Hetalia – The Cold of War
Chapter 15! It's here! The Chapter I that snowballs the action! So excited to get this rolling, I hope you enjoy it as much I will ;)
Enjoy!
The Nordic Kingdom, The Royal Palace, The crossroads down to The Training Hall, The Palace and the town of the Nordic Kingdom.
Arthur Kirkland shivered violently as he looked towards the town's firefly like street lamps. The dim sun had set and the freezing night had come. The temperature had fallen like an anvil and the constant falling snow raged its wintry war with newly replenished energy. The frantic wind tore and whipped at Arthur's blonde hair and cloak as it were intentionally trying to steal his precious warmth, it's cold bite making his spring green eyes water.
"How like Alfred to be late" Arthur huffed to himself as he provoked his magic and expelled his warming breath of fire, his exhale exiting as a small puff of flame "Perhaps he forgot…" He tried to quell his disappointment at the notion. As he listened to the swirling storm whir and circle around him, Arthur's mind was cast into the recent past. To the helm of a rebel airship travelling north.
"Aye aye Captain, how be the our course on this fine evening? " Arthur heard Alfred call in a poor intimation of a pirate's voice as he climbed up the plank stairs towards him with a mock salute. It had been particularly strong winds in the sky's that day and the men who were sensible had ducked below deck, leaving the reluctant Arthur to pilot by himself. Arthur rolled his eyes at the poor impression and bounced the helms wheel back and forth with his hands, as he struggled with his creeping smile.
"Absolutely spiffing Alfred," Arthur loudly called over the wind. Alfred raised a shielding arm as he fought to stand beside Arthur, reaching to grip the control station and ground himself in place. The two breached and huddled against each other as the wind slammed into them, making them swayed them threateningly.
"It's sniffing?"
"No! Spiff- you know what, never mind. In regards to our course, we have roughly four days ahead of us" Arthur replied, bringing his head closer to Alfred's so they wouldn't have to shout. Alfred nodded before his eyes grew wide and eyebrows flew up in the expression of remembrance. He looked to Arthur with a look of joy.
"Four days? It'll be the day before Christmas when we get there!" Alfred cried to the nonchalant Arthur who shrugged his shoulders. Alfred stopped in his tracks and stared confounded at Arthur, "Are you saying you don't celebrate Christmas?".
Arthur shrugged again and looked away from Alfred "It was never a holiday for my people, just another day. When I lived in the Capital, Francis would try to drag me to countless parties and dinners. But he'd leave me when he saw I didn't want to be there" Arthur recounted solemnly as he tapped a rhythm on the wheel. Alfred continued to stare at Arthur with an expression that looked like pity, and when he spoke a unmistakeable note of iron determination clenched in his voice.
"Arthur Kirkland," Arthur looked up at the mention of his full name and felt the blood rush to his cheeks when he saw Alfred had leaned in, so close that Arthur could feel his hot breath on his lips. "Here and now I swear to you, I will do everything within my power, to bring to you the best Christmas experience a man could ask for" Alfred promised with sapphire fire in his eyes. Arthur couldn't help but pull away and laugh, he had never seen Alfred so serious! Over Christmas of all things! Arthur was about to rebuff him when he paused. The face of a earnest child met him. A simple face with trembling sky-blue eyes and a quivering lower lip. In that moment to Arthur, Alfred's presence was the clean fresh air and the rich toiled earth, the definition of health and happiness. Sunshine that radiated through the gloomy grey. Intoxicating sunlight that basked whose close in its shining rays.
Somewhere inside Arthur pined for that wholesome light. Made him feel lightheaded and lighthearted. Rather, Arthur realised, Alfred made him feel that way. Alfred, with his silly gravity-defying cowlick and ridiculously stupid dopey grin, made Arthur want to forever revel in his golden glow... There was of course a more obvious name for what Arthur felt, a word he had not dared utter aloud. Back on earth with his mind and heart a storm, Arthur could only manage a weak nod. Appeased by Arthur's nonresistance, Alfred flashed his brilliant smile as he pulled away and looked forward with bright eyes. Arthur briefly looked down embarrassedbefore he followed Alfred's graze to the clearing pink horizon and the approaching Capital.
The Nordic Kingdom, The Royal Palace, The crossroads down to The Training Hall, The Palace and the town of the Nordic Kingdom.
A rippling crackle of pain snapped Arthur out of his memory. He hissed and fought the urge to expose his back to the winter elements, perhaps the snow would of calmed his infernal itching. But Arthur was wiser then that and so he suffered in uncomfortable silence as he waited for Alfred, whom as though to talk of the devil, approached with a raised hand through the mild blizzard.
"Ayo Arthur!" Alfred exclaimed as he jogged to catch up to Arthur, who had already began to start walking at a brisk pace.
"Good evening Alfred, ready to paint the town red?" Arthur snickered as the two walked side by side down the frosted road connecting the Palace and the rosy gaslit town. Alfred, who had donned a thick black woollen cloak over his leather bomber jacket, looked to Arthur in confusion.
"Is that what you want to do? I mean it sounds hilarious, but it's probably not okay to vandalise the country that is hiding us" Arthur scoffed at the misinterpretation.
"Honestly! Must I explain everything I say to you? It's a metaphor, for you see…" Arthur began to explain as they entered the actual town itself, slowly migrating and mixing themselves into the town folk crowd, where they continued their night together.
Time Passed…
"No way dude, I don't believe that you led a mutiny against a pirate overlord. I've never even seen you hold a sword!" Alfred howled as he elbowed Arthur's side playfully, their footsteps clopping down the paved flagstone . Low arched roofed homes with roaring heaths lined the road with one open doored tavern on their left; drunken men milled and toasted merrily outside as music and candlelight drifted onto the street. Alfred and Arthur were shielded from the thrashing winds and so the snow was allowed to sprinkle down softly. Their evening having consisted of hopping from restaurant and tavern to try the best food the North had to offer. After their food, they had decided to aimlessly drift about the town. Arthur chuckled as he reminisced on his wild childhood.
"Tis true my dear Alfred. Every single word I assure you," Arthur reassured Alfred with a returning light shove. Alfred shook his head as if he still didn't believe before his brows drew together and his pressed his lips together in a tight line.
"Not gonna lie Arthur, when do you plan to write back to Francis? It's been like three days and he's heard nothing. He's gotta be worried about you" He stated giving Arthur a hard look. Arthur's eyes narrowed at the mention of Francis as he clenched his jaw, he had no wish for the topic Francis to ruin his night with Alfred. When he continued to feel Alfred insistent stare for an answer, Arthur bit his lip in frustration and rolled his eyes over to Alfred.
"Writing a response hasn't been my highest priority since finding out my brother I had thought dead is alive and I'm not the last sorcerer alive" He snapped frostily harder then he should of, feeling a pang of regret when he saw Alfred flinch at the tone. Arthur was about to apologise when Alfred's face had already hardened and he had taken a step closer to him.
"Stop it. Stop this whole 'wounded animal' act you're playing. This isn't about how upset you were about his letter, Francis deserves a reply back, even if it's to tell him what you ate for tea. So stop being all sappy and have the decency to give him a response" Alfred affirmed, steeling his stare against Arthur's. A pregnant pause lasted between the two when Arthur gave in with a sigh and the line etched between his thick brows disappeared.
"I'll write back to him tonight. Tell him how bossy you've become now he's not here to protect me" Arthur barked a laugh and although his words held pretend offence, his eyes silently thanked Alfred. The American nodded and excitedly pointed to festive decorations that clothed the homes and street lamps, the argument forgotten. Strips and wreaths of holly bushes hung on doors and windowsills with red ribbon with fat silver and gold baubles. Faintly Arthur heard the trickle of chorused song float towards him.
Maybe I've been here before,
I know this room,
I walked this floor,
I used to live a-lone before I knew you
"What is that?" Arthur asked in curiosity as his feet carried him in the direction of the harmonic voices.
"That? Church hymns me thinks" Alfred easily replied as they rounded a quiet corner and saw the White building that was the Church of Gaia. It had a proud bell tower and its wide elder wood doors were thrown open with welcome invite. Arthur stopped and stared at the quaint church, and wondered what it must be like to raised his voice along with the singers inside, under the reason of worship.
I've seen your flag on the Marble Arch,
Love is not,
A victory march
It's a cold and it's a bro-ken,
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah
Hallelu-jah
A unsuspecting hot wet trail fell down Arthur's cheek, surprising him and caused him to hurriedly swipe them away. "Why do they sing so?" He asked quietly as he listened to the mellow, emotional tune. Alfred looked from the church and stole a lingering loving glance at Arthur before he hurriedly struck his hands into his jacket pockets.
"It's a church of worship. They sing for Gaia, they sing for peace and health and a long life. Matt and I used to go with our parents every Sunday," Alfred recalled as he pushed his thin framed glasses up to the bridge of his nose and cocked his head to side "want to go in?". Arthur looked to Alfred and smiled with a nod, immediately dropping his smile when he saw something black land on his nose.
Alfred stared at the black smog that landed on Arthur's face, time seeming to stand still. Impossible, not now. Black snow. Lukas's warning. He spun on his heel to look South and the sight sent a ragged dagger into his heart. Camouflaged against the pitch twilight, five colossal Imperial warships stalked closer. Alfred's heartbeat ceased to pound, his eyes widened as he saw the orange flash flame of cannon fire. Saw the explosion before he heard the sound, the lethal boom before the shrieking whistle of the projectile plummeting towards them. He didn't have time to think, only react.
"Get down!" Alfred limbs moved on their own, he twisted on instinct and threw his large body on top of fell hard with Alfred's weight crushing down and caused Arthur to cry out in pain. The cannonball dived over their heads, it's explosive impact shook the earth as its sound nearly burst Alfred's eardrums. The shattering eruption of the splintered remains of the church slammed a intense wave of heat into Alfred that was so hot he forgot how to breath. Flaming pieces of wood debris rained down and set his woollen cloak aflame and smoking. Underneath him Arthur opened his terrified eyes, looking dazedly around before his mind caught up and focused on Alfred. A urge to sigh with relief took Alfred when he saw Arthur was unharmed.
" Alfred? What happened? Alf- Alfred you're on fire!" Alfred distantly heard Arthur shriek over the crackle of the engulfing tower of flames. Snapping out of his trance, Alfred sprang off Arthur and tore off his enflamed cloak and tossed it out into the screaming street. With difficulty he turned his face towards the suffocating heat of the tower of flames, bits of ash stinging his exposed skin.
"The singers…," Alfred croaked through his closed throat, taking in a raspy inhale "we need to move, we need to get to the Palace". Behind him Arthur had got to his shaky feet and was looking to the warships with boiling venom.
"Those bastards" He spat through his gritted teeth, the screams and mini quakes echoing throughout the petrified town. Around them families stampeded for cover, some with missing limbs and bits of buildings stuck in them. Fires leapt from house to house and trapped helpless citizens , their terror pitched cries shrilling with no help to come. In the sky two of the imperial warships were slowly advancing towards the Royal Palace while its partners rained constant gunfire on the Wall that struggled to defend. The Empire had finally come to finish the job of swiping out the North.
"We need to get to the Palace, Arthur" Alfred repeated louder so that Arthur heard, inclining his head towards said Palace as he reached forward and took other's hand. With Alfred in the lead and Arthur closely following behind, the duo sprinted through the under fire town. Never letting go of each other's hands as they ran for their lives.
Yesss, finally. The Empire has finally arrived up North, I have waited so long for the upcoming events. Let it begin.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter (I know I did). If you would like to see the next exciting chapter fly in as quickly as possible, please leave a review telling me your thoughts, opinions and questions. They always mean the world :).
Due to motivation, I am happy to release the next chapter early as soon as I finish it opposed to the usual update day of Sunday. Five reviews is all it takes to find out what happens to our heroes early!
Once again thank you for reading and as always,
Until next time folks!