They had to carry his body back. Mildred is overrun with guilt, but she can't imagine how the others are feeling right now, especially Dimitri and Felix. Speaking of the former, Mildred had spotted him heading towards the stables, but hasn't seen him since. The extent of his pain is beyond her comprehension, but still she hopes he will find some semblance of happiness after the war.
If they even succeed.
They claimed victory at the Battle of Gronder, yet suffered heavy losses. Mildred's ears flatten, curling atop her bedroll, watching the sky dim from within her tent. They had set up camp as soon as it started to rain, dark clouds pouring sheets onto the field, dousing fires and making traversing the muddy terrain difficult.
Her map lays splayed out atop the bed roll, Fort Merceus circled in charcoal. Their next stop, if they continued on this path. For now, the group plans on returning to the monastery to gather resources.
The rain is starting to seep through the tent canvas, so Mildred rolls up her bedroll and sets it under the small desk inside, tucking her map away to keep it dry as she steps out. She tugs on her hood, the rain sticking to the fur linings, but keeping Mildred surprisingly dry in the pouring rain.
She'll need to thank Mercedes again for making it waterproof. She wanders around the rows of tents aimlessly, the camp bustling as soldiers move about their duties, yet strangely quiet as people talk in hushed voices, most of them completely silent. With the death of a military commander, the army has lost a great deal of support, making their chances of success or even survival of the march to Enbarr extremely bleak.
They still have to make it past the Impregnable Fortress, then break through the capital's defenses. Mildred feels the small spark of hope die in her chest. If they even make it past Fort Merceus they won't have enough resources to make the final push. At this point, they are bound to lose.
Other than that, the battle had revealed many things to Mildred, and she has several questions. Beginning with the professor's sister. Are they twins? Why does their hair and eye color look different then? Is she also a professor? Who's side is she on?
Secondly, why the maiden had targeted Dimitri. It's a war, she thinks. Anything can happen. Maybe he was rumored to have killed the older brother she had mentioned, therefore leading the maiden to slip into their army as a servant, before unintentionally assassinating Lord Rodrigue instead. It makes Mildred sad, to know that people will go to such lengths to satisfy their anger or hatred or sense of loss. Maybe that's how His Highness feels, and why he is marching them all down this path.
Mildred stops, the rain pattering around her. A voice echoes in her head, and she touches her fingers to the charm on her wrist. She remembers the prince's reaction to the professor's death, and pieces the puzzle together, albeit slowly and incomplete. He had called him "beloved" then.
Does he really? She hopes they can get through to each other, for Mildred does not know if she has shared that part of herself to anyone before in her past life. She doesn't know a lot of things, really. She hopes that if she does survive this war, she will remember this life and live it to the fullest. She doesn't want to forget again.
-
The trip back to the monastery is the same as when they are set at camp: quiet, and melancholic. She hardly sees Felix around anymore, and Mildred supposes even he has a way of grieving, even if he does not want to admit that he is. When she does see him, it's by Sylvain or Ingrid's side. He spars less often, instead disappearing in his quarters for the majority of the day.
The weather isn't making things easier, either. Despite the upcoming spring, the skies remain ever cloudy and dull. Mildred is tired of it. At least the crops in the greenhouse will flourish from the additional rain. Once they finally reach the monastery gates, Mildred helps stable the mounts and unpack supplies. To help gather provisions, the professor assigns her to hunting duty.
She slings on a quiver and bow, curling her hands around her daggers. Hunting doesn't sound too hard, she thinks as she prowls around in a nearby forest. If she encounters any beasts, she is to retreat immediately. Mildred understands the precaution, slipping from tree to tree, following a faint track of hooves. Either a boar or a deer. She perches herself in a tree, loosely nocking an arrow and waiting.
Soon enough, a deer wanders into the clearing, sniffing around for food. Mildred moves carefully so as not to scare off the prey, and shoots. A clean kill. She hauls the meat back to the monastery, dropping it off in the kitchen and heading upstairs to report to the professor.
Only, he isn't there.
She asks around, the training grounds, the cathedral, the fishing pond, the greenhouse, everywhere. She can't find him. Mildred supposes she'll have to tell him later when he turns up. She pads back to her room, intent on continuing the book about Crests.
Each Hero's Relic is associated with its respective Crest.
The Crest of Blaiddyd - Areadbhar
The Crest of Fraldarius - Aegis Shield
The Crest of Dominic - Crusher
The Crest of Riegan - Failnaught
The Crest of Goneril - Freikugal
The Crest of Gautier - The Lance of Ruin
The Crest of Daphnel - Lúin
The Crest of Lamine - The Rafail Gem
The Crest of Charon - Thunderbrand
The Crest of Gloucester - Thyrsus
The Crest of Flames - The Sword of the Creator
Among the list Mildred recognizes the Sword of the Creator. The professor bears the Crest of Flames? Curious, she flips through the book to find the Crest of Flames section.
It's surprisingly small.
Also called the Crest of the Goddess, the Crest of Flames is one of twenty-two crests bestowed upon humans by the Goddess. This specific Crest allows the bearer to wield the Sword of the Creator. The only known bearers are the King of Liberation, or Nemesis, and the Goddess herself. Due to the death of Nemesis, this Crest hasn't been seen in over a millennia for he had no descendants.
Mildred closes the book. Why is the section so small? And why isn't the professor labeled a bearer? Maybe they haven't yet updated the history books, but it still makes Mildred wonder. The professor had told her that he doesn't have a heartbeat, and that he thinks it has something to do with his crest. Mildred remembers back to Gronder field. Does that woman have a Crest too?
Do they have the same crest since they're twins? Does Mildred have a crest? If she does, then what crest does she bear? Overrun with curiosity, she pads upstairs to Linhardt's room, where he is most likely sleeping or reading. She knocks twice, and the door swings open, the occupant yawning loudly as he rubs his eyes.
"What is it?" He asks tiredly. Mildred holds up the Crests book.
"I need you to research if I have a crest," she says quietly, watching Linhardt suddenly perk up from his drowsiness.
"Oh we can just stop by Professor Hanneman's office," he says quickly, striding towards the offices. Mildred follows, clutching the book to her chest. Hanneman's office is right next to the professor's office. Linhardt pushes the door open, waving off the dust and pointing to a device in the floor.
"Put your hand above it," he instructs simply, taking the book from Mildred's arms and flipping it open. She obeys quietly, sliding her gloves off and hovering her hand over the device. It glows slightly, a dim violet. After a moment light shines from the device and forms an image above the floor.
Lindhart gapes with wide eyes, book sliding out of his grip and thumping on the floor. Mildred looks up, gasping at the sight of the image. The image matches the one in the book.
The image of the Crest of Flames.
YOU ARE READING
The Missing Stone
FanfictionA self-indulgent story that's been sitting in my Google Docs since forever. An alternate universe based off the game Fire Emblem Three Houses, exploring the question: "What would happen if the Four Apostles didn't separate?"
