It had been quite some time since Rhajat had met up with the Ashen Wolves. They had an agreement that she had never been called back for. It hit a point where she was beginning to wonder if the deal was off or something. To her surprise, Byleth came to her and her classmates about Abyss. Late at night, Byleth and the students snuck back underneath Garreg Mach.
"I wonder what's going on..." Corrin mumbled, directed at no one in particular.
"It must be important if we're being called out." Edelgard suggested.
"Why did it have to be tonight of all nights..." Linhardt complained with a yawn.
"Was something going on?" Ashe asked.
"Not at all. That's the problem. I was looking forward to doing nothing."
Before anyone could respond, they saw Yuri talking to one of his men. "Once the trap is set, shift your focus to protecting the Abyssians, just in case things go south."
The rogue nodded before running off, leaving the students and Byleth confused.
"What was that about?" Byleth asked.
Yuri turned around and smirked. "Oh, it's you." He didn't seem interested in answering the question, so the others left it be. "I was just heading off to ambush our attackers. You'll help with that won't you?"
"Oh?" Dimitri began. "Does that mean your enemies are drawing near?"
"Very good!" Yuri teased. "Heh, The scouts I sent to the surface spotted some mercenaries. We closed off the entrance they used last time, but it seems they've found another."
Everyone shared looks of surprise and concern. No one was opposed to fighting, they promised after all. However, they were rather concerned that the time was now. They didn't expect that the next time they'd arrive in Abyss for a mission, it'd already be something endangering the entirety of the underground city.
"They really want you guys gone huh..." Rhajat said.
"This is bad!" Ashe added panicking. "We've got to evacuate everyone from Abyss as soon as possible!"
There was a bit of anxiety in the room. There were a bunch of people in Abyss after all. Not to mention many of them had nowhere else they could go. There wasn't anywhere else they could take them to hide from the intruders. Rhajat supposed they could ask the church to hide them, but before she could vocalize it, she noticed Yuri looked oddly calm about the whole thing. Despite how important Abyss seemed to be to him.
"That won't be necessary." Yuri reassured. "They'll be back soon."
"Huh? Who?" Ashe asked.
Two of the other wolves who they recognized as Constance and Hapi then entered.
"Why do I have to go?" Hapi complained with a scowl. "No matter what we do, we're all gonna die in the end anyway."
"How optimistic..." Rhajat snarked. She wasn't a ray of sunshine herself, but even she had to admit Hapi's attitude could be a bit draining.
Yuri turned to her with another smirk. "Sure, but if we do nothing we'll all die a lot sooner. I assume the corridor is successfully camouflaged?"
"But of course!" Constance hammily chimed in. "Our decoys shall prevent those scoundrels from chancing upon our living quarters. Do note that I am the bait upon your hook. If we fail, I shall be left dangling in the wind. Aha! But it must be done, I fear! And so I will most happily accept the starring role in this-"
"They're at the entrance." Balthus interrupted as he walked in. "They'll be coming in from the east."
"..." Constance looked as if she just had the wind knocked out of her sails. Rhajat almost felt a bit bad.
"The east... Good. We're well placed. Go ahead and draw them deeper into Abyss, just like we planned." Yuri commanded.
"Why are they targeting Abyss?" Byleth asked.
"I'd like to know that myself. But first things first. We've got to make it through this encounter. Launching small counterattacks on the surface won't accomplish anything. It could also earn us the scorn of the church, if it gets messy... which it will. That's why we have to lure the enemy underground before we take them out. I know the perfect spot." Yuri explained.
Balthus put a hand on his hip. "Admit it, pals. You're knee-deep in this, just like us. There's no turning back now, right?"
"Of course not! If there's any way we can help your cause, we won't turn our backs on you." Ashe cheerfully said.
"That's right." Dimitri said with a soft smile. "We will not stand idly by while danger befalls the innocent people of Abyss."
"If we can capture the enemy, we can perhaps learn the reason behind their relentless attacks." Edelgard offered.
"We'll fight at your side." Byleth reassured.
Rhajat felt everyone's enthusiasm was a bit contagious, as much as she didn't want to admit it. Everyone was so ready to help these people who actually hurt them before. Even if it was just them being scared and on edge, they still attacked them. Yet everyone, including herself, just wanted to do whatever they could to make sure they'd be okay. She respected her companions a lot for that. She then realized she was there too. She felt a desire to help them as well. In all honesty, she wasn't sure what to make of that.
"Excited, are you?" Hapi said. "Fine. We could use more bodies to throw at our enemies. Thanks for volunteering."
"So long as they're fighting with us and not against us, I don't care how excited they are. Let's get to it!" Balthus exclaimed.
…
Yuri led them to the spot where they'd be fighting. They found themselves in some sort of underground arena. The amount of things they were finding underneath Garreg Mach never ceased to amaze them.
"You sure know some great spots, Yuri." Balthus complimented.
"I heard about this place from someone back in town. It hasn't been in use for a long time." Yuri explained. "I figured it could prove useful, so I spent some time clearing out the debris that was blocking the entrance."
"It seems to be a revitalized ruin... Perhaps it was originally a reception hall or something similar." Dimitri suggested.
"Perhaps. Honestly, all of Abyss feels like a ruin." Edelgard added.
"Ahaha!" Constance suddenly laughed. "This place is magnificent! It is just spacious enough to contain my glory! I shall not hold back here!"
Hapi smiled. "Large. Isolated. I wonder if it would be OK for me to sigh here..."
"Sigh?" Byleth asked.
"If Hapi sighs, monsters come running. No, I'm not kidding." Balthus said.
"Huh." Corrin said. "Sounds kinda like a hex. Would you know anything about that Rhajat?" She asked, turning towards her.
"I haven't heard of one like that..." Rhajat admitted.
Rhajat wondered about a hex like that. Hapi didn't seem to be a fan of it, so Rhajat doubted she put it on herself unless it was by mistake. She didn't know much about Hapi, but she didn't seem like the kind of person who'd deal with hexes either. For a moment, she felt a bit bad for her, whether she placed it on herself or not. That'd explain her cynicism to Rhajat, being a walking monster summoner through no control of her own.
"I wish, Hapi, but no. Absolutely no sighing. And, Constance, be glorious in moderation. Understood? This place is so big that if it collapses, all of Abyss will fall with it. The whole reason we're luring our enemies here is to avoid damaging Abyss. Don't lose sight of that." Yuri reminded.
"I am well aware of our aim!" Constance exclaimed.
"Sure, but that doesn't mean we can trust you to show restraint." Balthus said somewhat sarcastically.
"I'm concerned." Byleth added.
"You as well?! I cannot fathom why I am being treated in such a way. It is the duty of the nobility to preserve the people's safety. Do you truly believe that I would destroy Abyss in my efforts to save it? Preposterous!" She said offended.
Corrin giggled to herself at Constance's outrage. Corrin found her quite a character. Rhajat looked at Corrin and started staring lovingly. She loved Corrin's laugh. Corrin did eventually notice and smiled back at her. The two were pulled out of their thoughts by Hapi.
"That would cause trouble for Elfie too. If the underground collapses, he's the one who will have to answer for it." She reminded as well.
"Who is Elfie?" Byleth asked. She figured it was one of her nicknames, but she couldn't fathom who that could be referring to.
"You must know Aelfric, yeah? He's a big wig in the church, but a friend of Abyss. He's the one who opened up this place to folks with nowhere else to turn. Folks like us. He gave us a home, a new life." Bathus said fondly. He seemed to rather respect Aelfric.
"It is Aelfric himself who put forth the idea of establishing the Ashen Wolf House. Sadly, he faces opposition within the church, and so he cannot openly deploy the knights to aid us." Constance explained.
"That means Aelfric relies upon us to protect the people who live here. Us... and now you." Yuri said, turning to Byleth. "I hope you're ready Professor. We're counting on you." Yuri said with pride.
"...Professor?" Byleth asked.
Constance looked a bit surprised. "You are a professor at the Officers Academy, are you not? You may not be our instructor, but I cannot think of a more fitting title to call you."
"Seems like you're with us now. We'll owe you one." Hapi told her. She smiled softly at her.
"Time to knock some sense into their thick skulls. They picked the wrong strangers to mess with!" Balthus yelled.
…
"Aah! I knew following those shady kids was a bad idea. This place is massive!"
"Heh, they actually fell for it. Let's get this done!" Balthus exclaimed.
"Other mercenaries are on their way. We left a nice little trail of crumbs for them to follow. We'll need to take them all out, or they'll just keep coming. Let's pull together." Yuri commanded.
The wolves were in the center of the arena, while everyone else was waiting on the lower right. The wolves split up to go after nearby enemies, while the students and Byleth began their assault as well. There were six opponents, 3 in front of them, and three northwest of them. They hadn't been noticed yet.
Rhajat shot water at the ground in front of them, then Ashe and Claude fired arrows at them getting their attention. They ran towards them but started slipping on the water. While they were trying to regain their balance, Dimitri threw his javelin at one of them, Lindhart shot magic at another, as did Corrin, defeating all 3.
The nearby 3 mercenaries ran up the small staircase, and started slipping on the water too. Hilda and Edelgard both charged towards them and smashed into them with their axes, the water not affecting the two. Edelgard hit two, while Hilda got the straggler. All 3 were thrown into the air, where Claude managed to pick them off with his arrows.
Byleth noticed an arrow flying towards Claude, so she used her sword to hit it out of the sky. She then rushed towards the archer and kicked them. She quickly pulled her sword out and swung it at the archer, quickly defeating them.
"This... can't be the place... Can it?"
Just as the team thought they were done, they looked up to see another bunch of opponents who had just appeared.
"More visitors already?" Constance snarked. "Allow us to offer you a premature burial."
"Damn brats, out of the way!" The mercenary growled.
Two of the axe wielding mercenaries ran towards Yuri. He easily dodged them both, making an opening for Hapi. She shot two balls of dark magic at them, and Yuri finished them with a slice of his sword. Two armor knights also began to run towards the group. Edelgard pulled out her hammer and smashed one of them, defeating them in one shot. Dimitri tossed his javelin at the enemy doing some damage. It bounced off, but before it could return to Dimitri, Corrin fired magic at it to send it back towards the armor knight, defeating them as well. Dimitri ran over to them and picked his javelin back up before smiling at Corrin. He proceeded to throw it once more at a nearby archer, and Ashe defeated them with an arrow of his own.
Balthus ran into the fray to target an archer. They fired an arrow, but Balthus caught it and threw it aside before punching the archer as hard as he could. He grabbed them and threw them into two other nearby mercenaries. Before any of them could counter, Constance fired a bolting onto the three as well as another archer who was nearby. Only the archer survived, and another archer was behind them. Balthus charged towards the weakened one, and punched the other. As Balthus was about to punch again, another lightning bolt rained down on the archer, defeating them.
"Hey, you almost hit me!' Balthus exclaimed.
"Perhaps next time you'll think twice before running into enemy lines?" Constance scolded.
"Not the time guys, we've still got two!" Yuri reprimanded.
"She's got a point though, get over here Balthus." Byleth commanded.
"Fine..."
As Balthus jogged back to the group, the remaining mercenaries started coming towards the party. They started firing magic at the team. Rhajat charged magic with both of her hands, and blasted them at the mages. They were close enough now for Hapi to finish them off with her own magic.
"That could've been avoided if y'all hadn't called me back." Balthus said with a grin.
"Not now!" Yuri exclaimed.
Without missing a beat, another wave of mercenaries entered the field.
"How deep does this place go? I wonder if it's around here somewhere..." One of them asked to no one in particular.
"We have to finish this fight before more show up. I wish they'd turn around and go home." Hapi complained.
"They're kinda far away too, guess we better get moving." Corrin suggested.
"Must we...?" Linhardt complained as well.
Edelgard sighed, both at the situation and her teammate. "Yes Linhardt, we must."
The group made their way closer to the enemy as the opposing army noticed them and prepared to fight. Claude and Ashe fired their arrows at two nearby gauntlet wielding mercenaries. Balthus and Edelgard ran up to them and started fighting with their respective weapons. An arrow flew towards the party, which Corrin destroyed by jumping into the air and hitting it with her sword. Dimitri threw his javelin at the nearby archer, defeating them in one shot thanks to his crest activating at the same time as Edelgard and Balthus finishing off their opponents.
Edelgard just barely noticed an enemy running towards her. She turned as the mercenary punched her shield. Linhardt shot magic at the enemy, and Hilda followed up by attacking with her axe. A sword using mercenary quickly sliced at Hilda, who didn't have time to dodge. She winced in pain before jumping away. While she could've taken them, she deemed it better to get healed first. Especially with so many other fighters who could've done it for her.
Yuri jumped into the fray and sliced at the mercenary. The mercenary blocked it, and sliced at Yuri in retaliation. Yuri dodged it, and Byleth sliced her sword at him from a distance. This distracted him long enough for Yuri to attack and finish the mercenary. Another mercenary punched at Yuri, but he easily dispatched them as well with a few swings of his sword. Linhardt healed Hilda, and she was back in the fight as well. She ran up to one of the gauntlet users and slammed her axe down on them. Claude finished them off with his bow, and Constance summoned a lightning bolt to hit another one. He dodged it easily, and followed up by punching her. Hapi shot magic at the mercenary, and Rhajat did the same to another nearby one. They both shot another ball of magic at their respective opponents, defeating them.
Dimitri stabbed at the last nearby gauntlet user, and Corrin back slashed them. Using a curved shot, Ashe attacked a wyvern rider who was about to attack, easily dispatching them as well. There were two armor knights west of the group. Rhajat blasted one with wind magic, quickly defeating them. Linhardt fired another magic blast, but had to fire two to defeat the other armor knight. Two gauntlet using mercenaries started rushing towards the team. There were also three nearby mages who started attacking with magic. Fire balls began to rain on the party, which Rhajat shot with her own magic in order to stop it. Yuri and Byleth ran towards them as Balthus took on one of the gauntlet users with a few punches. He grabbed him and threw him into the other, who was finished off by Hapi's magic. Byleth did the same by kicking one mage into the other, then swung the sword of the creator as her crest triggered. Yuri ran his sword through two of them, leaving one intimidated looking mage. Yuri and Byleth both stabbed them with ease.
"Corrin!" Rhajat exclaimed as she saw a fire ball flying towards her. Rhajat blasted it away, then charged magic and one shot the mage that attacked her. It happened so fast that Corrin didn't really register it immediately. Corrin turned towards her and smiled, and Rhajat smiled back albeit with a blush.
Another wave of mercenaries suddenly entered. "All right, where's the treasure? I've had it with these Abyssians!"
Balthus groaned. "Jeez, will it ever end? I love a good brawl, but I'm sick of looking at these fools."
More footsteps echoed in the arena. A familiar voice began to speak as he arrived. "I thought I smelt fresh blood. The worms will feast tonight!" Suddenly, the death knight appeared. He looked up and noticed Byleth among the group. "The sword awaited you in the Holy Mausoleum. Show me it's power!"
"Are you serious!?" Rhajat exclaimed.
"Allow me." Byleth told her. "I'm who he's after. I can at least distract him."
"Will you be okay?" Yuri asked. "I can come with you at least."
"I think you shouldn't go alone. Even with all of us working together, we did struggle last time." Corrin reminded her.
"True but... fine. Can you come Yuri?" Byleth asked.
"Already said I would. Let's do it."
The duo ran off, leaving everyone else to take on the stragglers.
Rhajat blasted water magic at the death knight that did not damage, but still made him feel weaker. The Death Knight looked straight at her and started running towards her. Byleth stood in front of him before he could get far. Byleth swung her sword at him, which he managed to dodge, albeit a bit sluggishly. Despite this, he still felt energized to fight Byleth once again. Putting her faith in the professor and Yuri, Rhajat returned her attention back to the remaining fighters.
"Please let this be it..." Hapi wished aloud.
The team progressed towards the remaining enemies. First up was a sword user and a mercenary with gauntlets. Corrin caught the sword by surprise with a jump slash. The gauntlet user lunged at Corrin who managed to dodge the attack. Claude hit the sword user with an arrow, and Linhardt blasted the gauntlet mercenary with magic, as did Constance. Both of them fell, and the armor knights began to come forward. The archer fired at Claude, prompting Rhajat to destroy the arrow with magic. Hapi and Constance easily defeated the armor knights before they got too close, opening the path for Hilda to destroy the archer.
3 spear wielding mercenaries on horses came towards Hilda. She dodged a stab and swung her axe, sending one of them flying. Dimitri rushed in to help, and knocked the spear out of one of their hands. The other one came for him, but Rhajat sent magic their way stopping them in their tracks. Dimitri stabbed at one, then threw his lance at the other. The axe wielding wyvern mercenaries started flying towards Dimitri. Corrin rushed towards him and blocked the attack with her sword.
"Move!" Constance exclaimed.
She summoned lightning prompting the three to rush out of the way, and it hit the two wyverns. Claude and Ashe finished them off with their bows. Balthus ran up to the sword and lance that remained, and punched the sword user. Linhardt finished them with magic, and the remaining lance charged towards Balthus, as did another lance on a horse on his left. Balthus jumped out of the way, causing the mercenaries to bump into each other. He grabbed both of them off their horses, and smashed their heads into each other.
"I've indulged too much. I take my leave. For now." The death knight vanished, leaving Byleth and Yuri alone.
"Thanks for that Rhajat, you really helped." Byleth complimented.
"Honestly! What a nuisance..." Edelgard exclaimed.
A rogue that everyone recognized as one of Yuri's men suddenly ran onto the battlefield. "Boss, that's the last of them!"
Yuri smirked. "Good. Finally. Thanks for all the help everyone."
"Finally is right..." Corrin said as she finally allowed herself to fall onto her knees. Rhajat ran up to her just to make sure she was okay, in spite of how drained she was herself. She forced herself to stay up as much as she'd love to fall on her face. Corrin smiled as she looked up at her, making Rhajat smile too.
A mercenary who seemed to have survived ran towards the group. "I ain't going down without a fight! I'm taking you with me punk!"
Before anyone could react, a voice they didn't recognize spoke up. "I will not allow it." A man suddenly appeared between Yuri and the mercenary.
Yuri grinned "Aelfric, you're here! Well, shall we capture this fool?"
…
Once the living mercenary was taken into custody, the man returned to check up with everyone.
"Aelfric! How serendipitous that you have come to our aid!" Constance beamed.
"I am relieved that I wasn't too late. I do hope my presence proved useful." Aelfric replied.
"No doubt about it. We needed the backup." Balthus reassured.
"So you're Aelfric..." Byleth said. She wasn't sure how she never ran into him. Though she supposed it was possible she had seen him around and didn't recognize him. Byleth felt he seemed to blend in.
"Professor. I do believe this is the first time our paths have crossed, is it not? Of course, I have heard all about you from Her Grace, the archbishop. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Aelfric. The church has granted me custodianship of Abyss." Aelfric explained.
Byleth nodded. "Pleased to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine. I am sure you have already been told about Abyss's unique situation. For varying reasons, all of the inhabitants here are unable to live a peaceful life on the surface. People like the Dagdans and Almyrans, who suffer undue persecution across Fódlan. The poor and the sick, who were forced into Abyss. Not to mention all the other unfortunate souls who ended up here. I believe it is my sacred duty to provide a place for those who have nowhere else to go." Aelfric continued.
"Right, And the poor and the sick living in a sunless crypt helps them... how?" Claude asked sarcastically.
"At least they have somewhere..." Corrin interjected. "Otherwise they'd be homeless."
"Please forgive my friend, would love to hear more." Dimitri apologized.
Aelfric scowled. "In all honesty, I understand his concern. I dearly wish I could provide a better life for my flock. But it would appear that Her Grace and most of the church consider the existence of Abyss to be... something of a nuisance." Aelfric, despite working for the church, didn't seem to be the biggest fan of them.
"That can't be true." Byleth defended. While she knew Sothis had her fair share of issues with Rhea, and she couldn't blame her, that did sound a bit out of character from what she knew about the archbishop.
"No? I've heard tell of those within the church who intend to purge Abyss." Aelfric said, doubling down.
Hapi shrugged. "That's the church for you. They make a big deal out of helping the helpless...when it suits them."
Rhajat looked a bit uncomfortable. She wasn't sure if the people who helped her truly saw things that way. If they did, she had to admit she was a bit disappointed.
"We can't just sit back and accept the way things 've gotta fight the system! Sure, I'm here to hide from literally countless bounty hunters, but I'm not the only one in need. You're in a bad way too, Hapi. We can't just let the church walk all over us." Balthus passionately said.
"Too true." Constance agreed. "For the sake of all who dwell in Abyss, we must help dear Aelfric to turn the tide!" The wolves' respect and admiration for Aelfric seemed to be one of the only things all four of them could agree upon.
"I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Your fervent support is all the reward I could ask for. As for you, Professor, I must beg a favor of you." Aelfric then looked towards Byleth.
"What's the favor?" Byleth asked.
"The Ashen Wolves are a house in name alone. They are eager students with no teacher to guide them... lf you could find it in your heart to take them under your wing, I would be most grateful. Naturally, your official duties take precedence, so you need only help out when your schedule allows." Aelfric explained.
Yuri looked shocked. "Wait a minute, Aelfric. Where's this nonsense coming from?"
"I second that question!" Constance added on. "We have no need of a professor when we have you."
"Dear flock, I am a mere guardian. I can protect you, but I cannot enrich your minds. Though I call this gathering an academy house, I have long lamented that it isn't truly so. Now, I am blessed with the opportunity to correct this. The professor who stands before you has garnered a great deal of acclaim on the surface. A most trustworthy and esteemed teacher, to say the least. What's more, I happen to be acquainted with the father of this fine individual." He gestured towards Byleth.
"How do you know my father?" Byleth asked with slight surprise.
"I was born and raised in Garreg Mach, so I often had the opportunity to spend time with him. Your mother, as well... She was a cherished friend of mine. I was even present for their wedding. With parents like yours, I have no doubt that you possess the kindness and patience necessary to guide these students." Aelfric once more explained.
The surprise of him knowing Jeralt made Byleth nearly forget about the task that was requested of her. She didn't mind the idea herself. She knew she wouldn't technically be their teacher, but she didn't mind the idea of playing mentor to them.
"But..." Constance objected.
"It'll be fine. It's not like we're strangers anymore. Say, Aelfric... Don't you need to take care of those thieves?" Yuri reminded him.
"Ah, right you are." Aelfric replied. "Please, excuse me. Oh, and one more thing, Professor... If ever you would like to hear more about your parents, I would be delighted to share my memories with you."
"I'll have to take you up on that."
…
Rhajat found herself in the library again. She needed to step away to clear her mind. While she was glad she managed to protect Abyss, she was receiving mixed messages about the church. Admittedly she wanted to believe in them, that they were trustworthy and had everyone's best interests at heart. Abyss, a place where people with nowhere else to go had, was something the church didn't support. Hapi herself seemed to be rather open about her dislike of the church. She wondered if there was a good reason for it. Rhajat sighed, she wasn't sure if she had the energy to think about it too hard. She did just get out of a pretty intense fight after all.
"I think we should keep our eyes open." Azura suggested.
"...True enough..." Rhajat said under her breath.
"Listen Rhajat... there's still a lot we don't know. Such as if they're an ally or an enemy. I'm not really saying anything one way or another. I'm just saying we shouldn't let our guard down." Azura explained. She understood where her companion was coming from, but she hated the idea of the two of them being blindsided.
"It's never simple is it... I know they didn't do that much for me but... what they said and did meant a lot. Did they have some reason for it outside of kindness? Are they using me...?"
"Rhajat. Deep breaths." Azura said as soothingly as she could. She knew Rhajat had a bit of a bad history with people being nice to her for ulterior motives. She knew that Rhajat would be incredibly hurt if that was the case. And she knew that it wasn't impossible.
"Right. Sorry..." Rhajat apologized. "Who am I supposed to trust...?" She asked rhetorically. While Azura had never steered her wrong before, she was wondering if even she was trustworthy. She wondered if she was wrong to take this deal with her. She knew Azura had something for her to do, but Azura couldn't give her details. She wondered if the monster she met was truly evil. She stopped the train of thought, realizing she was spiraling again. She was just glad Azura couldn't hear all of her thoughts, or at the very least chose not to. She didn't want to upset her with them.
"I know that all I have are words but..." Azura began. "I do want to see you succeed. I want us both to. The powers I gifted you aren't just so we can take on the evils of this world. It's also to help you accomplish your goals. Not to mention... I do care about you. Please don't forget that."
Rhajat leaned against the wall as she processed what Azura was saying. "But why...? Why do you care?"
Azura couldn't help but giggle a bit. "Why do you think Rhajat?"
"...Are we friends?" Rhajat asked. She figured it was something like that.
"Of course." Azura said with a smile. "Don't ever forget that. No matter what happens, we're friends. I'm always on your side."
Rhajat smiled softly too. She had mixed feelings about how many people she was growing to like. It felt weird and wrong, yet also, different in a good way. Even if one of those friends was a spirit who resided in her head, it was still another life that wanted the best for her.
"You're looking better." Corrin said as she walked in.
Rhajat looked over to her and smiled again "I didn't think anyone noticed that I was upset."
Corrin giggled. "I like to think I know you by now Rhajat." She walked closer to her and took one of her hands.
"Maybe so... Thank you." Rhajat said as she blushed rather deeply. She had to admit that Corrin had a point. She thought she knew Corrin pretty well too. "Are you doing okay? That was one hell of a fight."
Corrin sighed. "You said it... I'm just glad it's over. There were so many of us, and yet it was still so rough." She had never been in a fight like that in her life, and she hoped she'd never end up like that again. "At least we didn't lose anyone..."
"True." Rhajat agreed. "Someone really wanted the citizens of Abyss dead..."
Corrin frowned. "Yeah... They're just trying to survive. I wish I knew why someone would want to hurt them."
Rhajat shook her head. "I guess... Some people are just like that. They just want to hurt people... Not to mention the Abyss citizens are easy targets."
Corrin cringed. She knew Rhajat was right, but that didn't mean she had to like it. "I hate that people have to be like that. That they have to hurt other people, I just can't understand that. They prey on the weak and helpless for what? Their own satisfaction? So they can feel superior?"
"You sound a bit like Dimitri..." Rhajat said. She never thought about it before, but the two of them were pretty similar. They were both kind, if a bit naive. Perhaps too kind for their own good in Rhajat's eyes. They were also both brimming with passion and a sense of justice. "But anyway, I don't like it either but... I sort of get it. When you're hurting, sometimes you just want to hurt others. It's not right, and it's not something I do. However I can see the logic. Not to mention, some people do it out of necessity. They need the money."
"Rhajat..." Corrin mumbled. "Even then... I just can't accept hurting people. Maybe at best stealing out of necessity but... nothing is gained from what happened here today."
"No, I know. Sorry I didn't mean it like that." Rhajat apologized. "There's no defending the people we killed today. I guess I was just thinking out loud..."
"Don't worry, I wasn't mad at you." Corrin reassured. There wasn't much Rhajat could do that'd make her angry. "Sorry if I made it seem like I was."
"You're fine. I... honestly don't know what I'd do if I made you angry or upset with me..." Rhajat admitted. The idea made her chest hurt, as if it was going to burst from anxiety.
This made Corrin smile. "You'll be fine. You should know how hard it is to make me angry with someone I really care about."
Rhajat blushed, but smiled. "Thank you... I appreciate that."
The two sat in a comfortable silence after that, holding hands. Rhajat heard Azura giggling in her mind. "So... when are you going to ask her out?"
"Shut up..."
…
Byleth returned after talking with Aelfric. Jeralt hadn't talked much about his past or her mother, so it was interesting finding out more about both of them. Knowing her mother was a kind soul did make her a bit happy. She would have been a bit disappointed if she was a monster. When Jeralt did bring up her mother, it was always with fondness. At the same time, hearing about that made her wish she could've met her even more. Her lack of a mother did make her feel odd at times, but Jeralt and the other mercenaries in their company at the very least helped to fill the void. She also heard that her Mother was like her, not particularly emotional. She wondered if that's where she got her stoicism from.
As for her father, she was a bit amused to find he played a bit of a mentor role, not to unlike her teaching role. She was also happy to hear that he was well liked. Again, similar to her. Although she wasn't sure what was so special about her. She did find herself even more confused about Jeralt's departure from the monastery. She wondered what could've happened to make him leave all of that behind for a life on the road. She wondered if it was related to her mother's death. She did at least smile a bit at the idea of her parents being so in love. She wondered if love was an emotion she'd ever experience. She wasn't particularly looking for it, but even still. She loved her father, but to love another person as deeply as her father loved Sitri? It seemed a bit foreign to her.
Byleth passed by the library and saw two of her students, Rhajat and Corrin, talking about something. Even someone like her could tell there was something going on there. She wasn't envious, she was happy to see the two getting along. However it just got her thinking more about herself. She figured it was something she could muse about later, at the moment she was looking for Yuri. She eventually found him in the classroom once again.
"Ah, it's you." Yuri said. "Need something?"
"Was just looking for you." Byleth answered.
Yuri smirked. "What did I do this time?" He teased.
"Nothing at all." Byleth responded. "Well, something I suppose. I wanted to thank you for your help against the Death Knight." Byleth did not fear the beast, yet having back-up against him did prove reassuring.
Yuri shrugged. "That all? Don't worry about it. Just didn't want you to go at it alone. The guy was tough. Can't have you joining the corpses in that arena."
"Even still, I appreciate it." Byleth insisted. "Perhaps it was a bit foolish to try and fight him alone." She admitted.
Yuri snorted. "Yeah, sure was. But you didn't in the end, so I guess that's all that matters." Yuri didn't know Byleth too well, but for better or worse he could see that she was pretty reckless. He supposed he'd just have to keep her in line.
Byleth slightly smiled. "You're very kind."
Yuri couldn't help but snicker. "You really think so?" It wasn't every day the lord of the underground was described as kind. It caught him a bit off guard. "Well, you are too."
Byleth tilted her head. "I suppose so." She could relate to his confusion, being referred to as a demon constantly. She had almost forgotten about the name during her time at the monastery. Everyone here saw her as their professor, or even just Byleth. No one seemed to see her as a violent monster anymore, which she had to admit, she appreciated.
"Hm." Yuri walked up to her. He didn't get too close, but he was smiling. "Gotta admit, you're pretty cute friend."
Byleth felt an odd heat rush to her cheeks. She put her hand on her right one, which felt warm to touch as well. She was left speechless. She wasn't entirely sure, but she felt she was blushing. That was another new experience for her. She didn't mind it though. If anything, she felt a bit happy.
Yuri smirked, then began to start laughing. "I didn't think that'd get you so badly."
Byleth's newly found blush deepened. "I... wasn't expecting it. Plus I'm not really used to being called things like that." Not only was she embarrassed by Yuri's words, but also a bit at the situation. She was getting more and more flustered. She felt a bit like a schoolgirl, in spite of being a grown woman.
Yuri then frowned. "That's... odd."
Byleth began to feel another emotion she seldom, if ever felt. She suddenly felt a bit self conscious. "Yes, I know... I shouldn't have reacted like that. I'm sorry."
Yuri raised an eyebrow. "What? Not that. I'm just surprised people don't talk about you being cute more." Yuri was genuinely a bit shocked. He found Byleth gorgeous, and assumed she'd been told things like that all the time.
"Oh, I see." Byleth said. "I guess people were more focused on my battle prowess than my appearance for better or worse." She didn't mind it too much. However, it went back to what she was thinking about earlier. Being known for something besides how good she was at killing. That didn't mean she wanted to only be seen as a beauty or anything. She just wished that more people saw Byleth and not the Ashen Demon. Yuri doing that did make her happy at the very least.
"Well, hit me up if you ever need to be charmed." Yuri said with a wink. "I'm always down for that."
"...I need to go. Thank you again Yuri." Byleth quickly walked away. If her heart could beat, she was pretty sure she'd be feeling it.
Sothis watched the situation play out with a smirk of her own. "That one sure is... well charming. Is he not?"
Once Byleth got a bit further from him, she stopped, trying to figure out how to respond to her friend. Eventually, she settled. "...He sure is." While she didn't notice, she ended up smiling harder than she ever had before.
