Prince Nayoko of Hoshido

We eventually rode out of the woods and reached the edge of the floating island. Ahead of us, a rickety bridge stretched between our current landmass and the next. We stopped and stared at it.

"Castle Gyges is on the next island," Azura said quietly.

Sakura paled. "That b-bridge looks really old. You d-don't think it will break?"

Azura worried her lip. "I don't think there's another way across."

"Then we'll have to try it," Kass said. "We need to reach Anankos and end this, quickly!"

As the lightest group, we Hoshidans went first. Ryoma led us onto the bridge, and I swallowed nervously before I followed him. The structure swayed as I put my weight on it, and I looked down. If we fell now, would we just drop through the empty sky forever?

Getting across was a blur, but everything cleared as Ryoma reached the other side. Then my own feet hit solid ground, and relief crashed through me like a tidal wave.

When I turned around to watch everyone else cross, it faded again. Camilla and Hinoka had flown over, but so many of our group were still moving. The bridge looked even more alarming than it had felt, swaying wildly from side to side.

Finally, our group reached us.

The Nohrians rode forwards, and I almost closed my eyes. I didn't want to see what was going to happen when so much weight was put on the bridge.

They had, at least, made the decision to cross one by one. Xander was leading. Leo was at the very back of the group with his retainers, acting as the rearguard, and Elise was in the middle of their formation for protection.

Xander and Indra stepped onto the bridge. The wooden planks released a long moan, but they held while he came to us.

Kass nudged Zodiac on after him. Panic flared in me when his hooves touched the wood. The sky opened up below them, and the bridge swayed.

Eventually, they reached land.

One by one, more horses rode on and plodded across. But with every horse that took their turn, the bridge sagged more in the middle.

"Hurry!" Xander called.

Felicia and Flora arrived. Elise and her retainers. Gunter. Leo's retainers.

Leo rode his horse onto the bridge.

He was just strides away from us when it gave out.

The planks in the middle fell away, carving the bridge in two and destroying the tension. Leo put his heels to his mount and risked trotting the last few strides. Behind him, the planks fell into the sky, faster and faster, the gap between the islands opening up. It was like watching someone trying to outrun an avalanche.

Takumi stepped forwards and latched onto his horse's bridle, dragging them both along. The plank behind Leo crumbled.

As he reached safety, the last of the bridge collapsed.

"Leo!" Camilla cried, landing her wyvern. "Are you all right?"

His usual pale complexion had turned almost grey, but he nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Prince Takumi."

Takumi shrugged.

Camilla dismounted her wyvern, and Hinoka held out her hand in an expectant offer. Camilla passed her reins over, then charged towards my younger Nohrian brother, engulfing him in a hug.

Leo blushed. "All right, there's no need to be so dramatic. Get off! Aren't we supposed to be in a hurry?"

***

We rode until it was dark, but there was still no sign of Castle Gyges.

Once we'd found a good spot near a river, we put up the small cluster of tents we'd brought with us. Semyaza and Jakob offered to cook supper, and while they did that, the rest of us sat around the campfire and spoke in twos and threes.

As we started to eat, Ryoma turned away from his discussion with Azura and raised his voice. "Something's been bothering me about this morning's attack. The culprit has to be one of us."

Everyone fell silent.

"No," I said. "They weren't human. They were just a shadow!"

"We were the only ones who jumped off that bridge, and you were the last. Did you see someone else there with you?"

I sighed. "No."

"Then the attacker must have jumped with the group. But we all fell at different speeds, which makes identifying them difficult."

"Could it be that someone is possessed or under a spell?" Xander asked. "Like Prince Takumi was?"

"Perhaps it is even Prince Takumi himself," Camilla suggested.

Takumi frowned. "I'm not the attacker! I'm innocent!"

"We freed him from Iago's control," Kass said. "It can't be him."

Camilla shrugged, flipping her purple hair over her shoulders. "It might have weakened him enough for a demon to take hold."

Takumi glowered. "You know who would say that? Someone who's possessed!"

She recoiled. "I'm not --"

"Hey, leave Camilla alone!" Elise shouted.

"Nayoko and Semyaza are Hoshidans, though," Ryoma said. "So the truth of the matter is that the traitor must be a --"

Kass leapt to her feet, and Ryoma's words died. In the silence that followed, I realised how tense we'd all become. Heated glares were being exchanged over the campfire. Muscles were stiffened. Most hands were not too far away from their weapons. It was a crude reminder that although some of us had started to make amends, we had all been born and raised as enemies.

"Enough!" Kass said. "We need to trust each other if we're going to take on Anankos. He's already tried to turn us against each other once, and now he's trying again. Don't fall into his trap!"

Everyone looked away.

We ate the rest of our meal in uncomfortable silence. I was quick to escape when I'd finished, walking between the trees until I reached the river. Fireflies glowed in the darkness, lighting up the water. I tested it with my hand and found that it was as warm as if the sun was still blazing.

I toed off my boots and sat down, dipping my feet in. The gentle movement of the current and the dancing of the fireflies soothed me, and I closed my eyes. What a day. I'd jumped down the Bottomless Canyon. Semyaza had been attacked. I'd almost been murdered. And someone among us was acting under Anankos' control.

That also meant Anankos possibly knew where we were, in the same way that Iago had pried information from Takumi. Were we walking into a trap?

Something cracked in the trees behind me, further north than camp. My eyes snapped open, and I lifted my feet from the river. "Hello?"

A dark shadow moved between the trunks.

I stood up, drawing Yato. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

The thing started to emerge. It cast a shadow across the grass: large and bulky, with enormous fangs hanging out of its mouth --

A small, furry face popped out of the trees. A bear. It stared at me, then turned around and entered the forest again.

My shoulders slumped.

"Nayoko!"

I spun on my heel. Semyaza was running through the trees from further down the river, her sword drawn.

She stopped before me. "Are you all right? I heard you shouting."

"I'm sorry. It was just a bear."

"My lord!" Jakob yelled.

Both of my families exploded through the trees. They drew up short, and I realised that Semyaza had inadvertently pointed her sword in my direction. She lowered it a second too late. All the Nohrians were glaring at her.

"You weren't threatening Norton, were you?" Xander growled.

"No!"

"We heard Nayoko shout," Ryoma said, "so we all came. Semyaza just drew ahead."

Camilla folded her arms. "We saw Semyaza charging off, so we followed her. We thought she might be plotting to kill you, darling."

"She's not the attacker," I said. "Hell, she was hurt in the canyon!"

"I thought Nayoko was in trouble," Semyaza added, her voice catching.

Kass' face was red. "And I thought we all agreed that we were going to stop accusing everyone!"

She transformed in a flash of light, her antlers glimmering among the fireflies. Both families backed up as she turned to face them. Her tail flicked along the grass like an angry cat's.

"Azura, what's happened to her Dragonstone?" I exclaimed. "Shouldn't it stop this?"

Azura's eyes were wide. "Yes. I don't know what's happening."

She raised her pendant.

You are the ocean's grey waves

Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach

Kass released an irritated roar and stuck her head down as if she was ready to charge. But she hesitated, like she didn't know quite who she was prepared to aim for.

Yet the waters ever change

Flowing like time

The path is yours to climb

Kass staggered and howled, then was engulfed by another flash of light. I shielded my eyes.

By the time it had faded, Xander had already put his arm around her. She was steadier on her feet this time, but all the colour had drained from her face. She leaned her forehead against his chest.

"Kass?" I stepped towards her.

She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't understand what happened..."

"Perhaps this is linked to you being a late-bloomer," Azura said slowly. "Your Dragonstone may still be adjusting to you -- and it may struggle when you lose your temper."

"So I need to...not have a short temper?" Kass raised her head.

Ryoma scoffed. "I don't think that will ever happen. The answer may be to stop transforming from being your instinctive reaction to your anger."

"Perhaps if we are not so mistrusting, it will help." Xander turned to my retainer. "We did not intend to accuse you like that, Semyaza. On behalf of the Nohrian royal family, I apologise."

"You are forgiven," Semyaza said stiffly.

We all stood awkwardly for a moment.

Ryoma cleared his throat. "Well, it's late. We should get some rest."

Agreements were mumbled, and everyone drifted back through the trees, my Nohrian family going one way and my Hoshidan family going the other. Kass lingered, and so Xander lingered with her.

"Thank you for defending me, Princess Kaiya," Semyaza said. "You are truly as kind as Queen Mikoto made you out to be. She would be proud of all you've done."

Kass laughed humourlessly. "Really? I don't think so. I chose her enemies."

Xander squeezed her shoulder. "That choice allowed you to see Father as...what he truly was. You restored peace to both kingdoms, and that's reason enough for any parent to be proud."

"You and I both know that it cost a lot."

"Such is the price of war, Kass," I said gently.

"Yes." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, steeling herself against her personal collection of the scars we all carried. When she opened them, she glanced between Semyaza and me. "You know, I think it's time we also slept. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Norton," Xander said.

They moved into the trees together. At last, we were alone.

Semyaza stepped back, but I took her hand. "Don't go. I need to talk to you."

She stilled.

"I almost lost you this morning. If the traitor had fired at you again..." I tightened my hand on hers, lifting the other to touch the red skin where the wound on her forehead had been. I brushed against it, then lowered my hand to her cheek. Desire hit my gut and made me long to draw her closer.

Our eyes locked, and the hesitancy in hers fell away like a curtain. I knew she could feel every hair on her neck standing up and every nerve in her body awakening, because so could I. Slowly, she lifted her hand so that it was resting over mine.

"Tell me," she whispered, "that you would have killed what came through the trees if it hadn't been a bear."

"That was my intention."

"Good." She curled the hand that was resting on mine, slipping her fingers between the gaps. "Keep your eyes open, Nayoko. I care for you with more than a retainer's loyalty...and I couldn't go on if you died."