Chapter Text
There, almost floating above the carnage, was the mercenary I’d heard so much about. I thought the Ashen Demon would be more… foreboding. Whoever this was, she could not be called a demon (I knew well what demons looked like). Rather, she had an enchanting presence that shone on all around her. The pile of dead at her feet was a frame. It only enhanced her presence, the corpses drew the color from the landscape and reflected it back onto her. Through puddles of deep red, she took purposeful, slow-motion steps toward me. Her eyes met mine.
...Ethereal.
Felix snapped in my direction, “What are you standing there dawdling for, Boar?! I told you I’d hold off the others; Shez is on his way, so you need to keep her distracted until he gets here! Don’t tell me you’re scared of the Demon already! Of all the insults I can think of for you, ‘coward’ isn’t one of them!” He didn’t wait for my response before scoffing and dashing off, sword drawn.
“Oh… Wait, fight…her? What?” I called to him meekly over the sounds of melee combat, but he either didn’t hear me, or he pretended not to.
I returned my attention to the figure coming ever closer. How was I supposed to face her? She was by no means a demon, but I could tell that she did have some otherworldly power. This legendary mercenary approached me, and with each step in my direction, she commanded the strength to leave my legs. Her unwavering gaze made my face burn and my heartbeat fill my ears. At once, I knew I could never face her effectively.
And yet, I needed to. This was who slaughtered Shez’s company. His family. She was his reason for living. I needed to be sure he got the chance he needed.
I brandished Areadbhar and took a defensive stance just as she reached me. Her sword rose and fell instantaneously, the space between movements imperceptible. Instinctually, I defended myself. The first clash of our weapons echoed and got lost in the battlefield backdrop. We exchanged blows in seconds, each heartbeat syncing to the impact and resistance of her sword.
Through it all, she never wavered. She didn’t ebb and flow as most foes did. She was relentless and powerful and decisive. What details I could notice while trying to survive her—how her unevenly-cut hair wafted behind her, the way all her movements were laced with confidence, those blue, almost purple eyes that mirrored a familiar absentminded joy of combat—all struck me wherever her sword failed to. She was an adversary worthy of the legends. Not only did she possess clearly superior combat prowess, but everything about her manifested within her foe to trip them up.
We were trapped in a dance, weaving around, locking weapons and eyes, at times. For every second it persisted I felt myself getting more and more comfortable. I reached the point where I had forgotten the usual din of battle, entirely absorbed in the sensation of syncing my movements and thoughts with her. Perhaps it’s what it felt like to enjoy oneself.
“Dimitri!” Shez’s voice snapped the spell I was in, and I reflexively looked back to him. As I did, I realized my mistake, and felt the mercenary’s sword rip through my scarf and collide with my breastplate. Harmless, but jarring.
“I’ll take it from here!” Shez called. He Jumped in front of me, sword drawn and sights set rigidly on the mercenary. I almost reached out to stop him, but caught myself. This was his fight. I held her off, so now he was able to face her. Good, good. Good.
I should leave. There were battles everywhere, I could be of more use elsewhere. Still, I hesitated. She was locked in battle with him now, her attention completely fixed. He rained blows on her, mercilessly. Mercenary to mercenary, the fight was less refined than a nobles’ bout, more tangible, more dangerous, even. …I hope he doesn’t hurt her, I thought.
No, she’s our enemy. She’s Shez’s enemy, he has every intention of besting her, that’s the whole point of this, isn’t it? Maybe she hit me harder than I realized.
I turned to leave, but glanced back at them, both caught up in what must have been the same dance I had just experienced with her.
Then, her eyes met mine again. She was clearly fighting Shez, she shouldn’t have had even a moment to spare. And yet, she looked at me with deliberation. The moment stretched, becoming longer than what I thought a second could feel like. Time itself was suspended in the violet blue of her eyes, almost as if she had some influence over it. Then, as quickly as she looked at me, the connection ended, and she flicked her sword and gaze back onto Shez.
I blinked a few times, then jogged to the next stronghold.
***
Once the battle had concluded, we all dispersed to take care of the aftermath, and I found myself wandering the training grounds. Shez had agreed to cook for everyone tonight, and Dedue was overseeing the supplies transports. Both had encouraged me to get some rest, but I didn’t feel like sleeping. I didn’t notice Mercedes approach me until she spoke.
“Excuse me, your highness?” She asked.
“Oh, Mercedes, hello. What seems to be the trouble?”
“Well… My apologies if I seem out of line, but I couldn’t help but notice,” She looked up at me cautiously. “It’s just that, you seem a bit… troubled, is all. I asked, and Felix said you’d been this way since your encounter with the Ashen Demon. I think we’re all a little worried for you, so I brought you some cookies Annette and I made,” She produced a small satchel and gave it to me.
As I looked down at it, my eyes caught on the gash left in my scarf from the mercenary’s sword. In truth, my thoughts had become clouded since we met a few hours prior. Had everyone really noticed so quickly— was she powerful enough to leave effects so lasting and obvious?
“If you’re worried about the Ashen Demon, don't forget that we’re all here to support you. You don’t need to be able to face her alone, Dimitri. Everyone will be working together to take down Jeralt’s Mercenaries from here on out.”
“Oh, thank you very much, Mercedes. For the cookies…and the reassurance.” I smiled as best I could. I wasn’t worried about Jeralt’s Mercenaries as a whole, but her sentiment was appreciated. “And thank Annette for me as well, if you see her before I do.”
“I’ll be sure to do that, your majesty,” She smiled warmly. “And though I can’t do much to ease your load, please remember that if you ever need to talk to anyone, I would be glad to listen.”
I was touched by her offer. “My sincerest thanks.”
I held the small batch of cookies and watched as Mercedes walked off. All the while, I wondered about the mysterious mercenary and her whereabouts.