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When Rene agreed to work with Dyrus, it filled him with mixed feelings. Yes, his mother told him to try to make nice with Rene, but she'd already attacked and captured him, having the gall to call it a courtesy that she didn't kill him and Belle. Not that he's ungrateful for not being murdered, but... Oh, hell, he's overthinking this!

Saye and Cicero quickly eliminate the wolf guards that were first on the scene, and Rene was the first to speak afterwards. "Hurry it along, Cicero. They surely know we're here by now, so there's no gain in a slow escape."

"We have no desire to draw out this alliance either," Belle says on her and her charge's behalf as Cicero leads the lot of them through the halls.

Samson, meanwhile, has nightmares about his own time in prison. His ominous first meeting with Oswald Dory, the demise of his mother, facing death and needing to calm enraged, violent masses from striking down their foes... Anxiety continues to eat away at the bard-turned-mage fighter, doubt about his abilities to succeed. Here he is, compromising his ideals to save the life of the man who instilled them in him. Adelais Dory will either be ignorant to the circumstances of their alliance or be aware enough of it that she treats his crew like scum for the death of Cornelius... Honestly, he's not sure which is worse. His crew is coming close to a skirmish her ship is partaking in, so he supposes they'll meet the younger, less-expendable Dory child soon enough.

>A. Be Dyrus
>B. Be Samson

>>47462323
>A. Be Dyrus

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>>47462382
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zQ11qkVUdU
You're in a bit of a rough situation right now, you admit that. Some wolves threw you down here with the intent of serving you with some nice wine later this evening, but hey, you're out of there now!

The young man following Rene around, Omar, still mumbles to himself quite a lot. "It is... baffling, that I was not killed by Cashmere. Why am I alive?"

Rene, turning towards her friend, responds, "be grateful you are. I swear, though, if you turn out to have survived by selling us out or something of that sort..."

"Wh-what? I would never, Rene!" Omar exclaims.

"Forgive Lady Rene," Cicero says as he looks around a corner, then hops in front of a hall, tosses a few knives, then leads your lot in the opposite direction. "You surely saw the effects of Director Cashmere's betrayal on all of us."

"Not just her," Rene answers. "Marduk, too, he's... Defected."

"Because of his sisters, yes?" Cicero asks, sighing. "I feared this would happen once Saye told me the news..."

"Things just get worse and worse for you Imperials, eh?" Belle asks, clearly bitterer than you've ever seen her towards your temporary quartet of allies.

>A. Oh, we got Marduk? Sweet.
>B. Now's not the time for taunting
>C. How can they be upset that his sisters are alive?!
>D. ...
>E. Write-in response

>>47462575
>B. Now's not the time for taunting
>C. How can they be upset that his sisters are alive?!

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>>47462618
"Belle, let's not taunt them," you say.

"...very well, sir," Belle responds, returning to her usual stoic demeanor. "It's just, to hear them discuss this like some travesty..."

"Oh, I agree," you say. "The two of you ought to be ashamed of yourselves for grieving because Marduk is back with his sisters! Director Belinda specifically ordered her men that they be killed if Nia or Winona ever surfaces alive again, and kept shipping Marduk further East just so he never ran into them!"

"..." Rene is silent, merely drawing her bow. You're... Certain she doesn't mean to use it on you, but it's enough to shut you up for the time being.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teT9Lfx4f2U

As Cicero leads you all up a set of stairs, having explained earlier that you needed to go up a little ways to go back down to the section of sublevel 3 with your escape, his words are cut off by swerving out of the way of a leaping pair of Wolfskin, rolling back and drawing his daggers.

No sooner than they appear do some six more show up, two next to the first two, two from the stairs below you, and one more from what appeared to be the ceiling.

"You're not getting away, humans!" One of them shouts before clutching her beaststone and transforming.

Rene hurriedly provides support for Cicero against the four, Belle standing at the top of the stairs in the hopes of repelling the ones coming up, and Saye immediately rushes one of the attempted flankers. Omar clutches his staff and tries to sort of stand close to his allies.

>A. Fight along with someone (specify who)
>B. Fight alone against the one unchecked wolfguy
>C. Focus on guarding Omar
>D. Write-in action

>>47462575
>B. Now's not the time for taunting
>C. How can they be upset that his sisters are alive?!

>>47462880
>A. Fight along with someone (Belle)

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>>47462914
Of course, it's only natural that you'll fight along with Belle, keeping the high ground against the attackers on the stairs. A 1:1 fight with a wolfskin is trouble enough, but 1:2 when Belle only woke up from a thrashing fairly recently?

You toss your Hand Axe at one of the two as they focus on Belle, causing them to stagger back into the other from pain and leaving both open for a strike from Belle's Silver Sword. While the one you hit was finished off by the blow, the other is able to survive and shove Belle quite forcefully into the stairs by her neck, throwing his fist into her face and being met in turn with Silver through the skull.

"Ggrh..." Belle grips her head in pain, wobbling back up the steps, and raises her sword again when Omar hurries over to heal her.

"I'm healing you!" He says, defensively, as he raises up his staff.

"...it's instinctive," Belle defends as her headwound is healed up.

Saye, Cicero, and Rene, meanwhile, absolutely cleaned house against the other six while you and Belle were barely able to both survive fighting on even terms and high ground.

"Come now, hurry," Cicero says, "we need to get to a particular flight of stairs downward now..."

>A. Hurry along quietly
>B. Ask Omar why he's siding with these people
>C. Talk to Belle about something (specify)
>D. Write-in action

>>47463123
>A. Hurry along quietly

>>47463123
>A. Hurry along quietly

>>47463182
Not at all in a social mood, you and Belle are quiet in your following-around.

"Alright, this is it," Cicero says a few skirmishes later. "From this stairway, it's a straight shot to the altar room and secret path. Assistant-Director Cashmere has been said to be resting in that room, so be prepared for the worst from even before we pass through."

"Before?" Saye asks. "I'm not sure anything can be worse than fighting Cashmere..."

"In terms of tensity and difficulty, the final hallway towards the room in question along the fastest route to it is a a medium-length, straight shot from the stairs, but there are several places featuring holes close to the top of the wall, perhaps perfect for an ambush.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szFGvTu_2BQ

And, in fact, just as Cicero says, the hall to the room he speaks of is... Well, not LONG, but it's not exceptionally short either. There are no turns from the stairway he leads you to, only holes close to the top of the wall by the stairs and by the ornate set of doors at its end, painted-on with murals of a feasting wolf and a fallen nomad.

"Alright," Cicero says, being the first one to give it a once-over, before returning to your collective side. "I was not attacked on my way through, but be nimble and careful regardless."

>A. Just charge it! Nothing can catch you if you run fast enough!
>B. Travel at a snail's pace
>C. Just follow the others' lead
>D. Write-in action

>>47463420
>C. Just follow the others' lead
They seem to know what they're doing.

>>47463500
Sure, Cicero's second time through while leading you all, you ARE all actually jumped by flesh-eaters, but he warned you how likely it was that they were waiting for more than one set of footsteps to pass through. Besides, the holes in the walls aren't big enough for them to hop through in a transformed state.

Anyone who attacks your group is dead before they hit the ground, and soon enough you find yourselves bracing yourselves to walk through the door into this alleged altar room.
>character limit, continued next post

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>>47463920
The walls are adorned with human bones, and a table in its center is covered in dried blood. At the end of the room is a statue of Garou with a magnificent set of sideburns, and engraved in its base, the word "BRAID." Crouched before the status is a Wolfssegner woman looking horribly disheveled, facing away from the lot of you.

"D... D-did you really... Think that I. Wouldn't notice someone sneaking and *yawn* slaughtering his way through here, using my secret passage..?" The woman rises, very slowly, stumbling at first, before springing up and stretching as she leans against the statue of the former Director, turning to face your group, a bitter grin curling across her lips. "You've... Killed a lot of noblehearted wolfskin to get to me, haven'... Haven't you?" She tiredly asks, before mumbling, "whew, it's always too stuffy down here..."

"Cashmere..." Saye says, sounding desperately upset. "Just... Give up and let us pass. You're exhausted from fighting Chief Tien, and whether you beat us or not, it's the end of the line for you!"

"Haah... Saye, you damned idiot..." Cashmere shakes her head. "I beat you senseless and throw you down here, and you still beg like we're friends..."

"You're just saying that so I don't feel bad fighting you!" Saye exclaims. "You do care!"

"Grh, ow... R-read my mind, huh?" Cashmere asks, clutching her chest. "Yeah, the only reason you're still alive right now is because of our history..." Her head cocks over to the other humans of the group. "Your lot, though, are only alive because my associates believe human meat is... Hrk, more savory in the brines of despair, and-" Cicero tosses a knife at the rapidly paling sweating Cashmere mid-sentence, which she catches and crushes in her fist, ignoring her now-bleeding left palm. "Hey, it's... Rude to interrupt people, you know... I was trying to taunt the rebel child about his father."

>A. What about him?!
>B. ...
>C. Attack!
>D. Something's wrong...
>E. Write-in response

>>47463970
>D. Something's wrong...

>>47463970
>D. Something's wrong...

>>47464014
While her words take you by surprise, it's been drilled into your head recently that you need to be less rash. "W-wait... Something's not right here," you say. "Is she..?"

"Director Cashmere has a condition that gives her a tired demeanor," Rene responds. "It's as simple as that. Do not be fooled, she's still certainly powerful enough to slaughter each of us without a second thought."

"You'd do wise to listen to her, whelp!" Cashmere says. While still pale and disheveled, she snaps into a louder, more forceful demeanor. "All of you humans are goddamn scum, but piece of shit rebels like you are second only to investigators like your piece of shit father!"

"She seems insistent on bringing him up..." Belle remarks.

"Hell yeah I am!" Cashmere responds, "right after Director Braid was killed, that guy was this close to reporting a LOT of important names tied to this temple to Chiffon, and I was the one who saw to it that the last thing that other Dyrus saw was my fist! Honestly, though, it was too good for him! I wish I could've watched him be eaten alive instead, but I guess robbing his grave for Methodius was a close enough consolation prize..."

"You..!" You KNOW she's just saying it to get a rise out of you, but dammit if it isn't WORKING.

"Cashmere, this isn't like you at all!" Saye exclaims.

"Have you honestly forgotten how lively I once was? After the experiment, I need to save all my passion for special moments like this!" Cashmere, after one very sharp, painful-looking recoil as she puffs her cheeks and gulps deeply, shifts into her transformed state. "Now, I'm gonna tear you humans open and let the kind people of this temple feast!"

"L-lady Cashmere..." Reluctantly, Saye transforms, being the first to approach her. "This isn't you..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1Nmc84Noos

>A. Forget mystery-solving and attack!
>B. Something's wrong here, but you need to fight
>C. Guard Omar
>D. Write-in action

>>47464296
>B. Something's wrong here, but you need to fight

>>47464296
>B. Something's wrong here, but you need to fight

>>47464444
"I... We can piece this together later," you say, shaking your head and grasping your Royal Axe. "Come on, Belle, we're going to need to fight."

"I'm surprised you're less invested in avenging your father," Belle says, not judgmentally.

"Oh, no, I'm furious," you admit as the two of you get into the fray, "I just know there's something bigger in play here."

Omar seems more fixated on studying Cashmere's movements, coupled with thinking of her behavior moments before, on top of the fair predisposition against being killed.

In Cashmere's transformed state, a hastily-closed puncture wound of some sort is visible just below her chest (even her rather revealing humanoid-form outfit hid it. Say, wait, where do their clothes go when they transform? Is this part of the beaststone's magic? Is that somehow why someone combined WITH her beaststone wears her outfit so much more loosely? These questions, man), though she's moving far too quickly to easily take advantage of this presumed weak spot, unlike the tortoise-speed Waldrick.

Saye and Cashmere both manage to dodge one another's blows, while nearly half a dozen cuts through the side from Cicero are regarded as measly annoyances before the Director swats him aside.

Rene, calling Cicero's name, fires a volley of Brave Bow-launched arrows at Cashmere, all of which miss, as you and Belle rush into the scene with your weapons of choice, standing at Saye's sides.

"Y-you... Are you finally ready to die just like your daddy, boy?"

>A. Take some swings at her!
>B. Double back and throw your Hand Axe!
>C. Her taunts aren't affecting you! (roll 1d20 for how true this is. >15=entirely, >8=mostly, any less=an effective vote for A)
>D. Write-in response

(I'm not very familiar with writing-in dice prompts, are those reasonable numbers?)

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>47464746
>>C. Her taunts aren't affecting you! (roll 1d20 for how true this is. >15=entirely, >8=mostly, any less=an effective vote for A)
I'm not sure. Let's see.

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>47464746
>C. Her taunts aren't affecting you! (roll 1d20 for how true this is. >15=entirely, >8=mostly, any less=an effective vote for A)
Seem fairly reasonably.

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>>47464788
"You can't get a rise out of me, Cashmere," you say, taking in a deep breath. "Please, tell us why you're trying to drill this in so hard."

"I..." Cashmere clutches her knife wounds, suddenly hyper-aware of how horribly painful they are. "Grgh... J-just fight me, dammit!"

"What secret are you trying to bring to the grave?!" You demand, starting to get frustrated for non-revenge reasons.

"None of your goddamn business!" She shouts out, leaping at you and wringing your neck, holding you up with one hand as she stands a distance from everyone else. "I mean fucking business! I'll crush this kid's windpipe and throw him right outside! My friends don't mind a little snack..."

"Cashmere..." Saye repeats as things begin to go dim for you. Her bloody left palm smears all over your neck, and suddenly you find yourself lifted up and tossed to the ground headfirst.

Belle manages to catch you before you impact the floor, and Cashmere hurries towards her in the apparent hopes of killing you both.

The move, however, is sloppy, and all Belle needs to do is draw her sword and let Cashmere fall on it, reverting as she's impaled.

"Better... run..." She taunts, deliriously, "Help is coming..." And with that, Cashmere slips out of consciousness, Belle pulling her sword out of her, passing you to Omar.

Looking over Cashmere as Omar makes sure your neck isn't broken, Belle pulls the Director's vest aside to look at the puncture wound that was noticed on her transformed body. "...this is a venomous Bael's wound. I thought some of her erratic behavior reminded me of Yotsmungand..."

Rene, standing by Cicero and a trapdoor down to the fourth sublevel, says, "so she was poisoned before the fight. It changes nothing about what she's done. Come, none of us have ANY obligation to protect you from here when the backup she mentioned arrives."

>A. Follow Rene
>B. Try to help Cashmere (dice+1d20, every multiple of 4 convinces one person to help you. Saye>Omar>Belle>Cicero>Rene)

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>47465165
>B. Try to help Cashmere (dice+1d20, every multiple of 4 convinces one person to help you. Saye>Omar>Belle>Cicero>Rene)

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>47465165
>B. Try to help Cashmere (dice+1d20, every multiple of 4 convinces one person to help you. Saye>Omar>Belle>Cicero>Rene)

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>47465165
>B. Try to help Cashmere (dice+1d20, every multiple of 4 convinces one person to help you. Saye>Omar>Belle>Cicero>Rene)

>>47465183
>>47465210
>>47465218
Already the dice turn against us.

>>47465165
>B. Try to help Cashmere (dice+1d20, every multiple of 4 convinces one person to help you. Saye>Omar>Belle>Cicero>Rene)
Though, technically, 2 is a multiple of 4 (multiplied by .5)

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>47465239
whoops, forgot dice

>>47465225
Well, I've decided that my policy is "take the highest roll unless I suspect sameposting or someone gets a 1, unless unless someone else gets a 20," so. Two people are going to play nice.

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>>47465183
"Grh... W-we need to help Cashmere. She knows too much to die," you implore your party.

Rene and Cicero leave without a word. Belle stands by the door into the hall you just passed, sword drawn. "Don't waste time, Dyrus. She's as good as dead at this point, anyway."

"Do not say that!" Omar retorts, using his Mend staff to try to heal up the treacherous Director's wounds. "I do not have antitoxins or a restore staff handy, but if we can get her help quickly enough..."

Saye immediately transforms, hoists Cashmere up over her shoulder, and starts down to the fourth floor, bolting past even Rene and Cicero at the prospect of seeing what the hell was up with Cashmere just now, why she was playing up the villainous part.

In the meantime, you, Omar, and Belle hurry downstairs, quickly catching up to Rene and Cicero.

"Come, come," the butler says, "we haven't much time, I'm certain..."

Gods, it's such a slog to get to the surface from the secret passage, but you can feel yourself rapidly going up and out through this tunnel, and soon enough, in fact, you spy a light, an entryway pried open already by Saye rushing up with Cashmere, on the outskirts of the city of Velouria.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAey5FpRgrc

"Well," Cicero says, dusting himself off. "I'm glad I was able to complete my orders in a timely fashion."

"Right... We'll just be going now," Belle says, grabbing your arm and pulling you away from the scene.

"Not so fast," Rene responds, readying her Brave Bow. "As I said, we've reached the surface, and this alliance is over. You know what this means."

"H-hey, what?" You ask. "Can't we just... Keep the truce called until we're both with our separate bunches of pals?"

"Preaching friendship like so, refusing the opportunity to avenge your father... You honestly think that you're some sort of young hero, don't you?" Rene asks, bow fixed on you.

>A. Hardly
>B. Run!
>C. Attack! (specify who/with what)
>D. What if you do?
>E. Write-in action

>>47465532
>A. Hardly

>>47465532
>B. Run!

>>47465532
>A. Hardly

>>47465752
Wary of the effectiveness of fleeing from the expert archer with a bow that lets her attack twice and the assassin we saw put like eight throwing knives into a guy's neck in a split second.

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>>47465754
"Hardly," you admit. "This is just one step towards the future."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wTIrwav0Ek

"One step, you say?" Rene asks you, glaring daggers and firing a pair of arrows which you barely avoid. "You're a hypocrite if you think that you're taking the moral choice here."

"I..." You shoot Belle a quizzical look, wondering why Rene is bothering with this shit.

"You did the 'right thing' by reining your temper in and letting Cashmere survive, be taken into custody. But what about every other wolfskin, mage, or otherwise Imperial soldier you've killed. Many of them were surely fighting for causes that would leave you weeping if you knew them personally, but you're on the frontlines to their indiscriminate death."

"You... You kill tons of rebels!" You shout.

"I don't pretend to be some sort of... Glorious champion, when you've just admitted that you're not all that you act like you are. In the heat of war like this, it's folly to think that you can truly be 'good.' You shut up, follow orders, and only focus on being the best person you can be when you're not killing to survive and to conquer. There's nothing... righteous about war, no glory in ending battles. You accept that you'll do horrible, horrible things, and the consequences will come as they do."

"Rene..." Omar pleads, only to be ignored by everyone.

"So... Wait, I don't get it, are you forgiving me for killing Waldrick?" You ask.

"No. The consequence of murdering him is that you will not see the end of this war unless it's in chains, should the Emperor be so graceful."

"Get ready," Belle says, hurrying to get between you and your opponents.

Rather abruptly, however, Rene lowers her weapon, slumping forward a bit. "Wh-what is..."

"Rene!" Cicero and Omar exclaim, hurrying to help her up.
>character limit, continued next post

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>>47465953
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziDfl6w8_QU

Your mother, brandishing the Staff of Katri, flies in front of you and Belle, addressing the dead coastal Director's daughter. "This will pass. Leave now, for NONE of my men will be so courteous as to give you a chance to escape with your life."

"You're all... Blasted hypocrites," Rene curses, being led away by Cicero and Omar.

Your mother reaches out to Rene as she turns away, as though considering attempting to plead with her to stay for some strange reason or another, before lowering her hand and hopping off her mount, walking over to you and Belle.

"Guess they... Weren't kidding when you said the Staff of Katri had a lot of powers," you say. "Er, thank you, mother."

Hauteclere simply throws her arms around you, not even slapping you for doing stupid things this time! Not that she makes a habit of it, but that's what happened last time she bailed you out.

>A. Shouldn't we have captured them?
>B. How'd the battle go?
>C. You need to stop being rescued like this...
>D. ...
>E. Write-in response

>>47465983
>C. You need to stop being rescued like this...
>B. How'd the battle go?

>>47465983
>C. You need to stop being rescued like this...
>B. How'd the battle go?

>>47466044
"Eheh, I can't keep relying on you to save my life," you say, "er, how did the rest of the battle go?" You ask.

"Chief Tien was... Killed by Acting-Director Cashmere, unfortunately, but the Wolfskin surrendered several minutes ago. A party of Tarvosians are currently leading a party of Garou to Chiffon's location, and Cashmere was apprehended after being discovered unconscious and having recently been treated for Bael Venom.

"We can explain that part, Lady Hauteclere," Belle says, before the two of you detail everything that occurred after your capture.

"I see..." Your mother looks down at the ground. "Then... Rene's heart has truly become wicked, hasn't it?"

>A. Looks like it
>B. You wouldn't go so far as say that
>C. ...
>D. Write-in response

And then...

>E. Spend time with somebody (specify who, starting topic preferred)
>F. Skip to pushing further North

>>47466220
>B. You wouldn't go so far as say that
>E. Spend time with Belle

>>47466220
>B. You wouldn't go so far as say that
>E. Spend time with somebody (Belle)

>>47466220
>B. You wouldn't go so far as say that
She wishes the best for the empire, and is probably more troubled by what she sees it do then she is letting on.
>E. Spend time with Belle

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>>47466317
"I... wouldn't go so far as to say that," you say. "I'm sure she can be deprogrammed from everything the Empire taught her was 'right.' From the two times she's tried to chew me out about right and wrong before a fight, she's more troubled by what she does than she'll ever let on."

"It's... Not an impossibility, I suppose. How shameful of me to lose faith so easily..."

"I'm going to find my pegasus," Belle says after your mother goes to attend to some important business.

"Er, mind if I come along?" You ask.

Belle lets loose a rare smile. "I was hoping you would ask."

You actually manage to find the winged beast fairly fast, and from there the real draw to helping look for it makes itself clear: conversation with Belle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DPJuJXFEmY

"We've seen the fall of three regional Directors in the course of a few short months," Belle muses. "Waldrick, Cato, Chiffon, Cashmere..."

"Well, Chiffon never really fell, he's just... Out of commission until he wakes up!" You respond.

"If he wakes up," Belle retorts. "He might not."

"Well, uh... Either way, the Wolfskin region surrendered and agreed to let us pass through undeterred now, right? That list represents three massive chunks of the Empire standing against it."

"...but Director Belinda is still in control of the Central Region, and word is that she's managed to regain some of her previous numbers and turn the region back into an Imperial stronghold."

"Well... I guess we'll be taking care of that after we've secured the capital," you say.

"Of course... It still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth that SHE has to be the one most likely to survive this war..."

>A. Why is that? (wild guesses allowed but not required)
>B. Yeah she's pretty bad
>C. Enough about this, though, let's talk about [BLANK]
>D. Write-in response

>>47466531
>A. Why is that? (wild guesses allowed but not required)

>>47466531
>A. Why is that?
Did she try to press gang you into her secret police of wyrvern riders that only wear tacky leather?

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>>47466689
"Why so personally affected by that?" You ask. "I know you're from Central, did she try to conscript you into joining her wyvern riders or something? I mean, I know you prefer horses over dragons, so..." Maybe that's why she ran away.

"Close," Belle answers. "She... Did expect me to continue my family's legacy of service, but I wasn't Nia's age before I'd run away and went out on my own."

"She had her eyes on you since you were that young?" You ask.

"Since birth," Belle answers.

"Wait, so... Director Belinda is-er, now I see why you don't like to talk about it."

Belle nods. "Taking to pegasus-riding meant that I could still transfer over some of my entire lifetime of mounted combat training, but still distance myself from my roots."

"So... And Winona said your name used to be Isabella, and your mother was named Belinda..."

"Imagination does not run in the family, no," Belle answers. "I was a preteen runaway and I started going by the first name that came to mind when it became relevant."

While you wonder what could've happened in her childhood home to leave your bodyguard's past self feeling the need to run away from her family at that age, you wisely avoid asking.

"Honestly, just knowing that she's still alive and out there, and how she came to treat Winona and Nia as soon as they were removed from her service... it only worsens my old nightmares of crossing paths with her again."

>A. Wanting her dead is still a bit harsh...
>B. She's strong enough to defeat her now!
>C. You can't imagine what it's like
>D. You won't let [Belinda] hurt her
>E. Write-in response
>F. ...

>>47466849
>C. You can't imagine what it's like
>>D. You won't let [Belinda] hurt her

>>47466849
>C. You can't imagine what it's like
>D. You won't let [Belinda] hurt her

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>>47466909
"I... Can't imagine what it's like to be afraid of your parents. Honestly, even hearing that you're afraid of things at all is a bit of a shocker!"

"As surprising as it is, I'm still a person," Belle admits. "Even Gerard never knew who I was, and he was the first friend I made after running away. I mean, he never asked, let alone so... Brusquely as you, but."

"...sorry," you say, at the reminder of a fallen friend.

"It was a part of his job description to be willing to make that sacrifice, and no one could have predicted how it happened."

"Eh, right... I still feel awful for not protecting him, though." You give her an earnest look, attempting to lighten the mood with a smile and a promise. "You, though, I won't let Director Belinda lay one finger on you!"

Surprisingly enough, Belle... Laughs, in response to that.

"H-hey, what's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just..." Belle breathes in, still sounding slightly amused. "The entirety of my job is protecting you, and here you are promising to keep me safe from my mother..."

"None of you are just my protectors or servants or hired help or anything of that sort, though!" You insist, taking your friend's hand. "You're afraid of something that controlled the early years of your life, something we stand a very real chance of crossing paths with someday. I want you to know that I'll be right there by your side if and when that day comes, that nothing she says or does will take the progress you've made for yourself."

"Dyrus..." The pegasus knight squeezes your hand, nodding. "Yes, we're more than a lord and bodyguard. We're a team, shaping the future of the world together... Urgh, that was so sappy..."

"No, no, it was great!" You insist.

The next morning, the resistance advances towards the mountains blocking off the capital region from the valley.

>to be continued next thread
Thanks for playing, as always. Update twitter/ask.fm are qmgrandflocto, and I'll be around in-thread for whatever awhile.

>>47467063
Thanks for running.

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>>47467063
Thank you for running, Octo

>>47467069
>>47467083
Always a pleasure.

I have too much fun loading up Dyrus' story with haremshit and will they/won't they, since he's only a third of the narrative and the other two are young adults in straightforward relationships while he's... Not. Also makes the "he's your archetypical FE lord" bit more blatant.

>>47467110
Dyrus is a dude with a lot of love in his heart, he can give all of his harem the love that they need.

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>>47467305
At least until he meets his one true love, Maiden.