A Summoner's Journey
Chapter 13: Diabolical Bloodline (Pt 2)
Team for this chapter: Alfonse, Sharena, Soren, Cordelia and Lucius
"Rise and shine, Sir Lucian. We have an envoy awaiting us" Lucius gently prodded me with his staff to wake me up. Groggily, I opened my eyes to the blonde healer looking down at me, looking impassive, but troubled. Sleeping against the rail of the ship was both uncomfortable AND dangerous, but there was really nowhere else on the boat. This ship definitely wasn't designed for long day travel, with its lack of even a decent resting area.
"W-what…? What envoy?" I asked as I rose up, dusting off my white summoner robe and black trousers. I snatched up my bow and arrows as Lucius pointed to the horizon behind him. I followed his finger and saw another ship coming towards us, looking identical to ours "Oh… you're assuming those are enemies?"
"If they're coming straight to us, then they definitely are" Lucius replied "The others are already by the brow waiting for them. We should join them"
"Right. Let's go"
We found the four heroes by the front of the ship, awaiting our adversary to come towards us. Soren had his tome open and ready to fire and Cordelia nestled uneasily on her pegasus, anxious for action. Looking ahead, I spotted a sword armor, a lance infantry and three fliers aboard the vessel, all bearing Emblian colours except for two. Cordelia, Soren's wind magic and my arrows could nail the fliers easily and the Askrian royals could handle the rest. I figured it was better to take action now than wait for them to attack us.
"Cordelia, fly over to them and try to-" I ordered, but Soren cut me off.
"No. There's a reason we're all waiting right now" The wind mage shook his head "Once they're in a reasonable distance from us, I can unleash a tornado of wind to blast them back while Cordelia picks off the surviving stragglers. I've been charging such a spell for several minutes now"
I glanced down at Soren's feet and saw a pulsating spiral of wind slowing growing around him "How long would it take to finish charging?"
"About another minute or so, give or take" Soren replied "But even if it's not fully charged, it'll deal a sizable amount of damage to the opposition. We have the clear advantage here, as they have no mages to counter my magic"
"If you say so" I nodded before assessing the enemy ship again. They were only a catapult shot away from us "Well, considering Soren and Cordelia can cleave these groups of foes on their own, I'll be going back to sleep"
"No Lucian. Stay awake until the threat has passed at least" Alfonse cautioned "If any of the fliers managed to escape Soren's storm, they could easily pick us off in this restricted space. We need you and your arrows"
"We can protect you for that endeavor. Don't you worry!" Sharena grinned and I nodded, plucking an arrow out of my quiver and held it in my right hand, preparing to nock it. The vessel was only an arrow shot away.
"You think it would be a good time to…" I didn't get to finish my sentence before planks shot out of the enemy ship at blinding speed, slamming into our boat and letting enemy infantry get onto our vessel. The lancer and sword knight charged while the enemy fliers began to scatter. Now was the time to attack before things got out of hand.
"REXCALIBUR!" Soren shouted and a hurricane exploded from under the enemy's planks, blowing them to shreds and sending the lancer and sword knight plummeting to their deaths under the sea. The fliers could hardly even move with such a maelstrom taking place, so they stood their ground, locked in place on the boat. As the hurricane faded, Cordelia soared in and took the enemy fliers by surprise, spearing the axe and lance fliers through the chest with ease. A green haired sword flier managed to slash Cordelia's arm and chest, but one well placed arrow from me put her down.
"Well, that was quick. Cordelia, check if there are any stragglers or loot left on the ship!" I called and the pegasus knight nodded, dismounting her pegasus to meander around the enemy boat. Shortly after, Cordelia returned with a satchel full of Vulneraries, Concoctions, gold, a couple of daggers and a few more healing items. All in all, a bountiful return.
"We should be approaching the mainland soon. Be prepared to fight again" Soren warned and returned to the brow to scout ahead. Luckily, there were no more enemy ships and we made it back to the mainland just fine. Melior wasn't too far up ahead.
"Only Fort Pinell and Nados Castle are left before we reach Melior" Soren looked around him, wary for enemies "One of the biggest battles in the Mad King's War history has taken place here. I expect that this is where another clash would occur"
"Well speak of the devil" Cordelia pointed to a handful of Tellius heroes pouring out of the old fortress. The sword flier we fought earlier joined along with an Emblian axe flier while a fire mage, lance cavalier and infantry lancer took positions lower down the hill where Fort Pinell stood. I remembered the lance cavalier from the Black Knight town battle and the lancer from the ship battle just an hour ago. I wondered how they resurrected so quickly.
"Sharena and Soren, take on the lancer on the right side of the hill. I'll join along with you two in case the fliers come in" I said "Alfonse, Cordelia and Lucius, hang back for the time being and be prepared to engage the lance cavalier and fire mage. The cavalier in particular is dangerous due to his Sapphire Lance+ and Lancebreaker. Stay clear and let Soren take him on"
"I could defeat the fire mage with my light magic, if that'll help" Lucius offered and I nodded.
"Anything to finish this fight faster. Let's move!"
"... We can soundly defeat them if we all move in at once. Only Soren can defeat Oscar and he's busy with the group trying to bait Nephenee out" The sword flier said to her companion before turning to the lance cavalier, Oscar "Oscar, charge down the hill with the Emblian fire mage. Me and the axe flier will ride alongside you. We need to defeat as many of the Askrians as we can before Soren can assist"
"Very well Princess Elincia. Together we ride!" Oscar rose his lance in challenge and charged down the hill, with the fire mage trailing behind him. Elincia and the axe flier leaped off the hill, joining their companions as well. Without Soren and his wide-spread attacks, Alfonse and the others were at their mercy.
"Change of plans! Fall back to assist Alfonse's group!" I called, halting Sharena and Soren "The sword flier's group is moving in all at once to take them out. Fall back!"
"Gonna getcha!" Nephenee's Slaying Lance barely missed Soren's back and he quickly fired a wind spell to counter, blowing back the lancer.
"I'll occupy her for the time being. Fall back and help the others!" Sharena urged and charged to meet Nephenee head on. We didn't have much time to argue, so me and Soren ran back to Alfonse's squad, who were running towards us to join together.
"They've figured out what we were doing. We can't keep going like this" Elincia glanced at her other soldiers "Fire mage and axe flier, target Soren, the wind mage clad in black robes. He's our biggest threat. Me and Oscar will handle the front liners!"
"Take out the white robed archer too. He can't be allowed to take down Elincia!" Oscar added and the two Emblians ran up ahead, intending to flank our group while the two Tellius heroes tackle the front.
"Everyone scatter!" Soren shouted and everyone broke ranks as the ground exploded beneath us from Bolganone, spraying plumes of magical lava everywhere. I felt the flames singe my robe and back as I nocked an arrow in my bow, aiming for the fire mage.
"Lucian, watch out!" I heard Alfonse shout and then a shadow flew over me as the axe flier's Silver Axe poised to strike my neck. All of a sudden, it was batted away by the Askrian prince and the Folkvangr cleaved the flier in half.
"Both of you, get out of the way!" Soren shouted before I could react and another Bolganone blast erupted under me, sending me and Alfonse flying onto the ground. I could feel my boots melt and my feet sting as the magical fire shot through my feet, erecting a scream of pain. Lucius quickly rushed towards me, healing my wounds before launching four arrows of light at the fire mage, impaling him to the ground before he could cause more damage.
"Prince Alfonse, cover me! I need to take Oscar down swiftly. Don't let Princess Elincia reach me!" Soren commanded and called a storm to rage across the battlefield, battering Oscar slightly and sending Elincia spiraling through the air on her pegasus "Now are the two of you ready to die?!"
Soren thrust his hand forward, firing a horizontal tunnel of wind towards Oscar, slashing him apart with razor gales so fast that he dissolved into feathers before the attack even ended. Elincia regained her footing and rocketed down to attack Soren, but Alfonse parried her blade, countering back with a strong Death Blow-augmented strike. Elincia responded by stabbing Alfonse twice in the shoulder and chest before kicking the prince away with the pegasus's hoof, sending Alfonse to the ground.
"You won't be hurting any of us!" Lucius called a shield of transparent light to form around Soren's body, giving him just enough time to block Elincia's blow and retaliate with a tornado, sending the princess flying towards us.
"And now!" I let loose my arrow and it swiftly pierced Elincia's heart from the back, dissolving her into feathers before her pegasus could slam into me. I shouldered my bow, feeling my heart. I sudden spike of pain from being hit by Bolganone was by far the most painful thing I felt in my life. Was this how Heroes and soldiers felt like on a daily basis on the battlefield? If so, was I even suited to fight alongside them? I panted, feeling ragged and exhausted. Lucius's healing only cured my physical body from the burns, not my fatigue. Regardless, we still needed to press on to Melior and finish this. Now where was Sharena…?
"Here I am!" Sharena arrived back on cue, covered in stab wounds and her own blood. Regardless, she still smiled brightly at the sight that we were all alright "Boy, that lancer was one tough cookie. Glad I managed to defeat her before she could do much more"
"Now we can press on to Melior unimpeded, but damn… what a fight" Alfonse sheathed his sword, looking as exhausted as I was. Lucius went around healing everyone while we rested under the shade of some trees.
"Alright… let's get up and moving" I stood up and stretched "If I remember correctly, liberations like these are usually three to five fights long. Considering that we just finished the fourth one, that means the next is our last. Let's make for Melior"
"There, Zacharias should be waiting for us. Or at least answers of his whereabouts" Alfonse nodded firmly and stood up along with the others. We walked through the empty road uninterrupted and through the Crimean capital, straight into the castle of Melior.
"If what I understand about Askr is correct, then our battles emulate past ones from this world" Soren said as we walked through the empty palace halls, searching for Emblians and Bruno "Just like how we fought in the valley near Fort Pinell, the last battle takes place in the palace gardens, where the Crimean army defeated the last of the Daein opposition"
"Let's check the garden then" I decided and forged ahead down the hall, pushing open a door to reveal the exotic Melior garden to us. There, four enemy heroes waited for us in the center: Elincia, Oscar, Brave Ike and worst of all, the Black Knight. Bruno was by the corner as well, nonchalantly reading his Valaskjalf tome.
"Zacharias!" Sharena called from our side, alerting the mage knight to our presence.
"Sharena and Alfonse… no! Don't come any closer!" Bruno cried, straining his body to stop moving forward. His hands tingled with unstable magic every few seconds. I could feel his uncontrollable tendencies even here "I never know when my curse will take me, but when it does, I can't stop it! Don't try to fight me and these heroes. Or else… I'll have to kill you!"
"No! We can't just let you be suffering along like this!" Alfonse shouted "We'll defeat you and we'll drag you back with us regardless if you like it or not. We'll help you find a cure together!"
"Are you a fool?! I could backstab you anytime I want if you do such a thing. You saw how I was in the forest" Zacharias shook his head "No. I won't accept your help. If you refuse to back off, I'll end you here and now. Heroes of Tellius, heed my call. Destroy the Askrian opposition!"
"Soren and Lucius, team up to fight off Zacharias. Try not to kill him" I instructed as the enemy soldiers quickly advanced towards us. I understood Alfonse and Sharena's sentiments and I agreed with their plan. No matter what, we were taking Zacharias back with us. That's what friends do "Alfonse, Sharena and Cordelia, deal with the Tellius heroes. Beware of the Black Knight and keep the weapon triangle in mind. Protect one another!"
"Let's do this. Zacharias…" Alfonse stared at the approaching mage knight hard "... We will free you from this curse. No matter what. Order of Heroes, go! TO OUR FINAL BATTLE!"
All of us echoed the cheer and charged, meeting our designated targets in battle. Elincia and Oscar met Sharena first, clashing in a wild, but careful flurry of wings and blades. Sharena fended off Elincia with her spear while evading Oscar with her shield, careful to not let the lance cavalier touch her weapon. The moment it connected, Lancebreaker would activate and shatter the Fensalir.
"Truly sorry!" Moonbow blazed in the air as Elincia rocketed down towards Sharena with Moonbow augmenting her Amiti. Alfonse pulled a swift Reposition to help Sharena avoid it and shattered Elincia's sword with Swordbreaker, temporarily disabling the weapon. Oscar landed a decisive stab to Alfonse's arm though, forcing him to fall back. Before Oscar could continue his onslaught however, Cordelia struck him twice in the hand with her Brave Lance, felling the lance cavalier. Galeforce activated and Cordelia shut down Elincia as well.
"Lucius, heal me!" Alfonse called and I ran over to him to give him a Concoction "What?"
"No time. Just drink it and continue fighting. Ike and the Black Knight are approaching!" I urged and Alfonse took the drink, glugging it down quickly.
"Big mistake" The Black Knight rose his sword slowly, as if he was testing us and threw a shockwave straight towards me and Alfonse. I dove away to dodge it while Alfonse sidestepped, getting back into the fight.
"Alfonse, help us! We can't deal with the Black Knight with Ike in the way!" Sharena called and Alfonse ran to her aid, parrying Ike's Urvan to counter with a strong Bonfire, ending the brave hero easily. Now the hard part: the Black Knight.
"Give your all" The Black Knight suddenly teleported beside Cordelia in a flash of light and delivered a fatal blow against the pegasus knight's side. Cordelia responded with two swift strikes with her lance, but that only helped charge up the Black Knight's Black Luna. Sharena tried to attack the Black Knight from behind, but he threw a shockwave straight at her, throwing her into a patch of flowers.
"Will you survive?!" A crimson moon burned into the air as the Black Knight aimed his Alondite towards Cordelia, who was slowly staggering away due to the injury on her side. Before the Black Knight could execute his attack though, Alfonse's sword cleaved the Alondite in two with Swordbreaker.
"... Yes. I will survive" Alfonse intoned and stabbed the Black Knight in the gut, making him howl in pain and rage. Before he could retaliate however, Sharena's spear impaled him through the back, ending the Black Knight for good. Now all that was left was Bruno.
"Ha ha! What did I say Alfonse and Sharena? If you dare to fight me, I will destroy you! Just like your heroes!" Zacharias laughed maniacally. I didn't spot Soren or Lucius anywhere, so they must of been defeated. That meant I was left as the healer. I tossed Cordelia a Vulnerary for her to heal up just as Alfonse and Sharena engaged the mad mage knight. Zacharias dodged a flying sword swing from Alfonse and a follow up stab from Sharena before forming a magical rift in front of him, launching a barrage of icicles straight towards the Askr royals.
"Gah!" Alfonse was battered back by the icicle storm while Sharena blocked them with her shield, but she too was getting sent back. I ordered Cordelia to fly to try and ambush Zacharias, but the mage knight put an end to that quickly.
"Not so fast!" Zacharias erected an icy tornado to swirl around Cordelia, freezing her in place before the crystal exploded, dissolving Cordelia to feathers before I could even react. In that moment of distraction though, Alfonse and Sharena powered through the icicle storm thanks to Alfonse's Defiant Attack in Folkvangr.
"Hahh!" Alfonse's blazing sword slammed into Zacharias's arm and before the mage knight could even muster a counter, Alfonse struck again twice. He was giving absolutely no quarter to Zacharias, consumed by Defiant Attack and his battle adrenaline. Zacharias formed an icicle in his hand and launched it point-blank at Alfonse, but he cut through it with ease "Sharena, let's end this"
"Right. Zacharias, it's lights out for you!" Sharena stabbed Zacharias's horse with her Moonbow-powered spear, slaughtering it while Alfonse slammed the weakened mage knight off his mount with his sword. Without thinking, Alfonse swung his sword and cleaved Zacharias's hand right off, sending the Valaskjalf tome flying.
"GAHHHHH!" Zacharias roared with pain and agony as blood spewed out of his severed hand like a fountain, spraying blood all over Alfonse's pant leg "Ghhnngg… you… YOU! YOU THINK THIS IS OVER?!"
Directing his other hand towards his tome, it glowed with yellow light before sparking with electricity.
"BLAZING THUNDER!" Zacharias yelled and his tome erupted with violent red lightning, a bolt of magical lightning smashing into my chest and destroying a pillar behind me. My mind was too hazy with pain and shock to even move and before I knew it, my world went black. All I heard was the distant rumbling of broken stone hailing down towards me.
"LUCIAN!" Alfonse yelled before turning back to the fallen Zacharias, who grinned like a madman "Why you little…!"
Alfonse's fist connected with Zacharias's face and then he headbutted the Emblian prince, making him pass out "Sharena, keep him restrained. I'm going to try and save Lucian"
"Okay, good luck!"
Alfonse ran over to the mass of rubble that buried me, shouting my name. He sliced through boulders and rocks easily with his blade, but it was hard locating me in the landfall of stone.
"Come on, come on… he has to be here somewhere" Alfonse rubbed the blood running down his cheek and continued searching "Please, please survive…"
After cleaving through another rock, he finally found me unconscious on the ground in a mess of blood and spilled Vulnerary juice. Confused, Alfonse looked to see my supply bag tucked over my chest with green liquid spilling out of it. Clearly, I tried to shield myself in my last moments.
"Lucian, are you awake? Lucian!" Alfonse shook me, trying to rouse me. Clearly though, I was out cold so Alfonse listened to my pulse. Delightfully, I was still alive.
"Thank Askr…" Alfonse breathed a sigh of relief and sheathed his sword, pulling me up and out of the rubble and back to Sharena, who managed to prop Zacharias against a wall and placed Valaskjalf far away from him. The fallen prince woke up, groggy.
"Ughh… well… now I've done it" Zacharias rasped, his breath ragged "I nearly killed your summoner, the cornerstone of Askr's might. There's only one thing you two can do to punish me for it. Kill me"
"... No" Alfonse shook his head "We won't kill you"
"What? W-why?" Zacharias coughed blood "What the hell is stopping you?"
"I can't kill a friend Zacharias. Even if you nearly killed me, Sharena and Lucian, I can't bring myself to kill you outright" Alfonse replied, his voice hard and firm "What I want to know is why you didn't tell us this sooner. Why did you wait?"
"I knew you would be too kind. No matter the danger, no matter what I said...you'd try to save me" Zacharias replied unsteadily "Regardless of the cost. I know you well enough to know that. How could I tell you?"
"Zacharias, look at me" Sharena said gently "You're a member of the Order of Heroes. You've done so much for me, Alfonse and Askr as a whole. You shouldn't have to fight this battle alone"
"She's right. We can travel to dozens of different worlds. Surely one of them holds the secret to curing you" Alfonse said.
"So you say, Prince" Zacharias shook his head "But I have searched... I've traveled from realm to realm... But it's like seeking one grain of sand in a vast desert. My hope is gone"
"As long as you haven't searched every world in existence, your hope isn't gone. Like Alfy said, surely there's one place where you can find help" Sharena urged, placing her hand on Zacharias's shoulder "We could never kill you. We want you to continue trying to find a cure. We want you to not give up. If you care about us in the slightest, you would do it"
"... Hmm. I'll think on your words. For now, I have to return to Embla" Zacharias reached into his pocket for an Elixir, downing it to heal his wounds before standing up. His severed hand didn't re-grow, but the skin closed back to stop the bleeding, leaving a stump for Zacharias's left hand "You should be going back to Askr. All the Emblians have been ousted from this world"
"Can't you come with us? Maybe one of our heroes knows how to defeat your curse" Sharena offered, but Zacharias shook his head in denial.
"No. Sooner or later, my curse will overtake me again and I'll cause havoc among the Order of Heroes. I must continue this journey alone, away from you and anyone whom I can hurt" Zacharias pulled off his mask, revealing a familiar tan face with dark blue eyes sparking with a glimmer of hope "Know this, you two. I will stop seeking my own death. I will resume my search cross realms... There must be a path that leads to freedom. And if I ever make an attempt on your lives again… kill me. That is my one request"
"Zach… we could never-"
"Farewell for now, Alfonse and Sharena. I hope to come back to the Order, unchained from the curse of my blood" Zacharias tossed his mask into Sharena's hands before warping away in a warp circle, leaving the three of us alone.
"Well, let's go home. There's nothing else we can do about Zacharias" Alfonse said sadly and Sharena stood, clutching the mask gently "He has decided to make this journey alone for our own safety. We have to respect that"
Sharena sighed, visibly upset "... Alright. How are we going to get home? Lucian's out cold so… can he even magic us a portal back to Askr?"
"Perhaps…" Alfonse unclasped the Breidablik from my belt and put it into my hands. With some clever positioning and teamwork from both the royals, they managed to keep me aloft and press the trigger on the relic, zapping a convenient gateway back to Askr.
"Huh… I guess the default firing mode of the Breidablik is a homeward portal. How nice" Sharena scanned the ruined Melior gardens one last time "Well brother, time for us to leave. I'm exhausted"
"Same for me. Hopefully Zacharias will convince Veronica to stop her empire's invasion of worlds. I think Lucian needs the most rest out of all of us" Alfonse adjusted my limp body in his arms before the two of them walked through the portal, making it back to Askr safe and sound.
…
A day later, I awoke groggily to dim firelight from my lantern in my room. I didn't remember what happened after Zacharias's Blazing Thunder struck me and part of the castle's roof crumbled down. Just a tiny snippet of me pulling my supply bag over my chest in a futile attempt to save myself. Whatever I did, it somehow kept me alive. Sleeping on my desk chair was Catria and Alfonse and Sharena were snoozing beside one another against my closet doors. Seems like the three of them were beside me the whole time I was out. Touching.
"Ughh man, I knew I was in for a world of trouble when I came here" I groaned to myself as I tried to rise up from my bed. Instantly, my chest flared and it felt like I broke my spine and ribs despite both looking entirely healed on the surface. Sadly healing magic wasn't that big of a miracle. Reluctantly, I nestled back down on my bed "... Catria? Are you awake?"
"H-hm? Who's calling me…?" Catria wiped her eyes and yawned before looking at me. Her eyes instantly went wide with shock "Lucian! You're-"
"Shh. Not so loud" I replied quietly, pointing to Alfonse and Sharena sleeping in the corner "Wouldn't want to wake those two up after fighting for so long"
"Right right. I'm just happy you're safe. You've been out for a day now. We've all been worried you might of slipped into a coma" Catria hugged me the best she could "So how are you feeling? Are you hungry or thirsty perhaps?"
"No, no. I'm fine for the time being. Just need to talk and know what happened is all" I shook my head "As for how I'm feeling, I feel like this whole fighting schtick is not for me. I've never known pain until I had Bolganone roast my feet and having a castle roof fall into my head after being struck directly by Blazing Thunder"
Catria winced at my recall of the events "Yeah that lines up with what Alfonse and Sharena told us about what happened there. Like I told you before, you can always walk away from the path of combat. You can't have your duties as the summoner impeded by a battlefield injury like this. Leave the fighting to the heroes you summon"
"Yeah… you're probably right" I yawned, feeling myself sleepy already. I guess my body was more exhausted than I thought it was "Sorry to cut this conversation short but…"
"I get it. Get some sleep Lucian" Catria smiled, hugging me again. I took the opportunity to kiss her on the cheek, making her blush "Hopefully I'll see you in the morning up and well. I should be back in my own room"
"Okay. Goodnight Catria" I said before closing my eyes, letting sleep take me quickly as Catria turned off the lamp light, drowning the room in the shadow of nighttime overture.
To War: Veronica, Bruno and Diana's Conversation
"Princess, I seriously implore you to reconsider!" Diana stomped after Veronica, who in turn was trying to get away from her almost-clingy bodyguard "Allying with Muspell and breaking the potential trust we can have with Askr? Are you mad?"
"One more of that and I'll cut out your tongue" Veronica threatened, but Diana knew she never truly went through with such threats. Diana was far too much trouble for Veronica to easily handle on her own "I'm not mad. Allying with Muspell is the best way for Askr to be destroyed. And that is what I truly want. It's what I find the most fun"
"Fun?! You're sending Emblians to their deaths while taking the side of war-hungry conquerors who would raze everything in sight!" The lancer protested fiercely "When we met with King Surtr, I knew his intentions instantly. The moment he's done with Nifl and Askr, he's coming for Embla! Why can't you see that?"
"Be quiet" Veronica threw a fast sphere of shadows at Diana, but she effortlessly bounced it off her shield "Are you a soldier of Embla or my mother? I don't remember having anyone in the army so vocal and against MY commands. Not except for Bruno, but he's my brother"
"I'm only saying this as to protect you and the country. We can't ally with the Muspellians. You know what they've done to the people on the Zenithian border. I know what they've done!" Diana cried "Are you so obsessed with destroying Askr that you'll break your own country too? What kind of ruler are you?"
"Enough!" Veronica summoned a dark magic storm with Gespenst, blowing Diana backwards slightly "You know what? Maybe I WILL cut out your tongue so your damnable words will stop slipping out of your mouth. You're too good to die, but too vocal to be my aide. Leave!"
"Veronica, stop!" Suddenly, Bruno's voice rang throughout the air and the two Emblians turned with a gasp of shock.
"Prince Bruno, you're alive!" Diana knelt respectfully while the ragged mage knight approached his sister "Where have you been, sire?"
"I'll explain later. Veronica, you can't keep going with this bloodthirsty plan of yours. You'll destroy all of Zenith this way" Bruno pleaded to Veronica "The dark god cursing our bloodline is already taking it's effect on you. You have to snap out of it!"
"Why do I have to? The voice in my head is telling me that destroying Askr this way will be very fun" Veronica retorted, her voice dark and intoned "Why should I deny myself this much joy? Defeating Askr will finally end Father's legacy once and for all. Don't you want to do that too, brother?"
"No... the dark god has already taken hold of you" Bruno stepped back "Veronica, I don't want to have to resort to force. Think over your actions again. Think about what you're going to do. At the very least, don't put Embla in danger for no reason"
"Brother, are you going to oppose my path like Diana does? I can't believe you would betray me like that" Veronica glared, eyes with a faint glow of red "If you will, then leave. I have preparations to do"
"I'll come back and try to placate you out of this again. I promise, sister" Bruno shook his head and left, leaving the duo along like before.
"Come Diana. We're assembling a force to invade the World of Holy War. I heard particularly strong heroes are there. They'll serve Embla well" Veronica said without a hint of sadness "Afterwards, we're sailing to Dragsalia to join Muspell in finishing off Nifl"
"Loki has corrupted you too far..." Diana mumbled before shuffling forward, ahead of her charge "Very well. Lead the way, Princess"
Finally done with this and Book I. At the time of writing, it's midnight and I'm sleepy as all hell, so there probably won't be much of an afterword. All I can say is that coming up next is the Moment of Fate TT (if I decide to write it) and the World of Holy War paralogue alongside the Arvis GHB, granting me one of my most beloved units from the latter. If you want to be notified of when a chapter comes out, favorite and follow. If you want to give constructive criticism or praise, leave a review. Until next time, fellow summoners!