Chapter 2: Dragon and Swan
The following night, I have another vision of my Nohrian siblings: Camilla, Elise, and Xander are all waiting around Leo while he analyzes Kirin. His desk has his favorite mug and an empty coffee container beside it. How long has he been at this?
Turning my head, it appears to be the same tree place he showed Jakob and me.
I can't see the Siler Knight anywhere. But I have a feeling where he is. But I want to focus on what's in front of me. I figured out that I see from the gem the rod itself. We must be connected in some way. That's probably how they found out I was alive.
Xander remains poised and stern as usual, but I can tell he is worried as the others. Camilla though looks awful. She is slouching in a chair, hair unkempt, no tiara, and is her face is lifeless. Her eyes keep switching between staring into space and Leo's progress in a frantic manner. She is holding Elsie in her arms, who looks like she can't contain her bottled emotions, though Camilla is trying to soothe her.
"Any progress Leo?" Xander asks.
"That makes 40 times you three have asked me that. And No, I haven't been able to discern her location yet. However, I have found some new results."
Everyone's attention is on Leo. He usually loves being in the spotlight like this, but he often cracks under too much pressure. It seems he is holding it together — good job.
"Firstly, I can tell that she is indeed alive."
"Really!?" Elise blurts out.
"Is that so? You better not be lying!"
"I AM NOT LYING!" Leo yells before starting to cry. He cracked under emotions.
"Camilla!" Xander says sternly "I understand you are worried about our sister, but you place your anxiety onto your other siblings. Leo is doing all he can right now. It is incredible how much he has grown in his studies, but he is not a miracle maker."
"You're right Xander. Leo, I am so sorry for placing my emotional struggles upon you.
"sob It's fine Camilla. "Leo says. He takes out a handkerchief and wipes his face with it. "We all feel the same. Now, I had other results to share."
"Please share your findings with us," Xander asks.
"Is big sis Corrin ok?"
"Though I haven't been able to discern her precise location, I do know she is not within Nohr's boundaries. As you can see, it is picking up a signal, and the aura emitting matches hers. Just in case of a situation like this, I tried a risky hex that would cause the pommel of the rod to combust if she left went out of range. All there is to say about that part is I already replaced the smoldered remains." Leo explains.
"So Corrin isn't in Nohr?" Camilla guesses.
"Not based on what I have found," he replies.
"But big brother, I don't get something. How is it picking up a signal if she is that far away?
"Are you saying she somehow managed to move from the Bottomless Canyon to outside Nohr's boundaries is this short of a time?" Xander says.
"That's what I have been trying to figure out for the past hour," Leo responds. "This is some magic I have never seen before. For one thing, it can only detect if the magical energy was monstrously powerful. Far greater than a human can normally contain. And yet it still reads as Corrin."
"But big sis Corrin's terrible with magic," Elise says.
"Elise," Camilla says.
"What?" Elise pouts.
"She isn't wrong Camilla," Leo says. "Corrin was only able to do an E-Rank spell, and only D-Rank if she tried hard enough. However,
the perplexing part is how a person with low proficiency emit such volumes of energy? When Corrin fought those prisoners, she suddenly became proficient enough in magic to overwhelm that Hoshidan Ninja. I also have never come across any record of water-based magic anywhere from books to official records written by Magic Scholars more than twice my age!"
"I also have not seen any users of that element of magic on the battlefield," Xander adds.
"Neither have !" Camilla says. "Do you think she used a spell similar to Hans'?"
"I was about to get at that. Self-inflicting spells like Hans' would be the case. But I have never even heard of one that grants the user that much of an increase to their abilities. In closing, I don't think this will lead us to where Corrin's location is right now."
"What about the legend of the Bottomless Canyon?" Elise asks.
"You are referring to the superstition that it leads to another world?" Leo responds.
"Yeah! That one!"
"It is a good point. However, there is not enough information to prove that it is true."
"Aww."
"Don't worry there Elise, it was a good suggestion," Camilla hugs Elise tighter.
"Yes. Normally I would object, but under the circumstances, I am willing to put faith in such superstitions. However, I must still decline your idea, Elise. Even if it were to be true, nobody has ever entered that canyon and returned. It is not wise to invest the lives of Nohr in something carrying such a high risk."
"Thank you for the explanation big brother. Besides, regardless if that legend is true or not, there is also another strange force at work."
The three waits silently for Leo to explain.
"The rod only tracks Corrin when in possession of this, Silver Knight person. I can only imagine this person having some connection with Corrin we don't even-"
"-That's enough Leo." Xander interrupts. He stands tall and proud, but I can tell he has reached his limits like the others. "We have a good grasp of the situation. We know Corrin is alive, and not in Nohr. Leo, can you chart a range based off signal wavelength where she could be?
"I can, but may take some time. I am not familiar with this type of magic."
"Then take your time. Haste makes waste. Once you have gathered your results, report them to me at once. I will send out search parties to those areas at once."
Camilla releases Elise and gets up and hugs Leo.
"Thank you so much, little brother. You truly made my day."
She releases him. "I have a meeting to go to. Come on Elise, it's getting late, so I will help you to your quarters."
"Thanks, Camilla!" she responds as the two leave the room. However, Xander and the Silver Knight stay.
"I have a feeling we both know what Corrin's Rod is tracking," Xander says.
"Hold on big brother." Leo charges a ball of dark magic from his fingertips and launches it at the window. A bloodcurdling scream, then thud from outside.
"We were tracked?" Xander asks?
"Yes, but he fell for my trap, no information will be shared with father. But is it okay to trust him? he could secretly be another spy." Leo asks.
"He is my apprentice, and one of the most trustworthy men I have ever met. Furthermore, he has encountered the dragon before."
He has? I don't remember transforming before I fought Hans.
"We truly are dealing with draconian mage-craft."
"Indeed, it's quite scary."
"You? Big brother Xander, scared?! You jest!"
"Haha, it does seem a bit odd. But I am scared of Corrin losing her mind to it before we find her. The last thing I would want to do is to see her on the end of my blade."
"Which is why I am telling her actual location in secret."
"You know? But why? There would be little progress, and we both agree time is of the essence!"
"Then tell me how we are going to rescue Corrin from Hoshido without causing a major war?
They know!?
In a flash the room is in a red tint and blood everywhere, Xander and Leo torn to bloody pieces, and the Rod is on the floor.
I gasp as the imagery fades out into a red puddle.
I look up and realize I have returned to the same dark room.
I slowly turn my head as I see the dragon, sitting in the cage.
I jump back.
But it's not attacking, just staring at me.
It simply waits.
The cage door is severely damaged. I can see the lock on the cage. I wonder-
I suddenly stop when I hear a familiar song. I quickly realize how close I am to the cage door, and that someone is holding my arm.
I turn my head. Azura!?
She is in the room with me. How did she get here?
The dragon begins to roar as we glow light blue.
Next thing I know, I'm awake. I feel that energy has returned to my body. I sit up straight and rest my back on the wall behind me.
It's dark out. Must be nighttime. Still not used to the natural solar clock yet.
Phew. I relax. Wiping the sweat from my head with my arm; It's drenched. I need a bath.
I know! I can just ask Jakob for some ice water and then-
I look around quickly, and neither Jakob nor Felicia are here.
"Your retainers aren't here at the moment." says a familiar, monotone girl's voice.
I turn my head and body and see it's Azura, sitting on her knees next to my body.
"How did you go-!"
"Shhh." Azura cuts me off. "Please, Kamui-neesan, be quieter. We mustn't want to draw attention to ourselves. Your retainers are busy at various points of Shirasagi Castle getting supplies. I figured that this was the best opportunity to get to know each other."
"Oh, um, ok?" I respond, confusingly. She is weird. And I have met people like Arthur! No, scratch that, not as odd. Mysterious is the right word. She speaks so softly, yet I can tell her energy behind her words. I guess I must still be sick or something.
"I apologize for being so sudden." She says. "Are you feeling better right now?"
I take a moment to check on my body. It's not hot or aching. Everything is fine and healthy.
"Yeah. I am a bit shocked. Last I checked I felt awful everywhere."
An idea just hit me.
"Did you, heal me, Azura?" I ask.
"I did I know what was wrong with you as well. Hold that thought for now. Please follow me, and quietly."
"So we are sneaking out? What if the guards notice us?" I ask.
The singer hops out of the room, ignoring my question entirely.
Should I follow? I still have my suspicions, but she may also know more about what's happening to me in the past 24 hours. Still, she had a happy look on her face. I bet she was planning this for longer than I could imagine. Reminds me of the look on Elise's face when she pulls off one of her "surprises." I guess it would be safe to trust her.
Azura looks back into the room.
"Corrin. Please. Hurry."
"I'm coming."
I pull off my covers, and I am wearing something. It seems to be some asymmetrical, serrated, silver armor suit that covers all but above my hands, feet, inner thighs and cuts off at my neck. The thing is both snug and flexible too; barely notice it when it's on, although I can't remove it either.
"I'll explain that too. Please."
She sounds desperate. But she may have answers.
"Ok, ok, I'm coming."
I follow after Azura as we both sneak around the castle guards. It feels like one of those stealth novels I've read, though my admiration fades as I begin feeling exhausted. This place is gigantic, with various narrow halls lit brighter than Castle Krankenburg. If I lose sight of Azura, I may get lost.
Eventually, we make it outside and back at the lake where I met Azura. I gasp and try to recover my breath.
"It's okay; they won't find us here. It's my special place." Azura says, a bit more relaxed.
"Phew, that was rough," I say.
"It wasn't any more difficult than normal." the singer casually responds.
"You're joking, right? There were SO many guards! Every second I felt I was about to be jumped by a ninja, or something!"
"I can sympathize with you there. Ever since you arrived at the castle's security level has gone up. No worries."
"Hehehe...So, why did you bring me here?" I ask.
"As I said before; This is my special place when I need to be alone. It's perfect for us to get to know each other. Especially since the things I am going to share are very, personal."
"Huh?"
"Please watch closely. I am going to cast a spell; I need you to follow me as I enter the lake."
"Understood."
"You, are the ocean's grey waves. Destined to seek, beyond, a shore, just out of reach."
That's the melody I heard earlier when I was a dragon. It was her.
Azura begins to be surrounded by water. I guess that's my cue.
I manage to step behind her as the water encompasses our bodies in a sphere together.
I hold my breath instinctively, only to realize that I can breathe fine.
"Yet the waters ever change-" Azura continues.
We move through the lake inside her bubble. I notice all the cool sites like the coral, and fish I have only seen in books. It's all so amazing. Even the dim moonlight, manages to make everything so vivid.
Eventually, I see us heading for a large, coral structure big enough for us to fit in. Azura continues to sing "flowing like time, the path is, yours to climb."
We stop.
"Grab a seat Kamui-neesan." She points to two clusters of coral that look like chairs. "You can swim, can't you?"
"Yes." I swim to the other chair. As pull myself into it, it's actual comfier than I thought.
"You like it? I constructed this entire place using Dragon Veins. Took me awhile before I was able to make everything right."
"Yeah, it's not bad."
"Good. Also, do you prefer to be called Corrin, or Kamui-neesan?"
"Either or, but Corrin I prefer slightly." Though I never really thought about that before.
"Good, I was just, confused. I don't want to mistitle you or anything." Azura says nervously.
Someone here hasn't done much socializing. I guess I should start then.
"Why do you act so close to me? I mean there are other siblings, here right?"
"That's something I think your mother Queen Mikoto would like to discuss with you. I can tell you at least we are blood-related. We had the same father, but
different mothers. Did I confuse you?"
"Uhm, sort of? I mean, you just came out of nowhere in my lie and claimed we're related by blood. And aren't people with different mothers like that usually cousins?"
"My apologizes. I only answered your question the best I could. Perhaps I shouldn't have told you anything."
"You don't need to apologize. I asked the question, and you did your best to answer."
"Okay." Azura takes a few deep breaths. I guess she isn't used to talking with others for this long.
"You said you had more questions."
"Ah, yes." I should avoid dropping the dragon topic for last. Have to find a way to bring it to her without overwhelming her. "Did you ever live in Nohr?"
"I was raised there as a Nohrian Princess. I was kidnapped at six years old and taken to Hoshido, where I have lived my life since."
"It's just that, Camilla, and Xander both really miss you."
"They do, don't they." She sounds disinterested.
"How could you feel that way? They miss you!"
"If they truly cared, why didn't they stop all the horrors around me!? I hated living in Nohr every second. Every day was full of pain, torture, and fear. I still have nightmares and vivid memories." Azura begins crying. The tears don't all down but float in the water.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you revisit those horrible memories."
"No, sniff, it's fine. You asked a reasonable question."
We both laugh a little.
Azura looks me in the eye, catching my full attention.
"How much do you want to know about the dragon?"
I look down at my body covered in silver. I reminisce all the nightmares, the insane moments, and all the scares. I start to cry a little.
"Corrin-"
"Everything," I respond.
"Are you sure? You may not like what you may hear."
I stop shaking and crying, slumping down into the coral chair.
"I don't care. Please, tell me everything."
"Alright. Now, I will warn you once more: you may not like what I am about to say, so are you ready to accept it?"
"Yes," I say without hesitation.
"You alright Corrin? You seem tense. I don't want to overburden you as you're getting accustomed to Hoshido."
"That's kind of you Azura, but I'm fine," I lie. I'm tense because I want answers; answers to all that's been happening to me from now to my whole life.
"My goodness. Anyways, you are not human."
"So I am a dragon."
"In simple terms, yes. But your situation is far more complicated."
"How so? And how can I be a dragon with human siblings?" I start breaking down.
"To begin with, we are both half-dragon. Our father was a dragon. However, my draconic powers manifested differently than you'rs are right now; I would prefer not to delve into that anymore. As for the second part of your question: all the Hoshidan and Nohr nobles, the ones we call siblings, all have the blood of a dragon in their body. That is why they can use Dragon Veins, as well as perform legendary feats of strength and magic. However, depending on how much dragon blood they have, the effects of it are different. I should also let you know we descend from a different dragon than they do."
"So we all have the blood of those things. I just happened to have more."
"Well, that's one way to look at it. Fine then, something that may surprise you as this is not in historical texts is that I know what you are: a manakete.
"Manakete?"
"You see, though dragons live long lives, many began suffering from a sickness called degeneration. The dragon' mental psyche would break down over time, and they would devolve into mindless monsters. Long ago, when this was discovered by the dragons, they either discarded their bodies to become astral entities, leaving their powers and legacy with a select group of humans. That was the case for Hoshido and Nohr. Though others chose to seal their dragon powers behind a magic stone and assume human form. Though this was not successful for all dragons."
"Wow, that's a lot. You know so much Azura. But are you a manakete too?"
"Remember when I said my powers manifested differently? Let's just say, due to what has happened to me in the past, my draconic heritage manifested in a "different" way than others," She looked away when she said that. She must hate talking about her powers, and I'll assume her past is full of things she'd like to keep secret as well. But the face she is making right now makes her look so miserable.
She turns back to me "You seemed to have calmed down a little, does knowledge excite you?"
"Not exactly. But, in simple terms, yes."
"Should I continue?"
"I'm not even sure that's necessary. I get the idea. I am having nightmares and premature transformations because I am just awakening to my powers. I just need a stone, right?
"That's the basic idea. I'm impressed you figured it out so quickly."
"I read A LOT of books."
"Books don't necessarily correlate to reality."
"Maybe so, but they do fill you with a lot of ideas."
"That is true. And to finish up; yes, I can't say any more. Magic can be so annoying sometimes."
"So it's locked behind a curse or something?"
"Let me put it this way; yes, wait for mother, and I don't know."
"You don't know? About what?"
"Well your case is strange, you seem, different, then anything I've ever learned about the dragon race. That silver armor skin, for example. Anyways we're done here. Good talk. It will be morning soon."
"What? How long have we been here?"
"A few hours I believe."
"Didn't feel that way."
"Regardless, we're leaving."
"Oh, no you don't. Come here!"
I leap towards Azura and tackle her onto the coral floor. The water prevents any injury.
"Corrin, what are you doing!? Ah!"
She covers her mouth while she tries to suppress her laughter while I tickle her.
"You think you can wake me in the middle of the night, promise to answer questions yet only answer half, while acting so sour to me? Your sister? I don't think so. Not without some payback.
Azura's tries to speak but her sentences cut between her laughter. "Why are you doing this to me? I did everything to the best of my-Ah!"
I found her weak point, and now she is laughing aloud.
"I just told you. Besides this the best smile you've had since I've gotten here. This is also normal play for sisters."
"Please stop! You might break my concentration, and we'll drown!"
"Fine then, I'll stop, on one condition."
I stop tickling so Azura can regain her composure.
"One thing?"
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"We are going to bathe together this morning."
"What, but where?"
"Hot springs! I read Hoshido has the best, natural hot springs. You can get me in with your status. A private bath with my blood sibling while enjoying my first dawn break would be so amazing!
"Fine. I'll take you to my special hot spring. Given to me by Queen Mikoto for when I do this."
"You do this a lot, don't you."
"...? I do." she sulkily responds.
"At least you're in a better mood now. Alright, follow me as I cast the spell."
Azura casts the spell, and we both begin floating in a different direction, probably the hot spring. In retrospect; combining behaviors of Elise and Camilla really helped me back there. If I was left negative like that, I don't see what good would come from it.
As we reach the surface, I look at Azura's face and am relieved to see that she is smiling just as big as I was.
To be continued…