The Fiery Queen of Nohr : Part 15
Author's note : School is finished! Exams are done! At last, freedom! And I celebrate it with a new chapter! Beta-reading was done by the tireless efforts of pt1oef, as always. Time to answer the reviews like always.
Spartastic 4 : Yeah, I kinda brushed aside some faulty writings in the last chapter, that were mostly (I hope) corrected since. I hope you won't die on me again, I don't have infinite MP!
Imperial warlord : Thanks! I hope this chapter will please you too!
Greyjedi449t : I'm happy to hear that. Here is what happen next, right in this chapter!
Guest : Yes, gods are often more problems than they are worth.
Pt1oef : Of course, the dress will not stay in Izumo! It would be a crime. Ah, excentrics people that Lora does not outrank, her worst enemies! Its true that Izana might have been one of the most difficult opponent she ever faced in some ways.
And with all that said, enjoy the story! Leave a review if you liked it or have a critic to share! It's like fuel for writers, don't hesitate!
With a rattling tremor, the great doors of Windmire opened wide to welcome its sovereigns. Back at last from the lands of Izumo, they entered the city amidst clamors of the citizens. Most of them came from the workers of the capital's surface, but as the royal couple progressed an increasing number of people came from the underground, hoping to grasp the sight of the king and queen in the dim sunlight. Mounting a fierce black war stallion, king Garon rode with a severe and distant gaze fixated on the distant horizon, toward the hidden castle in the heart of the city, his mere presence bearing upon those around. As his side queen Lora was riding upon her lighter and clearer steed, her own eyes looking through the crowd of people as if she was judging each one. Her burning gaze pierced those who met it, leaving them shivering as if they just faced an immense fire. Their aura was not just that of ordinary lord or men, as if they were on an entirely different level of existence: the king's aura imposed obedience and respect, the queen's gaze spread awe and fear in equal measure. The city guards were almost unneeded in splitting the crowd to allow them passage, as everyone stood aside spontaneously.
Soon the royal escort reached the walls of Krakenburg, leaving the crowd and their horses behind to cross the bridge and gates, all the way to the great hall. There, a different kind of crowd was waiting, in the form of the castle guards forming a guard of honor. Each row of soldiers the royal couple passed stood to attention, striking the ground with their spear in a rhythmic martial salute. The echoes carried all the way through the great stone stairs up to the gates of the throne room, where nobility was assembled. The wealthiest and most powerful lords were on the forefront, welcoming the return of their king with a knee on the ground while their lesser were behind, kneeling fully. Standing alone at the bottom of the throne stairs was the crown prince, tall and proud as his station dictated.
"It's the king. The king in all but age.''
That thought came into the mind of all when Garon faced his elder son. There was no trace of the tenderness of youth in Xander anymore, leaving only the edge and gravity of adulthood. The greatsword Siegfried at his side he bowed slightly, with the deference a son ought to show his progenitor.
"Welcome back, Father.''
Seemingly unfazed by the ceremonial the king examined his son with a severe look before simply climbing the stairs and sitting on the throne. The queen quickly but intensely glanced at the oddity that was the female knight kneeling right behind Xander before following her husband, sitting on the smaller throne at the right of the king's own.
"The descendant of the gods have spoken. A storm is approaching, and for that storm, Nohr shall be ready."
Stern and measured, the king's voice rippled through the crowd, all ears and eyes were suspended at the king's lips.
"The gods were silent upon the nature of the threat. However, it is clear that its repercussion will shake the world beyond the boundaries of Nohr. To prepare against what is to come, I hereby invoke the Right of Service."
The entire court stiffened. Most looks were of surprise, but some figures expressed indignation, shock, and even anger. The Right of Service was an old custom, one that went back to the greatest conflicts the kingdom have ever seen, when it was at war against the entire continent. By decreeing it, the king asked that each lord, no matter his or her rank, wealth or power, had to part with half of their military for the benefit of the crown army. It was a gigantic loss of resources, investments and would leave the nobility at large severely weakened. But the Right was absolute. Disobedience would not only be considered treason and punished as such, but also the culling of one's entire lineage up to the third degree. The only way the right could be canceled was a unanimous rejection, forcing the king to revoke his decision. But after a short silence, it was obvious that such response would not happen. There was too much at stake and too much risk to rebel alone. Refusing the King's demand may lead to the same fall Richard and Agnes suffered.
"The Right of Service will become effective after the Great Tournament of Windmire, in six month. Emissaries will accompany you all back to your domains to observe that everything is done as we will it. I shall oversee this matter myself." Said the queen, the implicit threat sending shivers through the room.
And with a single gesture, king Garon dismissed the court. No words were said as the lords and ladies stood up and left under the watchful gaze of the guard, but the rumors and gossip would likely flare once they were far away from the throne room. Their defiance was palpable. However, their loyalty and fear were strong enough that they would likely only resist in more passive ways: deliberately sending less experienced, ill-equipped soldiers, furnishing the oldest horses and wyverns they could find, and whatever else they could find to lessen the burden the Right would cause them. But it didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. Soldiers could be trained, equipment was replaceable. The most delicate process of all would be the increased pressure of logistic from what would become the largest army the country, no, the continent has ever seen in centuries.
There were not many nobles left when Xander approached the thrones, the female knight following him closely. Now that the attention of the sovereigns wasn't attached to solely watch the court, they turned it to the strange spectacle that was the sight of the crown prince with such close companionship.
"Approach, Xander. What is it you wish to talk about?" Asked Garon sternly, looking at his elder son again.
"Father, queen Lora, I wish to present you my new retainer." Said the prince, moving aside to leave the girl into full view.
The female knight bowed, somewhat clumsily but apparently not purposely so. The first thing the king noticed was the age of the girl, likely three years or so younger than the prince according to her body build, even if her soft features and make-up gave the impression of an even younger age. Her face was also familiar, even if he could not quite put his finger on it. He was certain that he never saw her personally, but her father or mother was certainly an esteemed member of nobility. He noted that the girl wore a steel breast plate, gauntlets and shin guard above a heavy white top and dark skirt, completed with equally black stocking. Not the most covering armor, but fitting enough out of the battlefield. A short sword was strapped at her belt and a spear attached to her back, likely her primary weapon. What stood out the most was her hair, blue twin-tails with two pink colored end, the color emphasizing even more her childish face.
"I'm Peri, daughter of lord Shawn! Lord Xander asked me to become his retainer, so I accepted! Pleased to meet you majesties!"
And that impression was reinforced even further by her excited, childlike tone and attitude. The queen twitched slightly at the display, her eyes shine intensifying while the king inwardly nodded, recognizing at last why she seemed familiar. The Mourning Wolf had been a remarkable commander until the death of his wife, which devastated him enough to renounce fighting and retire, wearing only mourning attire in public, hence the nickname. For such a bright, excited child to be his daughter was surprising, to say the least. But such attitude was dangerously close to disrespect, and Xander must have had a very good reason to chose her despite it, thought Garon. He did live years without proper retainers after the death of his previous ones.
"When and where have you recruited this girl, crown prince?" Asked Lora, voice dangerously even.
"In lady Faye noble tourney, queen Lora."
"And what made you think she would fit at this position?" Insisted the queen.
"She displayed qualities I am expecting from my retainers, alongside a great potential that could have been wasted otherwise. Her quirks are but minor inconveniences in regards to that." Asserted Xander firmly, in a fashion that was very much like that of his father.
The girl, which have seemed about to burst in tears beamed and stood tall under the praise of the prince, looking at him with a grateful expression while the queen visibly pondered, eyes alternating between Xander and Peri. She then looked at Garon inquiringly. The king understood and nodded. If the prince picked up the girl on that criteria above all else, then it was logical to proceed with a test of strength.
"Very well. Prince Xander, I shall test myself whether or not she is worthy of those praises, here and now."
The prince stood stoically for an instant before nodding. Lora rose from her throne and descended the stairs, eyes focused on the girl. Step after step, the metal boots softly echoing, until the queen was in front of her target.
"Lady Peri, I will test your worth as combatant myself. Should I found you unsatisfying, you will be removed from your position as retainer."
"You mean I have to fight you? Awesome!"
The sheer joy in the young knight's voice evidently took the queen by surprise, as she suspended her familiar gesture prelude to the apparition of a weapon, while the girl was already unsheathing her blade with a large awed smile, still talking.
"I heard all stories of your battles! You can kill ten people in one swing! Roast pegasi with a breath! You can even be on fire! You're so cool and strong! I always wanted to be like you!"
Garon tightened his grip on the cold armrests of the stone throne, a snicker struggling to escape his mind as his queen shifted between disbelief, annoyance, and a hint of pride. Xander subtle tenseness increased, his eyes focused on his retainer. Then the weapon Lora chose appeared in a blaze, eliciting a gasp of admiration from Peri: a giant gold-decorated black curved sword with no guard, the tip so curved it was more looking like a hook or claw. A small, thick metal shield covered in foreign crests appeared on her left arm before she took an aggressive stance, putting the sword above her right shoulder.
The retainer took a similar stance before charging before the start was even given, a demented, blood-lust filled grin on her face. The first slash was blocked by the queen and the fight began under the watchful gaze of the prince and king, the royal guards and some passing servants eyeing it on the side.
The clash of steel filled the air as Peri attacked relentlessly, her sword battering time and time again on Lora's curved sword or shield. She was like a bull charging forward, focused on trying to cut down its target without hesitation nor patience, wildly flailing with her excited battle cries. To the ignorant, it would look like she was leading the duel. But to the skilled, it couldn't be further from truth.
The queen hadn't moved an inch since the start of the battle, parrying each hit without exerting any visible effort, sometimes even pushing back her opponent with the strength of her blocks. Garon looked attentively at the way the retainer was moving. There was something intriguing in the way she fought. Most of the time her offensive was wild and erratic, but what could only be described as brief surges of skill appeared here and there, forcing a slightly quicker and more precise reaction from Lora.
''Take that! And that! And thaaaat!''
Despite her yells Peri started to slow down, her assaults became less and less energetics, her swings losing in intensity and precision. Lora suddenly made a step forward, her curved blade violently clashing against the straight sword of the retainer. Just like that the flow of battle changed. Now it was Peri who was on the defensive, trying to deflect the violent strikes which seemed to intend to kill more than harm. The hooked end of the queen's curved blade proved to be viciously effective as it almost tripped the retainer while the small shield crashed into her left arm, a dull cracking followed by a pained howl signaling that it has been at least fractured. Yet she kept fighting despite it, growling as she defended with her sword held with only one hand.
The king could see it more clearly now; her defensive stance was almost the same as Xander's. It was gauche, clumsy in comparison to the prince complex swordplay, yet very discernible. Not only that, but her skillful stroke appeared more than before: a missed strike becoming a surprisingly precise thrust, a quick recovery from an unbalanced parry. But it wasn't enough. A brutal shove pushed Peri back before the curved slashed her shoulder, adding to the multitude of gashes and bruises she was already sporting.
But to the king's surprise, Peri kept fighting, even as outmatched and hurt as she was. The retainer was sent to the ground for the third time, a trail of blood tarnishing the stone floor as she struggled to stand with only one arm while the queen approached, sword low and ready to strike...
''Queen Lora, that's enough!''
Xander stepped in the way of the queen, barring her to approach the down retainer. Lora paused for an instant, looking at the prince with a puzzled look.
''Have you decided to renounce her, prince Xander?''
''I am putting a stop to this madness! This is nothing but a one-sided slaughter!'' Said Xander with a large, angry arm gesture, an uproar that widened the queen's eyes a little.
''You accepted to leave her appraisal to me.'' Pointed Lora with a disappointed tone. ''And it seems she is still able to fight.''
The prince took a look back and saw Peri, barely standing up with her her sword as support, her makeup blurred and one eyes closed because of a cut just above covering it in blood. But the other was still determined, a stubbornness that bordered on madness. She tried to speak, but only managed to cough, a spit of blood leaving her lips. Xander looked into the burning, yet cold eyes of the queen, refusing to back down.
''Don't move, Peri. Royal guards, heal my retainer!'' Commanded Xander, making one of the soldier in duty take a step forward before being stopped in its track by the cold stare of Lora.
''You are overstepping your boundaries, little prince.'' Warned the queen in a quiet tone that flared up the anger withing the prince.
''On the contrary, you are the one overstepping yourself, queen Lora. You do not want to test her worth. You want to break her spirit and chase her! As crown prince, I will not tolerate such abuse toward my retainer!''
The words of Xander echoed with passion in the throne room, rippling through the arches and making the servants shudder before hastily carrying their duties. The prince looked at his father, who had observed the whole scene without a word. No emotion pierced through the stoic face of Garon but a single hand wave was sent at the attention of the frozen guard, who quickly approached the bloodied Peri and started to use the healing staff at his belt. Looking back to the queen, Xander found her... Uncertain?
''Did I?...'' Whispered Lora as she was looking at her bloody blade, then the throne.
Without a single word uttered, some form of understanding seemed to pass through the sovereigns as the king nodded to an unsaid question, making the queen shake her head dejectedly. Xander couldn't fathom how his father always seemed to understand what Lady Lora was thinking. Or how he did the same thing with his mother Katerina before. Was it how love worked? He had no clue on that matter. He sent a glance to his retainer, whom he could see had stopped bleeding, most of her bruises fading away under the healing magic. A small conflagration attracted his attention, the queen's weapons disappearing as she faced him.
''You were... right, prince Xander.'' Said the queen slowly. ''The manner by which I treated lady Peri was beyond reasonable. It is a good thing you intervened.''
Xander frowned, still uneasy. The brutality he had just witnessed, the methodical beating Peri had been forced to endure. How far the queen would have gone? He couldn't shake it off, not with mere words. What happened was even worse than what he feared.
''Well done, my son. You have shown yourself strong enough to take command when you had to, as befitting of your station.'' Said Garon, rising from his throne. ''Go now, and take your retainer with you. I have high expectations for her.''
''Thank you, Father. I shall not disappoint you.'' Said Xander as he bowed gratefully, about to turn back before the queen stepped forward.
''Wait, prince Xander.''
Within the open hand of the queen, a new flame appeared before the eyes of the prince until it became of a blue kite shield with a golden wing crest. A typical knight shield in shape, but Xander could only look upon its superb craftsmanship to be certain it was anything but typical, on top of it being one of the queen's possession. Who knows what mystical attribute it could have.
''Take it.'' Decreed the queen, catching the prince off guard.
''With all due respect, queen Lora, why?' Asked Xander, still wary. ''It is certainly a precious artifact, one that I have seen you wield in battle. Why give it to me now?''
''It is indeed a precious artifact, prince Xander, imbued with powerful magic capable of repelling all spell. As for why... It is something you deserve to possess. Consider it reparation for the prejudice I have shown against your retainer. ''
Unable to come with a counter-argument, Xander silently took the shield into his hands, bowing slightly.
''May I retire, Father?''
''You may.'' Agreed Garon.
Sometimes Xander wondered what would happen if the queen forcefully kept the throne after the death of his Father... Shaking those thoughts away, the prince signaled his retainer. It was time to leave. Peri was fully healed, and he had to attend his own duties. One of them being teaching Peri how to do her own duties as a retainer.
''Huh, lord queen... That was so cool! You're the best, I need to fight you again! I'm sure I'll become as amazing as you if do!'' Blurted Peri with the most childlike excitement Xander ever heard of her, frowning at the blatant lack of due respect.
But to his relief, the queen didn't seem to mind it as much. No, to his surprise, Lora was actually observing Peri with an interested eye, one that he would have gladly seen before this whole mess, but which was now worrying him.
''Keep training her well, prince Xander. I too am curious to see how far she can go.'' Lora said, making a shiver run up to his spine.
As Xander left, almost dragging Peri with him, he couldn't help but think of the way the queen asked him the request. Even if he did recruit Peri for her incredible potential, the way lady Lora said it... It was like she asked him to sharpen a knife to see how deep it could cut.
The blizzard was stronger than ever around the Ice Tribe village, the air icy enough to freeze the air out of a man's lungs. Yet Lora crossed it without thinking, the situation at hand was being much more important than mere low temperature. The report about the situation had been sufficiently explicit: the Ice Tribe had rebelled, chasing the soldiers in station and killing their officer. Those that survived the return from the harsh lands of the Ice Tribe were few, and there was no way Nohr would allow such rebellion to happen without retribution.
Behind Lora, her troops struggled to follow her rhythm, unable to face the cold as easily as her, who had her enchanted ring instead of relying on the mages to stay warm. She didn't care as well. It would be better for them to stay back rather than be caught in her fire if she had to be intimidating the Ice Tribe again. She nonetheless hopes it wouldn't come to using the First Flame, maybe simple pyromancy would do. The Ice Tribe already witnesses her power after all.
The snow crumpled under her feet as the village came in view, the howling wind subsiding at the same time her view was cleared, afternoon sunlight piercing through. There was no one, just as the scout said. No villagers in arm, no one in between the houses. The queen squinted, but she couldn't see anything. Did they abandon their village to retreat in the mountains? It was a strong possibility, but Lora remembered that the village was a lot larger than it seemed, spawning all around the lake in multiple gathering of houses. Moving forward, she waited for her soldiers to come out of the blizzard in battle formation. Three hundred, more than enough to submit the villagers should anything happen.
''Soldiers, in formations. Stay alert until I give the signal.''
''Yes your Highness!'' Quickly approved the captains of the three companies of soldiers she brought before sending their courriers to relay the orders.
Lora advanced slowly, taking note that the snow was pristine, devoid of all footsteps that could indicate human passage. In any other place she would have been certain that no one had been present in a while, but not here. The Ice Tribe had mastery over ice and snow, and could have easily erased all trace of their presence.
Making a gesture, Lora signaled her small army to move, albeit carefully. There was five gatherings of houses around the lake, the population of the whole tribe esteemed to about three to four hundred, women and children included. Meaning an enemy force would be around two hundred since most of their women fought too, often as mages. Studying the field, she found it rather plain with only a small inclination near the lake. Small woods were present there and there between the settlements, but way too small and too sparse to hide the population. To cross the frozen lake was out of the question, meaning she had to search with her troops in circle. Gesturing for the officers to come, she gave her instructions while keeping an eye on the village.
''Captain Sigurd, move to the houses gathering with the chieftain house. Captain Nibolg, cover his flanks right flank. Captain Ivan, the left. If anything is wrong, have a mage send a bolt to the sky. No pillaging nor house burning, the enemy might be close.''
Lora's orders were quickly executed and she elected to stay in the rearguard with a handful of soldiers, including two mages. This way she would see more clearly if anything went wrong. The army proceeded to advance in triangle, slowly penetrating the village first house gathering while the wings enveloped its side to prevent ambushes. The wind rose, a strong fleecy wind that immediately reduced Lora's vision and likely the soldier's, but not to the point of drowning the view. Still, it made Lora even more wary as couriers came and informed her that there were no traces of the Ice Tribe members. The houses were empty, including the chieftain's. No traces of precipitated departure, nothing left indicated the village had not been deserted for a long time. The queen commanded her forces to move on to the next settlement, still looking for anything suspicious. The wind howled, intensifying ever so slightly as vision became more and more obscured. Clearing her eyes off the moist snowflakes, Lora, couldn't help but feel something was wrong. She had forgotten something important, or rather, it was escaping her. But what?
A sudden wave of snow blinded her, forcing her to stop advancing. Just then, she heard it. A muffled sound came from afar, a sound the queen recognized immediately. The scream of men dying. Multiple crashing thunders signaled the use of lightning magic just at the same time; They were under attack.
''We are under attack! Mages, clear that snow right now!'' Ordered Lora.
That's what had been wrong, the blizzard never reached the village in her last visit! It was the Ice Tribe doing! The wind magic of four mages dispersed part of the blizzard around, allowing her to see the situation with greater clarity. From wherever they had hidden, the Ice tribesmen were attacking the left flank and vanguard, their unarmored silhouette preying on the shocked soldiers with weapons and ice magic. The queen picked up movement at the edge of the snowstorm and yelled at the horn bearing soldier aside.
''Order the left flank to regroup! Vanguard fall back! Do not pursue, wait for the right flank and rearguard!''
The aide promptly blew in his instrument a string of notes, and the soldiers started to move and react accordingly. Just at the same time, the ground quaked as a giant slabs of ice erupted from the ground and fell, crushing soldiers that tried to pursue. They were waiting for them, and she fell into their trap! Anger flaring inside, she felt the flame inside burn stronger and stronger.
A new wave of snowy wind blew toward the army and the mages this time dispersed part of it. The left flank was reforming. Lora ordered the right flank to give assistance to the left while she came with the rearguard to assist the front, trying to see from where the attackers did come from. The attack had been too close, and not from the threes...
Archers of the front line tried to riposte but their arrows fell aside, the supernatural storm growing stronger and deflecting all projectiles before skirmishers of the Ice Tribe armed with spears suddenly appeared from the snow... The snow at the lake edges! They were buried underneath all this time, waiting for them! The cleverness and simplicity of the tactic angered Lora. She should have thought about such possibility!
Lora quickly numbered her forces and the visible enemies. She had lost about thirty soldiers, and the enemies standing were about fifty. Ordering a shielded counter-charge she moved through the ranks, her escort trying to follow the rhythm. The vanguard and left flank made a wall of shield and charged, managing to catch multiple enemies before they could escape as the rest... Were moving through the frozen lake! New traps emerged from the ground, pikes and giant slab of ice, but this time the soldiers were ready.
Dark mages pulverized the slabs with thunder and wind while the soldiers' solid shield broke the ice pikes on impact. Lora gritted her teeth. She was certain the lake was another trap, but to get around it would only allow the Ice tribesmen to regroup. A new surge of wind lifted the snow in a white curtain, hiding the enemy movements. Suddenly her soldiers on the lake edge started to cross it. She hadn't given such order!
''Order the troops to go around the lake! Do not cross it, no matter what!''
The aid trumpeted again, but it was too late. Under Lora's furious eyes, large portions of the lake ice suddenly broke and the imbeciles that followed the tribesmen fell into the crevasses, the weight of their armor drowning them. Worse, the ice reformed with thunderous cracks, trapping them underneath to drown or freeze. Why didn't they moved faster around the lake? Lora brutally shoved aside a soldier and managed to grab captain Sigurd, whose enraged face struggled to manifest a semblance of respect as a healer was patching a hole in his arm.
''Your Highness, those ice traps prevent us to pursue! Too many men already died to those, we can't catch those rats like this! And the mages can't clear the blizzard fast enough to make us even see the enemies!'' Eructed the officer.
The entire village had been made into a deadly trap. Moving forward as useless: the tribesmen were too quick and the field was at their absolute advantage, their ice magic and spears still dealing enough damage to slowly cut down her men. About sixty soldiers were already dead, far too much, while their enemies lost not even a quarter of that number. Bowmen were useless, the Ice Tribe magic too strong in their blessed homeland.
''Order the retreat to the village edges, then when you see a great flame charge around the lake in its direction, by the two sides.'' Decreed Lora. ''Now!'' She added to spring the shocked captain in action before putting her helmet on.
A tumult shook the army before the order was properly transmitted, heavy armored soldiers trying to shield their comrade while the archers and mages tried to counter the enemies skirmishers. Lora kept looking at the blurred form of the enemy fighters approaching again, some of them falling through the lucky shots of archers or wizards. Once more the blizzard howled, hiding the enemy positioning.
Now. Taking advantage of the fact that the tribesmen would be hopefully blinded too, the queen charged toward the lake. In her hands appeared enormous blades, each one large enough to be called a greatsword. Black swords with distorted, charred edges, and deformed hilt looking like twisted snakes. The menacing weapons from the Ringed City. And as Lora was charging they started to fizzle as flames born of the blades meet the snowy wind. The first tribesman she met already spotted her, his spear ready. But his eyes widened in fear at the sight of her weapon. She capitalized on it and brought down the massive blade in her right hand, evading the spear in one fluid motion.
The heavy blade crushed the man's skull all the way down to his spine, exploding its body in a mash of viscera, brain and blood. Without slowing Lora turned on herself and sliced another coming from the side, cleaving it in half with the sickening sound of crushed bones covering the man's scream. Blood splattered the ice and her armor and she dashed again. Soon her metal boots squeaked against the frozen lake surface and she sprinted even faster, impaling a surprised enemy with her left weapon before brutally pull the blade up in a shower of crimson.
Soon the snow fell, revealing her surrounding. Lora was still far from the lake center, but she was exactly where she wanted. Surrounded by enemies that just realized that she was there, the retreating skirmishers or mages of the Ice Tribe. At last, she could see it. They were retreating in that direction, the furthest settlement. This was where she needed to go to find the rest of them...
Smiling viciously, Lora freed the inner fire of the blades and spun. A wave of flames came out of the swords and filled the air with the scream of men and the scent of burnt flesh as she jumped forward and fell down on a mage whose spell was half finished. The icy mist died in its hand when the burning swords hacked its body pieces, charred remnants falling on the ground.
Without pausing the queen charged again as the ice underneath started to crack, avoiding the fall in freezing water that killed many soldiers before crushing a tribeswoman trying to run away. She rolled on the ice to avoid spears thrown in her direction before running again. She was more than half way across the lake. The ice underneath cracked and she jumped, once more avoiding to sink. The First Flame almost roared inside her and she had to restrain herself from freeing it.
If Lora did, she would sink. Sink into the cold water, sink into... A spear smashed into her armor from behind, slightly unbalancing her and forcing her to roll to keep her speed, using the swords weight to launch herself further. Do not think just act! Lora yelled to herself, the impact of the enemy weapon waking her up. A group of enemies were just a little further, near the lake edge. About twenty, armed with axes, spears and two empty handed mages, the frost already gathering in their hand.
The queen glanced behind her. Other were coming, they were trying to surround her. Unsealing the swords flame again Lora sent a new wave of fire of crescent shape. The mages reacted, an ice wall emerged and stopped it, melting in a deep white steam. There was her chance! Lora jumped through the steam, spinning with her immense blades. The heavy metal forged in the Abyss broke through most of the spears blindly pointed, others broke against her armor without harm and she shred all those close apart in a shower of burned blood and flesh. But an axe wielder managed to dodge and hit her head with all its strength, the weapon rebounding against the helmet.
For a brief second Lora's vision turned to white and she almost fell because of her swords momentum. But before it could deal another blow she recovered, letting go of one sword to take the other with two hands and break the man in half with one strike, two cauterized halves falling on the snow. She had done it. She crossed the lake! She could see them now. Beyond the wind and the snowy mist, it was there. The main force of the Ice Tribe was inside the last settlement of houses, their soldiers ready to either finish off the crippled enemy that should have come or run away if things went badly. How many, she wasn't sure.
And on an elevation of the field, just before the settlement and dominating the battlefield, Lora finally noticed them. Twelve sorcerers circling around one person that she recognized as Kilma, the Ice Tribe leader, protected by a line of spearmen. He was likely the one behind the blizzard and traps hindering her troops, helped by other men of his tribe with the greatest magical power. And judging by the fact that they were all looking at her instead of working their magic, it was safe to assume her brazen charge produced the desired result. Picking up her second sword but keeping them low, she walked cautiously toward the leader of the Ice Tribe, the enemy soldiers shivering as she approached. She stopped outside of their reach, glancing behind to see how far the retreating soldiers she passed on the way were. Not there yet. She still had a chance to talk things out before being surrounded and forced to kill them all.
''Your rebellion end here, chieftain Kilma. Surrender now, and I shall be magnanimous.''
Without the wind, Lora's voice reached the small hill easily, and even from the distance she could see the chieftain expression change. He must have recognized her.
''And what magnanimity should we expect, queen of Nohr, while you are covered in the blood of our owns? You nohrians understand only one language; war. I will not let my tribe wither under tyranny, with your soldiers plundering our homes unpunished.''
In a flash of lucidity, Lora understood what must have happened. Undisciplined soldiers indulging in either greed or lust and abusing the villagers until they reached their breaking point. If they hadn't been dead already, she would have had their head. But it didn't matter anymore, and she was left with an uprising to quell.
Making her sword disappeared, she rose her left hand, her pyromancy hand, to the sky, before sending a fireball high up in the air. Now without the chieftain creating blizzards her forces could march forth. Kilma seemed to understand exactly what she just did and raised his tome. A tome of dark magic, she recognized. He must have taken it from the mage in the old garrison.
''You know you cannot defeat me, leader of the Ice Tribe. Do you truly wish for your people to perish uselessly?'' Warned Lora as the blood on her armor started to boil of, fiery trails upon her armor and skin signaling her imminent ignition as Lord of Cinder.
Recognition crossed many gazes in front of her and some tribesmen turned pale, taking steps back instinctively. She heard the footstep behind her stop, and Lora didn't have to turn around to know why. But it wasn't enough. Either they withdrew entirely and submitted, or she would have to kill them all. An idea crossed her mind. She wasn't good with words. Only power would talk strongly enough.
''Behold once more what await you should you refuse to yield.''
The First Flame erupted, engulfing everything around in a maelstrom of destruction. The tribesmen fled all around, the heat strong enough to harm those too close. Pain, familiar yet still unbelievably strong. Would she ever stop to feel it? Or would it be the sign that she was becoming mad enough to not care anymore?
Lora ignored the answer. The snow was fizzling, become vapor without even passing through liquid state before disappearing in the hot air. Turning to the lake, she sent a last look at Kilma before slowly advancing toward it, flames scorching the molten ground where she walked. She couldn't see her troops, her vision entirely focusing toward her objective.
Didn't the Ice Tribe proudly extol their frozen lake, the blessing of their draconic ancestor? Reaching the lake edges, the burning queen saw that despite her close presence, the ice was still solid, barely melting despite the heat. She held her arm high, and the fire shaped itself into an old, familiar sight that fell into her palm: an old sword, the coiled blade unfit to cut anything, glowing like an old ember as if it has just been half melted. The Firelink sword. With a hiss, she plunged it into the lake.
Instantly the ice melted at the point of contact, a deafening whistling as the ice melted, the water boiling before evaporating around the sword. For an instant, nothing but the hole of the sword appeared... Then it expanded. Slowly a multitude of cracks appeared at the frozen surface, then it became crevasses. Finally, the ice melted, twisting and breaking as if it was alive and suffering. But even then, ice still reformed, the cold fighting the heat harshly.
Lora gripped her sword harder, the skin of her arm tearing apart as intensified her effort, the flames around her changing from red to white. She felt something approach but didn't even mind, entirely focused on the lake. Magic bolts or projectiles, something was thrown at her without effect, either melting or dissipating uselessly. The remaining ice collapsed. The entire lake was now nothing but boiling water as the queen kept going.
''Stop this! You can't destroy the sacred lake, you can't!''
The Lord of Cinder registered the panicked words absently. What did they meant? The lake was still there, the Depths still threatened the Flame. Steam and mist was rising to the sky, the water level slowly but surely diminishing. It was not over yet.
''Gods forgive us, we surrender! We surrender, so please make it stop! Do not destroy the lake, queen of Nohr, we beg of you!''
Queen. Nohr. What was she trying to do? Why? Her arm refused to move, the sword refused to move. She wasn't just a Lord. She was more than that, she would never become just that! With a piercing cry, the blade finally came out of the lake and sent flying away before disappearing in flames, her arm feeling almost broken under the strain. The conflagration roared in her ears and mind before she pushed it aside, focusing on her herself. Her identity. Her mission. Lora, the queen of Nohr. Yes, that was who she was. She was there to submit the Ice Tribe.
The pain rolled in Lora's every member, yet she moved away from the water, her reason once again in check. Her soldiers. They were there, still at some distance, moving slowly. The Ice Tribes. Yes, it was their voices. Their words that pierced the fog insider her mind. But she was not going to extinguish the Flame yet. She needed more. Just a little more. Melting and burned spears were on the ground, alongside two charred cadavers. Had they tried to stop her by attacking in close range?
Chief Kilma has descended from the hill. His tome on the ground, just like his men's weapons. They yielded. Yes, they did, looking as if she was some sort of ungodly monster. What did she want to ask them? It hurt. Execution. No, not that. She made another step, her legs feeling like old cracking wood. She tried to focus. Ignore the fire, ignore the pain. She still had to keep it burning for now. Until it was said and done.
''You punished criminals. You yielded. For that I shall be merciful, chief Kilma.''
Her head was splitting. Daughter. Garon spoke to her about daughter. His... No, that of the chieftain? As she pronounced the next words, she could see the enemy leader's face drained of all its color.
''But you rebelled. You killed my soldiers. You will be punished. You must be punished. Your daughters...The eldest. I shall take. She will stay hostage. In Nohr. To ensure you do not rebel again.''