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The “Blue Lion” rocked on the waves, it’s wooden hull creaking against the sea. The Boar Captain had assigned Felix as lookout, and though Felix didn't enjoy it, at least it was quiet.
Felix squinted, his eyes noticing a shape. That shape didn’t move like a wyvern or a pegasus. Felix extended his spyglass. Whatever it was, it had two layers of wings that were frozen stiff into a glide. They were leagues away from the nearest sovereign nation. As the shape grew closer, it brought with it a strange hum, bringing into view a small craft suspended by the two great wings.
Was this Empire technology? If they sent a scout, it looked like they had veered far from following the “Blue Lion.” Was there supposed to be smoke pouring from the front?
No, it wasn’t flying. Not for long. It looked directed to the island charted just ahead.
Felix could leave well enough alone. Their business was to lay low and stay away from anything interesting. Felix paused, before rescinding his spyglass and making his way to Captain Dimitri.
Shit. The aircraft rapidly lost altitude. “I’m pulling up as much as I can,” Byleth called back.
“Fan-fucking-tastic,” Jeralt snapped behind her. “I knew this old junker was on borrowed time, but I thought we had longer-”
“Island,” Byleth interrupted. “Island up ahead.”
“You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin?” Jeralt shouted over the roaring wind.
Unfortunately, she was.
Byleth had to find the emergency landing location that was least likely to kill anyone on impact.
She dipped towards the beach, only for the wing to clip a tree. The plane spiraled towards the rock cliff, jerking upside down as they plunged into the beach-
Pulse.
“You thinkin’ what -” Jeralt paused. “What did you just do?” Jeralt shouted.
Thank you, Byleth whispered to Sothis.
You certainly have a knack for getting into trouble, Sothis lilted back.
Okay, that bit of beach was out. Though Byleth suspected they were dropping too fast to land on the bluffs, it would avoid many trees. What if she raised the nose and gunned the engine? Could she gain enough to land above?
The plane’s nose lurched, flames belching from the engine as the steel crunched into the side of the bluff -
Pulse.
“You thinkin’ what -” Jeralt paused. “What did you just do?” Jeralt shouted.
Not promising there either, Byleth thought.
If you can make it through the trees, there’s a fair sized clearing, Sothis pointed out.
How did she know that?
I… I don’t know, Sothis admitted.
It took all of Byleth’s chops to only clip the wings of the plane on palm trees. Thank Sothis she hit two of them at the same time. The horrible jolt shook Byleth’s bones. Though their wings shredded from the plane, it stayed level. The bottom scraped to a stop, losing enough speed that when the nose connected to a boulder, the plane pitched forward, but dropped safely back.
Byleth staggered from the wreckage.
No. Jeralt. He slumped in the back seat, head sagged forward. “Jeralt-!” Byleth rushed to him.
Go back, go back, go back, Byleth begged.
Patience, Sothis scolded.
Jeralt groaned as he sat up. “Don’t worry. It’s going to take a lot more than that to kill me.”
Byleth kicked the sand, heart racing. “You scared me,” She dropped to the sand, and Jeralt dropped beside her.
“I didn’t know it was possible to scare you,” Jeralt smirked. His eyes seemed to want to ask her about that… something that just happened. It’s not that Byleth didn’t want to tell him. She simply didn’t know how?
Am I such a source of shame to you, you can’t even tell your own father? Sothis muttered.
Shame wasn’t right. Just… how could Byleth tell Jeralt what was going on if she had absolutely no damn idea?
Jeralt sighed heavily. “At least we’re away from the church.”
At least that was true indeed. As the secrets grew more numerous and the mysteries remained far from solved, Jeralt orchestrated a tactical retreat. Or rather, he set fire to the chapel and yanked Byleth to this aircraft for the daring escape.
How long did they sit, slumped by the smoldering wreckage? Though not safe by any means, it was perhaps the closest they had been to peace in months.
“If you’ve got some spark, kid, could you check out this island?” Jeralt cracked his neck. “I just need a moment to get my breath.”
“Sure, old man.” Byleth’s eyes glittered.
“Very funny,” he mumbled under his breath. “Just make sure to bring your-”
Byleth drew her rapier.
“Do you have-”
Deftly sheathing the blade, Byleth instead unholstered her blunderbuss.
Jeralt laughed shortly. “Show off.” Jeralt paused. “Was that a smile?”
“I must have hit my head harder than I thought,” Byleth joked.
Jeralt’s smile seemed joyous and relieved.
Byleth circled the island. It had looked small from afar, but it appeared to stretch back farther than she had assumed. Much of it was obscured by climbing rock faces and palm trees.
Not quiet either, but difficult to say whether the rustles Byleth heard but could not place posed a threat or not.
Out of the frying pan, into the fire, Sothis mused.
Byleth drew her rapier cautiously. Something shivered on her skin.
How anyone could an impact like that seemed beyond Felix. To walk away from wreckage like that - this diminutive woman was not to be underestimated.
She wore a leather aviator jacket, helmet over her dark blue hair, goggles perched atop her head. Her leather shoes rose up to her knees over brown leather pants.
Felix deftly approached, quiet and quick enough to slip through the trees unnoticed-
Her sword, already drawn, froze him a few feet from her.
How could she possibly have seen him? “Who are you?” Felix demanded.
“Who are you ?” she asked. She carried herself with an unnerving confidence. “And why are you coming at me with a blade?”
“I saw your ship crash,” Felix replied haughtily. “Were you following us?”
She frowned, puzzled. “I didn’t know you were here, how could I possibly follow you?” she kept her sword aloft.
“A likely story,” Felix challenged. “As though I would believe you had no knowledge that I was there, yet you already had your sword trained on me before having seen me?”
Her eyes clouded. Something held her features stone still. What ran through her mind? What was she considering so deeply?
The crush of brush announced a second person. Felix kept his blade trained on the pilot, drawing his gun. “Stay where I can see you,” Felix snapped.
“Don’t waste your breath on him Byleth,” The man groaned. Byleth, then. “He’s just a pirate.”
Felix sighed tensely. The “Blue Lion” had been on lam for years at this point. Nothing anyone did on the lam was technically “legal,” but they were very strictly ethical. Something that could not be said of the current state of the Empire. “I wouldn’t say that.”
“If you insist,” the towering man crossed his arms, glaring down at Felix. “We’re not worth anything, just keep moving.”
"Seems like something someone with a price on their head would say.” Felix glanced back to Byleth. Did she notice the goosebumps on his arms after her sharp gaze landed on him?
“No price,” Byleth explained. They both had the stance of trained soldiers - ready, yet wary.
Felix glanced between them. “So no one’s looking for you?”
“The church.” Byleth clipped the tip of Felix’s pistol towards the sky as she stepped towards him. “I guess you could win their good favor?”
Felix scoffed. “Worthless.”
That amused the man at least. “Exactly,” he chuckled.
“So?” Byleth examined him closely. “What is your next move, Captain…”
“First mate, Felix,” Felix interrupted. He glanced between them. Felix was far from the trusting sort. But, two people on the run looking to disappear made good allies. No better quality to have than a shared interest in staying hidden. “You know your way around those weapons, then we could use a few extra hands. Unless you, uh, have a better option.”
“Lead the way,” Byleth smiled. She had a cool confidence that shivered up his spine. “This seems like a perfectly fine opportunity.”
Jeralt couldn't argue that the church would have a harder time finding them. How would they, when even Byleth didn't know exactly where they were? And even if they found the plane, no witnesses saw the boat or it's crew. Captain Dimitri had a strong, commanding presence - though darkness lingered in his eyes. Jeralt stood with his arms crossed.
He’ll warm up to the idea, Sothis soothed.
Jeralt looked stoic. He wasn’t nervous - he was simply prepared. Byleth chuckled, glancing back to the open sea.
And the corner of her eye caught Felix. He barked something to a tall, red-haired crew member who simply laughed him off. Felix rolled his eyes, then noticed Byleth’s attention.
They kept each other's' eye, still as cats. Each assessing the other's movements, searching each other for hints in their bearing. He wore his leather hat and turqoise coat well - Byleth would still believe Felix could have been the Captain of his ship, just from his mein. His bright amber eyes never wavered, the sea wind gently lifting his ponytail.
A smile tilted Byleth's smiled. Felix blushed, and looked away.
I would be careful with that one, Sothis whispered. He has sharpened edges.
All the more reason to keep an eye on him, Byleth reasoned.
And Sothis's sigh disappeared into the swell of the sea, as they continued their journey to wherever the flow of time would take them.