Work Text:
Only kind of dead.
-
Three coffees deep into the night, Hubert’s mind drifted longingly to thoughts of a fourth as his fingers skimmed through pages of a hefty tome.
As if an upcoming secret war wasn’t enough to occupy himself with, a series of disappearances had been happening in the monastery.
A third student had gone missing in recent days. All in mysterious circumstances. None had been noteworthy people, no one of higher standing, no one noble, none of notable lineage, no one who should’ve gone missing. As cold hearted as it sounded, no one who would be missed.
Yet it seemed one day they were leading normal lives, the next they were gone, leaving no trace behind.
Turning another page, Hubert peered through the gaps between the shelf before him. Nothing suspicious in the library at this late hour. Ashe and Annette sat together studying at the far table. Lindhardt was partially obscured by a stack of books, most likely asleep. Nothing of note this evening then.
Still, unease sat festering in Hubert’s mind. Something was going on, and he didn’t like not knowing what it was. He couldn’t put his finger on it, no matter how many thoughts, facts and theories ran round his mind.
———
Somehow, through some bothersome meddling no doubt, Lindhardt had acquired a chance to study the only recovered body from the disappearances. When Lindhardt had failed to turn up to class the next day, Byleth had let slip that the scholar was working on ‘something special’.
Was Lindhardt a suspect now? No, Hubert couldn’t conjure a reason as to why the blood-shy mage would murder perfectly unremarkable student.
The sun set early in the eves now in the colder moons, after finishing his evening supper in his room, Hubert put on his warmer coats to go find Lindhardt and this cadavre. Wandering through the dimly lit halls, Hubert had expected more of a struggle in ascertaining Lindhardt’s location. Garreg Mach is an ancient and sprawling labyrinth to most, even he had no clue where a dead body would be kept.
Fortunately, Manuela, in some intoxicated state no doubt, was round the corner raving aloud the unfairness of, despite being the academy's physician, being denied the chance to investigate their deceased student.
That was being kept in the room next to her office, no less.
Turning on his heels Hubert made his way to that room. A light seeped out from under the door, damn Lindhardt and his unusual sleeping patterns! He knocked on the door and a short while later it opened.
A foul smell immediately emanated from the room, rotting flesh, necropsy in process.
‘Telling you to go away would be fruitless no doubt?’
‘Of course.’
Lindhardt opened the door slightly wider and let Hubert inside, whilst stifling a yawn. Even with the window open the room smelt like, well, a morgue.
‘You seem tired, feel free to retire for the night.I'll investigate the body.’
‘Hah, nice try Hubert. No, this is my examination, I’ll stay here.’ Another yawn, Lin went to sit in the chair closest to the window. ‘But, do have a look. Tell me what you think.’
From a significant distance away it was obvious the main area of trauma was the young woman’s neck. From closer it could be seen that the only substance keeping her head and body attached was skin.
Hubert pulled off the sheet covering her chest, resting it just under her breasts. Despite the corpse being discoloured from necropsy, it appeared that there was very significant bruising on her upper body, on her biceps especially- no, Hubert looked closer, prodding at the right shoulder, the bone was no longer attached.
‘Well then, what do you deduce?’ Lindhardt asked, even though he looked mostly asleep hunched over.
‘Well, some might deduce that the shoulder had come out of the socket due to the body rotting- but no that’s not it, something with a terribly inhuman strength ripped it straight out.’
‘Yes, and cleanly too, barely any signs of trauma on the shoulder joint, it was ripped out in one savage motion.’
‘So, something has done this, not human. Certainly not a normal human. No, I’m being daft, not human. A demonic beast?’
‘No, no Hubert, come now, think.’
‘The cut on the throat, it’s too precise, too specific to be a beast.’ Meaning that, ‘It was a murder, by a human. But, the amount of force used for such a trauma...’
Lindhardt mumbled in agreement, ‘I suggest you look lower.’
Hubert pulled the covering down to the woman’s pelvis.
Huge fist sized chunks of the woman had been ripped out. Cuts made with claw-like hands, chunks ripped out with the same brutal inhuman force, tearing off the flesh to what, eat it?
‘The throat cut would have been made first, then the flesh eaten so this is-‘
‘Planned. To save you some time Hubert,’ Lindhardt yawned, again ‘When the body was found there was no blood surrounding it, and there is and was no blood in the corpse. So you’re looking for-
‘A person with enhanced strength, or a creature with far superior intellectual capacities to anything we know of currently.’ Hubert studied the body a moment longer. ‘Some foreign creature from Sreng or Almyra?’
Hubert turned around when he received no answer, but Lindhardt was already asleep in the chair. Hubert covered the woman’s body, closing her eyes, the whites still showing the intense fear of her final moments. As the midnight bell tolled, he returned to his room.
—-
Hubert was washing when a cold chill crawled down his neck, of course, he thought, how could I have overlooked something so obvious?
Honestly, the whole affair was making him feel like less of a capable spymaster as time went on.
Setting down his flannel he walked over to some spare parchment on his desk. Grabbing a quill he wrote a list of the woman’s traumas. If, somehow, he could get a hold of the other bodies surely they would have some common factor linking them. Even though the executioners methods were unorthodox, there must be a reason three seemingly ordinary students had been taken .
———-
After class Hubert found himself once again in the library, searching through family records, territory ownership deeds, recorded disputes with other houses, any other interesting detail on who these missing students might be, or could have been.
Yet by the time the sun had risen, he had found nothing of note. If anything, all the evidence concluded these were some of the more inconsequential people attending this monastery.
Their disappearance should make no difference to Fódlan, other than to cause familial grief.
Despite what the rumours said about him, Hubert was still a mortal man. Exhaustion left his head bobbing, tiredness of a whole night reading permeating his bones, slowly slumping further and further over his books.
Unobserved, an effervescent blue figure watching him sleep from the corner of the room.
———
Hubert was stuck in a faith magic class that he had no interest in. He looked to his right, noticing Lindhardt was for once in class, more surprisingly still he was awake, working away on something that was not Professor Byleth’s faith teachings.
Of course, blood. It has to have something to do with blood.
The bell couldn’t ring soon enough, he walked over to Lindhardt and Caspar’s desk, where unsurprisingly the green haired man was now asleep. Caspar was talking to the professor at the front of the class, so he shook Lindhardt awake.
‘Come with me.’
Not willing to attract more attention, he led, or rather pulled Lindhardt out of the classroom and into a nook further down the corridor.
‘This better be for some good reason-‘
‘The blood. There’s no blood.’ Lin stared at him with slight pity, ‘It has to do with crests surely, what else is blood used for.’
Hubert shook the smaller man rather enthusiastically, ‘don’t you see,I’ve solved it-‘
‘No,’ Lindhardt still had his eyes closed, letting Hubert somewhat support his weight, ‘No you haven’t, there’s nothing special about these missing people. They didn’t possess crests.’
Finally he seemed to liven up a little, maybe it was the word “crest”, ‘If it was blood transfusion, crest implantation, whatever you want to call it, the body wouldn’t be in such a state.’
Hubert deflated, letting go of Lin’s shoulders. Of course, that made sense..
——————-
Four days after the third vanishing Hubert had resigned himself to the thought he’d lost his mind. Every spare moment out of class, not preparing for Edelgard’s still secret plan, was consumed with thoughts of these mysterious murder-disappearances. The facts danced around in his mind, the sense of it all still elusive.
He was able to count the hours of sleep he’d gotten in the past days on his now trembling fingers.
Eventually it seemed he’d snapped. He’d walked into his room after a late night monastery inspection, nothing unusual, until, standing over his desk was a glowing blue figure. Well, he thought, I’ve officially lost it.
He unsheathed his dagger, closing the door silently behind him, creeping up behind the man, spy, blue whatever it was. His room was littered with what he’d believed to be an impenetrable assortment of traps and wards- whoever this blue assassin spy was, he was clearly talented.
Yet he never turned around, until Hubert was so closely stood behind him, he’d only need to move a fraction to strike. The mage slipped his blade around the assassin's throat, but his blade merely cut through thin air as the spectral assassin turned to Hubert, eyes wide.
Hubert himself didn’t quite know what to do… a new spell to change the body's substance?
‘You? You can see me?’ The blue man said, rather shrill.
‘Of course. Now put your weapon down.’ It was only when he glanced at the assassins hands he noticed they were empty, an unfamiliar sense of uncertainty crept up on Hubert, ‘This room has a silence spell cast upon it, no one will hear you scream, now tell me, what are you doing in my chambers?’
The assassin stood looking rather shocked, slowly he reached a hand towards Hubert. Hubert took a step back, ‘What do you think-‘ The blue man rushed forwards and-
His arm passed right through Hubert’s shoulder. Hubert made an attempt to bat him away, yet his weapon and arm passed through his intruder’s form.
A standstill then.
’But you can see me right?’ The figure demanded, sounding amazed.
‘Obviously I can see you, it seems your spell hasn’t worked that well-‘
‘Spell?’
‘I’m impressed but you can’t kill the empire’s spymaster that easily. Now tell me, who sent you here? Who has the audacity to target me so openly?’
‘It isn’t a spell-‘
‘I’m not interested in fake excuses, I said answer me’, Hubert stepped forward with his dagger outstretched, his hand behind him tensed, readying a fire spell, if metal couldn’t kill the intruder then surely magic can, ‘Have you been killing off students I wonder, practicing to kill me?’
‘It isn’t a spell! I’m- I’m dead.’
‘Hah, sure. And I’m Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, in charge of shoving roses up my-‘
The spectre turned away, clearly he didn’t see Hubert as much of a threat, a rather offensive attitude in his opinion. ‘You’re the first person that’s been able to see and hear me since I died.’ A pause, ‘Four years ago.’
The apparition’s texture wavered, and vanished. After inspecting his wards and traps, all still active yet none triggered, Hubert tucked his dagger under his pillow. Clearly seeing things meant it was time for a rest.
———-
Yet only a few hours later into the eve he was woken up with a start. A voice, the same blue figure was standing over him, talking.
He jolted awake. Entering his chambers whilst he was away? An unlikely scenario, but still within the realms of plausibility. Entering his chambers whilst he slept? And without waking him? Now that was an impossibility. Yet more evidence that this was nothing more than his delipidated mind playing tricks on him.
‘Now I can tell you about what’s been happening around here, I can tell you where the bodies have been coming from but-‘
Sitting up in bed Hubert still didn’t feel intimidated by his spectral visitor, after all it was hard to feel threatened by an apparition seemingly incapable of interacting with the physical world. If he couldn’t touch him, then there was no threat right? Hubert must be more exhausted than he first thought if he was letting his guard down so readily.
‘-I have some requests.’
‘And who are you to be here making requests of me?’
‘I am Sylvain Jose Gautier, and I can help you out if you agree to-‘ Sylvain went to shake his hand, before pulling it back awkwardly.
‘Enough,’ I am clearly losing my mind if visions now name themselves.’ Hubert rolled back over facing the wall. Ignoring the spectre. Quickly falling back asleep. What a strange dream.
————
Around midday Hubert awoke to the sound of knocking on his door. He pulled his dagger from under the pillow. Whether it had been the tricks of a frazzled mind or not he was still wary from the events of the evening prior.
Opening the door he found-
Only Ferdinand Von Aegir, he untensed his grip from the daggers handle.
‘Ah Hubert, good morning? In truth I expected you to be awake by this hour.Unusual of you to sleep so late. Surely you hadn’t forgotten our tea time appointment?’
‘Of course not,’ a lie, ’I was just about to leave in search of you.’ Another lie, ‘Allow me a moment to ready myself and I shall join you in the courtyard.’
That is how Hubert found himself with a cup of coffee, sitting across from pompous noble Ferdinand Von Aegir, who was still trying to sway Hubert to the virtues of tea. Whilst all the while his mind wandered elsewhere.
Hubert couldn’t say he wholeheartedly disliked these weekend rendez-vous, for one it provided him with the splendid pass-time of arguing with such an overbearing and opinionated man. He’d initially agreed to this outing as an only once, a special occasion. He had been ordered by his Lady to suss out Ferdinand’s allegiances, to see how alike father and son were and if he could be aligned to Edelgard cause when the time came.
‘So, how is your murder mystery case going?’
‘And how, pray tell, do you know about that?’
‘Well,’ Ferdinand looked down sheepishly, ‘I overheard Lindthardt talking about it to Caspar and well Caspar isn’t one for talking at reasonable volumes.’
‘I see.’ He remarked in slight disdain, ‘well, since you’re already aware perhaps you can provide some insight.’ Ferdinand’s eyes lit up like an overeager puppy, ‘I’m unable to divulge all the situation’s nuances obviously,’ Hubert was stalling, he didn’t want to air his failures, ‘I can’t put my finger on what kind of creature could have done the killing, and the motive, well I can’t figure out the motive.’
‘I see, please forgive me for speaking out of turn, but,’ Hubert leant in closer, maybe this was the missing puzzle piece, ‘what about that strange new man wandering about, Jeritza I think?’
Hubert sat back somewhat deflated, he of course knew who Jeritza was, truly was, a gruesome few murders did seem up the man’s alley though.
The two Black Eagles students finished their drinks under the chilly winter’s sun, talking, and debating over many other affairs.
————
Later that evening Hubert made an impromptu visit to his Lady’s chambers. Knocking on Edelgard door he was greeted by Dorothea, peering behind her into the room he could see Petra was arranging his Lady’s white hair into complex Brigid style braids.
‘Sorry to interrupt ladies, unfortunately it is a matter of urgency.’
Edelgard sighed quietly from her vanity. Unfortunately, the affairs of being future emperor could not be ignored, even on weekends.
‘Of course Hubert, come on in. Dorothea, Petra, I shall see you tomorrow.’ As the two ladies made for the door, Hubert noticed the genuine smile on his dearest friend’s face, the almost complete lack of tension in her posture. ‘And thank you for the braids.’
The door shut, the two were left alone in the room. Hubert extended a palm upwards and muttered a silence spell on the room.
‘Would you like some coffee my friend?’
‘Thank you, but I have just returned from an afternoon with Ferdinand.’ Edelgard sat slowly undoing her braids for sleep. ‘Which is what I wanted to talk to you about, the murders that is.’
Edelgard’s hands stiles, a braid half undone.
‘He suspects it might be Jeritza’s doing.’
The white haired woman looked to him through the mirror, ‘I admit, it would be his style. But it can’t be, since coming back to the monastery he’s spent most of his time with Mercedes.’
Any sense of hope left Hubert, ‘Surely she could be lying, covering for her beloved brother?’
‘Unlikely. She is a pious woman, no doubt thinking she would suffer the goddess’ wrath if she were to lie.’ The braids were no more at this point, ‘Besides, hiding a murder is hardly something Jeritza would do, if anything he’d flaunt it. Even if he works for us, he still does as he sees fit sometimes.’
A tight smile was on Edelgards face as she turned around in her seat to face Hubert, ‘I’m sorry my friend I don’t think Jeritza is the culpable you’re looking for-‘
‘Nonsense my lady, I should apologise for I have failed you.’ Hubert stood and bowed deeply. ‘I bid you goodnight, rest assured I will keep working hard until I find the culprit.’
Though Hubert could admit to himself, he didn’t have the faintest idea where to look next.
———
The weekend quickly rolled into Monday morning. It had all started like any regular start to the week, going down to the bathhouse to freshen up, getting dressed, grabbing a quick breakfast before going to his room to pick up his books.
Upon entering his room, who, or what should be sat on his desk than this supposed Gautier ghost.
Hubert closed the door behind him, ‘So, I wasn’t going crazy. Or perhaps crazier than I first thought.’
‘Oh, I was hoping you’d have gotten over yourself by now.’
‘We can talk about this later, what are you doing here?’
‘I’m dead Hubert, I’m bored, I’m trying to help you solve these murders.’
‘Not that I need it,’ untrue, ‘but go on then, solve it.’
Admittedly if someone-thing was offering help in a case Hubert was completely at a dead end, he should’ve been a little more willing to accept the help of others, but no, this was Hubert after all. Or, a matter of Hubert’s bruised pride.
‘Ok,’ Sylvain crossed over his legs, looking smug, like he knew he had the upper hand already, ’You said they’re like a beast right?’
Hubert hummed from where he was choosing his books, at this rate he was going to be late for class-
‘Well why don’t you look into a beast like person. Like Balthus. You know, infamous king of grappling, superbly beefy?’
Saints, that wasn’t a bad suggestion actually.
Hubert could practically feel smugness radiating off Sylvain.
———
A break over lunchtime meant faculty would also be dining, which left just enough time for Hubert to break into Seteth’s office. Bidding farewell to Edelgard, telling her he was cramming some last minute study in his room.
A quick invisibly spell just to be on the safe side. Fortunately and unfortunately for him all of the school’s administration documents were kept binded in thick books along the wall.
After some quick calculations, Hubert had a rough idea of what school year to be looking for. Time was of the essence, he couldn’t take these books with him and he didn’t have time to look through all the books.
After quickly thumbing through the first book revealed nothing of interest, he only realistically had time for one more. And there on the 6th page of the next year’s book was the man he was searching for, Balthus Von Albrecht.
Part of the golden deer class from six years ago. The class page provided little more than a class photo and age, he was hoping for more but-
On the page across from Balthus there was a picture of a red haired man with a nasty scowl and scar spanning his whole face, Miklan Gautier.
Footsteps down the hallway.
Hubert cursed himself, he’d spent too long looking at Miklan’s photo. Fortunately his spell was still active, sneaking out Seteth’s office and down the opposite hallway he reappeared in the clear behind a pillar.
———
Hubert had to wait until after class and nightfall once again. Despite his impatience towards getting things done, somethings required the cover of nightfall. Tensions between the newly restored class of Ashen wolves and the church are still tender. It was currently still forbidden for surface students to go underground. Was this a motive for murder maybe?
Finally, after an evening of weeding duty, the point of which he’d never understood, he could make the journey under shadow, down the passageways and finally down the steps into Abyss.
Finding Balthus didn’t prove very difficult, the man was not only built like a cart horse but equally as loud.
The older man was sitting on a crate playing cards with some abyss merchants. Hubert walked into the room, there were simply too many people in the small space to abduct someone unnoticed.
He walked up to the group. Trying to put on a nice persona, ’Hi, can I join?’
He even tried a small smile, Balthus didn’t seem like a distrusting man, perhaps even a little simple, ‘Yeah pal! Come on over, even better with some new company!’
They played quite a few games of cards, eventually the merchants retired for the night. After some time it was left to the two men, a few cards and even less coins in Hubert's pocket.
The mage’s cheeks were beginning to ache from all the forced smiles and he was getting tired of all this idle chatter. Time to cut to the chase, ’So Balthus, all our class’ gossip revolves around these missing students.’
Balthus didn’t seem to be taking the bait, still staring intently at his cards.
’Don’t suppose you know anything about it?’
Balthus put his cards onto the table, he’d won once again, ‘Listen pal, I hope you’ve come down here for more than some snooping. I’m having a nice time, you wouldn’t want to hurt my feelings now would you. We don’t know anything about that down here.’
They carried on for two more hands, one of which Hubert won surprisingly. Not that he’d gained much gold back. This interrogation would have to carry on another night if he didn’t want to scare off his suspect.
Bidding the elder goodbye, Balthus clapped him on the shoulder jolting Hubert forward. Oh, how painful it was to keep up niceties.
——-
Hubert made it down the passageway before finding himself in the direct path of a small blade. Small, sharp and expertly aimed between his ribs.
‘Ok Hubie, we’re going to go for a little chat.’
The faint glow from the sconces reveal a short, slender figure with purple hair. Of course, the spymaster couldn’t come asking questions down in Abyss without it’s leader getting involved.
——-
Yuri led him to a small room, twisting down the corridors further and further into the abyssinian maze. The room was much like the rest of abyss, dark, somewhat worse for wear with a lingering stale smell. Despite the blade pressed into his back, Hubert didn’t feel overly threatened. His warp magic was far off being perfected, but he had enough faith in his skills to at least reappear somewhere above ground.
Yuri nudged him toward the only chair in the room. Holding the blade towards Hubert he nudged the door shut. A click.
‘Is it not common practice in Abyss to offer your guests tea?’
‘Is it common practice for surface dwellers to come down, where they’re not allowed, sniffing around suspiciously?’ Touché, ’I know who you are, Spymaster. What are you looking for?’
Hubert didn’t want to reveal the cards he held close to his chest, but he could reveal what was surely common knowledge by now.
‘I’m looking into the students' disappearances.’
‘And what have you found that brings abyss under scrutiny?’
‘Well, shouldn’t everywhere be scrutinised?’
‘You wouldn’t be prodding around if you hadn’t caught a scent that you were certain of,’ if only that were the case, ‘I know everything that happens down here and what’s going to happen,’ Yuri walked the few steps between them with his blade still extended, ‘is that you’re never going to come sniffing down here again.’
Yuri smiled more akin to a wolf with prey than a host. He put his blade away whilst unlocking the door, ‘If you would like to see yourself out Von Vestra,’ Yuri’s smile was exaggeratedly sweet, ‘Keep your surface dwellers problems exactly that, on the surface.’
Hubert made his way down the long corridor, deflated at the fact he wouldn’t be able to snoop around further, he wasn’t so stupid as to think Yuri didn’t have eyes everywhere.
‘Oh and Hubie,’
Yuri tossed a gold piece at him, ’I haven’t seen someone lose to Balthus so badly in a while, thanks for the entertainment.’
———
The following day led to an afternoon free of class. Ferdinand insisted on taking tea in the gardens, and since Hubert had nothing better to do, and no leads, he acquiesced.
As Ferdinand placed the pot of Southern blend tea next to the coffee a third guest came to sit at their table. It was good fortune that the third chair had already been pulled from out from under the table slightly, and that Ferdinand sat on the other chair across from Hubert, as otherwise he would’ve sat on- through? Sylvain, who was now sat on his right.
Ferdinand spent his usual time waxing about a noble's duty to know how to properly brew tea, and other such vapid details Hubert had become quite good at tuning out.
‘So you like looking at redheads huh?’
Oh for, Hubert couldn’t well respond to a visitor his actually living tea time partner couldn’t see. He didn’t want Ferdnand to think he was completely insane.
‘I mean he’s not bad to look at,’ Why did Hubert have to be stuck between two people who could be so insufferable, ‘I mean, I would.’
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he was believed to be insane, ‘if I could.’ If only he could get the uninvited ghost to shut up. Hubert sighed aloud, more so at Sylvain than Ferdinand.
‘-oh sorry,I’m waxing on again aren’t I.’
‘I expect nothing else of you Ferdinand.’
The noble frowned yet said nothing else on the matter. Maybe that was a little harsh, they were, at Lady Edelgards’s request, supposed to be working on positive relations.
‘So,’ Ferdinand smiled again, ‘How has the investigation been going?’
‘Not well, in all honesty. Jeritza is apparently to be trusted.’
‘Oh,well, that is… nice to know.’ Ferdinand leaned over the table closer to Hubert, his voice dropping to a whisper. ‘And what about, erm, that blue haired girl from the Golden deer house?’
Hubert leant back, surprised at the accusation ‘Marianne? And what of her?’
Ferdinand chewed on the side of his normally well manicured fingernail, ‘Well,’ they leant back toward each other, ‘she has the crest of the beast.’
The word beast certainly kept popping up recently, Hubert had to admit, it wasn’t an awful lead. ’I can bring you books about her crest and her ancestors if you’d like?’
‘You seem rather eager to help out Ferdinand.’
Snapping out of his nail biting, ‘Nonsense,I’m all too happy to help a friend.’
They spent the rest of their time in the gardens talking about other affairs, Sylvain spent his time quietly assessing Ferdinand, as if there was something stuck on his face.
————
Ferdinand brought the books and scrolls he’d promised the next day as their class started. Hubert couldn’t get out of spending this lunchtime with Edelgard and Bernadetta. Which meant he’d have to wait until evening to retire to his room and research.
Of course when he did retire for the night, Sylvain was sitting on his bed, swinging his legs around looking at the ceiling.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘Why hello Sylvain it’s awfully nice to see you, how was your day?’ When his sarcasm earned no response Sylvain sighed, ‘I told you already,helping you with your hunt, are you so dim you forgot?’
Hubert felt his eye twitch, what happened to the concept of one’s own room being a sanctuary? ‘It’s not Marianne by the way.’
‘Oh really,and how can you be so sure?’
‘Ah ah, that would be telling, and you said you didn’t want my help.’ Hubert was growing rather tired of his intruder, he took off his boots and laid the books on his desk.
He started reading about the crest of the beast’s lineage and it’s powers. Or at least he tried. Sylvains incessant leg swinging was distracting in his peripheral vision.
‘Stop.’
‘Stop what?’ He could hear the smug cheer in the ghost’s voice.
‘If you insist on being here then stop swinging your legs.’
‘Or else what?’ A silence, ‘That’s what I thought, you know I’d kick you if I could.’
As the light from his oil lamp whittled away, Hubert was growing angrier with the fact hours were passing by and yet again he wasn’t making sufficient progress.
‘I’ll just go an interrogate Marianne tomorrow.’
‘No!’, Sylvain sat up abruptly on the bed, legs finally still. ‘You can’t.’
The two turned to face each other, ‘And why not?’
Sylvain flopped back on the bed, his legs mercifully still, ‘Because, you don’t hear what she says to the goddess at night.’
‘Go on.’
‘If you interrogate her... Hubert, she’s of a fragile mind. You can’t…push her.’
‘And why do I care about her mind?’
Sitting back up now, ‘Hubert, you can’t seriously be that callous.’
Hubert didn’t answer, turning to face his books instead. Obviously, he didn’t want to be responsible for an unnecessary death. But maybe it wasn’t wholly unnecessary.
The two didn’t talk for the rest of the night, Hubert so engrossed in his reading he didn’t notice Sylvain leaving. That night, he fell asleep with his face pressed into a parchment, thinking about swinging legs and beast transformations.
——-
Sounds of people running down the hall woke Hubert from his uncomfortable slumber. Still dressed from the night before, he peeled the parchment off from his face and went to investigate the commotion.
To the left, down the steps slumped against a pillar, was another student lying in her own blood.
Hubert pushed passed the crowd to get a closer look. The young woman’s eyes were blown almost comically wide. Clearly her last moments were spent in terror, with some modicum of pain, and yet the smile on her face seemed almost serene.
Contradicting the violently wrong contorted angle of her neck.
Asstounding then that the ordeal hadn’t awoken Hubert overnight.
He was snapped from his thoughts as he was bruskely shoved aside by a flurry of pink pigtails now wailing on the floor.
‘Marianne!’ Hilda shook her friend's body, as if that would bring the blood covered corpse back to life.
Not long after, Seteth came running with other faculty in tow, prising Hilda off the corpse whilst she was still screaming.
It was a painful scene to watch unfold, Hubert took a step back to let the golden deer’s huddle together. Out of the corner he spotted Sylvain, with his back turned staring at Ferdinand instead.
———-
Class was understandably put on hold for the day. Counselling was offered, through prayer at the church or in the training grounds with Byleth.
Hubert instead retreated into his room, closing the door so his silence spell would be in effect. He ran up to his desk chair and kicked it, hard. The wood splintered against the assault.
He swept the books and parchments off the desk in one brusque motion, what good were they now his only suspect was dead.
He considered setting something on fire just to have a physical outlet for his anger. But no, he had to calm himself. Giving more work to the faculty staff would not be helpful.
He stood planted in the middle of his room with his eyes tightly shut, counting slow, deep breaths.
Reaching five hundred he dressed for a walk, though if you asked him now he wouldn’t remember any of it. Just the constant pounding of his boots through the monastery grounds, further out the grounds, finally coming back well after the sun had set.
——
Lady Edelgard knocked on his bedroom door in the middle of the night. With two guards trailing behind her. He greeted her rather blearily, he was about to invite her in before remembering the state of his trashed room.
They went back to her chambers instead. Of course it had all the same protections as Hubert’s room, if not more. Closing the door, leaving the guards on the other side.
He stood awkwardly as she sat on her vanity chair. Feeling all too much like a failure, how had he let it get this bad, to think he was supposed to help lead the empire to greatness.
‘Hubert, my friend, you make a fine tableau of misery itself standing there, but please sit.’
He did as instructed sitting on her desk’s chair. A few moments later came a knock on the door, a servant boy brought tea and coffee.
Hubert poured his Lady a cup and then himself. He could not bring himself to look her in the eyes.
She reached out and put her hand on his, ’Some clue will avail from what’s happened.This won’t be for naught.’
‘I have truly failed you my lady, and now your safety is in question, I-‘
‘Nonsense Hubert, I can look after myself far better than miss Marianne would have been able to.’
Hubert was taken aback, hearing her speak ill of the dead, clearly his face must’ve shown his shock, she continued, ‘I mean no disrespect on miss Marianne of course, only, well, you know what they say,’
In truth Hubert didn’t, whilst he had many spies and heard many rumours, the blue haired girl wasn’t someone that popped up through his network.
‘Well, about how she prayed for death.’
Ah, so that’s what Sylvain had meant.
‘My Lady, I think I have found a new angle. Thank you for the drink. I must see to this immediately.’
Hubert left with a customary bow, back to his own room.
Returning to his room, of course the dastardly ghost isn’t there the one time he needs him to be. Hubert sets about fixing his room waiting for his ghost to return.
——-
Sylvain never did return that night, nor did he for the three consecutive days. The black eagles class had seemed to return to some normality, though with moments of sullen quiet.
Ferdinand in particular looked paler with each day that passed. The copper haired noble insisted he was fine, that he simply hadn’t been sleeping well since the murder of a student.
Byleth did her best to reassure him, more guards had been placed around the monastery, with some in the dormitory hallways.
———
Finally on the fourth day after Marianne’s murder Sylvain did turn up to Hubert’s room. Markedly, without his usual cheer. Hubert hadn’t thought he’d miss the ghosts grating banter, but seeing him looking so worn down, seemed, well, wrong.
‘Well, well, it’s been a while.’
Sylvain sat on the bed with a sigh. He looked a man defeated.
‘Where have you been?’
‘Why, missed me Hubie?’ There it was, the usual banter, without the cheer though.
Hubert didn’t bite the bait, he simply waited taking in Sylvains hunched form, ‘I’ve been talking to Marianne.’
Hubert bolted up from his chair, ‘What?!’
Sylvain also stood, standing eye to eye, ‘I’ve been talking to Marianne.’
‘How?’, ‘What do you mean how, she’s dead, I’m dead, we talk. Obviously.’
Hubert sat back down, he hadn’t considered this a possibility. He’d just assumed, foolishly, that Sylvain was what, the only ghost in the world.
‘And what does she have to say for herself?’
‘I told you,I’m not going to help you unless you help me.’
‘Why you-,’ Hubert stood knocking back his new chair, clenching his fists as if he was going to punch the ghost-man, if only that was possible. ‘Fine. Fine you win.’
Counting to ten, if Hubert could stay composed maybe this could still go in his favour something had to eventually, surely.
‘And pray tell, what requests could someone in your position have? I’m not interested in finding a way to bring you back to life, if that would even be possible, or-‘
‘Or, you could shut up and hear me out for once that would be nice. Yes, I can’t touch things or move things or, whatever.’ In a quieter voice now, ‘And no one can see me, other than you for some reason. Which isn’t thrilling by the way-‘
‘Out with it already, what do you want? And I swear if you’re wrong about who’s causing these murders-‘
‘I’m not, I’m just-‘ Sylvain ran a hand through his hair, looking away before steeling himself to look back at Hubert. ‘When your war comes-Yes I know about it, I told you I hear more than you’d think. I want you to save Felix-‘
Hubert scoffed looking back at his papers. ‘-and Ingrid too, though I doubt she’d ever leave the kingdom-‘
Sylvain moved to stand through Huberts desks, right on his papers. The mage was sure if he’d been capable of manifesting, the ghost-man would’ve flung the papers across the room.
‘Look at me Hubert’, so he did, ‘Felix doesn’t like the Kingdom. Not since his brother died for a King he doesn’t believe in.’ Quieter, a sadness in his voice, ‘If I was still of this world, we would both be on your side. Fighting for a world without crests. Sure, we wouldn’t be friends you and I, but is it so hard to believe people from the Kingdom territories want to live in an equal world?’
‘I’m not here to babysit your boyfriend Sylvain.’
‘He’s not my, urgh.’ Sylvain moved back to the middle of the room, ‘Though I am partial to the dark hair.’ Sylvain,winked at him, winked,as if that would convince Hubert.
There it was the grating banter, maybe the sullen depression was better after all. Hubert took a pause before answering, ‘No, I suppose it’s not hard to believe some of the Kingdom’s people see the reason in the Empire’s ideals. So tell me, what do I have to do in order to recruit the Fraldarius boy.’
And so it was set into motion.
————
Felix had eventually agreed that when the time should come he would join the empire. After a rather unusual convincing;
Hubert had resorted to chloroforming the swordsman dragging him back to his chambers for a chat. Sylvain obviously had to be there, talking loudly at Hubert through the whole event.
‘Can’t you just be normal about things? Who does that to someone?’
Hubert offered no response, he was busy restraining the unconscious student to a chair.
‘What a great first impression! Oh, he’s going to be so pissed-‘
Hubert pulled the ropes tighter, he wasn’t stupid, despite being from separate houses he’d heard of the swordsman’s talents.
‘Are you so socially inept you can’t have a chat with someone? You know, hi let’s have a talk kind of thing-‘
Checking for hidden blades. Hubert found two in the man’s vest and one in his boot, smart.
‘Honestly Hubert,I’m surprised you have any friends, no wait, you don’t-‘
——-
It took a whole morning to convince Felix to join the Black Eagles class. Hubert had approached his narrative from many angles, some story of how they were lacking a swordsman for their missions, how his talents were wasted in his current class, various other vague nonsense. Hubert wasn’t very good at pandering with people being obtuse for no seemingly good reason.
It hadn’t been wholly difficult, though Felix was indeed seething at having been ‘kidnapped’, coerced Hubert thought was more fitting. His disdain toward the future King, and wanting to train under a competent sword welding professor meant he was amenable to transferring to the black eagles.
Hubert also had a suspicion he liked the idea of being a valued sword unit.
—————
After releasing Felix, and promising a new Levin Sword in exchange for silence on Hubert’s unorthodox coercion methods. The mage returned to his room with his ghost in tow.
‘So,’ Hubert started, ‘I’ve made good on my side of the deal,who is the murderer.’
‘You’re not going to like it-‘
And so, Sylvan told him, and together they made a plan to take down the culprit that same night.
———-
‘Did you hear that-‘, ‘Shh-‘, ‘Sounds like-‘,’Shut Up-‘
The heavy door creaked as it opened. Ferdinand stood in the doorframe looking at a Hubert who was trying to seem inconspicuous.
Ferdinand glanced around the hallway, ’Hubert, are you alright? Who were you talking to?’
Well, shit.
Running his fingers through his hair, Hubert returned to full height, trying to feign ignorance whilst looking behind Ferdinand to where Sylvain had already slipped into the room and was making wild gestures to Hubert and back to the bed.
Gestures of throat cutting.
‘And what are you doing up at this time Ferdinand?’
‘Excuse me? You came to my room talking to yourself and now you’re interrogating me? For your information I was asleep’
‘Then why are your candles still lit?’
‘That- is none of your business.’ Ferdinand took a step back and began closing the door. ‘Now, goodnight Hubert.’
As the door nearly closes, Hubert’s heavy boot finds its way between frame and door. Hubert isn’t sure what he was going to say furthermore anyway, but what he wasn’t expecting was to be flung inside Ferdinand’s chambers. Flung in every sense of the word.
A burning in his lungs, a panic clawing its way up his throat- this wasn’t how his interrogations usually went.
He’d never found himself lying on the floor, thrown across a whole room like a weightless rag doll before.
Slowly opening his eyes, vision blurred, turning his head slowly to Ferdinand’s bed. A blue glowing figure stood next to a bed- which yes- now has vision was sharpening again, did indeed have a body on it.
A body with a cut throat.
A body whose fate Hubert was surely meant to share.
Ferdinand walked across the room, slowly, eyeing Hubert like prey. Prey? Hubert almost chucked, no if the man- or whatever he was, could throw him with such strength, Hubert was already a dead man.
Eventually Ferdinand stood over him, the two stared at each other for a beat. It was only now Hubert noticed the blood on the auburn haired’s fingers, creeping up onto his sleeve as if he’d hastily wiped his face-
Cold, Ferdinand’s hand was cold around Huberts scrawny neck. Ferdinand only needed one hand to squeeze Hubert‘s windpipe shut and lift him off the floor. The mage could only croak out a rather pathetic ‘help’. Ferdinand lifted Hubert with no effort at all.
Sylvain walked over to where Hubert could see him, ‘And what do you expect me to do? I’m literally a ghost.’
Hubert didn’t find it funny, but Ferdinand laughed seemingly at himself. He couldn’t see Sylvain right?
Huberts feet touched the ground again, Ferdinand’s vice grip released from his throat. He laughed again, Hubert wasn’t finding the whole situation overly humourous.
Clutching at his throat and gasping for air, a thin strip of drool fell to the floor. Was it so easy to die? For the first time in his life, Hubert felt real fear. His whole body had seized up.
The two living people, no one person and one creature looked at each other. Hubert wanted to look in control, he really did, but he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking and holding his throat.
‘Hubert, I quite like you. Well no, actually I don’t. Maybe I could-‘
Sylvain rolled his eyes behind Ferdinand. He didn’t seem overly bothered by witnessing Hubert’s near death but then again, he was dead already. He didn’t seem overly bothered by it, still Hubert didn't want to-
‘Like you, after all we are both creatures of the night. You do your slithering in the dark and I-‘
‘I am nothing like you, whatever creature you are-‘ Hubert croaked out, his throat hurt worse than raw burnt flesh.
‘-Well yes, for one, I’m not rude. I don’t interrupt people.’
Ferdinand walked over to his bed, moving the body with a frightening ease, sitting down and patting the spot next to him, as if Hubert was going to go anywhere near him.
‘Fine suit yourself. Have you ever wondered how someone such as my father stays in power?’ Ferdinand looked down at his blood stained fingernails. Comfortable at being the one in charge in this situation.
‘Well you don’t need to worry about him, I’m like this from my mother's side. I’m beautiful, and strong and immortal.’ Ferdinand flicked his hair over his shoulder, vain prick, ‘Of course this condition comes with it’s supposed down sides, like being insatiably bloodthirsty.’
Looking back up at Hubert, Ferdinand smiled. Even under the dim candlelight, Ferdinand’s protruding fangs glistened.
‘I am a vampire.’
Somewhere in the back of the room, Sylvain’s ‘I told you so’ echoed in a sing-song voice. Clearly someone wasn’t taking this situation seriously enough. Hubert couldn’t look away from Ferdinand but he was sure the ghost-man was trying to look at Ferdinand’s possessions strewn about his room.
‘Now you have a choice Hubie, I can kill you right now, and I can eat all of you, so no one would ever find your body. Or, now is the time to believe me. I do care deeply for the Empire's success and reforms. I know of what Edelgard wants. I’m not dumb Hubert. I want to be part of the new empire.’
Hubert’s mind raced around, he barely registered the other man’s next words, ‘Or of course, I can just kill you.’
Sylvain re-appeared next to the body, making a chicken quack sound, drawing across his neck.
‘Vampires aren’t real Ferdinand, what are you really-‘
‘Oh sweet Goddess’, Ferdinand crossed the distance between them at a dizzying speed, a new teleportation spell? Grabbing Hubert by his coat collars he pushed him towards his vanity.
‘Tell me Hubert what do you see?’
‘Nothing- nothing out of the ordinary, what-‘
‘Oh saints, how does the empire hope for success with you as it’s spymaster.’
Sylvain laughed, rather rudely in Hubert’s opinion.
The mage was pushed brusquely further towards the wooden cabinet.
‘Look Hubert, there’s no mirror. Now why would there be no mirror for a man as vain as myself?’ Ferdinand roughly turned him around, face to face.
‘Because my dear, I have no reflection.’
‘Nonsense.’
‘Oh my-’ Ferdinand released him to pull on the roots of his auburn hair, frustration evident.
‘How am I supposed to convince you then! Of all the ways I thought this, this coming out affair would go, this wasn’t my foreseen outcome.’
Ferdinand moved back to the corpse on his bed, ‘I’ve drunk all of this one dry, I mean you could watch me eat his organs too but really it’s not my favourite part. In truth I’d rather bury the spare parts but you know—‘
‘You’re concerned about people finding out.’
‘Yes, that’s why I’ve been selecting students who won’t be much missed. And, well, the staff and clergy would notice if I wandered out of the monastery for feedings.’
‘So you murdered Miss Marianne?’
‘I was starving Hubert, with all the reinforced security I couldn’t go anywhere!’
Ferdinand got uncomfortably close to Hubert, leaving too little space between them. Though at the speed Ferdinand could move, the whole monastery wouldn’t have been enough, ’I was starving! Besides,’ has expression softened, ‘She asked for it.’
Hubert’s mind was too full, too full of information he never expected, didn’t know what to believe-
Sylvain said softly, close to Hubert as if not to scare a stray cat, ‘It’s true, she told me. She is happy to be...dead.’
Hubert shook his head, as if that could rid his mind of dark thoughts.
‘Couldn’t you drink from someone without killing them?’
‘Hubert my dear you’re the only person who knows about who I really am. Wait, are you offering yourself to me?’
Sylvain whistled over by the door, ‘Woo, the repressed raven is gonna get some action!’ Hubert really wishes he could tell him to shut up, why couldn’t Vampires see ghosts.
‘No, I mean, that you could, erm-‘ His mind stuttered, ‘prisoners? Really undesirable people?’
‘Hubert, why do you suppose you’ve never heard of vampires?’ Ferdinand stared Hubert down, even from across the room, Hubert wasn’t enjoying being made to feel stupid.
‘Because of the Church. There’s no literature about us, they’ve hunted us and burned all remains of our culture. If Rhea knew I was here, if she knew what I was. Well, I wouldn’t be here much longer.’
The whirling thoughts drew to a stop. This was it, this was the moment to align Ferdinand to Edelgard’s vision.
‘All the more reason to dismantle the church then.’
Ferdinand looked hopeful. Even Sylvain smiled softly at Hubert. ‘But you must tell Edelgard of what you are if you are to have a place in her new world.’
‘Very well.’
‘And, no matter how useful you will be to our Lady.’ Hubert stood straighter,gaining some confidence at the thought he wouldn’t die tonight, ‘No more eating students. I’ll find some bodies, I don’t know how but no more murders.’
Surely, this was the best course of action.
———
Hubert felt relaxed for the first time since this whole ordeal started what was unbelievably only a few weeks prior. Of course, he knew calm wouldn’t last with the looming threat of war, but for now he wanted to enjoy some solace.
Something that would be more easily achieved if he wasn’t still being pestered by Sylvain.
His talking disturbed Hubert in his evening study, it was a good job he is distinguished in dark magic already.
‘I did say, a while ago. I had requests. Plural.’
‘What, what could you possibly want now’
‘I want to play chess. You know how to play chess right? Or were you too busy murdering kittens as a child?’
‘Enough, yes I know how to play chess.’ A sigh, ‘And if it means you’ll be quiet-yes ,I’ll play chess with you.’
Sylvain smiled, genuinely, perhaps for the first time since their paths crossed. Glancing over at him, Hubert couldn’t help smiling too.
———
They’d settled into a routine, Sylvain sometimes accompanied the Black Eagles to class, sometimes checking in on his blue lion friends, not that were any the wiser. After supper, if Hubert bothered to eat, they played chess for a few hours, the mage moving pieces for the both of them. They played until the sun set, then Hubert made his rounds, checking around the monastery and Sylvain went god knows where for the night.
‘Sylvain, where do you go at night? You don’t sleep, correct?’
‘Right as always Hubert,’ He’d reached out to move a piece, sometimes he forgot he wasn’t able to feel the world he was for some reason tethered to, ‘Some nights I go wandering, I don’t feel the cold either so i can wander wherever.’
‘Yet most nights I go to Felix’s room.’ A small smile plays across his face as his eyes seem to gaze elsewhere, ‘No, nothing crude, before you make that remark.’
He meets Huberts eyes across the board. ‘When we were children he was such a crybaby, and castle Gautier was plagued with my brother’s existence. So given the chance I would go to stay at the Fraldarius castle. But he was afraid of everything, ghosts, noises, shadows. Nothing like the prickly, well, prick he can be today.’
‘So that’s what I do. Guarding I guess, not that I could do anything either way. I guess it’s more for my peace of mind. He’s the only remaining family I care about.’
A moment of silence settled between them. Hubert would admit to anyone, he wished he had someone care for him that way.
‘And you know what else- it’s a damn good job the boy’s too grumpy to get laid. Man, now that would be awkward!’
———
As the looming war approached, most weeks they hadn’t the time to play chess as often as desired. Half his evenings were spent running through clandestine battle plans, what to do if the other student didn’t ally with their vision.
Sylvain was of course present at the meetings. No one could, after all, do anything about his presence. Hubert was surprised to find Ferdinand was also privy to Edelgard's revolutionary plans, the two having grown closer with Ferdinand revealing his true nature.
Edelgard had found a way to feed him in exchange for Ferdinand’s unbridled force in battle. And when the time came, for his level headed leadership as prime minister.
The two left Edelgard’s room, leaving the Vampire to have tea with his Lady, a thought that sent a small chill down his spine. He often had to remind himself Ferdinand had made good on his promise last moon, there had been no more murderings. He could be trusted with his Lady, as hard as Hubert found that fact.
Sylvain turned to him when they were once again in the mage’s room.
‘Are you worried about the war?
‘No I have every confidence in the black eagle strike force-‘
‘Seriously you guys could’ve come up with a better name, and Hubert, what if you die?’ A pointed look between them, ‘who the fuck will move the pieces then?!’
Hubert couldn’t help it, he laughed. Which in turn set Sylvain off. When the two had finished in their delirium, Hubert realised that had been the first time he’d laughed in, well, a good while.
———
One moon later, the war was drawing ever closer.
Hubert had retired to bed, preparing for an earlier night than usual. Though he held some nervousness about the upcoming events, he had prepared as best he could.
He turned off his oil lamp and rolled over. He was just drifting off when, ‘Hubert!’
Hubert made a noise that was not unlike a squeak, he flickered a small fireball in his hand. Of course, in his heavily guarded room only one person could enter.
‘Sylvain.’
‘Guess what.’ There was a distinct look of glee across the redhead's face. Hubert sat up, so much for an early night.
‘Enlighten me.’
Sylvain sat on the floor next to his bed. ‘So you know how Yuri joined Black Eagles because he wanted to,’ Sylvain made air quotation marks, ‘learn from the Professor.’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, you know how lots of people have been saying he and Felix spend a lot of time in the training grounds together,’ Sylvain had at this point, a shit-eating grin on his face, ‘Well, they’re in bed together.’
Hubert couldn’t help it, Sylvains mirth was contagious, he layed back and laughed.
‘So anyway, I’m sleeping here from now on.’
Hubert extinguished the fireball, still smiling, he didn’t mind at all.
———
At the end of that week the war came. To everyone’s delight the Professor sided with her students. Edelgard couldn’t have been happier with that outcome. Strategically, Hubert knew she was a huge boon.
Surprisingly, Ashe chose to also side with the empire. Byleth had recruited him for that month’s prior mission. Whilst Hubert had been against bringing another class’s student on that mission to the crypt, he rationalised he’d end up dead opposing the empire at some point anyway.
But it seemed the young sniper was to see another moon or more. Hubert had of course questioned him immediately after leaving the crypt. It had seemed almost too convenient. Though Ashe didn’t seem the cunning type to plan a secret coup, a fake allegiance. Alas, it seemed the defector had indeed been building up resentment against the church since they’d wrongfully murdered his adoptive family. Felix and Yuri had vouched for him, and whilst their word held little weight since they were also Kingdom defectors, Hubert trusted they knew him well enough to know what would happen to traitors.
—
The war progressed in stages. The Black Eagle strike force lived up to its name. Every moon they took holds and keeps held by minor lords, progressively encroaching into Kingdom territory.
Their first noteworthy coup would be against a defensive camp set up along the joint Charon-Galatea territory.
Hubert would be stupid to not figure out why Sylvain had been uncharacteristically quiet recently.
——-
The day had come, they were to march off to battle. The whole force had expressed understanding at the idea Felix might not want to be a part of this battle.
Yet he turned up in the morning, albeit more reserved than usual. The battle was heading in a successful way with no major casualties. The strike force performed a pincer movement around the campsite. Catherine gave as good as she got, but Ashe had become a formidable sniper over the years, and all his enemies underestimated his range.
Hubert smiled watching the church fanatic choke on her own blood, feeling for the arrow lodged in her throat.
Pulling it out meant a death sentence, but so was leaving it there.
Her eyes widened looking off to her right. Hubert stood a good fifty feet away but he could still see the terror on her face as Ashe emerged from the tree covering. A sniper was very rarely on the field, and this sniper was breaking formation. But, Hubert supposes, this is an exceptional circumstance.
Catherine tried to reach down for Thunderbrand. She’d dropped the weapon when getting struck, her arms shook as she reached down, her knees buckled under her, coughing up more blood on the floor. What a pitiful sight.
Ashe walked over to her kneeling form. The silver haired man kicked the relic out of reach. What is he planning?
Ashe leaned over Catherine, if Hubert was closer he would've seen the manic smile plastered on his face. Ashe put a hand round her neck, with a strength no one would’ve thought him capable of, he pulled the arrow from her neck and stabbed her in the shoulder, in the chest, tearing into her again and again…
Hubert’s attention was snapped away from the carnage by a rather shrill scream. He ran up the steps to the plateau. At its peak lay a downed Pegasus, mostly atop it’s rider, and a swordsman pointing his blade toward her throat.
Stood next to the swordsman was a very familiar ghost.
Sylvain stood there crying, they all knew what the outcome would be. Ingrid would never leave the Kingdom, Felix would never let her live.
Hubert didn't need to get involved, this wasn’t his part of the story.
——-
By morning Sylvain still hadn’t returned from the plateau.
Later in the early evening, after a meeting had finished concerning the newly acquired territory, Hubert asked Ferdinand for tea.
The two found themselves in the sunny garden, and without the gloomy ghost to remind him of yesterday’s horrors Hubert found his mood perking up. Until he started talking about it, in a roundabout fashion.
‘Tell me Ferdinand, you’re well versed in the matter’s of the heart.’
‘Oh my,’ Ferdinand leaned in, as hungry for an insight into the mage's private life as a wolf with a rabbit’s scent, ‘are you courting someone?’
Hubert’s face sort of twitched, in a way he couldn’t control, letting some sort of snort come from him, ‘What? No, absolutely not.’ Ferdinand kept smiling at him, overly sweetly, Hubert felt himself redden under the interogatary gaze, ‘What gave you that idea?’
‘Well Hubert, what other advice would you come to me for I don’t already offer in meetings?’ Ferdinand was somehow louder now, ‘Is it fashion sense? You know I think it’s time we try colours that are less drab on you-‘
‘No, no,’ Hubert had to butt into Ferdinand’s tirade before it became a little too hurtful, ‘I have erm, no that’s not right, someone I care for is upset. And I want to make them less upset.’
Ferdinand was positively gleaming at this news, ‘Well why don’t you buy them’ why did he put additional emphasis on the pronoun, ‘something to cheer them up.’
‘Ah erm,’ remembering Sylvain can’t actually touch things, ‘I need it to be words, it’s complicated to explain.’
Ferdinand looked pensive for a minute, ‘Why don’t you just be clear with them. Tell them you appreciate and care for them.’
‘And how do I do that?’
‘Saints help me Hubert, you’re a lost cause.’
They continued bickering in such a manner till the sun had begun setting. Ferdinand announced he was off to feed from what he distastefully called: “battle leftovers”.
He’d told all of their friends, and since getting their support he and Edelgard had come to an agreement about his feedings. Though it did take Bernadetta a few weeks to come back out from her room, and lots of visits from said vampire reassuring her that no he didn’t want “Bernie-blood”.
Caspar had been enthusiastic in testing himself against Ferdinand’s true vampiric strength. Ferdinand had agreed to let Caspar brawl against him, the redhead refusing to punch Caspar back no matter how much the smaller man insisted he could take it. Lindhardt hadn’t been so animated about anything since the year started.
To Ferdinand’s great joy, he hadn’t been shunned or outcast from the strange family they call the Black Eagles.
———-
Hubert found Sylvain sat next to his bed curled in on himself. Sitting next to him Sylvain had obviously realised the other was there but didn’t acknowledge it, he didn’t leave though so, small improvements.
‘I talked to someone, about how to make you feel better,’ Hubert tried to meet Sylvain’s eye unsuccessfully, ‘he said we should talk about how you feel,’ still no acknowledgement, ‘would you like to do that?’
‘Absolutely not.’
‘So you’re just going to sit on my floor, looking sorry for yourself and for what- the rest of your potentially eternal life?’ If the frown on Sylvain’s face was anything to go by, Hubert is sure he would've been on the receiving end of a punch if it were possible.
Sylvain stood up shouting, hands clenched into fists, ‘You dick, you have no idea what it’s like to be stuck like this.’
Hubert copied him, a mock face-off, ’No, I haven’t. Go on then, tell me about how it must be oh so hard not having to wage war across a whole country.’
‘Yeah, it’s fucking worse cause I don’t get to do anything about it!’
Hubert’s throat was raw, good, this is what he wanted, getting his emotions out the only way he knew how. Violently, ’I’m the one who has to kill people, over and over every day-‘
‘And I’m the one who has to watch my friends die,’ Sylvain’s words cracked around the edges, ‘and there’s nothing I can do about it’, his hands were shaking by his sides, ‘except pray they don’t come back to be like me.’
Ferdinand’s advice rang in his head, reassure him, ’You’re not useless.’ Sylvain scoffed, ‘I mean it, without you, more students would’ve died needlessly.’
Sylvain was staring at the floor, ‘I would’ve never tried to recruit Felix without you making me. Ashe wouldn’t have without Felix joining first and Yuri followed them both. That’s already three people you’ve saved.’
Sylvain was slightly smiling now, ‘And without you talking to Marianne, Ferdinand would still be killing people he shouldn’t, how many people is that now.’ Sylvain sniffled and returned Hubert’s gaze with a small smile, ’Thanks,’ he mumbled.
‘So don’t ever say you’re useless.’
———
It took Sylvain about half an hour to pull himself together, but Hubert didn’t mind just sitting with him on the floor. Eventually they found themselves round their chess board, it had been quite a while since they’d played.
‘Sylvain, since we’re being honest with each other this evening, there are some things that have been playing on my mind.’
‘Pawn to B three, go on then.’ Hubert moved the piece as instructed. Retaliating with his opposing pawn.
‘Do you want other people to know you’re here? Felix maybe?’
Sylvain frowned at the board, ‘No, not at all. What makes you think I would?’
Hubert hadn’t quite thought of that, nor what he was going to do with the piece now in the boards right gap.
The piece he’d moved was quickly taken by Sylvain’s own. ‘I don’t want that no, Felix has made his peace with it. He’s moving on.’
Hubert opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly shut it.
‘Don’t look at me like that Hubert. I’m glad. Really, I am, there’s enough hard times in everyone’s lives. It wouldn't be right to have me hanging around like a, ghost… leach?’
Hubert chuckled and moved one of his few remaining pieces, he really did have a formidable opponent, to think he used to underestimate him.
‘So what was the other thing you wanted to ask me about?’
The mage’s smile faltered a little, this could never be an easy question, ‘How did you die?’
Sylvain inhales, a nervous shuddering sound, ‘Wow you’re sparing no punches are you.’ He looked down at the board, twisting his fingers round each other, ’Well, I guess you’re allowed to know.’
Hubert put down the piece, his strategy long forgotten.
‘I had a brother, Miklan. My older brother.’ The one who’s photo I had found, ‘he erm, he pushed me into a well. And I drowned.’
Hubert felt his bones turn to ice, that’s a lot worse than anything he could imagine, ‘I don’t think it means I came back as a ghost for vengeance though, I never hated him, I just wanted him to love me. To be a big brother.’
Sylvain’s voice remained calm throughout, the six years of being dead with no one to talk to must’ve given him lots of time to think over things. ‘Why?’
‘Did he kill me?’ Sylvain looked up and smiled at him, Hubert thought he looked much better like his, being open and honest and not being a sarcastic pain, ‘Well that one’s easy, because I have a crest, duh.’
Hubert’s bones froze over again.
‘That’s why I wanted you to save my friends, because I want to see Edelgard’s world. It’s the world I would’ve wanted to be born into, the world where I wouldn’t be-‘
‘Dead.’
Hubert said the world with an air of finality.
‘If you think about it,I’m only kind of dead.’
But Sylvain always had to get the last word in.
——-
Some things could never be questioned about Hubert. Such as his unwavering loyalty to Edegard and the empire.
Fódlan had changed greatly over Hubert’s lifetime, the Empire’s governance had truly made the country better for everyone no matter their status or birthright.
Huberts' friends and staff often wondered if he felt lonely growing into his old age; they didn’t know of what they couldn’t see, of Sylvain’s unseen companionship through his life. A presence that had only made him feel loved, sometimes frustrated, but never lonely.