🌴 It was difficult for her to be seen up in a tree— that was why Nino decided to launch herself up into one. She just wanted to be alone for a while, not worry about people knocking on her door... She spent some time reflecting, until she was ready to get down. Being there without anyone around... hurt a lot more than she expected. She looked down at the ground— that was... a significantly higher drop than she expected... Suddenly, Nino found herself wishing someone would save her. "H-Help...!"
There’s only so much walking he can do in this heat. Part of him knows, on some level, it isn’t actually as hot as Ailell here. It can’t be, if other people are managing just fine. On the other hand, he’s not made for heat of any kind at all. Even in just a pair of shorts, he feels like he might melt out of his skin.
His shoulders might also be a little bit burned. He’s kind of scared to check. But it doesn’t really hurt, so it can’t be that bad.
The palm tree up ahead calls to him with the promise of shade, and he picks up the pace from slow meandering to something almost like a jog. But as he draws closer, he picks up a sound amongst the cheering and laughing of other people enjoying the surf. Something that sounds like...
Help!
Like it’s coming from the... Tree? Wide, perplexed eyes glance upwards, and he doesn’t see anything, not at first. But then there’s movement, the hint of a hand within all the green and... Nino!
Well... This takes him back.
“You alright up there, sweetheart?” Sylvain calls to her, this time with the beginnings of a smile. There’s no pack of murderous bandits trying to cut down here hiding place here, just far too bright sunlight, and pristine sand as far as the eye can see. “Don’t worry, I’ll catch you.”
Stepping close to the trunk, Sylvain stands ready, arms raised and knees braced. But then it occurs to him, there’s no real danger here, other than her falling. They can take their time, “or, do you want me to come up and get you?”
Only in a dream would this kind of thing happen twice, and yet the deity watching from above saw fit to bring a sense of deja vu into the mix. Of all of the people that could have rescued her, it had to have been Sylvain— and how happy Nino was to be able to see him again. After a whole month of being unable to see him... She was happy to have been able to see him even if the circumstances were rather silly.
"I-I'm fine, now that you're here...!" Nino smiled widely. She didn't have to worry about Sylvain not being able to catch her at all, she knew he'd be able to catch her without even breaking a sweat—
The sudden image of her falling just a little too far. Cracking her neck just a little too much in front of Sylvain. The deity that had given her life before saying that she had used up all of her chances.
Just a little too much would be all it took.
"U... Uh..." Nino started shivering, looking with a sudden fear that she wouldn't dare wish to divulge the meaning of to Sylvain. "Y-Yeah! Um... i-if that's okay!" She called down to Sylvain, hoping that he wouldn't have too much difficulty... hoping that he didn't similarly fall just like the Nino in her own imagination did.
"Hey there, Nino?" Erk heads over to her and holds out a hand, to reveal a small sand dollar. "I found this sand dollar, and I thought you might think it was neat. If you want, we ahhhh, could go look for more, though I am not too sure how many there might be... here."
Nino’s eyes sparkled a little— both at the sight of Erk and the sand dollar he found. She began to find further appreciation for the things she already appreciated. Time with her friends was one of those things. Sand dollars were another— she couldn’t even remember the last time she had seen a sand dollar.
“It is neat...!” Nino smiles, a little bit of her radiance coming back to her. “Let’s go find more— I bet we’ll find tons more! Can you show me where you found it? We can start there!” Nino had a small wish— nothing more than just a little hope in her heart that they’d find a bunch of nice sand dollars on the beach. She heard whispers of how this place granted wishes— she hadn’t really been taking advantage of it.
Because whoever was above, watching her... They had already granted her greatest wish of all. Anything more made her feel selfish— but this one was for Erk, so hopefully it would be okay.
It was difficult putting on a smile for everyone, but Nino did her best to do so even if she lacked a little bit of her childlike air. Despite this, she tried to be social with everyone and give everyone a smile. Even to Felix, who had gone through the same ordeals as her— he had gone to fight that Husk, did he know she had died?... No, perhaps it’s best if he didn’t.
“I can kind of teach you how to swim!” Nino said, a small skip in her step as she went down to the shoreline with Felix. “I haven’t gone swimming much myself, but it’s really easy! And useful for when you need to quickly cross a river!” She quickly added that last part on— if only to assure Felix that she wasn’t completely thinking that it was for fun. Indeed, most of the times she swam were to quickly cross a river. You were harder to track through the water, after all.
“First, you gotta get used to the water! As long as the water isn’t rapid you can just stand in it until you get to a comfortable level to kick off...” Nino began walking into the ocean, prepared to go a little bit deeper than she normally would to accommodate for their height difference. “You’ve never gone swimming before?... I guess Faerghus is probably too cold for that, huh...”
The beach is completely empty save for the characters who have wound up here thanks to some strange, divine power. No employees, no tourists, nothing. There’s a house large enough to fit everyone, but you find that you need neither sleep nor food while you’re here. When you walk a certain distance along the shoreline, your vision begins to grow hazy and you wind up back where you began.
Still, there are few things to be done in this strange purgatory…
ASK MEMES
send 🎣 to put together a makeshift fishing rod and pass the time catching fish with my muse
send 👀 to accidentally catch my muse changing clothes
send 🏃 to explore the boundaries of this world with my muse
send 🌴 to climb trees with my muse
send 🌊 to watch the ocean and reflect with my muse
send 🏊♂️ to go swimming with my muse
send ⛺️ to escape the crowded house and go camping with my muse
send 💯 to ask my muse to teach yours how to swim
send ♨️ to discover hot springs with my muse
send 🎆 to put on a fireworks display with my muse
send 💫 to go stargazing with my muse
send 🌙 to go dancing in the moonlight with my muse
send 🍽 to experiment in the kitchen with my muse
send 🥂 to drink with my muse
send 🦀 to go crab hunting with my muse
send 🏖 to go sunbathing with my muse
send 🌧 to be caught in a sudden storm with my muse
send 🔥 to gather around a bonfire with my muse
send ⚔️ to spar with my muse
send 🏐 to play a game with my muse
send 🦞 to ask my muse to care for your muse’s sunburn
send 🛶 to make/use a boat with my muse
send 🏰 to build a sandcastle with my muse (or just play in the sand)
send 🐠 to go looking for wildlife in the surf with my muse
The rippling of waves was all she heard when she woke up. It was a warm place, wherever she was— was it Heaven, or Hell? She wasn't certain if she had done enough good in this world to warrant being in Heaven. After all... She hadn't lived that long. She hadn't gotten to do all of the things she really wanted to do...
Nino turned over in whatever it was she was sleeping in. It felt much like her own bed, and she felt like she were sleeping in her own pajamas. The soft feeling was so comforting that it was alarming as well— her eyes jolted open to inspect her surroundings.
...Where was she?
It looked like a really nice bedroom. Like... A really, really nice bedroom. But that was all that came to her. What happened?... The emblem of Mercy, she remembered that. There was an... invasion on Garreg Mach. She remembered that too, but she couldn't remember who— who was invading? Whoever it was, it had to be someone bad. She remembered the castle, Hilda and the book, and then...
...Areadbhar...
Nino put a hand on her cheek. She was still solid... so she wasn't a ghost, at least. She laid back down in bed— wherever she was, if she was in a hurry then someone would come and get her eventually. But she wasn't exactly feeling tired at all. Maybe she could find something to do in this strange afterlife. She looked out the window— expecting clouds, or a rain of fire...
Only to find a beach. The beach... and people. Lots of people... Having fun on the beach. Everyone... everyone that she knew. She could even spot a few people who she remembered, but weren’t with her for the past month...
Was... she alive? Were they all dead?
No— that voice... It said that it would restore her life.
Restore... her life...
...She was alive.
It became more difficult to see the others having fun on the beach, as tears clogging your vision would make that a bit of a chore. Even when she pressed her face up against the glass it was difficult. So what was she waiting for? Nino threw herself out of bed, rifling through the drawers— everything in there was a lovely color and pattern, the kinds of things she always wanted to wear, and a mint green summer dress patterned with irises dancing around the rim.
The second it was on, Nino was out the door. She didn't care too much about swimming right now, or even doing all that much in terms of outdoor activities. All she wanted to do was say hello to everyone.
After all, you truly never knew what you had until it was gone.
Somehow Beruka had managed to dodge the dragon’s wide tail attack. Everything had happened in a blur so she couldn’t recall how exactly she had managed to get away despite the injuries she wore. With the kick up of dust she could barely make out who was where, instead simply hoping that everyone was still alright.
As the dust began to settle she noticed some of the wounds on her hands begin to close. There was something about the sensation that felt warm - familiar.
Lady Elise?
Beruka: +2 HP Currently at 4/15
She had been so caught up in the battle Beruka didn’t have time to realize who was around her. If Lady Elise was here, it meant she could be in danger. Though the heal doesn’t do much to seal Beruka’s wounds she charges again at the dragon, afire lit in her eyes as she swings her axe again aiming at its legs.
Beruka: +5 DMG to Areadbhar. 20/100 HP remains.
The axe manages to snag a piece of the dragon’s skin, its’ head reeling back as another shriek cries out across the battlefield. Red continues to cloud her vision as she somehow leaps out of the way of the beast’s next tail attack, now significantly weakened and battered.
Beruka dodges! (Areadbhar misses!) Currently at 4/15
All she can hear is yells and screams, muffled by the loud shrieking of the dragon. Her head swivels around frantically for the small blonde royal, instead falling upon the beaten and battered dancer. For the moment she seemed to be alright but she wasn’t sure whether Tethys would be able to take another hit. She manages to catch Lloyd’s shouts - if Nino was going to take care of the dancer then she should aid in distracting the monster, before anyone else could get hurt.
@flowerofiris
Nino felt immediate relief once Mercedes came down and mended her wounds. It was as if the injury hadn’t been there at all— Nino gave a few practice swings just to make sure nothing was internal. She gave a nod to Mercedes. “I’ll be careful...” Nino took a deep breath, continuing to hold her sword and await the beast’s approach...
Until Lloyd’s voice caught her ears. “Lloyd!” Nino whirled around to see the injured woman that Lloyd was with— “Tethys...!!” Nino yelled in fear. “Hold on, I’m coming!” She sheathed her sword, rushing over with no further intent but to heal Tethys. She already had an opportunity to use her magic, she just needed to hold back and heal—
A burst of wind stopped Nino in her tracks, with the shaking of the ground keeping her footing uneven. Nino gasped in terror as Areadbhar had changed its target to the vulnerable mage, snapping its fangs as it lunged in—
“No! Get away from me— Get away!!” Nino shrieked, grabbing her sword and forgetting every technique she had learned over her time spent in the academy. All she could think about was self-defense, raising her sword above her head and bringing it down with all her might—
Its advance was stopped as Nino brought her sword down on its head. “Yes...!” Nino looked proud of herself for a moment as it roared in pain— it had to be getting weaker! She prepared to lift herself off of the ground, she’d reach Tethys and heal her and then Lloyd would be proud of her and everything would be fine...
The roar of Areadbhar’s might didn’t stop, though. Nino’s eyes were filled with a crimson red as she saw the beast glow with a piercing aura, the Crest of Blaiddyd demanding that it slaughter all in its path...
...starting with the girl that dared defy its might.
@godsmercie
TW FOR DEATH UNDER THE CUT
She didn’t even have a chance to react when she felt the beast’s tail pierce straight through her body. The pain didn’t immediately register with her— she had attempted lifting off with her Wind spell, and it didn’t give her any momentum. Her body became weak, and the searing pain within her suddenly gave way into a cry of pain. She wanted to scream for help, to scream for Lloyd, for Mercedes, for Jaffar, anyone please help her—
Yet no sound came out. No breath came out either. Confusion set in amidst the pain— she couldn’t scream, why couldn’t she scream? She didn’t even have the strength to look down and see that the beast had pierced her lungs; where there was once breath that gave the child life, there was the blood of battle.
Am I... am I going to die...?
Nino’s grip on her trusty sword slackened, falling to the ground with a soft thud. She remembered how she got that sword— she did such a good job against Gricenchos, she earned that sword, so why did she fail here?
Her gaze desperately tried to find just one semblance of sight— all she could see was blood and the beast. Please, let me see Lloyd, just let me see him once, I know I don’t deserve it but please let him be what I see last—
There he was... She couldn’t see him quite well, but it was enough for her to focus in on him as her vision blurred. Was she... dying? But that... that wasn’t right. She was doing so well— Mercedes healed all of her wounds. She was fine. She would just pull herself off and run to Lloyd’s side, heal Tethys and fall back, and then they’d all get to go home...
Lloyd... I don’t want to die... I’ve been working so hard, I learned how to read, I found safety when I thought I wouldn’t have the luxury anymore... I want to go home, please let me wake up and see that this was all a dream, I don’t want this to be real...
Her vision was finally beginning to drift off— but she lost sight of Lloyd, where was he, where was he? All she could see was the sky as the beast took off with another flight and disappeared, clouds overhead with nobody in sight as she felt her body become lighter than air— this wasn’t fair, where was Lloyd? Mercedes? Kana? Anyone, she wanted to be by anyone, she didn’t want to die all by herself, she didn’t...
For just a brief moment in the sky, she thought she saw an angel. She kind of looked just like her— only with longer hair and a long, flowing dress. Nino wanted to reach out, but she couldn’t move her arms anymore... only feel her back hit the ground, the figure finally giving her a warm embrace as her vision finally gave way...
I understand now... you didn’t want me to die alone... but I don’t deserve...
I promised you and Lloyd that I’d live on...
I was truly... useless...
...I’m sorry... I know I shouldn’t think that...
Even if sometimes it isn’t good enough... I always...
Even without Nino’s warning, he sees it—an ominous red-gold aura envelops the creature, unleashing a deafening shriek before tucking its wings in and diving toward the ground. Snaps back to full span in the scant few seconds prior to impact, twisting to bring its tail down with a thunderous slam that stirs up clouds of dust and scatters chunks of rubble every which way. He’d turned to run as soon as it began its descent, grimacing when the movement pulls at his injuries; crashes to the ground with a pained hiss when the quake throws him off-balance.
A smear of red stains the stone beneath him when Lloyd pushes himself to his feet once more, the swordsman’s left hand coated in it from when it’d been pressed against his wounds ( for what little difference it makes when he’s bleeding in too many places and it won’t stop ). Turns his head to see the tail sweeping towards him, the sound of bone scraping against stone growing louder with each passing second.
fucK—
He runs, hastily shoving his sword back into the sheath and shifting into a full-on sprint—refuses to think about what will happen if he suffers a direct hit. Doesn’t quite make it, the tip clipping his shoulder; hits the ground with a gasp back-first as the force spins him around and vermillion sky fills his vision.
His chest heaves from the exertion, shoulder throbbing and sending twinges of pain through his body when Lloyd tries to move—it’s dislocated, he realizes with mounting dread. ( damn it, that’s his sword arm too. ) Distantly, he hears voices shouting for their allies, crying out as they’re swept up in the same attack he’d just narrowly avoided sustaining a more severe blow from. Nino had tried to reach him before the quake—where is she now?
Moving to stand is harder now, with the battle taking its toll on him. Right arm dangles limply at his side as hazel dart around in search of a familiar head of green, cranes his head a bit to see blades of wind magic keeping her afloat and unharmed. ( and thank the heavens for that. she has to survive this, no matter what. ) Overhead, Lloyd hears the flap of a pegasus’ wings and the call of Mercedes’ voice; soothing light descends upon him with a potency unlike the last time he’d been healed. The bleeding slows as his wounds gradually close and cease to saturate his clothing, though the healer’s magic unfortunately does little for his injured shoulder. ( he’ll have to try and pop it back into place himself, somehow… or try to wield his sword left-handed instead. )
// Mercedes uses Recover! Status: 9/15 HP.
The beast is being worn down by their attacks—of that much he is certain. They can’t afford to slow down just yet. “Nino!” he shouts. “Now’s your chance!”
// next: @flowerofiris
Nino watched from above as death greeted all of her allies as the attack swept through the area— panic setting in for every attack... and then she watched as she watched Lloyd be rended by the attack. A gasp, and a few tears were shed— please don't die, please don't die, not again, not again— and like that, an angel descended from the sky... no, that was a winged horse, a pegasus... with Mercedes on top to provide for Lloyd's wounds. Relief set in— no one was dead, no one was dead yet though, as long as this battle continued there would be a chance for someone to die.
She couldn't let that happen. As Lloyd called out to her, she felt every stiff muscle in her body begin to loosen up. She was still falling from the air, it wouldn't be too long until she hit the ground, but she could still redirect herself with a blast of wind. She drew her sword, her dominant hand preparing to strike as she launched herself at the beast from above with a shout of determination—
Nino's Sunder!
Nino's Roll: 3 (Miss!)
Gravity caught up with Nino a little too early. She was only able to strike the earth to stop her fall— a twinge of guilt as she realized that was the first time Lloyd got to see her sword skills in action... and they were miserable. She was only thankful that Felix weren't there to see that sad display—
Much like gravity, her anxiety caught up with her. Panic gripped her a little too late as she saw the monster leap towards her, undoubtedly wanting to make up for how she avoided its tail sweep. Nino tried to pull her sword out of the ground, but she stumbled too late— pain, pain wracked her body as she was sent flying back and skidding across the ground. She lay there for a moment, a few tears falling— why did she miss? Didn't she know how important it was to kill this monster before it killed them? She tried to steady herself once more with her sword, lifting herself from the ground...
"D-... Don't worry about me...!" Nino called out. "We... We can still do this...! We have to...!"
The ache in his ribs recedes with the assistance of both Mercedes and Elise; breathing becomes easier even if the magic used on him doesn’t render him good as new again. A brief thanks is given to the latter—the former’s already out of earshot, circling the skies on her pegasus while taking care to avoid the draconic creature’s talons—and Lloyd prepares to attack once more, darting across stone and rubble to reach the beast. Lips press into a line at the wounds dealt to Kana and Tethys, the obvious difficulty with which Beruka rises to her feet after the monster had so grievously injured her; this next strike would be one of retribution.
A screech, and it dives toward the ground with intent to attack again. He runs, runs, runs, his target in clear view as he leaps into the air and toward the creature—blade sings as it feeds from a combination of momentum and his own strength, slams into the thing’s left wing in the same place he’d hit it last time and forcefully cleaves through bone to nearly rend the limb from its body. It shrieks in response, recoiling at the same time that Lloyd drops to the ground and manages to land safely.
// ( 9, 9+1 ) Lloyd deals 10 damage to Areadbhar Ɛ! 42/100 HP remains.
So close, he thinks—another blow would surely sever the beast’s wing and tip the balance in their favor. The swordsman begins to retreat, unwilling to be an easy target for its wrath—
—but it lunges for him with frightening speed, a shout of pain clawing its way out of Lloyd’s throat as its jaws clamp around his torso and teeth plunge into unprotected flesh. Fists beat uselessly against the thing’s snout as it lifts him away from the ground—he doesn’t want to die again, not like this—gets it to release him after jamming the tip of his sword into what he thinks is the creature’s eye. It screams, fangs dyed with his blood as he slips free of them and hits the stone with none of his earlier grace; forces himself to stand yet again even with the pain of having suffered multiple puncture wounds, red seeping into dark clothing and smelling strongly of iron.
He manages to gain distance from the beast this time, a hand pressed against the worst of his injuries to stem the bleeding. Breath comes and goes in harsh pants, heart racing in his chest from exertion and the panic of brushing against death… and a sinking feeling that disaster is about to strike.
// next: @flowerofiris
"Lloyd!" Nino yelled out, watching Lloyd get hurt— she had been trying to hold in her screams of panic as much as she could, and yet the weight of all that was happening had become too much to bear. Nino prepared a retaliation, some kind of spell or healing Lloyd or anything, until she watched— the dragon hovered closely to the ground, strangely in a way... before the raging beast suddenly glowed with a deep gold and red Crest energy, an energy Nino was not familiar with but knew would be dangerous all the same.
"Everyone-! Watch out! Something's-" Nino's attention turned to Lloyd once more. "Lloyd! Y-You have to get out of here, now!" Nino could only yell to him for a second as the beast's tail rose into the air, all of the energy bursting into it— a makeshift weapon truly worthy of the lance that was once known as Areadbhar. It slammed its tail onto the earth, raking the ground with a dust bowl that would engulf them all in a power that they could not handle.
Nino's horrified expression only continued as she attempted to run to Lloyd, but saw that she was too late—
You must live for the future. I am bound to this course. Kill me, and don't look back.
No! I don't want to! Lloyd!!!
Nino's Roll: 5 (Dodge!)
Though she was certain that she'd never forgive herself if Lloyd died in this attack, Nino launched herself up into the air with all of her might (and Wind spells). The grounded attack stood no chance against the aerial Nino, but for her the jaws of death were only the first attack. The real attack would be her eagle-eyed view of everyone else's injuries.
It feels strange, to have died and returned to life. Lloyd thinks about what his father had said toward the end of their conversation—before he’d woken up as if from a dream. Something pulled him back, like he had unfinished business to deal with. Seeing Fhirdiad Castle crumble into a wreckage of stone and wood before his eyes with the worry that his companions were trapped inside and crushed, and the enormous pair of beasts threatening to level the rest of the city… He thinks there may be a certain degree of truth to those words. ( and saint, he’s never seen such monstrosities before. one of them even looks… distressingly familiar in some way—but he quickly banishes the thought. )
The skeletal thing their team is to fell wastes little time in swiping at the others as though they’re but mere insects, and the swordsman sees a chance to strike when it lunges at Beruka. Drawing his Killing Edge from its sheath, Lloyd breaks into a sprint toward it and jumps, using the momentum to bring his blade down on the creature’s wing with a satisfying crunch.
// ( 17, 8; Personal Skill activates to grant +1 damage ) Lloyd attacks Areadbhar Ɛ for 9 damage! 86/100 HP remaining.
It releases a shriek of pain in response, lashing out to strike while he’s yet to drop back to ground level; the same wing he’d struck just moments earlier knocks Lloyd away and sends him skidding across the stone. Can’t help the pained groan that leaves him, for he is only human, yet still he forces himself to get up—as if he’d allow himself to be downed so easily again.
// ( 10, 8 ) Areadbhar Ɛ strikes back for 8 damage! Status: 7/15 HP.
“Nino,” the swordsman manages, seeing his little sister rush to his side. “The next time it moves to attack, aim your magic at the wings. Letting it fly around makes it harder for us to land our blows. If we cripple it, we’ll be able to end this more quickly.”
( he tries not to wince as he speaks—his ribs were likely bruised in the impact if not worse. should let a healer do something about that. )
// Lloyd uses Rally Dexterity to grant a +1 Accuracy boost to Nino!
// next: @flowerofiris
The world felt like it was coming to an end. Nino quaked in her boots as she stared up at the titanic monstrosity that she had to face off against. It was nothing like she had ever seen before— even the red dragon paled in comparison. This thing hardly resembled a dragon outside of shape. And as she watched all of her friends trying to vanquish this thing and suffer damages from it, Nino winced from every hit. Even the ones who had legendary weapons didn't seem to be able to do much...
But Nino wasn't going to back down. She waited for her opportunity— if she fired off any strong magic at this thing, then it might hit the others. She watched Lloyd bring down his sword on the monster, admiration in her eyes... that quickly turned to panic as he was struck badly. "Lloyd...!!" Nino panicked, rushing over to him. She was just about ready to heal him, until— Strike the wings... That would make sense, but...
"...O... Okay." Nino nodded. "I'll try... but get yourself some healing quickly...!" Nino rushed away, giving a small thumbs up to Lloyd before focusing herself on the dragon. She had a clear shot, now if it just got a bit closer—
There! It started to charge at her. Every inch of Nino's body quivered as it approached, but she couldn't get a good shot just yet... her heart seemed to pound as she alone were being charged at... "Not yet, not yet...! I can do this— for Lloyd...!" She said out loud, worrying that someone might knock her out of the way— she may be young but she wasn't in need of saving yet...
"EXCALIBUR!"
Nino's Roll: 20 (Hit!)
Damage Roll: 3 (+4 = 7)
Power unlike anything Nino had pulled off before in her time in Fódlan surged through her fingertips, an enormous storm bursting and slashing through the dragon's wings just as it erupted. And yet despite the tears that wracked its wings, it still continued to charge Nino, but she was ready to get out of there...!
Areadbhar Ɛ's Roll: 1 (Miss!)
Using the gusts from Excalibur, Nino launched herself forward and upwards. She skidded along the back of the grotesque beast before finally landing on the ground as the beast lagged on the ground— "Someone take the opening!" Nino called out.
Hilda smiles sweetly at Nino and happily hands her the book. It never did feel right to flat out ask someone to do something for her. But when they offer after she oh so carefully drops hints? Wellz she’s definitely not going to refuse. “Oh! That’s so nice of you to carry it for me! Linhardt loves boring books like this and I’d love to give it to him when we find him!” Her smile falters a little. If they find him. She’s more than disappointed that they haven’t been able to find a sign of him. One of the other teams searching the castle had better be having more luck. “It’s such a pain having to lug this stupid, creepy axe around,” she whines as she moves to retrieve her Relic.
Even if she can’t sense the remnants of magic in the library, Hilda is not looking to stick around any longer than she has to. Whoever had been utilizing the room could always come back and if she can avoid a fight, she’s going to. “We should probably regroup with the others. Lin will be there, right? Then we can give him the book.” Whether she’s asking or just trying to convince herself, she’s not quite sure. “Oh and your outfit is super cute. I guess I could probably fix it but you have to promise you won’t tell anyone that I offered.”
Nino couldn't help but feel flattered just a little bit as Hilda praised her for her willingness to carry the book. Nino hadn't even realized it was such a nice gesture— it just kind of came to her. But if Hilda was happy about it, then that made her happy too! And Nino did have to agree that Hilda's axe looked very heavy indeed... yet Hilda did seem to handle it just fine. Then again, it probably depended from person to person.
"Y-Yeah, that sounds good." Nino nodded, a little upset that they didn't seem to get much done outside of getting a book, but at least it'd make a nice enough gift for Linhardt. And oh...! Nino looked embarrassed at Hilda's sudden response to her outfit— did she look too obvious on her displeasure? Regardless, Hilda's willingness to fix it managed to sway Nino into a smile. "Okay...! I promise I won't tell anyone!" She wanted to do that much at the least, especially after being a bit fussy about it. "Thank you... That means a lot. Come on, let's go!"
Eyes go wide as Nino starts to sob and hug her again, face almost burying into her armor. (Isn’t that uncomfortable? Then again, it’s not like she hasn’t done the same thing to other people.)
Gloved hand caresses Nino’s hair as she listens. Her gaze softens, sombering. That’s right, she’s used to all this; no one else is. This isn’t new—its different—but not new, nothing she can’t adapt to anyway. The others? They’re capable, and some adjust to the other worlds knowledge easily in the Order.
Not everyone is the same.
Sharena crouches down, hands moving to Nino’s face where she wipes the tears away with her thumbs. “Nino,” she whispers, voice somber. “I know it’s tough to be here. I know it’s hard to see people you know and love fighting. And though we may want better, there are some fates we cannot change. There are some fates we have no say in, no matter how much we may fight.”
Hands go to her shoulders, and she shakes her a little. “Now! That isn’t to say the world is terrible.” Her voice brightens as she continues, “Just that you cannot change others’ decisions, especially if you weren’t there or they don’t know you in another world entirely.” A pause, her gaze softens. “Even if you love someone more than the whole wide world, you cannot control them. And that is something we have to accept.”
“Focus on you. Focus on staying alive for the people close to you, here, in this moment. Focus on now, today, this moment, today and then—together, all of us—we’ll go home.”
“That is something we can change. Until then, stay brave, stand tall, and have faith.”
It doesn’t take too much to calm Nino down. Her head was always her softest point— it reminded her of home enough that it kept her nostalgic while not having a chance of stirring up bad memories. When she finally calmed down from all of her venting, she listened. She couldn’t do all of the talking even when she was in the middle of an outburst; it was important for others to have a say in the matter. She didn’t even go back to a sobbing fit when her tears were wiped away, even if she wanted to when she gazed into Sharena’s comforting eyes.
The sudden tremor jolted Nino out of her weeping— wait, that wasn’t a tremor, that was just Sharena gently shaking her. Nino didn’t know that was something that happened; usually it was shoulder pats. And yet, the feeling still was effective, like an emphasis one would add to their speech through hand gestures.
Tears started to come to her eyes again when Sharena finished with a uplifting boost, but Nino didn’t want to cry again. She closed her eyes shut and smiled; not a masking smile, just one to show that she was starting to perk up just a little bit. Despite that, a few tears did escape her grasp.
“I’ll... I’ll try... I want more than anything for all of us to go home... even though there are a lot of people that are important to us here, so many of them are waiting for us at home...” Nino clasped her hands behind her back; she was afraid for a moment she might cling on too long if she was given the chance to hug Sharena again. “N... No one is going to die. And... And I’ll make sure I especially don’t die... I-I promise. I don’t want to upset anyone with my death...”
She squeezes Nino’s hand slightly as they wait, listening closely for any sign of conflict. She’s less panicked knowing Lloyd promised to do his best to escape, but that did not completely remove her anxieties- anything could happen in situations such as these. So she waits, magic pooling in her hand in preparation for anything… well, for combat.
But, almost as quickly as he disappeared, Lloyd emerged from the stairwell, declaring their next actions. She blinks, half inclined to ask more, but the exact expression on his face tells her to hold her tongue. She simply nods and begins to make her way down the stairs, thumb still rubbing the back of Nino’s hand gently.
She couldn’t tell if that action was more for Nino or for herself, but nonetheless she is glad that there was no harm done on this mission.
Nino kept praying for every moment that Lloyd was gone that he’d come back in a moment, and she was thankful that her prayers were answered. She tried to hold in that sigh of relief— just didn’t want Lloyd thinking that she was worrying too much about him.
“Okay,” Nino said with a tone of relief, regardless. Had she not worried, she would still have relief in leaving this tower. She wished to leave and rest easy knowing that she had done what she could.
Surprisingly, Nino was a little more perked up and held on tightly to Mercedes’ hand. She was glad that she got out and worked a little bit... yet Lloyd’s expression still worried her just a little bit. She hoped he wasn’t working too hard... or that whatever was on his mind, it wasn’t negatively related to her.
Hilda felt a twinge of guilt as Nino flew into the table. She could have stepped in and offered her strength, but she didn’t and now the other girl was hurt. She dropped Freikugel unceremoniously with a clang and went to inspect Nino’s arm. “Oh no, I’m doing this now. If you don’t take care of it, it might get worse. And if we end up in a fight, I’m not going to be stuck doing all of the fighting because your arm hurts.” Without bothering to ask for permission, she tore a strip off of Nino’s clothes and wraps the elbow to help keep the swelling down. “My brother makes me tend to his battle woulds when I’m back at home,” she explained.
Satisfied that Nino is taken care of for now, Hilda turned her attention to the mysterious book. Reading had never been something she was any good at or even enjoyed and the books that were here were all thick and old with titles she couldn’t even figure out the meanings of. Claude would love it here. Linhardt too. Even the way the library was full of clutter and there were books strewn about reminded her of her two friends. Sighing, she cracked open the text and started flipping through it. It wasn’t a surprise that she couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but the reason she couldn’t caused her to do a double take at the print. It wasn’t just big, fancy words describing too complex of processes, instead, it was just a jumble of letters. There weren’t any actual words there to even read. She flipped through the pages, growing more and more frustrated until, finally, she could figure out a few phrases.
“Crest fragments? Power of souls? Ug, booooring!” Hilda spoke outloud. “Someone else might think this is useful. It’s such a shame I don’t have any way of carrying it in all this super heavy armor.”
Nino was about ready to try and use some healing magic on herself, but was grateful for the first aid— even if she was not quite happy that a strip was torn from her clothes all of the sudden. It would have maybe been fine if it were her academy uniform, but this was her favorite outfit... but she still didn’t have the heart to protest.
Instead, Nino occupied herself by looking nervously at Freikugel. Wasn’t that one of the Hero’s Relics?... Wasn’t it important? What if it broke? Then again, Nino wasn’t really that well-versed in how the Hero’s Relics worked— she often just compared them to the legendary weapons from Elibe. She couldn’t remember what they were called... just Durandal and Armads came to mind because of Eliwood and Hector.
“Th-thank you...” Nino whispered as her wounds were taken care of. “But I could have taken care of it...” Her words were completely swallowed up by Hilda’s reaction to the book, unable to really be heard. She could picture Linus by her side, looking at her outfit and immediately pushing Nino to get angry... then probably just getting angry for her. As Linus was not really there, Nino didn’t really get mad about it.
“We should just hold onto it then, and we can read it later... I’ll take it.” Nino took the book and put it with her other things— she wasn’t used to carrying stuff like her sword in her favorite outfit, but she’d have to make due. At least a book was more familiar, what with the tomes in Elibe. “Um... now that we know that that’s the only thing in this library, we should probably go on ahead; it seems like it’s a dead end...”
“Hey, don’t apologize! I can’t sense any magic at all. At least we know there’s something weird here.” Hilda smiled over at the young mage. “I’m perfectly fine with not lingering in a creepy dark magic library.”
Hilda could also sense that there was something off here but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it at first. As she moved through the shelves of books, looking for any kind of sign that someone might have been there recently, it hit her. The whole library was the sign she was looking for. “Nino! It’s clean!” she cried out excitedly. “Well, not clean, clean but look! It’s way less dusty here than in the rest of this place. This library is being used.”
This had to mean something. Even if Linhardt hadn’t found his way to this library, she was willing to bet that whoever it was that took him was looking for something here. She couldn’t make much sense of the books cluttered around, she never was much of a reader, but she did notice something else and quickly ran to grab Nino by the hand and show her. “Look at the carpet here. See how the fibers are matted down more than the ones over there? Someone would have to keep walking through here for that to happen. But what would they be looking for? It’s just a library.”
“Oh...!” Though she was being hard on herself, Hilda’s sudden outburst made Nino perk up. “You’re right, it is clean...!” She hurriedly went over to Hilda, looking at the carpet as prompted. “Hang on, maybe I can try to find what someone was doing here...!”
Nino tried to focus with all of her might— to do her best, that was her sole purpose in this moment... The dense air of magic started to clear out in her mind, and as she followed the matted fibers she stood up. “I got it!” Nino looked up at the bookshelf. “Some of those books are somehow giving off that dark radiation!” She hurriedly grabbed the closest one off of the shelf. “If we can read it, it might tell us more...”
She went to open it, only to find that it was a bit hard to open. Her cheeks puffed slightly as she began to use all of her upper body strength to try and open it. “Come on, come on...! I can do it...!” Suddenly, she felt a ping of magic inside of her that occurred slightly before—
The book opened, but it also exploded. The dark magic that the book gave off expanded into a burst that sent both Nino and the book flying, though the book may have been more of a result of Nino. She gave a shriek of fear as she slammed into a table, crashing into it. “O... ow...” She winced for a moment, before... “I-... I did it, Hilda!... You should be able to read it safely now... g-gimme a moment, I think I sprained my elbow...” Nino whimpers a little bit. “B-But please, don’t worry about me right now...!”
Other than an eerie, abandoned atmosphere, there is nothing to great the two girls in the entrance to the castle. It was unsettling to say the least, but at least Nino was here too. Hilda really did appreciate having someone with healing abilities here with her. Helping to patch Holst back up after a skirmish against the Almyran army led to her learning quite a bit about combat first aid, but in the middle of a fight that wouldn’t do her much good.
Nino’s choice of door led them to a drawing room that probably would have been really nice if the castle was fully staffed and lived in instead of creepy. It was a shame, she’d have liked to have been able to see it in it’s full glory. Hilda poked around in the room trying to think like her friend. Where would he have gone while he was in here? There was a locked door, an unlocked door, the castle’s main stairs, and then she spotted it. A library. She didn’t like the looks of the miasma clinging to it at all, but this was Linhardt they were looking for. If there was a library here, he would have at least popped in for a visit.
“Nino! The library! There must be something there!”
“Right!” Nino found herself looking around the library as well— it was quite expansive and she could find herself lost in some of these books... Especially lost, since these books probably were way above her reading level. But this was no time for books— she just had to keep her chin up and keep searching!
But even her optimism couldn’t pierce through a choking sense of dread once she entered the library. Nino wasn’t sure if Hilda would be able to tell, but to her the stench of dark magic was overwhelming to her. She was certain Canas would enjoy it, but to her it was just like a cake overloaded with too much sugar... again, probably something Canas would enjoy despite everything.
“Ngh... Hilda, we— we should go through here quickly...” Nino doesn’t look like she’s in pain persay, but she was certainly overwhelmed. “This place... It has a lot of traces of dark magic... but why...?” Nino tried to close her eyes, but— “I can’t figure out where the source is, sorry...”
During the regrouping, Sharena spots a familiar head of green, lowered in what she can only guess to be humility or sadness. She places a hand on Nino's head before bringing her into a hug, arms wrapping around her shoulders. When she pulls away, she grins. "Head up, Nino! You'll run into something if you keep your head down!"
Oh, how Nino's stress had grown greatly this past week. It had all started with Edelgard, and then slowly turned into worries about Lloyd, worries about herself and her own usefulness... Before long, this incident had happened and Nino's hope had all but disappeared. Whatever may happen surely couldn't have been good— maybe they were doomed from the start. She could already see it— was she going to have to watch it all crumble beneath their feet? Would she have to suffer Lloyd's death once more...?
She didn't even have the will to cry anymore.
Just as Nino was about to crawl off to her own space, allowing whatever was assigned to her to happen, she was ensnared. Her legs refused to let her move— through her own hubris, or perhaps through her mind? No... She felt it in a moment. There was a gentle hand on her head— a favorite form of affection for her. She looked up and saw Sharena, as her frozen face seemed to melt away back into herself.
"Sharena..." Nino whispered before feeling herself being pulled into a hug. This small gesture made way for the frost to melt away, a trickle of tears streaming down her face. She was quick to return it— though a little slower than Sharena to pull away. Nino's head turned up at her words...
And the last of the frost had finally disappeared.
"Sh... Sharenaaaaaaa!" Nino started to bawl, going back into a small hug as she buried her face onto Sharena's armor— despite the metal, it provided a source of warmth. "I... I miss home, I want to go home, I-I can't stand seeing everyone struggle to get by...! Wh-what if we never get to go back? I came to Garreg Mach to stop running away, n-not to end up back where I started...! I-I hate seeing everyone fighting... E-Even if none of them remember me, I still care so much about everyone— I haven't even seen what Edelgard is like and I want her to stop fighting... I-I want it all to stop..."
This was an unfamiliar feeling. Hilda stood at the entrance to Fhirdiad Castle in full armor, Freikugel somehow now clutched tightly in both hands, and she was ready. She was ready and eager to charge in there and start cleaving through whatever was waiting for them inside. That eagerness was more unsettling to her than the eerie, pulsing glow coming from her relic. Hilda didn’t fight unless she had to and she certainly never wanted to. Everything was different now. They took her friend and she was going to get him back. There was no way she was going to leave Linhardt in there.
Turning toward Nino, Hilda readied her shield. “Stay behind me. I guess I’ll have to take the hits. Linhardt and Dimitri better shower me in favors after this.” She took a deep breath and readied herself before busting through the door.
Nino wasn't prepared for any of this. She was still in the middle of a depression and yet she was thrust into Fhirdiad Castle out of nowhere— what kind of cruel fate was doing this? Was her emblem of 'Mercy' some sort of sign that there would be none left for her? After all she had been through?... Or did she perhaps deserve it? Even now, she still wondered if Cornelia would listen...
Nino didn't want to keep herself very far from Hilda. If she just stuck with someone who would keep an eye on her, she wouldn't feel so scared or tempted. She prayed deep down that everyone would be okay... They had to be. She knew they would be.
And they were all counting on her to do her best.
"D-Don't get hurt too much, okay? I'll try to keep you healed...!" Nino held her breath as she rushed through the door as Hilda broke it down, wincing a little as the noise echoed throughout the air. She worried that they would alert someone, but as fortune would have it there was nothing of note in the hall. She quickly whirled around— "Let's try that door...!" Nino pointed to the left— a closed door. "But don't exert too much energy on breaking down doors if it's locked! Maybe nobody went through there...!"
