Fandom ✴ 𝖗𝖊𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖌𝖊𝖉 𝖆𝖓𝖊𝖜 ✴ {1x1 w/ usagi froggy and WanderingWisps}

[WanderingWisps]

Felix wasn't sure how long he had been wandering around the monastery aimlessly after he had been dismissed out of the infirmary by Mercedes. Annoyingly he couldn't stop himself from worrying and fretting over Sylvain for the majority of the day. What if he or Mercedes hadn't been there a minute sooner? What if he had lost Sylvain today? Felix couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone, especially Sylvain out of anyone. The worst part was that Sylvain had just brushed off being injured as if it was nothing. Sylvain putting his own life on the line for him with reckless abandon. He knew that Sylvain was going to be okay and that he could handle himself. Yet that didn't make it less irritating for Felix to see Sylvain not take things seriously.

He was tired and sick of having to see Sylvain constantly put himself in harms way. Felix was lucky that he was quick on his feet to dispatch their assailants this morning to protect Sylvain in return before they traveled back to the monastery. Each worst case scenario kept running through his head as Felix wandered the halls, eventually his legs leading him back in front of the door to the infirmary again.

"What a headache...." He muttered under his breath to himself as Felix ran a hand through his dark raven hair sighing to himself, standing outside in the torchlit halls.

Felix opened the door to the infirmary relieved to see that Sylvain was okay and in one piece. A frown making it's way to his lips as Felix closed the door behind him. The heels of his boots softly clunking against the wooden floorboards as Felix approached Sylvain's side as his voice cut through air. His irritation and worry welled up in his chest, Felix's fists clenched at his side as his amber eyes bore into Sylvain's. "Sylvain...you irresponsible fool! Trying to protect me like that...Why? Why would you do that?"

"You're so weak. Yet you always...you always!-" His sharp tone wavering as concerned leaked into his voice, betraying just how worried Felix had been over Sylvain the whole day. Not even his usual daily training had been enough to keep his mind distracted from Sylvain getting injured. His eyes tear away from Sylvain's face trying to maintain his composure and keep his emotions in check, Felix crossed his arms over his chest as he looked off to the side.

 

[usagi froggy]

Was what he did stupid? Objectively... yes. But he didn't really care. He might have gotten hurt, but it was worth it to protect his friend. The two of them had left the Monastery together, intent on visiting a traveling market that had popped up nearby. As they were riding, they came across some brigands and, foolishly, instead of turning around, Sylvain hopped right off his horse and sprung into action. Buuuut, he got overwhelmed pretty quickly. Those damn axes... He'd already gotten a nasty gash in his side by the time Felix was able to catch up with them and finish the brigands off. He probably wouldn't have done something stupid like that if he were alone, but he couldn't have let them get to Felix. He didn't even know what it was, there was just some instinct within him that compelled him to keep Felix safe.

All things considered, Sylvain got pretty lucky. Lucky that the wound didn't cut too deep, lucky his friend was capable of finishing the brigands off, and lucky that Mercedes had arrived to the scene so quickly (at least, that's what she told him. He'd already passed out by the time she arrived.) If anything had gone slightly wrong, it probably would've been curtains for him... which is probably why Felix was so irritated with him.

He gave a smile and a weak shrug as Felix entered the infirmary, his cold eyes piercing right through to his heart. "Felix... come on..." he said, trying to diffuse the tension between them, "am I not allowed to protect my best friend anymore?"

"If looking out for you makes me weak, then I don't wanna be strong," he sighed, wincing as he adjusted himself in his bed, feeling a smarting pain in his side. "Look, I know what I did wasn't the smartest, but I'm not going to apologize for it." He wasn't trying to make Felix feel bad, but he did want to assert himself. "What kind of friend would I be if I let those guys attack you?

 

[WanderingWisps]

"You never change." Felix closed his eyes as a tired sigh escaped from his lips, his brows furrowing now. He couldn't be too angry with Sylvain for trying to protect him. Felix  was thankful for Sylvain seeing the brigands when he did otherwise Felix might have ended up worse off then Sylvain. Not to mention the trouble the brigands would of caused the nearby commoners. There was a war after all on their hands over the last five years, more of these brigands were appearing nowadays with how scarce basic needs were as they stole from traders or villages. He didn't blame people for wanting to survive amongst the chaos Fodlan was in now.

That was why Felix wished that Sylvain hadn't tried to taken care of them all by himself. Felix needed to have Sylvain the other side of this war if it was the last thing Felix did. He couldn't stand seeing Sylvain harmed like he was right now. He should been there fighting at Sylvain's side so Sylvain wasn't cornered like he had been. His fingers clutch slightly into the white fabric of his sleeve as Felix chastised him. "You've always been doing these sort of reckless things and fooling around constantly."

"Yet..." His eyes open again, looking back at Sylvain as Felix's frustration simmered down. His tone losing it's edge slightly as Felix trailed off before continuing again. "...I am grateful. You always show up whenever everyone needs you most. When I needed you most." Felix took notice that Sylvain had winced as he tried to get comfortable in the bed, wordlessly helping Sylvain before Felix sat down in a chair close by. The wooden chair creaking slightly as Felix leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest again. "You've always been doing this since we were kids...I would of done the same. Just don't go around throwing your life away so carelessly. We are both going to make it out of the end of the war together, got it?"

 

[usagi froggy]

He tried his best to hide it, but he couldn't help but chuckle at Felix's exasperated sigh. He wouldn't admit it to him, but there was a part of him that liked getting Felix all worked up like this. He's always been like this, ever since they were kids. He knew they were in a war right now, but he had to find little moments to enjoy himself.

All the fighting was so exhausting to him... it's like there were two sides fighting within him: the side that wanted to just fool around all the time and slack off, while the other side wanted to stand up, be a leader, and make his friends proud. Fooling around was like his defense mechanism. He didn't have to think so hard when he was being a jackass. He could take his mind off of all the death and fighting and just worry about making people laugh. Or in Felix's case, playfully annoy him. But then, when Felix chided him like this, he couldn't help but feel a little bad...

"Well, yeah... what kinda guy would I be if I abandoned my friends?" he said, biting his lip when Felix mentioned the end of the war. "I know you would too, Felix. You're that kind of guy, as much as you hate to admit it," he chuckled. He couldn't help teasing him a bit there, too. "You don't need to worry about me, though, I promise. Mercy's gonna take care of me, and I'll be good to go in just a few days! We'll be back to sparring in no time. You can count on it," he reassured him.

 

[WanderingWisps]

"Tch...you're insufferable." He couldn't help but to narrow his eyes and scoff softly as Sylvain teased at him as per usual. Sylvain was always able to read him like an open book at times, dare Felix say Sylvain knew him too well. Knowing where exactly to poke at him and pinpoint ways to rile him up in an annoying manner. "I am simply doing what must be done."

Yet the corners of Felix' lips almost twitched upwards hearing his reassurance. Keyword was almost. It was Sylvain's damned smile and more laid-back nature that got to him sometimes. He made it look so...easy. To just simply sit back while Sylvain slacked off and observed his surroundings around him while he idled. Just as Sylvain was able to read him so easily, so could he though. Felix knew that Sylvain was better then the front that he always put up around others. He wanted to push his former classmates and comrades-in-arms to better themselves, Sylvain was no exception to this.

"Good though...I hope for a quick recovery for you." Felix' wall melted ever so slightly at the mention of sparring again with him soon, he could never say no getting to cross his blade with him. Sylvain made it difficult for Felix to stay truly mad at times like right now, no matter how much he tried to stay that way. His lips slowly and faintly curling up into a faint smirk as spoke. "Don't count on me going easy on you just because of the amount of idling around you've been doing. I expect you to take your training more seriously, no more close calls Sylvain."

 

[usagi froggy]

That little smirk of his burst into a full-on grin as Felix called him insufferable. That's how he knew when he won. That was always Felix's default when he didn't know what else to say to him. "I know, I know. Do what you have to do, Felix," he said.

He didn't mind that he was in the infirmary... it was worth it in the end. But he really hated being confined like this. Talking to Felix like this genuinely made him want to get back up so the two could get back to training together. He always had so much passion for getting stronger-- passion that Sylvain, admittedly, didn't really have. He supposed he'd have to work extra hard when they got back to training; not just to make up for lost time, but make up for scaring Felix like he did.

"You know me, Felix. I'm not gonna let a little injury hold me back," he chuckled, before his eyes practically zoomed in on that little smile. "Heyyyy... you can't hide that smile from me!" he said with a playful, yet accusatory pointing finger, "I'm gonna put so much effort into our training, you're gonna think I'm the Professor! I'm gonna wipe you out." He was making bold claims (that he knew weren't true), but that was just who he was. He had to put on a little show to exasperate Felix a little more.

 

[WanderingWisps]

"Smiling?" Felix questioned as Sylvain pointed out how he had let his barrier crack in front of Sylvain. The way that grin spread across Sylvain's features as his friend won their little banter, it made his heart feel oddly warm for some reason. And it was an actual grin. Not one that was disingenuous that Felix was so used to seeing Sylvain carry often around the officer's academy. How embarrassing. He swore he was growing softer now when it came to Sylvain. "I'm not smiling-" Felix huffed before trying to quickly hide the fact that he had in fact been on the verge of returning the smile. "I'm trying to be serious here Sylvain."

He tried to put his grumpy scowl back in place but was failing at it right now. Again this was going absolutely no where in the moment with how Felix couldn't stay mad at him. Felix ran a hand down his face as Sylvain made such bold claims, shaking his head at Sylvain. "That's a bold statement for someone who doesn't even practice their sword technique." A flicker of amusement dancing behind Felix's amber eyes for a moment as he looked at him. The mental image of Sylvain waving around a sword like he did back during the academy caused Felix's usual faint smirk to etch back across his lips again.

"Maybe it could be amusing to see you use a sword again." Felix verbally jabbed back at Sylvain in their banter. "I'd like to see you try to be just as worthy as an adversary as the Professor. You'll need to be diligent with training if you hope to even reach their level of swordsmanship skills." His friend was going to be the death of him. Sylvain would recover in no time at all though, he always seemed to bounce right back into everything. Sylvain was strong in his own ways. Felix needed to remind himself of that despite how much he wanted to keep an eye on Sylvain.

 

[usagi froggy]

Sylvain just snickered at that. He knew that Felix hated being called out like that. He gave him a nod, trying to hide his smile now. "Alright, alright. Shifting into serious mode, I promise," he said, looking at him somewhat intensely, trying to get him to crack again, but sadly the conversation moved on.

"Wait wait wait, who said anything about a sword?" Sylvain protested, quickly breaking his vow of serious-ness. It was true, he wasn't exactly... great with a sword, but that's only because his proficiency lied in other areas! Damn it, Felix... turning this whole conversation around on him! This just wasn't fair. "You're just worried that I'll kick your butt if I get to use a spear," he said with smug confidence. He was the best spear user in the whole army, after all. But maybe there was some benefit to picking up the sword... it would be helpful against axe-users like the brigands from earlier.

"Alright, alright, tell you what: let's make a deal. If you can beat me when I'm using a spear, then I'll let you train me as hard as you want. Deal?" he said. Felix must have known he was confident enough to win the spar, otherwise he never would've made this deal.

 

[WanderingWisps]

"Hmph, it sounds to me as if you're the one worried here." Felix's small smirk didn't go away as he saw the way Sylvain immediately protested against using a sword. He knew full well that Sylvain knew his way better around a spear then a sword. In his own subtle way, Felix was messing with Sylvain too now that their conversation had shifted. "You made the claim of saying 'I'll put so much effort into our training that you'll think I'm the professor'. Did you not? So I'll keep you at your word."

Felix readjusted himself in the chair as he crossed one leg over the other as Felix leaned back in the chair in a more relaxed manner. His mind now more focused on them training in the future then the injury Sylvain endured earlier. "Even if you do use a spear, I won't go down so easily." Felix's eyes locked onto Sylvain's as the smug look of confidence spread crossed his friend's face, taking his words as a challenge now.

"But...Challenge accepted then. I'll accept this deal of yours." Felix taking on an air confidence as well now with his own fighting abilities against Sylvain's skill with a spear. He was never one to back down from a challenge especially when it came to sparring and training. Felix's smirk widened slightly more knowing that Sylvain wouldn't be making this deal with him in the first place if Sylvain didn't have some advantage. "Once you're healed and recovered, I look forward to it. I'll make sure to defeat you so I can train with you daily. I would like to ensure that we keep our promise to each other."

 

[usagi froggy]

"Me? Worried? It's like you don't even know me, Felix!" Sylvain protested. He wasn't nervous, he was just trying to get as fair of a fight as possible! If he had to use a sword, then it was no question he was gonna lose. "No, no, no, the professor is skilled in basically everything. That's why they're the professor! I bet if you give 'em a spear, you'd think they were Gautier himself!" He seemed proud of himself for that explanation.

"Alright, then it's a deal!" he said, his eyes shimmering with excitement. The two of them had always been super competitive with each other, never backing down from a bet or a challenge. If anything, this just motivated him to get better sooner so that he could show Felix just how good he was with a spear!

"Sounds good to me. But I think we're gonna be taking things pretty easy in the future," he snickered. He wasn't planning on losing their bet, and he knew that if he let Felix train him as hard as he wanted, he'd leave the Training Grounds as a puddle. "I look forward to it as well, my friend. But for now, I think I need just a little bit more rest. Gotta be at my best so I can beat you, right?"

 

[WanderingWisps]

Felix paused for a moment, hating to admit that Sylvain was right about something. Dammit...Okay, Sylvain had him there. "Okay...fair." The professor was a pretty damn skilled fighter with not just a blade. It was incredible really how their professor was able to pick up most weapons if not all of them with ease. Sometimes it made Felix a little jealous how easy their professor made it look so easy. "It would be foolish to not see how the professor is skilled in most areas of combat."

With the deal sealed between them, Felix now had something to look and work forward to while Sylvain was in recovery. Felix's sharp amber eyes seemed to burn with his own excitement at getting to spare with Sylvain that was more of challenge for him. As funny as the idea of seeing Sylvain swing a sword around was, Felix did need to actually train more and sharpen his swordmanship skills more against a spear attacks. It could very well save one of their lives someday for all Felix knew while out on the battlefield.

"You're awfully confident about getting to idle around." Felix gives a small huff of amusement as he challenges Sylvain back as he snickered. "But we'll see about that Sylvain." The idea of him idling around was such a foreign concept to him. Felix was always training when he got the opportunity making sure his blade never dulled and that he could continue to grow stronger. The wooden chair creaking slightly as Felix uncrosses his arms and legs as he got up finally. "Right. Well...I'll leave you to recover and rest then."

He walks towards the door to exit the infirmary room to let Sylvain actually get some rest before Felix pauses at the door, his hand resting on the handle before he speaks quietly. "And Sylvain...Thank you. For earlier today."

 

[usagi froggy]

"Listen, it's what I do best!" Sylvain retorted to Felix's jab about him idling around. It's not that he was lazy! He definitely wasn't. It's just that he normally had way more important things to be doing than training. He was already confident enough in his fighting prowess-- what wasn't he confident in? All the time wasted in the Training Grounds could be spent relaxing or taking out a cute girl! He wouldn't say that to Felix, though. He'd just nag at him again for not taking his training "seriously enough."

"You're thanking me?" he said, almost shocked, his eyebrows raised. It was rare for him to get genuine gratitude from his buddy... usually he just had to infer that from his facial expressions. He composed himself after a moment and let that signature smirk come back. "Hey, y'know... gotta protect my buddy, right? I'll always have your back, no matter what. I promise."

(Sorry this took so long! I've been busy! Shall we timeskip to them receiving their assignment from Seteth now?)

 

[WanderingWisps]

Felix has to resist the urge to roll his eyes hearing Sylvain. Felix knew that Sylvain was capable of much more than the pandering Felix watched him do all the time. It was quite frustrating but he bit his tongue. This time at least. Sylvain actually  did need the rest. So Felix couldn't get too annoyed or frustrated at Sylvain though.

His grip on the handle of the door tightened slightly, Felix pushing down the heat that threatened to appear on his face. Not denying the fact Felix gave him a rare sign of genuine gratitude. He would of rather showed his gratitude or appreciation through his actions towards Sylvain. But in this instance, perhaps his words carried more meaning with how Felix hardly actually thanked others. Felix let out a small sigh before replying back. "Don't let it get to your head Sylvain."

Felix shook his head lightly, already he could practically hear the smirk in Sylvain's voice. He didn't have to look back at childhood friend's face to tell. "And I'll protect you. I don't intend to break our promise."

With that Felix finally opened the door to the infirmary and exited. His footfalls echoing lightly in the stone hallways. The tension in his body slowly lifting knowing that Sylvain was going to be okay.

(Hey it's no worries! But yeah we can timeskip with Seteth giving them the assignment! (: )

 

[usagi froggy]

It had been several weeks since Sylvain's injury, and thankfully he was up and at 'em like nothing had happened. Granted, he was cautioned by basically everyone to stay in the Monastery for now, lest he get injured again before a pivotal battle. He wasn't gonna complain, though! Having everyone babying him, and all the girls fawning over him, wanting to help him out? It was like he was in paradise! At least... until it came to training.

Felix and Sylvain had their duel, and unsurprisingly to everyone except Sylvain, Felix won. He probably shouldn't have gotten so prideful when it came to his spearmanship, but he really was confident that he could beat him. Maybe it was Mercy's healing magic going to his head... But now it seemed like Felix took glee in waking him up at the crack of dawn, putting him through the wringer until he couldn't take it anymore. Sometimes he wouldn't even let them stop for lunch! He knew Felix's training regimen was intense, but it's like he was torturing him on purpose! But... he could actually feel himself improving. Drastically. He hated how that worked.

One day while the two of them were training, one of Seteth's retainers came and interrupted them. Something about Seteth needing to see them, and how it was "very important." Sylvain was confused. Were they in trouble or something? It's not like him and Seteth got along exactly... "Do you think he's mad at us?" Sylvain asked Felix as he took off his practice armor and set his Lance aside.

 

[WanderingWisps]

Felix had been keeping an eye on Sylvain at distance since Sylvain had sustained the injury after the incident of dealing with the brigands. Thank the goddess everyone had made sure that Sylvain stayed at the Monastery grounds so he wouldn't be too reckless. Felix wasn't sure if he could take seeing Sylvain sustaining yet another injury again before any upcoming battles. Yet that didn't mean Felix was going to coddle Sylvain like the others did around him. As he watched from afar however he didn't know what the twist in his gut was as of late seeing the girls fawn over Sylvain during those weeks. It wasn't as if he was unused to seeing Sylvain with a girl wrapped around his arm or flirting with one.

But still...whatever this feeling was recently, this wasn't just his usual pure annoyance. This new feeling was weird and distracting to him. Still he needed to prepare for the upcoming duel between himself and Sylvain, Felix couldn't afford any distractions. So Felix simply stayed within the training grounds for long hours on end, training vigorously till night fell. Felix would make sure that he kept his word about ensuring that he won their little duel. He could tell that Sylvain was getting a little too comfortable and falling behind on his training.

This was enough of a motive for him to train up to the day of their duel and fuel his need to win the duel between the two. Naturally Felix had won their duel in the end. That wasn't to say that Sylvain hadn't put up a fight against him with his spear skills and his own strength. As much as Felix gave Sylvain a hard time and annoyingly enough, Sylvain was the type to still be a strong opponent even without pouring so much time into training like Felix had. But Sylvain's cockiness had been his downfall in their match in the end. Just as Felix had promised he made sure that Sylvain got up each day in the early hours of the morning for Felix's usual grueling training. It wasn't that he enjoyed seeing Sylvain suffer but it was for his friend's own good.

As one of Seteth's retainers approached the two within the training grounds and interrupted their current training session, Felix was standing there in just as much confusion as Sylvain was. There was no possibility that Felix had said anything too harshly as of late. What could Seteth possibly want from them that was so important? Felix's lips tilt into a soft frown as he lowered his sword before looking back at Sylvain. He wiped the sweat from his brow as Felix replied back. "Not that I am aware of. We've been in here most of the day."

 

[usagi froggy]

Sylvain couldn't help but feel anxious as the two of them walked through the Monastery grounds, up to the audience chamber. Seteth had never really liked him. He'd always looked down on him for his laidback attitude and philandering nature. Sure, he was an adult now, but something about Seteth just gave him the creeps... His piercing eyes and unnatural green hair never sat right with him. There was something not right about him.

"Well, if we are in trouble, then I'll take full responsibility," Sylvain stated adamantly. Felix was never the type to get into trouble, so Sylvain was ready to take the brunt of the axe of punishment.

"The two of you aren't in trouble," the retainer, Vera, said, rolling her eyes. She was an older woman, and an irritable one at that. Sylvain had never liked her very much. She had been at the Monastery working for Rhea since before the two of them were even born.

"Well, you could've lead with that instead of letting us get all anxious," Sylvain said with a huff. Conversations between the two of them never ended very smoothly.

At last, Vera lead them into the large audience chamber. It still felt so empty without Rhea there... As they entered, Seteth exited from his study to greet the two men, his eyes kind and warm as he nodded at Felix, his gaze hardening a bit as he turned to Sylvain.

"Greetings, gentlemen. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice. I know the two of you have been busy lately, but I have an important task I must ask of the both of you," he explained.

"The Monastery has recently gathered intel of a group of Demonic Beasts roaming Faerghus in the Charon region close to some of the villages there. We need the two of you two defeat them. Normally we would send a larger army, but we're trying not to cause a stir, so we can avoid causing a larger commotion among the villagers. With the war going on, we want to make sure our people don't act rashly, and are ready to take action at a moment's notice. You two are some of the Kingdom's strongest soldiers. I don't anticipate this task taking longer than a week or two, and we will of course provide you with resources and accommodations. Does that sound like something the two of you would be up for?"

 

[WanderingWisps]

Felix had a neutral and an okay relationship with Seteth, somewhat reminding Felix of his own father constantly nagging him and trying to give Felix advice. Begrudgingly Seteth had been right about his advice about how Felix not keeping other's at a distance and to form friendships with his classmates. That having good relationships with his allies is essential in combat despite how his friends not sharing the same values as he did, saving both him and his friends countless times in an out of combat.

Despite all of this and the fact Felix was neutral with Seteth, Felix could recognize that Seteth had always looked down on Sylvain ever since their academy days. The way Seteth watched him and Sylvain so closely back then during his years at the academy felt off, even with the best intentions. It was as if Seteth could see through his barriers which was unsettling all things considered.

His sharp amber eyes burned into Vera's with her snarky attitude, almost giving into temptation to cut into the conversation as his fists tighten at his sides before Sylvain jumped in. Felix resisted the urge to snap in annoyance seeing the two be so short with on another. He didn't need to escalate the situation right now and join in on bickering. Sadly, Felix was use to hearing and seeing these sort of interactions between them at this point. It didn't make holding his tongue any easier no matter how much he watched them.

Felix followed beside Sylvain side by side into the audience chamber, standing there with his arms crossed before Seteth entered the room. He gave a small nod in response to Seteth before his lips twitched into a small frown hearing the reasoning for Seteth calling them here for the first place. It wasn't a matter of not being able to handle a demonic beast but why the demonic beasts appeared there in the first place. "If you need my blade then it will be no issue taking care of the Demonic Beasts. I do have one question, is there any reason behind why the Beasts are in Faerghus in the first place?"

 

[usagi froggy]

Sylvain couldn't help but grimace when he saw the way Seteth glared at him. He didn't really like the guy, but that didn't mean he didn't want him to like him. He was basically the second in command of the place after the Professor, and if he didn't like him, then that was asking for trouble. And besides... Sylvain kinda just inherently wanted to be liked by everyone (yes, even kinda creepy middle-aged men like Seteth.)

Sylvain was prepared for whatever assignment Seteth was going to give them, but felt his heart skip a beat when he mentioned Demonic Beasts. He was good at hiding his fear, but Demonic Beasts were one thing that made him stop cold. Ever since the incident with Miklan happened, he couldn't get them out of his mind. He'd have nightmares about them sometimes, and even hearing someone mention them was enough to send a shiver down his spine. Him and his brother had never had the greatest relationship, but what had happened to him was horrific, and with how little people seemed to know about Demonic Beasts it only made the mission seem more dangerous to him.

"If I'm being honest...? We are unsure. These Beasts are unlike the ones we've fought before. They appear to be ordinary animals that have been transformed into Demonic Beasts. There have been sightings of Giant Wolves and Worms, as well as Flying Beasts, though none of them appear to have a Crest Stone embedded in them. Based on what we've heard, my guess is that they are either being created by the Adrestian Empire, or there is a large, untapped well of magic somewhere causing these animals to transform. If they are being transformed by the Adrestian Empire, I can only assume it is through the absorption of dark magic. I would imagine the Crest Stones are too precious for them to waste on a pet project like this."

Sylvain felt a little bit of relief when Seteth mentioned that there were no Crest Stones embedded in the Beasts. At least that meant they wouldn't be killing anything that was formerly a human.

Sylvain looked over at Felix before turning back to Seteth. "Alright... I'll do it. I'm sure we'll have those Beasts routed in no time," he said, his voice unusually somber.

Seteth seemed a bit surprised at Sylvain's acceptance, but was nonetheless pleased. "Very good. If you are both ready, then we can have you set out by tomorrow. Are there any more questions?"

 

[WanderingWisps]

Felix could sense Sylvain's weariness at the mention of Demonic Beasts and for a good reason. It would be foolish to not be cautious with facing off something as dangerous as Demonic Beasts. What made Felix unnerved and question Seteth in the moment, was that he was sending Sylvain of all people on this mission. Felix's teeth clenched causing him to frown slightly more at the memory of the incident against Miklan when he had transformed back during their days of the academy. Felix remembered that night vividly with how he outright refused to just leave Sylvain's side after that mission.

This wasn't really up for debate and refusal however someone needed to defeat the demonic beasts. The professor couldn't really take up the task considering how busy they were with war preparations. Then there was Dimitri who was a loss cause with being too focused on his bloodthirst and blabbering on to ghosts of the past as far as Felix was concerned. Felix also knew lately that the rest of the Blue Lions had been busy with their own important tasks.

So that just left Sylvain and himself next in line for the task to track down the Demonic Beasts. Luckily they were some of the strongest knights amongst the Blue Lions besides their professor and Dimitri. Felix was always up to face against opponents or challenges that were thrown his way. Yet that didn't mean this wasn't going to be difficult for Sylvain despite how well his friend was good at hiding his personal fear.

He glanced back at Sylvain when the other man looked his way to see if he was really okay with going along for this mission. Equally surprised that Sylvain had easily agreed to the mission despite the trauma he knew that Sylvain carried with him to this day still. Felix's sharp eyes turned back to glance at Seteth as he uncrossed his arms, resting his hand on the pommel of his sword at his hip. "No there isn't anymore questions from me at this time."

 

[usagi froggy]

At this point, it wasn't a question of being uncomfortable. Sylvain knew this was for the greater good and everyone was making sacrifices. Despite his carefree, happy-go-lucky nature, he understood the bigger picture. He wasn't stupid. As much as he didn't want to do it, this war-- and every seemingly menial task that was a part of it-- was for a purpose that was bigger than all of them. Of course he didn't want to hunt down a bunch of Demonic Beasts, but he knew he didn't have a choice. Until there was another battle he could use his skills in, this was the way for him to contribute and earn his keep. His loyalty to the professor, the Blue Lions, and to Faerghus was unflinching, and Sylvain was willing to do what it took to help them.

He tried his best not to let the fear on his face show to Seteth and Felix. As he realized the trepidation on his face, he briefly closed his eyes and swallowed before smiling-- more of a facade than anything else so as not to worry his friend or their advisor. "No questions from me. Sounds great. Maybe we'll meet some cute girls in the village that'll be grateful for our help, eh, Felix?" he said with a wink and a grin. He knew it was groan-worthy, but it made him feel better. It helped to push those worries into a deeper corner of his mind.

Meanwhile, Seteth was trying his best to remain composed at that comment and not roll his eyes. Sylvain was helping the church out of quite the bind after all... "Excellent. That is all I have for the two of you today, then. I suggest you try to conserve your energy for the rest of the day and begin to prepare your equipment. I'll have some retainers put together your rations and shelter."

With a nod, Seteth dismissed the two of them, Vera quick to guide them out of the chamber. Sylvain looked over at Felix, taking another deep breath. "So... you excited?" he asked him. "I bet that sword's been itching for some real combat, huh?"

 

[WanderingWisps]

"Of course you have to be insatiable even on a mission. Do you ever stop?" Felix let out a soft sigh, mumbling underneath his breath as he spoke. He closed his eyes as he brought a gloved hand pinching his brow, as Sylvain brought up the topic of 'meeting cute girls'. He wasn't surprised at this point with Sylvain when it came to his flirtatious tendencies but Felix saw that his friend was trying to cope in the moment as well. Felix couldn't blame him for trying to distract himself and not think about it.

It was Felix' turn however to try to not comment at Seteth mentioning him needing to 'conserve his energy' for the rest of the day. He wasn't even far into his usual training or got to finish his sparing with Sylvain before the two of them had been interrupted. Felix did everything in him to bite his tongue with not saying about how it or how it didn't usual take him too long to prepare. Yet it seemed that Seteth was doing this on purpose knowing that Felix would want to finish with his usual training for the day. The trade off of not training today would be worth it in the long run for him, Felix would finally get to see some real combat again after so long of only being in the training hall.

Felix followed Vera out of the chamber as she guided the two of them after Seteth's dismal. Felix turns his head to look at Sylvain as they walk down the hall together. "I'll admit I have been wanting to face some actual combat again. I can only train in the training hall so much before it begins to feel like I'm not sharpening my skills."