For Honor: Blackstone

part 6 : Doubt

    (So listen...the geography in For honor is really confusing, I had to look to at a bunch of different maps and play through the level to figure it out, and the timeline...don't even get me started on the timeline, I'm just guessing, the game is not clear, so I apologize if I've gotten something egregiously wrong, this will not be 100% accurate, I'm trying here.)
   
   We kept a good pace south west towards the Ashfeld moor, where we were meeting a small force led by Holden Cross to push the remaining Vikings back to Valkenheim, we marched for about 10 minutes before encountering a Blackstone peacekeeper, who Apollyon greeted as Mercy. She whispered something to Apollyon, the Warlord then dismounted as did the other two, the warden then led the horses off to the right of our path, Apollyon continued to speak to the scout, then gave the order to keep moving. It was only a few minutes more before the air started to get hotter, like standing next to a fire, I heard the bubbles in The lava popping before I could see the red glow creeping from the deep crevice.

"Hold" Apollyon commanded, as the sounds of battle could be heard the distance, I looked past the crowd and spotted some ruins just north-west of our position, the clatter of armor directed our attention to the left, where a small bridge of land divided the lava river (it doesn't exist in game so how did cross and his guys get to them in the cutscene he comes from the right of the ruins when the outpost was to the left, so Apollyon must come from the fortress and met with him via some other route and no way he's jumping over the gap fuckin Ubisoft) leading another path along the other side, which Holden Cross along with 4 other men used to merge with our group, Apollyon barely glanced at Cross before returning her attention to the ruins, as he approached her, she spoke, her eyes still on the ruins.

"Who is that, in the ruins?" She asked him.
"The one I sent to Harrowgate and the Iron Legions commander." He said planting his poleaxe in the soil and removing his helmet.
"Vikings?" She said facing him,
"Deserters" he answered with a scoff, like the word had rotten taste to it, I stood there looking at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking, did she feel hate for the deserters? Concern for her men? Disappointment because she didn't get to kill Vikings? It was impossible to tell, her stance never seemed to change, she never seemed to shift as most do, she was always still, thoughtful, it seemed. To the west, a group of maybe ten men on Iron legion colors, came running into the entrance to the ruins. I expected her to order us to charge in after them, but she said nothing, just began sprinting towards the entrance, six men followed quickly behind her, and Cross ordered the rest of us to follow him, our group went around to the right of the ruins, the walls were nearly gone around the structure save for a few stones and pillars, it was impossible to tell for sure what it was, a temple was my best guess. I could hear the clashing of steel, the grunts, and steel tearing into flesh as we moved through the rubble, but by the time we arrived it had ended. Apollyon stood in front of a Warden, and a Conqueror who I recognized as commander Stone of the Iron Legion, now wearing Blackstone colors.

   Before our warlord knelt a group of deserters, and I felt anger and disappointment, I had hoped for a fight, but I didn't think I'd get one now. Our men circled around them, blades drawn, the Iron legion held up their hands, they were afraid, unsurprising considering they ran from the remnants of an already broken raiding party. Apollyon gave an officer a nod, and the men surrounding the deserters all put their blades at their sides (why does no one have sheaths? Those blades gonna get rusty) They seemed to have some plan I was unaware of, they all just watched calmly as the two deserters closest to apolyon suddenly rushed at her, they were easily defeated, disarmed and held down by Blackstone blades. Apollyon, her blade drawn turned back to the other captives, she paced slowly in front of them,

"Do you know what kind of creature, waits for it's own slaughter?" She asked them, "Sheep" she said, not waiting an answer, she turned her back to them and said again, "Sheep". Before quickly turning with a wide swing of her sword, decapitating the next two deserters. I was shocked by this, Murdering men on their knees was not something I expected from my new warlord, the way she spoke, I thought she might demand they pick up their weapons and let them die fighting, or simply let them go, take them prisoner, just not this, the other Blackstone's around the captives began executing the rest, and it seemed I was not the only one that took issue with this, the warden who had been fighting the deserters before we came along quickly stepped forward towards Apollyon, gripping his blade, he took two steps before Cross stopped him, shaking his head, the warden backed down immediately. I felt powerless, and betrayed as the iron legion men were slaughtered, they were cowards but this was wrong, I wouldn't even had done this to Thatch, there was no honor is this.

    The two men who attacked Apollyon were helped back to their feet as she stepped in front of them,
"Welcome to the Blackstone Legion" she said to them. 'What? The rest were too cowardly to even get a fair fight but these two are Blackstone material? They are still deserters, they ran from a small group of Ill-equipped Vikings!' I thought as they looked at her, likely just as confused if not less angry. 'Its a good thing I did not fight today, for there have been no oaths sworn.' I said to myself, feeling my blood boil, looking at Apollyon, I felt an overwhelming urge to attack, 'This is how men like Thatch get into the legion, she told me we were to destroy cowards like him, not recruit them!' I analyzed my situation, 20+ men, some in full plate some in Brigandines, all totally loyal to her save for one who I doubted would help me. No, I had no chance, ' Even one on One I don't know if I could beat her' it occured to me. That feeling of belonging I felt after I killed Thatch, after I put in my armor, it was gone, I had felt Trust, kinship even towards Apollyon and the other Balckstone men, but now I was filled with nothing but doubt, I was lost, no idea what to do next.

   One thing was clear to me then, I could not serve the Blackstone Legion, all she had said to me, felt like lies now. She's the same as the rest of them, theres no distinction between Warlords and Cowards.

(Hey so yeah I know I said Sunday, but I also said "probably" so... but really, sorry for the delay, this chapter was gonna be longer but I figured AI should get this out already. Anyways thanks for the read as always and I hope to see you next time.)