Ch. 1
Spite
For Honor is the property of its respective owners, Ocs belong to me
"I'll make sure my master get this," a squire told the messenger while stuffing the parchment into her bag causing the messenger, a Peacekeeper with a serrated blade and dagger, to snort and fold her arms.
"See to it that you do; the only way we push the Warborn back is under the banner of the Blackstones and your master's refusal to bend the knee isn't doing us any favors," the assassin barked causing the young knight to roll her eyes which went unnoticed thanks to the helm she was wearing.
"If my master thinks remaining independent is the best course of action, then I support their decision," the squire calmly retorted which made the assassin huff and saunter over to her horse where she mounted the beast and gazed upon the squire with a harsh, judgmental stare.
"Just you watch, the Noble Legion will submit to Apollyon just like the Regal and Royal Legions," the Peacekeeper responded which made the squire grunt, but say nothing as she simply crossed her arms.
"Maybe, maybe not. Safe travels, Blackstone," the squire amiably told the assassin who ignored the gesture and beckoned for her horse to go to which it sped off into the distance while kicking a pile of mud onto the squire's helm.
Sighing heavily, the young knight took off her headgear and wiped off the mud with her forearm before putting it back on and making her way back to her lord's fortress while passing by the village near her master's castle. Bidding good morning to any villagers she came across, the squire continued to walk toward her destination where she passed by the...gentleman's club where some of the workers were talking among themselves outside.
"Helena, good morning!" one of the workers greeted the squire who sheepishly dipped her head and waved at the woman who proceeded to walk up to Helena making the squire rub the back of her helm.
"Good morning, Margaret. I take it you and your...associates are doing well," Helena ventured causing the worker to smile and nod eagerly before embracing the young knight who went stiff for a moment before returning the gesture.
"We are; we all just want to say thank you for always walking us home after work," Margaret told the squire who allowed a grin to tug at the corner of her lips befoe breaking off the hold and patting her Margaret's shoulder.
"You're welcome; you and your associates are just as deserving of protection as anyone else," Helena replied causing Margaret to smile and bid farwell to the squire who resumed her march to her lord's castle.
"Helena, a moment of your time please!" a voice shouted causing the squire to look over her shoulder and found a member of the local guard jogging toward her which made Helena raise a brow.
"Yes, Captain?" Helena inquired as the guard put his hands on his knees and released a long, labored breathe before pointing east causing the squire to tilt her head.
"It's Wallace and Gunnarr. See, Wallace says that the garden of Gunnarr's wife, Bellatrix, encroached on his land while Gunnarr says that the statues Wallace's wife, Azusa, put up encroached on his so they've specifically asked for you to settle it," the captain informed the squire who sighed softly and put a palm to her helm as she could already imagine the insults the two Warborn men were spitting at one another.
"Alright, tell them I'll be there after I deliver a message to Dame Isabelle," Helena grumbled causing the captain to nod vigorously and jog away causing the squire to shake her head before resuming her walk to her master's fortress.
After a what seemed like an eternity, the squire finally arrived and after being granted access by the guards, proceeded to walk up the stairs into the inner sanctum while politely greeting any of her fellows along the way. When she stood before the door to Dame Isabelle's room, Helena cringed when she heard another shouting match between her master and her daughter causing a nearby knight to glance at her which made Helena awkwardly shrug.
"What are we doing to help our people, mother!? Day in and day out the vikings rape our lands without consequence, without retribution, while we wait for an attack that will never come!" Isabelle's daughter roared at the squire's master making Helena lightly bang her head against the stone wall and shake her head as she heard her master let out a frustrated groan.
"What would you have me do!? Send out our forces and leave our villages defenseless!? And in case you haven't noticed, we are helping our people by supplying them with much needed food, water, armor, and weaponry!" Isabelle shot back causing Helena to nod at the assessment and continued to patiently wait until they were done before jolting as she suddenly heard a loud, thunderous bang.
"That's not good enough! The Noble Legion is strong enough to protect others and ourselves so why aren't we doing so!?" Isabelle's daughter shouted at the top of her lungs which made Helena place a palm over one of her ears while continuing to wait patiently for an opportunity to ask her master to enter.
"Look at the Iron Legion; they were once considered the mightiest force in Ashfeld and now, because they didn't manage their resources properly, they're at risk of being routed at Harrowgate and being assimilated into the Blackstone Legion. So yes, we may be strong enough now, but how long will it be until we're in the same position as them?" Lord Isabelle questioned which made Helena hope that would be end of it, but sighed mentally when she heard her master's daughter slam her hands down on Isabelle's desk.
"Then why not send troops to Harrowgate and assist Commander Stone!? Why do you insist of having our soldiers hold the line when you can stop something before it becomes a problem!?" Lord Isabelle's daughter shrieked which made Helena rub her temple and hold her hand up near the door where it hovered near the entry point for a few seconds before she retracted her hand.
"Because the Battle of Harrowgate is lost! Stone put up an admirable defense, but I will not commit to a lost cause when my soldiers could be put to better use elsewhere!" Isabelle yelled and suddenly everything got quiet with no sound being heard except for one's breathing causing Helena to take advantage of this and knock on the door.
"Um...master, it's Helena. I have an urgent message from the Blackstone Legion," the squire stated which made her lord sigh heavily before ordering Helena to enter which the squire did and respectfully dipped her head.
"Thank you, Helena; Valentina, you're dismissed," Isabelle proclaimed calmly, but firmly as Helena reached into her bag and handed the letter to her master while Valentina grit her teeth tightly that one thought they might shatter like glass.
"You can't just ignore-"
"Valentina, right now, I'm not your mother, I'm your warlord, and I demand you show me the proper respect," Isabelle sharply interrupted her daughter causing Valentina to growl lowly before begrudgingly bowing and exiting the room, but not before shooting a glare at Helena and shouldering her way past the squire.
Grumbling, Helena rubbed her arm as she watched her master unfurl the parchment and study the contents disinterestedly. After a moment, the warlord scoffed and threw the letter onto her desk with a shake of her head before taking out a quill, a piece of paper, and some ink.
"Helena, please write down my response," Isabelle requested causing the young knight to nod and grab the objects as her master sat down in her chair and leaned back in it while letting out a long, heavy sigh.
"Request denied; sincerely, Dame Isabelle, Warlord of the Noble Legion," Helena's master said which made the squire raise a brow, but wrote it down nonetheless before handing the letter over to Isabelle.
"Um...master, I think a response like this will only anger the Blackstones," Helena pointed out only to sigh softly as her master simply shrugged and rose from her chair where she grabbed a wine bottle and two cups.
"Let them be mad; they have to learn that not every legion will bend the knee as easily as the others," Isabelle responded as she set the items down on the table where Helena reached out to grab the bottle and cups, but her master stopped her by holding up her hand and grabbing the objects herself.
"Um...master, proper etiquette states that I-"
"I'm aware, but as your master I'm ordering you to let me pour the drinks," Isabelle interrupted coolly which sapped any courage Helena had and caused her to meekly nod as her warlord proceeded to poured the drinks for them.
"So, what do you think about the Blackstone situation?" Isabelle inquired as she picked up her cup and downed the liquid in one go while Helena tentatively sniffed her drink before taking a sip from it.
Frowning and scrunching her brow, the squire set her cup down on the table as her master poured herself another drink and mindlessly moved her cup from side to side.
"I...isn't there someone else you can talk to about this, master? I don't think I'm the right person to ask about this," Helena reluctantly answered causing her master to frown and swallow some of the wine before setting her cup down on the table and sitting up to her full height which made the squire feel even smaller.
"Helena, this is one of the duties of a knight and if you can't handle it you should pack up, go home, and get married like any other noble. If you can handle it, I want your opinion," Isabelle ordered sternly which made the squire take a deep breathe in and let it back out before looking up at the warlord.
"Alright, master; since you're worried about the Noble Legion being subservient to Apollyon, maybe you should get help from people who have the same concern?" Helena hesitantly suggested causing her master's expression to not change in the slightest as Isabelle drank her wine before looking at the squire dead in the eye.
"A good idea in theory, but a hard one to execute in practice. I pretty much burned any bridges I had with the Iron Legion by not helping out at Harrowgate and the other warlords are not too fond of me for...obvious reasons," Isabelle responded as she grabbed the wine bottle, leaned her head back, and chugged the alcohol like a common drunkard which made the squire release a breathe as her master wiped her lips with her forearm and set the bottle aside.
"I see, I'm sorry I wasn't able to help, master," Helena apologized which made Isabelle wave her hand and stood up from her chair where she walked toward the window and stared at the village nearest to her fortress solemnly.
"You've helped me form an idea of where my soldiers stand on the matter. You're dismissed, I have...much to think about," Isabelle stated as she folded her arms and continued to watch the villagers go about their day causing Helena to nod and rise from her chair where she bowed to her master who nodded in response.
Hearing Helena exit the room, Isabelle grabbed her wine bottle and glanced it long and hard before setting it down on the table. Who should she seek help from? Daubeny was out of the question; he was a craven who would put himself before all others. Holden? No, he and the Regal Legion had long since bent the knee to the Blackstones. Recruit some of the Iron Legion deserters? A desperate idea if there ever was one; they were just as dangerous to her people as they were for her enemies. Suddenly, an idea dawned up on the warlord, one she was hesitant to entertain, but felt as if she had little choice.
Sighing heavily, Isabelle reached into her drawers and took out the reports of viking raids carried out against the more unhinged Warborn such as Siv and Ragnar along with prominent knights like Hervis Daubeny and Julius Salavander. Strangely, these outlier vikings left the villages in the scrublands alone which made Isabelle meticulously read every line of information on the reports where she discovered that the Warborn had taken to calling this particular group of vikings the Heretics. Sifting through more of the reports, Isabelle hoped that she could learn more about these Heretics and if she could find a pattern in their raids, the location of their base in Valkenheim.
Unlocking a door, a Nobushi with tints of gray hair, a bruised naginata, and a dull, red robe stepped into the makeshift prison where the various captives instinctively scurried away from the bars whenever she walked by them. Stopping in front of one cell, the Nobushi lightly banged the shaft of her weapon against the bars which jolted the prisoner, a young man with black, disheveled hair, awake.
"You know what's going to happen so don't make this harder than it has to be," the Nobushi stated as she opened the cell door and attempted to unlock the prisoner's restraints who backed himself into a corner while bawling uncontrollably.
"No, please, please! I-I swear I won't speak out again, j-just don't send me to the pyre!" the prisoner wailed as the Nobushi unlocked his feet cuffs which made the prisoner scream and do his best to cover his hands.
"You shouldn't have spoke out at all," the Nobushi coldly replied as she roughly grabbed the prisoner's arms and unlocked the cuffs binding his hands which made the prisoner go desperately claw, yank, and punch the Nobushi's arm in attempt to free himself to no avail.
"No, no! Please, anything but that!" the prisoner hollered causing the Nobushi to purse her lips and relinquish her grip on the man's arm causing the captive to hesitantly look up at the old warrior.
"Anything?" the Nobushi inquired causing the prisoner to vigorously nod and grovel at her feet which made the old warrior to reach into her pocket and toss a tanto at the captive's feet making the captive's eyes widen.
"B-but-"
"You said anything and I offered you an alternative," the Nobushi sharply interrupted the man who looked up at her and then at the knife before tentatively reaching out and grasping the weapon with shaky hands.
Steeling himself, the prisoner raised the blade and stabbed himself in the gut which made him whimper as blood began dripping down onto his pants like raindrops. Grounding his teeth, the man slowly slid the blade along his belly, but it was not seamless as the knife got stuck a few times making the prisoner use more force to continue to move the knife around eliciting a pitiful sob from him each time he did it. Making one final cut across his chest, the prisoner hacked up a glob of blood onto the cold, hard floor and watched as his guts spilled out onto his lap making him feel a cold sweat run along his body before he collapsed on the ground completely still. Snorting, the Nobushi gave an experimental kick to the man's crotch which didn't cause a reaction from the now dead prisoner causing the old warrior to nod and exit the cell where a pair of angry, malnourished hands accosted her.
"You're not going to kill anyone else!" the owner of the malnourished hands, a pale, thin woman, roared as she squeezed the Nobushi's neck as hard as she could, but all it did was make the old warrior raise a brow as she made the woman reel with a hard, swift punch to the gut.
"I am, and you're next," was the Nobushi's reply as the malnourished woman collapsed on her knees while tightly clutching her gut where she vomited up what little food was given to her causing her fellow cellmates to comfort her as best they could.
Ignoring the glares of the prisoners, the old warrior exited the room and made her way back to the center of the town where Ranja, a Shugoki, and a group of prisoners stood near a giant, burning pyre with the villagers fearfully looking on as the mad daimyo preached to the townsfolk.
"...And let it be known that while these people have brought great shame upon themselves, their ancestors, and their family, rejoice in the fact that Amaterasu will welcome them into her embrace and restore their honor!" Ranja shouted as the Shugoki threw a torch onto the giant pyre setting it ablaze causing the villagers to gasp and instinctively step back as the sumo wrestler roughly grabbed one of the prisoners by her hair.
"No, Ranja, please! I've always served you loyally so I beg of you, please reconsider!" the woman, a former orochi, wailed as the mad daimyo callously beckoned for the Shugoki to make haste while the Nobushi put a hand on her chin.
"Yes, you have and I will be forever grateful for that, but the fact remains that not only did you fail to assassinate Seijuro, but you had the audacity to get captured and then return expecting leniency," Ranja snarled as she motioned with her hand toward the pyre causing the woman to desperately throw her elbow back into the Shugoki's face making the sumo wrestler grunt before he grabbed the back of her head and violently smashed his forehead against the back of her skull.
Howling in pain, the former orochi crumpled to the ground and curled up into a ball as a gruesome crack on the back of her head leaked a copious amount of blood where the Shugoki grasped her arm and yanked her toward her doom.
"Ranja...perhaps we should reconsider," the Nobushi commented causing the mad daimyo to gaze at the old warrior with a raised brow before glancing at the Shugoki and holding up her hand making the sumo wrestler pause.
"What did you have in mind?" the mad daimyo inquired as the Nobushi sized up the former orochi who looked like she didn't even know where she was before looking back at her daimyo.
"That Setsuka serve under me; I'll make sure she continues to grow as a warrior and that the failure that brought her here isn't repeated," the Nobushi responded causing Ranja to rub her chin and gaze at the former orochi long and hard before staring back at the old warrior who calmly looked back at her.
"Those are good points, but what guarantee do I have that she won't just cut and run at the first opportunity?" Ranja questioned her subordinate who knowingly nodded and extended the blade of her naginata into the flames before retracted her weapon from the fire which glowed fiercely as if it were a live flame.
"I'm sure branding will get your concern with her across quite nicely," the Nobushi replied causing the mad daimyo to thump her fingers against the hilt of her nodachi before gazing at the Shugoki, gesturing at the former orochi, and then at the Nobushi.
Grumbling, the sumo wrestler picked up the former orochi by her restraints making the woman scream bloody murder as she felt as if her arms were going to get ripped from her sockets before the Shugoki unceremoniously tossed the former orochi at the Nobushi's feet making the disgraced warrior wheeze.
"Look at me, girl," the Nobushi barked causing the former orochi to whimper and reluctantly do so as the old warrior held the burning blade near Setsuka's nose causing the disgraced warrior to unconsciously lean her head back.
"From now on, you are loyal to only me and you answer to no one but me save for Ranja herself. Do you understand?" the Nobushi snarled which made Setsuka vehemently nod and do the standard bow while Ranja gestured for the Shugoki to start throwing the other prisoners onto the pyre.
"Y-yes! I-I do!" the former orochi stuttered causing the Nobushi to grunt as she roughly kicked Setsuka to the ground and forced her onto her belly before cutting her shirt open and holding her naginata mere inches above Setsuka's bare back.
"Good, but I hope you understand that Ranja needs more incentive than your word," the Nobushi responded as she plunged her blade into the former orochi's back making the woman release an ear piercing wail as the old warrior began carving her flesh like it was a paint canvas.
The villagers gasped in horror as all the parents in the crowd covered their children's eyes or covered their ears while those who came alone could only watch on in with a myriad of emotions running through them as the former orochi scream echoed for miles while tears freely streamed down her face. Retracting her blade, the Nobushi examined her work and judged that she wrote the kanji for dishonorable well on Setsuka's back while the former orochi trembled and curled into a ball. Holding her naginata above the fire once more, the Nobushi roughly kicked Setsuka in the ribs causing the former orochi to cry out and look up at the old warrior with red, teary eyes while holding her hands out in front of her in a futile gesture to protect herself.
"P-please, n-no more!" Setsuka implored only to shriek and throw her head back as the Nobushi dispassionately stabbed her in the gut and began etching the kanji for coward onto her stomach.
"Consider this part of your penance for your failure," the Nobushi responded as she knocked Setsuka's hands away whenever she tried to grasp the shaft of her naginata as the former orochi eyes lolled before she went limp, passing out from the shock.
"Not very resistant to pain, are you? Don't worry, I'll fix that soon enough," the Nobushi told Setsuka's unconscious form as the prisoner the Shugoki was leading toward the pyre managed to make eye contact with the old warrior and call out to her.
"Homura, please, I can be useful too!" the prisoner shouted at the top of his lungs before the Shugoki backhanded him across causing a glob of blood to fly from the man's mouth while the Nobushi rolled her eyes.
"Farming is of no interest to me," Homura heartlessly dismissed as the Shugoki tossed the man onto the pyre causing the prisoner to howl in excruciating pain as he tossed and turned like a fish out of water as he was set ablaze like a tree in a wildfire.
If the villagers weren't already terrified by seeing a woman being branded right in front of them, they certainly were now as the man weakly pulled himself out of the pyre and collapsed on the ground in a smoldering heap where everyone could see his horribly charred skin which was burnt to the bone.
"Yuuto, bring another of the other tributes forward," Ranja ordered causing the Shugoki to dutifully nod and accost the nearest prisoner where he began dragging her toward the pyre only for the captive to defiantly pull herself from Yuuto's grip.
"You'll get yours someday," the woman sneered as she cast a fierce, scornful glare at Homura, Ranja, and Yuuto causing the mad daimyo to grunt as the Shugoki began pushing the captive to the burning pile of tinder.
"You'll get yours now," Ranja responded causing the woman to snort derisively as she calmly stepped onto the pyre and knelt down where she closed her eyes and didn't flinch even as she was being burned alive.
When the woman finally expired, the mad daimyo ordered Yuuto to throw another of the tributes onto the burning tinder when a high ranking soldier walked up to Ranja, formally bowed, and then whispered something to her. Sighing and brushing a hand over her face, the mad daimyo put her nodachi back in its scabbard causing Homura to raise a brow before noticing that Setsuka was beginning to stir which made the Nobushi haul the former orochi to her feet.
"Somethings come up; Homura, Setsuka, come with me. Yuuto, handle the offerings," Ranja commanded causing the Shugoki to nod as one of the prisoners tried to flee, but Yuuto whacked him across the chest with the handle of his kanabo causing the man to violently gag and collapse on his knees.
With a blank gaze, Homura watched as Yuuto approached the prisoner who was grasping his chest tightly in obvious pain and breathing erratically before rearing his foot back and striking the captive in his gut with his club sending the man flying onto the pyre. Ignoring the agonizing wails coming from the prisoner, Homura followed her daimyo with Setsuka limping after her as the duo followed Ranja into her quarters adorned with many religious epithets, statues, and pictures. Kneeling down, Homura narrowed her eyes at Setsuka who groggily followed suit as the deranged priestess stood before them with a hand on her chin while mindlessly thumping her fingers against her forearm armor.
"It's come to my attention that we're running low on offerings and we all know that if we don't keep the gods appeased, it might spell doom for us all," Ranja started which made the old warrior grunt as she wracked a brain for a solution while Setsuka allowed her mind to wander as she gazed upon the various artifacts in the room.
"I'm sure Dokuja and Kizan would be willing to part with some of their prisoners for the right price," Homura suggested which made the mad daimyo nod absentmindedly as she paced around the room and kept her gaze downward while Setsuka opted to remain silent, wanting to not contribute to whatever horrible plan Ranja would come up with anymore than she inevitably would.
"That would certainly help, but it still wouldn't be enough. No, we could...wait, yes, that will do nicely," Ranja murmured which made Homura tilt her head while Setsuka hesitantly looked up at her daimyo as the deranged priestess took out a map showing the Myre and what they thought the regions of Valkenheim and Ashfeld looked like.
"The Myre doesn't contain enough tributes, but I'm willing to bet Ashfeld does. Homura, I want you to take some of my soldiers to what the Legion calls the scrublands and bring back some offerings. From what I understand, these people won't be missed so why not put them to better use?" Ranja put forth which made Homura say nothing and with her daimyo's permission, took the map out of her hands and examined it meticulously.
"I'll convince one of the viking clans to launch a raid as a cover and while the savages are busy taking their plunder, we'll capture any stragglers and bring them back to the Myre," Homura responded causing Ranja to grin ever so slightly which was hidden behind her mask while Setsuka cringed at the thought of what was going to happen to the future prisoners.
"Also, try not to attract the attention of the Blackstones. The last thing we need is them coming down us," Ranja added which made Homura grunt as she rubbed her chin before an idea dawned on her causing the former orochi to wince while Ranja patiently waited for the Nobushi to speak.
"I'll be sure that we're dressed in viking garbs when we capture the offerings and that we sail back to the Myre in a viking ship," Homura assured her causing the deranged priestess to smirk before dismissing her causing the Nobushi to formally bow while Setsuka clenched her fists tightly before blurting out something.
"Wait! Forgive me, but do we really have to offer people as offerings? Wouldn't it be better if we sent a dignitary to spread our religion to the lands beyond?" Setsuka advised which made Homura gaze at the former orochi with a stare that could kill many times over as Ranja held her hand up when the Nobushi started to advance on Setsuka.
"I'm not opposed to that idea, in fact, I do send a dignitary to the other daimyo's lands every week, but that's in the Myre. In Ashfeld, my dignitary is liable to get decapitated or burned at the stake while in Valkenheim, they might suffer the blood eagle," Ranja pointed out causing Setsuka to open her mouth to respond before closing it when nothing came to mind as she desperately tried to think of a solution when an idea, albeit a less than ideal one for the future prisoners, came to mind.
"Well, maybe you could try converting them and for those who don't see the light, you could offer them as you originally intended. I'm sure the gods will be very pleased that you, one of the daughters of the Emperor, managed to convert those who were deeply ingrained in one religion only to follow another. Think of how they would reward you for such devotion," Setsuka reasoned which made Homura barely resist the urge to groan and settled for rolling her eyes underneath her mask while Ranja looked toward the Imperial Palace.
"The thing is, I know you're trying to manipulate me, but you're right. Doing such a thing would put me in the god's favor," Ranja replied while continuing to gaze at the Imperial Palace where she dismissed her two warriors who formally bowed to her, but just as Homura and her servant were about to leave, Ranja called out to the Nobushi.
"Homura, I've been meaning to ask, what exactly happened to Hiro? I didn't see you bring him to the pyre," the mad daimyo inquired while never taking her gaze off of the palace causing Homura to recall the incident in the cell and cringed at how badly it must smell by now.
"He begged me to not take him there so I gave him an alternative in the form of a tanto," the Nobushi answered causing Ranja to purse her lips and nod knowingly before gazing at her warrior over her shoulder.
"I see; have someone clean up the mess in the cell, release Hiro's family, and tell them that their honor is restored," Ranja ordered causing Homura to bow before gazing at Setsuka and gesturing for her to follow her which the former orochi did while the deranged priestess continued to fantasize about being the one on the throne.
When the duo walked a fair distance away from Ranja's quarters, Homura suddenly seized Setsuka by her neck making the former orochi gag as the Nobushi hoisted her up in the air and slammed the former orochi against the wall one handed where Setsuka's legs helplessly dangled off of the ground.
"I know what you're trying to do; trust me, it's kinder to just kill them where they stand instead of letting them live under Ranja's fist," Homura growled as while she maintained an iron grip on the former orochi's neck, Setsuka wasn't being deprived of any air, but that didn't mean the former orochi was comfortable.
"I don't want anymore people to die because of her!" Setsuka shouted back causing the Nobushi to derisively snort as she released her grip on the former orochi who collapsed on her knees and rubbed her neck.
"That's funny coming from you; go to the doctor and get that head wound looked at. When you're done, meet me in my quarters; you're of no use to anyone walking around half naked," Homura ordered causing Setsuka to ground her teeth and give a slight, barely noticeable bow which the Nobushi ignored as she began to walk back towards the cells, intent on fulfilling the promise she made to the woman who attempted to strangle her.