Robin snapped her eyes open, awoken by nature's call. She fidgeted uncomfortably under the blankets, unwilling to leave the pleasant warmth of her bed. Eventually, her bursting bladder got the better of her, forcing her to sit up.
She regretted her decision as her blanket fell from her shoulders, allowing a frigid breeze to wash over her. The cold air sent shivers down her spine, almost making her duck back down into the warm embrace of her sheets. The sleepy woman reached a hand down the side of her bed, trying to feel for the chamber pot beneath. She found what she was looking for, flinching as her fingers touched the cool porcelain surface.
Pulling the pot out from underneath, she began to pull down her pants until she heard a snort from behind her. She instantly froze, snapping out of her sleepy daze as she remembered that she was sharing her room with Nelson. Her head snapped around, eyes wide as she stared at the mage that lay on the couch.
In the faint moonlight, she saw his sleeping form, curled up in a fetal position. His eyes shut as his body rose and fell with his soft breathing. His cloak covered most of his body, the golden trimming of which shone in the moonlight as in hung from his person.
Robin was brought back to reality as she fought back the urge to relieve herself. She hesitated for a moment, her mind racing through her options. Daring not to even breath, she gingerly placed the pot below her, bracing herself for what came next. She paused for a long while, debating whether she should turn back now. She slowly squatted down, mustering her resolve as she bared herself. Although she was hidden behind the bed, her legs quivered as if the entire world was watching. She shut her eyes tight, emptying her bladder into the chamber pot. Robin winced as the tinkling sound of water hitting the ceramic resounded throughout the room, praying to Naga that she did not wake her sleeping companion.
After what seemed like an eternity, Robin let out a gasp, grasping onto her bedsheets as she took deep breaths. Never before had she felt so tense in her life. Her heartbeat was deafening, ringing in her ear as she tried to pull up her pants with one hand. Sweat rolled down her forehead, dripping down on the rug beneath.
Thanks to the ordeal, she was now hyper-aware of her surroundings. Her heightened senses allowing her to detect everything in the room. The cool autumn air on her bare skin, the smell of leftover food on the table, the sound of Nelson's soft breathing, the clicking of someone tinkering with a lock.
Wait. The clicking of someone tinkering with a lock?
She instantly crouched down behind the bed, her eyes focusing on the entrance to the room. Sure enough, there was a faint click-clack noise as the lock on the door twitched in the moonlight. She gathered mana in her good hand, holding her breath as she took aim at the door.
The mechanism unlocked with an audible clack, rotating to the side. The door crept forward, slowly swinging open. Robin observed watched as a man inched into the room, glancing left and right as he crept inside. A cloth bandanna covered the bottom of his nose and mouth, obscuring his face. His body was covered by a black cloak that melding with the darkness behind him, further concealing his movements. Her eyes caught a glint of moonlight, reflecting off the small dagger in his left hand.
'Fire!' She thought, flexing her wrist at the sharply. A fireball burst forth from her hand, temporarily illuminating the area as it whizzed across the room.
The masked man's head snapped towards the incoming spell, eyes wide with surprise. Unable to react in time, the fireball caught him in the shoulder. He shouted in pain as the fire burned through his cloak, singeing the skin underneath.
Nelson woke with a start as the fire illuminated the room, tumbling off the couch and onto the floor. He mumbled groggily as he flailing about the carpet, scrambling to get his bearings
The intruder focused in on Robin's location, dashing towards her, his blade flashing in the moonlight. Robin ducked below the bed, letting the attacker pass overhead. She quickly stood up, slamming her shoulder into the man's stomach. A loud grunt came from the intruder as the impact threw him against the wall, spittle flying from his lips.
Robin did not miss a beat, grabbing the chamber pot beside her. She smashed the porcelain craft over his head, shattering the pot. The man cried in pain as the shards of ceramic cut his face, the foul-smelling liquid within stinging his wounds. Robin gripped the handle of the broken pot tight, stabbing it into the intruder's throat. The man fell over dead, gurgling weakly as blood bubbled out his mouth.
Out of the corner of her eye, Robin saw a second intruder lunge towards hers him, his dagger poised to stab into her back. However, as soon as he moved past the dresser, a black bolt struck him in the side, throwing him sideways. He groaned in agony, convulsing on the floor as the dark magic seeped into his body.
"You gotta wake me up for these things," Nelson mumbled disgruntledly, black magic coalescing around his hands, "Don't just try to take everything on by yourself."
Robin nodded gratefully, finishing the downed man off with an elfire spell.
Suddenly, two more cloaked figures emerged from the shadows, rushing at them with blades drawn. Their eyes flashed in the moonlight, glowering with murderous intent.
Robin grabbed her sword off the table, clashing blades with one of them as he pounced on her. Sparks flew off their weapons as steel met with steel, The intruder pulled his weapon away, only to strike back with frightening speed. Robin tried her best to parry his stabs, managing to get away with only a few cuts on her arm. However, her and lack of sleep and experience were beginning to show. The tactician winced as the man scored a long slash along her thigh, blood dripping down her leg.
'Alright, change of plans,' Robin thought to herself, dropping her weapon. She dodged the intruder's next attack, catching his wrist in her good hand. She dropped down, pulling the man with her as she rolled backwards. the man stumbled forward, struggling to pull his arm out of her grip but to no avail. She gathered mana in her hand as she planted her foot in his stomach, doing her best to replicate the manoeuvre she had seen Elaine pull off the other day. She released as she kicked the man away from her, throwing him behind her.
"Elwind!" She shouted, her arm outstretched. A gust of wind shot forth, propelling the intruder further. With a loud crash, the masked man flew out the window, screaming as he fell all the way down to the ground, landing with a wet smack.
The tactician turned to Nelson, watching as he finished off his crippled opponent with an elthunder spell point blank. The electricity fried the poor man's skull, blood leaking out his nose and ears as he collapsed on the floor.
"Alright, that's it," Nelson declared, his eyes burning with rage, "We kill the duke tonight."
"Wait!" Robin protested, sheathing her sword, "We don't know that it's him!"
"Oh really now?" The lanky mage asked, sarcasm dripping off his voice, "Then I'm sure he just casually left his door unlocked right? There's no way these guys just waltzed in on their own!"
"Maybe they broke in," Robin reasoned, racking her brain for other possibilities, "Maybe they were originally here to kill the duke and found us-"
"I highly doubt the people of Rosanne want to kill their own ruler," Nelson interrupted dryly, a grim look on his face.
He grabbed the cloak of one of the intruders, holding it up in the moonlight. Robin gasped as the Crest of Rosanne gazed back her, her heart sinking into her stomach.
"Wait, m-maybe they're acting on their own," Robin said, her voice, like her confidence, wavering in the face of the evidence, "Maybe they're a rebellious splinter group."
Just then, a note fell out of the man's pocket, rolled up and tied with a red string. Nelson picked it up, unrolling and reading its contents.
"It's a royal decree," He growled, crushing the note in his hands, "That son of a bitch! He baited us into staying the night here!"
Robin rocked backwards, mouth agape in shock. Had she really been fooled? She had always thought herself to be a great judge of character. Befriending the trustworthy and avoiding dishonest scoundrels. Was she truly deceived?
She froze up as her world began crumbling in on itself, doubt clawing away at her one trait she had prided herself on. A sickening feeling began to well in her stomach as her evaluation of her own self-worth began to drop, beginning to question her own right to her position as tactician.
She snapped out of her self-reflection as the familiar weight of her coat settled on her shoulders, bringing her back to reality.
"C'mon, let's go," Nelson whispered, pulling the dark fabric tight around her small frame, "We need to get out of here."
"R-Right..."
o - o - o - o - o - o - o
The duo made their way through the halls, their footsteps muffled as they walked on the soft carpet. While they moved, Robin stared ahead in a daze, trying to make sense of the facts at hand.
"Why... why would they attack us?" She asked aloud, her initial shock replaced by intrigue, "Rosanne has nothing to gain from a conflict with Valm."
"They would have a lot more land if they conquered us," Nelson replied briskly, opening his stride, "Plus one less competitor in ruling the continent if they were really planning far ahead."
"But even then, this is way too reckless," Robin quietly debated, struggling to keep pace, "I need to find the duke, maybe speaking with him can shed some light on the situation."
"Why?!" Nelson growled, shooting a glare back at Robin, "Are you really that desperate to die? Going to find the person who wants you dead?"
"I need to know the reason," Robin answered, almost tripping over the carpet, "I find it hard to imagine that a man that cares so much for its own beauty and people who want to engage in such a meaningless war."
"Well maybe you thought wrong," Nelson snapped, raising his voice, "Maybe Dukey Mc Dukeypants isn't as good of a man as you had originally thought."
Robin stopped in her tracks, halting in the middle of the hallway.
"What?" Nelson snapped, looking back at the stationary girl, "Why'd you stop?"
"What's your problem?" Robin asked, a hint of annoyance in her tone, "Ever since you met the duke, been rather rude and brusque. Care to explain why?"
Nelson clicked his tongue, glancing off to the side. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, fidgeting as he folded his arms.
"Look, I just don't trust that guy alright?" He explained, scratching the back of his neck, "He already attacked us once before and now he does it again? You were almost killed, Robin! Twice I might add."
Robin's face fell at his words, her silver hair covering her eyes. Her hand gripped her left arm, the pain reminding her that she had very nearly lost her arm entirely. She bit her lip, shuddering at the thought of what might have happened had her bladder not woken her up when it did.
"I understand that," Robin said slowly, her grip tightening, "But I don't understand why."
Nelson put his hand on hers, his large palm covering her small hand entirely. He gave her a gentle squeeze, comforting the unstable girl.
"I... can't say that I understand either," He muttered, his black eyes soft with emotion, "All I know is that I want to get you out of here safely. Please, Robin, Valm needs you."
"Nelson..." Robin trailed off, unable to find the right words.
"Okay, let's leave," She sighed, her shoulders sagging as she did, "If I die here, Naga knows what will to Valm with Excellus as its only brain."
Nelson laughed, cracking a small smirk.
"Atta girl," He chuckled, continuing down the hallway.
o - o - o - o - o - o - o
Nelson kicked open the door leading to the foyer, spells at the ready. Then he stopped, rocking back slightly, eyes going wide.
"What's going on?" Robin asked, pushing past the mage. She gasped in shock, needing to do a double take at the scene before her.
A large group of masked figures crowded a pair of people in the centre of the cavernous room, many with daggers drawn. A few more cloaked men stood hidden behind pillars, their bows almost imperceptible as they blended into the darkness. A few of them lay dead on the floor however, their blood splashed across the pillars and marble floor.
What surprised them the most was the person in the centre. It was Virion, the very person they thought to be the mastermind behind the assassination plot. His fancy clothes were now rags, torn and cut in multiple places. An arrow stuck lay stuck in his left thigh, blood oozing down his leg. His perfect hair was now dishevelled and matted, blood and grime plastering it to his skin. He was haggard and pale, his proud posture forgotten as he stood slouched over his injured leg. He held a bow in his left hand, an arrow nocked to its steel frame.
Next to him was Cherche, not much better off than her liege. She looked as if she had walked through the slaughterhouse, blood covering her newly-scratched armour. Her eyes darted from enemy to enemy, watching for her next opening. She briefly swept her long pink hair out of her face, letting it fall messily around her shoulders. She gripped a long battleaxe in her hands, her muscles twitching from the anticipation.
Two of the masked men leapt towards Virion from the circle, swinging their sharp daggers at the duke. Virion quickly spun on his good leg, letting his arrow fly. The first man dodged to the left, the shot whizzing past his chest. However, the next man was not so agile. He cried in anguish as the arrow buried itself in his neck, blood spurting out of his mouth as he fell over dead. Cherche darted over to the one that got through, heaving her axe in a large arc in front of her. The masked man brought up his blades to block the attack, crossing them over each other. The action proved futile as the battleaxe cleaved him in two, smashing through the metal effortlessly.
"They look to be in quite the pickle," Nelson muttered, still watching in shock, "Looks like I was wrong."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Robin hissed, shooting an elfire spell at one of the masked archers, "Let's go help them!"
The twin fireballs crashed into the cloaked man, setting him ablaze. He shrieked in pain as the flames burned him, rolling on the floor in a bid to put out the flames. All the people in the room turned, facing the newcomers. Robin quickly ran over to the railing, firing more spells into the crowd at the bottom. The masked assassins dispersed, avoiding the volley of fire that flew towards them. Cherche seized the opportunity, grabbing the duke and making a break for one of the pillars.
Some of the archers quickly drew their weapons, aiming at the silver-haired woman. Just as they were about to fire, a black wave flowed down the staircase, engulfing them in an inky embrace. The assassins began to choke, clutching their throats as froth bubbled out their mouths.
"I'll handle these guys," Nelson sighed, moving next to Robin, "Go check on those two."
The tactician nodded, throwing her legs over the railing as Nelson covered for her with his own magical barrage. She stuck out her hand below her as she fell, the wind whipping past her ears.
"Wind," She breathed, casting the air-based spell at her feet. A gale burst forth from her palm, cushioning her fall as she landed gracefully on the ground.
'Getting better at this wind manipulation,' She thought to herself as she dashed over to the injured pair. She ducked down into a roll as an arrow skimmed over her head, shaving off a few strands of hair.
"How are you both holding up?" She asked, taking cover behind the pillar.
"Not too good," Cherche grunted, her orange eyes weary with exhaustion, "Lord Virion can't really move as he is and my arms are just about to give out."
Virion nodded weakly, his breathing laboured as struggled to catch his breath. Robin reached into her coat, producing a pair of vials.
"Here, drink this," She instructed, handing a vial to both of the injured, "It will help with the pain."
They both nodded, doing as they were told and chugging the green liquid. Cherche immediately coughed when the bottle left her lips, shuddering as the bitter taste of the vulnerary lingered on her tongue.
"Cherche, can you help me apply pressure on the wound?" Robin asked, pulling out a roll of bandages from her pocket, "I need to take the arrow out."
She nodded, pressing her hands on Virion's leg. The duke winced in pain as Robin grabbed the arrow shaft, gritting his teeth together.
"I'm pulling it out now," She said calmly, allowing Virion to brace himself, "In three... two.. one..."
The teal-haired man screamed through his teeth, shutting his eyes tightly as Robin yanked out the arrow. Not wasting any time, Robin quickly bandaged the wound, the white cloth quickly turning red from the blood beneath.
"That should do for now," She muttered, drawing her blade, "Now it's time to take care of those guys."
She peeked out from behind the pillar, surveying the battlefield. More dead assassins lay around the foyer, struck dead by Nelson's lightning magic. Most of the survivors had been forced back behind the opposite pillars, with only a few in a position to return fire. Even then, whenever one poked their head out to take a shot, a black bolt would swiftly neutralise him. The sorcerer had done a good job of locking down the battlefield.
She quickly darted towards the opposing side, her purple eyes glinting with focus. One of the assassins shot an arrow at her, getting a hex from Nelson for his troubles. Robin deftly deflected the arrow, cutting the shaft in two with her blade. She slid past one of the pillars, stabbing the man hiding behind. Blood spilt out his mouth as the tactician gutted him, driving her blade deeper into his stomach.
From his back, another assassin quickly struck at her injured arm, lunging forward with his dagger. She quickly dropped her weapon, dodging the attack. With lightning quick reflexes, she caught his hand in an underarm grip, holding it tight. Pivoting on her right leg, she lashed out with her left, kicking the man away from her. The masked man screamed as his arm hyperextended, his shoulder popping out of its socket. He bent over on the floor, clutching his arm as he howled in pain.
Robin immediately retrieved her weapon, moving on to the next pillar. She clashed blades with the man taking cover in its shadow, both refusing to budge. She swiftly kicked him in the stomach, sending him tumbling backwards and out of the safety of the column. Once out of the safety of cover, he was quickly turned into a pincushion, arrows sticking out of his neck and chest.
One of the archers drew his bow, releasing an arrow towards her. She avoided the projectile, shielding her left arm from the impact as she rolled o the side. A loud shout made her look up, coming face to face with one of the masked assassins as he raised his dagger high above her. She quickly curled up defensively, bracing herself for the blow.
The blow never came; the man was decapitated by a large axe that swung around from the other side of the pillar. A pink haired woman round the marble column, swinging her axe at another masked assassin and splitting him in twain.
"Cherche!" Robin cried in surprise, regaining her footing, "Why are you here?"
"Thought you could use the help," The other woman replied, spinning her battleaxe around, "Plus, Lord Virion's pretty well covered by your boyfriend up there."
"He's not my boyfriend," Robin deadpanned, surging forward and swinging her sword, "More like... a close companion."
Her sword struck one of the cloaked figures' daggers, the force of the strike knocking his weapon out of his hand. She brought her knee up into his stomach, winding him as she smashed his face with the pommel of her weapon. A sickening crack resounded through the room as the metal met his masked mug, breaking his nose on impact. The man screamed in agony, curling into a ball, burying his head in his hands.
More screaming filled the hall as Cherche sunk her axe into another masked figure, the blade cutting all the way from his shoulder to his hip.
"She's like a female Walhart," Robin muttered in awe as she watched the pink-haired attendant yanked her weapon out of the dying man, proceeding to hack away at another.
Suddenly, Robin felt something sharp pierce her back, pain bursting forth from the spot she had been hit. She let out a cry as she bent over, the arrow sticking out of her for all to see.
"Robin!" Cherche shouted, leaning over the trembling woman, "Are you alright?"
"I'll survive," The tactician replied in a strained voice, dropping her sword, "But he won't."
She quickly turned to her attacker, firing an elfire spell. The archer leapt to the side, the fireballs striking the space where he had been. Robin had already anticipated this, preemptively firing a wind spell at where he was going to land. The gust blew him off his feet, sending him tumbling forward onto the floor. Nelson did not waste any time, frying the poor man with a couple of elthunder spells.
"Let me help you with that," Cherche offered, grabbing the arrow in Robin's back. She held the shaft firmly in a two-handed grip, swiftly snapping it off at the base near her shoulder. Robin shuddered violently as the pain coursed through her body, sucking in air through her clenched teeth.
"Thanks," Robin gasped, spinning around to face her opponents, "I'll wrap it up later."
The remaining assassins made a break for the door, deciding that they were not going to win this battle. They quickly reached the entrance, kicking the wooden double doors wide open. Cherche suddenly brought her fingers to her lips, whistling loudly. An ear-splitting roar came from outside the mansion, forcing Robin and many of the masked men to cover their ears. Robin's eyes went wide as a massive scaled beast descended on the escaping assailants, massacring them with serrated fangs and sharp claws. One of the more fortunate ones did not meet his end at the beast's claws, getting smacked by its powerful tail instead. The blow sent him flying, colliding into the side of the mansion. He coughed up blood from the impact, crumpling over in a heap.
Cherche toted her axe on her shoulder as she sauntered over to the reptilian monster, a smile on her lips.
"Good job, Minerva," She crooned, reaching up and scratching the crest of the creature. The oversized lizard purred gutturally, wagging its tail in pleasure.
"What is that?" Robin asked, quivering in fear at the sight of the gigantic beast.
"She's a wyvern," Cherche chirped proudly, hugging the dragon, "Don't you think she's just the cutest thing?"
Robin gulped as she took a good look at the large wyvern. Its black scales shone in the moonlight with an unmatched lustre, blending into the night sky. The scales transitioned from black to grey as they approached the underbelly of the dragon, becoming more softer and smoother. It spread its massive leathern wings, almost as if to show itself off to the tactician. It gazed at Robin with yellow eyes, a smug look on its reptilian maw.
"Well... I don't know about cute," Robin said hesitantly, scratching the back of her head, "But I do think she's really pretty."
"Why thank you, Robin," The wyvern knight said politely, smiling at the shorter woman, "Minerva is very flattered, isn't that right?"
The large dragon purred again, this time even louder than before.
"Ladies," Nelson called out, ambling down the stairs, "While it's nice that both of you are getting along, we have other things to take care of."
Both women turned, seeing the two injured assassins still writhing on the floor.
"Robin, can you handle those two?" Cherche asked, patting the tactician on the shoulder, "I have to take care of my dear Minerva here."
The silver-haired woman nodded, making her way over to where Nelson and Virion were waiting. They walked over to the one with the broken nose, surrounding him. He looked up from his hands, cowering as Nelson approached him.
"Alright pal, wanna tell me who sent you?" Nelson asked in an uncharacteristically nice voice, even cracking a smile, "If you cooperate, we can both walk away happy."
The man grunted, a scowl on his face as he turned away from the mage. Nelson let out a sigh, pulling out a small knife from under his robes. He grabbed the cloaked man's hand, stabbing the back of his palm. The man howled in agony as pain coursed through his body, struggling to free his hand from Nelson's grasp.
"Look, I'm not a very patient person," Nelson growled dangerously, his pleasant demeanour gone, "Tell me what you know or I'm taking a finger next."
To emphasize his point, the mage pressed the knife against the man's index finger, drawing blood as the blade cut the skin.
"Not... t-telling you... anything..." The man gasped, his breathing becoming laboured, "I'd rather... d-die... than r-risk... you... knowing."
Suddenly, he convulsed violently, hyperventilating as the whites of his eyes became visible. All three backed away from the man, watching as he writhed on the floor. Then he ceased his struggle, tears leaking out his eyes as his body twitched unnaturally.
"What just happened?" Virion asked, cautiously approaching the man, "Is he dead?"
Robin briskly strode over to the man, putting her fingers to his neck.
"No, but he will soon be," She said grimly, examining his mouth, "He's stopped breathing."
"Poison pills?" Nelson questioned, a look of disdain of his face, "Effective, but immoral."
"Most likely," The tactician replied, scooping out a white chalky substance from the dead man's teeth with a finger, "Probably hemlock from the looks of it. How's our other man doing?"
"Alas, he too has passed on," Virion lamented, looking over at the other motionless body, "Now, we are without any leads."
"We still have one," Nelson said, looking the duke straight in the eye, "Aren't they your men?"
"What?!" Virion shouted indignantly, glaring at the mage, "Are you daft? Why would a dashing nobleman like myself order my loyal soldiers to put me to the blade?"
"No, not you," Robin explained, trying to calm down the fiery duke, "what we're trying to say is that maybe someone within your army is trying to assassinate you."
"But Rosanne lacks an army," He said, resting a hand on his hip, "The town's guard is all the military might we have."
"Oh really? You don't have a spy unit?" Nelson asked, suspicion written all over his face, "Then what about those cloaks with your symbol?!"
"What cloaks do you speak of?" Virion asked, genuine confusion on his face, "The only clothing articles we emblazon with our proud crest are the armour of the town's guard."
Robin looked back and forth between the two men. Something was obviously wrong here. Either she and Nelson had the wrong idea, or the duke was an incredible actor.
"Robin," Cherche called out, an off tone in her voice, "Can I ask you something?"
The tactician nodded to the wyvern knight as she sauntered over to the group, a slight frown on her face. In one hand, she held one of the hooded men's cloaks and a piece of parchment in the other.
"I know you probably didn't do this but..." She said, throwing the black fabric on the floor, "But what's the meaning of this?"
Robin's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as she stared at the cloak on the ground. The royal crest of Valm stared back at her, glinting in the moonlight. Nelson too had his eyes glued to the cloth, speechless as his mouth hung open.
"You were saying?" Virion asked, clearing his throat, "These are Valmese symbols, are they not? Why, they hardly look anything like our grand crest."
"Wait a minute," Nelson said, reaching into his pocket, "Then how do you explain this?"
He pulled out the crumpled note from before, showing the contents to the duke. Virion took the paper into his hands, a look of disbelief on his face.
"This is preposterous," He hissed, his hands shaking as he gripped the note tight, "To think that someone would be so impudent as to attempt to forge MY handwriting!"
"Well, I can assure you that Virion did not write that," Cherche vouched, handing the parchment in her hand to Robin, "Just like how I'm sure you didn't write that."
Robin unravelled the rolled piece of paper, squinting as she read its contents. It was a royal decree from Valm... or at least something that looked like it. At the bottom of the document was a scrawl that loosely resembled Excellus' signature.
"So this is the work of a third party?" She questioned, rolling up the forgery.
"I believe so," Virion agreed, theatrically pressing a hand to his forehead, "But who? That is the question?"
Suddenly, he sank to one side, Cherche catching him before he fell.
"What's wrong?" She asked, supporting her liege with her shoulder.
"M-My leg..." Virion gasped, wincing in pain, "Its condition has deteriorated considerably. I'm afraid we have to continue this discussion tomorrow my friends."
"No worries. Please, do go get yourself patched up," Robin said tiredly, slumping back on a pillar, "I'm going to go get some rest."
She involuntarily jolted back up as pain burst forth anew, completely forgetting about the stump of an arrow that was still in her back.
"Not so fast there," Cherche interjected, grabbing the tactician by the arm, "You too Robin, don't think I'm not going to let you go untreated as when you went out of your way to save us."
She nodded to Nelson, a small smile on the corner of her lips.
"You too, Nelson."
The lanky mage sighed, reluctantly following after the pink-haired wyvern rider as she dragged the other two out the room.
o - o - o - o - o - o - o
A/N:
Hey guys!
Grazyfish here!
I have been getting a few questions regarding the identity of some of the characters in this story so I'd thought I'd address them now.
Most of the characters that appear in this story are bosses/side bosses in the main game. I have been choosing who to use based on whether or not they appear in Walhart's army or are Valmese. So, yes, Nelson is that same asshole that blackmailed Severa into working for him in her paralogue. I chose to use him because, in his lore, it said that he used to be general for Walahrt's army.
So far, the only OC I have in this story is Elaine.
Who is probably one of the nameless pegasus knights you kill along the way :p
