Shade of the Goliath
Author's Note: I recomend listening to Theme of E-102 Gamma from Sonic Adventure when Kamui says "You must be Hisame"
Kamui rested on the bench underneath the cherry blossom tree while the midday sun bore down on everyone in the training yard. His brother, Ryoma, trudged over to the elongated chair and seated himself to Kamui's left.
"The sun got to you too?" Kamui asked as Ryoma sighed.
"Correct. Isn't there a way we can control the weather here?" Ryoma questioned. He was unable to notice Camilla's approach.
"Nope. I wish we could, though." Kamui stated before Camilla stood in front of them. She looked much better than she did last night, thanks to the healing magic of Elise and Sakura. "Good afternoon Camilla. Is something wrong?" Kamui noted the strained look on her face.
"Good afternoon to you, dear, and good afternoon to you as well, Ryoma." Camilla twirled her finger through a lock of her hair. "Thank you for delivering me to the infirmary last night."
"Oh, that was nothing. Always helpy to happ-" Ryoma shut his mouth before attempting to correct himself. "Always happy to help somebody in need," Camilla noted the sweat pouring down Ryoma's face even though he was sitting in the shade.
"Have either of you two seen my ring? It belonged to my mother before she passed away, and it's all I have to remember her with." Camilla pleaded.
"I think I see a ring behind you on the ground." Kamui pointed to the dirt where a golden ring laid, as the glint from its reflective nature caught his attention. Camilla hurriedly turned around and smiled when she saw her jewelry lying in the dirt.
"Thank you, sweetie." She said as she bent over to pick up her ring. Kamui averted his eyes to give his sister some privacy, considering her armor lacked a lower section.
His focus turned to Ryoma, who was staring intently at Camilla's posterior. A look of intense pain drew on his face while he brought his legs together; his teeth clenched and his eyes strained. Camilla stood back up before striding away, heading towards the forge by the looks of it.
"Care to explain what that was?" Kamui asked Ryoma as he rested back against the bench.
"It was nothing," Ryoma stated as his legs relaxed. Kamui was certain that the opposite was true.
"You like her, don't you?" Kamui smirked as he scooted closer to Ryoma.
"Be quiet, will you? Not a single word about this to her, or I will never forgive you." Ryoma's tone was devoid of emotion, which sent a chill down Kamui's very soul.
"Okay, okay, I get the message." Kamui raised his hands to his shoulders as a sign of peace. "But you just got over Scarlet last week."
"Who's Scarlet? I don't know anyone by the name 'Scarlet'." Ryoma answered. Kamui's intuition told him the exact opposite, and he began to formulate a plan that he would enact that evening.
An hour passed, and Caeldori had been training in the courtyard with other members of the army.
"Hey, Mister Ryoma sir, I was wondering if you could help me with something." Caeldori dropped her training naginata to the ground as she faced Ryoma, who had turned to look at her as well.
"What is it that you need?" Ryoma tilted his head to the left while asking.
"Well, I was thinking we could exchange advice about how to get our crushes to notice us." Caeldori adjusted her white hairband as she walked to Ryoma's side.
"E-Excuse me?!" Ryoma was taken aback by her no-nonsense approach.
"We both know you have a crush on Princess Camilla, and I have a thing for Kamui, so we could kill two wyverns with one fireball by planning our actions." Caeldori blushed slightly and was completely indifferent to the approaching Nohrian soldier.
"What are you two talking about?" Laslow asked while his hands combed through his short gray hair.
"Mind your own buis-" Ryoma folded his arms and stood in front of Caeldori to respond but was promptly interrupted.
"We're discussing how to make our crushes love us!" Caeldori pushed Ryoma out of the way to respond; a bright smile was on her face.
"Okay, interesting," Laslow stated, slightly taken aback. "Gods, Severa really did give birth to her own mother. Okay, so what you two need is a musical number."
"Why do we need a song about our feelings?" Ryoma asked as he picked himself off the ground.
"Because, silly, music always helps bolster confidence. Think of it like a morale-boosting speech." Laslow glanced to the nearby accessory shop. He pulled a black walking cane from behind his back and began to tap dance towards the shop.
"What is he doing?" Ryoma and Caeldori asked simultaneously.
"Just sing with me!" Laslow smiled as he entered the front door. He emerged, wearing tinted glasses and carrying a pile of gold coins.
(The following destruction of eardrums is set to the tune of I'm Gonna Be a Star from that horrible Donkey Kong Country TV show. If you feel like infecting your ears with every disease known to man, match the song to the following abomination.)
"I'm gonna be a spouse!" Laslow sang out, drawing attention from practically everyone in the castle beside Camilla, Azura, and Kamui. "I'm gonna be admired like Selkie or Mr. Benny! I'm gonna be a smash!" Laslow skidded along the ground with his knees, ignoring the brush burn he had just inflicted on himself. "You'll see me on the town with big name sirs, spending all of my do-re-mi solid gold!" Laslow tossed his pile of coins into the air as he danced in place.
Setsuna watched from afar and felt a tiny piece of metal collide with her forehead, which sent her onto the ground.
"I'm gonna be at the altar!" Caeldori joined in the singing while smiling.
"I'm gonna be a great spouse!" Ryoma began laughing after singing.
"I can't wait 'til Kamui sees me up at the shrine. We'll be flying around on a fancy steed!" Caeldori ran to Laslow's side whilst singing. "I can see it now, the crowd begins to cheer. My name in lights at the wedding's premiere!" The three singers were now standing side by side and began to march through the center field.
"We're gonna be spouses! A fiance idol worshiped by our loves! We're gonna be spouses! You're gonna know our names no matter who you are!" The group sang out while swinging their arms back and forth.
"You'll see my face in every painting. At all the biggest parties I'll be making the scene!" Caeldori sprinted ahead of the trio to pose to the audience in the training yard; her arms outstretched as she smiled.
"We're gonna be spouses! A fiance idol worshiped by our loves! We're gonna be spouses! I'll be a-" The trio sang out while Ryoma and Laslow caught up to Caeldori.
"Spouse!" Caeldori called out as she posed.
"Spouse!" Laslow, who was slightly taller than Caeldori, posed behind her.
"Spouse!" Ryoma, the tallest of the three, posed behind Laslow. Unfortunately, they all lost their balance and fell on top of each other. The crowd cheered uproariously, and Keaton had fallen on his back from laughter.
"Told you it builds confidence." Laslow reminded them as he felt Ryoma and Caeldori struggle to stand up.
"Ow," Caeldori exclaimed as she stood up and dusted herself off.
Subaki, who had watched from afar, began to stride to Kamui who was at the accessory shop. He opened the door to see Kamui talking to Azura.
"Why in the name of the gods do I need five cabbages to buy a pink beret?" Kamui asked as he paced in front of the counter.
"Kamui, you know I don't write the rules of this establishment. Just hand me the vegetables and you can get your hat." Azura leaned against the other side of the counter; an incredibly bored look was on her face as her hand supported her head.
"Tell your manager they can keep their stupid hat." Kamui set the beret back on the brown wooden shelf.
"You are the manager. You built this shop, for goodness sake." Azura's voice was devoid of emotion as she glanced at Subaki.
"Am I interrupting something?" Subaki questioned.
"No, not at all, in fact, I was just about to leave," Kamui stated as he walked to Subaki's side. The pair walked out of the shop.
"Come again soon," Azura muttered underneath her breath. Her thoughts drifted back to Laslow, as she was still wondering when he was going to propose to her.
"So, did you hear that little performance Caeldori was having outside?" Subaki asked as he walked with Kamui through the central courtyard of the castle.
"No. What did I miss?" Kamui questioned while arching his eyebrows.
"Just Caeldori proposing her love for you, and saying she wants to 'fly around in a fancy steed' with you." Subaki stopped walking at the bench underneath the tree.
"Dear gods..." Kamui shook his head as he sat down on the bench. "Doesn't it bother you that your daughter is madly in love with your friend?"
"Well…" Subaki looked to the side; his red ponytail flapped in the wind.
"Are you kidding me?" Kamui was completely appalled at Subaki while he stood up.
"I just think you would make a good husband for her is all I'm saying." Subaki laughed awkwardly as he continued to sit.
"But I like her as a friend, not as a wife!" Kamui began yelling, which caught the attention of Caeldori as she trained close by. She didn't hear what Kamui had just said but decided it would benefit her if she listened in on them.
"I know, and that's your decision. I just think it would be nice if you two would stay apart," Subaki said before coughing. Caeldori gasped in shock, her own father disproving her love for Kamui sent a chill through her spine.
She quickly scurried into the castle in a flurry of rage and sadness. Subaki stopped coughing and began to speak.
"I think it would be nice if you two stayed apart for less than thirty minutes every day."
"I honestly can't believe you right now." Kamui stomped towards the castle while Subaki continued to sit on the bench.
"I think that worked out nicely." Subaki thought to himself before following Kamui into the castle.
Kamui entered the spacious main room of the castle to see Caeldori tapping her foot on the red carpet; her arms were folded while she had a disgusted look on her face.
"Can you honestly believe what my father said?" She began walking towards him. Kamui was taken aback that she had listened in on his conversation.
"Wait, you heard that?" Kamui tilted his head as Caeldori stood directly in front of him.
"Of course I heard about how my father wants to control my romantic feelings!" She was livid now, as her cheeks flushed as she looked over Kamui's shoulder. "There he is now, that scoundrel."
"Kamui, can I talk to my daughter in private please?" Subaki placed his hand on Kamui's shoulder.
"Sure, do whatever you two want. It's not like my feelings matter or anything." Kamui shook his shoulder to remove Subaki's hand from it; his blood was practically boiling inside his skin. He stomped out of the castle while muttering curses underneath his breath. "That was sarcastic, by the way!" Kamui yelled from the doorway.
"Is there a reason you look angry?" Subaki asked as Caeldori avoided eye-contact with him.
"Because you think I shouldn't be with Kamui." She said while her head was turned to the side. Subaki raised his eyebrows.
"What!? Oh, you must have misheard me when I coughed. I said I wanted Kamui and you to stay apart for only thirty minutes a day." Subaki placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. Caeldori slowly turned her head; her red eyes beamed with delight. "I think he would be the perfect husband for my perfect daughter."
"Really?" Caeldori asked with excitement in her tone. "Thank you, father!" She tore out of the castle, leaving Subaki with a smile on his face.
"All according to plan." He mumbled to himself before coughing furiously.
Kamui paced the courtyard while grumbling to himself about how Subaki could not care less about his opinions. Selena interrupted his train of thought by throwing a rock at him.
"Ow! What the!?" Kamui grunted as he rubbed his shoulder.
"Well, that got your attention," Selena stated before striding towards him. "I need your help with something. It's about Lady Camilla."
"You could've gotten my ear in a more pleasant way, you know," Kamui suggested as Selena stood directly at his front.
"That wouldn't be fun now, would it?" Selena mocked him as she folded her arms. "Anyway, Lady Camilla's getting worse with her guy-craze." Selena was interrupted by the sound of screaming coming from the courtyard.
"Get away from me, you crazy psycho!" Niles yelled as he sprinted through the center yard. Camilla flew after him on her dragon, which knocked several people to the ground just with its wingspan.
"Just one kiss is all I want, you dashing rogue!" Camilla screamed after him, as she slowly but surely gained speed on her prey.
"See what I mean?" Selena pointed to the white-haired man running for his life. "You gotta help me find a guy for her, or else she's gonna exhaust herself trying to find someone."
"So why do you need me to help you?" Kamui asked, still gaping at his sister's determination to get a mate.
"Because you're her sister, idiot. You know her better than I do, and I've known her for eight years!" Selena's voice was rising in aggression.
"Well, we could set her up with Ryoma…" Kamui suggested before his voice trailed off, watching as Niles was lifted off the ground by the dragon's talons.
"The lobster?" Selena tilted her head.
"Why does everyone say he's a lobster?! He looks nothing like a crustacean!" Kamui turned his gaze to his brother.
"His armor's red, and he's got little antennae." Selena pointed to the little strands of dark brown hair that fell over Ryoma's faceplate.
"Gods dammit, he does look like a lobster." Kamui sighed, only now realizing how long Ryoma's hair was. "Regardless, I already planned on forcing Ryoma and Camilla to spend the night together at the Bottomless Canyon."
"That's so stupid of an idea, it just might work." Selena paced back and forth in a line while she thought. "Okay, so tonight I'll dump Camilla at the edge of the canyon on that little island near the abandoned fort. You can leave Ryoma on the other side of the bridge where he'll build a camp or something. Camilla will migrate to Ryoma's side, where they'll sleep together and get 'acquainted'." Selena made little air quotes with her fingers; a lewd expression was on her face.
"Sounds good to me." Kamui began walking away before Selena yelled to him.
"What time should we drop them off?" She yelled, not caring if others heard her or not.
"At night, I guess?" Kamui shrugged his shoulders as the midday sun shone above him. He continued to walk aimlessly until his gaze settled on a brown-haired man who stood in the training yard by himself; he gave the training dummy a severe case of acupuncture with his sword. "You must be Hisame." Kamui grabbed a practice wooden sword off the dirt as he approached the man.
"Oh, hello Lord Kamui!" The man dropped his sword and bowed to Kamui. "My name is indeed Hisame. Do you wish to train together?"
"Indeed." Kamui pointed to another wooden sword on the ground. Hisame grabbed it and got into a fighting stance. "Ready?"
"Yes, sir." Hisame nodded his head and lunged at Kamui. He slashed upward toward the blue sky above; Kamui parried the blow and followed up with an overhead strike.
This continued for five minutes before the two realized they were equally matched; both of them paused and gasped for breath.
"Damn, you're good." They stated simultaneously while sweat began trickling down their foreheads.
Caeldori walked by, and Kamui watched as Hisame's gaze followed her.
"She's so beautiful…" Hisame whispered underneath his breath. Kamui patted him on the shoulder.
"You like her, right?" Kamui asked as Hisame jerked his body backward.
"Gah! How did you know?" Hisame blushed as he looked solemnly to the floor.
"You stared at her for ten whole seconds while blushing."
"That's a flimsy excuse if I ever heard one!" Hisame's tone was rising, and Kamui noted his flustered nature. "Can we please get back to sparring?"
"As you wish, lover boy." Kamui teased him and fought the urge to laugh when Hisame sprang to attack. "I saw that coming from a mile away!" Kamui sidestepped the boy's sword and countered with a horizontal slash.
Two figures walked along the edge of a massive ravine as the sky darkened. Dead trees swayed in the cold breeze, and the purple-haired figure let out a shiver as leaves crunched underneath her boots.
"So where are we going?" Camilla asked to her retainer. Camilla's gloves did a fine job of preventing her hands from falling off, although she couldn't say the same for her chest and hind quarters. "Whoever designed this armor was either a pervert of a genius." She thought. "Wait a minute… I made these clothes." Camilla laughed to herself quietly.
"We're at the Bottomless Canyon to get some rare flowers that grow here." Selena reminded her as a chill breeze drifted by. "Now this is where the flowers should be." Selena pointed to a red flower that stood out from the dead plants and weeds, almost like a beacon of sorts.
Camilla bent over to examine it, which was Selena's cue to initiate the plan. "Sorry!" Selena yelled as she shoved Camilla to the ground, and sprinted across the bridge into the woods.
Camilla looked up to see that her retainer had left, and felt that she should promptly execute her for treason when she got back to the castle. The single problem was that leaving the castle was a one-way trip, in that the only way to get back once someone had left was standing near Kamui when he chanted his incantation to return. This meant that Camilla was effectively stranded at the Bottomless Canyon by herself.
"So Ryoma, you know the plan?" Kamui asked as he sat next to Ryoma on a fallen log. The two of them had made a suitable camp that consisted of a tent and a lit fire.
"Wait until Camilla comes, spend the night with her, then wait until you come tomorrow morning to pick us up." Ryoma restated what Kamui had drilled into his mind an hour earlier. Suddenly, a figure burst out of the nearby overgrowth, revealing herself to be Selena.
"Kamui, it's... time to… hah... go." She panted for breath as she doubled over. "Man, do I need to train more."
"See you tomorrow, brother." Ryoma smiled as he watched Kamui depart with Selena in a flash of blue. Now began the process of finding Camilla, who was supposedly across the nearby bridge.
He calmly walked along the rickety bridge while refusing to look down at the looming abyss of the canyon. "Is anyone there?" He called out while looking left and right to see where Camilla was.
"Ryoma, is that you?" A voice called out. A voice that was definitely not Camilla's.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" Ryoma gripped the hilt of his sword, Raijinto, as a figure approached. She wore red plate armor, with short blond hair and a very tomboyish look to her. Her orange eyes lacked a pupil and had noticeable a sag underneath them, and she had a blue bandana wrapped around the top of her head.
"It's me, Scarlet." She stated before slowly approaching him. Her gait was most unusual, as it resembled a reanimated corpse shambling across the ground. "You know, your first love who Kamui slaughtered?"
"That's preposterous! Kamui never killed anyone who didn't deserve it!" Ryoma struggled to remember this girl, but his mind was drawing a blank.
"Oh, poor, poor Ryoma. Too stubborn to admit his little brother is a cheat and a scoundrel. He killed me to save his own skin!" Scarlet continued her advance as Ryoma backed away from her, desperately trying to maintain his resolve. "Don't worry sweetie, I'll put you out of your misery." She grabbed her steel ax from her backside while licking her lips; a positively deranged look was on her face.
Scarlet let out a roar of triumph as she slashed her ax downward. Ryoma parried the blow with his sword, and sparks of lightning bounced off the blade. Scarlet attempted to strike again, but Ryoma continued to block every blow.
"Who are you?" Ryoma thoughts flew into a panic while the eerie grin on this girl's face did little to ease his confusion.
"Your first love!" Scarlet responded as her strikes quickened. Before she could continue, she was knocked to the ground by a flash of purple.
"Camilla!?" Ryoma attempted to feign confusion; Camilla could tell he was lying through his teeth as she pressed Scarlet to the ground.
"Help me kill this thing already!" Camilla clenched her jaw as she enclosed Scarlet's cold hands with her own. The blond girl's feet were kicking and contorting in a struggle to throw Camilla off. Her knee swung directly into Camilla's hips, and given that the princess' armor was not covering her hips, Camilla drew back while grunting in pain as Scarlet stood up.
"You wanna gang up on a girl, huh?" The sag in her eyes was growing larger and larger. Ryoma hurried to Camilla's side as he brought his sword out before them. "Good thing I have the divine power of Anankos on my side!"
Scarlet began to rise off the ground while storm clouds swirled in the darkened sky above. She brought her hand toward the sky and grinned with delight as a bolt of lightning struck her fingers. "My god gives me the power of storms! What do your crummy gods give you?" Puffs of clouds began to attach themselves to Scarlet until only her head peeked out of a grey ball of smog. "A big, fat nothing, that's what!" The skies above were completely filled with dark clouds.
"Oh, for gods sake, someone please shut her up already!" Camilla used Ryoma's burly shoulder to pull herself up while she glared. Her silver ax was now grasped tightly in her hands.
The collection of smog that Scarlet encased herself in began to contort and stretch. Two talons emerged from the ball; lightning crackled within its claws. A pair of wings followed, and the sound of thunder broke the silence while the appendages flapped.
"Look at me now, Ryoma!" A reptilian head emerged while flashes of lightning sparked within the body of this beast. While it continued to flap its wings, it let out a mighty roar. "I'm an unstoppable dragon!" Ryoma noticed that the dragon's voice sounded like a deeper version of Scarlet's.
"Why can't this just be a normal night?" Ryoma let out a sigh as his eyes widened. He really was not eager to fight a dragon made of literal storm clouds.
"There's a time for complaining, and there's a time for running." Camilla glanced over to the Hoshidan King, then back to their opponent. "And I think this is the time for the latter."
Ryoma and Camilla began to sprint back across the bridge and into the forest of dead trees. Scarlet let out a roar in her new form as she followed after them, which did little to calm Ryoma's accelerating heartbeat. Camilla's purple locks were now flowing behind her and revealing her pair of violet eyes.
Camilla glanced behind her as her eyes widened. "Duck!" She yelled; Ryoma deduced that she was not talking about the species of waterfowl, but rather the action of crouching to avoid something.
A sharp pair of talons snatched at the air where Ryoma and Camilla's heads were; the two could feel the heat of Scarlet's claws from above their scalps.
Ryoma's metallic foot braces continued to clink along the dirt floor of the canyon as Scarlet flew in the same direction they were running in. Naturally, she was faster and began to climb through the air. Ryoma was rather happy that he was spending time with Camilla, but he preferred to not be chased by a homicidal thunder dragon in that time.
Scarlet stopped going forward as she took a sharp left. She continued to soar through the air, only now she was charging headfirst at Ryoma and Camilla.
"I've got you now!" Her voice was rising in pitch with every second. Ryoma and Camilla dove to the left as Scarlet dragged her talons through the ground.
Camilla picked her head off the ground and noticed that Scarlet was now standing upright. Her gigantic wings were lax and unmoving as they seemed to stretch out into the sky.
Without warning, Scarlet began to stomp toward the two as they picked themselves off the ground. Her claws crushed the twigs underneath them as she leaned over Ryoma. "You went and got me mad!"
Ryoma dove out of the way as Scarlet slammed her head into the dirt. He looked to where her face was and noticed that it was lodged into the ground in a comical manner. Scarlet struggled to pull her nose out of the dirt, which gave Ryoma the opportunity to mount a counter attack.
He wrapped his hands around Scarlet's neck as she pulled her face out of the ground. Ryoma felt the odd, almost wool-like texture of her body as she reared her head back and let out a deafening roar. The breeze caused his hair to flap in the wind like a kite while he firmly held on for dear life.
Scarlet began to rise higher into the air as Ryoma clung to her neck. Camilla watched from the ground with a sense of awe on her visage.
"Go for the eyes!" Camilla called out. Ryoma grunted as Scarlet pulled her head down.
In the blink of an eye, Scarlet flicked her neck up, and Ryoma lost his grip as he was catapulted through the air. He sailed directly upward as wind lashed his face, and he gazed below him to see Scarlet positioning her open mouth to where Ryoma was going to land.
"This is the end for me…" He thought until he remembered that he had a legendary Hoshidan sword at his side. "Wait, this gives me an idea!" Ryoma grabbed the hilt of his blade while he fell through the air.
Camilla gazed on in horror as Ryoma was swallowed whole by the large dragon, who laughed maniacally as she began to descend.
"Yum! Who knew steamed lobster tasted so good?" Scarlet cackled, then felt something sting inside her gut. "Ow, what was that?"
She began to flap her wings desperately as she rose into the sky. Her entire body convulsed and spasmed as she climbed; a series of coughing noises echoed from her mouth. Tufts of her cloudy body began to dissipate and fall off.
The storm clouds that were blocking out the moon began to move away, and a glowing beam of moonlight enveloped Scarlet as she let out one final wheeze.
A glowing sword emerged from her stomach and made a diagonal cut along her belly. Scarlet exploded in a blaze of clouds while tufts of her body dotted the ground; Camilla noted the resemblance between the cloudy fragments and snowflakes. Camilla also noted that someone had fallen out of the explosion.
Wind lashed at Ryoma's face as he fell through the air. He spread his arms out wide and noticed that a pile of fluff had accumulated on the ground. Ryoma flipped himself so that he would land on his posterior, then felt himself become enveloped by the lump of clouds. He felt as though he had landed on a pile of wool, and felt no pain while he attempted to climb out of the pile.
A gloved pair of hands reached into the lump and grabbed Ryoma by the shoulders. He emerged into the moonlight, as Camilla was revealed to be the one who yanked him out.
"That was incredibly awe-inspiring." She smiled at the king, who meekly smiled back. "May I ask what you're doing here?"
"Kamui thought it would be funny to leave me here for the night," Ryoma stated as he felt the warmth of Camilla's hand, who were now clasping his own. Camilla looked down at her fists and chuckled mildly as she pulled them away.
"Funny you should say that, as Selena performed the exact same maneuver on me." Camilla looked up at the ray of moonlight where Scarlet used to be and noticed something descend to the ground. "Say, what is that?" She pointed to the object.
It was a snow-white robe that was adorned with wings and a halo at its crown. Ryoma waded his feet through the remains of Scarlet until he stood before the object.
"This is a Seraph Robe. It will increase the vitality of whoever uses it," He stated. Camilla walked beside him and looked down at the thing. "After you." Ryoma stood to the side and pointed to the robe.
"Really? For me?" Camilla smiled as she lifted the robe off the ground, then watched as it transformed into a ball of green energy. The energy flowed through her hands and directly into her body; Camilla felt a surge of power and health. "Why thank you, Ryoma. Now, back to more pressing issues. Do you have a camp set up?" Camilla adjusted her purple locks until her left eye was covered.
"As a matter of fact, I do. Follow me." Ryoma motioned behind him with his hand as he trudged through the fluffy piles. Camilla followed after him.
Once they had made it to the camp, Ryoma felt as though he was exceptionally tired, so he began to remove his armor. Seeing as he was shirtless, Camilla couldn't help but stare at his bulging muscles, and his rock-like chest.
"Gods, how much time must one spend training to attain that level of fitness?" Camilla thought. She felt exhausted as well, so she began to remove her armor until all that covered her was her brassiere. She threw her armor into a little pile separate from Ryoma's and felt a cold breeze waft by.
Ryoma entered the tent and laid down under a covering while Camilla followed; A good distance was in between the two while they laid on their backs. "Good night." She spoke.
"Good night," Ryoma repeated as he laid on his side. He couldn't tear his eyes off her face, while the desire to hold her in his arms was burning deep in his core. "How long have I stayed awake at night, longing for the feeling of her body against my own?" Ryoma sighed as he attempted the most dangerous thing he'd ever done; more dangerous than letting himself be engorged by a massive weather dragon, or jumping into the Bottomless Canyon because his siblings claimed it was safe.
He reached his hand out to Camilla's and clasped her fingers softly as pleasing sensations shot through his nerves.
"Excuse me?!" Camilla rolled to her side, and her arms and stomach were crushing Ryoma's hand while she furrowed her brow. "What exactly do you think you're doing!?"
"Sorry! I wasn't thinking and I thought-" Ryoma struggled to pull his hand away from underneath her midriff, but was unsuccessful.
"Wait a minute." Camilla grabbed his wrist sternly as she began to think. "You like me." Her eyes drifted over his features. "What a coincidence that you and I got stranded together at the canyon. Almost as if Kamui and Selena…" Camilla gasped as Ryoma began to sweat; his cheeks were flush and sweat was trickling down his face. "They set us up."
"No. It's just pure luck that we both got stranded." Ryoma attempted to save face but Camilla was not in the mood.
"Don't give me that wyvern dung. Selena set us up." Camilla was practically seething with rage. "When I get back, she's in for a world of hurt."
"Okay, yes, Kamui and Selena set us up." Ryoma pleaded. "But they did it because you were practically killing yourself chasing after bachelors! They knew that I have feelings for you, so they figured they could introduce us."
Camilla paused and looked to the floor as she bit her lip. Ryoma's hand was still trapped underneath her.
"So that's why you carried me to the infirmary last night." Camilla began rolling closer to Ryoma; fear was sent through his thoughts as he shuddered. She stopped her advance when she was directly next to him and began dragging her finger along his chest, which was toned and sturdy from his training regiment. She began to consider him, given that he had fought a lightning dragon and won.
"What are you doing?" Ryoma looked down to his chest before Camilla grabbed the back of his head and felt the silky texture of his hair.
"Kissing you." Camilla smiled as she pressed her soft lips to his own; his arm that she laid atop was now draped over her smooth back.
For those who don't get the Seraph Robe joke, it was a reference to the fact that beating any boss in The Legend of Zelda gives you a heart container.