The Missing Stone

Pieces

She startles awake, the remnants of her dream-like memory brushed aside for later as she gazes up into light green eyes. Mildred leans back slightly, trying to get a better view of Claude sitting right next to her. He's staring at Mao's amulet with a sort of hunger. Not like the one of a thief or a bandit, but like an innocent sort of hunger, a look of curiosity.

Then she realizes. She knows that look. She's seen it everywhere. In herself, in the professor, in Linhardt. In Maris. She wonders how he's doing.

Mildred blinks when Claude pets her gently, the worn texture of his glove catching on the short fur on her ears. Claude's eyes keep flickering between Mao's amulet and her eyes, most likely noticing the differences in color. Mildred looks down at her reflection in the water, noting her violet eyes. Her ears flick.

"Aren't you a strange one?" He says, all easy smiles and twinkling eyes. Mildred stares, unfazed. "Heh, you must get that a lot huh?" He chuckles lightly, moving to look out over the water. She stands, stretches and yawns, but before she could leave, Claude says, "I might sound crazy for talking to a cat, but would you mind if I asked a question?"

But you just did, Mildred thinks, sitting back down beside him. He smiles at her again, and Mildred can vaguely see Mao watching him with the most smitten expression she has ever seen. Doesn't beat Aelura's though.

"Isn't it all so weird?" He begins, leaning back on his hands. "We fought on opposite sides on Gronder Field, and now we're allies! Amazing what having a little faith in people can do." He closes his eyes, bows his head, smile falling the slightest bit. "Do you ever wonder why? Why is everyone fighting each other? Why do people dislike each other so much? Why did Edelgard declare war on the Church five years ago? On her own classmates, her own friends? Why why why..." He sighs heavily, runs a hand through his hair.

"Did you hear of the rumors?" He continues. Mildred's tail swishes. "Rumors about the goddess returning in a vessel of a mercenary turned professor? Rumors that the underground society is growing restless? Rumors of a dead noble's ghost wandering in foreign streets? Heh, and those aren't even the most absurd." Claude leans forward, propping his elbows on his knees.

"Of course the underground society would be growing restless. We're in the middle of war! And apparently the rumors about Teach's brother... that's been a regular for the past half decade. According to his students, he cut open the sky itself with the legendary Sword of the Creator bearing the power blessed by the goddess herself! You know, I wouldn't have believed it hadn't it been for his hair and eyes serving as proof.

"He has the Crest of Flames. The crest Nemesis had during the War of Heroes. But Nemesis doesn't have any living descendants. And even if there is a chance that he is a descendant of Nemesis, then how does his twin, Teach, have a Crest of Seiros? Something's clearly amiss."

Lilith has a Crest of Seiros?

"How is that even possible," Aelura says, sounding floored. Mao blinks very slowly before bursting into laughter.

"Oh my god-" She snorts, holding her midsection as she doubles over. "But they fought on opposite sides-"

"Wait isn't Byleth and Lilith's father Captain Jeralt of the Knights of Seiros?" Chester interjects, ghostly form sitting on Mildred's other side.

He is?

"Yes, and didn't Jeralt have a Crest of Seiros?" He looks at her with raised eyebrows like he's begging her to understand. Mildred feels her face scrunch, obviously trying to furrow her brows but doesn't achieve the expected results with the facial muscles of a cat.

So... the twins' mother had the Crest of Flames?

Mao opens her mouth to retort but shuts her mouth as she thinks. Aelura still looks thoroughly confused. "But that would make their mother a descendant of Nemesis?"

"He's right," Mao says, and if Mildred didn't know any better she'd say Mao is radiating sparkles. What the hell, she thinks to herself. "Despite his limited knowledge on things he's quite intuitive! And clever. We must be cautious around him."

Makes sense that "the most undercover spies in Fodlan" work for him...

Mildred suddenly senses a presence behind her, rapid footsteps thumping against the wood of the dock. Claude rolls his shoulders and stands up but doesn't turn, hand on the sword strapped to his hip.

The newcomer comes right behind Claude and covers his eyes. "Guess who?" They ask, voice forcibly high pitched. Mildred stands up too, circling around the pair to observe.

It's a middle aged man with similar features as Claude, only taller and with more facial hair. Claude chuckles, relaxing. His hand slips off his sword and moves up to touch the hands covering his eyes.

"Nardel?" He says, sounding shocked when he looks like he's on the verge of laughter. Mildred hops onto one of the posts on the dock, watching amusedly as... Nardel... brings his hands away.

"Nahhh! Just call me Nader!" He laughs, ruffling Claude's hair. Claude snickers, batting the older man's hands away and turns around.

"If you say so, Nader. It sure has been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Sure has been. Glad to see you haven't destroyed the place yet."

"Oh, we were almost there," Claude raises his brows, smirking. "If it hadn't been for Teach's strategy positions and her brother's reinforcements Deridru would've been in Empire hands by now."

"Tch, what is even the point of this war," Nader grumbles, crossing his arms. "Where's that angry lookin' guy? Forgot his name."

Claude's brows furrow in confusion before he keels over in laughter. "Ha! I'm pretty sure he's somewhere in the city monitoring things."

Who are they talking about?

"I think Glenn," Aelura whispers, the other two watching and listening silently.

"Okay...where's his friend that he was talking about?" Nader scratches his head, turning slightly to look eastward. "I think he was lookin' for him. Saying that he'd go on ahead of us and tell you of our approach."

"Huh," Claude hums, thinking. "How about we discuss this over tea? Judith would kill me if she sees us out here this late."

"What is she, your mother?"

"You know how she is."

Claude walks over to Mildred and scoops her up, walking with Nader inside. Her ears flatten slightly. She doesn't enjoy being manhandled very much.

Or is it cat handled?

-

-Find the girl
-Deliver Claude's message
-Break the curse
-Find the Saints
-Help Claude enlist the Almyrans
-Tell the others we exist
-Storm Shambhala
-Find the missing Relics

Break the curse. What curse?

They're doing it all in the wrong order, but Glenn has always followed Maris' last minute plans. Now he isn't here, and Glenn doesn't know what to do. He picks up a pencil and crosses out the fifth line, deeming it already done.

Break the curse.

Maris has only mentioned the curse on the girl. Mildred, her name was. When her...not-ghost had visited them, Glenn had noticed Maris acting differently. He wishes he could ask him.

Glenn paces, thinking. Where could he have gone? He didn't hear anything the night before he disappeared thanks to Nader's obnoxious snores. Not that he blames him for anything...

Ughh, I should've asked Nader to ask his scouts if they've seen him.

It hasn't even been an entire day, yet Glenn feels his anxiety creeping up on him. What if Maris was found? If so then how come Glenn wasn't taken as well?

He's pacing again, stopping briefly every time he passes Maris' desk, staring at his notes. Does he mean the curse Cornelia had placed on Mildred? If she was able to "visit" us then her curse is broken. Should he cross it out now?

Glenn picks up the note and pencil, realizing a little too late the presence behind him.