Ch24_The Valkyrie
Hello everyone, it's been a while and I hope you are doing well. I'm slowly finding a balance between work or rest, which will hopefully lead to a creative rhythm so I can return back to writing. I hope you will enjoy this chapter as I ease back into where we left off.
The Blue Lions cautiously made their way through a silent torchlit tunnel. The air was damp and stagnant. The crudely carved craftsmanship of the rough stone felt more ancient than even the grand cathedral above ground.
"My," breathed Dimitri with admiration, "If these walls could talk, I wonder what they would say?"
"That you're far too loud," hissed Felix as his keen orange eyes scanned the tunnel's exit, "Our voices surely carry much more easily in the Abyss." Every fiber in his muscles were primed to act for what he was sure was an ambush laying in wait at the tunnel's end.
Yet, no surprise attack came as the Blue Lions entered a large chamber. The colossus space was filled with rows of immense stone columns stretching upwards and disappearing into darkness above where torchlit could not reach. Such an immense, yet enclosed space filled Byleth with unease. And her steel blue eyes quickly scanned the area searching for any movement...until she spotted one figure. A lone woman was at the far end, sitting solemnly atop a grey steed. She had bright crimson hair, matched with brilliant ruby eyes. Even though she was far away, Sylvain couldn't shake off an odd sensation that she seemed...familiar.
"She is all by herself," Dimitri voiced as the cubs came to a halt. "Surely we cannot cross blades with a lone fighter, this is hardly a fair fight."
From the far end of the chamber carried a bored lilting voice, "Wow, does it hurt to take yourself that seriously?" The steed swished its fluffy tail, yet the rider stayed still, her expression placid as she took in Blue Lions.
"Hmmmm," mused Sothis softly in the back of Byleth's mind. "I sense something about her. A befriender of all kinds...the Crest of Timotheos...yet…" Sothis seemed to shudder. "It's been twisted and warped by Dark magic," Sothis hissed the last, as if the words left a foul taste in her mouth.
The young woman eyed the Blue Lions as she noted under her breath, "There's an easier way to handle this…" However, her calm feature seemed slightly perturbed at the thought.
"Oh no!" Hitched Sothis's voice with worry.
Byleth was about to question Sothis, when the taciturn lass let out a deep sigh...
The ground suddenly shifted violently underneath the students' feet causing panic. The Lions quickly scattered, and just in time for a giant quake tore open the ground as something broke through the surface. It was a massively scaled worm-like creature. And while it was blind, it had a gaping maw full of far too many rows of teeth. The Giant Crawler whipped it's snake-like body violently about the column filled chamber, smashing into a few pillars, as its terrible ear piercing screech bounced off the walls. Chunks of ancient stone rained upon the cubs, while a large boulder narrowly missed Anette and Ashe.
It was utter chaos that the Blue Lions had not yet experienced and a test for Byleth's ability to lead. Quickly she surveyed the situation with calm steel blue eyes. One Giant Crawler, and an opponent who could not only wield Dark magic, but may be able to control this monster. The answer was clear, the Blue Lions had to split up.
"Dimitri!" Byleth called above the rumbling earth and screeching monster as she gained sight of the Prince taking refuge behind a nearby pillar. "Gather Dedue, Ingrid, Felix, Mercedes, and Ashe. Take that monster out!" Byleth commanded as she braced herself against the shivering column. All that was needed from Dimitri was a knowing nod, before he steeled himself and leapt out from the pillar to round up his squad. Byleth was delegating more upon the Prince, but that was the natural path was it not? Slowly she would fade back into the shadows and Dimitri, one day King of Faerghus, would lead them all. Byleth could only hope she will have taught the Prince well when that time came.
Tearing her dreamy eyes away from Dimitri, Byleth called to her cubs, "Dorothea, Annette, Sylvain, with me!" As if teleported, the three Blue Lions were instantly at her side. Flecks of dust upon their faces and weariness in eyes as they stayed alert for more falling boulders or toppling columns.
"We take on the lone rider, come," Byleth indicated as the small group left behind Dimitri and the challenge he faced; taking down the first monster they have ever encountered. Quickly he reviewed what they had learned about various Monsters in class from Byleth's experiences. 'Several layers of protection that would need repetitive assaults to wear down its defenses until the final blow can be dealt.' And what else, come now Dimitri, think, the sudden image of one of the Prince's daydreams floated to the surface of his mind.
Dimitri standing tall and proud upon the still body of a Giant Crawler, his lance embedded into it's thick hide, his cape whipping in the wind. 'Oh Prince Dimitri!' Came Byleth's dreamy voice as she peered up adoringly at the young man with her hands clasped under her chin in gratitude. 'Thank the goddess for your timely arrival to save us all! However can we repay you for we have not much in treasure,' Byleth added with fluttering lashes.
'Riches mean naught to me,' Prince Dimitri remarked as he ran his fingers through his blonde hair. 'Compared to the treasured kiss from one fair maiden...' A small chunk of rock thunked upon Dimitri's thick skull, snapping him out of his daydream and recalling him back to battle. "Of all the bloody times!" Dimitri groaned with exasperation, nearly smacking his forehead hard with an armored hand.
Dimitri watched as Mercedes tried to assault the Giant Crawler with magic, only to have her spells bounce right off the worm's thick hide. That was it! This monster was resilient to magic! No wonder Byleth had taken Dorothea and Annette with her! "Dedue, Ingrid, Felix, we will surround the monster on all four sides. Ashe, behind me, Mercedes, don't bother using magic against it, the scales are resilient, instead I am counting on you to keep us healed," the Prince remarked.
"You can count on me!" Mercedes acknowledged firmly.
The small team broke apart and crept towards the monster, encircling it carefully until they were in range to unleash their assaults. Dedue hacked with his axe, Felix sliced with his sword, while Dimitri and Ingrid pierced with their lances. The team was well healed by Mercedes, while Ashe's arrows whizzed through the air to rain down upon the beast. They dealt blow after blow, not only wearing down the Giant Crawler, but keeping the monster occupied as the second team continued their advance.
Byleth and her squad hid behind pillars and had seemed to have gone unnoticed by the lone rider. "We need to split up, Annette and Dorothea, keep her occupied, but don't get too close, I feel an Dark magic about her," Byleth explained calmly.
Annette perked up at this news, "Dark magic?"
Now it was Dorothea's turn to look perplexed. "What do you mean by Dark Magic?"
"Well, Dark magic is usually deemed as evil magic as it usually employs hexes and curses, which inflicts all sorts of ailments upon victims," Annette explain as the pair parted ways from the Professor and Sylvain to circumvent a path around the now stone like maze created by the thrashing Giant Crawler. "There are spells like Swarm and Poison, even one called Death!"
"Oh, how delightful," Dorothea grimaced as she braced herself against the pillar as the ground undulated under their feet.
Meanwhile Sylvain found himself at Byleth's side, and thankfully so. At the sight of the Giant Crawler, Sylvain had nearly frozen on the spot as his blood ran cold. He had seen this type of monster before, Sylvain was absolutely sure of it. But when? Where? And why? He couldn't recall for the memory seemed permanently sealed away. But that terrible screeching was too familiar for comfort. Grinding his teeth, Sylvain concentrated on Byleth's directions, the Professor's presence somewhat helped him keep his nerves, as Sylvain felt less concerned about the monster or his own untamed power. 'Calm, stoic, in control...Right, I can do this,' Sylvain thought, until he realized he had spent far too long between pillars and nearly caught the long rider's attention.
Sylvain surveyed the young woman's side profile, her tanned skin clashing beautifully with bright crimson hair. Again, it stirred a dusty memory from long since past and...'Oh crap!' his hand was tingling again, just as it had done when he was about to let loose a fireball. 'Crap crap crap!'
"Keep your head in the game Gautier," Byleth remarked, calling Sylvain back into the fight.
'Right, right, concentrate,' Sylvain thought as he shook his head and ducked behind a pillar right after the Professor.
Meanwhile Hapi was a bit perplexed as two magical spells, a hiss of flames and cutting winds were hurled in her direction. They were readily absorbed into Hapi's shield of void magic. "Mages, against a Valkyrie?" Hapi mused placidly. "How...boring...I thought the Professor had more tact than this?"
The Valkyrie unleashed her own brand of twisted dark magic, warped and vilified thanks to the personal experimentation of a certain Court Mage. 'No...I'm not giving Cornelia another thought,' Hapi scolded herself as she focused on her own magic and kept her emotions in check.
"You know, this chamber has excellent acoustics," Dorothea remarked as she let loose a crackle of lightning before ducking back behind her pillar just as a stream of nefarious fel-green magic whizzed by.
"Well, if you don't mind monster wails, then yes," Annette chirped as she dodged a dark tendril-like magic casted by Hapi that seemed to be searching out the two mages. Dorothea fanned a wave of fire at the tendril, burning the noxious magic out of existence.
"Tell me Anette, do you know this little ditty," and with that Dorothea stepped out from the stone pillar and began to sing. Annette stared at the songstress for a moment, unsure if Dorothea was a madwoman or a brilliant tactician in distraction. But quickly took in a deep breath and joined in the song from the other side of the pillar.
Well, now Hapi was definitely distracted as she was taken aback by the sudden chorus of melodious singing, mixed terribly with the wailing of the Giant Crawler, and ruckus of steel with crashing stone. This was the most entertained Hapi had been in quite a long while. But as usual, all fun must come to an end, especially when locks of fiery red hair crept into Hapi's periphery and an explosive fireball was launched right at her.
A hot, crackingly mass of volcanic energy bashed right through Hapi's trusty void shield and nearly smashed into the Valkyrie had the trajectory not been off course. She quickly followed the flash of fiery red that followed, only to stare down at a face Hapi had long since lost hope of ever seeing again.
Sylvain had prepared himself to pounce upon the rider and take her down by force since his magic had not done the trick. Yet all thought of violence left his body instantly as he found himself staring into glimmering ruby iris within eyes that widened at his sudden appearance. Somewhere in the back of his mind came a serene clearing in the wild forest of Faerghus. A circle of woodland creatures entranced...by a girl with crimson hair and wondrous ruby eyes.
Hapi, her hidden spot, safe from the cruelty of magic...until a child with equally flaming hair to her own, stumbled upon the clearing...
The Valkyrie was recalled to the present as a delicate, but deliberate pressure of a pointed blade pressed into her other side, demanding her attention.
"Call the monster off," Came Byleth's calm, yet authoritative demand.
Hapi blinked, breaking the spell between her and Sylvain as she turned her attention to the Professor, then at the Giant Crawler who was still in battle with the remaining cubs. This time, instead of sighing, Hapi hummed, a low musical hum...that made Sylvain nearly sway on the spot as that nostalgic tug at the back of his mind again. The Giant Crawler, slowed in its assault as if placated by the Valkyrie's hum. Carefully, it receded into the tunnel, back into depths even deeper than the Abyss.
Hapi stopped her humming and glanced back at the Professor, as if to say, 'I held my end of the bargain, now it is your turn.' Byleth nodded, and withdrew her sword, sheathing it back to her side. A silent understanding between the two that the battle had been won. Without another word, Byleth turned upon her heels to check her upon her cubs, leaving Hapi and Sylvain in silence. Once more Hapi turned her gaze upon Sylvain, her dreamy stare unnervingly reminding him a lot of the Professor.
"You're chaos," Hapi blandly stated.
"I...excuse me?" Sylvain responded, feeling slightly affronted.
"Your magic, it's very chaotic, no wonder you're having a hard time controlling it," Hapi explained dully. "And your aim is abysmal," she added shrewdly.
Sylvain's huffed as he crossed his arms across his armored chest. This woman was just insulting him left and right! The very nerve! "Pfft, and what would you know of chaotic magic?" Sylvain growled as he shifted his weight upon his other leg and cocked a brow up at the rider.
'Experimented upon...subjected to it...molded by it.' Yet the words did not leave Hapi's lips. She only continued to stare down at Sylvain, as if committing his visage to memory should they never meet again.
Sylvain frowned, but stared back at first as if in a contest before noting how her eyes seemed like large rubies, crimson voids one could get lost in. There was something familiar about her eyes, and it gnawed at Sylvain that he couldn't place it. "Have we met before?" Sylvain decided to straight up ask. "I think I'd remember a beauty such as yourself," the young man added as he gave her his most charming smile.
Hapi nearly sighed, but she kept herself in check. Of course Sylvie wouldn't remember her, how he had helped her that day she tried to escape...how he reminded her that there was some good in the world. But, it looked like that sweet boy had grown into someone completely differently.
The wallflower Hapi had become, held her emotions in check, and flatly replied, "No, no we haven't."
I hope you like the little side twists I'm weaving with the Ashen Wolves. I've taken a little more liberty with Hapi's influence over monsters, but I hope it's a nice take on it. I still have yet to complete the DLC, but it's been fun so far! Comments, likes, and follows are greatly appreciated!