One of the figures was bulky, with a cape that blew seamlessly in the wind despite the fire, and Akahana could see the shape of cat ears on their head. The other figure was noticeably smaller and skinnier, and she swore that she could see a flame dancing in the palm of their hand. She didn't have any time to ponder, as when the King saw the two silhouettes, he cursed furiously.
"You!" He yelled angrily, and he drew out his axe and charged. The bigger silhouette at the front drew out a double-edged axe themselves in retaliation, and they leapt through the blaze, meeting the King head-on, while the second one vanished in the inferno. That's when Akahana managed to get a good look at the King's opponent. His long green cape flowed as he fought against the King, matching blow for blow. His light blue eyes shone fiercely and his red chainmail armor rattled as he blocked a heavy blow from the King, which would've sent anyone less capable flying. Suddenly, someone grabbed Akahana's arm and she looked up to see Ryota.
"Come on!" He ushered her up and lead her towards Takahiro and the other prisoners, who were being protected by strange warriors in armor, the same armor worn by the fallen bodies in the harbor, and Akahana swore that she saw that armor somewhere before, such as in a book.
"This way!" One of the warriors shouted, and the group followed them as they lead them through the battleground. Avoiding the fire, Akahana looked around at the mayhem that had enfolded the pirate camps. Those same warriors that had rescued her and the others were fighting throughout the encampment, defeating the pirates with their axes and razor sharp spears. Akahana could see that these warriors were also defending their own groups of prisoners, and with relief, she saw Koji and his mother among them. The warriors continued to lead them further through the combat zone, where someone peculiar stood among the fighting. A white hare, wearing a simple blue and gold parka, who stood on guard with her hands raised in a defensive position. She wore no armor, and apart from battle-ready stance, she was the most vulnerable of anyone.
From out of the fighting, a pirate charged toward the rabbit, and Akahana parted her lips to yell out a warning. However, the hare quickly turned around to face the pirate, who slashed at her. She dodged his attacks, and leapt backwards. As the pirate ran towards her, the hare murmured something that Akahana couldn't catch. Like a rekindled candle, the hare was energized by some unseen force, and she pulled back her fist, before punching forward. A burst of flame erupted from her clenched fist, and her attacker was sent flying back.
"Kanin!" The head warrior shouted, and the rabbit turned to face him and the others. "We liberated the new prisoners. Did the others free the rest of them?" She nodded. "Then let's get out of here. Sound the call!" He yelled, and one of the warriors pulled out a horn and blew into it. The noise reverberated throughout the battleground, and the warriors began sprinting away with their rescued prisoners in tow. Akahana and the others followed the warriors as they kept running towards the trees, where wagons were at the ready. As she ran, she looked behind to see that same hazel-furred warrior who had fought the King sprinting behind her, glistening with sweat and small cuts on his face. On his back was Stormfeather, and even with the added weight, his speed was still quick enough to outrun and avoid the attacks of the pirates. Turning back around, she and the others had reached one of the wagons, and were climbing onto it.
"Get on!" One of the warriors shouted, and Akahana scrambled up onto the wagon, Ryota and Takahiro right next to her, along with Koji and his mother. Sitting across from her was the same white hare, Kanin, quite drained. "Go, go, go!" The head warrior shouted, and the other wagons immediately took off, dashing into the woods. But before their wagon could leave, Kanin spoke up.
"Wait!" She coughed. "Asmund's coming!" Akahana turned to see the ginger-furred feline dashing towards them, Hati and Sköll right at his heels. His face was red from exhaustion from carrying Stormfeather on his back, but he kept pressing forward. When he was just a few meters away, he tossed the wounded captain on the wagon and leapt after him. "Go now!" Kanin shouted, and the driver snapped the reins. Kanin stood up and quickly muttered something once again, before she suddenly thrusted her hands up. The snow-covered ground seemed to churn and shift underneath the wagon, and Kanin made a pushing motion, and the frozen earth surged forward. The wagon propelled forward instantly, and Akahana struggled to keep herself from tumbling off the wagon. She glanced back to the destroyed camp, her heart stopping in her chest as she spotted the King, standing amidst the ruin. The ground beneath them continued to spur the wagon onward, and Akahana lost sight of the King quickly as the cart sped further into the woods. Once the wagon was out of sight, Kanin lowered her hands, and the ground below stopped its shaking, and returned to being flat. Kanin plopped down with an exhausted sigh, and Asmund panted heavily, his face dripping with sweat. After a few moments, he took one final deep breath and wiped the sweat off his brow, and he looked to the rescued prisoners.
"You're safe now." He said, his voice strong and formal. "You should all get some rest. It's going to be a long way to where we're going. There'll be breaks along the path, but they have to be quick if we want to reach our destination." With that, he sat down beside Kanin, and breathed in deeply. "Don't worry. You'll be taken care of when we get there. In the meantime, sit tight." Akahana nodded, before suddenly, all the adrenaline that had been coursing through her body halted, and light-headedness rushed at her. Dizzy, she rested her head on Ryota's shoulder, and slowly, she fell asleep to the rhythm of the wagon's wheels thumping against the frozen ground.
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Brynjar huffed furiously as he watched the carts ride off into the trees. His entire encampment had suffered tremendous losses, both from Stormfeather's betrayal and the attack by the Vikings. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch if that backstabber had been working with them all this time. Turning around, he gazed at the destruction that lay before him. The tents set ablaze, the camps, empty and in ruins. All this work, gone undone in the blink of an eye. In a short fit of rage, he tossed his axe angrily at the snow, and he let out an infuriated yell. However, he sighed, and steeled himself. There was no use being angry over what had happened and what had been lost. He had learned that lesson long ago, and Hilda had been quite the teacher.
Speaking of Hilda, it was quite the unexpected surprise that she had managed to turn up six years after he had sent her that letter. What had prompted her to come back here six years later? He had assumed that the assassins he had sent had done their job, but when they had been reported to have failed, he could only assume that Hilda had gotten the message; to stay out of his way. And yet here she was, none the older, and apparently, she had forgotten all about everything that had occurred. How could she still look the same as all those years ago? Unless...
"S-sir?" A voice came from behind him, and Brynjar turned to see Sköll and Hati standing before him, and behind them, what was left of his men. They were battered and bruised, but they were loyal, and Brynjar couldn't help but smile at their devotion to him. "We've managed to save a few more of our troops." Sköll continued, his eyes gazing down at his feet. "We still have an army, although they require medical attention." He continued, as Brynjar turned around to gaze at the open sea. "We await your decision." Sköll finished, and Brynjar grunted.
"Well, there's a simple answer." He replied. "Call in the rest of the fleet."
"Are you sure, sir?" Sköll asked. "If the other captains find out that we were this easily defeated by one of them, then they too...might get ideas..." Sköll slowly stopped talking as Brynjar walked up to him, and the wolf gulped. Hati was shaking uncontrollably as Brynjar stood before them, and Brynjar gently raised Sköll's head back up, staring thoughtfully into his orange eyes.
"Believe me, Sköll. I'm no stranger to plots within my ranks." He assured his second-in-command. "I simply wasn't expecting Stormfeather to be the snake in this situation. But now that we know that our allies can be swayed, then it's our job to make sure that they never get to do so."
"But...h-how?" Sköll hesitantly asked, and Brynjar chuckled.
"Simple." He said, as he overlooked the ocean. "We demonstrate."
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Blackbeard; The Legend
Fanfic(Paused at the moment; will get back to writing after break!) The tale of the great pirate Blackbeard has been told throughout the Seven Seas. But what of her origins, her humble beginnings? Once, she was Akahana, daughter the daimyo Isamu, and ap...
