The light of the setting sun washed over Corrin's skin. It was only during the mornings or the evenings that the sun's light became soft enough that it didn't irritate her. Bitterly, she wondered why, if she was half-dragon, why the sun would bother her at all. She had never questioned it before; it was a simple fact of life ever since she had been taken to Hoshido months before. It had been a growing frustration, she had to admit. In the end, however, it wasn't anything she could change.
"Are you alright, dear?" Camilla asked, coming up behind Corrin and placing a hand on her shoulder. "You've been staring out the window for a while now."
"Just thinking, Camilla," Corrin said, her voice even. "I haven't done a lot of that recently, it feels like."
"Come now," Camilla giggled, "That's hardly fair to you, Corrin. You've done plenty of thinking, have you not? You have led us thus far, which is more than can be said for some, were they in your shoes."
"Even if it feels like I've led us into a trap?" Corrin asked.
Camilla took a step back and crossed her arms. "You feel it too, don't you? That pressure, building in the air. Something isn't right about this place."
"We're scattered about the castle in rooms of two," Corrin said quietly, "Luckily, I think that will work to our advantage. Whatever conspiracy is happening must think we'll be easier to take on while divided, but we're in pairs. I made sure to group people up based on how well they go together."
Camilla nodded. "It is easier and more calming to fight alongside someone you can trust, that is true."
"The castle also naturally funnels us towards the center, where we could all meet," Corrin continued, "Of course, maybe I have read the entire situation wrong, and that was their plan from the beginning."
"It seems to me that you're thinking too much, dear," Camilla said, yawning, "I admit that I have that gut feeling too. I have learned to trust it. And that Archduke, he's really something special, isn't he?"
"Could it be?" Corrin whispered, "Do you think it's possible that he was the one behind the Wind Tribe attacks? Behind it all?"
"The Faceless are Nohrian in nature, remember, dear?" Camilla said, "That is not to say a Hoshidan could master the art of creating them, but that is dark magic, and practically lost dark magic at that. It would be difficult for a Nohrian to learn how to create one, let alone for a Hoshidan to do the same."
Corrin nodded, pacing around. "And yet, I cannot ignore the way the Archduke acts. How could a sovereign act like that? It doesn't make any sense."
Camilla shrugged. "Some men never leave their crib, so to speak."
"That feels mean-spirited, but I can't help but agree with you," Corrin sighed. "I can't stop thinking about it though, Camilla. My mind refuses to calm down. Every moment longer we stay up, I feel as if something horrible is about to happen. Maybe we won't have to do any investigating at all; maybe the monster will come to us instead."
"Have you considered Anankos could be behind this?" Camilla asked, sitting down on her futon. "She has been behind many things, it seems. Why could this not be one of them?"
"I don't know, Camilla," Corrin murmured, rubbing her temples. "I just don't know. I'm sure a lot of our friends feel the same way we do, right now. How many of them are pacing around exactly like I am?"
Camilla shrugged. "Many of them, I imagine. Severa is likely tearing her room apart as we speak. That girl has always had good instincts."
"It's why I put her with Liz," Corrin said, "Well, that and the fact they're related. That still makes my head hurt…"
"We should worry about our own world before we go peaking into somebody else's, dear," Camilla said, "And what's more, we should probably get some sleep. Or at least you should. You're exhausted, aren't you?"
"I always am, Camilla," Corrin replied, letting out a deep breath. "I haven't been really well-rested since we left Nohr, all those months ago. Sure, sometimes I get some rest, and I feel better afterward, but it hasn't been since then that I've felt like I'm at my best."
"Sleep, Corrin," Camilla said, pointing to the futon next to her. "I will stay up to see if your suspicions prove true."
Corrin looked down at her feet, her cheeks reddening. "A-are you sure? I could stay up with you. I could! I know what I just said, but I-!"
"Corrin," Camilla called mildly, her face betraying no emotion. "Do as your big sister says and go to sleep. A few hours are better than none, especially if what you think will happen, does come to pass."
Corrin sighed and practically fell upon her futon. The last thing she heard was Camilla softly humming.
"Wake up."
Liz grumbled as she heard those words, feeling herself be pulled from sleep rudely and awkwardly.
She yawned. "Just five more minutes, mom…"
"Call me mom again and I'll throw you to the floor!" Liz heard the annoying voice hiss harshly. Liz waved her hand dismissively, only to feel a grip as hard as iron on her wrist yank her off her futon. Within a moment, she was wide awake as she looked around wildly, eyes eventually focusing on Severa.
"If you weren't my niece, I'd kill you for that," Liz whined.
"Yeah, and if I didn't hear something move outside our door, I probably would be sleeping like a rock too, but here I am. Shhh!" Severa said, placing a finger against Liz's lips before she could say anything else. "You can hear it too, can't you?"
Liz's brows furrowed in mild frustration before she focused, listening closely. For several seconds, she heard nothing. Nothing but the wind outside, blowing gently against the trees.
Then the creaking began. It was distant at first, barely noticeable, but it happened with such regularity that it had to be a person. Liz's eyes narrowed as she looked toward the door to her and Severa's room.
"Get back on your futon," Liz whispered.
Severa looked down at Liz, incredulously. "What-!?"
"Get back on your futon," Liz repeated, hissing, "I don't wanna kill one of our friends if they're just walking through the halls. Get back on your futon and act like you're asleep."
Severa mumbled something under her breath before doing as she was told, moving away and back onto her futon. Hastily, she pulled the covers over herself. Liz did the same, keeping her eyes on the door the entire time. As the creaks became footsteps, she reached for her sword and pulled it under the covers with her.
The footsteps grew louder, and the closer the got, the more Liz realized were there.
Tip-tap, tip-tap, tip-tap, tip-tap…
There was multiple, she realized. If she were asleep, they weren't loud enough to wake her up. Still, the fact so many of them were going through the hallway gave credence to Severa's concerns.
Liz's breath hitched in her throat when she saw their door open. She kept her eyes open only by a crack as the door was silently pushed open, revealing the pitch-black hallway. She saw movement, but she couldn't see the form of whatever opened the door fully.
They slithered in from the shadows like a snake. They wore a tattered hood and black leather vestments. Beneath the hood was a completely normal face, if a bit on the uglier side. In their hand, Liz saw the smallest glint of steel.
A dagger. Well, that answers a question, at least.
Liz bided her time, either waiting for Severa to make a move or for the man to go for her. Slowly, with grace and precision she honestly found impressive, the hooded man moved across their room, looking between her and Severa. Eventually, however, he chose Liz. She grasped the hilt of her sword under the covers, waiting for the perfect moment.
Once the man stood before her, a dagger raised above her throat, Liz struck.
Liz threw her covers noiselessly as the man grunted, aiming for where he thought she was. His dagger struck the futon harmlessly as Liz unsheathed her sword and stabbed. Her sword went through the man's leather vestments easily, sliding through his stomach. He opened his mouth to let out a scream, either out of pain or trying to warn his allies. A gloved hand slammed over his mouth as his eyes bulged out of their sockets.
Severa was there, keeping him from screaming before her own sword went through the man's chest. A small trickle of blood left his mouth as he went limp. Liz harshly yanked her sword of the man's gut as Severa took a step back. The man's body fell to the cold wooden floor like a sack of rotten potatoes.
Liz took in deep breaths before wiping at her face. When she pulled it away , it was covered in blood, and she sighed.
"He would've killed you," Severa murmured, "It was either you or him. Always remember that."
"I know," Liz replied, shaking her head. "I don't feel bad. Hell, I don't feel anything, and that's what worries me."
"You never killed anyone before you got here, did you?" Severa asked.
Liz shook her head again before standing up, wiping her sword on her cover before sheathing it. "…Before we go out there, uh, did my brother… how many people did he – you know?"
"More than I can count," Severa whispered before turning to the doorway. To Liz's eyes, it looked more like a black hole, sucking in whatever light was around into it. "We need to move. There's probably dozens of these skinny dastards all over the place."
"What the hell is their angle here?" Liz harshly whispered, following Severa. "Kill us in our sleep? Did that Archduke guy order this?"
"Corrin and Camilla did look kinda bemused when they came back down," Severa replied, "Who knows what went on up there, or what the hell is going on, but we gotta make sure everyone is alright."
Liz nodded, keeping her mouth shut.
Severa led her through the halls of Izumo Castle. Her redheaded niece almost seemed to be able to see in the dark, what with how gracefully she moved through the empty halls.
It didn't take long before they found others.
"Shh-!" Severa said before she kicked forward. The sound of the air being forcefully shot out of someone's lungs rang in Liz's ears as Severa pointed her sword forward, the tip against the person's throat. It only took another moment before they recognized who it was.
"Inigo!?" Severa hissed, taking the tip of her sword off the white-haired man's throat. Inigo chuckled to himself before wheezing softly as her wrung his throat.
"Severa," Inigo replied conversationally. He ran a hand through his hair. "This isn't the first time I've stared at the tip of that sword. But, by the gods, it was far easier this time."
"She do this before?" Liz asked.
"Ah, no, it was – well, I suppose that would be a story for another time," Inigo said.
"Indeed. I'd much rather we find others rather than stay here for too long," another voice said, coming up behind Inigo. "Also, I'd ask you to not break my bodyguard, Severa. He is still useful."
"Good to know that I am so valued," Inigo mumbled.
"Well, sorr-y, princess!" Severa crossed her arms. "I'm a bit jumpy what with all these hooded people skulking around, trying to kill us! They tried to kill my aunt!"
"Regardless," Azura said quietly, holding her spear closely. "We need to reconnect with the others. Most of the rooms we've checked around here are empty."
"No blood?" Liz asked.
"None. And no bodies," Azura answered, "Which means we were likely the last to be targeted.
"Either that or everyone bolted at the first sign of bodies," Severa grumbled. "Whatever, we need to get to the great hall. If no one's gathered there, we look somewhere else until we've regrouped. Any questions?"
Inigo gingerly raised a hand.
Severa sighed, irritated. "Yeah, Inigo? What is it?"
"C-can I have a moment to catch my breath?" he wheezed out.
Things happened pretty quickly for Corrin once she woke up.
Her first thought was 'just five more minutes, Jakob', but that only lasted for a few moments before she remembered where she was, and her eyes opened so wide they threatened to pop out of their sockets. She instantly tried to sit up, but she was held down by a strong hand pushing her down. A moment later, a finger stopped any sounds she attempted to make. Corrin stared up to see Camilla staring down at her, her face serious.
Once Corrin stopped moving, Camilla stood up, axe in hand, and waited by the side of the door.
Corrin's eyes darted around wildly, as if waiting for some otherworldly specter would come out of the woodwork and devour them all. However, as she heard the creaking of wood, she felt herself steady.
Assassins, then?
Their door opened without so much as a sound as someone entered. Corrin didn't get a good luck at the poor dastard before his head was already rolling across the wooden floor. The rest of his body fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings.
"Well, would you look at that," Camilla mused quietly. "You were right, dear. It seems this Archduke has it out for us."
Corrin got up and immediately reached for the Yato. Feeling the familiar coldness of its metal was comforting, if nothing else.
"We need to regroup," Corrin said, "to the great hall. From there, we'll take the elevator, and if we can't, we'll use Lilith and your wyverns to get to the top."
"A decent plan," Camilla said, resting her axe on her shoulder. "Let us go, then."
They stumbled across less than a dozen assassins after that, all of them skulking about the halls of the castle with their hoods and cloaks. Corrin had to wonder what the plan was for them. The creaking of their footsteps, while hardly noticeable, would not go unnoticed by alert soldiers. Several bodies they stumbled across proved that their friends had done the same to them as Camilla had done to their first one.
Nonetheless, Corrin had no time to ponder it as she led Camilla through the halls, Yato covered in the blood of the assassins. However, a different sound resounded throughout the walls of the castle. A roar, piercing and rage-filled, reverberated through the castle, nearly knocking Corrin off her feet from its intensity. She shook her head and kept moving.
By the time they made it to the great hall, the sounds of battle filling the air were unmistakable.
A body slammed into the wall right next to their entrance, the sound of bones snapping and crunching ringing hollowly in Corrin's ears. She turned for only a moment to see the carnage before what was left of the man slunk to the floor.
Lilith.
Corrin saw Lilith's dragon form for the first time. It was just as was described by Felicia and a few others – mottled red and blue, with a white underbelly, alongside a massive maw filled with needle-like teeth, and golden, slitted eyes. She watched as Lilith chomped down on one of the men surrounding her, turning him into nothing but shredded meat and bone when she threw him to the side.
"We need to help her!" Corrin shouted. Camilla wordlessly nodded, and followed suit with her axe.
Without even truly thinking, Corrin pushed forward and unsheathed Yato, wordlessly ambushing one of the men surrounding Lilith. Before he could even turn around, Yato's blade pierced through his back and out of his chest. He shouted in pain and attempted to turn around, only for Corrin to yank the blade out and aim a little higher. He fell to the floor a moment later like a puppet with its strings cut.
Corrin looked around, noticing people, both friend and foe, pouring into the great hall from the various side entrances. Men in dark-plated armor and wielding magic, archers, and those who looked to be mercenaries came in from the left, while Corrin and her group came in from the right. Corrin saw Severa and Liz march out near them, alongside Inigo and Azura. Nearby, Kaze, Takumi, and Hinata charged out into the field, soon followed by the likes of Gunter and Jakob.
Despite the battle raging around her, Corrin couldn't help but smile.
So unfocused, was she, that she almost didn't notice the mercenary sneak up behind her. Before he could do anything, however, something skittered beneath Corrin's legs and he screamed. Corrin spun around and slashed so quickly that she surprised herself. The mercenary's head flew from his head and then came to a rest. Corrin looked down and nearly gasped.
It was a spectral rat, covered in snowflakes and colored a deep blue. It gnawed at the man's wounded leg for a few moments before fading away.
"You can thank me later," said a youthful voice as someone stepped beside Corrin. "You can repay me by finding out what is going on."
Corrin smiled as she recognized Hayato, the young Wind Tribe heir fanning himself for a moment before looking on toward the battle.
"Keep them occupied here," Corrin ordered, "I'll see about getting to the elevator and finding out what the Archduke is doing."
"Move swiftly, Corrin," Hayato said, glaring at the battle. "We can probably take these guys out but we have no idea the full extent of their capabilities."
The battle raged on, fire, frost, and lightning cutting through the air and sent in volleys, scorching, freezing, and electrocuting the walls of the great hall.
She motioned for whoever saw her to follow, and by the time they ran through the great hall and towards the raising platform they used to get to the top of the castle the first time, she had a small group with her.
Once she reached the platform, Corrin turned around. Takumi, Liz, and Hinata had all followed her. A small group, yes, but they would be enough.
"Keep close to each other, and watch for traps," Corrin ordered, walking towards the lever. "And most of all, avoid the Archduke's magic."
"Keep close to sourpuss and himbo, and don't get burned, got it," Liz replied.
"Why're you calling Lord Takumi a 'himbo'?" Hinata asked, sounding genuinely curious.
"This guy, right here," Liz chuckled.
Ignoring them, Corrin pulled the lever. She expected a deep rumbling followed by a sense of vertigo as the platform ascended. Nothing happened.
"What?" Corrin raised a brow. "I just…" Corrin flipped the lever down and then back up again. Still, nothing happened. "Oh, this is great."
"I suppose it would be ridiculous of them to keep this contraption working, just on the 'off' chance that our planned assassination didn't quite go to plan," Takumi grumbled.
"Just hit it really hard," Hinata suggested.
"We'll need to go back to the great hall," Corrin said, "and help them clear out the rest of these dastards. Once that's done, I think I have a new plan."
When Corrin returned alongside her small group, there were only a handful of enemy troops left. They were quickly dispatched as she rejoined the fray, slashing and stabbing and cutting. Once the last of them hit the floor, their lifeblood seeping onto the ground in a lake of red, she gathered her group around.
"What happened?" Azura asked, "I thought you were going to the platform to take the fight to the Archduke."
"They disabled the mechanism, or something like that," Liz replied, "Only way up would be to fly."
"That's… actually what my plan entailed," Corrin said, "The up level of the castle is completely exposed with very little protecting it. Camilla, Beruka, and Lilith could each hold one person, a small group could infiltrate it and we can get to the Archduke."
"Honestly, that plan sounds more solid than just charging blindly up the platform," Takumi said, "makes me wonder why I didn't suggest it sooner."
"Perhaps because you aren't as clever as you think you are," Camilla answered.
"You're almost there, Camilla," Takumi said, raising a hand and pinching his thumb and forefinger together. "You are so, so close to hurting my bastard feelings. Try a little harder and maybe, just maybe, you might get to me. Unfortunately, that day is not today."
"Leave it to a Prince of Hoshido to out do my own brother in sassiness," Camilla laughed.
"Camilla, Beruka," Corrin called, "Can you make it to your wyverns?"
Camilla waved a hand. Beruka approached from the shadows, blood staining her armor and with an axe in hand.
"We can, dear," Camilla answered, "Meet us in the courtyard. Ah, but do careful. My darling wyvern likes to bite."
Corrin shivered as Camilla and Beruka left. She turned to Lilith.
"Can you do this for me, sister?" Corrin asked.
"For you? Anything," Lilith said, bowing. "I would burn the world or save it to the best of my abilities if you had only but asked. Who do you plan on taking with you? Besides Lady Camilla and Beruka, and myself, of course."
Corrin looked about the group.
"Hmm, I have a good idea who…"
"I hate this. I hate this so much. I hate heights."
"If you scramble or scream too much, I will eat you," Lilith warned, her golden slitted eyes peering up at Liz for only a moment before focusing their attention skyward. "Do not take Corrin's generosity for my acceptance. I do not trust you."
"You picked a helluva time to tell me that," Liz grumbled. "God, I wish Severa was here. Kaze is alright and Corrin and Camilla are more than alright, but dealing with you is like dealing with a python, except not nearly as cuddly."
"I do not know what a 'python' is, but it sounds derogatory," Lilith rumbled.
"Just keep stargazing, fishy," Liz said.
Despite Liz's foul temper, she had to admit, it was beautiful outside. She was almost able to forget the flecks of blood that stained her clothes, or the images of bodies burned into her mind. Shaking her head, she waited for Camilla and Beruka to arrive. Not that she was particularly excited to get airborne on a creature that didn't have wings.
Fortunately, or unfortunately considering what was about to happen, it didn't take long for Camilla and Beruka to appear. Beruka's wyvern appeared 'normal'. As normal as a giant lizard with wings could get, she supposed. Camilla's, on the other hand, would never cease to make her uncomfortable, what with its glowing eyes and black colored scales. It almost looked as if it was undead.
Liz saw Corrin take a deep breath. "Alright, everyone, you know what to do. Keep an eye on each other, watch your flanks, and make it to the upper levels of the castle. From there, we will take on the Archduke, and free Izumo from his control."
"Understood," Beruka intoned.
"It will be done, Lady Corrin." Kaze bowed.
"Let's just get this over with," Liz mumbled.
"If I get hungry on the way, can I eat this prisoner?" Lilith asked.
"No, and she's not a prisoner," Corrin said disapprovingly. "Work together on this, alright? I'd rather not have to… have to bury anyone today."
"Besides the Archduke," Camilla added.
"If we're lucky, there won't be anything to bury," Liz added.
"I wonder why I surround myself with people like you," Corrin grumbled before shaking her head. "Alright, everyone. Let's go!"
Liz prepared herself mentally and physically for what was about to happen. Strangely, as she saw Corrin get onto Camilla's wyvern, she noticed that the princess was shivering. Almost as badly as Liz herself was. Liz smirked to herself. At least it didn't seem like she was the only one scared to death of heights.
Unfortunately, she didn't have very long to savor that before she felt a brutal wind against her. Liz flattened herself against Lilith's back, screaming all the while. She grasped at Lilith's smooth scales, trying desperately not to fall off. The fish-like dragon didn't seem to care that she was riding her; at least, that was the only reason Liz could come up with as to why she spun and dashed through the air with reckless abandon.
I hate this. I hate you. I hate myself. Get me off this crazy train, I wanna go home!
Liz tried to take solace in the fact that it likely wouldn't last long, but it didn't help.
It certainly didn't help when she looked up, following where Lilith's head was pointing where she saw a dozen or so wyverns taking off from the upper levels of the castle.
"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me-!" Liz snarled, her voice nearly drowned out by the wind.
"Hold tight, vessel," Lilith growled, banking to the right.
"What're you- Goddamniiiii-!"
Liz held on so tightly she worried that she was going to rip off several of Lilith's scales. She saw Camilla and Corrin swoop right by her and Lilith, followed by Beruka and Kaze. She watched as Camilla's axe cleaved straight through a wyvern's wing, sending it and its rider tumbling to the ground, screaming. A shuriken lodged itself in another wyvern's eye, sent by Kaze, and the beast screeched so loudly it felt as if the earth itself shook. It banked hard to its left and smashed into the tree the rest of the castle was built upon in its confusion and pain.
Liz blinked, feeling tears in her eyes from the incessant wind battering them. She grit her teeth, and allowed her hands to let go of Lilith as she sat up. She nearly fell off the dragon before her legs compensated, and she slowly pulled out her bow. Nocking an arrow, she took aim. The world around her was awash with chaos and blood as wyverns darted to and fro, looking like massive bats in the darkness, only briefly illuminated by the alien moon that hung over them all.
When the time was right, she loosed her arrow. It sailed through the air and missed intended target by about a foot. Liz hissed a curse as she readied another arrow.
Whatever Liz was about to do was cut short by the sound of Lilith roaring. A moment later, an intense barrage of fire spewed forth from her maw, lighting the air up with incandescent flames. Liz had to shy away from the bright light, barely able to glance at it for a moment before doing so to avoid going blind. It was like looking at the sun. When the light faded, she looked forward and her jaw dropped.
Several wyverns fell from the sky, their scaly hides turned into charcoal. Liz half-expected them to crumble to dust the moment they hit the ground. In the wave of fire Lilith produced, the arrow Liz was preparing to use fell into the night.
One last time, Liz attempted to contribute. She felt her heart steady, the incessant beating in her ears finally abating. For a single instant, she was as calm as she could be as she carefully nocked another arrow. Lilith surged forward like a bullet, all the while missing a single wyvern that escaped her attack almost completely intact. Liz took aim, and let the arrow loose.
That time, the arrow struck true. It hit the wyvern in its shoulder, splintering the scales and drawing blood. It still kept flying, however, and it's rider's axe was ready to cleave either her or Lilith's head. Quickly, perhaps haphazardly, she readied another arrow, and fired.
It hit the wyvern's eye, and the beast let out a warbling scream before falling silent. Its rider didn't realize what had happened until it was already too late, and by the time he did, his shouts of fear were mercifully snuffed out by the wind.
"Not bad," Liz heard Lilith say, "Now, do it again."
"Stupid punk dragon bi-!" Liz growled out before Lilith took a nosedive and she screamed instead.
Once the first wyvern was felled by her arrows, Liz found it much easier to hit the flying targets from then on out. It was like a switch was flipped in her head. The only issue was the fact she felt nothing. She didn't feel nauseous or wrong sending so many people to their deaths. It was unnerving, but in the end, she decided it was a gift rather than something to be afraid of. It wasn't as if she was enjoying it. Feeling nothing was probably much better than either alternative.
Before long, the skies were clear again, except for the three fliers. Liz looked down to the ground and winced at the number of bodies that lined it. It almost looked like a dinosaur graveyard. She shivered as Lilith flew towards the castle.
A large, extended platform was what greeted them, the same place most of the wyverns had come from. Camilla, Beruka, and Lilith all landed safely. Liz dismounted, almost falling to the ground from how shaky her legs felt. Corrin was upon her in an instant, making Lilith scoff.
"Are you alright, my friend?" Corrin asked, holding her by the shoulders.
"Peachy, Candy Corn," Liz muttered before shaking her head and flashing a fragile smile. "I'll be alright. J-just give me a second."
"One second too many," Camilla said, approaching the doors. "We need to finish this, once and for all. The Archduke will pay for putting us all in danger."
Beruka nodded silently beside her.
Liz saw Corrin sigh as the light of Lilith returning to her human form shined behind her.
"They're right. Ready yourself, Liz," Corrin said, "the real battle for Izumo is about to begin."
Liz felt herself shiver as another cold breeze blew past.
"Daisuke, are they ready?"
The portly Izumite bowed when his new liege asked him that question. "They are ready, milord. Ready to fall down upon the half-dragon and her companions."
The man on the throne laughed, a guttural, distressing thing that almost sounded like he was being strangled instead.
"See how easy they are to funnel!" he barked, gesturing to nothing in particular. "If only my master Iago were here to see them scurry about this cesspool of a castle! A fitting end for rats like them!"
Daisuke smiled.
"Ah, but you have little idea of what I speak, don't you, dear Daisuke?" the man said, shifting his gaze to the Izumite. "Your head is so blissfully empty, isn't it? I could make a cup out of your skull and need not remove any brain matter. The perfect servant! I could ask you to jump off the side of the castle, or charge straight into Corrin's group with nothing but a wooden club, and you'd do it, wouldn't you!?"
"Do you want it of me, milord?" Daisuke asked.
The man waved a pale hand. "Your sacrifice is unnecessary, for now. I will need you to lure them here, however. Lead them to this room, and once they are here, have them release the creatures onto them! Tear them limb from limb! Have them leave Princess Corrin alive, however. After all, every great ruler needs an equally majestic mount, don't you think so?"
"Of course, Lord Zola!" Daisuke replied excitedly, bowing again. "It will be done!"
The soft footsteps of his henchman walking out filled the dark air. Reclining in his seat, the imposter propped his head on his hand, and waited.
Let them come! Without that damned Fuga, of course. Thank the Dusk Dragon for that.
"There's signs of battle, Prince Leo."
Leo turned to his sole remaining retainer and frowned. "A battle? In Izumo?"
Niles shrugged. "Not just anywhere; in the damned castle. You think they were getting tired of sitting pretty up there?"
Leo stood up fully, his armor clanking with each step as he moved towards Niles' vantage point. Looking down at the capital of the once peaceful duchy, Leo found himself at a loss for words.
Wyverns flew through the sky, battling each other. On the lower levels of the castle, Leo could just make out the forms of what looked to be soldiers locked in combat. It was a far cry from the dukedom of peace he had been promised.
On the other hand, this will be far more interesting, hmm? I wonder, did you have something to do with this, Corrin?
"I doubt they'll just let us in," Niles chimed in, twirling an arrow between his fingers. "But I gotta admit, the thought of spilling privileged blood does make me a bit weak in the knees."
"Keep your depraved nature to yourself. For the moment, at least," Leo lightly chided. "We are not here to slaughter the Archduke and his servants. We are here to ensure that they do not interfere with our campaign against Hoshido."
"And what better way to do that than to conquer it?" Niles asked aloud, tapping his chin before shaking his head. "It was a simple jest, Prince Leo, think nothing of it. Nobody else does."
"I usually don't, but we both know how important this is," Leo said, turning to his tan-skinned retainer. "I want us to go in quietly. Lead the charge, with our dark mages at the rear. I will follow shortly thereafter."
Niles raised a white brow. "Not gonna lead it yourself?"
"I'd rather not die while my mind is still sharp," Leo said, tapping his temple. "Rest assured, I can do plenty of damage from the back. You have seen what Brynhildr can do."
Niles pointed to Leo's waist. "I've also seen what you can do with that icy poking stick of yours. You're a man of many talents but you only use one of them."
"I know enough about myself to realize when I am out of my depth," Leo remarked bitterly. "Now, go. Gather the men and wait for my signal."
Niles bowed, smirking. "As you wish, Prince Leo."
As Niles marched off, Leo turned back over to the moonlight capital of Izumo, watching the faraway carnage unfold.
Very interesting, indeed.
Izana was not one for complaining, but one thing he planned on doing when he was freed and allowed to rule his small, lovely duchy again was to fix the draftiness in his own dungeons.
The poor things hadn't been used in so long, the thought of refurbishing them completely slipped his mind! He couldn't ask one of the gods to grant him a reminder, but he had a feeling they would be rather offended at the idea. Then again, who else was asking them questions? That's right, only the great and benevolent Izana of Izumo!
Of course, he was currently Izana, the ruler of nothing and the complainer of drafty prison cells, but he digressed. Such things were trivialities. What was a country but another, wider jail cell? Why, perhaps it could even be called a jail cell with no bars; indeed, there was only the concept of bars and the promise of painful misery should someone try and meld through them! He made himself chortle.
His reverie was interrupted, however, when he heard the quick slashing and cutting of steel, a groan of pain, and a body hitting the floor. He looked up from where he was twiddling his thumbs to see a strange sight indeed.
A woman, young yet but still a very pretty thing, stood at his jail cell. Her hair was a fiery red, and a bit disheveled and long, and her eyes blazed with vigor. In one hand, she held an iron naginata, and in the other, she jingled a ring of keys.
"These Nohrian scum have imprisoned us for far too long!" The woman declared. "Let's go give them some payback!"
Izana smiled. Good things came to those who waited after all!
And with that, we are at a quarter to a hundred chapters. We're not gonna make it to a hundred with this story, rest assured, I just thought it was a cool milestone.
I'd say we're just about halfway done with the story itself. It's been a fun ride so far!
Here's a link to our Discord server: discord .gg/9XG3U7a
See you guys next time!