Shattered Songs of Faith

by Sakura108645

Now, one does not expect to wake up in another body when they die. She did not expect to come to such a world that she had only read and played through technology. What's more, that she wakes up as Female Byleth during her childhood days. "Come and see the world in different ways from the River of Time before it all shatters away!" (SI OC) (AU)

91. Chapter 90:1183:Part 2:The Shadows Sing

(Chapter 90: 1183: Part 2: The Shadows Sing)

- The Imperial Year 1182: Verdant Rain Moon: 27th -

The rain falling during the Verdant Moon was nothing new. Beleth knew a storm was coming as he stood outside in front of the gates of Enbarr. He held his hand up so water droplets may fall. He wasn't wet because he was using a bit of wind magic to protect himself as was Henry. Count Hevring and Count Bergliez were sent back to their territories till they were called again. As he and Henry waited for the return of Edelgard, Hubert, and the army, the two just stood in silence. That was until Henry chose to make the first talk.

"Do you really think it's Chris that is the one leading the rebellion?" Henry said and Beleth's blank expression remained the same.

"I have a feeling that Chris and Christian are the same people." Beleth said and Henry's smile became somewhat crooked, "You suspected too," Beleth's eye glanced his way, "didn't you?"

"Ha!" Henry raised their hands and shrugged as he shook his head, "Glad to see I wasn't alone. I think Dimitri, Lestia, and Claude suspected it as well because of how close he was to Edelgard and Arisa. He was quite protective of them. And didn't hesitate to scold Hubert as well. Very much like him in the past." Henry chuckled and looked back to the gates.

"Now, I got a question for you." Henry said, "I heard you've been searching for a certain Duscur woman." Beleth narrowed his eyes, "Someone still fancies her."

"Ha." Beleth let out a dry laugh, "Perhaps those feelings still exist but I know when I lost." He said with a bitter smile as the image of Amir and Zander laughing together came into his mind.

And the hurt look of betrayal on Amir's face before it shifted to a scornful and enraged expression.

"Hmmm..." Henry hummed, "You know, I noticed lately how you and Edelgard have been close. I haven't seen her smile like that in a while. You're a good teacher. If Rhea hadn't made you a knight, I think you would have been a great professor." He said and his crow cawed in agreement.

"A professor..." Beleth muttered, "Somehow the thought of being a professor brings forth a sense of joy." He said as he placed his hand over his heart, "Perhaps in another life, I did have such a position. Or maybe in another world, Arisa was the knight and I was the professor." He chuckled as he closed his eyes.

"Perhaps after the war and the reformation of the church, I should just do that. I may give being a Professor a chance." He said and Henry grinned.

"Then I'll be the new Potions Teacher!"

"No."

"Why not?!" Henry whined, "You always get to do the cool things! Even the Professor put a limit on how many potions I could make all because Claude and Lestia blew up the room in one of their experiments!" He explained as Beleth raised an eyebrow.

"Somehow I am surprised that it wasn't Constance or Annette that blew up the lab. Considering the record those two had..." His lips wavered as a bead of sweat ran down his cheek.

"Trust me, I was surprised as well," Henry said and suddenly the guards at the gates blew their horns to announce the arrival of the emperor and their army.

Guards quickly ran into the tower and began turning the giant wooden wheel to pull up the metal gate. Up, up, up it went, and the sight of the army state, expressions Hubert and Edelgard had, were grave. The two quickly ran up and Beleth noticed no soldiers were lost. He had a habit of remembering everyone's names. He remembered the names of every single soldier and staff member when he was in Garreg Mach. That habit followed him to the Empire. But if no soldiers were lost, why were Edelgard's and Hubert's expressions so grave?

The answer would come because Hubert gave him and Henry a look that they need to meet up at the war concisely room, now.

[—]

"What?"

Beleth couldn't believe it as Edelgard gritted her teeth as she sat in her chair. Her expression was grave as her hands were intertwined together. She took a deep breath and let go before she spoke.

"It is just as I said. Chris is very much alive and Christian stands beside him. Ferdinand, Dorothea, Petra, Ashe, Bernadetta, Constance, Balthus, Castor, Pollux, Gina, and lastly, Linhardt." She waited a moment, "Caspar is in Faerghus." Edelgard said coldly as her hands tightened.

It felt like she was betrayed.

With this, The Black Eagles...her former comrades, have all chosen to stand against her. Now only Siegbert, Forrest, and Velouria remained of House Nohr but even they have expressed that they refuse to join the Empire and aid the war. To this day, they still had their borders closed. Even now The Clans have joined the war because The Agarthans have been attacking their people. The Clans of Leicester have joined Claude in Derdriu to aid him and the people in rebuilding and defending the place after the first monster attack in all nations a few weeks ago. The same was said for The Clans of Faerghus, they have joined Zander in Aubin County. Lastly, The Clans of Aderstia have declared they are neutral, refusing once again to join her but all provide aid and shelter to the citizens of The Empire.

"What happened?" Beleth asked as Hubert let out a dark chuckle.

"Constance." Hubert said and Beleth looked at him puzzled, "Constance unleashed the power of her crest in a form we never thought we see. I believe you heard that Zoltra Territory is surrounded by a wall of thorns and vines, keeping everyone out." He said and Beleth nodded.

"We might as well show you."

[—-]

"By the gods..."

Beleth could barely form any words as from a long distance, a giant wall of black thorns and vines covered in crimson and purple roses, had sprouted from the ground. Not only that, part of the land from what he could make out using his magic eyesight, had transformed, creating a mountain-like structure with tree roots. Hubert saw his expression as Henry's and those of the war council had similar ones. Beleth had seen the Wall of Thorns himself and he knew Emily was capable of such things at a scale. She was an unpredictable woman but now seeing Constance of all people doing such a thing...

"It's called the manipulation of the Dragon Veins."

Beleth blinked as Seteth smiled fondly as his hand hovered over the ground. He blinked, his pupils turned to The Crest of Cichol and before them, root-like veins began to glow on the ground. With another gentle raise of his hand, the ground under it cracked and plants began to sprout. A maple tree sapling grew and grew till it was seven feet and 15 inches wide with branches and leaves. Rhea had a bitter smile on her face as her hand was intertwined. Beleth was the first to notice.

"Mother, what's wrong?" He asked, "You look...sad." He said and Rhea sighed as she kept smiling bitterly.

"Unfortunately, unlike your aunts and uncles, may they rest in peace, I was not blessed in territory manipulation." Rhea sighed and rubbed her eyes, "It is...very difficult for me to be able to control the dragon veins. Even those who bear my crest struggle. There are a few that can control them like you, but it is rare." She explained.

Beleth blinked. This was the first he had ever heard his mother sounding...disappointed in herself. He always thought of her as a kind, gentle, and strict woman. Of course, he and everyone feared her when she was angry. She was a woman of many talents. Seeing his mother down while he could do something she couldn't...

"Oh, don't worry Beleth." Flayn smiled sadly and patted his head, "Aunt Rhea is just a bit jealous that you can do what she can't." Rhea scoffed but smiled seeing how Beleth was beaming.

"It will take time to master a such skill. But be careful." Rhea said as she patted his head, "Overusing the power of your Crest will come with consequences."

"I don't understand," Beleth said and Rhea smiled sadly.

She held up her hand and created a glass cup. On her left, she created a bubble of water and had it start pouring into the cup.

"Our bodies are like a glass cup. Magic in our bodies is like water. As we grow, our body adapts to our magic. But if too much," the water reached the surface, "it starts to fill, fill, till..." the surface tension of the water finally gave away, "it shall spill."

"Water spilled can never be recovered."

"Constance will most likely rest for a few days." Beleth said, "How far does The Wall of Thrones stretch?" He asked and Edelgard glared at the wall.

"All Nuvelle, Ochs, and Gerth." She said and the nobles burst, rapidly asking questions as Count Bergliez and Count Hevring were just stunned, "At this rate..." Her jaw clenched as her hands balled into fists.

"It's best we observe for now." Beleth said, "Constance possesses The Crest of Noa as Emily. Those who possess that crest are connected greatly to nature. We better wait, for now." He sighed, "But onto a different topic," he turned to Edelgard, "we found the opening we needed to sneak into Aubin Territory."

"I see." Edelgard said and let out a shuttered breath, "Have you heard a word from Duchess Marry?" She asked and Beleth smiled a bit.

"I did."

— Present Time: Guardian Moon: January 7th, 1183 -

Beleth knew going to see a certain princess was only going to spell trouble. Yet, speaking to her brought a bit of joy to his life. At least when she wasn't trying to kill him each time he visited. The one that would usually visit her would be Hubert, which he found odd because he never saw the two close. Perhaps only when it came to planning something sinister. Add Claude, Yuri, Sylvain, and Henry to the mix, and you have yourself in a group that spells disaster. He climbed up the stone stairs and walked through outdoor stone hallways. He stopped and looked up to a tower up high, his gaze became half-lidded for a moment before he continued his walk. Down the stone hallway, he went and there was a path that spilt into two. The path on the left led to the tower he was looking at before and the path to the right led to another.

These towers were known as The Towers of Solitude. They were built during the rule of Lycan I. They were towers where concubines who committed crimes against other concubines were locked up. In the present time, the tower on the left was where his mother was locked up and the one on the right was where Princess Lestia was. Both towers had barriers to prevent them from trying to escape. And both women were put on a collar that prevented them from using magic.

"I wonder how Hubert managed to get Lestia here," Beleth muttered as he arrived at the door of the tower where two guards were at. He nodded and one of them got the keys. Beleth raised his hand for him to stop and then knocked on the door.

"Go away."

Lestia's muffled and angry voice came through. He knocked again.

"For fucks sake, Hubert! I said for you to leave!"

Beleth raised an eyebrow and looked at the guards. They just looked away, most likely Hubert threatening them that if they said anything, he would end their lives. He just shook his head and had the guard open the door. They did just that and they pulled the door open. In he went and the door closed shut. Lestia's room was much bigger than his mother's. The room had a queen size bed and multiple shelves that had filled up with books over the past three years because of the servants and Hubert. A desk with two drawers and a small desk nearby with sewing supplies and a few glass bottles.

At the barred window, was a flat wooden place with some pillows so the person can sit on them. And a bit to its left was a small table with two chairs and a tea set. A bit more, there was a small fireplace, just like Rhea's, and lastly, some potted plants hanging from the ceilings. Like Hubert, he too tried to accommodate his mother. Rhea would only glare and remain silent each time he visited. Lestia was verbal each time. But at the moment, the woman sitting at the window was looking out, refusing to turn his way.

"I told you to leave. I won't tell you anything." Lestia said and Beleth smiled.

"Not even for information on Sadi?" That quickly made Lestia whip his way.

Lestia was still the same height, 5ft, and 10 inches. Her curly blonde hair had grown to tailbone length, her bangs covered her forehead and stopped just below her eyebrows, but she had a few streaks of white hair that never turned blonde again. She wore a brown long sleeve turtle neck sweater with a long black accordion skirt, with brown slippers. She also wore thin black gloves that were gifted to her by Hubert to hide her scars.

"What are you doing here?" Lestia narrowed her eyes, "You rarely ever come to visit."

"As I said, I have some news regarding your friend." He said as Lestia got up, "But I want something in exchange."

"...I will not betray my nation." She spat, "And I know Sadi would tell me the same." She glared.

"Even if she hides works for the Empire?"

"What?" All the venom and anger evaporated from her face as Beleth frowned and spoke.

"It seems your friend struck a similar deal as I did." He waited a bit, "Cornelia can do whatever she wants with her, as long as no harm befalls you." Beleth said as Lestia covered her mouth.

"Y-You're lying...Sadi...Sadi wouldn't...she wouldn't go that far for me." Her voice cracked but Beleth narrowed his eyes.

"You underestimate how much that girl cares about you. How loyal she is to you. She would sacrifice herself to protect you." He said and Lestia gritted her teeth.

"What do you want?" She growled, "You just told me everything without even waiting for my answer." She said as he smiled.

"Tell me what you know about Aubin Territory." He said and the woman narrowed her eyes.

"...Aubin Territory during this time of year is dangerous...the reason for this is because of the fog." She said and gave her a look to elaborate, "Honestly, that's all I know. Everything else I know is already in the books." She said as beads of sweat formed on her cheek.

"I see." Beleth looked at her sadly, "Very well, I will leave you alone now." He said and turned to leave but, "Wait!" She called out to him.

"Yes?" He said and glanced her way.

"My family...What has happened to my family?" He was silent, "These three years no one has told me anything about what is going on outside. I've had to rely on the gossip the guards said. Please, I just want to know what has happened to my family." She pleaded and Beleth sighed.

"Your twin brother has gone missing along with Dedue." Beleth said and her heart dropped, "I will be going now. Goodbye." And he left, leaving her to her thoughts.

The doors opened then closed, locking them tightly to make sure she wouldn't attempt to escape, again. In the early days of her arrival, Lestia searched for every single opportunity to escape her prison. As entertaining as it was to play hide and seek, it was always Hubert that found her. It caused a lot of raised eyebrows at how easily he was able to find her compared to him and Henry.

Minutes later, he arrived at the war council room where Edelgard was speaking to Bias as well as Chilon. It seemed something happened because of the frustrated look on Bias's face. The Agarthan Dark Knight had her hands on her head as she turned around, letting out a frustrated growl.

"Odesse has been missing now for three years. I don't know what Anacharis did to Thales because his signal is gone. Cleobulus rarely responds and Periander is still recovering!" Bias said and turned back to them, "It's all because of that bitch of The Fell Star! That woman, no matter the form, always screws us over!"

Edelgard rubbed her eyes, tried, and let out a heavy sigh then spoke.

"This is annoying."

[—-]

It is the year Imperial year 1183.

Six months have passed since Chris von Hersvelg revealed his survival. Since his takeover of three territories, his influence and presence have spread over the Empire. With this, those that did not agree with the Emperor's rule defected and found ways to escape and join the prince's army. The word that A Chosen Champaign of the Goddess stood by his side spread like a wildfire. This caused a divide between the nobles of the Empire. Those who slowly started to speak up and voice their concerns to the Emperor and those that supported their ruler.

Angered by this, Emperor Edelgard declared the closure of the borders of the Empire and any who dared defect or even speak against her were to be imprisoned. As well as if any dared practice the Teaching of Serios, they would be arrested and made example of those that dare defy her. As for the nobles that spoke against the emperor, they were silenced and sent to the underground dungeons.

More so, The Clans that once stayed out of Fodlan's affairs, have now been forced to join the war due to The Sages attacking their people.

Now with the tie of war changing, the shadows have started to sing their hymns.

The awakening of the Black Moon comes.

- Imperial Year 1183: Gauridian Moon: January 7th: Faerghus: Aubin Territory -

Three years…

It had now been three years since the fall of Garreg Mach and the start of the war. The role of being King and Regent of The Faerghus Resistance had finally started taking a toll on him. Zander let go of a sigh as he looked at his reports. Stacks and stacks of papers on the desk that used to belong to Lord Alexander. No matter how much time has passed, it still felt strange sitting on the chair that once belong to a man who he looked up to. And who once was a family friend. They hadn't been able to track down Dimitri or Lestia, who they had learned had managed to escape Cornelia's claws thanks to the help of Dedue and Sadi. But now with the information, Caspar gave them and the recent news that Mercedes and Dedue were alive...

"Sigh..." Zander let out another sigh, "Too many things going on..." he muttered as he rubbed his eyes.

The war had been nothing but a stalemate for the past three years. Edelgard couldn't move forward because resistance had formed in the Empire. If it was his step-brother, Chris, now known as The Herrscher, he would be more than happy to work with him. Still, he didn't have confirmation if it was him. Let alone, any word from Ashe, which was very troublesome. He only prayed that the archer was alright. Reports left and right about deaths and people in need of food and water. Emily's defense spell would not allow anyone in or out of her territory, thus losing all forms of communication. When Cornelia took over Fhirdiad, her first goal was to take over Emily's and Kalsana Territory, well that didn't happen.

Instead, only Fhirdiad was taken over by Those Who Slither in The Dark while the rest of the kingdom was against her except the western lords. But it was the military power that the witch had an advantage. Demonic beast, those strange risen called DeadLords, those machines called Titanus, it was hell. Not to also mention the defenses the woman had over the city, it was nearly impossible to break in. Even the slums were a danger.

Aubin Territory also had to be protected 24/7 and Kazu had been trying to get into Duscur and was finally successful. Xina went with him. Zander asked himself when those two got close. But at the moment, Kuza wouldn't be able to come back until 1186. In 1182, waves of monsters and areas of contaminated water started to appear all over Fodlan. All three nations had their work cut out in their defending their homes. Duscur, Almyra, and Sreng, not even their borders were spared. At the moment, the area most affected were Galatea, Gerth, and Edmund.

"Damn it all..." Zander grumbled as he slumped his head on his desk.

He was angry. Furious. And the first person that came into his mind was Beleth. He wanted to put Beleth's head on a pike for his betrayal and involvement in the death of his friends and the woman he loved. He knew Beleth and his mother had a strained relationship but he didn't think that he would go this far.

The reason the two didn't get along was that always found him suspicious. Zander had always been good at hiding his true motives. It's also why he and Sylvain got along so well because both had difficulty trusting women. Sylvain's case was more serious due to the things Miklan did in the past. Zander's case was that they would approach him, hoping to get on his good side and land some power. Even if he was not crested, his seed had the potential for a child to be born with the Crest of Blaiddyd.

And Zander hated that.

He hated that no matter how much he worked, people would not see him past that because he did not have a crest. It is probably why he also got along well with his uncle because he understood what he went through. But unlike him, Rufus did find happiness in a way. And here he was struggling. But now that happiness was ripped away from Rufus. Zander will never forget the looks of devastation and defeat on his uncle's face when the army returned. Let alone the look everyone had.

A victory it was but it does not feel like one. It felt like a loss. And most of all, Rufus could barely hold himself together as he told them what happened. Annette had Caspar to comfort her. Sylvain, in some form, became more brutal in battle after having encountered Anacharis and learning that Sadi was possibly in Fhirdiad being tortured.

The state he saw The Blue Lions, he could only imagine what Claude went through when he saw the death of Alexandra. But with new information piling up every year, the more he learned of the despicable things that were done under the noses of everyone, even the church, the more he wanted to kill Cornelia. Especially with what had happened months ago. They turned his aunt Clara into a monster and his uncle was the one that put her down. His Aunt Hira and Aunt Regina held funerals for all lost. He remembered how his uncle held their hands. First, Hira's son, now Clara….Zander had never seen Rufus cry so much. A side of him he rarely showed.

"Beleth can wait...That witch needs to die..." Zander muttered to himself and noticed the small potted plant on Glenn's desk had whithered, "Not again..."

The man let go a sigh as he slumped back in his chair. He subconsciously rubbed his left arm. Ever since that day he was saved from The Tragedy of Duscur, he noticed there was this strange change in him. The first thing was simple, faeries seemed to be strangely attracted to him.

They like to offer him small trinkets in exchange for sweets. Sometimes they help him with things, and at times they would share juicy gossip and information that honestly had been extremely helpful. The next one was his green thumb. Even before the changes, everyone always praised him for taking care of the plants in the royal garden. His mother used to take care of it. But then people started to notice the fairies that would come to him and even more if there was a plant close by when he got upset, it would whither or in the worst case scenario that he couldn't contain his joy, plants just grew all over the walls.

His Aunt Clara commented how he had an affinity for earth magic. Which shouldn't be possible because the affinities of the Blaiddyd bloodline had always been light, lighting, and wind. Not that the woman complained because she was more than happy to finally be able to pass down her knowledge of earth magic to someone. His Aunt Sara on the other hand was not happy.

"Your magic is unstable. I don't know why but there's something there as well. It's messing up your Magic system. But as of now, you need to learn to control your emotions. It does not matter to me if you nearly are an adult, you need to keep yourself in check. You need to be prepared if a magic shift happens." Sara said and Zander felt like doomsday had fallen on him.

Over the past seven years, he had been trying to do just that. Trying to keep his emotions in check but the day it was told to him that Amir passed, the day Fhirdiad was taken over, he just lost it. Vines, thrones, and the earth all around him just cracked as poisonous plants just burst through the ground. Glenn and Kuza were there, and Glenn saw something but refused to speak of it. It becoming harder to control his magic, and the plants have been growing out of control. He wished Emily was with them to help out and he wished Amir was with him as well.

"I miss you..." he whispered as he looked at the bracelet he had gifted her on the day of the ball seven years ago.

"Say, I'm curious?" Zander said the two had managed to sneak out of the ball and to the garden, "I know you said yes to coming with me to Fhirdiad but don't you have any other plans?" He asked and the woman raised an eyebrow.

"Explain?" She said and Zander chuckled nervously.

"My aunt Clara and Regina always tell me to think about what my partner also wants. Do you want kids? Do you want to study? Do you want anything else? What are your boundaries and such?" He said and Amir looked at him surprised.

"You have good aunts." She smiled and Amir sighed, "The first thing I want to do is work with you and your people to rebuild Duscur and improve relationships. I also hope that one day my nation would become independent again." She said as she looked back to the sky.

"As for settling down, perhaps once the dust has settled and things are better, I would love to start a family. Of course, I'm in no rush." She said and Zander looked at her surprised.

"As for me...well..." Zander sighed and smiled bitterly, "I want to do everything I can to help repair the relationships of our nations but also, fix the system." He said and the woman looked at her puzzled.

"I will help my brother create a better future."

"Zander..."

"Zander!"

The resistance leader frantically sat up and looked around his office till he looked up and saw Glenn along with Sylvain looking at him worried. Zander groaned and rubbed his eyes, feeling a light sting in his shoulder from where his real arm used to be. His mechanical limb moved just like a real arm it was almost frightening. He wondered where Emily obtained the knowledge to create such a mechanic.

"Are you alright? You look like you haven't slept in months." Sylvain said as Zander just sighed.

"I'm fine. Just...a lot of work. How're things with the army?" He asked and Sylvain crossed his arms.

"Things look alright. But I got some news." Zander raised an eyebrow, "We have guests. They are waiting for us outside the gates." Sylvain said.

"Were you able to identify them?" Zander asked and they shook their head, "Sigh." Zander huffed, "Alright, let's go. I need to stretch anyway."

[—-]

Outside The Gates of Aubin, a kinshi rider, a bow knight, and Bishop all wore masks to hide their identities as well as hoods. The kinshi rider looked nervous and looked to the bishop, who just shrugged. All three quickly straightened themselves as the gate opened, meaning they were allowed in. They looked at each other and nodded, going in. Zander stood at the front with Glenn and Sylvain by his side. Ingrid, Flayn, Felix, Annette, Noire as well as Caspar. Jeralt was there as well. Zander narrowed his eyes as the gates closed and the three guests got off their mounts. Zander remained where he stood and spoke.

"Who are you three? Why have you come to Aubin?" He said and the first to walk up was the bow knight.

But before the bow knight could speak, the kinshi rider squeaked as all of a sudden something burst out of her purse and went straight at Jeralt. Jeralt quickly raised his hand to block but blinked multiple times feeling something perched on his head and let out excited chirps.

"Wait..." and sure enough, looking up, he saw an overly happy familiar snow owl, nuzzling him aggressively, "Feh?!"

"Wait, if that's Feh-!" Flayn gasped and everyone looked back at the guest, one of them chuckled and removed his hood as well as mask.

"It's been a while." Ashe grinned as the kinshi rider, Bernadetta waved shyly and Linhardt smiled.

"ASHE!"

"BERNADETTA!"

"LINHARDT!"

"Caaaaaassspppaaarrrr!" Bernadetta burst into tears seeing the blue-haired man and lunged at him, hugging him tightly, "We thought we lost you! Don't ever do that again!" The woman wailed loudly as the man chuckled nervously but flinched at the glare Linhardt was giving him.

Felix scowled and but Annette glared at him. Sylvain and Glenn were amused by the reaction because they didn't think Felix was the jealous type. But at the moment, all they did was watch as Ashe and Linhardt hugged Caspar tightly not before Linhardt suddenly...

PUNCH!

Punched Caspar hard, making the fighter stumble back and look at his friend, flabbergasted. Everyone was stunned by the action but it was the first time anyone had ever seen Linhardt angry. The mage panted and stormed over to him, glaring.

"YOU FOOL!" Linhardt yelled, "Do you have any idea what we went through?!" He yelled, "Y-You...Don't ever do that again!" He said and Caspar looked at him shocked but...he understood why his friend was angry.

Caspar smiled sadly as he was helped up and walked up to Linhardt, and hugged him tightly.

"I can't promise anything. But I will promise I'll live." Caspar said and Linhardt nodded, wiping his tears away, "The same to you guys." He grinned and they hugged again.

Zander smiled softly as he watched the reunion between friends, he didn't want to interrupt them. Seeing all get along brought back memories of when he used to attend the Officer's academy. He, Christophe, Cassandra, Glenn, and Kuza would all hang out. At times maybe they would get into a few arguments.

"Your highness." Ashe's voice made him snap back to reality, "I've returned." The knight bowed and Zander smiled.

"I am glad you are safe, Ashe. Truly." Zander said, "I'm sure there is a lot to discuss." He said and the group nodded.

To the war room, they headed.

[—-]

Zander didn't know what to say or think as Ashe spoke of what had transpired during the past three years. Bernadetta and Linhardt as well went on to tell the group what had transpired. The first being was that they confirmed that it was Chris that launched a rebellion against Edelgard and Gina was by his side. And that Ashe being framed for killing Count Gerth's General was the last straw. Thus, Chris taking over Nuvelle, Gerth, and Ochs was the biggest blow not just to the Empire but also to the people that Cornelia worked for, Those Who Slither in The Dark. And since then, Chris's influence has grown and a divide has now occurred in The Empire. Petra, The Princess of Brigid was also by his brother's side and they found a way to help her return to Brigid.

"Thus, not only that, we now have the support of Brigid in this war." Ashe said, "Petra wanted to come and see you herself but at the moment, we did not want to risk anything. That's we three came." He explained as Zander nodded.

"Also, Chris told us to give you this." Linhardt said and reached into his bag, pulling out a thick envelope and handing it to him, "This is everything he was able to find about those we are going up against. As well as he wishes to meet with you and Claude when he gets the chance." He said and the king nodded.

"All three of you, thank you. Truly." Zander said, "I am glad you are all well."

"Thank you, your majesty," Ashe said and bowed along with the rest.

"Will you all be staying here from now on?" Glenn said and Ashe's smile wavered.

"Well..." Ashe intertwined his hands together, "My loyalty will always be towards Faerghus but..." Sylvain raised an eyebrow, "I-I'm sorry!" Ashe bowed suddenly, "I know this is sudden but I wish to remain by Chris's side! He helped clear my name and I want to repay him for everything he did for me and Petra!" He said and Zander smiled bitterly.

"I understand." Zander said and stood up, "Ashe, you have my permission to remain by my brother's side." Ashe looked at him relieved, "Also, you should pay a visit to your siblings. They are here along with the people of Gaspard territory." He said.

"I will!" Ashe said, he missed his family so much.

"How long will you guys be staying?" Sylvain asked.

"The rest of this month. We have a lot of catching up to do." Bernadetta said, "I know this is sudden but, I didn't see Mercedes. Lysithea as well." She said and the smile on Sylvain dropped.

"Lysithea is currently in The Alliance, Edmund Territory." Glenn said, "As for Mercedes..."

God, he hated lying about this.

Zander had the group sit down and told them what happened. Sylvain told them about their encounter with Anacharis. At the end of the day, it hurt them to see the devastation fall on them. Bernadetta had burst into tears again because she now lost a close friend. Mercedes was one of the people she had become close to along with Hilda. Hilda too had the same reaction when she was told the news. Ashe sat in silence but he could see just how angry he was based on his fist trembling as well as his lips. Lastly, Linhardt mourned in silence, whispering a small prayer, which was rare.

At that moment, Zander told them to rest and that they should spend time with their friends. Bernadetta said thank you and was planning to see Sir Jeralt but Glenn had a different idea.

"Bernadetta, right?" Glenn said and the woman nodded, "I was wondering if you would like to share a meal with me and Ingrid?" He said and Sylvain's sight quickly went sharp.

"He left out that Felix was eating with them." Sylvain whispered as Zander and he shared a look that said, "Oh, he's planning something."

"Oh! I would love to!" And Bernadetta accepted with a happy grin.

Ashe was going to go see his family and Linhardt was going to go catch up with the others. It was a good reunion.

"Tell us the tea later," Zander whispered to Glenn who gave him and Sylvain a thumbs up as they left the room.

Now only he and Sylvain remained, and Zander dreaded it because Glenn and Kuza were strict, Sylvain was like that one teacher you don't want to get on their bad side.

"Okay." Sylvain clapped his hands together, "So when were you going to tell me that Dedue and Mercedes are alive?" He said with a smile that was anything but kind.

"Look..." Zander said, "Before I say anything, how did you find out?"

"Oh, that's easy." Sylvain said, "Annette isn't the best at hiding things. Don't worry, I haven't told anyone else. But I want to hear an explanation from you." He said and the king sighed.

"Mercedes and Dedue asked for their survival to remain a secret." He said as Sylvain looked at him surprised, "There is a possibility that Anacharis could go after them if they knew those two are alive. I hope you understand." He said and Sylvain nodded gravely.

"I do. Alright, I won't hammer you on the subject." Sylvain said and scratched the back of his head, "But listen, don't hide this from me. I'm technically your tactician and friend. You know you can trust me with stuff like this." He said and Zander smiled sadly.

"Sigh...I know." Zander said, "Honestly, something has been weighing heavily on my mind lately." He said and looked at Sylvain, "Maybe you can help me with this."

"If it's within my power, sure."

"Okay, here it goes." Zander took a deep breath and looked at his friend, "How did you know you were growing feelings towards Sadi?" And Sylvain became still.

The hand he had at the back of his head came down and he crossed his arms, his smile became bitter.

"I...I honestly think her kindness was wasted on me but it's also what made me grow feelings towards her." Sylvain sighed heavily and looked away, "Dedue already didn't exactly approve of our friendship. Not that blame him because um...I've said some pretty derogatory stuff in the past about relationships and myself." Zander made a face at him.

"I know. I know. I'm working on it." Sylvain sighed, "After the accident in Connad Tower, I...I didn't know how to speak after all that. Let alone, soon I left the Blue Lions and joined the Ashen Wolves. I felt...like I owed her for saving and not giving up on me. And with the revelation of her having a Crest, I felt...like I had to protect her. Like...when she protected me." He sighed again and Zander motioned him to sit down.

So he did. Sylvain sat down and intertwined his hands together as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs before resting his chin on the knuckles of his hands. They were silent for a moment before he continued,

"I guess it was a sense of duty... After I left the Blue Lions, I don't know why but it felt...liberating. Being in a completely different environment felt...strange at first. Hell, I was even considering going back to the Blue Lions. But, once I got used to the place, Abyss... felt like home." Sylvain smiled softly, which was rare.

Abyss felt like home.

Perhaps because the people there were like him in a way. They welcomed him, he learned, he grew, he...learned to accept. And most of all, Sadi was with him. It took a while but eventually, he was able to find the courage to apologize to her. She was surprised at first but he will never forget the warm smile she had when she spoke.

"It's okay. And...thank you. I accept your apology."

"You know," Zander smiled softly as he crossed his arms, "I don't think I've ever heard you speak like this before." He said and looked like Sylvain was surprised as well, "Also, I don't think Sadi's kindness was a waste on you." Again, Sylvain was surprised.

"Even after she found out who you are, she still treated you the same. She still treated you as a friend. Someone she cares about. And I'm not gonna lie, I suspected she had a crush on you, though most likely it was shut down early for reasons." Zander said a bit wearily and Sylvain grimaced.

"I just hope she is okay..." Sylvain muttered, "I keep...having this feeling that something happened to her. If what that witch of Anacharis said is true...I don't know how I'll live with myself or face Dedue." He said as Zander looked at him worried.

"I know how you feel."

— The Next Day -

"Ulp!"

Zander was grateful that no one but Sylvain and Glenn was present in his office when he suddenly started gagging blood. Droplets of crimson liquid spilled on the floor as plants around them began to wither. What triggered all this...Glenn glared at the report that was given to them by Consort Regina and Ivar. Leif was planning to launch an attack on Gautier Territory. Thankfully the plan wasn't going to happen anytime soon but now...it angered Zander. He chose to attack at the moment they are currently weak. And the worst was the Sreng wasn't spared either from the monster waves at their borders but Leif was still choosing to attack.

"Forest...I need to get to the forest!" Zander growled and Glenn told Sylvain to keep watch then warped away.

[—-]

"Ulp...Ahhh...Aarrrrghhhhh! FUCK THIS WAR! FUCK ALL OF THIS!"

All Glenn could do was watch as Zander violently stomped his feet to the ground, the trees withering, poison ivy sprouting from the ground with thrones vines. The former prince screamed and roared and punched, truly displaying his Blaiddyd strength. He snarled and gritted his teeth like a true beast, this was a side of him that only his friends have seen. Zander panted and gasped for air as he fell to his knees, clutching his chest, he was suddenly in agony.

"Zander!" Glenn ran to him, and knelt, "Breath. Three, two, one. One two three. Come on...Zander, breathe." He said, the former prince tried to control his breathing but the magic in his body...

It felt like he was on fire.

Like there was too much magic leaking out of a box and he had to force that magic back. He repeated Glenn's words and took deep breaths, calming himself as he imagined himself closing the box. Another deep breath and he calmed himself.

"You alright?" Glenn said as Zander nodded his head and let a small gasp as he was helped up, "This is becoming too much. This isn't normal Zander. Your magic system shouldn't be out of this control." He said as he helped him walk.

Since 1180, his power had been going out of control when he became emotionally unstable. They had seen Hanneman before and he suggested that training to release the built-up magic in his body would do good. Zander took it as he best join the battles. And thus he did. Zander was found in every monster wave, massacring all the beasts that dared attack his home. His cruelty showing no mercy, his battle prowess, and his leaving a bloody wake in his path earned him the name The Tempest King among the people of Fodlan. But such cruelty was only shown in the battle to defend his land and people. And since those battles, using magic and releasing it on his enemies, his body felt lighter.

But in days there was no battle, he found that releasing that power in a place where there were no people had to be done. Thus, he unleashed his anger in an area of the forest far away from Aubin Territory. The results were a destroyed and withered forest, and Zander hated it. He always felt guilty doing such a thing to nature that after he had his outburst, he would use his power to restore it. And thus, the cycle would repeat.

"I think we should talk to Hanneman when we get back. Cough! Cough! Gods, this sucks." Zander wheezed as Glenn sighed and right when he was about to warp, he stopped.

He suddenly threw a dagger in the direction of the sound and it went right to a tree. Both men remained still, their hearts drumming, waiting, and just when they see going to let out a sigh of relief...

Footsteps that sounded like they were walking in the mud were heard. And Zander quickly had Glenn let go of him and summoned his lance. From behind the tree emerged a figure, slowly taking one step out of time. A humanoid figure with glowing yellow eyes, made of what looked like black mud, walked toward them. It cocked its head like a curious child and stared. It didn't attack but they were still weary of it.

"Who are you? Speak!" Zander snarled the figure only stopped five feet in front of them and only raised its chin a bit.

They remained still, staring till it cocked its head like a curious child.

"Uuuuuuuurrrrrrhhoooooooo..." it opened its mouth, sounding like a whale's cry, and walked towards them.

They were ready to jump and defend themselves but confusion filled them all it did was walk right between them and kept on walking. The two men looked at each other confused, and puzzled but in the end, put their weapons away. They watched it walk to the woods and then stopped, turning to look at, it for a moment before continuing.

"What the hell was that? Is that a new type of faerie?" Zander said and Glenn shook his head.

"I don't know. But, I didn't sense anything malicious from it. It seemed like it was observing us." Kuza said as he stood next to his friend.

"...Thank you for being here..." Zander muttered as his friend gave him a small smile, "We should head back." Zander didn't know why but he and his friend turned to walk, he couldn't help but stop and look in the direction the strange creature walked.

Something about it felt familiar.

[—-]

They walk down the hallway to the war room where those in the resistance were waiting, which was not easy. Zander took a deep breath as Glenn and Sylvain stood beside him, reassuring him everything was alright. But it wasn't. The leader took another deep breath and opened the door. The giant room was a smaller replica of the Roundtable room in The Blaiddyd castle as well as the table. Old portraits hung on the walls as well as Knight armor was displayed. But then in the war room was Erik, the current Count Charon, Margrave Gautier, Duke Galatea, Duchess Ifan, and Rodrigue. The ones also in the room were Jeralt, the strange unknown agent that wore a full Fox mask that was sent by Emily to watch over them in her place who went by the name of Naga.

Lastly, Felix, Ingrid, Flayn, Seteth, Professor Hanneman, his uncle Rufus, aunt Hira, and aunt Regina. Shamir, Alois, Alm, Celica, Sophia, Ivar, and Catherine were present as well. Ashe, Bernadetta, and Lindhart joined as well. Felix had grown quite a bit. His hair was much longer and had it tied in a high ponytail with some bangs loose as well as clothing was a bit similar to Rodrigue's. Ingrid had cut her long and it was now shoulder length as well had her bangs were now straight. Sylvain has somewhat cut his chair and had it combed back and spiked. The green scarf he wore was gifted to him by Sadi, and he was always seen with it. Rufus had grown some gray hairs and thankfully did not smell like alcohol.

Zander took a deep breath and spoke.

"Thank you all for gathering here." Zander began, "Unfortunately, I bring some unfortunate news." He said and Regina nodded, "Lief has chosen to launch an attack." He noticed the shift in the air was quick, "We were able to confirm that the attack will be ten days from now. And the one leading this attack will be him." He said and some eyes fell on Ivar.

"Ivar, I know this will be difficult for you. If you do not wish to fight, I understand." Zander said and Ivar shook his head.

"No." Ivar said and looked at him firmly, "I will fight. And I will defeat my brother. Should I defeat him, I will earn the respect of his army. As much I don't like this, we have no choice." He sighed.

"Our preparations are complete, Father." Sylvain said and turned to Margrave Gautier, "Perhaps it's time we gather the generals?" He said.

"In seven days. Once everyone is here, we'll depart for The Ruska mountains and take shelter at the stronghold in the foothills." The Margrave said with a grave tone.

"That stronghold again?" Rodrigue sighed, "We're practically retracing the entire northern campaign at this point."

"That is where hostilities began, is it not?"

"As much as it pains me, I can't join your fight." Regina spoke as she looked to her fan, but subconsciously put a hand over her swollen belly, "I will have Estere go with Ivar to aid you all. She knows the lands better than anyone." She said as black haired woman dressed in winter tribal clothing nodded and bowed.

"Regina, you should not trouble yourself over this," Rufus said as the woman smiled bitterly.

"How can I not? The boy that I was supposed to keep an I on and partly raised has now chosen to attack. And I fear the worst is that someone else has influenced him." She said and that caused a raise in eyebrows, "Cornelia. That witch always has held some animosity towards me since the day I refused to give information about my relic." She let out a heavy sigh.

"Lady Regina..." Seteth looked at her worried and let out a heavy sigh.

The topics only became heavier.

[—-]

The day and again, it was reported after the report. Zander couldn't sleep and got up, taking another magic repressive pill to help him. The bitter taste of the herbal water he took with it didn't make it any less painful. He put on his coat, his sword on his waist, as well as his cloak. A late-night walk around the county would help him out. Zander greeted his knights and sighed as he walked around. It was January and winter was still cold. Zander thought back to the time when he was small when his mother would take him to her garden and show him how to tend to them. The memories were faint but he remembered when his mother would bake. It was particularly pastry that he did not know the name of, unfortunately. But...he loved it. The man let out a sigh as he walked around, seeing what was once a lively street was now mostly desolate because people would prefer to be inside because of the war.

The more he walked, the more he asked himself if he was doing the right thing. If Dimitri is not found, the throne would go to Lestia. If Lestia is not found, the throne would go to him. But now that he understood what it was to be a king like Kuza said before, would he give up the throne? But if the worst-case scenario came, he would pick up the torch his father and mother left to him and his siblings. He sighed once more and stopped, hearing a familiar sound he heard earlier that day.

One step, two steps, three steps and it stopped.

Zander turned to the alleyway and right there stood the humanoid mud figure but the shape it had was that of a woman with long hair. The prince sucked in his breath and then let it out, walking towards it and stopping just a few feet from it. It stared at him.

"Why are you here?" He said and the mud figure let out a small "Uuuuurhooo..."

"If someone else but me and Glenn saw you, they would have attacked." It cocked its head and chirped, "Look, you should go back to the forest." Another chirp.

It turned and began to walk away but stopped, somewhat nudging its head toward the shadows. Zander knew that movement, Amir would do it when she wanted to show him something. The prince took deep breaths and followed. He didn't know why but the creature did not bother him. He felt safe around it as if he was with an old friend. Where it was taking him...he only hope there was a good reason.

[—-]

The woods of Aubin Territory were where he and his family went on their first hunting trip. With Rodrigue, Lady Romea, Glenn, his father, Mother, Alexander, and Gustav, they traveled around the woods. His mother and Lady Romea showed him and Glenn different plants that were edible. And his father and men teaching them how to get a boar. Lady Romea was not happy because she thought they were too young to learn such things. His mother disagreed. So now he was walking with a strange creature in the very woods he visited when he was a child. At some point, the sound of mud disappeared and was replaced with silence. The creature stopped and collapsed, turning itself into a small version that could float. Nothing surprised Zander at this point. He's seen enough madness already.

"Where are we going?" He asked and chirped again, "We've been walking for 20 minutes." It let out a snort.

Zander was starting to get frustrated but followed. Two hours this time passed and Zander noticed that area of the woods was different. It became wilder and just when he was about to say something, he noticed a light. Not just any light, the light of a campfire. Zander crouched and carefully made his way till he was hiding behind some bushes with the...he'll call the creature, Slush. The man nearly reeled back seeing tents, campfires, soldiers dressed in red but most of all...the Imperial Banner.

"When the hell did they manage to sneak in?!" Zander thought as he carefully made his way around the camp and behind the big main tent.

He could hear a somewhat muffled voice, that of a woman, but also...

"Beleth."

Zander wanted to come out and kill but he would be struck down before he even had a chance. Slush looked at him with pleading eyes and somehow he understood what it wanted to say.

[—]

"Listen."

Inside the tent, Beleth looked at the map on the table with a neutral expression. Fhirdiad has been under the empire's control. The capture of Lestia was done. But the problem was locating Dimitri. Edelgard gave clear instructions to capture him alive but Beleth knew that would not be easy. Dimitri displayed a similar power awakening to Bernadetta's. The knight let go of a sigh as he moved another pin to the territory where sightings of strange things have been happening. They needed to take control of the Aubin Territory. But it wasn't going to be easy because Zander was the one in charge.

Zander.

He remembered when the prince enrolled in the academy at age fifteen and was made the leader of the Blue Lions. He could tell some of his classmates looked at him with scorn and questioned why a crestless prince was made a leader. Glenn and Kazu were with him as well. The trio always hung out together and his fellow knights would always tell him not to associate with him. Yet, the way Zander had a laid-back attitude but was still respectful to others and how people naturally drifted towards him...

It was the first time Beleth felt envy.

Zander despite having laid back attitude was still one of the students with top grades. He respected his peers and praised them and even went as far as advising on how they could improve. Beleth recalled when his mother would come at times to watch from above the tower and the way she narrowed his eyes at the prince made him feel strange.

"That boy...keep an eye on him. I don't think he is who he says he is."

So Beleth observed him.

The laid-back attitude and flirtatious boy turned out to be a manipulative, cunning, scheming, smart, and tactful man. When The Battle of The Eagle and Lion came, that was when Zander showed his true colors. The best way Beleth could describe it was the battle was a massacre. Not an actual massacre but Zander's orders, techniques, plans, skills, everything just came out in that battle. Especially his display of leadership. Those that were looked down on because they had no crest proved more than just their worth. King Lambert was there when he watched the battle and nodded in approval while his mother gritted her teeth and put on a forced smile. Zander, Glenn, Christophe, Cassandra, and Kuza took down the remaining leaders and the blue lions were left standing, having lost no one.

"Incredible!" He remembers how much Alois praised the prince's leadership as well as Rodrigue, but it was made clear to every one of the three houses that they were made to look like fools.

"General!" A soldier's voice made him snap out of it as the Agarthan general that was with him, Pittacus, snapped her eyes open, "We have checked the area and we are clear to attack The County of Aubin in five days. It seems they are also occupied by Sreng forces. It looks like Cornelia was successful." Beleth's eyes widened hearing that.

Beleth's lips parted for a moment before he closed his and opened them again, his gaze half-lidded.

"I see. Have our soldiers get ready for a surprise attack when the time comes. No one is to attack civilians. If I get word that any of the soldiers have raided, razed, or even injure civilians, I will personally execute them. Do I make myself clear?" Beleth said coldly and the knight nodded.

"Sir, yes sir!" The knight saluted and quickly ran out of the tent.

Beleth let go of a tried sigh as Pittacus laughed and clapped her hands. He was never going to get used to seeing her with Monica's face.

"This is why you humans are so entertaining. The fact you are planning to attack the day of that woman's day of birth, hmm...it's as if you wish to get rid of her memory." Pittacus said as Beleth looked at her coldly.

"Amir was a former comrade who chose to fight for what she believed in. I suggest you shut your mouth." He said and the woman laughed again.

Pittacus's new body was made of puppets. Her ball joints could be seen as she maneuver her hand toward him.

"Ha. You remind me of Florencio. It's a pity he is gone. I wanted to kill him myself but not that it matters." The woman huffed as she closed her eyes and moved her hand dismissively, "Just hurry up and razed the place. I don't get why you want Ui's lands to live?" She said and Beleth just sighted.

"How can a nation be ruled if there are no people to rule over?" Pittacus snickered at his words but nodded in agreement.

"You have a point."

[—-]

Zander gritted his teeth as he listened to the conversation but one wrong mistake he made. A simple one really, he moved and stepped on a tree branch. He felt his blood run cold as those in the tent went still, and saw Beleth's shadow turn his way. Zander wouldn't have time to run when suddenly, he turned to see the black mud swallow him whole.

"Eh?"

Beleth moved the tent flap quickly, his sword drawn, slicing away the bushes. There was no one but...

"Urhooooo..."

The knight looked down only to see a blob of black smile blinking at him cutely.

"Beleth, what is—" Pittacus looked over his shoulder and froze before, "AAAAHHHHHHHHH!" The woman unleashed a blood-curdling scream as the black slime just blinked as it was picked up by the knight, "KILL IT! KILL IT! KILL IT!" The woman screamed as she ran out of the tent.

Beleth only looked back and forth between the tent flap and slime in his hands, blinking cutely.

"Is everything alright?! We heard screaming!" One of the soldiers said as Beleth walked out of the tent with the creature.

"You there! Use fire magic to kill that thing!" Pittacus yelled from hiding behind a nearby tree that was fifteen feet away.

"Pittacus..." Beleth's shoulders were trembling as his lip quivered trying to hold in his laughter, "You're afraid...of a slime?" The slime eyes became half-lidded.

"You have no idea what slimes are capable of! Especially!" Her hand came out and pointed at it, "THAT ONE! Kill it!" Beleth just shook his head as he walked to the bushes and put the slime down.

"Go. Get out of here." Beleth said as he turned, chuckling, "I hadn't laughed at that in years." He said as the little monster began to slide away.

At the time, Beleth didn't know that Pittacus was telling the truth.

[—-]

The slime quickly moved around through the shadows till it was back to the alleyway where it met Zander. There, it saw Glenn and Sylvain, looking around frantically till it stopped in front of them. The slime was grateful it was night because what it did next, sent the two men reeling back. It vomited out Zander. The prince panted and gasped for air, coughing as he was on all fours, covered in slime.

"Oh, lord! Hooooooo! THAT WAS HORRIBLE!" Zander screamed and slowly looked to see Glenn looking like he saw mass murder and Sylvain with a slightly amused yet confused look, "Hi..."

"What the hell?" Glenn said as the two helped him up and the slime chirped, "What is that thing?"

"Well for one, it saved me...Cough!" Zander coughed, he was going to need a bath, "Second, gather everyone. We got a huge problem. The Imperial Army is hiding in the forest." He said, "And Beleth is leading them."

"What? That's impossible! Our reports say there has been no movement unless..." Sylvain gasped, realizing, "Spy..." he growled.

"Let's go."

[—-]

They gather the group, and the only one, not present was Naga. Zander also took it upon himself to bring...the slime. Glenn couldn't help but tease him because of the name he gave it, Slush. Zander just told him to shut up as everyone was gathered at the round table. He began to explain what he saw and the number of people there.

"That's enough nearly wipe out the place," Rodrigue said, shocked as the others.

"Beleth specifically told his soldiers if they even dared attack any civilians or raze the place he would personally execute them. That means he doesn't want to kill us. He plans to capture us alive." Zander said as a bead of sweat ran down his face.

"Urrooonhh." Everyone looked over to Regina who looked like she was in bliss as the black slime was cooing at her pets, "And yeah, that thing lead me there."

"It's not a thing." Regina huffed as Hira stayed far away from it, "This little one is called a Shadow Slime. They are native to Sreng and Duscur. Though I do question how it came to Fodlan." She said as it cooed.

The woman yelped when it jumped on the table and went towards Zander, its eyes smiling. The prince didn't know what to say but again, its presence felt familiar.

"I was curious if you made a contract with it. Shadow Slimes are very loyal creatures and if they take a liking to someone, they will follow them. This little one had taken a liking to you." Regina explained with a small smile.

Before anyone could say anything, Hira screamed when Naga suddenly teleported next to her and threw onto the ground four spies that were tied up.

"Lord Zander, it is done." The woman said as they noticed the people were knocked out.

"I did not order you to do anything." Zander said as the woman cocked her head, "But...good job. How did you find them so quickly?" He asked as the woman knelt and touched one of the knights.

His appearance dissolved and revealed a pale man with brown hair, everyone gasped.

"Those of Agartha smell like dirt, moss, and willow bark. I know the scent of everyone so I was able to sniff them out. The scent of imperial soldiers is cinnamon, steel, and cotton." She explained and Jeralt narrowed his eyes.

Those tactics reminded him of a certain person. Zander walked up and grabbed one of the men by the hair, and grinned seeing how they were waking up.

"Well, well, well. I recognized you. You're Maceo, the punk that tried to poison me during our academy days and spat on me just because I didn't have a crest." Oh, Zander was happy with this, "Good thing you belong to the Empire." He said and the man growled.

"I have nothing to say to you." Maceo spat but Zander's grin only grew.

"Yeah, you do. Margrave Gautier and Sylvain, I leave it to you." The man suddenly paled seeing the two men behind the prince, their eyes glowing red with pure malice.

Away the four men were dragged and Naga followed them since she knew how to make those traitors talk too.

"Sigh..." Zander sighed as he stood up, "Sylvain and Jeralt, prepare the knights and fortify our defense. Felix, Rodrigue, and Hanneman watch the back gate. Beleth may go for a pincer attack so be on guard. Uncle—" Zander's eyes went wide seeing Rufus with his Claymore ready and Hira with her tome out.

"Don't you dare tell us to stay back, boy? We are fighting." Rufus said and Hira nodded.

"I can't be in battle but I can join the Mages of the underground magic room to secure the barrier around the land," Regina said as she brought out her black fan with runes engraved in it.

"...Alright." Zander knew better than to argue with his family, "Ingrid and Aunt Hira, take the skies with Naga. Margrave Gautier will also join you. Glenn, are with me." He said as he looked out to the balcony.

He narrowed his eyes as he looked out to the forest, it was time to fight soon.

"Aunt Hira and Aunt Regina, I know this is much to ask but, how long will it take you to prepare extreme warp?" He said and everyone looked at him shocked.

"What are you planning?" Rufus said as Zander smirked.

"The Lake of Damned. Warp everyone of the imperial army there. As long as we get them there, we can win." He said with a grin.

The Lake of the Damn was a lake of black mud and dark magic that suddenly formed in the Imperial year 1181. Nothing but black mud oozed from its ground and killed everything it touched. The forest around it withered away and the black magic it was filled with was perfect for Sylvain, Margrave Gautier, and Annette to use. Just when he was about to continue, Slush suddenly jumped in front of him and took on its humanoid form again.

"Seriously?" Zander let out a tired sigh as the slime just cocked its head but Regina looked at it with narrowed eyes.

"How odd...This slime already has a master. The only reason it would take on a human-like shape is that it is mimicking its master. A woman but who?" Regina said and Zander looked back to the slime with narrowed eyes.

"I don't know..."

[—Days Later: Guardian Moon: January 13th-]

The Imperial Army began to march towards the County of Aubin, ready to launch its surprise attack. Beleth road his horse beside Pittacus who rode a demonic beast. The closer they got to the gates, Beleth took a deep breath and with a wave of his hand, summoned his relic. But Beleth stopped his army, noticing the lack of guards at the entrance.

"Why are we stopping?" Pittacus said and at that moment, her question was answered and orange and yellow filled the sky, "SHEILDS UP!" The woman roared as the mages quickly could begin to cast Sheild.

A sea of arrows rained down on the Imperial and Agarthan Army. Soldiers took out their shields as fast as they could but even so, many did not make it. Beleth gritted his teeth and swung his blade, unleashing a powerful gust of wind magic that knocked the arrows to the ground. Before he knew it, a loud horn was heard and the gates to Aubin County opened.

"CHHHARRRGGGEEE!" Leading the army was Zander on his griffin, roaring as he held up the lance, Gradivus, up in the sky.

Margrave Gautier, Ingrid, and Hira road their units with their battalions. From the ground, Glenn and Sylvain lead the knights as Sophia commanded the mages. From the underground, Regina sat in a magic circle with her fellow mages, all chanting in ancient runic language as they prepared Extreme Warp. The spell would be ready in 10 minutes because they were going to warp with a whole army along with their soldiers. Naga was on standby, watching over the underground mages to make sure they were all safe.

The gates to Aubin County closed and the war began. Sure enough, Beleth had planned to attack from both sides. Rufus along with Sylvain and Jeralt, swung their weapons as they unleaded their war cries, their soldiers and battalions fighting. They fought and attacked and killed the demonic beast and risen that came their way, making sure they remained on the ground. Annette sang at the top of her lungs, using the magic she learned from her professor, Lost Song, to heal her allies and decimate her opponents. Felix zipped through the enemy like a bullet, Tharja by his side using light and dark magic, combing the two. Bernadetta and Ashe commanded the archers and released another wave of arrows before Benadetta unleashed acid rain on the enemy soldiers. Zander grinned, a feral grin on his face as he moved through wave after wave in the sky.

Beleth's gaze was dark as he got off his horse and began to walk. His sword was glowing brightly in his hands he could feel its power growing. He walked, his eyes glowing mint green as he cut down every knight that ran towards him. His eyes were on one person. The one that shouldn't have known anything and how they found out, he would learn. He simply moved his head to the side as he looked up with a dark gaze, wind magic began to swirl around him violently. From above, Zander's frown turned to a feral grin as he raised his lance and pointed it at him.

"I've waited for you, Beleth." Zander's voice was insane, "You bastard. You are a traitor. Your actions cost the life of my family. You and Edelgard betrayed everyone. Your actions killed the woman I loved. And now..." He cocked his head and smiled, "I'll kill you."

Beleth narrowed his eyes. He knew that flickering in the man's but...it shouldn't be possible. No, rather, he should be happy.

Zander was a ticking time bomb.

Beleth knew what he needed to do now. Zander's magic was unstable and was trying to keep his emotions under control in the battle. The man smiled a bit and raised his sword.

"I see you are just as reckless, Zander. It's a pity. I can't have you dying." He said as Zander's grin only widened.

"Well, once I kill you I'll hang your head at the gates of Enbarr!" Zander roared and dove down.

Beleth was quick to move, jumping, crouching, and sliding to dodge the griffon spinning like a drill. Pittacus was forced to head behind with her army and fight. The demonic beast aimed for the gates but was stopped. From the underground, it was almost time to activate the spell. Zander once more dove and managed this time to slash at Beleth's shoulder but...

"I think not." The knight grinned, "Do you know why I chose this particular day to attack?" He said as Zander growled, and Beleth pointed to the sky as his grin became wicked.

"Because the winds and thunder are by my side."

BOOM! CRACK!

Thunder and lightning boomed through the sky are the winds started to become violent. Those flying in the sky, their units became frightened and startled. But worst of all, the pegasus were trying to run away.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Ingrid screamed as her Pegasus, Kali, and those in her unit were going wild because of how loud the thunder was booming. Even the cavalry was panicking. Yet, Zander's griffin, Fireheart, looked down coldly and did not flinch. It hung its head before unleashing a loud piercing roar that made all the flying and ground units calm down. Beleth was impressed but he took advantage of the wind.

[—-]

"More demonic beasts keep coming!" Bernadetta yelled as she shot another Agartha soldier dead that flew on a vulture, "Which ones did Lady Regina say she was warping?!" Another arrow shot.

"Front group!" Felix yelled and looked at Rufus shocked when the man jumped in the air like some rabbit and roared, pointing his claymore down as it penetrated right through the skull of the demonic beast, "By the Goddess, are all Blaiddyds fucken boars?! Now I know where the boar gets it from!" The swordsmen yelled as Rufus had a feral grin and charged at the next beast.

"Ha! Please kid! The prince, Lambert, Lestia, and Rufus are nothing compared to their great Grandfather, Elliott Ventia Blaiddyd!" Jeralt said as a memory of the distant past resurfaced as he threw another lance into the sky and struck down one of Pittacus's soldiers.

"Linhardt! I need to heal!" Sylvain yelled and the green-haired mage used to heal him, "We have to win this battle." Sylvain thought.

Winning the battle would be one of the ultimate victories against the Empire. Even if the war remained a stalemate for the next few years, it would be enough to send a message to Edelgard and Agartha that they would not kneel to the likes of them. But the wind becoming violent was concerning—-

"AAAHHHHH!"

That scream...

"ZANDER!"

[—-]

It felt like someone was choking him.

It felt like his blood was boiling.

He overdid it.

No, Beleth did it on purpose to provoke and force him to use his Magic continuously. Zander suddenly puffed out his cheeks and quickly covered his mouth with his hands, the taste of iron was beyond overpowering. He vomited into his hand, shaking, breathing hard as he grinned like a madman down at Beleth. A bead of sweat ran down the knight's face.

"Zander, you will die at this rate! Surrender now!" Beleth yelled and jumped just in time before his relic clashed with The Sword of Moralta!

"Now way in hell!" Glenn yelled, "How long will Fodlan suffer under the hands of the enemy?! How long will it take for reform and change to come?! I chose to fight now because I know! For my Lord and friend who believes in a better future! For my family who has been with me! FOR THE FUTURE OF FODLAN!" Roared Glenn and war cries from above and below echoed through the rain, thunder, and wind.

Zander grinned, despite he felt his magic going out of control, vines and thorns sprouting from the ground, he embraced it.

"FOR FODLAN!" Zander roared and raised Gradivus into the sky, the ground under the army began to glow brightly.

"It's now ready!" A mage yelled to Regina who made hand movements and yelled...

"NOW!"

Light engulf the entire army of the front, and Beleth looked up to Zander with wide eyes as the prince fingered gun and winked.

"Bang."

[—-]

Beleth closed his eyes to shield himself from the light. When it faded away, he slowly opened them, his sight adjusting, and blinked a few times, but what snapped him out of it was screaming. He looked around, the forest was completely desolate and the overwhelming disgusting smell of smoke filled his nostrils. He could hear continuing fighting and grunted as he jumped back, his sword blocking a lance and seeing a bloody grin.

"I'll make sure to make you pay forever crossing me!" Zander yelled and thrust his lance and jumped back, charging his lance with earth magic and swinging it, knocking back not just Beleth but the enemy knights' battalion as well.

"Dammit!" Beleth yelled and cast Wind to protect his people, "Sorry Edelgard, I think I may have to serve a leg or two to make him surrender." He gritted his teeth and charged.

He swung his sword, commanding it to take a different shape. Before everyone's eyes, the sword broke apart and turned into a whip. He swung and commanded, have the sword wrap around the lance, and pulled Zander forward. He raised his left fist and did a left uppercut, punching Zander right under the chin. Zander staggered back, spitting as he threw his lance onto the ground and Beleth did with his sword.

"Let's do this." Zander laughed as both got into their stances, left foot slightly forward, left arm partly extended, right arm close to their bodies with their gloves and hands near their chin.

"Yes, the old fashion way!" Beleth roared and both charged at each other.

From the hill, Anacharis watched with a void gaze as she raised her hand, and a puddle of black mud formed on her left. Slowly rising from it was a man dressed in the armor of a Dark Knight but his helmet was shaped like a wolf head with fangs and wore a fur coat. In his right hand, he a held dark replica version of Areadbhar.

"Look Uriel, your grandson. Hmm...It's a pity today is his last day." Anacharis said the Wolf Knight remained silent.

Anacharis grinned as she watched the two knights exchanging blow after blow, both roaring curses at each other's faces before Zander quickly ran to pick up his lance at the first opportunity he had and called for his griffin.

"Time to die False King of The North."

[—-]