Fauschlag. Of course it was, had to be the one place Elaine had told her not to go. At least, generally, anyway. The mountain was bigger than just Middenheim, but she doubted the Marauders were keeping themselves isolated in the city. Well, no point worrying about it, she’d just have to…ahem, squirm. The idea of getting in trouble coupled with whatever those two were planning certainly felt good in a weird way. An awkward but game smile crept onto her face as she walked towards the mountain, giggling to herself like a young girl who had just had her first kiss. She took a few detours to tidy up the road-side shrines to Ulric and kill the Marauders sheltering there, but eventually got where she was going.
“Ha! Beauty deliv-” A Marauder at the base of the mountain started, and got his head blown off by Estaria’s Talon. Reloading manually, Es kept a firm gait up the mountain path, dealing with the men who had come to investigate the noise, and making good time through the chaff, up into the cold, snowy air. Here she saw her mission laid out in front of her. Dead wolves, Norscan hunters, and a Warrior leading the lot. The Warrior turned his head to Estaria and got a bullet in it for his troubles, collapsing in a loud heap and distracting the hunters.
Getting distracted was not a smart move, as the still living wolves moved in, ripping out necks and dragging them off their feet with fangs in the leg. And the head was a massive beast, big enough to ride and with blood red fur. His nametag denoted him as “Bloodwolf Ulricsson”. Estaria questioned for a moment if he was one of the mythical sons of Ulric, or just called that because he was big, but put that aside for now and aided the wolves in their breakout attempt against the Marauders. She never thought she’d fight against wolves against the forces of Chaos, but here she was.
The enemy tried bringing in reinforcements, including a few mounted soldiers, but Estaria’s repeater handgun took care of them, and ensured that for now, the fight was over. Most of the wolves retreated to lick their wounds, some dragging the corpses back to their dens to feed their young. Only one Wolf stayed, the man-sized Bloodwolf. Padding up to her, he looked her in the eye, and gave a wuff.
“It is my pleasure to help you. These are foes to us all, Bloodwolf” Estaria would state, feeling a little awkward talking to an animal. But his eyes did imply some sentience beyond the animal instinct that his brothers and sisters had. Bloodwolf replied with a bark, and nudged her nose with his, before barking again to the wolves.
There were a few whines, and a few grumbles, but the wolves picked themselves up and fell in behind Bloodwolf.
Quest Completed - Mother Of The Snowdens Trait added
Mother Of The Snowdens: Recognized as a friend by the Lord of The Mountain, you have the loyalty of the lupine, and gain a permanent companion in Bloodwolf Ulricsson
Wolves as reinforcements. Who would have thought it? Turning from the situation, she would head back down the mountain at a casual place, glancing at Middenheim as she did so. It was a sad sight to see it broken and bloodied. Though she did need to get down there because there was some huge mass in the middle of the city, near the Temple. She couldn’t make it out from here, but it was provoking her curiosity.
Between the climb up, the short fight, and the climb down, she had spent about an hour on the mountain. A real showcase of how bad things were going, that in that one hour, Ungor had come out of the woodworks to scavenge the dead bodies she had left in her wake. They let out a shriek as the wolves came into view, and were rundown by Estaria’s unorthodox cavalry, but it did tell her the state of the place. Standing still, she’d cast her eyes around. The horizon wasn’t even burning anymore, the fight was long since over and these Marauders were occupying more than raiding. This was going to get real messy.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
But, she couldn’t just meander around kicking over campfires and being a nuisance, she had to get a proper plan. Maybe take her friends to Norden or Dieshaften and open up a port for mercenaries to get in from Tiliea…Of course, that implies that they hadn’t fully fortified the major ports…Ultimately there was no reason thinking about this just by herself, so she headed home.
The reaction she got was predictable, people panicked as a pack of wolves prowled into the camp, though with Estaria at the head, they didn’t make any rash moves immediately.
“They are friends” Estaria would state, with a simple tone as if this was just normal every day stuff. The wolves finding themselves part of the camp and just laying down there helped that idea. Even if the giant one was invoking nerves everywhere he looked.
Into the camp Es walked, and found her two lovers. They looked so good together, and it made her smile. Though the tightly bound elf by their feet made her curious. And the wounds she saw as she got closer made her worried.
“What happened?” Estaria asked, rushing up to the two and taking their hands.
“Asks the woman with a man-sized wolf following her” Filnon would reply with a laugh. “But it’s quite funny actually. This man, is Alith Anar. Due to a bitter bit of history, he absolutely detest the Druchii, and was overcome with rage when we killed Malekith and Morathi, for they were his prey. So he stalked us here with some ancient method of travel and tried to kill me. Elaine saved me from his first shot, I obliterated the tree he was hiding in, and we fought. I got to find out this is a fun crown”
Filnon would gesture to the crown she had pilfered from Malekith as she said that, giving a coy smirk. Estaria would nod gently, and then her eyes went to the man on the ground. Walking over, she would crouch down and look at him.
“So instead of taking advantage of the instability in Naggaroth, you traveled all the way here because of a bitter need for revenge?” she asked. It got no response, but she didn’t need one. She would instead take hold of his bonds, and snap them apart.
“Hey, it took a lot to get him like that” Filnon exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. The elf gave a cautious look back at her, eyes cold but curious.
“I know, but there are people on that continent we need someone to look after in our absence. Can you handle having your life spared in exchange for protecting some Druchii?” Estaria would ask.
The man’s eyes flashed with a fire, and for a moment he looked like he was going to lunge for Estaria. But instead, stared into the blood red eyes.
“You know nothing, do you?” he asked, looking to his wrists, and then back to the woman.
“Means I am the perfect person to make such an offer to you. There is no bias or weight of history in my offer. Just a chance for reconciliation now Malekith is dead and no longer driving his people to insanity. A chance for everyone to discard the past and look to the future. And a promise that if I have to kill you for taking advantage of my kindness, it’ll not be driven by anything that you have done previously”
Estaria slipping in his casual murder gave him pause for a moment, as if he was trying to decide if he wished to be offended or amused by the arrogance of it.
“You think it possible?” he would ask, slowly standing. He had clearly convinced himself that Malekith was never going to truly die, and so his crusade was endless, and there was no hope. Now, his conviction was growing brittle in the face of possibility.
“Not for all of them, no. But my wife has been driven by an urge to change Druchii society so that they might be able to live again. And Fukuri is so cute and passionate about life that she has clearly not been poisoned by Malekith yet. There are going to be those who resist because they want to retain their lifestyle, those who resist because of what has been done before, and those who accept because they want a future not drowned in the endless blood of a futile war. You may surprise yourself how many Druchii wish to reunite with their cousins now that such a thing is an option”
It was testament to Estaria’s aura - not hurt by the fact that Filnon and Elaine were hovering like hawks and there was a massive wolf behind her - that she had been able to talk to this man so long without him pulling some Loec Shit and disappearing into the shadows.
“It has been so long. I do not know if we can, nor even how” he would look around the camp, as if trying to find inspiration.
“Understandable. Soldiers come back from an eight year campaign, and sit in their home, with their families. Wondering if they can still be a person after all that has happened. The only way you can find out is if you take it one step at a time. With intent behind every step”
“Truly, a delightful mind. Youth has great merit, does it not?” came a soft voice from behind. Looking back, Estaria saw an Eonir, dressed as one might expect, and moving with great skill. “Now then, Shadow King. Are you going to leave without courtesy, or do you wish an audience with my Queen? This young one has given you much to talk about, no?”
The way she voiced it made it clear she knew the answer before even getting it, and so gestured for him to follow her. The two departed the area, and finally Estaria could let out a deep breath.
“I think that deserves a reward” Filnon would coo, sliding up to Es’ left side and taking her hand.
“Agreed” Elaine would state, sliding up to Estaria’s right and taking the other hand.
“Well, I always did want to try that flavoured ice that the Tilliean merchants talked about” Es would retort, playing the brat as she was led off into the camp.