Book One The Black Lion Old Version

Black Eagles the rescue of Monica von Ochs

In the abandoned fortress of the former Iron King Thieves.

It was dark and gloomy. She had lost count of how many days it had been since she had last stepped outside. She was on the verge of graduation when she was kidnapped. She didn't know where she was or who had taken her. She was scared. The possibility of her death was high, and her chances of survival were nonexistent. Monica couldn't bring herself to give up.

The one thing everyone who knew her recognized was her dark red hair and red eyes. She was known for having a great memory and she suspected this was why she was targeted. She heard footsteps and recognized this woman, the same woman who had terrorized her and tormented her every day. Her skin complexion was white; she looked like a zombie from a nightmare, with orange hair and revealing clothing.

"Oh my dear little Monica, how is your day today?" Kronya asked cruelly this woman was a sadist. Monica knew this; she enjoyed torturing her victims. What perplexed her was why she was still alive?"She did not say anything.

"your defiance is adorable." Kronya said the creature knew in her eyes she was terrified.

"Do you have any idea what kind of fate I have in store for you?" Monica refused to respond; she refused to give this creature in front of her the satisfaction.

"You're no fun, enjoy what little time you have left, you pathetic beast" Kronya said, disappointed that she didn't get the entertainment she wanted. Monica made a sigh of relief; she didn't know how much longer she could endure these torturous sessions. It would only be a matter of time before she he does something horrific to her. She had heard rumors of what Cornelia, the woman who she used to be, prior to disappearing for a month. Could that be what's going to happen to her? The idea terrified her. Would they really be wearing her skin as a piece of clothing? She shivered. A quick death would be preferable than having herself slowly devoured.

"I wish I could have seen you one last time, Edelgard, and tell you how much you mean to me." Monica was resigned to her fate. It would be a miracle if she would ever see Edelgard again, but if she somehow survived, she would never be helpless again.

She didn't know if the goddess would answer, but she prayed and hoped beyond hope that the goddess would answer if she existed.

It had been three days since they left the monastery. It was mostly in silence, they and the Rocky Mountains. There was some grass on the road but barely anyone said anything since they left the monastery. Marianne couldn't help but feel something in the air. Edelgard the way she carried herself, she was in a hurry; she was extremely worried about something. She was riding alongside Byleth, Dote, and Sora, who were not happy and could feel the tension in the air and the darkness. She hoped she wasn't the cause of it. She told herself she couldn't appear weak in front of Byleth or her friends. She didn't want him to regret having her transfer there. She had to learn a lot even in a short time, feeling more confident than she ever had before, wondering if Hilda is okay? She's worried about her. This is the longest time that she'd ever spent not seeing her; it made her uncomfortable. Hilda is her best friend, her friend since childhood. She hoped nothing happened to her on her mission. Byleth was looking at her in concern when they were out of earshot from the others. He spoke.

are you all rightMari?" Byleth asked concerned.

"I'm worried about Hilda." She answered.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about her. She's much stronger than she appears. She has reliable friends in the Golden Deer Naruto being one of them. I think she's in good hands." he said to reassure her. It didn't.

"You don't have to hide anything from me. I'm here for you, Mari. You don't ever have to hide anything from me." she felt like she could trust him. She didn't know why.