A/N(?): Cloaked by the nighttime darkness, _ walks up to the far perimeter of a seemingly random village, a new person in tow. "...You sure she's worth it?" The other, a female, asks. "At least _ wasn't such a coward."
A smile and a nod, "_ ended up becoming powerful in her own right, besides… I know potential when I see it. So, do you have it?"
She reaches into her dress and pulls out a vial, filled with a misty light-blue liquid, "It is, but…" The original female companion to him watches the vial with wide eyes. "In order for it to work, a few conditions need to be met…"
"..." The first female reaches up, licking her lips…
The second smacks her hand, "No, if you drink it now, you will ruin the plan."
The first recoils, the male chuckles. "Alright _, whaddya need me to do?" The second smiles, and begins to explain...
Name, Language (Translation) [Notes]: Yasei, Vallite (Wild) [Corrin's name]. Purotekutā no Kyōdai ai, Vallite (Protector of Sibling Love) [Corrin's Naginata]. Hoshizora Seiza, Vallite (Starry Constellation [Lilith's Mother]. Firechaser, Common [Hinoka's M!Pegasus]. Jiyū, Vallite (Freedom) [Lathna's F!Pegasus]. Kanpeki, Vallite (Perfection) [Subaki's M!Pegasus]. Katáktisi, Nohrian (Conquest) [Xander's Stallion] Ouranós Trómos, Nohrian (Skyterror) [Camilla's M!Wyvern]. Μαύρο άλογο, Nohrian (Dark Horse) [Leo's Stallion, though his siblings call him Alastor). Baranotsubomi, Hoshidan (Rosebud) [Elise's Mare].
Consort: Did he? Or did he? Hrm... but, if Grima is 'here', then that means... well, given Awakening, it could mean he's either from the 'main' or 'future' timeline. Uh, though I'll go ahead and say Validar is dead. Still, this is quite the observation, assuming quite a bit here, aren't ya?
The mounts have got attitude, too! They aren't just some 'beast' that a character rides, expect them to pull off their own things in time...
Antex: Ay, well… back to the plot, hm?
After a dozen and a half explanations on why have my eyes changed color, I gather up Sakura, Lilith, and Azura… as well as their retainers, though their retainers are outside of the War Room. We head into the once-Critical Care room, that is now the 'War Room'. Over the course of a single night, most of the Hoshidan Soldiers have been healed, and the… Risen Nohrians have been cremated. Sakura grabs a Hoshidan Map and splays it out across the table. "Hinoka and her retainers have traveled to the Wind Tribe, they will recruit the Wind Tribe to the war." I first explain, "Takumi, his retainers and a detachment of archers are aiding Ryoma, his retainers, and a bulk of Hoshido's army to hold the only viable route for an army on foot to take because the bridges there are too old and decrepit for calvary to use, near the center of the Bottomless Canyon. That leaves us." Oh gods… saying that hurt.
Gunter. I grit my teeth and push back the tears, not now… "Where will we go, big sister?" Sakura asks.
Lilith and Azura practically glare at each other for a moment. "Izumo." Azura speaks.
"It's too late for a peace meeting, we need to assure Hoshido's safety." Lilith bites back.
"That is not why I suggested Izumo, Lilith." Azura frowns.
"One at a time. I'll take any suggestion since we haven't gotten any orders from Yukimaru yet." I sternly state, gripping the table tightly. 'When I find you, Hans… you will die a painful death.'
"Izumo is known for its diplomacy and peaceful stance, yes… but Izama is also a potent Diviner, and he has access to a magical item that any Diviner would trade in even their most beloved Tarot Cards for… Shio no Mirai... erm, Tides of the Future. It is what most consider a 'Crystal Ball', but it is far superior than that." Azura explains.
"Fortune-telling is an unreliable magic, Lady Corrin." Lilith shakes her head. "Yes, this Shi no Mirai may tell us what happens later, but that outcome relies solely on us and everyone else in this entire world to follow that exact course which will lead to that outcome. If we so much as march the wrong way for a day… we may not even see a recognizable variable of that outcome."
"Perhaps if this was some standard Tarot Card set, Lilith, but the Shi no Mirai is beyond that. There are some events that cannot be controlled by us, and instead are given to us by the Gods themselves, events that cannot be denied! Indeed, Izama receives these visions from none other than the Kuronikurā himself." [What is written is set in stone, none shall re-write what I have foreseen. The Book of Time is absolute.]
Lilith huffs, "A person who holds the title as 'The Chronicler' is nothing more than mad. Nothing can be set in stone, Lady Azura."
"U-Um…?" Sakura looks between the two.
I won't lie, predicting the future would be beneficial, but is it really worth the time to detour straight there? Especially if Izumo isn't being attacked. "Um… thank you, Azura." I slowly respond. "Lilith? What do you have to share?" I prod her, instead.
Azura stares Lilith down, Lilith speaks up, "Take care of the smaller obstacles first, since Lord Ryoma and Lord Takumi will be so bravely holding the front lines. We should aid Lady Hinoka, and then secure the rest of Hoshido. From there, we join with the bulk of the army."
That makes good sense, rounding up smaller forces now will 'snowball' into a larger force later, and it also assures that Hoshido is secure, thus we can focus more on pushing forward. "Sis? Whaddya got?"
Sakura squeaks, "I-I… didn't think you'd… ask for me… u-um… Lady Azura and Lilith already pr-provided some good ideas…" She shies away.
Ah, perhaps I was too sudden with that. I look over the map… "The Wind Tribe and Hinoka are here, to the South of that is Izumo, and due West of that is Mokushu. I suggest we take a path that is the medium between the Wind Tribe and Izumo, that way… if Hinoka doesn't return along the way, then we can go check up on her with minimal time wasted. If she does return, then we can focus on getting to Izumo."
"Mokushu?" Lilith asks.
"Ninja territory." Sakura speaks up. "They t-take a more neutral stance, and… well. Um…"
Oh, Ninjas! "Kaze! Can you come in?" I call out. The door opens and Kaze strides in… though I see Jakob peaking over his shoulder, Felicia also sends out a huge wave… which ends up smacking Jakob on the back of his head, a quick 'sorry!' follows, and right before the door closes… I hear something crash.
'Never change, Felicia, despite how much you may stumble or shatter things.'
"Yes, milady?" He asks.
"Do you know anything of Mokushu?" I ask.
He holds eye contact, crossing his arms and then nodding, "I do. It is the Ninja territory near the Southern end of Hoshido, bordering Izumo. It is ruled by a Daimyo, I believe the current one is named Kotaru."
"So, were you…?" I trail off.
He picks up on it, and shakes his head, "No, milady. Saizo, Kagero, and myself are all from the Igasato clan, ruled by Saizo." He pauses, noting the curious looks. "Saizo is the name given to the eldest child of the current Saizo. Once the eldest child is ready to lead, he disgards his old name and is known as Saizo. My brother is Saizo the Fifth."
"A-and Mokushu takes a… neutral stance, r-right?" Sakura adds.
"That is correct, Lady Sakura. Unlike the Igasato clan, who has deep ties with the Hoshidan Royal Family, Mokushu remains neutral, even to Izumo."
"Alright then, your opinion: How would Kotaru react if Nohr invaded into Hoshido? If their support was what we needed to drive them back?" I keep pressing.
Kaze takes a breath and sighs, I can see a trickle of worry seep into his… nope, it's already gone. "Kotaru would act in the best interest of Mokushu… if Nohr has already managed to secure a portion of its army into Hoshido, I would not put it past him to side with Nohr."
Sakura gasps, Lilith frowns, Azura remains unbothered, and I'm in a combination of distraught and anger. "Hoshido is their home!" I counter.
"With all due respect, Lady Corrin, Mokushu is their home… Hoshido just happens to be the landmass around it. They would act the same if they were located in Nohr and we were the invading army. They are, by definition, the basest example of 'True Neutral'." No aggression, no distaste… just facts. "Of course, this is just my assumption."
"Alright, I got it." I sigh, looking over the map one more time. "We will march South, taking the main path. If Hinoka makes contact, we'll continue to Izumo. If she doesn't by the time we reach the optimal point to travel to the Wind Tribe, then we will check on her. Afterwards, we travel to Izumo. Once our trip in Izumo is done, we will head to Mokushu to secure their aid. Does everyone understand?" A collective 'yes'. "Good, we'll head out today. Let's go!"
The sun is still high, shining bright, leaving me rather warm. Thankfully, this armor isn't as heavy as my original set that I used back in Nohr, but… there's another advantage to fighting in Nohr. The weather is colder, so the legendary and massively armored Generals have almost no concern of overheating. Hoshido, on the other hand? Without some sort of enchantment, a General would roast out here in minutes! Though, that does also mean the opposite is true. Rinkah is able to sacrifice large amounts of armor in exchange for faster and stronger hits in this heat, but in Nohr? She would likely freeze over. Oh…
"Felicia? Jakob? How are you both doing?" I ask them. "The heat, I mean."
Jakob pulls out a handkerchief and dabs his forehead. "A bit toasty, milady. I do believe I might be in need of more cloths."
Felicia, on the other hand, "W-well, could be worse!" She exclaims, not looking that hot. Huh, I'd think that for an Ice Tribe member, she would be easier to heat up? "Non-magical heat is no issue for me!" She smiles.
"Would you care to share some of that cold, Felicia?" Jakob asks.
She wryly smiles, "No can do! If I extend this aura past myself, it'll drain my energy!"
Wait a minute… 'past herself'. "Felicia?" I ask.
"Yes, Lady Corrin!" She half-bows as she walks, almost falling over.
"I need you to come over here…" I lead her on, and she, again, almost trips to get to me. "A little closer…"
"U-Um…" Felicia hesitates, but is now walking beside me.
"Hugging territory, Felicia." I keep prodding, and when she touches? "Oh, that's perfect." Instant chills, right to that cozy temperature. The sun is suddenly hundreds of times more bearable. "Thanks Felicia, you're the best…" Sure, it looks unprofessional, but I was really starting to heat up.
Steadily, Felicia's face turns quite the shade of red, not from heat, but from embarrassment, "A-Anything for milady!" She nervously giggles.
"Lady Sakura! Lady Corrin!" Subaki rears his Pegasus in, but not quite landing on the ground. Kanpeki is looking tenser than normal. "Report."
Literally sticking to Felicia, I reply with, "Go ahead."
"There's a village under siege by Faceless down the road, casualties are high, but the battle is still going." Faceless… a textbook definition example of 'expendable soldiers', they sometimes turn on their own creators. Though, it's not as if the Faceless themselves have no reason to...
"Sister, what is a Faceless?" Leo had invited me to the Nohrian Royal Library, a favorite of his. Brynhildr rests on the table next to him, he has a cup of coffee in one hand, and a History book in the other. My eyes light up a bit at the book.
"A being manifested by Dark Magic, whose will is normally bound to the Dark Mage or Sorcerer who casted it." I explain, same as I have be-.
"Wrong." He cuts off my thinking. "That is what the Dark Mages and Sorcerers are told, yes… because the truth is worse." He slams the History Book closed in one hand, causing me to flinch. Not because of the sound, but of the poor treatment for that History Book. He places the book next to Brynhildr, then drinks a gulp of his coffee.
I see exactly where this is going, "Alright then, little brother… what's the truth?" 'The one who asks the questions is the one who learns the most.'
"The truth is that…" Another sip, and he places his cup down. "The body of the Faceless is made with Dark Magic, yes, but even as mindless as they seem, they are not without one." He rises up. "The reason Dark Magic has its own classification is because of how the Magic is drawn out. Wind, Fire, Ice, and Thunder all come from and are empowered by the caster, thus they are labelled under 'Magic' Do you want to cast Magic with a chilling effect or to burn your enemies? Dark Magic is meant to be initiated by the caster, but the damage done comes from tearing either the Life Force or Spiritual Energy from another. You may cast Nosferatu, but at the end of the day… your target is the one empowering that spell with their life."
I nod in understanding, "But, raising Faceless isn't targeting someone, they just come out of the ground!" I counter.
"Do they?" He smirks…
He smirked. He knows something I don't, but he also wants me to figure it out. I furrow my eyebrows. Dark Magic 'does its damage' by 'tearing Life Force' from another, but… if making Faceless requires that or 'Spiritual' Energy, then if the Caster uses theirs, then wouldn't they… die? "They use corpses?" I ask.
"Yes, but… a cadaver isn't something people tend to carry around… corpses are used in wartime."
"Volunteers?"
He rolls his eyes, and shakes his head, "Gods, sister. Think."
I bare my teeth and snap back, "I am! I don't know what you're trying to get me to think, what other source of Life Energy could there be that isn't taking it out of themselves?!"
"Life Energy or Spiritual Energy!" He exclaims, stressing the latter. Spiritual Energy, well… you still need a person for… I blink my eyes. "You understand." It isn't a question.
"This world is full of spirits and souls who haven't moved on…" I reply, sorrow tinted in my voice. "Dark Mages and Sorcerers… force these spirits to inhabit the body of a Faceless…"
"Correct, and sometimes, being forced into a new body is so maddening, that they lash out and kill the one who returned them to the Material Plane." He grabs the History Book, "Read, you still have much to learn." As he approaches, I look at the book… [Mask of Death: Documented History of the Faceless]. "As a Royal, you should be aware of this."
I slowly grab it, "And Elise?" There's no way I'd…
"No, Troubadours are, by their training, incapable of wielding Dark Magic. I will not subject her to this knowledge."
"But you would for me? Brother, my skills in magic are…"
He cuts me off. "I've read the reports on your magic training, sister. There is potential, and I will seen it drawn out." He frowns. "I will personally attend your next magic training session." He picks up Brynhildr and his cup. "Learn well." He leaves the Library…
And there's a whole force of Faceless in that village. "Let's move, then!" I exclaim with a sudden determination. It's not just the village that needs to be freed, but also those spirits and souls locked in the Faceless bodies. Subaki refrains from startling, and he nods. "Subaki, Lathna, Lilith… you three go on ahead and round up any survivors! Prioritize protection over offense. The rest of you, with me! We have a village to save!" I command.
"Yes, Lady Corrin!" Subaki raises his naginata. "For my liege… for Hoshido! Come, Kanpeki!" His Pegasus neighs, and the two take off.
"Aye aye, Lady Corrin! To the skies, Jiyū!" Lathna follows suit, laughing as she soars into the air.
Lilith looks at me, then nods. "I will see you, soon." She pulls out her Dragonstone and shifts into that much smaller form, then flies off.
"Hold on! Lilith is a…?!" Hana is the first to point out.
"N-Not now, Hana… w-we have to go!" Sakura exclaims in a rare moment of 'ordering'.
"Right, of course, Lady Sakura!" She nods, and we head out.
…
The village is worse off than I thought, but it's… off. If this was a Faceless attack, then why are the houses burned down? Fists don't do that!
Subaki, Lilith, and Lathna have all managed to round up a grand total of five villagers, one of them who is swaying as if she's about to pass out. "Go! Go!" I call out, "I want at least two per Faceless! Sakura, hang back and focus on healing."
"Two?! I don't need help against something like this!" Rinkah snarls, a flare of fire leaving her.
"That wasn't a suggestion, Rinkah. Two. Per. Faceless!" I hold my reasoning. "Lilith, Lathna, and Subaki. Stay with the villagers, just in case. Make sure they stay protected!" And with my orders out… it's time to fight.
...Until I notice that I have three following me. Ugh. "Felicia, with me. Jakob, Kaze… work together."
"...yes, milady." Kaze nods, obviously bothered.
"As you command." Jakob sends a glance at Felicia, though the two do head out.
"M-Milady?" Felicia asks.
I smile briefly, "C'mon. Let's give this Faceless the cold shoulder!"
She opens her mouth in an 'O' shape, before kicking her heel up and sending a dagger up… then catching it. We move together and… "Whoa! Wh-whoa! Whoa!" Felicia trips at the worst moment, sending her dagger flying forward as she face-plants on the ground.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes and sigh, and instead help her up. "C'mon, up." She accepts my aid and…
"L-Lady Corrin!" She points in front as a Faceless charges in and… stumbles?
I unsheathe Purotekutā no Kyōdai ai and thrust forward, nailing the Faceless right in the chest! However, it grabs my naginata and pulls it out, before rearing a punch and… falling. A very clumsy fall at that. While I am curious, I don't waste the chance and I thrust once more, ramming the blade into one of the many holes it has in its helmet. It twitches, dies… then the bodies fades…
A Dagger was embedded in its foot. It stepped on Felicia's Dagger. Huh. "Good job, Felicia. Now, come on." I tell her.
She giggles, making a rude gesture at the Faceless, "Didn't expect that, did ya?!" She cheers, getting her dagger. "Right! Let's go!" She smiles, and we go to the next Faceless.
It hits the ground once, and charges at me. This time, Felicia throws her dagger, causing it to sail and… clip by its shoulder. I ready my Naginata as it closes in. It swings a punch, but I sidestep it, and slash on its side. However, it slams its own arm to the side, which locks my Naginata in place, and I'm unable to dodge the next blow… straight to my head. It might've hit my chest… if I was a few feet taller!
I stagger back, feeling and smelling blood pour out of my nose. "Milady!" Felicia squeaks, scrambling and pulling out her Staff, which reverts the damage done almost immediately.
I grit my teeth and growl, thoroughly pissed off. Faceless have too much control, their tough hands ensure that they can grab and pull on blades with little worry.
The Faceless pulls forward, yanking me in with my Naginata, but… I go with the momentum, and use its chest as a springboard. Up into the air I go as a five foot, one-hundred and fifteen pound Half-Manakete… "You won't stop me!" I exclaim from my current about… fourteen feet away from the Faceless. Which is an exclamation that is literally true, as down I come as an eight foot and three ton Dragon. The Faceless didn't see that coming, and ends up getting crushed under my new, massive weight. The body fades, "Hold my Naginata." I tell Felicia. "And then get on top of me."
"Oh, o-of course, milady!" She rushed over, picks up my Naginata, and then climbs on top of me. "I… don't know how to use this. I-I never…"
"Felicia… it's a dagger on a long stick." I tell her. "Don't slash, just thrust. It's not the best way, but it'll work."
"And you…?" She gasps.
"I trust you." I confirm, "Now, hold on." I move forward, causing Felicia to squeak as she is probably getting a very quick case of… Saddle Soreness.
"Woah, woah woah!" She exclaims, practically laying on me and holding on for dear life. "Lady Coooooriiiin!" I charge to the nearest Faceless, and ram it with my horns.
"Felicia!" I say the moment my horns make contact. "Stab!"
"Uh-uh…" She scrambles on top of me, fumbling around, and when the Faceless was just about to do a double-fisted slam on my head… Felicia weakly shoves the Naginata forward in a rather sloppy thrust. The Faceless pulls back, staggered, but not dead.
That is, until a dagger soars into its neck. Hrm, given the angle… it couldn't have been Felicia. Jakob, most likely. It gurgles, and falls to the ground. Another dead. Another spirit freed. "Keep going!" I roar out. "Take 'em all down!" Well, Felicia and I have three, so…
Azura and Ignis are paired together, with Ignis playing the 'quick and hard to hit' whilst Azura both provides support in her magical tunes, as well as landing some, admittedly hard-hitting Naginata slashes for someone so devoted to singing.
Hana and Rinkah are paired up, combining the 'fast and light' with the 'heavy and hard' styles of fighting. Hana is seemingly a blur while Rinkah makes literal heads roll with a single swing. Sakura is hanging a bit behind them, currently holding a Scroll. I can't tell which one… admittedly, Scrolls are my weakest point.
Lastly… Lathna, Subaki, and Lilith have taken down six Faceless, and none seem the worse for the wear. In fact, it seems Subaki and Lathna are having a conversation, of all things. Meanwhile, Lilith is crouching down, tracing something in the dirt. Lilith looks up and stares at me, she seems bored, before she shrugs and resumes drawing.
With that in mind, I look around the village. There are about three Faceless left. Still though… how did the houses burn down? "Felicia, I'm shifting back." I warn her.
"Oh… right!" She gets off, and I turn back into my human form. She then hands me my Naginata. "So…"
"I'm going to explore those buildings. There has to be more than this." I declare. "Fists don't burn down buildings…" I move forward, Felicia behind me. The rubble is clear as day… there were more than Faceless here. And… wait. I hear crying. "Felicia! There's another villager here!" I exclaim, rushing towards…
Jumping back as a fist breaks through the, 'Oh gods'. This Faceless is thrice the size of the others, one fist is literally on fire, the other is charged with electricity. It's also at least four times my height and maybe even twice my Dragon form's weight.
"Graaaaah!" It roars, bringing both fists down for a single slam on the ground… that's enough to shatter the surrounding area, as well as sending out a shockwave that sends me flying far enough to hit the house across the dirt road.
"L-Lady Corrin!" Felicia screams. "H-Hey! We… w-we need reinforcements!" She takes command for a half a second, before getting fiery-backhanded by the Massive Faceless. She too, is sent flying, but at an angle to where she skids across the dirt, rather than hitting a house.
"Ngh…" I groan, pushing myself out of some rubble. I blink my eyes, wiping off some tea-... blood from my face. 'Shit'. The massive Faceless had literally created a crater, and despite the new hole it's in, it's still towering over me by at least four feet. "K-Kaze! Jakob! We need help!" I add to the cries, grabbing my Nagi-... oh no. It… fell out of the hook its on!
I roll to dodge the next punch, which is more than enough to break the burnt house into even more splinters and burnt wood, at the end of my roll, I briefly summon my Lance and pierce its leg, but… knowing how these creatures are, I dispel it the second I make a hit.
Though, I wasn't expected to get kicked, which forces the once-finished roll to keep me spinning across the ground. 'Ow…' "S-Sakura!" I cry out.
"L-Leave milady alone!" Felicia throws a dagger at the Massive Faceless, but it just… bounces off of the helmet. The Faceless turns, and slams its fist, slightly forward… causing a trench to open up in the direction of Felicia. She attempts to dodge, but ends up tripping mid-leap and just hits the side of the new hole.
"Graaaaaaah!" It roars again, bringing another double-fisted slam down… creating an even larger crater in this area.
"For Lady Sakura!" Hana jumps into the now-subground arena, charging the Faceless with a speed I haven't quite seen yet, and she makes two slashes before backflipping away from the following slam.
"I've had it with these things!" Rinkah jumps from high, bringing her mace down. The Faceless raises an arm to block, but Rinkah's attack not only connect, but she also manages to force its arm down… a few inches, before the Faceless reverses all of that momentum and throws her to the wall with just swinging his arm. Rinkah slams into the wall, but unlike my recovery time, she just pulls herself out in a second and is ready for another attack… then she snarls out steam.
"I-I'm sorry about this!" Sakura exclaims, aiming a Spirit Animal from her Scroll at the relative safety from the top of the new 'arena'... a small Rat. The Rat simply dissipates on the Massive Faceless. Nothing.
"You're a disgrace..." Jakob fans out a total of three daggers and sends them all sailing to…
"...and shall be removed." Kaze also sends three shurikens out in perfect sync to Jakob, and all six land in the chest of the Faceless.
"Not ready to face the music? Too bad!" Ignis double-knocks two arrows, firing them both and in a show of raw skill… both arrowheads land inside of the holes of the Massive Faceless's mask. It stumbles back, but in a display of defiance, pulls the arrows out.
"Graaaaah!" Another roar, another double slam… and the ground feels…
Unsteady, as if… "Th-there's some sort of… cave below us!" I call out. "If it slams again, we're going to be caved in!"
"All together!" Subaki rides in, "Let's go!"
From all directions, attacks come soaring in. The first set is Daggers, Shurikens, and one Rat, no more than a second later… a Mace, a naginata, including my shifted lance and sword, one from each arm, and one Katana find their marks. The Massive Faceless only manages to 'slap' away one Dagger, and make my shifted lance graze its side.
"Graaah…" It finally falls down… causing the floor to crack.
"Out, Out!" But the walls are so… it shakes. The entire place shakes.
The floor… mends? It rises?! But, how d-... wait. Is that a pulse of a Dragon Vein? I can feel a surge of magic imbue itself into the ground, returning the land to how it was, barring the burnt down buildings. I look across the village, and the drawing that Lilith had been 'lazily' making is… glowing, or it was… the glow is now faded. She smiles at me. I smile back.
"Hey… you alright?" A new face pops out from the side of the collapsed house, a young woman, freckles on her cheeks.
"A-Are they…?" She shakily asks, walking out.
"The Faceless are dead." I confirm and… "My name is Princess Corrin." I greet.
"I will fetch your Naginata, milady." Kaze says.
Jakob pulls out his staff and heals me without a word… then gets a cloth and cleans the blood from my face. Once he also inspects me… "Felicia?" He sees her, unconscious. "I will tend to her." He assures me.
"I-I'm… M-Mozu, um…" She bows, flushing. "Th-thank you… Lady Corrin." She then rises, and looks around, "Oh… oh no…" Her eyes tear up. "My… my home." She trembles. "Mother asked me to hide, so I hid in the kitchen cabinet, and… where's mother?!" She squeaks out.
By this time, Lathna and Lilith have brought in the remaining villagers. "Mozu? Mozu!" A woman rushes up, "Gods, you're alive…"
"Miss Sara… where's…?" Sara remains quiet, hugging Mozu quite tightly. "No… please don't say…"
"She's…" Sara's voice cracks. "I'm… sorry, Mozu."
"M-Mother…!" Mozu wails.
Kaze hands me my Naginata, "Everyone, take a moment to recover. Jakob, Felicia, Sakura… please start healing." I nod to Lilith, "Was that…?"
"It was." She confirms. "It is taxing, but if the need comes… I can carve Dragon Veins." She nods, "It takes me at least five minutes, depending on how much I'm aiming to change." Sara pulls back from Mozu, then Sara and the other villagers leave to… scavenge what they can, I assume.
"Yeah, that's why I hanged back, even when you called for help." Lathna frowns, despite it. "Apologies, but I couldn't leave Lilith unguarded."
"No, it's alright… it worked out in the end." I soothe them. "Now…" I turn my attention to Mozu. "Hey, Mozu?" I ask her.
Mozu looks up to me with wide eyes. "My home… my farm… my family."
The last word pulled on my emotions like nothing else. "I know the pain of losing family too, Mozu." I walk up to her, lowering my voice a bit. "Mozu, I have an important question for you, and I know this might be too early to ask, but… would you like to be a part of my family?"
"B-But… I'm a…" She trembles, shaking her head. "Why would ya ask that?" Curiosity.
"...because we're at war, Mozu, and I'm afraid that there won't be a safe place for a while. At least I can watch over you in my army." I inform her.
"Do it, Mozu." The eldest of the villagers walks to us. "We're old, tired… but you? You're young, at the peak of perfection…" He gently smiles, then looks to me, "Take good care of her, Lady Corrin." He bows, then begins to slowly walk away.
Mozu looks at me, though with our heights and me being Royalty, she doesn't angle her head down, instead choosing to look straight ahead. She bows one more time, "G-Gosh, I… thank you." She flushes.
I offer her a smile, and I step back, "Lilith? Lathna? Gather up the others and welcome our newest friend," I take a moment, "I'm going to have to focus on some Rites before we leave…"
"Of course, Lady Corrin." Lilith gently bows, though… she does look a bit wobbly? "Greetings, Mozu, I am Lilith."
"Howdy, Lilith." Mozu smiles and waves.
"Aw, aren't you just the cutest girl ever!" Lathna exclaims with glee. "I adore freckles! Jiyū! Say hi!" Mozu shies away from the more energetic greeting. "Erm, sorry. Name's Lathna! I'm a Kitsune!"
Jiyū, on the other hand, is not nearly as impressed as the 'cute' factor, though she does stamp the ground, let out a light neigh, and walk towards Mozu, lowering her snout to her. Mozu, perhaps being an animal handler, gets the idea. She reaches out and strokes Jiyū's snout, earning an even more satisfied neigh.
With their introductions given, I take to another task… casting Rites that will assure these spirits won't be forced into another Faceless body again. Because as much as I distasted reading Mask of Death: Documented History of the Faceless, it did provide a number of valuable insights… as well as a means to free a trapped spirit. Unfortunately, my own magic is not strong enough to 'simply' break the binding via magical force, but now that the Faceless' bodies have been destroyed, I can do something about it.
A/N: Well, that was quite informative on a number of levels! I got out some more juicy lore, Mozu's village was moved, and Yasei got to fight her first 'Boss'! The Massive Faceless… quite the threat, and it would've been even scarier if it knew more than 'Punch', 'Slam' and 'Kick'. Still, ah… but what is this?
Yes, I haven't excluded Dragon Veins this time, and not only that, but Lilith can also carve them herself! How? Well, there is a 'Currency' in the game called… Dragon Vein Points, and I thought… hey, she could use those to make new spots in the 'My Castle' or… maybe this is some sort of latent power within her that also allows for the carving of Dragon Veins. Erm, but yes, I will confirm…
Lilith has to choose between maintaining her section in the Astral Realm that her mother primarily controls, or she can choose to sacrifice some personal structures (which also includes bringing more than one person into her Astral Realm! Remember, the army isn't staying in that Realm every night!) to cast incredibly potent magics.
I also hope you all are enjoying the 'A/N(?)' sections, too! Those are conversations and observations that happen within this story, after all!
New names! Shi no Mirai (Tides of the Future) [Crystal Ball in possession of Izama]. Kuronikurā (Chronicler) [Forgotten Dragon God of Records/Time-Keeping]