Laura frowned sadly as she watched her classmates depart, leaving her with just her two companions – Jusis and Emma – for Aidios knows how long until they could all be reunited. She hadn't truly come to realize just how much Class VII meant to her until that moment when she watched them all walk out of her life. Selfishly she was glad to see the same conflicting emotions present on the faces of those two still with her as it meant she wasn't alone in her sadness.
"So what do we do now?" Emma was the first to break the silence. "We're going to Legram, but getting there won't be easy..."
"Well the roads are certainly out of the question, at least until we pass Bareahard. Father's troops will be out in force and they will definitely recognize us, dressed as we are now."
Right, they were still in their school uniforms. That red that symbolized the uniqueness of Class VII now made them into giant targets. "Think we should find a town somewhere to get new clothes?" Emma asked worriedly.
Jusis shook his head. "The only places close enough are Heimdallr and Cedric. The former is obviously out of the question and the latter would put us dangerously close to Kreuzen soldiers.
And Cedric was also the direction Fie and the others were headed. Laura couldn't help but worry about them, but she knew her best friend could handle this situation better than the rest of them, and should be able to keep the others safe. "We'll have to make the journey dressed like this. Jusis is correct, as long as we avoid the roads we should be fine. I know of a small bridge near Lohengrin Castle that should be out of the way enough for us to cross the river, but I am not sure of the best way to get there."
Fortunately, she was partnered with two of the smartest people in the class and their knowledge of geography far exceeded her own. Especially as one of them was a scion of the region's ruling family and the other claimed to have a special interest in that subject due to her secret mission. Between the three of them they were soon able to come up with a workable set of directions to follow.
"So we go south, around Lake Travis, and keep skirting the border between Kreuzen and Sutherland until we reach the end of the mountains. After that we go around them and head east until we reach Lake Ebel and Legram..."
"You both make it sound so easy." Jusis muttered after they finished. "You do know that this trip has got to be around two-thousand selge long, right?"
That was true. A trip that long would take at least two days and they didn't have any provisions for such a thing. "Hopefully we can find a way to resupply during the journey..." Laura usually didn't concern herself much with mira, but right now she was cursing her lack of planning as she didn't have any currency on hand. And as far as she knew, neither Jusis nor Emma were the types to carry much with them at any time either.
It certainly would not be an easy trip, but it was one that they needed to make. And so the two nobles and the witch began the long trek southward. Lake Travis was close enough to Trista that none of them needed a guide to get there, so it made for a good first landmark. Considering it was already late afternoon the trio were prepared to move rather swiftly lest they get caught out in the wilderness in the middle of the night, when monsters were far more active and dangerous.
While monsters were a constant threat, being this far from the roads meant that they didn't need to worry about the military and could lower their level of alertness accordingly. "Jusis." Laura turned to the member of their group most knowledgeable in the affairs of state. "Just how strong are the provincial armies? Can they really win this war that they started?"
The blonde-haired swordsman narrowed his eyes in thought. "Unfortunately, I am not sure I am qualified to answer that question anymore. It's become clear that father has kept me in the dark about a great many things." He sighed in frustration. "That being said, if I had to hazard a guess, I would think that even with those Panzer Soldats they would still pale in comparison to the Imperial Army on paper..."
"But they aren't alone." Emma added, unknowingly continuing his thought process. "They have Crow and the Imperial Liberation Front, that jaeger group Fie used to part of, and Vita..."
"Just so."
All of that combined made for a pretty formidable force. "And they have the element of surprise..." The odds certainly didn't look good for the army, but Laura knew from her father that they were a well-trained and disciplined force.
"At least the armored divisions are probably well stocked on equipment and provisions as they were preparing for war with Crossbell."
Jusis made a valid point. Still... "Those won't last forever, especially if the Noble Alliance manages to seize control of all the major cities and railway hubs."
Emma frowned thoughtfully. "So they will need to secure a manufacturing base and a means to transport it before they can-"
"Wait!" Laura cut her off, but for good reason. "Do you hear that?" It was faint, but it distinctly sounded like...
This time all three heard it. The sounds of battle. They hesitated at first, wondering if whoever fighting might be hostile to them, but the telltale roar of a powerful monster spurred them into action. They had an obligation to assist anyone being assailed by creatures, even on the off-chance they might be enemies. Rushing towards the sound it wasn't long before they came across the battlefield.
The first thing they noticed were the monsters. A pair of Fate Spinners. Although Laura had never personally fought one before, she knew of them as they were one of the more dangerous beasts in the Kreuzen province. Also she had heard from the others that one had managed to injure Rean quite badly when he shielded Jusis and Machias during one of their earlier field studies. Something which the Albarea seemed to remember as he let out a low growl before charging into battle ahead of them.
She followed shortly after, but not before noticing the ones the creatures were fighting. Both were wearing the familiar green of Thors and both were students that she recognized. It gladdened her heart to see her dear club member Casper had managed to escape and was holding his own against his opponent, although clearly on the defensive. Nearby the pink-haired twin that she couldn't identify was struggling mightily against her own opponent, so it was to her that Laura rushed, blade of Arseid at the ready.
Give the monsters credit where credit was due, as both seemed to notice the new arrivals and identified them as the greater threats. Unfortunately for the beasts, they were far too slow to respond. The one she had targeted just managed to turn itself around before it had a fatal encounter with the blade in her hands. The other one met a similar fate, as Emma blasted it with an attack that she didn't think was arts-based, causing it to recoil in pain. That made it a trivial task for Jusis to drive his smaller blade into the eye of the creature, causing it to howl miserably before slumping to the ground where it remained still.
"Laura! Class VII! It's so good to see you!" Her fellow swimmer looked overjoyed to see them.
Not that she could blame him. "Indeed. I am gladdened to see the two of you unharmed as well, Casper and um..." Which twin was this again? According to Fie and Rean Vivi was more of the playful mischievous sort while Linde was the more serious worried type. Considering how miserable looking the pink-haired girl was. "...Linde?"
Her guess was apparently inaccurate as the girl shook her head, but at least it seemed to cause a positive reaction, as she giggled in amusement. "Sorry, it's just me, Vivi!" Sadly, the miserable expression returned shortly after. "Geez, I must really be out of it if people think I look like my sister when I am not even trying..."
"What's wrong with Vivi?" Emma asked in concern. "And why are the two of you here anyways?"
"Ah..." Casper scratched his cheek nervously as he pondered his words. "Well, you see, a large group of us were trying to make our escape from the academy together. Unfortunately we were spotted by some soldiers and during the chase we all got separated. Her sister was in that group..."
That would explain it. Although Laura had no siblings of her own she could appreciate the bond that they must have shared and so her worry was understandable. "I see. Fie did say she spotted a group of students making their escape earlier, and I don't think she spotted Linde at the school, so I am sure that wherever she is right now she is fine."
Vivi perked up slightly. "Fie? Is she- What are you guys even doing here in the first place, anyways?"
Jusis snorted. "The same thing as you guys, it seems." The three members of Class VII proceeded to work together to give a very condensed version of the story that led to them being there, leaving out some of the more occult details like the Divine Knights.
"So even Class VII had to flee..."
"For now. We have no intention of giving up the fight for long, however." It would be a long and painful road, but Laura's faith was unwavering. "What are the two of you planning on doing?"
Vivi looked down. "...I need to find news of my sister. Make sure she's alright."
Casper glanced at his classmate with concern before turning back to the swordswoman. "My goal was to head to Lamarre and make sure my family is safe, but with the roads so dangerous and the wilderness so filled with monsters..." He let out a sigh. "I have no idea what to do."
As much as Laura wished she could have helped the two achieve their own goals, she and her classmates had their own mission to attend to. Still, at the very least she could offer what little assistance she could. "We are heading to Legram. If you would like, you can accompany us there. While it is far from your home, it should at least suffice as a refuge until the situation calms down a little." She turned her attention back to Vivi. "Perhaps news of your sister will make its way down there as well."
The swimmer and gardener shared a silent conversation. "We'll accept that offer, thanks." Vivi did seem to perk up a little bit now that they had an immediate destination and escort.
"Yeah, thanks. Truth be told I've felt like we're in way over our heads since we got separated from the rest. This is a huge relief."
And with that, the group of three became a group of five. Perhaps that might make their trip a little more complicated, but as fellow bearers of the crest of the horned lion it was only natural for them to work together. With that out of the way the group continued on their trek south.
Eventually the forest gave way to the shores of Lake Travis. It was a small lake and the area was mostly abandoned save for the occasional fisherman who visited the waters. A cursory glance confirmed that the immediate area was devoid of human life, but they did discover a storage shack that was being used by those anglers.
Checking inside it revealed an assortment of fishing rods, bait, and other tools of the trade. An idea came to mind, but she hesitated to voice it as it wasn't something she would normally ever suggest. Still, with circumstances being what they were... "I know we must make haste, but perhaps it would be wiser to settle in here for the night and acquire the necessary provisions for the trip?"
Jusis arched an eyebrow in interest. "I was not expecting you of all people to suggest we steal from the locals." Despite the recrimination the son of the duke nodded his head. "Unfortunately, it is probably the best course of action we have. Let's just make sure we only take what we need."
"Um..." Emma looked pained. "As much as I hate to admit it, I have no idea how to catch fish. Do any of you know?"
Casper was the first to step up. "I do. My family has lived near the coast my entire life, so it's definitely something I picked up."
"I am no expert, but I know enough to assist." While Casper knowing how to catch fish didn't really surprise anybody, her admittance did arch a few surprised eyebrows. Thus she decided to clarify. "Rean taught Fie and myself the art a few weeks back."
Jusis looked vaguely amused. "Interesting thing to do on a date, but the three of you have always been a little odd, even among the rest of us." The others looked just as entertained and she couldn't help but flush red in embarrassment. "Still, your oddity works in our favor. While the two of you do that I shall search the shack for any other supplies that may be of use to us."
"I saw a few empty bottles inside there. I'll go fill them with water for us. Don't worry, I know a... technique to purify water, so it will be safe to drink." Understandably Emma didn't seem to want to reveal her magic to the others just yet.
"Uh, in that case I spotted some berries and herbs not far from here that I can go gather." Vivi's declaration earned her more than a few skeptical looks, causing the prankster to stomp her foot petulantly. "H-Hey! I'll have you know that I learned quite a lot from Edel and Fie!" The girl adopted a more haunted looks. "...When Edel speaks, you listen. Or else terrible terrible things will happen." Her horror was enough to calm the others down. They weren't going to die from the things that Vivi foraged... probably.
With that all decided the five of them split up to accomplish their tasks. Nightfall was rapidly approaching so they didn't have that much time to work with. With rods in hand Laura and Casper made their way to the water and cast their lines in. From her initial observations it became clear to her that her fellow swimmer's movements and actions were less fluid and confident than Rean's had been, but still far superior to her own, so she didn't hesitate to seek out advice from the more experienced angler as she did her best to reel in dinner for the five of them, something which he was more than happy to provide.
Despite Casper being a good friend, the time spent fishing wasn't nearly as pleasant as the relaxing morning she spent with Rean and Fie those weeks that felt like years ago, but perhaps that was for the best. Since she was fishing with a clear objective in mind it was better to remain alert and focused. Not to mention she spotted monsters roaming about not all that far from their position. How Rean managed to fish without a care in the world in the middle of their field studies she would never know.
The limited time was productive, and although they didn't catch enough fish for the entire journey, it was more than enough for dinner. The two promised they would go out and reel in more by departure time tomorrow. With catches in hand the two made their return to the make-shift camp the others had set up near the abandoned shack.
Emma had already gotten a fire started and the others were relaxing around it when they arrived. Although fishing was a new experience for her, her father had taught her how to properly fry a fish, so cooking was an easy enough task. The end result was a very simple meal of grilled fish seasoned with whatever herbs Vivi managed to find and fresh water that Emma had done... something to. Despite the unappealing nature of the meal the group ate it with gusto as they had all skipped lunch to listen to the public address and after that was the long fight and flight from Trista. Even Jusis abandoned his natural grace and dignity as he devoured his meal with fervor.
After dinner the group did their best to rearrange the shack so they all had a spot to lay on the wooden floor. Jusis had managed to find a pair of tattered old blankets so they had a little source of comfort, but it was still a far cry from what any of them were used to. Still, given how exhausted all of them were not even Vivi complained that much.
It also gave them the chance to unwind after a long and terrible day of revelations, loss, and regrets. For her part, Laura found herself replaying the days events over and over in her mind, wondering if there was any way it could have played out differently. The rational part of her brain, honed through years of harsh training, understood that there was nothing she could have done to change the course of events, but that meant little to her in that moment. She was not used to failing, especially in such a spectacular fashion. Even if the Civil War was inevitable there had to have been a way for her to protect Rean and keep Class VII together-
No. She shook her head violently to clear those thoughts away. Such negative reflection would accomplish nothing. Instead she had to focus on the here and now. Which meant ensuring the group she was in reached Legram safely.
And it was painfully obvious to her that the others were even more burdened than she was. Although the details of her mission still eluded Laura, Emma's own failure was clearly weighing heavily on her, even if she hid it well. Jusis was struggling to reconcile the actions of his family and what his role in all of this should be. Vivi was obviously missing her sister and Casper's fears for his family were well founded.
No, it was up to her to protect the rest. Perhaps Rean was truly starting to rub off on her, although she hoped it wasn't to the infuriating degree that her boyfriend sometimes exhibited. She wasn't sure what the future would bring, but for now her focus had to be solely on getting them all to her home where it should be safe. With her troubled mind somewhat at ease she allowed herself to drift off and follow the others into sleep.
She and the others were up at the crack of dawn the next day. Although the sleep conditions were abysmal, their bodies desperately needed the reprieve. Not that didn't stop any of them from complaining about how miserable they felt. Laura couldn't blame them as even her training trips with her father usually weren't that uncomfortable! Still, a stiff back was the least of their worries.
The group spent the morning acquiring the provisions to last them for the trip. Fish, water, and anything else they could find that was worth bringing. She really did feel guilty that they were robbing some unknown fisherman and really wished she carried mira on hand to leave as compensation, but hopefully whoever owned the shack would understand the necessity of their crime.
Their mission for that day was simple: Keep going south. Although the actual distance was unknown to her, Laura knew that it would at least take that day until they reached the range of mountains that effectively separated the Arseid Viscounty from the rest of the Kreuzen Province. The prospect of a long march led to some hesitation on the parts of her classmates and mild grumblings from Vivi, but Laura was looking forward to it. Home beckoned, and if getting there meant trudging through many selge of monster infested wilderness? So be it.
The first few hours of the journey passed smoothly as outside of a few sporadic monster attacks they were mostly unhindered and made good time through the flatland that made up most of the northern half of the province. And although Laura judged the two members of Class IV to be less skilled than even the least martially inclined members of Class VII, they were still students of Thors and were able to handle themselves well enough against the beasts that thought to assail them.
The first bit of trouble occurred early that afternoon as they came across a small, but dense forest. Such places often tended to be havens for monsters, and given how far away from the centers of Erebonian civilization this one was almost certainly no exception. Still, going around would add hours onto their trip and so they decided to press forward and risk the woods.
Something that proved to be a horrible mistake as the forest was actually home to a rather large nest of arachnid monsters. According to Jusis and Emma, Group A fought similar creatures back in an abandoned quarry in the Nord Highlands. While individually they were no match for even the weakest of their group, they were numerous, relentless, and kept descending from the trees to ambush them when they weren't looking.
Eventually the swarm of enraged spiders grew to be too much of a hazard and so the unspoken decision was made to break through and escape the woods before they were overwhelmed or they were attacked by any spider queens that were in the forest. With Laura at the vanguard they successfully cut their way through the horde and made a sprint towards the exit. Although it wasn't far, the controlled flight was quite exhausting and she had been worried that some of the others might not make it. Luckily adrenaline was enough to carry their legs to the exit and only once they were again bathed in sunlight did they allow themselves to stop and watch as the eight-legged horde gave up the pursuit and returned to the dark woods.
"Well that was... unfortunate." Emma muttered as she struggled to catch her breath after that unexpected retreat.
The Albarea scoffed irritably. "It was a disaster. Any time we might have saved by going through those woods was lost from all the energy we just expended."
"Let's never do that again." Vivi panted with a look of horror. "Ugh. Those spiders were so awful!"
Laura couldn't help but agree. She didn't consider herself to be squeamish, but the sight of all of those arachnids was... unsettling to say the least. "Still, we made it through alright. And look!" She pointed in the direction they were facing, towards the now very close range of mountains that was the next step on their journey.
Emma looked to the sky briefly. "We should still have enough sunlight to be able to take a quick break and still make it to the foot of the mountains by nightfall." Although it was just a suggestion, it seemed the others were in agreement of any idea that included a break as they all allowed their bodies to relax onto the soft ground.
The sword-maiden wasn't adverse to the idea either, instead allowing her mind to wander off to old memories. "Father took me up those mountains once. Treacherous paths and powerful monsters. Made for a good training environment..." An idle thought came to mind, one which she knew would go over poorly with the others, but one she had the urge to speak anyways as she suspected the reactions would be entertaining. "We could make it to Legram late tonight if we went over those mountains instead of around..."
As expected, her comment earned her four tired glares. "Did you learn nothing from the last few minutes?"
Despite obviously being the most opposed to the idea, Vivi couldn't help but giggle. "That's such a Fie thing to suggest."
Ah, so that's what that was. Given how much time she had spent with the irreverent girl the past month it wasn't at all surprising that she had rubbed off on her a bit. Seeing their reactions to her comment had indeed been worth the effort.
"Just great. I used to think that you were one of the least crazy members of the class." Jusis rolled his eyes, but couldn't quite prevent the corners of his lips from twitching upwards. "Still, at least it beats you turning into another Regnitz... Or Millium."
The group continued to make small talk for a few minutes longer as they enjoyed the brief respite, but before long they were back on the move again. As Emma had stated, the goal was for the group to make it to the base of the mountains before nightfall, which would put them in a good spot to reach Legram on the morrow. Despite the tiredness felt by some it was a straight shot across flat terrain and as such they were able to avoid any monsters and made good time, reaching their destination just as the sun began to dip beyond the horizon.
Not wanting to spend the night exposed as they were, the group made it up one of the smaller hills at the base of the mountains and set up camp there for the night. There was some grumbling from the more urban members of the group at the realization they would be sleeping on the grass that night, but given they were potentially wanted fugitives and the nearest village was many hours away they had no choice but to accept the less than ideal conditions.
The mountains they were up against were pretty much on the border between Kreuzen and Sutherland. Even with them electing to go around instead of over, assuming all went as planned they should be arriving in Legram by tomorrow afternoon. After a late dinner of what little food they still had remaining Laura and the others settled in for another night of rest...
...And were awakened by the sounds of cannon fire. Scrambling to their feet they hurried to investigate the booming noise of artillery. While they didn't believe they were in any immediate danger based on the distance the battle was happening at, curiosity compelled them to check it out regardless.
It wasn't long until they pinpointed the battle just on the other side of the border in Sutherland province. Despite it being in the dead of night they had a clear picture of the ensuing conflict thanks to all the flares and searchlights. On one side of a large field at the base of the hill was a row of heavily armored tanks, perhaps two dozen in number. Arrayed against them were a handful of older tanks, armored cars, and most ominously, a group of panzer soldats armed with large cannons.
"That's the Sutherland Provincial Army." Jusis muttered. "Led by Brigadier General Wallace Bardias." Laura knew the man. An excellent general and a peerless spearman.
At first glance the battle appeared to be going well for the Imperial Army. Already several of the noble's vehicles were burning wrecks and even a few of the Drakkhen mechs were on the ground after being hit by shells. Their return fire struggled to penetrate the thick frontal armor of the Achtzehn tanks.
Although she was no military tactician, Laura couldn't help but feel that something was wrong with the situation. It took a second, but she had an epiphany as to what that feeling was. The tanks were lined up to maximize their firepower, as if they were fighting another conventional army. But soldats had far more mobility than traditional ground troops. If they were to take advantage of that and-
Her thoughts proved to be right on the mira as from the far side of the battle emerged a force of those mechs that had remained hidden in the darkness. There was little time to respond as the sword-wielding machines slammed into the tank's formation from the side, almost immediately collapsing that entire wing of the formation. Individual tanks tried to turn and respond to the crisis, but all that led to was a complete collapse of the formation.
At the very least the Imperial general seemed to understand that the battle was hopeless and ordered a general retreat. The students watched as the remaining tanks pulled back into the darkness with the Noble Faction in hot pursuit. Even after the battle left their vision the sounds of heavy gunfire persisted for much longer.
Needless to say none of them slept well that night as their minds lingered on what they had just witnessed. Sure they had witnessed pieces of the Heimdallr battle thanks to Vita's spell, but seeing it in person was an entirely different experience. Erebonians killing Erebonians for the ideals of a few wealthy and powerful men. It was all so wasteful. At least the Imperial Army proved it could potentially win a fight once it gained a better understanding of what soldats can do.
With her mind unable to cease its activities Laura instead allowed it to wander freely. Two days had now elapsed since the Battle of Trista and the forced separation of Class VII. How were the rest of her classmates doing? Given how far away their destination was, it was quite likely that Alisa's group was in a similar situation as she was. But that group also consisted of the ever-practical Gaius, and despite her many faults Millium was an extremely competent Intelligence Agent when she wanted to be. She had a feeling that those three were even better off than herself.
Fie's team, meanwhile... While they had the shortest journey on the map, even she understood the situation enough to know that they were headed into the most dangerous part of the storm that was consuming Erebonia. Her tiny friend was the most competent person she knew, and yet she couldn't help but be worried for them.
And most importantly, what of Rean himself? Unlike the rest his retreat didn't allow him to plan any specific destination in mind. Add to that the fact that he might be badly injured. The only solace she had was Emma's insistence that her link with Celine was intact, but that was only small comfort.
While she had the utmost confidence in her classmates, especially the two that meant so much to her, the fact that they were in grave danger while she was unable to do anything to support them was a miserable feeling. All the strength she had obtained over the past half year was completely and utterly useless in this situation. All she could do as she lay there on the cold grass was send a silent prayer to Aidios to watch over them...
After a long miserable night the five students were more than eager to depart at the first hints of dawn. Especially important as the area where the battle had taken place at was still occupied by Sutherland soldiers as they worked to clean the area of fallen bodies and burnt-out war machines. Given the distance and their location at the base of the mountains they felt fairly safe in their ability to avoid detection, but best not to risk it by remaining around.
Spirits did perk up a couple hours later once they managed to circle around the mountains and the vast glimmering expanse known as Lake Ebel became visible to them. While they still had some distance to go as their destination was on the other side of the large lake, seeing the Arseid Viscounty so near put an extra pep into their step. Laura especially couldn't help but feel her spirits buoyed by the sight of home.
With renewed vigor the group picked up the pace. As they approached the lake they saw the ferry landing, but as this was still Sutherland territory they had no choice but to avoid it, something which caused considerable sadness among certain members of the group.
Instead they went around it and continued following the lake shore northward. To reach Legram they would need to pass Lohengrin Castle. It was nice seeing that great landmark at peace after their previous experience with the old monument.
With that ancient fortress as a guide and their destination so near the final few hours of the trip passed quickly, especially once they crossed the bridge and entered onto the lands directly controlled by her father and the relative safety it provided. Even the local monsters seemed inclined to let them pass without difficulty, which they were quite grateful for.
It was late in the afternoon when they finally circled around the lake and reached the small town of Legram. Despite the empty bellies and exhausted bodies there was a sense of great relief and excitement among the group of friends as they successfully completed their journey to safety. For Laura it was just nice to see that her home hadn't changed at all despite the chaos that was gripping the country.
Their arrival did not go unnoticed and word quickly spread among the townspeople. As much as she wanted to hurry to her mansion so they could plan their next moves she lacked the heart to turn away the friends she grew up with as they all but swarmed over her in their excitement at her return. At least Julian and Karno, the self-proclaimed Junior Eisenritter, volunteered their services as messengers to let Klaus know of their arrival.
Exhibiting the kindness that could only be found in smaller communities, it wasn't long until the people of Legram noticed their weary states and ushered them to the inn where warm meals were placed in front of them. A part of her wanted to refuse such generosity, but she had a feeling that doing so would not earn her favor among her friends. And it wasn't like she could resist the delicious aroma of Weiber's cooking.
The group of five all but melted into their seats to enjoy the free meal. For now they would relax and recover from the trip. But a shared glance with Jusis and Emma let her know that their thoughts were on the same page as her own: It was time to plan their next move.
A brief Laura chapter, since it will be a little while before the story returns to Legram. Next time we begin Cold Steel 2!