Byleth's Sorrow

Questions

The Ashen Demon sat in his room in Abyss, watching the fire in the center of the room. He looked much like he had when they first met, but the students saw him in a different light after his battle with the Umbral Beast. If he heard them enter, he gave no sign of it, simply staring into the fire like he always did.

The students and the Abyssians had all escorted Lady Rhea to him, who had wanted to see this mysterious figure who could wield the Sword of the Creator for herself. Seteth had, of course, accompanied her down here, with the reasoning of, 'Who knows what's down there nowadays? We can't risk sending Lady Rhea down without protection.', and Flayn had followed him. 

Without his knowledge or consent, of course.

Rhea cleared her throat. "Thank you for seeing me. I am Lady Rhea, Archbishop of the Church of Serios. I understand you call yourself the Ashen Demon?"

The Demon did not reply.

Seteth looked irritated at the strange man's indifference. "You could at least give us the courtesy of responding! Do you not think you are being a bit rude to the Archbishop?"

At this, he chuckled. The raspy, broken sounds escaping his mouth unnerved everyone there, although if Rhea was unsettled, she did not show it.

Rhea spoke up again as the Demon's chuckles faded. "You have done the church a great service, if the accounts of your battle are to be believed. However, you have also committed a great sin by stealing the Sword of the Creator." She tilted her head. "I would also like to know how you were able to wield it."

The Ashen Demon was silent for a while, then said, "You would know well how I am able, Lady Rhea." He said her name as if it amused him. "Do you not remember that night, twenty-one years ago?"

Rhea seemed to slump under a heavy weight. She looked at Seteth. "Seteth, would you be so kind as to escort the students out?" Her gaze refocused on the Demon. "I would like to speak with him in private."

Seteth protested, "My Lady! I cannot leave you here alone with this man. We do not know what he wants!"

The Ashen Demon, for the first time, turned his head to look at Seteth. "What I want," he rasped, "Is a little peace and quiet." His eyes seemed to burn a light green. They looked as if they were glowing by the firelight. Seteth dismissed that as a trick of the light. The Demon turned to Rhea. "Is that not too much to ask?"

Rhea ignored him and spoke again to Seteth. "I would speak with him alone, Seteth." She spoke firmly. Seteth glared at the Demon before turning on his heel and corralling the students (and Flayn) out.

Rhea settled on the floor on the other side of the fire. "So, you are Jeralt and Sitri's son, are you not?"

The Ashen Demon gave a nod.

Rhea was not perturbed by his lack of response and pushed again. "Why did you leave? Your father was looking for you. He still is, although he does most of his searching while on missions. When he heard that a man using the name of the 'Ashen Demon' resided in Abyss, we had to bodily restrain him from charging down here himself."

The Demon smiled softly. It looked strange on his slightly otherworldly features. 

After a long moment of silence, he spoke again. "Jeralt would not understand what his presence does to me."

Rhea arched an eyebrow, somehow still seeming as serene as ever. "The students enlightened me on some of your more... unconventional powers, but what does your father have to do with them?"

The smile was gone in an instant. "The strands of Fate are tightly interwoven. You can untie a knot here or there, but there are some knots that keep Fate from unraveling. Some events that cannot be avoided." He stared into Rhea's eyes. "Jeralt's death is one of them." 

He grinned a little, and his eyes glinted with something akin to madness. "As is yours, Serios."

Rhea flinched a little at her true name. "My death?" She asked carefully.

The grin stretched wider, the dry lips cracking even more. "Yes." His eyes clouded, as if remembering an event a long time ago. "I remember your roars from above, your scales that gleamed so brightly, your army of White Beasts," he said nostalgically. "And I remember your insane threats as I killed you with your mother." He said the last part casually, as if discussing the weather.

Rhea's eyes hardened. "Surely you know that what you claim to have done is sacrilege of the highest order." She leaned in slightly. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't cut you down right now." She spoke in a low, hard voice.

The Demon was not fazed, and said, "There are many reasons." He grinned once more. "I killed you because you were insane, because you were trying to kill innocents, and because you tried to kill my students."

Rhea pulled back, confused and more than a little shaken. "How... how do I stop it?" 

He shook his head regretfully. "I have not encountered any cure for your degeneration."

Rhea leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"If it helps, your end was painless, and you did not do much harm." He offered. "Except for the White Beasts we had to defeat on our way to fight you." He amended.

Rhea stood up abruptly. "I... I must go." She glanced down at him. "Would you be willing to help me find a cure?" She very nearly pleaded. 

The Demon stood in a fluid motion, gathering the fire in his arms. "I will." He nodded, then continued, "But I would not be able to do much from here." He outstretched his hand. Thankfully, it was not holding the fire, Rhea remarked in her head as she shook his hand.

"Very well, Ashen Demon. I will make preparations for your stay at once,"

The Ashen Demon smiled a little. "My name is Byleth."