Her name was Mozu.
That was what the young woman they had saved from the Faceless was called. The day after they had set out for Fort Dragonfall she had woken up, screaming. After Kaze somehow managed to calm her down, they learned that she was from a family of farmers that served under a Hoshidan noble of some sort. A daimyo or some other sort of military officer that had gone off to battle and left his lands defenseless. Left his people to suffer.
Or course she had been quite shocked to find out that they were in fact a Nohrian military force. Kaze's appearance seemed to calm her considerably, however. The familiarity of seeing a Hoshidan ninja truly did wonders for her, and by the end of the third day of travel, she was making easy conversation with the rest of the party. Besides Kaze, Felicia in particular seemed to take a liking to the girl.
Corrin for his part, did his best to put her at ease. But that unfortunately meant keeping his distance for the most part. For some reason he thought that the realization that he had betrayed Hoshido might strike her the wrong way. Curiosity might make the temptation to approach her all the more enticing, but necessity held him fast to his decision.
Towns came and went as they passed through the countryside. As they traveled the verdant fields and pastures of Hoshido slowly transformed into the dark rock outcroppings and vast moss fields of Nohr. Along the way they did encounter a few travelers, mostly just merchants and refugees trying to get as far away from the battle lines as possible, but there was also a good number of Hoshidan troops moving around looking for spies. Never before had Corrin been so happy to jump head first into a bush.
"Are you sure?" Corrin asked as the latest group of refugees walked back the way his party had come. "This group looks pretty reasonable. They even have a couple kids with them. I'm sure they would be more than happy to offer you place at the table."
Mozu shook her head adamantly. "I told you milord, I'm fine right here where I am now."
"But don't you want-"
Unfortunately the former prince wasn't even given the chance to finish as Mozu quickly cut him off. "Oh no, no, no. Please milord it's just, it wouldn't…" She seemed to squirm around before looking down at her feet. "Sorry, milord. I just don't think I'm ready for that yet."
So that's what it is. Corrin nodded and left her to go back to chatting happily with Kaze and Felicia. I suppose she just needs time. After an event that traumatizing I can understand the need for a distraction. Even if that distraction is joining a foreign military unit.
Shrugging in indifference he went back to thinking about the much more prevalent matter at hand. His group was only about a half-day's journey from their target and preliminary scouting had been frustratingly difficult. With Mozu's addition to the team, Kaze had taken it upon himself to ensure both her safety and her 'preliminary self-defense training.' The prince shuddered. It's almost terrifying how quickly she's taken to the bow. Her aptitude aside, it had added another few responsibilities to Kaze's already long list. And as they didn't know just what they should expect from the enemy, (thanks mostly to Iago's complete ineptitude) Corrin had reservations about sending anyone save his ninja.
And thus here we are, Corrin thought. Everyone is overworked and we're less than a day away from the target. Hmph, if I didn't know better I'd say Iago is trying to send us to our deaths. Not that that would EVER happen.
"Ugh. Damn! I wish I could just get a view of the fortress for myself! That would be enough! Just a couple seconds of-" Corrin stopped in his tracks. Slowly reaching back into his traveling pouch, he took out the small green stone that was within. "You know… Last time I checked, dragons did have wings. I wonder…"
Fort Dragonfall was not a large castle by most standards. Looking at it from the outside, it was little more than a collection of walls and buttresses. But that said, there was an almost unearthly air to it, a sense of intimidation wafting from its every corner. Most prominent of course, was the gate. For some reason or another the architect had seen fit to carve it into the visage of a gigantic dragon. Fangs as large as stalactites hung from the above the door, casting long shadows out across the path leading into the castle. The lanterns and campfires within gave the illusion of flame bursting forth from the dragon's maw even as the small lights slowly floated across the battlements in their ever vigilant watch.
In short, even for a former demon that could in fact turn into a dragon, it was quite intimidating.
From his previous fly-over Corrin had a reasonably good idea as to the structure of the fort as well as enemy placement. Directing Kaze and Felicia as to their positions, Felicia followed Corrin up the path towards the front door with almost complete impunity. Any enemy that did notice them was cut down before they had a chance to raise the alarm. By the time they regrouped in the first antichamber, twelve Hoshidan soldiers were dead.
Nodding in satisfaction, Corrin looked around at his allies. "Not bad. Any unwelcome surprises?"
"Nothing outside of the mission parameters," Kaze replied softly. "That said I feel it is only fit to warn you that we are now in unknown territory. I was unable to infiltrate the interiour of the fort due to the number of enemy patrols. Speaking of which…"
"Speaking of which, where did all those soldiers go?" Lilith finished with a frown. Uneasy, she glanced for a moment at a nearby corridor. "Sure, there were a few out on patrol. But nowhere near as many as you and Corrin said there were."
"Then where are they?" Corrin asked to no one in particular. "Are they waiting for us up ahead? I doubt it. There's no way they could possibly know we were coming, let alone that we're here." Is this Iago's handiwork? Would he commit treason just to kill me? Unlikely. I'm not that special, or at least he doesn't know otherwise. If he knew I was once the Demifiend that would be one thing, but barely anyone knows that.
"U-umm- Lord Corrin?" Felicia asked with a timid raise of her right hand, almost like she was asking a question during lessons at the Northern Fortress. "If it's not a trap, then why are there so many soldiers here? This seems a little large for a simple raiding party."
He opened his mouth to answer her only to find that no words would come out. She was right. This was weird. Probably should have thought through earlier…
There's no time for that now. The longer we wait here the more likely the other soldiers will either A: come back or B: find the bodies of their dead friends. Neither of those options end well for us. "There's no time for that now. If worse comes to worse we'll fight our way out." Corrin looked back at Kaze. "If it comes to that, you, Lilith, and Felicia stay behind me. My dragon form is more resistant to arrows and spears than your- ehh uniforms." Note to self- buy servants some form of armor.
"Of course Corrin," the ninja answered solemnly before flashing a half-smile. "Though I am a little surprised. It seems a little late to be worried about how we dress. It would have been nice for you to consider that after our battle with Ose. We have been through quite a bit since then…"
"If you don't want to be fighting naked you'll save the sass until we're safely back in Windmire," Corrin shot back with a smirk. Turning away from his servants, he pretended not to notice Felicia blushing at that last comment. Motioning towards the hallway to their left, Corrin began to lead the way.
The process was slow, and like their purge of the Faceless in Mozu's village it was methodical. But during that battle, a little bit of the tension had left with every kill. Not much mind you; they were still fighting hulking brutes with iron cages for heads. But it had gotten a little easier with each time they proved that these creatures were indeed mortal. This was different. Seeing a barracks filled with empty beds didn't raise their moral. Those soldiers had to be somewhere. They would find them eventually.
And find them they did.
Lilith backed away in horror from the doorway she had gone to examine. For a moment she was completely mute, unable to tell Corrin what was in front of her. Instead she merely pointed to it, leaving her lord helpless to do anything but come forward and look.
What he saw made his eyes widen in shock.
Whatever purpose the room had served before was now moot. Now it was a morgue. The fallen bodies of Hoshidan soldiers piled haphazardly throughout.
Felicia's reaction seemed to sum up the general thoughts of the party. "W-w-what?!"
Kaze was equally stunned, though he tried his best to hide it. "How… how did this happen? Who could have…"
"I- I don't know," Corrin answered. A thought crossed his mind. "Felicia… I know this might be over the line but… could you determine cause of death?"
"Corrin…," Lilith began uneasily.
The clumsy maid began to fiddle with her uniform nervously. "Well, umm, I suppose I could. But, uh, are you sure? There are still a bunch of Hoshidans here. They might come back and find us."
"Felicia, please. I think Lord Corrin might be onto something," Kaze said, nodding at Corrin. The former prince didn't smile. He just turned towards the door, standing watch while Felicia did her work. So Kaze suspects it as well. Still I hope I'm-
"Lord Corrin… there's something weird about these bodies," Felicia said, interrupting his train of thought.
Wrong, Corrin finished thinking as a wave of despair crashed over him. Turning back towards the group, he asked, "What is it?"
Felicia frowned as confusion crinkled her brow. "These injuries… they weren't caused by any weaponry I know of. They look more like… claws or talons even."
Corrin and Kaze's eyes met but before either of them could say anything, Felicia continued, "But… some of these bodies also have minor burn wounds. Kind of like those you would expect from a fire tome."
"So there were two types of enemies?" Lilith asked.
"I don't think so," Felicia answered slowly. "The burns are only on a couple of the Hoshidans. And on those, only minor damage to the wrists."
"So the Hoshidans were most likely holding onto the caster. This mage was a captive. Do you think our mystery magic user freed themselves fight whatever did this?" Corrin hypothesized as he gestured towards the remainder of the slaughtered soldiers.
"I couldn't tell you, milord," Felicia replied, clearly still shaken. "But one thing I can say is that these claw marks are unlike anything I've seen before. They're longer and almost dagger-like. If it wasn't for the entry paths and ripped flesh I would have sworn this was some new type of bladed weapon. And the worst part…" Felicia shivered. "These wounds aren't arbitrary. Whatever attacked these men deliberately targeted nerve clusters." The maid looked at Corrin, terrified but serious. "The attacker did everything possible to make sure these men died as painfully and slowly as possible."
"The wounds weren't immediately fatal?" Corrin asked as the blood left his face.
"N-no. These men would have lived for hours afterwards,. Alive but paralyzed; completely unable to move. Just frozen in absolute agony. This is- This is-"
"This is an excellent reason for us to leave," Corrin cut in. At this point he had had quite enough of the situation. "I think we can all agree that this is just a little bit above what we're capable of fighting right now." Turning towards Kaze, he continued, "We make our way back to camp, we grab Mozu, and then we make a beeline for the nearest town. If there is a demon running around the woods here we'll need all the help we can get."
"D-demon?!" Felicia stuttered out.
"Understood. Though I recommend we set fire to all of the rooms we've been in so far," Kaze replied. "As much as it might hurt to destroy the evidence…"
"We can't afford to have the monster return and pick up our scent." Lilith finished. I believe I remember seeing a storeroom with large barrels of lantern oil back down the hall."
"Excellent. In the meantime, Kaze and I will guard the ends of this corridor. Felicia, can you try to find any evidence we can take back to prove what happened to the King? Preferably something that's not... ehh… you know..."
"Umm, maybe I could find a shield that's been ripped apart?" Felicia answered hesitantly.
Corrin nodded a few more times than he probably had to. "Yes. That. Let's go with that." Taking a second to compose himself, damn that's a lot of corpses, he continued, "Also, Felicia, after you grab a shield, could you maybe check the surrounding rooms for any logs, accounts, records of any kind actually. Let's make this trip worth it if we're going to have to deal with a demon chasing us."
Nodding in acquiescence, the group separated and went about their missions. Taking his post at the end of the hall. Corrin had a few minutes to reflect on just how much a toal this dual life was starting to take on him psychologically. Honestly, it might be a good idea to get a therapist. And soon. At the very least this has got to count for multiple personality disorder.
Not for the first time, his thoughts went back to Pixie, to a friend he had never really known. But he had, kind of. Honestly the whole idea of having a past life kind of hurt his head. If they were to meet again, would they still be friends? Was she still out there, watching for him? Maybe even waiting for him? It was odd to think about.
I think that… someday, I would like to meet her. Corrin thought. Even if I never get all of my memories back. Hell if all goes according to plan I won't. But I still would like to talk to her at least once.
Thinking of a reunion brought thoughts of Azura. It had been over a month since they had last spoken. He wondered how she was doing. Was she okay? How as the war affecting her? What am I worrying about? Corrin chastised himself. She has grown up among the Hoshidan people for most of her life. I'm sure she's fine. Why am I worrying about her? If something went wrong she would have told me. Corrin drummed a pattern onto the wall as he considered. We never did get a chance to discuss Valla. I would have liked to speak with her one last time...
"Lord Corrin, Sorry to interrupt, but I think I found something."
"Lilith if you call me 'Lord' one more time I swear I am going to give you three weeks mandatory paid vacation with the stipulation that you have to hang out with my siblings and me and treat us as equals." Corrin smirked evilly at his stable girl. "You know, now that I think about it, that might be the best way to do things anyway…"
"L-Lor-I mean-Corrin! I- I-" the stable girl continued to stutter uncontrollably.
"Lilith, you had something you wanted to tell me?" Corrin interrupted as innocently as possible. "It must be something pretty important given our current situation."
"That's rich coming from you…," Lilith muttered, her face crimson. "I just wanted to tell you that while digging through the supply room I found the garrison's records. From what I can tell it includes a brief account of what happened to those soldiers."
"Oh?" Turning, Corrin found his servant offering a small Hoshidan scroll. Opening it up, he did a quick scan of the contents. Finding that the dates did in fact seem to support Lilith's claims, Corrin chuckled and pocketed the scroll. Unfortunately he would have to wait until later to have Kaze translate it in full. Though Nohr and Hoshido shared a numbering system by economic necessity, the two countries had vastly different writing systems. While Nohr's had only around thirty different symbols for sounds, Hoshido's had thousands. Worse, some of the symbols were used differently depending on context, social standing, or tense. Corrin had done his best to pick up a little of the language while in Hoshido but he really just hadn't had the time needed to master it. "Excellent job. You know Lilith, you do a lot of great work…"
"Corrin, is now really the time to make a joke? Especially one you already made less than a minute ago," Lilith deadpanned.
"Sorry about that," the former-prince replied sheepishly. "I thought the jokes would lighten the mood a little."
"Maybe if they were halfway decent…," the stable girl droned.
"Perhaps. But there was some truth to what I said. If you hadn't been there that day I fell into the Bottomless canyon I wouldn't be here today. I owe you my life Lilith."
"Corrin I- it was nothing. I was just- just doing my job," Lilith muttered, looking away.
"Was jumping into a canyon after me part of your job?" Corrin asked incredulously. "Seriously Lilith, I understand you're trying to be modest here but in all honesty the only reason you haven't been rewarded yet is we were deployed the instant we returned to the capitol. I promise that once we get back-"
"NO!" Lilith yelled. The instant the words left her mouth her hands shot up to cover it as she remembered just where they were were having this conversation. In barely more than a whisper she explained, "What I mean is, I don't mind being just another one of your servants. I like it. Really. If they were to try and reward me I might get transferred… and- and that would be the worst."
"But, what do you- why are you? Lilith you saved a prince, or a noble, or whatever the hell I am. That's worth at least a small title in and of itself. Don't you want to make a better life for yourself? If you ever start a family, don't you want to make a better life for them? Why are you so obsessed with being my servant?" Corrin trailed off as he realized the effect his words were having on Lilith. He might as well have hit her the way she looked.
Near tears, her eyes buzzing this way and that, looking anywhere but directly at him, she was biting her lip if only to hold all her emotions inside. Corrin's confusion broke under the weight of his regret. "Never mind! Please, I'm not saying I want you to leave! It's not like I don't like you, I mean seriously, you're one of the best people I know. There's no one I'd rather have at my side. It's just… I don't understand why you think I'm worth this kind of attention. Is it just because you saved my life?"
The stable girl's breathing began to even out as she finally returned eye contact with Corrin. "No, please milor- sorry, Corrin. It's just my time serving you has been, well it's been the happiest portion of my life. I'd give anything to keep it that way." Lilith smiled forcibly. "So you see Corrin. This is what I want. No reward or title could compare to this."
Corrin shook his head in reluctant acceptance. If his newly resurgent memories had taught him anything, it was that submission and servitude were the easiest way to get yourself killed or worse. Why would any being willingly yoke themselves to another? Why give up your free will like that? Such law-based thinking went against everything he believed in. In short, none of this made any sense to him, but who was he to say what she did or didn't want? As long as it made her happy it was fine with him. If he tried to impose his views on her, well, then he was just as bad as his enemies. "Well I suppose if that's what you want." Corrin smirked back at her and patted her shoulder. "Besides we dragons have to stick together after-"
He stopped mid sentence as what he was saying registered. We dragons. In all of Hoshido and Nohr, in all the entire world, Lilith gets injured in my backyard. Lilith. The only other dragon I've ever met in this dimension, is found by me. Another dragon. The odds were astronomically against something like that. The chances, so slim that they weren't even worth mentioning. And what had she said back in Valla? "The ninja Kaze can't use the portal we were planning on using. It only works for very specific people, and he just isn't one of them. There's no way we could get him through it." Very specific people. Did that mean it would only work for dragons? Had she known then? Had she found him because of what he was?
"Lilith…," Corrin began slowly, watching carefully as Lilith's eyes widened. Does she know what I'm going to ask here? "About my ability to transform into a dragon… how long have you-"
Whatever fated end conversation might have had evaporated as a wave of energy rippled through the air, through the walls, through the very ground they stood upon. The golden energy of a Dragon Vein erupted all around them, the intensity forcing Corrin to clutch his dragonstone as a safeguard against his demonic side while Lilith leaned against the wall for support. A moment later, the wave passed. Both Corrin and Lilith glanced rapidly around the hallway, desperately trying to ascertain what the Vein had changed. Finding nothing, Corrin motioned for Lilith to stay quiet and follow him.
A Dragon Vein is a special power native to both the royal family of Nohr and the royal family of Hoshido. By harnessing that power, a royal has the ability to manipulate and change the surrounding environment. Basically releasing a torrent of magic that's been building up for generations. Corrin thought grimly as he and Lilith searched for Kaze and Felicia. So that means a royal is here… Ryoma. Hinoka. Takumi. Sakura. Azura. Who is it? And what are they hoping to accomplish?
Dragon veins were not a force that any wiseman would take lightly. There were several well documented historical accounts of a single dragon vein wiping out an entire army. Lightning from the sky, the earth opening up, tidal waves, the list went on and on. The fact that one was being used here and now, and in Nohrian territory no less, was not a good sign.
"Kaze," Corrin hissed as the pair finally reconvened with their other two members. "We're moving up our schedule. Lilith finished dousing everything so we set the fire and run like hell."
The ninja nodded. "Understood. But what's with the sudden change in attitude?"
"R-right. I just found what looks like a box full of ledgers," Felicia added. "These could help us hunt down their supply chains."
"No time, a dragon vein just triggered, and that means one of two things. One, we're about to get hit with something exceptionally nasty. Two, we're about to get hit with something exceptionally nasty while having to fight Ryoma." Kaze paled as Corrin said the high prince's name. "Either way, it's probably safe to say that they know we're here. So let's make like a jester at Xander's birthday and get the hell out of-"
Drip.
Hsssssssssss.
Drip.
Hsssssssssss.
Corrin slowly turned toward the direction the sound had come. On the ground there was a small pool of yellow, bubbling liquid. It was almost luminescent. Then a droplet of the same liquid fell into the puddle sending a ripple throughout. A small portion of the liquid splashed out when the droplet hit, landing on some of the nearby clothing that had belonged to the fallen Hoshidan soldiers. The moment the liquid hit, it started to smoke and fizzle, burning its way through the cloth.
It was acidic.
Looking up, Corrin felt sick to his stomach as he saw that the stones that made up the ceiling had more of the yellow acid leaking out from between them. More and more of it was starting to fall. By now the first puddle they had seen was about sixty centimeters wide and gods knew how deep.
"Lilith, didn't you say earlier that this fortress was once an actual dragon?" Kaze asked. For once he sounded as though he might actually be nervous, his calm demeanor slipping ever so slightly.
Lilith nodded slowly. "That is what the legends say."
"So does that mean we're in it's s-stomach," Felicia squeaked.
"If that's the case there are two, tried and true ways out of here," Corrin said, ripping his cape off and throwing it to Lilith to use as a temporary shield from the acid. Kaze and Felicia both followed his lead and grabbed some clothes from the ground. "All we have to do is get there. Oh, speaking of which... RUN!"
The four bolted back the way they had came, none of them bothering to set fire to the oil. The acid would be more than enough to cover their tracks. As they ran the oil continued to drip. Faster. Faster. It just wouldn't stop. Eventually the group was less running and more hopping from dry patch to dry patch.
But they were almost back to the entrance. Just a few more turns and they would be back outside, safe from the overwhelming acid. Just a few more steps… and…
"What?!" Kaze gasped. "What sorcery is this? Did the dragon vein do this as well?!"
Where once had been the opening to the outside forest, the teeth like structures of the gate had closed. The gaping maw of Fort Dragonfall had shut. It was as if the fortress had truly swallowed its victims and now intended to digest them. Corrin and co stopped for a moment and just stared at it, horrified.
"What do we do now?" Felicia asked. Looking at Corrin for support, her eyes dashed back to the hallway as a Hoshidan spearman sprinted out of it.
"NO NO NOT LIKE THIS! NOT AFTER EVERYTHING ELSE, OH PLEASE GODS, NOT LIKE THIS!" the man screamed as he ran. Then he saw the Nohrian soldiers and for a moment, startled, lost his footing. Falling, he could only shriek in agony as tipped over into a puddle of acid.
Corrin and Kaze both sprinted towards the man, but by the time they got there it was far too late. Shaken and trying to hold back the urge to panic, Corrin forced himself to turn back to the matter at hand.
"Lilith, do you think you could teleport any of us out? I might be able to survive the acid in my dragon form if you could-"
She shook her head. "I'm still spent from that stunt we pulled with the pegasi. I'm sorry, but I don't think I could even get myself out at this point."
"What about blasting the teeth?" Kaze suggested with Corrin nodding in agreement. "Do you have enough energy for that?"
Lilith grimaced. "I can try, but no guarantees."
As she held up her hand, Corrin stepped in front of her. "Wait a minute! Let me try something first." Taking a deep breath and focusing as much as he could given the situation, Corrin summoned a fraction of the power he had learned from his past self. "Tarukaja."
The buffing spell took effect almost immediately, and Lilith's eyes widened as the magic coursed through her body, strengthening her to the levels almost unheard of. "C-Corrin?! What was that?"
Panting as the magic took its tole on him, Corrin forced an encouraging smile at the confused servant. "Not… Important… Right… Now…" Each word was a struggle, and to make matters worse, his dragonstone was ice cold for some reason. "Just… Blow up… The wall…"
As she raised her hand, Corrin thought he heard a familiar voice groaning. Y-u dumba-s, Taruka-a doesn't b-ff magic. Only Makakaja -oes th-t."
Paling even more, Corrin was about to shout for Lilith to stop when she let loose a colossal blast of Astral energy. The burst ripped through the stone, shattering it. Shrapnel and bits of bricks were scattered to the winds as dust from the explosion temporarily blinded them. When visibility did return, the group could see the darkness of night peering through the newly made hole in the wall.
"YES! Great job Lilith that was- that was- What?!" Corrin gaped at the hole. What was once a very clearly destroyed portion of the gate was rapidly regenerating. Before long the damage had been completely undone. It was impossible to tell if the hole had ever even existed.
"How?" Kaze asked to no one in particular.
"It must have regenerative capabilities," Lilith said with a scowl. "It makes sense I suppose. This was once a living organism after all."
"That's all well and good. But how do we get past? Lilith, I don't suppose you have enough energy for another blast?"
She shook her head. "Sorry Corrin. I feel as though I could lift a boulder, but my magic is spent."
We could try to use the boost from Tarukaja to punch our way out. Corrin considered. But as he was about to suggest it, the area above the teeth seemed to open up, waves of the acidic liquid pouring down and blocking the path to freedom. "Damn it. Everyone, fall back!"
"To where?" Felicia asked.
"To- to-" Where is right. Where is there left to run to? The gate is gone, and if that Hoshidan soldier was any indication, there is nowhere to go that way either. We need a way out. Now.
Through his thoughts, he heard Kaze speak. "If it closed the front gate, the other's are probably gone as well. We'll need a path that wasn't part of the original structure. Something unconnected to the original dragon."
Something unconnected? But those would be-
"That won't work. Those will be sealed off as well." Lilith countered, despair starting to seap into her voice. "And besides, even if we did find a path and break into it, the dragon would just reseal the path!"
It'll just reseal the path… Hmm... Unless the hole was to big to repair. But that would require enough power to blast the entire fortress apart. None of us could- The image of the Demifiend battling Beelzebub flashed through his mind. No. That's not true. I could do it… But-
His other self's words came back to haunt him. "Just for heaven's sake don't do something stupid like try and use Freikugel or any of the other higher level moves. I'm reasonably certain it would kill you."
Well it's either death by acid or death by demon-ability. But if one of those options lets my friends live...
"W-well we have to do something. We can't just sit here!" Felicia shouted, waving her dagger around. "There has to be something!"
"There is," Corrin said. "Everyone get behind me. Felicia, you have a medical staff on you, right?"
"Well, yes of course I do. We are in the middle of a combat mission after all."
Corrin nodded and tossed her his dragonstone. "Good. We're going to need it. Also, please hold onto this for me, the moment after I'm done with this, I am going to desperately need that back. Kaze-"
"Corrin, what are you planning?" the ninja said, interrupting. "What are you doing?"
The former prince shook his head and raised the Yato above his head. "Kaze there's no time to explain. Just be prepared to carry me out the moment after the wall explodes."
"Explodes?!" Kaze asked in shock.
"Yep. Now please, ladies and gentleman, the show is about to begin."
Corrin grimaced as he began to summon up his powers. It was almost terrifying how easily it came. It was natural as walking, or breathing even. Within a few seconds a small aura of fierce, amethyst energy had begun to surround the Yato…
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
The tone of the question almost knocked him over. Corrin had been expecting his other self to show up, but not like this. The confusion and anger he had expected. But wrath? Indignation? If he wasn't fairly sure that the Demifiend was against suicide he would have been absolutely terrified. Instead of cowering he thought he'd try negotiating. "Are you blind? We are out of options. If I stay here and do nothing we're all going to die! Is that what you want?"
A growl reverberated throughout Corrin's mind. Slowly, with almost surgical precision, the voice inside him replied. "Of course not, but please think about what you're doing. There is more at stake than you know."
Another layer of purple energy congealed around the blade. Waves of pressure crashed into the three servants. Kaze looked back from the blade to Corrin and noticed that his liege's body had begun to tremble. The veins running up his neck were vercruse and pronounced. And… was his left eye golden?
Corrin grimaced as his body began to ache from the effort of charging the attack. "Don't give me that crap! I don't give a damn about any of that right now! What matters now is getting everyone out alive." Emotions and power swirled like a vortex inside him, feeding off and into each other in a demented self perpetuating cycle. It turned his heartbeat himself to calm down Corrin struggled to keep breathing. "So what would you do, punch through the walls? Call down fire from the skies? Sorry buddy, they'll heal faster than we can punch through. Any other bright ideas or are you just going to lecture me to death?"
"One actually; perhaps you ought escape through the Labyrinth of Amala."
There was cracking sound from Corrin's left arm. Felicia cried out in alarm, but the former prince ignored her. The labyrinth? But that was firmly in the realm of demons. It was so far outside of his world that Corrin could barely even imagine it. Something that alien... "But wouldn't that throw us into enemy territory? We could find ourselves up to our necks in enemy demons."
"Better that than in a pile of acid," the voice answered impatiently. Unsurprisingly, he got the sense the Demifiend was getting more and more worked up. "Or would you disagree?"
For a moment, Corrin started to lower the energy he was funneling into the blade. They had been to Valla and come back unharmed. Would the labyrinth be so much worse? If they were careful they might make it through. Hell, maybe they'd even run into a friend. Corrin was about to end the attack when a sudden thought stopped him dead. "Wait. Would it even be possible to teleport everyone? I've never even opened a portal for myself before, let alone all of us."
Silence and… was that nervousness? For some reason that was even more terrifying than the rage. A soft reply slowly meandered in after the emotion. "You would be fine."
"STOP IT!" Lilith shouted, tears streaming down her face. "There has to be another way, please Corrin!" Helpless she gasped as another crack rang out across the foyer of the fortress. This time it was his right leg. It twisted under his weight as the bone shattered. By now only his right arm and left leg remained intact, and even those were trembling. Blood was flowing from his left eye.
Faint blue lines had started to crawl out from that very eye.
"What do you mean by 'You would be fine'?!" Corrin fumed, oblivious to the changes befalling him. "Did you intend for me to just teleport out and leave all of them behind?!"
"Corrin, this is bigger than them! Bigger than us! You think I want this?! I don't! I'm you! I-"
Corrin shook his head in next part he said out loud. His voice was low, deadly, and every bit as authoritative as his counterpart's. "If you would leave them all to die... If you think giving up on them to save your own worthless hide is worth it… Then you are not me."
"Corrin?" Lilith asked with a mix of confusion and desperation. "Your arms… your legs… gods, your eye…. please I'm begging you- stop!"
"Calm down and try to think for a moment! If you die, there will be no one to save this world from the demons. Remember? Your mission? Your mother?! If you die here you're dooming the lives of every human on this plane. Which is more important? Three lives or over three million?"
"I'll take my cake and eat it. I trust my friends to finish this. Even if I die in the process."
Rage cascaded over Corrin from his other self. The Demifiend's vehemence was like lava boiling him from the inside out. "If you die, you doom not only this world, but every world that has ever existed!"
The purple light solidified around the Yato. The Deadly Fury attack had finished charging.
"YOU'LL HAND THEM THE MAGATAMA ON A SILVER PLATTER!"
Corrin swung downwards.
"YOU STUBBORN FOOL!"
In a cataclysmic thunderclap the attack activated. The initial shock wave cascaded into the assembled servants, knocking all but Kaze off their feet, with even the ninja barely able to retain his footing.
Struggling to see through the swirling dust, Kaze watched in shock and awe as the wave of energy moved through the building like a hurricane through a fleet of toy ships. Nothing survived. Rock melted and burned as it came into contact with the wave of amethyst power. The acid evaporated from the heat while the very ground trembled before curling upwards and rolling away in a shock wave from the point of impact. Rocks went flying through the hair faster than the eye could see and the entire wall of the fortress in front of them, along with about a huge swath of the forest behind it, simply ceased to exist. In a colossal final shockwave followed by a single, brilliant, flash, the beam finally dissipated leaving nothing but devastation in its wake. And as Kaze struggled to see as his eyes readjusted to the darkness of night, Corrin begin to teeter over.
"Kaze! Quick!" Felicia shouted, panicked.
Dashing forward, the ninja caught Corrin, gently supporting him by the shoulders. The prince felt frail. Even worse every ten seconds or so a minute spasm would rack his body. But as bad as his friend's condition was, dwelling on it in the present would have very severe consequences. "Felicia Lilith, the ceiling is coming down! We need to leave now!"
Not waiting to hear their ascent, Kaze took off at as a fast a pace as he could manage. Dashing towards the forest, it was almost more than Kaze could bare not stare at the shattered and charred remains of the surrounding stumps. Swirls of soft gray smoke still drifted from them, looking like phantoms slowing climbing into the cool night sky.
With fires behind them and the brilliant flash of Corrin's sword swing still fresh, the darkness seemed even worse by comparison. It would take some time before their night vision would return. As a ninja, the hindrance made Kaze feel naked. The sooner they got back to the safety of the woods the better.
"We'll grab Mozu and stabilize Corrin before heading back to that town a few miles back!" Kaze whispered hoarsely. "Hopefully there'll be a doctor there who can help treat him-"
"NO! I need to treat him now!" Felicia cut in. For once, the normally stumbling maid was calm and collected. Maybe it was the shock of what they had been through, or maybe it was the life of her master on the line. "If we try and move him that far, he could die!"
"That won't matter if whatever killed those Hoshidans comes back!" Kaze hissed. Every movement he made was tense. He was only half listening to Felicia's arguments. The majority of his attention remained fixed on the surrounding woods, trying to discern if they were truly alone.
"At least this way there's a chance that Corrin will live. Gods' sake Kaze, look at him!" Lilith countered desperately.
Kaze forced his breathing to slow. The very notion that he had almost let his fear overwhelm him filled him with shame. Slumping his back to slowly slide Corrin off, he couldn't help but cringe as he noticed just how sticky with blood the former-prince was. Felicia was right. He was in critical condition.
The maid sprang into action, first drawing her healing staff and doing a preliminary diagnosis of the injuries. Lilith used her powers to provide enough light to work with, but without the proper tools there was only so much that could be done. First the bleeding had to be stopped, then the wounds cleaned, then shut, then the bones set, the list went on and on. And without the proper disinfectants and surgical tools…
Boom. A slow echo reverberated through the forest, coming from the direction of the shattered fortress. It was soft, almost like the distant beat of a drum, yet it wasn't just a sound, the ninja could feel it in his chest. It was almost like a heartbeat. Kaze looked toward the direction of the noise, two shuriken already drawn. He was about to suggest that they find somewhere to hide when another boom went off. From the same direction, but this one wa accompanied with a faint scream from what sounded like a man.
Lilith paled while Felicia sped up her work. They were only a hundred meters or so away from the fortress, if anything had shown up there…
"There!" Felicia finished, panting. "He's still bad, but we should be able to move him. That said if we want him to live he needs a REAL doctor, and soon!"
Kaze nodded, his eyes never wavering in their search of the surrounding forest. "Right. Quick, lift him onto my back."
"That's hardly the best way to carry someone so injured." Lilith protested weakly.
"We don't have time to make a stretcher." Kaze countered softly, "He's relatively stable now, and that's the best we can do. Now come on, we have to-"
"WhO iS thAt? SOmeOne sNeaKing ARoUNd?" the voice that spoke was gargled and foul, like what one would expect if a pile of refuse had come to life and decided to speak. "HEy gUys. I ThiNk i FoUNd iT. QUicK OVeR hERe!"
Without waiting a moment, Kaze slipped Corrin back off his back again and put him back against the trees. Looking towards the confused faces of his allies, he explained. "Take Corrin. Now. Make your way back to the camp and grab Mozu. Make your way to the village and sound the alarm."
"But what about-" Felicia began nervously.
"They know we're here. Someone needs to lead them away." Kaze handed his remaining supply of smoke bombs to Lilith. "I don't know how long I'll be able to buy you. If they find you, use these. They might be able to give you a couple more seconds."
The stable girl looked she wanted to say something but she hesitated for a moment too long, and in that moment, Kaze vanished into the forest, back towards the now decrepit fortress. Towards the sounds of whatever had caused those screams.
Biting her tongue in frustration, Lilith and Felicia grabbed Corrin's arms and legs and began to move him silently through the underbrush.
Kaze rolled to the side as the emerald monstrosities let loose another barrage of flame. How many were there now? Five? Ten? Twenty? They just kept coming. And worse- none of his attacks seemed to do any sort of noticeable damage.
It's just like with Ose, he thought with a few of the monsters had flown off in the direction he had come from. The best he could do was keep the rest from following their lead. These monsters are demons- they have to be!
"WHerE ARe tHeY?! WheRe MagAtAMA? YoU KnOW DEmiFienD?" the monster punctuated each attack with a burst of fire. They looked like congealed balls of green mist with a hideous face inside that screamed with each attack. "TEll uS! WHeRe HumAN!"
Kaze ducker underneath the fire and dropped a flashbang. That name again. "Demifiend"... That's what Naga called Corrin… Does that mean they're after him? Kaze grimaced and drew the last of his fire bombs. By now the creatures were all around him, swirling and circling like a collection of lanterns blowing in wind. Regardless, there doesn't seem to be a way out for me. I'm not sure if this will do anything, but if there's even the smallest possibility it will let them escape-
A final boom exploded above Kaze's head. Looking up he saw a gateway of azure light open up. Brilliant and sharp, it was like a sapphire shining in the night sky. Kaze and the Spectres stood transfixed by the unearthly glow until three small points of darkness appeared on its surface. The spectres began to murmur restlessly as the shadows grew and swelled until they took the shape of three figures. One, the smallest by afar, no larger than than thirty centimeters and taking the form of a ball of light, immediately shot towards the direction his companions had come from while the others landed next to him.
The one closest to him was a large, hulking brute of a man. Kaze couldn't tell for sure in the low light, but he appeared to have blue skin and carried a fierce double sided sword. His clothing was white with a swirl insignia and… was that a hole through his head?!
The other figure was shorter than Kaze, in fact it looked almost like a miniature man. But it couldn't be, it was far too chubby. And by it's appearance it almost appeared to be made of black snow. Was it a walking snowman?
"Well. What do we have here?! A bunch of weak, filthy spectres intruding upon my walk! You know what Frosty? That pisses me the hell off!" the brute said, brandishing his sword. "And to think, we was just having a completely random walk. No prior plans or interior motives, whatsoever."
"HeeHo, it's ulterior motive, you numbskull," the snowman replied, hopping up and down in frustration.
"YoU TWo- YOu'rE nOT SuppOSeD To bE HErE!" the spectres circled nervously around the two new demons. "WhY YOu hERe?!" Their lights flickered ever more frequently. With a tinge of horror Kaze realized that they were actually scared of the new arrivals. How was that even possible? Who were these monsters?!
With a snap of the smaller demons fingers gigantic spikes of ice sprung forth from the earth, piercing through half of the spectres. They were huge, each nearly ten meters tall. Cold air rushed past Kaze as the surviving spectres scattered in fear, but the snowman didn't seem to care. Instead it turned back towards the blue man and crossed its chubby little arms. "Now let's just finish these HeeHo-hooligans off before we get in too much trouble! The boss said-"
"I know what the boss said! You don't need to tell me twice! Quit your bitching! "
"You don't HeeHo-have Yuriko threatening to... to...-" The snowman shivered uncomfortably. "There are things that no demon should use a snake for. HeeHo."
"Right. Right. Your mistress is terrifying. Get off my back already Night-boy! And you!" The demon turned towards the speechless Kaze and pointed. "Get the hell out of our way! Managi may think you're worth a crap, but to me you're nothing but garbage! Got it? Now scram!"
Kaze opened and closed his mouth several times but no words came out. Seemingly defenseless and distracted, one of the remaining spectres took that moment to dive bomb him. Streaking towards him like a bat out of hell, the demon was almost right on top of Kaze when the the blue demon snatched it out of the air in a single, lightning fast motion.
The brute chuckled a bit as the spectre squirmed uselessly in its grip. It seemed to enjoy the act of crushing its spirit as it floundered about helplessly, letting loose smaller and smaller bursts of flame as it's will to fight faded. But the novelty quickly wore out and the soon the brute crushed the unfortunate demon to dust in its grasp. Turning back towards Kaze, the ninja couldn't help but stare at the hole that went through the blue demon's head. "Are you still here?"
"Uhh- yes?"
"Well move it!" The demon shouted, brandishing his weapon towards the spectres. "Or do you think you can fight these demons on yer own?"
"Well no-" Kaze began.
"Then get outa the bloody way!" The demon finished. "As I said before, Managi likes ya. If you die on my watch, Ongyo-ki will have my ass, and I am far too important for that."
This was all too weird. Demons helping them? Now he had seen everything. "O-okay then. I-I- guess I'll go hide then?"
"WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?!"
With that the ninja bolted back towards the fortress, the sounds of battle beginning to grow behind him as he sprinted.
"Come on Lilith just a little more!" Felicia begged. The spectres darted after them through the trees. The faint light they emitted playing off of their faces and causing the shadows to dance ominously. "We've only a little more until we're back at camp, and then Mozu can help us! You saw how good she was with a bow! I-I'm sure she can…"
"It's- It's too much Felicia," Lilith panted as the world around her faded in and out of focus. "The blast back at the Fortress… I used too much energy." Lilith stopped and lowered Corrin's legs. "You- you take Corrin. Make it back to the camp. With Mozu's help, get Corrin back to town. Find a doctor. Get him healthy."
"W-what about you?" Felicia gasped. "You can't just stay here. Those creatures will catch up to us any second now!"
Lilith continued to pant, but somehow she managed to force a smile through the fatigue. "Which is why you need to get Corrin to safety. I'll hold them off for as long as I can, but theres no reason for us both to die."
"But you just said you're too tired to go on!"
"If I let everything I have left all at once I may be able to take them with me. Besides they're demons. Your weapons won't do anything." Lilith replied, cutting her off. "Now go! Quick before-"
"ThERe tHeY ArE! gET ThEM!" Thirteen spectres burst out of the canopy above them, their spectral faces set into a collection of matching sneers. Their auras crackled and glowed with the color of green embers. It wouldn't be long until they began to attack them, and without Corrin to help and Lilith exhausted, there was little chance of survival, let alone victory. They were trapped.
"They find us…," Lilith finished in despair. "Well. I suppose this is it Felicia. It's... been an honor serving Lord Corrin by your side."
"S-same to you Lilith. I always kind of thought of you as a little sister," Felicia replied, near tears. "I wish I'd been able to say goodbye to Flora one last time."
Fire sputtered into existence at the Spectres' commands. A hundred hovering torches ready to incinerate the two women as well as Corrin. Slowly the flames grew from the size of a match light to the size of a torch, and then to the size of a campfire. As they grew larger and larger they began to vibrate, softly at first but it became more and more violent as time went on. And then, as the flames reached a fever pitch, they began to launch- only to be struck down from above.
Lightning rained down from on high, the light of which was so brilliant that the servants had to cover their bolts each the size of a carriage ripped into the spectres, popping them like little spiritual balloons. But that much energy couldn't be contained in such a week demon's body, and the bolts continued to descend, plummeting into the ground and sending shockwaves through the earth.
"W-what?!" Lilith stuttered, unable to believe her eyes. "How!?"
"Look out below!" a tiny yet exuberant voice came down from above, followed by a small ball of light. Within seconds it had closed the distance and stopped right above the ground. In a flash the light faded, revealing a perky, miniature woman with auburn hair, a blue leotard, and- were those dragonfly wings?!
Turning towards the group, the tiny demon put both hands on her hips and smiled a warm grin at the two servants, accenting the gesture with a well timed wink. "All right ladies, nice to finally meet you in person. I'm Pixie of the fairy tribe. My hobbies include drinking, making things go boom, and pulling Shin's arrogant ass out of the fire. Speaking of which, I have got a LOT of healing to do and not much time to do it in." Pixie cracked her fingers and smirked. "So, let's get started, shall we?"
Author's Note-
Thank you very much for reading! If you have questions, critiques, or predictions, please leave a review and I'll do my best to get back to you!
Demons Anarchy of Pride- Loki? Probably something completely innocuous... Yep. No schemes going on here. None.
vampireharry the 2- Thanks, sorry for the delay. Hope you enjoyed!
Disclaimer- This is a nonprofit, fan-based work. All characters and settings belong to their respective owners.
Next Time- Deadly Fury Pt. 2 (obviously)