Chapter 25: The other side
Seteth cleared his throat, quieting down the hall. The entirety of the student body and the upper echelons of the Knight order stood in the main assembly hall having been gathered earlier.
"I am certain many of you are wondering as to why we have called this impromptu gathering." He began, his voice taking a grave tone "In part, it relates to your monthly mission...which was supposed to occur within the next few days. However, recent events have forced us to reconsider it."
There were a few murmurs from the students, Seteth raised his hand and quietened them down. "As I'm sure you are all aware by now, Lord Lonato of the Gaspard territory has recently incited a rebellion within the last week. The original plan was for the Church Knights to swiftly deal with the uprising and for you all to participate in the rearguard action as a means of observing proper combat." a frown came to his face as he let out a heavy sigh "However, that is no longer possible."
He got questioning looks in response, including Catherine and Shamir, the latter having been recalled earlier than would have been preferred. It was unfortunate that he hadn't been able to inform either of them of recent developments earlier, but it saved him time in having to make two separate announcements. "Several days ago, the Knight encampment located at the Magdred Way was attacked by Lonato's army...and massacred to a man."
Several gaps resounded out, Catherine's eyes went wide at the news.
"It is currently unknown how Lord Lonato was able to obtain them, but from documented reports of the few survivors who managed to escape the massacre, they claim that the weapons the militia used weapons which heavy enchantments which turned the rebels into 'berserker's'." He sighed "In light of such news, and your current lack of sufficient training, your monthly mission has been cancelled as we feel we cannot guarantee your safety and losing you so early into your time at this academy would not only be a great detriment to us, but to your respective kingdoms as well."
"What do you mean 'berserker's'?" Catherine stepped forwards with a heavy frown "Surely even with the weapons the commoners were still untrained-"
"They were nearly three times stronger than the average knight and apparently acted like rabid animals." Seteth quickly countered, biting his lip "If we had been able to procure one of the weapons used, I would likely have one of the resident Clerics investigating it to determine its effects in full, but unfortunately the survivors were unable to retrieve any of them."
"How do you know it was their weapons?" Shamir asked "It could have just as easily been some concoction or dark spell."
"The testimony of the knights." Seteth responded "They claim that the militia appeared perfectly sane until they drew their blades, at which point they started to exhibit signs of madness."
"Seteth, if I may." Dimitri raised his hand, the green haired man cast a glance the Prince's way then gave a nod of affirmation "How close is Lord Lonato's force to Garreg Mach?"
"At present, given their last encounter with the knights was several days ago...We believe them to be past the Magdred forest and traversing the Oghma mountains." He revealed "At which point, they will likely be upon us by the end of the week."
"Seteth." The gruff voice of Jeralt cut through, the man moving in-between the students from the back of the hall until he stood at the front of the room "How large is Lonato's army?"
"Our current estimates place it as nearly a thousand strong." He replied "Whether or not they are fewer now is unknown, the testimony of the survivors was chaotic at best, we have no way of knowing how many were slain in their initial attack."
"How many knights are at the Monastery right now?"
"...We are expected to have another thousand recalled from other outposts-"
"Seteth." Jeralt narrowed his eyes "How many."
"...Seven hundred knights are present at the moment." Seteth replied with a tired sigh. Jeralt scowled in response, slowly shaking his head.
"This sounds increasingly like an 'all hands on deck situation.'" He responded after a few moments "And these brats are never going to be able to pick and choose their battles."
"If you mean to suggest I fling them onto the front lines-"
"Absolutely not." Jeralt grunted "They're still brats, well trained brats but brats nonetheless. They don't have the kind of experience needed to face this situation, I don't know if I've ever face something like this." He paused "However the Oghma mountains are treacherous, especially when moving such a large force through."
Seteth paused, raising an eyebrow "You have a suggestion?"
"There's only one route through the Oghma mountains if Lonato wants to get here as quickly as possible and considering his first move was to apparently fling himself and his men at the closet knight camp, we can assume he's being reckless. An ambush on the mountains would work."
"It could." Seteth admitted, then frowned "However it would heavily depend upon what manner of force we have, I assume you have some manner of suggestion?"
"Because it is not my concern." Goetia explained as he slot a book back into the shelf, him being the only one in the library at the time made this conversation far less awkward. He paused, glancing her way "I was also under the impression you could not venture far from your host."
"I'm learning." Sothis explained with a small shrug, a minute frown soon coming to her face "In truth, I believe this is the limit of my range, I cannot venture too far from the child."
"Child?" Goetia scoffed "I had assumed you know her name."
"I do know her name." The floating green haired girl rolled her eyes "But she at times acts even more childish than the students she is supposed to teach, as do you for that matter." Goetia scowled at her, before moving back to work. "Such as your stance on this matter."
"I could very easily go out and kill every last man, woman and child is Gaspard territory through any number of methods." Goetia turned back to her "My only obstacle would be time, however it would solve nothing. The disputes between the two groups have merely been buried and it was not settled between them."
Sothis quickly gained a look of understanding "It is a dispute between the Church and Lonato, so let them sort it out?"
"Yes."
"Are you not also employed by the Church?"
"As an Assistant Librarian, not as an enforcer for beliefs I do not hold." Was the reason he provided "If I am going to go out of my way to kill humans, I would require a reason to do so."
Sothis opened her mouth to reply, then paused and squinted her eyes "Why do you always speak like that?"
"Like what?"
"You never say 'people', its always humans with you."
"...Yes, that is what they are."
"Hmph." Sothis grunted in response, then shrugged her shoulders "As you say, however while I appreciate the idea you are not some bloodthirsty monster, I still find it odd you are not offering aid in some form."
"You are partial to their conversation in the hall." Goetia replied with a raised eyebrow "Do you think them in need of aid?"
"Well, they do have some experienced knights with them, although they are currently discussing using the children as an attack force to subdue Lonato while the Knights occupy them from the front." That got Goetia to pause, slowly turning to her and raising his other eyebrow to join its counterpart "Yes, I find it distasteful as well."
"Personal preference aside, is there a reason that the Knights are relegated to the role of 'distraction' rather than offensive force?"
"Some manner of enchantment on the opposing force, it is apparently turning them into mindless thugs."
"Ah, some simple form of Mad Enhancement then." Goetia dismissed "How desperate, especially if it has been applied to the majority of Lonato's army, but I suppose it fulfils its purpose."
"It makes them quite dangerous."
"It's a Madness Enhancement, its supposed to make them dangerous." Goetia scoffed "If it didn't, then they would merely be driving the individuals insane without any form of benefit to them."
"They're also going to send the Children into the thick of the fighting."
"Alone?"
"…"
"They will be quite safe, provided they can keep their distance." Turning away from the Goddess, he moved further along the shelves, Sothis floating after him "Besides, I doubt they are willingly flinging children into the thick of the fighting. This is likely an act brought on by desperation."
"...Would it change your mind if I were to request your help?"
Goetia paused, slowly turning around to face her "You seem unusually persistent on this matter. Is there something I should be aware of?"
"Nothing concrete." Sothis grumbled "Merely a feeling I have. You could call it instinct, but I cannot shake the idea that something terrible might happen."
"It's a battle. There is going to be death, that can already be regarded as terrible." Sothis gave him a dry look in response "You are under the belief that something more serious may occur in regard to your host."
"And the children."
"It is entirely possible this is an early manifestation of Clairvoyance." Goetia shrugged "It is simply relaying the negative outcomes as mere ill-feelings to you."
"You think I can see the future?"
"You think you cannot? If you are already capable of shifting time backwards, would it be a great surprise to assume you can foresee certain events?" Sothis raised her hand to respond, then paused. Her eyes slowly widening in thought before she then shook her head.
"No, I do not believe that to be the case...However I shall not dismiss the possibility for now." Muttering to herself, she then shook her head and faced Goetia again "Regardless, I shall assume that even with my request for help, you will still remain at your post in this library?"
Goetia pursed his lips, brows furrowed in thought for a few moments "...It is not a matter of whether or not I can help you. It is also for the benefit of the children. They cannot expect someone of my power to merely appear at any given time and render aid to them. That defeats the purpose of learning."
"And if some of them should die?"
"You are the one with the ability to manipulate time." Goetia pointed out, Sothis clicked her tongue "Should one of them die, simply revert time if it concerns you so greatly."
"Will you not become annoyed at the repeated jumps backward?"
"That is a rather cynical outlook for you to believe that multiple jumps will be necessary."
"It's the route along Eastern road." Jeralt ran his finger along the map "It's the safest path through the mountains and it's narrow enough that Lonato wouldn't be able to use his superior numbers against you."
"Indeed." Seteth cupped his chin "However, if your pan is to succeed, it requires the knights to be in great danger, and the children in greater still."
"He won't have everyone in his army turned rabid, he can't be that stupid." Jeralt replied "He'll need some to remain coherent during the battle, and if they are as rabid as has been stated, then Lonato and his commanders will be towards the rear of the army." he pressed his finger into the map "If we can lure them into here, we can send the children and a small battalion to flank around and deal with Lonato. Once he and his commanders are dead, the rest should be easy pickings without direction."
"It is a sound strategy." Seteth mused with a small frown "But to place the children in such a position."
"We're not doing great for manpower right now." The mercenary captain grunted "And considering we'll need every knight at the front to distract Lonato's men long enough to ensure the trap is sprung."
"Yes...I suppose you have made your point." Seteth raised a hand to cut Jeralt off, he closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh before looking back towards the children, away from the table he had been hunched over "I realise this is far more than we had originally asked of you-"
"Seteth." Dimitri cut him off "With all due respect, this is not a situation we can ignore. As it is a Kingdom Territory that has incited this needless violence, I feel it necessary to play a role in ensuring it does not spread further."
"The Adrestian Empire is also willing to lend aid to our Kingdom allies." Edelgard continued on with a stern expression "If we cannot stop Lord Lonato, then I fear the consequences would be dire."
"...Guess we can just leave it to you guys-"
""Claude!"" Dimitri and Edelgard barked at him at the same time, Claude raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Kidding, kidding. Of course the Leicester alliance is willing to do whatever it can to help stop the violence." Turning back around, he sent a smirk towards his classmates "Right Deers?"
"I feel it necessary to demonstrate the role that proper nobility should play." Lorenz crossed his arms behind his back, giving a curt nod and a self assured smile "To think that one as well renowned as Lord Lonato could lead so many commoners to their deaths is something I cannot abide by."
Leonie stared at him in the same way someone would stare at scum on the sole of their boot.
Seteth let out a sigh of relief "I thank you all, and I trust you to take care of your students professor." he directed the question towards Byleth "Unfortunately, as skilled as they are, Professor Hanneman is too old to be near the front lines and Professor Manuela will be needed to tend to the wounded after the battle."
"I see." Jeralt grunted, looking over to his daughter "I trust you can handle it, kid?"
"She will not be alone." Seteth replied, his eyes slowly trailing over to another person in the crowd "Catherine will be joining her in the flanking manoeuvrer, while myself and-"
"Yourself?" Jeralt looked at Seteth as if he had grown a second head "You?"
"Yes, it might surprise you to know that I am quite capable when it comes to combat." He went on, unperturbed by the brief looks of surprise "As I was saying, myself, Alois, Shamir and you will be taking to the front lines to provide a distraction."
"Are we going to have a signal?"
"Shamir will shoot a flaming arrow in the sky. If all goes well, this situation will be resolved swiftly."
"Nice plan." Jeralt admitted, then narrowed his eyes "But whether or not it can be followed through is something else entirely."
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." Dimitri nodded his head in a sage manner, earning raised eyebrows from everyone else in the room "Oh, do not mind me." giving a disarming smile, he shook his head "It is merely something Goetia told me once."
"Huh." Jeralt blinked "Well, he's right." turning back to Seteth, he blinked as if realising something "Where is the Archbishop anyway?"
"I advised the Archbishop to be relocated to a safer location until the crisis had abated, she should be on her way to our nearest fortification in the Kingdom."
"I was surprised to sense your presence here." Goetia called out, not turning around. Sothis stared over his shoulder in surprise at who had entered the library "I had thought you would have left by now."
"It would not do for the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros to flee in the face of heathens." Rhea replied, gracefully closing the doors to the library behind her "I have no doubt Seteth will disapprove, but I have faith that our knights will emerge victorious."
"I'm sure." Goetia turned around to face her "Regardless, even if they are using enhancements, I have little doubt your knights will achieve victory. Brute force is a poor substitute for skill."
"Of course." Rhea nodded her head "It is why the knights are trained and do not simply swing their weapons like animals...of course some have the luxury of power and skill on their side, do they not?" she cast a glance his way out of the corner of her eye as she paced around the centre of the room, casting her eyes over the bookshelves "I have heard a great many things about your magical prowess, both inside and outside the monastery."
"I'm sure you have." He replied "I hardly made it a secret."
"Indeed, which is why I confess myself rather confused and, dare I say, concerned when an individual of your calibre decides not to lend aid." She paused, her back to him "At first I would have believed you simply disliked violence, except there is evidence to the contrary."
"Violence is not an end goal." Goetia responded with a small frown "I judge the situation and deem whether violence is appropriate."
"And this is not such an occasion?"
"I have little personal interest in the affairs of Gaspard and their Lord. If he wishes to incite rebellion and lead his people to their deaths, that is entirely up to him. I personally have no quarrel with him."
"Even if he currently seeks to tear down the very place you are employed within?"
"I will only have issues when he acts in a manner which directly affects me."
"And your pupils?"
"...They have the freedom to make their own decisions. I will not beget them their rights to use their knowledge for their own purposes. If they wish to employ their skills on a battlefield, that is their wish." He paused "Or rather, that is the Church's wish."
"The Church represents the voice of the Goddess in all of Fodlan, an attack on the Church is an attack on the Goddess herself." Rhea turned around to face Goetia, her expression set in a perfect mask "And it is in those times, that those with the power to render aid should do so."
"Is that right?" Goetia's eyes twinkled as Rhea's narrowed. She disliked that subtle expression on his face, as if he found what she had said particularly amusing in some way.
"Indeed."
"I suppose that should expect help from you as well?"
"...I...I beg your pardon?" Rhea pupils narrowed into slits "To what do you refer?"
"I merely suggest that you yourself are likely capable." Goetia responded innocently "You hold the position of Archbishop within the Church, your devotion and faith are likely the highest attainable. I would hazard a guess in stating that among the Church officials, you are perhaps one of the more skilled."
"A...fascinating theory." Rhea settled on, giving him a smile which utterly failed to reach her eyes. Which now held a subtle green glow to match his red "However, I fear you overestimate my skills too greatly."
Goetia stared at her for a few seconds before he shrugged his shoulders "Perhaps, I very much doubt you have been near a battle in some time. That and any injury to your person, however unlikely, would be considered a blow to the Church itself." he shrugged "In that regard, it is understandable that you would not be one of the first to enter the front lines, in the same way that as a mere librarian, I would not be expected to take to them either."
"A mere librarian with the power to defeat Demonic Beasts single handedly." Rhea pointed out with a frown "However, you have made your point. It would sully the Church's image if we were forced to use Clerics in combat in such a manner, or use of foreign magic's to aid us."
"Foreign magic's." Goetia scoffed "You make me sound as if I am no more than some heretic sorcerer."
"Are you not?" Rhea tilted her head "I have yet to see you break bread with any of the church's faithful in commune."
"Admitting that your Goddess exists does not mean I should worship her." Goetia responded in a cold tone "I do not share the same connection with her as you."
"...Yes, I suppose that is true." Rhea turned away, slowly moving back towards the doors "However, the church is always looking to spread word of the Goddess love to the faithless. I would be more than happy to see your soul saved in such a way." with those parting words, she slipped out of the library, leaving Goetia and Sothis still stood there.
"Was it just me or were you two having completely different conversations to the one I was listening too?" Sothis muttered as she stared at Goetia with a raised eyebrow. He cast her a mere glance before turning back to his work.
"I cannot say. Regardless, she made whatever point she wanted to make and I made mine. That is all that can be said on the matter."
"She looked quite upset." Sothis replied with a minor look of concern "I fear you were close to pushing her too far."
"She was equally close to testing the limits of my patience." Was his immediate reply "If I had a vested interest in this rebellion, I would act. I do not, therefore there is not need for me to act."
"Yes, yes." Sothis sighed, waving her hands "I suppose you have made your point, I had also better get back to the young child. I can at least tell her not to come to you expecting help." she noticed that, for a split second, Goetia's hand paused in its movements before continuing. Deciding to file that away for later, she dissipated into the air, returning to her host.
Goetia remained silent in the wake of her departure. A strange feeling slowly bubbling in his chest as she said those words. An undercurrent of disappointment had filtered through him for barely a few moments. Although he was unsure who it was directed at. He shook his head, filtering away those irrelevant thoughts. He knew that if the Church was to take action, it would likely be within the next few days.
"We're close now." Lonato muttered under his breath, leaning over his table as he stared at the map "So close to making that foul woman pay."
"Indeed, Lord Lonato." The cloaked figure reassured him in a calm voice "You and your men are close to fulfilling your mission."
"Hmph…" Lonato grunted "I admit myself surprised, I had not thought your claims were justified."
"I am pleased to have proven myself in your eyes." They bowed their head slightly "Myself and the Western Church only wish to see to the best interests of Fodlan."
"As you've said." The man responded, moving around the table "However the side effects...they…"
"Are regrettable." Nodding their head, the figure slowly turned towards the direction of the main camp "However, the effects only last as long as the weapons remain in their grasp, as I have told you. Once the false Archbishop has been removed, then you and your men will be hailed as heroes."
"They will try to stop us." Lonato nodded his head "They'll likely ambush us along the mountains."
"They likely shall, however it is a desperate final attempt Lord Lonato." The figure replied "Myself and the Western Church have every confidence in you."
"Yes...I suppose that is why you are here?"
"Indeed, Lord Lonato." They smiled down at him "We feel it best to witness this mission of yours from beginning to end."
"Well...I have no objections Lemegeton." Lonato frowned "But I had thought you were only capable of creating those special swords."
"I am, but I have a vested interest in this." Lemegeton replied "I want to see this from beginning to end."
Lonato remained silent for a few moments before nodding his head "Very well, however I would advise you be careful."
The hooded man nodded his head in response, the carefree smile under his hood still barely visible.
"Worry not, Lord Lonato. I am more than aware of the consequences for carelessness."
Chapter 26: Mountain Madness
The bustle of armoured knights occupied the courtyard, dozens of the soldiers marched through the gate in a long column as a small detachment of Wyverns flew overhead.
Goetia watched them move past him with a blank expression, his red eyes scanning the crowd as they searched for a specific individual. The Classes of the Blue Lions, Black Eagles and Golden Deers stood just to the side of the knights as they allowed the Church soldiers to march ahead of them. Red eyes flickered through students before they came to a stop on the object of his attention. The white haired girl felt the prickling sensation of being watched and turned her head to see Goetia staring at her.
Lysithea turned back to Claude, quickly whispering something to him, before she hastily moved over to where Goetia was standing. The man watched as she approached him, she came to a stop in front of him with an unusually grim expression.
"You are to depart soon then." Goetia stated, Lysithea mutely nodded her head in response, a frown still in place on it. The pair remained in silence for a few moments before Goetia spoke again "Something is troubling you?"
Lysithea flinched, her eyes darted to the side momentarily before coming back to Goetia. The young girl fidgeted on the spot for a few moments before she released a small breath "I...would not refer to it as being troubled Teacher." the girl slowly explained "However I find myself more concerned than anything else. I know that as a Noble, more so as a student, we have a duty to ensure the continued safety of the people of Fodlan. However...situations like these are better suited to the knights, and with what Seteth told us-"
"You are concerned that if the knights could not put down a simple militia, what hope do you have?" Lysithea winced but slowly nodded her head. Goetia remained blank faced for several moments before his eyes trailed away from her, falling onto the column of soldiers "You, as mere students, are far from being prepared to fight in a true battle. Putting down a small mob of bandits is entirely different to putting down an active rebellion." he paused for a few moments, slowly turning back to the girl "However, I would not say that you are entirely without hope of victory. In truth, I have every confidence that this will end as such."
Lysithea blinked at him, then furrowed her brows "How can you be so sure?"
"From speaking of my own experience, I find it best not to underestimate those who could be considered the weak link." He paused "Besides, brute strength is a poor substitute for skill. If I am correct, the militia have sacrificed intellect for simple power. As a student yourself, I assume you see the folly in that specific way of thinking."
The girl slowly nodded her head "Yes, I suppose that makes sense. I would rather have my brains than muscle like that oaf Raphael."
"Brute strength of your classmates aside, you have one of the Chruch's elite knights with you and-" He paused as he gestured to Catherine, his eyes staring at the sword on her hip. Lysithea watched as his eyes widened before squinting, his lip slowly curling in disgust before they trailed over to Seteth, the man watching the procession from atop his Wyvern mount perched on the gatehouse. "That is unexpected." Goetia muttered, shaking his head and dismissing whatever thought he had at the time "As I was saying. You have the aid of the elite knights to support you, and your role is to simply fight Lord Lonato."
Goetia paused for a few moments "In truth, I am more concerned with how Young Ashe reacts to the mission of killing his own father, but that is within Byleth's realm of concern."
Lysithea widened her eyes in realisation, having forgotten entirely that the Blue Lion boy was the adopted son of the Lord in question "Do you think-"
"I can make no claims to his current feelings." Goetia replied "I have known the feeling of disappointment and disgust in one's progenitor...But I doubt the boy feels that right now." he shrugged "Regardless, once Lord Lonato is either dead or captured, it will be a simple matter to put an end to the rest of his forces."
"Hey!" Claude's voice called out from where the Class was "Lysithea! We're leaving!"
Lysithea turned towards Claude, giving a quick nod before looking back to Goetia "I shall do my best to return, Teacher."
"Of course you will." Goetia frowned at her "Having you die a simple death in such a way after investing my time in you would be a pity." Lysithea cracked a tiny smile in response "One more thing." he held up his lone hand to stop her before she left, tilting her head to the side, she watched as his hand went to his robe pocket before it pulled out a simply bracelet made of twine, handing it to her.
Lysithea took it, blinking at it in confusion before staring up at him "Teacher? What is it?"
"A…" Goetia paused, working his jaw for a few moments before reply "Good luck charm." he replied, although Lysithea felt there was more to it than that, but she nodded her head "It will remain on your person until you remove it."
The girl nodded her head, fitting the simply accessory to her wrist and watching as the small inscriptions along the surface glowed a subtle green before snugly fitting around her wrist. Neither too tight nor too loose.
"Thank you, Teacher." Lysithea bowed to him "I will ensure I return so that your teachings do not go to waste!" with those parting words, she quickly rushed back to Claude.
"A little old for friendships bracelets, aren't you?" Claude joked to her as soon as she was within range of him. Her mildly pleased expression soured instantly, replaced with a scowl aimed in his direction. Her hand moving to cover up the small twine ring around her wrist.
"It is not a friendship bracelet." She almost hissed at him "It is clearly a magical construct of some kind."
"Right, right." Claude held up his hands in mock surrender to her, his expression set in a carefree smile "...It just so happens to look like something little kids give to their best friends."
"Why you-!"
"Oi." Jeralt grunted as he strode past them "Get a move on. I don't care if she's been secretly passing letters to her crush, if you dawdle anymore you'll miss the whole battle."
"I could live with that you know." Hilda remarked, then let out a small 'eep' as Jeralt aimed a glare in her direction.
"While I'm sure you could, you're quite an important part of the plan meaning quite a few others wouldn't." He nodded his head towards the gate "So get going."
"Yes, sir." Hilda sighed, falling into step with her classmates as they made for the gate alongside the soldiers. Jeralt watched her drag herself with a sigh, he reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head before turning his eyes to the side. Just in time to catch a glimpse of Goetia's golden hair as the man disappeared through the crowd and back into the monastery.
While he would certainly appreciate the help that Goetia would have provided them, he didn't blame the man in the least for not taking part. In truth, this was the kind of thing that Jeralt himself had hoped to avoid entirely when he left the knights. Other reasons excluded, as a mercenary you weren't traditionally hired to deal with hold rebellions.
The worst he ever had to face were bandit raids.
He missed the simpler times already.
Goetia's expression was blank the entire time he journeyed towards the library. Moving into the room, he looked around briefly. Most of the scholars had gone with the army, considering they had some manner of light magic they could use for healing it was expected of them. The only exceptions being himself and Tomas who remained, the latter simply because he was an old man.
Or at the very least, he appeared that way to everyone else.
He also noted that Tomas was currently not within the Library, not that he cared much. Whatever the man under the guise of the Librarian had to do was none of his concern, it also worked out to his benefit in this situation.
Moving over to the front desk, he sat himself down in the chair. Reaching into his robe pocket, he withdrew a small doll. Made from the same twine as the bracelet he had gifted Lysithea, the small effigy in the shape of a human with a small green gem in the centre of its chest which glowed brightly.
He stared at it for a few moments before he sat it to one side, ensuring it was still within the corner of his eye.
The rather startling revelation that the Hero's Relics appeared to be constructed out of dragon bones was certainly unexpected, especially because of who had them to begin with.
He had barely skimmed over the history of the relics, but he had been certain there was no mention of Dragons within Fodlan's history at all.
Rising from his seat, he made his way over to the bookshelves containing history. This was one particular conundrum he was going to have answered. Dragons were always territorial, however the actions of those living within the Monastery were outside of the norm for dragon behaviour.
If all the weapons were presumably made of dragon bones, it begged the question as to why. He could have argued for it being useful for dealing with different factions of dragons during the initial establishment of the Church, perhaps they needed to eliminate them. However, the complete lack of any type of mention of dragons was peculiar.
He would have another read through of history. If nothing else, it would at least take his mind of other matters.
Seteth's wyvern landed onto the rock edge which overlooked the path. His eyes narrowed as he stared across their soon to be battlefield. The fact that the journey here had taken only several hours honed the point of just how close Lord Lonato and his forces were to the Church.
He turned his head back down to the front line, the soldiers already setting up positions. The more heavily armoured knights moved to the front of the line, slamming their tower shields into the ground and readying their spears.
The small detachment of archers came in behind them. He looked behind them to see Shamir and her small group of trained Rangers climbing the rock face at the edge of the path to get into overlooking positions. The entire path was barely ten metres wide, one side was a the large rising face of the mountainside, while the other was a perilous drop into the misty depths below them.
It was, apparently, the best place for a battle. Seteth could acknowledge it. It certainly dealt with their issue of being outnumbered and prevented them from being flanked. He slowly looked up to the side of the mountain, nearing the stop with a small frown.
He found it difficult to justify the strategic choice of using children to carry out their plan beyond sheer desperation. They simply had no one else that they could use. The one good thing he could possibly see coming from this was the fact it had unified all the different House leaders under the same goal, and if they were victorious it would hopefully lead to closer ties between them.
If they won anyway.
A firm hand gripped Claude's shoulder, pulling him away from the edge just as he watched the footing where he had been crumble away and fall down, clattering against the side of the mountain as it tumbled out of sight.
The boy stared blankly at the drop before turning his eyes towards Dimitri's less than impressed gaze.
"...I feel as though every time you go out, it always ends with someone having to save your life Claude." The Prince sighed as he pulled him further away from the edge "I would very much prefer you keep cautious, especially now."
"Right, right." Claude nodded, casting another glance at the edge "...I would like to point out that when I went on the Demonic Beast Hunt, I didn't actually have a close call."
"That is certainly very fortunate."
"Thank you, but my point was that I've almost died twice now and both time I was near you." The boy shrugged, giving a tiny smirk "Maybe you're a bad luck charm."
Dimitri gave an empty laugh in return "Indeed...I have a knack for letting those near me get hurt."
Claude winced, visibly cringing at the response as his shoulders slumped "Dimitri I didn't mean-"
"I know Claude." The boy replied, giving him a smile which very clearly didn't reach his eyes "I am aware that was not your intent...that was my own fault for dragging up the past." his head turned further up the path "Come, we'd best not dawdle any longer, we need to be in position for when the battle begins."
The small column of students with nearly two dozen knights moved along the upper portion of the cliff, just above the main route. The walkway was barely two metres wide, leading to a two person line moving along.
"Once we're in position, we'll need to wait for Shamir's signal." Catherine explained as she walked alongside Byleth "According to some of the older information we had, there's a small incline which leads to a short drop onto the main path. That's what we'll use to get down, and hopefully be able to ambush Lord Lonato."
Byleth nodded, then looked back to the students "There room for further discussion once we can properly observe the terrain?"
Catherine frowned, letting out a low hum before slowly nodding her head "With luck, yes otherwise we'll have to pass messages along." she paused "Why?"
"Want the Archers and Mages to line the ridge rather than drop down with us, they can provide support and spot better."
"Makes sense." Catherine nodded, turning around to face the group "Alright, can you…" she trailed off when she saw who she had turned around to. Her expression changed into a complicated one, Ashe gave her a tired smile.
"I can pass a message along." He replied "You want myself and the other archers to remain on the hill, yes?"
"...Yeah." Catherine nodded, then made to turn back around before she froze for a few moments, chewing on her lip and casting another glance back at the boy "Ashe, right?"
"Yes." He nodded his head "I'll pass along that message."
"Right." Catherine turned back around, schooling her expression quickly. Sothis floated in front of her, invisible to the knight with a small frown on her face, looking over the woman's shoulder to Ashe before sighing.
"It appears that there might be more to this than simply the child's problematic family." She cast a glance over to Byleth "It appears this Catherine may have closer ties with them than previously believed."
Byleth frowned in thought and did well not to send an inquisitive glance in Catherine's direction. Despite whatever personal curiosity she had towards the woman's strange reaction to Ashe, there were more important topics at hand.
"Up ahead." Catherine gestured towards the front of them, the group came to a stop at the start of a small incline going down towards the main path. There was a wide space for them to gather around ten metres moving towards the inside of the cliff, the incline itself went down for several metres before leading to a small drop which didn't appear to be too great to cause any harm to the individuals. Catherine went ahead, poking her head inside the small cave before nodding to herself "In here."
The group filed into the cave before getting into positions. The knights, Catherine and Byleth at the front with the students behind them. Byleth turned her head to stare back the way they came, towards the route where the Church forces were due to gather.
"We'll probably see Lonato's army first." Catherine nodded to herself, then turned around "Keep quiet when they pass, if we alert them to our presence here then the whole plan goes up in smoke."
She got quite mutterings of affirmation in response, the knights and students shuffling into the cave to keep themselves quite.
"...Cosy, huh?"
"Shut up Claude."
"Just saying...Anyone got any good stories?"
"Claude." Edelgard firmly spoke, the boy in question sighed and sat down.
"I'll stop."
The group remained silent for much of their time,. However, by nearly an hour into their wait the knights and Byleth looked far more concerned than before. Sporting a frown, Catherine directed a glance to the entrance of the cave.
"Something isn't right." She whispered "We should have heard them by now. With the time they were making and their numbers, they should at least be audible."
Byleth frowned in response, that didn't bode well for them. The woman crouched down, silently moving past Catherine as she made her way towards the entrance of the cave. Once she passed the mouth, she slowly peaked over the edge of the incline towards the road.
Her eyes widened in shock.
The entire road was covered in a thick blanket of fog, she couldn't make out anything below. No, that wasn't right. She could vaguely, if she squinted hard enough, make out some shapes moving through the fog but there was no sound.
Nothing.
"That fog…" Sothis muttered, a look of surprise coming to her face "That fog is...wrong." the Goddess muttered, shaking her head "Its wrong...I can clearly see something moving in it but there is not a sound to be heard and it is far too sudden."
Byleth nodded, crawling back to the cave whereupon she came face to face with Catherines expectant face "Well?" the knight whispered to her.
"Fog covering the road." She replied "Might be magical. Can see some shapes but can't hear anyone."
Catherine widened her eyes in alarm, looking over Byleth's shoulder to the mouth of the cave "...Shit." she cursed under her breath "We have no idea how long its been there...you're sure you could see shapes?"
Byleth nodded.
"Must be magical then, dammit!" Clicking her tongue, the knight scowled "If we can't see them, we have no idea where Lonato could be until we were right on top of him."
"Mages will be at the back, keeping it up." Byleth murmured "If they die, the fog will lift."
"True, but we can't risk splitting into two groups when we can barely see our hands in front of our faces." She slowly crept past Byleth towards the entrance of the cave "There's also the issue of the Church soldiers…"
Seteth frowned as he stared down at the fog moving over them. It was far too sudden and far too convenient to be anything other than a magical creation. He was aware of at least several court mages in the Gaspard region, but never had he envisaged something to this scale. Not that such spells for creating small fogs were uncommon, but they were localised and certainly didn't appear to be this effective.
It would make it difficult for Shamir and her rangers to provide accurate support if they couldn't see their targets clearly.
The grasp of the fog passed over the front lines, the knights muttering to themselves as they stared out in front of them.
Jeralt stood at the front of the line, halberd tightly held in his grasp as he looked out in front of him with a scowl. He could already tell this was the work of a mage, but it was all wrong. They had barely seen the fog coming before it was already upon them, however they couldn't hear a damn thing coming from it.
The fog passed over him.
Jeralt felt as though ice had been rammed up his spine as something washed over his body, as soon as he found himself unable to see barely a few metres in front of him, he heard it.
The sound of heavy footfalls. Hundreds of them rushing towards them. It was so sudden and so loud that there couldn't have been any chance that they missed them.
If it weren't for the face the other knights around him instantly shifted into a state of readiness, he would have thought he was going senile in his old age. Shifting the halberd so he held it in two hands, he assumed a stance of his own as he prepared himself.
The echo of sprinting got louder and louder.
A blur rushed past him and he heard the tell-tale sound of something meaty slamming into heavy armour, which was soon followed by the sound of steel colliding with the ground and a panicked gasp from someone. He dared not look in the direction as the sound of a piercing thud came to his ears and something collapsed to the ground.
"Steady…" Jeralt growled out to the knights, who began to nervously shuffle. He risked a look to his left and would have gaped had he not other things to worry about.
The knight who had barrelled over remained on the ground, unmoving with the body of a peasant in rags slumped over him. The knight to the right of the pair ripped his spear out of the peasant and looked to his comrade before visibly recoiling.
Jeralt honestly didn't blame him.
He knew that a helmet was not supposed to bend that far inwards.
Looking back to the front, he wet his dry lips as more of the shadowy blurs slowly became more visible.
Or rather, they were visible for a split second.
Then hundreds of foaming at the mouth crazies were upon them in a heartbeat, literally throwing themselves at the nearest knight.
"Spears!" Jeralt just about shouted out the command before being shoulder barged. He felt the air forcibly leave his lungs in a short gasp as it felt he had been kicked by a mule, made worse when his assailant looked no older than eighteen. Although it was hard to tell with the crazed expression on his face, his eyes were a bright red and frantic, the boy swung his short sword towards the mercenary captain faster than should have been possible.
He was thankful for Seteth's report or he might not have been ready, he stepped back as the blade passed just shy of his body before he slammed the butt of his halberd into the boys throat. The individual recoiled backwards, more instinctive than anything else due to the lack of change in facial expression. Although it was more than enough, swinging the halberd the other way, he brought the bladed side down through the head of his attacker before retching it free and kicking the body away.
He barely had a second rest before another shadow charged towards him.
This time it was a grey haired old man.
The knights along the front line buckled as the militia threw themselves at them. Several were barrelled over, leaving a slight gap in the lines which were quickly exploited by nearly a dozen fast moving berserker's.
The nearby archer had barely enough time to look surprised before his head was removed from his shoulders. His attacker continued charging forth, another knight caught sight of them and raised their shield to block the downwards slash.
They needn't have bothered.
Cutting through hardened steel as if it were made of paper, the sword cleaved through the man's forearm, the two halves of the shield fell to the ground and the knight barely began screaming before another berserker was upon him, slamming into him with enough force to knock him to ground before they began to bring their sword down on them repeatedly in wild slashes.
Seteth stared down at the fog with a small frown. He hadn't heard anything from the knights, whereas he had been occasionally hearing the odd shuffle of armour it had now become quiet.
Too quiet.
He was beginning to feel a cold sense of dread creep up his spine, he cast a glance further up the line where the fog hadn't yet touched the troops. All of whom were standing around with an obvious sense of confusion about them.
A scream split the air.
Seteth instantly fixed his sight on the edge of the fog as a woman in baking apron came charging out, covered head to toe in blood with a wild expression on her face. The fact she was missing an arm not registering to her as a problem caught him completely, and the closest knight to her, completely off guard.
It was a greater mistake for the knight. The woman shot towards him with much more speed than she had any right too, slashing towards his midsection.
The knight raised his sword to block the strike.
Only to watch in muted horror as sword was shattered instantly and the blade carried on, cutting through his plate armour and splitting him in half. The woman made to turn to her next target before an arrow to her head stopped her. Seteth glanced in the direction of the attack to see Shamir nock another arrow, her expression somewhat shaken.
It hit the pair of them at the same time.
They hadn't heard the woman until she cleared the fog. The pair instantly turned their sights back to the grey river of mist below them with a new sense of dread.
He nodded to Shamir, the woman reached onto her belt and soon removed a small ball of kindling, wrapping it around the arrowhead, she then pulled out a small bottle and poured it over the arrow in question. Soon reaching for flint and lighting it up in a spark, nocking the arrow she then aimed it upwards before shooting it into the sky.
"Archers!" Seteth called out, swinging his spear over his head "Aim further up the fog, away from our lines!"
They couldn't see what they were shooting at, but it was at least guaranteed they probably wouldn't hit their own men.
"That's the signal." Catherine grunted, watching as the burning arrow was shot into the air before looking down into the fog and raising her sword "With me." she called out to the knights before sliding down the incline and jumping into the fog, soon disappearing without a sound. The two dozen knights followed after her.
"What about us?" Dimitri asked as he came to a stop near Byleth "Shall we follow her?"
The woman nodded, unsheathing her sword and jumping into the fog after them.
"Blue Lions!" Dimitri exclaimed "Follow our Teacher!"
The students, although far more visibly hesitant, followed after their House Leaders as they jumped into the fog.
The moment Catherine's feet touched the ground, she was already parrying away a blow that would have taken her head. The woman grit her teeth at the power behind her attacker. A rather malnourished looking old woman, this entire situation rubbed her the wrong way. Not least of all because of her attackers but also because of the state they were in. None of them were in their right frame of mind.
She had known Lonato, known that he bore a grudge against the Church, and more specifically against her, for years following the death of Christophe.
However she never even imagine in her cruellest nightmares that he could stoop as low as this.
The old woman stumbled with the parry before trying to raise her sword to press the attack. Catherine brought Thunderbrand down through her collarbone, killing the old woman instantly with a disgusted grimace before looking around her. She could barely make out the knights next to her as they tried to fight through their own attackers.
She looked down at Thunderbrand as an idea came to mind, the sword glowed a brilliant orange before she raised it above her head "Rally to me!" she cried out, attracting the attention of all the other knights and students alongside her "Stay close to my sword."
It wasn't a good plan to attract the attention of everyone within earshot to her.
Soon proven when a six foot tall man wielded a sword bore down on her, clearly he had been a lumberjack of some variety. Slamming his sword into her own, the man leered down at her with a crazed expression. Catherine found her knee's buckling as he applied more strength to his attack.
The tip of a steel sword erupted from the front of his chest, causing the man to halt before it was just as quickly removed from him. The man's eyes lost their light before he slumped over. Catherine let out a sigh of relief, barely catching sight of Byleth as the woman was instantly assaulted by another individual. Catherine herself soon found no shortage of targets as they wildly threw themselves at the group.
Lemegeton watched the horde charge forwards into the front line of the Church. They behaved little more than animals in their current condition, but it was a state he needed to truly hone down the threat that existed.
It would better benefit them.
They narrowed their eyes tilting his head slightly as they focused further into their bounded field. There was someone there. They could sense them at the forefront of the Church knights at the very edge of his bounded field.
They were like them, or at least like their host body. They had the blood of a dragon within them.
They raised himself up, a new thought coming to mind.
"Is something the matter?" They soon stopped, turning to look down at Lord Lonato, the man raising an eyebrow at him.
Lemegeton shook their head "It is merely a desire to do more, Lord Lonato." they replied smoothly "I feel as though I can accomplish more to further your goal from a more active standpoint."
Lonato frowned at him "What of the 'berserkers'?" he asked "Will they not pose a danger to you?"
They gave an easy smile in response "The swords are my own creation, Lord Lonato. I have nothing to fear from their wielders."
"And should you encounter one of the Church knights?"
"I do not mean to boast…" They chuckled in response "But as you can see, I am no stranger to combat." they gestured to their body, although the majority of it was covered in a dark cloak. A hood cast a shadow over their face so that all that could be seen were their eyes.
And the red orbs with dark cross shaped pupils stared back without a hint of malice or arrogance. Lonato frowned for a few moments more before he grunted "Very well...I can understand the need to personally fight the heathens." he growled "Especially that woman…"
"Indeed." Lemegeton nodded their head, turning away from the Lord and moving towards the front lines, the mob of sword wielders stood aside as they passed them, moving towards the point of interest.
Their only other source of information on the blending of Divine blood of these phantasmals had come from their own host body. The information that could be learned from this one was far too valuable to be lost in a simple engagement such as this.
They would need to observe it first hand.