Princess Kaiya of Hoshido

We reached our battleground a few days later: the bottom of a snowy mountain. It was ten times the size of what I'd imagined a mountain to be like, roughly carved by the hands of nature in a strangely beautiful way. The tip touched a sky that was at once bright and overcast, the sun shining behind delicate clouds the colour of thin smoke.

I found it hard to believe that any fighting could still be going on, but Ryoma was quick to point out moving shapes in the distance and tell us to ready ourselves. I followed his forefinger, straining to see Xander, Camilla, Leo, or Elise. But all I saw were monsters.

They were twice the size of any man, with huge muscles to match. Handcuffs hung on their green wrists, but each had torn the chains apart. Black masks covered their faces.

"Gods," Norton said. "What the hell are those?"

"Nohr's creations." Ryoma drew his sword. "Don't worry. They may look fearsome, but they're not as difficult to fight as it seems. They're stronger than man, but they lack skill."

How can these be Nohr's creations?

"Kaiya, are you with me?"

I realised that I was the only one who hadn't yet drawn their sword. I bit my lip and slowly slid Ganglari from its sheath. In all the recent chaos, Norton had forgotten to take it off me, and I'd found that I just...couldn't remind him. The same way that I couldn't get rid of it myself.

Norton's eyes widened when he saw it. "Oh, no. Kass --"

"It's fine," I said. "It's fine. Our sisters need saving, remember? We'd better get moving."

"Indeed." Ryoma pointed again. "Can you see two redheads in the distance, right at the other end of the battlefield? One of them is on a pegasus."

I squinted. "Just about."

"That's them." He grinned. "Your sisters."

I'm never calling them that again.

"All right, everyone," he continued. "Don't leave a single Faceless standing. Charge!"

We ran into the fray of Hoshidan soldiers who were trying to push the monsters back. For a moment, I thought I could hear horses, and I believed that if I turned my head, I would see Xander galloping up to save us again. But it was only the sound of hundreds of feet pounding the floor.

"Stay off the front lines," Norton warned, even though we were side by side. He tried to push me behind him, but I dodged out of his reach, sprinting ahead as we entered the chaos.

I immediately regretted it.

"Kaiya!"

I'd been focusing on a monster ahead of us, but I hadn't realised that there was another coming around on my flank. Its gigantic fist flew towards me, twice the size of my head. Gods, would one blow be the end? I tried to duck, but it felt like I was moving in slow motion.

Ryoma dived into me, knocking us to the ground. The monster's fist soared overhead, so fast that it blew my hair back into Ryoma's face. He sprung to his feet and pulled me upright.

Norton swung his sword at the monster. I went to help him, but it was an almighty stretch to stab it, and the task was rendered almost impossible with its fists flying. The archers behind us let fly their arrows, catching it in the arms, legs, and stomach. But it carried on fighting.

"How do you kill it?" I yelled, slashing deep into its leg. Its fist flew down towards my head again. I ducked and rolled away.

"Stab it in the heart!" Ryoma swung his sword up towards the monster's chest. It batted away the blade.

"You said this wasn't as hard as it looks!"

"It's not!" Norton interrupted, thrusting his sword up. The monster had only just loosed its fingers from Ryoma's blade and was too late to stop him. His sword pierced through its chest.

We scattered as the heavy body crashed to the floor. It shook the ground on impact, and snow flew everywhere.

When I could see again, our part of the army was preparing to move on. I followed Norton and Ryoma. Azura, who had been fighting a different monster, fell into step with us.

"This is a battlefield, Kass," Norton said as we marched. "Stop arguing with everyone."

I scowled, but I repositioned myself away from Ryoma.

***

As we drew closer to my blood sisters, they became cut off from the rest of their army. Two monsters approached them. Sakura was limping as she tried to stay behind the protection of Hinoka and her pegasus.

Ryoma noticed, too. "Hurry!"

The archers fired, one arrow finding the heart of the monster we had been fighting. It fell to the ground, and we surged towards the redheads.

Hinoka was struggling to fend off both the monsters at once, but her height and her mobility gave her the advantage. As we came close enough to attack, she found an opening to impale one. She swooped forwards, and Sakura hurried to limp after her. But she was too slow.

The second monster swung its fist at her.

"No!" Norton and I yelled.

I felt a connection between us that I hadn't experienced for many years. We knew exactly what the other was going to do without discussing it.

Norton lifted Sakura into his arms and swung her out of the way. I strode ahead and swung my sword at the monster. My anger spurred me on, and I thrust my blade straight through its chest with no resistance. It fell backwards.

Ryoma stopped at my side, breathless. He put his hand on my shoulder. "Thank you."

I didn't know what to say.

Norton was still holding Sakura. "Where's the nearest healer?"

We all glanced around. With our help, the battle had finally come to an end. No more monsters were standing, and several people with healing rods were crouching over soldiers.

"We'll try Azama." Ryoma gestured towards a man with big hair. "Azama!"

While the healer crossed the battleground, Sakura looked up at Norton. "Thank you so much for c-coming to our aid. I have to ask, though -- who are you?"

"His name is Nayoko." Hinoka dismounted her pegasus, her voice choked. "And this is Kaiya."

She stepped towards Norton. Ryoma took Sakura from my brother's arms, and Hinoka flew into them, burying her head in his chest. Her shoulders shook. "Finally, after all these years. I've missed you so much!"

I inched closer, feeling awkward. The next thing I knew, Hinoka had caught hold of my arm and pulled me into the hug.

Ryoma laughed softly. "I'm sorry we couldn't get the message through to you sooner. Kaze and Rinkah found them on the border." He lifted his gaze to Norton and me. "When you were taken from us, Hinoka cried for months. Then, one day, she stopped crying and picked up the naginata. And I will say that if you ever find yourself facing the business end of her weapon, you will soon be filled with regret."

Hinoka sniffed and stepped back, dragging a hand across her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm just so happy to have you back. Take that, Nohrian scum! We win, you lose!"

I tried not to grit my teeth. I knew that her words stemmed from care. But...Nohrian scum?

"This is r-really Nayoko and Kaiya?" Sakura looked at Norton again, her eyes wide.

Azama reached us, and Ryoma crouched down so that he could ease Sakura into a sitting position. "Yes. I know that it's big news, and I'll fill you in properly later. For now, we should get you healed and start walking back to the castle before Nohr deploys more monsters."

"What are those things?" I asked.

"They're known as the Faceless," Ryoma said. "They're creatures with no will of their own, created by Nohrian mages."

"They're the only thing Nohr can throw at us right now," Hinoka added. "Mother put a magical barrier around our kingdom, and regular enemy soldiers find themselves without the will to fight upon crossing it. So long as Mother is able to keep the barrier up, Nohr can't invade Hoshido. That's why Nohr sends those things. They have no souls, so the barrier doesn't affect them."

"But the Nohrians wouldn't send monsters to terrorise innocent people," I said.

"Of course they would!" Hinoka scowled. "They're pure evil! Sometimes the Faceless even turn on the mages who created them. But the Nohrians don't care. They're willing to sacrifice their own just to hurt others. I'll never forgive them for that, or for stealing you away. They'll pay for all the suffering they've caused!"

Norton cast me a wary glance, but I simply looked away. I didn't have the heart to argue with Hinoka. I was too exhausted from the battle, and my mind was stumbling over everything she'd said.

My brother hadn't known about the Faceless, but surely Xander had. He was the Crown Prince of Nohr. So why had he never told me?

And if he hadn't told me that, what else hadn't he said?