A/N(?): First and foremost, with a somewhat random comment: When I use a tilde, ~, that indicates that a sound is being held as in a 'singing' style voice, which defaults to a vowel. So, "Hello~." Would be the 'o' being held. Though, "Care~." Would apply to the 'a', since the 'e' is silent. Kinda clunky, I know, but I hope it helps. Now then!
War has begun and it's ti-
"Hey, look at all of these! Man, this is gonna make things real simple! Patch 'em up, then we can start _ them!"
"..."
"Oh, don't give me that disgruntled look, you know what _ told us. Oh, and make sure you don't mend the _, got it?"
"..."
"That's a good girl…" An intense spike in magic fills the area. "Alright, now… each and every one of you are expected to fail, but that's not the point of y'all's _ states. All of you have a unique magical spell weaved into your body's, NOHR I don't have the time to explain what it is… just go over to _ _ and roughhouse that new army."
Consort: The Orange peel is more for making sure that whoever drinks it has a harder time tasting/smelling the sedative, but… honestly? You know more about tea than I do, the only tea I ever really drink is Arizona or Brisk. Ah, Camilla's wisdom returns… or maybe it's another expertly weaved Big Sister Tall Tale? Remember, if Camilla ever 'lies' to her family, it's for their benefit.
That may be true, but we can't ignore the fact that Kaze had been waiting over 15 YEARS to become Corrin's retainer, now coupled that with Jakob's absolute need to serve Corrin in every way possible, and we got ourselves quite the batch for some good, sometimes humorous, and sometimes cringy Supports. Seriously, why didn't they get Canon Supports?
Antex: *shifty eyes* Tempt fate? Huh? Nah, these two are obviously a match-made in Retainer Heaven. … Alright, face it, despite their backgrounds and their Retainer statuses to Corrin, Kaze and Jakob don't have canon Supports! Of course I was going to fix that!
After spending a portion of an Astral Realm day with my half-sister and beginning to travel South-East bound on the behest of my little sister, Sakura, we're traveling to Fort Jinya to aid with the worst of the injuries… though for some reason, the first night we started traveling, uh… Kaze and Jakob seemed really on edge with each other. Asking did nothing, but I'm no fool. I know that Jakob would be hard to get along with, what with his absolute devotion to me, but what I wasn't expecting was for both of them to bring me a 'bedtime' tea serving. I decided to go with Kaze's, if only because I wanted them to split the responsibilities of a Retainer.
Unfortunately, I don't think Jakob got my intended message, as the morning after I had two sets of clothing laid out, alongside my armor and weapon. One of the sets had the tell-tale sign of Jakob's unrelenting wash and ironing routine, because I know he could flatten a mountain if given enough time and steam. The other set had less of a detail on wrinkles and more of a focus on color combinations, which would be Kaze's work, because he's actually got quite the eye for color coordination… more than me, anyway, because if I had to choose, I'd wear purple and red.
At least Felicia isn't getting caught between them, she has enough on her plate to worry about… and off her plate, and in the area around her plate. I think I'll talk to her later.
So, starting our march over to Fort Jinya, I decide to walk with, let's see… Jakob and Kaze are going to be near me, regardless. I would like to talk to Lathna, but uh… she's in the air, constantly. I can't lie, Jiyū must be of some sort of super-rare Pegasus breed, even for Royal standards. He's been in the air for over three hours and isn't looking to land anytime soon. I'm personally worried that she's riding him to an exhausted state, but at the same time… Lathna is clearly fit for the air.
I wonder if my Dragon Form will ever allow flight? I doubt it, I feel too bulky and… heavy. Yeah. Well, I do go from about five feet and two inches to over eight feet, including my horns. Then I go from a lean and muscular one-twenty pounds to a staggering two-TON behemoth!
This small woman is packing a huge Dragon! Oh, being able to be so large is actually… pretty fun, it's nice not being the super-short one. Actually, now that I think about it, Lilith is shorter than me… is it a Dragon thing? She's five foot, even. I would know, we were measured the night after the… oh, gods.
I hope Camilla is okay. I… I can still imagine her falling to the ground, that resounding thud when she slammed into it. The only benefit she has over Reina is that she wears heavier armor, which would absorb more of the impact, but still. I clutch my teeth, feeling a few tears escape. Honestly? The worst part is not being there for her recovery. "My liege!" Jakob and Kaze exclaim within a few seconds of each other. Kaze is on my Wyrmslayer Wound side, Jakob on the other. Felicia is awkwardly behind on her reaction, and stumbles just to reach me… she's the only one with a Staff in her hands.
"Please, you two do enough… let Felicia help me." I state in a slightly irked tone.
"Wh… me?" She asks in surprise, "I just brought a Staff so…"
"My liege?" Jakob asks, though Kaze has already respectfully bowed and went Ninja on me.
"Jakob, I have three retainers… you don't need to do everything. Let Felicia help me… and make sure you're splitting duties with Kaze."
He recoils slightly, as I notice my tone is a bit… venomous. "O-of course, milady." He holds back.
"L-Lady Corrin!" Felicia gasps as she gets closer. "Wh-what do you need me to do?"
"Come here, a bit closer." I extend an arm and up a bit, she is about half-a-foot taller than me… I don't care if she's supposed to be 'Just a Maid', because aside from my family in Nohr, I held Felicia the closest.
"U-um… out here? In… public?" She hesitates, but comes close enough for me to wrap an arm around her. "I shouldn't be doing this…"
"Nonsense!" Well, I would prefer to ask Camilla, Elise, or Hinoka, but none of them are here right now. "Just stick with me for a…"
"You're worried about Lady Camilla, aren't you?" Felicia expertly guesses, and for a moment, I don't see the normal insecurity in her eyes. These are the moments that Felicia proves her position as a 'Maid', no… a close friend. My closest friend. She nervously giggles, "Aw, c'mon Lady Corrin, y-you know it'd take more than that to bring her down." She pats my back. "U-uh, may I ask a question?"
Oh, I can't deny her that… and, she's right. In fact, if anything, getting knocked down will only spur big sister even further. "Felicia? You can ask me anything, anytime." I smile at her, and then pull her a bit closer in a one-arm hug. For what I can, anyway, I can only hug a taller person's shoulder for so long. "So, what's on your mind?"
"What's it like… the, uh… Dragon thing you did?" She slowly asks.
I nod, "Yeah, I'm half-Dragon, actually!" I… feel a surge of pride? Huh, that was kinda weird.
"Whaa-, no way!" She gasps. "Half Dragon? I-I thought… hold on, who's…?"
I lower my voice to a whisper, "My father is Anankos, King of Valla."
She looks at me very intensely, tilts her head… and then shakes it, "Valla? There's no such place." She whispers in kind.
"There is! I…"
"There is a curse, my Yasei. Anyone who speaks of Valla, outside of Valla, will deny its existence. Only a Vallite will believe it."
'Why didn't you tell me… no, wait. Why aren't you talking to Lilith?!'
"I-I'm sorry, my liege, but… while I know I'm not that great, I know that there isn't a 'Valla' in either Nohr or Hoshido…" Felicia shakes her head again.
"I have my rea-..."
'No! No, no! Sister is hurt from the lack of paternal communication, if she's hurt, I'm hurt!' I let a growl slip out, which startles Felicia.
"It's alright, I'll explain later." I assure her, bringing her into a full hug, but with my arms around her sides. "Thank you, Felicia."
"I… don't know what I did, but y-you're welcome!" She exclaims, and she returns the hug.
'...Father? You are going to talk to sister more, right?' Did I just… deter him? What reasoning could he have for not talking to his daughter?!
"You're a wonderful Maid and probably my closest friend, Felicia." I tell her.
"Oh, please… Lady Corrin." She flushes, "This… isn't appropriate."
"I don't care~!" I sing-song. "Felicia is my friend who happens to be a Maid~."
"Oh… Lady Corrin, please…" She shies away, but manages to keep her footing.
"Felicia? Could you sing me that song of yours?"
"Wha-? Me? But, I'm no…" She frowns.
"Please?" Alright, here it is, the defining moments… I look up at her with wide eyes.
"Oh, why do you… alright… for you, my liege." She nods and in doing so… trips forward. Thankfully, I'm there to catch her. Setting her straight once more, we resume walking and…
She begins the song, which starts with the 'Chorus', actually… "Mercifully~ does the cold settle in… Mercifully~ does the cold blanket me… holds me close. Holds me dear. Like the kiss from a fair maiden's lips." Despite her normal stutter and fumbling her words, Ice Tribe songs is something Felicia has yet to botch. Every exhale is accompanied with this puffy cloud of frost, her steps leave behind small snow patches that melt after her foot rises from that spot, and her body temperature drops, but… It feels so soothing to me. "Oh how dear~, does the fire greet me… Oh how dear~, does the fire call me… tis so tempting, tis so inviting, but I'd rather cloak in my blanket of snow~." She continues.
And I join in on the second Chorus. "Mercifully~ does the cold settle in… Mercifully~ does the cold blanket me… holds me close. Holds me dear. Like the kiss from a fair maiden's lips."
"Pile up~... the snow and fur. Pile up~... the ale and jerky. Stock 'em up well, stock 'em up tight, for we're in for a bitter winter's chill~." The cold factor has increased, and now there are light snowflakes surrounding us.
"Mercifully~ does the cold settle in… Mercifully~ does the cold blanket me… holds me close. Holds me dear. Like the kiss from a fair maiden's lips."
A few seconds pass after that, and Felicia is just absolutely beaming… she then hugs me. "Oh, that was so wonderful, Lady Corrin! Thank you!"
"Not a problem, Felicia… you're my friend, you know? Gotta make sure you're happy!" I easily return the hug. "You are a wonderful singer, too!"
Fort Jinya is a sight to behold, even with the knowledge that there are a lot of wounded Hoshidans here. We walk up to the entrance, and I nod at the guard, who opens the gate. Oh, oh gods… I didn't realize that this many have been injured…
The courtyard is lined with cots, along with a hastily built cloth ceiling, it looks ready to fall down. Shrine Maidens are dashing here and there, as well as volunteers and soldiers who are fit enough to move. The main building has a sign for 'Critically Injured' and even from here, I can smell herbs. "Felicia, Jakob… help out the healers here." I tell them, "Everyone else, too… I'm going to see my little sister, then I'll start helping out." I notice Lilith opening her mouth for a moment, but she instead looks at Lathna and tilts her head towards the wounded, Lathna nods.
"Of course, my liege." Jakob bows.
"R-Right away, Lady Corrin, heeh…" Motivation boosted by our earlier sharing of Ice Tribe songs, Felicia skips off.
"..." Rinkah looks over the wounded. "The hell am I gonna do?" She spits out.
"Raw strength would be appreciated in aiding movement of supplies." Kaze advises. "Or perhaps there are wounded to be moved?" He notes an upcoming soldier to him… followed by about three others… all female. "Hm? Did any of you need something?"
"Yes, actually! We could use your help!"
"Ah, perhaps I should include…"
"Oh, no… just you." The second in the group says. "Come…"
Kaze glances at me, and I shrug. He goes along with the four female soldiers. Rinkah smirks, then lets out a boisterous chuckle… "Ah, a strong one… would you mind carrying this barrel of healing agents to the Critical Care?" A Shrine Maiden walks up to Rinkah, and gestures to the barrel that is like, twice the size of most Ale Barrels… there are no straps for 'easy carrying' either.
"Pfft, just that? Easy."
"And do be careful not to slosh it around too much. Excessive shaking weakens the effects." She continues to advise.
"Easy." Rinkah persists, waltzing over and… by the gods. Bear Hugs the barrel into a position where she holds it with one arm, hugged against her stone-like abs. "Critical Care, not a problem." And she's walking like she's carrying some obedient puppy, rather than a barrel that probably weighs more than me! Well, to be fair, it isn't that hard to outweigh me.
Shaking my head, I enter Critical Care, making sure the door is open when Rinkah strides in, and then I close it…
"Hey, it's Lady Corrin!" Hana greets me, her headband soaked with sweat. "Welcome!" While her katana is still sheathed at her side, she also has a small bag in her hands, "Lady Sakura is in the Urgent Priority Care with a few, though they are already looking pretty stable!" She beams at me. "Oh! I see you got a Naginata, did the Katana not suit you?"
...Is it just me, or was there a tinge of smugness with that question? I… feel like she's mocking me for not sticking with the Katana. That… the thought of it actually kinda hurts, and I almost instantly recognize it… pride. The same thing that surges so highly in Lilith. "My big sister gifted this to me as part of the birthdays she couldn't be there for… of course I'm going to use it." I huff out. "But no, I still prefer a Sword over a Katana, I can't help that."
Her smile drops for the briefest of moments, but it quirks back up. "Oh! My apologies, I didn't realize they are a part of Lady Hinoka's gifts! It looks super-cool!"
Yeah… no. I'm starting to dislike Hana. "Ah, greetings, Lady Corrin… I don't believe we met?" Ah, I don't think we have. A man in Sky Knight armor leaves the Urgent Priority Care room, holding a bundle of Festals that are… out of magic. "I am Subaki, Lady Sakura's lead retainer." Despite the load, he still bows.
"Greetings, Subaki! Little sister told me about you!" I greet in kind.
"Hold on! There's no such thing as a lead retainer!" Hana quickly accuses, and she seems… quite offended.
"Ah, but there is a distinct difference in what all we specialize in…" Subaki states, smiling at me, then continuing to deposit the drained Festals into a bin. "I have perfected every art and aspect that Lady Sakura could ever ask of me."
"...Except your boasting." Hana mutters, but I manage to hear her.
"And if there's anything she ever needed me to learn that I haven't already…" Subaki continues, unbothered.
"Like some proper honor…" Not a peep higher than the first one.
"I would learn within the same hour." Not even Hana's two-second glare was noticed.
"Before or after dropping all of the duties you had on me?" Yep, still muttering to herself.
I blink my eyes, noting the obvious strain between the two, or at least… from Hana. "Well, I'm glad that my lil sis has two devoted retainers." I diplomatically state. "Now, I'm going to go and check on her." I take my leave. Subaki and Hana give me their farewells.
Whew, I hope Jakob and Kaze don't end up like that. Anyway, going into the next room, I can see that there's currently one patient, and Sakura is sitting on a chair, taking deep breaths. Though, her eyes do light up when they meet mine. "Big sister!" She exclaims, suddenly renewed. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here… u-uh…" She looks around, and then startles when she notices the Festal in her hand, "C-Come here, please…"
I smile and walk closer, "Did you need something?" I simply ask, and she… hands me her Festal.
"Oh, don't worry, h-he's mostly recovered, and I just need a… small break. S-So…" She stutters a bit as she guides my hands over the soldier. Oof, there are some serious scars on his body. "He was slashed by one of Prince Xander's 'Dark Slices', and the Nohrian who he was fighting nearly ended him a-after that…" She informs me.
I mean, I used Staffs a few times, if only in part of my Royal training, but… that never really clicked, and looking at this Festal? I doubt this will click, either. "Alright, I'll give it a shot…" So, from what I remember, Staffs demand that the flow of magic from the user is focused on an intense positive emotion, like love or sympathy. Then the caster channels that inner magic into the Staff, where the head of the Staff amplifies and converts those emotions into magic that heals. Thus, the healer tends to be drained emotionally, rather than magically, hence why most Nohrian healers have an unusually upbeat attitude, and if they are running low on 'magic', then they hit a more depressive state. Also, since the Staff draws from inner emotional power, that means a Staff healer can heal while Silenced. Tome-casters, on the other hand, need to utter the words of power within the Tome, so if they can't talk, they can't cast.
However, I have seen Sakura 'magically' depleted, and it didn't look like she was about to delve into some sinister relief, so Festals might draw power from something else, and lo and behold! My prediction comes true! The Festal does not respond to my need to heal through Sympathy! "Alright, how do you heal with a Festal?" I ask her.
"U-um…?" Sakura hesitates, "You s-say something like…" She clears her throat, and the following words flow out much more soothingly, like a soft wrapping of silk, and while I can't understand a word she's saying… I know it's Hoshidan. Also, when she speaks, I can see that the head of the Festal glows faintly.
"Oh… so it's word-based magic, not emotion-based." I nod in understanding, but uh… there's another problem. "Sakura? I don't know Hoshidan well." Ah, so Festals also require Words of Power, so if a Nohrian were to magically Silence a Shrine Maiden, then they can't heal with a Festal…
Hrm, I should have Jakob and Felicia train her in Staffs, but… hold on.
If the advantage of using a Staff is being able to heal while Silenced, then what's the benefit of using a Festal?
...I know Vallite more than I do Hoshidan. "O-oh! Oh dear… um." She gingerly grabs the Festal from me. "I-I'm afraid you can't use a Festal until you learn some Hoshidan, s-sister… uh, sorry." She pulls away some, holding the Festal in her hands.
"Little sister? I have a question… what's the biggest benefit of healing with a Festal?"
Sakura tilts her head, "Well, I-I suppose that s-since the Festal magic activates w-with speech… I c-could heal anyone that can hear me."
…
Daaaamn! A Shrine Maiden could heal someone from… an entire battlefield away?! "Th-that's insane! So, you're saying you could heal someone from one side of this Fort to another?!"
Sakura recoils a bit from my surprise, but she nods, "W-well yes… but there's a problem… the longer the magic travels in th-the air, the weaker it gets… Shrine M-Maidens are normally advised to have their Words travel no more than ten paces away from them. After that point, the healing really starts to diminish." She clears her throat, "Th-that said… more powerful Festals can amplify the Words of Power, which allow them to heal fr-from further away easier. So…"
Ah, there's the drawback, but still… that means while a Staff healer can only heal those near them, a Festal healer, could say… heal an ally while hiding behind cover! Differences are noted. That is very useful to know. "How much do you know of the more powerful Festals?" I prompt.
She taps the Festal in her hands, "This is a st-standard Bloom Festal, and the maximum healing is about ten paces away, but…" Sakura glances over to the closest, then back to me, "The most powerful Festal ever created is called the Great Festal, a-and it's said that the amplifying crystal atop it was so powerful that… the Priestess who used it could heal an entire group of soldiers from across one side of the battlefield to the other, which is said to have been farther than the best Archer can shoot an arrow."
I blink my eyes and gasp, "Tr-truly?! That's… amazing! What kind of gem could do that?!"
She shakes her head, "W-we don't know. It was blue, like the water, but it was no Lapis Lazuli or Sapphire…" She trails off for a moment, and then adds, "However, there is a-also a subsection of Festals that are specifically d-designed to prioritize the range of healing… at the cost of the potency. 'Bloom' and 'Sun' are Healing over Range… 'Wane' and 'Moon' are Range over Healing."
Ah, so in addition to already having the advantage of being casted at range, there is also more variety in how far they can go, but… that leaves one thing. "Alright, one more thing… Staffs in Nohr have more than healing properties, there are a number of Staffs that inflict negative effects on people… can Festals do that?"
She gasps, and looks offended, "Absolutely not! That goes against the ideals of a Shrine Maiden!" I note that there's no stuttering in this response. "Now, there is a Festal that doesn't heal, but there are none with debilitating effects! This Festal can transfer a person from one spot to the area next to the Festal-user, and it's simply called" [Rescue].
I frown for a moment, "I'm sorry I offended you, sister… I didn't know." Now, while I can understand the reasoning, I'm seeing some huge flaws when it comes to war…
Hoshido has Samurais, and while they are trained to be the absolute masters of Katana, beyond the point that even the most well-trained Hero in Nohr could be in Swords… there's the drawback of 'Honor', where they won't strike a downed enemy, leaving them open to an underhanded attack… which Nohr would do. There are also Shrine Maidens, who refuse to use Staffs which inflict powerful debilitating effects, like making a person more frail or more exposed to the elements.
I'm… honestly worried for Hoshido. They need to adapt to Nohr's much more ruthless style of battle. However, I'm not discussing that with Sakura, she's one of the last, I hate to break her innocence if I can avoid it.
"I-It's… alright. You've been gone for so long and…" She pauses. "I'm just happy you're back!" She then leaps over and hugs me.
Being only a few inches taller, I take a moment to rub her head and return the hug. I also get an intake of her perfume… hm. Still Cherry Blossom, ironically enough, though it isn't as powerful as last time, and her hair is a bit more coarse. A small layer of sweat and dirt can be seen and smelled. "I am, too… how are you holding up? Y'know, after that battle?"
Her breath chokes, and for a moment, she trembles, "Th-that's the first time… I s-seen people… killed." She admits. "I th-think I was able to prevent a few Hoshidans from dying, but… gods." She clutches my sides tighter and… oh dear.
"OW!" I gasp, shoving her away as I hold a hand over my side. "Sh-shit!" Yeah, it… hurts. That fricken' hurts! I grit my teeth, and I can feel the world become more… focused. A growling erupts from the deepest of my insides. 'No! She's family! She didn't mean to!' I mentally scold myself. I can't reach under my slightly more metal-based Spear Fighter armor, but I can feel some hot liquid trickling down my side… blood.
"Oh, g-g-g-g-gods! Big Sister!" Sakura, out of shock, drops her Festal, picks it back up, and utters a Hoshidan phrase, then a second. I can feel the Wound closing, but until I get another application of that ointment… I'm done for the day. "I'm s-s-s-s-so sorry!" She panics.
"N-no, you were just… damn." I huff, take a breath. A deep one… "It's al-alright, I'll just need to find Kaze and get some more of that ointment…" I take a total of two steps… and stumble. Oh, that's not good.
"Sister!" She squeaks again, this time slowly helping me…
"Lady Sakura!" Hana bolts in, looking ready to draw her Katana. "What's…" She sees me, collapsed, trying to push myself up. "Hey! We need some urgent healing!" She calls out into the main room. "It's for Lady Corrin!"
Of course, the next one to come in is… Jakob. "My liege!" He whips out his Staff at a speed that cuts the air and immediately begins giving me a dose of healing that… gods. Sakura may be a highly-skilled and prodigal Shrine Maiden, but the healing Jakob just gave me made hers seem small. In that moment, I have figured out that due to the emotional connection to the magic, Staffs can heal more. "There, is that satisfactory?" He smiles, assured of himself, so assured that he bows and holds it.
He doesn't know about the Wound. Do… do I tell him? If he learns that there's a Wound that can't be healed by normal magic, he would flip! "Yes, it is… thank you, Jakob." I spare a very quick side-glance at Sakura, and an even smaller shake from my head.
By the time Jakob rises, I am giving him a false smile of satisfaction. "Anytime it is required, my liege. Would you care for a cup of tea, too?"
I giggle, a slight grimace that I incorporate into the giggle, "No thank you… please, return to helping the other Hoshidans." I wave with my right arm.
He smiles and leaves… and after the door is closed, I sigh and groan. "Ow…"
"Big sis… why did you…?" Sakura asks.
"Lady Corrin? It isn't honorable to lie…" Hana frowns.
Not. Now. "Sis? You don't get Jakob… if he found out about the nature of this Wound, he won't sleep until he found a way to fix it, permanently." I tell her. "Please, don't tell him."
"I… understand. I won't tell Jakob." She slowly nods.
And now to… 'her'. "I get Samurais value honor above all, but there are times when you have to get something done, and that 'something' can't always be done with honor."
"Lady Corrin? I understand your reasoning, but we already had this argument. All I ask is that you don't break the worst of the honor code… don't attack or kill unarmed people."
Oh… that's actually really easy. I nod, "Very well, Hana." I agree. "I swear to never harm any person who is unarmed."
Hana… smiles.
Then the alarm bell rings out. "Wh-what? Here?" Sakura gasps. "But, this Fort is primarily filled with wounded soldiers!"
"Dishonorable Nohrians!" Hana scowls.
That's… not good. I'm not going to have time to get Kaze, take off my armor, apply the ointment, and put my armor back on. I gulp. "Let's go!" Despite that, I rally Hana and Sakura, and while I see Sakura's concern, "We can do this, I'll just need to fight defensively." I assure her, and we head out…
I'm honestly feeling a bit off. Woozy.
I get everyone able to fight in front of the gates, and the Fort Guards close the gates. We're met with a force of Nohrians… here? Now? How?! Did they just split their force off? I grip my Naginata and take my stance, once more getting a feel for the weight. 'Not a Sword… this isn't a Sword.' I remind myself. "Alright everyone! We need to defend this Fort! We have dozens of injured Hoshidans on the line, here!" I call out. "Defensive Formations! Focus down the Archers so Subaki and Lathna can curb their numbers!" I take in a hefty breath after that, disguised by a 'hoorah!'.
Lathna howls out, "I can fight on the ground for right now!" She exclaims, jumping from left foot to right foot, holding her Beaststone in one hand. "Archers? Easy." She yips. The Pegasi are currently stationed right next to the wall, inside the Fort, ready to take off the second the Nohrian Archers are dealt with.
"...Something isn't quite right." Lilith comments. "Their life force… it's… weak, almost." She frowns.
I nod, not as bothered as she is, "I get it… they sent their wounded after us, however! That doesn't mean go easy on them, they won't hesitate to strike us down!" After all, they are all armed.
"Nohr would push their wounded on us?! That's… wrong!" Hana scowls, readying her stance.
"We should probably make it quick for them… I can't imagine the suffering they must have endured to push themselves this much…" Azura holds her Naginata, ready to strike. Ignis simply plays a tune on his blade of grass… whilst having his bow knocked with an arrow. He nods.
The Nohrians charge in unison. "Archers! Mages!" I call out. "Naginatas… out!" The arrows and spirit animals fly out of bows and scrolls, while the ones wielding Naginatas, including myself, Subaki, and Lathna, take a single step forward, and are extended past our frontline fighters, like Rinkah or Hana. Our arrows and spirit animals make contact, then the first wave of Nohrians slow down to avoid getting skewered by the Naginata barricade. My arm shakes slightly from the first slash, gods… what's wrong with me?
Rinkah smoothly bashes a Nohrian skull in, while Hana gives her opponent a much more graceful and clean death, a single thrust through the midsection. Lathna, Subaki, and I all slash out from the safety of the front-liners, due to our weapon's long wooden shafts. "Another!" I call out to our Ranged, as the Melee take out another…
No, I agree. Something isn't right. Even wounded soldiers shouldn't be falling this easily. Their armor is… too weak, lower than the standard. Are these… commoners?! No, I recognize the armor from the last battle… I shake my head. They were literally just briefly healed up, and then sent to here. What sort of Tactician would order that?! If anything, this is a huge waste in resources and manpower! I'm almost certain that we could win this battle with just the soldiers stationed at the Fort.
Something isn't right. "Lilith?" I prompt her.
"Still haven't figured it out, yet." She then proceeds to summon a spear of water, and throws it with enough force to pierce two soldiers.
"For Lady Sakura!" Hana exclaims, then proceeding to skewer a Nohrian, kicking him off with enough force to knocked down another… and then cleanly decapitating a third Nohrian in one blow… all within the span of two seconds. Wait a minute.
'Little brother…' I once gazed at Leo, a particular Dark Magic tome in my hands, 'This is yours…'
"One must always be prepared for any scenario, 'little' sister." He tells me in that detached tone, whenever we start to discuss high-end tactics or… morally questionable methods. "Hoshido will hold honor to their dying breath, but you know the fight for survival as well as any of us. Honor will get you killed." He scoffed, getting up from his chair to grab the Tome from me.
'I've seen your Faceless Tomes, but this? Brother, there's a limit, and this is crossing it!' I snapped back, keeping the Tome away from him. 'The dead should stay dead!'
"That is not your choice! If this is what it takes to win the war, then that is what will happen! Besides, this Tome is property of the King, entrusted to me, return it at once!" He holds his hand out, and…
I gave it to him.
"Raise Dead…" I mutter. "Everyone! These Nohrians have died in the last battle! A Dark Mage has risen them back up!" I call out, "That's why they're so frail!"
'Brother… why? You… crossed the line? Now?! The war literally just started! Do you really think that you had to raise the dead… now?!' I gulp and resolve, 'I'm going to find whatever Dark Mages you trained and employed… and I will tear them to shreds! Body, Mind… and Soul.' With a brief spark of vigor, I slash through four in one fell swoop. I… I almost stumble, and it's only due to our formation that I can keep my footing. Breathing is getting a bit harder, the edges of my vision are getting a bit blurry.
"That… explains it." Lilith frowns.
"What sort of…" Hana stops herself from shouting some sort of insult.
"We must… put them back to rest, then." Sakura softly speaks.
Azura begins singing a tune, a Vallite Tune, I can pick up a few words, which include something about 'Laying you to Rest'… while also just barely managing to slice down a Nohrian. 'Wow, did she like… never train with a Naginata? Her form is so… bad.' I make a mental note to train Azura, especially if she's going to be putting herself so much at risk like that.
"I can bring up a spell, but it'll take some time to ready." Lilith brings up.
I take a glance at the numbers we're dealing with… "No, don't. There aren't many left." Especially with how already deteriorated these 'Risen Nohrians' are. Seriously, the detachment of Dark Mages must have put in the least amount of magic possible. I wouldn't be surprised if a Villager could take down several of these.
Within twenty minutes, we… essentially mowed down the remaining Nohrians like a bad case of weeds, rather than trained soldiers. I honestly don't feel great about it. This was no 'fight', it was a one-sided slaughter… well, double-slaughter. "We don't have time for a mass burial, but I won't let the dead be desecrated again…" I start off. "Pile them up, and burn the corpses." I… order.
Hana nods, "Good call, Lady Corrin!" She starts helping.
"As you command, my liege." Jakob and Kaze spare a look at each other and, of course… they compete. I need to fix that.
"Eugh, they are already rotting…" Rinkah is hauling around a casual five to six bodies at a time. Just… normal Rinkah loads.
I sigh, then I slowly go back inside the fort, and once I'm there? Without the aid of adrenaline or putting on my 'leadership mask'? I lean against a wall and whine. 'It… hurts!' I slowly peel off some of my armor and… oh. Oh crap. It ripped open… again! "K-Kaze!" I call out, feeling lightheaded, and when I manage to stumble out of my armor?
There's a congealed pool of blood where the waist part of my armor is, a thick trail on my side. I… bled. I must've been bleeding almost the entire fight. Thank the gods it didn't last long, but… my vision gets hazy as I finally realize just how much trouble I'm in right now. "K...aze! Sister!" Short, shallow breaths… skin is a bit cold...
And I'm out.
A/N: Ice Tribe songs? Ice Tribe songs! Oh, that part was beautiful! Even if it didn't rhyme and mesh that well…
Not only are there now defined differences and explanations for Staffs vs Festals, but... That's right! The in-game Rods of 'Silence' and 'Hexing Rod' are not Hoshidan! They have been moved to the Nohrian Staff.
...oh, dear. Yasei? This is why you have that ointment on at all times! You can't go fighting without it!
And yes… if there is a (?) in the Author's Note… then there is a small portion of Canonical information in there! I don't think I said it here, but…
I don't do the Villain's/Antagonist's PoV in my fics, I don't believe in doing that, however… I'm stretching it a bit. I will allow small bits of conversation to add a tinge of… mystique, but I WON'T include plan-spoiling information.