(1180)
Day 12 of the Horsebow Moon. Clouds again.
I don't like sending Knights into Abyss. I like it less that Seteth had someone down there already.
I understand his reasons of course, in his shoes I don't know that I'd be acting any differently.
Still, Abyss has been under "new management" for a while now and I've not had the chance to introduce myself.
I may need to borrow Sanderson off the Kid for a bit. With Flayn missing and all these vanishings in town, this "reaper" the Knights are stretched thin enough.
I need to send someone to get the lay of the land and find out what's going on.
It's past time we had some sort of breakthrough.
1183
Horsebow Moon
If there was anyone from the lands above whom she had respected, it was Cornelia Arnim.
The poor lambs who enjoyed the sun didn't even realise what they had lost. Arnim's improvements to the infrastructure hadn't just halted the plague and cleaned up Fhirdiad's water system; they kept it clean. The blueprints showed where the lines of the new pipes and canals scribed a magic circle, and the resulting water was unusually pure. It would take an event of cataclysmic proportions to render the Capital's ground water undrinkable. None of them even knew it; what did the School of Sorcery have to do with the city infrastructure after all?
And, in doing so, Arnim had proven several theories about magical power distribution and amplification using a large seal. Oh, it had been dabbled with across the ages. It was the basis of most group-castings. But nobody had made it permanent before.
That was the reason she had been chosen. Her new connection to King Lambert had been secondary. With the court mage's research in hand, they had finally been able to progress and perfect the Viskam, the magical battery that would allow her beautiful dolls to roam the continent. They'd just needed a circle large enough to channel the magic towards. A space where they could create it without notice or interference.
And so she and Thales had taken Duscur.
It had all been so very easy at that point, everything had simply fallen into place. Who would have thought Lady Arnim had been such good friends with the Emperor's consort, Anselma? That Volkhard would be so protective of his niece as to leave his own position of safety in the Empire? That Lambert would be so eager to follow through on his reforms as to come to Duscur himself?
Hanneman von Essar had left the Empire. House Nuvelle -her greatest worry- had collapsed under a few well-timed pushes during the Dagda-Brigid war. And under Arnim's name she had free reign to position her own people within the School of Sorcery; there was nobody left to notice the magical drain funnelling north.
Nobody to warn them of the rise of her beautiful, unfaltering, Titanus.
Not until these brats blundered their way into her testing chamber.
~o~*~o~
"What is this place?" Ashe asked, as a door opened, seeming to retract into the wall. It reminded Dimitri a great deal of the Holy Tomb; it felt as old, at least, and yet… Where Sothis's domain had felt peaceful, restful, there was a… charge, a buzz in the air and under his skin here. It set him on edge, his grip on Areadbhar shifting as they advanced. The area they entered was large, various devices and contraptions lined the walls, all lit with brightly glowing blue and yellow lights that seemed built into the walls and floor. Boxes and screens blocked some parts off it off, like a shipping warehouse he had once explored- there was even scaffolding in places, providing a higher level, and some sort of ventilation somewhere, as he could feel a draft around him.
"This must be their infrastructure." Edelgard answered as they moved forwards, their footsteps and the clank of the Blue Lion Corps's armour fading into the vastness "So far underground and… we must be in Duscur by now."
Behind him, Dedue said nothing, but Dimitri could feel the discontent rolling off his stoic companion.
"It's hard to believe the scale of it" Ingrid added, turning as she marked the extent of the room. They had entered through a small door in the southwest; the southern wall was solid and uninterrupted, but to the north there were stairs and a large door to chambers beyond. If she'd been able to get her pegasus through the entrance at the tower they would have had space to charge and fly at speed in here quite handily.
"I never imagined anything like… well, this." Hapi added as they approached the centre of the room.
"Yes," A voice rang out in front of them and they all quickly took ready stances "you always were lacking in imagination, girl."
Cornelia appeared before them in a wave of magic, seemingly unconcerned by their presence, even as they all glowered at her, weapons bristling.
"And you two, couldn't you just have killed each other like good siblings? You were so close to that path, but you just couldn't keep to it." She sighed, shaking her head at them "Such a pity, really. It would have been a glorious tragedy." She concluded with a laugh.
"Cornelia!" Dimitri called sternly, shattering the dismissive aura she had created "Your conspiracy ends today!"
"Oh, don't be that way, your Majesty." She pouted, at last taking a casting stance herself "And didn't dear Patricia tell you? Don't make promises you can't keep!"
The Gremory snapped her fingers.
For a moment it seemed that nothing had happened. Then came the noise. A harsh metal wrenching and grating assaulted their ears. A nearby pile of crates was shattered into splinters as a metal monstrosity tore though it on one side. On the other flank another suddenly appeared in a flash of magic, ahead of them two dropped from somewhere above to flank Cornelia. Each brandished a giant blade the size of a horse -or bigger.
"Titanus," Cornelia crooned "destroy the intruders."
The constructs twisted, the whole upper body rotating as they orientated themselves before moving forwards, each heavy step rumbling through the earth towards them.
"Your Majesty, they have barriers" Dedue warned, moving in front of Dimitri, his own great shield raised in defence.
"Just like the giant beasts…" Edelgard added, her eyes narrowing on them as she watched their movements for any opening.
"Then we know how to deal with them." Dimitri added, refusing to be daunted, the barest flick of his hand instructing the Elites to form up ready to charge.
~o~*~o~
His King had taken the initiative and Ingrid had scrambled the second battalion of Elites to guard the flank against the constructs approaching from the right as Dimitri, Edelgard and Dedue forged ahead. Ashe held the midpoint between their two groups, ready to assist either as Hapi sent a swarm of dark, buzzing magic out to snare the first Titanus that approached them from the side.
It didn't quite take, Ashe was no expert with magic, but he could almost see it slide from the energy shield surrounding the construct. It wasn't much deterred by the first volley he sent at it either.
Lúin, blazing bright in Ingrid's hands, forced it's approach to a halt as she drew on the power of her Crest to pierce through the shield, the Elites charging forward around her to stagger it. Hapi's next spell blew it's armour wide, giving Ashe the opening he needed to destroy the internal workings.
It collapsed in a clanging heap.
The second continued without pause. Treading across the fallen husk towards them with crushing force. It slowly dawned on Ashe that there was no sentience in that metal head to be afraid that they had just brought down something just like it. It would not flinch with pain and fear; the only opening would come from pure force.
~o~*~o~
Edelgard was magnificent on the battlefield. Dimitri knew himself to be a force of his own, together they were a tempest of raging steel. Untouchable, with Dedue's shield sweeping in to guard them from the titans massive swipes. In short order they had the heads of the two constructs on their approach severed, the bodies torn asunder and their attention directed once more to Cornelia.
"Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you managed the prototypes." She commented, before making a swift motion with her hand.
Four more constructs dropped from above into position, noticeably larger than the first wave, somehow more disturbing in how they orientated themselves, swivelling the whole upper portion about.
Hapi swore flatly and Dimitri realised one of the fist wave was still on the field. How many could Cornelia summon? Did it matter? Eventually even his strength would run dry and they would be overwhelmed. Unless they could kill Cornelia.
Or retreat.
He ordered Edelgard and Dedue with him back towards the others, to keep them from overextending, eyeing the distance to Cornelia and the gamut they would have to get through to reach her.
Had he not been pulling back he wouldn't have seen it. In the corner of the room was a strange tower, a blue crackle of power charging across the surface. He saw the charge reach it's peak and shoot into the air -he couldn't turn fast enough to follow it, but Hapi's ensuing complaint as the construct she was still engaged with regained its barriers told him all he needed.
"Ashe!" He bellowed, Areadbhar sweeping out in front to score a gash into the ground before him, a literal line for Edelgard and Dedue to hold.
He fell back and turned to signal to Ashe once he was sure he had his attention. The tower in the corner was the imperative target; he waited a second, a second longer -more than he wanted to with his back turned to the enemy, until Ashe returned a gesture, signalling his understanding.
Trusting in Edelgard and Dedue, Dimitri turned again and charged Cornelia to draw her attention himself.
She was prepared. Even as he moved a highly charged bolt of Thoron flew at him. It was by a hairs-breadth that he dodged out of the way, his advance checked by the continuing barrage of magic.
But it was enough. Ashe had found a clear shot and didn't hesitate, a powerfully drawn arrow thudded into the tower, energy crackling out across its surface from where the arrowhead pierced the metal shell.
"My Viskam! You impudent brat!" Cornelia spat, sounding riled for the first time in the encounter, though she kept her cool and directed the Titanus on that side of the room towards Ashe; unguarded as he prepared a second shot. The sword raised above the knight and began it's downward arc before Dimitri could reach him. He called a warning, as futile as it might be.
At the last moment Ingrid slid into position to catch the blade. Lúin held in reverse, braced across her back she struggled with the force bearing down on her. Dimitri, with his strength, perhaps could have completed the parry; used his own back as a fulcrum to swing the lance up, pushing the blade away and driving his blade into the plated chest of the Titanus. Ingrid could only grit her teeth and keep the cutting blade at bay for Hapi to draw Ashe back out of the way. A second Titanus approached as the first kept the pressure on. From the corner of her vision Ingrid could only watch the metal foot step closer, see the shadow of the blade rise above her.
Areadbhar shot forwards and the first Titanus reeled back, shielding shattered. She was already rolling forwards away from it as Dimitri yelled for her to move, Hapi directing another roiling blast of dark magic to slow the other approaching construct.
In the confusion Ashe loosed his second shot at the tower. The moment it impacted the stored energy erupted in a blinding, deafening explosion.
~o~*~o~
Her left arm was hanging at an unnatural angle -broken. Dots swam before her vision and her ears were ringing endlessly, but Ingrid staggered to her feet. It was sheer luck that she moved backwards as she did, moving from the path of hunks of falling masonry the size of her pegasus. Harsh spikes of energy, like lightning, were erupting from the tower, increasing in frequency as the room -the ceiling they couldn't even see!- collapsed around them.
A hand gripped her upper arm, dragging her back. Edelgard. To her side she saw Dedue hauling an unconscious Dimitri over his shoulder as they began a retreat. Still in a daze she looked around for the rest of them; the Blue Lions Corps limping away, helping each other, Ashe and Hapi-
She couldn't see Ashe and Hapi.
Without really thinking about it she resisted Edelgard's grip, trying to go back.
A construct that hadn't been buried suddenly shifted, and Ingrid caught sight of Hapi's hair through a gap in the collapsed masonry, keeping them apart. Ashe was beside her, bow broken, yet he stepped forward to put himself between the metal monstrosity and the girl. The Titanus approached them, Hapi threw a spell at it but to no avail.
Ingrid pulled fully from Edelgard's grip, tripping forwards as though she could pass through the still falling stone to help them.
Ashe was only slightly taller than Hapi, but Ingrid watched as he tucked the mage into him, using his own body to shield her as much as possible. She watched as Hapi drew back to speak with him even as the construct came on, an expression Ingrid couldn't decipher on her face. She watched as Ashe listened, then nodded, his own resolve clear to see. She watched as Hapi took a breath and closed her eyes.
She watched as Ashe pulled her back into that protective embrace, his own eyes falling shut.
She watched as Hapi sighed.
Through the ringing in her ears, someone was screaming. It was only when her own throat cracked that Ingrid realised it was her.
The giant sand worms that tunnelled up from beneath were voracious and indiscriminate in their appetite. Stone, metal, flesh, it mattered not. With the floor below weakened, even more of the room collapsed and Ashe and Hapi were lost from her view.
A sharp word of power cut through the air. Cornelia was backing to the northern door, under the umbrella of a construct's shield. Ragged and much the worse for wear as she blasted a worm that had come at her with an intense bolt of Thoron even as she retreated. The large door opened.
What breath she'd been able to take froze in Ingrid's lungs.
Titanus.
Rows of them.
And further doors beyond.
One of the Blue Lion Elites grabbed her arm, the broken one, her vision went black and Ingrid started to lose time. The next she knew she was at the door they had entered through. Then the long tunnel. Then spilling up out of the tower into the sun and air and she still couldn't breathe.
Covered in blood and dust, broken and bruised she sank into the earth. She choked and spat, her eyes blurred, her heart wept. Something seemed to press down on her mind and she had no strength left to fight against it.
She collapsed, unconscious.
~o~*~o~
The retreat was brutal. Grim. Silent.
Dimitri awoke as they were getting ready to move out from their second brief camp on the road to Teutates. They spared the time to let Dedue break the news to him first, gently. They spared more for him to hear Ingrid's account; the glimpse she had caught of the enemy's arsenal, delivered without once meeting his eyes, as though she still could not quite lift her head.
The Emperor wouldn't spare any further time as he came to her; to thank her for marshaling the retreat, to hear her own accounting, whatever words he had intended were discarded in her urgency as she marched at the front.
"El," he began, wearily "we can't keep this pace, we have too many injured. From here, half pace and another rest in two hours will still see us to Teutates before dark."
"Then we had best separate. Now that you are awake to lead I shan't feel as though I'm abandoning you all."
"Separate? El, when we get to the temple-"
"I do not mean to stop at Teutates." Edelgard answered, pausing to face him directly. "You don't need my axe; you need every axe I can send you."
A heavy mantle bore down on his shoulders, as he realised her meaning. All his father's work, all of his own good intentions, disappeared in smoke.
They -the Coalition -he -Faerghus was…
They were going to invade Duscur.