Rigged from the Start
Chapter 15
City of the Dead
A small campfire crackled in front of me. What little wood I managed to scrape together from the frozen land around us popped and hissed as orange flames licked at them, turning the previously wet wood into cinders. How did we manage to ignite wet wood in frozen conditions? Magic of course. An old, handy dandy Fire tome Anna had in the back of her cart did the trick. Morgan offered to ignite the fire, but Anna ignored her and sparked it herself. Then, the merchant went off to sleep in her cart, leaving me to watch the four kids around the fire. She did not even bother to eat any dinner, which consisted of some soup still simmering in a cast iron pot over the fire.
I sniffed the air as Severa quietly stirred the pea soup (not the best, but I'll take what I can get in these conditions). My mouth watered as my stomach growled.
Nearly finished cooking.
I glanced at the other kids around the fire, checking to see how they were all doing. It was mostly a silent journey after Anna and I discovered our four stowaways. Because of the silence, I had a hard time discerning how the kids were feeling, which is not good for me since I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on them. Maybe I'm taking the job too seriously. Anna would probably tell me that, but honestly, I cared about them. They all took me in despite not knowing me and despite my lack of explanation for who I am besides amnesia. So I felt obligated to return the favor somehow, even if it was only checking and making sure they were all okay.
Owain and Cynthia appeared to bounce back from Anna's tongue lashing well enough. They were quieter than normal, but they did not have a look of pure terror in their eyes anymore. They sat shoulder to shoulder, talking in hushed whispers to each other. Probably sharing their ideas on how the mission would go down. Although, judging by their expressions, their conversation did not involve glorious details of rescue and heroism. They appeared scared, and I was too.
Morgan quietly read her spellbook. Her eyes roved over the text as she took in the knowledge with a ravenous hunger. The amount she read would have put me in highschool to shame. It was probably her way of distracting her mind from the dangerous mission ahead of us. Not a bad idea on her part. If I could distract myself with something, I would. The thought of finding the Risen army, infiltrating it, then getting skinned alive made my stomach churn.
Now I don't feel very hungry.
Severa tapped the wooden spoon against the lip of the pot. Both Owain and Cynthia whipped their gazes over to the fire. Morgan briefly glanced up, then flicked over to the next page in her spellbook.
"Dinner." Severa mumbled as she reached for a bowl and scooped up some soup for herself. Once that was done she sighed, then handed the bowl towards me, "Since, with how accident prone you are, you'd probably get hurt somehow."
I raised an eyebrow, "Uh… thanks, I think?"
"Whatever." Severa muttered as I took the bowl of soup from her.
The other kids moved to serve themselves, with Morgan going last, since she was far more engrossed in her book rather than focused on eating. As I reached for my spoon I paused and glanced back at Anna's silent cart.
She might be upset, I thought as I looked down at my bow, But that doesn't mean she shouldn't eat.
I brushed my way past Owain as he finished ladling soup into his bowl. One cursory glance told me Severa only grabbed enough bowls for those of us around the fire. I frowned and sighed.
I'll have some in a little bit then.
Snow crunched beneath my feet as I rose and turned to Anna's cart. I could feel Severa's gaze following me as I made my way over to the canvas covered wagon. Cynthia cleared her throat.
"S-Sam, are you sure that you should-"
I waved off her concern and continued towards the cart. A bitter wind slammed into me, and in my own carelessness, I nearly tipped Anna's bowl of soup over as I recoiled from the cold. I muttered a string of curses as I reached the rear of the cart. I snorted to myself as I looked up into it.
Angled against the wind. I thought, Smart.
Inside of the dark cart, I saw Anna leaning up against a crate filled with weapons. A heavy blanket lay over her torso as she kept her legs tucked to her chest. She blinked then glanced over at me. I raised the bowl of soup.
"Hungry?" I asked, a nervous smile on my lips.
She simply stared at me a moment, surprise in her eyes; which of course surprised me because Anna is almost never surprised by anything. She shifted, a small groan coming from the darkness. I saw the shadow of her arm reach for the crate behind her, pulling herself upright.
"Not really." She finally replied, her voice still in the night, "But…" She sighed, "Better eat to keep my strength up."
I grinned back, "So you are hungry."
"I never said that." Anna replied back as I stepped up into the cart, thankful that the tight canvass provided some shelter from Regna Ferox's biting wind.
I took a seat across from her, holding the bowl of pea soup out to her. She snaked one hand out from her heavy blanket and gently took the bowl from me. As she set in her lap, she took a deep breath, uttering a pleased sigh as the steam of the soup reached her nose.
"Yeah, never mind, I'm hungry." She said with a slight laugh.
She scooped up a spoonful of soup then glanced out of the cart over to the small campfire burning a few feet away.
"How are they?" She asked.
I pressed my lips into a thin line, "I doubt you'd appreciate it if I sugarcoated that answer?"
"If I wanted sugarcoat, I'd have made sure Gaius stayed with us." Anna remarked as she spooned another mouthful of soup into her mouth.
I snorted out a small laugh, "Not wrong." I took a deep breath, "They're scared."
"You can tell?"
I shrugged, "I mean… I'm scared. And, I may not have done anything like this before, but you and Gaius have been training me for this for a couple months now. I should be prepared and-" I paused mid thought, "I'm getting ahead of myself. A couple months is not enough time to get good at this shit."
"You're right, it's not." Anna remarked with a small nod, "Training is not enough to get good at this shit. The only way you get good, is surviving the missions, one at a time." She took another bite of soup and nodded, "One at a time…"
I furrowed my brow, my own hunger forgotten. I have never seen Anna like this before. She seemed very… distant, nervous, fearful even. Maybe she was just as scared as I was, but she was better at hiding it. That made sense to me. She was not like this before we found the kids in the back of the cart, hiding inside of potato sacks. Ever since she told that story about Gregor she seemed very withdrawn.
"You alright?" I finally asked, shifting as a cold wind managed to slip through any cracks in the canvass. Winter's cold fingers seeped beneath my cloak and clothes, making me shiver.
Anna sniffed, reached to a crate beside her, then tossed me a heavy blanket.
"Get that on before you catch cold." She muttered as she chewed on a clump of peas, "Can't have you sneezing when trying to infiltrate a Risen horde."
"I didn't ask for a blanket, Anna, I-"
She shivered beneath her own blanket. I noticed a crooked smile across her lips. A dry laugh bubbled up from her lungs and she set her bowl down into her lap. She pursed her lips, staring out towards Emm as the large painted horse snorted at the front of the cart. Her jaw worked back and forth, as if she was seriously thinking about saying something, before she finally bowed her head and uttered a heavy breath.
"Can't be thinking about that right now." She exhaled and glanced up at me, "Alright, Sam, distract me."
I blinked, "D-distract you?"
"Yeah…" She gestured towards me with her right hand as her left picked up her bowl again, "Take me out of this fucking cold. A story, a song, something, anything at all."
I reeled, "Uh… well…" I glanced back at the campfire, then back to Anna, and immediately her welcoming demeanor shifted into a scowl.
"No."
"You didn't even let me-"
"I said no." Anna frowned.
"What better distraction than them?" I declared, "Cynthia and Owain must be the king and queen of distractions!"
"I can think of a lot better distractions than a bunch of idiotic kids." Anna remarked, taking another bite of soup, "Stories, songs-"
"Are best shared with a large group of people." I pointed out, cutting her off. An already dangerous move on my part, but this was a risk I was willing to take, "C'mon," I nodded my head back over to the campfire, "Are you really going to let the bumbling introvert be more sociable?"
Anna continued frowning at me, "I'm tempted."
"Then come on."
"It's cold out there." She quickly argued back.
"And it is cold in here." I spread my arms out, "It's Regna Ferox, even a fire is cold here." That managed to elicit a quiet laugh from her, "But it can be a lot warmer around good people. Dumb as they may be, this coming from an equally dumb person, they make the night a little brighter."
Anna looked at me like I just said the single dumbest thing on the face of the planet, as if to prove my point about me being not the brightest person in our little camp. Her eyes drifted over to the camp, then back to me.
"Fine, but on one condition."
"Name it."
"You quit saying you're dumb."
I drew back in surprise, "But you-"
"Yes, I call you an idiot." Anna admitted, "But that doesn't mean you should say the same about yourself… and that doesn't mean I'm right. I mean, and it kills me to admit this, you did manage to snatch my brooch," She tapped her chest, her fingernail pinging off of the metal pin hidden beneath the blanket, "right off of me while still learning how to be a proper thief. A dumb person could not do that."
"Well, maybe you let me do it."
She leaned towards me, "I would never… never, let anyone steal from me. Least of all you and Gaius." She leaned back again, "So you did manage to snatch it from me. Not in the most graceful manner, but you can't even get off of the cart gracefully," I snorted out a laugh at that, "so I shouldn't have too high of expectations there. If you hadn't run into Frederick, you probably would have made it to Gaius with it. So yeah, you're not dumb." She winked at me, "Just a bit clumsy."
"No denial there." I remarked, patting my knees, "C'mon, let's go enjoy the fire."
A reluctant breath slipped from Anna, "Do I have to?"
"No, but the better question do you want to-"
"Absolutely not."
"Fine, then you have to." I replied, making her chuckle under her breath, "Don't leave me alone with those crazy kids."
"Hmmmm," She put a finger to her chin, thinking for a moment before shaking her head, "The things I do nowadays. I swear to Naga I've gotten way too generous lately."
I snorted as I threw the blanket off of me, grabbed an extra bowl from a container nearby, and slid out of the cart, "It's old age softening you up."
"Fuck you." Anna replied with a laugh as she hopped down after me.
As we approached the campfire, I noticed the four kids visibly tense up. Morgan flicked her eyes briefly up from her spellbook. Her eyes widened, she glanced back down, then a frustrated expression crossed her face, indicating she lost her spot on her page. Cynthia and Owain's conversation fell to hushed whispers. Severa refused to even look up at Anna. She simply stared down into her bowl of soup, her fist clenched tight around her spoon.
I sighed and glanced around at everyone as Anna took a seat across the fire, the flames dancing between her and the furious redhead. Cynthia and Owain eyed the merchant nervously. Occasionally, Morgan glanced up, but decided to keep her profile low by burying her nose in her tome.
"So…" I popped my lips, "The weather is…" I frowned, "I was gonna say nice but-"
"Sit down already." Anna sighed.
I flopped down beside her, thankful she managed to stop me from going off into a tangent about the weather and how cold it was outside. Everyone obviously already knew that, and I was just going to be a Captain Obvious by pointing it out.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Owain holding the soup ladle out to me. I nodded my thanks and scooped up some soup into my own bowl. I blew on the piping hot liquid before taking a bite, relishing in the warmth that flooded my body as the hot broth ran down my throat.
"I'm not much of a pea soup person." I admitted, "But god damn that's good."
Anna snorted, "It's either peas or potatoes; take your pick."
"Y'know, you can do a lot with potatoes." A wry smirk crossed my lips, "Cook 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in stew… add in a nice piece of fried fish-"
"I feel like you're referencing something and I'm failing to get it." Anna remarked, one eyebrow raised.
I laughed at that, "Later." I waved back.
"Wait!" Cynthia cried, "Sam just referenced something we all don't know!"
"How do you know he was referencing anything?" Severa grumbled, glancing over at the blue haired girl with mild irritation, "Maybe he was just listing off obvious ways to eat potatoes."
"Anna thinks he's referencing something." Morgan shrugged, closing her tome with an audible pop, "And I have a hard time not believing Anna's instincts."
Anna smirked over at the tactician, "Smart girl." She took another bite of her soup, "Definitely your father's daughter."
I noticed Severa bristle a little at that, but I thought nothing of it. She bristled at everything. Me, Anna, Gaius, a bad meal, a draft, a subtle change in temperature- all of it seemed to tick her off. I vaguely recalled her supports in the game with her mother and father, but I never got the impression that she was this much of a pill.
A lot of context is lost when your in game relationships are limited to three conversations. I thought to myself.
"So what were you referencing?" Owain asked me, spoon dangling from the corner of his mouth.
His question caught me off guard. At that moment, I realized what Anna just did. I glanced over at her, and I caught the tail end of a mischievous smirk disappearing from her face. It was replaced by a completely innocent look as she glanced down at her soup and took another bite.
"Nothing important." I sighed, hoping that would be good enough.
"So it is a reference!" Severa exclaimed.
"You just thought it wasn't." Cynthia pointed out with a raise of her hand.
"I never said that. I just played devil's advocate." Severa argued back.
Morgan pinched the bridge of her nose, "Oh Naga here we go…"
"Nuh uh." Cynthia said with a shake of her head, "You said-"
"So, Sam." Anna piped up, silencing both of them, "Any memories get jogged up in that skull of yours?"
I glared at her, and she smirked at me.
Clever girl.
"M-maybe." I finally shrugged, "I'm not sure myself, exactly."
The hell is she doing? I thought, Is this another test? Is she trying to make sure I won't crack under pressure? What's the game here?
"Hm…" Morgan studied me closely, "I recall talking to Laurent about your amnesia condition once before. He mentioned how many elderly people with memory problems always seem to recall music they enjoyed when they were young."
I frowned, "Do I look old to you?"
"How old are you?" Cynthia asked.
"Twenty two."
Her eyes bugged out of her skull. She leaned close to Owain, "He is old." She whispered just loud enough for me to hear.
Owain covered his mouth with his hand as he tried to stifle his laughter. Anna gave me a knowing look, as if she was relishing the karma that had just come around. I rolled my eyes at her then leaned back on my elbows, ignoring the snow melting into the sleeves of my shirt.
"Still, if we're trying to spark a memory, it's worth a shot." Morgan remarked, "Owain!"
"Certainly!"
I carefully watched Owain as he darted over to Anna's cart. Anna's eyes followed him too, even as he climbed into the back.
"You break it, you buy it!" She shouted over to him.
"Perfectly aware, Lady Anna!" Owain shouted back as the cart jostled from him moving around it. A loud squawk erupted from the cart, "Apologies, good Cluckers. Where is-"
He let out a victorious cry, then emerged with a lute in hand. He rushed back over then plopped down beside Cynthia again. His right thumb plucked each string a couple times as he tested the instrument.
"You know how to play?" Cynthia asked, surprised.
Owain glanced at her, "My mother is the Exalt. Of course I would have lessons in noble practices such as music." He plucked the strings again then grimaced, "Although, I don't recall ever being very good at it."
Severa rolled her eyes, rose to her feet, walked over to Owain, and snatched the lute from his hands. Owain uttered an abrupt cry, but Severa glared at him, silencing the blonde swordsman. She huffed and took a seat on the other side of Cynthia.
"What do we want to hear, hm?" She grumbled, quickly running her fingers over the strings, "Tavern jig? Waltz? Something simple?"
"You know how to play too!?" Cynthia cried, hands clapping against her cheeks.
"I-" Severa's cheeks reddened, "Well," She flicked her eyes at Morgan then returned her attention to Cynthia, "My mother was an expert at the harp. I didn't want to live in her shadow on that instrument, so I picked up the lute."
"I wondered who taught Gaius how to pick those strings." Anna said with a small grin.
"Yeah, well, it was not important." Severa grumbled, "I'm playing something simple. Sam, say something if you can actually remember anything."
This is bad.
The first notes hit my ears. They held a certain twang to them. Very… yes, very medieval. I'm perfectly aware how obvious that sounds by the way, but forgive me for the lack of a better comparison.
As Severa plucked along, I nodded my head, then froze. That slight head bob showed that I felt the rhythm, enjoyed the subtle vibrations from the strings, which to them would mean I recognized it. In a way, I did. It sounded like a old country song with a medieval twist. While I will always consider myself a metalhead, my parents loved country music, so that's what I was exposed to growing up. While the song I was thinking of sounded much better with an old guitar and a stand up bass, it still worked with the fun little notes Severa played.
Severa stopped playing, laying her hand flat over the strings.
"Recognized it, didn't ya?" She asked, eyes narrowing at me.
I swallowed hard, "It um… it sounded vaguely familiar. Not quite how I remember it, but something's there."
"Well, can you sing?" Cynthia asked, a wide smile on her face.
"I can." Owain remarked.
"Not interested in hearing that." Severa deadpanned.
"I recall Owain being a fine singer." Anna grinned, "He made me some good gold in front of my shop when he was just a little kid."
"I never got any of it." Owain told me with a shake of his head, "Tis my lot to serve, and tis a lot I welcome without preconditions or-."
"He sure as shit can't sing like Brady can." Severa argued back.
"Oh," Cynthia nodded in agreement, "That's true."
"Brady can sing?" I said, surprised.
"Everyone reacts that way." Morgan answered, "He puts on a good tough guy act, but deep down he's quite the softie." She sniffed as a cold wind whipped by, making the flames in the campfire sputter, "Before you ask, he gets that talent from his father, Sir Donnel."
"Oh, yup." Cynthia agreed. She snickered a little bit, "He definitely doesn't get it from Auntie Maribelle. She sounds like a screeching cat when she sings."
Anna laughed softly, "That she does." She muttered, staring off beyond the fire a little bit.
"We're getting a little sidetracked." Severa cut in. She turned to me again, "Can you sing your song, Sam?"
A blush rushed over my cheeks as embarrassment filled me. I cringed and shook my head.
"Nonsense!" Cynthia cried.
"Indeed! How can we know you are incapable of serenading us if you don't even attempt it?" Owain declared.
"I do not plan on serenading any of you." I replied quickly, my cheeks turning a touch darker, "And I don't sing."
"Well, you're gonna have to now." Severa replied, plucking the strings again, "I want to hear this song you apparently remember."
"And we aren't going to stop bugging you unless you do." Morgan said with the sweetest grin she could muster; but beneath that sweet smile, I knew there was a prankster devil waiting for an opportunity to give me hell.
One last time, I glared at Anna. Again, she put on a totally innocent look, and I had to applaud her clever manipulation of the situation. She knew the kid's curiosity would get the better of them, and she also knew I was not skilled enough to keep the amnesia lie up forever, not without slipping. If I wanted to get out of this somehow, I'd have to give in a little bit.
You win this time, damned tyrant. I thought as Anna smirked at me before returning her attention to her soup.
"Well…" I cleared my throat. Don't fail me now Mr. Cash. "This is a song about a boy named Sue."
The cart rumbled along another few days. Each successive day was quieter and quieter, but somehow, despite the cold peace and silence, I felt extremely tense, which was not unusual. I could tell the others in the cart were just as nervous as I was.
Morgan always had her nose buried in her spellbook, Cynthia was much quieter than I knew her to be, Owain did not have the same boisterous confidence regarding the mission that he had when we first set out, and Severa's steely demeanor remained. It was as if all of the kids were beginning to understand the gravity of this mission. The further away we wandered from Arena Ferox and the safety of the military camp around the massive arena, the quieter everyone became.
The biggest change I noticed was in Anna. Usually, Anna would tease me quite a bit. Her teasings usually came during or directly after a lesson of some sorts. But the past two days, as Emm and the cart trudged through the snow, Anna grew eerily silent. Her head was always on a swivel, constantly scanning our snowy surroundings. At night, she would always take first watch, and was always more focused on keeping an eye out for any potential enemies than taking care of herself. More than once I saw her shivering in her cart, and I'd bring her some soup and make sure she actually tried to keep herself warm. She'd grumble about it the entire time, but did I care? Nope. She was my best chance at surviving this insane mission, so she needed to be in tip top shape.
The only time we all weren't very quiet was when we were all around the campfire. Someone would grab the lute, someone would start singing, and often they'd try to get me to sing again. Me, in my shyness, feigned amnesia, stating I couldn't recall any songs at the moment. It surprised me how much that actually seemed to upset Owain and Cynthia. They somehow liked my singing. A Boy Named Sue definitely left them doubled over laughing, as it does for most who hear it for the first time. It was a fun story written into a song and-
Anna jabbed my arm with her elbow.
"Head up." She hissed, making my entire body tense.
I furrowed my brow, "Something wrong?"
"We're getting close." Anna whispered to me, eyes darting back and forth along the horizon as the land slowly sloped up into a gentle hill, laden with thick snow.
Our pace slowed as Anna gently pulled on the reins. A knot formed in my stomach as I watched her left hand pat against one of the sheaths that held a dagger.
"Close to what?"
She did not answer me in time. Right as we neared the top of the hill, Anna yanked on the reins, grinding our slow ride to a halt. Several items jostled in the back, and I heard Severa pipe up.
"The hell are we-"
Anna glared back and, without saying a word, silenced Severa. There was a sharpness to Anna's eyes that made the knot in my stomach twist harshly. The only other time I had ever seen that look was when me, her, and Gaius approached the Longfort for the first time.
"Trouble?" I asked.
She patted my shoulder and motioned for me to follow her as she hopped off of the cart. My feet softly fell in the snow as I tiptoed my way forward behind the merchant. As we got near the top, Anna dropped to a crawl, carefully pushing her way up through the snow until we reached the top. I lay on my stomach beside her, and my eyes widened at what I saw.
Smoke billowed up in thick, black plumes from a charred city along a frozen coast. Parts of the walls surrounding the city were blackened by long quenched fires. Other parts no longer existed; blasted into nothing but rubble that sat in haphazard piles all around. I swallowed hard as I stared harder at one pile, and realized it was not blackened stone.
Bile crept up my throat and I ducked my gaze. My nose brushed against the snow as I tried to keep myself from retching.
"Yeah," Anna nodded with a grimace, "they're here."
"What is-" I swallowed hard, "was this place?"
"At one time this was Port Ferox, largest port in the area. Always a pleasant place for trade, if you knew how to handle yourself. Feroxi merchants and sea captains loved fighting and drinking, almost as much as they loved making gold." A small smile crossed her lips, "Good times, but…" Her smile quickly ran away, "now it's gone." A shuddering breath left her lips, "I had a hunch they were moving this way, but I didn't think they would have already razed this place."
"A hunch?"
She rolled on her side, "Think about it. You and I rode all the way to Arena Ferox and, other than the Longfort, not one Risen between us and the Arena. The Risen were not going northeast from the Longfort then, which meant they were going either south back into Plegia, or west to Port Ferox." Her fingers tapped the snow, packing it down further beneath her palms, "But why?" She asked, brow furrowed, "What is that lizard doing?"
I shrugged, "Beats me."
"Yeah," Anna nodded, "me too. That makes me nervous." She glanced at me as she shimmied down the hill so that she was no longer looking over the hilltop. I followed her down, "I'm going in there. You are staying here with the kids."
My eyes widened. Part of me was relieved, since I wouldn't be entering a city crawling with the dead, but another part of me wanted to protest Anna's decision. Going into a place like Port Ferox, with the Risen swarming through it, all alone, was insane.
Anna smirked at me, as if she already knew what I was thinking.
"This whole mission is insane, Sam. If we're gonna have a suicide mission, might as well go all in."
My mouth opened and closed as she made her way back down the hill to the cart. I quickly followed.
"I'm pretty sure we need to be a lot more careful rather than reckless."
"Careful, in this line of work, gets you killed." Anna said, voice terse as she did not even bother to glance back at me. She strode up to Emm, rubbed the horse's muzzle, then made her way to the back of the cart so that she could speak to the kids, "You need to be confident in your decisions and actions, Sam. There's no time to second guess yourself, especially on a mission like this."
Of course, she's saying this to someone who is very good at second guessing himself and not being very confident in his own decisions. Not the first time I've heard that bit of advice, and I doubted it would be the last. I shook my head as I followed her to the rear of the cart.
Just what the hell have I gotten myself into? I wondered, How did I think being a scout was my best chance at survival in this world?
The kids all leaned out of the cart as Anna cleared her throat.
"Alright, you are staying here."
"What!?" They all cried at once.
Anna glared at all of them, and they all quickly realized their mistake. We were too close to enemy lines to be loud, and that one shout could put us all in immediate danger. Cynthia ducked her head from Anna's glare while Severa met it.
"You can't just leave up behind." Severa argued, "We're here to rescue Lucina too."
"If you want to help, stay here. Don't draw attention to yourselves, and don't do anything stupid." Anna replied. She reached past Owain and snatched a white cloak from the cart. She removed her usually reddish brown cloak and tossed it into the cart before tying the white one over her shoulders. With a sigh, she threw the hood up over her head, "While I'm gone, Sam's in charge."
"I'm what?" I squeaked, the knot in my gut twisting so hard it would make a screw look loose.
Anna gave me a withering look, "You're in charge, Sam." She reiterated as she patted various sheaths along her torso, where she kept throwing knives and daggers, "If I'm not back by nightfall, I want all of you to race back to Arena Ferox and inform Tiki, Lissa, and Frederick about the situation."
"You'll need more time than that!" Morgan exclaimed, "I mean, you have to find where Lucina is being held, and before that you need to infiltrate the city without getting caught, then-"
"I'm aware, Morgan." Anna hissed, "But I'm not going into this very optimistic. Grima…" She saw the looks on all of the kids' faces fall, causing Anna to go silent, "Just don't do anything stupid, stay out of sight, and get the fuck out of here if I'm not back by the time it is dark, understood?"
Cynthia swallowed hard and nodded, Owain nodded as well, Morgan did not say or do anything, and Severa folded her arms and kept that same grouchy expression on her face. I nodded when Anna turned to look at me.
"Good." Anna breathed, "Sam, one more time up the hill."
I followed her back to the top of the hill. She took a deep breath as he lay on the top, eyes focused on the smoldering ruins.
"What's your plan?" I asked.
"The plan, other than not getting caught," Anna muttered before pointing at the various blasted out sections of the wall, "I'm going to slip through one of those gaps. Good thing about Risen: they're not very bright. Good grunts, not good guards. I'm more worried about any dark mages that are prowling around."
I blinked in surprise, "Grima has actual people in his army."
"Some people love suffering that much. None more so than Grimleal mages." Anna said with a strong scowl. She carefully studied the charred city further, "After I get into the city, I'm going to carefully make my way there," She pointed to a small fortress along coastline, near the city's ruined harbor, "That's the Keep. Important prisoners, if any, are going to be there."
"How do you know that?"
Anna shrugged, "I don't. I don't know how Grima thinks. None of us do; that's why we're losing, and why I can't understand why he isn't moving on the main army already?" She shook her head, "Whatever, that's not why we're here. Primary objective, find Lucina-"
"And hopefully Gaius."
Anna saddened significantly, "Unless we just missed him along the way, I wouldn't get my hopes up on that one, Sam. This is… way more difficult than normal. Even Gaius would have trouble getting into this city right now."
"Then why are you going alone?"
"Because you-" Anna bit back a scathing remark on my abilities. I knew where she was going with it, and she was not wrong. I knew I was not ready for something like this, so it did not hurt to hear that. It was more surprising to me actually. I did not think Anna cared that much, "Look, Sam. It'll be easier to get in for one person, not two moving together. Okay?"
I nodded, "Understood."
She inhaled, then exhaled, her breath misted out in front of her face, "Keep those kids on a short leash. The last thing I want is for one of them to-" She bit her tongue, "Don't let one of them get hurt, Sam."
"I won't."
She patted my back, "Good. Now get back down the hill. No fires, keep the noise down, if any patrols come by then kick ass if needed." That last part made me chuckle, "I'll hopefully see you tonight."
Without another word, Anna crawled over the crest of the hill then carefully made her away across the sparse, icy no man's land between the hill and the ruins of Port Ferox. She did not run, or walk, she crawled, and eventually, thanks to the white cloak she wore, I lost sight of her.
I looked away from the city, up at the horizon. The sun was already starting to set. I could faintly see the outline through the thick, dark grey canopy that always hung over our heads in this frozen wasteland. Anna would only have a few hours before she expected me to take the cart and kids back to Arena Ferox. If Gaius would have a hard time getting into this City of the Dead, I wondered how Anna would manage to sneak in and find Lucina with time to spare.
I shook my head. If there is one thing I knew not to do, it was doubt Anna. I took a deep breath and made my way back down the hill to the cart, ready to take up my watch against any sort of enemies or shenanigans from the kids. As I made my way back to the cart, the knot in my gut tightened further. A bad feeling lingered with the stomach pain. Call it anxiety or paranoia, but I can honestly say that I had a very bad feeling about this mission.
My anxiety was quickly forgotten when I neared the cart and heard Severa and Cynthia bickering in hushed tones. Now the knot in my gut was replaced by a headache pulsing through my forehead. I huffed as I stepped up into the driver's seat of the cart and leaned back, one hand rubbing my forehead.
When this is done, I'm going to need a drink.
I huddled close to the cart, using it to shelter my body from the biting wind rushing into Regna Ferox from the coast. My black cloak was wrapped tight around my body, and the hood was drawn low over my head. I could barely feel my nose, and my cheeks felt numb, as I grit my teeth and cursed under my breath with each blast of frozen wind.
I can't feel my toes. I thought as I tucked my knees closer to my chest. Ice covered my boots, making them slip along the frozen ground like skates. I hissed, reached for a dagger strapped to my hip, and used it to carefully chip the ice away, I thought coasts were supposed to be nice, pretty places.
I glanced to my right. The kids all huddled together along the rest of the cart, using their collective body heat to keep each other warm. Morgan and Cynthia were sitting in between both Owain and Severa. Three of them snatched coats from Anna's cart and wrapped them tight around their bodies, which helped them fend off the cold far better than my cloak could. Why didn't I grab a coat? Because Anna never wants anyone touching the merchandise. I knew that rule, but the kids probably did not, which meant they would be given leniency that I would not.
I huffed, my breath coming out of my mouth in a quick blast of fog. My hands trembled as I vigorously rubbed my arms, trying to keep them from freezing. I untucked my chin and glanced up at the sky.
It turned dark an hour or so ago, and still no sign of Anna. My concern grew with each passing moment. Eventually, if she did not return, I would have to gather up everyone and race back to Arena Ferox with what little information I had about the enemy. Those were my orders, and I really did not like them. The last thing I wanted to do was abandon Anna. Maybe she just needed more time? I felt certain that as soon as I started rumbling away, Anna would emerge from the city, only to find us gone. We will have abandoned her, and she would die as a result. That was a result I could not bear, but would have to accept soon.
Come on, Anna. I turned my head and looked past the cart towards the hillside we were against, Where are you?
The sound of snow shifting beside me drew my attention away from the hilltop and over to Morgan as she huddled close to me. The wind howled around the cart, and with the new burst of air came puffs of snow, signaling the start of a vicious storm.
"What do we do now?" Morgan asked over the howling wind.
She was the only one that did not grab a coat from the back of the cart. Prefering to utilize the purple, black, and gold coat she always wore instead. Frost crusted over the tips of her black hair, even though she kept the coat's hood pulled tight over her head.
I shook my head, "I don't know. Anna told me to go back with you four if she did not return by nightfall."
"She what!?" Severa exclaimed, her cheeks red and probably frozen solid.
"Nay! We shall never abandon Lady Anna!" Owain declared with much gusto.
"We can't just leave her, Sam!" Cynthia cried, tears welling up in her eyes, then quickly freezing as they streamed down her cheeks.
All of them stared directly at me, and my level of discomfort exploded. They were all turning to me, waiting for me to make a decision. Leave, or stay? Wait a little longer for Anna, or potentially leave her to die? Anna ordered me to leave if it got to this point, but… but…
This is a bad idea. I took a deep breath and recalled what Anna told me. I needed to have confidence in my decisions, and to not do anything carefully while on a mission like this. I pursed my lips, kicking myself for what I was about to do.
"Alright, I'm trained for this. So I'm going down there next."
"You can't do it alone!" Cynthia correctly pointed out.
I grit my teeth, both due to anxiety, and the freezing wind and snow, "Not wrong, but-"
"No way in hell you are." Severa suddenly interrupted, "I'm going with."
"But you aren't very stealthy Sev-"
"Say another word Owain and I'll silence you myself." The red head snarled at the blonde, "I know how to handle Risen, you don't, Sam. You can sneak us in, and I'll take care of anything that tries to get in our way." She nodded at Morgan, Cynthia, and Owain, "They'll stay behind and guard our way out of this place."
"We want to go too!" Cynthia cried. Morgan remained quiet as she turned to look at the hill behind us.
"You're not ready for something like this." Severa said back, her voice not as sharp as it was before.
"But-"
"She's right, Cynthia." Morgan sighed. She nodded at me and Severa, "We'll guard the cart. But… if you don't come back-"
"By sunrise, get out of here and get back to Arena Ferox." I said, doing my best to make my voice sound firm and commanding, though I doubt it worked given the look on Severa's face.
I took a deep breath and got to my feet, hands patting where I had weapons. My right hand patted the hatchet on my right hip. My left hand brushed against the long dagger strapped to my other hip, and the short one strapped to my lower back. Once I was certain all three were there, I reached into Anna's cart and retrieved an extra dagger. I wedged it between my waist and my belt. An extra weapon in case I lost one of the other ones.
I turned to face the hill, then glanced back at the kids. Severa drew up alongside me, a black cloak over her shoulders now as well. Her right hand rested on the pommel of her sword as she waited for me to lead the way.
Training, don't fail me now. I thought as I visualized the walls, the city, and most importantly, the location of Port Ferox's keep.
I took one more deep breath. This was it. All of my training led to this moment. Every bruise, bump, broken bone, and bruised ego all culminated in this decision to rescue a Princess I did not know, and a pair of friends I could not bear to lose. With that final thought in mine, I quashed whatever fear I had in me, let it sit in my stomach instead of my mind, then turned to Severa.
"Let's go get them."
And chapter! Here we go! Time for the suicide mission to really get going! Sam's disobeying Anna, so we'll see how that goes. I'm very excited to kick these next few chapters off! It's going to be one wild ride!
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!
Come join the Treehouse! Discord code is: 9XG3U7a
