Chapter 11: Springtime

Queen Mikoto had led me to a small room with a central table and armour decorating the walls. She pulled a wooden chair into place. From the table, she pulled an inkwell, a quill and a stack of parchment towards her seat.

"I assume you have plans," Queen Mikoto looked at me expectantly.

"The battle at the Bottomless Canyon," I began, "That's step one. Princess Corrin's forces consisted of herself, two retainers, and a Nohrian convict."

"A convict?" Queen Mikoto drew a sharp intake of breath.

"His name was- is Hans," I told her. The queen had paused her writing with her interjection, but continued as I went on, "I think he was arrested by the Nohrian Prince Xander, and had been accused of murder... I think. Either way, Garo- I mean King Garon released him to escort Princess Corrin on this mission. Um... Of Princess Corrin's two retainers, one was an older knight called Gunter. King Garon wanted- uh, wants Gunter killed."

"Past tense."

"What?"

Queen Mikoto shook her head, "Use past tense. It seems easier for you, rather than correcting yourself repeatedly. Also, remove formalities. Feel free to speak plainly with me."

I paused, but nodded, "Uh, right. Well, Hans picked a fight with Omozu's men, and... As I said before, Corrin beat him. But after the battle, Corrin's forces were approached by Saizo, Ryoma's retainer. He... Challenged them? But Corrin's siblings- uh, Nohrian siblings... Xander, Elise, Camilla and Leo... showed up to defend Corrin as she tried to make a run for... Back to Nohr.

On the bridge, Hans finally attacked Gunter, sending him into the Bottomless Canyon. Corrin was sent down too, but she was saved at the last moment by Lilith..."

Mikoto waited again, looking questioningly at me.

"Lilith was... Corrin's sister."

"I wasn't aware there was a Nohrian princess named Lilith."

I shook my head, "No... Um... She's... A half-sister."

"Half... Wait..." Mikoto stared at the paper. Her notes so far. Doubtless, she saw something else in them other than her neat handwriting.

"I don't think she had a mother... It wasn't... That half."

I was simply thankful she seemed to somewhat grasp my meaning. I didn't think I could explain it anymore without activating the curse. Still, the look of sheer sadness on Mikoto's face was... Frightening.

Finally, she scribbled something down on her paper before looking back up for my story.

"Continue."

I cleared my throat, "After Corrin returned to the surface, Rinkah suddenly knocked her out and captured her. Then, she and Kaze took her or... They brought her to you."

"I see," she nodded, laying the paper she'd been writing to one side. She brought another sheet towards herself, "Do you have any suggestions so far?"

Suggestions? Did that mean Queen Mikoto believed me, and truly wanted my input?

What could I really do? Should I make changes to the story I knew? Of course, I could try to make certain things easier or to have things go faster, to aid in the defeat of Anankos. The sooner Valla was liberated, the sooner I might be able to move unimpeded towards the Dragon Gate.

Or, by placing myself in an influential role over a group of powerful soldiers, like Princess Corrin and her allies... Bodyguards for my journey would be nice, considering the existence of bandits and brigands in this world...

The queen spoke up, "I expect you are confused as to why I trust you enough to ask for your aid. Truthfully, I don't. Whether you speak the truth of these things to come remains to be seen. And where exactly you gained this insight is another uncertainty. After all, it's entirely possible you lied about your otherworldly origins.

"You do know things nobody should, and the intelligence you provided regarding Kaze and Rinkah happened to be true. Still, there exist holes in your story. 'Arete wept for Cadros.' Those were the words Yukimura relayed to me. Of course, that sentence alone holds no truth.

"Whether you are working for my enemy or not, I retain enough faith in the inherent goodness of humanity that I must have hope in what you say. Remember that, Derek. You have hope, but not yet my trust. This fort battle shall be the test for that."

Hope... That was all I had, really. In reality, hope is all anyone could have. Nobody truly knows what the future holds. Even when making an educated guess, one can only ever hope that their prediction would either come true, or not, as the case may be. But for me, my biggest hope was finding a way back home.

And for Queen Mikoto and the rest of the Vallites? They hoped to reclaim their home too. All the people of this world hoped to survive. And I was in a unique position, in that I knew their story before they themselves had acted. I could potentially be their Obi-Wan Kenobi. And what was that Golden Rule drilled into me as a child again?

I nodded at her, "I... Have some ideas."

"Yes?" Mikoto asked, her quill at the ready.

"I... Don't want battle to be my first resort. King Garon sent Princess Corrin for the fort, so... Give it to her. He knew it would be occupied, and that she'd have to fight for it, but she did not. Hans is the wildcard who starts the battle, so taking him out is a priority. If Kaze and Rinkah showed themselves, it might do Princess Corrin good to see a familiar face. We offer a trade of the fort in return for her coming here to meet you."

"A trade?" Mikoto seemed intrigued, "A fair idea. Anything else?"

"I... Yes," I grimaced. "Gunter needs to fall."

"The knight? Why?"

"He... Would be a problem. He's too smart."

Mikoto narrowed her eyes, but nodded. "I see. It's disappointing, but I do understand."

"Oh!" I suddenly realised, "Hinoka and Sakura! While this happened, those two had gone somewhere to the north, in the story. But they get attacked by Faceless... And as soon as Corrin met you and Ryoma, she had to go rescue them."

"Ah," Mikoto looked surprised, "I had no plans to send them anywhere, nor have they expressed any interest in upcoming journeys..." She made a note on her paper. "Still, I shall retain your warning."

"Okay..." I said. Discovering that Mikoto had no knowledge was annoying. The fact that Hinoka and Sakura needed rescuing in the game had always confused me and felt unexplained. "But if it comes to battle... Um... I can't remember the amount of forces Omozu had..."

"That shouldn't be a problem. You will be there, overseeing the battle," Queen Mikoto said. "And when you return, I will truly know whether to trust you with the fate of my country. As I said before, this is your test."

...

Lilith had vanished into another portal, after promising that she would return later to properly speak with me. Princess Corrin, on the other hand, stayed with me as I returned to Omozu's fort. Technically, it was a Nohrian fort now... That is, if the deal was still to be observed.

There was some sort of commotion at the fort, as we draw nearer. Another group seemed to have arrived, and one of their members turned a scarred eye on me.

"Where were you?" Saizo asked me. "You should not have left the sight of the captain."

I largely ignored him, looking past to see Rinkah approach a woman. She looked oddly familiar, and it took me a while before I realised where I'd seen her. She had been at the dinner with Queen Mikoto.

"Kahua? Why are you here?" Rinkah was asking.

"Lady Rinkah, your father instructed me to give you a message," the other Flame Tribe woman said, as she handed over a rolled parchment.

Rinkah read it, and almost immediately she was fuming, "What-?! He can't do this!"

I had to find out more about that later though, because Princess Corrin was a priority.

"Milady! You're unharmed!"

"Jakob!" immediately Princess Corrin's red eyes lit up, but her face soon fell when she realised her butler was alone. "But where is Gunter?" she asked.

Jakob paused, though he seemed more regretful than genuinely grieving, "I'm afraid Sir Gunter fell into the Canyon, along with Hans." He paused to glance distrustfully at Saizo, "That is what I have been told, at any rate. I regret I was unconscious at the time."

"It seems Xander was right when he warned me not to trust Hans!" Princess Corrin rounded on me, blinking tears from her furious red eyes, "And what is to happen to Jakob and I now?"

I grimaced, unhappy with her anger and brusqueness. "The Queen... Um... Queen Mikoto of Hoshido, wished for me to pass this message to you."

The princess blinked surprised as I brought a letter sealed with the Hoshidan crest to bear from my pocket. She took and opened it, then when she had finished reading, she passed it to Jakob and looked at me oddly.

"Why does the Queen of Hoshido wish to meet me? How did she know I would be here?"

"The letter does say she'll explain that when you get there..." I pointed out.

Jakob looked up from the letter, "Milady, I advise against this. It seems an obvious trap."

"I know that," Princess Corrin agreed, "But I did agree that we would be prisoners of Hoshido in return for the fort. And look..."

She pointed to the fortress, where Omozu stood with another man, watching his remaining soldiers moving in and out of the building, emptying its contents in crates.

"We must also honour our part in this," she concluded, a faint smile brightening her mood.

"You won't be prisoners forever. If truth be told..." I pursed my lips, "Queen Mikoto is a kind and just ruler. But she lost a child years ago... A child taken by Nohr..."

"That's enough, Derek," a voice spoke up. Saizo, who had been watching our conversation carefully, suddenly dropped into a bow. Princess Corrin made an odd movement then corrected herself.

"Who are you?" Jakob asked.

Perhaps Prince Ryoma didn't hear the question, or he was ignoring it, for he instead chose to stare at Princess Corrin. She squirmed under his gaze, uneasy as he critiqued her from all angles.

"… Yes, I see it," he said at length. His eyes shone with joy, but he made no other motion to express his feelings.

The princess, for her part, cocked her head, "What do you see?"

"A kind soul," Prince Ryoma told her. He seemed to snap out of some deep reverie and spoke again, much more formally, but I found myself distracted, "But forgive me. I am Ryoma, High Prince of Hoshido. My retainers and I are here to escort you personally to Castle Shirasagi."

Eldegai had walked to the edge of the canyon.

I cleared my throat, "P-Prince Ryoma, I have to... Uh..." I gave up, and ran.

Eldegai hadn't jumped, thankfully, but I still couldn't take the chance. He was still staring down into the Canyon when I reached him.

"Eldegai!"

He rounded on me, and I braced for anger, but it never came. Instead, his only expression was a blank sadness.

"Derek..." He said. "I knew it was dangerous but..."

He was numb, almost completely drained and lifeless. He was looking at me, but his eyes glazed and unfocused.

"Eldegai?" I asked, tentatively reaching for his shoulder.

"Yeah," he barely seemed to be talking to me. But his eyes snapped back to me when my fingers brushed his shoulder. "We should tell her family."

I paused, inwardly grimacing. Araksi was... probably not dead. But I could hardly tell him that. Not even her family could know. But they should at least know she was missing in some way, so I reluctantly nodded at him.

"Eldegai?" I repeated. His proximity to the Canyon was making me anxious. I hoped he was not contemplating jumping off...

"Yeah," whether he was replying or reaffirming his own words was unclear.

I followed his gaze down into the darkness. I wondered again at the secret I knew – what really lay down there. Waiting.

"You know the story of the Blue Kinshi?" it was not so much a question, but I remained silent. Thankfully, Eldegai continued after a brief pause.

"There was a hunter, who lived near the border. One day, while hunting, she encountered a blue kinshi, roosting in the woods. An epic battle began. When the bird came close, she would thrust her spear at it, and its talons were avoided. When the bird flew back, as though to retreat from the battle, she would loose her arrows. Their fight brought them to the edge of the canyon, before the kinshi's final thrust resulted in the hunter falling.

"As she fell, down into the canyon, the huntress's pack became snagged on an outcropping branch. She was stuck, so the bird prepared to finish her off. As she hung there, she did not scream or flinch. No tears escaped her eyes. Instead, she stared into the kinshi's own eyes, and it decided to instead help her.

"Rather than being her meal, the bird had become her saviour. She repaid the debt in turn by releasing the many kinshi she had captured over the years."

"The huntress ended up marrying a king," Eldegai said. "And that's why kinshi are now viewed as sacred birds, and why they are partnered with soldiers in the Hoshidan military."

Wondering at the significance of this story, I remained silent, waiting for Eldegai to finish.

"I... Can't help waiting," he said at length. "Waiting to see Araksi rise up from the depths astride a blue kinshi, just like that hunter queen. Just like her favourite story."

The words wouldn't come to my mouth, but a dark scene suddenly played out in my mind. In it, Araksi did arise from the depths below, but it was not aloft any birds.

The Araksi in my mind was near invisible, surrounded by an eerie purple mist. Her form shifted like water as she moved, and as she raised an arm towards me, her eyes shone with pain.

Eldegai had said something else, but I had missed it. He stepped back a few paces, then tapped his foot into the dirt.

With his feet, he had dug a little hole.

"Derek! Eldegai!" Omozu shouted, and we looked over. The group was marching away, and I guided the still silent Eldegai to join them.

...

Rinkah was alone, near the back. The other Flame Tribe woman had gone ahead, and Kaze had decided to ride beside Eldegai.

As though sensing my intentions, Kaze nodded at me when I caught his eye, so I moved next to my target, moving my horse by leaning my body, just like Wayan - one of the soldiers - had told me after noticing me struggling.

"Lady Rinkah," I began, only for her to glare at me.

"Just Rinkah," she corrected. "Especially now."

I frowned, "Why 'especially now?' Is that... Something to do with that letter?"

"I don't see what business that is of yours," Rinkah retorted.

"Well, um, it's just... I'm here as a representative and tactician for Queen Mikoto," I began. "If it's going to affect relations or performances, isn't it important to know?"

Rinkah's glare turned away, focusing on the path ahead. The first village we had passed through, where we collected the horses from, had given way to seemingly endless farmland – fields as far as the eye could see.

"I have been disowned," Rinkah said through gritted teeth. Her horse, apparently a washu stallion, shook its mane in annoyance, but continued on.

"Disowned?" I repeated. "Why?"

"My father was displeased that I had been captured," she scoffed. "And apparently, his new wife is pregnant."

"So... What?" I looked down at my own horse. "What will you do?"

"Hoshido will get none of the warriors that father promised to send," Rinkah shrugged. "Father will have blamed my capture on both myself and on Kahua. I have already instructed her to send word to the Tribe that I will not give up on the alliance with Hoshido. I'll have to discuss that with Mikoto in person."

"You're staying?" I asked, surprised.

"Don't sound so disappointed. Either way, though, father will find a way to spin my actions to his own benefit," she sighed. "Even if I survive the war and come back a hero, he can claim that the letter disowning me was never publicly passed through the fire, and was just a ruse to our enemies to protect me."

"'Through the fire?'"

Rinkah glanced over at me, "Meaning it wouldn't have been sanctified by a priest, and therefore his words can be nullified as being without the gods' consent. If I fail, though, he can claim to have done a private ceremony out of shame."

"Hmm..." evidently I would need to read up on the customs and religion of the Flame Tribe when I returned to Castle Shirasagi.

"Well? Was that satisfactory for you?" Rinkah frowned ahead, not sparing me another glance.

I let my horse fall behind, and continued the journey alone.

...

Author's Note:

The planning with Mikoto for the Journey Begins chapter was originally intended to go in the last chapter, but was left to this one to make that battle seem more like a trial by fire.