The Bright Star [Fire Emblem: Three Houses AU]

The Chalice (Constance)

Aelfric called Yuri and the Ashen Wolves down to the classroom for a meeting. The five gathered around the Abyssian classroom to discuss. The Ashen Wolf classroom was dim, as the other houses' classrooms were illuminated by the sun during the day. Being underground, the Abyssians only had light from candles and fire. At each desk in the Ashen Wolf classroom was a candle to light up the area, as well as several on the front desk, ceiling, and walls where the Ashen Wolves banner was hung up. Besides the lighting, their classroom was pretty much the same as the other houses'.

"For your mission, I am going to send you four out to retrieve the Chalice of Beginnings," Aelfric said. "It was sealed in the Chasm of the Bound, though has been targeted by bandits. You are to retrieve the Chalice and return it to me."

"Sure thing," Yuri said. "We'll get on it." Yuri led his group outside of the classroom to lead them even deeper into Abyss.

"My father told me that the Chalice was sealed tight with magic so no would-be thieves would try to take it," Constance said. "But perhaps it was sealed tight long ago, and the spell has been broken and thieves can easily break through."

"Or who knows, Coco, maybe there was never a spell in the first place," Hapi said. "Maybe they only said there was a spell to prevent people from attempting to steal it. You know how the Church is to people."

"Either way, I'd love to use this time to practice beating up some bandits!" Balthus boasted.

"Look, down there, there's a secret passage!" Constance pointed to a fork in the road. "That might lead to the Chasm!"

"There are many secret passages in Abyss, possibly ones that could be blocked by magic, so it could lead anywhere," Yuri said. "But let's try and go down there to see what we find."

"I have ultra superior instincts! I know it leads down to where we need to go!"

The Wolves trusted Constance's superior instincts and went down the passage Constance pointed out. It was long and dark, and all did not bring any food or water. As they kept going down the passage, it felt endless.

"Are you sure this is the right way, Constance?" Balthus asked. "I'm pretty sure this is an endless tunnel. How long have we been down here? A day?"

"Ridiculous," Hapi scoffed. "It's had to have been a few hours down here at most."

"I think that we should continue, then turn back if we don't see anything for a little while," Yuri said.

"Wait, Yuri, I think I see something!" Balthus had went a little bit ahead to see a faint light. "There's an exit that leads to the outside!"

Constance looked mortified. "The outside?"

"I mean, that's where the Chasm is. We gotta go that way if we want to find the Chalice of Beginnings."

"Everyone, follow Balthus," Yuri ordered, walking forward to catch up with Balthus. "That includes you, Constance."

"If you insist," Constance said reluctantly as she followed her classmates.

The students found themselves under the monastery bridge when they got outside. The sun was shining bright as the four students stood under the bridge.

"It should be around here," Yuri said as he looked around with his classmates. When he had his back turned to Constance, she dashed off to a nearby tree and sat under the shade. "Constance!"

"She's always done this," Balthus said to Yuri. "I don't think that we can do anything about this, man. We can help her out but it's not like we can cure her instinct to do this whenever she's in the sun."

"Come with me." Yuri walked over to Constance, who was sitting under the tree. "Hey," he said to her. "Do you think you can help us find the Chalice? We could really use your help, and I don't think it's under that tree."

Constance sighed. "Oh, alright," she said, getting up. As she followed her classmates to the sun.

The sun gave her a feeling of terror whenever she stepped out, remembering that House Nuvelle was nearly ended in the sunny weather. Because of her fear of the sun, she retreated underground to Abyss, where she came to meet the Ashen Wolves. She had to adapt to a new lifestyle, but it worked out since she would barely have to step outside her underground home.

"Bandits, over there!" Balthus said, pointing to a wall of stone. "That must be where it is!"

The Wolves ran over to find the bandits, who surprisingly were in fewer numbers than expected. Constance launched a magic attack from afar to startle them, sending a bolt of lightning over. The other Ashen Wolves rushed in to attack them. Yuri took his sword and decapitated one of the bandits, sending the others fleeing. Hapi and Constance used spells to attack and prevent them from fleeing, weakening them as Balthus finished them off.

"Someone's gotta clean up the bodies eventually," Yuri said. "Good luck to them."

Constance explored the area, finding a larger opening. She peeked inside to see something glow, with nobody inside to take whatever laid inside. "Look," she said, peeking her head in further. "I think this is it!" The other Wolves came to her and followed Constance as she went down the opening to see it end at a wall. The wall was cracked, though was surrounded by the symbols of the Crests of the Four Apostles, with a hole in the middle. Constance went up to the hole and took out the Chalice of Beginnings. She walked out with the Chalice. "Let's return this to Aelfric."

The Ashen Wolves returned to Abyss after venturing down the passage they originally believed was endless, trying to keep the Chalice hidden from view if one were to go after it. When they returned, Abyss was scattered with thieves and attackers all over the place.

Hapi ran up to an Abyssian shopkeeper. "What happened?"

"Some thieves came in and began attacking Abyss," the shopkeeper said.

"Where's Aelfric?" Constance asked. "We need to see him!"

"Well, you won't be able to see him any time soon! He's been captured by the bandits!"