Prologue) An Inevitable Encounter

The continent of Fodlan, blessed by a revered goddess, has existed since time immemorial, according to the stories. That isn't to say it has been a peaceful place. Countless wars have ripped across its lands. The War of Heroes, where, according to the scriptures first penned by Saint Cichol himself, Saint Seiros had to slay the corrupted King of Liberation, Nemesis. The War of the Eagle and Lion, a civil war instigated by Loog, the King of Lions, who refused to accept Emperor Aldric's ascension after his brutal and bloody coup, and led to the formation of the Kingdom. The Crescent Moon War, where lords of the west did not accept the chosen heir of their lands and split off to form their own republic, an alliance of lords. Those are just the more famous ones, mind. Mercenaries knew well that Fodlan has known no peace at all. Not completely, at least.

Still, the three ruling powers of Fodlan are at least in relative harmony with each other. To the south lies the Adrestian Empire, a land held by a more than one-thousand year long dynasty, though the Insurrection of the Seven in recent years has withered the power of the ruling family to nothing more than a shriveled weed. To the frozen north lies the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, ruled by the descendents of Wolf King Blaiddyd and the King of Lions, Loog, and known equally for its chivalrous, self-righteous zealotry of knights. To the east lies the Leicester Alliance, a league of nobles who heed no king or emperor, nor do they pay attention to anything but themselves, constantly playing petty games in order to boost their own fortunes, often at the expense of others.

Not a one of these powers are stable. The Empire is openly ruled by corrupt nobles who care more for taxes and power than the well-being of their people, and bleed the land dry in order to glut their ravenous greed. The Kingdom is a nest of bandits and turbulence due to the incompent Regent who rules in place of a beloved, and slain, king, and the troubles that come from their hypocritical, zealous slaying of an entire country of innocents. The Alliance is one in name and name alone, with each noble eager to pounce on the slightest bit of weakness from their supposed allies, like starving predators who have lost all sense due to gluttony.

In the midst of all of this is the technically neutral fourth power of Fodlan, the Church. Supposedly a beacon of faith and sanctuary, too often have I heard the pretty songs they sing, only to see their knights and priests do the exact opposite. And their 'pretty songs' of the past… everyone knows the victors write history. How many things are hiding behind those songs? How many secrets? Quite a few, I'm sure, and they're kept secret so that the Church can keep its power. A shining citadel, built on a foundation of corpses. Given how Fodlan is, there is nothing else they can be.

I see it all and want to retch. I hate battle. I hate war. As a mercenary, I've seen far too much of both to ever believe that peace is possible. As a mercenary, I've long grown weary of those who claim to fight and sacrifice in the name of the 'greater good'. After all, those who 'sacrifice the few for the many' are never the ones who make the sacrifices. They pay others to do so, weighing their lives and spilt blood in gold coin and empty ideals. They ignore the ashes of the fallen, ignore the screaming silence that answers them when they reassure the dead that it will all be 'worth it', in the end.

So, why keep going? Well, despite this war ravaged wreck of a land, there are still people worth fighting for and, despite being a blood drenched monster, I like seeing those bits of beauty. And if it means that one less child has to walk a path of war in order to grasp happiness, then I'm willing to keep going. Let the monster destroy. It's all I'm good for, anyway.

"Malcolm, you shouldn't swing your sword in such a wide arc. It leaves you open for retaliation and leaves you unbalanced. Pull your shoulder back a little." Nearby, Malcolm yelled 'got it!' and did his best to adjust, swinging again. "That's better. Move your feet apart, though. Your stance is too narrow. Makes you unstable" While I instructed him, I carefully weaved some flowers in my lap, going slowly so that Crystal could mimic my movements. "You're pinching the stem too tightly, Crystal. Lighten your grip a little." Crystal nodded and frowned in concentration, frequently looking between my hands and hers. "There you go. Nice and easy. Flowers have their delicate sides. You have to respect that." Next to me, Richard and Sera cheered in triumph and I looked over to see they had found a solution to the tactical problem I had given them earlier. "Done? Show me, will you? My hands are a little busy."

Things like this were normal whenever I stayed in Remire for a while between jobs. I wasn't sure how good of a teacher I was, but the children were just so earnest that I couldn't help but oblige them. Particularly since the lessons were so important to them. Malcolm, for instance, wanted to learn how to fight so that he could protect his big sister and, more importantly, his newborn niece. Crystal wanted help with weaving flower crowns, to surprise her overworking mother when the Garland Moon came. Richard and Sera, meanwhile, hoped to become squires with the church in order to secure steady funds for their families. It was interesting, trying to juggle all the lessons, but their smiles made everything worth it.

"Well, I see someone is the most popular girl in the village again~!" Madeline's cheerful laugh drew me from my thoughts, just as she slipped behind me to wrap her arms around my shoulders in a hug and press her cheek affectionately against mine. "As per usual," she continued laughed, muffling it into a giggle so that she didn't hurt my ears. She smelled of bleach and lavender, hinting she had spent the morning doing laundry. I wasn't surprised since her mother was still recovering from her difficult pregnancy and birthing. "Why, it's almost enough to make a girl jealous!" She squeezed me, though, to emphasize that she was teasing. "Also, you smell freaking amazing. New perfume?"

"Dad bought me some as a new year's gift," I confirmed, continuing to show Crystal how to weave the flowers, while watching Malcolm practice and doing my best to listen to Sera and Richard. "It's the Great Tree Moon, after all." Though, really, Dad used that as an excuse. He loved spoiling Azrael and me with random gifts. "Sera, can you repeat your thoughts for why you put your mages in that location? I didn't catch that first part."

"Wow, you're really keeping track of it all." Madeline rested her chin on my shoulder to let me listen and sighed when Sera finished up. "Wow, my head spins just from hearing that. You two are so amazing!"

"Yes, Sera and Richard are doing very well." I smiled slightly when both of them blushed and preened from the praise. "You two join Malcolm for weapons practice while I think of another scenario for you, okay?" They both nodded and scrambled up to grab their own practice weapons, a lance for Richard and an axe for Sera, and lined up next to Malcolm to warm up. And to tease and praise Malcolm, since he really was doing a great job. "How is your mother doing?"

"She's doing fine, and so is my baby brother." Madeline sighed in relief, and I knew why. Not only had it been a difficult birthing, but her baby brother had nearly died as well. "I'm still convinced you breathed life into him."

"I just cleared his airway." Then had used my magic to keep him warm and help him hold onto the sparks he already had until they could be coaxed into a flame. It was no miracle or anything; a properly trained healer, especially one with Faith magic, would have done the same thing. "It was his own will that saved him. He must've looked forward to having you as a sister, to fight so hard."

"Oh, come on! Let me just praise you for once!" She 'hmphed', but then was back to giggling. Her hug didn't loosen one bit either. "Oh, hey, is that…?"

"Yes, it is." I didn't even have to look up to know it was Azrael. We always knew where the other was, after all.

"Looks almost like a party!" he laughed as he joined us, dancing around the three weapon practicers to not mess them up. The dirt clinging to his gloves and clothes, and smeared across his cheek, hinted he had been helping in the fields as he usually did. "Hmm? Why are you teaching Crystal how to make a garland now?" He leaned down to peer over Crystal's shoulder, tilting his head to the side curiously as he watched. "We're a ways off still, right?"

"It's so that she can practice, Azrael!" Madeline laughingly scolded. She didn't mention that it was also because Crystal had wanted to learn from me. I'd probably tell Azrael later. He knew as well as I did that because of jobs, we might not be here during the Garland Moon. Mercenaries had no easy schedules. "Besides, it's closer than you think. There's already speculation abound over who will get one from who!" She stood and clasped her hands behind her back, leaning forward slightly to create a coy air about her. "What do you think? You going to get one?" Azrael immediately pointed to me, which he should. I always made two garlands for the Garland Moon: one for Dad and one for Azrael. "I meant besides Byleth."

"Then I don't know?" Azrael shrugged, uncaring of the topic. "If I do, then I do?"

"So, you won't be against getting one from someone besides your twin?"

"No?" Azrael glanced at me in confusion, even though he should've sensed that I had no idea either. "Don't think so, at least. Why?"

"I'm trying to tease and wiggle out if you've a crush or not, but alas! It seems to not be the case." She stuck her tongue out at him, and Azrael finally decided to just smile and nod to play along. It always felt like Madeline was saying more than she did when things like this came up, but neither of us knew what it could be. "You know how much I love to tease."

"And yet, you often fail at it miserably."

"So mean!" Madeline whimpered and whined a bit, exaggerating a pout before sitting back down behind me to hug me tightly. "Byleth, however did you get such a meanie for a twinnie?"

Azrael playfully protested, and the two 'argued' over my head while I continued showing Crystal how to weave flowers and kept an eye on Malcoln, Richard, and Sera to make sure they weren't straining themselves while practicing. It was loud, but not in a bad way. It was rather comforting, especially when Crystal finished her first flower crown and everyone stopped what they were doing to gush and praise it.

One of the reasons why Remire was 'home' was because of how warmly they treated everyone. Even Azrael and me, despite me being a monster and he being a monster's twin. I would always be grateful to them for it.

I dreamed of war again. A war I had never seen, never could have seen, but saw in perfect clarity. Felt in perfect clarity. The cold rain froze my skin until it cracked. The pounding feet and hooves on the earth made my bones rattle and creak. The falling blood filled my mouth and lungs with iron until I could no longer breathe. The screams ripped through my ears until they bled. I felt no pain, of course. This was a dream. But I felt everything else. Saw everything else. Not that it mattered what I saw. After all, I had seen this dream many times in the past. It never changed.

Armies stretched beyond the horizon, and as they clashed, countless soldiers died. By blade, by magic… it didn't matter. Once they were dead, they fell and more simply took their place. In the center of it all, two people in particular fought, a one-on-one duel amidst the madness. 'Lady Seiros', according to the soldiers, and Nemesis. Fighting brutally amidst the mud, slinging blood about each time they swung… that is, until Seiros disarmed Nemesis and kicked him to the ground. And stabbed him brutally with hate-drenched, pain-saturated words I could hear echo through my skull, even when awake. 'Tell me, Nemesis, do you recall the Red Canyon?! You'll die for that! Die! DIE! You took everything that I loved!'

Then the cheers. The cheers as the soldiers realized the fighting was over at last. The cheers that heralded the sun breaking through the storm clouds. And in the sunlight, Seiros cradled Nemesis's blade to her chest, nuzzled the blood-stained blade as if it were a person, and whispered to her mother about how 'he' was gone. As always, that's when it ended. From there, the dream yanked me back and various images assaulted me. Buildings made of nothing but metal and glass, stretching up so tall that they scraped the sky. Wars where there were no blades, but these metal sticks that made loud noises. Large javelins made of a strange metal, that flew through the sky and demolished whatever it hit. All sorts of images that made no sense to me at all.

Then it was all gone. I was instead in some sort of stone chamber filled with strange yet beautiful carvings and statues. They marked a very clear path towards the back of the room or, rather, the staircase to the throne. There, a young girl slept. As she always did. I had dreamed of her ever since I could remember my dreams, and she never changed. A child with pointed ears and an unusual shade of green for her hair, dressed in a style I had never seen before. Not in any of my travels, or in any of the books I had read. She used the armrest as her pillow, cushioning the stone with her arms, and she never stirred, no matter what. Even if I tried, and I had in the past, she would never so much as twitch. Because of that, I paid her little mind and, instead, began to look for an 'exit'. It would always be in a different place, but whenever I found it, I would wake up. And I wanted to wake up. I could still feel the churned earth in my bones, taste the iron blood in my mouth. My ears still rattled from the raucous noise.

"Oh, my." A voice I had never heard, strangely young and terrifyingly old at the same time. A big yawn, followed by sleepy mumblings. Though there could only be one source for the sudden noise, I was still startled when I turned to find the girl was actually awake, rubbing at her eyes. "What could have brought you here?" she asked, leaning forward to stare right at me. Her eyes, I saw, were the same unusual green as her hair. "It is most rude to interrupt a moment of repose, you know. Most rude, indeed."

"I am afraid this is my dream, and that this is the first time in fifteen to twenty years that you have stirred," I replied, feeling strange. My voice echoed through the room, an indication of how huge it was. But I could see no true walls or ceiling. Just blackness. "That's a bit long for a 'moment'."

"Hmmm… perhaps. But now I wonder why you come here in your dreams." She sat up straight and beckoned to me, her gaze serious. "Come to me, won't you? I wish to have a good look at you." Not knowing what else to do, I simply did as she asked and approached. Walking until I was at the base of the stairs. Nothing like this had happened before. Why would it change now? "Hmm… yes, I've not seen the likes of you before. What are you anyway?"

"A demon." At least, that was the more common term people dubbed me, nowadays.

Still, she frowned and shook her head. "Do not deceive me. You would do well to keep your wit in line."

"Sorry, I'm a ghost." That was another thing I had heard over the years. Monster, demon, fey, ghost… nothing human, and forever something to be feared and hated.

"What did I just say?" She scowled now, and I shrugged. "You are human, are you not?"

"...Well, I'm mortal." A monster like me wasn't human. But I could be killed. Eventually.

"Bah, fine, be difficult." She sighed heavily, and shook her head. "Well, you have a name, yes? What is it?"

"Byleth."

"Byleth, huh? Pretty, but I shall never grow accustomed to the sound of human names." She yawned again, and leaned to the side to lay her head against the armrest again. "Still, this is all so… ah, forgive me. But I think it's time for…" Another yawn. "Another nap…" She closed her eyes and settled to sleep. "It is… almost time to… mmm… begin…"

'Begin what?' I wanted to ask. But before I could, something yanked me away. Into the darkness and I panicked because I hated the dark. I hated, hated, hated the dark. I never had something like this happen before. Why had she awakened? Why was I being yanked? Why? Why, why, why? I...

"Hey, kiddo, wake up." Dad's gentle voice roused me, saved me from the dark. I still choked and coughed, struggling to breathe as I transitioned from 'asleep and terrified' to 'awake and confused'. "Whoa, easy there…" When I rolled onto my side, Dad rubbed my back, waiting for me to get coherent. "Did you dream of a war again?"

"Yeah," I croaked, still coughing. I made myself at least sit up, even if I couldn't get out of bed yet. Dad sat down next to me to let me rest on his shoulder, and to still rub my back. "The same one as last time…"

"Massive armies clashing on a vast field, right? In the rain?" He switched to stroking my hair, knowing how much that soothed me. "There hasn't been a battle like that in three centuries. The Crescent Moon War was the last one, I think."

"Yeah…" And if the names were 'correct', then it was even older than that. Over a thousand years old, in fact. "Then it shifted to that girl again."

"The girl sleeping on a stone throne, right?" He sighed, and I knew he was thinking of how none of us had met anyone like the girl before. And no doubt fretting over the weird dreams, as he always did. To have such consistent dreams was more than abnormal, and yet, I did. I always had. "She just sleeps and sleeps."

"Well, this time was different, actually." I looked up at him, and he frowned. Because when something so consistent suddenly changed, you knew something had to be wrong. Like how a simple rock coming loose on a mountain would trigger a landslide. "She woke up. And talked to me."

"...She did, huh?" That was all he said, but he turned to gather me up in a hug, still stroking my hair. Both because he knew how unnerved I was and to try and hide his own worry. Because he always worried. That's just how he was, when it came to us. I would never understand just why Dad, of all people, ended up with someone like me as a child, but I was grateful for it. I would always be grateful for him.

"Mmm… hey, what's going on?" Azrael yawned loudly, stumbling sleepily into my room. He mumbled something under his breath before flopping down next to Dad and curling up in his lap. "It's too early to be awake…"

"Our next job is in Gautier lands, so truthfully, you needed to be awake an hour ago," Dad reminded us. Azrael just groaned and pointedly pretended to fall asleep. Since I agreed with the sentiment, I continued resting on Dad's shoulder. "We need to leave at dawn. Though, you already being awake makes me worried, considering I normally have to threaten to throw ice water on you to get you to even consider waking at any hour before dawn." That was true. Azrael hated waking up early. Almost as much as he hated needles. "The wind wake you?"

"Not really…" Azrael's words were half-mumbled, hinting he was actually dozing. "Felt Byleth's panic." Yeah, that happened a lot… I was also grateful I had a twin willing to put up with things like this. "But I guess the wind is a little restless. Maybe."

"Then how about you and Byleth take a walk to wake up and figure out why that is? If it's trouble, we'll want to nip it in the bud."

"Nnn… don't wanna…" Still, Azrael reluctantly sat up and yawned again before stretching. "I swear to creation, if some kids locked themselves in the grain storage again, I'm leaving them for the mice."

"You might, but Byleth won't." He was right about that. "Up and at 'em, twins."

"Uuugghh…"

Dad had to prod us a little more for us to actually get moving, though the last few times were just us being difficult for the fun of it, which he knew. Once we left the house, Azrael and I meandered through the village, with me following him as he let the wind direct him however it wanted to. Instead, I just looked around, fear softening for fondness when I noticed some of the other villagers were awake. While some were simply early risers, the farms required a lot of work, I knew from experience that others were awake to see us off. It was just… something the people of Remire did. Whenever someone left, at least one of the other villagers saw them off. More if they could manage it.

Sadly, I couldn't fondly watch over everyone for long. Azrael stiffened just as the wind surged and we heard a loud scream on the edge of town, near the forest. Both of us rushed towards the sound, easily making it to the outskirts thanks to how clear the streets were. That's when we first saw something unusual. Three strangers in clothes that screamed 'rich and noble', but uniform enough to hint to some sort of organization. Some sort of army, based on the weapons they held. They were talking to Madeline (no doubt up early because of her baby brother), or they had been before something in the woods made them yell. Easy to see why that was, though. Far too easy.

Either one of the children had, in fact, gotten themselves stuck in the grain storage again or they had simply stayed awake to be among those who saw us off… But either way, now, they were on the edge of the woods and the target of more strangers with weapons. But unlike the three by Madeline, the mix-matched, ill-maintained armor and the chipped and dulled axes suggested 'bandits'. Highly unusual. Bandits didn't typically linger long in this area; it wasn't profitable enough. More unusual, though, was the number. Already, there were more than you saw for a typical raiding party and definitely more than you saw for a scouting. Based on the three rich and noble strangers, I'd guess they were the targets for whatever reason. Money (via ransom and theft), torture and rape, death (possibly hired for that one)... what you saw depended on what sort of bandits they were, and why they took up banditry in the first place, but all the reasons could usually be boiled down to those three. The one going after a child with a vicious smile… they hinted to all three, actually.

It took only a second to analyze the situation, and only half of a second to react. I purposely trailed behind Azrael as he surged forward, knowing (as I always did) what he planned. After all, he planned it because he knew (as he always did) what I would do. We had always been like that, knowing each others' thoughts and feelings as well as our own. Communicating with looks and gestures as much as spoken words. Another thing that set us apart from others, but it was useful in situations like this. Very useful.

"Move," Azrael hissed in a cold voice as soon as he was close enough to grab the bandit by the strap of their leather cuirass. He had the wind tear through the bandit as he threw them up and behind, sending blood and viscera flying through the air. Quite a bit fell on him, or bounced off, but he didn't care. He never did. To Azrael, a rain of blood was little different from a storm's rain, and body parts were only different from rocks in that they didn't hurt quite as much when they hit you.

I wasn't quite so apathetic towards the blood and limbs, but I had more important things to focus on. Now that I was close, I could see that the child in danger was Nicole, who often stayed up through the night to make good luck charms whenever we headed out on jobs. She had three hooked around shaking hands as she instinctively reached out to me, desperate for safety with the smell of blood and death in the air. I snatched her up and pulled her close just in time to see another bandit emerge from the shadows of the trees. With my hands (or, rather, arms) occupied, I couldn't call to the flames, but it was easy enough to dodge the axe. I twisted to kick them in the stomach before darting back towards the village proper. Azrael lingered behind, to deal with two more bandits that appeared.

I mentally cursed when yet another bandit burst from the foliage, especially because my footing wasn't ideal for dodging, but I managed well enough to only catch a graze on my arm. Pain spiked up to my shoulder, but I didn't loosen my grip on Nicole. I wasn't worried about the injury; I knew it would heal. All wounds did, and mine healed faster than most. I did worry about how to dodge the next strike, but it didn't matter. One of the rich strangers, the blonde who wore a blue cape, recklessly charged forward to hold off the bandit with a lance. Another of the strangers, the only girl, quickly joined him, throwing her axe about with the brute force of someone far too used to simply overpowering her enemies. But that wasn't my problem for right now. Especially since I made it to Madeline.

"Here, take her," I ordered her, handing her Nicole. Nicole's face was ghost-white from shock, and her hands shook as she clung to Madeline's dress. Without thinking about it, I smoothed her hair out of her face, and got a trembling smile in return. Good, she could smile still… "Get someone to get Dad, will you? We'll hold them here." Without hesitation, Madeline nodded and darted off, carrying Nicole easily and yelling for others in the village to wake up. Okay, Dad would take care of them, so...

"Well, certainly didn't expect to run into mercenaries in a place like this," one of the rich strangers noted, the only one to linger back. He carried a bow, so I just mentally dubbed him 'Bow-boy'. There was no time for anything fancier. "Sorry to bother with all this, but the bandits are sadly after our lives. Not to mention our gold." He waved when Axe-girl and Lance-boy joined us. Lance-boy bled sluggishly from an arm wound. "Hail, oh conquering heroes!"

"Claude, since we're really only in this mess because of you, it would behoove you to actually assist," Axe-girl grumbled, scowling at him. Bow-boy grinned, but did draw an arrow from his quiver. "I can't believe they attacked us while we were at rest in our camp."

"Quite rude of them, huh?" Bow-boy snickered. "Maybe we should've sat them down with etiquette lessons with Lorenz and Ferdinand."

"I… well…" Her scowl cracked for a little smile. "Oh, very well. The mental image is entertaining."

"Miss, are you all right?" Lance-boy asked, turning to face me. It still took a moment to realize he was actually speaking to me. Most didn't, especially during a battle. "You took an injury, I believe."

"It's just a graze," I replied, confused. Strangers didn't usually ask how I was. "Give me your arm."

"Hmm? Ah, I suppose I am injured." He actually tried to hide his arm, though. That was something I was used to. "You don't need to trouble… Edelgard!" However, Axe-girl snatched his sleeve and forced his arm up so that I could take it. "There really is no need…"

"You only got it because you focused on defending my back instead of defending yourself," Axe-girl pointed out crossly. She softened fairly quickly, though. "I'm not sure I like the implication I can't defend myself, but I definitely do not like when others are wounded on my behalf."

"I promise I meant no offense. I simply did not wish to see you injured."

"Save the flirting for later, you two~!" Bow-boy teased, snickering again. His eyes were cold, showing none of the cheer he faked, though I ignored it. Instead, I pushed Lance-boy's sleeve up and ran my fingers along the gash, letting my magic flow free. No poison and no debris inside, so it was safe to simply close up. "...I thought Faith magic was more complicated?" It was. But this wasn't.

"Everything is complicated when you know nothing about it, and simple when you do," Azrael countered, joining us. "Besides, there's even more bandits, so I'd think you should focus more on that and less on my amazing sister." He absently pushed his hair out of his face, to keep it from sticking. It dripped blood, mostly because he was saturated with it. The three strangers looked at each other with some unreadable look and Axe-girl searched through her pockets for something. After a moment, she offered Azrael a handkerchief, for some reason, and actually forced it into his hand. Azrael just raised a brow. "If that's your way of saying 'clean up', then I must regretfully inform you that all battles are messy and we're not done yet."

"That messy, though?"

"You can get lessons on anatomy, blood flow, and blood pressure later. I'm sure as hell not explaining."

At that point, I ignored the conversation, looking over the remaining (and gathering) bandits with a frown, gauging their movements to take a guess at their general direction. And, more importantly, where their leader most likely was. I knew they had to be here, with so many about. Otherwise, there was too high a chance of in-fighting, especially since bandit groups were more often held together by fear. Taking out the boss, therefore, would be the fastest way to end this. Dad would prioritize ensuring everyone was safe before coming to help, so it was just us five for the time being. A quick once-over of the three led me to a tentative plan, and I looked to Azrael, nudging his leg to make sure I had his attention and not whatever the conversation was.

After a moment of studying my face, he nodded, sensing what I needed to be done. "Axe-girl, you're with me," he ordered, taking over speaking. I was glad for it. Now wasn't the time for hesitations, and he was less noticeably a monster than I was, even with the blood drenching him. "Lance-boy, you're with my twin. Bow-boy, if you're capable of climbing, get on a roof and cover. If you're not, pick your favorite and stay with them."

"I… that's it?" Axe-girl asked, frowning. Actually, she could be scowling. "I don't suppose we can discuss whatever we're doing?"

"Why? I doubt you'll come up with something better." Azrael rolled his eyes, and scoffed. "You don't even know how to properly hold an axe."

"Excuse me!?"

"Please hold your honesty until we can afford to risk her attempts to bury her axe into your head," I scolded, relying on my words to emphasize how displeased I was. Azrael winced at the rebuke and sullenly nodded to silently agree with me. "I apologize for the lack of discussion, but miss, would you allow explanations on the way? More are coming, and we would like to keep fighting out of the village."

"Yes, we need to prioritize the villagers' safety, especially since we brought this danger to their doorstep," Lance-boy agreed, though he smiled apologetically to Axe-girl. Axe-girl just rolled her eyes, but nodded to accept. Her worried glance to the village showed she worried just as much as the rest of us. "I am with you then, miss? Please, lead the way."

"This way." With that, I walked towards the northern part of the village, where one of the fire watchtowers were. That area was hilly, poorer for farming, but better for hiding. And good for overlooking multiple battles at once, precisely what a bandit leader would need.

"You know… your wording implied that you thought the same." It took a moment to realize Lance-boy was still speaking to me, even as we walked side by side. "About how Edelgard holds her axe."

"It's a grip that is only good for force. Axes might be as blunt and direct as my twin, but they are capable of a great deal more." Or so Dad drilled into us. "I wouldn't call it 'improper', though." 'Unimaginative' would be more accurate.

"I take it he's often like that, then?" He didn't know the half of it. "Ah, behind us…"

"Hey, wait up!" A glance back showed Bow-boy rushing to catch up. "So, I suck at climbing it seems," he explained once he was close enough. I mentally drafted some scenarios to adapt to the new addition. "I attempted, but I think I'd need a rope or something." He made a face before winking and smiling. The smile didn't reach his eyes. "So, I picked my favorite! Aren't you lucky, Dimitri?"

"You just don't want to be around Edelgard while she's annoyed, Claude," Lance-boy retorted with a teasing smile. His actually reached his eyes, but there were shadows there. "Or, at least, when she's annoyed at someone for something other than your teasing."

"And when there's bandits. I can't properly enjoy the chaos!" Bow-boy continued grinning, and winked again when he faced me. "So, I'm at your disposal! Since apparently you've a plan?"

"Upset that you can't scheme?"

"I'm always scheming. Even when it's not needed."

If the two continued talking, I ignored it. Instead, I resumed walking, scanning the area for hints of activity. It didn't take long at all to find the first bandit, especially since they attempted an ambush attack. Attempted, but failed. They hadn't accounted for how loudly branches rustled, and alerted me long before they appeared. That gave me plenty of time to react and, so, I flipped the bandit over my shoulder to slam them into the ground. Then, while they were disoriented, I wrapped fire around my hand and slammed my fist down on their throat. My knuckles stung from the blow, and pain jolted all the way up to my shoulder. But that was to be expected because I crushed their throat. Blood didn't splatter me, because the fire cauterized what tears I inflicted, but I smelled the blood anyway, along with smoke and rot. I felt them spasm and jerk, desperate for one more breath, but there would be none. I had felt the cartilage of their throat crunch and collapse. Death was certain, but the body never believed that. It always fought until it couldn't fight anymore, because the desire to live was so strong. Fighting and fighting until something finally gave out…

I picked up their sword and stabbed them through the neck to end it quickly. This time, blood did spray everywhere, but not for long. A handful of seconds. Then they were dead. Their eyes were still wide from panic and terror, bulging out of the sockets. Hard to tell much more, because of the mud and blood, and I had no time. More bandits had arrived, rushing forward while one in the distance shouted. I'd been right, then. And now… now, we had to fight.

Blades were only really good for killing a handful of people at a time. At least, that was how it always felt to me. With proper maintenance, you could make one last forever, but during a battle, I always could feel the difference between the first kill and the fifth. The fifth and the tenth. The tenth and the fortieth. Because when you fought, you fought people. When you cut them, you cut through everything that made them up. Skin, fat, muscle, and bone. But people rarely fought naked, so you cut through more. Cloth or leather or metal or some combination, depending on how well they were armored. When you fought, you cut through all of that and the blade's edge wore away a little at a time with every layer it forced its way through. Small nicks and chips and dents appeared on the metal as it clanged and crunched, twisting it slowly into an unusable state. Blood made it slick, sliding off intended targets to crack against harsher parts of the body.

The first kill felt like cutting through a vegetable with a good kitchen's knife. The tenth felt like hacking at a broad tree with a dull axe. The first kill died quickly. The tenth died sobbing and screaming with each whack. I never tried to make comparisons between first and forty, or even ten and forty. By that time, the smell and noise and regret always overwhelmed me too much.

I had to fight back the urge to be sick each time I opened my mouth to order Bow-boy and Lance-boy where to go and who to strike at. On the other side of the field, Azrael and Axe-girl ambushed the bandits, twisting the already chaotic battlefield into nothing more than a mess of blood, mud, sweat, and bodies. But that was what I wanted. Bandits had little discipline, knew basically nothing of battle formations and making order out of messes. Worsen the chaos, and they panicked. Their swings became flails, unable to do real damage even if they connected, and their eyes were always focused on escaping. Never the danger that was in front of their face. Not until it was too late.

"Argh…!" one bandit yelped after I kicked their axe out of their hands. They tried to escape, but slipped and fell instead. Staring up at me in horror. "W-wait, you…!" The bandit scrambled back and shakily pointed at me. "I know you! You're the Ashen Demon! The mercenary that kills armies without a shred of emotion!" I hated that name. "B-But they say that the Bloodstained Angel is always with-"

"Of course I am." Azrael appeared from the shadows with a small gust of wind that shredded the bandit's back. "Because we're twins," he 'explained' to the screaming bandit, just before calmly decapitating them. It only took one swing, because he used the wind to make it clean. He always did that when he killed in front of me; he knew I preferred quick deaths. He himself would've left the head half-on, for the person to have enough time to sob and choke on their own blood before expiring. But, for me, he expended the extra energy. "They all sob when it's their time to die. What boring people. Death proved they were cowards at heart, despite their actions in life." He sighed gustily before reaching over and checking my arm. It bled from gashes I hadn't felt, but I knew he had. No pain from him hinted he had managed to dodge most of the strikes against him. "Seems like they're healing."

"That's not unusual," I reminded, watching as the gashes slowly crusted into scabs. Or, more accurately, watching the blood flow. It always surprised me that despite my slow-beating heart, my blood flowed normally. Until the wounds closed too quickly. "Did the pain throw you off?"

"No, I'm used to it." Some screams caught both of our attentions, and we looked to see Dad had joined the fray at last. And, as expected, his first kill alone scared the bandits into running with their tails between their legs. "Good ol' Dad, wrapping things up for us." Both of us turned away, to head for the village. "Guess we should go check on Madeline and Nicole before-"

A loud roar startled us, and we whirled to see that one of the bandits, possibly even the leader, was charging for Axe-girl. Except she didn't have her axe on her. Instead, she only had a dagger and she'd accidentally backed up against a tree…!

I bolted towards her before I even fully made the connection of how bad things were for her. And they were bad. She was down a hill and, thanks to the trees and angle, that made long-ranged attacks iffy, at best, to use. The bandit was already too close to Axe-girl for me to safely use flames, especially since I had no idea how she would react. And yet, I was too far to ensure I could both get in the way and block the blow, particularly since the hill made my footing bad and I had a loose grip on my sword. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I threw myself in front of the girl, pulling her down in the split-second I had before the axe cleaved me in two.

And then everything went black.

Surprisingly, there was no pain. There was… nothing, really. In fact, when I opened my eyes, I literally saw nothing. Just blackness stretching on and on… it was just like my dreams, when I saw the throne and...

"Honestly, what are you accomplishing with that little stunt!?" The exasperated, borderline angry voice made me whirl, and I stared in shock at the girl on the throne. "It's like you're trying to get me killed, you fool!" she snapped, glaring at me. But then she simply sighed gustily, shaking her head. "Well, it's fine. After all, if you don't know the value of your own life, then you're not going to protect it very well, are you? Course not." Despite the initial exasperation, she pushed herself up with a little giggle and clapped her hands, as if pleased by something. "Well, I suppose it's just up to me to guide you, right?" She walked until she was at the top of the stairs, smiling down at me. "You may call me 'Sothis'. But I am also known as 'the Beginning'."

"Sothis?" I repeated, because I was too confused to do much else. Did I fall unconscious from the blow? I had never seen her without falling asleep before. Or maybe this place was always somewhere between life and death, and now I'd find a different exit.

"Yes, Sothis. And I'm also called 'The Beginning'." She sounded thoughtful now, tapping her cheek as she hummed. "Now, that's strange. I wonder who called me that. Of course, I couldn't remember my name until just now, but…" She couldn't recall her own name? "That look upon your face!" She scowled at me, and I was back to being confused. "Do you think of me as a child? A child who forgot her own name? Phooey!" I… I had never heard someone say that before. "That 'child' just saved your life! And what does that make you?"

"Less than a child?" This was so bizarre. I was talking to the girl of my dreams in the most literal sense possible. "Though, I don't… think I was looking at you as if you were a child?"

"Is that so? Well, I'll let it go since you are correct." She nodded, satisfied, and I tried to figure out what part she was talking about. Her being a child or me being less of one. "After all, you threw yourself in front of an axe just to save one young girl." She crossed her arms, back to scowling, and I decided she was referring to the 'less than a child' part. "Yet all is well, as I have stalled the flow of time for now."

"You stopped time?" That shouldn't be possible? Wait. "Ah, no, I suppose I should thank you first?" I made sure to bow to add some formality to the gratitude. She preened at it. "But you stopped time?"

"Indeed, in order to save you. A good thing too, given the echoes I sense." She looked up and to the side, at something far beyond me. "You have a strong bond with your twin. You two can feel each other's emotions and pain. And I can sense his through you. Devastation, terror… and that's before there's any blood. Before he can feel the kiss of the axe on your back. Before the axe tears through your skin and bone and leaves you a bleeding mess on the ground. And that's just your twin. I daresay your father's reaction would be worse." She focused back on me, frowning. "How rude of you to not consider their thoughts. And how rude of you to drag me into this."

"That girl no doubt has family has well?" Still, I did feel some guilt. She was right in that I hadn't thought of them. I had just reacted on instinct. I hated seeing people in pain. "I also heal fast."

"Just because you heal fast doesn't mean you should actively throw yourself into harm's way. You still feel pain like any other and, in your case, your twin feels it as well." She jumped down a couple of steps to get close to me and gently rapped me on the head. "Well, like I said, if you don't know the value of your own life, you're not going to protect it well. And you clearly don't. You don't even live for yourself."

"Why live for a monster?"

"See? That's why you need guidance. Goodness, I wish I had woken up earlier to nip this in the bud for you." She was back to being exasperated. I was back to being beyond confused by all of this. "Well, it's not like you were the only dumb one there. Honestly, what was that girl thinking? Drawing a knife when someone was running at her with an axe… of course, there's the idiocy of dropping her weapon in the first place, but she should've run towards her companions. One of them has a bow! It's like she expected no help at all, and look what relying only on herself did. Would've gotten her killed, if not for you, and would've gotten you killed, if not for me."

"You… lecture quite a lot."

"It's clearly needed!" She scowled, but softened quickly. In fact, she even stroked my hair. Her hand was calloused, which surprised me. What also surprised me was the warmth of the gesture. "And now I am here to help. But first, I need to figure out how to get you out of this predicament. Time is only stopped, after all."

"So, I'm frozen as well?" That made some sense. If anything about this made sense, that is. "I don't suppose you could turn back time?"

"Ah, yes, of course!" She clapped her hands, this time definitely in delight. "I must turn back the hands of time! I do believe that can be done, at least." She hopped up a couple of steps and a magic circle appeared in front of her, glimmering gold. What held my attention was the symbol in the center. They almost… looked like wings? "I cannot wind back too far, but all is well. You are aware of what's to come, which means you can protect yourself this time, along with that girl." Golden light fell like snow around us both and a strange warmth wrapped around me. Like I was being hugged. "Now, go. Yes, you who bears the flames within…" My vision grew hazy, and for a moment, I didn't see Sothis standing before me. At least, not as a little girl. I thought I saw someone else, someone much older and much sadder. "Drift through the flow of time to find the answers that you seek…"

'What answers?' I wanted to ask, but I couldn't. Everything was fading away and all I could feel, see, or hear was that warmth...

When the warmth cleared, I was back in that moment where I'd thrown Axe-girl to the side, right before the axe hit me. All was silent and frozen, like a held breath right before jumping into a lake. But then there was the sound of glass breaking, and the world took a strange purple-blue tinge to it. Then everything reversed. Everything, even me. I felt myself tugged back up the hill, back to where Azrael was, and turned away from where Axe-girl was. Then everything was frozen again for a split second before the purple-blue disappeared, and proper colors filled the world again. Sounds filled the world again.

"Guess we should go check on Madeline and Nic…" Azrael said again, unaware of what just happened. But this time, he didn't say Nicole's full name, because I was already running down the hill, towards where Axe-girl stood alone. She had no weapon, making me wonder if she lost her axe during the battle, and all the bandits around her were sprawled out on the ground, seemingly dead. "Byleth?!" But then the bandit I had seen before leapt to his feet, having pretended to be dead in order to lure someone close enough to kill. And Axe-girl had fallen for the bait, unintentionally or otherwise.

But since I was already running, I was able to get between Axe-girl and the bandit before she had even hit the tree. The bandit kept charging, not caring who he killed so long as he killed at least one person, but I was able to block the blow easily before twisting to kick the bandit in the stomach as hard as I could. Since he hadn't expected retaliation, his footing had been bad, so I sent him flying. Only when he landed with a groan did I actually glance behind me to check on Axe-girl, and I noticed something peculiar. She did her best to hide it, but I could see the shock in her expression. She… hadn't expected any help at all. That surprised me enough that I didn't continue going after the bandit, who unfortunately managed to scramble up and begin escaping. But he wasn't heading for the village, so I supposed...

"Hey, over here!" Bow-boy called, waving his arm to catch our attention while he and Lance-boy ran down the hill to join us. He slid to a stop right by us, but nearly fell over because the other boy didn't quite stop at the same time. "Ack… Dimitri!"

"Sorry," Lance-boy replied, more focused on me and Axe-girl. After a moment, he smiled. "You both seem unharmed. Are you?"

"Yes, we're fine, Dimitri," Axe-girl answered, smiling slightly. She looked up at me, and her smile grew and warmed. It was, perhaps, the most 'real' expression I had seen on her face all evening. "Thank you so much. Can't believe I backed into a tree."

"I'm sorry we couldn't assist you. Claude was trying to line up a shot, but…"

"Oh, Claude, that's so sweet of you. Unexpectedly so, actually. Did you hit your head?"

I stepped away, partly to not intrude and partly so that I could patrol and ensure that we were actually safe. I didn't have to worry about the latter, though. The surviving bandits had all fled, so quickly that some had actually left clothing behind. Apparently, stripping was far quicker than yanking cloth away from branches. I wasn't quite sure how, especially since some of the bandits had actually worn armor, but I also wasn't going to question it too much. They were leaving, so the village was safer. Er. Safer. And here I was, standing in the middle of a field of bodies and blood and...

"Byleth!" Dad's voice was soothing, and I turned to greet him, only to be yanked into a tight hug. For some reason. I wriggled out of it just enough to look up at him, but Dad just pulled me closer again, stroking my hair. "You okay?" he asked softly. I nodded, just… really confused because we'd done battles like this before? And while I knew he worried about how much I loathed fighting, he normally waited for me to come to him for comfort? Still, I wasn't exactly complaining about the hug, so I let him cling, even when a confused Azrael joined us. His mussed hair hinted Dad had done the same thing with him earlier. And, when Dad noticed Azrael was near, he pulled him into the hug too, just holding us. Azrael frowned, studying Dad's face as best as he could in order to try and discern some answer for the odd behavior. I just rested my ear against Dad's chest and listened to the comforting 'thumpthumpthump' of his heart beating. There were few sounds more soothing than someone's heartbeat, or so I felt. It let me pretend, foolishly, that it was just us and a world with battles and pain didn't exist.

Of course, dreams were just that, particularly foolish ones, and the world didn't hesitate to remind you that reality was always there. In this case, it reminded me with a harsh noise, the clanking of metal which made me tense. But there was no need. It was just… not bandits. 'Proper' people wearing 'proper' armor who had no idea how to properly navigate forest trails crashed through the brush, immediately focusing on the escaping thieves. I thought I heard something about 'knights of'... something that started with an 'S', but didn't quite manage to hear it due to someone's very loud laughter.

"Good, good… it seems you three are unharmed!" A knight, with a smile as bright as his laughter was loud, clanked over to the three, still laughing. "I'm glad to see you're well!" he boomed, nodding a few times. The three strangers smiled at him in return. "And I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that your fellows are all safe and sound. You three are the only ones unaccounted for. Now, I think there's a joke for circumstances like this…" He actually began thinking, and the three exchanged subtle grimaces. "Ah! I know! It goes like…" The knight happened to glance towards Dad, Azrael, and me. And his jaw dropped. "And who… no, it can't…"

"Ugh… why him?" Dad muttered in his 'this is going to suck' tone. Azrael and I immediately tensed, ready to fight if need be. Last time we heard this tone, a nobleman tried to kidnap me for some reason. Probably to get Dad to work for him. "Of all the knights, it had to be…"

"Captain!" And the knight in question bolted for us, nearly falling over in his haste due to how heavy his armor was. "Captain Jeralt, it is you! Goodness, it's been ages!" The knight laughed, again bright and cheerful. I slid out of Dad's hug to half-hide behind him, noticing that despite the earlier tone, Dad actually wasn't gearing up to fight. Azrael did the same, though he didn't really hide. Just stepped back. "Ah, you may not recognize me, since it's been… oh, it must've been twenty years since-~"

"You haven't changed a bit, Alois. Just as loud as ever." Dad pinched the bridge of his nose, which he only did when he was particularly exasperated. The dry sarcasm only added to the effect. "And why are you calling me 'captain'? I'm just a wandering mercenary these days. One who is late for a job, so-"

"Right, right, good… hey, wait, no!" The knight (Alois? I vaguely knew the name from Dad's stories) scowled for a second, but was back to smiles before long. "That's not how this conversation goes. You almost got me!" Clearly, this man was easy to trick if that almost 'got him'. "I insist you come back to the monastery with me! Everyone will be thrilled to see you survived that fire!" ...What fire? "And these two are…?"

"We're bandits," Azrael instantly deadpanned, rubbing at his ears. I had already covered mine to try and keep them from ringing; this man was so loud. I swore they could hear him in Dagda at this volume. "Clearly, we're terrorizing him. Rawr."

"Great sense of humor!" Alois laughed. Laughing, smiling… it was like he didn't even have the ability to be sullen or sad. "Clearly, you're cut from the same cloth as the captain! And you look so much like…" His eyes fell on me, with his smile growing. "And, by the goddess, you are the mirror image of Lady Fiona!" Both Azrael and I frowned at the name. We knew that was our mom's name, though we had never heard a 'title' with it before? "Captain Jeralt, they can't be Azrael and Byleth, can they?" He knew us? "What a blessed day this is! Everyone back at the monastery is going to be so thrilled!" And he kept on laughing even as he returned to the three strangers to check in on them again.

"Ugh… this just had to happen, huh?" Dad groaned as soon as Alois was far enough away, facepalming. He then wearily turned to look at Azrael and me. "Okay, I know both of you have smartass things to say, so just go ahead."

"Well, first off, since when do you have friends, Dad?" Azrael instantly snarked. Dad had to bite back a laugh. "And are we really heading to this monastery place? We had a job, right?"

"Even I'm not brazen enough to run from the Knights of Seiros. If we don't go now, they'll simply hunt us down." There was a lot hidden in the words. None of it good. "And Alois is so loud that everyone heard. I wish I could remember why I didn't teach him how to be quiet." He groaned again, shaking his head. "Well, it is what it is. Damn it."

"Accept it or curse it, Dad. Pick one or the other."

"No, I'm old enough to do both."

"And how old is that again?"

"Much older than you, kid." Still, the little bit of banter did get Dad smiling again. That was enough to ease the unease in my heart. "Much older. Guess I should utilize that and give you orders."

"No, please, mercy."

Despite Azrael's 'pleas', Dad dragged him off to check the bodies, no doubt looking for information as to why the hell they came this way. I debated helping, but decided against it. My stomach and heart weren't so settled that I could do so without flinching, and if you were going to rummage through the dead's things, you should have the courtesy to not flinch as you did. So, instead, I attempted to return to the village proper, especially when I noticed the buzz and bustle among the houses. No doubt everyone realizing the danger had passed. But before I could confirm that, a small hand fell on my arm to stop me. I looked down to see it was Axe-girl.

"Sorry, I just wanted to thank you for your help again," she explained, smiling slightly. The smile reached her eyes, but I could see her also studying me closely. "I really appreciate it." I really hadn't done anything. Honestly, it was more Sothis than anyone.

"Yeah, seriously, this would've been so much worse if we didn't happen to run into you," Bow-boy added, when he and Lance-boy joined us. Bow-boy grinned at me. Just like all his other smiles and grins, the cheer didn't reach his eyes. "Gods of fortune smiling on me indeed. Maybe as an apology, since I definitely got the worst of the initial ambush."

"That's because you ran." Axe-girl frowned heavily at Bow-boy. "Very quickly, I might add."

"Too true!" At least Bow-boy had the grace to admit to it. "I was the first to strategically retreat. And it would've worked out if some certain people hadn't followed!" He pointedly looked at Lance-boy and Axe-girl before groaning. "Because of them, they all followed us! Utterly ridiculous, really."

"Ah, so that's what you were thinking, Claude?" Lance-boy sighed, shaking his head. He almost seemed disappointed. "And here I thought you were playing decoy for the sake of all of us."

"His intentions were as clear as day," Axe-girl grumbled, still scowling at Bow-boy. Who simply whistled innocently. "You will prove a lacking leader if you cannot see the truth behind a person's words and actions."

"Perhaps, but you will prove lacking as well if you look for deceit behind every word and do not trust those you rely on." Lance-boy spoke calmly, even when Axe-girl turned her scowl his way. Bow-boy, for a moment, seemed startled by the 'rely on' part. But it disappeared behind the mask quickly enough for me to wonder if it was due to something else. "Besides, playing decoy had been my intention, and you ran with us."

"That was just-"

"Oh, lovely, you two are debating again," Bow-boy interrupted, clasping his hands behind his head and laughing. Surprisingly, the laugh sounded real enough. "Well, as the embodiment of distrust, I have to say both of you sound naive. I mean… how well of leaders do you two think you can be when you're so utterly predictable?"

"Me? Naive?!" Axe-girl snapped, whirling on Bow-boy. Lance-boy sighed and dropped his head, as if things like this were typical. "Tell me; is your lack of self-awareness some sort of condition of sorts we must adapt to?"

The three continued to 'discuss' whatever it was they were discussing, and I simply stepped back to more easily ignore them. Truthfully, all of them seemed naive to me. Yes, you had the obvious 'trust too much and you get a knife in your back', but trusting too little only led to isolation or, worse, being surrounded by only like-minded people. People like that always inevitably came to believe that their way was the right, and only, way to go about things and blinded themselves to other paths. As for unpredictability… well, any mercenary knew that unpredictability bred mistrust. Those who were too unpredictable were unreliable, and thus, incapable of actually doing anything worthwhile, with their dreams remaining just dreams. Assuming, that is, if they weren't killed by their would-be allies due to distrust or by their enemies who wanted to eliminate them before they had a chance to act on any schemes.

"Wow, the way you three are talking, we ought to kill you now to spare your would-be subordinates the misfortune of having to serve under such idiots." It didn't surprise me that Azrael thought similarly to me, nor did it surprise me that he spoke his thoughts to their faces. But I did have to close my eyes in resignation anyway, wishing that he cared enough about other people to be tactful. "Hey, don't make a face! It's after the battle!" Azrael 'complained', draping himself over my back to hug me. He was damp, but not bloody, showing that he'd taken the time to jump in a river and get the worst of the blood off. I wondered if Dad had ordered it, tired of the blood dripping on potentially important things. "I'm allowed to be honest now!"

"I suppose I should be glad you held your tongue for so long," I replied, still exasperated. He playfully whined and hugged me tighter. The three rich strangers, notably, just stared, no doubt surprised that someone with so little tact had survived infancy. Most would have been stabbed repeatedly by now. "Regardless… ah, that's…"

"Oh, good, everyone looks bloody but fine!" Madeline laughed, rushing up now that she knew I had seen her. She smiled warmly at Azrael and me. "Nicole's shaken, but just fine. We're trying to figure out what she was doing in the woods so early in the morning, but there's some fresh flowers on the charms she made, so that's the best guess for now." Oh, Nicole… well, I was glad she was safe. And hopefully not completely traumatized. "And you three need a change of clothes!" She rounded on the three strangers, who were now dumbfounded for completely different reasons. "I managed to scrounge up some that I think will fit, so why don't you three come with me? Got baths ready, and Mama is cooking up a veritable feast for breakfast, so I hope the fighting made you hungry!"

Madeline bullied the three into following her, and Azrael returned to helping Dad, proving that Dad had, in fact, asked Azrael to clean up. But since I still didn't want to help, and since everyone knew things were safe, I decided to slip away and rush back to the house to take a proper bath. Blood and death clung to me, and I wished I could rip my skin off to be rid of the feeling. Scrubbing would have to suffice.

Madeline hadn't been kidding about the food. Especially since Nicole's mother had cooked a lot as well in thanks for saving her daughter. Luckily, Azrael and I always ate too much, Dad could never say 'no' to good food, the knights were the same, and the three strangers were much too polite to refuse. But between baths and meals (and lengthy conversations during the meals, especially between the knights and the villagers), it was well past dawn when we finally left. Not that it mattered. Clearly, we weren't going to that job. Dad passed it on to some of the other mercenaries who rested nearby, so that the client wouldn't get too mad. The last thing you ever wanted was clients getting mad. They tended to try and send soldiers after you when they were.

I wasn't sure the current situation was better, mind. The knights were friendlier than an angry client, and Dad certainly didn't mind talking to them, but every once in a while, I could see unease flicker in his eyes. Mostly when he glanced back to check on how Azrael and I were doing. He didn't mind returning to the monastery so much as he really didn't want Azrael and I there. At all. It was enough to make me nervous, and I had to fight to keep from squeezing the charm Nicole gave me just before we left. I didn't want to break it. I felt bad enough just handling the thing, because I was sure my touch stained it...

Even with the scented soap I used during my bath and the perfume I had put on afterwards, my hands reeked with blood. I could always smell it; I could ever since my first kills ten years ago. Blood and death, hovering like a specter. If ghosts existed, I knew I had hundreds, or even thousands, haunting me. Perhaps the constant putrid stench was their way of making sure I never forgot. As if I could… but now wasn't the time for such contemplation. So, to distract myself, I decided to study the three strangers, who walked just ahead of Azrael and me. There was no reason for it, but studying people often had saved my life in the past. Gauging moods was critical when you were a monster; you were often blamed for things that weren't your fault.

Since she was closest, I started with Axe-girl first. She was refined and dignified, holding herself with an air that constantly shifted between 'confidence' and 'arrogance'. But she seemed like she was constantly evaluating everyone around her. My best guess was that she was one who thought of people in terms of 'use' more than anything, including herself. Though, given how surprised she had seemed by the help, it could also mean she'd been betrayed terribly in the past… I had seen that sort of hypervigilance in many survivors of assault and abuse, for instance.

["Hmm… yes, I think you may be right there."] Sothis's voice echoed through my head and I actually stopped briefly in shock. She had never… ["You're going to fall behind at this rate. Keep going. One foot in front of the other, now."]

Cautiously, I did just that and, at some wordlessly prompt from Sothis, continued my study of the three. Lance-boy walked between Axe-girl and Bow-boy, likely given the earlier argument. He often talked to them both, bringing up interesting things on the scenary that 'just happened' to catch his attention. But from what I saw, it was no coincidence. He was constantly keeping an eye to the surroundings, hypervigilant in a way I had seen many veterans. And though he seemed sincere, there was a shadow in his gaze that never went away. Always clinging to him, like a weed that had nestled in a crack in a wall.

["Yes, I see that as well. He hides his pain behind walls upon walls, but it is so great that cracks are appearing, and grow wider with every day."] Sothis sounded almost sad by that. I still found it odd that I was hearing her while awake. ["The poor children… both traumatized, and both left mostly alone to it. I'm certain of it. And the last one… I don't think he was left alone to his trauma, but I think his was more consistent through his life. Not one event, or one series of events, that completely destroyed him."]

I could see where she was coming from with that. Bow-boy was good at acting the friendly fool, and his smile was striking. But none of the cheer reached his eyes, which were almost cold. He was definitely someone who thought of people more in terms of 'use', and gave his trust to no one at all. And possibly never had. That was rather saddening, but it did reinforce one of Dad's lessons about how trusting someone was the bravest thing you could ever do...

"Hey, what are your names?" Azrael asked suddenly, startling me. The three stopped and turned back to look at us, and he shrugged. "Well, it's not like I give a damn, but I am curious as to why those bandits wanted to kill you so badly that they ignored a village."

"Based on what they called each other, they are 'Edelgard', 'Dimitri', and 'Claude'," I pointed out to him. He shrugged again, proving that he had paid little to no attention, and certainly hadn't bothered remembering. In fact, he didn't care now. I sensed he had only asked to draw me out of my thoughts. "In that order, in fact."

"And they're probably some sort of noble. So, I guess that could be why, but seems off to me."

"...I suppose we haven't introduced ourselves properly, have we?" Axe-girl said slowly, as if us not knowing was something of an oddity. Maybe it was. Nobles tended to believe their reach was vast, though often that belief far outstriped reality. "I am Edelgard von Hresvelg, princess and heir apparent to the Adrestian Empire." ...Then again, I supposed most people would be able to recognize the next Emperor on sight. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus," Lance-boy introduced, bowing to us. His smile was sheepish, especially when he straightened. "Please, forgive our discourtesy, especially since you came to our aid."

"Man, when you two are that formal, I have to be as well," Bow-boy groaned, before bowing as well. He winked when he straightened, though. "I'm Claude von Riegan, from the ruling house of the Leicester Alliance. But don't worry too much about that madness. Instead, maybe we can get your names? Since I don't think you two actually called each other by name during all of that." Claude glanced at the other two, who nodded. "Actually, how was she giving you orders without saying anything?"

"Don't you know twins can read each other's minds?" Azrael deadpanned, shrugging. I was busy trying to figure out how we suddenly came into acquaintance with the heirs of the three nations. And trying to think of rumors I'd heard about them, but most were more or less just the nonsensical gossip that always surrounded people in power. Lots of fluff, little substance. Mostly speculation and attempts to either bolster or ruin reputations. "And she's the smarter of us, so I obey." That was a lie. Well, that I was 'smarter'. I just cared a little more. "Whatever. I'm Azrael Kimaris Eisner, and this is my younger twin sister, Byleth Mikayla Eisner. So, why are the heirs of three nations wearing uniforms that clearly show you're of the same organization?"

"That's a subject change, but it's simple really." As Claude talked, the five of us began walking again, in order to not fall behind. Wasn't like the knights had stopped, though I had noticed Dad and Alois had slowed a little for us. "We're from the Officers Academy. The fancy coloring is because we're the House Leaders for our year."

"The what and what now?"

"The Officers Academy is a place where the nobility and the wealthy of all three nations send their heirs to learn the art of warfare," Edelgard explained, sounding like she was reading directly from a book. Perhaps she had one memorized. "It was founded in the year 980 in response to Almyran Incursions in the east. The students are all divided into three houses based on their nationality, and each house has a 'leader'. Typically, it's the highest ranked noble for that year."

"So, basically, it's a school where you go to learn how to fancily kill people," Azrael snarked, deciding to keep to sarcasm to show how unimpressed he was. I could only close my eyes to fight off sighing.

"It's much more than that, but we certainly don't have enough time to properly explain it," Edelgard protested, frowning at the perceived insult to her school. I pinched Azrael's arm to keep him quiet, because I knew he had a reply. "I must admit that I'm surprised you haven't heard of it, given who your father is." Edelgard nodded to Dad, who was focused on whatever conversation he was having with Alois. "Jeralt, the Blade Breaker, who many also call the 'Champion of Seiros' due to his skill and courage in battle. Once the leader of the Knights of Seiros, and oft praised as the strongest knight to have lived." That… well, I supposed I could understand the 'skill and courage' part. There were many who had dubbed Dad a 'God of War' over the years for his sheer battle prowess. But the rest just seemed like bardic exaggeration, really. "The Knights of Seiros assist with the Officers Academy quiet frequently."

"I suppose that's just a show of how little of an impression it made on Dad." Azrael ignored my warning look. He was busy thinking of other things anyway. "Knights of Seiros… oh, right, they're the… oh, what did that pretentious priest dub them?" He frowned, flailing his hands about as if to grasp the memories from whatever corner in his mind they gathered dust. "Ah, yes! The 'Sword and Shield of the Righteous and the Faithful'! That's what it was."

"Are you talking about the priest that nearly hit you with ten books last year?" I asked, hoping to push the subject along. That priest had impressive aim. Azrael had to use the wind to make them miss.

"How was I supposed to know he wouldn't like me questioning about what the knights did when dealing with righteous and not faithful people?" Azrael 'whined', comically playing up his annoyance. I noticed a couple of the knights frown at us. "Or when they dealt with the faithful but not-so-righteous? They seemed like legitimate questions!"

"You only asked to specifically get a rise out of him, because he was yelling at me."

"Well, yeah, of course." He stretched his arms up before clasping his hands behind his head. The other three just let us talk, no doubt wishing they had never encountered us. "Calling you all sorts of things just because you asked-"

"I remember." I had asked why the utter slaughter of Duscar had been 'justified'. Ever since I'd heard about it, it had bothered me. That priest had answered something along the lines of 'the price of killing a king blessed by the goddess' and for being 'heretics who did not follow the will of the goddess'. Though normally I'd just keep silent, that day I had countered with asking how it was the 'will of the goddess' that children be slaughtered. That had led to the priest screaming at me, and the entire interaction had reminded me of why Azrael and I never cared about the church, and and why we were always glad that Dad insisted we avoid them when we could. "There is no need to repeat it." I nodded to the trio. "Besides, I do believe we're being rude."

"Hmm? Oh, right, people." That was punctuated by a gusty, exasperated sigh. I knew he had completely forgotten about them the second his focus had drifted elsewhere. "Anyway, what was the topic?"

"They were commenting on how Dad was apparently the captain of the knights, once."

"That he was," Dimitri confirmed, smiling slightly. I thought his eyes glittered with quiet awe, but wasn't quite sure. "You hear quite a few things about his prowess. So, I must admit it's a surprise that you don't know about his reputation. It seems important and there are many songs about him…"

"Why should we care about 'Captain of the Knights of Seiros'? That's not who he wanted to be for us," Azrael snapped, dropping the smile and forgoing any attempts of pretending politeness and friendliness. I was surprised since normally he just ignored… well, no, I suppose if he had taken it as an insult, then this was normal. "To us, he's our dad. That's who he wanted to be. And no reputation changes that, or the fact that he's the best dad we could have ever had. Only an idiot would think otherwise." He was definitely right about that. "Tch… I'm annoyed. Hey, Papa!" Azrael skipped ahead to jump on Dad's back. Dad grunted at the impact, but soon laughed, and teased Azrael about something. Though I noticed easily that Dad's face was distinctly pink, showing he had overheard every bit of that conversation.

Still, one of us had to be polite and try to smooth things over… "I apologize for my twin," I murmured, bowing my head a little. I honestly would prefer to keep silent, since honestly, I had no doubts that we wouldn't interact much once we actually got to the monastery. Dad was the only one who could tolerate Azrael and me and our strangeness. But while we traveled together, my options were to hide or be polite. And there were, sadly, no places to hide, especially with Azrael rushing ahead. "I promise he doesn't mean harm." Mostly because if you wanted to harm something, you had to (negatively) care about it. "But he can be a little quick to assume insults are made."

"I will have to apologize later," Dimitri murmured, smiling apologetically. He actually bowed, properly, as if to emphasize the words. "I was genuinely curious since, as I tried to mention, there are songs about him and his exploits."

"Azrael and I rarely hung about in taverns." We always got weird looks that made us uncomfortable, and truly, we were just used to hiding from the crowd. "And, as Azrael mentioned, Dad just wanted to be 'Dad' to us. He likely didn't want to risk us feeling like we were devoured by his shadow." You saw that a lot, especially among nobles. Nobles who wanted to make a name for themselves, to prove themselves worthy of their legacy… and were brutally slaughtered due to recklessness. "Though, he could have been less harsh about it. Azrael, I mean."

"I can't believe no one has stabbed him by now," Claude noted lightly. Edelgard's scowl and Dimitri's slight smile hinted they agreed. "I guess he bites his tongue around employers, though?"

"No," I answered. Probably a little too bluntly, but… "No, he doesn't." Azrael had no qualms at all at telling people what he thought. Like Acheron, a minor Alliance lord we did a job for just last year. I never knew a person's face could turn so purple from anger before.

"...Then I'm seriously wondering how he's not dead." Claude whistled lowly, his eyes glinting in calculation. I pretended to not notice. "Good at dodging?"

"Claude, I'm not so sure you should be asking someone how their brother avoids death?" Dimitri gently chided, frowning very slightly. Claude groaned, but nodded to concede the point. Edelgard just rolled her eyes, unamused by the whole thing. "Anyway, Byleth, this will be your first time at the monastery, yes?" I simply nodded, not seeing the point in actually replying. "I would be happy to show you around, if you want."

"Hey, now that's a good idea!" Claude laughed, back to his false cheer. His eyes were darker than before, though. "It really is Fodlan in a nutshell. The good and the bad."

"Claude, that's not much of a recommendation."

"It really isn't, but like it or not, we'll be there before long," Edelgard pointed out. She looked ahead, like she could already see our destination in the distance. "Still, I wouldn't mind joining that tour. It's a poor way to repay you for saving me, but I hope it can at least be a start. Why don't we tell you about it along the way?"

That was how I ended up in the middle of the three of them sharing various stories and history about the monastery. At least, until Dad gave Azrael and me the easy escape of 'scouting ahead' for a campsite. I was glad for the quiet.

The monastery was a grand set of buildings nestled away in the mountains, and it honestly didn't look much different from any other castle or fortress I had seen over the years. I did wonder about how and why someone would build something so grand on a mountainside in the center of the continent, but that was the only thing even vaguely interesting about it. The gatekeeper was friendly enough when we passed by, though. And I supposed the people here were cheerful enough. At least, the people who all but jumped on the three heirs were exuberant.

"Oh, Edie, are you okay?!" one girl with long brown hair asked Edelgard, grasping her hands tightly as if to reassure herself that she was there. Other students crowded around Edelgard, all looking noticeably relieved. "We were so worried! Hubie almost snuck out to try and find you! Probably would've succeeded if Lin hadn't been napping in the doorway."

"I'm just fine, Dorothea," Edelgard reassured with a little laugh. She smiled up at another of the students, one with black hair. "And I promise I am well, Hubert. Ignoring Lin's sleeping habits as per usual, I'm grateful all of you seem to be unharmed?"

"No thanks to that teacher who ran!" The girl holding Edelgard's hands huffed, scowling in quiet fury. I noticed she was the only one standing close to Edelgard. Everyone else kept a respectful distance. "Can't believe it, really. Why, if I see him again, I just might…!"

"Sylvain, let go!" Not far away from where Edelgard was surrounded, Dimitri was similarly bombarded by people. In his case, though, one of them, a boy with red hair, had actually slipped behind Dimitri and hugged him, very tightly. "I can't stand!" Dimitri continued to protest, and a quick glance showed that the hug had, in fact, knocked him off-balance enough that he couldn't get good footing. "Sylvain!"

"Sorry, your highness, but if I let you get your footing, then you're going to wriggle out of the hug too easily!" the boy laughed, tightening his hug even further. Despite the teasing, I noticed how his hands clung. "And this is punishment for making us worry! Felix was near beside himself! Reminded me of when we were little and you had left to get some water while we were in the middle of telling ghost stories and-"

"Sylvain, if you're going to spew nonsense, do it elsewhere," another boy snapped, one with sharp features and sharper eyes. His scowl almost seemed to be fixed permanently to his face. "And I knew the boar would be fine."

"Really? Because I distinctly remember-"

"Sylvain, Felix, can you two stop teasing for one moment, please?" an exasperated girl asked as she joined the trio. After a moment of hesitation, she took Dimitri's hand and squeezed it between her own. "Thank goodness, though. I don't know what we would've done if something had happened to you. Annette and Mercedes will be here soon, by the way. They were in the middle of making sweets to cheer us all up, and I think Annette went to let Ashe and Dedue know you're back. Ashe dragged Dedue to the greenhouse to distract him, you see." She smiled warmly, in noticeable relief. "I am so, so glad to see you're well…"

"Guys, did you really have to knock me down?!" In stark contrast to the formality around Edelgard, and the semi-formal-closeness you had with Dimitri, Claude had been literally jumped on by a couple of his classmates. To the point that quite a few of them were sprawled out on the ground, all of them laughing. "Well, thanks for the energetic greeting!" Claude teased, patting one of the students, a girl with pink pigtails, on the back as she all but squeezed the life out of him with her hug. He couldn't do much more as a very large boy, so large that his shirt barely stayed on, had him and the girl pinned with a giant bear hug of his own. "And look! Even Lorenz came to greet me!"

"I am only doing what is proper, Claude," answered one of the few students who wasn't on the ground. Instead, he stood and he looked distinctly unamused by his classmate's antics. "A noble is obligated to-"

"Oh, please, I just got back. Let's wait to torture me with 'noble obligations' for at least an hour? I want to hear about what I missed! And… wait, is that Marianne hiding there? Wow, I'm certainly blessed today, aren't I?"

Around that time, I noticed Dad and Azrael had gone ahead, deeper into the monastery, and I jogged to catch up to them. I wasn't too worried about finding them, since I could always sense where Azrael was (just as he could sense where I was), but I was surprised when I found them. Mostly because Dad was in the middle of a crowd of people much like the three heirs had been. But slightly larger, and with many more tears. A lot of people talking over one another in a jumble as they all tried to express their relief at seeing him again.

I watched it all curiously, slipping along the edges of the room until I found Azrael hiding in the corner, studying the scene just as I was. After a moment, we exchanged a look and nodded. This place was hiding many things. Dangerous things. After all, Dad was clearly beloved and respected, so much so that it remained even after twenty years. Yet, instead of raising us here, he had chosen to raise us on the road, as a mercenary. He had decided that life was safer than staying here. Add in how he had been clearly uneasy about us being here… we had to be on our guard. Always.

"My goodness, you two can't be the twins, can you?" It took a good few seconds to register that a stranger was talking to Azrael and me. "Oh, you two look so much like Lady Fiona!" they gasped, proper and shiny armor hinting they were a knight. "I can't believe how big you are!" And that led to part of the group greeting Dad migrating over to coo and gush over Azrael and me. Which was very weird anyway, but all the weirder because they kept mentioning 'Lady Fiona'. 'Lady Fiona' this. 'Lady Fiona' that. Who were these people and why did they talk so respectfully of her?

I mean… I knew about her, a little. Dad had talked about her, sometimes, but he hadn't said what her 'job' had been or anything. Just how she had been so smart, so kind, so clever… how she had loved to sing and dance… how she'd loved to cook, and was amazing at it… how she'd loved flowers as much as I did… important things, really. The things that told us who she was, that helped us picture the woman who died bringing us into the world. Who, despite never truly meeting us, had loved us more than anything else in the world. But hearing these strangers talk so warmly about her did make me somewhat curious. Even as I struggled to make sense of so many strangers complimenting me. That had never happened before. Ever.

"Excuse me." Reprieve came from a no-nonsense voice, and everyone parted to reveal the speaker as a man probably a bit younger than Dad, who held himself stiffly and looked over everyone with unerring calm. "Sir Jeralt, Lady Rhea wishes to see you and your children," he explained once all eyes were on him. He inclined his head slightly when Dad made his way over. "Ah, right. I am Seteth, an assistant to the Archbishop. Please, follow me."

He didn't really wait for us, but I actually didn't think it was an insult or anything. He just seemed no-nonsense and clearly expected everyone else in the world to take duties and instructions somewhat seriously. While I knew Azrael was tempted to linger back, just to pull a tail to see what happened, I snagged his hand to pull him along with me while we caught up with Dad and followed Seteth to… wherever it was we were going. I wasn't really sure. Given the term 'Archbishop' and the fact that this was a monastery, I had assumed it would be some sort of cathedral. But instead, it just seemed like… well, like the 'reception room' that you would see in a noble's house. Only with more statues and less furniture. In fact, a quick look down the hall before we were 'politely nudged' into the room showed numerous offices. Bit odd, really. But I supposed even odder was the woman standing serenely in the back of that receiving room.

"It has been a long while, Jeralt," she murmured as soon as Dad stopped in front of her, and Seteth moved to her side. I guessed, then, that she was the 'Lady Rhea' in question. She spoke calmly and wore a serene smile, but she didn't necessarily hold herself that way. I could see how she leaned to one side slightly, as if used to adjusting for the weight of a sword at her hip, and her shoulders were set back and straight, keeping a perfect posture that would let her react to just about anything. Her eyes were always studying the room, even when most of her focus was on whoever she was speaking to. "I wonder… was it the will of the Goddess that brought you here again?"

"Forgive my silence all these years," Dad answered formally, bowing. Azrael and I shared looks of quiet alarm; we had never seen Dad bow to anyone before. Not even the nobles who had hired us in the past. "Much has happened since we last spoke."

"So I see. For one thing, your twins seem to have grown up well." Lady Rhea turned her smile towards us, and something about her expression softened. But there was also a measuring look in her eyes that made me queasy. Azrael tensed next to me, sensing it as well. "I can hardly believe they are so old now."

"Yes, it feels like I looked away just once and they went from crawling to running." Dad straightened and shifted ever so slightly to stand a little more firmly in front of Azrael and me. I stepped closer to him, ready to bolt if need be, while Azrael hid a hand behind his back, ready to summon a tornado. "I apologize in advance for Azrael's bluntness. I'm afraid he inherited my complete lack of tact."

"Well, that shan't make him a friend of Seteth's, then." A little bit of mischief cracked into her smile then, and Seteth shot her a quick frown, face scrunched up in confusion. "Now, Jeralt, you know what I want to ask, yes?"

"You want me to rejoin the Knights." Dad tensed in front of me, but nodded. "Well, I won't refuse, but…"

"Your apprehension stings." Still, Lady Rhea didn't seem surprised by it. What in the world had happened in the past? "I expected Alois had already asked it of you."

"You probably heard him." Dad's voice was dry, and again, humor creeped into Lady Rhea's expression. Seteth continued to frown. Azrael and I remained ready for just about anything. The air was heavy and, in the back of my mind, I thought I could sense Sothis holding her breath. "I'll return, though. You have my word."

"You have my most sincere thanks." Lady Rhea's smile bloomed into something warm and relieved. I was so confused by… all of this. "I'm afraid I have meetings the rest of the day, but we shall talk later about the duties you'll take."

"Of course." Dad bowed again. This time, Azrael and I mimicked him. The air was still heavy. It hurt to breathe. I had no idea why I was so uncomfortable, but I was. "Until then."

Dad was quick to get us out of there, thank goodness. He grumbled something under his breath the entire time we headed down the stairs, but I didn't pay attention to what he said. I was still terribly unnerved, so much so that Azrael had to take my hand to make sure I actually kept up with him and Dad. His tight grip told me he'd felt the same as I had. Which made me feel both better and worse, because I had hoped I'd just been overreacting.

Azrael and I focused on calming each other down and grounding each other, so we didn't pay attention to the paths Dad took with practiced ease. So, it was a surprise that we ended up in a graveyard. It was a shock when Dad stopped right by one in the corner, one that overlooked the rather pretty view. And had massive numbers of flowers and other gifts on it, showing that whoever was buried here was still remembered, and still well-loved.

"Huh. Alois told me, but still a surprise to see," Dad murmured, smiling sadly at the grave. He motioned for Azrael and me to join him, and we crept closer, confused yet curious. He'd never taken us to visit a grave before. So, why…? "Twins, meet your mother." ...Oh.

Azrael and I both stared at the grave, never expecting to ever actually visit Mom's. But I recovered first, and I knelt down to better look at the tombstone. "...Hey, Mom…" I whispered, reaching out to trace the letters and numbers carved into the stone. 'Fiona Eisner'... and based on the years, she'd been twenty when she'd died. That was how old Azrael and I were now. And all these flowers… she'd been beloved. Whatever she was to those knights, that much was certain, then. I wasn't surprised, truthfully. It matched the woman Dad's stories depicted. "Glad to see you…"

I wonder what she would've thought, dying for a monster like me. Based on Dad's stories, I… I hoped she would've loved me anyway, just as Dad did. And I hoped she didn't mind me visiting. If we had to be in such a dangerous place, I at least wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. After all, I had always… always… wanted to meet her.

We stayed at the grave for a while, mostly just to fuss over the flowers and neaten things up. Then young boy with a scar or two on his face found us and showed us to the rooms Lady Rhea had set up for us. Azrael and I promptly messed up one room to make it look like someone had slept in it, before going to a second to actually use. Dad laughed when he saw what we'd done, and left us to get settled, and to get us food. Normally, people would eat in the dining hall, or so Dad explained, but he was able to pull some favors (despite having been gone for twenty years) so that the three of us could eat in our rooms, away from everyone.

The next morning, though, Dad had to go to meetings early, barely able to even have breakfast with us before heading off. Though he mentioned we could wander around if we wanted, Azrael and I did the smart thing. We curled up in the room we used to tend to weapons and then do what we normally did when we had a rare bit of free time: read. We had a couple of books we always kept with us, beloved tales we more or less had memorized but adored to read again whenever we could. It wasn't often, since mercenary work rarely gave you extra time, but that just made it all the more enjoyable.

"You know… Dad technically deserted, didn't he?" Azrael asked at some point, rolling over onto his back to continue reading. He'd decided to sprawl out on the floor to read, while I curled up by the window with my own book. "The Knights of Seiros, I mean."

"I suppose he did, technically," I replied, far more focused on my book. I had to be careful with it, as it was quite old. In fact, it was the first book Azrael and I had ever owned and, more importantly, it was the first gift we had ever gotten from a stranger. Loog and the Maiden of Wind… a gift from that kind, knightly boy and his two caretakers. The first strangers to ever be kind to Azrael and me. This book was precious because of that memory, vague as it was nowadays. "I imagine he'll get some sort of punishment for it."

"We've been hired to execute deserters before, haven't we?" It was a rhetorical question, so Azrael just kept on talking. "If they hurt Dad, I'm calling some tornadoes. You can't stop me."

"I highly doubt that they're going to hurt him after the Archbishop directly asked for him to return, you know." Now, send him on some Very Dangerous Missions? That was perfectly plausible. But nothing that would outright kill him. "The main question is, of course, what they're going to do with us."

"Bah, more like how they're going to use us to leash Dad." Azrael growled some curses under his breath, which I pretended to not hear. "Ugh… they're no different from the pompous prats who think themselves nobles. I thought we wouldn't have to deal with that anymore. Now that we're older and have reputations, I mean."

"It really does feel like we're back to being children, huh?" We were even staying in a room, hiding from everyone to read and chat, while Dad was out working. Just as we had each time he had to leave us for a job. "How old were we the last time someone tried to use us against Dad?"

"Think we were nine? It was before we started taking jobs." Azrael groaned and dropped his book on his face. "I'm going to nap or something. I can't focus."

"Pleasant dreams." Unfortunately, though, there was a knock on the door right then. The fact that no one came in immediately afterwards screamed that whoever it was, it wasn't Dad. "Or not."

"Damn it." Azrael lifted the book to close it and rolled onto his feet. "If they're dragging us somewhere creepy, I'm ripping them to shreds."

"Less threats, more politeness." I nodded to the door and carefully marked my place in my book. "Go on."

"Uuuuggghh…" Still, despite his reluctance, when he actually opened the door, he had a smile plastered to his face that few would be able to tell was fake. "Morning! Or afternoon! Time has no meaning when you have books!"

"That sounds like something Lady Fiona would say!" The booming laugh told me who our visitor was before I even stood up and headed to the door to peek out from behind Azrael to confirm it. "Captain Jeralt is still busy, but I thought you two might want a tour of the monastery," Alois continued, apparently completely oblivious to how his voice echoed about the hall. How did his throat not hurt from the volume? "Since you two were tired yesterday and all!" Oh, was that the excuse Dad went with? Made some sense.

"Well…" Azrael almost told him 'no', except with much harsher words, but I poked him in silent disapproval. "Sure, that sounds interesting!" He still shot me a skeptical look, though, and I shook my head. Surprising as it was, the fact was that Dad considered this man a friend. Or had, once. We had to at least try to be polite, until proven otherwise. And I doubted someone so loud could do anything subtly. "I guess we can start with what building we're actually in?"

Alois was more than happy to exposit, at length, about each of the buildings, including the 'guest wing' where we were. By which I mean he had at least ten different stories, at least, about each and every one of them. Somewhere amidst the stories, we learned that Alois had actually been Dad's squire, and had been since he was eleven. Which made his loudness even more confusing, given how much Dad liked the quiet.

"And here are the main classrooms for the Academy!" Alois explained, gesturing grandly at the large courtyard and various halls decorated with red, blue, and yellow tapestries. There were some students in uniforms meandering about, though they paid us little attention. "The year just started this month, and the training exercise that was overrun by bandits was supposed to be a prelude to the monthly missions students are required to participate in. Ended up being much more of a conflict than anticipated, so the students have been given the week off as an apology."

"And yet, I see students in classrooms," Azrael noted, peering inside one of the ones closest to us. To my surprise, I saw Edelgard inside, manifesting some weird design in light as she explained something to her fellows. "Hey, is that Axe-girl?"

"Axe… ah, do you mean Princess Edelgard?"

"I mean the girl who wielded an axe with so much strength that she got it stuck in a bandit's corpse." Azrael rolled his eyes, but I nodded, remembering how that was a risk of using that grip. It was precisely why Dad had taught us to only use it if we absolutely needed that strength, like when breaking through armor. "Much force, little skill… just leads to blood all over the place and nothing to show for it."

"That's something Captain Jeralt told me when I was first learning!" Alois, somehow, was able to keep his cheer despite Azrael's complete lack of tact. Then again, Dad had a bad habit of being brutally honest as well, so perhaps he expected this sort of thing. "He must've said it a thousand times before I finally got it!"

Deciding that my ears were ringing too much, I crept a short distance away and watched the students in the room for a moment, realizing before long that these were the students who had greeted Edelgard when we first entered the gates. After a short bit of me watching, Edelgard happened to glance my way and, after a moment of surprise, she smiled. I nodded and waved back, and noticed how she returned to her lesson with a bit more cheer. Amused, I walked slowly down the courtyard, peeking into rooms to see what the students might be doing. Many, it seemed, were using the week off to catch up, or get ahead, in lessons. I didn't linger by most for long, until I reached one towards the end of the hall. Mostly because I saw Claude was there, with the students who had greeted him. I wasn't sure just what they were discussing, aside from it having to do with a map, but I did wonder if there were more divisions among the students than just the three houses mentioned.

"Huh? Whoa, hey!" Claude suddenly called, looking up with a grin. He used some books to keep the map unrolled and swung around the table to run over and greet me. Which… surprised me. Strangers normally weren't eager to come talk to me. "Wasn't expecting you!" He made a show of looking around. "Where's your other half?"

"If you mean my twin, he's conversing with Alois," I explained, pointing down the way for emphasis. Azrael and Alois were still chatting away, right outside that classroom. "I imagine you were wondering just who Alois was talking too."

"Believe it or not, you do actually get used to the volume." Claude continued to grin, and I noticed that this time, some of the warmth was actually in his eyes. Only some. "Is he taunting Edelgard again? Just curious."

"Azrael doesn't taunt people." He didn't care enough to do so. "He just has no filter at all for his thoughts." Which was a lie, because he did hold back some of his more apathetic thoughts. And checked in some of his impulses when he was bored, like randomly having the wind blow things around, just to see if what would happen. "I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"Nah, we're just having a bit of a history refresher. Lorenz insisted." He rolled his eyes, and I glanced behind to see who would react. The haughty one with purple hair bristled, hinting that he was the Lorenz in question. "You want to listen in?"

"I'm just on a tour, so I'd better return actually."

"Aw, what a shame! And here I thought I'd get to show off!" He laughed, and I frowned a little, confused. Why would he even want to show off? "Shame the three of us can't give you the tour we said we would, though. Maybe another day? Give you the student side of things."

"That should work." As I had little doubts that Azrael and I were stuck here now that Dad was very firmly trapped. I doubted I'd interact more with these three in particular, of course, but another tour would only be a good thing. "Good luck with your refresher."

I left then, and returned to Alois and Azrael right as Azrael 'reminded' Alois that there were more areas he hadn't showed us. I knew it had been on purpose, simply waiting for me to come back to not risk leaving me behind. From the classroom area, Alois showed us the dining hall where most of the monastery took their meals, and then to the pond where fish were bred for the kitchens and the greenhouse where all the vegetables and herbs were grown. I could've stayed in the greenhouse for hours upon hours, just looking at all the beautiful flowers, but we continued on to walk past the students' dormitories, where each had their own room. Then we headed up some stairs before walking onto a balcony-like area that overlooked what had to be the training grounds.

Immediately, I saw Dimitri among the ones training below, going against two at once, a swordsman and an axeman. One of them was the scowler who had greeted Dimitri, while I didn't know the other one, the one who fought with an axe. Nearby was the red-head and the girl who had also greeted Dimitri, though it looked as if the redhead was trying to flirt and the girl was barely restraining herself from punching him for the unwanted advances. It was harder to see the other three from this angle, but it seemed like two were watching while one practiced bows. A fairly decent variety, though their grips and stances were standard and basic. Clearly beginners, and hopefully they'd gain the skill needed to adapt the stances and grips into their own…

I was so focused on analyzing their fighting styles that I didn't pay attention to whatever Alois and Azrael said, and was startled when Dimitri suddenly looked up, right at me. He stared for a moment before smiling and waving. Awkwardly, I waved back, not happy that I'd been caught scrutinizing them. I knew I shouldn't, but it was a habit I had. Not just from fighting enemies, but fighting alongside people and trying to determine where and how I could cover for them. How I could help them live just a little longer…

Azrael nudged me, sensing the downward turn of my thoughts, and I frowned slightly at him in faint annoyance. He just grinned and playfully pushed me towards the stairs, stopping just short of actually shoving me down them to keep from hurting me. Alois followed us down with a bright laugh that I half-thought was just as normal as breathing to him. And, from there, we continued the tour, going up to the actual 'cathedral' part of the monastery, and around towards where the knights' rooms were and the stables. All the while, Alois kept up the boisterous cheer with various stories and tidbits, while greeting people by name as we passed. Almost all of them returned his greeting with equal cheer, which just seemed to elevate Alois's own mood. Like he reflected and absorbed it or something. I almost expected him to spontaneously burst into a song and dance, given how bright his mood got. So, it was a surprise that the last place he led us was the graveyard and it was even more of a surprise when his entire demeanor became somber as he led us to Mom's grave.

"I'm sure Captain Jeralt already took you here, but it doesn't feel right to not include her in the tour," Alois explained, kneeling down and bowing his head to the grave. Like he was praying to her, or for her. It was as startling as the fact that he could, in fact, talk quietly. "Even after twenty years, it's hard to believe she's gone."

"Did you know her well?" Azrael asked, frowning. I poked him, frowning at him. Given what Alois had told us… "Oh, wait, you were Dad's squire, so of course you did." There we go.

"I had that honor, yes." Alois stood up again and brushed the dirt off his knees. "She was a priestess here, assistant to Lady Rhea herself. Did a lot of the work Seteth now does, actually, including helping in formal ceremonies."

"Dad told us a bit about her. Like how cheerful she was, and…"

"Oh, she was definitely cheerful. Like the sun itself!" Alois laughed, and it was notably much softer than his earlier ones. I wondered then if his own cheer was inspired by Mom, but threw the thought away as ridiculous. "She had an kind air about her as well, one that drew people in. She was friends with everyone in the monastery, and I'd swear even now that half of them were in love with her. But, she only ever had eyes for the captain."

"...Really?" Azrael glanced at me, and I shrugged. "Dad never mentioned that."

"That is because as observant as Captain Jeralt is, he often had no clue people are flirting with him. There's a story I can tell you about some tavern maids that… well, no, that's better suited for another time." He shook his head, and I felt almost put out. Dad had rarely talked about himself in his stories, so hearing some would be fun. "Regardless, she was a wonderful woman, and I know she's happy to see you've both grown up so well." He smiled warmly and kindly at us. "And those of us who were here twenty years ago and are still around… we're very happy too."

There wasn't… really anything we could say to that, but thankfully, Alois didn't seem to expect a reply. Instead, he just bowed to the grave one more time and then led us out and back to our rooms. Just in time, since Dad was wandering the halls, clearly looking for us. Alois cheerfully greeted him, as if his somberness had never occurred at all, but left us alone to catch up on our day. Which was more of Azrael and me telling Dad about the tour since Dad didn't want to talk about what his 'meetings' had really entailed.

"Should've known Alois would do that," Dad chuckled once we were done. Azrael and I moved our books to his room for the chat, so Azrael was stretched out on the floor to read through his book, while I sat at Dad's feet and had him brush my hair, while I read through mine. "He's always been nice. Too nice for life on the road." Well, well… that revealed quite a bit, and I knew it was no 'slip of tongue' either. That was Dad not only reassuring us that Alois was likely as nice as he seemed, but that Dad had once trusted him. Enough to actually have factored him in on the decision to leave. "Still going to chew him out a little for recommending…"

"For recommending what?" I asked, tilting my head up to look at him. He promptly nudged my head back down to continue brushing my hair. That let me exchange a 'here it comes' look with Azrael, who rolled his eyes. "What happened?"

"Well, the Church has requested your services."

"As mercenaries?"

"No, nothing like that. Well, maybe kind of like that in Azrael's case." He waited for Azrael to sit up and mark his place in his book. I went ahead and bookmarked mine as well. "Azrael, you've been asked to join the Knights of Seiros."

"...They want me as a knight?" Azrael asked incredulously. In any other circumstances, we'd probably laugh at the absurdity of it all. "Are they desperate or something?"

"There's always a need for good swords among the Knights," Dad said softly, sounding like he was reciting something. He probably was, and I felt ill thinking about why Azrael would be made a knight. The only one that made sense to me was as leverage to make sure Dad took particularly grueling and/or dangerous jobs. "As for Byleth… well, they want you to be a professor here. At Alois's recommendation, actually."

...I was going to be a what?

Byleth Mikayla Eisner

Crest: Goddess (Major)

Daughter of Jeralt Reus Eisner and Fiona Eisner, younger twin of Azrael. Due to her tendency to not show her feelings on her face, as well as her apparent inability to cry or laugh, she has been referred to as 'inhuman' all her life by strangers, who had abused her physically and verbally in an attempt to 'spark some humanity into her'. As a result, she's unused to strangers treating her kindly, and wanting to be around her for prolonged periods of time.

A very adaptable fighter, she was trained personally by her father, thus learning a style that's rooted in older traditions of warfare compared to most modern fighters. She knows the theories of even more fighting styles, again due to her father's influence, and is highly skilled thanks to her keen sight and quick, analytical mind. She's incapable of using Reason and Faith magic, as normal people do, but wields fire and healing magic as if they are a part of her, which gives her a distinct edge in combat.

Though many think her emotionless, in truth, she feels a great deal and is always heartbroken by all the deaths after a battle. The fact that she has killed, and has killed so many over the years, simply reinforces the words strangers have spat at her over the years, about how she is a monster and inhuman. This self-hatred, alongside her natural inclination to protect people and her own abnormally fast healing rate, leads her to often use herself as a shield and place little value on her own life.

Azrael Kimaris Eisner

Crest: Seiros (Major)

Son of Jeralt Reus Eisner and Fiona Eisner, elder twin of Byleth. He has an detached view of the world, apathetic to most things that aren't 'his'. He does try to do 'good things', but that's less because of a sense of kindness and more because he knows his dad and twin are kind people who like that sort of thing. And to him, his family is everything, so he does what he can to make them happy.

Trained personally by his father, he is a very adaptable fighter who favors swords simply because armories tend to have them in excess. He will switch through weapons as easily as one switches clothes and never is attached to any of them. Like his sister, he is incapable of using Reason and Faith magic, but can wield wind and healing as if it is a part of him. This use of wind is one of the two consistencies in his fighting. The other is how he will always listen to his twin's plans, trusting her beyond all else.

Thinks as much about killing as he does about breathing, and finds it just as easy. However, he does find battles fascinating as he's discovered that when a person is in their last moments, or what they think are their last moments, their true self shows through and all lies and acts fall away. With that said, though, he doesn't actually enjoy battles, often finding them a waste and a selfish way to 'change the world', and hating how they shatter his twin's heart every time.

Author's notes: Oh, boy… seriously, what am I doing? Well, perhaps my brain will work on other things with this started? Anyway, welcome to this? Aha? Oh, and expect mentions of various events depicted in Sparks. Where appropriate, I mean. And if Byleth seems more emotional than in game, keep in mind that this is her POV and we're getting her thoughts.

Technically speaking, you're not supposed to visit the grave until… like… three months from now, and there's this thing where Jeralt tries to be vague and hide that Byleth is the same child born at the monastery (but clearly, this story doesn't work on Rhea)... but I'm just… not doing that for simplicity (and so that I can add a bit more about Fiona). And, thus, they visit the grave early. Also yes, I know, I implied there were more classrooms than the three shown in game. Shhhh…

Though it's not brought up in the chapter (and, story wise, Byleth's isn't going to be 'revealed' for a while longer), I went ahead and named the crests the twins have for their bios (since, if this were the actual game, you could view it on their status screen). And, speaking of crests, I'm going to have their effects shown a bit differently than in the game (because many are tied to combat arts and I'm not going to differentiate those out, also for simplicity's sake, but the mentions of 'different grips' is a bit of a nod to it). Here, the main benefit you notice with the Crest of Flames is the healing ability that activates every so often (rarely, it'll boost might and stop counter attacks as well, but after like… 500+ hours of gameplay, I think I've seen that activate maybe once a playthrough? Idk), hence the mentions of Byleth healing faster than normal.

As for Sothis, whenever they're at her throne, scenes will be in italics, while Sothis herself will 'speak' in italics and brackets. I'm hoping that'll help make it clear when she's talking. (I'm assuming that Byleth just 'thinks' back at her during those silent conversations, at least for now? I'm going to play with things a bit to try and make it clear)