It had been a bit since Byleth had obtained the sword of the creator, and Rhajat was still a bit baffled. Not only did she not understand how she was using it, she also didn't understand how she still had it. She could not comprehend why Rhea would let her keep something so important. From Rhea's perspective, Byleth was just a mercenary who had been at the right place at the right time. Yet here she was, a teacher at the same school as 3 of the most important people in Fodlan. Then, she was given a heroes' relic. Not only was it given to her, she was able to use it.
"Just who are you Professor...?"
"Rhajat... is this really a good idea?" Azura asked.
"Don't worry about me, it'll be fine." Rhajat reassured.
Class soon came to an end, and Rhajat waited in her chair until her classmates dispersed. Byleth remained at her seat, looking through paperwork. Rhajat got out of her chair and walked towards her. She needed to know what was going on.
"Professor?"
Byleth looked up at her student. "Yes? Is something wrong Rhajat?"
"I'll cut to the chase. What are you hiding?" She narrowed her eyes. Normally Rhajat wouldn't particularly care about something like this, but her professor could be dangerous. She wouldn't want to get hurt, or see one of her classmates become injured, because Rhajat was too trusting.
Byleth tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"There's just... too much about you that doesn't make sense. You're clearly hiding something." She explained. "I want to know what it is."
"Hm. I'll be honest, Rhajat. There's a lot I don't understand myself." Byleth replied. She did have an entire person inside her mind, her heart didn't beat. It didn't particularly bother her, but she would like to know what the reason for these things were.
"Don't get smart with me Professor." Rhajat glared harder. She didn't want to lose her cool, but she felt as if she was being tested.
"I'm not." Byleth said calmly. "I'm being serious. There's a lot about myself that I don't know. You might get more answers out of Jeralt than me."
Rhajat sighed. She clearly wasn't getting anywhere. "Okay, I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice." She lifted her hand. "Until I get my fill... you shall be violently ill!"
Byleth suddenly felt a bit off. "...What did you do?" It felt as if something was wrong with her, but she wasn't sure what.
"I cast a hex on you of course. If you lie to me, you'll get sicker and sicker. Now answer me. What is your connection to Lady Rhea?"
Byleth's expression didn't change. She didn't look intimidated or upset. At worst, a bit disappointed. This caused Rhajat's resolve to falter, but she had to remain firm. She couldn't let her allies get hurt, even if it meant bad things for her. Byleth spoke up. "None that I'm aware of. Our first meeting was when I first arrived at the monastery."
Rhajat waited a few seconds. There was no way that could be true, but Byleth seemed no worse for wear. "Okay, are you hiding anything from me?"
Byleth started to look slightly flummoxed. Rhajat smirked a bit. This confirmed that there was something she was keeping secret.
"Sothis, is there a way out of this?" She asked her companion.
"Ugh, this one frustrates me! You told her that we're in the dark, just as she is! Yet she doesn't listen! I don't believe we have a choice."
"...Okay." Byleth took a deep breath and began. "I don't know who she is, and neither does she. But there's this... person in my... heart I guess? I can hear her voice, and we talk sometimes. I know it's hard to believe but... it's true."
Azura suddenly reacted with surprise, which Rhajat could feel. If it wasn't for the fact that Byleth didn't seem to be getting any sicker, and the fact that she was experiencing the same thing, she'd have assumed this was a lie or a joke.
"Azura... do you know anything about this?"
"Not a thing." She said honestly.
"Professor. Do you know anyone named Azura?"
Byleth shook her head. "I can't say the name is familiar to me. The person I talk to inside of me is named Sothis."
Rhajat's eyes widened. "Sothis?"
Sothis reacted with interest. "Does she know who I am? Byleth, inquire further!"
Byleth nodded. "Is the name familiar to you? We've been trying to figure out how we're connected, or who she even is."
"Are you kidding?" Rhajat asked. "Sothis is the name of the Goddess."
This time, Byleth's eyes widened. "...What?"
"The... goddess...?" Sothis repeated.
"You really didn't know that." Rhajat said less as a question, and more as a statement. Byleth had been telling the truth all along. Suddenly, Rhajat felt intense guilt. She was about to punish her teacher for no real reason. She waved her hands dismissing the hex. "You're free to go. I'm... sorry." She quickly turned around, but was stopped by Byleth grabbing her shoulder.
"Wait." She said with a bit of authority. "Why were you so adamant about finding out more about me?"
Rhajat groaned. "I... was suspicious of you. I was worried that you were someone nefarious, and could hurt my... my friends..."
Byleth had a blank expression on her face. However, something about it unnerved Rhajat more than it usually did. "Listen. I understand. From your perspective, I probably do look suspicious. You were just looking out for everyone, as you should. Please don't do that again, but I get it."
"...Right. Sorry again."
"It's fine. If anything I should be thanking you. You may have put Sothis and I on the right path. However, this is worthy of expulsion in all honesty." Byleth began. "How about this? I won't tell anyone what happened here, and in return you don't tell anyone about Sothis. I can't have this reaching the wrong ears."
Rhajat nodded. "Right... I understand."
"Good. But Rhajat, I've never steered you wrong before. I've fought alongside you. I've protected you and the others. We've celebrated together, and enjoyed each other's company. I wouldn't dream of betraying you or the rest of your house. I don't say any of this to make you feel bad or guilty. I just want you to understand."
Despite her intention, it made Rhajat feel worse, because she knew she was right. Byleth had never given Rhajat reason to not trust her. "Yes. You're right. This won't happen again. I guess I just... have trouble trusting people."
"Why is that?" Byleth asked.
"Well... it's stupid. But when I was younger, I didn't really have any friends besides Asugi. I knew some of the other students before I came here, but we were more acquaintances. My parents weren't around as much as I'd have liked, since my Dad was busy with the wind tribe and my Mother with things she couldn't tell me about. I did have a few friends here and there, but they'd only really befriend me to make fun of me, or because they thought my 'talents' were useful. So I guess... I just learned not to fully let my guard down."
"That's not stupid." Byleth reassured. "It makes sense. You're just scared, but you can't let fear rule your life. You've clearly formed other bonds already too, like with Corrin and Forrest. I know it's hard but… people care about you. I care about you. Please remember that."
"...You care about me?" Rhajat was a bit surprised to hear that.
"Of course I do. I care about all of you." She elaborated. "Please remember that you're not alone."
"I'm... not... right. Right." Rhajat smiled softly. "Okay... I'll try to remember that. Thank you, Professor." She turned around and quickly left, feeling flustered.
"Sorry Azura... I should've listened to you." Rhajat apologized.
"It's fine, it all turned out fine. Just try and be more careful. But to think that Byleth might have the goddess within her..." Azura said. "There's more to this than either of us know."
"Yeah." Rhajat agreed. At the moment though, she was more focused on her Professor's words. She'd have to worry about the rest later. As hard as it was to accept, she truly wasn't alone anymore. She'd probably never be alone again, and the thought scared her, but also excited her. It wasn't just Corrin she had to protect, it was everyone important to her.
"You are much too soft, Byleth." Sothis reprimanded.
"First time I've been called that..." Byleth mused. She was used to being called heartless if anything. "But anyway, did that jog your memory? Being told that you could be the Goddess of Fodlan?"
For a few moments that felt like an eternity, there was a tense silence. Then, Sothis spoke up. "Not particularly. The idea of being the goddess of Fodlan... but if so, how did I get here? Ugh, that girl...! I have no idea if she helped or harmed!"
Byleth couldn't help but agree. While they may have obtained an answer, they may have also found even more questions. "What should we do now?" She felt a bit more lost than before.
"Perhaps we should talk to Rhea about it?" Sothis suggested. "Then again, I'm not sure how we could do so without revealing too much..." Sothis didn't trust Rhea as far as she could throw her. She hadn't given her much reason to.
Byleth was a bit more charitable. She felt something was off about her, but she didn't distrust her as much as Sothis seemed to. Byleth was still adjusting to the idea of being a teacher, but she did appreciate Rhea offering her the role. She felt a sense of fulfillment around her students, and was slowly but surely getting attached to them. She couldn't bring herself to be malicious to her when she gave her such an opportunity. Despite that, she wasn't an idiot. She did understand Sothis' perspective, and wasn't the most comfortable with asking Rhea about it either.
"Well, we'll have to address this later. There's something else I wish to discuss." Sothis said.
"Hm? What's that?" Byleth wasn't sure what was more important than Sothis' memories, but she figured she may just not want to talk about it anymore.
"That Rhajat... don't you think it's odd how she reacted to finding out about me?" Sothis asked.
Now that she mentioned it, she supposed it was a bit strange. She didn't seem to find the concept outlandish. "I know what you mean. Why do you ask?"
"I swore I could... feel another heart within her." Sothis explained. She wasn't sure how, but she felt that Rhajat wasn't alone in her mind.
"Hm, something similar to you and me?" Byleth asked.
"Indeed." Sothis confirmed. "Perhaps you should confront her on that. After all, she did not hesitate to do it to you."
"Maybe so. Not for revenge, but I am curious." Byleth didn't care enough about what Rhajat did to seek vengeance. She understood that her heart was in the right place. "If she's in a similar situation to us, do you think it could be related to you?"
"There's no way of knowing without talking to her." Sothis wasn't sure herself.
"True enough." Byleth agreed. "Though perhaps we should wait a bit before talking to her about it. She's probably already a bit overwhelmed after all."
Sothis chuckled a bit. "You're really coming into your role, for better or worse. However, don't let that cloud your judgment either."
"Right." Byleth said with a nod. She then returned to her desk. "With that out of the way, I've still got paperwork to do."
"Ah, yes. I doubt you'd want more reason for that Seteth to reprimand you." At the very least Sothis didn't have the same distrust for Seteth that she did for Rhea.
Byleth picked up a pen and got back to grading. She couldn't afford to fall behind after all.
Night soon fell, and Rhajat stepped out of her room. She stretched as she tried to wake herself up from her nap. She heard footsteps, and looked in the direction of it. She saw Claude running, prompting her confusion. "What's going on?" She mumbled. She followed him out of curiosity, and found him standing in front of a passage.
Claude turned around and noticed her. "Ah, Rhajat."
"What's going on?"
"Some weird guy just ran down this passage. Do you mind waiting here? I'm gonna go find Edelgard, Dimitri, and Teach."
"Uh, sure?"
Claude nodded and ran off, leaving Rhajat by herself. She looked deeper into the passage and noticed it went pretty deep far down. "How have we never noticed this before...?" Rhajat wondered. "Perhaps it was concealed by some sort of magic, and someone was sloppy on their way down it." She waited for a few minutes, before Claude returned.
"Claude... Are you certain that suspicious individual you spotted went through...there?" Dimitri asked, staring at the hole in the wall. "I will say, that does look a bit like a passageway, doesn't it?"
"Unless I dreamt it up while sleepwalking, there's no mistaking what I saw." Claude replied.
"I never thought I'd say this...but I believe Claude's story. In fact, it reminds me of something. I have heard tales of countless passages snaking beneath Garreg Mach. This is undoubtedly one of them." Edelgard explained.
"Really..." Rhajat said. "I've never heard of this myself."
"In any case, there is no telling where it leads." Dimitri warned.
"Oh no. Oh, you're right! There's no telling what we could find. Terrible danger. Wicked creatures. Unspeakable smells! The risk is too high, Your Highnesses! I must humbly insist that you wait here, where it's safe... and smells nice. Meanwhile, Rhajat, Teach and I will track down the bandit- shaped person. If we don't return, do me a favor and call for the knights, will ya?" He said hammily.
Rhajat rolled her eyes. "I never said I was coming."
Edelgard seemed to be annoyed as well. "That is quite enough. As though we would allow you to make that call on your own Claude. With so little information, it's far too dangerous. We'll come along as well. Right, Dimitri?"
Dimitri nodded. "Yes, of course. If it was indeed a thief, we must not allow them to get away with their crime. Considering what took place at the Goddess's Rite of Rebirth, vigilance is paramount." He then turned to Rhajat. "Would you mind lending us your strength as well Rhajat?"
Rhajat folded her arms. "...Fine, if you insist."
"Right, well, tag along if you insist. Just don't come crying to me if we all meet a terrible fate, deal?" Claude said with a smirk.
"Likewise. Well, no use dallying. Let's be on our way. Unless there's someone else we should call for?" Edelgard asked.
"We should bring more allies, just to be safe." Byleth suggested.
"Yes, a fine idea. Though at this time, I fear few of our classmates are still awake." Dimitri noted.
"Hm... perhaps Corrin is still awake." Rhajat wasn't sure why of all her classmates, her mind went to her first, but it did. "I can go check."
"Linhardt probably is too." Edelgard added. "Dimitri, Claude, do you have any idea who could still be up?"
"I would believe Ashe is." Dimitri figured.
"Uh, maybe Hilda?" Claude suggested.
Edelgard nodded. "Right, I'll go get them. Rhajat, do you mind getting Corrin?"
"No." She said a bit quickly. "I'll go find her."
"The more the merrier, I suppose. Let's just hope we're not all marching to our doom..."
The students and Byleth continued through the passageway. It was going on for a bit. Corrin walked a bit close to Rhajat, flustering her. Rhajat couldn't help but wonder if Corrin had cast some sort of hex on her.
"What would she gain from that?" She wondered internally. As far as she knew, Corrin didn't know how to cast hexes. She even asked her about it before, so unless she was lying about that, or had been practicing since, that was rather unlikely. "Corrin is too kind and sweet of a person for that..." She thought. "So then... What could this be? Could someone else have done it?" Rhajat dismissed the thought for the time being. Right now they had a bandit to find.
Azura couldn't suppress her sigh.
"Something wrong?" Rhajat asked.
"No, don't worry about it."
Everyone continued their trek, until they reached what was seemingly the bottom.
"Hmm... It seems this place is more than a simple passageway. There's clear evidence of human habitation." Edelgard noted.
"People living under Garreg Mach... Oh! My brother used to tell me stories like that back in his Academy days." Hilda remembered.
"Ah, so Holst attended the academy as well, then?" Claude asked.
"Of course." Hilda confirmed. "Back then, there were tons of rumors about what goes on below Garreg Mach. Something about tons of passages and houses beneath the town, all inhabited by super-shady people. It had a real intimidating name too. Ah, what was it again... I think it was called...Abyss?!"
"Creepy name..." Corrin added.
"That's two points for the pink-haired gal! Welcome to Abyss, strangers." A large man said as we walked into view.
"Identify yourself! That uniform..." Dimitri recognized the outfit as that of Garreg Mach.
"Welcome, curious students of the Officers Academy! What brings such fine, upstanding surface dwellers to our humble abode?" The man asked.
"We're tracking someone who was creeping around the monastery." Claude answered surprisingly honestly.
"Our business here does not concern you. Do you intend to let us pass?" Edelgard asked.
"I'd prefer to avoid dealing with anything unnecessary..." Rhajat added.
"Ahaha! Such indulgence simply cannot be permitted." A loud blond woman exclaimed. "Your words may fool the fool, but I cannot be so easily deceived! I, Constance von Nuvelle, shall divine your true intentions. You are here by order of the church...which cruelly plots to eliminate the inhabitants of Abyss!"
"You think we're here to harm you?" Byleth asked.
"Where'd they get that from...?" Rhajat wondered.
Edelgard's face lit up with recognition. "Did she say... Nuvelle?"
The large man smirked. "I don't care what the reason for this brawl is. A fight's on the menu, and I'm ready to feast. Let's get right to it, yeah?"
"By the look of them, I'd wager they're experienced combatants. I'm not certain this is a wise endeavor." Dimitri assessed.
"I was thinking the very same thing. Time to make a strategic retreat, then?" Claude suggested.
"At least you're giving us a heads up this time..." Rhajat snarked.
Two more people came in, a woman with red hair and a young man with purple hair. The latter spoke up first. "Turning back already? Oh, but you'll make me so sad. Now why would you wanna do that? Everyone here is starved for amusement. They've been waiting for a good fight."
Claude looked amused. "Wow, look at that. A flawless example of a surprise attack. These aren't your run-of-the-mill thugs."
"Claude, this isn't the time to be impressed by our enemy. We must find a way through at once." Dimitri scolded.
The large man looked shocked. "Wait... Claude, is it? As in the brand-new heir of House Riegan?"
"Who, me? Nah. Wrong guy." He tried to play off. "Claude's a common name in Fódlan. It's just too dashing for new moms to pass up. It's even a popular choice for fake names. Just a good, solid, all-purpose moniker, you know?"
"Right, except there's only one Claude enrolled at the academy this year. Looks like that's you." Balthus reasoned.
"How do you even know that?" Claude replied in surprise.
"Ha, you just gave yourself away, pal. Looks like my luck's finally taking a turn for the good. All right, so your choices are as follows: line up for the beating of a lifetime...or let us lock you up like the good boys and girls you undoubtedly are." The large man said with a smirk.
Claude sighed. "I have no clue what this guy's going on about, but it looks like a fight's in order, and it's pretty much all my fault. There's a saying from the east about fighting a flicker with a flame. Seems applicable right about now."
The large man pounded his fists together. "Finally! Let's do this already! Prepare to face the Almighty King of Grappling!"
"Hm... Why can't I shake the feeling that I know that wild man?" Hilda mumbled.
"We'll have time to figure that out later, let's go everyone!" Corrin exclaimed.
"Who are you people, anyhow? It doesn't seem right to cross blades without knowing at least that much." Dimitri asked.
"Wow, does it hurt to take yourself that seriously? Answer the man's question, B." The redhead said, finally speaking up.
"Why me? Eh, fine. We're the Ashen Wolves. We're the secret fifth house in Abyss. The surface world turned its back on us, and we did the same in return. Back for a back, as they say." B explained.
"A fifth house? Impossible. Still, we must focus on the battle ahead…" Edelgard said.
Linhardt yawned. "Seems like it'll be tough to fight here. It's kind of dark. Looks like a great place to nap, though…"
"The locks on those gates look really complicated… There must be another way through." Ashe pointed out.
Two assassins with swords immediately ran towards the party. Edelgard easily blocked both of the attacks, and Claude shot his arrow. The assassins jumped away from Edelgard and dodged the arrow. Ashe fired an arrow as well, which one of the assassins sliced in half. Rhajat shot a ball of water at the assassin's feet, making them slip. Hilda and Corrin both hit an assassin each, causing them to retreat.
"Nice Rhajat! Haven't seen you do that before!" Corrin complimented.
"I've been... practicing..." Rhajat mumbled.
Three more people ran towards the team, all of them using gauntlets, and one of those seemingly having a heroes' relic. The fourth person stayed behind firing arrows from a distance. Claude was hit with one of these, and he barely held on. Linhardt quickly healed him up, and he dismounted to avoid further harm. He fired his own arrows at the trio nearing him, doing damage but not stopping them. Dimitri threw his lance at one of them, easily prompting a retreat. The other two both punched Linhardt, nearly knocking him out as well. Byleth used her sword to grab the fist of the non relic having gauntlet. She pulled them towards her and kicked them into another direction.
Hilda ran up to B with axe in hand. "I can't shake the feeling that I know you from somewhere, but... I'm drawing a blank. Either way, you wouldn't want to hurt a helpless girl like me. Maybe you should let us off the hook."
B smirked. "Anything for a pretty lady. Why don't we talk it out over a hot meal? Your treat?" His face then turned to one of slight concern. "Actually... Scratch that. Something tells me I'd best stay away from this one." He then aimed a punch at her, but she managed to dodge it. She smashed her axe into his stomach, then Ashe picked him off with a bow.
"Urgh… You've got guts, I'll give you that much." B with no other choice left, retreated.
The team continued into a corridor, and Dimitri was surprised by a lance to his face. He reacted quickly and jumped away from it. The lance was being wielded by one of two paladins. Wasting no time, they charged the party. Rhajat blasted them both with a ball of hot water, stunning them. Ashe and Claude both shot at them with their bows, and Edelgard and Hilda finished them with their respective axes.
"At least we don't have to kill them..." Corrin said with relief.
"Come to think of it, there's an easier way to handle this." Hapi realized before sighing.
Suddenly, a snake monster appeared out of thin air.
"What was that?!" Linhardt exclaimed. "It couldn't have been a summoning spell..."
"And what is it?!" Rhajat exclaimed as well. It looked incredibly different from faceless, she had never seen anything like it.
Corrin and Byleth ran towards it. The snake lunged at Byleth, but she sliced her sword at it, and knocked it away. Corrin ran behind it and jump slashed it's back. The beast howled in pain, before quickly turning and shooting a rock at her. She sliced it in half, and both pieces harmlessly fell next to her. Linhardt and Ashe both blasted it with their respective projectiles. Claude got on top of his wyvern, and flew around the beast. He shot a myriad of arrows at it. Hilda sliced at its bottom, and it screeched loudly, but was still standing.
"Damn, I thought that'd do it." Rhajat mumbled.
Dimitri charged towards the beast with his lance pointed at it. He stabbed at it and his horse quickly ran past it. Edelgard smashed her axe into the beast, and it slammed it's head into her. Byleth aimed her sword at the monster's head, and whipped it. She pulled it down, and Rhajat blasted it with magic. Corrin slashed at it's neck, and Ashe fired another arrow. Byleth released it, and Hilda jumped onto Claude's wyvern as he flew her higher, then she jumped off and smashed her axe into the head. The beast finally fell.
"Okay, let's keep moving." Byleth commanded.
As they progressed they found two more sword wielding assassins. Corrin grabbed her dragon stone and transformed, then ran at them. Both of them staggered in shock, but still sliced at her with their swords. Corrin took the hits, then tackled one of them. Byleth and Rhajat both shot a fireball at the other. Claude flew towards them and point blank hit one of them with his bow. Corrin donkey kicked one assassin into another, and they both were forced to retreat.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps behind them.
"Ahahaha! It would behoove you to watch your back!" Constance's voice echoed through the halls.
They turned around and saw two axe wielding warriors.
"Oh no!" Ashe exclaimed. "I knew something didn't feel right!"
"Edelgard, Claude, Hilda, can you handle them?" Byleth asked.
"No prob Teach!"
"Indeed, leave it to us." Edelgard agreed.
"Ugh, if you insist..." Hilda reluctantly agreed as well.
The three ran off to cover the rear as everyone else continued towards the remaining 3 "leaders" of the attack. An axe wielding warrior and a warlock were the next ones to stand in their way. The warlock hit Dimitri with magic almost immediately. Linhardt healed him, and Dimitri threw his javelin at the warlock. His crest activated, causing the warlock to fall just as fast as he showed up. The warrior yelled as he ran towards Dimitri, but Linhardt shot a blast of magic at him. He was stunned for a second, and Byleth used the opening to slash at him, finishing him off.
Two snipers fired their bows at the party, and Byleth was internally glad she had sent off Claude already. Ashe fired his bow back, and Rhajat shot a blast of water into the air. Hot water rained down upon the archers as well as a nearby assassin. The three stumbled over themselves, and Ashe fired a barrage of arrows. Byleth swung her sword around them, knocking them away. The water quickly dried up, and the team came across another diverging path.
"That redhead is on our left. The other two are on our right with a bunch of others..." Byleth pointed out.
"Professor, we've returned." Edelgard said with pride. Claude and Hilda were close behind.
"Ashe, Rhajat, can you handle her? The rest of us can take on the east."
"Leave it to us." Ashe replied.
Rhajat nodded as well, and the two ran over to her.
"Is it too late for me to back out of this fight? I don't want to hurt anyone. But in this case, I guess there's no avoiding it." The redhead said.
She fired dark magic at Ashe, but he shot through it and hit her. Rhajat charged water magic in her hand and closed in on her. She jumped in the air while she was distracted, and blasted the water point blank at her. She and her horse were pushed back, but were still standing. She shot a ball of dark magic into the air, and it rained down onto the duo. They took a bit of damage, but were fine otherwise. Rhajat ran up to Hapi and brought out a lance. She encased it in ice and slammed it into the red head. The red head retaliated with another ball of darkness, but Ashe shot through it again. He then shot the redhead, forcing her to retreat.
"This is...boring. Count me out."
Once she retreated, the two ran back and saw that the only remaining enemies were the blonde and the purple haired man. Ashe, having not been noticed yet, shot an arrow at the blonde, defeating her instantly.
"It's not that I'm defeated so much as I'm temporarily grounded."
Byleth and the presumed leader were locked in combat. The latter managed to keep dodging attacks, but Byleth kept blocking them.
"Huh, wait, that's Count Rowe's adopted son!? What's he doing here?" Ashe wondered.
The man looked up, his eyes widening. "Lord Lonato's son?"
Byleth used the opening to kick the leader in his stomach. As he flew back, she grabbed him with her sword, and pulled him back towards her. She lifted the sword over her head, and slammed him back into the ground, defeating the last member of the ambush.
"Heh heh. Maybe I got a bit too carried away. Nah…"
The adrenaline left the team's bodies now that they had won. Rhajat started panting, not expecting such a difficult fight, or a fight at all. B, as well as the other 3 leaders had regrouped in front of them.
"It's safe to say we've won this round, don't you think? Uh… 'B,' was it?" Claude asked B.
"The name's Balthus. I don't lose often, but I can at least recognize what it looks like." Balthus said with respect.
"Balthus… Balthus… BALTHUS?! From House Albrecht?! Baltie, is that you?!" Hilda exclaimed. "Whew, haha! You look, uh...old."
"Huh? Do we know each other, pal? Wait a minute… That hair. Those eyes. That voice! Hilda?! I don't believe it! Holst's little sis?!" Balthus exclaimed as well. "Heh, I don't believe it. Little Hilda herself. Why didn't you speak up sooner?"
Hilda suddenly started glaring. "Baltie, this isn't the time to catch up. What would Holst think?! I bet you didn't consider that, did you?"
"Yeesh... I dunno, but it wouldn't be nice." Balthus said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"..."
"Look, sorry. OK? Just don't tell Holst. If he knew I raised a hand against you, he'd have my head."
"Ha! Like he'd stop at your head. Fine though. Just this once, and just for you, I'll keep quiet."
Rhajat wasn't sure what to make of what was happening in front of her. She looked to Corrin who seemed a bit flabbergasted as well. Rhajat then looked frustrated, realizing that the last battle could have been completely avoided if Hilda had realized what was going on sooner.
Before she could voice her irritation, Claude spoke up. "Now that that's sorted... What did you mean about it being lucky that you found me?"
"Oh, that. One of the guys I owe gold to is Count Gloucester." Balthus explained. "He said something about forgiving my debt if I could dig up some dirt on you. Figured this was my shot."
"Aha, so it was purely selfish." Claude snarked. "But then, was a fight really necessary?"
"Really was. Best way to acquaint yourself with someone is to get into a tussle with 'em. That's common sense right there." Balthus explained.
"It's... really not." Corrin interjected.
"Seriously... this is so dumb." Rhajat agreed.
"That doesn't sound right." Byleth agreed as well.
"Ha, a triangle attack." The redhead said with a laugh.
"That's the correct response for reasonable people. We're not all as far gone as Balthus here." Yuri said half jokingly.
"Say what you will, but I learned all I need to know. It's clear this lot has nothing to do with the church's intentions." Balthus realized. "But that means those other creeps could always attack us at any moment."
"Wait, how does a fight with us reveal that?" Rhajat asked.
"Who would attack you?" Byleth also asked.
"Someone's targeting Abyss. Mercenaries keep sniffing around and causing trouble here. They won't let up." Balthus explained seemingly ignoring Rhajat's question.
Yuri frowned. "It's a real problem, and we have no clue who's pulling the strings. There are many within the church who would love to see this 'filthy' underground city purged. When you first showed up, we thought you were here to do just that. Apologies for the confusion."
"So that's why you came at us with that nasty 'kill the outsiders' act." Hilda said.
"As Yuri-bird said, we're sorry. We're all pretty on edge these days." Hapi apologized.
"Indeed!" Constance agreed. "That someone would descend to Abyss out of pure curiosity was far too outlandish to consider."
"I mean, I guess I can understand." Rhajat admitted. "I would have probably done something similar..." Rhajat's face suddenly fell a bit. "People can do crazy things when they think someone they care about is in danger."
Corrin placed her hand on her shoulder. She wasn't sure what the problem was, but she could tell Rhajat was uncomfortable.
"What is the purpose of abyss?" Byleth asked changing the subject.
Balthus shrugged. "No idea. These tunnels have been around for ages. They could be older than the monastery for all we know."
"None remain who know the complete truth. However, I shall tell you all that we know for certain... Abyss is home to those who shun the light of day. It is the secret shadow of Garreg Mach, if you will." Constance explained.
"The church quietly tolerates us. They think they need a place like this for Garreg Mach to thrive." Hapi added.
"The deal is simple. Abyssians never get involved with the surface, and the surface never gets involved with us." Yuri also explained.
"Alas! For some foul reason, surface dwellers have been after us of late. Further oppressing those souls who can only find solace beneath the ground? I cannot abide it! Though it pains me to admit, we, too, harbor valid reasons for not venturing into the light. That is why, by the grace of our esteemed patron, we have been granted sanctuary here in Abyss."
"That's sad..." Corrin mused.
"Baltie, does that mean you've got a reason for being here too?" Hilda asked.
"Afraid so, Hilda. I'm here because...there are more bounties on my head than there is hair. Needed to lay low. Real low." Balthus said.
Hilda groaned in response. "Baltie, that's awful."
"Enough with the niceties. Let's get these surface dwellers out of here." Yuri said suddenly.
"Nonsense!" Constance yelled. "Intolerable nonsense! Whyever would we let slip this chance to acquire their aid?"
Byleth tilted her head. "You need our help?"
Balthus nodded. "Like we said, recently this place is being targeted by mercenaries. Myself excluded, a lot of the folks who live here can't defend themselves. They're here to avoid conflict. The elderly, the infirm...orphans, lost souls... merchants who were chewed up and spit out by the nobility. The works."
"It rests upon us to protect those who cannot protect themselves...and to safeguard our home. To that noble end, I must insist that you lend us your strength!" Constance practically begged.
"I feel for your cause, truly. However, I cannot help but wonder why you would trust us so readily. We are from the surface, after all." Dimitri said.
"Trust is a choice. We're choosing to trust you. For now. It's clear you're not here by command of the church. And you're not just a bunch of noble twerps, either. You can hold your own. It's in the way you fight. How you carry yourselves." Yuri folded his arms in thought. "Still... I'm reluctant to get you involved with this madness. It's our problem, not yours."
"It's too late now-we already told them everything. Let's at least give them a chance to decide for themselves." Hapi suggested.
"Most true. Wander about Abyss for a time and I am certain you will come to the only correct conclusion." Constance said proudly.
Balthus smirked. "Right, what she said. Take a look, think some thoughts. Consider yourselves our special guests."
After everyone finally introduced themselves, the surface dwellers explored abyss as they were told. Rhajat had to admit that she was enjoying the place. She wondered if she could spend more time there, considering how much it matched her style.
"Then again, I wonder if that's insensitive. The people aren't here because they want to be."
She wasn't opposed to helping out the denizens of abyss. She didn't think any of them were, but they were so tired they weren't sure if they could do anything at this moment. Rhajat figured once they talked to them about it, they'd probably leave for the time being.
"I wonder who's after them..." She supposed with the way the world worked, it wasn't too shocking that some might hate abyssians on principal. Despite that, it still annoyed her that people just trying to survive were considered enough of a threat to be targeted by mercenaries.
"I wish I knew." Azura replied. Her feelings weren't too different from Rhajat's, if a bit less passionate.
"Well, whatever. We'll just have to take care of them." Rhajat resolved. "Anyway, glad I got to try out all those new powers."
"You were really good out there." Azura complimented. "You couldn't have done that if you weren't skilled yourself."
"Glad that I'm only getting stronger. Say, do these powers have a drawback?" Rhajat asked. She'd hate to go through all that pain again.
"Yes and no. There's no real drawback persay, but you can't use those abilities nearly as often as a normal fireball." Azura explained.
"Hm, fair enough I guess."
"So, you've been getting close to Corrin?" Azura asked, changing the subject.
"Hm? I guess." She replied with a shrug.
"How close would you say you are to her?"
Rhajat raised an eyebrow. "Uh... I don't know how to answer that? Decently I guess?" Rhajat then looked like she realized something. "Ah, that's right. You probably miss her, so of course you'd want to hear about her."
"..." She wasn't entirely wrong, she did miss and love Corrin, but it still amazed her how dense some people can be.
As Byleth explored abyss, she eventually came across Yuri in what seemed to be a classroom. She figured there was no harm in talking with the head. She walked up to him, and he acknowledged her with a smirk.
"You're not a holy knight, and you don't seem all that special, but you're certainly mysterious, wielding that Heroes' Relic. Yeah, I've heard all about you. But I never figured I'd see you down here, chasing after someone and getting lost in the process." Yuri seemed a bit amused by the turn of events.
"What is this place?" Byleth asked, looking around the room.
"The classroom for the Ashen Wolf House. Just so we're clear, we're not affiliated with the Officers Academy." Yuri explained. "Since we're not part of the academy, it's really just in place for us. Can't go to the surface either. We've all got our reasons. We're a unique bunch from all walks of life. Once you get to know us, I'm sure you'll love it here."
"It does seem like a nice place." Byleth said.
Yuri leaned against the wall. "Sounds like you're already warming up to us."
Byleth nodded. "You four seem like good people."
"Ha, don't get too complacent." Yuri scolded lightheartedly. "We just met. And we attacked you."
"I suppose." Byleth said with a shrug. "But I'm used to things like that. I was a mercenary after all. You did what you felt you had to."
Yuri seemed a bit taken aback, then his smile quickly returned. "You're an interesting one friend. Not much phases you huh?"
"I mean I was just threatened by my student earlier, and that wasn't that big a deal. So I guess so." Byleth hadn't thought too much about it, but it was true. There wasn't much that phased her. She couldn't help but wonder why that was.
"Hm, I can't promise I won't do the same later." Yuri admitted. "I'm protective of my people you see."
"So am I." Byleth replied without really thinking. "My students, they're good, kind people. Even if some of them are older than me, I can't wait to see them excel."
"Hm, wonder how things would have turned out if I was one of them." Yuri thought aloud. "Perhaps I'd have gone down a different path with you as my teacher."
Byleth wasn't entirely sure what he meant by that, but she also had a feeling he wasn't going to explain further. However, she did know something she could say. "I can't say I know what path you're talking about, but it's never too late to find a new one."
Yuri paused, then started chuckling. "If only friend. If only."
Even if just for a second, Yuri seemed to show vulnerability. She figured that it wasn't something he did often, given his station. She understood the idea of having to be strong for others. Even if being emotional wasn't something that really came to her. She just hoped that Yuri would show that side of himself to someone, at the very least.