*Shrine (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild OST)

**Thunderstorm ambience

***For the Daimyo (Shogun 2: Total War OST)

****Puzzling Truth (FE9 OST)

*****Move Out! (FE9 OST)

******Mamoritai ~White Wishes~ [Music box ver.] - (BOA/Tales of Graces OST)

*******Horizon - Eri Sugai

********Priest of the Dark Order [Orchestrated] (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past OST)

*Contrary to the warnings of the now-absent young upstart, the preliminary questioning by the council had not revealed anything untoward thus far; perhaps not exactly nice by human standards, but nothing genuinely alarming.

"Brother...please..." Amaterasu plead, somewhat to the annoyance of the elders. "If there's something wrong...anything at all...you can tell us."

Internally, the Lunar Dragon was simmering with outrage at this inquest into his actions, his use of his chosen human. However, he remained civil still. "Sister, Lord Moro, I can assure you that this is all a great misunderstanding." Selenos lied. "And may I ask how said misunderstanding reached this point?"

"Never you mind, whelp!" growled Hudatos. "Your behavior as of late has been rubbing a LOT of us the wrong way!"

"Perhaps indelicately put, but Hudatos has a point, young one." Moro added. "This system of ours depends upon cooperation between our kind. Without it, this world likely would not survive. I would encourage you to reflect upon that before our next council meeting."

The moon dragon gave a huff of belligerence. "Fine, if you insist, Lord Moro."

"Yes, I do in fact, insist."*

While vocally giving his assent, Selenos still seethed in rage at these old fossils questioning him- undermining him. Where did they get off, these ancient hypocrites?! Tut-tutting at him for following the laws set out by them concerning his odd human with the even-odder birthmark on his hand. He was simply being honest with himself about his motives! Granted, while Selenos did not respect or even particularly like humans, he knew fully well that they had their uses; their world even more so, especially when one did not wish to be paid particular attention.

Manifesting on some forsaken spit of land, well away from the gates, Selenos' roar may very well have shaken the earth for all he knew, but he was damned sure who must have put the thought into the heads of those old fossils. Jealous little whelp! But that was no matter- none of it was, seeing as an old friend, manifesting as an average, unassuming young human male, approached the moon dragon with concern; it may have been humiliating to be forced into a human form, but it did consume far less energy outside the astral plane.

"Selenos..." he inquired gingerly. "Are you alright? I know the council can be...trying at times, but-"

"I'm fine, Wiris!" he lied. "Say, I want to call in that favor you owe me."

"Of course, friend! What is it?"

"I need the help of you and your forge- I want to bequeath some gifts onto the humans."

"A token of your bond, I presume? How very altruistic of you!"

"May I tag along? Offer some suggestions here and there?"

"Naturally."

After that showing of being humiliated in front of the council, Selenos' fortunes had done an abrupt turn, all thanks to his old "friend." Of course, Wiris was a damned trusting fool, but his forge was second-to-none in their own world- probably others as well.

While his prowess in battle was legendary- he'd correctly been credited with never having lost a battle in the course of his long, distinguished career, the discipline imposed by the Nohrian general Bohdan was rather...unpopular, not simply due to his tendency towards barking commands and expecting compliance- no, that was to be expected from a man in his position. It was more the content of the orders which ruffled a good many feathers.

"You there! Put that back!"

"Stand up straight!"

"Let the lad free, now!"

"Unhand her before I have you flogged!"

**While the common soldiers bore the brunt of his reprimands, Bohdan, despite his status as a lower noble, was not exactly beloved by the other bluebloods in positions of authority. Just as unsurprisingly, the truest outcasts in the equation took to his regimen of discipline the least kindly of all, such as after a pre-mess inspection in a certain camp, deep in the south of enemy territory.

"Why the fuck would you even bother with this?" Hans groused boredly. "They're just savages! Let the men have a little-"

Bohdan glared a focused, intense glare at the bandit, silencing even an arrogant brute like him. "I know you do not care," the knight began, utter contempt for his "fellow" commander dripping from every syllable. "but the first and most important rule of warfare; never underestimate one's enemy. I have a policy to punish any man I hear using that very word for one very specific reason."

The lout tilted his scarred, shaved head sideways in confusion. "That...the rumors are true...?" Hans answered dully. "And you really are half-savage after all?"

Already a man of heavily-lidded eyes and also obscured by the general darkness created by the storm, the bandit scarcely noticed Bohdan rolling his eyes. "Because when you disregard his humanity completely, you necessarily underestimate an enemy and his abilities! Many of the men have this notion that this is a grand adventure, no different than hunting deer or pheasant- it is not."

"There's no real difference between hunting savages and hunting game! They're not smart and really only any good dead! This is why people say you're one of them, you know!"

The knight growled in frustration. "If you insist. However, it is a grave mistake to view one's enemy as operating on base instinct. There are things other than simple survival, gratification or fear that men will fight, kill, and die for-"

"Whatever. I just know it's a damn good thing that us civilized folk aren't afraid of a fucking thing-"

A particularly violent thunderclap shattered the relative calm of the evening. This would have been startling enough, even if a bolt of lightning had not struck the tree trunk Hans had passed literal seconds before, falling onto an unfortunate underling and crushing his leg.

The bandit chuckled, a sort of nervous bravado behind the expression. "I...think I'm gonna go find my tent or something. Swear to the gods, those damned things follow me around-"

A hint of a smirk inched across the old knight's face. "Oh, ho!" he exclaimed. "Is one of the king's mighty, respected four horsemen afraid of a little thunder?"

"W-wha, fuck no!" Hans insisted far too strongly. "I've just...got a respect for it...Yeah, that's it, a respect for it!"**

Perhaps even more interesting than the crack in his (technical) superior's chest-beating, hyper-masculine facade; Bohdan could have sworn that one of the brief rumbles of thunder strongly resembled a deep-voiced man uttering "Damn! Missed again!"

***Despite the mountain passes in the northern highlands, the occupation and ultimate subjugation of Izumo was not exactly a lengthy affair; their western neighbors and cultural kin at least had the means and material to give significant, continuing resistance to their Nohrian patron. The small, isolated levies and sellswords able to be raised in such a short amount of time proved little in the way of the storm of man, beast, and steel descending upon the tiny land. Indeed, the campaign concluded within four days, the neighboring warlord entering the decadent castle and surrounding town as though it were a military target at sundown of the fourth day.

Already having been made aware of some trace of the news, until he witnessed his people slaughtered by enemy blades and spears, the lord of the castle had held onto some vain hope that this was some kind of sick, elaborate practical joke. Once this had been disproven beyond any shadow of a doubt by the invasion of his manor and slaughter of his guards by the invaders, the duke was not pleased in the slightest.

"Wh-what is this, Lord Kentaro?!" Izana uttered as he shuddered with rage, any of his usual levity absent. "Is this some sick joke?!"

Removing his helm, Kentaro swept the matted hair from his face with a flourish; whether the flamboyant duke was muttering curses under his breath or incantations was of little concern to him, the smirk on his lips giving away the utter contempt he felt for his counterpart. "The only joke here is you, Grand Duke Izana." he remarked haughtily. "And your pathetic little country, of course."

Energy starting to pool unconsciously in his fingertips, the normally-cheery Izana was now apoplectic. "You- you- Did Nohr put you up to this?!" he demanded "Answer me!"

Granted, it was an action he was going to take anyway, but the increasing belligerence of the duke gave Kentaro the excuse to remove one of his late father's daggers from the sheath on his thigh, calmly driving the weapon into Izana's chest cavity, twisting the handle about for good measure. "Well, if you simply MUST know," he teased. "not really. King Leonard just made it clear just how the world is changing. Decadence like this has no place in the world to come."

Sputtering and cursing at the younger man, even as he fell to the ground, Izana took his last breaths attempting to mutter out an incantation- to punish the young upstart for this crime against his people, only to be choked by the blood welling up in his respiratory system.

Settling himself down on the ducal throne, the young daimyo seemed quite content with his handiwork, daydreaming about his great realm to come before being interrupted by the guard captain clearing his throat and kneeling. "Er...Lord Kentaro." the guard began, most of his energy spent masking his sheer discomfort at the whole affair. "We've just received word from General Taira. Th-the bandits around the capital have thrown down their arms!"

"Excellent work." he said distantly. "Send a bird back to the general- tell him to dispose of the rats. Oh, and make it clear to the peasants- business as usual. For their own good, I mean."***

The temperature of the water and it hugging the better portion of her body, all of it left the princess feeling far more relaxed than she'd been in months- perhaps ever, given her naturally-anxious disposition. Then again, her company in the hot spring could have had something to do with that, said company crowding her from behind. "Lady Sakura! Do you want me to rub your back?" chirped the exceptionally familiar voice.

A serene smile crept over Sakura's face. "I-I'd love that, Hana."

It was little surprise to learn the swordswoman's fingers proved just as, if not more nimble than her footwork, a ghost of a shameless moan dying on Sakura's lips. "Hmm, you like that, Sakura?" came the voice, somewhat throatier than its usual intonation. "You're just SO tense!"

"O-of course I am." the princess confirmed breathlessly, silently hoping- praying for her servant and her fingers to become somewhat more...exploratory.

Her mind's eye becoming somewhat cloudy, Sakura's vision came back into focus, finding herself out of the water, moisture dripping from her form, naked as the day she was born, facing the collection of neatly-folded towels seeking to correct this. However, a certain party seemed to have other plans- namely in answering those hopes and prayers, her light footsteps ghosting across the room, an even more explicit moan escaping the princess' lips at the lips and teeth on her clavicle and the fingers pinching at her nipples.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, I just can't control myself anymore!"

Her champion physically turning her around, (her lithe, muscled, equally-naked form actually secondary to her notice), to face her, Sakura saw that familiar kindness and intensity looking back at her in Hana's eyes. However, now, there was something new there- a hungry, feral glint in her gaze, said gaze fueling that same desire welling up inside her as well. What came next came naturally as breathing; gently moving some of the swordswoman's wet brunette locks to the side, as their lips finally did meet, it was as though they were caught up in a world entirely their own, completely removed from the princess' usual anxiety and introversion as her tongue explored her beloved's mouth. For that moment, there was no war, no Nohr, no death or destruction, no standing warrants on their lives, or even any other souls; simply two women finally able to be entirely honest with their feelings for each other.

Several seconds of vigorous kissing saw Sakura pull back, panting for breath as a mischievous smile came over Hana's lips. "I'm going to make you feel SOOOO good, Sakura." she teased, briefly running her eyes up and down the princess' form.

"Oh, gods, please Hana!" she emoted.

"Yo! Wake up!" Rinkah called. "We've got a meeting."

"...Mmm, Hana..." Sakura moaned, shifting slightly on her bed.

"Hey!"

The princess was jolted awake from her pleasant dream by Rinkah's poking. While having the good fortune to be turned away from her friend, Sakura was absolutely mortified at where she'd let her fingers drift, nonetheless rising to her feet, self-consciously smoothing her skirt. "Oh, o-of course!" she emoted, her face still quite red. "L-lead the way."

Sakura swallowed nervously at the subject of her next question. "Rinkah, H-hana isn't-"

"She's already on her way with the other Hoshidans."

After the sheer shock had worn off, Sakura's embarrassment turned shortly to despair and dread at the implications of said dream; unsurprisingly, the young lady's dreams were never especially pleasant. In fact, she could scarcely remember having any good dreams- particularly prominent in her mind's eye being her brother's beaten, discolored body suspended by the neck from the great wall, their Nohrian friends thinking it the most hilarious thing in the world. Or his retainer being cornered by a gang of incensed enemy soldiers who proceeded to gouge out his eyes and hang him by the neck on the nearest tree- after violently removing a very particular part of his anatomy and forcing it down his throat.

Her dream last night, on the other hand? On an entirely different, very pleasant level, the princess' head clouded with a heady mixture of contentedness, ecstasy, guilt, and dread. Of course, she utterly adored Hana- her oldest, dearest friend. Her kindness, her devotion, her loyalty, her beauty, her courage. But was her affection for the swordswoman really like that, she wondered guiltily. What if she really was some kind of pervert who lusted after her best friend-slash-servant? What if, by some slip of the tongue, Hana found out and thought she was disgusting for it? Truth be told, in spite of everything she'd been through, the thought of losing Hana terrified her most of all; facing off against an evil (possibly demonically-inspired) empire paled in comparison.

Perhaps sensing her distress, Rinkah said little along their walk to the chief's tent, occasionally muttering "Knew it, I knew it" or something to that same effect.

It was not surprising that the chief of the Flame Tribe had not been having a stellar week, as it was not exactly easy to do so given the news he'd received, both at home and from abroad. In fact, his expression betrayed a combination of outrage, sorrow, and fear. "Rinkah, Princess Sakura, good." he said tiredly, quite visibly exhausted. "The situation has changed, and it's not good news."

****Returning to the great map of the continent at the center of his tent, Kikai moved several of the figurines across the eastern regions. "I'm going to start with what's probably the biggest complication." he began, a concerned glance in the direction of his immaculately-shaved counterpart in Fuga. "We've received word that forces from Mokushu have swept into Izumo; this wasn't a skirmish so much as a full-scale invasion- and they don't seem intent on leaving any time soon, if at all."

Save for the stoic Amagi and Kagero, the meeting's participants chattered among themselves in some combination of confusion, concern and dread (or in the case of a surly ninja, in an unsurprised-yet-displeased manner) before Kikai made an exaggerated clearing of his throat to calm the din.

"Wait, why?" Hana inquired, more confused than outraged. "Have they ever even looked crossly at another country, let alone fought them?"

"Why do you think?" Saizo huffed. "That obnoxious little princeling Kentaro has always been too big for his britches; now he's taking it out on the neighbors. That would be all of it except-"

"We have several troubling reports from our own sources as well." Kagero finished for him. "Namely, the solid-black-clad soldiers accompanying Mokushu's troops, preventing any retreats, suppressing any possible resistance in the cities and countryside, and so on."

"And you're absolutely certain they were NOT from Mokushu?" asked Fuga worriedly.

The kunoichi looked at him gravely. "I'd stake my life on it. Their accents, equipment, tactics, and body language were all too different. And they were reportedly rather...lax concerning casualties among the people of Izumo."

His expression and intonation stony as always, even the unflappable Amagi could not help but be somehow concerned. "With all that in mind, it sounds as though the Nohrian Royal Guard was acting as a sort of auxiliary force. It would explain the solid-black armor as well- and does one of King Leonard's 'four horsemen' not wear a very similar suit of armor?"

Saizo smirked a semi-demented sort of smirk of self-satisfaction. "So, it's pretty clear who's really calling the shots in that arrangement, huh?"

The swordswoman sighed tiredly. "Great, like we didn't have enough problems right now."

Needless to say, the Wind Tribe's chief was exceptionally-concerned, given the toll Bela's group of bandits had already done on his people. "Is this going to be a problem?" Fuga inquired, massaging his temples. "The Nohrians pulling more minions against us?"

"Not a chance." Tristan insisted. "Nohr's pretty much burned all of their bridges by this point, to the extent they ever existed; Notre Sagsse wouldn't be any help anyway even if they didn't just want to be left alone. Nestra, I guess, but I don't think they'd be a reliable ally, because- well, like Chief Kikai said about our Nohrian friends- slaves, enemies, and corpses only. Never equals or allies."

"Nonetheless, this does complicate matters a good deal." Kikai conceded gravely, looking angrier with himself than anyone else. "Because we don't really- oh, sod it!"

"In case you had not gathered it from our preoccupation," Amagi resumed for him, his tone revealing an ever-so-slight hint of worry. "our people's stronghold on Mount Haku fell to the Nohrians earlier this week, our temple and all. Our warriors resisted valiantly to the best of their ability, but-"

His chief interrupted the shadow, slamming his fist against the table in frustration. "They'd requested reinforcements from us four months ago!" growled Kikai. "And I just- I didn't- And those reports from the survivors? Good, merciful gods above-"

"Father...you were working with the best information you had...this isn't your fault."

The sight of the powerful, dynamic chief who'd organized this whole meeting and the wider alliance on the brink of breaking down, being consoled by his daughter caused a good bit of concern among the other representatives, one of the more loquacious leaders remarking on the obvious. "Oh, fuck and I thought WE had a reason to fight the bastards to the death!" said Lupina, running an anxious palm through her hair. "I honestly think that's even more of an insult than what they do to us!"

"So, wait a second," Hana interjected. "is it possible Nohr would attack the rest of your temples? I mean, from how I heard Rinkah describe the mountain, it sounds like a natural fortress."

"It's probable, even." Fuga acknowledged. "Our own temple is situated atop a great mesa; it's easy to defend and visibility is amazing in every direction."

Sakura's concern for their new allies from the west had apparently outgrown her still-considerable embarrassment and self-consciousness concerning her protector. "W-wait, shouldn't we send s-someone after them?" she inquired. "Lady Flora a-and her man, I mean."

"Lass has a point." conceded Lupina. "Then again, you know how your mouthy swordswoman described the settlement on Mount Haku? Multiply that by ten for the Ice Tribe."

"But the fact remains that the momentum is still in the enemy's favor." Tristan reminded gravely. "And this news tips it even further."****

Kagero gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Indeed, there's no getting around it; we need to break the back of the main Nohrian force in our own country."

"Which means basically rebuilding an army...from scratch..." Hana interjected, somehow incredulous. "Right under the enemy's nose..."

For the first time in several days, Kikai's expression seemed somehow hopeful. "You have the mind of a commander, daughter of Musashi. For the time being, the amount of help we can give may be limited, but if I can get in touch with that niece and nephew of mine...we could likely provide some good intelligence on the enemy."

An unreasonably-tough man, Saizo was still generally a fair one, nonetheless. "You shouldn't discount the other ninja clans either." he conceded. "Who knows? Maybe this news will actually light a fire under those old fools to join in the fight."

"I think we've all seen enough to realize one thing." began Amagi distantly. "However strong our enemy likes to think themselves, they have just as many weaknesses, if not more."

*****Somehow, the previously-dismal air- one of an imminent execution, in the meeting seemed to have somewhat abated with these points made. While not out of the woods by any means at all, the articulation of a reasonable, albeit difficult path forward to their mutual enemy's castration (or destruction) and the preservation of their own survival was doubtlessly heartening. "I KNOW I can get a considerable force around here under Nohr's nose." said Lupina proudly. "Provided you lot distract them, of course."

The swordswoman beamed. "That'll be music to my brother's ears!" she reminded. "I'll send a bird to him as soon as possible."

"I'll have to send word to my brother on Tate, as well, seeing as he's their sentinel." remarked Amagi. "As soon as matters are settled there, I'll whip some of these whelps into shape- help replace some of our losses to the Nohrians."

Tristan grinned, an expression somewhere between hopeful and mildly-disturbed. "You know how our Nohrian 'older brother' calls us unnecessarily 'quarrelsome,' right? Well, the fact is, that free, reasonably-content and fed people don't revolt- and Sir Karol tells me this is only going to become more acute."

His spirit now bolstered considerably, Kikai nodded resolutely. "Excellent." he confirmed. "It seems we have a rough plan of action after all! Take care of what needs taking care of! We'll meet back here to go over the specifics- Nohr think's they've already won, ha!"*****

The guests scattered to go about their specific business; particularly getting in touch with their own subordinates. Hana, as per her promise, was one of them- until the two ninjas, about thirty paces removed from Kikai's tent, pulled her off to the side of the path.

"So you're going to contact Lord Takeshi, correct?" inquired Saizo impatiently. "Because we've got something to discuss."

"Of course." replied Hana. "What else would I be doing?!"

The ninja's scarred expression seemed to somehow turn even stonier. "You know the four Nohrian dukes we're talking about? They served as regents after you rescued the princess."

Scratching her chin absentmindedly, the swordswoman searched her memory. "In passing, maybe." she recalled. "I heard one of them mentioned by a Nohrian commander once- he was supposed to be offering bounties for "savages" caught alive."

"That'd be their leader, Duke Matteo of Toscana." Saizo informed contemptuously. "Slimy fuck of a man if there ever was one. His buddies are Guillaume of Lorraine, Durante of Carinthia, and Albrecht of Bayern. Or, rather, those last two were his buddies."

"Either way, we've punished their two colleagues, both for their iniquities and to cripple the enemy's war effort as much as possible." informed Kagero, typically serious.

From his rucksack, Saizo produced a slightly-cracked bottle of an expensive elixir. "Guess it's a trophy of sorts- proof I actually pulled it off." he remarked, unusually blankly. "Killed Albrecht during a raid on one of his 'ranches.' He bawled like a baby when I took it from him. It was pathetic."

"I'm not particularly proud of the guise I used to do so," Kagero prefaced, somehow harsher than usual. "but I disposed of Duke Durante shortly prior to Saizo's battle. I was unable to retrieve a trophy from him since- well, I left his most treasured possession shoved down his throat- send a message, you see."

Hana smiled. "Good for you two!" she congratulated. "Finally, someone pays them back! But I kind of get the impression you two just didn't want to brag to me."

"Good, you get it." remarked Saizo shortly. "Since our 'friends' from Nohr have a habit of butchering royal retainers and that girl Princess Hinoka seems to love so much is gods-only-know-where, that leaves you, by default, with a pretty high rank."

"Come on, you two!" she goaded. "You both know fully well my entire job- my life's mission- is to defend Lady Sakura."

"We're not saying you have to help us in this effort if you don't want to-" Kagero prefaced gently.

"But it wouldn't it look kind of bad for a high-ranking noblewoman- one of the most celebrated resistance fighter's little sister at that- not to really pull her weight?" Saizo inquired.

******With all her brother was doing- and with all these two were doing as well to resist the enemy, even against impossible odds did, truth be told, eat away at Hana's conscience more than a bit. The princess was of course, the most important thing in the world to her; nothing else even came close. But a part of Hana could nevertheless not help but wonder; was she simply using Sakura as an excuse not to do her part when all of Hoshido needed everyone who could help? Kikai did say she had a tactician's mind, after all.

"I'll think about it." she half-fibbed.

It was not technically an untruth, she told herself. She would see how things developed and, if circumstances permitted, maybe she could collect her own pound of flesh from the rapacious nobles of a particularly rapacious power. Then again, there were really, really freaking evil things in their world- things from which she did not feel right not protecting Sakura with her very life at every possible second.******

*******Every day, she followed the routine set out for her without fail; awaken at dawn, perform the purification rituals before praying to the gods, and provide the ritual offerings. Indeed, thirteen-year old Himiko and the other inhabitants of a long-neglected shrine in the western capital (the ancient one- as opposed to the modern, more-or-less-completely destroyed), it was as if the war had scarcely touched this corner of the country- until that one fateful day in particular.

A bell announcing the arrival of a weary traveler, the head priest, purely off of instinct, swore to himself, peeking from behind the pagoda in search of the miko. "Himiko-chan, I need you to feed the fish today."

"Oh, of course!"

Given that this traveler seemed particularly out of sorts and the shrine's long history of treating the sick and wounded, it was little surprise that his brother priests had prepared a futon for the man in the oratory hall, the figure shrouded simply in an old, patched cloak, the priest handing him a cup of hot tea.*******

"Are you well, friend?" he inquired.

"Not especially." he grumbled, inching the cloak further over his visage.

"Well...can I get you anything? Do anything for you?"

"Yes, as matter of fact, you can."

A man of letters and somewhat sheltered, the priest however knew that nothing good could come of the soldiers clad in purple-black armor crowding the hall, holding the junior priests at the points of blades, spears, and axes.******** "You can die."

From his robed hand, the stranger's gauntlet proceeded to emit a wave of overwhelming, suffocating darkness, literally stealing the breath from the hapless cleric's very lungs as he fell to his knees, desperately struggling for any air at all. "Milord!" said the captain. "What shall we do with the other savages?"

The man scoffed as he removed the hood revealing his neck length blond hair and cold, cruel eyes. "Are my orders truly so incomprehensible? The same order I must have given a thousand times by now!"

"Oh, right! Of course, my king!"

The force of eight soldiers dealing with their charges- either through impaling or cutting their throats, the perpetually-disgruntled king summoned a sphere of dark purple fire in his hand, blasting a hole in the shrine wall. "Well, you dullards? Are you coming or do I have to drag you?"

Of course, Himiko had heard the screams, the pleas for mercy and the occasional explosion. Remote as the possibility and terrified as she was, Himiko had one thing made clear that this was still very much a possibility- that wicked men may come one day, seeking the power of the gods enshrined there. Quivering, trembling with fear, the lass nonetheless took the bow hidden away before the doors in the main hall just for this very purpose.

Attempting (with some success) to still her racing mind and heart and steady her aim, Himiko focused not on her clammy hands or thumping heart, or even the pattering of the boots encroaching ever closer on the sanctuary. While it may have been surprising to see the group led by a man not much older than she, the sheer aloofness and contempt his mere gaze communicated shortly killed any sort of relief she may have felt.

"Y-you are trespassing!" she threatened, as menacingly as she could possibly manage. "Y-you're trespassing on s-sacred ground! Leave at once!"

While the soldiers chuckled, their intonation somewhere between amused and sinister, their leader, a blond man of nineteen or so clad in intricate dark armor, still remained aloof from his subordinates. "So I DID have the right site!" he exclaimed, giving a dismissive glance at his immediate subordinate. "Johanson! How devoted are you to my rule?!"

The pikeman straightened up at this attention paid by his king immediately. "I-I would die for you, milord." he stammered. "Just say the word."

The king smirked wickedly. "It's interesting you should say that."

With this, an orb of electricity shot forth from Leonard's outstretched hand, dispersing as it impacted against the ceiling; Himiko was (for the time being) unharmed, yet rattled; his subordinates were not so fortunate, those relatively fortunate perishing instantly. In spite of the obvious mismatch in power between the two, the girl felt her resolve nonetheless stiffen, as if all her predecessors stood alongside her.

"I-I won't ask again!" she threatened. "L-leave or I'll shoot!"

It would not have surprised the lass to learn the man, for all his obvious magical power, was somewhat unstable, seeing as he'd just murdered several of his own men in cold blood. This perception was not helped in the least by his pause to give a hearty, sinister laugh at this show of defiance. "You really have no idea who I am, worm?!" he declared incredulously. "Leonard the Thirteenth, the greatest king of the greatest kingdom of Nohr?! The master of this continent?!"

Closing the distance between them, Leonard knocked the weapon from Himiko's hand effortlessly, lifting her from the ground as his grip tightened around her neck. "I know all about you heathen savages and your ill-gotten 'peace' and 'prosperity." he ranted. "I don't know by what trick of the gods you gained it, but I WILL gain this power for my own and create a new world under my guidance! And you can know that YOU were fortunate enough to die today, rather than living to see indolent savages like you lowered to your rightful place!"

Of course, even prior to the girl's body growing limp, he knew damn well that he was not in fact, killing some nameless teenage shrine maiden. He was no fool, after all. She was simply a stand-in for the other, ever-elusive target of his wrath. It did not concern every waking moment of his, true, but the king could honestly not see a figure more deserving of his wrath than she; if there was, he'd yet to encounter her.********