Grand Moon / 24 / 1207 A.F.

I wake up… some time later. I’m in my room back home tucked tight into my bed. I’m clean. My head feels clear. It’s raining outside. The smell of pork and noodles hits my nose. Maybe it was all a dream. I wrestle myself free from the blankets only to find bandages wrapped around my torso. Aside from the bandages, I’m only dressed in my typical pajamjams. My right arm’s in a sling and a cast and my shoulder feels numb. I’d touch it to see how numb it is… but I don’t want to risk it. I want to know how much time has passed… but my stomach is begging for food. I hurry downstairs, but pass by my bedroom mirror. Against my better judgment, I stop and take a gander. Got some bandages wrapped around my head and some gauze taped to one of my ears. The flesh around my eyes is still green and purple.

You have the most gorgeous eyes

My stomach flips inside out and I lurch over onto my bedroom table. The hair on my arms rises and a cold layer of sweat drenches my face. Calm down… Calm down… What are you freaking out about? Don’t get weak on me. I’m just in my room. There’s nothing to worry about… I take a deep breath and look in the mirror again. The bandages around my waist look freshly changed, but my side still hurts. I feel like I’ll reopen the wound if I dare to walk at a brisk pace. What I can see of my shoulder looks purple and almost black around the collar bone. There’s also a small strip of bandage covering the bridge of my nose.

I need that license

My head feels like it's trying to push something out through my neck and I have to lean on my desk for support again. I look down and find a pristine Hunter’s License in a sleek frame resting on my desk with a little blue booklet next to it. I can even still smell the ink. I open the booklet and find a realistic sketch of my face, pages with the Royal Athesian Academy seal stamped all over it, pages full of travel documents and my other credentials, and some empty pages for foreign stamps and visas. The book feels dense… a good kind of dense. Feels like it could stop an arrow in a pinch. The paper almost doesn’t feel real. I’m looking at my sketch and the license… but it doesn’t feel the way I thought it would. If it wasn’t for the dull, but deep pain in my side and shoulder, I would think I’m still asleep…

I sigh, straighten my posture, and begin heading towards the stairs. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see a cane by my bed. I decide I don’t need it and continue downstairs. I grip onto the handrail and take my sweet time going down… With each step I take, the sweet, greasy aroma of pork and noodles grows stronger. Just as my legs are about to give, I reach the first floor and lean against the wall with my left hand. My left hand feels… slimy, but dry. Discolored even. There’s a stain on my palm. I try to rub it out on my knee, but it doesn’t smudge or come off. I swear it looks a little bit bigger…

My stomach demands I hurry to the kitchen. I turn left, hobble down a hallway, and turn left into the kitchen. I’m greeted by the kitchen table with a plate full of grilled, roasted, and fried pork, an immense bowl of noodles, and a small plate for cabbage, carrots, and onions. Da’s at the kitchen counter slicing a slab of pork while Ma is cutting some cabbage at the table.

“Astrid!” Ma’s eyes spring to life upon seeing me. She stabs her knife into the cabbage, rushes over, and puts me in a gentle hug. “Oh thank gods you’re finally awake. I was so worried the pork was going to get cold. Again.”

My head collapses onto Ma’s shoulder. My chest feels like I should be crying, but my face is dry. “I l-”

“hfjgtdfbdkl.” My stomach sounds like a demon is trying to escape its mucousy confines.

“Excuse me.” Ma wipes her eye and lets go of me. “You must be hungry. Here.” She pulls out a chair for me.

“Thank you.” I sit down in front of an empty bowl and begin making a dish for myself. Three slices of each kind of pork, noodles, pork broth, get some carrots and onions in there for good measure, stir it up and I got a perfect bowl of pork and noodles. I dunk the pork into the broth and begin devouring it like a starving beast. Feels like I nearly bit through the fork.

Ma sits down next to me and rubs my back. “So how are you feeling? How’s it feel to be a hunter? Where are you going once you recov-”

“Bridget.” Da turns around and chuckles. “Let Astrid eat. She just got up.”

“Right.” Ma leans back and starts making herself a bowl of grilled pork, noodles, and carrots. “Pardon.”

I finish my first bowl in three minutes. I could easily go for two more… but I feel alive again. Nothing beats the feeling of hot broth in your belly. I lean back in my chair and lick some of the excess broth off my hand. I take a deep breath and look at ma. “So how long was I out?”

“Four days.” Ma smiles and holds my hand. “Doctors said you’d be out for a week at least. Good on you for showing ‘em.” she lightly punches my left arm.

“What about Seth?” I ask.

“What about him?” Da continues cutting up some pork without looking back at me. “You killed him. The license on your nightstand is proof of that.”

I feel my heart sink into my stomach. “You’re kidding right? The doctors didn’t try to resuscitate him?”

“Resuscitate? Ha!” Da shuffles some pork slices into a tray and starts sprinkling some spices onto them. “You impaled his heart out through his back. There’s no resuscitating that. The doctors said he died instantly.”

My eyelids twitch and my mouth falls ajar. “No no… he didn’t die instantly. He couldn’t have. He talked to me after I impaled him!” I see my finger on my left hand start to contort in ways that shouldn’t be possible. It’s trembling and trying to stop it only makes it worse.

“Astrid…” Da sighs, puts the pork into the oven, and looks back at me. “I think you need to go back to sleep. No one can talk after having their heart blasted out.”

“I…” my head shakes by itself. “What about the funeral?”

“It was two days ago.” Ma smiles like it’s any other day. “Burned the body, said a quick prayer, gave a card, and went on our way. Don’t worry. We made sure your name was on the card.”

I feel like something’s trying to rip and tear out of my chest. “Why are you two smiling? How can you be happy in a time like this!?”

“Why wouldn’t we be happy for you?” Da tilts his head while still smiling. “You graduated with flying colors and got some wonderful story scars to boot. In fact, we’re planning to have a party tomorrow since you woke u-”

“SETH IS DEAD! DON’T YOU TWO CARE ABOUT HIM!?” I stand up and kick my chair to the floor. “THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO!?”

“Astrid.” Ma holds my hand and pulls a blue stick out of her pocket. “Here. The doctors gave me this. Just chew on this, calm down, and get some sleep. Freaking out and reopening your wounds is the last thing we need.”

“I DON’T NEED REST!” Snot bubbles up in my nose and my vision gets blurry once again. “Answer me! Why aren’t you two mourning for Seth!?”

“What do we have to mourn?” Da smiles. “A weak student lost and a strong student graduated. What’s there to mourn? That’s how it should be.”

“That…” I feel my throat begin to tighten. “No… That’s… that’s just wrong…”

“I don’t understand why.” Da shrugs his shoulders. “Bill and Margaret aren’t mourning either.”

“That… that can’t be right…” My side starts to feel hot and my legs begin to feel heavy. I lean on the table and shake my head. “That… doesn’t make sense…”

“Bill and Margaret should be home right about now.” Ma snacks on a piece of shredded cabbage. “You can talk to them if that would help you feel better.”

Without replying, I turn around and start rushing for the front door.

“Hey!” Da barks. “Use your cane!”

“Don’t need it!” I cram my feet into my boots, throw the door open, and begin rushing towards Seth’s house. It’s just down the street, a right turn, and the second house on the right. Not long at all. I can get there in a minute if I keep up my pace. As I run, my side and throat start to heat up even more. It’s hard to breathe and my vision gets even more blurry. The rain isn’t helping either… especially when some parts of the road are flooded ankle deep.

As I turn the corner, I slip and fall face first into a puddle. My bandages get soaked, my chin and elbow get cut open, but the splash of cold water wakes me up and makes my vision more clear. If anything, I feel lighter now… I hold my soggy bandage to my side to keep it from falling off and keep running forward. I feel cold rain and hot blood drip off my chin and onto my pajamjams. Almost there. Familiar white door. Sunflower patch out front.

This is it! I knock on the door again and again and again and again until someone answers. I dent the door a little and feel some splinters dig into my hand, but I dont’t care. Seth’s da just opened up. He looks the same as he always does. Thick mustache. Thicker eyebrows. Strong jaw. Logger garb. Tough stance. Unusually stone face. “Oh, Astrid.” he clears his throat. “You’re finally awake…” he pauses for a moment. “Do you need an umbrella? You don’t look well enough to be out in the pouring rain.”

I feel my feet melting in the rain and sinking into the road. “Why are you worried about me…?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? You’re practically a daughter to me.” he reaches towards the door frame and offers me an umbrella. “Here. Take this. Do you need to come inside?”

“No. No no no NO NO! That’s not it! Be mad at me! Yell at me! Ignore me! Hit me! Do SOMETHING! I KILLED YOUR SON! HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM!?”

Bill’s jaw tightens. “Seth was a good man, but a weak man.” he shakes his head, but keeps his eyes locked on me. His stance is firm, but his eyes are gentle; like a sheep on a warm summer evening. “You took what was rightfully yours. He should have trained harder and I should have raised him better.” he puts his hand on my left shoulder and holds it gently. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

I want to move. I want to thrash. I want to yell. So many things are running through my body… but nothing comes out. I don’t have the energy, the will, or the capacity to process any of this… I must still be in a dream. No way this is real.

“Here. Come inside.” Bill smiles. “I can make some cocoa-”

“Biiiill!” I can hear Margaret weeping wildly from the other end of the house. It doesn’t sound like she’s sad… just in great pain. “It’s acting u-HORAKGKGK!” Margaret’s voice was interrupted by a fit of the wettest, most violent coughing I ever heard.

“Not again…” Bill stature weakens. “Sorry, but the cocoa will have to wait.” he pushes an umbrella into my hands. “Take this though and get some rest.” Bill smiles. “Hunters need their rest.” he closes the door and leaves me alone in the rain.

My legs collapse. I fall back into another puddle and just let the rain pour down onto me. There’s a new sharp pain in the back of my head and mucus boiling in my sinuses and lungs. I want to yell and cry, but what good would that do? What good would anything do?

“Astrid!” Ma’s voice cuts through the rain and I hear her footsteps draw close to me. “You dummy… what are you doing in the rain? I don’t need you catching a cold too…” she looks down at me and shakes her head. “And I just changed these bandages too… That’s it.” Ma lifts me over her shoulder, shoves the stick of blues into my mouth, and begins carefully carrying me back to our house. “I’m not letting you leave your room until you get better.” Ma adjusts me so she’s carrying me in both her arms and holds me tight to her chest. “Come. We’re getting some more pork and noodles into you.”

I’m going to make this right… I don’t care if I’m not fully recovered yet… I’m paying for Margaret’s medicine. I don’t care what I have to do or who I have to work for, I’m going to atone. I have to.

Wander Moon / 20 / 1218 A.F.

David and I awaken and get ready. I make sure all my equipment is tuned up, my armor’s clean, and the stone is still accounted for. Everything is where it should be and working properly. Gramps eventually wakes up and escorts us downstairs. “Do you need anything else before you depart?”

“Got any blues?” I cough. “Kinda ran out on the way here.”

“Indeed I do.” Gramps bends down to reach into a cabinet by the front door. “What kind do you prefer?”

“Smooth as possible. Please and thank you.”

“Least I can do.” Gramps gets up, holds his lower back, and tosses me a small brown bag. “It’s not much, but it’s all I have on me… should be about eight in there if I remember correctly.”

“I appreciate it.” I smile and shove them into my satchel. “I’ll make them count.”

We head out of the house and walk around to the right side towards the back. Gramps shows us a pair of two tunnels each five feet in diameter covered by a large tarp. “This is my secret super tunnel to Pekev. Spent a good two years digging it myself. It’s supposed to be used only for emergencies and; well, this is an emergency.”

budabudabudabuda

The walls and ground shake around us and there’s a small boom that echoes through the walls. I reach for my crossbow. David grabs onto my hand. Gramps stands there looking bored.

“What was that?” I ask and look towards the staircase to the surface.

“Oh, that? That’s just the sound of scarlet mining.” Gramps waves his hand. “Happens all the time. No need to worry about that.”

“If you say so…” I take a deep breath and peer into the hole. “Forty minutes to Pekev?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Gramps nods and turns to David. “What about you, sonny? Are you sure you want to join garrison duty? I can just hide you here for the time being.”

“No.” David hops onto the tunnel and grabs onto the edges. “Come on, Astrid!” he kicks his legs. “I want to slide!”

I can’t help but smile. “We’ll report back after I deal with the Lombards. Mind if we have some more of that stew?”

“It’d be my pleasure. Don’t get much company these days.” Gramps beckons me towards the tunnel. “Now go. Show those Lombards what you’re made of!”

“Right.” I give him a firm handshake. “Stay safe.”

“You too… I will be praying for your safety.” Gramps pats my shoulder and lets me go.

I sit in the tunnel and sit just behind David.

David grabs my arms and wraps them around his stomach. “Please hold on! I do not want to go flying!”

“Yeah yeah.” I hug him and rest my chin on his head. “Are you ready?”

“Almost…” David’s bouncing so fast he’s practically vibrating. Poor kid’s so damn excited. “Three… two… one… away we go!”

I let go of the edge of the tunnel and we go speeding down a dark hole lit only by small pale blue gems stuck in the walls. We’re going down fast. Like, really fast. The tunnel is really just a giant, long, incredibly fun slide.

“WOOOOOO YEEEEAAAAH!” David’s been cheering and woo’ing nonstop for the past twenty minutes. Just when I think he’d start to get bored, the tunnel hooks a tight turn or makes a deep drop and we pick up more speed.

I too have been woo’ing nonstop. My face hurts from smiling and laughing so much. It’s the kind of laughter where I think I am going to perish because I can’t inhale. Feels good. Refreshing even. Just as I’m starting to get bored, the tunnel ends in a sick ramp and David and I get launched upwards at a sharp angle. My body moves on its own and I hold him close to me and roll around so my back is facing the ground. I close my eyes and brace for impact only to feel my back be greeted by soft, fluffy comfort. My fall is cushioned and brought to a slow halt. I open my eyes to find David and I in a deep pit full of cheap-looking, but soft cushions. The designs look like they’re imported from the Principalities… I reach out and grope one. Wow. That’s soft… softest pillow I’ve ever groped.

“Wooo haha! Yes!” David wrestles free from my grip and looks back at the tunnels. “Astrid, can we go again? That was so much fun!”

I look up and around to get a better grasp of my surroundings. We’re still underground. Everything looks similar to Vladiov in design and layout, except slightly bigger and just a tad better organized. The streets actually look designed wide enough for two people to pass through. There’s a large sign above us towards the exit of the pit that reads “Welcome to Pekev” in four different languages.

It’s chaos. Utter. Chaos. Horns are blaring. Children and young adults are crawling into tunnels. Some hunters and local militias are crying war chants and beating their shields. Other hunters and militia corps are ascending the central staircase above ground. Everyone’s trampling over everyone else either trying to escape, go upstairs to fight, or ransack whatever they can in the confusion. Everyone’s yelling is bouncing off the walls and echoing all over the place. It’s too loud to think straight. The only saving grace is that no one below ground is clad in Lombard armor… not yet anyway.

“Oh no… no no no no no…” I grab David’s arm and rush out of the cushion pit.

“This is bad…” David whines and stays close to me.

“Do you still have that machete?”

“Yes…”

I turn back to David and bend down to his eye level. “David, listen to me.” I unsheathe his machete and place it into his hands. “If anyone tries to hurt you, don’t try talking to them. Don’t try reasoning with them. Just hurt them before they hurt you. If anyone tries to hurt or take you away, slash, stab, cry, bite, and yell as hard as you can. Understand? These people will hurt you.”

David’s arms won’t stop shaking. Before I can even finish talking, his lip’s already wavering and his eyes are getting glossy.

“David!?” I shake his shoulders. “Can you hear me!?”

“AAAAAAAHH!!!!” David looks up at me and yells. His eyes are focused and his stance is sloppy, but firm. He slashes the machete side to side away from me. “AAAH!” he nods.

“Attaboy.” I ruffle his hair. “I’ll treat you to a good salad after this. I swear it. C’mon. Let’s make for the tunnels.”

I draw my crossbow, keep it pointed upwards, and lead David through the sea of rushing people. Every second someone new collides into my shoulder from a new angle. Some bounce harmlessly off of me and continue running. Others fall to the floor and get trampled by others. I manage to catch one man by the shoulder just as he’s about to run past me. “Hey!” I turn him around and force him to look at me. “Where are the Omk tunnels!?”

“I-I’m heading there right now!” The man wiggles and tries to throw my hand off of him, but I only tighten my grip. “Let go of me! I need to get to my kids!”

“Of course.” I let go and smack him on the back. “Lead the way.”

I feel David grab my hand as I resume running through the hellscape. The ceiling is starting to shake and I can hear explosions in the distance. If they brought in the airships, this isn’t going to go well. We follow the man and a mob of people swirl and condense behind us through an alley, turn two corners, and even through what used to be someone’s home. I can see two flattened bodies in the corner of the room. Most of the cabinets have been tossed wide open and cleared out. Bits and pieces of food crackle under the feet of the mob and along with some stuffed animals and knocked over tea cups. The walls look like they’ve been torn asunder by a pack of boars and the roof looks like it’s about to cave in. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see a pantry lined up against the wall. It’s ajar and tucked in the corner of the room. I swear I can see someone staring at me from inside of it. The eyes look young and tiny. Smaller than David and just as confused. I turn away, keep my eyes forward, and continue sprinting through what used to be the residential district with the mob. A few moments later, we reach the perimeter. There’s hordes of people lining up in front of every tunnel out of here. “Hey! Which way to Omk!?”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

The man makes a hard right and heads for the tunnel at the far-right end next to a pile of ice and firewood.

I begin to follow…

BABOOM

David and I are blown backwards off our feet. The world goes black for a moment before being engulfed in blinding light. The world falls silent then becomes drenched in horrid ringing. My head feels flooded with oil and my back feels like someone took a spear to it. I land on the trunk and feel my legs fall limp against the icy ground. I see David roll past me and stop once he hits a pile of rubble and broken glass. Thanks to the armor, I think I can still move… David on the other hand looks out of commission. His pale skin has grown red and violet. His knees, hands, and face are cut up. I can see bits and pieces of glass and gravel get stuck in his arms and legs. There’s even a pretty bad chunk in his cheek. Piece of hot rock just jammed right in there. Looks like it dug under his cheekbone. Wouldn’t be surprised if it pierced his inner mouth... He’s lying limp on his belly and not moving a muscle, but he still has the machete firmly grasped in his right hand.

“David!” I wince and try to shake my head. Nothing’s responding. I can’t move my neck in certain ways, it takes everything I can just to open my eyes a little. I don’t feel like I’m moving my own body. I soon manage to roll over onto my stomach and crawl over to David. My greaves and cuirass get cut up and sullied by the glass and shrapnel, but I don’t care. I smell ash and iron. Lots of iron. Like an ocean of blood being smelt in a furnace. I put my hand on the back of David’s head and rub some gravel off. “Hey… David… David. Nod if you can hear me.”

David’s head moves.

My eyes finally adjust to the light. From the symphony of shots and cries, I can hear a legion of boots stomping against the snow. Sounds mechanical, but rabid. Like a group of malfunctioning automatons.

“Don’t move…” I let my body go limp, lower my hands to the floor, turn my head away from the soldiers, and keep my eyes on David. “Stay quiet…”

“Ooooh hooo hooo!” I hear a voice of a man enter the settlement and see his shadow creep up along the ground. Shadow looks tall and sturdy. Impressive outline of armor and he’s wielding a claymore with a unique crossguard. A legion of Lombard soldiers surround him and I’m certain more are on the way. “Now ain’t this just impressive? I never thought you traitors would be able to whip something up like this in just five short years.”

People scream and shout. I see the shadows of boulders and arrows storm the man.

The man’s shadow slices the rocks and arrows flawlessly, but the legion of subordinates around him aren’t so lucky. I watch the chaos unfold by watching the shadows. Some boulders strike men in the head and make their bodies fall lifeless against the floor. Others get stabbed by a slew of arrows and writhe on the ground for a while before dying.

“HahaHAHHHAAAAA! YEAH! THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT! GIVE US A REASON!” he stomps the ground and he throws his arm outward. “Kill every last one of them! Don’t let a single traitor live!”

“YEEEEEEEEEEAAAGHH!” shadows of men raise their shields, draw their swords, and flood into Pekev. Hundreds of boots rush past David and I while a few remain around the man’s shadow. “What should we do, sir?”

“Check this place for stragglers.” he rests his sword on his shoulder. “Aircraft fire always tends to leave some survivors.”

“Yes sir.” The remaining dozen soldiers draw their spears and begin going to the bodies around us and stabbing them one by one. “What will you do?”

“Sir! Sir!” the shadow of a young woman sprints into Pekev. She rests her hands on her knees and breathes heavily.

“This best be important.” The man points his blade at her.

“Sir!” the woman straightens up and gives a salute. “Half of the 31st army has been wiped out! guerilla fighters and Athesian hunters are storming us from the North and we need your land and air support now!”

“What!?” The man recoils. “How is half the army gone!?”

“Avalanches, sir! The rebels have engineered some means of causing avalanches at key chokepoints!”

“Hmph…” The man looks over at Pekev for a moment, then back at the woman. “I shall assist you. I’ve been just itching for some Athesian scalps. Men, move out!”

“SIR YES SIR!” The wall of soldiers surrounding Pekev turn around and leave with the man and the woman as fast as they can. Within seconds, all that remains now is me, David, some stragglers, and soldiers with spears.

shnk

“AAAH!”

shnk

“AAAH!”

shnk

“AAAH!”

With each passing second, another person meets their end. I could still use that scarlet if I could just reach into my satchel… assuming the vial didn’t burst. Come on… think… think… I can’t move without alerting the soldiers, my aim’s probably garbage, and my crossbow’s sitting on a pile of snow ten paces away from me.

shnk

shnk

shnk

I can hear a pair of boots march up next to me. It’s no use. It’s now or never. I have to try. I won’t die lying down. Just as I’m about to roll over and make my move…

“IGNIS!!!”

David’s voice tears through the room and ten of the soldiers become encased in red hot flame. No matter how much they pat themselves down, roll in the snow, or cry, the fire doesn’t go out. Their once firm stances and demeanors melt away and they all begin running and rolling around manically.

“AAAAAHAAAHAAAH!!! AAAAAAAAHH!!” I can see one of the soldiers try to claw off his burning flesh, but it doesn’t work. He keeps burning away. I can see part of his abdomen begin to swell. “NONONON-”

splat

splat

splatsplatsplat

boom

One by one, the ten soldiers’ bodies explode. For some, their abdomen explodes. Others have their arms blown clean off. Others see their knees rupture. I hear no soldiers around me. My eyes glaze over to my crossbow and see a clean path to it. I roll onto my feet, sprint over to my crossbow, retrieve it in a slide, and check my surroundings down the sight of my crossbow. Still perfectly functional and has the bolt still drawn. Just has some new dents in it. David’s still lying face down with his arms looking burnt. Ten charred, mutilated bodies of Lombard soldiers lie in a growing pond of blood and guts. I’d vomit if I wasn’t so accustomed to the stench.

One of two remaining soldiers is bending down over the top half of one of her buddies desperately trying to shove his stomach back into him. “C’mon! C’mon!!!” her voice is distorted through snot and tears. “No no no! Stay with me! Please!”

What’s left of the body doesn’t respond. It just keeps bleeding out onto her.

“NO NO NO! DAMNIT! THE CAPTAIN SAID THE SCARLET WAS PURE! THIS WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!” she leans down over her fallen comrade and cradles him in her arms.

“No time to mourn.” the other soldier turns and locks eyes with me. His helmet covers everything but his eyes. His entire body is clad in heavy plate armor. It’d take a miracle shot to hit his eyes, so it’s not worth using my crossbow. The armor also looks dense enough to survive a lance blast… I’d have to fish for holes in the plates just to do any reliable damage. “Hostiles still active.” his voice is cold, but his limbs won’t stop twitching, his breathing is heavy, and his eyes are bright red. He’s slowly approaching me with a shortsword and a scutum drawn. His sword looks ready to crumble under his grip at any second.

“Turn and leave.” I sheathe my crossbow and draw my lance. The charges thankfully aren’t busted. “This has nothing to do with either of us.”

“NOTHING TO DO WITH US!?” the woman drops her comrade’s body and launches at me in a fierce sprint. “IT’S GOT EVERYTHING TO DO WITH US!” Her limbs are also erratic and her eyes look ready to burst. She doesn’t have a shield. Just a sword. She’s swinging it with wild abandon - so much so that I think I see her arm twist out of its socket for a moment. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone move this fast.

I swing my lance horizontally at her, but she sidesteps and continues running full-force at me.

click

BUHBOOM

The tip of my lance explodes and she goes flying off her feet sideways. She rolls around in the snow and shrapnel and leaves a thick trail of blood behind. I look sideways and see her writhing in the snow clutching her side. Managed to blow her armor wide open and can see her hand clutching her exposed rib.

Her cohort glares at her then back to me. “I’ll cleave your skull, you filthy animal…” he’s twitching and rattling in every direction. Looks like five different spirits are possessing his body and pulling it in separate directions. He charges at me and keeps himself hidden behind his shield.

I don’t want to risk dulling my lance’s blade and I’d like to save my last two charges, so I flip my lance over and begin dueling with the dull end of the lance. I try to keep my distance, but he just keeps charging. He insists on bashing me with that shield. I sidestep and try to swing at his head, but he parries perfectly.

No matter how much or which direction I swing, he keeps parrying and charging me. I don’t let him get a single hit in either, so both of us are just wasting time exhausting ourselves while Pekev gets pillaged and massacred in the background.

“You can still turn back…” I can feel my body slow down. It’s getting hard to breathe. Blues gunk is clogging my throat and the smoke from the Pekev fires is clouding my vision and lungs. I can’t keep running and strafing like this… “Hey, kid.” I approach the fallen woman and keep my eyes on the cohort. “Just leave. You can still live.” The woman’s still writhing and moaning all the while.

“Cowards pursue peace when they’re about to lose.” The cohort bangs his shield like a wild ape. “COME FIGHT ME YOU COWARD! I CAN DO THIS ALL DAY!” Spit and blood drips down from his helmet’s mouthguard.

I kneel down next to the woman, kick her onto her back, dig my knee into her neck, and place all my weight on her.

She starts choking on her own blood and tries to shove me off, but she’s far too weak at this point to even budge me.

“I got some good medicine equipment in my bags and even know a doctor back in Vladiov. I can save her life if you drop your weapons.” I keep my eyes locked on the cohort.

“You!” The cohort lowers his sword. “You cowardly Athesian! How dare you take the injured hostage!”

“You were just skewering the injured a minute ago.” I feel something in the woman’s neck depress under my weight. She now sounds like she’s out of air, but she’s still managing to put up a good fight. Good for her. “I mean it. I don’t want to fight either. I know you two are good people. I can see it in your eyes.” I run my fingers through the woman’s hair. “I don’t want to hurt either of you. Drop the weapon.”

The cohort glares at me. His arms tremble for a moment before tossing his shield and sword aside. “There… now let her go… Escort us to this medic.”

“Not yet. Take off the helmet. I want to see your face.”

“TAKE US-”

“Just… do… it…” The woman coughs under my knee.

“FINE!” The cohort takes his helmet off and reveals a young man. Looks around seventeen. Wide face. Blonde hair down to his shoulders. Eyes that look unnaturally swollen and twitchy. His face would look pristine if it weren’t for the thick layer of sweat and dirt covering it. “I’VE PLAYED YOUR GAME NOW SA-”

I fire my crossbow and-

gashink

a bolt pierces through the cohort’s nose and makes itself nice and comfy in his frontal lobe. His body falls to the floor and ceases moving.

“You…” the woman coughs up more blood.

Before she can continue, I jab my lance into her wound and give it a good twist until she stops moving. Flick the blood off the lance, reload my crossbow, and continue on. Run over to David and flip him onto his back. “David! David! Are you okay!?”

David nods and groans. His eyes are closed, his arms are burned, shrapnel’s still stuck in his cheek, arms and knees are still scratched up, but he’s alive. “Astrid… are the bad guys gone..?”

“They’re gone…” I hug him tight and press the back of his head. “They’re gone… don’t you worry. I had no idea you could cast fire magic.”

“I did not want to… but I did not want you to get hurt…” he coughs, groans, and his entire body shivers. “Astrid… why does my cheek hurt?”

The city’s still going to hell. People are being slaughtered and homes are being destroyed, but we’re safe. That’s all that matters right now… “You just got a little splinter. Don’t worry. Don’t touch your face or try to pull it out. I’ll patch it up when we’re safe.”

“It hurts… it… hurts…” David starts crying again. The machete falls out of his hands and clangs onto the floor.

“You’re okay. You’re okay. You’re okay.” My mouth just keeps repeating that over and over. I reach into my satchel and pull out the blues Gramps gave me. It’s short, thick, bright blue, and chewy. Looks almost like candy. “Here, chew this.” I press it to his lips.

“Do not… want...” David moves his head away.

“Do you want to feel pain?”

David pauses for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Good boy.” I slide the blues in and rub his head. “Just chew it and stay quiet. Can you do that?”

David nods and begins chewing. Little by little, I can see pain and discomfort erode from his face.

“Attaboy… You’re very brave.” I hook the machete to my side, cradle David in my arms, stand up, and begin heading towards the new hole in Pekev that the army made. I climb over the hill of collapsed tunnels and can see arms, legs, and puddles of splattered blood underneath large chunks of ice and rock. I step on a door frame and feel something grab my ankle. I look down and see a small hand grabbing me from under the rubble. It’s covered in glass and blood and reaching out with a bunch of other twisted and maimed limbs. I keep my head up, pull my foot away, and continue climbing. Once I get to the top of the hill of rubble, I get a better view of the environment. Behind me, I see a mob comprised of hunters, Lombard soldiers, Freemasons, and regular people all fighting each other. It’s hard to make out any particular sides. Everybody’s fighting everybody. It’s just this immense, hideous blob of blood and steel meshing and colliding with itself. In front of me is the Eastern half of the Free Range. In the distance, I see three corps of soldiers getting hammered by mercenaries, Freemasons, and Athesians from the mountaintops. The mercenaries sling volley after volley of arrows and catapult fire down onto the Lombards from the Southern peaks while the Freemasons destroy structures near the top of the mountains. A boom echoes through the mountain valley and an avalanche soon starts tumbling down and engulfing everything in its path.

In the valley leading to the chaos, I see several corps of Lombard soldiers heading down East to assist their struggling comrades. Good news for me… One less thing to worry about… I look up and see four Lombard airships. Flying mobile fortresses comprised of a mountain’s worth of steel and engines the sizes of forts. The edges are lined with ballistae powered by the Lombard Academy’s finest fire mages. Just one blast was enough to decimate Pekev’s fortifications… I don’t have to worry about them spotting me as long as I stay away from the mountaintops and any artillery. The airships fire a volley at a squad of mercenaries at the mountaintops to try and support their ground troops, but only end up causing more snow to fall on their comrades.

I can’t go Southeast… all the tunnels are collapsed and Pekev’s in chaos. I can’t go Northeast over the mountaintops because I am in no condition to climb. I can’t go South because the Mediterranean is the last thing I want to deal with right now. Retreating West is only delaying the inevitable at this point… It’s no use. I have to sneak East through the battlefield. It’s the only way. I begin trekking East. There’s no snowfall, the sky is clear, but the snow is thigh-deep. After five minutes of trudging, I’ve barely made any progress. My breath is short, my legs are weak, my armor is feeling heavier by the second, and my arms are barely hanging on. This is no good. David’s going to bleed out through his cheek before I can get somewhere safe… I have no other options. I have to take scarlet.

I gently lay David on the ground, pull the vial out of my satchel, and gaze into the contents. Bright red powder made from crushed up ranger pinecones and scarletite ore… Pop off the top, feel my throat tense up and my eyes wince, and empty the bottle’s contents into my mouth. The powder hits my tongue and I immediately keel over. My mouth feels like a desert, my tongue shrivels up, my nasal cavity feels like it's getting torn asunder, and my body feels hot… incredibly hot. So hot that I want to tear off my armor and roll around naked in the snow. My brain starts thumping like it’s trying to jump out of my head and hot tears start rolling down my cheeks… but I feel good. Real good. My body hasn’t felt this light in a decade. I can see and hear everything slow down just a tad. Breathing’s fun. Real fun. Incredibly fun. I can’t stop breathing. I need to move. Run. Run. Run. Run run. Run run run run run run run run! aaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!

I pick David up and begin sprinting full speed down the mountain valley. My legs thrust in and out of the snow like it's nothing. The hills and trees of the valley zip past me in a blur. I run alongside the Southern precipice over the Mediterranean and even start humming while I do so. I’m not scared. I can take the Mediterranean on. Take that! Haha! I’ll run right next to you and you can’t do anything about it! Haha! Stupid mist! Stupid mirages! Bet that both of you feel real dumb right now hahaha!!!

Ten minutes later and I begin to approach the outskirts of the battle. Stray groups of mercenaries and Freemasons are fighting the straggling Lombard forces. Swords are clashing. Arrows are flying. Some poor souls get tossed off the mountainside into the Mediterranean. All the Lombard soldiers are decimating the local troops in melee combat. Makes sense when one side is all crazed out on scarlet. I don’t care. This isn’t my fight. I just keep running East past all the carnage until-

FWSHWIIIIIIING!

An incredible claymore swings for my head.

I manage to duck under it just in time, but get thrown off balance and tumble forward into the snow at incredible speed. I only bounce against the snow twice before regaining my balance, standing up, and drawing my lance. I don’t even need two arms to keep David supported. I look behind me and point my lance at whoever was wielding the claymore.

“Well well well… Hmph.” An impressive looking man twirls his claymore as if it's a cheap umbrella. “No one has ever avoided that before.”

I put David down against a rock behind me and get a good look at the man. Impressive, bulky silver armor emblazoned with the insignia of the Lombard Dragoons, huge sword, big fancy helmet that also hides his face. He’s strutting around twirling his sword like he’s strolling through a meadow. No mistaking it. It’s the commander from Pekev. I want to stab him clean through and tear his neck off. I bet it bounces real funny. I can barely keep my arms still. I just wanna skewer him already.

“What’s wrong, love? Cat got your tongue? Frozen cold?” he points the claymore at me. “Mad about the little pillaging we did?”

Still not saying anything. Just gotta wait for an opening. Just gotta provoke him into attacking… maybe that’ll work.

“Not much for talking? Not surprised.” he shrugs. “Not like you apes were ever good at conversation!” he swings his claymore at me once more and I parry it. He slashes again and again and again and again and I duck, weave, and parry out of every single one. The blade’s size is immense. Damn near as big as me. I feel like it’s going to cleave my lance in two each time I deflect with it, but it manages to stay strong. We continue going at it and it’s hard to tell who’s attacking and who’s defending. Everything is moving so fast. We slide and pivot across the snow like it's a dance floor. A sort of rhythm evolves and grows between us. Push and pull give and take. I’m getting lost in it. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this. The bite of one terrible blade against another. An adversary who lasts more than one minute. I can’t stop smiling. People are dying and getting slaughtered around me and I can’t stop smiling. I don’t know why, I don’t want to, but I am. My face is the warmest it’s ever been. Our bodies and blades are moving together and slowly becoming one. I cannot tell where my blade ends and his begins. After one last clash, we back off and catch our breath. Commander plunges his sword into the snow and rests on it for support. I bend my knee and lower my lance.

“You… I know you…” Commander’s head twitches. “Hahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!!! Like this!? This is where I find you after all this time!?”

“What are you blabbering on about?” I glance to my side to check on David. He’s still chewing, so that’s good. Got a good layer of snow covering him now though.

“That footwork… that stance… your lance. Oh good heavens, your lance.” Commander rests his cheek against his hand. “So smooth, yet firm. Each strike is full of conviction, but lacks purpose… your weapon clamors out for blood and yet it’s spotless… how unusual… what’s your gambit?”

“Just shut up. You’re talking nonsense.”

“Oho? You don’t remember me? I’m so hurt.” He grabs his helmet and pulls it off - revealing a pale, beautiful face. Strong square jaw. Long flowing hair. Horrific burn marks over the entire right half of his face. Worse than mine. I think I can actually see some bone. Half of his head is barren of any hair or healthy skin. There’s an old-looking leather eyepatch over his left eye. “Remember yet? I could never forget you… Crimson Queen.”

I see David’s eyes open just a tad and the blues fall out of his mouth.

My body bursts into a full sprint, jumps up, and aims the lance straight at his heart.

Commander catches the tip of the lance and crushes the head under the weight of his gauntlet. I can actually see the top half of it break off and land in the snow. “Oho, you really thought that would work on me twice? I’ve learned you know.” he raises his arm and suspends me in the air with my lance.

“Different lance, asshat.”

click

BOOM

The tip explodes and Commander and I go flying backwards. His arm goes limp and I see bits and pieces of metal go flying everywhere. Commander lands on his back in a pile of soft snow. I’m thrust backwards onto the rock beside David.

buhboom buhboom buhboom

Explosions echo in the distance. I look to the Northwest and see another avalanche coming right this way. I move to pick up David, but see Commander charging straight at me with an overhead. He’s gritting his teeth, the armor over his right arm and chest is dented and melted in some places. His eye has gone red like the rest of the troops. I have no choice. I toss David behind me and block his strike with my lance. “Stop! Take your troops and run!”

“That won’t work!” he continues striking at me. I keep blocking and sidestepping, but my legs are starting to give and my breathing’s starting to slow down. I’m starting to get sleepy… real sleepy. I feel I’ll fall asleep if I blink. My lance is also starting to crack and bend. “I’m not retreating! Not again! Not when you’re right here!”

I block a horizontal slash and am thrown off balance. “You’re going to kill us both, you idiot!” I fall to one knee. My vision’s starting to give and withdrawal’s setting in. Heartbeat’s irregular. Arm’s numb. I’m salivating like a starving mutt… and my skin’s itchy… so itchy. If it weren’t for the Commander, I’d strip off my armor and pick my skin clean off with my lance.

“IT’S WORTH IT!” Commander strikes down with a mighty overhead slash.

I block with my lance, but it breaks clean in two. My arms give out from the impact and I’m kneeling in hip deep snow.

Commander’s sword lands between my knees. His face contorts into a twisted grin and his eye burns with a happiness that I have never seen. “FINALLY!” his lips and throat shake and twist to produce cacophonous, painful-sounding laughter. “Alexios! George! This is for you!!!” he raises his blade once more to cleave me in two…

FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH

Just as he’s about to swing, the avalanche engulfs us. We’re swept off our feet and are carried down the mountain. Nothing but cold, white oblivion. Snow in my mouth. Snow in my ears. Snow crashing against my head. Snow melting down my spine. Snow in my eyes. Snow up my nose. All I can see is snow. All I can hear is snow. All I can touch is snow. All I can taste is snow. All I can smell is snow. My body spins and twists like a guppy falling down a waterfall. More and more snow comes crashing down upon me by the second and I feel my armor begin to contort and cave inward. My body slams against something big and hard on the way down. Feels like a boulder, but it could’ve been anything for all I know. A mass of corpses, artillery, rubble, a shot-down airship. Could be anything really. I hear my greaves get pierced and feel something hot and pulsing in my right thigh.

Just when I can’t think it can get any worse, it does. The ride down the mountain gets much smoother. No more rocks. No more uneven hills. No more mountain to fall down. I’m freed from my icy tomb just long enough to open my eyes and find myself falling off the mountainside and straight into the Mediterranean.