Mari made her way to the courtyard with the parchment and amulet clenched tightly in either hand, the letter had left her feeling conflicted.  She wanted to kill the entire Hyogo family, yet killing Setsuna would go against Shi’s wishes.

Yoshiki and Hinamori where waiting patiently for my return the moonlight shined down upon us, bathing everything below in a light blue hue while the stars danced and twinkled, painting the sky with their light.

“Welcome back” Hinamori said, smiling.

“So you get the closure you needed?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“This place looks a little cleaner.”

“Yeah, Hina and I buried the villagers or what’s left of them.”

                             “Good.”

                             “The sooner we leave this forsaken place the better.”

                        “I’m detecting a surge of negative emotion, are you alright Miss Mari, May I interest you In a hug?”

                        “Touch me and I’ll tear your arm off, ”

                    “That would be… Inconvenient.”

                             “Well, kiddo’s it’s been a bash, but this is where we part ways.”

                             “Careful out there, it’s a dangerous world for old men.”

                             “I don’t care about the opinions of teenage piss ants.”

                              “Besides, look at me I’ve aged like a fine wine.”

                              “The bags under your eyes are deepening sir, you should sleep more.”

                             “Yeah, someday, Hina look after Mari make sure she makes it to Lisanthus in one piece.”

                               “Of course, Master.”

 

And with that the trio parted ways and for the first time since the day she arrived in Ascar Mari would leave the safety and familiarity of Shikishima.  The sanctuary that she called home perished along with everything and everyone else.

 

“Rest easy, Shi.”

 

Mari said, wiping the last few tear drops from her eyes. She had cried more in the last day than she had in the last two decades of her previous life.  The faces of the people most precious to her danced in her mind’s eye.  

“Arashi, Azusa, Shinobu. I’m sorry.”

“What did you say?” Hina asked.

“Mind your damn business.”

“Shinobu was the dead girl nailed to the tree, but I’m unfamiliar with these Arashi and Azusa people.”

“Are they dead too?”

                             “Shut up.”

Mari snapped lunging forth seizing Hinamori by the throat slamming her against one of the many trees in the forest, Mari’s fingers constricted tightly around Hina’s neck as she raised her a few inches off the ground.

“Never say those names again, got it”

“It seems I’ve offended you, my apologies.”

“Whatever.” Mari said, releasing her grip.

“Just shut the hell up and do your job.”

 

Mari felt like an asshole but she didn’t care, she didn’t want to hear anyone utter the name of her children who for all intent’s and purposes where dead to her as she would never get the chance to see either of them again.

Mari wondered if there was anything she could have done differently to alter the course of events if she had rebuffed Shinobu’s advances there’s a strong possibility that she might still be alive.

Then again, according to her letter, she had known that she was marked for death all along.

There was no sense in dwelling on all that, what mattered now was making it to Edelgard and growing stronger, strong enough to tear the heads of the royal family from their shoulders.  I also had more than a mouthful to say to my so-called partner.

Velvet was in for an almighty scolding the next time our paths crossed I also needed to inquire about how best to use her power.  I know a single spell which worked against the villagers, but Yoshiki was able to dispatch it with ease.

“Yo Hinamori, I’ve got a question for you.”

“Ask away, Miss Mari.”

“You’re chipper for someone who almost had their throat crushed.”

“Excuse my rudeness, Mari, but you’re not a threat, you couldn’t kill my if you tried.”

“Wanna test that theory.”

“I am an ethereal being, Ballum made flesh and in order to kill me you would have to end the life of master Yoshiki and I can’t see that ever happening.”

“Try me.”

“Please be realistic miss, now then what’s question.”

“What can you tell me about your master?”

“Well, let’s see, he’s lazy and a pervert who loves to grope woman and men too for that matter.

"So he's a pervert?"

"Yes."

“Well ain’t that a pity.”

But he’s also strong and has lost much more than his arm.”

 

Hina kept singing the praises of her master and Mari could tell at a glance that she wasn’t lying, her words were drowning in sincerity and honesty.  Yoshiki’s power was unbelievable: my pet had struck terror in everyone except that smug prick Seijuro.

 

Even Daphne was shaken despite all of her bravado, yet I couldn’t smell a trace of fear on Yoshiki even once he was devoured by my great beast. His heart beat never quickened, and he never broke a sweat.

 

With someone like him on my side toppling this wretched kingdom might actually be attainable and not just the suicidal revenge fantasy of a powerless fool.  For now, all Mari could focus on was getting strong, much stronger.

 

She would also endeavour to unravel the mysteries of the void if it was the last thing she ever did.