A/N: "You've gone too far~! Who do you think you are~?! Is this what you came for~? Well this means war~!"
Consort: Yes, both physically and mentally! He's got more of his sanity this time around, and there's a reason both Yasei/Lilith have blue scales, rather than the black-ish ones shown in Anankos's canon dragon look.
True, I may have thrown that bombshell out really early, like getting Kaze his retainer status, but! Don't let your guard down just yet! I have PLENTY of surprises in store. Hrm, yes, I don't mind starting with the 'All-powerful' weapon, but it needs to be powered up. Nothing wrong with that, but only if the weapon grows with the character, not causing the growth of the character.
War… war never changes. (Right?)
Antex: Patience to keeping a schedule tends to fail when I really want to post a chapter…
True, though only certain characters will be using Yasei for the time being, most will be sticking with Corrin. Gigantic… God-like… but not attacking or seeming insane? Huh. Revelations? What? Nah… this is obviously her Birthright. Yes, Hinoka is the most open-minded, most likely followed by Sakura, Takumi, then Ryoma.
Oh, whew… I'm at least a bit confident with Setsuna, but I've next to no experience when it comes to Azama. Just further stamping in the differences between Nohrian and Hoshidan weapons. Nope, it was all thought of on the spot, the only things I'm really researching are terms to use in the Nohrian (Roman), Vallite (Japanese), and Hoshidan (Uh… Italian?) languages though, if my description of weapons happened to parallel two IRL creations, then I'd be quite surprised.
With how motherly and supportive that Camilla tends to be described, I'm certain she has a number of unique tricks up her sleeves.
Prt: I'm more than happy to deliver!
Oh-ho, if that's considered a surprise, then that's probably one of the smallest ones I have in store… which, of course, demands that I keep my silence on the matters, however!
In the matters of Royalty and bloodlines, the answer is no, I haven't changed that. On the topics of brotherhood, insanity, motives, relationships, the answer is yes, I have changed those. I do hope that helps!
Another day, another chance to make something else better. At least, what I thought when I woke up, unfortunately, life won't wait for me to make the perfect preparations… or, more accurately, war won't wait for me. So, here I stand, in my newly trimmed, adjusted, and modified Spear Fighter armor, with Purotekutā no Kyōdai ai resting on my back. Despite wielding and keeping a sword on my side for most of my training… my new Naginata feels right. Perhaps it's the knowledge that my not-blood sister had it pre-made, or the dedication she has for protecting me… or maybe it's the fact we stayed awake past midnight for our training, but having this Naginata on my back has me feeling like… maybe I should have focused on Lances back in Nohr.
My Azurite, which has been since attuned to me and turned into a Dragonstone during my first hour of waking up, has changed appearance. It now has a unique glint to it, like it has been heavily polished to the highest degree, and… I can feel a distant rage from it. Though, aside from that, I noticed that my own irritation levels has dropped drastically… even having a servant accidentally bump into me, spill the coffee on my dress, and falling sometime after… and having a certain Ninja answering one of my questions before I could finish it, I was only moderately irked. At least Kaze knows to wait until I finish.
Saizo, on the other hand, needs to be taught some proper manners.
Anyway, my Hoshidan family, Yukimaru, Reina, and I are in the War Room. Our retainers are outside of the room. "So… it's really going to happen?" I ask, sometime into the meeting.
"Why are you still so hesitant?" My younger, but taller-by-literally-two-inches brother Takumi asks, seeming irked.
"Because…" I start.
"We are not spiraling down this topic again." Ryoma's voice booms. "I'm no less discomforted by it, but take wisdom brother… We aren't losing Corrin again."
I'd rather not fight anyone at all… "I stand for Hoshido, brother." I try to soothe him.
"Even the ones that raised you?" Takumi asks in such a way that it sounds like he's trying to provoke me.
There's only one person in this room who would truly believe the Nohrian raised me… alright, maybe two. Sakura has been coming around on my viewpoint. Ryoma and Takumi, the brothers, are proving just as hard-headed and set in their ways… just like Xander and Leo. Are all brothers so stubborn? Are all sisters the reasonable ones? "It will hurt me, but yes… I'll do everything within my power to defend us in this war… including those who raised me." I respond, then look over the map. "Nohr is coming in with their strongest of forces, without a current Monarch ruling, they are probably seeking to end the war before it really starts. With that in mind, they'll most likely bring all of their Royals, just as we are."
"They won't win. We have the spirit of Hoshido with us, and they have sins to answer for." Ryoma boasts.
"Careful, you're about to trip over your ego, brother." Hinoka smirks.
"Pl-please don't g-go rushing off into… the fr-frontlines, brother…" Sakura adds, fiddling with her Festal.
"We may be fighting a battle now, but there's going to be war after this. We need to consider resources now." I continue, "I would advise against…"
"And what's wrong with having Yukimaru 'advise'? He's the Royal Tactician!" Takumi counters.
"Lord Takumi, I am interested in hearing Lady Corrin's input. She was raised with Nohr, and would be the de facto source of information on how Nohr will play their hand." The Royal Tactician speaks with a calm and collected tone.
"Lady Corrin's insight on Nohr will be very valuable…" Reina nods to Hinoka. "We've already learned of two things, just from her input."
"Yeah, right… Swords are denser and Lances have a small weak point near the blade, whoopie-doo, we're going to win the war now, right?" Takumi sighs. "What about Tomes? Axes? Or, y'know…" He pulls out his Divine Weapon, the Fujin Yumi, "Bows?"
"Brother, that's…" Ryoma starts…
But, I cut him off with, "Oh, pardon me. Perhaps I didn't think Hoshido's Greatest Archer would need tips and tricks on how to deal with his counterpart… Bows."
"Sister!" Sakura gasps.
"I had the most potential in melee weapons, and I found my preference in Swords. I can speak some Bows and Arrows, but I don't know as many fine details." I cross my arms, "Besides, I already shared that Bows and Arrows tend to be made of heavier wood, the arrowheads are of a standard Nohrian Black Metal, and the feathers are from a specific breed of bird. What more do you want to know?"
"Average hit to miss ratio? The average time it takes to knock and fire an arrow?"
"Quit bickering you two!" Reina shouts. "We are here to speak of Tactics, not inflate our egos whilst Nohr is preparing to attack!" She glares at Takumi and me in such an intensity that I feel a bead of sweat roll down. "Don't test me, I've dealt with you lot when a certain Prince and Princess were drunk… and when Orochi had one too many." There is absolutely no humor in her voice.
Though, I do notice Hinoka and Ryoma fidget some. "Apologies, Reina." I offer.
"Yeah, sorry… so, tactics?" Takumi nods.
"As I said, they'll likely be using their best units to end this war now. Their Royals will be on or at least near the frontlines, so… Ryoma? Keep an eye out for Xander, as Siegfried could cause us serious casualties. Xander will also be riding Darkmare, and with his own limited supply of magic, can have his horse take a few steps in the air. If he does that, he will most certainly fire a beam from Siegfried. Left, right-fire, left… that's the pattern he takes. Darkmare will gallop to the left, the right, Xander will fire a beam, and one more to the left, then he lands." Alright, there's some of Xander's techniques...
So, next is… "Leo will most likely keep to the sides. Watch the ground around him, Brynhildr can do more than spawn a tree that can shred through the thickest of armors with ease… he can also conjure toxic clouds, raise entangling roots and spikes. However, you can't just charge him, either, as he has skill in swords… and a custom-made sword that can chill the target he's striking. And…" I take a sharp breath, "Try to keep any corpses away from him."
"He knows Necromancy?" Yukimaru asks.
"What? No! But, he knows how to… convert bodies into… Faceless." That's… something I happened to stumble on in his room. I saw the Tome, I knew it was Dark Magic, but I read it anyway. Needless to say, once I figured out what it was, I shoved it back and fled.
"He can… gods." Sakura steps back. "That's horrible!"
"Typical Nohrian." Takumi rolls his eyes.
"Dishonorable coward…" Ryoma grunts.
"All the more to kill." Reina flatly states.
"You're going through all the Royals?" Hinoka asks me.
"Camilla has an undead wyvern under her control, she's a Malig Knight. Her axe is specifically forged to take Fire spells. So, if she takes out a Fire Tome, she may not use it to cast a spell onto a person, but rather her axe. When it is starting to glow, avoid getting hit at all costs! The fire that it holds by that point will be enough to melt most metal armors, or set leather and cloth based armor on fire. Her wyvern also has a metal plating on its chest, which outright prevents arrow damage."
"It must be a slow flyer then, huh?" Hinoka… rightly assumes.
"If her wyvern was still alive and breathing, then you would be right. However, her wyvern is undead, raised back from the dead. It can fly at its top-speed without ever getting exhausted. That is the main advantage of Malig Knights over Wyvern Lords, ironically. A Malig Knight's undead wyvern can pursue without restraint, and because of that limitless stamina, they can apply heavy armor to protect themselves and… most of the undead wyvern's body. The wings are still vulnerable to arrows. Wyvern Lords are superior in offensive capabilities, Malig Knights are superior in defensive and utility."
"That is very informative Lady Corrin… thank you." Reina smiles.
I take a breath, "Elise… won't be actively fighting. She tends… to carry a Freeze Staff with her, but that's it for offensive or utility. She'll be healing for most of the fight."
"All of that for the other three, but that's all for Elise? Yeah…" Takumi sighs.
I narrow my eyes. "Are you disappointed? Well, it isn't going to be much different for us, now is it? Ryoma, Hinoka, you and I are going to have a lot of things, while Sakura is going to be mainly relegated to healing… am I wrong?"
"Sh-she's right… I'm no good at actual fighting. Please, keep them away from me." Sakura practically whispers, "Maybe we aren't so different…" Nobody takes a response to that…
Which means only my Manakete ears were able to hear that. "Anyway, that's all the information I have on the Royals themselves. Yukimaru? Lead on!" I announce.
"Gladly, Lady Corrin." Yukimaru straightens up, adjusts his glasses, and with a stern smile, continues with, "With this newfound information… here is what I propose…"
We have our information, we have our gear, and our army is ready to march out, yet… I'm probably the most hesitant one. I'm… going to have to do it. Fight my family. "Kaze? Care to apply some more ointment before we head out?" I groan… just something to get my mind on anything else.
"As you wish, my liege…" It does end up taking a few extra minutes, since there is armor to go through this time, but even if it is the toughest armor in the world, I'd rather be safe than bleeding out and in agony.
"Thank you, Kaze." I sigh as the armor gets strapped and buckled back on. "I don't want this to happen…"
"Nor do I, if only due to the amount of pressure it's causing you." He nods, "I will do everything within my power to ensure your happiness."
I… wonder if Jakob will be out there? Felicia? Flora? …Hans? Oh, I'd love to give him a piece of my mind the next time we meet.
We're out in the, uh… 'front lawn' of Shirasagi. It won't be much more than a half-hour's march to get to the place of contact… a set of hills, forked river, and a few bridges that Yukimaru had delicately picked out as the start of the war. The majority of the hills will be on our side, where the Archers and Diviners will take point… Takumi leads the Archers, whilst Orochi commands the Diviners. Sky Knights will be primarily enforcing a hit and run tactic… Big Sister Hinoka will be leading them. Kinshi Knights will be keeping heavy distance and peppering Nohr with arrows to start off with… Reina was ultimately unable to join the battle, as for some reason... when she was walking within the halls of Shirasagi, she claimed that her ears started ringing, got an intense headache, and passed out.
Nohr has something that Hoshido severely lacks, and that is a large cavalry. The bridges are going to be high-contested areas… so much so, that Yukimaru already had the Northern bridges… weakened, the moment Nohrian forces start trampling over it, the bridge will collapse, leaving them open to a hidden force of stealthed Ninjas, Camouflaged Archers, and a small detachment of Spear Fighters. This force will essentially pick off all of the Nohrians who fell in the water and attempt to cross the river. The combination of thigh-high deep running water, and the muddy bottom will ensure that most units will funnel to the bridges.
The Southern Bridge, from where the forked river connects, will remain stable. It is here where Hoshido will hold the blockade. Since, another thing Hoshido lacks is the heavily armored Knights, we will be using this bridge to ensure that those incredibly well-protected front-liners are forced to fight where their typical lances will be difficult to use. Additionally, we'll also have a small group of Diviners deployed near that bridge to bypass their armors.
Now, this set-up sounds incredibly favorable, but this would actually be a lot better if one thing wasn't in this battle… the Royals and their retainers. Royals can trace their lineage back to an ancient pact made with either the Dusk or Dawn Dragon, granting them abilities beyond most… besides me, who has a literal Dragon God as a Father! Retainers, on the other hand, while they lack this Dragon Blood, are the most trained fighters in the entirety of Hoshido and Nohr. They are all prodigies in their own rights, hand-picked by and maybe even raised completely alongside the Royal they will be sworn to guard.
If there had to be a rough comparison, a 'balanced' fight would be about twenty standard soldier, assuming they aren't all attacking at once, to a Royal, except for Elise and Sakura, and about ten to fifteen standard soldier to a retainer… not to mention Divine Weapons, which would probably bring it to over twenty-five standard soldier to a Divine Weapon-wielding Royal…
And there's going to be a total of seven 'combat' Royals and seventeen retainers, no wait… nineteen retainers, I forgot Reina and Orochi were my Mother's retainers. Then again, after seeing Setsuna and Azama… oh, gods. I hope they fight better than what I saw displayed yesterday. There's also the variable of me fighting with a Naginata, rather than a Sword, but… I also have a Dragon Form, which is considerably more powerful than anything I can out-put on in my 'human' form… and I can also do that 'partial-shifting'.
"Kaze? Ask me a random question, anything!" I hold my head and rub my temples… I'm thinking too much into this.
And, it seems I managed to get him with something he was untrained for… random trivia. "I, erm…" He, for the briefest of seconds, stutters over his words. "Are you well?"
"No! I'm not! I'm about to fight the ones that raised me and I've been spending the last few minutes trying to focus on the battle plan but then I started accounting all of the variables that could possibly exist despite that's exactly what big-little brother Leo told me not to do because no matter how strong or smart someone is they can't possibly control all the variables within something as chaotic as battle or war!" I gasp for air after that rant, and… "Thank you, Kaze… I already feel a lot better."
"I… I'm grateful?" He seems confused.
"Oh right… you don't know all of my quirks. So, uh… whenever I start to get overly stressed and concerned, one of the things big sister Camilla found out was that if she asked some random question, then I'd likely snap back in a rant, and thus feel better afterwards… usually. I do have to know at least a few things about what is being asked."
"Ah, I understand… I will keep that in mind." He relaxes a bit. "Is there anything else I should be aware of, my liege?"
"...We never had a chance to discuss what we like and dislike, haven't we?" I ask, but we both know the answer to that. "Well, my favorite color is purple and my favorite scent is lavender, though my natural hair color is this deep blue…" I pull on the ends of my hair a bit, the purple dye has faded by about five inches now. "Swimming is probably my favorite side-activity, and I enjoy reading up on either ancient history or familial connections. I like knowing what I'm fighting with, so I've studied intensely into details for Swords and Lances, which means I'll also want books on Naginatas. Um… I prefer sweet over spicy. I don't like coffee, I'd prefer a cup of tea… but apple juice is my favorite."
"Duly noted, my liege." He nods, and if I didn't know any better, I'd assume he literally noted it, but… his arms are within my sight and not inside of his uniform, writing on some notepad he surely doesn't have in there... right?
"What about you?" I smile at him.
"I… surely you don't need to know, I'm in service to you."
"Then how am I supposed to surprise you with a gift one day?" I tilt my head, forming a small, but fake, frown.
"My liege, please… there's no need to gift me, serving you is more than enough."
I narrow my eyes… and then I smirk. "Kaze?" I start off gently enough. "I need you to do something for me."
"Of course, name it." Ah-ha! He doesn't seem to be catching on.
"I need you to make me a list…" I trail off for a moment.
"For?"
"Of the things you like and dislike." Checkmate!
He startles, but then I see him try and hide a smile. "Very well, my liege. If doing this assures your happiness, I will gladly make this list for you."
"Hey! Sister! We need to get going!" Unsurprisingly, Hinoka is the one to call me out. "Nohr just double-timed their march… we're gonna need to hurry to reach our intended spot!"
Kaze and I share a quick look, he gives me a grim nod, I offer a somewhat regretful look, "Alright, let's go." I tell Hinoka, who has a reassuring smile on her.
The Plains of Hoshido, the meet-up to where this battle will begin. Just as shown on the map, there are a total of three bridges, two of them are faulty. The units on the hills are hidden from Nohr's side, though we can see them. However, I can't see the camouflage ones, so they are doing a good job. Hinoka has her squad of Sky Knights positioned near the forest, but are also on the ground. Takumi is ready, and it won't take much for him to knock an arrow. Ryoma is on the frontlines, Rajinto already unsheathed. Sakura is holding back, protected by the bulk of the forces. I stand a bit away from Ryoma. All retainers are with their respective lieges, aside from Setsuna and Azama, who are with the Archer group and healers, respectively, since neither can ride a Pegasus. Lastly, Azura and Ignis are near me.
"We stand upon the precipice of war, a decision that has seemed to be made." Azura comments, her face taking on an unreadable expression.
"Azura?"
"You chose Hoshido, did you not?"
"I don't want to fight at all, Azura. It isn't fair."
A glint passes by her eyes, but I cannot tell what it is. "No, it isn't. However, you have to take a stand, I'm afraid both sides are too wrought with tension to see peace."
"Mother…" I look down for a moment.
"Indeed, even if Nohr was willing, you and yours wouldn't, simply due to the assassinations."
"Yeah, I know, and… wait. Assassinations? As in, more than one?"
"Yes, King Sumeragi was assassinated during a supposed peace meeting, do you not remember? That was the day Nohr took you away… or so I've heard." Azura informs me.
"I…" No, I don't. Nobody in Hoshido spoke of that to me. I tighten my fists and shake my head, "No, I don't remember."
"I'm sorry to have burdened you with such information before a battle…" Azura follows up.
"No, I'll… be fine. Besides, it doesn't change the fact that I don't want to fight my Nohrian family." I relax a bit, look on ahead, and focus. I can feel the subtle shift as I'm able to see far beyond what I normally can. 'They are almost here, I can see the banners, now… oh, brothers and sisters.' I grasp Purotekutā no Kyōdai ai from its sheath on my back, and take a moment to remind myself I'm about to fight with a Naginata, and not a Sword. Slight disadvantage on very close range combat, which normally means a Club or Axe. As long as I can react before those kinds of weapons get within range, I'll be fine.
The thin pole and blade is also quite poor at any attempt to deflect arrows… again, a Club or Axe, with its broad head would be much better at that.
Azura reaches out with her hand to grasp air, but then her Waterstone briefly glows, within her grip forms a Water Lance… but then the water solidifies into… ice? She then takes her stance. "You can summon and dismiss your weapon?" I ask in a bit of amazement.
She startles, "I can." She smiles. "Unlike most Vallite water weapons, this one has been focused and refined to stay in its shape, even if I were to get hit and lose concentration."
Oh… "I'm still looking forward to those reading sessions, Azura!"
However, before she could respond, the horns of war sounded out, and I turn my attention forward.
In the front of the charge is Xander. I can see him raising a hand, and the Nohrians halt. "High Prince Ryoma! I, Crown Prince Xander, have come to claim Hoshido in King Garon's name!"
Ryoma remains on the front line, but doesn't approach, "Nohr has already taken the lives of our fair King and Queen, and you seek more?!"
"Nohr seeks Hoshido… I seek the return of our sister!" He shouts, "Corrin!"
I can see Camilla land with her wyvern to the side of Xander, Leo on the other side… and I can see Elise's face pop around the corner of Camilla.
Surprisingly though, before I can speak up, "No way, she's our sister!" Takumi is the first to react.
"You will take no more from Hoshido!" Ryoma adds, hand on the hilt of Rajinto, looking poised to charge.
"Corrin, darling… won't you return to us?" Camilla gently asks. "Our dear Elise has been worried sick since you've been gone."
"Princess Corrin, you've already made your decision, don't let them keep bickering." Azura advises me. "I'm assuming they are using this chance of talking to set up a trap."
I slowly nod, then take a few steps forward, but going no further than where Ryoma stands. "I will ask once, stand down! If you…"
"Big Sister!" Elise exclaims.
"Now now, she surely…" Camilla starts.
"And I will offer you a single chance to return to Nohr. If you decline, then you will be deemed the enemy." Xander, being 'For Nohr' as I expected him to be, states his answer.
"...And even if you decline my offer, I'll still have open arms for you all. Stand down." I… should've known better, I knew it wouldn't work, but I tried anyway.
"For Nohr!" Xander charges, Leo takes to the side, Camilla goes into the sky, and Elise stays behind, just as I said they would.
"For the glory of Hoshido!" Ryoma, in a move I've never seen before, unsheathes Rajinto and slashes the air… an electrical shockwave emits from the Rajinto, cutting and burning through the grass, briefly shocking the river and…
Xander counters with something I've also never seen him do. Siegfried alights with its signature purple-black energy and he slices a shockwave back, the two meet and the surrounding area where they meet is almost immediately decimated. Every blade of grass is blown to bits, the ground sinks in a bit, and there is a residual cloud of dust, electricity, and black-purple fog.
It was then I realized how powerful a Divine Weapon can be.
Ryoma then charges straight for Xander, and the two begin a one-on-one duel that I honestly… don't want to be a part of. I'm no match for either of them. I can see the mini-shockwaves just from their weapons clashing.
However, I also need to focus on the rest of the battle. I move with the portion of the Hoshidan Army tasked with guarding the only stable bridge. Now, I am on the bridge itself, and Takumi is on the hill closest to the bridge. "For Lady Sakura!" Hana strikes out next to me, carving in two katana slashes in the span it takes me to do a single swipe with my Naginata, but… I also cleave three standard Nohrian soldiers. A shuriken flies past me and nails one of the three Nohrians. I raise my Naginata and two out of the three swords hit the reinforced wooden shaft, whilst the third one lands on my Spear Fighter armor…
Which turns out to be a lot less durable than the 'Noble' armor Xander let me use back in Nohr. My armor blocks most of the slash, but I can still feel the impact on my chest. I twist my grip, and thrust forward, enough to impale the Nohrian sword-wielder… blood. He falls over after I pull the blade out.
I follow up with a second cleaving strike, which rips into the armor and flesh of the two soldiers in front of me. My Dragonstone glows from within my pocket, I feel the vigor and draconic anger rise… that familiar lust for blood that I held when I first transformed is starting to leak in again. No, not now. This isn't a particularly good time. "You're rejecting your…?"
'Not now, Father.' I mentally cut him off. 'I'm busy, here.'
"You could…"
'Trying to not get impaled or sliced open, here! Hush!' I growl, which startles not only Hana, but the next three Nohrian soldiers lined up.
"My Yasei…"
'Cut it out.' I cleave into one of the Nohrians with a lot more force than I was anticipating. Great. "Hana, back off." I thought Azura said the Dragonstone would keep me from getting easily agitated?! Does it not work in battle?
"Lady…"
"Back. Off." Blocking one of the two swords, getting hit again, I retaliate with a powerful swipe… but it's a feint. Midway through the swipe, I go one-handed, and pull out my Dragonstone. 'Don't think I didn't notice you provoking my Dragon either, Father. I'm not stupid.'
Hana, thankfully, takes my 'advice' once she notices that Princess Corrin is about to shapeshift. "Clear the bridge!" She calls out.
The pain of shifting isn't nearly as bad as I first remember, but all of the other sensations are there… the world is perceived so much clearer. Except, except I am in complete control. I stamp on the bridge and… it breaks. The soldiers and I drop to the river below, and while they fall prone, I stand tall. The water rushing under my legs empowers me. 'Water is my element, and being a Dragon is my heritage.' I let out a Vallite Magic-infused roar, the soldiers near me clutch their heads, screaming in agony. When they're properly stunned, I swipe my front left claw, which I subconsciously imbue with more Vallite Magic, the result?
The attack was far stronger than I had anticipated. The five soldiers are cleaved apart. 'Focus, I can't lose myself to this. No, more importantly, I have a reputation to uphold. I'm still a Princess… and that attack seemed something more like Hans would do.' That, and now all the bridges are destroyed. So, I stand my ground in my new spot, or at least… that was my plan. A surge of magic erupts through the entire battlefield, and I can feel the water under me draining rapidly as cracks form. Where?!
"Dragon Vein!" I'm not too sure who called it out, but I recognize the area-wide effects. The cracks and fissures within the river stop expanding after a few seconds, but the change has already been made. The water level in the rivers has dropped to not much higher than the ankles of our feet. Yukimaru's plan had been ruined in a single move. Without the restrictions placed by the river, both armies are able to cross and clash en masse.
I can handle three or four at a time, but once the water-based obstacle was gone? I had no less than seven encircling me. I'm in the middle of an army now. I scrape a foot on the ground and lash out with my tail, slamming into two, but I also get at least five different hits from the others. I roar out in pain. "Sister!" I hear from overhead.
"Oh no you don't!" Camilla… and the first one was Hinoka. "You stay out of this!"
"You little…"
"Brynhildr!" Takumi and Leo… and I know Ryoma and Xander are probably still locked in their duel, whilst Sakura and Elise aren't combat-oriented.
"Kaze? Azura?" I call out next, but as I manage to kill another soldier, pain erupted and I know exactly where I was hit. I don't feel blood pouring out of me, so that 'shell' must have prevented the sword from tearing into my Wound.
"Begone, you stain!" Wait, I… recognize that voice!
"Here goes nothing!" And that one! Shortly after those two statements, two daggers become deeply embedded into two Soldiers.
"Jakob! Felicia!" Oh wait, "It's me, Corrin!"
Jakob startles, and Felicia nearly trips, but thanks to the heat of battle, they quickly compose themselves. "Away from Lady Corrin!" Jakob follows up with another dagger, but the Nohrian soldier smoothly dodges it.
I swipe, but it's lacking the earlier Vallite Magic, and only serves to knock my target prone for a few seconds. There's still five left, and they are all focusing on me! I dodge to the side to avoid another, and far more serious cut to my Wound. A thrown shuriken weakens one, but… gods. 'Father…' I plead, and seemingly in response…
The water that was sucked down into the cracks rises back up. Another… Dragon Vein? Where? [Whirlpool, protect my liege.] A soothing voice sounds out, and in response, the water surrounding me begins to spin in a rapid pace, the waves formed are enough to send my surrounding attackers flying. [Disperse.] The water-circle stops for a second, before being sent out as an expanding circle. Who? I quickly look around, before my eyes land on… Lilith. She's holding a Waterstone, "I've got you." She assures me. "On point, knock her out of the sky!" She calls out, but to who?
The following scene is one I can barely register, another Sky Knight comes flying in, though the rider banks to the right so hard, that the rider is essentially perpendicular to the ground, circling around Hinoka and Camilla, and then the rider… glows for a second? The rider pounces off of the Pegasus, and tackles Camilla, knocking her off of her wyvern, wait… is that a Kitsune?! "Flying is a privilege… yours has been revoked!" The Kitsune announces as she jumps off of Camilla, shifts into her human form, and lands back on her Pegasus. Camilla lands with a powerful crash onto the ground, the combined weight of her, her armor, and the fall causes a small indent to form. At least… at least she had time to make sure she didn't land on her head.
"Big sister!" Elise screams.
"Big sister!" I also call out, that… that can't be good. Armor is meant to protect a person from a sword or axe… not a long fall from a flying mount. She'll be lucky if she makes it out of this with as little injuries as Reina did.
"Camilla?!" Leo responds.
"You should've buckled in harder!" The Kitsune Sky Knight exclaims with a sort of glee. "Let's go, Jiyū!"
"Damn it… pull Camilla back!" Xander calls out. "Ready a retreat! We can't afford to lose our Royals! Fall back!"
"Don't give chase!" Ryoma orders. "It is dishonorable to attack those who retreat!" I resist the urge to roll my draconic eyes. 'You're going to need to drop the excessive honor at some point, big brother.'
I shift back once the Nohrian soldiers begin fleeing, and I let out a heavy breath. "My liege!" Comes three different sources. Felicia and Jakob both bring Staves, Kaze brings the Ointment… Sakura seems to be focusing on the soldiers.
"Th-thank you…" I groan. "It's good to see you, Jakob… Felicia."
"No mountain would dare keep me from you." Jakob proclaims. "The entire ocean could stand between me and you, and I'd find a way to…"
"Jakob… it's alright. I understand." I cut him off, lest he rambles about his devotion.
"Lady Corrin! You're a Dragon?!" Felicia gasps, then proceeds to trip and fall onto me.
"Woah, careful there… I missed you, too!" I catch her, though it brings us down to the ground… damn, my muscles are sore. "Half Dragon." I correct her… face to face. I forgot how cute she looks when she literally slips up. "Would you mind giving me a ponytail when we got time?" I ask her… knowing full well that Jakob can hear me.
And they both know that I prefer Felicia doing my hair. "Oh, why me? You know I'm just gonna pull out another dozen hairs, or something…" She moves a hand to touch my hair, and very quietly adds, "Or burn it."
Oh, I didn't need to be reminded of that incident. How in the Gods names' does someone with ICE magic BURN someone else's hair?! I don't know, but Felicia somehow pulled it off. "Yes, even if you pull some out." I nod.
...and now that the adrenaline has completely leaked out of my system, I feel it. An intense pressure on my side where the 'shell' part of the ointment has been broken off. It takes everything within my will-power to not let out a sudden scream. However, Felicia must have noticed me twist my face in discomfort, because she quickly gets off of me, then helps me up. "Alright! No messing up this one!" She exclaims.
Now, speaking of Dragons… "Lilith?"
"I'm glad you are well, Lady Corrin." She greets me in the same manner as before, a servant to a Princess… rather than as a sister. "I've made a friend along the way… her name is Lathna." She gestures overhead.
The Sky Knight rears her Pegasus down, though she never actually has it land, "Greetings, Lady Corrin!" She greets me with a highly energetic demeanor. Now, I've read about Kitsunes during my time in Nohr, and I think there would've been mention of some sort of Kitsune who pursued the path of a Sky Knight, that and… her ear tips are a distinct black color, and her tail has white on the end. She also has a very distinct… lack of armor, there are a few straps to keep the most sensitive parts protected, like her sides, a thin leather wrap around her neck that doesn't inhibit turning her head, as well as some wristguards, but other than that, she's borderline naked. "Name's Lathna, good to meet you!" She gives off the single most impressive smile ever… no, wait, Elise can match that, but what Elise doesn't have are… canines.
Her Pegasus is also very distinct, with sky-blue stripes running along the feathers, akin to Firechaser's red stripes. There is also less armor on this one than on Firechaser. Yet, I can… feel a distinct hum from this one's armor.
I open my mouth for a moment, then close it… "I'd love to talk now, but we need to regroup and prepare for this war." My tone is as serious as it can get, and I follow with, "Especially you and I, Lilith."
Lilith offers me a gentle smile, "Well, I know just the place for that…" She directs her attention to the once-more dried up river. "Shall we go?" She raises a hand and the ground shimmers.
It's like that portal she opened up back in the Bottomless Canyon. So, I nod, "Kaze?"
"I'm afraid the more people we bring, the harder it is to keep this opened, Lady Corrin. I ask that only we go." Lilith speaks up.
Oh… "Uh, sure thing." 'Sister'.
"We won't be gone long, there is a difference in time, and it is far slower here than in there." Lilith informs the others. I go in without a complaint, it isn't the first time I went in here...
A/N: Whew, damn. I mean… wow. That's a beefy one, alright. So… I'll just hit what will probably be the biggest… potential issue. Here Yasei stands, at the huge war and… both the pre-war talking and combat itself was rather short.
The pre-war was simple, Yasei had made her decision beforehand, so there was no more need than a single request for Nohr to stand down. She has already come to terms with what she has to do.
Combat: This will most likely be the shortest one, despite the size because… well, there's too many people! I would've keeled over and cried out in agony if I gave everyone even a single battle to describe. Every retainer, every Royal, and a number of other named Units were in this initial battle. So, for the sake of my sanity, I cut it down to detailing who the Royals fought, where Yasei's positioning was, and giving some spotlights for a few extra units.
Alright, with that out of the way, it's time for the next big thing. A… Kitsune Sky Knight?! Nah, I'll just leave that there, let that sit and stew in y'all's heads for a while.
Last, but not least… expect a few extra chapters in between this and the next 'in-game' chapter. Oh yes, it's time to hit up some Custom (and Interlude) Supports!