Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything from the Breath of Fire franchise.
Warning: Contains adult content including sexual material and violence that some readers may find offensive. Rating is subject to change, if you feel this should be an M please let me know.
Authors Note: Please be aware that this is a repost. I was unhappy with the plot holes in the original three chapters I uploaded at the beginning of this year. Thank you to the wonderful reviewers who read the first version, I hope you enjoy this just as much.
Also, I have terrible spelling and grammar but I will endeavour to make everything as correct as possible, however there will be mistakes. I apologize in advance.

Wyndia is destroyed, wiped out by the ruthless army of the Brood. Those that survive flee high into the mountains, where the cold of the wind is sharper than the blade of a sword. After years of uneasiness, the Brood Warlord has demanded that Nina be handed over to be his mistress, and in exchange he will grant the remnants of the once mighty Wyndia race the only thing they desire - peace. Reluctantly, Nina is sent to Mizuchi, the City of Dragons where danger lurks every corner.

Will the Brood Warlord keep his end of the bargain? How long will Nina be able to hold out before falling into the darkness that threatens to consume? Will a mysterious blue haired solider be able to show her the light and save her once and for all?

The Last Winter

An AU NinaRyu story by BeautifulDusk

Chapter One

It was cold.

Always so Landon damned cold.

Nina shivered as she wrapped her thin, tattered cloak tighter around her trembling shoulders. The red haze of the setting sun did little to comfort her as she trudged through the mud, icicles already starting to form on the gooey substance that squelched painfully beneath her bare feet. Her breath rose in front of her pale face in puffs of fine mist.

Villagers walked beside Nina in a dreary silence as they made their way back to their homes through the snow-covered pine trees that dotted the mountain side fields, hastened by the fierce wind that was flaying their exposed skin. Nina closed her wings closer to her body in a desperate need for protection from the cold as she clutched her broken wooden bucket that held her measly rations for dinner, a half rotten potato, several small carrots and a bitter cabbage. It was all she had to feed her family.

With a sigh of relief, she entered through the gated entrance of her home village, Teikō. the air already thick with smoke from lit fires. It was not a large community, the last head count barely hitting 500 citizens, with only 50 soldiers to protect them. The village itself ran up a sharp slope, little shabby houses dotted the single dirt track that wove it's self through the middle, acting as the main road. To Nina's left was the area designated for the market where people would trade their food and goods with one another, meat and firewood being the most valuable and sought after items. There was little shelter, which made trading difficult during terrible weather.

Nina sighed again as she walked into the hut that she had known all her 19 years of life as home. Fortunately for Nina, it was the largest building in the entire village, and one of the only ones to have iron sheets which gave more protection from the harsh elements than the standard, rotting wooden planks that formed the other villagers homes. This was due to her father being Major of Teikō, or rather what was left of the war-torn citizens that once inhibited Wyndia. Nina placed her bucket beside the cracked cooking pot before putting her hands over the fire, desperately trying to defrost them and rubbing them together to encourage warmth.

"Nina! What did I tell you about going out into the fields? A young woman of your stature should not be out there like a dirty peasant," Louise growled scornfully as she crouched down beside her oldest child, moving the cooking pot and adjusting it above the flames. Nina's lips trembled from the freezing temperatures too much to talk, so instead she moved over to give Louise room and avoided looking at her mothers piercing glare. "Your father would be disappointed. Go bathe yourself before he returns. If you're lucky he wont notice," Louise snapped.

Nina groaned internally, the last thing she wanted to do was remove her layers and get into a bath filled with icy water. She opened her mouth in protest but was silenced by the look of authority on Louise's hardened face, the dim fire light illuminating the deep lines caused by years of destitution and emotional stress.

"Yes mother," Nina murmured, before forcing her body from the tantalizing heat of the small fire. She moved to a room out the back that held the bath- the only one of its kind in the village. Nina glared at the tub before quickly removing her tunic and pants. Nina yelped as she slipped her dirty, naked body into the water, squeezing her face tight in the effort to not jump straight back out.

'Oh well, at least I don't have to go to the river like the rest of the villagers,' Nina thought tiredly to herself as she hurriedly washed herself over with an old sponge. It had not always been like this. Nina had heard tales of before she was born that Wyndia was a prosperous kingdom, ruled by her very own white-winged royal family of the Wing Clan.

Several decades ago the Dragon army had invaded. Wyndia, a city that symbolized peace, had no real army and was easily defeated. Its glorious city and castle was crushed into ash and rubble, her people forced to flee high into the mountains. Nina's grandfather King Rupert III was beheaded by the Dragon army, leaving her father Eldon, an inexperienced 15 year old to scramble together their people in the time of crisis. That had been 33 years ago. Nina's mother Louise had only been 11 when she lost everyone and everything dear to her, scaring the woman for life.

The remaining few that survived had settled on Mount Voldorn, a mountain already known for it's brutal never ending winter. They had named the settlement Teikō in defiance. The Dragon Army had laughed in contempt, leaving them to die up in the snow. However, the Wyndian race was resilient. With the seeds that the elders smuggled, they were able to use the rough terrain to plant crops which bore just enough to sustain the village.

Meat was harder to come by, however the few remaining warriors were able to perfect spearing the Alpine goats that roamed the mountain side. Teikō had enough to survive, but it was hard. The old got older faster, the youth got sick and easily died from the brutal temperatures. Nina's father Eldon had taken the title of Mayor as he could hardly consider their small village a kingdom.

Louise struggled more than most people. Nina could hear her crying every night, the noise muffled by her pillow sack, the sound pulling at her battered heart strings. Louise was use to the finest of everything having been raised in the castle. Never once did she have to want for anything. She had been betrothed to Eldon months before the evasion, but the actual act of marriage didn't happen until the chapel had been erected in Teikō . She fell pregnant 5 years after the invasion when she was 16, the couple were overjoyed and for the first time since the invasion felt hope.

Nina had been told in quiet whispers that her brother had been a bonny wee boy, adored by everyone before the sickness cruelly came and took him away only a couple of weeks after birth, goddess bless his little soul. The same happened to Louise's and Eldon's second son a few years later, and the twin girls had been still born the next year. Their pain was too great to try again until Louise turned 28, when she received news on her birthday that she was pregnant, much to her surprise as it was not planned. Nina had been born without an incident, and survived the sickness. The village relaxed, a heir had survived.

However, when Louise had given birth to her sixth child early the previous year, the village seemed to hold its breath, even more afraid of complications of Louise's old age of 46. It had been a hard delivery, Louise nearly dying from the loss of blood and trauma. Nina could still remember her mothers agonizing screams which haunted her nightmares to this day. Yet again, fate was on their side. The child was fine, and went from strength to strength. When the babe reached a year old, they named him Rupert IV after the King, Eldon's father.

Nina remembered watching her father weep with joy, an emotion she had never seen from him when her brother was officially named. Nina had been informed by an elder that the naming ceremony was a relativity new tradition to the Wyndian's, it meant if the child made it to one year they might actually have a chance to grow and live. No one wanted to name their child only just to lose them a week later, it was better to not get attached. Nina decided that night she never wanted to marry and have children, not if it meant so much pain.

"Are you done? I'm almost finished with supper," Louise called as Nina picked the grime out of her nails, paranoid that Eldon would be able to see the tiniest speck of dirt and know what she had done. She clambered out of the bath, flexing her wings as much as she could to shake off the water from her feathers before drying herself off with the damp towel Nina and her mother shared.

Nina emerged back into the main room fully dressed in a fresh tunic, running her fingers through her long, blonde hair trying to de-tangle it. Louise clicked her tongue in agitation before pulling her daughter closer to her so she could brush out the knots. "I wish you would pay more attention to your hair," her mother sighed as she used the cherry wood comb, her only treasured item left from the old days. Nina adored the tiny delicate carvings of flowers on the beautifully crafted handle, it was the closest she had ever seen to the real thing.

They sat in front of the fire in silence until Louise was happy with the results, before she eased herself up to tend to the simmering pot above the crackling fire. "Mother, where is father?" Nina inquired politely as she nodded her head in thanks as Louise passed her a small worn bowl, careful to not slosh the steaming soup.

"He is still in a meeting with the village elders, there were reportings of Dragon soldiers at the base of the mountain again. I don't expect him to be home any time soon. Can you please go and check on your brother when you're done with that? He's probably due for a change."

"Dragon soldiers again? But why?" Nina frowned. The idea of any of the Brood coming near the village made her shudder, and her blood shimmer with a suppressed rage. She had heard many stories of how they had tortured her people, including the grandfather and grandmother that she never got to meet.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know. A scout was spied only 5 miles down the track a little over a month ago. Between you and me I hope they don't come any closer, but why should they there is nothing here for them. They already took everything away from us, including our dignity," Louise spat, her hazel eyes filled with hatred.

Nina gulped, regretting opening her mouth. "How is Ruppie?" She inquired, trying to change the subject before they both worked themselves up.

Louise's face immediately softened, her wings opening away from her body which glee. "He said his first word today." She smiled, a rare sight for Nina to see. It was times like these that Nina felt pity for her mother, for when she smiled parts of Louise's beauty showed. If the world had been different, Louise would've been a sight to behold.

"No way!" Nina squealed once her mothers words sunk in, forgetting her barely palatable soup in her excitement. "What was it?"

"It was 'no'. I think he is going to take after me," Louise laughed dryly, nudging Nina's bowl towards her. "Finish up, I don't want you working in those fields for nothing. Promise me you wont do it again?"

"Yes mother," Nina smiled blandly. They both knew she was lying. Without the extra food Nina brought in they would starve.

Much later, the half-moon shone through the only window in the room, illuminating Nina's pale face as she lay on her bedding deep in though. She stared out at the night sky, studying the stars, feeling so close to them that she was sure one day she would be able to pluck them from the sky. Her mother snored quietly on the mat next to her, a slumbering Rupert tucked in close to her breast. Nina sat up, noticing at once that her father had not returned. Anxiety chewed at her gut, normally it was only because of a crisis that Eldon would be stuck in a meeting all night. Nina shook her head, dispelling her fear. Why would the Dragon army want to bother with the pathetic remains of the Wyndia race?

Nina wrapped herself with her cloak that was still soaked from her gathering during the previous day, careful not to wake her mother as she slipped outside. Her breath rose in front of her as her feet crunched on the fresh layer of snow that had fallen a few hours ago. Nina thanked the goddess that the wind had gone away, the cold was almost bearable for once. Almost.

Nina stuck to the shadows in hope that no one would see her as she walked down the path to the woods that was south of the village. She made way through the pine trees, barely needing to rely on the weak moon light to guide her through the track she had walked many times before. The trees grew more dense before she came across a remote clearing, empty except for a wizened, dying Oak tree whose limbs extended above.

Standing in the middle of the clearing, Nina focused on the moon and focused on the current that flowed through her body, almost like it was electrified. She took several deep breaths before she raised her arms above her head and spread her wings wide. Pushing lightly off her feet, she flapped her wings enough that she was hovering above the ground. Her wings protested in pain at the sudden use. It had been two weeks since she was last out to practice her flying because of the weather. Nina held her hands apart and whispered a chant under her breath, before a ball of fire appeared in her hands. With a cry of delight, she threw it to the ground, enjoying the hiss of melting snow. She cast several more spells, manipulating the fire balls to swirl around her as she flew into the open sky, away from the village so no one could see her.

Nina was the only one that had the ability to cast magic let alone fly in the entire village. The power was lost from her race long ago. Nina thought back to the one time her mother saw her flying around the back yard as a child, laughing in glee as she zapped bolts of lightning into the sky. Nina had been horrified when Louise had tackled her to the ground. "Mummy what are you doing!" She had cried, feebly punching her mother with her tiny chubby fists. Louise looked at her in fear, a tear running down her face. "Don't you ever do that again you hear me? Not a single one of us can do what you're doing, if it gets back to the Brood that you can fly we will lose you forever!" Louise had began weeping over her daughter, clutching her close. They never spoke of the event again, and Nina had to resort to sneaking out at night to fly. As far as she was aware, not even her father knew.

Nina had always known no matter what, she was different. She was raised knowing that she was different from the rest of her village- not that she thought she was better than anyone else, but because of her lineage. Had her life played out any differently, she would be a princess in a castle. One that probably was fond of the colour pink, had a magic staff and played with dolls every day.

Here, in this harsh lands, her soul had become hardened and her heart thundered with a rage that she struggled to keep in check. Nina flew through the night sky, her fire orbs keeping the deadly chill at bay. Once she was satisfied with her effort, Nina landed back on the forest clearing floor and made her way back home, day dreaming of wiping out the Brood and returning her people to their rightful place in the world, her fists clenched so tightly that she accidentally cut her palm and didn't even notice.

###

"What do you mean he wants to come to the village and have a meeting!" Eldon roared, standing up so fast that his chair screeched behind him. The elders looked back at him in fear, their mouths open slack at his sudden outburst. Eldon was a kind, gentle man and they were not used to seeing him in a full flight of rage. "I do NOT want any of them near this village, understood?!"

"Yes, sire we don't either but the message clearly said that Warlord Bronn wishes to come to an a-arrangement between the two races," the solider stuttered, his hands tight around the piece of parchment that held the message that had caused Eldon to go into a flight of rage.

Eldon swore, before swiping the letter out of the Wyndian's hand. "Meeting my ass, he just wants another blood bath," Eldon murmured, running a hand through his greying black hair, his eyes quickly scanning the words in front of him. "He expects me to welcome him on the day of high moon with open arms, is this brute mad?"

"Sire, we're best to comply with Bronn's wishes otherwise it will be a bloodbath," Elder Kei spoke, his voice grave. The others nodded around him in agreement. "The last thing we want is to lose more people."

Eldon frowned, his fists starting to shake. "And what, we're just supposed to roll over and expose our bellies like a flea infested dog? We used to be a proud race, look at us now!"

"It is not the most ideal of situations," another Elder spoke "However he might be sincere? Perhaps this is our chance to reclaim our glory days."

"I can guarantee you he was being 'sincere' when he let his soldiers have my mother and ravage her to death while he forced my father the king to watch her be taken over and over, whipping him every time he tried to look away before executing him in front of his own people. Oh I bet he was absolutely 'sincere' when he lined up all the royal children he could get his hands, including my beloved sister, and let his dogs have them for a fine feast-"

"ELDON that is enough!" Leader of the elders Arya stood up, her champagne coloured eyes blazing in fury. Eldon's face blanched as he instantly regretting his stinging words. He looked around the table, no one could meet him in the eye as they all faced their own demons from the war. "We all know what happened, we were there. We feel the same way as you do but we cannot carry on like this. If he is willing to come to some sort of arrangement then so are we."

"Sire, uh there is one more thing you might want to read at the b-bottom of the n-n-note," the solider that brought the message broke the tense silence, looking at Eldon fearfully before backing away. Confused by his behaviour Eldon continued to read the letter. The room gasped as Eldon's face went even whiter and his eyes rolled back into his head before slumping to the floor into a heap.

"Boy, what was on that note that would cause our leader to faint!" Arya snapped as everyone rushed to Eldon's side. The young solider looked like he would rather face Bronn than answer her.

"Bronn has offered peace in e-exchange for Nina."