Within an hour, everyone is awake and we're moving back down the path, which is much easier now that we are not working against it. The trip down is awkward to say the least. The two Wyverns and horse seem to be in a group of their own, strangely enough. Beruka is with Camilla, who is avoiding nearly everyone, I think there is more to that spell than Phoenix lets on. Selena is with Phoenix, up in the front, from what I can pick up, it sounds like they are catching up with their lives. Jakob and Effie are huddled in a group, staying mostly silent. Finally there is Keaton, Elise and myself near the center, trying very hard to keep an appropriate appearance, which turns out to be quite difficult considering I had sex with Elise no more than seven hours ago, and mated with Keaton less than an hour ago. 'What am I supposed to say here? '
So we stay silent and after a while, all the other talking dies down and the only sound is feet hitting the ground. Soon enough, the town is visible again and we walk through it to the docks. "Lady Yasei?" Gonin pops up from one of the outdoor tavern seats, "It's been over a day, I must admit, I was quite worried." He takes notice of the other two Royals, "Greetings Lady Elise." He bows, "Lady Camilla, I am the captain that navigated the ship to get Lady Yasei here." Another bow.
"We're going to need another passage back to the mainland, how long?" I ask.
"All I need to do is untie its bindings and we can set sail."
"Good, let's get this over with." 'I do hope it isn't as bad as last time.' The man rushes off to his boat and we follow.
"Lady Yasei, would you like for me to go ahead and prepare some more tea?" Jakob asks.
"Yes please."
"...Tea? For a boat trip?" Camilla asks, "Are you well?"
"According to Gonin, I don't have my 'Sea Legs'." I shrug.
"I could have you ride my Wyvern with me, if that helps."
'She is trying to mend things over . ' "Maybe afterwards? I'm worried I might get the same reaction from flying."
She frowns, "Right, of course."
"How about save that ride for tonight? When we camp?" I offer.
A small smile returns, "That sounds wonderful."
We all board the ship and I drink the tea Jakob offers me, already feeling better about this trip. Gonin is calling out orders to his new crewmates and the ship starts sailing off. The trip is actually feeling quite refreshing, the sea breeze is gentle and the air smells nice. Everyone has taken to relaxing on some part of the ship, except for Phoenix, who is on the lookout tower alongside Selena, the latter with a telescope. An hour seemingly passes without incident, the winds aren't especially favorable, but it is good enough.
"Sky Knights, starboard!" I hear Phoenix yell. Selena is already making her way down with her sword out, most of the others are already outside, the few who are inside are now outside. "Of course we don't have archers…" I hear her mutter as she climbs down. "Elise! Here." She tosses the youngest princess a teal-colored tome. "Arcwind, be ready to knock some of them down… uh, watch yourself, it is relatively high compared to what you should be starting off with, not nearly as much as Mjolnir, though."
"Aye aye, Tactician!" She smiles.
"Stay away from the edges, group around the center, but not clumped. Gonin, try to halt her, I believe I am the only one who has fought on a ship before." 'Her?' The ship slowly comes to a crawl, then it halts and anchors are dropped. "I want men assigned to those anchors, ready to raise them the second we need to. Effie, careful as you fight, I don't want you dropping below the deck. Camilla, Beruka, to the sky, keep close, don't chase unless told otherwise. Everyone else, ready yourselves."
The first of the Knights land, she is a woman with long dark-blue hair pulled into a ponytail that she just slings over her shoulder, she has a sort of vertical-sided halo on the back of her head, two scars that form an 'X' over her face. She has both a Naginata and a bow on her person, "Ah, Lady Corrin." She smiles, but her scent is anything but friendly, more Sky Knights approach, but they stay airborne about a dozen feet away from the ship. Then another one lands, gods, "Good work, Felicia." She jumps off the mount and it takes back off.
The Ice Tribe Maid stares us down, me specifically, tears already forming on her face. "Th-... Lady Yasei, you… why?" She is unable to bring herself to ask.
"Calm yourself, Felicia, I told you we will avenge them." The woman continues.
A third one touches down, this one holding a woman with a hair color like the other, but her hair is much longer, being supported by a hair band, small wing clips on the top. I hear Phoenix mutter 'Cordelia? No, wrong hair color.' The second Sky Knight speaks up, "This is Lady Corrin, then?" She asks while looking at me, "I wouldn't dare to dream of harming my father's liege's sister, but I promised Sakura I would do everything I could to bring you back." 'Sakura?!'
"Caeldori, dear. Keep in mind that Hinoka has yet to report back, and Corrin is still quite alive." She calmly states.
"She… you would kill family?!" Caeldori looks disgusted. "Perhaps it is better we follow your instincts here, mother."
"It was out of my control!" My protest falls on deaf ears.
My once-maid readies her dagger, "I-I'm ready, Reina. For the Ice Tribe! My sister and father." Reina and Caeldori take back to the skies and Felicia stands on the far side… alone?
"Kinshi Knights, you have your orders, Corrin is the only one we are trying to keep alive. Everyone else is fair game."
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you that this Felicia isn't standing there alone." Phoenix states. "I can barely make out two more. Effie, I want you to draw them out, but watch yourself. Elise, start knocking some of those flyers out, but stay close to the center. Camilla and Beruka, gods , nearly all of them have bows," She shakes her head, "Can't risk it, I need you two on the deck."
"Our dear Wyverns can fight with us, those talons aren't just for show, after all." Camilla purrs.
"Even better. Jakob, take point next to them. Selena, with me, keep me covered so I can cast. Keaton with Yasei, work your magic with those refined instincts of yours, I trust you can hold your own. Gonin, you and your men take cover indoors, I want those men assigned to raise anchors on the ready."
With the Tactician's orders out and everyone in place, the battle starts. Keaton shifts beside me and I follow suit, 'Lance beats Sword . ' Lance… "Caeldori has a Beast Killer!" I realize and my mate growls in response. We stand side-by-side, our hearing is sharp enough to prevent any surprise attacks coming from our rears. A pair of Kinshi Knights approaches, one readying her bow and the other charging in with her naginata. I prepare a water stream and Keaton deflects the naginata with enough force to slam it out of her grasp, throwing her off balance and allowing him to reach and crush the beast's body, the rider falls off and he snaps her body before throwing her off the ship. It's morbid, but he can't fight like normally can since the floor could break. I shoot my stream right as the other knight fires her arrow, the arrow is completely destroyed in the stream and the beast drops when the stream pierces its body, leaving a rider in the water.
"Watch for riders who climb up!" Phoenix calls out.
"I only got one of these guys!" Effie shouts, "Gods, this guy is good." I glance over to see a man in Ninja's garb, but he is wielding a sword in one hand and an axe in the other. Another sword and axe is attached to either side of his hip and he has shurikens lined up on his person. The man is keeping Effie on the defensive, but I can tell her shield is starting to give in to his relentless assault. "I can't get a hit in!"
Keaton and I rush to her aid, only for another one of those men to appear, just as heavily armed as the other. We stalk to either side of him and he seems completely undisturbed. We charge and he flicks a shuriken in both directions, which we both dodge, we both feint and attack at slightly opposite angles, the man is clipped by Keaton's fist and the force is enough to send him flying a few feet. Another shuriken is shot out and I hear Camilla's Wyvern screech in pain a moment later, yet the man is still facing us. 'How much training did he get to do something like that?' He gracefully lands and charges us, easily side-stepping both of our attacks, I get struck by his axe and Keaton gets the sword's edge.
"Gods…" I say while Keaton grunts. He approaches again and I shift back, blocking his attack with Yato, before almost landing a strike of my own, he only gets clipped by my mate's fist again, then a dagger lodges itself into his chest, slightly off-center and away from his heart. Another dagger is launched, but this one is aimed at me and it lands near my right shoulder, I wince at the pain but my armor absorbs most of it.
"Can't hold this guy much longer!" Effie shouts, gods, her shield looks like crap, how is he not tiring out? I hear a few more Pegasi drop, one of them smoking with electricity and another with an axe lodged in its neck.
Keaton abruptly jumps backwards as a Beast Killer swipes the air he was just occupying, I swing Yato at Caeldori, who easily deflects the attack before landing her own on my right arm. "Stand down, Corrin." She commands, but her voice is shaky, "Sakura wants you alive. Surrender and the rest live."
"Can't do that." I shake my head as a gust of wind slams into her pegasus, sending the woman toppling over.
"Caeldori, focus!" Reina shouts.
The younger Knight's pegasus is caught in Keaton's grasp and he rips into its neck, blood flowing freely before tossing it over the edge. The scent of blood invigorates both of us, I start to care less about keeping her alive as the dragon side calls for more of the life fluid. 'Good move, mate . ' I flash a dangerous smile at her, being sure to show off my sharpened teeth, she seems unsettled by it, Caeldori must be pretty new if she is being bothered by that. Still, she stands her ground, Beast Killer in her hands. 'Kill, rend.'
That man appears again and scores another strike on Keaton, this time the Wolfskin snags him before he can flip away again, his arms pinned to his sides. I can sense the frustration from my mate because of the man and the satisfying sound of bones cracking echoes as he bends him backwards at an awkward angle. Caeldori flinches at the noise, clearly bothered by the manner of his death. "That's… just wrong." She shakily says.
"Throw that Beast Killer over the edge, unless you want to end up like him, or worse." I growl.
Reina swoops in and attempts a strike, but I dodge, "Gods, daughter." She sounds worried, "Remember, you wanted to help out, don't get yourself killed on your first big mission." Another strike that I dodge.
She shakes her head, "Right, I can't let you all down. I'm better than this." She finds her determination and steels herself, closing in to attack me, with her mother on the other side. Another dagger strikes my right shoulder, this time piercing into the armor and into my body, I drop Yato from the pain and pull out my gifted sword with my left hand. My inexperience with fighting using my left arm shows quickly, my grip is shaky and I feel really uncertain, I can barely move my right arm without a large amount of pain following it.
The mother and daughter move in to strike together, I bring my sword up to try and block them while Keaton approaches from the mother's side. She rears her pegasus up and Keaton lets out a pained howl as the Beast Killer lands a vicious strike across his right arm, the wound already dropping a large amount of blood. He backs up before another one hits him. Within seconds Elise is there, the wound is closed and she is wielding her tome again. 'It won't ever heal properly.' I grimace. 'And it is in a worse spot than mine, considering his arm is a much more liable spot to get struck than my chest, which is actually protected by high-quality armor . '
"Arcwind!" My little sister shouts as a blast of air rips the lance straight from Caeldori's grasp. She has a smirk and I attack, the sword slash shaky and weak, barely biting into her armor. Gritting my teeth through the pain, I follow up with a lance thrust with my right, it isn't lethal, but I pierce her lower stomach. My lance retracts less than a second later and I muffle a cry of pain.
"Bout time!" Effie exclaims as the other very skilled fighter drops, Camilla's axe cleaving into his chest, nearly severing the man in half. "Whew…" The Knight is sweating profusely.
"Effie, fall back, get some healing on you!" The Tactician calls out.
"Get her," Reina commands her daughter as she tosses her naginata to her, then pulls out her bow and takes back into the sky. Caeldori sprints off in the wounded Knight's direction and Keaton follows, before having to back off as an arrow nearly lodges itself in his right arm.
"Jakob, Beruka, on Effie. Watch for arrows. Elise, knock Reina out of the sky." Phoenix fries another Sky Knight, her breathing starting to become labored. She tucks her Mjolnir tome away and pulls out another yellow tome, "Elthunder!" A much weaker electric ball shoots out, hurting but not outright killing a Pegasus like she has been doing. Selena blocks an arrow with her buckler. Reina switches over to Selena and Phoenix.
Keaton and I are no longer being chased after, with my mate breathing heavily. "Did you even recover from the last fight properly?"
"Not all the way." He admits. "I can still…"
"No way, you're going to get yourself killed!" I counter. "Get below deck and take a few moments." He pauses before shifting and leaving, his wound closed but his arm is almost completely stained red as it hangs lazily by his side. Gods, he looks even worse now. I sheathe my blade before shifting once more, my front right arm protesting, but I have to, I cannot fight with a sword in my left hand. 'Hypocrite . '
Effie lets out grunt of pain as Caeldori manages to land a strike before jumping back from a thrown dagger from Jakob, and gets herself struck by Beruka's Wyvern, who has approached from behind, the beast's owner following up with her axe a second later. "M-mother!" The woman is bleeding openly before the wounds close.
"Camilla, get on Felicia!" The maid is left alone as big sister goes in, her Wyvern on the opposite side. Reina swoops in and strikes Elise, the princess screeching in pain as her side is left bleeding. Jakob quickly weaves his way to get close enough to heal it before returning to Effie, who is looking much better… her shield on the other hand is ruined.
The Knight tosses her shield to the side and opts to wield a sword in its place, holding it in more of a defensive stance. She then resumes the fight and stands by her liege. The last of the reinforcements drop and now it's just Reina, Caeldori, and Felicia. Yet they refuse to back down. Part of me doesn't want Felicia dead, but her entire tribe is gone, maybe it is better just to send her off with them? A morbid thought, sure, but still…
"My…" Effie starts as a lance finds its way through her armor 'No, not another,' , "Best friend… liege… not strong enough." Caeldori stands behind her, arms trembling as she removes her lance. Elise all but screams and I charge her, 'Revenge, rip, kill, tear!' I rear my horns and slam into Caeldori, before being struck with a javelin.
A dagger sails through the air and Selena drops her sword as it imbeds itself into her left arm, Reina swoops in soon after with a different naginata in hand, and I shoot a stream at her pegasus, the beast crumbles to the ground but she gracefully lands and makes her strike on the red-haired woman. Phoenix is currently taking deep breaths, her tome trembling in her grip. I make my way over, but my front right leg gives out and I am forced to shift back from the pain alone. 'Not now!' Selena blocks another strike with her buckler, then keels over as a sweeping blow hits her.
Phoenix tucks her tome away and pulls out a third tome, 'how many does she have in that cloak?' This one is a deep purple and she actually looks regretful for even considering using it. Dark tendrils dance on her hand, "Nosferatu…" Reina cries out in pain as the life force is being ripped straight out of her and into Phoenix.
"I thought you…" Selena starts.
"Not now." She cuts her off and the other nods. The Tactician still somehow looks winded and weary before placing that tome away and pulling out her normal sword and tossing it to Selena, who easily catches it and holds it in her right hand, finally Phoenix pulls out her Levin Sword.
"Sister… Reina, Caeldori… I… slipped up again," Felicia drops dead. Camilla's breathing is quick and sharp as her body is lined with a number of cuts and slashes while her Wyvern is not looking too much better.
"Camilla, to the back." The Tactician commands. Reina and Caeldori both charge Selena and Phoenix, Reina is about to land a blow on Selena before her and her pegasus are slammed off course by Beruka and her Wyvern. The emotionless woman immediately following up with a savage axe strike on the other's pegasus, her Wyvern easily rips into the weakened beast, ending its life.
"Gods…" Caeldori murmurs, "This can't be happening…" Her grip on her naginata is trembling again and she fails to land a slash on Selena, who takes the opening and snaps the weapon with her own sword.
"Selena…" Phoenix says and the other stops mid-swing from ending the woman's life. "Keep her still." A half second's hesitation and she follows the order. Phoenix weaves a spell and the Sky Knight's arms are bound by magic. "You, stay." She tells the blue-haired woman.
Reina is backed towards the ship's wall by Beruka and her Wyvern, unlike her daughter, however, she is still managing to fight off the incoming attacks. "Caeldori!" She yells in anger before making an incredibly powerful swipe at Beruka, causing her to stagger back and also slashing into her mount. She is about to make another strike when electricity crackles in the air and Phoenix swipes her Levin Sword at her, a small bolt of lightning striking the Kinshi Knight. Reina gasps but keeps 's wyvern slams into the Kinshi Knight and blood starts pouring from the newest gash across her chest…
Then Camilla slices the woman in half with her Divine Axe. "Mother!" Caeldori tries in vain to break free of the magic that is binding her.
"Why did you spare her?" Selena finally asks.
"Elise, Jakob, tend to our wounded. Gonin and the others, come on out. Let's get this ship moving again." I call out.
A rather disturbing smile graces Phoenix's face, "She doubts herself, unsure of the situation and fears her mission will fail." She sheathes her Levin Sword and walks towards the woman in question with a predatory look in her eyes. "And I can use that to our advantage."
"I won't talk." She snaps. "I…"
"would sooner die? Yeah yeah, you aren't the first that said that line." Phoenix interrupts, "Let me assure you, Cor…" She coughs, "Caeldori, there are fates worth than death, and what I want from you is a mercy compared to what I can do to you."
"We're heading out!" Gonin yells as the ship starts moving again.
"No…" Her will is wavering.
A shroud of dark magic begins forming around Phoenix's right hand and I notice her eyes flash red for a moment, the other woman squeaks, "Girl, the things I can do to you…" Her voice drops and it almost sounds sultry, were it not for the seriousness of the situation. "Let's keep the pain to a minimum, alright? All I ask is you take up arms with us, is that so bad?"
"Do you really think she'll do that?" I ask, "That's a pretty tall order."
"We need more units, if the Hoshidans keep this up, exhaustion will claim us before anything." She turns her attention back to the woman, "And I am getting you on our side, whether or not you keep your free will or become a mindless slave is up to you." She smirks, "I could even send you back, under the guise of a failed mission… just imagine your father's face as you run him through with a spear."
"What? That's… what the hell is wrong with you?" She sputters.
"Answers, lady. Are you going to take up arms willingly or not?"
She relents and bows her head, "I will…"
Phoenix smiles, "Perfect," She snaps her fingers and the binding spell ends, "Now, keep this in mind, if you decide to run off, or otherwise endanger one of us, I will bind you to my will, understand?"
She recoils, "Yes."
Caeldori lets herself be raised up by Phoenix. "Beautiful, welcome to the team."