Scottish Highlands – 1745

Allistor trembled slightly as he ran towards the door of the cottage that he could see a couple of hundred yards away across the moors. As soon as he reached it he did a quick search to make sure that no one was waiting for them before slumping on the floor by the door and surveying the boy he'd been travelling with.

The boy couldn't be older than sixteen, not yet old enough to truly be called a man yet his eyes were haunted by the things he'd seen out on the moorlands. He was wearing similar clothes to Allistor, traditional Scottish dress complete with dirk and Sgian-dubh. He was a head shorter than Allistor, with dark brown – almost black – hair and deep brown eyes. His hair was matted with blood from a cut on his forehead and Allistor has to push away the rage that boiled with him as he pulled out his water skein and used the smallest amount of water to clean the cut, his hands shaking slighlty with anger. How could his brother do this to him? His younger brother was hurting his people. Allistor was the personification of Scotland, for goodness sake! His stupid younger brother was wiping out his people!

"What's your name?" he asked the boy gruffly as he finished what he was doing.

"Liam." The boy stood up with him.

"Liam, you need to stay here. Barricade yourself in and don't open the door. Not for any reason. Not unless someone gets in."

"Aye. But why?"

"I have a score to settle with my brother and I don't want ye caught up in it. It's dangerous."

"Aye, isn't everything these days though?" Liam's gaze met Allistor's green eyes evenly, "And is it not more dangerous going out there on your own?"

Allistor sighed and nodded, "They can't hurt me the same way they can hurt you."

"And we not both mortal men?" He challenged, "Can they not just kill us both the same?"

"No." Allistor snapped, "You are a mortal boy but I am the human counterpart of your country. I am Scotland, you will do as I say and wait here." His voice held a commanding tone that it hadn't before. Liam held his gaze for a moment longer before giving up.

"You're really Scotland? I thought you were only a legend." He sat back and ran a hand through his drk hair, "Aye, then fine I'll stay put unless I have to leave. I don't like it though."

Allistor smiled and nodded slightly, "I'll come back for you when it's safe," he promised before drawing his broadsword and moving towards the door. Then he was gone, moving across the moorland that was his home.

Allistor had been moving stealthily across the moors for a while before a closeby gunshot made him turn around. Not far behind him he could see one Scotsman with three Englishmen surrounding him. Instinctively Allistor started to make his way towards them, he couldn't stand by and allow one of his citizens to be murdered.

His blood ran cold as a fourth Englishman went over to the group. Even from a distance Allistor recognised him. The man's blond hair stood out against the land. This man was as English as it was possible to be. And Allistor hated him.

"Arthur!" He shouted as he saw him gesture to one of the men who raised their gun. "Arthur, stop this!" The noise from the gunshot echoed across the moors and the young Scotsman that had been surrounded crumpled to the ground.

Allistor ran up to Arthur and punched his younger brother in the face, "These are my people! And this is my land!"

"Nice to see you too, Allistor," Arthur responded cooly, dabbing at the blood from his nose, "And you're wrong. They were your people. They will come under my control."

Allistor growled and moved to punch him again but before his fist made contact he caught sights of the dead boy on the ground. It was the boy he'd been in the cottage with. And he wasn't dead yet.

"Liam!" Allistor immediately turned away from his brother and crouched beside the boy, "I thought I told you to stay put." He was shaking slightly as he pressed his hands over the boy's wound, trying to stem the flow of blood even though he knew it was too late.

"I-I'm sorry, Scotland..." The boy's brown eyes were clouded and his voice barely audible. "Th-They torched the cottage just after you left... they must have... have been watching us..."

Allistor hushed him gently, using the sleeve of his shirt to softly wipe away his tears. "You did well, Liam. Sleep now." He watched with tears of grief and anger welling if his own eyes as Liam's closed and he slipped away.

As soon as he knew the boy was dead Allistor rose to his feet and once again turned to face his brother, his deen green eyes burning with rage. "You murdered him," he growled coldly. "He was barely sixteen years old. He was only a boy really and you murdered him. In the same cold-hearted way you are murdering more of my people. I will never forget this, Arthur. And I shall never forgive you. What has happened here, these clearances... they are beyond forgiveness."

"You're still part of me though, Allistor. I still have control over you."

"For now." The Scottish personification's voice was cold and forcibly calm. "For now I am still under the rule of your ridiculous monarchy but one day I will break free. I promise you, Arthur Kirkland that I will win my independence. I swear it in the memory of every man, woman and bairn you murdered." With that he turned and took off across the moors. One of the men lifted his firearm to shoot at him but stopped as England gestured to him.

"Let him go," Arthur said softly. "He'll have to return eventually." His gaze was cold and even as he watched his brother disappear over the crest of a blood-soaked hill.

London – 2014

Allistor wouldn't admit it but he was nervous as he paced the side room he was waiting in. His good-for-nothing brother's meeting with that idiot Frog had overrun so now all Allistor could do was stand around and wait. He ran a hand through his auburn hair as he thought – yet again – over what he was going to say during this meeting. He couldn't screw this up. If anything went wrong he could potentially lose his chance to become independent from his brothers. He'd been fighting towards this for so many years. He had to get this right.

Noise from the other side of the door drew him out of his thoughts and he could hear his brother's voice as well as the smooth tones of Francis. As much as the Frenchman could be a complete idiot at times Allistor did have some respect for him; he had helped to save him in the past, even just by taking in his people when they were in need.

Scotland straightened up and glanced in the mirror as there was a knock on the door and a soft voice alerting him that it was now time for him to meet with his brother.

He strode confidently out of the door, all traces of his previous nervousness was gone. He was Scotland and this meeting was another step towards winning the war for independence that he had been fighting for so long. In the moment of all the people he had lost, Allistor was going to beat his brother once and for all.

Author's Note: Okay so this appeared in my head recently but has taken me a few days to write. Liam is an OC who just fitted the role. Ten points if you can guess who I based him off (Hint: YouTuber). Most of my knowledge of the Jacobite Rebellion and Highland Clearances came from Doctor Who because I'm slightly obsessed with the story "The Highlanders" so I apologise for any historical inaccuracies, I made stuff up because this story was in my head! And I've never written Scotland or much of England before so... yeah. I hope you enjoy!