leaving?"

"This is official Church business, of which I cannot participate in." Mayor Shepherd replied and smiled. "It's no trouble, I'll check up on my citizens while this is going on."

Jeralt just watched him leave and close the door but decided to put it behind him and focus on the reason they came to this house. He slowly caught up to Byleth and Shamir before they m walked through to the living room and saw Rhea sitting there with a cup of tea, among other people from the church.

She smiled and placed her cup down on the table. "Greetings you two. I hope that you are recovering well."

"We are Lady Rhea, thank you for your concern." Shamir replied giving a bow. Rhea just kept her smile but Byleth felt her eyes on her. Seriously, what was the big deal?

"I'm glad. I would wait until you've fully healed but I figured that based on the report Jeralt sent me, this seems very important."

She then gestured to the couch and tea set. "But please, make yourself comfortable first. Help yourself to tea."

Jeralt took a seat of his own and offered the soft couch to the two mercenaries who gave a nod and sat down. Rhea wasn't alone however. Byleth recognised Seteth and Flayn, the latter of whom seemed out of place but nonetheless happy. Also there was Alois who looked happy sitting next to Jeralt. But there was another woman there, a blonde woman wearing knights armour and had a sword next to her whilst holding a cup of tea. She then greeted Shamir.

"Hello Shamir. How long has it been?"

Shamir just smelled the aroma that came from the leaves and smiled. "I'd say quite a bit Catherine. So you've been busy I assume."

Wait, THIS was Catherine? Now that Byleth thought about it, she did match the description that Shamir gave, especially the armour. But Catherine gave a smirk and sipped at her cup.

"Not as busy as you it seems. Last I heard, you were in a coma after getting into a fight with an unknown group."

Byleth felt like she needed to be on guard at any moment. It was clear that Catherine didn't trust her at all. Hell, she hadn't even introduced herself to Byleth yet. She then turned to Jeralt and smiled. "And it's always a pleasure to see you again, Captain."

"Actually, it's Professor now."

"So I've heard. It's a shame you're no longer a knight but I guess this will keep you in one place."

That's when Catherine noticed Byleth staring and smiled again, this time it seemed more genuine. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm known as Thunderbrand Catherine. I'm one of the Knights of Seiros."

"Yes, Shamir told me about you." Byleth replied as Catherine looked to the archer with a wide grin.

"Awwww, I'm flattered Shamir! You've been talking about me?"

"Warning about you, actually." Shamir replied with a soft smile.

"I apologise for interrupting the social gathering, but I believe it is time that we get down to business." Seteth said placing his cup on the table and stood up. "Now, as Archbishop Rhea said, we got a basic report from Professor Jeralt about these events from interviews of the townsfolk. However, since he wasn't present during this, we need testimonies and a deeper insight from you two, who carried out this mission."

That's when he sat back down and gestured to Byleth. "Miss Eisner, if you please."

Byleth blinked are his words before realising what he had meant. So she did just that and stood up, suddenly feeling nervous, her tail curling around her waist more. She decided to hide it for now until she was in good company with her employers. But she heeded Seteth's request and started explaining in detail what happened. Everyone listened intently and Flayn had a slate and was scribbling down notes based on what she was saying.

"So, Shamir and I split up and…"

Okay, now she was suddenly nervous. And she didn't know why. All she had to do was reveal her tail, there's nothing wrong with that. So why was she hesitating? Everyone in the room looked at each other and Rhea nodded.

"Carry on, my child. Take your time."

"You can say it kid." Jeralt smiled.

Byleth smiled lightly back at him and took a deep breath. "Then one of the Cultists grabbed my tail."

…

…

…

"Your…. what?" Catherine said, very confused at that sentence. "Is that like a lingo-" That's when her jaw dropped seeing something brown and furry uncurl from around Byleth's waist.

Flayn gasped loudly and ended up dropping the slate she was writing on and covered her mouth in shock. Seteth just had no words but to look at the appendage.

"Ah yes, I almost forgot about that." Alois piped up scratching his head, still not used to that fact.

"Wait, you knew about this Alois?" Shamir asked pouring herself another cup.

"Well yes, she revealed it when we met her and the Captai- er, I mean Jeralt back in Remire Village."

"I've never seen anything like this." Seteth muttered placing a hand on his chin. "Are there others like you?"

"No. Just her mother. Isn't that right Jeralt?"

Everyone turned to Rhea who was holding her cup tightly to the point that it was in danger of breaking, with her eyes staring straight at the Blade Breaker. However, Jeralt didn't relent and just stared right back and nodded.

"Yeah, that's right. Her mother had a tail. Though I got Byleth here to hide it since she used to lose all motor functions if someone grabbed it. But we trained it so that doesn't happen anymore."

Byleth suddenly felt like shrinking into a ball and moving away from this conversation. Perhaps she could use Divine Pulse and try again.

'Don't even think about it!' The voice Sothis screeched in her head. 'That power is not a tool to get out of situations with people!'

"With all due respect, Lady Rhea." Shamir said placing down her tea. "I think we should focus on the elephant in the room. The reason why both your staff members are in bandages."

"Yes, you're right Shamir." Rhea sighed as she let out a long breath. "I apologise for us straying off topic."

Shamir then turned to Jeralt and nodded. "Do you still have it?"

"I do, haven't let the thing out of my sight."

He slowly stood up and took out the knife from his belt and placed it in the table. This caught the Church's attention as they looked at it. Flayn was shaking slightly because she recognised the hexes on it. This was dark magic. "Brother, this is….."

"Yes Flayn, I know what it is." Seteth replied as he picked up the knife and examined it. "And how much of a problem was this upgraded knife Sir Jeralt?"

Jeralt grunted and pointed to Byleth who was looking down. "Before all of this, weapons never hurt Byleth."

"It's true." Alois said also standing up. "She was hit in the head by an arrow once, and all that she got was a sore head. The arrow on the other head, was shattered."

"This is definitely a cause for concern." Catherine muttered. "If bandits could get access to weaponry like that, then it wouldn't be safe for the students to go on missions anymore. If I had to guess, then if what you say about Byleth is true, then this knife would have no problem with armour."

Rhea just stared at it with a glazed look. This wasn't right. Why would they think to enchant weaponry now? What possible reason could they have to do that? She looked over at Byleth and sighed. "Then we all know what must be done. We will have to take extra precautions when on missions."

She then turned her attention to the pair of mercenaries and clasped her hands. "I thank the Goddess that both of you were able to best those fiends-"

"We didn't."

Everyone looked at Byleth in shock as she stood up. "We didn't 'best' them. We got insanely lucky. There were a number of times where we should've died."

And in Byleth's eyes it did happen. She still felt the lingering effects of her throat being crushed and the amount of times she watched Shamir die…

"She's right." Shamir added folding her arms. "We've been careless in these times of peace. We got soft, and we almost paid the price. If I didn't know how to use that power. I would've been gone."

She then looked to everyone around the room and then to Rhea. "Archbishop, I propose that we double the training on the Knights of Seiros. We can't be allowed to be caught off guard like that again."

"Even if we could, we can't right now." Catherine piped up. "We're dealing with a rebellion against the Church. From Lord Lonato."

"Who's Lord Lonato?" Byleth asked placing a hand on her cheek in thought.

"Lord Lonato is a minor Lord of the Kingdom." Rhea explained. "He has been showing hostility towards the Church for some time now."

"A vanguard unit is already on its way to his stronghold, Castle Gaspard." Seteth continued for the Archbishop. "Lord Lonato's army is nothing compared to the knights. It is quite possible that the rebellion is already suppressed."

"Even so, I would like to make sure that the aftermath has been dealt with. That's where I give you two the offer." Rhea said motioning to Byleth and Shamir. "I'm already sending the Black Eagles down there at the end of the month to help with the aftermath. I'm giving you both the option to join them too. And I'm sure for you Byleth, your own students would be more than happy to assist."

"I'll also be down there, so you can count on me for support." Catherine chimed in with a thumbs up.

Shamir sat back down and closed her eyes, and folded her arms. "I don't know about you Byleth. But I think that it's best we head down there with those that you are currently training. After what happened here, I don't think it's going to be as simple as dealing with an aftermath."

"I agree." Jeralt grunted. "And if they get their hands on those weapons, then that's putting more lives in danger. We can't be too sure."

"There's something else."

Byleth looked around the room and she took in a breath. "The leader. He shoved this… crystal inside one of the Cultists. He called it Project Goliath, and he turned into this huge bulked up human that could shrug off attacks. How do we know if they don't have more of those things?"

"A crystal? Modifying a person? This is getting more confusing by the minute….." Seteth closed his eyes and scratched his beard in thought.

"Then I believe it is decided." Rhea declared, standing up. "Byleth, Shamir, Jeralt and the Black Eagles will come alongside the knights at the end of the month. Along with the students learning Ki. We cannot allow these sinners to harm more people."

She then stood up and bowed to the two women. "Thank you for all your information. We shall leave you to recover now. When can we expect to see you back?"

"According to the doctor from the last I checked, they should be fully healed by the end of the week."

That response shocked Seteth. "Hold on, your report detailed that Byleth had multiple wounds and an injured shoulder and Shamir had a head injury. That surely can't be true."

"It's the Ki that heals, Seteth." Shamir replied. "The stronger your body is, the faster the Ki can repair itself. In any case, I got off lucky compared to Byleth and even I'm shocked at how fast she has recovered."

"Perhaps I can learn Ki brother?" Flayn said, beaming at Seteth who froze at that question and chuckled nervously.

"M-Maybe not Flayn. Perhaps we can take up sewing instead?"

A look of annoyance flashed over Flayn's face before she breathed out and that look disappeared. But there was something that Byleth took note of. Flayn's energy during that exchange fluctuated a lot. It wasn't normal. Was she hiding power? Jeralt noticed it too but it quickly went away to a normal level. That was something that they had to keep an eye on.

The group all left the house and walked towards the carriage and horses to take them back to the Monastery. But Catherine stayed behind. "I'll stay here until they have gotten better Rhea. You know me, I care about my fellow knights."

"More like you just want to fight Byleth." Shamir said folding her arms and earning a gasp from the blonde knight.

"You can't prove that!"

Rhea just smiled and nodded. "Very well. Take all the time you need. I'll see you soon."

They all watched the remaining group leave and Catherine slowly slid up to Byleth with a creepy smile. "Sooooo. You a hot shot?"

"I'm…. sorry?" Byleth said very confused on what she said. Catherine pressed her chest against Byleth's and grinned.

"Fight me! Right now!"

Both Jeralt and Shamir just sighed and shook their heads. Classic Catherine.

"This is a nice surprise Flame Emperor. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

In the Adrestian Empire, Thales was speaking to an individual in his Lord Arundel disguise. This was the Flame Emperor who didn't look happy behind the mask. "There is no pleasure this time around. Why is this the first that I'm hearing of this Project Goliath?"

"I just didn't think you were worthy of it is all."

"Trust goes two ways! I deserve to know just as much information!"

"Careful. This isn't like you." Arundel smirked as the Flame Emperor just growled. "Very well. If you wish to know, then you need to earn it. Give me the Death Knight and the information will be yours."

"You know I'm still thinking."

"And I'm running out of patience." Arundel said now sporting a deep glare. "You may find it fun to prance about in that ridiculous outfit, but I'm a busy man. Now I need to know if you are trustworthy if I'm going to reveal all to you. And the only way to gain that trust is to give a good asset to us."

"…..I still need more time. You will have your answer by the end of next month, I give you my word."

Arundel just walked over until they were face to face. "You are in no negotiation to barter. If you have heard of Project Goliath, then you know on how it sent two of Garreg Mach's most powerful fighters into a coma. I know everything about that Byleth girl, and I know her weaknesses. So I ask you, 'Flame Emperor'. Do you truly want to be on opposite sides, or do you wish to be with the victors?"

A silent pause stretched across the scenery before he then turned around and walked away. "Very well. End of the next month. But that's it. If you don't have an answer by then, then all bets are off."

With that, he finally teleported away, leaving the Flame Emperor alone. But a sigh was all that was sounded before dark magic consumed the Flame Emperor revealing to be Edelgard. She growled a little and did breathing exercises in an effort to calm herself down. That's when a figure appeared behind her. "Unsuccessful Lady Edelgard?"

"Unfortunately….."

"There's something on your mind?"

Edelgard hugged herself and looked down at the ground, before she spoke. "I'm afraid."

"Afraid, Lady Edelgard?"

"Yes. I don't know how, but they are hiding things. Powerful things. I mean you heard about Professor Byleth, even she couldn't beat this Goliath being."

"There's more on your mind, isn't there?" Hubert asked looking down at her.

"I'm afraid that if we let them continue with this. Then our plans might fall apart before they even begin. There may not be a Fòdlan to unite."

"I propose that we give them what they want."

"Hubert, you know what they will do to him."

Edelgard then held her wrists and slowly traced small circles around it with her palm. "Just like what they did to me…."

"You wish to know about them, do you not? This could be valuable information."

"You're right." Edelgard muttered with her hand on her chin. "But still. I don't like this. Not knowing what they are planning, and what their next move will be. I thought that I was stronger after training but… now I see that I've still a long way to go."

She then looked up into the sky and narrowed her eyes. "That's it. I need to train more. Also, I have a plan for you Hubert."

"And what will that be Lady Edelgard?"

"I'll tell you later on, when the time is right. But for now let's return to Garreg Mach."

WHACK!

"Ugh!"

BOOM!

"Hey quit it! No Ki blasts, that's cheating!"

WHAM!

Catherine fell face first into the snow and groaned loudly, with Byleth standing over her sporting a big smile. "You were right Catherine. This DID make me feel better!"

It had been a few days since the meeting with Rhea, and Byleth got to pass the time with a new training partner. Catherine was certainly no pushover, but thanks to that boost, Byleth was much stronger.

"That was a lucky shot. I let you do that!" Catherine muttered into the ground and quickly picked herself and shook the snow out of her hair. She then gave a big grin to Byleth.

"Wow, you're something else! I've never fought someone like you before. You're able to kick me to the ground even with an arm in a sling!"

"You just said you gave her that win!" Shamir yelled from the sidelines.

"Quit living in the past, Shamir!" Catherine yelled back and leaned on her sword. "Still, you interest me a lot. What say we do this more often?"

"You… don't want to learn Ki?" Byleth asked placing a hand on her cheek as Catherine smiled and shook her head.

"Like I told Jeralt way back when, I don't need that fancy Ki stuff. I'm just as capable with Thunderbrand."

Byleth looked at her sword and hummed taking in the details of it. "Is that the name of your sword?"

"Oh you don't know? Yeah, it's one of the Heroes Relics." Catherine replied. "A long, long time ago, the Goddess bestowed weapons upon 10 heroes, which were passed down in their descendants. It's an honour to wield."

"Hmmmm, I don't know about that. "Byleth said folding her arms. "Wouldn't it be better to just punch them in the face?"

"Hahaha! I like you!" Catherine laughed, slapping her on the back. "But in all seriousness, this helps me in combat. Enemies wet their pants at the sight of Thunderbrand."

"Well, if you're done stroking your ego Catherine, I would like a moment alone with my daughter."

That's when Catherine froze up at the sight of Jeralt and quickly bowed. "Yes sir! I'll leave you two alone sir! I'll be over here sir!"

Both just watched her run off to a very amused Shamir as Jeralt placed a hand on his head. "She's a powerful knight, but she's a little overconfident for my tastes. Mind if I take a look at your shoulder kid?"

Byleth nodded and shifted her top to expose the skin and Jeralt cringed a little at the damage. A gruesome looking mark on her shoulder with tightly stitched skin, all with a purple bruise around it. But it was much better than when she went into recovery. "Well, it's healed pretty good, but it's gonna leave a nasty scar."

"That's okay dad, another one to add to the collection huh?" Byleth said, trying to crack a joke but just got met with a blank look from her father. That's when she rolled her shoulder to make sure it didn't lock up. "Could we just… go back to the Monastery? I'm feeling fine now and at this point, I've taken worse."

"That's actually what I came to tell you, I went to the doctor and he pretty much cleared you both. As far as he knows, you'll just need rest. And it looks like Shamir hasn't suffered brain damage."

Byleth knew her father though, and knew that he didn't want to speak to her alone just for that. He noticed her look and sighed. "Yeah, there's more I want to discuss. Have you thought about taking in more students to learn?"

"Not really. I usually do it if they ask me, but I've never gone out of my way. Is this about Flayn?"

Jeralt nodded. "Her energy was all over the place during that meeting. Like when she was annoyed and such. I fear that there's more to that girl than meets the eye. Perhaps we should train her."

"Well, it's her choice if she wants to do it. We can't force her into it."

"Yeah, you're right. But I'm glad that we're on the same page kid. Just keep an eye on her. But let's get packing. I'm sure you're eager to see your students again."

"Right!"

"You really didn't take much did you?" Catherine said leaning on the horse and wagon that would be taking them back.

"It was a short stay. We didn't need much." Shamir replied now sporting a rucksack filled with goods along with her bow.

The group were at the exit now getting ready to leave the town. Mayor Shepherd was with them as he took Byleth's good hand in his own. "I thank you both for your time. You saved us all! Know that this fine town is in your debt. If you ever need a place to stay, know that you are welcome here anytime."

Byleth and Shamir had red cheeks, clearly not used to flattery as Jeralt walked up to Mayor Shepherd with a bag full of coins. "This is for the food bill. I appreciate your hospitality but if I don't give you money, then my daughter will have essentially ruined your supply chain."

Mayor Shepherd gulped nervously and with shaky hands, happily took the bag of money. "T-Thank you. I-I bid you safe travels."

"Hey, are you three getting in this or what?" Catherine yelled now on her horse. But the three of them just smirked at each other and slowly floated into the air. Catherine's jaw dropped as she instantly recognised what they were doing. "Hey come on! That's not fair! I can't fly, what am I supposed to do?"

"Hey, you wield Thunderbrand. You figure it out." Shamir said before flying away to the Monastery with Byleth and Jeralt not far behind.

"ALL OF MY HATE!" Catherine screamed to the sky before riding her horse to her destination. Mayor Shepherd just looked to the sky and had a soft smile.

"What a strange group."

"You think Catherine will be a little mad?" Shamir asked as they kept a steady course.

"It was your idea." Byleth said, making sure that her sling was still in place while in the air.

"I can't believe it. I'm actually flying! Without a pegasus! This is unreal!" Shamir said laughing at the freedom of flying on her own. "Incredible!"

"Don't overdo it Shamir." Jeralt warned. "Byleth told me that you're still new to it despite your training."

"Don't worry, I think I have enough to make the trip." Shamir replied as she loved the feeling of the wind in her hair. But she vastly underestimated the time that it would take. "Oh look! We're here already? That took like half of the time!"

It seemed that they had attracted a crowd of students who were staring in awe at the trio flying. "Are they flying?!"

"Incredible…"

The three slowly floated down onto the ground and from the crowd came out Edelgard, Dimitri and Claude. "Okay, so when were we going to learn about that?"

"Later." Byleth replied as the students from the other houses came out too with the other crowd dispersing. It seemed that all of them were worried about her and Shamir.

She took her coat off of her shoulder and carried it under her arm. That's when a loud gasp sounded as Lysithea pointed a shaky finger at Byleth. Or rather, her tail. And that sent the students into a freaked out frenzy. But not the house leaders, or Leonie for that matter.

"I… completely forgot about that." Edelgard said.

"Indeed. It was such a shock when I first saw it." Dimitri agreed, scratching his head.

"So Teach, you're actually not hiding it anymore?" Claude asked before being grabbed by Lysithea.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY?!"

Claude just shrugged and looked at Byleth. "Wasn't my place to say."

Linhardt just walked closer to her and narrowed his eyes at the tail. "Fascinating… I don't think I've ever heard of a species of humans with animal like features."

"Alright everyone, break it up." Jeralt said. "Honestly, we have flying horses and able to shoot fire from our palms. A girl with a tail isn't that big of a deal."

Byleth smiled gratefully at her father as the students backed away. But then a thought ran through her mind as she addressed a certain group. "Have you all been keeping up with your training?"

Edelgard beamed and nodded quickly. "Indeed we have, my teacher! I personally made sure of it."

"I'll have you know we shared the workload." Dimitri said, narrowing his eyes.

"Jeez, you two fight like you're brother and sister or something." Claude smiled while adding in a wink for good measure. That made both Dimitri and Edelgard freeze and narrow their eyes at him. Claude looked around and placed a hand on his chest.

"What? It was simply an honest observation."

"You…" Edelgard growled. Whilst Dimitri cleared his throat.

"Very funny Claude, but let's keep the jokes to a minimum. Anyway Professor Byleth. You would be happy to know that we dispatched those bandits that had attacked us."

"Really? Do tell." Byleth said walking away with the house leaders and left everyone on their own.

"Well, that's just rude! Didn't even say hi!" Lysithea yelled crossing her arms.

"Well, you saw her arm on a sling. Maybe she just needs some time to unwind." Annette said and frowned. "After all, from what we heard about her injuries, she must've gone through so much."

"We need to train more."

Everyone looked to Leonie who had a dark look on her face. "I know Professor Byleth and Professor Jeralt. They came to my village at one point and taught me how to fight. And there was one detail that stuck out to me. No matter what, she always came out on top. No injuries at all."

She then looked to everyone present and spoke again. "Do you understand what I am saying? If there are people out there that can put Professor Byleth in that critical of a condition, imagine what would happen to us."

Felix looked down and clenched his fist. "We would be like lambs to the slaughter."

"Then we must be trying the hardest." Petra said pumping her fist. "We will do the protecting of our Professor, won't we?"

"I suppose we will be put to the test at the end of the month. With whatever this mission is." Caspar hummed while scratching his head. That's when he noticed Jeralt was there and perked up. "Oh yeah! Can you tell us what it is now?"

But Jeralt wasn't happy. Which is what Dorothea noticed and had a nervous look on her face. "Professor?"

He sighed heavily and decided to cut to the chase. "Lord Lonato started a rebellion against the Church. We are going there to assist with the aftermath."

Everyone had widened eyes, unable to believe that such a thing could happen. Specifically those who were in the Blue Lions. Jeralt then turned to the other students. "Those who are learning Ki from Byleth, you're coming too. After what happened to her and Shamir, I'm not taking any chances."

"This is wrong!"

A voice shouted from the back. And it was Ashe who looked angry. And hurt. "Lord Lonato would never do such a thing! There has to be a reason!"

But then his eyes widened as he then remembered. "Christophe… but why now? Why didn't he tell me?"

That's when he looked back at Jeralt with a look of anguish. "I want to request to join you for this mission!"

"Kid, it'll be too dangerous-"

"I DON'T CARE!"

Ingrid tried to calm down Ashe, but he was having none of it. "Lonato is a kind soul! He took me in as one of his own when I had nothing to my name! I want to know why would he take it this far! Please Professor Jeralt, even if just to talk to him."

Jeralt let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead. "…Do you promise to do as you're told?"

"Of course!"

"Then. You can come."

Ashe relaxed a little but it did nothing to calm him down as he bowed. "Thank you. Now….. if you'll excuse me."

Everybody watched him run away and Hilda had a sad look in her eyes. "Poor guy."

"There's no time to lose." Jeralt said having everyone turn his attention back to him. "Those who are not learning Ki, buzz off. Shamir, get over here."

After everyone did as they were told, Jeralt addressed those who remained. "When Byleth and Shamir recover, we will be doubling your training. As well as doing mental training. We're not taking anymore chances and being careless. Do I make myself clear?"

Everyone nodded as Annette raised her hand. "Was it… that bad Professor Jeralt?"

"It was." Shamir said as everyone looked at her. "We almost died. That's why we need to be ready for anything."

The grim reality hit the students like a ton of bricks. Their own instructors almost got killed. So what could they do?

Jeralt senses this question and grunted. "What we lack in power, we make up for in numbers. So, get ready. Because the training program will be more tougher than ever. You're dismissed."

Everyone turned away and slowly went back to their respective dorms as Jeralt sighed. Shamir noticed this foul mood and asked him what was wrong.

"I think we're on the midst of war."

Shamir's eyes widened at that statement as Jeralt continued. "Those people are hiding powerful knowledge. The knights have gotten too soft during my absence, and I'm worried that they'll hit us when we least expect it. I'm going to go talk to Byleth, try and get some rest."

She nodded and watched as Jeralt walked away. That's when Catherine appeared next to her with a very annoyed look and sweat on her forehead. "Dick move Shamir."

Shamir just smirked at her fellow knight. "What took you so long? It's been a while."

"…and then Annette tripped over her feet and knocked over the leader! It was quite humorous." Dimitri laughed while the three house leaders shared a table with their Professor, who was currently chowing down on food.

"The Red Canyon… did you notice something about it Dimitri?" Edelgard inquired.

"You mean about the ruins? Of course I did, very curious to say the least." Dimitri replied.

"Yes. For they do not match any architectural style of any era or culture within the Empire. Or all of Fódlan for that matter. That can only mean one thing."

Dimitri nodded as he sipped at coffee. "That it came along before the Empire, Kingdom and Alliance."

"Precisely!" Edelgard said now being excited that he understood and turned her full attention to him. "It must have flourished and fallen in the distant past, long before even the Empire was established!"

Claude smirked at the pair conversing and put his hands behind his head. "It's a nice breath of fresh air seeing you two get along. But if I may interject, then who do you suppose lived there? Perhaps a culture that has long passed away?"

Edelgard gave a rare laugh, and smiled. "It's possible that they weren't even human. Perhaps their remnants still influence the world around us."

"Would explain the Professor huh?" Claude joked whilst looking at Byleth who had her bowl of rice.

She just swallowed and smiled while looking at them. "DON'T mind me. I'm just happy that the three of you are finally getting along."

All three froze at that and had red cheeks, clearly not realising that they did in fact like each other's company more. Dimitri cleared his throat. "I suppose we are."

"Oh, that reminds me. I need all three of you for the mission at the end of the month. Professor Jeralt will disclose the details for you. But may I ask how your training is coming along?"

Edelgard smiled brightly and placed a hand on her chest. "I chose to specialise in using my Ki to power up the swings of my axe. I aim to practice weapon formation next."

"I have gotten better at forming spears." Dimitri replied. "They last much longer and I can even produce multiple for a short time."

"And I have taken up trying to form arrows for my bow." Claude said with a wide smile. "But that reminds me, what else are you hiding from us?"

That question brought up the very technique they saw her do earlier.

"Indeed, the ability to fly is a very efficient method and I am confused on why you haven't taught us that yet." Dimitri pondered with a hand on his chin.

"Perhaps it is an advanced technique and we aren't ready yet?" Edelgard suggested.

"Precisely." Byleth nodded. "I haven't fully mastered it myself, so it's a little difficult but I suppose that you are right and I shouldn't hide it from you. Perhaps we can do the basics next week once my arm is fully healed."

They didn't even notice the sling and grew concerned. But she waved her hand. "I'm fine. And I'm stronger than ever. It's part of my biology actually."

"Your… biology?"

Byleth nodded as she dug into something chicken. "Yes, when I get beaten up so badly and recover. I get a boost of power."

"That feels… incredibly unfair." Edelgard muttered, feeling very self conscious about her own power.

"Are we still sure Teach isn't one of those ruins people?" Claude whispered.

Before Dimitri could respond, Felix came in and spoke. "You three. We're training. Let's go."

"Oh, right away Felix. I apologise Professor, but we must run." Dimitri apologised as the three stood up and followed Felix out leaving Byleth by herself and eating.

'The Red Canyon…. why does that sound so familiar?' Sothis said inside Byleth's head.

"Did that ring any bells?"

'I'm not too sure. But that name stirred something inside of me…..'

Byleth gave a small smile and popped a piece of chicken in her mouth and spoke while eating. "Well, that's our first clue. What say we investigate?"

Sothis didn't like how she talked with her mouth full, but couldn't deny that request. 'That sounds wonderful! When should we do it?'

"Tonight of course!"

'…..Wait, what?'

And that's another chapter. So we're straying back into canon with the Sothis Paralogue. And it seems that they're coming to Lonato prepared this time around.

I also want to build up Edelgard and Dimitri's relationship. They did spend time as kids and the fact that they train together means that they grow closer.

Remember when I said Shamir will kinda be the Piccolo of this story? Well, I'm seeing Edelgard as the Vegeta of this story. At least in terms of ambitions.

So I'm still torn on whether to change this to M. I do want to try my hand at sex scenes, but I'm thinking I just allude to those and maybe do the sex scene in a separate story. Please let me know what you think, as I know some people prefer to skip that stuff. And hey, a Saiyan having sex might be interesting. But let me know your thoughts, even in PM.

So the Ki squad are going to assist the Lonato mission alongside the Black Eagles, and Ashe is coming too. Remember, we're still taking in new pupils. Could Ashe full in the missing spot?

Also to address concerns. Obviously Super Saiyan God wont be a thing any time soon. Byleth will get power, but it won't come to God Ki unless I do a Dragonball Super kind of story where it takes place after the game.

Also no, Catherine won't be learning Ki. At least not anytime soon. Shamir will be the only staff member on the Ki squad alongside Jeralt and Byleth.

Also, we got another follower of the story, thank you very much for that. And please review guys, I do like to hear your thoughts. And I apologise if my writing isn't good. Even a PM will be good for me.

Join us next time to the Red Canyon.