New chapter time!
Imperial year : 1176, Red Wolf Moon, Far below Enbarr.
Carved into the ground underneath the palace, leys the dungeons and catacombs beyond them. Originally built too hold the worst criminals in the Adrestian empire. This facility is large enough too hold one thousand criminals while they wait to be judged by the emperor, or to be sent to the church of seiros so the archbishop may deal out there punishment. But for the last few years it has kept the eleven children of emperor Ionius and during this time nine have passed away.
Fourteen year old Edelgard takes shallow breaths as she leans against the wall facing the cell door with her head tilted to the floor. The dim light from the few torches on the walls outside of the cell only casting vague shadows as the fresh wounds on her stomach throb painfully. For the last four years this dark hell has been all she and her siblings have know ever since her uncle brought her back from the kingdom. Then the prime minister and his gaggle of nobles locked them in these cells as they let these monsters experiment and kill eight of her siblings. The only ones left being her, Lila and Richard.
SQUEAK!
BANG!
At the sound of the door opening and closing Edelgard slowly lifts up her head. The sound of boot steps and something dragging across the floor fills the silent space. Coming barely into is a hooded silhouette of a men pulling what appears to be a large shadowy lump. The jingle of keys fills her ears as the cell door opens and the sound of skin on stone fills the room as man steps in dragging the lump with him as it lets out a pained whine. Edelgard try's too sit up as the man walks to the center of the call and drops his cargo to start looking for something in his robe. With her eyes being adjusted to the dark Edelgard can see what the lump really is. Its a young women a few years older then her with the same shade of sandy blond hair caked with dirt and dried blood, dressed in an old tattered shirt and shorts with bandage covering her arms and legs.
It's her older sister Lila.
With a shout of of surprise Edelgard attempts too push herself to her feet. Only for the wounds on her legs to shoot an intense pain through her body and she falls to her hands and knees. Crawling across the floor too her older sister Edelgard pulls Lila's head onto her lap and tries to get a response as tears fill her eyes. "Lila!" The words come out of the young princess's bone dry throat as a half chock half couch. "Lila please open your eyes! Please tell me you'll be ok! You can't leave me and riche all alone!"
"He's already dead"
At the sound of voice from the third person in the cell Edelgard's head snaps up to the man in the robe as a cold dread fills her body. "Wh-what?" She barely gets out.
"He's dead." The man repeats casually. Pulling the thing he was looking for out revealing a half eating bread roll that he drops onto the floor by Edelgard as he continues with a chuckle. "He died on the table an hour ago. Screaming out for the goddess to save him. Quite pathetic if you ask me" Pointing to the roll on the floor he said, "Dinner. Make sure you eat it. The next stage begins in the morning." With that the robed man turns around and heads to the door leaving a horror struck princess. Closing the door with a deafening bang he spoke once again. "And if I where you I'd say goodbye to your sister as well. If she survive the night she won't last through the next stage hehehe." His cold cruel laughter echoes all over the cell.
As the man just laugh Edelgard just feels a white hot rage shoot though her core.
Rage for the monsters that put her and her siblings through this torture this hell.
Rage at the nobles who allow this to happen just to further there own power.
Rage at the man who is just standing there laughing at her misery.
"You bastard!" She yells silencing the man. "How dare you make a mockery of my siblings deaths. When I get out of here I am going to rip out your heart with my bare hands!"
Silence falls over the room for a few moments as the man just looks at her before he slams his hand on the cell bars and says with a sneer in his voice. "You are in no position to make threat. The only way you are getting out oh this cell little girl. Is if the goddess herself comes to your rescue. But seeing as she has not, makes it pretty clear that she doesn't care about you or your family." Standing up right the man starts walking to the door that he came from. "But feel free to start praying. Maybe this time she'll send an angel to help save you!" His laughter bounces off the walls before the sound of the door swinging close vibrates down the hall. Leaving just Edelgard and her dying sister in her arms.
With the mans final statement the rage Edelgard had burning in her chest quickly fades away. Only to be replaced with the cold felling of dread.
'He's right.' The thought sits like a cold lump of steel in Edelgard's stomach. She and the rest of her siblings all preyed every day for the goddess to save them from this hell, but she never did, and never will.
Because the goddess doesn't care about them.
Because the goddess doesn't see any of them worth saving.
Because the goddess abandoned and left them condemned too this dark hell for years with these monsters.
With fresh tears falling from her eyes Edelgard rests her forehead against Lila's as the older girls raged breaths fill the quite cell. The young princess can only let the tears spill from her eyes as the hopelessness of everything falls on her heart. There would be no rescue. No angels sent by the goddess to bring them back to the light. No hero's with a magic sword to rescue the princess and save the day.
Because goddesses angels and hero's don't walk in this dark hell. No, the only ones who do are monsters.
Monsters and Demons.
Imperial year : 1176, Red Wolf Moon, Enbarr.
"There is our way in." Said Hubert as him and Byleth lean against the wall of the alleyway. After making the deal the two new allies quickly made there way to the capitol. Now an hour later the two find themselves in the alley watching the current objective as the rain continues to heavily fall on to the streets. looking up and down the street Byleth sees a few people illuminated by the orang light of the street posts coming and going. None of them seaming too suspicious the mercenary casts his eyes back to the building the hides a way to the catacombs.
Mittelfrank Opera house. The most popular opera company in all of Fodlan. And its currently middle on a show.
"You are sure this is the best way in? A busy opera house is not ideal for a stealth mission." Said Byleth looking the other wall where Hubert leans panting the jog into the city having exhausted him.
"Unfortunately" Hubert pants out. "This is the...closest one that is not known. So...like it or not this is the...only way into the catacombs."
Byleth looks at Hubert for a moment making a note of his pale face, heavy breathing and what's probably not just rain water on his forehead. Standing up straight he gestures with his hand. "Very well, lead the way."
Quickly making sure no one was watching the two cross the street and head to the side of the building. Reaching the side door Hubert try's the handle to find it lock. Holding his hand up Hubert begins to gather magic for a fire ball spell. Reaching out Byleth grabs his hand before the spell can be casted and pulls out a dagger from his belt. "Lets not go for plan 'blowing stuff up yet'." Byleth said as he jammed the blade into the doorframe.
Crossing his arms Hubert huffs out. " I merely want to take the fastest way to save Lady Edelgard. Every second wasted is a second she remains in there clutches and that will not do"
"Yeah. Yeah. I got it Lady Edelgard must be saved as fast as possible. But Remember stealth will be the key to if we succeed or are killed." With a grunt of effort on the last word the door swings open revealing a well lit hallway.
"So shall we begin." Byleth said letting Hubert walk infront of him and into the Opera house. Before he goes into the building himself Byleth closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and lets it out.
'MISSION : CATACOMB RAID.'
'OBJECTIVE SAVE : EDELGARD.'
'FAILURE : WE ARE DISCOVERED AND KILLED.'
Opening his eyes Byleth walks into the opera house pulling the door close behind him.
"Begin Mission"
Let me know what you think and Ill see you next time!