Tales of the Citadel

Episode 5: Mayhem Aftermath

The snow was gently falling down on the aftermath of what had been a battlefield, as flakes softly landed on the ground and debris to create a thin white sheet. The King's banners scattered on te ground meant they had been routed from their own temporary camp, with supplies left behind in a hasty retreat. Broken shields and destroyed tents were laying all around a chaotic display. At the center of the destruction stood Scythe, wielding a skewer with some perfectly roasted marshmallow on it. The King's banner was almost completely eaten by the flames as the wood crackled and crumbled.

"So... are we going to address the elephant in the room or...?" Dagger hesitantly asked, jerking his head at the trampled tents. "You guys know what an elephant is, right?"

While Axe was taking in the sight of destruction, his thick arms crossed on his dark plate armor, standing pensively. As for Saber, he decided to speak up. "So... you're Scythe, right?" he asked, trying to ignore the fact that the rookie had been roasting sweets the whole time.

Taking a bite at his s'mores, Scythe let out a raucous chuckle before handing over some marshmallows on a skewer to the swordsman. "Yup, that's what I just said a moment ago. Want to grill some?" Scythe replied joyously. "They're quite the treat after some exercises."

With his hand lingering in the air, Saber hesitated for a second before going along with the flow. Dagger and Spear joined the impromptu fireplace, though unsure on how to act. "How did you do it?" Saber asked while roasting the sweets and glancing at his confused colleagues.

"Simple, just put them next to the flame and take them before they burn," Scythe replied before handing over skewers to Dagger and Spear who imitated Saber while sharing hesitant looks.

"That's, uh, not what I meant. How did you repel the King's forces on your own?" Saber rectified while sharing glances at the other two henchmen.

Scythe stared at the fire as if he was thinking, his expression concealed by his skull-shaped helmet. The flames gently reflected on their armor with some gentle cracking noises, the silence becoming unsettling. "I just charged at them with a battle cry. I swung my war scythe around, broke some shields, sent some soldiers flying. Nothing fancy," Scythe explained with a nonchalant shrug. "Just henchman things, you know?"

Saber exchanged a rapidly blinking stare with Dagger who was doing the same. Feeling like they wouldn't have more details due to Scythe's simplistic answers, the two friends shrugged as they accepted defeat. Meanwhile, Axe was inspecting the aftermath, looking inside the tents and the leftover trinkets from the King's men. The veteran rubbed his chin in contemplation. As for Spear, she preferred to let the others do the talking while she listened intently, occasionally taking her marshmallows out of the fire before they burn.

"So, who are you guys?" Scythe asked casually after taking a bite at his marshmallows roasted to perfection.

Dagger let out a chuckle before pointing at his sheathed dagger. "Take a guess, big guy," Dagger joked.

Understanding what the sarcastic henchman was trying to say, Saber showed his saber hanging in his scabbard and Spear twirled her weapon in her hand, each displaying their namesake weapon. Scythe looked at them before declaring, "Okay, so you're Knife, Sword, and Lance?"

Dagger raised his hand to his helmet with a chuckle, but Saber coughed while repressing a disappointed sigh. "I'm Saber. This guy is Dagger and she's Spear. The veteran over there is Axe," he presented, with Dagger and Spear nodding when they were mentioned. "We were sent to rescue you since you didn't show up for a while. Truth be told, we didn't expect to find you... like that."

Scythe shrugged with a smile. "Well, I was lost so I just waited for you to find me. Since we're together, I guess we'll head back to the Citadel?" he declared, looking at the investigating Axe.