And here we are with the next chapter. To review two weeks ago, a lot has happened. Azura revealed the mysterious kingdom known as Valla, before the team met up with Gunter. Alm and Celica met Dorothy and there appear to be others in this cursed kingdom. However right now Corrin and Azura have found themselves in the grips of the Vallite...and the killer of Corrin's mother. Let's see how this unfolds...
Corrin glared at his mother's killer as he stepped towards him and Azura.
"You…!"
"You have grown boy. Your power has awakened. Perhaps your mother's death was a blessing for you."
"You monster!"
Corrin snapped. He charged towards the man in rage. But the chains, binding him made it easy for the guards to catch him and tackle him to the ground.
"AHHH!"
Azura was then shoved over to where Corrin was. As one of the guards kicked her in the back of the leg, two others forced Corrin up, putting them both on their knees. Both had two guards each pushing down on their shoulders to keep them from getting up.
"Easy men." The hooded man said as he walked up to them. "We'd be miserable "hosts" if we were to be rough with our "guests."
"Where are we?" Azura asked.
"In the castle of Valla. On the highest island in the kingdom."
"What?!"
"Where are Gunter and our friends?!" Corrin asked.
"It seems the soldiers we sent were not enough. They're running wild around Valla looking for you." The man then placed his hand on Corrin's head and ruffled his hair. "But don't worry lad. We'll deal with them soon enough."
Corrin didn't say anything as the man patted his head.
"In the meantime, we have things in store for you two. I thought I would give you the rundown. First, we will hold an interrogation on what you know of other worlds. Then a faithful comrade of ours will see if the two of you can be convinced into serving our king."
"I have no intentions to serve him!" Corrin replied.
"Oh? Well, we'll see. After the discussion, you will be brought before the king himself. You will then either swear eternal loyalty to him…or face his judgment."
"And what would that be?"
"It will depend on his sentence. But I should warn you…He does not take disloyalty to kindly…not even from you."
"What does that mean?" Corrin asked.
"You will find out soon enough. It was good talking to you both. Men, take them back to their cell."
"Wait!"
The guards pulled Corrin and Azura back to their feet and forced them out of the room.
Corrin said nothing as they were lead down the halls. Did he have some connection with this Anankos? And who was that man? Something about him felt…familiar. Especially when he was patting his head.
He was taken from his thoughts when the guard behind him pushed him to make him pick up the pace. There would be time to figure this out later. Right now, he and Azura needed to find a way out of here and to their friends.
"Blast it all…" Gunter growled. "We've been searching for hours and we still have seen no sign of Lord Corrin or Lady Azura."
"I just hope they're not hurt." Felicia said.
"There has to be a fort, or castle around here somewhere." John replied.
"Hold up."
The group waited behind Henry as he saw the area ahead. There were some abandoned weapons, burn marks on the ground and even a huge dent in the stone nearby.
"Looks like a battle took place here."
"Lord Corrin?" Felicia asked.
"No…I don't think he and Azura could do this much damage on their own." The man said kneeling next to a line in the ground likely carved by a sword. "There's someone in Valla besides us."
"Jackpot!"
Everyone saw John pick up a discarded hammer.
"And just what are you doing?" Gunter asked.
"My mechanical arm's hammer puts a lot of strain on my body. Wanna save it for special occasions. Hate to pick from the dead, but I'll need to defend myself."
Henry sighed as he picked up a steel sword.
"Good point. Sorry, buddy. I need this more than you."
Corrin and Azura laid patently on their sides on the hard stone floor of the cell. It had been an hour since they spoke to the hooded man.
Corrin could see the sadness in Azura's eyes. The fear. The regret. He hated seeing her like that. He knew he had to do something for her. But what?
"Um…Azura?"
The princess looked up to Corrin.
"Hm? Yes, Corrin?"
"I was hoping we could continue the conversation we were having earlier."
Azura simply stared at Corrin.
"Um…I understand if you're not in the mood…I just thought you might…need something to keep your mind off this." The prince said awkwardly.
The woman them smiled.
"You are a funny one, Corrin. We're prisoners and in grave danger, yet you still want to learn about others."
"You make it sound like theirs no hope."
"Corrin, this castle is a fortress. Even if we get out of this cell, then what?"
"I'll think of something." He replied with a smile.
Azura was taken aback as she saw that smile. She saw hope in his expression. Something she had never felt before.
"Corrin…"
"So…want to continue our discussion?"
"Of course. We were going to talk about Nohr, were we not?"
Corrin nodded.
"Yes. I spent most of my life in Nohr, and I can safely say it was always gloomy. Besides the dark forests, there was very little plant life among the rocky terrain. From what I've read, most of the land is tundra and bad for farming..."
"I've always heard that the people of Nohr are especially cold to outsiders. It's almost like the world they live in has deeply influenced their mentalities."
"You can dismiss that thinking, though. I know many Nohrians who are kind hearted. Just look at Felicia and Gunter if you want proof that there is a misconception."
"Interesting. Like with Hoshido, if we look at Nohr with a different perspective... we both learn a bit more. Nohr has invaded other regions many times over the years, but talking about it now...It could be that their biggest motivation has been jealousy or feeling alienated. After all, anyone would get upset if they were often made to feel inferior."
"And if that's how Hoshido made Nohrians feel, even accidentally, it's good to know. It doesn't excuse Nohrian actions, but it does help understand them."
"And by understanding, we might be a step closer to bringing peace to the world. If we can find a way to ease the tensions that both nations feel..." Azura smiled, as if thinking it was possible to do.
"First, we have to eliminate the evil that is getting in the way." Corrin said. "Wait…hold up."
"What's wrong?" Azura asked.
"Here come our "hosts."
Azura looked at the bars of their prison. The guards from before entered and like before, forced them to their feet and made them walk.
This walk was a much shorter one. They didn't leave the dungeon, but rather went deeper down via a spiral staircase. The shackles on their ankles meant Corrin and Azura had a bit of trouble descending the stairs.
Eventually they reached the bottom. It was much darker down here. They went down two more halls and faced a wooden door.
The guard in front opened it and Corrin and Azura were forced inside.
They saw another man with a hood. He wore a black robe and had purple skin.
"Ah, you're here. Get everything ready."
Two guards forced Corrin and Azura forward. The other two went into a nearby supply room. Again, the captives were forced onto their knees.
"To know of Valla, it is likely you know of other worlds as well." The man said as the guards came back with a large wooden tubs full of water and positioned them right behind them. "Tell me. What other worlds do you know of?"
"We don't know what you're talking about." Corrin replied.
"Really now? Guards."
Two of the guards grabbed their shoulders from the other side of the tub.
"This is how you plan to torture us? Bathing us?" Corrin asked. "We're not cats."
"Begin."
Without warning the guards pulled Corrin and Azura into the water. Their shoulders were pressed against the bottom of the tub and their heads completely submerged.
The guards in front wrapped an arm around each of their legs, lifting them up so they couldn't be used to stand out of the water and a hand grabbed each of the chains, connected to the cuffs on their wrists so they couldn't use their arms. Not that they could do much with them trapped behind their backs anyway.
Corrin held his breath for as long as he could, but soon his lungs felt like they were on fire. Azura felt like hers were about to burst. Soon their interrogator saw bubbles reach the surface as they lost their breath. The chains of the shackles rattled violently as water rushed into their mouths and noises. They tried to pull their legs free but their captor's grip would not give in.
"Stop."
The guards let Corrin and Azura's heads out from the water, holding them into the air above the tub. They gasped desperately for air. Water dripped from their faces and their soaking wet hair.
"Now tell me what you know!" the man demanded.
Azura managed to get some words out of her gasping.
"*gasp* We don't *cough* don't know what-
"Again!"
"Sto-ABLBLBLBLB!"
Azura couldn't even finish her sentence or get a breath of air in before she along with Corrin were thrown back into the water. They struggled like mad, but the guards kept a firm grip on them and the manacles on their wrists and ankles wouldn't break.
After they breathed in water again they were let out.
"Will you talk now?"
Neither of them answered. They just spat out whatever water they could and gasping for air.
"Again!"
"Gods, how many more times are they going to do this?!" Corrin thought as they were submerged again.
They thrashed against their jailers and their manacles as water filled their lungs.
They were let out. Then thrown back in. Then out. Then in again. The cycle continued five fore times. Then one cycle, the man noticed Azura's struggling slow down and soon Corrin's. Their flailing legs, slowly going limp.
"Stop. That's enough."
The guards threw them both out of the water and onto the floor and then rolled them onto their backs.
The wheezing sounds they made and the rise and fall of their chests was the only way to confirm they were breathing. Corrin's chest hurt and he was exhausted. He could barley make out what their interrogator was saying.
"Hmmm…I doubt they're that strong. Perhaps they do know nothing. We're done here. Take these prisoners and lock them back up."
Corrin saw one of the guards lift Azura off the floor and over his shoulder before another did the same for him.
He weakly stared at the floor as his consciousness faded.
"Hold up!"
Alm halted Celica and Dorothy as the were walking across the island they were on.
"What's wrong, Alm?" Celica asked.
"Look. Footprints."
They looked down to see the tracks following up ahead. Celica then saw where they were leading. "They go into that cave, over there."
"Celica, Dorothy, stay close."
Alm pressed himself against the rock formation and slowly moved towards the entrance. Celica and Dorothy followed close behind. The prince slowly inched forward until he stopped a few inches away from the entrance.
Celica looked at him in concern. "Alm?"
"I heard something…Stay here."
He slowly positioned himself in front of the entrance and carefully moved his hands to grasp Falchion in his took two steps into the cave's entrance.
CLANG
He barley registered a sword coming at his face in time to block the attack with his own. His attacker was a man with blue hair and a white cape.
"Father!"
Alm then saw a woman inside the cave was a woman with long hair of the same color, sitting on a rock.
Celica turned to Dorothy and signaled her to wait where she stood before rushing to Alm's side.
As the men jumped back the attacker got a better look at Alm and Celica.
"These people…where do I know them from?"
"Who are you?!" Alm asked.
"That is not for you to know." The man replied. "Back away before I strike you down."
Outside the cave, Dorothy recognized the man's voice.
"WAIT!"
The girl rushed to the cave and got a closer look, confirming her hunch. He man's eyes widened as he saw her.
"Dorothy!? Is that you?!"
"Yes, Chrom, it's me!"
"You know each other?" Alm asked.
The woman sitting down looked at the girl in shock.
"Dorothy?! What are you doing here?!"
The child then got a look at her.
"Lucina! You're here too?"
"Are these two of the friends you were separated from?" Celica asked.
"Well…they aren't the ones I was talking about earlier…but they are my friends. Chrom and Lucina of Ylisse."
Celica then noticed something. Chrom had a bruise on his left cheek, a cut on his arm, and his cloths had patches of dirt on him. Lucina, looked like she had seen better days as well.
"Oh, dear! You're both injured! Let me heal you! I can use healing magic!"
"Wait…who are these two, Dorothy?" Chrom asked. "I swear I've seen them somewhere before…"
"I don't recall, sir. My name is Alm, and this is my fiancé, Celica."
Then Chrom and Lucina stared at the two of them in shock.
"What?!"
"Er…did I say something wrong?"
"Uh…er…nothing…forgive me…"
"Oh, I get it!" Dorothy said. "These two come from the past, in your world, right?"
"DOROTHY!" Chrom and Lucina scolded.
The girl immediately covered her mouth, but by then the damage was done.
"Your world…? …The past…? What are you saying?" Celica asked.
Chrom put his hand to his face and sighed.
"Well…no dodging it now…Robin's never going to let me forget this…"
"Oh, yeah! Is Robin with you?" Dorothy asked.
"He was some time ago. But he went to see if he could find a clue to where we are."
"So, wait…what's this about the past?" Celica asked. "Are you saying that you're from…the future?"
"Like I said…it's a long story."
"Then take your time. I can heal you both while you explain."
"Thank you. Can you start with my daughter back there?"
"Father, your injuries need attention as well." Lucina protested.
"Young lady, what do you think is worse: a few scratches or a broken leg?"
Celica turned to the girl and noticed her right leg was limp.
"Oh my! Let me see!"
She hurried over to Lucina. She gently tied to lift the princesses right leg.
"Does it hurt when I try to move it?"
She looked up to see Lucina wince and hold in a shriek of pain.
"I'll take that as a yes. What happened? One of those green monsters?"
"You bumped into them too?" Chrom asked.
"More of them then we'd like to." Alm replied. "Not to mention these damn phantom soldiers."
Chrom sighed. "This place is infested with them. I hope Robin's okay."
"I'm sure he's fine." Dorothy smiled. "This is Robin we're talking about! He's smart, strong, and calm. He knows how to get out of trouble."
Chrom sighed again. "I can agree with "smart" and "strong" but…I don't think he's in a state you can call "calm." He's hiding it but…"
"Did something happen?"
"That's…also a long story…"
Celica noticed Lucina look down in shame.
"Well, one long story at a time." Alm said.
"Right…This may be hard for you two to believe but…"
Corrin coughed as he woke up.
"Ugh…"
He could tell a few things as feeling slowly returned to his body. The first was that he was leaning against a stone wall. The second was that his hair was still soaking wet. The third was his head and left arm were resting against something soft.
He weakly opened his eyes to see the bars of his cell. He gazed his eyes to see what he was leaning on. Then he found out it was a matter of who he was leaning on.
Azura was unconscious with her head against his.
The prince blushed at how close they were and straightened himself. Azura's head fell onto his shoulder.
He considered waking her until he saw her smile as she sighed happily. It was the brightest smile Corrin had seen on Azura. He decided then to just stay still and let her rest. He didn't mind too much. She wasn't heavy or anything. But seeing how close she was made his face redden.
He sat there to ponder the situation. First there was his mother's killer who was strangely familiar to him. Now this other man who knows of other worlds. Then something accrued to him. Henry and John were from another world. Do they have something to do with this?
"Ngh…"
Corrin noticed Azura waking up. She coughed out some leftover water and opened her eyes.
"Um…hi?" Corrin said awkwardly.
The princess glanced to Corrin's nervous, blushing smile.
"EEEK!"
Azura fell over out of shock.
"C-Corrin?!"
"Uh...sorry…are you alright?" the prince asked.
"W-what happened?!"
"I blacked out after coming close to drowning. I woke up against the wall with us leaning against each other…I uh…thought of waking you up but…you looked so peaceful…"
"Oh…Sorry."
The two of them sat there blushing in awkward silence for a minute.
Azura had no idea what to say. She felt a strange warmth inside her thinking about how close she had gotten with Corrin…Figuratively, and literally.
"Azura…?"
"H-huh? Yes, Corrin?"
"Um…If you still want to talk…I guess all that's left is this place…Valla."
Azura came back into focus with the situation.
"Oh…yes…You know, Corrin, It isn't really the kingdom of Valla that is a problem. The entire conflict is a result of the will of Anankos."
"That's right. Anankos, the King of Valla. I…I rember now. I heard father…I mean Garon mention him a few times. He referred to him as a sort of god. Is it true?"
"Whether he is a demon or a god, I am not sure, but he possesses incredible power." Azura replied. "I've heard legends about how long ago, a powerful entity gave humans great power. In return, he required their faithfulness. Though this alliance was meant to last for all time, the humans did not honor it. Overtime they discovered and acquired power from other sources. As they did that, they slowly abandoned the entity that had aided them. Insulted by this betrayal, the being went berserk."
"And that being... It was Anankos?"
"There is no way to know for sure, sadly. It would explain why he's out to destroy Nohr and Hoshido, though."
"What a sad story."
"Indeed. But it also teaches us an important lesson, I think. We've talked about the conflict between Nohr and Hoshido...This story teaches us what can result from holding a grudge for too long."
"We have to focus on what we can do to improve the world. It may mean that we sometimes have to fight, but it doesn't always have to. Anytime we can turn an enemy into an ally, we should at least try." Corrin said. "And we'll start with my brothers and sisters."
"Corrin…I actually think we might be able to do that."
Suddenly the two of them heard the clanking of armor approach.
"Here they come. Thanks for the conversation, Corrin. Time flies, and I feel like we grow a lot each time we talk." The princess smiled.
Corrin gave a smile in return.
"I feel the same. I think we've discovered a special connection between us. I'll always cherish this special friendship."
The jailers came into Corrin and Azura's cell and were forced onto their feet. They pushed them forward and out of the dungeon. As they were being escorted Corrin and Azura scanned the hallways. Looking for anything that could lead them outside. But they didn't even see any windows. It looked like escaping was impossible.
Eventually they were lead into a large room. It was lite with torches and had a long red carpet across the room. A table stood in the center. On the opposite end was a tall man in purple armor with a long cape. He had blond hair and a massive sword.
"So, you've come. Take a seat."
Corrin and Azura stood there, unsure of what this man was up to. Then the guards lightly pushed them forward. They walked to the two chairs and gently sat them down, leaning on their arms.
"My apologies if the others were rather rough with you. Perhaps you are wondering why we brought you here."
"Yeah. It came to mind." Corrin mumbled.
"Let me ask you…what do you think of this world?"
Corrin stared at the man as he took a seat at the other end of the table.
"Think of the wars. The conflicts. The death. All of it. The doing of our sinful species."
"But Anankos is responsible for the war between Hoshido and Nohr!"
"I can see why you think that." The man calmly replied. "But consider this…even if Lord Anankos stoked the fires of the war…Was he the one to light the torch?"
"What do you mean?"
"Humans…they bicker over the slightest details. That soon leads to ideological differences. And then they desire power. Power they cannot properly control. That's when they abuse it. And that is when they kill each other and war ensues. They are the root of the problem."
Corrin looked down. As if understanding what he was saying.
"But Lord Anankos…He is a dragon. And a very wise one at that. He is using humanity's own sins against them. Once they are erased from Hoshido and Nohr, they will be brought here. Where they all serve one being. One ideal. That of the dragons. It would be wise of you more than anyone to aid this noble cause."
"What do you mean?"
The man then let out a laugh. "Are you, daft boy? You are part dragon. You are part of a much greater race."
"What?"
"You have no need to be bound a sinner. You can make yourself more. Much, much more."
Corrin stared at the man. "Why do you put so much faith in dragons?"
"A simple question. They have not made the mistakes we have. They don't fight over petty maters. They are meant to be rulers."
Corrin said nothing.
"And what of me?" Azura asked. "I am no dragon. Nor do I have the judgment of one…"
Corrin gave her an odd look. She almost sounded disappointed.
"Your envy is understandable. You are not of their race nor do you have their potential. But you can set yourself aside the other humans."
"What do you mean?"
"You are Vallite royalty. One of our greatest generals insists that makes you worthy of serving the Silent Dragon loyally."
"Hmmm…"
Corrin couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Azura truly considering this? Was she really going through with this?
"There's more. I'm sure your aware that Anankos can revive the dead."
"What of it?"
"That can include your parents."
Azura went into silence.
"Our god will show generosity if you cooperate."
Azura looked down.
"Maybe…maybe I'll consider…"
Corrin's eyes went wide.
"Azura! You can't be serious!"
"I…I'm sorry Corrin…I just don't want to be alone anymore…"
"But you're not alone! You have-
"Corrin think. You can have your parents back too."
"But…but I-
"There is no need to decide now." The man said. "Tomorrow you will be brought before Lord Anankos. You only need to decide by then."
The guard pulled Corrin and Azura to their feet.
"Wait." Corrin tried to pull out of their grip. At first, they ignored him and forced him and Azura to turn around and leave.
"Stop!" the man ordered. "Let him speak."
The jailers let Corrin and Azura's arms go so they could turn back around.
"Who told you I can turn into a dragon? And…do they know why only I can? My Hoshidian and Nohrian siblings have dragon's blood like me…but as far as I know only I have this power…"
The man looked down at the table. "Ah…that…Lord Anankos explained it all to me. You see lad…You are very unique compared to the other royals…There is more to you than any them know."
"Such as?"
"Well…to begin with…You're…"
The man hesitated. Which made Corrin even more uneasy.
"Yes?"
The man finally sighed. "No…Forgive me. It is not my story to tell. Lord Anankos can explain everything himself tomorrow."
Corrin gave the man an odd look.
"If that is everything I believe we are done here. Escort them back."
With that the guards turned Corrin and Azura back around and lead them out of the room.
"I swear, we've been looking everywhere." John said. "Still no sign of those two."
"We've got to track them down." Henry said. "We'll need them if we're going to get help from Hoshido and Nohr."
The group of four was continuing to walk outside on the island when they were walking past a hillside. Little did they know three men were walking to the edge of the cliff side and noticed them.
The man with the red hair was the first to notice two familiar members from the group.
"Hey, isn't that…"
The man with the red cape chuckled.
"Well, I'll be damned."
The blue haired and caped man jumped off the small cliff.
Henry and the others turned around as they heard him land.
"Look out!" Gunter readied his lance. But Henry outstretched an arm to stop him.
"Wait!" He couldn't believe who he saw. But there was no mistaking it. "Marth! Is that you, pal?"
The Hero King smiled. "Henry. John. It has been too long my friends."
The other two men jumped next and landed in between Marth.
"Ike and Roy! You guys are here to?"
"Indeed. Good to see you two again." The Radiant Hero smirked.
"Agreed. I hope you've been well." The Young Lion added.
"You know these three?" Gunter asked.
"Yeah. They come from another world." John said. "A different one from yours or ours. Help us in quite a fix in the past. So, what brings you boys here?"
"I'm afraid we have no idea ourselves." Marth sighed. "You see, we-
"Got hit by a bright light and woke up here with no idea what's happening?" Henry asked.
"Yes, I suppose we've all heard the story at this point. After wandering around here I ran into Ike. He said the same thing happened to him."
"As it did me." Roy said. "I was looking for someone to ask where I was only to be attacked out of nowhere by these strange phantoms. If Marth and Ike didn't find me when they did I would have been over run. I just wish I knew how this happened."
"Now that I think about it…" Ike said. "You haven't been tampering with the space between worlds with your otherworldly technology again by any chance, have you, Henry?"
The captain turned to John who just gave him a smug look. He then simply twiddled his fingers and looked away. "Maaaaaaaaaaaybe."
"Gods damnit Henry."
"Well…what's done is done I suppose." Marth sighed. "Rather than pointing fingers we should take actions that can change our situation."
"I'll tell ya right now. Our situation is a helluva lot messier than you think. By the way…I take it that mess back there where a battle took place was your, doing?"
"Yeah. These strange enemies are everywhere." Ike replied. "I'm guessing the remains of that patrol have something to do with you?"
"Patrol?" Felicia asked.
"At the open plain back there we saw weapons lying on the ground and burn marks on the grass." Roy said. "It looked like a patrol of three men. Whoever took them down has some skill."
"We haven't run into any enemies since we left the cave." Gunter said.
"Maybe it was Lord Corrin and Lady Azura!" the maid suggested.
"Unlikely. You mentioned burnt grass, yes? Lord Corrin does not now magic. And fire magic is the only explanation I can think of for that."
"Azura only uses a lance as far as I know." Henry added. "Which means…There's someone besides us around who isn't with Valla."
"Valla?" Marth asked.
"It's the name of the kingdom we're standing in."
"Oh, and get this." John grumbled. "You can't even say a dang thing about it unless you're inside the kingdom, otherwise you disappear because of some damn curse!"
"What?"
"We'd have Azura give you the full story." Henry said. "But we got separated from her. Have any of you seen her? She's a woman in white with really long blue hair."
"Afraid not." Ike said.
"What about Lord Corrin?" Felecia asked. "White hair? Blue cape?"
"The only ones we've seen who aren't here right now are nearly invisible soldiers or green monsters."
"Oh…"
"We need to keep looking." Henry said. "Marth, Ike can we count on you?"
"You need not ask my friend." Marth replied. "We are always allied with S.T.E.A.M."
"Uh…steam?" Felicia asked. "As an ice maid, I feel I should be concerned."
"S.T.E.A.M." Henry stated. "Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace. We specialize in the unexpected and the unusual."
"Ha! Sounds like what we're dealing with now." Gunter said. "My name is Gunter by the way. A knight of Nohr."
"And I'm Felicia a humble maid!" the woman said with a bow.
"Well, met my friends." Marth smiled. "I fear we do not know much of this place or what is going on. But I will do my best to aid your cause!"
Corrin and Azura were shoved back into their cell. The guards slammed the door behind them and locked it before they left.
"Azura, you're not seriously considering joining them, are you?"
"Corrin…"
"They can't be trusted! You saw what they did in Hoshido!"
"Corrin-
"And even if they do revive your parents, they'll be mindless servants like the rest-
"CORRIN!"
The prince stopped and stared into the annoyed expression on Azura's face. One he stopped talking she sighed. "I don't wish to join them."
"You don't?"
"No. But if we tell them we won't we'll be executed. We need to escape soon. To do that we need to earn their trust. If we do that, perhaps we can earn some freedom."
"Oh…"
"Though…if we can get away from our jailers while outside of this cell, we can sneak out."
"Easier said than done. It's hard to move with these blasted shackles." Corrin grumbled as he tugged on his wrist bindings.
Azura struggled in her chains. "True. These steel bonds are not going to break easily. And with the shackles around our ankles we can't run. It would just take one guard to stop us the moment we tried to act..."
"And even if we get out of the castle, then what? We just run-or I guess the best we could do is walk or hop as quickly as we can all over Valla unarmed and in shackles while prying that by some miracle we find Henry and the others without bumping into any Vallite troops?"
"Hmmm…you could turn into a dragon and break free." Azura suggested, still tugging with her wrists, hoping to find a weakness in her bonds.
"But they took my Dragonstone. I could hurt you again!" Corrin replied.
"We need to do something."
"Ngh…If only I could tap into the power I used on Hans…"
"What do you mean?"
"It was back at the bottomless Canyon." Corrin sighed. "When Hans knocked Gunter off I went mad…next thing I know my body…changed. It was like when I first turned into a dragon, but on a smaller scale…and I had more control, even without a Dragonstone."
Azura thought carefully about what she was hearing.
"Hmmm…"
More cameos. And this is not the last of them. I hope I can make them all fit into the story of Fates. See you next time.