(Y/N) POV / after the battle at Sverngård
„Why are we here?" I asked Mercy, in an angered tone. „I think you know."
Mercy: „This place houses their seed grain. There will be no new harvest. By winter they will be killing each other over what little food is left." She said in a monotone voice.
„Since when did you know?" I asked her, clearly upset.
Mercy: „She only told me this morning, believe me," She said to me pleadingly, losing her monotone voice. „If I had known I would have told you."
I took out my amulet with the Blackstone Legion symbol on it. I looked at it for a second. „I took an oath. To fight for peace." With that, I threw it across the battlefield.
I looked back to Mercy.
„So did you. All of you." I began to walk away but turned around to her.
„Come with me, so that we can make things right"
Mercy POV
I stood in front of him, in silence.
„I will join you, (Y/N), but we need Stone and Cross on our side first."
He nodded. „You are right, you should go back to the Legion for now and talk with them. I'll be fine... And thank you." he said in a calm voice before he went away.
I did as he said and walked back to the others, through the burning village. The streets were littered with corpses of both Knights and Vikings.
As I went by I noticed a dead Warden lying in the snow. Normally I would just continue on my way, but this Warden wore very similar armour to (Y/N. So similar that I couldn't see a difference at first. I knew that it couldn't be him, but in that split second when I found him, my heart dropped and just thinking about the possibility that I would find him like that someday... It gave me a feeling I never really experienced before and that I couldn't describe either. I tried to stop thinking about it but couldn't.
After a bit, a footman tapped me on the shoulder. „Is everything alright, ma'am?"
I finally snapped out if my thoughts „Yes, it is. Where are Holden and Stone?"
He pointed in the direction he came from. „They're back there with others. Can't miss them."
„Thanks." I nodded to him and made my way to the others.
Holden Cross POV / A few minutes before
„This food. Why aren't we burning it all?" I asked one of the soldiers.
Apollyon: „What do you imagine the clans would do if we burned it all?" came Apollyon's answer.
„They'd starve. Die."
Apollyon: „They would unite. But leave them scraps, just enough for two maybe three clans... They will fight each other over what remains." She said in her usual confident voice. „The wolves among them will rise... We are not here to kill them... We are here to teach them who they are.."
Right then Mercy arrived at the scene, but still, everyone looked at Apollyon.
Apollyon: „To set them free... Time to go home."
After she finished everyone started to get their things together. I noticed something metallic lying on top of a pile of snow. I picked it up and showed it to Mercy. It was the Wardens Blackstone Legion amulet.
„This is the Wardens, isn't it?"
She nodded briefly.
„Then why is it lying here?"
Mercy: „I'll tell you. But not here and not now."
~Timeskip~
Stone and I were waiting for Mercy, just outside our camp for the night. We could still see the campfires flickering in the distance. She told us to wait exactly here after she was gone for a while, that she wanted to show us something.
Stone: „What do you think she wants to show us?"
„I have no idea.."
Mercy: „Just wait and see." She said as she stepped forth from behind a tree.
We both turned around instantly.
„I should have known... And again what do you want us to see?"
Mercy: „Follow me." she said calmly.
We were silent as we walked after her until we reached a cliff not far from our previous campsite. There stood a silhouette of a man in armour. Stone and I stopped at the edge of the forest. Mercy walked up to him.
She said something to him and they walked towards us.
As they got closer I realized who it was. (Y/N).
(Y/N): „Greetings Holden, Stone." he said to us in quite a serious tone.
„Can you explain this?" I asked him, not even bothering to greet him and showing him the amulet I picked up at Sverngård.
(Y/N): „I'm leaving the Legion, to make it simple and I assume that you know why."
We both nodded.
„Apollyon..." Stone answered the question that had not been asked out loud.
(Y/N): „Exactly." he approved. „She doesn't fight for peace like we had sworn to do. We all know that. She only wants to start a war because of her own beliefs!"
„And we have to stop her."