A/N: Bit by bit, piece by piece, this story shall slowly press on. The only thing that happened off-screen is Corrin's bath… I think it would've been really dull to go through that, essentially amounting to 'Cleaning, but with a lot of ouchies!' Anyway, I wanted this chapter ready by New Year's, but there were some additions I recently made that really helped things out.
Consort: Yes! Which is a choice that resonates from the original 'Thirst for Blood'... and in the same spot, too… on her left side, and just like last time, that wound will be easier to re-open and stay sensitive. So, in order to counter this, she's going to need some specially made armor for it, but of course having a reinforced section comes at the cost of it being heavier… so she won't be as fast as she could.
Oh yes, and we get to see both sides of Corrin's personality right off the bat. On one side we have the canon personality in her human side. The other has a more savage and primal side in her dragon side… and these two sides is what Yasei's character revolves around, balancing the two sides. It's unwise to ignore one side over the other for too long…
Hey, cut her some slack, it was her first dragon transformation! Erm… besides, if you got lost, then great! Corrin was definitely falling into bloodlust there, so in the heat of the moment… who cares who she was attacking? I mean, uh… we certainly do, since we don't want her killing innocents, but there's a reason why I got this in first person…
Only Yasei's adventures get the first person treatment!
Guest (Ch. 1, 11/23/2017 1:19 AM EST): There is still a fragment of 'Corrin' inside of that dragon. Which starts one of the major points of this fic, the balance between human and dragon… Corrin and Yasei.
No, I'm reworking the Wyrmslayers. Allow me to offer this: Imagine Wyrmslayers, instead of doing the standard 4x effective damage… they do 2x effective damage, however! If the unit is a dragon that is in their respective dragon form, then the unit will also lose a % max health that can't be recovered, in addition to a debuff that adds a % chance of taking extra damage. I mean, to be fair… Corrin can take a Wyrmslayer head-on in 'Mother', but then you can just turn around and heal it off.
Adding onto this, imagine a Beast Killer in which the weapon itself does normal weapon damage to a beast, however! If a beast unit is struck with the Beast Killer, it will be inflicted with a toxin won't leave their system naturally, and will deal increasing amounts of damage over time. Unlike the Wyrmslayer wound, however, this can be recovered with a specialized anti-toxin.
Both of these interpretations are far more threatening than 4x modifier. What if the unit in question has a high defense? What if they have Miracle and it procs? Then you can just heal it off and keep on going. But, what if the attack in itself isn't outright lethal, but instead imposes potentially life-long effects that will debilitate the unit? Then we have a weapon that is feared.
Besides… why the heck can a Wyrmslayer that is designed to 'rend scales' do effective damage if the unit isn't transformed, and therefore has skin on their body?! So, if Corrin or any other Manakete is in their 'human' form, it shouldn't do effective damage.
And yes, the dragons have the classic 'style' of getting tougher. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Whew… what a name. Uh, if I may ask… if you ever pop around to review again… would you mind if I shortened your Shout-out name to just 'Antex'? If you don't like, then it's all good, I got no problem typing the whole thing out. Erm, now then…
Modified pathways… it'll basically follow this set-up: 1. This will start off as the canon Birthright route. 2. However, very soon into this path, you'll notice a few events that don't quite line up… maybe a character is in a different spot or we take a literally different path to the next in-game chapter. 3. Then the changes really start kicking in, maybe we don't get to recruit certain units, maybe we'll miss a major battle in canon… maybe we'll get a new major battle. 4. And lastly, it'll finally de-rail and form the new path.
Let the assumptions begin, because I'm sure not going to tell! I guess we'll have to keep an eye out for clues, right?
Drip, drop. I look over the hot baths with an almost needy eye. I lick my lips, then step closer. "Water is your element." The voice returns, suddenly strengthened. My side pulses with a small surge of pain, but I push through it, as I'm far more interested in the water. I enter the room, still clothed, and put one of my feet in for a test… oh, it's so…
Warm?
Despite the steam rising up, I feel almost no real heat. Tilting my head, I dip further, soaking the lower ends of my dress. I mean, it feels nice, but I really expected it to be hotter than this. "My element…" I mutter. I reach out with a hand and focus on the water. "Who are you?" I find myself asking without thinking. I then move my hand from side to side, but nothing really happens. I've always focused on a sword, so I'm not too sure on how magic works.
I giggle, I can't remember the amount of times Leo had sighed in aggravation as he attempted to teach me magic. 'This isn't like a sword, sister!' He would try to keep his tone calm, 'You can't just brute strength your way through this!' Well, to be fair… I really did try, but for whatever reason, magic just never 'clicked' for me.
I crouch down, further dipping into the water, probably ruining the dress more, but I don't care about that right now. The only thing that I'm worried about is that Wyrmslayer wound, but it's rather calm right now. I look at the water, rippling and splashing. "Why am I attuned to water?" I ask as I dip a little further, my face being a few inches away. Swish and swirl, I stir up the warm water some, relishing in the feeling. "Heh… listen to me, talking to a voice in my head." I cup my hand and bring some of the water to my face, rinsing myself. I don't even blink, as the water just falls harmlessly off of my eyes.
Huh.
I tilt my head, I literally didn't even feel like recoiling. That's rather strange, since I used to do that before…
This water could also be a bit hotter, too. I crouch down and feel a quick spike from my wound, but that's really it. My dress is soaked, but I still lower myself. "Water is my element…" I lower a hand and swirl it in the water, before raising my hand. "But… so is being a… dragon?" I focus on the water, then watch in awe as a stream of water rises up with my hand, like a small pillar. "I wish you'd talk to me a bit more." I huff, though I know it's a fool's request. I mean, come on… a voice in my head?! That's just crazy.
"Mizu, Yasei." I startle as he finally says something!
"Mizu?" I echo, causing the water around my body to… react? Wait, Mizu is 'Water'.
"Tanken no Mizu." He continues to say.
I look around and listen for a moment, assuring I'm alone, then I nod. "Tanken no Mizu." The water that is 'reacting' near my body rises up to my open palm and forms into a shape of a… dagger. A water dagger… a dagger of water, 'tanken no mizu'. "Oh, wow…" I breathe in, that's… really cool. "Thank you…" I whisper as I look at my new… wait, is it even sharp enough to be considered a weapon? Or it this more like a trick? I grip the handle, and while it feels slick and wet, it doesn't slide around in my hand. I spin it once, like how I saw Jakob, Felicia, or Flora do… and I send it sailing towards a wall. My aim is horribly off and the dagger falls before it lands, but! It does pierce the edge of the hot tub! Then the water dagger disperses into a puddle and falls back into the water. I smile, oh, that was nice. "Can you teach me more?" I eagerly ask and…
Silence.
I sigh, I really wish he'd talk more. With a small shrug, I move to stand up, then proceed to walk out of the hot baths. I go to a side room, then proceed to grab a towel and at least try to dry myself off. Once it's clear the dress is done, I strip and just dry off my own body, I turn and… there's a different dress? "Huh?" I reach out with a hand and grab the dress. "Who's there?"
"Kaze, milady." A voice calls from around the corner.
I squeak, "Were you… watching me?!"
"I'm assigned to you, Lady Corrin. It is my duty to ensure your complete safety."
"You didn't…"
"I did. You are still recovering, milady. I'd suggest against walking so freely." Eyes narrowed, I put the new dress on… it's just a plain white, yet it still looks elegant.
"Did you see anything?"
"I wasn't ogling, if that's your concern, milady." He simply states.
"...Alright." I nod, not that he can see it. Once the dress is properly on, I leave the room, Kaze is leaning against a wall, looking out into the hallways. "You're… assigned to me?" I echo. "Like, a retainer?"
He turns towards me and gods… alright, he's got a pretty handsome face. Verdant green hair and his eyes are rather gentle, a small smile forms as he kneels. "Now that you've returned, Lady Corrin. I do wish to swear the retainer's oath to you." He bluntly says. "If you'll have me, that is."
"Kaze…" I pause, looking him over. "I just got back, and I barely remember anything about anyone."
"...Understood, Lady Corrin." He nods, before rising up. "I will not push the matter onto you, but know that when the time comes, I'll be ready to swear my oath." Well, he does seem sincere, but still… being gone so long and basically having a stranger I'm supposed to remember to swear an oath? I honestly feel bad for him, the way his form lightened up and how quickly he was ready to be my retainer.
Yet, I can so quickly trust a voice in my head?
I quickly recall the 'dagger of water', a spell that felt so natural to me, despite it being so different, and in a language I don't remember having experience in. "Is there a library I can visit?" I ask.
He nods, "Yes, milady. Would you like for me to guide you there?"
"Yes please, Kaze." I smile. He begins walking, and I follow, "Uh, about the ambush?"
I can see his body tense, "It was horrid. One moment, Her Highness was giving a speech, welcoming the long-lost Princess Corrin back to Hoshido, the next… an explosion, so many innocents died, Queen Mikoto took a shrapnel blast to save you, and… you changed." I can imagine a grimace on his face, "You yelled and screamed, but it changed into a pained roar, before your body shifted into a dragon. We were then under attack by half-visible soldiers. High Prince Ryoma almost died to their leader." A rumble is felt deep within me, but that's it, no words. "We almost lost you, milady… had it not been for the efforts from Lady Azura."
"Me?" Of course me! I was rampaging as a Dragon! I can still remember it so clearly… seeing and smelling and feeling, but not actually in control of myself. I can still taste the blood in the air, or feel how that power rushed through me, like… a torrent of water, or even feel… "There was this song that soothed me." I recall the less savage parts.
He nods, "That would be Lady Azura, she has a deep connection with an ancient magical source."
I feel a pulse, not that far from a pounding heart, but I can also feel anger along with it. Why? "Where is she, anyway? I should thank her."
He closes his eyes for a moment, "She's resting, whatever magic she used had drained her." Pound, pound, pound… gods, that's actually starting to hurt. "Milady?!" A moment later, I feel Kaze's arms support me, I hadn't recognized I was falling!
I place a hand on my chest… why is my heart beating so fast? What's going on?! "Rest… I think I need… rest, too." I take in a deep breath, then lower my hand back to my side. 'Hello? Mind speaking up again?' I try to think to that voice. I'm greeted with endless silence, wait no… there's something else. Panting? I can almost feel whatever he's… gone. That meager connection was suddenly cut off. It's not fair! Who is that?! Why does my…
"Easy, Lady Corrin." Kaze gently speaks as he helps me walk. "How is your side?"
Obviously the side with the Wyrmslayer wound. "As long as nothing is rubbing against it, I'm fine." I admit, "The water didn't bother it at all, though."
"Noted, milady." In due time, and with a slowly steadying heart rate, we make it back to the infirmary. "Do you require anything else, milady?" He asks as he assists me back into the bed.
"No thank you, Kaze." I place a hand on my chest again… steady and gentle. What was that earlier? 'Hello?' One more time, please… I'd like to 'chat'. Why does my dragon side trust 'him' so much? Kaze bows and leaves the room. 'Yasei means Wild, right?' I keep pushing. 'And then there's that Tanken no Mizu. What…' I stop my own thoughts and let out a sigh.
Forget it.
'He' will give 'his' one-sided talks whenever 'he' is ready. Until then, I'm just going to close my eyes and get some rest. I let out a small groan and roll over to my unscarred side, then take in a deep breath. Sweet, sweet relaxation.
I awaken to see myself standing in a field of grass and trees, nothing too far out of the ordinary. I reached a hand up and breath in… I can feel the raw magic in the air, it's so dense. I turn in a circle once, noting the rather… strange scenery. Floating islands, lakes in the air, in fact… most of the weird is just stuff in the air. I blink my eyes, all of this feels so familiar, even though I don't recognize any of it. However, the most 'familiar' of this 'unfamiliar' stuff is, well… the magic in the air. It's dense, but fluid. Powerful, yet it can be easily directed. My eyes shine as I reach around with my hands and can practically feel the magic being moved aside, like it's… it clicks.
Like it's water.
And, and… water is my birthright! Just like my...
I pull that hand back and hold it close to my chest, a rumble echoes from within. I lick my lips and focus on it. The rumble turns into a roar, louder and louder, until I can barely hear much else. The magic around me suddenly rushes in, then… pain. So much pain. My muscles stretch, my bones creak, my skin feels like it is being numbed. More appendages, but instead of it being a swift transformation, I feel so much being taken from me, it's painful and aching, but yet...
By the time the dragon shift is complete, I let out a heavy and pained breath… already so hungry. I take in a breath and let out a roar of my own, shaking the ground, water forms as if from nowhere. I stamp the ground, relishing in the power I once felt before. So much is under my control now, being a dragon, the element of water… They. Are. Mine! The transformation is so worth the pain and aches. I'd do it again and again and… my stomach growls.
Food.
I need to eat and… another rumble from my stomach, but then there's a second, and a third.. Neither of those two are from me. No, these are far too loud to be from a mere stomach. The ground shakes, the sky seems to split. Something's wrong. Two massive clouds form overhead, no wait… those aren't clouds. Two massive dragons fly overhead. No like… the two largest things I've ever seen, even rivaling the Northern Fortress. My own dragon form suddenly feels so insignificant, so weak. My armored helm fades and I tilt my now-exposed head, as I try to get a better look at the dragon with this giant metallic-ish sphere in its possession. He's holding it in his front paws, and when he opens his maw, the sphere glows a blindingly bright blue.
Even from this distance, I can feel his magic crackling on my scales and…
I wake up, clutching myself. Oh… just a dream, then. A very vivid dream. 'What was that place? Who were those dragons?' Moments tick by, and once more… silence. After about ten minutes, I slow my breathing enough to where I can relax. Alright then, back to sleep, then. I roll onto my back and let out a sigh. What has happened to me? I raise a hand, "Mizu…" I mutter, then startle as water does actually start forming across my arm. Oh, I like that, it feels nice… a distinct tingling sensation, but more like a massage. 'This magic, it's like…?' Now that I've had that dream, the magic I'm commanding feels like the magic in my dream… somehow.
With a slightly pained grunt due to that wound, I push myself right back out of the bed. Once I'm standing, I look at my arm as water droplets rush across, up and down, side to side, but never falling off. Is there enough water to use that spell from earlier? What was it…? "Tanken no Mizu." Upon those words, the water on my arm rushes up towards my hand, and that familiar dagger forms once more. I smile, 'Can I know more?' The mental request comes out pleading. Of course… silence. I sigh… why is 'he' so silent? Regardless, I spin the dagger like last time and…
"Are you awake?" Someone knocks on the door, startles me, and the dagger instantly turns into water, despite not using it. Huh… so it also requires concentration?
"Uh… yeah." Due to the door muffling the sound, I can't tell who it is. "Come on in." Drip, drop… oh right, there's a new puddle of water here.
The door slides open, and a man walks in… long brown hair that is also kind of spiky that runs down his back. He has large bandages wrapped around the entirety of his chest, "Gods, you're alive!" He moves over and gives me a…
"Godsdamnit! Ow!" I scream in pain, "Off! Off!"
He immediately pulls away, concern written all over his face, "Wha-what? Sister? What's wrong?"
By now, I'm hunched over and leaning onto the bed, "I was… struck…" I take in a deep breath, though seconds later, a Shrine Maiden rushes in.
"Lord Ryoma! What are you doing out of bed?!" She chastises him. "Return to your room, immediately!" She then turns her attention towards me, "Here, Lady Corrin… let me help you back in." With slow and careful movements, I climb back into the bed. "She has been sliced with a Wyrmslayer, High Prince. Do avoid pressing against her left side, it won't ever heal properly."
"Oh… gods, I'm so sorry, little sister." He takes a step forward, "Ma'am, can I, at least, spend some time with her?"
The Shrine Maiden takes a breath, "No more than ten minutes. Then you must go back to rest."
"Thank you." He bows with a grimace.
"Lady Corrin? I'll return in exactly ten minutes with some cream for your side… it should assist in providing a relieving numbing factor for your wound." She then bows, before giving Ryoma a side glance. "I understand your desire to protect family, but you must look after yourself as well." With that said, she moves to leave the room, "Both of you, please… get some rest after this." She closes the door behind her.
A few seconds pass before… "Wait, you're my… big brother, right?" I slowly ask.
"For the glory of Hoshido!" I can vaguely recall a man yelling into the destruction of the town square.
"Big brother, no! Please!" Another voice, high-pitched and feminine… the one that healed me. "Pull back!"
"That's right, I am your big brother, Ryoma." His voice booms out in the rather small room. "I'm assuming you're still gathering your thoughts?" He takes a chair and sits beside my cot.
"Yeah, it's still a blur, honestly." No, not really… I can vividly remember everything that happened when I was a dragon, but the rest is a more of a blur. "Though, I do have to admit, I still don't remember what happened when I was young, before…" I trail off.
"That's in the past, little sister." He firmly states, "You've returned, we can make new memories here."
I roll over to face him, thankfully he is on the side where I'm on my uninjured side. "I know you probably don't want to hear this… but it wasn't all bad when I was over there, big brother." I bite my lip, ready for whatever insults he'll throw at Nohr.
"They stole you from us! They…" He voice starts off raised, but he manages to collect himself, "That's in the past…"
"Brother…"
"There's no way they could've treated you properly, Corrin."
I flinch a bit from his tone, "Xander was a bit rough, but he's the Crown Prince. Leo is stern, but he's really helpful and…" I stop as I see his face harden. "They aren't all bad, brother."
He crosses his arms… with a grimace. How bad are his wounds? "They also have both mother's and father's blood on their hands, both through assassinations, so many innocents have died, they took you away, and now they're wanting war… how can I see them as 'not bad'?"
"Because… because…" How can I explain it to him? About all the good times they gave me? However, as I think it over, I can see that for whatever point I give him, he'll just counter with something else. Frequent visits from the Nohrian Royals? Well, why did they keep me locked in a tower? "You wouldn't understand." I instead huff out.
"You're right, because they don't deserve that kind of thought."
"How are you feeling, brother?" I point at his bandages. "Be honest."
For a moment, he puts on a brave face… but a flat look from my own causes the facade to crumble a bit, "Despite only being struck a few times, that attacker had enough strength to almost slice me open. My armor felt like nothing against him. It was a humiliating defeat, I never felt so weak in my life. However, I should also thank the gods that I'm alive… we lost enough yesterday… Hoshido has lost enough, and…"
The door slides open, "It's time for you to return to your bed, High Prince Ryoma." The Shrine Maiden re-enters the room. "You need your rest."
Ryoma sighs, "Very well. Recover well, sister." He rises and moves to leave, though he does take one more glance at me before he does so, then closes the door as he leaves.
The Shrine Maiden takes the spot opposite of where Ryoma sat. "Please, roll onto your back, milady." She gently asks, and I comply. "This cream is different from the last one, it has been remixed with other ingredients, so it should feel a lot better than when I applied the first one." She informs me. "I'll be raising your dress, now."
I nod a bit shakily, still worried it'll burn and hurt like last time, "Al-alright, I'm ready." I close my eyes and take a deep breath… then sigh in relief. Oh wow, I can feel her fingers pressing against my skin, but I also feel this very nice cooling chill. "That's… really nice, actually." I even giggle.
"I'm happy the mixture came out well, milady." I hear her sigh in relief. "It isn't perfect, but this should prevent pain from minor rubbing… I'd predict up to a gentle hug. Anything slightly rougher will cause discomfort and a flash of pain… going even rougher will cause the burning pain to resurface." I can feel a small patting directly onto the wound, and while it is noticeable, there's only a slight tingle… much better than a huge dose of pain.
"Thank you so much, ma'am!" I give her a big smile.
She returns with a smile of her own, "You're welcome, milady. Is there anything else you need at the moment?"
"No, thank you." I shake my head… aside from that voice, that language, the strange magic and dream?
She nods, seemingly satisfied with her own work, "Very well. Now, please excuse me… I'm going to tend to the High Prince's wounds, as I'm sure he's aggravated them…" I hold back a laugh from her exasperated expression. She moves away from my cot, then bows and leaves the room… alone once more.
I yawn, well then… time to rest, I guess. With a subdued feeling on my side, I much more easily slip into a slumber.
A/N: Being a dragon and the element of water is Corrin's heritage, and that's what I wanted to explore this chapter! Er, moreso on the water part. Some side notes… Yasei is Japanese (Google translate, take it with a grain of salt), so I decided to to, for once… acknowledge a language difference between the nations. Valla is Japanese, but! While Nohr and Hoshido have their own languages, they also formed a 'common' language due to the amount of time they've spent with each other. So, that leaves a total of four languages. Generally speaking (HA!):
Valla only has their Vallite language. Hoshido has Hoshidan and 'Common'. Nohr has Nohrian and 'Common'.
Oh! The dream sequence! I want to point out one thing, one huge detail… please note where that giant ball is on that one dragon! It's in a much more reasonable spot. The dream sequence also establishes what some of the drawbacks of using the dragon form is for Corrin. This is not a simple change, this is a process that actively causes pain until it's finished. This is more body horror than a magical feat… at least until she can hold enough magic to make the process smooth.
Lastly, we got Ryoma… oh, geez. Seriously?! Ryoma! And here we see why it's bad to give your injured sibling a crushing hug within a day of waking up. *sighs* Oh, and I also found humor in the healer sussing Ryoma out.