The moment when battle is joined is unlike anything else Kaze has ever known. The armies come together with a roar, a mighty swell of a sound, like a wave crashing onto a beach, but much more violent. Those unlucky enough to be on the front lines either fall or fight tooth and nail to make it through alive. Arrows fly through the air, a deadly cloud, indiscriminate; even a friendly archer can accidentally harm their own side in the chaos of a fight. Cavalry thunders through soldiers on foot, pegasi and wyverns fight overhead, and magic spells thread the air with electricity and heat. Swords clash, spears break, and axes are flung.
But the work of a ninja is altogether different than a regular soldier. Ninja, much like assassins, require stealth and speed. They venture into the enemy lines undercover, using the muddled fight to their advantage, and aim for high ranking commanders. They weaken forces when they can; they poison, trick, and injure before they can be noticed and disappear when they're spotted. They dispatch enemies silently and mercilessly. One dagger or shuriken to the throat, through the back, or angled up the rib cage is all it takes before they're off. There are no drawn out fights or honorable moments for a ninja, but it is still one of the most important, and perhaps the most dangerous, job in the army.
Kaze has trained all his life for this, has already survived and helped win many battles despite his relative youth. But in Hoshido, he was merely one ninja of an entire tradition. In Nohr, he is the only one of his kind, and he must face his old masters for the sake of his new ones. He dreads it, but he does as he's told. He knows the value of obedience and loyalty in a fight.
If, by fighting his friends and his own brother, he can somehow protect Lady Corrin and Lady Azura, he will gladly lay down his life.
If he dies here, he hopes the princess Azura will not shed too many tears... or perhaps, he hopes that if she does, it will be the last thing he sees.
With a sickening thud, Azura's javelin hit its mark. She hurried forward to retrieve it from her opponent's body, painfully aware of all the armed soldiers less than a stone throw away.
I shouldn't have thrown it, for the gods sake, what a fool I am!
She gripped the shaft and used her foot as leverage on the man's chest; she tried not to notice his Hoshidan armor, or look at his face, shadowed by his helmet. A second later the blade pulled free, and she spun around to face the next fighter.
Sweat trickled down her brow as she brought the javelin down and tried to parry a swing of his sword. He had gotten much too close in the moment it took her to free her weapon, and now she was unable to counter properly. Her range was working against her.
I can't die here, not yet, she thought wildly, trying to circle away from the swordsman. He was fast on his feet, almost a match with her. This can't be it, they need me, Corrin still needs my song!
She was pushed backward and to her horror, she felt her balance go out from under her; the swordsman had angled her toward the corpse of the man she'd just killed, and used it to trip her.
He raised his sword up high above her fallen body, his eyes flashing.
"Death to the traitor!"
She shut her eyes, willing it to be over quickly.
"Azura!"
There was the sound of clashing metal and a series of screams, followed by an inhuman cry, and Azura opened her eyes to see a mighty, plated dragon pinning down a lifeless form, its razor sharp claws bloodied.
"Corrin!" Azura shouted, scrambling to her feet. The dragon that was Corrin gave a roar and in a flash of light she shrunk back down into her human limbs, still crouched on all fours, her hand crushing the man's bloody throat. Her face was contorted into a horrible grimace, her sharp, fang-like teeth protruding forward like an animal. There was a wild, crazed look in her eyes. She's still a dragon, Azura realized. She felt her blood turn to ice and she ran forward, grabbing at Corrin's arm. "No, Sister, stop! That's enough, he's dead!"
Corrin turned to face her, her reptilian eyes full of hate and anger, but a moment later she blinked and she seemed to come back to herself.
"Azura, are you all right?!" she said, pulling herself away from her kill and taking hold of Azura's shoulders. All traces of the dragon were gone; if it weren't for those red irises or the bloodied fingers, no one would suspect that such a worried, kind-looking girl could become a cold-blooded killer at will.
Wasn't the dragonstone supposed to protect her from the dragon's mind?!
"I'm fine," Azura assured her, shaking her head. "Thank you, but- behind you!" she shouted suddenly, pushing Corrin aside and lunging her spear forward. She only just managed to prevent her sister from being injured, but she hardly had time to think about it. Several Hoshidans and Chevois had detached themselves from the battle and were trying to surround them.
"Kill the monster first!" One of them shouted. Azura heard Corrin unsheathe her sword and the battle enclosed around them once more.
Laslow wasn't having a particularly good day. It wasn't the battle, exactly; war was second nature to him by now, and while the Chevois rebels were well-trained, they hardly numbered among the worst that Laslow had ever faced. The Hoshidan faction led by Prince Takumi was a tad more challenging, but compared to the hordes of the undead, why should he fear a live archer unit?
He and Peri were a good team, whatever he thought about her personally. She provided the cover he needed with her reckless charges on horseback and her mad cackling was a perfect distraction for him to flank enemies without their noticing. Should things go sour, Lord Xander always fought nearby, his sword Siegfried flashing through the dim Nohrian light.
It wasn't too difficult a fight, at least, not for him. But that was precisely what was making him so moody.
From their position at the top of the hill, he could see the entirety of Cheve spread out beneath them, but it hardly looked like a town anymore. Smoke billowed from the houses, the river ran red with blood, and the din of battle was everywhere. He could just make out the Nohrian standards among the Chevois and Hoshidan banners, so he had a rough idea of where everyone was, but it was still difficult to make out what was going on, and if all his friends were faring well.
I'm not worried about Selena or Odin, he thought as he half-heartedly skewered through a man's broken armor with his sword. Selena is as fierce as anyone from back home, and Odin can be as daunting as Peri, what with his ridiculous battle cries. He pulled the blade free and slashed at the next challenger, his thoughts elsewhere. It can't be easy for Lady Corrin, he sighed. He cast an eye toward the river, where he knew she and Lady Azura had made their stand. Just across the bridge was the Hoshidan prince's standard; if all went well for the Nohrians, the two princesses would have to fight and defeat their own brother. What made it worse was that Kaze was among Corrin's men.
He seems sincere, but if that Hoshidan bastard even thinks of betraying milady...!
With a brutal slash, his enemy fell back, screaming. Where there had previously been an arm, there was only blood and bone.
"Milady, we need to fall back!"
Corrin hardly registered the voice as she held up her shield to block a particularly powerful blow. She grimaced at the pain from the impact but quickly prepared her Yato to strike back.
"Lady Corrin!"
This time she did notice; she turned her head slightly to see Felicia fighting tooth and nail with her dagger, her hair completely bedraggled and covered in gore. Jakob had fallen just behind her, slumped to the ground and clutching at his stomach. His face was abnormally pale.
"Jakob!" she cried in alarm, but she couldn't turn away from the woman currently fighting her. Felicia can't heal him, not while she's fighting!
"Corrin, look out!"
She looked up at Azura's voice, just in time to see a burst of light raining down at her. She jumped back hastily, only just managing to dodge it.
What on Earth?!
"Traitor!"
The voice was so powerful that everyone in the immediate vicinity dropped their weapons and turned to watch. It was hard to see his figure in the harsh light of the enchanted arrow on the Fujin Yumi, but Corrin could just make out the fierce eyes and scowl of her youngest brother by blood, the second prince of Hoshido.
"Ta-Takumi!"
"Shut up! You have no right to address me, treacherous Nohrian!" he shouted, his voice full of hate. He trained his arrow straight at her heart.
"No! I didn't betray-" she cried, but he cut her off with a high, cruel laugh.
"You didn't betray us?! You, who willingly chose to fight for the country that stole you from us? Don't make me laugh, sister," he hissed. Corrin felt tears sting at her eyes. I never meant to hurt you, little brother... please, understand!
"Takumi, she had no choice-!" Azura had somehow made her way forward to stand a little way off from Corrin. Her voice was high and strained. Oh, Azura... Corrin thought, her heart aching. This is already so hard for me, I can't imagine what it's like for her.
"You! You have the nerve to defend her after leaving us, after all we did for you?!" he screamed, his arrow now aimed at Azura. "You Nohrians are all alike, traitorous, filthy, scum! You'll die here for your crimes!"
"Please, brother! Don't!" Corrin screamed, but it was in vain. As if in slow motion, she saw his fingers release the bowstring, saw the arrow of light launch forward.
NO! AZURA!
She threw herself in front of Azura, her dragonstone all but forgotten. I won't make it in time, she thought wildly, her blood pounding in her ears like a war drum. No, please, anything, ANYONE, but not Azura! Not her!
A strange silence fell around them, broken only by the horrible thud of an arrow burying itself in human flesh.
"No!" Azura cried as Corrin tumbled to the ground. She blinked, dazed.
Did I... make it? She felt no pain, other than the soreness from falling and the injuries she had already accrued in the battle. A feeling of dread spread through her stomach.
"Azura!" she shouted, scrambling to her feet. But the scene in front of her was very different from what she'd expected.
"K-Kaze?!" Takumi's incredulous voice echoed through the cold air. He'd dropped his bow arm in pure shock, and he'd gone rather white.
Seconds before the arrow hit its mark, Kaze had appeared from nowhere, arms stretched wide, to shield both Corrin and Azura. The arrow had lodged itself deeply into his shoulder before it disappeared, leaving a deep, gaping wound. He fell to his knees and groaned, clutching at his injury as the blood soaked through his clothes.
"Kaze! No!" He heard Azura hurry forward and a moment later her concerned, golden eyes were inches away from his own. Her cheeks were wet, her hands trembling as she reached for his shoulder. "Why?!" she cried, turning to face Takumi. "How could you, Takumi?! The brother I knew would never shoot an unarmed opponent!" she shouted accusingly, angry tears gleaming in the corners of her eyes.
"Sh-shut up!" the prince replied, furious. "Kaze, what the bloody hell is going on?! Hinoka couldn't find you after the battle at the Rainbow Sanctuary, we all thought you'd been killed!"
Kaze winced; the wound was deeper than he'd bargained for.
"I apologize for causing you undue distress, Prince Takumi," he said, as calmly as he could. "But fate had other plans for me."
Takumi simply looked bewildered. "Other... plans?"
"Yes. Please, forgive me for this," he said sadly. He turned his eyes slightly upward. "Beruka, now!"
The roar of a wyvern cut through the silence and Camilla's assassin plunged forward, axe held aloft.
Silently, but with a cruel fierceness, she leapt from her mount at the last moment and plunged her weapon into Takumi's arm.
"AGH!" The prince managed to pull away just in time to avoid losing his bow arm, but it hung uselessly at his side, blood pouring down his wrist. A samurai and a diviner jumped from the crowd to block Beruka's next strike.
"Prince Takumi!" the samurai called urgently. "Hurry, get to the monks! We'll cover you!" he said, and both armies, which had been captivated by the scene in front of them, suddenly sprung into action.
"Kaze, you bastard!" Takumi shouted, moving away from the fight. "You've betrayed your country, your own brother! Saizo will have your head, you two-faced dog!"
Let my brother come, Kaze thought sadly. I will do whatever it takes to protect milady... no, to protect both of my princesses.
"For Nohr!" shouted the knight Silas, leading the cavalry forward.
"For Cheve, for Hoshido!" came the reply from the other side. Battle was joined once more with a horrible clashing of swords, and Kaze saw Lady Corrin rush toward him in the ensuing chaos, Felicia and her staff in tow.
It was night before the rebels were subdued and the Hoshidans were forced to flee. The Nohrian forces gave a tired cheer of victory as Prince Xander and Princess Corrin led the rebellion leader, a woman by the name of Scarlet, through the crowd, her arms tied behind her back and looking downcast.
"Just kill me, already! I'd rather die than continue being a dog of Nohr!" she yelled. "Kill me, like you've killed all the rest of us, you monsters!"
Corrin shook her head. "No," she said simply. "We don't kill prisoners of war, and we don't kill anyone who is unarmed."
Scarlet fought against her restraints, but Charlotte and Benny held her firmly by the shoulders.
"Don't resist, lady," Charlotte said sharply. "We'll have to rough you up a bit unless you cooperate."
"So do it!" she snarled, spitting at Charlotte. "Bloody Nohrian dogs, I know you'll have me killed as soon as I'm out of view anyway, may as well show your true colors now!"
"You're wrong!" Elise shouted, clutching her staff. "We're not like that! Corrin would never lie, and we'd never kill someone who surrendered!"
"Elise, don't," Xander warned. "She'll believe what she wants to believe," he said sternly. "Benny, Charlotte, escort her to the travel point-"
"DIE, TRAITORS!"
An arrow whizzed through the crowd, and with a horrible gurgling noise lodged itself in Scarlet's throat. She choked for a moment, blood trickling from her lips.
"I... knew... it..." she coughed. She fell forward, lifeless. Her eyes stared emptily at nothing, reflecting the light of the torches.
"What?!" Corrin cried, looking around frantically. At the same moment, a chorus of screams erupted from the prisoners gathered near the river. Xander roared with anger.
"Cease this at once!"
A group of soldiers had beset the prisoners; they were slaughtering everyone, from the elderly and the children to the warriors who had surrendered peaceably. Corrin recognized the leader of the massacre as one of her father's men.
"Hans, stop!" she shouted, horrified. She ran forward, unsheathing her sword. "There are innocent villagers here, you can't do this! Stand down, now!"
"Villagers, aye, but they're still traitors who sided with rebel scum," the cruel man answered, completely at ease. There was a terrible smile on his face as he watched his men at work. "Don't worry, milady, you'll have your share of the fun," he grinned. Corrin's blood froze.
"Hans, you wretched creature!" Leo bellowed. "As your commander, and as your princess, Corrin has given you an order! Call the men off!"
"I'm sorry, milord," Hans bowed. "My orders come directly from King Garon. I have no authority to stop," he said. He doesn't look sorry in the least! Corrin thought, her hand gripping her Yato tightly. "If the sight of blood so unnerves you, milady, please do rest elsewhere." He walked away.
"Come back here, you coward!" Corrin shouted, feeling her blood boil with a dragon's rage. But before she could transform, a firm hand took her shoulder.
"Corrin, darling, stop. There's nothing we can do." She looked up to find Camilla sighing. "If Father has ordered this, we cannot go against his wishes. Even a princess of Nohr would be punished harshly for insubordination."
"But, Camilla, we can't let this stand!" Corrin said. She felt ill. "All these people, they'll die!"
"I know, dear. But it's the way it must be."
"No! Xander, stop them!" She was on the verge of tears now, she could hardly believe that her kind elder sister would ever condone such an act of brutality. But Xander merely looked uncomfortable and pained.
"I'm sorry, little princess... Camilla speaks true."
Corrin looked frantically around her, but Leo and Elise had similar expressions. They wouldn't catch her eye, and Azura was nowhere to be found.
"No... no!" She shook Camilla off and fled, away from her brothers and sisters, away from her Father's cruelty.
Laslow was too far back in the crowd to see all that had happened or to hear what was said between the royal family, but when he saw Corrin bolt and make for the woods on the edge of Cheve, he knew something terrible must have happened.
I think... I think she was crying. He wasn't close enough to be sure, but she had been covering her mouth and he was sure he saw her wipe at her eyes with her sleeve. He had never known Lady Corrin to cry in public; she was certainly emotional and kind, but even as a child, she had never allowed herself to break down in tears near her siblings. If she did cry, it was when she thought no one was looking. The thought of that proud, fierce girl sobbing her heart out made Laslow's heart ache.
"Peri, if Lord Xander asks, I went for a walk," he said hastily, not waiting for her response.
"Laslow, what in the world-?" she called after him. "Come back here! Laslow!"
He pretended he couldn't hear as he half ran, half slid down the incline and hurried after the princess.
She couldn't be sure how far she'd gone before she tripped on a root and landed on her face. She lay there, ashamed and disgusted, not bothering to pick herself up. The woods were utterly silent, except for the sound of her own breath, ragged and catching on her sobs.
How can they just accept this?! How can they?! Father is one thing, but Xander and the others... I thought they were better than this!
A long, pained cry escaped her, and she dug her fingernails into the dirt. Was I wrong?! Did I choose the wrong side?! Those poor people... and Takumi! My... my own brother... I never meant to betray him... I thought, when I made my choice, that it was for the sake of protecting people... If I could change how Nohr fought this war... I killed so many people today, believing I was doing the right thing... and for what?! I thought it was for peace... I thought I was fighting to change things... But if in the end, I can't do a thing to save anyone, what did it all matter?! What have I done?!
She had never allowed herself to cry the way she was now. Every wail, every terrible sound that heaved from her lungs filled her with sorrow and misery. Her hair was plastered onto her face, her hands covered in dirt, her throat sore. She found it didn't matter; her heart would burst from pain if she didn't let it empty out into the cold night air.
"Princess..."
She looked up sharply and found the last person she cared to see watching her, a pitying expression on his face.
"Go away!" she growled, too miserable to move. Laslow didn't budge.
"Milady... I don't know what happened but... if you'll permit me-"
"I said, GO AWAY!" Her voice changed, became a heavy, wild roar, and before she knew it she was baring her teeth like a wounded animal.
He took a cautious step back. "Lady Corrin, please... I just-" She roared again, but this time her body followed. Long, leathery wings sprouted from her back, her tail coiling round her armored legs. She growled, low and threatening, but when Laslow refused to move further, she merely stretched her wings and shot through the trees as if they were nothing more than blades of grass in the wind.
Hot, boiling anger surged through her veins, not unlike the way it had when Azura was nearly killed in the battle. There were times when her anger and fear were so in sync with the ancient dragon that they became of one mind; it wasn't the same as when she lost control, but it did make her feel less like a human and more like an animal. In those moments, she was still herself, but the person she called herself was someone she'd long forgotten existed. She was both woman and dragon, bound by emotions that burned and flowed like currents through a flame.
For some reason, as she flew over the trees with her heart breaking, she thought of Azura. She hadn't seen her since the battle had ended, but Corrin had a sudden, overpowering need to see her, to speak with her. Of all her siblings, surely Azura would never condone what had happened to Scarlet and the others. Surely Azura would understand what it was like, to be so bound by love and hate to the point that she could not tell the two sensations apart.
Azura... Azura! She called her name, that beautiful, melancholy name, as loudly as she could, her dragon's roar shattering the silence of the night.
Laslow watches her go, unable to do a thing to stop her. Not that he would try, even if he could; only a fool would try to stop a dragon in its tracks.
He can't imagine the kind of pain she must be going through. He doesn't know what's happened, exactly, but he knows that she already had to face her brother in battle and that war has never been something natural to her. Killing comes easily to him after all these years, but it isn't as if he doesn't know how difficult it is, coming to terms with the blood on one's hands. He was once just as overwhelmed and tired of it all; he still is, if he's honest with himself.
But Corrin is different. She's wild, and beautiful, and every bit as fierce as her men when she must be... but she's no Nohrian. She was raised in a war-hungry world but her heart remained kind and forgiving. She understands there are things she must do, but she doesn't relish them, or enjoy her role. She's not even like Selena, or Odin, or Laslow himself; they grew up in a hopeless world, where every day of life had to be earned and idealism could only go so far. They were mere children when they had to face hopelessness firsthand; they had no choice. Corrin did, and Laslow knows it's going to haunt her for the rest of her life.
If he dies here in this world, if he can never return home to his friends and family, he hopes he will at least be able to do something, anything, to ease this poor girl's heart.
Notes: I know that Charlotte and Benny technically join in the Chevois map, but I wrote them in much earlier. For the purposes of fiction, several characters have had their recruitment shuffled around, which is why all the royals and their retainers are also already part of the army despite them joining at different points in the game.
Every chapter in this story features a bit of a time skip, which the bolded portions help to establish. They also act as a sort of mirror for the two female and two male characters; they're foils of one another, but also have more in common than they realize.
I hope you've enjoyed the story so far! If you have the time, I'd love to hear your opinions, so please drop a comment from time to time. Thank you so much for reading!~