A/N:
Posted: May 21st, 2017
Last Updated: May 29th, 2017
Views as of Posting: 12 257
I hope you enjoyed Flora's Paralogue. Our cast is getting pretty big. We might have to shrink it soon…
All changes are purely stylistic and do not impact the story. Efforts will be made to minimize these types of changes in the future.
Now, onto the story…
"Even enemies are not indifferent to honorable deeds."
- Arrian of Nicomedia, Anabasis of Alexander
Chapter 12: Rebellion (Corrin, Leo, Jakob)
"I have one more trick up my sleeve…"
Corrin said confidently. He peered from the alleyway into the larger street. Families were beginning to flee their houses. The bell tower was still ringing loudly, and a cold breeze began picking up on the ground. He could hear soldiers running down other streets, worried that the village was being attacked from the outside. If the group of six did not move, they would be discovered shortly.
"No way to stop the rebellion now." Jakob commented. "How do we rescue Flora? We cannot search the whole village."
"Flora won't be far away. We saw her commanding those soldiers." The prince replied. "She'll be at the forefront of the battle, at least."
He closed his eyes and thought hard.
The main armory.
The bell tower.
The administrative dome.
The luxury house Kilma invited them for dinner in.
Those were the four locations that interested him. He created a quick mental map.
The armory was close to all of them – only the administrative dome was far away from the rest. Going to all four buildings would take too much time. He sorted through the possible paths through all of them. Only one possibility remained.
"Our objective is capture either Flora or her father to end the battle." Corrin decided. "We'll split into two teams to look for them."
Felicia interrupted worriedly. "What are you planning to do with them?"
"We'll decide when we find them." The prince reassured. "One will search the luxury house, the other will search the bell tower. Regroup at the armory afterwards. If we haven't found anyone by then, we'll run to the administrative dome."
He knew his instructions were hectic, so he gave his friends some seconds to figure everything out. The five Nohrians thought about the route. One by one they started understanding the plan. Three of them would go to the house first, then the armory, and then the dome. The other three would follow the exact same pattern, except they would go to the bell tower first.
"What equipment do we still have?" Corrin asked anxiously.
"We still have those five lances Flora's troops dropped." Arthur said.
Elise raised her hand. "My staff was hidden in my dress! It's still there!"
Felicia called out. "Me too!"
(Five lances, two staffs. We can have a healer on each team.)
Everyone turned towards Jakob, the third Nohrian who studied healing magic.
"As you can see, I do not possess such resourceful hiding spots." He retorted.
"Okay. How 'bout this?" Corrin said. "Team one. Jakob, Elise, and Effie will take the bell tower. Team two. Felicia, Arthur, and I will take the luxury house."
"Sounds good to me." Effie shrugged indifferently.
The choices came to his mind immediately. No team can have Felicia and Jakob together, lest they be too underpowered. They just did not have the strength to use the lances proficiently. His former servants had no problems with the setup either.
"Excuse me!" Arthur protested. "Why am I the only one separated from my master?"
(We don't have time to argue about this!)
"Come on Arthur!" Elise replied. "Think of it as bonding time with my brother!"
"Ye, Lady Elise!" The proud man bowed.
Corrin was taken aback at the amount of control his sister held over the retainer.
"Good. I estimate they'll take twenty minutes to fully mobilize." He exclaimed. "Take your weapons and get moving! We'll meet everyone at the armory!"
"Yes, milord!" The others responded.
[…]
The Nohrians grabbed their weapons and dashed off in their groups. Everyone was equipped with a lance except for Elise, who was not powerful to use one anyways. Corrin, Arthur and Felicia grabbed the foreign weapons and exited the alleyway. The prince relied on his memory to find the way back to the luxurious house.
Being so large compared to its surrounding dwellings, it was a hard building to forget. They eventually reached a recognizable street and ran westwards. On the way towards the tome, past the fleeing families, they bumped into a patrol of five soldiers armed with lances and clubs. Arthur and Felicia froze completely.
Corrin narrowed his eyes. "That was fast!"
"It's the Nohrians!" One of them said. "Get them!"
The tribal adversaries turned towards the intruders.
"Lord Corrin!" Arthur hissed. "Any tips on fighting with lances? I've always been a swinger!"
"Basic gist is hold it with two hands and stab forwards." Corrin said. "Uh… crap."
Xander had taught him very little on the subject of spear-like weapons, other than to avoid them as a sword user. Panic engulfed his mind as he realized Ganglari was missing. Father would fume if he realized the sacred weapon disappeared.
(That's not important right now!)
"Charge!" A warrior ordered.
"Milord, get ready!" Arthur said.
The warriors were closing in. Two savages with clubs fronted the attack. Three lancers were at the back. With a huge bout of speed, the two savages charged forward, far in front of their lancer friends.
"Die, wench!"
"Ahh!" Felicia screamed in fear.
One of them swung their brass club at Arthur. The retainer raised the lance sideways to block. He held it incorrectly. The impact from the blunt instrument broke the weapon into two immediately, leaving him with two broken sticks.
The second savage aimed for Felicia. The maid quickly jumped out of the way, letting him only hit thin air.
Corrin moved in from behind and stabbed the savage beside the armpit.
"Grahh!" The savage dropped the club in pain, attempting to remove the lance from his body. Corrin reluctantly pressed the stick in deeper, trying to delay his attempts. He knew he was striking a nonlethal part of the body.
"Arthur! The club!" the prince shouted.
The retainer saw the brass weapon on the floor, dropped his broken sticks, and dove for the weapon. The unwounded savage saw what happened to his friend and rushed forward to grab it as well.
The three lancers finally caught up to their comrades and were spreading out behind them, squeezing the Nohrians inward.
Arthur managed to get the club first but as he pulled away the second savage scored a hit on his leg. The spiked weapon clipped through, making him groan in agony. Felicia gasped and swung her weapon forward, trying to shoo him away.
The savage that Corrin was fighting had finally freed himself from the iron lance. Having his weapon taken away, there was nothing he could do. The man retreated down the street to seek medical attention. One down.
"You alright, Arthur?" Corrin shouted.
"Y-Yeah! Nothing can stop true heroism!"
The man's pain turned into rage as he lifted himself up from the ground. He took the club and swung heavily the remaining savage.
The foe dodged away easily. Felicia took out her staff and quickly healed Arthur's lower injury before hopping away again.
The three lancers finally entered the fray. Two of them targeted Arthur, while the other targeted Corrin. The savage targeted the prince as well, realizing that Felicia was not very competent at fighting.
In the two-on-one situation Corrin found himself in danger. He had never been trained to handle such a battle. There was only one Xander after all.
He stabbed forward again, trying to hit the lancer. The prince hit the warrior's shoulder armor, which deflected the tip upwards.
The enemy soldier responded with a stab of his own, quickly piercing Corrin's leg.
Before he could even screech in pain, the savage came in and clubbed the prince in the abdominal region
"Gak!"
He was propelled backwards due to the impact. Trickles of blood came from his leg and stomach.
"Dammit…"
Arthur was having much better luck with his new weapon. He had broken one of his opponent's lances and was sparring with another.
Felicia had moved in and quickly healed Corrin's wounds. As the maid jumped back she waved her lance around, ready to fight despite her poor form.
The remaining four Ice Tribe soldiers decided to back off. They spoke to each other briefly before running off in the opposite direction.
"Huh?" Felicia tilted her head. "Did we scare them off?"
Corrin disagreed. "There were only four of them. They realized they were probably going to lose against a team with a healer."
(If there were more, we'd be done for…)
Arthur helped Corrin back up. He sighed heavily. The Ice Tribe was remarkably well-trained for a rebellion army. It did not help none of them dropped a sword, either. Felicia inspected the two males and gave them the okay sign.
"Alright guys." The young prince grimaced. "Let's hurry to the house!"
Leo sat on a bench by a lone cedar tree, in the middle of nowhere, with a bag of gold. He was reading a book – Minuteman Horsemanship – by an old Nohrian soldier. The text was a bit outdated, even referencing the use of war chariots at some points. The thought of riding on a small carriage behind a horse, rather than on the horse itself, amused the dark prince. Still he found the novelty book a gem.
In the distance, he finally saw the person he needed. A youthful woman was riding on a small brown mare. Leo was surprised his partner came late in the first place. To the Gatekeeper, time was money. The horse neighed, pulling to a stop. The young woman jumped off of its back and landed elegantly.
"Anna." The prince greeted.
"Prince Leo!" Anna bowed. "My favorite client!"
"I believe I owe you something."
The prince tossed over his bag. Anna grabbed the gold and weighed them with her hands. The three gold bars all had the official Nohrian seal engraved on them. Satisfied, the redhead tied up the bag and swung it over her shoulders.
"Thanks!" She smiled. "Though, why was your purchaser short three bars in the first place? I thought you gave him thirty to begin with."
"Who knows?" Leo said. "Maybe he saw a really nice tunic in Paesali."
"Doubt it. His look's the type to get scammed easily. Better keep an eye on him."
(There's everyone making fun of my brother again.)
"Ah well, his loss." She grinned.
The redhead sat down next to the prince, a friendly yet false expression on her face. It was still morning, and the War Council was preoccupied. Both Xander and Camilla were serving in operations up north. For once, the dark prince was not preoccupied.
"So that 'Corrin' fellow." Anna said. "Care to explain why you needed me to tell him that information?"
The prince snorted. "I had a feeling you'd ask that."
"What can I say? I get curious quickly."
As they sat Leo looked around for his mentor. Iago had no idea who Gatekeeper was, though Leo guessed he would find out eventually. Still, he had no intention for the old man to eavesdrop on his plans. Anna scanned the area with him.
"What's wrong?" She said. "Have a mistress who gets jealous easily?"
"Guess you can say that." Leo replied simply. "I guess the coast is clear."
[…]
He laid out his plan in full. Leo had fabricated an arms dealer incident at Paesali and presented it to King Garon. He then recommended Corrin investigate the matter, as reprimand for his poor performance at Fort Gunter. The father eventually approved.
"Why Paesali?" The redhead asked.
"Two reasons. First, I wanted Corrin to experience a poorer region of Nohr." The prince explained. "Second, it was conveniently on route to the Ice Tribe."
His brother would then arrive at Paesali, where Anna and her not-so-hidden hideout was. Corrin expectedly found Gatekeeper, captured the weapons, and obtained information on the forthcoming rebellion. Given the urgency of the news, he had no choice but to set off immediately.
"The information I gave him." Anna cut in. "How did you know that the disappearance at Krakenburg had a connection to the Ice Tribe?"
(She's talking about Flora)
"We caught a spy sneaking a message to one of former maids, a few days before she disappeared." Leo explained. "He was executed yesterday."
"Tough."
Leo had read through Corrin's report at the border. The prince became interested in the flammable bottles used to burn down North Bridge. He purchased some from Anna, who stole them from the Flame Tribe, and gave them to his retainers. They were to meet up with Corrin at an abandoned hunting lodge.
He then gave his retainers orders to assassinate the chieftain. Set something important on fire to distract the army. Eliminate Kilma in the confusion. Corrin did not need to do anything, except be present at the village and take credit for the attack. He would then return as a proper Nohrian hero. Even lord Iago could be impressed.
The redhead breathed. "Hmm. I understand why you want to knock off the leader, but you could have done the whole thing without Corrin. Why give him the credit?"
"Niles and Odin's presence at the assassination must be kept off the report." Leo explained. "Corrin can take that role. Furthermore, I plan to increase my brother's prestige at the War Council. He could help my plans in the future."
"You're turning him into a pawn?"
"Two people are fighting over that right."
"Well whatever the reason, it's a kind thing to do." Anna smirked. "I'm sure Corrin will be grateful."
The prince swallowed. His plan was straightforward but there were thousands of ways it could backfire. Niles and Odin have never failed him before. Even when they ran into difficulties in previous operations, they always returned unscathed.
(Who knows? They might be thinking of a detour at this point.)
"Any more questions?" Leo asked. "All I can do is to wait for them."
"Nope, that's it!" Anna stuck an arm behind her back. "Here!"
She was holding a yellow sealed envelope. Leo grabbed it out of her hands. There was a red seal on it with a silhouette of the woman's face. Her business must have grown quickly for her to afford such elegant paper.
"This is?" He asked.
"Additional information on those wares I sold to you and Corrin." She winked. "It's very important! Remember to handle them with caution!"
"…Great. Thanks."
The prince could not care less. He stuffed the letter somewhere in his carrying case and stood up from the bench. Their business was completed. He probably had four hours of horseback riding ahead of him. Six if he inspected garrisons along the way.
"Sorry. I need to get going." Leo said.
"Leaving already?" Anna complained. "Geez. I came out all the way here because you couldn't get thirty bars of gold to me. I should impose a late fee!"
The prince rolled his eyes. "Perhaps we can share an afternoon together. I bet thousands of commoners would find such an opportunity, valuable."
The woman froze. "Are you saying you'd take me out on a date?"
"Obviously that was a joke." Leo bit his lower lip. "Don't worry, I'll find a way to reimburse you properly."
"Milord. I never knew you had a sense of humor!" Anna giggled. "I almost regret putting a knife to your little sister's throat!"
"Wait." He turned around in shock. "What did you just say!?"
The young woman had the last laugh. Anna was already on her horse, riding away before he could ask any more questions. Leo stood alone, completely baffled.
Jakob's team somehow had an even worse start than Corrin's. Five minutes on route to the bell tower, they had a critical dispute. Princess Elise could not keep up with the adults. She insisted returning to the inn, to retrieve her horse. With Effie bindingly agreeing to everything the royal said, Jakob was sorely outvoted.
Flora's betrayal came as a complete surprise to him. They had known each other since she and her sister first arrived at the Northern Fortress. The butler wondered if she turned her back on Nohr from something he did.
Regardless they ran back to the place they were first ambushed. The residents in the area have already evacuated, leaving a ghost street behind them. No enemy soldiers were at the scene either – they never expected the Nohrians to backtrack.
"Ugh, keep it quick." The butler said.
Elise smiled. "Right! I'll be right back!"
He shook his head in disbelief and clutched his lance. The weapon was very crude compared to the daggers he wielded before. Only a few uses and they would surely break closer to the tip. Nohrian-grade metals were much more malleable.
"That little girl better hurry." Jakob cursed.
"That's 'princess' to you." Effie interrupted. "She'll be back soon."
The butler was still upset the knight took her master's side. "Is your first instinct always to believe that your master is in the right?"
The knight lowered her lance. The butler noticed she took offense but did he not back down. They were supposed to follow Master Corrin's orders and have reached the bell tower a long time ago. Elise's orders should not outrank her brother's.
"Are you implying something?" She said.
"Elise is bloody thirteen. I doubt she can make any coherent tactic in her mind."
"Excuse me?"
(Oh for the Dusk Dragon's sake…)
Jakob lowered his guard. "You're a retainer. You and Arthur are supposed to do what's best for your masters. That does not include blindly following their every order."
"You're being hypocritical." Effie countered. "It's not like you've argued against your precious Lord Corrin before."
"That's irrelevant." The butler took a second to reflect on his own actions. "Lady Elise doesn't know what's best for herself. Sometimes you need to step in an-"
"Hey guuuys!" The princess's voice beamed. "I found her!"
Elise was riding over quickly on a small, brown mare. The Ice Tribe did not bother taking her away strangely. Effie shot Jakob a toxic stare before running towards her master. Jakob could hear an army of footsteps approaching from behind them.
"We need to go." He nodded. "We're way behind schedule."
"O-okay!" The troubadour nodded.
The butler instinctively ran into a narrow side-street leading from the inn. The trio could here yelling in a foreign dialect begin them. Jakob almost slipped on an overturned rock but retained his balance. Houses almost identical in design were beside each other, doors open, windows locked. The bell tower, with its tall height, stuck out in the distance. The team turned into a street, then another.
[…]
It was not long before they encountered resistance. An understrength patrol of lancers and swordsmen blocked them at an intersection. The bell tower suddenly stopped ringing. The eight soldiers looked at each other in confusion.
(Why did it stop ringing?)
"This isn't good." Jakob noted.
He did not know how to fight with a lance.
"Let me at 'em!" Effie roared, dashing forward recklessly.
"Hey, wait!" The butler exclaimed.
The knight charged straight into the eight soldiers. She hit one of them with the stick side of her weapon. The female warrior was propelled backwards from the incident, thrown several feet from his friends. Her allies drew their weapons.
"Awesome!" Elise smiled. "Show those baddies a lesson!"
"What the hell is this chain of command?" Jakob spat, running to assist. "Hold on!'
Effie switched to holding her lance properly and started dueling with some swordsmen. Most of her opponents' blades plinked off her armor harmlessly. Jakob caught the attention of a lancer. The two broke off from the fight to spar on the side.
The lancer stood still, waiting. The butler clutched the lance and advanced, threatening the space in front of him.
The lancer waited for Jakob to stab, which he did. Once the Nohrian missed the Ice Tribe warrior jumped in, stabbing him in the chest.
"Ugh." He grunted.
The lancer yelled at him with foreign words.
Jakob could feel blood staining his uniform. The butler tried attacking again, but it was useless. The lancer was faster, and more proficient with his weapon.
The soldier landed another hit on the butler, close to his inner thigh. Any more to the left, and his manhood would have been compromised.
"Crud! Elise!" he called. "Do you have that healing stave?"
But the princess was tending to Effie, who had enough on her hands. Jakob clenched his stomach wound and tried standing properly.
"Watch out!"
One of the lancers ran past Effie and targeted Elise. The princess pulled on the reins in fear. The soldier stabbed forward, right into the horse's forehead.
The animal screeched and raised its front legs. Elise was thrown off, hitting the ground with a hefty thud. A swordsman saw what was happening, and joined his accomplice in attacking the horse. The mare fell on its side, twitching.
"N-no!" The troubadour cried. "My h-"
"Ingrates!" Effie lost her temper. "I'll kill all of you!"
Jakob regretted going back for the mare. He turned to face his foe, who was already on the ground.
"What?" He blurted out in surprise.
"Ughh…" The warrior groaned.
Elise had ran away from her downed horse, letting Effie do all of the fighting. It was then the servant noticed an arrow sticking out of the man's back.
"Immolation Moonbow!"
The seven remaining soldiers all ducked as a small fireball flew over their heads. Effie squatted just in time.
"What the hell!" The knight exclaimed, finding the attack a bit too close.
In caustic fear, the warriors for the Ice Tribe retreated. Two men ran into the intersection, from the other street. One carried a short bow, the other a thin tome.
"Lord Odin! Lord Niles!" The troubadour exclaimed. "Thank gods you're here!"
(Odin? Niles? These are Prince Leo's retainers, aren't they?)
"You're welcome." The slimmer man responded. "Just in the nick of time too."
Princess Elise wasted no time in patching up her horse, lifting her stave over the poor creature. All of its wounds closed over in a matter of seconds. The animal neighed in distress and stood up again. The troubadour patted its head in relieef.
"Prince Leo sent us here." Declared the man with the tome, and interesting uniform. "It was in our essence to rescue you."
"How did you get in, Niles?" Effie asked the slim man.
"We snuck into the village during the chaos." The man answered. "You can thank Odin for incinerating the armory. A damn fine arsonist if I do say so myself."
"Indeed!" Odin said proudly. "Only the most enchanted and mellifluous arson!"
Jakob's heart sank at the oddity of his apparent saviors. He approached the man with an arrow sticking out of his back.
The lancer had a dagger strapped to his waist, which the butler promptly took. He butler signaled Elise to treat the man.
The warrior gasped. "Wait, you aren't going to kill me?"
"That depends on if you run or not." Jakob frowned.
Personally he did not want to show the man mercy, but he knew the princess would protest. The man immediately fled the scene after Elise healed his wounds. The princess was pettily upset she did not receive any thanks. Jakob shook his head.
"So, what were you doing here?" Effie demanded.
Niles blinked. "That bell tower was annoying. I shot the ringer up there."
(…That high? This guy has an impressive shot!)
"So you got here first." Jakob stated. "Any sign of Flora, or the Chieftain?"
"Nope." The archer said. "We'll eliminate them later."
The bell tower was a free-standing structure, unattached to any building. Its height was impressive for being made from stone. From simply looking around the intersection, it became obvious neither of their targets were present.
"Good. We don't need to search around then!" Elise smiled. "Our next stop is the armory!"
"The armory?" Odin questioned.
"We'll explain on the way there!" The princess said. "Follow us!"
The luxury house was unexpectedly unlocked and abandoned. Prince Corrin, Arthur, and Felicia did a quick run around it before heading inside. The front entrance led to a large main room with several large portraits alongside the walls. An ornate staircase was in the center of the room, completing the splendor of the interior design.
The three looked outside before finally heading inside. The savages they thought before would bring reinforcements eventually. The inside was boarded with cypress and evergreen wood. The home was likely the residence of an esteemed politician.
"Who wants to take which floor?" Corrin asked his friends.
Felicia raised her hand. "I'll take the first!"
"I'll take the basement I suppose." Arthur said.
"Great. Just yell if you find someone, alright?" The prince nodded. "Start searching!"
Corrin dashed up the stairs. The house was more massive than he remembered. The second floor had several bedrooms and storage areas. The oak floors creaked as he ventured into one of them. It was a young woman's bedroom, with a beauty mirror on one of the tables.
The young prince looked around briefly.
"Doesn't look like anyone's here." He said to himself.
The prince opened up the closet in the room. Several pieces of clothing hung by the shelves. A beautiful white dress caught his attention – the same dress Flora wore at the dinner. Corrin closed the door in a panic and looked around the beauty table. They were in Chieftain Kilma's residence.
"Why didn't the old man say something before?" He cursed. "Come on…"
He did not find anything of interest on the desk except for a diary that he did not bother to open. The prince realized there was no evidence Flora was kidnapped and imprisoned. Unlike his friends' beliefs, the maid came back of her own volition.
He left Flora's bedroom and investigated the other spaces. The next stop was the master bedroom. A picture of a younger Chieftain Kilma and an unknown woman was hanging on the wall. Again, Corrin could not find anything of interest.
(Kilma's house's looted clean. He must've evacuated at the start of the battle.)
The prince suddenly heard some shouting outside. Corrin kept a low profile and approached the large window. He saw about thirty soldiers - three patrols-worth – marching on the streets outside. The Ice Tribe quickly secured the perimeter.
"Crud!" He cursed silently.
The prince backed off from the window and left the master bedroom. He stepped out lightly to avoid making noise and descended from the large staircase. He heard loud noises from the kitchen. He discovered Felicia there, bent down in a corner.
"Felicia what are you doing?" Corrin asked.
The maid stood up. "I-I knocked over a plate! I'm cleaning-"
"Not now! The Ice Tribe is coming!"
"Aah?"
He lunged forward and grabbed Felicia's hand. She let out a squeal as her master dragged her towards a storage closet. Corrin swung open the door, shoved Felicia inside, and then came in afterwards. They shut the wooden flaps behind them.
"Are we hiding from them?" She whispered.
Corrin nodded in the darkness. "Duh. Keep quiet."
Regrettably the closet was less spacious than they anticipated. Boxes of miscellaneous glassware occupied much of the space. The prince sighed as the two were pressed up uncomfortably together in the space. Felicia had no complaints.
The group of soldiers entered the luxury house. Corrin could only pray for Arthur to remain unspotted in the basement. He could hear the creaking of the stairs as some of the Ice Tribe went up to inspect the second floor.
"Um, milord." Felicia said. "I feel a sneeze coming."
(Now's not the time!)
He put his ear to the door and listened closely. Three soldiers had entered the kitchen. One of them was making a commotion about the broken plate.
"Ahh… ahhh!"
"Felicia! Don't!" Corrin hissed.
The Ice Tribe gradually finished their investigation so they began exiting the chieftain's home. Corrin heard their footsteps fade as they left to investigate another part of the house. The maid scrunched up her nose and lurched forward.
"…I think it's safe now." He murmured.
"Achoo!"
Before Felicia could sneeze, Corrin forced her head into his chest so the sound would be muffled. He heard the front door open again, and the sounds of several disgruntled men exiting the residence. The young prince finally opened the closet.
"Sorry about that…" Felicia rubbed her left eye.
Corrin shook his head. "Let's pretend nothing happened. I hope Arthur's alright."
The duo walked down a smaller staircase to the basement, where several candles lit the room. Arthur was an amusing sight, suspended upside down from a rope wrapped around his legs, attached to the ceiling. His club was right in front of him.
"A-Arthur?" Felicia gasped.
"Hello Friends of Justice!" The blond man proclaimed. "I have appeared to have stumbled into a trap. Care to lend a hand?"
"Hang on Arthur." Corrin said.
He and Felicia worked to help free the retainer. The prince helped Arthur to upright his body before he fell onto the floor. The basement was mostly empty, except for several barrels of alcohol and books. An old man's paradise, but nothing of interest.
"It doesn't look like they're here." The prince said.
Felicia brushed her hair back. "Nothing on the first floor."
"Basement is empty." Arthur replied as he reached down and retrieved his club.
"We're done here. The second floor only has two bedrooms and all of the storage places are completely empty." Corrin declared. "Next stop's the armory."
The three Nohrians returned to the first floor and checked the surroundings for patrols. To their dismay they saw the Ice Tribe outside. The patrol that searched the house was fighting against unidentified soldiers in the streets outside.
There were twenty of the assailants, all in unfamiliar armor, fighting the tribal warriors. They carried all sorts of weapons – swords, lances, and even a few bows. The skirmish was a stalemate as both sides failed to advance.
"Wait, someone else is attacking the tribe." Corrin asked. "Who are they?"
"I have no idea but we should help them!" Arthur suggested. "Surely they're on our side in vanquishing evil!"
A leader of the new combatants shouted and his forces got into a box formation with swords up front and lances at the side for support. They were better-trained than the Ice Tribe. They were definitely not other village locals.
"Definitely…" Felicia agreed. "I can h-heal their wounded."
Corrin scratched his ear. "Alright, I have no objections. Be careful out there."
The prince led his partners out of the building and flanked the Ice Tribe from behind. Arthur led the attack, fighting two lancers with his club. The mysterious assailants gratefully stepped up their attack in coordination with the trio.
"Come on maggots!" One of them shouted. "For Nohr!"
Corrin and Felicia started picking off wounded soldiers to the side, while Arthur simply jumped into the fray with his club. The Ice Tribe fell into ranks of confusion. Within a few minutes the tribal soldiers retreated into another street.
"Hah." One of the unknown soldiers breathed. "Those savages run fast…"
"You guys!" Corrin clutched his chest. "You're part of the Nohrian army?"
"Course." A man with a huge battleax answered for the crowd. Messy blond hair covered his right eye. "And you are?"
"Prince Corrin of Nohr."
"Prince?"
The men and women in the small group looked at each other in surprise. The burly man took a closer look at Corrin, who shrunk away from his piercing gaze. The man stepped back after seeing the royal purple insignia on his armor.
"Apologies milord." He smiled. "I'm Tarba. Humble captain of the Second Ice Tribe Garrison. Please to make your acquaintance."
The young prince blinked. He remembered reading a report about a tax collection patrol being lost in the area. He thought Tarba must have been the same captain mentioned there. Something looked oddly sinister about the man.
"Oh are we glad to see you!" Felicia sighed in relief. "We were all alone back there."
"Agreed." Corrin said. "Tarba, how did you get here? Did you know we were in trouble?"
"No, milord." The man explained. "We were actually about to escape the village before running into the damn tribesmen. We cut open the locks and ambushed our prison guards in the chaos of the battle."
(That's why they're all fully equipped.)
The soldiers bore steel weapons much higher quality than what Corrin's group had. Several of them also carried black bags behind them, probably filled with loot. Corrin did not bring attention to them. Arthur would have thrown a fit at the thievery if he found out.
"Thank goodness you're all safe." Corrin bit his lower lip. "I have a plan to end this battle on our terms. Can I count on your help, Captain Tarba?"
"Lord Corrin, we are yours to command." The man bowed.
The rest of his forces nodded reluctantly. Many of them were wounded, and wanted escape sooner than later. Felicia mixed into the crowd, trying to patch them up. The light from her stave was starting to fade from overuse.
"Perfect." Corrin said. "Follow us to the armory! We'll make it out of here alive."
The army of twenty-two followed the young prince down the street.
Leo and his mentor were sitting on one side of the interrogation table. On the other side was a scrawny man, terrified out of his life. The dark prince folded his arms in boredom. He had no idea why Iago brought him over.
"Um." The prisoner said. "I sincerely apologize for my unfortunate decisions."
"Silence." The experienced tactician spat. "I'm thinking."
"O-okay, sorry…"
The dark prince thought Iago was being overly harsh but he reminded himself of their prisoner's nature. The man was terrifyingly deceptive, capable of causing great damage. Saying the man was a "security threat" would be a severe understatement.
"I'm quite amused actually. I've never heard a story like this." Iago began chuckling. "Usually, someone who masters shapeshifting usually escape from prison cells, not run into them! Sir Zola, what mental sickness possessed you to do this?"
The dark mage was a curious individual. The alleged miscreant was caught after a prison guard noticed something was off with "Felicia". Rumor had it the guard was infatuated with the maid. He noticed key differences between the real one and her fake. The individual, who had impersonated the servant, enabled her to escape from prison. Escape, or get kidnapped by an outside force.
"I thought I was doing the right thing." Zola whimpered lamely. "I was only following instructions!"
"Who gave you these instructions?" Iago demanded.
"…I can't tell you who they are. I promised."
Leo crossed a finger over his throat, signaling the dark mage to tell the truth before he meets a horrible fate. The weak man saw what the dark prince was doing. He only looked at the ground in disappointment with himself. For what it was worth, Zola did not come off as an evil man. He looked simply misguided.
The tactician turned towards his understudy. "Leo. That plan you were so proud not to tell me. Was this blunder part of it?"
"Most certainly not." Leo retorted. "Why would I hire such a dunce?"
Zola raised his eyes sadly. "Guys…"
Iago tried reading the prince's expression. The dim light of the candles barely reflected off of the older man's half-mask. Leo never realized how frightening his mentor could be up close. He thought he had gotten used to it.
"Huh. Guess not." Iago yawned. "Zola. Not many prodigies of the dark arts can master shapeshifting as you have. Though you have committed an egregious deed, I must admit I am impressed with your work."
"Uh… thanks. I study very hard in school…"
"Interesting. Perhaps you are not useless after all." The tactician continued. "Prince Leo, you are dismissed. I'll decide this little pipsqueak's punishment myself."
"About time."
Leo got out of the room as quickly as he could. He leaned tiredly on the stone walls. His legs were still numb from riding his horse all morning. Knowing Iago, he was either trying to inflict the most painful torture he could imagine on Zola, or trying to bargaining for a pardon. Either way, Zola was screwed. He could only hope that the actual Felicia was safe elsewhere. Father would not be pleased with her disappearance.
[…]
Zola insisted Felicia escaped, and that he did not know where she went. The two tacticians decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. The dark mage's final punishment turned anticlimactic. Iago told the prince he had expelled Zola from his academy of dark arts. He said the traitor would remain in prison until Felicia came back, a position the criminal was already accustomed to.
(He definitely cut a deal with Zola behind that door. Iago would never let anyone off that easily.)
What happened in the afternoon was much less boring. The weapons his brother "purchased" off of Anna finally arrived at the castle. Corrin had written a letter confirming Gatekeeper's elimination.
"Oh man, take a look at this!"
"Sharp. Must never been used." The soldiers surrounded the large wagons excitedly. Most of them have never seen such fine silver in their entire lives. "Don't only captains afford these blades?"
Much less impressed was Iago. He already knew Prince Leo took thirty bars of gold from the castle's treasury. In his mind, Leo's top-secret operation was having his brother go shopping. Still, the tactician inspected each weapons as if they were his own.
He noted the quality of the weapons were decent for the amount of gold spent. Halberds, hammers, swords, and much more crowded castle Krakenburg's armories. Captains of each regiment fought over who should keep the new weapons, leading into a small brawl that guards were forced to break up.
"Lord Corrin has eliminated Gatekeeper, eh?" Iago groaned. "That was faster than I expected. His letter said he left for the Ice Tribe to stop a rebellion."
"What?" Leo played dumb. "What does he hope to accomplish there?"
"Probably to negotiate some treaty." The tactician dismissed. "Foolish boy. Normally I would let his insolence devour him, but he's dragging Princess Elise along too."
Iago brought up some crude paper and a quill and started writing. Leo leaned forward on his desk to read what he wrote, but it was nearly illegible. The tactician finished his furious scribbling and looked for a letterhead on his table.
"What are you writing to?" The prince asked.
"I'm sending a messenger raven to the Garrison stationed at Paesali." The tactician explained. "I don't know if they'll reach the town in time, but they need to recapture the Ice Tribe. I have no doubt Corrin stirred up a hornets' nest there."
"Heh. I hope they get it in time." The dark prince smirked.
His mentor was wasting his time. If everything went according to plan, the rebellion would be stopped before it even began. There was still a chance he could outsmart Father's most trusted advisor.
Jakob's team alongside Niles and Odin were the first to reach the armory, or what was left of it. The roof had completely burned off, along with any wooden supports inside. Only the building's stone walls and a column of smoke remained.
"That fire spread a lot faster than we thought." Effie said incredulously.
Whatever left inside was already burned to a crisp, including all of the wooden part of the lances. The heat was so intense, metal weapons fused with each other, rendering them useless. A nauseating metallic stench filled the air.
"Well, I can guarantee you nobody is here." Jakob said. "…In a way the smell reminds me of Felicia's cooking."
"Examining the wreckage inside." The knight held her nose. "The burned wood, the protruding handles… All these weapons were lost when the roof collapsed."
"Heh. Just as planned." Niles flared his nostrils in pride. "Odin and I wanted to cripple the rebellion as much as we could, so we targeted this armory."
The butler wondered how much of the retainers' actual plans paid off, and how much they improvised along the way. The streets around them were still crawling with tribal warriors, and their Master Corrin was nowhere to be found.
"I can only hope Kilma wasn't inside." Jakob grimaced.
The troubadour princess suddenly raised his staff. "Footsteps!"
"We're spotted. Get ready to fight!" Effie exclaimed.
Jakob could hear at least twenty pairs of feet running towards the armory from another street. From the other side of the stone walls came Corrin's team, and a whole lot of strangers. Niles's and Odin's eyes gleamed at his patrol.
"Hey guys!" Corrin shouted, waving his arms. "We're back!"
"Big brother!" Elise waved back. "We're all safe! Look! Leo's retainers came to rescue us!"
The young prince stopped in his tracks. He had not met the two odd gentlemen before. Luckily Felicia and Arthur appeared unhurt. The unlucky retainer somehow even appropriated a spiked club for himself.
"More people?" Corrin breathed. "Hold on guys. We have some catching up to do."
[…]
Everyone sped through their introductions. Niles and Odin were sent by Prince Leo to assist Corrin on his journey. The young prince looked shocked his brother would care for him, but the butler could see a spark of happiness inside of him. He had not seen Corrin smile genuinely in a long time.
Tarba on the other hand was more suspicious. The man did not hide the fact he was a former criminal. The well-built man had a whole sketchy demeanor about him. Still he had the loyalty of his soldiers. The rest of the army watched the royals intently.
"You beautiful bastard." Tarba laughed. "We owe our lives to you."
Niles bowed. "I'm glad to help out a brother."
"I guess criminals always hang among their ilk." Arthur narrowed his eyes.
The bell tower started ringing again. Corrin was much more relaxed than before. The armory being destroyed was the reason the Ice Tribe was having so much trouble organizing, and why the enemy patrols were so small.
"So there's nothing at the luxury house…" Princess Elise sulked.
The young prince shook his head. "Not the bell tower either, huh? We only have the administrative dome to check. If they're not there…"
"Hold on a sec." Odin interrupted. "What's in those bags?"
He was referring to the black bags some of Tarba's troops were carrying. They were meant to hold the taxes collected by the patrol. Arthur crossed his arms, waiting for an answer. Thieves were some of the worst people in his minds
The captain shrugged. "Weapons from the armory. Before it collapsed."
"…Weapons? From there?" Corrin pointed at the destroyed building.
"Truth be told we came here before you guys." Tarba replied. "We tried looting as much as we could. There was a window of time before everything burnt down."
"You ordered them to enter the burning building?!" Effie asked. "Are you all idiots?"
(Crushed by a burning roof? What a terrible death…)
"We just escaped from the prison." A Nohrian lancer brought up. "The Ice Tribe were pursuing us. They wouldn't follow us into the building!"
The young prince frowned. "Then those black bags you are all carrying, all contain weapons from the armory?"
"As many as we can grab." Tarba looked downwards.
"Take them out." Corrin demanded. "Now."
The soldiers dumped all of their loot onto the ground. Most were simple bronze weapons; lances and slim swords. Three longbows and some shields. A peculiar longsword fell on the ground with a thud, glowing purple in Corrin's presence.
"Ganglari!" Princess Elise blurted out.
The prince seized the sword. "Damn. I can't believe it's still in one piece..."
"Screw the sword!" Arthur roared. "This man risked the lives of his comrades to earn a cheap profit."
"Back off pal." Tarba retorted. "The prison guards didn't have enough weapons on them. We would've died if we were unequipped too."
It was obvious the retainer was heavily prejudiced against former offenders. Tarba's forces gathered around their captain in support. They were not going to be talked down upon by a complete stranger.
"We went into the armory of our free will." A woman hissed. "You would have done the same thing, if you lacked a weapon."
"Everyone! Let's not fight over this!" Felicia winced. "The Ice Tribe might find us at any moment!"
"Felicia's right." Corrin said, clutching Ganglari. "We can discuss this back home. Let's get packed up."
Tension was still high. Odin and Niles held their silence, opting to stay out of the argument. Effie and Arthur seared with discontent at their new allies. The soldiers slowly began putting their loot back into the black bags.
They did not get far before getting interrupted again. A chilling condescension sounded behind the Nohrians. It sent shivers down the royals' spines. They turned to find a familiar face in front of several hostile lancers.
(It's her!)
"Lord Corrin. I have finally found you." Flora scowled.
The young prince sheathed his blade diplomatically. "Flora. Your weapons have been destroyed. The rebellion is over. Please tell your people to stand down."
The blue-haired maid had several soldiers behind her, at least equal in size to Corrin's tiny army. The Nohrians drew their blade first, wary they had nowhere to run. Tarba and Princess Elise stood confidently by the Corrin's side.
"You've done well to avoid us, but that ends now." Flora replied. "Complete war was never our intention. We only need to capture you, to bargain for our future."
"Heh." Tarba responded. "Try it you bitch."
Flora ignored the comment. She was watching Jakob intently. It was hard to believe she was the colleague he worked with for the past ten years. Any sign of friendship dissolved into cold, fabricated courtesy.
"Very well." The maid said. "Warriors of the Ice Dragon. Attack!"
"For freedom!"
The Ice Tribe gave a war cry and advanced. Tarba's forces pursued a defensive chevron, protecting the royals in the middle. The four retainers ran to the outer perimeter to fight, while Elise and Felicia stayed in the middle, ready to heal the wall of soldiers around them.
Corrin and Tarba found themselves at the front of the formation. The prince drew out Ganglari, while the captain brought out a bloody steel axe.
"Careful guys!" The prince called. "Pull back if you're overwhelmed!"
"No need to worry about us boss." Niles shrugged.
The soldiers from both sides met in the wide street. Corrin led the charge, striking at the closest soldier in front of him. Tarba was at his side, covering his rear. Arthur and Effie brought up the left flank, stopping Flora's troops from surrounding them.
[…]
Jakob put away his dagger and kept an eye on the maid throughout the battle. Corrin and the captain were doing fine work defending the front.
His former friend suddenly dashed off behind her army. Being the only healer in the rebellion, her healing stave was drained of its energy quickly.
He put away his weapon and ran through the chaotic fighting. Seeing he was unarmed, none of the tribal soldiers targeted him.
"Hey, wait!" He called.
"Jakob?" Elise screamed. "Where are you going?"
He did not know why he was abandoning the army to chase her. It was pure instinct. His legs felt like they were acting on their own, filtering out all reasoning. Some irrational part of Jakob felt he should catch up with Flora – at all costs.
Flora saw that Jakob was chasing her. The maid ran into an abandoned house in the street. The butler jumped through the door and looked around urgently. He quickly looked around at his surroundings before entering the living room.
A table was in the middle, with a half-eaten dinner still on several plates. Next to the back of the room, standing on a straw mat was Flora.
"Flora!" Jakob panted. "You're… dammit!"
"Why did you come Jakob?" She replied. "We are enemies now."
"Cut that crap out." The butler exclaimed. "We've known each other since forever. You asked me back at the castle if I would miss you. Guess what, I do. As your coworker I suggest you come back to work!"
The man did not know what was compelling him to spout out such nonsense. Perhaps he had breathed in too much weird smoke next to the armory. Perhaps it was the adrenaline left in his blood as he chased his friend.
"You don't make a convincing case." Flora asked. "Jakob, are you even yourself? I've never seen this side of you."
"No, I am not myself." He said. "I've never been myself around you. Every time we're in the same room, I can never think straight, and it frustrates me to no end!"
Jakob raised his volume to a shout. The maid took a step back but words kept on coming out.
"I don't know why I agreed to cover for you." He continued. "A rational person would have never taken the risk! But I, But I-"
(Where is this all coming from? What's happening to me?)
"Milord." Flora said softly. "I apologize. I have no idea what you're saying anymore… I'll put you out of your madness."
The butler froze as the maid pulled out a dagger. There was no getting through to her. The man reluctantly drew out his own dagger and raised it in front. They were both separated from their armies. They were going to fight.
"I'm sorry Jakob!"
"Gods!"
Flora charged forward, slashing at the butler. Jakob dodged the attack easily. In actuality, he noticed the maid was not particularly good at fighting. Still, he could not bring himself to lay a finger on her.
The maid saw an opportunity and stabbed forward again. She landed a hit onto the butler's maid with great speed.
"Gawk!" He coughed.
Jakob saw blood trickling from the wound, and from Flora's dagger. He could stand idle no longer. He charged forward with his own stabbing motion.
The maid dodged easily and walked to the other side of the table.
Jakob watched forward and grabbed the dinner table with both hands. He flipped the entire contraption towards Flora, who dodged again.
Pain started spreading through his bottom leg. Flora's dagger had torn a major ligament, weakening his entire lower body.
But as Flora dodged, she almost tripped on an overturned plate on the floor. An opportunity presented itself.
Jakob dashed forward with as much speed as he could muster. He stabbed forward randomly as Flora regained her balance.
"Aah-!"
Then silence.
Jakob's hand was on Flora's chest.
Jakob's dagger cut through Flora's chest.
Blood was coming from Flora's chest.
The butler could only stand still, his weapon through Flora's midsection. His hand had slipped. He meant to target somewhere lower.
The maid stood in shock as well. She looked into Jakob's eyes.
Her body fell forward. Her will had given up completely. Jakob let go of the dagger to catch her with his two hands, holding the maid upright.
"Jakob…?" Tears began flowing down her cheeks. Flora closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around the butler.
"No… no!" Jakob exclaimed. "This wasn't supposed to happen!"
The woman he wanted to bring back was embracing him, bleeding from the wound he gave her. The maid dropped her iron dagger. It hit on the floor with a hollow thud.
"When I first told you I was going to leave, I desperately… wanted you to convince me otherwise." She whimpered. "I hated every moment… in the abandoned fortress, but you made it bearable… for over ten years."
"That wasn't me." Jakob shook his head violently. "You were kidnapped. You became strong on your own."
"Hah… you were always the gentleman to me… how rude of me to never have the chance to say… I love you…"
"I've always meant to say that! Gods why didn't I say it earlier?"
Flora was breaking into a sob. A lifetime of anguish and regret poured out of her and onto Jakob. The butler did not know what to do. It has been years since he last cried. He held Flora closer to himself, pressing her face against his.
"I'm so happy…. to hear that now. I've lost everything." She said sadly. "But… at the very least, I can die in your arms."
"Wait, no!" Jakob pulled away from her. "Hang in there, Flora!"
"Thank you…"
"I'm not losing you!" He shouted.
The butler helped the maid onto the ground. She refused to let go. The dagger was snug in her body, but there was a chance it did not pierce a vital organ.
She was losing blood fast. Jakob felt around her body for some sort of healing staff.
"Dammit!" He cried. Felicia and Princess Elise had the only staffs.
Flora writhed in pain. "Hngg…"
He looked around the shelves frantically for some sort of temporary wrap. He was not going to lose Flora again.
The situation was to the prince's advantage. Losing the armory meant the rebellion lost most of its supreme weapons. Tarba's soldiers sliced and hacked proficiently with their silver. The intrepid captain blocked another attack with his massive axe, then brought it down on an unlucky foe.
Effie held up her lance to parry another attack. It was dangerously close to breaking. "Three down! Another patrol, incoming from the right!'
"Where the hell's Jakob?" Corrin shouted worriedly.
He jumped forward, slashing at an enemy swordsman with Ganglari. The blade cut into the man's stomach, causing him to screech in pain. The prince let the tribal warrior escape into the back rather than chase him.
The Ice Tribe horde was breaking in its ranks. What they had in numbers they lacked in discipline. The well-trained Nohrians easily repelled their reckless attacks.
Progress was largely attributed to Corrin's sister and maid, who healed everyone from behind. One of their healing staves ran out of energy completely. Felicia opted to pick up a silver dagger from Tarba's loot. The patrol was down to one healer.
"I think he ran that way!" Niles pointed down the street.
The young prince nodded. "Right! Come on guys! Let's push in that direction!"
"For Nohr!"
Tarba's foot soldiers swarmed past Corrin's side, running into the brown townhouses. The enemy reinforcements were caught unware by the quick counterattack. There was still no sign of Jakob, or even Flora. Just when he was about to give up, an elder of the Ice Tribe yelled a command. The enemy finally started retreating.
Arthur demanded, "What did they say?"
"They're pulling back to the dome!" Odin yelled. "It's their final line of defense!"
"Woah, you know Ice Tribe dialect?" Felicia said in surprise.
The prince ignored their conversation and ran further down the street. He thought his friend must have been captured by the Ice Tribe, to disappear so suddenly. His friends also feared for the worst as they ran down the snow-covered passageway.
Luckily, he caught sight of him next to an entrance. Flora was lying next to her, a makeshift wrap on her chest. It was soaked red with blood, evidence that she and the butler had been involved in a violent altercation. Corrin swallowed worriedly.
"Big sister!" Felicia squealed. "What happened?"
"She needs help." Jakob said urgently. "Now."
[…]
Princess Elise used her staff to patch up most of Flora's wound.
Removing the dagger gently without causing internal damage was the most difficult part. It was hard to believe the butler was responsible for such a deep cut. Jakob had accidentally fallen forward with the full weight of his body in the attack.
Corrin hoped such an attack was accidental. Flora was on the ground, breathing softly. Tarba's soldiers were off to the side, mocking the downed enemy commander. Corrin could not well up much sympathy for the blue-haired maid - she was always distant from him when the prince was younger.
"How is she doing?" Jakob asked with worry.
"Her wound is fixed, but she lost a lot of blood." Elise frowned. "She's unconscious, but I think everything will be fine."
Felicia fell to her knees. "Oh, thank the Dusk Dragon!"
Elise and her retainers returned to tending Tarba's soldiers. Odin and Niles kept to themselves, whispering to each other secretly at the side. Corrin put his head into his hands in exhausted relief. Somehow they had repelled another battle.
"Well, we did it." Tarba said. "Flora's ours. Let's drag her back to the capital and call it a day. King Garon will recapture this village in no time."
"No." The young prince said. "We must convince Kilma to cease this nonsense."
"Hey… Lord Corrin." Niles scowled. "It's a blessing we're even alive right now. The entire Ice Tribe's army defending that half-ball thing. Can't we just ditch?"
(He's right, but…)
If they were to leave, King Garon would send another army. The other Nohrian commanders might not be sympathetic to the populace – at least, that was what the War Council portrayed. The prince wanted to force a surrender on his terms.
"Everyone. Trust me when I say I thought long and hard about this. I told my friends I had one more trick up my sleeve, and I will honor those words."
"Umm, milord!" Felicia interrupted. "Our last healing stave is almost out! We won't be able to heal more people if they get hurt!"
The prince felt a slight headache incoming. The battle had dragged on for so long. All they did was run, fight, and run again. Everyone was at the end of their ropes. He could feel Tarba's soldiers rapidly losing faith in his abilities.
"I understand how everyone is feeling." Corrin said. "We've faced death countless times today. We've been lucky to even make it this far, but we need to see this through. If we don't want any more lives lost today!"
Niles folded his arms. "Tch…"
"He's right." Jakob suddenly stood up from Flora's side. "For the sake of the Ice Tribe, we must end this rebellion once and for all."
The young men and women looked at each other, wary in their eyes. Niles and Odin merely shrugged, indifferent to the situation. Princess Elise's retainers was also exhausted, but awaited their master's commands. Corrin began sweating profusely.
"You're kidding me…" Arthur complained.
"You know what, screw it." Tarba said. "We're on a lucky streak. Bet the king would reward us handsomely if we take some initiative."
"Y-yeah!" Elise said. "My brother is one of the best thinkers in the world! I trust him, and so should you!"
(Yes! Thanks sister!)
Elise's retainers and the Second Ice Tribe Garrison followed their commander's directives. Felicia wanted to stay by her sister, but agreed in the end to follow Corrin. She and Jakob repositioned Flora's body inside the house so nobody would find it.
"Odin? Niles?" The prince said.
"Well, everyone else is saying yes." Niles shrugged. "Prince Leo better give us a hefty raise for babysitting you all."
"You guys." Corrin rubbed his face. "Thanks! We're going to make it back home alive! Listen carefully. Here's how we can win the battle…"
[…]
As they advanced, more of the Ice Tribe appeared. About twenty more lancers and savages stood between Corrin's forces and the next street. The prince dashed forward, rhythmically cutting them down with Ganglari. Effie and Arthur was by his side.
"Shah!" Arthur cried valiantly, striking forward with his club.
The tribal elder was hit heavily in the torso. The young prince let the man drag himself away from the battle. The rest of the Ice Tribe followed him back cautiously. Lack of coordination tripped up their spirits again.
"We're almost there guys." Corrin said. "Just a few more steps."
The top of the administrative dome could be seen behind a final row of houses. There was no doubt Kilma was hiding there with what remained of the rebellion.
"He's a lunatic." The butler overheard one of the soldiers say. "An utter lunatic."
"Do you really think he can take on Kilma alone?" Another snorted quietly. "He looks like the illegitimate child of a retired milkmaid."
Corrin phased out the chitchat of his skeptical allies. He always knew some would think he was a liar. His closest friends also had objections to his plans, but agreed to put their faith into the young prince. The prince had led them to safety for their entire expedition. There was no turning back.
He was at the front of the patrol. Kilma's administrative dome was only a couple hundred feet away. His soldiers walked behind him in two columns. The buildings around them became larger, indicating a wealthier district of the village.
"We're here." Odin said. "I sense a feral stench in this vile settlement."
"Hey. I know it's not what you're used to, but it's still home to me!" Felicia snapped.
The street of townhouses ended, leading to a wide space in front of the dome. What looked to be the entire rebellion was guarding the odd-shaped building. At point was Chieftain Kilma in a white mage's robe. He held a stern gaze and large tome.
"Lord Corrin. I commend you for your stubbornness." The Chieftain's voice boomed. "To bring so much destruction to my village, and to evade death for so long. You will serve as a fine stepping stone for our newfound independence."
(I hope this damn works.)
Corrin squinted his eyes. The dome was in an open space, similar to a town square. There were no chokeholds and they were outnumbered by at least five-to-one. It might have been ten-to-one if Odin and Niles did not destroy their weapons stash.
"Hello to you too, Chieftain." He retorted. "I see the weather's as cold as your heart."
"What?" Kilma growled.
"I mean, sure, if you're going to betray someone I guess it was appropriate to offer them mediocre food." He continued. "A fine leader, you are."
Niles and Tarba were busy muffling their amusement. The others watched the feigned madness of their prince carefully. For his plan to succeed, the prince needed to provoke the chieftain as much as he could.
"A fool to the very end." Kilma scoffed. "I did what I had to do to prevent your unnecessary suffering."
"I humbly agree." Corrin yawned. "That fish would have gone bad. It was the right choice to serve it to us." Some of the Nohrians begin chuckling nervously behind him.
"Silence! You do not understand how much our nation has suffered under Nohr!" The chieftain burst. "Such a naïve child… can't you see that you're fighting for evil?"
Kilma swung his right arm to the side. The tribal warriors readied their weapons. Tarba shouted as his troops to do the same, unlike the original plan. Corrin stepped forward, making sure none of the Nohrians were between him and the Ice Tribe.
(He's getting vexed. It is time to push him over the edge.)
A drop of sweat fell his forehead. Even though it was his original plan at the start of the battle, the young prince could not help but get anxious.
"Yeah." He finally chuckled – deciding to return the dishonesty. "That's exactly what Flora told me, right before she finally fell to my blade."
"You- you…"
"That's right." Corrin opened both of his arms. "I did it."
The Ice Tribe fell silent at the lie. False news of the maid's death pierced Kilma's heart. The old man could no longer restrain himself. He opened his tome and began conjuring a dark spell. Rage filled his eyes as he charged up an attack.
"You murderer!" He roared. "You shall pay for your sins! Nosferatu!"
The chieftain called forth a ball of dark energy and propelled it at Corrin. The young prince held out his hands, waiting to take the hit. The gamble could potentially kill him, and he had to fight every single urge to dodge.
He put his arms in front of his body to protect his core.
The ball hit his hands and sunk into his skin.
The affected area turned purple, and started hurting. A lot. Kilma raised his tome. He siphoned the energy from the Nohrian prince piecemeal.
"Arghh!" He groaned in pain.
Elise screamed. "Big brother!"
"Hang in there!" Effie called. "We're going in!"
(Gah, only a few more seconds!)
"Stay back!" Corrin ordered. "Don't move!"
The dark energy continued sapping away his strength. His skin on his fingers began to disintegrate, exposing pink underneath. Kilma's magic started digging deeper into his body. A small amount of blood began seeping out of his fingers.
Corrin had never been happier to see blood.
"I vowed myself to use this power for good!" He coughed. "Take this!"
The prince moved a bloodied hand into his pocket. He always wondered why Azura's advice never worked. Why it failed when he fought at the plains of Hoshido. He conjured up the solution a few days ago, and was willing to risk it all.
He held forward the Dragonstone. The stone glowed as a speck of blood, the missing key, fell into it. Azura's gift glowed with such warmth it felt sharply painful - as painful as watching Mother perish in front of him.
"Agh!" Corrin cried.
The prince felt all of his energy drained by Kilma's attack and the mysterious jewel. He got on all fours and put his head on the ground, clenching his teeth. Suddenly his body began glowing snow white. It began expanding very quickly.
"H-huh?" Kilma exclaimed. "What the hell is going on?"
Corrin could feel his physical form changing. His body was numb, then the peculiar senses returned to his new torso. The light from the body disappeared, leaving behind a lumbering blue and white dragon. The prince opened his new eyes.
"Am I seeing this right?" Jakob gasped. "Is that Master Corrin?"
"What the-?" Tarba's jaw dropped. "That's a damn dragon!"
Odin jumped up and down in excitement. "Great Underworld, how cool is that!"
(It finally worked. Thank you Azura…)
When Corrin first told everyone about his plan, the soldiers thought he was delusional – they thought that the stress finally caused him to go crazy. He only asked for everyone to follow him. Their own disbelief made the act much more convincing.
Corrin assumed control of his new form. He stomped the ground with his front-left foot and roared mightily. The cry was heard throughout the entire village and shook snow from rooftops. The dragon had trouble seeing through his new red-tinted vision.
"So that prince was telling the truth." A Nohrian woman said. "I thought the reports from Hoshido were crazy, but to see it in front of our eyes…"
"Run you idiots!" Niles laughed, playing into the act. "Run if you value your lives!"
The remainder of the Ice Tribe warriors, being composed mostly of recruit, were terrified. They had never imagined Nohr to control such an adversary.
"Warriors, this is a mere illusion!" The chieftain shouted. "Strike down that puppet!"
"Charge!"
With a fierce cry the patriots charged into the dragon. Corrin stayed completely still, waiting for the attack. Lancers stabbed at his feet. Their weapons were too weak to penetrate. A few broke from the impact, scattering pieces of metal onto the ground.
"It's not doing anything!" One of them shouted.
The dragon continued holding his position. Chief Kilma summoned another ball of Nosferatu. It hit the dragon's torso, and then disintegrated completely. Corrin, feeling a slight pain, roared again and, instinctively, prepared to stomp.
(No! I'm losing control of my body!)
An elder gasped. "Oh hell! Get out of here now!"
What started as a few deserters, snowballed into a complete breakdown of their ranks. The rest of the tribe, seeing their comrades flee, began ditching their formation by the dozens. Most simply dropped their weapons and ran in the opposite direction.
"No! What are you doing?" Kilma shouted. "Get back in line!"
A few paused and listened. The rebellion was now far behind their leader. Everything pointed to a duel between the dragon and chieftain.
Corrin hummed contently with himself and walked slowly towards Kilma. He was actually terrible at controlling his form, but he tried his best keeping things steady.
Kilma opened his tome to cast another spell, but his fingers were too shaky to turn the pages. He mustered up his final courage and walked forward for a better shot.
"Nosferatu!"
The chieftain shot out another attack. It hit the dragon's head, only succeeding to light up its eyes. The Chieftain gasped when he saw his attack had no effect.
Corrin was no longer in control of his body – his limbs acted by themselves and struck relentlessly. The dragon swung forward his left claw. Kilma was knocked off his feet and onto the ground.
"Gah!"
The dragon roared mightily, though Corrin's mind panicked.
"S-… So, this is how it ends." He coughed, picking himself up. "It's all over."
"Get ready to move in!" Tarba shouted at his patrol to advance behind the dragon.
Corrin thought his strength was overpowering his consciousness. Any more fighting, and Kilma could die. The dragon closed his eyes. He concentrated deeply, feeling his body shimmer.
(Come on… please change back!)
Warmth left his body as quickly as it accumulated. The dragon shrunk into a ball of light, and out emerged the Nohrian royal once again. Corrin, completely out of energy, felt his vision fading. A coldness enveloped his body.
His friends watched in horror as he fell forward, unconscious again.
A/N: Thanks for reading!
This chapter's ending has been rewritten from before. Damn that battle was strenuously long. Props to you for finishing everything. The next chapter will be quite shorter, and feature the aftermath of the battle.
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