Chapter Text
No degree of reasoning will convince Corrin, or her odious Hoshidan sister, that leaving the youngest Hoshidan prince behind is their best option. But Leo must still try.
"Did you not hear Izana?" he demands. "He's ensorcelled by this unknown enemy, ready and eager to murder us all. Even if we were to 'rescue' him, how would we free him from this spell?"
"Leo." Corrin's wearing that face that gets them to do anything she asks. Leo hates that face. "We're his family. If we can just talk to him, give him a chance, I'm sure he can break free."
"You met him a week ago," argues Leo, stomping on any guilt he might feel at his next words, "and it sounds like he hates you the most already."
"I didn't meet him yesterday," says Princess Hinoka. "And I won't abandon him."
Leo sighs, defeated. If Corrin will not listen to reason in regards to a brainwashed sibling, then there's no way Leo can convince her to abandon one who is merely stupid.
"Alright then," he says, gaze passing over the three of them.
Hinoka looks a second away from leaping onto her pegasus, Effie grips her lance so it doesn't slip from her fingers in the pouring rain, and Corrin graces him with a grateful, relieved smile, as though she expects that he's so smart that he can get them out of this mess alive. "Our best bet is to separate, move through the bushes and trees avoiding as many of these monsters as possible. I don't know if it will mean anything for these creatures, but sunrise will be upon us soon, and it will be harder to hide."
"Then?" asks Corrin.
"Our goal is to get Princess Hinoka within shouting distance of Prince." Leo pauses, blinks at no one in particular. That might be the stupidest thing he's ever said. "Perhaps if he sees you," he tells Hinoka, "about to be murdered, he will choose to . . ." be murdered with them once the Faceless realize that he's been overcome by brotherly affection ". . . return to your side."
"But that's too dangerous for Hinoka!" protests Corrin.
"No, it's fine," says Hinoka, sparing Leo from having to shout something unpleasant at his sister. "I'll take the risk."
"Alright, then we'll be right behind you to help," says Corrin.
"One of us should double back to warn the rest of the army," says Leo, trying to think of a way to convince Corrin that she should be the one to return. Something about being the unifying link between Hoshio and Nohr should do the trick.
"Effie," says Corrin, "you're the sturdiest among us."
"I'm also the slowest, my lady," says Effie, shaking her head. "Besides, I could never face Lady Elise if I abandoned her siblings in a battlefield."
"Then you should go, Leo," says Corrin.
Actually, in a perfect world where Takumi is being held against his will, Hinoka would be the best person to flee for reinforcements. But in reality, they're all likely to get murdered.
"I won't leave you," says Leo. "These beasts are weak to my magic, and none of you have impressive tactical minds."
"Ryoma will guess what's happened anyway," says Hinoka.
So they trek to the forest, Hinoka and Corrin approaching the abandoned ruins from the east while Leo and Effie do their best to draw as many Faceless towards them as possible. Though Effie's defenses are impressive, they cannot be expected to hold forever. She cannot move quickly enough to distract every Faceless, and Leo lacks the agility to dodge every single club that makes it his way.
His horse brays in alarm when its hind hooves tangle with a mess of vines hidden in the mud. Leo almost falls, and the brine of vicious trees he's calling from the ground miss their target. If not for Effie's javelin, Leo would have fallen to another Faceless coming at him from behind.
"My lord--augh!"
Effie's scream makes Leo's heart thunder. His horse stumbles. On instinct, Leo's slides to its right as it falls to the left. He lands on his shoulder, launching a spell in towards Effie's scream, hoping he catches the Faceless attacking her. Rather than her. His hand flies towards the hilt of his sword.
He catches the blunt end of a club with his sword, deploys Brynhildr as the beast's strength forces his knees to bend. A javelin hits another Faceless aiming at his side on the face, tumbling it to the muddy ground.
"This way, my lord!" yells Effie.
Leo follows the clank of Effie's armor, wiping at his eyes. They're not far from the ruins; if they can just . . . damn that bastard Takumi! Leo has never laid eyes on him and already he's savoring the day he can plan his fist on the idiot's face. Death waits for them at the damned ruins, all thanks to him.
"We must rejoin with Princess Corrin," says Effie when they stumble upon the ruins, mercifully at a side that appears devoid of Faceless. She leans against the grimy stone walls, breathing harshly.
"Effie--"
"I'm fine!" she yells. But she doubles over, hand gripping her belly, and spits blood on the dying grass.
"Here," says Leo, handing her his last remaining elixir.
"I can't--"
"I'll be dead without you," says Leo. He suspect he'll be dead regardless, but that's not going to persuade her to take the elixir.
Effie takes the elixir, but she doesn't look at him as she gulps it down. Leo doubts that it'll be enough to truly heal her, but he dares to hope that it'll keep her entrails where they belong. He sighs, looking up at the horizon to admire the orange tint of the sunrise.
"Thank you, my lord," says Effie, straightening up. "I won't let you down."
Leo's not going to hold her to unreasonable standards. "We must proceed carefully," he says, telling himself that it's for the best that he's lost his horse. "Can you fight without armor?" Inside the ruins and without any means to heal her, the noise will not be worth the risk.
She says nothing as she slips off the sturdy, pink metal, takes his sword without comment, and nods firmly. Leo promises himself that if they get out of this alive, he will gift Effie the sturdiest, must royal armor he can get his hands on.
"Let's go, my lord," says Effie. "Those bastards won't know what hit them."