Light and Darkness: A Fire Emblem Three Houses' Story

From Pawn to Bishop

Ernest watched Claude with interest. His clothes made him look like his noble, but his attitude reflected that they were the same: two guys from the underworld and the underground. Each with their reasons for being so, and Ernest knew of Claude's circumstances.

"It's been a long time since they called me that. Good to know my fame spread to Almyra, dear Khalid."

"It's good to talk to someone without masks, Ernest," Claude replied, sitting in the same chair that Byleth had occupied.

"I think so...."

"Now, to cut to the chase, why didn't you tell Byleth everything? Don't you remember everyone you killed?"

"No... And I'm not ready to rebuild those memories either." Ernest's look of sorrow convinced his classmate. "Please don't even tell me about it."

"Okay, okay," Claude replied, laughing briefly. "The only thing I'll tell you is that you're going to unleash the wrath of the delegates from the other houses."

"It was a presentiment that I already felt in my chest," the young man replied, self-conscious. "It's something I will have to deal with at some point. But I am willing to pay for my sins."

Claude thought as he looked at Ernest. The boy had unprecedented fame. He remembered him with a merciless type, without any concern for exterminating whoever crossed his path or even the number of people who opposed him. It was the 'Ashen Demon' of the underworld.

"I don't think you remember, Ernest, but they sent you to kill me," Claude said these words with a look as cold as the ones he offered.

Ernest was puzzled. Suddenly, he felt as if he had suddenly had a severe migraine. Lots of memories and images were unlocked. Now the boy understood why he knew Claude's real name and several other facts.

"But I failed at the last moment," Ernest replied morosely. "No, I did not fail. I decided not to kill you, Claude."

"That's right," replied the Archduke's heir. "It is a fact that it was already on everyone's lips that I could appear in Fódlan and claim my place as heir to the Archduke of the Alliance. I guess they sent you to stop it. And I suspect it was the Duke of Gloucester."

"I used not to be informed by the contractors of my services, but in your case, I did know about it, and you are right."

"Even knowing about it, I appreciate you refusing to kill me," Claude said, sighing and rubbing his head.

"You were my last job... and it's a good thing it was a failed one," Ernest commented, looking at his partner with a smile of false happiness.

"Yes, it was an unfinished job, but you did enough to get it done," Claude replied, placing both hands on the back of her neck. "Almyra bragged a lot about their guard of assassins until you visited us. They decided to change the standards later. Those guys were probably getting lazy."

"But that wasn't a reason to kill them, I have to say," Ernest replied, looking at the ground.

"Well... They say, 'You arrived as a pawn and left as an alfil'."

"From pawn to an alfil... Do you mean a bishop, instead"? The new student questioned, stupefied. "What does that mean?"

"Uhm... How to put it..." Claude took some time to think. "Bishop, or 'alfil' in the almyran language, can refer to an 'elephant.' You came in as a nobody and left us as a huge, rampaging beast."

"Ah... I don't think I can consider it an honor... But I get the point."

Claude smiled when he saw his 'calm' partner. It was good that his partner didn't take pride in such a shocking nickname. In an instant, Claude became uneasy. He felt a strange presence near him. In a moment, the young von Riegan was flung to the floor from his chair. Getting up, he saw that Ernest had an arrow in his right hand. Ernest had yet to learn who it could be, but Claude did.