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Ch. 2- "A Test of Sorts"
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The journey back to Windmire was a long one, filled with an awkward silence that seemed to permeate even the air. The Infinite Chasm's dark skies still looked as if the heavens would open at any moment, but the thunder had been muted. Nerr had described the battle against the Hoshidans to Xander, pointing out where they'd been stationed and who attacked whom, even showing the exact place on the perilous bridge where Hans had attacked her. The wood was still broken where Caractacus had fallen through, and the very sight of the endless abyss through the rotting wood was enough to make Nerr feel faint. Helped along by Jakob and Camilla, they made their way down the slope and back through the dead lands. Once away from the Chasm, the princess did not open her mouth to speak again, trudging along in silence, only focusing on the ground in front of her. Her siblings left her in peace, even Elise begrudgingly giving up on her efforts to strike up a conversation when it became clear all the talking was one sided.
The trek back to the capital would've been an opportune time to decide what she was going to say to King Garon when she finally faced him, but just as she had done during her time in Hoshido, Nerr made an effort to not think about the future. What tomorrow would bring was of no interest to her, and she directed her thoughts instead to the past. A once happy, hopeful time in her life was juxtaposed cruelly against the bleak present, and she took an almost masochistic pleasure from scoffing at her old hopes and dreams for the future. It was painfully clear that the only future her adoptive father intended for her was to die for the glory of Nohr, a fate that would not have even caused her so much distress had Nohr's glory not been so utterly defiled.
000
The sight of the massive castle did not fill Nerr with excitement this time around. Battered and weary, she wondered if this was how Rinkah and Suzukaze had felt when they'd been taken into custody. Had word reached them yet of her betrayal? It must've; it'd been over a week since she'd left Hoshido. Almost as an afterthought, she wondered how her blood family was doing. Had their wounds been healed, were they alright? Of course, the condition of the enemy was the least pressing of her concerns, especially as she approached the throne where her father- for, despite all that had happened, all she had learned, she could not so easily withdraw the title she'd known for so long- looked down on her. Her clothes were still torn, rags that exposed more flesh than they covered, her armor dented and riddled with scuff marks and deep gouges. Xander had suggested she make herself presentable before seeking an audience with the king, but she had refused. Let him see what had become of her in her absence, what he had done to her. Though, in truth, it seemed that he had yet to notice her. The eldest prince stepped forward first, smiling and looking every bit the devoted son he was.
"Father. I have returned, bringing victory against the Hoshidans. Their army is in shambles."
"So I have heard. Word of your work precedes you, my son. What I've heard pleases me. Your efforts to vanquish our enemies will not go unrewarded." Nerr clenched her jaw to keep silent at that point. Xander's efforts... She wondered what reward lay in store for her, for unwittingly bringing such massive destruction straight to the capital, for killing the Empress herself... Xander smiled a bit wider, nodding.
"Thank you, Father. I have much to discuss with you about Hoshido, but that can wait. There is more pressing news you'll wish to hear." Garon, in contrast to his son's pleasant demeanor, scowled darkly.
"More pressing than our campaign against the enemy?"
"Indeed, Father. You'll be pleased to know we've recovered Nerr. She did not perish at the Infinite Chasm as we had assumed- the Hoshidans captured her and have been holding her hostage, but she has been safely returned to us. Our family is whole again." The scowl receding from his face, and for a long moment the Nohrian king seemed impassive. Nerr wondered if any of her siblings saw the tic going off in his sallow cheek.
"Nerr... has returned?" He asked, his voice uncharacteristically quiet and calm. It was almost amusing, that she stood right in front of him, yet he had not yet spotted her amongst her siblings. Unable to remain silent any longer, the young woman stepped forward, stopping beside Xander. Her voice as well was surprisingly calm.
"Hello, Father. It's been too long." Whether it was her sudden appearance or her cheek, the tide of anger she'd been waiting for breeched the king's calm facade, washing over her.
"What is the meaning of this?! Why have you come back, you Hoshidan dog?!" And there it was, what she had been dreading, but expecting, since Castle Krakenburg first came into view. Because she had expected such a welcome perhaps, Nerr was hardly fazed by his harsh words. Her brothers and sisters, however, were caught unawares. Camilla gasped, obviously affronted, and even Leo's mouth fell open. Elise, sweet, irrational Elise, stepped forward, incredulity blending with anger on her cherubic face.
"Father! How could you say such a thing?!"
"I say so because it is true, Elise." Garon's tone momentarily softened as he spoke to his youngest child, growing cold once more as he directed his attention back to Nerr. "Do you take me for a fool, Nerr? Or should I call you, Princess Nerrida of Hoshido?"
"I'm no princess of Hoshido, Father."
"Spare me your lies, child. My spies are everywhere. I know you've been at the castle in Shirasagi this whole time." Distantly, Nerr recalled something Ryouma had said about people thinking there was a spy in the castle. It seemed they had been more right than the royals had given them credit for. Garon continued, not noticing or caring that her attention was elsewhere. "No doubt their whore queen filled your head with all manner of secrets about your birth, a poor little Hoshidan princess stolen away by the evil Nohrians..." Nerr nodded, gazing upon the king for the first time in her life without even the slightest trace of fear. Expecting death at every turn did funny things to people.
"Yes, I was told a similar story, but Father, I don't understand; are you claiming that story is a lie, or admitting it's true?" Shocked by her boldness, as it seemed all her siblings were, Garon faltered. What kind of response he had been expecting, Nerr did not know, but it was definitely not that. Still, she remained respectfully silent while he collected his thoughts, curious as to what kind of answer he would throw at her. When he did finally speak, his voice was once again cold and harsh.
"You are Hoshidan, that is common knowledge. And now that you have finally cottoned on, you surely realize that the royal family of Nohr is your enemy by birthright. Yet you came back, all the same. I cannot help but wonder why..." Thrusting the blame onto the victim; a typical admission of guilt. Nerr knew, because she had done the same thing too many times to count, though surely not on such a serious matter. Iago, who stood beside the throne but had remained silent the whole time, finally spoke up.
"Smell like treachery, if you ask me, sire. Betrayal! She's surely sided with the enemy. One has to wonder if this is not all just a ploy to assassinate you, King Garon. It would make sense..." Nerr looked over at the advisor, glaring at him with such hatred it seemed a miracle that he did not burst into flames.
"That makes less than no sense, Count Iago. Father himself said he has spies everywhere. He knows what I've been up to- though I have to wonder why he didn't pass the news that I was alive and well onto anyone else... He had his reasons, I'm sure." She cast a quick glance at Xander, to ensure he heard her. Judging by the way his brow furrowed, it was safe to assume he had. Given his blind devotion, he probably hadn't even thought of that... Turning her attention back to Iago, she continued. "He would be the first to know if I was plotting anything against him. Or do you truly think your king is stupid enough to let someone he knows is a threat into his throne room?" That sent the oily sycophant rambling.
"W-well no, I-I would never- T-that is to say, I'm sure the king-"
"She speaks the truth. It is simply not possible that Nerr would betray our father." Xander's firm voice was in stark contrast to Iago's stuttering mumbling. Garon picked up where his advisor left off, attempting to paint her as a villain.
"Oh? And tell me, my son, how can you be so sure? Have you informants in Hoshido that I do not know of?"
"No, Father. My proof comes not from second-hand information, but what I've seen with my own eyes. Although it was her first time on the battlefield, Nerr fought off the Hoshidan army by her lonesome. And given that their crown prince was hell bent on killing her, she did admirably. Most of their casualties were a result of Nerr rushing in to aid our troops." Surprised by such a fantastical lie, but happy to play along, Nerr looked up at their father waiting to judge his reaction. His eyes narrowed as he looked back and forth between the siblings, trying to judge if Xander was lying. He turned to Nerr.
"This is true?"
"If they had just let me return to Nohr in the first place, none of it ever would have happened." Technically what she was saying was true, and that was all that mattered to her. "After the Hoshidans at the border attacked, I was ambushed and taken to the castle against my will, as I'm sure you well know, Father. I'd been trying to escape and return home ever since."
"And you consider Nohr your home, even now?"
"Why would I not? This is where I was raised."
"Indeed, she said those exact words to prince Ryouma. It was that sentiment, more than anything, that drew his ire." Xander moved to rest his hand on her shoulder, a gesture of support. "Why would Nerr risk her life by spouting Nohrian nationalism to the prince of Hoshido if she was not true to us?" Finally regaining his faculty of speech, Iago stepped in to answer the metaphorical question.
"Why indeed. Because surely assassins never act as if they are siding with the enemy to gain their trust, and surely their employers would not be in on it if they did. You are almost as painfully naive as your once-sister, Prince Xander. It's sad, really, that the future of our nation lies in such... weak hands..." Deeply insulted, Xander stepped towards the other man, as if intending to physically strike him.
"Silence, Iago! As crown prince of Nohr, I swear on my honor that it was no act-"
"Calm yourself, brother." This time, Nerr placed her hand on the other's shoulders, pulling him back. She flashed a saccharine smile towards the older man, who's lips curled in revulsion in response. "I know Iago only brings this up because he cares about our king. You needn't waste your honor trying to convince him of things he'll clearly never believe. Surely he has his reasons for assuming such things. Why, it's even possible he's encountered such a ruse before, someone acting as if they were on your side... Convincing you that the mission they planned was perfectly safe, that there was no chance of an ambush... while knowing full well they were sending you headlong into a territory swarming with the enemy... Why, after such a betrayal, it would be only natural for him to be slow to trust people. Isn't that right, Count Iago?" The longer she spoke, the paler the advisor grew, until it seemed impossible that he was a living man rather than a marble statue. Xander nodded, fixing the other man with a cold stare.
"Indeed you're right, sister. Such a thing would forever leave a man deeply suspicious."
"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about- I would never-"
"That is enough, Iago." Garon quickly cut off his tactician, before the man could say anything incriminating. Nerr wondered how he would react if she told him what Hans had blabbed on about his king. She would have to bring that up later, for the king had other things to question her about. "Nerr. Where is the sword I gifted you with before you left?" It was all she could do not to laugh, but she restrained herself, lest she look like a crazy person. As if he did not know, after admitting he had spies in Hoshido! Had he forgotten he'd let that bit of information slip, or did he think that such a thing went over her head?
"Well, Father, the only way I can describe what happened to it is to say that it tried to kill me."
"What?! What nonsense is this, girl?"
"I'm afraid it's the truth, Father. I don't think the magic in it agreed with me. After I escaped the Hoshidans at the Infinite Chasm, it nearly pulled me into the ravine-"
"What do you mean, pulled you into the ravine?"
"Just that. It was as if the sword was welded to my hand, dragging me off the bridge. Had my stable girl, Lilith not been there to save me, I'd undoubtedly be dead." That was all he needed to know about that at present. She continued. "Then in Hoshido... whilst I was in the town square in the capital, it broke." Garon frowned deeply at that.
"It broke? How in all the hells did it just break?"
"Someone took it from me. It shattered into a thousand pieces, like fletchets. If the Hoshidan empress... my mother..." she paused for a moment at that, willing her throat to loosen so she could continue speaking. "Had she not sacrificed herself to save me, I would not be standing here now." Leaning back on his throne, Garon drummed his fingers on the stone armrest.
"I see... How very touching. And even after that, you betrayed your mother to return to her enemies."
"I returned home, as I told her I would do countless times. And now that I am home, there is something I must ask you, Father." Breathing deeply, Nerr steeled herself for what was to come. All she expected at this point were lies, but what kind of lies was the question. "Did you give me that sword, knowing this would happen? Was it planned?" A quiet gasp was heard beside her, and Xander tugged on her wrist, trying to pull her away from the throne.
"Nerr, now is not the best time to bring that up. You're exhausted from your harrowing ordeal, you should rest first-"
"You're right, Xander. I am exhausted. And that is exactly why I must know now." Looking back at her father, she continued, almost desperate. "How long have you been planning this, Father? Did you raise me as your daughter just to send me to my death in Hoshido? Was it meant to be a message?"
"That is enough. I planned nothing; that sword is just a sword, and if it caused you harm, that was never my intention. And as for Hoshido, I know nothing about this attack of which you speak." It almost seemed convincing- Nerr was sure her siblings were eating right from his hand, but she had been expecting just such a thing. Naive princess though she was, ignorance was a far cry from stupidity.
"...what attack? I never said anything about an attack- I only said the sword broke..." For the first time, Garon realized he had been outmaneuvered. He visibly blanched, backtracking at once.
"You... you spoke of someone taking the sword-"
"Only that they took it. It broke in their grasp- they never even tried to strike me with it. There was an explosion in Hoshido, one that killed dozens of innocent bystanders, and it came from that sword... but I thought you didn't know about that." The tension and silence that filled the throne room could be cut with a waster.
It seemed as if no one dared breathe until the king spoke. Personally, Nerr was quite proud of herself, if not bitterly so. A month ago, she'd have never dreamed of outsmarting the king, but then again, a month ago, she'd have never seen the need to. Back then, he was good and just, infallible and perfect, just the way Xander spoke of him. Now? He was a lying dastard who wasn't even clever enough to not get caught in his lies. Leo might've always beaten her in chess, but she doubted he could've pulled off something like this. Checkmate in three... Of course, such victories were always short lived. The silence was broken by Iago clucking his tongue.
"My my, trying to paint your king as a common villain? That doesn't sound very loyal to me. I think those Hoshidans got under your skin more than you thought. You may not be an assassin, but I think it's safe to say we have a filthy Hoshidan radical on our hands, and that's so much worse... Wouldn't you agree, sire?"
"Sadly, I do. The Hoshidans have poisoned your mind, Nerr. Normally, I would take pity and send you back to the Citadel, but now that the war between out kingdoms as escalated, I have no choice..." It was with a grim fascination that Nerr hung onto his every word. "Radicals are like weeds; allow them to live and they overtake everything. No, one must scorch the earth to ensure they can't return..."
His posturing, speaking as though the war forced his hand, was all for the sake of his other children, his true children so they would not yet realize what a monster he was. But Nerr was not fooled, and she knew her siblings well enough to know that they would not be either. He'd already revealed more than he should have, proving to even Xander that she had been right about what happened in Hoshido. And the moment he passed his judgment on her, for daring to trick him into admitting it, they would be unable to turn a blind eye to his wrong doings. And maybe Xander would strive to leave a better legacy than his father, and Nohr could be a good place like Nerr always dreamed it was... She could die happy knowing she'd been instrumental in that change, if only by her death.
"Xander... Kill Nerr. That's an order." Nerr let out a sharp bark of incredulous laughter, though it was drowned out by the cacophony of wails and shouts that echoed throughout the room. Garon would sully his own son's hands just to avoid having the blame laid at his own feet? The crown prince, for his part, recoiled from the throne as if he'd just seen a monster.
"WHAT?!" It would've been funny had it not been so sad, the way his eyes bugged out, the amusing, high timbre his voice took as he shouted... It was matched almost by Camilla's, who ran forward, throwing herself in front of Nerr, as if to shield her from their father's wrath.
"Father, stop this madness! I beg of you!" Elise, too, dashed forward, throwing her arms around her sister's waist, her eyes wide in terror.
"Father, please, no! Don't hurt our sister!" Iago, who had been smirking as the king spoke, now smiled widely.
"That's quite enough, princess Camilla, princess Elise. You know it's not your place to question the king's decision. Not even a queen can overrule a king's wishes!" Garon paid his advisor's words no mind, keeping his attention focused on his eldest son.
"Xander, you have your orders. No more stalling. Proceed."
"I will not!" Honestly, even Nerr was shocked by the sudden outburst. It wasn't that she believed her brother to be cruel enough to kill her in cold blood; she just hadn't expected him to adamantly refuse to do so to the king's own face. She wondered if her words, as the battle ended in Hoshido, had any impact on him. Iago was beside himself, giddy with joy as he watched the drama unfold.
"Awwww, what's the matter, my lord? Don't have the guts? You've killed plenty of Hoshidans; what's one more? Unless... you're a traitor too? She has had your ear for quite some time; don't tell me this filthy Hoshidan savage has filled our crown prince's head with her lies and slander..."
"That you would even suggest such a thing is deeply disturbing, Iago." Nerr said calmly. "First you doubt your prince- what next; your king? Isn't the usual punishment for slander against the royal family a slow death by torture?" Once again, the advisor paled, but this time, he recollected himself much quicker.
"I would never speak out against any member of the royal family; only the anathema impostorwho walks among them." Ignoring the hateful man, Nerr turned back to Garon.
"Father, you know full well Xander is no traitor. I daresay the only reason he protests killing me himself is that he doesn't want to bring Camilla and Elise any undue distress... and Leo, I'm sure he'd be upset too. Surely you don't wish to make your children upset... Father, if my death is all you desire, you needn't bring my brothers and sisters into it- I'll do it myself." The king's voice was quiet when he spoke, so much so that even Nerr had to strain her ears to hear him.
"So... you care so deeply for this man with whom you share no blood that you're willing to trade your life for his?"
"I've been prepared to die for Nohr all my life; all you needed to do was ask. If it means sparing my brother- who will always be my brother, no matter what- pain and suffering, then I leap at the opportunity." Garon stroked his long beard thoughtfully. He probably thought her some sort of would-be martyr.
"Fascinating. In that case... I shall allow the great Anankos to decide your fate.." Despite having predicted much of the day's outcome, those words threw the princess for a loop. She had been expecting her father to decide what method of execution would be most appropriate for a traitor, but Anankos? Was that the name of some torture tool, like a Metal Maiden, or Apathgean statue? She glanced at Xander, to see if he had blanched in realization of her horrid fate, but he looked just as befuddled as her.
"Father? I don't understand- what..."
"Quiet, children. I will now seek the counsel of the sacred mystical dragon, Anankos. He alone shall decide Nerr's fate. Nerr; now would be a good time for you to start praying..." The king rose from his seat, his great ermine cloak falling from his shoulders to pool at his feet. Nerr turned to face Leo, silently mouthing, what the hell? And receiving a hapless shrug in return. Well that settled it; if Leo, the smartest person in Nohr, didn't know what was going on, then it was clear that King Garon had completely lost his mind. Funnily enough, Iago seemed to be thinking along the same lines.
"King Garon? You can't be serious... Are you feeling well? Should I call for a healer?" Wordlessly, the king spread his arms wide, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. Breathing deeply, it seemed that he was falling into a trance of sorts. Nerr was completely thrown for a loop by this strange posturing. Was he just waiting for her guard to drop so he could immolate her? She doubted that was likely- Camilla and Elise were still clinging to her, and surely he wouldn't want them caught in the crossfire. The king's lips moved, silently at first, his words, in a strange tongue that she recognized from Lilith, grew louder and louder until he was almost shouting.
"Mighty Anankos... blessed creator of man's domain... I call upon your wisdom n this day of reckoning! Grant me a vision... Show me the way..." For a while, without even noticing it, Nerr held her breath as if she too were waiting for a sign. But that was silly- all this 'mystic dragon' drivel was nonsense. The First Dragons were long dead, and even if some hung around, she doubted they would be loitering in the throne room of Castle Krakenburg, waiting to give signs to the king. No, he was just plotting something incredibly nasty but didn't want it to look like he was the perpetrator. Seconds dripped by slowly, and Nerr thought she'd seen a flash of dark magic above her, but by the time she looked up, there was nothing but the strange carving on the castle ceiling. Exhaling slowly, Garon lowered his arms. "...I understand. Thy will be done." Opening his eyes, he fixed the princess with a cold stare. "Fate has smiled on you today, young Nerr. As decreed by Anankos, you shall be accepted back into the Nohrian royal family."
"What?" The king's eyes narrowed.
"You seem displeased..."
"No, not at all, Father! Just... shocked..." Much as she had in Hoshido, Nerr was growing ever more confused and annoyed by the strange games the royals were playing at. First he wanted to kill her, now he was not only sparing her, but accepting her back into the family? Perhaps this figment of his imagination, this Anankos, was what remained of the benevolent, loving father Xander and Camilla and Leo all remembered. In which case, where the hell had he been all this time? Deciding against looking a gift horse in the mouth, Nerr allowed herself a small sigh of relief.
"Father, thank you. Truly." Iago, on the other hand, looked as if someone had just stolen his birthday.
"King Garon, you can't mean that! This is preposterous!"
"Shut up, Iago!" All five siblings snapped at once, their harsh voices reducing the older man to cowering. Xander's smile returned once more as he too breathed a laughing sigh.
"You did the right thing, Father. We are all eternally grateful."
"Not so fast..." And there it was. All at once, every muscle and tendon in Nerr's body tensed, so quickly she felt as though she would cramp up. "Before she may truly bear the Krakenburg name, Nerr must first pass a test."
"Another test..." A test like going out to the border, she wondered.
"Anankos decrees that you must first suppress the Ice Tribe's rebellion."
"Rebellion? What rebellion?" That came as a surprise to her. All Nerr knew of the Ice Tribe was what Flora and Felicia had told her, as they hailed from that population. They spoke of peaceful lands that, despite being home to fierce warriors, only wanted peace and to be left alone by the outside world. It made no sense that a demesne in an isolated region would rebel against the crown. Garon reached down to retrieve his cloak, fastening it once more to his shoulders before sitting again.
"Yes. Those barbarians dare say that the crown treats them unfairly, encroaching on their land... Fools! All lands in Nohr belong to the king! They rise up, peasants armed with pitchforks, as if they can withstand the might of the kingdom... but all seeds of discord must be crushed before they have a chance to take root. That is where you come in. Once you have gloriously fulfilled that obligation on behalf of Nohr, I will welcome you back into the fold as my daughter, and all will be as it was."
"Suppress a rebellion..." That was it? That seemed much too easy. But then again, his first test had seemed unusually simple too, and she remembered all too well the disastrous results of that, so this time, she would take this straightforward mission with a grain of salt. "I understand, Father." She chose her words carefully, not willing to let him see her distrust. "I won't let you down." Xander smiled reassuringly at her. Iago was right- it was sad that her brother was as naive as she had been. Even after seeing what he was capable of, after hearing his lies, he still believed their father had only her best interests in mind.
"You'll do great, Nerr. I will prepare the troops immediately. With the Nohrian army at your side, you will make quick work of that little rebellion." Elise tightened her grip on Nerr's waist, her fear replaced with a beaming grin.
"Yeah! You can do this, no problem! I'll come too so I can heal you if you get hurt."
"You fail to understand the task at hand, children..." An uneasy silence descended on the royals once more as they waited for him to elaborate. "To fulfill the wishes of Anankos, she must complete this test by herself. No army, no retainers. Alone."
"What?!" Nerr grunted in pain- if Elise squeezed any tighter, she would snap the older girl clean in half. "Father! That's... that's not possible!"
"Father, be reasonable. Attempting to end this rebellion alone is tantamount to suicide! Getting to the Woods of the Forlorn unscathed would be a miracle, much less through them. She's been free of the confines of the Citadel for less than a month, and more than half of that time was spent as a hostage... This is too much to ask of her!" All at once, King Garon's benevolent act fell away, leaving the cold, cruel dictator in his place once more.
"If you wish to spare her the pain of the world, then kill her now and be done with it. I will not tolerate insolence, Xander, from you or anyone else!" Xander visibly flinched, and bowed his head in shame.
"I understand, Father. I apologize for my outburst." Once again, her brother was putting himself in harm's way for her sake. Reaching out, Nerr took his hand, pressing it to her chest.
"Take heart, Xander. You needn't worry about me. I'll find a way to do this alone, but regardless of what happens to me, know that you've more than fulfilled your obligation to me as a brother." In truth, the younger princess did not intend to survive this test. Garon was sending her to her death, it was clear to everyone in the room, but that was what she had been expecting since she returned to Nohr.
"Nerr..." She squeezed his hand tighter, whispering so that only her siblings could hear.
"I'm just happy I could come home one last time..." Raising her voice, she continued in a more confident tone, the same one she had used before departing to the border. "If you'll excuse me, I must go make the proper preparations for my journey."
"I have high hopes for you, Nerr. Do not let me down."
"I won't, Father. That's a promise." With that she turned away from the callous king, disentangling herself from her sisters (with quite a bit of difficulty- she ended up half dragging Elise from the throne room) and walking out. Once she was alone in the great hall and the heavy doors had closed behind her, only then did she allow herself a moment of weakness, sliding down the doors and breathing shakily. This weak, blubbering mess was not the image she wanted to leave her brothers and sisters with. Trying to catch her breath, the princess climbed to her feet, heading back to her temporary chambers as if possessed.
000
Preparations had taken a few days, and that was mostly due to her siblings insistence that she stay a little longer. Camilla would say she needed to rest a bit more, Xander that her armor needed repair, even Leo held her back a day, insisting she at least learn the layout of the land. She was grateful for these few precious moments, but in her heart, Nerr knew they were only delaying the inevitable. Sending Jakob back to the Citadel to fetch her spare armor might've bought another day, but eventually, she would have to leave. And it was with a truly heavy heart that, four days after returning to Windmire, she bid her family, siblings and servants, farewell.
Taking off on foot with only her shadow as company was lonely indeed, but it seemed fitting. How many others had died for simply being in proximity to her? Best that now, she face death alone. Two final gifts from her siblings hung at her waist, their weight comforting. Leo and Xander had borrowed her Yato to have a sheathe made for it, whilst Camilla and Elise had attached her dragonstone to a chain to be slung around her hips. Such small gestures, but ones that meant everything to her. It was proof of how loved she was that made marching to her death all the more painful, but a burden she would gladly bear.
Despite the gravity of her situation, Nerr could not help but feel some of her sorrow leave her as she took in her surroundings. She made surprisingly good time, for the weather was unusually fair, the dusty road clean and warm. The further she headed from the capital, the more farmland she came across, but unlike the land to the east that was barren, down south, the corn harvest was just beginning to be taken in, as well as apples and pears. Sometimes, she stopped to watch the farmers with their sickles, cutting swathes of corn and tying the stalks of bundles. Once or twice, she even approached them, their blatant stares not going unnoticed. They most likely thought she was some noble, with her fine clothes and armor, and she never let slip that she was, in fact, a princess of any country.
She enjoyed speaking with the peasants; they were kind and polite, saying that they prayed to the first dragons that their harvest would continue being fruitful, that they were afraid of the king and of the war spilling over into their lands, but hoped Nohr would conquer Hoshido soon, for they'd heard how rich and fertile the lands to the east were. And though they had little themselves, they would fill her satchel with fruit and dried nuts and wish her well wherever she was going. And in return, Nerr would keep them in her thoughts and prayers. All the while, she felt more and more conflicted. This was why Father was conquering Hoshido, to expand Nohr's farmland? That was... noble. It was commendable, even, but that made even less sense. For, if he had such good reasons, why would he keep them hidden from his own children? Surely if Xander knew, he would've told Nerr a long time ago, if only to stop her from constantly questioning him.
Every time she thought she understood the king, he threw her for a loop. Wryly, she wondered if these noble reasons weren't the work of Anankos, and speaking of which, surely that caused her siblings concern as well. It seemed that, in his old age, the king's mind wasn't as keen as it had once been- she wondered if Xander would step in after a few more 'counsels with Anankos', if his love for his kingdom would win over his respect for his father. She certainly hoped so.
As the farms grew further apart and the trees taller and more gnarled, Nerr realized from Leo's maps that she was coming closer to the Woods of the Forlorn. The dark bog had apparently been named as such for the cemetery that had once been in use within it's depths. A plague had swept through Nohr, killing most of the populace, and the vast majority of the bodies had been thrown into the bog, for few people dared trek inside without the added fear of being infected. That had been centuries ago, and now all that remained of the victims were the tombstones erected in their memory, though Elise had helpfully told her that it was rumored that sometimes, bodies could still be seen floating in the swampy water. The mere thought of it would've sent a chill down her spine had she been alone, but as fate would have it, the princess had more company than she'd thought. As the woods came in sight, a blinding flash of light had sent her stumbling back and she grabbed for her sword, certain she was under attack.
Calm down, Lady Nerr. It's alright.
"Lilith!" She hadn't seen the draconic equerry since she'd left the castle. It had been difficult, back in Hoshido, to explain to everyone that her stable girl was now a cute dragon, but given that she herself was also a dragon, it didn't take much more to convince them.
Lilith had apologized as well for not helping her in Hoshido, explaining that, in her current form, she could not spend much time in the human realm. Nerr had wondered if she might not also benefit from the use of a dragonstone, and even offered the other... girl? the use of hers, but she had merely shaken her head, saying that it would not work on her. This was what she really was, and she would have to remain as such. It was sad, but seemed to have it's perks as well, for as Lilith explained, by accessing the Astral Plane, she could come and go as she pleased, without being noticed. And she felt that Nerr could use some company. Resigned as she was to her fate, the Nohrian girl was touched that Lilith cared enough about her to accompany her in her final days, and said as much. The other dragon made an annoyed sound, like an agitated cat.
What nonsense, Lady Nerr. You'll make it through this alright, just you see. Nerr laughed humorlessly, finding it amusing that, though she was the naive Nohrian princess, she was the only one who understood what was going on. But she didn't argue the point.
The woods themselves were darker than she had imagined, like the middle of the night, small wil-o-the-whisps rising from the murky water only to fizzle out. Tall trees, their trunks so massive ten men could not wrap their arms around them, stretched up, their entangled branches forming a barrier between her and the sky. The smaller trees, in comparison, looked weak and spindly, only a few, anemic leaves clinging to their branches. It was indeed forlorn, but Nerr was used to bleak, lifeless landscapes. No, the only thing that made her even remotely uncomfortable was the fact that everywhere she looked, everything looked the same.
"Gods above, am I even going the right way? You wouldn't have any clue where we are, would you, Lilith?"
I'm sorry. I've never been here before.
"Right... and you can't, you know, astral project me somewhere else?"
That only works with astral dragons. Even if I brought you to the astral plane, you'd come back right here.
"Right... forgot about that..." As they continued walking (floating in Lilith's case), a deep gurgle caught their attention. Nerr's eyes snapped forward, fixating on one of the deep bogs, where the murky water was churning.
"Lilith...? What was that...?"
I-I don't know... Suddenly, a wall of water erupted from the bog, drenching everything as it splashed back down. A monstrous figure, it's mottled green skin slimy from the mud, emerged. Nerr swore loudly.
"Is that a... Faceless?! What the hell are they doing here?!" Growling loudly, the monster heaved it's bulk from the water, trying to clamber out onto dry land
Lady Nerr, what are we going to do? Lilith's voice was panicked in her head. Unsheathing her sword, Nerr took a stance.
"You're going to go back to your astral whatsits until it's safe. I'm going to kill this thing. What if it gets out of the woods- there are people out there!"
A-Alright. If you're sure...
"I am. Now GO!" There was a flash of light beside her, and Lilith's presence was gone. It was for the best, because though she was alone, she would rather only have to worry about herself getting hurt, though she had no intention of dying yet. Regardless of what Garon or Anankos or whoever said, she was a princess of Nohr, and as such, had an obligation to protect her people.
With a loud cry, she charged forward, bringing her sword down on the beast's torso and expecting it to burst open like the ones in Hoshido had. Though it's thick skin did indeed slit, foul smelling black liquid spraying across her, the monster did not go down. Roaring, it brought it's massive fist down. Nerr raised her sword, letting the Faceless slam it's hand onto the finely honed edge. The blade cut deep into it's flesh, and it howled in pain, swinging another wild hay-maker that Nerr dodged. Just as she was readying herself to land a killing blow, something hit her across the back, hard, sending her flying face first into the mud. The force of the blow knocked the breath from her, and it took a few second for the stars blinking in front of her eyes to dim enough for her to see what had happened.
Another Faceless stood behind her, walking in such a way it seemed that it would soon collapse under it's own weight. One of the rusted chains hanging from it's wrist had a matted clump of teal hair hanging from it, and Nerr reached up unconsciously to touch the back of her head. It was tender, and her fingers (she wore a new pair of gloves) came away damp.
"Dammit..." she muttered, breathing hard and trying to get back on her feet. If she was going to die, it would not be cowering in the mud. And hopefully, she would be able to take at least one of the monsters down with her- the thought of being pummeled to a pulp and ripped limb from limb was not an appealing way to die. Unable to keep her eyes on both monsters at once, she decided to focus her attention on the one she had yet to injure. Hopefully, if she could slow that one down, she would have better odds. A rustling of foliage behind her made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Damn it all, another one? There was a loud cry coming from the shadows, but it was not anything a monster could articulate.
"Time to take out the trash!" A glinting blade flew from the darkness, embedding itself in the Faceless' leather mask. The monster howled, clumsily trying to pull the weapon free, but only doing more damage to itself in it's hysteria. A sense of relief washed over Nerr. She knew that voice anywhere... His footfalls muffled by the muddy ground, Jakob ran out, taking another knife from the holster on his thigh and slashing at the other Faceless, driving it back a bit.
"Begone, vile beast! How dare you lay hands on my liege?!" He turned towards Nerr, his face darkened with concern. "Lady Nerr, are you alright? Thank heavens I arrived before it was too late."
"I'm fine, Jakob, but where the hell did you come from?"
"From Castle Krakenburg. I left the day after you did, staying on your trail, just out of sight. I'm sorry for the shock, milady, but I was worried sick about you..." The butler took another lash as the beast tried once again to approach. "Everyone knows the Woods of the Forlorn are haunted, and after all the ghost stories the old man told us when we were children, there was no way I could let you face such horrors alone." A pang of nostalgia made her gut clench.
"I remember that... do you remember the Crying Woman?"
"All too well!" Jakob visibly shivered. "Going behind King Garon's back is no easy task, but I am no ordinary butler. In any case, Flora and Felicia were reassigned to the castle after we left, and they promised to cover for me in my absence- well, Flora more than Felicia... So all should be well." Nerr smiled, wishing she could give the man a hug. Jakob was always so sweet...
"Thank you, Jakob. I'm so blessed to have you looking out for me. But, um... Isn't you helping be kind of going against the point of this 'test'? Father's dragon friend said I had to do this alone or it wouldn't count."
"Augh!" He cried out so suddenly that Nerr turned her back on the Faceless she was fending off to look back at Jakob. He didn't look hurt, but...
"What is it, Jakob?! Are you alright?!"
"I am sooo sorry, milady! In my haste to do my duty as your retainer, I completely disregarded the consequences of my actions! I'm such a fool; I should be flogged!"
"Okay, just calm down a bit, Jakob... Remember to breath... It's fine, I promise."
"You're certain?" He sounded like a little boy at that moment, desperate for reassurance. Nerr nodded.
"I'm certain. I'm also certain that Father is just doing all this out of spite, so there's that. And always remember; what he doesn't know can't hurt him. Or us. Besides, technically he said I just have to stop the rebellion by myself. I doubt these monsters have anything to do with the rebellion."
"I believe you're right, Lady Nerr. You do always find a way to look on the brighter side of things."
"I'm your liege. It's my job to make things brighter for you."
"I know. And it is an honor to serve you, milady. Now, shall we dispatch these monstrosities?"
"I would be delighted."
Dashing forward, they fought in sync, slashing at the Faceless until they collapsed to the ground, neither moving nor breathing. But though one battle was won, it seemed the war would never end, for more and more behemoths arose from the water, growling and closing in on them. Regardless of how well they fought in tandem, the two were beginning to tire, Jakob more so than his mistress. For while Nerr's armor protected her somewhat, the butler felt the entirety of the beast's savage blows. For a moment, Nerr wished that he had been less concerned with her facing ghoulies, and more concerned with finding some armor for himself. She was able to deflect another blow meant for her retainer- by way of slicing off a large chunk of the Faceless' fist, but the monster's howls of anguish only served as a brief respite. Frustration and fear were beginning to overtake her.
"Gods above, they just keep coming... there's no end in sight!" Clutching his ribs and trying to catch his breath, Jakob adjusted his grip on the blade he held, trying in vain to shake off some of the congealing blood and offal from it.
"I'm sure we can pull through, milady. Lesser warriors than you have overcome greater odds; it's in all the history books..."
"You operate under the assumption that people don't lie about things, Jakob. 'I killed fifty men with my bare hands' sounds a lot better than 'I hid in the corner while my comrades did all the fighting'." Breaking off from her tangent for a moment to lash out at sufficiently recovered Faceless, she continued as it backed away once more, growling at her from behind it's mask.
"I hate to say this, Jakob, but we're wildly outnumbered here. Unless you can come up with a better plan than 'run away' or 'stand here and die', I'm afraid we're not going to make it through this alive..." Which, all things considered, was probably her father's plan all along. Mental and physical fatigue were clouding Nerr's mind too much to even begin formulating some kind of strategy, although she was certain that if Jakob ran fast enough, he could make it out of the forest while the Faceless were busy eating her (or whatever Faceless did with their victims). She turned to him, inhaling deeply to steel herself. Poor Jakob in his loyalty would probably refuse to abandon her, which was why she was going to have to order him to leave her behind. But as she opened her mouth, a loud voice echoed through the tangled foliage.
"Hello? Hellooo!" The blood seemed to drain from Jakob's face as a visible shudder passed through him.
"Lady Nerr...? Please tell me you have recently mastered the art of throwing your voice..."
"Seriously, Jakob? Did that sound like me?"
"Perhaps you've mastered the art of disguising your voice as well...? Gods, please say that's what's happening, because I don't want to think of the alternative..."
"Pull yourself together, man. I think there's someone calling out to us in the distance..."
"Yes, a lingering spirit who's going to ensure these monsters kill us!" The butler grabbed onto Nerr's arm, clutching it tightly as his eyes darted around, looking for the source of the voice. "You'll have to go through me to get to my ladyship, you awful spectre! But... but, if she's getting into Heaven, you have to take me too..." Rolling her eyes, Nerr pulled away from Jakob. How could he be afraid of ghosts when very real, very visible threats were crowding around, waiting for the opportunity to grind him into knockwurst? She could just barely make out something over the growling roars of the Faceless. It sounded like... hoof beats. And they were coming closer. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she called out into the darkness.
"You there! Identify yourself!"
"Hey, Nerr! Over here!" From nowhere, it seemed, a horse thundered out of the darkness, snorting wildly as it's rider urged it on even faster. Pulling out the sword strapped to his side, the knight thrust it into the back of the Faceless Nerr had been trying to fend off. The beast howled, trying to reach back and extract the blade, but the mysterious savior only pushed it further, twisting it, ensuring whatever vile organs it met were damaged beyond repair. With a final, weak grunt, the Faceless fell forward, nearly crushing Nerr and Jakob as it landed heavily. Thick, putrid blood flowed over it's back, pooling around the still warm corpse. The knight (cavalier, to be precise) panted hard, reaching up to wipe the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. He was quite young, about Nerr's age, with silvery hair that stood up in a very noticeable cowlick. Despite the gloom of the woods, she could see he had striking green eyes, something she'd never seen before. Finally having caught his breath, the young man laughed a bit.
"Phew! I finally caught up with you. You're faster than you used to be." Than she... used to be? That would imply that this boy knew her, but that seemed unlikely. After all, she'd never been allowed to converse with any soldiers, and the only people she knew in Nohr were her family and servants. But still, this person, who had likely saved her life, was looking at her with such familiarity that she decided he might know her, if not the other way around. Perhaps he was one of the old soldiers who used to guard the Citadel years ago (though his age said otherwise...)
"Um, thanks?" She tried. "And you would be...?" His grin widened.
"Silas. Obviously. It's been forever, hasn't it, Nerr? You're tall now. You're almost as tall as your sister!" In bare feet, she did come up to Camilla's chin, so that was true, but... how could this soldier have known that? And that name, 'Silas'... It was familiar, yes, but not someone she knew. The knight, this Silas, was still talking. "I mean, it's been, what? Eleven, twelve years? I haven't seen you since we were sooo little! Aw, but this is great. It's gonna be just like old times." That was the final straw for Nerr, who could no longer let this poor fool continue his delusion.
"Yeah... no. I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else, Sir Silas. I don't know you."
"Actually, it's not 'Sir' yet; I haven't been formally knighted, I'm still technically a squire, and what do you mean, you don't know me?!" He sighed, looking rather despondent. "I mean, yes, it's been ages, but I'd have thought you'd remember something about me. We played together almost every day."
"No, we didn't." Nerr corrected him. "I wasn't allowed to have people over to play." She remembered that sad time all too well. When her siblings couldn't come over, and her servants were too busy with their duties, she had been so lonely that she'd resorted to making up an imaginary friend... Silas... So that was why that name sounded familiar. But it didn't change the fact that she didn't know this person.
"I'd heard about that, but my father was a member of King Garon's court, so he made an exception for me. You used to make me act out scenes from 'The Prideful Princess' with you. And we'd play knights and princesses. You'd be the princess and get kidnapped by evil dragons. And I was the brave knight who came to save you. Only, you always ended up siding with the dragons... And when the dragons wanted to eat me-"
"-I convinced them to make you their pet..." Nerr trailed off, hearing herself falter.
Yes, she remembered that, she remembered running through the Citadel and hiding, and waiting to be found... And when enough time had passed in her mind to warrant being found, she had laughed mockingly and said the dragons adopted her, so she was a dragon now. And imaginary Silas would say she couldn't do that, it was against the rules... and she would scoff back that she made up her own rules, because she was a dragon... She had forgotten about those games, because Silas wasn't real. He didn't exist, and everyone told her that she had to stop playing with him, because proper princesses did not have imaginary friends. Dismounting from his stead, this Silas, who was real enough to kill a Faceless, approached her, smiling widely. He clapped a hand on her shoulder.
"See? I knew you remembered me. You were my best friend, you know?"
"No..."
"Ha! Well, truth be told, you were my only friend, but-"
"NO!" Nerr pushed him away, pointing her blade at him. He stumbled slightly, his jaw slack in shock.
"Nerr? What are you-?"
"Get away from me, monster! You don't exist!"
"Hey!" He actually sounded upset this time. "Nobody calls me a monster and questions my existence!" Jakob, who had been relatively quiet the whole time, suddenly bounded forward, his concern for his mistress's sudden outburst far outweighing that for the stranger who had incited her wrath.
"Lady Nerr? What's gotten into you? What's wrong?"
"He doesn't exist!" She brandished her bloody sword at Silas, as if to emphasize that fact. "Silas was my imaginary friend. All the games we played were in my mind. None of it ever really happened! That's just some ghost trying to trick me into thinking I'm crazy. But I'm not crazy! You see him, don't you, Jakob? You see the ghost?"
"Jakob?" It was Silas's turn to sound confused. He turned his attention away from the sword waving in front of his face to the butler who was scowling at him. "I'll be damned... I can't believe I didn't recognize you all this time! It's been too long, Jakob!"
"Don't speak to me so casually, you son of a bitch. You've upset Lady Nerr!"
"Ouch. That was harsh. But- but you remember me, right? I remember meeting you a couple times when we were kids. You called me a lot of words I didn't know the meaning of back then..." Nerr directed her attention to Jakob as well.
"What's he talking about? He's lying, right? He's lying!"
"Jakob. You know I'm not lying. I'm here to help you two, but I can't do that when Nerr thinks I'm a figment of her imagination and is trying to kill me." Seemingly torn between agreeing with his mistress and accepting much needed aid, the butler let out a long suffering sigh before turning his attention back to Nerr, gently placing his hand over hers and lowering her sword, much to her bemusement.
"Lady Nerr... I know this is a cruel truth to reveal, but... this annoying cur and your imaginary friend are one and the same. I do remember him coming to the Citadel to play with you... and eating all the snacks I prepared for you." The princess felt her mind go blank.
"But... but why-"
"One day, he stopped coming and... King Garon told us to convince you that he had never existed. I would tell you he was concerned with your feelings being hurt except... I'm fairly certain he threatened to have you executed if you ever mentioned your little friend again in his presence..." In the face of his liege's despondence, Jakob seemed to grow hysterical. He clasped her hands in both of his, squeezing them tightly as he looking beseechingly into her eyes. "I'm sorry, milady! We had to do it, for your own good, you must believe me! We would never lie to you unless it was for your sake!"
"...who is we?" He swallowed nervously.
"Well... myself. And the old man. And... your siblings, perhaps barring Lady Elise, who was still very young at the time. Again, it was King Garon's orders. Please don't hate me, milady..." Her father's orders... to keep her isolated, and miserable. She was not even surprised. In fact, now that the initial shock had worn off, she felt calm again. Prying one of her hands loose, she patted Jakob's, aware that he could not feel the gesture through his gauntlets, but sure that the meaning would come through.
"I could never hate you, Jakob. You were obeying your king; that's good." As he breathed a sigh of relief, a wide smile replacing the fearful look he'd worn before, Nerr turned her attention to the knight watching the scene unfold. "It seems I owe you an apology, Silas. I acted harshly, and to someone who saved my life, to boot. I pray you can forgive me." Silas chuckled slightly.
"Already forgiven. And hey, now that I saved your life, we're even."
"Even? What are you-?"
"Everyone, hold your horses!" A distinctly feminine, high pitched, and very familiar voice called out from the same direction Silas had come from.
"Oh no... Don't tell me..." Trying to untangle herself from some low-hanging branches as her steed pressed on, Elise entered the small clearing, her hair strewn with her leaves.
"Nerr! I'm here too!"
"Elise! What are you doing here!?"
"I came to save you! That's what sisters are for, right? And, hey... You don't sound very grateful to me..." Nerr sighed, feeling a sharp pain starting in her temples.
"Elise... you know I love you, dearest, but you shouldn't be here. It's dangerous! If something happened to you because you were trying to help me, I couldn't live with myself." The youngest princess laughed cheerfully, as if they were back at the castle, rather than in a dismal forest surrounded by murderous beasts.
"Aw, you don't have to worry about me. I'm tougher than I look. And hey, that's what our new knight is for. Speaking of which- you jerk, Silas. How dare you run off and leave a princess unattended?" While everyone had been distracted with Elise's sudden appearance, Silas had taken the opportunity to climb back astride his mount. Nerr turned to him, her eyes narrowed.
"You ran off and left her?"
"Well, yes, technically..." Her old friend shifted uncomfortably in his saddle. "But I was trying to make sure you were okay. And, not to be rude, princess," he turned his attention back to Elise. "But don't you have your own retainers who's duty it is to keep an eye on you? Retainers that you ran off and left behind?"
"Uhhhh... I'm not gonna confirm or deny that..." Despite her worry and annoyance and exhaustion, Nerr smiled. Camilla was right to call their young sister the 'light' of Nohr.
"Elise, you're adorable. Go easy on Silas for me, okay?"
"No promises." But judging by her own smile, it was clear Elise didn't mean that.
A very loud roar was the only warning given by the Faceless that barreled towards them, it's head lowered as it charged like a bull. Nerr and Jakob had been trained to react quickly, and it seemed that Silas had too, for the three warriors managed to jump out of the way just in time for the hulking beast to plow headfirst into a rather thick tree. There was a sickening crack as it hit, and the Faceless slumped down to it's knees. There was a large, bloody gouge in the trunk where's it's head had collided, and though it seemed limp, Nerr wasn't willing to take chances with these things. She edged forward and thrust her blade into it's ribs, several times, until it's slimy entrails were slipping out of the gaping wound left. It had not so much as twitched as she mutilated it, so it was safe to assume the thing was dead. She hoped. Silas edged his horse around to have a better look, his lip twisting in disgust.
"Wow, that's... pretty vicious, Nerr. I think the word I'm looking for is 'overkill'."
"I had to make sure it was dead." She replied simply. "Because it can't be alive if it's dead." Elise, for her part, did not seem nearly as perturbed by the bloodshed.
"Heh heh, you sound like Leo!"
"Milady." Jakob backed into her, holding his blade in a defensive position. The Faceless that had clambered out of the swamp inching closer to them, and it seemed that at any point, they might charge like their fallen brother (or sister- Nerr was not sure if the monstrosities had genders, and she had no desire to find out). "Though our ranks have expanded, I fear we may still be outmatched yet. Do you have any ideas, or are we still contemplating 'run away'?"
"I... I don't know, honestly. That would be the practical thing to do, but... at the same time, I don't think Father will accept, 'the woods were full of monsters, so I turned back' as an excuse. Let's try to hold them off a little longer. We might get lucky, and if not, well... their numbers will be thinned when we do make a run for it. Jakob, you and Silas try to push them back when they come through that underwood. I'll try to hold this choke point. Elise, you stay behind, and don't help unless we're dying." Her plan was foolhardy, and it assumed that three people could hold back a horde of mindless monsters out for their blood. But it was the only plan she had. At once, Jakob began protesting.
"Milady, I can not let you do that! They'll kill you if they swarm you... let Silas hold that choke point."
"Meaning it's okay for them to kill me?" Jakob glared at the other boy.
"Better you than Lady Nerr. You'll die in the service of your princess and country; truly, there is no greater honor for a knight."
"Yeeeeaahhh... I'm still a squire. I haven't signed on for the 'dying for my country' thing yet."
"Would you two just shut up and listen to me?" At once, the bickering quieted down. Nerr reached for the stone hanging from her waist, feeling it's power ebb and flow within her like a tide. "I'll be fine. Trust me, I'll manage this better without having to worry about you two getting killed in front of me."
"What is that, some kind of good luck charm?" Ah, that was right; Silas didn't yet know about her draconic abilities.
"Something like that. You'll see. But don't, actually- I don't need you distracted by me." Jakob, despite understanding her plan, still seemed apprehensive.
"Are you certain, Lady Nerr?"
"As certain as I can be. Now I'm ordering you to push those monsters back!"
Nerr tightened her grip on the dragonstone in her had, shuddering as she felt it absorb into her flesh. The searing pain that accompanied her bones snapping and reforming, and her organs twisting around within her was almost bearable, in that she could keep from screaming if she clenched her teeth hard enough. It was over in thankfully scant seconds, but the phantom pain that lingered in her joints did not so easily disperse. Just as she expected to happen, she heard Silas panic behind her, his voice so loud and clear, he may as well have been screaming in her ear.
"Oh, good gods! What is that thing?!"
"That's Nerr, silly. She's a dragon now. Isn't that just the best?"
"That's right, Silas. It's me."
"Oh." he seemed quick enough to calm down, for which she was grateful. "Oh, well, that's good. Heeeey... you're a dragon now!"
"...I guess I am..."
"What I mean is, you can just roast everything with your fire breath now. Just kill all these things in one shot!"
"I... don't think I have that." Curiosity piqued, Nerr opened her mouth wide, exhaling forcefully. She had never seen dragons before, outside of books and tapestries, much less ones that breathed fire, but that was her best guess to how it was done. Unfortunately, nothing happened. In fact, just the opposite of fire seemed to be streaming from her mouth, as she felt something wet running down her neck to pool at her feet. "I think I have water breath. And it's not helping."
"Then what are you planning to do?" He actually had the nerve to sound disappointed. If Nerr had lips, she would've been scowling. As it were, she simply huffed angrily and turned back to the creatures shambling towards her.
"Don't worry about it. Just focus on what YOU'RE going to do." With her monochromatic vision, the lumbering monsters seemed to blend in with the dark forest, but in this form, Nerr's other senses were heightened to almost crippling levels. She could hear their hearts thundering in their barrel chests, could smell the rank stench of every putrid drop of sweat on their filthy hides. It was repulsive, and the fact that she was being made to endure such conditions only served to sour her already foul mood.
Growling deep in her throat, she charged forward, not willing to wait for the Faceless to reach her. The nearest one swung at her, a wild hay-maker she deftly avoided, spreading her wings without much conscious thought as she leapt up. Twisting, she lashed out with her tail much as she would've done with a sword. The thick plated scales enhanced the power of her strike, leaving a deep, bloody welt across the monster's torso. It stumbled, falling back into it's companion. As they both tried to regain their footing, Nerr charged forward once more, ramming into the injured Faceless head first. For a moment, her horns met resistance, the green, leathery skin almost proving too powerful a defense, but one last shove was all it took to gore the beast. It roared in anguish as it's innards were torn apart, the ones that weren't stuck to Nerr's horns slipping onto the ground. Trying as best she could to spit out the rancid blood that had leaked into her mouth (a trying task without lips), she shook her head in a vain attempt to rid herself of the sticky entrails stuck to her horns. For a moment, the collected rage of the dragon broke just long enough for the still squeamish girl within to show through.
"Eww! Jakob, help! It's all over me, and it smells so bad!"In hindsight, the princess would've been disgusted with herself for acting so immaturely, but despite having fought, having killed, the bloody aspect of war- seeing it, spilling it, bathing in it- was still too new to her. Jakob, for his part, was doing an admirable job at holding back the Faceless to the west alongside Silas, but was clearly beginning to wear down.
"I will assist you momentarily, milady, provided I don't die in the meantime." Once again, rustling foliage to the east sent chills down Nerr's spine. She stopped thrashing her head about for a minute, still trying to dislodge the gore stuck there with the added benefit of keeping the nearest Faceless at bay.
"What is that?" She asked no one in particular, panic once again breeching the surface of her mind. If it was more Faceless, they were doomed.
"I think it's people..." Elise's voice sounded too close for comfort, and Nerr was just about to tell her back off before one of the savage monsters broke ranks and descended on her, but she was interrupted by branches breaking and a stream of colorful exclamations. Something hit the ground hard behind them, much too small to be a Faceless.
"Ha, I meant to do that..." Hazarding a glance over her shoulder, Nerr saw a man about Xander's age quickly picking himself off the ground and dusting off his silvery armor. He smoothed back his blonde hair, flashing a dazzling grin. "There's nothing to fear- Arthur is here! The allies of justice have arrived!" For a long moment, Nerr found herself taken out of the battle by that surreal declaration. Blinking hard, she scowled (in her mind, at any rate), lashing out at the behemoth before her one last time- slitting it's throat judging by the spray of blood that poured out- before turning to face this interloper.
"Who the fuck are you?!" The man frowned deeply, his handsome features twisting in a most unflattering way.
"Who said that?" His eyes fell on the older girl, and he shook his head with a disapproving cluck of the tongue. "Goodness. What foul language from such a noble beast. But in case you did not hear me the first time, I am Sir Arthur, servant of justice-"
"What are you, a ghost? A Hoshidan?" He didn't look Hoshidan, but that didn't mean anything as far as she was concerned. That kind of flamboyance was not native to Nohr. He seemed to catch the disgust in her voice, because he seemed offended by that remark.
"I think not. Does it look like this 'N' on my belt stands for 'Hoshido'?" Nerr squinted in the darkness, and spared a moment to roll her eyes before trotting over to join Silas and Jakob in taking down the last of the Faceless in their immediate area.
"Considering it's an 'H', yes."
"What?!" The man, Arthur, started and looked down, noticing his attire for the first time it seemed. "How is this possible?! That shady blacksmith hoodwinked me! Ah well, only a minor setback. In that case, the 'H' stands for 'Hero', which I strive to be."
"Don't worry, Arthur- you'll always be my hero." Elise voice brimmed with warmth. Nerr frowned and turned back to her sister.
"Elise... do you know this jester?"
"He's not a jester, silly- he's my retainer. Speaking of which," She turned back to the man, who was unhitching an ax from his belt. "Where's Effie?"
"She's bringing up the rear, milady. There was a rather deep swamp we couldn't find a route around. I offered to carry her across it on my shoulders, but she reminded me that I was likely to drown before we reached the other side."
"Yeah, that probably would happen, knowing you. Ah well, she'll be here soon enough. Don't worry, sis- the cavalry will be here soon, then you can just sit back and leave the fighting to them."
It struck Nerr as odd that any more soldiers would be arriving, consider their father was adamant that she make her way through this hell hole on her own, but she was not about to question the divine grace that fell in her favor. It was perfect timing, for although less monsters than before seemed to be rising from the murky swamps, she was exhausted and could only imagine how badly Jakob was holding up, to say nothing of Silas. Even though Elise was directing the healing magic of her staff towards them, they were still breathing hard. From the east once more, rustling could be heard, this time accompanied by heavy footfalls that seemed to shake the very earth. It was either a herd of Faceless, or it truly was a calvary. Nerr's spirits, lifted at the thought of finally being free from the confines of this hellish yard, were dashed as not a platoon, but a single woman, cut her way through the undergrowth. She donned a foot knight's armor, though hers was a delicate shade of pink. Judging by the way the ground shook as she approached them, it had to weigh a tonne, but she moved as if she wore a light tunic.
"Lady Elise! I was so worried! Thank goodness we found you." Despite the fact that she didn't look much older than the youngest princess, her voice was deceptively deep. Expecting more reinforcements from beyond the darkness, but hearing nothing in the distance, Nerr made no effort to hide her despondent sigh. Jakob was more vocal in his disappointment.
"Lady Elise, when you said the calvary was coming, I was expecting reinforcements along the lines of an actual calvary."
"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, Jakob. That wasn't gonna happen; you know how hard it is to go behind Father's back. But don't worry- Effie and Arthur can more than pull their weight around here."
"I'll believe it when I see it..." He muttered to himself. The knight, Effie, huffed in annoyance.
"Then step back, string bean- I don't wanna accidentally splatter you." One of the Faceless had broken loose from the rest, and had circled around to the south to flank them. Before Nerr could even tell her feet to move, Elise's retainers dashed forward. Arthur had let loose his ax, and it struck the beast full in the head, lodging in it's mask right between where it's eyes should be. Pushing past him, Effie swung her lance at the enraged creature, cutting through it's midsection as if it were an overripe tomato. It fell in a heap in front of them, dead in mid-stride. From beside her, Jakob and Silas had been watching in a stunned silence that was quickly broken.
"...So you can pull your weight. At least you'll be useful."
"As amazing as that is, it hurts my pride as a knight..." Elise giggled at that last remark from a dejected Silas.
"Didn't I tell you? Arthur and Effie are the best. This fight's in the bag."
"I pray so, dearest..." It seemed that the fates, or gods, or whatever higher power there was was on Elise's side, for more often than not, her endlessly optimistic words proved true. The swamps were not teeming with an endless number of Faceless as Nerr had believed, and the two fresh fighters were more than enough to thin out their ranks. Especially Effie- it was nothing short of frightening what that girl could do with a lance.
Once all the growling and groaning had finally stopped for good, Nerr mentally released her death grip on her dragonstone. She could not feel it, for it seemed to absorb into her flesh when she utilized it, but this was the only way she could think to return to her more familiar, natural state. Indeed, she felt herself shrinking, growing weaker but calmer. Once she was back on two feet, the brilliant blue stone clenched tightly in her sticky, bloodstained hand, she felt her knees give. The ground was soaked in blood and swamp water, forming a repugnant muddy soup that soaked into her tights, but she did not care. Without the surge of adrenaline, fatigue had won out. She was not alone, for Jakob too knelt down, wiping his sweaty brow on a torn sleeve.
"Gods, I can't believe we did it. That was impossible- I thought we were gonna die!"
"I always had the utmost faith in you, milady." The butler chimed in, his pleasant voice belying his shaking limbs. Silas. Who was slumped over in his saddle, chuckled wryly.
"I'd say the same, but... yeah, no, I thought we were gonna die too." Elise rode over and hit him (lightly, of course) with the rod of her staff.
"Way to boost morale, Silas. That's it- from now on, if you can't say anything positive, you're not allowed to say anything at all." She turned and nudged Nerr with the pointed end of it as well. "C'mon, sister. Get up- you're sitting in slop, and it's grossing me out." The elder princess groaned mulishly.
"I'm tired. Just roll me into the swamp and call it a day." Effie approached her, the vibrations of her every step rolling through Nerr's body.
"If you're tired, that's no problem. I'll just carry you, milady. It's not much of a workout, but I can exchange some cardio for light reps." For a moment, Nerr assumed the younger girl was joking, until she reached down, one arm under her knees and the other behind her back, lifting the princess as if she were a pile of petticoats. It caught her so unawares that she startled.
"Ahhh! No, put me down!"
"Are you sure? Because you weigh almost as little as Lady Elise. I could carry you with one hand... if not less." Jakob, sensing his mistress's distress, had leapt to his feet, all fatigue forgotten.
"Unhand my liege, you ruffian! Lady Nerr is not to be grabbed like a basket of fruit!"
"Now now," Arthur stepped forward, his hands raised in a placating manner. "There's no need for tempers to flare. We should be exultant, having vanquished the minions of injustice! My compatriot, Dame Effie, only wishes to quicken our odyssey to the Ice Tribe's lands, that we may quell the fires of their discontent-"
"Shut. Up." Nerr was surprised Jakob had listened to that spiel as long as he had. And while she was grateful for his ability to put a much-needed end to the older man's rambling, she had to admit he had a point.
"Sir Arthur's right. We do need to get a move on. The longer we linger here, the more time the Ice Tribe has to organize their rebellion. If we're going to put an end to this, we need to do so while they're still planning." She sighed deeply. "I'll be the first to admit that's a lot easier to say than pull off when I don't have the first idea how to get out of this hell hole of a forest." His mood shifting like a turbulent tide, Jakob once again beamed at her.
"You needn't worry about that, milady. Now that we've dispatched those wretched creatures, I will be more than happy to escort you from here."
"You know the way, Jakob?"
"Like the back of my hand. Whilst you were busy studying politics back in the citadel, I made it my business to learn every inch of our kingdom. After all, what good would it do you to know how to negotiate with foreign ministers if you couldn't find them?" Silas rode up beside the butler, reaching down to lay a hand on his shoulder.
"Huh. I guess there's a heart of gold beneath that jerk facade after all, eh, Jakob?"
"Remove your hand before I cut it off and use it as bait for more Faceless."
"...guess not. Good to know." Nerr giggled quietly. Yes, they were still in peril, in a territory where monsters could spawn at any time, on their way to face an impossible task, but still. It was nice. This, this light-hearted bantering, reminded her of the old days in the Citadel, the happy days, before the veil of blissful ignorance had been ripped away from her. It was a bittersweet feeling, but it cut through the misery weighing her down.
"Well, I'm grateful, Jakob. You never cease to amaze me." The butler swelled with pride at her praise. She could practically see a tail wagging furiously behind him. Lead us whenever you're ready. But first- Dame Effie? Put me down. Please." The knight sheepishly lowered her, more gently than Nerr was expecting. She felt more secure with her feet on solid ground, no matter how disgusting it was. After taking a moment to gather his bearing, Jakob pointed to the way out, and the small group made it's way from the darkness into the twilight.
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A/N- A doozy, huh? This chapter in the game always gave me hell, especially in lunatic- oh GAWD, why do you have to move so slow, Effie (this is why I don't play lunatic in classic mode)?! But I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out in writing. Y'know, I can't believe I never mentioned this before now, but reviews/comments would be greatly appreciated. I understand that sometimes, you just wanna read a fanfic and not be bothered to stroke the author's ego (trust me- I do it way too often), but really, even just one review would make my day.