[ It's late in the month when a certain book finds its way into Byleth's bed-nest. He may not recognize it, unless he occasioned to spot Yuri with it around the house, during which his concentration on it was evident. The cover is plain and unassuming, lacking for the polish of an official publication. It smells vaguely of lilacs and ink.
Inside, there is a simple note on the first page which reads:
A story for Byleth.
Yuri's handwriting is unmistakable, curiously elegant and flowing like a true noble's son, yet lacking the overembellishment that typically comes with the same. Every page is filled with this handwriting, along with the occasional stutter, stop, crossed out revision and welling of ink where his pen lingered too long.
The story itself is about a knight, dispatched by his lord to slay a dragon which had been sighted outside a small farming village. This village also happened to be where the knight hailed from originally, and so he was doubly motivated to protect it. Only upon finding the dragon, he discovers it trapped in a black, tarlike substance.
The knight, rather than take advantage of the creature's vulnerable state, is moved by its apparent suffering and attempts to free the dragon instead. This leads to the black substance spreading to him, but he does free the dragon. Moments later, a great black beast rises from the dark pool around them and attacks.
Together, the knight and the dragon drive off the creature, but are themselves further covered in inky black. The substance has altered them, and while the dragon flies off, the knight returns to his village only to be turned away. He has been afflicted by Malice, a malady little understood and greatly feared. The knight finds his blackened armor has been fused shut and he can no longer speak.
His village elder, recognizing his armor, recounts an old tale about the great scourge which birthed the Malice. The great black beasts which spread it across the land must be dispatched in order to rid the world of it and this is the only means by which the knight might be restored to his former self.
So the knight sets off on his journey, hunting for the Malice Beasts which must be quelled, limited in his task by most peoples' inability to understand him. The knight grows lonely, for try as he might, even those who don't fear him on sight are unable to discern what he tries to tell him. He's forced to loot and poach, lurking on the periphery of camps and villages. Only occasionally does he see a great dark shadow overhead — the dragon he had freed.
One rainy night, his lonesome camp is visited by that same dragon. Neither able to speak to the other, what remains between them is their wariness. The knight's transformation has left him with little appetite and great difficulty eating, but he cooks just the same, and it is the meal that he surmises the dragon to be attracted by. The dragon eats, and the knight finds himself with a companion: one who does not fear his affliction for it bears the same one.
From there, the knight finds himself with a companion more often as he chases rumors of the great black beasts. Though they cannot speak to one another, they find wordless ways to communicate. Gradually, they even develop a habit of passing the nights together, and the knight finds the silence less daunting for it.
At last his journey leads them to the first of the black beasts, and the knight does battle with the monster. With the dragon's timely aid, he defeats the beast... Yet he doesn't strike it down. Much like the dragon, he sees pain in this beast's eyes, so he reaches out to it instead. The tarlike substance sloughs away and dissolves, leaving only a small, frightened rabbit.
It is the knight's mercy which overcomes Malice, he discovers, as some of his own affliction melts away. The rabbit, long feared as a marauding monster, was a nature spirit. With its freedom from the Malice, it imparts a small blessing on the knight, restoring his voice and implores that he save the others before vanishing.
The knight turns to the dragon who has shared this journey with him and sees that his companion, too, has been cured to some degree. He realizes then that if his voice has returned, there are so many things that he wishes to say...
And here, on the last page, ends Part One.
Yuri's reason for asking whether Byleth would be comfortable with something like the shadows from the labyrinth may be a little clearer now. ]
Kenos 🎁 late Takiltu
Inside, there is a simple note on the first page which reads:
Yuri's handwriting is unmistakable, curiously elegant and flowing like a true noble's son, yet lacking the overembellishment that typically comes with the same. Every page is filled with this handwriting, along with the occasional stutter, stop, crossed out revision and welling of ink where his pen lingered too long.
The story itself is about a knight, dispatched by his lord to slay a dragon which had been sighted outside a small farming village. This village also happened to be where the knight hailed from originally, and so he was doubly motivated to protect it. Only upon finding the dragon, he discovers it trapped in a black, tarlike substance.
The knight, rather than take advantage of the creature's vulnerable state, is moved by its apparent suffering and attempts to free the dragon instead. This leads to the black substance spreading to him, but he does free the dragon. Moments later, a great black beast rises from the dark pool around them and attacks.
Together, the knight and the dragon drive off the creature, but are themselves further covered in inky black. The substance has altered them, and while the dragon flies off, the knight returns to his village only to be turned away. He has been afflicted by Malice, a malady little understood and greatly feared. The knight finds his blackened armor has been fused shut and he can no longer speak.
His village elder, recognizing his armor, recounts an old tale about the great scourge which birthed the Malice. The great black beasts which spread it across the land must be dispatched in order to rid the world of it and this is the only means by which the knight might be restored to his former self.
So the knight sets off on his journey, hunting for the Malice Beasts which must be quelled, limited in his task by most peoples' inability to understand him. The knight grows lonely, for try as he might, even those who don't fear him on sight are unable to discern what he tries to tell him. He's forced to loot and poach, lurking on the periphery of camps and villages. Only occasionally does he see a great dark shadow overhead — the dragon he had freed.
One rainy night, his lonesome camp is visited by that same dragon. Neither able to speak to the other, what remains between them is their wariness. The knight's transformation has left him with little appetite and great difficulty eating, but he cooks just the same, and it is the meal that he surmises the dragon to be attracted by. The dragon eats, and the knight finds himself with a companion: one who does not fear his affliction for it bears the same one.
From there, the knight finds himself with a companion more often as he chases rumors of the great black beasts. Though they cannot speak to one another, they find wordless ways to communicate. Gradually, they even develop a habit of passing the nights together, and the knight finds the silence less daunting for it.
At last his journey leads them to the first of the black beasts, and the knight does battle with the monster. With the dragon's timely aid, he defeats the beast... Yet he doesn't strike it down. Much like the dragon, he sees pain in this beast's eyes, so he reaches out to it instead. The tarlike substance sloughs away and dissolves, leaving only a small, frightened rabbit.
It is the knight's mercy which overcomes Malice, he discovers, as some of his own affliction melts away. The rabbit, long feared as a marauding monster, was a nature spirit. With its freedom from the Malice, it imparts a small blessing on the knight, restoring his voice and implores that he save the others before vanishing.
The knight turns to the dragon who has shared this journey with him and sees that his companion, too, has been cured to some degree. He realizes then that if his voice has returned, there are so many things that he wishes to say...
And here, on the last page, ends Part One.
Yuri's reason for asking whether Byleth would be comfortable with something like the shadows from the labyrinth may be a little clearer now. ]