Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates!
Sorry about the irregular update schedule. I don't really have a set time when I write these, it's whenever I'm in the mood I guess. I can at least promise that it will update at least once a month, however! And fun fact, this chapter alone is nearly 10,000 words long. Whoops.
Nishiki
n. brocade ; adj. gorgeous
( In reference to Fire Emblem Fates: A youko youth from a remote region of Hoshido. Following his father's footsteps, he held the position of leader of the Youko Hamlet and kept his people in order. If he achieves an S-Support, he will have a daughter named Kinu. )
Flannel hated that his first thoughts upon being captured were of Nishiki. Upon capture, his heart beat sporadically whilst his mind dived into an abyss of negativity. There were images in his head, but they were all only scenarios of the youko dying, being captured, or worse, and it angered him that Nishiki was the most prevalent subject of his inner workings. It was unfair, that the fox should cause the wolf so much pain intentionally, only to keep causing him misery unintentionally.
He hated that he cared so much, but more importantly he hated that he could do nothing about his situation. It all happened so quickly that Flannel still kept racking his brain for the explanation. He remembered protecting Orochi from Mara's spell, not because he cared about her but because dragging a statue version of her around would be annoying. He remembered running with her, the two of them dashing like frantic blurs in the crowd. It was full of soldiers that were slinging arrows and spells and blades like there was no tomorrow.
Flannel remembered the distinct, spiraling pain of a lance as it burrowed itself into his shoulder. He recalled the biting fire that branded itself into his back, the angry spirits tearing at his arms, and the shurikens and daggers that embedded themselves in his legs. They made him scream out, lash at the flying weapons and even try to scratch at a couple of stray soldiers. He was pretty sure that he tore a mage or two in half because of it, but it did not really matter.
Because Mara's spell was the most bitter of them all, seeing as it tore into his body and strained his muscles. Flannel's form was strong, but the magic that cut into him was stronger. Together with the other injuries he was sustaining, he knew it would not be long before he was subdued.
When the time of giving in came, he could only fall in defeat as his pained screams died down, and feel disparate as his garou form disappeared in a weak veil of light. By then all that was left of him was an extremely bloody and bruised humanoid version of himself. Flannel's ears twitched vapidly and his eyes and fists clenched tightly in pain. Orochi screamed for him, and fell to his side because she could not leave him to his own devices, especially when she already caused him so much trouble.
They were surrounded by Mara's forces in moments, and the moonlight was obscured by the group that towered over them. There was a deafening chorus of shouts and yells, although there were no further stabs or attacks made at them. Orochi was overwhelmed with anxiety, fearing that any sword or spell in the crowd would be the one to end her. Or worse, that Mara would stroll in and casually turn her into some ugly statue.
She focused on Flannel instead, whose blood pooled in his shoulders, back, and legs. He was down on the ground, trying to muffle the sounds of his pain, but he could not stop the low whimpers that escaped his lips. The sounds were more animal than human, and Orochi had to remember that Flannel was a literal wolf. He was a predator turned prey, and the pride and power he normally had was reduced heavily, hindered underneath the veil of blood and pain.
She wanted to stroke him, or maybe tell him things would be alright. But even in pain, he made a point not to be too close to her body, not if he could help it. The diviner swallowed her hesitation, and reached out to touch a spot behind his ears.
His breath hitched, and he stared up at the Hoshidan with glaring eyes. "Don't," he hissed. "Don't touch me."
"Flannel, do you think now is a good time to be stubborn?" Orochi cried out, glancing up at the figures around her. "Is that how you want to go out?"
"Shut up," he grunted, the words nearly incomprehensible between his guttural growls and silencing pain. "Shut up."
"Hey, you two."
Orochi and Flannel looked up in unison, eyes widening at the sight of Mara. The sorcerer was smiling down at them, triumphant in the obvious display of power they exuded over them. Her foreign tome was in her hands, and it glowed with an eerie light. Orochi could not tear her eyes away from it, because it was as if the pages were practically screaming to imprison her in stone.
They remained glowing and unused, however, as Mara had leaned down to meet the two of them head on. "You two have fire in you. That's good. I'm so glad I got you, Flannel." She smiled, and reached out to touch his face with her long nails. He retracted, sneering at the gesture in disgust. She simply laughed.
"You see, I have a preference for garou furs over youko furs. In fact, if it had been your friend here instead of you, I would have just killed him and be done with it."
The thought of Nishiki being dead made Flannel nervous, and he tried not to let it show. But it was hard, trying to balance anger and defiance without succumbing to his sadness and despair. He wanted to be strong, but the idea of Nishiki being speared, killed, and broken made him sick beyond measure.
It made him want to scream.
But he ultimately remained silent as Mara had risen to her feet, tapping her finger along her chin in thought.
"So, I think I'll spare your life for now. Yes, I want to try out a few things before I let you die so wonderfully." She looked to a couple of archers, and nodded. "Tie them up."
Orochi yelped as rough, bowstring-callused hands grabbed her own and restrained them behind her back. The rope was tight and stringent, making her soft skin burn under its reign. They shoved her around, and brought her together with Flannel, who did his best to resist but ultimately gave in when one of the knights stabbed his side with the shorter end of the beast killer lance.
Just a dull stab was enough to send the wolf's mind reeling, and his body arched underneath its animal poison. No, he thought hopelessly, no no no no.
The humiliation and shame alone were enough to kill the garou, but it only worsened when Mara wretched the beaststone off of his person, confiscating the object along with Orochi's scrolls. She held the stolen weapons in her hands and smiled.
Oh, how she loved the pleading expressions written on their faces, and relished in their tremulous, bodily anxiety. Granted, their bodies were writhing in pain and discomfort, but the sight of it was exciting, nearly satisfying as they were at her complete mercy.
Their fates were in her hands, and it was a good and powerful feeling. Mara laughed again, and took a step back from her captives. In the moonlight, she marveled at the glint of the beaststone, an object that was akin to a jewel. It was usually bright and alive with color, but Flannel's weakened body had made it dim. It was the only way he could physically shift between his forms, as without the stone, he would be stuck in his current and lesser human stance.
Mara knew this, and it was that knowledge alone which made her want to crush the jewel. She dropped it to the ground, and took a beast killer lance from one of the fighters. With a swift, quick movement, she pierced the jewel with the lance, its baneful poison and anti-beast magic allowing it to break through the beaststone's protective coating, and spiral through its core. Flannel nearly screamed as his beloved weapon was shattered into several pieces, the magic within it filtering out into the air and dissipating. Orochi wanted to cover her mouth, but the ropes on her hands would not allow her that. She stared dumbly at the broken stone, mouth hanging agape.
In a single, smooth motion, Flannel was all but rendered helpless. He could still fight in his human form, but without his real form, he would never be able to fend off the numerous enemies. His senses and strength were still greater than a human's by far, but those many humans had him at a loss.
Orochi was no help, either, as without her scrolls the magic in her body could not be formed into anything offensive. The simple hexes or chants she knew would never be enough to take down a foot soldier, let alone an experienced magician like Mara.
Simply put, they were doomed, but the worst part of it was not the hopeless situation. The worst part of it all was that it was Mara who was there, and she was a sick woman who would make them suffer indefinitely. Death was swift when it came, painful for only moments before everything faded, and it would not leave anything behind. But this poacher, alongside her equally twisted subordinates, would elongate the punishment, and break Flannel and Orochi slowly.
And that was reason enough to snuff out the fight in Flannel's core. Together with the dread, aches, and pain he felt, it was all too easy to fall to slumber, especially when someone hit him over the head.
...
"There are approximately twenty nine soldiers," Suzukaze relayed, "there used to be fifty of them but the rest of them were killed in battle, presumably."
He returned from his scouting in less than fifteen minutes, much faster than Kamui expected, but not fast enough for Leon's preference. The prince huffed. "That's a lot. We need to take everything in consideration. What else did you notice about them, Suzukaze? Even the smallest detail helps."
"There is a good variety of warriors, both from Nohr and Hoshido." He continued effortlessly, arms at his side. "There are noticeably more magic users and archers than anyone else, however. This is probably due to their leader being a sorcerer."
Leon's expression did not change, but his eyes flickered with the inkling of a scheme. "I see. Their leader is a sorcerer, hmm? Go on."
"Her name is Mara, as I heard one of the foot soldiers address her as so. Apparently, she has a special tome, and I have reason to believe that the spell is what caused those villagers to turn into statues. Additionally, I have caught wind of their plans. They are to meet with others at a point on the opoosite side of this mountain, and they plan to leave in the morning." The ninja took a small pause, and his brows furrowed. "That leaves us less than five hours to act."
Kamui took all this information in at once, but they knew that it was their little brother who had the strategy. They could see it in his eyes, in the way that their red irises darkened, the blacker flecks shifting at once. They could see it in Leon's body, his arms crossing over each other, a hand unconsciously drifting to his face. His brows furrowed, and his foot tapped along to some unknown beat.
In moments, Leon's expression changed, the inkling from before having formed a full idea. He smiled.
"I understand now. No doubt, that woman was responsible for all the mishaps here. She probably captured or killed the remaining villagers, along with the reinforcements we stationed."
"T-They're probably not dead...right?" Kamui asked uneasily, sitting up and testing their injured arms. "I mean, you would have heard about it, Suzukaze, wouldn't you?"
The ninja hesitated. "...I'm not sure. I did overhear that they are keeping some of the villagers in the town hall, the place that's serving as the base of their operations. We can assume that they are all being held hostage there."
"What about Flannel and Orochi?" Leon pressed, not seemingly affected by the somber possibilities of their comrades being dead. Why would he be, when he grew up with death at his doorstep and at his every turn? The thought of others dying fazed him at times, but what surprised him more was how calm he could be in the face of the imminent doom. His serenity showed itself in times like these. The youngest prince of Nohr knew that failing in anyway would not only endanger Flannel and Orochi, but everyone else in their small party, including the youngest Hoshidan princess, Sakura, and his own siblings, Kamui and Elise.
He had to be careful, for their sake above anyone else's. He took a small breath, and repeated himself. "What about Flannel and Orochi? Any news about them?"
"I was not able to listen for long. There were fellow ninja present there, and I had to leave before they saw me. I'm afraid their fates are unknown."
Kamui could not help but look in Nishiki's direction. The fox, along with the other members of the rescue party, were off a ways, patching up and discussing rushed plans of escape. The royal wondered how the youko would have felt had he heard their conversation. Would his expression have fallen again? Would he cry out in protest like before? Would he give up?
Probably not, Kamui answered themselves. But I don't want to think that Flannel and Orochi are dead. They can't be.
"They're probably not dead," Leon insisted. "If they were, there would have been someone talking about it. No, I feel like they're prisoners for now. But if we don't save them before they cross into the mountains, there''s no guarantee they'll live. In fact, there's no probability they'll live."
"You're right," Kamui spoke up suddenly. "So, what should we do? I don't think storming in there will work."
"No, it won't." Leon looked towards the others, and beckoned for them to gather. Elise noticed him first, and was bright and bouncy as she summoned the rest of their party, holding Sakura's hand as they raced towards Leon.
"What's up, big brother?" She asked Leon. "Do we have a game plan?"
"You could say that. Is everyone here? Cyrus, Pieri, Nishiki, Joker? Everyone, listen. I have a strategy, but it won't be effective unless we all do our part perfectly." His eyes flickered between the unique figures, seven different pairs of eyes all staring at him with a shared determination. It gave him some reassurance, and he allowed a small smile to cross his face again.
"We need to cause a diversion. The three of you," he motioned to Kamui, Pieri, and Nishiki, "managed to kill about half of them, but their remaining numbers are still too much compared to ours. They outnumber us one to three, and then some. But we don't need numbers for this plan to work. So, we need a distraction, something that will hopefully split their forces."
"Elise, Cyrus, and Pieri, I want you to cause the diversion. Your horses will give the illusion that there's more of you, and if Mara buys into the panic that her subordinates will likely have, then she'll allow some of the soldiers to follow you. Lead them as far from their base as possible."
"Ooh!" Pieri giggled. "That sounds fun! I get to kill? Do we get to kill?"
"Hopefully not," Leon muttered. "No, you can't possibly kill all of those soldiers. Suzukaze, if you could set up some traps for the entrance, then what will happen is that the three of them will lead the enemies out and you can unleash the trap on the opponents as they run out. After that, I want the four of you to go around and escape. If we don't catch up with you within twenty minutes, go back to camp without us."
Elise's face fell, and she clutched onto her rod. "But...But that's it? I feel bad if we're just out here distracting the enemy while you guys go do dirty work."
"Trust me, every part of this plan is full of responsibility. Yours is especially important." He ruffled her hair, and switched his glance to Cyrus and Pieri. "You two, make sure you do your part, as well."
"You have my word," Cyrus insisted, giving a respectful bow. Pieri copied him, but her face was bright and sunny in contrast to Cyrus' stern expression.
"Pieri will be glad if she gets to kill anyone. Because that trap can't kill all of them, right? We can pick off the remaining bad guys that chase after us?"
"The trap can't kill them all, so if it comes down to warding them off in order to protect Elise, do what you must."
"Yay!" She clapped. Leon huffed, and nodded them off in affirmation. He returned his attention to the remaining units, those being Kamui, Nishiki, Sakura, and Joker. He motioned at the Hoshidan princess and the Nohrian butler. "You two, you are to free the villagers and the other prisoners that they've rounded up. I trust that you will do your best to defend Lady Sakura, Joker."
"I shall put my life on it, milord." Joker bowed, voice calm and serious. "If worse comes to worse, I shall have Lady Sakura and the prisoners escape as I hold back the offenders."
"N-No!" Sakura suddenly yelped. "I don't want Joker to get hurt, n-not when you've done so much for us! No, if it c-comes down to it, I want to be there, too!"
"Sakura," Kamui muttered, pressing a hand to hers, "I can't stop you, of course. But please, be careful. Do what you must, but do it carefully."
"Y-Yes," she squeaked, and shifted her gaze, like warm amber sifting in the waters. Those eyes, bright and concerned, found themselves locked onto Joker's mercurial expression, one that wavered slightly under the pressure given to them. She reassured him with a smile. "Let's d-do our best."
"As you wish, milady."
"Then," Nishiki cut in, "what about the three of us, Leon?"
He had half the mind to correct him. It's Prince Leon to you. But he remembered that unlike the other common soldiers, Nishiki was indifferent to Leon's royal title, as his own being was that placed on pedestals higher than his. It made the prince bite his tongue, and wonder what had him so demanding in the first place.
After all, it was not his best friend that was in danger. No, Flannel and Orochi were two soldiers that were practically meaningless to Leon, but that did not mean that he was without a heart nor concern. This war was taking its toll on all of them, and there was no need to help push it along by leaving their allies to suffer.
Leon stuffed the indignation in the back of his throat, and redirected his voice. "We will be the offensive force, of course. Kamui and I will take care of as many soldiers as we can, and we'll worry about covering for Joker and Sakura, as well."
"What about me?"
"You," Leon smiled, "have the most significant job. I'm leaving it up to you, Nishiki, because it's important."
The fox's tail swayed in repetitive motions and his ears twitched, hinting at his brewing anxiety. His voice remained even, however, as he spoke. "What do I have to do?"
"Easy, you're going to deal with Mara. Whether or not you want to kill her or capture her is something that you have to decide."
"Really?" Nishiki asked, hesitant. "Isn't that sort of a big deal? You sure you don't just want me to capture her? You have no qualms about me killing her?"
"It is a big deal," Leon answered, "but it's your deal, so I trust you to take care of it. Whether she lives or not is none of my concern, but the rest of us can't face her without the possibility of turning into stone."
"Oh," Nishiki said simply, "right. So, if it's really up to me, then I guess we just have to go in and see."
Kamui broke into the conversation, placing a hand on the youko's shoulder. The simple contact was enough to send a shiver up his spine, and Nishiki blamed it on his shattered nerves and worried mind. All of those negative things were hidden away under the facade of his smile, but it was little touches like those that reminded him how he really felt.
Maybe he could remedy it with a murder. A nice, healthy, vengeful attack on Mara's perpetually smiling face. The thought of it made his lips move, twitching until they formed into a steady, secret smile.
"If that's the case, then I'm ready when you are."
...
Deep in the haze of sleep, Flannel could make out Orochi's voice, cajoling him into being awake. The soft inflections of her tone were inviting, but not powerful enough to pull the garou out of the trenches of slumber. After all, he suffered grievous injuries from only minutes before, and coupled with his deep-set exhaustion and weaponless person, it was all too easy to remain unconscious.
When a sudden sharp smell tugged at his senses, and all but shocked him awake, Flannel gasped for breath. He sat up and pressed a hand to his clammy forehead. His vision swam with flickering spots, which were bright and flashing until they disappeared. When he had his bearings, he realized he was stuck inside a prison cell of sorts, covered in dirt and grime and discarded objects.
It was a treasure trove! He shot his hands out to grab a long, crawly bug in the corner, but was stopped by a pair of sweaty hands. He noticed that they were covered in a smelling salt of sorts, probably the kind that was used to forcibly wake him up.
"Wait a second!"
"Huh?" He turned around, ears perking only to fall again when he remembered that it was Orochi he was stuck with. Of all people to be imprisoned with, she was probably the last one he wanted to see. Flannel's eyes narrowed and his eagerness faded. "Let go of me." He pulled his arm away from her, and leaned cautiously against the wall.
"What's your problem? How can you even stay asleep in a situation like this?" she scolded, eyes narrowing. "Are you still so hurt about before? Do you realize that these moments may be our last?"
"I'm not blind," he reassured, "I know what's going on. Doesn't mean I like you any better."
"You are so insufferable, you know that? I predicted a great misfortune earlier in the week and I think this is it." She groaned, and fell back to her hands. "So, what? You're just going to die and stay perpetually angry at me and Nishiki?"
"That's the plan," he joked dryly, eyes betraying his voice. There was still regret, remorse, and a hint of pity, but they were underlying tones in his bold fury. He could only stifle it so much, because like before, Orochi could practically feel the heat of his anger rise from his surface.
It made her skin crawl and she brought a hand to her chest to slow its quick rising. When it was under control, she continued.
"I understand why you're mad at me," Orochi admitted, "but what does poor Nishiki have to do with this?"
"He was kissing you!"
"What?" She blinked. "Oh, Gods, are you telling me that all this time, you didn't even know what really happened? What, have you been avoiding Nishiki this entire time?"
"It's none of your business what I've been doing!" Flannel yelled, face reddening in embarrassment. "What does it matter? There's no excuse for what he did."
"You don't even know what really happened," she repeated, "and what are you saying? 'There's no excuse for what he did'? He's not yours, Flannel! He's not some object to be treasured! He's an actual person, so you shouldn't...!"
"Don't," he hissed out, posture changing into something hostile. "Don't talk to me like you understand. We're not people, so we're told, so our rules are different! And you say all this, but it's unfair!"
"What's unfair," Orochi countered, "is the way you treat him! He's the nicest being alive, human or not, and you take advantage of him! You fool, don't you see? Whatever you thought was between me and Nishiki is wrong, and you're making this worse for everyone."
"No, what's really unfair is how you traipsed in and took him from me!" Flannel barked, "I loved him first."
Orochi gaped. Flannel did not wait for a witty reply.
"I loved him for a long time, longer than I even knew. And it's not fair that you come in and play with him like he's your pet. I'm a good judge of character, Orochi, and maybe you're not a bad person, but you're no damn saint, either."
"S-Shut up! I don't treat him like that, it's different! He saved me, and isn't that a good enough reason to want to be in his life forever? Isn't that good enough to try and make a foreseeable future, no matter the relationship? I'm willing to just be friends with Nishiki, see, and I'll give him space if that's what he wants, but you are controlling and scary and you can't act like I'm wrong for pointing it out!"
"How is it different? From what I heard, it sounds like you're tryin' to bite your way into his life, forcin' yourself on him. But that's probably not new to you, right?" He smiled, but it was not at all happy or sad or even angry. It just seemed like a hollow expression. "It's humans like you that just love taking stuff from me."
"Oh, for the love of the Gods! I'm not the one that killed your pack members, Flannel. I'm not like those hunters or Mara and many people aren't like that! I'm sorry that there are some bad humans out there, but you can't tell me that every wolf in the mountains is one with a heart of gold!"
"You don't understand! If your parents get killed, people will mourn. When my parents were killed, people celebrated. If your friends were captured or torn apart, people would call it a tragedy. When garous are put on mantles or turned into clothes and rugs, people call it a fashion statement. Don't you get it, you damned idiot?! Humans have taken things from me my whole life. But leave it to a human," he spat the word out, like it was acid in his mouth, "to take the one thing that really matters to me."
She stared, dumbfounded, shaking with silent anger and tears. She thought of a million comebacks, a million replies, but all of them were buried underneath insignificant thoughts and struggles. Nothing she could have said would have matched the true discrimination and unfairness that Flannel had felt his whole life. Not even her own troubles, her true loved one dying as a martyr queen of war, her parents shunned and eaten by society and divination alike. None of those compared to the thought of having love ones hunted like game, losing friends and family and having to face it as something common.
None of it compared.
"I want him," Flannel admitted, breathless and defeated, on his knees. "I want him because he makes me feel better. He makes me forget why I hate people like you so much. Gods, he's so full of himself but he loves everyone else so much, too. And he's the only one that I can be truthful around, 'cause just talkin' about him makes me admit things I probably wouldn't."
He glanced up at Orochi, and sighed.
"If you can say the same things about him, then maybe I'll hate you less. But I seriously doubt it."
"...I don't have those sort of thoughts about him. But I want him, too, Flannel. I want him because I lose everyone I love, eventually. I've lost Mikoto, my parents, and it'll only be a matter of time before I lose Yuugiri and Kagerou, too. No, Nishiki won't last for me, so that's why I want to be with him, if only for a little while. I know that won't make you hate me less, but I don't care anymore. If we get out alive then you can hate me all you want."
She smiled, and rested her head against the steel bars. A small sound of defeat escaped her lips.
"If we don't survive this," she said, "then I'll make sure to find you and punch you in the face in the next life."
"I'll make sure to avoid you in every life," Flannel retorted, "even this one."
"Ha," Orochi snorted, "ha, you're so clueless, y'know? You're kind of like him in that regard. Both of you have no idea how the world around you really works, right? And you still think that he loves me. You're a silly, silly wolf."
"I'm not," he insisted, "and, and I'm not saying that I'm going to listen to you...but if you two weren't kissing out of love...what did happen that day?"
The Hoshidan thought about it for a moment, vividly recalling the day that she confessed to Nishiki. She remembered the ivory blankets of snow, and the heavy weight of the coat that she had to wear for her own sake. She remembered Nishiki's serene face, his happiness that was akin to a child playing in the wintry fields. She remembered the heat of embarrassment and love surging through her body, the shame and disgust she felt with herself when she forced himself on him.
She remembered the desire she had, and the disappointment that she drowned in when she found that Nishiki did not love her back.
I love someone else, he had said. And she did not need to guess who his beloved was.
After all, he was sitting right across from her, crumbling apart ungracefully in a dingy prison cell. She laughed at the sheer pettiness of the situation, and gave a bitter response.
"Why don't you ask Nishiki? I'm sure it's his answer that means more to you, especially since you're not going to listen to me." She drew a sigil of magic in the dirt, but lacked the materials needed to make it useful. Her face pulled down in a pout, and she wiped the symbol away.
"But if there's one thing I can promise you, Flannel, it's that once you find out the truth, you'll probably regret things even more than you already do."
...
Elise had felt the excitement of battle before. She was young, tender, and refreshingly naive but she was not spared the cruel reality of war. No, she was in the peak of growth as a child, but lately her world consisted of soldiers and sharp steel, and it was only through her own resolve that she was able to fit hide-and-go-seek and teatimes in between such monstrosities.
Her heart was beating wildly, dancing along to an erratic drumbeat. It reminded her of the Hoshidan dance ceremony they had on Sakura's birthday, and how the music was so foreign yet so exciting. She pressed a small hand to her chest, and found herself surprised that she had the same anticipation in her heart as that day.
It was a sign, she figured. Some cool bodily response to the events happening around her. It was a sign that things would go well.
And they were, for the most part. Along with Cyrus, Pieri, and Suzukaze, the four of them situated themselves on the outside of Mara's base, which was the entrance to the town hall building. The ninja had set up caltrops, and together with Cyrus, constructed a quick pitfall trap and more spikes that were meant to assail the unknowing enemy.
The equestrians, thus, had the job of riding through the base, hopefully to give the illusion that there were more forces behind them. The unison sound of hooves hitting the stone should be enough to fool the soldiers into thinking a cavalry had formed, and if they were lucky, Mara would send some soldiers to give chase.
When that happened, Elise had to remember to high tail it, and lead the unsuspecting poachers out into the open, where Suzukaze's traps were sure to hinder them. The thought of fleeing, however, and heading to base camp when the others were still in the village made Elise sad. She wanted to help people, and surely her contribution meant something, but her part in it all still felt so minimal in her eyes.
"I promise you," Cyrus assured her with a sympathetic look, "that our part is very important. If you were to get hurt, then Kamui and Leon would surely never forgive themselves."
"But what about Kamui and Leon? Won't they get hurt? And S-Sakura..." the Nohrian princess felt somber at the thought of her Hoshidan counterpart getting hurt. "W-What if something happens to Sakura?"
"Lady Elise," Suzukaze suddenly spoke up, seemingly out of nowhere, "you and Sakura are alike in so many ways. Such that she will not back down from the opposition easily. Joker is with her, as well, so I doubt she will be in any real danger. Please, only concern yourself with your own job, and do not feel shame in it."
"Because," he continued, "because sometimes it's braver to run away."
...
"Mara!" an archer screamed, "there are cavalry units that broke through the front entrance!"
"What?" she blinked, slamming her Petrify tome closed. "Don't tell me those brats had reinforcements this whole time. What a risky move, allowing themselves to get hurt like that. It matters not, however." The sorcerer stood up, and cast her hand into the air. "Take the other archer units, and get Hikari's group, too. Chase after those horses, don't let them get away!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The sound of a good amount of soldiers, a dozen or so, filed out of the building and headed towards the main entrance. There was worry tugging at Mara's chest, but she knew that her own forces were very capable, and they would be sure to hold their own against Kamui's soldiers, however formidable they were.
She had no idea that as those archers and spear fighters greeted the outside, they fell into pits or were pierced by spikes, and the confusion and shock of pain had caused them to fall over each other. The poison that laced some of the fallen shuriken allowed them for a slow yet steady end. It helped that Pieri, excited for blood and vengeance, offed any soldiers that escaped the chaos, killing them before they had a chance to follow after them.
All in all, they were effective in almost cutting Mara's remaining forces in half, and Cyrus had deemed their part a success. "Come!" He yelled, "we'll wait by the road. Like Kamui said, if they don't meet up with us in twenty minutes, we're making a break for the castle."
Suzukaze rode with Pieri, and the four of them galloped away from the scene, impressed with their efforts.
Elise took a lasting glance at the town, and prayed quietly.
Oh Sakura, please be okay. Leon, Kamui, Nishiki, and everyone else...! Please be okay.
Please.
...
Sakura was relieved to find the prisoners. All of the living villagers, along with the reinforcements that Kamui had stationed earlier, were gathered in a holding cell. The rest of the jail was full of the victims-turned-statues, their fearful and dead expressions permanently set in stone.
Her heart sank, but she had no time to ponder over the situation. She nodded at Joker, who broke open the locks with a sharp stab of his daggers. When he managed to pry the cell open, the prisoners sighed in relief, and poured out into the room.
"L-Listen!" Sakura suddenly yelled, and the villagers gawked at the sight of their savior, the youngest princess of Hoshido. Despite her stutter, they were silent and obedient in her authoritative presence. "We are in a bit o-of a pinch, so please cooperate. First, is there anyone here that needs to be healed?"
A few of the prisoners stood forward, laced with wounds and gashes. The princess was quick to work, and told the rest of them to huddle near the back door, the place where she and Joker entered to begin with. In the midst of her work, she heard loud noises, and feared the worst.
"They've found us," Joker said whilst sneering. "I will hold them off, Lady Sakura."
"A-Alright!" she cast her rod around frantically, healing anything she could. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see soldiers running up to her, but the butler was always quicker and cut them down before they had a chance to strike. For the time being, he had everything under control, but she knew that without help, he would eventually be overwhelmed.
"Listen," she yelled again at the prisoners, "f-follow this door and escape! T-To the southern paths are some of my allies, please go with them and run as far away from this place as you can!"
"Thank you," a middle aged lady cried out, "Gods bless you!"
The former prisoners ran out, and some of the soldiers from before (the ones that Kamui assigned to protect the village in the first place) found weapons and nodded. They reassured their princess that they would protect the villagers, and guarded the remaining civilians as they escaped.
Knowing that they could at least save the innocent people was a relief to Sakura. But their job was not done yet, no. She had to make sure that none of the soldiers would catch onto them, and in order to do that, she had to help Joker fend off Mara's forces, and block off the route that the prisoners had used to escape.
"I'm here!" she yelled, pairing up with Joker. She could not help him attack, but she could at least block off stray hits and give him more defensive power. Joker seemed mildly pleased about it, and nodded.
"Stay close, milady! I will get rid of these eyesores!" His dagger, silver and glinting off the dull light, struck hard and deep into the skin of the offenders. He threw more blades at the oncoming enemies, striking down a mage or two that were nothing compared to him.
When an arrow came flying in his direction, Joker cursed and barely dodged the sailing shaft. It got stuck in the wall behind him, and Sakura could not help but squeak.
Archers, and a few snipers, as well had come up to the front of the opposition. Their graceful forms reminded her of Takumi, and she silently wished that her brother were here now. The sneaky dagger and shuriken were weaker compared to the arrow, which always shot true and straight. Joker could only hold them off for so long, and Sakura knew that she had to break apart from him if she wanted to heal him. "Hold on!" She yelled, and backed up as she cast her sun festal rod into the air. Its magic surged into Joker's body, and the slight slouch he was carrying from pain disappeared as he straightened up.
"Thank you," he said, and continued fighting without missing a beat. "I will take care of them, Lady Sakura. Please continue to support me, if you can."
"Y-Yes!" Sakura agreed, shaking in anticipation. She hoped that Leon or Kamui would get to them soon, but she knew that for them to rush in and attack the core would be a difficult process in itself.
But she wanted them to be there nonetheless, and nothing stopped her from praying for their safety.
...
"Do you hear that?" Flannel asked, ears twitching to strain for the sound. "It sounds like they're fightin' outside."
"I don't hear anything," Orochi deadpanned, "your hearing is leagues above mine. But, fighting? Unless they're throwing a mutiny, then it must be Kamui!" She perked up and sat straight. "They've come to save us!"
"Well, what's taking them so long?" He huffed. "They probably don't know that we're in here, do they?"
"Probably not," she agreed, "but why don't we try to break out, again?"
"How? I don't have a beaststone, and you're no good without your scrolls."
Although his statement was true, being called 'no good' made Orochi scowl, and she refrained from lashing out at him. Her energy as minimal and it would be a waste if she were to use it on him, of all people.
"Ah, but you have claws," she pointed to his hands, "why don't you try slashing at the lock?"
He stared at his own hands, and the fingers which elongated into pointed ends, something that differed from the usual human look. With those claws, he could easily cut into skin. He could easily pierce Orochi's pale surface to unearth the ruby underneath, but when it came to metal, he was at a loss. Still, it was better than sitting on their laurels. The garou huffed, and walked up to the front of the cell, where he aimed his slashes at the lock.
The sound of sharp hitting against sharp made loud, squeaky noises that caused Orochi to recoil. A few friction-caused sparks emitted, but the lock seemed otherwise unscathed. Flannel hissed, and slashed again. He aimed for a weaker link in the mechanism, and smiled as it broke off with a delicious snap. He glanced at Orochi, and slid the cell door open.
"There we go."
"Now, we have to be careful." She admonished, stepping out into the room with caution. "We're unarmed, and it sounds like a battlegrounds out there. Not to mention that Mara could surprise us at any time. If anything, we should focus on finding Kamui and the others, and avoid any conflict!"
"Yeah, yeah," he said dismissively, "I've got it, I might be torn apart and all beat up, but I can still do some damage." Which is more than you can say, but he kept that thought tucked in a dark corner of his mind.
Orochi seemed content, and walked out with Flannel out of the cell. She stumbled somewhat, the pain from earlier's scuffle still residing within her. Hopefully this stops, she thought, wouldn't want to have my final battle out there.
They headed towards the end of the hallway, passing by rows of identical cells that seemed mostly empty. When they reached the end of the hall, the cacophony of battle could be heard from the other side of the door. Orochi tensed up, and glanced at Flannel for a sign. His gaze never locked onto hers for very long, however, and he opened the door without any hesitation.
Right before them outside was the frenzy of conflict, the spray of blood and the shouts of death. Many soldiers were scrambled around, and the scene vaguely reminded Flannel of chickens running around in a pen. Better than chickens, though, was the fact that none of them seemed to have noticed that their prisoners have escaped, and there was no sign of Mara anywhere.
The wolf smiled, and walked alongside the shade, hiding in the ebbing darkness and hoping that the battle would keep stealing everyone's attention. Better yet, he hoped to find Kamui or someone of the ilk out there, which would give him a chance to fall back and get rest.
"Over there!" Orochi hissed through her teeth. "Kamui and Prince Leon! They're surrounded, but Gods, they've got a leg up."
"They seem fine," he insisted. "They're pullin' through...!" His excitement peaked again, but it spiraled into something nervous as a familiar scent wafted in the air. It was small and insignificant, nearly lost in the odors of blood and sweat. The only reason why Flannel could detect it was because it was so familiar.
Like honey and sugar pressed into cotton folds, all with an added touch of fresh grass and incense. It was so becoming, but so sickening at the same time. The scent was very human-esque, and the faint trace of it dialed all of the garou's thoughts into one simple word.
Nishiki.
Gods, only Nishiki smelled like that. Sometimes Tsubaki or Charlotte had that sweet smell, too, but it was much more tame and far less appealing, even if the amount of cologne that Nishiki put on himself was lethal.
That could only mean that the fox was there, too. He had recovered, and no doubt he was fighting with a vengeance. The thought of it made Flannel's heart race, and he whipped his head around in search of him.
He found him on the rooftop of the largest building. Even if it was some ungodly hour in the morning with a pitch black sky, Flannel could see perfectly. He could see Mara, that wretched woman, standing there on the precipice with a fearful expression on her face. The tome which she used to turn the villagers into stone was clutched between her hands, but several pages slipped due to her careless handling.
Across from her was Nishiki, and even in the heat of the moment he still managed to retain his beauty. There was a look of uncertainty in his eyes, but his body did not seem to betray his thoughts. Considering that he was one of the few individuals that could face Mara without the possibility of being turned to stone, he was doing a good job of scaring her, even if he was still in his human form.
Flannel had half the mind to shout for him, or at the very least go up there and help him, but whatever scheme he cooked up remained unused as he watched the events unfold before him. All in short notice, as well.
Nishiki had the upper hand, and he was about to transform into his true shape, but Mara's quickness surpassed expectations, and she lashed out at him. Not with her tome, but with a spear. Flannel's eyes widened, and he did not hesitate to run out towards the building, yelling as loudly as his human form would let him.
"STOP!"
Nishiki glanced for a second, balance and attention divided between his assailant and his confidant, and he was just too slow for the uptake. Mara was holding a spear, a beast killer with no doubt, and she shoved it into Nishiki's body and wedged it in that ambiguous area between his chest and his shoulder blade. He screamed out in pain, and it was like his voice was thunder that roared in the sky. Its volume and agony was loud enough to attract everyone's attention, and all fighting seemed to cease at that moment.
Eyes looked skyward, towards the rooftop, and watched in mixed forms of awe and horror as Nishiki's blood splattered across the tiles, and the bright red spear undulated in his flesh. Mara's expression warped from fear to excitement and back to fear again, a clash of emotions trying to grab hold of her face at the same time. Even Leon and Kamui stopped in mid-fight, their similarly crimson stares widened into shock.
There was a familiar amber glint in Kamui's hand, and Flannel realized then that it was a beaststone. A weapon meant for him, seeing as the dragon had their own special brand of stone. He sneered, and did not think twice about running off, further leaving Orochi's side, and snatching the gem out of Kamui's hand. They yelped, only to find that it was Flannel who stole it, and witnessed his hurried transformation from his sore human form to an even more rustic garou form. His eyes were black and void of emotion, but his teeth were large and white with purpose.
"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU!"
His threats were guttural and nearly meaningless warble, lost in his savage yells and clamoring blows. He climbed the building like some spider, throwing his weight onto the roof when he was there. The pressure of it caved in some of the structure, but he did not care.
How could Flannel care? After all, he knew what he would find there. He knew that his favorite person up there, skewered and sorry and nothing more than dead meat. He knew he would see Mara's damned face again, see her eyes and the way her lips would turn up at the ends to make a broken smile. He might even be up there long enough to see that she had somehow changed into a basara, which would explain her suddenly equal proficiency with a spear. Whatever Flannel saw, he prepared himself for it, and decided that nothing would stop his anger. Nothing could stop his anger now that Nishiki was dead.
Flannel's eyes were black but he was seeing red, and his vision rushed into undecided blurs from pure anger and disbelief. He saw the blood, smelled the perfume, but ultimately could not understand anything better than he could have when he was down there.
Nishiki was hurt, yes; skewered and bleeding and caught off guard. But he was not dead. No, nothing about those bright eyes or glowing form spelled 'death'. Nothing about his fox fires, bright blue and spinning, said that he was dead. Not his smile, his fangs, his youko form.
Or, what would have been his youko form. Flannel knew Nishiki's true form, he was familiar with the vibrant orange fur with red strands sticking out at the end. He knew the glow of scarlet in Nishiki's eyes, and the sleek shortness of his height. Not to mention the fox's body that was built for speed, such that he sometimes moved like a snake or a bolt of lightning instead of the mammal that he was.
The Nishiki in front of him was none of those things, somehow. His fur was purely white, luminous and longer in length than before. The red in his fur was still there, although it was brighter and more pronounced with its contrast against white. His tail had become tails, an additional eight appendages alongside the one he already had. Not to mention that he suddenly seemed bigger and faster, like there was pure energy just radiating off of his body.
And it was. The energy that Flannel could feel was like static in the air, and it made his shorter hairs on his neck stick on end. The fox's grin was toothy, and his dark paws were slathered in blood.
The basara named Mara was lying at Nishiki's feet, seemingly still and otherwise dead. Her body was neatly torn, and the beast killer which had Nishiki's blood on it lay at her feet, snapped in two.
Nishiki laughed, and Flannel felt a chill run up his spine. It was not the warm, sunny laugh that he had grown accustomed to. No, Nishiki's sounds were colder somehow, less friendly than they had been before. Flannel had come up to the roof under the impression that Mara had killed Nishiki, but was greatly surprised to find that the situation had been reversed, instead.
"Nishiki?" His voice reverted to a quieter tone, although the inflection bounced strangely from animal tongues. "You're not...dead?"
"THAT'S RIGHT," he cried out, voice suddenly spiking in volume. "MARA'S DEAD, NOT ME."
The Hoshidan laughed (Gods what a chilling noise), and prowled closer to the edge of the roof so he could overlook the gathering of confused, battle-hurt humans. Leon and Kamui were in the mix, but for the most part, they were just relieved and amazed to know that Nishiki was still alive. Mara's forces, noticing that it was him and not their leader that had emerged, shrunk back in fright.
"SO QUIETLY SURRENDER NOW," Nishiki advised, ignoring any reactions given towards his outlandish announcement. "OR DIE."
The garou should have known better than to expect any less from a cunning kyuubi no youko (Gods, he thought, what a mouthful!) but even he was in shock, so that had to mean something. It was surprising to see the situation turned around so easily, not to mention the new note of authority and power in Nishiki's voice.
Such power showed especially when the soldiers began to throw down arms, when they threw down their weapons in defeat. Although quite a few of them were still not submerged into obedience. One of the mages, who was angry with Mara's death, shouted out a string of curses, and cast a Resire spell in Nishiki's direction.
He smiled, and easily dodged the attack, gracefully leaping from the ledge and landing just as elegantly on his attacker. In a one-two-three motion, he ripped off the mage's head, and spun the dismembered part into the crowd.
Flannel blinked, and watched as the bloodshed continued once more. He saw Orochi running towards Leon and Kamui, the latter two who protected her weaponless form with their easy strikes. He saw them pick off a few rebellious souls here and there, but ultimately they needed not to take part in any of the struggle.
Nishiki had massacred a good lot of them, easily killing those that refused to surrender as quietly as they were ordered to. And they were paying the ultimate price of disobedience, Flannel realized. The ultimate price. And for some reason, this horrible depiction of death and dismay brought a memory up to Flannel's mind, an event from long ago.
That conversation he had with Nishiki, about kindness and prejudice, about illusions and mirages, came flashing back in remembrance. I'm not called a 'bewitching fox' for nothing, Nishiki had said. Flannel did not understand what Nishiki meant at the time, but now he was starting to see the truth.
This, Flannel thought, is how he really is. That act of weakness before was just a fake-out.
And he could not genuinely tell if he loved him for better or for worse because of it. Either way, nothing could change the simple fact that Flannel still loved Nishiki, and maybe he loved him even more as he unraveled his enemies like ribbons, giving them the most beautiful but the most gruesome deaths there were.
"BEAUTIFUL AND DEADLY," Nishiki called out, snickering in between kills. "BEAUTIFUL AND DEADLY."
"JUST LIKE ME."