AN: So I love the feedback I've gotten for this story so far, sure it's slowed from the first chapters, but that's totally cool, doesn't mean it's come to a halt, just means you guys are waiting for something big to hit the fan. I'll eventually deliver this metaphorical slap to the face, but not yet. Now for some questions that were asked in the reviews; on the chapter for Runa's mission through the swamps (this chapter later), could she take a samurai alive? I'm afraid not, as much as I love showing mercy on those who are singled out, it would honestly take a little away from the way Vikings are to take prisoners before trying to do something for themselves; honestly I think if actual vikings took someone prisoner, it would be merciful to kill them instead of capturing them based on history. Also, they asked if I could let General Tozen live, yet again, unfortunately no; think about it, to simply raid someone and pillage their city is one thing, but to cripple your enemy, you defeat their highest ranking officers if possible. Plus, I'm gonna make a couple different scenes in this chapter, not just Runa and the vikings, you'll see what I mean right after I stop ranting in this AN.
(The Imperial City)
The people of the Dawn Empire's capital were all gathering their necessary belongings into wagons. Atop the large hill of houses and what seemed to be endless homes and markets along with barracks for the garrisons, sat the Imperial Palace, the Emperor's elite Samurai guard stood prepared outside with his escort company.
The halls were made of jade, an almost emerald green glow to them. The pillars were painted with fiery designs and long golden coils, carved to look like dragon serpents.
Inside, the emperor, sitting upon his small throne, looked upon the map laid in front of him and his commanders, the Daimyo, all stood around the table along with his highest ranking and most daring commander, General Tozen.
The Daimyo consisted of, Danja, the most arrogant of the group. Keisa, the most greedy of them and the only one of them who was a shugoki. The third, Takashi, the coward of them, he had let his soldiers die before to save himself. Ayu, the second most loyal of the Daimyo. And finally, Seijuro, the most recognized member of the Daimyo, as he was the single best fighter in their group and led the largest force of the five.
"The vikings will be here in a matter of days…there's no denying that they're on their way here. But my scouts haven't been able to get close enough to judge precisely WHEN they'll arrive however..." Seijuro had his helmet off, revealing his worn face, he had old scars from the long war between the knights, vikings and their people.
"Your majesty, we will never win if we try to face them on the field...but if we can trap them in the city maybe." Tozen suggested, but the emperor, in his simple robes, shook his head.
"No, send the Daimyo troops to protect my people! We must focus on evacuating the city and making our way to the outer settlements." the emperor stood from his throne now.
"Abandon the city? My lord, may I remind you we will lose much of our bank's riches if we lose the capital-" Kiesa spoke up but Tozen growled.
"You greedy, honor-less bastard! You'd risk the safety of innocent people for your personal profit?!" Seijuro roared, the shugoki backed away in fear.
"No...we evacuate the city…" Seijuro sighed.
"We'll never make it...the vikings will easily catch up once they realize the city is abandoned." Ayu spoke up from the group, they knew she was right.
"What do you suggest? Someone brings their army here and fights the vikings as a distraction? I refuse." Takashi spoke with a hint of sarcasm mixed with anger.
"I will." Tozen sighed.
"...Tozen?" Seijuro looked to his friend.
"No one here but I will die at the vikings' hands. I'll bring my personal force and hold the city as long as I can. Get the people away from the battle." he sighed.
"Tozen...if you stay and fight, you'll die." Seijuro attempted, but he knew no one could dissuade Tozen from doing this.
"A necessary sacrifice...for the good of our people. Get the people and the emperor out of the city and to safety." Tozen sighed.
Suddenly, the doors of the palace opened, letting the moonlit sky shine upon them; a scout ran in, he looked desperate.
"Commanders, the vikings: they-..." he bent over and coughed as he was exhausted.
"Calm yourself soldier...breathe in...breathe out..." Ayu sighed, trying to keep the soldier talking.
"They...they've breached the edge of the swamps." the message made everyone's eyes widen.
"We're time..." Seijuro spoke in a dead serious manner.
"Evacuate the city!" Tozen ordered; they all filed out and led the emperor down to his cart.
"Tozen." the emperor gestured for him to listen.
"I cannot grant you the army of the gods to aid you...but all I can do for you...is wish you luck." he sighed, sadness evident in the older man's voice.
"And you my emperor...now go!" he ordered as the cart was pulled away to join the evacuating civilians.
Tozen didn't follow, he stood behind and watched the emperor get carried off along with the elite guard. Ayu jogged back to him.
"General...last chance, are you sure staying behind is a good idea?" she asked, he nodded his covered head.
"It's the only idea we have...now go young one..." he lowered his head, but when she turned to leave, he grabbed her shoulder.
"The vikings will find the emperor again...there's no changing that. Find the Orochi...Hattori..." her eyes widened at the mention of her old friend.
"He's imprisoned!" she didn't expect a general to go against the law.
"Soon, the past won't matter, we need a warrior of his skills if what I fear will come to pass is true...so go...find him...save the empire." he ordered. She sighed before placing her blue painted helmet atop her head and jogging to join the Daimyo.
(Two days following the evacuation)
The city seemed so empty without the bustle of everyday life occurring. Tozen had his army set up within the city; it would be at least another day before the vikings found their way through the swamps, he had left a force behind to act as scouts. But so far, he had received no warning...he feared the worst.
His guards, kenseis in golden decorated armor, all stood proudly behind their general.
He turned to his soldiers and prepared to give his final words to them as a commander.
"Through countless battles...I have stood by each and every one of you, as your general. Though the days seem grim, at the end of this battle...our sacrifices will not be in vain!" he growled, drawing his Katana.
"Draw your Nodachi' men!" he ordered, they all did so, each one of them drew their large swords.
"Each of you have spent decades to master this fine weapon; and you have all done just that. These blades were once thought to be too large for usage in war...you have all proven them wrong...as have every one of the kensei trained samurai. But in the battle that will come, let it not be known as a thought to be mistake...let these blades be known as the great sword of our empire! Let them strike true, strike swiftly! And most of all, strike fiercely! Do not let the enemy have the satisfaction of letting fear overtake us!" he didn't stutter for one second.
"Remember this...always remember...we will fall...as is the inevitable of war...but let us not die and be remembered as failures of the empire! Let our friends…our families, remember that we gave up our lives so our people could have a chance for the future! And let the vikings sing about the glorious battle they fought at the Imperial city! Let them sing about the honorable defense mounted by General Tozen and the dragon Kenseis as their own warriors burn our home! That we fought...in the face of destruction!" he growled, raising his sword.
"We will fight...for we are the last of the dragons, the emperors elites! NEVER FORGET THAT HONOR!" he roared, they all raised their swords and sounded their war cry.
(Six months previous to the current events)
Everwinter had undergone a drastic change, the winter had passed by quickly and now the crops and flowers began to bloom yet again. The city had been expanded, along with the fact that there were thousands of troop tents set up outside the wall. The banners and flags being held upon the city were not just the Iron Legion's colors, but also, a new insignia.
The other flags were white with a yellow and red outlined cross covering it, a Legion's flag.
In the city, life continued to flourish, markets covered a whole fourth of the city, two fourths were homes and the rest were military based structures along with the chapel.
The castle that stood above them all at the end of the city was, for once, manned properly. Guards were now on a regular routine and schedule for watches. Peace was evident within Everwinter since the uprising of Apollyon.
Within the command castle, was the new alliance of commanders who were still loyal to the Iron Legion. They all sat around a large, round table.
"We need solutions!" one demanded, he was a large, stoic lawbringer in vibrant steel colored armor.
"Easy for you to say! Your men have yet to see battle! I don't see you making up better ideas to deal with the situation!" a Conqueror growled.
"The two of you fighting won't get us anywhere!" a peacekeeper growled.
"No please! Let them tear at each other, this is comedic relief from our problems!" a sarcastic, warden armor wearing man sighed.
"You're not helping us get anywhere either ya' smartass!" another lawbringer growled.
"ENOUGH!" one voice thundered, silencing the argument.
A lone man, in warden's armor, stood at the far middle between them all.
"This arguing will gain us nothing! We're all here to bring an end to Apollyon's tyranny! Not kill each other over our petty differences." he growled.
"If we do not unite, we'll never win. Only by standing united, may we succeed." he growled, his longsword displayed on the table in front of him along with his helmet.
"Commander Tristan...even if we do unite...it's still not enough...Apollyon still has overwhelming numbers over us. At least four to one as of now." a female warden commander sighed. There were over a dozen commanders at the table, but only a few were really at each other's throats.
"Even more reason for us to put our differences aside and stand together! If we can succeed there, we can branch out, seek help from the outlying lands!" he pointed out, it made sense to them.
Morgan arrived, signaling that he had news for the commander.
"We'll continue this meeting later...everyone...dismissed." he ordered them. Everyone filed out of the war room until it was only Tristan and Ajax left.
"Commander...forgive my interruption of the meeting...but I need to tell you what we've learned from Ashfield." he placed his helmet on the round table, his hand was always grazing the handle of his sword.
"What's the word from our agents?" Tristan asked calmly, trying to surpass the stress he was under.
"Well...it's not a lot to go on...but one of our agents in the village, Wortham-" Tristan cut him off.
"The fishing village? Only miles away from one of Apollyon's fortresses?" he asked, Ajax nodded as an answer to the question.
"Forgive me, what have they to report?" he asked the African knight.
"The agent reported civil unrest...when Apollyon's soldiers in the village threatened someone for questioning the law...a woman wearing warden's armor slew them all..." he slurred off, Tristan's eyes narrowed.
"What aren't you telling me, Sir Morgan?" he asked the other man, Ajax sighed.
"She...her tabard was torn...sir...it was a worn Blackstone tabard." Tristan's eyes widened at the very mention...a lone female warden, Blackstone colors...and killing other Blacktones…
"Have they found her?" he asked, Morgan shook his head.
"Then have the scouts immediately start searching for her...I want...if it is truly her…I NEED her at my side." he lowered his head, Morgan nodded.
"Anything else sir?" he asked the commander, who sighed.
"No...you're dismissed." he sighed, letting first Lieutenant leave him.
'Heh...I'm pathetic...I feel like the only way I could lead this army is with a woman at my side...but with recent events, I feel so empty...I need a new sense motivation…and if she's out there...she could be the spark I need to ignite the flame of this rebellion...someone to give me a reason to fight to see the end of this dammed war.' he had an internal monologue.
"Please, Jacklyn...if that's you out there...stay safe...watch your back...and we'll find each other..." he looked to the windows behind him, they were stained glass, the pictures resembling the great war that established the Iron Legion.
'Then...we bring Apollyon's rein of terror to an end...one way or another.'
(The Myre, The edge of the Swamps)
Stigandr jogged through the carnage of dead Samurai soldiers; Runa had been through here.
In fact, he had just found her. On a bridge stood the valkyrie, her spear and buckler shield in both hands and was standing over a freshly killed militia soldier.
They made eye contact, he had to admit, when she was doing recon work, she was almost deathly silent. There was an air of silence around them.
"So...what did they tell you?" he asked.
She looked to the corpse for a moment, then back to him and shrugged.
"I don't speak Japanese." she was acting so calm about the situation and it made him a but uncomfortable; he knew he should have had Theoden come.
He stuttered, needing to break the awkward silence. "Well? What now? We need maps." he suggested this, she nodded at the thought.
"There's a monastery." she spoke calmly.
"How do you know?" he was curious. She chuckled and raised her spear a bit; she pointed it to the direction behind her.
He peered around her and sure enough, there a Chosen Monastery stood in the fog.
He, for some reason, began laughing for a moment.
"Wait here. I'll bring reinforcements." he sighed, turning to leave, but he knew her better than to think she wouldn't charge in alone.
"Wait for us here." he ordered; she nodded with a silent sigh. He turned and began trekking back to gather Theoden and the rest.
As soon as he was out of sight, she raised her spear and did exactly as he had ordered her against; going alone.
(Four hours later)
Theoden, Helvar, Stigandr, and Siv nearly jumped at the sight of Runa running to them out of the fog...with a map in hand.
When she now stood before them, Stigandr sighed.
"I told you to wait for us." he chuckled. She shrugged, Theoden stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace; no one would dare judge him for it, lest they receive a broken jaw.
"If Odin ever created miracle workers, you're one of them!" he sighed, she handed him the map.
"Set up a camp for the night...Stig, Helvar, Siv; we'll mark the path through the swamps." he ordered, they nodded and set to work.
He looked back to the army.
"Tomorrow! THE RAID BEGINS!" he roared, stirring a war cry from the army of vikings.
Okay guys, so I hope you guys liked the samurai POV I made, I think it kind of singles each Daimyo out along with giving a bit of character to General Tozen. Of course, I love bringing Tristan and the knights into everything, but I'm about to quit making those cameos; getting too close to reveal too much. R&R, let me know what you guys thought; you know the drill.
DUES VULT!
