Byleth watched his Father pull his sword from a gurgling man's throat as he fell to the ground.
He draped his small, wooden sword over his shoulder, just as he'd seen his father do so many times before.
"You see here, kid," Jeralt knelt beside the man he had just slain so that he was level with Byleth's eyes. Blood streamed uncontrollably in thick waves from a neat slash in his neck that he desperately tried to press with both his hands. It was futile. Eventually the man coughed once or twice, blood geysered from each strained gurgle. "If you hit it in just the right spot, you won't be able to stop it. One good knick and he's no longer a threat."
Byleth blinked. Then he blinked again. Within seconds, the man's hands went limp and the blood ceased to flow. His wide eyes gazed at the sky, glistened over.
"There are several of these spots, they're called arteries, in the body. Think of it as our Achilles Heel." Jeralt continued his lesson, "You must always, always protect your neck and your thighs. Those two are the biggest. At the same time, if you see them exposed on an enemy, that's what you aim for."
Byleth understood. Even at his age, he comprehended how fragile the human body was. One minute, this man bellowed his war cry at his father and in the next, he was dead. It was so…. simple.
"I know I haven't exactly brought you up proper," Jeralt sighed and planted his face in his hand. "I'm doing the best I can. I just want to make sure you don't end up like him." He nodded toward the now pale body that laid before them, "no matter what, you have to survive."
Byleth stood in front of Lady Rhea and her… actually, he didn't know what Seteth was. Her assistant? It mattered not.
"We are very lucky your father has returned to us, and what an honor to bring his only son," Lady Rhea beamed. "Unfortunately, being our new professor to our esteemed Black Eagle house comes with additional responsibilities."
Byleth's face remained still as stone. "Additional responsibilities?"
"Yes," Seteth, in contrast to Lady Rhea, had a very striking voice that almost made Byleth wonder how such a voice could come from a man such as he, "surely you've already been notified there have been bandits running afoul of Garreg Mach's hunting grounds. You and your class are to subdue them."
Byleth rested his hand over his chin. "They've no practical experience and they are to enter life or death combat?"
"They have an equal amount of experience as they did when they landed at your camp, did they not?" Seteth crossed his arms.
"Edelgard, certainly," Byleth nodded, "but I've barely begun to get to know the rest of the class and what they're capable of."
"They return unscathed, nonetheless," he replied. "With… you by their side, I'm sure they'll encounter no difficulties."
Byleth definitely heard a hint of loathing from Seteth's tone. However, he watched his father, and even Edelgard bite their tongues. So must he. He placed one arm across his chest and the other behind his back and gave them both a bow before turning his back and leaving the throne room.
"Odd," Sothis interrupted his own thoughts, "do they believe these bandits fight with mere tree branches?"
"Why would they-" Byleth began but was quickly cut off.
"Camps of bandits rarely see their numbers in the single digits, am I wrong?" She quickly began, "unless you are capable of downing over half their numbers that will still leave a staggering amount for mere children to fight."
Yes, that thought occurred to Byleth too. Their first 'mission' may well turn into a mass funeral pyre, and the Church's lack of concern was alarming.
"Will you not protest?" Sothis huffed, "or are you so eager to see your children bested in battle?"
"I am eager for no such thing," Byleth assured her. "If the Church will not provide a few precious knights as a backup plan, then I'll simply have to come up with one of my own."
He descended the stairs and made his way through the corridor, knowing exactly where he'd find his class.
"Hmm," Sothis hummed.
Byleth lifted an eyebrow. As they grew closer to groups of students and faculty, he lowered his voice to barely above a whisper, "something else on your mind?"
"Do you not also find it odd that they hadn't requested Edelgard's presence as well?" She queried, "she is the house leader, after all. Should she not have been informed of this ill-advised mission?"
"I find all of this odd," he replied, attempting to move his mouth as little as possible. "A month ago, I was paid to kill so that our company might eat another day. Today, I find myself in the humble presence of future emperors, kings and dukes."
"You can be such a child sometimes. Must I do all the thinking for the both of us?"
He knew he pressed a button. Not one he intentionally meant to push, "you're right, I am sorry."
Byleth rounded the last corner before he would arrive to deliver the news.
"That's better. You know I truly don't mind being the brain between us, but you might as well act grateful."
"My teacher," Edelgard's eyes lit up at his approach. She stood at the edge of the concrete that separated her homeroom from the grass. From the loud talking emanating behind her, he could only assume the rest of the class was inside, out of earshot.
Byleth stopped on the grass, still a good distance from their homeroom. And he had not expected to be greeted so far outside.
"MY teacher?" Sothis giggled.
"I heard we are meant to deploy very soon," Edelgard frowned, "but strangely I've been given no details as to what that this mission might entail."
Byleth opened his mouth to speak, but then remembered that he must keep it short and concise, lest he be caught off-guard again, "a small bandit camp. Not far from here."
"Oh?" Edelgard pursed her lips. "If they do not wish to give me the details, that is their business. How soon are we meant to deploy?"
He dreaded that question. Being kept out of the loop was telling enough. "They expect us to deploy immediately."
Her eyes widened. "Im-immediately? As in now?"
"That…" Byleth thought his words over with a fine-toothed comb before continuing, "that's usually what 'immediately' means."
Edelgard's eyes narrowed, "that did not come out as intended."
Byleth fought back a grin. He found it amusing that only a week ago, this was the woman that chastised him for his in-eloquence with words. Yes, Edelgard could be arrogant, perhaps even hypocritical. But for a moment, Byleth entertained the idea that it could also be endearing.
It was obvious not many of his students were accustomed to walking, let alone with gear on their backs.
"How much further?" Caspar drew his question out into a long whine.
"While I'm a little more refined to whimper," Ferdinand chimed in, "I must add to Caspar's question. Why exactly were we not provided horses? I can't afford to have such… unsightly sores on my feet."
Complaints did not sit well with Byleth. He gritted his teeth and refrained from pulling his professor-rank, "horses are large beasts, with large hooves."
Edelgard did her best to keep pace with her professor, but couldn't help but let a satisfied grin creep onto her face.
Ferdinand put his hands in the air, as if the professor's statement somehow vindicated him. "And that's exactly why they're perfect for carrying me-"
"They make a lot of noise." Byleth interrupted, eager to put an end to this topic.
"So?" He would not relent. "Are they not ruffians? I imagine their noise…" he trailed off as Byleth raised his fist.
The group came to an immediate stop.
After several prolonged seconds of silence, Caspar dared to break the silence, "what are we-"
Byleth kept his fist in the air, but extended his pointer finger as he slowly began to crouch lower to the ground.
As if they were playing some child's game, the class began to slowly descend closer to the ground as well, mimicking his actions.
Byleth's eyes darted across the horizon of the hill in front of them.
Dorothea instinctively and slowly moved her arm across her body and over Bernadetta's mouth. Gently muffling any squeals she might make.
"Do you hear that?" Byleth finally broke the silence, his words barely audible.
The group exchanged glances with each other, many of them shaking their heads at one another. Some even mouthed the word "no."
"What is it you hear, my teacher?" Edelgard matched his volume exactly.
Byleth did not respond.
"Laughter," Petra whispered.
Byleth turned on his heels to face his class. The dirt beneath his boots barely stirred. He pointed at Bernadetta and then to the tree line to their side.
Dorothea tightened her grip over Bernie's mouth, knowing all too well that if the professor was asking her to do something, it would cause a Bernie-sized anxiety attack.
Byleth quickly noted Dorothea's preventative measures, "Bernadetta," he dared not raise the volume of his words, "when I chose the Black Eagles house, I was told that they had one of the deadliest archers in their artillery."
Bernie vigorously shook her head while Dorothea's hand still covered her mouth.
"Look at me, Bernadetta," Byleth narrowed his gaze and pointed to his eyes, "look at me."
Edelgard couldn't help but take note of each orchestrated movement her teacher made, the calmness of his hands, the soothing silk of his voice. She also noted Bernie's shoulders begin to fall- no… relax. This was a sight to behold!
"I will not let anything happen to you," Byleth continued, "you'll have perfect sight into their camp. And… perhaps nock a few of those deadly arrows for us?"
Bernie's breathing began to slow enough so that Dorothea carefully removed her hand.
"Th-they won't be able to see me?" Bernie's question sounded as innocent as a child desperately trying to escape a predator.
Byleth released a soft smile and shook his head, "even if they do. They'll have to get through me, first."
Bernie's eyes darted across the faces of her classmates before finally falling to the dirt. "Okay. Okay, Bernie can do this!"
"That-a-girl," Byleth reassured her before turning his gaze to Caspar, then to Edelgard. His eyes lingered on her longer than he intended, "You two, just below the horizon in front of the tree line. A direct barricade between them and Bernadetta."
Edelgard gave a firm nod while Caspar silently pumped his fist into the air.
"I will not leave Lady Edelgard's side," Hubert didn't bother lowering his voice to a whisper.
Byleth nodded. "I expected as much. You go with him."
"Hmph."
"Dorothea, I need you about thirty meters into the open field-"
"Open… field?" She felt a lump lodge in her throat.
Byleth gently shook his head. "Petra and Ferdinand are your barricade. But stay low to the ground until I give you the signal."
Caspar threw his hands into the air accompanied by an exacerbated gasp, "well? What's the signal?"
Byleth coolly replied, "when they start running at you."
This caused a collective tension and wide eyes. If Byleth didn't know better, he was looking at a herd of deer caught in the light of fire.
"Don't worry, I'll thin their numbers before that happens," he assured them.
Edelgard's face quickly dropped, "by yourself?"
Byleth nodded, "and whatever you do, hold your positions. Stand your ground. If you run, if you give chase, you are leaving your classmate open to attack. Understood?"
They nodded in unison.
"My teacher, I do not like this." Edelgard placed her hand on Byleth's forearm. This even caught him by surprise. "You don't know how many there are. How can you surmise that you can thin their numbers?"
"There's twelve," he replied.
Edelgard furrowed her brows, "how could you possibly-"
"Three distinct voices talking over the others. They're in charge. By the pitch of the laughter, I count nine lackeys laughing at a joke that's probably not funny."
If not for the seriousness of the current situation, Edelgard could've chuckled, but she had a feeling that he was not joking. "Even so, how many can you take that the remainder will not overwhelm us?"
"If I'm lucky," Byleth bit his lower lip, "all of them."
His brazenness was nothing to balk at, that was for certain. But Edelgard couldn't help but feel a sense of… admiration? No. Well, whatever the word, it felt nice.
With a nod, Byleth lifted slightly from the ground and silently trotted across the open field, far from the protection of the forest. Further from her than she cared to have him.
Her classmates also gave each other an affirming nod before tip toeing to their assigned positions.
Edelgard's eyes darted frantically at her classmates. Dorothea stood behind her and further into the open field, her hands cupped as if she were holding an invisible ball, but Edelgard knew better, she was preparing the best magic she could muster.
But Edelgard quickly redirected her gaze to the dot that was getting increasingly smaller the further he got until he finally disappeared over the hill's horizon.
Her heart skipped a beat. Surely they would see him now. Surely the yelling would begin soon. Surely-
Edelgard's frantic thought process was severed before the next "surely" by a large explosion just over the hill's horizon.
"Was that the signal? Was that the signal?" Caspar's voice cracked.
"Hold!" Edelgard no longer concerned herself with being heard. She was sure the blazing fire would drown her out.
"Do I start shooting? I mean, shooting at them!" Bernadetta could barely piece her thoughts together.
Byleth's instructions echoed in her thoughts, "not until they emerge from the hill!"
She tightened her grip on the hilt of her axe. Edelgard's focus became so intense she was astutely aware that instead of the war cries she expected to hear from the bandits, instead, she heard cries of horror.
SLING
Edelgard processed that sound for a moment. Was it the swing of a blade? Or simply the wind playing cruel tricks?
SLING
"Run!" A deep, distant voice yelled, "Get to the trees! Get to the damned trees!"
SLING
Then she saw something. It was only a tiny dot, but it grew larger by the second. Then a second dot, then a third.
They were coming. It was not how Edelgard imagined it. However, they were not running toward them with twisted, growling faces. Instead, the whites of their eyes were visible even at their distance.
"Ready yourselves!" Edelgard swung her axe to loosen her arm, knowing it would soon be put to use.
She never took her focus off of the three dots that were quickly taking human shape as they ran closer.
"Bernadetta! Dorothea! Now!" Edelgard bellowed. No sooner than the words had left her lips, she saw an arrow whistle high above her head, and to her side a ball of fire arched deep into the sky.
She sighed deep, filling her lungs with the cool, night air as she awaited the fall of their frightened enemies.
However, the singular arrow burrowed itself into the dirt kilometers away from any of the bandits, as did the fireball.
Had the situation not been so dire, Edelgard could have laughed. Instead, she kept her face firm, brows furrowed, "again!"
This time, Bernadetta's arrow flew far past the horizon of the hill. Their only saving grace was Dorothea's fireball landed remotely in the vicinity of their nearest foe. This changed his direction. He was now heading directly toward her.
A fourth dot appeared over the hill, running much faster than the other three. This one wasn't yelling. This one was focused.
But Edelgard had no time to idle in hopeful thoughts. She lifted her axe high above her head, and arched it behind her back. With one crisp motion, Edelgard swung the axe over her head and released its haft.
It flipped thrice through the air before burrowing itself deep in the closet bandit's chest. He fell faster than a sack of potatoes to the ground with a loud thud. Edelgard quickly darted her eyes over the length of his body. No motion, not even a twitch.
"Lady Edelgard!" Hubert yelped.
Before she could turn her head in his direction, a bright purple blazing ball flew from his hands faster than her axe.
The second bandit raised his sword above his head before the purple ball collided with his legs. The man fell face first into the dirt as he dropped his sword and used his hands in a futile attempt to stop the purple blaze from travelling further up his body.
His scream, Edelgard did her best to distance his cries from her ears. After all, they weren't done yet.
One more approached them, this one carried what appeared to be an axe. She waited for him to raise it high into the air. She frantically grabbed at her waistband and found the same dagger she used not too long ago.
For one instant, she was reminded of Byleth and of how he heroically threw himself in front of her while she held the same dagger.
Edelgard lifted her dagger and gripped it tightly. Her nostrils flared with anticipation.
Then the man fell face first into the ground.
She blinked. And then she blinked again, waiting for him to rise.
"Did he…" Dorothea's cheeks almost blushed at the absurdity of her pending question, "did he trip?"
Edelgard wasn't sure. He did not make any motion to push himself upright. She caught a glimpse of a shimmer stemming from his back. She narrowed her eyes and tried to identify it.
It was a knife.
"He won't be getting up," Byleth slowed to a walk as he approached them, but not before bending down to retrieve his knife from the corpse's back.
Edelgard still couldn't believe what she was seeing, "how… how-"
Byleth didn't wait for her to finish her question. He walked over to the man who was now almost completely engulfed in purple flames. His gurgles grew weaker. He unsheathed his sword and plunged it downward into his chest. He gurgled no more.
Edelgard approached him, her cheeks redder than her coat, "How-how could you be so reckless?" Her voice nearly cracked.
Byleth turned to face her, a quizzical look upon his face as if he had no understanding of what she meant.
"You could have been killed!" Edelgard's internal filter had burst, "you could have died!"
Byleth looked to the ground, at the three bodies splayed in front of them. "you're right, I didn't get them all. Sometimes ten out of twelve won't cut it. I should have ensured I got them a-"
"That is beside the point!" Edelgard interjected, her voice almost reaching an infuriated shriek, "One against twelve?"
Her furious eyes darted across his body, looking for further insults to hurl at him.
That was when she saw it. A strange, thin object protruding from the front of his bicep. Her mouth hung agape.
Byleth followed her gaze, "oh this? It's not fatal." He gripped the arrow with his opposite hand and yanked it out of his flesh.
"Oh my god," Dorothea covered her mouth as she converged behind Edelgard.
"Man! Did you just… pull that out?" Caspar almost seemed excited, "That is badass man!"
Byleth suddenly felt all eyes on him as he dropped the arrow to the ground. Was he supposed to moan in pain? Perhaps they were looking for a sigh of relief?
His self-doubt began to tug at the back of his brain.
They've seen the emotionless monster… The Ashen Demon.
It was an odd feeling. If his heart could beat, it probably would've burst out of his chest. Their judging eyes were beginning to overwhelm him.
"You… took out their archers?" Caspar broke the silence the best way he knew how.
"Oh, huh?" Byleth shook his head, "They didn't have any archers."
Edelgard's eyes widened, "then would you care to elaborate how… that got there?"
Byleth searched his brain, trying to find the emotion he knew his class wanted to see from him. Instead he could only answer their question, "I think that was Bernadetta's."
Dorothea took her spot beside Bernadetta and placed her hand over the girl's mouth to muffle the intensifying groans.
Edelgard wondered if she had blinked in the last several minutes. Her eyes were dry. Perhaps she was trying to process what Byleth had just told her.
Then she laughed, for she could not help it. She held her stomach and released a hearty laugh she never had felt before.
Many more laughs joined in with hers. Except for Hubert, who let a grin crawl across his face.
Suddenly, Byleth didn't feel so self-conscious.