Chapter 2) Zanado

As duchess of a large territory, I am used to trouble. No matter how well you ruled, or tried to rule, there was always some sort of emergency each day, just because of how many people I governed and protected. But the trouble Wilhelm brought with him this time is far beyond what I consider tolerable. A woman who many dubbed a 'saint', who claimed to not be human and the survivor of a massacre that Nemesis and his Elites wrought, who claimed the 'divine blessings' they bore were made from the hearts and bones and blood of her kin… yes, it is far beyond tolerable, particularly since Wilhelm wants to help her get revenge.

As for me, I just want to rule my lands. My people had suffered enough. But I had a bad feeling that I was mired in this situation whether I wanted to be or not. Damn him.

A few days into the trip to Zanado, I was still trying to determine the 'when', 'why', and 'how' regarding my coming along. But even Sieger had taken it as fact that I would leave with Wilhelm and Seiros, before I had even learned that Wilhelm had decided to take my advice and go to Zanado directly to see Seiros's home with his own eyes. In fact, I had learned about the trip when Seiros asked if there were other shoes she could borrow, as the slippers she wore wouldn't hold up on the rougher terrain of Zanado. I learned of my coming along via Beatrix fussing over what clothes to pack for me.

"I should have asked this earlier, but Wilhelm didn't force you to show him the way, right?" I asked Seiros, more loudly than I usually talked. But the wind rushing past your ears always muffled things, and I wanted to be certain she heard me. "Also, I insist that you hold on tighter, in case we need to make a sharp turn."

"Or if your wyvern decides he's bored and decides to be playful again?" Seiros teased, laughing as she tightened her hold on me. Her face was pink from how chapped it was, but she had a giant smile and her eyes sparkled in utter delight. I was surprised she took this well to flying, but glad for it. "But yes, Wilhelm actually asked for a path or a map. I made the decision to come. I… I need to see it again."

"I just wanted to be certain it was your choice, and not an obligation." I turned my attention ahead and below, to get an idea of where we were. I also needed to be sure that Wilhelm wasn't stuck somewhere because he had insisted on being on a horse. "You mentioned wanting to walk once we were close, to make sure we didn't miss anything."

"Yes, my home can be hard to see from the air, and I don't know if the terrain will be steady enough for a horse. Or, at least, not hurt the horse's hooves." She sighed gustily, leaning forward against my back. "We never had animals, really. Some would keep pets, but we didn't raise livestock or anything. Not like the farms I passed by. It looked like hard work."

"Farming is very hard work. They are the lifeblood of any civilization, truly." I knew I couldn't handle even half of the back-breaking work that they did. That was why I worked hard to at least rule well, and ensure they were protected. It felt like the best way I could thank them for their service. "But did you not even garden?"

"Not like humans do?" This time, she laughed sheepishly. "Our magic works a little… differently from human magic? Humans have to use formulas and whatnot, but we don't. So, whenever we wanted something to grow, we just… used our magic. Well, some of us. Not everyone had a connection to the earth and plants to safely do that." Well, that sounded convenient. But, then again, if her story about her mother was true, I supposed it made some sense as well. "We're close. I can see the entrance of the canyon."

"Then we should land, and then see how long it takes Wilhelm to catch up."

I had my wyvern, Ziu, arc down slowly, mostly to ensure Wilhelm actually saw us land and to give him plenty of time to catch up. It worked very well, as he was waiting for us by the time we landed. Though, as usual, he made sure to stay as far away from Ziu as he politely could, and eyed him warily as we dismounted. He didn't even come over to help Seiros off, as would have been the proper and polite thing to do.

"I will never be able to understand why you feel remotely safe flying on a temperamental beast while being so far high up that castles look like toys," he groused, moving so that his horse was between him and Ziu. I simply rolled my eyes and cooed over Ziu, delighting in how he nuzzled my cheek affectionately. "Never."

"I shall remind you that horses are also quite temperamental, and will randomly lay down to roll whether you are on top of them or not," I pointed out with great dignity, or as much dignity as you could have when your wyvern was being affectionate. At least he wasn't licking me, yet. "I recall a time when a certain young duke was bucked off his horse as well, and broke both arms? You don't have that sort of trouble with wyverns."

"Yeah, wyverns just eat you."

"Oh, no, he doesn't eat humans. We taste terrible. Don't we, Ziu?" I kissed Ziu's muzzle and Ziu crooned in delight. "Yes, we do~!"

"Delightful." Wilhelm gave me the most unamused look he could before turning his attention to Seiros. "By the way, I noticed something along the way that I doubt you would've seen in the air. Shall we investigate?"

To my complete not-surprise, Wilhelm refused to elaborate, or even wait for Seiros and I to agree before heading back down the path. Seiros hesitated when I followed, looking confusedly at Ziu and the horse, but I took her hand and led her away. Ziu didn't need to be tied (and would bite through any ropes anyway), and he would ensure that the horse didn't wander too far. All of the horses from my stables were trained to be unafraid of wyverns anyway, so there was little to no risk. All I had to worry about was whatever Wilhelm was leading us too and, as it turned out, I had every right to worry.

"Why didn't you say 'body' instead of 'something?" I asked dryly, kneeling next to the corpse. Whoever they had been, they had died some time ago. What the rot hadn't destroyed, the insects, maggots, and wild animals had taken care of. Only the sun-bleached bones and worn clothes even hinted they had been a person at all. "Seiros, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Seiros answered, leaning over me to study the body as well. She braced her hands on my shoulders to keep her balance. "I have seen corpses before. The humans who lived with us did eventually die, and sometimes, you have an unfortunate traveler who met a terrible fate. The mountains can be harsh for those unprepared, or even those who are." She frowned and leaned even more on me. "Though, I am not certain what could've befallen this one."

"I suppose it could be that they stupidly tried to fight a wild animal instead of backing away?" I scowled up at Wilhelm, who stared at something on the withered trees nearby. "Seriously, why didn't you?"

"I didn't get a good enough look to confirm it," he answered absently. I almost snapped about how he could have at least warned of the possibility, but he moved to examine the tree instead. "This gouge…" His fingers traced over a noticeable mark on the trunk, carefully examining it. "This is fairly fresh. It's also too neat to have been done unintentionally, and I would say it's too wide and too deep to have been someone marking their path."

"Do you think it was a weapon, then?" I asked, frowning. I reached up a hand to gently touch Seiros's, wondering if it could have been from when her home was attacked. But I dismissed the thought as, according to her, it had been fifty years since then. The tree would have long healed from any wounds from then. "I can't imagine anyone fighting up here. The terrain is too uneven."

"I suppose it could've been a bandit or some criminal on the run?" He stepped back and offered a hand to help me up. I ignored it to stand up by myself, and I rested a hand on Seiros's back, wondering now if her home had become a nest for bandits. That would be quite the thing, wouldn't it? "We should be especially cautious, going forward."

As much as I hated to admit it, he was right, so when we returned to the mounts, I made sure to grab my lance, while Wilhelm grabbed his two axes. Seiros was unarmed, but reassured that she actually did have training in brawling and the like. I was skeptical, because of how dainty she looked, but I did know better than to trust appearances. Still, Wilhelm and I kept her between us as we walked up the path, careful to keep an eye on our surroundings. This would be just the sort of place for an ambush, and an ambush could kill even the most skilled of fighters.

It was a fact many had, apparently, learned in their final moments because deeper into the canyon, we found more bodies. Some were old and rotting. Some were fresher, still oozing blood. All were scattered about, torn apart with carefully calculated strikes until their wounds only vaguely resembled something anything but a beast would inflict. The ground was muddy and the air was foul, and both became worse the further we walked. The number of bodies, especially fresh bodies, increased with every step. I had to cover my nose and mouth to keep from being sick, desperately trying to forget the last time I had seen so many bodies piled together in an uncaring mess. Seiros's fists clenched at her side, until her knuckles were white and all of her trembled. Wilhelm kept an eye on us both, but continued to lead us forward. I wasn't sure if it was better or worse when we stepped around a corner and found ourselves in shadow, thanks to the canyon's walls. On the one hand, I could no longer see the bodies. On the other hand, though, I could still smell them, and not seeing them meant we were more likely to step on them. Some just rolled under our feet, but others squished, like you stepped in a particularly muddy puddle. It was enough to make my stomach turn, and I almost yelled for Ziu, just to have his reassuring bulk with me. I only didn't because I didn't want to make any noise. Everything was so silent that my ears rung. It was as silent as any crypt I had ever been in, which I supposed was quite fitting. It was also filled with as many bodies as I had ever seen in a crypt.

Something up ahead shifted and the three of us froze, holding our breath as we waited to see just what it had been. It took a while, because of the shadows, but the sun eventually crested over the walls and slowly illuminated the figure sitting against the far canyon wall. They were hunched over, with a blood encrusted lance resting against their shoulder, but they slowly lifted their head as the light fell over their face. The first thing I noticed, aside from the dried blood splattered across his face and clothes, was that he had an unusual shade of green for his hair and eyes. The second thing I noticed… was that his ears were pointed, just like…

"Cichol?" Seiros called softly, her eyes wide with wonder and bright with hope. The person grunted and slowly raised their head further, squinting as they tried to discern just who was in front of them. "Cichol, is that you?" The person blinked a few times, no doubt to clear their sight, but then they smiled both warmly and sweetly at Seiros. "Cichol!" That was all Seiros needed. She rushed over and fell to her knees to throw her arms around the person in a tight hug. She sobbed and wailed, clinging to 'Cichol', and they lifted their free hand to gently stroke her hair, murmuring something softly to soothe her.

I had to admit that I felt a little envious, watching them. I wished I could hug my own brother one more time. But corpses didn't give very good hugs.

"I thank you for taking care of my little sister." Surprisingly, given that first impression, Cichol was a quiet, serious man who spoke formally and with care. "She has told me of why you are here, though she has neglected to mention how, exactly, she ended up in your care." He also held himself with dignity, despite Wilhelm's spare clothes not fitting him in the slightest. They were too loose in some places, and too tight in others. "I apologize for any trouble her excitability has caused."

"Cichol, you make me sound like a child!" Seiros protested, scowling at him. She clung to his arm, though, refusing to let go for even a second. "Besides, I did tell you how I met them. After I told you about the ones who attacked us."

"Saying 'they picked me up from the ground' is not an explanation."

Just as they had the last couple of times they tried to have conversation with Wilhelm and me, the two quickly dissolved into quiet sibling bickering. As we watched, Wilhelm ate lunch and I nibbled on some of the food since my stomach was still turning. While Seiros had been crying, Wilhelm and I had left temporarily to give them some privacy, using the excuse of Cichol needing a change of clothes and it was far past lunch time. It had taken a while to find a spot where we could sit down and not see corpses, but eventually, we did manage. The smell was still there, but thankfully, the wind blew most of it away from us.

"How in creation did you get separated from Indech and Macuil by a flood?" Cichol demanded incredulously, sounding as if the thought was as absurd as the idea that the sun would implode. Seiros's exasperated shrug furthered the impression. "Indech is a dragon of water." I was just going to assume that 'dragon' was another word for their people, as I had never heard the term before. "He can drown people on land."

"It was quite sudden!" Seiros snapped, sulking. It was amusing to see, and I wondered what the people of Enbarr would think of their saint acting like a child as she was. Still, I was glad to see it, even if I was envious. "I would think you would be more worried!"

"Knowing Indech, he's probably hiding in a lake, again, while Macuil is sulking in a tree." Cichol's deadpanned tone not only softened Seiros's mood, but made her laugh. "That's how the two always have been whenever something stressful occurs."

"For fifty years?"

"Indech once spent a century under the water because Athena broke one of his toys. He would've spent more if our mother hadn't plucked him herself." Cichol closed his eyes, and sighed in exasperation. "Macuil is just prone to hiding and sulking, and has been since he was created." Wilhelm and I glanced at each other at the word 'created'. It seemed odd, but neither of us knew how to ask. "I know I've told you that before, when you two had an argument and needed cheering up."

"Well, yes, that is true…" Seiros suddenly gasped and whirled to face Wilhelm and me, before bowing. "Ah, we did it again…"

"No, please, don't feel the need to be polite," Wilhelm reassured, waving off any attempt of apologies. I decided to just try to keep nibbling and pretending that I had been enthralled by a particularly dull rock nearby. "You two should catch up. But, if you don't mind me asking… Seiros, you mentioned you were the youngest, so I'm assuming Cichol is older?"

"Yes, I am," Cichol confirmed, expression becoming impassive when he focused on Wilhelm. He didn't quite trust us. I was sure of it, and thought it made sense. But since we had helped Seiros, he was willing to bite his tongue and be polite. "I am, or rather, was… one of the oldest of the Nabatea." The impassivity cracked for a slight and terribly bitter smile. "Now, I am the oldest."

"I… see." Wilhelm grimaced, and I just rolled my eyes because what had he expected. If Seiros had been telling the truth about her family, as we both had guessed, then of course that line of questioning would lead to awkwardness. He was such an idiot. "Uh…"

"Hey, Cichol?" Thankfully, Seiros quickly distracted all of us, but I wasn't sure it was much better. After all, she tugged his sleeve to catch Cichol's attention, like a child lost in a city. "I should have asked this sooner, but where are Iseult and Cethleann?" she asked. I had to look away to keep from wincing at her fragile tone. I knew that tone, and I knew that question. I had asked Sieger something similar, in that same tone, back when… "Are they…?"

"Providing nothing unexpected happened, they should be in Enbarr, at the church where Iseult and I met," Cichol answered quickly. I wondered if it was to reassure Seiros or himself. Either way, Seiros breathed a sigh of relief. "We left our home on the Rhodos Coast because we were attacked."

"Attacked?" Seiros frowned, and her gaze wavered. "By who?"

"Sadly, they didn't survive the attempt on account of me asking the earth to swallow them." It was very difficult to tell if he was serious or sarcastic. I would assume the latter, but… "But because of that, Iseult and I thought it best to move and figured Enbarr would be populous enough for us to hide. From there, I had planned on finding you, Indech, and Macuil, since it's clear that whoever slaughtered everyone isn't content with just that." Cichol muttered something under his breath. I neither truly heard nor understood, but his eyes, dark with hatred and quiet rage, told me it wasn't flattering. "But, as we traveled near, I saw humans climbing the path and went to investigate, telling Iseult to go ahead with Cethleann."

"Is that why there's bodies?"

"Yes. They were digging up the graves to steal the crest stones." Cichol snarled at the memory. "So, I have been moving the stones to Mother's resting place for safety, and killing any human who came near." I supposed it was truly a good thing Seiros did choose to come, then. "I'm almost finished, actually. There's just a few more where-"

"I'll get them!" Seiros actually rushed away before she got the first word fully out, to prevent any protesting. "You rest!"

"Seiros!" Cichol grumbled something under his breath, and glared when Wilhelm followed Seiros without a word. "What is he…?!"

"As much as I loathe to defend him, I can assure you that his thought process simply settled on 'this place has been attacked before, so it isn't safe to be alone'," I sighed, rolling my eyes. I shrugged when Cichol looked skeptical, because why wouldn't he be skeptical? "I know you only truly have my word for it, but he is nowhere near smart enough to think of multiple things at once." That got me a snort of laughter, and a tiny smirk that he quickly tried to hide. "I can promise that if he handles the remains, with or without Seiros's permission, I shall hit him over the head. Though, if you would like, you can go after them and hit him over the head anyway. I certainly shan't stop you."

"...No, if I did, I'll have to deal with her sulking," Cichol reluctantly refused, rolling his shoulder. He winced at the movement, grimacing as he looked at it. "Damn… I knew I had pulled something…" He growled something before focusing on me. His eyes were sharp, like he was trying to tear his way through me to see my 'true self'. I just raised a brow and waited. "...You helped Seiros." I debated replying to that before deciding silence was needed. After all, it hadn't been a question. "...Please, follow me. I will need assistance getting into… well, I suppose we should call it a 'tomb' now." He walked past me without a second glance, leading the way to somewhere. I mentally debated whether I should go along for a moment before sighing and deciding to do so. I didn't exactly fancy standing around alone in this place.

I knew I should've stayed home.

"...I have been doing my best to keep silent, but I simply can't now," I began much later. Cichol had led me to a place that might have once been a shrine, and into a back room where he had me push a couple of buttons to reveal a hidden door. I certainly was no stranger to hidden doors and passageways, but I was a stranger to whatever mechanism allowed the floor to sink down below the ground without the use of any sort of rope that I could see. I was also a stranger to the strange glass globes that somehow lit the area without flame. But even that was nothing compared to what I was looking at right this very moment. "What the hell is that?"

"Hmm? Ah, that's one of Mother's golems," Cichol answered, barely paying any attention to it as he walked down some stairs to the room proper, which had numerous caskets set at random intervals and a large throne in the back. Rude as it was, I simply continued staring at the… the massive metal statue thing. "Don't worry. It's not activated. Pity, really."

"What do you mean 'activated'?" My voice was squeakier than a mouse, but I couldn't pretend to care. I did, however, finally make my feet move to follow Cichol off the platform. I made sure to give the things a wide berth. "Also, what do you mean by 'pity'?"

"If they were activated, then they could've protected Mother. But we often visited her as she slept, and no one wanted to constantly be turning them on and off, so they were left to gather dust." Cichol walked towards a throne in the back, but was careful to keep a respectful distance from it. "Let's see… here should be good…" He held his hand out in front of him and green-gold light wrapped around his arm. A magic circle appeared at his fingertips, but it was less intricate than I had seen before, with a large symbol in the center. "Sacred Earth, I beseech thee." There was a pulse of power that made the air hum and, all of a sudden, the area in front of him just… shifted. Solid stone moved, as pliable as water, until it formed a distinct casket, complete with a lid. "Yes, that should do."

"...I know Seiros mentioned your magic was different than human magic, but it is definitely another thing to see it." I tiptoed closer, studying his expression and reactions to make sure I didn't come too close. I ended up veering towards the throne. "So-"

"Don't go near there." His words were clipped and he glared, but he softened quickly when I made sure to jump back, twice. "Ah, my apologies. It's simply…" He gestured at the throne, eyes now terribly pained. "There is a section behind there, where Mother once slept. Her remains…"

"Basically, I almost stepped on your mother's grave. I am so sorry." Maybe I should just stand still and keep quiet. Except jumping back had landed me right next to one of the caskets, and it was open. I couldn't help but peek inside, and all I saw was… "So, is this a crest stone? Also, if you just want me to wait on the platform there…"

"No, it's fine and yes, that is a crest stone." Cichol joined me by it and picked it up gently, cradling it in his palms. I felt sick, immediately noticing how it was almost exactly like the gems in the weapons Nemesis and his Elites wielded. The only difference was the marking on the center. "Mother, and those she created, all have these. They are what gives us our Crests, the source of our power and life."

"So, they are your hearts?" I was nauseous. I was beyond nauseous. I covered my mouth just to make sure I wouldn't vomit. But there was something very wrong with… most of this.

"I think it might be more accurate to call them 'part' of our hearts. We still have a heartbeat and pulse." He carefully returned the stone to the casket, making sure it fit exactly right. "But we Nabatea can survive a hole through our hearts. We cannot survive even a crack in the crest stone."

"I see." I looked around the room, counting caskets. But my mind was too fuzzy to really hold onto the number. Just how many… "Are all the dead here?"

"No, just the stones." He closed the casket then and whispered something. The stone lid glowed briefly before twisting and turning until it settled perfectly. "The majority of the dead were humans, and the children we had with humans, after all."

"So, none of you took other Nabatea as spouses?"

"Of course not. We're siblings." He frowned, aghast I would even suggest it. If he ever ended up near my library, I would throw some historical genealogies at him to read and be scandalized over. "Half-Nabatea do not have crest stones as Nabatea do, though they do still hold the power of Crests. And their blood can actually be used to catalyze the development of artificial crest stones, but that's… neither here nor there, for now."

"Of course." I was still nauseous. This truly was… ugh, I was being courted by… "I had… half-figured Seiros had been exaggerating when she mentioned the weapons being made from bones and hearts?" It had made no sense to me, though perhaps it would to someone of a different upbringing. But… "I am… so, so glad my siblings only died and not…"

"You lost family?"

"Two years ago, I lost… everyone. I lost my parents, my younger siblings… I even lost many servants who had served the family since before I was even born. Though, not all of their deaths had been quick." I could remember the screams just by closing my eyes. I could picture the blood streaming down the halls and splattered against the windows. "That was why I knew she hadn't been lying. But…"

"...But the atrocity was beyond your comprehension. Your heart, at least, is kinder than the ones who slaughtered us." It didn't sound like much of a compliment, but he smiled ever-so-slightly, so I had a feeling it was the best he could do. "It is painful, being the oldest and surviving."

"It is." There was no question about that. "You wonder why you got to live, and not them. You wonder what you could have done differently to save them." I still kept my mouth covered, though now it was more to ensure any tears would be muffled. I didn't want to cry, but I knew there was a chance. "At the same time, though, I wouldn't wish this pain on them. The pain… the constant questioning…"

"It would've been better if it was an all or nothing sort of deal." He nodded, completely understanding, and he rested a hand on the casket. "The worst part, though, is that if the humans had come to us for power, for assistance… well, we would have given it gladly."

"Oh?"

"Yes, the power of the Crests lies in our blood. It is easy to give it to humans." He smiled sardonically, laughing bitterly. "They wouldn't have had the weapons, mind, but they would have had the power." That was… "Ah, I can hear…" He looked back towards the platform, and I saw it rising. "Seiros and… whoever the other one was… must be here. What was your name again?"

"Kasimira." Wilhelm could handle his own re-introduction if needed or wanted. "When you and Seiros are ready, we shall show you the way to Enbarr. It shall be faster with mounts."

Did I want to be further involved? No. But could I sympathize? Oh, yes. I could sympathize a great deal. So, I would at least help until then. Then I would return to my lands and let Wilhelm get himself killed by the trouble. I had enough to worry about.

Cichol

One of the eldest of the Nabatea, and the eldest of the survivors, he was one of the very few who didn't actually live in Zanado. Instead, he and his wife, Iseult, made a home along the coast, where they could live peacefully alongside the water. Both considered it a much better place to raise their daughter, Cethleann, as it let them give her as much of their time as they wanted. Still, Cichol traveled through Fodlan quite a bit to gather information for the various stories he wrote for Cethleann and the other children, and always made sure to gather gifts for his extensive family. He had, in fact, been delivering some of those gifts to his family in Zanado when the massacre occurred, which let him save Seiros. He feels guilty for only being able to save one, though, and the screams haunt him even in his waking moments.

Author's notes: I probably should've mentioned this last chapter, but since most of the Nabatea aren't actually named, I made up some. Also, I can't remember if it was implied in game or if it's just a popular fanon theory, but in this series, Flayn/Cethleann is half-human. The game itself didn't really go into why her blood in particular was special (unless I missed this, which is VERY POSSIBLE), so I came up with something.

Why yes, Cichol's appearance mirrors a certain cutscene in Azure Moon. Why? Because my brain latched onto some parallels and refused to let go. Like a terrier. The location Cichol and Kasimira are in during the final scene is the Holy Tomb.

'Ziu' is another name for Tyr, a god of Gemanic mythology who sacrificed his hand to help bind Fenrir (and often associated with war). ...Might also be the name of a K-pop star, but that's not really my thing. I just think I saw some reference while researching the name.