Chapter Text
Following the final battle, the Empire, the Kingdom, and the Federation, had agreed to a truce. While the three powers were engaged in negotiations, through unanimous agreement, efforts to locate and exterminate Those Who Slither in the Dark was well underway.
Following up on a preliminary intelligence report, Shez and her unit found themselves in Western Kingdom territory. After a long march through rough terrain and gloomy skies, the group stopped to set up base camp as night began to fall.
Shez was setting up her tent when a sudden gust took her by surprise. “Woah!” She lunged forward and grabbed the fabric before it could blow away. Having narrowly avoided a messy situation, she let out a sigh of relief. “Stupid wind...” she grumbled under her breath. No matter how much she prepared for it, she just couldn’t get used to this bone-chilling cold.
With the task completed, Shez stepped back and gave her work an appraising eye. As they were constantly on the move, her current tent wasn’t as big or fancy as the one she had during the war, but it’ll do the job.
Oh well, she thought wistfully. At least it beats getting lost in the woods and sleeping on a pile of leaves.
The latter gave her pause. Shez never considered herself the sentimental type – after all, living life as a merc meant loss was just part of the deal. But lately... she found it was moments like these, when she was alone, that these little thoughts would slip in. Thoughts of simpler times, when it was just the two of them, ‘partners in destiny’.
Hard to believe it’s already been half a year.
After the incident, she finished what they set out to do: They won the war. And while a lot had changed since then, in some ways, some things hadn’t changed at all.
She reached into her pocket and gently clasped the merc whistle. Her thoughts then drifted to a certain mint-haired mercenary. It was hard to forget how she looked on the night of the celebration banquet to mark the end of the war. She’d been wearing a low-cut dress, a cute blue choker, and light make-up that accentuated her eyes and lips– undoubtedly, Hilda’s doing. Even from across the dance floor, amidst all of the bright lights, Shez thought she shone the brightest.
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Shez was startled from her thoughts when she heard footsteps approaching from behind. She quickly put on a neutral face (it wouldn’t do anyone any good to see her all mopey). However, when she saw who it was, it turned out she had worried for nothing.
“Evening, friend!” the Gatekeeper greeted in a cheery voice. “I’ve come to give the daily report.”
Shez returned an easy smile. “Oh hey, good timing. I actually just finished setting up.” Truth was, she was happy to see a friendly face. The two of them went way back, and his good cheer was always so contagious. “So, what do ya got for me? I could use some good news right about now.”
“If by good news, you mean ‘no’ news, then I’ve got you covered. Things have been quiet today,” he said. “Oh. But you might find this interesting. I overheard some people talking earlier – apparently, we might be in for some snow soon.”
“Snow?”
“That’s what they said.”
Now that Shez thought about it, those gray clouds circling overhead did seem threatening.
Great. That’s all I need, more trouble.
“Just between you and me, Commander....” he said, catching her attention, “If it’s true, well, I’m honestly kinda looking forward to it!”
“Haha. That’s a good one.” Except, he didn’t seem to be joking. “Hold on, you’re serious? I mean, since you’re from the Empire and all, I didn’t think you’d like the cold all that much.”
“No, you’re right about that. It’s just... well... do you remember that one time when we went to Fhirdiad, and we had that huge snowfall overnight?”
“Yeah, kinda hard to forget,” she replied, not sure where this was going. “There was so much of it, the whole camp was covered in like a foot of snow for days. What’s your point?”
“Well around that time, it felt like we were always on the move. I know it couldn’t be helped, but sometimes even I had trouble remembering where we were at times.”
She could sympathize. “Yeah, honestly, I think we’ve all had those moments.”
“I haven’t told anyone this, but that was actually the first time I saw snow. When I woke up that morning, and saw the whole camp covered in white, well... I can’t really describe it, but it felt like the whole world had stopped. Like it was a sign from the goddess herself.”
Shez remembered that morning a little differently. She remembered waking up cold and shivering. And as a result, she slept in and was late to that morning’s war meeting (Arval scolded her ears off for it). Not only that, but their march was also delayed by several days. It was a logistics nightmare trying to get communications out to their support units about the change in schedule. Still, she didn’t have the heart to rain on his parade.
“Are you saying snow is magical?” she teased.
The Gatekeeper turned pink in the face. “W-When you put it like that, it’s a little embarrassing...I guess what I’m trying to say is, it’s pretty to look at. Yes, that’s it.”
Whatever Shez was about to say next was cut off by a yawn.
“Ah. Sorry ‘bout that. In any case, was there anything else?”
He brought a hand to his chin and pondered for a moment. “Actually, now that I think about it, there was something else. Just as I was leaving the gate to come see you, Lord Holst came by looking for you.”
Shez was suddenly wide awake. “Wait, what? Why didn’t you say that first – ah, never mind,” she let out a sigh. It couldn’t be helped now. “So, what did he want?”
“Couldn’t say. He just said that if we saw you, we should let you know that he’ll be waiting for you at the command tent.”
That only made her more curious. Usually when she was summoned in the dead-of-night, it was almost always for some kind of mission. Guess the fastest way would be to just ask him myself, she thought.
“Okay, got it. I’ll head over there now.” She started to leave but stopped. “Oh, and... thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it.”
“Of course! Always happy to help. Have a good night, Commander!”
*******
As she walked, Shez ran through the possibilities in her head: Was it an ambush? A bandit attack? Or could their scouts have discovered something?
She hated to admit it but their attempts to put Those Who Slither in the Dark to rout was proving more difficult than they had anticipated. Too many excursions ended up in dead ends with the trail long gone cold. It was enough to kill anyone’s morale. Her jaw tightened. This time had to be different, she thought.
When Shez arrived at the command tent, she quickly spotted Holst standing outside by the campfire. His back was turned to her. Remembering she was already late, she hurried around to the front of the tent, and was startled to see someone standing beside him.
Cool, mint-green eyes locked gazes with her own.
Byleth.
Shez froze. Of course, if it was important, he would’ve called her too, she realized belatedly.
Things had been awkward between them ever since their kiss at the banquet. Admittedly, Shez’s memory of that night was a little fuzzy but she couldn’t have predicted the whirlwind of events that followed. It was a complete surprise when Jeralt’s mercenaries extended their contact after the war, and she couldn’t have predicted her “good friend Claude” assigning her and Byleth to this new unit he created (she didn’t know why he kept insisting he was doing her a favor. King or not, she owed him one, all right).
“Ah. There you are,” Holst said when he spotted her. “I was beginning to wonder if we should send a search party.”
“Sorry, I got held up.” She decided to omit the part about the Gatekeeper forgetting to tell her. “In any case, I’m here now. What did you want to talk about, Holst? Must be pretty important if you called us here in the middle of the night.”
“Right you are friend,” he said, with a warm smile on his face. “It’s been a long day for all of us, and I’m sure you’d like to do nothing more than get some well-deserved rest, so I’ll get to the point. The reason that I’ve called you both here is because there’s been in change of plans, as it were. I’ve just received word from His Majesty that the Kingdom has requested a meeting to formally sign the Agreement.”
“Wait. Already?” Shez asked.
“That was sooner than we expected,” Byleth said.
“Yes, believe me... it was quite the surprise. But regardless, that is the situation,” Holst said. “Our new orders are to meet His Majesty at the Kingdom capital, so we will be departing for Fhirdiad at first light tomorrow. It also goes without saying that our mission will be put on hold for the time being. I’ve already sent a messenger to let the others know, but I thought you should hear this from me.”
Shez felt conflicted. She knew she should’ve felt happy – a lot of hard-fought battles and sacrifices were made for the sake of this peace – but for her, the war was already over. She had a new mission now.
What should I do? Shez wondered. Would Holst let her stay behind if she asked?
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted when a soldier approached the group. It was one of their scouts, back from their mission. One look said it all; the guy was giving off a restless energy that practically demanded attention.
“Apologies for the interruption, my Lord!” he addressed Holst, slightly out of breath. “I have important news to report.”
Holst didn’t seem bothered by this. “It’s fine, we were just finishing up. What’s your report, solder?”
“We have found the village that was described in the preliminary report.”
It took a moment for everyone to register what he’d just said. They all stared at him in shock.
“Are you sure?” Holst asked.
“Yes sir. The village is located just North of here, nestled between a forest and the base of the mountain. We spoke with some of the villagers, and they’ve confirmed that there are abandoned ruins on the mountain. However, we couldn’t verify this for ourselves, as there was heavy fog in the area at the time.”
“Fog?” Shez didn’t like the sound of that. She looked to Holst. “Sounds pretty suspicious if you ask me. Think it could be the work of a mage?”
“It certainly wouldn’t be the first time,” Holst thought out-loud. “And if there is, I imagine they’re well hidden.”
“Sir. If I may, there’s something else I think you should know about...” the scout said in a quieter voice this time.
“Yes?”
“During the investigation, we heard talk that some of the villagers have mysteriously gone missing. I don’t know the details; the locals were reluctant to discuss the matter – something about the mountain being haunted and not wanting to be cursed,” he shook his head. “I personally don’t believe it, but I thought it was something worth mentioning.”
Holst had heard enough. “Good work,” he praised the man. “Put all of that into a written report as per usual and leave it on my desk. That will be all for now.”
“Yes, my Lord.” The soldier bowed and left.
Once he was out of hearing range, Shez couldn’t stay quiet any longer.
“Holst, it has to be them. The heavy fog, the abductions? It has their prints all over it.”
“We don’t know for sure if the villagers have been abducted,” he gently corrected her. “However, I admit, the report does seem to have some merit.”
“Which is why someone should go investigate,” Shez said, earning a long side-glance from Byleth. “Listen, I know our orders are to go to Fhirdiad, but if this lead is real and we don’t go after them now, they’re going to get away again. I mean, isn’t that the whole reason why Claude created this unit? Let me go check it out, Holst. As long as I’m back before sunrise, that should be okay, right?”
Holst didn’t look convinced. And that was a very rare thing.
“No,” he finally said. “I consider you to be an exceptionally skilled fighter, one of the best we have, if I’m honest. But if those who slither in the dark are behind this, I cannot permit you to face them alone. It’s too dangerous.”
“But—"
“If that’s the case, what if I went with her?”
The pair blinked and then realized it was Byleth who spoke up this time. She had been quietly observing the conversation up until now.
"I agree that going alone is ill-advised. But if the two of us go together, I believe that should suffice,” Byleth reasoned. “If things get dangerous, we’ll return immediately. And if for some reason we get delayed, we’ll rendezvous with you back at Fhirdiad.”
Holst looked to Shez, then to Byleth, giving them a long, hard look. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.
“It seems you’ve made up your minds about this...” There was a hint of pride in his voice. “Very well. I will leave this to you. However, if you should find yourselves in a situation that’s more than you can handle, remember that there is no shame in making a tactical retreat. Be back before sunrise.”
“Right!” Shez said.
Byleth simply nodded.
*******
After packing her things, Shez met up with Byleth just outside the edge of camp. It was so dark out she almost didn’t see the other woman standing underneath a tree by the roadside.
Realizing this was really happening, and not wanting to make things more awkward than they already were, Shez told herself to try and act natural.
“Hey,” she called out. “Sorry, were you waiting long?”
“No, I just got here myself.”
“I see. Oh, by the way, thanks again for offering to come with me. Holst never would’ve agreed otherwise.”
For a moment, Byleth didn’t seem to know what to say. “To be honest, it’s a bit surprising to hear you say that. I got the feeling that you were avoiding me lately.”
Her bluntness caught Shez off-guard. She couldn’t say that she was wrong, but she had her reasons. They were just...complicated. Even if she tried to explain it, she doubted Byleth would understand.
“Avoid you? Nah, why would you say that?” Shez asked nervously.
“I don’t know,” Byleth shrugged. “We barely talk anymore. And you keep avoiding eye contact.”
Shez was about to look away but resisted the urge to. Seeing her friend’s expression caused her chest to tighten with guilt; she never meant to hurt Byleth’s feelings.
“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Shez said, looking apologetic. “Please don’t take it personally. I just have a lot on my mind, is all. Once we’re done with this mission, I think I’ll feel a lot better.”
Byleth seemed to accept the explanation. “Then we better get going. After all, we need to be back before sunrise.”
They both turned and started walking.
“I sure hope you know where we’re going,” said Shez. “You know how I am with maps.”
Oh, Byleth knew all too well. Shez’s sense of direction wasn’t exactly a camp secret.
“Don’t worry, I went over the scout’s report before I left. There’s an off-beaten trail by the river that goes up to the village. If we follow it, we should be able to reach our destination with minimal risk of detection.”
“Hm. Sounds good to me. Lead the way.”
*******
The pair found the river easily enough, and the aforementioned path not far from it. It was exactly where the scouts said it would be. However, being off the main road meant they had to deal with additional hazards such as uneven terrain and low visibility.
Shez followed closely behind Byleth, squinting at her back to avoid being separated. When it came to stealth missions their play was simple: Byleth leads and Shez follows, watching both of their backs. However, this awkward silence between them was new.
Maybe she was tired, but Shez’s thoughts kept circling back to the merc whistle in her pocket. They were alone. She could give it to her now, she reasoned. No – her mind shot back, now wasn’t a good time. They should be focusing on the mission. And besides, how could she give it to Byleth? What good was a promise that she couldn’t keep?
“My... what a stare.”
Byleth flinched when Sothis’s voice suddenly pierced her mind.
“That one is obviously hiding something. Why didn’t you press her for the truth earlier?”
Byleth sighed. Because she didn’t want to talk about it, she mentally thought back. Knowing that wouldn’t be enough to satisfy the goddess, she added: Everyone has secrets they don’t want to talk about.
“I assume you are also referring to yourself. When do you plan on telling her?”
Byleth frowned. They had been through this before. Not pleased at being ignored, Sothis poked her vessel again.
“Your father seems quite interested in that new contract. Considering how much they are willing to pay he would be a fool not to accept it. And when that happens, you two will be parting ways.”
The truth of her words stung.
“Since you consider her a ‘friend’, against my better judgement if I may add, don’t you think it’d be cruel not to tell her? Or do you intend on leaving without a word?”
“...”
“Got nothing to say now? Well, either way is fine by me. I’d sooner be rid of that—"
Thud.
Byleth heard Shez yelp. A string of curses soon followed.
“What happened?!” Byleth whirled around, ready to draw her sword. Even though they were less than a few meters apart, she had to strain to see her in the dark.
“I-It’s nothing,” Shez winced. “I just tripped over my own stupid feet.”
Byleth re-evaluated their surroundings and quickly understood why. Because Sothis had distracted her, she hadn’t noticed them moving into a darker part of the woods. The ground beneath their feet was sloping upwards, and was littered with sticks and rocks, so it was unsurprising that one of them lost their footing. Now that Byleth thought about it, if either of them took a bad step and fell, it could draw unwanted attention to their location.
Without giving it much thought, Byleth went over to Shez and reached for her hand, causing Shez to jump.
“W-w-what are you doing?!” Shez stammered, but she didn’t pull away.
“So we don’t separated,” Byleth smiled, amused by her reaction. While holding her hand, she slowly intertwined their fingers. “Besides, wasn’t this your idea once?”
Shez gawked at her as her face exploded into a bright crimson. “THAT WAS A JOKE!” That had been after the group helped out Leonie’s hometown. After Byleth’s father bailed on them to party, Shez had made an off-handed comment that her and Byleth should hold hands to avoid getting lost on the way back. But she never expected Byleth to hold it over her head like this.
She heard Byleth chuckle. “What can I say? You say interesting things sometimes.”
“That didn’t exactly sound like a compliment,” she dead-panned.
“In any case... The village we’re looking for should be at the top of this hill. Until we get there, keep close to me and don’t let go. I’ll have us out of here before you know it.”
Shez’s heart didn’t skip a beat just then. It definitely didn’t. Stupid Byleth for sounding so cool.
As they slowly made their way up incline together, Shez felt incredibly self-conscientious of the hand that was holding hers. The pads of her fingers were hardened with callouses after many years of sword-work, probably just like her own, but it also felt surprisingly soft and warm to the touch. It got Shez thinking – she couldn’t remember the last time someone held her hand. Maybe, not since her adoptive mother passed?
As they reached the top, Shez stepped on a patch of loose dirt and slipped.
“WOAH!”
Byleth’s grip tightened around her wrist and before she knew it, she was pulled tight against her chest. A second hand had wrapped around her waist to hold her steady.
“Are you alright?” Byleth whispered. She was looking at Shez with such intensity, it was making her heart do funny things.
“I, uh...” Shez’s mind was having difficulty forming words.
It occurred to the woman that if she tilted her head up, they’d be kissing. And maybe was just her imagination, but she thought Byleth was getting closer.
“Um...”
Shez felt Byleth’s breath tickle her lips and her mind blanked. Whatever she had to say probably wasn’t that important anyway. As her eyes fluttered closed, for a brief second, she saw someone else’s face in her mind: Arval’s.
Shez choked as memories of the incident came rushing back. Byleth’s face was a picture of confusion when she was suddenly pushed away.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Shez broke eye contact. “Uh, nothing. Nothing’s wrong! Thanks for the catch partner. You really saved me there. Oh hey, I think I see that village you were talking about.”
Byleth watched as Shez stepped past her towards the main road leading into the village. Her brow knit in concern, but she said nothing of it as she followed her into the fog.
*******
After locating the town’s only inn, the two of them checked into a room on the second floor. It wasn’t much to write home about. It was dimly lit. A little dusty. There was one window facing into the street, and one bed shoved up against the wall in the corner. Basically, just a roof over their heads, which is all one could really ask for.
“One bed...” Shez thought out loud. She glanced over at Byleth, gauging her reaction, but the other woman didn’t seem bothered by it.
“He said it was the only room available,” she shrugged. “Besides, we won’t be staying long. And if you think about it, they would’ve charged us more if there was a second bed.”
“Ah, yeah. That’s a good point.”
After what just happened, Shez wondered if she was overthinking this. They both just got caught up in the moment. It wasn’t like Byleth was actually interested in her, right? In any case, they just needed the room to store their belongings for the time being. It wasn’t like they were going to stay the night or anything.
Byleth took off her cloak and put her stuff down in a corner. “We should get some rest before we start the mission,” she said, before proceeding to take off her armor as well.
Shez thought she misheard. “Wait. You mean we’re not going straightaway?”
Byleth went over to the bed and sat down on it, facing her. Her expression was hard to read. “We’ve been marching all day, and neither of us have had the chance to properly rest. The last thing we should do is rush in when we’re fatigued.”
Shez crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not tired.”
Byleth gave her a disapproving look. “But I am.”
Shez could only watch in disbelief as Byleth laid down on her side, back facing her, and pulled the blanket over her. “Give me an hour and then we can go.”
“B-But what if they move on and we miss our chance?”
“I highly doubt that. As long as the scouts haven’t tipped them off then a short delay shouldn’t make a difference.”
Shez awkwardly shuffled on the spot. Honestly, the last thing she wanted to do was sleep. She waited, hoping that Byleth would change her mind, but it quickly became clear that wasn’t going to happen.
“I don’t bite...” Byleth muttered. There was already a hint of grogginess in her voice.
It was enough to make Shez finally relent. She put down her things and took off her gear. With a few short strides, she approached the other side of the bed and peered down at the head of green hair poking out from under the blanket.
“You better not be a blanket hog,” she muttered, before she carefully slipped into the space left for her.
The bed creaked under the added weight. It was barely big enough to fit two. Shez maneuvered around somewhat awkwardly until she was facing away from Byleth, but in the end, their backs still ended up touching.
The room fell silent except for the sound of their breathing. Byleth could feel the heat radiating off of the other woman and curled into herself slightly. She never had any trouble sleeping alone but having another warm body nearby did make the cold a little more tolerable. She had nearly drifted off when Sothis’s previous words came to mind.
“When are you going to tell her?”
“...Hey...”
“Hm?”
“Never mind. It’s nothing.”
“Huh? You can’t just say something like that and then—Uh.” Shez turned to face her, but Byleth’s breaths had already slowed into a steady rhythm. She was fast asleep.
I wonder what she was going to say... Shez wondered.
Before long, despite her best efforts, she also fell asleep.
*******
The Great Forbidden Spell of Zahras. It was meant to be a one-way journey.
After being swallowed up by dark magic, her, Claude, Edelgard, and Dimitri, had put aside their differences to escape from the void. After striking down phantoms of their friends, and one another, their true enemy appeared.
Shez had just struck down her own phantom. Her head was rushing with adrenaline after witnessing her own death. On the other side of the room was the person who cast the spell, the very same person she had trusted to watch her back for the last several years.
“Arval!”
Things came to an end faster than she expected. When the ground was torn asunder, she easily leapt from rock to rock, dodging the dark spheres of magic, and closed the distance between them. With a final shout, Shez brought her blade down on the man and delivered the finishing blow.
Except, when the dark cloud dissipated, it wasn’t Arval that she saw. Shocked, mint-green eyes stared back at her.
*******
Shez gasped and awoke with a start. Her eyes darted around the room before she remembered where she was.
Shit! She looked over at Byleth, hoping she hadn’t woken the other woman. To her relief, she was still asleep.
Shez drew her knees to her chest and buried her face in her hands. It was the same nightmare. Each time, she’d kill her former partner, only to find out that she had killed Byleth instead. Worse yet, she was pretty sure she knew why.
Ever since the incident, she had a lot of time to process what had transpired. It was bad enough when someone close to you betrays you, but such things weren’t uncommon in mercenary work. If Arval had simply cursed her when she cut him down, it would have been easier. But his last moments, that pained look on his face when he said how lonely he felt – although she initially dismissed it as a last attempt at deception, she eventually came to believe him.
If only I’d talk to him more back then, maybe things would’ve turned out differently, Shez thought glumly. She cut him down. Those were the facts. But like everything else, a big part of that misery connected back to that group.
She looked again to the sleeping woman beside her as a moment of clarity came over her. This time, things were going to be different.
Sorry Byleth. But I’m not losing another partner.
*******
Shez got dressed and slipped out without Byleth noticing.
She was able to find the mountain path described in the scout’s report easily enough. In settlements like these, there was usually only one road that entered and left the place.
Which brought her to her current predicament. Past the village limits, and along the winding dirt road that led deeper into the mountain, Shez sprinted with both of her swords in hand. While there was some fog in the village, it only grew thicker the further in she went. There was also an icy chill in the air that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The scout’s report was right on the nose; Shez could feel it. The dark magic that she encountered so many times before was definitely here.
I’m getting closer! she panted. This time they’re not getting away!
Suddenly, the mercenary sensed she was being watched. Shez skidded to a stop and readied for a fight as she searched the fog for its source. Could it be the mage? No, that would be too easy.
From a short distance away, she could now make out a humanoid shadow that seemed to be getting closer. Whoever they were, they hadn’t attacked yet, which was a good sign in her books. She opted to give them a fair warning.
“Who’s there?” she called out. “Whoever you are, if you don’t want any trouble, I suggest you come out.”
“W-Wait! Please!”
Not letting her guard down, Shez watched as a young woman emerged from the fog. She was probably about her age or slightly older. She was dressed in commoner wear and was holding a basket – maybe one of the villagers?
“Please don’t hurt me! I-I don’t have any money. If you let me go, I promise I won’t tell anyone I saw you.”
The terrified look on her face was beginning to make Shez feel bad. “Woah – hold on. I’m not a bandit.”
“Y-You’re not?”
“No.” As if to prove her point, Shez lowered her blades.
The woman sighed in relief. “Oh, thank the goddess. I thought I was a goner.”
“Yeah... wandering the mountain-side alone in a fog like this isn’t exactly safe. What would you do if you had run into bandits?”
She ducked her head. “Yes, I know. But my mother, she’s ill. Recently her health has taken a turn for the worse.”
That tugged at Shez’s heart a bit. “Your mother, huh?”
“I’ve tried everything. Potions, tonics, whatever I could get my hands on. The doctor doesn’t even know what the disease is. But... I once heard about some plants at the old village ruins that could be used as medicine. I know it’s a long shot but if I can just get my hands on those herbs, maybe...”
“Wait. You said there’s old ruins up here? Can you tell me a bit more about them?”
“Huh? Well, there really isn’t much to say. They’ve been abandoned for years now. But if my memory serves me correct, this road used to go to them.”
“Used to?”
“There was a rock-slide some years back. After that, the only way to get to them is through a secret side-passage.”
The gears in mercenary’s head turned. That meant even if the scouts could have made it this far, they may not have been able to find this secret passage. Luck might be on her side for once after all.
“Hey, do you think you could show me where those ruins are? As is so happens, I was looking for them myself.”
The woman blinked. “I mean... I guess I don’t mind but why do you want to go there?”
“Uh... sight-seeing?” Realizing how stupid that sounded, she quickly made something up on the spot. “I’m a real big history buff.”
The woman still looked hesitant.
“And if we happen to run into any bandits, you can just leave them to me. Sound fair?”
That small bit of reassurance seemed to be enough to convince her. “Alright. Follow me. But keep your voice down.”
*******
Back at the inn, there was an increasingly exasperated goddess.
“Wake up. Wake up, already! Ugh. Do you have rocks between your ears?! How many times must I call you?”
Byleth finally stirred. “Hmm...Sothis? What’s going on?” she asked groggily.
“Fool. While you were asleep, she snuck out. She’s gone!”
Byleth snapped awake. Sure enough, the space beside her was empty. Shez’s cloak and sword were also gone.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!” Byleth said as she leapt out of bed and went to grab her things. While she couldn’t see it, she knew Sothis was rolling her eyes.
“Do not blame me for this. I repeatedly called you, but you refused to stir.” Came the indignant reply.
She proceeded to go onto a rant about the importance of taking responsibility for one’s actions but Byleth wasn’t listening.
That idiot! Of course, she had noticed Shez acting peculiar, but she didn’t think she’d be this reckless. What’s gotten into her?
She threw on her cloak and ran out the door, out into the street, and broke out into a full run towards the mountain. Byleth had a bad feeling about all of this.
*******
Their trek through the mountain had been surprisingly uneventful. At some point the pair diverted from the main road onto a hidden, partially obscured path. And after a long walk, the path eventually sloped upwards into an open area where Shez could just make out the start of stone structures poking out from the fog.
Those must be the ruins, she thought.
They passed several of the buildings, all of which appeared to be abandoned. It would’ve been half-convincing if not for the blood-thirsty gazes that set their sights on them the moment they entered the area.
Shez could hear their boots scuffling across the gravel. They were already surrounded. She glanced over her shoulder at her companion with a knowing look in her eye. “So... these friends of yours?”
There was a placid smile on the young woman’s face. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about–”
Shez raised her blade, pointing it at her throat. She didn’t so much as flinch.
“Cut the act already. You’re not foolin’ anyone.”
There was a beat of silence. Then, Shez heard a low, chortling laugh. The villager was suddenly engulfed in dark magic, forcing the mercenary to step back. Not a moment later, there was a gremory standing before her. The woman wore a long, dark navy dress with a fur trim, and her face was covered by a laced veil.
Knowing the gig was up, bandits holding swords and axes stepped forward out of the fog.
“So you knew, but you came anyway? Are you a fool?” the gremory asked, her voice brimming with mirth.
“Eh... okay, maybe the ‘my mom’s dying’ act got me for a sec. But c’mon. You really expect me to believe that I’d find a villager all alone on a bandit infested mountain, and she just so happens to know a secret path to the ruins that I’ve been looking for? It’s too convenient if you ask me.”
“Hmph. How very astute of you,” she retorted sarcastically. Shez couldn’t see her face, but she sensed her gaze fall onto her glowing, demonic blade. “A fascinating blade you have there... Tell me, where did you get it?”
“Nu uh. Not gonna say.” Shez smirked as she raised her weapons.
The magic user laughed at the display. “That’s fine. I can study it to my heart’s content once I pry it from your cold, dead body.” She raised her arms, rising above the ground, and retreated back into the fog. “The name is Pittacus,” her voice rang throughout air. “Burn it into your mind as you take your last breath!”
From beyond Shez’s sight, she threw her hand forward, signalling to the bandits: “Kill her!”
She’d been waiting for this. Shez activated Awakening. Glowing marks appeared on her face as a burning crimson light exploded around her. For a second, the bandits around her hesitated.
“Come on! I’ll take on all of you!!” Shez shouted.
Loud cries filled the air as a swarm of bodies all charged towards her at once.
Shez hurled herself into the fray and began to dispatch the bandits with ease. With one slash, she cut down three men, and four more leapt in to take their place. Slash! Slash! Slash! More bodies fell, but they kept on coming in waves.
They’re trying to overwhelm me with sheer numbers, she realized. It wasn’t a bad plan; in the fog, it was difficult to tell how many of them there truly were. Her glowing eyes narrowed. Well, that’s not going to work!
The mercenary parried an axe, sending it flying into the air, and crouched low to the ground. With a strong thrust off of her back foot, she shot forward into the space between bodies and manifested whirling purples blades that shot out all around her.
Slash! Pained cries rang out as entire groups were thrown into the air and incapacitated.
Having bought some time, Shez looked around her, searching for her true target. She glimpsed a flickering, dark aura in the distance. Following her gut instinct, ducked to the side and narrowly avoided the dark orb that was launched her way. A loud explosion rang behind her as it hit the ground.
Focusing her thoughts, Shez’s body became a shadow and shot towards the gremory.
Pittacus jerked back but it was too late.
“You won’t get away!” Shez yelled as she suddenly re-manifested, her blades drawn back. Pittacus raised a hand, a spell starting to form there, but Shez was faster. “HaaaaaaaaaAAH!!!” She threw her blades forward and cut the woman diagonally cross the chest.
“Ugh!” Pittacus groaned and slumped over. Black particles began to seep out of her, but she seemed more concerned about whatever she was holding at her neck.
Before Shez knew what was happening, the black particles flared up around her. A spell circle had appeared at her feet.
“Wha–?!” What happened?! That should’ve killed her!
She was trapped.
“Too bad! But it was a good try!” Pittacus gloated. “Now be a good little girl and die!”
A heat of fire and heavy gravity converged onto Shez. The pain was excruciating. Her vision was going white, and she was sure she was screaming. This was it – she was sure she was going to die this time.
As her body gave out, her perception suddenly warped. Events of what just happened rewound in fast replay until she found herself standing confused and miraculously unscathed. She should be dead right now. Unless...
“Too bad! But it was a good try!” Pittacus’s voice rang out.
Shez’s head whipped up as she heard a familiar voice behind her shout: “Move!”
A hard hand shoved into her back, knocking her out of the spell’s radius.
“What?!” Pittacus snarled.
Shez looked up into the eyes of her savior.
“You okay?” Byleth asked.
“Yeah. Thanks for the save,” Shez said, as she brushed herself off. “I dunno what just happened but be careful, there’s more to her than meets the eye. I think it has something to do with that jewel around her neck.”
Byleth could see something green poking out from their enemy’s neckline. “Maybe it’s an artifact that enhances her magic?” she wondered.
The gremory trained her angry gaze on the interloper. Not about to give them time to re-group, Pittacus raised her arm straight up into the air.
Byleth and Shez’s eyes widened as a rain of arrows silently came down on their location.
“Archers!” Byleth shouted.
The pair ran into the fog to create distance from their attackers. Byleth was a step behind Shez when a low flying arrow zipped through the air and pierced her leg.
Shez heard Byleth cry out. Before she knew what was happening, Byleth collided into her. They both stumbled forward.
That was when Shez realized their mistake. They had been driven towards a cliff. A scream was coming out of her throat as they went over the edge and plunged into the icy waters below.