The Bright Star [Fire Emblem: Three Houses AU]

Captured (Balthus)

The bandits Aelfric sent in had large numbers, as they were all successful in trying to capture the Ashen Wolves, leaving the Knights of Seiros behind to deal with the others by force. Balthus and the other Ashen Wolves were taken to another chamber, where they saw Aelfric. Before they could speak or take action, the four were tied up with ropes with their weapons confiscated. All they could do was simply just wait for something to happen. They waited in a dark chamber for someone to come, with a corpse of a teal-haired woman in the background.

"That scoundrel!" Constance shouted. "I can't believe Aelfric would betray us like that! Is he working with the bandits or did he just take advantage of them wanting the Chalice? And why does he want us?"

Balthus looked to Yuri. "Yuri, what the hell is Aelfric plotting?"

"It's quite simple knowing that he wants the Chalice," Yuri said. "He intends to reenact the Rite of Rising, and is preparing everything as we speak."

"I never completely understood; what exactly does the Rite of Rising do?" Hapi asked.

"The Rite of Rising can resurrect someone from the dead. Saint Seiros performed this ritual 995 years ago, but she failed because not enough blood was used. I don't have a clue about what happened after that. I looked through old records, and so did Aelfric. Neither of us could find it out. He now intends to reenact the ritual properly now that he has the four of us, each bearing one of the Crests of the Apostles. I have Aubin, Constance has Noa, you have Timotheos, and Balthus has Chevalier. Their blood is what they need the most besides the Chalice of Beginnings."

"So he wants to kill us for our blood?" Balthus asked for clarification.

"Correct. That is why he captured us and sent us here. He is going to use us to perform the ritual. I guess here is where we'll say goodbye to our lives."

"We need to get out of here!" Constance said. "Who knows when he'll come and get us! Then he'll prepare the ritual, kill us, and perform the Rite!"

"Who the hell does he want to resurrect anyway?" Balthus asked.

Hapi looked over to the corpse that was in the same chamber. "Well, we could assume her over there."

"He's going to kill us for her? And all he's done for us is deception? I feel betrayed! Why would he do such a thing?"

"Shut it, Balthus," Yuri snapped. "I lived through hell and worse."

"Yeah, so what? You're going to just let Aelfric throw your life away?"

"There are just some things more important than my own life that are worth protecting. If Aelfric wants it, then so be it."

"That doesn't make any damned sense! That hurts, Boss. I hate to see you be willing to throw your life away for the man who betrayed us."

Aelfric entered the chamber. "Finally, the four bearing the Crests of the Apostles. We can conduct the Rite of Rising successfully. Yuri, I confiscated your swords and weapons so you wouldn't be able to free yourself and the others. Talk and murmur all you want; it's not going to save you. If you think you have a funny trick up your sleeve and have somehow got weapons with you to break free, then I will add your mother to the ranks of the dead. You're still fighting to keep her alive, aren't you? I'm sure you wouldn't want your efforts to go to waste."

"No, I don't want her dead," Yuri replied. "I don't have any tricks up my sleeve. You win this time, Aelfric. I won't break myself or the others free as long as you keep her alive."

"Good, Yuri."

"I see, Boss," Balthus whispered. "You're just trying to protect your mom."

"But what is your goal in this ritual?" Constance asked.

"I want to resurrect someone I lost long ago." Aelfric smiled, looking at the corpse. "There's nothing I wouldn't do to see her eyes and the light within them once more. Surely you all would feel the same if you lost someone, would you not? That is how I feel about Miss Sitri."

"I would do anything I could to bring back dead loved ones, of course," Balthus said. "But I wouldn't kill the innocent and ones I care for in return."

"Then you must not know how much I loved Sitri. I found her down here in this very chamber after seeing Lady Rhea come down to put her favorite flower in her palms. I thought she was within the grave where I saw her casket be lowered into the ground a decade ago, watching the father of her child try to console both himself and his young son who had lost someone dear to them. Finding her here was almost like a relief, yet shock at the same time. I want to resurrect her and see the light in her eyes once more."

Balthus looked over to what he could see of Sitri's dead body. He could still see the most noticeable detail: she was pristine as if she were merely sleeping. But she had been dead for over a decade. "Woah, that lady looks real dead, pal."

"She is. For now."

"You're gonna regret this, Aelfric."

"I accepted that I would feel regret from doing this already. As long as Sitri returns, nothing else matters. The Knights won't save you. I'm sure they already have a lot on them right now with all the bandits I've sent after them."

"Did you order them to attack?"

"Not initially. I worked around with their schedule and allied with them so I could come to this."

"Well that's a damn shame," Yuri said to him.

"What?"

"Well, I'm just going to say that the whole pious villain thing doesn't really suit you, Aelfric."

"I am no villain if my morals are right in the end."

Hapi looked at Yuri. "Yuri-bird, let's just—"

"Alright, everything is prepared!" Some bandits appeared within the chamber. 

"Take them! It is time to perform the ritual! Their blood will be poured within the Chalice, and I will see Sitri reawakened!"

It was then and there that the Ashen Wolves truly realized how much of a damn fool Aelfric truly was.