A/N:
Posted: April 24th, 2017
Last Updated: May 16th, 2017
Views as of Posting: 9 995
Thanks for following me this far! I hope the story continues down an entertaining path.
We temporarily revisit the Conquest story-line, but we will diverge again. Recall Jakob's conversation with Flora before she disappears in Paralogue 1. Revisit it if you need refreshers.
WARNING: Silas's POV is explicitly M-rated. It can be skipped by scrolling to the next horizontal bar that appears.
Chapter 10 Updates:
- Grammatical corrections
All changes are purely stylistic and do not impact the story. Efforts will be made to minimize these types of changes in the future.
Now, onto the story…
Chapter 11: Frigus Receptio (Niles, Jakob, Silas, Elise)
The slim man chugged from a leather flask and tossed it to the other side of the room. An eyepatch covered his right eye. He was sitting alone in an abandoned hunting lodge some hundred feet from the closest village. It was snowing outside, covering the trees with the same white as his hair. Long fingers trailed the side of the mahogany table. Before he slumbered off, the door barged open.
In came a dark mage – broad shoulders and slicked back yellow hair. Unlike the slim man, the intruder had no lack of energy. The Nohrian holding the flask looked up lazily from his seat; his partner had finally returned.
"Any signs of our friend?" He asked.
The blonde man shook his head. "No sight, Niles. He's lost in the world just like us."
"Ugh, boss said he should be here yesterday. What's the hold up?"
Niles's partner gave him a shrug. Leo had given both of them a daring task in Southwest Nohr, but a key individual was missing. Their master told them it was an objective so secretive, not even the highest of Nohr's War Council knew about it.
"Well, nothing we can do." The man threw his flask to the other side of the room. "Come on Odin, let's get a head start on our mission."
"Did someone from the underworld give you permission? What if we miss him on the way here?"
"We're only thirty minutes out from the Ice Tribe village. We should make it back in time. Otherwise, we deserve to let him escape." The men grabbed their gears. Niles grabbed his favorite brass bow.
The weapon was his favorite for many reasons – it was portable, easy to conceal, and did not hit very hard. The last aspect appealed to him, as it caused the most suffering to his target
Odin brought along only his tomes. Niles often mocked him for wearing such little clothing just to show off his abs. In the cold winds he looked even more ridiculous.
[…]
They snuck through a small forest before stopping at a ridge. Underneath was the Ice Tribe settlement. Morning would arrive in a few hours so they had to act fast.
"This altitude is perfect." Niles commented. "We can scout the entire village here."
"A supernatural vision! Let's set up here before it takes us away!"
The archer fumbled around with his gear. He regretted not bringing his flask. Inside his pack was long string and a hunting dagger. Odin paused and pointed at the bottom. Two tribespeople were walking in a pattern on the outskirts.
"You brought rope?" Odin asked. "What for?"
"For binding our enemies, idiot. And for, well, other enjoyable activities if I bump into anyone willing." Niles gave a suggestive nudge.
"What enjoyable activities can you perform with a rope?"
"…Never mind. Let's just take them out and leave."
The cold environment meant little vegetation could hide their approach. A direct approach was not stealthy enough for anything. The two servants of Leo tried picking out the pattern of the night watch.
Every second circles around the area, the two guards would meet up with four others at a main administrative house, then switch with people on the inside. Niles pointed at two gruff warriors who walked with arched backs and large clubs.
"Let's wait until their shifts end. Then no one'll look for them." Niles decided.
"Wondrous words to my unwavering senses."
After a few minutes, two warriors emerged from the building, their weapons checked in. The archer noted that the structure, despite looking like an average old house, hid some sort of arms storage. Odin grabbed his fire tome.
"Knaves! Prepare to face-"
"Quiet!" Niles exclaimed, covering his partner's mouth.
"But I always declare my attacks!" Odin sulked. "That way, my foes would be terrified to the core before meeting a fiery demise!"
It was as if looking stylish was the only thing that mattered to the dark mage. The archer looked at the two books his friend carried. Fire. Nosferatu. Only the latter could be used without waking up the whole village.
"Just leave this to me." Niles sighed. "We'll give the children nightmares later."
"If you will. I'll cause the spark."
Odin took one of his colleague's arrows and casted fire upon it. The small flame stuck out from the darkness obviously. It was decorum for travelers in Nohr to light torches, to let town watches know they were not trying to sneak in. They would only appear as unarmed merchants.
The two nimrods took notice of the light. After realizing it was not approaching the village, the warriors moved towards the ridge to investigate. Niles extinguished the flame immediately and pulled Odin back to the other side of the ridge.
"Yes, come here." Niles licked his lips. "Time for some fun."
[…]
They looked upon their captured prey. A man and a woman were bounded by rope and had their mouths gagged. They squirmed with anger but could not retaliate. Everyone was in the old hunting lodge again.
"Dammit, why couldn't it be two guys?" Niles chided his luck. "One of the uniforms doesn't fit properly!"
"Well, we should at least explain what we're going to do." Odin suggested.
"Fine."
The archer ripped off the cloth covering their prisoners' mouths. They gasped for air and tried to untie themselves. The archer smiled at the futility of their struggles. In a way, it reminded him of past targets, before becoming Prince Leo's retainer.
"You bastard! What are you doing?" The man shouted.
"We are mere travelers. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Niles said. "You see, we need your clothes, and I suggest you comply."
"And if we don't" The female spat back.
(Ah, two feisty ones.)
"My friend has the answer."
Odin stepped forward. "Prepare to face the most apocalyptic of attacks upon your frail bodies! Which one do you prefer? Cosmic Mutilation? Hahnreiwunsch? Searing Bloodroast?"
Niles chuckled. The mage always made such verbose names for his attacks. But for people who never met the one-of-a-kind Odin, they would be terrified. Indeed, the two Ice Tribe members looked at their captors with fear.
"Y-you won't get away with this." The man's voice trembled.
"Don't worry about that." Niles shrugged. "Trust me, you'll be thanking us later. Now we only need a quick change of clothes for the infiltration. We'll let you go without any punishment, after we're done."
The Ice Tribe fancied white tunics and armor to blend into the snow. It was Niles' least favorite color, but it had to do.
The man paused but eventually agreed to the arrangement. He did not have much choice anyways. The female warrior took one look at Odin's exposed garments and recoiled as much as the rope would allow.
"Whatever you do, you cannot force me to wear… that." She protested.
Odin was offended. "How dare you! Abysmal Bodybl-"
"Okay okay, I surrender!"
"We'll… make sure you're accommodated." Niles reassured.
Within minutes, The Nohrians swapped clothes with their foes and appropriated their daggers. Niles's icy-gray outfit felt a bit small. Unfortunately, the white-haired pointy-ear fellow Prince Leo mentioned still had not arrived.
"Alright, we're on a time limit. Let's move out." Niles acknowledged.
"Darkness, rise upon us!"
He tossed some bread to the prisoner's complaining heads, knowing they were unable to reach it. Looking with schadenfreude at the warriors one last time, Niles exited the lodge with his excited partner.
Jakob grumbled. He lagged behind the master and his friends as they marched through the harsh environment. The air was incredibly cold. Lord Corrin and Felicia led the way, not allowing for much rest. Walking beside the butler was Felicia, the intrepid servant who got him enlisted in the first place.
"Aww. I forgot how far the village was." She grumbled. "We've been stuck in the Northern Fortress for too long."
"At least it wasn't as freezing there." Jakob sighed.
(Princess Elise must have known something like this would happen. That's why she "got over" our resignation so quickly.)
Before they left, Prince Corrin ordered a wagon to retrieve the Gatekeeper's wares. Immediately afterwards, the patrol set off to find Flora. Borrowing another wagon from the Paesalian garrison was pointless as the roads ahead were too rough.
He knew little about the Ice Tribe. They had several hamlets and settlements in the west. Their last population totaled just under ten thousand – small compared to the rest of Nohr. They were spread out across the land, occupying frozen lakes and dense woods. Their largest settlement, by far, was simply known as the Ice Tribe Village; a population just under two thousand; Flora and Felicia's birthplace.
Jakob thought hard about what Flora requested of him some weeks ago.
("I will be taking an extended trip back to the Ice Tribe.")
("You're the only person I can talk to.")
("I might be gone for, um, a long time…")
The butler frowned. In hindsight he should have her for more information. He thought the young maid was visiting her hometown briefly. If that was not the case, then something went horribly, horribly wrong.
Keeping the narrative was already hard enough. Jakob hid his colleague's absences from everybody - even going so far as working double shifts for the head maid. Never had he thought Flora would choose to leave permanently.
"Hold on." Prince Corrin said from the front. "I see something in the woods."
"Oh, I recognize that." Arthur folded his arms. "It's a Nohrian hunting lodge. We can take a small detour and hunt some game!"
Felicia blinked. "Do we need a permit to hunt here?"
In the forest was a large wooden structure with several sheds and lumber around. The building looked unused for several years. The shingles on the roof were poorly maintained and cracking. Snow covered the windows and in front of the door.
"Do you think I would suggest violating Nohrian law?" The retainer asked.
"Let's take a break." Effie suggested. "We're almost out of rations. There's probably some deer we can eat..."
Jakob convulsed at the thought of stabbing a mammal through its flesh and killing it. Princess Elise's retainers were suited to a military lifestyle. They might be more physically fit, but at least the butler had a sense of basic decency.
"Effie is amazing!" Felicia said. "To think about food at a time like this!"
Jakob nodded. "I'm surprised King Garon did not blame her for Nohr's famines."
The young prince nodded. The patrol marched towards the building, and Prince Corrin knocked on the old door. There was no response so he reached for the knob. The wooden door creaked but refused to give way.
"I can ram the thing in easily." Effie said.
Arthur gasped. "Trespassing is an egregious offense!"
"Never mind guys. Let's continue down the path." Elise pouted. "I'm sure the Ice Tribe would treat us to a nice dinner once we arrive!"
Disgruntled, Elise's retainer followed Corrin and the princess deeper into the forest. Felicia and looked at the butler and walked beside him. Jakob swore he could have heard two muffled voices coming from inside the building, but he continued on.
[…]
"Hey Jakob." The maid whispered. "We need to talk."
The butler grumbled and stepped to the side, allowing the retainers to pass them. The weather turned considerably colder than before. Limbs chattered from the cold and snowfall became heavier. None of it fazed the clumsy maid.
"What do you desire?' He said.
"Well, are we rejoining the army after this mission?" She asked. "We intended to return as servants, but now that we've been roped back in…"
"What kind of a question is that? Of course we are."
(Xander's already angry we left in the first place!)
Felicia frowned. "What's your reasoning?"
"You were the one who said we had to protect Lord Corrin. What did you think was going to happen after milord returned from Hoshido?"
"I… thought he would take a break from fighting. He's not a warmonger."
"Even if he wanted to leave, King Garon would have forced him to fight anyways." Jakob said. "I don't think he has a choice. It's his job."
He could imagine exactly what Felicia wanted: King Xander would be sitting on the throne and governing fairly. Peace would be established between Nohr and Hoshido. The embargo would lift, allowing both sides to prosper. Finally, Prince Corrin sitting beside them underneath a tree sharing some fruit or something.
The sappy optimism disgusted him.
"Yeah." Jakob blurted out loud. "Any hope of that was shattered when King Garon declared war in the first place."
"Huh?"
"If we really wanted to help protect Corrin, we would stay in the army."
The maid smiled. "Good! I was about to say the same thing!"
Their conversation was cut short by Prince Corrin halting at the front. Felicia's face lifted. A group of lancers in traditional clothing confronted them. Behind them was the final gate towards the Ice Tribe Village.
"Stop." A guard said. "Please state your business to the village."
Corrin thought for a bit. "We are here to visit Chieftain Kilma. We bring a message as a delegation from Nohr.
"We're here to stop the-" Elise almost accidently blurted out, but his brother put his hand over her mouth in time.
Arthur and Effie were uncomfortable with their master being muffled, but they did not interfere. Jakob found out quickly the guards did not recognize the royals. Since Corrin only recently became an official prince, it made sense no one identified him.
(Still, shouldn't they notice Princess Elise?)
The guards inspected their gear. The one who appeared to be the leader observed the Nohrians carefully. His eyes were fixated on Felicia, who squirmed suspiciously by the butler's side.
"Please wait here." One of the guards said. "We need to discuss something amongst ourselves."
The prince replied. "Take your time."
As the Ice Tribe formed a circle several feet away from them, Prince Corrin got his own team to huddle up. The guards were speaking in a local dialect.
"Can you understand them Felicia?" Elise whispered.
"Yeah… they're recruits. I don't think any of them know who we are."
"Good." Effie said. "You sure Gatekeeper's information is accurate?"
"That's why I'm playing it safe." Corrin grimaced. "If the Ice Tribe isn't actually rebelling, there's no need to scare them. I also want everyone to conceal their identities. Do not reveal anything until we reach their chieftain."
The others nodded reluctantly. The butler stroked his chin with worry. Even if they made it passed the guards, someone in the city would eventually recognize Princess Elise or Felicia. It was too late to make disguises for them.
"We go in and ask about Flora." The prince continued. "If the plan for rebellion is true, we'll negotiate peace. I think my face is a lot friendlier than Father's."
"Are you sure, milord?" Jakob intervened. "You're betting a lot on the Ice Tribe's goodwill. Please tell me you have a contingency planned."
Felicia scowled. "Hey! The Ice Tribe is filled with nice people all over!"
(You and your sister haven't been there in forever. If the worst happens, which side will you choose Felicia? Your lord, or your homeland?)
"Thanks for your concern Jakob, but I have a backup plan." The prince conceded. "It's going to be-" Before he could explain, the guards had returned.
"Thanks for waiting." One of them said. "Please, come with us."
The butler could not guess what his master's objectives were, nor what plan he concocted in case they were caught. Sighing in exasperation, Jakob followed his friends.
"Leo better give us a big bonus." Niles licked his lips.
The two retainers made it past the first checkpoint. Though Odin had the most foreign features, the Ice Tribe warriors let them through without a fuss. The archer pulled out a crude Nohrian map of the village, looking for their target.
"Where do we go first?" Odin whispered.
"We have many hours before midnight, where the operation will take place." Niles shrugged. "Until then, we gather some information about the area."
"…Yes, but where?"
The archer smiled. "The prisons. Always had a love-hate relationship with them."
Maneuvering through the playing kids, the retainers held up their captured weapons, careful not to accidentally hit someone. The map led them to a flat building close to the armory. Two more guards stood outside of it.
"We can't take them out this time. Too many witnesses." Niles sighed.
Odin puffed out his chest. "What sorrow, Odin Dark will drive their souls away!"
The mage walked forward before his partner could do anything. A wooden door separated them from the underground. The tribal guard greeted him and began speaking in an unknown dialect. The archer cursed his luck and revealed himself.
To his surprise, Odin begin replying in the same dialect. The guards cracked a smile and moved to the side. The mage bowed and prompted Niles to follow along. Opening the wide doors, the two went down the stone stairs.
"What did you do?" The archer was dumbfounded.
Odin smiled. "I told them a joke and said we wanted to inspect the prison."
"You know how to speak their local dialect? How?"
The Ice Tribe had their own vernacular that was preserved through history. Ever since King Garon annexed the territory, all of the residents gradually picked up the language most commonly used in Nohr and Hoshido.
"Well, one day I found a powerful tome in the castle." The mage explained. "It was the most complicated book I've ever read! It had words I have never seen before… then I realized it was written in a different language, and that it was a cookbook."
"You picked up the language from that?" Niles raised an eyebrow.
"Of course. What if instead of pronouncing fear to my enemies, I accidently give them the instructions on making creamed trout?"
The archer shook his head. "Odin, you never fail to surprise me."
The underground prison was a tangle of hallways and jail cells. Most of them were empty. The Ice Tribe was a peaceful community, so it made sense not many people broke the law. Torches led the way through the halls.
"Looking for anything specific?" Odin questioned.
"Nope. Let's leave soon."
They were about to return to the staircase when they examined the last wing of the prison. Some muffled voices echoed down the hallway. The retainers turned the corner to investigate. In the small hallway was about twenty occupied cells.
"Great Dusk Dragon." Odin exclaimed. "They hid all of the criminals back here."
"Let's say hello." Niles smirked.
They reached the first cell. Inside was a gruff man – curly black hair and a permanent scowl on his face. Like the archer, his left eye was covered, but with lack cloth rather than an eyepatch. The man growled at him.
(Wait, that insignia on his chest plate. These are Nohrians.)
"The hell you want, skinny?" The prisoner snarled.
"Well, I want many things, but these bars are proving an obstacle." Niles sighed.
"Huh. Weirdo."
The archer shrugged. "Alright, enough games. My name is Niles. This, here, is my lovely assistant Odin. We-"
"Odin Dark!" The dark mage interrupted.
"-Odin Dark. We are part of a mission on behalf of Prince Leo."
Upon mentioning the royal family, the twenty-or-so people jumped up from their seats and stood at the bars of their jail cells. The retainers raised their weapons instinctively from the sudden movement.
"Relax." The prisoner said. "We're all Nohrians too. We've been captured."
"Wait, this is at least two patrol's worth of soldiers. What happened?" Odin said.
"We were travelling in the area, when the Ice Tribe warriors surrounded my troops. We didn't expect them to be hostile. The entire village wanted us in chains."
"Tell us the story."
Niles stroked his chin. He had seen in the records a Nohrian patrol disappearing in the area, but details were kept classified. Prince Leo interpreted the incident as evidence the Ice Tribe was planning a rebellion.
(Thank goodness. We thought they died.)
"My name is Tarba." The muscular man explained. "Before I was a captain, I was a highwayman. Served time for robbery and for assaulting a lord's cousin…"
"I am sure you have a flourishing and tragic past, but we're short on time." Niles said. "Please give us the abridged version."
Tarba shrugged. "Fine. I realized just stealing from others would land me in prison again, so I decided to do it legally. I joined the Garrison as a tax collector."
The retainers nodded.
He continued. "Sometimes, I skim a bit off the top, but never too much. I came here a few days ago to collect and, uh, you know the rest."
The archer felt an odd connection to the prisoner. They were both ex-criminals, given a second chance through the Nohrian army. Tax fraud was an elementary offense. He would have to teach the former highwayman a thing or two.
The dark mage frowned. "The rest of you are Tarba's patrol then. Anyone hurt?"
None of the prisoners spoke. Fourteen men. Six women.
"That's a good sign. Well, we'll see what we can do tonight." Niles shrugged.
(We probably only have a few more hours before someone discovers two of their friend are gone. We can't stay here forever.)
"You're leaving us here?" Tarba asked.
Niles put his hands on the bars. "We'll be back. In the meantime take this."
From a pocket in his disguise, the archer took out a small metal object. It was a silver nail file. Tarba looked at the object with glee. Even though he was reformed in the army, he still carried a desire for shiny treasures.
"The demon's knife of greed." Odin exclaimed.
"Try this on your lock if it's rusty enough, but do not come out." Niles explained. "We're going to cause some trouble tomorrow, and come back to sneak you out."
"Heh. Thanks, uh." Tarba scratched his head.
"Not a problem. I've grown used to these types of cells already."
The rest of the jailed Nohrians returned to the benches inside their cells, uncomfortable they were working with two ex-criminals. The disguised retainers wished them good luck before leaving. The guards outside let them through again, smirking at Odin as the dark mage walked by.
"Dammit." Niles said after he was at a safe distance. "That was unexpected. We were supposed to assassinate Chieftain Kilma, not rescue some tax collectors."
His partner was taken aback. "Did you lie to them?"
"No, we'll try to get them out, but it's a secondary priority. Let's check elsewhere."
The two crossed turned a street corner. Merchants lined the sides, trying to sell their catches of the day. A group of civilians ran off to the side, allowing a small band of Ice Tribe warriors cross. Odin shoved his partner into the wall.
The archer complained. "Easy there."
"No, look!"
Odin was pointing at the group of strangers behind the foot soldiers. Princess Elise and the white-haired, pointy-eared special package followed behind them. Even further back were two muscular soldiers and two servants.
"Prince Corrin and Princess Elise!" Niles cursed. "We missed them. Didn't our master tell them about the dangers? Why did those idiots blindly run into village?"
"Well, this is another pothole in our insurmountable plan." Odin observed. "Oh fate! Thou art a mischievous force."
"This is bad. This is real bad…"
They were supposed to meet up with Prince Corrin and Princess Elise at the hunting lodge to fill them in on Leo's mission. Their own impatience costed them the mission – the Prince effectively let himself be captured.
"What do we do?" Odin nudged Niles.
"He'll be guarded all day." The archer sighed. "I say we finish scouting, then begin our operation at night as planned."
The dark mage looked at passing escort. "There's not much else we can do, eh?"
Niles panicked on the inside. Prince Corrin's patrol was supposed to assist him with the assassination. At that moment, he had two groups of people to rescue from the Ice Tribe. Meanwhile, the whole village secretly wanted their heads on sticks.
(Looks like we need to improvise big time.)
"They're going to be imprisoned." Odin suggested the possibility.
"That's alright." The archer replied. "How bad can prison be?"
Much time passed since Silas was first captured. None of the prisoners wanted, nor needed, to keep track of time. A hundred and twelve former Nohrians were escorted by the Hoshidans and Flame Tribe warriors to a northern settlement.
The days were warm – much warmer than in Nohr. When they first entered the tribal village, the kids laughed at how the lancers and cavaliers were all tied together like livestock.
Silas thought it was a shame they were not going to Hoshido. Rumor had it their prisons were actually decent.
When they first arrived, the chieftain was delighted so many soldiers were captured. They were squeezed into the outdoor encampment, surrounded by a wall of tall pikes. Because the prison camp was over-populated, they were given smaller portions of food every day. Water was hand drawn from a well in the area.
A warrior said they would be stuck their indefinitely, until new prisons could be built further inland. In the morning, patrols of savages would lead them out of the outdoor camp to an iron mine where they worked for hours. Nothing too gruesome.
In the resting hours, the First Royal Lances told stories to the lancers about their past raids against Hoshido. They might not have looked like veterans – stuck in their same dirty clothes and captured by the enemy – but the recruits listened with utmost respect. Silas was too depressed to listen.
(How could we have lost? Ever since I joined the army, the priest said that the Dust Dragon was on our side! I said I would fight to the last breath to defend King and Country… and now we're imprisoned like rats.)
"Hey kid." A deep man's voice surprised the retainer. Silas turned around to face him. It was the captain of the cavaliers.
Silas blinked. "Sir…" The captain never provided his name.
"It's captain, lad." The man growled. "Didn't you go through military training?"
The two men looked around for eavesdroppers. All of the other Nohrians were at the other side of the outdoor prison, where the guards were as well. The captain leaned into Silas's ear and whispered.
"Anyways, we're planning a prison escape."
"What?" Silas's ear perked with excitement. "How are we going to do that?"
The older man urged him to be quiet. "The mine near the village is dangerously deep now. So dangerous that the tribespeople don't go into the most remote parts. We're hiding weapons there, for the right moment."
"What kinds of weapons?" The retainer asked. "They took away ours ages ago."
"We're going back to the time of cavemen. We're collecting broken pickaxes and sharpened stone. Daggers, hammers, whatever we can use."
Silas knew what the captain was talking about. In the furthest reaches of the mine, where air was thin and the walls unstable, there were small holes along the wall. They were numerous enough to shelf an entire arsenal.
"I'm only telling a few people at a time, in case someone tries to turn us in." The captain coughed. "As our leader at North Bridge, I hope you'd join us."
"Of course!" Silas whispered. "Captain… um, can I have your name?"
The older man grinned. "My name? Just call me 'Captain'. You'll come with me in tomorrow's shift."
"Yes, Captain…"
The two men broke off into the crowd.
[…]
Another few days passed without incidence. Carving tools in the musty cavern was difficult work. The only tools they had were the hefty pickaxes and the stone weapons they already made. Guards passed by routinely, inspecting the exhausted soldiers. A squad of devoted Nohrians sharpened a total of forty-two crude daggers.
Then came the day it all fell apart. It was a bright afternoon. The prisoners were in good spirits after adapting to their new lifestyles. Silas remembered one commenting "Hey, if this was Nohr, we would already be dead!"
"Of course!" He would respond. "Enemies of the throne should be eliminated!"
He was sometimes mocked for his devout charisma, but he cared not. The captain of the First Royal Lances turned him into some sort of deputy. Only few were informed about the plan, but Captain assured him the lancers would all follow through. He estimated one week until every prisoner could be armed.
Unfortunately, on that auspicious day, the plan was almost compromised. As the Nohrians were returning from the mine, a second escort patrol approached them.
"Prisoners, get on the ground now!" A burly bald man shouted.
The large Flame Tribe force threw the Nohrians onto the ground and searched their clothes. Silas hit his head against the soft grass and cursed as a savage felt around his midsection. He was then lifted up and pushed into their outdoor prison.
"Ouch, the hell was that for, brutes?" The retainer complained.
A female lancer grumbled. "Yeah, that hurts!"
Inside the pike wall, the cavaliers and lancers looked at each other in confusion. On the outside, Silas could hear several guards surrounding the complex. A cold shiver riveted down his spine – Captain was absent.
"Huh?"
The prison doors swung open. In walked several savages and the bald man. On the side was a tanned female with war paint struck past her face. Silas identified her as the commander who led the savages against the Pit. The woman's face looked distraught, as if she wanted to be elsewhere. Behind her was Captain, limb tied to a wooden pole behind him.
"Nohrian prisoners." She said. "One of you tried smuggling a weapon from the mine. As such, the perpetrator will be punished accordingly."
"Perpetrator?" Captain spat. "Says the owner of a labor prison."
"It's not like I wanted this to happen." The female sighed. "You broke the rules."
With a heavy nod, she signaled the guards to throw him onto the floor. The area inside the pike wall was all dirt, cushioning his fall. The girl called for another savage to come forward. It was the bald one, and he was carrying a bottle.
(That bottle!)
"Prisoner." The girl said. "You have been caught carrying a pickaxe and a sharp stone dagger outside of working hours. What were you trying to do?"
Captain sneered, still immobilized by the rope. "Guess, bastard."
The girl looked to the other prisoners. "This man shall be executed for his crimes. If anyone stands forward and confesses their schemes, he might live."
(They didn't find our weapons stash yet. There's still a chance!)
Suddenly the scene turned tense. Captain looked up from his tied position, silently pleading his friends to zip it. Another guard entered the outside complex, bringing a flaming club.
"They're not telling you shit." He coughed. "It was only me."
"Very well, then they will witness your demise."
The tanned girl was about to leave, but the man shouted. "Hey, lady! If you're going to kill someone, at least have the guts to witness what you have done! W-what's your damn name?"
The girl turned around, her face showing a slight trace of regret. She was not looking forward to execute the prisoner either. A guard behind him brought the bottle and poured its content over Captain. The liquid was thick, spreading over him like a condiment.
"My name is Rinkah." The girl said. "Daughter of the Flame Tribe chieftain. I fought against you near the river, remember?"
"Well then, Rinkah." Captain said. "You and your Hoshidan friends better wait. You may have killed Gunter, and perhaps me. But when the Nohrian army arrives, they will slaughter all of you."
The savages laughed.
Rinkah paused. "Wait, Gunter is dead?"
"Of course! You and the Hoshidans ambushed him at the Bottomless Canyon!"
"I can assure you, if any one of us did that, they would have received a medal." The tanned girl said. "Gunter wasn't killed by any of us."
Silas was baffled. The War Council report said that Gunter was killed in battle. Ord Corrin was missing too, but he never mentioned anything about someone killing Gunter. A fort was even named in his honor. Captain's eyes widened.
"Impossible. You suggesting one of us killed him?" He cried.
Rinkah shrugged.
"You're liars!" Captain shouted. "All liars! You were the people who killed Gunter! Don't try to blame us!"
"Sorry, I'm only telling the truth here." The girl got irritated. "And while we're at the truth, let me say this. You are nobody in this world. When Hoshidans win the war, you're just another pawn who fought for the wrong side. No one will remember your name, or that you ever existed!"
In the middle of her tirade, tears began to form in her eyes. Vicious words poured out of her, but her face showed something different. She was having a mental breakdown. Her anger manifested not out of spite, but of peculiar helplessness.
"I'm sorry." She shook her head. Her tone turned remorseful. "This is my father's orders. Please, direct all of your anger towards me. There's nothing I can do."
At the end of her monologue her voice shook, as if she was ready to burst into tears. Rinkah left the prison in sorrow. No chance of forgiveness remained.
"Kamui…" She whispered out loud before stepping out. "I tried… but I couldn't return the favor…"
(Who the hell is Kamui?)
The door closed behind her. The guards pulled out clubs and ordered the prisoners to back off. Silas was squeezed into a corner with twenty others, forced to watch the dreaded execution in the center.
"You sons of bitches!" He looked up. "Liars! Vagrants! My comrades will avenge me! Lord Corrin will- you're all de-"
The guard with the flaming club simply tossed his weapon onto Captain. The liquid ignited immediately, dousing Captain in flames. The Nohrian lit up like North Bridge – all at once.
"Ahhhh! What the f-" He screamed in pain. "Agggh! Faaac-aahh!"
A cavalier shouted. "N-no, stop!"
Silas and the lancers could only watch in terror as the man writhed in pain. His entire body was ablaze. A nauseating smell filled the air. Blisters slowly appeared on Captain's body.
"Ahhgg…Aggh. Faaaaaaaah!"
The Nohrians were in an uproar. Some tried to charge into the middle of the complex, but the Flame Tribe beat them back easily. All hope was lost when the guards set their own clubs on fire and guarded the body.
(P-please, stop!)
The epithelial tissue began blackening. The retainer wanted to look away, but perverted horror kept him from closing his eyes. The rope restraining him had also burned off, but it was too late anyways.
The liquid clung onto his body. His screams turned demonic.
"Ahh… Graghhh…"
(Please…)
"Ahh...h…"
Nobody could break through the armed tribespeople guarding the prison's center.
"hh…"
Within fifteen minutes, all sounds and movements stopped.
The body was an unrecognizable mix of blackened skin and burnt flesh.
Every minute felt like an eternity.
All the Nohrians could do was watch.
"Cap…"
The guards withdrew from the enclosure. Their job was finished. The lancers stayed in their corners, quivering, sobbing heavily, or staring blankly at the burning remains. The cavaliers reluctantly approached the remains of their commander.
Captain was dead.
Silas did not even know his name.
He could only put his hands over his mouth and begin vomiting.
"Wow this is so cool!" Princess Elise jumped up and down beside her steed.
The ice village was so beautiful. The rooves were curved distinctively for snow to slide off. True, some people gave them weird looks, but their clothing was funny-looking too. Everything was a frosty paradise.
(How could these innocent people rebel? That would be so mean!)
Their escort led them into a large dome-like structure and told them to wait. Big brother directed them to the tall benches. It was surprisingly warm! Effie and Arthur sat beside the little princess, talking to each other.
"What's milord planning?" The hero frowned. "I hope he knows what he is doing."
"I'm sure everything will work out." Effie said nonchalantly. "Do you mistrust him, because of what happened at Fort Gunter?"
"Hardly! Did you see what happened at Paesali? He let not one, not two, but four criminals escape the law! Absolutely unacceptable."
Elise sniffed. Arthur was super-duper friendly guy, but he was a bit too focused on rules. Bo-o-o-oring! The three baddies did not even seem that evil. Anna was scary at first, but she turned out to be a fun person in the end too.
"Don't worry!" The troubadour princess grinned. "I'm sure they were taught a valuable lesson that day. At least Father didn't punish them, right?"
"Oh, I suppose you're right." The fighter was caught off-guard. "I guess a light punishment is better than an irreversible one."
Despite his words, Arthur still looked disappointed. He took great joy in his long speeches on living chivalrously and with honor. Elise would have loved to listen, but she could not understand most of what her friend preaches.
"If anything happens, I'll protect you milady." Effie reassured.
Arthur straightened his back "Ahem, me as well! The most excellent service- Ouch!"
As he raised his arms, the bench underneath gave away, making his bum crash onto the floor. The wood underneath his spot was somehow rotten. Only moisture could cause such hard wood to snap into two.
"Are you alright Arthur?"
Big brother stood up, both in concern and in checking his own seat. The others began doing the same. It appeared only Arthur's spot had defective supports.
Jakob scoffed. "You should watch where you sit."
"Welcome to the clumsy club!" Felicia raised her hand out for a high-five.
Arthur got up from his bottom and grudgingly sat down at a separate location. Everyone braced their seats, preparing for another thud. By some divine intervention, the retainer sat down without problems.
And before he could relax, a warrior returned to the waiting room and bowed formally. Felicia and the royals were finally identified. Big brother reached forward to shake the man's hand.
"Chieftain Kilma is ready to meet you." The warrior said. "Please follow me."
"Thanks. Everyone..." Big brother ordered.
The six of them formed a line with the prince in front. They walked through a large hallway. Pictures of previous chieftains were on both sides, staring ominously at the passersby. After going through a final red, ornate door, they were in the room.
The large male with a silver helmet covering his hair and white shoulder plates awaited them. The wide desk was translucent like thick ice. The chieftain curled his long fingers and put away a book he was holding.
"Esteemed guests of the Ice Tribe." He said. "I, Chief Kilma, welcome you to our humble settlement. What can I do for you?"
"F-Father?" Felicia raised her hand timidly.
Kilma's face blossomed with a smile. "Felicia! It's been so long! You've grown so much since Nohr took you away… you've been eating enough, right?"
(We didn't take her away! Felicia stayed with us, because we're awesome!)
"Yes, I'm treated quite well there." Felicia said.
Kilma furled his brow. "Really? Well that's promising. Thank you for letting me see my daughter again, but you probably have different business. Princess Elise. Lord…"
"Corrin." Big brother raised a finger. He was clearly shocked the leader of the Ice Tribe turned out to be Felicia's own father.
"Lord Corrin. A fine name." The chief grinned. "The guards said you wanted to discuss something to me."
The prince fumbled with his collar. He tried hard to think of the proper approach. Elise took notice of the servant's odd reactions. Felicia looked uncomfortable in front of her father, while Jakob avoided any eye contact.
"We received troubling news of a rebellion in this area." Big brother started. "Nohr wishes to live in prosperity with the Ice Tribe. Please let us know any grievances you have, and we can work out an agreement."
The chieftain's eyes narrowed. "What? A rebellion? That is preposterous."
The prince's mood lightened. "I'm glad to hear that. Nohr is not a particularly wealthy country, so your trade with our people really helps us a lot."
"A trivial statement." Kilma folded his fingers. "Is that all?"
"Yay!" Elise jumped up and down. "No rebellion!"
The chieftain smiled affectionately at the little troubadour. Effie and Arthur looked at each other in relief as well. Gatekeeper's information was completely off. Still, Corrin's former servants were unconvinced. They stood silently at the prince's side.
"Our second order of business, is that we're looking for Princess Flora." Big brother mentioned. "She disappeared from our castle. We're wondering if she came here…"
"What?!" Kilma put a hand to his heart. "My other daughter went missing? How?"
Everyone in the room was silent. Corrin's shoulders froze in place. He turned to his friends, desperately signaling them to jump in. When nobody had anything to contribute, he turned back to Kilma. He lowered his head.
"Umm, about that-"
"Ha!" The chieftain laughed. "You should have seen the look on your faces. Flora is here, safe and sound. It's good she has friends that care so much about her."
The Nohrians collectively gave large sighs of relief. Every second speaking with Kilma was akin to walking through a verbal obstacle course.
"Ah, we're so relieved." Big brother smiled. "Everything is going right today."
"She's just taking a break from the castle. Why not join us for dinner?"
[…]
Servants of the Ice Tribe had to bring in a second table to accommodate the extra guests. Chieftain Kilma invited them all to dine at a luxury house near his administrative dome. Felicia volunteered herself to help the servants prepare the table. In her hometown, she was considerably more focused. The chairs were masterfully-crafted, rivalling the ones at Castle Krakenburg.
To begin they were served some hot soup, with onions and mushrooms. While the princess dug in immediately, the others waited for Kilma to arrive. He was still outside, discussing at length with his other daughter.
"What's taking them so long?" Effie complained.
Big brother grabbed a fork. "Just give them some time. We're the guests here."
Finally, the chieftain entered the dining room with his daughter. Flora was in a modest snow-white dress and her long blue hair was let down. All of the Nohrians gazed at her new look. The former maid gazed back in embarrassment.
(Wow! She looks so pretty!)
"F-flora?" Corrin rubbed his eyes.
"Big sister!" Felicia gasped.
Jakob remained silent.
"Hi." Effie said after slurping down her soup.
Flora blushed heavily at all of the attention and sat down quickly. Her Father seated himself at the head of the table and opened his arms in prayer. His daughters did the same, and the others copied them quickly.
"Oh Ice Dragon, protector of our people. We thank you for this-"
Elise frowned. "What about the Dusk Dragon?"
"Shhhh!" Corrin hissed sternly.
"Oh, oops!"
The chieftain only smiled as he finished the ritual. He then clapped his hands and servants began bringing in food. Most of them were seafood dishes with mashed potatoes and a few vegetables. Elise found the food disgusting but was happy to eat it anyways. Any extras on her plate she just pushed off to Effie. The tag-team worked efficiently to clear the dishes.
Arthur looked at the two ladies in slight jealousy.
"So Lord Corrin." Kilma smiled. "Tell me about Nohr. How-"
B-o-o-oring.
The troubadour princess instead focused on Flora. The older maid was the least talkative of the Northern Fortress servants – a complete bastion of mystery. Even big brother had trouble describing her personality to Elise.
The dressed up maid was supposed to be having fun, but she only stared at Felicia and Jakob in horror; like she saw a ghost. Jakob was still quiet, sipping on some black tea. Only one possibility came to the princess's mind – Flora lost her voice!
"Come on Flora!" Elise tried cheering Flora up. "It's no fun when one of the hosts doesn't eat her own food!"
The maid looked at her, nodding. "Thank you, milady."
Flora's unenthusiastic voice made the little girl's smile fade. Elise felt like was indirectly force-feeding the poor girl. Pouting her lips in annoyance, the princess dug into her own food again. The maid should have been happier to see her friends.
(If some nimrods wanted to stay unhappy, they could stay that way!)
It was nearing nighttime. Niles and Odin were by the ridge, looking into village. They saw the whole meeting unfold before them. Prince Corrin and Princess Elise first entered a circular hut – presumably the chieftain's headquarters.
A few minutes afterwards, they left in the direction of the armory. Taking a few rights at the intersections, the assassination target led the Nohrians to a fancy estate-like building. They spent an absurdly long time there – probably dinner.
"Did you see that woman in the white dress enter the building?" Niles said. "Hot damn. Chieftain Kilma has some lovely daughters."
"I didn't, but that doesn't matter." Odin complained. "The only thing I lust for is the blood of my enemies."
"You'll change your mind soon…"
When Prince Corrin and company were finally done, the chieftain seemingly offered them lodging for the night. The large group entered an inn-like hut. Only Kilma and the blue-haired stunning woman exited, returning home.
"We need to finish the second part of the operation before the night guard assembles." Odin said. "Otherwise, they'll discover the two missing guards."
"Don't worry. I have a new plan." Niles grouched.
(I'm going to have lots of 'splaining to do for Prince Leo.)
"Do tell!"
"We're cancelling the assassination mission." The archer declared. "Our focus is to bail out Tarba and Lord Corrin's forces. I hate to say this… but that's our best bet."
With so many friendly forces stuck on hostile territory, people were going to die if Kilma was assassinated. Evacuating all of the prisoners and the royals meant they could strike another day.
"The original purpose of eliminating Kilma was to weaken the rebellion." Odin said. "We checked the armory earlier today. They are ready to strike any moment!"
"Not if I can do anything about it." Niles said. "Listen carefully, Odin."
[…]
Consider the armory as the focal point of the operation. Tarba's prison was about two hundred feet away. Corrin's inn was fifty feet away. There was only one way to hit all three areas at once - to set up traps beforehand.
Odin convinced some of the guards to let him on the armory roof to "perform maintenance". He was given access to a small stepladder. Meanwhile, Niles had gone back to the lodge. He returned with a small crate of supplies.
He looked around. The guards moved to the other side of the armory.
One by one he tossed bottles up to Odin. When confronting about their behavior, Niles explained he was simply tossing his friend a beverage for his hard work. When all of the bottles were up, the archer joined the dark mage on the rooftop.
"How do these work?" Odin frowned.
"These are bottles with some sort of flammable liquid inside them." Niles explained. "The liquid does not freeze easily, and bursts into flame at the touch of a match."
His colleague was impressed. "Amazing! These aren't of Nohrian design. How much did Lord Leo pay for these nether fluids?"
"Apparently thirty bars of gold."
The men got to work immediately. They took turns pushing off the slow and drenching the large wooden roof with liquid. They switched when one's hands were too cold to continue. Eventually, they used the last drop of liquid.
"Oh no…" Odin said. "We ran out. The armory roof is way too big."
"That's fine. We only need to cover the side facing the ridge."
The two climbed off the roof and returned the stepladder. The guards eyed them with suspicion, pointing at the empty bottles they left behind. Playing their characters, Niles and Odin Dark gave their thanks. They walked away in a fake drunken stupor.
[…]
They ran into severe problems next to the prison. After leaving the armory, they noticed the foot soldiers were much more cautious around them.
They had finally realized two of their warriors disappeared. Patrols were dispatched in surrounding areas to search for them.
The dark mage returned from the prison, shaking his head. "They closed off access to the prison for safety purposes. No one is allowed in."
"Damn. We'll never know if Tarba managed to cut through his lock."
"On the plus side, we were the last people who entered. If he's a former criminal, cutting open a lock should be easy."
That was not good enough. One little mistake and twenty people could die at the Ice Tribe's hands. There were still many things left unfinished. On the corner of his good eye, Niles saw warriors forcing children back into their homes.
The night guard was being deployed.
"Unfortunately we ran out of time." Niles fumed. "This is the best we can do."
Odin groaned. "Is it enough?"
"The rest is up to Tarba and Lord Corrin. Let's get out of here."
The two returned to the hunting lodge exhausted. When they opened the door, their prisoners began squirming again. The archer lazily removed the cloth covering the two guards' mouths and plopped himself on the hard table.
The male asked. "Hey you two! What were you doing?"
"Don't worry about it." Niles reassured. "Just a bit of sight-seeing…"
He went into sleep mode immediately. Odin, who rarely needed to sleep, fed the prisoners and took them to the lavatory. That night, Niles dreamed only of the girl in the white dress.
[…]
After three hours, the archer woke up from his long nap. He rubbed his eyes and scratched his stomach. He scratched something rough instead and panicked. He was touching his old clothes. They were much comfier than the white disguise.
"Odin!" He grumbled.
In a few seconds, the dark mage entered the hunting lodge. He was in his old, ridiculous black-and-yellow outfit as well. Niles was relieved everything was slightly back to normal.
"You do something weird?" He groaned, reaching around for his leather flask.
"I switched us back to our own clothes." His partner said in a matter-of-factly way. "Our prisoners were complaining too much. We're not going to sneak back in, right?"
"Gods." Niles felt a huge headache coming. "If you wanted to take off my clothes you don't need to wait for me to fall asleep."
He looked in relief at the kidnapped folk still bounded on the floor. They were sleeping peacefully beside each other, in their own clothes. Odin stood at the other side of the room, brainstorming more names for his deadly attacks.
"Let's go, pal." The archer whispered.
Together they snuck out of the lodge and locked it again. They journeyed to the ridge and laid on the round. Their plain clothing prevented them from camouflaging against the snow. Two more hours remained until the sun rose.
"Excellent. Keep an eye on what's happening below."
Eventually, a large group of Ice Tribe warriors, carrying lances and clubs, emerged from the armory. They approached the inn Corrin was staying at and entered the door. Five guards remained outside, guarding the perimeter.
"What's going on?" Odin sad worriedly. "Are they going to attack the Nohrians in their sleep? Is this the end of Lord Corrin?"
"I don't think so. If I were Kilma, I would capture them."
It was hard to see from afar, but the guards eventually emerged from the inn. They carried out various weapons. One dark longsword, one iron lance, one rod. An axe…
"They're confiscating the weapons!" Odin exclaimed. "What do we do now?"
"Nothing until more of them go in." Niles ordered. "Just make sure you hit the target."
There was nothing they could do until Prince Corrin and Princess Elise were awake. Tarba was still unaccounted for, and they never tested the flammable liquids Leo gave them. There was a chance everything would fail spectacularly.
(Please, Lord Corrin, tell me you can improvise as well!)
[A few hours beforehand]
For the entire dinner, the butler and the blue-haired maid remained silent. Something definitely changed about her. Flora acted like an apple was lodged in her throat the whole time. Nobody asked the difficult question on whether she planned on returning to Nohr. In the end, the Nohrians were stuffed from the meal. Kilma ordered the tables to be cleared and wiped his lips with a handkerchief.
"Thanks for the meal!" Elise said gleefully. "Mmm! It was too good!"
"Haha! That dish socked me right in the taste buds!" Arthur gave a hefty laugh. "Delicious!"
Prince Corrin was impressed too. "Yeah, it's great! This food is beyond spectacular."
"Your welcome, milord!" On instinct, Jakob and Felicia instinctively said.
They looked at each other in confusion and sat down. Flora looked away, unimpressed. Kilma put a strong hand around the prince. Corrin shivered.
"Hey, uh, Lord Corrin." He nudged. "You're not involved in anything with either of my daughters, are you?"
"Hell no!" This time it was Flora's and Felicia's shouts in sync.
"Guess not."
The prince shrugged, slightly disappointed. The entire group, sans the servants, broke out in laughter. It was perhaps the first time Jakob felt anything resembling sympathy towards Felicia.
"Well, I suggest you stay the night here." Kilma said. "We have beds prepared for you already. Our treat."
"Aw Kilma, really?" Corrin laughed awkwardly. "That's kind of you. I feel bad for coming mostly empty-handed."
"Nonsense! You came so far to see us, and night is almost upon us. We insist."
Jakob tried examining the chieftain's expression - the warm expression he carried was gone. Kilma figured out the Nohrians wanted to take their daughter back.
"Uhh…" Flora opened her mouth.
Everyone leaned in to listen to her.
"…I wouldn't mind you guys staying here for a night."
"Well that settles it!" Felicia said. "Who can say no to that?"
The young prince nodded, letting Kilma guide him to a tall building down the street. The multi-storey building was the least tribe-like structure in the village. Its uses of multiple balconies and decorative buttresses made it surprisingly non-traditional.
The chieftain unlocked the door. On the inside were multiple singles beds, side-by-side. The insides looked more similar to a barracks than a proper inn. However the linens looked invitingly new and soft.
(This might just work.)
"Your rooms for tonight." Kilma said. "There is only one condition to staying. For your safety, please leave your weapons on this table." He pointed to the pinewood table closest to the main door.
The Nohrians dropped their weapons onto the tabletop. Daggers, a lance, an axe, Elise's rods, and Ganglari were piled on top of each other. Effie took the bag that used to contain Prince Leo's gold bars and placed it next to her bed.
Kilma raised an eyebrow. "Please have a good night!"
After the chieftain left, Prince Corrin made sure the door was shut. They huddled around in a circle, discussing how to get Flora back to Nohr. They had several disagreements and gave up for the night – would they try to convince Kilma, or reclaim her directly?
Effie, Arthur, and Jakob voted to rescue her.
Lord Corrin, Lady Elise, and Felicia voted for more negotiation.
"The votes are split." Corrin said. "Let's sleep on this guys. There's plenty of time to make up our minds tomorrow morning."
[…]
His statement was false.
"Ahh!"
Jakob was woken up rudely by a manly scream. Arthur was standing next to his bed, hands raised in surrender. The butler got out from under his sheets and did the same thing. An incredible sight was in front of them.
Seven Ice Tribe warriors, armed with lances, were at the door. In the middle was Flora who was in her old maid outfit. Corrin rubbed his eyes, unaware of the situation. "Uh, morning guys." He said. "What's going on here?"
Flora opened her mouth. "I'm sorry Lord Corrin, but we must detain your patrol."
(What? She betrayed us?)
Indeed, the weapons everyone placed at the front table disappeared. The Ice Tribe had confiscated them, leaving them utterly defenseless. They must have been relocated during nighttime when the Nohrians were sleeping.
"Flora?" The prince grimaced. "I did not expect something like this."
"But why?" Felicia whimpered. "Big sis, why would you do this...?"
"Dear sister." Flora shook her head. The words felt like daggers to her. "You've always been ignorant to the ways of the Nohrians. We can no longer live under their oppression. Corrin and Elise will be bargaining chips for our freedom."
The Flora in front of them was definitely not the Flora that served with them at the Northern Fortress. The soldiers moved forward, ready to strike.
"This is a bad mistake." Corrin gulped. "We can sort this out civilly."
Flora remained stoic. "By the chieftain's orders you will not be hurt. Please do not resist, as there are guards outside too."
It was all a fake. Kilma's generosity and Flora's timidity was all a ruse to throw the Nohrians off their senses. There were no avenues of escape.
"Deception is unethical!" Arthur complained. "We will not stand for this!"
"Then we will act by force." Flora raised her arms, ordering the lancers to advance. "Felicia, Jakob… Please do not hate me for this."
(We're outnumbered!)
The inn door swung open, revealing another line of soldiers outside. They entered the room cautiously; their iron lances pointed at the royals. The butler raised his fists in the air, preparing for an uneven sparring match.
"Incandescent Inferno!" Suddenly a loud yell came from the outside.
The soldiers turned around to see what happened. Through one of the large windows, the Nohrians saw a large fireball summoned from a tall ridge. The projectile hit square on the armory roof, engulfing it with roaring flames.
"What the hell!" A soldier exclaimed. "The armory is-"
"Now!"
Effie and Arthur charged forward, body-slamming two of the distracted guards. The female knight knocked out another man by landing a heavy punch to the back of his head. Corrin dived forward and picked up one of the iron lances they dropped.
The princess's retainers picked up their own weapons and attacked the other three lancers. Without wasting a second, they slashed at the foes still distracted by the explosion. The Ice Tribe warriors were cut down almost immediately.
Flora and the remaining soldiers turned around to see their comrades on the floor. "Call the rest of the militia!" She demanded. "The Ice Tribe is under attack!"
Felicia and Jakob grabbed their own lances, despite not knowing how to wield them. The prince and retainers eventually pushed the Ice Tribe lancers into the streets. They fled in opposite directions, waiting for reinforcements.
Flora had disappeared by the time they exited the inn. Civilians were running away from the armory fire. The Nohrians took advantage of the chaos and retreated into a small alleyway.
"What was that explosion?" Elise panted heavily.
Corrin blinked. "No idea!"
"Wait, that wasn't your contingency plan?" Arthur exclaimed.
"Not that one! We owe one to whoever summoned that fireball..."
Jakob could not blame the prince for falling into the trap. Kilma's actions caught him completely off-guard. After all he did to cover for his daughter in Krakenburg, the betrayal stung deeply.
"Only a few minutes before the rebellion fully mobilizes." Corrin said. "We need to hold on a bit longer to extract Flora!"
"Are you insane? We need to get out of here!" Effie said. "Six of us cannot take on an entire village!"
Bells rang from towers around the village. The rebellion had begun prematurely. In a matter of seconds, they would be surrounded by Kilma and a thousand angry warriors, wanting to slaughter them all.
The prince shook his head. "No. I have one more trick up my sleeve..."
A/N: Thanks for reading!
Fun fact: Tarba was the boss unit in Shiro's Paralogue (Ryoma's son).
Please vote in the poll on my profile. It is actually important to the rest of the story, and it closes in two more chapters.
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