Author's note:
This story is a High Fantasy AU of Overwatch, set in a world that came out a weird mixture of Overwatch, the real, and a random fantasy worlds.
You can expect cliches, fantasy tropes, and general fantasy fun.
I do hope you will enjoy!
Mercy sighed, adjusting her position in the saddle, and desperately trying to pull the thick fur she was wearing tighter around herself. A cold wind pierced through her body, causing her to shudder, bringing the hopelessness of her mission to the forefront of her mind. Only the sharp, jagged slopes of the Shiverpeaks, still barely visible through the thickening snowfall, kept her mind focused.
"We're approaching the pass." A familiar voice sounded, its tone raised to pierce through the howling wind. Fareeha Amari, her trusted companion and protector. Mercy turned to the woman, the knight's face barely visible between the layers of furs. A protection that seemed useless, against the harsh weather. "It's not far to Kalaallt now."
"That's if we manage to cross." Another voice, Rogers, captain of their entourage. A ten man escort, too small, and very much unprepared for the journey they had to make. "The scouts have not come back, as far as we know, we're walking right into an ambush." He scoffed. "Crossing this far south was a mistake."
"Crossing anywhere else would have been as dangerous." Fareeha responded, almost having to yell as the wind picked up. "Here. there is at least a chance we won't run into the barbarians. The Ice Queen has an interest to keep this area clear, to trade with the Zan-Eth further south."
"Not on this side of the mountains!" The captain exclaimed. "She couldn't care less if our people die."
"This mission was suicide." Mercy interjected, causing both of them to turn their heads towards her. "I'm sorry to have brought this on you."
"It was the King's order." Fareeha snarled. "We should never have come here. Even if we get to Kalaallt, this alliance is a joke."
"It was the King's order." Rogers repeated. "You either follow, or hang, knight."
Fareeha laughed bitterly. "We may yet hang, captain. When the Ice Queen hears our 'offer', she will not be pleased. That is if the barbarians don't slaughter us on the way." She looked to the sky. "Or we don't freeze in the blizzard."
"Then we will die in the King's name, and loyal to Katachuria." The soldier responded sternly.
"Let's just focus on getting through." Mercy said, turning her gaze towards the pass. "The quicker we do, the safer we'll be."
Their horses trudged through the deep snow, shivering from both the cold and tiredness. The landscape they had passed was desolate, the constant whiteness hurtful for their eyes, the piercing frost continuously biting at their bodies. Only the occasional shelter in a form of an icy cave on the way. Avala was a harsh land, and deadly for the unprepared. Especially for the humans of Katachuria, whom the Ice Queen did not look favourably upon.
They were halfway through the pass, when Rogers suddenly stopped his horse. Fareeha was about to ask him what was wrong, when she heard a muted gurgle coming from the man, before he slumped off his horse, a shaft of an arrow protruding from his neck, its fletching moving in the wind. The knight drew her sword, a curved sabre. "Ambush!" She yelled. "Onward, hurry through the pass, it's our only chance." She ordered, spurring her horse into a gallop.
Hooves thundered against the frozen ground as they surged forward. The blizzard picked up, smothering them with fresh snow, and piercing with cold, but they were grateful for the protection it offered. The strong wind would cause arrows to miss their marks, and the thick snowfall would shroud their movements from the archers.
A scream sounded behind her and Fareeha whipped her head around, seeing one of the soldiers being thrown out of his saddle by a massive, gray wolf. She cursed under her breath, turning forward again, just in time to see another wolf bounding through the snow towards her, with unsettling speed. She pointed her left hand, and the limb got engulfed in flame for a moment, before the energy condensed into a ball, and soared towards the beast, searing into it. The wolf let out a pained whine, before falling lifeless into the snow.
Mercy was clutching her staff with both hands, as she hurled a bolt of condensed light into a barbarian approaching on horseback. Her weapon, the Caduceus, was carved from a piece of Lanean wood, a white material especially well suited to channeling healing energies. Two serpents coiled their way up its shaft, and it was topped with a pair of spread angelic wings. A powerful artifact to bolster her magic, and to serve as a symbol of her status as priestess of Ilá. Mercy turned back towards the soldiers, sending another missile to barely save one of them from an axe to the head, only for a wolf to leap onto him a moment later. From their small escort only two men remained, fighting desperately, their shields bearing marks of claws, axes and spears. She felt her heart sink. So much senseless death.
"Mercy!" Fareeha yelled, bringing her horse closer, and snapping the woman's attention towards her. "Eyes front. Focus on getting out alive." She knew what was going on in the medic's head, and she needed her focused, if they were to have any chance of survival. "There will be time to mourn later."
Mercy swallowed and nodded, spurring her horse, and leaning into its mane, one of her hands letting go of her staff and grabbing back onto the reigns.
Fareeha barely heard the screams behind her, as the wind howled in her ears. She slowed her horse slightly, letting Mercy ride ahead of her, making herself the target. It was her duty to protect the healer, and although thoughts of failure caused panic to stir in her heart, she swore she will try her best to save the woman.
Mercy looked back at her, and her eyes went wide. "Fareeha!" She yelled, pointing behind her with her staff.
The knight felt it too, and twisted in her saddle, just in time to drive her sabre into the wolf that lunged at her. Still, the weight and momentum of the beast smashing into her, sent her from her saddle, and into the snow below.
"Fareeha!" She heard Mercy yell, and she focused her strength to push the corpse of her, slowly getting to her feet.
Panic surged in her once again, as she saw Mercy now riding back towards her. "Run!" She yelled. "I'll try and hold them but you must leave!"
But it was too late, out of the blizzard another wolf bounded through the snow, and leaped at Mercy's horse, its teeth embedding themselves deeply into the mount's neck, causing it to rear and throw its rider onto the ground, before collapsing itself.
"Mercy!" Fareeha yelled, as she sprinted through the snow, sending a flaming bolt at the wolf on the way. She found the healer getting to her feet, leaning heavily on her staff. She run over to her, pulling her into a quick embrace, not caring if she was overstepping her boundaries, before releasing her. "You must go. There is still a chance."
"I'm not leaving you." Came the reply, the determination in the healer's voice unable to fully hide the quiver of fear.
Fareeha was about to reply when a spear landed right next to them. The knight turned, sending a bolt of fire at the barbarian that threw it, but he lifted his shield in time to deflect the blow. She heard the distinctive crackle of Mercy's light ray, but the mage had as much luck in hitting as her. They stood back to back, surrounded by the barbarian horde, the circle steadily tightening around them, the wall of shields kept up, diminishing their chances further.
"Gods." Fareeha said, accepting her death. The barbarians were too many, and while she emerged victorious after facing overwhelming numbers before, this time the terrain, the weather and the animals were against her as well. She felt Mercy's back press harder against her, her charge, the one she was meant to protect, but failed. She turned her head to the side. "Mercy, before we die, I-" The words got stuck in her throat, but she forced herself to say them. There would be no other occasion. "I want you to know that-"
A loud roar sounded, giving pause to both the women, and the barbarians surrounding them, they all looked around for the source of the sound, the wolves behind them growling. Then out of the blizzard, a giant shape came leaping, landing in front of the barbarian line, kicking up the fresh snow into the air. An abominable snowman, its white fur flowing in the wind. It lifted itself on its massive arms, before rearing again, and smashing into the barbarians, causing chaos among their ranks.
Before many of them could react, another sound came rolling across the pass. Ground shook from the thundering of hooves, and a loud, cluttering that almost muted it, and the howling of the wind. As the barbarians were closing on the pair of women, into view came several horsemen, their lances piercing the savages with ease. Every rider wore black, plate armor, the helmet stylized to have the pivot point for the visor turn into spread dragon wings. To the bottoms of their backs, attached were a pair of wings, a simple wooden frame curved at the top, with long, black feathers connected to it, fluttering in the wind causing the loud cluttering noise.
Mercy and Fareeha stood stunned, as they watched their sudden saviours cut down the enemy.
"Who are they?" Mercy asked, turning to the other woman.
Fareeha shook her head. "I don't know. But they don't look like Avalan forces."
One of the black riders broke off their attack, and moved towards them, stopping and getting of their mount not far from the women. This knight's armor was different, its edges coated with gold, no doubt a symbol of status. Fareeha stepped between them and Mercy, her blade raised defensively. The knight held up their hand, before taking of their helmet, a sea of long, black hair spilling from it and revealing a woman's face, with mocha colored skin, marred by a long, deep scar, stretching across her cheek and over her left eye, the blue iris clouded with a white mist of blindness. Her other eye was studying them carefully, however, as she took a step forward, raising her hand in a defensive gesture again. "Peace, travelers." She said, her voice commanding and stern. "We've come to aid you."
"Who are you?" Fareeha asked, her muscles tensing at the stranger's approach.
"I am Kathryn Tirel, captain of the Zan-Eth Imperial Guard." She responded, stopping in her tracks, her hand falling to her side.
Fareeha's eyes went wide, and she felt a gentle pull on her shoulder, as Mercy gave her a signal to calm down, stepping from behind her. "Zan-Eth Imperial Guard?" The healer asked. "You're Dragon Knights."
Tirel nodded. "You will come with us. We will escort you to Kalaallt. From there you can continue to your destination."
"Is that an order, captain?" Mercy asked, calmly, her hand still resting calmingly on Fareeha's shoulder.
"It is." The soldier replied sternly. "I've been ordered to bring you back, so you'll either cooperate, or be brought in chains."
"There is no need." Mercy said, taking a step forward, and extending her hand towards the woman. "Thank you for your timely intervention, captain. You and your knights saved our lives."
Tirel shook her head, before taking the woman's hand. "It is not me you should thank. It was our Immortal Emperor, who sent us to aid you."
Fareeha and Mercy exchanged a confused glances. "How did he know we were going to be in trouble?" Fareeha asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
The captain shrugged. "He is the Immortal Emperor." She answered, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. Another knight rode up, leading Fareeha's horse, that run off after she was thrown out of her saddle. Tirel put her helmet back on, as the rider passed the reigns to Fareeha. "Come." She said. "We ride on." She climbed onto her horse, and looked at the women expectantly.
Fareeha looked to Mercy, receiving a slight shrug in return, before she climbed onto Fareeha's horse, her protector climbing to sit behind her in the saddle. As soon as they got on, the captain turned her horse towards the exit from the pass, and rode off, the two women following close behind.
The rest of the knights soon assembled, riding behind them in rows of two. The blizzard started to dissipate, revealing the full strength of the unit to be not more than twenty strong, and Fareeha couldn't help but admire their efficiency in clearing out a much larger barbarian horde so quickly. Most riders were equipped with a long lance, and a triangular shield, with a golden dragon on a black background on it, its wings spread wide. She shuddered, bringing her fur tighter around herself, when she noticed that seemingly the only protection the knights have from a weather, were dotted leopard furs splayed loosely across their shoulders and backs, between their armor and wings. One of the knights in the pair right behind them was the banner carrier, carrying a long pole with the flag attached to it. The black fabric had its edges sawn over with golden thread, and had a golden dragon in flight, spewing fire from its mouth as the centerpiece.
"Fareeha." Mercy's quiet voice snapped her attention back towards the woman, and she leant in closer. "What do you make of this situation?"
"It's strange. How did they know we would be crossing here, now?" She whispered, throwing a cautious glance at the captain in front of them.
"It is terribly convenient." The healer responded. "I suppose we will have to wait and see what happens."
"I will do my best to protect you, Mercy." Fareeha said, with determination, the closeness of failure still heavy on her mind.
Mercy leaned back slightly, pressing a bit more into the knight, letting herself relax, and unknowingly causing Fareeha to blush. "I know. Let's hope you won't have to."
A loud thud sounded next to them, causing their horse to buck, nearly throwing them off, before they managed to calm it down. The women turned towards the source of the noise, and noticed the abominable snowman from before, shaking its fur from the snow it kicked up, before jaunting on all fours over to them. Fareeha's hand instinctively went to her sword, but she paused, noticing Tirel had stopped her horse in front of them, and seemed to be waiting expectantly for the beast to come over.
The snowman slowed, one of his massive arms reaching for a small pouch it carried strapped to its chest, and it fiddled with it for a moment. Mercy gasped quietly as it pulled out a small pair of spectacles, and fitted them on its nose, blinking a few times and walking over to the knight.
"Seems that your emperor was right, Captain Tirel." He said, his voice deep, and surprisingly refined. He looked over at the two women. "There really was someone here, in need of help, no less."
"Of course." The captain responded seriously.
"Riight." The snowman said, before grunting and walking over to the two women. As he neared, Mercy had to use a calming spell on their mount, to keep it from running. "Let me be the first to, well, properly welcome you to Avala." The yeti said, his voice cheerful and gentle, as he extended his arm towards them. "My name is Winston, I serve Queen Azhea, ruler of this realm."
"I am Mercy of Ellander." The healer said, her hand barely managing to squeeze of the snowman's fingers. "And this is my protector, Fareeha Amari, a knight of Helix." She gestured to the woman behinder, who also 'shook' the extended arm.
The started moving again, and Winston trudged along their horse. "Where are you headed?"
"Kalaallt." Mercy responded, offering the yeti a smile. "We carry an offer from our king."
Winston hummed in thought, before looking up the healer. "It better be a good one then. It is no mystery that Queen Azhea dislikes the Raths."
Mercy nodded solemnly. "Yes, I do not hold much hope for success."
"We shall see." Winston smiled reassuringly. "Perhaps Weyd will favour you."
"With our offer, we would need the favour of all the Gods, and twice over." Fareeha said sternly, clearly annoyed by the concept. "I will count it as a success if we don't provoke a war." She sighed, dropping her gaze to the snow below.
"I see." The yeti responded, before turning his head forward as they continued along the pass in silence.