My Dream? To Be A True Knight!

What started as a normal shopping trip a few days ago ended up with them winning a trip to a tropical resort after being a magic shop’s 39,3939th customer (honestly, Ashe still isn’t sure what the relevance of that number is). After making sure they weren’t needed for the weekend the two boys decided to accept the invitation. They traveled not by carriage however, but by… orb? It’s probably more magic, if Ashe had to guess.

Nevertheless the resort ended up being very real. Pristine beaches, clear oceans, guests lounging in comfortable chairs under parasols, cold drinks and ice cream being served.. On top of that they even received complimentary swimsuits! It feels like something right out of a fairytale! And Ashe definitely read a few of those, like the tale of the coconut princess!

With his friend in charge of finding a place to put their belongings, Ashe is in charge of getting them refreshments. Hence the current situation, with the only problem now being… where is Caspar? Surely teal hair and red shorts aren’t that hard to spot, right?

“Caspar!” He shouts again, trying to ignore the way slight embarrassment creeps up when he draws the stares of a few beachgoers who definitely look more at home than he does.

…yet, he doesn’t hate it at all. If anything the idea of spending a little one on one time with his professor seems more enjoyable than anything else he might’ve planned for today. “R-Right away, Professor!” Quickly he stuffs everything that remains in his desk into his bag and stands up excitedly.

As they walk side by side, Ashe keeps making curious little glances at Professor Byleth whenever he feels like the man isn’t looking. The way he walks, the way he bears himself.. all of it seems so calm and collected, just like he imagined an experienced mercenary would be. “If you don’t mind me asking, what brought this on Professor? If there’s something you feel I’m falling behind on, I’ll do my best to catch up.”

The walk out to the pond isn't far. He considers going further, to the river where there are more obstacles and variables, but this is a better start. The next time, he thinks, they will go there. "You've been working hard and getting far, it's not easy to keep up with everyone, but you do."

“I still have so far left to go, but I think I can make it with your help. So.. thank you.” And that’s about as much sheepishness he can handle. Any more and he might spontaneously combust! “A-Anyway, this pond seems clear enough. I’ll do my best to catch a few fish!”

At the question he nods. "Two birds with one stone." He picks up his own bow and holds it out. He's done this kind of fishing before but it's not as fun as a proper rod and a pier. This too is a means of teaching. "The distortions from the water can make it difficult to aim, so this will help you there." As well as simply being a new experience.

"Let's go then," he says from the class' door. And, "We can talk more about the ball on our way there." Though Byleth has little to add from himself.

…yet, he doesn’t hate it at all. If anything the idea of spending a little one on one time with his professor seems more enjoyable than anything else he might’ve planned for today. “R-Right away, Professor!” Quickly he stuffs everything that remains in his desk into his bag and stands up excitedly.

As they walk side by side, Ashe keeps making curious little glances at Professor Byleth whenever he feels like the man isn’t looking. The way he walks, the way he bears himself.. all of it seems so calm and collected, just like he imagined an experienced mercenary would be. “If you don’t mind me asking, what brought this on Professor? If there’s something you feel I’m falling behind on, I’ll do my best to catch up.”

He looks elsewhere, and pretends he can't smell the putrid dishes.

"Some people are lazy, or selfish." Innes is in no place to talk, when he can't even stomach looking at the plates. "There are nobles who have lived nothing but comfortable lives, and have never had to fight a war and help with chores around camp."

While still holding hands, Ashe leads Innes to the dining hall with a notable pep in his step. When they arrive at the kitchen, they pass by a group of teenage boys, both taller and older looking than Ashe, laughing amongst themselves. Seems like they used the kitchen before them?

It would definitely explain the sight that awaits them, as the kitchen is nothing short of a disaster with utensils and unwashed pans everywhere. “Oh.” Ashe voices, softly.

That isn't what Ashe suggests. Innes looks at the pile of dishes, covered in unidentified foodstuff. He imagines touching it, and his skin crawls. His stomach turns. He can't imagine it. Instinctively, his left hand pulls back.

"I could always wait until dinner," Innes says, uneasy. "There is no training today, I have no need of a snack."

“I enjoyed our time together last time. I wouldn’t mind at all to spend a little more time with you.” The younger archer says warmly, unfazed by the older’s prickliness. Honestly, a part of him is even a little curious as to what got Innes branded as a bad egg.

No. Innes has survived far more than social suicide.

"Well, it has been a while since I've eaten something that wasn't mass-produced," Innes says thoughtfully. What he would truly like is a dish from home, but he doesn't expect his local boy to understand the intricacies of Frelian cuisine.

While still holding hands, Ashe leads Innes to the dining hall with a notable pep in his step. When they arrive at the kitchen, they pass by a group of teenage boys, both taller and older looking than Ashe, laughing amongst themselves. Seems like they used the kitchen before them?

It would definitely explain the sight that awaits them, as the kitchen is nothing short of a disaster with utensils and unwashed pans everywhere. “Oh.” Ashe voices, softly.

As his own chocolates finished chilling, the boy steadily pushed each one out of the mould. The treats were shaped like little hearts, filled with a jam on the inside. They were supposed to be friendship chocolates, something to show his classmates his appreciation for having gotten the chance to learn with them.

However, as the topic of love kept being brought up by both the chocolatier as well as his fellow students naturally his mind began to wander. To a certain person he found himself admiring more and more..

His initial decision to make regular squares changed into hearts. A commonly liked caramel filling became a more specific flavor of Albinean berry jam.

“I wonder if he’d like these….” The boy found himself wondering, before promptly shaking his head to get rid of the thoughts- as well as the slight reddish tint that threatened to blossom on his cheeks.

And this does make a lovely excuse to get to know him. He may not be one of her own Black Eagles students but that hardly matters.

"I have never made anything like this before. Everything I learned to make growing up had to be created with ingredients I grew or foraged myself. It will be exciting to try something new."

Ashe then carefully listened to her speak as she explained her unfamiliarity with the lesson’s topic. “You grew your own food? That’s amazing!” The boy replied delightedly. “My parents used to do the same thing. You can taste the love if you grow em yourself, they always said.” He thought back to those times fondly. Times spent digging in their yard for fresh ingredients.

“But I’d be happy to help with the chocolates! I’m not exactly a master, but I know my way around a kitchen.” None of the equipment given to them had been unfamiliar. At most, their application took some getting used to, here and there.

"Let us help each other then, hm?" The heart shapes he has chosen for his chocolates do not escape her. There were other molds available. Circles, squares, shapes more suited to all of his friends. But she does not judge and she does not tease. "I am hoping to make mine for someone special, too."

“If the chocolates are for someone special, then.. do you have an idea for what kind of flavor you want to give them?” He asked with a slight tilt of his head. Briefly, he wondered who this special person could be. Surely a lady like her would have a husband or wife, right? ….would that be rude to ask?

"I thought that if I tried to make each piece completely identical on the outside, I could fill each one with a different filling. That way, we could eat them together and it would be a surprise for us both." She grins and considers whether or not to try adding liquor to any of them. Lord Sigurd might enjoy it but what if they wanted to share with Seliph? It is still difficult to think of him as old as he is now.

While the professor is chopping the chocolates, Ashe starts setting up the double boiler that will allow them to melt evenly. First and foremost, since he offered to help her that’ll be the priority. A happy little hum escapes from his lips whilst working.

And the second thing he has not been told, is that he’s with the archer he met at the ball. Back then he didn’t seem all that disagreeable, just a bit.. erm. What’s the nice way to say this… Overconfident?

“Huh? Troublemaker? Me?”

….On top of that, it seems like Innes misunderstood their roles here, too. “Oh! Um… I don’t know if that’s quite it, but I have been asked to spend the day with you.” A slightly awkward, forced chuckle escaped his lips.

Involuntarily, his mind flashes back to the ball. To other adventures. He's no ruffian, but he's no saint, either. This hardly means that he ought to be punished. Is Rowan also being saddled with a wrangler? Oh gods, how terribly insulting.

“I enjoyed our time together last time. I wouldn’t mind at all to spend a little more time with you.” The younger archer says warmly, unfazed by the older’s prickliness. Honestly, a part of him is even a little curious as to what got Innes branded as a bad egg.

Except when he had been paired with Ashe, he was confused. Innes stared at his companion, his right hand gripping Ashe's left, and he could not comprehend.

"When we met at the ball, I hadn't thought you would be a troublemaker." Innes hummed. "However, you are nothing I cannot handle."

And the second thing he has not been told, is that he’s with the archer he met at the ball. Back then he didn’t seem all that disagreeable, just a bit.. erm. What’s the nice way to say this… Overconfident?

“Huh? Troublemaker? Me?”

….On top of that, it seems like Innes misunderstood their roles here, too. “Oh! Um… I don’t know if that’s quite it, but I have been asked to spend the day with you.” A slightly awkward, forced chuckle escaped his lips.

They might’ve committed a crime. But going out of your way to not hurt anyone suggested that they weren’t cruel brigands. At that point they deserved to be heard out at the very least. Plus there was also the matter of the reports they received seeming incredibly biased. That was always suspicious.

They hear the tavern before they see it, loud singing drifting up the street from the open windows. "I think we may have found the place" the professor comments wryly. They push open the door to witness the chaos inside. Most tables were already taken despite the early hour. An upright piano stood in a corner, the keys being hammered by the pianist accompanied by a crowd of drinkers.

It was the perfect place to hide in plain sight.

“This definitely seems to be the place.” It’s a lot rougher than he expected. It’s nothing at all like the restaurants or taverns he’s seen before, not even during the nighttime hours when more alcohol was served. Perhaps this is just the fate of a tavern frequented by pirates?

It doesn’t take long for their presence to be noticed either. Perhaps it’s their clothes that make them stand out, or maybe it’s the fact they’re not regulars. Either way, people start to stare. Nervously Ashe takes a step closer to the professor.

With the beast’s focus being on Harken, Ashe took the opening the knight created to draw another arrow, looking for an opening to shut down both of its wings. But with it moving so erratically, finding a clean shot was difficult.

To make matters worse it seemed to have become wise to Harken’s attempt to distract it, its unnerving eyes locking on to the boy that had injured its wing. Despite being grounded it could still rush forward with surprising speed, and like it tried to do with the knight before, the beast plunged its beak towards where Ashe was standing.

Just barely, the archer was able to roll out of the way, narrowly avoiding a grievous injury. But the sheer impact of the beast hitting the ground caused a tremor. As a result Ashe lost his balance, falling to the ground painfully.

Amongst those stuck far too close to the rampaging beast was Ashe, and as the creature reared back once more, Harken knew he only had so much time to act.

"Covering fire, now!" he shouted to the handful of archers that had been able to make it clear, sword slotting back into its sheath as he pushes himself forward into a run. They didn't need to hit anything vital on the beast, they just needed to buy their comrades some time. Most had been able to recover, get to their feet and make a mad dash away from the bird -- the boy could not so easily, caught in its raging focus.

It was a desperate maneuver fueled by pure reaction, no thought to the next steps to come afterward.

Harken makes a dive just as the shrieking beast lunges, getting arms around Ashe enough to pull him into the rough tumble they take away from the attack. It isn't enough to fully get them out of range of the giant beak, and with his shield pinned beneath them, Harken can't even try to put up a defense--

Dark blood splatters from above them, the horrendous cry of pain from the beast unbearably loud from their close proximity. The creature's attack miraculously misses them -- though the jagged edges of its beak slam into the ground far too close for comfort -- the cause of its last minute slip becoming clear in the arrow now embedded into one of its eyes.

There's no chance to breathe in any relief, the wounded creature beginning to blindly claw at the ground with its wicked talons.

There’s no time to even contemplate what happened as Sir Harken pulls him to his feet. Adrenaline courses through his body as any soreness in his muscles are forgotten.

“T-Thank you!” Ashe barely manages to say amidst all the chaos as they distance themselves from the monster. Said monster still rampages, but as more and more viscous blood seeps from its injuries, its movements begin to slow.

…it’s strange, but despite having only escaped its wrath moments earlier Ashe feels pity for the beast. Briefly he wonders if that feeling is unbecoming of a knight. It can’t be helped that its organs are needed to cure the ongoing plague, but even so that doesn’t mean they should make it suffer unnecessarily.

And, as if the Goddess is answering to his feelings, one of their allies loosens an arrow at the beast that manages to pierce straight into its heart. With one last shriek, it finally goes down.

With every sentence Ashe felt like sinking into the floor further and further, the poor boy looking to be on the verge of tears. Reason had always been his worst subject, so he really was hoping to attend the extra classes and improve his scores! But then the whole debacle about a thief came up, and on their way there was this blur holding a ham….

“I.. I’m really sorry, Professor!” The boy squeezed his eyes shut and bowed down. “I promise I won’t-“

“Enough! I’m in no mood for excuses.” The teacher cut him off sharply. In response Ashe’s posture deflated even further. “I was going to guide you through the process, but since you’ve both shown that’s not something you care for we’ll just move on to the practical exercises.”

The teacher motioned for the two boys to follow, leading them to… the training grounds? Ashe kept his head down until now, but not even that could hide the slight confusion his furrowed brow revealed.

The field had been mostly emptied out, save for a line dividing the middle. Both sides of the field had rows of dummies lined up. “Mr Bergliez, left field. Mr Durand, right field.” She commanded the two. Before that the teacher had also grabbed two tomes, one red and one green and handed it to them. “Use the arithmetic formulas in these tomes to destroy the dummies on the opposite side of your field. I want to see burn marks and cuts of wind. Neither of you will be leaving until every single one has been destroyed. And don’t even think about using a torch or a sword to fake it either- I will know. Lastly, neither of you can cross the line in between. Understood?”

Ashe looked at Caspar, before looking at the wind tome that was now in his hands. He was on cooking duty today, one of his favorites! If he wasn’t allowed to leave until this assignment was finished, then they’d have to figure this out in just a couple of hours….

“Fire magic uses math?!” 

He flips the tome open to a random page somewhere in the middle and scans the pages. There’s a diagram of a sigil on one side, and labels for the parts that have symbols and numbers to explain…something. Energy? Power? With a loud groan, he snaps the book shut. Then, for extra measure, he claps the cover of the tome against his forehead.

“Um, no. I’ve tried a few times, but so far I haven’t had much success.” The boy cringes as he thinks back to said previous attempts. He’s been trying to get the hang of it for a while now, because a knight needs to be well rounded. He doesn’t need to become a master sage all of a sudden, but he should at least understand the basics…

Unfortunately even the basics seem out of reach right now.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t do it though! I’m sure if we study hard we can figure it out.” He might not be the most academically gifted, but much like how he has to make up for his crestless blood, he’s come to learn that the best way to make up for a lack of talent is effort.

Concentrating intensely on the formula before him, Ashe begins to try and cast a spell. The tome in his hand begins to shimmer in response, almost as if it’s working….

“There!” He holds his palm out, expecting a gust of wind to fly from it.

….

….

*pfoo*

The boy briefly wondered if there was any way to bring these fruits- or perhaps their seeds- back home with him. Or would that be heresy, bringing a blessing from another deity into the domain of the goddess? …also, with how infertile Faerghus’ fields tend to be, it would be a monumental task to get them to grow in the first place.

Having arrived in the kitchen, Ashe decided to put that aside for now. Despite having seen it earlier, it was still impressive how well stocked it was. Having prepared a basin of water earlier, he proceeded to gently place the peaches into the basin, watching as they bobbed on the surface. “Sir Mauvier, could I ask you to wash and cut the peaches? I’ll get started on the batter then.”

A horrible dread snakes up his spine as he stares into the basin of fruit. As if touching one will cause lightning to rain from the sky, and strike him dead. It's an absolutely ridiculous thought, but it won't leave him.

Queen Lumera had been anything but a vengeful deity. Sir Vander had told him as much, and accounts from all others who had met her regarded her as gentle and loving. Mauvier hadn't had a direct hand in her death, and Lady Veyle had not been in her right mind when she landed the killing blow -- so why does he still feel responsible?

"Of course," Mauvier answers, hovering over the basin. He takes a moment to silently pray over the peaches -- for guidance, for forgiveness. For more than he deserves.

Mauvier’s look particularly heavy though. Ashe had noticed the man’s hesitation before, but at first decided not to comment too much on it. He seemed to have trouble with handling the peaches, and briefly the boy wondered if he should offer to switch.

This short explanation gave a bit more context, though. And Ashe genuinely could empathize. After all, he’s made his own share of mistakes too. It’s easy to get stuck in that feeling of unworthiness in times like those.

“I can’t claim to know the thoughts of a divine dragon, but..” Briefly putting down the spatula on the table, he turns to look at the man with a sympathizing smile. “The way the monks spoke of her, she sounded like a very kind and graceful lady.” Definitely not the vengeful type. Or at least that’s not the vibe Ashe got from the stories.