Updated: Chapter 7. Doomed Supper.
When Corrin stepped into the war room, she was briefly surprised to see that it was only her father standing at the table in the center of the room. The room itself was brightly lit with torches all along the wall, making the images on the map that rested on the table clear and easily readable, which was probably his intention. She imagined that age couldn't have done much wonders for his eyesight.
"You summoned me, father?" Corrin said as she came through the door and stood on the opposite side of the table from him.
"I did." He said while gesturing to a letter that rested on the table. "I have been asked to attend a performance in Cyrkensia, hosted by the Hoshidan separatists. They wish to discuss an alliance. I intend to be there in time for this performance."
"I assume there's more of it than that."
"There is." He nodded and invited her to look closer at the map he had laid out. "I refuse to negotiate without first gaining a position of power. I wish to have a foothold in Hoshido before attending this meeting. That is the task I have for you." He picked up what looked like two chess pieces, pawns, and placed them on a part of the map with the title 'Mokushu' above it. "Some time ago, Camilla sent out her retainers to find us a landing point in Hoshido. They reported back and informed us that they have infiltrated the region and were able to raise up a puppet leader who now runs the region without the knowledge of the central government. This leader will ensure our forces are able to land safely. I want you to lead these forces and, upon landing, conquer the region to the west." He move another chess piece, a knight this time, and placed it on a region west of Mokushu. This one titled 'Chiba.' "It is a recently seceded country that chose not to join with the separatist alliance. Holding that region will place our armies within striking distance of Cyrkensia. After you've conquered the region, meet me in Cyrkensia. Make sure to leave behind a commander with the orders to ensure the army is ready and able to invade Cyrkensia at a moment's notice."
"Do we intend to?"
"If these separatists are what they seem, then so be it. The primary purpose of this action is to show them that we are not begging for their aid. They are begging for our clemency. Under these circumstances, I expect the separatists will be significantly more pliable to whatever demands we put forward."
"I understand." Corrin nodded. "And what of Chiba itself? How do you want me to deal with the people there?"
"Try to preserve the resources of the land, as much as possible. If they submit, grant clemency. Otherwise, ensure they are unable to mount a counter-attack or create significant rebellion against the occupation. We cannot have a rebel problem in the middle of these talks."
"Of course." She understood well enough. And funnily enough, it didn't bother her all that much. "I do hope you brought reinforcements for me. I don't think I could launch a credible invasion force with the measly 500 troops." She may not understand much about logistics, but she could understand that in general, bigger numbers beat smaller numbers.
"I did." He nodded. "The attack on the homeland, and the quick response, has inspired something of a spike in the volunteer rate, spurred on my Iago's effective propaganda methods. I brought with me 800 soldiers. 700 shall go to you."
"What about their make-up? Men at arms? Archers? Flyers?" She knew those were going to be the first things that Jakob asked when she told him the big news.
"500 men at arms. 100 archers. 60 flyers. 40 knights." He said plainly and simply, allowing her to make quick mental notes. "Also a mage. One we happened to stumble upon on the way South. She doesn't...appear to be much, but with the promise of a high place in our ranks, she was willing to offer a demonstration of her talents. She will be an asset."
"I appreciate it." Corrin nodded. "I'll tell Jakob to start integrating the new guys, and getting us ready to march out. Deadline?"
"The opera will be in two months. Don't be late."
Fort Dragonfall Tents
Silas
One of the most important parts of being a soldier was knowing how to pack light. With how frequently one moved around, being able to pack your entire life on your back was an ideal that every soldier strived for. Hours were spent whittling down the non-essentials. Measuring what was needed against what could be gone without or easily attained upon reaching the next duty station.
Silas had years to go through the process and by now, he had packing light down to an artform.
He must have been a sight for the many rookies he passed by with the massive rucksack on his back as he marched through the tent city that formed around Fort Dragonfall. Most of them would probably crumple under the weight, but after so many years of traveling like this, his shoulders could bear it the whole day if they had to, and they often did. Even his messed up leg, which he mostly grown accustomed to, didn't do much to hurt his ability to carry it like an expert pack mule.
Still, that didn't make him any less eager to set down his burden. So when he came into sight of the squad tent he'd been assigned to, he immediately redoubled his step. Only barely slowing down as he went inside and out of the wind.
When he first entered the tent, his relief at finally arriving at his destination was almost immediately overtaken by his utter confusion at the sight before him. Now, he had served on squads before, and he knew that every squad and squad member had their own individual...quirks that made them unique. After a decade of military experience, Silas thought he had a pretty good tolerance for differences. There was no organization as diverse as the army, after all, and learning how to get along with people of all origins and mindsets was vital for team cohesion, and for sanity.
Still, perhaps there was a limit to how diverse a team should be.
In the squad tent, with its utilitarian make-up of four bedrolls and not much else that they didn't bring themselves, his eyes slowly went between the three people that were supposed to be his new squad. The first one he noticed, and for probably deliberate reasons, was the woman sitting on some wooden box going for the look of what he could only describe as "prostitute: war edition." The armor that was there seemed rather standard issue and sufficiently durable enough to serve its purpose, but that was rather severely undercut by how little of it she was actually wearing.
Across from her sat a man who was her opposite in every perceivable way. While she chattered at him with words too fast and hushed for Silas to hear or understand, this other man seemed to silently take most of it in, offering a nod and small comment here and there. And in contrast to her attire, he was currently adorned in one of the heavier variations of the standard armor. Actually, he thought, it might be the heaviest possible version, the kind only meant for those riding mounted. Though as far as he was aware, he wasn't assigned any cavalry units, meaning that this man must, just, fight like that? Even Silas had a hard time wrapping his head around it.
And more in the forefront, more to the center of the tent and away from the pair's conversation, sat a man with pointed animal-like ears and sharp teeth, curled up on the ground while savagely devouring a raw piece of meat that looked recently caught. The first thought that came to Silas' mind was 'shapechanger.' As far as he knew of the various Wolfskin tribes that darted the more northwestern fringes of Nohr, they were quite possibly the only people in all of Nohr who were relatively unaffected by the famines that dominated the region. Even the fishing villages weren't as well off as they were. Probably owing much of that to their animal instinct to survive and thrive off the wilderness, and their naturally small community-based villages. He knew that despite being vastly outnumbered by human tribes, their kind still supplied maybe 40% of the kingdom's food supply, and practically all of their meat. Still, they were relatively rare in the army, simply due to the fact that most of them didn't have much interest in leaving their villages, and none of them needed to join the army in order to ensure they were fed.
The Wolfskin was the first person to acknowledge his presence after he set his rucksack down to the side, picking his head up from his meal and sitting up straight to address him. "Oh, hello there!" He said with all the eager sincerity of youth. "You must be Ser Silas!"
"Ser Silas?" The woman said with a hint of surprise. "So you're a knight? Oh, dear," She practically sighed. "Benny, why didn't you mention our squad leader would be someone so strong and experienced!"
"Must have slipped my mind." The large man who was evidently named 'Benny' replied with what appeared to be gruff resignation. He was the first one to walk up to Silas. "I guess I might as well introduce you. I'm Benny, that's Charlotte, and the Wolfskin is Keaton. We were told that you'd be our squad leader."
"Yeah, I was told something similar by Jakob." Silas looked over the group that had been placed under his charge. He had to admit, after the way his conversation with Corrin had gone, he expected a bit worse than being placed in charge of a fighting squad. Though, he suspected the conversation between her and Jakob went more along the lines of 'find a good use for him' and not much further. He couldn't imagine her spending a whole lot of time debating the best placement for him on her own. "Pleasure to meet you, Benny. All of you. I hope you don't mind if we go straight to business but I would like to know a bit about all of you before doing anything else. Specifically your talents and preferred tactics."
"Well, if you really want to know about me," Charlotte said while fidgeting with her hands, evidently not expecting to be put on the spot so soon. "I'm pretty good at baking, and keeping things clean. I can certainly make the days comfortable for the squad, make sure everyone's rested and taken care of."
"Valuable," Silas conceded. Not what he was going for, but it was nice to know anyway. He'd been on long missions enough times to know the value of a meal cooked with care and skill. "But what about on the actual battlefield? Will you be able to hold your own then?"
"Well, I've been told I'm pretty good with an ax, if that's what you want to know."
Benny snickered. "A little better than 'pretty good.' Woman is an absolute monster with an ax. Has more raw power than someone that size has any right to possess."
"Raw power and a specialty with axes. Thank you." Silas nodded. "And yourself…"
"Oh, am I next?" Keaton spoke up before Silas could finish addressing Benny, reminding Silas of how the Wolfskin had been waiting patiently while eagerly watching them for a chance to introduce himself. He figured it'd do more harm than good to tell him to wait. Benny seemed patient, at least. "Well, I'm a shapechanger from one of the Wolfskin tribes. Meaning...I can turn into a wolf monster. But you probably already knew that much. I'm pretty young as far as Wolfskins go, but I got lots of energy."
Not to mention, by virtue of being a Wolfskin alone, he was bound to have a lot of destructive power. Especially when it came to breaking apart Hoshidan lines, who tended to not have as big of powerhouses themselves due to their cultural aversion to shapechangers and other 'unnatural' creatures and methods. Really, he was surprised he didn't have to fight in order to get such a powerful asset on his team. Usually shapechangers were something that commanders and squad leaders scrambled over each other in order to get placed in their command.
"Well, we'll be sure to place that energy to good use. I'm glad to have you aboard." Silas said, the attention seeming to excite Keaton further. Seemed he wouldn't have to worry about keeping morale high with that one, another added bonus. "That just leaves you, Benny. If you don't mind my saying, you seem a bit older than a lot of the recruits I've seen around. You wouldn't happen to be a veteran of the last war, are you?"
"You'd be correct on that." Benny nodded. "I served on the border. Saw lots of combat there. It was a tough time to be in the army, but my armor and my size got me through it. If I had to list a particular talent, it'd be soaking up enemy attention and damage. Lot of young people think that if they just keep hitting it with swords and spears, eventually armor will break." He grinned. "They're always wrong."
A man who could appreciate the value of armor was a man after Silas' own heart. "It'll be nice to have a veteran on the team. Where were you after the barrier went up?"
"Stayed on the border. It was a lot more boring after that. At first it was nice to have a break from all the chaos and bloodshed, but after awhile the tediousness of upkeeping a fort that seemed like it would never get use again really grained on the mind." He nodded his head toward Charlotte. "She would know about that, as well. We were stationed together there."
Charlotte looked like she was about to say something, but Silas cut in. "Right, thank you for bringing her up. There is...something I feel needs addressing." He looked at her, and she looked at him as if expecting something. "Charlotte, I would prefer if I didn't need to micromanage your lives and tactical choices in terms of weapons and armor...but that requires you to actually have armor. So, if you don't mind...would you please put on some clothes?" He said with a sternness in his voice that made sure she knew it wasn't in any way a request.
Whatever she'd been expecting of him, this was clearly the opposite. "But...don't you like it?"
"What I 'like' is comrades not dying. If an arrow hit Benny, or me, we'd shrug it off. If it hit you, that'd be it. Done. Everything you were and everything you dreamed of becoming, over. I don't want that for anyone under my command, and my orders revolve around ensuring that doesn't happen, so I expect you to follow my command when I tell you to put on some goddamn clothing."
"But...Keaton doesn't…"
"Keaton is a shapechanger. Armor would be wasted on him. You are a front-line warrior and I expect you to be dressed for the occasion. Now, you're going to go to the quartermaster immediately after this and get something suitable for the battles ahead."
"Err...yeah, I get it," she sighed a bit dramatically. "If...that's what you want, Ser Silas…"
"It is." He nodded finally. "Now, I'd rather not end on a sour note. So I'll finish up by telling all of you that based on first impressions alone, this team looks rather promising. A heavy hitter, a behemoth, and a shapechanger. I honestly couldn't have asked for better and more diverse roles to work with. With some dedication, we're going to accomplish some mighty feats out there."
Fort Dragonfall
Azura
Growing up, Azura enjoyed spending time on the walls surrounding Shirasagi Castle and looking down at the massive city below. Especially at night, when all the lights glowed and peered at her from the twilight, it made the whole mountain seem alive and wonderful.
She liked to place stories to all the lights. Families and what their homes were like. Large clumps of multiple lights were mansions full of bustling servants to an important family who shaped the lives of everyone they came in contact with. Sometimes that family was a large and busy one that had extended family all throughout the town, and whose dynasty had touched that of kings. Sometimes that family was a lonely single man, embittered from a tragic life but who found solace in his work and small rays of hope in the happiness that came about because of it.
Lonesome lights off in the distance were small homes, some with close and loving families that enjoyed simple lives. Some were small cells of criminals and cutthroats planning a big scheme to finally escape their poverty. Exciting stories, happy stories, bittersweet stories. Whatever struck her mood, she could simply gaze down at the city and place them wherever she felt. And they'd be real, to her.
"So many of them."
Azura jumped at the sound of the deep and groaned voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. Before she could even react properly, King Garon walked out from the shadows and stood next to her, gazing down at the many tents below.
"It can be hard to imagine. So many lives. Each and every one of them was once a child, born to a mother who may or may not be waiting for them to return home. They grew up in a home, a field, a village. So many possibilities. So many choices each and every one of them has made, to lead them to this place." He breathed deeply. "It can be overwhelming when you stop to think about it. How many people do you pass by every day? To you, their lives are only for as long as you interact with them. But forget yourself for a moment, and you realize that each and every person you walk by has lived a life just like your own. Years of investment and experiences to create the person that you walked by without speaking a word to. It can be difficult to wrap one's head around it."
She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say in response to that. She wasn't even sure if he wanted a response.
"...Corrin told me about you." He said after a moment of what seemed like hesitation. "I didn't know you were here, or all that you've experienced, until a few days ago. I apologize for not visiting earlier." He sighed. "I remember the last time I saw you. The same day I left for what was supposed to be the signing of a truce. You were so young at the time. I...hadn't realized it would be the last time I saw you for over a decade." He coughed. "I...imagine you've experienced a very eventful life since then."
Is he...nervous? The man in front of her bore very little resemblance to any of the stories she'd heard of King Garon. Those few who had personally seen him in the past described him as regal, cold, and brutally analytical. A tactician and administrator who weighed countless lives with cold logic above all else. Above any humanity. Against heart.
She had been told he was her father all her life. Hoshido would not allow her to forget it. Yet she had never really known the man. Azura was too young when she had been taken. She couldn't even remember the moment that he was talking about. Most of the time she didn't really think that hard about it. Her connection to the king of Nohr never meant much to her, other than as an object of scorn that kept her from leaving the confines of Shirasagi Castle. She supposed King Garon had been her cage.
Then she realized...he was waiting for her to say something.
"My life in Hoshido was...a trial. But I wouldn't change what happened if I could. I'm stronger for it, I believe."
"Hmm, wiser too. Wiser beyond your years." He sighed. "Girls your age shouldn't need to be wise. It shames me that the world forced you to be."
"I'm hardly a girl. In Hoshido, I was considered an adult 4 years ago. In Nohr, I would have been considered an adult 1 year ago. I'm hardly a young child anymore."
"Perhaps when you have become as old as I have, everyone seems young." He smiled. Though, on his lined and weary face, the gesture seemed strangely out of place. "It is...pleasant to see you again, Azura."
"You as well."
"...I will leave you the...ledge. I hope we will have more time to talk later." He nodded, and left through the same path that he came from.
"I suppose we will." Azura said, to herself as he was already too far away to hear her. She watched for a time as he retreated through the doorway and outside of her vision.
A tyrant, a warmonger, and a ruthless destroyer. This man who at one time had Hoshido at its knees, and used the chance of a peace talk to assassinate the monarch and kidnap his daughter. The man who ordered the destruction of an entire village, on multiple occasions, for single instances of rebellion in order to keep all others from openly defying him. The man who was responsible for the deaths of thousands. Tens of thousands. And yet, as he left the only thing she could think was: "That was so...awkward."
Fort Dragonfall Tents
Benny
When Charlotte looked at herself in the mirror, Benny would have thought she'd seen a bully from her childhood or someone who had killed her parents. Her eyes glared hatefully at her new armor with its jagged edges and unflattering color. Nary a trace of skin other than her head. Fully protected, just as Ser Silas had ordered..
"Ugh, it's so hot in this thing!" She whined as she tugged at the neck of her shirt that was underneath the iron plates. "I'm sweating like a boar! How do you manage in your heavy suit?"
Benny shrugged. "Practice, I suppose. After a time, it really just starts to feel like a natural exoskeleton."
"I don't want this to feel natural!" She whined. "Who would ever be attracted to this ugly suit! It doesn't matter what I do with my hair, I'm completely indistinguishable from every other woman in this army! How am I supposed to stand out and get people's eyes?"
"Pretty sure that's the point. It's designed to be uniform."
"That's stupid! This uniform is stupid! That Ser is stupid!" She growled as she grabbed the mirror, picked it up over her head, and threw it out of the tent with a shattering crash. "What's his damn problem, anyway! How long were we stationed at the border?"
"You were there for about-"
"Seven years! Seven years and not one commander or sergeant ever had a problem with my dress! Those old bastards couldn't get enough of it! I had them wrapped around my finger before I ever even said a word!" She was ranting now. Benny was able to see all the indicators. "Then this stupid kid just marches in and starts telling me to be modest! Me?! Where does he get off? Probably a damn eunuch, can't think of any other reasons why he would want my glorious figure locked in this stupid heap of tin! Can't enjoy it himself so he needs to cripple my chances of catching anyone else's eye! 'Suit of armor, at all times. Make sure you're always protected. Whenever you eat, sleep, or travel.' Fucker, who the hell lives like that! Trapped in a suit of armor, 24/7? Are you crazy?!"
"It was actually standard protocol when we were on the border, during war time at least. Before the barrier went off we were always expecting an attack." Benny remarked. "He's too young to have been a soldier then, but as a knight, he was probably moving around the country a lot. Probably was always expecting bandits or animal attacks."
"I don't care about any of that! I got priorities! You should know that, Benny! I need to get enough money so I can finally quit this god forsaken army for good and I can't do that if I can't make money!"
"Excuse me, am I interrupting?"
"What?!" Charlotte screamed at the entryway to their tent.
Benny turned his own head toward the entrance, and immediately felt the life drain out of him when he recognized the person standing there. "Princess Corrin." He said, immediately dropping to a knee.
Charlotte turned white as a ghost. "P-P-P-P-"
"Princess." She finished for her. "Two syllables. Prin-cess. Work on it." The princess took a few more steps into the tent. "You two are part of Silas' new squad, yes?"
"Yes, your highness." Benny said while looking at her feet. At this point, Charlotte finally managed to get her foot out of her mouth and joined him in a kneeling position.
"Excellent. I have special instructions for both of you." She stood in front of them with her arms crossed, allowing Benny to see the strange sword on her hip. It was a twisted shape, with an eerie glow that reeked of dark magic. The sight of it made his skin crawl. "Silas is to be protect at all costs. You're to watch out for him and ensure he survives to see the end of this war."
"O-Of course," Charlotte stammered. "Anything for royalty! Your wish is my command."
The princess grinned, reached down, and held the woman by the chin, forcing her head up to look into her single eye. "Don't be so eager to offer wishes to people you've only just met. And what if I told you to sacrifice your life for him, if it came to that? Are you really willing to make me that promise?"
"I…"
"I hope so. Because that is what I'm ordering." She explained further. "I don't think you're quite understanding of what I'm demanding of you." She said with dead seriousness. "His life matters to me. Yours does not. If you die protecting him, I will ensure your families and loved ones are compensated. Well compensated. They'll never have to fear poverty again." She grinned. "That's the carrot. The stick is that if he does die and you don't, you will severely wish that you had. As will your families and loved ones. Have you seen the town of Cheve? Did you know that only about 40% of the population were males above the age of 15?" At this point, Charlotte was shaking. Benny wanted to do something to help her, but knew better of it. The princess would scare them, but if she wanted what she was asking done, she wouldn't hurt them. All they had to do was wait, and listen. "The village displeased me. They refused to see reason, and paid the price. Every single one of them. I was willing to do that to an entire village. Two worthless, nameless soldiers? Barely a footnote." She released Charlotte. "Now do you understand?"
"Uh-huh…"
"Excellent." The princess turned on her heel and walked to the tent flap. "Oh, and keep this conversation between us, okay? No need to let the Ser know. Good night."
After she had walked out, Charlotte immediately fell down and started tearing up. "I-I thought she was going to kill me! I've never been so scared in my life! What is wrong with that woman?!" She screamed so loudly that Benny was almost certain that the princess must have heard her from outside the tent. "S-She didn't have an eye! Or an ear! Why the fuck didn't she have an eye?! Where did her eye go, Benny?! Why didn't she have a fucking eye?!"
"Charlotte, calm down." Benny held her by the shoulders as she shook. "She was just scaring you to make sure you did what she asked. You're fine, I'm fine. We're all fine."
She looked up and grabbed him by the neck. "Who was that?! I've never heard of her before! Where the hell did she even come from!"
"Her name is Princess Corrin." Benny gently grabbed her wrists and forced them down. "Not surprising you haven't heard of her. She's relatively new. I only found out from a friend of mine who works at Castle Krakenburg." He explained to her. "She's some secret daughter of King Garon's. She was holed up in a fortress up north for pretty much her whole life. Nobody really understands why. All he knew was, in the time that woman has been among civilization, she's killed the queen of Hoshido, destroyed the barrier, decimated the Ice Tribe, and now, genocided Cheve. She's dangerous...but she's a patriot. She's working for Nohr. Which means she's on our side."
"Then why don't I feel any safer?"
"Because, she's dangerous."
Divine Dragon Forest
Alicia groaned as she finally got a chance to get off her feet and sit down under the moonlit sky, even if it was only on a log. "By the god, are my legs sore. How long have we been marching?"
Not a moment later, Gerald was sitting down right with her, back to back. "Roughly...I don't know, eight hours? Geez, feels like basic training all over again."
"Please don't remind me of those ruck marches! I nearly broke my leg during that!" Alicia groaned again. "I'm so ready to go home. I never thought I'd say this, at all, in my entire life...but I really want to be back in Nohr. Sure, it's a shithole, but it's a familiar shithole, y'know?"
"Yeah, I know." He sighed. "Would be getting back a lot faster if that whiny princess wouldn't keep dragging her feet. I swear, with how much running she's been doing for the past couple weeks or so, she should be a lot faster than she is right now. You think she's deliberately holding us back?"
"Wouldn't surprise me, little bitch. I swear, I've never met a grown woman who was such a brat! I mean, I get Prince Leo's reasoning for bringing her along, but...geez, I'm just glad I finally have a chance to sit down and complain about it. Thank the god we were finally sent on a patrol that got us some distance from the camp. You got any wine on you?"
"Nah, finished it off about a week ago."
"Damn, I could really go for a swig right about now." Alicia grumbled as she opened up her canteen and drank the boring, normal river water. "First thing I'm doing when we finally join back up with the main camp."
"Might not have any. They've been stationary for a really long time." Gerald sighed. "At least when we get back the army will finally be getting moving again. What do you think we'll do? Go home to regroup or resume the campaign immediately from here?"
"I sure as hell hope we're not staying out here. I need a break from this war. I don't even dream of home anymore. Whenever I dream, I'm out here in the battlefield. Like my subconscious has figured this is just my home now. Really bums me out that I don't even have dreams to look forward to."
"Yeah...this stinks."
"Oh yeah, this stinks." Alica sighed and leaned back against him. "I could really just take a nap right now."
Without warning, Gerald stood up, causing her to fall on her back. "Ow!" She shouted. "What the hell, man?!"
"I think I saw something out there." Gerald said back, his eyes scanning the trees.
"It was probably just a wolf or something!" Alicia got to her feed, brushing off her backside. "They're more scared of us than we are of them! Don't worry about it!"
"No, it was too small to be a wolf…" He said slowly. "Hey, do you see that?"
"See what?" Alicia looked out. "Wait, is that...glowing?"
In the semi-darkness of the Hoshidan night, the soft green glow was easy to pick out. Coming out of a bush and hitting the forest around it.
"I'm going to go check it out." Gerald said. "Wait here and watch my back."
"Right." Alicia nodded back at him, having fully entered back into solder mode, and began carefully scanning the surrounding trees as Gerald took careful steps toward the glowing bush.
When he finally reached the bush, he peered at it and found that the source of the glow wasn't the bush itself, but some object lodged inside it. Moving aside the branches revealed to him what looked like a large green orb, about the size of a head. "Hey, I think I found it!" He called back to Alicia. "Some kind of orb. Looks...interesting." He said as he looked closer at it. The orb seemed to move and shimmer, like there was a small ocean trapped inside. Clearly, there was some kind of magic inside it, though he certainly wasn't capable of figuring that out on his own. He figured Prince Leo would know, though, if they brought it back to him. "Hey, you think-"
His words were cut off as a spear lodged itself into his neck from somewhere behind him. He reached up and grabbed the spear, but couldn't stop it when the weapon was viciously ripped out of him and forced him to the ground.
The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was Alicia sitting hunched over on the log with a knife wound in the back of her head.
Then...nothing.