"She doesn't leave much up to the imagination does she?"

"You're one to talk."

"That's entirely different! Besides you're the only one who can see me!"

Despite Sothis and Byleth's back and forth, Byleth couldn't completely disagree. She didn't care one way or the other, but the woman she was looking at was no doubt not wearing much. "That armor is... not practical." she mumbled.

"That's your problem!?" Sothis exclaimed in exasperation.

The woman looked behind her and walked over to Byleth. "Excuse me?"

Byleth looked her up and down. Byleth wasn't the shortest woman, but the purple haired woman in front of her was a good head taller than her. Byleth blinked at her. "Hm?"

The woman smiled. "Hello, have you seen a young woman with red eyes and silver hair?"

"Corrin?" Byleth asked. She wondered why she was being asked about her.

"Yes! My dear Corrin! Oh, where are my manners? I'm Camilla Marwood, a Nohrian princess and auntie to Corrin. It's nice to meet you." She put her hand out for Byleth to take, which she did.

"It's nice to meet you as well." Byleth replied. "I'm her teacher, Byleth Eisner."

"Oh, so you're the one watching over her." It was Camilla's turn to look her up and down. "Well, thank you for protecting my Corrin. She sent me a letter, you see, about an odd situation she found herself in."

"Is this about the bandits coming back to life?" Byleth asked her. She still didn't understand why that happened, and neither did Sothis.

Camilla nodded solemnly. "Yes. I was so worried that I had to come over as soon as possible. Do you mind if I accompany you on your next mission?"

"I'm fine with it, but you might want to run it by my boss, the archbishop." Byleth explained. She wasn't sure if it'd be an issue, but she'd rather be safe than sorry.

"Hm... well, can you point me in her direction?" Camilla wouldn't take no for an answer, but she supposed she should at least let the archbishop know.

Byleth pointed her in the right direction. "I can take you there if you want. I need to report to her anyway."

Camilla smiled at her. "Thank you Professor, but I'll be fine. I'll see you soon." Camilla waved her fingers as she walked off.

Byleth had to admit, she did find Camilla interesting. She'd be a strong asset in future fights if Rhea allowed her to. At least she assumed so, if she was part of the Nohrian royal family, she was probably strong. She didn't know much about Lethe, but she did at least know bits and pieces of Nohr's strength. She wondered if Camilla would be up for sparring, she figured she'd have to ask her later. She was about to continue her walk when she saw Rhajat crouched down, seemingly picking flowers.

"I didn't take you for a flower person Rhajat." Byleth said.

"Hm?" Rhajat turned around and noticed her teacher. She seemingly didn't notice the conversation that just happened at all. "Oh professor. I'm actually not. I need these flowers for my hexes."

"What kind of hex?" Byleth had never really talked to Rhajat about the topic. So she didn't know much about them. She did at least hope it wasn't for anything nefarious.

"Nothing bad this time." She answered honestly. "I'm simply trying to work on levitation. I feel it'd be useful when I don't feel like lugging things around."

"Ah, makes sense." Byleth could sort of understand where she was coming from. It could get draining to carry around so many things.

"Indeed." Rhajat began. "Hexes are truly versatile. Though I must say my favorite kind is the type usable on people. Sadly I don't get to use that one much."

"That might be for the best." She noted.

"Is that so? Well admittedly don't like hexing people unprovoked. If you're hexed, you probably deserved it. Whether you just annoyed me, or upset me. Besides, I usually give a warning. It's an odd feeling, loving the hexes themselves, but not wanting to hurt people..." Rhajat mused.

"You're a good person." Byleth was a bit impressed. While she knew Rhajat was kinder than she let on, she also was surprised to find that she rarely if ever used her hexes on actual people.

"I don't know about that." Rhajat said with a smirk. "Anyway, I should get back to work. Thank you for the chat Professor. I don't wish to keep you." Rhajat turned around and walked away.

"You're a bit busy today hm?" Sothis pointed out.

"I guess. I don't mind helping people out or talking to them though." There weren't many things that Byleth considered to be burdens. She found herself feeling neutral about things at worst.

"Fair enough. Anyway, weren't you going to report to Rhea? The next mission is coming up." Sothis reminded.

"Right."

With Byleth on her way to meet Rhea, Rhajat went back to her room. Rhajat thought about what to do with her flowers. She placed them on her desk, and picked up her book. "What to do... what to do..."

With the mission coming up, she wondered if she should look for something more offensive than usual. She wanted to expand her offensive capabilities. While she wasn't the most physical person, Byleth had made her realize she had a bit of an affinity with lances. She couldn't do much damage with it, but she had learned a skill that allowed her to infuse magic with her lance. She was pretty excited to try it out. She sighed and put the book down, not finding anything too interesting. She supposed that killing people with her mind would have to suffice.

She heard a knock on her door. "Come in." She said. She was glad that this time they came after she was done.

Behind the door was Corrin, who looked a bit anxious. She walked into Rhajat's room. "Hey Rhajat..."

"Corrin? Is something wrong?" Rhajat asked, slightly worried for her classmate.

"I... had a question for you..." Corrin started. Rhajat had a feeling where it was going, as did Azura.

"What's that?" She was trying her best to hide her nervousness, but she wasn't doing a particularly good job of it.

"I... I wanted to drop it but it's been bothering me. When you saved us... that song... where did you hear it?"

Rhajat gulped. "Like I said, it was a hex... I didn't hear it from anywhere in particular..."

Corrin didn't look convinced. "I... see... it's just... that song... I heard it before a long time ago. From some old family members who aren't around anymore..."

Rhajat looked away. She mentally called for Azura to help, but she wasn't sure what to say either. "Maybe we just got it from the same place?"

"I suppose that's possible... I never found out where they had heard that song either..." Corrin always assumed it was a song that they made up, but she supposed that what Rhajat said wasn't impossible. "I'll take your word for it. Maybe they were interested in hexes too...?"

Rhajat felt guilty. Corrin was so earnest and honest to her, she felt bad about lying to her face. However, she owed it to Azura to keep this a secret. "Who knows..."

"Well, sorry to bother you about that Rhajat. Thanks for the help." Corrin smiled at her, then walked away. Rhajat slumped in her chair.

"I'm... I'm sorry. Maybe we can tell her one day." Azura said. She felt pretty bad about keeping this secret as well. She wasn't sure if Corrin would even believe them. However, it seemed that Corrin hadn't changed too much since the two of them were children.

"I hope so, I feel awful..." Rhajat complained. She usually didn't feel too bad about lying to people. But that was usually about her feelings, not really about something as important as this. Rhajat sighed. Corrin had already done so much for her in the short time they had been at the Officer's Academy. She just hoped she could pay her back some day.

Byleth entered the room Rhea was waiting in, and found her talking to Camilla.

"Who am I to deny the request of a royal? I am well aware you can defend yourself."

"Why thank you Lady Rhea." Camilla said with a smile. "Although, had you said no, I'd have gone anyway."

"I can understand the desire to protect someone you love..." Rhea trailed off, before regaining her composure. "Professor, I'm glad you've arrived."

Seteth placed his hands behind his back. "We have received reports that Lord Lonato has rallied troops against the Holy Church of Seiros."

"Who is Lord Lonato?" Byleth asked.

"Lord Lonato is a minor lord of the Kingdom. He has been showing hostility toward the church for some time now." Rhea informed her.

Seteth was always a bit taken aback by how little Byleth seemed to know about Fodlan. "A vanguard unit from the Knights of Seiros is already on its way to his stronghold, Castle Gaspard. Lord Lonato's army is nothing compared to the knights. It is quite possible the rebellion has already been suppressed."

"Even so, I would like for your class to travel with the knights' rear guard to deal with the aftermath." Rhea explained.

"War zones are unpredictable. We do not expect you will have cause to battle, but be prepared for the worst."

"Hm, you'll have my Corrin quashing a rebellion?" Camilla seemed a bit hesitant. "Or at least, she might get involved... I'm not sure how I feel about this..."

"This mission should prove useful in demonstrating to the students how foolish it would be to ever turn their blades on the church..." Rhea told Camilla. Camilla rose an eyebrow, but decided not to counter the argument.

"Excuse me. You sent for me Lady Rhea?" A powerful looking knight entered the room.

"This is Catherine. She will be leading the knights whom you will be accompanying." If Rhea noticed Camilla's discomfort, she didn't comment on it. "Having back-up on this mission would calm my nerves, given what happened last time..."

"Nice to meet you. We've heard a lot about you. If you need anything, just ask." Catherine said to Byleth.

"She is one of our bravest knights, and that is no small feat. Only an exceptional few have what it takes to join the Knights of Seiros." Rhea seemed rather proud of Catherine. She smiled at her, prompting her to blush. With the meeting over, Byleth was dismissed.

A few weeks later, the time for the mission had come. It was so foggy that it was hard for any of them to see. The dragons as well as Camilla were following the knights on their journey. Camilla had been sticking to Corrin like glue since they reunited. Corrin didn't seem to mind too much, but she also looked as if she was being a bit suffocated. Rhajat couldn't help but sigh. It was just a reminder of how much she missed her own family. She never thought she'd be close enough to them to say so, which she supposed was a good thing. However, it didn't make her feel too much better.

She decided she'd be better off distracting herself. "Hopefully nothing goes wrong. But if it does, I'm glad we've got the knights on our side. You've got one hell of a sword." It looked creepy, but it also seemed quite powerful.

"I've never seen a sword like that." Byleth added on.

"You haven't? My weapon is called thunderbrand. It's one of the heroes relics. A long, long time ago, the goddess bestowed divine weapons upon 10 heroes, which were passed down to their descendants. It's an honor to wield, but I'm afraid there won't be any chance for that today. Our mission is to help clean up the aftermath, not to fight. Let me guess. You're wondering why Lord Lonato would start such a reckless rebellion. How much do you know about the Tragedy of Duscur, Professor?"

Byleth had never heard the term before. "I don't know much about it."

"Really...?" Rhajat seemed a bit in disbelief. "I heard that it really shook Fodlan when it happened."

"It did." Catherine confirmed. "It's when the king of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus was...was murdered by the people of Duscur. It happened about four years ago... Lord Lonato's son, Christophe, was accused of being involved in that whole awful affair. He was executed by the church."

"The church executes criminals?" Byleth had to admit she didn't know much about the church, but she had to wonder why they're allowed to do something like that.

Catherine nodded. "Speaking from the church's perspective, we simply passed judgment according to our doctrine in place of the Kingdom, which was in complete chaos. Whatever the truth behind that incident may be, Lord Lonato has harbored resentment toward the church ever since. Well... To be more specific, his grudge isn't only against the church. It's also against the one who turned Christophe over to them..."

Suddenly, a church soldier ran up to the class. "Report! The enemy is approaching! They can't be avoided. Their numbers are far greater than we predicted. They used the fog to slip past the knights' perimeter!"

"It looks like our mission just changed, Professor. Everyone, prepare for battle!" Catherine exclaimed.

The class all took battle positions. There was a bit of nervousness, given that they couldn't see their enemies.

"With this fog, it's impossible to tell where the enemy might be...or how many of them there are. The enemy could be trying to surround us, but they shouldn't have enough soldiers to form a tight circle. Take down anyone who breaks through the fog, and let's push through!"

"Hm... it seems the fight has already started..." Rhajat realized. "This fog... something feels off about it. I wouldn't be shocked if it was being conjured, rather than being natural."

"Proceed with caution! Wait for them to enter your field of view." Catherine recommended.

"Do not be afraid to use my power Byleth. Anything can go wrong at any time in this fog." Sothis told her.

Byleth slowly walked forward with her sword at the ready. "Stay close. Caeldori, dismount." She told the class. Caeldori sent her pegasus away. They all advanced behind her. Camilla was near them as well, also dismounted. She walked in front of Corrin with an arm out.

Two warriors with swords popped out of the fog with a scream. Camilla easily destroyed them both with thunder magic. Byleth looked towards Camilla. "Remember that we're veteran fighters. Try to let them get some experience here."

"Oops, sorry. I just want to keep everyone safe." Camilla seemed a bit flustered.

"I understand. I do too." Byleth replied. "Regardless, let's keep moving."

As they progressed, Byleth swore she heard something on her right. "Selkie, Velouria, get ready to counter towards the east."

The two transformed, and as Byleth predicted an axe and a spear came towards them. Selkie quickly dodged the axe and smacked him around before he fell. Velouria grabbed the lance and impaled the warrior with it, before kicking them back into the fog.

"These aren't soldiers... they're villagers..." Rhajat realized. "What the hell... did he bring innocent people into this?"

"Keep calm Rhajat." Byleth reminded her. "You said earlier that this fog didn't seem natural. By any chance can you sense who's causing it?"

"Right... I sense some powerful magic up ahead. Not too far from here..."

Byleth continued forward. Up ahead were two swords who hadn't noticed them yet. Byleth looked back towards Rhajat, and Rhajat walked forward. She charged fireballs into both of her hands, and shot them at both of them. They fell over, and Forrest followed up by doing the same with both of his hands. The villagers were defeated, and the class could vaguely see a man in a robe with a plague doctor mask.

"Well that's suspicious..." Shiro pointed out.

"That our target Rhajat?" Asugi asked.

"I think so..." Rhajat answered. She was still a bit distracted by who they were fighting.

"I won't let you anywhere near Lord Lonato!" The dark mage said.

He attacked Byleth with a spell, but Forrest was nearby to heal her up. Shiro sighed, then ran at the mage with his spear. He impaled him through the chest, and Selkie finished him off with a tackle.

"Damn... I'm a prince... I shouldn't be killing villagers..."

"Shiro..." Caeldori mumbled.

The fog slowly vanished, allowing everyone to see for better or worse. Catherine came across two soldiers who she easily dispatched with her relic weapon.

"It's you... Thunderstrike Cassandra! It was your wretched zealotry that killed my son!" Lonato had revealed himself. "The fog has cleared. There's nothing left to hide you or the filthy Central Church from the judgment of the goddess!"

Catherine wasn't intimidated. She looked him in the eyes. "The only name I answer to is Catherine. Prepare to taste the blade of one who serves the goddess. Now you face a Knight of Seiros!" She and Lonato ran towards each other and engaged in combat.

"Should we help...?" Camilla asked.

"I think she'll be fine. We should defeat the rest of the army." Byleth figured. "Although Camilla, do you mind heading east? There are some enemies there that could come after us if we don't take them out."

"Hm... I could but... who will watch over my Corrin?"

"Camilla... I'll be fine." Corrin told her. "Besides, I've got my friends and Professor."

"If you're sure... okay, leave it to me!" Camilla gave a salute before flying away.

"Okay Rhajat, why don't you try out your lance?"

Rhajat pulled it out and ran towards a nearby axe user. "Let's see what this does...!" Her lance suddenly froze, and managed to defeat the axe user with one shot. She then charged magic in both of her hands again, and shot them both at the nearby sword user. Caeldori threw her lance at an archer, and he retaliated with an arrow. Caeldori jumped onto her pegasus and quickly swiped at the archer, which defeated him.

The only remaining enemies they had to take out were a lance and an axe. Corrin sent out a fireball at the nearby lance, then jump and swiped at them. Asugi threw his shuriken precisely enough at the axe that they were killed immediately.

Camilla was already done on her side. Catherine and Lonato were still fighting though.

"I will be the one to kill you, no other!" Lonato yelled.

"You have lost all sense of justice." Catherine yelled back. "So be it, I'll send you to meet your goddess."

"Come, we should help." Byleth guided the others to Lonato, and they joined in the fight.

Camilla came from above and smashed down onto Lonato's head with her axe. Byleth followed by stabbing at his arm, making him drop his weapon.

"Filthy servants of Rhea!" He exclaimed. Catherine slashed at him, but he dodged it and picked his weapon back up. He proceeded to stab Catherine with one arm, and threw a javelin at Camilla with the other. Rhajat snuck up behind him and froze her lance before attacking him. He jumped back, right before getting stabbed by Shiro. Asugi used the opening to his advantage and slashed at him as well. Caeldori spun her lance and slashed at his face while flying by. Corrin attempted to finish the job by stabbing him in his chest, but Lonato grabbed the sword and threw Corrin away. He leapt into the air and slammed down onto Corrin. Before anyone could react, Rhajat shot a fireball at him, distracting him. He charged at Rhajat incredibly quickly. She blasted him with another fireball, but he swiped it away before stabbing her, then he stabbed her again with his javelin. He pulled both out of her, and she fell onto the ground.

"Rhajat!" Forrest ran over to heal her, and Byleth almost turned back time to save her. They were both distracted though by a scream from Corrin, who was also hit.

"I'll go save her, heal Rhajat Forrest." Byleth commanded.

Forrest nodded and ran to Rhajat's side. He healed her, and she stood back up. She quickly got a grasp of what was going on. Lonato hurt Corrin, and was about to do more damage. Byleth was on her way to save her, but she wasn't sure if she'd make it in time.

"..." Rhajat with no time to hesitate pulled an object out of her pocket. It was a gray sphere. She gripped the object in her hand tightly, and she became encased in an ovular light. When it vanished, a black dragon emerged. The dragon with incredible speeds flew towards Corrin and took the hit for her, making her fall down on the ground. She reverted and started panting heavily. Before anyone had a chance to ask a question, Byleth stabbed Lonato. He fell off his horse and landed on his stomach. He tried to stand back up, but ultimately fell back down, killed.

Rhajat slowly stood back up. She looked around, and saw everyone staring at her with shocked expressions. Not entirely sure what to do, in spite of her injuries, Rhajat ran away.

"W-wait!" Corrin yelled as she chased after her.