World of Revelations
Anankos had been still for fifteen entire years. To an onlooking mortal, it would have been forgivable to think he was dead, or sleeping. Or perhaps meditating, as would befit a god of wisdom.
But to those with the royal bloodline, the energies that he was carefully crafting into one spell of unimaginable power were plain as day. Blinding, even. In what remained of their minds, the three Corrins stayed back from the spell's focal point, for fear of simply being vaporised by the intense power there. The many other puppets of strong troops had just as little ability to think, but the shred of logic that told them to stay away from something that was scaring off two dragons and the bearer of Ganglari held true.
And then, suddenly, the power vanished. The fabric of reality around the point Anankos had been focusing on cooled like a brick taken out of the kiln, setting into something stable again.
Fifteen years worth of effort were set out before the assembled troops. One dragon vein. Unlike most others, it didn't seem to just be a spring of power to be tapped into. The light was perfectly circular, and concentric, like a ripple on water that was captured on canvas.
"IT IS DONE. WE ARE READY." Announced Anankos, to nobody in particular. "ONCE THE WORLDS ARE JOINED... THEN OUR VICTORY SHALL BE SWIFT- GIVING LITTLE TIME TO REACT IS KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL ASSAULT."
The Corrins approached, carefully circling the concentration of power. It was unfathomable.
"IN THE NAME OF THE KING OF VALLA... I DECLARE WAR UPON NOHR AND HOSHIDO, AND I WILL TELL THEM WITH EACH OTHERS BLOOD."
Shigure fell to his knees, and an inkbrush clattered to the floor, ruining the old Hoshidan symbol he'd been making. "Gah! A-Aaaagh!" His head felt like it was being torn apart, and his blood was turning to hot steam. His entire sensory system was reduced to nothing but agony for a few seconds, and then it subsided, leaving the artist gasping for breath on the floor. "Gods... what..."
He heard running, and footsteps soon grew closer. The archduke, successor to Izana, ran into the room. "Shigure! I heard shouting, are you quite alright?!"
Shigure got up shakily, and managed to be steady on his feet. "I believe so... It felt like I was struck by an awful curse."
"I'll get Lilith to check up on you." Assured the archduke. "Whoever would dare to curse you will- I'll-" He was angry enough be incapable of even finishing his threat.
There was a boom of thunder outside. Shigure sat down, inspecting the large ink stain left on his everyday clothes. They were ruined. He sighed, and got up, walking over to his room.
As he walked, he expected Lilith to appear from seemingly nowhere as she always did when her father summoned her, and sweep him aside for a quick inspection with a staff. But she didn't. He went into the room, and shut the door.
Hm. Only that he was a bit pressed for clothes. Even as an ambiguous noble, he only had the ones he was wearing, one spare set that was currently being washed, and his rider's uniform.
Well, at least the uniform was presentable. Shigure had a fairly easy time layering up the components of the outfit, before fitting his shoulderguards and swapping trousers to match. There was a flash from the window, and another rumble of thunder. Without much to do until Lilith arrived, he went over and looked out.
There was a fierce rainstorm. Shigure had always felt something of an affinity to the rain and water, and reached out a hand to let a few dozen drops splash into it. How calming.
There was a knock at the door. "Come in." Said Shigure, shutting his window.
Instead of Lilith, a man with long white hair stumbled into the room. "Excuse me, I seem to have had rather too much to drink... Everyone's gone white as a ghost."
Shigure stepped back. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"
The man looked up, and straightened his posture, brushing off an Onmyoji outfit. "Who am I? Who am I?! I am Izana, archduke of Izumo. I was just in the midst of the best banquet I've held in years! YEARS! And now I find myself in some twisted parody of my own abode."
"...Izana?" Asked Shigure. "If you're pretending to be the previous archduke, then everyone knows he died a very long time ago. Almost twenty years."
Izana looked shocked. "Me? Dead? Preposterous! I don't know who you claim to be, waltzing into the most holy palace of Izumo- Ah?!"
A hand had been placed on his shoulder. "I apologise, sir, but whatever seems to be the matter? That's my son you're talking to."
Izana turned to see the current archduke behind him, in his exact clothes. "Wha... Those are my robes! What is the meaning of this?!"
"Were you the one responsible for the curse that has afflicted two of the people I very much care about?" Said the archduke sternly. "Shigure, escort him to the dungeons."
"Two, father? Who else has been hurt?" Asked Shigure.
"It's Lilith. She's... it's complicated." The ruler said.
Shigure had taken his ornamental naginata off the wall in the pinch, and was trying his hardest to tune out the babbling of this supposed 'archduke'.
"I demand to see the man in charge of this farce, how can you not recognise the radiant hairstyle prowess of the party king himself?! And what on earth have you done with my curtains?! And the purple carpet, why would you ever switch to that horrible shade of red!"
Shigure just guided the man down to the cells. While stripped of luxuries to provide cloth for clothes, they were still far gentler than the average cell. "I have studied history well, you know. I do remember the records of a rogue Nohrian managing to create a perfect illusion of you."
"Oh, but why would they bother copying someone who's apparently been dead for twenty years?!"
"...Closer to eighteen years, really." Said Shigure. "I don't know. Please co-operate, sir. We treat prisoners well in Izumo."
"Of course you do, I implemented that policy! ...Do I at least still have the party cannon?" Izana shuffled into the cell.
"The... I don't believe so. Although... goodness, how did you know about that? It's been a very long time since I heard about that."
"If it helps prove I'm the real Izana, then I'll tell you some other things only he could know!"
"I can't just release you. Even so... he was hardly known for his secret-keeping." Said Shigure. "...If you'll excuse me, then I need to go and check on somebody. I don't suspect someone like you to have been responsible for a curse, but if you have hurt her, then I will not be pleased."
"Wait!" Shouted Izana. Shigure stopped, and waited.
"...Sir, please. I have singing practice today, and I would like a moment to rest after that curse."
"The Dawn Dragon herself whispered something to me! We're in danger here!"
"..." Shigure looked at Izana. "Then I will remain armed. But you understand why I can't take your words at face value?"
He jogged through the castle, hearing the rainfall grow only heavier. "Lilith? Liliiith?" Shigure called, as he approached the medical rooms of the castle. Eventually, he reached them and pushed the doors open carefully. He looked around for any of the normal servants on duty, and just asked out to one. "Excuse me, have you seen Lilith anywhere? I heard she was struck by a curse."
The servant looked at Shigure awkwardly. "W-well, she's just over here. She was just doing her normal work, when she cried out and fainted... And now, well..."
Shigure walked over to the corners, seeing a pair of healers leaning over a bed. "Lilith!" He ran up, to see her lying on the bed with her eyes closed. She was breathing, and there wasn't any obvious wounding on her, but there was something about her skin- or even her physical form itself. It occasionally seemed to ripple.
"I'm okay..." She whispered. "Shigure, something has happened. I can't explain it." Literally. "But I just want you to go and tell your father to put the guards on high alert... please."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes."
Shigure didn't say another word, and left the room. He believed Lilith, and it wasn't just blind trust. He agreed that something felt wrong, like he was being threatened. Izana's warning echoed to him, and he was careful to pick up his naginata as he left the room. The sound of rain was almost too much now. This was easily the most intense storm he'd ever known. Much more and he feared the roof would tear off.
He walked along, up to the room that would normally be occupied by the archduke. Empty. Another few minutes passed, until he'd spent almost a full half-hour searching for the archduke and found nothing. At this point, he was starting to feel a little awkward carrying his weapon around.
There was a split second where that changed. Shigure felt the air itself seem to become strange, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose up just enough for Shigure to act on instinct, and throw himself to the floor.
The explosion from the lightning strike blasted the roof apart, and Shigure only just had the reflexes to get to one side before a mass of stone and wood crashed into the floor he'd been on a moment ago. His ears were ringing from the noise, as he looked around and the rainstorm began to soak the corridor, and himself. A few more chunks of stone fell down, the damage clearly worsening.
He did the sensible thing, and got out of the corridor as fast as he could.
"Everyone! We must evacuate the castle. It's been hit by lightning." Shigure called out, bursting into the next room. Even if he was soaked and somewhat messy thanks to the residual charge from the lightning, his voice remained beautiful and commanding. "Don't panic, let's just let everyone know and walk out. There's not any risk of collapse unless the winds get worse."
The few servants who were there to hear were all to glad to be told they could go away from the source of the blast they'd heard only a few moments ago, as Shigure brushed past them.
Fully clearing everyone out of the castle didn't take long at all, as Shigure moved form room to room, with each set of servants spreading the word. Shigure was still worried, however. "Have any of you seen the archduke?"
"No sir."
"...Right. Continue the evacuation." Shigure went into the medical wing, and ran over to Lilith. "Why did lightning have to hit now? I've never heard of something like this happening before. Lilith, I'll carry you out. It's the least I can do. The stables should be dry, so nobody will catch a chill."
"That's a very kind notion, Shigure." Lilith sat up. "...But I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to follow my instructions, for a while."
"Of course."
Lilith stood up from the bed. "Alright, don't panic, please. I've always hesitated about this, but I don't have a choice now. You've got your lance?"
"Right here."
"Great. We're going to need it. We're under attack." Said Lilith with certainty. "Okay, there's two of us and an uncountable number of them, so let's try and keep moving or they'll surround us."
Shigure looked at her in concern. "Them? Who are you talking about?"
"The invisible soldiers have managed to get into the castle. I'm sure of it." Lilith made for the door, and stumbled. "...Um, Shigure?"
"Don't worry, I trust you. Let's just keep to a rhythm." Shigure went over to the door, and held his weapon carefully, wary of stabbing a friend.
"N-no, it's not about the attackers. Just please stay calm." Lilith took a deep breath. Shigure hadn't been looking at her, but the glow of light next to him turned his head.
"Lilith? Is that you?" Shigure looked at the strange being floating where Lilith had been, unsure if that really was his most trusted maid, but the colouration definitely seemed right. And it had her favourite headgear.
"I'll explain later. For now, we have to work together, like we do normally." Lilith's voice was distorted, but unmistakably her. "I can heal your wounds, but please keep me safe. I'm not good at taking damage in this world."
"Very well. Let's work in harmony." Shigure carefully opened the doors. No hint of any foes.
(Objective: Escape)
"This castle is laid out quite well for us. As long as we're careful, I'm sure we can make it out alive." Said Lilith, coming out behind Shigure. They paced down one of the halls as fast as they could without breaking into a sprint.
They moved together, and Shigure noticed some hints of damage on the walls. Cuts, like someone had attacked them with a bladed weapon in frustration... or simply malice. Enemies had been here.
"Enemies approach." Warned Lilith. "I know you're a pegasus knight without his mount, but you can still use the tactics they taught you."
"Very well, let's try a pair-up. Stand like we'd try a duet." Shigure took point, and Lilith moved just a little out from behind him. In just a moment, Shigure saw footsteps splashing on the puddles in front of him, making it much easier to track his foe. They seemed alone. As they got close, Shigure saw they were holding a sword.
The enemy jabbed, and Shigure deftly blocked with the shaft of his weapon, struggling for a second before he was able to twist it, and slice the blade into the foe, a shallow cut on the shoulder.
"Begone!" Lilith suddenly seemed to spit some kind of light-green misty energy, and Shigure saw the enemy flinch as though burning. He seized his chance, and without hesitation he gripped his weapon tight and made a decisive thrust at the enemy's chest. It punched through with sickening realism. Death was instant.
Shigure's first instinct was to throw up on the spot, but he was about able to quell it. The wave of nausea passed, leaving him only slightly shaky. "Gods... I know these things aren't human, but... that..."
"I know it's tough the first time." Said Lilith. "Just don't panic, we'll be out of here soon."
Shigure nodded, and regarded the now empty space in front of him. "...Farewell fallen one." He pressed on.
Battles were not frequent, and after the shock of the first kill, Shigure was much more prepared for the next ones. He received a cut to his hand, and his stamina was being sapped by the wetness of the area. But Lilith was a very dependable ally, and with some mysterious blessing, the wound closed, and even the glove over it was patched up to a degree.
"The doors are just over here. Once we're outside, then we can run to the stables and fly to safety." Lilith pointed.
"...Wait." Said Shigure. True, the exit was right there, but he'd remembered something. "Izana is still imprisoned. Impostor or not, I don't think they deserve death in this manner."
"..." Lilith's expressions and body language were a mystery, in this new form. She closed large eyes. "Shigure, that's very risky. Your life is worth more than his."
"I don't make the decision lightly- I know there's a danger of my death, regardless of how careful I am. But I do not wish to abandon someone to such a cruel fate. You don't have to accompany me if you're not comfortable, but I would very much appreciate the backing." Shigure said easily, the mask he normally wore on stage concealing his nervousness well.
"I promised I'd look after you. Make haste, and we can do this." She encouraged.
They ran into a different wing of the castle. Things didn't seem quite so ruined here, but Shigure was well aware that this was giving his foe more time to catch up to him, or worse block the exit.
Along a corridor, down one set of stairs, another corridor, to the right, open a door, and they were there. "Izana, are you alive?" Shigure said, ready to jab anything that jumped him.
"What dreadful weather we're having... Alive? I suppose so. Although I'm afraid I hardly feel like the life of the party, in such a sorry cell." Izana responded.
Shigure ran across the room, and grabbed the key off the wall. "The castle has been attacked. If you remain here, you're going to die." He was about to unlock the cell, when he hesitated. "The attack has nothing to do with you?"
"No! No! Please, I know I've disparaged your living style, but free me and I'll be sure to throw you a party the moment I can!"
"...I'll trust you. But I won't arm you. Please understand." Shigure said, in his most calming voice. "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I can't, yet."
"Abso-positive-lutely." Agreed Izana. Shigure slid the key in and twisted, and the cell door swung open. "Okay folks, let's get outta here toute-sweet!"
"...I can see why people remembered your personality so well, Archduke." Said Lilith cheerily.
They ran out of the room as fast as possible. For someone that had lived the life of luxury, Izana was surprisingly mobile, athletic even, although he didn't seen particularly strong. Between his mannerisms and physical fitness, Shigure was increasingly suspicious of this man's claim to being the archduke... but further reminded of just what kind of picture everyone else had painted of this person's eccentricities.
"We've got some uninvited guests at... something o' clock!" Izana pointed. At least three foes were approaching. Shigure tightened his grip on his naginata.
"I'm sorry, Lilith. This fight is going to be very difficult."
"It's okay. I've got some experience with tactics from my sister." Lilith said. "Just throw a rock for attention, and that normally breaks their formation enough for you to fight each one individually."
Izana grabbed a pebble. "Can-do, fishy!" He pelted the chunk of the wall with alarming accuracy, and it bumped against the side of one of the foes. Instantly, that one turned to run at Shigure, and the other two followed, but without any semblance of a formation.
Lilith shouted out a plan, as quickly as she could. "Izana, pair up with Shigure! I'll keep you both alive."
Izana grabbed another rock and scooted behind Shigure. Pair formations revolved around one person taking the worst of a fight, with their less capable support intervening if they got the chance. It took training to pull it off without getting in each others way, but since it was taught to each and every fighter, most people had a solid grasp of how to do it.
Shigure took a hit to his shoulder, avoiding the worst thanks to his armour. It was only designed for light use, not taking the worst of a fight, but he was the only one with proper protection. He counterattacked and managed to strike down the enemy, pulling away and breathing heavily. Lilith cast another healing spell, and Shigure looked up just in time to avoid losing his head, dodging out of the way and panicking for a second, before Izana stepped forwards and shoved the enemy back, narrowly avoiding getting stabbed himself. Shigure got a steady footing for a moment, and quickly swung his weapon around.
It bit into the foe, and they disappeared just like the rest. One remained. Shigure let them come, and shifted to be light on his feet. Once they attacked, his darting stance paid off, and he was able to dodge with relative ease, before locking weapons with the enemy and then sliding into a cutting blow. Lilith sprayed them with astral breath, and they went down.
"Let's go, everyone." Shigure made for the door, followed by the archduke and the dragon. They got outside, as the storm raged on. Tired and sore, but alive and without any serious injury. An impressive feat.
(Map clear)
They jogged down the path from the castle, looking around for any more attackers. Out in the open, then there was much more risk of getting attacked by great numbers, but the three pressed on.
"Gods, I hope my father is okay..." Said Shigure.
"Don't worry, Shigure. He should have known to get out, and there were plenty of servants to guard him." Assured Lilith, as they headed towards the stables. It was only a quick jog, and they got inside, before slamming the door shut.
A few other servants were inside. But not many.
"Safe. Whew. That was entirely too close... one false move and I'd have been singing at a funeral." Shigure looked at the few that were there. "Are you all unhurt? And where are the others?"
"It's terrible." Said one. "Th-the others fled for the village when the attackers came, but..."
"What?!" Shigure exclaimed. "Why would they... The villagers, of course. Do we know if they're safe?"
"No, sir." Answered the servant.
"This is quite a problem... I don't want to leave anyone unsafe, but..." Shigure clasped his hands together.
"It's okay to take breaks, Shigure. You're only going to get yourself killed by trying too hard."
"Huh? What's that thing?" Asked one of the servants.
"Oh, this is Lilith." Said Shigure. "If you wouldn't mind, maybe you could explain just what happened to you? Is this the result of some curse? You seem too happy for a curse, actually. If I might guess... you're a shape-shifter? Like a kitsune?"
Lilith chuckled. "I'm an astral dragon by birth. I used a spell to change into a human, but now that I've broken it, I'll need a while to recreate it. I'm sorry for deceiving you all those years, but I promised your family I would watch over you."
"You know my parents?" Asked Shigure. "My parents know an Astral Dragon? If you know, then please, are they still alive? What happened to them?"
"...I'm sorry." Lilith went quiet. "That's a... story for another day."
"I didn't mean to dredge up bad memories." Shigure said. "Maybe we should focus on something else, until you're ready."
"Ugh, so what now?!" Said one of the servants. "We're all soaking wet, the doors are wooden and we don't have anything to block them, and only one of us is armed!"
There was a shimmer, interrupting the man. Everyone looked to one side. Someone stood there, in grey armour, with long white hair. Lilith gasped.
"A ghost!" Yelled one of the servants, backing away. "Please, no!" The other one seemed freaked out too, surprisingly. "D-d-don't consume my soul, have mercy I swear I'll-"
Shigure took a deep breath, and sang a medium-pitch note, cutting through the babble cleanly. Everyone looked at him for a moment, as he held their attention, and ended the chord with a serene smile. "Please, stay calm." He looked at the apparition. "Lost soul, is something wrong?"
"I am Corrin, she who held the Omega Yato. I'm sorry, but I can't stay for long- I need to save my power for when it's needed. Lilith, Shigure, Izana. I have to give you tasks. Lilith, watch out for Shigure. Teach him how to use the abilities Azura would have. Izana, commune with the gods. They'll give you foresight now that you share a common enemy, I'm sure of it. And Shigure... I..."
"Yes?"
"You must unite Hoshido and Nohr's best adventurers. I know the task seems impossible, but please... for the sake of the world..." Corrin of Revelations faded out.
"Corrin." Lilith said. "That was Corrin! I can't believe it..."
"Who is she? She seemed very important..."
"...I'll explain later, Shigure. But if she's given us a task, then would you trust me enough to follow her?"
"Of course. I trust you, and... well, there was something about her." Admitted Shigure. Corrin had such a natural charisma... it almost bordered on supernatural. "But I fear I have no idea how to go about such a task. I'm certainly not very prepared... I..." He sat down. "Gods, unite Hoshido and Nohr?"
"...Let's start simple. I'll scout Izumo's town, while you gather up what supplies you can carry." Said Lilith. "Don't worry. I'm not expecting you to take on the weight of the world like that. It certainly wasn't fair to just throw that at you, immediately after you got out of battle."
"Right. I'll do that... I may need a moment to process what I was just told..." Shigure admitted, sounding overwhelmed. "...I'm a singer, not a diplomat... but I shall do what I can- this is clearly important. I trust you, Lilith. And you too, Izana. I owe you an apology, it seems you were genuine."
"No damage done!" Said Izana. "Well... apart from the castle, but that wasn't you. If some dastard has infringed on the city of comfort's people, I will repay that twofold! Now, to commune with the gods..."
Author's notes: So, Shigure spends the chapter dismounted, because it's not a game so I can do what I want. He's a pegasus knight from here forth.
Gameplay-story integration always mattered to me, so I have added an actual chapter of a game, and will do so for all the routes. Izana is an optional recruit, but relatively easy to obtain as long as you're careful not to overextend Shigure when escaping.
As for the current party... We have our 'lord', an early healer/mage, and a mage Jagen.
Shigure: Peg Knight, Lv2. Inventory: Brass Naginata. The leader of the group, with a heavy task.
Lilith: Astral Dragon, Lv5. Inventory: Astral Breath, Astral Blessing. An astral dragon with a long past.
Izana: Onmyoji, Lv2. Inventory: Empty. The archduke of Izumo in two timelines. Sociable.
Reviewer answers!
Squidbaggerofwoomyangyesness: It's very relieving to know I'm doing okay. Although if I might ask, what don't you like about some of the pairings? Is it personal preference, or a deeper reason? Bear in mind, I had to separate them by continent, ruling out some of the popular ones like Subaki and Selena.
