Chapter 12: Paths That Divide
"Double?"
Prince Alfred nodded as they all arrived at the Sommiel. It was decided that the Sommiel would serve as a base of operations for everyone. Everyone was prepping and packing their things. Miguel didn't have much, only a change of clothing, his military backpack he always carried plus a sleeping bag and tent. Dried food, and the military tactic books he has been studying for a while on his own. As for Sigurd, Alear entrusted him to Alfred. The prince of Firene was honored and swore that he would follow Alear. But at the moment, after getting things packed, Miguel was hearing the conversation between Alfred and Alear.
"Firene's court mage is from the Lycinth clan and they are a bit special. They are descendants of a human and a race called Exiles. Because they are descendants of that race, they can shapeshift." Alfred explained as Miguel walked up, with a bag in hand and ready, "Oh hey! We never properly introduced ourselves after that whole battle that went on. Plus, you were asleep for a week." He smiled, "My name is Prince Alfred Clement Rosario. Crown Prince of Firene and future king. It's an honor to meet you." He said.
"And these are my retainers," he turned, and walking forward was Eite and Boucheron.
"I didn't have a chance to introduce myself. My name is Boucheron. If I'm near an enemy you're fighting, I can jump in and land another hit. Call me if you need extra help." Boucheron said and Miguel nodded.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Eite." Eite said and then crossed her arms, looking at him up and down, "I must say, I was shocked by how you immediately shouted orders at us before Prince Alfred gave the command to The Divine One." She said and Miguel winced.
"I, uh...apologize. It's an old habit from my days as a soldier." Miguel said and the woman cocked her head, a small smile on her face.
"It's fine. My lord was impressed by how you immediately took command and were able to asset the situation." Boucheron said and Alfred nodded.
"I'm the one that allowed Miguel to take command." Alear said and looked at the man, "Again, thank you. Without your command, we wouldn't have arrived to Mother on time," Miguel shook his head.
"I only did what I had to do." Miguel said, "Changing the subject, I overheard a bit of the conversation earlier. So there are more members of my clan?" He said Alfred blinked.
"Are you a Lycinth?" Alfred said as Miguel let out a sigh and nodded.
"I only recently found out that my great-great grandparents are heroes in this world." Again, the Firene trio looked at him confused, "I'm not from this world. I've been told I'm what you called an Outwolder." Their eyes went wide, "My great-grandparents are known as The Great Mage Knight, Ermos. And The Legendary Wolf Lord, Maria."
"What?!" Alfred said, taking a step back shocked, and then back, his eyes sparkling like a child that was told something amazing, "The Ermos and Maria who fought beside the Legendary Hero of Firene: The Sliver Comet: Francis?!" Miguel was suddenly 10 feet away from him, "Oh! Umm...Hehehe..." Alfred chuckled a bit embarrassed, "Sorry about that. I got too excited."
"Who is Francis?" Alear asked and Alfred looked like he got shot in the heart and Miguel spoke, "Is he a knight or something?" Shot two, "Look, I'm only asking because I've never heard of him," shot three, "but I would be interested in learning about him. Maybe I can learn a thing or two about the history of my c—hey? You good?" Alfred let out a pained groan.
"Apologies for interrupting."
The group turned to see Vander arrive, "But we should get going. Is everyone ready?" They all nodded, "Very well. Let us go."
To Firene they go.
- Elusia -
"This is your room."
Nanami walked into the room and was awed, amazed by the warm yet orange-colored room she was given. The furniture again was a Victorian and Gothic style, the bed sheets had pink, yellow, and bright orange patterns. There was a bed stand with dark purple salt crystal as well as a few shelves with books. And Nanami also spotted clothing folded on the bed, most likely for her. Her purse was on the bed, which she bolted to and began to check for her things. She let out a sigh of relief to see nothing was missing. Sumia and Bernadetta walked in, placing a tray of tea leaves, a tea out, and a glass vase of water on the table in the room. As well as some egg sandwiches.
"W-We'll leave this here for you! Princess I-Ivy has allowed you to explore the place!" Bernadetta squeaked and hid behind Sumia, who chuckled, patting the girl's head.
"Bernadetta is a bit shy around new people." Sumia said and turned to her, "My name is Sumia. I'm the first maid in charge of maintaining Fort Skadi. And this here," she looked at Bernadetta, "This is Bernadetta, the second maid in charge of this place. If you need anything, let us know." She smiled warmly.
"Thank you." Nanami bowed politely to them, "Are you two the only maids here? I thought I saw some brownies." She said and the older woman nodded.
"The brownies came here on their own and since then have chosen to stay and help me and Bernadetta manage the place." She said and looked at the girl, "Bernie, you know you're supposed to introduce yourself." Bernadetta just hid.
"Umm..." Nanami was a bit nervous but, she gulped and took a step forward then extended a hand out to the two women, who looked at her puzzled.
"I-I'm Nanami! M-Mage in training!" Nanami unfortunately was not very good when it came to interacting with people to a certain degree, "I-I'll be in your care from now on!" She said and the two maids looked at her stunned.
The silence was awkward till Bernadetta shyly stepped out. She was hesitant but she took Nanami's hand and shook it. From the ring, Arisa smiled fondly as she watched the scene and soon Sumia joined in as well. Arisa felt a tug in her heart, the yearning to see her students again. Perhaps one day, when the war was over, she will have that opportunity again. After the meeting was done, the two left. Nanami waited a few minutes and locked the door, and went to her bed. She sat there, still for a minute before she flopped on it, grabbed a pillow, and turned to the side, before unleashing a scream into the pillow. She then broke out into a giggle fit, hugging the pillow tightly.
"Oh, my goooooodddd! Bernadetta is so cute in real life! And Sumia is a beauty! Ivy looks just like a queen! Kagetsu is cute and Zelkov looked cool! Ooohhh!" The woman kicked her legs in the air excitedly, "I know I'm in a bad situation but still!"
"Uh-huh." Arisa said, making the girl jump, "Did you forget Corrin and I are here?" Corrin giggled, "It's fine. She reminded me of Sakura and Elise."
And Nanami came to a halt, slowly sat up, and looked at the rings on her right hand.
"It really is Corrin's ring..." she whispered and cover her mouth, "Oooooohhh...I fucked up...Ooohh...I fucked up...Ooohhh...I fucked up. Ooohh...I fucked up so bad..." Nanami whispered in horror as she looked at the silver ring
During the attack by the unknown dragon, Seadall was knocked out by the force of the attack and the ring slipped off of him. At least he is safe.
"Are you alright? And no, you did not fuck up." Hearing Corrin curse felt so wrong, "Arisa did it what she had to do." she said and Arisa let go of a sigh.
"I'm sorry but in the heat of the moment, I needed to get everyone to safety. So..." the emblem sighed again, "My and Corrin's power burst out and I ended up casting Extreme warp. Before you ask, Timerra and the others are safe." She said but Nanami looked on the verge of tears.
"But Corrin was supposed to go to Seadall!" Nanami whined, "And now I have officially kidnapped the poor woman as if I was Garon! This is so wrong!" She sobbed as Corrin looked at her worried.
"Yes. I did choose him. But with the way things were going, you had no choice but to act and grab me before that unknown dragon did. I'm sure Seadall is fine. I was able to sense that he was warped away safely along with the others." Corrin reassured her but Nanami wasn't fine.
"Now we're in Elusia, the kingdom where Sombron resides. Why did you warp us here, Arisa?" The girl said and couldn't see Corrin was looking at her worried.
"Arisa's extreme warp is unpredictable. I remember when she used it to save me and my past wielder during The Fell War. The spell will randomly warp you to a place that feels like a safe location. Yes, we are in enemy territory but the spell must have sensed something here that would keep you safe. I noticed Princess Ivy has taken a liking to you. Perhaps with her and her retainers, you could become friends." Corrin said as Nanami let out a shuttered breath.
"You're right...I...I apologize for all this Corrin. Truly and Arisa, it's not your fault. You were only trying to make sure we were all safe." Nanami sighed and the woman chuckled a bit.
"It's alright. Though...how do you know me? I have yet to introduce myself properly." Nanami froze as Corrin said that.
The woman looked around and was glad to see she was alone and made sure no one was there but decided to take a chance with Corrin.
"This may sound hard to believe but...I come from the Outrealms." If Corrin had a physical body, she would have been frozen in her place, "In my world, I have heard stories of you and your male counterpart. As well as about your friends and family. As well as your fellow Emblems. I...was able to recognize who you were based on your voice." Nanami explained and Corrin was amazed.
"Incredible. I never thought I meet another outworlder." Corrin's tone suddenly shifted
"Your tone." Nanami said and looked down at the ring with a half-lidded gaze, "You had a bad experience with an outworlder didn't you?" She said and Corrin gulped.
"No...it's...just...I apologize if I came off as hostile. I...do not have the best experience with someone from the Outrealms. I have a twin sister who is like you... unfortunately, I have yet to meet her or know what she is like. But...I feel like our relationship is strained for some reason." Nanami blinked.
"Let me explain." Arisa sighed, "I have a friend who reincarnated Corrin's twin sister in another world. We Emblems have fragmented memories of other versions of ourselves from different worlds. This allows us to use those memories and power. But to unlock a specific power, our wielders will need to prove their strength and resolve based on our Emblem title. I think you understand what I mean." Arisa said and Nanami nodded as a bead of sweat ran down her cheek.
Paralouges.
Paralouges in Fire Emblem served as recruiting characters to the main protagonist's army or learning about them. Learning more about the history and relationships of different characters, deepening the bonds of others as well as even serving in rescue missions. In Engage, the majority of the paralogues were dedicated to the Emblem Rings and Bracelets. They were trials prepared by the Emblems to test an individual or wielder, to test their will, strength, bonds, and resolve. Now that she thought about it, she wondered if the Emblem bracelets were in Elyos at the moment. If she recalled correctly, The Emblem of The Three Houses Lords should be somewhere south of Firene. No, better yet, she didn't know which chapter of the story it currently was in the present. A sigh left her lips and looked at the two Emblems.
She's already messed up big time. Her presence has caused a change in the story. First, Seadall should have b—!
Nanami's eyes suddenly went wide as her lips parted. Corrin can speak to her. That means...
"Corrin?" She whispered, "Is something wrong?" The Emblem said, "You're talking to me." Nanami muttered and even Arisa was confused.
"Yes, I am." Corrin said and then Nanami asked the one question she feared the most, "Does that mean...The Divine Dragon...has awakened?" If the two females could materialize, Arisa would have uncrossed her arms and Corrin would look at her shocked.
"...Yes. My being able to talk to you...means that The Divine One has awakened. As well as...Sombron." Corrin said but there were some unsaid words between Arisa and Corrin.
Nanami felt like the fang scars on her neck throbbed and put her hand on it, rubbing it.
"Arisa...you mentioned a demon." Arisa stiffened, "Does that mean...the demon has also returned?" She asked.
"I pray not." Arisa said, "I would have felt something immediately if such a thing happened. The demon was killed more than two thousand years ago. It shouldn't exist anymore." She said but Nanami was silent.
"You said you don't remember their name...None of you do..."
The two became silent as Nanami laid back on her bed, and hugged her pillow tightly.
"Alear is awake..." Nanami whispered, "When...did he wake up?"
"From what we were able to sense, about a week ago," Corrin whispered and Nanami hugged the pillow tighter, gritting her teeth.
"Then...that means Lumera is dead. Lumera is dead..." Nanami muttered as the Emblems looked at her shocked, "Veyle killed her...If the story is just how I remembered...it means Lumera is dead and Alear should be heading to Firene to help them fight back the Elusian army. That also means that four Emblems have been stolen from Lythos." She muttered softly.
Corrin and Arisa closed their eyes, trying to get a sense of what on earth was going on. They managed to just for a moment to connect and they both blinked.
"Queen Lumera is alive."
"Huh?"
Nanami quickly sat up and looked at the ring, flabbergasted.
"You're joking right?" She said, "No! We aren't lying! Queen Lumera is alive!" Corrin said and the two women started panicking seeing tears fall from Nanami's eyes, "Nanami! Nanami! What's wrong?"
Queen Lumera was alive! That was the happiest news Nanami had ever heard! But now the main question was how? The girl took a deep breath and looked back at the rings, her gaze firm. Queen Lumera was alive. That was the start of possibly changing the future. If that was the case, then...maybe...just maybe...she can get Ivy to defect early along with Hortensia. But first...
"Corrin, can you listen to my story?" She asked, "Of course." The princess said.
"Alright. Thank you." Nanami took deep breaths, "This is going to be hard to believe but...I know the future of this world." She said, "I can't reveal many details about it but in my world, Elyos is a world of fantasy in a game. Think of the game as a novel with moving pictures and music. Each character in the game represents a chest piece that I can move in any direction I want. And in this game, there is a story. And just like the novel, the story follows a certain direction." Corrin was silent as well as Arisa, "in that story, it said that Queen Lumera was killed just after Alear had awakened. She was killed by Sombron's daughter. Her name is Veyle. She is a kind and gentle girl but Sombron placed a spell on her that makes her have a vile, fanatic, and twisted personality." She explained and again she heard no response from the emblems.
A sigh escaped her lips as she looked to the side. Nanami knows that Arisa will believe her because they come from the same world. Corrin on the other hand was a different story. Her saying she came from another world might give her leverage but Earth was different from what was in the world of Fire Emblem. She suspected at least might have heard of her world and the technology but that is about it. Corrin was silent and it was starting to make the girl nervous but in reality, Corrin somehow knew...Nanami was telling the truth. She wondered if it was because she had fragmented memories of different versions of herself from another timeline. A version of herself that was never raised by Garon and never returned to Hoshido. A version of herself that...Corrin suddenly realized she was missing parts of her memories.
"I'll give you time to process all this." Nanami whispered, "For now, I'm going to change into the clothing I was given and explore the castle."
"...Thank you."
- Brodia -
Perla has temporarily kept her distance from everyone. Not enough to be noticeable but enough where she wasn't so close to them. She maintained a professional level of composure, doing all her work, as well as checking on the queen when it was needed. But today, it looks like Diamant had cornered her. She was in the library trying to find a different method for Nanami's healing when Diamant came in and quickly sat across from her.
"We need to talk." He said and Perla let out a tired sigh as she closed her book.
"Alright. Let's talk." Perla said and intertwined her fingers, "I already know what this is about." She said as she cocked her head, "You want to know my stance on the situation between Brodia and Elusia." He nodded, "It's a problem between your nations. Not mine, so don't bring me into this." She said.
"Perla, you will not be expelled for speaking your opinions. Brodia's feud with Elusia isn't just about them fighting back for their land." Diamant said, "I...agree that us trying to invade Elusia is...unorthodox." Perla scowled, "Stop looking at me like that."
"Oh yes, your highness. It's only natural that a nation being invaded by another nation would sooner or later fight back." Now Diamant was scowled at her tone, "But I want to know why the war between the nations became worse. Martha told me that seven years ago things were starting to become peaceful and then...it all came to an abrupt end. What happened?" She said and Diamant let out a heavy sigh.
"Elusia...believes we are responsible for the death of their Queen Mother: Queen Rose and the first Princess of Elusia: Primrose." He said and Perla uncrossed her arms.
"Sigh..." Diamant ran his fingers through his hair, debating if he should speak of the topic or not but based on how Perla has yet to experience the fighting between the people, it would be better to clear things up, "Our nation is innocent. Seven years ago, officials from all five nations were called to submit to an island between Elusia and Brodia's sea. They were meeting for the possibility of forming a non-aggression pact between all four nations." He said as Perla listened.
"The one that was in charge of Brodia's side was The Crown Princess of Brodia: Princess Topaz, my aunt and my father's little sister." He said as Perla's eyes widened a bit.
Princess Topaz was a red-haired woman with golden eyes, and tan skin, and was originally a pegasus knight of Brodia. She was the only daughter of the royal family out of three sons. And was the co-founder beside Martha that re-establish the Magic Tower many years ago. The people loved her for her bravery but some disliked her for her choice of always aiming for peace between Elusia and Brodia. In the eyes of the Brodian nobles, she was seen as an eyesore. Even her father was disappointed in her lack of "Brodia's warrior spirit." After the previous king passed along with the queen, Princess Topaz fully stepped into the role of crown princess and began a life mission to end the war between Elusia and Brodia. Her work first began when she stopped Brodia's army in the north from razing down a village for its land. Instead, she apologized to the people and somehow formed a friendship with the village chief.
From there, the rest was history and what earned Princess Topaz the title of Brodia's Saint. A woman of peace who worked to repair the damage between Elusia and Brodia by helping villages that were destroyed to recover, healing the wounded herself, and giving them supplies. This eventually led to her unexpectedly meeting Queen Rose, The Queen of Elusia, and forming a friendship. They worked together and negotiated and it was all going well. Both brought home their soldiers to be with their families and slowly the fighting between the nations was disappearing. But when the non-aggression pact was about to be formed between all four nations...
Tragedy struck.
"She worked for many years with Queen Rose in creating peace between our nations. No matter how much...people from both sides hated her. She let the people of Elusia and Brodia throw stones at her and even then, she smiled. I wasn't there but my father, mother, uncles, and aunts were there when they witness the people of Elusia and Brodia put down their weapons." Diamant sighed, "After she went to the island to meet with diplomats from all five nations, a witness and representative of Queen Lumera was there as well." He said and closed his eyes, his hands balled into fists.
"It was so sudden. No one saw it coming but the entire island...was destroyed." He said and now Perla's eyes went wide, "I still remember that day from seven years ago. I and my brother along with my father and mother were all at Brodia's ports when suddenly a beam of purple light came and engulfed the island. Suddenly there was an explosion." He said, "Everything just shook and the force was so much that Martha was barely able to handle putting up a barrier around the entire town. When the light was gone..." he was shaking, "the island was black before it sunk to the ocean." He said.
"Father immediately ordered his men to get on a ship. The others from Firene, Solm, and Lythos joined them as well. They went to where the island once stood, searching for survivors or any signs. Only one survivor...a servant of Firene...who went mad. Once they were brought back to shore, they kept screaming, "The Demon! The Demon! It has returned!" They kept screaming." The prince explained as he intertwined his fingers together.
The prince fell silent, letting Perla process everything she was just told. The woman was stunned before she pinched her chin between her thumb and forefinger, looking down at the table. It was much to process but the situation sounded eerily similar to...
"Emmeryn."
Sophia's voice whispered in her mind, "Emmeryn did everything she could to bring the war between Plegia and Ylisse to an end. In other words, she did achieve it but at the cost of her life. In my world...though she lived...she still suffered the fate of jumping off and losing her memories. This situation is similar yet not. The difference is, both Queen Rose and Princess Topaz were killed." Sophia said and Perla for some reason could feel the Emblem's guilt.
"You mentioned before another person who died that day." Perla said, "You mentioned Elusia's crown princess. Who was she?"
"I never met her but from what I heard, she was meant to be the next ruler of Elusia as the firstborn. She went with her mother that day to the summit." Diamant explained, "If she were alive, she would be about your age." He said as again Perla thought for a moment, "Sigh, I think you are now starting to understand why I am telling you this."
"I do." Perla said, "Elusia is accusing Brodia of killing their queen and princess." She muttered softly.
"Not the people." Perla blinked, "Their King, King Hyacinth blames us for the death of his wife and daughter. Since then, the anger that had been hidden for so long has boiled over. But also, we don't understand why King Hyacinth suddenly did this." Diamant sighed, "It was as if he suddenly changed, from what I heard from Martha, the king was a wise man and was also working beside his wife to end the feud between our nations. After her death and his daughter's, he just...changed." He said right when Perla was about to speak.
BAM!
A book was slammed on the table, making them both jump and look up to see who it was. Despite her closed eyes, Oniyuri had a cold expression on her face that sent a shiver down Perla's spine.
"King Hyacinth changed seven years ago on the same day his wife and daughter die. He claims that he received information that Princess Topaz was the one responsible for the death of all despite no such evidence. Not only that, he used the death of his wife and daughter to reignite the war between the two nations. Over the seven years, King Hyacinth has changed from a wise king to a madman who only spouts propaganda of The Fell Dragon and even built a cathedral dedicated to The extreme Fell Worshipers. And I will add, he went to extreme lengths to close the borders of Elusia to prevent anyone from leaving the nation. Only those leaving are soldiers and certain individuals." Oniyuri said coldly but there was anger in that voice.
"A man like that, should the opportunity arise, it is best to kill him."
Perla and Diamant looked at Oniyuri shocked. In all the years they have been friends, Diamant had never seen Oniyuri angry. The woman looked down at them and then at Perla.
"Can you answer the question that was asked of you?" Oniyuri said and Perla gulped, looking away, "Okay, how about this? Why do you refuse to answer?" She said.
"Siggghhh..." Perla let out a frustrated sigh, "Because the last time I spoke up against a higher-up, I was expelled from my unit. I told you all I was a doctor. Well, where I come from, they don't treat doctors with respect. Especially the damn higher-ups." She spat.
"I thought Solm respected their mages," Diamant said, and that was where Perla snapped.
"I'M NOT FROM SOLM!" The woman said angrily, surprising the prince, "I'm not from Solm! I'm not from Elusia! From not From Firene or Lythos or even Brodia! I'm not from any of the five nations!" She said angrily at them.
The room came to a cold silence and it just dawned on Perla what she had just said. She just revealed that she wasn't from any of the nations they were from. The woman gritted her teeth and stormed out of the library, the door slamming shut.
Oniyuri let out a groan as she pinched the bridge of her nose and Diamant rubbed his eyes. Pushing for an answer set off Perla, let alone he confused by what she meant by that she was not from Solm or any of the nations. If she wasn't from them, then where did she come from? Part of him found it odd how she had an Emblem with her and why Martha had immediately had her become an apprentice. Oniyuri and Ethan know why but they won't say anything to anyone.
"Looks like...we hit a sensitive subject." Diamant said and Oniyuri snorted, "I've never heard you speak with so much anger. Do you hate Elusia?" He asked.
"No. I don't hate its people. I only hate the king." Oniyuri said, "Also," she stopped right when she was about to leave, "I wouldn't attach yourself to Perla. It's only a matter of time before she leaves." The prince froze, "She's looking for her siblings. Once she finds them, she'll leave. She's right. We shouldn't drag her into the problems of Brodia." And she left.
Diamant was left in silence, to his thoughts.
[—-]
BAM!
Perla slammed her fist onto a wall, gritting her teeth. It was rare for Perla to get angry. Not to also mention she snapped at the prince and Oniyuri. The last time she let her anger get the better of her, it didn't end well. The urge to grab a bottle of alcohol and gulp it down was strong but the reasonable part of her stopped herself. She just revealed she wasn't from any of the nations, as well as a bit of her past. The bitter fillings that lingered deep down just came out when they kept pushing for an answer. She made her way to head out of the castle and to the back where its snow-covered woods were. Going out to the forest to "cleanse" herself of negative energy was always the best feeling. She grabbed her coat and headed off. She needed a damn break from all this. After going around and dodging quite a few guards, she finally was in the woods in her little spot where she discovered a few weeks ago where she would disappear too.
She opened the thermal cup that she made and took a sip of the hot chocolate she made. Sweets always brought her a sense of comfort and she was missing the chai latte that Nanami would make when they were all stressed.
"It feels so strange..." Perla whispered as Sophia appeared and sat beside her, "Three months...It's been three months...and only did I just find out that my sister was from another nation...and now she had gone missing...Yet I can't leave to search for her." She pondered out loud.
"I'm a horrible sister...Again...I'm not there for her when she needed me the most." She muttered and Sophia had her rest her head on her shoulder.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Sophia said, "I don't mind lending an ear."
"...You heard me tell Alcryst I had an alcohol problem." Sophia nodded, "At an early age I entered a Doctor program. I wanted to follow my great-grandmother's and grandmother's footsteps in becoming a surgeon." Perla began, "After I graduated high school with high honors, I got accepted into medical school for the military. Since I was 18 I studied medicine and in those times...I met a friend." She let out a shuttered breath.
"Three friends. Because I met one through my brother and the other two in my chemistry class. I became close with one during those difficult times. For four years we were all group, and I thought nothing would tear us apart. That was...until we learned something we never thought would happen." She whispered, her eyes becoming void of emotions as a bitter smile formed on her face as she looked down at the snow.
"I lost the one I developed feeling for on the front lines. He died in my arms. The other took her life because the third...couldn't take no for an answer." Sophia's eyes slowly went wide as she realized what Perla just implied.
"The second was my brother's lover. When we found out why they took their life and what was done to them by the third because they did not accept their feelings...we took revenge. I killed the one that took the life of the one I loved. Miguel destroyed the life of the third one, I helped him." She said and laughed darkly, "we're not proud of what we did yet we feel no remorse for our actions. We didn't care of the consequences, we just wanted revenge." She whispered and closed her eyes, tears falling.
"During those years...we weren't in Nanami's life. We were away. We wrote letters to her, letting her know how we were. Even face time when the opportunity arose. We thought she was doing fine for a while when she would post on social media with her friends. But when we came back...we learned...she took the same path as us...something we feared. She also took revenge." Perla said and let out a shuttered breath, "How we missed so much...Miguel and I left the military two years ago to be with her. She only had us. Though now we have a close relationship, I can tell her eyes no longer have the innocence they once did. She won't tell us what she did. But I fear it's something just as bad as we did..." she said and Sophia gently patted her head.
"I don't know what you went through...And I won't pretend to understand...the most I can do is sympathize with you. Are you fine with that?" Sophia said and Perla nodded, smiling.
"It's more than enough." Perla said, "You know...You reminded me of my mother."
"Funny. Usually, it's my friend that's called the mom of the group." Sophia said and the two chuckled, "Feeling better?"
"A little b—" SNAP! The two quickly sat up straight hearing the sound of a twig snapping.
Perla stood up and Sophia disappeared back into her ring. She looked at the woods, and then stood up, "Diamant? Is that you?" She called out.
Whoooosssh...
Only the wind responded.
Perla gulped and quickly put away her cup, and took out her military knife. She began to walk through the snow, weapons hidden in her sleeves. She kept walking and heard nothing till a bush rustled. They turned only to see a chipmunk run out of it. She let out a sigh of relief until...a shadow was suddenly looming over her. She slowly turned and slit gold and red eyes looked down at her.
[]—-
Martha sat at her desk, arms crossed as she looked down at her research. The results of the black gunk Perla extracted from the queen matched an ancient disease called Anemia but also heart disease. Unfortunately, there is no cure for either of them in the present time but before The Void War, a flower called Stellam matutinam that was created by the divine dragons was used to cure those who had life-threatening diseases and sicknesses. For dragons, it was a common flower but for humans and other species, it was a miracle medicine. Unfortunately, such flowers no longer exist. It went extinct during The Void and Fell War.
Martha smiled softly yet there was a hint of sadness in that smile. She didn't have a normal childhood. She was the third oldest out of all the children her father sired. She remembered how much her mother did to protect her, always listening to what her father ordered her to do. Surprisingly, her father never once raised his hand against her mother, only calling on her to sit beside him. Despite all that, her mother fell in love with her father, even if he was a horrible creature. She wondered if that was why her father never once mistreated her mother...because he grew some sort of attachment to her despite the heartless bastard he was.
But her childhood days were always so cruel. Her first maiden battle was when she was 13. Sent out to put down a rebellion. She killed them all but spared the women and children, having them run and once they were far, she wiped their memories of her existence. No one knew her face back then because of that. She did the same for her siblings. She watched them die one by one but...
"Where are you two..." Martha whispered, "Where are yo—!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A blood-curdling scream shook the entire castle. Everyone quickly ran out of their rooms but King Morion told Oniyuri to stay with his wife.
"It came from behind the castle!" Alcryst yelled and they ran and ran, jumping off the rails till they reached the back of the castle.
But what they saw shook them to their cores. For Martha, it was a reunion.
[—-]
Perla jumped and rolled as talons came her way. She panted and gritted her teeth but mostly, fear filled her entire being as she managed to start running and looked back.
"What in the bloody hell is a dragon doing here?!" Sophia screamed in her mind as they kept running and the dragon roared at her.
The dragon behind her had white scales, as well as a glowing purple underbelly. Its forward limbs were wings. The dragon's head had a horn that was similar to a narwhal, frills that opened when it roared, the right purple, and the other side gold. Lastly, its tail had spiky spines and the end opened like a claw. Perla screamed because this time it fully lunged and it caught her right under one of its claws.
She needed to engage to escape but.."WHAT THE HELL?! Something is negating my powers!" Sophia screamed and Perla started crying as the dragon loomed closer. Was this how she was going to die? Eaten by a dragon of all things?
"You..."
The woman's crying came to a halt as her eyes met the gold and red slit ones. The dragon's tongue flickered like a cobra at her. She trembled as it got closer.
"Your scent..." she blinked multiple times, oh great, she was hallucinating that the dragon was talking, "You.." and Perla passed out from shock, "Oh dear...Looks like I overdid it." The dragon said and carefully picked her up.
"Let's go—?!" A bolt of lightning struck the dragon, making it roar and drop Perla.
The woman fell and Dimant quickly jumped in the air, catching her just in the nick of time.
"Diamant, is she alright?!" King Morion yelled as he and the others managed to catch up, "What in the blazes?!" He screamed and then the dragon roared angrily at them.
"RETURN HER!" It yelled, shocking everyone but Martha, who stepped up.
"All of you, go back to the castle! I'll hold them!" She commanded.
"You know damn well I don't run from a fig—!" King Morion didn't even get to finish because the woman just swung her staff and wrapped them all back to the castle.
The woman let out a sigh and turned to the dragon as it let out a hiss.
"Nil, is that you?" She carefully took a step towards the dragon, who growled, "Nil, it's me. Martha." She said and the dragon cocked its head.
"Are you...truly Martha?" Nil said and she nodded, blinking to show her slit eyes, "It is you...sister. Only you have pink gold eyes...like Mother's." He said, "But I need to take the outworlder!"
"You will not take her!" Martha said coldly, "While I am happy to see you, I will not allow you to take the girl!" She summoned her staff and placed two fingers on her pendant, "Don't make me use my Emblem."
"The Lone Jaguar..." Nil hissed, "Listen, Martha, I will say this once. You are making a mistake. Let me take the girl."
"I said no."
Nil stared down at her before snorting and flapping his wings, flying into the air as he looked down at her.
"The demon has returned." Martha's ice turned to ice, "And it has found a vessel. That is why I must take the girl and her other sibling to a place they will never be reached. As for the third...she is in Elusia...kill the one in Elusia." And Nil flew away, leaving Martha frozen.
"Kill...Perla's sister?"
— Elusia —
The clothing that was provided for Nanami was the uniform of the priestess. The clothing style looked like the priestess uniform from Three Houses which she was thankful for. She wasn't a fan of the open belly of the Engage uniform, mostly due to her stretch marks. As the woman changed into her clothing, she looked at herself in the mirror. She used to be a bit on the heavy side, she was slightly still but those days of torture from two years ago caused her to rapidly lose weight. Her eyes became dark for a moment, remembering the suffering she went through and those difficult time she was alone. Only the letters her siblings would send her would be her ray of sunshine but even she noticed based on the energy the letters had, something happened to her siblings when they were away.
"It's also why I have trust issues." Nanami thought and finished putting on her new clothing.
Spun, liking the way it looked on her, except for the puffy sleeves. She'll fix that when she gets the chance. The woman then walked out of her room and closed it, not before munching down on a sandwich Sumia and Bernadetta had made for her. The inside of the frozen fortress was built similarly to the military base but its pathways and halls reminded her of Arthurian fortress. A Victorian, English, gothic-style castle that wasn't fancy or anything. But there were orange magic crystals on the walls that kept the place warm. The place looked like it had been abandoned and only just recently fixed and made livable.
The more she walked, not once did she see any servants or butlers. She spotted brownies and a few winter fae but other than Sumia and Bernadetta, that was it. The only reason she knew about what faeries there was because of her time in Solm. Solm castle's garden was home to a type of faerie called Pari. They looked like flower buds with wings and eyes but looked adorable. And some of the Pari that had matured had a more humanoid look. Here she was in Elusia, seeing so few. Nanami kept walking and walking, till she arrived at what looked like the kitchen. Right when she was going to open the door, she heard voices coming from it. She paused and cracked the door open to see children in there. They looked like they were searching for food. She was able to count about four of them, they looked about 12 to eight years old. All of them had pink eyes, but different colored hair.
"Lily, we're going to get in trouble!" A blonde boy said, "You know Sumia doesn't like it when we sneak into the kitchen." The boy said and the tallest and what looked to be the oldest, a girl with white hair ignored him and opened a pot, "Lily!"
"Brother Elm...I'm hungry." A little girl with black hair held the hand boy who looked smaller than her who had green hair, yawned.
"Don't worry, Holly." The white-haired girl, Lily, said, "I'll find something for us all. Don't worry. I'm sure Elder sister Ivy won't be too mad." She said and the little green-haired boy was dozing off.
"I didn't expect to see children here. They all have pink eyes." Arisa whispered in her mind, "Should we...talk to them?" Honestly, Nanami was unsure, but...she carefully opened the door, making sure to not make a sound, and went in, then closed it.
She observed the kids for a bit before she cleared her throat. Unfortunately, she scared them all making the youngest one start crying.
"Oh! Oh! I-I'm sorry!" Nanami frantically went to them and knelt, "Hey, hey. It's alright. I don't bite." She softly and he sniffed but mangled to calm down a bit, "See?" She smiled a bit.
"Who are you?!" Lily said and quickly stood in front of the other, her arms spread out protectively in front of them, "Talk or I'll burn you!" And she created fireballs in her hands.
"Hhhhaaaaaaaaa..." Arisa said, "I feel like I'm looking at Lysithea." Corrin couldn't help but snort, "I feel like I'm looking at Nynx."
Oh great...a spitfire.
Nanami took a deep breath and spoke, placing her hand over her heart.
"Hello. I'm Nanami. I was recently hired by Princess Ivy as a maid." Nanami internally apologized for lying, "I was coming to the kitchen to make supper for you all. But looks like I caught the young masters sneaking around." She smiled and Lily slowly put her hands down.
"Sister Ivy, hired you? But..." Lily looked at Elm, who looked at Holly and then at the little green-haired boy, then back at her, "But...I thought sister said she wouldn't hire anyone else."
"Maybe sister Hortensia brought her? I did hear that Hortensia brought someone. I guess that's her." Elm whispered and hid a bit more behind Lily, "I-If you're a maid, prove it! Make dinner! The biggest and most delicious supper ever!" He said.
"Alright," Nanami said and walked up to the pantry.
From the looks of it, they hadn't stocked up recently on food. There were carrots, plenty of onions, as well as some old bread that was a bit too hard to chew, as well as dried cheese and cured meat. She found spices, as well as wine, brown rice, and herbs. And in the fridge, heavy cream, beef stock, and a few more vegetables.
"Hmmm...I can make a beef stew. But I also have to take to account the little ones." She thought and looked back at the kids, "Young masters, how many of you are there? I have yet to meet everyone." She said and waited.
"14!" Holy said and Nanami turned to stone, "Us four plus 10 more. Oh! And Bernie and Sumia! And Rosado, Goldmari, Zelvok, and Katsu!" She said proudly, "Oh! And stepmother!"
"Okay...so 21 people in total," Nanami said and looked at everything she had.
There were beets and scallions, and the cured meat was beef, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and sour cream.
"I can make Russian Borscht!" Nanami thought and clapped her hands together with a smile and looked back at the kids, "Can you kids do me a favor?" They all blinked, "Can you tell me where the dining hall is so I can set up the plates?" She asked and they nodded.
It wasn't long till they showed her and the dining hall was nicely built and somehow had a warm and comfortable feeling. She spotted the shelves that had the bowls and utensils, which she started to set up for each individual. Once that was done, she went back to the kitchen. Nanami couldn't help but smile a bit as the kids watched her curiously as she was chopping up vegetables, and meat, mixing ingredients as well as cutting up the bread. Though it had been a while, cooking brought her a sense of comfort. Once all the ingredients were in the pot, she put the lid on and let simmer for 30 minutes. Time passed by quickly and she had asked the kids to get everyone to the dining hall.
She managed to find a cart and loaded up the giant pot of borscht onto it along with bread, sour cream, cheese, and drinks for them all. When she arrived at the dining hall, she saw all the children ranging from 12 years old to a five-year-old. All of them had pink eyes, at this point, it was an identification of the royal family. She noticed at least two kids had fox ears and tails. One child had wolf ears, no, three of them, and then another two kids had gold eyes with black specks with crow wings, and two kids had what looked like dragon stone pendants around their necks. Nine children were half-human while the rest were human.
"King Hyacinth...must have been a busy man." Corrin said and Nanami felt a tug on her skirt and looked down to see it was Lily, "Umm...Who is the oldest?"
"It used to be Princess Primrose but she passed away seven years ago. Now it's Sister Ivy, Sister Hortensia, Brother Cosmos, me, and Elm! But if we're talking about the only people here, that's me! I'm from the powerful clan of mages who uses fire magic!" Lily grinned proudly holding up her HellFire Tome.
"Okay..." Nanami scratched the back of her head as she looked at all the little ones going to their seats, "Everyone!" She clapped her hands and all the children looked over to her.
"Who is that?" A few whispered, "Sister Ivy hired a new maid?"
"Before I serve dinner, I just need to make sure, who here can't eat meat?" Okay, no one raised their hands, "Alright. Who hear is allergic to certain foods?" one of the fox boys and a wolf girl raised their hands.
"Wild strawberries." They said together and Nanami was glad she didn't use the strawberries she saw earlier for dessert.
"Okay. Thank you." She said, "Alright. I know you are all hungry so I made you all borscht today! I hope you like it!" She said as she went up to each table and served them.
Of course, she also made a kid's meal, for the younger ones since she knew not all of them would eat the borscht. She made them rice with the leftover beef that she made fully tenderizes so it wouldn't be difficult to chew along with vegetables and melon. A kid's friendly meal that she was happy to see them eating in joy.
"This is the best borscht I've ever had..." Elm was awed as Lily was wolfing down her food, "We never had anything like this back in the palace!" Holly said.
But as Nanami continued to serve, she wondered what were all the royal children doing in an abandoned castle in Elusia, far away from the capital. She could even sense some sort of concealment barrier around the fortress.
"Why are you all here?"
[—-]
"Sister! I'm back!" Hortensia said as she landed and behind her were Goldmary and Rosado, their mounts carefully landing with multiple wooden crates, a total of forty, "We got everything we needed and made sure no one followed us!" She said as Sumia and Bernadetta quickly came out to help bring the supplies inside.
"You two can go help," Ivy said as Kagetsu and Zelkov nodded and went.
"How have things been while we were away? Our siblings didn't cause too much trouble? Especially Lily, Mia, and Olive." Hortensia said as Ivy nodded.
"They have all been good so far but some are starting to feel a bit homesick. Especially after we had to all make them disappear to come here." Ivy sighed as her sister looked at her worried.
"The castle is just unsafe at this point. And before I came here, I spoke to Father." Ivy looked at her worried, "He confused me for my mother for a moment. I'm glad he snapped out but...lately he's...been really out of it." She said.
"How?" Ivy asked and Hortensia let out a heavy sigh, "Hortensia?"
"He keeps saying Queen Rose, stepmother, won't leave him alone." Hortensia said and looked at her, "He also keeps calling out your mother, my mother, and demanding to know where Step-Mother Thyme is. I feel bad for Cosmos because he's enduring his father's constant breakdowns. I don't get why he's like this! He wasn't like this before!" Hortensia said.
Ivy's lips became a thin line and right when she was about to speak...
"Sisters!"
The group turned and saw Lily running towards them, and jumped in thr air, sending pour Ivy into having a heart attack and Zelkov quickly catching her.
"Princess Lily, you mustn't jump so high. You nearly gave Princess Ivy a heart attack." Zelkov said and the girl just puffed her cheekily.
"But it's fun jumping!" Lily said as the man carried her over to her sisters.
"Lily, you're supposed to be inside! What are you doing out here!?" Hortensia said.
"I came to tell you dinner is ready!" Lily said and the maids froze, and slowly turned to look at the princess, "The new maid you hired made the best borscht in the world! She even made meals for the youngest and they ate it all!" Lily said as the sisters looked at each other confused.
"New maid?" Kagetsu said and Lily nodded.
"Yeah! Her name is Nanami!"
[—-]
It was safe to say Nanami was not prepared for the number of children that would come up to her for seconds. On the positive side, she got to learn all their names. They were all line up for seconds and after she served them, she went to clean up the little ones. There were about four children that were five years old.
The first four she met were Lily, Holly, Elm, and the little green-haired by was named Fern.
Ages: 12, 9, 6, and 5
The two kids with fox features were named Mia and Clove, they were twins, a girl, and a boy.
Ages:10
The three kids with wolf ears, were triplets, two boys and one girl, named, Basil, Juniper, and Poppy.
Ages: 7
The two with crow wings were named Lotus and Aster, a girl and a boy was younger by a year.
Ages: 8, and 5
The two with dragon stones were a girl named Heather and a boy named Rowan.
Ages: 5
The rest of the children were Princess Primrose, Ivy, Hortensia, Cosmos, and a boy named Fern.
Ages: Prim would be 23 if she was alive. Ivy is 20. Hortensia is 14 and Prince Cosmos is 15. And Fern is 11.
So: The oldest of the bunch and leaders: Ivy, Hortensia, Cosmos, Lily, and helped take care of the little ones.
What she did not expect was to see a beautiful woman with dark green hair tied in a bun, and brown eyes, dressed in an Elusian winter dress with a fur cape. As well as round glasses. She wore slippers and blinked multiple times as all the children came to a halt. She looked around till her eyes landed on Nanami.
"I heard so much commotion going on. I did not think everyone was so excited for dinner." The woman said, "Who are you? Are you a new maid?" the woman said as she walked up and Nanami gulped.
She politely bowed.
"It's an honor to be in your presence, my lady. I'm a new maid recently hired. My name is Nanami and...I cooked dinner for everyone." She carefully raised her head, "Would you...like a bowl?" She said.
"Queen Thyme! The borscht is delicious!" Basil and Claire yelled out as they held out their empty bowls but were quickly hushed by Fern and Mia.
"Queen?!" Nanami mentally screeched as the woman just looked at her puzzled but then...
Gggrrrooooowwwllll...
Her stomach rumbled loudly. The poor queen looked down to the ground, embarrassed but Nanami spoke, trying to reassure her.
"Q-Queen Thyme, it's alright! I made plenty for everyone to get up to thirds if they wanted! Umm!" She found an empty table, "Please have a seat! I'll serve you your meal." She said and pulled out a chair for the queen, "But...why is Elusia's Queen here? Was she banished?" She thought and then noticed the children all gathering together, watching her serve the meal.
No, she had to think deeper. She finished serving the meal and noticed the queen scrunch her nose at the sight of sour cream. Seeing this, the woman took it far away from a table far across the room and then went back to her. The queen was a bit surprised by the action, she didn't think anyone noticed but the maid did. Even took it far away from her.
She picked up her spoon and took the first bite. The queen froze, chewed, then swallowed as she looked down at the stew. The children were all holding their breaths as was Nanami. None saw that Ivy, Hortensia, and the rest has entered the dining hall.
"Is it to your liking?" Nanami said and the queen smiled softly and took another bite.
"It's light and not heavy on the stomach. Not only that, you used the herbs perfectly and it gave a settle yet rich flavor. The meat is soft and not difficult to chew. For once, I'm not struggling to eat. And I noticed you served me some tea as well." The queen said and looked to the cup next to her bowl, "This aroma... What tea is this?"
"Green tea from Solm." Nanami said and the queen blinked, "Tea is often drunk with meals that have meat from where I come from. It helps ease the stomach as well as helps wash down your food and keep your throat clear." The queen picked up her cup and took a sip, letting out a small hum of bliss.
"I approve." Queen Thyme said and looked up, "Ivy, Hortensia, welcome back."
Nanami quickly turned around and saw the princesses along with their retainers, Lilly, and the maids. Nanami quickly bowed politely as Ivy and Hortensia walked up, looking a bit nervous as the queen ate.
"Step-Mother, it's rare to see you out of your room. How are you feeling?" Ivy said and Queen Thyme sighed, smiling bitterly as she looked to the side.
"I was hungry. For once I was hungry for myself and the ot-never mind." Queen Thyme said and took another bite, "I hadn't had a home-cooked meal like this in a decade. Sigh...reminds me of Rose's and my mother's cooking." She hummed in bliss and waved her spoon at Nanami, "Go on finish serving everyone. The rest of you, go and sit down to eat!" She said with a smile.
Said the group obeyed.
[—-]
After an hour of everyone eating their meals and their drinks, the children were taken back to their rooms by Bernadetta and Sumia, and the queen was escorted back to her room. Now in the kitchen, Nanami kept her head down as Ivy looked at her with an emotionless expression, Hortensia looked chipper, while their retainers all remained silent. The silence was killing Nanami and then Ivy spoke.
"Quite bold of you to say I hired you as a new maid," Ivy said and Nanami spoke.
"I'm sorry!" Nanami repeatedly bowed, taking them all by surprise, "It's just...I left my room to explore the castle and I ended up finding the kitchen. While there, I found the kids and accidentally scared one of them to tears so I...I quickly came up with the story that I was a new maid to calm them down and also to prevent Lady Lily from setting me on fire." Nanami explained in one go.
"So let us get this straight," Hortensia said, "So you lied to our siblings that we hired you as a maid because you accidentally scared one of the little ones?" Ivy said and Nanami nodded, "And also to prevent Lily from setting you on fire?" Another nod, "So you took it upon yourself that to let them know you won't harm them, you made a borscht using the little ingredients that were left." And another nod.
"In her defense, Step-Mother loved it." Hortensia said, "I haven't seen stepmother eat a full meal in a long time. Plus, our siblings like her. You heard they wouldn't stop praising her food." Nanami shifted a bit nervously.
"Yes, I agree to that." Ivy sighed, "Somehow she managed to get fourteen children to like her." She looked at the woman as she crossed her arms.
"King Hyacinth...was quite a busy man?" Nanami chuckled nervously and Ivy just gave her a deadpanned look, "Just...how many royal children are there?"
"The fourteen you met. Me, Hortensia, Prince Cosmos but he is not here, and...one that had passed away. So...18 children." Ivy said and if Arisa and Corrin were drinking tea, they would have choked.
"I'm...surprised there wasn't a war in the harem..." Nanami thought but looks like Ivy was able to read her.
"No. There was no Concubine War thanks to Queen Rose, my mother, Hortensia's mother, and Queen Thyme, Cosmos's mother." Ivy said and let out a frustrated sigh, "But...I thank you." Nanami blinked, "It...has been a long time since I've seen...Step-Mother eat properly. And the meal was delicious." Nanami couldn't help beam.
"I have a suggestion." Zellov spoke up, "Why not just hire her? Everyone believes she is a maid. Perhaps even have her show Bernadetta and Sumia how to do new things." He said as the two maids looked a bit unsure.
"Hmmm..." Ivy crossed her arms and looked at Nanami up and down, "Well, she passed the test that she knows how to cook. Can you do household chores?" Nanami nodded, "Hmm...Do you know basic etiquette?" Another nod.
"I...also know how to sing," Nanami said and Ivy twitched.
"You're a songstress." Nanami nodded, "Anything else?"
"I'm a magical mechanic."
"Finally someone who knows how to work the magic water heater!" Sumia yelled out and quickly apologized.
"Then..." Hortensia suddenly pointed to her bag, "Are you a fashion designer?" Nanami slowly blinked, "I saw your sketchbook! And" she went into her pocket and pulled out Nanami's MP3 player, "This too!"
"You went through my things?"
Nanami's voice dropped down two octaves when she said those words. Something changed in the woman and the retainer's sensed it. They all secretly had their hands ready to draw their weapons. Nanami cocked her head, feeling her neck throb yet she didn't care. What right now stuck to her was the fact that someone went through her things without her permission. Just at that moment, her eyes swirled with dark emotions.
"How dare they touch was is not theirs?" A voice whispered darkly in her ears, "It's always been like that, hasn't it? People touching things that are not yours? No wonder you are so protective of your things! Hahahaha...How about we put them in t—-"
"S-Sorry!" Hortensia said, making Nanami blink, "Your sketchbook and whatever this thing fell out of your bag when we brought you here. I um...took a peak." Nanami gave her a blank stare, "But your drawings are cute! These are amazing! I've never seen so many cute clothing designs! Even Rosado was fawning over them!" The princess gushed as the retainer coughed but nodded.
"Hello, darknesses my old friend...That's my cosplay journal..." Nanami internally wept then spoke, "My sketchbook...I do costume designs as a hobby..." she said as she embarrassed looked away, "Can I have my magic tool bac—-"
And the alarm set off.
"CALIFORNIA GIRLS ARE UNFORGETTABLE!" Nanami screamed in horror and lunged, quickly taking the tool from Hortensia's hands, frantically putting in the password, and shutting it off.
The woman panted and gasped for air, her face red with embarrassment as she just crouched and hugged her knees, burying her face in them. Arisa and Corrin felt bad for the woman while the others were just stunned.
"I wanna go home..." Nanami whimpered, "I'm so sorry you had to see just a shameful display...I need to disappear into the abyss..." she said, her soul leaving her body.
"Pfft." Ivy laughed but quickly composed herself as she walked up to the woman, "I must admit, I am amused." She said with a small smile, "But I think I have made up my mind." She had Nanami stand up, "I will give you one week. Bernadetta and Sumia will observe how well you can perform the duties of a maid and if you do well, I will consider hiring you." She said as Nanami looked at her stunned.
But...this could work. She could gather information about what is going on in Elusia and learn about the situation. There wasn't much said about Elusia in the game. Only that it was a cold winter land of Fell Dragon Worshippers, Ivy did not worship the fell dragon, and the little bit of history she learned two months ago about Queen Rose. Now the question that was in her mind was why were all the royal children but one child and the current Queen Mother, far off in the north, hidden? What was going on? Why were they so far away?
"Just what the hell is happening in Elusia?" Nanami thought then spoke, "I...understand." She placed her hand over her heart and bowed, "I will not disappoint you, your Highnesses." And looked at them in the eyes.
"Hmm..." Kagetsu covered his mouth, "Physically weak but the look in her eyes..."
Ivy's lips twitched and then turned to a smile, nodding and holding out her hand to Nanami. She will test the girl and see how she is. Something about Nanami...reminded her of Primrose.
"Welcome to Elusia, Nanami."
- Dream -
It was a horrible nightmare.
People screaming and running for their lives as blood painted the ground red. Houses burst into flames and bodies littered the ground. She wanted to help, her body told her to call out to them. Yet when she raised her hand to cast a healing spell on a knight, the only thing that came out of it was a flame. Her eyes went wide in horror as the knight scream in agony before it died down. Her heartbeat became rapid, and cackling filled her ears as she raised her hands.
They were covered in blood.
- End of Dream -
"NO!"
Veyle shot awake her hands reaching into the air but all she saw was a cave ceiling. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself but trembled as she hugged herself. The nightmares of people dying by her hand have been happening for a week now. She hadn't gotten any proper sleep because of them. But most of all, her left shoulder kept throbbing for some reason. As if she suffered a horrible injury. Veyle took deep breaths to try and calm herself again and laid back down, closing her eyes.
"I need proper sleep to travel..."
- Dream -
Ring.
A bell chime.
Ring.
Another chime.
Veyle opened her eyes and looked around. The place looked like a foggy forest, crystals floating around her yet the place felt safe.
"Where...am I?" Veyle whispered and then...
"Veyle?"
Veyle turned to see someone she never thought she meets everyone again.
"NANA!"