Chapter 2: Journey to the Unwanted Truth
It had been a whole day since coming to Windmire, Corrin was allowed to spend the rest of the day in Krakenburg to relax and become accustom to her true home and begin her mission the next day, and for the most part she enjoyed being in the castle, however there were plenty of discomforts for her as she's just not used to being in such a huge place, the servants seem nice enough at least.
"Oh, I just can't stop shaking, I really wish to go back to the Northern Fortress." Felicia muttered as she is walking alongside Corrin and Jakob.
"I suppose someone with little will would feel intimidated by this castle, the history and magic surrounding this place has been the subject of many frightening bedtime stories." Jakob stated.
"What, did the Dusk Dragon used to live in this crater and bits of his near degeneration still linger in the atmosphere?" Corrin asked.
"So the legends claim, though you must forgive me Milady, but I am not very religious when it comes to dragons so I can never take the legends serious, although the dangers of the Bottomless Canyon are very real." Jakob said. "Honestly, what on earth could his Majesty be thinking of making you take this mission, only harm and discord is certain once you undertake it."
"I don't have much of a choice on the matter, what my father says is law, not even Xander can convince him otherwise so the best thing we can do is make this as quick as possible." Corrin sighed.
"Tricky but I supposed it can be done as quickly as preferable with just us and Gunter." Jakob stated.
"Wait, what about me, I can help too." Felicia complained.
"You baboon, the chances of fighting against Hoshidans are high and admitted yourself that you have no fighting spirit, so what would be the point of bringing you along if you'll just hold Lady Corrin back." Jakob rudely remarked.
"I know but… but… you might need an extra healer and my aiming is better than yours." Felicia pointed out, causing the butler to scoff in response.
"HA! And now you jest."
"Hey, no fighting you two, we're about to meet father and siblings as they see us off, so don't make a scene." Corrin pleaded with her two loyal servants and friends as they will meet up with her family soon.
"Ah, I see the rumors are true." The trio stop in their tracks and look at the man before them. Iago, the royal adviser to King Garon, the Princess had met him once or twice, as he had come along with Garon on a few of his visits. He still had a chalk whit complexion, with his black hair covered by a complicated metal headpiece denoting his place as head of the Dark Mages of Nohr as well as the top tactician of the army. "How surprising it is to see you outside of the Northern Fortress."
"Iago, it's been a while." Corrin greeted the Sorcerer.
"Indeed, your arrival has long been anticipated by both of your parents, I certainly hope that you were worth the wait, our armies are in need of more competent leaders for the war." Iago said sternly but not unkindly.
"I know what's at stake here and I will not fail." Corrin swore.
"We'll see about that after this mission. Honestly, I don't know what the King is thinking with this one, the corrupted Dragon Veins are especially vicious when near those with dragon blood, the very idea that you will come back unharmed is actually ludicrous." Iago said not having confidence in Corrin making it out of this alive.
"Keep your words to yourself, you fool, Lady Corrin has no room for the doubts of others." Jakob hissed venomously at the Sorcerer. In the few times that the butler has seen Iago, like with everyone else, the Royal Adviser only succeeded in getting people to dislike him more and more. Why does Garon tolerate him, is the bigger mystery?
Iago merely chuckles at Jakob's sharp tongue. "Now, now Jakob, you shouldn't waste a single drop of energy on your fellow Nohrians, its bad for our fortune, but on the bright side I am now less concern for your wellbeing when you fall into the canyon. You on the other hand, Milady, have best have the Devil's own luck, like Lord Leo likes to say."
With that said, Iago takes his leave and no doubt heading towards the same direction they are, to King Garon.
"You two are always trying to start a fight." Felicia muttered, scared by Iago's mere presence.
"And every time I curse my inability to settle things, that heathen brings nothing but misfortune to those around him, and I have every reason to believe that he was the one who let those monsters sneak into the fortress two years ago just for some experiment and nearly cost Lady Corrin's life." Jakob cursed. "Lord Xander also suspects him of insidiousness."
"Even if that's true there is no way to prove it, and he has father's trust, somehow, either way we mustn't start a fight here of all places, so let's try to ignore him for as long as we can." Corrin insisted as the three continue walking and soon meet with Corrin's family, along with Gunter and Iago.
"I trust you had a proper rest Corrin." Garon asked his daughter as she walks to his side.
"Yes father, I am ready for this, and so are Felicia and Jakob. Gunter is at the top of his game as usual." Corrin assured him.
"Good, however after much consideration I have decided that sending only Jakob and Gunter accompanying you is still an incomplete set, hence why I arranged for another for your party." Garon said as he snaps his fingers, and one of the guards standing by him stepped forward. "This is Hans. He is a veteran warrior and his strength will suffice in your exploration."
Hans dipped his head to Corrin. "Milady."
Corrin nodded back to the Berserker, feeling unsure about him. The man certainly looked capable, but with his bald head, violent eyes and vicious axe he also looked dangerous. Corrin decided to reserve judgement until she learned more about Hans. "Thank you, father."
"With such competent warriors in your group, I am sure you will be more than capable of making the journey and scouting the fortress, your maid Felicia, in spite of her incompetence is also a healer and an inheritor of the Ice Tribe's ancient power so I permit you to bring her along as well. I send you with my blessing, take whatever you need from the storeroom. But be warned: Do not fail me. Best that you fall in battle than return to me in failure."
With that, King Garon strode out of the room with Iago at his side. Xander quickly pulled Corrin aside. "I'd be wary of Hans if I were you, Corrin."
"Why do you say that?"
"He's a criminal. Once a member of a bandit group called the Blackhounds, they were vicious thieves and murderers who originated from Hoshido before they fled to Nohr and started causing harm here. Though Hans in particular never killed any Nohrians personally, the raids he led on our cities were too cruel. I arrested him myself shortly after I acquired Siegfried. Father seems to think he's rehabilitated, but I'm not so sure. He is a powerful soldier, and will no doubt be useful to you, but the fact that he is Hoshidan by birth is a cause for concern, all the same exercise caution around him and do not let him wonder off on his own."
Corrin nodded. "I see. Thank you for the advice, Xander." She stood up straight and walked over to Hans. "It's good to meet you, Hans. I hope we can work well together on this coming mission."
Hans stood still, scanning Corrin up and down, as if sizing her up. Finally, he nodded. "Likewise, Milady. Likewise."
"I am already wary of him." Felicia muttered to her friends while they are at a far distance.
"He so much as touches Milady and I will remove his eyes with my bare hands." Jakob whispered.
"Can it you two, hostility is reserve for last, no matter how tempting." Gunter lectures the two despite also wary of Hans.
Garon wanted the task completed as quickly as possible, so the goodbyes were brief, to Camilla and Elise's great dismay. Jakob and Felicia had gathered their things together within the hour and prepared to leave. Lilith had brought them their horses for the long journey to the border.
"Good luck, Corrin. Please do keep yourself safe."
Corrin mounted the horse and nodded to Lilith. "Don't worry yourself, Lilith. I'll be back in no time to Windmire. Everything will go fine."
Lilith eyed Hans, who was loading weapon after weapon onto his own horse. "… All the same, do be careful. I… would hate to see you come to harm."
"Thank you for your concern, Lilith. It's good to have a friend like you." She leaned down from her horse and gave her a hug around the shoulders. "See you soon."
Lilith smiled with joy, accepting the warmth. "Yes. Do be careful."
With that, Corrin and her group were away on the trip to the Bottomless Canyon, where the abandoned fort lay. With favorable weather and road conditions, the journey could be made within four days on horseback. Thankfully, the traditionally terrible weather in the Dark Night Kingdom had a rare break, and they made it to the mountain range in only three days. From there, it was a short trip down a narrow mountain pass, and then they were at the Bottomless Canyon but still at a fair distance from their true destination.
Corrin slowed her horse to a halt as the colossal, gaping hole in the earth came into view. "Wow… this is it? The Bottomless Canyon?"
Gunter caught up with her and nodded. "Yes. It's the natural border between Nohr and Hoshido."
Corrin peered down into the darkness. "It can't really be bottomless, can it?"
The knight shrugged. "Let the eternal darkness below be your answer. Those who fall in never return… I truly despise this place. The entire land around here is completely rotten. Here the sky is always dark in a different manner than in Nohr, and lightning strikes those who try to fly across on with Sky Knights so finding any type of riders with their armies is a rarity. This is clearly a place us mortals were never meant to enter." He shuddered.
"Is it really true that there are more Dragon Veins here than in most other places that are corrupt?" Felicia asked with concern.
"I'm afraid so, none have been able to explain why but the Dragon Veins here are semi-conscious and function only to keep people away, almost as if something here despises humanity and is keeping us away, making travel here between Nohr and Hoshido a life threatening challenge. But the stubborn kings and queens of old of both nations have been adamant on ceasing control of this place, hence the creation of the fort, though the Hoshidans have always had better luck than we have, something to do with the Dragon they worship, perhaps but either way, this place is clearly evil, with the canyon itself in reality a massive scar from a long forgotten sin and past."
Corrin looked around the canyon. "Oh, it's not so bad. Just think, I could be sitting in the northern fortress doing nothing right now. Compared to that, this is a holiday."
Gunter laughed. "That certainly puts things in perspective, milady."
"Still, what do you mean by Sin? Xander always wanted the subject of this place dropped whenever I brought up the legends out of curiosity." Corrin said.
"It is not for me to say why he wanted the subject dropped but I personally found the legend to be a testament to human evil." Gunter said. "Two thousand years ago, these lands were not always a canyon of endless darkness and were once beautiful, the home of a perfect kingdom, though small in comparison to Nohr and Hoshido, was the strongest and kept the rest in a perfect unity."
"Oh, wait, I know this story that my father read me once, the Legend of the Veiled Kingdom." Felicia concluded.
"Yes, though the name of this lost kingdom has been forgotten to time, it is said that it was founded and ruled by one of the Precursors, who's love for humanity encouraged him to remain among us, I believe it was the Silent Dragon, God of Wisdom and sought to unite humanity under the banner of trust and commitment, unlike the other Gods who were forced to remain in the Heavens because too much time in physical form affected their psyche, losing more and more of their cohesion and becoming completely feral but the Silent Dragon's infinite wisdom supposedly made him immune to this horrible weakness." Gunter continued.
"What happened that led to it becoming this?" Corrin asked not liking where this story is going.
"There are two possible endings to the story, one that we Nohrians believe to be true is that the Silent Dragon, for all his willpower, eventually lost himself to the Degeneration that all Dragons are doom to face in the end and accidentally set the forests of Nohr and Hoshido ablaze, killing thousands of innocence by mistake and in a panic, both kingdoms banded together to attack the Veiled Kingdom, out of fear of the God's power, and in the end both the Dawn and Dusk Dragons descended from the Heavens to assist their human followers to stop their now out of control brother. The war between the three dragon gods destroyed the Veiled Kingdom and transformed it into what it is today." Gunter continued. "But the one the Hoshidans believe to be true is that the monarchs of both nations at the time were jealous of the Veiled Kingdom's great power and distrusted the Silent Dragon's constant presence in the human world because despite his benevolence he was still a dragon, so the possibility of him Degenerating was high, thus ancient Nohr and Hoshido betrayed the Silent Dragon and started a despicable war for full dominion over the land. Outraged and betrayed, the Silent Dragon laid waste to both Nations, worse, since Nohr attacked first, the enraged God cursed our lands into what they are today, leaving us with endless Famine. Afterwards he chose to leave this world, taking those of his kingdom that he still trusted with him into another world called the Outrealm, doing so created this Canyon in the process, a permanent scar and symbol of a god who lost his faith. The world has forgotten the truth ever since of what really happened."
"Those are awful endings, Gunter." Corrin said now sore upon learning this legend.
"As they should and why I call them a testament to human evil, actions committed out of fear or envy, which one is the lesser evil and which one makes us seem less redeemable? A question for the ages, and the only thing we can agree on is that these corrupted veins are a representation of the Silent Dragon's unending hatred, ever present and a sad reminder that humanity is not pure."
"Makes you wonder what's the whole point of fighting to preserve humanity if destruction is all we're good for." Corrin muttered.
"It is up to every living person to decide what is worth fighting for, and on your journey you will be faced with many choices to make, each one with consequences, and for all the regrets and hardships you will no doubt face, it is how you embrace them and make the most of it that matters. Many will question your choices, or worse stand against you, that is why you must be strong and not let your efforts be wasted on second guessing yourself." Gunter gave his own words of wisdom to the troubled Princess.
"You always know what to say to keep me on my feet, don't you, Gunter." Corrin smiled in gratitude to the old knight.
"I merely do my duty, Milady." The Great Knight replied.
"Milady!" Jakob called out to Corrin as he and Hans volunteered to head in further to scout for trouble and they are coming in in a hurry, that can't be good. "Urgent news. We found several burned corpses."
"What?" Corrin gasped, most troubled by this news, as well as Felicia and Gunter. "Burned corpses?"
"Not far from here we caught a scent of something burned where we found exactly seven bodies of dead men and women, all burned alive and they look recent." Hans informed.
"Are they Hoshidans?" Gunter asked.
"Hard to tell since everything they likely had with them have been completely incinerated but we're certain it was the work of Fire Magic but rather it was a Diviner or Dark Mage remains uncertain, what we can confirm is that we're not the only ones in this miserable place." Hans continued.
"It can't be our own otherwise the King would've known, making the exploration pointless, there must be Hoshidans settling in the fort." Jakob concluded.
"So were they the ones who killed those people. Has father sent others before me to investigate the fort?" Corrin asked.
"If he did, the fact that not a single member of the first scouts haven't returned yet would've been a sign that the fort belonged to the Hoshidans now, because even though the Corrupted Veins are a massive threat, the odds of survival are still acceptable since we usually send our best here." Gunter stated. "And though Hoshidans can be savage themselves it's not their style to execute through cremation. Something else is going on."
"Do we turn back?" Felicia asked, growing nervous.
"It would be wise, however on the off chance that there might be a third party involve we must investigate, even if it's nothing." Gunter decreed. "Ultimately it is your choice, Lady Corrin. How should we proceed."
'I'm going to regret this.' Corrin thought as she really wants to leave this place now but Gunter raised a very good point that they must solve, so against her better judgment…
"We'll go and check the fortress but from a fair distance so we don't get spotted." Corrin declared.
"Very well, Milady." The five of them continue onward down to the very lip of the canyon, and they inevitably find the burned corpses that Jakob and Hans discovered and the sight of them troubles Corrin deeply, as well as Felicia but neither mutter or make any sickening reaction and manage to keep a level head, seemingly at least. The three men have an easier time ignoring them, Gunter and Hans it makes sense since they have experience witnessing carnage, Hans probably did a lot of heinous acts during his time in Hoshido, while Jakob is most curious, because while the butler knows his way in combat, the Princess didn't think he be this tolerant of such an unsettling sight. One of the many qualities to admire about him, perhaps.
Things become more horrifying as they find more bodies, men and women impaled by large rocky spikes that came out of the ground, leaving them in a traumatizing position.
"What the Devil!" Gunter protested, also troubled by this sight. "These are Hoshidan Mages!"
"These deaths are also very recent seeing how their bodies are still dropping blood." Hans said examining their bodies. "Diviners are supposed to have a better control over this place than us, and yet it doesn't seem like these poor dastards saw the threat coming. In fact, aren't there supposed to be Dragon Veins in this spot as well, and yet none have reacted by our presence?"
"Yes, something is truly wrong here, whatever it is, it is beyond our enemy's control." Jakob said.
"I see smoke!" Felicia cried out as she sees a lot of smoke coming from where the Fortress should be, followed by loud sounds of explosions.
"There's a battle going on over there." Corrin gasped.
"Looks like there is a third party." Hans said intrigued.
"Let's hurry." Corrin said as they rush to the scene and quickly lay witness to a battlefield on folding right in front of the fortress that is occupied by Hoshidans, judging by their outfits, though the fort itself has been mostly set ablaze and the ones station there are being attacked by one being that is not human at all.
"By the Gods!" Jakob gasped in true horror as the Nohrian gaze upon what can be best describe as a Devil, human enough in shape and features but way taller, likely forty feet tall, or slightly more with a fierce look resembling that of a feral, maddened beast that had just been awoken from its slumber and insulted in the most horrendous way possible. It has bronze skin, long dark hair, and red eyes, possessing a golden crown adorned with red jewels, also having long twisted horns and claw-like nails. It's Topless, exposing its muscular and well-endowed body but also radiates flames all around it, as if the air itself was blazing with a ranging inferno, and the only set of clothing it wears is a loincloth. Finally it carries a longsword, fit for its size made entirely out of fire.
The Inferno-like being swings its blazing sword at the Hoshidans, who are powerless to avoid it and are cut in two as well as completely incinerated. Archers keeping their distance and standing on top one of the wooden bridges, shoot their arrows at it but they are instantly turn to ashes while only four feet from reaching the demon and in response the inferno monster shoots a fireball from its mouth, hitting all of them, making them scream in uncontrollable agony, what's more, the bridge they are standing on falls apart because of the flames burning the ropes and they fall into the bottomless canyon. The Demon then grabs another soldier, an Oni Savage like Rinkah with his free left hand and lifts him to the air. The Savage hopelessly tries to free himself and gets burned alive as well, afterwards the Demon throws him aside, sending him up and lands nearly right next to Corrin and the others, who watch in horror at the unholy brutality.
"To think that Demons actually exist." Hans muttered now also horrified at the sight of this monster.
"We got to get out of here!" Felicia cried out, as they can't risk fighting something this terrible after witnessing what it had done to the Hoshidan Troops, Nohrians know are not to be trifled with in combat.
Unfortunately, the Fire Demon caught a glimpse of them and will not let them escape as he extends his left arm towards them and from below them shines what Corrin recognizes as a Dragon Vein.
"NO!" The Princess cried as the ground around them begins to shake violently as the earth they are standing on splits itself from the cliff they are in, becoming a floating platform that levitates them closer to the demon faster than any of them could react.
"It has us where it wants us!" Jakob cursed.
The Demon activates more Dragon Veins and focuses their energy on the edges of the cliffs nearest to the burning fortress, causing them to split themselves apart, shattering smaller chunks and rearranging them to fit a new design. Rocks flew through the air, floating out, beginning to fuse to other pieces near them. In mere moments, a large floor of solid rock had formed that covers much of the chasm below.
"Incredible, I've never seen the Dragon Veins be used to such an extent!" Gunter shouted in horror as they are taken to the arena the Demon made and are forced down only for a firewall to be created by the Demon that separates Corrin from her comrades.
"Lady Corrin!" The four of them cried out to their Princess but it is futile to try and pass through.
"Felicia, try to dispel the flames with your ice magic!" Gunter commanded.
"O-Okay!" Felicia said getting closer to the firewall, and while the heat is unbearable she resists and raises both her hands, harnessing her power over ice, producing cold air in an attempt to dispose of the flames.
Corrin takes steps away from the Demon as the horrid beast stares down on her with anticipation in his eyes and a smirk on his lips, while the Princess only feels fear.
"Corrin." The Demon spoke, addressing the Princess by name, knowing about her. "Finally."
"W-What… are you?" Corrin muttered, terrified with Yato in hand, awaiting the worse.
"I… am Wrath! The Worldwide Strife." The Demon introduced itself and begins to shrink in size fast, now only as tall as Xander, as well as his fire sword. "Now, entertain me."
The Demon now named Wrath charges at the Princess, who has no choice but to engage the evil beast in combat and start slicing, with Corrin getting a good slash on Wrath and leaving several gashes on his hellish skin with the flames he was radiating also diminished. Wrath seems to shrug off the wounds and makes several fast slash attacks that Corrin is barely able to counter and later tries cutting through the demon diagonally, but her sword stops at Wrath's right shoulder and yet he makes no reaction to the hit.
"How do you function?" Corrin cried out over the demon's resilience. Wrath counters her and pushes back Corrin's blade to then stab her in the stomach, luckily though, Corrin is rather agile and manages to avoid the flaming sword and backflips away from Wrath.
"Heh, the fighting style of the People of Dusk suits you more than those of the Dawn, but one such as yourself surely has more to offer than this." Wrath said intrigued and expecting more.
"Don't act like you know anything about me!" Corrin yelled.
"Then don't misinterpret my words, young one, I don't know anything about you, yet." Wrath corrected smugly as he dashes forward and delivers several hits each harder than the last that the Princess of Nohr can now hardly block against, her hold on her sword feeling fragile with each hit. Wrath then manage to grab her by her head and throws her aside, right to the edge of this arena, near a hole on the floor that wasn't fully covered when Wrath made this.
"You need to get angry, woman, show me your power!" Wrath demanded as he starts shooting fireballs at her, the sight of which forces Corrin to pull herself back up and start running, barely able to dodge all of them. She was trained relentlessly in all manner of combat by Xander and Gunter, mainly swordsmanship and hand to hand combat from time to time, however when it came to magic, though Corrin showed a level of aptitude for it but nothing ever developed, instead she received training from Leo on how to resist against magic attacks, she is a working progress on that department, however Leo always held back way more than Xander ever did because he thought she lacked the resilience to handle magical hits at the time so she never experience fire magic of this scale before and it certainly biting at her now as she fails to avoid the last fireball, knocking her to the ground, yet strangely the fire quickly extinguishes as soon as they hit and don't spread around her body, much less leave a burn mark on her armor. The pain is real enough as she is no longer able to stand, the best she can muster is the strength to keep her sword in hand. This demon is much stronger than Xander, or any human for that matter.
"BAH! I can't believe he went and made such a big deal and overestimated you so severely!" Wrath shouted, pure disappointment in his tone as he expected so much more from her, as he walks to finish her off. "Maybe I approached you the wrong way, or perhaps you're still silent where you should be awake. Let see if your coming death will anger you enough to make this a proper challenge." He declared as he swings his sword down on her, only to be stopped by Gunter who blocks the fire sword with his Brave Lance, holding off as best he can despite already forced to his knees before the demon. Wrath laughs at his efforts.
"Oh, so the old knight still sees himself a champion, eh?" Wrath mocked, eager to squash the old knight like an insect but is stopped as both Felicia and Jakob attack next, throwing several knives at him from his right abdomen to his neck, while this doesn't seem to really harm him, it does give them his attention, and Felicia throws two more knives, straight at his eyes, now that did something as Wrath shouts, backing away from Gunter and Corrin, though his shouts seem more of fury than pain and is then attacked by Hans, who with a furious roar raises his axe on him and slices open a large gash on his chest but strangely no blood comes out, only… water? Hans pays no mind to this as he proceeds to ram himself at Wrath and pushes him off the edge and straight to the Bottomless Canyon.
"We did it!" Felicia cried in relief.
"How's Lady Corrin?!" Jakob shouted with immense concern.
"Not good, even though she has no visible injuries given the lack of burn marks or any sort of damage to even her armor, the wounds seem internal." Gunter said as he examines the defeated princess and notes the pain in her face as she struggles to get herself up.
"We'll heal her up in no time!" Felicia declared.
"Save it for later, we need to get out of here before more Hoshidans show up. Giving how paranoid they are of outsiders, especially Nohrians they'll just blame us for all this chaos regardless." Hans protested, really wanting to get out of here.
"He's right, we cannot allow ourselves to remain here much longer. Jakob, you carry her all the way through." Gunter instructed and the butler wasted no time in carrying his mistress with all of them making a run for it to one of the remaining bridges nearby.
But they may not get very far as Wrath somehow climbs back up to his arena, the knives no longer impaled on him and all his wounds, including his eyes all healed up instantly and he will not let them leave as with a single punch, the whole floor he created begins to fall apart fast while he leaps all the way back to the burned down fort.
The Nohrians notice the sudden danger and run faster until they are force to jump to reach the bridge with Gunter, Jakob and Hans making it in time but Felicia not so much as she nearly falls but is saved by Hans who pulls her up quickly. Sadly their horses could not be saved and fall to their deaths deep below.
"GO! GO!" Gunter shouted at them to continue running as he notices Wrath making his way to the bridge and sets it ablaze, aiming to make them fall into the darkness below. But for Corrin, he has other plans as he extends his right hand towards them and Corrin is suddenly pulled off of Jakob's arm and telekinetically lifted into the air and towards the Fire Demon.
"LADY CORRIN!" Jakob screamed out, extending his arm to her in a vain effort to save her, forcing him, Felicia and Gunter to turn around to get her back, except for Hans who's smart enough to recognize the futility and keeps running and just in time as the bridge breaks apart, causing all three of them to fall down into the canyon, with the Berserker as the only one who made it to the other side.
"GODS DAMMIT!" Hans shouted at the calamity he narrowly survived alone.
Corrin is left crying out in anguish as she watches her servants and the few friends she ever had fall to their deaths, with her watching helplessly and unable to save. She knew deep down that going further into the canyon was a mistake upon learning about the bodies of the Hoshidans but she pressed onward out of curiosity that has plagued her mind about the outside world for years, despite the possible dangers, and now she led her friends to their deaths. How was she going to explain this to Flora that her sister's gone?
While in her newfound despair, the evil monster responsible laughs in immense bliss at all the death he has wrought.
"What's the matter, feeling like surrendering without your meat shields, I'd figured you be at least a little angry after that but instead I haven't even scratched the surface." Wrath said, convinced that he has to dig deeper into Corrin's soul. Or perhaps not as Corrin's sorrow morphs into rage and hatred so great like she has never felt before, something inside her clawing to get out finally with her left hand also beginning to transformed, becoming a spear-like object that she brings down like a whip and hits Wrath by his shoulder.
As Wrath falters at the sudden predicament, likely the one he has been waiting for, Corrin's head also transforms like a mask with antlers with seemingly no eye holes for her to see through, and her right hand also changes, turning instead into a huge inhuman fist that may also be a mouth of sorts as well and uses them to knock back Wrath, making him stagger backward, almost lying flat on his back and from the hand-like mouth, Corrin fires a massive sphere made of water that hits Wrath, blasting him to crash through the burned fortress, the force from the blast is so strong that it demolishes nearly the entire building and bury the Fire Demon. The Princess collapses on her feet, breathing heavily from exhaustion and baffled over what she had done.
"What… how did…?" Corrin is left speechless not sure how could she had pull off something so inhumane. First she faces an actual demon and now it turns out that she might be one herself. What nightmare has she gotten herself into?
She may get her answer in the form of an explosion coming from the fort, giving the Princess the horrible conclusion that the Fire Demon is still kicking.
"NO!" She cried in horror as she sees Wrath coming out of the completely destroyed fort and grabs her by her neck, lifting her in the air, chuckling sinisterly.
"Alright, now we're getting somewhere with this exploration. You are the one indeed." Wrath declared proudly.
"What are you talking about?!" Corrin demanded, hopelessly trying to free herself from his hold on her.
"You'll find out soon. By the way." Wrath said as something manifests into his right hand, a black colored egg, slightly bigger than a chicken egg. "Your father sends his regards." Without warning, Wrath punches a hole through Corrin's stomach, while placing the egg inside, a pinkish and blackish aura erupts from Corrin, with her screaming in with unbearable agony for a few seconds up until the aura fades away and she is thrown aside to the ground by Wrath, and the hole in her stomach seemingly gone, even her armor looks untouched but the pain again is real enough and the Princess lies down either dead or comatose.
"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! Damn this canyon! Damn all of this! There will be hell to pay when King Garon learns of this and Hoshido will take the blame and received the full front of his madness!" Hans yelled as he grudgingly escapes from the carnage, making it up to where he and his now dead allies were before Wrath brought them down.
"Well, that could've gone better." Hans is caught off guard as he notices Iago who unexpectedly arrives.
"Iago! So you were watching over us! You didn't say anything about a god damn Demon of Hell coming out of the guts of the Inferno, and now the Princess is dead, as well as one of the daughters of the Ice Tribe's Chieftain." He protested. "When the King finds out about this…"
"The King will put all the blame in Hoshido, as you just said, and become fixated on mounting a rescue for his daughter when he finds out his single minded enemies have taken her hostage." Iago said unconcern with what happened to Corrin.
"What are those scumbags going to do with a corpse?" Hans questioned.
"Trust me, we'll see her again, alive. What just happened is that she just received a small taste of what's to come." Iago made a cruel chuckle in great amusement. "Now let's go, quickly before the Hoshidan Dogs spot us and hunger for more Nohrian blood. They're gluttony will never be satisfied."
As Wrath stares down at the defeated Princess of Nohr for a brief moment, he notices that not far, more soldiers of Hoshido finally arrive at the scene and gasps in horror at the carnage done to the Fortress and the sight of the horrid demon who gives them one last evil grin before inexplicably jumping into the canyon, quickly vanishing into the darkness.
Half an hour passes and the Hoshidans quickly secure the area and fruitlessly try to search for survivors but unsurprisingly there is no one left except for Corrin who is confirmed to be alive but is still unconscious, being tended by healers of Hoshido; Shrine Maidens. Leading this troop is a Ninja dressed all in black, an intimidating man with his face obscured by a cloth, only his eyes and dark red hair visible, though his left eye seems to be the only one he can really use while his right one is scarred.
"How is she?" The Ninja asked, regarding Corrin.
"It's strange, even though she seems fine externally, there are a lot of internal injuries, four broken ribs, a ruptured kidney, but it's likely because of the dark magic spread across her body forced inside of her possibly caused by that… thing." One of the Shrine Maidens explained most curious about this phenomenon. "I've never seen anything like it but she should make a full recovery."
"Good, once you're done, put her in a wagon so we can take her in for questioning, this Nohrian may have been attacked as well by whatever that monster was but her presence here is a direct violation against Hoshido and must receive punishment, unless the information she gives is a valid one." The Ninja declared.
"Brother!" The Ninja turns to look behind him to see the ninja Kaze, alongside the Oni Savage, Rinkah. "We came as soon as we heard the news. Is she alright?"
"Somehow but that might be worse for her, now that she will be our prisoner." He said.
"Don't be so harsh Saizo, I assure you that this is Princess Corrin." Kaze said certain of something other than she being the Princess of Nohr.
"I rather not take any chances and get Lord Ryoma's hopes up for what might be no more than a misunderstanding."
"Boys, how about we continue this discussion elsewhere, the longer she's here, the more we risk the corruption." Rinkah suggested.
"Yes, let us escort her back to Shirasagi, Lord Ryoma and Queen Mikoto will want to deal with this matter personally, even if it's not really her." Kaze requested.
"Fine, just be sure that she doesn't pull anything funny." Saizo warned his brother.
"Everything will turn out fine, brother." Kaze assured him.
It's unclear how long she has been out, but Corrin inevitably awakens slowly, her head still feeling heavy. Her vision swam for a few moments as she opened her eyes and finds herself in what looks like the inside of a wagon, and it is moving.
"Ah, you're finally awake. It's about time."
Corrin turned her head to face the new voice. Sitting on the side opposite to her with her club right within reach, is Rinkah of the flame tribe. "From what I've gathered you went through quite the ordeal."
"Rinkah?" Corrin muttered weakly. "Where are we?"
"Nowhere close to Nohr if that is what you're really wondering, we're well within the heart of Hoshidan territory. Don't try anything you'll regret." Rinkah explained.
Corrin sat up properly. Her head ached, her mouth felt dry and Yato was not at her side. She was surprised to find she was not bound in any way. "What's going to happen now?"
"We just passed through the Great Wall that protects the Capital of Hoshido; Suzanoh and will be in Castle Shirasagi very soon. The authorities will have claim of you once there." Rinkah continued.
Corrin's heart sank. A Princess of Nohr, found near a destroyed Hoshidan controlled fort with horribly burned and slaughtered Hoshidans? By the time reinforcements arrived, Wrath must've left her for dead and assumed that she was responsible for the chaos. "I see. I suppose they'll want to hear an explanation for the unprovoked attack, followed by an execution." The young princess had grown up on stories about what Hoshidans did to prisoners. Those captured by ninjas were said to meet a particularly gruesome end.
Rinkah simply grinned. "That's for you to find out once we get there."
Corrin remained silent for the rest of the trip, her head faced on the ground, not bothering to gaze upon the beautiful city before her as her thoughts lingered elsewhere.
'Felicia… Jakob… Gunter… I'm so, so sorry…' She wallowed in her sorrows, mourning for those she lost because of her choice. First time truly leading anyone and it ended like that. All that training, all those years studying and preparing to be the best battle commander Nohr had to offer alongside her older siblings and younger brother and prove her worth to father, all for nothing with her now in enemy hands and about to be executed before her life can really begin.
'Xander, Camilla, Leo, Elise, Father, Mother… was I simply not meant to be with all of you? Was I really nothing but a waste of space, is that why I was stuck living in that fortress without given a reason why…? Will I never see any of you again? Flora… Lilith… And most of all, will I never get to see… you again…?'
Corrin feels the wagon stop, meaning that they finally reach the Castle where the Royal Family of Hoshido resides in, Shirasagi, forcing Corrin to wipe the tears from her eyes and reluctantly gets off and meets faze to face with the two people at the front of the wagon who brought her here, one of them being the Ninja Kaze and a dashing woman in her mid-twenties with purple hair ornately styled in traditional Hoshidan fashion.
"We meet again. Kaze?" Corrin asked the ninja.
Kaze nodded. "Yes. It is most fortunate that we found you again, Princess Corrin." The ninja dipped his head and got down onto his knees, bowing respectfully to the Nohrian Princess.
Corrin stared at Kaze with shock. "What? You are?" She looks over to Rinkah. "Am I missing something? What's going on?"
"All will be explain in due time Princess." The purple haired woman said. "Just stay calm, enjoy the view as we take you to meet Queen Mikoto."
'Queen Mikoto!?' Corrin had heard of her. A great and powerful sage who was able to singlehandedly prevent war from their two kingdoms from breaking out by creating a magical barrier around all of Hoshido that affects the mental state of any outsider who crosses, stripping them of their will to fight, forcing the Nohrians away since they'd be slaughtered by the Hoshidans who are not kept from their violent urges. She sounds amazing but what could she want with her? "Why?"
"Oh, we can't tell you that, it will spoil the surprise." The woman said with a genuine smile as she takes her leave. "I'll leave the rest to you Kaze, I have other matters to attend to."
"Thank you for your aid, Orochi." Kaze replied to the woman.
Corrin finally focus her gaze at her surroundings, Sunlight streaming down from the sky, practically blinding Corrin with its intensity. She was used to grey and dark, not the purity here. The garden around them was full of color, with the cherry blossom trees, orange flowers, bright green grass and clear water streams. The air, as well, seemed somehow more clear than the heavy and cold atmosphere of Nohr.
"So this is Hoshido?" She wondered.
Kaze stepped up beside her. "Do you recognize anything?"
"Why would I recognize anything here?" Corrin questioned.
"Just curious. When you're ready, please follow me. I am sure Queen Mikoto would like to see you as soon as possible." The Ninja said.
"How is that my choice?" Corrin questioned. "This isn't my kingdom to do what I want."
"You'd be surprised, Milady." Kaze gives her a genuine smile, confusing the captured Princess even more and not sure how to respond. Desiring some form of distraction, Corrin wonders off around the gardens in awe. Hand carved statues gave the place an ethereal beauty, and fountains sprayed jets of pure water in fascinating paths. Kaze made his question sound like she should be familiar with such beauty but there is no form of nostalgia so the Nohrian Princess can only brush off the question as him being friendly.
"Let's just get this over with." Corrin remarked.
The ninja once again bowed and gestured for Corrin to follow him and as she does Rinkah remains behind her as she too follows. The three soon walk pass a pair of sliding doors, which seemed to be made of paper. While they did look pretty, Corrin wondered why the doors to their castle were so weakly made.
"As beautiful as this all is, I question why the royal family would live behind such weak doors. Feels like poor security." Corrin stated.
"Yes, it all seems hollow when in comparison to the metal doors of Nohr but we Hoshidans are old fashion and we aren't too big on the defenses you're accustom to." Kaze explained.
"You ninjas are unique."
After following Kaze for the rest of the way in silence, she found herself in a great hall. Now this is what Corrin expects of the doors of a Throne, similar in size and functions to the one in castle Krakenburg but was different in every other way. Adorned in all manner of decoration, from the banners adorning the walls to the paper lanterns that gave it light. Sunlight streamed in through painted glass windows, lighting up the room in unfamiliar bright sunlight. Corrin was so caught up in examining the room that she didn't notice the tall man in red armor approach her.
"Welcome back, Kaze, Rinkah. Good work."
Kaze nodded to the man. "Thank you, Lord Ryoma."
"Did… did you just say Lord Ryoma?" Corrin gasped as that is the name of the Crown Prince of Hoshido, or High Prince as the heir of the throne is supposed to be addressed. Guess every nation has their own quirk on how a monarchy works.
Kaze nodded. "Yes, this is the High Prince of Hoshido, Lord Ryoma."
Corrin felt herself shrink down a little. Ryoma looks every bit the mighty warrior she was told about, some have exaggerated that he is a demigod on the battlefield. Xander had once told her about a brutal fight the two had had in a battle, describing him as the most fearsome warrior he had ever faced. If the prince was here to meet her, it didn't bode well. Still, though, why does he wear armor that makes him look like a lobster? Sure, it looks amazing and gives the impression that he is a king in the art of war but she can't shake this ridiculous vibe.
"Well? What are you waiting for? If you're going to execute me, please get on with it." Corrin pleaded.
Ryoma shook his head and smiled. "There will be no killing, Corrin. It is good that you were able to come back to us."
Corrin sighed. "Will somebody please stop beating around the bush and tell me what is going on? As a prisoner of war, I have the right to know what I stand accused of."
The sliding door at the far end of the hall are opened and a regal figure stepped through. Corrin knew at once that it had to be Queen Mikoto. She looked exactly as she had envisioned her, despite having never seen any pictures of her while at the castle. Her eyes scanned across the room, before locking onto her. Corrin prepared for the worst, but when he looked the Queen in her eyes, rather than seeing hate and anger in them, she instead saw relief and… love?
"I cannot believe it's really you…" She whispered. She began to quickly stride across the room, getting closer to Corrin.
Corrin blinked. "I'm sorry, do we know each other?"
Queen Mikoto apparently hadn't heard her. "Oh, I've missed you so much! Come here, Corrin, my sweet child!" Before Corrin could respond, she closed the gap between them and threw her arms around her, enveloping her in a tight hug. Corrin froze up, having not expected this situation in the slightest.
"I… I'm sorry, what?"
She pushed the Queen away, stepping back from both Ryoma and Mikoto. Surely, she misunderstood. This is some Hoshidan custom to greet visitors. Perhaps she's just being friendly.
Queen Mikoto reached out to her. "Oh, I'm sorry for surprising you like that. It's just… been so long. So long since I've seen you."
Corrin took another step back, her mind ablaze. "Have we met before?"
Queen Mikoto fell silent, a look of shock across her face. Clearly, it had never occurred to her that Corrin would not have recognized her on sight. After a few moments of silence, she withdrew her hand. "You… do not remember me? It is I, Mikoto. Your mother."
Corrin froze. No denying it. The Queen of Hoshido thought she was her mother. But that was wrong. Wrong. There had to be a mix up.
"I… I'm no Hoshidan! King Garon is my father. Queen Arete is my mother! Please, don't mistake me for whoever it is you think I am!" Corrin spatted.
Mikoto drooped visibly. "It seems Nohr has stolen much from me. I had hoped that you would remember me once we lay eyes on each other once again. Oh, my poor Corrin. I have so much to tell you."
"I don't understand. I've been in Nohr my whole life. How can I be your daughter?" Corrin questioned.
Queen Mikoto shook her head violently. "Not your whole life! You are a Princess of Hoshido, my child. You grew up here, among the gardens and the castle and alongside your siblings. You had just turned seven when me and your father took our whole family to our first trip together to Nestra's Resort City, Cyrkensia when Nohrians attacked us for previously refusing to heed their demands. I barely managed to get out of the disaster alive with your siblings but you and your father were lost to us!" Queen Mikoto became quite emotional, turning away from Corrin and holding a hand to her face. Ryoma laid a hand on his mother's shoulder, comforting her. He continued the story.
"King Garon murdered our father in cold blood. Declared war on Hoshido. And then, to make matters even worse, he took you from Nestra while we desperately sought you out but only found our father maimed. In the confusion, he slipped away to Nohr with you. You were lost to us. That day, mother lost her daughter and I… I lost a sister."
Corrin cradled her head in her hands. "No, no, no… Xander is my older brother! Leo, Elise and Camilla are my siblings! Garon is my father! Arete is my mother! You're all wrong! You have to be."
A brief flicker of anger passed across Ryoma's face at the mention of Xander. "The Nohrian royals, correct? They are not your real family. You are my younger and second sister. You and our sister, Hinoka, were close friends as children. Surely you remember Takumi, your brother? You and he used to fight all the time." Ryoma took a step towards Corrin. "You really don't remember any of this?"
Corrin shot her head up. "NO! I don't remember any of you! Stop telling me things like I should know what you're talking about!"
"I understand. Sorry for putting so much on you at once, Corrin. This must be an impossible amount of information to bear all at once. Please, stay with us here at Shirasagi. Your sisters, Hinoka and Sakura will return soon. In time, I think you might remember more. Please... just give us a chance." Mikoto pleaded.
"NO! I want nothing to do with you people! I am sorry for your losses but I am not your daughter!" Corrin shouted with open defiance.
"There has to be a way to convince you of the truth Corrin, deep down you must know you are bound to our family." Ryoma said also pleading.
"LOOK AT ME! Look at my hair, It's as white as snow! And my Eyes! The irises are as red as blood. And My ears. LOOK AT MY EARS!" Corrin snapped furiously showing off her strange pointy ears. "They make me look like an Elf! It makes much more sense that my birth mother was one of King Garon's many mistresses who had one too many body disorders than a foreign queen who looks… normal. Nothing about my appearance is normal! So knock it off because I don't appreciate your poor attempts to give me Stockholm Syndrome!"
Corrin made a compelling argument that left the four people beside her in deep silence, contemplating the unusual facial features Corrin has that she certainly did not inherit from Mikoto, and certainly not of the Late King Sumeragi.
"Yes… there is… a perfectly reasonable explanation for your… unique appearance." Mikoto hesitates to explain what that explanation is, clearly a subject she was not ready to bring up, and Ryoma must also know what that is, judging by his face. Kaze and Rinkah on the other hand look ready to kick themselves for being oblivious of this whole thing. Clearly they never stop to put into account Corrin's appearance in comparison to her ''mother''. No one ever does, seriously did anyone back in Nohr ever question why does she look like this. It doesn't matter that she's beautiful, she's also weird.
"The truth is… that Sumeragi… was actually your Stepfather, with Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi and Sakura are really your step siblings." Mikoto confessed. "Your true father was the one who you inherited your ''unique'' appearance. Apart from your white hair."
"Wait, what?!" Kaze becomes baffle by this serious revelation, including Rinkah, and judging by Ryoma's neutral expression he is aware of this truth as well.
"But I really am your mother!" Mikoto cried.
"So I'm not of Hoshidan Royalty, go figure. But you're saying I'm not even of Nohrian Royalty. But I can control Dragon Veins, so I must have the blood of a Precursor and not all of the divine bloodlines grant this ability." Corrin said.
"You are a special case Corrin but regardless you are of the Royal Family of Hoshido, blood doesn't decide who's family, after all." Ryoma assured her, his tone more genuine.
Corrin remains silent contemplating this whole mess. She feels nothing for these people, no personal attachments to anyone nor is she receiving any sort of flashbacks. Truth be told, she doesn't remember anything from her youth up until the age of eight. Xander told her that she is suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder because of a werewolf that snuck into the northern fortress and nearly killed her if not for Gunter. The stress caused her to block out the memories along with her youth. Gunter keeps the skull of the werewolf in his room as a trophy, she's seen it. Still, what if it is true, then she had to know. King Garon, kidnapping her? Elise wouldn't know. Maybe not Camilla. But Leo, probably, Xander and Arete, definitely. They called her their sister, but have they always known she wasn't a true daughter of Nohr. She wasn't sure she could handle a betrayal of that size. She had to know the truth.
"I'm… sorry for my outburst. You're just trying to find your daughter. But… right now… I'm not sure what holds truth anymore. I'll stay. At least until I find it."
Queen Mikoto smiled brightly. "That's all I ask of you, Corrin. And even if you'll never remember us, know this: I love you, my daughter. I always will, no matter where you may go."
"I sincerely doubt that. I run back to Garon and Arete and one of you will most certainly express your dismay violently." Yes, that was a cruel thing to point out but Corrin isn't convinced that these people won't respond negatively if she chooses to remain with her… ''adoptive family''.
"Ouch…" Rinkah uttered by Corrin's sudden brutality, a far cry from the naive girl that let her and Kaze live.
Her harsh words definitely brought silence to Mikoto and Ryoma, visibly hurt. If they thought that the truth would only bring clarity than they really didn't think this through of how this would affect her, though the fact that neither of them are trying to assure Corrin otherwise means they know she is telling the truth. Hoshido won't stand for Corrin returning to Nohr.
Before more could be said the doors to the hall were pushed open. A man dressed in ornate gold samurai gear stepped into the room. Queen Mikoto frowned.
"What is it? I would prefer not to be disturbed right now."
The man bowed deeply. "Please forgive me, my Queen, but I have an urgent message for Lord Ryoma."
The warrior Prince of Hoshido stepped forward. "Speak."
"Grimm have been spotted in the north and are quickly overrunning Karakura."
Ryoma's eyes widened. "No! Hinoka and Sakura are in that region!"
The Samurai nodded. "Yes, Milord. I've been told they're helping to evacuate the villagers."
Ryoma nodded, a look of pure steel in his eyes. "Very well. I will personally assure this assault is repelled." He turned to Corrin. "Corrin, will you come with me? I want you to see this with your own eyes."
Corrin gestured to herself. "Wasn't I just arrested for supposedly slaughtering your troops station at the borders? Now I'm to be put on community service."
Ryoma shook his head. "No, whatever that monster was, mother and I are certain it is the true culprit, you were just another unfortunate victim of that evil. Regardless of what your intentions were for arriving there, you will not be held accountable for what happened in the canyon, and the time has finally come for you to learn the truth."
Corrin glanced at Queen Mikoto, who nodded. "Go, Corrin. Ryoma will watch over you. Go and see how Nohr rewards our peacefulness."
"Fine…" Corrin sighed, reluctant to do anything for these people.
"Kaze, your strength is a fine substitute for your brother while he is away. Stand with us." Ryoma requested. "You as well Rinkah, the Flame Tribe is always a welcome sight in Hoshido."
The ninja, who had been patiently waiting to the side, nodded. "My strength is yours for however long I may satisfy you, your Grace."
"I came here to fight, nothing more." Rinkah replied bluntly.
"Good. Mother, we will travel to the north on the fastest horses we can find and bring our sisters home. I swear it."
Mikoto shook her head. "No, that will take far too long. Have Orochi warp you and take care of Corrin. You require only the best for the sake of our family."
Ryoma nodded and turned around. "Come, Corrin. Let's get you a weapon from the armory, and then we shall be on our way."
"Actually, I do have my own. Kaze, did you by chance found my sword when you found me?"
Kaze nodded. "Yes. I had it confiscated for safekeeping."
He reached into the long sack he carried with him and drew the Yato and presents it to Corrin, who is thrill to have it back in her arms. She never wants to be away from this sword.
"That sword!" Ryoma gasped, recognizing the Yato. "Where did you get it?"
"It's a gift from my best friend." Corrin explained before becoming sore. "One of the few friends I have left. What does it matter?"
"It's… never mind, we can continue this conversation once Hinoka and Sakura are safe." The High Prince said brushing the matter off but she can tell that he wanted to press it forward, so did Mikoto judging by her own shocked expression regarding the sword. "Kaze, find Orochi." Corrin could see the thunder in his step. "Let's show these Nohrian abominations what happens when they threaten my sisters."
Hearing the steel in his voice, Corrin wondered if he and Xander were so different after all.
It took a few minutes but soon enough everyone assigned for this mission gathered in the throne room with Orochi preparing to use her Diviner magic.
"Be safe out there and bring the hurting to the nearing darkness." Orochi said to the four of them before closing her eyes, beginning to mutter a few words. Sigils began to float around her, forming into patterns and shapes. Finally, she opened her eyes, ablaze with energy. "Warp!"
Then Corrin, Ryoma, Kaze and Rinkah vanish from the throne room in a flash of yellow energy, leaving only their footprints behind and now find themselves in a snowy field, full of steep inclines and sharp dips. Corrin gasps in amazement as she had no idea magic like this existed. The town called Karakura is the primary target for these enemies called Grimm.
Kaze immediately drew his shuriken. "Take a good look around, Lady Corrin. This is a treacherous region for battle. It is important to scout ahead and look for any troublesome areas."
Ryoma began to stride towards the town. "Well said. Come, let us see if Sakura and Hinoka are still in Karakura."
The four warriors marched ahead to the town. Up close, they could see some of the outer wall was quite badly damaged, with one large chunk of it missing entirely. One guard, armed with nothing more than a rough spear, stood at the gate. He saluted as Ryoma walked up to him. "Prince Ryoma! Your presence brings us all hope."
The man began a bow, but Ryoma cut him off with a hand motion. "I rather not waste precious time, Tell me, are my sisters here?"
The soldier stood up straight and shook his head. "No, sir. Lady Hinoka feared for the safety of the townsfolk so she led a small regiment out of the village, to lead the Grimm away to buy us time."
Ryoma sighed, frustration coming through in his voice. "Of course she would. Which way did they go?"
"Over that hill and the one after that. As far North West as they could go, from what I understood."
The Prince frowned but nodded at the soldier anyway. "Alright. Stand guard here, evacuate all the villagers quickly and if something goes wrong here we may be unable to help you."
With that, Ryoma broke away at a sprint. He looked over his shoulder at Corrin. "I'm going on ahead to find Hinoka and Sakura. You take your time, hunt down all the Grimm in the area. Go!" He reached the top of the mountain and disappeared over the top with Corrin, Kaze and Rinkah following after him with the goal to cover his flank.
Looking around her, Corrin caught sight of a titular enemy quite fast. Standing not far from them are two monsters that can be best describe as creatures of darkness, both are large, taller than any human, one of them is a wolf-like pitch-black beast, consistently standing on its hind legs, albeit with a slouch, and is extremely muscular, glowing red eyes with a bone-like mask with red markings, as well as the bone-like spikes protruding from its arms, back, and knees. Its hands and feet are also tipped with long, sharp, white claws.
The second monster has the same characteristics but this one strongly resembles a bear, with black fur and bony spikes on its backs and arms, as well as white, bone-like mask with red detailing, but is much larger and stockier.
"These are the Grimm Creatures you mentioned?" Corrin asked, more amaze than horrified as she has never seen monsters like these before.
"Yeah, two types of them at least, a Beowolf and Ursai respectively. The most primitive of the whole species but not to be underestimated when in high numbers." Rinkah said as she raises her club high. "Let's get this over with!"
She charged forward without waiting for either of them. The Ursai charged in first, to face the flame tribe warrior as Rinkah made it within swinging distance, bringing her club down on its mask. With a burst of fire, she connected, enveloping the head in flame, knocking the creature to the ground, but it is not dead yet as it gets back up to try and strike at her with its claws, that she is narrowly able to dodge, and goes in to land another hit, this time to bash the head open but the Beowolf moves in next for the sake of finishing her itself, forcing Rinkah to halt her assault and block the claws of the wolf with her club. The Beowolf is strong as it manages to force the Oni Savage to her knees but only briefly as Corrin rushes at the scene and succeeds in decapitating the monster as swiftly as she could. Upon the decapitation, the Beowolf's body disintegrates into black dust.
In return for her help, Rinkah steps in to block a hit from the Ursai who continues its assault, hitting its arm aside with her club, and Kaze finishes it off by charging forward and thrusting its shurikens deep within its mask, piercing through its skull, killing it.
"Next time don't tempt an Ursai with a frontal assault alone, they are very resistant to fire attacks." Kaze warned Rinkah.
"You can wield fire magic without a magic conduit? That means you have the blood of the God of Fire" Corrin asked.
"It's literally in the name and I told you I was the Flame Tribe Chieftain's daughter when we met. Wielding the true power of the flames is in my family's blood and my people can also wield them, however we have never been as strong as the descendants of the Dawn Dragon and Dusk Dragon and we can't use Dragon Veins." Rinkah explained.
Corrin nodded in understanding. Felicia and Flora are of the Ice Tribe, people who are believed to be the descendants of the Frost Dragon, a Goddess of Ice, and are the only people in the world who use Ice Magic without restrictions, while everyone else is limited with other elements.
The Trio go for the hill Ryoma had traveled up. It looked like a steep incline, it would take a while to climb it. Walking along the ridge to search for a good climbing point, Corrin felt a familiar twinge of power. Circling the base of the hill, a ring of power had its source beneath Corrin's feet. He reached out, feeling the ancient Dragon Vein.
"Keep your distance from the hill!" Corrin instructed the two who obey as she completed the ring of power with herself. The snow of the hill began to rapidly melt, vanishing off the rock as steam. The rock itself began to go liquid, seeping down into the ground. Corrin pushed further, and the hill seemed to suck itself down to ground level. With a final rush, the once steep hill had become a tiny hump on the ground. Rinkah gasped, stepping onto the new patch of bare rock.
"The entire hill just disintegrated! Is that the power of a Dragon Vein? I had no idea…" Rinkah gasped in amazement, this is the second time she has actually seen a Dragon Vein put to work in person.
Kaze walked past her, already going for the next hill. "To harness the ancient dragon powers is truly a magnificent gift. Yet I wonder if even the Royals who wield that power can fully control it, if the ones in the Bottomless Canyon are any indication." He shrugged.
"We got more incoming!" Rinkah shouted as they spot more Grimm, Beowolves and Ursai heading their way through the path Corrin created. It seems that affecting the environment is like a double-edge sword as the enemy also has more field for advancement. Corrin never was much of a tactician, though she is learning to be one like Leo to please father. Shame she never took the lessons seriously as she always prefer to just follow orders. That is coming to bite her now.
"Let's do this!" Corrin shouted as the three prepare for a major fight but they do not get the chance as all fourteen of them are struck down by mighty bolts of lightning that easily vaporizes all of them instantly.
"What in the! Was that Lord Ryoma!" Kaze asked.
"No, I have seen the power of his Sacred Treasure, the Raijinto before, this felt more wild and less divine." Rinkah said, believing this to be the work of someone else. The trio look to the sky and see the one who did it is floating right above them and none stare at amazement more than Corrin.
The one above them is a man, wearing a black body armor that consists of a black tight and sleeveless shirt with red accents and a metal plate on his collar, and black pants that had two black straps on his thighs, and another two strapped around his shins separate from each other. He wears black metal plated shoes, which appear to be attached to his trousers. He also wears a white coat that seem to actually be two separate sleeves connected by a metal plate at the back which covered his arms and was cut off showing his upper torso and midriff and has a separate white open skirt which ends above his shins with the top fashioned and tied with an agemaki knot, covered by a red metal plate. On his right hand is a beautiful black book of magic, decorated in elegant red designs from all angles and at the center is the symbol of infinity. The pages move by themselves, each one outwardly look to be made of gold, filled with complex symbols and incantations in an ancient language that he understands as easy as English.
The man descends to the ground, landing next to them and turns to the trio for them to see his face and he is a man in his mid-twenties with white hair like Corrin's but shorter and messy, brown eyes, and if Corrin is being honest, he has a very dashing face.
"Robin!" Corrin cried with immense relief.
"I leave for a day and you get send off to the borders. I hate that you have such misfortunes, my friend but don't worry. I'm here now." The White Mage declared.
Now I know what you all must be thinking, the antagonistic force from the RWBY Franchise… Really? This isn't even a crossover, I know, I know, but C'MON! It's a fanfiction, we can do whatever we want, and I needed something dark. Nohr is believed to be the land of a Dark God just as their Royal Family are believed to be human descendants of that same Deity, and Grimm are the creations of another Dark God who obey his will and the Main Antagonist, due to her transformation from the very pool that constantly creates them so I figured I risk it. And besides, are any of you really going to tell me that you actually like the Faceless. Absolute BS! They don't hold a candle to the Risen and there will be no Faceless in my story, okay. You can't change my mind on this one. The Grimm will also be vastly different from their source material.
On another important note, yes, I did rushed things by mixing two game chapters into just one and skipping the Lilith scene, I deemed it necessary out of personal preferences since I didn't like Chapters 3 and 4 that much and wanted to get them over with and focus more on my takes on them. In other news, Robin is a part of Fates now. I adore Awakening and am a big fan of the stories that have him and Corrin teaming up, most of them make me wish that Robin was actually involved in the story of Fates instead of being some amiibo character. People joke about him being this Harem King/Queen, even though Corrin has that same problem, yet he can't be pair with anyone in Fates, a wasted opportunity for bringing Morgan into the fray as well.
Furthermore, yes, I got the revelation that Corrin is not blood related to the Hoshidan Siblings out already but I don't see this as rushing things but more like I'm letting a very obvious factor out that should've been addressed right from the beginning, and that is that Corrin's default appearance is not normal. My Corrin always assumed that her mother was a concubine of Garon who originally used her as a diplomatic tool for her place in the Royal Family, similar to Camilla and her mother, and had strange but not ugly body disorders that she inherited, such as her red eyes, elf-like ears and silver long hair, details which Mikoto completely lacks, as well as Sumeragi and my Corrin is smarter but with a shorter temper and is overly emotional when under extreme stress since she doesn't have any experience with anything important due to being LOCKED in a fortress for more than a decade. She's a child being forced to pretend to be an adult capable of impossible feats and it's only because of plot armor and a poorly written support cast that she SOMEHOW pulled it all off. And I surely don't need to tell you about all the stress she is about to endure.
And yes, the First Dragons, the Gods of Fire Emblem Fates, I prefer to call them Precursors because it makes them sound more interesting and befitting of their title as gods (Huge fan of Jak and Daxter), will be more involved, in a more religious sense, hence why I also brought up Anankos early on because I want him to have a bigger presence, I find him to be a very compelling and sympathetic character with wasted potential, kind of like Garon, but in hindsight it's because of Anankos that Garon is what he is so I digress.