The Missing Stone

A Change of Pace

Two doors away from her previous establishment, Mildred brushes aside old paintbrushes and unused canvases. Other than those and a few drawings on the desk, the room is empty. Where in the other room, the rug was blue, this one is a vibrant marigold. She doesn't mind. It gives the otherwise barren room a cheerful burst of color. Not that blue is bad, in fact the color brings calm feelings.

Yellow reminds her of sunny days in grassy fields. If she thinks too much about it her head hurts, so she doesn't. There are a surprising number of whetstones in the convoy, so she figures it won't hurt to take one. Now she sits at the foot of her bed, sharpening her dagger by hand. Even though she could simply use her magic, the repetitive swiping action along the blades along with the scraping sound is soothing.

When Ashe finds out that she switched rooms, he gives her a watery smile, thanking her. She in turn discovers that he is her neighbor in either room. Besides the room switch, nearly nothing changes in her routine. She still follows the professor around, occasionally perched on his shoulder as a cat.

Their next mission is to take the Great Bridge of Myrddin, the largest bridge connecting Empire and Alliance territory. The professor helps point out the exact location on her map, right on top of one the largest rivers in Fódlan, along with the shortest route to the bridge.

"What happens if both territories attack?" She asks, ears tilted forward.

"That would indeed be a problem," he says, continuing to map out routes and potential places of attack on a parchment. "I have asked the same question, and it seemed the only solution would be to fight our way out."

Two days from now, they will march with their miniature army to take the Great Bridge. Their chances of success are slim, yet everyone is enthusiastic, even Felix. She spars with him near daily now, finding new ways to defeat him, the same with him discovering Mildred's weaknesses.

She also finds a hidden talent in faith when she joins the monastery choir in singing their praises. The professor notices, suggesting she hone her skills, as they always could use another healer in the group. Linhardt assists her studies, often falling asleep in the library. On the last day, the day of their departure, Mildred skims along the shelves, looking for anything about Hero's Relics.

She eventually lands on a book about "Crests", and she sits down, moving the candle away from a sleeping Linhardt. The spine cracks from age as she flips it to the first page and begins reading.

Crests are believed to be blessings of the goddess. They grant individuals an edge over others, granting them enhanced strength, an aptitude for magic, among other things. Inherited by blood, Crests vary from minor to major Crests, depending on how thick their ancestor's blood runs through their veins.

In rare cases, major crests have been recorded to appear in distant family branches, and it is currently unknown as to why such a phenomenon occurs.

Bearing a Crest is not physically obvious, leaving no marks on the bearer. However, if the bearer shows certain qualities such as unnatural strength, then that may validate that person's status as a Crest bearer.

Crests are inherited from the Ten Elites and the Four Saints, who fought in the War of Heroes. Each Elite has a specialized weapon, called Hero's Relics. They can only be wielded to their full potential by their matching Crest bearer. That bearer can have either Minor or Major Crest and still be able to wield it. The weapon cannot be wielded at all if the Crest stone is missing.

Mildred sets the book down and yawns. The candle has burned down to nearly the bottom, melted wax pooling around the holder. She walks over and blows out the candle, then shakes Linhardt awake to spare him a sore neck. He groggily follows her to the dorms before she goes downstairs, splitting off to sleep on his own upstairs. She brings the book from the library to her room, determined to get a good night's sleep before the important battle.