Operation Frostworth debriefing
The objective of this operation is the quick and safe rescue of over a dozen hostages of all ages. The Culprit is of unknown origin and strength, they are located within the Axel Palerouche territory within the mountainous woods. The culprit will be returned alive if possible but the permission to kill is also granted.
The warm light of the early sun at its orange hue brightens the land, adding in the small patches of flowers outside of various shops and parks Foundland feels like something out of a fantasy.
However the same couldn't be said for Axel, for his room felt heavy to everyone inside. Him and Alice could do nothing but look at the only returning operative from the rescue mission, battered and bruised. Dried blood stained his body, especially his head, making it look like it rained blood on him. His eyes looked far and distant even though he was a mere few feet away from Axel.
"Explain what happened. Why do you look so defeated?" Axel asked, his voice softer than many people would think possible for him.
The operative nicknamed Tank was sitting on the couch. He looked like a wreck, besides the blood his hands were shaking uncontrollably. His breath was ragged, like someone was gripping his lung like a vice. He looks at Axel.
"It was so fast sir, before I knew it the others were knocked out like they were dolls, like paperweights my Lord." Tank put his hand out to catch his head. "Within minutes squad 1 and 2 were taken down without a sound."
Axel and Alice could see Tank pale as he recounted more of what happened. Tank mind started to replay the encounter as if he was still there.
"When my squad made it to the hut, we saw the enemy. He simply stood there behind them where all the others were tied up in the snow. They looked alive as there was no blood around them. He looked directly at us, even with the tinted goggles, it felt like his eyes pierced mine and the other's souls."
Alice stepped up and stopped in front of Tank. He could look into Alice's eyes and see a cluster of emotions, her eyes narrowed with her lips thinned.
"Tank, what did he do? What was the combat against him? Tell me."
Alice's voice for the first time in a long time was harder, full of authority. To Tank it felt as if he wasn't talking to Alice at all, rather it felt as if he was being looked down on by Axel.
"Two others and I moved in to attack while the snipers in the back provided us with covering fire. Yet he did something I didn't expect."
"Which was?" Alice asked.
"He did nothing, he let the two arrows fired hit him in the shoulders. I could see the blood drip into the snow, he did the same thing with our attacks. He allowed each of us to get an attack in, all of us felt the tearing of flesh yet…yet he stood there unphased."
Tank could only breathe in. "I couldn't do anything before he knocked me out. One punch was all it took for me to be put down. He knocked me out like I was nothing."
Blood drained from Alice and Axel's faces from that information. Everyone has their special qualities whether that is physical or not, Tank earned his nickname through training. To deal with pain many members of Axel's forces were beaten to increase their pain tolerance and Tank lasted the longest by a long shot, only bested by Alice herself. So for someone to knock him out in a single hit was surprising to say the least.
"What happened when you woke up?" Alice asked as she smoothed her voice.
"When I woke up I saw that everyone was knocked out, I am quite sure none of them were dead at the time since there was a severe lack of blood."
A dull knock resonated throughout the room catching everyone's attention like moths to a flame.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you Lord Axel but I come to inform you about something urgent." A woman's voice was heard.
"You may enter." Axel said.
The woman quickly entered the room before returning to her proper standing posture.
"So what is so urgent that you must tell me?" Axel asked.
The woman cleared her throat with a cough. "Lord Silverash has come to speak with you regarding a situation that is happening, as to what it is he didn't say."
Axel's eyes narrowed at the woman causing her to jump back slightly.
'Why the hell would Silverash be here? Plus how would he know what's happening? Most likely those from Rhodes Island or Matterhorn told him, makes sense they would. I swear all these damned foreigners are lap dogs to that family.' Axel thinks to himself.
"Let him in." Axel told the woman.
It didn't take long before the current head of the Silverash family entered the room. Enciodes quickly scanned the room seeing everyone on their toes, the room heavier than the sins of the sarkaz. In his mind everything was going to plan.
"Hello Lord Axel and Commander Alice. I've heard about your current situation and from what I've gathered just now, things aren't progressing like you wish." Enciodes didn't beat around the bush calling out the issue.
Axel's mood soured even more as he didn't want to involve outside forces. He is a Palerouche and members of the family have standards.
"Axel Palerouche time isn't to your advantage. Your people are in danger and who knows what might befall of them. It wouldn't be a good look for anyone along with it being a tragic loss of lives." Enciodes said casually his eyes and body language giving the impression of indifference, like this situation was nothing out of the ordinary.
Axel's eyes hardened as he looked at Enciodes , yet he couldn't say anything since he was right. Time was running out and there is no guarantee that the enemy will follow their word and not kill any of the hostages.
"You have a plan Lord Silverash?"
Axel was taken out of his mind as Alice asked him that question.
"Indeed I do, like you have formed a team to rescue the hostages since they also have one of my business partners in custody." He responded.
"Then will you allow me to join you?" Alice asked the maker her way in front of Enciodes.
Axel rushed to his feet, turning her attention to Alice. "Alice, why do you want to go with him? We still have things to do here."
Alice faced Axel, while to everyone else Alice looked as composed as she normally is. Few people are able to see the telltale sign whenever Alice gets desperate, Alice pulling on the skin of her neck. Not causing any damage but something she does when her back is against the corner.
Axel, frustrated by the clear attempt in his mind of Enciodes stealing his best ally and friend, was clear. Yet so was the desperation, conflict was all he felt internally.
"I will be glad to have someone of your skill to join the rescue team, if you have the blessing of Lord Axel here." Encoides said as he gestured to Axel.
He could only sigh. "You have my permission, I trust you will be successful where the others failed." Defeat was all but present in his eyes as he knew that saying no wouldn't be worth the loss.
Relief ran through Alice. The ability to save her family and the kids sent her over the moon.
"With that follow me Commander Alice, I have a team already ready to go. Since our kidnapper sent me a similar map as if they were taunting me." Enciodes said as he made his way out the room.
Alice thanked Axel before leaving the room. Axel turned to Tank. "Now I will be your questioner."
Morning soon turned into evening as the crushing of snow could be heard. A group of soldiers, those under the banner of the Silverash family. Soldiers with helmets shaped like wolves, all but four of them carrying polearms with an ax like blade on the end, a halberd.
"By our intel we should be approaching, but keep your eyes open. The guards of the Palerouche family, even the branch families are nothing to laugh at."
Elite operator Sharp makes his way to the commander of the rescue squad, close confidant of Silverash for years. His iconic red scarf hidden for the sake of the operation, Courier.
"Courier, how is the terrain near the area?" Sharp asked.
"Around this time of the year there shouldn't be any ice occurring naturally. However, the ability of the enemy is unknown to us, for all we know they could have an ice based arts." Courier said.
"Lack of information is part of the job, always is." Sharp said.
Behind these two was everyone else. Lappland and Alice walked side by side while Amiya and Cliffheart stayed close behind them. The oddity was Marth being near the front of the pack.
"Marth, was it? Did you find anything abnormal? I learned that you and our target use similar arts." Courier asked.
Marth nodded her head. "Right here."
Marth points towards a bush that was not too far off to the side, moving it a little as a small magic circle was drawn into the ground. Courier and Sharp lean to inspect.
"What is it?" Courier asked.
Marth froze as she tried to phase her explanation, magecraft worked off of mystery and telling everyone about it wouldn't be smart. She could already hear Apollo scolding her.
"Think of it like a mark for their arts, it informs them on who entered their domain. This isn't the highest quality however, I can destroy it but it's very possible they'll notice we are here or at least close by." She explained.
Courier rubs her chin. "Perhaps that's why the Palerouche guard failed. They were discovered long before they fought. Is there any way to get around it?"
"There likely is but I wasn't taught how yet…but I have an idea."
"It's that or we destroy the mark. Either way they will know we are coming." Courier said.
"Plus we don't have much time so whatever you have in mind try it." Sharp said.
Given the green by the two Marth drew a magic circle in one and started drawing another one some feet away.
'I can't mess this up, if I do then… then Mr. Apollo may be kill-'
Marth felt her spit get caught in her throat at that thought, it felt weird. At least back in Columbia everyone involved was trained in combat in some way. In her mind the only thing in danger was some research from the companies at the press conference but to those meant very little to her.
Yet this time it was different, for the first time in her life. The hopes, dreams, and experiences of people rested in her hands today. The weight of knowing that one mistake can cause the death of them, and more tragic of them all. The death of Apollo Kotemine.
Regaining some form of composure she made sure that the magic circles were done correctly, double checking them even.
"That should work." Marth said as she backed away some feet.
Everyone crowded around Marth. With sweat running down her head even with the cold air of the frosty wind, Marth uttered a single word.
"Rise."
With anxiety gripping Marth's hard like a vice the magic circle glowed with a soft white light. Like someone was drawing with an imagery pencil a line hole in the shape of a rectangle formed creating a gap in the barrier.
"It worked, it really worked." Marth managed to get out in an exacerbated tone
Amiya approached Marth, placing her hand on Marth's shoulder.
"That's really impressive, I'm sure Mr. Apollo would be proud of how far you came." Amiya said.
"Alright, gather your things. We need to keep moving, people are in need of saving." Courier says as everyone begins to move forwards.
As everyone started to move past Marth she felt a wild presence to her side. It was Lappland, and her wild yet calm eyes looked into Marth's.
"I guess you are more than Apollo's sidekick." She said as she walked with the others.
The rest of the way up was uneventful, it was Marth disabling whatever traps they found. None of them were deadly but rather incapacitated most people.
"For someone who is holding hostages, for them to not place lethal traps is abnormal unless they have some ulterior motive. Perhaps their end goal is to negotiate with Axel." Sharp mentioned as he used his trained eyes to look around.
"Then all we need to do is capture our enemy. Without us or the hostage we can all go home and enjoy our life." Courier said.
Within a few minutes Courier raised them causing everyone to stop instantly.
Just like with the Palerouch guards, they were greeted with a simple sight. A hut, nothing behind what you would see anyway else in Kjerag. Standing in front of the hut was a long person, the cause of all this.
To some he is known as Apollo Kotemine, to others he is a random guy in the street, in his original world he was called many things; however today he will be simply known as the Hiker. The Hiker who caused this whole situation, the faceless person who is one of the masterminds behind this sham of a kidnapping.
Courier gave hand signs casting the four casters to take positions, the foliage of the forest was thick providing cover for the casters. All the casters put their arms out and in the palm of their hands frost mist flowed from their hands, in the space between them a sphere of ice formed. It was perfect.
"It's perfect." Amiya whispered under her breath as she looked at the sphere, seeing a lack of edges anywhere.
Another member of the team was seen placing a spell on the bottom of Courier's and Sharp's feet.
"Remember Sharp, his arts will only cover a handful of steps so put your all in each step." Courier said.
Sharp pulled out his trusty blade and scratched his beard. "It's just another job."
"The rest of yall will come out if the first attack doesn't work, everyone from Rhodes Island and Alice you will follow with my men." Courier said.
Everyone nodded their heads.
As Courier and Sharp got in positions to ambush Apollo. As the tensions rose Courier raised his three fingers.
Then two.
Then one.
At the drop of the last finger all four casters launched their attacks. Shortly after Courier and Sharp took off, kicking snow to the wind. In a mere few steps they closed the gap, arriving so that their attack and the caster's attack made contact at about the same time.
Courier went low to stab Apollo in the stomach while Sharp went for the chest. The casters' attack was aimed for Apollo's head.
It took a moment for everything to happen. Courier thrusted his curved blade feeling and hearing the tearing of flesh.
Sharp couldn't see too much as the ice sphere broke causing a small cloud of mist, but he was confident he connected as just like Courier he felt the tearing of flesh.
A mere moment later, like a truck hitting him. Sharp felt a sharp pain in his cheek as he felt his feet leave the ground flying a few meters back.
Before Courier had the ability to react, Apollo grabbed Courier's hand causing his ability to release the sword to be impossible. No matter how hard he tried to let go it was like the force of five people was gripping him.
Apollo jumped and kneed Courier in the forehead, sending him next to Sharp. Courier tried to use his sword to lift himself but as he closed his hand he released that he was gripping nothing but air as he saw his sword still impaled in Apollo's stomach.
The rest of Courier's men and Rhodes Island came out of the forest totaling about nine people, all armed. All of them holding a slightly different tone in their eyes.
Those like Marth and Cliffheart who are inexperienced in high stakes combat missions are still nervous but are maintaining some level of composure. The others like Lappland, Courier and Sharp looked as cool as ice. Alice was the only one with hate in their eyes, hate that would burn even the fires of hell would coward against.
Alice knew she wanted one thing, the death of Apollo.