Biggest thanks for Ace-Triad helping me with SPAG edit. Also thanks to Angel Wraith for reading my rough draft and provide important feedbacks.
More author note at the end for people who are interested to see me blabber some more.
The gluttonous devil bird's ability to speak the human tongue shocked everyone for a brief moment. That, or the damn thing's petulant attitude. Might be both, actually.
As for the princess herself, she is flat out flabbergasted at the gluttonous devil bird's linguistic display. Granted, the damn bird is only screaming 'NO' over and over again, but the point is this oversized bird shouldn't have been able to speak like a human at all!
Granted, there was this popular fairytale about a talking, thinking doll golem going on an adventure and eventually meeting the talking queen of all filorials. And as a child, the first princess used to fantasize herself going on the same journey as the doll in question before she started fantasizing about meeting the heroes. But as an adult, she has always assumed the talking filorial queen was supposed to be a metaphor, not some real thing.
"Firo can talk?" Naofumi is currently trying his best to hold Firo back while she flails, kicks and screams more 'No' at him. The Shield Hero isn't having much success as his feet slowly scrape through the dried grass and dirt of the once verdant Boletaria garden. "Is this a monarch filorial thing? Or a Firo thing?"
"Have any of you heard something like this?" Mein looks over at everyone around. She has never seen a monarch variant of filorial with her own eyes, even as the first princess of Melromarc.
There was a rumor about her late grandmother Queen Lianne once owning a monarch filorial, a gift given to her by Zeltbole. But she died together with the queen when the old Melromarc capital fell to the Siltvelt invaders.
"I have never seen something like this either." Jaune shakes his head as he walks forward, giving Naofumi a hand in trying to calm down Firo. "Father never had a monarch filorial himself."
"Isn't there a popular children's tale about a doll meeting the talking filorial queen?" Nikos turns her head and asks Jaune. The former gladiator apparently thought the same as Mein herself. Not something strange to be honest, since it was a very popular story.
"Metatron and Alaya the Filorial Queen. I read it as a child too." Eclair joins in on their conversation, this time pointing out the actual title of the story.
"It's that tale we tried to read together in Lute, Master Naofumi." Raphtalia turns her head to look at the Shield Hero, her face looking reminiscent. "You had trouble reading the words."
"Right, I did… But maybe Firo is like a parrot? Learning a few words from a human?" With Jaune's help, Naofumi redoubles his effort trying to calm down Firo. Gaston walks over too, grabbing Firo's saddle and tries to pull her back while the two younger men push her at the front.
Their combined effort proves to be in vain, when Firo pushes the Arc boy down onto his behind, drags the Lute hunter into dirt, and knocks Naofumi's helmet off his head. "OUCH! Don't do that Firo! You have to calm down… and stay with Gaston! You are too big to fit in!"
"NO! Firo isn't FAT!" Mein can feel Firo's sharp glare piercing through the hooded cloak. This definitely proves the damn bird can speak.
Chapter 60: Of Birds and Men
Farkas lets an annoyed growl escape his mouth while rolling his eyes. The werewolf finally has enough of Firo's tantrum, walks over and jumps down on the bird's back. Forcing her to heel once again with his weight and strength. Despite being immobilized, the gluttonous devil bird is still kicking up a fuss, and dust cloud. "OW! You bad wolf hurt Firo! Firo HATES YOU~!"
"Okay, that's definitely real human talk." Naofumi backs away, picks up his helmet and puts it back on his head. He walks back in front of Firo and kneels down in front of her. "Look, Firo. I don't want to see you hurt. But you can't just kick up a fuss when you aren't happy about things. You are big and strong, and you can easily hurt other people."
Naofumi's attempt to properly discipline the bird is both valiant, and also a clear waste of time. The first princess only have to cast one look at the dumb oversized filorial to know she's not listening, or perhaps not understanding any of her Naofumi's reasoning.
"I want to bring you with me… no, wait. This didn't come out right. You were hatched less than a month ago, and I probably shouldn't take you down an undead infested crypt." The Shield Hero has to walk back on his wording, when he realizes what a potentially bad idea to take what should still have been a hatchling filorial (born as a garden variety, no less) to a monster infused dungeon.
Huh. Has it only been one month? With how… eventful their quest for Eclair's family hairloom was, Mein completely forgot how short the time their journey actually took. The time she spent loitering around Mother's palace as a proper princess feels practically a lifetime away now.
"I don't want to leave you behind, that's my point. But I can't take you down this crypt." Naofumi points his finger back at the entrenth of the House Seatto family crypt, expanded from the old Boletaria royal crypt. "The path is narrow, and there's who knows how many undead crawling inside? If you get stuck in there somewhere while we are swarmed, we can't save you and you'll die! I don't want you to get hurt, that's why I agreed to let Gaston stay behind with all of you."
Some words of the Shield Hero finally managed to reach Firo. But judging by the way she blinks her eyes impishly, it didn't do anything to deter the devil bird's rowdy, and dumb behavior. "Firo can be small."
"WAH-?!" Naofumi's gasp is interrupted with a large cloud of dust, accompanied by a loud 'BUFFO' sound. The Shield Hero is knocked onto his behind with a loud thud, just like Jaune a few moments ago.
"What's that bird up to now?" Mein quickly runs forward with Raphtalia, as they each grab one of Naofumi's arms and help him stand back up. Before the dust even clears, a small shadow the size of Raphtalia's child form charges out and hits the Shield Hero right in his chest. The first princess can easily feel the force behind the unidentified object, while her Naofumi falls down even faster than the first time. Without any ceremony, he drags both Raphtalia, and herself onto the dirt with him.
"Firo SMALL now!" The chirpy voice loudly, and happily proclaims right on top of the Shield Hero's chest. "Firo comes with Master Naofumi!"
Mein has to blink her eyes a couple of times, thinking she might be seeing things. But now, her eyes did not deceive her the first time. What's sitting on top of her Naofumi is no longer an oversized fluffy bird, but a young child with flowing long blonde hair, large innocent blue eyes and a pair of small feathered wings behind her back. And of course, much to the Shield Hero's dismay and herself, the young girl is also completely naked.
"WAH-? Firo, you are… naked!" The Shield Hero blurts out while he tries and fails to push himself up from his predicament. "Let me up, and get some clothes on you!"
Mein feels like her Naofumi's priority is a bit backwards. Considering his gluttonous devil bird just turned into a very human-looking girl except the wings. Yet, he's more shocked at how she is naked, when she never had any clothing on her to begin with..
Then again, they aren't alone with only their own party members. The incognito princess gives a quick glance over at Jaune's party, and sees them all staring at the scene with different degrees of confusion or contempt. Yeah, it's probably a good thing he's making it clear that he is most definitely, NOT a child lover.
"NO! Nonononono, NO~!" Predictably, the bird turned girl only continues on her tantrum rather than listening to her master. Probably because the Shield Hero never laid down a set standard for discipline, other than not giving her dessert after dinner.
"Don't cause trouble for Master Shield Hero, Fi- ERR-" Kyubey walks over from the side and tries to do… something with Firo. Judging by how he extended his only good arm, the rabbit man was probably trying to pull, or drag Firo away for the Shield Hero to get back up. Sadly for Kyubey, he's immediately knocked flying back into Yatsuhashi, courtesy of a spinning kick from Firo.
The slim body of the rabbit man easily knocks the much broader and muscular bodyguard off his foot and they both fall on the ground. This devil bird may look like a deceptively innocent, angelic and harmless child now, but she clearly packed as much kick as she was an oversized beast of burden.
"FIRO! Be nicer to everyone!" Raphtalia crawls back up to chastise the bird. She almost suffered a similar, but more severe fate of Kyubey when Firo's feet sailed right over her head. The lost princess of Q'ten Lo is saved only by her own quick reflex as she manages to duck just in time, that only a few strands of her hair left her head.
"NO!" Firo pokes her tongue out, and loudly blows at Raphtalia.
"Yikes! Firo is out of control!" Haggard, from the shock of almost getting a kick to her face, Raphtalia screams behind a drape of her messed up hair to the Shield Hero before Mein herself has a chance to make such a suggestion. "Use the monster seal, Master Naofumi! It's the only way!"
"But, but it's like your slavery seal-" The Shield Hero clearly have an aversion to use the same mechanic that caused Raphtalia grief, despite the situation completely calls for it. But before he can be convinced otherwise, the seal on Firo's stomach suddenly lights up… and bursts away. Leaving only unblemished and youthful skin where there used to be dark ink.
Well… so much for that idea.
Mein quietly lets go of Naofumi's arm and slowly crawls away, trying to make as little noise as possible to not draw Firo's attention and ire on herself. Leaving Naofumi and Raphtalia to fend off an undisciplined child with a few stone's weight behind her is very cruel, but it's not like her presence will help them in any way. In fact, judging by her past interactions with the devil bird, she's willing to bet her very presence alone will only serve to agitate the damn bird.
"This has gone long enough." Farkas growls again. Mein turns around to look at the werewolf sprawled on all for when the dust cloud settles. He probably lost his balance and fell face first into the waiting earth below when Firo suddenly shrunk down. The big wolf man stands back up, walks over to the mess of bodies, and picks Firo away from the Shield Hero by biting into her hair and dangles her away kicking and screaming.
"No~! NO! You MEAN, BAD Wolf! Firo doesn't like YOU! Firo kick YOU!" Firo's feet make multiple contact with the body of Farkas. Lucky for the werewolf, he already had his class up. The wolfman either has the fortitude with his body, or his heavy armor to resist Firo's assault, unlike Kyubey. "Take me back to Master Naofumi!"
"What. The. Hell…" Naofumi finally manages to get back on his feet with some help from Raphtalia. Judging from how he has to separate every syllable and how heavy his breath is, he's either in complete denial of what just happened, or still trying to catch his breath after being Firo's personal sitting mat, possibly both.
"I'm sure you are having some trouble here, Sir Shield Hero." Nikos clears her throat as she strips down her cloak. The former gladiator walks towards the Shield Hero and pushes her cloak into his hand. "But maybe we'll clothe your, um, filorial child first? She is still very much in need of decency."
"Ah, yes. Of course!" Naofumi quickly and furiously nods his head in agreement. He spreads out the cloak of Nikos with his hands, and wraps it tightly around Firo.
The whole scene looks rather ironic to Mein, as someone without context would have assumed the Shield Hero and his cohort are manhunters trying to kidnap a child. Especially with how furious the bird turned child tries to squirm her way out of her unwanted cloak shroud, forcing the Shield Hero to wrap his arms around her even tighter. Privately, Mein would not find it a shame if the birds either got strangled, or suffocated to death.
Firo may have looked about as young as Raphtalia before the raccoon dog girl gained her adult body. But she certainly didn't learn how to properly behave as a good girl, unlike the lost princess.
"Guess I'll have to hold her till she calms down…" Once Naofumi is sure Firo can't wiggle her way out of his arms, he nods to Farkas to release the devil bird turned child. He once again looks through everyone's face. "Did anyone hear something like this? An animal monster into a child?"
"Didn't the Whip Hero of Faubley have something like this, Jau- Brother Jaune?" Nikos whips her head around to look at her clear subject of fancy. "I heard he has a griffin child?"
The words of Nikos makes Mein want to slap her own face. Of course, she should have remembered something like this. That damn spoiled fake prince couldn't shut up about it, when he penned her multiple letters bragging about his royal griffin.
Yes, that pompous fool couldn't shut up about raising a royal griffin, and a dragon emperor. Calling them his babies. At the time, Mein simply assumed the fool was talking in metaphor, as a father seeing animals he raised from eggs as his own child. But thinking over his letters and comparing them to what's happening with Firo… maybe he was being literal?
"Yes. And his Dragon Emperor too. Now that I think about it." Jaune nods his head along, clearly also having his memory jogged by Nikos just like Mein. "Shiltfreeden worshiped her as their guardian. It goes to the reason that filorials would have similar forms."
Naofumi blinks a couple of moments, and suddenly blurts out. "Wait, WAIT! Can ALL of the monsters turn into humans?"
"Well, we know dragon and griffin can have a human form thanks to the Whip Hero." Jaune turns around to look at the Shield Hero with a raised eyebrow, clearly not sure where Naofumi is going with his thoughts. "And now thanks to you, Sir Shield Hero, we now know filorials can also gain a human form."
Mein has to admit, she's equally as lost as the Arc boy.
"I… I promised a slave- no, a smuggler in the slum about helping him with some monster taming business, and he'll help me stop slavery." Thankfully, the Shield Hero is eager to explain his full thoughts to everyone. Judging by how his eyes seem to wander all over without focus, he is quite distressed for some reason. He actually drops the devil bird turned children down on the ground by the end. "If all the monsters already have the same sentience as us humans… am I just trading one form of slavery for another?"
Oh… the first princess has to admit, she didn't think any of this.
Naofumi flips his cloak over at the same time as Firo, making their movement look comically rehearsed by accident. He swings his arms back, feeling his ways and brings out his abominable balloons in front of him and looks at them. "Do any of you still have holy water? I should erase the slave seals from Yuzu."
No, NO! Considering how many levels the balloons have gained, especially their new special abilities they unlocked after eating part of the ancient thunder lizard. Releasing their slave- NO! Familiar Seals now and having them all resort back to snarling and chomping abominations will be absolute disaster!
"NO, you have to calm down, Master Naofumi." Mein quickly lunges forward, and rips the Shield Hero's arms away from his face. "The monster seals aren't the same as slavery seals!"
"How are they different? Aren't they both used to punish their victims?!" Naofumi practically spits the words back into her face.
"Actually, the slavery seals are developed based on the monster seals." The battle priest Martin clears his throat and interjects. "As for the monster seal itself, they are based on the familiar seal of Brimir, the founder of the Wizardry school of magic. I'm… not sure if you are interested in the full story."
"A straight answer would be welcome." Naofumi looks between Mein and the battle priest, and he slowly begins to calm down. "Yes, yes it would."
"Very well. I shall continue." Martin nods his head as he begins reciting the legend of the Founder of Magic. "Legend has it that the Founder realized the nature to conjure magic from the Endless Aether leaves a mage not having as much time to train their own body like warriors. Which is why they need someone to protect them physically. But a physically fit warrior isn't always available, or trustworthy. So he cast his eyes to countless wild monsters running around the wild. But most monsters only have rudimentary intelligence, and their wild instincts makes them unfit as a mage's loyal protector. So he developed a way to give advanced intelligence to monsters, making them capable of thinking just like a human being. And this became the foundation of the Brimirian familiar seal."
"Wait… are you saying these slave seals are supposed to make someone smarter?" Naofumi's eyes wander back onto the balloons smirking on his arms. Or more specifically, the inky tattoo right underneath their mouth.
"Yes, Master Naofumi. That was what I was trying to explain to you. Brother Martin did a better job than I did, of course." Mein turns her head back and bow to the Three Heroes' Church priest, who returns with his own bow as a courtesy. She knows what he explained of course, but if she says it out loud, it might raise questions on how a supposed village girl knows so much about ancient Brimirian legend. She could try to explain away with her father supposedly being a scribe for House Ascard, but it's better not to draw people's attention.
Hm, further indebted to someone from the Three Heroes' Church of all people. Oh well, no use crying over water under the bridge.
The princess turns back to face the Shield Hero once again. "Remember when that smuggler Beloukas first had his man put the seal on the balloon's body, and they stopped struggling and started licking you? That's a sign where the spellwork from the old Brimirian familiar seal was doing its job, and granted them more intelligence than their basic instincts. You don't want Yuzu going back to biting everything like common meadow balloons, do you?"
Naofumi blinks a couple more times in rapid succession. His eyes slowly fall back to his pet balloons, but this time he is clearly looking at them, rather than the monster seals on their body. He opens his mouth, either wondering aloud to himself or actually asking the rubbery eldritch monster of pain. "Is it true, Yuzu? Do you really benefit from the monster seals?"
Mein also looks at the eldritch abominations masquerading as the weakest monsters in the world. Now she's paying more attention, the balloons on Naofumi's arms look almost mournful. Their eyes are downcast, their mouths quivering in sadness. Now the Shield Hero no longer wants to get their monster seals off, they suddenly perk up and start bouncing up and down happily. "They agree, Master Naofumi."
"I'm not sure if that legend is true, or more fake hogwash to justify slavery like how keeping demi-human as slaves are supposed to be for their own good." Naofumi spits out his words again in disgust, at least he's no longer aiming his ire towards Mein herself. "But I guess it's true. All of you became more friendly after you got the seal. Very well, let's keep them on you, for now."
The balloons happily hop off his arms. They pop their new legs, and tail out of their spherical body, and start bouncing up and down in elation.
Naofumi stays quiet, looking at his balloons frolicking with each other for a while before turning back to Gaston. "What about Gaston's bird, Wolfgang? Can you also turn into a human boy? You turned into a monarch together with Firo."
"Kyue?" Instead of speaking, the dark bird in question only chirps back to the Shield Hero. He looks over at Firo, who thankfully by now has calmed down, and simply pulls at the dead grass on the ground. "Kyue, kyue~?"
"Oh. How to speak? You just open your beak and do it." Firo looks up at Wolfgang, her answer being completely unhelpful. "And how to turn into a human? Well, you squats and squeeze really hard, and just do it?"
Definitely not helpful at all.
The darker bird cocks his head sideways, clearly not understanding Firo anymore than Mein herself. He closes his eyes, bends down towards the ground and… looks like he's trying to squeeze something out from his behind very hard. Thankfully, after a while, he simply collapses on the ground, huffing and looking completely exhausted without changing into a human boy. He lets a sad, pathetic whimper at the end.
A shame, since he was the better, well-behaving bird out of the two. If Mein got to choose, she would rather have Gaston's bird get to turn into a human-like child than Naofumi's gluttonous devil bird.
"Guess it's not about being a monarch variant of filorial. Maybe it's because Firo was hatched by Master Naofumi. A Legendary Hero?" The princess in disguise looks over to the Shield Hero.
"Hey, don't be sad, little buddy. I love you the same, even if you can't turn into a human boy." Gaston reaches his arm over to ruffle wolfgang's feathers. "I'd have a hard time explaining to everyone why I got a kid, if you turned into a human boy. Plus, I'm not flush enough to get you one of those magic weave things for your clothes."
"Kyue…" The big bird slowly gets back up again, nibbling at Gaston's hair.
"Magic weave-things clothes?" Mein's ears hurt from how both the hunter and the hero from the otherworld utterly butcher the term they are talking about."Something I should know about?"
"Ask your wolfman friend, Shield Hero boy." Gaston nudges his chin towards Farkas. "He knows it best. It's used a lot by his people with all the body transformations, like little Raphtalia."
"Raphtalia's shapeshifting?" Naofumi looks over at the raccoon dog girl before looking back at Gaston. "Raphtalia doesn't have to change her clothes. Her clothes grow and shrink with her, and disappear when she turns into a tanuki."
"All purebred children of Malis, especially those talented for magic can assume a form that looks more like you humans with enough discipline. They look like the half breeds, what your kind call 'demi-human'." Farkas turns to look at Raphtalia and lets out a snort. "Youko, and Gyoubu Danuki are masters of shapeshifting magic. They can extend their special magic to their possession. Most children of Malis who mastered their limited transformation ability can't do that, and we can break our equipment, or are forced to leave them behind when assuming a different form. That's why some of us wear cloth woven with our own magic, to have them change form with our bodies. We call them soulbind, and you humans call it manaweave."
"I see, Raphtalia is special." Naofumi turns to smile at Raphtalia. He places his hand on Raphtalia's shoulder and gives her a firm shake. "Guess we'll go about seeing this soulbind, or manaweave thing once we go to a bigger town. For now, Firo will just have to wrap a cloak around her."
"Can I come with you now, Master Naofumi?" Firo turns around to look at the Shield Hero expectedly. "I'm small now."
"Well, yes but you… okay. You can come." Firo starts jumping up and down, celebrating just like the balloons. "But you have to stick close to us. I'm not kidding when I said the undead might hurt you."
"OKAY~!" From the nonchalant way the dumb bird replies, Mein can tell she didn't put any mind into keeping her promise. Oh well, hopefully she can take a lot of undead monsters down with her, if she's eventually killed by them. Better the undead facing this devil bird's tantrum, than the princess herself.
Corridors, a walkway dug into the side of the Griffin's Spine mountain itself, fortified with carved- out marble stone tablets. It stretches into what looks like the dark abyss itself. Statues, sculptured with the likeness of regal rulers, and valiant knights still stand among the shadows long since the bodies were wasted away.
Only the dim, purplish magical light illuminates the inside of the crypt, like some kind of everlasting sentries together with the sculptures, and death masks. They barely illuminate a few steps away from where each torch sat on the wall, creating flickering and stretching darkness more sinister than even the deformed mound of flesh Mein witnessed back in the Lost Laboratory.
The old Boletaria royal crypt might have been built with grandeur in mind initially, much like their castle, city, and palace. But now, all the first princess of Melromarc feels dread even if she only looks at it.
Still, she forces herself to march ahead, alongside her Shield Hero, his companions, and ironically their surprisingly reliable Three Heroes' Church allies.
If the atmosphere above ground was oppressive, the inside of the crypt is much more so. As if they crossed over a threshold, they feel a change as soon as their feet step through the ancient stone gate.
Firstly, it's cold. Bone-bitingly so. Mein can practically feel all of her joints creak with every new step she takes, and her body shivers despite her traveling cloak, leather armor, and cloth wrapped tightly around her body.
There is also a foul smell in the air, by which she doesn't mean the stink of millenia of decayed bodies even though there is no shortage of. The stale air inside the crypt simply smells, or rather feels wrong on her skin in an eldritch way she can't put words into. She briefly thinks over some of the text she read about the pale realm, the plane of infinite negative energy of death mentioned in many of her magic study texts, and King Ariona himself.
Without any communication, both the battle priest Martin and the redeemed penance legionnaire Alfred start chanting prayers of their faith. The sanctus aura generated by these two pious clergy men only serve to bring a little warmth to her.
Mein's mind travels to the ancient fable of the Palace of the Dead. An ancient, and nearly endless dungeon underneath Medea itself, where boundless riches and knowledge supposedly lie, even a method of how one can transcend beyond life, and death. As a child, she used to fantasize how she'll go explore this 'super dungeon' with a legendary hero, and return with all its treasures and secrets to become a famous explorer queen… possibly even ruling forever with a hero by her side.
Now, after getting a firsthand experience of what living like an adventurer is like. She wonders if this supposed 'worst dungeon of Medea' lives up to its reputation, and is as bad as this crypt. The princess hopes she will never have to find out.
"Be extra careful down here. The breach through the veil of death is even stronger." The long dead king's voice echoes inside the corridor of his ancestral burial ground, affirming Mein's belief. "The negative energy is strong here. You will be more easily harmed by the undead, and your wound will heal slower even with healing spells and miracles."
"Can you feel the dungeon boss better now?" Naofumi is walking in the very front of their team, with Jaune and Alfred sandwiching him from both sides. He wisely didn't stop and look back when he asked the soul of King Ariona the question, it would have messed up their formation for sure.
"No. I can feel an oppressive presence deep down, but I can't tell who, or what it is." Mein can't see King Ariona's sword, or even its bearer Eclair without twisting her body around. But even from the voice, she can feel the king shaking his head in resignation. "Whatever… or whoever it is, they are definitely after my time."
"Whoever they are, I shall banish them." Eclair's voice has more conviction than Mein is used to. She almost sounds like an experienced knight tempered with hardship, and armored with assured confidence instead of the recently knighted squire she really was. It seems like the saying of what doesn't break you in life, tempers you into steel is true for her case. "In the name of my father, and the Order of Silver Hand."
"We'll be with you the whole way, Lady Eclair." Jaune adds his support for the last Seatto.
"Nobles." Richard snorts at Jaune's response. "You are just saying it, because her grandmother was your grand aunt."
"No, I never even met grand aunt-" Jaune's stummer is cut off by the distant wail of the undead. Everyone stops their advance and braces themselves, ready to be swarmed by more dried up husks, or skeletons charging down the corridor at them.
One second passes, two seconds pass and then followed by three and four. Mein stops counter afterwards, expecting something to happen. Only, nothing… The first princess of Melromarc briefly considers that perhaps they are simply overhearing things due to their stress, when suddenly purple light bursts into her vision, bleeding everything away.
Mein hits the ground hard, her eyes burning with pain. She briefly wonders if she lost one, or maybe both of her eyes in addition to one of her ears.
Feeling slowly returns to the princess turned adventurer. She realizes her previous assumption of falling onto the ground was false, as her body is suspended from the ground with someone's arms despite her own legs already giving out from underneath. Martin's voice echoes in her ear, as the battle priest assures her. "You aren't blind yet, my lady. You got hit by a [Ghostly Wail], and you lost your vision temporarily. You'll be fine..."
"[LIGHTNING BLADE]!" Naofumi roars with fury above the clashing of weapons and swooshing of bodies. With a telltale sizzling sound, someone's weapon is no doubt coated in golden lightning even if Mein still can't see yet. She briefly wonders why her Naofumi used an offensive self-enchantment when he himself barely has any attack power even with his new attack shield unlocked. Did the Shield Hero become desperate after she went down?
The crackling of thunder behind her makes the princess realize the Shield Hero didn't bestow the offensive enchantment onto himself. Her knowledge of Miracles is rather limited, but she thought a Miracle caster wasn't supposed to be able to do that?
"Firo hates pain, Firo hates you." The surprisingly deep, and low voice makes the speaker's wrath known. Mein can hear some kind of whooshing noise behind her mixed with the original sizzling and cracking. She then feels the arms wrapped around her weaver as the person lets out an annoyed 'hey'. The devil bird probably vaulted right over the man who is supporting her, and judging from the indignant tone it was most likely the peasant turned templar Richard. "Firo KICK You! [Akashic Buster]!"
Another, much louder 'Whooshing' noise mixed with more crackling of lightning and booming or thunder. This time mixed with a lot of thuds of bodies hitting hard surfaces, and things burning up. Vision finally returns to the princess slowly, and she blinks a couple of times to find out that she was right, the one currently supporting her is indeed Richard.
The princess slowly takes a few unsteady steps on her own feet, Raphtalia quickly supports her shoulder to make sure she doesn't fall once again. She's at least glad she didn't truly gone unconscious, unlike the Raven order, and Towair's assault "What happened while I was out?"
"Some high level spirits hid behind a wall of dried up husks, and skeletons and fired magic at us." Jaune explains to the princess, his tone sounds a little… clipped, or maybe shocked? "You got hit full force before any of us could react, and Shield Hero got a little upset. How did you put a [Lightning Blade] on Miss Firo anyway, Sir Shield Hero?"
"I just used it, and pointed it back at Firo. I figured with how strong her tackles are, she'll use it better than me." Naofumi's voice sounds too nonchalant to be someone faking humility. He clearly doesn't even realize the significance of the action he just achieved. "What's the big deal anyway? Your friend Martin back there put up a barrier and stopped a giant possessed statue from crushing us all for a few seconds back then."
"You used a self offensive enchantment. On someone else. This wasn't supposed to happen. Self enchantment, especially the ones that help you offensively, is supposed to target yourself only. Because their spellwork is extremely complex, and can easily hurt someone else's body if you target them." Jaune's voice only becomes more exasperated as he explains the situation.
"Oh." Naofumi's response further highlighted how he has no idea what he just managed to pull off. "Oh, well. Things worked out. I'll… remember not to do it again in the future."
"Yes, please. It will be very unfortunate, if one of us receives an offensive enchantment at a crucial point of battle and becomes indisposed."
"I suppose the Legendary Heroes truly are favored and blessed by the gods, if they can ignore rules for casting certain Miracles." Martin is either having another moment of his discovery, or is trying to appease both Jaune and Naofumi. Regardless, the battle priest draws their attention away from the dangerous stunt the Shield Hero just pulled. "Let us forge ahead, and see what damage Miss Firo managed to cause."
"What did Firo do anyway, Raphtalia?" Mein begins walking forward with the rest of their group again. She turns around to look at Raphtalia, who seems to insist on having her arms around Mein.
"Firo summoned some kind of spell circle right in front of everyone." Raphtalia's eyes dart between Mein, and the corridor forward. From the dimple formed around the corner of her mouth, the raccoon dog girl is chewing the inside of her mouth. Is she getting a little jealous of Naofumi relying on Firo to break through their latest predicament? "And she turns into a… flaming bird when she charges through it?"
"Huh… that's interesting…" Mein reaches over her free hand to run away Raphtalia's hair. "I still think your shapeshifting is the best."
Brutal strength is always needed, but Raphtalia's ability is certainly more versatile in subterfuge. The lost princess looked very happy to receive Mein's praise.
As they continue to march forward, the result of Firo's rampage becomes more apparent even if Mein is protected in the middle of their group, and can't see much past all the bodies around her. The floor, walls and ceilings all have dark marks of scorch. Remains of dried up corpses burned to charcoal, and blackened bones crumble to ash when Mein kicks, or step on them with her feet.
"Stupid ghost! Firo killed you good! Die, die, DIE!" Not too long after, they hear Firo's tantrum first before seeing her kicking the ground, or what is left of the spirit who ambushed them. It is now nothing more than dust, and a pool of ghostly remains, which is quickly being mixed and sticking on Firo's barefeet. The bird hears them approaching, looks up and smiles at the Shield Hero. "Did Firo do good, Master Naofumi?"
"Yeah… yes." Naofumi gives her a thumbs up. Judging by how tired he sounds, Mein can almost picture the forced smile on his face. "You did well here, Firo."
Omake: Surprise of the Wolf Lord
Lord Eddard 'Ned' Stark, Jarl of Winterfell is having a very normal Skyguard morning inside the dining hall of his keep with his family and court.
His daughters, Sansa and Arya, are having another small argument with each other, driven by argument. Bran is having a quiet conversation with his friend, Lars Battleborn. Probably talking about climbing up some derelict towers or tall trees, trying to steal eggs from bird's nests.
On the other side, Robb is joking and laughing with his two friends, Idolaf Battle-Born of the snow fox clan and Avulstein Grey-Mane of the saber tiger clan, while the two young men's fathers are glaring daggers at each other.
Much like his two daughters, the reformist Battle-Born clan and traditionalist Grey-Mane clan rarely see eye to eye with each other despite having fought side by side during the Great War twenty five years ago. One sees others as pelt-wearing ax draggers who only seek to cling onto past glory, while the other side sees the former as weak-bellied milk drinkers who only seek to imitate softer cultures and forget their roots.
Their divide is evidence of how they present themselves. The Battle-Born clan is one of the most diligent Siltvelt great clans to master their more human looking form. To the point even young Lars have no trouble looking like their demi-Malisi brothers. On the other hand, every member of the Grey-Mane clan always presents themselves in their full furred and fanged glory.
All in all, a very peaceful start of the day, something Ned deeply appreciated after he was lucky enough to have lived through The Great War. Robb, and his friends lament on them not being old enough to have fought in The Great War, and are excited for a chance to test their steel when the Wave of Catastrophe starts. But all Lord Eddard wanted was for his child to have a peaceful, and quiet life.
The Great War. Even thinking about its name makes Ned's stomach turn ill. There was nothing great, or glorious about that sordid affair. Yes, the red swine and her pillaging, baby murdering warband needed to be stopped.
But the invasion afterwards, especially all the pillaging and raping done by the proud men of venerated Siltvelt afterwards? Some of the more traditional Clan heads and war chiefs would have said it was a blood price paid by the Melromarc savages, but Ned sees no honor in it. Especially after he lost his father, and elder brother in the Shield damned affair.
It's like most clan heads have forgotten about the meaning of the nation the First King gave them. Siltvelt, the Shield of the World. As someone taking pride in being the world's protector, not a ravager who blindly takes things because they have thicker arms, or bigger axes.
Lord Stark whispers a prayer of forgiveness to his ancestors. But sometimes, he wonders if his ancestor's decision for the Kingdom of Midgard to join Siltvelt had been a mistake.
"Despicable, shameful even!" The Grey-Mane patriarch Vignar glares at his Battle-Born counterpart Olfrid from the corner of his eyes. "To not only forget your proud tradition, but to take the visage of the southern savage ones. May your venerated ancestors cast you down, Olfrid."
"The only ancestor who is shamed is yours, Vignar." Olfrid snorts right back at his long time rival. "Really? You are jealous of the Battle-Born fortune so much, you find fault in my family who look like our demi-Malisi brotherens, or even better our Jarl Stark? Why, if our Jarl is a less forgiving man, he might even question your loyalty."
The younger Battle-Borns and Grey-Manes all look up at their bickering fathers. Lord Eddard forces back the urge to rub the bridge of his own nose. It's only breakfast, yet these two are already at each other's throats.
"My lord!" Before another squabble can come to fruition, or descend into a tussle. Two figure burst into the dining room. One is a scout, judging from his cloak, and monster leather armor. The other is a guardsman, wearing his direwolf headed tabard over his ringmail. "A dragon approaches fast from the South."
"An emissary from Lord Paarthurnax? Have we not already paid our tribute to the Bronze DragonFlight this year?" Lord Eddard found it strange that the second born of Gaia would dispatch an emissary directly to them. Perhaps there's some important message regarding the Wave, or the Heroes?
He doesn't pay too much mind to the courtly gossip aside from ruling his hold to his best abilities, and pay his tithe to both the Bronze DragonFlight, and Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, Pillar of the North. But even the Jarl of direwolf knows about the breach of covenant by Melromarc's regent king. It seems betrayal is the way of the southern human nation, no matter if it's their queen, or king.
"The dragon isn't coming from the Throat of the World, my lord. And I'm pretty sure it's another Child of Gaia." All the noise inside the dining hall ceases. "Their scale is like the obsidian stone."
"Robb, take your mother and younger siblings. Gather the people, and hide inside the crypt." The direwolf lord stands up to his full height as he passes down the command. The elder Battle-Born, Grey-Mane, Olfrid and Vignar mimic his movement. "Guards, prepare my armor."
"Let's see if you have already forgotten how to fight like your ancestors too, Olfrid." Vignar straightens his back, his namesake gray manes ruffle with his voice. "I'll show you how a true Malisi warrior carries himself even against a Child of Gaia."
"HAH! You should worry more about your back than me, you old mountain cat." Olfrid bellows out a laughter, his mead barrel-like belly shakes underneath his expansive cloth. "For Clan Battle-Born they'll all say! First into the fray and last to quit their ale!"
Lord Stark suppose it's a good thing his two most influential clan heads are taking the possible grim situation at their hand with a bit of childish humor. At least they aren't panicking like a nest of filorials with their heads cut off. Hopefully, their longtime rivalry will keep each other motivated to make their stand while the common folks evacuate.
The temperament of a Child of Gaia not from the Bronze DragonFlight can be fickle, even when it's not the fabled World Eater, First Born of Gaia. In principle, all of them should act as defenders of Medea, considering how they passed down their blood to the twelve Dragon Warriors.
But contrary to the belief of first generation Children of Gaia being everlasting, they can not die. A Child can in fact, die. They simply have their title, and soul taken by another dragon, at which point this new entity ascends to take the place of the original Twelve Children. The new of Fjalar is certainly more interested in being the Whip Hero's pet than anyone's protector.
"I can fight alongside you, father!" His son eagerly jumps up from his seat, but Ned stops him with a single hand gesture.
"No, if something happens to me, you'll have to be the new Lord of Winterfell." He dearly hopes it doesn't come down to it. Robb is already showing great aptitude as a warrior and army commander, but he still hasn't yet learnt the value of patience.
The fighting men managed to gather in time, and fully man the wall while all the civilians rushed to hide themselves in the city crypt. Hopefully away from a Child of Gaia's flame, ice, lightning, or whatever. Even with all the Five Hundred trainees reinforcing them from Jorrvaskr, Jarl Stark feels grim.
Fighting against his fellow men with his army is one thing, hoping to drive away a Child of Gaia with what they have can be impossible, unless it's a recently ascended one, thus weaker than their title should imply.
But he'll still not shy away from his sworn duties.
Sure enough, the dragon covered in obsidian stone-like scales grows ever larger as it descends towards them. They land a distance away from their wall which is a good sign: A hostile Child of Gaia would not give away the advantage of flying when approaching a heavily manned city wall.
They then shout a phrase using their dragon tongue, which is not good especially since Lord Eddard doesn't even recognize the particular Shout this Child used. And then… people start to climb down the Child's back, and walk towards them. People in tattered rags, looking like humans but having animal-like ears on their heads.
They clearly aren't a group of highly experienced and disciplined Malisi warriors who all mastered their demi-form transformation. Judging from how they look like beggars, many if not most look like skin and bones. Refugees, possibly escaped slaves from a human nation, but escorted by Child of Gaia?
No, he stood corrected. At the front of the refugees is a broad shouldered man wielding a greatsword made of green-blue malachite. "Ned! You old dog! Is this a special welcome you prepared, just for little old me?"
"Ben?" Jarl Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, descendant of the old Midgard Kingdom, stumbles on his words. By all means, he should have expected his old friend. Brother in everything except blood would be the one behind some rogue Child of Gaia. Benhart always has a knack for seeking out trouble like this.
End Note:
Firo, doing Firo things. Honestly, child like her is the kind of rebuke at the so called 'child raising experts' who say spanking doesn't help raise good children. Sometimes, you need to assert dominance against tantrum throwing spoiled little shit just like her, and the only way to do that is through negative reinforcements.
Jokes aside, I like Firo in the way she is acting exactly like a child her age, with her upbringing (her parent figure didn't do anything to establish a set of moral standard and proper behavior, aside from always being subservant to his own needs) would realistically behave. But I really don't like how canon always apply a layer of comedic cartoon violence filter over all her violent outburst... which is frankly at the level of persistent attempted murders against anyone she doesn't like. Honestly, people always talk about how Joffrey Baratheon is a sadistic violent little shit. But he has nothing on Firo at actual physical damage he does to someone he himself.
Although granted, Joffrey will just order his thugs to do it for him, and his action comes more from intentional malice as opposed to Firo who simply doesn't know better because nobody properly taught her right from wrong.
So yeah, anyone who noticed Firo's violent action in this story is kind of horrifying... congradulations! That's the point I have been trying to make.
And yes, House Stark basically get plotted into Whiterun by yours truly, since I moved Whiterun to Melromarc for my story. Benhart is kind of the Robert stand-in character being he's the one who got fostered under Jon Arryn together with Ned. Although obviously, Robert's lust for drinking and whoring is replaced with Benhart's lust for wandering, and challenge himself against a stronger foe.
:P